Chapter 11: The Flavor That Makes Your Face Burn and Heart Race

"I'm not angry."

Qin Lan forced a smile: "I haven't even congratulated you yet—on having such a beautiful, fair-skinned ex-girlfriend."

She emphasized 【fair】 and 【ex-girlfriend】, but Yan Li said nothing, only glanced at the full table of dishes and sighed.

"If you don't want to pay, let me go back and get some cash—I didn't bring any on me."

Qin Lan, who had been holding her breath, couldn't help laughing and rolled her eyes at him: "Relax, I'm not that petty."

"Hmph, your credibility with me isn't very high right now."

A few sentences diffused the earlier awkwardness, mostly because Qin Lan realized she was in the wrong.

You chased him for an opinion, got it, and then got mad—how could that be right?

A little moodiness between romantic partners is fine, but you and Yan Li are just newly acquainted friends.

The girl was straightforward: she poured herself a large glass of beer and gulped it down in one go: "It's my fault—I apologize to you."

Hearing this, Yan Li regarded Qin Lan with new respect.

Many women throw tantrums with men, but few can recognize their own fault and willingly admit it—this girl was genuinely sincere.

Yan Li had a shoot in the afternoon and couldn't drink, so he toasted with tea instead.

Neither of them was petty; the minor hiccup didn't affect their relationship, and the meal remained warm and harmonious.

After the meal, when paying the bill, Yan Li noticed Qin Lan's cheeks were faintly flushed from the alcohol, and he felt uneasy.

"Let me walk you back."

Qin Lan waved her hand: "No need—I just blush when I drink, I'm not drunk."

"It's fine, I'm heading back to the set anyway."

Yan Li and Qin Lan returned together to her hotel; "The Return of the Huanzhu Gege Fragrant 3" was a massive production, far superior to Yan Li's modest lodging.

"Alright, go on back—I'm leaving."

Near the hotel entrance, as Yan Li was about to wave goodbye, Qin Lan suddenly grabbed him and leaned into his arms, leaving him utterly stunned.

Had the wind on the way made the alcohol hit her? Why was she suddenly throwing herself at him?

"Everyone from our crew—block them from seeing."

Only then did Yan Li understand—she'd run into crew members.

But why hide? They weren't doing anything shameful—running into classmates or friends on the set was normal.

Unless they were enemies?

Yan Li quickly glanced: three women, two men; one or two looked vaguely familiar.

No time to think further—since Qin Lan asked for help, Yan Li couldn't refuse.

Yan Li was already tall and muscular; wearing a slightly loose historical costume, he sidestepped and firmly enclosed Qin Lan in his arms, his wide sleeves covering her face and body completely.

Any bystanders would assume it was just another pair of actors flirting—common enough on the Hengdian set.

Yan Li lowered his head, pretending to be affectionate, but kept his eyes fixed on the group, ensuring Qin Lan wouldn't be spotted.

But Qin Lan, nestled in his arms, had stopped paying attention to them entirely.

It was June; Hengdian wasn't scorching, but it wasn't cool either. Before filming, Yan Li had removed his armor and outer layers, leaving only a thin inner lining.

The thin fabric allowed Qin Lan to directly feel the hardness and slight elasticity of his chest, abdomen, and arms—warm, almost hot.

Besides, his long-sleeved costume wasn't breathable; after walking this far, he'd naturally sweated.

His sweat carried a faint trace of smoke—not pleasant, yet for some reason, Qin Lan didn't mind; she even liked it a little.

Had her nose broken? Or her brain?

Qin Lan scolded herself inwardly, then suddenly felt his arms loosen—he stepped back two paces, releasing her from his embrace.

"They're gone. They didn't notice."

Qin Lan glanced at the space where his arms had been, a faint sense of loss rising, then tidied her hair and explained: "One of them was chasing me—I was afraid he'd see you and cause trouble."

"Just now someone tried to chase me; I was afraid he'd see you and cause trouble."

Yan Li understood—no wonder she hid. This situation could easily be misunderstood.

Yan Li suddenly understood—no wonder Qin Lan was hiding; this situation was easy to misunderstand.

Qin Lan shook her head rapidly, fearing he'd misinterpret, and quickly clarified: "He chased me, but I refused. If he saw us together, I'm afraid he'd make a scene—everyone here is from the crew, and I'm new. Better to avoid trouble."

Qin Lan's words were a bit jumbled, but Yan Li understood—and instantly bristled: "What a scumbag—pursuing a girl who said no."

Yan Li despised such people. Chasing someone wasn't wrong, but it had to be mutual. If the girl refused, relentless harassment was just pathetic.

"Need help? I'll step in and warn him."

Yan Li rolled up his sleeves—he wasn't one to meddle, but Qin Lan was his friend; he couldn't let her be bullied.

"Want me to help? If not, I'll step in and warn him."

Qin Lan quickly stopped him. The man was annoying, but not deserving of this—and he had some status. She'd just avoid him; no need to drag Yan Li into it.

After several inquiries and confirming the matter wasn't serious, Yan Li reluctantly gave up—but insisted:

"If anything happens, call me. I've got a way to handle him—without legal trouble or implicating you."

Qin Lan's heart warmed, but she still gently persuaded him to leave, waving goodbye.

Watching Yan Li's figure fade into the distance, Qin Lan, on impulse, lifted the arm that had pressed against him and sniffed it. When her mind caught up, her face burned crimson, her heart pounding.

"Pathetic—you're such a love-struck fool."

She slapped her cheeks, forcing herself to snap out of it. Only when the heat in her cheeks faded did she step into the hotel.

But as she reached her room on the upper floor, her involuntarily smiling lips vanished.

Standing outside her door was a handsome bald man—her pursuer, Huang Xiaoming, who played Xiao Jian in "The Return of the Huanzhu Gege Fragrant 3."

As she reached the vicinity of her room, Qin Lan's unconsciously smiling lips vanished immediately.

At the door of Qin Lan's room stood a handsome man with a shaved head—it was her suitor, Huang Xiaoming, who portrayed Xiao Jian in The Return of the Pearl Huanzhu Gege 3.

Seeing Qin Lan, Huang Xiaoming flashed a bright smile and lifted the packed lunch box in his hand.

"Just now, Huang Yi and the others were organizing a gathering and wanted to invite you, but you weren't in your room, so I brought you some."

In the past, when faced with such situations, Qin Lan—who disliked cutting things off too sharply and causing tension among colleagues—always found ways to gently turn down Huang Xiaoming; if she could not refuse outright, she would later find a way to make it up to him.

Perhaps precisely because of Qin Lan's hesitant, ambiguous demeanor, her self-perceived compensation was interpreted by Huang Xiaoming as ambiguous flirtation, making him even more persistent.

Thinking of this, Qin Lan hardened her heart, her expression turning cold and her tone firm.

"No need. I'm not hungry, and please don't bring me anything again—it might be misunderstood by others."

Without waiting for his reply, Qin Lan opened the door, slipped inside, and shut him out.

Huang Xiaoming was momentarily bewildered, unsure what had happened; he rubbed his forehead, then a sudden thought struck him.

Could it be that someone said something to Qin Lan about me, and she got jealous and threw a tantrum?

So Huang Xiaoming began explaining loudly through the door, but Qin Lan inside no longer wanted to listen to him.

So, it couldn't all be blamed on her for not refusing firmly enough.

It was simply that this man always loved to jump to wild conclusions, talk to himself, and twist everything she said back to suit his own assumptions, wrapped in an inexplicable confidence.

Putting on her headphones to block out the noise outside, Qin Lan's thoughts shifted, and she brought over the mirror to examine herself.

Her slender fingers traced her cheek; her beautiful eyes flickered, then she muttered softly.

"Not very fair-skinned…"

(End of Chapter)