Kicking Off a Good Show

If Joel admitted to creating a fake recording, Lila's innocence would be rebuked and her scandal would ignite once again.

It would also mean that Joel's methods were like a poor lie which backfired because it would seem like he really did have something to hide; he was hiding the fact that Lila's private life was a mess and she had ambiguous relationships with quite a few men.

Taking everything into consideration, Joel was put in an extremely difficult situation. Amongst his options, he didn't mind getting hurt, but he didn't want to hurt his dead lover, nor did he want to hurt a living friend.

...

After returning discreetly to Beijing, Lila contacted all the friends that could possibly lend a helping hand. She wasn't afraid of starting a battle with Lancy, she simply wanted to find the best way for Joel to retreat.