Chapter 241: The

During these few days in Shanghai, Yan Li lived in quiet peace.

He worked during the day, went to Yang Rong's place to eat and sleep at night, and when he had free time, he wandered around Shanghai, buying things here and there.

Yan Li could make money, and he loved spending it.

He didn't understand why so many people worked themselves to death just to hoard their cash.

Sure, ordinary folks saving up for a house or a car, avoiding extravagance—that's understandable—but many billionaires, with money in hand, were still stingy.

Then what's the point of making money?

Just to play boss?

Yan Li didn't understand it, and he didn't copy it; as long as it didn't hurt his business, he set aside a little personal fund every year, then spent it whenever he had time.

He bought whatever he liked, bought whatever he thought was good, sometimes forgot about purchases right after buying them, occasionally wasted money—but Yan Li didn't care much.

He even crafted his own "logic": spending money, having no cash left, was the only thing that gave him the drive to earn more.

Just before leaving Shanghai, Yan Li went all out on a shopping spree, had Wu Maowen pack and mail the items meant for Beijing, then carried his bags of purchases straight to Yang Rong's place.

"Why did you buy so much again?"

Yang Rong stepped out of the kitchen wearing an apron; Yan Li sniffed twice: "Smells amazing—did you stew soup?"

"Just some tonic soup."

Yang Rong answered casually; Yan Li gave her a strange look—tonic soup? Wasn't she supposed to be begging for mercy by now?

"It's not for you."

Seeing Yan Li's expression, Yang Rong flushed with annoyance; Yan Li lifted the lid off the clay pot.

Ah—black chicken with red dates soup. Qin Lan had made it before—tonifies the spleen, boosts qi, nourishes yin and blood.

"You keep all the good stuff for yourself? I work myself to death and no one cares?"

Yan Li was dissatisfied—why hadn't any of these women made him tonic soup, herbal remedies, or anything to nourish his body? Not a hint of concern for their man.

Yang Rong rolled her eyes at him: "You? Want tonics? After you get them, you'll kill me."

The soup simmered on the stove; Yang Rong rummaged through the bags Yan Li had brought—this wasn't the first time; everything he brought was meant for her.

Jewelry, bags—all there—but mostly clothes, and most of them were the kind you couldn't wear in public.

Yang Rong's finger hooked a pair of underwear smaller than her apron pocket; her face turned bright red.

"I won't wear it."

Yan Li glanced at her, said nothing—he'd heard this before, and she'd always caved in the end.

He pulled her close, his hand slipping effortlessly under her clothes; Yang Rong offered a token struggle, then submitted quietly.

Yan Li moved his palm: "I'm leaving tomorrow."

Yang Rong bit her lip: "Oh."

Yan Li brought up Beijing again, as usual—he still held a favorable opinion of Yang Rong.

Gentle, obedient, yet not without spirit; compliant and sensible, with a touch of spice—quite charming.

Yang Rong still refused to move to Beijing, but perhaps because Yan Li was leaving, she felt reluctant and finally agreed to visit Beijing sometime soon.

"That'll do."

Yan Li nodded—he didn't force her to move, but the key was seeing her; if Yang Rong was willing to come to Beijing often, that was enough for him.

As they talked, Yang Rong's phone rang; she glanced at the caller ID and immediately tried to hang up—but Yan Li snatched it and answered.

Wang Ou's flippant voice came through: "Little Rongrong, you heartless thing—I've been busy with work and didn't call you, but you didn't call me either?"

"I've been rehearsing a play at the theater these past two days."

Yang Rong tried to grab the phone back but couldn't; she could only press her palms together, silently begging Yan Li not to speak.

Wang Ou kept talking: "Jiani's design sketches are done—I'll have her send them to you later."

"Okay."

"By the way, I might have an ad shoot in Hangzhou soon—I'll come visit you then."

"Fine."

"I won't stay at a hotel—I'll sleep at your place. We can sleep together, hehe, and I can even call Yan Li to drive him crazy."

"... m."

"You're answering word by word—what are you doing?"

"Eating."

"Can't you wait a bit?"

"Hungry."

"..."

Wang Ou chatted with Yang Rong for nearly twenty minutes before she finally found an excuse to hang up.

Yan Li was surprised—he hadn't known Wang Ou was this chatty in private; Yang Rong was usually aloof, yet Wang Ou had just talked nonstop by herself.

Yang Rong rubbed her slightly sore cheeks—what was this? If she hadn't hung up, this little chicken would've chattered for one or two hours straight.

Yan Li, as her "boyfriend," had no time for Wang Ou; she didn't trust anyone else—only Yang Rong was someone she could talk to without restraint.

Them calling or texting until their phones died was routine; to save on bills, they'd even signed up for a couple's plan.

Yan Li felt a bit disappointed—he'd hoped to stir up some noise for entertainment, but Yang Rong held back.

This woman had grit!

And with her leverage in his hands, Yan Li dared not push too far—so Wang Ou was truly fooled.

He sighed, seeing how strained Yang Rong looked; he simply picked her up and got down to business.

Yang Rong panicked: "The soup… the soup's still on the stove!"

Hearing that, Yan Li didn't let go—he carried Yang Rong straight into the kitchen and waited there for the soup to finish…

———

Beijing, The Grand Hyatt Wangfujing

On his first day back in Beijing, Yan Li attended the premiere of "Night Banquet."

Huayi threw a huge event, branding it a global premiere, inviting numerous media outlets and hosting over a thousand audience members.

The film's director Feng Xiaogang, lead actor Ge Daye, and main cast members Zhang Ziyi, Wu Yanzu, Zhou Young Master, Huang Xiaoming, Ma Jingwu—all were present.

Also in attendance to lend support were Xu Fan, Liu Huan, Wang Baoqiang, Zhang Hanyu, Huo Siyan, and other Huayi artists.

Yan Li, as one of the distributors, came just to join the buzz, bringing along Ning Hao, who was writing a script in Beijing.

They'd planned to walk straight in, but staff told them to take the red carpet.

Yan Li, dressed casually, didn't care—he chatted with senior officials from China Film Group and Arcadia CEO Zhuang Cheng as they walked.

Arcadia's owner was Lin Jianyue, a well-known Hong Kong billionaire and second-generation heir who had once dated Maggie Cheung.

But Lin had acquired Arcadia later and, with his own businesses, didn't actively manage it; day-to-day operations were handled entirely by CEO Zhuang Cheng.

The group chatted casually, soaking in the crowd's cheers as the main cast and Huayi stars passed by.

No need to elaborate on powerhouse actors like Ge Daye—what stood out were the rising stars.

Huang Xiaoming, enjoying home-field advantage and at the peak of his popularity, overshadowed Wu Yanzu.

As for the "Four Little Divas," Zhang Ziyi, the female lead, drew louder cheers than Zhou Young Master.

Even among the Four Little Divas, there was a hierarchy.

Xiao Yanzi stood alone at the top—her national recognition was too overwhelming; the "Two Soldiers" were merely trying to piggyback on the "Four Divas," but originally, the other three had been trying to piggyback on Xiao Yanzi.

Though Xiao Yanzi had faced scandals these past few years—even recently been dealt with by Yan Li—her deep foundation kept her firmly in first place.

Zhang Ziyi held second place securely; despite her controversies, she had real international prestige, awards piled up, and had swept every major Chinese film prize—Golden Rooster, Hong Kong Film Awards, Hundred Flowers, and Huabiao.

Recently, she'd even been bowed to by the president of the Venice Film Festival, making her the talk of the town.

In film, Zhang held an absolute lead over the other three divas—otherwise, she wouldn't have been cast as the female lead over Zhou Young Master, who had joined Huayi.

Had her public image and reputation been slightly better, she might have challenged Xiao Yanzi directly.

Third was Zhou Young Master—she wasn't bad at all; she had achievements, reputation, and popularity—but simply not as outstanding as the first two, so she remained suppressed.

Xu Cai'nv had been at the bottom since the beginning and remained there; her only claim to fame was the "talented woman" title and high blog traffic.

This "Night Banquet" was essentially a showdown between Zhang and Zhou.

But in every aspect, Zhang had dominated Zhou.

Yan Li didn't know whether Zhang Ziyi was just that powerful—or whether Huayi had lost its mind.

Never mind the rest—this was their own movie, their own event—and yet outsiders were overshadowing their own company's "number one."

Even if you couldn't beat her, couldn't you at least cheat a little?

For example, bring in more of Zhou Young Master's fans, rearrange fan seating to give her an edge, or pair her with popular Huang Xiaoming to form a united front.

There were countless tricks—yet none were used.

Yan Li even suspected the event planner was Li Xue, using this to help her sister step on Zhou Young Master.

Hmm, maybe the Wang brothers were eyeing Zhang Ziyi—rumors had long circulated that Huayi wanted to sign her.

Either way, it was clear Huayi didn't value Zhou Young Master.

They never treated their own people like people—same old problem.

Yan Li grumbled inwardly, but he was actually quite pleased—he even hoped Zhang Ziyi would sign with Huayi.

Two divas and one soldier, plus other actresses—yes, the crowd would swell, but internally, Huayi's artists would tear each other apart.

He'd heard: Huayi's talent agency was now split into two teams—one led by Li Xue, managing Li Bingbing and others; the other led by Zhou Young Master.

Once Huang Xiaoming signs with Huayi, he'll likely lead a third team; rumors also say Su Youpeng and Lin Xinru are jumping from Qiong Yao's company to Huayi—could they possibly serve under Li, Zhou, and Huang?

The Wang brothers had better keep the resources flowing and the IPO on track—otherwise, another mass artist exodus might happen again.

Watching the spectacle, it was time to enter—the film was produced by Media Asia, and China Film held high status, so they entered first.

Compared to the previously popular stars, these behind-the-scenes big shots, though powerful, drew little attention.

But when Yan Li appeared, the cheers noticeably surged, his momentum even rivaling that of the earlier hot stars.

Many in the hall turned to look curiously, thinking a star had arrived late; upon seeing Yan Li, they nodded with mild surprise yet perfect understanding. Unlike ordinary behind-the-scenes figures, this man truly had considerable fame and popularity.

Even as a mere actor, Yan Li ranked among the top stars present today.

With all his accolades and media exposure, only a handful of major or current idols—Zhang, Zhou, Ge, Liu, Huang—could overshadow him in popularity.

Yan Li had rarely walked the red carpet and lacked experience.

But his confidence was solid, his composure steady; he showed no sign of nervousness, calmly waved to the crowd, strode confidently down the red carpet, uttered a few generic remarks, and walked straight inside.

Many big names had come for "The Night Banquet," but Yan Li was among them; added to his earlier spotlight, people kept approaching him to greet him as soon as he entered.

The quickest to act was Hu Siyan.

She had actually wanted to be his date, but Yan Li ignored her and told her to enter first.

After entering, she didn't wander off; she waited near the entrance for Yan Li, and the moment he arrived, she clung to him.

Yan Li understood this girl well enough, and since she made no effort to hide her intentions, her motives were plain to him.

With so many big names and power players here today, she couldn't stand out—yet she wanted to be seen in this setting, so she had no choice but to cling to a powerful man.

Yan Li didn't know what to say.

This girl wasn't particularly money-grubbing, nor was she career-driven, but she had a strong vanity, loved being pampered, and craved the spotlight.

Her clinging to Yan Li often stemmed from this: with his protection and a vague connection, many would look at her more favorably.

Seeing Hu Siyan's ingratiating smile, Yan Li didn't shoo her away; he let her stay beside him.

Besides Hu Siyan, another member of the Teddy Sisterhood, Xiong Naijin, who worked at Huayi, was also present.

Seeing Yan Li, Xiong Naijin came over to greet him.

Though a member of the Teddy Sisterhood, Xiong Naijin had rarely met Yan Li; even when they did, it was always in group settings with Qin, Hu, and Li in front, leaving her no room to speak.

Today, finally alone with Yan Li, she'd hoped to chat more, but Hu Siyan found an excuse to shoo her off.

Yan Li stared at Hu Siyan in silence—the Seven Fairies' "sisterly bond" was no better than the Teddy Sisterhood's.

Ignoring Hu Siyan's petty squabbles, Yan Li focused entirely on networking.

Several key creators of "The Night Banquet" came over to speak with Yan Li; Yi'an, as the distributor, made Yan Li half their boss this time.

"Director Yan."

Huang Xiaoming, bald from playing "The Deer and the Cauldron," bowed respectfully; Yan Li smiled and shook his hand.

"Xiaoming, we're fated to collaborate again."

During the Phoenix Fight, Yi'an handled distribution and naturally interacted with Huang Xiaoming, but Yan Li was busy; they'd only met once.

Huang Xiaoming had psychological trauma around Yan Li and wanted to avoid him, yet he could never escape Yan Li's grasp.

Besides "The Night Banquet," "The Deer and the Cauldron" next was almost certainly Yan Li's distribution.

Oh, and the production team behind Huang Xiaoming's "New Shanghai" had also contacted Yi'an—they might have to collaborate again.

Huang Xiaoming forced a smile: "Yes, Director Yan, please take care of me."

"No need for favors—just mutual support."

Yan Li patted Huang Xiaoming's shoulder; unlike Huang's psychological dread, Yan Li didn't take him seriously at all.

Aside from casually tricking him during "The Legend of the Condor Heroes"—and even that wasn't intentional malice—Yan Li had treated Huang fairly.

If Yan Li had truly wanted to crush him, Huang wouldn't have reached this position.

Even without exposing scandals, just a few well-placed obstacles would've crippled Huang's rising career.

Of course, Huang Xiaoming's fame had grown, and he'd now clung to Huayi's leg—he seemed no longer the same man, but Yan Li still didn't care.

If Huang Xiaoming dared to challenge him, Yan Li would make him regret it in seconds.

But whether warned or simply unwilling to clash, Huang had always remained obedient, respectful every time he met Yan Li.

He knew how to behave, and Yan Li wasn't arrogant or domineering, so on the surface, they got along well.

But Hu Siyan, enjoying the drama, goaded Yan Li to punish Huang by reminding him that Qin Lan had once been pursued by Huang.

This incident had been exposed earlier when Huang was targeted, and with Hu Ke's scandal, many believed they were at odds.

"If you keep yapping, I'll deal with you first."

Yan Li didn't physically punish her in front of so many people, but he still scolded her.

Hu Siyan's eyes lit up: "Good! Punish me—do whatever you want."

Yan Li: "..."

Later, Yan Li exchanged brief greetings with Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Young Master, just polite small talk, less than he'd spoken with Huang Xiaoming.

Hu Siyan stared at Yan Li strangely—these two were major leading ladies; his coldness didn't match his usual style.

Actually, Yan Li wasn't uninterested in them; they were the current leading ladies, their fame alone enough to attract attention.

But to him, they were merely celebrities—Zhou Young Master was acceptable, but Zhang Ziyi simply didn't match his taste.

More importantly, they weren't on the same path.

Not only weren't they on the same path—they were enemies. Yan Li wanted to promote Fan Xiaopang, had close ties with Li Bing, and would inevitably clash with the Four Dan over interests.

Under these circumstances, even if they were as alluring as spirits, Yan Li wouldn't lift a finger.

He was lustful, but never let lust cloud his judgment or betray his company's development or other women's loyalty.

The two leading ladies felt the same.

Yan Li had some appeal, but they weren't on the same path, and both had partners now—no need to steal from each other's bowls.

But Yan Li had no reason to explain any of this to Hu Siyan; he continued chatting with others.

Hu Siyan followed him everywhere, like a secretary—wherever he went, she went.

In the hall, Yan Li drew considerable attention, and naturally, some noticed her.

Hu Siyan was sensitive to these glances; she unconsciously straightened her back, as if it were she—not Yan Li—who was chatting with the Wang brothers and the CEO of HuanYa.

After some networking, the premiere began; the host took the stage to run the program.

Yan Li wasn't interested in this; he found a corner seat and started texting on his phone.

Hu Siyan didn't follow him—she was a guest star, with a scheduled speech on stage.

But after delivering her speech and stepping down, she didn't return to her seat; instead, she quietly slipped out of the theater.

This wasn't unusual—many stars merely showed up for the event, to generate news; due to tight schedules, they'd speak, then leave, and no one stopped them.

But Hu Siyan didn't truly leave; after a few minutes outside, she quietly slipped back in, swapped seats with someone beside Yan Li, and sat down next to him.

Yan Li: "..."

Had he given this girl too much leeway? She was too clingy.

Hu Siyan sensed his mood, pretended not to notice, smiled sweetly, then extended both hands to massage his legs.

Yan Li glanced at the person beside him—no one noticed; he patted Hu Siyan's hands, told her to behave, and resumed texting.

Seeing this, Hu Siyan dared not misbehave—until the movie started, the lights dimmed, and the seats grew dark, then she resumed her antics.

Yan Li had given up on her; he focused on the film.

In fact, he'd already seen "The Night Banquet" in its final cut—and even the uncut version.

His evaluation: four words—unclassifiable.

It draped a Western Shakespearean opera over a Chinese setting—neither Chinese nor foreign.

The ending was even worse: all major characters died mysteriously, then a pretentious open-ended twist was tacked on.

Still, apart from its tone and plot, "The Night Banquet" had merits: costume, makeup, and set design were excellent; the actors delivered brilliant performances.

Ge Daye's portrayal of the brooding, ambitious schemer reminded viewers that this man had once won a Cannes Best Actor award before his Feng-style comedies.

But perhaps because he'd played too many comedies, there was still a hint of miscasting.

Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Young Master both performed well; especially Zhang Ziyi—she nailed the character's cruelty, sorrow, ambition, turmoil, and madness.

No wonder so many renowned directors wanted her; among the current leading ladies, her acting was unquestionably top-tier.

Zhang Ziyi didn't just deliver strong acting—she also delivered on sacrifice, offering plenty of bold scenes, including a bed scene with Ge Daye.

Perhaps to attract box office, these days, any big film—regardless of need—had to include a few bed scenes or bold sequences.

"The Night Banquet," with its plot of an emperor obsessed with his queen, killing his brother to seize her, didn't feel forced; the scenes were well-shot; Yan Li watched and gave a silent salute.

Hmm, not just because of the movie.

Also because this girl, Hu Siyan, was being unfaithful—using the film to tease him.

Yan Li couldn't help glaring at her, but the theater was dark—he didn't know if she saw it; her actions didn't stop.

Not only did they not stop—she worried he was cold, took off her coat, draped it over his legs, then thought it wasn't enough and tried to crawl into his lap to warm him.

But Yan Li stopped her.

Come on—people on both sides weren't fools; such obvious movements would give them away immediately.

In fact, even now, some had noticed something—though most were focused on the film and ignored their small actions.

But there were people like Xiong Naijin, who paid special attention to Yan Li and Hu Siyan.

Earlier, when Hu Siyan left after her speech, Xiong Naijin had sensed something odd; later, she slipped out to find her and discovered Hu Siyan had secretly returned to Yan Li.

So she didn't return to her original seat; instead, she settled into another corner to observe them.

Because the theater was dim, and angles and movements were subtle, Xiong Naijin hadn't seen anything concrete—but relying on a woman's instinct, she sensed something was off, that they were definitely up to something.

Hmph~

Xiong Naijin hadn't expected Hu Siyan, who constantly preached "sisterly love," to secretly steal Qin Lan's man.

Should she expose her—or use this to extract some benefit...

————

PS: Short by 2000, to be made up later

(End of Chapter)