Chapter 295

Yu Yanli didn't know how Fan Xiaopang and Li Bingbing had talked, but when he arrived, he saw the two of them sitting together on set—something unprecedented, even occasionally laughing and chatting.

Since the filming of "Painted Skin" began, such a scene was rare, if not unheard of.

Beside them, Sun Li visibly panicked; she wasn't afraid of them fighting—she was used to it—but this unusual calm was terrifying.

Seeing Yu Yanli finally arrive, Sun Li nearly jumped out of her chair.

She hurriedly offered him her seat, then slipped away to find Deng Chao for shelter and comfort.

Yu Yanli pulled his costume around his lower body and sat down, reading the script while waiting for his scene.

Fan Xiaopang glanced over, impatiently prodding him: "Is your info reliable? Are they coming or not?"

Yu Yanli sighed: "Isn't it better if they don't come?"

"No way—I'd be wasting all my preparations."

Fan Xiaopang wore the look of someone who wouldn't let herself be cheated; convincing Li Bingbing hadn't been easy.

That old bamboo stick was shrewd—knew the timing was golden, held out for more, and took a big bite out of her.

Thinking of it, Fan Xiaopang turned to Li Bingbing again: "Do things properly—I won't shortchange you, so don't show up but do nothing."

Since she was already involved, letting her sit idle was a waste; better to add more incentive and have her assist me, just to send a message to Boss Qin.

You two aren't the only ones who can form factions—I don't care to play your games, so just calm down!

"Relax—I'm not you, known for my impeccable reputation."

Li Bingbing was relaxed; this had little to do with her. Even if she agreed to help, she was mostly here to watch the show.

Fan Xiaopang shook her head, though she'd never expected Li Bingbing to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with her—just not to drag her down was enough.

Though outwardly confident and commanding, Fan Xiaopang clearly felt some pressure—otherwise she wouldn't be so restless.

But the more she wanted to confront Boss Qin, the longer the two delayed showing up.

After the crew had worked for hours and still no sign of them, not only did Fan Xiaopang doubt Yu Yanli's intel, Yu Yanli himself began to waver.

The system wouldn't betray him—was something wrong? Or had they canceled last-minute?

Yu Yanli wondered if his earlier text messages had done something—but quickly dismissed it as unlikely.

After all, this was their first time teaming up; they wouldn't be swayed back by a few texts.

In fact, the reason Qin Lan and Dong Xuan were late was simple.

Fan Xiaopang was renowned for her beauty; they decided not only to overwhelm her with presence but also to outshine her in appearance—at least not fall behind.

So they put great effort into their outfits and makeup, spending all night yesterday and through this morning choosing clothes and doing their makeup.

After meeting up, they weren't satisfied with each other—or themselves—so they went downtown to shop for new clothes and get a last-minute beauty touch-up.

The originally scheduled morning showdown was postponed to the afternoon.

During breaks in filming, Yu Yanli learned their movements through their people—he was utterly speechless.

"Purely a rabble."

But then again, if these two truly coordinated well, struck fiercely, moved like a storm, and advanced like a forest—then he'd be the one with headaches.

Fan Xiaopang grew impatient: "Are they coming or not?"

Fighting demands momentum—first strike, second wane, third exhausted. She'd waited all morning; her spirit was nearly drained.

"Cough—don't know. Let's eat first."

Yu Yanli himself was unsure now; it was overcast today, and rain was forecasted for the afternoon. If they got caught in the rain on the way and worried about their appearance, they might just turn back and pick another lucky day.

These two's decisions were like some dog author's empty promises—loud noise, no accuracy…

Fan Xiaopang glared at Yu Yanli, half-convinced he was messing with her.

Even if he wasn't lying, he'd still screwed her over badly. Without his warning, even a surprise clash wouldn't have scared her—but now, everything felt passive, and it was unbearable.

Yu Yanli sighed; if this intel ever got leaked, he'd be damned from both sides.

…

Time passed slowly, until nearly 3 p. ., when Hengdian, overcast all day, finally began to rain.

The rain was heavy, even disrupting part of the shoot; the director and producer came to consult Yu Yanli—if the rain didn't stop, they'd wrap early after finishing the interior scenes.

Yu Yanli agreed; shooting in the rain was difficult without proper preparation.

Crew scheduling was one thing, but protecting equipment, costumes, props, and sets was complicated—plus, weather couldn't be controlled. If the rain stopped or changed mid-scene, continuity would break.

So most crews, especially for big productions, preferred artificial rain over real rain.

By 4: 0 p. ., the interior scenes were finished; the rain had lessened but hadn't stopped.

Seeing the crew members staring hopefully at him, Yu Yanli waved to the producer: "Call it a day."

Instantly, cheers erupted; "Painted Skin" had a tight schedule, and delayed wraps or all-nighters were common.

On a rainy day, wrapping early—even if they had to rise early tomorrow—was a welcome relief.

Yu Yanli took off his outer costume, threw on a coat; it was November, temperatures weren't low, but rain made it bitterly cold.

He reached out under the eaves, touched the rain, then turned to his assistant Ding Feng: "This weather's perfect for hot pot. Tell the crew's finance team: every official crew member gets a 100-yuan subsidy—I'm treating everyone to hot pot, paid out of my own pocket."

These days, 100 yuan per person could buy a lavish hot pot meal; if you didn't want to eat, consider it a red envelope.

Fan Xiaopang mimicked him, reaching out to feel the rain: "You're buying loyalty again?"

"Just 100 yuan—hardly buying loyalty."

Yu Yanli smiled: "Didn't you see how everyone reacted when we called it quits? Work is tiring, resentment builds—eating hot pot and getting a red envelope lets them vent. Tomorrow, they'll be fired up again."

After being a boss this long, Yu Yanli realized many employees were easy to please.

They might grumble daily, but give them half a day off or a small treat, and suddenly they think you're the best boss ever—their resentment over overtime fades.

And these occasional little surprises and perks work better than direct pay raises.

Extra salary on the payroll feels like something they're owed; this way, they feel they've earned extra.

You could call it a shrewd merchant's trick or a capitalist's ploy—but Yu Yanli preferred to call it management wisdom.

"Let's go—they're not coming. Let's get some hot pot."

Yu Yanli didn't have a strong love for hot pot, but on rainy or snowy winter days, he especially craved something hot to ward off the chill—with three or five close friends around, it was even better.

"Alright."

Fan Xiaopang nodded, reaching for her bag to change clothes. Nearby, Li Bingbing heard and came over.

"Count me in."

"Why are you always everywhere?"

With Boss Qin absent, Fan Xiaopang's need for Li Bingbing dropped sharply—she immediately changed her tone.

Li Bingbing wasn't surprised, only emphasized: "Not coming today doesn't mean they won't come later. Don't burn your bridges."

Fan Xiaopang fell silent. The real enemy was still out there—let the old bamboo stick enjoy her moment.

Originally, Yu Yanli planned to invite Deng Chao and others, but since both Li Bingbing and Fan Xiaopang were present, everyone else claimed they'd already made other plans and wouldn't intrude on their trio.

Though others weren't there, their personal assistants were—so if they wanted quiet, they could eat alone; if they wanted noise, they could fill a whole table.

They called to reserve a private room, drove over, and Fan Xiaopang and the others went inside to order. Yu Yanli chatted briefly with the owner.

Hengdian had too many stars—so they weren't special—but a big boss was different.

This made Yu Yanli more welcome than many stars; shop owners always wanted to chat and take photos—rumor said they wanted to absorb Boss Yan's wealth.

"Alright, I'll eat first. You go ahead."

Yu Yanli escaped the enthusiastic hot pot owner and turned toward the private room when Ding Feng approached, serious and low-voiced.

"Boss, the crew says Miss Xuan and Miss Lan have arrived."

Yu Yanli instinctively glanced outside the restaurant—it was still raining.

These two women were determined to take on Fan Xiaopang!

Yu Yanli paused. If they couldn't find him, they'd either go to the hotel or Yi'an Garden to wait, or call him.

Roaming around, making a scene—too hard to control. If they called him, he'd be put on the defensive.

He thought quickly, then turned to Ding Feng: "Go check how good the room's soundproofing is."

Ding Feng blinked, then went to check and returned: "Good. And today's rainy, the place is crowded—naturally noisy. Even loud noises won't draw attention."

"Hmm."

Yu Yanli nodded, pulled out his phone, stepped to the restaurant entrance to call, and Ding Feng followed with an umbrella, tilting it to shield him from the wind-driven rain.

"Hello?"

The line connected—Dong Xuan's voice came through. Yu Yanli's tone was surprised and exasperated.

"Why are you two here?"

"Of course, to visit… and also discuss this year's birthday."

Dong Xuan and Qin Lan had clearly answered together—each speaking in turn. Qin Lan's voice carried a hint of resentment, clearly annoyed that Yu Yanli had called Dong Xuan first.

As for how Yu Yanli knew they'd arrived at the set—no need to ask.

Both had shown up; if he didn't get word, he might as well quit.

That's why he called them first—if he waited for them to call and pretended ignorance, it'd be too fake.

"Honestly, why are you here?"

"Why are you so harsh? You haven't come to see me… us in so long… can't we just come check? What if someone gets drained by a fox spirit?"