Chapter Fifty-Three
Upon hearing this, Su Zan felt a complex mix of emotions and couldn’t quite tell whether Ming Jue’s remark was meant as criticism or sarcasm.
By now, the two had reached the car.
The underground parking garage was not spacious, with rows of parking spaces filled with the production crew’s rented commercial vehicles and private cars.
Ming Jue shone the flashlight toward a dusty BMW tucked away in a corner. Its wheels were caked with snow and mud, long stripped of its original shine and glamour.
Su Zan glanced at the melted snow stains around the car and asked, “This car has traveled quite a distance. Where did you and Mr. Ji come from?”
“Nanjing.” Ming Jue unlocked the car and opened the trunk. “There was a heavy snowstorm in Jiangsu, and only the airport in Nanjing was barely operational. Mr. Ji changed his flight at the last minute, catching the final flight, which was delayed for over six hours before arriving.”
As the trunk opened, the interior light flickered on, like a drowsy cluster of fireflies casting a faint glow in the corner of the underground garage.
Ming Jue tucked the flashlight into his suit collar, tilted his head slightly, and gestured for Su Zan to set up the folding hand truck.
The latter swiftly unfolded the hand truck, bit down on the flashlight’s lanyard, and dutifully began loading supplies onto it.
The back seats of the BMW had been folded down, creating ample space stacked with instant noodles. Su Zan made three trips back and forth before moving all the food and drinking water to the warehouse rented by the production crew.
After sealing the door, Su Zan wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling somewhat drained. “Let’s take a break and have a smoke.”
Ming Jue neither agreed nor disagreed. Seeing Su Zan plop down on the stairs, he sat down as well, leaving an arm’s length of distance between them.
Su Zan offered him a cigarette, but Ming Jue glanced at it and declined. “I don’t smoke.”
“Seriously? Is it Mr. Ji’s rule?” Su Zan clamped the cigarette between his lips, tossing the lighter in his hand a few times. “Mind if I have one?”
Ming Jue gestured “suit yourself” and said, “Mr. Ji doesn’t smoke or drink, rarely attends social events, and has no habit of making subordinates take on smoking or drinking for him. So, I’ve never picked it up.”
Seeing this, Su Zan flicked the lighter, took a drag, and exhaled a puff of smoke. “How long did it take you and Mr. Ji to get here from Nanjing?”
“Didn’t keep track.” From the moment Ji Qinghe decided to reroute to Nanjing, Ming Jue had been responsible for coordinating Mr. Ji’s reception, accommodation, and transportation with the local authorities in Nanjing. However, the flight was delayed for over six hours due to the snowstorm, forcing a complete overhaul of all plans upon landing.
Ji Qinghe requested a BMW capable of handling snowy terrain, loaded it with supplies, and headed straight for Wuxi.
The highway was icy and slippery, and Ji Qinghe drove the entire night journey himself after dark. Just as they were about a dozen kilometers from their destination, the final stretch of the highway was plagued by traffic diversions and road closures, causing a backup of vehicles from the highway all the way to the toll station.
Recalling this, Ming Jue suddenly remembered something and said, “The highway was closed, and Mr. Ji had to pull some strings to get in early. A truck left later and is likely stuck on the highway tonight. Once the highway reopens tomorrow, I’ll go with you to the toll station to pick it up.”
Su Zan’s hand trembled, nearly burning himself with the cigarette. “There’s another truck?”
Seeing his shock, Ming Jue hesitated for a moment before replying, “Didn’t you say the entire crew of hundreds was starving? The small load we just brought would only last for one meal at most, wouldn’t it?”When Su Zan discussed solutions with Shen Qianzhan in the afternoon, he had also suggested sending the production crew to the supermarket to stock up on supplies. However, most of the film crews in the studio had been there since before the New Year, sacrificing their Spring Festival holidays entirely to keep the projects on schedule.
When the heavy snow first began, many crews filming winter scenes were delighted not to have to create artificial snow. The rush to rent locations and shoot scenes was exceptionally lively.
After the New Year, with spring just around the corner, even fewer crews left. Everyone was waiting for warmer weather to finish filming and wrap up. No one expected this natural disaster to strike so suddenly, with the snow lingering and refusing to melt. Crews that had arrived before and after the New Year were all trapped in the film base, and supermarkets within a five-kilometer radius had long been stripped bare.
Otherwise, the production crew wouldn’t have been so desperate today as to argue with Xiao Sheng.
Ji Qinghe’s move was clearly a timely rescue. Su Zan was so grateful he almost felt like offering Shen Qianzhan to him. Clenching a cigarette between his teeth, he reached out both hands to forcefully shake Ming Jue’s: “You and Mr. Ji are like saviors sent by divine light.”
Ming Jue was equally candid. He struggled to free his hand from Su Zan’s grip and said, “If you want to thank anyone, thank Shen Daji. If Ms. Shen weren’t trapped here, Mr. Ji wouldn’t have trekked through mountains and rivers to come.” With that, he glanced at his watch under the dim glow of the flashlight: “It’s getting late. Could you arrange a place for me to rest, Young Master Su?”
Only then did Su Zan remember that he hadn’t arranged accommodations for Ji Qinghe and Ming Jue. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “My room is a twin room with two beds. Would you mind sharing with me tonight?”
Ming Jue was utterly exhausted. He didn’t mind sharing a room with Su Zan—after all, a bed was a bed. The tricky part was Ji Qinghe.
The hotel rooms were fully booked, and there was genuinely no spare room available. It was already past midnight, and disturbing others to vacate a room at this hour was clearly impractical.
Su Zan had a plan in mind. Flicking the ash from his cigarette, he stood up and said, “Let’s head back first.”
—
At the same time, in Shen Qianzhan’s room.
The flashlight’s beam, having been on for too long, gradually dimmed.
Shen Qianzhan held her phone, wanting to send a WeChat message. But as she touched the cold device and saw the “no signal” indicator at the top, she suddenly felt the frustration of being utterly helpless.
Her thoughts aligned with Su Zan’s.
It was too late to disturb many people now, and given Ji Qinghe’s status, his presence here was already highly unusual. To avoid rumors spreading, it was best to keep Ji Qinghe’s presence as low-key as possible.
If it were just Ji Qinghe alone, Shen Qianzhan wouldn’t have needed to think twice—Su Zan’s twin room next door would have been perfect for hiding him away. But with Ming Jue added to the mix, the beds fell short. Squeezing three people into one room was something Ji Qinghe would never agree to, and Shen Qianzhan herself found it hard to suggest.
As she was still pondering, Ji Qinghe took her hand and pressed her palm against his forehead. “Help me check if my temperature is high.”
He obediently lowered his head slightly, like a devout believer beneath her palm. His lips were lightly pursed, his eyes downcast. In the dim light, the interplay of shadows and highlights on his face unexpectedly revealed a youthful sharpness.
Even though this scoundrel was two years older than her.
Beneath her palm, his forehead felt slightly warm. When his eyelashes fluttered, they brushed against her palm, causing a faint itch.
Shen Qianzhan looked up, slightly startled. “Did you catch a chill on the way?”Only then did she notice that beneath Ji Qinghe's long coat, he wore only a thin dress shirt. Because the suit was dark in color, she hadn't noticed earlier.
After the hotel lost power, the temperature in the room plummeted. All electrical appliances, including the space heater and warmers, became useless, leaving the room as cold as an ice cellar. Compared to the world outside the window, it only offered a roof of red tiles to block the wind and snow. Beyond that, there was little difference from the freezing, snowy landscape outside.
Ignoring the risk of exposure, Shen Qianzhan half-knelt and pressed the back of her hand against Ji Qinghe's forehead once more.
He remained cooperative, leaning slightly forward. Only his eyes, with their slightly lifted lids, stared unblinkingly at her.
Perhaps it was the late hour, or perhaps her rationality had been clouded tonight, leaving only a heart full of tenderness. Behind his glasses, Ji Qinghe's eyes were as deep as a well. At first glance, they shimmered with a watery light, and when she glanced over, they faithfully reflected her image. Looking deeper, the well seemed as vast as the sea, its bottom strewn with hidden reefs and lurking dragons. As he gazed back at her, his eyes were calm and unfathomable.
Her breath caught, and she felt a sense of weightlessness, as if being pulled into an abyss. It was the same feeling she had experienced that day when, across a bustling crowd, their eyes had met by chance—a feeling that made her wish she could die beneath him.
Her distraction lasted only a moment.
Shen Qianzhan quickly snapped back to reality. She withdrew her hand, curled her legs, and half-sat against the pillow. "It might be a low-grade fever. We need to find a thermometer to confirm. The crew has a medical team..." She paused briefly before adding, "But their capabilities are limited. They usually handle minor injuries."
As she spoke, she got up, climbed down from the foot of the bed, and without avoiding the gaze behind her, retrieved a pullover sweater and trousers from the wardrobe, slipping them on quickly. "The equipment isn't complete, and I don't know if there's a thermometer or fever-reducing medicine."
The Wuxi Film and Television Base had only recently gained popularity. To attract investment, both the film city and the local government had introduced policies to draw in production crews. The surrounding facilities were comprehensive, ranging from hospitals to shopping malls, resembling a modern, eco-friendly city.
Typically, large production crews would have a medical team of two to three people to handle emergencies or basic symptoms. For more serious issues, a top-tier hospital was just three kilometers away, which was usually sufficient. But now, with the roads blocked by heavy snow and the world outside covered in ice, it was nearly impossible to go anywhere.
If the medical team's usual stock of medicine was depleted, the consequences could be dire.
While trying to recall which floor and room number the female doctor from the medical team was staying in, she slipped on the hotel's fabric slippers and went to the bedside to look for her phone.
Ji Qinghe watched her calmly the entire time. Finally, when he noticed a crack in her composure, he subtly curved his lips, took hold of her wrist, and pulled her down.
Caught off guard, Shen Qianzhan stumbled, her knee hitting the edge of the bed.
Between the two of them, Ji Qinghe had always held the absolute advantage.
He tightened his grip on Shen Qianzhan's wrist, pulling her closer with even more force. When she was close enough to be pulled into his arms, he lifted her chin with his hand and leaned in to look at her.
The distance was too close, and the emotions in her eyes were laid bare in his view.
Ji Qinghe parted his lips, as if about to touch hers, but didn't. Only their breaths mingled ambiguously, faint yet palpable.
Pretending not to know how agonizing this gesture was for her, his other hand rested on her waist, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Just as he remembered, her waist softened, and half the strength supporting her body dissipated. The negligible distance between them was completely shattered. Shen Qianzhan stumbled forward, and their lips met.Ji Qinghe didn't hold back any longer, pressing the back of her neck as he leaned in.
Shen Qianzhan, caught off guard, felt indignant, but her body's response was far more honest than her mind. Her lips, kissed by Ji Qinghe, tingled slightly, and her heart felt hollow, as if the sky had collapsed and the earth had given way.
Her remaining rationality still protested, urging her like a roaring tide to push him away and resist. She raised her hand, delivering a feeble, unconvincing tap on his shoulder: "Taking advantage of me again."
With her lips sealed by his kiss, her words came out muffled. She was slightly annoyed, but given the disparity in strength, resistance was futile. Her struggles were like an ant trying to shake a tree—merely adding to the amusement.
Unexpectedly, Ji Qinghe released her. His cool nose tip pressed against hers, and as he spoke, his lips brushed against hers intermittently: "If not yours, whose should I take?"
His hand, resting at Shen Qianzhan's waist, subtly squeezed, making her go limp and boneless. Then, rubbing his nose against hers, he tilted his head slightly to kiss the tip of her nose and the bow of her lips: "You can hit or scold me, but letting go is not an option."
Shen Qianzhan glared at him silently.
Though her face wore an expression of anger, under his gaze, it felt like stepping willingly into an abyss, falling without regret.
She lowered her eyes and asked, "What's not an option? I didn't hear clearly."
Ji Qinghe pinched her waist, this time with a bit more force. Caught off guard, Shen Qianzhan let out a soft "mmph" and gave his left shoulder a symbolic push: "Angry out of shame?"
"It's almost unbearable," he said, kissing her again, his voice low and tinged with laughter. "Producer Shen better hurry and experience it."
Shen Qianzhan inwardly cursed: You shameless rogue.
Completely forgetting that she had started the provocative banter herself.
She felt she had already been too indulgent tonight, and a slight pang of guilt stirred within her. Struggling her wrist in his grasp, she spoke in broken phrases: "I’ll go... find a thermometer to take your temperature."
Ji Qinghe pulled his lips away slightly: "Aren’t you already taking my temperature?"
Shen Qianzhan shot him a sharp look. As she turned her head, Ji Qinghe saw the blush spreading from the tips of her ears to her cheeks, glowing faintly under the flashlight’s beam.
His eyes darkened, like a lone fire in April, setting the forest ablaze.Thank you to the little angels who irrigated with nutrient solution:
Unsweetened Oolong Tea 100 bottles; 32824409 90 bottles; siytse, esperanza, darry, biubiubiu, Green, Green, the Collar of My Dress 20 bottles; 26516014 17 bottles; macyyy 16 bottles; Woodsen 15 bottles; Qin San 11 bottles; Wandering with Orchids and Angelica, yang, Huanghuang, Tuche, Nianbei, Zhang Jiajia Thousand-Layer Cake, Love Hong 10 bottles; Yaoyao Yaoyao Yaoyao Yaoyao 8 bottles; Other Stars 6 bottles; 34909528, -Jiuwan, villkan, Lemon, Heart Rain,, Yiyixin, I Haven't Worn a Bikini Yet, Lalala, A Tong, veloma_, A Smile, Shi Yujing Fanfanfan, As If First Meeting 5 bottles; loveyou hey 4 bottles; ly:-), Neighbor Brother Lu? 3 bottles; Gu Ziqing, karen, Meow Meow., Midnight Ghost, Golden Lump, What to Call It Is a Problem, south, The World Is Too Real, We Are Too Naive, Jade Smoke 2 bottles; Cool Frog, Fallen Flowers and Swallow Mud Fragrance, Sima Xiaobai, Wen Zhuo, 36503982, Zhang Zhang Zhang Zhang Ping, Yun Sheng, Little Footprints, Never Encountered an Unoccupied One, x, Plum, vic-q-lady?, ~~White Dew as Frost, q, li Guan, Li Muyan, 42411479, Young Fang You, 43049576, 2333, Gu Qi, Sky of Fate 1 bottle;
Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
OpenNovel