Upon hearing that voice, Shang Lu immediately recognized it—wasn’t this one of Yan Ranran’s lackeys?
What was such a group doing on the film set?
“Fang Yuan, how did unauthorized people get in here? Get them out,” she said into her walkie-talkie, summoning the production crew’s staff directly.
On set, Shang Lu was decisive and uncompromising. She couldn’t be bothered to deal with Yan Ranran and her crew; it was simpler to just throw them out.
Fang Yuan broke into a cold sweat at her words and immediately called over several security guards, rushing toward the director’s monitoring room. “What’s going on? How did people get in?”
One of the security guards looked aggrieved. “They said they were friends of the house owner and barged right in. They were so arrogant, and their outfits looked expensive, so we… couldn’t stop them.”
Fang Yuan was exasperated. “Never mind that. Our director has a fiery temper—even if the emperor himself showed up, no one gets in without her permission! Since this is your first offense, I’ll let it slide, but if it happens again, I won’t be able to protect you. Now go, go, get them out!”
Tan Le was on set and quickly found out what had happened with a few inquiries.
He frowned. Yan Ranran and her group had already barged their way to the villa’s entrance. He signaled to Shang Lu, “I’ll go talk them into leaving. Keep filming.”
Although his relationship with Yan Ranran was only so-so, if he simply had her thrown out today, his family would likely give him trouble. Tan Le hated trouble, and he was annoyed—these young ladies had no sense of boundaries, barging into someone else’s home like that.
By the time Tan Le reached the entrance, the security guards were already arguing with the group.
“What right do you have to kick us out? This is the Tan family’s property. Who do you think you are?” Yu Zifei’s shrill voice was grating.
Yan Ranran stood silently to the side, making no move to leave.
She was confident that these people wouldn’t dare lay a hand on them.
But she hadn’t expected that the security guards, having just been reprimanded, would now see their refusal to cooperate and start pushing them, intending to force them out.
Tan Le quickly intervened. “Stop!” It wasn’t that he wanted to protect these young ladies; he was worried the security guards might face retaliation.
When Yan Ranran saw Tan Le emerge, a gentle smile spread across her face. “Brother Lele, why are there so many people here?”
Seeing her feign innocence, Tan Le couldn’t help but think, “Keep pretending.”
“Shouldn’t you all be out shopping instead of coming to my house?”
Tan Le wasn’t one to back down easily. Although he couldn’t directly throw them out, he wasn’t about to give them a warm welcome either.
After all, in the Tan family, his older brother held the reins, and his brother doted on him, granting almost every request. Tan Le had no interest in the family fortune; the two brothers had relied on each other since childhood, and their bond was exceptionally strong.
This also meant that even though Tan Le wasn’t the Tan family heir, everyone knew he was the one not to be trifled with.
Even Yan Ranran, who was usually pampered by everyone, wouldn’t deliberately provoke him.
So when she saw Tan Le come out, she felt a twinge of regret. Yet she was also puzzled: Shang Lu had already been kicked out of the Yan family, so why was Tan Le still protecting her?
What was so likable about that country bumpkin?
Yan Ranran did not respond, but her follower Chu Jingling tactfully stepped forward.
“Brother Tan, we were playing next door and happened to see so many people here, so we got curious and came over to take a look. But then these people actually tried to chase us away?”
Yan Ranran also spoke up, “Brother Lele, we’re a bit curious. Can we go in and have a look?”
As for what they would do once inside, Tan Le would have no control over that.
But Tan Le’s attitude was equally firm. “We’re filming here. This is a set. What if you disrupt the shoot? Are you going to cover the wasted money? You young ladies can do whatever you want elsewhere, but don’t come here looking for excitement.”
Tan Le knew perfectly well that once they went inside and saw Shang Lu, it would inevitably lead to a fierce confrontation. He would end up caught in the middle, and he had no desire to become a punching bag.
“Alright, that’s enough. You’d better leave now. I still have things to attend to,” Tan Le waved his hand dismissively, blocking their path to prevent them from slipping past.
Seeing Tan Le’s resolute stance, Yan Ranran shamelessly pleaded, “Brother Lele, you know I’m studying acting now and haven’t filmed anything yet. I just want to go in and observe. Is that really not allowed?”
Tan Le shook his head. “If you want to act, you can get a role anywhere with just a word. Even if you went to Director Jin Xingping to play the female lead, no one would dare say a thing. My place is too small to accommodate a group of big shots like you.”
Jin Xingping was one of the most famous directors in the country. Even Tan Le, a seasoned otaku, had seen several of his films.
Tan Le’s words were not meant as a joke. Although Yan Defang’s father had passed away early, her mother came from a prominent family in the capital and had been quite a figure in her youth. Even those in higher positions had to show her some respect.
If Yan Ranran wanted to act, Jin Xingping would definitely give her that face.
But Yan Ranran herself cultivated an approachable image. She usually prided herself on not using her influence to pressure others, preferring to engage in “fair competition.” However, this so-called fairness was nothing but an illusion.
Yu Zifei chimed in from the side, “We’re just here to take a look in passing. You’re being so defensive—could it be that you have someone here you don’t want us to see?”
Hearing her words, Tan Le’s expression immediately darkened. “I’ve been speaking to you politely, but you’re not listening, are you? We’re filming here, not playing house. Are you leaving or not? If you still refuse to go, don’t blame me for not saving face for you.”
He was lazy about causing trouble, not afraid of it.
Kicking them out directly now might be a bit troublesome, but it wouldn’t really cause him any significant loss.
Seeing Tan Le’s anger, Yu Zifei felt somewhat disdainful. Her family was in real estate; although they had risen to wealth relatively late, they still had substantial assets. She wasn’t afraid of Tan Le.
“Tan Le, stop pretending. I heard it just now—Shang Lu is the director. She’s just a country girl adopted by the Yan family who’s been kicked out now. Is she really worth you defending her like this?”
A suspicion had been lingering in her mind. “Oh, I get it. You must like her, right? Not to be rude, but girls with her looks are a dime a dozen out there. By protecting her, you’re just making enemies of us!”
Tan Le had never harbored any special feelings for Shang Lu—after all, his heart belonged only to his 2D waifus.
Hearing Yu Zifei slander him, Tan Le was genuinely angered.
He was about to call security to throw them out when a voice came from outside.
It was a man’s voice, not particularly stern in tone, yet his words brooked no argument. “Unauthorized personnel, stay out of the set.”