After Being Scummed – Chapter 12
by Little PandaDo You Think I Look Like Someone Who Hires Child Labor?
As a low-key internet melon-eating otter1, Yin Bai deeply understood the principle of getting the whole story when eating melons. After reading Zuo Jingyou’s statement, Yin Bai went to check out He Zhiwen’s studio too.
Turns out that shameless He Zhiwen had also posted on Weibo: “Man or woman, as long as I like them.”
Seeing this Weibo post, Yin Bai couldn’t help but roll her eyes. What ‘like them’ this, ‘like them’ that? Before you started hooking up with someone, you hadn’t broken up or divorced your wife – doesn’t that just make you a cheating scumbag? Don’t talk about being a scumbag as if you’re some kind of romantic free spirit, putting love above all else.
Soon, Yin Bai discovered someone even more shameless than He Zhiwen.
When she saw Lin Xiao forward He Zhiwen’s Weibo post, adding a photo of holding hands with the caption “I like you,” Yin Bai was so disgusted she almost threw up.
Amidst the nationwide condemnation online, the two openly admitting it actually earned praise from some people.
Yin Bai scrolled down on her phone, seeing some netizens saying things like “There’s nothing wrong with catching feelings,” “Love is love, you can’t control attraction,” “True love isn’t eternal,” “Changing feelings is human nature,” and “Admitting it bravely is admirable.” It was utterly sickening.
Yin Bai thought to herself, if the two of them had made things clear before getting ambiguous, before hurting Zuo Jingyou, she would have thought it was pretty decent. But like this now…
Heh, scumbags.
A mocking smile touched Yin Bai’s lips. She read Zuo Jingyou’s statement again, and the more she read, the more she felt this person was truly clear-headed and magnanimous in relationships.
After all, the statement only clarified what needed clarifying and didn’t buy He Zhiwen’s or the He family’s story at all. Keep in mind, companies under the He family controlled significant cinema resources; Zuo Jingyou’s move risked offending people.
Yin Bai chewed on her finger, thinking for a moment, then opened her email, took a screenshot of Zuo Jingyou’s project, and sent it to Jin Xiangyu: “This one, try to meet their demands as much as possible during negotiations. Any amount of money is fine; if it’s not enough, ask me.”
After all, her personal assets were enormous; investing in Zuo Jingyou was more than easily affordable.
When Jin Xiangyu saw this message, she almost started questioning her life choices. Her reply came quickly: “Didn’t you refuse to work with Teacher Zuo at all costs before? Wasn’t there an investment previously that you pulled out of just because the female lead was Teacher Zuo? Are you sure you read that right, BOSS?”
As a manager who had been with Yin Bai for many years, Jin Xiangyu felt it was better to ask clearly. It would save them from Yin Bai acting on a whim, coming up with ideas impulsively, and needlessly increasing their workload.
Yin Bai pouted, her hands tapping briskly on the keyboard: “That was then, this is now. Can’t I think her project is good now? Also, regarding the cinema circuits, give as much support as possible when negotiating screen times.”
This way, even if the He family really wanted to make things difficult for Zuo Jingyou, she could help this clear-about-gratitude-and-grudges “friend.”
Jin Xiangyu replied with an “Oh” and started drafting a plan. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt Yin Bai’s actions were strange. After a while, Jin Xiangyu sent another message, probing tentatively: “BOSS, don’t tell me you were provoked and now want to pursue Teacher Zuo? Even if Teacher Xiao and Teacher Zuo don’t get along, you don’t need to go this far just to spite Teacher Xiao…”
Yin Bai was absolutely dumbfounded when she saw this message.
She immediately grabbed her phone and furiously typed a line: “Are you crazy! Believe it or not, I’ll fire you! Am I that petty?”
She would absolutely never do something so childish, using one person’s feelings to hurt another, okay!
“You lunatic! Can’t you just take a good look at Zuo Jingyou’s project? Are you blind! One-third of your year-end bonus is docked!”
Yin Bai was about to die from anger caused by Jin Xiangyu. What were these bizarre speculations? It was practically questioning her integrity.
Knowing Yin Bai didn’t intend to do such a childish thing, Jin Xiangyu also breathed a sigh of relief. She sent an OK hand gesture emoji and added: “Okay, understood. Rest assured, we will fully support Teacher Zuo.”
Yin Bai said huffily, “Hurry up and find me an assistant!”
Over the next few days, Lin Xiao and He Zhiwen’s relationship became completely public, causing a huge stir online. After a round of fan wars, the dust settled.
He Zhiwen couldn’t escape the fact that he cheated, and Lin Xiao was labeled a homewrecker2. But in today’s rather tolerant entertainment industry environment, cheating and being the third party were at most moral flaws, not really affecting the two substantially.
After He Zhiwen’s clarification, he continued filming his projects as usual. Lin Xiao, after this wave, even managed to “purify” many fans3 and gained the favor of a bunch of fujoshi4.
Yin Bai was extremely contemptuous of this, thinking that no matter how good He Zhiwen’s future movies were, she would never cooperate with him again.
She disliked both of them.
Yin Bai’s cold lasted for several days. On the 28th, Zhang Yu, who had taken a short holiday, finally returned.
Zhang Yu had used the holiday to travel around the Great Southwest and even brought back a souvenir for Yin Bai—a Tibetan knife.
Besides the souvenir, Zhang Yu chattered excitedly, telling Yin Bai many stories about her trip, and expressed that it was a real pity Yin Bai didn’t go out to have fun.
Yin Bai sat on the swing on the large balcony, flipping through a book of Byron’s poetry. She looked up at Zhang Yu’s slightly flushed, wheat-colored face and said sarcastically, “Go out for what? To get tanned as dark as you? No way.”
“I’m pale like a fairy; why would I want to become a dark and ugly dark magician?”
Zhang Yu looked at her expression, clicking her tongue in amazement: “BOSS, why do you sound so sour?”
Yin Bai closed the book in her hand and let out a soft scoff: “Do I need to be sour towards you? What would I be sour about? That you’re dark? That your teeth are white?”
Zhang Yu didn’t mind Yin Bai’s mockery at all. Instead, she winked at Yin Bai and said in a suggestive tone, “I get it, I get it. You were just bored at home alone, envious that I went out to play.”
“Oh, BOSS, you must have been so lonely without me by your side.”
Yin Bai rolled her eyes at her: “You’re overthinking it. I was doing great. I even made two new friends.” As Yin Bai spoke, she picked up the cane beside her and stood up from the swing.
Walking towards the interior, she said to Zhang Yu, “This afternoon, a new live-in housekeeper and a new assistant are coming over. You show them around.”
This time it was Zhang Yu’s turn to be dumbfounded: “New assistant? BOSS, why didn’t you tell me anything? I’m doomed, doomed! Are you jealous I went out to play, so you want to fire me?!”
Yin Bai raised her hand and poked Zhang Yu’s chest with the book, saying with a grin, “Feeling the pain now? Still dare to tell a disabled person how much fun you had hiking?”
Zhang Yu immediately took the book from her, showing an expression of utter regret: “My mistake, BOSS. If I had known you were so vengeful, I shouldn’t have bragged to you.”
“Forgive my shallowness and ignorance, spare my life.”
As Zhang Yu spoke, holding Yin Bai’s book, she looked like she was about to cry. Yin Bai was so disgusted she couldn’t help but shiver, quickly snatching the book back from her hands and hastily picking up her cane to walk inside: “Alright, alright, I know your act. You’re grossing me out.”
“That live-in Ayi5 will be responsible for my meals in this villa. As for the other assistant, I’ll leave her under your management. Her information has been sent to your email. See what she can do and delegate some of your work to her.”
“Train her up quickly. In the future, you two can take turns following me, so you can have shifts and rest.”
Zhang Yu made an OK gesture, her expression serious: “OK, BOSS.”
Just as Zhang Yu finished speaking, the phone placed on the nearby table rang. Zhang Yu picked it up, saw it was a video call from the villa gate, and said to Yin Bai, “They should be here. BOSS, I’ll go greet them.”
Yin Bai nodded, and Zhang Yu answered the call.
The moment the call connected, Zhang Yu saw a pink and tender-looking, very well-behaved little girl appear on the screen.
The little girl blinked her large, watery eyes at the camera and shouted excitedly, “Fairy Sister, Fairy Sister, are you home?”
Yin Bai, who hadn’t walked far, stopped in her tracks. She turned around and looked at Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu looked up at her, pointing at the phone with some surprise: “BOSS, this couldn’t be the new assistant you mentioned, right?”
Yin Bai rolled her eyes at her: “Do you think I look like someone who hires child labor?”
Yin Bai walked back, her cane tapping—tap, tap, tap: “Give me the phone. This is the neighbor’s kid. I’ll handle it.”
LP: Re-translated on May 06, 2025
Footnotes
- 吃瓜猹 | chī guā chá | Internet slang derived from 吃瓜群众 (chī guā qúnzhòng), “melon-eating masses.” Refers to passive onlookers who follow online drama/gossip for entertainment, like groundhogs (猹) eating melons.
- 小三 | xiǎosān | Lit. “little three.” Common, derogatory slang for the third party in an extramarital affair, often referring to a mistress.
- 提纯粉丝 | tíchún fěnsī | Fan culture term. Refers to a process where controversial events cause casual or critical fans to leave, leaving behind a smaller but more dedicated/hardcore (“purified”) fanbase.
- 腐女 | fǔnǚ | Japanese loanword popular in East Asian fandoms. Refers to female fans of media featuring romantic relationships between men (BL – Boys’ Love).
- 阿姨 | āyí | Lit. “Auntie.” A common term for addressing middle-aged women, often used for domestic helpers like housekeepers or nannies.
that’s your BOSS’ DAUGHTER…..ZHANG YU😂😂😂
that’s your BOSS’ DAUGHTER…..ZHANG YU😂😂😂