Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 185 On and off screen, the wife and the mistress, let's tear each other apart!
The dressing room of "Investiture of the Gods"
The atmosphere was slightly oppressive, and Fan Xiaopang was visibly unhappy. The makeup artists and actors around him were careful not to get caught in the crossfire.

After a while, Qin Lan walked into the dressing room, her eyes brimming with spring-like allure.
However, upon seeing Fan Xiaopang, Qin Lan, who had been walking slowly, staggered two steps, her right hand gently supporting her waist, looking extremely tired. Her voice, when she apologized to the makeup artist, was hoarse.

"Sorry, I went to bed too late last night and didn't get up this morning."

The makeup artist pursed her lips: "It's alright, there's enough time."

"That's good."

Qin Lan glanced at Fan Xiaopang not far away and said, "Your dark circles are a bit heavy, and your neck too. Could you cover them up?"

"No problem, everything can be handled."

The makeup artist couldn't understand why Qin Lan, an actress, was so intense; it was almost like she was live-streaming her sex scene.

Are people in the entertainment industry this open now?

But with his years of industry experience and the increasingly oppressive atmosphere surrounding Fan Xiaopang, he keenly sensed the danger, stopped talking, and focused on his work.

Qin Lan didn't bother chatting with the makeup artist and looked directly at Fan Xiaopang.

"Teacher Fan, we have a scene together today. You must have practiced last night. Please take good care of me later."

"Ah."

Fan Xiaopang opened his eyes and smiled politely: "Teacher Qin, you're too kind. I'm not particularly good at playing Daji in this role, as she's two-faced and cunning. I'll have to ask you for advice."

"No, Teacher Fan is obviously good at this kind of role."

"No one can compare to Teacher Qin's expertise in this area; Zhihua's performance was truly captivating."

"..."

The two of them talked back and forth, making the makeup artist behind them feel both uneasy and excited.

Wow, this is a lot of information! Just who is Qin Lan? Let's get straight to the point.

Qin Lan could sense the excitement of the makeup artist behind her, but she didn't take it to heart.

For the sake of the bigger picture, she refrained from making it public, but she would never stoop to the level of someone surnamed Fan.

The moment she saw this vixen, she couldn't contain her anger.

Regardless of whether it gets out or what trouble it might cause, Qin Lan would accept it even if Yan Li was unhappy, but she would never bow down to Fan Xiaopang.

She would avoid being made the "official wife" unless she was killed...

Fan Xiaopang looked at the spirited Qin Lan, frowning thoughtfully.

This person came with great hostility from the start, and despite being clearly less famous than her, she was full of confidence. Last night, she flirted with Yan Li right in front of her, and today she openly provoked her again.

Fan Xiaopang compared Yan Li's attitude towards Wang Ou and Dong Xuan, and then thought back to when he saw Yan Li buy the two concentric silver locks and orchid embroidery in Yunnan Province.

They've already guessed Qin Lan's identity.

That scoundrel really knows how to hide his true colors, Fan Xiaopang thought, gritting his teeth.

She had been trying to guess who the love lock belonged to Yan Li, and even dug up information about Yan Li for this purpose.

She had tested all of the Seven Fairies, and apart from Li Bingbing and Dong Xuan, Yan Li didn't know the others before.

Huang Shengyi, who was targeted by Dong Xuan, was initially a strong suspect, but was later eliminated. After learning about Wang Ou, she also suspected him, but found that he wasn't the one either.

Fan Xiaopang has also reviewed all the dramas that Yan Li filmed before she discovered Yin Suo's embroidery in "Lucky Star Pigsy".

She had doubts about Tong Lei from "Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties", Liu Weiwei from "Conquest", Lin Jing from "Emperor Wu of Han", and even Peng Dan, with whom she collaborated on "Treasure Basin".

But there were no signs, and when Tong Yanli tried to subtly inquire, nothing seemed amiss.

Considering that Yan Li and Dong Xuan were in a campus romance, and that there was also a junior sister named Huang Shengyi, Fan Xiaopang also considered Yan Li's classmates at Beijing Film Academy, and once took the opportunity to try to get information from Zhang Songwen and Lin Jiachuan.

As it turned out, the two of them kept their mouths shut. Apart from Dong Xuan, even Huang Shengyi pretended not to know.
So much so that Fan Xiaopang once considered that he might be an outsider.

For example, she tried contacting people from Yan Li's hometown, people she met when she started her business, and even her company secretary, Hu Ya, but to little avail.

If Qin Lan hadn't spoken up this time, Fan Xiaopang felt that even if he thought about it for three more years, he still wouldn't have suspected her.

That's quite a lot of patience!

Fan Xiaopang did some quick calculations and realized that Yan Li filmed "Lucky Star Pigsy" in the winter of 2003. For him to be ranked alongside Dong Xuan, they probably had known each other for quite some time.

Yan Li graduated in the summer of 2002. Dong Xuan said that the two had a very good relationship in school and were almost inseparable.

Even if Dong Xuan's words were exaggerated, it's unlikely that a poor student would be two-timing someone. Well, no, there's also Huang Shengyi.

Damn it, this bastard dares to spend money so lavishly even when he's broke.

Fan Xiaopang wasn't sure of the exact time period, but it should be around 2002, or earlier, definitely no later than 2000, since Yan Li hadn't come to the capital to study before that.

That makes sense!

She followed Yan Li when he was penniless, for an estimated period of more than three years. Even after Yan Li's career took off, she remained behind him, even avoiding contact with Yan Li's company projects for a time, silently supporting him without seeking fame or fortune.

hiss~
This is definitely aimed at marriage, and she holds a very important place in Yan Li's heart, perhaps even comparable to Dong Xuan.

Fan Xiaopang was in a bind. Dong Xuan's attitude towards her was becoming increasingly cold, and Qin Lan was eyeing her covetously from the moment she arrived.

There are plenty of men who have affairs with scoundrels, why are you only focusing on yourself?!

Knowing that Qin Lan was not someone to be trifled with, Fan Xiaopang was neither afraid nor willing to back down.

She works for Yan Li, so it's not the boss's place to lecture her. Besides, it's not clear who the boss is right now.

After finishing his makeup and changing his clothes, Fan Xiaopang glanced at the scene, snorted, and walked away.

Qin Lan, who was putting on makeup with her eyes closed, opened them and looked at Fan Xiaopang's departing figure through the makeup mirror. She really wanted to drag Yan Li over and ask him something.

The whole room reeks of vinegar, and they call that prioritizing career?!
...

Half an hour later, the actors arrived in front of the palace. Today's scene was about Daji entering the palace, gaining exclusive favor, neglecting state affairs, and incurring the dissatisfaction of the ministers and concubines. Empress Jiang planned to teach Daji a lesson by holding her own birthday banquet.

“Such a lewd woman, how could she not harm my king’s health and ruin my Shang dynasty?”

Qin Lan thought the lines were excellent, and reciting them made her feel especially good, especially when she thought of Fan Xiaopang's foxy face.

"it is good."

The director first filmed the scene where Empress Jiang decides to deal with Daji, and after seeing Qin Lan's performance, he cheered loudly.

He wasn't very familiar with this new actress, but she acted so well. The empress's hatred and disgust for the wicked concubine was palpable and incredibly vivid.

After filming Qin Lan's scenes and making some arrangements, it was Fan Xiaopang's turn to come out and act out his scenes.

Qin Lan stood on the Phoenix Terrace, surrounded by numerous concubines and palace maids, while Fan Xiaopang led the palace maids slowly into the hall.

The next scene shows Daji kneeling down to pay her respects to Empress Jiang, but Fan Xiaopang raises questions about it.

"Director, I don't think kneeling is necessary. Daji is hostile to Empress Jiang, so a simple curtsy is enough."

"No no no."

The director shook his head: "Daji is now playing the victim to gain King Zhou's favor. Besides, this scene is about Su Daji, not a fox spirit, so she has to be humble."

Qin Lan nodded in deep agreement, giving a thumbs up: "The director is right, the director is truly a master."

Fan Xiaopang took a deep breath and comforted himself that it was just filming a movie, that he was accumulating good fortune, and that the Qin family was shortening their lifespan. Then he walked out of the frame, the film crew started shooting, and he walked into the hall again and slowly knelt down.

"May Her Majesty live a thousand years! May Her Majesty live ten thousand years!"

Cool!
Qin Lan wanted to raise her arms and shout, feeling completely refreshed and comfortable.

Unable to hide her emotions, a smile involuntarily appeared on her face. She quickly apologized, "Sorry, I was distracted. Let me do another take."

Fan Xiaopang panicked: "Director." The director also vaguely sensed something was wrong and waved his hand: "No need, just change the camera position and add a close-up."

Qin Lan was very disappointed, and then added a close-up shot, showing her arrogant and disdainful expression towards Daji, with cold eyes filled with disgust.

"Good, that's great."

The director was secretly praising the performance, saying that whether it was good acting or a natural expression, the effect was truly fantastic.

However, compared to Qin Lan's amazing performance, Fan Xiaopang's was somewhat inferior.

She was portraying Su Daji at this moment, and when faced with Empress Jiang's difficult accusations, she should be helpless, pitiful, and charming.

As a result, Fan Xiaopang would unconsciously switch into fox spirit form, as if he wanted to bite Empress Jiang to death.

However, with repeated reminders from the director, Fan Xiaopang regained some of his form, Qin Lan continued to perform steadily, and even took the initiative to ask the director for more scenes.

"Director, look, the Queen wants to hit Daji's maid to establish her authority, and Daji speaks up in defense. In that case, why not have the Queen slap Daji twice? That would better highlight the conflict between the two."

Fan Xiaopang couldn't take it anymore: "You surnamed Qin, don't go too far."

Qin Lan was quite frank: "I was considering the effect. What did you or I say wrong?"

"Okay, hit me a few more times. I remember there's a scene later where I gouge out your eyes, right? I'll add some effect then."

Fan Xiaopang is ruthless; she knows how to stir up trouble using the plot, and she has even more opportunities than Qin Lan.
Empress Jiang only slightly manipulated Daji at this point; later, when Daji framed Empress Jiang, she tormented her much more.

"Come on, who is afraid of whom?"

Qin Lan was not afraid at all. She would have her fun first and then worry about the consequences. She didn't believe that this guy surnamed Fan would actually gouge out her eyes.

"Okay, let's take the picture."

The two started arguing, which gave the director a headache. He had to coax the two ladies in a gentle and patient manner.

He couldn't afford to offend Fan Xiaopang, and Qin Lan, who dared to challenge him, was probably no pushover either; he could only treat her with deference.

Just then, Yan Li, who "happened to be passing by," stepped in.

"what happened."

"President Yan, you've finally arrived."

The director was overjoyed and quickly pulled Yan Li aside to explain the situation in a few words. Yan Li's face immediately darkened, and he glanced at Qin and Fan.

Qin Lan lowered her head guiltily, but Fan Xiaopang stuck out his neck: "It's not my fault, she started it first."

Upon hearing Fan Xiaopang's complaint, Qin Lan also became anxious: "I was thinking about the play."

"Bullshit, she pretends to be innocent whenever she sees a man, she's just putting on an act."

"You vixen, who are you calling a vixen?"

"..."

Seeing that Fan Xiaopang and Qin Lan were arguing again, Yan Li's face turned ashen, and he shouted loudly.

"okay."

"This is a film set, not your home. Any conflicts should be resolved privately. Anyone who delays filming can get out of here."

Yan Li still had some intimidating power; the two women stopped arguing, but they were still not entirely convinced.

Yan Li glanced at the actors and staff watching and told everyone to stop filming and rest. Then he pulled Qin Lan and Fan Xiaopang to a side hall.

"You're so willing to embarrass yourselves, huh? Stop arguing here. I'll call two newspapers for you to criticize them in front of the whole nation."

Fan Xiaopang pointed at Qin Lan and said angrily, "She bit me like a mad dog first. I don't want to talk to her. It's never going to end. If I tolerate it, she'll think I'm easy to bully."

Qin Lan squinted at her: "Don't you know why I'm targeting you? I'm already being lenient by not stripping you naked and parading you through the streets."

"Shut up, everyone."

Yan Li rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. If he had known that Qin Lan would be so explosive with Fan Xiaopang, he would never have put the two of them together.

Fortunately, Empress Jiang didn't have many scenes. If she had played one of the three demons of Xuanyuan, the production team would have been ruined by them.

"No matter what, we can't let the filming be affected."

Yan Li set the tone, then looked at Qin Lan: "Bingbing and I are colleagues, and we will be colleagues in the future. That's it. Can we stop making a fuss?"

Qin Lan looked at Yan Li, who had no expression on his face, nodded, and whispered, "I understand."

Yan Li then looked at Fan Xiaopang: "We were wrong to do this. She was just worried and confused. Don't hold it against her. I will give you an explanation."

When Fan Xiaopang heard Yan Li's words, his heart skipped a beat, his eyes reddened, he took a deep breath to hold it in, and his voice turned cold.

"Okay, I'll wait for your explanation."

After saying that, she turned and left. As she disappeared, Yan Li vaguely saw her raise her sleeve and wipe the corner of her eye.

Sighing, Yan Li looked helplessly at Qin Lan: "Satisfied now?"

Qin Lan lowered her head and wiped away her tears, her face streaked with tears: "I didn't mean to make a scene, but I just couldn't help it when I saw her."

"Okay, I'm not blaming you."

Yan Li's anger was extinguished by Qin Lan's tears.

How many girlfriends can remain calm when they see a mistress?

This isn't Qin Lan's fault, nor is it Fan Xiaopang's. Ultimately, it's his own doing.

It's one thing for him to be a womanizer and flirt around, but many times we just turn a blind eye and pretend we don't know. But he insists on getting together with other women.

Given how much Qin Lan cares about him, and considering Fan Xiaopang's temper, it would be strange if things didn't go wrong when the two met.

After some coaxing, Qin Lan wiped away her tears, touched up her makeup, and came out to film again.

Yan Li left quietly, but left his assistant Ding Feng there to keep an eye on things and prevent the two from clashing again.

However, after that commotion, Qin Lan and Fan Xiaopang did not continue their confrontation; they simply ignored each other.

Whether they were filming or resting, or going to the dressing room to remove their makeup and then back to the hotel after work, they didn't exchange a single word, and they barely even looked at each other. They treated each other as if they were invisible.

...

Back in her hotel room, Qin Lan lay exhausted on the bed, feeling both lingering fear and relief.

The fear stemmed from Yan Li's anger, while the joy came from Yan Li's choice and clear statement.

In this power struggle within Huanzhu, she still had the last laugh.

In another room, Fan Xiaopang was furiously punching a pillow with both fists. Not satisfied with just punching it, he jumped up and stomped on it. After stomping a few times, he lost his balance, slipped, and fell to the bed, crying.

You bastard, you stinking man, what's so great about you? Keep guarding your cargo bin, I don't care.

A food stall in Hengdian
Yan Li put his arm around Lin Jiachuan, who was filming "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" next door, and said earnestly.

"Brother, don't get involved with too many women, it'll cause trouble."

Lin Jiachuan: "..."

I'd love to have that kind of trouble, but do I have the ability?!

Zhang Songwen, who was standing next to Yan Li, raised his glass and clinked it with hers: "Don't bother me. A man should prioritize his career. I see you've been busy with women these days, and you're even being a bit perfunctory when filming."

"That's right."

Yan Li nodded. He had been somewhat intoxicated by romance lately, and this setback was a good thing. Putting aside his romantic entanglements and focusing on his career, he was still hoping to make it onto the Forbes list…

(End of this chapter)