Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 349 Yan Li, skilled at counseling, who will play Pan Jinlian?

Haidian District, Wanquan New Home

Yan Li hadn't been here for a while. He used to use this place as a secret base, but later he got more used to going to the woman's house. In addition, the house was relatively outdated in terms of style and decoration, so the house was left vacant.

When they first came in, Jiang Xin even had to tidy up a bit.

"Should we put her in the guest room, or in the next room?"

Yan Li looked at Li Lin, who was drunk and passed out on the sofa, and asked Jiang Xin for her opinion.

I put it in the guest room, worried that she might hear or bump into something. Jiang Xin has a high-pitched voice, and if Li Lin sobers up halfway through, it would be awkward for everyone.

Placing it next door wouldn't be too awkward, but Li Lin was drunk, so I was a little worried.

"Let her go next door, I'll go check on her later."

Afraid of embarrassment and not wanting to compromise herself, Jiang Xin decisively chose the second option. Since the neighboring room was mostly empty, Jiang Xin went to make up the bed and put out some water so that Li Lin could sober up and be thirsty.

After making the arrangements, Yan Li carried Li Lin in a princess carry and placed her in the next bedroom.

Just like in the car, she kept whining and wouldn't let go.

Yan Li was helpless. Jiang Xin learned about Li Lin's situation on the way and was somewhat understanding.

"She's a woman struggling in Beijing, and so many things have happened to her. It must have been tough. I guess she misses her husband. I remember their relationship used to be pretty good."

Among the Seven Fairies, Li Lin has a gentle and family-oriented personality; otherwise, she wouldn't have married early and returned to family life.

When they were filming, promoting, and performing on the Spring Festival Gala, Li Lin often talked about her husband, and their words and actions were very sweet.

"You can't treat me like your husband just because you want one!"

Although Yan Li occasionally fantasizes about collecting the Seven Fairies, it's mostly just talk.

Yang Xue has been signed with Yi An for some time now, but he rarely sees her, let alone does anything with her.

Whether Li Lin gets a divorce or not is another matter; the key issue is that she has a child, and Yan Li has no intention of becoming someone else's cheap father.

So he really had no intention of provoking Li Lin; he was only doing this out of consideration for Fan Xiaopang and their old friendship.

"Alright, take off her shoes and tidy her up. I'm going to take a shower."

Yan Li managed to escape with some effort, then had Jiang Xin help Li Lin pack up before returning to the next room.

Jiang Xin was helpless, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't just let Yan Li deal with her.

Jiang Xin helped Li Lin take off her coat and pants, then her shoes, straightened her body, covered her with a blanket, turned off the light, and quietly left.

Hearing a faint sound from the door, Li Lin, who had been lying down, turned slightly to the side, her shoulders twitching a little.

Back next door, Jiang Xin heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom. Her eyes lit up, and without changing her clothes, she went straight to the bathroom and knocked on the door. After a moment, the door opened and she entered.

"Don't tear it, I didn't bring any new ones."

"Keep your voice down, the soundproofing isn't good."

"..."

"If you're not going to go see it, then I'll go?"

Yan Lizhen was a little worried. Being drunk was no small matter; it could lead to sudden death, or at least make one feel terrible from vomiting all over the bed.

More importantly, Li Lin was in a bad mood, drunk and heartbroken. Who knows what might happen? If anything were to happen, he had been drinking with Li Lin and taking care of her. He wouldn't be able to explain himself no matter what.

"Go ahead."

Jiang Xin was completely unable to move. This bastard was inhuman; she even suspected that Yue Zhong was dead.

Seeing this, Yan Li had no choice but to go and see for himself. He put on his clothes, didn't change his shoes, and went straight to the next room.

The bedroom door was closed, so Yan Li didn't rush in but knocked on it.

"Li Lin, Li Lin, are you awake?"

There was no response. Just as Yan Li was about to open the door, it opened, and Li Lin, her face flushed, staggered as she opened it.

"woke up?"

Yan Li took a step back and asked, "How are you feeling? Do you feel alright? Should I have someone bring you some hangover medicine?"

"I feel a little dizzy, I drank a bit too much, I'll feel better after a while."

"Okay, we should have some honey at home. I'll go check if it's expired. I'll make you some honey water; it can help with hangovers."

Since he was a guest and had drunk too much, Yan Li took the initiative to take care of him.

I went back next door to get some honey and checked on Jiang Xin, who seemed to be asleep.

Although they didn't live in the house often, it had all the basic amenities. Yan Li boiled some water and made Li Lin a cup of honey. The latter thanked him, held the cup, and sat on the sofa, sipping it slowly.

"You're a woman, you should drink less when you're out. You're lucky you ran into me. If it were any other man, he would definitely take advantage of you."

Seeing that Li Lin was in good spirits, Yan Li decided to nag her a bit. Her actions today were indeed dangerous; other men weren't as upright as him.

Upon hearing this, Li Lin looked at Yan Li with a strange expression, which displeased Yan Li.

"What kind of look is that? I may be a womanizer, but I never take advantage of others in distress."

Li Lin didn't dwell on the topic, but instead asked some questions out of curiosity.

"How long have you been with Jiang Xin?"

"How long for what?"

Yan Li denied it, saying that some things are better left unsaid and that his relationship with Li Lin wasn't close enough to discuss such private matters.

“I heard everything.”

Li Lin took a big gulp of honey water and looked at Yan Li, saying, "You should be gentler."

Yan Li was a little annoyed. He said that the two houses were not well soundproofed, but Jiang Xin did not believe him.

Thank goodness Li Lin came next door; if she were in the guest room, it would be a live broadcast.

Yan Lizhen didn't want to talk about this topic and felt a little awkward: "I'm relieved that you're doing well. It's getting late, you should get some rest."

"What are you in a hurry for?"

Li Lin stood up, opened her arms to block Yan Li, and said with a hint of alcohol in her voice, "Let's have a chat, you're not afraid of me."

Yan Li frowned. This woman was awake, but still drunk.

"You've had too much to drink, go and rest."

Yan Li sensed something was wrong with Li Lin and gave her a serious reminder, but she didn't seem to care.

"I've had enough rest. I have few roles and little work, and I spend half the month at home doing nothing. I'm so tired of resting that I feel like I'm going to rot."

As she spoke, she took another big gulp of honey water and smacked her lips.

"Wine is still the best. Do you have any more?"

Ok!

Yan Li dared not give her any more wine; she was already getting a bit drunk and acting crazy. If she drank any more, she might jump onto the roof.

Seeing Li Lin's state, Yan Lizhen couldn't just leave. He could only try to calm her down and comfort her.

"If you're short of work, I can help you find some. If that doesn't work, I can lend you some money. I can't promise you much, but helping you ease your financial burden is no problem."

"It's so kind of you."

Li Lin stared blankly at Yan Li for a moment, then suddenly blurted out, "No wonder they all like you."

"I used to think that they were pathetic and lacked self-respect for stealing a man from me. Why should they depend on a man? Women can support a family too."

"Haha, I only realized later that it's really not easy to support a family."

"..."

“Even the smallest things are magnified in his eyes. He thinks I look down on him. I film every day, and when I come back I have to take care of the children and also consider his feelings.”

"..."

“They asked me for money, but I didn’t have that much money. In the end, I not only sold the house, but also pawned my wedding gold jewelry. I even had to borrow money for my plane ticket this Chinese New Year. This is the first time in my life that I’ve ever borrowed money from someone.”

"..."

Li Lin poured out her grievances, not knowing why she had brought these things up with Yan Li.

Perhaps he had drunk too much, and looking at this old friend, he couldn't control his emotions. Perhaps he hadn't had a heart-to-heart talk with anyone in a long time, and his heart was filled with too many grievances.

Perhaps Yan Li is doing well enough that she doesn't have to worry about him looking down on her, and his behavior today gave her a sense of respect and security, making her unconsciously feel close to him and confide in him.

In short, Li Lin shared many of her innermost thoughts.

Yan Li didn't say anything, playing the role of a standard listener, the only thing he did was to hand Li Lin a tissue from time to time.

After talking for a while, Li Lin finally came to her senses and gave a somewhat embarrassed, wry smile.

"I'm sorry, I'm feeling a bit down. Thank you for your help."

"It's alright. You know, given my situation, I often have to act as a confidant older brother to others."

Yan Li made a joke, but it wasn't entirely a joke.

Fan Xiaopang and his group of women couldn't always have smooth sailing. They inevitably had moments of low spirits, and Yan Li was often the first person they confided in and sought comfort from.

At this time, Yan Li would listen patiently whenever he had time, and would also offer guidance and comfort.

However, the latter often comes with accompanying services, which are not very applicable to Li Lin and can only be used verbally.

Yan Li's eloquence was undeniable; before long, he had made Li Lin, who had been feeling down, laugh.

"That's right, you look better when you smile."

"There's no hurdle we can't overcome. We'll find someone else after the divorce. With looks like me, why would I be afraid of not finding a man?"

"The amount I owe isn't that much. With the help of my friends, I'll be able to pay it off in two years of hard work. My parents are healthy, and my child is obedient. As long as I'm alright, the rest are minor issues."

"..."

Li Lin's eyes were fixed on Yan Li, and she said softly, "It seems like nothing matters to you."

"Mindset, a good mindset makes everything good."

Yan Li felt that it was about time. He was quick-witted, and Li Lin noticed that he was acting increasingly strangely. She was afraid that if he stayed, something bad might happen.

"Alright, you can rest now, I'm going back."

"Don't leave."

This time, Li Lin didn't stop him. Instead, she hugged Yan Li tightly, her voice sounding pitiful.

"Can you stay with me? I haven't felt this at ease in a long time."

"Sister, it's not appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone together."

Yan Li was somewhat resistant. Li Lin's situation was complicated, and he was really afraid that once she got involved, he wouldn't be able to shake her off. Spending some money was a small matter; the key issue was that they were mother and daughter.

And Fan Xiaopang is not someone to be trifled with either. It's one thing for him to be a womanizer, but sleeping with her best friend changes things completely.

Li Lin seemed to sense Yan Li's concerns and leaned her head against his back.

"I didn't mean anything to you, I'm just too tired, I want to lean on you, I want to go crazy for once. Don't worry, I won't bother you, and I won't tell Bingbing."

Yan Li was still somewhat hesitant. Seeing this, Li Lin suddenly had a flash of inspiration and stood up on her tiptoes to blow air into Yan Li's ear.

"Jinzha, you've bullied so many of my younger sisters, you have to give me, your eldest sister, an explanation."

Got it!
Upon hearing this, Yan Li's stance completely shifted. "It's been delivered to my door, why not take it? Any trouble can wait until I've finished eating."

The Seven Fairies (6/7)

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Xin vaguely felt someone sleeping next to her and asked what was wrong.

"You're back. Why did you take so long?"

"After she sobered up, she was in a bad mood and cried a lot. I tried to comfort her and then she went to sleep."

"Oh."

Jiang Xin didn't know how much she had heard, so she snuggled closer to Yan Li, hugged him, and continued to sleep.

...

The next day, when Jiang Xin woke up, Yan Li had already left, and her phone contained the text message he left behind.

Yan Li is energetic, insists on getting up early to exercise, and is enthusiastic about going to work; this is the norm for him.

Jiang Xin, as usual, dozed off for a while, scratched her hair, washed up and got dressed. While eating breakfast, she suddenly remembered Li Lin, finished eating, got up and went next door.

The latter was indeed drunk and hadn't woken up yet.

Jiang Xin shook her head, preparing to go forward and tuck the blanket around her, when she suddenly paused.

She remembered that she had only taken off Li Lin's coat last night, so how come she wasn't even wearing underwear now?

Uh, maybe he took it off because he felt hot.

Jiang thought so, then turned around and went to rummage through the trash can. It was spotless, as if it had never been used.

But when she settled Li Lin yesterday, she must have thrown away a few wet wipes for wiping hands.

"..."

Jiang Xin got up, glanced at Li Lin who was sleeping soundly, and left the bedroom without saying a word.

From a certain perspective, the two of them could be said to have something on each other.

Sitting down on the sofa, Jiang Xin counted on her fingers: Shuang Bing, Dong Xuan, herself, Li Lin, five of the seven fairies were definitely taken by that bastard.

Although Huo Siyan had no evidence, considering the bastard's behavior and that slut's personality, it was highly likely.

That leaves only Yang Xue!

No, Jiang Xin used to think that Yang Xue and Yan Li were innocent, but now she's not so sure. Maybe the two of them are having an affair behind her back.

Yan Li wouldn't talk to her about other women, and given Yang Xue's personality, it's possible she'd keep it a secret. Others might not know, but Jiang Xin knew that Yang Xue had some feelings for Yan Li.

It's not that Yan Li can just wave his hand and get it done, but the threshold isn't very high either.

"You have a good appetite."

Jiang Xin gritted her teeth. What angered her the most was that after tormenting her last night, he actually went to see other women.

Keep searching, you'll exhaust yourself sooner or later!
Jiang Xin didn't want to see Li Lin, so she went straight back to the next room. The reason she didn't leave was because Yan Li had texted her earlier saying that he would be back for lunch.

I initially thought it was directed at me, but now it seems they had ulterior motives.

Jiang Xin remained sullen at home until nearly 11 o'clock, but still made a phone call to order food.

I'm angry, but I can't really let Yan Li go hungry. She even prepared breakfast for her this morning.

Li Lin remained silent, and it was unclear whether she was still asleep or had discovered something and was too afraid to come closer.

The food he ordered hadn't arrived yet, and Yan Li came back early at 11:30. He was the boss, so he could find an excuse to leave work early and no one would accuse him of leaving early.

Jiang Xin was still wearing the same clothes, except that her stockings were torn, revealing only her long, white legs.

Yan Li's hands were cold while driving, so he rubbed them to warm them. Jiang Xin, full of anger, looked at Yan Li and wanted to say something sarcastic to him.

"Are you hungry? Your food will be here soon."

I'm not very hungry.

After warming his hands, Yan Li rested his head on Jiang Xin's lap and took out a box.

"I was too busy yesterday and forgot. Here, this is an apology gift."

Jiang Xin opened the box and found a heart-shaped jade necklace. Although the color was somewhat inappropriate, the vibrant green color made Jiang Xin immediately forgive Yan Li.

Yes, I've forgiven both Li Lin and the previous neglect.

She was neglected, but I made up for it quite well last night; anyway, she was quite satisfied.

As for Li Lin's matter, it's Fan Xiaopang and the others who should be worried; it's not her place to concern herself with it.

Jiang Xin is still very clear about her own position. She was angry just now because she was more dissatisfied with Li Lin's betrayal and Yan Li's affair with her.

Now that Yan Li has indicated that she will pretend not to know, anyway, putting aside today, there will be little contact in the future.

After trying on the necklace, Jiang Xin even suggested inviting Li Lin over for dinner, demonstrating her satisfaction with it.

It's no wonder Jiang Xin was satisfied. The heart-shaped necklace Yan Li gave her was the size of a bottle cap, and the quality of the jade was extremely high. Its value was estimated to be over seven figures, equivalent to a house.

Prior to this, Yan Li had only gifted jadeite of this price to Fan Qindong, Wang Ou, and Yang Rong.

Jiang Xin was able to obtain it because Yan Li is now extremely wealthy and generous, and also because he recently acquired some good stuff through the system.

Of course, there were also purposes of compensation and appeasement.

With "Lurking" about to air, Jiang Xin's fame is expected to surge, and Yan Li is already trying to curry favor.

Giving a gift after a major success carries a completely different meaning than giving a gift before a major success.

Yan Li has been calculating too much, and when it comes to gift-giving, he also emphasizes maximizing cost-effectiveness and impact.

"Never mind, let her rest. I'll leave after I finish eating."

Yan Li shook his head, not intending to see Li Lin. Yesterday, things had gone awry, and he had acted somewhat impulsively after drinking. In addition, he had already made a promise, so it was better for the two of them not to meet. He would treat it as an accident and let time heal all wounds.

Li Lin's delayed appearance is probably due to embarrassment or similar thoughts.

Thinking of this, Yan Li took out a bank card: "Give this card to her later and say that I lent it to her for short-term use, and that's it."

Jiang Xin didn't ask how much money it was, but simply said, "Should we make her write an IOU?"

"Let her."

Yan Li didn't care; whether Li Lin paid back the money or not was fine with him.

This is somewhat related to last night, but not entirely because of last night.

As a friend with whom he had a decent relationship, Yan Li couldn't just stand by and watch Li Lin fall into trouble. So even without what happened last night, Yan Li would have considered lending her money or helping her out.

However, because of what happened last night, Yan Li was more inclined to borrow money to avoid unnecessary complications from going back and forth.

Jiang Xin nodded, accepted the bank card, and the food order arrived. After finishing their meal, Yan Li wanted to leave after resting for a bit, but Jiang Xin stopped him.

"I'm in a bad mood today, can you cheer me up?"

Forgiveness doesn't mean indifference. Jiang Xin pointed at Yan Li, while also preparing to vent her anger on Li Lin.

...

After settling things off with the soprano's family, Yan Li sent Li Lin a long text message when he returned to the company, asking about the loan.

I didn't mention last night, I just told her not to overthink it, and encouraged her to cheer up and try to live her life to the fullest.

A few minutes after the text message was sent, Li Lin replied: "Thank you."

Yan Li did not reply, deleted the text message, and then sent a text message to Fan Xiaopang, saying that Li Lin wanted to borrow money from him.

Fan Xiaopang called quickly: "Why is she asking you for money? I offered to lend her money, but she wouldn't."

"It's embarrassing, that's how it is. People are too embarrassed to ask close friends or family for money, afraid of damaging the relationship, and also concerned about their reputation, feeling inferior and looked down upon."

"When she borrowed money, she kept telling me not to tell you, so you should also keep quiet and pretend you don't know anything."

"understood."

Fan Xiaopang thought it made sense. After chatting for a few minutes, he hung up the phone. Yan Li clapped his hands, and the patch was complete.

Even after Jiang Xin revealed the truth, the two of them insisted that they were talking about borrowing money!

Back at the company, Yan Li rested briefly before resuming his work.

Several dramas, including "Lurking," have been broadcast one after another, and several projects, such as "Bodyguards and Assassins" and "Beauty's Rival in Palace," are about to start filming.

Although Yan Li is not responsible for specific tasks, he still needs to keep an eye on some core tasks, such as signing documents.

After finishing his work, Yan Li called Ju Jue Liang and Zhang Yong Xin to come to his office to talk about the new Water Margin.

Ju Jue Liang needs no introduction; he has always been considered Yi An's core director, and this time, he serves as the chief director of "The New Water Margin".

It's worth mentioning Zhang Yongxin, who has now joined Yi'an.

Previously, Zhang was discovered by Yan Li and served as the executive director of "New Three Kingdoms". During this time, Yan Li thought he was quite capable and gave him more important responsibilities. After joining "New Water Margin", he served as one of the two directors under Ju Jue Liang.

Besides the producer and Ju Jue Liang, he was the third most important person in the production of "The Water Margin".

This progress is absolutely rapid, but it's because Zhang Yongxin is Yan Li's fellow townsman.

Yan Li has some of Chiang Kai-shek's flaws; he prefers to use people from his hometown, and if they are capable, he will make good use of them.

Zhang Yongxin did not disappoint Yan Li. His loyalty to President Yan goes without saying, and he also worked hard.

Since joining the cast of "New Water Margin", he has hardly been home, running around every day, devoting himself to General Manager Yan, the crew and the company.

After exchanging a few pleasantries in the office, Yan Li checked the progress of the preparation for the new Water Margin.

Compared to the much grander scale of "New Three Kingdoms," "New Water Margin" has many more martial arts scenes, which are much easier and cheaper to produce. The budget for the same 80 episodes is only around 1 million yuan.

The entire plot of the series strictly follows the original novel "Water Margin", from Grand Marshal Hong's private release of the 108 demons to the battle against the Liao Kingdom and the conquest of Fang La. All the plots from the original novel have been filmed.

It's worth mentioning that this is the most widely circulated 100-chapter version, excluding the 20 chapters about fighting Tian Hu and Wang Qing.

The reason for not filming these twenty episodes is simple: the quality of this part of the story is poor, and it has been questioned by various scholars as a poor sequel, a counterfeit, and not well-known. Filming it would be a thankless task.

Moreover, according to the 100-episode film, the grand gathering of Liangshan heroes is the climax, followed by the amnesty and the conquest of Liao, which is another small climax. However, the conflict with the imperial court is already evident, laying the groundwork for the eventual tragic ending of the struggle against Fang La. The film is full of twists and turns, and is clear and straightforward.

In this situation, adding Wang Qingtianhu's storyline would not only be abrupt but also drag down the pacing of the plot.

More importantly, many of the storylines involving Wang Hu and Tian Qing are similar to those in the other 100 chapters of Water Margin, which directly affects the quality of the TV series.

Therefore, when the script was being written, Wang Qingtian's storyline was abandoned and he was only used as a background character.

However, a very few noteworthy characters and decent storylines were interspersed between the campaigns against Liao and Fang La, serving as little bonuses.

The script was adapted from the original work, so there were almost no problems. The team also consisted of people from "New Three Kingdoms" and Gu Long's martial arts novels, so they had experience in filming both battlefields and martial arts worlds.

The only thing I'm not entirely sure about is casting, which is also the most challenging aspect of adapting a TV series.

Based on the experience of "New Three Kingdoms", the casting of "New Water Margin" did not rely solely on stars, but instead adopted a combination of established actors and celebrity cameos.

Ideally, the lead roles should be played by celebrities, with the overall focus on characters who fit the roles. Then, various celebrities can be invited to make cameo appearances in minor supporting roles.
In this way, we have a selling point and can attract audiences through celebrities, without affecting the quality of casting.

Yan Li thought this approach was pretty good.

He was quite satisfied with the important roles played by Lin Chong (Hu Dong), Li Kui (Kang Kai), Lu Zhishen (Jin Song), Hua Rong (Zhao Hongfei), Wu Yong (Su Ke), and Huyan Zhuo (Wang Ting).

However, there are also difficulties, namely Song Jiang and Wu Song, who are currently the two most troublesome characters in the new Water Margin.

The candidates for Song Jiang included Hou Yong, Zhang Hanyu, Liao Fan, and Fu Dalong.

The first two are what the production team values ​​most.

On the one hand, these two are more famous, can keep the scene in check, and can take on important responsibilities. Their age and appearance also match Song Jiang's, being middle-aged, dark-faced, and not tall.

On the other hand, Song Jiang in the new Water Margin is portrayed in a relatively positive light; at least on the surface, he is a good elder brother, unlike the obsequious character portrayed by Li Xuejian in the CCTV version of Water Margin.

In this way, Hou and Zhang, with their upright appearance and temperament, are more suitable, while Liao and Fu would seem a bit ruthless and evil.

Ju Jueliang and Zhang Yongxin both prefer Zhang Hanyu, but he has a fatal weakness: he is a member of Huayi Brothers.

How can a major production with an investment of hundreds of millions of yuan be used by Huayi Brothers' top artist?

Even the fact that Zhang Hanyu appeared on Song Jiang's final list shows that the new Water Margin is being irresponsible.

Another one is Wu Song. This actor is too difficult to choose, especially with Ding Haifeng's excellent performance as a predecessor. No matter how you choose, it's just not good enough.

Yan Li glanced at the list: Zhu Yawen, Peter Ho, Yuan Hong, and Zhang Tong, who played Wei Heshang in "Bright Sword".

Indeed, they are all young, strong, and rugged men, and they all seem good, but they also seem to lack something.

Turning the page, Yan Li saw there was another option and couldn't help but look at the two of them speechlessly.

"So you two were waiting for me here."

This candidate is none other than Yan Li himself. When it comes to playing this kind of heroic tough guy, he is indeed one of the more outstanding actors of the younger generation.

To be honest, the character of Wu Song was quite attractive to Yan Li.

He was from Shandong Province and grew up listening to the legend of Wu Erlang. This tiger-fighting hero was somewhat of a halo effect in his mind.

But there's a crucial problem: he doesn't have time!
In the new Water Margin, Wu Song has more screen time than Lü Bu in the new Three Kingdoms. Most importantly, in addition to his solo scenes, Wu Song also has a lot of background screen time.

Anyone who has read "Water Margin" knows that Wu Song and Lu Zhishen were the vanguard. They led the charge in battles at Liangshan, and their roles were frequently seen within Liangshan. They also had a highlight in the final campaign against Fang La.

In other words, this character will be with the "New Water Margin" crew almost the entire time, and filming will take at least several months.

Yan Li didn't even make up his mind to act in "Let the Bullets Fly," and Fan Xiaopang kept postponing his idol dramas, so he really didn't have the time to waste on "New Water Margin."

"I won't play Wu Song. If I have time, I'll play Shi Wengong or Fang La for you."

Can I be a male prostitute to Ximen Qing?
Zhang Yongxin hesitated for a long time, but still didn't dare to speak.

Actually, compared to Wu Song, they would prefer Yan Li to play Ximen Qing. With Yan Li's reputation, if he were to play Ximen Qing, it would definitely generate a lot of buzz.

Not only them, but there is also a strong public demand for this.

He plays Ximen Qing, and Fan Xiaopang plays Pan Jinlian. The two of them can have a friendly competition and broaden everyone's horizons.

Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang also saw these voices, and could only say three words—

impossible!
Lu Bu and Diao Chan were at least heroes and beauties in a chaotic era, but what were Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian? They were adulterers and despicable men and women. They were just wasting their time and ruining their own image.

Especially Fan Xiaopang, a female actress playing a role, can be bad, can be poisonous, but cannot be slutty or lewd.

No matter how much Pan Jinlian is whitewashed, most people still view her negatively, so this label has a significant impact on actresses.

It's one thing for relatively unknown actresses to take a chance, but for popular actors like Fan Bingbing, it's best to avoid such things if possible.

Fan Bingbing is especially known for her stunning beauty and the controversy surrounding her alleged affair with a mistress, which she avoids at all costs. Even when netizens and the media were making a fuss, Fan Bingbing publicly stated that she would not play Pan Jinlian.

Because she was afraid of being associated with Pan Jinlian, she even gave up a cameo role in the new Water Margin.

As for Yan Li himself, he didn't really care about Ximen Qing's label; his own reputation was only slightly better than that of Ximen Qing.

However, aside from having some passionate scenes with Pan Jinlian, this character mostly just gets beaten up.

Yan Li doesn't want to act in sex scenes or sell his body, and he certainly doesn't want to get beaten up and become a laughing stock for netizens, so of course he won't act in them.

However, Yan Li was quite curious about the choice of Pan Jinlian and looked through the list.

Yi An's Yao Qianyu, Teddy Sisters' Xiong Naijin, CJ7's "Star Girl" Zhang Yuqi, and Gan Tingting, who has the nickname "Little Fan Bingbing".

The new Water Margin also did not define Pan Jinlian's character. Yao and Gan were considered to be from respectable families, while Zhang and Xiong were considered to be more frivolous and promiscuous.

However, Yan Li was slightly surprised by Zhang Yuqi, who should be Zhou Yingchi's artist.

Will they cast her as Pan Jinlian over there?
Although Zhang doesn't follow the pure and innocent route like Huang Shengyi, isn't Pan Jinlian's portrayal a bit too explicit?

It is said that Zhou promoted her following the same path as Zhang Baizhi, and you can vaguely see some of Zhang Baizhi's shadow in her appearance and acting style.

Zhang Yongxin explained, "We contacted them, and they agreed and even agreed to audition."

"Themselves?"

"Myself."

Yan Li nodded. Either Zhou Xingchi's company changed its approach and style towards him, or this person had ulterior motives.

Having witnessed firsthand how Huang Shengyi and Stephen Chow's company fell out, Yan Li understands all too well how difficult it is for Stephen Chow's company to retain talent.

Because of Huang's experience, Zhou has tried his best to secure resources for Zhang, but the results have been mediocre. With the company's approach blocked, artists with ambition will inevitably want to try other paths.

Despite having a small role, Pan Jinlian in the new Water Margin is undoubtedly the leading lady in terms of attention and influence.

Popular actors like Fan Xiaopang might not be interested in such opportunities, but smaller actors and those with little fame in the third or fourth tier still hope for a chance to shine, as it might just be the start of their rise to stardom.

Unfortunately, if it weren't for the fact that Pan Jinlian had passionate scenes and Yan Li didn't want his woman to play the role, Huo Siyan, Wang Ou, and Bai Bing could have actually given it a try...

(End of this chapter)