Chapter 185: A Man

Seeing Yan Li struggled briefly, but his feet were bound tightly, especially since both were tied together, leaving him little power to resist.

His wrists, however, were fine—Qin Lan had somehow found two thin ropes, thinner than his little finger, and tied them loosely enough that Seeing Yan Li still had a chance to slip free.

Realizing he wasn't in immediate danger of being killed by this woman, Seeing Yan Li grew calmer.

"If you're gonna play, use a smaller whip or something—this stick hurts."

"Good. That's the point."

Qin Lan, face cold, waved the small straight rod at Seeing Yan Li: "Speak. What's your real relationship with that Fan guy?"

"Colleague."

Qin Lan sneered: "So colleagues who sleep in the same bed, huh?"

Seeing Yan Li blinked: "Don't make accusations without proof."

Acknowledging something silently was one thing; admitting it outright was another. Uncertain of Qin Lan's stance, even if caught in bed, he could still grin and claim he was just rehearsing King Zhou and Su Daji's love scene.

"Hmph. You dare do it but won't admit it? She's already confessed—why are you still lying?"

Qin Lan tried to bluff Seeing Yan Li, but he wasn't fooled at all.

Since childhood, Seeing Yan Li had been mischievous and had been punished often—he'd long been hardened by his teachers and Zhang Hong.

After starting his business, he'd dealt with countless schemers and con artists; his auxiliary system had subjected him to endless interrogations, further refining him. His resistance to questioning was exceptional—no amateur like Qin Lan, not even a professional interrogator, could extract a word from him.

Confess and you're done for.

Resist and you'll be smiling.

"If you've got the guts, bring her here to confront me—let's settle this face to face. I… am utterly calm."

Qin Lan gritted her teeth. This bastard was relying on her unwillingness to break things open and playing the fool.

"What about Wang Ou?"

"I already said—he's a colleague too."

"What about Wu Jiani?"

"Ah, her—I also think she counts as a colleague, but a production crew colleague. The first two are company employees."

Qin Lan poked Seeing Yan Li with the small rod: "So all of them are perfectly innocent colleagues, right?"

"Yeah."

"You think I'm stupid? That seductive fox has already claimed to be your girlfriend."

Qin Lan couldn't take it anymore—she swung the wooden rod and struck Seeing Yan Li's buttock. He let out a shriek, writhing violently on the bed, his face turning red.

"… "

Qin Lan snapped: "I didn't even use any force."

To confirm, she struck her own palm with the same motion—no red mark, just a slight numbness, barely any pain, less than when she pinched herself normally.

Seeing Yan Li: "… "

Sorry, but he had a conditioned reaction to that little rod.

As a child, when he misbehaved, his father and Zhang Hong didn't go easy on him—he had to scream loudly to earn their affection.

Unable to keep up the act, Seeing Yan Li retorted: "You know I'm popular now—women throw themselves at me constantly. She's stirring up gossip with me to publicly fend off other women harassing me."

Qin Lan hadn't expected Seeing Yan Li to explain it like this—and upon hearing it, it actually made sense.

Fan Xiaopang was indeed the "Empress"—no wonder he was so confident.

But that was precisely what Qin Lan feared most: Dong Xuan had become the "ex-girlfriend," hiding quietly, while Fan Xiaopang was now publicly recognized as Seeing Yan Li's girlfriend. If this continued, she might eventually become the real one.

From how Fan Xiaopang carried herself, Qin Lan didn't think it was acting—she truly seemed to regard herself as Boss Yi'an's lady.

Dammit. She'd invited the wolf into the house!

Qin Lan slumped onto the edge of the bed, recalling how she'd always thought the rumor between Fan Bingbing and Seeing Yan Li was too risky.

But Seeing Yan Li had done it for the company's growth, and she had no valid reason to stop him—so she'd silently accepted it.

Now Fan Xiaopang had not only stirred up gossip but joined the company, and now she was going after the man, pressing closer step by step—Dong Xuan was already "out," and next was her.

Though Qin Lan constantly mocked Fan Xiaopang to her face, she was deeply wary—even somewhat intimidated.

Never mind her looks and demeanor, her fame dwarfed Qin Lan's, and crucially, she could advance Seeing Yan Li's career.

For a man still in his growth phase, this was extremely important!

And Qin Lan, aside from knowing Seeing Yan Li longer and having deeper feelings, had no advantage over Fan Xiaopang in any other aspect.

Qin Lan didn't want to give in—but could she even win?

Just as she sank into despair, her slender waist was suddenly wrapped in an arm. Startled, she instinctively swung the wooden rod.

Pah~

Seeing Yan Li winced, rubbing his chest: "Trying to murder your husband?"

"How did you get free?"

Qin Lan stared in shock as Seeing Yan Li freed his hands—he tugged the rope with his fingers.

"Next time, don't be lazy—either tie a proper knot or buy handcuffs. You think this is a TV drama? Tie someone up and assume they're helpless."

"Oh."

Qin Lan nodded, then turned and bolted for the door. She knew this bastard too well—stay, and you'd be punished.

Seeing Yan Li's feet were still bound and couldn't chase her, but he wasn't worried—he simply said calmly:

"If you run, I'll go sleep with Fan Bingbing."

"You dare."

Qin Lan immediately stopped and turned around. Whether she could win or not, she'd fight first—her man wasn't being handed over.

"Come here."

Seeing Yan Li patted the mattress. Qin Lan looked nervous: "I just hit you once—I'll let you hit me back. Don't go too far."

"Hurry up and come over."

Seeing Yan Li didn't answer, slapped the mattress again, raised his voice, and after a moment's hesitation, Qin Lan shuffled over reluctantly.

As soon as she got close, Seeing Yan Li pulled her down onto his lap: "Untie the silk stockings on my feet."

He was tall, and Qin Lan had tied them tightly—she really couldn't manage it herself.

Qin Lan had no choice; she obediently tried to untie them, but since they were bound so tight and her hands lacked strength, and Seeing Yan Li wouldn't let her use scissors, she had to use her teeth.

Seeing Yan Li watched her struggle with amusement, teasing: "Aren't you disgusted by my dirty feet anymore?"

Qin Lan looked up at his smug expression, embarrassed and furious—he'd been unfaithful, let that fox spirit flaunt herself in front of her, and now he was bullying her. Her chest tightened; she opened her mouth and bit down hard on his calf.

"Fuck."

This time, Qin Lan was truly angry and didn't hold back—she bit hard. Seeing Yan Li feared hurting her, yet it hurt too much; he dared not struggle, only begged.

"Sister, wife, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's bleeding."

Hearing "bleeding," Qin Lan loosened her grip and looked—though the tooth marks were clear, there was no actual blood.

"You lied to me."

Qin Lan bent down to bite again, but Seeing Yan Li pulled her close and kissed her: "Go ahead, bite me."

"Mmm, don't bite my tongue, or I'll bite you back."

As they kissed, Qin Lan's body grew softer; Seeing Yan Li whispered something in her ear, and she shook her head vigorously.

"No."

"You don't get to decide. You were so happy tying me up earlier—now it's my turn to play."

Seeing Yan Li snorted, took the rope and silk stockings Qin Lan had used, and bound her exactly how he wanted.

……

"My hands are all red."

After an hour and a half, Qin Lan rubbed her reddened wrists, pouting.

"Husband, kiss me."

Seeing Yan Li had just enjoyed a feast and was in high spirits; he kissed her wrists several times. Qin Lan took advantage, leaning forward to extend her feet as well.

"These are red too."

Seeing Yan Li glanced at her, kissed them a few times, then turned and kissed her on the head.

"Pfft."

Qin Lan spat—this dog of a man was cruel; he'd take any slight and demand repayment.

After their squabble, Qin Lan lay on Seeing Yan Li's chest, drawing circles, and muttered about Fan Xiaopang again.

Seeing Yan Li now understood what had happened—Fan Xiaopang's threat had been too intense, and Qin Lan had gone into a stress response.

Previously, whether it was Wang Ou or even Dong Xuan, Qin Lan hadn't reacted so strongly.

The former, she'd just seen as a gold-digging fox spirit, nothing serious, not worth worrying about.

The latter had the advantage of being his ex-girlfriend, a greater threat—but Qin Lan had confidence to stand up to her.

But facing Fan Xiaopang, she lacked confidence, lost her composure, and even bound Seeing Yan Li to interrogate him, trying to gauge his stance.

This wasn't a smart move—it was downright foolish. It looked strong, but backfired easily, proving Qin Lan's inner chaos, her inability to respond calmly.

"Uh…"

Seeing Yan Li knew, to some extent, what Dong and Qin were worried about, but he felt he could tell the difference between important and trivial, so he hadn't taken it seriously.

Now he thought about it—he'd truly ignored their feelings, and underestimated the pressure Fan Xiaopang had put on Qin and Dong.

How could they not speculate wildly when they couldn't read his mind?

Dong Xuan had at least interacted with Fan Xiaopang in Huan Tian Xi Di, considered herself the rightful wife, held a psychological advantage over Fan Xiaopang, and though now an "ex," her status was publicly acknowledged.

Qin Lan had no guarantees at all—Dong Xuan blocked her front, Fan Xiaopang watched from behind, and Wang Ou and Huang Shengyi were also stirring up trouble.

Her personality was outwardly tough but inwardly soft—of course she was panicked.

Seeing Yan Li held Qin Lan close, realizing he needed to give her some security, or else she'd keep obsessing over these conflicts and couldn't even sleep.

"What if I hire a paparazzo to leak our relationship, or you just come out and admit it yourself?"

The current girlfriend is more complicated, but Seeing Yan Li was willing to admit the "ex-girlfriend"—if all else failed, he'd just admit he was dating two women at once; he'd done it before.

At worst, Dong Xuan would be hard to appease, but Seeing Yan Li could handle it.

Qin Lan's greatest grievance and fear was receiving no acknowledgment from Seeing Yan Li; combined with other factors, this left her with profound insecurity.

"Aren't you afraid of getting scolded?"

Qin Lan was tempted, but didn't want to add trouble—he was currently "in the spotlight."

Shuang Bing, Dong Xuan, Huang Shengyi—four rising stars or current leading actresses—were all linked to him, creating massive controversy; adding her would make his reputation even worse.

"Let them scold. I don't care."

Seeing Yan Li was calm—four or five made no difference. Compared to him, the real trouble was Qin Lan.

Her career was going well; Da Song Ti Xing Guan was about to air and would boost her prospects further. If she got dragged into Seeing Yan Li's "harem," the pros and cons were clear.

Pros: massive exposure, even a chance to ride Shuang Bing's coattails and elevate her status.

Cons: she entered too late, at a sensitive time—whether as ex or current, she'd inevitably be scolded.

And don't forget—Qin Lan's most famous role was Zhi Hua, the classic concubine.

Under stereotype, even if she were the lawful wife, people would suspect she'd climbed up as a concubine; joining this chaos would make it impossible to explain.

This wasn't idle talk—everyone linked to Seeing Yan Li now had advantages, but also heavy backlash.

Shuang Bing, of course, weren't innocent themselves, and the marketing of their rivalry overall favored them more than hurt.

Fan Xiaopang, tied to the "concubine" label, was scolded a bit more severely, but that was expected and bearable.

Dong Xuan had the best position: first, Seeing Yan Li bore the blame, drawing fire away; second, by admitting she was the "ex," she distanced herself; third, their campus romance naturally earned sympathy, even subtly positioning her as a "victim."

Also, Dong Xuan's roles are more positive—Goddess Dragon and the Third Fairy are particularly likable, giving the public a favorable impression.

This is the importance of character and persona: Qin Lan is the villainous third party, while Dong Xuan becomes the devoted supporting heroine.

Huang Shengyi is currently the worst off.

She popped up on her own; Seeing Yan Li didn't refute or shut her down, which amounted to tacit approval—but he has no obligation to take the blame for her.

Huang herself is newly famous, with limited fans, and she got slapped hard—so she was besieged by both Fan Bingbing's and Dong Xuan's fans, accused of riding coattails.

Most critically, she's built her image as a pure, innocent girl; exposing a romance equals self-sabotage, damaging public perception and angering her company, which refuses to invest heavily in damage control.

Roughly estimated, if Qin Lan steps down, even with Seeing Yan Li fiercely protecting her, public pressure would be only slightly better than Huang Shengyi's.

Internally, Seeing Yan Li doesn't strongly support Qin Lan stepping down, but she keeps obsessing over being "completely unrelated" to him—so let it explode, he can just lie low for a while.

"Forget it, let's wait a little longer."

After much hesitation, Qin Lan still felt it wasn't right—she wasn't sure she could withstand the public pressure.

Besides, Seeing Yan Li has two dramas in the works with massive investments; if something went wrong because of her… Again, she couldn't help Seeing Yan Li, but she'd never drag him down.

"Can't you just not sign Fan Bingbing?"

Qin Lan convinced herself to stay hidden for now, but she still couldn't avoid Fan Xiaopang—this woman was too much of a threat.

Seeing Yan Li was deeply troubled: "... Everything's been set up. If we back out now, the losses would be huge. Besides, if we don't promote Fan Bingbing, who else in our company can carry the load? Wang Ou?"

"Isn't she good enough?"

Although Qin Lan despised Wang Ou, she feared Fan Xiaopang even more.

"She's not good enough—her conditions are nowhere near Fan's."

Seeing Yan Li knew this well—he'd been given Wang Ou's resume by the system—and understood Wang Ou could at best break into the top tier, but couldn't match Fan Xiaopang, a top-tier leading lady in the making.

"What about me?"

Qin Lan volunteered herself. Seeing Yan Li glanced at her: "Sweetheart, let's not compete with her."

"..."

Qin Lan couldn't hold back: "What does that mean? You think I'm not as good as her."

"Of course you are."

Seeing Yan Li didn't stutter—he kept soothing her: "But isn't it better if you just be my boss lady? Besides, if you're off shooting dramas every day, who'll keep me company?"

Hearing this, Qin Lan felt slightly dissatisfied—but also a little pleased.

From Seeing Yan Li's attitude, he still saw Fan Xiaopang as an employee.

She understood Seeing Yan Li—he had a touch of machismo, believed in men outside, women inside; he didn't oppose his partner having a career, but the focus must always be on him and family.

Fan Xiaopang's ambition didn't really fit Seeing Yan Li's ideal partner profile—in this aspect, Qin Lan had the upper hand.

But it wasn't certain—that fox was beautiful, knew how to charm men, and helped Seeing Yan Li's career; they worked side by side every day, growing closer over time—who knew if Seeing Yan Li wouldn't change his mind?

The more Qin Lan thought about it, the more miserable she felt—trapped between two impossible choices.

Seeing Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang were already on the same boat—it was hard to separate them. Acting against Fan Xiaopang would be inappropriate, damaging Seeing Yan Li's career layout and even his image; if mishandled, it'd just help her.

Ignoring it, though, couldn't guarantee they wouldn't grow closer—like slowly boiling a frog. By the time their bond deepened, it'd be a bigger problem.

Qin Lan couldn't find any good solution—finally, she teared up and bit Seeing Yan Li hard.

"You planned this all along. You're just picking on me."

This bastard knew she wouldn't leave—he kept testing her limits, didn't he fear she'd snap and walk away?

Seeing Yan Li felt unfairly accused—he admired Fan Xiaopang, and yes, he was drawn to her beauty, but he had no other intentions.

"You're being paranoid—maybe she doesn't even like me. She just sees me as her boss and friend."

"You think I'm blind?"

Qin Lan rolled her eyes—Fan Xiaopang's possessive behavior made it impossible to believe she had no feelings.

Women understand women.

Leaving aside Seeing Yan Li's wealth and ability, even on personal qualities alone—he was handsome, had an excellent physique, was strong and skilled in bed, generous and considerate to women. Though he had flaws, they were overshadowed by his advantages.

Any normal woman who interacted with him couldn't possibly remain unmoved—especially with all his halo effect amplifying his advantages countless times.

"Don't play dumb. Ask yourself honestly—can't you see her true feelings?"

Qin Lan knew Seeing Yan Li was skilled at reading people—his insight was sharp—but sometimes he pretended not to understand.

He awkwardly rubbed his nose and cleared his throat: "She told me she prioritizes her career, not romantic matters."

"Heh."

Qin Lan sneered—she prioritizes her career now because she's not famous yet. What then, when her career reaches a certain level?

"Fine, I'll keep my distance from her."

Seeing Yan Li made a concession, but to Qin Lan it was meaningless—she couldn't follow him everywhere; whether he was near or far still came down to his word alone.

"Then what do you suggest?"

Seeing Yan Li frowned slightly but asked patiently. Qin Lan thought for a moment, had no good idea, and muttered:

"I don't know."

Seeing Yan Li: "..."

He pulled Qin Lan close, stroked her eyes, trying to brush it off: "Let's sleep first. We'll figure it out when we think of something."

Qin Lan wasn't stupid: "No. We settle this today."

"Alright. I'll make sure you understand today—thoroughly."

Seeing Yan Li realized words alone wouldn't work—he needed to overpower her physically, exhaust her so she'd have no energy left to dwell on these problems, and then he'd have peace.

"No, I have shooting tomorrow."

"You bastard, you only use this to bully me."

"Easy..."

(End of Chapter)