Chapter 11

Qin Lan tried hard to keep smiling: "I haven't congratulated you yet, for having such a beautiful and fair ex-girlfriend." The words "fair" and "ex-girlfriend" carried a subtle emphasis, but Yan Li didn’t react, merely glancing at the table full of dishes and letting out a sigh. "If you don’t want to pay, let me go back to get some money, I don’t have cash on me." Qin Lan, who had been sulking, couldn’t help but laugh and rolled her eyes at him: "Don’t worry, I’m not that petty." "Hmph, your credibility with me right now isn’t very high." A few words eased the awkwardness from before, mostly because Qin Lan realized she was in the wrong. She had been pestering him for a review, and when she got it, she became upset—what kind of behavior is that? Couples may act a bit childish with each other, but she and Yan Li were still just getting to know each other as friends. Qin Lan was straightforward, pouring herself a big glass of beer and gulping it down: "It’s my fault, I owe you an apology." Yan Li couldn’t help but look at her in a new light. Many women act childish toward men, but it was rare for someone to take the initiative to admit their mistake and apologize. She was indeed a sincere person. Yan Li still had work in the afternoon and couldn’t drink, so he substituted tea for alcohol. They weren’t the type to be overly concerned with small things, and a slight disagreement didn’t affect the harmony between them. The dinner atmosphere remained relaxed and friendly. After dinner, as they were about to settle the bill, Yan Li noticed that Qin Lan’s cheeks were slightly flushed from the alcohol, and he became a bit concerned. "I’ll walk you back." Qin Lan waved her hand: "No need, I just get red when I drink, I’m not drunk." "It’s fine, it’s on my way back to the set." Yan Li accompanied Qin Lan to the hotel where she was staying. "Princess Pearl 3" was a big production, and the hotel was much better than the one where Yan Li was staying. "Okay, you go back now, I’m going." When they reached the hotel entrance, as Yan Li was about to wave goodbye, Qin Lan suddenly grabbed him and leaned into his arms, leaving Yan Li stunned. Was this because of the wind on the way here, or had the alcohol kicked in? Why was she suddenly throwing herself into his arms? "We’re from the same production, help me cover for me." Qin Lan’s voice reached his ears, and only then did Yan Li understand what was going on—she had run into a colleague from the set. Still, there was no need to hide—they didn’t have any secret relationship. It was quite normal to run into a classmate or friend in Hengdian. Could it be someone from the opposite team? Yan Li quickly scanned the group—three women and two men, some of them looking somewhat familiar. There wasn’t time to think further, so since Qin Lan had asked for help, he couldn’t refuse. Yan Li was tall and fit, wearing slightly loose historical drama clothing. He turned sideways, enveloping Qin Lan in his arms. His costume sleeves and robe shielded both their faces and bodies from view. Even if someone saw them, they would likely think it was a couple of actors acting sweet, something quite common in Hengdian. Yan Li lowered his head, pretending to be affectionate with Qin Lan, while keeping an eye on the group to ensure they didn’t notice. But Qin Lan, in his arms, wasn’t paying attention to them anymore. It was June, and although the weather in Hengdian wasn’t particularly hot, it wasn’t cool either. Yan Li had removed his armor before coming out, leaving only a thin inner layer. The soft fabric of his costume pressed against Qin Lan, and she could feel his muscles—hard yet slightly elastic—and the warmth emanating from his body. Moreover, his long-sleeved robes weren’t very breathable, and after walking for a while, he had a slight sweat odor. The smell wasn’t pleasant, but for some reason, Qin Lan didn’t mind it; in fact, she kind of liked it. Is something wrong with my nose or my mind? Qin Lan scolded herself in her heart, and just then, she felt Yan Li’s arms loosen. He took two steps back, releasing her from his embrace. "They’re gone, they didn’t notice." Qin Lan glanced at where she had just been held, feeling a bit lost, and straightened her hair, explaining. "One of them is chasing me, and I was worried he’d see you and cause some trouble." "Your almost-boyfriend?" Yan Li understood immediately, no wonder she was hiding—this situation was prone to misunderstandings. "No, no, no." Qin Lan shook her head rapidly, seeming to worry Yan Li might think the wrong thing. She quickly clarified. "He’s been pursuing me, but I didn’t agree. If he had seen us together, I was worried he might cause a scene. There are a lot of people from the set around, and I’m a newcomer. It’s better to avoid unnecessary trouble." Qin Lan spoke a bit messily, but Yan Li understood and became angry on her behalf: "What a scoundrel, pestering someone when they’ve already said no." Yan Li really disliked people like that. Chasing someone was fine, but it had to be mutual; if the girl didn’t agree, then endlessly clinging to her was just wrong. "Do you need help? If not, I can step in and warn him." Yan Li rolled up his sleeves. He wasn’t the type to meddle, but since Qin Lan was his friend, he definitely couldn’t let her be mistreated. "No, no need." Qin Lan quickly stopped him. The other person was annoying, but not that bad. Plus, he had some standing, so it was enough just to avoid him. No need to drag Yan Li into it. After confirming that Qin Lan was fine, Yan Li reluctantly agreed but still emphasized. "If anything happens, call me. I know how to handle it without getting you into trouble." Qin Lan felt warm inside, but she still gently persuaded Yan Li to leave and waved him off. As she watched him walk away, she suddenly had the impulse to smell the arm that had been pressed against Yan Li’s chest earlier. By the time she realized what she had done, her face was flushed, and her heart was racing. "You’re hopeless, a daydreamer." She slapped her face to clear her thoughts. Once the heat in her cheeks faded, Qin Lan took a step forward into the hotel. However, as she reached near her room upstairs, the smile she had involuntarily worn faded instantly. Standing at the door was a handsome man with a shaved head—her pursuer, Huang Xiaoming, who played Xiao Jian in Princess Pearl 3. When he saw Qin Lan, Huang Xiaoming grinned and raised the take-out container in his hand. "Earlier, Huang Yi and the others were planning to get together. They wanted to invite you, but you weren’t in your room. So, I brought you some food." Usually, when something like this happened, Qin Lan, not wanting to be too direct and leave her colleagues awkward, would try to politely reject Huang Xiaoming. If she couldn’t avoid it, she’d find a way to make up for it later. Perhaps because of Qin Lan’s hesitating nature, Huang Xiaoming mistook her kindness for flirting and became more persistent. Qin Lan’s face turned cold as she thought about this and spoke with determination. "No need, I’m not hungry. And please don’t bring me food anymore, so there’s no misunderstanding with others." After saying that, without waiting for him to respond, Qin Lan opened the door and swiftly entered her room, shutting him outside. Huang Xiaoming stood there in confusion, unsure of what had just happened. He scratched his head and had a sudden realization. "Could it be someone said something to Qin Lan and she’s upset, jealous, and throwing a tantrum?" He quickly started explaining from the outside, but Qin Lan had already decided not to listen. So, it wasn’t entirely her fault for not being firm enough in her refusal. The issue was that he had a tendency to overthink and misinterpret everything she said, always replying with his own version, filled with a kind of inexplicable confidence. With her headphones on, Qin Lan blocked out the outside noise and grabbed a mirror to check her appearance. Her slender fingers traced her cheek, her beautiful eyes flashing as she softly murmured to herself. "I’m not that fair..."