Chapter 296

The private room of the hot pot restaurant was thick with tension, but it mostly stayed at the level of words.

Qin Dong had clearly come prepared; regardless of who held the upper hand, she remained united with her ally, coordinating seamlessly, covering each other's flanks, and bolstered by her self-proclaimed status as the rightful wife while waging a campaign against "rebels," her momentum was formidable.

In comparison, the two Bings were weaker in joint operations, still suffering from insufficient preparation and deep-seated mutual animosity.

Sometimes, when one was under attack, the other would deliberately hold back just to watch the "ally's" predicament.

Still, the two Bings were the two Bings—though their joint operations weren't tight, their individual combat abilities were stronger.

Especially Fan Xiaopang, who was in peak form; even briefly facing two opponents at once, she didn't fall behind, and with just a little support from Li Bingbing, the situation stabilized.

Yan Li pondered it, unsure who was winning or losing.

There was no way to judge—it was just verbal fighting; unless one side had overwhelming superiority and the other surrendered, it couldn't be called victory. Physical confrontation would be more straightforward.

Hmm, in that case, he favored the two Bings.

As always, for non-professionals, fighting technique and physique come second; what matters most is sheer ruthlessness.

The two Bings were absolutely top-tier ruthless types in the entertainment industry—they never held back in a fight, while Qin Dong still fell a bit short.

As he was thinking, a knock came at the door. Ding Feng opened it and poked his head in: "Boss, the owner of this hot pot restaurant wants to come over and toast you."

This had been arranged earlier; Yan Li nodded and casually sat down in a nearby seat.

The four women immediately fell silent—private squabbles were fine, but in front of outsiders, they had to put on a show.

Especially since the visitor was here for Yan Li, they absolutely had to give him face.

A woman who lacked even this basic sense wouldn't be here.

Fan Xiaopang, seated closest to Yan Li, casually stirred a bowl of hot pot seasoning for him; across the table, Qin Lan glared at her and poured wine for Yan Li.

When the hot pot owner entered, he saw Li Bingbing and Dong Xuan half-rising to serve Yan Li dishes.

The hot pot owner was utterly awestruck.

He was so dominated by his own wife that he didn't even dare touch a waitress's hand—yet look at Boss Yan, dining with four female stars as his companions—this was true masculinity, true power, true… immense badassery.

The hot pot owner didn't dare overstay; he toasted Yan Li once, exchanged a few polished words, then left the private room.

After he left, Yan Li didn't rise—he just kept eating his meat, sensing all of them watching him, and said between bites:

"Keep arguing if you want. I'm hungry—I'm eating first."

Yan Li was genuinely hungry; he'd been staring at the hot pot for ages without eating, had just spent time catering to these goddesses, given them all due face—and now they weren't fighting again, so he'd attend to his real business.

"All you ever think about is eating."

Fan Xiaopang grumbled under her breath, but her chopsticks still dipped into the pot to pick out some seaweed sprouts Yan Li liked.

"Are you eating your own food? So impressive—you're not even boss's wife yet, and you're already denying him meals."

Qin Lan shifted positions instantly, aligning herself with Yan Li's side to attack Fan Xiaopang.

Dong Xuan quickly joined in: "This is just in front of us—imagine how much worse she is behind our backs."

As she spoke, she swept aside the seaweed sprouts Fan Xiaopang had picked and placed them on Yan Li's plate.

Fan Xiaopang instinctively glanced at Yan Li, her face darkening: "Stop pretending to be the perfect wife to step on me—what's between us is none of your business."

Li Bingbing chewed a hot pot dumpling, as usual, unmoved while her ally was under attack.

"Enough. You've been arguing all day—aren't you tired? Eat something. If you don't, the broth will be too salty."

Yan Li tapped his fingers on the table; the timing of the hot pot owner's visit had been perfect—their argument had lasted long enough that everyone was a bit weary and annoyed.

But with the enemy still present, none dared back down first, so they all gritted their teeth and kept going.

Thus, the hot pot owner's interruption gave both sides a chance to catch their breath, and the tense atmosphere noticeably eased.

Yan Li sitting down to eat was partly for this reason—if the tension had remained explosive, his casual demeanor would've dragged him right into the middle of it.

At the same time, Yan Li's action also aimed to further soothe the tension among them.

Still, Yan Li had underestimated the depth of their conflict; they seized on one phrase and immediately snapped back at each other, forcing him to speak again and offer another lifeline.

Not only did he speak, Yan Li even stood up to serve them dishes.

To prevent them from quarreling over who got served first, he held chopsticks in one hand and a strainer in the other, serving both factions simultaneously, giving each person two portions each, in random order—so no one could find fault.

The four women, who had just begun to cool down after their argument, temporarily laid down their arms under Yan Li's attentive service.

They were genuinely hungry anyway—eat first, then deal with those two little bitches after.

Seeing this, Yan Li could finally enjoy a proper meal—and was then "happily" bombarded with food from all sides.

The women channeled their fighting spirit into feeding him—eating their own portions while eagerly piling food onto Yan Li's plate.

Luckily, Yan Li had a decent appetite; otherwise, he'd have been stuffed to bursting by these women.

"Alright, alright, I'm full. I'm going out for a smoke."

Yan Li decisively slipped away—he wasn't there, but since they were enjoying their meal, they probably wouldn't flip the table.

Still, the moment Yan Li stepped out, the tension that had simmered during the meal—fueled by their competitive feeding—quickly flared up again, thick and sharp.

Some things were hard to say in front of Yan Li; now that he was gone, there were no more inhibitions.

Fan Xiaopang slammed her chopsticks down: "You two coordinate so well—how long have you been plotting to team up? Is this just a short-term alliance, or have you officially formed a pact?"

Qin Lan lightly stirred her seasoning bowl: "Scared?"

"Scared of what? Two useless trash together are still just trash."

Fan Xiaopang snorted, her voice cold and vicious: "Don't think I can't handle you two—I'm holding back only because of Yan Li. Calm down, or don't blame me for being uncivil."

Dong Xuan crossed her arms and sneered: "Do you think we were raised to be intimidated?"

"I admit you're capable—but don't treat us like insignificant fish. We all know what Yan Li really thinks. If you push us too far, let's see who matters more to him."

Qin Lan's face hardened too: "Exactly. The entertainment industry produced the two Bings—but it could also produce a 'two-something else.' Even the top star of Yi'an isn't irreplaceable. If it comes to a fight to the death, let's see who can hold out longer."

Fan Xiaopang had many cards—but they weren't playing bare-handed either.

To dare challenge Fan Xiaopang, to stand up to her—there was reason behind their courage, and that reason was Yan Li.

Ultimately, Yan Li was looking for a wife, not a superstar.

Fan Xiaopang's endeavors have advantages, but that doesn't mean everything—if she truly fights to the death, it's hard to say who would win.

Even if someone wins, it'll be a mess, and someone else might profit from the chaos.

Li Bingbing remained silent, her eyes thoughtful.

Previously, she had been confused: why did Fan Xiaopang, who held absolute advantage, treat Qin Dong, two "nobodies," with such caution?

Now she was beginning to understand—these two were indeed hard to handle; perhaps they couldn't defeat Fan Xiaopang, but they could drag her down with them.

Fan Xiaopang wasn't unaware of this, so while she talked tough, she always suppressed Qin Dong without ever striking directly.

Because if she moved against Qin Dong, her opponent wouldn't be these two, but Yan Li.

Emotionally, Yan Li could never stand by and watch two women who had followed him since their humble beginnings be bullied by Fan Xiaopang.

From self-interest, without Qin Dong to balance her, Fan Xiaopang would dominate entirely, and the other women would be driven to ruin—Yan Li's good days would be over.

From a practical standpoint, Fan Xiaopang excels externally but not internally; she might be a good companion and ally, but not necessarily a good wife. Yan Li isn't a robot—he needs a harbor, and someone to care for his home.

Similarly, Qin Dong knew Fan Xiaopang wouldn't risk a deadly clash with her, but she wasn't sure whether Yan Li might be swayed by her.

Fan Xiaopang's overt advantages were too great—what if this sly fox succeeded in rising to power? So they remained deeply vigilant.

Both sides had their strengths, both had their concerns; minor clashes occurred constantly, but no major confrontations—only covert struggles.

Tsk tsk~

Li Bingbing couldn't help shaking her head; there had been good reason to stop her sister back then—if she got dragged in, neither sister would have peace.

Now, though she got a few scraps, she remained outside the conflict, free to walk away anytime.

Of course, inwardly, this wasn't something to be proud of—Li Bingbing knew well that if she could fight, she probably wouldn't be able to resist joining in.

Thinking of this, her thoughts drifted back to her earlier conversation with Yan Li.

Huayi was preparing for its IPO; the Two Wangs had leaked word that they were considering letting artists subscribe to shares internally, to build loyalty and publicity.

She and her sister couldn't tell whether buying Huayi stock would be a loss or a profit; back then, the capital game of "celebrity + stock" hadn't taken off, and many artists didn't understand stocks at all, making money was hard, so they had reservations.

Yan Li analyzed Huayi's operations for her and judged that if Huayi's IPO succeeded, they'd definitely make a fortune.

So he advised: whatever shares Huayi offered them, they should take— if they lacked money, they could borrow from him; missing a good deal was a loss.

At the time, hearing Yan Li's analysis, what Li Bingbing thought about most wasn't how much Huayi stock would earn, but Yan Li's Yian.

If Huayi's IPO made money, how much would Yian's IPO make?

Even if Yian was still temporarily inferior to Huayi, Yan Li held so many shares that once it succeeded, his fortune would skyrocket.

Forbes had already said Yan Li's net worth exceeded one billion; if it surged, it might reach several billion.

The key was, Yan Li was still under thirty!

The entertainment industry had so many female stars marrying into wealthy families—but how many wealthy families matched Yan Li's wealth? Even if some were richer, few were the actual heads of those families.

The title "young madam" sounded nice, but only those who lived it knew the truth; Li Bingbing had once dreamed of being a wealthy lady, but after learning the reality, she gave up.

Li Bingbing hadn't never thought of Yan Li, but her age couldn't match Fan Xiaopang's.

In a few years, Fan Xiaopang and the others would be barely thirty, while she'd be nearing forty.

She'd never heard of a forty-year-old woman marrying a super-rich man younger than herself.

Even if such cases existed, they were vanishingly rare—Li Bingbing dared not entertain this fantasy.

Her current life wasn't bad—Yan Li gave her some support, her career blossomed step by step; though she couldn't reach the wealthy elite, she earned well, and lived easily and freely.

Li Bingbing had known hardship; she understood contentment and knew when to advance or retreat.

Thinking this, Li Bingbing focused on eating, no longer involving herself in the other three's internal struggles.

If it were merely verbal sparring, she'd side with Fan Xiaopang—but now the stakes were different; if she intervened, she might face a united attack.

Indeed, Fan Xiaopang made no move to seek her support, her gaze fixed on Qin Dong.

"What exactly do you want?"

"What we want depends on what you want."

Dong Xuan spoke a convoluted line; Qin Lan was more direct: "Everything has its limit—eating alone can choke you."

This referred to recent events around "Painted Skin," and was a warning to Fan Xiaopang not to overstep.

Fan Xiaopang understood, but wouldn't admit defeat: "I have a big appetite—I'm not afraid of choking."

Qin Dong was even bolder: "Then let's test it."

"Fine, let's test it."

"Come on, test it."

Regardless of their true feelings, none wanted to appear weak on the surface; each threw out threats as if they were certain of victory.

At that moment, Yan Li, who hadn't gone far, heard the commotion, opened the door, and walked in to see several women red-faced and shouting at each other.

"What are you fighting about now?"

"They're bullying me—they're saying they'll gather people to beat me up, to break my legs."

Fan Xiaopang played dirty, immediately filed a false complaint, angering Qin Lan and Dong Xuan.

"Stop lying—you were the one who threatened us first!"

Fan Xiaopang turned to Li Bingbing: "I have a witness."

Li Bingbing nodded solemnly: "That's exactly right."

"..."

Yan Li gently pressed his temple: "Enough. You've argued, you've eaten, the rain's eased—tomorrow's work awaits. Go home, each of you."

Neither side could truly fight; they'd already vented, and now had revealed their true positions—it was time to end this.

"Then where are you going?"

Fan Xiaopang posed a key question; Yan Li replied calmly: "I have an engagement in the city—I'm going out with Zhenyu, Deng Chao, and Zhang Songwen."

The engagement was fake; escaping was real. Today's scene demanded he leave alone, or everything would explode.

As for the three people mentioned, they were each in three different film crews and could serve as witnesses and peace tokens.

Indeed, everyone felt disappointed, but the other side didn't gain an advantage either, so it was barely acceptable.

Under Yan Li's arrangement, Shuang Bing and Qin Dong were separated, and this fierce battle came to an end.

On the way back to the "Painted Skin" film crew by car, Yang Tianzhen asked Fan Xiaopang: "Sis, are you okay?"

She had realized something was off just now, but there was nothing she could do—Yan Li wouldn't let anyone else in.

Even if she wanted to show loyalty to Fan Xiaopang, Yang Tianzhen dared not defy Yan Li's orders; no matter how loyal she was to Fan, she'd only be forced to leave Yi'an.

"I'm fine. They were just mud chickens and tile dogs—daring to cause trouble for me without even checking their own weight? I crushed them with a wave of my hand."

Fan Xiaopang was fairly satisfied with today's outcome—it was one against two, and she had to fight on the spot; as long as she didn't lose, it was a success.

Moreover, forcing Qin Dong to join forces and attack was already a victory for her.

On the other car, Qin Lan and Dong Xuan were also reviewing the events.

This trip to the "Painted Skin" film crew made Yan Li aware of our stance, vented our frustrations against Shuang Bing, and especially delivered a harsh warning and intimidation to Fan Xiaopang.

All predetermined goals were achieved, and a certain level of trust was accumulated, laying the foundation for future work.