Chapter 69
Not long after Ji Qinghe left, rolling thunder fell from the sky, the rain intensified, and a spring thunderstorm arrived abruptly.
The oppressive stagnation in the air dissipated like a heavy pump releasing pressure, gradually vanishing without a trace.
Shen Qianzhan couldn’t sleep. She half-rose to look out the window.
A streetlamp stood at the hotel entrance. Under its light, the rain poured down torrentially, forming a dense curtain. A vast expanse of white mist shrouded the world, visibility extremely low.
Restless and agitated, she got up and lit another incense stick.
The previous incense had burned down to the gilded pagoda’s lid before extinguishing.
Shen Qianzhan placed the unburned incense on an ashtray, took another stick, and lit it with a lighter. As her fingertip pressed down on the lighter, a thought flickered through her mind—she thought of Ji Qinghe.
Every hotel room was equipped with a matchbox for convenience.
Ji Qinghe didn’t smoke, nor did he have the habit of borrowing a light, so this lighter clearly wasn’t his.
She lowered her gaze, examining the lighter in her hand under the bedside wall lamp.
The lighter’s body was pure white, its glaze smooth as if coated with piano lacquer. At first glance, she didn’t notice anything special. It wasn’t until her fingertip brushed against the embossed letters on the base that she realized the bottom bore the English abbreviation and logo of Endless Year.
Shen Qianzhan pursed her lips, unable to suppress a smile.
It hadn’t been that long ago—just two months prior, Wuxi had been hit by a snowstorm. The hotel lost power and water, making daily life inconvenient. At night, aside from flashlights and searchlights, candles were the main source of illumination.
With hundreds of people in the Spring River crew, flashlights and searchlights were in limited supply, so candles were the most commonly used.
After nightfall, most people would use the matches provided by the hotel to light them. The production assistant, worried about improper fire use, would eagerly remind everyone each night, almost like a dormitory check, insisting that all candles be blown out before sleep.
Shen Qianzhan used scented candles.
Once, when Ji Qinghe came over late at night, she relit a scented candle for light. The matchsticks were slender, and fearing she might burn her fingers, she struck several times before successfully lighting it.
Though Ji Qinghe hadn’t said anything at the time, he had clearly taken note of her difficulty with matches.
—
Shen Qianzhan slept surprisingly well in the latter half of the night, dreaming deeply until Qiao Xin came to wake her the next day.
For this trip to Xi’an, Shen Qianzhan had handed over all affairs to Su Zan, instructing Qiao Xin to assist.
Though the time was rushed, Qiao Xin was accustomed to assistant work and adapted quickly. Besides, Shen Qianzhan would only be away for three days; any issues could be handled via phone or WeChat, so there was no need for extensive handovers.
Su Zan personally escorted the two to the airport. After watching Ji Qinghe and Shen Qianzhan pass through security, he and Qiao Xin returned to the crew together.
On the way back, listening to the sounds of planes taking off and landing at the airport, Su Zan sighed deeply toward the window. “I don’t know why, but today I feel a bittersweet ache, like I’m sending off my own daughter to get married.”
Qiao Xin scoffed at him. “Who are you trying to take advantage of?”
Su Zan’s gaze was distant, filled with melancholy. “I’m not joking with you.”
“Look at these past few days—Zhan-jie and Mr. Ji have been as close as if they’re sharing the same pair of pants. On set, if she doesn’t see Mr. Ji for a moment, she sends someone to find him. When Teacher Fu is rehearsing, her eyes are completely fixed on Mr. Ji. I just don’t know what’s so interesting to look at…”
He sighed again, his worry deepening. “This trip to Xi’an… I hope it’s not a publicly funded meet-the-parents visit.”
Qiao Xin found this plausible and even paused her game of Snake. “It can’t be that serious, can it? Zhan-jie isn’t even officially dating yet, and she’s already meeting the parents?”"Could it be that she wants to skip the dating steps and go straight to getting a marriage certificate with Mr. Ji?" The moment this possibility crossed her mind, she felt utterly stunned.
Upon hearing this, Su Zan analyzed, "That might very well be the case."
"Back during the Wuxi snow disaster, I already felt that Sister Zhan's defenses were starting to crumble. Mr. Ji and Assistant Ming stayed in the same room as me those few days. Out of the three of us, only Mr. Ji was sneaking out every night for romantic trysts. I don’t believe he could have stayed next door that late unless Sister Zhan kept him."
"And that night of the opening banquet, to avoid any suspicion of inappropriate details, I won’t go into specifics. Anyway, you saw it with your own eyes—those two were already sharing the same blanket. What else could be impossible?"
The more Su Zan thought about it, the more convinced he became. Recalling the seamless tacit understanding between the two as they passed through security earlier, he clicked his tongue twice, growing even more certain of his speculation: "My words are prophetic, just wait and see.""
"When they return, they’ll be inseparable, glued together like glue, leaving no room for you."
Qiao Xin: "..."
How pitiful she was.
——
They arrived in Xi’an at three in the morning.
Ming Jue came to pick them up.
Since it was so late, Ji Qinghe didn’t head directly home but chose to stay overnight at a villa in the city center of Xi’an instead.
To show some respect for Shen Qianzhan, Ji Qinghe made a point of asking her opinion before calling home: "Let Ming Jue take us to the city center first. Once you’ve rested, we can go see the old man."
Shen Qianzhan naturally had no objections.
Ji Qinghe nodded and added, "The house in the city is where I live. There’s a housekeeper there. Are you hungry? Should we have some midnight snacks prepared?"
Shen Qianzhan shook her head: "It’s too late. By the time we reach the city, it’ll be four o’clock."
As soon as she finished speaking, her eyes caught sight of a sea of red taillights. Immediately after, Ming Jue let out a bitter laugh and said, "We might not even make it by four."
Their luck was truly terrible.
Just after getting on the airport expressway, they encountered a traffic jam due to an accident.
A few minutes earlier, a car crash had occurred on the airport expressway, involving several vehicles in a chain-reaction collision with significant damage.
Debris from the vehicles completely blocked the road, making it impassable for the time being.
Ji Qinghe signaled Ming Jue to check on the situation.
At three in the morning, when road traffic was at its lightest, a multi-vehicle collision was quite a coincidence.
A moment later, Ming Jue returned and informed Ji Qinghe: "Two lanes of the airport expressway are closed for repairs. It might have been a driver falling asleep at the wheel and not paying attention." After a pause, he added, "The traffic police are already here clearing the road. The tow trucks are still on their way. It’ll probably take another half hour before the road is clear."
More and more vehicles were piling up behind them, and drivers unaware of what had happened ahead were stepping out to investigate.
Faced with such a helpless situation, Shen Qianzhan remained calm instead. Accustomed to staying up late, even after a tiring journey, her mental state wasn’t too affected.
She shifted closer to the car door and patted her thigh: "Mr. Ji, would you like to lean on me and rest for a bit?"
Ji Qinghe lifted his eyes.
His gaze, deep and unfathomable, appeared gentle yet profound: "If it were somewhere else, I’d be very willing."
The space in the back seat wasn’t particularly spacious. Whether he rested his head on Shen Qianzhan or not, he wouldn’t be able to sleep comfortably: "It’s only half an hour. Let’s just wait."Ming Jue glanced at the empty passenger seat, wanting to remind the two that there was still a seat available up front for adjustment, which would definitely be more comfortable to sleep in than the back seat. But as the words reached his lips, he felt that speaking up would only invite trouble, so he simply kept his mouth shut.
——
The accident took nearly half an hour to handle. Under the traffic police’s direction, the road traffic gradually returned to normal, and the congested vehicles ahead began passing through in an orderly line.
Once they passed through the tunnel, the road conditions improved, with all three main lanes clearly visible ahead.
After the slow ten-minute crawl through the tunnel, all vehicles flowed smoothly into their respective lanes, speeding off in different directions.
With this delay, it was nearly five in the morning by the time the three of them reached the city.
The sky was beginning to brighten faintly, with a hint of dawn light.
The housekeeper at Ji Qinghe’s home had already woken up and prepared hot tea, fruit, and breakfast, waiting in the living room.
The housekeeper’s surname was Xie. Shen Qianzhan heard Ji Qinghe call her Auntie Xie and followed suit.
It was Auntie Xie’s first time seeing Ji Qinghe bring a girl home, so she didn’t dare stare too long. After handing Shen Qianzhan a pair of slippers, she smiled politely and asked, “The toiletries are all prepared and placed separately in the bathroom. Would you like to have something to eat first, or freshen up?”
Shen Qianzhan glanced at Ji Qinghe, feeling puzzled.
Why was Auntie Xie only taking care of her and not Ji Qinghe?
As if sensing her thoughts, Ji Qinghe changed his shoes and turned to look at her. “You’ve just arrived, so the layout here might be unfamiliar to you. Do as you prefer, and let Auntie Xie arrange things for you.”
“That’s right,” Auntie Xie chimed in. “Mr. Ji just told me to prioritize you, asking whether you’re tired, sleepy, or hungry.”
Shen Qianzhan rarely felt a bit embarrassed.
She hesitated, wanting to go to sleep first. Before she could speak, Ji Qinghe, as if reading her mind, interrupted her. “Better have breakfast first.”
Shen Qianzhan shot him a resentful glare.
Ji Qinghe didn’t seem to notice at all. Instead, he took her hand and led her to the dining room. “Eat your fill before sleeping, so you won’t wake up hungry.”
After leaving Wuxi, Ji Qinghe’s words and actions had become much more relaxed.
When he wanted to hold her hand, he no longer had to consider the prying eyes around them or restrain himself repeatedly. He no longer had to carefully weigh whether his words were appropriate or proper.
Her current role was simply the girl he was pursuing.
There was no need for pretense, no need for hesitation, and certainly no need for restraint.
——
After breakfast, Auntie Xie led her to the guest room to settle in.
“The bedding was changed just two days ago, and the blanket is light and not too heavy. Before you arrived, I took it out to the yard to sunbathe for two days straight, making it soft and fluffy.” She glanced back at Shen Qianzhan with a smile. “The towels and toiletries in the bathroom are all new. See if they suit you, and let me know if anything is missing. I’ll go get it for you.”
Even when Shen Qianzhan was treated like a goddess of wealth at Jichun Erwan, she had never received such treatment. Though she wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, the overwhelming hospitality made her feel a bit embarrassed. “Thank you, Auntie Xie. I’m only staying for a couple of days, so there’s no need to go to such trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” Auntie Xie replied, opening the door to the room and reminding her to watch her step over the threshold. “Mr. Ji lives mostly in Beijing and rarely stays in Xi’an. My work is usually light, so it’s rare for me to be busy. It’s a pleasure to host a distinguished guest like you.”
She introduced the various amenities in the guest room and then led Shen Qianzhan to the bathroom, explaining in detail where the towels and toiletries were placed. Only after confirming that nothing was overlooked did she close the door for her and leave.As the quiet settled in, Shen Qianzhan relaxed her mind and immediately felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her.
Unsure whether she would be staying here for the next few days, she didn’t immediately unpack her luggage. Instead, she grabbed a pair of black pajamas and her toiletry bag, heading straight to the bathroom to shower and remove her makeup.
By the time she finished her shower and stepped out of the bathroom, the previously barren bed had already sprouted a freshly bathed man.
Ji Qinghe was leaning against a pillow, flipping through some documents.
Hearing the movement, he lifted his gaze, his eyes lingering for a moment on her black silk lace nightgown. A flicker of admiration flashed in his eyes.
Her skin was already fairer than snow, and the dark silk only accentuated it, making it appear as pure and translucent as polished jade.
Before Ji Qinghe could withdraw his gaze, Shen Qianzhan exploded: "What are you doing here?"
Half of his body was concealed beneath a thin, snow-white silk quilt, and he looked at her with a leisurely expression. "This is my home. If I’m not here, where else would I be?"
Shen Qianzhan fell silent for a few seconds, pressing her lips together without a word.
In the midst of the standoff, Ji Qinghe patted the empty side of the bed. "Come up."
"We only have three days in total. How much of my time are you going to take up just by sleeping?" He simply threw off the quilt, stepped barefoot onto the carpet laid beneath the bed, and walked over to her in a few strides, scooping her up into his arms. "Let’s sleep together. That way, neither of us wastes any time."
Shen Qianzhan kicked and struggled. "I can’t sleep today."
Ji Qinghe replied, "On my turf, you don’t get to decide."
Shen Qianzhan thought: Damn it, this bastard.
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