Chapter 236: The Seven Fairies Publicly Break Up, Teddy

"Mr. Yan, I'm Li Feier, truly honored to meet you…"

As the banquet reached its later stage, the individual toasting began; the newcomer Li Feier, who starred in *The Deer and the Cauldron*, voluntarily came to toast Yan Li.

Among today's mainland film company bosses, Yan Li has the most notorious reputation— even Wang Zong from Huayi has to step aside.

This is mainly due to his youth, fame, and lack of pretense.

Many others play even wilder behind closed doors, but they prefer to hide it; publicly, most present themselves as upright gentlemen and moral paragons.

Logically, female artists should avoid a boss like Yan Li, known for his scandalous reputation.

Yet, aside from a few who genuinely keep their distance, most female artists secretly seek him out—and even approach him warmly.

The reason is simple: you can call Mr. Yan a scoundrel, but you can't call him cheap.

Forget all the usual talk about personal charm or advantages—Yan Li actually delivers resources and genuinely promotes people.

The career trajectory of the "Crimson Ladies" speaks for itself.

For many female artists in the industry, they fear not being slept with, but being abandoned after the fact.

Reputation is always a major pain point in the entertainment circle.

Yan Li has proven his credibility through one role after another, and through the career boosts of every actress linked to him.

Of course, this doesn't mean female actors approach Yan Li solely to trade sex for opportunities.

Take Li Feier—she simply wants to get noticed by a big shot; as a newcomer, it's rare for her to encounter a major figure in a private setting.

Not just Yan Li, but also Boss Yang, Director Feng, and Brother Cheng all need to be toasted.

"No need to drink it all—just a symbolic sip."

At such banquets, whenever someone comes to toast him, regardless of gender, Yan Li is always courteous.

You don't hit someone who smiles at you; if they show him respect, he returns it—how much he drinks is another matter, but at least he never makes them feel ignored.

Seeing Li Feier was young and female, and her glass of red wine was nearly full, Yan Li gently stopped her.

Realizing Yan Li wasn't just being polite, Li Feier took only a sip, then apologized awkwardly.

"Sorry, Mr. Yan, I'm not much of a drinker—please forgive me."

"It's fine."

Yan Li raised his glass, clinked it with hers, took a sip, and smiled: "My drinking ability isn't great either. You drink less, I'll drink less."

After a few more words, Li Feier left her business card and returned to her seat; Yan Li turned around to see Huo Siyan eyeing him with a sour expression.

"Mr. Yan sure knows how to be gentle with the ladies."

Yan Li was speechless: "What's it to you?"

He helped her out once, and now this little brat is acting up again—flirting, then getting jealous.

Even if he had any interest in Li Feier—which he didn't—it wouldn't be her place to meddle.

Huo Siyan felt stifled and pulled rank: "I'm standing up for my sister Lan—how can you treat her like this?"

"Did what you just did honor your sister?"

Yan Li retorted, giving her ass a slap: "Stop talking nonsense. That bamboo shrimp looks good—peel me a few, use chopsticks, not your hands."

"..."

Huo Siyan muttered under her breath, then got up, picked up the shrimp, and obediently peeled them for Yan Li.

As Yan Li had her peel shrimp, he took his glass and went to chat with Feng Xiaogang, Ge Daye, and Cheng Long about the current film market.

This year's film market has actually been decent; first-half figures are roughly on par with last year's.

But domestic films have been quiet—box office is mostly driven by imports.

This is the awkward reality of today's mainland market: imports, with far fewer titles, account for nearly half the box office, which is why every studio is copying Hollywood to make big-budget films—only big films can lure audiences back.

Films like *Crazy Stone*, which achieve disproportionate success, are too hard to pull off, have low odds, and limited ceiling.

If any commercial blockbuster had the same critical acclaim as *Crazy Stone* and proper promotion, it could easily break 100 million.

The sluggish first half has somewhat shaken everyone's confidence.

Cheng Long is fine—he has solid footing and doesn't rely solely on box office; *Baby Plan* is his forte—he won't make a fortune, but he won't lose much either.

Feng Xiaogang is under heavy pressure—*The Banquet* had a high budget and isn't his usual genre; how it performs remains uncertain.

More importantly, the rough cut of *The Banquet* is already done; Feng has screened it for some friends, and their feedback has been cautious.

Feng has invited Yan Li to watch it too—he'll ask him for an opinion when he has time.

Though young and not a creative by background, Yan Li's taste and commercial acumen are widely recognized in the industry.

His success in discovering and launching *Crazy Stone* as the year's dark horse is the best proof.

Yan Li readily agreed—not just to watch *The Banquet*, but also *Baby Plan*.

"Giving feedback" is exaggerated—whether the director even listens is another matter, and the films are nearly finished; changes are hard to make now.

His real purpose in watching is personal curiosity, and as a distributor, he needs to understand the film to craft a proper release strategy.

…

The banquet didn't last long, as the Wang brothers had arranged a second venue.

They went to a club, where everyone chatted, played cards, got massages, drank—red, white, or yellow, depending on preference—and the atmosphere was far more relaxed than the dinner.

Of course, there were more girls.

One of the Wang brothers' Huayi associates brought over several more girls—whether they were from Huayi was unclear, and Huo Siyan had never seen them before.

They might have been club staff, or perhaps models and minor actresses who loved to mingle.

These girls were far more open than Huo Siyan or Li Feier—dressed scantily, they immediately clung to the big shots the moment they entered, overly eager.

Yan Li's appearance and aura stood out among them.

Aside from Cheng Long, whose fame was too immense, Yan Li was the most popular—two girls were pushing through the crowd toward him.

Huo Siyan couldn't take it anymore!

She was Yan Li's official PR manager—why should these little sluts get in her way?

She leaned right into Yan Li's lap and shoved away anyone who came near.

She was a popular rising star, after all—her presence carried weight—and since Yan Li said nothing, the girls could only leave disappointed.

Yan Li had no interest in these club-hopping girls; though Huo Siyan wasn't innocent either, she was far cleaner and more familiar, hence safer.

Still, one girl made him feel slightly regretful.

Huo Siyan noticed Yan Li glancing at her and snapped: "All silicone—fake as hell."

Yan Li nodded—she had the right to say that.

Huo Siyan wasn't top-tier in looks or figure, but two things Yan Li still acknowledged.

One was the pure-yet-sexy aura her appearance and personality created; the other was her large, white breasts.

Compared to the dinner, not much real business was discussed at the second venue—everyone was already drunk.

Feng Xiaogang was red-faced, shouting loudly; Cheng Long was acting wild; even Ge Daye was chatting about palm reading with a girl.

Had the dinner not gone well and people not invited them here, Yan Li would've left long ago—he had no patience for this.

Now, watching the scene, Yan Li climbed a hill while eating fruit from Huo Siyan's hand, thinking he'd stay a little longer, then slip away.

Just as he was thinking, Hu Ke and Li Feier came over together to toast.

Calling it a toast, it was really an excuse to escape the chaos.

They felt awkward here—too shy to join in, too afraid to leave, forced to smile awkwardly and dodge drunken advances.

Compared to the others' mess, Yan Li's corner was relatively calm.

Plus, he'd been kind to them at dinner—they naturally trusted him.

Seeing them approach, Yan Li pulled his hand free to avoid awkwardness; he'd planned to have Huo Siyan stand up, but she, seeing Hu Ke and Li Feier, grew wary and clung tighter.

Yan Li gave up—he never intended to play the gentleman anyway, he just wasn't comfortable with overt flirting.

Hu Ke and Li Feier acted as if they saw nothing—so long as Yan Li didn't target them, even if he kissed Huo Siyan, it was none of their business.

Visually, Yan Li and Huo Siyan, a handsome man and beautiful woman, looked far more pleasant than the group of old men over there.

After chatting a bit and sensing Yan Li's attitude remained unchanged, they relaxed and sat down with him.

Huo Siyan was annoyed, feeling disturbed, and opened her mouth to shoo them away—Yan Li slapped her ass to stop her.

Li Feier didn't mind; Hu Ke, however, Yan Li still needed to look out for.

Don't misunderstand—he didn't have any romantic interest in her; Hu Ke was Nie Yuan's girlfriend—or ex-girlfriend.

Yes, that bastard Nie Yuan was also juggling multiple women.

He was dating Liu Yun while constantly chasing others.

But Hu Ke and Nie Yuan's relationship began on set; whether they'd broken up, Yan Li wasn't sure.

Notably, Hu Ke had once dated Huang Xiaoming; Yan Li even suspected Nie Yuan pursued her to get revenge for Huang Xiaoming stealing his role in *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*.

In short, their relationships were messy, and Yan Li didn't fully understand them—but because of Nie Yuan, if she asked for help, he couldn't ignore her.

"If you don't mind, when I leave, come with me—once outside, each of you goes home."

Besides helping them escape the chaos, Yan Li offered to help them leave—though whether they accepted was up to them.

"No problem, thank you so much!"

Li Feier agreed immediately—her low fame and lack of experience made her nervous; she wanted out as soon as possible.

Hu Ke hesitated slightly, but decided Yan Li was trustworthy, so she agreed too.

"Thank you, Mr. Yan."

Yan Li nodded, chatted idly for a while, felt the time was right, and bid everyone farewell.

"It's barely past midnight—stay longer! You can even sleep here—we have rooms."

The Wang brothers tried to keep him; Yan Li used Hu Ke and the others as an excuse: "These girls are drunk—I'm seeing them home. Rare chance to be a knight in shining armor—let me off the hook this time. We'll get together again next time."

Wow, you took all three?!

Yan Li was telling the truth, but no one else believed he was merely a chivalrous escort.

The Wang brothers were stunned—Huo Siyan was one thing, but Hu Ke hasn't even joined Huayi yet, and you're already poaching? Do you really think we're your pimp?

Cheng Long looked impressed: "Kid's got guts. Reminds me of my younger days."

Ge the Elder, being kind, quietly warned: "Young man, don't push too hard. Three girls can't take it."

"…"

Yan Li didn't bother explaining; being too clear would make it harder to lead them away.

After a few teasing jabs, Yan Li successfully led them away.

The original plan was to part ways at the door, but the Wang brothers wouldn't let Yan Li leave alone—Young Master Wang personally saw him off.

Sending Hu Ke and Li Feier off now would expose his intent and risk offending someone, so Yan Li had them get in his car first.

The car started, Hu Ke and the other girl thanked him again, saying just drop them off somewhere, but Yan Li waved it off.

"It's late, and a girl alone after drinking? Too dangerous."

"I'll see you home, or you can call a friend to pick you up—give me an address."

If they'd parted at the hotel, fine. But now they were in his car—if he dropped them off midway and let them leave alone, and something happened, he'd be held responsible.

Luckily, Hu Ke had an assistant and driver waiting nearby; a quick call would sort it out.

Hu Ke wanted to drop Li Feier off too, to spare Yan Li trouble, but Li Feier dodged the question and refused to go with Hu Ke.

Hu Ke was sharp—she wouldn't ruin a good thing—but with Huo Siyan also there, she bluntly pushed, subtly urging until Li Feier had no choice but to get out with Hu Ke.

Yan Li closed his eyes, resting quietly.

He knew Li Feier had designs, but he wasn't the least bit interested—she had nothing that appealed to him.

With Huo Siyan playing the villain, he didn't have to say it himself. A woman's interference was one thing; a man's direct refusal was another.

Yan Li was still tenderhearted—he didn't want to crush the confidence of a girl barely twenty.

After Hu Ke and Li Feier got out, Yan Li opened his eyes and blocked Huo Siyan from pressing against him again.

"Shall I drop you at home, or should I call someone to pick you up?"

Huo Siyan: "..."

He took every advantage he could a moment ago, and now he's playing the gentleman?

Yan Li remained calm—flirting in play was fine; real stakes were out of the question.

Unlike Dong Xuan, Jiang Xin, and Yang Xue, who were just ordinary friends with plenty of vested interests mixed in.

Qin Lan and Huo Siyan had some too, but Qin Lan genuinely treated Huo Siyan as a sister, and Yan Li wasn't that foolish—he'd rather not set off his own landmine.

Besides, Huo Siyan had other uses for him.

Huo Siyan sensed Yan Li's tone wasn't fake, but she still felt reluctant, pleading pitifully again.

"My lock's broken, and no relatives or friends are around. Could you kindly let me stay one night?"

Yan Li remained unmoved: "If you have nowhere to go, Fuli City has guest rooms. I'll take you there."

Fuli City was Qin Lan's home. Hearing this, Huo Siyan immediately deflated.

As Yan Li dropped Huo Siyan off at her residence, just as she was about to get out, he suddenly spoke, his voice cold and sharp.

"I treat you like half my own. I've never wronged you. Qin Lan has treated you well too, looking out for you in every way."

"Having a little ambition is fine, but if you sabotage Qin Lan behind her back, or do anything you shouldn't toward me, I'll bring you down the same way I lifted you up—maybe even harder."

Yan Li's cold warning carried real intimidation—Huo Siyan's face paled.

"Yan… Yan Zong, I truly see Lan-jie as my elder sister. I'm just… drawn to you, I'd never do anything to her."

"Better be."

Seeing Huo Siyan shaken, Yan Li pulled out a pre-prepared gold heart and slipped it into her hand.

A slap, then a sweet.

Resources and backing were one thing, but material rewards mattered too. Giving cash was inconvenient; depositing money lacked punch.

Gold was ideal—equivalent to money, compact, high-value, effective, and felt more like a gift than a blunt payment.

"Qin Lan's gentle. Help her well. If she ever feels down, or if any foolish admirers bother her, you know what to do. Do well, and I, as your brother-in-law, won't be stingy."

Yan Li had an intelligence network, but it wasn't infallible—so he still needed to buy off the people around these women.

For Dong Xuan's attendant Guan Yue, Yan Li never forgot to include her share of the perks.

Fan Xiaopang didn't need mentioning—his inner circle was all Yan Li's people.

Qin Lan's closest now were Huo Siyan and Liu Yun. Yan Li wanted them to "be sensible."

Women's weak ears were hard to correct, but you could control what voices reached them.

For Yan Li, Huo Siyan's usefulness far exceeded merely sleeping with her.

"Brother-in-law, rest assured. I know what to do."

After Yan Li's car pulled away, Huo Siyan rubbed the gold heart in her hand, feeling envy and bitterness.

Yan Li was a playboy, but he truly cared for Qin Lan. No wonder Qin Lan was utterly devoted to him—if she were in Qin Lan's place, she'd give him her whole self too.

Truthfully, she wasn't unwilling now—but Yan Li didn't want her…

…

Fuli City

When Yan Li returned, Qin Lan was asleep. He changed shoes and went to the bedroom to check on her, waking her up.

"You reek of alcohol."

Qin Lan pushed him away as he leaned in to kiss her, then suddenly sniffed, leaning closer to his chest—he pinched her nose shut.

"Stop sniffing. It was a Huayi obligation. Your good little sister helped me dodge it."

Yan Li was clean, so he spoke confidently—even brought up Huo Siyan himself.

A rogue knows: the more open and natural you are, the less suspicion you raise. Stammering, contradicting yourself? That's how you create trouble out of nothing.

True to form, seeing Yan Li's demeanor—and knowing Huo Siyan was a close friend—Qin Lan visibly relaxed, though she still asked:

"Didn't you take advantage of Siyan?"

"My sister-in-law's butt is half mine. What's wrong with a little touch and kiss?"

Yan Li stayed open, even admitted it—but the more he did, the less Qin Lan took it seriously. She just spat at him, calling him a lecher.

"Enough. Smell like alcohol—go shower."

"Let's shower together."

Out of respect for Qin Lan, Yan Li hadn't touched Huo Siyan—but the fire he'd stirred needed her to extinguish.

Qin Lan was a brat. After drinking, Yan Li was exhausting—if he was in the mood, he'd leave her half-dead. Sometimes she wished he'd just go to someone else after his obligations.

Yan Li had no patience for her nonsense—he just grabbed her.

During renovation, the bathroom had a large tub installed—perfect for water orchids, saving a lot of bed sheets.

…

A clean, minimalist piano piece played in the bedroom. Yan Li pulled his hand from Qin Lan's embrace and reached for the phone on the nightstand.

"Hello?"

"Got it. I'll check now. Investigate the source—I suspect someone's trying to stir up hype."

Yan Li hung up, got up, and Qin Lan, a light sleeper, woke at his movement, mumbling:

"Going to work out?"

Yan Li worked out every morning—she was used to it.

"Mm."

"Bring me a jianbing guozi. I'm craving it."

When Qin Lan ordered, and Yan Li went out to exercise, he'd often bring back breakfast for home.

"Mm. Go back to sleep."

Yan Li patted Qin Lan, got dressed, and left the bedroom—not to work out, but to the study, where he turned on his computer and searched the news.

"Yan Li Meets Three Women: Huo Siyan and Hu Ke Accompany Him"

It was Sina's headline. The photos showed Yan Li boarding the car with Hu Ke, Huo Siyan, and Li Feier in sequence.

"Thank God I came home last night."

Yan Li felt relieved—if he'd lost control and slept with Huo Siyan, explaining it to Qin Lan would've been impossible.

Qin Lan could tolerate his philandering—but targeting her best friend? That changed everything.

Yan Li browsed: only photos of them getting in the car. No follow-up shots.

He didn't believe the paparazzi hadn't followed. Probably trailed them all night, saw Hu Ke and the others get out, realized he was clean, couldn't blackmail, so they spun a scandal for clicks.

Yan Li's mind raced—he replayed the paparazzi's likely moves, then began suspecting their source.

Did the paparazzi hear it spontaneously?

Or was it the Wang brothers at Huayi, setting him up, trying to catch him in a trap?

Or maybe Hu Ke, Li Feier—even Huo Siyan—leaked the story on purpose, to create a buzz?

None of these women were big stars. A scandal with Yan Li? Huge exposure.

Especially Li Feier and Huo Siyan.

The former's a newcomer—this kind of scandal is the fastest route to fame. The latter's desperate to be famous; rumor says she once considered doing nude scenes. A scandal with Yan Li? No big deal to her.

His daily intelligence report hadn't triggered this. He hadn't fixed his plan—he'd planned to check again tonight.

Yan Li didn't take this scandal seriously.

Never mind that his reputation had long been immune to such gossip; just sharing a car with someone proved nothing at all.

Have Yi'an's people keep watch, don't let them steer the narrative, then issue a denial statement and be done with it.

Yan Li shut his computer, made two calls, changed into running shoes, and went out for a jog.

By the time he returned from exercising and bought breakfast, Qin Lan was already up, on the phone; seeing him, she mouthed something.

Yan Li understood—it was almost certainly Hu Siyan calling Qin Lan to explain the gossip.

Sure enough, Qin Lan was soothing Hu Siyan: "How could I not believe you? Your brother-in-law told me everything when he got home last night. You did great—do the same next time. Any woman who tries to get close to your brother-in-law, chase them away."

"Don't worry about that rumor—I see Hu Ke already denied it. You should deny it too."

"Don't worry about your brother-in-law. Lice don't itch when there are too many. His face is as thick as a city wall."

"Ah… it's fine. A puppy bit me. Go ahead and get busy. We'll talk later."

Watching Qin Lan hang up, Yan Li clenched his teeth slightly: "Who called me a puppy?"

"You're not a puppy—you're a big dog, a big wolfhound… no no, I'm the dog, I'm the dog."

Qin Lan begged for mercy, and only then did Yan Li let her go; she rubbed her chest and punched him once.

"Aren't you afraid your son will starve?"

"As long as I don't starve, it's fine."

Yan Li handed her the jianbing guozi: "Did you see the news?"

"You know about it?"

Qin Lan had assumed he didn't know, since he'd gone jogging; Yan Li was speechless.

"If I found out later than you, I'd be good for nothing."

Never mind the company—while jogging, Fan Xiaopang, Dong Xuan, and Wang Ou had all called him.

Only because Qin Lan knew he was with her was she so calm.

"Thank goodness I came here last night—if I hadn't, I'd be so wronged. We need to learn from this: stop believing so much gossip."

Yan Li seized the chance to brainwash Qin Lan; she wasn't stupid: "This time was a misunderstanding, but that doesn't mean every time will be. Do you think I don't know you?"

Just off the top of my head: Dong Xuan, Li Bingbing, Fan Bingbing, Wang Ou, and that former one, Huang Shengyi.

Just the ones Qin Lan personally knows are already several—how many more she doesn't know? Yan Li thinks a single false rumor will clear his name? Pure fantasy.

But Qin Lan was genuinely curious about one thing: she knew Yan Li had been with her last night, so she understood this was a misunderstanding.

How was he going to explain himself to Dong and Fan?

Yan Li spread his hands, looking utterly innocent: "I already explained—I told them I was here with you. If they don't believe me, they can call you."

Qin Lan: "..."

This dog of a man is openly doing this now, is he?!

Yan Li remained calm—he'd always been open about it. All three of you have crossed paths more than once. We all know the score.

He wasn't deliberately provoking Dong Xuan and Fan Xiaopang—he'd finally grasped what mattered most.

Admitting he'd been with Qin Lan last night would annoy Fan and Dong, but their relationship was already out in the open. They might be annoyed, but compared to rumors of him being with Hu Ke or Hu Siyan, they'd rather he stayed with Qin Lan.

"Wait a minute."

Qin Lan felt something was off: "If you say it like that, aren't they both coming after me?"

Yan Li raised an eyebrow: "Are you afraid of them?"

"I'm not afraid of shit!"

Qin Lan's fighting spirit flared up—she even felt a bit proud. Yesterday, Yan Li came to her, putting those two women in their place.

Yan Li went to shower and change for work; Qin Lan was happily eating her jianbing guozi when her phone rang with an unknown number. When she answered, it was Fan Xiaopang's voice.

"You actually called to ask?"

Qin Lan was caught off guard; Fan Xiaopang's tone was impatient: "Cut the crap—was he really with you last night?"

"So what if he was? What if he wasn't?"

Hearing Fan Xiaopang's tone, Qin Lan grew annoyed and deliberately stalled.

"If he wasn't, what then? That bitch Hu Siyan isn't even enough for you, so now you're looking for concubines? You're pimping out your own husband—no wonder Yan Li likes you."

"Watch your mouth."

Qin Lan flew into a rage—this seductive fox spoke too vilely: "Don't project your filthy mind onto me. Don't think I'm like you."

"Heh."

Fan Xiaopang sneered: "I'm busy with work—I don't have time to argue with a housewife. Just answer: was he there or not?"

Qin Lan half-explained, half-bragged: "Then go ahead and stay busy. Housewives have to tidy the bedroom—last night was so exhausting, I didn't even have the strength."

Fan Xiaopang wasn't naive—she knew Qin Lan's weakness.

"You really should clean up. You waste too many sheets."

Qin Lan's face flushed red as she retorted: "I'll save it for you to wipe your face."

"Qin, you fucking—"

"You're the fucking—"

"..."

Yan Li stepped out of the bathroom to see Qin Lan, lips slick with honey, hurling insults into the phone.

After a brief pause, Yan Li grabbed his bag and headed straight for the door: "I'm going to work."

Better run—too slow, and they'll take out their anger on me…

"You wait."

"Afraid of you?"

Qin Lan and Fan Xiaopang exchanged threats, hung up, and went to the kitchen for water, throat parched.

Before she'd finished drinking, another call came in. As soon as she answered, Dong Xuan's irritated voice rang out.

"You're a housewife—how do you have so many calls? Your line's always busy?"

You're the housewife, your whole family's a housewife!

Qin Lan had just been mocked by Fan Xiaopang over this exact point, and now Dong Xuan delivered another blow—she was so angry she felt physical pain.

One had a few more announcements, the other was just a damn university teacher—what's there to brag about?

She didn't want to take roles—if she wanted to, she'd work nonstop all year, believe it or not?!

"Say what you have to say, spit it out. I was up all night last night—I'm trying to catch a nap. I don't have time to chat with women like you."

Qin Lan had just fought a battle and was still fired up—her tone was brutally rude.

Dong Xuan found it unbearable, especially the boast about being "exhausted all night."

"Can't you control that Hu Siyan? If you can't, I will. Keep her away from Yan Li."

Dong Xuan had no fondness for Hu Siyan—her hostility was targeted. Qin Lan naturally defended her own.

"Let her come. What's it to you?"

Dong Xuan had seen the rumor and learned Yan Li was with Qin Lan—she was already unhappy. Qin Lan's barrage only made her angrier.

"Can't you speak properly? Didn't your parents ever teach you manners? No wonder you're always eyeing other men."

"Sorry, my parents taught me never to eat grass that's been chewed, and to curse loudly at anyone shamelessly stealing another woman's husband."

"Didn't your parents also teach you to endure humiliation, to sacrifice yourself—so much so that Hu Siyan's rumors with Yan Li outnumber yours?"

"At least mine outnumber yours. You're calling me to verify this? If you're so capable, why didn't Yan Li come to you yesterday?"

"..."

Qin Lan had argued for over twenty minutes with Fan Xiaopang, nearly half an hour with Dong Xuan, plus last night's battle with Yan Li—her voice was hoarse, crackling like static.

"Huh~"

Qin Lan mixed herself some warm water, slowly sipping to soothe her throat, then took a deep breath, calming herself.

Just as her emotions began to ease, the phone rang again—Wang Ou's voice came through.

"Sister Lan, I wanted to ask—"

Qin Lan's anger flared again; hoarse and furious, she snapped: "Ask what? What's it to you? Who the hell are you to ask?"

She hung up immediately. On the other end, Wang Ou stared blankly.

Is this bitch having a breakdown?!

Wasn't it agreed they'd schedule a photo shoot for "Great Qing Imperial Harem"?

She'd said this call wasn't her job—but the assistant director insisted she make the contact, so now she got yelled at.

Wang Ou grew more and more resentful. First, she vented to the assistant director via text, then messaged Yang Rong, suspecting Qin Lan had cracked under the gossip pressure.

She'd called Yan Li that morning too—mainly to inform him, show concern, and probe the situation.

Yan Li only told her the rumor was false, but didn't say where he'd been last night—there was no reason to say it—so Wang Ou assumed Qin Lan had been shaken by the gossip.

After all, Hu Siyan and Qin Lan had been inseparable in "Great Qing Imperial Harem"!

Wang Ou: 【This woman's just petty. Rong, if you ever had a rumor with the boss, I wouldn't care.】

Yang Rong: 【Fuck off.】

————

Yan Li's rumor stirred only minor ripples behind the scenes, but caused considerable noise outside.

Though evidence was lacking and all parties denied it, the gossip-loving netizens were eager to believe it anyway.

This was the flaw in Yan Li's public image!

When you're a pile of rubble, every passerby suspects you've stolen two bricks.

Worse still, regardless of their true intentions, all three actresses, sensing the buzz, had begun riding the hype.

Especially Hu Siyan, who, because of "Happy Heaven and Earth Seven Fairies," was already one of Yan Li's major gossip targets, and who wasn't afraid of damaging her reputation by getting too close to Yan Li, releasing numerous press releases.

Though it didn't explicitly suggest a romantic relationship, it subtly implied close ties with Yan Li.

At the same time, either to show loyalty to Qin Lan or to vent personal spite, she also smeared Dong Xuan and Shuang Bing.

A post on Tianya exposed discord among the Seven Fairies.

It half-truthfully claimed Hu Siyan was envied for playing the female lead, causing Dong Xuan and Shuang Bing to collude in ostracizing her, subjecting her to great injustice.

Moreover, Yan Li had once highly favored her and even intended to sign her to Yi'an, but Fan Xiaopang beat him to it, then pulled the ladder away—Hu Siyan was forced to join Huayi, where she was bullied by Li Bingbing and received little resources.

It was only when Yan Li couldn't bear to watch anymore that he stepped in to help, and eventually Hu Siyan met true good friends like Qin Lan and Li Xiaolu, feeling the warmth of female friendship and so on.

This post had considerable influence, mainly because the Seven Fairies were genuinely popular right now.

Shuang Bing needs no elaboration; aside from Li Lin, whose career had slightly stalled due to her child, Dong Xuan, Hu Siyan, Yang Xue, and Jiang Xin's fame continued to rise.

Each member's rise brought exposure to the Seven Fairies, which in turn fed back onto each individual.

Thus, the Seven Fairies grew increasingly popular, becoming the most important group of actresses at present.

Aside from Shuang Bing, who had broken free from the Seven Fairies through their mutual bond, the biggest label on the others was still "Seven Fairies."

Although the Seven Fairies had once fractured due to Shuang Bing's discord and the entanglements between Dong Xuan and Shuang Bing, the others still emphasized sisterhood.

Even Hu Siyan had previously leveraged her closeness to Shuang Bing, riding the Seven Fairies' popularity.

And she was particularly enthusiastic, calling the other sisters "Second Sister," "Third Sister," "Fourth Sister," "Fifth Sister," and "Sixth Sister" with sweet affection—though few were willing to interact with her.

Hu Siyan probably still held grudges, and now that the Teddy Sisters Group had formed, she no longer bothered pretending—she directly severed ties with the Seven Fairies and turned to show sisterly affection with Qin Lan and Li Xiaolu.

Leveraging the Seven Fairies' popularity, Hu Siyan successfully pushed Hu Ke and Li Feier out of the gossip narrative, redirecting attention to Yan Li and the Seven Fairies.

This was a brilliant move—and also a foolish one.

Since Hu Ke and Li Feier were absent, the other Seven Fairies smelled blood and moved in.

The first to join in was Jiang Xin, famously blunt and outspoken.

"Seven Fairies discord? I don't think so—I get along fine with Sister Xuan, Li Lin, Yang Xue, and both Sisters Shuang Bing."

"Hu Siyan? We haven't had private contact in over a year—ask her why."

The second was Li Bingbing, whose response was brief: "We're just ordinary colleagues."

The kind-hearted Yang Xue and Li Lin stayed silent; Dong Xuan declined interviews but posted a photo on her blog—a group picture from "Happy Heaven and Earth Seven Fairies."

The photo included only her, Li Lin, Yang Xue, and Jiang Xin, excluding Shuang Bing and Hu Siyan.

Fan Xiaopang was the most blunt: "I've never heard Yi'an planned to sign any other female artist—please don't boast falsely."

Hu Siyan wrote a long blog post, over three hundred words, which boiled down to one sentence in translation.

【I'm wronged, but I won't hold a grudge—let's go our separate ways now.】

The public breakup of the Seven Fairies pushed Yan Li's unverified gossip into the corner.

It even overshadowed all other entertainment news, becoming the hottest topic of late July.

The Seven Fairies reaped massive exposure, especially Hu Siyan, who, despite being attacked by the other fairies, had her dirt dug up and faced considerable controversy, yet definitely stole the spotlight.

Simultaneously, her decisive break with Dong Xuan, Fan Xiaopang, Li Bingbing, and others won Qin Lan's admiration and trust.

Good sister!

No matter her motives, she truly took on those foxes!

Thus, when Hu Siyan faced heavy public pressure, Qin Lan rallied the Teddy Sisters Group to support her, proving Hu Siyan's good character and popularity.

Notably, to better support Hu Siyan, Qin Lan brought Ma Yili into the group, making her the "eldest sister" of the Teddy Sisters Group.

There was no choice—the younger sisters lacked fame, and Li Xiaolu, wary of Dong Xuan and Fan Xiaopang, remained cautious, so they needed heavyweight reinforcements.

Under Qin Lan's strong backing, Li Xiaolu conceded, and Hu Siyan had no choice but to comply.

Ma Yili originally didn't want to get involved, but after her poor performance during Qin Lan's previous clash with Dong Xuan, she gritted her teeth and joined the Teddy Sisters Group to mend her relationship with Qin Lan.

However, like Li Xiaolu, she didn't want to offend anyone, so her statements were cautious—she only praised Hu Siyan and avoided other topics.

But regardless, Qin, Ma, Li, and Hu were all notable figures in the circle.

When these few banded together, they naturally drew attention.

Coupled with this scandal, the Teddy Sisters Group had briefly clashed with the Seven Fairies over Hu Siyan, instantly entering the public eye.

————

ps: Ten thousand words posted, (2000/7000)

(End of chapter)