Chapter Fifty-Seven
Almost the moment Shen Qianzhan's gaze met his, Ji Qinghe leaned down, his slender fingers lightly encircling her neck as he tilted her chin upward.
He bent closer, his mouth closing over her chin. Intent on leaving a mark, he bit down hard, refusing to let go even as she pounded her fists against him.
During their brief standoff, Xiao Sheng knocked on the door again: "Producer Shen?"
Shen Qianzhan dared not make too much noise. Seeing Ji Qinghe finally release her, she reached up to touch her chin. Two rows of teeth marks were imprinted on the tip—not too deep, but likely to take at least the time of a cup of tea to fade.
She was furious at Ji Qinghe's pettiness but couldn't lash out. As she climbed down from the table, she deliberately stomped hard on his foot and warned in a low voice, "Don't make a sound."
The light of the Scented Candle flickered twice on the windowsill. He stood with his back to the light, his features blurred in shadow, only his eyes remaining bright and clear in the darkness.
Shen Qianzhan couldn't help but stare at him for a few more seconds, her mind churning: If this dog man is already this jealous before I've even agreed to be with him, what will happen once we're together? Will I have to report every interaction with another man without hiding anything?
She straightened her collar and the hem of her clothes, ensuring she looked presentable, then picked up the candle and went to open the door.
Before turning the doorknob, she glanced back at him.
Ji Qinghe sat in the spot she had just vacated, his silhouette blending into the darkness.
With the light in front of her, Shen Qianzhan couldn't make out his expression clearly, but she felt his gaze fixed intently on her, heavy as a weight pressing down on her shoulders.
She turned and opened the door.
Xiao Sheng leaned against the wall, watching as she opened a gap just wide enough for her to slip through. He instinctively glanced inside. "Producer Shen, sorry to disturb you so late. I hope I haven't interrupted anything?"
Shen Qianzhan had never gotten along with Xiao Sheng. With no one else around, she couldn't even be bothered to pretend. Propping the door open with one hand and holding the candle in the other, she peered at him in the candlelight. "If you knew you might be interrupting, Producer Xiao, did you do it on purpose?"
Her voice could be sweet and charming, but with such an affected tone, it was hard to tell whether she was joking or genuinely sarcastic.
Xiao Sheng had no desire to argue or provoke a conflict. He glanced around and asked, "Is it convenient to talk inside?"
There's a man hiding in the room—do you think it's convenient?
Of course, she couldn't say that outright. Shen Qianzhan smiled evasively. "When you knocked just now, Producer Xiao, you practically shouted loud enough for the whole hallway to hear. If there's something to discuss, why not gather a few relevant people? A man entering my room alone in the middle of the night—if word gets out, it won't look good."
Xiao Sheng frowned and explained, "It's related to what you mentioned this afternoon. Shall we talk here at the door?"
"This afternoon's matter?" Shen Qianzhan thought for a few seconds, then glanced toward Su Zan's room next door. "You don't mind if our Little Su joins us to listen, do you?"
Following her gaze, Xiao Sheng understood she meant Su Zan. The Flashlight he had been pointing at the ground lifted, shining directly on Shen Qianzhan before casually shifting toward the closed door of the neighboring room. "Little Su lives here?"
Shen Qianzhan suspected he had already noticed the teeth marks on her chin. Furious and humiliated but unable to show it, she closed the door and went straight to knock on the neighboring room.
Su Zan, who had been eavesdropping for a while, was already waiting for the door to open.
Before Shen Qianzhan's hand even touched the door, Su Zan pulled it open from inside and politely invited both of them in.Although Xiao Sheng and Su Zan were not particularly close, out of respect for Su Lanyi, he always fawned over him. Shen Qianzhan listened to him chattering away with Su Zan like a string of firecrackers in the background. She blew out the candle in her hand, sat down on the chair in front of the TV cabinet, and urged Xiao Sheng to get to the point.
Xiao Sheng opened a pack of cigarettes, offering one to each of them. When he tried to light Shen Qianzhan’s, she leaned back, tucking the cigarette behind her ear instead. “I’ve already brushed my teeth, so I won’t smoke.”
He didn’t press the issue, his gaze sweeping around the room. He was somewhat surprised to see three beds arranged in Su Zan’s room. “How did the production crew arrange the room for Assistant Manager Su? Even if there’s no space left, they shouldn’t have you squeezing in with three beds.”
Su Zan hadn’t mentioned the supplies to Xiao Sheng yet. He had even warned the production crew in advance, claiming he had called two friends to deliver supplies. They were supposed to leave once the snow stopped, and he instructed the crew not to make a fuss about it.
Hearing this, he glanced at Shen Qianzhan. Seeing no objection from her, he explained, “Isn’t the crew short on supplies? I called two friends to bring a truckload of supplies. Everything’s stored in the hotel warehouse. Since the snow hasn’t stopped, they can’t leave, so they’re staying with me.”
Xiao Sheng fell silent for a moment, about to press further, when Shen Qianzhan impatiently cut him off. “What’s the matter? Can you get to the point?”
“It’s like this…” Xiao Sheng mentioned that after the meeting, he had gathered a few capable people for a smaller discussion. Everyone agreed with the idea of collaborating with the film studio for self-rescue. After some discussion, they decided it would be more efficient to split tasks. Xiao Sheng would be responsible for negotiating with the film studio’s partners to see if they were interested in cooperating. Meanwhile, Shen Qianzhan would return to Beijing to seek Su Lanyi’s approval on his behalf and draft specific contract terms.
“If it weren’t for the water, electricity, and signal outages, getting approval from Manager Su could have been done with a phone call.” Xiao Sheng glanced at Su Zan, noting he didn’t seem displeased, and continued, “Given the current situation, even if the snow stops, it’ll take some time for it to melt. Producer Shen’s arrival has been a lifesaver for me, and I’m very grateful. Assistant Manager Su and Producer Shen were sent by Manager Su to help. Now that my crisis is resolved, there’s no reason to keep you two here suffering.”
His words sounded heartfelt, as if he were considering Shen Qianzhan and Su Zan’s well-being. But upon deeper reflection, it was clear he had found an excuse to send these two “imperial envoys” back to Beijing.
Shen Qianzhan smiled, more than willing. “Since Producer Xiao has so earnestly requested my help, I have no reason to refuse. When does Producer Xiao plan for us to leave?”
Xiao Sheng was surprised by how easily Shen Qianzhan agreed. He couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times, recalling the row of bite marks he had glimpsed earlier, and suddenly understood. “The production crew can arrange a vehicle to take you out tomorrow.”
Su Zan frowned, as if he had something to say. His lips parted several times before he glanced at Shen Qianzhan out of the corner of his eye. Seeing she had no objections, he reluctantly agreed.
After seeing Xiao Sheng off, Su Zan grumbled as he closed the door. “When I get back, I’m going to report him to my sister. I’ve only been here a few days, and he’s already in a hurry to kick us out. Now, not only did he take the supplies for free, but you also solved their problems. I feel like this trip was a complete waste for us.”"Never was in the first place." Shen Qianzhan wasn't particularly resentful about Xiao Sheng's actions. Su Lanyi had sent her and Su Zan over, claiming it was to help solve problems, but in reality, that reason only accounted for half of it. The other half was to put pressure on Xiao Sheng. What annoyed her was Xiao Sheng's incompetence, which had wasted a significant sum of the company's money.
Since Su Lanyi's objectives had already been achieved, and now Xiao Sheng had given her a legitimate reason to return to Beijing, Shen Qianzhan saw no need to stay any longer. It would only make her unwelcome and unhappy. Besides, with no electricity, water, or phone signal, how could she, a girl who prided herself on always being polished, grit her teeth and endure it?
For Shen Qianzhan, this news was undoubtedly a welcome relief.
She reached for the firewood on the table, struck a match, and relit the candle: "Alright, pack up. We're heading back to Beijing tomorrow."
As the candlelight flickered to life, Su Zan let out a curious "huh" and leaned in, scrutinizing the bite mark on her chin for several moments: "Were you two that intense?"
Early the next morning, Ji Qinghe and Ming Jue left first, flying from Nanjing to Xi'an.
After taking inventory of the warehouse supplies and properly handing them over to the production crew, Shen Qianzhan and Su Zan followed shortly after, taking a car back to Beijing.
Once they left the Wuxi area, their phone signals returned, and Shen Qianzhan's phone buzzed incessantly with a flood of messages.
She first reassured Mr. and Mrs. Shen that she was safe, then checked the latest final outline and first-episode script of Time sent by Qiao Xin.
Next, she reported the difficulties and solutions for the Spring River production team to Su Lanyi. After some thought, she carefully worded her explanation, disguising Ji Qinghe's act of kindness as a favor she had asked him to do—purchasing and delivering the supplies—and submitted the expenses to Su Lanyi.
As Su Zan was in the know, Shen Qianzhan, to avoid any misunderstandings from conflicting accounts, treated him to some grilled sausages at a rest stop along the way and coordinated their stories.
Su Zan ate with greasy lips, mumbling between bites: "I get it, you don't want to owe Mr. Ji. Don't worry, if my sister asks, I'll say exactly what you said."
"Wrong." Shen Qianzhan poked him with a bamboo skewer: "How can you be so dense? Is this about owing or not?"
If these supplies had been a gift from Ji Qinghe to her personally, she would have accepted them without hesitation. But these supplies were meant to alleviate the urgent needs of the Spring River production team. Accepting them for no reason—would her conscience allow it?
Shen Qianzhan spent some time making Su Zan understand the logic behind it, while she herself wasted no time, quickly issuing instructions to Qiao Xin to expedite the progress of Time.
The most vulnerable preparatory phase of a project had passed smoothly. Now, at the script stage, the real work was about to begin.
Upon returning to Beijing, Shen Qianzhan immediately gathered Jiang Juanshan and Lin Qiao for a script meeting.
With the first-episode script in hand, the director lineup was quickly finalized. On the day Shao Chouxi signed the contract, the first five episodes of Time were finalized. Shen Qianzhan prioritized contacting Ai Yi to secure the platform distribution channels.
The subsequent steps proceeded methodically and orderly, with the project's progress bar soaring as if riding a rocket.
On the day the first ten episodes of Time were finalized, Shen Qianzhan gathered the core creative team in the conference room for a discussion.
As usual, Ji Qinghe did not attend, only having Ming Jue join via online video conference.
The main agenda of this meeting was to draft the list of lead actors, which Shen Qianzhan would then use to approach talent agencies and sign the actors.
On the day the script was submitted, Shen Qianzhan had already discussed the lead actor candidates with Qiao Xin.She favored Song Yan and Fu Xi. Song Yan was a rising dark horse with excellent audience appeal and reputation. With Fu Xi, there was the mentor-disciple relationship and the favor of being promoted, plus the gossip heat. Both actors had superb acting skills, mutually enhancing each other. Whether in appearance or status, they were more than sufficient to match the main roles in "Time."
Ai Yi leaned toward Chu Sisi, believing her image was more in line with the female lead, but she was quite satisfied with Fu Xi playing the male lead: "Producer Shen's eye for male beauty is truly good, thinking along the same lines as me."
Shen Qianzhan gave a forced smile and retorted, "After all, my heart isn't old, and male beauty is still in its prime. Sister Ai has a family and a husband who is mature and steady, so how could you still take a fancy to these greenhorns in the industry?"
Su Zan nearly laughed out loud. Struggling to hold it in, he could only steer the topic toward the screenwriters: "Do the two screenwriters have any suitable candidates to recommend?"
Lin Qiao shared Shen Qianzhan's aesthetic taste. Her lifelong wish was for Fu Xi to act in her script. Without regard for the investors present, she enthusiastically voted: "Fu Xi is especially good; he can definitely carry the male lead. Choosing Song Yan for the female lead is also fine. If these two pair up again, it will definitely generate a lot of buzz." After speaking, she suddenly grew melancholy, looking pitifully at Shen Qianzhan: "But Fu Xi is hard to invite. Not only is his salary high, but he also has high demands for the script and production team." And with the hot gossip between him and Song Yan, what if he declines to avoid suspicion...
Jiang Juanshan didn't speak. He glanced faintly at Lin Qiao, turned his pen, and passed the speaking rights to the next person.
Ming Jue, displayed on the projection screen, was slightly stunned. He looked somewhere off-camera and, after receiving some silent approval, cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Ji has great trust in Producer Shen's judgment."
"Producer Shen's choices have always been professional, with high-level aesthetics and taste." Ming Jue smiled meaningfully, his gaze falling on Shen Qianzhan's face as he said, "Mr. Ji said salary is not an issue; you can invite whoever you want."
Amidst the envy of everyone present, only Shen Qianzhan remained unmoved.
She suspected the dog man was boasting about himself but couldn't expose him. Seeing everyone's eyes focused on her, she coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness: "There's no need to trust me that much, is there? I'll have Qiao Xin organize the list of intended invites and actors' resumes to send to Mr. Ji."
The list of intended invites couldn't be decided in one sitting. After the meeting, Shen Qianzhan had Qiao Xin send the materials to Ji Qinghe.
As soon as the materials were sent to the email, her phone rang.
—Ji Qinghe calling.
Shen Qianzhan answered the phone: "Hello?"
"No need to look at the actors' resumes; pick according to your preference." He seemed busy, with whispers of private conversation in the background, not very clear but continuously noisy.
She deliberately played dumb: "According to my preference? What preference?"
Ji Qinghe hummed and asked, "Not someone like me?" He laughed, his voice low and intoxicatingly deep: "Producer Shen, don't tell me you still don't know I grew up exactly the way you like?"
On the other end, as if startled, all sounds fell silent simultaneously.
Ming Jue's face turned ashen: Mr. Ji, do your parents know you're like this?
Author's note: Will update tomorrow~ while I'm not too busy yet.
Recently, real life has been quite troubling. Brother Gua is sick, quite seriously. We've been to two hospitals, but he's still not getting better. The illness itself isn't severe, but he looks much older and haggard, listless all day.
Hope he gets better soon~!Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or gave me nutrient solution between 2020-04-15 23:02:25 and 2020-04-17 22:22:10~
Thanks to the little angel who threw a rocket launcher: Ling Yan Luo Hua Ji, 1;
Thanks to the little angels who threw landmines: Yue Ban Ban, 4; Shi Wang Xiu Xiu 007, Leena_Fu, 2 each; Bi Shao Xin Helena, Wei Yi hhh, Xiao Zu Zong, Luka Jia, Xiang Yao Yu Jian Ni Ya, A A A A A A Xuan, Yao Lu Da Mo Wang, 24159018, Qu Qu Qu Qu, Mu Han Han Jia De Xiao Ying Zi Mio, Zhang Zhang Zhang Zhang Ping, 35444571, Er Jiu, 24600675, Orezero, Mu Yan Daily, La La La Ha Ha Ha, Zui Ai Bei Qing De Jing Bai, 1 each;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated with nutrient solution: Jin Tian Ye You Xiang Nian Xiao Fu, 44 bottles; La La La Ha Ha Ha, 35 bottles; Emmmmmma, Ling Qing Qing Si, 30 bottles; Rui Rui B, 20 bottles; Xiao Zu Zong, 19 bottles; Sjy, Shi San Yao, Xigyus?, Wan Lan Zhi Bu Qian Mo, 10 bottles; Shi Ji Hua Hua Hua, Sa Ha La, Yu Jian Bo He, Okyoyocoo, Tu Che, Villkan, Xiao Ba Tian, Xiao Du Shui, 5 bottles; Lai Zi Ha Niu Xing De Lei You You, Tu Ge Pao Pao, Liang, Ti La Mi Su, Shi A Ji Ya, 3 bottles; Calmtolois, Karen, Jiao Shen Me Shi Ge Wen Ti, Liang Zhi Xiong Hai Zi, Oneday, Ha Ha Er, Kan Kan, 2 bottles; 2333, Yi Ke Tian Tian Zao, Yuan Fen De Tian Kong, Meng Li Hua Kai, Tailw, Le Qi., Xiang Jian Long Li Yu, Hyz, Hua Luo Yan Ni Xiang, Evikl, Li Guan, 20746924, Wei Xiao, Yun Sheng, Bai Lu Wei Shuang, Q, Jasonyling, Miao Xiao Miao De Miao Xing Qiu, 1 bottle;
Thank you all very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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