Chapter Seventy-Seven
The latter half of his sentence suddenly softened in tone, piercing straight through her heart.
Shen Qianzhan was instantly rendered speechless.
No one understood better than she did just how much effort Ji Qinghe had poured into softening her sharp edges and smoothing her rough corners.
These were merely the things he had spoken of; there were countless others left unspoken—such as rescuing her from difficult situations at business dinners or shielding her from the stormy crises of public relations.
Every single one, she remembered.
All these years, everyone had only seen her authority and influence. Beneath the halo of the "golden producer," Shen Qianzhan carried the burden of everyone’s expectation that she was omnipotent.
She could not make mistakes, she could not fail, she could not be unable to solve problems.
The weak were allowed to err, to be powerless, to give up at any moment. Their failures could easily earn forgiveness, pity, and leniency—but not her.
A single misstep from her would invite ridicule and condemnation from thousands.
Those with opposing interests would seize upon her so-called dark history to attack her relentlessly, seeking their own gains.
Those on her side would only lament that she had been compromised, ordering her to resolve the issue without fail, ensuring it did not endanger the project.
Behind her glory lay a fate as fragile as an ant, manipulated at will.
There were plenty of people waiting for her to fall back into the abyss, eager to stomp on her once more, to watch her struggle for survival, never to rise again.
No one knew she disliked drinking.
For the sake of networking, she had no choice but to adapt to the culture of the drinking table, entertaining investors to their satisfaction. Over time, drinking became a habit, and even she had forgotten how much she once despised alcohol.
No one knew, either, that she hadn’t always been this kind of person.
Deep down, she harbored a dreamy, artistic girl—quiet in speech but rich in dreams. She spoke endlessly of her love for life and her longing for the world, but only after truly embracing it did she realize how fearsome human hearts could be, that not every corner was touched by sunlight.
Before meeting Ji Qinghe, her life had been like duckweed adrift on the sea, forced to protect herself while balancing the interests of three parties.
Investors withdrawing funds, commercial transactions, the pressures of capital—amidst these uncontrollable forces, she had to wield her spear and shield alone, never showing a hint of fear.
But it wasn’t until she met him that Shen Qianzhan realized she, too, could be protected.
She didn’t have to be exceptionally strong; no matter how difficult the path, even at the edge of a cliff or the depths of an abyss, she still had a way out—a retreat that could shield her from the hail of bullets and arrows, allowing her to emerge unscathed.
Shen Qianzhan’s heart softened all at once, melting into a puddle.
She gazed at Ji Qinghe, the light in her eyes gradually brightening, like a lantern hanging at a ferry crossing, casting shimmering reflections across the vast expanse of water. “Alright then. You brought this on yourself, so you’ll have to take responsibility.”
Ji Qinghe didn’t respond.
His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, as if he could no longer suppress his desire for her. He lowered his head and kissed her.
This time, with justification on his side, he deliberately stoked the flames, no longer concerned with the fleeting pleasure of union, but instead lavishing patience as he lingered with her.
In an instant, Shen Qianzhan felt as though she had returned to that night in Xi’an last year.
The process from deciding to take things further to actually doing so was surprisingly brief. She went to the wine cabinet to fetch a bottle to set the mood.
To bolster her courage, Shen Qianzhan deliberately opened a bottle of strong liquor.
Without even using a glass, she tilted the bottle to her lips and took a swig straight from it. The rich aroma of the wine filled the air, like incense burning somewhere, carrying a faint scent of pear and sandalwood.
When she handed the bottle to Ji Qinghe, he took her wrist in his grasp, pressed his lips to hers, and shared a sip of the wine from her mouth.
It seemed that from that moment on, she was already drunk.Too drunk to want to wake from the dream, only wishing to go to the end with him.
That night was just like now—his dominance made her seem as small as a plaything in his palm, entirely at his mercy.
Her body still remembered the sensations from that time—trembling beneath him.
From the moment of intimate contact, she couldn’t suppress the heat that spread through her entire body.
All her senses focused in an instant. In the pitch-dark room, she could only see the storm brewing in his eyes, as if it were about to devour cities and crush dust.
Yet he was in no hurry to breach the gates, leaving her like fish on a chopping block, watching the blade poised overhead, uncertain when it would finally fall.
If Shen Qianzhan had been completely ignorant of what was to come, it might have been easier. But she knew exactly what was about to happen. Before the blade fully descended, she imagined, time and again, the overwhelming ecstasy that would come with the city’s fall.
The sensations from her body were his repeated thrusts between her thighs, grinding and probing.
Each time they neared the brink, he would cruelly withdraw, leaving her heart suspended in midair, never granting her release.
Later, when she finally got her wish, he was surprised to find it was her first time.
After she adjusted, he carried her from the desk to the bed, abandoning his earlier roughness to patiently and meticulously explore her territory.
From beginning to end, Shen Qianzhan felt little pain. Only the suppressed tempest in his eyes, after her tumultuous rise and fall, erupted all at once, dragging her by the ankles into the abyss, where they sank together.
Tonight, time seemed to stretch infinitely.
He kissed her lips, sucking and nibbling lightly. Listening to her breathing grow increasingly rapid, a deep smile flickered in his eyes as he watched her, step by step, being drawn into the whirlpool under his guidance.
And he, right in the center of that whirlpool, stirred the winds and clouds.
—
Once the scene ended, Shen Qianzhan was utterly exhausted.
Earlier on the desk, her back had been rubbed raw and sore. Now, she could only lie on the bed like a limp shrimp, trying to calm her racing heart.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom.
A moment later, the water stopped, and Ji Qinghe stepped out barefoot, a towel wrapped around his waist.
Only a bedside lamp was lit in the bedroom, casting dim light around the bed.
He sat down beside her and offered her a sip of warm water. "Does your back still hurt?"
Too embarrassed to answer, Shen Qianzhan shrugged her delicate shoulders, exposing half of her fair back for him to see.
He turned on the light. Under the overhead illumination, the skin from her shoulder blades down her entire back was rubbed red, a shocking sight.
Unable to bear it, he leaned down and kissed her shoulder blade. "I’ll get some ointment."
Unable to see her own back, Shen Qianzhan propped herself up slightly and twisted to look. The posture accentuated the curve of her waist, the fluid lines of her feminine form resembling a work of art like distant rolling hills.
Ji Qinghe’s eyes darkened imperceptibly. He calmly pulled the blanket back over her shoulders and went downstairs to fetch the ointment.
After applying the ointment, the burning pain in her back finally eased. Shen Qianzhan nestled in his arms and suddenly muttered, "They say men’s performance generally declines after twenty-five. How come that doesn’t apply to you at all?"
Ji Qinghe glanced down at her and tucked the blanket around her. "Do you wish my performance had declined?"
Not really.
She was just being cheeky after getting the better end of the deal.
She didn’t reply, and Ji Qinghe didn’t press further.
Neither spoke.
The bedroom fell silent, leaving only the howling wind outside, as if brewing a thunderstorm.He twirled a strand of her long hair around his fingertip, casually bringing up their return to Wuxi the next day. "Our flight is at two tomorrow afternoon. We'll arrive in Wuxi by evening. Ming Jue will be traveling with us this time."
Shen Qianzhan hummed in acknowledgment, nuzzling into the crook of his neck as she found a comfortable position. "There's something I want to discuss with you."
Ji Qinghe guessed what she was about to say and preempted her. "You want to keep our relationship under wraps for now?"
His tone was calm, as if he had already anticipated her plan.
Though she didn't detect any displeasure in his words, Shen Qianzhan assumed he must have some reservations. After a moment's thought, she chose her words carefully. "The word 'hide' sounds a bit harsh. I just think it's best to keep things low-key until Time wraps up, to avoid affecting the crew's morale."
"Morale?" Ji Qinghe lifted her chin, meeting her gaze. "You mean the morale of those on your 'list of admirers'?"
Shen Qianzhan: "..."
What list of admirers?
As if reading her mind, Ji Qinghe released the strand of hair and, supporting her waist, shifted her upward. "I heard half the male actors in the crew were chosen based on your personal preferences?"
Taking advantage of the movement, Shen Qianzhan propped herself up on her elbows, looking down at him. "What, are you jealous?"
With that one sentence, she turned defense into offense, cutting off whatever he was about to say.
Ji Qinghe raised an eyebrow, his eyes locking with hers for a few seconds. Then, his right hand slipped beneath the covers, sliding over her shoulder and back before landing a solid pat on her rear.
It wasn't a hard slap, but the move caught Shen Qianzhan off guard. She froze for a moment, her face flushing bright red.
"I have a jealous streak," he said, rubbing the spot he had just patted, his voice low, somewhere between a warning and an offhand remark. "I might lose control if provoked. The only way to keep the peace and live in harmony is if your eyes and heart belong solely to me."
"Got it?"
Got it, my foot.
Shen Qianzhan rested her elbows on his chest, suddenly struck by a thought. "Hypothetically, if you heard from someone else that men visited my room every night, what would you do?"
Ji Qinghe countered, "Why would I need to hear it from someone else? I've seen it plenty of times myself. When has your room ever been empty at night?"
Shen Qianzhan laughed.
She looked at Ji Qinghe, growing fonder of him by the second, so much so that she couldn't resist leaning down to kiss him. "Be serious, we're role-playing here. You just said you'd answer anything I asked tonight."
Ji Qinghe thought for a moment, not too long, and replied, "I wouldn't learn about you from others. If you say it's not true, then it's not true."
Shen Qianzhan laughed again and pressed further. "What if... someone in the crew is pursuing me, relentlessly?"
"Knowing you, you'd nip it in the bud before it even started," he answered, giving her rear another pinch. "Isn't that how you treat me?"
Shen Qianzhan let out an awkward, guilty chuckle. She hadn't expected things to turn out this way back then.
Besides, if not for everything they had been through, how could she have seen his sincerity? Even if she had agreed to his terms earlier, their relationship might not have been smooth sailing.
"Have you ever thought that if you had tried to keep me by using investment as leverage, it might have backfired? We could have drifted apart because of suspicion, insecurity, or my pride."
Ji Qinghe glanced at her and corrected, "I never intended to keep you like that. You misunderstood my intentions."From the very beginning, he had wanted to start with an equal romantic relationship. But at that time, apart from a one-night stand, the emotional connection between them was even more bland than a glass of plain water. He couldn’t explain it either, afraid that saying more would only lead to more mistakes, so he simply sought another approach.
“I wouldn’t have let it come to that either.” He turned over, pinning her beneath him, and repeated, “I wouldn’t have let it come to that.”
But he didn’t explain the reason. Until the night came to an end, Ji Qinghe never uttered another word.
Shen Qianzhan wasn’t the type to dig for answers. She understood that even the closest relationships needed space, let alone hypothetical questions like this.
Perhaps it was because they were both mature adults who no longer cared about the formalities of “I love you” or “I like you.” They didn’t even need to explicitly define their relationship word for word. I know you like me, and you know I like you—so let’s be together.
It was an unspoken understanding.
—
The next day, the three of them returned to Wuxi.
Su Zan sent a driver to pick them up.
From a distance, he saw Shen Qianzhan and Ji Qinghe walking and talking, their presence so exclusive that it felt like a third person would be silently torn apart. He clicked his tongue twice, once again marveling at his prophetic mouth—it had likely proven accurate yet again.
He strode forward, instinctively reaching for the luggage.
But as his hand extended, he noticed Shen Qianzhan’s suitcase was already being carried by Ji Qinghe. He silently withdrew his hand, scratching the back of his head. “Sister Qianzhan, Mr. Ji, Assistant Ming.”
Shen Qianzhan was far more composed than Su Zan. Upon meeting, she first inquired about the crew: “No mishaps these past few days, right?”
“How could there be?” Su Zan replied with pride, his expression lively. “I’ve been on high alert, handling everything personally. Even if something did happen, I would’ve told you already. I wouldn’t dare misreport, so you can rest assured.”
Shen Qianzhan had only asked casually.
Qiao Xin had worked with her for years and was thoroughly familiar with the producer’s duties. Even if Su Zan was careless, Qiao Xin was reliable. She figured nothing major could have gone wrong in just a few days.
When they reached the car, she got in first.
Su Zan followed closely, taking a seat in the back and leaving the empty spot next to Shen Qianzhan for Ji Qinghe. “Sister Qianzhan, your trip went smoothly, I assume?”
Shen Qianzhan glanced at Ji Qinghe and nodded with restraint.
Smooth? How could it not be?
She had secured both the clock and the man. This trip to the Ji family had allowed her to claim all of Old Mr. Ji’s treasures.
“What about Song Yan?” she asked.
Su Zan replied, “Teacher Song has mostly recovered. She returned to the crew yesterday and, barring any issues, should be joining the set this weekend.”
Shen Qianzhan was surprised. “Her injury didn’t seem like it would heal that quickly.”
Su Zan sighed. “I heard she used a skin-toned patch to cover it. If she waited for the wound to fully heal, it would take at least half a month. Xiao Sheng would never agree to that.”
Every day a crew is shut down costs tens of thousands. No production could afford such delays, let alone Spring River, which had already suffered heavy losses due to the snowstorm.
Shen Qianzhan frowned but said nothing.
Seeing her lost in thought, Su Zan tactfully fell silent.
—
They arrived at the hotel an hour later.
It was already dusk.
The car stopped at the hotel’s main entrance. As Shen Qianzhan stepped out, Qiao Xin was already waiting eagerly at the door, having turned into a “stone statue gazing at Qianzhan.”She hurried over with quick, small steps, nodding to Ji Qinghe and quickly delivering a message in a rapid-fire tone: "Producer Xiao has been waiting here for you since this afternoon."
Shen Qianzhan didn't quite catch it: "Who?"
"Xiao Sheng, Producer Xiao." Qiao Xin glanced back to make sure Xiao Sheng wasn't behind her, then reminded her: "Before you went on your business trip, Producer Xiao wanted to take you out to dinner to apologize, remember? I told him you were away, and he asked when you'd be back. He's been waiting here since this afternoon. It's almost as if you were deliberately avoiding him..."
As soon as she finished speaking, a tall figure emerged from the revolving door.
Xiao Sheng glanced at Qiao Xin, who had just been tattling, and with a smile, walked up to Shen Qianzhan, offering her a cigarette: "Getting to see Producer Shen sure isn't easy."
Shen Qianzhan looked down at the cigarette, suddenly feeling a scorching gaze from behind that made her neck grow warm.
Her smile stiffened slightly, and she quietly withdrew her outstretched hand, not daring to accept it: "I quit smoking a long time ago."
With her family member watching right beside her, even if she hadn't quit, she wouldn't have dared to take it.
OpenNovel