Chapter 172: Clash Across the Void, Luxury Car Delivers Beauty, Jin Xin Strikes Again

《Fan Bingbing Declares She Is Not the Third Party; Li Bingbing Is the Later Arrival》

《The Two Bingbings Fully Break Down Over a Man; Fan Bingbing Strikes First》

《Acknowledging the Relationship? Securing the Diamond Bachelor, Fan Bingbing Is Elated》

《Fan Bingbing's New Drama Starts Filming; Yan Li Joins as Actor and Investor, Reuniting the Power Couple in Entertainment》

《Fan's Mother: They Might Be Discussing Work, Or They Might Not—You Can Imagine for Yourself》

《……》

Li Xue looked at the computer screen with disdain: "Stirring up gossip, even dragging in their own mother."

Li Bingbing hugged a hot water bottle, her expression odd; to be fair, her own scandal with Yan Li had given Li Xue, her own sister, no small amount of visibility.

"Sis, aren't you angry?"

Li Xue, seeing Li Bingbing so calm, felt helpless—this Fan Xiaopang had slipped in plenty of hidden barbs, subtly slandering and belittling Li Bingbing at every turn.

"Isn't this exactly what we expected?"

Li Bingbing took it in stride; they'd never gotten along due to internal resource competition, and after Yan Li suggested the Two Bingbings rivalry, their tension had only grown worse.

During "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," they would have torn each other apart long ago if not for considering the bigger picture.

That New Year's Eve collaboration might have been the last moment of harmony between the Two Bingbings…

Even in Li Bingbing's view, Fan Xiaopang's words were "milder" than she expected—probably because Yan Li was mindful of their sisterly feelings and didn't dare strike straight at the heart.

After all, no matter how much they clashed, they were rivals plus collaborators—not mortal enemies wishing each other dead.

To fight is enough to show conflict and generate buzz; no need to go for the kill.

"How should we respond?"

Li Xue pondered how to counter Fan Xiaopang, but Li Bingbing shook her head.

"We're more popular than her. If we argue with her, we lower ourselves—so we must maintain high ground and ignore her."

Of course, not true ignorance—true ignorance would kill the Two Bingbings rivalry and erase all exposure.

So, more accurately, it's "contempt"!

The response focused on: I'm hotter than you, you who debuted as a maid, what are you so proud of, and as for the Two Bingbings rivalry, who the hell are you, some lollipop?

Fan Xiaopang thinks she's winning in love? We'll crush her in her career.

"Sis, you've really come a long way."

Though Yan Li had said similar things before, the direction had never been this clear.

Li Xue was stunned—she hadn't expected her sister, now an award-winning actress, to have advanced so rapidly in marketing.

"Cough, you handle it."

Li Bingbing waved her hand awkwardly, then sat aside with her hot water bottle.

She herself had no such skill—but didn't she have a mastermind behind her?

She wouldn't let that bastard pile up all the credit!

Of course, Yan Li wasn't helping her for free—he could stoke Fan Xiaopang's ambition and make the hype even easier.

As always: one-sided imbalance is meaningless.

Yan Li risked being labeled the third party to let Fan Xiaopang dominate in love, so she could balance out Li Bingbing's overwhelming career advantage.

Thus, spring orchid and autumn chrysanthemum—each has its strengths, back-and-forth, neither yielding—only then does the Two Bingbings rivalry become compelling.

"Sis, I'm done. Does this work?"

Li Bingbing was called over by Li Xue, glanced at the screen—there was her official reply to the media.

"Too soft."

Li Bingbing shook her head, thought for a moment: "Leave the front unchanged—still no questions of right or wrong, just focus on being an actress. Change the back to… she says she's chasing—how? Does she chase with a big G?"

"Huh~"

Li Xue pursed her lips: "That's a bit too much."

The remark not only mocked Fan Xiaopang's career as merely trailing in her wake, but also subtly implied Fan was gold-digging and relying on men.

Li Bingbing shot her a glare: "So what if it's too much? Are you afraid of her?"

"It's mainly because of Yan Li…"

"Don't worry—I'll take the blame."

Li Bingbing snorted: "Whether it's contempt or ignoring, you can't feel the vibe without a few jabs."

After thinking it over, Li Xue decided it made sense—hype-driven rivalry needed some fire.

Don't forget, Li Bingbing is the "victim" now—she's got legitimate resentment, and everyone understands.

…

Before Fan Xiaopang's outburst had even faded from the front page, Li Bingbing's reply arrived.

The two hottest young actresses clashed across the void, dominating the entire entertainment section.

The heat and exposure surpassed even that of Qin Hailu, Li Xiang, and Zhou Jie.

The Two Jies had big names, but their exposure was accidental; Zhou Jielun went silent, doing everything to suppress the heat.

The other three made a big fuss, but their fame and status simply weren't enough.

The male lead was an outsider; Qin Hailu, though a Golden Horse winner, lacked real name recognition and popularity; only Li Xiang was somewhat stronger.

Yet none could match the combined force of the Two Bingbings, let alone Yan Li.

Two major opening dramas—Yan Li, solely as an actor, could already be called a rising young star.

His identity as producer and film boss, combined with multiple labels, made him more famous in media and industry circles than his acting role.

All three were at their peak, especially the Two Bingbings, who had deep ties—full of hooks—so their clash drew intense attention.

Not only did media and netizens go wild, but many stars were also drawn into the fray.

Some were forced, hounded by the media.

Take Ren Quan, who got along well with both Bing and Bing—after being harassed for a long time, he finally gave a reply that offended no one.

【I'm not entirely clear on the specifics, but I think it might be a misunderstanding; our relationships are still good, yes, everyone is a very nice person.】

Wang Jinghua, the agent for both Bings, naturally couldn't escape—it was all about "ignoring and asking nothing."

【I'm still learning the situation, but an artist's private life falls outside the company's jurisdiction—we can't interfere with who they break up with or date.】

Of course, while some tried to appease everyone, others took sides.

【I saw the news—I really admire Bingbing's (Fan Xiaopang) courage in pursuing love. Congratulations to our Jin Suo for finding her Liu Qing.】

Lin Xinru, who rose to fame alongside Fan in "The Return of the Pearl Princess," expressed her blessings to Fan Xiaopang in an interview.

But this blessing felt somehow off.

Yan Li, through his intelligence network, learned that Fan Xiaopang had privately cursed Lin Xinru to her face, even wishing she could buy a Ziwei poster and stab it with needles.

【I don't know her (Fan Xiaopang) well, but I've worked with Bingbing (Li Bingbing)—she's a generous, bold Miss, and an excellent actress.】

Chen Kun, who previously co-starred with Li Bingbing in the Wu Xia drama "Long Sword, Longing," answered reporters' questions during an event.

He had a good relationship with Li; though he only emphasized his impression of Li Bingbing, it still conveyed his stance.

Besides those forced or passive, there were also those who actively joined the frenzy.

For example, Huo Siyan from "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" went on at length about their sisterly bond during filming, citing many examples, then made grand promises.

【I'm planning to organize a gathering—let's all sit down privately and talk. We're sisters; there's no conflict we can't resolve.】

It sounded like she was well-connected, but in reality, the two Bings ignored her completely; Huo Siyan knew she was just riding the trend.

She offended no one—she just showed off.

No one would dare expose her by saying, "In 'Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies,' everyone had their own cliques and isolated and excluded her."

But this trend-riding behavior wasn't popular.

Not only did the two Bings escape, but Huo Siyan's sudden appearance drew media attention to the Seven Fairies, who were all questioned about the two Bings and Yan Li, and whether Fan Xiaopang had started the affair on set.

None of the Seven Fairies escaped—Dong Xuan nearly got sick from it.

Her own boyfriend was embroiled in rumors with two other women, and now the media came to her for details, asking what she thought.

What could she think!?

She wanted to grab a machine gun and gun down Huo Siyan, that troublemaking little bitch…

The Seven Fairies weren't spared, and the Four Little Divas with some connection to the two Bings were also pried open by the media.

Xiao Yanzi, who had been embroiled in a beating scandal last year, stayed cautious and said nothing: "Online rumors are too chaotic—I'll call Bingbing (Fan Xiaopang) privately first."

Zhang Ziyi opened with an international flair: "Sorry, I just got back from Hollywood—I don't know what happened."

Xu Jinglei displayed her scholarly aloofness: "Busy filming—I don't care about gossip."

Zhou Young Master feigned ignorance: "Uh… who's Yan Li?"

Whatever their responses, every word a celebrity uttered became a news story, adding more fuel to the fire.

Even the watching celebrities were this energetic—how much more so the two parties themselves, turning the scandal from entertainment front pages into an internet wildfire.

First, Fan Xiaopang posted on her blog a photo of herself sitting in a brand-new Mercedes G-Class holding the registration papers, then wrote a long essay subtly hinting the car was a "gift" from someone.

You say I'm a gold-digger who sleeps with men? I can get Yan Li to buy me a luxury car—what can you do?

Fan Xiaopang had a blog; so did Li Bingbing.

She posted a photo of herself on set, earnestly memorizing lines, then declared she was moving forward step by step—faster than any car.

Undoubtedly, Li Bingbing's blog showed greater depth and thought, but Fan Xiaopang's blog had far higher topic popularity.

It was just Li Bingbing's bad luck—the G-Class was meant for later promotional marketing, but she foolishly used it to insult Fan Xiaopang, directly hitting Fan's trigger.

A million-yuan car, to make a beauty smile!

In this era, such blatant spending may be vulgar, but it absolutely grabs attention.

Though many criticized this money-worshipping behavior, there were also plenty of genuine praises.

No matter how you dress it up, society is profit-driven and power-worshipping; the added value of money can change or even twist many people's thoughts and beliefs.

Yan Li was scolded for stepping on two boats, but after spending a million-yuan car, he became a wealthy, charming playboy.

Fan Xiaopang couldn't escape the labels of gold-digger and third party, yet many believed she was beautiful and worthy enough—otherwise, why would Yan Li spend so much on her?

Besides, Yan Li spending so much money proves it's "true love."

What woman could resist Yan Li's sincere pursuit? Not everyone supports it, but many understand.

Some even asked Li Bingbing: "What did Yan Li give you?"—this infuriated the Li sisters.

Li Bingbing was especially resentful—she also promoted herself, she also stacked up, yet she got nothing.

Could these two actually be involved?

Yan Li also felt he'd been neglecting Li Bingbing too much—he still needed her cooperation later; he couldn't just deal with her on business—he should give a gift, soothe her.

So the Li sisters each received a 1000-gram Jin Xin from Yan Li.

One symbolized trust and cooperation: Qixin.

The other symbolized co-creating a bright future: Xiongxin.

Li Xue adored the heavy Jin Xin, eager to say: "Sis, let's post it too."

"Uh."

Li Bingbing hesitated—this bastard was too generous, giving two at once; they didn't look newly made—what if that Fan girl had one too?

Li Xue was unsure too—if Fan Xiaopang suddenly pulled out one too, they'd get the heat but lose all face.

"Forget it. Give Yan Li face—keep pushing Fan's career, talk about the movie."

"Understood."

Li Xue nodded, turned to leave—Li Bingbing extended her hand: "Hand me your Jin Xin for safekeeping."

I won't lose it.

Hm?

Li Xue handed Jin Xin to her sister, then went to contact the team with slight dissatisfaction. Li Bingbing placed the two Jin Xins side by side and gently traced the carved character 【Yan】, letting out a cold snort.

Sending two? I know you haven't given up your scheming.

…

Achoo~

Yan Li rubbed his nose. Spring warmth had turned chilly again—someone must be gossiping about him.

Dong Xuan? Qin Lan? Fan Xiaopang? Wang Ou? Li Bingbing? Huang Shengyi?

It couldn't be Jiang Shan, could it?!

—————

ps: A bit stuck—count it as 6000, tomorrow's chapter will be 10,000.

(End of Chapter)