Chapter Fifty-Six
The man knocking on the door seemed puzzled as to why Shen Qianzhan wasn’t in her room at this hour. He let out a soft “huh” before turning and walking away.
Shen Qianzhan listened as the footsteps at the door gradually faded into the distance. Biting her lower lip, she glanced at Ji Qinghe.
See? She was completely innocent.
Ji Qinghe was also looking back at her, his gaze more direct, like a flame hidden within a fireplace—flickering and burning bright red.
In fact, the candlelight was indeed reflected in his dark eyes.
The delicate fragrance of pear blossoms drifted from the flame, thread by thread, rising from the melted wax of the Scented Candle.
“He’s gone,” Shen Qianzhan’s eyes darted toward the door. “Thank goodness there’s been no signal these past few days, or else the entire crew would know I’m neither in my own room nor anywhere to be found.”
She gently pushed his shoulder with her fingertip. “Don’t jump to conclusions. Once you’re on set with the crew, you’ll see that the atmosphere is actually quite good. Who would have nothing better to do than wander around aimlessly, giving people something to gossip about?”
Ji Qinghe didn’t move.
He placed the Scented Candle on the windowsill. As the flame shifted, the twin flickers in his eyes seemed to extinguish, leaving only a deep, well-like stillness. “Do I look that easy to brush off?”
Shen Qianzhan shook her head, her denial sincere and heartfelt. “Not just in appearance—you really are hard to brush off.”
Ji Qinghe pretended to bite her again, his teeth just grazing her wrist. Shen Qianzhan immediately changed her tune. “No, I was just talking nonsense.” She struggled slightly but couldn’t break free, her expression and eyes betraying a shadow of helplessness. “Mr. Ji, aren’t you the same age as your nephew Ji Lin this year?”
“I wish,” Ji Qinghe finally released her this time, his hand dropping to rest on the table behind her. “What did they talk to you about when they knocked on your door, hmm?”
Shen Qianzhan didn’t answer. She lowered her head and glanced sideways at Ji Qinghe, meeting his gaze for two seconds before asking, “And what do you hope to find out from me by asking that, hmm?”
A few strands of hair at her temples fell loose as she tilted her head, dark as crow feathers, accentuating Shen Qianzhan’s fair, porcelain-like complexion.
Ji Qinghe’s gaze lingered on her slightly upturned lips. They were somewhat dry, not a vibrant red but tinged with a faint pallor, like faded artificial flowers.
His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he suddenly asked an unrelated question. “How much longer until Time starts filming?”
Shen Qianzhan was taken aback by the question, her brow furrowing slightly as she mentally calculated the timeline. “At most two months.”
Once the script outline was finalized, the full script would follow quickly. The director and production team were already in place, so assembling the crew wouldn’t take much time. Since she had worked with them before, there was no need for any adjustment period.
She just needed to use this break to scout filming locations. Once the script was nearly ready, they could start filming.
Ji Qinghe remained silent.
Thinking he found the timeline too slow, Shen Qianzhan explained, “The slowest part of pre-production is finalizing the script—that’s usually the most time-consuming stage. Once the script is locked in, everything else moves quickly, and filming is actually the most visible part of the progress.”
Besides, she had a deadline to meet. As a tribute drama, what would be the point if it missed the intended release window?
Though puzzled by his sudden mention of the filming schedule, Shen Qianzhan didn’t forget that Ji Qinghe was the investor. She answered whatever he asked.Waiting for his reply, Ji Qinghe instead smiled. Being so close, the advantages of his features were magnified to the extreme. Shen Qianzhan was momentarily dazzled by that smile. By the time she regained her senses, he had curled his fingers and lightly brushed the tip of her nose, saying, "Then two months from now, when I knock on your door in the middle of the night, even if you don’t answer, I’ll know what we talked about."
Shen Qianzhan was initially taken aback, but after staring at Ji Qinghe for a while, she found it amusing and eventually broke into a genuine laugh. She leaned against his arm, revealing only her eyes, her lips pressed together as she asked him in a half-laughing, half-whispering tone, "What time are you leaving tomorrow?"
"As soon as I wake up." Ji Qinghe looked down at her, his tone softening without him even realizing it. "Once I confirm you’re safe and the supplies are delivered, I should have left today."
Shen Qianzhan blinked but didn’t respond.
Ji Qinghe didn’t want to say more either and changed the subject, asking her, "When are you returning to Beijing?"
"In a few more days." Shen Qianzhan turned to look out the window. The glass was fogged up, and she wiped a patch clear, peering through the damp haze at the dark street outside. "Su Zan and I are like imperial envoys. We have to get things done properly here, or we’ll get scolded when we return."
"But we can’t stay too long either and neglect our own work." These past two days, her phone had been as useless as scrap metal, unable to connect to the outside world. It was a rare chance for her to calm down and draft a schedule for herself.
Once back in Beijing, she needed to finalize the director and focus on the script.
Shao Chouxi had expressed interest in collaborating, so securing him wouldn’t be difficult. Once the script outline and first episode were ready, things could basically be confirmed. The rest would involve scouting filming locations and drafting invitations for the lead actors.
With Ji Qinghe around, she didn’t have to worry about securing investments. Just submit a request, and the funds would be available immediately.
Thinking of this, Shen Qianzhan suddenly remembered the trip to Xi’an. "Could you help explain things to Old Mr. Ji? Once we’re done here, we can set a time?"
The purpose of this trip to Wuxi had already exceeded Ji Qinghe’s expectations, making the trip to Xi’an seem less important now.
"Whenever you’re ready," he said softly. "Just let me know when you’re prepared."
Shen Qianzhan agreed. "Tomorrow, have Su Zan come get me. I’ll see you off with him…" She hadn’t finished speaking when footsteps approached again.
The hotel’s soundproofing was terrible, and she instinctively fell silent, her gaze turning alertly toward the door.
Sure enough, the footsteps stopped outside her room. A rhythmic knock followed, this time more composed. After a few knocks, the person outside introduced themselves. "Producer Shen, it’s Xiao Sheng. I need to discuss something with you."
Xiao Sheng?
Shen Qianzhan couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. She glanced at Ji Qinghe, straightened up slightly, and called out to Xiao Sheng outside the door, "I just went to bed, so it’s not very convenient. Is it urgent?"
Perhaps hearing that she had just gone to bed, Xiao Sheng hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "It is a bit urgent. I’ll wait outside for a while."
Shen Qianzhan: "???"
Wait, did that mean he still intended to come inside for a private talk?
She suddenly turned to Ji Qinghe, her eyes filled with the unspoken question: "Lover, maybe you should hide for a bit?"
Author’s Note: Suddenly realizing how profound and meaningful the phrase "discussing the script" can be.
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