Chapter 62: Huang Shengyi Wants to Eat the Grass Yan Li Turned Away From

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 the junior girls wanted to keep talking, none dared stop Yan Li from going.

Yao Xiqian, bolder than the rest, voluntarily gave him her phone number, saying she might need to ask him for advice if she ever had trouble.

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

Behind them, Lin Jiachuan saw it all, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, choosing 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 violently shoved open.

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

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

That way, whether they came to find someone or to settle a score, 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 startled by 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 safety was poor. Though this KTV had a solid 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 unwanted attention and trouble.

So when classmates who’d been out with them noticed they’d been gone too long, they feared something had happened and rushed out to look—learning from staff 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! This is Yan Senior Brother from our class of 2000—we just ran into him, came over to toast.”

Yao Xiqian and Wang Luodan quickly stepped forward to explain; once the truth was clear, the tense atmosphere instantly dissolved.

“If you’re coming to toast, say something! We thought you were in trouble!”

One classmate voiced his displeasure; Wang Luodan and the three girls awkwardly glanced at Huang Shengyi, who stood silently in the room with a complex expression, and said nothing.

Yan Li remained calm—he knew they were all together, no danger—so he grabbed Lin Jiachuan’s arm and moved to leave.

“Don’t go, Senior Brother! Stay and hang out with us—it’ll be fun!”

Some of the classmates, having heard Yao Xiqian’s introduction, recognized Yan Li and wanted to befriend him, so they 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, offered only stiff smiles and nods in reply.

Yao Xiqian had never gotten along well with Huang, so she didn’t care what he 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 darken from complex to pure black.

…

More than ten minutes later, Yao Xiqian returned to the private room with another classmate who’d seen 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 Yan Senior Brother? You never introduced us—don’t you consider us classmates anymore?”

Yao Xiqian heard the implied 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 we’ve known each other forever.”

Bian Xiaoxiao pressed harder: “You should be careful—I heard Yan Senior Brother 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, and I’d like 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.”

THUD!

Huang Shengyi finally snapped—he slammed his fist on the table, glaring at Yao Xiqian: “What are you implying?”

“You know exactly 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—he took a taxi alone.

Jia Nailiang, worried, followed in another taxi. When they reached Beidian School, Huang Shengyi saw Jia Nailiang chasing after him and flew into a rage.

“Why didn’t you support 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 are you as a boyfriend?”

“Shengyi…”

Jia Nailiang tried to explain, but Huang Shengyi cut him off. After a pause, his 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 his 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… breaking up only took a minute…”

…

The next day, in Jimenli Community, Yan Li sat on the toilet, scrolling through today’s Daily Intelligence.

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

Yan Li wasn’t surprised by this report.

He’d known from the start that Huang Shengyi, this junior, had a… weakness for strong, dependable men—this was precisely why he’d been able to guide him on his kissing scenes.

The drama “Snow Goddess Dragon” had already stirred him deeply—he’d contacted Yan Li privately several times.

But Yan Li knew he had a boyfriend, so he ignored him.

Now, with Yao Xiqian and the others acting as catalysts, Huang Shengyi’s attitude had shifted even more drastically—no surprise.

Still, Huang Shengyi wanted to eat the grass he’d turned away from—but Yan Li didn’t necessarily want to be eaten.

【Daily Intelligence 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 favorable impression 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 doubt.

From what he knew, Wei Qing had far more screen time than Huo Qubing—almost a third lead, ranking just after Emperor Wu and Emperor Jing.

Moreover, Wei Qing aged from youth to old age, had a complete character arc, his own romantic subplot, and a major highlight in his loyal, mutually respectful relationship with Emperor Wu—undoubtedly one of the most weighty roles in “Emperor Wu of Han.”

But could he really win such an important role?

Could he even portray Wei Qing convincingly—from youth to middle age to old age?

Yan Li hesitated internally—he’d originally leaned toward pursuing Huo Qubing precisely because of these two concerns.

Huo Qubing had less screen time, higher odds for a newcomer, a youthful image that matched Yan Li’s own appearance, and lower acting difficulty.

Still, the opportunity was here—so he’d have to fight for it. Yan Li planned to study Wei Qing’s materials again when he had time…

(End of Chapter)