After Being Scummed – Chapter 61
by Little PandaYin Bai, Happy Birthday!
The rumors about Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou had been spreading like wildfire on the internet for a while. Some clever paparazzi keenly sensed a change in Yin Bai. They tentatively teamed up with marketing accounts from the studio to write press releases and post photos, all to ride the coattails of the couple’s scandal for the sake of their KPIs1.
As it turned out, this time, Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou did nothing at all, as if they had tacitly approved of the matter, which only made the marketing accounts spread the rumors with even more vigor.
Looking at the rumors all over the web, Yin Bai was like a groundhog in a melon patch2, so cheerful she felt like she could start hopping.
The beginning of her relationship with Zuo Jingyou was completely different from the beginning of her relationship with Xiao Nian.
Zuo Jingyou wasn’t like Xiao Nian at the startβshe wasn’t a little-known actress with nothing to her name, she wasn’t saddled with debt, she wasn’t bound by the ironclad rule of not having her relationships exposed while her career was on the rise, and she certainly didn’t need Yin Bai’s cautious protection.
Therefore, with Zuo Jingyou’s tacit approval, Yin Bai didn’t have to suppress her desire to “proclaim it to the world,” nor did she have to cover up the rumors at every turn, afraid of causing trouble for the other party.
Just as Zuo Jingyou had said, as long as she wanted to, she could go public at any time.
Perhaps many things in life are like this: when you meet the person you want to love at the wrong time, you can’t necessarily be your best self. Matters of love also depend on the right time, the right place, and the right people3.
This is fate4, something no one can clearly explain.
In the blink of an eye, Yin Bai’s birthday was approaching. As the 11th drew near, Yin Bai still hadn’t decided what she wanted for a birthday gift. So Zuo Jingyou discussed it with her: “You’re too lazy to go out and feel like you’ve done everything there is to do around hereβ¦ Tongtong and Wenwen have classes, so you can’t hang out with them during the day; they can only come over for dinner in the evening. How about this? Why don’t you invite people you know over to the house during the day for a meal?”
Yin Bai thought about it seriously and found that it sounded quite nice. She nodded and agreed with Zuo Jingyou, “Alright, then it’s a happy decision.”
She’d just treat it as giving her workaholic employees a day off.
Seeing her agree, Zuo Jingyou clapped her hands and said very happily, “Then on your birthday, I’ll make you a cake!”
And so, on the day of the birthday, Zhang Yu hired a professional BBQ team to cater the party at the villa and also informed Jin Xiangyu to bring along all the employees from the group whose names she could recall.
Even during the period when she was Xiao Nian’s gold master5, Yin Bai, as a boss, had the best reputation in the industry. Although she wasn’t an expert in everything, she deeply understood the principle of “if you want the horse to run, you have to feed it grass6.”
Therefore, the salaries offered by the companies under her were all extremely high.
With high salaries, the talent she recruited was exceptionally outstanding, and the entire group’s operations were flourishing day by day.
In a way, Yin Bai was indeed a management talentβbecause she simply gave so much!
Given that Yin Bai was a good boss, many in the group’s management were somewhat familiar with Yin Bai’s family situation. Those with better relationships would follow Jin Xiangyu over to have a meal with Yin Bai during holidays and festivals.
Because of this, some of them were quite familiar with Yin Bai’s home.
But when they discovered Zuo Jingyou was right there in Yin Bai’s house, Jin Xiangyu’s subordinates were still stunned. Although they had long shared the boss’s romantic gossip in their group chats, seeing Zuo Jingyou appear beside Yin Bai in the flesh was still a visual shock.
The reason was simple: Zuo Jingyou, having walked right off the big screen, was devastatingly beautiful.
That face, hailed within the industry as a “white moonlight7,” instantly captured the hearts of a group of face-dogs8 in Yin Bai’s company. The management team, led by Jin Xiangyu, all took advantage of breaks in conversation to ask Zhang Yu for pen and paper to get Zuo Jingyou’s autograph.
On this day, the warm afternoon sun spilled into the neatly trimmed courtyard. In the BBQ area on the north side of the garden, a lively crowd of beautifully made-up women was gathered. They were like a flock of butterflies, surrounding Zuo Jingyou, holding wine glasses to toast her, and asking for autographs on the side.
Zuo Jingyou was wearing a deep blue long dress today. Standing amidst this flock of butterflies, she was like an enchanted blue rose9 in full bloom, calmly signing autographs for them with pen and paper, coaxing the group of girls into blushing and laughing uncontrollably.
As the main character of the day, Yin Bai sat in her wheelchair, took a few bites of a vegetable skewer, and squinted at the scene not far away, thinking to herself, Who’s the one having a birthday today, anyway!
Why does it feel like Zuo Jingyou is even more popular than me, the boss!
Ah, forget it. It’s actually quite nice that my subordinates all like Zuo Jingyou. But why are all of you acting so shy?
That woman from the HR department, your kid is older than Tongtong, isn’t he? Why are you still able to show such a girlish expression when looking at Zuo Jingyou?
Yin Bai chomped away at her skewer, furiously eating flying vinegar10 on the side. She raised her hand, had Zhang Yu next to her pass a glass of champagne, and looked up at Zhang Yu, who was taking photos of Zuo Jingyou with a camera, saying sourly, “I never realized before how much you all like Zuo Jingyou~”
Zhang Yu sighed, and without turning her head from the camera, said to Yin Bai, “Sigh, that’s because you weren’t working with Teacher Zuo before, BOSS. Who would have dared to show it?”
“Teacher Zuo is a good actress; among the younger actresses, she’s famous for having both looks and skill, the undisputed TOP. Her career path is great; everyone agrees she knows how to pick scripts and teams, so movies with Teacher Zuo are never too bad.”
Zhang Yu said this all to herself, completely oblivious to Yin Bai at her side, whose brow was furrowing deeper and deeper. How had she never noticed before that her own subordinate had two faces like this!
Yin Bai swirled the champagne in her hand, let out an “Oh,” and asked faintly, “So, do you all usually organize group outings to see her movies?”
The completely unsuspecting Zhang Yu nodded and answered without thinking, “Yeah, Shen Jie-jie11 from finance is her fan, so every time a new movie comes out, she asks us all to go see it together.”
Yin Bai tutted softly. “No wonder you all went so quickly last month when I told you to go see Teacher Zuo’s new movie!”
Yin Bai brought the champagne to her lips, took a sip, and said in an extremely yin-yang strange energy tone12, “If you liked her back then, then you liked her. What was there to hide? It’s not like I would have done anything to you if I’d known.”
Making it all so secretive, as if I were some kind of domineering CEO13.
Hearing her mournful tone, Zhang Yu lowered her camera, turned to Yin Bai, and said helplessly, “Because back then, BOSS, you really liked Xiao Nian. Teacher Zuo’s output during those years was similar to Xiao Nian’s, and the two of them competed for all the major awards. Most of the time, it was Xiao Nian who narrowly lost.”
“We working stiffs have to know how to watch people’s faces14, you know. Anyone with eyes could see you didn’t care for Teacher Zuo, so who would dare to ask for trouble in front of you?”
Right, it was precisely this point that made Yin Bai very, very unhappy!
Yin Bai took another fierce gulp of champagne and said, deeply dissatisfied, “I’m not some tyrant. Would I have fired you if I had known?”
“Of course not.” Zhang Yu knew she was starting to act up15, so she quickly placated her, “We all know you’re a reasonable person, but in interpersonal relationships, not everything has to be spelled out so clearly.”
“There’s a concept called seeking common ground while reserving differences16. It means that in our interactions, we try to avoid points that would make either party unhappy. When there are disagreements, we maintain our own views, respect each other, and strive to reach a consensus.”
“Even if we can’t reach a consensus, it’s not a problem, as long as we can respect each other, be considerate of the other’s feelings, and make both parties feel comfortable.”
After explaining, Zhang Yu sighed, looked at Yin Bai with a gentle gaze, and said, “So, BOSS, the reason we didn’t tell you is that we didn’t think it was a big deal. It’s just liking an actor, why would we need to broadcast it everywhere?”
Although Yin Bai was used to being willful, she didn’t really need Zhang Yu to spell these things out for her. She understood it all in her heart. Sometimes, she was indeed a bit domineering, a bit childish.
But in the futureβ¦ I’ll see about changing. After all, I’m a child in an adult’s body!
Zhang Yu lowered her gaze, glanced at Yin Bai swirling her champagne glass with a pensive look on her face, and breathed a sigh of relief. She raised a hand, patted Yin Bai’s shoulder, and said in a relaxed manner, “But BOSS, you’ve really changed a lot.”
Yin Bai looked up at her and asked, “How so?”
Zhang Yu’s eyes curved into a smile as she said, “Back when you were with Xiao Nian, you would always stick by her side, like a wicked dragon guarding its treasure. Now that you’re with Teacher Zuo, you seem very relaxed, very reliant on her⦔
“Even when so many people are surrounding Teacher Zuo, you don’t get angry.”
Yin Bai squeezed her champagne glass, thought for a moment, then looked up at the surrounded Zuo Jingyou and let out a soft laugh. “Because Teacher Zuo is a very dependable person. She’s not fragile like Xiao Nian and I wereβ¦ She’s a person who gives you a great sense of securityβ¦ a strong person⦔
Zhang Yu patted her on the shoulder and said with deep feeling, “Exactly, she’s as tolerant of you as a mother~”
A mother?
Yin Bai furrowed her brow, looking up at Zhang Yu with disgust. “What do you mean by that? There’s something not quite right about what you just said!”
Zhang Yu winked at her. “It means exactly what it says on the tin~”
As she spoke, Zhang Yu raised her camera and waved towards the “Zuo Jingyou Fan Meet” over there. “Teacher Zuo, are you all done with the autographs? Do you want me to take a group photo for you!”
“Yes, yes!”
Everyone happily gathered around Zuo Jingyou, striking a “stars surrounding the moon17” pose for Zhang Yu to photograph.
Yin Bai clutched her wine glass, watching the scene from afar and couldn’t help but roast them in her head: Hey, hey, hey, is this her birthday party or Zuo Jingyou’s fan meet?
Why are all my employees a bunch of two-five guys18?
Yin Bai raised her champagne, looked at the clear liquid inside, and asked very seriously, “Do you think I should dock a few of their year-end bonuses this year?”
Before Yin Bai could make a decision, the blue rose surrounded by butterflies in the distance waved to her. “Yin Bai, come over here, quick!”
“Coming!”
The moment Zuo Jingyou called for her, she put down her wine glass and maneuvered her wheelchair over to Zuo Jingyou.
When she got close, Zuo Jingyou steadied her wheelchair. She placed a hand on Yin Bai’s shoulder, stood with her in the middle of the crowd, and said, “Let’s take a picture with Chairman Yin, too. How about as a memento for Chairman Yin’s thirtieth birthday?”
Everyone readily agreed. Zuo Jingyou stood behind Yin Bai, staying with her in the center of the crowd, and at Zhang Yu’s lead, they all shouted together, “Yin Bai, happy birthday!”
Yin Bai started to laugh. After the photo was taken, she turned her head to Zuo Jingyou, looked at her with a beaming smile, and said, “Congratulations to Teacher Zuo on the successful launch of the Galaxy Group fan meet!”
Her sudden remark stunned everyone present for a moment, and then they all couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Amidst the cheerful laughter, Zuo Jingyou raised a hand, ruffled her hair, and looked at her dotingly. “You tease.”
Her eyes curved as she looked at Yin Bai, full of mirth.
Not far away, the camera faithfully recorded this joyous scene, as if it were witnessing the happy new beginning for Yin Bai after her thirtieth birthday.
LP: I want to be a child forever like Yin Bai but I can’t afford that lifestyle (ββΈβΌβΆ)
Re-translated on July 08, 2025
Footnotes
- KPI | Key Performance Indicator | An English acronym used directly in the Chinese text, common in corporate environments.
- ηη°ηηΉ | guΔtiΓ‘n de chΓ‘ | A modern internet slang term. βMelonβ (η) is slang for gossip, and the βchΓ‘β (a badger-like animal from a Lu Xun story) refers to the onlookers enjoying the drama. It describes someone excitedly watching gossip unfold.
- 倩ζε°ε©δΊΊε | tiΔnshΓ dΓ¬lΓ¬ rΓ©nhΓ© | A chengyu literally meaning βthe opportune time, the advantageous terrain, and the support of the people.β It refers to the perfect combination of favorable conditions for success.
- η·£ε | yuΓ‘nfΓ¨n | A cultural concept referring to the binding force or destiny that brings people together.
- ιδΈ» | jΔ«nzhΗ | Literally βgold master.β A slang term for a wealthy patron or sponsor, often with romantic or suggestive undertones. The female equivalent of a βsugar daddy.β
- ζ³θ¦ι¦¬ε θ·οΌε°±εΎη΅¦ι¦¬ε εθ | xiΗng yΓ o mΗβer pΗo, jiΓΉ dΔi gΔi mΗβer chΔ« cΗo | A common proverb meaning that you must provide proper incentives and resources if you expect good performance.
- η½ζε | bΓ‘i yuΓ¨guΔng | A popular modern slang term for an unforgettable, idealized past love or unobtainable person one pines for.
- ι‘η | yΓ‘n gΗu | Literally βface dog.β Modern slang for a person who is a sucker for pretty faces and judges others based on their looks.
- θθ²ε¦ε§¬ | lΓ‘nsΓ¨ yΔojΔ« | A commercially produced blue-dyed rose, often with glitter, that symbolizes enchantment and precious, rare love.
- ει£ι | chΔ« fΔicΓΉ | A variation of the common slang ει (chΔ«cΓΉ), βto eat vinegar,β which means to be jealous. The βflyingβ (ι£) adds a sense of wildness or intensity to the jealousy.
- ζ²ζ½ | ShΔn JiΓ©
- ι°ι½ζͺζ°£ | yΔ«nyΓ‘ng guΓ iqΓ¬ | An idiom literally meaning βyin-yang strange energy.β It describes a sardonic, sarcastic, or passive-aggressive way of speaking that is deliberately confusing or biting.
- ιΈιηΈ½θ£ | bΓ dΓ o zΗngcΓ‘i | A popular character trope in East Asian fiction, referring to a domineering, wealthy, and often cold but secretly caring CEO who is a romantic lead.
- ηδΊΊθθ² | kΓ n rΓ©n liΗnsΓ¨ | An idiom literally meaning βto watch a personβs face color.β It means to be sensitive to someoneβs mood or to read the room before acting.
- δ½ε | zuΓ² jΓ¬n | A colloquial term describing a state of being fussy, dramatic, high-maintenance, or intentionally making things difficult, often in a somewhat childish way.
- ζ±εεη° | qiΓΊ tΓ³ng cΓΊn yΓ¬ | A well-known phrase meaning to seek common ground while setting aside differences; to agree to disagree.
- θ‘ζζ±ζ | zhΓ²ng xΔ«ng gΗng yuΓ¨ | A chengyu literally meaning βall the stars cup the moon.β It describes a situation where one central, important figure is surrounded and revered by many others.
- δΊδΊδ» | Γ¨r wΗ zΗi | A Cantonese slang term for a traitor, informant, or turncoat.
I really enjoy this novel so thank you for picking it up to provide a more readable translation. Your work is appreciated. I’ve noticed that the malicious ads are gone now too.
Thank you for reading and I do my best and I apologize for the ads haha :)
I really enjoy this novel so thank you for picking it up to provide a more readable translation. Your work is appreciated. I’ve noticed that the malicious ads are gone now too.
Thank you for reading and I do my best and I apologize for the ads haha :)