Chapter Forty-Nine
Su Lanyi was two years older than Shen Qianzhan. Doted on by her family, she had never suffered much hardship in her life. The only time she truly experienced a "descent to the mortal world" was likely when she first stepped out of the ivory tower, misjudged someone, and ended up being cheated on.
The year Shen Qianzhan met Su Lanyi, the company was undergoing internal division and restructuring. Shen Qianzhan was merely an insignificant project planner at the film and television company. After enduring the cold bench throughout her internship and finally becoming a full-time employee, the first project she worked on brought her into contact with Su Lanyi, who at the time was attending a script meeting with the renowned screenwriter Han Xiaoli.
The project lasted a full year, and Shen Qianzhan liaised with Su Lanyi throughout that entire period. In the end, due to internal company conflicts, the project was aborted during its early filming stages and left unresolved.
Su Lanyi was inherently proud, an ambitious individual driven by both capability and dreams.
From their initial acquaintance and growing understanding to the eventual sinking of the project, Shen Qianzhan and Su Lanyi went from getting along harmoniously to losing contact and cutting ties, largely due to their respective company stances and the project's conclusion.
It wasn’t until the following year, when the project was revived, that they reconnected.
By the time Shen Qianzhan reached out to Su Lanyi, the latter had already founded a copyright agency—the predecessor of Thousand Lights.
It was only then that Shen Qianzhan learned Su Lanyi was not a novice screenwriter fresh out of society with nothing to her name. She was a distant relative of Han Xiaoli’s husband, Su Qiancheng. The tedious process of repeatedly revising and pushing the script forward had drained any passion she might have had for screenwriting. After enduring it for a year, once the project disbanded, she started her own company with family investment, handling copyright agency work herself.
In the end, if it hadn’t been for the fact that the project was originally undertaken to pave the way for Su Lanyi, she probably wouldn’t have been willing to come back and clean up the mess.
After rejoining the crew, the friendship between Su Lanyi and Shen Qianzhan rekindled.
During the days and nights spent urging for drafts and sharing clothes while sleeping, Su Lanyi talked to her about dreams, aspirations, and first loves. Over the five-month filming period, Shen Qianzhan witnessed her experience the budding of first love, fall into passionate romance, go through a cold war breakup, and eventually reconcile.
After the project wrapped, Su Lanyi returned to her life as a wealthy young woman, while Shen Qianzhan seamlessly moved on to another project, where the lead actor was still Su Lanyi’s "little wolf dog" boyfriend.
At first, everything remained on track. Because of her close relationship with Su Lanyi, the boyfriend was amiable and polite toward Shen Qianzhan. Gradually, however, Shen Qianzhan noticed him sneaking around, picking "wildflowers" right under her nose.
After witnessing it several times and fearing exposure, he began issuing warnings and threats behind the scenes. After countless internal struggles, Shen Qianzhan finally followed her conscience and invited Su Lanyi to visit the set.
Like every clichéd, dramatic youth story, she led Su Lanyi to catch them in the act, and her sense of justice was met with unfair treatment and manipulation in the days that followed.
She and Su Lanyi likely had a brief intersection of fate at that time, only to drift further apart afterward. Perhaps it was because she had witnessed the most painful and humiliating period of Su Lanyi’s life, leaving an indelible rift between them. Or perhaps, Su Lanyi awakened from this experience and returned to her own world—a world that had nothing to do with Shen Qianzhan.
Later, when Shen Qianzhan fell into the abyss and was trapped in the depths, Su Lanyi happened to pass by. Remembering their past friendship, she extended a helping hand out of pity. But regardless of Su Lanyi’s motivations for reaching out, Shen Qianzhan remained grateful.
All these years, even Su Zan believed that she and Su Lanyi shared an intimate, inseparable friendship. But only Shen Qianzhan herself knew that she and Su Lanyi had never truly been friends.
Not in the past, and not now.If it weren't for Su Lanyi bringing up today, "Didn't I tell you before? I love seeing that stubborn little look of yours when you refuse to admit defeat—it's especially charming," Shen Qianzhan hadn't recalled these past events in a long time.
She copied several video clips from the USB drive to her computer, returned the drive to Qiao Xin, then slightly lifted her chin, signaling to Qiao Xin, "You can leave first."
Qiao Xin couldn't have been more relieved.
Watching the two big shots delve into increasingly private topics, she had long been trembling in the cracks, struggling to survive. Even if Shen Qianzhan hadn't asked her to leave, she would have been thinking of an excuse to slip away and avoid the storm.
Without delay, she swiftly gathered her belongings and practically flew out of the conference room.
As soon as Qiao Xin left, the atmosphere in the conference room suddenly grew tense, thick with a sense of confrontation.
Shen Qianzhan didn't look up. After shifting her focus back to the computer screen to send the videos, she released the mouse and continued organizing her files. "The last time you said that to me, was it when you asked if I needed help?"
She tried hard to recall Su Lanyi's expression at the time. Too much time had passed, and her memory was hazy. She only vaguely remembered that Su Lanyi hadn't even stepped inside back then—she just stood at the doorway, her first words being, "I heard about what happened to you. Do you need my help?"
Her second sentence was, "How much do you need? I'll see how quickly I can gather it for you."
Su Lanyi's "admiration" stemmed from Shen Qianzhan maintaining her rationality and clarity even when she was at her wit's end, politely declining her help. Leaning against the doorframe, Su Lanyi watched her for a long time before saying, "I love seeing that stubborn little look of yours. When I asked you if that scumbag was secretly sabotaging you, you said no. When I asked if anyone at the company was bullying you over this, you also said no. What, are you that afraid of owing me a favor?"
With that, she stepped inside, glanced around casually, kicked off her shoes, and sat on the floor. "Thousand Lights isn't doing well; it can't take off. Since you don't have a better way out anyway, come to Thousand Lights."
She didn't seem too concerned about Shen Qianzhan's failure due to her responsibilities as a producer. After helping Shen Qianzhan out of her immediate crisis, she let go gracefully—whether out of trust in her professional abilities or belief in her determination to succeed or die trying.
So when Shen Qianzhan later made a stunning comeback within just a few years and repaid her massive debts, Su Lanyi wasn't too surprised. She simply gave her a big red envelope and smiled warmly, saying, "Congratulations on your rebirth."
"Probably." Su Lanyi glanced at her, likely sensing Shen Qianzhan's displeasure, and toned it down a bit. "You sent Qiao Xin away just to reminisce with me about the past?"
"What's there to reminisce about?" Shen Qianzhan picked up her coffee and took a sip, then asked, "What conditions did he agree to for Thousand Lights and Xiang Qianqian's peaceful contract termination?"
The question came out of nowhere, catching Su Lanyi off guard. Her expression slipped for a moment.
She raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Why are you asking about this now?"
Shen Qianzhan replied, "I didn't feel comfortable asking before." She was also afraid that the conditions Ji Qinghe had exchanged might be something she couldn't repay—just the ostrich mentality of burying her head in the sand.
Su Lanyi was surprised. "You know Mr. Ji stepped in to help Xiang Qianqian terminate her contract because of you?"
"I know."
Ji Qinghe's feelings for her were no longer a secret in the industry.She wasn't sure how many people knew about this, but Ji Qinghe had never tried to hide it from the start. Like someone determined to succeed, he was so high-profile it was almost as if he wanted to announce it in the newspapers.
Over the years, she had long become shrewd. Not to mention Ji Qinghe's overt and covert advances toward her, even if he were reserved and only contributed in secret, he would pretend to inadvertently make these quietly done things public.
He was someone accustomed to scheming—how could he be content with silent efforts that went unnoticed?
Though Shen Qianzhan rejected him, she missed none of the things she ought to know.
"Star Sea Agency has released quite a few press releases, planning to break through from your side." Su Lanyi glanced sideways, meeting her gaze. "It's pretty much as I expected. Although you made arrangements in advance, to ensure your absolute safety, Mr. Ji still pushed for the result of a three-party collaboration."
That was why things remained calm and stable on Shen Qianzhan's end.
Su Lanyi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "I didn't make things too difficult for Mr. Ji. Considering future cooperation between both parties and for your protection, I only asked for a small favor."
She didn't want to elaborate further and didn't give Shen Qianzhan a chance to speak, changing the topic instead. "By the way, there's something else. Last November, Xiao Sheng's 'Spring River' started filming in Hengdian. After the New Year, they moved to Wuxi, but within a few days, they were trapped by a snowstorm. The company has already covered some expenses to keep the crew afloat. If the weather doesn't improve in the next couple of days, you'll probably have to go there in person."
Xiao Sheng joined Thousand Lights at the end of the year before last. Su Lanyi intended to groom him, assigning him to Shen Qianzhan's team for a year to familiarize himself with the process and gain experience. Last November, as soon as Xiao Sheng had gained enough experience, he took on the role of producer and started the historical project 'Spring River' in Hengdian. Su Lanyi even flew to Hengdian specifically to celebrate with him at the time. Marketing accounts praised Xiao Sheng to the skies, and he enjoyed quite a bit of glory for a while.
Shen Qianzhan lowered her gaze and remained silent.
Taking over a crew midway was often thankless—credit had nothing to do with her, but if something went wrong, she would bear half the responsibility.
Thousand Lights had trained many producers, but few had achieved Shen Qianzhan's level of fame. Xiao Sheng, proud of his talent, had spent that year under her supervision appearing humble and eager to learn on the surface, but inwardly competitive and ambitious, accumulating quite a bit of resentment toward her.
Whenever they met, as colleagues from the same company, they had to maintain a facade of peace and friendliness. Others might not know, but Su Lanyi should have heard something about it.
Many employees speculated that Su Lanyi was wary of Shen Qianzhan dominating the production department alone and intentionally cultivated someone of equal strength to counterbalance her, which had caused Shen Qianzhan's dissatisfaction.
As for Xiao Sheng, because Shen Qianzhan overshadowed him in every way, he didn't think highly of her either. At the company, these two usually avoided each other, rarely appearing together.
Perhaps guessing Shen Qianzhan's concerns, Su Lanyi smiled, stood up, and patted her shoulder. "You're the only one at Thousand Lights who can take charge. The company has invested so much in 'Spring River.' If things continue like this, whether they finish filming or not, we'll lose money."
With things put this way, Shen Qianzhan had no reason to refuse. She frowned, and though she didn't directly agree, she tactfully said, "Let's see how things go. I hope everything goes smoothly, and I won't have to step in."
As for what favor Su Lanyi had asked of Ji Qinghe, she never told Shen Qianzhan in the end.
—
A few days later, Endless Year announced its spokesperson for the Asian region—Song Yan.Song Yan, favored by Fu Xi, debuted at a young age and reached her peak immediately upon entering the industry. Later, she retired at the height of her career to return to campus, only making a strong comeback last year.
Last year, during the casting for Spring River, Shen Qianzhan had dinner with Song Yan and was deeply impressed by her. Later, when Xiao Sheng personally selected Song Yan as the female lead, Shen Qianzhan wasn’t particularly surprised. However, despite her strong comeback, it was still astonishing that she managed to secure the endorsement for Endless Year.
Even more dramatic was that on the same day, Endless Year also announced a new watch ambassador—Zhou Yan.
Shen Qianzhan was packing her luggage when she saw the official announcement on Weibo. The continuous bad weather had clearly rendered her incense prayers useless, as Su Lanyi issued a transfer order, sending her to Wuxi to assist Xiao Sheng.
Coincidentally, Mr. and Mrs. Shen were stranded in Beijing due to flight cancellations caused by the snow, worrying about being trapped until the snow melted before they could return home. Just then, Shen Qianzhan was assigned to Wuxi for a business trip.
While Shen’s mother chattered away, neatly placing clothes into the suitcase, Shen Qianzhan lay sprawled on the edge of the bed, pondering whether Zhou Yan was the "little sweetener" Su Lanyi had asked Ji Qinghe for.
Before she could figure it out, Ming Jue sent her a schedule, asking if she was free in the coming days so he could arrange the trip to Xi’an.
It was only then that Shen Qianzhan’s mind buzzed, and she replied, "I’m on a business trip recently, so the Xi’an trip will have to be postponed."
Ming Jue quickly called her. Upon learning that Shen Qianzhan was going to Wuxi on a business trip with no fixed return date, the usually composed assistant fell silent for a few rare seconds.
Shen Qianzhan also remained quiet for a moment before proactively asking about Ji Qinghe’s recent situation: "Is Mr. Ji busy lately?"
Holding the phone, Ming Jue glanced at Ji Qinghe, who was bent over his desk working, and gave a measured, cautious reply: "Mr. Ji is as busy as ever."
Shen Qianzhan didn’t know how to respond to that, so she simply stayed silent.
She and Ji Qinghe hadn’t seen each other since they parted ways in the residential parking lot that day. Even when Qiao Xin sent the meeting notes to Ming Jue, it took two days before Ming Jue called back with feedback.
Shen Qianzhan couldn’t figure out the reason behind Ji Qinghe’s sudden distance. But given his earlier compromise and his later persistence, the only conclusion she had reached after days of reflection was that she was simply a scumbag, with no other insights to show for it.
After some thought, she decided to hang up.
Just as she was drafting a polite farewell in her mind, the person on the other end of the phone had already changed. His voice carried a hint of laziness, soft and light: "I heard someone’s been thinking about me?"
Shen Qianzhan: I’m not, I haven’t, don’t talk nonsense.
Author’s Note: I heard someone’s been thinking about me?
In remembrance of those who have passed, wishing peace and wellness this Qingming.
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated with nutrient solutions between 2020-04-02 22:07:38 and 2020-04-04 19:36:50~
Special thanks to the little angel who threw a rocket launcher: Ling Yan Luo Hua Ji;
Thanks to the little angels who threw grenades: Wen Wen Wen Wen, 24159018, Xiao Fei Fei, Cha Shao, Qing Shan Lan Wo;Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: Yan is the one with a golden house in the book, Yue Banban (3); Zhang Zhang Zhang Zhang Ping (2); Green Mountain Blocks Me, Colour, Mu Cheng, Mu Hanhan’s Little Shadow Mio, One Grapefruit, Autumn’s Fairy Tale, Lion King Xiuxiu 007, Qiao Yi Qiao Qiao Qiao Ah Qiao, Not Yet hhh, Want to Meet You Ah·, Peach Blossom for Small Cookies, Maetamong_, Big Chicken Leg, Jiang Zhijing, Er Jiu, 19791227, Zhang Yixing’s Wife, Josie, Xin Xin, Oh Sehun’s Wife, Lajibola La, Hu Bei Yi, Dudu’s Mom, Jane, Dear, Heal, Elaine (1);
Thank you to the little angels who irrigated with nutrient solution: Du Qiqi (92 bottles); Chun Jiang Su Er, F (50 bottles); 42598632 (30 bottles); Hua Le, Fish with a Built-in Swimming Ring, Beautiful Mistake. (20 bottles); Sofiee (16 bottles); Xi Xi, Ottoo_, Xi Xi Xi Xi Ha, Yu Xiang Sheng, Tracy 5602, The Guy Named Time, Wan Lan Zhi Bu Qian Mo (10 bottles); Handsome Yuan Yuan (8 bottles); Tu Che (7 bottles); Chicken Feet Little Sister, Blue Fat Guy Who Loves Blowing Bubbles, Has the Author Updated Today, Villkan (6 bottles); Which Piece of Cookie Are You, Karen, I Haven’t Worn a Bikini Yet, Apple, ? Big White White White White White, 23272580 (5 bottles); Nian Bei (3 bottles); First Meeting, Shi Yu Jing Fan Fan Fan, What to Call It Is a Problem, Golden Lump, Yiho, Calmtolois (2 bottles); One Sweet Date, Park Jimin’s Little Fairy, Gu Qi, Xin Xin, Q, Elaine, Cool Frog, Miao Xiao Miao’s Meow Planet, Chu Wu Yan, Li Guan (1 bottle);
Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
OpenNovel