Chapter Seventy-Five
—In a hurry to love you.
A double entendre.
Shen Qianzhan really wanted to blush a little to show coyness, but the moment she saw Ji Qinghe, she couldn’t help but recall that extremely awkward scene from the afternoon.
Trying to cover up after eavesdropping?
No way!
She deliberately ignored his remark, giving him the cold shoulder.
Those cold eyes, with their downturned outer corners like trailing phoenix tails, were fixed intently on the rows of trees outside the car window, rushing backward in a blur.
When they stopped at a red light midway, Ji Qinghe turned to glance at her.
Shen Qianzhan was looking down, scrolling through her phone. Her slender neck, with its graceful curve like a swan’s, resembled a flamingo drinking or foraging by the water’s edge, pacing leisurely, lazy yet elegant.
Sensing his gaze, Shen Qianzhan raised her head slightly, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Her expression, from inside out, exuded an air of careless indifference.
In truth, ever since Ji Lin’s unintentional slip that afternoon, she had been like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, its fur bristling. She was constantly on guard, constantly wary. And from time to time, she would give him a look, making sure he remembered his sneaky eavesdropping.
At the Ji residence, Ji Lin stuck to her like glue, leaving Ji Qinghe no opportunity.
Now that he had finally managed to get her alone, she was treating him like an adversary, practically carving the words “no talking” on her face to refuse communication.
Ji Qinghe tapped his fingers on the center console gear shift, searching for a topic: “This weekend, Ming Jue and I are flying to Hong Kong.”
Hearing this, Shen Qianzhan first glanced at the date displayed on her phone. Today was Thursday, which meant that after returning to Wuxi tomorrow, he would be leaving the day after.
“There’s an important summit being held at the Hong Kong branch. Ms. Meng’s schedule changed, so I’m stepping in at the last minute.”
After a five-second countdown, the red light turned green.
Ji Qinghe pulled his finger back from the gear shift, shifting into drive, lightly pressing the accelerator. After circling the elevated overpass, he turned onto the left diverging road.
“How many days will you be gone?” Shen Qianzhan asked.
“Including travel time, two days.” With one hand on the steering wheel, he effortlessly navigated the car through traffic. “If time allowed, I would have planned to go and return the same day.”
Shen Qianzhan fiddled with her fingernails, saying nothing.
Ji Qinghe’s status was special, and his contract with the crew offered great flexibility. His schedule was not something that Shen Qianzhan, as the crew’s highest decision-making producer, nor Su Zan, as the supervisor in charge of actors’ work hours, had any right to interfere with.
Besides, even actors juggled multiple projects and schedules. As the executive president of Endless Year’s China division, it would be strange if Ji Qinghe spent all his time idling around the crew, indulging in romantic pursuits with her.
Seeing her lack of enthusiasm, Ji Qinghe added, “The watches will be delivered tomorrow and should arrive by Saturday at the latest. I’ll wait until all the watches are properly placed before going to Hong Kong.”
Shen Qianzhan hadn’t considered the issue of watch placement. Only when he mentioned it did she belatedly realize that this return to the crew wouldn’t be easy—the placement and safekeeping of the antique watches would be a major challenge she’d face every day.
She didn’t refuse Ji Qinghe’s goodwill, wisely accepting the olive branch he extended: “I’ve picked the most reliable and steady crew member to watch over the watches. He’s worked with me for many years, trustworthy in character and strong in responsibility. With your guidance, it’ll be even more secure.”
He responded with a hum, then asked, “Given that I still have some use, can you calm down a bit?”The abrupt change of topic caught Shen Qianzhan off guard, and it took her a moment to realize what he was referring to.
If he hadn’t brought it up, it might have been fine, but the mention instantly sent her face through a kaleidoscope of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. She lowered her head without a word, this time simply sitting cross-legged on the seat, leaning back against the chair, and vigorously scrolling through her phone.
The screen displayed her WeChat Moments feed, refreshed to the point where no new notifications remained. She stared intently, reviewing the Moments posts she had already seen once, offering comments on each one.
Far away in Wuxi, Su Zan, who had just started eating his crew lunch box, was about to enjoy his meal while browsing his Moments when his thumb slipped, and he suddenly noticed he had dozens of comments on his posts.
With an exceptionally rich inner monologue, he gleefully clicked to check—
My Awesome Sister Qianzhan: Superficial.
My Awesome Sister Qianzhan: Gaudy.
My Awesome Sister Qianzhan: Simple-minded.
My Awesome Sister Qianzhan: Low character.
My Awesome Sister Qianzhan: Keep dreaming.
My Awesome Sister Qianzhan: Ridiculous.
My Awesome Sister Qianzhan: …
…
Su Zan: ???
Are you out of your mind!
—
They returned to the city center half an hour later.
As the car passed by the Drum Tower, Shen Qianzhan rolled down half the window to watch the bustling crowd in the distant square.
As one of Xi’an’s iconic landmarks, the Drum Tower had always been a popular gathering spot for tourists at night. Besides the Drum Tower, the nearby Muslim Quarter, separated by just one street, was also lively and brightly lit.
Seeing her interest, Ji Qinghe deliberately slowed the car, giving her enough time to consider.
Within three seconds, Shen Qianzhan turned around, her eyes sparkling, and asked him, “Do you want to drink yogurt?”
—
After parking the car, Ji Qinghe and Shen Qianzhan walked one after the other along the flow of people toward the Muslim Quarter.
As the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, Xi’an boasted a profound historical heritage, attracting a steady stream of tourists every year. The area around the Drum Tower and the Muslim Quarter, as one of Xi’an’s famous tourist attractions, was perpetually crowded. Except for the late night and early morning hours, it was rarely quiet.
Shen Qianzhan had visited Xi’an several times before. For convenience, she had always stayed at hotels near the Drum Tower and was intimately familiar with the culinary delights in the area.
Yogurt, as one of the specialty foods found in tourist destinations across the country, varied in quality and grade.
With practiced ease, she led Ji Qinghe toward a yogurt shop deep within the Muslim Quarter.
As the weather grew warmer, shops on both sides had begun displaying various cold beverages, with common options like sour plum juice and watermelon juice visible everywhere.
Seeing her walk faster and faster, like a green fish swimming into the sea, about to disappear into the crowd with a few flicks of her tail, Ji Qinghe took advantage of his height to wrap an arm around her shoulder, half-shielding her in his embrace. “Either hold my hand or let me hold you. If you stray even half a step away from me tonight, there’ll be no yogurt. We’ll go home, and I’ll give you something else to drink instead.”
Shen Qianzhan felt a rush of heat to her head, her mind immediately conjuring up some unspeakable liquid product.
After a moment of self-reflection on how her once-innocent girlish sentiments had faded with age and experience, she shot him a reproachful glance and obediently offered her hand for him to hold. “I just saw the yogurt shop up ahead,” she said, pausing before adding, “I’m a grown adult. It’s not like I’ll get lost.”
Ji Qinghe remained silent.His features were illuminated by the light from the shop window behind him, warm as a spring sun, yet deep within his pupils, there seemed to be the ebb and flow of tides, inexplicably drawing Shen Qianzhan to meet his gaze.
Ji Qinghe was usually elegant and refined, exuding a scholarly air untouched by worldly dust. In a suit, he could be both a cultured scoundrel and a wolf in sheep's clothing. But without the suit, it was as if he had shed all worldly concerns and impurities, his brow carrying a rare blend of youthful vigor and the steady restraint of a mature man.
At this moment, as he stared at her with a hint of insistence in his eyes, she couldn't help but surrender to him.
She felt that sooner or later, she would drown in this man's gaze.
—
The yogurt shop was a tiny space of just a few square meters, squeezed between the noisy, bustling lamb soup and roujiamo shops, humble and seemingly fragile.
The small shop only had a refrigerated transparent glass cabinet to display its products, as if it could barely accommodate anything else. Even the shopkeeper sat in the narrow aisle, fanning himself while listening to traditional opera.
Shen Qianzhan ordered two servings of yogurt. While the shopkeeper was packing them, she pointed at the lamb skewers next door and looked at Ji Qinghe, her eyes clearly saying, "I want that too."
Ji Qinghe gave a faint smile and, without a word, naturally and smoothly went to line up next door to buy grilled lamb skewers for her.
Witnessing the silent interaction between the young couple, the shopkeeper handed over the yogurt with a smile. Seeing her open a cup to eat, he thoughtfully offered his own chair, suggesting she enjoy it while waiting.
Shen Qianzhan smiled and thanked him but didn't actually sit down. She stood under the streetlight, choosing a prime spot, taking a spoonful of yogurt while glancing at Ji Qinghe, then two spoonfuls while looking at him twice.
By the time her cup of yogurt was almost finished, the long line finally reached Ji Qinghe.
Shen Qianzhan and Ji Qinghe were several meters apart. Apart from his gradually obscured figure in the crowd, she couldn't hear what he was saying.
She absentmindedly scooped the yogurt with her spoon and brought it to her lips. Counting from one to ten, then from ten to one, repeating three times, he finally turned and strode toward her.
"Did you wait long?" Ji Qinghe glanced at her, wiping a bit of yogurt from her lips with his thumb, then led her under the streetlight to avoid the crowd.
Around her, the flow of customers was relentless, with passersby and tourists streaming past her one after another. Yet she seemed oblivious, standing at the intersection like a vivid human billboard.
"Not at all," Shen Qianzhan shook her head, taking the lamb skewers he handed her. "Mr. Ji, are you used to this kind of environment?"
Ji Qinghe didn't even hesitate before asking in return, "What's the difference between here and a shopping mall? Both are crowded with people. Why wouldn't I be used to it?"
Noticing something off about Shen Qianzhan's demeanor, he held her chin, lifted her face, and studied her carefully. "Are you tired from waiting, or are you still upset about what happened this afternoon?"
He released her, subtly blocking the curious glances from all directions and sheltering her within the shadow of his own frame. "Ji Lin and I had just gone back to the room to get the LEGO when the nanny brought it to his playroom. When I returned and heard what you said..." He paused, his voice lowering slightly. "I couldn't bear to interrupt."
"I've never heard you say such things to me before."He didn't want to settle personal matters in this noisy, crowded environment. Seeing the sauce from the lamb skewers dripping down the bamboo stick in her hand into her palm, Ji Qinghe frowned slightly, pulled out a tissue, and wiped her palm clean.
When he looked up, he saw Shen Qianzhan staring at him in a daze. He gently flicked her forehead with his finger and said, "Let's go home, hmm?"
"Ji Qinghe." She rubbed the spot on her forehead where he had flicked her with the back of her clean hand, then turned her hand to hold his.
Shen Qianzhan's fingers were chilled from holding the frozen yogurt container, and when she took his hand, her fingertips trembled slightly, a bit unnatural. "We've already slept together several times, yet holding hands feels strangely innocent," she mocked herself. Then, she slightly lifted her chin toward the yogurt shop. "I came to Xi'an twice last year, both times staying near the Drum Tower."
"Every evening, I would come here to buy yogurt and watch the long line next door waiting for the limited-supply lamb skewers."
"In my thirty years of life, I've only wanted to fall in love twice. Once was here, when I wished I had a boyfriend to stand in line for me and buy lamb skewers. The second time was also here, right now."
"Immediately."
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