Chapter 211: A Remarkable Young Man Has Come to the Film Circle

On the second day of the New Year, the major crews at Hengdian resumed work; Qin Lan and Fan Xiaopang both showed up at their respective crews.

However, Yan Li never appeared.

Combined with the New Year's Eve incident, the crews privately spread a lot of rumors, but they were all baseless speculation.

Yan Li left Hengdian not because of any relationship issue, but to sign a contract.

The cinema chain had been acquired!

In Jingcheng, Yan Li and the original person in charge of the cinema chain signed their names together and affixed their seals.

Yi'an Cinema Chain became the actual owner of this cinema chain at a price of 42 million.

Once the subsequent procedures and renaming and a series of other matters were completed, Yi'an would also become one of the thirty-six cinema chains in the Chinese film market.

"Congratulations, Boss Yan."

"Thanks to Director Zhang and Director Wang for their help."

Yan Li exchanged pleasantries with the leaders who had come from the relevant units to witness and assist; his ability to acquire the cinema chain and run it smoothly afterward could not be separated from dealing with these people.

After dinner in the evening, Yan Li arranged for a driver to take several of them home, and along the way sent some New Year goods from his hometown, to thank them for their efforts.

For the next two days, Yan Li also stayed in Jingcheng to pay New Year visits.

Although cinema chains were closely related to the film and television industry, Yan Li had previously focused on TV drama production and distribution; the two were quite different, and many relationships had to be slowly smoothed out.

Yan Li had made quite a few preparations before; now that he had truly acquired the cinema chain, he could further consolidate and expand.

Jingcheng, a certain residential community

College student Han Jia-nü opened the door to her home; although she was already used to many people coming to visit, seeing the young man in front of her still left her momentarily dazed.

Compared with the other bosses who came to the house, this one was really too young.

"Hello, I'm Yan Li. I made an appointment to come visit Chairman Han."

"Please come in."

Han Jia-nü let him in. Han Sanping, who had heard the commotion, strode over. Looking at the box in Yan Li's hand, his brow furrowed slightly, and his tone carried a faint Sichuan accent.

"I told you, don't bring anything."

"Chairman Han, it's nothing valuable, just specialties from my hometown, for you to try something fresh. During the New Year, it would really be too rude of me to show up empty-handed."

Yan Li had already done his homework and understood some of Han's temperament. Since they weren't familiar with each other yet, he didn't want to be too presumptuous, so he brought some local specialties as a gesture of goodwill.

Once they got more familiar later, and Han liked to eat, he could keep sending more...

Han Sanping took a deliberate look and confirmed they really were local specialties; his expression eased a little. He told his daughter to go pour some water, then took Yan Li to the study to talk.

In the study, Han Jia-nü delivered the water and then left. Han Sanping offered a cigarette and looked at Yan Li with great interest.

"Xiao Yan, you've done a pretty good job keeping this under wraps. I only just heard some movement not long ago, and you've already clinched it — caught me completely off guard."

"Are you blaming me for that?"

Yan Li explained with a wry smile: "It's not that I was hiding it from you. The acquisition itself was a covert one — several parties were competing at the time, and we planned to launch a surprise attack. If word got out and our competitors were prepared, complications would arise."

This was an excuse; there was indeed some relevant reason, but the main point was to prevent other people from interfering.

Neither of them was a fool.

Yi'an was doing well, and now adding a Yi'an Cinema Chain — a strong combination — would make many people unable to sit still.

It was hard to say if someone would come out to sling mud and hold things back. Yan Li wasn't afraid, but if he could avoid trouble, there was no need to go looking for it himself.

Including Han Sanping — he wouldn't go so far as to deal with Yan Li.

But the companies involved were too many, with connections in every aspect, so they were all kept in the dark together.

"Regardless, this was my fault. I should have come to you, Chairman Han, beforehand to help steer things. I'm still young and didn't think things through carefully enough."

Yan Li was very good at using the 【young man】 label.

When vying for benefits, he was a young man with high potential, drive, and flexible thinking, with a limitless future ahead.

When shifting blame, he was a young man prone to acting on impulse, not considering things comprehensively, who should be given the chance to grow and gain experience — next time would be better.

He was a young man in his early twenties, a self-made entrepreneur, with no one to teach him and no one to support him; it was inevitable that he would have oversights in his work.

Now his posture was so low, sincerely admitting fault. How could anyone bear to make things hard for him?

Let alone that Han Sanping hadn't intended to do anything — at most he'd give a light rap on the knuckles. Even if he had fire in his belly, out of regard for his status, he wouldn't press Yan Li aggressively face-to-face.

"Tch..."

Han Sanping looked at Yan Li with some appreciation. No wonder someone so young had achieved so much; several old friends also had much praise for him.

A remarkable young man had come to the film circle this time!

Yan Li didn't know what Han Sanping was thinking, but being invited to the man's home this time was a good opportunity to close the distance.

He hoped to build a good relationship with this famously renowned Third Master Han of the circle.

Don't be fooled by Yan Li's layout of the cinema chain and his investment of several hundred million, possibly more in the future — in front of China Film, where Han Sanping was, he was still a little brother.

In fact, to a certain extent, he had to make his living by following China Film's lead.

Many people only knew that China Film had cinema chains, with chains under its main control or investment occupying 10% of the entire market, or even more. China Film invested heavily in films, had powerful distribution channels, and its shadow was behind many commercial films.

But in fact, China Film's greatest strength was its official attribute behind the scenes.

A considerable proportion of film-related policies and standards were formulated and implemented through China Film, which also held rights of review, approval, and recommendation in many areas.

The cinema chains were impressive, and every major film company had to court them, but they also had to read China Film's face.

For example, for most domestic and imported films, China Film also had considerable say in screening permits.

"The Promise" and "Harry Potter" were both money-making films that every cinema chain wanted; if China Film found an excuse not to give them, the chains could only look on helplessly.

In other miscellaneous aspects, China Film also had considerable influence.

Not to mention that Yan Li had more than just one Yi'an Cinema Chain in his hands.

Cinema chains were relatively independent and less affected by China Film, but the subsequent film production and distribution of Yi'an would absolutely be unable to bypass China Film.

At present, in China Film, Han Sanping was still Vice Chairman, but he was already the actual decision-maker. Rumor had it that he was very likely to be promoted next year, officially taking the top position.

Previously, Yan Li had used the system and various channels to learn about this future head of China Film.

How to put it? This person did have some flaws, and Yan Li didn't fully agree with his views on the film market.

But overall, Han was fairly public-spirited, at least genuinely pushing for the development of Chinese cinema.

Under Hollywood's relentless onslaught, the mainland film market hadn't collapsed like some countries', and domestic commercial films continued steady growth—Han had made outstanding contributions.

At the same time, this man was also famous for nurturing newcomers and enterprises.

Yan Li did business with all kinds of people; compared to them, Han Sanping was relatively high-quality and principled.

…

"Director Han, Yian plans to invest approximately 300 million to 500 million yuan over the next two to three years, building four to six large high-end cinemas, eight to fifteen standard cinemas, and about 120 to 150 screens—all premium cinemas…"

Yan Li discussed Yian's subsequent plans with Han Sanping, essentially the same public statement to be released soon.

The plan as a whole had no flaws, but the figures had some discrepancies.

After all, it was a public statement, inevitably involving some promotional exaggeration.

But Yan Li hadn't exaggerated too much—cinemas were public-facing; overblown claims would easily backfire and damage the perception of investors and relevant agencies, so he had to be relatively pragmatic.

Even so, Han Sanping was somewhat surprised.

He knew Yan Li wouldn't dare enter the cinema chain business without solid backing—it couldn't be a small-scale venture—but to deploy hundreds of millions at once and bring in China Resources still exceeded his expectations.

Don't think Yian's ten-plus cinemas and hundred-plus screens mean nothing.

Remember, in the entire mainland last year—2005—only 55 new cinemas joined cinema chains, with fewer than 300 screens total.

Yian's scale alone was nearly one-third of the year's total new cinemas and screens.

More crucially, apart from the original chain's older cinemas, all of Yian's were standardized modern cinemas, and even those older ones would be renovated later.

Moreover, most were located in first- and second-tier cities, many in key box-office hubs.

This was rare in today's mainland cinema market.

Though the mainland now had roughly 2,700 cinema screens, many were outdated theaters left over from last century, with poor venues, equipment, and service.

A considerable proportion were in third- and fourth-tier cities, generating limited box office.

According to last year's year-end report from the Film Bureau, only forty cinemas earned over one million yuan in box office, twenty-seven earned over ten million, and only four exceeded thirty million.

So don't be fooled by the statistics where cinemas and screens are all marked as 【1】.

The box office gap between a first-tier premium cinema and a small-town old theater could be dozens of times—or even hundreds of times.

Thus, although Yian's number of cinemas and screens wasn't large, its profitability and market share absolutely couldn't be measured by screen count alone.

Han Sanping was a knowledgeable man; after listening to Yan Li's explanation, he immediately formed a rough judgment of Yian Cinema Chain's scale and potential.

If this chain truly succeeded, even if it couldn't rival the top-tier chains, it would be firmly in the upper-middle tier—unignorable.

"An extraordinary young man."

Han Sanping said it—earlier, "extraordinary young man" had been mere admiration; now it was an accurate description.

His ability was obvious, but his vision and boldness were unmatched by ordinary people.

In recent years, the film market had grown increasingly strong, and many film companies and incoming capital had increased investment.

But everyone preferred investing in films themselves—chasing stars and famous directors, focusing on the spotlight in front of the camera, while ignoring the cinema chain, the downstream terminal that determined the entire market's foundation.

Hmm, perhaps it wasn't ignorance, but insufficient capability, capital, or concerns over large investment and slow returns.

But if you don't invest and I don't invest, and all the money goes into making films, while cinema infrastructure lags, the market still won't rise.

Yan Li, so young, in an industry where most private film companies focused solely on upstream production and rarely touched midstream distribution, had heavily invested in cinema chains—truly rare and commendable.

Han Sanping, moved by this, shared some honest thoughts with Yan Li: "At this stage, we do lack good films, but we lack cinema chains even more."

The rise of the film market certainly depends on good films to cultivate the market and break new ground, but slow cinema chain development will delay and hinder the market's growth.

Only when upstream and downstream develop together, when software and hardware advance in tandem, will the film market grow increasingly prosperous.

Now, many companies and capital are willing to invest in films, but few are willing to invest in cinema chains.

The mainland's major cinema chain giants are almost all state-owned or have state-owned participation; private cinema chains with scale and influence are exceedingly rare.

From the bottom of his heart, Han Sanping supported the growth of Yan Li's Yian Cinema Chain—it would benefit the entire film market.

"I recall there are some preferential policies for private cinema chains?"

"That's right—local subsidies, special support funds, tax reductions—but they're hard to secure; I've been begging everyone I know."

Yan Li, of course, knew all this—he'd already secured some benefits—but he understood Han Sanping had brought this up for a reason, so he immediately complained.

Sure enough, Han Sanping slammed the table: "I'll help you arrange this. I can't promise much, but China Film's benefits are definitely no problem."

"Oh my, thank you so much, Director Han."

Yan Li was delighted—the policy benefits themselves weren't that important; the key was Han Sanping's friendly, enthusiastic tone.

It showed he held a very good impression of Yan Li and Yian—he hadn't come in vain; he'd established a connection with China Film.

"… "

As they chatted enthusiastically, Han's daughter knocked on the door to ask about dinner; only then did they realize night was falling.

"Little Yan, stay for dinner today."

Han Sanping, in good spirits, invited Yan Li to dinner; the latter naturally accepted, then sent a text message.

Over half an hour later, just before dinner, Yan Li received a phone call, stepped out, and returned with two bottles of unboxed liquor.

"A friend gave me these—I don't know much about wine, but it tastes good. I brought some for Director Han to try."

Han Sanping gave Yan Li a long look, didn't refuse, and during dinner, took a sip of the liquor Yan Li brought—his eyes lit up.

"This wine… isn't it aged quite a while?"

Yan Li smiled: "As long as you like it."

They exchanged cups and talked about films expected to release this year.

Leading the list were Feng Xiaogang's "The Banquet," Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers," and Liu Tianwang's "The Message."

Although China Film had previously stumbled with Wuji, Han Sanping still had high hopes for these major films.

Especially Lao Mouzi's The Golden Warriors.

Although the previous film, Ten Blades, drew criticism, the entire project turned a profit; currently, only Lao Mouzi consistently delivers stable profits from big-budget films in mainland China.

For this film, The Golden Warriors, they not only invited Chow Yun-fat but also brought back Zhang's ex-girlfriend Gong Li, and Taiwan's king, Zhou Jie, joined the cast—such a stellar lineup drew wide industry attention.

The Han family daughter beside him couldn't resist gossiping: "Director Yan, I saw the news—Zhou Jie's role was originally offered to you."

"I'm a few years older than you; just don't mind calling me Brother."

Yan Li smiled gently, and the Han family daughter immediately switched to calling him Brother Li; Han Sanping set down his wine cup after drinking half.

"Director Zhang did call me personally, but later they notified me to audition; I was too busy at the time and couldn't spare the time, so it fell through."

"They asked you to audition?"

After hearing Yan Li's words, the Han family daughter's expression turned complicated.

To be fair, Yan Li's status as an actor isn't particularly famous, but his position and standing are undeniable, and since he doesn't rely on acting for income, he still deserves special respect.

She didn't know whether there was some misunderstanding or if Yan Li had phrased things poorly.

Either way, it sounded as if The Golden Warriors hadn't taken Yan Li seriously at all.

Han Sanping remarked: "That doesn't sound like Yimou's style—most likely it was his boss's doing."

Yan Li paused; from the tone, Han Sanping clearly had a poor impression of Zhang Weiping.

But Han Sanping wasn't wrong—this was indeed Zhang Weiping's doing.

Yan Li later learned through his intelligence network that Lao Mouzi had high regard for him due to his roles in Emperor Wu of Han, which is why he personally called.

They did seriously consider having him audition, with sincere intentions—including Lao Mouzi contacting him directly and offering to accommodate Yan Li's schedule.

Officially, it wasn't an audition at all, but rather a meeting out of long-standing admiration, perhaps over dinner—so even if no collaboration happened, neither side would lose face.

But later, Zhang Weiping, drawn to Zhou Jie's popularity, forcibly persuaded Lao Mouzi to abandon multiple potential candidates, including Yan Li.

Since Yan Li had spoken directly with Lao Mouzi and wasn't some minor actor, Zhang Weiping couldn't simply ignore him, so he devised a sneaky tactic: he sent a cold, dismissive notice to audition.

Had Yan Li possessed even a shred of pride, he would never have humbled himself before such treatment.

As for whether this might offend Yan Li, Boss Zhang didn't care much—a TV actor, what difference does it make if he's offended?

"Director Zhang is indeed a… straightforward man. I've been grateful for his consideration and have always wanted to repay him in some way."

Sensing Han Sanping's displeasure toward Zhang Weiping, Yan Li, who had also taken mental notes, promptly declared his stance.

I've got one against him!

Han Sanping clinked his glass with Yan Li's, then added: "Good dishes aren't late—right now, the Olympics matter most."

Yan Li understood: Zhang's ties with Lao Mouzi ran too deep; Lao Mouzi was now immersed in preparing the Olympic opening ceremony, shielded by his own prestige, making it truly inadvisable to disturb him—wait until after the Olympics.

Zhang Weiping's greatest leverage is Lao Mouzi; himself, he's no real threat.

Had Yan Li not had other plans, he'd have already leaked two scandals to give him a taste of trouble.

Compared to The Golden Warriors, which had little to do with China Film, Han Sanping and Yan Li spoke more about China Film's deeply involved projects: The Message and Red Cliff.

Especially Red Cliff—the project is still in preparation, with funding and cast not yet fully secured.

Han Sanping hinted that Yan Li's Yi'an could also participate in some capacity.

Yan Li didn't refuse outright, only said he'd study it and return with an answer—but inwardly, he wasn't interested in the proposal.

Han Sanping was a die-hard believer in big-budget films, firmly convinced that only such films could activate the film market, championing high investment and high returns.

This perspective wasn't wrong—China's film market's rise in recent years owed much to those controversial blockbusters.

Beyond box office gains, they also cultivated behind-the-scenes teams, enhanced cinema's social influence, and advanced the entire industry chain.

But China Film, as a state-owned giant, could afford to push the market at any cost—even if it lost money, other objectives could still be deemed acceptable.

But Yan Li was spending his own and his investors' money.

He earned his money hard, and his investors' trust was painstakingly accumulated.

A project like Red Cliff, far beyond the mainland market's capacity and aiming to gamble on the international stage, carried too much risk—it clashed with Yan Li's business and investment philosophy.

Moreover, Yan Li had triggered several intelligence reports on Red Cliff—the project was complex.

Since 2004, they've claimed they'd start shooting, yet even now the crew remains in preparation; the lead producer shifted from Poly Huayi to China Film, and rumors say they're also negotiating with Orange Sky—over a dozen smaller investors have come and gone.

Those in the know, like Yan Li, understand; outsiders simply assume the film has been canceled.

Beyond that, Han Sanping also discussed Crazy Stone and Ning Hao with Yan Li.

"I know this kid—I once thought of helping him out, but I never expected you to snatch him up first."

"If even Chairman Han approves of this talent and project, I must've struck gold."

Yan Li flattered Han Sanping, then used Crazy Stone as a springboard to continue the conversation.

Yi'an Cinema still has a while before construction is complete, and even after completion, it won't yet shake or significantly impact the overall market.

So the release of Crazy Stone will heavily rely on cinema chains led by China Film.

"..."

After dinner, the two talked in the study for nearly half an hour before Yan Li took his leave.

The awake Han family daughter, hearing the commotion, stepped out of her room, curious.

"Dad, you're taking this Yan Li seriously."

Given Han Sanping's status, many people fawn over him—but few are invited to his home; even fewer are kept for long private talks and dinner.

In the Han family daughter's mind, only Han's old friends, close associates, or top-tier industry figures received such treatment.

"Talent—and crucially, he's young."

Han Sanping sighed; youth mattered immensely—years from now, the older generation would be dead or retired, and he'd be at his prime.

As the saying goes: don't bully the young, only the old. Han Sanping himself might not care—but he had a daughter.

For the sake of his descendants, he preferred cultivating relationships with such young elites—they might one day pull him or his family up.

But…

Han Sanping glanced at his daughter: "Don't get too close to him."

"Why not? Didn't you say I should get along with him? He might come in handy someday."

Han Jia_nv looked confused; Han Sanping snorted coldly: "I said don't—so don't. I'll handle the favors. You don't need to worry about it."

Yan Li is a good kid in every way, except his conduct is terrible.

Of course, there are plenty like him in the circle; Han Sanping was used to it. But Yan Li is handsome, smooth-talking, talented, and young—most young girls easily fall for him.

He knew his own daughter well; she'd barely stand a chance of holding him down. Better to keep distance from the start than end up with everyone embarrassed.

————

The next day, Beiying Community bathroom

【Daily Intelligence x: Han Sanping worries his daughter Han Jia_nv will be emotionally deceived by Yan Li………】

Yan Li was utterly speechless. Old Han was the kind of father who saw beauty in his own daughter. Han Jia_nv… no matter how close they were, he'd only ever see her as a little sister—there was no other possibility.

After reading the intelligence, finishing his business, Yan Li returned to the bedroom, crawled into bed, and hugged Dong Xuan for warmth.

Dong Xuan didn't mind—Yan Li was strong and healthy, his body a furnace. He'd been outside briefly, his skin slightly cool, but a little rubbing warmed him right up.

"Do you have any engagements today?"

Winter break wasn't over yet, but knowing Yan Li had returned to Jingcheng for business, Dong Xuan had come back early from her hometown, where she'd spent the New Year. She'd been accompanying him these past few days.

"Yes, but it's not urgent."

It was the bitter cold of the first lunar month, and a light snow had fallen today. Holding the warm, soft, fragrant beauty in his arms, Yan Li had, for once, lazily stayed in bed.

Dong Xuan nestled against Yan Li, savoring the warmth, when her phone rang.

"What now? It's so early."

Dong Xuan was annoyed. Though Yan Li was in Jingcheng, he was busy with engagements, usually leaving early and returning late. Rare moments alone were being interrupted again.

"It's not early—it's almost nine."

Yan Li reached over and picked up the phone, slightly surprised: "Yang Mi?"

"My student. I told you about her before."

Dong Xuan thought Yan Li had forgotten and explained again, unaware that Yan Li remembered the name far better than she imagined.

The monthly intelligence had triggered it—she was one of the future Four Little Goddesses. Yan Li had inquired about her background back then, and later learned she'd become Dong Xuan's student, marveling at how small the world was.

The call connected, and a sweet, Beijing-accented voice came through: "Teacher Dong, I saw on your blog you're back in Jingcheng. The Wang Zhaojun shoot's on break, and I'm home for a few days. I'll return to the set tomorrow—before I go, I wanted to pay you a New Year's visit. Are you free?"

"Oh, I see."

Dong Xuan glanced at Yan Li, mouthing: Should I say yes? Yan Li shrugged indifferently, signaling she could do as she liked.

He was leaving soon anyway, and wouldn't be home—whether she came or not was up to Dong Xuan.

"I'm home at noon. Call me before you come—I'll send you the address."

Dong Xuan had known Yang Mi for half a year and had communicated often—they got along well.

Since Yang Mi joined the Wang Zhaojun cast, they hadn't seen each other in a while. Now that the girl had taken time out of her holiday to come pay respects, Dong Xuan couldn't very well refuse.

"Alright, Teacher Dong. We won't miss each other."

Dong Xuan hung up and showed off to Yan Li, claiming Yang Mi's role in Wang Zhaojun was thanks to her help.

The girl was grateful—she'd even publicly thanked her in media interviews.

Yan Li was sharp—he sensed something off after just a few words: "Are you sure she's grateful, or is she just trying to climb on our coattails now that she knows about us?"

"Of course she's grateful! You've barely shown your face in half a year—I'm more of an ex than your ex. How would she even know?"

Dong Xuan's tone carried a hint of resentment. Yan Li gave up on Yang Mi and kissed her.

"Look, I'm busy. Besides, I left the set to come back and celebrate our birthday with you."

Last year, because he'd returned to Jingcheng to celebrate Dong Xuan's birthday, Qin Lan and Fan Xiaopang had been jealous as hell. He'd use this to tease her for a whole year.

"You're always right."

Dong Xuan bit Yan Li a few times in frustration. He grinned mischievously and pushed her deeper into the covers.

"You've got a gift too—a gift bigger than any reason. Come on, help me show some respect."

No more of that "last time" or "no next time" nonsense. After a half-hearted struggle, Dong Xuan obediently showed him respect.

"…"

At noon, Yang Mi arrived at the address Dong Xuan texted, carrying two boxes, and knocked on the door.

Dong Xuan, having changed clothes for the guest, let her in.

After the usual pleasantries and polite refusal of gifts, Yang Mi, now in slippers, sat on the sofa and asked, feigning curiosity.

"Teacher, do you live here alone?"

"Mm."

Dong Xuan gave a vague answer. Yang Mi pursed her lips, slightly speechless.

Never mind the men's leather shoes and slippers in the shoe rack—there was a clearly visible ashtray on the coffee table, still holding cigarette butts. You didn't smoke those yourself, did you?

Dong Xuan noticed the ashtray hadn't been put away, but said nothing. She smoked them—so what?

The teacher and student silently skipped over the details and began chatting about Yang Mi's role in Wang Zhaojun and amusing stories from Beidian.

They started off happily, but as evening approached, Yang Mi showed no sign of leaving. Dong Xuan grew anxious.

"It's getting late. It snowed today—it's not safe to travel. Go home."

Yang Mi didn't want to leave. She suspected Yan Li might be home today and wanted to see if she could run into him.

That way, she could make an impression on Yan Li, clarify her position as Dong Xuan's true ally, and later, naturally seek help from "Teacher's Husband."

"Teacher, living alone is so lonely. I've got nothing to do—why don't I stay tonight and keep you company?"

"No need. I'm used to living alone. It's rare to have a holiday—go home and spend more time with your parents."

Dong Xuan had no intention of keeping Yang Mi, so she made an excuse to send her away; Yang Mi dared not insist and left reluctantly, planning to find another opportunity later.

When the two went downstairs, they found that the snow, which had stopped at noon, had started again—falling heavily.

Each step sank into a snowdrift; dense flakes swirled down, and in the distance, the road was barely visible.

Dong Xuan's first thought was that Yan Li wouldn't be able to return; her second was how Yang Mi would get home.

She had come by taxi at noon, but with this weather, hailing a cab would be impossible.

Dong Xuan went back to fetch an umbrella and accompanied Yang Mi to the gated entrance—sure enough, no taxis could be found.

Dong Xuan's car was parked in the compound, but with this weather and road condition, neither she nor Yang Mi dared to drive.

"Call your dad and see if he can come pick you up."

Dong Xuan thought of another idea, but Yang Mi shook her head: "My parents went to visit relatives today; with this much snow, they might not even make it home themselves, let alone come pick me up."

With no other option, Dong Xuan could only bring Yang Mi back to her place, wait to see if the snow would stop, and then figure something out.

By the time night fell, there was still no sign the snow would cease.

At this point, Dong Xuan no longer cared whether Yang Mi stayed or left—she was worried about Yan Li's safety on the road.

She considered that if things got worse, she'd have Yan Li book a hotel—both to avoid accidents on the road and to solve Yang Mi's problem.

Dong Xuan called Yan Li, but he was in a business dinner; he said two words telling her not to worry, then hung up.

With no choice, Dong Xuan sent him a text message, then waited with Yang Mi for the snow to lighten.

Two hours later, the snow had lessened, but it was still dark and slippery; local TV reported multiple traffic collisions and road blockages—transportation was severely disrupted.

"Call home and tell them you're not coming back tonight."

Seeing this situation, Dong Xuan didn't dare let Yang Mi risk going out, so she prepared the guest room and told her to stay.

By ten at night, Dong Xuan called Yan Li again—he still hadn't finished his dinner.

"You rest first. I'm waiting for a call."

Dong Xuan told Yang Mi to go to sleep; as for herself, she wouldn't be able to rest until she received confirmation that Yan Li had finished his dinner and safely checked into a hotel.

"I'm not sleepy—I'll keep you company."

Yang Mi wasn't foolish; she wouldn't leave Dong Xuan, who was tense and anxious, alone to go to bed—so she stayed by her side, offering quiet reassurance.

After another half hour, Dong Xuan hadn't received a call, but she heard the front door open; she got up, peered through the peephole, and saw Yan Li outside.

She hurried to open the door; Yan Li stepped in, rubbed his hands together, and exhaled a puff of white mist.

"This snow really came down hard."

"How did you get home? I told you to book a hotel—this kind of snowstorm is dangerous."

Dong Xuan was puzzled; Yan Li explained: "The place I was at is close to home, and there aren't any decent hotels nearby—it seems the roads are blocked anyway. Better to come home."

"Do we still have the key to Jimenli? Give it to Wu Maowen—he won't be safe going back. I'll have him stay there."

Yan Li had been drinking at the dinner and couldn't drive; his driver, Wu Maowen, was with him.

Normally, under these circumstances, Wu Maowen could just sleep over at home—but Yang Mi was here, occupying the guest room, and the living room was too cold, so it made more sense for him to stay at Jimenli, which was nearby.

Although Yan Li no longer lived in that apartment, Lin Jiachuan and the others had all kept him a spare key; arranging a temporary stay for someone wasn't a problem.

Once Wu Maowen was settled, Yan Li and Dong Xuan turned their attention to Yang Mi; at this point, Dong Xuan had no reason to hide the truth.

"This is Yan Li—you probably know him. My boyfriend. Call him Master Yan."

Yang Mi had imagined meeting Yan Li many times—even practiced what she'd say in private—but now that she saw him in person, she couldn't hide her nervousness and stiffness.

"I… I'm sorry, Master… Master Yan. I've caused you and Teacher Dong so much trouble."

Yan Li gave the future "Four Little Divas" member and Dong Xuan's prized student a quick glance—he'd seen her photos and files, but this was his first time seeing her in person.

Hmm, her face is a bit square!

Her hairstyle is ugly too—thick, heavy bangs, so old-fashioned.

Still, overall she's quite attractive—fresh, natural, lively and sweet. No wonder Zhang the Beard picked her to play Guo Xiang in "The Return of the Condor Heroes."

"Don't worry about it. Just settle in. You two chat. I'm going to change—smelling of alcohol and snow, I'm uncomfortable."

Yan Li didn't know Yang Mi well and had no intention of chatting; after a few brief words, he headed to the bathroom to shower and change.

Dong Xuan suggested: "Let me make you some ginger soup to warm you up."

"Just get the ginger and pot ready—I'll make it myself."

Dong Xuan was used to Yan Li not trusting her cooking; she went to find the ginger herself, while Yang Mi eagerly helped—and seized the chance to ask the question she'd long held inside.

"Teacher Dong, you and Master Yan haven't broken up, have you?"

Dong Xuan nodded: "Mm. It's just a story we told the media—for publicity."

"So that's how it is."

Yang Mi understood—but still had many questions, like whether Fan Xiaopang and Yan Li were really together.

But she'd never dare ask that—she just kept showering them with flattery.

"That's wonderful! I saw the news about your campus romance and felt so sorry for you—turns out the breakup was fake! I always said you and Master Yan are perfectly matched, destined to be together…"

Even though she knew Yang Mi was buttering them up, Dong Xuan was still pleased—and added a reminder.

"We're not planning to go public yet. Keep this quiet."

"No problem."

Yang Mi made a zipping motion across her lips: "I've got the tightest lips."

Whether her lips were truly tight was debatable—but since this secret could benefit her, she'd keep it locked down tight.

Soon after, Yan Li came out wearing pajamas, made the ginger soup, then prepared himself a bowl of noodles.

Some dinners made eating and drinking inconvenient; Yan Li had strong physical stamina, a large appetite, and good digestion, so he often had late-night snacks after business meals.

Yang Mi wanted to chat with Yan Li a bit more, but after finishing his noodles, he said he was tired, exchanged a few polite words, and went straight to his room.

Shortly after Yan Li retired to his room, Dong Xuan said it was late and told Yang Mi to wash up and get some rest.

Since the guest follows the host's lead, Yang Mi could only return to the guest room; perhaps Yan Li's cold demeanor had left her troubled, and she couldn't sleep at all.

Lying on the bed, she recalled the layout of the entire house: the guest room faced the master bedroom, not directly opposite, but not far off either.

She quietly got out of bed, opened the door, and peeked out—the master bedroom's light was still on; Yan Li and the others probably hadn't slept yet.

Daring not to step into the hallway, Yang Mi pressed herself against the guest room door, trying to hear any sound from the master bedroom.

She felt Yan Li and Dong Xuan would surely talk about her, and she wanted to know Yan Li's impression of her.

But whether due to good soundproofing or the distance between the rooms, Yang Mi heard no clear conversation—yet she could faintly sense slight movements.

After much hesitation, Yang Mi quietly opened the door, feigning the posture of someone heading to the bathroom, then crept closer to the master bedroom door.

Now she could hear!

Though indistinct, fragments of words came through now and then.

She didn't hear her own name—just something about theater chains, the Film Bureau, Hengdian, and other random things.

Hm?

Dong Xuan's voice suddenly rose—she sounded angry—and Yang Mi thought she heard her say the words "Qin Lan."

Qin Lan?

Yang Mi recognized the name, but wasn't sure if it was *that* one.

Could this woman also be connected to Yan Li?

Ugh, what a mess!

Yang Mi had once envied Dong Xuan for landing a diamond-rich Wang Laowu, but now she saw that every family had its own hard-to-sing scripture—Dong Xuan had her own troubles too.

Wait, why had the noise stopped?

Earlier, Dong Xuan had been angrily questioning, mixed with Yan Li's soothing and defending—but for some reason, their voices had abruptly cut off.

Yang Mi broke into a cold sweat, thinking she'd been discovered; she hurriedly pretended to go to the bathroom, but after waiting several minutes in the restroom and returning, she found no one had left the master bedroom.

Gathering courage, Yang Mi crept closer to the door again—and moments later, her cheeks flushed red.

Drawing on her own knowledge, she imagined what had just happened—the sudden silence must mean Dong Xuan had been silenced.

There would be no more meaningful conversation now; Yang Mi prepared to return to bed.

But though her mind told her to go, her feet stayed rooted—she rationalized: maybe they'd talk about her soon; she couldn't miss it.

As a result, she stood there for over an hour.

Yang Mi's expression shifted from initial excited gossip, to surprised curiosity, then to longing admiration, then to disbelief, and finally to faint fear and awe.

The object of her awe was not Yan Li—it was Dong Xuan.

She'd been standing outside so long her legs ached, yet Dong Xuan still held out.

After a while longer, the room finally fell quiet; Yang Mi heard Dong Xuan scolding Yan Li, while he muttered something about alcohol.

Afraid they might emerge to clean up, Yang Mi dared not linger and hurried back to the guest room.

Lying on the bed, Yang Mi was utterly unable to sleep.

The haunting sounds kept replaying in her mind; she bit her lip, opened her phone, and launched a little game called "Gold Miner" to distract herself…

————

PS: Ten-thousand-character update; debt owed (2000/8000)

(End of Chapter)