Chapter 127

"Cough… cough…"

Sister Lü stood at the junction of the living room and entrance, watching the two nibble for nearly two minutes.

Only when she saw Seeing Yan Li's hand instinctively slipping into Qin Lan's clothes did she finally cough out loud.

Seeing Yan Li jumped in surprise—where did this older sister come from?!

Qin Lan also snapped back to reality, her face flushing crimson; she'd been so thrilled to see Seeing Yan Li suddenly home that she'd forgotten her agent was still there.

She licked her slightly reddened lips, then pulled Seeing Yan Li forward to introduce them.

"Sister Lü Wen, also my agent—she's been managing me for over a year."

"Sister Lü, this is Seeing Yan Li, my… boyfriend."

Qin Lan had previously denied dating anyone, then half-admitted it—but never revealed who the man was. Now that they'd been caught kissing, there was no point hiding it anymore.

"Sister Lü, I've often heard Qin Lan speak of you—thank you for taking care of her."

Seeing Yan Li stepped forward to shake hands and exchange pleasantries; he'd indeed heard Qin Lan mention her agent and had already checked the woman's background via the system.

To put it simply, she was a standard-issue agent—mediocre in every skill, the only thing worth praising being her kindness toward her artists.

Especially toward Qin Lan—perhaps because they were both from Northeast China and Qin Lan's personality suited her—Sister Lü had gone out of her way to help her, which was why Seeing Yan Li held her in high regard.

"No need for formalities—it's my duty."

Sister Lü glanced at Seeing Yan Li a few times, feeling his name sounded familiar, and his face seemed recognizable too.

"Are you also an actor?"

"Sort of—I mainly handle behind-the-scenes work."

Qin Lan feared Sister Lü might misunderstand the situation, perhaps trying to test or belittle Seeing Yan Li and cause a scene, so she quickly whispered a few reminders into Sister Lü's ear.

"So it's him!"

With Qin Lan's prompting, Sister Lü finally placed Seeing Yan Li—her gaze toward Qin Lan grew unusually complex.

She now understood why Qin Lan kept rejecting roles, so unconcerned about lacking resources or money.

She'd assumed Qin Lan was just a lovesick fool, tricked by some little man.

Turns out she'd hooked a gold-digger, quietly clinging to a powerful man.

But a man with millions in assets, running a film company, and embroiled in rumors with a top female star—could Qin Lan really hold onto him?

Sister Lü felt how hard her job as an agent was!

Her female artist finds a man who's poor and awful—she fears he'll cheat and break her heart; finds one who's rich and great—she fears he'll dump her and leave her heartbroken.

Sister Lü's emotions were tangled, but Seeing Yan Li didn't overthink it; learning she'd come to offer Qin Lan a script, he naturally joined the discussion as family and firmly stood by Qin Lan's side.

"Sister Lü, Qin Lan's refusal to take this role isn't without reason—it risks typecasting her, harming her future development."

Qin Lan had said the same thing earlier, but Sister Lü had dismissed it.

But coming from Seeing Yan Li, Sister Lü immediately agreed: "Director Yan's considerations are thorough—we'll review this again when we get back."

Qin Lan: "..."

Still, watching her man stand up for her, she felt delightfully pleased.

So handsome!

Sister Lü agreed readily, but soon subtly hinted at reality.

Seeing Yan Li's logic was sound, but the company's resources were limited; Qin Lan should seize the moment while "Huan Zhu Huanzhu Gege 3" is hot, and take any roles offered to gain exposure and build her name.

Once she misses this growth phase, her career path may broaden—but if she can't land roles, what good is it?

You must grow first before you can worry about long-term development!

This was also Sister Lü's subtle hint to Seeing Yan Li: since our company's resources aren't good enough for you, and you're doing so well yourself, why not lift your girlfriend up?

Seeing Yan Li understood Sister Lü's implication and smiled faintly: "To be honest, I've been helping Qin Lan contact production teams—I've already made some progress."

This wasn't empty flattery to dazzle Qin Lan and Sister Lü!

The forced cancellation of Qin Lan from "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" had left a small thorn in Seeing Yan Li's heart, so he'd been using his resources to find her roles.

As previously mentioned, with Seeing Yan Li's current status and connections, a few favors and personal debts could easily secure Qin Lan a role.

He couldn't guarantee a lead role, but landing a main supporting part was quite possible.

Yet the production teams that courted Seeing Yan Li—or sought to flatter him—varied wildly in scale and quality; most were low-budget, ordinary crews, even uncertain of broadcast rights, hardly different from what Qin Lan's company offered.

Aside from earning a bit of pay and gaining minor recognition, they held little artistic value.

So Seeing Yan Li looked down on them—he wanted Qin Lan in a strong project, preferably one certified by Monthly Intelligence as a future hit.

But such projects were rare and hard to come by; they might not even bother with Seeing Yan Li, whose influence was still limited.

After searching for a long time and leveraging his connections to open doors, he finally found a production team he personally approved of and that suited Qin Lan.

"The Great Song Inspector"

A suspenseful historical drama produced by CCTV, featuring many seasoned actors and an excellent behind-the-scenes team, and certified by Monthly Intelligence as a 【Classic】.

If it were just a main supporting role, Seeing Yan Li would have already pushed Qin Lan into it—but he was aiming for the female lead, which was far more difficult.

He held back, waiting for "Huan Zhu Huanzhu Gege 3" to air, to gain more leverage.

Seeing Yan Li was cautious and cared about his image in front of his woman.

Since the matter wasn't fully settled and many variables remained, he hadn't told Qin Lan, to avoid upsetting her if it fell through.

But now that the agent had shown up, he couldn't hide it anymore—and he might as well see if Qin Lan's company could lend a hand.

After all, it was a subsidiary of Hunan TV—though it had little contact with CCTV, it could still find a few people to pass along a message.

Female lead in a CCTV historical drama!

Sister Lü stared at Seeing Yan Li in shock; she knew he had some ability, but he was still young and had only recently risen—she'd assumed he'd say his next drama would feature Qin Lan, never expecting him to go this big.

"Fine, I'll fully cooperate."

Sister Lü, as if fearing Seeing Yan Li might change his mind, immediately sealed the deal.

After finishing, Lü Jie couldn't resist glancing at Qin Lan, her eyes filled with approval.

She really hit the jackpot!

If she could truly secure this resource, even if Seeing Yan Li later dumped Qin Lan, it wouldn't be a loss.

Qin Lan saw Lü Jie's gaze and assumed it was praise for the man she'd found—reliable and tender toward her. She affectionately and proudly linked her arm through Seeing Yan Li's, silently showing off.

Lü Jie: "..."

Let her be naive. Someone like Seeing Yan Li, who rose from nothing and was shrewd to the core, probably preferred someone simple-minded...

Lü Jie didn't want to meddle, nor did she have much ability to meddle in Qin Lan and Seeing Yan Li's affairs.

If Seeing Yan Li refused to spend a single cent and lived off her for free, she might have warned Qin Lan.

But he was willing to provide resources—his rented apartment was spacious and well-equipped, and he clearly didn't skimp on money. Since both parties were willing, it wasn't her place as an agent to worry.

In fact, Lü Jie even hoped Qin Lan and Seeing Yan Li's relationship would burn even hotter.

While their feelings were deep, she could extract more benefits from Seeing Yan Li—and she'd get some of the glow by association.

Thinking of this, Lü Jie kindly said she had dinner plans with a friend and had to leave early, they'd talk again next time.

Qin Lan saw her to the door, shut it firmly, then flung herself into Seeing Yan Li's arms.

"Why did you suddenly come back?"

"I heard you got scolded and were in a bad mood. I came to keep you company."

Seeing Yan Li held Qin Lan and unabashedly boasted: "Aren't I good?"

"You are!"

Qin Lan's beautiful eyes turned red; she tilted her head and kissed him.

Learning that Seeing Yan Li had come all the way from Jiangsu Province back to Beijing just for her, gratitude and joy flooded Qin Lan's heart; the gloom that had lingered for days instantly lifted by half, and she suddenly felt grounded.

"Don't you feel better now?"

Seeing Yan Li asked gently. Qin Lan nodded. Just as she was about to recount her emotional journey, he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"Making you even more comfortable."

(End of Chapter)