Chen Xiaoman wanted to say a few more words of encouragement, but looking into Ye Yingying's clear and innocent eyes, she couldn't say anything for a moment. Chen Xiaoman raised an eyebrow and said, "You're only in high school this year, right?"

"Just finished the college entrance examination."

Chen Xiaoman laughed self-deprecatingly, "The entertainment industry is getting younger and younger every year. At my age, I'm already considered a withered flower, let alone someone who's been married and divorced."

Ye Yingying smiled and said, "I have seen your performances, and you acted very well. I think your acting skills are there, and you can definitely make a comeback if you have the opportunity."

"What's the use of acting skills? In today's entertainment industry, all you need is good looks."

"You are still very beautiful."

“Pretty? What do I mean by pretty now? I was truly beautiful when I was young. If it weren’t for marriage, if it weren’t for being dragged down by a man, if it weren’t for him causing me so much heartache, how could I have ended up like this, with the company shoving these random resources into my hands?” Mentioning the man, Chen Xiaoman’s eyes were clearly filled with resentment, and she clenched her hands tightly. “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t need to come out and show my face like this anymore.”

Ye Yingying hesitated for a moment before saying calmly, "Is entering the entertainment industry now considered showing your face to the public? I've seen your previous interviews. Didn't you once say that your dream is to bring every character to life, so that every time fans see you, it's a new surprise instead of always thinking of you as Chen Xiaoman?"

Chen Xiaoman was stunned. She thought Ye Yingying was just trying to appease her, but she didn't expect that Ye Yingying would actually know her and say the same things she had said before.

"Such goals are still achievable. You used to play teenage girls and naive characters, but now you can play characters with depth and meaning. Your fans are never disappointed in you because of your age. What disappoints them is that they can no longer see the passion, dedication, and hard work that you had for acting back then. Moreover, even now, many fans are still editing your old videos, hoping that you can return to your peak performance as a former Best Actress." Ye Yingying said with a smile, "Don't let those fans down."

Chen Xiaoman looked at Ye Yingying, unsure what to say for a moment. After a long silence, she used her trembling hands to hide her emotions and smiled, saying, "You're right. I was indeed wallowing in self-pity. Actually, the company didn't wrong me. Back then, I was willing to terminate my contract with the agency that had nurtured me, including my agent, for a man. I wouldn't listen to anyone's advice. It's not that no one told me this man wasn't worth entrusting my life to, but at the time, I don't know why I just couldn't control myself. I was bewitched. I clearly sensed that something was wrong—"

She wanted to have another cigarette, but then threw it in the trash can, took a deep breath, and continued, "Young lady, this is a glamorous world, like a bubble. You'll encounter many temptations in this circle. Although you have powerful backers, your identity is delicate, and ultimately you still have to rely on yourself. You can enjoy the pursuit, glory, and applause this world brings you, but never get too caught up in it or be blinded by some man, thinking you've washed away all your worldly troubles for him. You can't move anyone but yourself."

Chen Xiaoman thought of Yu Jingchen, who had brought his young lover over today, and sneered, saying, "They're all a bunch of scoundrels. You should take good care of yourselves, after all, you're so beautiful and young."

She said that Ye Yingying's tone was nostalgic when she was young, as if she was reminiscing about her past self through the current naive Ye Yingying. Her last words were: "Take good care of yourself, young lady."

After Chen Xiaoman left, Ye Yingying looked at herself in the mirror again: she had always known very clearly what she wanted.

As Ye Yingying came out of the restroom, her manager, knowing that Chen Xiaoman had also been in the restroom, worried that the woman might misunderstand what Ye Yingying had done to her. She immediately pulled Ye Yingying aside and asked, "You just ran into Chen Xiaoman, didn't you? Did she do anything to you?"

Ye Yingying smiled and said, "No, my senior told me to protect myself in the entertainment industry."

The agent said in surprise, "She told you this? No, that's not right. I heard that she's been acting strangely since her comeback. Apparently, she's been causing trouble all the time. I heard that her company is considering terminating her contract. It's such a pity about Chen Xiaoman. She was once a movie queen. Even if she had retired from acting for the rest of her life, she would have remained a memory in the film industry. But she had those things with her ex-husband, and after her comeback, she's done a lot of things that people dislike. Now, when people mention her online, it's all just insults."

Ye Yingying replied, "You have to get to know some people in person to know what kind of people they are."

The agent laughed and said, "You, a recent high school graduate, are speaking with increasing maturity."

"Because I've been misunderstood before," Ye Yingying smiled and said casually, "But not anymore."

While talking to her agent, she scrutinized an unfamiliar celebrity surrounded by the magazine's cover. Although she didn't know the celebrity's identity, she guessed that the celebrity was probably the one already chosen for the role.

Ye Yingying asked, "What's that artist's name? Is he a newcomer?"

The agent glanced at the artist, feeling a bit of a headache. This female artist had upset many of the top female artists in the company. Considering that she had come all this way today specifically because of her, the agent's mood wasn't much better. However, he still suppressed his emotions and said to Ye Yingying, "She used to be an 18th-tier model in the industry. Later, she got lucky and caught the eye of the eldest son of the Yu family. She was with him for a few years, and they're probably about to break up. Everyone in the industry knows that young master's temper. He doesn't like people who are too flashy when they're with him. He usually only gives them resources after the relationship ends."

"Yu Jingchen, the eldest son of the Yu family, even came over in person today. I guess he's really taking this magazine cover seriously." The agent, remembering that Ye Yingying and Yu Jingchen seemed to have met before and had just parted ways, immediately frowned warily and said to Ye Yingying, "Yingying, you mustn't let that young master of the Yu family have any contact with you. If something happens to you, I won't be able to explain it to the young master."

Ye Yingying said with a smile, "What kind of trouble could possibly happen to me?"

As she was speaking, the person in charge of the major brand responsible for this magazine cover came out with a smile next to Yu Jingchen. Yu Jingchen seemed to notice something and looked over at Ye Yingying. After his gaze met Ye Yingying's, he looked away as if he didn't recognize her and continued to talk to the person in charge next to him. It seemed that he was introducing some information about the artist who was selected for this cover.

When Lin Chaomu, the artist chosen for this cover, saw Yu Jingchen approaching, she was clearly delighted. She wanted to go over but seemed hesitant, so she just stood there staring at Yu Jingchen, looking somewhat sad.

Noticing Lin Chaomu's subtle movements, Ye Yingying observed Lin Chaomu's emotions thoughtfully.