After Being Scummed – Chapter 14
by Little PandaIs It Good?
Zhang Yu stood rooted to the spot, watching Yin Bai’s retreating figure as she hobbled towards the elevator. Then, she lowered her gaze to the cake in her arms, her mind filled with question marks.
A new friend’s mom?
Wait a minute, so an A-list actress in the entertainment industry is just your friend’s mom in your eyes?
That’s just like you, Boss.
Zhang Yu gave Yin Bai’s back a thumbs-up.
Yin Bai took a few steps, then turned her head and saw Zhang Yu still standing there. She waved at her, “What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and come on!” Are we going to eat in the wind at the doorway instead of going back to unbox the cake?
Zhang Yu let out a string of “oh”s and quickly followed.
After reaching the second-floor reception room, Yin Bai had Zhang Yu unbox the cake sent over by Zuo Jingyou. It had to be said, Zuo Jingyou did seem to know a thing or two about baking cakes. At the very least, this cake looked, smelled, and tasted perfect1, quite presentable, much better than the pitch-black dark chocolate cake Xiao Nian used to make.
Even so, Yin Bai was still a little uneasy. She reached out and poked Zhang Yu, “Try it.”
Zhang Yu glanced at her helplessly, “Boss, look at this cake. Lots of fruit, well-spread cream. It looks delicious at first glance, it’s not poisoned.”
However, Yin Bai didn’t listen to her little assistant’s explanation and insisted willfully, “I don’t care, you try it quickly.”
“Sigh, alright, alright.” Zhang Yu picked up a small fork, chose a nicely shaped piece of cake, and couldn’t help but complain as she put it in her mouth, “I’ve pretty much figured it out, you just treat me like a little eunuch2 for food tasting.”
Yin Bai clicked her tongue in disdain, “Eunuchs are men, and you’re not.”
Zhang Yu muttered, “Well, I don’t have that thing3 either, do I?”
Seeing her eat it without spitting it out, and even seeming to enjoy it, Yin Bai asked, “I asked you to eat it, don’t just focus on eating. How is it, how is it? Is it good?”
Zhang Yu nodded, “Mhm, delicious.”
As Zhang Yu spoke, she scooped another spoonful and gave a very serious summary, “I think it’s even better than the dessert we had at that Michelin hotel last time. Not as cloying.”
Zhang Yu was actually a foodie who wasn’t picky about anything. For something to be called delicious by her, it was actually just average for Yin Bai. Hearing her evaluation, Yin Bai skeptically picked up a spoon, took a piece from the other side, and said dubiously, “Is that so? Let me try.”
Yin Bai took a spoonful of cake and put it in her mouth. The sweet, soft, and glutinous cake melted in her mouth, teasing the taste buds in her oral cavity, which clamored with their hunger.
Yin Bai’s eyes instantly lit up. She lifted her cane and tapped Zhang Yu’s shoe, urging, “Quick, quick, quick, take it to the coffee table by the window. We’ll brew some afternoon tea.”
Zhang Yu turned to look at her, a smug look on her face, “Boss, I knew you’d definitely find it delicious too.”
Captain Hindsight! You clearly didn’t say that just now!
But Yin Bai couldn’t be bothered to refute her, merely snorting lightly and urging her to make afternoon tea.
The two of them enjoyed a delightful afternoon tea with Zuo Jingyou’s cake. After tea, Yin Bai went to the study to continue reading her poetry collection.
Around two o’clock in the afternoon, the new live-in housekeeper and personal assistant were brought to the villa by the driver.
Zhang Yu knew Yin Bai had mild social anxiety; she tried to avoid unnecessary contact with people she wasn’t familiar with. So, after the people arrived, Zhang Yu merely informed Yin Bai and then showed the live-in auntie and the personal assistant around the house.
The live-in auntie was a woman in her fifties with a kind face and a head full of dark hair interspersed with only a few strands of grey, named Song Qing4. Zhang Yu showed her around the villa, explaining some important points, “Director Yin is usually at home, but she doesn’t like to see people. So, Auntie Song Qing, every time you finish preparing the three meals, give her a call and then send her a text message to come down and eat.”
“In this villa, you are only responsible for one thing, and that is Director Yin’s diet. Whatever ingredients you need each day, pre-order them a day in advance from the grocery delivery company. They will deliver them directly, and you just need to cook at home.”
After Zhang Yu clearly explained the tasks, Song Qing raised a hand to smooth her hair at her temples and said somewhat reservedly, “Understood, Miss Zhang.”
Zhang Yu smiled and added, “As long as you responsibly prepare the meals and ensure Director Yin has regular meals and stays healthy.”
After Zhang Yu finished explaining things, she let Song Qing go unpack her luggage. Only after doing all this did she turn her head to look at the young assistant who had been following her for a while, and said after a moment of thought, “You’re called…”
The young assistant in a black uniform raised her hand, pushed up the glasses on her nose, and said, straightening her back, “Xiang Qiu.”5
Zhang Yu nodded and led her in another direction, “I’ve seen your resume. You’re a Master’s in Management graduate from this year, and you speak French and English, right?”
“Yes, Assistant Zhang.”
Zhang Yu smiled and led her up to the second floor, “Director Yin’s work isn’t usually too busy, so if you have the chance, you can study more on your own.”
“The main content of this job is still to take good care of Director Yin’s life, arrange her schedule, and some meetings and events.”
Xiang Qiu nodded as she listened, “Okay, I understand.”
Zhang Yu led her towards the end of the second-floor corridor, constantly murmuring, “Besides these, you will also need to attend some etiquette classes, flower arranging classes, history classes, and also learn about fashion.”
“Although Director Yin has a regular makeup artist and a custom design studio to prepare her daily attire, sometimes the stylist can’t make it in time, so the assistant also needs to learn to check for omissions and fill in gaps.”
“Oh, right, we are both personal assistants to Director Yin, so generally, wherever she goes, we go. Therefore, in this villa, you also have your own room.”
Zhang Yu said, pushing open the door at the very end of the corridor, “This is your room. Welcome to the big family. We’ll all be colleagues from now on.”
Xiang Qiu extended her hand and said solemnly, “I’ll be troubling Zhang Yu-jie to look after me in the future. Please give me lots of guidance.”
Zhang Yu smiled, “It’s no problem. My room is right next to yours. We’ll look after each other from now on.”
After all, when their Boss got willful and wanted to pluck the moon and stars, they all had to do their utmost.
“Okay.”
After Song Qing and Xiang Qiu moved in, because Yin Bai stayed home all the time, a few idle days passed. But soon, Xiang Qiu, who was busy with flower arranging classes, after being on high alert for several days, received her first job.
This job was incredibly easy, so easy it was almost unbelievable for Xiang Qiu.
For no other reason than that she, a master’s graduate, was actually taken out to play with a child.
The author has something to say:
Alright, starting next chapter, we might gradually use the time skip technique6.
Yin Bai is a very devoted person.
The first fifty little angels to leave a comment will get a red envelope!
LP: Re-translated on May 08, 2025
Footnotes
- 色香味俱全 | sè xiāng wèi jù quán | Lit. “color, aroma, taste all complete”; an idiom meaning perfect in all sensory aspects of food.
- 小太監 | xiǎo tàijiàn | Little eunuch; historically, imperial servants who taste-tested food for poison.
- 那玩意 | nà wányi | Lit. “that thing/stuff”; a colloquial euphemism, in this context referring to male genitalia. Eunuch are castrated.
- 宋青 | Sòng Qīng
- 向秋 | Xiàng Qiū
- 時間大法 | shíjiān dàfǎ | Lit. “great time law/method”; A common term in webnovels referring to a narrative time skip.
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