Chapter Ninety-Six
Shen Qianzhan rarely pondered questions like "When did she fall for Ji Qinghe?" or "What exactly does she see in Ji Qinghe?" In adult relationships, every moment counts, not a single second should be wasted.
In this relationship, she had always loved with calm restraint, indulging yet remaining clear-headed.
When it came to giving and entrusting, she was even more reserved, stingy and petty.
Until tonight, standing by the window, watching him hurry toward her through the night.
It was such an ordinary scene, yet her heart stirred uncontrollably. It felt as full as a drawn bowstring—the arrow had already been released, but the string still vibrated ceaselessly, its lingering resonance echoing.
—
Old Shen talked for a long time without getting any response from Shen Qianzhan, and suddenly felt it was all rather pointless. "Alright, your heart's gone, your soul's flown away. Fine, fine, your old father knows when to make himself scarce. I'll hang up first."
With that, he hung up on his own.
Once the screen went dark, he looked at the empty garden and sighed deeply.
No matter how much his future son-in-law pleased him, it couldn't compare to the bittersweet ache and reluctance he felt now that his daughter had someone in her heart.
Old Shen clasped his hands behind his back, repeatedly rubbing the warm phone.
Just thinking about Shen Qianzhan getting married soon made his heart ache and tingle, as if soaked in aged vinegar—sour and astringent.
After a long while, he rubbed his swollen eyes and turned back toward the house.
—
At the same time.
After ending the call with Old Shen, Shen Qianzhan threw on a jacket and went to wait by the door.
Leaning against the wall, she slightly lowered her head, intently listening for any movement outside.
Soon, familiar footsteps approached from a distance.
Ji Qinghe's footsteps were easy to recognize.
His legs were long, and his steps were always steady and firm. He walked without any hesitation, with a fixed rhythm, crisp and clear.
He walked all the way to the door.
Shen Qianzhan timed it perfectly, just as he was about to swipe his card to open the door, she turned the handle and opened it from inside.
Ji Qinghe was slightly taken aback.
He was still leaning forward, and when the door suddenly opened to reveal her standing behind it, his eyes narrowed slightly. He took a step forward, wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her inside, and pressed her against the corner of the wall.
His gaze never leaving her, he looked down at her for a moment, then closed the door behind him with his other hand and leaned in to kiss her.
Mindful that the crew had just been through an incident, he didn't get too carried away, only giving her light kisses on her forehead and lips.
"You saw me?"
Shen Qianzhan hugged him back, nuzzling his neck. "I was on the phone with Old Shen. He said you were back, and then I saw you."
It was rare for her to be so delicate and feminine. Ji Qinghe enjoyed it, holding her in the entryway for a while before asking, "Everything settled?"
Though he didn't specify, it was clear he was asking about Old Chen.
Shen Qianzhan nodded, reporting like it was work: "Su Zan took Mrs. Chen to the police station to collect the death certificate. We met this afternoon. I thought it would take some time to work things out, but Mrs. Chen was quite easy to get along with. She was understanding toward us and calmly accepted that Old Chen had passed away unexpectedly."
"As for compensation, when I discussed it with her, I only mentioned that Old Chen died suddenly from an accident and that the insurance company would handle the payout. She had no objections. But tonight, Su Zan and I discussed it and decided to give Mrs. Chen an additional condolence payment in the name of Thousand Lights. We haven't told her yet, though. We'll find another time for that."
Seeing that things had been resolved smoothly, Ji Qinghe nodded, then leaned down to nuzzle her nose. "Do you have a cold?"
Shen Qianzhan was surprised by his attentiveness and instinctively asked, "How did you know?"“I could hear the nasal tone in your voice over the phone at noon, but I couldn’t confirm it then.” He held her chin, tilting it slightly upward, and brushed his thumb against the tip of her nose as if teasing a cat. “It’s dry. Not healthy.”
Shen Qianzhan, a woman whose mind was perpetually filled with indecent thoughts, was unusually sensitive to certain words.
Her eyes glinted mischievously as her restless fingers trailed from his Adam’s apple downward, moving like a traveler crossing mountains and bridges along the centerline of his shirt, finally coming to rest lightly at his waistband. Then, with just the right amount of pressure, she hooked her finger around his belt and whispered, “Then why don’t you just make it wet?”
As she spoke, she lifted her gaze slightly, meeting his eyes.
Shen Qianzhan’s flirtatious nature was ingrained in her very bones. She was adept at using subtle, alluring tricks, often teasing with just a look. It wasn’t particularly sophisticated, but every gesture, every flick of her finger, carried just the right amount of charm—enough to stir the heart and itch the soul.
Ji Qinghe’s breathing grew slightly heavier. The hand he had braced against the wall lowered to grasp her fingers.
He held them tightly, his gaze fixed on her, deep and profound as the ocean, filled with hidden depths.
This reminded Shen Qianzhan of the dream she had the night before.
She curled her fingers slightly in his palm and murmured, “I dreamed about you last night. It started the same as the morning before yesterday, except you weren’t there.”
Dreams were such dull things—she tended to forget them quickly and completely. After a moment of careful recollection, she continued, “I forgot about you. I dreamed I set out with a maritime rescue team to look for Old Shen. Halfway there, we encountered a storm, and just as I thought I was going to die on the way to find him, you appeared. The moment I saw you, I felt so familiar, so precious.”
“You were standing in the sea, saying you’d come to pick me up. When you saw me standing motionless at the bow of the boat, you asked if I didn’t trust you. Without a moment’s hesitation, I leaped down, and you caught me.”
Ji Qinghe hummed softly, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. “So that’s why you caught a cold?”
“Because you dreamed of falling into the sea?” His focus was entirely off her dream. “And you’re blaming me?”
Shen Qianzhan’s carefully built-up emotions instantly dissipated.
She lowered her head and bit him hard, angrily retorting, “I wasn’t talking about catching a cold.”
Ji Qinghe’s attention was entirely on her slightly flushed earlobe, his thoughts wandering. “Then go on.”
His response was perfunctory. Shen Qianzhan paused for a moment, restraining her emotions before saying, “The moment I saw you, I suddenly felt…” She hesitated for a few seconds, feeling both awkward and embarrassed. “I felt like I’d found the other half of myself in this world.”
Ji Qinghe withdrew his gaze to look at her.
Her eyes flickered slightly, as if she felt her evasion was inexplicable. After composing herself, she deliberately met his gaze with an air of nonchalance.
“The other half of yourself?” He repeated the phrase a few times, then suddenly chuckled softly, the low sound causing his chest to vibrate slightly.
“After all this time, you’ve finally made some progress in matters of the heart.” His tone was cheerful as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it as a reward. “When you’re ready to get married, be sure to hint at it. No matter how subtle, I’ll understand.”
How did it suddenly turn to… marriage?
She might have had an awakening, but marriage was still a bit early.
Shen Qianzhan glanced up at him, poking his chest with her fingertip before shifting to the matter at hand. “There’s something I want to discuss with you.”"Go ahead."
"Weren't we originally planning to take you home before the crew left Wuxi?" Shen Qianzhan lowered her gaze slightly, focusing on his shirt collar while observing his reaction from the corner of her eye. "Then Old Shen pulled that disappearing act, and the crew ran into some trouble. I thought since Old Shen and the others have already met you, maybe we could wait until next time to go back together?"
"After I resign would work too, as long as you have time."
Ji Qinghe had guessed she would bring this up and nodded in agreement. "I also think now isn't the most suitable time." He gently touched her earlobe and asked, "What gave you the impression that I'm not an understanding person?"
As if anticipating her response of "It's not an impression," he raised an eyebrow before she could speak and added, "I'm in no hurry. Sooner or later, you'll be mine—why should I rush?"
Based on Shen Qianzhan's understanding of him, given these unexpected events, even if she hadn't brought it up, they would have had enough tacit understanding to postpone the matter for now.
What she really wanted to discuss was something else entirely.
The topic of meeting the family was merely an opening.
"Second matter." She hesitated for a few seconds, cautiously testing the waters. "Has Ming Jue been urging you to return to Beijing?"
Ji Qinghe paused while playing with her hand and looked down at her.
Shen Qianzhan felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze and couldn't help clearing her throat. "I'm considering that having you here might be a bit inconvenient now."
The morning before yesterday had been so sudden that Shen Qianzhan hadn't had time to think about avoiding suspicion.
But now, with the crew delayed in Wuxi due to Old Chen's unexpected death, they would have to stay for several more days.
During this sensitive and eventful period, Ji Qinghe's presence in the crew made him as conspicuous as a target. How many eyes would be watching their every move?
At a time like this, whether it was spreading romantic rumors or publicly acknowledging their relationship, neither was the best timing.
According to Shen Qianzhan's plan, after returning to Beijing, most of the filming for "Time" wouldn't require Ji Qinghe's guidance anymore, and by then, no one would care whether they were dating or if there was any favoritism involved.
Once she resigned from Thousand Lights and was no longer tied to the project, there would be even less for anyone to say.
In the future, she would be an independent producer, and he would be the executive president of Endless Year. Looking back on their past connection would only add to their achievements.
She had it all figured out, but the key was whether Ji Qinghe was willing to cooperate.
To have a girlfriend pursued through proper and legitimate means, yet never give her official recognition and even urge him to return to Beijing... No matter how she looked at it, Shen Qianzhan felt quite guilty.
Ji Qinghe narrowed his eyes and asked, "You want me to go back to Beijing first?"
His breathing slowed, and though his tone was calm, a closer listen revealed his hidden displeasure.
Shen Qianzhan braced herself and hummed in agreement, explaining, "Not 'go back first.'"
"Return on schedule."
There was a big difference between the two.
She hesitated for a few seconds and said, "I was afraid Mrs. Chen would be too grief-stricken, so I didn't discuss the arrangements for Old Chen's funeral with her in detail today. The body will definitely need to be taken home for burial, so the crew will likely be delayed in Wuxi for a few days."
"Qiao Xin is rebooking the flights tonight. I took the liberty of keeping your ticket for now." Shen Qianzhan was afraid her explanation wasn't thorough enough and might cause misunderstandings. "Of course, if you feel this arrangement isn't suitable, we can discuss it further."
Given Shen Qianzhan's usual way of doing things, explaining this clearly was already quite considerate of her.There was always a reason for things, and changes in plans were common. With their combined experiences, they could be said to have weathered countless storms and endured many hardships. If they were to fuss over such trivial details, how could they continue down the long road ahead?
What Ji Qinghe cared about wasn’t this.
He braced one hand against the wall beside her face, leaning slightly forward to meet her gaze.
Under the hallway wall lamp, his eyes resembled polished gemstones, so dark they seemed to burn.
His gaze held undisguised possessiveness and aggression, sharp and menacing, as if baring his claws at her.
Shen Qianzhan saw him smile—a fleeting expression, three parts mockery and seven parts disdain. His voice dropped to a low, deliberate tone as he asked, “And what about the future? When will you give me an answer?”
When he was forceful and aggressive, his features seemed to take on a bewitching intensity. “Are you planning to hide me away?”
Shen Qianzhan’s heart skipped a beat, her mind flooded with the thought—Damn! This man is killing me again.
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