After Being Scummed – Chapter 18
by Little PandaShe might just become good friends with Zuo Jingyou
As a singer with a fair bit of influence, Sang Tian1 had actually heard her share of praise. But to encounter someone as sincere and earnest as Yin Bai2 was rare, aside from her fans.
Sang Tian looked at Yin Bai with some surprise, gazing at her gray-blue eyes that so clearly conveyed her earnestness, and couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you for your praise, Director Yin. To have my songs liked by Director Yin is my honor.”
Yin Bai said with utmost sincerity, “You’re welcome. It’s my honor to hear such beautiful songs. There’s a story in your voice; you should sing more movie theme songs.”
Yin Bai paused, searching for the right words. “A good song can save many a movie.” In this era of capital invading and commerce reigning supreme, even Yin Bai, who considered herself a relatively conscientious “capitalist,” had to admit that there were far too many terrible films being released in cinemas!
More importantly, these terrible films were the slightly more watchable scripts selected from thousands, even tens of thousands, which made it all the more lamentable.
Sang Tian was somewhat overwhelmed by such high praise. Zuo Jingyou3 beside her, however, chimed in with a smile, “Since Director Yin has praised you so highly, it seems Teacher Sang Tian definitely can’t refuse me now.”
“If you sing my theme song, it will add a lot of color to my movie!”
Sang Tian was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. “You don’t have to say that; I would have agreed anyway la4.”
Zuo Jingyou smiled gently. “Then I’ll await your song.”
The three exchanged pleasantries for a while. Soon, an acquaintance came looking for Sang Tian. Sang Tian had to raise her glass, apologize to Zuo Jingyou, and downed a glass of wine as a self-imposed penalty before leaving.
Seeing Sang Tian depart, Yin Bai finally extended her cane and tapped Zuo Jingyou’s high-heeled shoe, asking in a low voice, “She’s the one you found for your movie’s theme song?”
Zuo Jingyou, holding her champagne flute, turned to look at Yin Bai. “What does Director Yin think of my judgment?”
“Pretty good.” Yin Bai nodded, stating very objectively, “She’s a good choice.”
Yin Bai paused, then asked, “Coming to this place, besides looking for a film producer, do you have anyone else to meet?”
Zuo Jingyou carefully counted them off for her. “Of course, la. Representatives from some cinema chains, investors, producers, friends from the industryโฆ if I see them, I have to at least say hello, right?”
Yin Bai let out an “Oh,” and muttered, “You’re quite busy.” In such a large venue, she felt she was only somewhat familiar with Zuo Jingyou. Based on past experience, if there wasn’t someone accompanying her, a crowd of tactless people would surely surround her to try and curry favor5.
Yin Bai absolutely detested such occasions, yet sometimes they were unavoidable, so she had no choice but to put on a cold face and deal with them.
She idly swirled the stemmed glass6 in her hand, thinking aimlessly, Maybe I should bring Zhang Yu7 along next time. At least with an assistant around, I wouldn’t have to directly face so many people.
At this moment, Yin Bai was like a frost-bitten eggplant8, completely wilted. Zuo Jingyou noticed her distraction and, after a moment’s thought, vaguely guessed what she was thinking. She paused, a smile gracing her lips. “If Director Yin isn’t busy, may I invite Director Yin for a few drinks? We can chat some more?”
Yin Bai’s eyes instantly lit up. “Not busy at all! Shall we talk about your movie?”
Zuo Jingyou readily agreed, “Alright.”
Though they said they’d talk about Zuo Jingyou’s movie, Yin Bai didn’t really know what to discuss, so she just picked a random topic. “How’s your movie progressing? Can it be finished by the end of the year?”
Zuo Jingyou was very cooperative, answering every question. “Probably around year-end. After filming is done, I can come back just in time for Guo Nian9.”
Yin Bai strongly approved of this choice, saying pointedly, “That’s great. Tongtong will definitely be very happy to know you can come back to spend Guo Nian with her.”
At the mention of her daughter, Zuo Jingyou felt a twinge of guilt, and her tone softened slightly. “Yes, ah. I can only accompany her for Guo Nian.”
Just then, a waiter passed by Yin Bai. She exchanged the cocktail in her hand, which she had clinked with others, for a fresh glass of champagne, cleared her throat, and said, “Single mothers raising children always face all sorts of difficulties, ah.”
She raised her glass to Zuo Jingyou, gesturing. “Care for a drink?”
From Yin Bai’s previous small actions, Zuo Jingyou had deduced that Yin Bai might be a bit of a germaphobe. So, hearing her say this, she didn’t actually clink glasses with Yin Bai, but just made a slight gesture of clinking with her. “Then I shall toast Director Yin.”
The two took a light sip. Zuo Jingyou, seeing Yin Bai leaning on her cane and looking quite uncomfortable, suggested, “Director Yin, why don’t we find a place to sit down and chat slowly?”
Yin Bai was tired of standing too, and hearing this, she said cheerfully, “Great idea.”
Leaning on her cane, she walked side by side with Zuo Jingyou, and they found a quiet corner in the lively venue to sit down.
The wedding reception was arranged in the grand garden of Songshan Gongguan10. It was noon, and bright sunlight spilled across the spacious garden, warmly enveloping the bustling guests.
Men and women in their finest attire gathered in groups of three or five, holding wine glasses, chatting and laughing. Impeccably dressed waiters, holding trays of drinks and fruit, and pushing carts with various pastries, occasionally weaved through the crowd, providing guests with ample drinks and desserts.
Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou sat in a pavilion at the edge of the crowd, chatting about anything and everything.
Although Yin Bai had spent the past six months playing with Tongtong and Wenwen, and had interacted with Zuo Jingyou a few times during that period, this was actually their first private meeting in such a setting.
Yin Bai was truly socially awkward and feared that if Zuo Jingyou left, someone else would approach her to chat. So, she had to force herself to keep the conversation going, trying to make Zuo Jingyou stay.
Their conversation revolved around the children. In front of her little friend’s mother, Yin Bai praised the other endlessly11, saying things like Tongtong was the best-behaved child she had ever met, that she used to dislike children, finding them annoying. But Tongtong was different; she was very well-behaved and knew how to say nice things, praising Zuo Jingyou for raising her child so well.
Zuo Jingyou swirled the stemmed glass in her hand, a helpless yet doting smile on her face. “That child has always been a sweet-talker since she was little, just like her father, always spouting sweet words and honeyed phrases.”
Zuo Jingyou looked up, her gaze serious as she looked at Yin Bai. “Director Yin, you mustn’t let her coax you into everything. It’s not good to listen to her all the time.”
Yin Bai let out a light “Hmph.” “I’m a person of firm principles. I absolutely will not fall for her sugar-coated bullets12.”
“Oh~ Not falling for sugar-coated bullets, ah~” Zuo Jingyou put down her wine glass, teasing, “Then when it was her birthday, and she said she wanted a Lego set, why did you buy it for her right away? She has a lot of Lego sets piled up at home that she hasn’t even played with completely, and you still bought her another one.”
“Spoiling a child like this isn’t very good.”
Yin Bai paused, feeling a little guilty. “I just particularly like this child. I have no intention of spoiling her.”
Zuo Jingyou smiled faintly. “I know. Director Yin cares a lot about Tongtong, and you’re also Tongtong’s best friend. Butโฆ she’s a smart child. I’m afraid she’ll become too spoiled with you.”
Hearing this, Yin Bai immediately understood. That’s right, even if her little friend’s mother is busy with work all day, she still worries about her child. As a semi-adult, Yin Bai understood Zuo Jingyou’s concerns.
For the sake of her friendship with Tongtong, Yin Bai humbly asked for guidance13, “I know that as an adult, I can easily satisfy my friend’s material needs, so I usually pay attention to this aspect. However, sometimes, I feel I still need to ask for your opinion.”
“How about this: from now on, if I want to give her anything, I’ll ask you first, how does that sound?”
Zuo Jingyou chuckled in spite of herself. “That’s not really necessary.”
Yin Bai said with a serious expression, “No, I think it’s very necessary.” To ensure the longevity of her friendship with her little friend, making the parent feel at ease was important.
Yin Bai thought for a moment, then said very seriously, “How about this, can I have your private contact information? We’re all neighbors, so we can contact each other if anything comes up in the future.” Otherwise, given her good relationship with her little friend, always contacting the mother through an assistant felt too distant.
Zuo Jingyou was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. “Of course, you can. But I don’t have my phone with me right now. Shall we exchange contact information later?”
Yin Bai smiled faintly, took out a white, gold-embossed business card from the inner pocket of her coat, and presented it with both hands. “No need. I have my card here. You can just contact me directly when you get back.”
Zuo Jingyou took the business card and saw that on the small, white, stiff card, a gold-embossed rose was subtly patterned. Where this rose bloomed, Yin Bai’s name and private mobile number were printed.
Just below this string of numbers, a line of black, silver-embossed French text was printed. Zuo Jingyou glanced at it and read the line aloud: “Le langage est source de malentendus.14“
Yin Bai’s eyes lit up as she looked at Zuo Jingyou. “You know French, ah?”
Zuo Jingyou looked up, meeting Yin Bai’s eyes, which were as clear as the sky, and replied with a smile, “En, I studied it in university.”
Zuo Jingyou’s fingers traced the line of gold-embossed black text, offering her own translation: “Language is the source of misunderstandingsโ”
She looked up, smiling gently at Yin Bai. “This sentence, it’s from ใThe Little Princeใ, right?”
Yin Bai gazed at her smiling face, her eyes soft and filled with delight. “En, yes.”
At this moment, Yin Bai was like the pilot in the vast desert who finally met the Little Prince, exchanging a secret code with Zuo Jingyou: “Les enfants seuls savent ce qu’ils cherchent.”
Zuo Jingyou’s eyes curved into crescents, her face full of smiles. Looking into Yin Bai’s eyes, she said word by word, “Toutes les grandes personnes ont d’abord รฉtรฉ des enfants. Mais peu d’entre elles s’en souviennent.”
In that instant, Yin Bai’s gray-blue eyes seemed to light up like a sky suddenly filled with starlight, brilliant and bright. She looked at Zuo Jingyou and asked cautiously, “Miss Zuo, do you also like ใThe Little Princeใ?”
Zuo Jingyou replied with a smile, “I think no one could dislike this book.”
As if struck by this answer, Yin Bai clutched her heart, a very childlike smile appearing on her face. She looked at Zuo Jingyou, her eyes sparkling, and said in a hesitant yet expectant tone, “Pleaseโฆ please draw me a sheep.”
Zuo Jingyou paused, then chuckled in spite of herself. She covered her lips, her eyes full of mirth. After a good while, she looked at Yin Bai seriously, winked, and said, “Well then, what kind of sheep do you want? Little Prince.”
Ah! Their brainwaves were in sync!
Yin Bai, both excited and embarrassed, covered her face, burying it in her sleeves, and said shyly, “Just an ordinary sheep will do.”
Yin Bai thought, she might just become very good friends with Zuo Jingyou!
Because Zuo Jingyou, in reality, was also a child who hadn’t completely grown up, ah!
The author has something to say:
Note 1 and Note 2 are from the French version of ใThe Little Princeใ.
What Yin Bai said was: “Only children know what they are truly looking for.”
What Zuo Jingyou replied was: “All grown-ups were children in their childhood, but only a few of them still remember.”
(The two of them exchanged a wave of secret codes)
Zuo Jingyou also recited lines with Yin Bai.
Actually, I recommend everyone to read ใThe Little Princeใ. It’s not very long, and it’s always new with each read. I really, really love this book; it’s my favorite fairy tale!
Next are Oscar Wilde’s “The Nightingale and the Rose” and “The Selfish Giant.”
LP: Re-translated on May 15, 2025
Footnotes
- ๆก็ฐ | Sฤng Tiรกn | Sang (surname, can mean mulberry tree/field); Tian (็ฐ โ field).
- ๅฐน็ฝ | Yวn Bรกi | Yin (surname, to govern); Bai (็ฝ โ white, pure).
- ๅทฆ้ๅนฝ | Zuว Jรฌngyลu | Zuo (surname, left); Jing (้ โ quiet, still); You (ๅนฝ โ secluded, tranquil, deep).
- ๅฆ | la | A sentence-final particle common in Mandarin, often used to indicate enthusiasm, a casual tone, or to soften a statement.
- ๅฅ่ฟไน | tร o jรฌnhu | Lit. โto wrap oneself closeโ; Fig. to try to get close to someone, often to gain favor or advantage; to ingratiate oneself.
- ้ซ่ๆฏ | gฤojiวobฤi | Lit. โhigh-foot glassโ; A stemmed glass, such as a wine glass or champagne flute.
- ๅผ ้ฐ | Zhฤng Yรน | Zhang (surname, common); Yu (้ฐ โ precious jade, treasure).
- ้ๆ็่ๅญ | shuฤng dว de qiรฉzi | Lit. โeggplant beaten by frost.โ An idiom describing someone who is listless, dispirited, or wilted in appearance or energy.
- ่ฟๅนด | guรฒniรกn | Lit. โpass the yearโ; To celebrate the Lunar New Year (Spring Festival). A very important holiday for family reunions in China.
- ๆพๅฑฑๅ ฌ้ฆ | Sลngshฤn Gลngguวn | Songshan (ๆพๅฑฑ โ Pine Mountain, a proper name); Gongguan (ๅ ฌ้ฆ โ residence, mansion, official residence).
- ๆปๆปไธ็ปๅฐๅคธ่ต่ตทไบๅฏนๆน | tฤotฤo bรน juรฉ de kuฤzร n qวle duรฌfฤng | Lit. โpraised the other party torrentially and without stoppingโ; Fig. to praise someone fluently and at length.
- ็ณ่กฃ็ฎๅผน | tรกngyฤซ pร odร n | Lit. โsugar-coated cannonball/bulletโ; Fig. a trick or attack disguised as something pleasant; a harmful inducement wrapped in sweetness.
- ่ๅฟๆฑๆ | xลซxฤซn qiรบjiร o | Lit. โempty heart seek teachingโ; Fig. to ask for advice or instruction with an open and modest mind; to humbly seek guidance.
- Original French: Le langage est source de malentendus. | N/A (French) | From โใLe Petit Princeใโ (โThe Little Princeโ) by Antoine de Saint-Exupรฉry. It means โLanguage is the source of misunderstandings.โ
Yin Bai so cute!!!
shes so playful, loled at โsemi-adultโ
shes so playful, loled at “semi-adult”