Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 369 Fan Xiaopang's Visit to the Set Leads to a Outburst: He Criticizes Dong Xuan and Dissents Xu Qing

Nighttime, on the set of "Let the Bullets Fly"

Yan Li had the makeup artist touch up his makeup while he acted out a scene with Jiang Wen.

Jiang Wen gestured and recited lines from the play, making Yan Li laugh out loud with the comical effect of the character's change.

When Yan Li first joined the crew, he mainly filmed scenes with Master Huang. He had some scenes with Jiang Wen and the others, but not many.

Yan Li's mindset is also focused on filming; it's not about going through the motions. It's just normal acting, without any special enthusiasm.

It wasn't until the Feast at Hongmen, after his intense acting with Jiang Wen and Ge Daye, that Yan Li began to change his mindset.

Jiang Wen did indeed film the Feast at Hongmen scene very carefully; the dialogue scene took a full eight days to film.

Don't think this scene is long; it's only about ten minutes long and focuses on the main characters. There's no need to change locations, so filming should be quick.

But Jiang Wen kept scrutinizing the details and getting the rhythm right, trying his best to film this scene well.

However, despite Jiang Wen's slow filming, neither Ge Daye nor Yan Li showed any sign of annoyance.

On the one hand, Jiang Wenhui's ability to liven up the atmosphere made the event anything but boring.

He was eloquent and talkative. Yan Li was good at socializing, and Uncle Ge was also a quick-witted person. When the three of them were waiting for their turn or discussing the play, they would sit there and chat, getting more and more excited as they talked. Sometimes they would chat for a while after work.

It wasn't about slacking off at work, but rather about getting to know each other's conversation rhythm and building rapport.

In such high-intensity confrontation scenes, individual performances are secondary; teamwork is of paramount importance.

On the other hand, the actors had a lot of fun performing.

Yan Li's career has been quite long, but he's only had a few truly enjoyable acting experiences.

In the past, the enjoyment was more about fitting the role, with the actor enjoying themselves as the character, or having the opportunity to fully express themselves during a highlight scene.

The Hongmen Banquet scene in "Let the Bullets Fly" is somewhat special; it's purely for the sheer enjoyment of the performance.

Several high-caliber actors, facing each other across a single table, engaged in a fierce and intense performance, full of tension.

It's hard to say what it felt like for Yan Li to play Jiang and Ge, but it was definitely his first time having such a high-intensity showdown with two veteran actors, and he really enjoyed the performance.

This gave Yan Li a great deal of enjoyment, and he became even more dedicated to his acting, putting in a lot of energy every day and getting better and better at it, finding it increasingly satisfying.

Yan Li was having a great time, and Ge You was also doing well. Jiang Wen tried his best to keep the two of them in good form, and the filming went more and more smoothly. In particular, the scenes between the three of them inspired the entire crew to watch.

"Come on, get ready, let's start thundering."

The lights flashed wildly, and in the darkness, several figures appeared and disappeared with the flashes of lightning, slowly approaching. Jiang Wen's deep and powerful voice rang out.

"Hu Wan is a bandit, and a bandit is Hu Wan."

"..."

Huang Silang sent men to impersonate bandits in an attempt to kill Zhang Mazi, but they were killed by Zhang Mazi and his men. Huang Silang's men were also labeled as bandits, and he himself was suspected of colluding with bandits, putting him in an extremely passive position.

Jiang Wen looked fearlessly at Yan Li, who was pointing a gun at him: "You're pointing a gun at me, do you want to fight me?"

Yan Li's face was filled with murderous intent, but his eyes were flashing. With a flash of lightning, he suddenly turned his gun and fired several shots at Hu Wan on the ground, then shouted angrily.

"See? This is what happens when you become a bandit. Even my own father would die."

"He deserves death."

Yan Li fired two more shots, looked at Jiang Wen, and said through gritted teeth, "Sooner or later."

Jiang Wen took off his hat and began to press, trying to use Hu Wan's matter to force Master Huang to spend money to suppress the bandits. Master Huang pretended to back down, falsely claiming that there would be a surprise in three days, but he did not give a definite answer. Jiang Wen pressed on step by step, and also dragged in the wavering Master Ge.

"Translate this: what does 'surprise' mean?"

Grandpa Ge pretended to be confused: "Does this even need a translation? I've already said it..."

Jiang Wen raised his voice, wanting Uncle Ge and Huang Silang to make their stance clear.

"I want you to translate for me what 'surprise' means."

Uncle Ge continued to feign ignorance: "No need for translation, it's a pleasant surprise."

Yan Li, also annoyed, pointed at Jiang Wen and questioned him, trying to change the subject: "Don't you understand what a surprise is?"

Jiang Wen remained unmoved and continued to press, "Translate this: what does 'surprise' mean?"

Grandpa Ge tried to brush it off, saying, "It's a surprise."

"Then translate it for me, what does 'damn's surprise' mean..."

As Jiang Wen's voice grew louder and the atmosphere became increasingly tense, Uncle Ge finally couldn't withstand the pressure and chose to take sides, looking towards Yan Li.

"What do you mean by 'surprise for fucking'?"

Seeing this, Yan Li stopped beating around the bush and spoke with a ferocious grin mixed with a fake smile.

"The surprise is that in three days, I'll give you 1.8 million to go out of the city to suppress bandits and reattach my leg, understand?"

Grandpa Ge nodded: "This is a pleasant surprise."

Jiang Wen continued, "Translate it."

"..."

"Card."

The executive director shouted, and Jiang Wen rushed behind the monitor and began praising: "Awesome, really awesome."

Ge You and Yan Li didn't go to see it. They had already rehearsed this scene many times before, filmed it again yesterday, and today was the second official take. Their breathing, rhythm, and performance were all impeccable, and they had plenty of confidence.

Sure enough, after watching it, Jiang Wen said there was no problem and the match was over.

Producer Ma Ke was very excited. He had been on set for the past few days, watching Yan Li and the other two act together. He felt that "Let the Bullets Fly" was bound to be a hit. Just for those few scenes, the ticket price was worth it.

He somehow got hold of a bottle of champagne and distributed glasses to Yan Li and the others.

"Come on, let's have a toast to 'The Message' which has surpassed 2.5 million at the box office."

After each poured half a glass, Yan Li raised his glass, about to say a few words, when he suddenly remembered something and said something to Uncle Ge.

"Master Ge, brilliant."

Grandpa Ge cooperated readily, smiling as he bowed his head and raised his glass to clink: "Oh, Mr. Yan."

Yan Li turned to look at Jiang Wen and clinked glasses with him: "The director is tough."

Jiang Wen grinned and exchanged a glance with Uncle Ge. Together with Ma Ke, they said in unison, just like in the previous scene at the Feast at Hongmen: "Master Yan is both tall and strong."

"Hahaha."

...

In mid-October, the Golden Rooster Awards were presented, and Zhou Xun won Best Actress for her role in "The Equation of Love and Death".

Prior to this, Zhou Xun had already won the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards for her role in "Perhaps Love". This time, she won the Golden Rooster Award, becoming the first actress in the Chinese film industry to win all three awards.

Meanwhile, the failure of two actresses from "Painted Skin," which were also nominated, dimmed the spotlight of Fan Bingbing, who had just become the first actress to accumulate 1 billion yuan in box office revenue with "The Message" breaking 250 million yuan.

They were even ridiculed by many of Zhou Xun's fans, who pointed out that Li Bingbing only had two Hundred Flowers Awards for popularity, while Fan Bingbing had zero prestigious film awards.

The fans of the two soldiers were not to be trifled with either, and they relentlessly criticized Zhou Xun's box office performance.

"Dawn 1949" has grossed less than 1.3 million yuan so far. It's not bad for a domestic film this year, but it falls short compared to "Double Soldiers".

Zhou Xun has starred in quite a few films so far, but only two of them, "The Banquet" and "Dawn 1949," have grossed over 100 million yuan, making her a prime example of talent exceeding commercial success.

The fans of the "Four Dan Shuang Bing" (a popular duo) are all seasoned veterans, so they know exactly how to stab someone in the heart.

With the two sides' fans joining forces, they gradually gained the upper hand.

On the one hand, there are many people, and on the other hand, "The Message" has a very good reputation and the two soldiers performed well. Everyone guessed that the two would definitely win some honors.

As for Zhou Xun, his awards performance is undeniable, but turning things around at the box office and commercially will not be an easy task.

Their strength was both their strength and their downfall!
When Zhou Xun's public image is limited to being a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning actress, many big commercial films will no longer cast her, which is fatal for a popular star.

Aside from a few brands that pursue individuality and high-end style and prefer to stand out from the crowd, most commercial brands value influence and reach more.

An artist's poor commercial performance is, to some extent, equivalent to not being popular or having low fan spending or support.

As I've said before, celebrities are treated like commodities, especially in today's increasingly commercialized society.

If you lack business acumen, at best you'll transition into an artist and earn a decent living; at worst you'll fade into obscurity, making way for newcomers.

Based on their achievements, reputation, and seniority, they will have a high status in the industry, but they won't make much money.

Just look at some of the most popular female celebrities in the past and you'll know.

For example, Pan Hong, who has won two Golden Rooster Awards; Gui Yalei, who has won two Golden Horse Awards; and Kara Hui, who has won two Golden Statue Awards.

You have a ton of awards, everyone knows you wherever you go, and directors and producers all have to respectfully call you "teacher," but most of the time you can only play mothers in TV dramas. Only you know the truth about your pay and actual status.

Zhou Gongzi is currently very popular, and her popularity and fame are undeniable, so she doesn't need to worry about these things for the time being.

But she's not young anymore, and in a few years, if her popularity declines, she might not be able to accept the drop in popularity.

Those who are already famous desperately want to become famous again, and those who have already been famous want to make a comeback.

Being a dazzling, high-profile superstar is addictive.

Therefore, it's quite obvious that Zhou Xun now wants to secure more commercial films to boost her box office performance and personal influence.

"Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame," invested by Huayi Brothers and directed by Tsui Hark, is the film she is aiming for.

Huayi Brothers originally favored her, but Li Bingbing had ulterior motives, and the others were not up to par. Zhou Xun was the most suitable candidate.

After the disastrous failure of "Dawn 1949" to "The Message," Huayi Brothers began to make some changes.

Huayi Brothers, which is about to go public, will have many of its future works directly linked to its stock price. Whether it is loyal or not is another matter; box office revenue is the top priority.

Li Bingbing may have had ulterior motives, but she has also proven her box office appeal.

Shuangbing is currently enjoying great popularity; both investors and audiences are buying into her.

Moreover, Li Bingbing was eager to leave, and Young Master Zhou had not yet expressed his intention to stay.

Li Bingbing even had some collaborations with Huayi Brothers later on due to stock options, interests, and personal relationships, but he was closer to Yi An.

Zhou Xun prefers to run an independent artist studio and has been flirting with some people in the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

Given this situation, the balance of power among Huayi Brothers began to gradually shift.

Li Xue is now trying her best to persuade Tsui Hark and Wang Zhonglei, among other relevant personnel, to snatch the film "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame." Zhou Xun is naturally unwilling to give it up, and the two teams are fiercely competing.

The heated argument between Shuangbing and Zhou Gongzi's fans is partly due to the two vying for roles.

In contrast, Fan Xiaopang wasn't actually the main force behind the fight, because she was busy making money.

The huge success of "The Message" and the billion-dollar box office win would make any actress the center of attention, let alone Fan Bingbing, who is known for her influence and commercial success.

Almost as soon as the promotional period for "The Message" ended, Fan Xiaopang entered a busy phase of reaping the benefits.

Three internationally renowned brands approached her, intending to make her their first brand ambassador in the Chinese and even Asian markets.

Not only are the brands prestigious, but the quantity is also large, covering everything from luxury goods to everyday consumer products.

According to sources, Fan Xiaopang received no fewer than 30 advertising and endorsement offers in October alone, and if he secures all of them, the total advertising cost could be close to 100 million yuan.

But this is just a hypothesis. In reality, at Fan Xiaopang's level, he can't just pursue quantity. He needs to have high thresholds and reviews for many brands and advertisements.

Compared to accepting endorsements, Fan Xiaopang's team is now more obsessed with increasing his market value, taking advantage of this momentum to significantly raise Fan Xiaopang's worth.

If Fan Xiaopang could secure a single brand endorsement deal worth tens of millions, that would be incredibly lucrative and easy.

Not only his commercial value, but also his film salary is rising. Although Fan Bingbing rarely takes on roles other than Yi An now, his market salary still needs to be calculated, which is also a reflection of his commercial value.

Several films, including "Red Cliff," "Painted Skin," and "The Message," were box office hits. Fan Bingbing played a significant role in the latter two films. Coupled with her title as a billion-yuan box office queen, Fan Bingbing's team pushed her film salary up to 800 million yuan.

This price is somewhat inflated.

Since she doesn't film outside of filming, her price is set a bit higher. The market price that the outside world generally recognizes for her is around 500 to 650 million.

Don't think it's too little. These days, movie salaries haven't skyrocketed. Many top stars only earn tens of millions.

Fan Bingbing's price tag of 650 million yuan puts her in the top three among female celebrities, with only Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li ahead of her.

However, these two companies rely on international markets, and with their various accolades and so-called international market access, a premium is inevitable.

In contrast, the salaries of the other members of the "Four Dan and Two Bing" cast, except for Li Bingbing, skyrocketed to around 500 million yuan.

The other three actors received between 100 million and 200 million yuan in remuneration.

Rumors circulated that Xiao Yanzi received 2 million for filming "Wheat Field," Xu Cainu received over 1 million for "Shinjuku Incident," and Zhou Xun received 1.2 million for "Dawn 1949," though these figures are suspected to be insider deals.

It can be said that in terms of pay, the four actresses and two actors have begun to diverge.

As for TV drama salaries, since most of the four leading actresses and two supporting actresses do not film TV dramas, only Fan Bingbing quoted a salary of 25 yuan per episode, making her the first actress to be absent from the list.

TV drama salaries have been rising in the past two years, but many popular stars only earn around 10 yuan.

Only those who are extremely popular and have a high level of fame, such as Sun Honglei, Jiang Xin, Deng Chao, Wang Baoqiang, and Hu Ge, can break this limit, but even they rarely exceed 20 views per episode.

Whether Fan Xiaopang is worth the price is another matter. The key issue is not that he is expensive, but that he is hard to find. Even at 35 per episode, he cannot be hired.

As for movies, Fan Xiaopang is still accepting scripts from outside sources, and he will consider participating if a suitable one comes along.

For Fan Xiaopang, the TV series was mainly a project to make money by leveraging his influence in conjunction with Yi An.

After Yi'an's restructuring, the company no longer belongs to Yan Li alone. Fan Xiaopang and Yan Li's personal interests are now separated from the company's interests, and many collaborations have become more formulaic.

The cash-out fee, investment ratio, profit sharing, and so on, all need to be clearly discussed. Even if we don't get a huge advantage, we at least can't lose out.

Guangdong Province, Shenzhen

Having finally completed the next business activity, Fan Xiaopang, sitting in the van, looked at Yang Tianzhen with his phone in hand.

"Naive. Look at this big V, he said I can earn over 100 million this year and am likely to top the Forbes Celebrity List."

Yang Tianzhen glanced at it a few times, then shook her head with some regret.

"The Message was released too late. If it had been released during the summer, there would have been more time for the film to gain traction and its influence would have spread better. It might have been able to make a comeback."

"You're being too optimistic."

Fan Xiaopang shook his head. Earning over 100 million yuan a year is an insurmountable barrier for artists at this stage.

Not to mention that Forbes' list of celebrities only includes earnings from entertainment activities, and many investments are not included.

This raises the bar even higher. Among Chinese actors who can achieve this level of income solely from acting, there are only Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and even they are quite unstable.

Fan Xiaopang's income has increased year by year over the past two years, but it is still far from earning over 100 million yuan a year.

Yan Li and Li Bingbing had previously mentioned that Fan Xiaopang's personal advertising revenue for the year was expected to be around 4000 million yuan.

At the time, the variable of "The Message" was not taken into account.

Now that "The Message" is a hit, Fan Bingbing is in the limelight, and advertising revenue will definitely rise again, but don't expect to double your earnings.

Let alone this year, even next year, Fan Xiaopang can't guarantee that his entertainment income will exceed 100 million.

Seeing this, Yang Tianzhen laughed and said, "Sister, you should change your mind. Why are you always competing with the celebrity list? Your goal should be the rich list."

"You're really flattering me." Fan Xiaopang rolled his eyes, but Yang Tianzhen said, "How is it flattery? It's just the truth."

"The initial shares of the company have been basically settled. You'll get at least 2%, which is at least several hundred million."

"And didn't you say that your brother-in-law secretly set up a trust for you and my future nephew, which also contains shares in Weibo, totaling several hundred million?"

"Adding all of these together, plus your own money, it's estimated to be close to a billion, so making the list is a good possibility."

Fan Xiaopang listened with a broad smile, but he still had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

"It's fine to brag about this in private, but don't go around spreading it around outside."

Yang Tianzhen nodded: "I understand."

Fan Xiaopang only told her and a few others about the trust, not wanting to publicize it too much. Moreover, she had earned enough to live on, and for her, the trust was more about attitude and peace of mind.

No matter how eloquently Yan Li promised the future, nothing was as trustworthy and reassuring as directly establishing a trust for her and her child.

However, Fan Xiaopang must also admit that this trust has both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages are obvious, but the downside is that it severely undermines one's ambition.

After working so hard for so many years, he has only just earned a fraction of what he could have earned through trust. Fan Xiaopang feels that his dedication to his work is truly remarkable.

Since they got together, Fan Xiaopang has never had any complaints about Yan Li.

The few opinions I have are that he's a womanizer, and that he doesn't seem to have much of a sense of accomplishment in his career.

As one of the most popular female celebrities in the country and a business queen, Fan Xiaopang's earning power is among the best of all women in the country, but she just happened to meet a man who has a greater influence and earns much more money than her.

Although she felt that only such an outstanding man was worthy of her, she would occasionally feel a little frustrated.

It was fine before. Even though Fan Xiaopang didn't earn much himself, he could still make money for Yi An and Yan Li, which helped the company grow.

She was quite proud of this, even boasting that she was Yan Li's indispensable right-hand woman.

However, as Yi'an continued to develop and grow in scale, her personal contributions and importance diminished. After Yan Li launched Weibo, even the entire Yi'an became a secondary industry for Yan Li.

Fan Xiaopang's astonishing income was still less than the amount fluctuating in Yan Li's stock account.

Therefore, Fan Xiaopang's pursuit of acting awards is also a way of proving his worth in front of Yan Li in other ways.

A man who isn't outstanding is annoying, but a man who's too outstanding is also annoying. Fan Xiaopang used to think this was pretentious, but now he truly understands it.

As she was thinking about something, Yang Tianzhen waved her chubby hand in front of her.

"Sis, what are you thinking about?"

I miss your brother-in-law.

Fan Xiaopang suddenly looked intently at Yang Tianzhen: "Pengcheng is quite close to the 'Let the Bullets Fly' film crew, let's go visit the set."

"But……"

Yang Tianzhen instinctively wanted to persuade him, saying that visiting the set wasn't just about taking a quick look and leaving; at the very least, you had to stay overnight, and maybe even two more days.

Fan Xiaopang's schedule is completely full right now, and he even has international engagements. Every move he makes involves a whole bunch of things.

But looking into Fan Xiaopang's eyes and thinking about Yan Li's importance, Yang Tian really couldn't say no.

If you can make President Yan happy, then all other announcements and such are insignificant. As her manager, she can't be unaware of what's more important.

"Let me check the time and make arrangements."

To be on the safe side, Yang Tianzhen did not agree immediately, but instead began making phone calls to negotiate and coordinate with her team and relevant parties.

After making a phone call for more than ten minutes, Yang Tianzhen finally got it sorted out: "At the latest, it will be the morning after tomorrow."

"enough."

Fan Xiaopang clapped his hands happily, called the driver, and headed straight for the "Let the Bullets Fly" film set.

After driving for more than two hours, they finally arrived at the film set. Yang Tianzhen looked at Fan Xiaopang, who was on the phone.

"Why don't we just go in? We can give my brother-in-law a surprise."

"You don't understand, I'm afraid I'll be frightened."

Fan Xiaopang knew that bastard too well, so to be on the safe side, he played it safe.

Not long after the call connected, Ding Feng personally drove over to pick up Fan Xiaopang and took him directly to the film set.

They were filming at the time. Yan Li was sitting and chatting with Jiang Wen, looking disheveled, while a group of shirtless men were moving things around them.

Fan Xiaopang glanced at Yan Li, then turned his gaze to Xu Qing, who was also watching the performance.

As soon as she arrived, this man started looking her up and down; something was off.

Seeing Fan Xiaopang's gaze, Xu Qing stepped over and greeted him in a friendly manner.

"Hello Bingbing, I'm Xu Qing. You can call me Sister Qing."

"..."

Fan Xiaopang looked Xu Qing up and down, his expression turning noticeably cold, before managing to utter a single word.

"Oh."

Xu Qing was a little displeased by her attitude, but still smiled and said, "Yan Li has recognized me as his older sister, so he's like my younger brother. We're all family."

Fan Xiaopang narrowed her beautiful eyes and gave a forced smile: "Really? I've never heard of that before."

"Didn't he tell you? That kid is so inconsiderate."

Xu Qing said a few words, but Fan Xiaopang remained indifferent. She was getting increasingly frustrated, so she made a few sarcastic remarks and turned to leave.
Yang Tianzhen asked, "Sister, what's going on?"

Fan Xiaopang is usually quite cheerful and friendly, so there must be a reason for his rudeness.

"A sleazy vibe."

Fan Xiaopang snorted coldly. She knew Xu Qing; he was not young and was still single.

In this situation, it would be impossible for her to look so alluring and seductive, appearing completely satisfied. It's highly likely she has a lover, someone who satisfies her both physically and mentally.

Considering Yan Li's reputation and combat strength, and most importantly, Xu Qing's obvious sizing and probing, Fan Xiaopang had some bad thoughts.

"You really have the guts to eat that."

Fan Xiaopang angrily turned around and went to the car to wait, then kicked the others out and called Dong Xuan.

"What's wrong with you? You can't even protect the food and you just leave? You can't even keep an old woman by your side, you're useless."

Dong Xuan was doing yoga at home, a style suitable for those trying to conceive, when she heard Fan Xiaopang's outburst on the phone. She was completely stunned, and then annoyed.

"none of your business?"

She had also noticed Yan Li and Xu Qing's affair. After all, Yan Li came home every day, and she could detect any changes or smells on him.

Anyway, Dong Xuan didn't think Yan Li would be interested in a forty-year-old woman who had been married before; at most, he would just want to try something new, so she turned a blind eye.

"Keep spoiling him. If you keep indulging him like this, you'll be happy when he brings home a few illegitimate children."

Fan Xiaopang was very disappointed. She had always felt that Dong Xuan kept a close eye on Yan Li, while Qin Lan had no bottom line and spoiled Yan Li terribly.

Therefore, she trusted Dong Xuan to a certain extent, believing that Dong Xuan could help her keep Yan Li under control.

While we can't control him, we can't ignore him either. If we let Yan Li run wild, problems will arise sooner or later.

In Fan Xiaopang's view, Xu Qing was one of the consequences of indulging Yan Li. Yan Li was indiscriminate in his sexuality and even dared to lay hands on a forty-year-old "auntie".

What's most infuriating is that the old lady had the nerve to call herself "sister." What right does she have to call herself "sister"? Who the hell would talk to her about being "sister"?

Xu Qing has completely stepped on a landmine.

She knew too little about Yan Li's harem and didn't realize that the word "elder sister" was very sensitive in the eyes of Fan Xiaopang and his group.

Xu Qing's attempt to use her and Yan Li's affectionate nicknames to try and build a relationship with Fan Xiaopang was seen as a provocation by Fan Xiaopang.

Therefore, Dong Xuan considered herself the last to succumb, and felt a certain moral superiority over Fan Qin and the other man.

When Fan Xiaopang saw that Dong Xuan still dared to argue with him, he became even angrier and made a sharp retort.

"Stop talking. You're a good-for-nothing, a spineless coward. It's no wonder you can't get pregnant. It's because you're so spineless that your child is afraid of being mistreated by you."

These words were incredibly damaging to Dong Xuan at that moment, completely breaking her down.

"You, surnamed Fan, you son of a bitch!"

Fan Xiaopang ignored Dong Xuan's telegram and hung up immediately. He then took a deep breath and got out of the car to go to the film set.

At this moment, Yan Li had finished filming his scene and was talking to Jiang Wen. Xu Qing was also there, her two dimples making her smile especially sweet.

"Pretended."

Fan Xiaopang pursed his lips, stepped over, took Yan Li's hand, and greeted the others in a generous manner.

"Director Jiang, Uncle Ge..."

Even at the very end, when she finally spoke, she smiled slightly and uttered two words.

"Aunt Xu."

Xu Qing's smile froze instantly, and Jiang Wen turned and left without saying a word.

"I'll go check the replay."

Grandpa Ge, clutching his stomach, also made his escape: "The lunchbox at noon wasn't clean."

The others also scattered like birds and beasts. As for the relationship between Xu Qing and Yan Li, everyone knows what's going on.

Neither of them tried to hide it, especially Xu Qing, who was always glued to Yan Li. Whenever she had free time, she would go to Yan Li's RV and stay there for hours at a time. Some people on the set jokingly called Yan Li's RV "County Government Office".

After all, Yan Li was the real county magistrate who slept with the county magistrate's wife.

Now that the acknowledged boss lady of Yi'an has come knocking on our door, everyone wants to hear this gossip, but no one dares to, so escaping is the priority.

Feeling the atmosphere was getting a little awkward, Yan Li tried to smooth things over: "Well, Sister Qing and I are good friends, you can just call her 'sister'."

"It's not appropriate to call her 'sister,' I just checked the information. Teacher Xu is a whole twelve years older than me. It's more appropriate to call her 'aunt.'"

Fan Xiaopang blinked his peach blossom eyes: "Aunt Xu, how do you maintain your youth? You look so young, not at all like someone in their forties."

The emphasis was quite precise!
Seeing this, Yan Li knew that Fan Xiaopang was angry and planned to separate the two. However, Xu Qing, who had come to her senses, took the initiative to speak up.

"Bingbing, I think you might have misunderstood..."

Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, you and I both know the answer.

Fan Xiaopang interrupted Xu Qing, saying bluntly, "You're getting old, so just enjoy your retirement. You're almost menopausal, why are you still making a fuss? Calling you Aunt Xu is already giving you face. You're almost a grandmother, and you're still acting like a young girl trying to steal a man?"

Every strike was a critical hit, bringing Xu Qing to tears, and even then, Fan Xiaopang continued to insult her.

"Be careful not to cry, tears will wash away your makeup and make your crow's feet appear."

Yan Li couldn't stand it anymore, so he covered Fan Xiaopang's mouth and left. Xu Qing looked around and felt like everyone was laughing at her, so she covered her face and left.

Once inside the car, Yan Li released Fan Xiaopang and touched the teeth marks left by his bite.

"I said, that's too much, the insults were too harsh."

“She slept with my man and then came to provoke me. Even if I don’t strip her naked and parade her through the streets, I should at least slap her a few times and curse at her a few times. That would be too lenient.”

Fan Xiaopang was perfectly justified. From her perspective, Xu Qing was a mistress, and no amount of punishment was too much.

She was already being considerate of Yan Li just now; otherwise, pulling his hair and beating him up would have been a normal response.

Yan Li was speechless. It had been so long since they had caught each other cheating that he had become somewhat used to it. He had almost forgotten that when they were fighting fiercely earlier, they would directly resort to violence and shout insults at each other.

Over the past two years, through his efforts and various arrangements, several women have ceased their fighting, and all parties have managed to coexist peacefully with a forced sense of harmony.

Even if Yan Li were to have an affair, Huo, Jiang, and Wang each had their own hideouts and would avoid Fan Xiaopang and his group. Out of sight, out of mind, they pretended not to know anything.

Fan Xiaopang's arrival was sudden, and Xu Qing was unaware of the details, so she ended up walking right into a trap.

"You feel sorry for her? If you do, go find her."

Seeing Yan Li's expression, Fan Xiaopang couldn't help but mutter something as Yan Li held her hand.

"Alright, I was wrong. You've worked hard these past few days, I'll make it up to you properly."

Yan Li knew that Fan Xiaopang had been harboring resentment lately. With Chairman Qin preparing for pregnancy and her various work commitments, she felt unbalanced.

This was partly the reason she picked a fight with Xu Qing; she didn't want to direct her anger at Yan Li, so she could only vent her frustrations on someone else.

If Yan Li gets angry with Xu Qing because of her, Fan Xiaopang will be heartbroken.

Ultimately, it's still his fault. He should try to make amends and comfort Xu Qing.

Fan Xiaopang was somewhat satisfied. Although Yan Li was a womanizer and a scoundrel, he was still reliable in crucial moments and always put her first.

"I need to cut ties with that old lady later. If her fans find out, they'll laugh at me again."

Fan Xiaopang then revealed another reason for his dissatisfaction with Xu Qing.

As Yan Li's publicly acknowledged girlfriend, whenever Yan Li had any scandals with anyone, rival fans would mock her.

"What's so laughable about them? One of them is messing around with a stupid rich second-generation (Zhou), one married an ugly driver (Yan), one has shady relationships with several men (Xu), and another found a foreign old hag (Zhang). No matter how bad your man is, he's still better than theirs."

Yan Li admitted that although he occasionally gave Fan Xiaopang a hard time in terms of being a womanizer, he was top-notch in every other aspect.

Compared to the other actresses from the four major actresses, she is exceptionally outstanding.

"Can't you compare yourself to someone you like?"

"It's not that I don't want to compete, it's just that I don't have any."

Yan Li looked at Fan Xiaopang with an expression that said, "You've hit the jackpot," which made Fan Xiaopang laugh. Then he gave a haughty snort.

"That's because I was too lazy to look. Otherwise, I could definitely have found someone better than you."

"Yes, yes, thank you for giving me this opportunity, Your Majesty. I will be grateful and work even harder to serve you well in the future."

"You don't need to work too hard."

Upon hearing Yan Li's words, Fan Xiaopang felt a little guilty, fearing that this bastard might take the opportunity to retaliate, and he wouldn't be able to withstand it.

"We must work hard."

Yan Li is an honest man who doesn't like to argue with women openly. He only uses his actions to prove his sincerity.

Fan Xiaopang felt even more guilty. She even took the initiative to suggest that she go and see Dong Xuan, hoping to get the latter to share the burden.

Yan Li was somewhat tempted. He had tried pairing Binglan with Xuanlan before, but this was the first time he had tried pairing Binglan with Xuanlan.

However, considering that Dong Xuan is currently trying to conceive, and not wanting to affect her mood, Yan Li still called to ask.

Unexpectedly, Dong Xuan was very welcoming when she heard that Fan Xiaopang was coming.

As soon as Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang entered the door, Dong Xuan grabbed Fan Xiaopang and yelled at Yan Li to hurry up and go to the supermarket...

　9000 words, 2000 more to be added tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)