Chapter 246: Birthday Hell, Reunion with Dong Xuan

November, Taishi City, Shanxi Province

Yan Li attended the opening ceremony of the Taishi Yi'an Cinema, under the Yi'an Cinema Chain.

This was the first new cinema ever built independently by Yi'an Cinema Chain since its founding.

The reason it opened ahead of so many other cinemas was largely due to Yi'an's shareholders' influence in Shanxi Province, which streamlined countless procedures and provided substantial assistance with construction.

Although Yi'an is a national cinema chain, its layout is still subject to regional constraints due to various factors.

At this stage, because it primarily operates in first- and second-tier cities, this limitation is still not obvious.

Later, if it expands into third- and fourth-tier cities, Shanxi Province—where shareholders have influence, Yan Li's home province of Shandong, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region with Yan Li's reach, and cities covered by China Resources' industry will be Yi'an's primary development targets.

Of course, if it later acquires local cinemas or absorbs other shareholders, the layout will be adjusted accordingly.

Because this was the first new cinema opening, Yi'an pulled out all the stops.

Not only did Yan Li come in person, he also brought in numerous celebrities, even moving the entire cast and crew of "Mo Gong," currently in promotion, to the scene.

Major stars from "Mo Gong"—Li Tianwang, Fan Xiaopang, Wang Zhiwen, Wu Qilong—along with many other celebrities, created a dazzling spectacle that caused a major stir among Taishi's citizens and firmly embedded this new cinema in their memories.

Tan Jing, a singer from Shanxi Province, was performing at the opening event; Yan Li took the opportunity to show Fan Xiaopang and others around the interior of the cinema.

Although the Taishi Yi'an Cinema cannot yet be called a five-star luxury cinema, it stands out among standard cinemas.

Covering over 2,500 square meters, it has five screening rooms, one luxury VIP room, nearly 700 total seats, two of which support 3D film projection, with top-tier equipment and spacious, elegant surroundings.

In Taishi City, and even across the entire Shanxi Province, it may not be the absolute best cinema, but it is certainly among the top.

Other artists had seen many luxurious cinemas; while this one in Taishi was good, it didn't astonish them—they offered polite compliments and that was enough.

The one who felt the most different was Fan Xiaopang: others came for the spectacle; she came to inspect her own business, and the more she saw, the happier she became.

She even pulled her assistant aside to take photos, asking for multiple shots to post on her blog later—for promotion and to show off.

Yan Li knew the girl's personality and specifically warned her to tone it down.

Don't act like the boss's wife inspecting her empire—be careful not to provoke Qin Lan and Dong Xuan.

Baby warning!

Fan Xiaopang sighed: "Can you not douse me with cold water when I'm happy?"

Yan Li nodded: "Then do as you please."

Fan Xiaopang's smile faded; she muttered a few things, then went to take photos with other celebrities, minimizing her own presence and shifting focus toward promotion.

Yan Li watched her behavior, sighed, and pulled her, along with the Taishi branch manager, and Director Director Director Director Ning Hao—who had been brought along by Yan Li as a fellow Shanxi native to lend support.

The four of them posed for a photo at the cinema entrance, then had their assistant post it on the blog.

Although nominally a photo of insiders, one was an unknown branch manager, the other was Director Director Director Director Ning Hao working behind the scenes—neither could match the spotlight of Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang.

At this special moment, Fan Xiaopang accompanying Yan Li to the event, posing together, and publishing the photo carried meaning of its own.

Indeed, Fan Xiaopang's expression brightened; taking advantage of the sparse crowd, she kissed Yan Li on the lips.

"I love you so much."

Yan Li gritted his teeth: "I'm keeping score on this one—you'll pay me back later."

Now that this photo was posted, he'd have to find a way to put out the fire; whatever trouble he suffered, he'd make Fan Xiaopang pay for it.

"Come on, come on."

No matter how much she was tormented in private, Fan Xiaopang never backed down verbally—she even goaded him on.

"Then don't leave today."

Yan Li wouldn't indulge her; originally, Fan Xiaopang was only in Taishi briefly for promotion, planning to leave after lunch, but now Yan Li intended to help her take a day off.

Fan Xiaopang: "..."

Can I just say I was joking now...

After the opening ceremony, Yan Li thanked the guests and journalists who came to support or perform, then had dinner with local officials and shareholders.

There were evening engagements, so he carved out half an hour to hold a brief meeting with the cinema's management.

Although the cinema was new, its resources were excellent and its reputation already established; with the upcoming New Year season approaching, Yan Li had certain expectations for its performance.

Additionally, as the first new cinema, Taishi Yi'an Cinema was expected to provide data and operational experience to headquarters, and possibly participate in staff training.

Currently, besides Taishi, Yi'an operates six cinemas total.

But the other five are all former acquired cinemas; though renovated to some extent, their scale and equipment cannot compare to the new one.

For these six cinemas, including the few more opening before the New Year, Yan Li's box office targets aren't particularly high.

But he strongly requires these cinemas to help the company develop an efficient, refined management and operational system.

Cinemas are fundamentally a service industry—attitude and attention to detail determine everything; a good business model saves costs, improves efficiency, and boosts box office revenue.

Yi'an Cinema Chain is a new chain, constantly claiming to build modern cinemas.

"Modern" doesn't just mean better equipment and decor than those old cinemas—it also means opening up new thinking, establishing a more stable, advanced advantage.

In plain terms: compete harder.

If competitors hit 40, Yi'an hits 60; if they hit 60, Yi'an hits 80.

Other cinemas still think of movie theaters as places just to watch films; Yi'an is exploring community integration, crafting a unique offline viewing experience.

At first glance, Yan Li's demands seem bizarre—why overcomplicate running a cinema?

But that's not true—box office revenue is only one part of a cinema's income; cinemas don't rely solely on ticket sales.

Revenue from drinks, popcorn, offline advertising, merchandise, venue rentals, service fees, and other miscellaneous sources adds up significantly.

In ordinary cinemas, non-ticket revenue accounts for about 10% to 20%; if done well, it can reach over 30%.

In North America, where cinema commercialization is advanced and the market mature, it sometimes reaches 40%.

This is only the cinema chain's own bookkeeping revenue—it doesn't even include the related resources behind various partnerships and events.

For example, advertising, merchandise, and cross-industry activities—Yan Li can easily hand those over to Yi'an to handle.

That means the theater chain makes a profit, and Yan Li's own company makes another profit on top of that.

Why does Yan Li build an industrial chain? Because once the chain is formed, every single stage from start to finish can make money.

Besides the industrial chain, there are also various side opportunities—Yan Li doesn't care about them, but he can hand them over to those close to him.

Things like sourcing food and toys, vending machines, rental commissions for massage chairs, and so on—Yan Li sees them as trivial, but to ordinary people, they're precious sources of income.

Precisely because of this, the theater chain isn't just about making money for Yan Li—it's a towering tree that supports a large group of people.

No matter how much money Yan Li pulls from the stock market, if those around him can't benefit, he's no more than a rootless floating weed.

Once such physical enterprises grow large, they automatically gather a large circle of shared interests around Yan Li. Though it gives him plenty of headaches, the benefits to him are substantial.

So Yi'an is far more than just opening a cinema and calling it a day.

It must be community-oriented, enhance brand loyalty, increase user retention, while also feeding back box office data to form a healthy positive cycle and become the service benchmark for domestic theater chains.

【Make going to Yi'an to watch movies a form of enjoyment】

This was the new slogan Yan Li had already announced at headquarters; now, in Taishi, they must follow this slogan and become the pioneer of Yi'an's exploration into new models and community building.

After the meeting ended, Yan Li was busy with social obligations and didn't return to the hotel until nearly one o'clock.

The sound of the door waking Fan Xiaopang, who had been napping on the sofa; he rubbed his eyes, stepped forward eagerly for a hug and a kiss, then pointed at the cake on the coffee table.

"Darling, happy birthday."

Yan Li hugged Fan Xiaopang and smiled: "You really took time off?"

The whole "helping you take leave" was just a joke—Fan Xiaopang was busy; staying an extra day, missing appointments, was a hassle for her.

But Yan Li didn't take leave—yet Fan Xiaopang voluntarily requested time off from the Mo Gong cast.

With Yan Li's influence, plus Fan Xiaopang's promise to contribute more to the promotion, the cast readily let her go.

"I missed you, and besides, your birthday's coming up—I have to celebrate it with you."

November 13th, Yan Li's twenty-sixth birthday, is still two days away—Fan Xiaopang is celebrating early.

Yan Li didn't say it aloud, but he truly appreciated Fan Xiaopang's arrangement.

This girl may be troublesome, but when she needs to be sweet and obedient, she's never disappointed Yan Li.

"Where's my birthday present?"

Yan Li reached out for the gift—he usually gives presents to these women, so on his own birthday, he gets to recoup a little.

Fan Xiaopang tossed her hair, her loose pajamas revealing a glimpse of skin, her peach-blossom eyes seductive, her voice sultry.

"I'm the gift."

"You're good at saving money."

Yan Li teased, but then again—he had no shortage of money, bought whatever he liked himself, and ordinary gifts simply couldn't match Fan Xiaopang herself in appealing to him.

Thinking of this, Yan Li picked her up and tossed her onto the bed; Fan Xiaopang gasped.

"You haven't made a wish over the cake yet!"

"You're tastier than the cake."

————

Fan Xiaopang left the next day, grumbling but radiant; Yan Li didn't linger in Jin Province either, returning to Jingcheng.

As soon as he landed, he heard a thunderclap—Dong Xuan had taken leave from Jiang Province and returned to Jingcheng to celebrate his birthday!

Just this alone was good news, but combined with another piece of news, it was a thunderclap: Qin Lan was also on her way back from France to Jingcheng.

Many scenes and plotlines of "Again, a Curtain of Dreams" were filmed in France.

Qin Lan's leave of absence—not only was the journey exhausting, but even getting the cast to agree took considerable effort.

This damn intelligence system reported too late; by the time Yan Li found out, there was no escaping it.

No way around it—now that Yan Li's empire keeps expanding, he gets only 1 to 10 pieces of intelligence daily, and it's nowhere near enough.

Not to mention Yan Li actively triggers intelligence through subconscious means, drastically lowering the probability of triggering many non-critical passive reports.

This time, the system only reported Qin Lan's effortful, surprise-planned return.

Dong Xuan's leave and return to Jingcheng? Yan Li only found out when she called him.

What the hell am I supposed to do now!

Yan Li was worried—Dong Xuan had already arranged the birthday banquet; Qin Lan had returned from France—there was no avoiding them, and ignoring either was unacceptable.

What if… I celebrate with both of them together?

Yan Li thought he'd gone mad—forcing them together was asking for trouble.

But there was no choice—his birthday was only one day, both had their own plans, neglecting either was inappropriate, and Yan Li simply couldn't be in two places at once.

"After all, it's my birthday—they should at least give me some face."

Yan Li comforted himself, then chose the Sihe Academy on Yangjiao Deng Hutong as the birthday venue.

In this situation, going to Qin Lan's place or Dong Xuan's place was inappropriate; renting another apartment would make them suspicious—Yangjiao Deng Hutong was known to both, and they'd visited together before; familiar place, familiar people, seeking good fortune.

Dong Xuan, being in Jingcheng, arrived early.

Although the Sihe Academy was regularly cleaned, she still worried about hygiene, wiping and polishing with a cloth, while asking Yan Li:

"Isn't it a bit too quiet if it's just the two of us? Why not invite Yan Xin, Jiacuan, and Guan Yue? More people, more fun."

This was Dong Xuan's original plan—to gather everyone for a lively celebration and show off her relationship with Yan Li, so no one would gossip behind their backs.

That sly fox only showed up for the theater opening—like a ceremonial hostess—what's so impressive? I'm the rightful queen…

Yan Li, studying the menu, mumbled: "It's fine, someone else is coming soon."

"Who?"

"You'll find out when they arrive."

Yan Li wouldn't tell the truth; Dong Xuan wasn't stupid—she dropped the cloth: "Tell me clearly—who is it?"

"Someone familiar."

"Who's this acquaintance?"

"Cough, surname Qin."

Seeing he could no longer hide it, and guessing she'd arrive soon, Yan Li finally let slip the truth—Dong Xuan nearly hurled the kitchen pot at his head, her fair face flushed with rage.

"Asshole, go be with her yourself."

Yan Li grabbed her arm and pleaded, "She just got back from France and caught me off guard—what could I do? Give me some face, harmony brings wealth."

"Wealth your ass."

Dong Xuan shot back, tossed off her apron, and turned to leave—Yan Li added softly, "If you walk out, this yard will be hers alone—she gets the benefits, you get nothing but a belly full of anger."

"..."

Dong Xuan pointed at Yan Li and spat, "You're shameless."

Yan Li, thick-skinned, wasn't fazed by her insults; Dong Xuan paced the kitchen, then dragged a master's chair into the yard's center, determined to make sure Qin Lan saw her the moment she stepped through the gate.

Maybe Qin Lan would get angry and leave outright—saving trouble.

On the other side, Wu Maowen, ordered to pick her up, parked outside the yard: "Sister-in-law, you go in yourself—I've got something to attend to."

Qin Lan, naturally good-natured, was especially warm toward Wu Maowen, Yan Li's childhood friend and driver.

"Give the errand to someone else—you're here for your brother's birthday, just stay and have a drink with him."

Wu Maowen shook his head vigorously: "I really have something urgent—I won't intrude."

Qin Lan assumed Wu Maowen feared disturbing her and Yan Li's private moment, so she didn't press further.

"Alright, drive carefully."

Wu Maowen waited until Qin Lan grabbed her luggage and stepped out, then sped off—had the alley allowed it, he'd have floored the accelerator.

Too slow, and he'd end up covered in blood!

Unaware of this, Qin Lan pushed open the yard gate, passed the screen wall, and called out energetically:

"I'm back—"

Before she finished, she saw Dong Xuan seated calmly on the master's chair, staring at her—her smile froze, faded, then hardened into battle mode.

"Why are you here?"

Dong Xuan smiled coolly: "That's a strange thing to say—it's my house. Who else should be here?"

Qin Lan sneered: "Heh, is your name on the deed? How bold of you."

Dong Xuan didn't back down: "If not mine, is it yours?"

Qin Lan stood her ground: "It's not hers."

"Enough, enough—I'm about to forget what the word 'name' even means. If you both insist, I'll put both your names on it."

Yan Li stepped out to mediate; Qin Lan had traveled far—he moved to take her luggage, but she glanced at him and refused to let go.

She'd flown from her shoot to Paris, then from Paris straight to China, rushed from the airport here—exhausted, heart full of hope to celebrate his birthday.

And this bastard brought Dong Xuan here—what did he think of her?

"Cough, it was an accident—what could I do? Just make do. Give me some face."

Yan Li whispered urgently, but Qin Lan ignored him, gripping the suitcase tightly.

Still, because Dong Xuan was present, she didn't storm out.

Yan Li repeated his old line: "She's waiting to laugh at you—if you hold out like this, you're playing right into her hands."

Qin Lan shot Yan Li a venomous glare, then loosened her grip.

The trick doesn't need to be new—it just needs to work.

Stir Dong Xuan to provoke Qin Lan, stir Qin Lan to provoke Dong Xuan—as long as both were competing and unwilling to tear things apart, Yan Li's tactic never failed.

Seeing the scene, Dong Xuan realized Qin Lan wouldn't leave—she couldn't be bothered to look at this hateful face, picked up the master's chair, and walked inside.

Qin Lan followed Yan Li into the house; he addressed both: "Today's my birthday—no fighting, no arguing, just eat a proper meal."

Dong Xuan rolled her eyes and ignored him; Qin Lan studied him, then suddenly asked:

"Is Fan coming?"

This bastard could bring them together—maybe there was a third person involved.

Her question reminded Dong Xuan too—so focused on being angry at Qin Lan, she'd nearly forgotten that seductive fox.

Yan Li shook his head: "She's busy. If you miss her, I'll arrange it next year."

"Arrange you—"

Qin Lan glanced at Dong Xuan, bit back the curse, but couldn't resist pinching him.

Dong Xuan snapped forward and shoved her away: "Don't touch him."

Before Yan Li could feel touched, Dong Xuan herself reached out and pinched him—this bastard was too low to go unpunished, but only she could pinch her own man.

"Just a joke—only the two of you, only you two."

Yan Li, thick-skinned, didn't care about the pinches—he sweet-talked them both.

Qin Lan and Dong Xuan exchanged a glance—approval, anger, hostility, scrutiny, caution—all flickered between them.

Humans crave and pursue uniqueness!

Others don't have it—I do. Even if that uniqueness is twisted, and even if others share it too, as long as there's a contrast with the ordinary, it inevitably leaves an impact.

Yan Li lied, wheedled, and juggled them back and forth—finally stabilizing them, at least preventing them from walking out or erupting in chaos.

The atmosphere remained awkward and tense, far from harmonious, the tension not yet explosive.

This stemmed from their last violent clash, after which Yan Li had suppressed them and forcibly reconciled them.

Once happens, twice follows—having already shared a meal once, this was merely another meal; their inner resistance was weaker.

Yan Li felt his move, though risky, had benefits.

He couldn't just stir them up—he had to make them meet, slowly raising their tolerance thresholds for him and for each other, ensuring peace in his harem.

The Heavenly King never meets the King; when they hold back, they brawl, but when they finally meet, it's like a meteor hitting Earth—always ends badly.

Yan Li didn't expect them to get along harmoniously, but he hoped they could at least coexist peacefully.

"I'll go cook. You two wait for dinner. If you want to chat, chat. If not, the east and west chambers are ready—each of you go back to your own space."

It was his birthday, and Dong Qin had gathered together; Yan Li rarely cooked himself, so he prepared a full birthday feast.

For this reason, even if they argued, they wouldn't flip the table.

"Wait a minute."

Qin Lan blocked Yan Li, then opened the suitcase and took out a finely wrapped box and a bag.

"I brought you birthday gifts from France—the box is a watch, supposedly from a brand once used by the French royal family; the bag contains a signed Manchester United jersey by Cantona. You like United, right? I had someone specially track it down."

After speaking to Yan Li, Qin Lan glanced at Dong Xuan with a hint of provocation—her meaning clear: What did you bring?

Dong Xuan snorted. Normally, she might have been overshadowed by Qin Lan.

After all, the gifts came from thousands of miles away, carrying exotic charm and scarcity.

But this time, luck favored her—she'd found something excellent in Xinjiang. Dong Xuan pulled a palm-sized box from her bag and withdrew a seal slightly thicker than a thumb.

"Do you know what Hetian yellow jade is?"

Dong Xuan handed the seal over. Yan Li glanced at it—the color was a deep yellow, oily and lustrous like fat, nearly free of impurities, truly top-grade.

Since 2003, when Beijing's Olympic medals were confirmed to use Hetian jade, the price of Hetian jade has risen steadily; this quality of yellow jade costs at least several thousand per gram. This seal weighed roughly twenty to thirty grams.

More crucial than the price was its scarcity—now constantly appreciating, many hoard it waiting for higher value, so high-quality pieces rarely circulate.

At this quality and weight, the price might not be especially high, but its rarity still carried weight.

"Hmph. Jade counterfeiting is rampant—who knows if you got scammed?"

Qin Lan saw Yan Li's clear fondness for the seal and grew jealous; Dong Xuan's expression changed.

"Can you even speak properly? Your jersey might be a fake signature."

Qin Lan was about to retort, but Yan Li stopped her, kissing each of them once on the cheek.

"Real or fake doesn't matter. Value doesn't matter. What matters is the sentiment—and more importantly, I love both of your gifts."

Dong Xuan, kissed last, acted as if she'd been touched by something filthy, frantically rubbing her face.

"Stop touching me."

"I used my mouth."

Ignoring their struggles, Yan Li kissed each of them again—this time first Dong Xuan, then Qin Lan, ensuring neither felt slighted.

Eventually, Yan Li was chased into the kitchen by the two women. Once alone, they exchanged a glance, each snorting softly—the atmosphere grew slightly tense.

After a moment of silence, Qin Lan spoke first: "Today is Yan Li's birthday. I don't want him embarrassed—I'm letting you off this time. Don't provoke me."

Dong Xuan sneered. "You're awfully fond of him."

Qin Lan nodded, matter-of-factly: "Of course. I love him most. For him, I'd give up anything. Unlike you, his ex-girlfriend, always talking about feelings—you've broken up already. Who knows how much of it was real?"

Dong Xuan visibly flushed. Just as Qin Lan expected her to explode, Dong Xuan suddenly smiled.

"Trying to provoke me? When I was with Yan Li, you didn't even exist. Five or six years of relationship—something you, a newcomer, have no right to question."

"Whether you're pretending to be sweet or obedient, today I'm giving Yan Li face. Next time, I'll settle the score with you."

"…."

Though laced with barbs and sarcasm, Qin Lan and Dong Xuan reached a tacit truce—for now.

Afterwards, the two women, still unable to stand each other, prepared to return to their respective chambers. Just as they reached the door, Qin Lan suddenly remembered something.

"What about tonight?"

Dong Xuan paused, confidently replying: "You go home."

Qin Lan rolled her eyes. "Why don't you go home?"

Dong Xuan nodded. "Fine. I'll go home with Yan Li. You stay here and watch the house."

Qin Lan laughed bitterly. "If you're going to play like this, then let's all just stall. No one gets an advantage."

"That works."

Dong Xuan accepted the plan—no one gained, no one lost.

Qin Lan hesitated. She could accept it too—but one concern lingered: "This bastard might be scheming."

Qin Lan had experience with this. Last New Year's Eve, Yan Li seized the chance to pull off "Ice Orchid in Bloom."

Now, on his birthday, he's gathered both of us again—maybe he's planning something like "Yan Ying Xuan Lan, Twin Flowers Blooming Together."

Dong Xuan had no experience with this: "What kind of scheming?"

"One man, two women—what else could it be?"

Qin Lan suspected Dong Xuan was pretending ignorance. But Dong Xuan was an adult; after a moment's thought, she understood—and looked at Qin Lan skeptically.

"How do you know he's scheming this?"

Seeing Dong Xuan wasn't faking, Qin Lan realized she might truly never have been "stacked." She cursed Yan Li's favoritism while sounding defensive.

"You don't know what this bastard's like? Dare you say he doesn't have this in mind?"

"Ice Orchid in Bloom"? She'd never admit to it—otherwise, this Dong woman would laugh herself to death.

Dong Xuan gave her a long look, but Qin Lan, a professional actress, revealed nothing. Dong Xuan reluctantly set aside her suspicion.

"So what do we do?"

Qin Lan thought for a moment, stepped closer, and whispered a few words to Dong Xuan. After a brief pause, Dong Xuan nodded in agreement.

"Fine."

Qin Lan added: "If necessary, we can team up and resist—strongly. This bastard may be a scoundrel, but he won't force us."

As they plotted, they failed to notice a faint shadow of a head barely visible beneath the window.

Yan Li wasn't that careless—he wouldn't leave two women alone while he cooked, in case they started fighting.

So he pretended to leave, but actually eavesdropped at the wall for a while, and never expected there to be this turn of events.

To be honest, Yan Li originally had no such intention.

If the two could peacefully accompany him for a meal and quietly get through this birthday, he would be perfectly satisfied.

But Qin Lan's words reminded him; seeing how little tension there was between the two, Yan Li couldn't help but ponder: since they had agreed not to cause trouble, and their original goal had been achieved, could he perhaps push a little further?

He liked the birthday gifts from Dong Qin, but still felt Fan Xiaopang's gift suited him best.

If he could stack Dong Qin together, it would be the most satisfying birthday gift Yan Li had received in his twenty-six years…

————

ps: This kind of scene is hard to write, short 1000, (0/7000)

Three days left; accounts must be settled by month's end

(End of Chapter)