Chapter 291: Why Does Jiang Xin Deserve It? The Dual Bing Immersion Method

Hengdian, set of "In the Darkness"

Qin Lan, who also starred in the film "Peach Blossom Luck," arrived at Hengdian five days after Fan Xiaopang.

The first thing Qin Lan did upon arriving at Hengdian was report to the production team, then sent her assistant to investigate the "Painted Skin" set.

Before the assistant returned, Hu Siyan and Zhao Ke arrived.

"In the Darkness" is a Republican-era drama; "The Last Princess" also features mostly Republican-era settings. The two sets aren't neighbors, but they're not far apart.

As for Zhao Ke, she also starred alongside Hu Siyan in "The Last Princess."

The producer of this drama is Yu Zheng; Zhao Ke originally met Qin and Hu through his screenplay and production of "The Great Qing Harem," and they're all old acquaintances, so Zhao Ke landed the female third lead this time.

Others didn't join, since the female lead and female third lead were already taken—asking for more would look greedy.

Yi'an also promotes people: for example, the male lead in "The Last Princess" is Zhou Yiwei, the female second lead is Chen Su, who's being negotiated with, and Yu Zheng himself has a circle of friends and relatives—the male second lead is his connection.

"Sis, your production doesn't seem to have much investment."

Hu Siyan, with years in the industry and many sets behind her, could estimate a production's caliber and scale with just a few glances around the set.

This "In the Darkness" doesn't even feel as big as our "The Last Princess" set—Qin Lan's playing the female second lead; isn't that a waste?

"We're a spy drama—the effort goes into the actors and the plot."

Qin Lan wasn't bothered; she'd read the script for "In the Darkness"—it was definitely top-tier. You can't judge such a drama by budget or star power alone.

Even as the female second lead, if she plays it well, it'll benefit her more than Hu Siyan starring in two or three "The Last Princess" sequels.

Qin Lan knew Yan Li had gone to great lengths to invest in "In the Darkness," even using some coercion.

She'd rarely seen Yan Li care so deeply about a project—even if she didn't believe in "In the Darkness," she trusted Yan Li's judgment completely.

Hearing this, Hu Siyan said no more; showing loyalty was enough. Pushing too hard might make Qin Lan switch sets.

"Sis, did that Jiang Xin give you trouble? That ungrateful bitch—we should teach her a lesson."

Among the Seven Fairies, Hu Siyan had few real enemies.

Li Lin was one, Yang Xue was okay, Li Bing was mutually annoying but no major conflict.

The most discordant were Fan and Dong, then Jiang Xin.

She disliked Jiang Xin partly because she saw her as Dong Xuan's lapdog, helping the villain back then.

And partly because when the Seven Fairies publicly broke up, Jiang Xin was the first to speak out—and targeted her by implication.

Hu Siyan still remembered Jiang Xin's words—【"Seven Fairies not getting along? No way—I'm on good terms with Xuan-jie, Yang Xue, Li Lin, and both Bing-bing-jie."】

There were only six of you Seven Fairies total—getting along with five? Then you're the one who's annoying?!

Another reason: Hu Siyan was a little jealous of Jiang Xin.

The reason was similar to Wang Ou's—Jiang Xin's career had climbed fast these past two years, and Hu Siyan resented it.

Plus, she suspected Jiang Xin and Yan Li were involved.

Clearly, Jiang Xin wasn't even Yi'an's artist—why had she been getting constant roles lately, even steady female leads?

Hu Siyan judged by her own standards: she didn't believe Jiang Xin's closeness to Dong Xuan alone could explain Yan Li's heavy backing.

Because of this, Hu Siyan resented Jiang Xin even more.

Wang Ou, that slut, was fine—she was Yi'an's artist, had to split her earnings with Yan Li, and even seemed to have betrayed friends for her own gain.

She herself was the same: though she hadn't made money for Yan Li, she'd always followed his orders, kept Qin Lan company, acted as a mole at Huayi, and recently even "betrayed" Li Xiao.

After all that obedience and diligence, Yan Li had tilted resources her way.

What right did Jiang Xin have?!

She wasn't even particularly beautiful—just tall, with no other standout advantages.

For all these reasons, when Hu Siyan learned Jiang Xin was playing the female lead in "In the Darkness," overshadowing their Lan-jie, she seethed.

Qin Lan, however, remained calm: she'd played supporting roles in "The Investiture of the Gods," been the female second lead for Wang Ou in "The Great Qing Harem," boosted Qiong Yao's newcomers in "Again, a Curtain of Dreams"—if she cared about this, she'd have quit long ago.

Besides, Yan Li had specifically explained it to her earlier, fearing she'd overthink it.

Jiang Xin got the role purely because her image fit; the director and screenwriter insisted, Sun Honglei recommended her—it had nothing to do with Yan Li.

Qin Lan didn't say whether she believed it or not; there weren't many scenes together anyway, and if Jiang Xin didn't provoke her, she'd ignore her.

"She's not important. What about those two from 'Painted Skin'? Any news from 'The Legend of Chu Liuxiang 2'?"

Qin Lan asked Hu Siyan—they'd been in Hengdian longer, so they should know something.

Hu Siyan silently cursed Jiang Xin's luck. Normally, given Jiang Xin's questionable status, Qin Lan might have had suspicions, at least investigated and eliminated potential threats.

But now, with a major enemy looming, she had no energy to bother with an insignificant Jiang Xin.

"'The Legend of Chu Liuxiang 2' is too far—I've heard little. But 'Painted Skin' has some rumors."

Then Hu Siyan gestured wildly, vividly recounting the big confrontation between Fan Xiaopang and Li Bingbing when he joined the set.

Li Bingbing and Fan Xiaopang filming "Painted Skin" was a hot topic; the confrontation happened in broad daylight, and the set wasn't just filled with "Painted Skin" crew.

Even after the production issued a gag order, rumors leaked out.

The rumors spread like wildfire—on Tianya Forum, let alone among other sets filming in Hengdian.

The gossip went wild; paparazzi and onlookers camped outside "Painted Skin" daily, hoping to catch more explosive footage.

The "Painted Skin" crew had to increase security, add several RVs and luxury vans as rest areas, and move makeup rooms, meeting rooms, and footage storage entirely to Yi'an Garden under tight guard.

Tabloid gossip wasn't the real issue—if the movie's plot leaked, the damage would be severe.

Qin Lan had heard some rumors too—she had her own sources—but since she wasn't in Hengdian, she lacked the details.

After listening to Hu Siyan's account, Qin Lan clicked her tongue in disappointment.

"They didn't fight?"

Hu Siyan was equally disappointed, comforting Qin Lan: "They hate each other, and they're stuck together—eventually they'll fight."

"I hope so."

Qin Lan said it, but didn't sound optimistic—after all, Yan Li was still on the "Painted Skin" set.

She knew from experience: minor friction and disagreements were fine, but if they actually fought or made a scene, Yan Li would crush it hard.

Like when she fought Dong Xuan—Yan Li had rarely lost his temper and cracked down hard. Or that New Year's Eve with Fan Xiaopang—that bastard even made them both…

No, that bastard wouldn't do the same to Li and Fan, would he?

Qin Lan's expression changed, then slowly relaxed—it probably wouldn't happen. Their conflict was too deep; putting them together would make them fight.

Still, she felt tense inside. After all, she and Fan Xiaopang didn't get along either—yet that bastard still got his way.

Fan was a sly fox with no shame; Li Bingbing wasn't any better. Yan Li could easily stir them up and manipulate them—it wasn't impossible.

Qin Lan thought for a while but couldn't come up with a plan.

There was nothing she could do—even if she guessed what was happening, she couldn't stop it.

Stop Yan Li from being reckless?

If that bastard listened to her, none of this would've happened.

Warn Fan Xiaopang or Li Bingbing?

Given their relationships, a warning would just sound like mockery or manipulation—and she didn't even know how either of them felt.

Sabotage from within?

The two sets were operating independently—she had no power to interfere. Even getting too involved might get her dragged into it by that bastard.

Qin Lan had no doubt Yan Li could do it—he'd done it once, he'd do it again. Last birthday, he nearly trapped her and Dong Xuan together in Sihe Academy.

So Qin Lan pretended she knew nothing, kept watching the drama between Li and Fan, while staying alert for any alliance between them.

Li and Fan had big conflicts, but also a stable shared interest.

Qin Lan thought: she and Dong Xuan had caught an affair together—how could she be sure Li and Fan wouldn't team up over something? She had to stay on guard.

Just as they were talking excitedly, two people approached from the set—the lead was Jiang Xin, dressed in her rustic costume.

Seeing Jiang Xin, Qin Lan didn't react much, but Hu Siyan immediately snapped, her tone sharp.

"What do you want?"

Jiang Xin glanced at her, voice equally stiff: "What's it to you?"

Of the Seven Fairies, Jiang Xin wasn't the most volatile, but she was definitely a top contender.

She already disliked Hu Siyan and found her annoying; seeing her in this posture, Jiang Xin had no intention of being polite—if not for Qin Lan's presence, she'd have said something even harsher.

Hu Siyan was her person; Jiang Xin's rudeness made Qin Lan's face darken.

Was this a power play? A warning?

She hadn't planned to pick a fight with Jiang Xin, but now Jiang Xin was deliberately provoking her—thinking she was easygoing?

Unexpectedly, after snapping at Hu Siyan, Jiang Xin extended her hand toward Qin Lan, her tone softening.

"Teacher Qin, I fought hard for this role—I just want to focus on acting. Let's coexist peacefully and work smoothly."

Jiang Xin's meaning was simple: we go our separate ways, no interference.

She'd gotten the female lead in "In the Darkness"—she was satisfied. And when Yan Li helped her secure the role, he'd hinted she should behave, not stir trouble.

Jiang Xin had provoked Fan Xiaopang on "The Legend of Yang Yuhuan" and been crushed for it—Yan Li's stance had been clear.

Since then, Jiang Xin's ambitions had cooled.

Yan Li had warned her in advance, was now stationed in Hengdian, Qin Lan herself was no pushover, and Jiang Xin believed "In the Darkness" was a good project with potential to become her signature work—she wanted to focus entirely on doing it well.

For all these reasons, Jiang Xin chose to approach Qin Lan on her first day on set to declare her intentions.

It was a subtle move—by offering peace upfront, if Qin Lan still harassed her, Jiang Xin could go to Yan Li and complain.

Qin Lan studied Jiang Xin with interest, then suddenly asked: "When did you two get together?"

To come straight to her like this, with a hidden maneuver—this confidence couldn't be explained by just being close to Dong Xuan.

Rumors had circulated that Jiang Xin and Yan Li were involved; Qin Lan had been uncertain before, but now she thought the odds were high.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Jiang Xin gave an evasive reply; there were few like Wang Ou, who had firmly decided to be Yan Li's mistress and openly acknowledged it.

Whether out of image concerns, consideration for future safety, or fear of offending certain people.

In short, with so many reservations, no one dared bring it up openly, let alone admit it.

As long as no one admitted it, even the wildest rumors remained just rumors and misunderstandings, leaving more room to maneuver.

Probably fearing Qin Lan would press for details, Jiang Xin answered a few words and then made an excuse to slip away.

This very act of trying to hide the truth only confirmed Qin Lan's suspicions.

She cursed Yan Li under her breath, yet still couldn't resist mocking Dong Xuan.

"Tsk tsk, isn't Jiang Xin a Dong? How's she running her crew? Isn't she getting her husband's hat turned green? How embarrassing."

Normally, Hu Siyan—known for her sharp tongue and feud with Dong Xuan—would have piled on, but today she was probably unwell, offering only brief agreement, even less than Zhao Ke.

As Qin Lan was puzzled and about to ask, her assistant returned—but not alone; a car followed behind.

Yan Li's car!

On her first day joining the set, Yan Li, out of propriety, had to come over to welcome her.

With others around, Yan Li didn't get out of the car; Qin Lan and the others got in, exchanged a few words, and only then did Qin Lan remember Hu Siyan.

"Siyan, I meant to ask earlier—what's wrong? You look drained, and your face is pale."

Hu Siyan forced a smile, sounding weak: "The temperature's been swinging wildly these days. I caught a chill this morning—feel a bit unwell."

Unwell? But she was full of energy before Jiang Xin arrived?

Yan Li didn't know the full story, but he'd had deep enough conversations with her to offer concern.

"Be careful later—this kind of temperature shift makes catching a chill the easiest way to get sick. Last year around this time, one of our company's screenwriters, a man surnamed Pang, caught a chill and got facial paralysis. He had to get acupuncture on his face for over a month to recover."

Qin Lan asked curiously: "Does that leave any lasting effects?"

Yan Li had never seen such a young person with facial paralysis before—it stuck with him. He'd even talked to the man: "A bit, yeah. When he laughs hard, his mouth tilts a little. Not severe. But the acupuncture on his face? Brutal. Dozens of needles on his hands and feet—terrible."

"Then you really need to be careful."

Qin Lan nodded. Female stars lived off their faces—if she got facial paralysis, it'd be a disaster. Even if cured, if the aftereffects were serious, even plastic surgery would be hard.

Hu Siyan obediently took out her mask and put it on. Whether she'd actually caught a chill was unclear, but she was definitely frightened.

After the welcome dinner, Hu and Zhao took the hint and left; Yan Li's car headed for Dongyang.

"Going into town—won't that interfere with tomorrow's shoot?"

"Not that far. Hengdian's too crowded with paparazzi."

Yan Li bristled at the thought of those paparazzi—they were too damn good at hiding and sneaking around.

One paparazzo, desperate to get inside Yi'an Garden for some juicy shots, actually stuffed himself into a plastic bag and hid inside a garbage truck to get in. Then he evaded security and the garden's guard dogs, spending the whole night crouched in bushes, stairwells, and other hidden corners.

If the system hadn't alerted Yan Li, he might never have caught him—he might've even slipped out again with the garbage truck.

Honestly, this guy was wasted as a paparazzo. Yan Li even considered recruiting him.

After catching and scaring him, they assigned him to tail a few rivals and see if he could dig up anything good.

Other paparazzi didn't have this kind of skill, but they all had their own tricks, and with so many of them, Yan Li couldn't possibly deal with them all—they severely restricted his freedom of movement.

Now, he and Fan Xiaopang sometimes returned to Yi'an Garden to stay; when he had free time with Li Bingbing, he rarely stayed in Hengdian.

"Thank goodness for the paparazzi—otherwise, someone would be living in constant debauchery."

Qin Lan couldn't help a sarcastic jab—herself, Shuang Bing, Dong Xuan, Jiang Xin, and all the other foxes she didn't even know about.

Hengdian's many imperial sets had practically become built for that bastard.

"Constant debauchery? I'm swamped."

Yan Li knew he couldn't let a woman think his life was easy, so he began complaining bitterly.

He listed his schedule: filming all day, working all night, barely sleeping—then showed Qin Lan the bruises he'd gotten from a stunt fall two days ago.