[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment":3,"chapter-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-158":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Intelligence King of Chinese Entertainment",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260461,4411,"Chapter 158: This Drama","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-158",158,"\u003Cp>Seeing Fan Xiaopang return to the car, Yang Xue let out a barely perceptible sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Fan, she had a better relationship with Dong Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she truly discovered something, not telling Dong Xuan would feel like betraying a friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if she did tell her, it would feel like betraying another friend—and more importantly, she couldn’t afford to offend Yan Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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 another purpose in mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn’t stolen a man; she had no desire to shoulder this blame or risk misunderstanding or conflict with Dong Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew, that woman might become her boss’s wife someday—she couldn’t withstand the pillow talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Xue’s inner thoughts were unclear, but outwardly she fully believed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew it was just like this—Director Yan is truly loyal, always standing up for his friends without hesitation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang hoped Yang Xue would think that way, but hearing her say it aloud made her strangely uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why emphasize righteousness? As if she wasn’t worthy of Yan Li’s fury for her sake!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, she said nothing, let it drop, and shifted the topic to the drama “The Investiture of the Gods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The script for “The Investiture of the Gods” was already completed, though still undergoing constant refinement, it was largely shaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The male lead was unquestionably Jiang Ziya; the female lead was played by Fan Xiaopang as Su Daji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, there were few female roles in “The Investiture of the Gods,” and Su Daji was unquestionably the character with the most screen time and strongest presence—so despite being the villain, she remained the primary female lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially in the early episodes, Su Daji seduced King Zhou and plunged the realm into chaos—her role was heavy; only in the middle and later stages, as the Shang-Zhou war intensified, did the focus shift toward the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Su Daji, the number of female characters appearing in the first part was limited, mostly centered around King Zhou’s harem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Three Demons of Xuanyuan, led by Su Daji, had the most screen time, followed by Queen Jiang, Consort Yang, and Lady Huang, then a minor character named Zi Xian, who had scenes with King Wu and was portrayed as the daughter of Bi Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Yan Li’s suggestion, the role of King Wu was drastically reduced and given more to Nezha, Yang Jian, and others, yet he still retained some scenes and a romantic subplot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Shang court was overflowing with beauties, all vying to seduce King Zhou, entangled in love and desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Western Zhou side was the main perspective, but if it focused only on warfare day after day, it would be too dull—so some light, fluffy plotlines were needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nezha and Yang Jian were hard to add in, so King Wu was chosen instead—perfectly forming a pair of wise sovereign and virtuous empress to contrast with the corrupt king and demonic consort, King Zhou and Su Daji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other characters included Lady Yin (Nezha’s mother), Shi Ji, and Nüwa—these roles had minimal screen time, serving as minor supporting or cameo parts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang had originally intended to help Yang Xue secure the other two roles among the Three Demons of Xuanyuan and the part of Zi Xian, since these were among the few female roles with substantial screen time and reappeared in the second part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Characters like Queen Jiang and Lady Huang vanished after being killed by Su Daji in the second part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But judging from the tone of the dinner, Cheng Lidong wanted to promote Wu Jiani, and Yan Li’s company also wanted to push someone—both were targeting the roles of the Three Demons of Xuanyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That left only Zi Xian, but the competition was still fierce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this was a multi-million-dollar project based on a famous mythological classic—many actresses would be eager, and who knew if investors had slipped in their own picks?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for Yan Li’s word and Cheng Lidong’s support, Fan Xiaopang feared even her own role as Su Daji might be snatched away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Fan Xiaopang warned Yang Xue to prepare mentally—the outcome might not be favorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Xue didn’t mind much; actors like her, not yet famous, had no real choice—when faced with such projects, you fought hard and left the rest to fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I get it, it’s my fortune; if I lose it, it’s my destiny!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang brought her today just to introduce her to the producer, to network and recommend her—that was already more than enough, far better than just submitting her resume.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I think instead of fixating on ‘The Investiture of the Gods,’ you should try ‘The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng’—that drama probably has plenty of roles.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang offered another suggestion, and Yang Xue gave a wry smile—she’d already pursued Dong Xuan’s route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Investiture of the Gods” was a man’s drama; aside from Su Daji, the other roles held little appeal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng,” though centered on Lu Xiaofeng and the main group, had many standout female roles, making it easier to promote actresses—and with its big-name reputation, it was actually more popular among industry actors than “The Investiture of the Gods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially for actresses like her, who had some name recognition but weren’t top-tier, the competition was fierce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Xue counted off on her fingers: among the Seven Fairies, besides the confident Shuang Bing and Dong Xuan, all the others had already applied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang snorted—no wonder someone looked so smug; so many beauties were lining up for the roles, and some must have taken shortcuts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’d better remind Dong Xuan to keep a tight watch—so many actresses, don’t let her nest get emptied.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang offered the advice kindly, and Yang Xue glanced at her without expression: “Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t need reminding—Dong Xuan was practically camping out in Yan Li’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, Yang Xue had envied Dong Xuan once—landing such a promising boyfriend—but once she got closer and learned more, she realized the benefits were great, yet the troubles weren’t few.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a man is too successful, other women swarm him—it’s truly exhausting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm—only alcohol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li watched silently as Qin Lan returned, then extended his arm toward her nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I sometimes take off my coat when eating—should I let you sniff here too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who sniffed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan’s face flushed red; she firmly denied her actions, but Yan Li didn’t mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she smelled something, it didn’t matter—KTV was just playacting; a bit of perfume or hair scent was normal. He was spotless, unafraid of suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he’d truly done something wrong, he’d have cleaned up before coming home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Drank too much—head’s spinning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li groaned as he lay across Qin Lan’s thighs; she adjusted his position, then expertly extended her long fingers to massage his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, I checked the internet cafe accounts today—they’ve shifted slightly from last month, probably because the weather’s getting colder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm, slight fluctuations are normal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li closed his eyes, listening as Qin Lan chattered about the internet cafes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Xuan didn’t act; she taught at school and had her own life—she wouldn’t obsess over him daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similarly, Qin Lan didn’t act, and staying home all day wasn’t healthy—she needed something to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Women shouldn’t be too idle; too idle, and they start picking fights with men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li didn’t want Qin Lan involved in company affairs—it would create bad impressions internally and risk her running into Dong Xuan. He also wouldn’t let her handle anything too busy or tiring, so he’d designed for her a few trivial but undemanding tasks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being the internet cafe landlady was one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t need to do anything concrete—just occasionally check the shops, review the accounts, and provide some oversight. Three cafes were enough to keep her busy for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition, the new apartment Yan Li had previously arranged for Qin Lan to buy was fully entrusted to her for renovation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If workload remained insufficient, Yan Li was considering assigning her to collect rent on his other properties as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This tactic worked for Qin Lan—and could also be used on Dong Xuan: teach during the week, renovate and collect rent on weekends and holidays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The work wasn’t tiring, but it consumed time and energy, served the household, and earned money—both of them worked eagerly, their moods uplifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li himself hadn’t even realized property investment could serve this purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One move, multiple benefits—perfect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, Qin Lan’s fingers grew sore, so she switched from pressing to kneading, and brought up another matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ma Yi today called me—she broke up with that director, Guan Hu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li opened his eyes: “What does she mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li had invested in the drama “Survival: Migrant Workers,” and Ma Yi had been the one who introduced them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that she and Guan Hu had split, the intermediary was gone—was she pulling the ladder away?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She didn’t say much—just said she’d planned to invite us both to dinner to celebrate when the drama aired, but now that they’ve split, they can’t gather anymore, and she’ll thank us separately next time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, she said the breakup was private, she won’t be involved in this project anymore, but it won’t affect our cooperation—she just wanted to clarify in advance, hoping you wouldn’t overthink it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li closed his eyes again, pausing a moment before saying: “She’s far more tactful than those Guans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his intelligence network, how could he not know what these two thought privately?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Hu had directorial talent, but his personality and conduct Yan Li truly looked down on—he just didn’t bother to care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, Ma Yi, though shrewd and self-interested, conducted herself with propriety and polish—her evaluation from Yan Li was much higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li counted on his fingers, listing the key female roles in “My Fair Princess 3.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Yi and Ma Yi had both broken up with their partners within the past one or two years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Qinqin hadn’t had an easy time these past two years—involved with a provincial director, a producer, and even a rich second-generation, her name was constantly tied to gossip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Liu Tao—after “The Legend of the Condor Heroes,” she became a famous internet meme with Hu Jun, and was linked to rumors with Zhang Dahuizi—her love life was troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this production crew cursed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then he remembered Wang Yan, the actress who played Qing’er—she’d always been stable—and Yan Li felt reassured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Breakups and reunions were common in showbiz; not to mention in real life today, young men and women splitting up was routine—times had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Yan Li reached out and held Qin Lan’s hand: “Stay away from them. If you want to hang out, fine—but don’t listen to their nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One disagreement and they break up—such personalities around Qin Lan might, if anything happened, start whispering to her to cause trouble with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So often, the damage came from these so-called best friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not doing anything wrong—why worry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan laughed, pinching his nose: “Are you hiding something? Are you guilty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know whether I’m guilty or not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li didn’t counter, but instead started making silly faces, making Qin Lan press his nose into a pig’s snout; then she pulled out her phone to take a picture of him. Yan Li snatched the phone back and started taking the same ugly photos of Qin Lan—since they were going to look foolish, they’d do it together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It started with pressing his nose, but soon she pressed more places, and the location shifted from the living room to the bedroom……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Yan Li woke early to go to work. After he left, Qin Lan tidied up, then got into her red BMW 3 Series.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she needed a car to check accounts at internet cafes or supervise renovations, Yan Li bought her one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan picked the car herself. Yan Li refused anything too cheap; she didn’t want anything too expensive either, so she chose an entry-level BMW.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though entry-level, the on-road price was nearly 300,000 yuan—by today’s standards, it could still be called a luxury car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Notably, Yan Li also bought one for Dong Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It cost roughly the same as Qin Lan’s BMW 3 Series, but since Dong Xuan worked at a school and preferred to keep a low profile, he avoided flashy brands like Mercedes or BMW, opting instead for a minimalist Volvo S40.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To ordinary people who knew nothing about cars except a few brand logos, it probably looked like just a commuter vehicle—unaware it was worth as much as a small apartment in today’s Beijing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan drove to her and Yan Li’s new home to check on the renovation progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new home was very close to Guanghua Li—just over ten minutes by car—and was part of Shuangjing Fuli City, a newly launched development this year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This neighborhood was considered upscale in today’s Beijing: its main advantages were its newness and proximity to the CBD of Guomao, giving it clear geographic advantages; rumors said it had attracted many cultural celebrities and business figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The apartment Yan Li and Qin Lan bought wasn’t especially large—four bedrooms, over 170 square meters, total price exceeding two million yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d originally planned for a 140-square-meter unit, but once Yan Li had more money, he felt he couldn’t settle for less and upgraded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Beijing, a two-million-yuan apartment wasn’t especially expensive—multi-million-yuan mansions were no longer rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yan Li felt he was still building his career, not yet at the stage to indulge; since it was just the two of them, they’d get a decent place for now, live there a few years, then buy a mansion later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li saw this apartment as merely adequate, but Qin Lan was extremely satisfied—when she first saw it, she’d even felt dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a big house—how could they ever fill it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan was an actress, had seen the world, had filmed in villas before—but those were sets. This was her own home—completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without exaggeration, as she stared at the bare concrete shell, she’d already decided which room would be for her and Yan Li’s child—if they had a second, how to divide the rooms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uh, there was family planning—better to have twins right away, one boy, one girl……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these visions in mind, Qin Lan threw herself into the renovation with great enthusiasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She personally oversaw every detail—design, materials, construction. Even while filming “The Great Song Inspector,” she spent nearly as much time chatting with designers and contractors as Yan Li did, never finding it tiresome, gladly immersed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking through the new house several times, taking photos, she sent them to Yan Li as keepsakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By noon, Qin Lan left the new home, sat in her car, hesitated, then called Ma Yili.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her relationship with Ma Yili had never been especially close—just ordinary friends, even a bit distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after collaborating on the “Survival: Migrant Workers” project, out of gratitude and a desire to build ties, Ma Yili had frequently invited Qin Lan out; over time, their bond grew closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan’s personality was open and generous, yet inwardly delicate and gentle, skilled at caring for and accommodating others—so when she chose to, she easily made friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she had some reservations about Ma Yili as a person, she didn’t consider her a bad person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, they’d just be normal friends, with closeness determined by fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now that Ma Yili had broken up with her partner—and from what she heard, it had hurt deeply—Qin Lan couldn’t pretend she didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After texting Yan Li, Qin Lan decided to visit Ma Yili and comfort her……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2719,"2026-06-19T16:16:52.605Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","23a2eae862d78ec3eeb9dea926fe4b5bd4e4b91c588e1e8ea1e7541f4075a609","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-159","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-157",405,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-cover.jpg"]