Chapter 62: Huang Shengyi Wants to Eat the Grass Behind Her Senior Brother

He had little interest in chatting to begin with, and with Lin Jiachuan's awkwardness, Yan Li didn't linger—after a brief exchange, he made an excuse to leave.

Though several junior girls still wanted to keep talking, none dared stop Yan Li from leaving.

Yao Xiqian was bolder and voluntarily gave him her number, saying she'd like to ask him questions if she ever got stuck.

Yan Li glanced at her, didn't refuse, and Zhao Ke tugged Wang Luodan's sleeve; they each gave Yan Li their numbers too.

Behind them, Lin Jiachuan saw it all, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it—finally, he chose not to humiliate himself further.

Just as he tucked the numbers away and prepared to exchange a few more words before leaving, the private room door was suddenly slammed open.

Several young men and women barged in despite the server's attempts to stop them, shouting Wang Luodan's and the others' names.

Yan Li reacted first, gave Lin Jiachuan a look, stood up, stepped forward to shield Yao Xiqian and the three girls behind him, and subtly shifted his stance—ready to grab two beer bottles at maximum speed if needed.

That way, whether they were here to find someone or to settle a grudge, he wouldn't be caught off guard.

After all, these three girls had called him "senior brother"—if trouble came, he couldn't just stand by and watch.

The group of youths and girls paused slightly at the sight of Yan Li's positioning.

One of the boys reacted quickly, eyeing Yan Li and Lin Jiachuan warily, then asked Wang Luodan what was going on.

"Luodan, are you okay?"

In the early 2000s, public security was poor; though this KTV had a generally good reputation, it was still an entertainment venue, inevitably mixing all kinds of people.

Especially since Wang Luodan and the others were all attractive girls, easily drawing trouble and unwanted attention.

So when classmates who'd been out with Wang Luodan noticed they'd been gone too long, they feared something had happened and rushed out to look—learning from the server that the girls were in Yan Li's private room, they stormed over immediately.

But now, seeing the scene, it seemed different from what they'd expected—Wang Luodan and the others appeared to know these two guys.

"It's a misunderstanding—it's our 2000 cohort's Senior Brother Yan! We just ran into him, came over to toast."

Yao Xiqian and Wang Luodan, caught off guard by the sudden turn, stepped forward to explain; once both sides understood the situation, the tension instantly dissolved.

"If you're coming to toast, say so! We thought you were in trouble!"

One classmate voiced his displeasure; Wang Luodan and the three girls awkwardly glanced at Huang Shengyi, who stood in the room with a complex expression, and stayed silent.

Yan Li remained calm—he knew they were all together, no danger—so he pulled Lin Jiachuan to leave.

"Don't go, Senior Brother! Stay and hang out with us—it'll be fun!"

Some classmates, having heard Yao Xiqian's introduction and now recognizing Yan Li, wanted to befriend him and called out to stop him.

"No, I really have something to do."

Yan Li politely declined, nodded farewell to Wang Luodan and the others, and left—without once glancing at Huang Shengyi.

Wang Luodan and Zhao Ke, constrained by Huang Shengyi's presence, only forced smiles and nodded in reply.

Yao Xiqian had never gotten along well with Huang, so she didn't care what she thought—she followed after Yan Li with a sweet smile.

"Senior Brother, let me walk you out."

"…."

Wang Luodan and Zhao Ke watched Huang Shengyi's face shift from complex to pitch-black.

…

A dozen minutes later, Yao Xiqian returned to the private room with another classmate who'd gone to see someone off.

Though the music still played, the atmosphere had completely changed—many eyes quietly flickered between Huang Shengyi and Yao Xiqian.

Bian Xiaoxiao, who was close to Huang Shengyi, stepped forward to defend her, speaking in a sarcastic tone.

"When did you get so close to that Senior Brother Yan? You never introduced us—don't you consider us classmates anymore?"

Yao Xiqian heard the veiled jab about hoarding attention, but didn't mind—she casually brushed her hair aside.

"We've only known each other a short while, but we get along well—kind of like meeting a long-lost friend."

Bian Xiaoxiao pressed harder: "Then be careful—I heard Senior Brother Yan has a girlfriend. If you're so instantly close, don't let him misunderstand."

Yao Xiqian remained calm: "I haven't heard that—probably just gossip. Besides, I'm not interested in anything romantic right now—I just think he's a good guy, want to be friends, maybe hang out together later."

With that, Yao Xiqian glanced at Huang Shengyi, who had remained silent, and added pointedly:

"I'm single—I can hang out with whoever I want."

Bang!

Huang Shengyi finally snapped—slammed her hand on the table, glaring at Yao Xiqian: "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean!"

Yao Xiqian shot back defiantly; Wang Luodan, Zhao Ke, and the others rushed to mediate, pulling them apart—the gathering ended in bitter silence.

On the way back, Huang Shengyi refused to walk with the group and took a taxi alone.

Jia Nailiang, uneasy, followed in another taxi; when they reached Beidian University, Huang Shengyi saw Jia Nailiang chasing after her and flew into a rage.

"Why didn't you defend me when Yao Xiqian argued with me just now?"

Jia Nailiang sighed helplessly: "They're all classmates…"

"Are classmates more important than me? If you're powerless, fine—but at the critical moment, you won't even stand by me, letting me be bullied—what good is a boyfriend like you?"

"Shengyi…"

Jia Nailiang tried to explain, but Huang Shengyi cut him off; after a pause, her voice trembled slightly:

"You're a good person… maybe we just aren't right for each other… let's take a break."

With that, Huang Shengyi wiped her eyes and turned away, leaving Jia Nailiang standing there, stunned and lost.

A passing classmate, curious, watched the scene—his MP3 played a melancholy tune: the hit song of the year, A Du's "He Must Love You Very Much."

"... I should've been under the car, not in it… the breakup only took a minute…"

…

The next day, in Jimenli Community, Yan Li sat on the toilet, checking today's Daily Intelligence.

【Daily Intelligence 1: …Under the provocation of Yao Xiqian and the others, Huang Shengyi, consumed by rage, regret, and hurt, broke up with her boyfriend last night—and turned her gaze once again toward Yan Li…】

Yan Li wasn't surprised by this piece of information.

He had known from the start that Huang Shengyi, this junior, had a tendency… to admire strength, preferring powerful men she could rely on—and it was precisely this trait he'd used as an opening to guide her in her kissing scene.

Previously, "Snowflake Goddess Dragon" had stirred her up considerably; she had contacted Yan Li privately several times.

But Yan Li knew she had a boyfriend, so he ignored her outright.

Now, after being catalyzed by Yao Xiqian and the others, Huang Shengyi's attitude had shifted even more drastically—and this was entirely predictable.

Still, while Huang Shengyi wanted to eat her words back, Yan Li wasn't necessarily eager to be eaten by her.

【Daily Information 2: Yan Li was recommended by the assistant director to Director Hu Mei for "Emperor Wu of Han." After seeing his photo and dossier, Hu Mei formed a certain impression of him and temporarily placed Yan Li on the shortlist for the role of Wei Qing…】

Wei Qing?

Yan Li couldn't help rubbing his temple, his expression a mix of hope and apprehension.

According to his knowledge, the role of Wei Qing had far more screen time than Huo Qubing's—nearly a male third lead, ranking just after Emperor Wu and Emperor Jing.

Moreover, Wei Qing aged from youth to old age, offering a complete character arc, his own romantic subplot, and a major highlight in his loyal yet complex relationship with Emperor Wu—he was undoubtedly one of the most significant roles in "Emperor Wu of Han."

But could he possibly win such an important role?

Could he even portray Wei Qing well, from youth through middle age to old age?

Yan Li felt a twinge of doubt; his earlier preference for pursuing Huo Qubing had stemmed from precisely these concerns.

Huo Qubing had less screen time, a higher chance for newcomers to land the part, and his youthful image matched Yan Li's own appearance, lowering the performance difficulty somewhat.

But regardless, since the opportunity was before him, he had to fight for it—Yan Li planned to carve out time to study Wei Qing's dossier again…

(End of Chapter)