Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 383 The Best Film Version of Lu Bu: What's He Doing at the Hospital?

Yan Li's portrayal of Lü Bu was quite eye-catching.

After all, he's a big star, and the previous hype had garnered him a lot of attention.

Of the main characters Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei who have already appeared in the new Three Kingdoms series, the most famous is Hu Jun, who plays Guan Yu.

However, Hu Jun's portrayal of Guan Yu is currently quite controversial, and the character has few plot highlights. Not to mention, Hu Jun's acting skills are now far inferior to Yan Li's.

After the rise of Weibo and the merger with Yi'an, which dominated the market, Yan Li's net worth reached tens of billions, and his status and influence have been significantly enhanced compared to the previous two years.

Previously, some people would distinguish between the actor's and commercial aspects of Yan Li, but now very few people mention it; Yan Li is simply Yan Li.

Even if he won three Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor, or even the three major European awards, he could never surpass a billionaire and industry tycoon in the eyes of the outside world.

One of the key selling points of the cast of "New Three Kingdoms", or even its biggest selling point, is Yan Lilai's portrayal of Lü Bu.

This is the difference brought about by the difference in status and special aura, which even superstars like Jackie Chan and Jet Li cannot match.

Furthermore, the character's setting is quite extreme, and the acting is also quite good.

For a character to be three-dimensional and outstanding, a lot of plot details are often needed to develop it.

For example, the Cao Cao and Liu Bei characters in the currently well-received "New Three Kingdoms" are two outstanding characters who are gradually created through the plot and various scenes.

Hu Jun's portrayal of Guan Yu is not outstanding because it's not yet time for him to shine. He's more of a subordinate and background character, and not even as interesting as the rough and tumble Zhang Fei.

The characters in "New Three Kingdoms" are portrayed as having "growth potential".

Cao Cao was transformed from a righteous youth into a ruthless warlord, while Liu Bei's character remained unchanged but he persevered through numerous setbacks. Even Zhuge Liang gradually transformed from a spirited strategist into a mature, prudent, and devoted prime minister.

Guan Yu was no exception. He was proud, but in the beginning, due to his status and seniority, his pride was internal and relatively restrained, not very obvious. It was only later, when his name spread throughout China, that he gradually became known as the proud Guan Yu.

Hu Jun himself had done his research on this character, Arc Light, and it was because of this that he was able to defeat Yu Rongguang.

The latter's understanding of Guan Yu is very superficial; he just thinks Guan Yu is arrogant and looks down on people.

This situation is acceptable in the later stages, but in the early stages when he was still an unknown horse archer, it made Guan Yu's image less appealing.

Because of this restrained performance, the scenes involving Guan Yu become somewhat bland before the main events, and blandness makes the performance unrememberable.

If you have few scenes but want people to remember you quickly, then take an extreme approach.

Yan Li's version of Lu Bu only appeared in a little over one episode, but he was quickly remembered and left a deep impression on everyone.

One is fierce, incredibly fierce, single-handedly taking on the generals of Xiliang and leading troops into battle, highlighting the strength of the number one warrior in the Three Kingdoms period.

The other is bad; they rebel without warning, switching from a loving father and filial son relationship to a completely different one.

The character is extreme, and Yan Li's performance is also good. He grasps the essence of the character well. He is tall and strong, and has a strong aura. He is full of domineering power and is very imposing.

That evening, Yan Li became a trending topic and ranked first on Weibo's Three Kingdoms popularity chart, and fourth overall.

This list is a promotional event organized by Weibo in conjunction with the broadcast of "New Three Kingdoms".

There are character rankings, story rankings, and PvP rankings.

The character rankings are divided into daily rankings and overall rankings. Currently, Cao Cao is in first place, Liu Bei is in second, and Empress He, played by Jiang Xin, is in third.

Empress He's appearance was good, and she was the female character with the most screen time in the early stages. Jiang Xin was also very popular, and she beat Yuan Dong and others in the vote.

The plot ranking only has an overall ranking, which mainly shows which plot is the most popular or most recognized by the audience.

Currently, the top-ranked phrase is "Oath of the Peach Garden," and considering the significance of these four characters, it may not be overtaken anytime soon.

As for the PK ranking, it directly compares the plot and actors of "New Three Kingdoms" with several famous versions of Three Kingdoms TV series and films, and scores them accordingly.

This ranking is somewhat disadvantageous to "New Three Kingdoms" because the CCTV version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" has such a high level of influence and reputation that it could easily have a negative impact on the reputation of "New Three Kingdoms".

However, this kind of competition can also bring some popularity to "New Three Kingdoms".

Moreover, we can't just consider the feelings of the "New Three Kingdoms" production team. Weibo also needs traffic, and half of the traffic for this "New Three Kingdoms" Weibo event came from the PK ranking.

The comparison and contrast between adaptations of classic works is always a popular topic of interest for the general public.

Currently, the CCTV version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is almost always leading the rankings.

Fortunately, Weibo doesn't just allow "New Three Kingdoms" to compete with the CCTV version; it also features other TV series such as "Red Cliff," "Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon," "Diao Chan and Lü Bu," "Cao Cao," and "Guan Yu."

The new Three Kingdoms is not as good as the CCTV version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but compared with the rest of the drastically altered Three Kingdoms or the mediocre ones, it is of superior quality.

This is also why Yan Li agreed to create the PK ranking system at that time.

If Weibo didn't create this ranking list, other media outlets would easily use the CCTV version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" to stir up trouble and criticize it. Now Weibo is making comprehensive comparisons.

Even if the new Three Kingdoms cannot compare to CCTV's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", it is still considered to be in a good category.

After seeing the list and giving scores, many netizens and viewers felt that "New Three Kingdoms" was actually quite well made.

The "rotten method" never fails!
Since Lu Bu had just appeared and the PK rankings hadn't been updated yet, Yan Li felt that his score shouldn't be too low.

There are only a few film and television adaptations of Lü Bu. His biggest competitor is Zhang Guangbei in the CCTV version. The remaining versions, "Lü Bu and Diao Chan" by Huang Sanshi and "Diao Chan" by Lü Liangwei, are not worth mentioning in terms of influence and performance.

Zhang Guangbei's portrayal of Lü Bu was actually quite good, but it was somewhat stereotypical, and his fighting prowess wasn't particularly showcased. He wouldn't be considered among the top tier of actors in the CCTV version of the Three Kingdoms.

The actors who played Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were so good that they seemed to embody the characters perfectly. It would be difficult for the new actors to surpass the old ones.

However, Zhang Guangbei did not put such pressure on Yan Li. Yan Li was confident that he could compete with him and was aiming for second place or even first place among all the actors who have played Lü Bu.

As it turned out, Yan Li was right. When Lu Bu's score was released on the PK leaderboard, he scored 8.9 points, only 0.1 points behind Zhang Guangbei's 9.0 points.

This score difference is the smallest among the major Three Kingdoms characters who have appeared so far.

Yu Hewei's Cao Cao received many positive reviews, but he was still 0.4 points behind Bao Guoan. Hu Jun's Guan Yu was directly surpassed by Lu Shuming by nearly 2 points.

The comments section also shows that many viewers were pleasantly surprised and impressed by Yan Li's domineering and brave portrayal of Lu Bu.

Zhang Guangbei looks a bit thinner; he doesn't seem like Yan Li anymore. From the moment he appeared, I knew he was the most powerful.

[Well, I have to admit that the actors played a part. Huo Qubing, Xue Rengui, Gong Jiu, and Yan Li all left me with the image of invincible warriors who were extremely capable fighters.]

The old version of Lu Bu gave off a sinister vibe, while the new version is a bit too reckless. I still vote for Yan Li; I prefer a tough guy.

I don't like Lu Bu, but the old version portrayed him as too sleazy. The new version is more straightforward and ruthless, with his bestiality outweighing his humanity, which I find much better.

Yan Li's acting was also good, but I think Zhang Guangbei's performance was more charming.

【…】

These controversies surrounding Lü Bu finally came to an end when the episode depicting the warlords' campaign against Dong Zhuo and the three heroes' battle against Lü Bu aired.

There's no way around it; this scene is undoubtedly the climax of the early episodes and the pinnacle of the action sequences.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei showed off their skills, while Lü Bu showed off even more spectacularly.

When Lü Bu single-handedly challenged the eighteen warlords and slew several generals, the plot and numerous foreshadowing elements successfully created the image of a great demon king.

This made Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei warriors who challenged the Great Demon King, slapped the faces of the eighteen warlords, and made the battle of the three heroes against Lü Bu extremely valuable.

The Three Heroes were awesome, but Lu Bu was even more awesome!
It can be said that the major climax of the warlords' campaign against Dong Zhuo, plus the climax of the Three Heroes and Lü Bu, greatly boosted the performance, reputation, and influence of "New Three Kingdoms".

Two of the four broadcasting stations have achieved an average viewership rating of over 2, ranking first and second respectively in the same period. The entire series has a market share of over 20%, firmly holding the top spot.

It ranked first in terms of the number of people trending on Weibo and discussing the topic, first in terms of Baidu's film and television search volume, and first in film and television reports in both print and online media.

Many viewers who have always been critical and prejudiced against "New Three Kingdoms" have also given it some recognition. In terms of plot pacing, action scenes, and overall scale, "New Three Kingdoms" still performs quite well.

Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, the Three Heroes, and various warlords are vividly portrayed, with Lü Bu achieving legendary status in a single battle, thus establishing the pinnacle of military power in the Three Kingdoms period.

This outstanding performance earned Lü Bu a large number of fans, and now casual viewers are taking notice. Zhang Guangbei's version, which was already ambiguous, has temporarily lost out, and Yan Li has become the "Best Film and Television Lü Bu".

Many netizens also commented that Yan Li definitely rewrote the script, taking advantage of being the boss to give Lu Bu special treatment.

Some people complained that they originally thought Yan Li was playing Lü Bu for Diao Chan, but now they realize that he actually wanted to take down Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. It seems that Yan Li's acting skills were really appreciated.

Some netizens joked that there aren't many more fierce general roles left for Yan Li.

King Zhou was a famous and formidable figure in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. He was portrayed by Huo Qubing, a general of the Han dynasty, Lü Bu, the fiercest general of the late Han dynasty, and Yuwen Chengdu and Xue Rengui, fierce generals of the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Yi An could consider filming "The Legend of Chu and Han" and "The Legend of Yue Fei".

There are even rumors that director Lu Chuan's upcoming film "The Last Supper" and Starlight International's "The Legend of the Feast at Hongmen" are both considering inviting Yan Li to play Xiang Yu.

Yan Li's portrayal of Lu Bu was absolutely ruthless!

In addition, his previous roles as Xue Rengui and Gong Jiu, who were equally invincible throughout the series, further enhanced his image, making him the first person people think of when considering similar characters.

...

"Marquis Lü Wen? General Lü? Stop celebrating, I'm going out for a bit."

In Yangjiaodeng Hutong, Qin Lan, holding her belly, said something while looking at Yan Li, who was curled up on the sofa playing on his phone.

These past few days, Yan Li has been enjoying watching netizens praise his portrayal of Lu Bu, which makes him grin like an idiot, prompting Dong Xuan and Qin Lan to tease him about it.

Why are you suddenly going out?

Yan Li put away his phone. Qin Lan was almost eight months pregnant and had some difficulty moving around. She rarely went out and was being taken care of by everyone when she came to Yangjiaodeng Hutong for the New Year.

"The fourth brother (Li Xiaolu) went to the hospital, I'm going to check on him."

Qin Lan explained, and Yan Li was a little confused. Why would Li Xiaolu go to the hospital?

They were perfectly fine last night!

With the Spring Festival approaching, Yan Li couldn't go out anymore. Yesterday was a kind of breakup battle. This girl really went a bit crazy. Yan Li usually drives recklessly, but the last time she was in the driver's seat, she almost shook the gear shift off.

However, before leaving, Yan Li made a special trip to check on Li Xiaolu. Although she was exhausted, she was in good condition and even had the mood to have a heart-to-heart talk with Yan Li. Why did she go to the hospital the next day?

Yan Li's first reaction was that he was being foolish and doing something stupid, but that might be one thing for others, but Li Xiaolu was clearly not that kind of person.

Moreover, it wasn't Yan Li who abandoned her; it was Li who made her own choice for various reasons. There's no need to be so extreme about regretting it, is there?
Also, where did Huo Siyan go? She was there last night too. If something happened to Li, she couldn't possibly not have informed him.

Yan Li steadied himself: "What happened?"

"I'm not sure. The eldest and third brothers both went, so it seems like something serious. I'm worried and want to go check on it."

"Uh, it's not convenient for you, so you shouldn't go. I'll go and take a look."

Yan Li stopped Qin Lan. She was pregnant and couldn't help anyone there. Besides, the hospital was crowded with people, and with the end of the year approaching, she might just cause trouble for others.

Moreover, Yan Li was somewhat guilty. If something went wrong and it involved him, which might upset Qin Lan, then things would be much more troublesome.

"You're going?" Qin Lan hesitated for a moment, but Yan Li nodded. "After all, they call me brother-in-law. I don't have anything to do today, so I'll go and check on them for you. I know some people at the hospital, so maybe I can help them out."

"Okay, call me if anything comes up."

Qin Lan felt that Yan Li was more reliable than herself, and her hesitation just now was because she was afraid of affecting Yan Li's affairs.

Yan Li comforted Qin Lan and then drove to the hospital. On the way, he called Huo Siyan, but she was probably with someone and didn't say much, only that the situation was not serious and that she was still undergoing examination.

When they arrived at the hospital, Li Xiaolu was already in her ward. Three members of the Teddy Sisters group had arrived: Huo Siyan, Ma Yili, and Xiong Naijin. Li's mother and her agent were also there.

Yes, Jia Nailiang is also there, looking at Li Xiaolu with concern.

"Brother-in-law."

"President Yan."

Upon seeing Yan Li, everyone quickly greeted him, and Yan Li glanced at Li Xiaolu.

His face was a little pale and he looked somewhat weak, but he was clear-headed and did not seem to be in a particularly serious condition.

Relieved, Yan Li explained his purpose: "Qin Lan heard that Xiao Lu came to the hospital and was worried. Since she was unavailable, I came to check on her and see what's going on."

These are all people close to Li Xiaolu. Since the two have separated, Yan Li cannot leave any potential problems for them and justify his behavior towards Li.

To Ma Yili, Xiong Naijin, and others who knew Qin Lan was pregnant, his explanation made no problem.

Given Qin Lan's health, she definitely couldn't come. And since she's so kind-hearted, she probably asked Yan Li, or the latter, fearing Qin Lan would be anxious, to come and help take a look.

Li's mother, Jia Nailiang, and Li's agent were unaware of Qin Lan's pregnancy. At most, they could only marvel at Qin Lan's capabilities, not finding it too strange that she could command Yan Li. It would make perfect sense if they later found out that Qin Lan was pregnant.

"Thank you for your concern, Lanlan and President Yan. Xiaolu is fine. She just slipped and fell while taking a shower and bumped herself a little."

Li's mother expressed her gratitude, but Yan Li didn't quite believe her. She explained that there was no bandaging or anything after the injury, and besides, this was a gynecology ward.

Yan Li didn't say much, but later found an opportunity to call Huo Siyan out and ask her.

"Ruptured corpus luteum?"

Yan Li was momentarily confused, not quite understanding the term. Huo Siyan whispered a few words in his ear.

Yan Li asked, somewhat puzzled, "But everything was fine last night, wasn't it?"

Huo Siyan explained, "I asked the doctor, and it's normal for this to happen several hours or even a day or two later. Xiaolu did fall while taking a shower, so it might have been caused by that fall, or it might have been caused by the fall itself."

This disease is not only caused by driving; sometimes it can be triggered by falls or bumps, or it may even occur spontaneously.

"..."

Yan Li was speechless. Sometimes he would drive a little too hard because it wasn't his own car, but overall he was a decent person and wouldn't go too far. As for Li Xiaolu's matter, she bore more responsibility herself.

Of course, Yan Li couldn't completely shirk responsibility.

Back in the ward, Jia Nailiang was asking Li Xiaolu what she wanted to eat for lunch so he could go out and buy it for her.

Li Xiaolu had no appetite and shook her head. Jia Nailiang tried to persuade her, but she frowned.

"I'm feeling unwell, leave me alone."

Seeing this, Li's mother offered to make it for her, and Ma and Xiong also urged her to eat. Li Xiaolu still didn't want to eat, so Yan Li spoke up.

"You can't recover from an illness without eating; if you eat well, you'll recover faster."

Li Xiaolu glanced at Yan Li, nodded, and said what she wanted to eat. Jia Nailiang, wanting to show off, immediately went to run errands to buy food.

Yan Li didn't linger. After chatting for a few minutes, he said he had something to do and left the ward.

Li Xiaolu felt somewhat disappointed. Even if the two had ended things, it shouldn't be so heartless so quickly, especially since her current predicament was related to him.

After a while, Jia Nailiang returned. He was sweating profusely as he ran around trying to keep the food from getting cold, and he busied himself serving bowls, pouring water, and picking up food for the customers.

Ma Yili and Xiong Naijin both praised Jia Nailiang for being considerate, and Li's mother nodded in agreement.

Li Xiaolu felt a slight sense of relief. No matter how good Yan Li was, he was not for her. No matter how charming and capable he was, she had to consider reality. Finding a man who would dote on her was her true destiny.

After finishing their meal, Jia Nailiang diligently tidied up, just as two nurses arrived.

"Pack up and move to another ward."

Li's mother thought they were being kicked out, so she rushed over to negotiate, only to be told that they had been moved to a private room.

"Didn't they say there were no more private wards?"

When Jia Nailiang arrived, his first thought was that the regular ward was too crowded and he wanted to upgrade Li Xiaolu's ward, but he was told that it was not possible.

Li's mother contacted people later, but it still didn't work.

Medical facilities in Beijing are good, but resources are scarce. Now, during the holidays, hospital beds are especially tight. It's good enough to have a bed at all; people can choose whether or not to stay.

Although the Li family mother and daughter had some fame and wealth, they were still no match for the major hospitals in Beijing.

The nurse replied in a flat tone, "I don't know. Do you want to change it?"

Of course, change it!
The group was moved to a private ward, where they found Yan Li and two middle-aged doctors waiting for them.

"Auntie, this is Vice President Huang of our hospital, and this is Director Sun, who is also a well-known gynecological expert in Beijing. Please have the two of you examine Xiaolu again."

Everyone then realized why they had been suddenly upgraded to a private room; it turned out that Yan Li had arranged it.

As a well-known tycoon and a well-connected figure in Beijing, Yan Li's resources and connections are unmatched by the Li family mother and daughter.

"Thank you, Mr. Yan, for your trouble."

"It's okay, it should be."

Yan Li wasn't a particularly enthusiastic person, but Li Xiaolu had responsibilities now, so he couldn't just abandon her.

After the experts finished their diagnosis and determined that Li Xiaolu's problem was not serious and that she only needed to rest for a while, Yan Li was finally completely relieved.

"Thank you, brother-in-law."

Li Xiaolu's eyes were filled with complex emotions. She had previously thought Jia Nailiang was considerate, but seeing Yan Li effortlessly resolve the issues that she and her daughter couldn't handle, the power and energy he displayed made her admire him.

Some men can only be considered.

Some men don't need to be considerate.

Yan Li ignored Li Xiaolu's complicated gaze, offered a few words of comfort on the surface, and said in a low voice.

“I left a card for Siyan. She can take care of her medical expenses, supplements, and recuperation. She doesn’t need to be frugal.”

After saying that, he raised his voice: "Get well soon. I might not be able to come back later. Your sister Lan and I will come to see you again after you are discharged from the hospital."

Afterwards, Yan Li formally took his leave, and Li's mother personally saw him off, while Huo Siyan even escorted him to the parking lot.

"Please keep an eye on things for me. Call me if you need anything."

"Do not worry."

After seeing Yan Li off, Huo Siyan returned to her ward. Ma Yili, Xiong Naijin, and Agent Li were talking about Yan Li, mostly praising his abilities.

Jia Nailiang, standing to the side, felt somewhat embarrassed. As Li Xiaolu's suitor, he hadn't done as much as her brother-in-law, who was visiting a sick person.

Seeing that Li Xiaolu was in a bad mood, Huo Siyan made an excuse to let Ma Yili and the others go back first, while she, Jia Nailiang, Li's mother, agent and others took turns to stay with her at the bedside.

As evening approached, Jia Nailiang went downstairs to buy dinner, and Huo Siyan looked at Li Xiaolu and smiled.

"Do you regret it?"

"I wouldn't call it that, but it was definitely a bit uncomfortable."

Li Xiaolu and Huo Siyan had no reason to hide anything on this issue and shared their thoughts.

Huo Siyan expressed her understanding, saying that Li Xiaolu made a quick decision on the surface, but was actually very conflicted in private.

Yan Li's advantages were so great that Huo Siyan initially couldn't understand why Jia Nailiang could make Li give up on Yan Li, but she later figured it out.

It wasn't that Jia Nailiang won against Yan Li, but rather that Li Xiaolu was afraid of getting herself into trouble.

Huo Siyan initially thought she would stay with Yan Li for a few years, make some benefits, and then find an honest man. But now she looks down on everyone. She knows that the future is uncertain, but she just can't leave Yan Li and tries every means to please him.

Li Xiaolu's personality and temperament prevented her from "falling into depravity" like Huo Siyan and obediently becoming Yan Li's mistress. Yan Li also had a lukewarm impression of her.

Therefore, while you still have reason and have met a good person, you should make a clean break.

But even though it's over, I still feel a bit unwilling and reluctant. Otherwise, I wouldn't have played so wildly before, and I wouldn't have been so emotional because of Yan Li's arrival and departure.

Huo Siyan didn't know what to say, so she advised her to take it slow and that things would get better with time.

Li Xiaolu nodded, composed herself, and then teased, "Now you're all alone, you can't handle him at all. Shouldn't you find a new teammate? Do you want me to find one for you?"

"Don't worry about it."

Huo Siyan retorted verbally, but inwardly she was also a little worried. To be honest, what Li Xiaolu did today had frightened her a bit.

Although Li Xiaolu went too far, Yan Li's strength was undeniable. She couldn't handle it alone, and it would be quite interesting if she followed in Li's footsteps.

I have to find teammates. If I really can't find reliable ones right away, I can team up with someone temporarily to make do.

Huo Siyan considered it and concluded that Qin Dongfan was out of the question, and Wang Ou and Jiang Xin were also unlikely to succeed.

Li Bingbing doesn't know whether to pay attention to him or not.
And Xu Qing, whom I met at the Huayi restaurant that day, also seems to be having an affair with Yan Li.

The other person is older and probably won't be able to stay with Yan Li for long, so a short-term team is more suitable.

Seeing this, Li Xiaolu joked, "If you really can't find him, I can help you a few more times. Anyway, Jia Nailiang is still in my probation period, and there's still a long way to go before we're officially a couple."

"If all else fails, we can break up. If you need someone, I'll break up with you a few times to help you. Once you find someone, we can get back together."

"..."

Huo Siyan was speechless: "Are you trying to exploit a bug here?"

As the two were talking, Jia Nailiang rushed in, holding his phone in his hand, looking somewhat flustered.

"Something's happened. Xiaolu, someone leaked the news about your hospitalization, saying it's related to President Yan."

Huo/Li: "Huh?"

(End of this chapter)