Chapter 140: The Seven Fairy Maidens vs. the Liu Sisters: Lady Shangguan Hai Tang

"... hief Cai, I played around with the game and found it's actually pretty good. Once my crew wraps up these few days, I'll come find you in Hengdian or Shanghai for a detailed chat."

After hanging up the phone, Yan Li silently calculated his available funds and how much equity Tangren might be willing to give up.

He waited two full days before making this call, just to gauge the true standing of "The Legend of Sword and Fairy."

Earlier, Cai Yinong had claimed the drama had a 20-million-yuan budget; Yan Li thought she was bluffing.

But after checking through the system, he found there was indeed some inflation—but not nearly as much as he'd feared.

Although "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" heavily relied on newcomers to keep actor salaries low, Tangren poured significant funds into costumes, makeup, sets, scenery, and special effects, plus spent more on licensing rights.

Precisely because of the heavy financial pressure, Cai Yinong was open to sharing the risk; otherwise, it'd be nearly impossible to carve out a slice of Tangren's pie.

Yan Li wanted to negotiate a lower price, but feared pushing Cai Yinong too hard.

Cai Yinong herself was actually hesitant about this deal—just a slight nudge might seal it, but push too hard and she might grit her teeth and go it alone.

After all, Tangren had dared to invest so heavily in the first place, so they'd already mentally prepared for it and weren't desperate for partners.

Yan Li decided to play it safe—he wasn't short on funds, so there was no need to take risks.

Moreover, "The Seven Fairy Maidens' Joyful Days" had already begun its distribution process; if a sudden breakthrough could be achieved and the contract shown to those major investors, he could instantly secure another round of funding.

Invest 6 to 8 million, secure 30 to 40 percent equity—the investors provide the cash, he runs the project, and they split the equity evenly.

Yan Li had once considered a 3-7 split—investors get 3, he gets 7—but later realized his distribution role could still earn him extra profits, and too low an equity share might dampen investor enthusiasm.

In future projects, he still needed them to chip in cash and introduce other investors; he had to give them some sweet taste first.

Avoid greed—win together!

After running all the numbers, Yan Li felt there was no issue—except one small regret.

He'd learned about this drama too late; otherwise, he could've slipped in a role or two. If it could launch Hu Ge to stardom, surely other roles would attract some attention too.

…

On April 4, the day before Qingming Festival, the "The First Heavenly One" crew kicked off filming at Wu City Film Studio.

The crew deliberately built momentum, summoning all lead actors to attend the launch ceremony in full costume, drawing heavy media coverage.

Hearing the commotion, the "The Seven Fairy Maidens' Joyful Days" crew also grew restless and planned to go watch the spectacle.

For instance, Fan Xiaopang and Yang Xue had reportedly been recommended by Wang Jing to join another Gu Long drama helmed by Wang Jing—now was a perfect chance to observe the set atmosphere.

Hu Siyan stepped forward willingly, taking full charge.

She'd previously filmed "The Young Emperor" with Deng Chao from "The First Heavenly One" and knew him well enough to bring everyone in under the guise of a visit.

"No need."

Li Bing bared a dismissive glance at Hu Siyan: "I know Director Wang and Li Yapeng—just come with me directly."

That's the advantage of being famous in the entertainment industry—others must twist and turn to get into a set, but Li Bing's face alone was his credential.

Fan Xiaopang smirked: Showing off, huh? Like anyone can't get in. We're being humble.

Today's afternoon shoot focused on male actors, so all seven fairy maidens happened to be free.

Led by Li Bing, the others joined in; Hu Siyan sulked for a while, then finally followed.

The seven fairy maidens acting as a united group was rare even within their own crew, and even rarer at Wu Xi Film Studio.

Seven beautiful women lined up in a row, each fair-skinned, gorgeous, and possessing distinctive charm—some elegant, some alluring, some gentle—radiating brilliance like a dazzling spectacle. They drew countless stares at the studio, and upon arriving at "The First Heavenly One" set, stirred resentment among its female cast.

What's this? Come to crash the party?!

Ye Xuan, portraying Lady Shangguan Hai Tang, glanced around: beside her was Chen Farong as Su Xin, the actress playing Princess Yun Luo was there too, along with Gao Yuanyuan and the starlet Huang Shengyi—all beautiful women.

Five against seven—we can fight!

Li Bing chatted with Wang Jing, who'd come upon hearing the news, while the others scanned the surroundings and noticed the female cast of "The First Heavenly One," whispering among themselves.

Same-sex rivalry, especially among beauties, was inevitable.

Though the seven fairy maidens weren't internally united, facing another crew instantly forged a united front.

"They say Wang Jing has good taste—I think he's pretty average."

Chen Farong is too plain, Gao Yuanyuan is barely acceptable, who are those three?

"Xuan Xuan—haven't you watched 'Searching for the Emperor'? Online news says they hired TVB's top male and female stars: Guo Jin'an and Xuan Xuan."

"Is that her? I've seen Xuan Xuan before—I feel something's off."

"..."

After comparing, they felt their side utterly won. Yang Xue, being more observant, noticed Dong Xuan had been silent, staring intently at one spot.

"Third sister, who are you staring at?"

"I ran into someone I know."

Dong Xuan fixed her gaze on Huang Shengyi, dressed in a Japanese kimono, looking visibly uneasy—her eyes carried a hint of murderous intent.

Hu Siyan's failed attempt to poach her had already made her an enemy; Huang Shengyi, who'd nearly succeeded and nearly ruined her relationship with Yan Li, was even more deserving of being chopped into mincemeat.

Fan Xiaopang glanced from Dong Xuan to Huang Shengyi's reaction, and a thought struck him.

"Could she be a love rival?"

"Huh?"

At these words, Jiang Xin, Li Lin, Yang Xue, and others instantly perked up.

Producer Yan had been frequently absent from the set these past few days—could he have come here to meet a lover?

"Love rival? Don't make me laugh—she's just a former loser."

Dong Xuan sensed something was wrong and immediately put on a look of disdain—she wouldn't let these girls mock her.

"I remember now."

Li Lin clapped her hands: "I've seen her news—she's a new-generation starlet, also from Beijing Film Academy."

Oh wow—everything clicked!

The group exchanged glances, wildly imagining a campus rivalry between two girls for one man, ending with Dong Xuan's victory; the defeated Huang Shengyi fought hard to become a starlet and returned in glory, vowing to reclaim the man she'd lost.

Fan Xiaopang, eager for drama: "What's so impressive about being a starlet? Come on, let's give her a lesson."

Li Lin, level-headed: "It's their set—don't cause trouble."

She turned to counsel Dong Xuan, but the usually gentle Dong Xuan had already stepped forward toward Huang Shengyi.

Yang Xue followed without hesitation; Jiang Xin paused briefly, then stepped forward too; Fan Xiaopang grinned excitedly, egging on the remaining Li Lin and Hu Siyan.

"Come on, come on—we're from the same crew, always calling each other sisters—now's not the time to chicken out. Whoever doesn't go, I look down on them."

"Exactly—seven fairy maidens stand together."

Hu Siyan actually wanted to watch the show, but had been conflicted about her relationship with Dong Xuan; Fan Xiaopang's words gave her the perfect excuse to join.

Only Li Lin remained—refusing to go now would mean self-exile from the crew; she sighed and trailed behind.

On the other side, Wang Jing was busy and ended the conversation quickly; Li Bing noticed the group wandering off, confused, and hurried after them.

"What are you doing?"

"No talking—wait for my signal. When I give the word, move."

Fan Xiaopang, itching for a fight, left Li Bing utterly baffled—wasn't this supposed to be a visit? Why were they preparing to attack?

Dong Xuan up front couldn't take it anymore, stopped and turned back: "Don't do anything stupid—I'm just going to say hello."

Li Lin grabbed Fan Xiaopang: "Relax, I've got my eye on you."

Dong Xuan nodded, stepped slightly away from the group, approached Huang Shengyi, and offered a polite smile.

"Little sister, long time no see."

"Senior sister."

Huang Shengyi felt uneasy seeing Dong Xuan, and even more so seeing the other girls behind her.

She'd considered approaching her senior brother, but hadn't even started—now they were already blocking her door?

"I heard you're filming here, so I came to check on you."

Dong Xuan kept her friendly demeanor: "Your senior brother's busy and has no time—if you need anything, just come to me, don't be shy."

Huang Shengyi's voice was dry: "Th-thank you, senior sister. I'm fine."

Gao Yuanyuan sensed something was off—she and Huang Shengyi were the only two mainland actresses on set, and played sisters in the drama, so they were fairly close—she stepped over to ask.

"Shengyi, are you okay?"

Fan Xiaopang broke free from Li Lin's grip, pulled Li Bing forward, and pulled Gao Yuanyuan aside, one on each side.

"What's it to you? They're senior and junior sisters talking."

Dong Xuan noticed the other actresses on the opposite side stirring, didn't want to escalate things, and patted Huang Shengyi lightly.

"Little sister, focus on your acting—don't let your mind wander."

With that, she gave Fan Xiaopang a signal, and the group turned and walked away quickly—after all, this was their territory; better to be cautious.

After they left, Gao Yuanyuan and Ye Xuan and others gathered around to ask; Huang Shengyi waved them off, saying she was fine—but her teeth were clenched so hard they ached.

Dong Xuan, I'll sleep with your man a hundred times…

(End of Chapter)