Chapter 37: Over Ten Years Older? Can Yan Li Really Go for Her?!

Although he was fitted for makeup on his first day at the set, Yan Li didn’t start filming until the third day, while Zhou Weiyi had already begun earlier.

This also had to do with Wu Tian’s limited screen time.

In the drama “Conquest,” Wu Tian was the first enemy Liu Huaqiang killed to avenge his brother.

But in reality, their grudge was shallow, and Wu Tian’s death was utterly unjust.

In the plot, their conflict arose because Wu Tian ran a video game arcade, while Liu Huaqiang provided muscle for another arcade, leading to business disputes.

Of course, this was only one reason; another was that Wu Tian abandoned his mistress Li Li, who sought revenge by offering Liu Huaqiang 20,000 yuan plus sexual favors to teach Wu Tian a lesson.

The business dispute combined with Li Li hiring hitmen led Liu Huaqiang to smash Wu Tian’s establishment, escalating their feud into open conflict.

Liu Huaqiang outmaneuvered Feng Biao, who protected Wu Tian’s interests; Wu Tian then bowed to Liu, paying through the intermediary Zhou Guoquan for peace.

From then on, the two had no further contact, and Wu Tian had nothing to do with Liu Huaqiang’s brother’s severe injury.

But Liu Huaqiang didn’t know the real killer, so he planned to kill everyone who had ever wronged him.

Because Wu Tian had a complicated social background and minimal ties to Liu Huaqiang, he was less likely to draw police attention or alert others, making him the first target.

Thus, in the drama “Conquest,” Wu Tian served more as a catalyst.

He introduced Liu Huaqiang’s revenge plot, past history, and the truly ruthless Li Li, who ran through the entire series.

In Yan Li’s view, Wu Tian had only five substantial scenes.

Seeking the intermediary Zhou Guoquan, paying Liu Huaqiang to submit, turning on Zhou Guoquan, turning on his mistress Li Li, and being shot dead on the street by Liu Huaqiang’s men.

Beyond that, there were scattered minor scenes—ten or twenty in total—not worth mentioning.

If filmed intensively, it would take barely a week, and even that pace would be considered slow.

But Yan Li wasn’t big enough to demand his own schedule; he had to follow the production’s timeline, and even though Gao Qunshu was rushing to save money, it would still take at least half a month.

After makeup, Yan Li arrived on set; today’s scene was the one where he broke with Li Li.

Yan Li also met the actress playing Li Li—the biggest star on the “Conquest” set—Jiang Shan.

A few years back, Jiang Shan might not have been the most popular actress, but she was certainly among the top names in the industry.

Especially in the mid-1990s, her landmark drama “Just a Taste” became a massive hit; Jiang Shan became nationally famous, setting trends, with the saying: “No woman hadn’t cut her hair like Du Mei, no man hadn’t secretly loved Jiang Shan.”

Now, nearly a decade later, as Jiang Shan aged, her looks and figure inevitably declined, no longer as beautiful or captivating as Du Mei in “Just a Taste.”

Still, she was once a legendary beauty, with a solid foundation—she still carried undeniable grace.

Yan Li had just joined the cast and only made a brief appearance; Jiang Shan had never seen him before. When she learned this handsome young man was “Wu Tian,” the man she’d slept with, she teased him.

“Guess I’m getting the better end of this deal—old cow eating tender grass.”

“Don’t say that—if anyone’s getting the better deal, it’s me.”

Yan Li looked deeply honored: “You were the goddess of our school back then. My classmates would die of envy if they knew I was acting with you.”

Jiang Shan laughed: “Haha, you’ve got a sweet tongue.”

Yan Li shook his head: “Honest words. Will you do me a favor and take a photo with me later? I’ll show it off everywhere.”

“No problem.”

Everyone loves to hear flattery, regardless of whether it's true or false; flattered by this handsome young man, Jiang Shan felt delighted.

Yan Li pressed the advantage, showering her with praise, making her laugh continuously, growing increasingly warm and friendly toward him; within half an hour of their first meeting, they were already calling each other brother and sister.

Yan Li’s behavior made Zhou Weiyi, who had no scene today and had come just to hang out, feel stunned.

No way—Jiang Shan is over ten years older than Yan Li! Can he really go for her?!

If Sun Honglei knew his thoughts, he’d sneer at such an old-fashioned mindset.

Young people have no experience!

So what if a woman is older? Older women know how to care for you, look after you in daily life, help you with your career. Soft-man meals may look bad and sound bad, but they taste delicious.

Zhou Weiyi clearly didn’t see it that way. He found a chance to pull Yan Li aside, stammering, trying to advise him.

Yan Li didn’t understand at first, but when he finally got it, he nearly kicked him.

What did this kid think he was?!

Even if he were desperate, he’d never go for a woman over ten years his senior—especially one who was married. To seduce a married woman? He’d lose all face if that got out.

Yan Li’s motive for flattering Jiang Shan was simple: first, habit—he was naturally kind to people to avoid trouble.

Second, to expand his network—Jiang Shan was a former top star with status in the industry; if he could befriend her, she might one day help him land an opportunity.

Third, later today they’d film a scene where his character was hostile, even verbally abusive and physically threatening.

Though acting and reality are separate, you never know who might hold a grudge. Others didn’t matter, but Jiang Shan was a big name on set—he didn’t want to offend her, so he needed to lay the groundwork in advance.

Zhou Weiyi finally realized he’d misunderstood.

But it wasn’t his fault for being shocked—Yan Li’s skills were something he’d witnessed firsthand.

One of the prettiest girls in their class, Che Xiao, had once been hot and heavy with Yan Li; Dong Xuan, the most beautiful campus beauty of the 2000 cohort, was Yan Li’s girlfriend.

Keep in mind, Dong Xuan was in the undergraduate class, while Yan Li was in the vocational program—there was a clear hierarchy, even a sense of inferiority.

Yet Yan Li, against fierce resistance from undergraduates and even two senior classes, managed to win Dong Xuan over.

An incredible feat!

Even more outrageous: later, Yan Li quietly got Huang Shengyi, the most beautiful girl of the next cohort (2001), to approach him for kissing tips.

Had it not been discovered early and had graduation not been imminent, who knew if it might have progressed to bedroom coaching?

Also, when Yan Li broke up with Dong Xuan, his friends assumed their rift was so bitter that even if he managed to reconcile, he’d have to beg and suffer.

But Yan Li spent over a month in Hengdian, reportedly not calling Dong Xuan once; within days of returning to Beijing, the two were back together, shamelessly.

And it was Dong Xuan, the one who initiated the breakup, who begged for reconciliation—while Yan Li, the guilty party, reluctantly refused.

Zhou Weiyi was proud and aloof, dismissing most people—but when it came to seducing women, he admired Yan Li utterly.

Imagine: you have a friend with such a legendary romantic record, and suddenly he charms a middle-aged beauty into a daze—how could you not think the worst?

After Zhou Weiyi’s interruption, Yan Li, though amused and exasperated, became more restrained.

It wasn’t vanity—he truly had a natural gift for winning women’s affection.

Sweet-talking, handsome, and physically fit!

Even without using system abilities, just these basic advantages could win over many women.

Moreover, Yan Li remembered something from the system’s intelligence.

Jiang Shan’s marriage to her husband Gao Shuguang was strained, nearing divorce—this was precisely when a woman was most vulnerable; one misstep, and he might accidentally take advantage…

(End of Chapter)