Chapter Nine
Meng Wangzhou listened with only a half-understanding.
He lifted his innocent, bewildered eyes from the rising steam of the hotpot: "Are you two fans of Journey to the West?"
Fans? More like haters.
Shen Qianzhan shot Ji Qinghe a fierce glare—this damn man, always speaking with hidden barbs just to annoy her.
It was just that her silver tongue, which worked wonders on everyone else, seemed to go dumb whenever she faced Ji Qinghe. She could never find the right words to retort.
For a moment, Shen Qianzhan really wanted to splash the Pu'er tea in her hand all over Ji Qinghe's face.
But only for a moment.
Because reason made her see the three major consequences that would arise from such an action in the very next second—Endless Year permanently blacklisting her, Old Master Ji becoming her sworn enemy, and Ji Qinghe cutting ties with her for life.
The mere thought of these three chain reactions twisted Shen Qianzhan's guts into a bow.
Suddenly, the Pu'er tea in her hand felt scalding. She quickly set down the cup, cleared her throat as if to cover up, and changed the subject: "So, after reading the proposal, what are your thoughts?"
Ji Qinghe glanced at her, his tone unnervingly calm: "If I weren't certain that the old man didn't hire a ghostwriter and has no desire for a high-profile life in his later years, I'd almost think this was a personal biography of Ji Qingzhen commissioned by him."
This comment stung Shen Qianzhan.
Even though Ji Qinghe hadn't used a single harsh or negative word throughout, and his tone remained as steady and indifferent as ever, she could still hear the underlying mockery in his words.
"Producer Shen is quite similar to Ms. Meng in her younger days—a clear-eyed, ambitious go-getter who wears her aspirations on her sleeve and stops at nothing to achieve her goals." Ji Qinghe set down his chopsticks and cast a faint glance at Shen Qianzhan. "When you were researching the old man's life, weren't you curious why he never mentioned anything about his marital relationship?"
"He and Ms. Meng divorced and have never remarried." Ji Qinghe's tone was placid, as if he weren't discussing a family secret related to himself but casually summarizing someone else's life. From his expression to his tone, he exuded an air of detached indifference. "This proposal of yours, which uses the old man as its prototype, imposes your own desired artistic effects and lacks objectivity."
Upon hearing the words "Ms. Meng," Meng Wangzhou instinctively pricked up his ears.
By the time he finished listening and understood the client-contractor relationship between Shen Qianzhan and Ji Qinghe, he was so startled that he dropped a meatball, splattering broth all over himself.
As he grabbed tissues to clean up, he tried to process the situation, feeling a strong urge to advise Shen Qianzhan... Ji Qinghe was an authoritarian, scheming man, a walking cure for trypophobia. Out of all the people she could have collaborated with, why did she have to pick Ji Qinghe?
—
Shen Qianzhan circled her teacup with her fingers, lost in thought for a while.
In the proposal, the protagonist's main storyline undoubtedly followed Old Master Ji as the prototype. Although the descriptions of the romantic subplot were only briefly touched upon, the supporting characters added to drive the plot made it easy to infer the hardships the protagonist faced in matters of the heart.
To put it bluntly, if the screenwriter lost control, the personal biography might very well turn into a romantic scandal.
Putting herself in their shoes, Shen Qianzhan could see why it would be hard to accept.
Especially since she hadn't anticipated that Old Master Ji's romantic history would be tied to Endless Year.
Now, all of Ji Qinghe's concerns and actions made perfect sense.
—She followed the timeline, breaking down the entire project into several clear blocks—from bidding and signing contracts to preparation—
In April of this year, at the film and television summit, Boxuan released the first concept trailer for the tribute drama, officially opening it up for investment;
In May, Shen Qianzhan, representing Thousand Lights Pictures, secured the first collaboration with Boxuan using the theme of craftsmanship in watch restoration;
In June, Shen Qianzhan traveled to Xi’an to visit the Shaanxi Museum’s watch exhibition, where she encountered Ji Qinghe that same day;
In October and November, Shen Qianzhan returned to Xi’an to invite Old Master Ji to serve as the project’s special consultant;
In December, she unexpectedly reunited with Ji Qinghe, who represented Endless Year and expressed interest in investing in the project.
Setting aside the messy personal history between them, Ji Qinghe’s involvement made perfect sense.
According to Ji Qinghe’s logic, he had seen the project proposal and was dissatisfied with the gimmick of using Old Master Ji as a prototype. To protect the old man’s reputation and pursue a mutually beneficial outcome that Shen Qianzhan was not yet aware of, he joined the project with funding to steer its direction.
No flaws there.
After piecing together the key points, Shen Qianzhan cut straight to the chase: “So, Mr. Ji is very interested in the project, but your only concern is that we might take artistic liberties for the sake of ratings, which could harm Old Master Ji’s reputation?”
Ji Qinghe showed no reaction to Shen Qianzhan’s sharp insight. He traced the rim of the celadon teacup, his dark pupils reflecting faint ripples of light under the lamp.
The corner of his lips lifted slightly in a faint, mocking smile. “I thought Producer Shen would need a few more twists and turns to understand my good intentions.”
Shen Qianzhan scoffed, nearly rolling her eyes. “Mr. Ji could have just said so outright. In business, as long as there’s a goal of mutual benefit, there’s no grudge that can’t be resolved.”
Ji Qinghe raised an eyebrow slightly, dismantling her point without holding back just because she was a woman. “Is that so?”
“Judging by Producer Shen’s attitude last night, I thought our next meeting would be at a funeral—either you lying down or me lying down.”
Shen Qianzhan: “…” She felt she didn’t necessarily have to be the one lying down in every situation.
Meng Wangzhou kept his eyes downcast, holding back tears as he buried himself in his meal.
What on earth had possessed him to invite Producer Shen to stay for dinner? Now, he felt like he was halfway into his own coffin.
—
After dinner, concerned that Meng Wangzhou’s nonstop eating might be bad for his health, Shen Qianzhan asked Ji Qinghe to step aside for a private conversation.
The depth of their earlier discussion had already eased most of Shen Qianzhan’s resistance to their collaboration, but there was still the other half to address. Now, while they could still interact peacefully, was the time to settle it.
“Since Mr. Ji is interested in collaborating, Thousand Lights also hopes we can reach an agreement soon. Should I have Su Zan come over tomorrow with the contract for your review?” Shen Qianzhan adopted the gentle, considerate tone she reserved for clients, testing the waters cautiously. “Or perhaps you could provide your legal department’s contact information so our legal teams can coordinate directly?”
“Contract?” Ji Qinghe asked. “What contract?”
The two were now in the front hall of Time Hall.
Under the sparse lighting, half of his lips were hidden behind the celadon cup, making it hard to discern their curve.
But faintly, he seemed to be smiling.
Seeing the calculating expression he only revealed when they were alone, Shen Qianzhan felt a headache coming on. “Would Mr. Ji care to clarify?”"I've said before," Ji Qinghe leaned forward slightly, his eyes hidden behind his glasses lifting just enough to exert a subtle pressure, "I hope Producer Shen never has a day when she needs to come begging at my door."
Shen Qianzhan tore away all pretense, retorting impatiently, "Isn't that day today?"
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