After Being Scummed – Chapter 18

She might become good friends with Zuo Jingyou

As a somewhat influential singer, Sangtian has actually received praise from quite a few people. But someone as sincere and earnest as Yin Bai is rarely seen, except among her fans.

Sangtian looked somewhat surprised at Yin Bai, gazing into her serious gray-blue eyes, and couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you for your compliments, Director Yin. It’s an honor to have you like my songs…”

Yin Bai said sincerely, “You’re welcome. It’s my privilege to hear such beautiful songs. Your voice tells a story; you should sing more movie theme songs.”

Yin Bai paused, searching for the right words. “A good song can save many movies.” In this era of capital invasion where commerce reigns supreme, even Yin Bai, who could be considered a conscientious ‘capitalist,’ had to admit that there were too many terrible films being screened in theaters!

What’s even more crucial is that these bad movies are selected from thousands or even millions of scripts that are slightly more bearable, which is even more lamentable.

Upon hearing such high praise, Sangtian was somewhat flattered, but on the side, Zuo Jingyou chimed in with a playful smile, “Since Director Yin has praised you so highly, it looks like Teacher Sangtian can’t refuse me now.”

“If you sing the theme song for my movie, it will definitely add a lot of charm to it!”

Sangtian couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “You don’t have to put it that way; I would agree even without asking.”

Zuo Jingyou smiled warmly, “Then I’ll be waiting for your song.”

After a brief exchange, the three of them chatted for a while, and soon another acquaintance came to find Sangtian. Sangtian raised her glass, apologized to Zuo Jingyou, and took a self-punishing drink before leaving.

Watching Sangtian depart, Yin Bai finally tapped the high heel of Zuo Jingyou’s shoe with her cane and whispered to her, “Is she the one you’re approaching for the movie’s theme song?”

Zuo Jingyou turned around, holding her champagne, and looked at Yin Bai. “Director Yin, how do you feel about my taste?”

“Quite good,” Yin Bai nodded, offering her opinion. “She’s a good choice.”

Yin Bai paused and then asked, “Aside from meeting film producers here, are there any other people you need to meet?”

Zuo Jingyou carefully listed them for her, “Of course, there are some representatives from cinema chains, production companies, producers, industry friends… When you’re here, you should greet them.”

Yin Bai uttered an “oh” sound and grumbled, “You seem pretty busy.” In such a large venue, she considered herself only slightly acquainted with Zuo Jingyou. Based on past experiences, if she didn’t have someone accompanying her, there would undoubtedly be a group of clueless people trying to get closer to her.

Yin Bai couldn’t stand these kinds of occasions and, unfortunately, sometimes couldn’t avoid them. She could only put on a cold face to deal with it.

She idly twirled the highball glass in her hand, thinking aimlessly. Perhaps next time, she should bring Zhang Yu along. At least with an assistant present, she wouldn’t have to interact directly with so many people.

At this moment, Yin Bai seemed as wilted as a frostbitten eggplant. Zuo Jingyou sensed her distraction and after a brief contemplation, vaguely grasped her current thoughts. She paused and a faint smile crept onto her lips. “If Director Yin isn’t too busy, may I invite you for a few drinks? We can chat some more?”

Yin Bai’s eyes immediately brightened. “Not busy at all. Shall we discuss your movie?”

Zuo Jingyou readily agreed, “Sure.”

Although they said they would discuss Zuo Jingyou’s movie, Yin Bai wasn’t quite sure what to talk about. She casually found a topic, asking, “How’s the progress of your movie? Will it be completed by the end of the year?”

Zuo Jingyou was quite cooperative and answered, “Probably around the end of the year. After finishing the shoot, I’ll be back in time for the New Year.”

Yin Bai wholeheartedly approved of this choice and hinted, “That’s great. Tong Tong will be very happy to know you can spend the New Year with her.”

When her daughter was mentioned, Zuo Jingyou felt a bit guilty, and her tone became slightly more subdued. “Yes, I can only come back to celebrate the New Year with her.”

At this moment, a waiter passed by Yin Bai. She swapped the cocktail she held, which had been touched by others, for a glass of champagne and cleared her throat, saying, “Being a single mom with a child, there are always various difficulties.”

She raised her glass to Zuo Jingyou, gesturing, “Care for a drink?”

Zuo Jingyou, having deduced from Yin Bai’s previous actions that she might have some germophobia, didn’t clink glasses with her. Instead, she lightly touched her glass against Yin Bai’s and said, “Then I’ll offer a toast to Director Yin.”

They both took a sip, and Zuo Jingyou, noticing Yin Bai’s inconvenience with her cane, suggested, “Director Yin, how about we find a place to sit down and chat more comfortably?”

Yin Bai, feeling tired from standing, happily responded, “Sure.”

She walked side by side with Zuo Jingyou, leaning on her cane, and found a secluded corner in the bustling venue, where they both took a seat.

The wedding venue was arranged in the large garden of Songshan Mansion. It was noon, and the bright sunlight bathed the spacious garden, casting a warm glow over the bustling guests.

Men and women dressed in their finest attire gathered in small groups, holding wine glasses, chatting and laughing. Waitstaff in formal attire carried trays of drinks and fruit platters, while carts filled with various snacks made their way through the crowd, providing ample refreshments to the guests.

Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou sat in a pavilion on the edge of the crowd, chatting endlessly.

Although Yin Bai had spent the past six months playing with Tong Tong and Wen Wen and had interacted with Zuo Jingyou a few times during that period, this private meeting between the two in such a setting was, in fact, their first.

Yin Bai was truly averse to socializing and feared that if she left Zuo Jingyou’s side, someone would approach her for a conversation. At this moment, she had to muster her energy and find topics to talk about, attempting to keep Zuo Jingyou around.

Their conversation revolved around the children. In front of her friend’s mother, Yin Bai praised her endlessly, saying how Tong Tong was one of the most well-behaved kids she had ever seen. She admitted that she hadn’t been fond of children before, finding them annoying, but Tong Tong was different—very well-behaved and even good with words. Yin Bai complimented Zuo Jingyou on her excellent parenting.

Zuo Jingyou twirled her highball glass and displayed a resigned yet indulgent smile. “That child has always had a sweet tongue, just like her father. She knows how to say sweet things.”

Zuo Jingyou raised her gaze, looking at Yin Bai with seriousness. “Director Yin, please don’t let her sweet-talk you into everything. It wouldn’t be good if you just go along with everything she says.”

Yin Bai snorted lightly. “I’m a person with a firm stance; I absolutely won’t fall for her sugar-coated bullets.”

“Oh, not falling for sugar-coated bullets, huh?” Zuo Jingyou set down her glass, teasing, “Then how come, when it was her birthday, she said she wanted a set of LEGO, and you just bought it for her? She already has a lot of LEGO sets at home, and she hasn’t played with all of them yet, but you bought her another one.”

“Indulging a child like this may not be a good idea.”

Yin Bai hesitated for a moment, feeling somewhat guilty. “I just have a special fondness for this child, and I didn’t mean to spoil her.”

Zuo Jingyou smiled knowingly, “I understand. Director Yin, you care a lot about Tong Tong, and you’re her best friend. But… she’s a smart child, and I’m afraid she might become too spoiled in your care.”

Upon hearing this, Yin Bai instantly understood. Indeed, even though Tong Tong’s mother was busy with work most of the time, she still cared deeply for her child. As a semi-adult, Yin Bai understood Zuo Jingyou’s concerns.

In consideration of her friendship with Tong Tong and with a humble attitude, Yin Bai sought advice, “I understand that as an adult, I can easily fulfill my friend’s material needs, so I do pay attention to these things. However, sometimes I feel it’s necessary to ask for your opinion.”

“Here’s the thing, in the future, when I want to give her something, should I ask you first?”

Zuo Jingyou chuckled, “That’s not necessary.”

Yin Bai was earnest, her expression serious. “No, I think it’s essential.” For the sake of her lasting friendship with Tong Tong and to reassure the parents, it was an important matter.

After some thought, Yin Bai said earnestly, “How about this, may I add your personal contact information? We’re neighbors, and in the future, we can contact each other if needed.” Otherwise, relying solely on her excellent relationship with Tong Tong might make it awkward to contact the child’s mother through her assistant.

Zuo Jingyou hesitated for a moment, then chuckled, “Of course, you can. But I didn’t bring my phone with me now, so can we exchange contact information later?”

Yin Bai smiled faintly and retrieved a white, gold-embossed business card from the inner pocket of her jacket. She extended it to Zuo Jingyou, saying, “No need, I have my business card here. You can contact me directly when you get back.”

Zuo Jingyou took the card and noticed the small white card with a gold-embossed rose pattern. At the center of the blooming rose, Yin Bai’s name and her private mobile phone number were printed.

Just below this string of numbers, there was also a line of black, silver-embossed French text. Zuo Jingyou glanced at it and read the words, “Le langage est source de malentendus.”

Yin Bai’s eyes brightened, and she looked at Zuo Jingyou. “You speak French?”

Zuo Jingyou raised her gaze, meeting Yin Bai’s eyes, which were as clear as the sky. She smiled and replied, “Yes, I studied it in college.”

Zuo Jingyou’s fingers traced the embossed black text and offered her own translation, “Language is the source of misunderstandings.”

She looked up, giving Yin Bai a gentle smile. “This sentence is from ‘The Little Prince,’ right?”

Yin Bai gazed at her smiling face, her eyes soft and filled with joy. “Yes.”

At this moment, Yin Bai felt like she had finally encountered the aviator from ‘The Little Prince’ in the vast desert, and she and Zuo Jingyou exchanged a secret signal: “Les enfants seuls savent ce qu’ils cherchent.”

Zuo Jingyou raised her eyebrows, her face filled with a playful smile. She looked into Yin Bai’s eyes and spoke slowly, “Toutes les grandes personnes ont d’abord été des enfants. Mais peu d’entre elles s’en souviennent.” (Note 2)

In that moment, Yin Bai’s gray-blue eyes seemed to suddenly light up like a starry sky, radiant and bright. She gazed at Zuo Jingyou and cautiously asked, “Miss Zuo, do you also like ‘The Little Prince’?”

Zuo Jingyou replied with a smile, “I think no one can dislike this book.”

As if struck by this response, Yin Bai held her heart and revealed a very childlike smile. She looked at Zuo Jingyou with sparkling eyes and spoke with a hesitant yet hopeful tone, “Please… please help me draw a sheep.”

Zuo Jingyou paused for a moment, then chuckled. She covered her lips, her eyes filled with laughter, and after a while, she looked at Yin Bai with a serious expression, blinking at her. “Well, what kind of sheep would you like, Little Prince?”

Ah! Our brainwaves aligned!

Yin Bai, excited yet embarrassed, covered her face with her hands and buried it in her sleeves. Shyly and bashfully, she said, “Just a regular sheep will do.”

Yin Bai thought that she might be able to become very good friends with Zuo Jingyou!

Because, in reality, Zuo Jingyou was also a kid who hadn’t completely grown up yet!

The author has something to say:

Note 1 and Note 2 are from the French version of “The Little Prince.”

What Yin Bai said was, “Only children truly know what they are pursuing.”

Zuo Jingyou’s response was, “Every adult was once a child; only a few of them still remember.”

(They exchanged some secret signals.)

Zuo Jingyou even rehearsed lines with Yin Bai.

Actually, I recommend that everyone read “The Little Prince.” It’s not very long in terms of word count, and it’s a timeless classic. I genuinely love this book; it’s my favorite fairy tale!

Next would be Oscar Wilde’s “The Nightingale and the Rose,” and “The Selfish Giant.”