Chapter 205: Wang Ou and Yang Rong, the Teddy Sisters

Hengdian, "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing" production team

Because "The Legend of Xue Rengui" had temporarily few scenes for her, Yang Rong temporarily joined the "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing" cast.

Although Yang Rong had visited a few times before, since she hadn't stayed long, once she officially joined the shoot, she quickly realized this production team was far more complicated than she'd imagined.

Truly, while filming "The Legend of Xue Rengui," Yang Rong never felt Yan Li's presence was crucial—she just thought the crew was simple and trouble-free.

Now, comparing it with "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing," the difference became immediately clear.

In "The Legend of Xue Rengui" crew, Yan Li was the absolute core; the producer, director, and even the most popular actor Li Bing all deferred to him.

Whatever Yan Li said went unchallenged; no one dared cause trouble, so the crew atmosphere remained relatively harmonious.

But "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing" was different—no one could hold the center.

Both producers, Yu Zheng and the other one, lacked absolute authority.

Especially Yu Zheng—he was a first-time producer; not only did others not take him seriously, he himself lacked confidence.

The director was slightly better—he hired someone with more experience, who had some decent past works, but wasn't exactly a renowned director.

During filming, everyone gave him face, but if he tried to meddle in other matters, he simply lacked the power.

With the director and producers weak, the actors became even more chaotic.

The second female lead Qin Lan and the female lead Wang Ou were openly hostile; though they hadn't broken ties, they had virtually no private communication, and their conflict was unmistakable.

Logically, Wang Ou, as the female lead and an Yi'an artist, should have held the advantage.

But both the producer and director showed some bias toward Qin Lan.

Of course, they dared not offend Wang Ou either, so they wavered, patched things over, and gradually caused crew members to split into factions.

One faction was led by Qin Lan, with Hu Siyan as its core member.

She got along well with Qin Lan; within days of joining, the two became close, and since both owned Teddy dogs, they often walked them together.

Later, as Qin Lan and Wang Ou's rivalry intensified and Qin Lan showed her strength, Hu Siyan decisively sided with Qin Lan without wavering.

Rumor had it she even submitted a token of loyalty to Qin Lan, standing up for her and sparking a minor clash with Wang Ou.

Since then, Qin Lan and Hu Siyan grew even closer; by the time Yang Rong joined, they were practically inseparable.

One faction was Wang Ou herself.

Because Qin Lan and Hu Siyan were both more famous and teamed up, plus the producer and director's bias, few dared to associate with Wang Ou.

The remaining few, or rather one other faction.

Other actors formed small cliques, avoided the conflict, kept their heads down, and stayed out of the battle between second lead and lead.

Of course, these people might have minor private friction too, but nothing as direct or loud as Qin and Wang's feud.

After Yang Rong learned the situation and was warned by her old classmate Yu Zheng, she planned to join the third faction.

But she never expected that while she wanted to avoid trouble, someone was determined to drag her in.

Wang Ou "targeted" her!

To be fair, this wasn't entirely Wang Ou's fault—Yang Rong wasn't entirely innocent either.

When "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing" first started, Yang Rong specifically visited Yu Zheng to show support and congratulate him.

At the time, she didn't realize how deep the water was; she happened to meet Wang Ou and chatted a bit longer.

Since Yang Rong had already been confirmed for a role in "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing," she wanted to make a friendly connection ahead of time.

Once she joined, she hoped someone would look out for her—Wang Ou was the lead, so she naturally wanted to be on good terms.

Perhaps because both Wang and Yang had oval faces and somewhat similar appearances, and their personalities matched well, despite meeting for the first time, they formed a good first impression of each other.

Later, when Wang Ou visited "The Legend of Xue Rengui" crew for her birthday, she specifically greeted Yang Rong.

After learning it was Wang Ou's birthday, Yang Rong was surprised by Wang Ou's connection with Yan Li and specially sent an additional gift.

Thus, their relationship gradually grew closer.

After that, whenever Yang Rong visited "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing," she sought out Wang Ou more often than Yu Zheng; Wang Ou, though busy with heavy scenes, still agreed to one dinner date with Yang Rong.

But it was around then that, due to frequent visits to "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing" and Yu Zheng's warnings, Yang Rong learned some behind-the-scenes truths.

Yang Rong was briefly alarmed but didn't take it too seriously; she thought Wang Ou and Qin Lan's feud wouldn't affect her friendship with Wang Ou.

Qin Lan wouldn't possibly target her just because she was friends with Wang Ou, right?

So Yang Rong didn't cut ties with Wang Ou.

On the contrary, since Wang Ou was being sidelined and isolated by Qin and Hu, feeling lonely and frustrated, she often sought Yang Rong out to talk and vent, and their bond grew stronger.

Before joining "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing," Yang Rong was even introduced by Wang Ou to her other close friend Wu Jiani.

It was said that Wu Jiani's time on "The White-Haired Witch" hadn't been easy either.

Fan Xiaopang hadn't isolated or excluded her, but he wasn't particularly close to her (due to Wang Ou's influence); privately, he preferred hanging out with Li Lin, so she could only cling to another minor actress for warmth.

But at least she had someone, wasn't targeted, and was far better off than Wang Ou.

Wang Ou was deeply envious; after their three-person gathering, she told Yang Rong that once Yang joined, she wouldn't be alone anymore.

At that moment, Yang Rong felt something was off—she'd walked into a trap.

After joining the crew, her suspicion was fully confirmed.

Wang Ou loudly and enthusiastically welcomed Yang Rong's arrival, spending every free moment with her, as if announcing to the entire "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing" crew that Yang Rong was her best friend.

Then Yang Rong noticed Qin Lan and Hu Siyan's glances toward her growing increasingly hostile, and the rest of the crew slowly began viewing her as part of Wang Ou's faction.

At this point, Yang Rong couldn't extricate herself even if she wanted to.

First, the label of Wang Ou's ally was already stamped on her—even her earlier visits might have signaled this.

Second, if she ran away now, what would become of Wang Ou? It would be a betrayal of a friend.

No matter what, Yang Rong still recognized Wang Ou as a friend and even felt sympathy for her plight, holding some resentment toward Qin and Hu.

Under these circumstances, Wang Ou saw her as a lifeline; if she abandoned her and watched from the sidelines while others bullied her friend, Yang Rong couldn't do it.

Yang Rong couldn't do it!

She could only blame her own bad luck—she'd picked the wrong side and underestimated the complexity of the "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing" crew.

Yang Rong cursed herself inwardly but still gritted her teeth and chose to stand with Wang Ou.

Good grief, reinforcements arrived—now there'll be a good show.

The "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing" spectators cheered, eagerly awaiting Qin Lan's reaction.

Better yet, let them fight!

…

"Imperial Harem of the Great Qing," a hotel room

Qin Lan fed her two Teddy dogs—one white, one brown—while helplessly watching Hu Siyan rant about giving Wang Ou and Yang Rong a lesson.

"I've told you countless times—don't make a scene, and never interfere with production work. That's the bottom line."

Qin Lan knew well: as Yan Li's girlfriend, she was dissatisfied with Wang Ou, who was entangled with Yan Li in unclear ways, and she could cold-shoulder or isolate her as long as it wasn't extreme—Yan Li would turn a blind eye.

To climb up through a man, you must sacrifice your beauty, and being targeted by the lawful wife was part of the cost.

Wang Ou was lucky—protected by Yan Li, she only suffered minor setbacks but still kept her lead role.

Many mistresses caught by the lawful wife got slapped dozens of times, stripped naked, and paraded through the streets.

But Qin Lan could give Wang Ou slow knives without issue—as long as it stayed within bounds and didn't disrupt the main work, Yan Li wouldn't intervene.

Perhaps Yan Li still favored her, but it might damage his perception of her.

Especially Fan Xiaopang—she helped Yan Li's career, yet now she was dragging him down; compared to that, wasn't she pushing Yan Li straight into Fan's arms?

Qin Lan even regretted making things too bitter with Wang Ou.

She never originally intended to harm Wang Ou—she simply didn't want to interact with her; it was the crew's atmosphere that pushed her along.

Oh, and Hu Siyan stoked the flames.

Qin Lan and Hu Siyan's bond was strong for two reasons: they got along well and both owned Teddy dogs; the second was Hu Siyan's firm loyalty, standing up for Qin Lan and clashing with Wang Ou.

Another reason unknown to outsiders: Hu Siyan confessed to Qin Lan that during "The Seven Fairies," she'd been bullied and excluded by Dong Xuan and Fan Xiaopang due to her youth and misunderstandings.

Had she not joined Huayi and ridden the honeymoon wave between Huayi and Yan Li, she'd have been blacklisted by Dong and Fan and received zero Yi'an resources.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend!

When Hu Siyan declared she hated Dong Xuan and Fan Xiaopang, Qin Lan took her as a little sister.

Likewise, upon learning Qin Lan would protect her from Dong and Fan's bullying, Hu Siyan regarded Qin Lan as a big sister.

But perhaps the bullying during "The Seven Fairies" had been too severe.

Hu Siyan, emboldened by Qin Lan's backing, went all-out in isolating and excluding Wang Ou.

Qin Lan and Wang Ou's current estrangement stemmed primarily from their own conflict, but Hu Siyan played a major role in it.

"Sis, you're just too nice—if it were me, I'd have slapped that slut long ago."

"Slut" was Qin Lan's nickname for Wang Ou.

Wang Ou played a pheasant spirit in "The Investiture of the Gods," was overly flirtatious, and her name even had a bird in it—the nickname fit perfectly.

Back when filming "The Investiture of the Gods," Qin Lan had privately muttered this nickname about Wang Ou, known only to Yan Li.

When they met again on "Imperial Harem of the Great Qing," Qin Lan revealed this nickname to Hu Siyan during their private chats.

Hu Siyan was even more vicious than Qin Lan—ever since, she privately used this nickname to refer to Wang Ou.

Wang Ou, lacking confidence, always avoided Qin and Hu; her only minor clash with Hu Siyan was over this nickname, which left her visibly shaken.

After ranting about Wang Ou, Hu Siyan turned to Yang Rong.

"I took her as a friend, invited her to hang out, but she didn't show face—and now she's opposing us? It's just too much."

Yang Rong and Hu Siyan had both worked on "The Young Emperor"; though not close, they knew each other.

Hu Siyan had once tried to recruit Yang Rong, but failed—Yang Rong was swayed by Wang Ou.

This made Hu Siyan feel betrayed and greatly lowered her opinion of Yang Rong.

Who I want to be friends with has nothing to do with you—we're not on the same path, so no need to force it.

Qin Lan comforted Hu Siyan a few words; she had no particular opinion about Yang Rong.

Of course, since the other girl hung out with Wang Ou, Qin Lan had no opinion—but also no fondness.

"Sis, you're just too soft-hearted."

Hu Siyan sighed in exasperation; if she were Qin Lan, she'd have already given Wang Ou a good beating, and if Yang Rong dared to show disrespect, she'd kick him straight out of the set.

But Hu Siyan got close to Qin Lan precisely because of her soft, good-natured disposition.

Qin Lan was gentle, highly tolerant, willing to care for others, and never acted like a domineering big sister—being around her was simply comfortable.

After all, having interacted with Fan Xiaopang and Dong Xuan, Hu Siyan felt Qin Lan was the best person—no wonder she won Yan Li's favor and easily overshadowed Wang Ou.

Hu Siyan got close to Qin Lan and had seen firsthand how Qin Lan interacted with Yan Li in private.

Honestly, she once thought Dong Xuan wasn't even as favored as Qin Lan.

Especially a few days ago, when Yan Li's birthday fell outside Hengdian, Qin Lan called to express her displeasure—Hu Siyan overheard two snippets and for the first time realized that this domineering man could sound so tender and doting.

Recalling how Yan Li had tormented her at Palm Springs, making her call him "Dad," Hu Siyan felt so jealous she nearly turned against Qin Lan.

But there was no help for it—Yan Li had little interest in her; it was clearly just a passing fling.

While acting as Yan Li's spy was useful, it was only so much—Hu Siyan hadn't forgotten that Hua Yi still had another girl, Li Bingbing, who was cozying up to Yan Li.

That woman was Hua Yi's top actress, with a sister in management—what could she possibly compare to those two?

So Hu Siyan planned to forge another path: by clinging to Qin Lan's skirt, she'd secure access to Yi'an's resources.

She learned this tactic from Yang Xue and Jiang Xin, who clung to Dong Xuan and landed collaborations—so why couldn't she do the same?

After soothing her for a long while, Qin Lan finally calmed Hu Siyan down; seeing her still sullen and resentful, Qin Lan was speechless.

She herself was the real target, yet Hu Siyan was jumping around louder than her—anyone would think Wang Ou had stolen Hu Siyan's man.

Just as they were talking, Qin Lan's phone rang; she glanced at the caller ID, walked to the side, and answered.

"Hello?"

"Got it, alright, I'll wait for you."

Qin Lan hung up and immediately urged Hu Siyan to leave, saying she needed to change clothes and go out.

The other girl was confused, asking several times; only then did Qin Lan reveal: "Yan Li's back. He asked if I'm free to pick him up."

Hu Siyan's eyes lit up, half-serious, half-flattering: "He calls you right away—looks like he misses you."

Qin Lan said nothing, but the smile on her face proved she was in high spirits.

Seeing this, Hu Siyan said: "Sis, I've got no scenes today—can I come along too?"

"Hm?"

Qin Lan frowned; was she just going to pick him up? She was usually sharp—why suddenly want to be a third wheel?

"Don't worry, I won't interrupt you two—maybe just tag along for dinner, then I'll head back myself. I just want to make a good impression on Brother-in-Law, so he'll remember me when good opportunities come."

Hu Siyan explained; Qin Lan was moved by her use of "Brother-in-Law," hesitated, then nodded.

"Fine, you two are already familiar."

…

They changed clothes; Qin Lan called, and the car Yan Li arranged arrived to pick them up, heading for Yiwu Airport.

The flight from Beijing to Yiwu took only two hours; driving from Hengdian to Yiwu Airport took about an hour.

With scattered delays, they waited about half an hour at the airport before seeing Yan Li, wearing a mask and sunglasses, emerge from the VIP channel with several others.

Qin Lan signaled; they returned to their car and slowly drove out of the airport. Soon, another car pulled up beside them—Yan Li got out and switched vehicles.

"Missed me?"

Yan Li wrapped his arm around Qin Lan, ready to cuddle, but she blushed and pulled away, then stepped aside to reveal Hu Siyan.

"You two don't need introductions—Siyan and I are close now. She heard you were back and came with me to pick you up."

Hu Siyan winked at Yan Li: "Welcome back to Hengdian, Brother-in-Law~"

"…."

Yan Li knew Qin Lan and Hu Siyan had been getting along lately; after using the system to understand Hu's intentions, he chose not to interfere.

He understood Hu Siyan's personality and had her figured out—her closeness to Qin Lan meant Qin Lan had company, and at critical moments, Hu could be useful to him.

But because of that one incident between them, Yan Li felt a strange unease seeing Qin Lan and Hu Siyan act like such good sisters—and hearing her say "Brother-in-Law" nearly broke his composure.

"Cough."

He cleared his throat politely: "Thanks for coming."

"You once helped me, and Sister Lan has been so kind to me—I know how to be grateful. This little thing is nothing."

Qin Lan felt Hu Siyan had made her look good and said warmly that they were family, no need for such formality; Yan Li couldn't help glancing at her, sighing inwardly.

This dumb woman, do you even know how she's been courting him?!

But seeing Hu Siyan, right in front of Qin Lan, subtly flirting with him…

Yan Li slid his arm around Qin Lan's waist, dropped his smile, and made his stance clear.

"Since you treat Sister Lan as your elder sister, you'd better look out for her. She's honest and soft-hearted—don't let her get taken advantage of. If you two get along well, I won't let you down—you're family. But if not… hah, you'll see what happens."

"Oh, don't mind him—he's just blunt, no ill intent, don't take it personally."

Qin Lan felt Yan Li's words were too harsh and quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

Hu Siyan dared not meet Yan Li's eyes, forcing a thin smile.

"No, Brother-in-Law's right—we'll get along well."

Yan Li didn't push further; after a couple of warnings, he let it drop.

Seeing the awkwardness, Qin Lan livened the mood, shifting to the rumors circulating about him as the "King of Sales."

"Lu Xiaofeng Legend" and "The Return of the Condor"—Yan Li spearheaded two single-episode million-dollar projects, making a huge splash.

Ascending to the throne of "King of Distribution," he also drew intense media scrutiny and research into his distribution abilities—and the deeper they dug, the more stunned they became.

The two dramas sold for 82 million total in their first round, plus 142 million from earlier screening events—just these two brought Yi'an's annual sales to 224 million.

But this was only part of it.

Taking "Condor" as an example, the 82 million was only the first broadcast round—ground channels, DVDs, Hong Kong/Taiwan rights, and even overseas licenses were steadily rolling in.

"Lu Xiaofeng Legend" had already sold its Taiwan rights; Yi'an didn't disclose the exact amount, but market estimates suggested several million, possibly over ten million.

"The Return of the Condor" had no sales outside mainland TV yet.

But rumors said Hong Kong and Taiwan broadcasters were preparing to buy, and a South Korean network had shown interest—Jin Yong's works held strong advantages here.

DVD rights for both dramas had also been agreed upon with a media company, reportedly totaling over five million.

In today's depressed DVD market, this was a sky-high price—the company's head called it a record-breaking deal in two years.

Even the long-ignored online rights had been snapped up by Yi'an's "toad-squeezing-urine" tactic, sold to Tudou. om at one million per drama (publicly stated for easier rights enforcement).

According to current media estimates, the total sales value of the two dramas stands at roughly 120 to 150 million.

In Yan Li's hands, the two dramas had become golden birds, wildly generating wealth for him.

And beyond "Condor" and "Lu Xiaofeng," other dramas were steadily earning too.

Like the smash hit "Sword of Valor," the wildly popular "Investiture of the Gods," the drama that nearly clinched the satellite TV ratings crown, "The Mute Bride," and other hot-selling series—all were raking in money.

Cumulatively, Yi'an's annual sales this year would surely exceed 350 million; 400 million wasn't out of reach; 500 million was unlikely, but not impossible.

Even 400 to 500 million—this was staggering data that left people speechless.

Just how big is the entire TV drama market right now?!

According to official statistics, this year's total TV drama transaction volume was between 2 to 3 billion, with some institutions estimating over 4 billion.

Whichever figure was accurate, Yi'an had swallowed roughly one-tenth of the market—terrifying.

Worse, the overall TV drama market was currently losing money—production costs exceeded actual sales figures, with rumors suggesting a gap of tens of billions.

In such an industry-wide environment, nearly every project Yi'an partnered on turned a profit, making it all the more remarkable.

Moreover, Yi'an's dramas weren't just profitable—they were also performing exceptionally well.

"Sword of Valor" was aiming for the annual ratings champion.

"The Mute Bride" was aiming for the satellite TV ratings champion.

"Wrong Turn," "My Nine Daughters," "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," "The Seven Fairies," "Railway Guerrillas," "Survival: The Migrant Worker"… all ranked high in ratings or received outstanding reviews.

High profits, strong performance, repeatedly breaking industry records, single-handedly shifting market trends—that's what truly made him the "King of Sales."

"Cough, don't call me 'King of Sales'—I'm the King of Distribution."

Yan Li couldn't help protesting—this ridiculous nickname was growing louder; even reporters now directly called him "King of Sales."

Neither Qin Lan nor Hu Siyan paid him any mind; the former smirked teasingly, the latter was more curious about how much he'd made.

With a 10–15% distribution share on 400–500 million in sales, Yan Li must have pocketed 60 to 70 million.

"Not that much—each project has its own split, plus all kinds of expenses—I just get a hard-earned wage."

Hu Siyan doubted him: "Cut it in half—30 million at least?"

"About that."

Yan Li dodged the question—he hated revealing his income, always speaking vaguely.

He'd made more than 30 million, but not by much.

This year was lucky—he landed several top-tier projects and, thanks to his monthly intelligence, secured many high-viewership premium dramas, making a huge splash.

But distribution was a middleman's job—the split was fixed; he was just drinking the broth. The earnings weren't low, but they weren't high either.

Yan Li's main goal for distribution was to leverage it for other resources, elevate the company's brand, and gain industry clout—his real profits came from the film and TV division and the stock market.

But that was for Yan Li.

When she heard Yan Li admit he'd made 30 million in distribution income alone this year, Hu Siyan once again couldn't suppress her rising resentment.

If we land this, do I even need to worry about the rest of my life?!

Even Qin Lan, who knew Yan Li better and was more prepared, couldn't help tightening her grip on his hand upon hearing this.

Sometimes she herself felt dazed.

Back when they filmed "The Heroes of Sui and Tang" in Hengdian, he'd complained to her about expensive plane tickets and buying train tickets back to Beijing.

Just three years later, one of his businesses now earns tens of millions a year—it's like a dream!

The atmosphere grew quiet, but they'd arrived at the hotel. Hu Siyan wanted to follow, but Yan Li simply pulled Qin Lan out of the car and shut the door.

"Take her back. Come pick her up tomorrow."

The driver nodded and drove off immediately. Qin Lan scolded him lightly.

"At least let her have a meal."

Yan Li glanced at her: "You're not upset?"

He'd assumed his cold treatment of her sister would make Qin Lan uncomfortable, but her expression suggested she was in good spirits.

"I'm not stupid—you're backing me up. Besides, Siyan's personality… a little reining in is good. I couldn't say it myself, so you're helping me play the villain."

Qin Lan wasn't unaware of Hu Siyan's little schemes—she just didn't care to dwell on them.

Yan Li protected his own, and she was delighted—how could she blame him? Earlier, she'd merely feigned displeasure to avoid making things too tense.

Between a best friend and a man—who was truly her closest family? She knew well.

"Alright, you've learned your lesson."

Yan Li felt relieved. He'd feared Qin Lan might be taken advantage of, but now he saw—this girl was wise beyond appearances.

If Hu Siyan really thinks of her as a naive big sister, she's in for a fall.

"I'm curious—why did Dong Xuan and Fan Bingbing target Siyan in 'The Seven Fairies'?"

As Qin Lan and Yan Li entered the hotel, she couldn't help asking the question she'd held back.

Yan Li raised an eyebrow: "What did Hu Siyan say?"

"She said Dong Xuan disliked her, and Fan Bingbing was jealous she got the female lead."

"…"

Yan Li was speechless. Could this girl really say that with a straight face?

"Do you believe her?"

"Not really."

Qin Lan turned to look at Yan Li, eyes half-lidded: "Did something happen between you and her too?"

"If I'd had anything with Hu Siyan on 'The Seven Fairies,' I'd get struck by…"

"Spit, spit, spit."

Qin Lan covered Yan Li's mouth and spat twice on the ground: "If nothing happened, then nothing happened. Why say such things? Bad luck."

But after this exchange, Qin Lan felt reassured. Though she didn't agree with all of Hu Siyan's ways, the woman had her likable sides too.

Fan Xiaopang was watching closely, Dong Xuan had gathered a group, and she needed allies too—to rally support and boost her standing.

—————

PS: A thousand words short—I'll make up tomorrow.

(End of Chapter)