After Being Scummed – Chapter 39
by Little PandaAre you annoyed that I’m meddling?!
That evening, when Yin Bai called Zuo Jingyou, she brought up the matter. Yin Bai expressed that although Tongtong had been placated by her delicious food, she was still very sad. She hoped Zuo Jingyou could find some time soon to comfort her more.
Zuo Jingyou held her phone, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing deeply. “I already explained this to Tongtong before. Her reaction wasn’t that strong at the time. I thought she could accept separating from He Zhiwen, because they, father and daughter, had already been separated for over a year.”
Yin Bai lay prone on her bed, scrolling through her tablet to pick out picture books while replying to Zuo Jingyou, “No matter how long they’ve been separated, no child can calmly accept the fact that their parents are splitting up, let alone a child like Tongtong who has always been loved by her father and mother.”
“Teacher Zuo, after you finish filming this movie, you should consider slowing down your work and spending more time with Tongtong.”
Zuo Jingyou nodded and hummed in agreement.
Yin Bai looked at picture books for a while but didn’t find any she was satisfied with. She propped herself up from the bed and lazily said to Zuo Jingyou, “On April 21st, you’re going to that Thorny Flower Award ceremony, right?”
Zuo Jingyou nodded. “Yes, I’m going.” Although she didn’t have any works last year, she was invited to be an award presenter.
Yin Bai poked her pillow with a finger, hesitating slightly. “I was invited this year too. A work under my company was nominated. Originally, Jin Xiangyu was going to represent me, but if you’re going… I think I can go myself.”
“It’s just that I’m a cripple, and it doesn’t look good if I walk by myself. So I was wondering if someone could perhaps escort me.”
Zuo Jingyou couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle. “Is Teacher Yin Bai asking me to be your female companion?”
Yin Bai rolled over, lying on her bed and looking up at the crystal chandelier above her. She asked with a smile, “Otherwise, what do you think I mean?”
“Alright, alright.” Zuo Jingyou sighed and replied softly, “Since Teacher Yin Bai is sincerely inviting me, I’ll reluctantly agree.”
“Reluctantly?” Yin Bai’s eyes widened, and she clenched her fists, her tone full of threat. “What do you mean, reluctantly? Is being my female companion such a difficult thing? Why are you so unwilling!”
Yin Bai was just being unreasonably difficult, but Zuo Jingyou didn’t mind. Instead, she softened her voice and coaxed her good-naturedly, “Okay, okay, I’m not unwilling. I just feel that being your female companion might come with a lot of pressure.”
Yin Bai protested unhappily, “Where’s the pressure! I’m not really asking you to support me; I can walk on my own, okay?”
Zuo Jingyou chuckled lightly, her voice very gentle. “Of course, there’s pressure. You’re so beautiful. Which female star standing next to you wouldn’t worry about being overshadowed?”
Yin Bai paused for a moment, alarm bells ringing in her head: It’s the enemy’s sugar-coated bullets!
Damn it, even knowing it was Zuo Jingyou’s honey-trap strategy, Yin Bai still fell for it. She placed her hand to her lips and coughed lightly in embarrassment. “Um… I think you have a point. I am indeed very beautiful. But Teacher Zuo, you’re not bad either! When you and I stand together, it’s what you call a perfect match1, enhancing each other’s brilliance!”
Zuo Jingyou’s eyes curved into a smile. “Teacher Yin Bai, you flatter me!”
“No flattery, no flattery.” Yin Bai lay prone on the bed, wagging her left foot like a puppy wagging its tail. Ignoring Zuo Jingyou’s teasing, she said with a grin, “In that case, let’s decide on our gowns for that day.”
Actually, Zuo Jingyou’s gown was already prepared, but she didn’t want to spoil Yin Bai’s enthusiasm, so she agreed.
Yin Bai coordinated her outfit for the day based on Zuo Jingyou’s gown and waited happily for the 21st to meet Zuo Jingyou.
As the days passed and the meeting day drew closer, Yin Bai’s mood improved steadily. Because Zuo Jingyou’s flight was scheduled to arrive in Haicheng in the morning, Yin Bai planned to meet her directly at the venue.
But no one expected a major incident to occur on the 20th.
On the evening of the 20th, the Capital City police announced on their official Weibo account that Lin Xiao and others had been arrested for drug-related offenses, and over 200 grams of illicit drugs were seized at the scene…
As soon as this news broke, it caused a huge uproar on social media that night.
Because the specific details of the case had not yet been further interrogated, the entertainment industry was in turmoil. Rumors flew everywhere. Some said Lin Xiao was caught partying with friends at the house of a famous big shot in the gay circle, bringing He Zhiwen along. Others claimed He Zhiwen initiated it, that He Zhiwen was a veteran drug user2 in the industry with a drug history spanning three to five years…
With these two getting into trouble together, countless people were implicated. Lin Xiao’s friends in the industry and actors who had collaborated with He Zhiwen had their phones ringing off the hook.
Implicated by these two, Zuo Jingyou, who had been divorced from He Zhiwen for over a year, became another prominent figure in this incident. That night, countless media outlets and entertainment reporters called Zuo Jingyou and her staff to confirm if the news was true.
Zuo Jingyou had a splitting headache and could only explain to people over and over again that she and He Zhiwen were divorced, and she knew nothing about his affairs.
While dealing with the media, Zuo Jingyou also found time to call the He family.
The current head of the He family was He Zhiwen’s older brother, He Zhiwu3. Upon receiving the call from his former sister-in-law, he rubbed his brow in distress. “It’s Ah Wen who went too far. But don’t worry, it definitely won’t affect Tongtong.”
Alright, it seemed he was indeed arrested for drug use.
Zuo Jingyou sighed, not knowing what to say. She then heard He Zhiwu on the other end scolding with frustration, “He used to be rebellious, not wanting to inherit the family business and insisting on making movies, but he wasn’t this reckless! Now look at him, hanging out with shady characters4 and learning all sorts of bad things!”
“You tell me, you tell me, how did he end up like this! Ai, it’s all because the family spoiled him too much and didn’t teach him properly!”
Zuo Jingyou thought to herself, He Zhiwen is almost forty, hardly in need of being taught. She sighed and said to He Zhiwu, “Big Brother Zhiwu, if you have time, you should go home and see Uncle He5. With this happening to Zhiwen, the old man must be furious.”
He Zhiwu sighed repeatedly. “Isn’t that the truth! My dad is furious. This time, he really wants to break his legs!”
Zuo Jingyou pressed her lips together, saying nothing. She recalled that last time when He Zhiwen insisted on divorcing her, Father He had also said he would break his legs, but in the end, he wasn’t beaten much. Since childhood, because He Zhiwen resembled his early-departed mother, he had received an immense amount of favoritism from his family.
This time would likely be no different. The He family would be angry, but ultimately, they would still bail He Zhiwen out.
Zuo Jingyou had no intention of finding out how He Zhiwen had gone down this path. After confirming the He family’s situation, Zuo Jingyou ended the call and didn’t bother them further.
However, even if she didn’t bother others, there were plenty of people bothering her.
Faced with inquiries from familiar media contacts, Zuo Jingyou couldn’t refuse and had to brace herself to deal with them. It wasn’t until around twelve o’clock at night that Zuo Jingyou received a call from Yin Bai.
Perhaps knowing that Zuo Jingyou had been dealing with calls all evening, Yin Bai, for once, didn’t chat idly. Instead, she said concisely, “I know your hand is probably sore from answering calls all day, so I’ll make this quick.”
“He Zhiwen’s news has exploded. According to my sources, he’s probably going to serve several years in prison6. Along with him, there’s an even more famous film emperor from the industry who also went in. Lin Xiao was just pushed out to divert attention.”
“Jin Xiangyu’s team predicts that this incident will escalate into a social news story lasting over a week. Moreover, He Zhiwen and Lin Xiao’s movie, ‘At This Moment,’ was already confirmed as the Best Picture for this year’s Thorny Flower Award. But because He Zhiwen was imprisoned for drug use, the organizing committee has decided to revoke the award. The situation will become very ugly.”
“Plus, tomorrow is the Thorny Flower Award ceremony, and many attendees are arriving at the airport these couple of days. So, there are already many reporters lying in wait7 at the airport. The moment you appear, you’ll definitely be surrounded. I suggest you change your flight, fly back to Haicheng right now, and avoid that batch of reporters at the airport.”
Yin Bai said a long string of words in one breath, paused, and continued, “I’ve already notified Zhang Yu. When you arrive at Haicheng airport, go directly to the hotel I’m staying at. Don’t check into the place you booked before; you’ll be mobbed. Got it?”
Zuo Jingyou held her phone, taking a moment to process before saying, “It’s already twelve o’clock. Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Usually, Yin Bai would be asleep by eleven. This hour was already too late for her.
Yin Bai hadn’t expected that after her long ramble, Zuo Jingyou would respond with such a sentence. She was stunned for a good while before saying, “Isn’t it obvious? I’m worried about you, friend. With He Zhiwen’s situation escalating like this, you’ll definitely be implicated.”
Zuo Jingyou lowered her gaze, a dark glint flickering in her eyes. “What do I have to worry about? The one arrested and imprisoned isn’t me, just my ex-husband. What are you so nervous about?”
Right… that’s true too…
Yin Bai raised her hand, rubbed her forehead, and sighed. “I’m worried you’ll be torn apart by the media. Wasn’t there an artist before who was cornered by a group of reporters at the airport and even got pushed, hitting her face…”
Zuo Jingyou relaxed her body, leaning back against the sofa chair, and chuckled softly. “It won’t happen. I’ll protect myself. No one will be able to hurt me, so you don’t need to worry about me.”
“Oh…” Yin Bai’s torrent of unspoken words was cut short by this statement. She paused, not knowing what to say, and finally mumbled, “Then I’m going to sleep…”
Zuo Jingyou sighed, her voice softening as she coaxed, “Mm, go to sleep. Good night.”
“Good night.”
Yin Bai hung up the phone and lay down on her bed. She tossed and turned, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. After a while, she called Zuo Jingyou again.
The call was answered instantly. Zuo Jingyou’s voice seemed to come from a desolate wilderness, deep and distant. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Yin Bai pressed her lips together, feeling an inexplicable discomfort. She bit her lip, thought for a moment, and finally asked, “Zuo Jingyou, are you annoyed that I’m meddling?”
Zuo Jingyou chuckled, her voice softening. “How could I be? I just don’t want you to worry too much. Rest assured, I’ll change my flight time and return to Haicheng tomorrow morning. I won’t let anyone surround me, and I won’t get tied up by anyone.”
“There won’t be any trouble, Yin Bai. Tomorrow, I still have to happily go meet my friend.”
“Don’t worry, don’t overthink things.”
Yin Bai felt a little better. She said “Oh,” then added, “Rest early,” and hung up the phone.
LP: Re-translated on June 07, 2025
Footnotes
- 珠聯璧合 | zhūlián bìhé | Literally “a string of pearls and jade discs.” An idiom meaning a perfect match, a harmonious combination, often used for people or things that complement each other beautifully.
- 老毒槍 | lǎo dú qiāng | Literally “old poison gun.” Slang for a long-time, habitual drug user.
- 賀志武 | Hè Zhìwǔ
- 不三不四 | bù sān bù sì | Literally “not three not four.” An idiom describing people or things as dubious, shady, disreputable, or not proper.
- 賀伯伯 | Hè bóbó | “Uncle He.” Bóbo (伯伯) is a term for father’s elder brother, or a respectful term for an older man of one’s father’s generation. Here referring to He Zhiwen’s father.
- 吃牢飯 | chī láofàn | Literally “eat prison food.” An idiomatic expression meaning to serve time in prison.
- 蹲着 | dūnzhe | Literally “squatting.” In this context, it means reporters are staking out or lying in wait at a location.
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