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Tay Ping Hui said he has "always treasured Jesseca," while close friend Elvin Ng was visibly agitated when we brought up news of her departure, before heaping tons of praise on her. But it seems both leading men of Caldecott Hill don't have what it takes to make actress Jesseca Liu stay. In an exclusive interview with xinmsn, the poised Malaysian star, who announced last week she would leave the industry after six years when her contract runs out in May, made known her desire to find a man to marry. She also indicated a need to pay more attention to her business. The 31-year-old currently has a three-year-old spa business in hometown Langkawi, a fledgling blogshop here, and "other businesses that [she] can't reveal yet." The blogshop in Singapore would mean she'll still be shuttling between the two countries, so fans of Jesseca fret not. She will not be vanishing into thin air just yet. The former beauty queen spoke to us earnestly after the press conference for her new Ch 8 drama New Beginnings, which is ironically her swansong on local TV. In the heartfelt interview, she said that she would definitely regret if she doesn't leave now. Quizzed on whether her businesses are more lucrative than her acting career, Jesseca expounded the opposite. "It's because it's not earning much that's why I'm going back to help!" Is she in fact running off with some man, following the recent trend of secret marriages? Giving a bland "No," she added, "I also hope someone wants to marry me! "Since I couldn't find anyone here, I want to try leaving and see if I can find a man or if anyone dares to pursue me." Eligible bachelors, start taking note. Jesseca previously dated Taiwanese actor Wing Fan, 30, after working on the Taiwanese movie Untold Beauty. Their one-year romance fizzled in late 2008. What are her parting words to her legion of fans, who are bound to have been shocked by the news? "At this moment I can't organize my thoughts about what to tell them yet. But they're the biggest reason holding me back. They might think I'm abandoning them (at the peak of my career) but I'm not. I'm very sad too. "I'll be resting for some time but I will never really leave. If there's a good script or something simple (that doesn't take up too much time) I'll be back!" In New Beginnings, Jesseca plays a wedding gown designer beside two of her real-life closest friends, Ping Hui and Elvin. But they both received different treatments when it came to knowing the news of her departure. Jesseca confided in Ping Hui on the set because he is "more mature so telling him, he could give me advice." But Elvin, who worked with her for a full-year on dramas Kinship I and II, found out the way you and I did - from the media. The 29-year-old said, "I called her and we talked for more than an hour. I told her to give me a clear answer before I'd let her leave!" She replied, "I wouldn't specially call him and say 'I'm leaving' and ask 'You want to come with me?' (Laughs) If I could drag and hold the news [from him] I would." Elvin the heartthrob then gushed about his soulmate, "I like her for her class, easy-going nature, for being real, and staying true to who she is all this while." Ditto. I guess it is safe to say all of us are going to miss Jesseca for those qualities. New Beginnings debuts 14 Apr, 9pm on Ch 8.

Is this the end of the famed Seven Princesses of Caldecott Hill? After the departure of local starlets Fiona Xie and Dawn Yeoh, Malaysian-born actress Jesseca Liu is the latest amongst the ranks to bid adios to TV. Her contract, which actually expired last November, was extended until May this year as the filming for her upcoming drama New Beginnings got delayed. As there was insufficient time to embark on another project, the series, which airs on April 14, will be her swansong. In an interview with a magazine, the actress revealed that she started having thoughts about leaving two years ago. Ending her six-year relationship with MediaCorp will allow her to "try other things like travel, learn something new, and concentrate on her business." The 31-year-old added, "I don't like to be tied down, and I hope to do the things I like. Moreover, I can't look after my business in Malaysia from here." Jesseca, who has a three-year-old spa business in Langkawi, said that she is not ruling out returning to the gogglebox someday. She previously dated Taiwanese actor Wing Fan, 30, after starring together in the Taiwanese movie Untold Beauty, but the one-year romance fizzled in late 2008. The spilt led many to believe it was the cause of her fading from the limelight, which she confirmed. "A lot of things happened at the same time that affected my popularity. The romance did have some impact on my career." On her blog, Jesseca had poured her heart out in an entry dated March 18. She wrote, "You realize inside you there is a hint of sadness. Today you tell yourself you've done it, and can not care anymore Watch out for your every step. You're graduating here, and you ask yourself, 'Are you afraid?'" When contacted, her manager said that Jesseca is currently on holiday in Thailand, but will be back next week for the press conference of New Beginnings. The former model added in her blog that she would also visit Laos or Vietnam before travelling to India for a photoshoot.