Chapter 239

Yan Li, as a scumbag, didn't much care for other scumbags due to the principle of like repels like.

He even double-standardized his disdain from every angle!

But he had to admit that having a few more scumbags around—especially when his woman's best friend got tangled with one—was actually beneficial to him.

People always love to compare, and women especially so.

Comparing looks, figures, handbags, who's living better, who's got a better man.

Even if not openly, they silently tally it all in their hearts.

Under such circumstances, if Qin Lan, Dong Xuan, and their friends all had happy relationships, loyal men, and sweet little lives, Yan Li would still feel some pressure.

Most people are greedy; they're never satisfied with what they have, only craving what they don't.

Yan Li could meet most of Qin Lan and Dong Xuan's needs, but he couldn't faithfully stick to just one woman.

So even if those best friends' men were inferior to Yan Li in every way—even utterly crushed by him—having loyalty alone was still an advantage.

And if most of those best friends' men also failed to be loyal,

then Yan Li's disadvantage would be erased, even reversed.

After all, scumbags being scumbags is only natural; for a decent man to turn scumbag is against the way of heaven—the nature and perception are completely different.

Moreover, since they're all scumbags, Yan Li's other advantages would be greatly amplified, leading them to think he's still the best, reducing their inner resentment and rationalizing their choice.

Previously, Tong Dawei and Guan Yue had helped Yan Li teach Dong Xuan a lesson; now Liu Yun and Nie Yuan were giving Yan Li another push.

Listening to Qin Lan vent about Nie Yuan, Yan Li even harbored a dark hope that her circle of friends would run into more scumbags.

The worse other men were, the more they highlighted his goodness, and Qin Lan would grow ever more devoted to him.

The next day, Yan Li found time to call Nie Yuan, briefly explained the situation, and advised him to pay to make it go away.

How much money to spend, how to handle Liu Yun—that was their own business.

As a friend, Yan Li had learned of the trouble, defused the conflict, offered advice, and helped make connections—he could say he'd done his duty.

After that, no matter what happened, he'd done right by his friend; they couldn't blame him, and he himself felt no guilt.

He didn't get around to asking Qin Lan about the details until he got home late that night.

She wasn't as busy as he was, and had even helped the Teddy Sisterhood brainstorm ways to deal with Liu Yun.

Out of consideration for Yan Li, Qin Lan hadn't shown up; Huo Siyan and Li Xiaolu had accompanied Liu Yun to meet Nie Yuan today.

She only knew the general outline of how the meeting went, but knew it had ultimately collapsed.

"Twenty thousand—he's treating her like a beggar. Just the stuff Liu Yun bought him was worth tens of thousands."

Wasn't it true that Nie Yuan had never bought Liu Yun anything?

Yan Li muttered to himself, but had to admit, twenty thousand was indeed too low.

In 2006, for an ordinary person, three years of dating ending in twenty thousand as breakup money was definitely a windfall.

But the key was, they weren't ordinary people; Liu Yun, though not earning much, had been acting consistently and had some fame—she couldn't be brushed off with twenty thousand.

Not to mention she was determined to ruin Nie Yuan's reputation; his career might suffer serious damage—twenty thousand wouldn't settle that.

Yan Li asked again about Liu Yun's demands and couldn't help rolling his eyes.

"She's asking for diamonds… three million cash plus a house in Jingcheng—you guys really dare to name that price."

Qin Lan probably thought the price was outrageous too, but Huo Siyan and Li Xiaolu had pushed it; Nie Yuan, as a popular young actor, earned plenty.

His fee for "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" was two million RMB!

"Don't you see what kind of drama that was? Normal dramas don't pay that much, and he still has to split profits with the company."

Yan Li grumbled—he'd said this countless times before: actors weren't especially rich these days.

Actors like Nie Yuan, focused mainly on TV dramas, hadn't fully tapped their commercial value and hadn't broken into film—they made at most a few million a year.

Sounds good, but expenses were high too, and Nie Yuan had only been famous for a few years; his earnings came in steps—he wasn't earning that much two years ago.

Clearly, Nie Yuan's savings couldn't possibly meet Liu Yun's demands.

Even if he could afford it, he wouldn't pay—it'd make him a sucker.

The rest didn't need Qin Lan to explain; Yan Li could imagine it himself: one side offered too little, the other demanded too much, both had tempers, probably ended up fighting, then stormed off in anger.

Qin Lan wanted to tell Yan Li how Liu Yun planned to retaliate, but he put his hand over her mouth.

"I don't want to hear it. I don't know anything. Do whatever you want—don't tell me."

"Don't get involved either. If you do, don't show it publicly. We've done what we could—let them handle it themselves."

Yan Li felt he'd done his duty and had no desire to meddle further in this bitter couple—being a bystander was enough.

Qin Lan nodded; she knew Yan Li and Nie Yuan were close, so she'd always been careful about this.

Still, she held resentment toward Nie Yuan.

Not because of the money, but because of his attitude; according to Huo and Li, he'd shown no trace of past affection and had spoken harshly.

His tone made it clear—he looked down on Liu Yun, even seemed pleased about the breakup.

After all, a popular young actor had no shortage of women; if Liu Yun didn't hurt his career, breaking up actually opened up more space for him.

That's precisely why Liu Yun's hatred ran deeper.

No woman could tolerate a man she'd loved and sacrificed for treating her like trash—especially one with a temper like hers.

Qin Lan gripped Yan Li's hand and suddenly blurted: "What if we ever broke up, what would you do?"

"Nothing. We won't ever break up."

Yan Li didn't fall for the trap; Qin Lan was slightly satisfied, but still said:

"That's what you say—if you ever betray me, I'll, I'll…"

Qin Lan couldn't finish; she truly had no way to hurt Yan Li, and even if she did, she probably wouldn't have the heart.

She wasn't Liu Yun—Liu Yun loved fiercely and hated fiercely, settling scores quickly; Qin Lan, even when hurt, would only lick her wounds in silence.

"Enough. Stop imagining nonsense."

Yan Li hugged Qin Lan, soothed her for a moment, then said: "I got the rights to 'Demon Sword, Life and Death Chess.' I've secured the female lead role—if you want to try it, go ahead."

Fan Xiaopang has 'The Legend of Yang Yuhuan,' and Dong Xuan has 'The Legend of Chu Liuxiang.'

Qin Lan has never officially played the female lead in an Yian Investment production.

The female lead's screen time and characterization in this drama are decent—if Qin Lan wants to take it, she can; if not, Yan Li will give it to someone else.

Qin Lan hesitated: "Qiongyao's daughter-in-law called me—she wants Qiongyao herself to personally recommend me for the remake of 'A Curtain of Dreams.'"

Yan Li thought back—he seemed to have watched the original version of this drama.

That famous line, "You've only lost a leg, but Zi Ling lost love," comes from this drama.

"Do they want you to play the one who lost a leg, or the one who lost love?"

Qin Lan clearly knew the line—she rolled her eyes at him: "They want me to play the elder sister—the one who lost the leg. This drama has two female leads; I'm one of them."

"Qiongyao was always kind to me back then, and this invitation is genuinely sincere."

To be honest, Qin Lan isn't super famous now, but she's a known figure in the industry, and crucially, she doesn't lack resources.

For this drama, Qin Lan's interest is only moderate—it's mainly about honoring Qiongyao's past mentorship and kindness.

Fan Xiaopang is hard to judge, but Qin Lan, despite being heavily criticized for playing Zhihua, has always cherished Qiongyao's favor, especially since she met Yan Li through 'The Princess Return 3'—that bond runs deeper.

Besides, Qin Lan originally rose to fame playing the mistress Zhihua; now playing the betrayed wife is a kind of "redemption."

Although Lü Ping isn't a particularly virtuous character, Qin Lan finds her compelling—especially the scenes where she exacts revenge on the "dog couple"—which makes Qin Lan feel immensely satisfied.

"Qiongyao dramas are still worth doing."

Although Yan Li isn't fond of Qiongyao dramas, he has to admit that at this stage, Qiongyao dramas still have solid viewership and influence.

A melodramatic romance like 'A Curtain of Dreams' being remade after so many years proves it still has staying power—it might not explode, but it will definitely draw significant attention within its target audience.

Besides, doing 'A Curtain of Dreams' won't interfere with 'Demon Sword, Life and Death Chess'—as long as the schedules don't clash.

"Forget it."

Qin Lan shook her head—she wasn't a career addict; there was no need to overbook herself and ruin Yan Li's deal.

Besides, the role in 'A Curtain of Dreams' is a dancer—she'd have to practice dancing privately, and she didn't have the energy to juggle both.

"Alright then."

Yan Li didn't press her—if Qin Lan wouldn't take it, someone else would do just fine; he'd think about who to offer it to next.

Putting that aside, Yan Li was far more interested in Qin Lan's dancing.

Since she wasn't formally trained, Qin Lan's talents were limited—mostly just singing—he'd never actually seen her dance.

"Have you practiced? Let me give you some feedback."

When it came to appreciating dance, Yan Li was practically half an expert—Wang Ou, Wu Jiani, and Dong Xuan were all dance graduates; even Shuang Bing, who'd been arts-oriented since childhood, could put on a decent show—Yan Li had privately watched and studied them all.

Qin Lan thought of this too—others might not know, but she remembered Dong Xuan's resume all too well.

Before entering the Beijing Film Academy, Dong Xuan had been in the Dance Department of Shen Yang Conservatory, and had once been accepted into the General Political Department Song and Dance Troupe—a bona fide professional dancer.

"My amateur moves can't compare to your ex-girlfriend's."

Qin Lan spoke sarcastically; Yan Li shook his head: "That was years ago—she's long since let it go."

That was somewhat untrue—Dong Xuan didn't practice much anymore, but her fundamentals and skill were unquestionable.

When she applied to the General Political Department Song and Dance Troupe, she was the only one accepted from the entire Shen Yang Conservatory Dance Department—her ability was obvious.

Among Yan Li's circle of women, Wu Jiani loved dance the most, but in terms of professional level, Dong Xuan wouldn't claim first place—but she was undoubtedly the most quietly formidable.

Qin Lan snorted, dropped the subject, and asked Yan Li to play a track—then she began to dance gracefully.

After dancing a section, she stopped and asked Yan Li how it felt; he rubbed his chin.

"You should still take 'Demon Sword, Life and Death Chess.'"

Qin Lan: "..."

Just because of that remark, she was now determined to take 'A Curtain of Dreams.'

…

Starting that night, Qin Lan threw herself into it—she turned down many offers and spent most of each day practicing at home.

Her toes swelled from dancing; Yan Li, feeling heartache, massaged and applied ointment for her, deeply disapproving of her behavior.

Dancing is dancing—she couldn't risk his perks like this!

Meanwhile, during Qin Lan's dance practice, Liu Yun and Nie Yuan completely broke up, publicly accusing Nie Yuan in the media of being fickle, cheating on his girlfriend, and other such behavior.

A Jiao was the public face, but Liu Yun herself exposed Xie Na—they'd been close, so she was especially furious; Hu Ke, who'd recently been embroiled in rumors, was also dragged into it.

Suddenly, Nie Yuan's five-way romance became a hot topic.

Others dug up Nie Yuan's other romantic histories, including Huang Yi and Shen Aojun (the "Cai Xishi" from 'The Legendary Doctor Xi Lai Le').

Holy crap—unexamined, you didn't know; once you looked, you were shocked—he was practically a mini Yan Li, no wonder they got along so well.

Yan Li:???

Just like when Huang Xiaoming was targeted, rivals were surely pushing the narrative.

As a popular young actor, Nie Yuan had plenty of competitors, enemies, and people eager to take his place.

That's precisely why Yan Li had advised him to pay off the problem back then.

Yan Li's main job wasn't acting, and he didn't rely on fans—he could have the worst private life imaginable and it wouldn't hurt his foundation.

But Nie Yuan was a popular young actor with countless fans—he needed a decent public image and couldn't withstand such heavy negative press.

Fortunately, the current media environment was lenient, and Nie Yuan wasn't married; if he just played dumb and laid low for a while, he'd suffer setbacks but wouldn't be destroyed.

Nie Yuan's career took a hit, and Liu Yun's self-exposure didn't benefit her either.

Perhaps her fame increased slightly, but her explosive temper clearly wouldn't earn her much respect from industry insiders.

Today she could feud with her ex-boyfriend; tomorrow she might blow up over something else and drag it all into the public eye.

There were too many things in the entertainment industry that couldn't be spoken of openly—a person without "unspoken rules" and "etiquette" would inevitably be ostracized.

Even within the Teddy Sisters' group, some felt Liu Yun's reaction was overly dramatic.

As a result, those who claimed to support Liu Yun merely offered lukewarm comfort to her on blogs and in the media.

Finally, Qin Lan could no longer stand it; ignoring Yan Li's warning, she publicly defended Liu Yun on her blog, claiming she was merely overwhelmed by grief and subtly accusing Nie Yuan of being heartless.

Once Qin Lan spoke up, the Teddy Sisters all followed suit.

For certain reasons, they did not openly condemn the scumbag, but declared their firm solidarity with Liu Yun: best friends for life.

Last time the Seven Fairies stood up for Seeing Huo Siyan, now they were backing Liu Yun; within a short span, the Teddy Sisters kept appearing in public, their momentum surging.

This put immense pressure on Dong Xuan; upon arriving in Hengdian, she invited Yang Xue from The Legend of Chu Liuxiang, along with Jiang Xin and Li Lin—who were also filming in Hengdian—for dinner and photos.

Although three of the Seven Fairies had split off, the remaining four together still carried considerable weight.

Add Guan Yue and Yuan Shanshan, who tagged along for the meal, and six beautiful women lined up side by side—still quite intimidating.

As for Qin Lan's side, no need to elaborate; Fan Xiaopang pretended not to care, but upon hearing the news, she specifically checked Dong Xuan's blog.

"Pfft, trash."

In her view, Dong Xuan's crew was nowhere near Qin Lan's Teddy Sisters.

Though the Teddy Sisters were a bunch of deadbeats, at least they were Qin Lan's people and could be relied upon in a crisis.

As for Dong Xuan's crew: Li Lin was close to her, Yang Xue got along well with her, Jiang Xin was barely acceptable.

If she and Dong Xuan clashed, these three might side with anyone.

The remaining two—the girlfriend of Tong Dawei and the stranger—were Dong Xuan's people, but each was more useless than the last; in fame, they couldn't even compare to a random Teddy Sister.

Fan Xiaopang sneered, ready to close her blog, then paused and dug up a photo from her computer—

Holding a pure gold rose!

Then she captioned it: 【Complain about the courier—my gift from July 31st only just arrived in Hengdian】

July 31, 2006, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

This pure gold rose was not something Fan Xiaopang had just received; she'd had it before coming to Hengdian, but that didn't stop her from using it as an excuse to post it now.

What's the point of showing off sisterhood? If you're going to show off, show off love!

Fan Xiaopang wasn't sure if others had them, but knowing Yan Li's style, they probably did. But even if they had them, they were either an "ex-girlfriend" or nobody—daring not to post even if they had.

Fan Xiaopang went to apply her face mask in high spirits; Yan Li's phone was being flooded with calls.

The pure gold rose was Yan Li's new gimmick this year!

For Yan Li, the only women he truly valued each year were those on their birthdays; he couldn't be bothered with the rest of the holidays, but since this trend was popular now, he couldn't leave them empty-handed, so he mass-produced these "small gifts."

Jin Xin had already been given one; some had received more than one; giving another felt stale and cloying.

Gold zodiac gifts had already been given, and those were better suited for festivals like the Lunar New Year—not ideal for occasions like Qixi or Valentine's Day.

So he thought: everyone gives flowers on Valentine's Day, so he'd give flowers too.

But just giving flowers was too simple; he commissioned a goldsmith to craft a few pure gold roses—symbolic, and presentable.

For Yan Li, these pure gold roses, despite higher labor costs, weighed far less than a 1000-gram Jin Xin even if solid, looked elegant, and were cheap.

This year he gave gold roses, next year gold lilies, then gold roses again, the year after that gold butterfly orchids.

There were plenty of flowers symbolizing love; Yan Li wouldn't worry about Valentine's Day gifts for years.

But unexpectedly, Fan Xiaopang posted it on her blog.

Qin Lan and Dong Xuan, holding identical pure gold roses, came to confront him; those who hadn't received one whined and pouted indirectly.

After much effort, Yan Li calmed everyone down and called Fan Xiaopang.

"Sis, you hoping I die, right?"

Fan Xiaopang, expecting Yan Li's scolding, replied confidently: "My boyfriend gave me a gift—can't I post it? If you're so capable, make them post theirs too."

Yan Li: "..."

Fan Xiaopang's point was indeed piercing: what angered Qin Lan and Dong Xuan most wasn't that Yan Li had "cheated" them with identical gold roses, but that Fan Xiaopang could post hers while they couldn't.

One was an "ex-girlfriend," the other had no official status—they hated most that Fan Xiaopang held the position of Yan Li's public girlfriend.

Fan Xiaopang clearly understood this, and stabbed right at their hearts.

But while Fan Xiaopang could manipulate Dong and Qin, Yan Li could manipulate her too.

"You'd better not provoke them so much—if they really snap, I might not be able to stop them."

Fan Xiaopang shouted: "Let them all come—I won't say a single word of fear, I'll take your surname if I do."

"What if they get pregnant and force you to marry them?"

Yan Li's words silenced Fan Xiaopang: Dong and Qin cared little for their careers and were even willing to quit to bear Yan Li's child, but Fan Xiaopang, at the peak of her rise, couldn't afford to abandon her bright future.

In this matter, Yan Li, still young and not wanting to be a father, actually favored Fan Xiaopang.

But if Fan Xiaopang pushed too hard and provoked Dong and Qin into pulling the pregnancy card, and Yan Li fell for it, he couldn't just abort the child.

Fan Xiaopang fell silent.

She dared not gamble, couldn't afford to gamble—her greed for her career and her unwillingness to lose Yan Li made her utterly vulnerable to this move.

"Should I delete the blog post?"

"It's already posted—why delete it? Leave it as is."

Covering one's ears to steal a bell served no purpose and would only spark wild speculation; his main goal was to intimidate Fan Xiaopang.

Yan Li wasn't bluffing: intelligence reports revealed that Dong Xuan, repeatedly provoked by Qin Lan and Fan Xiaopang, had intensified her sense of crisis and was seriously considering this move—even drafting two plans.

Qin Lan wasn't that extreme, but if Dong Xuan got pregnant, no one knew what she'd do.

Yan Li planned to have a serious talk with Dong Xuan later.

She was still young—she should enjoy this blooming phase of life, not keep obsessing over becoming a mother—it was terrifying.

…

Fan Xiaopang's blog post was simple and straightforward, sparking widespread discussion.

On Qixi Festival, some give gold, more give flowers, but pure gold roses are rare indeed.

Yan Li's flair and generosity received widespread recognition.

Women expressed envy toward Fan Xiaopang; most men cursed loudly.

You can afford to give a gold rose—what are we supposed to do!?

A netizen leaked on Tianya that Yan Li had caused trouble: his girlfriend, charmed by the gold rose, asked him for one too, so he went to inquire at a gold shop.

A single gold rose, excluding labor costs, weighed more in gold than his annual salary.

Some couldn't afford it, but others imitated and learned.

Soon, people began posting identical gold roses on blogs and other platforms, further fueling the topic.

The gold rose subtly became a new trend of "love"; many gold shops even jumped on the bandwagon, launching various 【Wang Jinhua Packages】.

If you can't afford the original, you can buy hollow or smaller versions, or buds and micro-sized ones—choose according to need.

Besides downgrade versions, there were upgrade versions: from a single gold rose to a bouquet so heavy with gold flowers it became too much to hold.

This thoughtful design met many needs; buyers increased steadily, causing slight fluctuations in gold prices.

Neither Yan Li nor Fan Xiaopang had expected that a small gift and a single blog post could spark a minor trend.

In fact, both had underestimated their current influence, especially their combined influence.

One is a business newcomer, the other a top female star—talented man, beautiful woman, endless topics.

Though their union and certain aspects stirred controversy, it couldn't stop them from gradually becoming one of the nation's most famous and influential couples.

Many stars love forming couples or husband-wife teams because a male-female pairing achieves more than 1+1=2.

Over the past two years, Fan Xiaopang has been constantly in the spotlight; Yan Li deserves at least 50% of the credit.

Likewise, Yan Li's rise to prominence as one of the public's most recognizable businessmen in recent years owes much to help from numerous female stars—Fan Xiaopang stands first among them, her contribution immense.

Given this, their relationship inevitably drew widespread attention and admiration.

But for various reasons, the two rarely displayed affection publicly and had no specific medium, so the impact wasn't deeply felt.

This time, with the gold rose—a thing already designed to grab attention—their influence became unmistakable.

Fan Xiaopang was delighted; Qin Lan and Dong Xuan were seething.

A single blog post stole all the spotlight from the Teddy Sisters' reunion and the Four Fairies' gathering, while also flaunting their affection, drawing praise and envy from outsiders.

Qin Lan in Jingcheng was already sketching little dolls; Dong Xuan was so furious she nearly stormed onto the set of *The Legend of Yang Yuhuan* to challenge that seductive fox.

Sensing the resentment was too strong, Yan Li—who had planned to attend the launch of *The Legend of Chu Liuxiang*—suddenly went on a business trip out of town.

A few days later, once he sensed Dong Xuan's mood had improved, Yan Li came to Hengdian to visit the set.

Upon entering the crew, he saw Dong Xuan chatting warmly with a girl whose features resembled hers.

Had the girl not been wearing costume, Yan Li might have thought Dong Xuan's relative had come to visit.

Dong Xuan spotted Yan Li and was about to wave, but suddenly remembered something, stayed seated without rising; the girl beside her noticed the tension, turned, saw Yan Li, and immediately stood to greet him.

Yan Li glanced at her: "You're that Tong..."

"Tong Yaya."

She reminded him; he nodded—he still had some memory of her, apparently from an ethnic minority, currently studying at the Central Academy of Drama.

He looked at Tong Yaya's face, then at Dong Xuan's, and felt they weren't especially alike.

Their features and eyes looked similar at first glance, but facial contours differed: Dong Xuan's was rounder, Tong Yaya's was oval; many details varied.

In temperament, Dong Xuan was colder, more majestic, yet still gentle; Tong Yaya appeared warmer and sweeter.

More importantly, Dong Xuan had fair skin; this Tong Yaya was somewhat dark.

From certain angles or if not observed closely, one might think them similar—but upon careful observation, distinguishing them was not difficult.

Face collision!

Such cases were common in the entertainment industry: sometimes coincidence, sometimes deliberate.

When a female or male star became popular, agencies would seek new talents matching their traits—copying a successful template and leveraging the original for buzz.

In the past, rumors claimed Zhang Ziyi was cast in Zhang Yimou's films because the crew had sought someone resembling Gong Li; early on, Zhang was nicknamed "Little Gong Li."

Now, Zhang Ziyi's career is thriving, "Little Gong Li" is gone—but a "Little Zhang Ziyi" emerged; Yan Li remembered her name was something like Tong Yao, who had previously tangled with the son of Zhang Guoli.

Also, Sun Li was once called "Little Jiang Qinqin" when she debuted; Li Xiaolu was often compared to Zhou Young Master.

As Yan Li knew, Tang Ren's Chief Cai was recently promoting a newcomer called "Little Liu Tianxian."

Dong Xuan wasn't especially popular; Tong Yaya was just a newcomer, had barely acted before—likely coincidence.

Yan Li glanced at Tong Yaya twice, then plopped down beside Dong Xuan and teased.

"So, you're finding me another little sister-in-law?"

Dong Xuan snorted: "I'm your ex-girlfriend—why would I find you a little sister-in-law? If you want one, go find that talented-man-beautiful-woman fox of yours."

"That's what you said."

Yan Li half rose, pretending to leave: "I just came to Hengdian to see you—and if you're kicking me out, I'll go to her."

"Come back."

Dong Xuan wanted to hold out, but feared he'd truly leave—the *Legend of Yang Yuhuan* set wasn't far away; after hesitation, she reached out and pulled him back down.

Glancing at the awkward Tong Yaya beside her, Dong Xuan pursed her lips and gave a proper introduction, then added to Tong Yaya:

"We're used to teasing each other—don't mind it."

Publicly, she was Yan Li's "ex-girlfriend," but after breaking up, their relationship remained good—close friends; of course, everyone understood.

Neither Yan Li nor Dong Xuan tried too hard to hide it—mainly because it couldn't be hidden anyway.

Tong Yaya was sensible: "Sister Xuan, you two chat—I've got something to do."

Dong Xuan waved her off; she left; Yan Li watched her curiously.

"You two seem quite close."

Under normal circumstances, when two people look alike, they're inevitably compared, so their relationship rarely goes well, and they try their best to avoid appearing together.

But Dong Xuan and this Tong Yaya didn't seem to get that at all—otherwise, she wouldn't have just joked about her sister-in-law.

"Yaya's great—we really hit it off, like we've known each other forever."

Dong Xuan and Tong Yaya look alike, and their life experiences are also somewhat similar.

They studied dance from childhood, then got into a professional dance troupe, later felt acting careers were uncertain, went to a specialized school to study performance, and then debuted as an actress.

Looking alike, sharing similar experiences, having common topics, and matching personalities—they clicked instantly, and the more they talked, the closer they became. In just a few days, they were already like best friends, even making Guan Yue a little jealous.

"Damn, filming a drama and you pick up a major ally."

Yan Li had no concrete sense of how close they were, but when he heard Guan Yue was jealous too, he finally understood just how well-matched Dong Xuan and Tong Yaya were.

Yan Li originally thought Dong Xuan would focus on nurturing her student Yuan Shanshan, or court Mu Tingting from Beidian, or perhaps Han Xue with some connections, or the popular Shu Chang.

Unexpectedly, a newcomer, Tong Yaya, won Dong Xuan's favor.

Fate is truly mysterious.

"Listen to me—don't even think about hitting on her, or I'll never forgive you."

Dong Xuan warned Yan Li not to go after Tong Yaya, and Yan Li was speechless.

"I've got the real thing—why would I chase a fake? Besides, you know I like white skin."

Yan Li wasn't lying—Tong Yaya's skin was slightly dark, she had no money or fame, and she carried a slightly rustic air—she didn't meet Yan Li's increasingly picky standards.

The only thing worth Yan Li's attention was how similar her eyes and eyebrows were to Dong Xuan's—roughly speaking, she was half a twin.

If you stacked them together… hss…

Yan Li dared not imagine it—Qin Lan was gentle, Fan Xiaopang was easygoing, but Dong Xuan? She wasn't someone to mess with. If he dared stack her, she'd really bite it off.

Dong Xuan felt slightly reassured, but still kept a cautious eye out, planning to minimize Tong Yaya's appearances around Yan Li, just in case.

After a brief chat and seeing Dong Xuan's mood was fine, Yan Li took the chance to meet the rest of the crew.

When the boss arrived, the entire crew couldn't afford to be careless—those with free time came over to greet him, and Yan Li responded warmly to each one, until a beautiful woman with a thick accent spoke up.

"Yan shezhang, ni hao, wo shi Qiu Cixuan…"

After those two opening greetings, she switched entirely to Korean; a translator stood beside her to help communicate.

Yan Li smiled and asked: "With no shared language, isn't filming inconvenient?"

An assistant director explained: they had a translator; during filming, she spoke Korean, and they'd dub it later.

"Oh, I see."

Yan Li exchanged polite pleasantries, waited until Qiu Cixuan bowed and left with the translator, finished dealing with everyone else, then turned directly to the producer.

"Replace that Korean woman."

He'd already thought foreign actors would be inconvenient, but never this inconvenient.

With a translator, speaking Korean on set, struggling to match lip movements—it's more trouble than it's worth.

Sure, she's good-looking, but the entertainment industry doesn't lack beautiful women.

The boss gave the order, so the producer complied. Thus, Qiu Cixuan, still asking the translator why the crew boss was so young, learned the bad news from her agent.

"Why? Didn't that Yan shezhang seem to like me?"

Qiu Cixuan was confused—the young boss had smiled warmly, spoken gently, and she'd just told the translator he was nothing like those furious Korean bosses—yet now he'd fired her.

The translator was equally baffled—he'd been brought in by Qiu Cixuan, and if she was fired, he was done too.

After thinking it over, he told Qiu Cixuan: "From what I know, Yan Li—the Yan shezhang—is… unusually friendly toward women. Why don't you go beg him?"

"Beg him?"

Qiu Cixuan looked uneasy.

What the translator meant was Yan Li was lecherous—he'd be easy to persuade if she appealed to him privately, or sacrificed a little of her charm.

But Qiu Cixuan, raised in the Korean entertainment industry, was sensitive to such things and thought deeper, more complicated thoughts…

(End of Chapter)