Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 184 A man's explanations are useless; he needs to convince with his actions.

Yan Li struggled briefly, but his feet were tied quite tightly, and most importantly, his feet were bound together, so he couldn't exert much strength.

His wrists were alright; Qin Lan had somehow gotten two thin ropes, thinner than his little finger, and hadn't tied them too tightly, so Yan Li felt there was still a chance he could break free.

Once he was certain that he wouldn't be killed by this woman, Yan Li calmed down considerably.

"If you want to play with something, get a small whip or something. This stick hurts."

"It hurts."

Qin Lan, her face cold, brandished a small straight stick at Yan Li: "Tell me, what exactly is your relationship with that guy surnamed Fan?"

"colleague."

Qin Lan sneered: "A colleague who sleeps in the same bed, huh?"

Yan Li blinked: "Don't talk nonsense without evidence."

Defaulting is one thing, admitting it is another. If he's unsure of Qin Lan's attitude, even if he's caught in bed with someone else, he can still shamelessly say it's a test of King Zhou and Daji's bed scene.

"Ha, you dare to do it but not admit it. Everyone else has admitted it, so why are you still being stubborn?"

Qin Lan tried to feign politeness, but the latter didn't fall for it at all.

Yan Li was mischievous and naughty from a young age, and was disciplined a lot. He had long been toughened up by his teachers and Zhang Hong.

After starting his business, he dealt with all sorts of strange and monstrous things, and the auxiliary system conducted various investigations, which further honed his skills. Yan Li's level in this area is extremely high. Not to mention Qin Lan, who is only half-baked, even professional interrogators would not be able to get anything out of him.

Confess and you'll be treated leniently; otherwise, you're finished.

Those who resist will be severely punished, while those who are overjoyed will be all smiles.

"If you're so capable, bring her here for a confrontation. Let's face her head, and I... I'll remain calm and composed."

Qin Lan gritted her teeth. This bastard was just taking advantage of her reluctance to break off relations and acting like a rogue.

"What about Wang Ou?"

"I already said, we're colleagues."

Where is Wu Jiani?

"Well, I... I also think we can be considered colleagues, but they're film crew colleagues, while the first two are company employees."

Qin Lan poked Yan Li with a small stick: "You're all innocent colleagues, right?"

"hold head high."

"Do you think I'm stupid? That vixen is already claiming to be your girlfriend."

Qin Lan couldn't take it anymore. She took a small wooden stick and smacked Yan Li's buttocks. The latter screamed and rolled around violently on the bed, his face turning red.

"..."

Qin Lan said irritably, "I didn't exert any force at all."

To be sure, she slapped her own palm with the same touch she had just used. There wasn't even a red mark, just a slight numbness and at most a little pain, not as painful as when she usually pinched it a couple of times.

Yan Li: "..."

Sorry, he has a conditioned reflex to looking at these small sticks.

When I made mistakes as a child, Old Yan and Zhang Hong weren't so gentle when they whipped me. They wouldn't let me get away with anything less than a severe beating.

Unable to keep up the act any longer, Yan Li retorted, "You know I'm popular now, and lots of women are throwing themselves at me. She's trying to create a scandal with me, so of course she has to stop other women from harassing me."

Qin Lan hadn't expected Yan Li to explain it this way, and upon hearing it, it actually made perfect sense.

Fan Xiaopang is indeed the "official wife" now, no wonder she's so confident.

But this is exactly what Qin Lan is most worried about. Dong Xuan has become Yan Li's "ex-girlfriend," and she has disappeared from the public eye. Fan Xiaopang has become Yan Li's girlfriend in everyone's eyes. If this continues, they might actually become a couple.

Anyway, judging from Fan Xiaopang's demeanor, it didn't seem like he was acting; he really seemed to be acting like the proprietress of Yi'an.

Oh no, we've let the wolf into our house again!

Qin Lan sat dejectedly on the edge of the bed. She had always felt that it was risky for Shuang Bing and Yan Li to create a scandal.

But Yan Li was doing it for the company's development, and she didn't have a good reason to stop him, so she could only acquiesce.

Unexpectedly, Fan Xiaopang not only stirred up a scandal, but also wanted to join the company, and now she wants to steal a man, pressing him step by step. The man surnamed Dong has already been "out of the game," and she is next.

Despite her disdain for Fan Xiaopang, Qin Lan was actually quite wary of him, even somewhat intimidated.

Putting aside her looks and temperament, she's more famous than me, and most importantly, she can help Yan Li's career.

This is extremely important for men who are still developing!

Besides having known Yan Li for a longer time and having a deeper relationship with him, she had no advantage over Fan Xiaopang in any other aspect.

Qin Lan didn't want to back down, but could she win the fight?
Just as she was feeling lost, her slender waist was suddenly grabbed. In a panic, Qin Lan instinctively pulled the wooden stick in her hand away.

slap~
Yan Li grimaced and rubbed his chest: "Trying to murder your husband?"

How did you untie it?

Qin Lan looked in surprise at Yan Li, who had freed his hands from being tied up, and then hooked the rope with his finger.

"Next time, don't try to save time. Either tie it tightly or buy handcuffs. Do you think this is a TV drama where you can do whatever you want just because you're tied up?"

"Oh."

Qin Lan nodded, then turned and ran towards the door. She knew this scoundrel too well; if she didn't run, she'd be waiting for his revenge.

Yan Li's feet were still untied, and seeing this, he couldn't catch up, but he wasn't in a hurry. He just said something leisurely.

“If you run away, I’ll go sleep at Fan Bingbing’s place.”

"you dare."

Qin Lan immediately stopped and turned around. Whether she could win or not, she had to finish the fight first. She couldn't just hand over her man to someone else.

"come over."

Yan Li patted the mattress, and Qin Lan panicked a little: "I'll just slap you once, and at worst you'll have to pay me back. Don't go too far."

"come here quickly."

Yan Li didn't answer, but patted the mattress again and raised his voice. Qin Lan hesitated for a moment, but still walked over slowly.

As soon as she got close, Yan Li pulled Qin Lan over and made her lie on his lap: "Take off your stockings."

He was tall, and Qin Lan had tied him up very tightly, so it was really difficult for him to untie him.

Qin Lan had no choice but to obediently try to untie it. Because it was tied tightly, she didn't have enough strength in her hands, and Yan Li wouldn't let her take out the scissors, so she could only bite it with her teeth.

Yan Li watched Qin Lan busy herself with great interest, and said sarcastically, "Don't you mind my feet being dirty this time?"

Qin Lan looked up at Yan Li's smug expression, feeling both embarrassed and angry. It was clearly him who had cheated on her and let that vixen flaunt her power, and now he was bullying her. Feeling a tightness in her chest, she opened her mouth and bit down hard on Yan Li's calf.

"Fuck."

This time, Qin Lan was angry and didn't hold back, biting hard. Yan Li was afraid of hurting her, and also in pain, so he didn't dare to struggle and could only beg for mercy.

"Sister, wife, I made a mistake, I made a mistake, I'm bleeding."

Upon hearing about the bleeding, Qin Lan relaxed and took a look. Although the teeth marks were quite obvious, it hadn't reached the point of bleeding.

"Lied to me."

Qin Lan lowered her head to bite again, but Yan Li pulled her over and kissed her: "I'll let you bite."

"Ugh, don't bite your tongue, or I'll bite mine too."

As they kissed, Qin Lan's body grew softer and softer. Yan Li whispered something in her ear, and she shook her head.

"No."

"You have no choice. You were having fun tying me up earlier, now it's my turn to play."

Yan Li snorted, took the rope and stockings that Qin Lan had just used, and tied Qin Lan up in the way he wanted.

……

"My hands are all red."

An hour and a half later, Qin Lan rubbed her slightly red wrist, looking aggrieved.

"Give me a kiss, honey."

Yan Li had just had a big meal and was in a great mood. He held Qin Lan's wrist and kissed it a few times. Qin Lan took advantage of this and bent down to stretch out her leg as well.

"It's become popular too."

Yan Li glanced at her, kissed her a few times, then turned and hugged her head, kissing her again.

"Pooh."

Qin Lan spat. This scoundrel is wicked; he always tries to get his revenge for every little loss he suffers.

After making a fuss for a while, Qin Lan lay on Yan Li's chest and drew circles, then muttered about Fan Xiaopang again.

Yan Li finally understood what was going on. The threat and pressure from Fan Xiaopang were too great, and Qin Lan was somewhat overwhelmed.

Previously, Qin Lan's reaction was not as strong as it had been with Wang Ou or even Dong Xuan.

She thought the former was just a vixen who was only interested in Yan Li, someone to play around with and not worth worrying about.

The latter, with the added advantage of being her ex-girlfriend, posed a greater threat, but she possessed the confidence to contend with him. However, facing Fan Xiaopang, she lacked confidence, leading to a loss of composure. She even tied up Yan Li for interrogation, trying to ascertain Yan Li's attitude.

This was not a wise idea; in fact, it could be considered a foolish move. It seemed forceful, but it was actually easy to backfire, proving that Qin Lan was in a state of mental chaos and unable to deal with the situation calmly.

"Uh……"

Yan Li was somewhat aware of Dong and Qin's concerns, but he felt he could distinguish between what was important and what was not, so he didn't take it too seriously.

Looking back now, I realize that I was indeed a bit inconsiderate of other people's feelings and underestimated the pressure that Fan Xiaopang put on Qin and Dong.

Since the two of them couldn't figure out what was going on in his mind, how could they not make wild guesses?

Dong Xuan had at least interacted with Fan Xiaopang in "Happy Seven Fairies," and as the "official girlfriend," she had a psychological advantage over him. Although she became his "ex-girlfriend," she had made their relationship public.

Qin Lan offered no guarantees. Dong Xuan blocked her way, Fan Xiaopang was watching her closely, and Wang Ou and Huang Shengyi were also causing trouble.

She has a tough exterior but a soft interior, so it's no wonder she panicked.

Yan Li hugged Qin Lan, feeling that he still needed to give her some sense of security, otherwise she would be struggling with conflicts every day and wouldn't be able to sleep well.

"If it doesn't work, I'll find a paparazzi to expose our affair, or you can just expose it yourself."

The current girlfriend is a bit more complicated, but Yan Li is willing to admit to being the "ex-girlfriend." If all else fails, just consider him as two-timing, since he's done it before.

At most, it would be difficult to explain to Dong Xuan, but Yan Li could handle it.

Qin Lan's biggest grievance and worry was that she could not get any recognition from Yan Li. Coupled with other factors, this made her feel extremely insecure.

Aren't you afraid of getting scolded?

Qin Lan was somewhat tempted, but didn't want to cause trouble for Yan Li, who was currently "in the limelight".

The fact that he has connections with four popular actresses or rising stars—Shuang Bing, Dong Xuan, and Huang Shengyi—is highly controversial. Adding her to the mix only worsens Yan Li's reputation.

"Let them curse, it doesn't matter."

Yan Li was quite frank; there was no difference between four or five. Compared to him, Qin Lan was actually the one who was in trouble.

She's doing quite well right now, and with "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner" about to air, it will further boost her career. If she gets involved in Yan Li's "harem," the pros and cons are both obvious.

The benefits are that exposure increases dramatically, and they might even try to piggyback on the popularity of the two opponents to elevate their own status.

The downside is that the order of appearance is too late, and the timing is sensitive. No matter if it's early or late, it will inevitably be criticized.

And let's not forget that Qin Lan's most famous role is [Zhihua], a classic mistress character.

Under stereotypes and prejudices, she is the rightful wife, yet some people suspect that she is a mistress who rose to power and joined the "chaos," making it even more difficult to say for sure.

This isn't just idle talk. Those who are currently involved in scandals with Yan Li each have their own advantages, but there are also quite a few negative impacts.

Let's not even talk about the two pawns; neither of them are exactly good guys, and the marketing of two pawns clashing makes the overall benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Fan Xiaopang was criticized more harshly because of his involvement with a "mistress," but this was expected and he could bear it.

Dong Xuan is in the best position. First, Yan Li took the blame, which may have attracted attention. Second, she admitted to being her "ex-girlfriend," which absolved her of responsibility. Third, their campus romance naturally earned her positive impressions, and she even subtly became the "victim."

Furthermore, the characters played by Dong Xuan are relatively positive, with the Goddess Dragon and the Third Fairy being quite likable, which has given the public a good impression of her.

This highlights the importance of roles and character design. Qin Lan is the villainous mistress, while Dong Xuan becomes the devoted supporting female character.

Huang Shengyi is currently in the worst situation.

She jumped out on her own, and Yan Li didn't refute or contradict her, which meant he tacitly agreed, but he had no obligation to take the blame for her.

Huang herself had just become famous and had a limited number of fans. She was also hit hard by someone else, so she was attacked by Shuangbing and even Dong Xuan's fans, who felt that she was trying to take advantage of the situation.

Most importantly, she follows a pure and innocent image, and revealing her relationship would be tantamount to ruining her career, giving her a bad public image, and angering her company, which is unwilling to put in a lot of effort in public relations.

It's roughly estimated that if Qin Lan were to participate, even with Yan Li's fierce protection, the public pressure on her would be at most slightly better than that on Huang Shengyi.

Deep down, Yan Li didn't really support Qin Lan getting involved, but she kept agonizing over having "no connection" with him, so he figured, let her expose it; at worst, he could just lay low for a while.

"Never mind, let's wait a little longer."

Qin Lan hesitated for a long time, but still felt it was inappropriate. She was unsure if she could withstand the impact of public opinion.

Moreover, Yan Li has two dramas in hand with huge investments. If something goes wrong because of her... I'll say it again: I can't help Yan Li, but I definitely won't hold her back.

"Can you please not sign Fan Bingbing?"

Qin Lan convinced herself to continue hiding for the time being, but she still couldn't get around Fan Xiaopang; this woman posed too great a threat.

Yan Li was in a dilemma: "...Everything has been laid out. If we give up, the loss will be too great. Besides, if we don't promote Fan Bingbing, who will take the lead among our company's artists? Wang Ou?"

"Can't you?"

Although Qin Lan disliked Wang Ou, she was still more wary of Fan Xiaopang.

"She's not good enough; her qualifications are far inferior to Fan's."

Yan Li knew what was going on. The system had also triggered Wang Ou's resume for him, so he understood that Wang Ou could at best break into the top tier, but couldn't compare to a top-tier actress like Fan Xiaopang.

"what about me?"

Qin Lan volunteered, and Yan Li glanced at her and said, "Good girl, let's not argue with her."

"..."

Qin Lan couldn't hold back any longer: "What do you mean? You think I'm not as good as her?"

"Of course it's comparable."

Yan Li didn't hesitate and continued to coax, "But wouldn't it be better if we just stayed and were the boss's wife? Besides, you're filming every day, who's going to keep me company?"

Hearing Yan Li's words, Qin Lan was a little dissatisfied, but also secretly pleased.

Judging from Yan Li's attitude, he still views Fan Xiaopang more as an employee.

She understands Yan Li; he is somewhat chauvinistic and believes in the traditional gender roles of men working outside the home and women staying at home. He doesn't object to women having their own careers, but their focus must be on him and the family.

Fan Xiaopang's ambition doesn't quite align with Yan Li's criteria for choosing a partner; Qin Lan has a greater advantage in this regard.

However, it's hard to say. That vixen is beautiful, knows how to seduce men, and provides Yan Li with career assistance. They spend every day together, work hard together, and over time, feelings may develop. It's hard to say whether Yan Li will change his attitude.

Qin Lan became increasingly distressed as she pondered the matter, finding herself in a dilemma.

Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang are already in cahoots, and it's hard to separate them. Taking action to suppress them would be inappropriate, as it could disrupt Yan Li's career plans and even affect his public image. If handled poorly, it would just be helping him.

Ignoring it would be difficult to guarantee that the two would grow closer, like a frog being slowly boiled in water. Once their relationship deepened, it would cause even more trouble.

No matter how hard Qin Lan thought, she couldn't come up with a good solution. In the end, with tears welling up in her eyes, she bit Yan Li hard.

"It was all your doing. You're just bullying me."

This bastard is taking advantage of her reluctance to let go, testing her limits little by little. Isn't he afraid she'll get angry and break up with him and run away?

Yan Li felt somewhat wronged. He only admired Fan Xiaopang and was attracted to his good looks; he had no other intentions.

"You're being so suspicious. Maybe they just don't think much of me, and only see me as their boss and friend."

"Do you think I'm blind?"

Qin Lan rolled her eyes. Given Fan Xiaopang's possessive attitude towards his food, she didn't believe he had no ulterior motives.

Women understand women.

Leaving aside Yan Li's wealth and abilities, in terms of personal qualities alone, he is handsome, has an excellent physique, is strong and skilled in bed, and is generous and considerate to women. Although he has some flaws, they are enough to overshadow his advantages.

How could a normal woman not be moved by him, not to mention that he has various halos that amplify his advantages countless times?

"Don't play dumb. Ask yourself honestly, can't you see what she's really thinking?"

Qin Lan knew that Yan Li was good at understanding people's hearts and had a very sharp eye, but sometimes he liked to pretend to be ignorant.

Yan Li touched his nose awkwardly and coughed lightly: "She told me that she prioritizes her career and doesn't consider matters between men and women."

"hehe."

Qin Lan sneered, "You're not famous now, so focus on your career. But what will happen when your career reaches a certain level?"

"Okay, then I'll stay away from her, alright?"

Yan Li made a concession, but Qin Lan thought it was pointless. She couldn't keep an eye on him every day; whether she was close or far away, it was still just Yan Li talking.

"Then what do you think we should do?"

Yan Li frowned slightly, but patiently asked. Qin Lan thought for a moment, but couldn't come up with a suitable idea, and said sullenly.

"do not know."

Yan Li: "..."

He reached out and pulled Qin Lan close, wiping his eyes with his hand, intending to brush it off: "Let's go to sleep first, and we'll talk about it when we think of something."

Qin Lan wasn't stupid: "No, we have to make this clear today."

"Fine, I'll make sure you understand today."

Yan Li realized that words alone were useless; he needed to persuade Qin Lan with his actions, tiring her out of the energy to think about those trivial matters, so that he could finally have some peace and quiet.

"No, I have to film tomorrow."

"You bastard, all you do is act tough like that."

“Be gentle…”

(End of this chapter)