Chapter 157: Yan Boss Fiercely Protects His Own, Annoyed Fan Xiaopang

In Beijing's Huairou Film and Television Base, the cast and crew of "The Little Fish and Hua Wuque"

Since the assault incident not long ago, they were thrust into the spotlight.

The media condemned them; over a dozen mainland actors and industry workers jointly spoke out, and both parties publicly apologized and visited the hospital.

Currently, although officially declared reconciled, the production still faces heavy public pressure, the internal atmosphere is tense, and the actors return to rest after filming, rarely go out, and never accept interviews.

But today, Fan Xiaopang took leave from the producer and took Yang Xue away from the set in a car.

Though both were under Wang Jinghua's management, Fan Xiaopang had little connection with Yang Xue, barely even interacted with her before.

After working together on "Huan Tian Xi Di," their relationship grew somewhat closer; at least within the "Little Fish and Hua Wuque" set, they now spent more time together.

"Bingbing, you said you'd take me to a group—what group?"

Yang Xue was dragged along reluctantly, dazed, and when she asked Fan Xiaopang, he refused to answer, just kept teasing.

"You'll know when we get there. If it works out, don't forget to thank Sister Wang for helping me."

"Of course I won't."

Yang Xue nodded. Wang Jinghua's artists were relatively independent; while senior artists sometimes mentored juniors, it was mostly limited to attending events or offering minor support on set—helping secure roles was rare.

Her relationship with Fan Xiaopang wasn't particularly close, so she was both surprised and grateful he was helping her now.

The drive from Huairou to downtown Beijing took over an hour, ending at a Shandong cuisine restaurant.

Fan Xiaopang picked up her bag, opened the car door, then closed it again, pulled out a mirror to fix her makeup, making Yang Xue nervous.

What kind of production was this, requiring such caution?!

Inside the restaurant, a waiter led them to a private room where a few people sat in small groups; Yang Xue quickly scanned them—some looked familiar, but she'd never interacted with them.

Fan Xiaopang also sized them up; after recognizing everyone, her smile flickered slightly, then quickly returned.

"Director Cheng, no—Manager Cheng, I didn't arrive too late, did I?"

"Perfect, we just got here ourselves. Come on, Bingbing, let me introduce you."

The confident Cheng Lidong extended his hand to introduce Fan Xiaopang as she sat down.

"This is Mr. Wang from XX International, and this is Mr. Zhang from Taiwan's XX Company—they're both investors in our drama."

"This is Director Jin Guozhao—have you seen 'The First Intimate Contact'? That's his work."

"You definitely know this one—Master Liu Dekai."

"This is Wu Jiani, also one of our actors."

Fan Xiaopang shook hands with each, then introduced Yang Xue; after the pleasantries, she finally had a chance to ask.

"Isn't Boss Yan coming today?"

"He's coming. He's got too many engagements, doesn't know when he'll arrive—he just called to say we should start eating and wait."

Cheng Lidong sighed inwardly—he'd thought shooting "The Investiture of the Gods" would earn him some fame and let him show off to Yan Li, his former junior.

But his project was still struggling to secure funding, while Yan Li had already assembled a project nearly as large: "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

Even though his project started later, its progress had left his far behind—it was already launching massive casting campaigns.

Cheng Lidong had always known Yan Li had some talent, but he'd prided himself on his years in the industry and assumed he wasn't far behind.

Now he finally understood Yan Li's true strength—aside from everything else, when it came to securing investment, three of him chained together couldn't match Yan Li.

Hearing someone was coming, Fan Xiaopang nodded, motioned for Yang Xue to eat; they'd just wrapped filming and had driven over an hour—her stomach was already empty.

After just a few bites, the international company's Mr. Wang began toasting Fan Xiaopang, expressing long-standing admiration and claiming it was an honor to work together.

Fan Xiaopang wasn't a rookie—she instantly recognized his intent and wasn't intimidated.

She downed a glass outright, then refilled it and toasted him back.

In such situations, avoiding it only made it worse; the opposite approach—drinking them into submission or fear—would naturally quiet them down.

In other settings, Fan Xiaopang would guard against wheeling tactics or being surrounded, but today she had Cheng Lidong as host, Yang Xue as backup, and Yan Li waiting in the wings—this was practically a home game; she wouldn't let them drink her under.

With small two-ounce cups, Fan Xiaopang drank and returned three toasts in a row, instantly intimidating Mr. Wang.

He retreated; the Zhang total beside him stepped forward to toast.

Without being prompted, Yang Xue stepped up first to toast—her tolerance was clearly lower than Fan Xiaopang's, but she could still wear them down a bit, especially with Cheng Lidong helping tilt the balance.

But this Mr. Zhang had far better liquor capacity than the previous one; Fan Xiaopang couldn't scare him off, so they had to settle into a long war.

Yang Xue grew uneasy: "Can you handle it? Should I call the driver?"

"No problem. They can't take me down."

Fan Xiaopang remained calm; she wasn't stupid—she wouldn't fight to the point of passing out. If things turned bad, she could always back down, pretend to be drunk, or call for help—she had plenty of options.

Mid-battle over drinks, the private room door knocked—then Yan Li entered, face flushed, clasping his hands in greeting.

"Sorry I'm late."

"You're finally here!"

Impatient with the drinking, Fan Xiaopang stood up, took Yan Li's arm, and pouted: "You're so late!" then whispered quickly:

"Some old lecher won't leave me alone—help me out."

Yan Li, initially surprised, instantly understood; he casually draped his arm around Fan Xiaopang's slender waist, tone affectionate.

"Fine, fine, I'm sorry."

Cheng Lidong glanced at them, surprised, but said nothing, and introduced them to each other again.

Everyone sat back down; Fan Xiaopang immediately pressed close beside Yan Li, who whispered:

"Which old lecher?"

Fan Xiaopang pursed her lips, hesitated, then said: "Don't cause trouble."

Yan Li said nothing, casually glanced around, sensed two hostile, unpleasant vibes, immediately pinpointed the targets, then asked Cheng Lidong:

"Who are these two investors?"

"From Taiwan…"

Cheng Lidong introduced them, and Yan Li instantly calmed down—he'd thought they were some big-shot entertainment tycoon from Taiwan, turns out they were just rich beggars come to the mainland.

He glared at Fan Xiaopang with frustration: "You're doing terrible. Where's that big-mouthed bravado you showed me? Pour wine on their faces."

"If they start touching me, I won't hold back—but how do I pour wine when they're smiling? There's Brother Cheng's face to consider."

Fan Xiaopang had his reasons, but Yan Li sneered: "No need to explain. Coward is coward."

"………"

Fan Xiaopang ground his teeth, stayed silent, picked up a sea cucumber, and bit down hard, chewing fiercely.

Meanwhile, Manager Wang and Manager Zhang, seeing Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang chatting warmly, exchanged glances, and Zhang raised his glass.

"Miss Fan, we didn't finish drinking earlier—let's keep going."

Fan Xiaopang looked up at Yan Li, who gave no sign; she glanced at Cheng Lidong and spoke up.

"Sorry, Manager Zhang, I've reached my limit—I can't drink any more."

Zhang urged: "Impossible. You clearly have a bottomless cup. This is nothing."

Wang chimed in: "Exactly! Rare chance to cooperate—Miss Fan, you can't refuse us face."

Cheng Lidong stepped in to smooth things over: "Manager Wang, Manager Zhang, Bingbing really has hit her limit—I'll drink with you both."

Zhang fixed his gaze on Fan Xiaopang, ignoring him: "Cheng Zong is Cheng Zong. Miss Fan is Miss Fan. Can't lump them together."

"Exactly."

Wang gave a cold, fake smile, adding: "We came all the way from Taiwan to invest—can you really deny us even this small courtesy over a drink? How can we continue cooperating?"

Hearing this, Fan Xiaopang hesitated, glancing at the troubled Cheng Lidong, just as she reached for the glass—another hand snatched it first and hurled the wine straight at Manager Wang.

The entire private room erupted in shock; Wang, drenched in wine across his chin, neck, and chest, turned livid.

"Fuck, kid, what the hell are you doing?"

"What am I doing?"

Yan Li pulled Fan Xiaopang close: "I'd like to ask you—while I'm right here, forcing my woman to drink, what the hell is your meaning? Do you think I'm dead?"

Zhang turned angrily to Cheng Lidong: "Cheng Zong, is this your sincerity in cooperation?"

"This…"

Cheng Lidong stammered—he couldn't offend the investors, couldn't offend Yan Li or Fan Xiaopang, and felt paralyzed.

"Fine. You've got guts. We'll see."

Seeing this, Zhang pointed at Cheng Lidong, dragged Wang out in fury; Director Jin Guozhao and Liu Dekai looked awkward, unsure whether to leave too.

One was a Taiwan director, the other a Taiwan actor; their involvement in this project naturally depended on Taiwan investors' support.

Just as they were about to rise, Yan Li called out: "Director Jin, Master Liu, this is personal business—none of your concern. Let's continue."

Then Yan Li raised his glass and clinked it with Cheng Lidong.

"Brother Cheng, I'm not here to wreck your party. We'll chat privately later."

At this point, Cheng Lidong had no choice—he'd already chosen by letting the two investors leave.

Still, the banquet ended soon after the chaos; the director, Liu Dekai, and others departed, Yang Xue waited in the car, leaving only Cheng Lidong, Yan Li, and Fan Xiaopang in the room.

With outsiders gone, Yan Li dropped the act—he'd deliberately provoked this, using it as an excuse.

Even without today's incident, he'd have found a way to kick those two out.

"16 million for 40%? We'd just be their employees."

Yan Li looked down on the two investors—spending that much for such a share, still acting like big bosses, was too much.

"Huh?"

Cheng Lidong was confused: The planned investment for the first season of *The Investiture of the Gods* was 30 to 40 million—16 million for 40% wasn't low.

Yongle Pictures was still new, the investment huge, the risk high—negotiating equity was genuinely difficult.

But Yan Li didn't care what Cheng thought—he pressed on: "Here's the deal: give me 50% first. I'll see if I can bring in 30 million. We split the remaining 50%—over or under, we adjust. Joint production."

"Half the equity for 30 million?!"

Cheng Lidong's face flushed—the project's scale was massive, profitability uncertain; he'd even considered giving up more of his own share, thinking this project might barely break even, just to build company reputation.

"I can't guarantee it—but there's hope. If not, add 10% more—we split 40% between us, under 10 million cost each—there's still profit."

"Yes, definitely."

Cheng Lidong raised his glass and downed it in one gulp: "Brother, I owe you a huge favor."

"Mutual benefit."

On the surface, Yan Li seemed to have helped Cheng Lidong greatly—even brought him profit.

But conversely, Yi'an's current capacity was maxed out—*The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng* and *The Legend of Xue Rengui* were already at their limits, even needing to stagger production.

He simply had no bandwidth to produce *The Investiture of the Gods* himself—Cheng handled production, Yan Li handled investment and post-production distribution—perfect split.

Letting Old Cheng get a slight edge didn't matter; Yan Li wouldn't lose, and future collaborations would let him recoup later.

Fan Xiaopang had listened silently beside them, her eyes flickering constantly over Yan Li.

After the party, they handed the drunk Cheng Lidong to his driver; Yan Li turned to Fan Xiaopang, smugly ran a hand through his hair, and asked: "How'd you feel just now?"

Fan Xiaopang sighed sincerely: "You're such a merchant."

Yan Li: "..."

I'm asking if I looked cool standing up for you!

"That's all you've got—bullying me at home. If I were you, I'd have poured wine on Zhang too—let out some steam."

Fan Xiaopang muttered: "You're the boss, you've got guts. I'm just a minor actor."

"Pfft, what's to fear?"

Yan Li stared at her intently: "If you join my company, I'll protect you. Next time something like this happens, don't hold back—as long as you're right, no matter how big the mess, I'll clean it up for you."

Fan Xiaopang was tempted—today had shaken her deeply.

In the past, when faced with similar situations at drinking parties, she had always compromised, smiled along, or acted like a brat—worst case, she'd grab her bag and leave. Someone had even blocked her path before, but this was the first time she'd fought back with authority, and it felt good.

But… Fan Xiaopang's pretty face twisted in indecision: "But Sister Hua has been really good to me. Let me think about it some more."

"Fine, but hurry up. If someone else gets there first and snatches our company's top spot, don't say I didn't warn you."

Fan Xiaopang's slender eyebrows furrowed slightly, her tone wistful: "You're poaching someone else too?!"

"..."

The tone made it sound like he'd abandoned her—like if she didn't agree to him, he wasn't allowed to find someone else.

"Not yet, but you can't be sure. I'm not trying to scare you, but our company is pretty hot right now."

This wasn't just flattery—after several consecutive projects, Yi An's reputation in the industry had grown steadily, and more and more newcomers and minor actors were eager to cling to his coattails, including some well-known rising stars who'd started thinking about it.

"If your company really signs another actress, can I still play Su Daji in The Investiture of the Gods?"

"Relax. That role's already locked in—it's yours whether you sign or not. If we don't work together, we're still friends. I'm not that petty."

Fan Xiaopang fixed her beautiful eyes on Yan Li, who met her gaze calmly. After a moment, Fan Xiaopang spoke sincerely.

"I'll give it serious thought and give you an answer soon."

"Mm."

Yan Li wasn't actually in much of a hurry. Right now, Fan Xiaopang had come over, but there were no suitable projects on the table yet—he mainly wanted to push her to make a decision.

As long as she decided to switch companies, Yan Li would woo her on one side and stir up trouble on the other—eventually, she'd come under his wing.

"Well, it's getting late. Let's call it a night."

Yan Li called out, ready to head home. He'd rushed through three events today, drank a lot, and was tired.

"Ah."

Fan Xiaopang stopped him, watching his puzzled expression as her toe nervously tapped the ground.

"When's the gossip going to start? I haven't had any exposure lately."

"Don't rush. Didn't I say? The best effect comes before the premiere. Right now I'm securing an opportunity—might even be better than us stirring up gossip."

Fan Xiaopang's expression turned blank: "What opportunity?"

"It's still a long way off, nothing's confirmed yet. I'm just letting you in on it—don't go blabbing, not even to Yang Xue."

"Mm."

"I just hooked up with a director from this year's Spring Festival Gala. I'm seeing if we can get your Seven Fairies to appear on it—massive publicity boost."

As he brought up his new idea, Yan Li's eyes sparkled—but he noticed Fan Xiaopang's reaction wasn't nearly as excited as he'd expected.

Fan Xiaopang thought it was perfectly normal: after the scandal of two women fighting over the same man, it would hurt her chances of appearing on the Spring Festival Gala. She could only pick one.

Gossip meant she'd appear alone; the Gala meant all seven of them appeared together—she'd lose big.

Yes, that was exactly why she was upset…

(End of Chapter)