Chapter 155: Li Bingbing: How to Make His Sister Give Up on Yan Li

Although two legends are on the planning list, Li Si is still considering, and with insufficient funding, Yi'an is currently prioritizing "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

There are no secrets in this circle.

Even though Yi'an never publicly announced it, Yan Li had previously met with multiple investors, and companies like Hai Run and CCTV were already involved.

Thus, "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" has already caught the attention of some astute individuals, and the clever ones have begun acting.

Jingcheng, a certain restaurant

Nie Yuan poured Yan Li a glass of wine, deeply moved: "It's only been two years since we shot 'Heroes of Sui and Tang' in Hengdian, and now you've become a big boss."

"What big boss? Just someone stitching together scraps to make a living."

Yan Li was very humble; he knew exactly why Nie Yuan had invited him to dinner, so he kept his words tight.

True, the two had gotten along well on the set of 'Heroes of Sui and Tang,' but over the past one or two years, they'd barely contacted each other.

Yan Li was busy, and Nie Yuan was busy too.

Dramas like 'Heroes of Sui and Tang' and 'A Chinese Ghost Story' greatly boosted Nie Yuan's fame.

This year alone, Nie Yuan starred in 'The Blood Horse,' 'Four Young Masters of Jingcheng,' 'Da Han Jin Guo,' and 'Zhen Guan Song,' among Multiple Works, and is now called one of the New Four Leading Men of Mainland China alongside Huang Xiaoming, Tong Dawei, and Yin Xiaotian.

Yet Nie Yuan was doing well, and Yan Li was doing even better.

This is one reason their current relationship is so delicate.

As previously mentioned, Nie Yuan is somewhat arrogant, and with early success, his arrogance grew worse.

When he befriended Yan Li, Nie Yuan was a rising star while Yan Li was unknown; though he never treated Yan Li like a junior, he couldn't help feeling superior.

After Yan Li rose to fame, Nie Yuan may have been stung, so he grew distant from him.

Yan Li once tried to reach out and invite him to dinner to mend ties, but Nie Yuan either hadn't gotten over it or was genuinely busy—both times he declined.

Yan Li wasn't without friends; he didn't keep pressing a cold shoulder, and gradually their contact dwindled.

This year, aside from seeing news about Nie Yuan, Yan Li only chatted a few words about him after Qin Lan mentioned Huang Yi had a new boyfriend.

That's right, Huang Yi and Nie Yuan broke up.

They'd always been noisy and volatile, breaking up and getting back together; with both busy careers, they saw little of each other, and even before 'Huan Zhu Gege 3' became a hit, they'd already split.

This deeply affected Qin Lan, who lamented how hard it was for couples in the industry to last—this small moment subtly deepened their bond.

Thinking of this, Yan Li raised his glass to Nie Yuan: "Why today, out of the blue, invite me to dinner?"

Nie Yuan evaded: "Just catching up with an old friend."

Yan Li smiled without comment; since Nie Yuan wouldn't say, he was happy to keep it light—they drank, ate, and chatted about side businesses.

Nie Yuan was currently popular and had earned some money, so he began considering side ventures—both for security and extra income.

This is common among celebrities; as a company boss, Yan Li's business acumen seemed sharper to Nie Yuan, so he wanted his advice.

"... I think food and beverage is best—I plan to open a restaurant in Jingcheng serving our province's flavors, targeting fellow provincials working here and food lovers curious about regional tastes."

Clearly, Nie Yuan had been mulling this over for a while—he spoke with clear, logical detail.

Just listening to his plan, the business seemed promising.

But Yan Li's family ran a restaurant; he knew better than anyone how deep the water was in this industry and how fierce the competition in Jingcheng was—it wasn't something just anyone could manage well.

Still, with Nie Yuan's celebrity aura, if he hired good chefs and managers, he might still make it work.

Seeing Nie Yuan in high spirits, Yan Li didn't dampen his enthusiasm but gently suggested that without a unique advantage, the best investment was real estate.

Shoot one drama, buy one or two apartments!

At least over the next twenty years, it was among the safer investments—even if prices fell later, the appreciation alone could yield substantial profit.

But clearly, Nie Yuan wasn't moved by Yan Li's words; he still preferred opening a provincial flavor restaurant.

Yan Li didn't push; they chatted casually until their conversation grew warmer, the old atmosphere faintly returning—then Nie Yuan finally got to the point.

Not at all surprising to Yan Li: Nie Yuan had come for "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

Nie Yuan had lost the role of Zhang Dahu's 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' to Huang Xiaoming, and he still resented it.

Yan Li was preparing "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng"; though he hadn't yet signaled a direct rivalry with Zhang Dahu, a similar Wu Xia epic inevitably invited comparison.

Nie Yuan felt there were similarities and wanted to join "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" to defeat "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and settle his grudge.

Yan Li understood Nie Yuan's feelings, but he wouldn't risk 30 million to indulge his ego.

The main roles in "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

Nie Yuan was unsuitable for Lu Xiaofeng, and equally so for Hua Manlou and Sikong Zhaixing—even Ximen Chuixue didn't suit him.

For supporting roles or standalone protagonists, Yan Li could decide—but clearly, these weren't what Nie Yuan, driven by vengeance, had in mind.

In the end, the meal didn't end in outright hostility, but it was awkwardly concluded.

Watching Nie Yuan leave, Yan Li silently lit a cigarette.

He wondered whether this old friend—who once, back on 'Heroes of Sui and Tang,' had taken the time to see off an unknown nobody—could ever reconnect again.

Before he'd finished half the cigarette, his phone rang. He answered, and before hearing half, he couldn't help a bitter smile.

Guan Yue and Tong Dawei had invited him and Dong Xuan to dinner!

Hmph—no holiday, no occasion, yet Dong Xuan and Guan Yue were constantly together, suddenly inviting him out—this wasn't just about food.

Yan Li was finally beginning to grasp the influence of Gu Long's dramas.

Just a whisper had spread, and already he was being invited to meals and asked for roles—once officially announced, would his phone explode?

Yan Li had still underestimated the influence of Gu Long's dramas—or rather, the influence of a 30-million-investment Gu Long drama.

After multiple sources confirmed the project was real, before any official announcement, Yan Li's phone never stopped ringing.

Actors he'd worked with before, contacts through friends, investors and TV stations recommending talent, other companies or agents volunteering themselves...

When 'Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies' was being cast, only the auditioning actresses had pestered Yan Li.

Now, with "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," it felt like half the film and television industry was contacting him.

Not only Yan Li, but also some senior figures at Yi'an and those close to him received varying degrees of attention.

Especially Li Bingbing, who was publicly considered Yan Li's rumored girlfriend, received numerous calls and stormed over in anger to demand an explanation.

"Are you here to demand an explanation or to wreck my things? That pu'er tea I keep for guests is very valuable."

Li Bingbing held the tea cake and inspected it curiously: "How valuable?"

"This cake of tea is nearly ten thousand yuan. Do you think that's expensive?"

Upon hearing this, Li Bingbing stared in shock at the tea, then pried off a large chunk with force.

"Then I'd better taste it properly."

Yan Li: "..."

Fine, if it were the other Bingbing, she'd have already stuffed it in her bag. These two women, one more bandit-like than the other.

Sitting on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other, Yan Li looked at Li Bingbing: "Speak up—what do you really want?"

It was just a few phone calls; you could've easily ignored them. Li Bingbing isn't idle—she wouldn't have come all the way to Yi'an Film & Television just for this.

"Can't I come see you if I have nothing else to say?"

Seeing Yan Li's calm expression, she smirked: "I won the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress for 'The Mobile Phone.' I came specifically to thank you."

Not long ago, the latest Hundred Flowers Awards were announced; the male lead Ge Daye and female lead Li Bingbing both won Best Actor and Best Actress.

This was Li Bingbing's first domestically prestigious award.

Previously, she had won Best Actress at the Singapore Film Festival for 'Going Home for the New Year'—while somewhat respected, it wasn't an A-class festival and carried far less weight in China than the Hundred Flowers.

One who drinks water must remember the well-digger; since Yan Li helped her land 'The Mobile Phone,' she naturally owed him thanks.

"That's it?"

Yan Li asked. Li Bingbing frowned: "What else would there be?"

"Ah, too many people have been coming at me lately—I'm getting a bit neurotic."

Yan Li rubbed his temples. These days, everyone had some excuse to approach or contact him, then twisted the conversation around to 'The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng'—so many that even the system couldn't keep up.

Meeting someone like Li Bingbing, who had no hidden agenda, was genuinely disorienting.

"By the way, I almost forgot—Ren Quan, an old friend of mine. If you have a suitable role, consider him."

Li Bingbing added: "Hua Jie gave me this task. Whether you listen or not is up to you."

"Hua Jie really knows how to play it."

Yan Li couldn't help complaining: "All her little tricks are aimed at me—Tong Dawei recommended himself, she recommended Xia Yu, you recommended Ren Quan, Fan Xiao Fan recommended that Zhu… Zhu Yuchen. The whole group harassed me four times."

No, five times—Yang Xue also got Dong Xuan to nudge me.

The others were pushing male actors; Yang Xue was pushing for herself. After all, 'Double Bingbing' might not care about a single-episode female lead, and Yang Xue, still unknown, didn't want to miss the chance.

Hearing Yan Li's complaint, Li Bingbing was surprised. She'd received some calls herself and knew Yan Li was in demand, but not this much.

Hua Jie's roundabout approach clearly aimed to avoid appearing greedy and provoking resentment.

Without realizing it, had Yan Li really grown to this level?

Even Hua Jie, when recommending actors to him, now carefully considered his feelings and opinions. Though Hua Jie had always been meticulous and thorough, given her status as Mainland China's top agent, ordinary people simply wouldn't warrant such deference.

When Yan Li helped her land the female lead in 'The Mobile Phone,' she'd already sensed he wasn't an ordinary man—he'd succeed someday.

But she never imagined it would happen this fast, or so brilliantly.

But now, wouldn't it be even harder for her sister to let go?

For most women, a young, accomplished man like this is a mandrake flower—even knowing it's poison, they still want a taste.

Just a taste might trap them—sink into it, deepen further, and never be able to pull free.

"Sigh."

Yan Li waved his hand in front of Li Bingbing's face: "What are you thinking about?"

Li Bingbing swatted his hand aside, irritably: "I wasn't thinking about you."

Yan Li stared at her strangely. Just moments ago she was fine—why had this woman suddenly turned hostile?

Was she on her period?

Or had a man dumped her?!

Could it be she found out her sister had secretly contacted him? But he hadn't spoken much—just friendly greetings and helped Li Xue solve a small work problem. Even if discovered, she should thank him.

As they spoke, someone knocked on the office door. Wang Ou entered, striding in on catlike heels, wearing a women's suit and skirt with silk stockings. She smiled at Li Bingbing, then leaned close to Yan Li's ear and whispered a few words.

"Alright, got it."

Yan Li nodded. Wang Ou left on catlike heels. Li Bingbing sipped her tea, expression thoughtful.

"Dong Xuan's pretty relaxed—not caring about such a beautiful secretary?"

"Cough."

Yan Li cleared his throat and explained: "She's not really a secretary—she's one of our artists, temporarily filling in as an assistant."

Not temporary—Wang Ou came to the company and stubbornly insisted on being Yan Li's assistant whenever she had no filming.

Yan Li had told her several times, but it made no difference. Besides, she served him well, so he let it slide.

The junior secretary Hu Ya had been bribed by Wang Ou—after all, they weren't in the same lane, and Wang Ou often had to go shoot dramas. Hu Ya had no fear of losing her job.

Agent Jia Qian turned a blind eye as well. After all, for Wang Ou, maintaining a good relationship with the boss couldn't be called anything but legitimate.

Yan Li's explanation only Ma Deli Bingbing imagine worse things—her gaze turned disdainful.

"You've got quite the setup."

"I don't know what you mean."

Yan Li maintained his upright demeanor. No matter who came, he and Wang Ou were purely professional colleagues—perhaps with a touch of master-apprentice bond.

Li Bingbing chuckled twice, firmly deciding Yan Li was no good match for her sister.

She'd originally thought of letting her sister have a taste, fulfill her curiosity, and then settle down—but now she hesitated to take that risk, afraid things might spiral out of control.

But what method could be used to dissuade his sister's idea?!

Setting her up on a blind date—he'd tried that trick, and it hadn't worked; moreover, Yan Li's career was now increasingly successful, so any ordinary man brought in would only serve as a foil to him.

Stirring up trouble around Yan Li was also useless. From the very start, Yan Li had stated he had a girlfriend, and hadn't really tried to hide his philandering nature, yet his sister was still smitten with him.

Hiss~

The best thing would be to find a reason that would force Li Xue to give up on Yan Li, something she couldn't accept that would prevent anything further from happening between her and Yan Li.

"……"

Yan Li nonchalantly took a step back. That woman's gaze was strange—surely she wasn't really planning to set a trap to make her sister sleep with him…

————

PS: Seeking casting suggestions for *Legend of Lu Xiaofeng*, preferably mainland Chinese actors, though some Taiwanese actors can also be used…

(End of this chapter)