Chapter 260: Handsome? Yanli

The drama "The Legend of Xue Rengui" 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.

The Four Dan and Two Bing, though not yet fully abandoning TV dramas for films, have been appearing in TV series less and less frequently.

Zhang Ziyi has never starred in a TV drama; Xiao Yanzi has no plans to shoot after "A Dream of Red Mansions"; Zhou Young Master and Xu Caimei have drastically reduced their TV 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 projects lined up.

So currently, the only one still actively 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.

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

Not to mention the myriad 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 credentials aren't strong enough; she needs the popularity from TV dramas and to help Yi'an make money.

Leaving aside the relationship between Yanli and her, all that money and resources being poured into her aren't given for free.

As an artist, Fan Xiaopang generates considerable revenue for the company, but it's not the biggest portion; her greatest value lies in Yi'an's ability to leverage 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 nearly ceasing production like the Four Dan and Two Bing.

Of course, as Fan Xiaopang's fame grows and her ability to sell dramas improves, the profit distribution will shift—perhaps granting her a share of the production budget or profit participation to deepen the partnership.

Business must be accounted for clearly!

Yanli can divide money with Fan Xiaopang and her husband however they like privately, 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 film or TV; she's simply focused on acting, aiming to become a top-tier star and break into Hollywood.

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

If not for "The Legend of Xue Rengui" being Yanli'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 has become one of the drama's key promotional points.

Another promotional highlight is Yanli.

Although Yanli isn't as strong as Li Bingbing as an actor, 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 stepping into the lead role of Xue Rengui—a role perfectly suited to him—there's 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 and Shandong TV stations secured the first-run broadcast rights at 850, 00 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, raising the market ceiling, several dramas since have also surpassed a million per episode.

But these were mainly for top-tier hits, high-budget productions, or special cases.

Although the TV drama market has rapidly grown, 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, 00 to 800, 00 yuan per episode range; anything above 800, 00 is already considered well-supported by the market.

The price for "The Legend of Xue Rengui" even exceeds that of "The White-Haired Witch," whose first-run price didn't reach 800, 00 yuan.

Of course, this reflects factors like cast and market demand, as well as production costs.

"The Legend of Xue Rengui" had an investment exceeding 30 million yuan, barely qualifying as a major production.

At 850, 00 yuan per episode, though not yet recouped, the cost is nearly covered.

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

If it becomes a breakout hit, they might even make a huge profit.

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

Jiangsu Province, Nanjing

Yanli, Li Bingbing, Lin Jiachuan, Jiang Xin, and the newly arrived Yang Rong attended Jiangsu TV's "Very Big Star."

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

Yanli usually didn't enjoy participating in such variety shows, but since "The Legend of Xue Rengui" is his first leading role, he decided to go all in.

Not only Jiangsu TV, but also Shandong TV's "Yangguan Expressway" and "Isn't It Fun," plus online programs and interviews from Sina, Tudou, and others—all must be attended.

"Very Big Star" still showed respect for Yanli and Li Bingbing as big stars, avoiding any humiliating segments.

But as an entertainment show, it inevitably included some gimmicks.

Especially regarding the rumors between Li Bingbing and Yanli, the host subtly steered the conversation toward them.

Li Bingbing, either for topic considerations or to annoy Fan Xiaopang, cooperated by giving vague answers.

"This drama was simple: Yanli called me and said he had a role he wanted me to play. I asked what it was—he said, 'Your husband's wife.' I said 'Fine,' and just took it."

"I really like the role of Princess Zhaoyang—resilient, bold in love and hate. The only thing I'm dissatisfied with is that she's a concubine."

"I told Yanli: next time, find me to play the only wife, or I won't take any of his roles."

"..."

Half-jokingly, Li Bingbing also laid groundwork for "Painted Skin," which the public is also very interested in—during this promotional period, they've been repeatedly asked about it.

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

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

Yanli made a joke, then praised Li Bingbing, saying the role was tailor-made for her and so on.

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

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

Yanli played with the microphone, then analyzed seriously: "Liu Yinhuan is his first wife, his first love; Princess Zhaoyang is his life-and-death companion, his true love; Tuoya (Jiang Xin) is someone he deeply respects and shares temperament with. I think he probably loves Liu or Zhaoyang more."

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

Yanli replied calmly: "I'd choose all of them."

Everyone laughed. For others, this would be just a joke, but coming from Yanli, it was intriguing.

The host pressed again: "You can't choose all three. Pick one. You must choose only one."

Yanli paused for a moment: "I'd choose Liu Yinhuan."

"Why?"

This question came from Li Bingbing. Although Yanli was speaking about the character, actors and roles are closely linked, and some personal identification inevitably creeps in.

Moreover, from the plot, the character with the most scenes alongside Xue Rengui is indeed Princess Zhaoyang, who also helps him the most and shares deep feelings with him.

Liu Yinhuan has more of a tool-like quality, low presence—even less prominent than Jiang Xin's heroic Khitan general.

"A wife who stood by you in poverty must never be abandoned."

Yanli spread his hands: "Liu Yinhuan followed Xue Rengui when he had nothing, endured years of hardship in a cold cottage. Emotionally and morally, he can't abandon her."

"And realistically, Princess Zhaoyang and Tuoya are both strong women who could thrive without Xue Rengui; Liu Yinhuan has only Xue Rengui."

To others, Yanli's words were just an interesting topic, but to those who know him well, they carried genuine sincerity.

Loyalty to old ties!

This is a trait Yanli is widely recognized for by those around him; even Jiang Xin and Lin Jiachuan have benefited from it.

Because Yanli values old ties, they've been consistently brought along to act in his projects.

Jiang Xin at least has appeared in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," so she has some connections; Lin Jiachuan has neither talent nor looks—without Yanli's promotion, he couldn't even imagine staying in the industry.

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

The former wondered if Dong Xuan was Yanli's "Liu Yinhuan," and whether Fan Xiaopang, who helped him more, was his "Princess Zhaoyang."

The latter thought that given Yanli'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, and she herself, were the same.

After the recording ended, Yanli signed autographs for several fans and left first.

He had many friends in Jiangsu who invited him; he declined 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 face of "The Legend of Xue Rengui," she was the main promotional force and even more popular than Yanli among entertainment media.

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

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

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

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

Originally during "The Legend of Xue Rengui," the two had subtly clashed; though unsure of each other's exact situation, both felt some resentment.

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

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

Plus, with their obvious tension, Lin Jiachuan had no intention of getting involved—better to avoid trouble.

But sometimes, even if you don't want to get involved, you still get pulled in.

Lin Jiachuan went out for salted duck with his assistant, strolled around Nanjing's night scenery, and when he returned to the hotel, he was pulled into Yanli's room by his assistant Ding Feng.

"What's going on?"

Lin Jiachuan stared at the wine and dishes on the hotel table, confused; Ding Feng handed him chopsticks and poured him wine.

Ding Feng, this assistant, had taken over Lin Jiachuan's old position; they had worked together before, and Lin Jiachuan had mentored him—privately, they got along well.

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

"Oh, where's Big Brother Yan?"

During previous filming trips, the guys often had small drinking sessions privately, but why wasn't Yanli present when he himself organized the gathering?

He's got things to do, might not come over—let's just eat first, then watch some movies or TV shows; if all else fails, we can sleep right here.

"This…"

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

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

Yan Li's status was no longer what it used to be; he feared being set up or tricked, so better safe than sorry.

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

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

"Where's Yan Li?"

Li Bingbing frowned at Lin Jiachuan, who still smelled faintly of alcohol. Before Lin could speak, Ding Feng appeared behind him.

"General Yan is in the bedroom on a video conference. May I ask what you need?"

"Yeah, I need to see him. What's going on here?"

"General Yan didn't eat well during his engagements, so he asked me and Brother Lin to join him for a late snack. Why don't you come in and wait? The meeting just started—he'll be done in a while."

Li Bingbing shook her head: "Nah, I'll come back later. You two carry on."

"Take care, Sister Bingbing."

Ding Feng closed the door. Lin Jiachuan finally realized: "So that's why he wasn't drinking—he used me as a decoy."

Lin Jiachuan didn't know exactly how Yan Li had arranged it, but he was certain Yan Li had anticipated someone might come looking for him in his room.

By bringing his good friend and assistant Ding Feng along for a late snack—and giving a plausible excuse—he could slip away cleanly, leaving no trace.

"But man, you've got guts. What if she'd walked in just now?"

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

It wasn't boldness—just giving each other a face-saving exit. Li Bingbing probably didn't believe him, but there was no point pushing it.

Everyone assumed Yan Li was just having a late snack with Lin Jiachuan. No one said it outright, but everyone understood—everyone won.

Learning he'd merely been a decoy today, Lin Jiachuan felt much more at ease.

He'd done similar jobs back in the day—not as thrilling or dangerous, though. Usually, it was just rehearsing alibis, sticking to the story, or taking the blame.

Now that he was back in the game, he felt nostalgic—and impressed by how Yan Li's schemes kept getting more elaborate.

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

"Miss Yang, what's this?"

"Is General Yan here?"

Yang Rong held a food container. After Ding Feng repeated the earlier excuse, she nodded and handed him the thermos.

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

After Yang Rong left, Ding Feng brought the thermos in. Lin Jiachuan was thoroughly 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 with Yang Rong, since they weren't close, he truly hadn't known she was involved too.

Yang Rong was especially careful to keep things low-key; she always acted politely distant from Yan Li in public, so Lin Jiachuan had only been cautiously suspicious—never strongly suspecting her.

Yet here she was, showing up at night with hangover soup. That kind of devotion? He didn't believe for a second 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.

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

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

And in "The Seven Fairies," he had Shuang Bing, Dong Xuan, and Jiang Xin—four confirmed. Yang Xue and Hu 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—he hadn't kept up with Yan Li's private life since stepping down as assistant.

Today had opened his eyes. He decided not to dig further—otherwise, one day he might offend a little sister and get whispered to in bed.

Ding Feng laughed and joked, dodging every question.

Lin Jiachuan was Yan Li's good friend, sure—but if a good friend 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—he didn't press further, and changed the subject.

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

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

After speaking, he took a shower, picked up the hangover soup sent by Yang Rong, and left the room again.

Lin Jiachuan: "..."

He admired Yan Li's flair—and even more his stamina and energy. The man was seriously built.

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

Groggy, she let him in. Yang Rong took the thermos, weighed it in her hand, and pouted.

"You didn't drink it?"

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

Yan Li wrapped his arms around Yang Rong, hands wandering. He hadn't seen this soft, cuddly doll in days—he'd missed her.

Yang Rong sniffed him and frowned: "Did you have a late snack—or go out fooling around?"

Yan Li didn't blink: "Of course it was a late snack."

"Liar. You still smell like that Jiang woman."

Yang Rong exposed his lie. Yan Li was confused—he'd showered, twice. How could the scent still be there?

As if sensing his confusion, Yang Rong pointed to his hair: "Your shampoo smells the same."

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

Hmm. Next time, don't use her shampoo or body wash—it's too risky.

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

Even as he said it, Yan Li felt guilty, so he shrugged: "I did it for you. I drank—I'm sure you couldn't handle it."

"..."

Yang Rong was stunned into silence by his shamelessness. This man was getting worse.

But Yan Li didn't care—he scooped her up and carried her to bed. She struggled, but one sentence silenced her.

"Think I'll call Wang Ou?"

So sometimes, not saying things outright is better—the whip only scares when it hasn't fallen yet.

…

After finishing the publicity tour in Jiangsu Province, Yan Li and the crew headed to Shandong Province.

Almost every night, Yan Li had a late snack with Lin Jiachuan.

All three women knew something was going on, but none could be sure who exactly he was involved with.

Fortunately, Li Bingbing didn't care much about Yan Li's affairs—as long as he satisfied her, she didn't bother with his messes.

Having someone else share the burden was better—otherwise, that stubborn donkey would wear her out every day.

Yang Rong and Jiang Xin, however, were jealous. Both wanted to get closer to Yan Li, and since they disliked each other, they'd quietly clashed a few times—with mixed results.

To be fair, Yan Li clearly favored Yang Rong—but Jiang Xin had her own advantages.

Especially toward the end of the publicity tour, Li Bingbing left first due to a tight schedule, leaving remote support for other promotions—giving Jiang Xin the upper hand.

When Li Bingbing was around, someone shared the pressure. Yan Li wasn't so desperate, so he preferred Yang Rong.

When Li Bingbing was gone, Yang Rong couldn't satisfy him, so Yan Li had to turn to Jiang Xin more often.

Yan Li had even considered bringing them all together—creating synergy, mutual benefit.

But their conflicts were too deep, and they rarely gave him any opening.

Yan Li himself had reservations—like Qin Lan and Shuang Bing—they were too deeply entangled with him. Occasionally, he'd act foolishly, then soothe them afterward, and things would just fade away.

But Yang Rong and Jiang Xin were different—they weren't at that level with Yan Li.

Especially Yang Rong: their relationship was ambiguous—still unclear whether she was his lover or just a casual fling—and she had higher personal boundaries.

Even getting Yang Rong and Wang Ou together would require slow, careful planning—he feared she couldn't handle it, let alone Jiang Xin.

Jiang Xin depended on Yan Li's resources, so it was easier—but her temper was no joke.

Yan Li was lustful, and not a good man.

But he only ever half-pushed, half-persuaded—he'd never force his women. So if an opportunity arose, he might try—but if not, he wouldn't push.

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

Within the first three days, its viewership surged to nearly 2%, ranking first and third among programs aired during the same period.

This result didn't exceed Yi An's expectations—but it was better than anticipated.

After all, the winter break season had many strong dramas. Yi An had expected fierce competition, with the show only gaining momentum once the plot reached its climax.

But they'd underestimated the public's anticipation—the show topped the charts immediately.

Yan Li checked online reactions and reviews—they were largely positive.

Of course, there were complaints—like disrespecting history—but in today's climate, it barely stirred any controversy.

In fact, compared to the shoddy historical dramas flooding the market, "The Legend of Xue Rengui" had excellent costume, makeup, and set design.

There were also many evaluations of Yan Li, as the plot had yet to fully unfold, and Xue Rengui himself is a fairly standardized character, with few praising his acting.

But many viewers said they found Yan Li incredibly handsome!

Yan Li is a good-looking man—a fact widely acknowledged outside; at most, some feel he isn't that striking, possessing instead a rugged, masculine charm.

In this adaptation of "The Legend of Xue Rengui," Yan Li played to his strengths and minimized his weaknesses, emphasizing heroic vigor, and with his muscular physique and steady demeanor, he captured much of the aura of the White-Robed Divine General Xue Rengui.

Many viewers were also reminded of Huo Qubing from "Emperor Wu of Han," feeling Yan Li was born to play the "Young General."

Aside from costumes, makeup, and set design, the plot of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" also held strong advantages.

As previously mentioned, although this drama still draws from "Xue Rengui's Campaign in the East," its storyline has been revised to better suit modern sensibilities.

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

This upgrade-driven plot aligns with mass tastes and will always have its market and audience.

The plot progression of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" isn't novel, but it's sufficiently "standard," and with well-managed pacing, it's tightly woven.

After successfully mastering his arts, Xue Rengui descends the mountain, takes odd jobs to make ends meet, demonstrates his abilities, and marries a beautiful wife.

To achieve fame and clear his name, he prepares to join the army and campaign against Liao; along the way, he rescues a damsel in distress, gathers followers, acquires treasures, and constantly shines before others.

In the army, he humiliates the villains, successfully shows off his prowess, is then forced to conceal his identity, pretends to be weak while secretly dominating, and steadily builds up the hook of the "Dreamed Virtuous Minister"…

Viewers find it thrilling and are kept hooked by lingering plot threads, naturally continuing to watch, and the drama's ratings keep climbing.

By the time Yan Li and others finished their promotional tour in Shandong and prepared to return to Jingcheng, the drama had aired less than one-third of its episodes, yet its viewership had nearly reached 2. , dominating the top spot for several consecutive days.

Calling this a breakout hit might be exaggerated, but it's 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 promotional trip to Shandong, he'd planned to visit his hometown, but couldn't adjust his schedule, so he'd only called home.

Fortunately, his parents had once stayed in Jingcheng, so they weren't too disappointed—instead, they lavished praise on his performance in the drama.

The couple genuinely enjoyed watching their son act.

One reason was they rarely saw him in person, so seeing him on TV was satisfying; another was they felt proud—ordinary families always think acting is impressive.

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

Of course, roles like Yuwen Chengdu in "Heroes of Sui and Tang" didn't count—they preferred dramas like "The Legend of Xue Rengui," where their son was both thrilling and handsome.

After chatting for a while, Yan Li hung up, took his phone into the company, and on the way, employees from other firms who recognized him boldly struck up conversation.

"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, so she wasn't just flirting, and nodded.

"Together?"

"Ah, what about Liu Yinhuan?"

"Together too."

"... o wonder it's you."

After teasing them a bit, Yan Li took the elevator to the company, sat down in his office, rested briefly, when then Chief of the President's Office, Hu Ya, 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; he couldn't have accumulated this many files.

"These are documents; these are the various interview, program, and production team invitations I mentioned to you earlier."

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

At the time, he'd been busy with promotions and asked her to hold onto them, planning to deal with them later; he hadn't expected so many to pile up.

"I've become a hot commodity."

Yan Li flipped through one file with interest—it was an invitation for a cover feature and exclusive interview with a high-end fashion magazine, a privilege usually reserved for top rising stars.

"More than a hot commodity—you don't know, these past few days, the President's Office has been busier than the Talent Agency."

Hu Ya said, half-flattering, half-musing; she'd seen Yan Li's popularity surge before due to 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.

Previously, even if Yan Li's dramas were wildly popular and his characters memorable, he was still just a supporting actor, overshadowed by the lead, with limited spotlight.

But in "The Legend of Xue Rengui," he was the undisputed lead, carrying most of the screen time and 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 popular, is still just an actor; Yan Li was not merely an actor.

The combination of "Popular Drama Lead + Billionaire" created a powerful chemical reaction, generating massive buzz and attracting relentless pursuit from all sides.

The treatment of a rising star was just the baseline—many subsequent offers matched or even surpassed those given to top industry figures.

After all, there are many top stars, but few young billionaires who can act—and act well.

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

But…

Yan Li flipped through some offers, then had Hu Ya set them aside, and began working.

If you're the boss, why be anyone's number one!

Acting is fine, but it can't be the main job—why abandon multi-million or billion-dollar projects to chase after tens or hundreds of thousands in acting fees and endorsements? He'd have to be insane.

After finishing signing documents and holding two meetings, Yan Li returned to his office during a break, turned on his computer, and logged into his BBS forum.

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

【The White-Robed Young General is so handsome—I adore Yan Li, can you recommend his previous dramas?】

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

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

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

【Damn, I'd quit following him, but after watching the drama, I came back】

【Hahaha, the charm of the Sergeant is that even though you know he's no good, you still can't help 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)