After Being Scummed – Chapter 17

You’re just going to abandon me like this?

The moment Yin Bai entered the venue, arm in arm with Zuo Jingyou, she heard a middle-aged man shout loudly, “Little Director Yin has arrived!”

This shout made Yin Bai jolt, startling her so much that she gripped the cane in her hand tightly. Zuo Jingyou, who had her arm linked with Yin Bai’s, instantly noticed Yin Bai’s unusual reaction. She turned her gaze to Yin Bai and saw that her already pale face had turned a few shades whiter.

            

Sure enough, this person actually had a bit of social phobia​¹.

Zuo Jingyou, still holding Yin Bai’s arm, saw Li Fuhao​² approaching them from a distance, raising his wine glass. “Little Director Yin, long time no see!”

Faced with this enthusiastic countenance, Yin Bai’s stiff face was forced to put on a business smile. “Boss Li​³, you’re too kind, too kind.”

            

Li Fuhao extended his hand towards Yin Bai. “Not at all, not at all! My humble daughter is getting married today, your esteemed presence truly makes my humble abode shine​⁴!”

Yin Bai looked at the other party’s pale, thick hand, hesitated for a moment, then extended her fingertips to touch it briefly, saying politely, “Congratulations on your esteemed daughter’s marriage. I wish your esteemed daughter a hundred years of conjugal bliss​⁵, truly joyous and worthy of celebration.”

After the greeting, the sharp-eyed Zuo Jingyou noticed Yin Bai retract her hand, grip the corner of her own suit jacket, and rub it vigorously. It was as if touching the other person’s hand was like getting something dirty stuck to hers, requiring a forceful wipe to clean it off.

            

Li Fuhao had interacted with Yin Bai several times and knew she wasn’t fond of physical contact with people. Therefore, he didn’t engage in excessive pleasantries and instead turned his attention to Zuo Jingyou, who was by Yin Bai’s side.

Seeing Zuo Jingyou arrive with Yin Bai, he mistakenly assumed Zuo Jingyou was Yin Bai’s female companion, and the smile on his face became even more fervent than before. “Ah, this must be Miss Zuo!”

Li Fuhao extended his hand and greeted Zuo Jingyou enthusiastically. “My daughter really loves Miss Zuo’s movies, and of course, that film you starred in, 《Horizon》​⁶, also left a deep impression on me!”

            

“She will definitely be thrilled that you could come to her wedding with Little Director Yin!”

Zuo Jingyou understood at once: Li Fuhao had mistaken her for Yin Bai’s date. She subconsciously glanced at Yin Bai, noticing that Yin Bai showed no signs of displeasure, and had even started to drift off into her own world.

Zuo Jingyou smiled, shook Li Fuhao’s hand, and uttered lines quite similar to Yin Bai’s: “Not at all, not at all. I wish Miss Li a happy and fulfilling marriage, with harmony like the qin and se​⁷.”

            

After some pleasantries, Li Fuhao led the way, guiding Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou into the venue. “Come, come, let’s go inside first and then chat.”

“Okay.”

Li Fuhao was the host, and he guided Yin Bai into the business circle, introducing her to all the prominent and influential tycoons in the circle.

            

Zuo Jingyou was somewhat part of this circle, but she didn’t particularly enjoy interacting with this group of people. Therefore, after the greetings were done, Zuo Jingyou spotted Li Fuhao’s daughter, proactively released Yin Bai’s arm, and said gracefully and poisedly, “I’ll go say hello to Miss Li. Director Yin, Director Li, please take your time chatting.”

Li Fuhao beamed as he saw her off. Yin Bai, surrounded by a group of middle-aged and elderly men, stared wide-eyed at Zuo Jingyou’s unhesitatingly departing figure.

Wait! Weren’t they here together? Wasn’t Zuo Jingyou her little buddy’s mom? Why would she abandon her alone in a group of uncouth brutes, without taking her along!

            

Yin Bai watched Zuo Jingyou’s stylishly departing back, puffed up her cheeks, and fumed like a pufferfish!

But no matter how angry she was, there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t very well speak up to keep Zuo Jingyou there, so she had to grip her cane tightly and force herself to put on a brave face to deal with this group of middle-aged men.

As soon as this group met, after praising Li Fuhao’s daughter for being young and promising, and then saying Li Fuhao’s son-in-law had a successful career, they shifted the topic to which family’s unmarried sons and daughters were available.

            

As they talked, the conversation suddenly turned, and someone brought up Yin Bai.

Not just in Haicheng, but even nationally, Yin Bai was one of the very few truly wealthy people. Even the He family, who were in real estate, couldn’t match her total assets when their entire family’s wealth was combined.

Furthermore, the Yin family had simple relations, without any strange wealthy family power struggles; Yin Bai was completely in charge of the household. So, many people wanted to form marriage alliances with the Yin family.

            

At this point, a Mrs. Zhang brought up Yin Bai: “Little Director Yin isn’t even thirty yet, right? And she manages the family business so well. Oh dear, my daughter is so unaccomplished; she only finished her doctorate at twenty-seven. Her dad let her manage a small company, and she can’t even handle that. I really wish she could learn from Little Director Yin, ask Little Director Yin how she became so outstanding?”

Oh ho, here we go again!

The moment Yin Bai heard this, she knew the usual routine of various families trying to introduce her to potential partners was starting again. In the past, when she was with Xiao Nian, this group would also overtly or covertly try to introduce their own children to her. But after Yin Bai had sharply retorted them, they hadn’t dared to mention this in front of her for several years.

            

Now that Xiao Nian had run off with someone else, these people’s thoughts were stirring again.

Yin Bai sneered internally. What, just because she’s rich, she deserves to be targeted by everyone?

Yin Bai suppressed her dissatisfaction and put on a polite smile. “There’s no need to learn from me. Most children won’t surpass their parents; those where the student surpasses the master​⁸ are relatively few, and people as outstanding as me are even rarer.”

            

“If Miss Zhang really can’t manage the family business, then just do as I do, hire someone to manage it, y’know.”

“After all, Mr. Zhang worked hard his whole life precisely so his children wouldn’t have to struggle so much. They should eat what they want, drink what they want, and not cling desperately to the company’s management rights.”

“If you ask me, rather than letting an unaccomplished child manage the company and ruin the family fortune, it’s better to let someone else help make money. Don’t you all think that makes sense?”

            

Mrs. Zhang was rebuffed into silence. Yet, someone nearby still gave Yin Bai a thumbs-up: “Director Yin’s insight is brilliant, truly brilliant!”

Someone nearby even chimed in: “Exactly! Working hard for a lifetime is so the children don’t have to suffer. Giving them money to spend, letting them pursue their ideals, isn’t that what parents should do?”

“If you ask me, if the child is unaccomplished, just let it be, let it be.”

            

Hearing these words, Mrs. Zhang nearly coughed up a mouthful of old blood​⁹. She glanced at Yin Bai, who was now noticeably much colder, and said sheepishly, “Young people… it’s still better for them to get more experience…”

Yin Bai chuckled drily and said no more. She reached out, picked up a cocktail, said, “Excuse me”, and calmly walked away.

Anyway, these adults knew her foul temper​¹⁰. Mrs. Zhang’s words just now had, in everyone’s eyes, already annoyed her. Once she got angry, she had an excuse to leave, which could also be considered not impolite.

            

Thinking this, Yin Bai, leaning on her cane with one hand and holding a cocktail in the other, walked towards a corner of the venue.

Halfway there, she quickly spotted Zuo Jingyou chatting with someone. The woman was holding a glass of champagne, standing in a corner, and conversing animatedly with a woman beside her, exuding the pleasant atmosphere one only has when casually chatting with friends.

Yin Bai took a slightly closer look and recognized the woman talking to Zuo Jingyou as Sang Tian​¹¹, a very famous singer from the middle generation​¹² of performers. Yin Bai had heard her songs and thought they were quite good; perhaps she could try interacting with her.

            

Yin Bai’s steps paused. She thought for a moment, then turned her cane and walked straight towards Zuo Jingyou.

She walked to Zuo Jingyou’s side and tapped Zuo Jingyou’s high-heeled shoe with her cane. The vibration traveled up from the high heel, startling Zuo Jingyou, who was happily chatting with her friend. She turned her head, looked at Yin Bai, and said with great surprise, “Director Yin?”

A slight smile touched Yin Bai’s lips as she said in a passive-aggressive tone, “Miss Zuo, enjoying your chat, are we!” Abandoning her alone in the middle of that group of middle-aged and elderly people just now, wasn’t that just delightful!

            

Zuo Jingyou looked at Yin Bai’s rather unhappy expression, somewhat surprised. It took her a good while to realize that Yin Bai was here to settle scores with her.

She curved her eyebrows and eyes, smiling as she said, “My apologies, Director Yin.”

Yin Bai snorted coldly, poked Zuo Jingyou’s high-heeled shoe again with her cane with a haughty look, and said no more.

            

Their exchange was brief and inexplicable. Sang Tian, standing beside Zuo Jingyou, looked at Zuo Jingyou, then at Yin Bai who was dressed in a cool grey shirt paired with a coat of the same color scheme, and asked somewhat confusedly, “This is?”

Actually, in the entertainment circle, almost everyone with some status knew Yin Bai to some extent. It was just that Sang Tian hadn’t had contact with her before, so she at least feigned unfamiliarity, waiting for Zuo Jingyou to make the introduction.

Zuo Jingyou understood, smiled, and introduced them: “This is Director Yin of Galaxy Pictures​¹³.”

            

Yin Bai nodded and extended her wine glass. “Yin Bai.”

Sang Tian tactfully extended her wine glass, lightly clinked it against Yin Bai’s, and showed a bright smile. “Hello, Director Yin. I’m Sang Tian.”

Yin Bai retracted her glass, turned it slightly, and squeezed out a smile. “I know you. I’ve heard your songs; they’re very good. You sang the theme song for 《Little Pavilion Last Night》, didn’t you? It fit the movie perfectly, your voice has a wonderful texture, I liked it very much.”

            

Upon hearing 《Little Pavilion Last Night》, Zuo Jingyou turned her head in surprise to look at Yin Bai.

She actually went to see the movie Xiao Nian and Lu Qing collaborated on? To say it so openly now, does that mean she doesn’t mind what happened before?

Young people really do get over the shadow of a breakup quickly.

            

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The author has something to say:

Ahahahaha, this chapter is so funny oh, it feels like a little tadpole looking for its mommy​¹⁴!

(Next up is probably the little tadpole looking for its mommy!)

            

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LP: Re-translated on May 12, 2025

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