Chapter 252: Torn Yang Xue, a Powerful Friend Circle

In the living room, the atmosphere was awkward; Yang Xue glanced at Seeing Yan Li and Jiang Xin, standing at a distance opposite Seeing Yan Li, and restated her words.

"I definitely won't tell anyone—it benefits me nothing."

"I don't want to offend you, or betray Jiang Xin."

Jiang Xin, watching from the side, also assured Yang Xue that she still trusted her character.

Seeing Yan Li nodded; he knew Yang Xue was smart and wouldn't do anything foolish: "Alright, you can go."

Yang Xue, surprised he let her go so easily, was momentarily stunned.

"That's it?"

Seeing Yan Li frowned: "What else did you expect? Stay for dinner?"

"Then I'll take my leave—see you later?"

Yang Xue snapped out of it and left as if granted amnesty; Jiang Xin put on her clothes and personally saw Yang Xue downstairs, still uneasy, planning to give her best friend a proper warning.

Coincidentally, Yang Xue had questions too; they got into Yang Xue's car, closed the door, and Yang Xue spoke first.

"When did the two of you get together?"

She and Jiang Xin worked and hung out constantly—yet she'd noticed nothing.

Jiang Xin didn't hide it: "During the filming of The Legend of Xue Rengui."

Yang Xue counted on her fingers—it had been over half a year. They'd hidden it well.

Shuang Bing, Dong Xuan, Jiang Xin—four of the Seven Fairies were now confirmed to have had relations with Seeing Yan Li.

Huo Siyan had been close to Seeing Yan Li and had a past history of flirting with him; Yang Xue strongly suspected they were involved.

She herself was definitely not involved—but she wasn't sure about Li Lin. She thought Li Lin was married and wouldn't go that far, but you never knew.

After all, Li Lin, a mother nursing a child, kept getting drama offers—who could say whether she was being supported by Fan Xiaopang or by Seeing Yan Li?

Jiang Xin's exposure, and Seeing Yan Li's earlier probing, had shaken Yang Xue deeply.

Now, everyone seemed suspicious—every one of them must be involved with Seeing Yan Li!

Jiang Xin herself had only just today vaguely realized that Seeing Yan Li might be targeting all seven fairies—and that her own connection with him might have stemmed from her status as one of them.

But she had no time now for suspicion or resentment; her focus was entirely on Yang Xue.

"Xue'er, you know my situation—my father, mother, and grandfather are all in Jingcheng. My mother's health is poor, my grandfather is old, my father doesn't earn much—we all depend on me alone."

"I know this is wrong of me, and I've betrayed Dong Xuan—but I truly need Seeing Yan Li's resources."

"How many years can an actor rely on youth? If I don't climb higher, how will I support my family? When I'm older, I won't even have savings to fall back on."

"…."

As Jiang Xin's best friend, Yang Xue knew her family situation wasn't as dire as she made it sound—as if she couldn't survive without it.

But Jiang Xin was indeed the family's pillar; her income had enabled the Jiang family to buy a home and live comfortably in Jingcheng.

If Jiang Xin's career declined, their entire household's quality of life, medical support, and future security would plummet.

"But Seeing Yan Li treated us well before—he gave us roles, and Dong Xuan helped too. Was it really necessary to… do this?"

Yang Xue still didn't understand Jiang Xin's actions, so Jiang Xin explained her earlier reasoning.

Previously, Seeing Yan Li used them because he was short on people—he preferred the familiar over the new.

But does Seeing Yan Li still lack people now?

Yi An's roster and the Teddy Sisters group now threatened to overshadow or even replace them.

Moreover, helping as friends is entirely different from genuine, loyal backing and promotion.

Jiang Xin used the female lead role in The Demon Sword of Life and Death as an example.

If not for her relationship with Seeing Yan Li, he would never have cast her—a little-known actress from another company.

Not to mention the material support and powerful backing he could provide.

The former, Yang Xue didn't care much about—she had Wang Jinghua protecting her, so she didn't feel it deeply.

Jiang Xin had debuted early, struggled for years, and understood better than anyone how vital having a powerful backer was for entertainers, especially female ones.

"But he's still Dong Xuan's… and just being together like this—what kind of arrangement is that?"

Yang Xue still couldn't get past Dong Xuan, and worried about the future of their relationship.

Jiang Xin, however, was surprisingly calm, her smile slightly forced: "I can't be his mistress forever—he might grow tired of me in a few years."

"If that's the case, I'll take as many years as I can get. Use these years to push my career forward, earn more money—so even if we split, I'll have savings and the ability to keep earning."

Seeing Yan Li may be charming, but not every woman will stubbornly stick to him—let alone as a disposable mistress.

Jiang Xin had originally sought his resources; she'd once harbored feelings and other thoughts, even challenged Fan Xiaopang.

The result? Crushed instantly—and Seeing Yan Li's reaction was telling.

From then on, Jiang Xin became noticeably more cautious; though unspoken, a certain understanding had formed between them.

Each got what they needed; when one no longer wished to continue, they'd part amicably.

Hearing this, Yang Xue swallowed all her attempts to persuade him.

Jiang Xin understood everything—she'd thought through every benefit, cost, and future outcome.

Even Yang Xue herself felt that, aside from Dong Xuan's side being unclear, being Seeing Yan Li's mistress was more advantageous than harmful for Jiang Xin—how could she possibly persuade her? In the end, she could only mutter:

"You… take care of yourself."

What Jiang Xin did, she couldn't control—but she wouldn't betray her either. She'd pretend she knew nothing.

As a best friend, Jiang Xin knew Yang Xue well—she wasn't the type to meddle in such matters. Now that she'd laid out her plight and reasoning, invoked their sisterhood, Yang Xue would almost certainly not betray her.

Relieved, Jiang Xin turned to Yang Xue and suddenly said: "How about… you join too?"

"Join what?"

"Don't play dumb—you weren't the only one who lusted after Seeing Yan Li back then."

Jiang Xin looked at Yang Xue and recounted the old story—it must have been some time after The Joyful Heaven and Happy Earth Seven Fairies aired.

At that time, Seeing Yan Li rose rapidly, had few women in his life, didn't have many scandalous names, and was quite close to the Seven Fairies.

It was also around then that Yang Xue and Jiang Xin grew closer through working on a drama together.

At the time, their relationship with Dong Xuan was only decent; in fact, Yang Xue, due to her agent and filming "The Little Fish and the Flowerless Defect," was even closer to Fan Xiaopang.

Although Seeing Yan Li publicly acknowledged his relationship with Dong Xuan, he kept stirring up gossip with Shuang Bing—no one could say for sure who his official girlfriend was.

Back then, Jiang Xin and Yang Xue, watching the dazzling Seeing Yan Li, couldn't help but be moved, even taking subtle actions.

Both sides knew the other had feelings, and had even teased and mocked each other about it.

Later, because Seeing Yan Li was entirely focused on his work, his relationships with Shuang Bing and Dong Qin never stabilized, and he completely ignored or didn't care about these moves.

Slowly, Yang Xue gave up her thoughts and instead grew close to Dong and Fan, focusing on her work.

Jiang Xin didn't believe Yang Xue had truly given up.

She hasn't dated anyone these past few years—doesn't that mean she still has some lingering feelings?

Hearing this, Yang Xue couldn't help but roll her eyes at Jiang Xin.

Even if she herself was ambiguous, Jiang Xin had clearly told her back then that she'd given up all hope.

Yet it turned out that, on the surface she seemed resigned, but secretly she was sneaking around with Seeing Yan Li—if not for this stroke of luck, who knew how long the deception would've lasted?

"Honestly, we've been best friends so long—if you really have feelings for him, I can help you," Jiang Xin, from an emotional standpoint, didn't want Yang Xue to get involved with Seeing Yan Li.

But from a practical standpoint, if Yang Xue became involved with Seeing Yan Li, it wasn't without benefits for her.

First, if Yang Xue also got involved, she could never betray her; if anything else ever leaked, Yang Xue could share the blame.

Second, Jiang Xin understood Yang Xue's personality—she wasn't ambitious, didn't stir up trouble, and was absolutely a trustworthy ally.

If the two formed an alliance, there could be many opportunities for mutual support in both love and career.

"... You've really lost your mind."

Yang Xue didn't know whether Jiang Xin was sincere or testing her, but she truly couldn't accept this kind of "alliance."

"So you want to go it alone?"

Jiang Xin tried to persuade Yang Xue—going solo was hard; forget everything else, even she couldn't handle that beast, let alone Yang Xue's slight frame.

Her search for an ally wasn't without this consideration—that dog of a man was too exhausting, making her both love and fear him.

"..."

Yang Xue could no longer bear to listen; she kicked Jiang Xin out of the car and sped away.

Jiang Xin watched the car disappear into the distance, still unable to understand what Yang Xue truly thought.

Had she really given up?

But it didn't seem like it!

Still, since Yang Xue was gone, Jiang Xin no longer cared—she rolled up her sleeves and went back to settle scores with Seeing Yan Li.

That bastard was treating her like a stamp collection!

Yet when Jiang Xin stormed back, before she could even question him a few times, Seeing Yan Li forced himself to beg forgiveness with thorns on his back, and she ended up screaming herself hoarse before forgiving him...

On the other side, Yang Xue returned home, thought about today's events—especially Jiang Xin's final words—and couldn't calm down; she decided to ask a friend for advice.

Yang Xue thought for a moment: her best friend was Jiang Xin—she couldn't ask her.

Fan Xiaopang and Dong Xuan were out of the question too; similarly, Li Lin, who was close to her, couldn't be asked either.

All Seven Fairies were out—she needed a good friend with no connection to Seeing Yan Li.

And she couldn't ask directly—she'd have to be indirect!

After pondering for a while, she dialed a number; the line was answered quickly, and a crisp female voice came through.

"Why out of the blue are you calling me?"

Gao Yuanyuan, a rising star in mainland China, was also a friend of Yang Xue's.

Although Yang Xue didn't rank among the top of the Seven Fairies, she still had some fame, backed by Wang Jinghua as her agent, and could be called a top star at Chengtian.

Last year, the media even created a gimmick called the "Four Little Princesses," a blatant attempt to piggyback on a well-known comparison.

The term "Little Princess" meant someone with a good family background, beautiful looks, a sweet and innocent personality, and a bit of a spoiled, adored quality.

In short, it was just a label.

Among the Four Little Princesses were Yang Xue and Gao Yuanyuan; the other two were Liu Tianxian and Li Xiaolu.

But Liu Tianxian didn't care much for the label, and Gao Yuanyuan wasn't interested either—only Yang Xue and Li Xiaolu, both from Chengtian, frequently used it in press releases.

Although the "Four Little Princesses" label wasn't very useful, Yang Xue and Gao Yuanyuan still got along well privately.

They'd known each other since long before the Seven Fairies—they both debuted through commercials and had crossed paths before, though they weren't close then.

Later, when they both entered the entertainment industry and gained fame, that old connection resurfaced.

Added to that, they were both from Jingcheng, shared similar experiences and personalities, and grew closer over time.

Previously, while filming "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang" in Hengdian, they'd even dined together; Yang Xue had even tried to introduce Gao Yuanyuan to Dong Xuan.

But Dong Xuan had reservations about her.

In 2005, besides the Wang-Xie-Li-Zhang disputes, the Shuang Bing vs. Seeing Yan Li rivalry, and the collapse of the Shuang Jie romance, there was another significant polyamorous entanglement.

That was the affair between Gao Yuanyuan and Xu Jinglei, two leading actresses, and music producer Zhang Yadong.

At the time, Gao was exposed as the third party who forced Zhang Yadong to divorce his wife, and she'd previously been linked to director Teng Huatao in similar scandals.

After the Gao-Zhang relationship went public, Xu Jinglei was dragged in too; insiders claimed all three were fully aware of each other's existence.

So although Seeing Yan Li was a scoundrel, the entertainment industry had no shortage of talent—he wasn't left "all to himself."

Because of this, Gao Yuanyuan was heavily criticized and drew widespread suspicion.

Dong Xuan wasn't foolish—she certainly wouldn't befriend someone with a "verifiable track record" like Gao Yuanyuan.

This woman was beautiful, bold in action, and crucially, willing to share—far from easy to deal with.

Dong Xuan ignored Gao Yuanyuan, but that didn't affect Yang Xue's friendship with her; this time, wanting to consult a friend with no ties to Seeing Yan Li, the first person she thought of was Gao Yuanyuan.

But after actually making the call, Yang Xue remembered her good friend's romantic history and felt she might have asked the wrong person.

The original question turned into small talk: "What have you been up to lately?"

"I'm on a tour—the movie 'Male Talent, Female Beauty' just came out, and I've been traveling all over the country. Listen, I'm still in the car right now."

Hearing the noise of traffic outside the car, Yang Xue no longer wanted to speak, but Gao Yuanyuan vaguely sensed something and asked if Yang Xue had something on her mind.

Yang Xue hesitated inside, but under Gao Yuanyuan's persistent prompting, she said: "I have a friend—I mean, it's my friend who ran into something. She's unsure about what to do and came to me for advice, but I don't really understand either, so I thought I'd ask you."

Gao Yuanyuan instantly understood: "What happened to your friend?"

"How do I put it? She's interested in a very outstanding man, but she's not sure whether she should act on it."

"What's there to hesitate about?"

"But he has his own girlfriend—more than one—and his private life is messy."

"Uh…"

Gao Yuanyuan paused briefly: "How outstanding are we talking?"

"Extremely outstanding—I think he's one in a million: young, handsome, rich, his advantages are endless, and he's been very kind to me… to that friend of mine."

Yang Xue gushed so much that even Gao Yuanyuan was baffled: "If a man this outstanding exists, why wait? Go for it."

"It's not me—it's my friend—but he has a girlfriend! Being with him has no future."

Yang Xue clung stubbornly to her argument, and Gao Yuanyuan was speechless: "Normal relationships with other people have futures too—but with a man like this, at least you won't lose out."

"But…"

"No buts. Ask yourself: if you miss this chance, will you regret it? Then you'll know what to do."

Gao Yuanyuan's nature was like this: she believed in "true love above all," ignoring consequences and living only for the moment.

Yang Xue once again felt she had asked the wrong person.

But then again—if you ask the wrong person anyway, is it really a mistake, or did you want to ask the wrong person…?

————

PS: Got caught in the rain yesterday, feeling unwell. Took a 3000-character leave; I'll make it up later.

(End of Chapter)