Chapter 114: Daily Life Back in Beijing and the Model Who Clung to Him

The bonfire had burned out, leaving only residual warmth.

Qin Lan, unable to endure the whipping, had fallen asleep; Yan Li had slept a lot on the way back, so he wasn't tired, and took the opportunity to read the script left by Ma Yili.

The Migrant Workers' Survival

Originally, Yan Li had just been killing time, but as he read on, his attitude grew serious.

What a great script!

Yan Li realized he'd underestimated this drama—he'd assumed it was just some clichéd story about a lone migrant worker struggling to survive, eventually settling in the city or returning home in defeat.

In fact, it was an ensemble piece, focusing on the entire migrant worker population, with the central plot revolving around demanding unpaid wages and surviving harshly in the city.

The characters were vivid, the plot relatively authentic; though some elements felt deliberately contrived, they served to ensure viewer engagement and dramatic conflict.

It didn't preach any main-theme ideologies or grand moral lessons, nor did it include any audience-favorite lucky-break tropes for the protagonist—only two naked words echoing the title: Living.

"What a great drama."

Yan Li couldn't help praising it again; as a classically trained actor and newly appointed producer, he'd read countless scripts and had a solid eye for quality.

Of course, a good script doesn't guarantee a good drama—it still depends on the director, actors, crew, and other combined factors.

But Director Guan Hu had notable works to his name, and the several actors tentatively invited were all powerhouses; Yan Li felt the chances of it turning out well were still quite high.

Should he invest?

Yan Li hesitated—he thought highly of the drama's quality, but its prospects, especially commercial prospects, remained as pessimistic as before, even more so.

Some plot elements were too sensitive, and the overall tone wasn't particularly appealing.

To put it bluntly, migrant workers and rural families might not even want to watch this kind of drama; children and the elderly certainly wouldn't. The real audience would be urban residents and the petite bourgeoisie—and only a portion of them.

This led to low acquisition interest from TV stations and unlikely strong ratings.

Yan Li put himself in the distributor's shoes—even with the system's help, he wouldn't dare guarantee he could sell this drama to a national satellite channel.

Of course, this genre required minimal investment; Yan Li estimated 5 to 8 million yuan would suffice.

Even if it couldn't land on a satellite channel, it could still make money through local stations and the DVD market—enough to break even.

Yan Li himself prioritized profit over artistic pursuit, but from a film company's perspective, you couldn't invest only in commercial projects—you needed some critically acclaimed works to elevate the company's image.

A stronger company image could attract talent, secure policy benefits and subsidies, and gain public recognition and approval—all hidden advantages.

These advantages themselves didn't make much money, but they helped the company earn more.

Otherwise, why would those Hollywood companies keep pouring money into art films every year? Film and television are cultural industries—you can't just crunch economic numbers.

Yan Li hadn't invested a single cent in Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Nüxian; he'd invested 5 million in Shen Tan Di Renjie—he still had plenty of capital on hand.

These funds weren't enough for big projects, so he could only pick smaller ones to invest in.

Yan Li pondered, deciding to look into the project further—if it had potential, he'd give it a try.

If handled well, he might not even have to pay out of pocket—he still had a backer.

Boss Jin had even funded the Pioneer Theater troupe; this slightly artistic TV drama might just suit his taste.

Yan Li glanced again at the script—there were several female roles. He'd heard Boss Jin had recently been seeing a dancer closely—this could help push things further for her.

…

In the morning, Yan Li, still not fully cooled down from yesterday, dragged Qin Lan through two sets of health exercises.

After the exercises, Qin Lan went to brush her teeth, wash her face, and soak her feet; Yan Li called Boss Jin to arrange a meeting within the next couple of days.

Then, while boiling noodles for breakfast, he reviewed his work since returning to Beijing.

Casting for Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Nüxian was nearly finalized—if no suitable actor could be found for Dong Yong, using a young or new actor wouldn't be out of the question.

Xue Hua Nü Shen Long was about to air on satellite TV; Yan Li needed to research which second satellite channel to choose.

As for Zheng Fu, all the satellite channels that had aired it had done so over three months—or even half a year—ago; the second-run broadcast rights could now be negotiated. With the New Year just two months away, every extra yuan counted.

As he was thinking, Qin Lan finished her morning routine, watched him cook noodles, and, moved, planted a kiss on him.

"Thank you, husband."

Yan Li turned his head away: "Just say thanks—no kissing."

Qin Lan froze, then snapped back, spitting at him: "You didn't mind the dirt when you were ravishing me—now you're pretending to be clean?"

Saying that, she ignored his attempts to dodge, tiptoed, wrapped her arms around his head, and kissed him fiercely, mumbling:

"Mmm… is this how you taught me?"

Yan Li sighed helplessly—what did he expect, after all? He endured Qin Lan's teasing for a while before escaping, claiming the noodles were about to turn to mush.

Qin Lan was still annoyed, pinching his waist lightly: "Next time I won't brush my teeth before kissing you."

Yan Li: "..."

Each had a bowl of noodles, plus the small side dishes Yan Li had prepared earlier; after a few soothing words, Qin Lan reluctantly forgave him, still a little proud and pouty.

Yan Li's eyes flickered—this little vixen had gotten too spoiled; he'd been too gentle just now—he'd make her "cry" later.

After eating, Yan Li wanted to take Qin Lan out for a stroll, to shop around, but she complained of sore legs and aching back, refused to move, and pulled him home to watch DVDs.

Don't misunderstand—it wasn't that kind of DVD; Qin Lan dared not provoke Yan Li, so it was one of those film and TV DVDs—

The Ju Bao Pen

Yan Li stared at his own face in the corner of the cover, surprised: "This drama's DVD sold here?"

The Ju Bao Pen had premiered mid-year and was still airing on local channels.

Yan Li had asked Cheng Lidong—the ratings were decent but unremarkable, so satellite broadcast would have to wait.

This was standard procedure for many TV dramas with solid local ratings: not bad enough to be dumped in storage, but not good enough for satellite broadcast—so they just waited in line.

If the chance came, it would air on satellite, recoup costs or even turn a profit, and the drama and actors would gain visibility and fame.

If it didn't, it would keep looping on local channels, and after two years, when no one watched anymore, it would be tossed into storage to gather dust.

As far as Yan Li knew, waiting a year or two was normal; some waited three to five years.

Longer waits might exist, but Yan Li had never heard of them—after all, there weren't nearly as many satellite channels back then.

Even the concept of "uplinking" only became popular in recent years; previously, TV dramas were sold individually to local stations, with one province per market, and only CCTV and a handful of satellite channels covered the entire country.

This caused some established distribution companies and teams to lag behind in thinking and strategy.

They sought ease and convenience, focusing only on local channels while ignoring or being powerless against the larger, more profitable uplink satellite platforms.

If not for being too busy with no time, and since "The Ju Bao Pen" had already circulated on local channels and sold DVDs with limited profit, Yan Li truly wanted to take over the distribution rights of this drama to show Cheng Lidong.

Is uplinking really that hard?!

Yan Li asked Qin Lan how the DVD set was selling; Qin Lan shook her head.

"So-so. This drama didn't air in Jingcheng, so few people know about it. Plus, besides me, only a few bought it—all because of Zhang Weijian."

Zhang Weijian's influence isn't something to joke about; he has many fans. Even those who'd never heard of the drama bought it just for his picture on the cover.

"Play it."

Yan Li rubbed his hands; among the several dramas he'd shot, he'd only watched "Conquest."

Although "The Ju Bao Pen" and "Heroes of Sui and Tang" had both aired, he guessed he'd just been unlucky—he'd never seen them on TV, and he was genuinely curious about his own performance.

Qin Lan turned on the TV and DVD player; the first thing on screen wasn't the drama, but a video of Zhang Weijian holding a "The Ju Bao Pen" DVD, promoting anti-piracy.

"Combating piracy is everyone's responsibility…"

Yan Li looked at Qin Lan: "How much did you pay for this DVD?"

Qin Lan held up one finger: "Three discs, total ten yuan."

"Pirated."

Yan Li laughed and groaned; a legitimate TV drama DVD normally consisted of several discs and rarely cost less than twenty yuan. Those with only one or a few discs at low prices were almost certainly pirated.

But this pirated disc even included the production team's anti-piracy video—how brazen.

Qin Lan didn't care whether it was pirated or legitimate; she snuggled into Yan Li's arms to watch the drama.

She wanted to save it to watch with Yan Li, so she'd held off until now, finally able to see it.

The first episode introduced Shen Wansan, a poor boy seeking wealth to marry a wife—Yan Li didn't appear.

Qin Lan watched Zhang Weijian's signature exaggerated gestures and rapid-fire lines with little interest, then looked up at Yan Li.

"When do you show up?"

"Probably at the end of the first episode, or the second."

Although the script marked scenes by episode, after filming and editing, Yan Li wasn't sure if the final product matched the script.

Qin Lan then continued watching patiently; since Yan Li wasn't on screen, she had no interest in Zhang Weijian and turned her attention to Fan Xiaopang.

"Is she the female lead?"

"Second female lead. The lead is Zhang Ting, the little girl from 'Love Across Time.'"

"Oh."

Qin Lan looked at Fan Xiaopang: "What a pity—she's really pretty. Are you close to her?"

Yan Li thought for a moment and gave an accurate assessment: "Fine."

Qin Lan immediately perked up: "What's she like?"

Yan Li told the truth: "Average."

"Average? I think she's cheerful, pretty, and fair-skinned."

Yan Li paused—those last words carried hidden meaning.

He didn't take the bait; instead, he asked: "Have you met her?"

"She came to our station for a show—we ran into each other once."

Qin Lan was signed to a subsidiary of Hunan TV, so she occasionally received assignments from Hunan TV.

Fan Xiaopang rose to fame through "Huanzhu Gege"; in her early years, she knew many people at Hunan TV. Although she later broke with Qiong Yao, that was their private feud—it didn't mean she was blacklisted by Hunan TV.

Qin Lan wasn't easily distracted; she pressed: "Go on. She's fair and pretty—haven't you thought of anything?"

"Even if I had thoughts, she wouldn't look at me. Back then, I was just a minor actor—only someone as foolish as you would stick with me."

"You're the fool."

Qin Lan slapped him, then hugged Yan Li happily, nuzzling him.

"I have sharp eyes—I picked up a treasure."

Yan Li said nothing, tightening his arm around Qin Lan. She smiled faintly, then tilted her head and kissed him.

In the second episode, Yan Li finally appeared—he competed with Shen Wansan and Su Bancheng for a woman, lost, and left angrily.

Qin Lan was disappointed: "That's it?"

Yan Li nodded: "He appears later too—basically the same pattern: causing trouble for the protagonist, getting defeated by him, then jumping into the river to kill himself."

Qin Lan counted on her fingers: "Yu Wen Chengdu, this Song Dian, and Wu Tian from 'Conquest'—that's three villains already."

"Four. The one I shot in Yunnan, 'Fortune Blesses Zhu Bajie,' was also a villain."

"You've become a villain specialist."

Qin Lan chuckled: "Looks like directors finally see your true nature—you're a bad guy."

Yan Li remained calm: "Then why do you call me 'good husband' and 'good brother' so enthusiastically?"

Qin Lan blushed: "You're evil—so evil you're oozing pus."

"All oozed to you."

Qin Lan: "…"

They played and teased, watching the drama at home all morning. In the afternoon, Yan Li went to work; Qin Lan stayed home, resting and conserving energy for the next battle.

Yan Li had originally planned to use work as an excuse to visit Dong Xuan.

But once outside, he chose to go to the company instead.

No choice—Qin Lan had been too enthusiastic yesterday, leaving several bite and suck marks on his chest.

Yan Li pondered for half an hour but couldn't explain why there were mosquitoes in October, so he decided to delay it by a day or two.

Since the company was too close to North Film, and he thought the BMW would be too conspicuous, Yan Li took a taxi instead of driving.

As they passed near the North Film Studio, he suddenly saw a woman and a man tugging at each other by the roadside; Yan Li glanced over and told the driver to pull over.

"Miss Wang, our company offers excellent benefits. Sign with us, and we guarantee to make you a star within three years."

Wang Ou grew impatient, sidestepping away: "Sorry, I'm not interested in your company."

"Hey, Miss Wang, don't go yet…"

The bespectacled man in the suit reached out to grab her, but his arm was seized; Yan Li stepped between them and glanced at Wang Ou, whose expression was slightly panicked.

"What's going on?"

Wang Ou saw Yan Li and immediately brightened, hiding behind him: "Mr. Yan, I don't want to sign with them—they won't leave me alone!"

The suit-wearing man looked at Yan Li's muscular build and sharp attire, stepped back half a pace: "Mr., we're talent scouts from XX Company…"

Yan Li didn't want to hear his nonsense; he waved his hand: "Can't you see she doesn't want to talk to you? Go away."

The suit-wearing man still hesitated; Yan Li clenched his fist and waved it in front of his face: "I've got a bad temper. Don't push your luck. Say it again—I'm telling you to get lost."

Yan Li wasn't a violent man, but often, this kind of dominance and threat of force was far more effective than wasting breath.

True enough, the suit-wearing man was a bully who cowered before strength; he didn't even hurl a threat, slinking off in shame.

Wang Ou looked deeply grateful: "Thank you, Mr. Yan. If it weren't for you today, I'd be in trouble."

"It's not that big a deal. If you'd just pulled out your phone and said you'd call the police, he'd have backed off."

Yan Li didn't seek credit; he asked Wang Ou why she hadn't signed with the suit-wearing man's company.

He had some memory of the young model before him.

While others auditioning for Huan Tian Xi Di begged for roles, she didn't care about the role—she only wanted to sign with a company, aiming for early-stage development.

Many people blocked Yan Li's path or got his work number and sent him text messages to greet him.

But if Yan Li didn't respond, after a long time of kissing cold feet, they gradually gave up.

Wang Ou had blocked him twice before; though her texts grew less frequent after no reply, she still sent one or two messages per week—she was the one who persisted the longest among those who didn't land a role.

"That agency of his is just a front—no resources at all. They just send girls out to drink and smile for clients. A friend of mine got scammed, so I know."

Yan Li understood. There were still many such fly-by-night agencies pretending to be talent agencies.

They'd spot a pretty girl and claim to be talent scouts, tricking her into signing, promising to make her a big star.

But after signing, they'd assign her minor roles or ads, then package her up and start sending her out to drink and entertain clients.

If she refused, she could terminate the contract—but she'd have to pay tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, in breach fees.

Wang Ou, a young model from out of town, pretty but with no connections, had probably encountered many such companies.

Earlier, she'd desperately wanted to sign with Yi'an Film because Yi'an actually produced films, clearly superior to those fly-by-night agencies.

It's hard being a freelance model. Having a company means stable work and a backer, sparing you the misery of eating one day and starving the next.

Wang Ou was lucky to make it to the second round, so she seemed different from those whose only goal was landing a role.

If Yan Li had held open auditions from the start, there would've been no shortage of models and newcomers eager to sign with Yi'an—he might've received several times as many hotel keys and sexy photo shoots.

Unless you're in that position, you won't realize how many beautiful women are desperate to rise—and how far they'll go…

"Mr. Yan, I owe you so much today. Please do me the honor of letting me treat you to dinner—I want to properly thank you."

Yan Li didn't take the incident seriously; after learning the situation, he was ready to leave, but Wang Ou insisted on showing gratitude, as if she owed him a massive favor.

Looking at Wang Ou's earnest invitation, especially her gentle, beautiful face and long, straight legs, Yan Li felt her sincerity and hesitated.

"I have things to do back at the company."

"That's fine. I can wait for you."

Sensing Yan Li's attitude softening, Wang Ou picked up her bag, clearly ready to follow his lead.

"Alright then."

Yan Li glanced at her: "Come back to the company with me first."

Huang Shengyi wasn't around; Qin Lan and Dong Xuan were too inexperienced, and he didn't want to burden them—finding a temporary replacement he found appealing wasn't out of the question.

But he still needed to feel her out—offering resources or money was fine, but he didn't want her to harbor other intentions.

Things were different now. With his status higher, many truly had designs on him; Yan Li didn't want to invite trouble…

(End of Chapter)