Chapter Thirteen
It was late at night, not yet approaching the early hours of the morning.
Su Zan, who rarely hosted wellness gatherings at home, nearly kicked over his foot-soaking bucket when he saw the WeChat message.
Pushing away the cat sleeping lazily in his arms, he was just about to formulate a reply when his phone rang—it was a call from the public relations department of Thousand Lights.
Receiving a call from the PR department in the middle of the night was like hearing a knock on the door at three in the morning—it never meant anything good.
Connecting this with the content of Ji Qinghe’s WeChat message, Su Zan’s heart skipped a beat, and he answered the call with the mindset of someone about to have their assets frozen and their home raided.
The PR department gave a concise and straightforward report.
The more Su Zan listened, the darker his expression grew.
By the time he hung up, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
At this critical juncture when Shen Qianzhan was desperately trying to secure the collaboration, the false rumors about Xiang Qianqian and Ji Qinghe had exploded. It was easy to imagine how immeasurable the negative impact of this would be.
Losing Endless Year’s fashion resources for Xiang Qianqian was a minor issue; what was truly devastating was ruining Shen Qianzhan’s carefully laid plans.
Su Lanyi, half-reclining on a chaise lounge, watched her younger brother jump around like a flea after taking the call and couldn’t help but feel annoyed. “What happened?”
Su Zan was already seething with anger. Su Lanyi’s question was like lighting a firecracker under him—it set off a chaotic explosion of words.
Su Lanyi listened silently to the monologue-like summary of the incident, then lazily lifted her eyelids. “Wasn’t the trending topic taken down? The news has been suppressed. What else are you worried about?”
“You don’t understand!” Su Zan launched into another barrage of words, finally making Su Lanyi realize the thorniness of the situation.
The latter, however, didn’t think it was an unsolvable problem at all. She glanced at the messy foot-soaking bucket and the wet water stains on the floor, speaking with detached indifference. “Never rely on what you think or suspect. If you suspect Xiang Qianqian secretly contacted Ji Qinghe behind your back, then go ask her. If it’s true, you can make plans then.”
She closed her eyes, her voice still lazy. “As for Qianzhan, you don’t need to worry about her either. Don’t you know how capable she is? When she secured the tribute drama from Boxuan, I told you both that many in the industry were jealous and that you should prepare early.”
With that, she let out a disdainful snort. “You’ve been with Qianzhan for two years, and you haven’t learned a bit of her composure.”
—
Far away in Hangzhou, the composed Qianzhan had been cursing the scumbag man all the way back.
It wasn’t until she returned to the hotel and parted ways with Qiao Xin that she finally stopped to catch her breath.
The coffee she drank earlier was useless—it did nothing to quench her thirst.
She kicked off her little leather boots and, without even changing into slippers, walked barefoot to grab a bottle of water. After gulping down half the bottle, the restless fire in her heart finally subsided. She took out her phone and glanced at it.
An hour had passed, and there was still no movement from either Su Zan or Meng Wangzhou.
Meng Wangzhou was understandable—he was an innocent victim of her misplaced anger, so it was difficult for him to make any moves.
But what was up with that brat Su Zan? Why hadn’t he come to pay his respects yet?
This matter wasn’t exactly big or small—it all depended on the specifics.
If Ji Qinghe had taken a liking to Xiang Qianqian and was intentionally fostering a relationship with her, then he could only blame his bad luck for being exposed by netizens.
But if Ji Qinghe had been set up, then in this situation, Shen Qianzhan was most likely the prime suspect.
Not only would the collaboration fall through, but even the camaraderie they once shared from sleeping together would be gone.Shen Qianzhan pondered whether Su Zan would really resort to such a foolish move, but with the matter still unresolved and the details unknown to her, she felt like a useless person cut off from all information, unable to contribute in any way.
After calming down, Shen Qianzhan’s mind finally cleared. She glanced at her phone one last time, picked up her pajamas, and went to freshen up first.
—
By the time she finished her shower, it was already past midnight.
Her body, washed by the hot water, finally felt the delayed exhaustion.
The originally planned face mask and full-body spa were mercilessly canceled the moment she stepped out of the bathroom. Shen Qianzhan sat in front of the mirror, meticulously applying toner and lotion.
The woman in the mirror had delicate features and a flawless bare face. Her freshly bathed skin was fair with a hint of pink, like fine, translucent jade, clear and radiant.
Shen Qianzhan gazed at herself in the mirror with fascination, clicking her tongue in admiration—the hotel mirror still fell short compared to the one at Jichun Erwan, where even the bathroom was equipped with an unbeatable filter.
Didn’t these hotel managers know how many female customers a mirror that could make women look radiant and stunning would attract?
After finishing her basic skincare routine, Shen Qianzhan slowly made her way to the bed.
Her phone, which she had deliberately ignored all evening, lay peacefully on the bedside table, its screen dark and locked.
She glanced at it once, then went to tidy the bed.
She glanced at it again, dawdling as she went to boil a pot of water.
It wasn’t until Shen Qianzhan had nothing left to do and was idly counting strands of her hair that the doorbell chimed softly. Qiao Xin’s slightly weary voice sounded from outside: “Sis Qianzhan, are you asleep?”
Shen Qianzhan shuffled over in the hotel’s cloth slippers to open the door.
Outside, Qiao Xin, sporting two dark circles under her eyes, perked up at the sight of Shen Qianzhan, who remained glamorous and stunning even before bed. Suddenly, she recalled a rumor from about a year ago.
After graduating, Qiao Xin had joined Thousand Lights and had been working as Shen Qianzhan’s planning assistant ever since.
Whenever Thousand Lights invested in a project, Shen Qianzhan, as the producer, would stay on set long-term. Qiao Xin, as her assistant, was almost always by her side.
Due to the nature of film crew work, Shen Qianzhan spent her days managing accounts and coordinating funds, and in the evenings, after the director wrapped up, she would still have to gather the team for meetings.
One day, it was the male lead’s birthday, and the director gave everyone half a day off—a rare moment of leisure.
When the rest of the cast and crew returned from work, they happened to witness the male lead being kicked out of Shen Qianzhan’s room by her, his attempt to offer himself having failed.
The incident was already quite awkward.
To avoid disrupting the film’s progress, Shen Qianzhan didn’t pursue the matter and forcefully suppressed it. The film later wrapped up on schedule as planned, but shortly after the wrap party, someone spread the story of the male lead’s failed attempt.
In the entertainment industry, rumors and revelations were always a mix of truth and falsehood.
Shen Qianzhan’s beauty was well-known. Over the years, there had been no shortage of people, regardless of gender, trying to advance through offering themselves or underhanded deals. Although Shen Qianzhan always refused and never accepted such advances, her looks kept her in the spotlight, often making her the subject of jokes.
Perhaps someone had stepped on that male lead’s tail, as he publicly mocked Shen Qianzhan for being indiscreet. He claimed that he had only gone to share his birthday cake that day, but when Producer Shen opened the door, she was wearing revealing pajamas, disheveled, and who knew whom she was trying to seduce.
He also insinuated, both overtly and covertly, that countless men came and went from her room late at night, questioning who was truly innocent.
At that time, Shen Qianzhan valued her reputation more than her life and would not tolerate such provocations.After posting the video evidence she had long kept to the platform, it directly ignited public attention regarding certain dark rules within the industry.
What Qiao Xin thought of at that moment was the words spoken by that male artist who had already brought about his own downfall.
He said, "A woman like Producer Shen, her figure seems to have been meticulously sculpted by hand. Every measurement is just perfect to the eye alone. If you could actually hold her, she’d be an unparalleled treasure in this world. What man could resist?"
She was a woman, and even she couldn’t resist.
But right now, she had more important matters to attend to.
Qiao Xin snapped back to reality, reluctantly shifting her gaze away, trying not to appear too fawning and drooling. "Sister Zhan."
She had just started when Shen Qianzhan turned slightly, gesturing for her to come in and talk.
Qiao Xin quickly waved her hand. "It’s nothing urgent. I can finish in just a few words. I won’t disturb your rest." She shook her phone. "Su Zan seems to have something urgent to discuss with you, but he couldn’t reach you. I just called you, saw your phone was off, and came to check."
Phone off?
Shen Qianzhan internally cursed, but her expression remained calm, even nodding gracefully. "I just took a shower and didn’t notice. I understand."
Qiao Xin nodded, giving her a concerned look. "Then I’ll leave you to it. I’m heading back."
After watching Qiao Xin return to her room, Shen Qianzhan swiftly closed the door, leaped toward the bedside, and grabbed her phone.
Taking selfies drained the battery too much, and she had spent the entire journey cursing Ji Qinghe, completely unaware that her phone was running out of power.
Shen Qianzhan plugged in her phone to charge while swinging her feet by the bed, waiting for it to power on.
A few minutes later, the successfully booted phone flooded with several WeChat notifications.
Before she could take a closer look, Su Zan’s call arrived instantly.
She answered leisurely, her voice as cold and emotionless as mist, uttering a simple "Hello."
On the other end of the line, Su Zan gasped exaggeratedly, like a fish on the brink of suffocation returning to the water. "Sister Zhan, you finally responded to me, wuwuwu."
Shen Qianzhan aimed for a tone of noble indifference and asked softly, "What is it?"
"I’ll start with the most important things." Su Zan mentally prioritized the matters and carefully said, "The first thing you probably already know—Xiang Qianqian is trending again because of a scandal. The second thing is, after the incident, Mr. Ji’s lawyers issued a warning to Thousand Lights. The third thing is that Mr. Ji proactively asked me for your WeChat."
Shen Qianzhan had been listening absentmindedly until Su Zan finished his last sentence. She clicked her tongue and said, "And you call that prioritizing the important things?"
Su Zan was slow to catch on. "Otherwise?"
"Obviously, Ji Qinghe proactively asking for my WeChat is the most important." Shen Qianzhan scoffed lightly, not hiding her disdain. "This represents a stage of progress, a milestone victory."
Su Zan: "..." Are you sure?
But at this moment, he absolutely dared not provoke the tigress. He could only cautiously follow up and ask, "Before asking for your WeChat, Mr. Ji also told me to wait for a lawyer’s letter. Are you sure this is a stage of progress, a milestone victory?"
Shen Qianzhan instantly sobered up.
Wait, it seemed she had overlooked some things.
"Have you looked into Xiang Qianqian’s situation?" she asked.She certainly hadn't done it, but judging from Su Zan's insinuations, Ji Qinghe had also been set up. As the prime suspect, it was perfectly logical for Ji Qinghe to suspect that she had sent Xiang Qianqian to approach him, take those photos, and forcibly tie him to Endless Year to force his compliance. That bastard was absolutely capable of thinking that way.
"I looked into it," Su Zan said, keeping it brief. "I called Qianqian. She did privately contact Mr. Ji, but she wouldn't dare spy on him."
Hearing a heavy breath on the other end, Su Zan immediately remembered the intimate relationship between Shen Qianzhan and Ji Qinghe and quickly added, "Of course, she's definitely not innocent. What's certain now is that she did contact Mr. Ji privately, but she didn't hire anyone to take the photos, and she didn't do this."
Perhaps feeling his explanation lacked persuasiveness, Su Zan thought for a moment and added, "I mentioned to you before that Qianqian seemed to be in a relationship. Now it looks like she wasn't dating someone—she privately found herself a backer."
Recalling Xiang Qianqian's hushed words before hanging up—"It's not convenient for me to talk now, let's connect tomorrow, okay?"—Su Zan felt a pang of complexity.
"Before I forwarded your contact to Mr. Ji, I explained everything to him. But whether he believes it or not, I don't know." Su Zan sighed deeply. "My sister says we've been targeted by jealous people. I don't know if this will affect you and Mr. Ji."
Well, Shen Qianzhan couldn't say either.
Ji Qinghe was enigmatic and unpredictable, a completely different person depending on the setting.
She stroked her chin and sighed as well. "We'll see when the time comes. If Ji Qinghe despises me so much that cooperation is impossible, we'll just have to find another way."
Su Zan lamented, "If we can't work with Mr. Ji, will we have to completely overhaul the current concept for the tribute drama? If Mr. Jiang isn't satisfied, there's a protection clause that allows him to unilaterally terminate the contract."
"I know. I'll hang up now."
Shen Qianzhan ended the call and checked her WeChat friend requests.
In the request list, there was a new application with a plain white avatar and a single-character nickname: "Ji."
The note below was refreshingly unconventional:
Not a dog, but I've bitten you.
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