Chapter 158: This Drama

Seeing Fan Xiaopang return to the car, Yang Xue let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief.

Compared to Fan, she had a closer relationship with Dong Xuan.

If she truly discovered something, not telling Dong Xuan would feel like betraying a friend.

But if she did tell her, it would feel like betraying another friend—and more importantly, she couldn't afford to offend Yan Li.

She had been agonizing all along: she could explain that Yan Li had stepped in to help a friend, but if Fan Xiaopang left with Yan Li and didn't come home all night, she couldn't possibly cover it up.

Fan Xiaopang noticed Yang Xue's expression and volunteered an explanation: Yan Li had just been putting on a show, helping her—but also with other intentions.

She hadn't stolen a man; naturally, she didn't want to bear this blame, nor did she want any misunderstanding or conflict with Dong Xuan to arise.

Who knows, that woman might become her boss's wife someday—she couldn't withstand the power of pillow talk.

Yang Xue's inner thoughts were unclear, but outwardly, she fully believed it.

"I knew it was just like this—Director Yan is truly loyal, never hesitates to stand up for his friends."

Fan Xiaopang hoped Yang Xue would think that way, but hearing her say it aloud made her feel strangely uneasy.

Why emphasize righteousness? As if she wasn't worthy of Yan Li's furious defense for her sake!?

Still, she said nothing, let the matter drop, and shifted the conversation to the drama "Fengshen Bang."

The script for "Fengshen Bang" has already been completed, though it's still being refined, the general structure is set.

The male lead is unquestionably Jiang Ziya; the female lead is Su Daji, played by Fan Xiaopang.

After all, there are so few female roles in "Fengshen Bang," and Su Daji is unquestionably the role with the most screen time and strongest presence—so despite being the villain, she remains the female protagonist.

Especially in the early episodes, Su Daji seduces King Zhou and plunges the realm into chaos—her screen time is heavy; only in the middle and later stages, as the Shang-Zhou war unfolds, does the focus shift more toward the battlefield.

Aside from Su Daji, the number of female characters appearing in the first part is limited, mostly centered around King Zhou's harem.

The most prominent are the Three Demons of Xuanyuan, led by Su Daji; then come Empress Jiang, Lady Yang, Lady Huang; and then Zi Xian, who has some scenes with Wu Wang—her backstory is that she is the daughter of Bi Gan.

At Yan Li's suggestion, Wu Wang's role was drastically reduced, with screen time given to Ne Zha, Yang Jian, and others—but he still retains some scenes and a romantic subplot.

This is because the Shang side is overflowing with beauties, all vying to seduce King Zhou, full of love and romance.

The Western Zhou side is the main perspective, but if it's all about fighting day after day, it's too dull—so some lightening of the plot is needed.

Ne Zha and Yang Jian are hard to add, so Wu Wang it is—perfectly forming a pair of wise monarch and virtuous empress to contrast with the corrupt king and demonic concubine, King Zhou and Su Daji.

Also present are Lady Yin (Ne Zha's mother), Shi Ji, and Nüwa—these characters have much less screen time, serving as minor supporting roles or cameos.

Fan Xiaopang originally wanted to help Yang Xue secure the other two roles among the Three Demons of Xuanyuan and Zi Xian, since they have relatively more screen time after Su Daji and appear again in the second part.

Characters like Empress Jiang and Lady Huang vanish after being killed by Su Daji in the second part.

But judging from the dinner tonight, Cheng Lidong wants to push Wu Jiani, and Yan Li's company also wants to promote someone—they're both eyeing the Three Demons of Xuanyuan.

That leaves only Zi Xian, and the competition is still intense.

After all, this is a project worth tens of millions, based on a famous mythological classic—many actresses are likely interested, and who knows if investors have slipped in their own picks.

If not for Yan Li's word and Cheng Lidong's support, Fan Xiaopang would have worried whether her role as Su Daji might be snatched away.

So Fan Xiaopang told Yang Xue to prepare mentally—the outcome might not be favorable.

Yang Xue was fine; actresses like her, who aren't famous, have no real choice—when faced with such projects, you do your best and leave the rest to fate.

If I get it, it's my fortune; if I lose it, it's my destiny!

Fan Xiaopang brought her today just to introduce her to the producer, to get her face known and make a recommendation—that's already great, far better than just submitting a resume.

"Actually, I think instead of fixating on 'Fengshen Bang,' you should try 'Lu Xiaofeng Legend'—that drama probably has plenty of roles."

Fan Xiaopang came up with another idea; Yang Xue gave a wry smile—she had already pursued the path through Dong Xuan.

But it's hard!

"Fengshen Bang" is a man's drama; aside from Su Daji, the other roles aren't particularly appealing.

"Lu Xiaofeng Legend," though centered on Lu Xiaofeng and the main group, has many standout female roles, making it easier to promote actresses—and with its big-name status, it's actually more popular among industry actors than "Fengshen Bang."

Especially for actresses like us, who have some name recognition but aren't hugely famous—it's fiercely contested.

Yang Xue counted off on her fingers for Fan Xiaopang: among the Seven Fairies, besides Shuang Bing, who has clout, and Dong Xuan, all the others have applied.

"Hmph."

Fan Xiaopang let out a light scoff—no wonder someone looked so smug; so many beauties are lining up for the role, surely some are cutting corners.

"You should remind Dong Xuan plenty, keep a tight watch—so many actresses, don't let them empty her nest."

Fan Xiaopang offered the advice kindly; Yang Xue gave her a silent glance: "Mm."

She didn't need reminding—Dong Xuan would rather move into Yan Li's office than let him out of her sight.

To be honest, Yang Xue had envied Dong Xuan before—landing such a super-potential boyfriend—but once she got to know her better, she realized the benefits were great, yet not without stress.

When a man is too successful, other women swarm him like wolves—the pressure is real.

…

On the other side, Yan Li returned home; Qin Lan handed him honey water to sober up, took off his coat, and was about to put it in the washing machine when she turned and sniffed it twice.

Hmm—only alcohol.

Yan Li watched silently as Qin Lan returned, then extended his arm toward her nose.

"I sometimes take off my coat when eating—should I let you sniff here too?"

"Who sniffed?"

Qin Lan's face flushed red; she firmly denied her action, but Yan Li didn't mind.

Even if she smelled something, it didn't matter—KTV was just playacting; a bit of perfume or hair scent was normal—he himself was spotless, unafraid of suspicion.

If he had truly done something wrong, why wouldn't he have cleaned up before coming home?

"Drank too much, dizzy."

Yan Li groaned as he lay on Qin Lan's lap; she adjusted his position, then skillfully extended her long fingers to massage his head.

"By the way, I checked the internet cafe's accounts today—it's slightly fluctuated from last month, probably because the weather's getting colder."

"Hmm, slight fluctuations are normal."

Yan Li closed his eyes, listening as Qin Lan chattered to him about the internet cafe.

Dong Xuan doesn't act; she teaches at school and has her own matters to attend to, so she won't spend every day thinking about him.

Likewise, Qin Lan doesn't act, and staying home all day isn't sustainable—she needs something to do.

Women shouldn't be too idle; too much idleness leads them to pick fights with men.

Yan Li wasn't keen on letting Qin Lan get involved in company affairs—it would create a bad impression internally and make it easier for Dong Xuan to run into her. He also couldn't bear to give her heavy, exhausting work, so he designed for her a set of trivial but undemanding tasks.

The internet cafe owner was one of them.

She didn't need to do anything concrete—just drop by occasionally to check the store and review the accounts, providing some oversight. Three internet cafes were enough to keep her busy for a while.

In addition, the renovation of the new apartment Yan Li had previously arranged for Qin Lan to buy was entirely entrusted to her.

If her workload wasn't sufficient later, Yan Li also considered assigning Qin Lan the rental collection for several other properties.

This tactic worked for Qin Lan—and could just as well be applied to Dong Xuan: teaching during weekdays, renovating and collecting rent on weekends and holidays.

The work wasn't tiring, but it consumed time and energy, counted as helping the household, and paid money—both of them threw themselves into it with enthusiasm and good spirits.

Yan Li himself hadn't even realized that property investment could serve this purpose.

One move, multiple benefits—perfect!

After massaging for a while, Qin Lan felt her fingers ache, so she switched from pressing to rubbing, and brought up another matter.

"Ma Yili called me today. She said she broke up with that director, Guan Hu."

"Hm?"

Yan Li opened his eyes: "What does she mean?"

Yan Li had invested in the drama "Survival: Migrant Workers" through Ma Yili's introduction.

Now that she and Guan Hu have broken up, the intermediary is gone—is she planning to pull the ladder away?

"She didn't say much—just said she originally planned to invite us both to dinner to celebrate when the drama aired, but now that they've split, there's no point gathering. She'll thank us separately next time."

"Also, she said the breakup was private, and she won't be involved in this project going forward, but it won't interfere with our cooperation. She just wanted to clarify in advance, hoping you wouldn't overthink it."

Yan Li closed his eyes again and paused before saying: "She's far more considerate than those Guans."

With his intelligence network, how could these two's private thoughts possibly escape Yan Li's notice?

Guan Hu had directorial talent, but his personality and conduct—Yan Li truly found them lacking. He simply didn't bother to care.

In contrast, Ma Yili, though shrewd and self-interested, conducted herself with propriety and polish, earning her a much higher evaluation from Yan Li.

But…

Yan Li counted off on his fingers the key female roles in "Huanzhu Gege 3."

Huang Yi and Ma Yili had both broken up with their partners within the past one or two years.

Jiang Qinqin hadn't had an easy time these past two years either—involved with a provincial director from one station, a producer from another, and apparently entangled with some second-generation rich kid, her name constantly in gossip.

Then there was Liu Tao—after "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," she became a famous internet meme with Hu Jun, and was linked to all sorts of rumors about Zhang Da Huizi. Her romantic path was anything but smooth.

Is this production crew cursed?!

But then he remembered Wang Yan, the actress who played Qing'er—she'd always remained stable—and Yan Li felt reassured.

Breakups and reconciliations were common in the entertainment industry. Not just there—in today's real world, young men and women breaking up was everyday fare. Times had changed.

Thinking of this, Yan Li reached out and pressed his hand over Qin Lan's: "Stay away from them. You can hang out, but don't listen to their nonsense."

People who break up at the drop of a hat—mixing with such types could lead them to stir Qin Lan into causing trouble with him.

So often, the damage came from these so-called best friends.

"You've got nothing to worry about. Why be afraid?"

Qin Lan chuckled and pinched Yan Li's nose: "Are you up to something shady? Are you feeling guilty?"

"You know whether I'm guilty or not."

Yan Li didn't rise to the bait—he turned the tables and started teasing her with lewd remarks. Annoyed, Qin Lan pressed his nose into a pig's snout, then pulled out her phone to take a photo of him. Yan Li snatched the phone back and began taking identical ugly photos of her—let them both be embarrassed together.

It started with pinching his nose, but soon her hands wandered to more places, and the location shifted from the living room to the bedroom…

————

The next day, Yan Li woke early and went to work. After he left, Qin Lan tidied up, then got into her red BMW 3 Series.

Since she needed to check accounts at the internet cafes or supervise renovations, having no car was inconvenient, so Yan Li bought her a car.

Qin Lan picked the car herself. Yan Li refused anything too cheap, but she didn't want anything too expensive, so she chose an entry-level BMW.

Though entry-level, its on-the-road price was nearly 300,000 yuan—by today's standards, it could still be called a luxury car.

Notably, Yan Li also bought one for Dong Xuan.

It cost roughly the same as Qin Lan's BMW 3 Series, but since she worked at a school and preferred discretion, he avoided flashy brands like Mercedes or BMW, choosing instead a minimalist Volvo S40.

To ordinary people who didn't know cars and only recognized a few brand logos, it probably looked like just a commuter vehicle—unaware it was worth as much as a small apartment in Jingcheng.

Qin Lan drove to her and Yan Li's new apartment first to check the renovation progress.

The new apartment was very close to Guanghua Li—just over ten minutes by car—and belonged to Shuangjing Fuli Cheng, a newly launched development this year.

This neighborhood was considered upscale in today's Jingcheng: its main advantages were its newness and proximity to the CBD, giving it clear geographic advantages. Rumors claimed it had attracted many cultural celebrities and business figures.

The apartment Yan Li and Qin Lan bought wasn't especially large—a four-bedroom, over 170 square meters, with a total price exceeding two million yuan.

They had originally planned to buy a 140-square-meter unit, but once Yan Li had more money, he felt they shouldn't settle for less and upgraded.

In fact, a two-million-yuan apartment wasn't especially expensive in Jingcheng—multi-million-yuan mansions were no longer rare.

But Yan Li felt they were still building their careers and weren't ready to enjoy luxury yet. Since it was just the two of them, they'd get a decent place to live for a few years and buy a mansion later.

Yan Li viewed this apartment as merely adequate, but Qin Lan was extremely satisfied—when she first saw it, she'd even felt dazed.

Such a big house—how could they possibly fill it?

Qin Lan was an actress, had seen the world, had filmed in villas before—but those were sets. This was her home. Two entirely different things.

Without exaggeration, when Qin Lan first saw the bare apartment, she had already decided which room would be for her and Yan Li's child, and how to divide the space if they had a second child.

Uh, there's family planning—better to have twins, one boy and one girl…

With these visions in mind, Qin Lan threw herself into the renovation with great enthusiasm.

She personally oversaw every detail—design, material selection, renovation—and during the filming of "The Great Song Chief Inspector," she spoke with the designer and renovation company nearly as often as Yan Li did, never finding it tedious, even enjoying it.

She walked through the new house several times, took photos, and sent them to Yan Li as a keepsake.

Until noon, Qin Lan left the new home, sat in the car, hesitated for a moment, then called Ma Yili.

Her relationship with Ma Yili had never been especially close—just ordinary friends, even a bit distant.

But after collaborating on the project "Survival: Migrant Workers," out of gratitude and a desire to build ties, Ma Yili had frequently sought out Qin Lan to spend time together, and over time, their bond grew warmer.

Qin Lan's personality was cheerful and open, yet inwardly she was delicate, gentle, and skilled at caring for and accommodating others, so if she chose to, she could easily make friends.

Although she had some reservations about Ma Yili as a person, she did not consider her a bad person.

Normally, they simply treated each other as regular friends, letting closeness or distance unfold naturally.

But now that Ma Yili had broken up with her partner—and from what she heard, it had been painful—Qin Lan couldn't pretend she didn't know.

After sending a message to Yan Li, Qin Lan decided to visit Ma Yili and comfort her…

(End of Chapter)