Chapter Fifty-One
After lunch, Shen Qianzhan followed Su Zan to Xiao Sheng's room to discuss the next steps.
Xiao Sheng's room was on the same floor as Shen Qianzhan's, but they were at opposite ends—one in the south, the other in the north.
With the hotel's air conditioning out of order, the corridors and hallways were as cold as ice cellars, the walls and floors exuding a bone-chilling, piercing cold.
Having grown up in the north, Su Zan was utterly unaccustomed to sub-zero temperatures without heating. He shivered the entire way, and by the time they reached Xiao Sheng's door, his face was pale and his lips had a faint purple tinge.
Shen Qianzhan unwrapped her scarf and handed it to him. "Put this on," she said, pointing to his lips. "They've turned purple."
Su Zan shook his head.
He hugged his arms tightly against himself, but even so, only the overlapping layers of fabric provided a fleeting warmth. Unwilling to expose even his fingers, he gestured with his chin toward the door ahead. "We're almost there. Once we're inside, I'll ask Xiao Sheng for a drink. You're a woman, Qianzhan, and you're thin. Don't worry about me."
He muttered to himself, tightening his arms again. "With the city snowed in like this, forget about the power outage—even stepping outside is difficult. If anyone gets sick now, they won't even be able to make it to the hospital."
Shen Qianzhan couldn't be bothered to argue. She grabbed Su Zan's arm, pulled him toward her, and without another word, wrapped her camel-colored wool scarf around his neck twice. Standing on her toes, she hastily secured it and tightened the ends.
Su Zan's face flushed strangely. He stared blankly at Shen Qianzhan for a moment, a touched expression beginning to form, only to be abruptly dispelled when she smacked the back of his head.
Shen Qianzhan glared at him. "What are you staring at? I'm the woman you'll never have."
After the smack, Su Zan's head buzzed with lingering pain. He touched the fluffy scarf around his neck and pouted.
Su Zan had good looks, a tall frame, and a witty, engaging personality. In the early days, when he accompanied Shen Qianzhan to business dinners, he was often mistaken for a newly signed artist under her management.
Later, when people learned he was just an assistant, many expressed regret.
Even Su Zan himself had moments of excessive confidence in his appearance. He once asked Shen Qianzhan if, given his good looks, Su Lanyi's position as the CEO of Thousand Lights, and his family's wealth and connections, he could switch careers and "sell dreams to fans."
Shen Qianzhan had replied at the time, "If Su Lanyi agrees, of course you can."
With Su Zan's conditions, entering the entertainment industry would have been perfectly timed and well-supported. Even by today's standards, his qualifications were exceptional—though "qualifications" here referred not to his personal attributes but to the vast network and background behind him.
When Shen Qianzhan gave that answer, she already knew Su Lanyi would reject Su Zan's fantasy.
Su Zan wasn't genuinely passionate about being in the spotlight. Once the novelty wore off, this rich second-generation heir, who only dreamed of squandering his family fortune, would find it restrictive and dull. Knowing this, anyone willing to invest in such a fleeting whim couldn't possibly be the Su Lanyi she knew.
Naturally, Su Zan was deeply disappointed and spent a period moping over it. During this time, perhaps out of defiance or childish retaliation, he directed an astonishing amount of enthusiasm toward Shen Qianzhan, who remained aloof and seemingly indifferent to everyone.
To this day, Shen Qianzhan refused to define that as pursuit.
Su Zan's enthusiasm lasted only a week before it crumbled under Shen Qianzhan's unwavering indifference.At that time, she sat before the mirror, carefully applying her makeup, and shot a cold, sharp glance at Su Zan. "As the only financially dependent, freeloading rich second generation, do you really think you're qualified to pursue me?"
Without even looking at him, she lowered her voice and said, "Should I show you the contact groups on my WeChat? My suitors are listed from A to Z, and you can look up their backgrounds on Baidu. When you meet the criteria, maybe you can join that group."
Su Zan’s eyes reddened with humiliation and frustration. "What’s wrong with me? I’m good-looking, my family is wealthy, and I’m young and strong."
Shen Qianzhan sneered, looking at him with the pity one might show a younger brother. "See, the more immature a man is, the more he focuses on superficial qualities." She twisted her lipstick shut, stood up, and ruffled his hair. "Alright, enough of this. Come back and be my assistant, and I’ll let it slide. But if you keep causing trouble, you can get lost."
She took off her coat, standing gracefully in her glamorous evening gown under the lights, pride and mockery mingling in her tone. "I’m the woman you’ll never have."
Su Zan would always remember that moment. That night, Shen Qianzhan seemed to have stepped out of a painting, every smile and glance exuding unrestrained charm.
Since then, every girl he met was either bland and uninteresting or overly flashy and vulgar. None could match Shen Qianzhan, who could captivate everyone with just a glance.
Later, he took her final words to heart, stopped fooling around, and never joked with her again.
It was precisely because of this that Su Zan felt an inexplicable envy toward Ji Qinghe. He had accompanied her through the highs and lows of the glamorous, easily corrupting world of fame and fortune. Even he had moments of indulgence and recklessness, but Shen Qianzhan remained clear-headed throughout.
Ji Qinghe must have been special to her.
Otherwise, with her skills, it would have been effortless to fend off any man’s advances or attempts to possess her.
Recalling the past, Su Zan felt a tinge of melancholy and disappointment.
He buried half his face in his scarf and mumbled indistinctly, "Only Mr. Ji would dare to take on such a challenge."
Shen Qianzhan didn’t catch what he said, but assuming nothing good could come from his mouth, she didn’t bother asking again. She tightened the collar of her down jacket and unceremoniously kicked Su Zan. "What are you standing around for? Lead the way."
Su Zan yelped, and any lingering romantic thoughts were instantly shattered by the kick.
Damn, did this woman have feet made of steel? That hurt like hell.
—
The closer they got to Xiao Sheng’s room, the noisier it became.
At first, Shen Qianzhan thought it was just a lively crowd, but as the noise grew clearer, she realized it was an argument.
She grabbed the impulsive fool beside her and paused at a sheltered corner to eavesdrop. After a few minutes, she pieced together the gist of the situation.
The loud voice belonged to a minor leader from the production crew, while the assistant director and the finance staff were trying to mediate.
Xiao Sheng remained silent, and it was unclear whether he was even present.
Shen Qianzhan had just about figured things out and was considering waiting for the argument to die down before entering when the door to the emergency exit on her left swung open. Song Yan, accompanied by her assistant, happened to run into Shen Qianzhan.
Caught off guard, the slightly flustered producer improvised by pulling a cigarette from her case.Song Yan smiled without speaking, winked at her, and very naturally stayed to chat: "I was so happy to hear you arrived yesterday." Her gaze swept past Su Zan as she nodded politely: "Xiao Liang said you were too tired and went to rest after the meeting, so I didn’t come to disturb."
Shen Qianzhan had a rather good impression of Song Yan. Though the two weren’t particularly close, they often ran into each other at various events and weren’t complete strangers. After all, anyone who made it into Shen Qianzhan’s WeChat contacts list was someone she could exchange a few words with.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two casually walked together to knock on the door.
At the sound of the doorbell, the arguing inside finally quieted down.
The one who answered the door was the finance officer. When she looked up and saw the three standing at the doorway, her expression shifted, turning somewhat awkward.
Shen Qianzhan stepped sideways into the room.
Production teams often needed to hold meetings, so they usually had a small lounge set up. After Shen Qianzhan, Su Zan, Song Yan, and her assistant entered, the space instantly became cramped and narrow, with barely any room to stand.
Xiao Sheng, who had been sitting silently on the sofa, finally looked up at this point, greeting them with a less-than-enthusiastic gesture to sit and talk.
After the hotel lost power, the electric kettle couldn’t function properly. In front of Xiao Sheng was a small stove warming a pot of wine, its rich aroma adding a touch of warmth to the room.
The assistant took disposable paper cups and poured a little wine for everyone to warm themselves.
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat tense. As he poured, he tried to ease the mood: "When the hotel lost power this morning, I was worried the water would be cut off soon. Just now, when I went to wash the teacups, I found... indeed it had."
Shen Qianzhan and Su Zan exchanged a glance. She had woken up late, and the hotel still had water when she washed up. Unexpectedly, by the time she left her room, the water had been cut off too.
"The production team has been negotiating with the hotel to provide daily water, but the talks haven’t been going smoothly," the assistant said cautiously, glancing at Xiao Sheng’s expression. Seeing he didn’t object, he continued: "From the heavy snow at the start of the year until today, the production team has put a lot of effort into supplying food and water for the crew. Everyone’s been struggling. Then, with the water and power outages, it’s only natural that tempers are frayed."
As the lead producer, Shen Qianzhan oversaw the big picture and rarely concerned herself with the intricate operational chain within the crew.
The snowstorm, roads blocked by heavy snow, transportation difficulties, and now the only place they could stay had lost both water and power—no matter who was here, they’d feel helpless.
She didn’t want to interfere too much in the internal affairs of the "Spring River" crew, so she turned her gaze to Xiao Sheng.
The latter was clearly impatient with handling such trivial matters, but with Su Zan and Shen Qianzhan present, he patiently addressed each issue one by one. After dismissing the production team, he closed the door to continue discussing yesterday’s unfinished topics.
By the time Shen Qianzhan arrived, transportation in Wuxi had already become difficult. Many plans from the previous day couldn’t be carried out, and with the water and power outages and loss of signal, they were stuck. Not just Xiao Sheng—even she felt as if fate was playing tricks on them.
At this point, forget about resolving the crisis; with the crew trapped and the situation beyond saving, no one could make a difference.
But before leaving, Shen Qianzhan still gave Xiao Sheng some reassurance. First, they had to endure the snowstorm. Then, have the finance officer prepare a report. Afterward, they could seek investments and invite big-name stars as needed. With proper financial planning, it wasn’t impossible to salvage the situation.Moreover, before the TV show airs, no one can predict whether the project will be profitable or not, so there's no need for such a pessimistic mindset. The most pressing issue at the moment is how to resolve the crisis of the crew being trapped with food shortages and growing unrest. In the face of a major disaster, ensuring the safety of everyone in the crew is the top priority.
——
Shen Qianzhan was far from as calm as she appeared on the surface. She was anxious that her phone was as useless as a brick, good only for lighting and telling time. She was also anxious about the lack of water and electricity, unable to wash her face or take a shower, and unable to maintain the daily skincare and grooming routine befitting a fairy.
Fortunately, film crews usually have searchlights on hand. Su Zan borrowed one and gathered Song Yan and her assistant, and the four of them sat around playing mahjong.
By eleven o'clock, Shen Qianzhan was too tired to continue and called it a night.
Back in her room, after a quick wash, she wrapped herself in the blanket and lay in bed, listening to the howling wind outside and the occasional sound of snow pellets tapping against the window, gradually drifting off to sleep.
At first, her dreams were shallow, like recollections of the day's events.
From meeting Song Yan, to the hotel delivering daily water in the evening, to drawing the curtains and playing mahjong under the searchlight—each scene was as vivid and tangible as if she could reach out and touch it.
Gradually, her dreams deepened.
The dream shifted to noon, with Su Zan joking, "Nothing was wrong before, but after I mentioned that the actors in this crew are all exactly your type, I’m afraid there might be trouble now."
In the dream, Su Zan chattered on: "Look at how flirtatious and unrestrained you usually are, what kind of impression have you left on Mr. Ji..."
"You should be careful. Mr. Ji will probably come to the film base himself to keep an eye on things."
She held a chopstick in her mouth, unfazed: "If he’s got the guts, let him come."
Su Zan doubled over with laughter, rolling on the edge of the bed: "Whether he’s got the guts or not, don’t you know?"
"I know," Shen Qianzhan replied with a wicked smile, her eyes and brows unable to hide her mischief. "I just don’t know if it’s enough for sowing seeds." After all, with the roads blocked by a blizzard and no way to go out, it was the perfect time to sow seeds in fertile soil.
She laughed aloud in her dream, just as she was about to sink into a vivid, R-rated scene. Faint voices could be heard at the door, sounding like Su Zan’s, or perhaps another man’s.
Shen Qianzhan’s consciousness sharpened slightly as she strained to listen.
Then, the lock clicked open. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively opened her eyes. In her bleary, hazy vision, a beam of flashlight light shone in from outside.
As the door closed, Shen Qianzhan jolted fully awake, all drowsiness vanishing. She sat up, clutching the blanket, and demanded coldly, "Who is it?"
Her heart pounded like a drum. The first thing she discerned was that the figure entering the room was male, tall and upright. Just as she was about to cry out for help, the other person seemed to sense her intention and spoke first: "It’s me."
Shen Qianzhan was momentarily stunned.
Her blank mind briefly analyzed the situation but still didn’t dismiss the sense of danger.
She quickly got up, grabbing the down jacket draped over the blanket and throwing it over her shoulders. In her panic, she didn’t have time to put on shoes, standing barefoot on the floor as she took several steps back, firmly grasping the ashtray on the table.
Ji Qinghe was only two steps away. Seeing that he had frightened her, he didn’t make any sudden moves. Instead, he shone the flashlight on his own face and repeated with a hint of mockery, "It’s me."
For a moment, Shen Qianzhan thought she was in an unusually vivid dream, and he was the one stepping into it, carrying a lantern as he approached step by step. In that dazed moment, he had already drawn near. Ignoring the chill he’d brought with him from the snowstorm, he leaned down and embraced her tightly.
"It’s me, Ji Qinghe."Author's Note: That bastard man killed me again.
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me with overlord tickets or irrigated nutrient solution between 2020-04-06 18:21:15 and 2020-04-08 20:36:49~
Thank you to the little angels who cast rocket launchers: Ye Qianlan, Ling Yanluohua Ji (1 each);
Thank you to the little angels who cast grenades: Xu Guanghan's Offline Girlfriend (2); Yuan Yuan Yuan Yuan Yuan, Li Zilan, Xiang Meimei, Zui Ai Bei Qing's Jing Bai (1 each);
Thank you to the little angels who cast landmines: Yue Banban (4); Lala (3); Want to Meet You Ya ·, ? Timid Clumsy Bear, 24159018, Oneday, Er Jiu (2 each); Qiao Yi Qiao Qiao Qiao Qiao Qiao, Miao Yin Lovely, Vvzyy, Oki, Yuan Yuan Yuan Yuan Yuan, 42084608, Hohohsu, 30354721, Sky and Flying Birds, Mu Hanhan's Little Shadow Mio, Lion King Xiuxiu 007, Tirami Su, Ting, Change Qian, Detective Old Zhang, Love Whatever, Josie, Ah Gun Gun, Bi Shaoxin Helena, Weiyi Hhh, Heal, Luka's Home, Tang Xiao Niang's Little Amy, Cache, Shiyue1, Zuo Ziyan, Super Love Bei Qing, One Big Xuan Zai, Are You Happy Today, Qu Qu Qu Qu, Nian Ji, 44660384, Estella, Rachaeling, Mu Cheng, You Gu (1 each);
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Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
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