Chapter 202

Yan Li had always believed that when dealing with several women, the most important thing was to treat them all equally.

But with the system's help, Yan Li could directly and accurately understand what each woman was thinking, and gradually realized his previous thinking was somewhat narrow-minded.

Treating everyone equally was not wrong, but it wasn't perfect.

In fact, if Yan Li showed it too obviously, it would provoke resentment.

Because no matter which woman, what she wanted was not to be equal to another woman, but to become Yan Li's most loved, most important, most special woman.

Dong Xuan felt that she had been dating Yan Li since college, starting from nothing, supporting and understanding each other—what right did those other women have to compare with her?

Qin Lan also believed that she and Yan Li had been mutually in love since he was a minor actor, their bond deep and strong, having endured life and death (SARS, an exaggeration)—all other women should step aside.

Even Fan Xiaopang believed that he and Yan Li had struggled and fought together, were soulmates and partners, and could not be equated with those other women.

Treating everyone equally? They won't accept it!

So in terms of treatment, you can do it—but in emotional expression, you must show clear favoritism.

Make them feel that Yan Li loves her the most, that she is the most special and important woman in his heart.

As for those flashy, scheming women, they're just temporary flings, or clinging to Yan Li for some reason or another.

Men are bound to be flirtatious, but his heart still belongs to her.

After Yan Li figured out this trick, he found it worked extremely well—far better than blindly treating everyone equally.

Of course, there was one hidden risk and drawback: each woman was hoarding her ambition to become the primary wife, suppressing or even driving away the other flirts, which might not be as harmonious as equal treatment.

Hmm, even equal treatment probably wouldn't bring harmony anyway—competition would still happen.

Since that was the case, Yan Li stopped caring too much, especially under special circumstances—he'd deal with his own priorities first.

After two days of coaxing with sweet words and devoted actions, Dong Xuan finally "grudgingly forgave" Yan Li, feeling she had him firmly under control.

Yan Li counted on his fingers—she held out over ten hours longer than Qin Lan.

Shui Lan was still easier to appease!

Forgiveness wasn't enough—there had to be compensation. Otherwise, Yan Li wouldn't have stayed with Qin Lan for days; now, whenever he had free time, he accompanied Dong Xuan.

Bedroom

Dong Xuan looked in the mirror—her previous gloom had vanished; she glowed with radiance, full of vitality, even feeling her once-pale skin had become smoother and more dewy.

After a light touch of makeup, walking through the Beijing Film Academy campus, she made the younger students feel ashamed of themselves.

"This year's Most Beautiful Teacher—I wonder if that Xu girl can still rank above me?"

Dong Xuan felt confident. Last year, students at Beijing Film Academy had held a poll for "Most Beautiful Teacher," where "beauty" meant pure physical appearance—judged solely by looks, figure, and aura.

She lost because she was new, some students didn't know her, and her fame didn't match Xu Caimei's.

The result made Dong Xuan furious!

She wasn't a sore loser—Beijing Film Academy had more than a few beautiful female teachers; if she'd truly lost on looks, she might have been upset, but she could accept it.

But Xu Caimei wasn't even the most beautiful teacher at the academy—she won purely on fame, which was cheating—so Dong Xuan naturally refused to accept it.

This year, after one year on the job, Dong Xuan was known to all faculty and students.

Plus, her appearances on the Spring Festival Gala and "The Seven Fairies" had boosted her fame and popularity—she was determined to reclaim her honor.

Yan Li, replying to messages, couldn't help muttering.

"She's a talent. Comparing your beauty to hers is like making Yao Ming play basketball against Pan Changjiang."

"That's an exaggeration."

Dong Xuan gracefully brushed a strand of hair from her temple, though her lips couldn't stop curving upward.

After all, Xu was one of the Four Little Goddesses; if she could outshine her in even one aspect, Dong Xuan felt a quiet pride—and with Yan Li's praise, she was positively delighted.

"Alright, you're going to be late."

Yan Li checked his phone and reminded her. Dong Xuan glanced at the time, grabbed her bag, and hurried.

"Let's go, let's go."

She locked the door, went downstairs, and Yan Li started his BMW, dropping her off at the campus gate before heading to the company.

Dong Xuan loved being picked up and dropped off by Yan Li—it made her feel cherished and protected, like the quiet warmth and unspoken understanding of a happy married couple.

Yan Li catered to her preferences, occasionally surprising her—for example, waiting for her at the campus gate after returning from a business trip.

These days, given the special circumstances, he dropped her off every morning and, if time allowed, left the company early to pick her up.

According to system feedback, the effect was excellent—second only to the Platinum Crown bigger than Fan Xiaopang's and his diligent efforts.

"Drive carefully."

After giving her a parting reminder, Yan Li watched the BMW drive off. Dong Xuan stepped into the campus, clutching her bag.

"Teacher Dong."

"Good morning, Teacher Dong."

Along the way, many greeted her. Though she was only a teaching assistant, her fame made her one of the most well-known teachers on campus.

She didn't go to the office—instead, she contacted Guan Yue, who was already waiting, and headed to the dorms as usual.

Their main duty was caring for students' daily lives; they visited dorms more often than classrooms.

Male dorms were inconvenient, so usually several teachers went together. When only Dong Xuan and Guan Yue went, they almost always visited female dorms.

The 2005 Acting Undergraduate Class had thirty students—twelve were female, four per dorm, exactly three rooms.

No classes this morning, so all students were in their dorms. Guan Yue and Dong Xuan entered one room: two were asleep, one was listening to music, and one was absent.

"Zhang Xiaofei, where's XX?"

"Teacher, she's doing morning exercises."

Guan Yue and Dong Xuan said nothing—they'd been students too. Dong Xuan herself had sneaked out with Yan Li, and Guan Yue had covered for her.

No one around at night? Bathing and using the toilet.

No one around in the morning? Exercising.

But they didn't care. College wasn't high school—if nothing serious happened, teachers often turned a blind eye. Overstepping just invited complaints.

In another dorm, a girl named Jiao Junyan was also doing morning exercises.

This time, Dong Xuan and Guan Yue believed it—Jiao's entrance exam scores ranked among the highest in their class.

Acting students, unless they were naturally gifted, couldn't hide a lack of practice—it showed easily.

In the last dorm, everyone was present, but three were lying in bed—either sleeping or scrolling on their phones—except Yang Mi, who sat at the desk reading. Dong Xuan glanced at her.

A book on Wang Zhaojun?

Could this girl be auditioning for CCTV's "Wang Zhaojun"?

She's confident—this drama's a historical epic, produced by CCTV, with heavy investment, and she's vying for the lead female role. Many actresses are eyeing it.

Rumor has it that Shuang Bing, Gao Yuanyuan, Li Xiaoran, Zhang Jingchu, Chen Hao, and Mei Ting are all making moves.

Oh, Dong Xuan herself had also been listed by the media as a candidate.

But since filming was in Mongolia and the schedule was long, Dong Xuan only glanced at it and didn't pursue it—she assumed the production was just using her name for publicity.

"Teacher Dong, Teacher Guan."

Yang Mi jumped up in surprise, invited them to sit, and eagerly poured them water.

"No need to fuss—we're just taking a look."

Dong Xuan waved her off, but couldn't help warming to Yang Mi.

She didn't need the water—but compared to other students, Yang Mi's respectful behavior earned her serious points.

Dong Xuan had always liked Yang Mi—not only was she the most promising in their class, she was also polite and obedient. Had she not been absent so often, Dong Xuan might have recommended her as class monitor.

Seeing Dong Xuan stare at her book, Yang Mi didn't hide it—she might need leave later, so she revealed the truth.

She had indeed auditioned for "Wang Zhaojun," and through personal effort and company support, she'd made it to the second round.

Theoretically, she had a one-in-forty chance of landing the role.

Dong Xuan didn't dampen her spirits. For a newcomer, making it this far was already impressive—even if she lost, she wouldn't be humiliated.

Seeing Dong Xuan's support, Yang Mi felt a spark: "Teacher Dong, I'm still unsure about some things—my lines, physicality, blocking—all need work. Could I ask you for guidance later?"

"Of course."

Dong Xuan agreed readily. A student with ambition deserved full support.

Though she wasn't a top-tier teacher or veteran actress, she'd studied longer, acted in dramas, played female leads, served as an assistant for a year, and helped senior teachers rehearse skits.

So for a freshman like Yang Mi, Dong Xuan believed she could still teach her something.

She couldn't promise to greatly improve Yang Mi's acting—but at least it would help her audition.

"Thank you, Teacher Dong—you've solved my biggest problem!"

Yang Mi beamed. Even if she lost "Wang Zhaojun," building a connection with Dong Xuan now would be a huge win.

They set a time, exchanged a few encouraging words, and Dong Xuan and Guan Yue left.

Yang Mi saw them to the door, humming a tune as she picked up the book she'd only just pulled out after hearing the dorm inspection. Might as well read a bit.

Her roommate Yuan Shanshan, lying beside her scrolling her phone, secretly rolled her eyes.

Pfft, acting like such a good student—secretly asking for help? Just showing off she made it to the second round of "Wang Zhaojun."

Yang Mi didn't know her roommate's thoughts—and even if she did, she wouldn't care.

Before enrollment, she'd signed with a company and already acted in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes." Many classmates pretended to be friendly but secretly envied and excluded her.

Yang Mi thought it was fine. At first, she'd considered hinting at her relationship with Dong Xuan—but now she could confidently hide it, and get ahead of others by building a bond with Dong Xuan first.

Later, even if Dong Xuan's relationship with Yan Li was exposed, by then she'd already be Dong Teacher's favorite student…

————

Meanwhile, Yan Li arrived at the company and attended the morning meeting, going over several matters.

The release of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" was progressing slower than expected, mainly because he'd taken over mid-process and had to reorganize everything from the beginning.

Though Weishi negotiated slowly, the terrestrial channels sold it well, and so did "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

The Feng-Diao rivalry wasn't just hype—now with joint distribution, the results are even better.

Several TV stations snapped up both series outright, planning to air them consecutively or back-to-back on the same day, creating their own "Feng-Diao rivalry."

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is still uncertain, but the marketing team believes "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" has a real chance of selling for 80 million if aired well.

Then there are several projects Yi'an will be producing.

"The White-Haired Witch" has already started filming; "The Legend of Xue Rengui" and "Crazy Stone" are expected to begin next month.

"The Qing Dynasty's Imperial Harem" is still in preparation; the exact start date is undetermined, but it will definitely be before the New Year.

Yi'an Garden, the base in Hengdian, has accelerated progress—many functions and facilities are now in place.

Since Yi'an's main productions film mostly in Hengdian, the company plans to temporarily relocate some staff there, especially from the film and television department, where nearly half will move.

In fact, there are already many people stationed at Yi'an Garden.

Many crew members from the currently filming "The White-Haired Witch" and the pre-production of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" are there, along with a few scouts for "The Qing Dynasty's Imperial Harem."

Yu Yanli had seen photos—he never would've recognized the once desolate, empty base as now having the feel of a headquarters.

Beyond these projects, another major topic of discussion was the runaway success of "Bright Sword."

The drama premiered in mid-September and swiftly dominated the entire September TV market.

Ratings climbed steadily; now that over half has aired, the average viewership has approached 10%, crushing all competitors and leaving hits like "The Inspector of the Song Dynasty," "Emperor Wu of Han," and "Seven Fairies" far behind.

Li Yunlong has become the most popular screen character of the moment!

Li Youbin, whose acting range had previously leaned toward refined elites, has suddenly become the icon of rugged, tough men, sweeping across the entire country.

Even the supporting roles in the drama have gained varying degrees of benefit.

Including Yu Yanli—though his screen time is minimal, his standout moments were dazzling; in the episode featuring the cavalry charge, he stole the spotlight from Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang, and other leads.

On Douban, Tieba, blogs, and Tianya, Yu Yanli's performance received countless praises and acknowledgments.

【I used to think Yu Yanli was just a playboy businessman, but this drama truly revealed him as an excellent actor.】

【Yes, during Sun Desheng's final charge, Yu Yanli portrayed him with startling realism—his eyes showed fear, despair, helplessness, exhaustion; this made the character feel more like an ordinary man, which made his final burst of rage and resolve hit with overwhelming, spine-tingling tragedy.】

【I'm a Yu Yanli fan—I noticed him in "Emperor Wu of Han," where he played the youthful, heroic Huo Qubing; I still hold strong affection for him.】

【After watching Huo Qubing, I saw him as Yuwen Chengdu—I couldn't believe it was the same actor.】

【I remember his portrayal of Zhu Bajie's devouring rat—it was terrifying; even my little nephew cried.】

【I watched the crew interviews—Sun Desheng was a role Yu Yanli fought hard for. He grew a beard, trained rigorously in horseback riding, wrote thousands of words on the character's backstory, and even adjusted his accent to match a regional dialect fitting the role. Despite limited screen time, he acted with exceptional dedication.】

【Among young actors, Yu Yanli has solid acting skills, and his looks, physique, and aura are excellent—he's far better than Chen Kun or Huang Xiaoming, he just doesn't act much.】

【Actually, he's been in quite a few dramas—I've seen him in several, but mostly as a supporting role with little screen time.】

【Haha, I saw a netizen on Tianya say he's a movie star ruined by business.】

【…】

Yu Yanli had never seen so many people praising his acting before.

He even vaguely felt that the minor role of Sun Desheng was more popular than his portrayals of Huo Qubing and Jin Zha.

Of course, this was partly due to his outstanding performance and "Bright Sword"'s popularity, but also because his fame had risen sharply over the past year.

Previously, Yu Yanli lacked name recognition; even the best supporting roles couldn't steal the spotlight from the leads.

But in "Bright Sword," apart from Li Youbin's near-perfect embodiment of his role and Sun Li's cameo, Yu Yanli was the "hottest actor" on set.

When a drama becomes a hit, the stars and standout characters naturally attract more attention—Yu Yanli had both, so he became a hot commodity.

Interview requests were endless; film offers came knocking; even brands approached him for endorsements.

Yu Yanli himself was stunned—he'd rarely been approached for commercials before, and now he had endorsements?

"Which brand?"

"A liquor group from Hebei Province—Hengshui Laobai Gan."

"Baijiu."

Yu Yanli vaguely understood why they chose him—"Bright Sword" was a tough-guy drama with many drinking scenes, and his portrayal of Sun Desheng, charging with one arm and a single blade, was the epitome of toughness.

Laobai Gan, along with Erguotou and Shaodaozi, is a well-known domestic strong liquor brand; his image matched its brand identity.

Moreover, Yu Yanli wasn't just a tough guy—his business persona also drew attention, possibly helping Laobai Gan tap into new markets.

"What's the endorsement fee?"

Yu Yanli was most curious about this—his assistant Hu Ya showed him the quote: 5 million over two years.

"Wow, that's not cheap."

Yu Yanli understood the market—currently, the advertising sector is in a high-growth phase; top-tier and first-line celebrities are in high demand, but below the top, things are average.

For second-tier artists, rates range from 500, 00 to 2 million per year, depending on popularity, commercial value, and brand alignment.

Yu Yanli didn't know if he qualified as second-tier, but based purely on his acting fame, he certainly couldn't command this price.

The manufacturer likely added value from his other reputations and net worth.

Other stars could negotiate—offer a price, then haggle.

For someone like Yu Yanli, offering 800, 00 or a million would be seen as a waste of time—or even insulting.

So Laobai Gan showed real sincerity: 2. million per year. Though the number sounded awkward, it was a first-line celebrity rate.

"Boss, should we take it?"

Hu Ya was eager—now all of Yu Yanli's offers passed through her hands; if this endorsement went through, she could finally enjoy being his agent.

"Uh…"

Yu Yanli hesitated—5 million wasn't small, but it didn't move him deeply.

Laobai Gan was a well-known brand—he wasn't worried about damage from the endorsement, but he wasn't sure if it would affect his commercial image.

In his mind, that mattered far more than 5 million.

"Turn it down."

Yu Yanli ultimately chose caution, declining the endorsement—he wasn't short on cash anyway.

The stock market kept bringing good news; during good runs, he earned 5 million every ten or fifteen days.

Hu Ya was disappointed, but she dared not argue—her boss had decided.

"'People' magazine wants to interview you, possibly with photos; CCTV also has an interview, but it's for the 'Bright Sword' crew—they want you to attend. Here are invitations to several industry events and award ceremonies…"

Yu Yanli rubbed his temples—fame brings trouble; whether as an actor or businessman, once you're famous, all kinds of distractions flood in.

Even if most were declined, some invitations still required a show of respect.

Compared to handling these matters, Yu Yanli preferred managing the company or filming—he sometimes found it tiring, but his mind stayed clear.

After careful selection, he chose a few he couldn't refuse and scheduled appointments.

Once he entered Hengdian, it would be harder to manage these things—better to settle them before filming began.

Then Yu Yanli met with the marketing department to discuss the second and third runs of "Bright Sword" and terrestrial channel distribution.

The original distribution plan had been a joint effort between Hairen and Yi'an.

But as Yi'an grew stronger in distribution, Hairen realized its efficiency and profits lagged far behind; after discussions, Hairen kept only a nominal role—Yi'an now handled all distribution for "Bright Sword."

Now that "Bright Sword" had exploded in its premiere, it was the perfect time to strike while the iron was hot and rake in profits.

To this end, Yu Yanli even pulled staff from projects like "The Investiture of the Gods," dedicating all resources except "Feng-Diao" to pushing "Bright Sword."

In terms of performance, "Bright Sword" was Yi'an's most popular production to date.

Beyond profit, Yu Yanli hoped "Bright Sword" would have greater influence, further cementing Yi'an's reputation as a producer of blockbusters.

Throughout 2005, Yi'an shone brightly not just in distribution, but also in investment and production.

Already aired, Yi'an's main productions "Seven Fairies" and "Survival: The Migrant Workers" were both hits—one wildly popular, the other critically acclaimed.

Joint productions "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "Railway Guerrillas" also performed strongly, and now "Bright Sword" was poised to claim the title of Drama of the Year.

This level of output quality left renowned companies like Rongxinda, Jinyingma, Dongfang Mingzhu, and Zhouyi far behind.

Had it not been for contributions from Shanxi TV, Hairen, and Tangren, media outlets might have already crowned Yi'an the top TV production company of 2005.

Regardless, after years of consistently producing multiple blockbusters and emerging as the industry's leading distributor, with the rising star Fan Xiaopang joining, Yi'an's momentum grew stronger, and its status and strength gained increasing recognition.

Yu Yanli, as founder and leader, was praised by many for his celebrity aura, romantic reputation, and astonishingly young age.

"People" magazine featured him on its cover, with a headline that pulled out all the stops—

【The Entertainment Industry's New Tycoon at 24 Years, 11 Months, and 5 Days】

————

PS: Feeling unwell today—I'll make up with a 10, 00-word update tomorrow.

(End of Chapter)