Shen Qianzhan's long-distance marriage proposal at the awards ceremony unexpectedly went viral overnight. In no time, major social media platforms were flooded with the "long-distance proposal meme."
As for Ji Qinghe, the recipient of the proposal, he naturally became the focus of enthusiastic netizens.
Under the official Weibo account of Endless Year, public sentiment was boiling over, with countless voices relaying the message on Shen Qianzhan's behalf: "She's ready, Mr. Ji can propose now."
That evening, Endless Year's official Weibo had originally planned to release a promotional video.
Unexpectedly, after logging in, the staff were greeted by an interaction section flooded with nothing but "marriage proposals."
The sheer volume of messages was reminiscent of the public uproar Endless Year had faced half a year earlier.
Thus, a bewildered and flustered Endless Year hastily convened an emergency PR meeting overnight.
At first, the meeting was conducted with utmost seriousness, centered around "how to leverage this trending topic for Endless Year's brand promotion and maximize benefits." However, as the discussion progressed, an employee with a slightly off-topic focus suddenly suggested, "Shouldn't we relay public opinion and ask Mr. Ji to prepare for a proposal, maybe even turn it into a multi-part series?"
Noticing the sideways glances from everyone, the employee licked their lips and awkwardly explained, "It would be the perfect opportunity to promote Endless Year's jewelry brand. There probably isn't a better promotional strategy... right?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, convinced that Employee A made an excellent point: "Creating a proposal special would not only document Mr. Ji's unforgettable love story, serving as a testament for the boss and his wife, but also achieve brand promotion. Mr. Ji might even agree."
"Exactly, don't netizens love watching couples flaunt their affection and spread 'dog food'? We could draft a copy tonight and write a short essay. This would undoubtedly meet public expectations and generate its own traffic."
The idea was refreshingly novel.
No one felt they were being overly audacious by targeting their boss with this plan. Instead, they brainstormed ideas and worked overnight to draft a PR proposal, which they submitted to Ming Jue first thing in the morning.
The person in question, who had spent the night with the "Shen demon" and heard nothing about the uproar, was momentarily stunned upon seeing the proposal: "Did she really say that?"
Ming Jue paused while handing him a pen, his tone stiff: "You didn't know?"
Ji Qinghe had accompanied Shen Qianzhan on the red carpet the previous night and watched her win the Best Producer gold award before leaving early to host a video conference. Naturally, he was unaware of her subsequent interview content.
But in front of Ming Jue, he certainly wouldn't admit it.
Ji Qinghe even reminisced about her unusually passionate behavior the night before, finally realizing amid the replay of memories that she had been mischievously teasing him.
She had done it on purpose.
—
As one of the parties involved, Shen Qianzhan drove to her company after dropping Ji Qinghe off at the airport, ready to preside over the regular meeting.
During the filming of Want to Hide You and Time, Shen Qianzhan had also managed to accomplish something significant on the side: registering a film and media company as the starting point for her independent production career.
Her ambitions had always been grand, and once the company took shape, she began expanding outward.
The Best Producer award carried considerable weight.
Since the previous night, she had been receiving a flurry of collaboration invitations, not to mention the constant stream of congratulatory messages and olive branches extended to her upon waking up.Like a shell that had been silent for half a year suddenly shattered, the calmness broke into pieces. What met the eye was a world full of prosperity and liveliness.
For the past six months, Shen Qianzhan had devoted herself to her work as a producer, refusing to respond to any external criticism.
If you close the door and ignore the knocking, the world can do nothing to you. But if you care, even a gentle breeze can feel like it’s gnawing at your bones and devouring your blood.
She had experienced being mocked and cursed by thousands, and she had also experienced sudden kindness after a dramatic reversal.
Shen Qianzhan knew she was just a speck of light among countless beams. So after the matter was resolved, she didn’t seize the momentum to rise. Instead, she bided her time and focused on her work.
The past six months of strict, almost ascetic self-discipline had clearly yielded the best results for her. Only then did she reveal her ambitions, gradually expanding her territory step by step.
—
After the routine meeting ended, Shen Qianzhan estimated that Ji Qinghe’s flight had already landed. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, she dialed his number.
After a brief busy tone, a faint vibration notification sound came from outside the corridor.
She glanced at her wristwatch, not paying much attention to the noise from the corridor.
Until—
The glass door of the conference room was gently knocked, and the vibration of the phone was amplified infinitely in the quiet small meeting hall.
She turned around in surprise.
The man who should have landed in Xi’an was now standing at the door, holding a rose.
Shen Qianzhan parted her lips, looking at him in disbelief. “Weren’t you…”
“Didn’t make it.” He leaned against the door, not approaching, just staying there, looking at her with a faint smile. “The ring hasn’t arrived yet. If you’re not in a hurry, can you wait two more days?”
Shen Qianzhan still hadn’t fully processed his unexpected return. She blinked, her mind filled with only one thought: Oh no, my exciting night at the bar is probably ruined.
She put away her phone, cleared her throat awkwardly, and asked sheepishly, “Did you just get off the plane?”
“Didn’t board.” He glanced at Shen Qianzhan’s guilty expression and asked, “Do you have plans tonight?”
Shen Qianzhan denied it. “No.”
Ji Qinghe guessed blindly, “Meeting Song Yan? Or Lin Qiao?”
Stubbornly, Shen Qianzhan insisted, “Really, no.”
Ji Qinghe scoffed lightly. “Should I ask Fu Xi or Jiang Juanshan to confirm?”
Even the most stubborn had to bow to reality. Shen Qianzhan admitted, “I invited both.”
Ji Qinghe nodded. “Bar? Or private club?”
“…”
Seeing that her cover was about to be blown, Shen Qianzhan scratched her temple with a curled finger, walked up to him with a few steps, and smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling, trying to charm her way out of the situation. “A wellness teahouse.”
Ji Qinghe didn’t expose her. Instead, he closed the glass door behind him and lowered the blinds around the conference room.
Amid the hum of mechanical gears, Shen Qianzhan reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She immediately pointed to the surveillance camera in the corner of the meeting hall. “There’s a camera here.”
“I see it.” Ji Qinghe curled his fingers, loosened his tie, and in a few steps, guided her into a blind spot of the surveillance camera, pressing her against the glass window.
The rose he held in his hand had its stem broken in half, and he tucked it into the collar of her suit jacket.
As if such intimidation wasn’t enough, he dialed Su Zan’s number, his voice slightly hoarse, and instructed, “Bring a chair and guard the conference room door. Don’t let anyone in.”Su Zan was crunching on sugarcane when he heard this, choking on a mouthful of sweet juice that nearly made him pass out. Clutching his phone like a startled underling, he stammered, "I-I-I... I'm afraid I can't handle it. I'm full of youthful vigor—if I hear something... I'm afraid I won't be able to take it."
After saying this, he cleared his throat and asked with a serious tone, "Is an hour enough?"
Ji Qinghe didn’t answer. He casually hung up the phone, his deep eyes fixed on Shen Qianzhan, who was pressed stiffly against the glass window. He chuckled softly, "Did you hear that?"
Shen Qianzhan hesitated, then nodded.
Ji Qinghe lowered his head to nip her lower lip. "Then what do you think—is an hour enough?"
This life-or-death question was no less difficult than "If your mother and I fell into the water, who would you save first?" Shen Qianzhan racked her brains and replied, "Theoretically, it’s not enough."
Ji Qinghe raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at her.
His gaze was deep and intense, making her throat itch slightly. Shen Qianzhan swallowed, her eyes lingering on his slightly exposed collarbone for a moment before saying, "In practice, it probably still isn’t enough..."
She stood on her tiptoes and hugged him proactively. Burying her nose in the crook of his neck, she took a deep breath of his unique scent of cold pine. "If I don’t let you go, do you think you can leave here today?"
Her way of acting spoiled was always unique.
Ji Qinghe was pleased. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against him, and lowered his head to kiss her cheeks and the tip of her nose. He murmured, "Take a few days off and come back to Xi’an with me, hm?"
It wasn’t entirely impossible.
She kind of missed Ji Lin.
Ji Qinghe hummed in agreement and added, "That works out perfectly. We can have a meal with my parents."
Shen Qianzhan instantly stiffened.
Before she could find an excuse to decline, Ji Qinghe slowly added, "Your parents have also agreed to come."
"While everyone’s here, let’s set the wedding date, hm?"
Shen Qianzhan was completely petrified.
Wait.
What about the proposal?
This isn’t quite how it was supposed to go!
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