After Being Scummed – Chapter 96
by Little PandaExtra Chapter Three: The Golden Time of Youth 1
The Youthful You
In the golden autumn of October, the tree-lined path at Z University leading from the teaching building to the cafeteria was hung full of all sorts of banners.
The senior male and female students1 from all the major clubs all went into action, each with a large loudspeaker in hand, scattering flyers at the newly enrolled students as if they were free, actively roping in all malleable talent.
It was already lunchtime. The old veterans of the Drama Club stood at the entrance of their own base camp2, and upon seeing every good-looking handsome guy and beautiful girl, they would stick close and eagerly say to the person: “Beauty, I see that your bone structure is amazing3, your face is shockingly like a heavenly being’s, you were naturally born to be material for our Drama Club ah!”
“How about joining our club and paying a wave of membership fees]!”
By recruiting so energetically, they pulled quite a few people into the club during the peak lunch period.
As the lunch peak subsided, the traces of new students on the tree-lined path also lessened quite a bit.
After the president, Zuo Jingyou, who was sitting properly at the desk, finished organizing the messy registration forms in front of her, she said to the other members: “It’s fine if I just watch over things here, you all should hurry up and go eat.”
Everyone laughingly agreed to her words, also saying they would bring lunch back for her, and then left with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
Zuo Jingyou said a thank you, and then continued to enter today’s registration information into her computer.
As she was entering, the figures on the tree-lined path also gradually became sparse. Only occasionally did a few people appear in groups at some of the popular clubs.
Zuo Jingyou was halfway through entering the forms when she suddenly heard an extremely rhythmic tap tap sound.
That was a unique sound of a wooden object striking the ground; although it wasn’t loud, it was exceptionally attention-grabbing.
Zuo Jingyou subconsciously raised her head and looked in the direction the sound was coming from.
Two meters away from her, a girl with a thin figure who looked exceptionally tall and slender was walking towards their direction, falteringly, while leaning on a cane.
Zuo Jingyou composed herself, and after seeing the other person’s appearance clearly, her mind went blank for a moment.
That was an extremely beautiful face, with fair skin, as cold and movingly beautiful as the color of snow. Her facial features were delicate, full of exotic charm, and without a doubt, it was the most beautiful face ever carved by God.
Not to even mention that pair of eyes of hers.
That pair of gray-blue eyes were clear and transparent, just like a snow mountain’s ice lake, outshining all beauties in the human world.
This was the most beautiful face Zuo Jingyou had ever seen in her life. She couldn’t help but stand4 up from her seat, looked at the newcomer, and hurriedly called out to her: “Classmate, the classmate leaning on the cane, do you want to come take a look at our Drama Club?”
The beautiful young girl leaning on the cane stopped her steps, raised her eyes, and cast a cold glance at Zuo Jingyou.
Her expression was somewhat unfriendly, as if to say, was it you who was calling me?
When Zuo Jingyou saw this expression of hers, she strangely did not feel offended at all, but instead, a sense of inexplicable joy arose.
She propped both hands on the tabletop, looked at the beautiful girl not far away, the corners of her lips raised, and said with a smile: “It is you, classmate, do you want to come take a look at our Drama Club?”
The girl leaning on the cane slightly narrowed her eyes, seeming to size her up seriously. She frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and walked towards her step by step, leaning on the cane.
At this time, Zuo Jingyou finally saw the other person’s walking posture clearly. The girl leaned on the cane, the weight of her body seeming to press on her left side. Every time she walked, her left foot went first, and only then did her right foot follow with difficulty, as if strenuously dragging a heavy lead ball.
Her leg was disabled, but this did not affect her beauty in the slightest.
She is truly too good-looking, Zuo Jingyou thought.
Step by step, falteringly, the girl walked with difficulty until she was in front of Zuo Jingyou, raised her chin to give her a cold greeting, and said very arrogantly: “I’ve looked, and then what?”
Zuo Jingyou didn’t mind her frivolous and arrogant attitude. Instead, she took out a registration form, passed it to her, and said with a light smile: “Since you’re already here, how about joining our club?”
A look of astonishment appeared on the girl’s face. She pointed a finger at herself and said extremely coldly: “Me? Join the Drama Club?”
Zuo Jingyou heavily nodded: “Nn!”
The girl scoffed lightly: “Sorry, I have no interest in writing scripts or doing behind-the-scenes work, goodbye.”
As she said this, she turned and was about to leave.
Zuo Jingyou’s hand was faster than her heart; without even thinking, she grabbed her arm in one motion and hurriedly stopped her: “Classmate!”
As a result, the moment she touched the other person, the other person was like a cat with its fur standing on end, whipping her head around, staring wide-eyed at the place she was holding, and said with knitted brows: “Let go!”
Zuo Jingyou raised her eyes, and upon seeing the unbearable expression on the other’s face, she immediately let go of her hand and subconsciously apologized: “Sorry classmate, I didn’t do it on purpose…”
The other person looked at her face and frowned tightly, only speaking after a good while: “Are you hitting on me?”
Zuo Jingyou was stunned for a moment, and only after a good while did she realize what the other person was saying. She gave a faint smile, nodded, and admitted frankly: “It’s very obvious, I am hitting on you.”
The other person immediately pressed her lips tightly together and said with some displeasure: “Sorry, I don’t like humans.”
Sorry… I don’t like humans?
Wait, what kind of answer is this.
Ah, she just said hitting on…
Zuo Jingyou’s eyes curved into crescents, she gave a light laugh, and said with extreme gentleness: “The hitting on I mentioned is not the meaning you’re thinking of. Classmate, I just want to ask you if you have any interest in coming to the Drama Club to act.”
It doesn’t mean I want to pursue you!
The words had just fallen when Zuo Jingyou saw an astonishing layer of pink dye the fair and stern face of the girl before her. Then that pink deepened, becoming an exceptionally magnificent red.
Ah, so beautiful, like seeing a delicate and gorgeous rose in full bloom, it makes one’s heart fold.
Seemingly understanding what she had misunderstood, the girl began to speak haltingly, her face red as she defended herself: “Have… I… a disabled person, how can I act in the Drama Club. I can’t even walk properly! What would I act as, the Bell Tower Freak5?”
So adorable, even stuttering while speaking is also adorable!
How can there be such an adorable person! Just like an awkward little child. At first, she pretends to be very cold and aloof, but in reality, she’s just a paper-mâché tiger6, and inside is an adorable kitten!
Zuo Jingyou’s eyes curved with her smile, looking at her with sparkling eyes as she said: “Not at all, the Drama Club also has many roles that can be performed in a wheelchair. Who says people with physical inconveniences can’t act, that’s prejudice of yours!”
“You’re so good-looking, if your line delivery skills and acting ability were just a little bit stronger, maybe you could play Juliet7 oh.”
“At that time, maybe you could even become famous as the wheelchair version of Juliet!”
Zuo Jingyou looked at her with a beaming smile, pushed the registration form in front of her, and said as if coaxing a small child: “Just try it, there’s no problem in just trying.”
“I think your external conditions are a perfect score, and your eyes are especially so beautiful they leave a deep impression, like a snow mountain’s ice lake, a star in the cold night, or perhaps like the brilliant sky…”
“I really like your eyes.”
Zuo Jingyou said a whole bunch, and seeing the girl staring at her with wide eyes, she said with a smile: “Right, I still haven’t asked what your name is.”
“My name is Zuo Jingyou, the Zuo from ‘left and right,’ the Jing from ‘quiet,’ the You from ‘deep and serene.’”
Zuo Jingyou propped herself on the table and leaned forward, tilting her head up to look directly into the other’s beautiful gray-blue eyes, asking with a smile: “And you, what are you called, and what year are you in?”
The girl leaning on the cane subconsciously took a step back, and after making a swallowing motion, she slowly exhaled and said extremely coldly: “Yin Bai, the Bai from ‘white.’”
Zuo Jingyou’s smile grew even wider. She pushed the form in front of Yin Bai and said softly: “Yin Bai, your name suits you very well, it’s very nice to hear.”
“So now, will you consider filling out this registration form? I sincerely hope you can join our Drama Club, you are too good-looking, I can’t miss out on a talent like you!”
Yin Bai leaned on her cane, looking seriously at the beautiful woman in front of her, and only after a good while did she say: “Since you’ve invited me with such sincerity, then I will reluctantly…”
…fill out this form…
And then Yin Bai really did pick up the pen and, with a few quick strokes, filled in her name on that registration form.
After finishing, Yin Bai capped the pen and looked at Zuo Jingyou, saying: “Alright, your attempt at hitting on me has succeeded!”
Yin Bai gave a light cough and said awkwardly: “Actually, you are also very beautiful. This is me, on account of you praising me, reluctantly responding to your compliment.”
After Yin Bai finished speaking, she took her phone out of her pocket, switched to the call screen, and said to Zuo Jingyou: “As the saying goes, courtesy demands reciprocity, you also have to tell me your contact information.”
“Now, it is I who am hitting on you.”
Zuo Jingyou was slightly astonished. She blinked her eyes, looking at the girl before her with a serious face, and only after a good while did she find her senses again.
She said an “alright,” then gave a light smile and gave her phone number.
This was the first time Zuo Jingyou met Yin Bai. In the following days, she thought Yin Bai would contact her, but as it turned out, nothing happened.
A few days later, Zuo Jingyou saw Yin Bai again at the club’s welcoming party.
When she was giving a speech on the stage, she saw from the corner of her eye Yin Bai sitting properly in a corner below the stage, her back straight in a posture of attentive listening, and couldn’t help but raise the corners of her lips.
I thought the recruitment wasn’t successful, I didn’t expect her to actually come, ah, looking at it this way, their club will have one more treasured beauty from now on.
After the welcoming party ended, the club’s seniors began to organize the juniors to participate in some recreational activities. Because Yin Bai’s leg was inconvenient and she also didn’t want to participate, she sat in the corner for almost the entire time, silently watching them.
But she was good-looking and possessed an air of nobility all over, so both men and women wanted to strike up a conversation with her.
After several times, Zuo Jingyou saw her appearance of being unable to bear the disturbance, sighed, and walked over to her. After helping her out of the predicament, she sat down beside her, gave a light laugh, and said to her: “Last time I asked what year you were in, you still haven’t answered me. Classmate Yin Bai, is your way of hitting on someone to get their contact information and then not contact them?”
LP: Let the author cook! ! !
Re-translated on September 15, 2025
Footnotes
- 学长学姐 (xuézhǎng xuéjiě): Respectful terms for upperclassmen. 学长 (xuézhǎng) refers to a male senior student, and 学姐 (xuéjiě) refers to a female senior student. Western academic culture does not have a direct equivalent for these terms.
- 大本营 (dàběnyíng): Literally translates to “base camp” or “headquarters.” In this context, it’s used colloquially to refer to the club’s designated recruitment booth or area.
- 骨骼惊奇 (gǔgé jīngqí): Literally “bone structure is marvelous/surprising.” This is a classic, often humorous, line from Wuxia (martial arts) novels and films. A master says this to a potential disciple, implying they have a natural, rare talent for martial arts. Here, it’s used as a funny and flattering recruitment line.
- LP: The source text used the character 占 (zhàn), meaning “to occupy,” which is a likely typo for 站 (zhàn), meaning “to stand.” The translation has been corrected to reflect the intended meaning.
- 钟楼怪人 (Zhōnglóu Guàirén): Literally “Bell Tower Strange Person,” this is the Chinese title for Victor Hugo’s novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” and its main character, Quasimodo.
- 纸老虎 (zhǐ lǎohǔ): Literally “paper tiger.” It’s a term for something that seems threatening but is ineffectual and unable to withstand challenge. The source text uses 纸糊的老虎 (zhǐ hú de lǎohǔ), “paper-mâché tiger,” which has the same meaning.
- 朱丽叶 (Zhūlìyè): The Chinese transliteration of the name “Juliet,” as in the character from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
college au? lets go
college au? lets go