Chapter 21: Qin Lan: How Did You Know Today Was My Birthday?

Inside and outside the city, cries of battle filled the air.

Yu Wenhua, clad in a dragon robe, looked panicked and turned to Yu Wencheng: “Chengdu, the rebels have broken in—what do we do?”

Yu Wencheng’s face was also tense; hearing the battle cries grow louder, he roughly grabbed two guards: “I’ll hold them off—you protect my father and get him out first.”

Saying this, Yu Wencheng strode out the door; Yu Wenhua reached out and called after him.

“Chengdu! Chengdu!”

…

“Good. Cut.”

Director Hu Mingkai called out, and Yu Yanli, who had just left the set, came over: “Thank you, Director Hu.”

Hu Mingkai smiled and patted his shoulder: “No big deal. You did well.”

That scene was not in the original script.

But because Yu Yanli and Yang Shulin, who played Yu Wenhua, had deliberately added subtle father-son emotional details while developing their characters, the Yu father and son came across as model filial piety in the drama.

Under these circumstances, when the scene for the Yu father-son exit arrived, Yu Yanli and Yang Shulin convinced the director to add this extra scene.

Though just one scene, in a moment of life and death, Yu Wencheng stepping forward to block the enemy and protect his father elevated the character slightly.

Moreover, this change didn’t deviate from the original character.

First, the efforts by Yu and Yang had already established the Yu father-son bond, making their motivation clear.

Although Yu Wencheng was cowardly, lustful, and brutal in the drama, he never wavered at key moments—he had previously saved Yang Guang and Yu Wenhua—but as a villain, his brilliance was overshadowed by the protagonists.

Second, Yu Wencheng never intended to fight to the death; both his lines and the plot design showed he only meant to delay, then find a way to escape.

After all, even if Yu Wencheng’s abilities in the drama were far inferior to the original, he was still among the top fighters—he could flee easily if he chose.

But Yu Wencheng’s plot fate was unlucky: halfway, he ran into Li Yuanba, who had come specifically to challenge him to a duel, and was killed outright.

After chatting briefly with Director Hu, seeing the crew was busy with real work, Yu Yanli wisely slipped away.

Today, after filming his scene, Yu Yanli had no more duties; the following scenes involved the rebel kings fighting over the imperial seal.

Yu Yanli still had one scene—being killed by Li Yuanba—depending on the crew’s outdoor shooting schedule, likely tomorrow or the day after; once he was “killed” by Li Yuanba, he would officially wrap up his role in *The Heroes of Sui and Tang*.

Back in the makeup room, Wang Xiu removed his makeup, working as she asked: “When’s your ticket?”

Yu Yanli, engrossed in a magazine, replied: “The day after tomorrow, or maybe the day after that.”

Wang Xiu’s expression turned gloomy, her tone plaintive: “Once you leave, I won’t even have anyone to talk to.”

Yu Yanli’s skin prickled; he snapped: “Stop bullshit. If you keep flirting, I’ll punch Big Liu from the camera crew—he won’t stop me.”

Wang Xiu was stunned: “How do you know Big Liu likes me? I never told anyone… Was it Shasha, that bitch?”

Yu Yanli smiled: “Give me a cool hairstyle today, trim my eyebrows, use your fancy makeup—then I’ll tell you.”

“Pfft.”

Wang Xiu scoffed, but after removing his makeup, she obediently shaved his beard, trimmed his eyebrows, cared for his skin, and meticulously styled his hair.

For historical dramas, Yu Yanli wore wigs, so his real hair was short.

Wang Xiu had good styling skills: she shaved his sides and back flat, then subtly layered the top.

Combined with Yu Yanli’s sharp facial features, the style added a touch of ruggedness and wildness to his natural masculinity, making him intensely manly.

“Perfect!”

Wang Xiu stared at Yu Yanli in the mirror, thoroughly satisfied: “If you ever hit rock bottom, call me—I’ve met a few rich older ladies and aunts through side jobs. They love guys like you.”

Yu Yanli forced a smile: “Thanks a lot.”

After changing into his costume, Yu Yanli stepped out, but Wang Xiu called after him: “You haven’t told me how you knew yet.”

Yu Yanli tapped his temple: “Intuition.”

Wang Xiu fumed: “Fine. I’ll introduce you to some ugly, old hags.”

————

Back at the small inn, Yu Yanli changed into clothes he’d bought in Hengdian, tidied up neatly, and walked downstairs.

First, he strolled around Hengdian’s pedestrian street, then reserved a table at the restaurant he suspected of drugging customers.

Although Yu Yanli doubted the food’s “safety,” the ambiance and taste were decent—perfect for a group meal.

Afterward, Yu Yanli went to the hotel where Qin Lan was staying and called her.

“Are you in the hotel?”

Qin Lan’s voice, surprised, came through the phone: “Yes, what’s up?”

“Come down. I’m taking you to dinner.”

“Ah… okay… wait five—no, ten minutes.”

Yu Yanli checked the time, found a seat with experience, lit a cigarette, and waited calmly.

If you think a woman saying “ten minutes” means ten minutes, you’re naive.

Sure enough, nearly half an hour later, Qin Lan hurried down, dressed in a black tailored business suit.

“Sorry I kept you waiting—I had something come up.”

Yu Yanli glanced at her still-damp hair and full makeup, wisely saying nothing about what had delayed her, and simply said:

“Let’s go. Table’s reserved.”

Yu Yanli slowed his pace to accommodate Qin Lan’s skirt; she walked in half-heeled sandals, curiously asking:

“Why today? Why suddenly take me out to dinner—and why so handsome?”

Yu Yanli explained: “You complained I didn’t invite you to the farewell dinner. This is compensation.”

“That’s it?”

Qin Lan’s cheerful expression faded slightly.

Yu Yanli said nothing more. When they reached the restaurant and were seated, he nodded toward the birthday cake he’d bought on the pedestrian street and smiled:

“Also, let’s celebrate your birthday.”

Qin Lan, seeing the cake beside him, immediately covered her mouth, eyes glistening with tears; after a moment, she playfully punched his arm and pouted:

“You’re such a tease—making me think you forgot!”

Yu Yanli grinned broadly: “Build up the tension first—then the surprise hits harder.”

Qin Lan rolled her eyes, then eagerly examined the cake’s design, her big eyes sparkling with delight—she clearly loved it—but soon sighed.

“If only I had a camera—I’d take a photo.”

“Do you know what foresight means?”

Yu Yanli snapped his fingers, walked to the counter, and took a Sony digital camera from the owner.

Qin Lan was stunned and delighted, taking the camera: “Where did you get this?”

“Pestered for ages and gave away a few packs of Yuxi—the photo guy agreed to lend it to me for one night.”

Yu Yanli explained its source, then warned: “Be careful with it—it’s expensive. If you drop or damage it, I’ll have worked a whole month for nothing.”

“Don’t worry.”

Qin Lan replied, then eagerly pulled Yu Yanli to take photos.

First, she posed with the cake, then blew out candles and made wishes, then had the owner take pictures of the two of them—she took at least dozens before stopping.

After putting the camera away, Yu Yanli signaled the waiter to order: “I’ll study the photos when I get back—see if I should print them and mail them to you, or email them.”

“Mm-hmm.”

After the photos, Qin Lan was in high spirits, eating the cake Yu Yanli had cut for her, her beautiful eyes fixed on him, her voice softer and sweeter than ever.

“How did you know today was my birthday?”

Her birthday wasn’t widely known even in the *My Fair Princess 3* crew—she didn’t understand how he knew.

Yu Yanli remained calm: “You told me yourself.”

“When did I say that?”

“The first time we ate here—you mentioned your age and said you were born on July 17, 1979. I remembered.”

“Really?”

Qin Lan was momentarily confused—they had talked about age, but had she actually given her full birthday? Hmm, maybe she’d forgotten.

Either way, she’d mentioned it offhand, and he’d remembered—and gone to the trouble of planning this birthday celebration—Qin Lan felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

Seeing she believed him, Yu Yanli quietly took a bite of cake.

He’d actually forgotten whether she’d mentioned her birthday that day—he only remembered she was born in 1979.

Why did he know her birthday? Of course, thanks to the intelligence system.

【Intelligence System x: Today is July 17—Qin Lan’s 23rd birthday… She’s far from home filming, no one knows her birthday, and she feels lonely, desperately wishing someone would celebrate with her…】

As a friend, how could he ignore such a wish…

(End of Chapter)