Chapter 125: Seven Fairies, Four Factions: The Seven Fairies

Yan Li and Dong Xuan had exposed their relationship in front of Huo Siyan, Wu Yue, and others, but still kept a low profile on set afterward.

These people knew the score and wouldn't gossip recklessly.

The only difference from before was that Dong Xuan had changed from a colleague to "boss's wife," and Li Lin and Huo Siyan's attitudes toward her shifted somewhat.

Especially Huo Siyan, who deliberately tried to soften relations with Dong Xuan, calling her "Sister Xuan" every day and no longer hovering near Yan Li.

Unfortunately, the impression she'd left on Dong Xuan before was truly bad.

Not pushing Yan Li to replace her was already Dong Xuan being magnanimous; expecting her and Huo Siyan to get along was pure wishful thinking.

With prejudice in her heart, Dong Xuan found everything about Huo Siyan irritating—even her flattery of calling her "Sister Xuan" felt like an insinuation that she was old.

Indeed, among the Seven Fairies, Dong Xuan was the third eldest, and in reality, she was also the third oldest of the seven actresses.

Three of the lead actresses were born in the 1970s.

The oldest was the Second Fairy, Li Bingbing, born in 1973; the Sixth Fairy, Yang Xue, was second, born in 1978; Dong Xuan, born in 1979, was third.

The remaining four were all born in the 1980s: the First Fairy, Li Lin, and the Seventh Fairy, Huo Siyan, both born in 1980, with Li Lin a few months older; the Fifth Fairy, Fan Xiaopang, was born in 1981.

The youngest was the Fourth Fairy, Jiang Xin, whose records listed 1983, though the accuracy was questionable.

Caught between the 1970s and 1980s generations, watching a group of younger actresses, some of whom still coveted Yan Li.

Dong Xuan wasn't exactly anxious or worried, but she did care a little inside.

Not just Huo Siyan—even Zhou Yi and Lin Jiachuan, in private, Dong Xuan no longer let them call her "Sister Xuan."

Lin Jiachuan, having followed Yan Li for a long time, had grown sharper and promptly led Zhou Yi to switch to calling her "Sister-in-law."

Actually, they'd called her "Sister-in-law" before too, but "Sister Xuan" had been used more often, and no one had paid much attention—whatever they wanted to call her, they called her.

But now that Yan Li had risen in status and become a hot commodity, Lin Jiachuan and the others, as Yan Li's close brothers, switching to "Sister-in-law" carried a distinctly different significance.

Dong Xuan was quite pleased and started again pitching big dreams and setting up dates for Lin Jiachuan and Zhou Yi.

Huo Siyan, after repeatedly being met with cold shoulders, realized she wasn't welcome by Dong Xuan.

She wasn't without pride; if someone disliked her, why keep forcing herself upon them?

Earlier, she'd feared Dong Xuan might sabotage her; later, seeing no signs of targeted hostility and the production not planning to replace her, Huo Siyan gradually relaxed, stopped pursuing Dong Xuan, and kept her distance with respect.

Dong and Huo's feud left Li Lin caught in the middle, torn.

Knowing both sides' positions, she didn't want to grow close to Huo Siyan and offend Dong Xuan, nor did she want to flatter Dong Xuan and isolate Huo Siyan, letting her fall further.

So Li Lin chose to take no side.

Outside of filming and rehearsals, she dealt with both professionally and had almost no private contact with either.

Three fairies, three factions.

Fortunately, most scenes now were solo, letting them gradually sink into their characters; otherwise, forced sisterly affection on-screen might have felt unnatural.

…

Time passed slowly, and as the filming of Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Xian Nü gradually settled into a routine.

2003 became the past; the new year, 2004, arrived.

Sina, NetEase, Sohu, and many media outlets began their 2003 entertainment retrospectives.

The Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Xian Nü production team still had considerable visibility among them.

For instance, among the Top Ten Entertainment Figures of 2003, Liu Xiaoqing, who had been imprisoned and released, was included.

Yan Li and Li Bingbing's gossip was also regarded by some media as one of 2003's major entertainment romances.

Also, Dong Xuan's Snow Goddess Dragon aired on Guangdong TV's year-end lineup.

Compared to its middling reception during its Chongqing TV premiere, this drama unexpectedly turned things around on Guangdong TV.

Ratings rose significantly, peaking at one point among the top three in the same time slot across all major national satellite channels.

Although several top satellite channels were preparing their New Year blockbusters and thus slightly slackened year-end efforts, making the top three in the same slot was still an excellent achievement.

More notably, Snow Goddess Dragon achieved extremely high ratings in Guangdong province, consistently ranking first in multiple regions during its run, even outperforming some Hong Kong dramas.

Capitalizing on this momentum, Yi'an Film & Television's marketing team had already rushed to Guangdong to negotiate deals with local channels and city stations.

It was a pity, however, that no other satellite channels had shown interest.

A few who were interested thought the first-run price was too high and the risk too great, planning to wait and secure second-run broadcast rights at a lower cost.

But regardless, Snow Goddess Dragon's minor breakout on Guangdong TV boosted Dong Xuan and Qiao Zhenyu's fame once again.

Dong Xuan was even included by several media outlets among the Top Ten Newcomer Actresses of 2003.

This honor carried some real weight.

Those listed alongside her included Liu Tianxian from The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Gao Yuanyuan from The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Tong Dawei and Sun Li from Jade Goddess of Mercy.

All were either newcomers or relatively unknown, then exploded into fame in 2003.

Yan Li, watching all this, felt quite envious; his roles as Wu Tian and Song Dian, even if spread across the Top Hundred Newcomers, barely stood a chance of landing him on the list.

Aside from the Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Xian Nü production, the 2003 dark horse, The Conquest, also made headlines in year-end retrospectives.

Its ratings placed it among the top ten of 2003's national satellite channel annual rankings.

It won the annual ratings championship on Hebei, Tianjin, and Chongqing TV, and third place on Beijing TV.

Its total satellite channel reruns exceeded 20, while its reruns on local and county-level channels surpassed 50.

In the DVD market, legitimate sales exceeded 100,000 copies, while pirated sales were rumored to reach millions—making it one of the best-selling TV dramas of 2003, possibly the very best.

In 2003, the film and television market flourished due to SARS, and CCTV's massive platform helped elevate several dramas.

The Conquest's figures couldn't be said to have firmly secured a spot among the Top Ten Drama Phenomena of the Year, but it was certainly a strong contender.

With The Conquest as its ace and Snow Goddess Dragon performing well, plus investments in multiple other film and television projects, Yi'an Film & Television had begun building momentum within the industry.

Yet, compared to these retrospectives, what Yan Li valued most was the annual 【Annual Intelligence Report】.

Still ten pieces of intelligence, still packed with information and value.

Including Li Bingbing and her sister leaving Huayi to start their own company, Wanda's layout of cinema chains forcing the film industry to concede profits, a 2010 rundown of popular film and television dramas, digital visual effects technology from Hong Kong's Visual Gravity, Wang Ou's personal resume up to 2020…

Although it seemed scattered, he had long learned to dig deep and analyze Yan Li's details, extracting no small amount of useful intelligence.

The intelligence about Li Bingbing and her sister's departure was mixed with hints about Hua Yi's future development and internal struggles.

For instance, he saw the names of Fan Xiaopang, Zhou Young Master, Huang Xiaoming, and works like "The Heaven and Earth No Thief," "The Wind," "Detective Dee: The Mystery of the Phantom Flame," along with Hua Yi's IPO, celebrity shareholders, and capital infusion maneuvers.

In this circle, he'd inevitably deal with Hua Yi in the future; having some preparation ahead of time was best.

The 2010 roundup of popular TV dramas and films nearly bundled every major movie and series of that year.

Though most entries were just names, with brief synopses, directors, and lead actors, it was enough for Yan Li to identify targets, activate his system's functions, and intercept relevant opportunities.

As for Wang Ou's future resume, its value wasn't particularly high.

But it did solidify Yan Li's belief in her potential for cultivation—he'd be more willing to invest resources in her later, and gained deeper insight and judgment into Wang Ou's traits and development.

Speaking of which, Yan Li was genuinely surprised: he hadn't expected that a small model he'd casually picked up would turn out to be a future star.

Besides her career history, Wang Ou's scandals and gossip were also included in the intelligence.

Yan Li remained calm; after all, this Wang Ou wasn't that "Wang Ou," and he already had a clear sense of her personality.

But when he saw the "Nightlight Script," he nearly lost his composure.

Late-night script sessions, fondness for listening to his lectures, excessive passion for acting…

Among all the annual intelligence, the one Yan Li valued most was Wanda's layout of cinema chains and that special effects technology.

Yan Li had always believed that being a producer or distributor in the film industry meant working for others—the platform and the terminal were the true "bosses."

Seeing Wanda's strategy aligned perfectly with Yan Li's own hidden thoughts.

In the coming years, the film industry's ceiling was low; investing in film production carried high risk and frequent losses. It was better to focus on cinema chains and seize the terminal market.

Commercial real estate plus movie theaters offered high asset preservation and enormous future potential.

Moreover, if he secured a foothold in the cinema market, when the film industry boomed, he could directly reap the profits and even pressure producers, strengthening industry influence and so on.

Yet while the idea of cinema chains before films was sound, cinema chain investment required far more capital than film investment, and involved far more channels to unlock.

So the cake was tempting, but not something you could just grab a slice of whenever you wanted.

As for the special effects technology of that Xiangjiang special effects company, frankly, Yan Li didn't understand it.

But it felt incredibly impressive—he suspected it was a truly standout technology.

Film productions always needed special effects; if he could secure a mature, superior special effects team or company, it would be an excellent advantage.

But this wasn't something Yan Li could just pull out—he couldn't easily explain its origin, nor was he certain of its actual level.

Most crucially, maintaining a special effects team cost money!

Because "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" had many special effects demands, Yan Li had dealt with several special effects companies.

Good heavens, it was like money flowing down a drain—expensive, with little return, barely a project every three years, business was dull, and pricing was impossible.

Set prices too high, clients fled; set them too low, equipment, staff, and miscellaneous costs might force him to pay out of pocket.

Investing in cinema chains, no matter how much money it cost, at least left you with theaters, land, or real estate—you couldn't lose too much.

Investing in a special effects company? The money burned away, possibly as if thrown into a fire.

After hesitating for a while, Yan Li sealed this intelligence—it wasn't something he could afford to think about now. He'd revisit it once he had sufficient capital.

After organizing and digesting the "annual intelligence," Yan Li reviewed his own assets.

All film, industrial, and stock investments were off-limits; after deducting housing purchases, numerous expenses, and reserving emergency funds and operational capital for the company.

Under these constraints, Yan Li could squeeze out at most eight to ten million in cash.

This amount was fine for small-scale moves, but for major actions, it barely sufficed to even step through the door.

It seemed he still had to wait for the 2005 bull market. Oh, and the European Cup this year, mentioned in the monthly intelligence, was also a chance to place a heavy bet.

Out of caution, Yan Li had always bet on football matches only lightly, for amusement.

But with cash shortages now, and this European Cup featuring a major underdog, the opportunity was rare—he wanted to break his rule and gamble once.

If he won, his capital would swell significantly, greatly benefiting company growth, other investments, and preparation for the 2005 bull market.

Yan Li's nature disliked gambling, but when faced with the table, he never lacked the courage to place a bet.

It wasn't like he'd risk everything—if he lost, he could always start over…

…

While Yan Li was processing and digesting the "annual intelligence" and beginning to make contact moves,

"Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" finally welcomed new arrivals.

In early January, Yang Xue joined first; after sensing the strange atmosphere among the fairies, she hesitated briefly, then drew closer to Dong Xuan.

Her choice wasn't surprising!

Li Lin joined the set on her own merit, confident, and simply wanted to film peacefully without getting entangled in drama.

But Yang Xue entered through Yan Li's connections, owed him favors, knew about the Li Bingbing publicity stunt, understood Dong Xuan's identity, and was also from Beijing Film Academy—same alma mater as Dong Xuan.

Emotionally, rationally, and strategically, Yang Xue would choose to align with Dong Xuan.

A few days later, Jiang Xin also chose to join Dong Xuan.

She knew little, so her choice was purely self-preservation—wherever the crowd was, she followed.

Dong, Jiang, and Yang formed a bloc; Li Lin remained neutral; Huo Siyan was subtly excluded and isolated.

At this moment, Fan Xiaopang and Liu Xiaoqing joined the set in succession.

Huo Siyan immediately clung to Liu Xiaoqing's coattails—she didn't expect Liu to fight for her, just to protect her.

In the entire "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," only Liu Xiaoqing's status could intimidate Dong Xuan's bloc, given their special identities.

With Liu Xiaoqing's caliber, Huo Siyan's petty schemes were obvious—but Liu was currently at a low point in her life, feeling somewhat sentimental.

So even though she knew Huo had ulterior motives, seeing her pitiful expression stirred a touch of compassion, and she tacitly accepted Huo's maneuvering.

Liu Xiaoqing's seniority, network, and vision were top-tier in the mainland entertainment circle.

Though she'd fallen from grace, she was still a tiger that didn't collapse even in death—Yan Li, a newcomer, was hardly worth her notice, let alone Dong Xuan.

But Fan Xiaopang wasn't as domineering as Liu Xiaoqing; after observing the situation for a moment, she chose to team up with Li Lin.

She didn't want to offend Dong Xuan, and she couldn't bring herself to play the role of a little follower beside Dong, so she clung to Li Lin, her main principle being "if you don't mess with me, I won't mess with you."

One Wang Mu plus six fairies, seven people in total, split into three factions, and within each faction everyone had their own scheming thoughts.

Yan Li is now extremely curious to see what choice Li Bingbing will make once she joins the cast.

She doesn't get along with Fan Xiaopang, and they even need to hype up their rivalry, so she definitely won't join that side.

Dong Xuan's seniority and fame don't even command Fan Xiaopang's respect, let alone Li Bingbing, who is older and even more popular.

Playing along with Liu Xiaoqing isn't her style, and she likewise has no need to offend Dong Xuan.

Therefore, after analyzing Li Bingbing's personality, Yan Li felt she might very well form her own independent faction.

As the most popular of the Seven Fairies, aside from Fan Xiaopang's need for publicity, probably no one dares to recruit her—she has the confidence to go it alone.

Tsk, seven fairies, four camps.

Yan Li even wants to rewrite the script and change the title — "Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Xian Nu" becomes "Scheming Seven Fairies"………

(End of chapter)