Chapter 296: Each Declares Victory: The Female Lead of

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

Boss Qin clearly came prepared; no matter who held the advantage, he maintained a unified front, coordinated flawlessly, provided mutual cover, and further strengthened his authority by claiming to be the legitimate wife while launching a campaign against "rebels."

In comparison, the duo Bing were weaker in joint operations, still suffering from insufficient preparation and deep-seated mutual tensions.

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

But the duo Bing were still the duo Bing—though their joint operations weren't tight, their individual combat strength was stronger.

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

Yan Li tasted the situation, unsure who was winning or losing.

There's no way to judge this—verbal fights, unless one side has overwhelming superiority, can't be called victory if the other still refuses to yield; actual physical confrontation would be more direct.

Hmm, in that case, he favored the duo Bing.

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

The duo Bing were unquestionably top-tier ruthless types in the entertainment circle—when it came to fighting, they never held back; Boss Qin still fell a bit short.

As he was pondering this, 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 offer a toast."

This had been arranged earlier. Yan Li nodded and casually took a 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 this was directed at Yan Li; no matter what, they had to give him face.

Any woman who lacked this basic awareness 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 food.

The hot pot owner was utterly awestruck.

He was constantly beaten down by his own wife—even dared not touch a waitress's hand—yet here was Boss Yan, dining with four female stars as companions; this was true masculinity, true boss-hood, true… immense power.

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 eyes on him, and said between bites:

"Keep arguing if you want. I'm hungry—let me eat 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 the face they needed, and now that the fighting had stalled, he'd attend to his real business.

"All you ever think about is eating."

Fan Xiaopang grumbled, but still dropped some seaweed sprouts—Yan Li's favorite—into the pot with her chopsticks.

"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 position 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 it is behind our backs."

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

Fan Xiaopang glanced instinctively at Yan Li, her face darkening: "Stop pretending to be the virtuous wife and trampling on me—what we do is none of your damn business."

Li Bingbing chewed a hot pot meatball, as usual, unmoved when her ally was in trouble.

"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 hot pot owner's arrival had been perfectly timed—their argument had dragged on long enough for fatigue and annoyance to set in.

But with the enemy looming, none dared back down first, so they all gritted their teeth and pressed on.

Thus, the hot pot owner's interruption gave both sides a chance to catch their breath, significantly easing the tension.

Yan Li sitting down to eat was partly for this reason—if the atmosphere had still been explosive, his casual demeanor would've dragged him right into the fray.

At the same time, Yan Li's action also aimed to further calm the group.

But Yan Li still underestimated the depth of their conflict; they seized on one phrase and immediately snapped back, forcing him to speak again and offer another stepping stone.

Not only did he speak, Yan Li even stood up to serve food to all of them.

To prevent disputes 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 helpings in random order—no one could complain.

The group, who had just cooled down from their argument, temporarily laid down their arms under Yan Li's attentive service.

They were genuinely hungry—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 energy into feeding him—eating their own meals while enthusiastically 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. Though he was gone, they were eating heartily—unlikely to flip the table.

Still, the moment he stepped out, the tension—already reignited by the 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? Short-term alliance, or full-blown partnership?"

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

"Scared of what? Two useless idiots together are still useless."

Fan Xiaopang snorted, voice dripping with malice: "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: "You think we were raised on fear?"

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

Qin Lan's face hardened too: "Exactly. The entertainment circle produced the duo Bing—it can also produce a duo something else. Yi'an's top actress isn't irreplaceable. If it comes to a fight to the death, let's see who lasts longer."

Fan Xiaopang had many cards—but so did these two.

They dared to fight Fan Xiaopang because they had their own backing—and that backing came from Yan Li.

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

Fan Xiaopang's career brought advantages, but it didn't mean everything. If they truly fought to the death, it wasn't clear who'd win.

Even if one won, it'd be a mess—and someone else might profit from the chaos.

Li Bingbing had stayed silent, her eyes thoughtful.

Earlier, she'd been puzzled: why did Fan Xiaopang, with absolute advantage, treat these two "nobodies" with such caution?

Now she was starting to understand—these two really were hard to handle. Maybe they couldn't beat Fan Xiaopang alone, but they could drag her down with them.

Fan Xiaopang knew this too—so while she talked tough, she only suppressed Qin and Dong, never directly attacked.

Because if she moved against Qin and Dong, her opponent wouldn't be them—it would be Yan Li.

Emotionally, Yan Li could never stand by while two women who'd followed him since the bottom were bullied by Fan Xiaopang.

Personally, without Qin and Dong to balance her, Fan Xiaopang would dominate completely, and every other woman would be driven out—Yan Li's peaceful life would end.

Practically, Fan Xiaopang excels externally but not internally. She might be a good partner and ally, but not necessarily a good wife. Yan Li isn't a machine—he needs a harbor, someone to care for his home.

Similarly, Qin and Dong knew Fan Xiaopang wouldn't risk a fatal clash—but they weren't sure if Yan Li might be swayed by her.

Fan Xiaopang's visible advantages were too great; what if this seductive fox succeeded in taking over? So they remained perpetually vigilant.

Each side had its leverage, each side had its fears—constant small skirmishes, no major confrontations, or rather, hidden ones.

Hmph~

Li Bingbing couldn't help shaking her head. She'd had good reason to stop her sister from getting involved—if she'd been dragged in, neither of them would've had peace.

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

Of course, inwardly, she didn't feel proud of this—Li Bingbing knew well: 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 an IPO; the two Wangs had leaked word that they planned to let artists subscribe to shares internally, to build loyalty and publicity.

She and her sister weren't sure whether buying Huayi stock would be profitable or not. In this era, the "celebrity + stock" capital game hadn't taken off; many artists didn't understand stocks, and making money was hard—of course they hesitated.

Yan Li analyzed Huayi's operations for her and judged that a successful IPO would definitely yield a big profit.

So he advised: take as many shares as Huayi offered; if money was short, borrow from him—don't miss a chance to profit.

At the time, listening to Yan Li's analysis, what Li Bingbing thought about most wasn't how much Huayi stock would earn—but Yan Li's Yi'an.

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

Even if Yi'an was still behind Huayi, Yan Li held so many shares that a successful listing would instantly skyrocket his net worth.

Forbes had already estimated Yan Li's wealth at over a billion; if it surged, he might reach tens of billions.

The key was—Yan Li was still under thirty!

There were so many female stars in entertainment marrying into wealthy families—but how many wealthy families compared to Yan Li's wealth? Even if some were richer, few were the actual heads of those families.

Being a young madam sounded glamorous, but only those who lived it knew the truth—Li Bingbing once dreamed of becoming a member of a wealthy household, but after seeing the reality, she gave up.

Li Bingbing had certainly thought about Yan Li—but her age couldn't compete with Fan Xiaopang's generation.

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

No one had 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 wouldn't dare dream of it.

Her current life was fine: Yan Li gave her some support, her career continued to flourish, she couldn't reach the heights of a wealthy household, but she earned plenty—and lived comfortably.

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

As she thought this, she focused on her meal, no longer joining the other three's internal feud.

If it were just a verbal battle, she'd side with Fan Xiaopang—but now the stakes were different; if she intervened, she might become the target.

Indeed, Fan Xiaopang didn't even look to her for support—her gaze stayed fixed on Qin and Dong.

"What exactly do you want?"

"What we want depends on what you want."

Dong Xuan said a tongue-twister; Qin Lan was more direct: "Everything has its limit. Hoarding everything will only choke you."

This referred to what had happened these past days on the set of "Painted Skin," and was also a warning to Fan Xiaopang not to overstep.

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

Qin and Dong were even less intimidated: "Then let's test it."

"Fine, let's test it."

"Come on, try it."

No matter what they thought inside, none wanted to appear weak on the surface; each threw out threats as if they were certain of victory.

At that moment, Yu Yanli, 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 said they'd bring people to beat me up and break my legs."

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

"Stop lying. You were the one who threatened us first."

Fan Xiaopang looked at Li Bingbing: "I have a witness."

Li Bingbing nodded solemnly: "That's exactly what happened."

"..."

Yu Yanli rubbed his forehead slightly: "Enough. You've argued, you've eaten, the rain's let up, and you've got work tomorrow. Go home now."

Neither side could really fight, they'd already torn into each other, and they'd had their chance to reveal their true intentions—time to end this.

"Then where are you going?"

Fan Xiaopang raised a key question. Yu Yanli replied calmly: "I've got a social engagement in the city. I'm taking Zhenyu, Deng Chao, and Zhang Songwen out."

The social engagement was fake; his real goal was to escape. Today's scene could only be defused if he left alone.

The three men he mentioned were each on different sets—perfect as witnesses and calming tokens.

True enough, everyone felt disappointed, but neither side gained an advantage, so it was barely acceptable.

Under Yu Yanli's arrangement, the two sides parted ways, and this battle came to an end.

On the way back to the "Painted Skin" set in the car, Yang Tianzhen asked Fan Xiaopang: "Sis, you okay?"

She'd sensed something was off, but couldn't intervene—Yu Yanli had barred everyone else from entering.

Even if she wanted to show loyalty to Fan Xiaopang, she dared not defy Yu Yanli's orders; no matter how loyal she was to Fan, she'd only get kicked out of Yi'an.

"I'm fine. Just a bunch of paper tigers and clay dogs. They think they can pick a fight with me? They don't even know their own weight—I crushed them with one hand."

Fan Xiaopang was satisfied with today's outcome. After all, she'd faced two opponents at once, on short notice, and hadn't lost—that was victory enough.

Besides, forcing Qin and Dong to join forces against her? That alone counted as her win.

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

This visit to the "Painted Skin" set had made their stance toward Yu Yanli clear, vented their anger at Shuangbing, and especially delivered a sharp warning and intimidation to Fan Xiaopang.

All their preset goals had been achieved, and they'd built up a certain level of trust, laying the groundwork for future work.