Chapter 203

In early October, the finale of "Bright Sword" achieved an average viewership rating exceeding 10%, with a peak of 13.7% and a market share of approximately 30%.

Characters like Li Yulong became wildly popular across Dajiangnanbei, making the secondary and tertiary broadcasts and terrestrial channels of "Bright Sword" unprecedentedly talked-about.

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

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

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

But with a 4 million investment securing 45% of "Bright Sword" plus distribution rights, Yi'an made a massive profit, ranking among the top earners in all of All Productions' projects.

Meanwhile, in places few noticed, "Bright Sword" had also sold its DVD rights and online rights.

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

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

This company bought the permanent online rights to these dramas and then licensed their use to Tudou. com for fixed terms.

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

In early October, 【Yan Ye Capital】 acquired 30% of Tudou. com's shares for 1 million U. S. dollars, 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.

The negotiations were unknown to the outside world and drew no attention, yet they were actually quite intense.

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

Their plan was to keep equity sales under 20%, ideally below 15%; of course, selling less equity meant less capital, which they could accept—500,000 U. S. dollars would be enough to keep them running for a while.

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

Tudou. com's founder, Wang Wei, was no ordinary person; he had previously worked at a renowned international media group and once held the position of Head of Greater China, a role equivalent to a golden-collar executive with connections everywhere.

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

So during the angel round, he did not wish to give up too much equity, as it would dilute the founding team's influence and hinder future financing.

But Yan Li was no fool—he had dug deep into Tudou. com's inner workings, including confidential monthly reports about its future.

The angel round is the moment to acquire the maximum equity with the minimum capital; if you don't squeeze hard now and secure a 10–20% stake, later funding rounds will dilute it to a fraction, slashing the project's returns.

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

So Yan Li offered the copyright as bait.

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

If hit dramas like "Bright Sword" and "Chinese Paladin" could be exclusively streamed to some degree…

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

Not to mention Yan Li also offered celebrity resources—several stars signed on under their own names, with more traffic-driving collaborations planned, helping Tudou. com build its brand and attract users at extremely low cost.

Tudou. com 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, lacking any internet investment or cooperation mindset.

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

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

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

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

Under pressure and temptation, Tudou. com compromised but managed to reduce Yan Li's proposed 45% equity stake to 30%—though in return, they conceded certain rights in decision-making and future financing to Yan Li.

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile, Yan Li, after successfully acquiring equity in Tudou. com and analyzing subtle details from future intelligence, keenly sensed the importance and appreciation potential of copyrights.

At this stage, almost no film and television companies valued online rights for their dramas—the prices were pitifully low.

Per episode, it was usually a few hundred or a thousand yuan; ordinary dramas could be acquired for tens of thousands, and even hot dramas rarely reached six figures.

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

Even Tudou. com had initially prioritized celebrity traffic; it was only after Yan Li's reminder that they began to take copyrights seriously.

But Tudou. com 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 out hundreds of dramas at several ten thousand yuan each.

Of course, this approach would raise market prices to some extent, but it was worth it.

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

Such cultural assets could be priced high or low; if placed within a Shangshi Company, the possible operations multiplied.

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

Besides Tudou. com, Yan Li also wanted to invest in LeTV and the upcoming Youku.

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

LeTV—he looked into it and gave up; 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 would never lack funding.

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

But Gu Yongjiang had deep roots in Sohu, an internet giant, and it was uncertain how effective Yan Li's influence would be.

Yan Li still sent people to make contact—it cost nothing; if it worked, great; if not, no loss.

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

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

However, its founder was extremely cautious about investment, and since the company was currently focused solely on local classified information with no external expansion and already generating revenue through advertising, 【Yan Ye Capital】 held only a very limited stake.

Yan Li didn't mind; it was the same old saying: internet investment is casting a wide net.

Over 95% of projects lose money; only a tiny few break even or make a small profit, but if you hit one blockbuster, you recover all previous losses and make a huge fortune.

Fear of losing money or being washed out? Then switch industries early—internet ventures are all about high risk and high return.

Of course, Yan Li wasn't just fixated on the internet; he was willing to try other fields if suitable projects arose.

Already confirmed investments included a food factory in his hometown of Shandong Province and an electric vehicle brand—he invested in both and arranged for Zhang Zhilin to film an advertisement.

After all, the money came from the stock market, 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 felt it was better to invest in a few companies and take a gamble—at least you could see where the money went.

…

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

The lead actress and the most popular cast member, Li Bingbing, 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, playing Liu Yinhuan.

He had expected the scene to be rather sparse, but the media turnout exceeded his expectations.

Yan Li had still underestimated his current influence.

In the entertainment industry, he wasn't especially famous as an actor, but as a producer or film company boss, he was unquestionably the hottest figure at the moment.

According to Sina. com's roundup of celebrities in September 2005:

Li Youbin, who portrayed Li Yunlong in "Bright Sword," ranked first, surpassing Fan Xiaopang and Li Yuchun, who rose to fame through "Super Girl," as well as a host of big-name stars.

Managing the release of "Feng Diao," producing the massive hit "Bright Sword," signing the popular leading lady Fan Xiaopang—Yan Li's recent actions kept him constantly in the entertainment headlines.

Coupled with all his other accolades, he naturally became a media darling.

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

"Mr. Yan, this is your first time as the male lead—do you feel pressure? Can you balance acting with your other 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?"

"There are rumors that the original actor chosen for Xue Rengui wasn't you, but that you, as an investor, snatched the role—is this true?"

"Over the past year, you've been acting more and taking on heavier roles, and your performances have gained widespread audience approval—have you considered focusing more on your acting career in the future?"

"Do you prefer Fan Bingbing or Li Bingbing?"

"'Bright Sword' was a huge success—how much profit did you make? Is the rumored 20 million yuan accurate?"

"There have been multiple love triangles in the entertainment circle; within just one year, we've had 'Two Bings Competing for Yan,' the Zhou-Cai-Hou scandal, and recently news broke about two former Xiao Yanzi actresses competing for the wealthy young heir Wang Yu. What's your view on this? Do you feel you bear some responsibility for promoting such unhealthy social trends?"

"…"

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

Even though Yan Li wasn't afraid of controversy, the reporters' barrage left him slightly uneasy, and he answered 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 the audience."

"I don't know where the rumor about me snatching the role came from—we discussed collaboration before the script was even finished; the casting decision came even before the project was officially approved. As producer and financier, I've never heard that the production team contacted any other male actor for the role of Xue Rengui."

"My personal career still leans heavily toward the company side; acting is something I do when it's convenient and suitable."

"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 a male lead, I wanted someone experienced and popular to help me out—I called her, and she readily agreed. That's all there was to it."

"I can't disclose the exact profit from 'Bright Sword,' but I can say 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 social morals, shouldn't the gossip media, who sensationalize and fabricate stories just to grab attention, also bear some responsibility?"

"…"

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

Whether it's hype or truth, stars get exposure, the media makes money, and netizens enjoy the spectacle—everyone benefits.

But unfairly slapping on labels is pointless!

Who can't nitpick words and escalate things? If things get too big, the entertainment figures suffer, but so will this bunch who live off celebrity gossip.

No wonder news broke about Wang Zhiwen and Zhou Jie getting into altercations with reporters and paparazzi—sometimes these people are truly annoying.

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

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

Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty continues the "Shuo Tang" series' trope of the weak, pale-faced emperor, except now he's an old pale-faced emperor.

The plot begins as the Bohai general Tie Shiwen prepares to rebel; just as Emperor Li Shimin prepares to lead the army in person, he dreams of a white-robed young general saving him.

After interpretation by his strategist Xu Maogong, it is determined that this white-robed young general is Xue Rengui, a man from Longmen in Jin Province—sending troops there will surely find this dreamt-of virtuous minister.

Meanwhile, the scheming Zhang Shigui, along with his son-in-law Prince Li Daozong, attempts to impersonate the dreamt-of virtuous minister. Though unsuccessful, they secure the assignment to recruit soldiers in Jin Province, planning to use it as leverage.

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

Xue Rengui "plays the fool to hide his true ability," repeatedly achieving remarkable feats while posing as a cook—how and when he will be discovered by Li Shimin and restored to his rightful place is the main attraction of the early plot.

That night, Yan Li 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, he died 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 threat, so he was obsessed with "achieving merit to clear his name"—this also sets up his later enlistment, his hidden identity, and his deception by Zhang Shigui.

This was newly added plot; the original script had Zhang Shigui directly turning the "Dreamed Virtuous Minister" into a "Dreamed Treacherous Minister," completely confusing Xue Rengui.

That setup lowered the protagonist's intelligence too much—after all, 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 a "Dreamed Treacherous Minister" terrifies him even more.

Also, in the original script, Zhang Shigui treated Xue Rengui too harshly, making him seem like a masochist—viewers found it frustrating.

In the revised script, Zhang Shigui's methods are far more cunning: privately cruel and ruthless, but outwardly kind to Xue Rengui, dangling promises of clearing his name and occasionally offering small rewards.

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

Sometimes targeted, it was all because his son-in-law He Zongxian was jealous of him; Zhang Shigui, bound by family ties, inevitably favored him, but still apologized and comforted him and so on.

Under these circumstances, the audience wouldn't think Xue was addicted to abuse, but would see Zhang as cunning and clever, tricking Xue, and eagerly await when Xue Rengui would realize something was wrong and expose the conspiracy to seek revenge and so on.

Today's scene is after Xue Rengui descends the mountain, pays respects to his father, and seeks refuge with his uncle.

But the uncle, knowing his true background, feared being implicated and had Xue Rengui driven away, causing Xue Rengui to realize his identity carried hidden dangers.

Because he studied on the mountain and had little money, and no one would take him in, Xue Rengui fell into hardship.

Fortunately, he met the kind-hearted Wang couple; seeing Xue Rengui's noble bearing, they knew he was no ordinary man, and seeing a hero in distress, they couldn't bear to turn away and lent him a hand.

But because Xue Rengui was naturally immensely strong and had an enormous appetite, the Wang couple, who made tofu for a living, simply couldn't afford to feed him.

Xue Rengui, proud of being a true man, felt ashamed to be supported by others, so he decided to find work to support himself first, then plan gradually.

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

He called Lin Jiachuan, and the two went to the horse farm to practice riding.

"The Legend of Xue Rengui" has many fight scenes, and horseback and cavalry sequences are also substantial; though Yan Li's riding skills are good, practicing more would certainly be better.

Not only riding, Yan Li must also practice archery.

Archery, Yan Li had learned before; in "Emperor Wu of Han," there was a scene of Huo Qubing riding and drawing his bow.

But Yan Li wasn't satisfied with that scene, because back then he hadn't studied much—he'd 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 about the same.

But "The Legend of Xue Rengui" has many archery shots, including the Gao Guang of "Three Arrows to Defend Tianshan," so it can't be taken lightly.

Accuracy aside—it's a film, not a competition—but the posture must be right, giving the impression of a legendary archer's bearing, not softly "throwing" the arrow.

For this, Yan Li had the crew assign him a dedicated archery coach; he trained a few times before joining, and now, whenever he had time, he'd review.

Like tonight while riding—he rode a few laps, then drew his bow on horseback, assuming the mounted archer stance.

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

"Whoa…"

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

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

Bai Long is a divine steed from Boliao; originally Princess Princess Zhao Yang's mount, she brought it to Tang, but on the journey, bandits captured it—until Xue Rengui rescued it, winning the princess's heart, and later she gave him the horse.

As an adaptation of classical fiction, the drama gives Xue Rengui insane luck, maximizing the male lead's privileges.

He saved his wife, gained the steed, then during a mission, acquired the divine weapon, Fangtian Huaji, and the white robe armor.

Later, when Lidao Sect rebelled, Xue saved the emperor's life; before campaigning against the Huige, Li Zhi gathered all the Tang Empire's master craftsmen to forge him a divine bow.

Paired with Xue's divine strength, its range exceeded five hundred steps, piercing ten layers of armor—akin to Xue's sniper rifle—and with this divine bow, Xue Rengui achieved the Gao Guang of "Three Arrows to Defend Tianshan," terrifying the nine Huige tribes with one man.

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

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

That's right—Sai Long is the very horse Yan Li often rode during the filming of "The Heroes of Sui and Tang" (appeared in Chapter 13).

The producers of "The Heroes of Sui and Tang" and "The Legend of Xue Rengui" are the same, and some teams collaborated before, so the previous horse team and Sai Long also came along.

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, saying with quiet pride.

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

Back then, he'd felt a strong connection with Sai Long and once wanted to buy it, but was penniless and gave up.

Now remembering it, he simply bought it outright—partly because he loved horses, partly to close a long-standing regret.

"Yan Zong, you're awesome."

Old Xu, cigarette in mouth, gave a thumbs-up—he'd actually forgotten the whole thing until Yan Li reminded him.

Years ago, some upstart actor had claimed he'd buy a horse, and Old Xu had mocked him—but now, how short a time later, this guy had delivered, and even Old Xu had to eat his food.

"Haha."

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

Not just him—Wang Decai, Wang Xiu, and others who had participated in "The Heroes of Sui and Tang" now joined Yan Li in triumphant entry into the crew.

Wang Decai rose from assistant director to producer, wielding great power; even the former producer Li Si had to give him leeway.

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

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 his leg, wouldn't they be the ones basking in glory now?

Regret!

————

Hengdian, a historical drama construction site

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

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

After finally lowering the pillar, two collapsed on 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 hurrying—we're nearly exhausted. Add two more people to help."

The steward sighed and nodded: "Fine."

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

"You, the tall one—you, strong and tall—come help carry the timber."

"Alright."

The young man turned his head—it was Gong Nanyan portraying Xue Rengui; the director called "Cut!" and moved to the next scene.

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

Four men could barely lift the pillar; he carried three of them alone, striding swiftly—only because it was too thick to grip easily, otherwise he could have carried more.

The pillars the extras had lifted earlier were real, but not ebony—just ordinary wood, far lighter than they appeared.

Gong Nanyan carried a special prop; there was no choice— to create impact, the wooden prop was as thick as a washbasin, and just demonstrating how he carried it took over ten minutes.

What would take four men at least 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, carrying over ten buckets per pole, and filled tomorrow's water supply in no time.

While the other laborers cursed the foreman for hiring a scab, and the foreman rejoiced at having found a natural ox-horse holy body, Xue Rengui showed him what the law of conservation of energy truly meant over dinner.

He could indeed do the work of ten men, but his appetite was also ten times theirs.

Others ate by bowl; he ate by basin!

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

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

She watched in stunned silence as Xue Rengui carried the pillar.

Just then, an accident occurred—several stacked beams toppled, directly crashing toward Liu Yinhuan; Xue Rengui reacted instantly, one hand catching the beam, then another rolled toward them, so he scooped up Liu Yinhuan and dodged aside.

This scene was Liu Yinhuan and Xue Rengui's love-defining moment, crucial, so it was meticulously crafted and shot with great care.

Especially the part where he held Liu Yinhuan close to dodge the falling beams—several versions were designed, but the director wasn't satisfied with any.

Gong Nanyan had to hold Yang Rong, who played Liu Yinhuan, and shoot it over and over again.

Fortunately, Yang Rong was only 1.6 meters tall, relatively petite; based on Gong Nanyan's experience, she likely weighed under 100 jin, which was no strain for his strong, powerful frame, and her feel was quite pleasant.

Still, shooting this way, Gong Nanyan feared the female actress might misunderstand him as taking advantage.

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

Saying that, he stormed off to confront the director; Yang Rong's assistant handed her water.

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

Clearly, the assistant suspected Gong Nanyan had deliberately taken advantage—such things 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 shooting multiple takes; female actresses with lesser fame, wary of their reputations, dared not complain and swallowed the injustice.

Tianya had leaked that during the filming of *Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre*, a certain British veteran actor extended his tongue during a kiss scene—reportedly, the female actress shouted "Cut!" herself, but he kept going.

Gong Nanyan was famously known in the circle as a womanizer and lecher; such behavior fitting him perfectly.

"No, you're imagining things."

Yang Rong shook her head; when Gong Nanyan held her, his hands were always proper, and whenever there was a rolling motion, he protected her—no signs of taking advantage.

Besides, given Gong Nanyan's status on set, if he wanted to take advantage, he wouldn't need to use this scene—he could just add a few kiss scenes, and she'd have little choice but to agree.

"Really?"

The assistant was skeptical; from Yang Rong's tone, Gong Nanyan seemed almost like a gentleman—nothing like the rumors.

"Probably just misinformation or publicity stunts."

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

Outside filming, Gong Nanyan barely spoke to her; privately, he either trained or returned to his hotel or Yi'an's base for work.

She even felt he was more interested in horses than in her!

As Yang Rong sighed in relief, she also felt a pang of discouragement and annoyance—after all, she was a beauty; to be so ignored was to treat her as nothing.

Just then, Gong Nanyan returned from speaking with the director, went over the blocking with her, and lifted Yang Rong as if she were a doll.

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

His effortless, powerful embraces during previous takes had deeply surprised Yang Rong.

This rising star, famed for his shrewdness, wealth, and womanizing, carried so many halos and titles that his robust physicality had been overlooked by many.

Or perhaps, because of his on-screen roles and personal image, many had labeled Gong Nanyan as a "hard man."

In Yang Rong's view, that was too narrow; a more accurate term would be "hunk."

A hunk is almost certainly a hard man, but a hard man isn't necessarily a hunk—there's a fundamental difference.

Her mind was cluttered with thoughts when suddenly her feet touched the ground; she snapped back to awareness.

"Is it done?"

"Mm."

Gong Nanyan glanced at her oddly—this girl had a big heart; she could zone out during an action scene and not fear he'd drop her.

Yang Rong felt embarrassed under his gaze.

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

Both assumed they'd need to reshoot, but the director said "Cut!"; they checked playback on the monitor and realized almost no clear shot of Yang Rong's face had been captured—no one noticed she'd drifted off.

"..."

Gong Nanyan didn't expose her; they went over the next scene, then began moving locations.

After saving her, Xue Rengui studied a new book at night; Liu Yinhuan discovered he was both cultured and martial, and they deepened their conversation.

Liu Yinhuan learned more about Xue Rengui, and having been saved, her heart stirred; Xue Rengui, too, developed feelings for this gentle, refined young lady who didn't scorn 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.

Gong Nanyan had more and tougher scenes than her; logically, he should've been more worn out, yet he was full of energy, removing his makeup while making calls, arranging four tasks in under half an hour, occasionally texting someone he was chatting with.

After removing her makeup, Gong Nanyan asked Yang Rong if she wanted late-night snacks; she was too worn out to care, so he didn't press, gathering those willing to join for a late meal.

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

This guy must be Xue Rengui reincarnated!

Yang Rong truly admired Yan Li's boundless stamina and energy, once feeling as if they weren't even the same species.

But wasn't this guy surrounded by beautiful women? Why isn't a single one in sight, and why is he riding horses every day?

Fan Xiaopang shared similar doubts!

On the same Hengdian set for "The White-Haired Witch," Fan Xiaopang waited for several days, only to discover that this dog-man had never come to find her.

Too busy with filming?

Or had he been seduced by some fox spirit?!

Fuming, Fan Xiaopang seized the chance when the crew's equipment broke down, took half a day off, and stormed straight over to the "Legendary Xue Rengui" set.

To catch someone off guard, she didn't warn 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 rush to the cold cottage and marry Xue Rengui.

The newlywed couple, overflowing with affection, had Xue Rengui crafting a bow to hunt geese for money to support his wife, proudly demonstrating the secret to shooting geese.

"At the exact moment the goose opens its beak, shoot its mouth with an arrow—leave its fur and feathers intact—only then can you sell it for a high price."

Yang Rong crouched, hands resting on Yan Li's thighs, listening in stunned amazement.

"That requires incredible archery skill."

"Of course."

Yang Rong smiled, her face blooming like a flower: "Then, my dear, are you capable of it?"

Yan Li 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 as he set her down; they playfully tumbled toward the bed, the camera shifting to the flames burning inside the cold cottage.

"Cut."

The director called, Yang Rong rose from the bed, Yan Li stood up too—but she stopped him. His headpiece was dusted with straw from the prop bed.

She plucked off the straw, brushed the headpiece lightly, and smiled—she'd grown somewhat familiar with Yan Li these past few days.

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

Yan Li didn't care: "I'm not sleeping on it anyway."

"Sleeping?"

A woman's voice asked curiously. Yang Rong assumed it was the makeup artist and replied casually: "Of course sleeping—I said the bed's too small to lie down on."

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

The tone felt off. Yang Rong turned around—and froze.

Fan Xiaopang's bright, sharp oval face wore a warm, polite smile, but her eyes burned with murderous intent.

"No, it's a misunderstanding!"

Yang Rong panicked—everyone publicly believed Fan Xiaopang was Yan Li's girlfriend. Getting caught joking with him by his girlfriend? If she was mistaken for a mistress, she'd be utterly wronged.

Just as she tried to explain, Yan Li looked at Fan Xiaopang with confusion: "Why are you here?"

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

Changed her mind at the last minute?!

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

"What's that supposed to mean? Shouldn't I be here?"

She was beginning to understand what Qin Lan had felt back on "The Investiture of the Gods" when she saw her—like spotting a fox spirit. The anger was truly uncontrollable.

"Sister Bingbing, it's a misunderstanding—I'm nothing to Boss Yan…"

Yang Rong sensed danger and rushed to explain. She hadn't been on set long—if she angered the "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're saying Boss Yan's been free these days, just riding horses and practicing archery?"

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

He did!

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

Yang Rong's status wasn't high enough to make hundreds of crew members lie for her. Yan Li had the power to do so—but no reason to. Fan Xiaopang spending money to silence them would be pointless.

For a moment, Fan Xiaopang couldn't tell whether to be pleased that Yan Li was staying clean—or furious that this dog-man rode horses but never came to see her.

"Sorry."

Fan Xiaopang admitted her mistake—and was direct, apologizing to Yang Rong, who waved it off.

She'd originally planned to give Yang Rong a warning—but then she remembered Yan Li preferred riding horses to even seeing her. It seemed unnecessary. After a few brief words, she turned and left.

Yang Rong solved the crisis and exhaled deeply—then couldn't help worrying.

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

On the other side, Fan Xiaopang found Yan Li smoking. He glanced at her—and ignored her.

Fan Xiaopang knew this dog-man was being stubborn again. She brushed off her own guilt and zeroed in on his days in Hengdian without visiting her.

"Busy."

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

Yan Li sighed: "You've changed."

"Huh?"

Fan Xiaopang was stunned. Usually, women asked men that. But she couldn't help herself.

"How have I changed?"

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

Yan Li 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 nuisance—barely a few days apart and she starts throwing tantrums, even chasing after "mistresses." He was genuinely unaccustomed to it.

"……"

Fan Xiaopang was a little embarrassed and annoyed. They had agreed at the start to be friends, only talking about romance and not about love, and now this was a slap in the face, but she refused to take back what she had said.

After hemming and hawing for a long time, she finally blurted out: "I'm willing, so what."

Yan Li quipped: "I'm not willing though."

"You not willing or not, you still have to be willing. Others would kill for the chance and not even get a foot in the door. Go on, secretly be happy about it."

Fan Xiaopang started being unreasonable. The two of them had been messing around together for quite a while now, and since the last time after *Erta* — the ice-breaking, the signing ceremony, and the birthday — they had grown even more intimate.

She had changed, and Yan Li wasn't completely unchanged either. Fan Xiaopang didn't believe Yan Li could say anything truly heartless.

Sure enough, Yan Li glanced at her, muttered a few complaints, but didn't say anything harsh.

Fan Xiaopang gave a triumphant hum, as if she had just won a great victory. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she lowered her head and smooched Yan Li.

A slap in the face is a slap in the face. Lose face once, gain a man in return — not a bad deal……

(End of chapter)