Chapter 193: There’s Always Someone Heartless

From Qiao Huanxuan’s state, it seems that after reuniting with Li Yan, she is incredibly happy, and has expressed her feelings. It’s just that she is in S City on a business trip, and Li Yan is busy with work as well, so they probably don’t have much time together, and haven’t developed into a romantic relationship. After all, many years have passed, and they have changed significantly, so they can’t simply accept each other instantly. Otherwise, on such a special day, Li Yan wouldn’t be spending time with colleagues instead of the rare opportunity with Qiao Huanxuan.

Therefore, in Bai Jie’s view, giving them the opportunity is just to bring them closer, including the conversation just now, letting them share a bed to make them more intimate. She guessed even if they were to share a bed, they would definitely maintain boundaries, keeping the door open, to show their innocence.

Opportunity? Seize it?

Bai Jie’s heart was stirred. With Li Yan’s current growth momentum, following him indeed has prospects. Is she really satisfied with this small role she finally got a chance to play? Currently, with just a classmate relationship, he can get the producer’s attention and promise a role in the next film. If their relationship gets better, getting a lead role wouldn’t be too difficult, right?

Originally, she didn’t have much confidence; feeling that she was getting older, lacking acting skills, thinking becoming a star was almost impossible. Even being second or third-tier wouldn’t have much meaning. But after filming, experiencing that atmosphere, seeing those stars she usually only saw on TV or movies, actually working together in the same crew, even having the chance to exchange a few words, it feels completely different. Even if she isn’t on the same level, she is still part of the circle now.

People are like this, with desire comes ambition; with ambition comes ideas; with ideas come plans; with plans come actions...

Once Bai Jie had ideas, she learned more. She discovered that there are late-blooming female stars, though rarely, they do exist. Not mentioning those specializing in playing older women in TV series, but even in the film industry’s top stars, there are late bloomers. For example, Li Bingbing, who was still a bit player at thirty but finally became a lead at thirty-five.

But who cares? Even if one says a sister is an elder sister to cover up for her, which ordinary audience cares or understands? What people see is the accumulation and success that comes step by step, slowly but surely. Like Lin Zhiling, who became famous through scandals at thirty, but got an opportunity and holds her ground with one role in the film industry.

Now at twenty-eight, because of dancing, Bai Jie maintains a good figure. With these role models as inspiration, she feels she has a bright future, but she lacks connections, she needs a patron. Li Yan is a great candidate; at least he’s young and familiar, better than being ruined by older men, right? If she needs another patron, she can deal with that later.

Although Li Yan has rejected her once, and now there’s Qiao Huanxuan, Bai Jie believes that as long as she clearly states she won’t compete with Qiao Huanxuan, this should not be a problem; it might actually help!

Bai Jie couldn’t help but feel an urge to cry but had no tears to shed.

Li Yan frowned and said directly, "Bai Jie, you’ve been married before, we’re classmates, I really don’t find your joke amusing."

He didn’t explain their situation, but directly showed his displeasure with her attitude.

Bai Jie fell silent. She had initially wanted to say, ’Does it matter if I’m not married now?’, but his tone conveyed his stance, so she didn’t bother continuing.

"Sorry. I was joking..."

"Some jokes are better left unsaid." Even if a joke serves as an icebreaker, how could Li Yan not understand her true intentions? He didn’t want to give her any false hope.

"Understood..." When Bai Jie said those words, her heart was filled with disappointment and regret.

Women seem to have a natural skill for disguise; when Qiao Huanxuan came out, Bai Jie, who had been silently awkward, immediately resumed a normal smile, as if her conversation with Li Yan had been pleasant. She didn’t tease them but spoke about her returning home today.

The three then went to the guest room downstairs where they met Zhang Yurong, Wen Qianyi, and Hai Fu. They had breakfast at the hotel together and then parted ways.

The four took one stop by bus, picked up the car parked yesterday, and returned to the city.

This New Year event passed just like that. Everyone felt satisfied yet regretful. As a group event, it was generally satisfactory, but lacked any deep personal memories. Especially during the final countdown to the New Year, being hugged with Li Yan yet with others around, felt slightly regrettable.

In the city, everyone headed home, and Li Yan and Zhang Yurong hurried back to their house in the West Suburb.

"Did you enjoy it? Being surrounded by so many beauties, like an emperor!"

Back home, hearing Yurong’s slightly jealous tone, Li Yan awkwardly smiled, "Wasn’t this all happening under your watchful eye? Everything is supervised by you!"

"Keeping honest because you’re under my watch? Are you implying that if I weren’t there, your attitude would be different? What about last night’s sleep? Without me watching, were you honest?" Zhang Yurong pressed close to him. Although there was no evidence, a woman’s intuition made her feel something was off between Li Yan and Qiao Huanxuan.

"Bah!" Seeing his unserious demeanor, Zhang Yurong naturally didn’t believe him and after speaking, she sighed softly, "It’s clear that Qiao Huanxuan... still likes you."

Li Yan laughed bitterly. Despite Qianyi, Hai Fu, and even yourself restraining from showing anything, Qiao Huanxuan believed we were all colleagues, and just her being discreet was good enough.

"She liked me for twelve years, if after meeting again, she quickly loses feelings for me, then your husband’s charm is too lacking."

Li Yan still remembered that night spent at Zhang’s family when telling Yurong about Qiao Huanxuan’s past; her reaction was very bittersweet and moving, she commented on his heartlessness, suggesting that if they hadn’t met again by accident, Qiao Huanxuan might ultimately sacrifice herself for him, saying she’s worthy of better treatment and cherishing from him! (See Volume 1, Chapter 430)

"You’re so narcissistic!" Zhang Yurong rolled her eyes at him, then worriedly asked, "So back then, you said Qiao Huanxuan liked the teenage version of you plus her fantasy of you over ten plus years, not the current you. After reuniting, perhaps it’s a hope and illusion shattered for her, has she managed to move forward now?"

Li Yan was silent for a moment. Honestly, when he recounted the story to Yurong, even after Qiao Huanxuan ’pushed’ him once, he still felt a heavy pressure, that it was a burdensome emotional debt he wanted to escape from. Only after her birthday, coupled with more frequent phone communication, his heart gradually opened. After their phone call yesterday afternoon, he basically let go of this emotional burden or inner debt.

"I don’t know... Recently, she’s been here often for business trips. But she’s busy, and so am I, so we don’t have much opportunity to meet, only occasionally contacting by phone. At least she’s trying to face it, and I’m not so unattractive that she’d be completely disillusioned."

Zhang Yurong gently bit her lip and sighed, "Anyway, she’s devoted nearly half of her current life to you. Try not to hurt her..."

"Yurong, you’re so kind..." Li Yan held her hand, praising her tenderly.

His earnest words made Zhang Yurong feel a bit embarrassed and remorseful. Qiao Huanxuan had sacrificed so much for Li Yan, and yet, due to family circumstances, she found herself entangled with him, effectively becoming the end to Qiao Huanxuan’s heartfelt journey.

"I won’t hurt her, nor can I hurt you; maybe we should bring her over and make her a mistress!" Li Yan half-jokingly, and somewhat seriously, said.

Yurong was stunned, then scoffed, "Over my dead body! Making her a mistress? You’re hurting me and her!"

She said as she pushed aside Li Yan’s hand, disdainfully, "You’re disgusting and greedy!"

Li Yan chuckled, "See, that’s reality, being devoted to you means I’m heartless to her; being devoted to her means I’m heartless to you. Trying to have it all is just greedy and disgusting, hurting both sides!"

With that, he shook his head and went upstairs.

Yurong was left reflecting on his words. It seemed there was a bit of truth, that regardless of the decision, he couldn’t escape being ’heartless’!

What about Yu Xiaodi? Even if both she and Qiao Huanxuan reluctantly accepted his disgusting and greedy so-called balance, wouldn’t Li Yan still be heartless to Yu Xiaodi? Does it mean Yu Xiaodi also has to join in for a three-way balance?

She was briefly troubled by this thought, but soon, Yurong was shocked by it! How could she harbor such a notion? Even ’barely accepting’... no matter how pitiable, innocent, and touching Qiao Huanxuan is, she cannot be included, what kind of mistress nonsense is that. It’s not just disgusting and greedy, how would others view this? What does the law say? I definitely can’t accept this!

Yurong quickly shook her head to dispel such thoughts from her mind. How ridiculous to even consider welcoming another ’mistress’.

She decided not to engage too much with Qiao Huanxuan to avoid knowing more and becoming softer-hearted.

(Thanks for yesterday’s reward: Yagami Light II, Support You with Heart, dongmin8061, GeGeWu, Cp Pampas, Cp Pampas, しょぅけん) (To be continued, to know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters available, support the author, support reading the original!)