Chapter Seventy-Four
After borrowing the antique clocks, the group returned to the main living room.
Shen Qianzhan’s primary objective for this trip had been accomplished so smoothly that she felt deeply grateful. While chatting with Ji Qingzhen, she set aside her usual deliberate flattery reserved for influential figures and instead adopted a more genuinely humble attitude.
She was clear-minded, knowing that Old Mr. Ji’s generous assistance was entirely due to Ji Qinghe’s influence. Otherwise, as a mere producer, how could she have had the face to borrow four priceless antique clocks from Old Mr. Ji?
Ji Lin, too young to understand adult matters, relied solely on his instincts to gauge whether he could act up.
Seeing that his grandfather and his future aunt were getting along splendidly, he tugged at Ji Qinghe’s pant leg, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, pleading for him to accompany him to fetch the LEGO set Shen Qianzhan had gifted him the night before.
Ji Lin was still very young, with delicate features that made him look like a finely carved jade doll—adorable and pure. When he pleaded in his childish voice, it was truly impossible to refuse.
Ji Qinghe grabbed him by the hood of his onesie and lifted him away slightly.
The little one pouted, looking at him with immense anticipation. “Uncle.”
At his call, Old Mr. Ji and Shen Qianzhan both paused their conversation and turned their attention to the uncle-nephew pair.
Ji Qinghe pondered briefly before explaining, “Ji Lin wants to play with LEGO.”
Upon hearing this, Old Mr. Ji saw no reason not to indulge the child—it wasn’t as if he was asking for the stars or the moon—and immediately urged Ji Qinghe to fetch the LEGO set.
Ji Qinghe had no objections. Before standing up, he exchanged a glance with Shen Qianzhan and said, “I’ll go get the LEGO and be back shortly.”
At first, Shen Qianzhan didn’t understand why he felt the need to specifically inform her. It wasn’t until she caught Old Mr. Ji’s meaningful smile out of the corner of her eye that she suddenly realized.
If she wasn’t mistaken, Ji Qinghe was worried that she might feel uneasy being left alone with Old Mr. Ji. His explanation was meant to reassure her.
In the past, she wouldn’t have cared if Old Mr. Ji misunderstood—she had thick skin and didn’t mind.
But now, their ambiguous relationship was real, and so was the fact that they shared a bed every night. No matter how Old Mr. Ji interpreted it, it couldn’t be considered a misunderstanding.
The feeling was akin to sneaking forbidden fruit under a parent’s watchful eye and accidentally giving oneself away.
Even Shen Qianzhan herself couldn’t tell whether she wanted to continue hiding the truth more or if her desire to cover it up was stronger.
Feeling guilty, her reactions became unusually sharp. First, she nodded calmly at Ji Qinghe as if nothing were amiss, then pinched Ji Lin’s little cheek and softly asked him, “Do you like the Iron Man I brought you?”
“I love it,” Ji Lin cooed. “I love anything Auntie gives me.”
Satisfied, Shen Qianzhan patted Ji Lin’s head and watched as he hopped along like a little kangaroo, following Ji Qinghe into the distance.
Ji Qingzhen quietly observed all of this. When she turned back, he leaned over to pour her a cup of freshly brewed Longjing tea, harvested before the rains. “My wife regrets not being able to host you personally this time. Before leaving, she reminded me to keep you in Xi’an for a few more days so Qinghe can fulfill his duties as a host.”
Shen Qianzhan wasn’t sure what Old Mr. Ji meant by this and didn’t dare respond hastily.
“My wife is usually quite busy with work, and we rarely have time together,” Ji Qingzhen said, looking at Shen Qianzhan. “When we were young, I acted on impulse and spent years apart from her. Now that I’m old, those years are too painful to recall, leaving only regret.”"Later, when I wanted to make amends, I listened to everything she said. Even though I spoiled her like a little girl, regret remained regret."
Shen Qianzhan smiled slightly and said, "A person's life is too complex. From childhood to youth, one must learn to grow up and survive. After finally becoming independent and dreaming of great achievements, one often falls and bleeds, taught harsh lessons by reality. Someone like you, achieving extraordinary success while finding true love and living a smooth, stable life, is truly rare."
"To be honest, I've always admired Mr. Ji. His upbringing and demeanor could only come from a family like the Jis." She paused, lifting her teacup with both hands to take a small sip, moistening her throat. "I can see that a large part of Mr. Ji's character has been influenced by you. He persists in what he believes in, loves what he loves, always composed and measured, steady and self-respecting."
"I find it very attractive."
This last sentence was something Shen Qianzhan decided to say only after careful consideration.
Ji Qinghe's attitude toward her was self-evident—he was open and direct, not hiding even in front of Old Mr. Ji and Ms. Meng. During their last meeting, Ms. Meng's warm hospitality had already conveyed this message. At the time, however, their relationship was still somewhat distant, and out of propriety, they had avoided discussing it.
Moreover, it was likely also because her relationship with Ji Qinghe wasn't close enough to broach matters of the heart, so aside from learning about her family background and hometown, they hadn't spoken much.
But just now, when Old Mr. Ji used his own experience with Ms. Meng to hint that Shen Qianzhan shouldn't leave herself with regrets, she understood—the relationship between her and Ji Qinghe was like a veil, that faint ambiguity only something she thought others couldn't see.
Ji Qingzhen knew Shen Qianzhan was clever. Seeing that she wasn't feigning ignorance or putting on airs just because Ji Qinghe was devoted to her, his fondness for her grew even stronger. He looked at her kindly, waiting for her to continue.
Encouraged by his gaze, Shen Qianzhan spoke without further hesitation: "In my early years in Beijing, I was ambitious and wanted to achieve something. But my perspective was still shallow—I was deceived and nearly collapsed. With the help of friends, I managed to climb out of that low point. Those early experiences made me avoid matters of the heart like the plague. Later, when my career began to flourish, I felt even more convinced that I was my own greatest reliance in this life."
But Ji Qinghe's appearance made her willingly and unconsciously dismantle the fortress she had built over the years.
He was a man she knew at first glance was no ordinary person—like a hidden treasure in the mortal world, drawing her unconsciously to covet and possess him.
When she reunited with Ji Qinghe in Beijing, she truly felt she was facing retribution.
A fleeting romance from Xi'an had crossed vast crowds to catch up with her.
Even a thunderbolt wouldn't dare strike so precisely.
She feared the trouble she had brought upon herself and didn't want her stable life disrupted by Ji Qinghe. Part of her wanted to stay away, to cut ties cleanly, yet another part was uncontrollably drawn to him. It was one thing to speak against her will, but she couldn't even control her thoughts, yearning to ** once more.
Later, Ji Qinghe calculated every step. She wasn't unaware—she just pretended not to see it.
The storm she weathered in the first half of her life had left half her heart dead. It was true she was wary of relationships and unwilling to entangle herself in romantic complications, but the idea that she dared not venture into love again was a lie.Half of her heart still clung to life, unwilling to wither away, so it quietly bloomed atop mountain peaks and among the clouds, waiting for someone to pluck it.
This half-life salvaged from storms and waves, she treasured immensely and loved deeply, always admiring her own solitary beauty within her own world.
From the moment he helped Xiang Qianqian to resolve her crisis, from his calculated moves to lure her in with feigned indifference, from his risking danger through wind and snow to rescue her from trouble—she could no longer ignore his profound affection and indulge in self-pity.
If Ji Qinghe hadn’t been strong-willed and persistent enough, they wouldn’t have come this far.
Not a single step of his could have been missed.
Shen Qianzhan took a light breath to steady her emotions before saying, "Mr. Ji has shown me there’s a second way to live life, and I both yearn for it and am striving to embrace it. But for someone like me, halfway through life, who has already weathered lows and scaled highs, traversed mountains and rivers, and seen the world—my habits are deeply ingrained. I’m no longer as daring as I was in my youth to risk everything."
Ji Qingzhen greatly admired her perspective and mindset.
The real world is already steeped in extravagance and indulgence, let alone the entertainment industry where fame, fortune, and ugliness are magnified many times over. For Shen Qianzhan to maintain such clarity of mind was truly rare.
Influenced by Ms. Meng, the Ji family’s tradition regarding marriage had always been one of free development. As long as one didn’t blindly bring home monsters or demons, parents wouldn’t forcefully intervene based on their own preferences.
Initially, due to the consultant matter, Ji Qingzhen’s impression of Shen Qianzhan wasn’t particularly favorable. It wasn’t until their last meeting at the courtyard house, where Shen Qianzhan spoke with grace and humility as a younger generation member, that he revised his impression of her.
This time, compared to their encounter at the courtyard house, Ji Qingzhen was even more satisfied. Glancing at Ji Qinghe, who had been standing not far away for who knows how long, he smiled and said, "Your mindset is far more mature than your peers, so there’s no need to belittle yourself. Caution and steadiness benefit both yourself and others."
Shen Qianzhan took his words to heart.
These thoughts of hers had no one to confide in, and today, unexpectedly, she found herself sharing them with Old Mr. Ji. Surprised yet relieved, she felt a quiet sense of release.
Just as she was running out of things to say, Ji Lin’s crisp voice rang out not far behind her: "Uncle, how much longer are we going to stand here?"
Shen Qianzhan: "…?"
Selling horses.
—
After dinner, night fell.
Old Mr. Ji stroked his great-grandson while watching Shen Qianzhan and Ji Lin huddle together, figuring out how to assemble Iron Man.
Shen Qianzhan had always maintained an elegant and dignified demeanor in front of him, but this was the first time he saw her disregard her image, sitting on the floor with Ji Lin, earnestly playing with Legos.
The evening news played on the television, the low-frequency resonance of the speakers soothing and pleasant.
Ji Qingzhen glanced at the TV, then at Ji Qinghe sitting on the cold bench, unable to hide the smile on his face.
The scene from the afternoon had been so amusing that Old Mr. Ji couldn’t control his expression every time he recalled it.
Once again mocked, Ji Qinghe met Ji Qingzhen’s gaze with a cool expression. He then checked the time on his wrist and said nonchalantly, "After I leave, make sure to take your medicine on time. If there are any fluctuations in your follow-up data, I’ll have to inform the old lady."
Ji Qingzhen’s smile instantly vanished as he scolded, "You little rascal, threatening me?"
"Just concerned about you," Ji Qinghe replied, glancing down at Shen Qianzhan, who was still engrossed in the Legos. He reminded her, "Producer Shen, it’s getting late."
The latter part, addressed directly to her by name, made it impossible for Shen Qianzhan to pretend she hadn’t heard.She put down the Lego piece in her hand and gently patted Ji Lin, whose expression instantly drooped. "It's getting late, Auntie shouldn't disturb you any longer. Next time we meet, Auntie will prepare an even bigger and more complex Transformers for you."
Ji Lin, who had rarely found a playmate, was even more reluctant to let Shen Qianzhan leave upon hearing this. "Can I trade my Transformers for Auntie?"
Before Shen Qianzhan could respond, Ji Qinghe answered for her, "No."
He bent down, lightly tapped the tip of little Ji Lin's nose with his knuckle, his voice authoritative. "If you want to trade for Auntie Qianzhan, have you asked for my opinion?"
Ji Lin pouted, "Uncle is stingy. You get to see Auntie Qianzhan every day, yet you still want to compete with me."
Ji Qinghe gave a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Of course."
"Some people just can't be traded away, not even for a child."
Ji Lin was stunned.
He looked at Ji Qinghe, then at Shen Qianzhan, wearing a stubborn, tearful, pitiful expression of someone who had been wronged.
Shen Qianzhan had enjoyed her time with Ji Lin immensely over the past few hours. Seeing such an expression on his little face, she quickly tried to comfort him. "Didn't we exchange contact information? Whenever you miss Auntie, just send me a video call."
Only then was Ji Lin somewhat consoled.
He held Shen Qianzhan's hand, making pinky promises and rubbing against her leg, showering her with affection for a while before reluctantly watching her get into the car.
—
Ji Qinghe drove on the way back.
The evening rush hour in Xi'an had just begun to ease. Although the roads were still busy with traffic, there were no major jams.
Ji Qinghe was familiar with Xi'an's roads and didn't even turn on the navigation, speeding along the way.
Shen Qianzhan vaguely sensed his urgency, noticing several times that he only tapped the brakes to slow down right before speed cameras, and accelerated again without maintaining a safe distance after passing intersections.
After this happened repeatedly, she couldn't help but break the silence, asking him, "In a hurry to get back?"
Ji Qinghe glanced at her, steering with one hand as he turned into a tunnel.
The moment they entered the tunnel, the overhead lights went out completely, leaving only the faint glow of the dashboard illuminating the car's interior.
Amid the resonant hum of the engine, Ji Qinghe's voice was low and filled with unrestrained desire. "In a hurry to love you."
OpenNovel