Chapter 120: Qin Dong: What If the Gun Goes Off by Accident and the Fake Becomes Real?

Unity Lake

Wang Ou opened the apartment she shared with others; a roommate in pajamas was in the living room and, seeing Yan Li enter behind her, immediately complained.

"You bring someone home, at least give us a heads-up?"

Another roommate, eating instant noodles, came over at the sound and glanced at Yan Li, his eyes brightening slightly.

"Not bad, Xiao Ou—where'd you pick up this hot guy?"

"Don't talk nonsense."

Wang Ou opened her mouth to explain, but Yan Li cut in: "Hello, I'm Yan. A friend of Wang Ou's."

"Oh, a friend."

The roommate gave the two of them a meaningful look: "I'm Lisa, Wang Ou's roommate."

She pointed to the one in pajamas: "She's Liu Qian—you can call her Qianqian."

Yan Li exchanged polite pleasantries; Lisa was average-looking, barely meeting the standard of plain prettiness, while Liu Qian was slightly better, but too flat and too thin—he had no interest at all.

He'd originally thought someone as beautiful as Wang Ou would have gorgeous roommates; meeting them in person, he was somewhat disappointed.

But he could understand—he'd once shared an apartment with Lin Jiachuan and Zhang Songwen, and the three of them weren't even in the same league looks-wise.

Wang Ou didn't want Yan Li to chat long with the two roommates; she quickly pulled him into her bedroom.

The bedroom was small, barely enough space for a bed, a cabinet, and a little open floor area.

Fortunately, it was a double bed; though small, it at least meant Yan Li wouldn't have to leave after class late at night.

The room was slightly messy but not dirty; Yan Li hooked his pinky under a black… strip of fabric and stared at Wang Ou strangely.

She's a model, alright—daring to wear this!

Wang Ou blushed and didn't dare snatch it back, afraid Yan Li would overthink it, so she explained indirectly: "I bought this just the other day."

So it was bought for him!

Yan Li's eyes lit up, then he gave Wang Ou a slightly annoyed look—you bought it, so why not wear it? Otherwise, you just wasted your money.

Wang Ou felt slighted—she hadn't reached the right point yet; she'd planned to keep it as a secret weapon.

"Wear this to class today."

Yan Li's tone left no room for argument—he was a thrifty, sensible kid.

Buying clothes and not wearing them—Wang Ou's wasteful habit had to be corrected.

Wang Ou felt embarrassed, but under Yan Li's urging, she changed into it and obediently listened to his lecture.

"By the way."

Yan Li remembered something: "Is your bedroom soundproof?"

Wang Ou looked up: "It… doesn't seem very soundproof."

"..."

Over an hour later, Liu Qian glared irritably at Wang Ou's room.

"Fucking never ends!"

Lisa's eyes flickered: "No wonder Xiao Ou brought him home—I originally thought she was just after his looks."

After a while longer, silence finally fell; ten minutes later, the door opened and Wang Ou shuffled out, loosely wrapped in a coat, her steps unsteady.

Seeing both roommates awake, she was startled: "Why aren't you asleep?"

"You tell us."

Liu Qian rolled her eyes impatiently and stomped back to her room; Lisa crept over mischievously and teased:

"Ou'er, don't be too rough—your voice is hoarse already?"

"Go away."

Wang Ou playfully shoved her, then went to the living room to fetch a kettle and cup, and slowly returned to her room.

…

The next day, when Wang Ou was fully awake, the room held only one person.

She recalled—Yan Li had left in the morning; she'd been too exhausted, mumbled two replies, then fallen asleep again.

She pushed herself up, her body aching, touched the marks on her skin, and couldn't help but scold silently.

Hmph—no mercy at all!

At that moment, she remembered something, opened the drawer beside her, and found two stacks of red bills casually resting atop her clutter—suddenly recalling Yan Li's words from last night.

"Take this for pocket money—run out, ask me for more."

Uh…

Wang Ou decided she'd retract her earlier judgment of Yan Zong—Yan Zong wasn't heartless; he was just unbothered by small things. It was her own weakness.

And… Wang Ou's cheeks flushed.

Though she'd already witnessed Yan Li's grand theories during lessons, she hadn't expected that when Yan Laoshi truly taught, what he was really instructing was flight magic.

Holding the money, Wang Ou savored it for a long while before putting it away, wondering whether to move apartments—but then she remembered Yan Li's behavior yesterday.

Hmm—no move!

Or maybe rent a place alone, keep this one, and leave it for Yan Li to choose.

Whistling softly, Wang Ou went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, wash her hair, and shower.

Then she lay on the sofa, applying the face mask she only used for photo shoots, then thought better of it and added two more each to her body and feet.

This thigh was thick and powerful—she had to figure out how to cling to it tighter…

————

Guanghua Li

Yan Li, watching Qin Lan walk beside him and occasionally twitch her nose, pinched her delicate nose irritably.

"How about I strip naked for you to check?"

Qin Lan shook her head, pulling her nose free, and muttered softly.

"I didn't say anything."

"Good girl."

Yan Li hugged Qin Lan, kissed her twice, and soothed her softly: "Everything I do outside is just for show; the woman ranked second in my heart has always been you."

Qin Lan sat up straight, her eyebrows slightly raised: "Who's first?"

"My mom."

"Oh."

Qin Lan relaxed, leaning back against Yan Li's chest. Her man was filial—she wouldn't fight over this, and she couldn't win anyway.

Yan Li smiled at this. The woman ranked first in his heart was indeed his mother, Zhang Hong; Qin Lan ranked second—this was also true.

But he never said the second place couldn't have ties!

After coaxing her for a long while, Qin Lan finally returned to normal, though a shadow still lingered in her brow.

Yan Li stayed silent. He knew she'd been sensitive lately—not just Qin Lan, but Dong Xuan too.

It wasn't because of Wang Ou; they didn't even know such a fox spirit existed. Their worry was about Shuang Bing.

That's right—since rumors were being stirred, Yan Li had to issue a disclaimer to his family first, to prevent trouble at home.

Dong and Qin understood his explanation—that it was a necessary sacrifice for money—but that didn't mean they felt no pressure.

Li Bingbing and Fan Xiaopang were both beautiful women and top stars. Even if it was just staged gossip, what if two young people spending so much time together ended up sparking something?

If it were just a spark, Dong and Qin might actually tolerate it.

After all, Yan Li's status and wealth were undeniable—he was young and handsome, and had to attend social events often. If he occasionally gave in to temptation or sneaked a taste, as long as he wiped his lips clean, they could pretend not to notice.

Especially Dong Xuan—she'd already been through the Huang Shengyi scandal and a breakup, so she had some psychological preparation and a slightly higher tolerance.

Qin Lan's tolerance was lower than Dong Xuan's. She claimed to be prepared, but when it actually happened, she couldn't help being jealous and angry.

Yan Li always prioritized caution—he never provoked or tested their limits, never invited trouble.

So even if a spark occurred, he had to be careful.

Not to mention this rumor with Shuang Bing—it had dragged on too long, influenced by external public opinion, vague and ambiguous. What if false became real?

This was exactly what Dong and Qin truly feared!

Shuang Bing was beautiful; Yan Li's conditions were also excellent. They feared he might grow fond of Shuang Bing over time, turning the act into reality.

Faced with Shuang Bing's fame and beauty, both Dong Xuan and Qin Lan lacked confidence—even imagining in their minds the tragic scene where Shuang Bing manipulated Yan Li into throwing them out.

Seeing how panicked they were, Yan Li considered calling it quits—but Dong Xuan and Qin Lan refused.

The whole family depended on Yan Li. They couldn't help him, fine—but they couldn't drag him down over baseless suspicions either.

Letting a wolf in was risky, but this kind of operation was even riskier.

If a wolf came in, they could still fight back with old affection—Yan Li, being sentimental, would side with them, and might even, out of guilt, help drive the wolf away.

But if they became a burden, they'd quickly drain Yan Li's feelings for them.

Even if they blocked these two wolves, others would be watching, and sooner or later they'd be surrounded and replaced.

These thoughts were analyzed by Dong Xuan with her strategists—Guan Yue, Yin Xu, and others—while Qin Lan figured them out on her own.

Not only was Qin Lan wise in disguise, sharp at critical moments—she also deeply trusted Yan Li, believing he wouldn't let her down.

Thinking of this, Yan Li buried his head in Qin Lan's chest and mumbled.

"After the New Year, let's buy a house."

"Really?"

Qin Lan was surprised—she'd always wanted to buy a house, to truly settle down with Yan Li in Jingcheng.

But Yan Li had always dodged and delayed—she never expected him to suddenly agree today.

"Buy it. You pick. I pay."

Once the words were out, Yan Li no longer hesitated: "Buy a good one. Best if it's fully furnished. If not, buy a rough unit and renovate slowly. We'll live in this one—don't think about appreciation; prioritize comfort and amenities."

"Mm-hmm."

Qin Lan nodded, got up, and walked away from Yan Li to call the agent Xiao Zheng. Yan Li missed the soft girl, feeling a bit resentful, then pulled out his phone and sent Xiao Zheng a message.

【... After my wife picks a house, find me another one of the same size and quality, in the opposite direction, not too far away.】

After receiving a confirmed reply, Yan Li deleted the message, then pulled out his laptop to study that day's stock market.

Supporting two households isn't easy—I've got to earn well...

————

In late November, "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" entered its final preparation stage; both directors had already taken part of the crew to Wushi, Jiangsu Province, with official filming expected next month.

Through deliberate arrangement, certain media outlets and online forums began mentioning and discussing Shuang Bing at a steady frequency.

Currently, aside from fan bickering, the mainstream tone remained an objective comparison of their careers.

In career comparisons, Li Bingbing won without surprise; Fan Xiaopang seemed to lack equal standing.

But soon, someone proposed analyzing Shuang Bing's future potential, listing Fan Xiaopang's advantages and boldly predicting Fan Xiaopang would overtake Li Bingbing.

Li Bingbing's supporters naturally objected—can fame and career carry a loan?

But others found it reasonable. One spoke, another replied, each voicing their view—and the concept of "Shuang Bing" was quietly, subtly accepted by some.

At this point, feeling the timing was right, Yan Li arranged his first round of promotion with Li Bingbing...

————

ps: One more chapter coming before noon

(End of Chapter)