Chapter 355: Advice

“Oh? It’s you, Bingyan.”

Guo Tong gave a faint smile, one that couldn’t hide her exhaustion, but she still pulled herself together and straightened her posture.

Because she knew that wherever Ni Bingyan was, the cameras were sure to follow.

Even if she couldn’t compare to Ni Bingyan’s beauty, she still had to look her best.

Having grown up on resources spoon-fed by her family, the moment Ni Bingyan appeared, Guo Tong understood why she herself was sitting here.

She needed the publicity, and Ni Bingyan was famous and beautiful enough to get her on camera. Plus, as her old university roommate, Ni Bingyan probably wouldn’t get too angry even if she realized Guo Tong was piggybacking on her fame.

They were on pretty good terms, after all. When Guo Tong got married, she sent Ni Bingyan an invitation. Ni Bingyan couldn’t make it because she was filming out of town, but she sent a very thoughtful monetary gift and a present. When Guo Tong’s child was born, Ni Bingyan also gifted the baby a longevity lock.

‘Using her like this now… it feels pretty scummy.’

Guo Tong lowered her gaze slightly, not quite daring to meet Ni Bingyan’s eyes, which seemed to see through everything.

Back in university, Ni Bingyan was like an ethereal fairy, completely detached from worldly affairs.

When a classmate stole her spot in a gala performance, she didn’t get angry. When a vain but poor roommate secretly used her ridiculously expensive face cream, she never said a word. It was as if there was nothing in the world she cared about.

She still exuded that same carefree attitude of not wanting to sweat the small stuff, but one look into her eyes was all it took to understand.

She was very different from the person she used to be.

She had boundaries now. If someone crossed a certain line, she would shut them down without hesitation.

Seeing Guo Tong lower her head in embarrassment after a simple greeting, Ni Bingyan understood the situation and found it rather amusing.

‘In this industry, what’s a little bit of clout-chasing?’

‘Sometimes she really thought Guo Tong was a princess in a castle.’

“How have you been lately?”

Ni Bingyan adjusted her skirt and sat down gracefully before leaning close to Guo Tong to speak quietly.

The cameras had followed Ni Bingyan from the moment she entered. Seeing that the two of them weren’t putting on the subtly strained act common among other actresses, but instead started chatting intimately right away, the cameraman decided to just keep his lens focused on them.

This awards ceremony was quite modern, using a multi-camera livestream format for the entire event. Fans had been waiting in the livestream chat for a long time.

When Ni Bingyan appeared, the barrage of excited comments nearly plastered the entire screen.

[OMG! My Little Ice Candy, AHHH! You’re so beautiful today!]

[How can she look so fierce while wearing soft pink? What is this sorcery? Those big sleeves are a huge plus!]

…

When they saw her sit down, someone immediately recognized the person next to her.

[Huh? Isn’t that Guo Tong? It’s been a while. Did she get plastic surgery?]

[I don’t think so? Her features haven’t changed at all, she’s just gotten a lot thinner.]

[More than just a lot thinner! I feel like she looks completely drained.]

[Anyone who’s had a kid will understand why she looks drained. Seriously, after you have a baby, the light in your eyes really does disappear…]

[Umm, stuck with a family like that, Sister Tong’s situation is just tragic!]

[Forget whether she’s tragic or not, what did Guo Tong just say to Bingbing? Look at her eyes go wide!]

…

What did Guo Tong say?

Guo Tong had just dropped a bombshell piece of gossip that left her speechless!

It all started when Ni Bingyan sat down and asked how she’d been.

When Guo Tong heard this, she knew Ni Bingyan didn’t mind her little scheme. Touched, she began to open up about her life.

First, she talked about how her child was doing, then about her divorce, and finally, she offered a warning—

“If a woman isn’t clear-headed in this life, she’s finished!

“Take it from me, never let yourself be ruled by love!

“You’re better off with a tumor! As long as it’s benign, it’s better than being love-struck.

“And another thing, listen to your big sis: no matter how much you love someone, absolutely do not get pregnant before you’re married! If you don’t even love yourself, who else is going to care about you, besides your own parents?”

It’s always wise to heed good advice, so Ni Bingyan nodded along.

To her, these words from someone with firsthand experience were like gospel.

Because she thought the exact same way.

Ni Bingyan had assumed Guo Tong would stop after that. After all, there were people on either side of them, and even if they spoke quietly, someone with sharp ears might overhear.

But as Guo Tong kept talking, she leaned in close to her ear and whispered:

“Don’t you go thinking there’s any such thing as ‘forever.’ Take Song Huating and An Xin, for example. Everyone thinks they’re the model couple, right? What you don’t know is that they have huge fights too. They almost got divorced just a few days ago!”

Due to her family background and having been in the industry since she was young, Guo Tong was very well-connected and often heard things others didn’t. But this was an absolute bombshell!

‘The entertainment industry’s model couple almost got divorced?’

Ni Bingyan’s eyes went wide!

Gossip about other people was one thing; she didn’t know them, so she’d just listen and forget. But Song Huating and his wife were different!

When they were filming *Breakup* last year, the schedule was tight and the work was demanding, so they spent most of their time living on set.

Her trailer and An Xin’s were parked right next to each other. Over time, of course they’d gotten to know each other well.

“It just happened last week. Song Huating almost messed up on his set. An Xin was filming *Great Grandmaster* and happened to be moving to the set right next door. She got the news and rushed over, still in her costume. Her two assistants were big and burly; they pinned the girl to the ground, and An Xin just got on top of her and started slapping her. The girl’s face was so swollen you couldn’t even look at it, but she didn’t dare make a peep!”

“No way! The two of them have such a great relationship!”

‘They’ve been married for so long, how could something like that happen?’

‘Putting myself in their shoes,’ Ni Bingyan thought, ‘in this line of work, you’re so busy you barely have the energy to deal with your own spouse. Where would you find the strength to go have an affair?’

‘There must be some misunderstanding.’

Guo Tong immediately shot her a look that said, ‘You just don’t get it, do you?’ and explained, “If they didn’t have a great relationship back then, how could they have jumped into the grave of marriage? If things stayed as good as they were in the beginning, where would all the divorced people come from?”

‘Well, she’s speaking from experience. Her argument is logical and convincing.’

Ni Bingyan didn’t plan on arguing with her.

“Did anyone call the police? Won’t Sister An get in trouble?”

‘Getting beaten for stealing something is a tale as old as time, but if you get beaten for stealing someone’s husband, the wife is the one who committed a crime. What a world!’

“Ha, as if she’d dare call the police! She wasn’t clinging to Brother Song to become a stepmother to his two kids. It was all for resources. To keep the news from getting out, she even has to help Sister An with the PR!”

For a moment, Ni Bingyan didn’t know what to say.

Back when she was still a nobody, she had seen too many people who wanted to be famous but couldn’t, and ended up losing their principles and going down the wrong path.

‘It’s both pitiful and pathetic when you think about it,’ she mused. ‘There’s really nothing to say.’

Seeing Ni Bingyan remain silent, Guo Tong whispered to her again, “So, you have to keep a clear head! There are cautionary tales everywhere, so you better learn from them! Oh, and by the way, only a handful of people know what I just told you, so don’t you dare spread it around.”

Ni Bingyan wasn’t one for gossip to begin with, so she didn’t say much and just quietly agreed.

As the two were talking, the hosts came on stage to warm up the crowd. The awards ceremony was finally about to begin.