Chapter 204: Just Caught the Crimson Tiger, Then Beat the Beautiful She-Wolf, Yingying

End of shooting, wrap up the show

Lin Jiachuan came over, glanced at Fan Xiaopang, and asked softly: "Bro, I'm leaving early today."

"Where are you going? Not riding today?"

Yan Li asked in confusion; Lin Jiachuan couldn't hold it anymore: "You're still going to the stable today?"

"Of course."

Yan Li nodded. Bai Long was a new horse—he needed bonding. Sai Long hadn't been ridden in years; he needed gradual recovery.

So for these past few days, unless he was truly swamped, he'd go to the stable—even if he couldn't ride two laps, he'd feed it carrots or apples.

This was what Lao Xu taught him: daily interaction made the horse more affectionate, built deeper rapport, and improved cooperation whether riding or filming.

"Then… what about Bingbing?"

Lin Jiachuan didn't know how to address Fan Xiaopang, so he just called her "sister."

He and Fan Xiaopang were born the same year—he was six months older—but Fan's fame and status were undeniable, and wasn't he supposed to follow Yan Li's lead anyway?

"Of course we're going together."

Yan Li looked at Lin Jiachuan like he was an idiot—did he really think Yan Li would ditch Fan Xiaopang just to go ride horses? How clueless would that make him?

This horse wasn't Qin Lan or Dong Xuan. What was there about Fan Xiaopang that couldn't be seen?

He told Lin Jiachuan to go buy snacks, then removed his makeup and told Fan Xiaopang about going to the stable, proudly showing off his horses.

"I bought Sai Long. You should see him—he's incredibly spirited, and he's just my type."

"The horse you mentioned before wanting to buy?"

Fan Xiaopang had heard Yan Li mention it once, never expecting him to actually buy it. This dog of a man still had a sentimental streak.

"Yes."

Fan Xiaopang grew interested and suddenly asked: "Who else have you taken to see this horse?"

"You're the first woman I've brought to see him. Happy now?"

Yan Li understood Fan Xiaopang's unspoken meaning and replied irritably; Fan Xiaopang nodded in satisfaction.

"That's more like it."

After changing clothes, Yan Li took Fan Xiaopang to the stable, showed her Sai Long and Bai Long, and fed them treats.

"How about a race?"

Fan Xiaopang was eager—she'd shot plenty of historical dramas and could ride well.

"No racing. Just ride two laps."

Yan Li refused to race. This woman was too competitive—if she got carried away and messed up, falling off the horse wouldn't be a minor thing.

Didn't that model from Taiwan just fall off a horse during an ad shoot and break six ribs? Luckily her organs weren't badly hurt—otherwise it'd have been worse.

Yan Li handed Sai Long to Fan Xiaopang—he was gentler, spent years on set, wasn't afraid of people, and was well-trained.

Bai Long, however, was specially sourced by the crew for "The Legend of Xue Rengui" because he played the "divine steed"—his breed and physique far surpassed ordinary horses, and naturally, his temper was fiercer and harder to handle.

Compared to the plain-looking Sai Long, Fan Xiaopang clearly preferred Bai Long—he was good-looking.

After two laps, she voluntarily asked to switch horses. Yan Li felt uneasy, so he offered:

"I'll ride with you."

"Fine."

Fan Xiaopang wanted Yan Li to get off first, then she'd mount, and he'd climb on after—but Yan Li told her to stand still, control the horse, then bent down, reached out, and lifted her straight onto the saddle, guiding her to sit slowly in front of him.

"Holy shit…"

Fan Xiaopang was startled at first, then beamed: "That's awesome!"

Yan Li was speechless—this woman really was wild. He held her close and trotted the horse, but Fan Xiaopang wasn't satisfied—she told him to go faster.

Her own riding skills were fine at a trot, but galloping made her shaky—mainly because she was scared.

But with Yan Li, she felt safe and bold.

"Hold on tight."

Yan Li told Fan Xiaopang to settle, adjusted his posture for better security, then accelerated.

Riding a horse and riding a fast horse felt completely different!

Wind slammed against his face, hooves pounded powerfully, the horse's motion jolted him, scenery blurred past, and his emotions surged with tension and exhilaration, blood pounding.

Because he was carrying Fan Xiaopang, Yan Li didn't push too hard—but it was already thrilling enough for her.

When the horse stopped, Fan Xiaopang's face was flushed, and she exhaled deeply: "Now I get why you love riding."

"Heh, at the stable it's just fun. Back when I filmed 'Emperor Wu of Han,' riding across the grasslands—that was real freedom."

Vast open fields, galloping freely, wild and untamed—every inch of her felt light and euphoric. Yan Li's love for riding owed everything to that experience.

She wriggled in his arms, breathing in his strong male scent, recalling the moment—safe yet thrilling—and felt a restless urge stir.

"Can we do it on horseback?"

"Do what?"

Yan Li didn't get it at first, but seeing her flushed face and smoldering eyes, he understood—and gave her ass a hard slap.

"You think this is a movie?"

Fan Xiaopang looked disappointed: "Boring."

"Even if it weren't, we wouldn't do it like this."

Yan Li refused outright—any mistake and Fan Xiaopang might fall, but he was the one carrying the burden. What if he broke something?

No matter how thrilling, he wouldn't gamble his entire future!

After a few more laps, they left the stable. Yan Li wanted to book another hotel—away from the crew, to avoid paparazzi.

"So what if they take photos? Haven't they taken them before?"

Fan Xiaopang didn't care—she even hoped the paparazzi took more, to cement her identity as Yan Li's boss lady.

Earlier, she'd worried about damaging her career, but now she didn't care anymore.

In fact, to some extent, her rumors with Yan Li had become a major source of exposure for her.

Many onlookers loved watching the 【love-hate drama】 between a gorgeous female star and a rising business tycoon.

Yan Li threw her a signing ceremony—"ten million to redeem her," "ten million contract," gifted her a crown and resources, then flooded the media with exposure.

Meanwhile, "The Legend of Xue Rengui" officially announced Li Bingbing's joining, reigniting the "Two Bing's Battle for Yan" drama—her popularity surged, even surpassing Yan and Li's combined.

Those who disliked her waited to laugh, mocking her for being "stolen from" by Li Bingbing.

Those who liked her supported her in "beating up" Li Bingbing to defend her love.

Neutral spectators held their breath, eager to see how the two Bing's would duel over the man.

Li Bingbing's participation in "The Legend of Xue Rengui," and Fan Xiaopang's tolerance of it—despite other reasons—was undeniably driven by the desire to keep reaping the benefits of the "Two Bing's Rivalry."

Arriving at Yan Li's room, Fan Xiaopang quietly began inspecting.

Hmm, no signs of any woman being here.

Yan Li understood: "So that's why you insisted on coming to my room?"

What was the point of this inspection? His room was cleaned daily by assistants and staff—nothing could be found.

Besides, did things like that have to happen in his room?

His room was sometimes used for meetings with directors or crew heads, or video calls with the company—he usually preferred going to the woman's room instead.

"Tired. Going to shower."

Caught out, Fan Xiaopang felt awkward and made an excuse to escape.

Yan Li shook his head, searching for clothes to change into after his shower, when Fan Xiaopang called him—she couldn't find the shower gel.

He stripped off his clothes and strolled into the bathroom.

"What now?"

"No shower gel. Let me use something else on you."

————

The next day, Yan Li arrived punctually at the makeup room. Yang Rong was there even earlier, occasionally glancing at him.

Yan Li was puzzled and checked his neck in the mirror—nothing unusual.

Fan Xiaopang had been thoroughly overwhelmed by him yesterday—no energy left for this. She hadn't even woken up yet this morning; no opportunity.

"Is something wrong with me?"

Unable to figure it out, Yan Li asked directly. Yang Rong shook her head.

"Nothing. I just think Boss Yan looks better today—more… energetic."

"Really?"

Yan Li checked himself again in the mirror. Now that Yang Rong mentioned it, he did feel a slight difference.

Turns out men need regular nourishment too!

Seeing Yan Li didn't press the issue, Yang Rong sighed in relief—she hadn't lied. He truly looked better.

But that wasn't why she'd been secretly watching him.

He'd filmed all day, reportedly ridden horses, and last night—after a brief separation—he couldn't have just slept.

She didn't particularly like Fan Xiaopang, but admitted she was an absolute seductress who could drive any man mad.

Yang Rong had expected Yan Li to be exhausted, maybe even skip filming—but he was more energetic than ever.

What a beast!

Yang Rong was truly impressed—and now she was dying to know what Fan Xiaopang was like.

But she couldn't ask. She had to suppress her curiosity and keep filming.

Yang Rong had quite a few scenes, but they were scattered: early on, scenes opposite Xue Rengui; in the middle, scenes of her enduring hardship in a cold cottage; then the reunion with Xue Rengui after his campaign, and scenes of her accepting Princess Zhaoyang.

This made Yang Rong's shooting schedule the longest among all the female roles in The Legend of Xue Rengui, as it had to accommodate the entire crew's timeline.

Although Li Bingbing had more scenes, she was popular enough to have a tight schedule, so the crew had to accommodate her—her schedule was shorter and more concentrated.

For Yang Rong, though this meant some wasted time due to delays, the workload was relatively light, leaving her plenty of rest between shoots.

She personally preferred this shooting intensity—it allowed her to earn money while still having time to rest and enjoy herself.

But Yan Li found it uncomfortable seeing her idle every day.

He voluntarily offered to arrange a role for her in The Qing Palace, which also starred Yu Zheng, so they could collaborate as old classmates.

Yang Rong: "..."

He was a workaholic himself, yet dragged others into "overtime"—what kind of person was he?

Because the shooting schedule was relatively light, Yang Rong had spare time, and as a main creator, she grew slightly closer to Yan Li, noticing he occasionally met privately with Fan.

Sometimes Fan Xiaopang came to The Legend of Xue Rengui; sometimes Yan Li went to The White-Haired Witch.

There might have been other private meeting spots, but Yang Rong didn't know—no one dared to monitor where Yan Li went outside of shooting.

Yang Rong often guessed based on Yan Li's behavior and oddities, but wasn't certain of the truth.

But she could be sure: Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang's relationship was quite good.

Also, Yan Li's so-called womanizing was likely misinformation or publicity stunt.

Dong Xuan and Huang Shengyi—she didn't know the details, but guessed they were ex-girlfriends.

Dong Xuan, however, was the type who remained friends after breaking up, so they still had contact and gave each other positive reviews; Yang Rong had experienced similar cases herself and could understand.

Huang Shengyi felt more complicated—also an ex-girlfriend, but firmly in the past.

Right now, Yan Li was seriously dating Fan Xiaopang.

Outside of work and shooting, he spent time only with Fan Xiaopang, or riding horses, or hanging out with friends like Lin Jiachuan—he almost never flirted with any other actresses or crew members, including her.

Hmm, he was a very serious person. His romantic history was a bit lengthy, but he certainly wasn't a womanizer.

Yang Rong felt the media and netizens judged Yan Li too harshly, and for a while, she felt indignant on his behalf.

But since Li Bingbing joined the crew, Yang Rong realized she had been too naive...

Compared to the domineering Fan Xiaopang, Yang Rong had a better impression of Li Bingbing—her personality was cheerful and open, and she treated others kindly.

On her first day at the set, Li Bingbing treated all actors and crew to late-night snacks, and she showed particular care for Yang Rong as a junior; once, after noticing she was cold after wrap, she gave her a mink-lined scarf the next day.

Then, she encountered Li Bingbing hugging and kissing Yan Li in the makeup room...

"Mmm."

On the makeup room sofa, Yan Li held back Li Bingbing's hands as she undid his shirt: "No, if you really want it, can't we find somewhere safer? People keep coming and going—aren't you afraid of being caught?"

"We're done shooting—who's around? Besides, I locked the door."

Li Bingbing pried his hands off and unbuttoned his shirt, explaining: "My sister's been here these days—I can't slip away privately, so this is the only place."

"Your sister's an agent—why is she always hanging around the set? Doesn't she have other things to do?"

Yan Li couldn't help complaining. Li Bingbing rolled her eyes: "You tell me why she won't leave the set?"

"..."

Yan Li was speechless—Li Bingbing was guarding against her sister causing trouble, either sticking to Yan Li or keeping her sister company, making sure they never met alone.

But this meant killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred herself—she had almost no private time with Yan Li either.

On top of that, Fan Xiaopang had become more vigilant.

Although Li Bingbing's presence made it inconvenient for Fan Xiaopang to "visit" the set, she found ways to lure Yan Li over to The White-Haired Witch.

As a result, since Li Bingbing joined, she and Yan Li had been strictly professional, at most sneaking a few quick touches.

At thirty, she's a she-wolf!

Li Bingbing wasn't some girl you could pacify with a kiss or a hand-hold—she'd already had the main course; these occasional little treats barely satisfied her.

So after planning for several days, she finally found an opportunity to corner Yan Li in the makeup room.

"Don't rush—I'll check if anyone's in the dressing area first."

Yan Li always felt uneasy—the makeup room was empty, but there were several small changing cubicles nearby; what if someone was hiding?

"I already checked."

Li Bingbing wasn't stupid—she'd checked thoroughly. From finishing the check to dragging Yan Li over, it had taken only minutes; the crew had wrapped, everyone had left—how could someone possibly show up in such a short window?

Besides, before entering, she'd called out twice—if anyone had been there, they'd have answered.

In the corner dressing cubicle, Yang Rong sat uneasily, wanting to leave but too afraid to move.

What bad luck!

Because her bra had broken midday and she couldn't fix it with people around, Yang Rong claimed she'd lost something in the makeup room and came here to deal with it.

When she arrived, the room was empty; afraid someone might enter, she went into the changing cubicle.

Just as she was taking off her clothes, she heard Li Bingbing's voice—she didn't dare answer. By the time she finished changing and wanted to speak, she heard Yan Li's voice.

At that moment, she hesitated, curious why they hadn't left and why they'd come to the makeup room.

One wrong step led to another—when she heard the door lock and the rustling sounds of them embracing and kissing, she dared not leave, forced to huddle in the cubicle, silent and motionless.

Hearing Li Bingbing's words, Yan Li finally relaxed.

Li Bingbing poked his pants with her finger and sneered: "You pretend to be nervous, but you're secretly thrilled—your zipper's about to burst."

"Cough."

Knowing it was safe, Yan Li didn't hold back—he started touching her, but Li Bingbing stopped him, walked to the makeup table, took a makeup brush, wiped it with tissue, and bit it between her lips, mumbling: "I'm afraid I'll moan too loud."

Yan Li raised an eyebrow: "Huh, even biting a towel won't help?"

Li Bingbing shot him a defiant look: "Stop talking—do it."

Fan Xiaopang was a lipstick tiger; this woman was a beautiful she-wolf.

Regardless of how things played out in practice, she'd never lost a verbal battle.

An hour and more passed—flushed, heart racing, tense—Yang Rong heard the door open and footsteps leaving, and finally exhaled.

She wanted to open the cubicle for air, but standing too long without moving, her legs were stiff, numb, and weak.

She bit her lip, tidied the cubicle, turned on the makeup room hairdryer to blow-dry her pants, checked for any abnormalities, then hurried away in panic.

The next day, Yang Rong saw Li Bingbing again in the makeup room.

Seeing how radiant she looked and hearing her slightly hoarse voice, Yang Rong remembered the suggestive sounds she'd heard before, lowering her head and avoiding eye contact.

Too absorbed in playing ostrich, Yang Rong didn't notice that Yan Li, who entered later, looked at her with equal awkwardness.

But Yang Rong had resolved to bury this secret deep—she'd never speak of it.

Yan Li acted as if he knew nothing—this kind of thing was better left unspoken; pretending it never happened was easier.

After that, whenever Li Bingbing tried to lure Yan Li back to the makeup room, he refused outright, finding other ways to keep Li Xue away.

Yet, to Yan Li's surprise—

【Daily Report x: Yang Rong has lately been making excuses to linger and hide in the makeup room...】

Oh my god, she's hooked now?!

Well, so you've gotten hooked, have you?!

Yang Rong realized how shallow she'd been—not seeing that Yan Li was juggling two women.

She also never imagined the gossip was true—that both Li and Fan were truly involved with Yan Li.

But considering Yan Li's status, wealth, looks, age, and the astonishing stamina and duration that had repeatedly stunned her...

Hmm... it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.

Yet just as Yang Rong thought Yan Li's ability to manage both women was impressive—

Late October, The Qing Palace began filming.

Two days after filming started, Yang Rong personally saw the drama's female lead, Wang Ou, visit the set; Yan Li, unusually, took a day off, then left with Wang Ou shortly after.

Later, Yang Rong learned it was Wang Ou's birthday.

The Qing Palace crew had arranged a cake and celebration for her, but she barely acknowledged it, then specifically came to The Legend of Xue Rengui to visit, and Yan Li, unusually, took time off.

If there wasn't something going on here, Yang Rong would reverse her name.

Also, since she was old classmates with producer Yu Zheng and Yan Li had arranged a role for her, Yang Rong often visited The Qing Palace set.

Then she heard rumors: Yan Li had visited The Qing Palace twice, and each time he'd been intimate with Qin Lan.

Even in The Qing Palace, though Wang Ou was the female lead, Qin Lan was the one everyone fawned over.

The producer and director doted on her; another actress, Hu Siyan, was rumored to be close to her and even walked their dogs together.

Yu Zheng had privately hinted to her: better not provoke Qin Lan.

Before she could process this, early November, Yan Li returned to Beijing for some reason—and the media reported he attended Dong Xuan's birthday party.

But since Tong Dawei, Guan Yue, Yang Xue, and other friends were also there, it didn't cause a major stir.

However, since friends like Tong Dawei, Guan Yue, and Yang Xue were all present at the time, it didn't cause much of a stir,

But Yang Rong had placed great "trust" in Yan Li—his so-called ex-girlfriends were definitely just cover-ups; they were definitely more than that.

But Yang Rong gave Yan Li tremendous "trust"—the so-called ex-girlfriend was definitely just a facade; the two of them were certainly not that simple.

That's already five. Based on her current "understanding" of Yan Li, there were surely more she hadn't discovered.

His stamina was incredible!

Yang Rong truly didn't know how to describe it—but whether judging by character or energy, the label "beast" was utterly deserved.

Yang Rong truly couldn't find the right words, but whether judging by character or stamina, the evaluation of "beast" was utterly deserved by Yan Li.

…

Yan Li knew Yang Rong had been watching him closely and dug up plenty of his old secrets.

How bored you must be!

Though he complained aloud, Yan Li didn't take it seriously—everything was guesswork and speculation, with no evidence, so it posed no threat and didn't matter; after all, you can't stop people from gossiping.

Besides, do you really think Yang Rong is the only smart one? Many others know parts of his situation all too well.

Aside from Qin Lan and Wang Ou, who are slightly more private, who isn't an open book?

Even Wang Ou is now half-open: a minor model signed by the company, continuously pushed hard—who wouldn't mutter a few words upon seeing it?

If Wang Ou weren't still relatively unknown, someone would already be stoking the "Yi'an No. 1 Queen" rivalry.

Even Qin Lan, though not fully exposed, has plenty of people who know.

Never mind the backstage rumors on set—just the fact that Yi'an has cast her in three consecutive dramas has fueled endless gossip; even Dong Xuan had caught wind of it.

After all, Teacher Dong has a few eyes and ears!

But Dong Xuan only knew there was a woman named Qin Lan; she wasn't sure of her weight, and her focus remained firmly on Fan XiaoPang.

Yang Rong is still eagerly munching on the gossip, completely unaware of Yan Li's reputation.

After starring in "The Qing Dynasty Harem" and "The Legend of Xue Rengui," she might end up dragged in too, joining Yan Li's legion of gossip partners.

To act in Yan Li's drama is to be linked to him!

The media and public opinion aren't quite this absurd yet, but on Tianya, the seeds are already sprouting.

Yan Li paid it no mind.

At first, he'd genuinely worried it might make female actresses feel psychologically burdened about working with him, but then he realized: if everyone is linked to him, then no one is.

A single or few female stars gossiping is negative; when everyone is negative, it becomes a net positive.

Female actresses feel no psychological burden; Yan Li's gossip spreads everywhere, which helps obscure the real, unspoken truths hidden within it.

Illusion and reality, truth and falsehood!

No one can tell whether his connection with any female star is manufactured rumor or genuine fact—everyone stays safe.

Yan Li took a short break on set, staying away from early November through mid-November.

One purpose was to celebrate Dong Xuan's birthday; the other was to avoid Qin Lan and Fan XiaoPang throwing him a birthday party together.

But the most important purpose was to finalize the release plan for "The Legend of the Condor Heroes."

It was already November; many TV stations were eyeing the New Year and winter break slots.

No matter how it was decided, now was the time to make the call—if delayed further, things would get messy.

Yan Li and his team communicated by phone or met in person with acquisition heads from seven satellite channels, plus held private meetings.

After months of preparation and probing, and days of intense negotiations, the day after Yan Li's birthday, "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" reached agreements with four satellite channels: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Henan.

The four satellite channels secured the first-run broadcast rights for the 40-episode "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" at 1. 5 million RMB per episode, totaling 42 million RMB.

After the announcement, the industry erupted!

Yan Li lived up to his title as "The King of Selling Dramas"—two consecutive dramas sold at one million RMB per episode; in TV drama distribution, he was unquestionably the top.

Even more surprising to many, including Hu Zi, was that Yan Li had sold "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" for more than "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

This wasn't due to doubting Yan Li's distribution ability or the quality of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes."

In fact, Jin Yong + Hu Zi, plus the popular lead actors, had always given "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" greater momentum than "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

Many said that if Yan Li had been assigned to sell "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" from the start, it might have already surpassed one million RMB per episode.

But because of the "Phoenix vs. Condor" rivalry, no matter how strong Yan Li's distribution skills, he wouldn't let "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" overshadow his own project—maximum he'd match it.

Yet reality slapped everyone's face!

In truth, Yan Li understood clearly: both dramas were distributed by Yi'an; whether they sold more or less was ultimately his own achievement.

Besides, "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" was a project he took over midway—mocking him over it would only make Hu Zi look worse.

On the contrary, the higher Yan Li sold "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," the more it proved his ability and vision.

It was also a live advertisement, proving Yi'an's professionalism in distribution: regardless of reason, they fully committed to maximizing the producer's interests.

The minor gains or losses of a single project paled against Yi'an's overall brand reputation.

If Yan Li couldn't calculate this equation, he might as well quit.

Needless to say, Yan Li's move was brilliant—even Hu Zi broke precedent by calling him directly.

Of course, beyond gratitude, Yan Li sensed Hu Zi's deeper goal: to mend their relationship.

Yan Li had proven his distribution ability with "The Legend of the Condor Heroes."

Just from first-run broadcast, Yi'an earned 8 million RMB more than their original distribution team had planned; though Yan Li's share was higher, they still made a substantial profit.

Few can turn down money!

At least Hu Zi hadn't reached that level—he once cared about face, using Ciwen as a veil; but when real money appeared, he discarded the veil entirely.

This call translated to four words: Keep cooperating!

Yan Li didn't refuse; his conflict with Hu Zi wasn't deep-seated hatred, and there was profit to be made—why wouldn't he cooperate?

At this stage, in the entire TV drama market, Hu Zi was the most profitable producer—without exception.

"The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" sold so high largely due to the system's role, plus its deep bundling with "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," which fully exploited the "Phoenix vs. Condor" hype.

Similarly, "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" sold at 1. 5 million RMB per episode thanks largely to Yan Li and the system—but Hu Zi's brand couldn't be ignored.

Hu Zi saw Yan Li as a "money tree"; Yan Li saw Hu Zi as a "treasure pot."

From the 42 million RMB first-run revenue of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," Yi'an, with a 16% distribution share, earned 6. 2 million RMB.

This was only the tangible profit; operating such a top-tier project also brought many hidden benefits, which could be leveraged to unlock additional resources.

For example, when it was known Yan Li could grant Tudou. om exclusive online rights to both "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" and "The Legend of the Condor Heroes,"

Wang Wei nearly drooled himself into a frenzy!

Meanwhile, Yi'an could use its distributor status to release exclusive behind-the-scenes videos and invite key cast and crew for interviews on Tudou—both powerful tools for the fledgling Tudou.

Honestly, Yan Li sometimes felt his 30% equity stake was too little.

Had he understood the internet better, and if video websites weren't something you could just assemble with a few people, he'd have invested in starting his own "Potato Network" or "Yam Network."

Under these circumstances, Yan Li naturally welcomed long-term cooperation with Hu Zi.

Even if Hu Zi were willing to abandon Huayi and join Yi'an, Yan Li would sweep the floor and welcome him.

He could take a senior executive role, or launch his own studio—Yan Li would fully support funding, resources, and influence, even negotiate equity.

Too bad Hu Zi looked down on this small temple.

Plus, with their existing tensions, Hu Zi could lower his head to cooperate—but he wouldn't become Yan Li's subordinate.

After reaching agreement, they also discussed "The Sword of the Blood" and the planned "The Deer and the Cauldron."

The former was Hu Zi's current project, preparing to start filming; the latter was still in development, not likely before next year's second half.

Hu Zi half-joked that Fan XiaoPang had previously approached him wanting to act in a Jin Yong drama, but they hadn't collaborated—now, if Director Yan agreed, Fan XiaoPang could pick any role in "The Deer and the Cauldron."

What a crock of cooperation!

Yan Li knew this old bastard had no good intentions.

Other popular Jin Yong female leads aside, "The Deer and the Cauldron" centered on Wei Xiaobao and Kangxi—easily the Jin Yong drama least beneficial to a popular female actress.

Fan XiaoPang didn't lack dramas; Yi'an was already crafting tailored projects for her—why would she need "The Deer and the Cauldron"?

Yan Li suspected Hu Zi was just envious of Fan's current buzz and wanted to ride her coattails for exposure.

The old bastard had no good intentions, so Yan Li teased back: "Bingbing might not be available. If Producer Hu needs an actor, I'll volunteer to play Wei Xiaobao."

"..."

Hu Zi paused—given Yan Li's shameless demeanor and roguish nature, he did bear some resemblance to Wei Xiaobao.

But his appearance was wrong: too heroic-looking, tall and muscular—he lacked Wei Xiaobao's clever, mischievous boyish charm; he'd suit Ao Bai or Chen Jinnan better.

Worried Yan Li would use distribution leverage to corner him, Hu Zi stammered a few words and hastily hung up.

"Pfft."

Yan Li smirked—like he cared? Acting was boring anyway; in real life, I'm already a seven-time reincarnated genius...

(End of Chapter)