Chapter 436 If you're going to marry, marry my older brother.

In the western suburbs of Qingcheng, a palatial mansion sits atop a mountain, shining like a luminous pearl in the darkness.

Yan Chen sat alone on the sofa, his slender fingers holding a glass, the amber liquid inside swirling gently with his movements.

He was completely shrouded in shadow, the air pressure around him was frighteningly low, and his mind was filled with Tang Xiaoya's face.

It lingers.

Irritable.

Not long after, the assistant led a woman over quickly.

It's Du Yunshu.

She spotted the man on the sofa immediately.

Despite the dim lighting, that incredibly handsome face still clearly assaulted her vision.

The Yan family genes are truly powerful; both brothers are top-notch handsome men.

Du Yunshu was completely stunned.

This face is simply a feast for the eyes.

No wonder he's a Best Actor winner who's swept all the major awards.

The resentment she felt vanished instantly.

If the marriage partner is him, actually... it wouldn't be bad to marry him.

Yan Chen looked up, his gaze falling on her, devoid of warmth.

He spoke, his voice hoarse from drinking.

"You didn't like my older brother?"

Du Yunshu was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

She straightened her back and said, "It's because he didn't like me."

"He likes Tang Xiaoya."

"So, you changed your mind and want to marry me?" Yan Chen's tone was somewhat playful.

Du Yunshu's heart skipped a beat, but she still boldly looked at him.

"The task that Grandpa Yan gave me was to spend half a month with you two brothers in turn, in order to cultivate your relationship."

She was implying that she and he should also start developing feelings for each other.

Yan Chen smiled, but his smile carried a chill.

"Cultivate feelings?"

He slowly picked up the bottle and poured wine into an empty glass.

"sure."

As he poured the wine, he asked casually.

"I heard that Miss Du previously set her dog on Tang Xiaoya?"

Du Yunshu's face froze instantly.

She didn't expect that he knew about this too.

"I don't like her pretentious, innocent act."

"I dislike even more that Yan Jin's attention is entirely focused on her."

Her face was filled with disgust.

"Oh."

Yan Chen let out a soft snort, but said nothing.

He handed her the glass of wine he had just filled.

Du Yunshu subconsciously reached out to take it.

Unexpectedly, my wrist was suddenly gripped by a tremendous force.

Yan Chen pulled her into his arms.

The world spun around.

Du Yunshu was completely stunned as she crashed heavily into his hard chest.

"ah!"

"I'll feed you." His voice was right next to my ear, carrying the scorching smell of alcohol and a bone-chilling cold.

He gripped her chin tightly with one hand and held the wine glass in the other, pouring the wine into her mouth without saying a word.

The strong liquor choked me as it went down my throat, the spicy liquid exploding instantly.

"Ah...cough cough! Let go of me..."

Du Yunshu coughed and struggled frantically.

But the disparity in strength between men and women rendered her resistance futile.

A large glass of strong liquor, not a drop left.

He finally let go.

Du Yunshu collapsed onto the carpet, her throat burning, coughing so hard it was excruciating.

Her expensive dress had a large wet patch on the neckline, and her carefully styled hair was disheveled and stuck to her face, making her look utterly miserable.

"Yan Chen, you've gone mad!" she roared furiously.

This man appears gentle and refined on the outside, but deep down he's a complete madman!

Yan Chen slowly pulled out a tissue and carefully wiped the remaining wine from his fingertips.

He stood up and looked down at her, his tone indifferent.

"This is just a small punishment. You can't even handle it?"

"What punishment?"

"We've only just met today, how could I have offended you?"

Du Yunshu glared at him, wiping the wine and tears from her face haphazardly.

Yan Chen threw the tissue into the trash can, his words clearly written.

"Your dog bites people randomly, which shows you have no manners."

"Yan Chen, who do you think you are? Don't think I'd fall for you?"

The slight goodwill that Du Yunshu had just felt was completely extinguished by this glass of wine, leaving only anger and humiliation.

"Du Yunshu".

Yan Chen's gaze turned completely cold, filled with a condescending disdain.

"If it weren't for the fact that my old man owed your Du family a debt of gratitude when he was young, and that you, his long-lost daughter, were found and brought back a year ago."

"Do you think you're qualified to discuss a marriage alliance with the Yan family?"

His words cut into Du Yunshu's heart like a knife.

"I advise you to give Old Master Du a proper reply. If you're going to marry, marry my eldest brother."

“If you dare to set your sights on me,” Yan Chen leaned down, his voice low but carrying a heavy warning, “I will show you what hell on earth is like.”

The sinister look in his eyes sent chills down Du Yunshu's spine.

This man is indeed much crazier than the rumored gentle Yan Jin.

It's also much more dangerous.

Du Yunshu shivered, but stubbornly replied with unwavering resolve.

“I won’t choose Yan Jin,” she said deliberately, “I’ll choose you.”

Yan Chen poured himself another glass of wine, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

He slammed the empty cup down on the table with a loud thud.

He twitched the corner of his mouth and smiled.

"You think that just because Yan Jin can find out about your petty affairs, I can't?"

"I can ruin your reputation faster than you can imagine, making you a disgrace that the Du family has picked up."

He spoke of it casually.

But every single word shattered Du Yunshu's spirit and soul.

He poured another glass of wine, picked it up, and handed it to her. Du Yunshu was so startled that she took a step back.

"Next week is the Yan family's banquet, I'll take you back."

"Since you like my older brother so much, you should try your best to win him over."

He curled his lips into a smile, instantly sending chills down Du Yunshu's spine.

...

Tang Xiaoya opened her eyes; it was broad daylight.

She was full of energy and slept soundly without any dreams.

This was the first time she had ever slept so soundly in Yan Jin's bed.

His fresh and pleasant scent filled my nostrils.

Last night, he kissed her for a long time, until she was almost suffocating, but in the end he obediently stopped, didn't touch her, and went to take a cold shower.

This respect softened her heart completely.

Yan Jin had breakfast with her and then personally drove her back to the film set.

The car came to a steady stop outside the film set.

He unbuckled his seatbelt, and his tall frame leaned forward.

A farewell kiss that lasted a full ten minutes.

The man's breath enveloped her domineeringly, their tongues entwining, leaving no gaps.

He wished he could meld her into his very bones and keep her by his side.

Tang Xiaoya's lips were numb and slightly swollen.

She pushed him hard, and in the brief moment of catching her breath, she shouted.

"Yan Jin, I'm getting angry!"

He reluctantly released her, his fingertips gently caressing her rosy lips.

Tang Xiaoya suddenly remembered something very important.

“By the way,” she grabbed his collar, “why did you remove Yang Le from the role of the second female lead?”

"If you change the cast at the last minute, the production team will have to spend a lot more effort, and the company will have to burn a lot more money."

"Moreover, I've had a pretty good working relationship with her."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yan Jin's face instantly turned cold.

The temperature inside the car dropped several degrees.

"She is Yan Chen's person."

His voice was deep and cold.

"It was Yan Chen who instructed her to invite you to the performance."

"Your so-called chance encounter with Yan Chen was a premeditated act from beginning to end."

Tang Xiaoya's heart skipped a beat.

This result was completely beyond her expectations.

She didn't expect Kaka to give Yang Le such good resources, almost like she was being heavily promoted.

Why would she side with Yan Chen?

This is utterly ungrateful behavior—like eating from a bowl and then cursing the cook.

Tang Xiaoya felt a tightness in her chest and couldn't utter another word to defend her.

"I see."

She said in a low voice.

"I'm going in."

She opened the car door and ran quickly to the film set.

Yan Jin watched her run inside, and only then did her tense jawline slowly relax, and an uncontrollable smile appeared on her lips.

Tang Xiaoya's morning shoot went very smoothly.

All of them are indoor scenes featuring the two actors.

The new second female lead is named Lin Mumu, and she is a third-tier celebrity in Kaka's entertainment circle.

Tang Xiaoya recognized her; she was a familiar face who had acted in many hit dramas, but the dramas were popular while she herself remained relatively unknown.

The company had previously invested heavily in her, giving her leading roles, but all of them flopped.

Over time, she got used to being the "perennial runner-up".

Lin Mumu was very humble and approachable. His script was covered with dense notes, and he was polite to everyone. He quickly got into character.

At noon, a commotion suddenly broke out on set.

Yan Jin has arrived.

Not only did he come, but he also brought a Michelin-starred chef-prepared lunch for the entire crew.

Dozens of dishes were laid out, their aroma filling the air, and the dishes placed in the very center were all Tang Xiaoya's favorites.

Yan Jin walked through the crowd, carrying a lunchbox, and went straight to Tang Xiaoya, taking her hand as if no one else was around.

He led her to a comfortable corner.

"Open your mouth." He picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs with his chopsticks and held it to her lips.

Tang Xiaoya's cheeks burned, but she still obediently opened her mouth and ate.

The two of them took turns eating, their sweetness almost sickening.

"Don't you have work?" Tang Xiaoya asked softly. "You're so free, yet you still came all the way to the film set."

"We were only separated for a few hours this morning, and I'll go back by myself tonight."

"I couldn't help it." He lowered his head, his burning gaze fixed on her. "I just missed you so much that I couldn't concentrate on my work."

Tang Xiaoya's heart skipped a beat, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

So this is what it feels like to be in a relationship after your identity changes.

"I don't have many scenes to film this afternoon." Tang Xiaoya swallowed her food. "After filming, I want to go to Teacher Hu Die's studio."

"There's a dance scene in the show, and I want to learn from her to get a feel for it."

“I’ll take you there,” Yan Jin said, then added, “If you really can’t handle it, use a stand-in. Don’t make things too hard on yourself.”

Tang Xiaoya was amused by his nervous appearance.

"I did all the action scenes myself. How could I use a stunt double for just dancing?"

“I’m very satisfied with this proactive reporting.” Yan Jin pinched her cheek. “I’ll take you there this afternoon, but you can only stay for two hours.”

"Let's go on a date tonight." He couldn't resist kissing her.

"Okay." Tang Xiaoya nodded with a smile.

...

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Yan Jin dropped Tang Xiaoya off at her destination and then returned to the company.

Teacher Hu Die warmly and attentively received her. She told Teacher Hu about the plot of the War Drum Dance, and then put forward her own idea: she wanted to learn the Rainbow Dance.

Hu Die said, "Teacher Yan said you are a promising talent. I'll take a look at your skills first. If they are good, I'll take you as my apprentice."

"I will do my best."

Tang Xiaoya walked into the dressing room with a happy expression.

When she came out again, she had changed into a form-fitting black dance costume.

That figure was absolutely stunning.

The tight-fitting fabric accentuated her breathtaking curves, her waist was so slender it seemed you could wrap your hand around it, and her whole being exuded a sense of power ready to be unleashed.

Hu Die nodded in satisfaction and turned on the music.

"Come on, dance one of your best moves."

As the music flowed, Tang Xiaoya was immediately immersed in it.

Like a midnight sprite, she stretched her body in the empty dance studio, each spin and leap precisely on the beat, full of wild beauty.

Yan Chen was leaning against the door, unnoticed.

He was dressed in a well-tailored suit, his posture upright, his gaze fixed intently on the dancing figure.

As he looked at her, a certain part of his heart was gently touched.

He had never felt this way since Xia Ran left.

When the song ended, Tang Xiaoya was slightly out of breath, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Clap clap clap!"

Hu Die couldn't help but clap her hands.

"He's truly a promising talent!"

Next, Hu Die began her formal lesson.

She first taught several sets of core strength and balance exercises, and then had someone bring out a circular platform that was two meters high and about one and a half meters in diameter.

"Come on, let's try this."

Tang Xiaoya looked at the high platform, feeling a little apprehensive.

Hu Die noticed her nervousness and patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't be afraid, I've put down some soft mats. Go up first and get used to the height."

Hu Die helped her climb up.

Tang Xiaoya stood on it, the small platform beneath her feet making her heart race and her body sway uncontrollably.

"Don't look down!" Hu Die instructed from below. "Keep your eyes straight ahead, as if you're standing on flat ground. Do those three sets of basic movements I just taught you."

Tang Xiaoya took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

She slowly began to move.

At first, her movements were stiff and she was clearly afraid, but as she practiced, she gradually relaxed and her movements became more relaxed.

Yan Chen walked slowly into the dance studio, making no sound.

The heat in those eyes was almost scorching.

Tang Xiaoya was completely unaware of his presence and continued practicing with complete focus.

Sudden.

The lights in the entire dance studio went out instantly, plunging the room into complete darkness.

"ah!"

Tang Xiaoya screamed, her feet slipped, she lost her balance and plummeted straight down.

The expected pain did not come.

She fell into a warm, firm embrace, and through the thin fabric, she could clearly feel the solidity of his chest and the powerful beat of his heart.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." A gentle male voice sounded in her ear.

"Yan Jin, waaaaah!"

Tang Xiaoya was so frightened she was almost crying, clinging tightly to him with both hands, her body still trembling.

The lights suddenly turned on.

The glaring light made Tang Xiaoya squint instinctively, then she looked up.

She met a pair of deep, dark eyes.

That handsome face, with its sharp features, was nowhere near Yan Jin!

It's Yan Chen!

Tang Xiaoya was so startled that she shrank back and jumped out of his arms.

"Ding-dong." The doorbell rang without warning.

Tang Xiaoya was so scared she almost made a meme.