Chapter 188: Three Actors Didn

Hengdian, "The Investiture of the Gods" production team

Today, two entertainment news program crews arrived at the set to film behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, aiming to sustain the TV drama's momentum.

This was routine for Yan Li—whether on "Lu Xiaofeng Legends" or "The Investiture of the Gods," media visits were always part of the plan; the higher-profile former even established fixed media open days.

This high-frequency exposure undeniably boosted the TV drama's promotion, and even some actors benefited significantly.

Of course, there were downsides: increased publicity costs, audience fatigue, and heavy public scrutiny and performance pressure, among others.

But overall, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks, especially for producers—the greater the influence of the TV drama, the higher its selling price.

Even the initial tentative offers from the first batch of TV stations Yan Li contacted were enough to make other dramas with no publicity envious.

Cheng Lidong had previously objected, thinking Yan Li's approach brought too many side tasks, expenses, and pressure—but after seeing the results, he became enthusiastically cooperative.

Yan Li could spend, but he could also earn.

Previously, Cheng Lidong had held some seniority-based attitudes toward Yan Li; the longer he worked with him, the more he understood why Yan Li became a billionaire in just two years.

Although "The Investiture of the Gods" was primarily controlled by Yongle, and Cheng Lidong was the executive producer and director, Yan Li was merely one of the producers.

But as filming progressed, Yan Li gradually became the core of the entire crew; many senior and mid-level staff on the "Investiture of the Gods" set knew that Yan Zong's words carried more weight than Cheng Zong's.

This was even without Yan Li leveraging his investor status.

After all, most of the set's funding came from him, and all investors stood firmly on Yan Li's side.

Fortunately, Yan Li was still busy with "Lu Xiaofeng Legends," and he still needed to devote part of his energy to acting in "The Investiture of the Gods," otherwise Cheng Lidong would have nearly become a puppet.

A petty-minded person, faced with Yan Li's dominance, might have harbored deep resentment.

Old Cheng, however, was fine; it wasn't realistic to expect zero friction, but since he was still new to entrepreneurship, under pressure and lacking confidence, having Yan Li as his "pillar" actually eased his mind, allowing him to feel relatively at ease and accept his supporting role well.

This was also because he was easygoing—only then could Yan Li be so "reckless."

If he'd partnered with someone sensitive or dominant, Yan Li would have been more cautious, avoiding "overstepping his bounds" to prevent conflict and disrupt the project.

Reading people and adjusting accordingly was one of Boss Yan's signature skills…

…

Yan Li recorded a short segment, then handed the spotlight to the other actors.

Fan Xiaopang naturally took center stage, but Qin Lan also subtly asserted her presence, earning considerable media attention.

Don't misunderstand—she and Yan Li had not gone public, nor had she publicly feuded with Fan Xiaopang.

Her popularity stemmed from the fact that her lead role in "The Great Song Inspector" was currently airing to high ratings on CCTV.

After its premiere, the drama maintained consistently high viewership; statistics showed its average ratings for the first and second weeks were 7.09% and 7.85% respectively, with peak ratings even surpassing "News Broadcast."

However, this claim was somewhat questionable, possibly due to inconsistent measurement methods or media exaggeration.

But regardless, the drama's performance placed it firmly in CCTV's top tier for the year, surpassed only by "Emperor Wu of Han."

The drama's explosive viewership brought substantial benefits to its cast.

He Bing, the male lead, was no longer just the sidekick to Ge Daye in "A Good Man," and following colleagues like Song Dandan, Pu Cunxin, Liang Guanhua, and Feng Yuanzheng, he had become another representative actor of the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Although Qin Lan, the female lead, didn't shine as brightly as He Bing, the drama's popularity gave her a major platform to impress the national audience.

The most direct benefit was that people's perception of Qin Lan was no longer limited to the delicate and treacherous Zhihua—she now also embodied Yinggu, a resilient, intelligent, and Value Emotions Deeply character.

Moreover, this role, due to her exceptional abilities and close cooperation with the male lead, stood out as a highly capable assistant amid the prevalent tide of melodramatic, spoiled, and empty-headed female leads.

She received widespread recognition and praise from media and audiences, and her fame and popularity rose visibly and rapidly.

Simultaneously, having successfully portrayed two distinct roles—Zhihua and Yinggu—demonstrating solid acting skills, combined with her naturally impressive appearance and demeanor, some media had already placed Qin Lan in the category of 【Qingyi】.

Since there were rankings like "Four Little Flower Dams" and "Four Little Leading Men," someone naturally proposed a "Four Little Qingyi."

Around last year, someone organized an online vote that named Miao Fu, Li Bingbing, Li Xiaoran, and Sun Li as the Four Little Qingyi.

However, due to vast differences in fame, development paths, and styles, these so-called Four Little Qingyi never socialized together.

Li Bingbing, for one, looked down on the title; aiming to match the Four Little Flower Dams, she had previously promoted the "Two Bings" pairing with Fan Bingbing; Sun Li, meanwhile, followed the Flower Dam path and paid little heed to the title.

In the end, only Li Xiaoran and Miao Fu consistently carried the title—even later, Li stopped using it, leaving only Miao.

As a result, people mocked it, saying the "Four Little Qingyi" was self-directed and self-staged by Miao, since at the time her fame and image still lagged behind the others.

It was hard to say whether Qingyi or Flower Dam was superior.

Flower Dams were more popular, but in terms of career longevity and industry honors, Qingyi seemed to hold greater advantage; many Flower Dams, as they aged, went to great lengths to transition into Qingyi roles.

In the industry, young Flower Dams were common, but young Qingyi were rare—this indicated a certain level of recognition for Qin Lan's talent, image, and range.

Yet, looking at Qin Hailu, Yuan Quan, Miao Fu, and Luo Haiqiong listed alongside her, Qin Lan always felt there was some hidden implication.

But then she thought of Li Xiaoran, Yin Zhao, and Zuo Xiaoqing, who were also widely called Qingyi, and she began to feel more at ease.

Being a Qingyi wasn't bad—less media intrusion, steady acting work, solid industry status; many Flower Dams wanted to become Qingyi but couldn't.

Without a word, Qin Lan cast a sidelong glance at Fan Xiaopang, then offered her standard smile in response to reporters' questions about her experience filming with him.

"I feel the role of Su Daji was tailor-made for Teacher Fan Bingbing—she performed it exceptionally well… We have great chemistry on set; we don't even need to consciously stir up emotion—once the other stands there, we immediately slip into character…"

On the other side, Fan Xiaopang was also asked by reporters about her opinion of Qin Lan, and she smiled in reply.

"The first time I met Teacher Qin Lan, I realized she matched exactly what I'd imagined—we communicated very smoothly… Her acting is outstanding; once, during the scene where the Empress is jealous of Su Daji, she nearly scared me…"

"…"

The reporters concluded their interviews satisfied, praising "The Investiture of the Gods" as a professional, united, and affectionate family.

After the interviews came the behind-the-scenes footage, where they could film scenes of the crew shooting to use as intros in the program, attracting viewers.

Today's scene happened to be Su Daji falsely accusing the Empress, causing King Zhou to fly into a rage and imprison her.

"Your Majesty, your humble wife is innocent…"

Qin Lan knelt beneath Yan Li's dragon throne, weeping and pleading her injustice.

Tear scenes were Qin Lan's specialty—she cried beautifully both off-camera and on, her tears like pear blossoms in the rain, heartbreakingly pitiful.

Originally convinced by Fan Xiaopang's manipulation, Yan Li now looked at Qin Lan's tearful plea and recalled their years of shared history; he softened slightly, his expression hesitant.

Seeing the shift, Fan Xiaopang quickly whispered her accusation: "Your Majesty, the Empress attempted to assassinate you and plotted to install the Crown Prince—there is irrefutable evidence…"

Her persuasion caused Yan Li's previously hesitant expression to turn cold and stern again.

Qin Lan was utterly shocked, then glared at Fan Xiaopang and began to curse.

"Wretched woman, it's you who's been poisoning the king's mind—you want to eliminate me and take my place as Wang Hou."

Fan Xiaopang looked wounded, gazing innocently at Yan Li: "Your Majesty, I swear before heaven—I have no selfish motives. I truly wish to uncover who harmed Your Majesty."

Yan Li patted Fan Xiaopang's hand: "I know your heart, my beloved."

"Your Majesty~"

Fan Xiaopang, moved, leaned into Yan Li's arms. Yan Li glanced at her tenderly, then turned his gaze to Qin Lan—cold and merciless.

"Someone, take her away and interrogate her strictly."

Qin Lan was dragged off by guards, still struggling, her eyes filled with bitter hatred, her voice shrill and mournful.

"Succubus, you bewitch the king and disrupt governance—you'll die a wretched death."

"Yin Shou, have you forgotten all our years of marital devotion? I bore you two sons. My Jiang family has served the Shang dynasty loyally for generations. Is this how you fulfill your duties as husband, father, and king?"

Fan Xiaopang quietly murmured: "Wang Hou deeply hates Your Majesty and me. If we release her, what might she tell the Crown Prince and the Eastern Marquis later…?"

Yan Li stared beyond the hall, his eyes deep, flickering with a hint of killing intent.

"Cut."

The director called out, and after a few extra shots, it was nearly a perfect take.

There was no help for it—the performance was simply too perfect.

Jiang Hou's hatred, sorrow, and despair were utterly authentic; Su Daji's cruelty, viciousness, and subtle triumph didn't seem acted at all.

Even this more background-oriented portrayal of King Zhou was superb—perfectly conveying his conflicted guilt toward Jiang Hou, his indulgence toward Su Daji, his inner turmoil, and finally his cold, merciless decision.

The behind-the-scenes crew and reporters were astounded; they'd been to many sets before.

This intensity, this emotional power, this acting quality—wasn't "The Investiture of the Gods" supposed to be about gods battling with magic? How could the dramatic scenes be this good?

Seizing the momentum, the director had Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang film the next scene: Su Daji inciting King Zhou to gouge out Jiang Hou's eyes and sear her hands.

This guy knew how to play it—he made Qin Lan watch them perform this scene, then filmed Jiang Hou's torture and her curse upon Su Daji's death.

Damn, Qin Lan's teeth were nearly grinding to dust, her eyes spitting poison, her voice plaintive and resentful like a vengeful ghost.

After much hesitation, the director had Qin Lan, once calmed, reshoot the scene with more restraint—the original version had too much horror-movie vibe, it was frightening.

Even the director was spooked; Yan Li was even more terrified—this woman might be too immersed. Maybe he should drug her tonight.

This wasn't just Yan Li being paranoid. After Qin Lan finished filming her death scene, he noticed her voice was hoarse and went to offer her water—but she, still too immersed, gave him a disgusted look and walked away.

Yan Li: "..."

He sighed helplessly, turned to Fan Xiaopang, who was standing with arms crossed watching the spectacle, and handed her the water.

"Want some?"

"I don't drink what others reject."

Fan Xiaopang snorted, turned her face away, and walked off too.

"I f***ing..."

Yan Li truly wished he could travel back a few months and slap himself hard—what idiotic brain fart made him pair them together and shoot this kind of scene?

After that, Qin Lan filmed for two more days, then wrapped her role in "The Investiture of the Gods."

But Qin Lan didn't leave—she still had another role in "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" next door.

Yan Li was still monopolized by her at night, but at least he no longer encountered her on the "Investiture" set.

Coming to the set to watch him was truly excessive—not to mention whether she even had the time, or how the entire crew would view it; Yan Li couldn't bear such confinement.

Though Qin Lan wasn't by his side, Yan Li still kept himself clean.

On one hand, he was temporarily focused on his career—he'd already declared to Qin Lan he didn't want more trouble.

On the other hand, Fan Xiaopang was also giving him the cold shoulder; outside work, she barely acknowledged him, and even casual conversation carried a sarcastic edge.

Of course, while Fan Xiaopang ignored Yan Li, Wang Ou was eager to engage him—only for Fan Xiaopang to come and disrupt again.

Wang Ou was furious.

Qin Lan had enjoyed exclusive attention for so long; now that a chance appeared, you won't take it—then why deny me?

Fan Xiaopang had more scenes and couldn't stay glued to Yan Li's side all day; logically, Wang Ou still had opportunities to strike—but Fan Xiaopang had anticipated this and silenced Yan Li with one sentence.

She considered inviting Dong Xuan to visit the "Investiture" set!

Oh great—two already simmering pots, now add Dong Xuan, and the whole world would explode.

Qin Lan's temper was soft enough, yet she flew into a rage over jealousy; Dong Xuan was a vinegar jar that had become a spirit.

She'd held grudges against Huang Shengyi and Huo Siyan for so long, still unresolved; if she came, not only would Qin and Fan fight to the death, but Wang Ou would get dragged in too.

Anyway, Yan Li had Qin Lan with him daily—though not satisfying, at least he wasn't starving. For peace, he'd sacrifice Wang Ou.

But Fan Xiaopang had dared to threaten him—his little notebook... never mind, this time she was somewhat wronged; no next time.

Trapped by Qin and Fan, Yan Li began avoiding female actresses, leaving the male actors free.

Director Yan finally noticed them!

As a billionaire and newly crowned industry heavyweight, many male actors from both sets wanted to cling to his coattails.

But Yan Li was surrounded by too many actresses; they couldn't get near him—even old friends like Lin Jiachuan and Zhang Songwen were ignored.

Now that Boss Yan had returned to the male actors' stronghold, the men instantly came alive.

Drinking parties, internet cafe competitions, organized football matches—the actors from both sets blended together, the system announced it, and even a pair of male "wild ducks" formed.

As time passed, the Shang Dynasty scenes in "The Investiture of the Gods" were nearly complete; the focus shifted to Xiqi.

Fan Xiaopang's Su Daji still had some remaining scenes, but Yan Li's King Zhou was essentially wrapped.

Yan Li felt moved—this was his first role where he didn't die in the middle but lived to the finale. Of course, he'd still die in the sequel—but that was another matter.

He returned to the *Legend of Lu Xiaofeng* crew with deep feeling to film Gong Jiu, and the very first scene was being killed off by Lu Xiaofeng.

Yan Li: "..."

A red envelope to calm the nerves—better late than never......

(End of chapter)