Chapter 184: The Jade Pearl Civil War: Qin Zhihua vs. Fan Jinsuo

The wind calmed, the waves still.

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 felt especially potent this time.

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

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

As they whispered post-coital words, Yan Li's phone vibrated. He picked it up, glanced, 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 his teasing tone and wanted to retaliate, but her body felt limp—she could only mutter.

"No need."

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

"Hey, how are the crew members?"

Qin Lan casually inquired about the crew—on the surface asking if they were friendly, 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 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:

"... an Bingbing is our company's future core artist. She's currently entangled in rumors with me, and everyone on set is watching—so give her some face."

Qin Lan eyed him suspiciously, thinking of 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 reached for them later, after the fact.

"Heh."

Qin Lan ignored 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 playfully: "Don't imagine things. She works for us—don't you treat her well? Our company has few resources; if we're cruel, she'll leave."

"Who's cruel?"

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

Top sellers get privileges—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 flattered her as boss's wife—he had her exactly where he wanted.

Of course, it also had to do with Qin Lan's own nature—not one to bully others—and her tendency to listen to Yan Li.

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

Qin Lan added firmly—though soft-spoken, she wasn't a pushover; she wouldn't pick fights, but others shouldn't provoke her either.

"Of course."

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

…

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

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

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

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

But until now, she hadn't known Qin Lan was connected to Yan Li.

They'd never acted together before—she seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Probably that dog had been chasing some stray meat.

Tsk~

Appearance? Acceptable.

Figure? Decent.

Demeanor? Fine.

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

Hmph. To ditch her for this? Fine—three days he won't climb onto her bed.

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

She'd known Fan Xiaopang was beautiful, but only now, face-to-face, did she truly grasp the woman's allure.

Oval face, peach-blossom eyes, radiant yet pure, every frown and smile magnetic.

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

Qin Lan knew this dog's tastes too well—Fan Xiaopang's smooth, porcelain skin triggered a Level One alert in her heart.

She sneakily glanced at Fan Xiaopang's feet, but the woman wore silk slippers—nothing visible.

Still, that face, that pale skin, that intoxicating aura—enough to make Qin Lan wary and uneasy.

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 employee? Or were they involved? Had this bastard switched affections, forgotten her, and favored this fox spirit?

Their mutual scrutiny accidentally caught each other's eyes—and a faint hostility flickered between them.

Fan Xiaopang's eyebrows lifted slightly; Qin Lan's heart sank. Both confirmed their suspicions.

"So there's something going on!"

"This isn't just a rumor!"

Fan Xiaopang stood and approached, extending her hand: "Hello, I'm Fan Bingbing."

Qin Lan shook it: "Hello, I'm Qin Lan."

Fan Xiaopang tucked a strand of hair behind her ear: "I've seen you in Zhihua—excellent. Aunt Qiongyao still knows how to pick actors."

【Knows how to pick actors? So she picked you—a fake, scheming vixen.】

Qin Lan's polite smile faded slightly as she replied: "Aunt Qiongyao also praised you for Jin Suo—said you had exceptional spirit, perfectly embodying the role."

【Acting like a senior? Just a 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: "Stay focused on filming. 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 touches what's mine."

"Heh."

Fan Xiaopang sneered and turned away, outwardly dismissive, inwardly unsettled.

With their status gap, Qin Lan dared to stand her ground so calmly—even with a hint of superiority—this defied logic.

She couldn't help glancing at Wang Ou beside her—this woman's cowed submission was the correct dynamic.

Qin Lan's heart was equally turbulent—she cursed that man inside out.

How brazen—this fox spirit had the nerve to act like the rightful wife, claiming Yan Li as hers.

She'd never dared do that herself!!!

Fan Xiaopang was so arrogant—Qin Lan didn't believe Yan Li didn't know. He was tacitly allowing it. What did this dog mean?!

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

"Sister Ou, what's going on?"

Wu Jiani was baffled—after so many days on set, she'd picked up some dynamics.

Yan Li had ties to both Fan Xiaopang and Wang Ou, but the former received more favor.

Wang Ou was no match—she could only sip scraps from Fan Xiaopang's table, stirring trouble between her and Yan Li, likely seeking backup.

Wu Jiani regretted it—had she known, she'd have flattered Fan Xiaopang. Now that Fan saw her close to Wang Ou, she'd grown cold toward her.

But then again, even if she'd flattered Fan Xiaopang, the woman wouldn't need backup—and with her domineering nature, Wu Jiani couldn't get near Yan Li anyway.

"Hmm…"

Wang Ou was equally confused—she didn't know where Qin Lan had come from, or where she got the nerve to challenge Fan Xiaopang.

But enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Wang Ou didn't care about Qin Lan's origins—if she was against Fan Xiaopang, Wang Ou would lend support.

"Just watch the show."

Adopting a big-sister stance to steady Wu Jiani's nerves, Wang Ou smiled warmly and approached Qin Lan, subtly bashing Fan Xiaopang.

"Ignore her. She's just like that—hard to get along with. I'm Wang Ou, playing Feng Lai on this set."

"Oh, you're the chicken spirit."

Qin Lan feigned sudden realization—nearly wiping the smile off Wang Ou's face.

This woman's nuts—she insults everyone she meets!

Wang Ou suppressed her emotions and continued to act friendly, but Qin Lan remained cold, responding half-heartedly.

She didn't like Fan Xiaopang, but she didn't like Wang Ou much either—perhaps even less.

After all, Fan Xiaopang had stirred up gossip with Yan Li, a mutual exploitation partnership; even if the two had something going, Fan might not be a good person, but Yan Li wasn't innocent either.

But Wang Ou, just a tiny model, could think of no other way to climb up except by seducing Yan Li with her looks.

Hmph!

Letting her play a seductress is spot on—she's all flirtatious, her name even has a "bird" in it, she's just a sexy hen.

Fan Xiaopang saw Wang Ou go to Qin Lan and get rebuffed, and couldn't help laughing out loud.

Wang Ou, already furious from Qin Lan's icy demeanor, heard Fan Xiaopang mocking her and finally snapped, storming off in anger.

One's a fox spirit, the other's a lunatic—neither is any good. Perfect if they tear each other apart; whoever wins or loses, she'd clap and cheer.

After Wang Ou left, Wu Jiani also grew restless. She held on for a while, then found an excuse to slip away. The makeup artists, sensing the oppressive atmosphere, all vanished after finishing their work.

Only two remained in the makeup room. Fan Xiaopang pulled out her phone right in front of Qin Lan, her voice suddenly sweet and sultry.

"Yan Zong, dinner with me tonight? Let's go to that Japanese place we went to last time."

Yan Li, who had just come to the Lu Xiaofeng Chronicles set for urgent business, lowered the phone from his ear and glanced at the caller ID.

Is this really Fan Xiaopang?

This woman must've taken the wrong pills—her voice was dripping with sugar, and when had they ever eaten Japanese food together?

He hated Japanese food—overpriced, tasteless, and never filling. He'd tried it once and added it to his blacklist; if he wanted to eat, he'd rather buy some katsuobushi from a convenience store.

"I'm busy today. Next time."

Worried she'd pester him, Yan Li quickly hung up—but before he could put the phone in his pocket, it rang again. It was Qin Lan.

"Hey, 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, reserve the table. I'll come find you when I'm done."

Qin Lan had arrived, and just now—Yan Li had no choice but to accompany her, especially since she'd mentioned the restaurant that meant so much to them.

Back when they filmed The Heroes of Sui and Tang, Yan Li and Qin Lan often met for meals there, growing closer over time.

Qin Lan had been a fanatical admirer who dreamed of him—he'd even suspected the restaurant owner had slipped them something.

Now, thinking back, it had been nearly three years. Perfect chance to revisit the place, then take a stroll through the little grove after dinner.

Hmm… then watch the next two episodes of Huang Xiaoming's The Great Han Emperor…

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

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

"We'll see."

…

That night, Yan Li dined with Qin Lan at the old restaurant, then wandered hand-in-hand through the little grove.

Back at the hotel, Yan Li was about to play The Great Han Emperor when Qin Lan pulled out a black silk scarf and offered to blindfold him.

"What's this for?"

"Surprise."

"Oh!"

Yan Li grew curious. The last surprise Qin Lan had given him was a fishnet black silk stocking, bought for him by a friend in Japan—seductive, though too fragile to tear.

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

"Hurry up and cover your eyes."

Qin Lan blindfolded Yan Li and made him lie down. Suddenly, his wrists tightened—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 rough tonight."

"Stop talking."

Qin Lan tied both his wrists, then wrapped silk stockings around his ankles.

Yan Li sensed something was wrong. He called her pet name: "Lanlan, stop playing—I still have an urgent document to handle."

Qin Lan removed the blindfold, holding in her hand the small straight stick Yan Li had just picked up from the grove, her face icy.

"Mine is more urgent."

————

PS: Today's got 7000+ words, short by 1000—I'll make it up tomorrow.

(End of Chapter)