Chapter 357: Helpless

The two of them lingered affectionately, then walked deeper into the dense forest, the ice cream in their hands long finished.

No one knew if she ate it or he ate it, but both licked their lips, looking thoroughly satisfied; Liu Tianxian's cheeks were slightly flushed.

They walked all the way to the heart of the forest, where a guesthouse stood, its structure and all furnishings made entirely of wood.

There was also an open-air terrace, where one could sit and drink tea while admiring the distant scenery.

They climbed the wooden stairs, and Fang Hong asked: "Hey, what's going on between you and your godfather? Before I arrived, it looked like you were arguing."

"This story is a long one."

Liu Tianxian pulled out a chair and leaned back, crossing her legs and brushing her hair behind her: "You must know the movie The Forbidden Kingdom."

"I know." Fang Hong nodded.

The guesthouse had staff who poured tea for both of them; Liu Tianxian, evidently a regular, said: "Bring us two fans, thank you."

"Sure thing!"

The staff placed two folding fans on the table.

Liu Tianxian took one fan, snapped it open with a "pop," and fanned herself—just right for Fang Hong, seated beside her, to enjoy the breeze too.

"My godfather went to great lengths to get me this role—he personally contacted Fang Long and Li Lianjie, hosted a grand banquet to invite Huayi's executives, and put in enormous effort just to secure this part for me," Liu Tianxian said, fanning herself.

He's quite capable, Fang Hong asked: "Have you ever considered signing with Huayi?"

This was a question the public had always cared about.

"There's been debate about it—I'll tell you slowly," Liu Tianxian said, organizing her thoughts.

Fang Hong nodded, listening as she spoke.

"My godfather had no film resources. Making films isn't easy. To get good resources—especially good film resources—you need to rely on industry leaders. So at the time, we discussed signing with them so I could get films to shoot."

Fang Hong understood. Countless directors had rushed into filmmaking, most producing nothing but crude, shoddy trash.

For example, hundreds of films are made each year, yet the average person has heard of maybe ten.

Yutu started by making low-budget films like Those Years, Lost in Love 33 Days, and The Genius Plan, earning money from them one by one.

Only after that did they dare gamble on films like The Old Guard and Lucy, and only after those didn't fail did they make Now You See Me.

It took three stages to raise their production standards.

Liu Tianxian spoke softly: "My mother didn't want me to sign with Huayi—she thought their atmosphere was too corrupt, feared it would taint me. But my godfather thought it was fine—he'd protect me, no one would dare bully me. So we discussed it, but never decided."

"Your godfather's a bit arrogant," Fang Hong said.

Liu Tianxian nodded, saying nothing about her godfather, but added: "Mainly because everything's gone too smoothly."

Fang Hong nodded—he truly believed that.

Aside from Chinese Paladin, Liu Tianxian had only starred in one other drama, The Legend of the Condor Heroes, and immediately rose to top-tier fame—who else could do that?

Neither The Legend of the Condor Heroes nor The Story of a Noble Family featured her as the lead.

Chinese Paladin wasn't an absolute hit at the time—it could only air on local stations, because the government was wary of game adaptations after the outcry over video games corrupting teenagers.

People could only watch it in internet cafés, so many teenagers went there—and those teenagers have now grown up.

The drama didn't broadcast nationwide until 2008, when Chinese Paladin 3 became a hit, prompting major Satellite TV networks to pick it up.

That's why people talk about nostalgia, about memories, about some ridiculous ten-year pact.

By the way, there were many other hit dramas back then—Lotus Lantern, Sword of the Brave, The Proud Twins.

But Liu Tianxian's The Legend of the Condor Heroes was the real blockbuster—it exploded not just in Neidi, but also in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas, with ratings surpassing Gu Tianle's version.

"My godfather meant well—he built good relations with Fang Long and Li Lianjie, who were also investors, not just Huayi," Liu Tianxian explained the situation.

Fang Hong nodded, understanding.

Liu Tianxian continued: "Huayi also had leverage—they agreed to let me star in The Forbidden Kingdom to win me over, so everything seemed normal."

"Then why didn't you sign later?" Fang Hong asked.

"He got too ambitious. After The Forbidden Kingdom, the response was excellent—I gained many fans both at home and abroad, and the overseas buzz was huge. My godfather saw how popular I was and wanted to push me straight onto the international stage, so he no longer wanted me signed to Huayi. Naturally, my mother approved." Liu Tianxian said.

Hearing this, Fang Hong couldn't help smiling—it was a good plan, indeed.

But that film did secure massive resources; one thing, Liu Tianxian even appeared on an interview at Zijincheng with Fang Long.

The movie truly poured out every possible resource to promote itself.

Coincidentally, that year was the Olympics—those who know, know.

"My godfather shares your ambition, but unlike you, he never understands his own position—he doesn't avoid antagonizing outsiders who could threaten him, and he never consolidates his own power base.

My godfather thinks the entertainment industry has low value and can be bought with money—but he only has money, no leverage to control others. If people refuse to play with him, what can he do? He's helpless." Liu Tianxian spoke sense.

"So you both overestimated your own strength," Fang Hong said.

"Yes. And it happened to coincide with the economic crisis and an investigation—my godfather took a huge fall. No one could protect me anymore. Signing with Huayi would've been like a lamb entering a wolf's den—my mother would've refused even more fiercely." Liu Tianxian said.

Fang Hong nodded, understanding.

With her godfather protecting her, it was fine—but once he was gone, signing with Huayi meant losing all backing; once inside, anyone could bully her, with no protection.

Add to that the entire entertainment industry circling like wolves, and Liu Xiaoli's decision was correct—she quickly sought another path.

If she'd signed, who knew what her daughter would've become.

But was Chen Jinfei wrong? He wasn't.

He believed he was powerful—he was in real estate, after all; it was natural to feel that way. Lao Wang felt the same—his aura was that of a boss.

So he thought he could protect his goddaughter.

Even if he angered Huayi, he could crush them—no fear at all.

But Huayi felt tricked—and just as Chen Jinfei fell, they dumped all their anger onto Liu Tianxian.

That's why things turned out the way people later saw.

That's why Liu Xiaoli said Chen Jinfei overestimated himself and had zero ability to resist risk, while praising Fang Hong for having restraint.

Her words were a direct criticism of Chen Jinfei's lack of restraint.

But then again, Chen Jinfei really did treat Liu Tianxian very well, so a few mistakes were unavoidable—everyone makes mistakes. Even Fang Hong, this reborn person, when he was winning all the way, still got taken down a peg or two.

It's very normal. When a person keeps winning, it's easy for their mindset to swell. Taking a fall helps them see themselves more clearly.

Presumably this is also why Liu Tianxian refuses to leave Red Star Cove—she cherishes this family bond, cherishes how good her godfather has been to her.

Later they were able to reconcile; presumably Liu Tianxian also put in a lot of effort.

"The grudge in your godfather's heart—is it about you and your mom running off back then?" Fang Hong guessed.

"Yes. We went to Hong Kong at the time, and my godfather felt abandoned, which really hurt him." Liu Tianxian explained the reason.

Fang Hong indicated he understood. No wonder she didn't want to bring it up in front of him—essentially, this was a matter between Liu Xiaoli, Chen Jinfei, and Liu Tianxian.

It had nothing to do with him, and it wasn't his place to chime in!

He gave Liu Tianxian's arm a comforting pat: "It's fine. Once you explain it clearly, it'll be fine—he'll understand."

Liu Tianxian wasn't sure whether she could explain it clearly; this matter had been going on for many years.

But after pouring it out, her heart felt much lighter.

Still, she had never once thought of abandoning her godfather—never. It was just that sometimes, things were beyond her control.

The two chatted about a lot here, and once they started, they talked for an hour or two. The sun on the horizon began to slant westward.

Fang Hong took a sip of water and asked about the loan from earlier: "Why didn't you let me tell your mom about that just now?"

"Weren't you looking to take out a loan? I made an appointment with my uncle to see if he could help you. Let's chat first and see how it goes—if it doesn't work out, there's no need to mention it." Liu Tianxian said it casually.

"What does your uncle do?" Fang Hong asked.

"He's at a bank." Liu Tianxian said.

Fang Hong was a little surprised and asked again: "Is his position high?"

"Director. You could say he has some power—he should be able to help you." Liu Tianxian said.

That remark made Fang Hong pause. That's just "some power"? That's equivalent to a real-power manager.

With a connection like this, why didn't you say so earlier? He'd been worrying about it for so long.

Fang Hong didn't say that, but instead said: "Then why not let your mom know? He's your mom's brother—even if you don't say it, she'll find out, right?"

"Don't ask for now, and don't let my mom know." Liu Tianxian didn't want to say more.

Fang Hong was a bit baffled. Even if Liu Tianxian didn't say anything, the brother himself would tell his sister—something like, your daughter's boyfriend borrowed a lot of money.

It simply couldn't be kept hidden.

He didn't understand either; it felt baffling. He was borrowing money to do legitimate business, not doing anything illegal.

This story is purely fictional; please do not map it onto reality!!!

(End of this chapter)