Chapter 203: Investing in Tudou.com, Xue Rengui Starts Filming, Fan Xiaopang

In early October, the finale of "Light Sword" achieved an average viewership rating exceeding 10%, with a peak of 13. % and a market share of about 30%.

Characters like Li Yunlong became wildly popular across the country, making the secondary and tertiary broadcasts, as well as terrestrial channels, unprecedentedly hot topics.

With the drama's success, selling it was never a problem.

Every television station, including satellite channels, scrambled to acquire it—even Yi'an, which had dominated the distribution field, experienced firsthand what it meant to be "carried along."

Even though Yan Li had always viewed "Light Sword" as a vehicle to establish the company's reputation rather than focusing on profits.

Yet with a 4-million-investment securing 45% of "Light Sword" plus distribution rights, Yi'an reaped enormous profits, ranking among the top returns of all its projects.

Meanwhile, in places few noticed, "Light Sword" had not only sold its DVD rights but also its online rights.

Not just "Light Sword," but nearly all of Yi'an's produced or co-produced works had their online rights bundled and sold to a video website called Tudou. om.

More accurately, they weren't sold to Tudou. om, but to a company named 【Yi'an Media】.

This company bought the permanent online rights to these dramas and then licensed them to Tudou. om for fixed terms.

The reason 【Yi'an Media】 was so generous was because its parent company, 【Yan Ye Capital】, had just invested in Tudou. om.

In early October, 【Yan Ye Capital】 acquired 30% of Tudou. om for $1 million—roughly 8 million RMB—plus the usage rights to multiple hit dramas from Yi'an's library and the arrival of several celebrities to drive traffic.

This negotiation was unknown to the outside world and drew no attention, yet it was fiercely contested.

Tudou. om's founding team had never intended to sell so much equity.

Their plan was to keep equity under 20%, ideally below 15%; even if they sold less equity and received less capital, $500, 00 would be enough to sustain operations for a while.

That way, they could hold on longer and secure Series A funding.

Tudou. om's founder Wang Wei was no ordinary man—he had once worked at a renowned international media group and reached the position of Greater China Regional Director, a high-level executive with extensive connections.

If Tudou. om achieved even modest success, Wang Wei could leverage his network to attract funding.

So during the angel round, he didn't want to give up too much equity, which would dilute the founding team's influence and hinder future financing.

But Yan Li wasn't foolish—he had dug deep into Tudou. om's inner workings, including confidential monthly reports on its future prospects.

The angel round is the moment to acquire the maximum equity with minimal capital; if you don't squeeze hard now for a 10–15% stake, later funding rounds will dilute it to nothing, slashing potential returns.

He was willing to pay more and invest more resources, as long as he secured sufficient equity in the angel round, allowing him to maintain his stake at relatively low cost later.

So Yan Li offered the copyright as bait.

Although the copyright market was still in its wild west phase, riddled with piracy, owning legitimate rights still offered significant advantages—allowing one to capture the largest share of the pie.

If hit dramas like "Light Sword" and "Chinese Paladin" could be granted exclusive online streaming rights.

What this meant for a new video website needed no explanation.

Not to mention Yan Li also provided celebrity resources—multiple stars signed under their personal names, with additional traffic-driving collaborations to help Tudou. om build its brand and attract users at minimal cost.

Tudou. om might have channels to raise capital, but film and television copyrights and celebrity resources were hard to come by.

Among those in the entertainment industry, many couldn't even use blogs, let alone understand internet investment or collaboration.

Even if Tudou. om could reach out to some on its own, the cost, scale, and cooperation level would never match Yan Li's strength.

Most crucially, Yan Li made it clear: if Tudou. om didn't cooperate, he'd find someone else.

He'd heard that Le. om was also seeking investment, and Sohu had a senior executive assembling a team to study video websites.

Yan Li had money and resources—if Tudou. om refused, he'd just go elsewhere.

Under pressure and temptation, Tudou. om compromised but managed to reduce Yan Li's requested 45% stake to 30%, though in return, they conceded some authority and financing rights to him.

Tudou. om wasn't an insider and didn't understand the true value of the "Cereal King," but they had definitely felt Yan Li's tenacity.

No wonder he built his empire so fast at such a young age!

Sharp-eyed, ruthless, skilled at reading people, striking every blow at the vital point—someone like this not getting rich would defy the heavens.

But with Yan Li's support, Tudou. om was eager to make a big push, aiming for even more impressive results to attract future funding.

Meanwhile, Yan Li, having successfully invested in Tudou. om and noticing details from future intelligence, keenly sensed the importance and appreciation potential of copyrights.

At this stage, almost no film and television companies valued online copyrights—they were priced absurdly low.

A single episode typically cost a few hundred or a thousand yuan; ordinary dramas could be acquired for tens of thousands, and even hot dramas rarely exceeded six figures.

The key issue was no one bought them—pirated content flooded the internet, few TV stations or production teams pursued infringement, and websites and players offered content for free; very few were willing to pay.

Even Tudou. om initially cared most about celebrity traffic; it was only after Yan Li's reminder that they began to take copyrights seriously.

But Tudou. om had limited funds—even if they valued copyrights, they couldn't afford to buy many.

But Yan Li had money!

He still had plenty of idle capital—he could easily buy the rights to hundreds of dramas at just a few ten thousand yuan each.

Of course, such purchases would raise market prices to some extent, but it was worth it.

Holding a copyright library allowed him to partner with video websites, and also serve as an asset—when its value rose, it could be mortgaged or sold.

Such cultural assets could be priced high or low; if placed in a listed company, the operational possibilities multiplied.

That's why Yan Li had specifically established 【Yi'an Media】 to operate and acquire copyrights.

Besides Tudou. om, Yan Li also wanted to invest in Le. om and the upcoming Youku.

But compared to Wang Wei, the latter two had stronger backgrounds and greater strength.

Le. om—he looked into it and gave up immediately; the waters were too deep.

Youku wasn't as complicated, but its founder Gu Yongjiang was a former Sohu executive who had previously worked in investment and once specialized in financing at Sohu—such a resume meant he'd never lack investors.

With insufficient financial appeal, Yan Li's only leverage was his resources.

But Gu Yongjiang had deep roots in Sohu's internet ecosystem; how effective Yan Li's influence would be remained uncertain.

Yan Li still sent people to make contact—no harm in chatting; if it worked, great; if not, no loss.

Tudou. om was the centerpiece of 【Yan Ye Capital】's investments, but several other internet projects had also received some investment.

Currently, the project Yan Li favored most was 【Ganji. om】.

But its founder was extremely cautious about investment; currently focused on local classifieds, not expanding outward, and already generating revenue through advertising, so 【Yan Ye Capital】 held only a tiny stake.

Yan Li didn't mind—again, internet investment is about casting a wide net.

Over 95% of projects lose money; only a tiny fraction break even or make small profits—but if you hit one big winner, you recover all previous losses and make enormous gains.

If you're afraid of losing money or being washed out, switch industries early—internet investing is all about high risk and high return.

Of course, Yan Li wasn't fixated solely on the internet—he was willing to try promising projects in other fields too.

He had already committed to investing in a food factory in his hometown of Shandong and an electric vehicle brand, even arranging for Zhang Zhilin to film an advertisement.

After all, the money came from the stock market—it was easy to earn, so spending it didn't hurt as much.

Rather than leaving it in the stock market, where a single green number could make it vanish overnight, Yan Li preferred to invest in a few companies and take a gamble—he could at least see where the money went.

…

On October 10, Yan Li appeared at Hengdian Film and Television City to attend and host the launch ceremony of "The Legend of Xue Rengui."

Li Bingbing, the most popular actress and lead female role, had not yet joined; several guest-star celebrities were also absent.

At the launch ceremony, only Yan Li and a few veteran actors were present; the only female actress was Yang Rong, who played Liu Yinhuan.

He expected a quiet scene, but the number of media outlets showing up exceeded his expectations.

Yan Li had underestimated his current influence.

In the artist world, he wasn't particularly famous, but as a producer or film company boss, he was unquestionably the hottest figure at the moment.

According to Sina's September 2005 celebrity ranking.

Li Youbin, who portrayed Li Yunlong in "Light Sword," ranked first, surpassing Fan Xiaopang and Li Yuchun from "Super Girl," as well as numerous big-name stars, placing second.

Orchestrating the "Feng Diao" distribution, producing the massive hit "Light Sword," signing the popular leading actress Fan Xiaopang—Yan Li's recent actions kept him constantly in the entertainment headlines.

Combined with his various accolades, he naturally became a media darling.

"The Legend of Xue Rengui" was Yan Li's first time playing the male lead, with Li Bingbing as the female lead—perfect publicity. It was only natural that the media showed up in droves.

"Director Yan, this is your first time playing the male lead—do you feel pressure? Can you balance acting and your work?"

"Why didn't you cast Fan Bingbing in this drama but chose Li Bingbing instead? Is the rumor of 'Two Bings Competing for Yan' true?"

"Rumors claim the original choice for Xue Rengui wasn't you, but that you, as an investor, snatched the role—is this true?"

"In the past year, you've taken on more acting roles with heavier screen time, and your performances have gained audience approval—have you considered focusing more on your acting career in the future?"

"Do you prefer Fan Bingbing or Li Bingbing?"

"'Light Sword' was a huge hit—how much profit did you make? Is the rumored 20 million true?"

"The entertainment circle has seen multiple love triangles—within a year alone, there's been 'Two Bings Competing for Yan,' the Zhou-Cai-Hou scandal, and recently news of two former Xiao Yanzi actresses competing for wealthy heir Wang Yu—what's your view? Do you feel responsible for promoting such unhealthy social trends?"

"…"

Even though some media had accepted transportation fees, their questions were still sharp, especially those about the "Two Bings" issue—everyone was eager for drama.

Even though Yan Li wasn't afraid of controversy, the reporters' questions left him slightly uneasy, forcing him to answer cautiously.

"As my first time as the male lead, I certainly feel pressure—I can only promise to give my all and not betray the trust of the crew and audience."

"I don't know where the 'snatching the role' rumor came from—we discussed cooperation even before the script was finalized; casting decisions were made before the project was officially approved. As producer and financier, I've never heard that the crew contacted any other male actor for Xue Rengui."

"My personal career still leans toward the company side; acting is only done when convenient."

"As for the 'Two Bings Competing for Yan' rumor, I think the outside speculation is exaggerated—I've clarified multiple times before: we're all good friends."

"Bingbing (Li Bingbing) is very loyal; since this was my first time as male lead, I called her to ask if she'd help, and she agreed immediately—it was that simple."

"I can't disclose the exact profit from 'Light Sword,' but I'm very satisfied."

"I don't know much about others' private lives, nor do I care—everyone has their own fate."

"But I dislike being unfairly blamed—if you're going to accuse someone of corrupting public morals, shouldn't the gossip media, who sensationalize and fabricate stories for clicks, also bear some responsibility?"

"…"

Yan Li's final remark was blunt, even accusatory.

Whether hype or truth, stars gain exposure, the media profits, and netizens enjoy the spectacle—everyone benefits mutually.

But unfairly slapping on labels is pointless!

Who doesn't know how to escalate things and nitpick words? If it really blows up, the entertainers involved won't suffer, but all those who live off celebrity gossip will be in deep trouble.

It's no wonder Wang Zhiwen and Zhou Jielun both ended up in news about clashes with reporters and paparazzi—sometimes these people are truly annoying.

But setting aside this incident, the launch ceremony went smoothly, and filming began that afternoon with the first scene: Li Shimin questioning the court about the "Dreamed Virtuous Minister."

The plot of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" is adapted from the classical novel "Xue Rengui's Campaign in the East."

Emperor Li Shimin of Tang continues the trope of the weak, pretty-faced emperor from the "Tales of Tang" series, except now he's an older, pretty-faced emperor.

At the story's start, the powerful Bohai general Tie Shiwen prepares to rebel; just as Emperor Li Shimin readies to lead the campaign in person, he dreams of a white-robed young general saving him.

After interpreting the dream, the military strategist Xu Maogong concludes the white-robed young general is Xue Rengui, a man from Longmen in Jin Province, and that recruiting there will surely uncover this destined virtuous minister.

Among them, the scheming Zhang Shigui, along with his convenient son-in-law Prince Li Daozong, attempts to impersonate the Dreamed Virtuous Minister. Though unsuccessful, they secure the assignment to recruit troops in Jin Province, planning to use it as their foothold.

The first half of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" revolves entirely around the "Dreamed Virtuous Minister."

Xue Rengui "plays the fool to outwit others," repeatedly achieving extraordinary feats while posing as a kitchen soldier—how long until Li Shimin discovers him and the virtuous minister takes his rightful place? This becomes the main attraction of the early plot.

That night, Yan Li also began filming his first scene.

In the plot, the Xue Rengui he portrays had a father who once allied with other rebel kings fighting against the Tang army, later dying in internal strife.

After his father's death, Xue Rengui was still young and sent up the mountain to study under an unnamed master, but he constantly worried his identity might pose a danger, so he clung to the goal of "earning merit to erase his guilt," laying groundwork for his later enlistment, his deception by Zhang Shigui, and his hidden identity.

This is newly added material; in the original script, Zhang Shigui directly turned the "Dreamed Virtuous Minister" into the "Dreamed Treacherous Minister," confusing Xue Rengui completely.

This setting lowered the protagonist's intelligence too much—after all, the Xue Rengui in the drama is a brilliant general well-versed in military texts, not just a brute.

After the script revision, Xue Rengui himself feels guilty, and the idea of being the "Dreamed Treacherous Minister" terrifies him even more.

Also, in the original script, Zhang Shigui was too cruel to Xue Rengui, making him seem like a masochist—viewers felt suffocated watching him suffer.

In the revised script, Zhang Shigui's methods are far more sophisticated: privately vicious and ruthless, yet outwardly kind to Xue Rengui, dangling promises of exoneration and occasionally offering small favors.

As a result, from Xue Rengui's perspective, Zhang Shigui is his benefactor and mentor.

Whenever he's targeted, it's because Zhang's son-in-law He Zongxian is jealous of him; Zhang Shigui, bound by family ties, sometimes protects him—but still apologizes and comforts him, and so on.

Under these circumstances, viewers won't feel Xue is addicted to abuse; instead, they'll see Zhang as cunning and despicable, leading Xue to be deceived, eagerly awaiting the moment Xue Rengui realizes the truth and exposes the conspiracy for revenge.

Today's scene is after Xue Rengui descends the mountain: he pays respects to his father, then seeks out his uncle.

But his uncle, aware of his background, fears being implicated and orders Xue Rengui driven away, making Xue realize his identity carries hidden dangers.

Having studied on the mountain with no money and no one to take him in, Xue Rengui falls into hardship.

Fortunately, he meets the kind Wang couple, who, seeing Xue Rengui's noble bearing and recognizing he's no ordinary man, pity his plight and lend him aid.

But because Xue Rengui possesses innate superhuman strength and an enormous appetite, the Wang couple, who make tofu for a living, simply cannot afford to feed him.

Xue Rengui, proud of being a true man, feels ashamed to be supported by others and decides to find work to support himself, then plan his next steps gradually.

These scenes were easy for Yan Li; though the supporting actors had no fame, they weren't newcomers, and filming wrapped quickly.

He called Lin Jiachuan, and the two went to the stable to practice horseback riding.

"The Legend of Xue Rengui" features many action scenes, with substantial horseback and cavalry sequences; though Yan Li's riding skills are good, more practice is always better.

Not only riding—he must also train with the bow.

Yan Li had learned archery before; in "Emperor Wu of Han," he portrayed Huo Qubing riding and drawing his bow.

But Yan Li wasn't satisfied with that scene—he hadn't trained much, just sat on the horse and vaguely mimed drawing the bow.

Fortunately, it was only one scene—a hunting sequence—and the other actors' performances were similarly rough.

But "The Legend of Xue Rengui" has many archery shots, including the iconic "Three Arrows to Secure Mount Tian"—that can't be faked.

Accuracy aside—it's a film, not a competition—the posture must be convincing, conveying the aura of a master archer, not weakly "throwing" arrows.

To that end, Yan Li arranged for the crew to assign him a dedicated archery coach; he trained a few times before joining, and now, whenever free, he practices again.

Tonight, after riding several laps, he took up his bow and practiced mounted archery stances.

Yan Li trained enthusiastically—he already loved horseback riding, and though he hadn't done much archery, he found it fascinating, especially drawing the bow from horseback, which felt powerful.

"Whoa…"

Yan Li held the bow in his left hand, slowed his horse, and came to a gentle stop, then affectionately interacted with the animal.

This horse plays Xue Rengui's steed, Bai Long, in the drama.

Bai Long is a divine steed from Bohai, originally Princess Zhaoyang's mount; she rode it to Tang, but bandits captured it on the way—until Xue Rengui rescued it. The princess fell for him, and later gave him the horse.

As an adaptation of classical fiction, the drama gives Xue Rengui relentless plot armor—he's the ultimate protagonist.

He saves his bride, gains the divine steed, then, during a mission, acquires the divine halberd Fangtian Huaji and the white-robed armor.

Later, when Li Daozong rebels and Xue Rengui saves the emperor, before the campaign against the Uyghurs, Li Zhi gathers all the empire's finest craftsmen to forge him a divine bow.

Combined with Xue's supernatural strength, its range exceeds five hundred steps, piercing ten layers of armor—essentially Xue's sniper rifle—and it's with this bow that he achieves the "Three Arrows to Secure Mount Tian," terrifying the nine Uyghur tribes into submission with a single man.

The horse in the drama is named Bai Long; outside the drama, Yan Li also names this horse Bai Long.

Besides Bai Long, Yan Li has another beloved steed named Sai Long.

Yes, Sai Long is the same horse Yan Li frequently rode during the filming of "Heroes of Sui and Tang" (appeared in Chapter 13).

Both "Heroes of Sui and Tang" and "The Legend of Xue Rengui" share the same producer, and many of the same production teams—so the previous horse team and Sai Long also joined this production.

The first thing Yan Li did upon arriving at the set wasn't meeting actors or trying on makeup—he went straight to the horse team and bought Sai Long.

"Old Xu."

As he led Sai Long over to feed it carrots, Yan Li handed the horse team's manager, Old Xu, a cigarette, smiling with quiet pride.

"I delivered on my promise, didn't I?"

Back then, he'd felt a strong connection to Sai Long and once wanted to buy it—but his pockets were empty, so he gave up.

Now, remembering that, he simply bought it outright—not just because he loves horses, but to close a long-standing regret.

"Yan Zong, you're awesome."

Old Xu, cigarette dangling, gave a thumbs-up—he'd completely forgotten the incident until Yan Li reminded him.

Years ago, some arrogant young actor had claimed he'd buy this horse, and Old Xu had mocked him—yet here he was, just a short while later, having kept his word, and now Old Xu was even working under him.

"Haha."

Yan Li smiled happily; filming "The Legend of Xue Rengui" had reunited him with many "old friends," letting him savor the sweetness of success.

Not just him—Wang Decai, Wang Xiu, and others who had worked on "Heroes of Sui and Tang" had also joined him now, riding high with pride.

Wang Decai had risen from assistant director to producer, wielding real power—even the former producer Li Si had to give him deference.

Wang Xiu had advanced from makeup artist to costume designer; the former head of the makeup team who used to scold him now answered to his own apprentice.

This made many "old acquaintances" on set curse their luck while secretly resenting their own misfortune.

If only they'd befriended Yan Li back then, clung to this rising star, now wouldn't they be the ones basking in glory?

Regret!

————

Hengdian, a historical drama construction site

Four men strained slowly as they carried a pillar to the side, while the overseer urged them on.

"Hurry up, hurry up—haven't you eaten?"

After finally lowering the pillar, two collapsed onto the ground; an older man wiped sweat and said:

"We want to hurry too, but this pillar is made of ebony—weighs several hundred jin. It's just too heavy to carry."

Another chimed in: "Forget speed—we're nearly exhausted. Add two more men to help."

The overseer sighed and nodded: "Fine."

He glanced around and spotted a tall youth in coarse cloth, helping saw wood.

"You, the tall one—strong and tall—come lift this log."

"Alright."

The youth turned around—it was Yan Li as Xue Rengui. The director called "Cut!" then "Next scene!"

This scene further emphasized Xue Rengui's extraordinary strength and martial prowess.

The pillar that took four men to barely move, he carried three of—and walked briskly. He could've carried more, but the log was too thick to handle easily.

The pillar the extras carried earlier was real—but not ebony, just ordinary wood, far lighter than it appeared.

The pillar Yan Li carried was a special prop; no choice— to create impact, the wooden prop was as thick as a washbasin. Just figuring out how he'd carry it took over ten minutes.

What would've taken four men a full day to move, Xue Rengui finished in a few trips—then was assigned to fetch water.

Others carried water in two buckets per pole; Xue Rengui found two thick bamboo poles and carried ten or more buckets per pole, filling tomorrow's water supply in no time.

While the laborers cursed the boss for exploiting them, and the overseer rejoiced at finding a born ox or horse, Xue Rengui showed them the law of conservation of energy at mealtime.

He could do the work of ten men—but ate like ten men too.

Others ate by bowl; he ate by basin!

The overseer agonized for a long time, deciding that at least the efficiency was high, and since Xue Rengui only took one man's wage, it wasn't a loss.

Meanwhile, Xue Rengui's astonishing performance drew the attention of the household's womenfolk; the eldest daughter, Liu Yinhuan, came with her sister-in-law to see the spectacle.

Watching Xue Rengui lift the pillar, she was stunned.

Just then, disaster struck: several stacked beams toppled, directly crashing toward Liu Yinhuan. Xue Rengui reacted instantly, one hand catching the beam, then another rolled toward them—he scooped up Liu Yinhuan and dodged.

This scene was the romantic turning point between Liu Yinhuan and Xue Rengui, crucial, so it was meticulously shot.

Especially the part where he embraces Liu Yinhuan to dodge falling beams—several versions were tried, but the director wasn't satisfied.

Yan Li had to hold Yang Rong, who played Liu Yinhuan, and shoot it over and over.

Fortunately, Yang Rong was only 1. meters tall and petite; based on Yan Li's experience, she weighed under 100 jin—easy for his strong frame, and her feel was pleasant.

Still, Yan Li worried the actress might think he was taking advantage.

After another pause, he set Yang Rong down: "Wait a moment—I'll talk to the director."

With that, she stormed off to speak with the director, while Yang Rong's assistant handed her water.

"Sis, he didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Clearly, the assistant also suspected Yu Yanli had deliberately taken advantage—such incidents weren't unheard of in the industry.

In intimate scenes like kisses or bed scenes, big-name male actors would seize opportunities to take liberties.

For example, adding extra touches or deliberately filming multiple takes; lesser-known actresses, wary of their reputations, dared not complain and had to swallow the humiliation.

On Tianya, someone leaked that during the filming of *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*, a British veteran actor extended his tongue during a kiss scene—reportedly, the female lead shouted "Cut!" herself, but he kept going.

Yu Yanli was famously known in the circle as a womanizer and lecher; this kind of thing fit him perfectly.

"No, you're imagining things."

Yang Rong shook her head; during Yu Yanli's embrace, his hands had been perfectly proper, and whenever there were rolling motions, he always protected her—no signs of taking advantage.

Besides, given Yu Yanli's status on set, if he wanted to take liberties, he wouldn't need to rely on these scenes—he could simply add a few more kiss scenes, and she'd have little choice but to agree.

"Really?"

The assistant was skeptical; judging by Yang Rong's tone, Yu Yanli was almost like a gentleman—nothing like the rumors.

"Probably just misinformation or publicity stunts."

Yang Rong speculated; before joining this production, she'd genuinely feared something like this, but after two days of interaction, she realized she'd overthought it.

Outside of filming, Yu Yanli barely spoke to her; in private, he either trained or returned to his hotel or Yi'an's base for work.

She even felt Yu Yanli cared more about horses than her!

As Yang Rong sighed in relief, she also felt a pang of discouragement and annoyance—after all, she was a beauty, and being so utterly ignored was disrespectful.

Just then, Yu Yanli returned from speaking with the director, went over the blocking with her, then lifted Yang Rong up as if she were a doll.

Yang Rong nestled in Yu Yanli's arms; the day had warmed up, and after continuous action filming, he'd inevitably sweated—there was a faint odor, not pleasant, yet oddly stimulating.

In previous takes, Yu Yanli's effortless, powerful embraces had surprised Yang Rong.

This rising star, famed for his shrewdness, wealth, and womanizing, carried so many glamorous titles that his physical fitness had been largely overlooked.

Or perhaps, due to his on-screen roles and public image, many had labeled him as a tough guy.

Yang Rong found this view too narrow; a more accurate description would be "macho man."

A macho man is likely a tough guy, but a tough guy isn't necessarily a macho man—there's a fundamental difference.

Her mind was a jumble when suddenly her feet touched the ground; she snapped back to reality.

"Is it done?"

"Mm."

Yu Yanli gave her a strange look—this girl had a big heart; she could zone out during action scenes and not fear he'd toss her away.

Yang Rong felt a little embarrassed under his gaze.

Normally, she'd be cautious, but after so many takes, always protected by Yu Yanli, she'd unconsciously trusted him and lowered her guard.

Both thought they'd need to reshoot, but the director said it was fine; after checking playback on the monitor, they realized they'd barely captured Yang Rong's face—she'd zoned out without anyone noticing.

"..."

Yu Yanli didn't call her out; they ran the next scene, then moved to the next location.

After saving someone, Xue Rengui studied a new book at night, and Liu Yinhuan discovered he was both scholarly and martial—leading to deeper conversation.

Liu Yinhuan, learning more about Xue Rengui and touched by his rescue, began to develop feelings; Xue Rengui, in turn, grew fond of this elegant lady who didn't look down on his poverty and encouraged and comforted him.

They filmed until nearly eleven, and when Yang Rong finished removing her makeup, she was too exhausted to speak, nearly falling asleep.

Yu Yanli had even more and tougher scenes than her; logically, he should've been more worn out, yet he was full of energy, removing makeup while on the phone, arranging four tasks in under half an hour, occasionally texting someone he was chatting with.

After makeup removal, Yu Yanli asked Yang Rong if she wanted late-night snacks; she was too drained to care, so he gathered a group willing to go out for food.

Yang Rong faintly heard Yu Yanli mention that it was too late, otherwise he'd ride a horse for a couple laps to loosen up.

Is this guy Xue Rengui reincarnated?!

Yang Rong truly admired Yu Yanli's boundless stamina—he felt like a different species entirely.

But wasn't he supposed to have beauties surrounding him? Why didn't she see any, and why was he always riding horses?

Fan Xiaopang shared similar confusion!

On the same Hengdian set for *The White-Haired Witch*, Fan Xiaopang had waited for days, only to find that this bastard hadn't come to see her.

Too busy with filming?

Or had he been seduced by another fox spirit?!

Thinking of this, restless Fan Xiaopang seized the chance when the crew's equipment broke down; she took half a day off and stormed over to the *Legend of Xue Rengui* set.

To catch him off guard, she didn't notify him ahead of time—just brought one assistant and slipped quietly onto the set.

Coincidentally, today's scene depicted Liu Yinhuan defying her family's objections to run to the cold cottage and marry Xue Rengui.

The newlywed couple, full of affection, Xue Rengui fashioned a bow to hunt geese for money to support his wife, and, facing his lovely bride, proudly explained the trick to shooting geese.

"When the goose opens its beak, shoot its mouth—the feathers stay intact, so you can sell it for a high price."

Yang Rong crouched, hands resting on Yu Yanli's thighs, listening in astonishment.

"That requires incredible archery skill."

"Of course."

Yang Rong smiled brightly: "Then, my husband, are you capable?"

Yu Yanli glanced down at her, turned sideways, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and spun her twice: "I'll show you just how capable I am."

Yang Rong giggled, begging him to put her down; they playfully tumbled toward the bed as the camera shifted to the burning flames inside the cold cottage.

"Cut."

The director called, Yang Rong rose from the bed, Yu Yanli stood up too—but she stopped him; his headpiece was dusted with straw from the prop bed.

She reached up, plucked off the straw, brushed his headpiece lightly; having grown somewhat familiar with Yu Yanli these days, she laughed.

"This prop bed's too short—Boss Yu's tall, he can't stretch out on it."

Yu Yanli didn't care: "I'm not sleeping on it anyway."

"Sleeping?"

A female voice asked curiously; Yang Rong assumed it was the makeup artist and replied casually: "Of course sleeping—I said the bed's too small, he can't lie down comfortably."

"Oh, no problem, the hotel has big beds."

The tone sounded off; Yang Rong turned around—and froze.

Fan Xiaopang's bright, bold oval face wore a warm, polite smile, but her eyes burned with fury.

"No, it's a misunderstanding!"

Yang Rong panicked—everyone believed Fan Xiaopang was Yu Yanli's girlfriend; being caught red-handed joking with him, if she was mistaken for a mistress, she'd be wrongly accused.

She was about to explain when Yu Yanli looked at Fan Xiaopang in confusion: "Why are you here?"

The system said she wouldn't be free until tomorrow—he'd planned to visit her on the *White-Haired Witch* set tomorrow, yet she showed up early.

Changed her mind?!

Fan Xiaopang didn't know his thoughts, but hearing his words, she instantly misinterpreted and exploded.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm not allowed to come?"

She now understood, at least a little, how Qin Lan must've felt seeing her on *The Investiture of the Gods*—a fox spirit. The anger was truly uncontrollable.

"Sis Bing, it's a misunderstanding—I'm nothing to Boss Yu..."

Yang Rong sensed danger and quickly explained; she hadn't been on set long—if she angered "Boss's Lady," she might get fired.

Seeing others nearby watching, Yang Rong pulled Fan Xiaopang aside and pleaded her case.

Fan Xiaopang was skeptical: "You mean Boss Yu's been spending his free time riding horses and practicing archery?"

Yang Rong frowned: "Didn't he tell you?"

He had!

But Fan Xiaopang didn't believe it—yet now Yang Rong herself confirmed it, even offering to have others on set vouch for her.

With Yang Rong's status, she couldn't possibly convince hundreds of crew members to lie; Yu Yanli had the power to do so, but no reason to—Fan Xiaopang could pay for silence, but it'd be wasted.

For a moment, Fan Xiaopang didn't know whether to be pleased Yu Yanli stayed clean—or furious that this bastard rode horses but never came to see her.

"Sorry."

Fan Xiaopang admitted her mistake and apologized outright; Yang Rong said it was fine.

She'd originally planned to give Yang Rong a warning, but then thought—Yu Yanli would rather ride horses than see her—so why bother? After a brief chat, she turned and left.

Yang Rong, relieved to have resolved the trouble, sighed deeply—then couldn't help worrying.

"What did her final look mean? Contempt? Disdain? Or just indifference?"

On the other side, Fan Xiaopang found Yu Yanli smoking; he glanced at her and ignored her.

Fan Xiaopang knew this bastard had gone into stubborn mode; she brushed off her own guilt and zeroed in on his days of ignoring her.

"Busy."

"Busy my ass—you've time to ride horses, but no time to... cough, come see me."

Yu Yanli sighed: "You've changed."

"Huh?"

Fan Xiaopang was stunned—usually, women asked men this, but she couldn't help herself.

"How have I changed?"

"Before, you never asked about my private life."

Yu Yanli sighed; previously, when he didn't seek her out, she didn't care—come or not, she'd just do her own thing.

Now? She'd turned into a clingy mess—days without seeing him and she starts throwing tantrums, even chasing after "mistresses." He was genuinely unaccustomed.

「……」

Fan Xiaopang felt a mix of embarrassment and annoyance—they'd originally agreed to be friends, talking only of romance, not love. Now she was eating her own words, but she wasn't about to take them back.

After stammering for a long while, she finally blurted out: "I do what I want."

Yan Li retorted: "I don't want to."

"You don't want to? Too bad. Others would kill for the chance. Go ahead and gloat."

Fan Xiaopang started acting childish. They'd been close for so long—ever since the ice was broken after their Fengshen Bang shoot, the signing ceremony, and her birthday, they'd grown even closer.

She'd changed, but Yan Li hadn't stayed the same either. Fan Xiaopang didn't believe he could say anything truly heartless.

Sure enough, Yan Li glanced at her, muttered a few complaints, but said nothing harsh.

Fan Xiaopang snorted triumphantly, as if she'd won a great battle. Seeing no one was paying attention, she leaned down and smacked a kiss on Yan Li's cheek.

Let them say I'm humiliated—I lose face once, but I win back a man. Worth it…

(End of Chapter)