Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 248 Birthday Showdown: Dong Qin Meets Again
In November, Taishi, Shanxi Province
Yan Li attended the opening ceremony of Taishi Yi'an Cinema, a subsidiary of Yi'an Cinema Line.

This is also the first new cinema built and opened by Yi'an Cinemas since its establishment.

The reason why it was able to open before many other cinemas is largely due to the strength of Yi'an's shareholders in Shanxi Province. They saved a lot of trouble in all aspects and provided a lot of help in construction.

Although Yi'an is a nationwide cinema chain, its layout is still subject to certain geographical limitations due to various factors.

At this stage, because it mainly occurs in first- and second-tier cities, it's not yet very noticeable.

If Yi'an expands into third- and fourth-tier cities, its main development targets will be Shanxi Province, Yan Li's hometown of Shandong Province, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region where Yan Li has a certain influence, and cities covered by China Resources' industries.

Of course, if we acquire some local cinemas or bring in other shareholders in the future, we will make appropriate changes to the layout.

As it was the first new cinema to open, Yi An made quite a splash.

Not only did Yan Li come in person, but he also invited many celebrities and even brought over the cast and crew of "A Battle of Wits," which was in the midst of its promotional period.

With Andy Lau, Fan Bingbing, Wang Zhiwen, Nicky Wu, and many other key members of the "A Battle of Wits" cast, along with numerous other celebrities, the star-studded lineup caused quite a stir among the citizens of Taiyuan, and made everyone remember this newly opened cinema.

Tan Jing, a singer from Shanxi Province, was performing at the opening ceremony. Yan Li took Fan Xiaopang and others, who were looking for some excitement, for a tour of the cinema.

While this Taishi Yi'an Cinema may not be considered a five-star luxury cinema, it is still quite outstanding among standard cinemas.

Covering an area of ​​over 2500 square meters, it has 5 screening rooms and 1 luxury VIP room, with a total of nearly 700 seats. Two of the rooms can provide 3D movie screenings. The equipment is first-class and the environment is elegant.

In Taiyuan, and even in the entire Shanxi province, it may not be the best cinema, but it is definitely among the top.

Other celebrities have seen plenty of luxury cinemas, and while this one in Taichung is nice, it's not enough to surprise them. They'll just give it a few compliments and that's it.

The most unusual one was Fan Xiaopang. While others were watching the spectacle, she was watching her own business, and of course, the more she watched, the happier she became.

She even dragged her assistant to take photos of her, asking her to take more pictures so she could post them on her blog later for publicity and to show off.

Yan Li knew the young woman's personality, so he specifically told her to tone it down.

Don't make it look like the boss's wife is on an inspection tour; be careful not to upset Qin Lan and Dong Xuan.

Warning: Have a baby!
Fan Xiaopang said helplessly, "Can you please not dampen my spirits when I'm happy?"

Yan Li nodded: "Then do as you please."

Fan Xiaopang's smile faded, he muttered a few words, then pulled other celebrities to take photos, downplaying his own presence and focusing more on publicity.

Seeing her like this, Yan Li sighed, and pulled her along, along with the store manager of Tai City, and Ning Hao, who was from Jin Province and had been brought along by Yan Li to support them.

The four of them took a group photo at the entrance of the cinema, and then arranged for their assistant to post it on the blog.

Although it was nominally a group photo of friends, one was an unknown store manager and the other was Ning Hao behind the scenes, so they were nowhere near as eye-catching as Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang.

At this special moment, Fan Xiaopang's presence with Yan Li, their photo session and subsequent posting, could also signify something.

Sure enough, Fan Xiaopang's face brightened, and he even took advantage of the few people around to kiss Yan Li.

"I love you to death."

Yan Li gritted his teeth: "I'll remember this debt. You'll have to pay it back later."

Now that this photo has been posted, he'll have to figure out how to put out the fire. No matter how much suffering he endures, he'll have to get it back from Fan Xiaopang.

"Come on, come on."

No matter how badly Fan Xiaopang was tormented in private, he was still defiant and even took the initiative to provoke others.

"Then don't leave today."

Yan Li wasn't going to indulge her. Originally, Fan Xiaopang wouldn't stay in Tai City for long because she had to do promotional work. She would leave in the afternoon after lunch. Now, Yan Li was going to help her ask for leave.

Fan Xiaopang: "..."

Can I say I'm just kidding...?

...

After the opening ceremony, Yan Li thanked the guests and reporters who came to support him or perform, and then had a meal with some local leaders and shareholders.

I had a social engagement in the evening, so I took half an hour to have a brief meeting with the cinema manager.

Although the cinema is newly opened, it has good resources and a good reputation. With the Lunar New Year season approaching, Yan Li still has some requirements for the cinema's business.

Another point is that, as the first new cinema, Taishi Yi'an Cinema needs to provide the head office with some data and cinema management experience, and may also conduct some employee training.

Currently, in addition to Taishi, Yi'an operates a total of 6 cinemas.

However, the other five cinemas are all old cinemas that were originally acquired by the original cinema chains. Although they have undergone some renovations and adjustments, their scale and equipment cannot compare with those of new cinemas.

For these six cinemas, including the few that will open before the new year, Yan Li's box office requirements are not actually that high.

However, it is emphasized that these cinemas should cooperate with the company to explore a set of efficient and refined management and operation mechanisms.

Cinemas are essentially a service industry; attitude and attention to detail determine everything. A good business model can save costs, improve efficiency, and increase box office revenue.

Yi'an Cinema Line is a new cinema chain, and it keeps saying that it is building modern cinemas.

Modernization means more than just having better equipment and decor than those old cinemas; it also means having broader perspectives and establishing more stable and advanced advantages.

To put it simply, it's all about curling!
Other companies achieve 40 points, Yi'an achieves 60 points; others achieve 60 points, Yi'an achieves 80 points.

While other cinemas still think of cinemas as places to watch movies, Yi'an is exploring community building and creating a unique offline movie-watching experience.

Yan Li's request seems a bit inexplicable. If you're just opening a movie theater, why all the fuss and fancy stuff?

Actually, that's not the case. Box office revenue is only one aspect of a cinema's income; cinemas don't rely solely on box office revenue to make money.

The income from beverages, popcorn, offline advertising, merchandise, venue rentals, service fees, and other miscellaneous sources is considerable.

For a typical movie theater, non-ticket revenue accounts for about 10% to 20%, but if the theater does well in this area, it can reach more than 30%.

In North America, cinemas were commercialized earlier and the market is more mature, sometimes reaching 40%.

This only includes the theater chain's own revenue; it does not include the resources behind various collaborations and events.

For example, Yan Li can completely entrust Yi An with the advertising, merchandise, and cross-industry activities for cinemas.

In other words, the cinema chain makes a profit, and Yan Li's own company can make another profit.

Why does Yan Li want to develop an industrial chain? Because once an industrial chain is formed, every link from beginning to end can make money.

Besides the industrial chain, there are also some soups and broths that Yan Li himself doesn't care about, but can entrust to close relatives to do.

For example, things like purchasing food and toys, renting claw machines, and taking a cut of profits are just small things in Yan Li's eyes, but for ordinary people, they are valuable ways to make money.

For Yan Li, the cinema chain is not just a source of income, but also a pillar supporting a large group of people.

No matter how much money Yan Li makes in the stock market, those around him don't benefit from it; he's nothing more than a rootless duckweed.

Once such physical enterprises reach a certain scale, they will automatically gather a large number of stakeholders around Yan Li. Although this will cause Yan Li a lot of trouble, it will also bring him many benefits.

Therefore, Yi'an is definitely not just about opening a movie theater and calling it a day.

By building a community, enhancing brand image, and increasing user loyalty, the system can also provide feedback on box office revenue, creating a positive cycle and setting a service benchmark for domestic cinema chains.

[To make watching a movie at Yi'an Cinema an enjoyable experience for the audience]

This is a new slogan that Yan Li mentioned at the head office. This time, Taishi will follow this slogan and become a pioneer in Yi'an Cinema's exploration of new models and creation of a community.

After the meeting, Yan Li was busy with social engagements and didn't return to the hotel until almost 1 a.m.

The sound of someone entering woke Fan Xiaopang, who was taking a nap on the sofa. He rubbed his eyes, went over to ask for a hug and a kiss, and then pointed to the cake on the coffee table.

Happy birthday, darling.

Yan Li put his arm around Fan Xiaopang and smiled, "You really did take leave."

The idea of ​​helping her ask for leave was just a joke. Fan Xiaopang is busy, and staying an extra day would mean missing various schedules, which would be quite troublesome for her.

However, Yan Li didn't ask for leave, but Fan Xiaopang took the initiative to ask the "Mo Gong" crew for leave.

Because of Yan Li's influence, and because Fan Xiaopang promised the production team to contribute more to the promotion later, the production team readily released him.

"I miss you. Besides, your birthday is coming up soon, and I have to spend it with you."

November 13th is Yan Li's 11th birthday. In two days, Fan Xiaopang is celebrating in advance.

Although Yan Li didn't say it, he still appreciated Fan Xiaopang's arrangements.

Although this young lady is a bit difficult to deal with, she has never disappointed Yan Li when she needs to be obedient and sweet.

"A birthday present?"

Yan Li reached out for a gift. He usually gave gifts to these women, and only on his own birthday could he break even.

Fan Xiaopang tossed his hair, revealing glimpses of his loose pajamas, his peach blossom eyes alluring and his tone seductive.

"I am the gift."

"You're quite good at saving money."

Yan Li complained, but then again, he wasn't short of money and could buy whatever he liked. Ordinary gifts really didn't suit Fan Xiaopang's taste as well.

Thinking of this, Yan Li picked him up and threw him onto the bed, causing Fan Xiaopang to exclaim in surprise.

"I made a wish without eating cake."

"You taste better than cake."

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.

Fan Xiaopang left the next day grumbling but with a beaming smile, and Yan Li didn't stay in Jin Province for long either, returning to the capital.

The moment he landed, he was struck by a bolt from the blue—Dong Xuan had taken leave to return from Xinjiang to celebrate his birthday!

This alone is certainly a good thing, but when combined with another piece of news, it's like a bolt from the blue: Qin Lan is also on her way back to Beijing from France.

Many scenes and plot points in "Dream Again" were filmed in France.

Qin Lan's request for leave this time involved considerable effort, not to mention the travel hassles, just dealing with the film crew alone took a lot of work.

This damn intelligence system reported it way too late. By the time Yan Li found out, he wouldn't even have time to hide.

Unfortunately, as Yan Li's operations grew larger, the daily intelligence reports of only 1 to 10 were simply not enough.

Not to mention that Yan Li also uses his subconscious to actively trigger intelligence, which greatly reduces the chance of triggering many non-important passive intelligence.

Even this time, the system only notified Qin Lan, who had taken a long time and effort and was holding back a surprise for him.

Dong Xuan had asked for leave and was heading straight back to Beijing; Yan Li only found out about it after receiving a call from her.

How can this be done!

Yan Li was somewhat worried. Dong Xuan had already started preparing for her birthday banquet, and Qin Lan had returned from France. He couldn't avoid her, nor could he ignore her.

How about... living together?

Yan Li felt like she had gone mad, insisting on putting the two of them together; wasn't she just asking for trouble?

But there was no way around it; it was a birthday, and both of them had their own thoughts. It wouldn't be right to neglect either of them, and Yan Li simply couldn't be in two places at once.

"It's my birthday after all, so they should give me face."

Yan Li comforted himself and then decided to celebrate his birthday at a courtyard house in Yangjiaodeng Hutong.

In this situation, it's not appropriate to go to Qin Lan's place or Dong Xuan's place. If we find another place, those two will easily become suspicious. They both know Yangjiaodeng Hutong and have been there together before. It's a familiar place and a place for good luck.

Dong Xuan was in the capital and arrived quite early.

Although the courtyard house is cleaned regularly, she was still a little worried about hygiene, so she took a rag and wiped and cleaned, while also asking Yan Li for advice.

"It's a bit lonely having just the two of us for a birthday. Why don't we invite Yan Xin, Jia Chuan, and Guan Yue over? It'll be more lively with more people."

This was also Dong Xuan's original plan: to gather everyone together for a lively occasion, while also showcasing her relationship with Yan Li, so that people wouldn't gossip behind her back.

That vixen is just showing up at the movie theater opening, like a hostess, what's so great about that? I'm the real queen...

Yan Li, who was studying the dishes, mumbled, "It's alright, someone else will be here later."

"Who?"

"You'll see when you come."

Yan Li wasn't telling the truth, and Dong Xuan wasn't stupid either. She threw down a rag and said, "Explain yourself. Who is it?"

"acquaintance."

Which acquaintance?

"Ahem, his surname is Qin."

Seeing that it was impossible to hide it any longer, and estimating that it would arrive soon, Yan Li finally let the cat out of the bag. Dong Xuan almost threw a pot from the kitchen at his head, her fair and delicate face turning red with anger.

"You bastard, you go with her yourself."

Yan Li reached out and pulled the person back, advising, "She came back from France and caught me off guard. What can I do? Give me some face and let's make money peacefully."

"Money my ass."

Dong Xuan retorted, took off her apron, and was about to leave when Yan Li added quietly, "If you leave, she'll be the only one left in this courtyard. She'll get all the benefits, and you'll get nothing but anger."

"..."

Dong Xuan pointed at Yan Li and cursed, "You are shameless."

Yan Li was shameless and not afraid of being scolded at all. Dong Xuan wandered around the kitchen for a while, and finally moved a grand chair to sit in the middle of the courtyard. She was sure that the Qin family would see her as soon as they entered the door.

Maybe this guy surnamed Qin will get angry and just leave, saving himself the trouble.

Meanwhile, Wu Maowen, who was ordered to pick up the person, parked the car outside the courtyard: "Sister-in-law, you go in by yourself, I have something to do."

Qin Lan was naturally good-tempered, and she was especially kind to Wu Maowen, Yan Li's childhood friend and driver.

"Just leave the work to someone else. It's your brother's birthday, why don't you have a drink with him?"

Wu Maowen shook his head repeatedly: "I really have something to do, so I won't bother you any longer."

Qin Lan thought Wu Maowen was afraid of disturbing her and Yan Li's time together, so she didn't try to persuade him further.

"Okay, slow down on the road."

Wu Maowen waited for Qin Lan to get out of the car with her luggage, then quickly drove away. If it weren't for the inconvenience of the alley, he would have stepped on the gas pedal to the floor.

Running too slowly will cause you to bleed profusely!

Unaware of this, Qin Lan, carrying her suitcase, pushed open the courtyard gate, passed the screen wall, and shouted energetically.

"I come back……"

Before she could finish speaking, Qin Lan saw Dong Xuan sitting upright in the armchair, staring at her. The smile on her face froze, faded, and then she switched to a fighting stance.

"Why are you here?"

Dong Xuan smiled calmly: "What are you saying? This is my home. If I'm not here, who is?"

Qin Lan chuckled sarcastically: "Heh, is your name on the property deed? You have the nerve to say that."

Dong Xuan didn't back down: "If my name isn't on it, why is yours?"

Qin Lan retorted, "Anyway, your name isn't on it."

"Alright, alright, I've almost forgotten how to read the word 'name.' If you two are willing, I'll write down both of your names."

Yan Li stepped in to smooth things over. Qin Lan had come from afar, and he went up to take her suitcase, but she glanced at him and refused to give it to him.

She rushed from the filming location to Paris, then flew from Paris to China, and then hurriedly came over from the airport, exhausted, but she was happy to celebrate his birthday.

As a result, this bastard brought over that woman surnamed Dong, what did he take her for?

"Well, we bumped into each other. What can I do? Just make do and give me some face."

Yan Li tried to persuade her in a low, quick voice, but Qin Lan completely ignored him, clutching her suitcase tightly.

However, because Dong Xuan was still there, she didn't make a fuss about leaving.

Yan Li repeated his old tune: "She's just waiting to see you make a fool of yourself. If you keep standing there like this, you'll just be letting her have her way."

Qin Lan glared fiercely at Yan Li, then let go of his hand.

It doesn't matter if a method is old, as long as it works.

Using Qin to provoke Dong, and using Dong to provoke Qin, as long as the two are competitive and don't want to break off relations, Yan Li's tactic will always work.

Seeing this, Dong Xuan knew that Qin Lan was still angry and wouldn't leave. She couldn't be bothered to look at that annoying face, so she carried the armchair into the house.

Qin Lan followed Yan Li into the house. Yan Li said to the two of them, "It's my birthday today. No fighting or arguing. Just have a peaceful meal."

Dong Xuan rolled her eyes and ignored him. Qin Lan glanced at him and suddenly asked.

"Is the guy surnamed Fan coming?"

That scoundrel managed to bring the two of them together; who knows, there might be a third person involved.

This question reminded Dong Xuan that she had almost forgotten about that sly fox in her anger towards Qin Lan.

Yan Li shook his head: "She doesn't have time. If you miss her, I'll make arrangements next year."

"I'll arrange things for you..."

Qin Lan glanced at Dong Xuan, but didn't utter a word. She just couldn't help but reach out and pinch him.

Dong Xuan wouldn't stand for it and stepped forward to push her away: "Don't touch him."

Before Yan Li could even feel moved, Dong Xuan reached out and pinched him herself. The scoundrel was too despicable, so she had to pinch him, but only she could pinch her own man.

"Just kidding, it's just the two of you, and it can only be the two of you."

Yan Li was thick-skinned and didn't care about being pinched a couple of times; he was then coaxed with sweet words.

Qin Lan and Dong Xuan exchanged a glance, their expressions a mixture of satisfaction, anger, hostility, scrutiny, and caution.

Humans need and pursue specialization!

I have what others don't, even if the nature of this specialization is abnormal and I'm not the only one with it, as long as there is a non-specialized comparison, I will inevitably be affected to some extent.

Yan Li used a combination of deception and trickery, repeatedly trying to keep the two of them calm, at least preventing them from running away or causing a scene.

The atmosphere was awkward and oppressive, far from harmonious, but not particularly tense.

This is also related to the fact that the two had a big fight last time, and were then suppressed by Yan Li and forcibly brought together.

Once something happens, it will happen again. Having laid the groundwork last time, the two of them had eaten at the same table. This time it was just another meal together, so their inner resistance wasn't as strong.

Yan Li felt that although his move was risky, it was not without its benefits.

We can't just sow discord among them; we need to meet them regularly to gradually raise their emotional threshold and increase their tolerance for Yan Li and each other, which will help maintain stability in the home front.

If the kings never meet, they'll be itching for a fight. But when they do meet, it'll be like Mars colliding with Earth, and there will never be a good outcome.

Yan Li didn't expect them to get along harmoniously, but he tried his best to keep things peaceful.

"I'll go cook. You all wait to eat. If you want to chat, then chat. If you don't want to chat, then clean up the rooms and go back to your own places."

On his birthday, Dong Qin and Yan Li gathered together, and Yan Li, unusually, personally cooked a whole birthday feast.

Because of this, even if the two of them quarrel, they wouldn't go so far as to overturn the table.

"You wait."

Qin Lan stopped Yan Li, then opened her suitcase and took out an exquisitely packaged box and a bag.

"This is a birthday gift I brought you from France. The box contains a watch, which is said to be a brand used by the French royal family. In the bag is a Manchester United jersey signed by Cantona. Don't you like Manchester United? I specially asked someone to get it for you."

After Qin Lan finished speaking to Yan Li, she looked at Dong Xuan with a slightly provocative expression, as if to say, "What gift did you give me?"
Dong Xuan snorted coldly. Under normal circumstances, she might have been suppressed by Qin Lan.

After all, it is a gift from afar, carrying its own exotic charm and rarity.

But this time she was lucky and found a good thing in Xinjiang Province. Dong Xuan took out a palm-sized box from her bag and then took out a stamp that was slightly thicker than a thumb.

Do you know what Hetian yellow jade is?

Dong Xuan handed over the seal. Yan Li glanced at it and saw that it was a deep yellow color, oily and smooth like grease, with almost no impurities, making it a top-quality product.

Since it was decided that Hetian jade would be used for the medals of the Beijing Olympics in 2003, the price of Hetian jade has been rising steadily in recent years. Yellow jade of this quality costs at least several thousand yuan per gram, and this seal is estimated to weigh twenty or thirty grams.

The more critical issue isn't the money itself, but rather the lack of market demand. With the value constantly appreciating, many are holding onto their stock, waiting for further increases, resulting in limited circulation of high-quality products.

Given its quality and weight, the price may not be particularly high, but its scarcity is still noteworthy.

"Hmph, jade is often adulterated; who knows if you've been scammed?"

Qin Lan felt a pang of jealousy when she saw that Yan Li seemed to like the seal more, and Dong Xuan's expression changed.

"Can't you speak properly? Your jersey might even be fake."

Qin Lan was about to speak when Yan Li stopped her and kissed one of them on the cheek.

"Whether it's real or fake doesn't matter, and its value doesn't matter either. What matters is the sentiment, and even more importantly, it's a gift from both of you. I like them both."

After being kissed, Dong Xuan felt as if her face had been stained with something dirty, and kept rubbing it.

"Stop touching me."

"I only used my mouth."

Ignoring their struggles, Yan Li kissed them both again, but this time he kissed Dong Xuan first and then Qin Lan, aiming to ensure that neither of them would be at a disadvantage.

In the end, Yan Li was chased to the kitchen by Dong Qin and the other woman. Afterwards, the two women were alone. They looked at each other, snorted coldly, and the atmosphere became slightly tense.

After a moment of silence, Qin Lan spoke first: "Today is Yan Li's birthday. I don't want to make things difficult for him, so I'll let you off the hook. In return, don't provoke me."

Dong Xuan sneered: "You really dote on him."

Qin Lan nodded and said matter-of-factly, "That's right, I love him the most. I'm willing to do anything for him, unlike you, my ex-girlfriend, who keeps talking about feelings but we've broken up. Who knows how much of it is real and how much is fake?"

Dong Xuan's face was visibly flushed, and just when Qin Lan thought she was about to explode, Dong Xuan suddenly smiled.

"Trying to provoke me? When I was with Yan Li, you were still a nobody. Five or six years of relationship is not something you, a newcomer, can question."

"Whether you're pretending to be obedient or sensible, I'm giving Yan Li face today. I'll deal with you next time."

"..."

Although their words were sarcastic and pointed, Qin and Dong reached a tacit understanding and agreed to a temporary truce.

Afterwards, the two, who couldn't stand each other, prepared to return to their respective rooms. Just before leaving, Qin Lan suddenly remembered something.

What will we do tonight?

Dong Xuan paused, then said matter-of-factly, "Go home."

Qin Lan rolled her eyes: "Why don't you go home?"

Dong Xuan nodded: "Okay, Yan Li and I will go home, you can stay here and look after the house."

Qin Lan laughed in exasperation: "If you're going to play like this, then the three of us will just have to wait it out, and none of us will gain anything."

"That's okay too."

Dong Xuan can accept this plan; no one gains an advantage, and no one suffers a loss.

Qin Lan hesitated. She could accept it, but she had one concern: "That bastard might be up to no good."

Qin Lan was experienced in this kind of thing. Last New Year's Eve, Yan Li seized the opportunity to create a blooming ice orchid.

This time, for her birthday, she and Dong Xuan were brought together again. Perhaps she was thinking of having a "Yan Yingxuan Orchid, two flowers blooming side by side" ceremony.

Dong Xuan had little experience in this area: "What kind of bad water?"

"One man and two women, what kind of bad intentions could they possibly have?"

Qin Lan suspected that Dong Xuan was pretending to be stupid. After all, the latter was an adult, and after a little thought, she understood what was going on. Then she looked at Qin Lan suspiciously.

How do you know he's up to this?

Qin Lan realized that Dong Xuan wasn't faking it and might not have actually been cheated on. While cursing Yan Li for being a bastard and biased, she was also feeling guilty and stubborn.

"Don't you know what kind of person this bastard is? You dare say he didn't have such intentions?"

Ice Orchid is in full bloom, and she will never admit it, otherwise she will be laughed to death by this guy surnamed Dong.

Dong Xuan gave her a deep look, but as a professional actress, Qin Lan found it difficult to discern the truth, so Dong Xuan had no choice but to put aside her suspicions for the time being.

"Then what do you think we should do?"

Qin Lan thought for a moment, then stepped forward and whispered a few words to Dong Xuan, who pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"can."

Qin Lan added, "If necessary, we can join forces and fight back fiercely. This bastard may be a scoundrel, but he won't force his way in."

The two were discussing their plan, completely unaware that a head and shadow were faintly visible below the window.

Yan Li wasn't that careless; he wouldn't leave the two women there to cook for himself. What if they started fighting?

So he pretended to leave, but actually eavesdropped for a while, and then he didn't expect this to happen.

To be honest, Yan Li originally had no such intention.

He would be content if the two of them could have a peaceful meal together and get through his birthday without any major issues.

But Qin Lan's words reminded him, and seeing that the two of them weren't very hostile, Yan Li couldn't help but wonder, since the two of them had agreed not to make trouble and their original goal had been achieved, could he take advantage of the situation a little more?

He liked both of Dong Qin's birthday gifts, but he still felt that Fan Xiaopang's birthday gift was the most pleasing.

If Dong Qin could be stacked up, that would be Yan Li's most satisfying birthday gift in 26 years...

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: This kind of plot is relatively difficult to write, I'm 1000 words short (0/7000)

Three days left, accounts must be cleared by the end of the month.
(End of this chapter)