Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 242 Yang Rong finally doesn't have to answer the phone
Hotel, Restaurant

Li Lin saw Fan Xiaopang eating and came over in surprise: "Why are you eating here?"

Fan Xiaopang has a lot of scenes and is quite busy. He also has an assistant running errands, so he usually eats on set or in his hotel room. Li Lin is rarely seen in the hotel restaurant.

"I just came back from a meeting at Yi'an Garden, and I was passing by, so I just ate here."

Meeting?
Seeing Fan Xiaopang's beaming face, Li Lin didn't say much, but simply put down her plate and ate with him.

The two have a good relationship, and Fan Bingbing brought Li Lin along for his leading roles in "The Legend of the White-Haired Witch" and "The Legend of Yang Yuhuan".

Because of her marriage and childbirth, Li Lin inevitably faced some inconveniences while filming. Normally, production crews would replace her, but these particular crews, with Fan Xiaopang's protection, took better care of her.

So Li Lin always thought highly of Fan Xiaopang, and seeing that there were only the two of them, she couldn't help but speak her mind.

"You went a bit too far with Jiang Xin before."

Fan Xiaopang frowned: "Where did you go wrong? This is something she started."

“We can deal with her in other ways, or we can expose her intentions to Yan Li.”

"But your behavior was a bit too arrogant. In front of so many people, what will everyone think of you? And Yan Li, won't he have any thoughts about it?"

Fan Xiaopang poked at the egg with his chopsticks: "He didn't know how, but he got me a campervan the very next day."

"But Dong Xuan also has it."

Li Lin looked into Fan Xiaopang's eyes and said, "Dong Xuan didn't do anything, yet she got the RV."

Among the seven fairies, Li Lin should be the most popular.

From her early days filming to the present, she has never offended anyone and has always been kind to everyone, including Huo Siyan, who was the most ostracized by her; she has no conflict with Huo Siyan.

Huo Siyan didn't like her, but she didn't hate her either; the two were just nodding acquaintances with a slight connection.

If Huo Siyan was like this, then others are even more so.

Even though she is close to Fan Xiaopang now, Dong Xuan's impression of her, while not good, is not bad either. She even dragged her along to make up the numbers when the Four Fairies gathered before.

Therefore, Li Lin is aware of the developments on the side of "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang", and she knows quite a bit about them.

"I thought Jiang Xin and Dong Xuan were a bit distant before, but your actions have pushed her to the other side."

"So what if they push me away? Do I have to be afraid of them?"

Fan Xiaopang didn't care at all, and Li Lin was speechless: "It's not about whether you're afraid or not. No matter how powerful you are, you're still just one person. With a dozen or even dozens of people talking at once, you'll lose your reason even if you're right."

"Even if you don't care about the outside world, Yan Li, if everyone says something to slander you, in the long run, even if Yan Li likes you a lot, he can't help but be affected."

Even a mighty tiger can't withstand a pack of wolves.

Li Lin advised Fan Xiaopang that Fan Xiaopang had an advantage and was not afraid of head-on confrontation, but what if the other party played dirty tricks?

On the surface, Fan Xiaopang is incredibly successful and has a huge advantage, but many people are also watching her closely. They can't bring her down, but they can also get rid of the stains on her reputation.

"Everyone says Dong Xuan is weak, but I think Yan Li has taken everything from her. You think she's easily defeated, but maybe she's just enduring humiliation and biding her time."

"Bingbing, you're in the lead right now, so don't get carried away. Stay steady and adopt the demeanor and composure of an empress."

Fan Xiaopang listened attentively and felt that Li Lin's words made some sense, but she also had her own rhythm and ideas.

The reason I can keep Dong Qin in check right now is because of her career and personality. There are many things I can't back down on, and I can't be weak either, otherwise Dong Qin's underlings and Wang Ou will all pounce on me.

"However, the principles remain the same, but the specific strategies need to be changed."

At Li Lin's prompting, Fan Xiaopang began to address some of the shortcomings of his previous suppression of Jiang Xin.

The method is simple: throw money around!

It was hot, so Fan Xiaopang had his assistant buy several buckets of plum juice, mung bean soup, and several large boxes of ice cream every day to help everyone on the crew cool off.

These things don't cost much in total, but they can change the crew's impression of her.

"He who eats another's food is bound to him; he ... ice cream is bound to him; he who drinks another's plum juice is bound to him." Although a few people may try to win people's hearts with their nagging and flattery, most people still think this way is the best.

Without Fan Xiaopang even needing to arrange for someone to lead the way, everyone in the crew started praising Fan Xiaopang spontaneously.

His former arrogance turned into magnanimity, his haughtiness into carelessness, and his bullying of Jiang Xin into verbal disputes, or even Jiang Xin provoking trouble, which he brought upon himself.

He used small favors to win over the lower and middle levels of the crew, and then Fan Xiaopang started to befriend actors like Liu Wei, Lin Fangbing, Zhu Yuanyuan, and Yang Tongshu to win over the upper and middle levels.

Fan Xiaopang figured that she didn't have the energy or time to build cliques, nor did she care to chat with a bunch of women she looked down on.

However, for the sake of her reputation and to avoid being besieged one day, she decided to cultivate good relationships with many people.

Maintaining good relationships with these talented actors who are not in competition with her, and having them each say a few words, would be very beneficial to her image and reputation.

Don't underestimate these talented actors. Although they may not be very popular or famous, they have a good public image and a certain level of public attention.

Their praise and recognition are far more valuable than those mutual compliments among sisterhood groups.

Needless to say, Fan Xiaopang has always had a good relationship with the directors and producers.

If she can also win over most of the ordinary people and the majority of the talented actors in the crew, even if she gets along well with those female stars, she won't end up all alone.

Compared to these people, those female celebrities are the minority.

In "The Legend of Yang Yuhuan," Jiang Xin watched as Fan Xiaopang gradually turned his reputation around, feeling both surprised, angry, and helpless.

She wouldn't dare to sabotage it, stopping her would be useless, and copying her would only bring shame upon herself.

The production crew is clearly hierarchical, and the advantages brought by the status and prestige of the members also vary.

They're both ice cream, but Fan Xiaopang's and Jiang Xin's posts are different. The same sentence spoken by Fan Xiaopang and Jiang Xin is also different.

What's most hurtful is that Fan Xiaopang once treated the crew to extra food in Jiang Xin's name, saying that the misunderstanding between the two had been resolved.

Jiang Xin could only force a smile to show her agreement, becoming a mere backdrop to Fan Xiaopang's magnanimity.

They slapped you, then pinned the blame on you, making a name for themselves, and you still have to say thank you.

Jiang Xin's probing provocation ended in a crushing defeat!

...

Yan Li had been watching Fan Xiaopang's response and thought that this woman had finally come up with a clever plan.

Brutal and forceful suppression may feel good, but it is ultimately detrimental to oneself.

This kind of approach, combining soft and hard tactics, allows you to subdue others while also gaining an advantage – that's the sophisticated way to play the game.

Yan Li understood that Fan Xiaopang had become a little arrogant because of his praise.

But he couldn't easily intervene in such matters, and most people couldn't control Fan Xiaopang, so he kept waiting for Fan to suffer a loss so that he would understand the principle of "when things are full, they overflow".

Unexpectedly, this woman was quick-witted; with just a slight reminder from Li Lin, she grasped the key point.

Although some old habits are hard to break, this is precisely Fan Xiaopang's characteristic.

She's not arrogant, she's not haughty, she's not competitive; where would she get the energy to compete with the four little actresses?

How can a good person, an innocent and harmless girl, climb to the top of the entertainment industry?
Yan Li can't possibly need Fan Xiaopang's sharpness to gain benefits on the one hand, and criticize and complain about the drawbacks brought about by that sharpness on the other; that would be too shameless.

Therefore, Yan Li was unwilling to easily suppress Fan Xiaopang, but if she could be more restrained and cautious, and act more tactfully, Yan Li would be even more pleased.

Too much rigidity leads to breakage; it needs to be not only sharp but also resilient!
Dongyang, Zhongtian Century Flower City

Jiang Xin only managed to meet with Yan Li alone when Yan Li was about to leave Hengdian.

After a fierce battle, Yan Li put his arm around Jiang Xin's plump waist and leisurely smoked a cigarette.

Jiang Xin vented all the grievances and resentment she had suffered on set these past few days on him, wishing she could squeeze him dry.

This woman was always tough, and this time she went all out and performed exceptionally well, giving Yan Li a taste of what it's like to tame a wild female horse.

After finishing his cigarette, Yan Li looked at Jiang Xin, who was nestled in his arms, with a hint of curiosity: "Aren't you going to take this opportunity to complain?"

This woman is no pushover; he always thought she would seize the opportunity to voice her grievances to him.

“What’s the point of saying that? You’re on her side and don’t take me seriously at all.”

Jiang Xin snorted. She had come with a lot of resentment and grievances, but she had vented them on Yan Li just now, and her anger had subsided. She also knew that Yan Li would definitely take her side, so she simply didn't bother to say anything.

Yan Li didn't deny that he sided with Fan Xiaopang, but just smiled and said, "It's not worth getting angry with her. Let her live her life, and you live yours."

Yan Li's words carried a hint of reminder and admonition.

Originally, Jiang Xin came to Yan Li for his resources, treating him as a sugar daddy and a backer. Yan Li would provide resources, and she would sleep with him in return, a mutually beneficial arrangement.

That being said, Yan Li's charm and strength were simply too attractive to women.

Although Jiang Xin's main goal was to find a sugar daddy, she still had some feelings for Yan Li.

After they got together, the more she understood Yan Li and enjoyed his gentleness and generosity in private, the more her thoughts and feelings inevitably became amplified.

His unfamiliarity with Dong Xuan and his jealousy of Fan Xiaopang were actually based on this premise.

She was getting emotional!

To be fair, Yan Li was somewhat used to this kind of thing and didn't object to it, but he hoped that Jiang Xin wouldn't cause trouble or go too far.

Therefore, his tacit approval of Fan Xiaopang's suppression of Jiang Xin was also to make Jiang Xin understand the appropriate boundaries.

Wang Ou went through the same thing back then, being constantly reprimanded and suppressed by Fan Xiaopang and Qin Lan. Otherwise, this little slut wouldn't be so obedient now.

Wu Jiani, on the other hand, was too timid to act rashly. In addition, she witnessed Wang Ou being punished, making her the monkey watching the chicken being slaughtered.

Jiang Xin is no pushover; she's quite ambitious. This time, it's not Fan Xiaopang; it'll probably be Dong Xuan personally managing the business.

After this experience, Jiang Xin understood her place. She could stay if she wanted, but if she couldn't bear the humiliation, she wanted to part ways amicably.

Yan Li will not treat her unfairly.

The drama "The Magic Sword and the Chess of Life and Death" that Qin Lan didn't act in, she'll be given to Jiang Xin regardless of whether she keeps it or not.

Keeping them is a form of appeasement and compensation.

Leaving means putting the past behind us.

Jiang Xin's choice was simple: she had finally made up her mind to get in touch with Yan Li, and her career was booming, so why should she leave?

Perhaps following Yan Li might bring occasional grievances, but without him, the cutthroat competition in the entertainment industry would only bring more grievances.

Needless to say, as long as she is obedient and honest, Yan Li will give her a big reward.

When Jiang Xin heard that Yan Li had given her the lead role in a period drama with a considerable budget, her eyes lit up with joy.

Too much value!

If that's how you get the female lead, she'd be willing to let Fan Xiaopang point fingers at her and berate her every day.

"Look at your potential."

Yan Li was both amused and exasperated. He had thought Jiang Xin was quite tough, daring to challenge Fan Xiaopang, but she was easily dismissed by a mere female lead.

"I'm doing this because of you. You're good to me, so I'll listen to you and not argue with her."

Jiang Xin's words were half true and half false. She had been suppressed quite badly by Fan Xiaopang recently, and Yan Li's sweet treat was just right.

Even though she knew the man wasn't innocent, Jiang Xin couldn't help but be moved.

Yan Li looked at Jiang Xin, who had become obedient, and felt secretly satisfied.

The older children are expected to discipline the younger ones and set rules, and the older children feel that Yan Li is on their side, so they are satisfied.

Afterwards, Yan Li comforted the younger ones, saying that the villains should do the big things and the good people should do the small things themselves, and the younger ones all thought Yan Li was good.

In this way, Yan Li was able to please both sides, maintain a relatively harmonious harem, and have all the women on his side.

Perfection is just a bit inhuman...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In September, Yan Li left Hengdian, but instead of returning directly to Beijing, he traveled around various cities.

One was to inspect the construction and site selection of Yi'an Cinema Circuit's various cinemas, and the other was to meet with the regional sales managers to learn about the distribution work.

"Crazy Stone" made him an instant star.

While the outside world focuses more on film quality and combating piracy, Yan Li believes that the key lies in the importance of on-the-ground promotion.

Combating piracy isn't always successful, and it only maintains a minimum standard; the actual effectiveness is questionable.

Many people who watch pirated content are just used to it. If you crack down on piracy, people will simply wait a while; they don't necessarily have to go to the cinema to support it.

Offline distribution, which directly attracts potential moviegoers to spend money in theaters, is the key to Yian Distribution's long-term stability and increased potential.

Moreover, if the ground promotion team is trained well, it can be used not only in the film industry.

TV series promotion can also be done through on-the-ground promotion. The effect may not be as good as that of movies, but it will definitely be useful.

In addition to advertising, artists, and other businesses, having a nationwide offline promotional network that understands the local area is extremely useful.

Therefore, Yan Li specially flew to various parts of the country to meet with the heads of major regions and important cities.

Following the success of "Crazy Stone," local promotional efforts were integrated across various regions.

It has changed from a single city to an entire region, divided into six regions: North China, Northeast China, South China, Northwest China, Southwest China, and East China.

When distributing products and services through field promotions, the regional manager is responsible for overall coordination and allocation, which allows for better resource management and facilitates company operations.

Yan Li encouraged everyone to work hard and to win the battles of "The Banquet" and "Rob-B-Hood".

Once sufficient potential is demonstrated, the company will invest more resources in its on-the-ground promotion business.

By then, the ground promotion teams will be spread across all prefecture-level cities and even county-level cities nationwide, including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, with stronger capabilities and better benefits.

“Brothers, you may not feel anything if you are alone in one city, but if all cities have people from Yi’an, then our voice, power and resources will be incredibly strong. One move will move hundreds of cities, one move will move thousands of cities.”

"Now we can promote movies, and in the future we can promote TV series, albums, and even the Internet, education, finance, fast-moving consumer goods, etc., becoming a node and connection between the virtual and offline worlds."

"That's why I'm saying that field promotion is not just about being a salesperson. Field promotion is the seed that Yi'an has sown all over the country. Each and every one of you is an elite of Yi'an and a towering tree that will support Yi'an in the future."

"........."

Private room in a hotel in Shanghai
Yan Li, holding a wine glass, was drawing... well, explaining the future to the sales representatives who came to the meeting and gathering today.

These days, people are still quite simple and honest, and on-the-ground promotion is rather tedious and tiring, so most of the people doing it are young.

Watching Yan Li, the boss known as a business genius, cheer everyone on with "brothers," everyone was in high spirits, and the wonderful vision he described made everyone's blood boil.

"I hope my brothers will follow me and Yi'an, grow together, and succeed together. I'll do it."

Yan Li raised his small two-ounce cup and drank it all in one gulp. Everyone cheered and followed suit.

"Sit down, sit down, don't be shy, eat whatever you like, and order more if you're not full. It's rare to get me, the boss, to help you out, so please don't hold back."

Yan Li was polite to outsiders, let alone his own employees, especially the middle and lower-level employees. Unless there were special circumstances, most of them would greet him with a smile and were very approachable.

Some of the people at the event were former employees of the marketing department who had drunk with Yan Li before and were quite familiar with him. They egged him on to drink, and Yan Li accepted all the toasts.

Some of the new employees, after the opening remarks and the atmosphere created, gradually relaxed.

"Mr. Yan, I am Liu Feng. I used to be the person in charge in Hangzhou, but now I have been transferred to Shanghai."

Liu Feng came over to offer a toast somewhat awkwardly. Yan Li looked at him, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly realized.

"I know you. In the East China region, besides Shanghai, Hangzhou is the only city you are in charge of. Moreover, you performed excellently in solving the box office fraud incident and even gave suggestions to the company. Very good. Go back to Shanghai and do a good job. The company will not treat talent unfairly."

Yan Li patted Liu Feng on the shoulder and praised him. Liu Feng was surprised that his boss, Yan Li, knew about him.

He felt a little dizzy before even taking a sip of the liquor. His usually eloquent mouth became slightly stammering as he spoke, but he still managed to finish the entire glass of baijiu in one go.

"Good alcohol tolerance."

Yan Li praised him and, ignoring any objections, drank a full glass with him.

When faced with a toast from someone he doesn't know well, Yan Li will smile but won't necessarily drink. When entertaining clients, Yan Li will occasionally pretend to be drunk.

But when it comes to employees who work hard for him, especially those in the middle and lower levels, who are working themselves to the bone to make money for the company and sincerely toasting him, Yan Li doesn't want to play games and drinks as much as he can.

Brothers, you not only have to shout, you have to do. Even if you're just acting, you have to act it out. A bunch of young people, especially those who do sales and deal with people, rarely have bad drinking skills.

Yan Li fought against many opponents, and even though everyone held back a bit after seeing that Yan Li had reached his limit, Yan Li, who had vomited once, was helped into the car with a flushed face after the banquet.

Wu Maowen drove towards the hotel, but Yan Li stopped him and mumbled an address.

"Brother, you've drunk this much, take a day off."

Wu Maowen tried to persuade him, but Yan Li patted him on the shoulder and said, "What are you thinking? You've had a long day too. I'll find someone to take care of me."

"..."

Wu Maowen didn't say whether he believed it or not. Having studied the terrain of Shanghai before coming, he recalled it for a moment and drove to his destination.

When they arrived, Yan Li didn't get out of the car. He took out his phone and said, "I've had too much to drink and have nowhere to go. I'm downstairs at your place. Come pick me up."

"You've been on so many phone calls, and it's not even enough to cover the room fee. Hurry up, it's getting cold today."

Once Yan Li confirmed that Yang Rong was home, he let Wu Maowen leave. However, the latter was still worried and drove the car to the side and watched from a corner until he saw Yang Rong lead Yan Li into the building before turning around and leaving.

Yang Rong's apartment building didn't have an elevator, so she had to laboriously help Yan Li climb the stairs to get home.

She was short, while Yan Li was tall and strong. After drinking too much, they were both heavy. If Yan Li hadn't been somewhat sober, the two of them would probably have had to spend the night in the stairwell.

It took the two of them more than ten minutes to finally get into the house.

Relieved, Yang Rong felt weak and collapsed to the ground. Yan Li, who was supporting her, leaned on top of her.

Yang Rong nudged him: "Get up."

Yan Li acted as if he hadn't heard, adjusted his posture, and found a soft spot to rest his head on.

It must be said that Yang Rong is not tall and has a petite figure, but she has plenty of assets, which is in line with the idiom "a person with a generous heart is magnanimous".

Yang Rong's eyes blazed with anger, her face flushed as she pushed Yan Li's head away, and the latter let out a groan.

"Don't shake me, I'm dizzy."

Damn it!

Yang Rong had no choice but to gently persuade Yan Li, "It's uncomfortable for me to be on top of you, and the ground is cold. Get up, and I'll help you to bed."

After much persuasion and having gained the upper hand, Yan Li finally got up, but once he lay down on the bed, he didn't really want to get up.

He really drank too much today. He caught a chill downstairs and was also a bit tired from climbing the stairs. He wasn't just taking advantage of the situation; he was genuinely sleepy and dizzy.

Seeing Yan Li's appearance, Yang Rong wanted to turn around and leave, but seeing that Yan Li was not comfortable sleeping because of his wrinkled clothes, she sighed and went up to take off Yan Li's shoes and clothes.

After they were almost completely undressed, Yang Rong moved and pushed Yan Li's body to lay it out on the bed and covered it with a blanket.

Wiping away the sweat from her exhaustion and catching her breath, Yang Rong was about to leave when her hand was grabbed. Turning around, she saw Yan Li squinting his eyes before pulling her onto the bed.

Yang Rong's expression changed drastically. Just as she was about to resist, Yan Li pulled her into his arms and patted her bottom.

"I won't move you, you're cold. I'll hold you and let you sleep for a while."

You bastard, you're using me as a body pillow, aren't you!

Yang Rong cursed under her breath and struggled to get up, but Yan Li held her tightly and, annoyed by her making too much noise, gave her a couple of slaps on the bottom.

"..."

Yang Rong wanted to bite this bastard to death, but she was helpless and could only obediently serve as Yan Li's body pillow.

Yan Li kept his eyes tightly closed, and a slight snoring could be heard from his mouth and nose.
Unable to move, Yang Rong couldn't sleep either, so she started to carefully examine Yan Li's features.

She had known Yan Li for quite some time, but she had never observed him so closely before.

He has thick eyebrows, large eyes, well-defined features, and slightly tanned skin. While he may not be the most handsome and dashing type, he is upright, heroic, and very masculine.

He felt the muscle contours of the arm around her again, and then carefully touched her abs.

Although Yang Rong had heard Wang Ou boast about it before, hearing about it and actually experiencing it are two different things.

She had to admit that this bastard was indeed quite handsome; no wonder he had that little slut completely captivated by him.

It's just too flashy!
Yang Rong gently stroked the outline of Yan Li's abdominal muscles with her fingers.

She had feelings for Yan Li. If she didn't, she would have avoided him long ago after Wang Ou did those things, or at least wouldn't have tacitly cooperated.

But she hesitated, partly because Wang Ou felt awkward, and partly because she felt there was no future with Yan Li.

She wasn't as open-minded as Wang Ou, and kept saying she wanted to be Yan Li's mistress for life.

Yang Rong wasn't ambitious and didn't have high material needs. Yan Li's money-spending tactics had limited effect on her; she just wanted to live a peaceful and comfortable life.

Following Yan Li, I can achieve this, but who knows how many years it might take?

She's young and in the prime of her life, so everything is fine. But if Yan Li dumps her, she'll be too old to find someone else.

Most importantly, as Wang Ou said, can a woman who has been with a lion be attracted to a sheep?

Yang Rong wasn't that extreme, but she was still an ordinary person.

Let alone the future, even now, Yang Rong occasionally comes into contact with some boys, some of whom even want to pursue her. Every time, she inevitably compares them to her appearance and manners.

She doesn't like the bad ones, and the good ones might not like her. She's not satisfied with the mediocre ones.

Yang Rong looked at Yan Li and gritted her teeth. This kind of man is like poison; once you get involved, there's no going back.

Just then, Yan Li moved slightly, which startled Yang Rong. She quickly pulled her hand away, only to find that he had simply adjusted his posture.

Relieved, Yang Rong hesitated whether to continue what she had just done when she noticed Yan Li's hand slipping inside her clothes, squeezing it, and then holding it as she continued to sleep.

Yang Rong: "..."

Does this jerk even get to sleep?

After remaining quiet for a while, seeing that Yan Li made no move, Yang Rong, emboldened, reverted to her old ways.

You're allowed to take advantage of me, but I'm not allowed to take advantage of you in return? This is still my home.

After a while, Yang Rong was almost asleep when Yan Li woke him up. He said in a hoarse voice.

"water."

"Oh."

Yang Rong got up and went outside to pour water. After feeding Yan Li the water, Yan Li adjusted his sleeping position and patted his chest.

"come over."

Yang Rong couldn't help but glare at him, but after hesitating for a moment, she obediently went into his arms and let him hold her.

Yan Li felt a little uncomfortable and pointed to Yang Rong's clothes: "It's uncomfortable."

Yang Rong said with dissatisfaction, "Don't push your luck."

Yan Li kissed her: "Be good, listen to me."

Yang Rong ignored him, so Yan Li helped her take off her clothes. She struggled and resisted for a moment, but Yan Li still succeeded.

Finally, Yan Li stripped himself completely naked. Without the obstruction of clothes, it was even more comfortable to hug her soft, fragrant body. Yan Li skillfully placed his hands in the same old spot and hummed with satisfaction.

"Go to sleep."

"Stinking rogue."

Yang Rong muttered something to herself, then couldn't help but snuggle closer to Yan Li. Putting everything else aside, this bastard was hot-tempered and very warm.

...

When Yang Rong woke up the next morning, Yan Li was already gone.

At first, she thought Yan Li had gone to the bathroom, but after a long time without any movement, she got out of bed and found that no one was home. Yan Li's clothes and shoes from yesterday were also gone.

"Really gone?"

Yang Rong felt uneasy, unable to describe her feelings.

That scoundrel of a man got drunk, took advantage of her at her place, and then ran away without giving her any explanation. He really treated her like a hotel.

However, when Yang Rong picked up her phone and saw the text message Yan Li had sent her, her mood instantly improved.

I have to leave early because of work. I'll be back for dinner tonight; there might be a business dinner, so I'll have something light and filling.

He even ordered some food!

Yang Rong was defeated by Yan Li's shamelessness. She cursed and swore for a while before starting to clean the house.

Yan Li came over suddenly yesterday, and the house was a bit messy. I don't know the details last night, but I guess I saw it this morning.

Yang Rong was a little nervous. Would Yan Li think she was a slovenly woman?

She had been to Wang Ou's house; it was always tidy and organized. She had heard that Yan Li was a clean person.

After tidying up, Yang Rong quickly changed her clothes and went to the market to buy groceries. Her cooking skills were decent enough that she could easily prepare a few simple home-style dishes.

If it tastes bad, so be it; it's not like she's the one who wants to eat it.

That being said, on her way to buy groceries, Yang Rong still stopped at a few old shops in Shanghai and got some cooked food and snacks to go.

When she arrived at the market, she didn't know what Yan Li liked to eat. She wanted to call Wang Ou, but she was afraid that the clever little chick would guess something. She also didn't trust Wu Jiani.

In the end, I bought as much as I could and cooked a few more dishes, hoping to find something Yan Li liked to eat.

When Yan Li went to Yang Rong's house again that evening, he saw that the table was almost full of seven bowls and eight dishes.

"That's quite a feast!"

Yan Li smiled and handed the red wine in his hand to Yang Rong: "Good food goes well with good wine, shall we have some?"

Yang Rong pursed her lips: "I don't have wine glasses at home."

"It doesn't matter what you use."

Yang Rong took out two water glasses, opened the wine with her own bottle opener, and drank with Yan Li.

Yan Li acted very naturally, as if this were his own home. He ate the food and drank the wine, praising what he liked and speaking frankly about what he didn't like.

Under his influence, Yang Rong relaxed and began chatting and laughing with Yan Li, even asking about Yan Li's work in Shanghai.

Yan Li visited all over the country, with Shanghai being his last stop. Besides visiting cinemas and conducting on-the-ground promotions, he also followed up on the issues with Tudou.com.

Tudou.com's Series A financing went relatively smoothly, with Yan Li participating and receiving some resource support, resulting in minimal changes to its shareholding.

Because the founding team's shareholding was reduced through financing, Yanli (Yanye Capital) is now the second largest shareholder, second only to Wang Wei.

After securing funding, Tudou.com is bound to make a big push. As a key shareholder and partner, Yan Li will need to participate in Tudou.com's next strategic meeting, and is expected to stay in Shanghai for another two or three days.

Yang Rong didn't care much about Tudou.com or anything like that, but she was quite pleased to learn that Yan Li would be staying a few more days.

Yang Rong picked up a piece of shrimp, intending to put it in Yan Li's bowl, but Yan Li opened his mouth directly. Yang Rong paused slightly and then fed it to him.

After finishing her meal, Yang Rong cleaned up and washed the dishes. When she came out of the kitchen, she saw Yan Li sitting on the sofa waving at her.

As soon as I sat down, Yan Li took my hand and put a bracelet on my wrist.

Why are you buying again?

Yang Rong said angrily that Yan Li came to Shanghai to see her last time, but she wasn't there, so he gave her a bracelet, and now he's giving her another one.

"I noticed you weren't wearing the one I gave you, so I assumed you didn't like it and bought you another one."

"Who says I don't like it?"

Yang Rong blurted out that she really liked the bracelet Yan Li had given her, but it was expensive, and she had been hesitant about her relationship with Yan Li, so she only wore it at home.

"I like them, that's perfect, I'll wear two of them alternately."

Yan Li certainly knew that Yang Rong liked him, but his "not knowing" showed that he cared about her.

Yang Rong looked at the exquisite and expensive bracelet with some delight.

She doesn't value material conditions, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care or like them, especially since it was a gift from Yan Li.

Seeing this, Yan Li lay down on the sofa and rested his head between her legs: "I still have a hangover from yesterday, give me a massage."

"He just loves to boss people around."

Afraid of scratching Yan Li, Yang Rong took off the bracelet and then massaged Yan Li's head with her small hands.

Yan Li closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment: "Let's move to the capital later, so Wang Ou can keep me company."

Yang Rong paused, then said, "I'm not going. Don't tell Wang Ou either. Once you leave Shanghai, things will return to normal."

Yan Li opened his eyes and looked at Yang Rong: "What will you do if Wang Ou calls you later?"

Yang Rong: "..."

Yang Rong ruffled Yan Li's hair and said in embarrassment and annoyance, "I won't accept any more offers from now on. I'll just be friends with Wang Ou and won't get involved in your messy affairs."

"alright."

Yan Li closed his eyes and stopped talking. Yang Rong rubbed his head and couldn't help but ask.

"You're just going to admit it like that?"

Yan Li's voice remained unchanged: "If you don't want me to understand, I respect your choice. Just treat these few days as a dream."

Yang Rong couldn't hold back any longer and gritted her teeth: "You're denying everything after you've already done your job."

Yan Li corrected, "I haven't taken my clothes off yet."

"Then don't take it off, just leave."

Yang Rong tried to shoo him away, but Yan Li didn't budge: "Look at you, you don't want to be like me, and you're unhappy if I'm like you. You're always saying one thing and meaning another. Aren't you tired?"

If Yan Li hadn't had the system, he wouldn't have been able to figure out Yang Rong's thoughts.

Even now, he's not entirely sure, because even Yang Rong herself can't figure out her own thoughts, wavering between this and that, hesitant and indecisive.

However, Yan Li knew that Yang Rong didn't reject him, and even liked him, and wasn't the type to cause trouble, so he ate first and waited for Yang Rong to come to her senses.

Whether he stays or leaves, he won't lose out!
Yang Rong was still arguing with the other man, but Yan Li was already getting impatient. He hadn't done anything last night because he was drunk, and he wanted to clarify the specifics and define the relationship today.

...

Yang Rong lay in Yan Li's arms, satisfied yet slightly fearful. After eavesdropping so many times, it was finally her turn.

It was better than she had imagined, but even more tiring.

Yan Li gently stroked her back and couldn't help but say, "Let's move to the capital."

The big doll feels nice to the touch and tastes delicious, but it's not filling and a bit delicate.

He remembered that Huo Siyan, who was also quite petite, was still quite resilient.

Well, it seems he wasn't particularly chivalrous towards her back then.

Yang Rong knew that his performance was mediocre. After hearing it so many times, he knew Yan Li's strength. Not to mention Li Bingbing, even Wang Ou could easily beat her.

But she still couldn't make up her mind and was too embarrassed to face Wang Ou, so she could only say, "Let me think about it some more."

Yan Li didn't try to persuade her much, as it was useless anyway. He made a few more phone calls to make her jealous, and without her even asking, she moved to the capital on her own.

Or it would be good to have Wang Ou and the others come to Shanghai. As the company expands in the future, Shanghai will become very important, and Yan Li will need to come over from time to time.

With Wang Ou and the others moving here, Yan Li will have company in Shanghai, and they can also avoid Dong Qinfan's side.

To be honest, with so many people in Beijing, it's a bit too crowded and chaotic...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

PS: 9,000 words (5000/8000)

(End of this chapter)