Chapter 260: Handsome Is Just Yan Li

The drama "The Legend of Xue Rengui" still has some reputation within the industry.

The investment was substantial, the crew was impressive, and most importantly, the creative team was powerful.

Li Bingbing doesn't need to be mentioned.

Although the Four Dan and Two Bing haven't completely abandoned TV dramas for films, their frequency of filming TV dramas has been decreasing.

Zhang Ziyi has never filmed TV dramas; Xiao Yanzi has no plans to film after "Jing Hua Yan Yun"; Young Master Zhou and Xu Caiyu have drastically reduced output over the past two years, focusing mainly on films.

Li Bingbing, aside from this current drama "The Legend of Xue Rengui" and another major female-led drama "The Legend of Meng Lijun," has no further TV drama plans.

So currently, the only person still relatively active in TV dramas with future plans is Fan Xiaopang.

The reason is simple: at the level of the Four Dan and Two Bing, TV dramas are no longer appealing.

Their fame is already sufficient; TV dramas offer relatively "useless" popularity, and nowadays TV drama pay is low while filming takes a long time, resulting in poor cost-effectiveness.

Not to mention the various benefits films bring—impact, exposure, personal value, prestige, industry status—all make them prefer films.

Fan Xiaopang remains rooted in TV dramas mainly because her hard achievements are insufficient, she needs TV drama popularity, and she helps Yi'an earn money.

Leaving aside the relationship between Yan Li and her, all that money and resources poured into her weren't given for free.

Fan Xiaopang generates considerable income for the company as an artist, but it's not the main source; her greatest value is that Yi'an can use her fame to sell dramas.

It's inevitable that Fan Xiaopang's TV drama output will decrease in the future, but it won't likely drop to the point of almost not filming at all, like the Four Dan and Two Bing.

Of course, as Fan Xiaopang's fame grows and her drama-selling power improves, profit distribution will change—such as granting her a share of the production team or profit-sharing to create deeper ties.

Business must be accounted for clearly!

Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang and her husband can divide money privately however they like, but the official accounts must be clear, especially since many drama productions involve complex entanglements among individuals, companies, and partners—profit sharing must be precisely calculated.

Li Bingbing isn't tightly bound to the company and has no interest in investing in films; she's currently just an actor aiming to become a top star and break into Hollywood.

Therefore, TV dramas that offer little help to her career are naturally abandoned by her.

If not for "The Legend of Xue Rengui" being Yan Li's lead role, she might not have joined at all, and certainly wouldn't have cooperated so extensively with the drama's promotion.

Because of this, Li Bingbing's participation in "The Legend of Xue Rengui" makes her even more valuable and is one of the drama's key promotional points.

Another key promotional point is Yan Li.

Although on an actor level Yan Li isn't as strong as Li Bingbing, his status as a billionaire carries undeniable weight and appeal.

Moreover, his previous roles as Huo Qubing, Sun Desheng, and King Zhou all garnered some popularity and praise; now taking the lead as Xue Rengui, a role suited to his style, there is considerable public anticipation.

In addition, the main and guest cast—including Yang Rong, Jiang Xin, Lin Jiachuan, Pan Yueming, Tong Dawei, Zhang Zhilin, Nie Yuan—can barely be called star-studded.

After a series of distribution negotiations, Jiangsu TV and Shandong TV secured the first-round broadcast rights at 850,000 yuan per episode.

This price isn't low.

Although last year "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" and "The Return of the Condor Heroes" both broke the million-yuan-per-episode record and raised the market ceiling, several dramas since have also surpassed a million per episode.

But this mainly applies to top-tier hot projects, high-investment big productions, or special cases.

Although the entire TV drama market has rapidly improved, it hasn't yet reached the point where a million-yuan-per-episode price is mainstream.

Currently, most popular TV dramas still fall within the 500,000 to 800,000 yuan range; reaching above 800,000 yuan is already considered well-supported by the market.

The price of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" is even higher than that of "The White-Haired Witch," whose first-run price didn't reach 800,000 yuan.

Of course, this involves factors of cast and market demand, as well as production costs.

The investment in "The Legend of Xue Rengui" exceeded 30 million yuan, barely qualifying as a major production.

At 850,000 yuan per episode, although it hasn't yet broken even, it's very close.

As long as the broadcast performance is decent and subsequent revenue streams are steadily collected, Yi'an will earn a solid profit.

If it explodes in popularity, it might even bring massive profits.

Yan Li still has some confidence in "The Legend of Xue Rengui"—the plot has been refined, the production quality is excellent; while a huge hit isn't guaranteed, a moderate success is quite possible.

Jiangsu Province, Jin Ling

Yan Li, Li Bingbing, Lin Jiachuan, Jiang Xin, and Yang Rong, who just arrived, participated together in Jiangsu TV's "Very Big Star."

This show is similar to "Happy Camp," but with a greater emphasis on interviews.

Yan Li used to dislike participating in such variety shows, but since "The Legend of Xue Rengui" is his first lead role, he's gone all in.

Not only Jiangsu TV's program, but he must also appear on Shandong TV's "Yangguan Expressway," "Isn't It Fun," and other variety shows, as well as online programs and interviews from Sina, Tudou, etc.

The "Very Big Star" show still respects Yan Li and Li Bingbing as big stars and didn't include any humiliating segments.

But it's still an entertainment show, so some gimmicks are inevitable.

Especially regarding the gossip between Li Bingbing and Yan Li, the host kept steering the conversation toward it.

Li Bingbing, for the sake of the topic or to annoy Fan Xiaopang, cooperated by saying somewhat ambiguous things.

"This drama was simple: Yan Li called me and said he had a role he wanted me to play. I asked what it was—he said, 'Play his wife.' I said okay, and just took it."

"I really like the role of Princess Princess Zhao Yang—she's resilient, bold in love and hate; what I'm less satisfied with is that she's a concubine."

"I told Yan Li, next time you must find me the only wife, or I won't take your roles."

"..."

Li Bingbing, half-joking, also subtly promoted "The Painted Skin," which is also a topic the public is very concerned about—they've been repeatedly asked about it during this promotional period.

The host, looking mischievous, asked Yan Li why he chose Li Bingbing to play the concubine.

"Because first playing the concubine keeps her hooked, then I can get her to play the main wife."

Yan Li made a joke, then praised Li Bingbing, saying roughly that the role was made for her and no one else could play it.

In reality, casting Li Bingbing as Princess Princess Zhao Yang was purely because she was suitable and the role had substantial screen time.

The host, playing the role of the刁难 villain today, pressed further: "We know Xue Rengui has two wives in the drama; Jiang Xin's character is also a beloved companion. Who do you think Xue Rengui likes the most?"

Yan Li played with the microphone, then analyzed seriously: "Liu Yinhuan is his wife from humble beginnings and his first love; Princess Princess Zhao Yang is his life-and-death companion and true love; Tuoya (Jiang Xin) is someone he deeply respects and shares similar character with. I think he probably prefers Liu or Princess Zhao Yang."

The host nodded, then revealed his true intent: "If you were Xue Rengui, who would you choose?"

Yan Li answered calmly: "I'd take them all."

Everyone laughed; others saying this would be just a joke, but coming from Yan Li, it was oddly amusing.

The host asked again: "You can't pick all three. Choose one out of three—you must pick only one. Who do you choose?"

Yan Li paused for a moment: "I choose Liu Yinhuan."

"Why?"

This question came from Li Bingbing; though Yan Li was discussing a character, the actor and role were closely linked, and some identification was inevitable.

Moreover, according to the plot, the character with the most scenes alongside Xue Rengui was indeed Princess Zhao Yang, who helped him greatly and shared deep feelings with him.

Liu Yinhuan had more of a tool-character quality, with low presence—even less memorable than Jiang Xin's spirited Turkic female general.

"A wife who shared hardship must not be abandoned."

Yan Li spread his hands: "Liu Yinhuan followed Xue Rengui when he had nothing, endured years of hardship in a cold cottage—emotionally and morally, he couldn't abandon her."

"And from a realistic standpoint, Princess Zhao Yang and Tuoya are both strong women who could thrive without Xue Rengui; Liu Yinhuan has only Xue Rengui."

To others, Yan Li's words were just an amusing topic, but to those who knew him well, they carried genuine sincerity.

Loyalty to old ties!

This was a trait Yan Li was widely recognized for by those around him—even Jiang Xin, Lin Jiachuan, and others had benefited from it.

Because Yan Li valued old ties, they were continually cast in his dramas.

Jiang Xin had at least starred in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," giving her some connections; Lin Jiachuan had neither talent nor looks—without Yan Li's promotion, he never dared imagine he could even stay in the industry.

But Li Bingbing and Yang Rong weren't thinking of themselves—they were thinking of Dong Xuan and Wang Ou.

The former wondered whether Dong Xuan was Yan Li's personal "Liu Yinhuan," and whether Fan Xiaopang, who helped Yan Li more, counted as his "Princess Zhao Yang."

The latter thought that given Yan Li's nature, if Wang Ou stayed loyal to him, she wouldn't be easily discarded—even if not for life, at least for a long time.

Wang Ou was like this, and so was she.

…

After the show recording ended, Yan Li signed autographs for several fans and left first.

He'd come to Jiangsu Province this time, and many friends had invited him; he'd turned down many, but still had a few he couldn't avoid.

Li Bingbing was also busy, attending an interview with a local Jiangsu media outlet.

As the most famous figure from "The Legend of Xue Rengui," she was the main promotional force, even more popular than Yan Li among entertainment-focused media.

With Yan Li and Li Bingbing gone, only Lin Jiachuan, Yang Rong, and Jiang Xin remained.

As the only man, Lin Jiachuan politely suggested: "Let's go out for a meal—Jin Ling's salted duck should be good."

Jiang Xin glanced at Yang Rong, her eyes slightly hostile: "Forget it. We have a shoot tomorrow—no appetite."

Yang Rong also glanced at Jiang Xin: "I'm tired. Let's do it another time."

Back during "The Legend of Xue Rengui," the two had subtly clashed; though neither knew the other's full situation, both harbored some resentment.

Lin Jiachuan received two rejections in a row, feeling slightly awkward, but he didn't care much.

Though he was no longer Yan Li's assistant and didn't know many of Yan Li's private matters, he understood "Big Brother Li's" style.

Plus, with the two women's obvious tension, Lin Jiachuan had no intention of getting involved—better to avoid trouble than invite it.

But sometimes, not wanting to get involved didn't mean you could avoid it.

Lin Jiachuan went out with his assistant to eat salted duck, strolled around Jin Ling's night scenery, and when he returned to the hotel, Yan Li's assistant Ding Feng pulled him into Yan Li's room.

"What's going on?"

Lin Jiachuan stared, bewildered, at the wine and dishes on the hotel table; Ding Feng shoved chopsticks into his hand and poured him wine.

Ding Feng, this assistant, had taken over Lin Jiachuan's old role; they'd once worked together, and Lin Jiachuan had guided him a lot—they got along well privately.

"Brother Chuan, Boss wants us to drink with him."

"Oh? Then where's Big Brother Li?"

During past filming trips, the guys often had small drinks together—but why wasn't Yan Li here if he'd organized this?

"He's got other business—he might not come. He told us to start eating, then watch a movie or drama afterward. If all else fails, just sleep here."

"This…"

Lin Jiachuan felt something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Out of caution, he called Yan Li; the latter didn't answer, but sent a text telling him to eat and drink without worry—he'd return soon. Lin Jiachuan finally relaxed.

Yan Li's status was no longer what it used to be; Lin Jiachuan feared being set up or tricked—he'd rather be careful.

Lin Jiachuan and Ding Feng ate and drank in the room, but the former barely touched the alcohol; the latter didn't press him—so long as he didn't leave, it was fine.

About half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Lin Jiachuan, assuming it was Yan Li, rushed to open it—only to find Li Bingbing standing outside.

"Where's Yan Li?"

Li Bingbing frowned at Lin Jiachuan, who smelled faintly of alcohol; Lin Jiachuan opened his mouth to speak, when Ding Feng appeared behind him.

"Boss is in the bedroom on a video conference. Do you have something?"

"Hmm, I need to speak with him. What's this then?"

"Boss didn't eat well during his engagements, so he asked me and Brother Chuan to join him for a late snack. Why don't you come in and wait? The meeting just started—might take a while."

Li Bingbing shook her head: "No need. I'll talk to him later. You carry on."

"Goodbye, Sister Bingbing."

Ding Feng closed the door. Lin Jiachuan suddenly understood: "So that's why he wasn't here drinking—he used me as a shield."

Lin Jiachuan didn't know exactly how Yan Li had arranged it, but he'd clearly anticipated someone might come looking for him.

By summoning his good friend and assistant Ding Feng to join him for a late snack—with a plausible excuse—he could slip away cleanly, leaving no trace.

"But you're bold, kid. What if she'd walked in just now?"

Lin Jiachuan was stunned by Ding Feng's bold move; the latter just smiled without answering.

Not bold—just giving each other a face-saving way out. Li Bingbing may not have believed him, but she had no reason to push it.

Everyone assumed Yan Li was having late-night snacks with Lin Jiachuan; it was an unspoken understanding, all good, no harm done.

Learning he was merely there to provide cover, Lin Jiachuan relaxed considerably.

He'd done similar work in the past—less thrilling and dangerous, usually just verifying statements, stubbornly refusing to budge, or taking the blame for others.

Returning to his old trade now, he felt a pang of nostalgia and marveled at how Yan Li's underhanded tactics kept growing more elaborate.

While they were eating, the door knocked again; Lin Jiachuan and Ding Feng exchanged glances, and the latter went to open it.

"Miss Rong, what's this?"

"Is Boss Yan here?"

Yang Rong carried a food box; after Ding Feng repeated the earlier excuse, she nodded and handed the thermos to him.

"This is a hangover soup I had the hotel make. Drink less next time—I'm heading back."

After Yang Rong left, Ding Feng entered with the thermos; Lin Jiachuan was already convinced.

He knew Li Bingbing and Yan Li were involved.

He wasn't sure about Jiang Xin's relationship with Yan Li, but he suspected something.

But since Yang Rong wasn't close to him, he truly hadn't known she was involved with Yan Li too.

Moreover, Yang Rong preferred to keep their relationship discreet; she always acted politely distant from Yan Li in public, so Lin Jiachuan merely remained cautiously suspicious by habit, but didn't seriously suspect her.

Yet here she was, showing up at night with hangover soup—such devotion? He didn't believe they were clean.

As for Jiang Xin, whether she came or not, Lin Jiachuan already suspected her highly. If she came, they were definitely involved.

If she didn't come, it meant Yan Li was with her now.

Good grief, Brother Yan really didn't waste his role in "The Legend of Xue Rengui"—he landed all three wives from the drama.

Lin Jiachuan counted: Yan Li had bedded all three wives and concubines from "The Legend of Xue Rengui."

In "The Investiture of the Gods," he played King Zhou, who had Empress Jiang and the Three Fairies of Xuanyuan; Qin Lan, Fan Xiaopang, and Wang Ou were definitely conquered; Wu Jiani was uncertain, but she seemed awfully close—question mark.

And in "The Seven Fairies of Huan Tian Xi Di," he had Bingbing, Dong Xuan, and Jiang Xin—four confirmed; Yang Xue and Seeing Huo Siyan were also getting close.

Is Brother Yan collecting wives like stamps?!

Curious and unable to resist gossip, Lin Jiachuan asked Ding Feng for details ever since he'd stepped down as assistant—he knew little about Yan Li's recent personal affairs.

Today had opened his eyes; he decided not to study tonight, or one day he'd offend a little sister-in-law and get ruined by pillow talk.

Ding Feng joked and joked, dodged and deflected—but gave not a single clue.

Lin Jiachuan was Yan Li's good brother, sure, but if a good brother wanted to know something, he should ask Yan Li himself—not get it from his assistant.

If his mouth wasn't tight, his assistant job was over!

Lin Jiachuan had been an assistant too; seeing this, he didn't press further and changed the subject.

After three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, Lin Jiachuan's face was flushed; Yan Li finally returned.

Lin Jiachuan, already drowsy, prepared to leave, but Yan Li waved him off: "No need to go—stay here and rest. Remember, we're drinking till midnight."

After saying that, he took a shower, picked up the hangover soup Yang Rong had sent over, and left the room once more.

Lin Jiachuan: "..."

He admired Yan Li's slickness, but even more his stamina and endurance—damn, he was truly built like iron.

Moments later, Yan Li knocked on Yang Rong's door; she was already asleep.

Half-asleep, Yang Rong let him in, took the thermos he offered, hefted it, and pouted.

"You didn't drink it?"

"It's cold, and I didn't drink much anyway."

Yan Li opened his arms and hugged Yang Rong, his hands growing unsteady; she'd been gone a while, and he'd truly missed this soft, cuddly doll of hers.

Yang Rong sniffed him and frowned: "Did you have late-night snacks—or go out fooling around?"

Yan Li didn't blink: "Of course I had late-night snacks."

"Nonsense—you reek of that Jiang woman."

Yang Rong exposed his lie; Yan Li was puzzled—he'd showered after, twice—how could the smell still linger?

Seeing his confusion, Yang Rong pointed to his hair: "Shampoo. Same scent."

Yan Li touched his hair—couldn't smell anything obvious. This woman's nose was sharp.

Hmm. Next time, don't use the woman's shampoo or shower gel—it's too revealing.

"I thought her shampoo was nice, so I asked for a sample..."

Yan Li's own words made him feel guilty, so he threw caution to the wind: "I'm doing this for you—I drank, and you're sure you can handle it."

"..."

Yang Rong was stunned into silence by Yan Li's shamelessness—this dog of a man was getting more brazen by the day.

But Yan Li ignored her protest, scooped her up, and carried her to bed; she struggled, but one sentence silenced her.

"Think I won't call Wang Ou?"

So sometimes, not making things explicit has its advantages—whips only scare when they haven't fallen yet.

After the publicity tour in Jiangsu ended, Yan Li and the others headed to Shandong for promotion.

Almost every night, Yan Li had late-night snacks with Lin Jiachuan.

All three women knew something was going on, but couldn't tell exactly who he was involved with.

Fortunately, Li Bingbing wasn't particularly interested in Yan Li's affairs—as long as he satisfied her, she didn't care about his messes.

It was better to share the burden; otherwise, that stubborn donkey would wear her out every day.

Yang Rong and Jiang Xin, however, were both jealous, each wanting Yan Li closer to them; since they disliked each other, they'd quietly clashed a few times, with wins on both sides.

To put it simply, Yan Li clearly favored Yang Rong a bit more—but Jiang Xin had her own personal advantages.

Especially after the promotional period's later stage, Li Bingbing, due to a tight schedule, left first and coordinated remotely with other promotions, making Jiang Xin's advantage more obvious.

With Li Bingbing present, someone shared the spotlight, so Yan Li wasn't as hungry and was more willing to seek Yang Rong, who suited his taste.

With Li Bingbing gone, Yang Rong's strength was insufficient; Yan Li, still unsatisfied, could only turn to Jiang Xin more often.

Yan Li had considered whether they could all stack together, forming mutual complementarity and cooperative win-win.

But the tensions between the two were significant, and they hardly gave him any opportunity.

Yan Li himself also had reservations—like Qin Lan, Shuang Bing, and others—tied too deeply to him, hard to sever; occasionally indulging in absurd antics, Yan Li would later soothe them gently, and everything would pass in a haze.

But Yang Rong was different from Jiang Xin; her relationship with Yan Li hadn't reached that level.

Especially Yang Rong—her relationship with Yan Li was ambiguous, still unclear whether she was a lover or merely a casual hookup, and her personal boundaries were higher.

Yan Li wanted to stack her with Wang Ou had to proceed slowly, fearing she couldn't handle it, let alone Jiang Xin.

Jiang Xin relied on Yan Li's resources, so the difficulty was somewhat lower, but her fiery temper wasn't easy to provoke.

Yan Li, though lustful, wasn't any good either.

But at most he'd half-resist, half-coax—forcing his own women was too much, so if an opportunity arose, he might try; if none, he wouldn't force it.

Meanwhile, The Legend of Xue Rengui finally premiered on television.

And within the first three days of its debut, its viewership rate surged to nearly 2%, ranking first and third among programs airing in the same period.

This result didn't exceed Yi An's entire expectation, but it was better than anticipated.

After all, the winter break slot still had many quality dramas; Yi An figured there'd be fierce competition, and momentum would only rise once the plot reached its climax.

Unexpectedly, he had underestimated the outside world's anticipation for this drama—it topped the charts immediately upon premiere.

Yan Li checked online reactions and reviews; the feedback was largely positive.

Of course, there were still some complaints—like disrespecting history—but under today's broader environment, there was hardly any backlash.

In fact, compared to those shoddily made historical dramas, The Legend of Xue Rengui's costume, makeup, and set design were commendable.

There were also many evaluations targeting Yan Li, because the plot hadn't fully unfolded yet, and Xue Rengui himself was a fairly standardized character, so few praised his acting.

But many viewers expressed they got Yan Li's handsomeness!

Yan Li was handsome—this was widely acknowledged externally; at most, some thought he wasn't that handsome, more of a rugged, masculine type.

But in The Legend of Xue Rengui, Yan Li played to his strengths and masked his weaknesses, highlighting his heroic vigor, combined with his muscular physique and steady aura, evoking the spirit of the white-armored divine general Xue Rengui.

Many even recalled Huo Qubing from Emperor Wu of Han, thinking Yan Li was born to be a "young general."

Besides costumes and actors, The Legend of Xue Rengui's plot advantages were also strong.

As previously mentioned, although this drama still derived from The Expedition of Xue Rengui, its plot had been revised to better suit modern sensibilities.

In short, it was a feel-good drama about an ordinary man's rise to glory.

This upgrade-style plot, aligned with mass demands, always had its market and audience.

The Legend of Xue Rengui's plot progression wasn't novel, but it was sufficiently "standard," with pacing tightly controlled, each link seamlessly connected.

After mastering his arts, Xue Rengui descended the mountain, took odd jobs to make ends meet, demonstrated his abilities, and married a beautiful wife.

To rise in status and clear his name, he prepared to join the army and campaign against Liao; on the way, he heroically saved a beauty, recruited followers, acquired treasures, and constantly displayed his prowess.

In the army, he humiliated antagonists, successfully showed off, was forced to conceal his identity, then played the fool to outwit enemies, all while steadily laying the groundwork for the "dreamed virtuous minister" hook…

Viewers found it satisfying, hooked by lingering plot threads, naturally kept watching, and the drama's ratings climbed steadily.

By the time Yan Li and others finished their publicity in Shandong Province and prepared to return to Jingcheng, the drama had aired less than one-third of its episodes, yet its viewership rate was nearly at 2.5%, having dominated the top spot for several consecutive days.

Calling this a breakout hit might be exaggerated, but it was undoubtedly a smash success.

…

"Son, you played Xue Rengui really well—I and your father watch it every day."

Yan Li held his phone, listening to his mother Zhang Hong's chatter; during this Shandong publicity tour, he'd planned to visit home, but couldn't adjust his schedule, so he only called.

Fortunately, his parents had previously stayed in Jingcheng for a while, so they weren't too disappointed; instead, they lavished praise on his drama performance.

The couple genuinely enjoyed watching their son act.

One reason was they rarely saw him in person, so watching him on TV was fine; another was they felt proud—ordinary families always thought acting was impressive.

Thus, they fully supported their son's acting career and always showed enthusiastic support.

Of course, roles like Yuwen Chengdu in The Heroes of Sui and Tang were excluded—they preferred dramas like The Legend of Xue Rengui, where their son was both satisfying and handsome.

After chatting for a while, Yan Li hung up, took his phone into the company, and on the way, employees from other companies who recognized him boldly approached to speak.

"Director Yan, I watched your new drama—Xue Rengui was incredibly handsome."

Yan Li smiled: "You watched this drama too?"

"Of course—we all watch it at home! Director Yan, does Xue Rengui end up with Princess Zhao Yang?"

Another female employee joined in; Yan Li noticed she knew the character's name, not just flattery, and nodded.

"Together?"

"Ah, then what about Liu Yinhuan?"

"Together too."

"... No wonder it's you."

After teasing a few jokes, Yan Li took the elevator to the company, sat down in his office, rested briefly, when Hu Ya, director of the president's office, entered carrying two stacks of files.

"So many?"

Yan Li was surprised—he'd been busy outside recently, but he hadn't neglected his duties daily; there shouldn't be this many files piled up.

"These are documents; these are the various interviews, shows, and drama crew invitations I mentioned to you before."

Yan Li understood—Hu Ya had told him before that after The Legend of Xue Rengui's popularity, many invitations came his way.

At the time, he was busy with promotions, so he told her to hold onto them, planning to deal with them later; he hadn't expected so many to accumulate.

"I've become a hot commodity."

Yan Li flipped through a document with interest—it was a cover feature and interview invitation from a high-end fashion magazine, a privilege reserved only for today's hottest young actors.

"It's not just a hot commodity—you don't know how busy the CEO's office has been these past few days, even more than the talent agency."

Hu Ya said, half-flattering, half-musing: she had seen Yan Li's popularity surge before due to his acting, but nothing compared to this.

It wasn't that "The Legend of Xue Rengui" was hotter than other dramas; it was Yan Li's role and positioning that differed.

In the past, even if Yan Li's TV dramas were wildly popular and his characters stood out, he was still just a supporting actor, overshadowed by the lead, with limited spotlight to share.

But in "The Legend of Xue Rengui," he was the undisputed lead, carrying the majority of the plot and all the key moments.

Under these circumstances, when the drama succeeded, the boost to the actor's personal profile was immense.

But the most crucial factor was Yan Li's real-world identity—an actor, no matter how famous, is still just an actor; Yan Li was not merely an actor.

The combination of "hot drama lead" and "billionaire" created a powerful chemical reaction, generating endless buzz and attracting relentless pursuit from all sides.

The treatment afforded to a popular young actor was just the baseline; many of the offers coming in targeted industry heavyweights, even surpassing some of them in extravagance.

After all, there are many heavyweights—but how many young billionaires who can act well are there?

Without exaggeration, Yi An didn't even need to wait for Deng Chao—Yan Li, riding this wave, could directly become Yi An's number one.

But…

Yan Li skimmed through some offers, then told Hu Ya to set them aside, and began working.

If you can be the boss, why be the number one?

Acting is fine, but it can't be your main job—why abandon dozens of projects worth tens or hundreds of millions to chase after film roles and endorsements worth hundreds of thousands? Is he out of his mind?

After finishing the document signings and attending two meetings, Yan Li returned to his office during a break, turned on his computer, and logged into his BBS forum.

Thanks to the new drama's popularity, many new users had flooded in, making it far livelier than before.

【The young general in white robes is so hot—I adore Yan Li, can you recommend his previous dramas?】

【Bushy eyebrows, starry eyes, overwhelming aura—I dream of him every night】

【Watching with my family, I really think he's stunning—more handsome than Huang Xiaoming】

【New fans, calm down—handsomeness is just Yan Li's most basic advantage】

【Damn, I'd already unfollowed him, but after watching the drama, I came back】

【Hahaha, the charm of the commander lies in knowing he's no good, yet still being unable to stop loving him】

【It's not that he's bad—it's that those women can't control him】

【……】

Yan Li lit a cigarette—no wonder everyone loves fans; they really know how to talk…

(End of Chapter)