Chapter 212

The next day, when Yang Mi got up, she ran into Yan Li returning from his morning exercise.

Seeing Yan Li, Yang Mi instinctively blushed, forcing herself to appear calm as she greeted him.

"Good morning, Teacher Yan."

"Good morning."

Yan Li replied, his eyes flickering slightly as he recalled the daily intelligence report he had read that morning.

One Yang Rong, one Yang Mi—why do so many Yangs love eavesdropping?!

Last time, Yang Rong had accidentally overheard by chance, forced into it; but this one? She was a guest in someone's home, then went and pressed herself against the door to listen.

Combined with another piece of intelligence triggering about why she was so close to Dong Xuan, Yan Li gave Yang Mi a four-character evaluation—

Too Heavy-Hearted!

But this term wasn't an insult to Yan Li—he'd encountered plenty of similar people.

Fan Xiaopang, Li Bingbing, Wang Ou, Huo Siyan… all had eight hundred scheming tricks; some of them calculated even more than Yang Mi, and far more openly when dealing with Yan Li.

So Yan Li didn't reject such personalities—in fact, at times, he even admired them.

But Yang Mi's behavior had gone too far, and since it involved Dong Xuan, it had significantly lowered her impression score with Yan Li; his feelings toward her were neutral.

"I bought breakfast—let's eat together."

Regardless, she was a guest; Yan Li politely invited her. Yang Mi thanked him and sat down. Seeing only Yan Li and herself eating, she asked curiously:

"Where's Teacher Dong? Aren't we going to invite her?"

"She's feeling unwell and wants to rest a bit longer. I left her some—just eat yours."

"Oh."

Yang Mi remembered last night's events, her face flushing again. Afraid Yan Li would notice, she lowered her head to eat, nearly burying her face in her bowl.

Yan Li noticed her small gesture but paid no mind, eating his own breakfast while sending a text message.

Tomorrow night he'd leave Beijing and return to Hengdian; before leaving, he had to finish urgent matters, and if there wasn't time, he had to make arrangements.

Yang Mi had wanted to chat with Yan Li, try to get closer—but seeing his demeanor, she dared not disturb him.

When breakfast was nearly finished, there was a knock at the door, and the driver Wu Maowen entered.

Yan Li said to Yang Mi: "You haven't been home in a long time—your parents might be worried. I'll have someone drive you back."

"No need, it's too much trouble—the snow has stopped, I'll just take a taxi."

Yang Mi declined, but Yan Li waved his hand, refusing to argue further, then pointed to two gift boxes by the entrance.

"Those are from Teacher Dong for you—take them. Don't be modest; your place has plenty of space, and she's been wondering where to send them. Help her out."

Yang Mi opened her mouth to protest again, but Yan Li cut her off decisively: "That's final."

"Then… thank you, Teacher Yan."

"Mm. Go on. I won't see you off—text Teacher Dong when you get home."

Yan Li waved his hand, then opened his laptop to work. Yang Mi picked up the two gift boxes and followed Wu Maowen downstairs. Before leaving, she couldn't help glancing back at Yan Li—he was focused on his screen, not even lifting his head.

She felt a small pang of disappointment.

She wasn't unattractive, had starred in The Legend of the Condor Heroes and Wang Zhaojun—she was at least a rising star in the industry—and yet he wouldn't even give her his contact info.

…

After Yang Mi left, Yan Li worked for a while, then checked the time, rose, and went to the bedroom.

Dong Xuan was already awake, playing on her phone in bed. Seeing Yan Li enter, she instinctively hid her phone.

"What's this? Afraid of me?"

"Afraid of you? I'm just chatting with Guan Yue."

Dong Xuan showed him the screen—it was her text chat with Guan Yue—but she only revealed the name and timestamp, blocking the message content with her fingers.

Yan Li pretended not to care, then seized the right moment to snatch the phone, ignoring Dong Xuan's protests, quickly scanning it—his expression darkened slightly.

"Why do you tell her everything?"

Dong Xuan snatched the phone back, embarrassed, making excuses: "Can't girlfriends share secrets? Besides, I didn't say anything too detailed."

"You really have no secrets from each other."

Yan Li chuckled twice, then remembered something and grinned: "So you must not care that your student eavesdropped on us last night."

"What?!"

Dong Xuan shrieked, her face and half her body turning crimson as she buried herself face-down on the bed in shame and fury.

"I'm never showing my face again."

Guan Yue was her best friend—they'd known each other for years, shared deep affection, knew each other's deepest secrets, had slept in the same bed countless times, and discussing taboo topics was nothing unusual.

But Yang Mi? Their relationship hadn't reached that level—let alone that she was her student. The more she thought about it, the more humiliated she felt.

"Wait—how do you know? Could there be some misunderstanding?"

Dong Xuan clung to hope—Yang Mi certainly wouldn't tell, and Yan Li might have gotten it wrong.

But Yan Li coldly stated he had "seen it with his own eyes," and had proof.

If you do something, there's always a trace. Reverse-engineer from the answer, and you'll always find something—even if everything seems normal, you can still force connections.

Dong Xuan's last hope died. Then came a storm of turmoil.

"How could she have heard?"

She didn't want to think badly of her student, so she quickly invented excuses for Yang Mi.

Last night, that bastard had been drunk, and they'd been at it longer—she'd been half-asleep, maybe moved too loudly, and Yang Mi had heard while going to the bathroom or just listening from the guest room.

Girls her age naturally get curious about such things; she couldn't help listening a little—it wasn't hard to understand.

"You're awfully understanding."

Yan Li shook his head—he'd brought this up not to embarrass Dong Xuan.

"Your student isn't as simple as you think—I suspect she's known about our relationship all along. Stay alert; don't let some little girl fool you."

Whether Huo Siyan befriended Qin Lan or Yang Mi flattered Dong Xuan, their intentions weren't pure.

Yan Li could understand: once you reach a certain status, it's hard to find any pure friendship—there's always some ulterior motive.

Yet Qin Lan held back somewhat toward Huo Siyan, while Dong Xuan, because of Yang Mi's age and status, felt no suspicion at all.

So Yan Li specifically pointed it out, to prevent Dong Xuan from being betrayed by her someday.

"Yang Mi knows about our relationship?"

Dong Xuan found it hard to believe; she had a very good impression of this sweet, well-behaved student—but if the girl had been deliberately flattering her, that impression would be severely diminished.

Yan Li offered no further explanation: "I won't be wrong. Her attitude toward us? Clearly, she's been prepared."

Dong Xuan believed him!

She had seen his insight and judgment before—it wasn't just sharp, it was vicious.

Back in college, the signs were only beginning; after graduation, after being tempered in New Shanghai, his progress was lightning-fast—he was always right.

So unless it involved fox spirits or similar topics, Dong Xuan trusted Yan Li's words without question.

Moreover, Dong Xuan herself was recalling and analyzing, connecting the dots, slowly uncovering countless true and false inconsistencies in Yang Mi's behavior—further confirming Yan Li's words.

"I really fell for it."

Dong Xuan laughed bitterly—she was far older than Yang Mi, her teacher, yet she'd been tricked by a first-year college girl.

If Yan Li hadn't warned her, after she revealed her relationship with him, she'd have trusted Yang Mi even more—and once Yang Mi knew the "truth," she'd no longer need to hide her intentions, and could smoothly cover up her earlier calculated advances.

Seeing Dong Xuan understood, Yan Li said no more.

As for how she and Yang Mi would fare in the future, it wasn't his concern—he didn't care much.

"There's breakfast at home. Eat when you wake up. I have to go to the company. I'll try to get back early tonight."

Hearing Yan Li's words, Dong Xuan pushed Yang Mi out of her mind and clung to him, reluctant to let go.

Tomorrow Yan Li returns to Hengdian to shoot, his flight is at night—he'll probably need to head to the airport in the afternoon.

This separation meant they wouldn't see each other for a while again, and worse—Hengdian had other fox spirits, which made it even more infuriating.

Seeing this, Yan Li kissed her twice: "If you really miss me, once school settles down, take leave and come to Hengdian to visit me on set."

Fan Xiaopang's "The White-Haired Witch" started filming early and was shot intensively, so her scenes wrapped up quickly; she's now heading to Yixian County in Hebei Province to film "Mo Gong."

Qin Lan's role in "The Qing Dynasty Harem" is also winding down.

But she still has another film, "The Bodyguard," so she'll stay in Hengdian longer—but her schedule won't be nearly as free as Yi'an's production team.

When Dong Xuan visits Hengdian, she only needs to face Li Bingbing—a familiar face with no intention of rivalry—easily.

"Mm, I'll check the school's schedule later."

Dong Xuan felt a flicker of excitement—she'd wanted to visit since before the New Year, but Yan Li returned to Jingcheng for his birthday, then finals and the holiday got in the way, and she never made it.

She remembered Jiang Xin would soon be filming "The Legend of Xue Rengui"—she could use that as an excuse to visit.

This visit was partly to see Yan Li, but mostly, she wanted to meet Qin Lan.

She'd heard that name back when filming "The Investiture of the Gods."

But back then, her knowledge was limited, and with Fan Xiaopang constantly showing off, she hadn't paid much attention.

Now, with Yi'an's three dramas filming back-to-back in Hengdian, with so many people involved, Dong Xuan, though far away in Jingcheng, wasn't willing to be blind—she arranged to bribe some insiders.

Though not an employee of Yi'an, Dong Xuan had acted in their dramas and knew some people on set.

Not to mention Lin Jiachuan, Zhang Songwen, and several of Yan Li's hometown brothers—all owed her favors as their sister-in-law.

Even if they dared not reveal much out of loyalty to Yan Li, when Dong Xuan pressed hard, they sometimes slipped up—just one careless remark was enough for her to piece together something.

Originally, Dong Xuan was focused on the two Bings, then later on Wang Ou, who became the female lead, and her old rival Huo Siyan.

But over time, Qin Lan gradually emerged.

She outshone Wang Ou in "The Qing Dynasty Harem," won over Huo Siyan, and even stood up to the two Bings on New Year's Eve—Dong Xuan wasn't stupid; she could sense what was going on.

She'd asked Yan Li about it, but he always brushed her off or changed the subject with polite evasion.

The more he avoided it, the more determined Dong Xuan became.

When the two Bings came on strong, Yan Li had clearly told her privately—he now seemed a bit vague about Fan Xiaopang, but nothing compared to how evasive he was about Qin Lan.

So Dong Xuan urgently wanted to uncover Qin Lan's background—to find out exactly what was going on between her and Yan Li.

…

In his final two days in Jingcheng, Yan Li made many arrangements.

Yi'an's current focus is "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," scheduled to air in February–March.

Originally, this drama was set to air during winter break, but due to its genre and content, they chose to delay it cautiously.

In hindsight, that decision was right: the start of the year plus winter break saw the explosive success of the Wu Xia sitcom "The Outlaws of the Marsh."

Considering this drama's quality, success, and audience base, it would inevitably have a significant impact on "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

Now, not only did they avoid direct competition, they could even ride a bit of its momentum—perfectly balanced.

Meanwhile, Yi'an's focus was on renaming and processing paperwork, and beginning renovations of acquired cinemas.

As for new cinemas, they were still selecting locations and doing design and budgeting.

Standard cinemas in second-tier cities were easier—fewer options, lower investment, simpler to arrange.

Best to partner directly with China Resources; if not, collaborate with other commercial complexes, or buy property outright.

High-end cinemas in first-tier cities were more complex—larger scale, more capital needed, so they must partner with China Resources to reduce financial and other obstacles, making choices more cautious.

Yi'an's flagship cinema in Jingcheng was set for Xidan.

China Resources had invested heavily there; now they were deciding whether to open directly on China Resources' property, or wait for the under-construction Dayuecheng.

Yi'an's cinema in Shanghai was planned for China Resources Times Square.

But that location already had a cinema—uncertain whether it could support another high-end one.

Shenzhen is the simplest—it's Huarun's stronghold.

There are many properties and abundant resources available, and competition is relatively less intense; just pick a suitable one and start.

As for Guangzhou in the Beijing-Shanghai-Guangzhou-Shenzhen quartet, since Huarun has made few arrangements there, Yan Li has temporarily set it aside and plans to choose one or two cities from Tianjin, Hangzhou, and Chengdu.

If site selection proves difficult, delay it to the third batch or third-phase construction; once the first batch's sites are secured and funds and connections are in place, construction begins.

Huarun and several investors have already transferred their first installment; after deducting the 42 million yuan for acquiring cinema chain licenses, roughly 60 million yuan remains.

Yan Li also consulted his stock investment team and, minimizing disruption to his stock market strategy, will soon transfer 50 million yuan into Yi'an's account as the first investment.

With over 100 million yuan in funds, Yi'an can easily handle the construction of the first batch of cinemas.

To prevent a financial crisis from causing subsequent funding shortfalls among investors and patrons, which would hinder cinema chain development.

Yan Li plans that by the end of 2006, all investment funds—including his own—must be fully secured to avoid unforeseen complications.

In fact, regarding the 150 million yuan investment for Yi'an Cinema Chain alone, the pressure on Yan Li isn't particularly heavy.

Leaving aside his other businesses, just from the stock market, his principal has long exceeded 100 million yuan.

Yan Li could easily scrape together and withdraw the full 150 million yuan right now.

But pouring all the money in at once would mean disrupting cash flow in his other businesses and leaving him with little principal in the stock market.

So Yan Li set the deadline for year-end, giving him ample time to continue riding this bull market, ensuring that even after withdrawing 150 million yuan, he still has sufficient principal in the stock market to provide ammunition.

Before leaving Beijing, Yan Li made a special visit to his securities team.

To some extent, these people are his 【Gold Carriers】, and also Yan Li's largest source of financial power—he naturally needs to encourage them often.

The team was also highly energized by Yan Li's arrival; last year, under his leadership, they achieved considerable gains.

Before the New Year, Yan Li gave everyone an extremely generous bonus, allowing each to enjoy a prosperous Spring Festival; now that the holiday is over, they're all eager to tackle another big round.

Cai Shen submitted several proposals to Yan Li; if executed smoothly, these might unlock several times the returns.

Yan Li skimmed the proposals and asked only one question that shut Cai Shen down.

"What if it doesn't go smoothly?"

The market is currently a bull market, thriving; following the system's prompts and proceeding methodically, he may earn slower and less than many so-called institutional teams, but it's stable.

Yan Li wants stability.

He's already got a cheat code—he can proceed steadily, gain substantial returns without much effort, so why risk greed and possibly end up with nothing?

Even the system has subtly warned him.

This year's annual intelligence triggered one report, listing numerous examples of people who made huge profits in the stock and futures markets through greed, then lost everything.

Decades of struggle, billions in wealth, countless fame and glory—all turned to dust in an instant.

Yan Li looked at that intelligence, and the two words that stuck with him most were 【rooftop】 and 【leap down】.

Even if Yan Li hadn't always prioritized caution and avoided greed and impatience, even if he truly got carried away, seeing this report would still send a chill down his spine.

So no matter how good Cai Shen's plan is, or how low the risk seems.

He ignores it entirely—he sticks to the slow, steady, clumsy approach.

You laugh at me for being timid and earning less; I laugh at you for having one foot already on the rooftop—you'll soon be queuing up to jump…

————

In early February, after a flurry of activity, Yan Li finally returned to Hengdian.

Because the Binglan bloomed on New Year's Eve, Fan Xiaopang and Qin Lan still felt slightly awkward and uneasy; Yan Li temporarily avoided them and went straight back to the hotel where "The Legend of Xue Rengui" was filmed.

But he hadn't even sat down when Li Bingbing knocked loudly on his door.

He opened the door and let her in, then said dryly: "Sis, are you really that thirsty? I've only been gone a short while."

"Shut up."

Li Bingbing snapped, then got straight to the point: "My sister found out about us."

"Mm."

Yan Li wasn't surprised—he'd already learned from the system, and even knew Li Xue hadn't fully confirmed it at first; she'd mostly been testing Li Bingbing.

But Li Bingbing, feeling guilty, gave herself away, letting Li Xue confirm the truth.

The two sisters had a huge fight; Li Xue refused to accompany her sister even for Lantern Festival and returned straight home; now she doesn't answer Li Bingbing's calls—any official business goes through Li Bingbing's assistant.

"So what do you want from me?"

Yan Li spread his hands: "Go convince my sister? I dare—I dare you?"

"I don't dare."

Li Bingbing shook her head; her sister is still furious—if Yan Li showed up now, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Then what do you want to do?"

"I don't know—that's why I came to you for ideas; you've got more plans than I do."

Li Bingbing was thoroughly frustrated; just thinking about her sister's rage during their fight gave her a headache.

The two sisters hadn't fought this badly in years.

But she could understand it: Li Xue loved Yan Li, and she had blocked her at every turn—only to turn around and get involved with Yan Li herself.

If they'd slept together just once, it might've been explainable: the sister sacrificed herself to protect her sibling, cutting off Li Xue's path.

Li Bingbing had genuinely thought that at first.

Then, even if Li Xue was angry, she'd know her sister meant well—and there'd still be room for reconciliation.

But Li Bingbing got hooked, couldn't bear to cut ties with Yan Li, and the "sacrifice" went on and on.

The nature of it changed completely.

Was it the sister protecting her sibling—or the sister stealing her sibling's lover?

Thus, Li Xue, feeling deceived and betrayed, flew into a rage and cut ties with her sister.

Now Li Bingbing was truly panicked; already burdened with guilt, she was more distressed than ever, desperate to ask Yan Li for a solution that would spare them both.

There's no perfect solution, but out of our friendship, I'm willing to step forward and help your sister vent her anger, building a bridge of communication between you two sisters.

Maybe once your sister vents, she won't be so angry anymore, and you two sisters can recover…

Before he finished speaking, Li Bingbing's high heel had already flown at him.

Not in a million years.

Seeing Li Bingbing getting visibly upset, Yan Li stopped joking.

Don't rush—I'm thinking.

He understood Li Bingbing's heart: Li Xue held immense weight in her soul. Though they called each other sisters, Li Bingbing, who had left home young to support the family and fund her sister's education, was practically Li Xue's second mother.

Li Bingbing sincerely hoped her sister could marry normally, have children, and live a peaceful, happy life.

So she could play around with Yan Li, but she would never let him touch her sister—let alone consider sharing a husband.

Even this rift between the sisters, though frustrating, had also brought Li Bingbing a sigh of relief.

That meant Li Xue could never, now or in the future, have any intimate relationship with Yan Li, who had once been her "brother-in-law"—she must sever all feelings for this playboy once and for all.

After a while, before Yan Li spoke, Li Bingbing couldn't help pressing him.

Have you thought of anything?

Sister, I'm not Zhuge Liang—I can't solve this so easily.

Yan Li sighed; this matter was indeed complicated.

Roughly speaking, it was as if Li Bingbing, the biological sister, had placed a glaring green hat on Li Xue's head—resolving it was hard enough, let alone finding a perfect solution.

Now that it's happened, saying anything won't change it. You firmly refuse to let your sister have anything to do with me, and if she can't recover her dignity, then she must just accept this incident.

Yan Li uttered a truism; Li Bingbing wanted Li Xue to accept it too, but the key was, Li Xue refused to.

You could try to find a way—play the emotional card.

Yan Li offered advice: "When your family was in dire straits, it was you, the older sister, who carried the burden, supported the household, funded her education, and pulled her into this industry—you've cared for her all these years."

The debt of raising and guiding her, the unbreakable blood ties—how could you not forgive her for a single mistake, when you've been so good to her?

Li Bingbing: "…"

She couldn't help glancing at Yan Li, pursed her lips, and signaled for him to continue.

"First, play the emotional card. Then blur and downplay the mistake—don't say we had an affair. Blame it on the alcohol: say we got drunk, stumbled into it by accident."

"This was a misunderstanding, not you, the older sister, deliberately stealing her man. It's not your fault, not mine—it's fate's fault."

"Then comes the emotional and tragic card: rationalize—and even elevate—our subsequent relationship."

"Shift blame onto me: say after the drunken encounter, I came to you, expressed admiration and appreciation, and pursued you relentlessly with soft persistence."

"You, the older sister, have spent years crawling through this industry, enduring hardship and suffering. You appear strong and blunt, but you're still a woman—when your heart is fragile, you crave support. And then I appeared."

"There were things you couldn't tell your sister, but you could tell me—I understood you, supported you, encouraged you. You were deeply moved, grew dependent on me, and drew closer and closer."

"Of course, you knew your sister's feelings, so you wavered, felt lost, regretted it—but I wouldn't let go, so you reluctantly continued, and eventually, it blew up."

"That's roughly the gist—you can embellish it as you like. You're an Academy Award winner; you don't need me to teach you how to portray a character or act it out."

"Remember: emphasize your vulnerability, highlight my devotion, turn this into a Titanic story instead of Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian—add familial bonds to make your sister feel ashamed and understand."

"… "

Yan Li spoke with perfect logic, but when he saw Li Bingbing staring at him silently, he raised an eyebrow.

What's that look for? Did I hit a nerve? Do you actually see me as your anchor?

Don't be ridiculous.

Li Bingbing snapped back, rolled her eyes, then added with deep conviction:

Making my sister give up on you will be one of the smartest things I've ever done in my life.

With this whole scheme—blunt, deceptive, and intimidating—not only would her sister fall for it, even she herself might get caught in it by accident.

Are you mocking me?

Yan Li nodded: "I'm helping you and I'm the one who messed up? I had one more killer move, but I won't tell you now."

No no no!

Li Bingbing knew her sister Li Xue well—Yan Li's whole routine would work. Even if it couldn't fully restore their bond, it would drastically reduce Li Xue's hostility toward her.

Since Yan Li was still hiding a killer move, Li Bingbing wouldn't dare refuse—she pleaded softly.

Yan Li ignored her, rotated his shoulders while gripping them: "I'm tired from the flight."

I'll give you a massage.

Li Bingbing knew this bastard was playing hard to get, but she had no choice—she let Yan Li sit on the bed, kicked off her shoes, knelt beside him, and began rubbing his shoulders.

After a while, she asked again about the killer move. Yan Li said nothing, just extended his legs.

My legs ache.

Li Bingbing squeezed his thighs hard twice: Are you serious?

Yan Li grinned: "Then I won't tell you."

"… "

Li Bingbing muttered a few curses, then resumed massaging his legs. After a while, Yan Li shoved his big foot into her lap.

My feet ache too.

Ache your damn self.

Li Bingbing snapped, and Yan Li hurriedly added: "I'll tell you after you finish—honestly, I've walked too much these past two days, my feet are uncomfortable."

If they hurt, go to a foot therapist—they're professionals. I don't know how.

I like amateurs. Just once. If you won't, I'll massage you afterward.

Yan Li urged repeatedly, offering equal service to soften her resistance. Li Bingbing stared at his wiggling big toes, then slapped them.

At least wash them first.

"Relax, everything's clean. Stop dawdling—do you want to hear my killing move or not?"

Li Bingbing reluctantly took off Yan Li's socks, sniffed lightly, confirmed there was no odor, then picked up his large feet and began massaging them.

Compared to earlier shoulder and leg massages, Li Bingbing's foot massage was half-hearted—her pressure erratic, her attitude poor, her technique terrible.

But Yan Li certainly didn't care about Li Bingbing's technique.

No matter how skilled the professionals were, they couldn't match the emotional satisfaction Li Bingbing, as the reigning diva, brought him.

Watching Yan Li's expression of pure bliss, Li Bingbing glared at him and cursed.

"I used to think you were decent—even if you were a bit lecherous and sometimes acted like an animal, you generally respected women. Now you don't learn anything good, only how to mistreat people."

Seeing Li Bingbing seemed genuinely angry, Yan Li gave a sheepish smile.

"I'm not trying to mistreat you—it's just some playful fun."

Saying that, he pulled his feet back, then yanked her over and seized her feet.

"I'll massage yours first, then you massage mine—doesn't that count as not mistreating you?"

Li Bingbing stared at the foot in Yan Li's hands, eyes narrowing, then suddenly blurted: "Did you go through all this just so you could massage my feet?"

"???"

Yan Li was speechless: "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Li Bingbing suddenly realized: "No wonder you got excited when you saw me in silk stockings—I thought you liked the stockings, but now I see there's another reason."

"Who said that?"

Yan Li was truly flustered now: "I like silk stockings too!"

Li Bingbing: "..."

After Yan Li played with her feet for a while, Li Bingbing voluntarily took his large feet again and began squeezing and massaging them, then said:

"Can you tell me what your killing move is now?"

"Hmm."

Yan Li no longer teased: "The killing move is powerful, but it has side effects—and how far you can take it depends entirely on you."

Li Bingbing didn't waste words: "Speak."

Yan Li nodded: "Build on what we discussed before—emphasize our relationship. Make it seem like you can't live without me, that I'm the man you love most in this life, and so on."

"Then tell your sister you're breaking up with me because you feel guilty toward her—that the conflict between you two started because of me, and will end because of me... hey, lighter! That's too hard!"

Li Bingbing's excessive pressure made Yan Li gasp, then he continued:

"Your sister's anger toward you comes half from this so-called betrayal—even if you play the emotional card perfectly, as long as you're still with me, she'll always have this grudge."

"But if you choose to break up, your sister will feel guilt and gratitude for losing her beloved sister—those emotions might outweigh her anger and resentment."

"The rest you don't need me to spell out—soothe her, comfort her, and the matter will pass. Maybe your relationship will even improve."

"..."

After explaining the killing move, Yan Li looked at Li Bingbing: "What do you think?"

"It should work."

Li Bingbing paused, hesitated, then finally asked: "But... what if we don't break up?"

She asked Yan Li to find a solution that satisfied both sides—meaning reconciling with her sister while keeping her relationship with Yan Li.

Admittedly, though Yan Li was sometimes cruel, his overall male charm and strength were the best she'd ever encountered.

If possible, she wanted to enjoy him for a few more years—until he settled down or she got bored—then break up.

"That depends on how you negotiate with your sister. If you're capable, you might not need to break up—but I think breaking up works better."

Yan Li stated his analysis objectively. Li Bingbing clenched her fist, knuckles forward, and dug hard into the sole of Yan Li's foot.

"What do you mean? Are you tired of me?"

"Holy shit."

Yan Li yelled, inhaling sharply: "You're cutting off the bridge after crossing it—you asked me for advice!"

"Besides, breaking up can be real or fake."

Yan Li offered another suggestion: real breakup means cutting ties completely, becoming mere friends; fake breakup means hiding it from your sister and meeting secretly.

"But I'm warning you now—if your sister finds out about the fake breakup, you deal with the consequences yourself. Don't blame me for giving you bad advice."

"Got it."

Li Bingbing muttered, then hesitated again.

A real breakup carries no risk and solves everything permanently—but there'd be no more benefits. A fake breakup carries risk, but if she was careful, her sister might never find out.

After weighing it for a long time, Li Bingbing still couldn't decide, so she gave up thinking.

Anyway, Li Xue was still furious and couldn't be reached right now—better to finish shooting "The Legend of Xue Rengui" first.

After finishing this drama, she'd find her sister and have a heart-to-heart talk.

Then she'd act based on Li Xue's reaction—maybe she wouldn't even need this killing move.

Even so, now that she'd heard the plan, Li Bingbing felt time slipping away.

If forced to break up, a real breakup meant nothing more—but even a fake one meant fewer meetings later. While "The Legend of Xue Rengui" offered perfect timing, opportunity, and harmony, she'd better get her money's worth.

In "The Legend of Xue Rengui," Li Bingbing portrayed Princess Zhao Yang, who gave her mount to Yan Li's character, Xue Rengui.

But you can't go into battle without a mount, so Princess Zhao Yang found a giant donkey from Shandong Province—immensely strong, capable of traveling a thousand li in a day...

From that day on, Li Bingbing showed Yan Li tremendous enthusiasm.

Especially after Fan Xiaopang left Hengdian and Qin Lan joined the cast of "The Bodyguard," leaving no interference, Li Bingbing practically wanted to move into Yan Li's room.

On set, she grew even bolder, acting intimately with Yan Li—behavior that inevitably drew attention.

One morning, as Yan Li was urinating and checking his system as usual, he discovered he'd been photographed by paparazzi.

【Daily Info x: Paparazzi xx secretly installed pinhole cameras in the elevator and hallway, capturing Yan Li and Li Bingbing kissing, hugging, and other intimate interactions upon returning to the hotel, planning to report to relevant media…】

Yan Li frowned, pulled back the covers, and slapped Li Bingbing's buttocks.

"Stop sleeping, or you'll be on the front page."

Li Bingbing woke up groggily; Yan Li sighed, "I told you to be careful, but you never listen. Just got word—someone installed cameras in the hallway and elevator, and they caught us."

"…"

Li Bingbing jolted fully awake: "When did they film? Are there cameras in the stairs? What about that time before the New Year…"

"Cough."

Yan Li cleared his throat and repeated, "Only the hallway and elevator."

Li Bingbing exhaled deeply—had they filmed the stairs, she'd be done for…

————

ps: 3000/8000

(End of Chapter)