Chapter 39

Yan Li and Jiang Shan's scene together was shot and done.

He'd assumed they'd have no further contact, but Jiang Shan held a good impression of him and, a few days later, organized a dinner for the main cast of "Conquest," specifically inviting him.

Yan Li learned from his sources that she didn't find him attractive.

She simply thought the young man was sweet-talking and smooth, with decent acting skills, so she admired and took care of him a bit—and happily came along for the meal.

He had no interest in eating off Jiang Shan's money, but he was willing to take her as an older sister.

After all, Jiang Shan had extensive connections in the industry.

Her father and she were both generations of performers; her father had once served as head of the Literature and Planning Departments at Beijing Film Studio, participating in countless early films and TV dramas, leaving behind a web of favors everywhere.

Moreover, Jiang Shan herself was a student from the Class of '87 at the Central Academy of Drama; Chen Xiaoyi and director Feng Xiaogang's wife, Xu Fan, were her close childhood friends, while Hu Jun and He Bing were her classmates.

While filming "Guo Ba Yan," Jiang Shan met director Zhao Baogang, and the male lead, Wang Zhiwen, became her close male friend.

She had collaborated with numerous renowned directors, including Huang Jianxin, Guo Baochang, and Zheng Xiaolong.

Especially Huang Jianxin—Jiang Shan had worked with him on Multiple Works, and their relationship was excellent.

Yan Li didn't expect Jiang Shan to treat him like a real younger brother and wholeheartedly recommend or promote him; just helping him make a connection or say a few good words would be enough.

The dinner was held at a restaurant not far from the inn.

Director Gao Qunshu didn't come—his presence at such gatherings tended to dampen the mood. But most of the other main cast arrived, totaling over a dozen.

Wu Tian's storyline was separate, so Yan Li had little interaction with most of the main cast.

Today, once everyone gathered, Yan Li became the most conspicuous person in the room.

There was no helping it—the actors of "Conquest" were all more menacing than the last; even the villains were intimidating, and the police officers looked fearsome enough to silence crying children.

Against this backdrop, Yan Li's handsomeness shot up several levels.

Even the female waitresses sneaked glances at him multiple times while serving dishes—probably stunned by his looks.

Hmm, or maybe they just didn't recognize them as actors and pitied a fine young man gone astray…

Jiang Shan made no effort to hide it—she had Yan Li sit beside her. Liu Weiwei, who had been chatting with Sun Honglei, later switched seats to sit beside Yan Li.

"That's so unfair—you've got a good-looking guy here and you ditch us?"

Sun Honglei's tone was a bit sour—he wasn't interested in Liu, but this kind of preferential treatment was unacceptable.

Liu Weiwei and Sun Honglei were old acquaintances; they were both from Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. It was said Liu's older brother and Sun had been high school classmates, so they'd known each other for a long time.

Sun Honglei's casting in "Conquest" owed a bit to Liu Weiwei's influence.

So Sun Honglei spoke his mind, and Liu Weiwei didn't mind his remarks—instead, she teased him.

"In the drama you boss me around, but outside, can't I just look at a good-looking guy for a bit of eye candy?"

Yan Li didn't want to offend Sun Honglei, so he joked along, mocking himself with the drama's plot.

"If you put it that way, in the drama I get killed by Brother Honglei and the others, and outside I have to sell my looks? That's just bad luck."

Bai Hongbiao, who played Han Yueping, Liu Huaqiang's subordinate, chuckled: "You've got looks to sell—we rough guys can only stare helplessly."

Binzi, who played Hu Dahai, another subordinate, rubbed his bald head, sighing and mocking.

"It's better to be handsome—you're liked wherever you go."

Zhang Rihui, who played Liu Huaqiang's younger brother Liu Huawen, winked and grinned: "Not necessarily. Looks alone aren't enough—you've got to be useful. A man's most important asset isn't his face."

The remark was a bit risqué. Most of the men in the room laughed heartily, feeling it deeply.

For someone like Jiang Shan, at her age and immersed in the industry, hearing a few dirty jokes was nothing—when the mood was right, she'd tell them herself, endlessly.

But behind the jokes, there was some deliberate or accidental targeting of Yan Li. Jiang Shan frowned and fiercely defended her "little brother."

"You guys acting as senior brothers—why tease a young kid like this?"

Liu Weiwei added: "Exactly. A bunch of grown men, acting so childish."

Yan Li: "..."

Two older sisters—you're defending me or stoking the fire?

Yan Li could clearly sense the subtle exclusion and isolation directed at him, but he also saw that most had no real malice—just simple resentment toward a good-looking guy.

Under these circumstances, if Yan Li kept a low profile and smiled at everyone, no one would bother deliberately targeting him.

To be blunt, they were all minor actors—except for age and seniority, they had no real standing to put on airs with Yan Li.

On the contrary, Yan Li was young, with excellent all-around conditions—he might become famous any day. Anyone with half a brain wouldn't dare offend him lightly.

Just now, it was just group hype, disguised as jokes, and the whole thing passed with laughter and noise.

But now that Jiang Shan and Liu Weiwei had spoken up, they'd framed it as everyone conspiring to bully Yan Li, scolding and pushing him—how could these guys feel comfortable?

Jiang Shan was the biggest name on set—unapproachable!

Liu Weiwei had an ambiguous relationship with director Gao Qunshu—also unapproachable!

The only one left who could be targeted was Yan Li. A few dared not pick a fight with him, but now that he'd incurred "public wrath," it didn't matter anymore.

As long as Liu and Jiang were here, things were fine—but once they returned to the set, Yan Li's isolation and exclusion would grow worse.

…

After that, the dinner atmosphere noticeably dipped—even attempts to liven things up fell flat.

Yan Li watched coldly until halfway through the meal, then stood up, grabbed two bottles of beer, and walked straight to Zhang Rihui, who'd told the risqué joke.

Jiang Shan and Liu Weiwei had spoken up for him—whether they'd helped or made things worse, they'd meant well, so he had to accept it and not let them lose face.

But if Yan Li was going to back down, he wouldn't. He was usually kind to others, but he wasn't without temper.

In fact, he sometimes had a violent temper—back in college, someone had his eye on Dong Xuan, and Yan Li went straight to his door and beat him up.

Now they were treating him like a soft target—he was ready to strike first and knock out a few teeth.

Zhang Rihui and the others hadn't expected Yan Li to approach suddenly—they looked confused.

"What's up?"

Yan Li poured himself a glass of beer, then said: "Just now you said a man's most important asset isn't his face—I agree and I don't agree."

"In this society, if a man doesn't care about his face, he's not a man anymore."

Saying this, Yan Li ignored everyone's expressions, raised his cup toward Zhang Rihui, the actor playing Liu Huawen.

"I'm young and don't know how to speak properly—please forgive me for whatever I've done or not done. I toast you—first drink, I'll down it."

Yan Li raised the cup in his hand—about two hundred milliliters—and drained the beer in one gulp, then silently stared at the other man.

Zhang Rihui frowned, raised his cup and matched it, and Yan Li immediately poured another.

"My words were too harsh just now—another toast."

Zhang Rihui finally caught on, gripping his cup: "You trying to get me drunk?"

"Ah."

Yan Li shook his head: "Not trying to get you drunk—just toasting you. We're all men who care about face, and you're the elder—you'll surely give me this courtesy."

The words sounded polite, but the meaning was clear. No one expected this young kid to be so bold—coming straight over to challenge them to a drinking contest.

Some disliked it, thinking Yan Li was too arrogant, disrespectful to elders.

Others approved—responding to provocation on the spot made him a real man; working on the same set, not a major feud, fighting was overdone, but drinking to settle it was fair.

But regardless of opinion, most were happy to watch the spectacle, egging Zhang Rihui on to accept the challenge.

"Old Zhang, he's toasting you—you're not drinking?"

"Don't chicken out—don't drink this, you lose your face."

"Drink with him—what's there to fear from a greenhorn?"

"…"

Yan Li's words and stance had already put Zhang Rihui on the spot; with everyone else egging him on, Zhang had no choice but to drink.

He downed the cup in one gulp, glared fiercely at Yan Li: "Come on."

"Bold! I'll toast you another."

Yan Li drank another cup; Zhang Rihui followed immediately. Yan Li poured again; the other followed again.

Originally Yan Li had said a few polite phrases, but later he fell silent, just drank—cup wasn't enough, so he went straight for the bottle.

One bottle, two bottles, three bottles…

Zhang Rihui had decent tolerance—he held out until the eighth bottle, then finally collapsed, stumbling out of the private room to find a toilet and vomit.

Yan Li followed him to the restroom, but he was just urinating; after returning to the room, he picked up two more beers and went to Bai Hongbiao.

"Teacher Bai, I toast you a few cups."

Bai Hongbiao had watched Yan Li down multiple bottles of beer and literally drink Zhang Rihui to vomiting—he felt fear.

"Yan Li, I was just joking before—I didn't mean anything against you."

"I understand. I'm just toasting—no other meaning. Drink as much as you can."

Bai Hongbiao's words were truly without fault, but Yan Li had already started—what did fault or no fault matter? Once he opened his mouth, he'd knock them down.

Yan Li's move wasn't just about reclaiming face—it was about establishing authority, killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, making these people know he wasn't to be trifled with.

Better to kill by mistake than let one go!

Bai Hongbiao had no choice but to drink along—his tolerance was much weaker; after three and a bit bottles, he kept shaking his head and surrendered.

"I give up, okay? I really can't drink anymore."

Yan Li didn't force him—he took the beer and found Binzi, who had been waiting, grinning with his big mouth.

"Brother, I've got a huge tolerance."

Yan Li said nothing, downed a whole bottle. Binzi gave a thumbs-up, then drank his own.

Binzi wasn't boasting—he really could drink. Yan Li matched him the longest; each had drunk at least two small cases, and they'd both visited the restroom several times.

In the end, Yan Li edged ahead—Binzi couldn't hold out and vomited right there in the private room.

After all that drinking, Yan Li was also at his limit.

He was still sober, but his stomach couldn't take it; he and Binzi both just endured, seeing who cracked first.

Yan Li turned to look at the last one, Sun Honglei, and was about to speak—when the other man said nothing, downed a bottle himself.

"Yan Li, I give up. My mouth was stupid before—let's call it quits today."

Yan Li stared at him, confused: "I didn't mean to toast you—I just wanted to ask what time it is."

Sun Honglei: "…"

Yan Li smiled—he knew the other man was offering him a way out.

But he wasn't stupid—he wouldn't drag out a long battle with Sun Honglei, exhausted as he was. If the other didn't want to drink, he wouldn't force it. He'd take the win, rest up, then come back later to block the door with more beer.

Today, Yan Li had miscalculated—he hadn't expected Binzi to be such a heavy drinker; by the end, he had no choice but to push through.

If he'd known, he'd have just picked a target he disliked and started a fight outright.

Or used the intelligence system to set a trap—something more vicious: dig up private info, leak it on the set and on Tianya Forum, ruin their reputation.

Still too young!

…

Yan Li felt he'd played too crudely—but the effect of establishing authority was real; he instantly made a name for himself on the set of "Conquest."

One man downed over two cases of beer, knocked down three strong men, and made Sun Honglei surrender voluntarily.

Whether they liked Yan Li or not, everyone had to admit—he was a ruthless bastard!

This also made Yan Li's popularity on the "Conquest" set rise sharply.

Yan Li sometimes found it both amusing and frustrating.

When he smiled and welcomed them, they thought he was a pretty boy with no good intentions; but when he flipped his lid and drank three people to vomiting, many suddenly thought he was to their taste.

Even those who drank with him—except Zhang Rihui, who barely spoke to him—changed their attitude completely.

Bai Hongbiao greeted Yan Li with a smile; Sun Honglei called him brother; Binzi sought him out to drink constantly, so often that even Zhou Yi grew a little jealous.

However, what troubled Yan Li the most was Jiang Shan.

That night over drinks, this sister had somehow imagined something entirely different, and her perception of him had subtly shifted—she now thought this younger brother was both warm and wild.

As a result, Yan Li had been avoiding her these past days, firmly waiting until she reverted back to her old self.

————

Yan Li finally got the chance to act opposite Sun Honglei as he had wished.

Unlike his humble demeanor at the drinking table, Sun Honglei exuded dominance on set, and combined with his character's traits, his intensity was overwhelming; Yan Li was not crushed, but he still found it taxing to keep up.

After filming this scene, Yan Li watched the playback multiple times, reflecting on his own performance, then pulled Zhou Yi aside to dissect and analyze it in detail.

Among their dorm mates, Zhang Songwen ranked first in all professional courses in the class, while Yan Li ranked second.

The two were on good personal terms, but held differing views on acting.

Zhang Songwen was a true method actor—he first built a character from within, then applied various techniques to portray it.

But Yan Li was not particularly drawn to this approach.

Especially with Zhang Songwen, Yan Li felt he overemphasized technique at the expense of essence; Yan Li himself leaned more toward the experiential school, or perhaps the pragmatic school.

When acting, he prioritized delving into the character's inner world, merging it with his own self, pursuing unity between actor and role, yet he did not reject performance techniques outright.

In short, he used whatever method worked best—no rigid rules.

Lin Jiachuan stood with Yan Li, while Zhou Yi was closer to Zhang Songwen's method school but would still try Yan Li's approach.

Yan Li pulled Zhou Yi aside to study, savoring every detail, then eventually picked up a bottle of liquor and went straight to Sun Honglei for advice.

The latter didn't hold back, sharing plenty of his own experience and insights.

They acted together several more times; after careful thought, study, and spurred on by a high-caliber co-star, Yan Li's progress became visibly apparent.

This prompted Yan Li to seek out Gao Qunshu again, wanting to reshoot the scene—only to be firmly refused.

The scene with Sun Honglei was filmed in a luxury hotel suite, which was expensive to rent; the "Conquest" production team was tight on funds and simply couldn't afford to perfect it further.

Yan Li felt regretful and could only throw himself into even greater effort in the remaining scenes.

Unfortunately, Wu Tian's scenes were extremely limited, and before long, it was time to wrap up…

————

PS: This chapter is over 4,000 words—nearly equal to two regular chapters—meant as an apology for yesterday's mishap, and also a humble request for monthly votes.

(End of chapter)