Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 293 The Only Super-Rich Movie Star and Yang Mi's Asura

Hengdian, Yi'an Garden
When Yan Li arrived, the restaurant was just opening for lunch, so he decided to make do there. He then saw Deng Chao and Sun Li being all lovey-dovey, while Wu Jing, not far away, was full of resentment.

When filming for "Painted Skin" first started, the male actors arrived earlier.

So initially, Yan, Deng, and Wu got along quite well. They would get together every day after filming, work out, and have some barbecue. They were living a pretty good life.

Once Shuangbing joined the crew, Yan Li went solo, but the remaining two were still companions. However, when Sun Li joined the crew, Deng Chao abandoned Wu Jing as well.

It was only then that Wu Jing realized that the "Painted Skin" production team was a complete disaster.

Yan Li had two soldiers, Sun Li and Deng Chao were a young couple, and he was the only one who came in alone.

Previously, Wu Yue, a fellow clansman and martial arts practitioner, accompanied him, but Wu Yue was also filming "Legend of Chu Liuxiang 2" and didn't have many scenes, so he was often absent. After filming wrapped up a couple of days ago, he was gone for good.

Today, Deng and Sun had no scenes to perform, so they came to the rehearsal hall at Yi'an Garden to practice their action scenes.

Wu Jing wasn't supposed to play today and planned to rest, but Deng Chao called him over to be his coach out of brotherly loyalty. As a result, he ended up becoming a third wheel during practice, which made Wu Jing so angry that he wanted to chop Deng Chao to pieces.

Yan Li, carrying a tray and exchanging greetings, arrived at Wu Jing's table.

"Can I sit here?"

"President Yan..."

Wu Jing was about to get up when Yan Li pressed him down. He then sat down himself, put down the soup bowl, and took a bite of the stir-fried pork with a steamed bun.

"Is the crew alright these past few days?"

"Everything is normal. We filmed a night scene yesterday, so we're resting today. Today, Xiao Wei's outdoor group scenes are all on the street."

Yan Li nodded, then teased, "I saw you staring at that young couple as soon as you came in. Were you lonely?"

"It's not that I'm lonely, it's that Deng Chao is a complete scoundrel."

After Wu Jing recounted what had happened, Yan Li also felt that Deng Chao was not very considerate, but since he was a habitual offender who would forget his principles for the sake of women, he did not comment further.

"If you're not happy about it, why don't you hook up with one yourself? We have actresses in our crew."

The main cast of "Painted Skin" consisted of Shuang Bing and Sun Li, but that doesn't mean there were no other actresses; they were all minor supporting roles and extras.

For example, Xiao Rou, the personal maid of Lady Wang Pei Rong, and female guests who came to the Wang Mansion.

Because it involved two soldiers, and they weren't exactly high-profile characters, Yan Li didn't get involved at all and left it to the producer.

The maid seems to be an actress brought in by an investor, and the female guest is actually a guest host from Enlight Media.

I don't know what the former's strategy is, so I don't recommend Wu Jing take any action. But it's perfectly fine to make contact with the latter.

Even if the production team isn't up to par, Hengdian is never short of beautiful women. Go out for a stroll, and you'll have a chance.

"Forget it, I plan to focus on my career first."

Wu Jing wore an expression that said he had given up on relationships, which made Yan Li's eyes light up slightly.

He smelled the melon!

He's a young man, in great shape, and not short of money. If he's not interested in women, he's either gay or heartbroken.

Based on my interactions with Wu Jing over this period, although he was a bit too enthusiastic towards his brothers, he didn't seem like a gay man. Coupled with his forlorn expression, he must have been hurt by someone.

Yan Li was very astute; he understood that if he pressed Wu Jing directly at this point, Wu Jing would most likely not tell him.

Men, after all, have some pride. Being dumped isn't something to brag about everywhere.

So Yan Li adopted a roundabout strategy, pretending to support Wu Jing's career first, then complaining about how unreliable some women were, and then finding two examples of people who had been hurt by women to make Wu Jing empathize, and then prying open his mouth.

In this situation, having a couple of drinks in private would make things much easier.

Although there was no alcohol, Yan Li was very sociable, and Wu Jing was not a deep person. In just one meal, Yan Li got to know him pretty well.

This guy has actually been hurt by a woman!

When Wu Jing first debuted, he met a Hong Kong actress, and they gradually developed feelings for each other and got together.

The young and inexperienced Wu Jing was head over heels in love with the other woman, which was partly the reason he went to develop his career in the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

As it turned out, he loved the wrong person. The other person later met a wealthy man, who disliked Wu Jing for being poor, and turned to someone else.

It seems that something quite excessive was done at the time, causing significant harm to Wu Jing. Several years have passed, and he still can't quite get over it.

Yan Li ate the melon and finished the last sip of soup before asking a question.

"Is that tycoon surnamed Luo? Is he the real estate prodigy from Hong Kong?"

Wu Jing glanced at him and nodded: "It's him. You stood up for Zhang Zhilin and his wife and dealt with that guy before, which helped me get revenge."

Ok!

Yan Li said that Wu Jing had been showing affection for him from the beginning, and he originally thought it was just to curry favor with him, since this kind of situation is very common.

Later, I realized that Wu Jing wasn't such a blatant flatterer, and I was a little confused, wondering if it was because I had great charm and prestige.

Now I understand, the root of the problem lies here: he inadvertently helped Wu Jing avenge the "loss of his wife".

That said, that guy surnamed Luo has been making a big fuss in Hong Kong for many years and has offended a lot of people. If I deal with him, I'll probably gain more than just the favors of Zhang, Yuan, and Wu.

However, Yan Li didn't care too much about this.

Take Wu Jing, for example. He's a minor actor, barely even a second-tier actor in the industry. What use are his connections to Yan Li?
Having satisfied his curiosity, Yan Li casually offered a few words of comfort, saying that everyone makes mistakes in life.

Wu Jing's career is decent, and he's not bad-looking either, so he'll definitely find a wife he likes and who is suitable for him.

Yan Li didn't have time to be his matchmaker, but Wu Jing could find Deng Chao, who was known for his fickle nature and lack of loyalty. This guy was popular and had Sun Li, so maybe he could introduce him to a good match.

...

After finishing his meal, Yan Li, thinking that he had no plans for today, went to the office area to take a look at some work summaries from Hengdian.

Currently, several dramas related to Yi An are being filmed in Hengdian, including "Painted Skin," "Lurking," "The Last Princess," and "Legend of Chu Liuxiang 2."

In addition, sets for "Xiao Shiyi Lang" and "Rouge Snow" are in preparation. Once "Painted Skin" is finished filming, Fan Xiaopang, Deng Chao, and others will seamlessly join the production.

Other dramas such as "Xue Dingshan's Expedition to the West" and "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" are still in the project approval stage and have not yet reached the set construction process, and they may not even be filmed in Hengdian.

Overall, Yi An's output of television dramas saw limited growth this year due to her involvement in numerous films.

Furthermore, the investment ratio has been reduced, with Yi'an taking the lead in production and advocating for the centralization of projects by Yi'an.

Previously, Yi'an had not produced many projects, partly due to limited funding, but the most critical issue was the lack of personnel and teams, and the difficulty in finding good projects.

While not all of Yi'an's problems have been solved, they have been greatly improved.

With ample funds, and if all else fails, Juxin can provide assistance. As the company develops and becomes a giant in the industry, there is a steady stream of talent and projects from within the circle coming to join it.

In this way, Yi'an, who has neither a shortage of money nor manpower, naturally focuses on her own projects to earn more money and gain more say.

We will still invest in foreign projects, but only if they are good projects or if Yi'an has relatively sufficient funds.

Of course, the above refers to TV series. As for movies, due to the high risks, Yi An is conservative in her attitude towards controlling the production and still prefers to invest.

Even for films where the main player is involved, such as "Painted Skin," various investors were brought in, which both integrated resources from all parties and shared the risks.

However, if "Painted Skin" becomes a hit next year, it will greatly boost Yi An's film career.

If we combine this with Yi'an, and integrate the upstream and downstream operations, both companies will benefit, forming a strategic partnership.

In fact, there have always been voices within the company wanting to merge the two companies and then leverage the advantages of the entire industry chain, including production, distribution, and cinemas, to go public.

This is definitely more sensational than Yi'an or Yi'an going public separately.

Yi'an's physical assets can protect Yi'an's bottom line, and Yi'an's continuous exposure can boost stock market profits. The alliance between the two parties has many benefits.

Yan Li had also considered this issue, but how to merge Yi'an and Yi'an was a thorny problem.

It's not just a matter of changing a name; the weight of the two companies, the quality of their management teams, the allocation of resources, and most importantly, the shareholdings are all difficult to compare.

Especially regarding the shareholding issue, Yi An Yan Li is wholly owned. If it merges with Yi An, how many shares will it be counted?
Yan Li was unwilling to accept less, since Yi An himself earned quite a bit.

If they give too much, Yan Li is already the largest shareholder, so how can the other shareholders not have something to say about it?

Is the merger for the company's benefit or for individuals to seize power?
If things go wrong, there's a possibility that Yi'an could split up internally, and Yi'an would also get caught up in the mess.

Yan Li also regretted that when he was setting up the cinema chain, he could have done it directly under Yi An's name.

But thinking like that is a bit like hindsight.

Starting a cinema chain is a high-stakes gamble, and it involves giving away a large share of the profits. Yi'an had its own businesses and profit centers at the time, and forcibly developing a cinema chain would likely require a large influx of capital, which would have a significant impact on Yi'an, which was in a period of rapid development at the time.

Perhaps, if Yi'an Cinemas fails to thrive, Yi'an Cinemas, which was doing quite well, will also be dragged down and killed.

Therefore, Yan Li's strategy of putting his eggs in two baskets was correct.

However, now that there are more and more eggs in the two baskets, we can build a larger place to store them and hopefully hatch and develop a chicken farm.

Yan Li shook his head, deciding to give up on this perplexing and difficult problem for now.

Regardless of whether they can merge in the future, or whether the merger is good or bad, it's always right to make both baskets bigger and have more eggs now.

...

The next day, after Yan Li finished her makeup, she saw Sun Li and Deng Chao fully armed.

Today's event is a "domestic violence drama".

Deng Chao, who plays the lizard demon, ambushes Sun Li, the demon hunter, and beats her mercilessly until Wu Jing intervenes and they manage to defeat the seemingly hopeless demon.

One of the main reasons I agreed to play the role of the demon slayer for Sun Li was because I would have a lot of scenes with Deng Chao.

They were "real rivals," and the two fought fiercely in the film, with Deng Chao ultimately dying at the hands of Sun Li.

The couple had previously co-starred in two dramas, both of which featured lovers. However, this drama is unique in that the characters are rivals, making it quite sensational.

They acted very well themselves. Deng Chao was a funny guy who especially cherished this opportunity to "legally beat his girlfriend." Sun Li, who was able to sleep in the same bed with him, was not someone to be trifled with. She was researching all sorts of ways to "kill her husband" in a more satisfying way.

Yan Li privately told Fan Xiaopang to stay away from Sun Li, lest he be infected by the crazy couple.

Fan Xiaopang was quite interested. She had "killed" Yan Li in "Lucky Star Pigsy," but it was more like a mutual destruction.

Therefore, she was very interested in personally "killing" Yan Li and was thinking about how the two of them could play rivals one day.

Yan Li was speechless and couldn't help but complain to Li Bingbing, who unexpectedly found it quite amusing.

"..."

What kind of people are these?!
Deng Chao and Sun Li have scenes together today, and Yan Li also has scenes with Shuang Bing, with him taking the lead.

"Painted Skin" is about demons, but it also tells a story of love.

To put it more bluntly, it's a story about a vixen who falls for a married man, tries to break up the marriage and take his place, but fails.

Fan Xiaopang is the mistress, and Li Bingbing is the original wife. The two of them have the most battles, but the male lead played by Yan Li is also an indispensable key character.

Yan Li initially thought that the role of Wang Sheng would be easy to play, since he was just someone who was seduced and wavered between the original wife and the mistress, and he had experience with that.

But when he actually started acting, he found that the role was not as simple as he had imagined.

Wang Sheng's core is indeed an extremely complex contradiction, deeply entangled in desire and morality, instinct and responsibility, hypocrisy and sincerity. His charm, or rather his detestability, is precisely a true representation of the human predicament and struggle.

To play this role well is actually more difficult than playing Pei Rong and Xiao Wei.

Pei Rong embodies truth, goodness, and beauty. She sacrifices herself for love, showing both grievances and forbearance, yet also decisiveness. She is a typical gentle yet resilient female character.

This character is actually the easiest to handle among the three.

Xiao Wei is more difficult to portray because, in terms of her character design, she is not entirely a villain. Her evil is different from the evil in normal human society. She has her own understanding and is both innocent and naive yet exceptionally cruel.

The actor must portray both her contradictions and her growth arc, from her demonic nature to her human nature.

Yan Li felt that Wang Sheng was more difficult to portray than Xiao Wei because Wang Sheng's conflicts were passive, and he had fewer highlights and explosive moments.

More importantly, Yan Li underestimated the complexity of the character and felt that he couldn't quite empathize with him.

Wang Sheng's contradictions and eventual downfall caused his inherent perception to collapse, transforming him from a resolute and decisive general into a hesitant, fragile "coward."

This is in stark conflict with some of Yan Li's personality traits, and at the same time, he is unable to empathize with the character's so-called struggles.

Wang Sheng, as a husband, was torn between having an affair and not having one. Yan Li was used to cheating and had even formed his own fixed mindset about it.

Acting out a deeply affectionate character is fine, since Yan Li usually does that, but he's not quite sure how to portray this kind of weak, hypocritical, and contradictory character.

Sometimes, it's unavoidable that Wang Sheng is portrayed as a scumbag.

This made Yan Li dislike the character Wang Sheng very much. Either you play the scumbag or you play the honest man. What I hate most is this kind of half-scumbag.

The mismatch between the actor's and the character's personalities, as well as the lack of immersion in the role, made it somewhat difficult for Yan Li to portray the character of Wang Sheng.

Unfortunately, due to various work commitments, he was unable to fully dedicate himself to filming, so he had to work hard in his spare time.

I usually spend evenings with Shuangbing, not only exchanging ideas but also making time to study their roles and rehearse with them.

Sometimes, when you get into a role, you also engage in emotional exchanges with the character.

Leaving aside the drama, in real life, Wang Sheng apologized to Pei Rong with his own body, making her cry and forgive him many times. Xiao Wei didn't let him off the hook either, and he was subjected to various exorcisms and demon-slaying rituals.

Besides putting in hard work, Yan Li would also consider taking shortcuts, such as having the two soldiers cooperate a bit and sometimes letting him play a supporting role.

Filming, especially scenes with co-stars, is not just about individual performance, but also about teamwork. If the co-stars cooperate, it will greatly enhance the presentation of the characters.

However, you can't always get your co-stars to give you screen time, especially when it comes to actors of similar stature like two soldiers.

Fortunately, Yan Li's influence was quite strong, and he was also quite diligent in paying the soldiers privately, so both soldiers cooperated well.

Yan Li also experienced the feeling of being supported by two leading actresses, and to be honest, he enjoyed performing quite a bit.

Of course, Yan Li is not someone who only takes without giving. In the highlight scenes of the two soldiers, he also willingly plays a supporting role to highlight the two.

Yan Li wasn't particularly keen on stealing the spotlight in the movie. If the male lead wasn't so crucial, he would have even been willing to make "Painted Skin" a true dual-female-lead film.

This isn't just me praising Yan Li; I've talked to the screenwriter about "Painted Skin 2" before, and we had two ideas.

If a second season is to be filmed and the original cast is retained, Yan Li will consider reducing his role and giving more screen time to Shuang Bing.

You could even consider adding some yuri elements. Yan Li thinks that two soldiers fighting over a girl might be more interesting than them fighting over a man.

It doesn't necessarily have to wait until "Painted Skin 2". Yi An is currently planning a spy-themed movie, which could try to make the two soldiers become comrades-in-arms.

However, Yan Li couldn't guarantee whether this project would lead to a renewed collaboration between the two soldiers.

Although the "Painted Skin" crew seems relatively stable at the moment, there are actually quite a few private clashes. Every now and then, the two soldiers will exchange friendly greetings.

Under such circumstances, it remains to be seen whether the two sides are willing to continue cooperating.

In addition, whether continuously having two pawns cooperate and playing the two-pawn card will create market resistance and boredom is also a point that must be considered.

Of course, on the other hand, if "Painted Skin" performs well, Shuangbing will gain a good reputation, continue to be associated with Shuangbing, and launch multiple works together, which will definitely greatly enhance Shuangbing's career influence.

It's not impossible that Yan Li's original plan of four female warriors and two soldiers could become two soldiers and four female warriors.

With this idea in mind, Yan Li began to brainwash Fan Xiaopang and Li Bingbing again during breaks in filming.

Both were slightly tempted, but each had their own ideas.

For example, Li Bingbing actually wants to try his luck in Hollywood. Also, one collaboration with Yi An is one thing, but multiple collaborations might cause Huayi Brothers to have second thoughts. Fan Xiaopang, on the other hand, feels that there's no need to let an outsider like Li Bingbing use their resources; concentrating them on themselves is the only way to go.

Yan Li once again unleashed his silver tongue, persuading her with a series of enticing words.

Li Bingbing's move to Hollywood does not mean she will give up her career in China. Hollywood is not a place that can be entered in a short time. She can prepare for both possibilities.

As for Huayi Brothers, there's no need to consider whether they have any feelings for Fan Libingbing.

There definitely are, and they're quite large!
The fact that the company's top female executive is having all sorts of affairs with Yan Li is only slightly better than Huo Siyan, who is an openly infiltrated spy.

Huayi Brothers' various acts of forbearance were not due to the Wang brothers' good tempers, but rather because they were eager to go public and did not want to lose Li Bingbing, their trump card.

So at this point, as long as Li Bingbing doesn't break ties with Huayi Brothers, the Wang brothers can tolerate her indefinitely in order to go public.

His closeness with Yi An will definitely affect Huayi Brothers' attitude towards Li Bingbing, but it may not necessarily be harmful.

On the contrary, Huayi Brothers, worried about being poached, is likely to offer even more benefits to win her over.

Of course, other methods might be used, but isn't that a matter of courtesy?

With him supporting the Li sisters, Huayi Brothers will likely back down and tolerate the situation unless they are willing to create a huge mess that cannot be resolved.

It's easier to persuade Fan Xiaopang than Li Bingbing. If the two Bingbings work together, they'll earn more, and their next film will be of good quality, which could help them win awards.

For Fan Xiaopang, the allure of winning awards is extraordinary.

Unfortunately, this is her weak point, and she is ridiculed by other fans of the "Four Dan Shuang Bing" (a group of four actresses).

"Can they really win an award?"

Fan Xiaopang asked, and Yan Li smiled and said, "You think I've been wasting my time these past few years?"

In the entertainment industry, talent is only part of winning awards; the key factors are the influence and other factors behind it.

Fan Xiaopang's previous inability to win awards was partly due to his lack of compelling works and limited film output, and also because Yan Li had not yet gained widespread recognition.

In the past, Yan Li didn't have much influence in the film industry, so Fan Xiaopang had to rely on luck to win awards.

Things are different now. Yi An has developed rapidly, and Boss Yan has become a pillar of the film industry. Moreover, with the development of Yi An's film career, his influence is growing.

In this situation, while it's impossible to say that awards can be decided definitively or arbitrarily arranged, it certainly provides significant assistance.

Especially considering the combination of a good show, positive reviews, and outstanding performances from the actors, if Yan Li still couldn't win the award, then he really has no ability.

Let alone that decent spy movie, even with the current film "Painted Skin," Yan Li is confident he can help Fan Bingbing win a Best Actress award.

It's hard to say about the Golden Rooster and Golden Horse awards, but there's hope for the Hundred Flowers and Huabiao awards.

When the topic of winning an award came up, Li Bingbing also came over. Although she wasn't as pitiful as Fan Xiaopang, she was still considered a lagging member among the four actresses and two soldiers.

If that spy movie or "Painted Skin" wins an award, shouldn't she, as a Best Actress winner, also receive one?

"This is never going to end. We're already being lenient by letting you piggyback on movie resources, and now you want to help you win awards? What a pipe dream! Is your company a bunch of dead people?"

Fan Xiaopang directly confronted Li Bingbing, expressing his indignation at Li Bingbing's behavior of taking food and money without permission.

Li Bingbing retorted without hesitation: "What's it to you? Don't act like the boss's wife all the time. Have you officially announced it? Have you gotten your marriage certificate?"

Hey!
Hit people without slapping their faces, and curse people without revealing shortcomings.

Li Bingbing's words hit a nerve, and Fan Xiaopang was a little defensive: "That's our family matter, what right do you, an outsider, have to interfere?"

"Tsk tsk, I'm an outsider, I don't care about climbing the social ladder. You keep babbling on and on, but I don't feel like you're any closer to me."

Taking advantage of the situation, Li Bingbing pressed his advantage and increased his output. Fan Xiaopang, enraged, unleashed a torrent of profanities.

"That old bastard..."

"You ****, I ****..."

Fan Xiaopang was spewing profanities, but Li Bingbing responded with equally polite language.

The two of them chattered away like they were sending telegrams, unleashing a torrent of insults that made Yan Li wish he could go deaf.

As was his habit, Yan Li first locked the door to the lounge, then took out his earphones, played music, covered his ears, and silently smoked.

The two argued so frequently that he was too lazy to try to persuade them anymore. As long as they didn't fight, he let them continue their daily greetings.

Moreover, sometimes when it comes to arguing, the more people try to mediate, the fiercer the argument gets; but if no one tries to mediate, the argument just gets pointless.

Of course, it depends on the situation. Sometimes the more they argue, the more heated things get, and if no one tries to mediate, they might just roll up their sleeves and start fighting. That's why Yan Li didn't try to stop them but instead sat there to keep watch.

I was lucky today; the two soldiers got tired of arguing for a while and automatically stopped fighting.

Yan Li took off his headphones: "Finished yelling?"

Fan Xiaopang rolled her eyes. Every time she saw Yan Li like this, she would rather punch this bastard Bangbang than deal with Li Bingbing.

Li Bingbing sneered, "You're so relaxed, just standing by and watching all day."

"I want to get involved, but experience tells me that it would only make things worse, so it's better not to get involved."

Yan Li was self-righteous and had tried everything—persuasion, coaxing, and deception—but even his trump card of anger wasn't working as well anymore.

Unfortunately, the conflict between Fan Xiaopang and Li Bingbing wasn't just about jealousy; it involved a wide range of issues and deep-seated grudges. It was far more difficult to mediate their fight than the conflict between Fan and Dong/Qin.

Instead of continuing the conversation about mediating the fight, Yan Li brought up the topic of winning the award again.

In principle, he would definitely support Fan Xiaopang more, but he would also push Li Bingbing if given the chance.

Neither of the two soldiers was particularly satisfied with this answer, but they could barely accept it.

Fan Xiaopang felt that Yan Li was still on his side and knew who his true allies were.

Li Bingbing thought it was best to take advantage of Yan Li and then stop while he was ahead. After all, Fan Xiaopang was right; winning awards was a team and company matter, and it was justifiable whether Yan Li helped or not.

Unbeknownst to the two, Yan Li was secretly considering whether to get them a double-yolk egg.

The simultaneous appointment of two pawns as queens is sure to generate a lot of buzz, a scene that countless media outlets will vie to report on, and it will also deepen the bond between the two pawns.

Thinking of this, Yan Li also thought of himself. The two soldiers in "Painted Skin" are likely to win Best Actress, so maybe he can also get Best Actor.

After all, Yan Li studied acting, so he had some aspirations and felt it was an honor worth showing off.

Those wealthy tycoons have won all sorts of honors, but they'd never win a Best Actor award.

He may be the only super-rich man to have won the Best Actor award, and also the only super-rich Best Actor winner.

To show off, you need to have something unique and scarce that others don't.

Perhaps driven by this, Yan Li delved deeper into the character of Wang Sheng, even becoming so engrossed in the "Painted Skin" film crew that he didn't leave.

This was originally a good thing; if he put more effort into filming and acted better, the production team's progress would be faster.

However, some people believe that Yan Li was bewitched by a fox spirit.

...

On the set of "Lurking," Qin Lan smiled and said goodbye to the staff after finishing work, but the smile disappeared as soon as she got into the car.

It's been more than half a month since Yan Li returned from the capital, and he hasn't contacted her even once.

During filming, I rarely contacted her. Every time I called, Yan Li was either working or studying her character.

When she hadn't acted with Yan Li before, when did this bastard become so dedicated to acting that he "forgot to eat and sleep"?

Qin Lan was very dissatisfied, partly with Yan Li, but mostly with Shuang Bing.

These two are so shameless!
It was already uncomfortable that Yan Li and Shuang Bing were paired together in "Painted Skin," but for the sake of the company's development, she expressed her understanding and turned a blind eye to Shuang Bing's advantage of being close to the company.

But her choice to turn a blind eye did not earn her the same respect and understanding.

These two treated her like she was blind, lacked any sense of morality, and ate all the food for themselves, completely disregarding her.

Deceiving too much!

Qin Lan wished she could storm onto the set of "Painted Skin" and give those two bitches a good beating.

However, she was worried that going there rashly without a suitable reason might affect the filming of "Painted Skin" and make Yan Li unhappy. She was also afraid of fighting alone and being countered by the two forces.

Should we take Huo Siyan and Zhao Ke with us?

It's not that Qin Lan looks down on the two of them, but Huo Siyan is a complete waste. She's all talk and no action in private, but she's finished when she runs into a tough opponent.

Back when they were filming "The Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty," Huo Siyan did accompany her to fight against the enemy on New Year's Eve, and she was thoroughly defeated and left looking disheveled.

Zhao Ke, needless to say, is a nobody. She's fine when she's with the Teddy Sisters, but when she's facing two opponents head-on, she's not even brave enough to say anything harsh.

Qin Lan had originally considered asking Jiang Xin, but the two didn't really have any connection.

She's one of the Seven Fairies, after all. Don't let her teammates betray her before they can even help her.

After much deliberation, Qin Lan concluded that there was only one person who could confidently confront her and Shuang Bing, and who wouldn't cause her family affairs to be leaked—

Dong Xuan!

She had experienced this woman's fighting prowess firsthand; she was definitely not a coward. If the two of them joined forces to take on two opponents, they might not achieve a complete victory, but they could definitely hold their own.

However, her relationship with Dong Xuan was not good, and Qin Lan was unsure what Dong Xuan was thinking.

She was even less certain whether that bastard Yan Li had contacted Dong Xuan.

If she ends up being the only one who isn't listened to by Yan Li, she'll only humiliate herself.

After much deliberation, Qin Lan still couldn't make up her mind. Instead, she planned to use the excuse of visiting the set to go to "Legend of Chu Liuxiang 2" and find out more about Dong Xuan.

As for whose set he'll be visiting?
Of course, it's Yang Mi, the little sister I've been getting along with recently.

The latter was highly regarded by Yi An and was arranged to play the female lead in a unit of "Legend of Chu Liuxiang 2".

Qin Lan felt that Yang Mi was a promising girl and sensible, so she planned to recruit her as a candidate for the Teddy Sisters group once she officially signed with Yi An.

Although the filming location for "Legend of Chu Liuxiang 2" was a bit far, it was still in Hengdian, and we arrived there in no time.

Qin Lan, carrying flowers herself and with her assistant holding gifts, entered the film set with great enthusiasm.

As luck would have it, Yang Mi was in the rest area on set, seemingly chatting with someone. Qin Lan saw her, greeted her warmly, and quickly walked over.

"Mimi!"

Yang Mi turned around upon hearing the sound, saw Qin Lan, and blurted out, "Sister Lan?"

"Sister Lan?!"

Dong Xuan, who had been wearing a sun hat and talking to Yang Mi with her back turned, turned around when she heard Qin Lan's greeting. She saw Qin Lan and heard Yang Mi's voice, and her tone was surprised.

Yang Mi panicked and hurriedly tried to explain, "No, Sister Xuan, please listen to me..."

When she was off-campus, Dong Xuan felt that calling her "Teacher Dong" made her feel old, and in order to get closer to Yang Mi, she asked her to call her "Sister Xuan".

Before she could finish speaking, Qin Lan, who had come closer, squinted at Dong Xuan, then looked at Yang Mi, her tone equally surprised.

"Sister Xuan?!"

Yang Mi: "..."

Amitabha Buddha, Hallelujah, I beg Mr. Yan to possess me!

After glancing at Yang Mi, who was pale and terrified, Dong Xuan stood up and looked at Qin Lan.

"Calling each other so intimately, are you acquaintances?"

Qin Lan also realized something, her expression turning slightly cold: "What is the relationship between the two of you?"

Dong Xuan patted Yang Mi on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Mi Mi is a student of the 2005 class of Beijing Film Academy. I am her tutor and her beloved student."

Qin Lan suddenly realized: "Wow, so you're my student."

"Then you are?"

Qin Lan put her hand on Yang Mi's other shoulder and said softly, "Teacher Dong's student is very good. I'm planning to recruit her as a younger sister in our Teddy Sisters group."

Dong Xuan laughed and patted Yang Mi again: "You're quite popular?"

Yang Mi's voice trembled as she spoke: "Sister Xuan..."

"Don't call me Sister Xuan, isn't Sister Lan here?"

Yang Mi softly called out to Qin Lan, "Sister Lan..."

"No, we haven't known each other for very long. I'm closer to your sister Xuan."

Yang Mi was almost in tears. She had considered that her two-timing would be exposed, and she had already thought of reasons and excuses.

I had thought all this through, but I never expected to be caught in this situation one day. It was so sudden that my mind went blank, and most of my eloquence, which I was usually so proud of, disappeared.

"Humph."

Qin Lan snorted and turned to leave, which startled Yang Mi awake. If she let her go now, things would become very complicated.

"Sister, sister, Lan-jie, Xuan-jie, please let me explain."

Yang Mi clung to Qin Lan, refusing to let go, and looked pleadingly at Dong Xuan. After much persuasion, she finally managed to secure a chance to defend herself.

In this crisis, Yang Mi still managed to demonstrate some potential. She combined her original statement with some impromptu modifications and cobbled together a plausible explanation.

She had no choice but to do it!

At first, she didn't know Qin Lan's identity. Qin Lan didn't say it directly, and Dong Xuan didn't mention it either.

She regarded Qin Lan as an older sister who took good care of her and was very loyal.

After they got closer, she learned some of the inside story and the details of their relationship, but it was too late to back out.

Qin Lan treated her well, and she couldn't bear to turn against this older sister. Dong Xuan was also her teacher and had been kind to her, so she couldn't betray her.

I want to be honest, but I don't dare.

Qin Lan's relationship with her wasn't that deep, and she was afraid that if she brought it up, it would completely break down. After all, Dong Xuan had had conflicts before, and if she brought it up, she was afraid that Dong Xuan would have negative feelings towards her, and the relationship that had been so hard to improve would be ruined again.

She didn't want to break up with him, but she didn't dare to say anything. Caught in this dilemma, she simply pretended to be ignorant, only to find herself in a terrible predicament today.

Yang Mi repeatedly emphasized a crucial point, which is...

Qin Lan took the initiative to approach her.

Sticking to this point, she was passively dragged into it, and her feelings about Dong Xuan's betrayal weren't that strong. Qin Lan might be unhappy about the deception, but she wouldn't feel that Dong Xuan was plotting against her.

Sure enough, with Yang Mi's reasonable explanation and her touching confession delivered through her acting prowess, Dong Xuan and Qin Lan's expressions softened somewhat.

As mentioned before, the fact that Qin and Dong are not on good terms does not mean that their social circles are completely estranged.

For example, Li Xiaolu also has connections with both parties.

They both accepted that Yang Mi had a relationship with the other party, but they did not accept that she lied to both sides, or that her relationship with the other party was superior to their own.

Simply put, aside from Yan Li, you either have nodding acquaintances with everyone, or you have to choose sides...

　(3000/117000)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)