Chapter Thirteen: A-Xue and the Sixth Prince

“Brother, shall we start a company?”
“Buddy, no rush right now.”
“Alright, I’ll follow your lead, but there’s something I want to talk about…”
“I want to hear your conscience.”
“Test me? Haha… How about we split the profits 70-30?”
“That’s your conscience…”
“Hey! What are you thinking? You take 70!”
“Not bad, you do have some conscience, but how about 60-40?”
“Good brother! That 70-30 I mentioned earlier was just to test you! Not bad, not bad.”
“I knew it!”

Some matters must be discussed.
As the saying goes, even close brothers must keep clear accounts.
Besides, Ma Xun and Sun Donghai aren’t brothers at all.
Well, Sun Donghai has some conscience.
Ma Xun didn’t intend to take advantage either.
In fact, even a 50-50 split would be acceptable to Ma Xun.
But Sun Donghai immediately proposed a 70-30 split.
Ma Xun realized he had to give way.
A 60-40 split was fair enough.
No one lost out, no one took advantage.

In the current business, Ma Xun was still the main figure.
But he knew well, without Sun Donghai’s “connections and resources,” the business wouldn’t even get off the ground.
In this day and age, doing business depends heavily on relationships.
So next, Ma Xun had to make Sun Donghai slowly become less important.

After parting ways, Ma Xun headed to Wangfujing.
He found the Chanel counter.
“Hello, sir, may I help you?”
“Number 5, please wrap it up.”
“Oh, sir… aren’t you going to take a closer look? Or shall I introduce it to you?”
“No need.”
“Okay, um… is this a gift for your girlfriend?”
“No.”

The saleswoman talked a lot, especially when she heard Ma Xun say “no.”
Her eyes lit up.
Probably most men buying this perfume were buying for their girlfriends.
But Ma Xun didn’t follow the usual path.
The person he was gifting was an older woman—Sun Donghai’s second aunt!
She had helped them immensely.
Of course, he had to give a gift worthy of her.
Though Sun Donghai kept saying no gift was needed—it was family after all.
But that was his family, not Ma Xun’s.
She didn’t even want to share her name.

Moreover, Ma Xun knew there wasn’t just one director at CCTV.
If he could make connections with several directors through the drama “Seventeen and Cry No More,”
then Sun Donghai wouldn’t be so important anymore.
Doing business nowadays was all about networking.

Take our film investment, for example.
Outsiders might not know, but our country actually has many support policies for the film industry.
It’s a cultural stronghold, so it’s taken seriously.
For example, the movie channel itself has a supportive role.
TV movies are essentially a training ground for new directors.
That’s how Guan Hu got his start.
His film “Get On, Let’s Go” made stars of Huang Bo and Gao Hu.
There’s also the Young Directors Support Fund.
Many don’t know Xu Jinglei is a key beneficiary.
She receives 150,000 yuan annually… but Xu often says the support isn’t enough.
Not enough to even cover her taxes.

Poor students get scholarships to buy iPhones?
There’s nothing new under the sun.
But not all support is unfair—some are legitimate.
Like Guo Fan.
He’s an outstanding example.

Ma Xun recalled these things without any bitterness.
If you asked if he envied them—of course he did.
Take Xu Jinglei, a princess of Beijing’s circle.
Guan Hu is also a “director second generation.”
I wasn’t born with such connections.
So what?
I’ll build my own network.
It’s not too late.
I don’t demand policy support.
I just don’t want to be forgotten by the system in the future.

“Sir, your bag is ready.”
Ma Xun paid.
The saleswoman kept batting her eyelashes at him,
as if imagining a romantic story unfolding in her mind.
Come on, tell me—this perfume is for me, right?
But Ma Xun just walked away.

Next, he planned to buy some fine cigarettes, good liquor, or branded pens.
These gifts always win over cultured people’s hearts.
Unexpectedly, he ran into a woman wearing sunglasses—Ye Quanzhen.

…
Jingshan Park.
From here, you can overlook the entire Forbidden City.
It wasn’t a holiday today.
There were not many tourists.
Beijing needed no promotion as a tourist city.
But from Ma Xun’s perspective, it wasn’t as popular as it would be later.

He recalled that a few years ago, filming in the Forbidden City was still allowed.
“Huang Feihong: Lion King Showdown” was the last film shot there.
Now, beside him was a beauty who had acted in many martial arts films.

“Chanel No. 5?”
“Yes.”
“Gift for your girlfriend?”
“No.”

At first, Ye Quanzhen hadn’t looked at him, but now she couldn’t help turning her head.
“How can a grown man tell lies?”
There was a hint of grievance in her tone.
Coupled with her cool demeanor, Ma Xun dared say nine out of ten men would feel a pang of pity.

“I’m not lying.” Unfortunately, Ma Xun was the one out of ten.
Ye Quanzhen gave him a displeased glare.
“I thought, given our relationship…”
“Wait, what relationship do we have?”
Ma Xun interrupted, making Ye Quanzhen blush.
“Well, well…”

Seeing her shy demeanor, Ma Xun wanted to tease her.
“Don’t tell lies.”
Right, you just asked me to be honest.
No double standards.

At this moment, Ye Quanzhen wanted to protest, her eyes saying: You haven’t been honest with me.
But she didn’t dare.
Because their relationship was clear—Ma Xun was the dominant one.

So…
“I’m willing to be your Axue.”
Ye Quanzhen said softly, then looked away.
Right, the Forbidden City was beautiful.
Ma Xun immediately understood.

Axue, or Yingxue,
was her character in “The Legend of the Fire Clouds.”
Axue was an orphan, adopted along with Yingxia, played by Qingxia, by the Sixth Prince.
Both were trained as assassins.
Yingxia excelled with fire and was called the Fire Cloud Evil God, killing countless people.
Axue was skilled with the bow and arrow, ruthless and cold-hearted.
There was a scene where Axue tattoos a golden dragon on the Sixth Prince’s back, which was heart-fluttering to watch.
But the movie she debuted in was called “Snow is Burning.”
Which “Snow” was it, really?

Ma Xun laughed, “But I don’t want to be the Sixth Prince.”
Hearing this, Ye Quanzhen turned to look at him, surprised.
“Why? Because he rebelled?”
Ma Xun shook his head, “No, mainly because I’m not as twisted as he is. Besides, he’s pretty dumb. If I were him, I’d have kicked the emperor off the throne long ago and prepared the harem of three thousand.”

Ye Quanzhen couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud.
“Now you’re telling the truth, especially about the harem of three thousand.”
Mocking me?
Ma Xun’s expression changed slightly; pretending to be angry, he said,
“If you treat me like the Sixth Prince, would Axue dare talk to him like that?”
This sentence made Ye Quanzhen unable to smile.
“Axue wouldn’t dare, but you’re not the Sixth Prince, and you lied.”
Ma Xun frowned, “How do you know that’s a lie?”
Ye Quanzhen seized the opportunity.
“Then who is your Chanel No. 5 for?”

Ma Xun felt helpless.
He bought this gift because he knew well that an artistic old woman like Sun Donghai’s second aunt would absolutely like it.
Chanel No. 5 is not just a perfume but carries many stories.
Ma Xun planned to use it to win over her heart with a well-orchestrated charm offensive.
Women like her were easy to sway.

But now…
“I’ll tell you the truth.”
“Go ahead.”
Ye Quanzhen grew serious; Ma Xun mirrored her solemnity.

“This Chanel No. 5 is meant for a woman in her forties, with sallow skin, a plump figure, sharp tongue, and high pride.”
After hearing this, Ye Quanzhen burst out laughing.
“You’re still lying!”
This time Ma Xun was helpless.
“If you don’t believe me, fine. But I’m telling the truth.”
“Really?” After laughing, Ye Quanzhen started to consider the sincerity of Ma Xun’s words.
“Why?”
“It’s none of your business, and I won’t tell you. Besides… I’m the Sixth Prince, remember?”

Ma Xun became assertive again.
Ye Quanzhen smiled faintly, “Fine, you’re the Sixth Prince, and I’m his minion, his hawk and hound—whatever you do, I’ll…”
As she spoke, she noticed Ma Xun had moved very close.
This made Ye Quanzhen nervous.
But Ma Xun didn’t do much, just approached and said,
“You’re trying to seduce me, right? Is this a beauty trap set up by the Fifth Brother?”

Ye Quanzhen neither nodded nor shook her head.
She could only smile wryly, “You’ve seen through it anyway.”
“A double agent?”
That was a sharp question.

“If you can help me break free from control, I’ll be your Axue.”
Ma Xun could tell this was her true feeling.

“So this time, you’re willing to give your body?”
The question was somewhat aggressive.

Ye Quanzhen met his gaze, “Can you just hold me?”
Strange as it was, Ma Xun naturally could fulfill this request.
He reached out and drew the cool beauty into his arms.

Ye Quanzhen had some hidden struggles—after filming “Snow is Burning,” she developed an aversion to being touched by men.
It was psychological, but usually she could endure it and still act.
Her heart resisted and feared…
But now, she felt warmth.