**Chapter 65: Playing Along**

Laughter filled the air, and the atmosphere was warm and friendly—

When Jennifer Aniston arrived on set, this was the scene that greeted her. The unexpected sight made her doubt her eyes.

What...what's going on?

Wasn't this supposed to be a tense standoff? A barrage of accusations?

Her hand, poised to open the car door, hesitated for a moment.

"Jennifer?"

The assistant, who was driving, noticed Jennifer's pause and called out in concern.

Jennifer only hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"I'm fine. I can handle this."

Jennifer despised tabloid gossip. To be precise, she loathed it. She hated having her personal life laid bare for public scrutiny.

At the same time, she didn't like how Brad would get jealous over baseless rumors—it was anything but manly. And she certainly didn't like what Brad did behind her back.

In fact, if Brad had just talked openly to her about this issue, despite her fondness for the young Anson, she would have taken Brad's side. She would have pressured David Crane to fire Anson, and the matter would have been much simpler. She was confident David wouldn't refuse her request.

After all, they were in the same boat now, and they needed to work together for the upcoming salary negotiations.

Besides, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

Just a few months ago, during the filming of the sixth season of "Friends."

Reese Witherspoon had guest-starred, appearing as Rachel's sister. After filming one episode, Marta loved Reese's energy and her chemistry with the cast, so she wrote a second episode for Reese, and a third script was already completed.

Jennifer didn't like Reese.

She felt their energies clashed, and Reese's exaggerated performance completely overshadowed her own.

So, Jennifer protested to David Crane and Marta.

In the end, the plan for Reese's third episode was scrapped, and her character was written out after two episodes.

See, it was that simple. When it came to choosing between a guest star and the six main cast members, David Crane knew exactly what to do. If Reese, who had already made a name for herself, could be dealt with like this, then what chance did a newcomer like Anson have?

It should have been a simple matter of a word or two, but instead, it had spiraled into this uncontrollable mess.

The situation had changed dramatically.

Even if Jennifer was fully on Brad's side, she now couldn't fire or distance herself from Anson without it looking suspicious.

In fact, not only could she not distance herself, but she also needed to maintain a good relationship with Anson—at least publicly. If she wasn't careful, the situation with Reese could be dug up, and then she and Brad would be in deep trouble, turning a non-issue into a major scandal.

Damn it!

Before arriving at Studio 24, Jennifer Aniston was already aware that reporters were waiting there. She had discussed with her agent and publicist that she should enter the scene as a savior, coming to Anson's rescue and creating a buzz around him while projecting an image of maintaining peace within the cast.

Not only did she need to clear up the misunderstandings, but she also had to turn the situation around in her favor.

Everything was ready.

Jennifer had braced herself for a battle of words, but when she finally got there—

This is it?

The situation had still been under their control when she left her home for Burbank, so what had happened in just thirty minutes?

One wave hadn't settled before another crashed in.

Jennifer's mind was in disarray.

Surprise. Anxiety. Irritation. Frustration. Confusion. Worry. Anger.

Different thoughts and emotions collided, like a tangled mass of cotton stuffing her chest, making her uneasy and restless. She couldn't find a single word to describe how she felt, and in the end, she let out a long breath to force herself to regain composure.

Reason returned to her mind.

Jennifer pulled out a compact, but not to fix her makeup; instead, she practiced lifting the corners of her mouth, rediscovering the familiar, confident smile she knew so well.

Perhaps the only upside to this whole mess was that she didn't dislike Anson.

To be precise, she rather liked him.

On and off the screen, the energy and charm that Anson exuded were indeed captivating, even though Jennifer didn't see Anson as a potential romantic interest. But she couldn't deny that, as an actor and as a man, Anson had a certain special allure that was hard to ignore.

This meant the situation ahead wasn't going to be as unbearable as she feared.

Click.

She opened the car door, and the sunlight poured in, accompanied by the warmth of the morning sun. A wave of cheerful laughter greeted her as she stepped out.

No one noticed the arrival of the other key figure in the rumored affair.

Jennifer felt slightly out of place; since "Friends" skyrocketed to fame, it had become impossible for her to hide her presence—such a task was nothing short of a mission impossible.

Occasionally, very occasionally, Jennifer wished she could enjoy a moment of peace, just hoping not to be recognized.

But now, when the reporters hadn't noticed her arrival, she felt a subtle twinge of disappointment.

Jennifer straightened her back slightly and told herself: this is a good thing, it means Anson had successfully diverted the attention.

Step by step, she approached.

The conversation, the banter, the teasing—all drifted into her ears, and Jennifer hadn't expected Anson and the reporters to be discussing that topic.

"Of course, there's no problem with that."

Taking advantage of a brief pause in the chatter, Jennifer spoke up.

Whoosh.

The reporters turned in unison, spotting Jennifer at once. For a brief, fleeting second, they were so surprised they didn't react.

Jennifer flashed her signature smile and called out to Anson through the crowd, "You just have to ask; my number isn't that hard to get."

Click.

Finally, the reporters snapped out of their stupor, pressing their shutters as silver flashes from the cameras devoured the golden sunlight, quickly engulfing Jennifer in a flurry of lights.

Whoosh.

The crowd surged toward Jennifer all at once, leaving Anson, who had been tightly encircled, suddenly exposed and visible.

What was remarkable, however, was that the crowd didn't move like a wave from one end to the other; instead, as they approached Jennifer, they gradually parted, much like the Red Sea before Moses, creating a path. The bustling throng split in two, forming a bridge between Jennifer and Anson.

Cameras focused on Jennifer, with shutters clicking rapidly, capturing every second of her approach toward Anson, as if this were some historical moment.

Jennifer, accustomed to grand scenes like this, took it all in stride and confidently walked toward Anson—

The two points of the love triangle finally met.

Jennifer, in a gesture of openness and sincerity, spread her arms and gave Anson a warm hug.

No avoidance.

Because avoiding him would only confirm suspicions; being open and direct was the way to debunk the rumors.

But the hug wasn't overly intimate or prolonged; it was brief and to the point. Jennifer released Anson, adjusted her hair, and let her smile fully bloom.

"Jesus Christ, I never imagined we'd meet again under such circumstances. What can I say? This is a bit awkward."

No need to dodge the issue—she faced it head-on, addressing the rumors herself before the reporters even had a chance to ask.