020 A Kiss, A Kiss

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Yan Li had long known that Nie Yuan and Huang Yi, the new Xiao Yanzi and couple in the remake of "Princess Pearl 3," were dating. After all, he dealt with Nie Yuan frequently and was acquainted with Qin Lan, who was also filming in the "Princess Pearl 3" crew, so it was inevitable he would catch wind of related information.

Not only did Yan Li know they were in a relationship, but he also knew that their romance was currently strained, even to the point of nearly breaking up. Although the two crews were not far apart, the couple’s interactions were fewer than those between Qin Lan and himself.

But judging by the current atmosphere, it seemed their old feelings had rekindled, the embers reignited.

As for the girl who came in with Huang Yi, Yan Li also recognized her. She was the new Ziwei in "Princess Pearl 3," Ma Yili, whom he had encountered once when sending Qin Lan back to her hotel. She had acted in quite a few dramas and had some fame, but Yan Li was unfamiliar with her work.

"Come, let me introduce you," Nie Yuan said, pausing the music to make the introductions. Yan Li shook hands with Huang Yi and joked, "Should I call you sister-in-law or sister-in-law-in-law?"

Huang Yi laughed heartily, "Call me whatever you want."

Nie Yuan protested, "You were born in the ’80s, two years younger than me, so you have to be ‘sister-in-law.’"

Tong Lei, standing nearby, was momentarily stunned and then asked Yan Li, "Brother, you were born in ’80?"

Yan Li coughed awkwardly, "Yeah."

Tong Lei pressed, "Which month?"

"…November."

Tong Lei burst out laughing, "I was born in January ’80! I’ve been calling you brother all this time, and you’re actually younger than me by a few months."

"You didn’t ask, how would I know you’re younger?" Yan Li’s words lacked confidence. Though he genuinely didn’t know Tong Lei’s birthday, having gathered detailed information about her, he was just feigning ignorance to gain an advantage.

Ignoring Tong Lei’s indignant expression, Yan Li shook hands and greeted Ma Yili, who looked at him teasingly.

"Seriously? Huang Yi and I are here, but you’re not calling Qin Lan?"

"Who’s Qin Lan? What’s going on?"

Nie Yuan and Huang Yi were both baffled. Weren’t these two meeting for the first time? Why did it feel like they already knew each other? And who was Qin Lan?

Ma Yili whispered a few words to Huang Yi, whose eyes suddenly lit up as she looked at Yan Li. "So the handsome guy who’s been hitting on Qin Lan is you!"

Yan Li explained, "We’re just friends…"

Before he could finish, Huang Yi had already pulled out her phone. "I’ll call Qin Lan and ask her to come over."

Nie Yuan grabbed Yan Li and interrogated, "Where did this Qin Lan come from? Are you secretly dating behind my back?"

Tong Lei silently watched from the side, her gaze a mixture of reproach and grievance.

No wonder Yan Li usually ignored her—he already had someone special!

Ma Yili, enjoying the drama, vividly recounted the story of Yan Li and Qin Lan to everyone present.

In fact, she didn’t know much—she had only encountered Yan Li once when he was sending Qin Lan back and had inquired, but Qin Lan had not disclosed anything, simply saying they were friends.

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But since Qin Lan remained silent, Ma Yili’s mind wandered.

Don’t forget, there was also Huang Xiaoming, whose pursuit of Qin Lan on the "Princess Pearl 3" set was no secret.

Although Qin Lan hadn’t accepted his advances before and had been polite, one day her attitude suddenly changed. She gave Huang Xiaoming the cold shoulder and eventually treated him with outright indifference.

And this change in attitude coincided with the time Qin Lan had met with Yan Li.

Suddenly, everything connected!

Yan Li had swooped in to steal the love, Qin Lan’s heart belonged to Yan Lang, and Huang Xiaoming could only suffer in silence.

Because the story was full of twists and turns, it caused quite a stir within the "Princess Pearl 3" crew.

Huang, Ma, and others privately gossiped and were curious about this mysterious handsome man who had won over Qin Lan and left Huang Xiaoming frustrated. It was unexpected to run into him here today.

"You’re quite the player," Nie Yuan, Kou Zhanwen, and the others said enthusiastically. Yan Li had quietly poached talent from the neighboring crew, making them proud.

With everyone’s voices condemning him, Yan Li was powerless to refute and, considering Qin Lan’s feelings, remained silent.

To everyone, this silence was an admission.

Nie Yuan, wrapping an arm around Huang Yi who had just finished her call, declared they were now family by marriage. Li Guolin joined in the teasing; Ma Yili typed away on her phone, probably sharing the gossip; Kou Zhanwen howled dramatically singing "Sweet Honey" in celebration, while Tong Lei quietly drank her beer.

About twenty minutes later, Huang Yi waved her phone. "Qin Lan’s here, just at the main entrance."

Everyone looked at Yan Li, who put down his glass. "I’ll go get her."

Outside the private room, at the KTV entrance, Qin Lan was waiting on the steps. Seeing Yan Li, she asked with some confusion, "Huang Yi’s call was vague—what’s really going on?"

"The crew came to see me off…" Yan Li explained briefly, and Qin Lan suddenly understood. Her beautiful eyes fixed on Yan Li, her voice feigning hesitation.

"Should I come in?"

"You’re already here, why leave?"

Qin Lan, who hadn’t planned to leave, was persuaded and followed Yan Li back inside the room. Upon entering, Nie Yuan and Huang Yi immediately started teasing.

"Woo—"

Qin Lan was not shy; she greeted Nie Yuan and the others warmly. Only when she saw Tong Lei did her eyes narrow slightly.

"Hello, I’m Qin Lan."

"Tong Lei."

After exchanging pleasantries, Qin Lan didn’t join Huang Yi and the others but deliberately approached Tong Lei to chat.

Upon learning Tong Lei’s role in the crew through subtle questioning, Qin Lan expressed surprise.

"So you played Li Rongrong?"

Tong Lei frowned slightly. "You know Li Rongrong?"

"I know her very well. Yan Li was uncertain about a few scenes involving Li Rongrong, so he privately rehearsed with me. We practiced for a long time. This drama wasn’t easy to film. If Yan Li offended you in any way, I’ll apologize on his behalf."

After saying this, Qin Lan took a big sip of beer. Tong Lei forced a smile and politely took a sip as well.

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After chatting briefly, Tong Lei asked Li Guolin for the microphone to sing. Yan Li sat down beside Qin Lan and whispered in her ear.

"What did you say to her?"

Qin Lan pulled out her phone and typed back, "Feeling sorry?"

Yan Li sighed and took her phone. "We’re just colleagues, don’t say nonsense."

"Really? I think her skin is quite fair."

"So this is a dead issue now, huh?"

Onstage, Tong Lei watched Yan Li and Qin Lan huddled over a phone, the already melancholic love song becoming even more poignant and sorrowful.

After finishing the song, Tong Lei got off the stage, and before she could sit back down, Qin Lan pulled Yan Li up to join her.

"Let’s sing a duet."

"What song?"

"Do you know Liang Jingru’s ‘Courage’?"

"Sure."

Yan Li sang well. During his two years at university, he had taught himself guitar—mainly to impress girls.

These days, it was all about that: white shirt, jeans, sitting outside the girls’ dorm playing guitar and singing.

Songs like Zhang Hongliang’s "Do You Know I’m Waiting for You" or Richie Jen’s "Look Over Here, Girl" had powerful charm. Yan Li’s success with his ex-girlfriend owed much to this little skill.

Unexpectedly, Qin Lan sang well too, hitting the right key and possessing a magnetic voice.

"…As long as you give me a single look of approval, my love will have meaning. We all need courage to believe we can be together…"

Their first duet was seamless—one line from her, one from him—with rhythm, emotion, and harmony all perfectly aligned.

After finishing "Courage," perhaps moved by the song, they exchanged a glance, the atmosphere tinged with subtle intimacy.

Nie Yuan and the others were swept up in the moment, clapping and cheering. Huang Yi was the most enthusiastic, clapping and shouting.

"Kiss, kiss!"

Yan Li was about to tell her to stop when Qin Lan, taking advantage of his distraction, suddenly leaned over, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him on the cheek, prompting cheers from everyone.

After the kiss, Qin Lan quickly slipped away, mischievously winking and sticking out her tongue at Yan Li.

Yan Li touched his cheek, feeling a mix of emotions.

He was always the one who took advantage of others, but today the eagle was pecked by the bird. He’d better find a way to get even…