Chapter 210

Fight?

Dream on!

Qin Lan, as well as Shuang Bing, clearly had no intention of striking.

Beauties use their words, not their fists!

At least Li Bingbing thought so—she had no desire to compete for Yan Li, knew she couldn't win anyway, and had merely come over earlier just because she disliked Fan Xiaopang and wanted to annoy her.

She hadn't originally intended to target Qin Lan, but since Qin Lan disliked her, she might as well take her down too.

Li Xue did want to compete for Yan Li, but had never succeeded; moreover, under these unusual circumstances, if it weren't for her sister being present, Fan and Qin wouldn't even engage her.

Qin Lan and Fan Xiaopang had both entertained the idea of giving each other a beating, but the setting was all wrong.

With so many eyes watching, and it being New Year's Eve—if they fought, how could they ever show their faces again?

And if they lost and got ridden down and beaten, it'd be even more humiliating.

Qin Lan subtly glanced at Fan Xiaopang and felt she looked even more solidly built, with a sharp tongue and cruel heart—her strikes were likely brutal; Qin Lan doubted she could win.

Fan Xiaopang also silently sized up Qin Lan and the woman beside her, Huo Siyan.

One Qin Lan she could handle, but Huo Siyan's little bitch would surely strike opportunely—two of them, no, plus two dogs—she couldn't possibly fight four hands and eight paws.

Of course, there was also Li Lin beside her, but given her nature, she'd be fine at mediating or pulling them apart, but fighting? Doubtful—especially now that she was holding a child.

What both women feared most, however, were the Li sisters—blood relatives who'd fight without hesitation or restraint, making them formidable foes.

But what they worried about most of all was Yan Li—and Dong Xuan, who hadn't shown up.

If they fought, everyone would look bad, Yan Li's view of them would surely change, and he might even be pushed toward Dong's side.

Qin Lan and Fan Xiaopang both frowned slightly.

So that's why this guy hid in Jingcheng—had he foreseen this all along? Playing the "non-contentious" card, so that none in the world could contend with him.

And what about Wang Ou? He dodged us the moment we met—was he truly cowardly, or was he waiting to be the fisherman who reaps the benefit of the clam and the sandpiper?

The situation had begun to stall.

To fight was to have reservations; to retreat was to lose face—so they continued their half-hearted verbal sparring.

One moment it was Shuang Bing against Qin Lan; the next, Bing Xue Lan surrounded Fan Xiaopang; then it became Qin and Fan battling the Li sisters; then it turned into a free-for-all…

In the corner, Wang Ou was practically jumping out of her skin: "Fight! You cowards, just get on with it already!"

Wu Jiani gave her a strange look—*you're* not cowardly? Then why don't you lead the charge yourself?

Yang Rong, however, had figured something out: "They won't fight—too many people around, it'd be too humiliating. They're probably just waiting for an excuse to back down."

"An excuse?"

Wang Ou sneered: "In this situation, everyone's trying to hide—who'd dare step forward to offer one?"

Yang Rong smiled faintly: "You tell me."

"Yan Zong?"

Wu Jiani and Wang Ou exchanged glances; the former pursed her lips: "Yan Zong stepping in might work—but I'm afraid it'd just add fuel to the fire."

Everyone knew why these women were quarreling.

Could Yan Li really control them?

Especially now, at such a sensitive moment—any misstep could make things even worse.

Yang Rong also found it tricky, but what did it matter to her? She was just here for the show.

If they actually fought—even teamed up to tear into Yan Li—it'd be even more thrilling.

…

On the other side, Lin Jiachuan finally rushed over to find Yan Li, who was outside taking a call.

Yan Li shushed him and kept talking: "Mm, do exactly as I said."

After hanging up, Lin Jiachuan blurted out anxiously: "Bro, you've got to go check this out…"

"I know."

Yan Li calmly pulled out a cigarette pack, lit one for himself, then offered one to him: "Let them argue—it's not like they're fighting."

Lin Jiachuan took the cigarette, automatically lighting it for Yan Li first, then stared blankly: "You know?"

Yan Li waved his phone: "You think your call kept getting busy for no reason?"

With so many people across three productions, plenty were here just for the show—but just as many were loyal to Yan Boss and eager to report trouble for him; most would gladly alert Yan Li to earn favor.

Even though Yan Li wasn't there, he knew everything that happened.

Lin Jiachuan glanced at Yan Li: "So you're just letting them keep arguing? That's not sustainable."

"If they don't argue, they'll just stew in resentment—better to let them vent first."

Yan Li smoked, occasionally checking text alerts; Lin Jiachuan watched him, truly awed by his composure.

So damn calm!

After a while, Yan Li saw a text, nodded, and began dialing—first, Qin Lan.

"Someone's recording this—trying to use it against me. Don't make a scene. Leave now. I'll handle it later."

Inside the hotel, the earlier verbal sparring had noticeably slowed, but the standoff continued.

After answering the call and hearing Yan Li's words, Qin Lan's expression changed; her eyes flickered between Shuang Bing, then settled on Li Bingbing.

Though she disliked Fan Xiaopang, the latter's interests were tightly bound to Yan Li's—she wouldn't betray him.

That left the Li sisters—they were from Huayi.

No wonder this old woman had suddenly meddled in her feud with Fan Xiaopang—there was a plot behind it.

Qin Lan cared most about Yan Li; realizing this was a setup that might drag him down, she gave Li Bingbing and her sister one long, piercing look, then grabbed Huo Siyan and walked away.

"… "

Li Xue frowned, irritated by Qin Lan's gaze; she was about to retort when Li Bingbing's phone rang.

Yan Li sighed into the phone: "Sister, why are you getting involved? If this blows up, your little sister might notice something."

Li Bingbing: "…"

Shit, I was so busy squabbling with these two bitches, I forgot about this.

Recalling the earlier confrontation, Fan Xiaopang and Qin Lan had brought this up plenty of times—my own behavior had seemed odd.

Li Xue now stood united with her sister, fiercely backing her up, but once she cooled down, her little sister wouldn't be so easy to fool.

Li Bingbing hung up and pulled her sister: "Enough. The real players are gone—let's not join this mess. It's the New Year, don't go stirring up trouble."

Saying this, she dragged Li Xue away, who still looked reluctant. Fan Xiaopang, suddenly left alone with Li Lin, was thoroughly confused.

Just then, her phone rang. She answered it, heard Yan Li's voice, and grunted twice.

"I knew it was you pulling strings."

"Enough."

Yan Li's tone gave away nothing: "I had Qin Lan leave first, and Li Bingbing withdrew too. You got your face back. Now behave."

Fan Xiaopang mumbled a few things, sensing Yan Li was annoyed, and added defensively: "It's not my fault—Qin started it, and those two sisters insulted me first."

Yan Li didn't reply, just hung up. Fan Xiaopang muttered again, feeling uneasy, and pulled Li Lin aside to strategize.

"…"

Outside the hotel, Yan Li made another call, confirmed all three parties had dispersed, and finally exhaled.

Beside him, Lin Jiachuan stared in shock: "Bro, you just staged a whole 'Infernal Affairs 2' here."

He'd seen this episode—Wu Zhenyu's Ni Yongxiao handled the four major clans with three phone calls.

Yan Li's move wasn't just similar—it was identical.

"Life imitates art."

Yan Li had just pulled off a slick maneuver, solved a problem, and seeing Lin Jiachuan's stunned expression, couldn't help but bask in his own triumph.

"The four major clans were outwardly united but internally divided—these women were outright hostile. Ni Yongxiao held leverage over them; I know their weaknesses."

This tactic came from Yan Li's earlier intelligence: Qin, Fan, and others distrusted Li Bingbing due to the Prisoner's Dilemma.

The three factions were mutually hostile, each with partial information and no communication—giving Yan Li the perfect opening to isolate and defeat them one by one.

Qin Lan was soft-natured, easily manipulated, and always obeyed him—perfect as the first target.

Yan Li made the threat sound dire; Qin Lan, fearing consequences, would leave first. Once she was gone, the balance broke, and the others had an excuse to retreat.

Li Bingbing was just here for fun; Yan Li reminded her of her weakness, and she gladly took the exit.

Left alone, Fan Xiaopang couldn't possibly fight back.

Yan Li decided to give her a warning—this little bitch was fiery; the more you coddled her, the more she pushed back. She needed to be put in her place, her arrogance crushed.

Of course, with Qin and Li gone first, Fan technically "won" on the surface, getting the face she cared about most—so it was a mix of stick and carrot.

"…"

After hearing Yan Li's explanation, Lin Jiachuan was utterly awed: "Bro, I'm completely convinced—you're my god of romance."

"This is nothing."

Yan Li shook his head. Solving the problem was just step one. Next, he'd leverage the situation to extract benefits—he'd already laid the groundwork.

Qin Lan "committed a major mistake"—didn't she owe him compensation?

Fan Xiaopang "made him angry"—didn't she owe him some soothing?

Li Bingbing alone couldn't possibly fool her sister—she might even come begging for his help.

Today was New Year's Eve, and Yan Li, above all, valued holiday traditions…

…

Inside the hotel, Wang Ou stared, bewildered, as the group suddenly scattered.

"Wait, that's it?"

Yang Rong patted her: "Didn't you see them all take calls? Someone's pulling strings remotely. Wow—no one even showed up, and it's over. Impressive."

Wu Jiani glanced over: "They're probably still steaming. Let's stay out of their way."

"Why worry?"

Wang Ou blustered: "They're only two people—we're three. If we run into them, we've got the advantage."

She talked big, but when Wang Ou and the others actually stepped out, they avoided every one of the three factions, heading for the farthest corner.

A while passed, nearly until dinner was served, before Yan Li finally arrived.

The moment he appeared, he drew immediate attention. Crew members along the way bowed respectfully to greet him.

"Director Yan, good day."

"Director Yan, Happy New Year."

"Boss, Happy New Year."

"…"

As the controlling force behind three productions, Yan Li was effectively everyone's boss—even if he tried to stay low-key, he remained the undeniable core.

The New Year's Eve banquet seating was preassigned: each production had its own separate area, some even in different halls.

Yan Li's seat was at the main table in the main hall, surrounded only by producers and directors—no actors were seated with him, supposedly to avoid disrupting their holiday.

Though arranged this way, Yan Li's status meant that after dinner began, people kept coming over one by one to toast him.

Several women also began to stir.

Seeing Huo Siyan nudged Qin Lan: "Sis, let's go toast your husband."

Seeing Qin Lan hesitate, Seeing Huo Siyan added: "We won't say much—just a simple toast. Better to act now than later. What if someone else gets there first and slanders you?"

This swayed Qin Lan—she was certain Fan Xiaopang was capable of exactly that.

If Fan dumped all the blame on her, claiming innocence, she'd be left defenseless.

Qin Lan didn't hesitate; she picked up a cup of wine and rose to head to the main hall, but the moment she stepped inside, her expression changed instantly.

Huo Siyan had guessed right—the seductive vixen was indeed here.

Because Qin Lan had come alone to toast and whisper, others pretended to leave for toasts, gathering in twos and threes on the other side to talk, giving the two some space.

Stepping closer quietly, Qin Lan's face darkened further—this shameless Fan Xiaopang was using Zhihua's tactics against her.

"... I didn't want to fight her. She showed up with that Huo guy to block me, even tried to set dogs on me—I only took her bait out of sheer stubbornness, and with those two sisters, the four of them ganged up on me..."

Fan Xiaopang pouted pitifully as she whispered her complaints to Yan Li, splashing mud on Qin Lan and Li Bingbing while playing the innocent.

Watching Yan Li's expression grow increasingly complex, Fan Xiaopang secretly gloated.

She knew Qin Lan was always a smiling tiger—pretending to be soft and fragile to make her own strength seem harsh and intimidating, subtly swaying Yan Li's favor.

It was no surprise that when the two argued, Yan Li got angry at her—this was partly why.

So she had to strike first.

Pretending to be pitiful? Who couldn't do that? In fact, the more dominant she usually was, the more powerful her occasional displays of vulnerability became.

That bastard had just ignored her coldly, but after this performance, his expression had clearly softened—he was probably already feeling sorry for her.

Seeing Fan Xiaopang go too far, Qin Lan could barely hold back; Yan Li couldn't help coughing to remind her.

That's enough—does this woman really think he's King Zhou?!

Fan Xiaopang glanced at Yan Li in confusion, sensed something wrong behind her, turned—and saw Qin Lan smirking at her.

"..."

After a moment of awkward silence, Fan Xiaopang jumped like a startled rabbit, hiding behind Yan Li's side, stammering.

"Y-you want to do what? Don't hit me."

Qin Lan laughed bitterly—this seductive vixen really had no shame. Just moments ago she'd pointed fingers at her, vowing to destroy her, and now she was playing the innocent bunny.

"Have you fallen in love with playing Su Daji? Still not out of character?"

Fan Xiaopang clung to her persona, sobbing: "Fine, we argued before—but now Yan Li's here and you're still bullying me? Are you determined to humiliate him?"

Qin Lan: "..."

When viewers had criticized Zhihua, she'd felt a little wronged—but now that she'd met a real "Zhihua," Qin Lan wanted to tear her apart.

She couldn't help turning to Yan Li: "Are you just going to watch her act?"

Fan Xiaopang jumped up again: "If you have a problem, take it out on me—don't pick on him."

Yan Li: "..."

He couldn't help slapping Fan Xiaopang's butt: "That's enough."

Qin Lan's gaze turned icy; Fan Xiaopang feigned bashfulness, squirming slightly: "There are too many people—don't do that."

Yan Li felt awkward, mostly from habit—he pulled Qin Lan down to sit, forced Fan Xiaopang to sit too, ignoring the covert glances from the main table and other tables.

"Settle down. It's the New Year—whatever issues you have, wait till after dinner, then discuss it at home."

Qin Lan couldn't hold back: "Which home?"

Fan Xiaopang nodded obediently: "I'll follow whatever you say."

Qin Lan stared at the chopsticks on the table, wishing she could stab this seductive vixen through.

Yan Li frowned, quietly kicked Fan Xiaopang, glared at her—she pouted, wanted to kick back, hesitated, then stayed silent.

Where Fan Xiaopang didn't notice, Yan Li squeezed Qin Lan's hand and whispered:

"Listen to me—there are too many eyes on me right now. Don't cause trouble."

Qin Lan felt the warmth of Yan Li's large hand, remembered the recording incident with Li Bingbing, and nodded.

With threats and soothing, he calmed them both, then summoned several directors and producers to go toast the crew in other halls.

As soon as he left with the group, Fan Xiaopang and Qin Lan had no reason to stay—they exchanged a look of mutual disgust and walked away separately.

After the New Year's Eve dinner, the hotel arranged a Spring Festival Gala and other entertainment; guests could stay to play or return to rest.

The holiday was about festivity, and with the atmosphere so good, most stayed, though some began leaving one by one.

Li Bingbing and her sister didn't linger—they planned to call home and were preparing to leave after dinner.

Li Xue tugged her sister's sleeve: "Say goodbye to Yan Li."

"No need—I'll send him a text."

Afraid of complications, Li Bingbing grabbed her sister and left; on the way back, they saw Qin Lan slip quietly into a car and drive off.

"Does she live that far away that she needs a car?"

Li Xue was puzzled; Li Bingbing, however, frowned thoughtfully: "That doesn't look like heading back to the hotel—more like heading into the city?"

She recognized that car—she'd ridden in it twice before. It was Yan Li's private vehicle, usually unused; both times she'd ridden in it, they'd gone to the house he'd bought in the city.

"That Fan woman isn't good either."

Li Bingbing felt a twinge of bitterness, but then remembered it was Qin Lan going—not Fan Xiaopang—and she felt a flicker of satisfaction.

Yet she didn't know that Fan Xiaopang was now in another car heading to Dongyang—with Yan Li inside.

In the back seat, Fan Xiaopang nuzzled against Yan Li's gloomy face, voice sweet and cloying.

"Come on, don't be mad—I'm sorry, okay?"

Yan Li ignored her. After a long while of coaxing with no effect, Fan Xiaopang grew annoyed.

"I've put up with you having other women—what more do you want? Do you expect me to get along nicely with them? I'm not Su Daji—I won't manage your harem for you."

Yan Li glanced at her, calm: "You don't have to put up with it."

Fan Xiaopang's oval face paled: "What do you mean?"

Yan Li spread his hands: "Go back to how we were before—or even further, just professional partners."

"You bastard."

Fan Xiaopang panicked, almost slapping him across the face, glaring at Yan Li with red-rimmed eyes: "You've slept with me, the artist contract is in your hands, and now you want to pull up your pants and walk away. I don't agree."

Yan Li closed his eyes: "You won't agree to break up, but you can't accept me being a playboy either. So what do we do?"

Fan Xiaopang clung to Yan Li with both arms, pitifully: "Can't you, for my sake, send them away?"

"Send them away?"

Yan Li looked at Fan Xiaopang: "When I was nothing, Qin Lan and Dong Xuan both stayed with me."

"I won't get into Dong Xuan—you probably know the story between us two. When Qin Lan got together with me, it was right when Dong Xuan and I were breaking up… She wanted nothing, just lived with me in that rented apartment, turned down several drama roles for my sake… During SARS the two of us depended on each other for months, and at the time I felt we'd die together… When she knew I was starting a business with no money, she scraped together everything she had and even asked her family for more, gave it all to me…"

Yan Li gave an embellished account of his relationship with Qin Lan, then finally asked Fan Xiaopang.

"If I sent her away for you, how can you guarantee that one day I won't send you away for some other woman?"

Fan Xiaopang fell silent. She knew Yan Li valued Qin Lan greatly, even in some ways no less than Dong Xuan.

She'd assumed it was simply because Qin Lan had been with Yan Li earlier, never imagined there was so much behind it.

No wonder he stood firmly on Qin Lan's side last time, and now he's even getting angry at her because of their rivalry.

Watching the silent Fan Xiaopang, a faint flicker passed through Yan Li's eyes.

Fan Xiaopang was too domineering, inevitably clashing with the other women.

Whether Yan Li warned her or tried to scare her, it only treated the symptoms, not the root. So he simply "laid his cards on the table," exaggerating his bond with Dong and Qin, openly playing favorites.

He even created the impression that Fan Xiaopang forcing him to give up Dong and Qin was tantamount to encouraging him to become a Chen Shimei.

A Chen Shimei could abandon Dong and Qin, and could abandon her too. Fan Xiaopang certainly wouldn't want a Yan Li like that.

If she wanted Yan Li to stay true to his roots, loyal and affectionate, she had to tolerate Dong and Qin. If she didn't want to tolerate them, then she was asking Yan Li to forget his roots and become heartless and ungrateful.

With that, the logic closed its loop!

Of course, Fan Xiaopang had one way to break the deadlock—cut ties with Yan Li, let him and Dong and Qin cozy up to each other, and she'd bloom on her own.

Yan Li also "considerately" offered this choice, but would Fan Xiaopang be willing to hand Yan Li over, settling for being just a colleague or a bed buddy?

Fan Xiaopang pressed her lips together, seeming to catch on a little, and bit down on Yan Li's big hand.

"You bastard, scheming against me, huh?"

Bullshit about going back to how things were—this dog of a man was just playing the old catch-and-release, retreat-to-advance routine.

Yan Li wasn't flustered at being seen through by Fan Xiaopang. This was an open scheme—as long as Fan Xiaopang didn't want to break up, she had no choice but to walk into the trap.

"Aren't you afraid I'll really break up with you?"

Fan Xiaopang looked at this dog of a man's smug face, grinding her teeth. What gave him the idea that she couldn't live without him?

"Not afraid. Even if you break up, you're still an artist at my company, by my side every day. I'll just find a way to pick things back up."

Yan Li never fought a battle unprepared—whatever Fan Xiaopang chose, he had a follow-up move.

Fan Xiaopang, resigned: "I've fallen into the devil's clutches, haven't I."

"Consider yourself unlucky."

Yan Li grinned. Fan Xiaopang punched him lightly, pressed her lips together, then suddenly blurted: "Believe it or not, I could hand over everything I have to you too, depend on each other through thick and thin with you."

"…"

Yan Li wiped the smile off his face, looked at Fan Xiaopang's serious expression, and nodded.

Fan Xiaopang pouted: "You don't believe me."

"I do!"

"I don't believe it."

Yan Li: "…"

He pulled Fan Xiaopang onto his lap and smacked her bottom a few times: "Today's matter isn't over yet. We'll settle accounts when we get home."

Fan Xiaopang flailed and struggled: "Settling accounts is fine, but I wasn't the only one who started this. If we're settling, we settle together—the one surnamed Qin can't be let off either."

Last time Yan Li had favored Qin Lan. This time she wasn't asking to outdo the other woman, just for basic fairness.

What happened later—she was still earning money for this dog of a man. You can't make the old ones cry, and you can't bully the new ones either.

Yan Li's eyes lit up: "You said it yourself—settling accounts together, no take-backs."

Fan Xiaopang sensed something was off. Just as she opened her mouth, Yan Li sealed it with his.

"Mm…"

Fan Xiaopang didn't fall for that trick, breaking through the blockade by force: "If you try last Spring Festival's stunt again, I'm getting out of the car right now."

As if she was some pushover—got stacked once and that wasn't enough, now he wants to stack a second time.

"Don't you want to hear her call you big sister?"

Yan Li tried to tempt her. Fan Xiaopang sneered: "You already pulled that move last year. The moment you got a little advantage, you gave it right back. I'm not falling for it."

This little vixen was getting harder and harder to fool!

Yan Li hesitated a moment, leaned to her ear and muttered a couple of sentences. The latter's peach-blossom eyes glimmered slightly, though still half in doubt.

"Really?"

"Really. Besides, last time on 'Investiture of the Gods' you took grief from her—don't you want to get back at her?"

Fan Xiaopang was slightly torn.

How to put it—having gone through it once, her resistance had dropped quite a bit, and on top of that Yan Li's offer was very tempting.

That woman surnamed Qin acted proper every day, throwing her weight around as the first wife. If she had one wild round with her, let's see how she'd keep up that tough front afterward.

Fan Xiaopang neither agreed nor disagreed, only saying: "If she agrees, then I agree."

You agree, she agrees!

Yan Li was delighted. He held Fan Xiaopang close, murmuring sweet nothings. When they reached the compound, he didn't rush to see Qin Lan, but instead kept cozying up to Fan Xiaopang and even opened a bottle of red wine.

His attitude had been a bit forceful earlier. Now that he'd gotten what he wanted, he'd sweeten the pot a little more, build the mood properly, so she wouldn't change her mind halfway and run.

When he felt the moment was right, Yan Li went to find Qin Lan. The two apartments were very close—same building.

I originally wanted to buy two floors connected, but there weren't any, so there's two floors in between.

Once inside, Qin Lan was watching the Spring Festival Gala. Seeing Yan Li come back, her face lit up—then she suddenly caught sight of his slightly reddened lips, and her smile gradually faded.

Yan Li pretended not to notice and went to embrace her, but Qin Lan dodged him: "Don't touch me, disgusting."

"You say that, but you don't know what a huge mess you caused me today."

Yan Li trotted out the same old tune, trying to scare Qin Lan a bit, but she just rolled her eyes.

"Stop bluffing, there's no recording at all."

At first, Qin Lan really believed it and was worried she'd caused Yan Li trouble, but later she vaguely sensed something was off.

There were only so few people involved—if any recording leaked, it'd be easy to trace.

Setting aside the relationship between the Li Bingbing sisters and Yan Li, Yan Li isn't some small fry anymore. Would anyone do something so obvious, not fearing his retaliation?

Even if Huayi promised some conditions and agreed to protect them, could that protection last a lifetime?

Anyone not completely stupid wouldn't pull such a foolish move—that bastard was just bluffing her.

"I was doing this for your own good. Those two aren't easy marks, I was afraid you'd get the short end."

Even after being exposed, Yan Li didn't panic, switching to another set of excuses on the spot. Qin Lan responded with a "heh."

"Knowing they're not easy marks and still provoking them—calling to trick me without even showing your face—you're clearly siding with that vixen and that old woman."

"What are you saying? Wasn't I the first one to call you? Doesn't that prove you're the one I care about most?"

Yan Li twisted black into white. Seeing Qin Lan still wasn't mollified, he took out his phone and played a recording—exactly the conversation he'd had with Fan Xiaopang in the car earlier.

Hearing Yan Li declare to Fan Xiaopang that he'd rather break up than not side with her, and recounting their past feelings, Qin Lan's eyes gradually reddened.

Just as Fan Xiaopang was about to expose his scheme, Yan Li paused, then directly deleted the recording—destroying the evidence.

Then he looked at Qin Lan, reached out and gently pulled her close. This time Qin Lan didn't struggle, docilely leaning against Yan Li.

Choosing his words carefully, Yan Li began: "I know I'm not a good man, and I've made you put up with a lot sometimes, but I want you to know—you're different in my heart."

"I remember everything between us. Some things about me will change, but some things never will."

Yan Li placed Qin Lan's hand over his heart. She first cried, then got angry.

Qin Lan didn't know if Yan Li had cast some kind of spell on her.

If it were any other man, hearing such shameless words, she'd have slapped him across the face already. But hearing Yan Li say it, she could even feel moved.

"Stop crying."

Yan Li wiped her tears, then leaned close to her ear and muttered a couple of lines. Qin Lan got so worked up her hometown dialect started slipping out.

"Get lost. Take your filthy tricks to those sluty vixens and sluts to play with—don't you dare sully me."

Yan Li had anticipated this and said, unhurried: "Don't you want to put her in her place?"

Qin Lan paused. Yan Li added fuel: "How about this—you come along. If you don't want to participate, you don't have to. I'll vent your anger for you, make her apologize and beg for mercy."

First trick her into going over, then once the door closes, he had plenty of ways to make Qin Lan agree.

Qin Lan thought of this too—she knew this bastard's capabilities, and was genuinely afraid she wouldn't be able to control herself.

"I'm not going."

"Then having her come here works just as well."

Seeing Qin Lan's attitude soften—not a firm refusal with no room for discussion—Yan Li sent Fan Xiaopang a text saying Qin Lan had agreed, and told her to come over herself.

"I didn't agree."

Qin Lan was so angry she kicked him. Yan Li chuckled: "She's coming over in a bit. If you fight with me, won't she laugh at us? Let's be all lovey-dovey and make her furious."

"……"

Even though Qin Lan could see this bastard was stirring up trouble to reap the benefits, she genuinely feared Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang teaming up—better to seize the initiative herself.

After a while, the door was knocked—Fan Xiaopang had really come.

But she didn't go in; she stood outside the door, warily watching Yan Li.

"She really agreed. If she hadn't, I wouldn't have either."

She's already here, what's the point of playing coy? Yan Li knew Fan Xiaopang's fear of losing face, couldn't be bothered to argue with her, and yanked her inside in one pull.

Fan Xiaopang didn't really struggle either. Once inside and seeing Qin Lan, she raised an eyebrow.

"Tsk tsk, thought you were so proper—secretly slutty."

Qin Lan had been feeling embarrassed a moment ago, but seeing Fan Xiaopang, her fighting spirit immediately soared.

"Unlike you—openly slutty. Could smell you from miles away."

"Stinky old hag, asking for a beating?"

Fan Xiaopang took off her coat and tossed it on the floor. She'd wanted to go at Qin Lan back at the hotel, but there were too many people around. Now it was just the three of them—talking with fists is way more satisfying than talking with mouths.

Qin Lan didn't back down an inch, rolling up her sleeves: "Bring it."

Yan Li was dumbfounded!

I called you both here to keep me company for a "fight"—not for the two of you to fight each other.

He pinned them both down in no time. On New Year's Eve, the ice orchids bloom.

————

Early morning, Yan Li was woken by the sound of firecrackers outside the window.

Yan Li opened his eyes, glanced left and right, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Mm."

The firecrackers kept going. Qin Lan and Fan Xiaopang were woken too. Looking past Yan Li at each other's utterly detestable faces, they both snorted in unison.

Yan Li played peacemaker: "Cut it out, it's the first of the month today. I'll make dumplings for you in a bit."

"Who cares."

Fan Xiaopang couldn't help pinching Yan Li: "You bastard, feeling pretty smug now, aren't you."

Qin Lan was angry at Yan Li, but seeing Fan Xiaopang pinching her man, she immediately snapped.

"Keep your hands to yourself."

Fan Xiaopang rolled her eyes: "Stop pretending to be virtuous—it's not like you're still spraying water as one of the Seven Little Gourds."

"..."

Qin Lan's face flushed red instantly; she lunged to scratch Fan Xiaopang, but Yan Li grabbed her. Fan Xiaopang kept mocking.

"Go ask your elders—do we have Dai ethnic blood in the family?"

Yan Li didn't get it at first, until Fan Xiaopang made a splashing motion—he finally understood.

Her mouth is so damn cruel!

Even Yan Li couldn't bear to listen; Qin Lan was ready to fight to the death, and now she hated Yan Li too—why did he even bring this seductive fox here? How could she ever show her face again?

Seeing Qin Lan on the verge of tears, Yan Li had no choice but to drop a bombshell.

"Bullshit."

This time it was Fan Xiaopang's turn to lose her cool: "You're the one who got sprayed—I dodged!"

"You didn't dodge. I saw it."

Yan Li wasn't lying—but only barely. But in this situation, he had to stick to it; otherwise Qin Lan would be humiliated by Fan Xiaopang for the rest of her life.

Qin Lan quickly sensed this too—it didn't matter whether it was true; the key was that everyone had dirt on each other.

She calmed down and said magnanimously: "Consider it my way of watering you."

"Water you*******"

Fan Xiaopang erupted in curses; now it was her turn to scratch Qin Lan, who refused to back down.

One used the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, the other the Mighty Golden Claw—they barely scratched each other; most of the scratches landed on Yan Li, who was trying to pull them apart.

Hard to say if these two women were deliberately retaliating—but Yan Li didn't care.

They'd already had the big meal—what's a few scratches?

Besides, he had thick skin and tough flesh—he didn't feel pain or care about marks. But these two delicate girls? If they got scars, it'd be him who suffered.

"Stop, you're bleeding!"

It was Qin Lan who cared for Yan Li first—she called a truce. Fan Xiaopang huffed twice, muttered "serves you right," then gently rubbed and pressed his skin to ease the pain.

Yan Li opened his arms and hugged both of them, kissing each on the cheek—one left, one right.

"It's the first day of the New Year. Give me some face—let's have a peaceful year. You can kill me tomorrow."

"What's this talk of dying?"

Qin Lan disliked mentioning death during the New Year—it was bad luck. She glanced at Fan Xiaopang but said nothing.

Yan Li understood her—this silence was tacit approval. He turned to Fan Xiaopang, who glared coldly. He teased her quietly; she angrily bit him.

"You'll pay for this later."

This was said to Yan Li—and also to Qin Lan. The latter gave her a cool look and formed a silent lip shape.

"I'm waiting."

Neither Qin Lan nor Fan Xiaopang was comfortable with this intimate trio dynamic—one made an excuse to use the restroom, the other complained she was hungry.

Yan Li felt a pang of reluctance, but since they'd spent the New Year together, there'd be other chances.

After all, Qin Lan considered this her territory—she wouldn't leave.

Fan Xiaopang was competing with her—she'd never let Yan Li spend the New Year alone with her.

Since neither was leaving, and they'd already broken the ice last night, the second time came easily.

Yan Li got up, made a simple meal, then prepared to make dumplings.

Everything was prepped in advance—he'd planned to spend the New Year here, but hadn't known with whom. He'd even considered the hassle of going up and down stairs. He never imagined he'd get both of them together.

As Yan Li kneaded dough, Fan Xiaopang slipped over quietly: "Do we have any medicine at home?"

"..."

Yan Li teased: "Didn't you say you were going to give me a baby?"

Last night they'd argued, each boasting they'd bear Yan Li's child—then dropped it. This morning, Fan Xiaopang had backed down.

"I'd dare give you one—would you dare take it?"

"You give it, I'll take it."

Yan Li looked at Fan Xiaopang calmly. They locked eyes—finally, she grew uneasy and sweetly kissed him.

"A few years from now—once my career's stable."

Yan Li secretly exhaled—he was only twenty-five, not ready to be a father.

He wasn't worried about Fan Xiaopang—she was in her career ascent, no time for babies. But if Qin Lan or Dong Xuan challenged him, he'd cave.

Especially Dong Xuan. Though she hadn't decided, she'd thought about it more than once or twice.

Yan Li could challenge Fan Xiaopang, joke with Qin Lan—but he'd never dare mention this to Dong Xuan.

After learning where the medicine was, Fan Xiaopang opened it—and found one pill missing. Probably Qin Lan.

"Pfft. Thought you were so tough."

Still, she let out a long sigh. Normal competition? She wasn't afraid of Qin Lan or Dong Xuan. But this baby move? That struck right at her weak spot.

If she got pregnant first... even if she and Yan Li stayed together, she'd always be inferior.

In the bathroom, Qin Lan held a pill in her hand, hesitating.

Last time in "Fengshen Bang," she'd crushed Fan Xiaopang. This time, though Yan Li still subtly favored her, his attitude had changed drastically.

If this trend continued, soon she might be dominated by Fan—even now, the shift was already creeping in.

The mounting pressure made Qin Lan inevitably seek a shortcut.

But this shortcut wasn't easy. Qin Lan had deep reservations—she couldn't gauge Yan Li's true feelings. After much hesitation, she finally put the pill in her mouth and swallowed it.

"..."

Because of the prior agreement, although Qin Lan and Fan Xiaopang were still on bad terms and couldn't help sniping and mocking each other, the gunpowder smell was no longer as thick as before, and they didn't come to blows again.

Yan Li had grown up in the kitchen since childhood, was quick with his hands and feet, and with ample preparation beforehand, he wrapped quite a lot of dumplings and also made a few side dishes.

At noon the three of them gathered together and ate a fairly harmonious lunch; in the afternoon they sat on the sofa and watched the Spring Festival Gala Priority replay.

The so-called warm-body-think-of... guarding two great beauties, Yan Li gradually began to get restless.

Qin Lan blushed and pushed him: "Stop fooling around, watch the martial arts."

Yan Li paid no heed: "What's there to watch about them? If you want to watch, I'll perform for you."

"Sure."

Fan Xiaopang was half playing along and half jealous, pushing Yan Li to perform; his own woman, Yan Li didn't put on airs, and cleanly nimbly threw a set of punches.

The two women very considerately applauded; Yan Li smiled smugly: "That's nothing — I still have one unique skill, do you want to see it?"

"Yes!"

Yan Li took off his clothes, revealing his sturdy, well-shaped muscles, and showed Fan Xiaopang and Qin Lan his unique skill — the Yan Family Spear Art.

————

PS: Ten-thousand-word update

(End of this chapter)