Chapter 125

Crash! Her hand trembled, spilling coffee onto the floor, shattering the cup.

"Franklin likes Wang Niannian?"

Aria's eyes widened in shock.

"What? How is that even possible? How could Franklin like Wang Niannian? That's impossible! He clearly likes..."

Knock knock—a sound interrupted Aria. Lin Ye walked in, glancing between Aria and Lily before saying cautiously,

"Talk it out calmly. Fighting hurts relationships. Chill."

Lily sighed inwardly. Who's fighting here? Aria, however, felt relieved. For the first time, she found Lin Ye pleasing to the eye.

"We're not fighting or arguing," she explained kindly. "I accidentally knocked over the coffee."

Lin Ye sighed in relief, patting his chest, "You scared me. I was wondering, with one being my boss and the other my goddess, if you two actually fought, I wouldn't know whose side to take."

Aria couldn't stand hearing 'my goddess' anymore. Lin Ye kept saying it daily, even posting on social media with captions like, "Day 1 of pursuing my goddess," "Day 2 of pursuing my goddess," and so on, making sure the whole world knew he was after her. She was determined to beat him up one day.

Lily shooed Lin Ye out, and once the office was quiet, she looked suspiciously at Aria, resuming their previous topic.

"Why did you react so strongly to Franklin liking Wang Niannian? And who is he supposed to like?"

Aria hesitated for a moment before blurting out,

"Men! He's supposed to like men. I've been shipping him with Zeng Shao, and now my OTP is doomed. I'm devastated! I can't accept this!"

Lily was speechless.

At this moment, she wasn't interested in any OTP drama. She was heartbroken over Franklin, having spent the whole night in turmoil.

"Franklin and I have been friends for so many years, practically since we were kids. He knows all my secrets, but he never told me about liking Wang Niannian."

Aria calmed down and explained,

"Franklin probably didn't tell you for a reason. Lily, you've never had a secret crush. You are straightforward about who you like or dislike. You're brave and unrestrained, ready to express your desires without worrying about the consequences. But not everyone has your courage."

Lily picked up the coffee Aria hadn't touched yet and stirred it, pointing at the broken latte art,

"Some crushes can't see the light of day. They vanish as soon as they're exposed, like this latte art. It shatters at the slightest touch. Unlike you, who has supportive family backing you up, Franklin doesn't. He's cautious with those he cares about because he fears losing them. He values you too much to risk it."

Lily had never considered such complexities. She half-understood and half-didn't. She knew Franklin had his reasons for not telling her, and she wasn't truly angry—just frustrated that he kept everything bottled up.

Zeng Shao had told her that Franklin had been drinking for days. She was angry that he hadn't sought her help. In the past, she would have made a scene, but now she had resources and influence that could genuinely assist him.

Aria didn't delve further into the topic. Instead, she asked about Wang Niannian and Leopold's situation.

"Are you really going to help Franklin and break up Leopold's engagement?"

Lily replied, "Leopold isn't right for Wang Niannian. Marrying him would be a disaster for her. If I can stop it, I'll be saving her."

As for Wang Niannian and Franklin... Lily sighed,

"I'll break up Leopold and Wang Niannian's engagement first. If Wang Niannian is willing to be with Franklin, I'll help them. But if she doesn't want to, then Franklin will have to find his own way."

Aria wanted to say more, but Lily's phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

"Lily, is lunchtime today okay? I have a flight this afternoon."

It took Lily a moment to remember it was Selena. They had met last night and arranged to have lunch, but Franklin's issues had driven it out of her mind. After hanging up, she asked Aria,

"Selena invited me to lunch. Do you want to come?"

Aria considered, then shook her head,

"No, I won't go. We have to prepare for the meeting at Jingxiu this afternoon. Even with your husband's support, we should have all the necessary materials ready and not appear to be taking shortcuts."

As for Selena, there would be plenty of opportunities to meet her once their studio gained more prominence.

Selena had chosen a private dining spot in the suburbs. Though a bit remote, the environment was serene, and the food was excellent. She looked entirely different today, dressed in a magenta vintage-style dress, with her tall figure and striking looks, evoking the elegance of old Hong Kong movie stars.

Lily, in contrast, wore casual clothes and light makeup. Selena handed her the menu,

"The food here is quite good. I'm not sure what you like, so you should order."

Lily ordered a couple of dishes and passed the menu back to Selena, who added two more dishes and handed it to the waiter. Despite the remote location, they chose a private room just in case.

While waiting for the food, they chatted about their previous shoot, sharing many amusing stories. Selena mentioned her first close encounter with a leopard, confessing that while Lily seemed fearless, she had been terrified.

"I had to keep up appearances because you, a young girl, weren't scared at all. I couldn't show my fear, so I gritted my teeth and finished the shoot. But my back was drenched in sweat afterward."

Lily laughed, explaining she had previously worked with wild animals.

Selena then noticed the ring on Lily's finger,

"Are you married?"

Lily nodded openly,

"Yes."

Selena, thinking of Edmond's ring, felt a pang of sadness. She took a sip of her drink, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"How's your relationship with your husband?"

Lily, preferring not to discuss her private life, replied briefly,

"It's good."

She was about to change the subject when Selena spoke again,

"Would you like to hear my story?"

Lily was taken aback. Even a newcomer like her understood the importance of privacy, yet here was a top celebrity offering to share her secrets. Before Lily could respond, Selena continued,

"I'm back this time for someone's birthday. Someone I thought I would marry."