Li Yan decided to stay overnight because his internal hesitation was gone; he was ready to face Qiao Huanxuan.

However, Qiao Huanxuan was unaware of the change in his heart, especially the drastic transformation. To her, Li Yan's sudden decision to stay might have been out of emotion or excitement, all merely related to desire.

After showering and returning to bed, Li Yan held her as they fell asleep together.

This change took her by surprise, and she felt a bit unaccustomed to it. But tucked in his arms, she didn't struggle. She lay there quietly with him under the same blanket. It was her first time experiencing this. Although they had gone to bed the same way last time, she had eventually kicked Li Yan out to sleep on the sofa.

Feeling his body heat, sensing the male presence, and the faint scent of tobacco, Qiao Huanxuan briefly wondered if she was hallucinating. She thought perhaps Li Yan had already left, and what she was seeing was just her imagination, or perhaps he hadn't come at all!

But whether it was hallucination or fantasy, she didn't bother to investigate or verify. To her, having such a vivid illusion or dream wasn't so easy to achieve anyway.

In a state of half-dream, half-wakefulness, a weary Qiao Huanxuan drifted off into sleep. This birthday, which began with frustration and disappointment, ultimately found fulfillment in both reality and fantasy.

...

When he woke up in the morning, Li Yan checked the time. If he hurried, he could still make it to work on time. However, he looked disheveled, and it would be best to go home and change his clothes, which meant he wouldn't have enough time.

Given the circumstances, he decided to take things a bit slower!

He carefully lifted Qiao Huanxuan's arm from his side and then gingerly moved one of her jade-like legs from his waist, gazing at the sleeping beauty beside him.

After a long while, he quietly got out of bed, gently dressed, and silently exited the room.

As the door closed, Qiao Huanxuan on the bed opened her eyes. Having slept in his embrace all night felt unfamiliar, but she held onto him persistently. When Li Yan moved her hand earlier, she already sensed it, and by the time he lifted her leg, she had woken up.

In that position, seeing him gaze at her as if he wanted to "exercise" in the morning made her keep her eyes closed. Although she had been proactive and enthusiastic the previous two times, as a woman, after sleeping all night, she now wanted to enjoy a moment of stillness.

Unfortunately, Li Yan got out of bed shortly after, quietly dressed, and left the room, closing the door behind him!

She opened her eyes to the ceiling, a wry smile on her lips. Upon waking up, she found the person in her arms hadn't disappeared, which brought her relief. At least everything from last night was real. Looking around, the flowers and the music box were still there, affirming that the previous night was real. Yet he still sneaked away quietly.

So what?

There wasn't much expectation to begin with; wasn't this to be expected?

With this thought, Qiao Huanxuan closed her eyes, silently calming her emotions.

A few minutes later, she got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. It was daytime, and she still had work to do.

After washing up and brushing her hair, Qiao Huanxuan hadn't yet had time to change her clothes or apply makeup when she heard the door again. Rushing out, she was surprised to see Li Yan reappear at the door.

"Didn't you leave?" This unexpected situation brought a hint of joy to Qiao Huanxuan.

"Haha, I dropped my car keys here, so I came back to find them." Li Yan laughed as he came in.

"Oh... well, you can look for them yourself!" The slight joy she had just felt was mercilessly crushed. If he just came back to look for his car keys, it had nothing to do with her.

"Just kidding! I packed breakfast, quickly change and come eat, or you'll be late."

Qiao Huanxuan no longer believed him, suspecting it was another joke. She returned to the bedroom to change her clothes. But before she finished changing, the aroma of food wafted in. Looking outside, she saw Li Yan setting out a variety of packed breakfast items!

Did he really buy breakfast?

Could it be that he quietly went out earlier just to buy breakfast?

"Hurry up a bit! I was afraid of waking you earlier, so I haven't even brushed my teeth or washed my face yet." Li Yan took out the breakfast and then went into the bathroom to freshen up.

When he came out, he found that Qiao Huanxuan was not only up but had also changed clothes and even put on a bit of makeup!

Don't women usually take a lot of time changing clothes and putting on makeup? How come she's so quick?

Qiao Huanxuan noticed his surprise, and there was a slight trace of pride in her eyes. Normally, she would spend a bit more time, as appearance is quite important. But today was a bit different; if she spent more time on dressing and makeup, Li Yan might have left directly by the time she came out, and now at least she could drag him into having breakfast together.

...

After a simple breakfast, Li Yan left first. He couldn't drive straight to work; he had to cross the city and go home to change his wrinkled clothes.

On the way, he turned his phone back on. He had told Zhang Yurong he was out socializing when he came over last night, and later, even though he didn't return home, he didn't call or text her. He originally thought Yurong would have called him, not getting through, and would have left some message for him, asking him to call back. Unexpectedly, there was no message at all!

Thinking about it, she might be angry, right?

He didn't think much about it and just kept driving home. By the time he arrived, it was already past nine, and a call from Chu Yi came in, tactfully asking if he was dissatisfied with Xiao Lu last night, otherwise, why would he leave so soon? He also hinted that if he wasn't happy with Xiao Lu, he could choose from Xiao Ai and the others. Or if young students weren't to his liking, they could arrange a visit to a high-end sauna for a professional experience.

Actually, this call was made last night, but after Li Yan went to Qiao Huanxuan's place, he notified Zhang Yurong and then turned off his phone. By the time Xiao Lu found them at the nightclub and after considering whether to call, his phone was already off.

In his view, how could such a coincidence happen? Li Yan must have been dissatisfied with the fun, guessed he would call, and turned off his phone to avoid it. So last night, both he and Qiao Pan were not very at ease, and they dared not call Li Yan too early. Only now, after work started, did they call to inquire.

By this time, Li Yan was home, on a speakerphone while changing clothes in the bedroom. Because of this, he only listened to the call, responding with short answers like "Hmm," "No," "You're too kind." Chu Yi didn't know his situation, and assumed he might be unsatisfied. He also quietly analyzed that since Li Yan didn't hang up on him, there should still be room for maneuver.

After saying so much, suggesting some sort of indulgence, Li Yan just humored him without much interest, seemingly uninterested. Chu Yi figured that Li Yan wasn't looking for ordinary entertainment but direct benefits! Or perhaps he wanted to play with a somewhat famous star!

If it was the former, it would be easier to handle. Getting kickbacks from public funds is something many are willing to do; after all, the resources are from the company. Chu Yi wouldn't have to pay out of pocket, and even if they hosted him, they might not make him happy. Better profits directly! However, if it was the latter, it would take time. Although Heavenly Film has the backing of Paradise Group now, as a new venture, getting a somewhat famous actress to cooperate would still be quite difficult until they prove themselves.

Thinking about it, Chu Yi became serious and got straight to the point: "Remember Qiao Pan's project? He still hasn't found a primary investor, and he's lowered his budget target. Currently, Mo Yan and I each hold a part, and the distribution company has a part, and one cinema line also holds a part. But the biggest investor is still not settled. If you're interested, if you want to make this your entrepreneurial work, we warmly welcome it!"

Saying this, he lowered his voice a bit: "Old Li, we're brothers, so we'll cut to the chase. Old Qiao's project definitely has potential. He's just had a few consecutive failures, and no big company trusts him anymore. Otherwise, it wouldn't have come to me, and even Chuyi Culture is willing but can't chew it all. We're old friends; you met Mo Yan yesterday as well. The distribution and cinema sides are all Qiao Pan's connections, and the shares are not much. It's just to give them a piece of the pie so they'll put some heart into it and won't affect our decisions. This time the main actor is up to you! Some actor fees are fixed, but Old Qiao can help you get a certain rebate..."

At this moment, Li Yan had changed his clothes. Listening to Chu Yi beat around the bush, and then to his direct talk now, he realized Chu Yi's intentions.

"Old Chu, don't think too much about it. I had a great time last night. I had some things to take care of after, so I left and turned off my phone. Just now, when you called me, I was also busy..."

Chu Yi felt a bit relieved, "Heh, heh, new ventures, understandable, understandable. I was like that before, always busy."

"As for the cooperation project... Since Producer Qiao revised the plan, let him bring it to my company for a look. We're familiar with each other; we see each other all the time. I trust you wouldn't set me up. Even though I just met Mo Yan yesterday, he only seems a bit lusty, shouldn't be a problem. Using this as our founding work still requires some review but it's not impossible. As for the rebate... Heh heh, to be honest, besides being a manager of Heavenly Film, I'm actually also a shareholder. Mm, just between me and you!" Li Yan said half-truthfully.

Chu Yi was a bit surprised. He knew that Li Yan had just been an assistant to Wen Qianyi in the business department before. Now he actually has shares in the new company? But that Li Yan could become a manager at Heavenly Film already amazed him. Partnering with the boss, it's not impossible. With Paradise Group's strong backing, having some worth-individuals in their businesses is not uncommon. And rewarding some stock options by Paradise Group wouldn't be surprising either.

"Understood, understood, Old Li, you're the boss too. But I don't mean for you to cheat yourself or embezzle. Actually, star fees are also fluctuating, just like seafood, or even vegetables, they're all at market price! Personal appeal strong, good market, with no competition, their asking price is quite firm. If the box office consecutively fails, the overall environment is poor, or we simultaneously approach a few similar types of actors, their asking price would soften down. But some, for the sake of face, won't lower their asking price, and such, we could negotiate through their agents, doing a rebate return in some way."

Li Yan initially thought that discounted stars and actors might not guarantee quality. However, after hearing Chu Yi's explanation, he didn't comment further. Since such an unspoken rule exists, it wouldn't be right to directly damage face and affect cooperation; retrieving a bit in this way isn't bad. Being the largest investor should entitle him to this benefit. Whether it belongs to the company or to him personally doesn't really matter.

"OK, I understand. Make sure Old Qiao visits our company tomorrow to talk!"

He pushed the time to tomorrow because he still needed to have his staff assess Qiao Pan's ability today.

(Sweat, there was a case nearby where someone got killed over a dollar fifty. A man and a woman, drinking, went to the bathroom and the old lady collecting fees asked for a dollar fifty. The two refused to pay, leading to an argument with the old lady's son. The man and woman left, and shortly after, the woman came back with a group, directly hacking the old woman and killing the son on the spot... Reality is always crazier than fiction.) (To be continued, to know more, please login to www.qidian.com, more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)

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