Chapter 174: I'm Not Pretending Anymore—I'm the Scumbag, So What?

Where the hell did this fucking feather come from?

Yan Li stared at the online news, his temples throbbing faintly.

A rogue came out of nowhere—what a nuisance.

Wu Maowen frowned: "Bro, should I head back to Jingcheng and find the guy to delete the post?"

Fuck, this asshole talks too much—get a buddy, grab a drink, and send him off in a dump truck.

"Deleting it won't help—it's already spread everywhere."

Yan Li checked the byline 【Wei Yang】 and felt the name was oddly familiar; he searched the system and actually found the person.

So it's him!

No wonder this article dug up so much about him—back when the Southern Metropolis Daily exposed his stock trading rise, this guy was behind it.

With this skill, it's a waste he's not a cop.

Yan Li couldn't help reading the article again; this guy was either smart or had been watching him for a while, probably trying to dig up dirt all along.

He went through every female actress he'd worked with, then zeroed in on Dong Xuan, who had the most overlap and was from the same class at North Film.

Then he targeted North Film, gathering testimonies and details from multiple sources about Dong Xuan's campus romance with Yan Li, even boldly speculating they'd broken up.

If the system hadn't triggered and if many details didn't mismatch, Yan Li would've suspected he'd been betrayed.

But honestly, his relationship with Dong Xuan wasn't exactly a secret.

Everyone at North Film and the Seven Fairies crew knew; even Qin Lan had sensed something, let alone those with intent.

Someone had leaked it before, but it didn't make waves.

Unless it's a explosive rumor, if every random online comment were true, there'd be gossip everywhere.

Especially compared to Yan Li and Shuang Bing's hype—those were real paparazzi photos, crystal-clear images, "ironclad evidence," which is why they attracted so much attention.

You say Yan Li and Dong Xuan had a campus romance? I say he hired Liu Xiaoqing to play the Queen Mother and they had a secret age-gap friendship.

But Wei Yang's article was different—it kept climbing in clicks because the research was meticulous.

The content was detailed, the timeline clear, backed by multiple witnesses and specifics, making you naturally believe it.

Most crucially, this guy somehow got a photo of Yan Li and Dong Xuan rehearsing in the North Film rehearsal room; though it was just a casual break photo, combined with the article, its authenticity skyrocketed.

This level of exposure isn't comparable to vague, half-baked rumors.

Dong Xuan, Yan Li had expected—she'd eventually surface—but this guy digging up Huang Shengyi? He really had some balls.

Of course, Yan Li's affair with Huang Shengyi was known to almost no one, with no traces.

He probably heard a rumor somewhere, then embellished it—no solid evidence or corroboration, just trying to grab eyeballs.

After all, Dong Xuan alone wasn't enough to shock; add a Star Girl, and the topic instantly jumped several levels.

Huang Shengyi had no proof, but because Dong Xuan's story was so detailed, readers unconsciously assumed Huang and Yan Li were involved too.

After all, he'd already bagged Shuang Bing—adding a Star Girl junior was perfectly plausible.

Not just Huang Shengyi—some even guessed Liu Tianxian from North Film's 2002 class might've fallen victim to this bastard Yan.

Fucking Chusheng!

Yan Li found it unbearable. He accepted Huang Shengyi, even two more juniors didn't bother him—but Liu Tianxian? No.

She's a minor! Now he's getting dragged into this!

As he read the article, Yan Li's phone rang—it was Dong Xuan. She'd heard the news and was calling to ask what to do.

Yan Li was troubled.

Denying it sounded stubborn and unfair to Dong Xuan.

Admitting it would throw everything into chaos and destroy the "Shuang Bing Competes for Yan" hype.

Shuang Bing Compete for Yan—he feared triggering infighting among the Three Fairies, or worse, that all three might collapse into "Yan the Marquis with Seven."

This wasn't Yan Li being paranoid—similar comments already existed online.

【I thought there were two, turns out there was another—no, two more!】

【You thought there were two hidden, but maybe there are more—check the Lu Xiaofeng Chronicles news: Four Fairies and Six Fairies both showed up. Would Yan the Dog let them film two dramas unless he'd messed with them?】

【Damn, my goddess—now I can't watch Seven Fairies without thinking of this.】

【Holy shit, I thought this was a myth drama, turns out it's palace intrigue.】

【Before it was a love triangle—Yan Li was mainland Xie Tingfeng. That little Xie? What a joke. This guy's mainland Fángshì Lóng.】

【Shuang Bing, Goddess Dragon, Du Bingyan, Star Girl, Mu Wanqing—this quality isn't worse than Li Yapeng.】

【Don't compare this soft-porn guy to him—he's just groveling for women's favor. Yan Li's the real man.】

【Yan the Dog, ********, may you die a miserable death********, playing with women, *****, ****】

【Why are you all jealous? Yan Li's handsome, rich, capable, generous with money and resources—of course women like him. If I met him, I couldn't resist either.】

【Even if you met him, you'd have to wait in line—he's already close to double digits.】

【……】

After discussing it, Yan Li and Dong Xuan agreed on a half-admission: acknowledge the romance, but claim they'd broken up and were now just friends.

That way, Dong Xuan gets distanced first, the heat goes to Shuang Bing, and they leave a loophole—maybe they'll reconcile later.

After a long journey, you return to the same person—some people actually love that trope.

Any other narrative, they'd all funnel toward Yan Li. He'd realized his reputation was ruined anyway, so he might as well become a "trash bin"—he didn't rely on acting anyway.

After the discussion, Yan Li directly arranged Yi An to contact the media and issue a statement in Dong Xuan's name.

Meanwhile, Yang Xue, Jiang Xin, Hu Siyan, Li Lin, and others were ready to appear and clarify.

In short, Boss Yan hadn't "one-man-seven"—at most three, two of them on set, and he'd stick firmly to Shuang Bing Compete for Yan.

Yan Li also had someone notify Huang Shengyi's company, Starlight, telling them not to respond—or just a simple denial would suffice.

Since there wasn't much on Huang, ignoring it would keep the heat off her.

Huang Shengyi's pure, ethereal image was precisely the "pure girl" route she was pursuing; Yan Li figured neither she nor her company would get involved in this mess.

Yan Li's assumption was correct—Starlight did exactly that—but both sides overlooked Huang Shengyi herself.

This girl? She was missing a few brain cells.

Hard to say whether she wanted to ride the hype, resented Yan Li dumping her, or was angry about her company's "pure girl" image and resources.

Either way, Huang Shengyi secretly gave an interview without her company's knowledge and admitted she'd once dated Yan Li.

Of course, she wasn't stupid enough to reveal their real relationship—she used a vague, indirect phrasing.

"We're not in contact anymore. All I can say is, thank you for the beautiful moments we once had."

"………"

When Yan Li saw Huang Shengyi's news—even though the system had hinted at it—he still couldn't understand her logic.

He himself was past caring—too many sins to count, too many debts to worry about; adding one more Star Girl wouldn't kill him, at worst he'd get scolded by Qin Lan and Dong Xuan.

But Huang Shengyi was on the pure girl path—linking herself to this "dirty bastard"? That's self-destruction.

Hate him? Be angry at the company? Even if you just wanted hype—why go this extreme?

Pure girl? Self-expose an old romance? Why not just film in men's clothing?!

But regardless, two ex-lovers, two new flames, cemented Yan Li's label as a "player," making him the envy, jealousy, and hatred of countless people.

Just thinking of this bastard—having had Dong Xuan, dug up Huang Shengyi, bedded Shuang Bing—everyone wanted to flay him alive…

————

Outside, chaos raged, but Yan Li himself remained calm.

These days, cheating was common—he just had more relationships, no big deal.

Look at Li Yapeng of the Four Young Leads and Zhou Young Master of the Four Young Beauties—their love lives weren't any less messy.

Even earlier in Xiangjiang, openly juggling two women wasn't unheard of—big brothers led by example, committing "the mistakes all men make."

Compared to them, Yan Li was practically a good kid.

At most, his hype generated more noise and more backlash—but no one would ban him.

Even if banned, fine—he'd just quit acting. What did he care?

Yan Li realized he'd overthought things before, scared by the system's "bad guy scandals"—but they were completely different.

They pretended to be good men, then cheated after marriage—that's why they collapsed. He didn't pretend, didn't marry—problem solved.

So exposure was perfect—no need to hide anymore. I'm lustful, I'm romantic, I'm juggling two women.

Not marrying isn't illegal—no one can touch me!

Turning into a bastard was just a thought away—and suddenly, the world felt wide open.

Yan Li felt he'd shed the shackles of traditional morality and public opinion, reaching a new, authentic, pure state.

"…"

But while Yan Li stayed calm, others couldn't escape the mundane—even Fan Xiaopang, on the set of The Investiture of the Gods, couldn't help giving him a thumbs-up.

"Boss Yan, your mental strength is incredible."

"Not bad. I'll teach you later."

Yan Li glanced at Fan Xiaopang—this guy was still growing, hadn't cultivated yet.

According to the system, Fan Xiaopang had been emotionally down after seeing online attacks, even showing signs of insomnia.

Understandable—he was only in his early twenties, previously had some controversy but mostly followed the normal female star path, even had decent reputation among young actresses.

Which of the Four Young Beauties didn't fight through blood and fire to rise?

Fame brings trouble!

Once you rise, even saints get doused in filth—let alone ordinary people scrambling in the world of fame and fortune.

As long as Fan Xiaopang climbs higher, she'll inevitably face endless controversies.

Yan Li pondered finding a suitable opportunity to pep up Fan Xiaopang, stir his spirit, dispel his hesitation, and reignite his drive.

So sometimes Yan Li felt Wang Jinghua was absolutely right—he was born to be an agent.

No matter how well other agents performed, how carefully they cared for their artists, or how effectively they secured resources, they rarely understood the artist's inner world.

Yan Li could secure resources, devise strategies and marketing plans, and also act as a trusted big brother to soothe and comfort artists' emotions.

Honestly, even he himself wanted an agent like this.

Fan Xiaopang didn't know what Yan Li was thinking, but she truly admired his calmness—he was nearly the entertainment industry's number one player, yet still managed to smile.

"Hey, are you really involved with that Huang?"

Fan Xiaopang couldn't resist gossiping—she knew Huang Shengyi; besides Kung Fu, when Dong Xuan led the team to provoke Tianxia Diyi, she was the frontline pioneer.

But back then, Dong Xuan's implication was that Huang hadn't succeeded—she'd been put in her place—yet now Huang openly admitted to having dated Yan Li.

Hmm, little Dong isn't up to par.

Fan Xiaopang figured Dong Xuan must be regretting now that she hadn't gone after Huang Shengyi during Tianxia Diyi.

Yan Li avoided answering—when a woman had a relationship with him, he wouldn't tell anyone; if she told others himself, he might not even acknowledge it.

He wouldn't deny his involvement with Huang Shengyi or publicly humiliate her, but he also didn't want to invite trouble.

Dong Xuan now wanted to tear him apart!

No way around it—she hated Huang Shengyi most of all, and blamed her entirely for all the setbacks since their breakup.

Yan Li sleeping with Li Bing didn't bother her, but Huang Shengyi? If not for her remaining sanity, Dong Xuan would've already jumped out and ripped her apart.

Besides Dong Xuan, Qin Lan was another headache.

She knew about Dong Xuan, knew about the Li Bing rumors, had heard of Wang Ou, but knew nothing about Huang Shengyi.

She now couldn't even tell who was Yan Li's real "ex-girlfriend."

Or worse—could there be two ex-girlfriends?!

If not for other matters demanding attention, Qin Lan would've already stormed to Hengdian—Yan Li wasn't worried about outside troubles, but he was already dreading how to soothe her later.

The system showed both were furious, especially Qin Lan—since Dong, Huang, and Li Bing were all "public," only she remained nameless and invisible, filled with anger and grievance, crying in private.

Yan Li even blamed the leaker Wei Yang—a useless fool, couldn't even dig up one more secret.

He wanted to expose Qin Lan too, blow everything wide open, then rebuild from the ruins, slowly cleaning up the mess himself.

Right now, stuck in this half-dead state, it was unbearable.

As they chatted, Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang's makeup and styling were finished.

The costume and makeup team for Fengshen Bang was decent, and since Lu Xiaofeng Chuanqi also needed staff, the show's styling was largely handled by the Fengshen Bang crew.

But Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang received slightly better treatment—besides the Fengshen Bang team, Yi An also sent people to assist.

Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Xianyu was famed for its exquisite costumes and makeup; the Seven Fairies each had unique, breathtaking looks, and Yi An's team led by Wang Xiu became instantly renowned.

This collaboration was a powerhouse union, determined to perfect Yan Li and Da Ji's costumes and styling.

Yan Li benefited purely as the boss; Fan Xiaopang was highlighted for her "beauty that brings ruin," while Yi An planned to aggressively package her allure.

Yi An had a clear plan for Fan Xiaopang's career path and personal branding.

Even the roles she was cast in—Da Ji in Fengshen Bang and Xue Bing in Lu Xiaofeng Chuanqi—weren't chosen randomly.

Fan Xiaopang's first label going forward would be 【Beauty】—beauty that topples nations, beauty that captivates cities, beauty that dominates utterly, emphasizing a world ruled by her face.

Not only would her everyday image emphasize this, but every role she chose would be famed for beauty—like Da Ji and Xue Bing she now portrayed.

Even before the drama aired, press releases were brewing: "Corrupting Concubine," "Most Beautiful Da Ji," "Most Beautiful Woman in Gu Long Drama."

Future roles for Fan Xiaopang would follow the same path—Yang Guifei, Wu Zetian, Diaochan—whatever was beautiful, she'd play, pushing this advantage to its extreme.

So that when anyone heard "Fan Bingbing," they'd think "beauty," turning her name into a synonym for gorgeousness.

Then no one in the entertainment industry could ever ignore her!

Of course, this strategy would inevitably offend people—Fan Xiaopang might be isolated by other actresses, her acting range restricted, her image thin, and her transition harder.

At the same time, such aggressive, overpowering beauty might trigger female resentment, discourage female fans, and even alienate some male viewers.

The company would need to mitigate and compensate for these side effects later.

If her acting range was limited, throw resources at it—smash the boundaries open.

If she couldn't easily attract fans, find another way—build a second fan-attracting label beyond 【Beauty】.

But for now, these later side effects were set aside—first, get Fan Xiaopang famous; without fame, nothing else mattered.

Thus, Yi An placed great importance on Fan Xiaopang's Da Ji costume and makeup for Fengshen Bang, striving for perfection, and Yan Li secured the budget for the crew.

Da Ji had over a hundred costumes and more than forty distinct looks—some soft and alluring, some seductive, some pure, some noble, some cruel.

To put it plainly, the effort poured into her costume and makeup was enough to justify calling it "The Legend of Da Ji."

In comparison, Yan Li, as the boss, was far worse off—only a dozen or so outfits.

But as investor and boss, his looks were fewer yet carefully crafted, with high quality.

He rejected the crew's original spiked hair, dressing primarily in black and ink tones, with gold, red, and jade accents to highlight the emperor's splendor and majesty, his early heroism, and of course, some decadence and debauchery.

Under Wang Xiu's strong persuasion, Yan Li was forced to show some skin.

Long hair cascading over his shoulders, short beard on his jaw, rugged features, broad shoulders, tall frame, barefoot, wearing a black silk robe with subtle patterns, loosely open at the chest to reveal a well-built, sculpted torso—heroic and domineering, yet brimming with raw charisma.

He glanced in the mirror, somewhat satisfied, yet felt it was a bit too "lewd."

"Is this… okay?"

Yan Li turned to ask Fan Xiaopang, who nodded, silently glancing at his abs, lips slightly pursed.

This bastard, cleaned up, was actually sexy!

Wang Ou, who had just entered, stared at Yan Li's look, her eyes glistening; Wu Jiani, unfamiliar with Yan Li, was slightly shy but stole several glances; the female makeup artists and crew members showed no restraint, their gazes burning.

"Cough. Cough."

Yan Li subtly pulled his robe tighter, covering his chest and abdomen, instantly seeing a sea of disappointed eyes.

Damn, a bunch of female hooligans…

———

PS: Ten thousand characters~

(End of Chapter)