Chapter Thirty-Eight
The first snow of the new year began on New Year's Eve and continued into the first day of the Lunar New Year.
When Shen Qianzhan woke up, the world outside her window was a vast expanse of white, blurring the lines between horizon and boundary.
To let in fresh air, she had left a crack in her window, causing the sheer snow-white curtains to flutter gently.
Shen Qianzhan picked up her phone and checked the time—eight in the morning, her usual weekday wake-up hour.
Hugging her phone, she stared blankly at the chandelier on the ceiling.
Last night, after dropping Su Zan and Ji Qinghe off at the courtyard house, she hadn’t lingered and headed straight home. By the time she arrived at ten, Mr. and Mrs. Shen were waiting for her in the living room, chatting as they sat.
The long-unused television in the living room was broadcasting the Spring Festival Gala live. Amidst the laughter and cheerful noise, Shen’s Mother watched her with hopeful eyes.
Shen Qianzhan dutifully went to her room to fetch a blanket and joined her parents to watch the show.
Shen’s Mother was particularly enthusiastic about the traditional performances. As Shen Qianzhan listened to her and Old Shen discuss the veteran performers who had graced the Spring Festival Gala stage for decades, she absentmindedly peeled an orange, lost in thought.
Whenever she drifted into deep contemplation, her hands would instinctively fiddle with something. The unfortunate orange she had chosen was meticulously cleaned, from its peel to the pith. Even when she ate it, she mechanically predetermined how many bites it would take.
It wasn’t until Shen’s Mother called her name three times in a row that she snapped back to reality: “What?”
“Here’s your New Year’s money.” Shen’s Mother handed her a red envelope and nudged Old Shen. “Where’s yours?”
Old Shen took his time, retrieving the red envelope he had tucked under the ashtray. “What’s the rush? Would I ever forget my daughter’s?”
Against the backdrop of the gala’s rousing music, Old Shen looked at her with a smile and said, “A few years ago, your mother and I felt something was off with you and wanted to persuade you to come back. This time we came to Beijing not only to visit your grandfather but also to understand your life better.”
Shen Qianzhan smiled and asked, “With such limited time, I doubt you’ll get to know much.”
“We have no intention of prying into your life. Knowing that your work is going well, your life is fulfilling, and you’re in good spirits is enough for us.” Old Shen sighed, his tone tinged with melancholy. “Ever since you came to Beijing, your mother and I have felt you drifting further away from us. I’m glad my daughter has a vast world to explore and thrive in, and I’m proud of the perspective and capabilities you’ve developed.”
Over the years, aside from trying to reason with her and appeal to her emotions regarding marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Shen rarely spoke so candidly.
Shen Qianzhan played along, putting on an appreciative expression. “I’m glad to hear such praise from you.” She glanced at Shen’s Mother, subtly lodging a complaint. “I thought you’d prefer me to be immersed in romantic affairs.”
Old Shen seemed to have reached some unspoken agreement with Shen’s Mother, as he spoke on their behalf: “Don’t misunderstand your mother. Doesn’t she support your career? She’s your biggest supporter. She proudly tells everyone how her daughter has her own ideas, is independent and brave, just like a Disney princess. She nags you because she cares. Our world is different from yours. You’re always talking about financial independence, life independence, and personal space, so your mother and I don’t dare interfere too much in your life. We occasionally ask a question or two, afraid we might annoy you.”
He sounded a little aggrieved as he continued, “Have you ever heard of parents visiting their daughter in Beijing and being so afraid to disturb her that they only call after their plane has landed?”
Shen Qianzhan apologized sincerely, “I was wrong. I’ve neglected to care for you both.”Old Shen waved his hand, indicating that wasn’t his point. “After this year, you’ll be thirty. At thirty, one should stand firm.”
“In life and work, you’ve already established yourself through your own abilities and taken on responsibilities. But what about your life goals and personal growth? Have you gained any new insights this year?”
Shen Qianzhan wondered how many more detours Old Shen would take before getting to the point. She curled the corners of her lips slightly, playing dumb. “Which life goals are you referring to? I just set a small goal of earning a hundred million.”
Her personality was distinct, her emotions clear at a glance. Usually, when conversations didn’t go her way, she’d lash out with sharp words, regardless of closeness.
Old Shen didn’t withdraw even after being pricked by her barbs. Holding his teacup, he took a slow sip. “Just chatting casually, why are you so tense?”
Shen Qianzhan thought for a moment and said, “I’m serious. I just set a goal to earn a hundred million. Once I’ve saved enough money, I’ll spend the rest of my life doing only what I want. I don’t care if anyone will be by my side in the future—I’m not lonely. Nor do I care about society’s expectations for women to be ‘complete.’ Those standards that insist women must marry and have children can’t bind me.”
These weren’t the first time she’d said such things. But in the past, she’d phrased them more tactfully, coaxing and persuading, trying to avoid direct conflict with Shen’s Mother.
Seeing Shen’s Mother’s face flush red with thinly veiled anger, Shen Qianzhan softened her tone and clarified, “If the right person comes along, I won’t resist. It’s just that I’m too busy with work right now. If you ask me to pause now, I might not be able to balance both. Putting work aside temporarily is even more impossible. Work and financial independence are my foundation—my rationality won’t allow me to abandon my career for something so intangible.”
Unless you’ve been in her position, you’d never know how much effort she’d put into getting back on her feet.
During the most difficult times, Shen Qianzhan knew Mr. and Mrs. Shen couldn’t shoulder her massive debts, so she gritted her teeth and bore it all herself. These past nine years, with all the ups and downs, storms and waves, it was no exaggeration to say she’d poured her heart and soul into it.
She would never allow her career to falter in any way. Nor would she allow anyone to topple the empire she’d built.
Shen’s Mother had listened quietly for a long time, suppressing her emotions as much as possible. Calmly, she asked, “Then tell me, what kind of person do you consider ‘the right one’?”
At that moment, a figure flashed bizarrely through Shen Qianzhan’s mind—cold as pine and bamboo, secretly scheming, a refined scoundrel who calculated every step: Ji Qinghe.
His words, “You can make a wish to me, and it will be valid every year on this day,” echoed in her mind like a curse.
Like the snowflakes outside the car, those words were silent yet impossible to ignore, knocking insistently at the door of her heart.
She couldn’t remember her expression at the time—probably surprised, thinking he was joking. She remembered smiling and asking, “Any wish?”
He repeated, “Any wish.”
At that moment, snow fell into her world, rustling softly.
Heaven knew how much restraint it took for her not to blurt out, “Then give me lots and lots of money, the kind that falls from the sky.”
Shen Qianzhan’s life wasn’t a fairy tale. She knew such wishes came with a price.
So she swallowed her words and ended the conversation with a joke.
She said, “Thank you, Mr. Ji, for giving me the chance to daydream even at thirty.”
——
In the hallway, Shen’s Mother’s voice was hushed, as if afraid of waking her. “Has it been snowing all night?”Old Shen grunted, his voice drifting: "With snow this thick, it should be. Snow in the south is like a joke; how many years has it been since I've seen anyone throwing snowballs in the snow?"
Shen Qianzhan was too lazy to get up.
After the unpleasant parting with Shen's Mother last night, she needed some mental preparation to face Mr. and Mrs. Shen normally.
Shen Qianzhan’s method of mental preparation was simple and straightforward. She sat cross-legged on the bed, pulled out the New Year’s red envelopes tucked under her pillow, and counted them one by one.
Old Shen always believed that "the depth of love is reflected in the thickness of the red envelope," and the one he gave her was large and plump.
She counted gleefully, unable to hide her smile.
Starting the first day of the Lunar New Year by counting money—what a good omen!
—
By the time the sun was high in the sky, Shen Qianzhan figured that the little traitor Su Zan should have sobered up by now and decided to call him personally.
The little traitor’s voice was thick with a nasal tone, sounding dejected: "When I woke up and saw that carved canopy bed, I was almost scared to death." He sniffled and complained: "After all these years of friendship, I was drunk like that, and you just tossed me to Mr. Ji. Shen Qianzhan, has your conscience been eaten by dogs?"
Shen Qianzhan, watering her pothos plant, focused on the wrong detail: "Carved canopy bed?"
"Yeah." Su Zan mumbled: "A big guy like Meng Wangzhou actually likes gauzy curtains and canopies. Isn’t that terrifying?"
Shen Qianzhan replied: "I think you should look into the cost of that bed. After finding out, it might change your impression of Meng Wangzhou."
Having known her for so long, this was the first time Su Zan realized how biased she could be: "Why do you always take other people’s side?"
"Just calling it as I see it." Shen Qianzhan opened the window and took a breath of the crisp, cold air outside: "Are you home now? How was your romantic night with Mr. Ji?"
"Ugh." Su Zan said bitterly: "Only you would find it romantic with Mr. Ji. He just dumped me with Boss Meng and didn’t even bother with me."
Hearing him respond fluently and logically, Shen Qianzhan stopped worrying: "Script meeting on the third day of the Lunar New Year, don’t forget."
Su Zan grumbled and hung up first.
—
On the afternoon of the third day of the Lunar New Year, Shen Qianzhan reserved a private tea room.
She arrived the earliest and sent the location to the WeChat group she had hastily created the night before.
The first to arrive was Lin Qiao, who was the most enthusiastic about the script meeting and always responded to everything promptly.
Making Shen Qianzhan wait? Not a chance.
She had collaborated with Shen Qianzhan on many projects, and aside from her solid skills and alignment with Shen Qianzhan’s aesthetic tastes, her likable personality played a big part.
When Su Zan teased her, he often said Lin Qiao was like Shen Qianzhan’s long-lost sister from another family.
Lin Qiao brought a bag of sour plums with her, popping them one by one, making Shen Qianzhan’s teeth ache just watching.
Reacting on a woman’s intuition, Shen Qianzhan cautiously probed: "Is there something going on with you?"
Lin Qiao froze, then quickly shook her head: "No!"
Her nervous reaction made Shen Qianzhan’s mischievous side emerge: "Do you even know what I’m asking about before saying no?"
Caught off guard, Lin Qiao frowned and asked: "Boss, could you clarify? I’ll tell you everything I know."
Shen Qianzhan rarely pried into her collaborators’ private lives, and her understanding of Lin Qiao was limited to her professional abilities and work scope.
Perhaps influenced by Shen’s Mother’s recent hints about wanting to have another heart-to-heart talk about life, she curiously asked: "You’re twenty-seven this year?"
Lin Qiao nodded obediently, pretending to joke: "Don’t tell me the project has an age limit. I’d be really upset.""There actually is a new project." Shen Qianzhan stroked her chin, speaking with a serious expression. "I want to push the boundaries of censorship and challenge a script with a 'minors advised against' rating."
Lin Qiao nearly choked on a sour plum, her face flushing red as she coughed, looking utterly shocked. "Are you serious?"
"Just kidding." Shen Qianzhan sighed. "Not only is the tribute drama under strict review, but the investors wouldn’t allow it either."
Lin Qiao sipped her tea to soothe her throat. Seeing no one around, she lowered her voice mysteriously. "That person in the WeChat group with the nickname just a single character 'Ji'—is that the big boss funding this project?"
Shen Qianzhan vaguely felt something was off. "You call me the 'golden mommy' and him the 'golden daddy'?"
She raised an eyebrow, teasing, "Ji Qinghe probably doesn’t know he has such a big daughter out there, does he?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the curtain at the entrance was lifted by a slender finger.
Ji Qinghe’s voice, deep and slightly hoarse, chimed in, "Now I do."
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