They surrounded me right after the breakup.

Shen Qingning was surprised that her best friend, who had tried every means to trip her up, actually showed concern.

She nestled on the sofa and took the bowl of porridge, drinking about half of it.

"What are your plans for the future?" Qiu Siyao asked first.

Shen Qingning lowered her eyelashes: "The agent is already handling the matter of leaving the industry, terminating the contract and replacing the actor. It will take about a month to complete."

"Those endorsement deals should all have to pay breach of contract penalties, right?"

"Yes, I have enough money saved up."

Lin Yaoyao leaned back on the sofa, crossed her arms, and stared at her for a long while.

"You've even deleted your Weibo account, are you really not planning to go back?"

Shen Qingning put the porridge into her mouth and swallowed it slowly.

"I'm not going back. I've been filming for so many years without much rest. Retiring will actually make me feel more relaxed."

"Not because of guilt?"

"I feel guilty, but not entirely," Shen Qingning said, raising her head.

"I don't want anyone to use his past or my relationship with him to make a fuss in the future."

Shen Qingning put down the spoon and placed her hands, folded, on her knees.

"I didn't tell Jiang Han before issuing the statement, and I didn't ask for his opinion in advance."

"Does he know?"

"What do you think? We all saw it." Lin Yaoyao's tone was devoid of emotion.

Why don't you go find him?

Shen Qingning lowered her head: "He won't agree to me doing this. I know him."

Lin Yaoyao turned her head and looked through the window at the villa across the street where she had lived.

She still vividly remembered her actions of deliberately living with Jiang Han to anger Shen Qingning.

She shook her head, somewhat helplessly: "That statement was alright."

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me, I'm not forgiving you."

Just then, the phone rang in the living room, and Shen Qingning's cell phone buzzed on the sofa.

She looked at the screen and her body trembled. It was Jiang Han calling.

She could ignore calls from anyone else, but she couldn't refuse Jiang Han's calls.

"At the Jade Manor?" A magnetic male voice came from the receiver, languid and relaxed.

Shen Qingning gripped her phone tightly: "Yes, I'm at home. Yaoyao and Siyao came over, and Yutong is here too."

"Did you cry?"

"without…"

After a few seconds of silence, Shen Qingning heard the click of a lighter lighting a cigarette.

"What should you call me?" Jiang Han asked, his tone steady and leaving no room for argument.

Shen Qingning's heart leaped into her throat. She covered the microphone with her palm, her body trembling, and shouted in an extremely low voice.

"Master~"

"Oh! You still remember?" Jiang Han said coldly.

Shen Qingning did not break down emotionally when she gave up acting, but her face turned pale instantly after hearing Jiang Han's question.

The deep-seated desire within her to submit to men was profoundly stirred.

"Of course I remember, I'll never forget!"

Jiang Han continued, "Why didn't you ask me before issuing your statement and making your decision?"

Shen Qingning's voice trailed off: "I thought you would agree..."

"The woman I need should be obedient."

"I'm sorry! I was wrong! I shouldn't have made the decision on my own and didn't listen to you."

Lin Yaoyao and Qiu Siyao were confused. Shouldn't their husbands be calling to comfort them? Why did it turn into Shen Qingning apologizing?

There was another two seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"This will not be repeated."

Shen Qingning nodded vigorously, then realized he couldn't see her, and quickly added, "I understand, I will definitely remember it."

"From now on, ask me before making any decisions, understand?"

"Okay...okay."

Then, Shen Qingning heard the sentence she had wanted to hear most in her life.

"Alright, since you've left the entertainment industry and given up your job, move in with us. You can help out and do some housework."

"what?"

"What, you're not happy about it?"

Shen Qingning quickly replied, "I'm willing! I'll pack my things right away!"

Her voice suddenly became louder, and her listless state of mind vanished instantly.

The sudden change left the two women beside them completely bewildered.

After hanging up the phone, Shen Qingning tentatively spoke to Lin Yaoyao.

"Jiang Han asked me to move in with him."

Lin Yaoyao leaned back on the sofa: "I know, I suggested it to him."

"what?"

Shen Qingning opened her mouth wide, her eyes wide with surprise, losing all control of her expression.

"Surprised?"

"Yes," Shen Qingning admitted.

Of the six best friends, the others have some communication and contact with each other in normal times.

Only Lin Yaoyao and the other two fought fiercely, both openly and secretly.

From clothing and designer bags to romantic relationships and daily life, they are always comparing and belittling each other.

It's quite unexpected that the other party is now willing to invite me to live with them.

Lin Yaoyao explained, "Instead of worrying about foxes stealing people all the time, it's better to keep them chained up and by your side."

"A chain?" Shen Qingning was shocked.

After she established a new relationship with Jiang Han, she privately learned about the strange games and props.

Now that Lin Yaoyao has brought it up, does that mean she also wants to participate?

"I was just using an analogy..." Lin Yaoyao added.

"Oh, oh, oh."

Xia Yutong sat in the living room chair the whole time, watching the three people and listening to their conversation.

She admired Shen Qingning from the bottom of her heart for being able to risk everything for love.

I'm genuinely happy for her.

Shen Qingning earned respect and trust through her actions, and she deserves it!

But what about yourself?

……

Shen Qingning returned to her bedroom with light steps.

With everything settled, she felt a great sense of relief.

Being able to stay openly and honestly by Jiang Han's side brings her more joy and happiness than any success in her career.

……

The online discussion is still brewing.

After Shen Qingning's statement circulated throughout the night, the public opinion has completely reversed.

Ji Bochang's long post fell out of the top 30 on the trending topics list.

The revelations about Xingyue Media didn't cause much of a stir; the industry practice of not having any substantial violations is unlikely to resonate with the public.

"Shen Qingning herself admitted that she betrayed Jiang Han."

"She used her entire career to clear up for a man; what are Ji Bochang's few chat logs compared to that?"

"Would the person being pressured delete their Weibo account? Would they cancel all their endorsements?"

"Admitting mistakes, being willing to take responsibility, and paying the price readily—how many people in this industry dare to do that?"

Of course, some fans also called out in the comments, urging Shen Qingning to come back.

The agent told the media, "Ms. Shen Qingning is resting and will not be giving interviews at the moment," and there has been no further news since.

Several major entertainment accounts published lengthy analyses, each with an increasingly sensational headline.

Shen Qingning's Retirement from the Entertainment Industry: A Self-Destructive Atonement Worth Over 100 Million Yuan

From Rising Star to Vanished from the Internet: Who Did Ji Bochang Harm?

Shen Qingning Behind the Statement: What Is She After?

The internet is flooded with sensational articles, but no one knows that the protagonist of the story is smiling broadly at this moment.