Chapter 213

"So what do we do now?"

Li Bingbing was anxious; though the crucial moment hadn't been caught, there had been plenty of small moves in the hallway and elevator.

She recalled: hand-holding, hugging, kissing—all of it, and mostly she had been the one to initiate; if this got out, she'd be labeled a lovesick fool.

"It's simple: either pay to make it go away, or ride the wave and promote it."

Yan Li was fine—he already had his reputation; even if bed photos leaked, he wouldn't care.

At most, Qin Lan and Dong Xuan might face some trouble, but all of them understood the situation and it was still within manageable limits.

But Li Bingbing was different!

Though the topic of "Two Bings Competing for Yan" wasn't new, she was a female star; competition was one thing, but being photographed was another.

And officially, Fan was Yan Li's girlfriend.

Li Bingbing's previous image was that of being stolen from by Fan, earning her plenty of sympathy; now, by stealing back, she might gain some praise and encouragement, but also no shortage of controversy.

So if photos truly surfaced, "Two Bings Competing for Yan" would escalate further, but might also cause some loss of public control.

Two women fighting over one man was never a dignified affair.

Edge-case promotion was one thing, but if it exploded into the open, it was hard to say what unnecessary risks it might bring to both their careers.

Li Bingbing decisively said: "Pay to make it go away."

Her career was going well right now; she could promote herself with Yan Li anytime she wanted—no need to take such a huge risk.

"Mm."

Yan Li called Wu Maowen over and directly dialed the paparazzo's number from the intelligence.

He couldn't show his face himself; if he got recorded, it'd be worse.

The call didn't go through—maybe the guy hadn't woken up or something—and Li Bingbing grew restless, not even combing her hair, pacing the room.

"How much to make it disappear?"

"What if he doesn't want money—what if he's dead set on exposing us?"

"How did the camera even get there? Is someone deliberately setting me up?"

"..."

Yan Li lit a cigarette and calmed her: "Don't worry—I'll handle it."

Li Bingbing looked at the calm Yan Li, her emotions steadied slightly; she took the cigarette from his lips, smoked two puffs herself, and calmed down.

At that moment, the phone used to contact the paparazzo rang; Yan Li glanced at Wu Maowen, who answered.

After a brief exchange, he reported to Yan Li: "He hasn't posted yet, but he's greedy—asking for eight million."

"Let him post."

Yan Li said nothing; Li Bingbing snapped first, her face hard with fury.

"Everyone knows about us—what's the big deal if we kissed a few times? I don't believe it could really destroy me."

It wasn't her fault for panicking; stars at this stage earn little—even a top actress like Li Bingbing might not earn eight figures annually.

So unless the paparazzo captured material that could end an artist's career, artists and agencies wouldn't spare any cost on damage control.

For non-lethal leaks, artists preferred to let it break, then go silent for a while.

Eight million? That's over half a year's income for Li Bingbing—and who knows if he'll keep backups, or worse, turn her into a cash machine if it leaks?

Sometimes artists aren't afraid of spending money—they're afraid of spending it and still not solving the problem, being held hostage indefinitely.

Compared to powerful, wealthy elites, stars might have money, but they lack social resources—especially with sensitive issues, many connections and maneuvers are off-limits, leaving them even more vulnerable.

That's why, in the industry, some so-called "big brothers and big sisters" with little fame or apparent wealth are always well-connected.

The reason? They have the right contacts—they can help stars resolve troubles that official channels can't handle.

"Don't rush."

Yan Li soothed Li Bingbing, then said to Wu Maowen: "Give me your phone."

Yan Li took the phone and personally sent two addresses to the paparazzo via text.

The intelligence didn't just include the paparazzo's phone number—it had his current residence and his hometown address.

As soon as the texts were sent, the phone rang immediately.

The paparazzo panicked, promised to return all photos and videos immediately, swore no backups remained, and begged for mercy.

Yan Li, through Wu Maowen, gave him an email address, didn't ask whether he'd kept backups, only said he'd arrange for ten thousand yuan to be delivered to his parents back home—case closed.

"That's it? Already solved?"

Li Bingbing stared, bewildered—Yan Li had sent a few texts and made a few calls and retrieved the photos and videos.

If it weren't unnecessary, she'd even suspect Yan Li was putting on a show for her.

She'd dealt with paparazzi before—they were half-criminal, all greedy, and some were ruthless, willing to die for money.

She'd heard of one paparazzo beaten several times at home, still refusing to back down, until they finally paid him off.

Eight million? These days, that's enough for many to risk their lives!

Yan Li told Wu Maowen to leave, then opened his laptop to check the email: "What's so surprising? Some chase money at the cost of their lives, others are cowards."

Wanting money and risking your life only works if you can live to spend it.

Yan Li didn't look down on paparazzi—he knew it was a shadowy trade; how many truly skilled or ruthless people could there be?

Even if someone didn't care about their own life, they still had weaknesses—like this paparazzo, whose intelligence profile showed he was filial; that was the key.

If he still refused to back down, ignore the threats, then stall him—and use the system's dual approach: white and black.

The white method needs no explanation: paparazzi work in gray areas; it's perfectly plausible for a concerned citizen to report evidence or file a complaint.

The black method—violent threats were too crude. As long as you knew where the materials were, just get the computer or camera. Even if he hid them online, Yan Li could crack the passwords.

Unless the paparazzo posted the photos immediately, giving Yan Li zero reaction time, as long as Yan Li had a little time, he had a way to resolve it.

The email opened—the paparazzo was truly terrified; he'd sent over all stolen footage, fully packaged.

The photos and videos related to Yan Li and Li Bingbing haven't been fully organized yet—only some screenshots and two or three video clips exist, but the amount of information isn't small.

In the hallway, the two walked hand in hand or embraced each other; in the elevator, they clung closely, Li Bingbing looping her arms around Yan Li's neck and kissing him passionately…

Although the photos and videos weren't very clear, their front faces could still be vaguely made out.

"Quite atmospheric."

Yan Li commented with interest, and Li Bingbing covered her face in embarrassment.

She hadn't felt it while privately being affectionate, but now seeing the videos and photos, she truly looked like a lovesick, giddy little girl, desperate to cling to Yan Li.

"Delete them."

Li Bingbing wanted to delete them, but Yan Li thought they should be kept: "They're worth at least eight million. Deleting them would be a waste—keep them as a memento."

"How boring."

Li Bingbing rolled her eyes but didn't force Yan Li to delete them, though she added:

"You can keep them, but they must be handed over to me to store."

"Fine."

Yan Li agreed readily—had these been incriminating, scandalous photos, he might have guarded them, but at this level, the videos and photos posed no threat to him at all; letting Li Bingbing keep them was no issue.

"By the way."

Yan Li remembered something: "You can use this to break the ice with your sister. It concerns both your careers—no matter how angry she is, she can't just ignore it."

"There's bond in meeting face to face, let alone between sisters. Once you two set aside personal feelings and weather the crisis together, your relationship will mend significantly—this issue won't need direct resolution, yet its difficulty will drop dramatically."

Li Bingbing's eyes lit up—this was indeed a viable plan; she immediately began scheming how to trick her sister.

Seeing this, Yan Li added: "What's hard to explain? Just blame it all on me."

"If all else fails, just say it outright: I like you, not her. She's deluding herself—you, as her sister, pamper her. Why should I swallow my grievances?"

Li Bingbing winced: "Isn't that too cruel to her?"

Yan Li glanced at her: "If you don't hurt her, you won't crush her feelings—she'll just keep pining for me. Do you really plan to let your sister chase Yan Li?"

"What nonsense—don't twist words like that."

Li Bingbing despised the term Yan Li used, yet couldn't help glancing at him again.

"Have you really given up on my sister?"

Don't think she couldn't see it—last time he piled her and Fan Xiaopang together, she didn't believe he was just casually flirting with both sisters.

"What else am I supposed to do? Let you two sisters completely fall apart?"

Yan Li did have some roguish intentions, but they were unrealistic—Li Bingbing strongly resisted, and Li Xue had now given up on this "cheap brother-in-law."

No matter how bitter he felt, the situation had already happened; the Li family wasn't so degraded as to let sisters share one man.

More importantly, sisters can't be written into the same story—safety comes first…

"That's more like it."

Li Bingbing's face brightened; she couldn't resist kissing him. The key wasn't Li Xue—it was Yan Li.

Even if Li Xue gave up because of her sister, if Yan Li made moves—pursuing her with all his tactics—Li Xue's heart might very well stir again.

But if Yan Li kept his distance, Li Xue wouldn't dare to seduce her "sister's husband." After a few years, when she grew older, her feelings would fade naturally—and the problem would solve itself.

"Sisters, I've sacrificed a lot."

Yan Li glared at Li Bingbing: "You owe me a huge favor—you must compensate me."

"..."

Li Bingbing laughed at his shamelessness, but as long as he didn't touch her sister, she'd endure it.

Yan Li began listing his demands, finger by finger; Li Bingbing frowned constantly but accepted each one—until the final demand, when she finally spat at him.

"Pfft."

"Do you have any shame?"

Yan Li was unapologetic: "Since 'Ice and Snow Beauty' is gone, you owe me 'Two Soldiers Sharing a Wall'—it's only fair, perfectly reasonable."

"Fair your ass."

Li Bingbing cursed loudly, and Yan Li nodded: "Fine, then I'll go to your sister and say you seduced me—I love her."

"..."

If Li Xue heard that, the two sisters might truly tear each other apart!

Without hesitation, Li Bingbing launched a furious scratching attack on Yan Li; he wasn't afraid—so long as she didn't scratch his face, his thick skin could handle it like a tickle.

Besides, he realized: though she hadn't agreed, and even reacted violently, she hadn't said no either.

This tactic still worked!

It could be called a threat—or a ladder, an excuse: Li Bingbing could convince herself she was "forced," that for her sister's sake, this indulgence was perfectly justified.

Hmm—if Fan Xiaopang was handled, and timing and atmosphere aligned, "Two Soldiers Sharing a Wall" might not be impossible.

The more Yan Li thought about it, the hotter he grew; he swept Li Bingbing up in his arms. The full meal was still out of reach, but he'd savor the appetizer for now—collect some interest…

————

Li Bingbing contacted her sister about the leaked photos; sure enough, Li Xue didn't want to continue the cold war—she scrambled to find solutions, and the sisters' relationship temporarily warmed.

Dong Xuan's visit plan was canceled—it seemed the school was organizing some event, and leave was hard to get.

Even if she later found time to visit, Qin Lan would likely no longer be in Hengdian—only a real visit would work.

The filming of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" had completed the Bohai-Liao storyline and now entered the middle-to-late phase—King Li Daozong's rebellion.

Xue Rengui achieved great merit in Bohai-Liao and was appointed by Li Shimin as Supreme Commander of All Troops and King Who Pacifies Liao, returning home in glory, holding the highest rank in the empire.

However, Xue Rengui offended King Li Daozong and his daughter, Lady Zhang, by killing Zhang Shigui, the latter's son-in-law.

Li Daozong had long-standing grudges against the old ministers of Wagang Fort, so he allied with his father-in-law Zhang Shigui and the old ministers to oppose Xue Rengui.

Originally just court politics, but after Li Shimin's death, the young Li Zhi ascended the throne.

Li Daozong was misled by Zhang Meiren, who sought revenge for her father, and gradually developed ambitions to rebel and usurp the throne.

The young Emperor Li Zhi, being young, favored Uncle Li Daozong—whose sweet words and flattery brought him treasures and beauties—over the elderly ministers who constantly urged him to be a good emperor.

After gaining Li Zhi's trust, Li Daozong began executing his plan.

To succeed in rebellion, those elderly ministers were no threat, but Xue Rengui, still vigorous and respected, had to be eliminated.

With old grudges and a roadblock in the way, Li Daozong and Zhang Meiren began plotting against Xue Rengui.

Xue Rengui fell for the trap, was imprisoned and severely wounded, then assassinated on his way home.

After Xue Rengui's death, the elderly ministers were systematically removed by Li Daozong—each dismissed from office, especially Yuchi Gong, who was whipped until his bones broke and he died.

With no threats left, Li Daozong raised his army in rebellion; in Li Zhi's desperate hour, Xue Rengui made a dazzling appearance.

In truth, Xue Rengui had faked his death—he and Xu Maogong had sensed Li Daozong's rebellious intent.

But Li Daozong was a prince, his ambitions still hidden, and Li Zhi trusted him deeply; it was hard to prove his guilt.

So Xue Rengui followed Xu Maogong's strategy: he deliberately fell into the trap, faked his death halfway, aiming to lure the serpent from its hole.

As long as Xue lived, Li Daozong dared not rebel; the emperor could not see his true face, and the empire would eventually be lost.

But if Xue died, Li Daozong would have no restraint, reveal his true nature, and the emperor would finally know who was loyal and who was treacherous—Xue Rengui could then use this opportunity to eliminate the villain all at once.

The entire plan went smoothly, except that Yuchi Gong, unaware of the truth and trying to save Xue Rengui, stormed the palace to curse the emperor, resulting in his whip-broken, corpse-dead fate.

Li and Zhang rebelled; Xue Rengui restored order; Li Zhi repented, appointed Xue Rengui as One-Character Co-Royal Prince, called him "Brother Wang," and placed great trust in him—then the plot moved to the campaign against the Huige.

As for Yuchi Gong's role, it mainly served to heighten tragedy and create the necessary suppression before the rise.

The flesh-cutting trick must be painful, the villain must be evil, the tyrant must be foolish—to highlight the protagonist's importance.

The protagonist's group couldn't die, so only the elderly ministers could be sacrificed.

Yan Li originally wanted the villain to murder Yuchi Gong alive, but thought it too extreme, so he adopted the common storytelling trope: whip-broken, corpse-dead.

…

In the grand hall, Pan Yueming, portraying Li Zhi, looked in terror at the advancing rebel troops: "Who will save me?"

"Who will save me?"

Xiu Qing, portraying Li Daozong, sneered at Li Zhi: "Prince, don't dream anyone will save you—those who could have saved you are either dead or exiled."

"Go peacefully. I'll send all your loyal ministers to join you and your brother."

"Attack."

At his command, his general raised his sword; Li Zhi closed his eyes in despair—but no blade fell. Instead, liquid dripped onto his face.

Li Zhi opened his eyes in confusion and saw the rebel general who had just raised the sword now had an arrow through his neck—the liquid on his face was the man's blood.

Boom!

The rebel general collapsed. Li Daozong, shocked and furious, turned to the hall's entrance: "Who dares intrude?"

"Peaceful Liao Prince, Commander-in-Chief of Nine Provinces and Four Prefectures, Grand Marshal of the Imperial Armies—Xue Li, Xue Rengui."

As the words rang out, a white horse charged into the hall, its rider clad in a bloodstained white robe and white armor: Xue Rengui. Compared to his younger self, he now sported a short beard, adding depth and authority—embodying the very pillar of the Tang Dynasty.

Seeing Xue Rengui, everyone's faces turned pale. Li Daozong stared as if seeing a ghost; the rebel troops turned ashen, panicked, some even dropping their weapons in terror.

A man's name, a tree's shadow—the legend of Tang's greatest general was no empty boast.

Moreover, these rebels were, strictly speaking, his former subordinates; facing their once-commanding general, who had faced entire armies alone, who wouldn't panic?

Xue Rengui ignored the others. After riding into the hall, he raised his weapon and bowed respectfully to Li Zhi.

"Your Majesty, your humble servant arrives too late to protect you."

Seeing that the one who came to save him was Xue Rengui—the man he had despised and suppressed—Li Zhi felt joy and shame, emotions overwhelming him, but could only utter one hurried phrase.

"Peaceful Liao Prince, please be careful."

Xue Rengui nodded, turned to the rebel troops, and loudly delivered a speech: "You are surrounded. Surrender now, and I will plead for your pardon—forgive your past crimes. Otherwise, you will all die."

Li Daozong was furious. One man on horseback, and he dared speak so boldly. Seeing his troops paralyzed by Xue Rengui's presence, he ordered his personal guards to rush forward and kill him.

In three moves, Xue Rengui slew them all. The remaining rebels, seeing this, abandoned resistance and knelt instantly.

"We surrender!"

Seeing his cause lost, Li Daozong refused to be captured. He drew his sword and lunged for Li Zhi—only to be struck down by Xue Rengui's arrow.

Then Xu Maogong and the others arrived with the main army, just as Xue Rengui finished his show. They cleaned up the chaos; Li Zhi apologized to Xue Rengui and the others, and the emperor and his ministers were reconciled.

"Good, cut."

Director Feng Xiaoning called out. This scene was easy to describe, but took two full days to shoot—one day for the rebellion, one for the rescue.

Yan Li, addicted to showing off, insisted he couldn't walk to rescue the emperor—he had to ride a horse into the hall.

Fortunately, this master didn't charge his horse through the palace hall—just sat calmly on it, using his bow. Otherwise, the martial arts director would have been driven to despair by the action alone.

But to be fair, though Yan Li clearly loved showing off in this drama,

one must admit: the single-rider-puts-down-rebellion trope really does look thrilling.

If editing and plot buildup go smoothly, this scene will surely become one of the drama's greatest climaxes.

After speaking a few words to Xiu Qing, who finished shooting today, Yan Li picked up his Heaven-Subduing Halberd and whispered to Feng Xiaoning.

"Again, requesting leave?!"

Feng Xiaoning's resentment was heavy. Since the filming of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" began, Yan Li had taken two long leaves—and countless short ones.

If he weren't the boss, Feng Xiaoning would have already turned on him.

Yan Li himself felt a bit ashamed. After finishing "The Legend of Xue Rengui," he might have to be more cautious about taking roles with such heavy screen time.

Filming, work, and personal life were busy and exhausting, but Yan Li had enough energy to endure it.

But scheduling conflicts—he truly couldn't handle them.

Especially now, during the company's high-speed growth phase, many matters required his personal attention as boss.

Last year's "The Investiture of the Gods" and "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," and now "The Legend of Xue Rengui"—Yan Li was able to stay long-term in Hengdian largely because Yi'an Investment's multiple projects were filmed together, requiring his presence.

In a certain sense, Yan Li's acting was secondary; his primary task was directing and assisting various production teams in Hengdian to complete their shoots.

Even so, Yan Li occasionally had to take leave and slip away to handle other work.

A single project requiring him to stay with a crew for months on end was too luxurious for Yan Li now.

So after satisfying his craving for a lead role this time, Yan Li's small wish was fulfilled; in the future, he would likely return to playing supporting roles, even reducing his shooting frequency to some extent.

He comforted Feng Xiaoning a few times and assured him he would not take any more long leaves until filming ended.

What could Feng Xiaoning say? As the boss, Yan Li didn't really need to ask for leave at all.

The so-called leave was merely for appearances—to show respect to him as the director. Yan Li gave him face, so he simply accepted it; there was no need for him to put on a director's airs and humiliate himself before his boss.

…

After leaving the set, Yan Li went to Shanghai to attend the premiere launch event for The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng.

At the end of February, The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng was scheduled to premiere on three satellite channels: Anhui, Jingcheng, and Shanghai.

Beforehand, Ren Quan, who had just finished shooting The White-Haired Witch, Zhang Zhilin, who was still filming The Great Qing Harem, Yan Kuan, shooting in Wuxi, and Huang Haibo, who had not yet joined a crew, were all dragged by Yan Li to promote the show.

During the promotion period, the main team consisted of Ren Quan, Zhang Zhilin, Yan Kuan, and Huang Haibo, supported by various supporting actors and standalone female leads—whomever had availability showed up.

For the Jingcheng satellite channel's program, it was Fan Xiaopang and Sun Li; for Anhui's program, Zeng Li and An Yixuan; for Shanghai's program, Wang Ou and Wu Jiani.

Yang Xue, Jiang Xin, Qin Lan, and others who didn't get assigned needn't worry; there would be more local channels and even Hong Kong and Taiwan TV stations coming up.

There was no need to fear a lack of appearances; the real concern was whether they had time.

As for Yan Li, he did not participate in the promotion period—he was the producer and a supporting actor, so there was no need to steal the spotlight.

Besides, he had taken too much leave during The Legend of Xue Rengui and was busy catching up on shooting progress, leaving him no time to travel around.

But Yan Li wasn't useless—he didn't appear on programs, but he accepted interviews; whether print media, online media, or TV information shows, whenever they came to Hengdian and he had time, he would talk about The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng.

This was a premiere launch event, with heads of several TV stations present, deliberately scheduled in Shanghai for Yan Li and others' convenience; it would have been inappropriate for Yan Li not to show up.

At the launch event, as the backstage core of The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng, Yan Li was subtly more sought after than the main cast actors.

"Director Yan, the drama is about to premiere. What are your expectations for its ratings? Do you have confidence it will surpass Wu Lin Wai Zhuan and Qiao Family Compound?"

One of these dramas was CCTV's New Year blockbuster; the other gave CCTV-8 a smashing opening. Their results were excellent—this reporter was clearly trying to provoke.

Yan Li wasn't foolish. With these two dramas' results so clearly on display, saying anything too high or too low was inappropriate, so he dodged with vague answers and refused to take the bait.

Seeing this, the reporter shifted focus to The Legend of the Condor Heroes. He didn't want to touch other dramas, but after so much hype around the Condor-Feng battle, surely it wouldn't fizzle out too.

"According to our information, The Legend of the Condor Heroes is set to premiere in late March, less than a month apart. Is this a deliberate rivalry?"

"Yes."

Yan Li did not disappoint the reporters. After such a long buildup, now that the real topic had arrived, how could he back down? On the contrary, he intended to fan the flames even higher.

So Yan Li unapologetically emphasized the Condor-Feng battle: "These two dramas have always been compared. Now is the time to see who's truly better."

The reporter asked curiously: "Who do you think will win?"

"Who wins isn't up to me—it's up to the audience. But I have confidence in The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

The reporter pressed: "You're the distributor for both dramas. Is this a case of pitting your left hand against your right, intentionally stirring up hype to fool the public?"

"It's true I'm distributing both. I sincerely hope both perform well—I'll make more money (laughs). But that doesn't mean there's no difference between them. Cooperation and competition can coexist. Where's the deception?"

The reporter asked again: "How do you evaluate your opponent Zhang Jizhong?"

"Without doubt, he is an extremely talented television producer."

Yan Li complimented him briefly. Seeing the reporter look slightly disappointed, he added with a smile: "But talent emerges in every generation. Teacher Zhang Jizhong's excellence is undeniable, but that doesn't mean he can't lose. I've watched both dramas, so I stand by my view."

He fired back! Finally, he fired back!

The reporters were thrilled. That's right—people came for interviews to hear more than empty platitudes.

"What do you think of the lead actors of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Huang Xiaoming and Liu Yifei? Do you acknowledge their performances?"

"If The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng loses to The Legend of the Condor Heroes, how will you feel?"

"Rumors say several female actresses in The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng have improper relationships with you. Is that true?"

"..."

Facing the reporters' increasingly excited and sharp questions, Yan Li remained calm and answered each one in turn.

"I'm not familiar with these two actors, but I think they performed excellently. And let me reiterate—I don't think The Legend of the Condor Heroes is bad; it's well-made. It's just that The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng is better."

"I firmly believe The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng won't lose. If I lose, I will personally apologize to Teacher Zhang Jizhong."

"Nonsense. I have only professional relationships with the actresses; there's little interaction."

"..."

After the premiere launch event, reporters rushed to publish their reports.

Soon, Big Hu Zi's response came: "In selling dramas, I admit I'm inferior to that young man. But in making television dramas, he still has much to learn."

Due to their current co-distribution arrangement, neither side could openly curse as they had before.

So both adopted the strategy of first praising, then criticizing—acknowledging some strength of the other, then launching their attack.

It sounded more polite, but the substance remained the same.

Yan Li accused the old-timer of riding on past glory; Big Hu Zi angrily called him a disrespectful brat who climbed up on others' backs, then threw down bricks.

The intense tension reignited the Condor-Feng battle, bringing enormous attention to The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng, which had debuted first…

————

PS: My sister's birthday wasn't celebrated yesterday, so today I took her out to eat as compensation. I spent a thousand, added to the old debt—will settle by month-end (3000/9000).

(End of Chapter)