Chapter 246: Birthday Arena, Reunion with Dong Qin

November, Tai City, Shanxi Province

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

This was the first cinema newly built by Yi'an since its founding.

The reason it opened ahead of so many others was largely due to Yi'an's shareholders' influence in Shanxi Province, which streamlined countless procedures and provided substantial assistance in 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, the limitations are not yet apparent.

Later, if it expands into third- and fourth-tier cities, Shanxi Province—where shareholders have influence, Shandong Province—Yan Li's hometown, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region—where Yan Li has some reach, and cities covered by China Resources' operations 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 it was the first newly built cinema, Yi'an pulled out all the stops.

Not only did Yan Li come in person, he also summoned many stars, even bringing over the entire production team of "Mo Gong," currently in promotion.

Major stars from "Mo Gong"—Liu Tianwang, Fan Xiaopang, Wang Zhiwen, Wu Qilong, among others—alongside numerous other celebrities, created a dazzling spectacle that caused a major stir among Tai City residents and firmly planted the new cinema in their memories.

While Shanxi-native singer Tan Jing performed at the opening event, Yan Li took Fan Xiaopang and others on a tour of the cinema's interior.

Although Tai City Yi'an Cinema cannot yet be called a five-star luxury theater, it stands out among standard cinemas.

Covering over 2, 00 square meters, it has five screening rooms, one luxury VIP hall, and nearly 700 total seats, with two rooms capable of showing 3D films; equipment is top-tier, and the environment is spacious and elegant.

In Tai City, and even across all of Shanxi Province, it may not be the absolute best, but it is unquestionably among the top.

Other artists had seen many luxurious cinemas; while this one 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 nature and specifically warned her to tone it down.

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

Baby warning!

Fan Xiaopang sighed helplessly: "Can you not douse my joy with cold water?"

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

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

Seeing this, Yan Li sighed, pulled her aside, along with the Tai City branch manager and Ning Hao—the man Yan Li had brought along as a local supporter from Shanxi.

The four of them took a group photo at the cinema entrance, then had an assistant post it on the blog.

Though nominally a photo of insiders, the branch manager was unknown, and Ning Hao was a behind-the-scenes figure—neither matched Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang in visibility.

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

Indeed, Fan Xiaopang's expression brightened; seizing a moment when few were around, she kissed Yan Li.

"I love you so much."

Yan Li gritted his teeth: "I'm keeping score—I'll make you pay back."

Now that the 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 dared to provoke him.

"Then don't leave today."

Yan Li wasn't going to indulge her; originally, Fan Xiaopang was only staying briefly in Tai City due to promotional duties—she'd eat lunch and leave in the afternoon—but now Yan Li planned to help her take a day off.

Fan Xiaopang: "..."

Can I just say I was joking now...

After the opening ceremony, Yan Li thanked guests and journalists who attended or performed, 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 strong and its reputation established; with the New Year season approaching, Yan Li had certain expectations for its performance.

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

Currently, besides Tai City, Yi'an operated six cinemas total.

But the other five were all acquired older cinemas; though renovated to some degree, their scale and equipment could not compare to the new one.

For these six cinemas—including the few scheduled to open before the New Year—Yan Li's box office targets were not high.

But he strongly required them to help the company develop an efficient, refined management and operational system.

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

Yi'an Cinema Chain is new and constantly claims 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 short—it's about competition.

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

While other cinemas still think of theaters as places to watch movies, Yi'an is exploring community integration to create 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.

Beverage sales, popcorn, offline advertising, merchandise, venue rentals, service fees—these miscellaneous revenues add up significantly.

In ordinary cinemas, non-ticket revenue accounts for roughly 10%–20%; if done well, it can exceed 30%.

In North America, where cinema commercialization is mature, it sometimes reaches 40%.

And this is only the cinema chain's direct revenue—not including all the hidden resources behind partnerships and events.

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

In other words, the cinema chain earns one slice, and Yan Li's own company earns another.

Why does Yan Li build an industrial chain? Because once formed, every link—from start to finish—can make money.

Beyond the chain, there are smaller side opportunities—Yan Li himself doesn't care, but he can hand them to those close to him.

Things like food and toy procurement, claw machines, massage chair rental splits—these seem trivial to Yan Li, but for ordinary people, they're invaluable income streams.

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

No matter how much money Yan Li makes from stocks, if those around him can't benefit, he's just a rootless weed.

Once such a physical enterprise scales up, it naturally gathers a large network of shared interests around Yan Li; though it demands much of his attention, the benefits to him are substantial.

Therefore, Yi'an is far more than just opening a cinema and calling it done.

Building community integration, enhancing brand identity, increasing user loyalty, while also feeding back box office data to form a positive cycle—it will become the national standard for cinema service.

【Make going to Yi'an to watch a movie a true pleasure.】

This was the new slogan Yan Li had already declared at headquarters; now, Tai City would serve as Yi'an's pioneer in testing this new model and building community integration.

After the meeting, Yan Li was busy with engagements until nearly 1 a. ., when he returned to his hotel.

The sound of the door waking Fan Xiaopang, who had been napping on the sofa; she rubbed her eyes, stepped forward to hug and kiss him, then pointed to the cake on the coffee table.

"Darling, happy birthday."

Yan Li hugged Fan Xiaopang and smiled: "You really took the day off."

The "helping her take a day off" was just a joke—Fan Xiaopang was busy; staying an extra day disrupted her schedule and caused trouble.

But Yan Li didn't ask—Fan Xiaopang herself went to the "Mo Gong" production team and requested time off.

With Yan Li's influence, plus her promise to contribute more to the promotion later, the team readily agreed.

"I missed you, and your birthday's coming up—I had to at least celebrate it with you."

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

Yan Li didn't say much, but he deeply appreciated Fan Xiaopang's arrangement.

Though this girl was troublesome, when she needed to be sweet and obedient, she never disappointed Yan Li.

"Where's my birthday gift?"

Yan Li reached for the gift—he usually gave gifts to these women, so on his birthday, he finally got to recoup.

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

"I'm the gift."

"You're good at saving money."

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

Thinking this, he picked her up and tossed her onto the bed; she gasped.

"But I haven't made a wish on the cake yet!"

"You're tastier than cake."

————

Fan Xiaopang left the next day, grumbling but radiant; Yan Li also didn't stay long in Shanxi, returning to Beijing.

Upon landing, he received a thunderclap—Dong Xuan had taken leave from Xinjiang to come back and celebrate his birthday!

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

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

Qin Lan's leave of absence—never mind the travel hassle—just getting the production team to agree took tremendous effort.

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

No way around it: as Yan Li's empire grew, daily intelligence reports were limited to just 1–10 items—nowhere near enough.

Worse, Yan Li actively triggered intelligence through subconscious means, drastically lowering the probability of triggering non-critical passive intelligence.

Even this time, the system merely notified him that Qin Lan had spent time and effort preparing a surprise for him.

Dong Xuan took leave and returned directly to Jingcheng; it was only when Yan Li answered her call that he found out.

What the hell am I supposed to do now!

Yan Li was worried—Dong Xuan had already started organizing the birthday banquet, and Qin Lan had come back from France; he couldn't avoid her or ignore her.

What if… we celebrate together?

Yan Li thought he'd gone mad—forcing the two of them together was just inviting trouble on himself.

But there was no way around it: the birthday only came once, both women had their own ideas, neglecting either was unacceptable, 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 and chose the Sihe Academy on Yangjiaodeng Hutong as the venue.

In this situation, going to Qin Lan's place or Dong Xuan's was inappropriate; renting another house would make them suspicious. But they both knew Yangjiaodeng Hutong—they'd been there together before. An old place, familiar ground, for 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 had been Dong Xuan's original plan—to gather everyone for a lively celebration and showcase her relationship with Yan Li, so no one could gossip behind their backs.

That seductive fox only showed up for the cinema opening—barely a ceremonial lady—what's so impressive? I'm the rightful wife…

Yan Li, absorbed in studying the menu, mumbled: "Don't worry, more people are coming."

"Who?"

"You'll find out when they arrive."

Yan Li wouldn't tell the truth, but Dong Xuan wasn't stupid—she dropped the cloth. "Speak clearly—who is it?"

"Someone I know."

"Which acquaintance?"

"Ah, surname Qin."

Seeing he couldn't hide it anymore and guessing she'd arrive soon, Yan Li finally let slip the truth. Dong Xuan nearly threw the kitchen pot at his head—her fair face flushed red with rage.

"Asshole, go celebrate with her yourself."

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

"Wealth your ass."

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

"…."

Dong Xuan pointed at Yan Li and cursed: "You're shameless."

Yan Li, thick-skinned, didn't care about the scolding. Dong Xuan paced around the kitchen, then dragged a Taishi chair into the courtyard center—ensuring Qin Lan would see her the moment she entered.

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

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

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

"Hand the errand to someone else. It's your brother's birthday—stay and have a drink with us."

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

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

"Alright, drive carefully."

Wu Maowen waited until Qin Lan got out with her luggage, then sped off—had the hutong allowed it, he'd have floored the accelerator.

Drive too slow, and you might end up covered in blood!

Unaware of this, Qin Lan picked up her suitcase, pushed open the courtyard gate, passed the shadow wall, and called out energetically:

"I'm back—"

Before she finished, she saw Dong Xuan seated calmly on the Taishi 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 home. Who else should be here?"

Qin Lan sneered: "Heh, is your name on the deed? How dare you say that."

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

Qin Lan stood her ground: "It's not yours, that's all."

"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 suitcase, but she glanced at him and refused to let go.

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

And this bastard had invited Dong? What did he think of her?

"Ah, 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 tactic: "She's waiting for you to crack—stay rigid, and you'll play right into her hands."

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

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

Stir Qin to provoke Dong, stir Dong to provoke Qin—as long as they competed and didn't want to tear things apart, Yan Li's tactic never failed.

Dong Xuan saw the situation and realized Qin Lan wouldn't leave; she didn't even want to look at that annoying face, so she picked up the armchair and walked into the house.

Qin Lan followed Yan Li inside. He addressed both: "Today's my birthday—no fighting, no arguing. Just sit down and eat properly."

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

"Is Fan coming?"

This bastard could gather the two of them—could there be a third?

Her question reminded Dong Xuan: she'd been 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 her retort, but couldn't resist pinching him.

Dong Xuan snapped: "Don't touch him."

Before Yan Li could feel touched, Dong Xuan herself reached out and pinched him—this bastard was too much, he had to be pinched—but only she had the right to pinch him.

"Just joking. It's just the two of you—only you two."

Yan Li, tough-skinned, didn't mind being pinched, and sweet-talked them both.

Qin Lan and Dong Xuan exchanged a glance—satisfaction, anger, hostility, scrutiny, caution—all flashed 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 affects perception.

Yan Li, through deception and manipulation, managed to stabilize them—at least they didn't walk out or erupt in chaos.

The atmosphere remained awkward and tense, far from harmonious, and the tension wasn't especially thick.

This was partly because of their last violent clash, which Yan Li had suppressed and forcibly reconciled.

Once there's a first, there's a second. Having shared a meal before, this was just another meal—their inner resistance wasn't as strong.

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 each other and for him would help keep his household peaceful.

If they never met, hoarding resentment, one encounter would be like a meteor hitting Earth—always disaster.

Yan Li didn't expect them to live in harmony—he just wanted them to coexist quietly.

"I'll cook. Wait for dinner. If you want to talk, talk. If not, the side rooms are ready—go to your own corners."

On his own birthday, with Qin and Dong together, Yan Li rarely cooked personally—he prepared a full birthday feast.

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

"Wait a moment."

Qin Lan stopped Yan Li, opened her suitcase, and pulled out a beautifully wrapped box and a bag.

"I brought you birthday gifts from France—the box is a watch, supposedly a royal French brand. The bag has a signed Manchester United jersey—aren't you a United fan? I had someone specially track it down."

After speaking to Yan Li, Qin Lan glanced challengingly at Dong Xuan: What did you bring?

Dong Xuan snorted. Normally, Qin Lan's gift might have overshadowed hers—after all, it came from afar, exotic and rare.

But today, luck favored her: she'd found a treasure in Xinjiang. She pulled a palm-sized box from her bag, then revealed a seal slightly thicker than a thumb.

"Do you know what Hetian yellow jade is?"

Dong Xuan handed the seal over. Yan Li examined it: deep yellow, oily and lustrous as fat, nearly flawless—top quality.

Since 2003, when Beijing's Olympic medals began using Hetian jade, prices have soared. This quality of yellow jade costs at least several thousand per gram—this seal weighed roughly twenty to thirty grams.

More crucial than price was scarcity: it kept appreciating, many hoarded it waiting for higher value, so high-quality pieces rarely circulated.

For this quality and weight, the price might not be astronomical, but its rarity still carried weight.

"Hmph, jade fakes are rampant—who knows if you got scammed?"

Qin Lan, seeing Yan Li's clear admiration for the seal, grew jealous. Dong Xuan's expression darkened.

"Can you even speak? That jersey of yours might be a fake signature too."

Can you even speak? That jersey of yours might even be a fake signature.

Qin Lan was about to speak, but Yan Li stopped her and kissed each of them on the cheek.

"Whether they're real or fake doesn't matter, nor does their value—what matters is the sentiment, and more importantly, I love both gifts because you two gave them."

Dong Xuan, kissed last, rubbed her face vigorously as if she'd been contaminated.

"Stop touching me."

"I used my mouth."

Ignoring their struggles, Yan Li kissed each of them again—this time Dong Xuan first, 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 letting out a cold snort—the atmosphere grew 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 do 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's face 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 emotional investment—something you, a newcomer, have no right to question."

"Whether you're pretending to be sweet or sensible, 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 an unspoken truce—for now.

Next, the two women, still unable to stand each other, prepared to return to their respective rooms. As Qin Lan reached the door, she suddenly remembered something.

"What about tonight?"

Dong Xuan paused, confidently: "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 gains, no one loses.

Qin Lan hesitated. She could accept it too—but one concern lingered: "That 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 with suspicion.

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

Seeing Dong Xuan wasn't faking, Qin Lan realized she'd truly never been "stacked." She cursed Yan Li for being a bastard and showing favoritism, while defensively insisting:

"You don't know what this bastard is like? Dare you say he doesn't have this thought?"

She'd never admit to "Ice Orchid in Bloom"—or she'd be laughed to death by this Dong woman.

Dong Xuan studied her deeply, 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 needed, we can unite against him—be forceful. He's a bastard, but he won't force us."

As they plotted, neither noticed a faint shadow of a head lurking beneath the window.

Yan Li wasn't that careless—he wouldn't leave two women alone while he cooked. What if they started fighting?

So he pretended to leave, actually eavesdropping—and to his surprise, he heard all this.

To be honest, Yan Li hadn't originally planned anything.

Just having them sit peacefully together for dinner, letting his birthday pass without drama, would've satisfied him.

But Qin Lan's words stirred him. Seeing how little tension remained between them, he couldn't help wondering: since they'd agreed not to cause trouble, and his original goal was achieved—could he push a little further?

He liked the birthday gifts from both Dong and Qin—but Fan Xiaopang's gift still pleased him most.

If he could "stack" Dong and Qin, it would be the most satisfying birthday gift he'd ever received in his twenty-six years…

————

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

Three days left. Must clear the account by month's end.

(End of chapter)