012 The young lad has strong firepower; he must be understood.

Yan Li, unaware of Qin Lan’s situation, hurried back to the crew of "Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties" to get makeup and start filming.

Today, his scenes were mainly scheduled for the afternoon and evening.

Originally, they expected to finish by around nine at night, but as filming dragged on, it was nearly midnight, yet there was still no sign of wrapping up.

Delays in wrapping up were all too common on set.

Filming rarely went smoothly every day; sometimes actors flubbed their lines multiple times, set changes moved slowly, costume and props had minor mishaps, or coordination with locations and transportation faltered.

All these miscellaneous issues piled up, pushing the wrap-up time further back—the more problems, the longer the delay.

Yan Li had faced this many times before. He eased his impatience and fatigue, steadied himself, and focused on shooting the scenes as needed.

That evening, they filmed the heroine Li Rongrong’s assassination attempt on Yang Guang. Yan Li’s role was minor; the earlier parts focused on the tangled love and hate between Yang Guang and Li Rongrong, with Yan Li only appearing at the crucial moment to come to the rescue and seize someone.

Thus, while some actors finished early, Yan Li had to wait until the very end.

According to the script, the heroine Li Rongrong was a great beauty and a superb qin player. When Yang Guang was still crown prince, he coveted her and sought marriage through her father, only to be rejected. Enraged and humiliated, Yang Guang framed and killed Li Rongrong’s entire family.

Li Rongrong was lucky to survive and lived among the common folk, where she later met Qin Qiong and Wang Bodang, eventually falling in love with Qin Qiong.

Driven by a deep family vendetta, Li Rongrong was determined to kill Yang Guang. Originally, she relied on Qin Qiong for revenge.

But after Li Yuanba of Siming Mountain wiped out the Eighteen Rebel Kings, her desire for vengeance grew fiercer. On impulse, she asked Wang Bodang to craft a mechanical qin, intending to personally assassinate Yang Guang.

Her overall revenge plan was quite feasible. Under the alias Qin Rong, she bribed palace maids, and since Yang Guang was lecherous and indulgent, her extraordinary beauty and musical talent easily earned her a recommendation to him.

Because she resembled the original Li Rongrong, Yang Guang, unable to have the true beauty, was quite interested and was even seduced into listening to her play the qin alone.

However, just one move went wrong. Yang Guang’s consort Xiao was no fool; sensing something amiss, she reported to Yuwen Huaji.

Cunning as ever, Yuwen Huaji deduced Li Rongrong’s true identity and immediately sent Yuwen Chengdu to guard the emperor.

Li Rongrong was in the midst of playing the qin, trying to lower Yang Guang’s guard, when Yuwen Chengdu burst in. Realizing exposure was inevitable, she struck decisively.

The hidden arrow she shot was blocked by a soldier; Yuwen Chengdu then smashed the qin to pieces and grabbed her by the throat with one hand.

“Who are you? Why attempt to assassinate the emperor?”

After that, Yan Li only had one line, “Take her away.” He maintained his grip on Li Rongrong’s neck, tightening it in sync with Yang Guang’s dialogue.

Before filming, Yan Li had specifically sought out Tong Lei, who played the heroine, to rehearse their scene.

She was about his age and reportedly still studying at the Central Academy of Drama. Since they had never had a scene together before, Yan Li barely knew her.

This chokehold scene was a physical interaction and a critical moment, so Yan Li wanted to discuss it to avoid hurting her by applying too much pressure.

“If I squeeze a little, you react immediately. Try this strength and tell me if it’s okay.”

Tong Lei, young and seemingly gentle and shy, nodded at once.

“Don’t worry, I’ll cooperate with you.”

Yan Li tried the grip on her neck. Though not very slender, her neck was easily encircled by his large hand. He gauged the exact pressure needed then released his hold.

The young actress appreciated his consideration and politely said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Yan Li replied.

He was used to it. Though he didn’t look old, his face was a bit mature for his age, and with his steady personality, he didn’t seem like someone just in their early twenties.

Qin Lan had guessed he was about twenty-five or six, and many on set often mistook his age, with younger actors and staff calling him “brother” out of respect or habit.

Whether correct or not, Yan Li didn’t mind; calling him brother was better than calling him little brother.

Filming went smoothly for him since his part mainly involved expressions and movements without much difficulty. However, Tong Lei and Xie Junhao, who acted opposite each other, felt some pressure and flubbed their lines twice, but overall it was fairly smooth.

After finishing the scene, they finally wrapped for the day. Many who had scenes the next day hurried off to queue for makeup removal and rest.

Yan Li had no scenes tomorrow, so he wasn’t in a rush. He borrowed a cigarette from the camera crew and leisurely made his way back to the makeup room.

On the way, it was past midnight. The daily news update arrived on time, and since Yan Li hadn’t slept yet, he checked it immediately.

…

[Daily Report #2: Qin Lan’s admirer is Huang Xiaoming, a 24-year-old graduate of the 1996 class of the Beijing Film Academy Acting Department. He stands 1.73 meters tall, weighs... He has appeared in TV series such as "Internet Bug Diary," "The Emperor of the Han Dynasty," and "My Fair Princess 3." Industry insiders hold a positive outlook on his career development.]

Huang Xiaoming?

Yan Li recognized the name, not because he had watched any of his dramas, but because of Huang’s two classmates: Zhao Yanzi and Chen Kun.

The former rose to immense fame through "My Fair Princess" and "Romance in the Rain," while the latter gained some recognition by acting in Zhao Baogang’s "Like Fog, Like Rain, and Like Wind."

Riding on their popularity, the 1996 class of Beijing Film Academy drew some attention. Among the rest of the classmates, Huang was considered to be doing quite well.

Yan Li entered the Beijing Film Academy in 2000, so the 1996 class had already graduated.

Unexpectedly, because of Qin Lan, he had an incidental connection with this senior.

However, Yan Li didn’t give it much thought.

What of the senior? If the senior turned into a rogue, he was ready to step in—after all, this wasn’t the first time Yan Li had dealt with a troublesome senior.

Think you can easily be the ex-boyfriend of the academy’s campus belle?

Many seniors had coveted Dong Xuan, the petite beauty, and a few crossed the line; Yan Li and his brothers dealt with those exceptions.

One memorable case was a star second-generation named Du from the class of ’99. Yan Li once barged into Du’s dorm to confront him, earning a major demerit for it later.

[Daily Report #4: Ex-girlfriend Dong Xuan has reached her limit with Yan Li’s prolonged silence and confided in her best friend Guan Yue, vowing that if Yan Li doesn’t call her first, she will break up for good without hesitation.]

Yan Li: “…”

He hadn’t contacted her for over half a month, which was indeed a bit much. Maybe he should find time to reply tomorrow?

Yes, but not a direct reply—if he replied straight to her, she’d get all worked up again. He’d reply to Guan Yue instead, subtly showing concern. Guan Yue would surely relay the message.

[Daily Report #6: Qin Lan, currently asleep in a hotel, is having a passionate dream with Yan Li, dreaming of them together…]

“Ahem, ahem…”

Yan Li choked on his cigarette, momentarily stunned. He didn’t understand what was going on with this girl—how could a meal inspire such a dream?

He hoped the restaurant owner hadn’t slipped anything into the dishes.

[Daily Report #8: Wang Decai, assistant director of "Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties," has recommended Yan Li highly to producers, directors, and fellow assistant directors, inquiring if there are any suitable roles for him.]

Yan Li clapped his hands. Good, that 3,000-yuan red envelope wasn’t given in vain—Old Wang really got things done.

He’d invite him out for barbecue later to show some appreciation. Maybe before filming wrapped, Old Wang could help secure his next film project.

[Daily Report #10: A gang of criminals using seduction to lure men into extortion schemes has appeared recently in Hengdian. Please remain vigilant. (Note: Their initial bait often involves small cards distributed in various Hengdian hotels.)]

Hmph, why tell me this?

Though Yan Li scoffed, when he passed a trash bin near the makeup room, he obediently took out his wallet and tossed a colorful little card into the bin.

A young man in his prime with a strong build naturally had a vigorous appetite.

Being alone every night sometimes sparked a certain curiosity—it was understandable…