Chapter Sixty-Two
Ji Qinghe was momentarily stunned, then chuckled softly.
He lowered his head, studying her in the gradually brightening dawn light.
Shen Qianzhan was still asleep, her eyes closed, with faint tear tracks lingering at the corners. Like a peony whose stems droop after being battered by rain, she remained as beautiful as ever, yet seemed to have lost some of her sharp, moon-rivaling brilliance.
For a moment, Ji Qinghe couldn’t tell whether she was murmuring in her sleep or had regained consciousness. After a brief thought, he lowered his head and apologized first: “It was my oversight.”
She didn’t respond, as if angry.
Ji Qinghe brushed aside a few strands of hair clinging to the corner of her lips and leaned down to kiss her: “I didn’t stay inside, no need to worry.”
The tip of Shen Qianzhan’s ear twitched slightly. Though she didn’t speak, her closed eyes shifted beneath her lids, as if recalling something. And as she recalled, a wave of embarrassment and annoyance washed over her—her mind flooded with the memory of him gripping her hand, forcing it into their joined intimacy, biting her ear, and asking in a low, amused whisper, “Are you made of water, hmm?”
The image was utterly mortifying, yet her brain’s filtering system seemed to have malfunctioned, replaying it on an incessant loop.
She opened her mouth and bit him. Hearing his muffled groan after the bite, she finally felt avenged and drifted back into a deep sleep.
—
The opening ceremony was scheduled for 8 a.m., but Shen Qianzhan was roused by Ji Qinghe at six.
She had just fallen into a deep sleep, right in the middle of her most cherished rest. Reluctantly carried to the vanity, she yawned repeatedly before finally waking up properly.
Perhaps due to last night’s “watering,” her complexion was rosy and glowing, without the pale, haggard look that often follows a hangover. Only faint dark circles under her eyes hinted at last night’s excesses and lack of proper rest.
After showering, Shen Qianzhan dried her hair and sat back down.
On the vanity, a complete set of her usual makeup brand was neatly arranged—from foundation and setting powder to highlighter, eyeshadow, and blush; from contour brushes and nose brushes to twelve different eyeshadow brushes for various purposes. The entire kit was even more comprehensive than the one she had brought to Wuxi herself.
Recalling the faint sound of a doorbell she had heard intermittently amid the running water earlier, she instinctively turned her head to look at Ji Qinghe, who was leaning against the wall.
The room temperature was comfortable. He wore only a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, so loose that even the curves of his Adonis belt were clearly visible.
At the moment, his hair was half-damp, and not a trace of his usual refined elegance remained—only the air of a disheveled scoundrel.
At this glance, Shen Qianzhan quietly drew in a sharp breath. Keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead, she pretended to be serious and adopted a stern tone: “Did you prepare this?”
Ji Qinghe raised an eyebrow slightly, as if annoyed by her redundant question: “Is there a third person in this room?”
He roughly towel-dried his hair, then bent over to splash water on his face: “Going back in the morning would risk being seen. We’ll head straight to the set after breakfast.”
As he finished speaking, he lifted his face and examined the wound on his lower lip carefully in the mirror.
The wound was too obvious—clearly a bite mark.
He rubbed it with his fingertip, glanced at Shen Qianzhan in the mirror as she sat upright and began applying her makeup, and silently curved his lips into a faint smile.
—
A little past seven, Qiao Xin arrived with the crew’s shuttle bus.
Ji Qinghe opened the door for her. When they met, he gave a slight nod in greeting, then left the two of them alone and went to the dining area for breakfast.
Not long after he left, the hotel’s catering department delivered a breakfast cart. Both Chinese and Western options were available, filling the cart to the brim. Even the noodles were prepared with side dishes and condiments according to her preferences.
Shen Qianzhan’s hand trembled as she applied her eyeliner, nearly drawing it into her hairline.She remedied her makeup while muttering to herself: Is this treatment after a night's sleep comparable to serving an emperor in his bedchamber?
Qiao Xin couldn't hold back, chattering away with a string of exclamations like "Mr. Ji is so thoughtful," "Mr. Ji is so warm," "Mr. Ji's affection is simply unmatched."
"If all the guys pursuing me were as considerate as Mr. Ji, would I still be single to this day?"
After finishing her eyeliner, Shen Qianzhan shot her a sidelong glance: "Can't even eating shut your mouth?"
Qiao Xin immediately fell silent.
As she nibbled on the adorably shaped little cake, her eyes darted toward the love bite on Shen Qianzhan's shoulder—tsk, Su Zan truly didn't deceive me, the battle was indeed fierce.
——
By the time she changed clothes, the clock was nearing eight.
Shen Qianzhan and Ji Qinghe rode together to the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony for "Time" was held right in front of the shooting location for the first scene of the day, not too far from Jichun Erwan.
When Shen Qianzhan arrived, the crew members had just gathered.
Dressed in a white suit, she stood out under the blazing sun like a flag. Someone called out "Producer Shen," and all the crew members scattered across the lawn turned to look.
Feeling guilty, Shen Qianzhan inexplicably couldn't face them with ease.
She raised her hand, using the script she had flipped through in the car and casually brought along to shield herself from the sun. She walked all the way to the altar table, where incense burners, fruits, and other offerings were arranged. The production manager stepped forward to report the situation.
The opening ceremony followed the same routine and formalities every time. Shen Qianzhan listened with one ear and let it out the other, only briefly scanning the setup.
The most eye-catching was the altar table.
Behind it was a massive conceptual poster, with the characters for "Time" flowing gracefully down to the bottom of the backdrop. In front of the altar table were two rows of flower baskets freshly delivered from the florist, with a red carpet laid in the middle for photographers to capture behind-the-scenes footage.
She turned around, looked over the scene once more, and nodded: "Is everyone here?"
The production manager glanced around and nodded: "Everyone's here. Teacher Song just arrived as well."
Song Yan's "Spring River" hadn't wrapped yet, so she hadn't officially joined the crew. Originally, her schedule conflicted with "Time," but coincidentally, the "Spring River" crew was in Wuxi. Xiao Sheng, doing Shen Qianzhan a favor, specially granted Song Yan a half-day leave to attend the opening ceremony.
Seeing that nothing here required her attention, Shen Qianzhan was about to go find the finance department to confirm whether the opening red envelopes were ready. Before she could take a step, the production manager let out a hesitant hum, and she stopped in her tracks.
The production manager hesitated for a moment and said: "I don't seem to see the consultant..."
Consultant?
Ji Qinghe?
Without a second thought, Shen Qianzhan replied: "He's here."
She raised her hand and pointed toward Ji Qinghe, who was talking to Su Zan not far away: "He came in the same car as me."
Seeing this, the production manager quickly acknowledged.
——
By eight o'clock, the opening ceremony for "Time" officially began.
The executive director and production manager presided over the ceremony. All cameras were on standby, ready to record.
Shen Qianzhan took the lit incense candles and stood in the front row with Su Zan and Shao Chouxi, bowing first. The main creative team members lined up on both sides followed suit, bowing in all four directions.
As she straightened up, her gaze involuntarily drifted sideways, landing on Ji Qinghe, who stood slightly behind her to the left.
His eyes were sharp and cold, slightly narrowed against the glaring sunlight. His entire demeanor was even more striking and captivating than the actor playing the second male lead standing beside him.
As if sensing her gaze, he shifted his eyes slightly, catching her squarely in his sight.Shen Qianzhan instinctively dodged, but after avoiding his gaze, she felt like she was protesting too much. This coy and hesitant manner was far from the boldness she usually displayed, which could slay gods and buddhas who stood in her way.
As Shen Qianzhan was regretting her actions, the host announced the ceremony, and the incense was lit to mark the start of filming.
Shen Qianzhan cast aside all distracting thoughts, straightened her back, and stepped forward to the incense table alongside Shao Chouxi, inserting the incense into the burner.
After the ceremony concluded, pre-positioned ceremonial cannons were set off by the crew. Paper-like confetti slowly drifted down after the loud "bang," and amid the celebratory atmosphere, the opening ceremony for Time officially came to an end.
Amid the chorus of congratulations wishing "Time a prosperous start," Shen Qianzhan smiled and, together with Shao Chouxi, Su Zan, and others, distributed red envelopes to all crew members.
——
It was already half an hour later by the time Shen Qianzhan finally took a break.
Most of the crew members were busy at their respective posts on set. With nothing urgent to attend to, Shen Qianzhan decided to head over to the monitor to watch Fu Xi’s first scene.
The opening scene of Time featured Fu Xi and a supporting male actor, set in the watchmaker’s workshop built by the crew. The moment Shen Qianzhan stepped inside, she felt as if she had crossed into another space, stepping right into Time Hall.
The set was quiet, with incense smoke gently wafting from an inverted incense burner. She walked past the tracks on either side and approached the monitor.
Shao Chouxi was testing camera angles. On the main screen, Fu Xi sat at the workbench, fiddling with watchmaking tools.
In the upper left corner of the frame, in an unnoticed corner, Ji Qinghe stood with his hands behind his back, examining the large-scale clock props Shen Qianzhan had commissioned.
Shen Qianzhan watched silently without uttering a word.
Once the camera angles were adjusted, Shao Chouxi signaled to start a test take.
During the brief few-minute break, the assistant director asked Ji Qinghe to explain the use of the tools to Fu Xi.
Fu Xi had spent several days training intensively with Meng Wangzhou earlier. Shen Qianzhan had seen the on-site videos sent by Qiao Xin and thought he looked quite convincing. But now, watching Ji Qinghe step in to guide him personally, the feeling was different.
She had seen Ji Qinghe repairing clocks before—that kind of focused obsession was hard for anyone to replicate perfectly.
Even Fu Xi, whom she favored so much and believed was the only one in the entire entertainment industry who could match Ji Qinghe, struggled to achieve it.
On the other hand, Shao Chouxi, who had initially been dissatisfied with Fu Xi’s portrayal of the prototype, now stared at the monitor and praised, "Producer Shen, your judgment really is spot-on. Fu Xi’s screen presence is perfect. Just look at that gaze—even I’m moved."
Shen Qianzhan glanced at him distractedly and teased, "That’s not what you said before."
Shao Chouxi chuckled awkwardly and explained, "That was just to strive for perfection. Mr. Ji can even tell a story with his fingers. Fu Xi still falls a bit short."
Shen Qianzhan couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. She turned her gaze, looking past the lighting equipment toward Ji Qinghe.
He had already stepped out of the frame, holding a bottle of water handed to him by a crew member. Beside him stood Su Zan, who had been accompanying him, along with a few prop assistants, looking as if they were waiting for their cues.
Shen Qianzhan waved Qiao Xin over and whispered a few instructions in her ear.
After listening, Qiao Xin immediately ran off to relay the message.
On the monitor was a close-up of Fu Xi repairing a clock, while outside the frame, Ji Qinghe stood gazing into the distance, his expression calm and focused as always.
When a man is this good-looking, even his idle moments are a pleasure to behold.
——
On the other side, in the small booth partitioned off within the workshop.The planner and the graphic designer sat facing each other, selecting photos to post on the official blog later.
After gathering enough photos, the planner quietly slid the laptop over and whispered, "Look, look."
The graphic designer leaned in.
On the computer screen, Shen Qianzhan held incense, her gaze not fixed on the camera but directed slightly to the left rear.
There, a tall figure stood, holding incense as he looked back, the corner of his mouth slightly upturned in a faint, ambiguous smile.
Graphic designer: Ah, I'm dead.
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