028 Who said I wanted to get back together? Long live being single.

Dong Xuan certainly did not betray Guan Yue!

However, it was hard to stop Yan Li, who possessed an intelligence system that frequently triggered relevant information for him.

How Guan Yue passed messages to Dong Xuan, how she egged Dong Xuan on to break up with him, and how she urged Dong Xuan to let go even when she still had lingering feelings for him—Yan Li knew almost everything.

Frankly speaking, from the perspective of a best friend, Guan Yue might not have done anything wrong; she was genuinely looking out for Dong Xuan.

But to Yan Li, Guan Yue was nothing more than a "meddlesome" mastermind whispering in Dong Xuan’s ear, and he hated her to the core.

He hadn't kicked her out directly only out of respect for Dong Xuan and in recognition of the times she had helped pass messages.

"No, you're just trying to sow discord."

Guan Yue reacted quickly. Although she didn't know how Yan Li found out, she felt that Dong Xuan would never betray her. Moreover, she knew clearly that after Yan and Dong broke up, they had almost no contact, and she was the one handling all their communication. It made no sense for Dong Xuan to betray her.

Yan Li did not refute her, merely sneering as he looked at her. "So, you admit that you were the culprit behind our breakup?"

Guan Yue felt a bit guilty under his gaze and lowered her head, remaining silent. Yan Li pressed his advantage, launching a verbal assault.

"Put your hand on your heart and tell me, have I been bad to you?"

"Whenever I bought Dong Xuan something good to eat, I never left you out, did I? For assignments and sketches, I spent plenty of time helping you rehearse and brainstorming ideas."

"And there was that one time you were arguing with someone in the girls' dorm and her boyfriend came to cause trouble—wasn't it I who settled it for you?"

"I treated you like a good friend, but how did you treat me? When Dong Xuan and I had a small misunderstanding, instead of helping to explain or smooth things over, you encouraged her to break up with me..."

Initially, Guan Yue felt guilty and couldn't lift her head, even setting down the pig trotter she was holding.

But when she heard the word "misunderstanding," she snapped back to reality.

"I saw you and that little vixen surnamed Huang kissing in the rehearsal room with my own eyes. Do you call that a misunderstanding too?!"

"You said it yourself—it was the rehearsal room. Wasn't that just a rehearsal?"

This time it was Yan Li’s turn to lose his momentum, while Guan Yue’s voice rose, her intensity surging.

"Bullshit! I've never seen anyone rehearse a kissing scene like that. If it were in a hotel instead of a rehearsal room, would you two be rehearsing bed scenes too?"

Zhou Yiwei, who had just come out of the bedroom upon hearing the commotion, watched the scene in stunned silence.

Is this woman always this fierce?

Guan Yue was on a roll. If Dong Xuan hadn't stopped her back then, she would have blocked the door and cursed this heartless man out.

"Don't think I was the only one who saw it. Afterward, Old Dong and I went to find out the truth. We know everything about you and that little vixen. Do you dare say you two were clean and nothing happened?"

"..."

Yan Li was stubborn to the bone. "I have a clear conscience, anyway."

Guan Yue laughed in anger. "Fine, the little vixen surnamed Huang has a clear conscience, what about Han Wenwen and Che Xiao from your class..."

"Hey, hey, hey."

Yan Li quickly interrupted her. "Don't spout nonsense. I have no relationship with them; we are purely classmates."

"I don't think so."

Guan Yue was indignant. "That Che Xiao even came to look for trouble with Dong Xuan. It was probably because of you."

"When did she look for trouble? Why don't I know about this?"

Yan Li wasn't playing dumb; he genuinely didn't know, and the intelligence system hadn't displayed it.

"A long time ago, right when you and Old Dong first started dating. It wasn't a big deal—just some pushing and shoving. After being separated, they stopped having anything to do with each other."

Yan Li finally understood. He had started dating Dong Xuan in the second semester of his freshman year, which was 2001; he hadn't had the system back then. Small conflicts like that wouldn't necessarily trigger the system, and since neither Dong Xuan nor Che Xiao had told him, it was no wonder he didn't know.

"You're neck-deep in romantic trouble, I don't know why Old Dong has to hang herself on your tree."

Guan Yue looked at him with disdain. Yan Li felt truly wronged. "I really am innocent."

How to put it? Yan Li was good-looking, tall, and had an outgoing yet steady personality. He was popular in class and well-liked by the female students.

Han Wenwen was considered the class beauty; at least, most of the boys in their class thought she was the prettiest. Yan Li naturally liked interacting with good-looking people or things, so he had a good relationship with her.

As for Che Xiao, she and Yan Li often rehearsed sketches together. They were the most frequent partners in the class, so they had become quite familiar with each other.

However, heaven knows, Yan Li swore on a lamp that he had absolutely no relationship with Han Wenwen—they were just classmates and friends.

As for Che Xiao, Yan Li admitted they had a period of ambiguity. But later, he felt their personalities didn't match, and after he met Dong Xuan, it eventually fizzled out. They hadn't had a falling out and were still good classmates; when he was filming in Hengdian, Che Xiao had even called to check on him.

But during his relationship with Dong Xuan, he had never done anything inappropriate with Che Xiao or Han Wenwen.

Zhou Yiwei chimed in to testify: "Brother Li really has nothing to do with Wenwen and the others. They have boyfriends."

Guan Yue asked sharply: "Then what about that vixen surnamed Huang?"

Zhou Yiwei paused, then reached for the braised meat on the table. "It's getting a bit cold; I'll go heat it up for you."

Useless!

Yan Li cursed under his breath, deciding not to argue with Guan Yue anymore. He pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Speak up, why are you here today?"

"I'm here to negotiate on behalf of Old Dong."

Guan Yue wiped the grease from her mouth and hands with a tissue, but since the pig trotter was gelatinous, the grease was sticky and made a mess. She ended up running to the bathroom to wash her face.

When she came back, the intensity she had built up was gone, but she still tried to maintain her presence.

"Old Dong said that if you want to get back together with her, you must agree to three conditions."

Yan Li remained expressionless. "Let's hear them."

Guan Yue took out a piece of paper, cleared her throat, and began to read with dramatic inflection.

"First, cut off all ties with that woman surnamed Huang immediately and write a letter of guarantee promising not to flirt around in the future."

"Second, outside of work, you must spend time with her every day. You must report your whereabouts, answer her calls at any time, and you are not allowed to complain that she is clingy."

"Third, sincerely acknowledge your mistakes this time. In the future, if there are conflicts, you must actively resolve them, coax her, and you are not allowed to ignore her."

"Are you done?"

Yan Li had been listening quietly. After Guan Yue finished, he asked, and once she confirmed, he said with an inscrutable tone:

"When did I say I wanted to get back together?"

"Huh?"

Guan Yue was stunned. Yan Li spread his hands. "She was the one who wanted to break up. Breaking up is breaking up. Now that she wants to get back together, she thinks she can just do it? What does she take me for?"

"You don't want to get back together?"

Guan Yue was even more confused. This wasn't what she and Dong Xuan had analyzed.

Previously, Yan Li had taken the initiative to call her, asking about Dong Xuan in roundabout ways. Wasn't that a sign he wanted to swallow his pride?

It was precisely because of this that Dong Xuan had bribed Lin Jiachuan to come over and make his bed and buy him a fan, all to further ease the relationship with Yan Li.

After that, Guan Yue had stepped in to play the "bad cop."

The so-called three conditions were actually negotiable, save for the first one. Guan Yue's goal was to test his attitude, support Dong Xuan, and keep Yan Li in check, while also securing room for negotiation—a position that could advance or retreat.

Once the bottom line was established, Dong Xuan would then come over to rekindle their old flame. She would pout, cry a little, and graciously waive some of the conditions, leaving Yan Li so moved that he would be like a loyal dog, devoted to her forever and never daring to act out again.

The plan was excellent, but Yan Li didn't play by the rules and shut her down with a single sentence.

Watching the flabbergasted Guan Yue, Yan Li was laughing inside. Dong Xuan's plan was indeed solid, but the system had "leaked" it to him.

Knowing the opponent's hidden cards, Yan Li naturally wouldn't let himself be manipulated; instead, he began to manipulate them.

"That's right. I think being single is pretty good. I can do whatever I want, no one to manage me, free and easy."

"So, let's just leave it at that. I guess we weren't meant to be."

"If she doesn't hate me, we can still be friends in the future."

"..."

————

Near the Beijing Film Academy, in a residential apartment.

The Beijing Film Academy was now on summer break. Some students went home, while others stayed in Beijing to see if they could find opportunities.

Guan Yue and Dong Xuan hadn't left; they were sharing an apartment with a few other girls, going out for auditions every day.

"..."

Dong Xuan, with her pure features and fair skin, sat cross-legged on the bed. Hearing Guan Yue recount Yan Li's words, she frowned deeply.

After a moment of silence, she asked: "Did he say anything else?"

"Oh, he said he wants to pay you back for the fan you bought, but I didn't take it. He said he’d bring it to you personally later."

Guan Yue thought for a moment before answering, then asked with some uncertainty:

"Old Dong, since he's being so clear-cut, do you think he's really determined to break up?"

Ignoring Guan Yue's confusion, Dong Xuan rested her chin on her hand, equally baffled.

Everything had been going well, and a reconciliation seemed imminent. Why had Yan Li's attitude changed so suddenly?

A moment later, a possibility occurred to Dong Xuan, and she bit her lip: "This bastard probably found a new vixen."

...

"Achoo!"

In a hotel room in Hengdian, Qin Lan sneezed, rubbed her itchy nose, and stared at her silent phone, falling into deep thought.

Did that bastard forget about her, or did he run out of phone credit...