{"id":3637,"date":"2026-05-28T04:03:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T04:03:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/dont-play-with-fire-entertainment-industry-20\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T04:03:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T04:03:58","slug":"dont-play-with-fire-entertainment-industry-20","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/chapter\/dont-play-with-fire-entertainment-industry-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Play with Fire [Entertainment Industry] 20"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 20: Twenty Fires

Although this outcome was what Yan Duo had hoped for, Ji Ran’s eagerness still left a bitter taste in her heart.

The two of them fell silent afterward. After speeding along for five minutes, the car slowed down again. Yan Duo glanced at Ji Ran and noticed he seemed much calmer than before.

When they arrived at Ji Ran’s house, he got out of the car and went straight upstairs, while Yan Duo didn’t follow and waited for him in the living room.

After a while, Ji Ran came downstairs and asked Yan Duo, “Where are the keys to the cabinets at home?”

Yan Duo froze for a moment, “I didn’t touch it, it should still be in its original place.”

Ji Ran: “I didn’t see it, help me look for it.”

Yan Duo didn’t suspect anything and followed Ji Ran upstairs.

Ji Ran’s important documents were kept in the locked cabinet in the walk-in closet, and the key was placed in the bedside table drawer. Yan Duo bent down to pull open the drawer, but the key was no longer in its usual spot. She rummaged through the drawer for a while but couldn’t find it, then searched all over the room\u2014still no luck.

“Why don’t you give Auntie a call and ask?” Yan Duo turned and asked Ji Ran, who was leaning against the wall watching her.

The housekeeper cleans the room every day, so she might know better.

Ji Ran looked at her, his eyes deep and intense, “Are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?”

Yan Duo didn’t mean it that way at all, but she couldn’t explain herself properly. She lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.

After a moment, Yan Duo noticed Ji Ran walking towards her out of the corner of her eye. Each step seemed to land on her heart, making her so nervous that she couldn’t help but step back.

One stepped back, the other moved forward. In the end, Yan Duo had nowhere left to retreat and was forced against the wall by Ji Ran, her back pressed against it.

At this moment, Ji Ran stood less than ten centimeters away from her, his breath brushing against her face, making Yan Duo blush uncontrollably.

“Are you really trying to leave me?”

Ji Ran leaned in closer Yan Duo’s ear, as he spoke word by word, visibly turned red at a speed noticeable to the naked eye, then the redness spread to her face and neck.

Yan Duo’s heart pounded uncontrollably, her thoughts in complete disarray. She tried several times to say something, but her throat was too dry to make a sound.

Ji Ran watched Yan Duo’s rapidly fluttering eyelashes and curled the corner of his lips slightly. Though the method was a bit “despicable,” it was effective.

“Why don’t you ask your heart and see if it wants to continue being with me?”

After speaking, Ji Ran opened his mouth and bit the earlobe that was red enough to drip blood, giving it a small nibble, and as expected, he heard Yan Duo let out a drawn-out whimper.

After that ear, already under immense impact, suffered another “heavy blow,” Yan Duo’s brain completely shut down, leaving her utterly at his mercy.

……

By the time Ji Ran got up, Yan Duo was still trembling, crying pitifully.

“Does it still hurt?”

Ji Ran took a hot towel from the bathroom and applied it to Yan Duo’s swollen injury.

The sudden warmth made Yanduo shiver, but once she grew accustomed to the feeling, she felt much more comfortable. She shook her head to indicate that she was no longer in pain.

At this moment, Yan Duo was still bewildered\u2014how had they ended up rolling into bed? What about the promised divorce? How could she even bring up the topic of divorce now?

Ji Ran sat beside her, seemingly reading her thoughts, and said, “I couldn’t find my marriage certificate. We’ll go handle it once I locate it.”

The question she had wanted to ask but felt too embarrassed to bring up was casually mentioned by Ji Ran, leaving Yan Duo with mixed emotions. She simply responded with a soft “Mm,” saying nothing more.

Ji Ran glanced at her and said, “Can you lend me your ID? I need to ask a lawyer about the procedure.”

Yan Duo didn’t understand what necessary connection existed between the marriage certificate and procedural consultation issues, but she said nothing and asked Ji Ran to hand her the bag that had been thrown on the floor. She pulled out the marriage certificate from inside and passed it to him.

Ji Ran stood up with the red booklet in hand, tucked it into her bag, and then casually remarked, “Oh, by the way, before we officially divorce, we’ll continue fulfilling our marital duties and obligations. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”

Yan Duo: ……

Alright, thinking about it this way, what just happened seems somewhat understandable\u2014duty calls!

“Mmm, okay.”

At this point, she couldn’t afford to break with him, so what else could she do but follow his lead?

Ji Ran packed up his things, washed his hands clean in the bathroom, then returned with a tube of ointment and sat by the bed, carefully applying it to Yan Duo’s injury.

Yan Duo turned her head away, not daring to look at Ji Ran, comforting herself\u2014since he was the one who caused the injury, it was only natural for him to handle it. Besides, wasn’t there responsibility between husband and wife? Him taking care of her was part of that responsibility, so she shouldn’t overthink it!

Ji Ran raised his eyes to look at Yan Duo, only to see her biting her index finger, afraid to make a sound. It was somewhat amusing yet also disappointing. He still preferred hearing her cries that were like sobs of pleasure, as if trying to stop yet also inviting, always making him lose control. But she was too fragile, easily hurt with just a little force. Ji Ran reminded himself in his heart not to be so reckless in the future.

After applying the ointment, Ji Ran went downstairs. Yan Duo watched her disappearing figure and finally let out a sigh of relief. She took out her phone from her bag and saw that Qi Sixian had called her several times two hours ago. Muttering “Oh no,” Yan Duo quickly returned the call.

“Hey, sis, sorry about that. I was a bit busy at home just now and didn’t hear your call,” Yan Duo made an excuse and said.

Qi Sixian snorted, “I called your home half an hour ago, and your mom said you went out. So tell me, how many homes do you have?”

Yan Duo was startled, realizing she had been caught. She laughed awkwardly and said, “I was just afraid you’d scold me for hanging out with friends instead of going to the company. Sis, I was wrong\u2014I shouldn’t have lied. I’ll go right now, okay?”

Qi Sixian snorted again, “Forget it. If I didn’t let you have your fun, who knows what you’d be thinking about me. Come tomorrow.”

Yan Duo breathed a sigh of relief. If she went now, Qi Sixian would definitely notice something was off. Thankfully, she didn’t insist. “Alright, I’ll definitely go first thing tomorrow. Wait for me.”

“Wait for my foot! Never seen someone like you who gets cocky before even making it big, not even caring about ad contracts. No wonder you’re still a nobody!”

This was just something Qi Sixian said on purpose. Since standing out in “Political Intrigue” and trending twice on social media, Yan Duo’s popularity and recognition have significantly increased. By now, without Qi Sixian even actively seeking opportunities, decent projects have already come knocking on her door. She is far from the third-tier celebrity she used to be.

Yan Duo didn’t mind Qi Sixian’s sharp tongue either, laughing apologetically. “I’ll bring you breakfast tomorrow\u2014spicy beef noodles from Niu Ji with a poached egg, extra chili and cilantro, plus a cup of freshly ground soy milk from Dou’s. How’s that sound?”

Qi Sixian finally smiled, “That’s more like it. Come early tomorrow.”

Yan Duo quickly responded, “Got it, love you!”

Finally coaxing Qi Sixian into a good mood, Yan Duo moved She moved her leg and found that the medicine applied earlier worked quite well\u2014it no longer hurt. So she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

Just as the bathroom door closed, Ji Ran entered from the bedroom doorway. He casually glanced at Yan Duo’s phone, which she had tossed on the bed, then took his own phone and left the bedroom again.

At noon, around twelve o’clock, when Yan Duo went downstairs, the aroma of food already filled the air. Walking to the dining table, she saw two dishes already set out. Clutching her stomach, she realized she was hungry.

As Ji Ran brought out the final dish, he noticed Yan Duo swallowing hard. He said to her, “Wash your hands and let’s eat.”

“Oh, okay.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Duo didn’t stand on ceremony. She went to the kitchen to wash her hands and brought out two bowls of rice that had already been served.

The two sat facing each other, eating quietly. After a while, Ji Ran looked at Yan Duo, who was focused solely on her meal, and asked her, “Is your graduation ceremony the day after tomorrow?”

After eating at the Yan family’s home, he learned that Yan Duo was like a little sparrow\u2014her mouth never stopped chattering while eating. But in front of him, she was so quiet it didn’t seem like her at all.

Yan Duo puffed her cheeks and gave Ji Ran a puzzled look, not understanding why he would ask such a question, but she nodded anyway.

The day after tomorrow, there’s the thesis defense in the morning and the graduation ceremony in the afternoon. Once she receives her diploma, she’ll officially graduate.

“I’ll be there that day too,” Ji Ran said.

Yan Duo froze\u2014surely he wasn’t going for her sake? If others found out about their relationship, Ji Ran’s fans would surely cause an uproar.

Ji Ran glanced at her. “I’m presenting awards to the outstanding graduates.”

Not going to see you.

Yan Duo felt relieved yet slightly disappointed. She responded with an “Oh” and continued eating.

Ji Ran took in her expression but didn’t say anything more.

After the meal, Yan Duo took the initiative to wash the dishes while Ji Ran went upstairs to answer a phone call.

“Ji Ran, why must you take things to such extremes?”

Director Jiang on the other end of the phone was extremely displeased. Ever since Ji Ran sent a lawyer’s letter early yesterday morning, condemning Zhang Wei for distorting the facts and firmly stating that he had no relationship with Xiao Yao beyond being colleagues, a wave of online backlash against Xiao Yao had erupted. This led to a sharp decline in the box office of the already delayed film, with the only remaining ticket sales being supported by Ji Ran’s fans. However, the situation was still awkward\u2014many bought tickets but refused to attend, declaring, “We’re spending money out of respect for Ji Ran, but we won’t watch to avoid seeing Xiao Yao’s disgusting face.” Director Jiang was so stressed that he developed sores and had been calling Ji Ran nonstop since yesterday, hoping he could calm his fans down. Yet, Ji Ran didn\u2019t even answer his calls. bookzun.com

“I’ve done more than enough,” Ji Ran said calmly.

The film was originally scheduled for a one-month theatrical run, but the director wanted them to promote a fake romantic pairing (CP) to boost box office sales. Ji Ran, of course, refused. Eventually, they compromised: the production team would release ambiguous promotional materials, while Xiao Yao would post a clarifying Weibo. By the two-week mark, Ji Ran was supposed to issue his own clarification. However, when that time came, the director, hoping for even higher ticket sales, begged him to hold off on posting. That was the day he ran into Yan Duo at the restaurant. Since Yan Duo didn\u2019t seem to mind the situation, Ji Ran let it slide. Little did he know, some people would take his compromise for granted, repeatedly testing his limits and exploiting him without any regard for his feelings.

Director Jiang choked back his words. He had always been aware of Xiaoyao’s schemes but turned a blind eye for the sake of box office revenue. Little did he know he’d touch Jiran’s raw nerve. Now, Xiaoyao was suffering backlash from the trending topics, hiding at home every day, too afraid to even step outside.

“Whether for the sake of the box office or the crew you’ve worked with for months, I hope you can post a Weibo to reassure the fans. As the lead actor, you wouldn\u2019t want the project to be criticized, would you?”

Despite finally securing an extension, the box office suffered a Waterloo due to the feud between the lead actors, which had long been a laughingstock in the industry. Director Jiang also had quite a few grievances with Ji Ran.

Ji Ran remained unmoved. “I haven\u2019t even said the harsher words yet\u2014I\u2019m already giving her face. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s necessary for me to post anything on Weibo anytime soon.”

Hearing Ji Ran\u2019s firm refusal, Director Jiang finally lost his temper. “To boost the movie\u2019s box office, promotional cooperation is part of a lead actor\u2019s responsibility. With such a rigid attitude, who would dare to work with you in the future?”

Ji Ran responded with an “Mmm,” then said, “Not all directors in the industry are like you.”

Without waiting for Director Jiang to say anything more, he hung up the phone directly.

After sitting in the study for a while, Ji Ran took out the two red booklets from his bag. He then picked up his phone and called Li Qiao, saying, “Help me buy a safe\u2014nothing too big, just something that can fit in the wardrobe. The most important thing is security; ideally, it should have both electronic code and key double protection.”

On the other end of the line, Li Qiao couldn’t help but twitch his lips. “Brother Ji, if it\u2019s something extremely valuable, I\u2019d suggest you rent a bank safe instead. That would be much more secure, and even if something gets lost, there\u2019d be compensation.”

Ji Ran touched the red booklet, “No need, I can look at it anytime I want, it\u2019s right here at home.”

Li Qiao responded with a couple of “Oh, oh,” dying of curiosity about the treasure Ji Ran mentioned\u2014something that could be viewed anytime yet had to be kept in a safe. Who knew how many billions it was worth!

The author has something to say: Author: Ji Ran, so this is how you really are, Ji Ran\u2014eye-opening!

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