After Being Scummed – Chapter 82
by Little PandaWhen Yin Bai arrived at Zuo Jingyou’s film set, it was already past seven in the evening. The last rays of the setting sun had faded, and the sweltering heat that had steamed up during the late summer season was completely blown away by the night wind, adding a few threads of autumn chill to the air.
When Yin Bai arrived at the indoor set, Zuo Jingyou and Xiao Nian were still filming today’s final scene. The director, Xu Shishi, sat behind the camera, watching the two actresses’ outstanding performances, and felt they could do one more take.
Just then, the travel-worn Yin Bai arrived at the entrance of the set. Seeing Xu Shishi call “CUT,” she immediately tapped the nearby Zhang Yu, signaling her to enter and greet Xu Shishi.
Zhang Yu understood and hurriedly took a few steps forward, came to Xu Shishi’s side, and called out in a low voice, “Director Xu.”
Xu Shishi raised her eyes, and when she saw Zhang Yu who had come to her side, she said with great surprise, “Assistant Zhang… why are you here?”
Zhang Yu pointed behind herself and said in a lowered voice, “The boss came to find her family’s Teacher Zuo.”
Xu Shishi immediately understood. She picked up a megaphone and shouted towards Zuo Jingyou, who was talking with Xiao Nian on the set, “Teacher Zuo, someone’s looking for you!”
With her shout, everyone’s gaze turned towards the entrance. Zuo Jingyou, who was discussing the previous performance with Xiao Nian, immediately turned her head upon hearing the sound and saw Yin Bai standing outside the door with a cane at a single glance.
When their lines of sight met, Yin Bai smiled and waved at her. “Hi.”
Zuo Jingyou smiled faintly. Ah, she really did come in a hurry. It seems she really missed me.
Zuo Jingyou’s eyes curved, full of smiles. She turned her head and said to Xiao Nian beside her, “Excuse me, Teacher Xiao, I’m going to go over for a moment.”
After Zuo Jingyou said this, she didn’t care what Xiao Nian’s reaction was. Like a little nightingale, she threw herself into the embrace of her love flower.
By the time Zuo Jingyou arrived in front of Yin Bai, Yin Bai was like a young girl from her youth who had finally seen her sweetheart. Unable to contain her joy, she opened her arms towards Zuo Jingyou, both reserved and excited. “Teacher Zuo, a hug.”
Zuo Jingyou lowered her eyes and chuckled lightly, gently throwing herself into her embrace.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, they embraced. Yin Bai raised her hand, stroking Zuo Jingyou’s soft black hair, smelling the familiar fragrance coming from her body, and said with a slight sourness, “Teacher Zuo, I missed you so much. Without your scent enveloping me, I’m like a flower about to wither in autumn. My whole person has wilted.”
Her voice sounded very wronged. Zuo Jingyou leaned on her shoulder, listening to her true feelings confession, and also felt that her heart, which had been busy for so long, had found a place to rest in an instant.
In a moment, all her fatigue was eliminated, and she felt she was full of strength.
Zuo Jingyou wrapped her arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. After a good while, she finally let go, tilted her head up to look at her, and said with a smile, “I missed you too. You really came.”
“Of course! It was so hard for Teacher Zuo to finally relent, so I would rush over a thousand li, ten thousand li2 to see Teacher Zuo!”
Yin Bai raised her hand and, as if no one else was around, stroked Zuo Jingyou’s black hair, her eyes and brows extremely gentle. “Teacher Zuo has gotten a bit thinner.”
Zuo Jingyou pressed her lips into a smile. “Not at all. The role requires it, so I lost a little weight.”
“That’s still too thin. You must properly replenish after the filming is done.”
The two spoke intimately for a while before the very perceptive Xu Shishi walked over and greeted Yin Bai, “Director Yin, hello.”
Yin Bai released Zuo Jingyou, leaned on her cane to look at Xu Shishi, and put on her cold mask again, nodding neither salty nor blandly3. “Director Xu, hello…”
The two could barely be considered acquaintances. Xu Shishi thanked Yin Bai for taking care of the crew’s meals since filming started. Yin Bai said not to be polite, and if there were any financial difficulties, she could come to her for investment at any time.
After exchanging some pleasantries, Xu Shishi said with some embarrassment, “Director Yin, you see, Teacher Zuo still has a scene she hasn’t finished filming. Should we perhaps finish filming first before talking?”
Yin Bai let go of Zuo Jingyou, nodded, and said very coldly, “Mm, you all film. I’ll just watch from the side.”
As Yin Bai spoke, she gave a light push on Zuo Jingyou’s lower back with her hand, her gaze becoming considerably gentle. “Teacher Zuo, hurry up and film. I’ll wait for you to get off work.”
Zuo Jingyou smiled faintly and replied softly, “Okay.”
After watching Zuo Jingyou return to Xiao Nian’s side, Yin Bai, leaning on her cane, disregarded the strange looks from others and came to Xu Shishi’s side.
Xu Shishi, sitting in her chair, raised her eyes. Seeing Yin Bai standing to the side with her cane, looking extremely inconvenienced, she was about to get up and offer her seat. Yin Bai raised her hand, her fingers pointing emptily4 at Xu Shishi’s shoulder, and said with a cold face, “Don’t mind me. You hurry up and film.”
Just as Xu Shishi was about to say something, she saw Zhang Yu at the side borrow a stool from a staff member and place it beside Yin Bai for her to sit on. Yin Bai sat down on the chair, straightened her back while leaning on her cane, and looked towards Zuo Jingyou on the set with a cold face.
Her whole person exuded a “strangers keep out” aura, feeling very much like a domineering CEO.
Xu Shishi looked at her stern profile and couldn’t help but think of her joyous appearance when she was hugging Zuo Jingyou at the entrance earlier. Suddenly, she felt a bit of a toothache.
How to put it, this double-standard energy was really quite domineering CEO-like.
As Xu Shishi thought this, she picked up her megaphone and shouted at the set, “All departments, please prepare! Slate, action!”
The two female actresses on the set quickly entered their state. After finding their respective camera positions, they quickly got into character after a call of “Begin.”
Yin Bai sat behind the video monitor, her gaze passing over rows of cameras, firmly locking onto Zuo Jingyou’s face. Leaning on her cane, her legs crossed, her back straight, as if attending the most lavishly cast opera performance, she appreciated Zuo Jingyou and Xiao Nian’s performance.
Under her serious gaze, the two dedicated actresses were not distracted. Instead, they quickly entered the scene, found their feeling, and completed an extremely outstanding performance.
When Xu Shishi once again said “cut,” she happily announced, “Alright, thank you everyone for your hard work. That’s a wrap for tonight!”
The staff present all breathed a sigh of relief and happily packed up their things.
Yin Bai, sitting behind the camera, clapped her hands very supportively and praised, “A very wonderful performance.” After speaking, Yin Bai turned her head to look at Xu Shishi and said very sincerely, “Director Xu, I wonder if everyone could do me the honor of letting me treat the crew to a meal?”
“I have already booked dinner at the hotel. Everyone can just go over directly after work.”
Xu Shishi was stunned for a moment, then pushed up her glasses and smiled shyly. “Since Director Yin is treating, then we’ll go scrounge a meal5 after we finish work.”
After Xu Shishi finished speaking, she picked up her megaphone and called out to her little companions on the crew, “Quickly clean up the set! After you’re done, Director Yin is treating you all to dinner!”
Yin Bai blinked, and in a short while, everyone was saying cheerfully, “Thank you, Director Yin.”
Yin Bai waved her hand, squeezed out a smile, and didn’t say any more nonsense. After dealing with this kind of situation, Yin Bai turned her head and said to Xu Shishi, “Assistant Zhang will go over with you all in a bit. Teacher Zuo and I have something to do, so we’ll leave first.”
Xu Shishi smiled and said with some embarrassment, “Teacher Zuo has no scenes tomorrow morning. It’s fine if Director Yin brings Teacher Zuo back on time in the afternoon.”
Yin Bai was silent for two seconds, then said faintly, “Thank you.”
After the two here ended their conversation, Zuo Jingyou said goodbye to Xiao Nian and walked towards Yin Bai. Xiao Nian stood where she was, looking at Yin Bai over there, leaning on her cane and exuding a cold air. She hesitated for a moment and did not go forward to greet her.
She actually understood Yin Bai’s personality to some extent. Just like that day, after separating, they would be familiar strangers. When it wasn’t necessary, it was best not to greet each other.
What’s more, Zuo Jingyou was still here.
Her identity was awkward. Even if Zuo Jingyou wouldn’t mind, after the livestream incident, it was better for her and Yin Bai to avoid suspicion if they could. At least for these next few years, it was better for the two of them not to have contact.
It’s awkwardly strange, Xiao Nian thought.
Xiao Nian turned around, had her assistant hand her the thermos, and pretended not to see Yin Bai as she drank water nonchalantly, waiting for Lu Qing to come to the set to pick her up.
Zuo Jingyou didn’t care about Xiao Nian’s reaction and walked straight to Yin Bai’s side. Yin Bai stood up with her cane, took Zuo Jingyou’s hand, and smiled shyly. “I’ve already greeted Director Xu. Let’s just go back directly.”
Zuo Jingyou was a little surprised. “Didn’t you say you were treating everyone to dinner? You’re not going yourself?”
Yin Bai said indifferently, “Things like socializing, I can just let Zhang Yu do it. Anyway, you’re off work now, so I can go home with you, right?”
Seeing Zuo Jingyou didn’t answer, Yin Bai shook Zuo Jingyou’s hand and wheedled in a soft voice, “Let’s go back, let’s go back, take me back. I’ve been flying all day, I’m so tired.”
Just as she was acting spoiled, Lu Qing, who had timed his arrival to pick up Xiao Nian from work, walked in. The first thing he saw was Yin Bai acting spoiled with Zuo Jingyou, and Lu Qing was stunned for a moment.
Yin Bai, hearing the footsteps, also looked up and saw Lu Qing standing at the entrance. Their four eyes met, and Yin Bai’s soft expression froze on her face. She looked at Lu Qing and blinked.
Lu Qing pressed her lips together, hesitated for a moment, but still greeted them, “Hello, Teacher Zuo. Hello, Director Yin.”
Hearing Lu Qing’s voice, Xiao Nian turned her head and looked at him from afar.
Seeing Lu Qing standing at the entrance greeting Yin Bai, Xiao Nian frowned slightly. She thought to herself that seeing Yin Bai, Lu Qing would most likely get jealous, and she would have to spend some effort coaxing him tonight.
It was truly a case of enemies on a narrow road6.
Coincidentally, upon seeing Lu Qing, Zuo Jingyou also thought the same thing as Xiao Nian. She sighed, tightened her grip on Yin Bai’s hand, and leaned against her. Looking at Lu Qing, she gave a faint smile and said, “Director Lu is here to pick up Teacher Xiao from work again? You’re really punctual. Every day, just as work ends, Director Lu arrives.”
Lu Qing pressed her lips together and smiled with some embarrassment. “Mm, I calculated the approximate time she gets off work before.”
Zuo Jingyou smiled faintly. “Director Lu and Teacher Xiao are really very loving.”
Hey, hey, hey, what did she mean they were very loving? Were she and Zuo Jingyou not loving? As Yin Bai thought this, she reached out to wrap an arm around Zuo Jingyou’s waist and squeezed out a smile for Lu Qing.
Lu Qing looked at Yin Bai’s face, feeling very strange in her heart. She glanced at Yin Bai and, after a moment’s hesitation, said, “Teacher Zuo and Director Yin are also very loving. Did Director Yin specially fly over to find Teacher Zuo?”
Yin Bai said in a very noble, cold, and glamorous manner, “Mm.”
She paused, then said very much against her conscience, “I’ve booked dinner at the Galaxy Hotel. If it’s convenient for Director Lu and Teacher Xiao, how about we all have dinner together?”
Anyway, she and Zuo Jingyou weren’t going. She was just casually inviting them. Although Lu Qing seemed like a good person, seeing his face still made Yin Bai feel uncomfortable all over.
Lu Qing nodded and said okay. “Thank you, Director Yin. Then I’ll go find Niannian first.”
Niannian, Niannian your head! Are you afraid others don’t know how loving you are?
Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou nodded in unison. “Goodbye.”
After exchanging greetings, Lu Qing immediately walked towards Xiao Nian, who was drinking water inside, and called out, “Niannian.”
Xiao Nian turned around and smiled at Lu Qing. “Wait for me a moment. I’ll pack up, and then we’ll go back.”
Lu Qing replied, “Okay.”
Yin Bai pretended not to hear the old married couple-like conversation between the two and immediately wrapped her arm around Zuo Jingyou’s waist and walked out. As she walked, she muttered, “When did Xiao Nian’s wife arrive? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Look at this old married couple tone, look at this intimate address. Who knows how much dog food they’ve sprinkled in the crew. Damn it, no public morality! Don’t they know that single dogs can’t eat too much dog food and will be stuffed full?
Zuo Jingyou glanced at Yin Bai and said helplessly, “What, is it important when she comes? Could it be that you’re going to come over and have a showdown with her?”
Yin Bai tapped her cane tok tok tok as she hobbled forward and said indignantly, “Of course not! Don’t you think it’s too much for them to show off their affection every single day? As your girlfriend, of course I have to come over and assert my presence, to kick over their bowl of dog food!”
“You’re so childish!”
Zuo Jingyou frowned and glanced at Yin Bai. “Are you a child? You even have to compete over this. I’m not you; I don’t think them being together is sprinkling dog food. I know I have someone I love in my heart, and that person is also very good to me. Isn’t that enough?”
Speaking to this point, Zuo Jingyou released Yin Bai’s waist, looked at her, and asked very seriously, “Did you come here to see me, or did you come to find me because your former love rival is showing off her affection here, and you want to show off back?”
“Yin Bai, you’d better think carefully before you answer me.”
The two stood facing off not far from the main entrance. Yin Bai felt the emptiness in her embrace, and her heart also felt a little cold. She thought seriously for a moment and replied, “Ninety-nine percent is because I missed you, and one percent is to go against Lu Qing. You know, it’s not just for a day or two that I haven’t been able to stand the sight of her.”
Yin Bai leaned on her cane, looking at Zuo Jingyou’s straight face, and her heart began to be up and down7. She said very cautiously, “Saying it like this, you won’t be angry, right?”
Zuo Jingyou smiled, raised her hand to pinch Yin Bai’s ear, and gave it a slightly forceful tug. “I won’t. How could I be angry with you? You’re an honest, good child.”
In contrast to her gentle tone, the force in her hand was really too great. Yin Bai cried out in pain but didn’t dare to resist, so she could only say aggrievedly, “Yes, I am a good child.”
“Teacher Zuo, whatever you have to say, can we talk about it when we get home?”
Her appearance of swallowing her grievances for the sake of the bigger picture made Zuo Jingyou let out a puchi laugh. She let go, pinched Yin Bai’s face, and said with a sigh, “You, this person, so childish, so annoying, sometimes you’re a naughty child… but it’s just impossible for people to dislike you.”
Zuo Jingyou reached out again to take Yin Bai’s arm, supported her as she walked forward, and leaned in to say softly by her slightly red earlobe, “I feel like I’ve been led astray by you. The feeling of having a girlfriend come pick me up from work is actually quite nice.”
“So I’ve decided to forgive your little thoughts, as long as you perform well from now on.”
Zuo Jingyou leaned against her and instigated in a tiny voice, “Although I don’t have much of a competitive mind, at this moment I also have to say very childishly, you are not allowed to lose to Lu Qing.”
Yin Bai reached out and made an “OK” gesture, saying with considerable confidence, “Of course I won’t lose to him!”
Heh, a dull-headed goose8 like Lu Qing, how could she possibly lose!
The author has something to say:
Sigh, this kind of competitive atmosphere9 in love is unacceptable.
Especially comparing one’s own partner with other people’s partners.
But Lu Qing is a hurdle10 in Yin Bai’s heart, so Teacher Zuo allows her to compare a little.
However, I still have to say, it’s unacceptable! What’s your own is the best
LP: Re-translated on August 24, 2025
Footnotes
- 幼稚鬼 | yòuzhì guǐ | Literally “childish ghost.” A common, often affectionate or teasing, term for a childish or immature person. “鬼” (guǐ, ghost) is used as a suffix to add a playful or slightly negative emphasis, similar to “-head” or “-freak” in English (e.g., “silly-head”).
- 千里万里 | qiānlǐ wànlǐ | Literally “a thousand li, ten thousand li.” A “li” (里) is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 meters. The phrase is a hyperbole for a very long distance, emphasizing the great effort made to travel.
- 不咸不淡 | bù xián bù dàn | An idiom that literally means “neither salty nor bland.” It describes a person’s attitude or speech as being lukewarm, indifferent, or noncommittal.
- 虚虚 | xūxū | Literally “emptily” or “falsely.” In this context, it describes a light, almost non-contact gesture, as if just indicating the motion without fully touching.
- 蹭饭 | cèngfàn | Literally “to rub a meal.” A colloquial term for getting a free meal from someone, often used in a casual or self-deprecating way.
- 冤家路窄 | yuānjiā lùzhǎi | An idiom that literally means “enemies on a narrow road.” It describes the coincidence of running into one’s rival or enemy in an unexpected place.
- 七上八下 | qī shàng bā xià | An idiom that literally means “seven up, eight down.” It describes a state of anxiety, unease, or being flustered, as if one’s heart is fluttering erratically.
- 呆头鹅 | dāitóu’é | Literally “dull-headed goose.” A colloquial term for a slow-witted, dense, or foolish person.
- 攀比风气 | pānbǐ fēngqì | Literally “compare-and-compete atmosphere/trend.” Refers to a social climate where people are driven to compare themselves with others (in terms of status, possessions, partners, etc.) and feel pressured to keep up or surpass them.
- 一道坎 | yī dào kǎn | Literally “a ridge” or “a hurdle.” A common metaphor for a mental block, a difficult obstacle to overcome, or a persistent source of trouble or anxiety in one’s life or heart (心里的一道坎).
hahahahahaha but you lost xiao nian to that silly goose.. :b haha but I was just wondering how LQ and XN got married so fast at the start, like 6 months after YB and XN broke up, LQ already proposed at the awards ceremony right? hmmm.
hahahahahaha but you lost xiao nian to that silly goose.. :b haha but I was just wondering how LQ and XN got married so fast at the start, like 6 months after YB and XN broke up, LQ already proposed at the awards ceremony right? hmmm.