Chapter Ninety-Four
After learning that Old Shen was safe, Shen Qianzhan felt at ease and soon fell asleep.
The night was filled with thunder and rain.
By dawn, the rain finally subsided.
Drops pattered softly, trickling down the window ledge with a gentle rhythm.
Eight in the morning.
The alarm and knocking on the door sounded simultaneously. Shen Qianzhan opened her eyes and instinctively reached for the side of the bed.
Her hand met empty air.
She turned to look.
Beside the bed, aside from the blanket she had kicked off, there was nothing.
The bedsheet was also neat and smooth, without a single wrinkle.
Amid the knocking, she drifted into a daze for a moment, gradually recalling—
Ji Qinghe had gone out to sea to find Old Shen;
After falling asleep on the balcony during last night’s meeting, she was startled awake by the heavy rain and drenched;
When she woke up, it was already one in the morning, and she received a text from Ji Qinghe telling her that Old Shen had been found;
What else?
Oh, due to the storm at sea, they stayed overnight on North Swift Island for safety and would return the next day.
Shen Qianzhan gathered her thoughts and finally became fully awake.
She sat up, hugging the blanket, and called out to the door to wait a moment. Grabbing her phone, which had only three percent battery left, she checked her messages.
Confirming that it wasn’t a dream, she felt relieved. After changing clothes, she opened the door while washing up.
The production assistant had come to deliver breakfast.
Breakfast consisted of a bowl of millet porridge, a salted duck egg, a scallion-flavored steamed bun, and several side dishes to accompany the porridge.
Shen Qianzhan took it and thanked her.
Hearing her hoarse voice and stuffy nose, the production assistant asked with concern, “Sister Qianzhan, did you not sleep well last night?”
“I’m fine,” Shen Qianzhan pinched the bridge of her nose.
When she woke up, she noticed her nose was stuffy, as if she were catching a cold.
“You don’t look well,” the production assistant pointed to her pale lips and said worriedly, “After breakfast, you should rest a bit more. Or if you’re feeling unwell anywhere, I can get you some medicine.”
Shen Qianzhan originally wanted to ask for cold medicine, but fast-acting cold medicine had one universal drawback: drowsiness.
Considering she still had to meet Old Chen’s family at noon, she swallowed her words: “It’s fine. Maybe my blood sugar is low from waking up too early. I’ll feel better after resting a bit.”
—
After breakfast, Shen Qianzhan and Su Zan split up.
She went to oversee the set, while Su Zan, along with the production assistant and the production manager, went to the airport to pick up Mrs. Chen.
Shen Qianzhan hadn’t originally considered having Su Zan handle this, but after last night’s meeting, he deliberately stayed behind and volunteered to pick up Mrs. Chen.
He didn’t give a reason, as if certain that Shen Qianzhan would agree.
But in fact, she had no reason to oppose Su Zan’s decision.
After seeing them off, Shen Qianzhan headed to the set with Qiao Xin.
Although news of Old Chen’s accidental death had been suppressed immediately, it hadn’t completely stopped the spread. After one night, everyone in the crew, whether they knew before or not, was now aware.
Compared to the hotel staff, Shen Qianzhan had much more confidence in the confidentiality of the crew members.
In the crews she led, there were occasionally a few oddballs, but as long as they were human, personalities would never be uniform. Especially in an environment like a film crew, where hundreds of people lived and worked together for three or four months, all kinds of people existed.
Friction, disputes, and conflicts were unavoidable.
But there was one thing she prioritized above all else when assembling a crew, aside from safety—confidentiality.Before joining the crew, everyone signs a confidentiality agreement, which is far stricter than the one Su Zan had the hotel staff sign. Any leak of materials, behind-the-scenes footage, or other confidential content would result in immediate accountability, with no leniency.
——
The filming location for the crew was a newly constructed Republican-era set in Wuxi.
As soon as Shen Qianzhan stepped out of the car, she sensed an unusual atmosphere. Everyone seemed to be carrying a huge secret, acting with an excessive degree of caution and deliberate care, completely devoid of the excitement and enthusiasm from two days ago when they were preparing to relocate to Beijing.
Shen Qianzhan twisted the ring on her pinky finger and calmly walked into the set with Qiao Xin.
Shao Chouxi was giving Song Yan directions for a scene. When he saw Shen Qianzhan arrive, he gave a slight nod in greeting.
Without disturbing them, she walked straight in and sat behind the monitor, quietly observing.
As soon as she arrived, the atmosphere on set instantly changed.
The whispering died down. People on set were either moving props or setting up tracks. Even the makeup team stopped gathering in small groups and instead picked up their kits to touch up the hairstyles and makeup of the actors who would be entering the scene later.
She smirked slightly and glanced at Qiao Xin behind her.
Their eyes met, and they shared a knowing, faint smile.
——
At noon.
Shen Qianzhan timed it perfectly and gave Ji Qinghe a call.
The phone rang for nearly a minute before it was answered, with a low "Hello" on the other end.
As the call connected, the deafening roar of the boat's engine filled the line, buzzing in her ears.
Shen Qianzhan was surprised. "You're still at sea?" She had thought that, having set off in the morning, they would have reached shore by noon.
"We set off a bit late." Ji Qinghe moved into the cabin, and the noise lessened, making her voice much clearer.
He stood with his back to the door, looking out through the small window of the cabin.
In the distance, the blue sea met the sky in a seamless line—a rare, beautiful day.
"We should reach the ferry terminal in about an hour," Ji Qinghe said. "Once we arrive, I'll take your father home first."
Shen Qianzhan hummed in acknowledgment, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. "What about Old Shen?"
"He's resting."
"How did he end up stranded on North Swift Island?"
At this, Ji Qinghe paused slightly and chuckled. "Apparently, the captain of the boat he rented got the pickup time wrong."
"Of course, that's your father's version of the story."
His laughter was clear and resonant, low and magnetic. "But from what I understand, it was more likely that your father and his friend couldn't agree on the price with the boat captain. The captain dropped them off and left with an empty boat."
Shen Qianzhan was speechless.
After processing this, she gritted her teeth in frustration.
As if he could guess her expression over the phone, he laughed again. "There's a seventy-year-old caretaker on North Swift Island. I suspect your father planned to hitch a ride back on a fishing boat from the island, so he wasn't in a hurry. Unfortunately, he had bad luck and ran into a storm, which cut off the signal and made communication impossible. Plus, it's the fishing ban period, so the caretaker was on leave. Aside from your father and his friend, there was no one else on the island, which is why they lost contact."
And they even mobilized the maritime rescue team in a big way.
Shen Qianzhan was left utterly speechless.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, her tone sharp. "Tonight, I'll give him a good lecture on wilderness survival stories."
"And you?" Shen Qianzhan shifted the topic, asking, "How does it feel meeting Old Shen in a different role?"
"Pretty good," Ji Qinghe replied, his tone lifting slightly. "I handled it with ease."Shen Qianzhan detected the ease and casualness in his tone, guessing he must have gotten along quite well with Old Shen. Though curious about what sparks had flown during their meeting, she knew it was too complicated to discuss over the phone, and she didn’t have time to listen to him recount it in detail. She could only suppress her curiosity for now and ask about other things instead—
“How did you find Old Shen?”
“Is North Swift Island even habitable?”
“What has Old Shen been eating these past two days? Hasn’t he thought of a way to come back?”
The signal at sea wasn’t great, and her voice kept cutting in and out.
Ji Qinghe listened, struggling to piece it together. He rearranged the fragmented words and phrases, trying to guess her meaning.
As a result, their conversation was often disjointed, starting strong but trailing off into confusion.
The communication barrier didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for talking. As mealtime approached, the crew began distributing boxed lunches under a makeshift sunshade.
Extras lined up in an orderly fashion to collect their lunch.
In addition to the boxed meals, which consisted of three vegetable dishes, two meat dishes, and a soup, there was also a bucket of mung bean soup for cooling off under the neighboring sunshade. The food container sat atop a foam box filled with ice to keep it cool, emitting a faint, chilly mist.
Shen Qianzhan turned and leaned against the wall, half-sitting, half-perched on the windowsill. She watched as the crew filled disposable paper cups with mung bean soup, arranging them neatly on a small table, only for them to be gradually taken away by the extras who came one after another.
There was something oddly captivating about the scene, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away.
After a moment of quiet, Shen Qianzhan suddenly remembered something: “My mom will probably cry tears of joy when she sees Old Shen back. Once she’s done crying, the next step will be interrogating you.”
“As soon as you drop Old Shen off, make up an excuse about something urgent and leave quickly. If you can’t bring yourself to do it or your acting isn’t convincing enough, send me a WeChat message in advance. I’ll call you and pretend I’m the one who called you away.”
Ji Qinghe neither agreed nor disagreed.
Sooner or later, he’d have to meet her. What would it say about him if he fled in a panic?
“Mrs. Shen is quite the chatterbox. After inviting you to stay for a meal or even overnight, she’ll start her population census.” Shen Qianzhan counted off on her fingers: “First, she’ll ask how many people are in your family, whether you’re an only child, and how many siblings you have. Once she’s gone through your entire household register, she’ll move on to your hobbies, what you and I have in common, and how we got together.”
“If you seem cooperative, she’ll push her luck further, asking about your future plans, hinting at whether you have any intention to marry, and whether your family favors sons over daughters.”
Ji Qinghe raised an eyebrow. “You know all this so well—have you brought someone home before?”
Shen Qianzhan fell silent instantly, like a firecracker that had fizzled out.
She thought carefully before answering cautiously, “Not exactly ‘bringing someone home.’ She tried setting me up on blind dates before. When she saw how resistant I was, she had her friends bring the guy straight to my house. I just… overheard a few things.”
Ji Qinghe suddenly chuckled. “I’d believe you wouldn’t dare hide something like that from me.”
Shen Qianzhan’s ears inexplicably grew warm. She smoothed down a few stray strands of hair that had curled up at her forehead and said softly, “It’s time to eat. Let’s stop talking.” Then, she quickly added, “We’ll talk more when you get back.”
Ji Qinghe gave a soft “mm” in response, waiting for her to hang up before opening the cabin door and stepping outside.
—
That afternoon, Shen Qianzhan met Mrs. Chen.
Mrs. Chen was in her forties, not very tall, and somewhat thin.When Shen Qianzhan saw her, she was sitting in an armchair, staring blankly at the death certificate issued by the public security authorities. She must have just cried—her eyes were slightly red, the whites streaked with blood vessels, and dark circles shadowed her eyes, making her look somewhat haggard.
It was only after Shen Qianzhan sat down that she realized someone had arrived. After composing herself slightly, she tugged at the corner of her lips and greeted her in Mandarin tinged with a local accent: "Producer Shen."
"Hello." Shen Qianzhan extended her hand to shake hers. As their eyes met, she saw the sorrow in Mrs. Chen's gaze and suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
To meet Mrs. Chen, Shen Qianzhan had come without any makeup, her face clean and gentle.
She quietly observed Mrs. Chen for a moment before offering a few words of comfort.
Old Chen's incident had happened suddenly. From Shen Qianzhan's perspective, it was undoubtedly best to resolve and console as quickly as possible. At least, that was what she had thought before meeting Mrs. Chen.
If this had happened in the past, Shen Qianzhan might not have been able to empathize. She had been like a precise instrument, always operating for her work. Any unexpected event was merely an obstacle in her path, and she would only calmly and indifferently seek the best solution to smooth things over and move on as quickly as possible.
But after meeting Ji Qinghe, her heart seemed to have softened. Especially after recently experiencing Old Shen's disappearance and tasting the panic and urgency of a loved one facing an accident, she found herself unable to ignore the shock and grief Mrs. Chen endured after Old Chen's sudden death.
Once again, she explained to Mrs. Chen the cause of Old Chen's accidental death and had Su Zan present Old Chen's work schedule on set: "The crew's work arrangements are flexible, with everyone having sufficient rest time. Even when on night duty to watch over the ancient clock, one could rest and sleep normally—there was no situation of staying up all night."
Mrs. Chen nodded. "I know. Su Zan explained it to me on the way here." She looked at Shen Qianzhan, her expression somewhat uncertain. "Old Chen died suddenly on set. You'll compensate for the loss, right?"
"Old Chen's death was due to an unexpected personal accident. According to procedure, the insurance company will cover the loss." After explaining, Shen Qianzhan added softly, fearing Mrs. Chen might not believe her, "The investigation and judgment were handled by the public security authorities. You should have been informed before coming here."
Mrs. Chen nodded again.
She spoke little, remaining mostly silent and listening to Shen Qianzhan.
Only when she had questions did she interrupt.
Seeing that Mrs. Chen understood, Shen Qianzhan breathed a sigh of relief and continued to inform her of the follow-up procedures.
She did not pressure Mrs. Chen, remaining patient throughout. After discussing the formalities, she remembered that Mrs. Chen and Old Chen had two young daughters and asked, "For this trip, someone is taking care of the children, right?"
Mrs. Chen seemed surprised by her concern for the two children. After a moment's pause, she wiped her tears and said, "Yes. The older daughter is in high school and lives on campus. She doesn't know yet that her father has passed away. The younger one is still in elementary school. Her grandparents are at home to take care of her and pick her up from school. It's no trouble."
Shen Qianzhan fell silent for a few seconds before asking Qiao Xin to fetch a hot towel from the hotel for Mrs. Chen to soothe her eyes. "I'm very sorry about what happened to Old Chen."
Mrs. Chen shook her head. "Old Chen's passing has nothing to do with you. It was just too sudden, and I can't accept it right away.""His uncles are lazy and parasitic, the entire Chen family relies solely on Old Chen to earn money. Their sister has been married for so many years, yet she often returns to her parents' home asking for money. Old Chen has no backbone and is soft-hearted; as soon as his parents show weakness, he agrees."
As she spoke, she choked up again: "Old Chen and I were deeply in love when we were young, and I endured hardships with him, running around film sets. After we had children, we gradually spent less time together, and complaints and misunderstandings piled up. I just regret it—if I had known he would leave so soon, I would have treated him better."
She rambled on, saying many more things. It sounded like venting, but more like reminiscing.
She said she and Old Chen had been arguing and living separately for several months, but whether they were separated or not didn’t matter much. Old Chen only had five to seven days off each year, and he might not even have known she had moved out of the house.
The children at home rarely saw their father. His affection for them was entirely expressed through fulfilling their fan requests. Not long ago, Old Chen had sent home autographed photos of Fu Xi and Song Yan for their younger daughter.
Her relationship with her in-laws was strained, partly because they showed no concern for Old Chen, and partly because they endlessly demanded money to support their other children. As a result, despite Old Chen’s high salary, their daughter had lived a difficult life all these years, unable to afford even a pair of five or six hundred yuan sneakers.
Mrs. Chen gave Shen Qianzhan the impression of being resilient and strong, with a unique personality of her own.
Her grace and good manners also made Shen Qianzhan reconsider some of her earlier assumptions and speculations about her before they met.
While Shen Qianzhan felt heartbroken, a sense of relief also welled up deep inside her.
She was relieved that Mrs. Chen had principles when it came to right and wrong, and that she was upright, virtuous, and honorable.
Finally, the conversation ended with Mrs. Chen’s bitter smile as she asked Shen Qianzhan, "How should I tell my two children?"
Shen Qianzhan remained silent.
Looking at the woman sobbing before her, her heart felt uneasy, without any sense of relief that things had been resolved smoothly. "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you receive the insurance compensation as soon as possible. If you encounter any difficulties, you can always come to me or Su Zan."
After leaving Mrs. Chen’s room, Shen Qianzhan borrowed a cigarette from Su Zan and smoked under the awning at the back door of the hotel.
Feeling restless, she finished one cigarette and lit another.
When she asked Su Zan for a third, he refused.
He sat down on the steps, holding the cigarette box, and played with the lighter in his hand, tossing it up and catching it.
Su Zan had barely spoken to her since last night. Shen Qianzhan was never one to accommodate others, and being given the cold treatment made her even less willing to back down.
Just as she reached out to snatch it, Su Zan deftly avoided her, muttering softly, "Mr. Ji told me to look after you. Two cigarettes are already the limit. Any more, and he’ll break my neck when he returns."
Shen Qianzhan glanced at him dismissively. "Are you afraid of him?"
Su Zan shook his head. "I’m only willing to be afraid of him because he treats you well."
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