Chapter 48

He Wei exchanged pleasantries with Kong Xiyan and left with a curl of her lips. From a short distance, someone called out, "Sister He Wei, it's time—get in the car."

She seemed busy.

That made sense. As the top of the Four Little Flowers in the entertainment industry and a major traffic magnet, she had an endless stream of engagements and scripts to film. Being busy was only natural.

After crossing paths with He Wei, Kong Xiyan's expression remained unchanged. She said to Fu Qiu, "Let's go."

Fu Qiu followed cautiously behind her.

Kong Xiyan hadn't been to the set these past few days, and Fu Qiu hadn't come much either. She'd only learned yesterday afternoon that He Wei was filming on the set next door. She'd planned to mention it to Kong Xiyan in advance, but unexpectedly, they'd run into each other directly.

She noticed Kong Xiyan seemed no different from usual, her demeanor calm, and whispered, "Sister Kong, are you okay?"

Kong Xiyan turned her head. "Hmm?"

"I'm fine."

Fu Qiu patted her chest. "Good, good. I was worried..."

Kong Xiyan didn't reply and kept walking forward.

In truth, three years ago she and He Wei hadn't been close; strictly speaking, they'd only been nodding acquaintances.

Back when Kong Xiyan first debuted, the CP hype around He Wei and Wei Yan was at its peak, and the two were deeply in love. Kong Xiyan often saw He Wei waiting at the set for Wei Yan to finish work.

After Kong Xiyan acted in that idol drama with Wei Yan, she'd stopped taking many roles, and after marriage she'd kept a low profile. She heard from people on set that He Wei had temporarily given up her career because she was preparing for pregnancy.

At the time, Kong Xiyan thought He Wei was brave—choosing marriage and children while her career was on the rise, even willing to semi-retire.

That was truly rare.

So back then, she'd harbored some goodwill toward He Wei.

But He Wei had a bad temper in those days, especially with Wei Yan. Every few days, you could hear them arguing in some corner of the set, and Kong Xiyan had stumbled upon it several times.

The arguments were always over Wei Yan's rumored affairs or overly intimate scenes. He Wei would find any excuse to pick a fight, only to be coaxed back into good spirits afterward, and then she'd visit the set again next time.

Over time, Kong Xiyan's goodwill wore thin.

She even grew cold and distant toward Wei Yan.

Back then, the production had wanted to hype the CP from their drama, and she refused. For that, He Wei deigned to give her a rare warm look, but Kong Xiyan just lowered her eyes and smiled.

She'd once thought He Wei admirable for sacrificing her career for her family. But after a while, all she saw was a petty woman who could make mountains out of molehills. She didn't like it.

So she kept her distance.

Yet how it had ended with her name and He Wei's hanging together on Weibo—she was still somewhat baffled.

Even today, she couldn't figure out why that had happened back then.

When Kong Xiyan arrived at the set, she saw Tong Yue talking with Director Sun. She walked over and called out, "Director Sun, Sister Tong."

She had no scenes today. Director Sun was surprised to see her, then gave a fawning smile. "Back from your trip?"

On this outing, Tong Yue had told everyone it was a vacation, hence Director Sun's question. Kong Xiyan nodded with a smile. "Yes, I'm back."

She looked up at Director Sun. A week apart, and he was just as chipper, seemingly not troubled at all by Guo Yixi's situation.

Right.

No matter how close their relationship had been before, after a fallout, both sides would want to wash their hands clean. Where was the real sentiment?

Someone called Director Sun from a short distance away. He said goodbye to Tong Yue and Kong Xiyan, then left. Tong Yue looked at Kong Xiyan standing before her and said, "About the show I mentioned last night—have you looked into it before?"

Kong Xiyan nodded. "A little."

Tong Yue handed her a stack of papers. "These are common questions the host might ask. Since it's a live broadcast, try to memorize them as much as you can and prepare your answers in advance. Don't make a fool of yourself."

Kong Xiyan glanced down—several pages. She nodded. "When is the show?"

Tong Yue: "Next week."

"Also, if you have free time lately, catch up on their past episodes."

Kong Xiyan gave an "mm" and smiled. "Got it, Sister Tong."

Tong Yue watched her bright smile, her eyes flickering, then suddenly spoke with a smile. "Xiyan, did something happen when you went back this time?"

Kong Xiyan: "No, why?"

Tong Yue patted her shoulder. "Don't you notice you've changed a bit since you came back?"

Kong Xiyan looked up, puzzled. "Have I?"

Tong Yue: "Mm. Before, you were like a pool of still water—no reaction whether the wind blew or a stone was thrown. Now—I see ripples."

Kong Xiyan hadn't realized that going back had changed her so much.

Perhaps it was because she'd fully let go of the burdens in her heart, and the pent-up resentment had vanished along with them, so she did seem different from before.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have had the nerve last night to talk back to Chi Wanzhao.

Seeing Tong Yue's gaze still on her, Kong Xiyan smiled. "Sister Tong has sharp eyes."

Tong Yue didn't linger. After a few more words of advice, her assistant called her away. Before leaving, she told Kong Xiyan to contact her anytime if she had questions. Kong Xiyan watched her hurried expression and nodded. "Go on, Sister Tong, take care of your work."

Tong Yue shook her head. "Ah, it's all because of Guo..." Then she glanced at Kong Xiyan, smiled faintly, and said, "Never mind. I'm off."

Kong Xiyan nodded and watched her leave.

After Tong Yue left, Fu Qiu jogged over. She wore a trench coat, and the cold wind lifted its hem. Kong Xiyan pressed it down for her, and Fu Qiu grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, Sister Kong."

"Be careful."

Fu Qiu held the hem down with her hand and straightened up beside Kong Xiyan.

The main purpose of today's visit was to discuss the show with Tong Yue, and secondarily to check how far the filming had progressed. *Breaking the Cocoon* had already released eight episodes, with the plot reaching the point where the male lead is defeated, his fate unknown, and after losing his memory, he's taken back by the princess.

The next segment shows the daily interactions between Chu Qian and the Crown Prince, setting up the emperor's later betrothal of Chu Qian to the Crown Prince.

So while Chu Qian deals with the Crown Prince, she's secretly searching for Lin Liang's whereabouts, refusing to believe he's dead.

At the nearby filming spot, Gu Ling ordered someone to lay Xiao Cheng on the bed and personally wiped him down and changed his clothes. Just as she was pulling off his white undergarment, Lin Liang suddenly opened his eyes, reached out and grabbed Gu Ling's wrist, blood still trickling from his lips, and asked in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

Gu Ling's face was startled, and before she could speak, Xiao Cheng added, "Who are you?"

"OK!"

Director Sun called out. Xiao Cheng immediately released Gu Ling, got up from the bed himself, and his assistant came over to drape a jacket over him. Wu Qing held a thermos in her hands and was about to approach Xiao Cheng when she saw him stand up and walk to the side.

He brushed past her.

"Xiao..."

She'd barely uttered a syllable when she saw Xiao Cheng stop in front of Kong Xiyan. He smiled brightly, looking a bit bashful. "Sister Kong, why are you here?"

Kong Xiyan smiled lightly. "Nothing much, just passing by."

Xiao Cheng's eyes held a teasing glint. "Oh, I see—Sister Kong must have come to watch me act. How is it? After a week, has my acting improved even a little?"

Kong Xiyan stepped back to put some distance between them. "Mr. Xiao's acting has always been good."

Xiao Cheng was dissatisfied with her deliberate distance and stepped forward. Kong Xiyan's expression shifted slightly, her brows cooling, and her presence turned heavy. Xiao Cheng laughed heartily and stepped back. "Sister Kong, I'm just teasing you."

Kong Xiyan didn't answer. After a moment of silence, she said to Xiao Cheng, "Sorry, I have something to do. I'll be going."

Xiao Cheng called out after her, unwilling to give up. "Hey..."

Kong Xiyan ignored his call and left the set on her own. Behind her, Fu Qiu jogged to keep up, and soon they disappeared from everyone's sight.

Wu Qing still held the thermos, glaring hatefully at the retreating figure. Her fingernails scraped against the cup with a creak. Gu Ling glanced at her and sneered. "What's wrong? Don't stare. She's got Assistant Zhou looking out for her now. Don't get any funny ideas."

"Assistant Zhou?"

Wu Qing curled her lips. "That's just a fling. And she's putting on airs in front of us."

Gu Ling looked at herself in the mirror, her pretty face wearing a smile. "Whether it's a fling or not, I don't know. But being able to latch onto Assistant Zhou is a success in itself. Don't end up like Old Man He. Didn't the drowning incident last time make you see clearly enough?"

Wu Qing clicked her tongue. "That kind of woman—you have to wonder if she's dirty."

Gu Ling withdrew her gaze from the mirror. "Dirty?"

"If you're afraid of getting dirty, then don't be in this circle."

Wu Qing understood what she meant, swallowed her words, and stayed silent.

Filming continued on set. Kong Xiyan and Fu Qiu got in the car to head back. It wasn't until they were halfway that Kong Xiyan noticed something off—Fu Qiu hadn't said a single word since getting in the car. That was truly rare.

She tilted her head to look at Fu Qiu, who had her small face scrunched up, looking dejected.

"What's wrong?"

Kong Xiyan asked. Fu Qiu quickly looked up, then slumped again. "Nothing. I just feel useless because I can't do anything to help Sister Kong."

"Who said that?"

Kong Xiyan placed the hand warmer into Fu Qiu's palm. "See? You prepare things like this for me—that's not useless."

Fu Qiu's gloom lifted, and her expression gradually brightened. "Mm! I'll definitely be even better to Sister Kong in the future!"

Kong Xiyan watched her instantly pumped up like she'd been injected with chicken blood and chuckled. This girl—easily fooled.

Back at the apartment, Chi Wanzhao wasn't there. She took Yanyan to the nearby supermarket and bought plenty of ingredients. On the huge TV hanging in the supermarket, she saw Guo Yixi, crying pitifully.

It must have been a press conference. Countless reporters sat below waiting to ask questions, while Guo Yixi and her agent sat at the top. She was skin and bones, eyes red and swollen, and her voice was hoarse as she spoke. "I'm sorry. I let you down."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

After she'd played the victim and cried for a good while, a reporter finally spoke up. Kong Xiyan glanced at the screen and silently looked away. The Guo Yixi now seemed to have shed her former arrogance, becoming pitiful and fragile. But how much sincerity lay beneath that pitiful facade?

No one could say.

As Kong Xiyan left, a reporter on TV asked, "Miss Guo, you've been saying on Weibo that you know the inside story of Wei Yan and He Wei's divorce. What exactly is the inside story?"

Guo Yixi stared at the camera and gritted her teeth. "If you don't want anyone to know, don't do it."