After Being Scummed – Chapter 46
by Little PandaTeacher Zuo is super amazing!
This movie used 120 minutes to tell the following story: In the final years of the Qing Dynasty, the nation’s gates were forced open. Even traditional and feudalistic families of high officials began to have their children study Western culture. It was during such a period that a certain minister hired a female teacher who had returned from studying in the West for his daughter…
With the arrival of the female teacher, this rigidly formal and feudal household, like a stagnant pool of water into which a stone had been cast, was stirred with new waves.
The traditional and pedantic high official, on one hand, looked down upon the female teacher, yet on the other, due to the new trend among the upper class of studying Western culture, had no choice but to let his daughter, who had not yet reached the bloom of youth1, study under her. This was to raise his daughter’s value and marry her off to a good family.
However, under the female teacher’s guidance, the daughter, having learned many new ideas, grew more and more rebellious. Gradually, she no longer behaved like a proper lady from a great house. This bird from a cage began to yearn for the free world outside. Thus, when her father delightedly planned to marry her to a prince, this daughter began her rebellious journey…
She was determined to escape, to flee abroad. After experiencing numerous hardships, this young lady, like a caged bird, finally boarded a steamship to England with the help of her mother and the female teacher…
At the end of the story, the young lady, who had already cut her long hair into a shoulder-length bob, was dressed in a Western-style long gown. Holding a white beret, she stood on the deck, looking up at the seagulls flying past the ship’s sails against the sea breeze.
The seagulls streaked across the sky, leaving behind a silhouette of freedom…
The movie ended, the lights came on, and Yin Bai, sitting in the guest section, raised her hands and clapped nonstop. Soon after, everyone around her stood up and applauded in unison, expressing their praise for the film with a standing ovation.
Zuo Jingyou rose from her seat. Amid the tide of applause, a smile blossomed on her face, and she slowly bowed to thank everyone present for their praise.
After the premiere, many people from the film industry attended the premiere banquet hosted by Zuo Jingyou.
At the banquet, Zuo Jingyou, who was both the director and the actress playing the female teacher, led the actress playing her student in the film and greeted all the guests whose names were of any note.
The person who played the female student in the film was Ye Ran2, a child star who had just been admitted to Shouying3 last year. She had previously played mother and daughter with Zuo Jingyou. The two could be considered senior and junior from the same school4, and their relationship was excellent.
With her arm linked with Ye Ran’s, Zuo Jingyou held a wine glass and toasted the guests one by one, accepting their critiques or praise. She was busy socializing for almost the entire night.
Yin Bai, who had been about to go forward and offer her congratulations, saw how busy Zuo Jingyou was. She ultimately suppressed her desire to talk, took a step back with Zhang Yu, and sat in a corner like an invisible person, silently eating fruit until Zuo Jingyou was finally free.
After a long wait, the moment Zuo Jingyou released Ye Ran’s arm to get some snacks from the side, Yin Bai immediately stood up with her cane and walked toward her.
But she had only taken two steps when she saw a woman in a loose white shirt and black wide-leg suit pants walking straight toward Zuo Jingyou. “Jingyou!”
Zuo Jingyou turned her head toward the source of the voice. She was a little surprised when she saw who it was. “Xu-shijie5, I thought you weren’t coming.”
Not far away, Yin Bai heard this exchange and immediately stopped. She sat back down where she was, leaning on her cane, her eyes fixed wistfully on Zuo Jingyou.
The newcomer had shoulder-length hair and looked very sharp and capable. She was clearly very familiar with Zuo Jingyou. Walking right up to her, she said with a smile, “This is my junior sister’s first movie. How could I possibly not come?”
The woman with the medium-length hair crossed her arms and said to Zuo Jingyou with a grin, “I’ve seen the movie. I just had to take a call and deal with something after it ended, so I’m only just getting to your banquet.”
A smile spread across Zuo Jingyou’s face, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the other woman. “Shijie, you saw my movie. What did you think?”
The woman smiled and gave a very fair evaluation. “The story is well-written, but the cinematography and editing are a bit amateurish. My favorite character was that Madam Li, the student’s mother. She was originally a woman objectified under traditional patriarchy who, at first, couldn’t stand the female teacher’s conduct. In the middle, she was gradually influenced by the teacher’s ideas, and in the end, just like her own daughter, she found the path to her own escape…”
“Of course, the most important thing is that I especially loved one of your creative choices: the female teacher is just a teacher for the entire movie. She has no name.”
The woman gave Zuo Jingyou a thumbs-up and said with great appreciation, “Brilliant!”
Zuo Jingyou’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, saying with some embarrassment, “To receive a word of praise from Shijie is enough to make me very happy.”
The woman raised a hand to pat Zuo Jingyou’s shoulder, her voice full of gratification. “You are very talented, and this movie will achieve good results. Of course, I look forward to your future performances even more.”
Zuo Jingyou’s brows curved with her smile. “With Shijie’s encouragement, I won’t dare to slack off.”
The woman chuckled, then sighed, her face encouraging. “You have to keep it up, Jingyou!”
Lowering her hand, the woman gave Zuo Jingyou a deep look. “I have a flight tonight, so I have to go. I’ll contact you later.”
Zuo Jingyou knew her way of doing things and nodded. “Okay, Shijie, be careful on your way.”
The woman thought for a moment, then added, “I have a project I’ve been wanting to collaborate with you on. I’ll email it to you later. Take a look, and if you’re interested, contact me.”
Zuo Jingyou nodded and said okay. The woman took a glass of wine from a passing waiter, clinked glasses simply with Zuo Jingyou, drained it in one go, and then left in a hurry.
This person was like the wind, coming and going with equal speed.
Yin Bai sat in the corner with her cane, watching Zuo Jingyou stand there and see the woman off. A strange feeling welled up in her heart.
It just feels weird…
It feels like that woman… is awfully close with Zuo Jingyou…
Yin Bai suppressed that bit of displeasure in her heart, got up with her cane, and silently walked toward Zuo Jingyou. When Zuo Jingyou heard the sound of her cane, she spun around abruptly, her gaze meeting Yin Bai’s.
Their eyes met. Zuo Jingyou blinked at Yin Bai and said, a little embarrassed, “Teacher Yin Bai… I thought you had already gone home.”
Yin Bai’s steps faltered, but she still walked to Zuo Jingyou’s side with her cane and said in a passive-aggressive tone, “You’re such a busy person, you actually noticed me?”
Zuo Jingyou’s lips curved into a smile. “No matter how busy I am, I would never forget Teacher Yin.”
Zuo Jingyou sighed, came closer to Yin Bai, tugged on her sleeve, and whispered in her ear, “Friend, what did you think of the movie?”
Zuo Jingyou looked up, her gaze soft as she looked at Yin Bai, saying as if she were coaxing her, “Just say the nice things. Let the film critics say all the unpleasant stuff tonight.”
That’s my line! Yin Bai thought.
The corners of her lips lifted. She tapped her cane on the floor twice, tok tok, and lowered her gaze to look at Zuo Jingyou, saying a single word with utmost sincerity: “Bravo!”
Zuo Jingyou asked in a soft voice, “Really?”
Yin Bai nodded. “Of course. It was absolutely brilliant, incredibly good!” Fearing Zuo Jingyou wouldn’t believe her, she offered her reasoning, “From a content perspective, it’s a very complete story. You know, many of the films released in theaters nowadays can’t even tell a proper story!”
“The core is also excellent. Showing the awakening of women and the nation, as well as the changes of the era, through the transformation of two women from a feudal family. It’s using a small story to reflect a bigger picture, which is very rare.”
“Even the female teacher you played, who was practically a plot device, was made unforgettable by your superb acting, creating a truly wonderful female character from the late Qing and early Republican era.”
Yin Bai thought for a moment, then softened her voice, her eyes filled with gentleness as she looked at Zuo Jingyou. “Your portrayal in it was very beautiful. Whether you were wearing a suit, a long gown, or a cheongsam, you were absolutely stunning.”
“I used to think you were already very beautiful in daily life, but you were even more charming in the movie. Truly captivating.”
When Yin Bai praised people, she always gazed at them with her beautiful, gray-blue eyes, looking focused and deeply affectionate. Zuo Jingyou tilted her head up to meet that gaze, and her heart skipped a beat.
She glanced at Yin Bai’s seemingly affectionate eyes, then unconsciously looked down, saying with some shyness, “Is that so… I’m very happy you’d say that.”
Zuo Jingyou pursed her lips in thought, then looked up and gave Yin Bai a small smile. “With these words from you, I think I’ll be happy tonight no matter what kind of reviews I see.”
Yin Bai looked at Zuo Jingyou’s face, and her gaze slid down to her shoulder. She hesitated for a good while before raising her hand and gently patting Zuo Jingyou’s shoulder, encouraging her. “You are outstanding. Don’t worry!”
“The movie is great, and you are great. You will receive the praise you deserve.”
Zuo Jingyou lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the hand Yin Bai had placed on her shoulder, a subtle emotion stirring within her.
She looked up at Yin Bai’s face, only to see Yin Bai, with one hand on her shoulder and the other leaning on her cane, look off into the distance and ask nonchalantly, “By the way, who was that lady who came to talk to you just now? I feel like she looks a bit familiar.”
Looking at that “I’m dying to ask but have to pretend everything is normal” expression on her face, Zuo Jingyou inexplicably felt the urge to laugh.
She smiled faintly and gently explained to Yin Bai, “That’s Xu Ruofeng. She’s my shijie, a documentary director.”
“That very popular documentary, 《Children of Xiangxi6》, was filmed by her.”
“Oh…” Yin Bai nodded thoughtfully. “A documentary filmmaker… no wonder I couldn’t remember her name… I can check out that documentary later!”
Though Yin Bai sounded indifferent, she was thinking, Why is it another director? Am I destined to clash with directors in this lifetime?
LP: Is Yin Bai finally gaining awareness for her feelings?! Seriously though, Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou are basically flirting already! (￢‿￢ )
Re-translated on June 16, 2025
Footnotes
- 豆蔻 | dòukòu | Refers to 豆蔻年华 (dòukòu niánhuá), lit. “cardamom age.” A poetic term for a girl’s early teens (around 13-14), when she is like a budding flower.
- 叶然 | Yè Rán
- 首影 | Shǒuyǐng | Likely a nickname for a prestigious film academy in the capital, e.g., the Beijing Film Academy (首都电影学院).
- 师姐妹 | shī jiěmèi | Lit. “master-sisters.” In a modern context like a school or profession, it means senior and junior female schoolmates or colleagues from the same field or alma mater.
- 师姐 | shījiě | “Senior sister.” An address for a female schoolmate, apprentice, or colleague who is senior in experience or year of entry. It can be used formally or affectionately.
- 湘西儿女 | Xiāngxī Érnǚ | Xiangxi is a region in western Hunan province. The title translates to “Sons and Daughters of Xiangxi” or “Children of Xiangxi.”
Thank you for the updates as always, I agree that they’re both totally flirting without realizing
Thank you for the updates as always, I agree that they’re both totally flirting without realizing