Chapter 184

The wind calmed, the waves settled.

Yan Li draped his arm around Qin Lan's smooth, fragrant shoulder and glanced at the messy sofa beside them, a hint of pride in his eyes.

"Luckily I had foresight—otherwise we'd have to switch rooms."

"Don't talk."

Qin Lan reached out and covered his mouth, deeply embarrassed, her ears flushed red—perhaps because of their reunion, her water magic was especially potent this time.

Yan Li laughed heartily; though they were long-married, Qin Lan still sometimes held back in these matters.

But that's precisely what made it special—he loved teasing her when she blushed.

As they whispered postlude words, Yan Li's phone vibrated. He picked it up, glanced at it, and answered.

"Mm, I'll be back tomorrow. Good."

After hanging up, Yan Li turned to Qin Lan and smiled: "Can you report for duty tomorrow? Otherwise, I'll take you a day off and let you rest in the city."

Qin Lan caught the mockery in his tone and wanted to retaliate, but her body felt limp—she could only mutter.

"No need."

Though her stamina was weak, her recovery was decent—she could just drink more water if needed.

"Hey, how are the crew members to get along with?"

Qin Lan casually inquired about the crew—on the surface asking about their friendliness, but in truth probing Yan Li for intel.

Like who had connections, who to avoid, and… whether Yan Li had been flirting with any fox spirits.

"You're the boss's wife—whether they're easy to get along with is their problem."

Yan Li rested his chin on Qin Lan's fragrant shoulder, declaring his stance with authority. Qin Lan was pleased with his answer and rewarded him with a sweet kiss.

"But…"

Yan Li accepted it all, yet after a moment's thought, he added one more line.

"... Fan Bingbing is our company's future core artist, and she's currently entangled in rumors with me—the entire crew is watching. Give her some face."

Qin Lan eyed him suspiciously, recalling Wang Ou: "You didn't go for the neighbor's grass again, did you?"

"What do you mean 'again'? When have I ever gone for the neighbor's grass?"

Strictly speaking, whether it was Wang Ou or Fan Xiaopang, Yan Li hadn't been with them as Yi'an's husband—he only pulled them to the nest afterward.

"Heh."

Qin Lan refused to engage him—she hadn't even settled accounts with Huang Shengyi yet, and this bastard spoke less than half the truth.

"Don't be sarcastic."

Yan Li slapped her butt impatiently: "Don't go imagining things—she works for us. Don't you treat her well? Our company has few resources—if you're cruel, she'll leave."

"Who's cruel?"

Qin Lan muttered under her breath, but she took his words to heart.

Top sellers get perks—she understood.

Because her career offered Yan Li little help, Qin Lan and Dong Xuan both held to a principle: never drag his career down.

Yan Li invoked the company and crowned her with the title of "boss's wife"—he had her exactly where he wanted.

Of course, this also had to do with Qin Lan's own gentle nature and her tendency to listen to Yan Li.

"But if I give her face, she'd better give me face too."

Qin Lan added her own emphasis—though soft-spoken, she wasn't a pushover; she wouldn't bully others, but neither would she let others bully her.

"Of course."

Yan Li kissed her: "Whoever picks on you, I'll slap them."

…

The next day, at the "Fengshen Bang" set, Qin Lan, portraying Empress Jiang, officially reported for duty, and later met the Three Demons of Xuanyuan in the makeup room.

Empress Jiang had little screen time—she was the first boss Daji encountered upon entering the palace; only after Daji killed her and became the sole favorite would the other two demons be summoned to court.

So Qin Lan had no scenes with Wang Ou or Wu Jiayi—her only scene partner was Fan Xiaopang as Daji.

Fan Xiaopang silently sized up Qin Lan—she'd gone to pick her up the night before, hadn't returned, and now both arrived at the set the next day; she wasn't stupid, she knew exactly what had happened.

But before this, she truly hadn't known Qin Lan was connected to Yan Li.

They hadn't acted together before, right? It felt like she'd suddenly appeared—probably that dog man had been chasing some stray meat somewhere.

Tsk~

Her looks? Acceptable.

Her figure? Mediocre.

Her aura? Okay.

Fan Xiaopang rated Qin Lan a 75—slightly higher than Wang Ou, but not enough to take seriously.

Hmph. To abandon her for this mediocre thing? Fine—she'd make him unable to climb onto her bed for three days.

Qin Lan was also observing Fan Xiaopang, but unlike Fan Xiaopang's calmness, she felt considerable pressure.

She'd known Fan Xiaopang was beautiful before, but only now, face to face, did she truly grasp the depth of her beauty.

Oval face, peach-blossom eyes, dazzling yet untainted—every frown and smile was alluring.

Tall and graceful, slender yet subtly voluptuous—where it should be large, it was large; where it should be slender, it was slender. Most crucially, her skin was extremely pale.

Qin Lan knew too well what that dog man liked—Fan Xiaopang's smooth, milky skin triggered a level-one alert in her heart.

She secretly glanced at Fan Xiaopang's feet, but the actress wore silk slippers—nothing could be seen.

Still, that face, that pale, smooth flesh, and the intoxicating aura radiating from her were enough to make Qin Lan wary and troubled.

She recalled Yan Li's warning the night before not to clash with Fan Xiaopang—and began to suspect.

Was Yan Li just looking out for a top performer—or were they having an affair? Was that bastard switching affections, forgetting the old for the new, favoring this fox spirit?

The two sized each other up, accidentally meeting eyes, and caught a flicker of latent hostility.

Fan Xiaopang raised a delicate eyebrow; Qin Lan's heart sank. Each confirmed her suspicion.

"So there's something going on!"

"These two aren't just stirring up gossip!"

Fan Xiaopang stood, stepped forward, and extended her hand: "Hello, I'm Fan Bingbing."

Qin Lan shook her hand: "Hello, I'm Qin Lan."

Fan Xiaopang brushed a strand of hair behind her ear: "I've seen you as Zhihua. Very good. Aunt Qiongyao still knows how to pick actors."

【Knows how to pick actors, so she picked you—a fake, scheming witch】

Qin Lan's polite smile faded slightly as she replied: "Aunt Qiongyao also praised you as Jin Suo. She said you had exceptional spirit—your portrayal was spot-on."

【Playing the senior? A mere maid. Lucky you weren't in Part Three—or I'd be the one stabbing you.】

"..."

Fan Xiaopang's peach-blossom eyes narrowed, sharp and piercing; Qin Lan met her gaze calmly, unyielding.

After fifteen seconds, Fan Xiaopang withdrew her gaze and warned: "Stick to your role on set. Know your place. Don't touch what's not yours."

"Thank you for your concern."

Qin Lan's voice was gentle but firm: "I won't touch what belongs to others. And no one will touch what's mine."

"Heh."

Fan Xiaopang sneered, turned, and walked away—outwardly dismissive, inwardly uneasy.

Given their status gap, Qin Lan daring to stand her ground so coolly, even with an air of superiority, defied all logic.

She couldn't help glancing at Wang Ou beside her—this kind of cowed submission was the proper dynamic between them.

Qin Lan's inner world was equally turbulent; she cursed someone to hell and back.

So arrogant—this fox spirit had the nerve to act like the rightful wife, claiming Yan Li as her own.

I never did that!!!

Fan Bingbing is this domineering—she doesn't believe Yan Li is unaware. He's tacitly permitting it. What the hell does this dog-man mean?!

Both women were lost in thought, ignoring Wang Ou and Wu Jiani nearby, leaving the two feeling hurt and confused.

"Sister Ou, what's going on?"

Wu Jiani was baffled. After so many days on set, she'd picked up some of the dynamics.

Yan Li had ties with both Fan Bingbing and Wang Ou, but he favored the former.

Wang Ou wasn't even a contender—she could only scavenge scraps from Fan Bingbing's table, stirring trouble between her and Yan Li, probably to find an ally.

Wu Jiani regretted it. If she'd known, she'd have fawned over Fan Bingbing. Now Fan Bingbing, seeing her close to Wang Ou, had grown cold toward her.

But then again, if she'd fawned over Fan Bingbing, the woman wouldn't need an ally—she's too domineering. Even getting close to Yan Li would've been impossible.

"Hmm…"

Wang Ou was just as confused. She didn't understand where Qin Lan had come from—or where she got the nerve to challenge Fan Bingbing.

But an enemy's enemy is a friend.

Wang Ou didn't care about Qin Lan's origins. Since she was against Fan Bingbing, Wang Ou would lend her support.

"Just wait and watch the show."

Adopting a big-sister posture to steady Wu Jiani's nerves, Wang Ou smiled warmly and approached Qin Lan, slipping in a dig at Fan Bingbing.

"Ignore her. She's just like this—impossible to get along with. I'm Wang Ou. I play Fenglai on this set."

"Oh, you're the chicken spirit."

Qin Lan's expression lit up with sudden understanding—almost wiping the smile off Wang Ou's face.

Is this woman insane? She's insulting everyone she meets!

Wang Ou suppressed her emotions, continuing to project friendliness—but Qin Lan remained cold, replying half-heartedly.

She disliked Fan Bingbing, but she didn't like Wang Ou any better—in fact, she disliked her more.

After all, Fan Bingbing and Yan Li had stirred up rumors together—mutual exploitation. Even if they were involved, Fan might be no good, but Yan Li wasn't innocent either.

But Wang Ou? A minor model. Qin Lan couldn't imagine any other way she'd climbed up except by seducing Yan Li with her looks.

Hmph!

Giving her the role of the chicken spirit was perfect. So seductive, so flashy. Her name even had a "bird" in it—she's just a slutty chicken.

Fan Bingbing saw Wang Ou approach Qin Lan and get rebuffed, and couldn't help laughing out loud.

Wang Ou, already burning from Qin Lan's coldness, heard Fan Bingbing's mockery and finally snapped, storming off in fury.

One fox spirit, one lunatic—neither was decent. Perfect. Let them tear each other apart. She'd cheer for whoever won.

Once Wang Ou left, Wu Jiani grew restless. She held on for a while, then found an excuse to slip away. The makeup artists, sensing the oppressive atmosphere, quickly finished and vanished one by one.

The makeup room was left with only two people. Fan Bingbing pulled out her phone in front of Qin Lan, her voice suddenly sweet and soft.

"Yan Zong, dinner with me today? Let's go back to that Japanese place we went to before."

Yan Li, temporarily summoned to the Lu Xiaofeng Legend set for official business, lowered his phone from his ear and glanced at the caller ID.

Was this really Fan Bingbing?

This woman's lost her mind—her voice was dripping with sugar. And when had they ever eaten Japanese food together?

He hated Japanese food—overpriced, tasteless, and left you hungry. He'd tried it once and added it to his blacklist. If he wanted to eat, he'd rather grab some kantō-zushi from a convenience store.

"I'm busy today. Next time."

Afraid she'd pester him, he hung up immediately—but before he could slip the phone into his pocket, it rang again. Qin Lan was calling.

"Hello, honey, I'm craving that old restaurant we used to go to. When will you be done? I'll reserve a table."

Yan Li felt something was off, but couldn't quite place it—so he agreed.

Alright, you go book the table; I'll come find you after I'm done.

Qin Lan had arrived, and just now—Yan Li had to accompany her, both out of propriety and sentiment, especially since she mentioned that old restaurant, so meaningful to both of them.

Back when they filmed "Heroes of Sui and Tang," Yan Li and Qin Lan often met for meals at that restaurant, their relationship growing closer over time.

Qin Lan used to fantasize about him in her dreams; he even suspected the restaurant owner had slipped them something.

Now, thinking back, it's been nearly three years—perfect to revisit the old place, then take a stroll through the small grove after dinner.

Hmm, let's watch the next two episodes of Huang Xiaoming's "Emperor of Han"…

In the makeup room, Qin Lan closed her phone, gave Fan Xiaopang a sidelong glance, snorted, plugged in her earphones, and closed her eyes, leisurely listening to music.

Fan Xiaopang struggled to hold back his emotions, his fingers turning white from clenching, teeth gritted as he forced out three words.

"We'll see."

…

That night, Yan Li accompanied Qin Lan to the old restaurant, then wandered intimately through the small grove.

Back at the hotel, Yan Li was about to play "Emperor of Han," when Qin Lan pulled out a black cloth and demanded to blindfold him.

"What's this mean?"

"Surprise."

"Oh!"

Yan Li grew curious—last time Qin Lan surprised him, it was a fishnet black silk stocking she'd had a friend buy from Japan, incredibly alluring, though a bit too fragile to tear.

Was she ordering something else from Japan again? But why hadn't the system triggered?

"Hurry up and cover his eyes."

Qin Lan blindfolded Yan Li, made him lie down, then suddenly tightened his wrist—he frowned.

"What's this?"

"Acting dumb? You've seen porn before."

Qin Lan pouted, and Yan Li's face lit up: "You're playing so wild."

"Stop talking."

Qin Lan tied both of Yan Li's wrists, then wrapped silk stockings around his ankles.

Yan Li sensed something was off and called out her nickname: "Lanlan, stop playing—I still have an urgent document to handle."

Qin Lan removed the black cloth from Yan Li's eyes, holding in her hand the small straight stick he'd just picked up from the grove, her face icy.

"Mine is more urgent."

————

ps: Today I had things to do—over 7000 words, short by 1000; I'll make it up tomorrow.

(End of Chapter)