After Being Scummed – Chapter 61

Yin Bai, happy birthday!

The rumors about Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou spread widely on the internet for a while. Some clever paparazzi, sensing a change in Yin Bai, cautiously approached the marketing team’s account, wrote press releases, and posted photos to ride on the wave of the two’s rumored relationship for the sake of KPI.

As a result, this time, Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou did nothing at all, as if tacitly approving of the situation, allowing the rumors to gain even more momentum with the efforts of the marketing accounts.

Watching the rumors flooding the entire internet, Yin Bai seemed as happy as if she had found a treasure, ready to jump for joy.

Zuo Jingyou’s beginning with her and Xiao Nian and Yin Bai’s beginning were completely different.

Zuo Jingyou was not like the initial Xiao Nian, not a struggling actress with nothing, without overwhelming debts, and not bound by the iron rule of needing exposure during the rising period. She also didn’t require Yin Bai’s careful protection.

So, with Zuo Jingyou’s tacit approval, Yin Bai didn’t have to restrain her desire to “broadcast to the world,” constantly covering up the rumors, afraid of causing trouble for the other party.

Just as Zuo Jingyou said, as long as she wanted, she could go public at any time.

Many things might be like this, meeting the person you want to love at the wrong time, and you may not be able to do well enough. Love, in a way, depends on the right timing, favorable conditions, and the right people.

This is fate, and no one can explain it clearly.

In the blink of an eye, Yin Bai’s birthday was approaching. As it neared the 11th, Yin Bai still hadn’t decided what birthday gift she wanted. Zuo Jingyou discussed with her, “You’re too lazy to go out, feel like everything around you is getting boring… Tongtong and Wenwen have classes, so you can’t play with them during the day. Only in the evening can they come over for a dinner gathering. How about this, invite your familiar people to come to the house during the day and have a meal together?”

Yin Bai thought about it seriously and found the idea quite nice. She nodded and agreed with Zuo Jingyou, saying, “Okay, let’s make this cheerful decision.”

Consider it a break for her group of workaholic employees.

Zuo Jingyou, pleased with her agreement, clapped her hands and said happily, “On your birthday, I’ll make a cake for you!”

So on the birthday itself, Zhang Yu invited a professional BBQ team to the villa to host the party’s catering. She also informed Jin Xiangyu to bring all the employees from the group whose names could be called.

Even during the period when Yin Bai was known as the patron of Xiao Nian, she, as the boss, had the best reputation in the circle. Although she wasn’t an expert in everything, she understood the principle of “if you want the horse to run, you have to feed it grass.”

So, the companies under her umbrella offered very high salaries.

With high salaries, the talent recruited was exceptionally outstanding, and the entire group’s operations were thriving.

In a certain sense, Yin Bai indeed showed talent in management—because what she offered was simply too generous!

Recognizing Yin Bai as a good boss, many people in the internal management of the group were aware of Yin Bai’s family situation. Those with closer relationships often came to accompany Yin Bai for meals during festivals, alongside Jin Xiangyu.

As a result, some people were quite familiar with Yin Bai’s home.

However, when they discovered Zuo Jingyou at Yin Bai’s home, Jin Xiangyu’s subordinates were still astonished. Although the boss’s gossip had long been shared within the group, seeing Zuo Jingyou appear by Yin Bai’s side still gave them a visual impact.

There was no other reason—Zuo Jingyou, stepping out from the big screen, was just too stunning.

Her face, hailed as “White Moonlight” in the entertainment circle, instantly captivated a group of fans within the Yin Bai Group. The management team, led by Jin Xiangyu, took advantage of the conversation to ask Zhang Yu for paper and pens to get Zuo Jingyou’s autograph.

On this day, the warm afternoon sunlight spilled into the neatly trimmed courtyard. In the BBQ banquet area on the north side of the garden, a lively crowd of beautifully made-up women gathered. They were like a group of floral butterflies, surrounding Zuo Jingyou, raising their glasses to toast and requesting autographs.

Zuo Jingyou wore a deep blue long dress today, standing in the midst of this group of floral butterflies. She looked like an elegant blue enchantress in full bloom, calmly signing autographs for them, making the girls blush and laugh uncontrollably.

As the protagonist of the day, Yin Bai sat in a wheelchair, holding a skewer of grilled vegetables and taking a few bites. She squinted at the scene not far away, thinking, “Whose birthday is it today anyway?!”

Why does it feel like Zuo Jingyou is more popular than her, the boss!

Ah, forget it. It’s nice that her subordinates like Zuo Jingyou. But why are they all acting so shy?

The lady from the HR department, isn’t your child older than Tongtong? Why do you still show such a girlish expression when looking at Zuo Jingyou?

Yin Bai chewed on the skewer, eating vinegar on the side. She raised her hand, gesturing for Zhang Yu to hand her a glass of champagne. As she looked at Zhang Yu, who was taking photos of Zuo Jingyou with a camera, she teasingly said, “Why didn’t I notice before that you all like Zuo Jingyou so much~”

Zhang Yu sighed, raised the camera without looking back, and said to Yin Bai, “Ah, that’s because, BOSS, you didn’t collaborate with Teacher Zuo before, so who dared to show it.”

“Teacher Zuo is great in acting, well-known for both looks and skills among young actresses. She is rightfully the TOP of her generation. She’s good at choosing scripts and teams, and everyone acknowledges that movies with Teacher Zuo won’t be too bad.”

Zhang Yu continued talking to herself, completely oblivious to Yin Bai, whose brows were furrowing deeper and deeper. How did she not notice that her subordinate had such a double-sided face!

Yin Bai shook the champagne in her hand, gave an “Oh,” and asked casually, “So, do you all usually organize to go watch her movies?”

Without any guard, Zhang Yu nodded and answered without thinking, “Yes, Sister Shen Jie from Finance is her fan, so every time she releases a new movie, she invites us to watch together.”

Yin Bai clicked her tongue lightly and said, “No wonder last month, when I asked you to watch Teacher Zuo’s new movie, you all went so eagerly!”

Yin Bai raised the champagne to her lips, took a sip, and said in a peculiar tone, “Since you liked her before, then like her. What’s there to hide? I know, and I won’t do anything to you.”

She made it sound so mysterious, as if she were some domineering CEO.

Listening to her resentful tone, Zhang Yu put down the camera, turned to look at Yin Bai, and helplessly said, “Because at that time, BOSS really liked Xiao Nian. During those years, Teacher Zuo’s works were similar to Xiao Nian’s, and they competed in various major awards. Most of the time, Xiao Nian narrowly won.”

“We, the working class, also need to be good at reading people’s moods. Anyone with eyes could see that you didn’t favor Teacher Zuo. Who would dare to make you uncomfortable in front of you?”

Yes, that’s exactly what makes Yin Bai very, very unhappy!

Yin Bai forcefully took another sip of champagne and said discontentedly, “I’m not some tyrant. Would I fire you just because I know about it?”

“Of course not,” Zhang Yu knew Yin Bai was getting worked up and quickly reassured her, “We all know you’re a reasonable person. But interpersonal relationships aren’t always straightforward.”

“There’s a concept called ‘seeking common ground while preserving differences.’ It means that in our interactions, we try to avoid points that might make both parties unhappy. In situations of disagreement, we maintain each other’s perspectives, respect each other, and strive for a consensus.”

“Even if we can’t reach a consensus, there’s no problem, as long as we can mutually respect each other and maintain each other’s feelings, making both parties comfortable.”

Zhang Yu explained for a while, sighed, and looked at Yin Bai with a gentle gaze, saying, “So, BOSS, we didn’t tell you because we felt it wasn’t a big deal. It’s just liking an actor; why should we broadcast it everywhere?”

Although Yin Bai was used to being willful, Zhang Yu didn’t need to explain it to her like this. Yin Bai understood everything, and sometimes, she did act a bit domineering and childish.

But in the future… well, let’s see if she can change a bit. After all, she’s a child in an adult’s disguise!

Zhang Yu lowered her gaze, glanced at Yin Bai shaking the champagne glass, looking like she was lost in thought, and sighed. She raised her hand, patted Yin Bai’s shoulder, and said in a relaxed tone, “But BOSS, you really have changed a lot.”

Yin Bai looked up at her and asked, “How so?”

Zhang Yu raised her eyebrows, smiling, and said, “When you were with Xiao Nian before, you would always stick to her side, like a dragon guarding its treasure. Now that you’re with Teacher Zuo, you feel relaxed and dependent on her…”

“Even when many people surround Teacher Zuo, you don’t get angry.”

Yin Bai squeezed the champagne glass, pondered for a moment, and looked up at the surrounded Zuo Jingyou. She chuckled softly, “Because Teacher Zuo is a very reliable person. She’s not as fragile as Xiao Nian and me… She’s a very secure person… a strong person…”

Zhang Yu patted her shoulder, feeling quite emotional, and said, “Yes, she’s like a mother, embracing you~”

Mother?

Yin Bai furrowed her brows, lifted her gaze, and looked at Zhang Yu disdainfully, saying, “What do you mean? Your words don’t sound right!”

Zhang Yu winked at her, “Just the literal meaning~”

Saying that, Zhang Yu raised the camera and waved towards the “Zuo Jingyou Fan Meetup” happening over there, “Teacher Zuo, have you finished signing autographs? Should I take a group photo for you guys?”

“Sure, sure!”

Everyone gathered happily around Zuo Jingyou, forming a “stars surrounding the moon” pose, allowing Zhang Yu to take a group photo for them.

Yin Bai, holding the wine glass, watched the scene in the distance and couldn’t help but complain inwardly: Hey, is this her birthday party or Zuo Jingyou’s fan meetup?

Why are her employees such devoted fans?

Yin Bai lifted the champagne and, looking at the clear liquid inside, asked very seriously, “Do you think I should deduct some from their year-end bonuses this year?”

Before Yin Bai could make a decision, the blue rose, surrounded by the floral butterflies in the distance, waved to her, “Yin Bai, come over here!”

“Coming!”

With a wave from Zuo Jingyou, Yin Bai put down her wine glass and maneuvered her wheelchair toward Zuo Jingyou.

As Yin Bai approached, Zuo Jingyou held onto her wheelchair. She placed her hand on Yin Bai’s shoulder and, standing together with her in the crowd, suggested, “Let’s take a photo with Director Yin as a commemoration for her 30th birthday, what do you think?”

Everyone readily agreed. Zuo Jingyou stood behind Yin Bai, and together with her, amidst the crowd, led by Zhang Yu, they all shouted, “Happy birthday, Yin Bai!”

Yin Bai smiled, and after the photo was taken, she turned to Zuo Jingyou and, with a mischievous look, said, “Wishing Teacher Zuo’s Galaxy Group fan meetup a successful opening!”

With this unexpected remark, everyone present was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. Amidst the cheerful laughter, Zuo Jingyou raised her hand, tousled Yin Bai’s hair, and looked at her with indulgence, “Teasing people.”

She raised her eyebrows, looking at Yin Bai with a smile.

Not far away, the camera faithfully captured this cheerful scene, as if witnessing a happy new beginning for Yin Bai after turning thirty.

LP: I want to be a child forever like Yin Bai but I can’t afford that lifestyle (⇀‸↼‶)