Chapter 22

After dinner, Qin Lan packed the remaining cake, and the two of them left the restaurant. Yan Li originally wanted to find a place to sing, but Qin Lan felt that singing alone wouldn’t be interesting. She suggested taking a walk in a small grove nearby, where it was quiet and cool. Since it was Qin Lan's birthday, Yan Li agreed to her suggestion. It was evening, and the small grove was a bit dark without streetlights. The two of them strolled along the nearby streets. Since it was hot, Yan Li bought two ice creams, one for each. "Oh, right," Yan Li said as he took a bite of his ice cream and pulled out a small box the size of an egg from his pocket. "I almost forgot your birthday gift." Qin Lan opened it, and inside was a blue crystal necklace. Under the light, it sparkled and looked quite nice. She asked Yan Li to help her put it on. Qin Lan was a bit reluctant to take it off, gently caressing the crystal with her fingers. However, she said, "This thing must be expensive. You treated me to dinner and bought a cake today; it's too much. You should return it." "It's not expensive," Yan Li waved his hand dismissively. "I bought it from a shop on Walking Street, no invoice, just 75 yuan." Qin Lan: "..." How did his ex-girlfriend end up liking him!? Although she found out the price was under a hundred, Qin Lan didn’t seem inclined to take the necklace off. Instead, she accepted the gift and didn’t mention returning it. They continued talking about their future plans. Because he couldn’t mention the Intelligence System, Yan Li kept his response vague. He summarized by saying he planned to return to Beijing to look for opportunities. Qin Lan, on the other hand, was more specific. Even though she starred in "My Fair Princess 3," Qin Lan was not signed under Qiongyao’s company [Zhongjie Media]. The actors signed under Zhongjie were the Little Swallow (Huang Yi), Liu Tao (who played Princess Musa), and Jiang Qin Qin, who also participated in the show. Qin Lan was currently signed with [Huaxia Film and Television], a subsidiary of the Hunan Broadcasting Corporation, which was a powerful but less renowned company. Her role in "My Fair Princess 3" had garnered attention, and though the drama wasn’t finished, her agent had already secured a deal for her next project. "My agent told me if the show does well, they might even offer me a leading role," Qin Lan shared with Yan Li, her face full of hope for the future. Although Qin Lan had previously played leading roles, they were in smaller productions—short films and rural dramas that never aired. So when she said "leading role," she meant the kind of role in a proper, well-funded production, which was the ultimate dream for countless aspiring actresses. Yan Li had the same dream—to be a leading man! At the moment, it seemed like there was still some distance to go to achieve that goal, but Yan Li, armed with his intelligence system, remained confident. Relaxed, Yan Li joked with Qin Lan, "When you become famous, and I haven’t made it yet, I’ll come crawling to you." Qin Lan responded confidently, "Don't worry, by then, I’ll have your back." … After chatting for more than an hour, Yan Li suggested taking Qin Lan back to her hotel. Qin Lan seemed like she wasn’t ready to end the night, but she didn’t object. The two of them leisurely headed toward the hotel. As they neared the hotel, Yan Li had just persuaded Qin Lan not to go to the train station to see him off when a male voice called out from behind. "Qin Lan?" Yan Li turned to look and saw a bald, handsome man looking at them with surprise. The dim streetlight illuminated his face, which seemed to carry a mix of anger and sadness. Yan Li immediately recognized who it was. It was Huang Xiaoming, a senior from Beijing Film Academy and one of Qin Lan’s pursuers. Yan Li’s first reaction was to look at Qin Lan. Since she hadn’t said anything, he wasn’t sure what her attitude toward this pursuer was—whether she would clarify things, be amicable, ignore him, or show a cold face. Qin Lan didn’t hesitate. She immediately linked her arm through Yan Li's, acting intimately, and calmly greeted Huang Xiaoming. "Oh, Mr. Huang, what brings you out this late?" Huang Xiaoming forced a smile. "Just came for a stroll. And who’s this?" As Qin Lan gently nudged Yan Li’s leg, Yan Li immediately understood. He flashed a polite smile and stepped forward to shake hands with Huang Xiaoming. "Hello, I’m Qin Lan’s boyfriend, Yan Li." "Hello, hello." With the light, Huang Xiaoming sized up Yan Li. He wasn’t bad looking—taller and stronger than him. His heart became even more bitter, but he still held onto a sliver of hope. "So where do you work? I haven’t heard Qin Lan mention you before." "I’m just getting by in a nearby crew," Yan Li replied nonchalantly, pulling out a cigarette and offering one to Huang Xiaoming. He lit his own cigarette and gave Qin Lan a glance. She quietly passed him the lighter. Exhaling a puff of smoke, Yan Li smoothly wrapped his arm around Qin Lan’s slender waist, allowing her to lean into him. He looked at Huang Xiaoming with a complicated expression and continued. "We haven’t been together for long. Lanlan’s company is strict about relationships. The crew is full of people, so we’ve kept it low-key." "I see," Huang Xiaoming nodded, his eyes lingering on the couple, forcing a smile. "You two make a good match. Well, I won’t disturb you. I have to go. Take care." Yan Li eagerly urged, "Let’s chat some more. Lanlan mentioned that you’ve been looking out for her in the crew. I haven’t had the chance to properly thank you." "No, no," Huang Xiaoming replied hurriedly. "Alright then, you go ahead. We’ll catch up next time. I’ll definitely thank you properly," Yan Li maintained his smile, waving goodbye as Huang Xiaoming turned and quickly left, his back hurried as if fleeing. "This guy isn’t as thick-skinned as you said," Yan Li said with a chuckle, feeling that Qin Lan had exaggerated a bit. She shot him a strange look and couldn’t help but tease him. "That’s because you’re even bolder than him." "Lanlan, I’m only doing this for you. You’re not being considerate enough." Qin Lan pretended to gag, her face turning slightly red as she glanced at the hand still around her waist. "Take it off." "Don’t rush, I’m just making sure that guy doesn’t have lingering feelings and is hiding somewhere to keep an eye on us. If he does, I won’t be here, and he’ll come harass you again." Upon hearing this, Qin Lan, who wasn’t particularly resistant to the situation, half-heartedly agreed. "Alright, just wait a bit longer." Yan Li quietly kept his arm around her, and as time passed, he became a little bolder. Qin Lan endured for a while, but when his actions started to get too familiar, she gritted her teeth and said. "Is this also to prevent him from having lingering feelings?" "Yeah." Yan Li nodded confidently, adding, "I think this isn’t enough. We should add a little more." Qin Lan, laughing, asked, "What more?" Yan Li turned to face her, and before she could process what was happening, he cupped her face and kissed her fiercely. After a long moment, he pulled away. "That’s the extra." He then swiftly ran off, calling out, "But remember, you kissed me first!" After days of waiting, he finally got his revenge! Watching Yan Li quickly flee, Qin Lan, originally upset, touched her lips and suddenly broke into a smile. Her eyes sparkled with affection, and she muttered, "Pervert." In the corner of the hotel lobby, a certain man named Huang, who had been secretly watching, felt his heart shatter into pieces…