Chapter 79: If This Soldier Ignores Me, I

“Oh, I see.”

Li Bingbing sized up Yu Yanli and Fan Xiaopang, then smiled with understanding.

Earlier, she had been puzzled why Tong Dawei had brought an outsider to their private gathering.

Now it was clear: Yu Yanli was almost certainly here for Fan Xiaopang—Tong Dawei had played matchmaker.

“You two chat. I’ll go talk with Quan’er.”

Li Bingbing kindly took her leave; Yu Yanli didn’t hesitate. After she was gone, he plopped down beside Fan Xiaopang, who instinctively shifted away.

“What are you up to?!”

He’d tricked her a few times during The Treasure Basin—she had a conditioned reaction.

“You’re such a suspicious person, always shouting. Come closer—I’ll speak more clearly.”

Yu Yanli made an effort to ease tensions: “During filming, we might’ve had a small misunderstanding. Looking back, it was wrong of me—a grown man—to pick a fight with a young girl. Now that we’ve met again, I’d like to apologize.”

“...”

With this apology, Fan Xiaopang grew even more uneasy and shuffled further away.

“Be honest—what scheme are you hatching? Listen, Yan, this is Beijing. These are all my friends and colleagues. Don’t even think about pulling anything shady.”

Yu Yanli was speechless. He raised his voice slightly: “I’m sincerely trying to make peace, clear up the misunderstanding. Can you stop imagining the worst of me?”

“You’re not just bad—you’re petty. Now you suddenly change your attitude? Who knows what trap you’re setting?”

Fan Xiaopang was blunt. In her mind, Yu Yanli had three defining traits.

Petty, sycophantic, scheming man.

A petty, scheming man suddenly switching to charm? Of course she was wary.

“I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the moon shone only on the ditch.”

Seeing Fan Xiaopang’s suspicion, Yu Yanli had no recourse. He couldn’t throw a tantrum begging for friendship—he wasn’t that desperate.

She was a billionaire, sure—but he wasn’t without his own leverage. The world turned without any one person.

So Yu Yanli stopped pressing. He raised his cup and declared loudly: “Whether you believe me or not, what I said earlier was sincere. If I ever wronged you, I apologize.”

He downed the drink in one gulp, then stood and left. Fan Xiaopang watched his retreating back, uncertain.

Was he really here to make peace?

Fan Xiaopang thought it over calmly. It wasn’t impossible.

After all, they’d never had any real conflict—just minor friction from mutual dislike.

On set, they’d stubbornly clashed out of pride. But once off set, once calm, they might’ve both found it pointless.

Though Fan Xiaopang thought Yu Yanli petty and scheming, she had to admit he was a polished, adept man.

If he was truly that shrewd, then turning enemy into ally made sense—benefits outweighed risks.

“This...”

Realizing her mistake, Fan Xiaopang felt awkward. He’d reached out to reconcile, and she’d responded with suspicion and mockery—she looked petty.

She hesitated, wondering whether to chase after him, smooth things over, and bury the hatchet.

Then she looked up—and saw Yu Yanli already chatting with Li Bingbing. Whatever he’d said, Li Bingbing was laughing uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Fan Xiaopang sat back down.

Though she’d been sitting beside Li Bingbing, chatting warmly, their relationship wasn’t as harmonious as it seemed.

Years ago, they’d been close friends—Fan Xiaopang’s signing with Wang Jinghua had been arranged by Ren Quan and Li Bingbing.

But over the past two years, as Fan Xiaopang’s career soared, both women were rising stars under the same agency and manager—resource conflicts became inevitable.

On top of that, both shared the name “Bingbing.” The media loved comparing them; their fans gradually grew hostile.

Now, on the surface they were cordial, but in truth, they’d begun to compete.

Earlier, during the casting controversy for Young Bao Qingtian 2, Fan Xiaopang had edged ahead. Now both were vying for the female lead in Feng Xiaogang’s new film, The Mobile Phone.

So when Fan Xiaopang saw Yu Yanli and Li Bingbing hitting it off, she immediately lost interest.

She really didn’t get along with this scheming man!

Forget it. When the party ended, she’d find a chance to tell him plainly: let’s close this chapter, each walk our own path.

On the other side, Yu Yanli had no idea what Fan Xiaopang was thinking. He was chatting with Li Bingbing about industry gossip.

In this area, Yu Yanli was a genuine expert.

Being in the industry meant his system occasionally triggered a few bits of intel—over time, he’d gathered plenty of juicy tidbits.

But Yu Yanli was a gentleman. He never leaked private scandals. He stuck to harmless gossip or amusing anecdotes—things that wouldn’t upset the subjects even if they heard them.

These little tidbits livened up conversation, and with Yu Yanli’s sharp tongue, they worked wonders.

Li Bingbing clearly enjoyed talking to him—especially after learning Yu Yanli had no real connection to Fan Xiaopang. Her attitude grew warmer, more affectionate.

“I only just found out from Dawei—so Hua-jie hired you as her agent?”

“I’ll have to tell Hua-jie—you’re too handsome to waste as an agent.”

Li Bingbing meant it. Yu Yanli had a strong, handsome face, a solid build, and refined bearing—his appearance was undeniably superior. He was also classically trained. If she were him, she’d never work behind the scenes.

“That’s a narrow view.”

But Yu Yanli disagreed: “Though I declined Hua-jie’s offer, I’ve always felt she truly understands me.”

Li Bingbing asked curiously: “Why?”

“Handsome? That’s my least important advantage. I play for substance—I earn with ability.”

“Eeeh—”

Li Bingbing scoffed: “Your shameless personality? Perfect for acting.”

Yu Yanli took a sip: “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

They chatted well, exchanged phone numbers. Yu Yanli was satisfied—he’d made a connection with a top young actress. This outing was worth it.

Near eleven-thirty, two people left one after another—signaling the gathering was ending.

Those who wanted to keep going stayed; those ready to go headed home.

Yu Yanli found the bar too noisy and had no intention of lingering. Seeing others depart, he bid farewell to Xia Yu and the others, preparing to leave. Tong Dawei walked him to the door.

Fan Xiaopang saw Yu Yanli leave and rose to catch up, to settle things.

But Li Bingbing picked up her bag and said she’d walk out with Yu Yanli.

With safety concerns, women rarely returned alone—someone usually saw them home or waited for a ride.

But no one expected Li Bingbing to leave with Yu Yanli—the man she’d just met—instead of Ren Quan, her longtime close friend.

Many stole glances at Ren Quan’s reaction. Rumors swirled that Li and Ren were a couple.

Ren Quan, however, remained calm. He chuckled, wished them a safe trip, then returned to drinking with Xia Yu and the others.

Fan Xiaopang watched Yu Yanli leave with Li Bingbing. Her brows furrowed slightly. She hesitated, then pulled out her phone and sent Tong Dawei a message.

【...Send me Yu Yanli’s phone number】

(End of Chapter)