Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
Jiang Cheng Yu didn’t back off just because Zhao Chiyi was confessing. He removed his sunglasses, his gaze immediately drawn to the silk scarf around Shen Tang’s neck.
Shen Tang couldn’t resist Jiang Cheng Yu’s tenderness, and she hated herself for it, as well as him for making her feel this way.
There were two green grapes left in the lunchbox. She picked up another one and ate it.
She opened the script on her lap again.
If only he knew—she hadn’t absorbed a single word.
Zhao Chiyi’s earlier confession wasn’t made lightly; he had come today fully prepared.
“Shen Tang, every word I’m about to say is sincere. I’m not joking around or speaking recklessly.”
Shen Tang looked at him. “President Zhao, I don’t have the time or energy for romance right now.” She waved the script in her hand. “Right now, my only focus is to finish filming this drama.”
Zhao Chiyi nodded, understanding her mindset. He not only knew she was dealing with Xiao Zhen but also learned that her grandfather’s health was deteriorating.
When he met Grandpa earlier at the guesthouse entrance, it was time for his medication. Grandpa carried a pill bottle with him, covered in English labels he couldn’t read—but Zhao Chiyi could.
The dosage was alarmingly high; the situation was dire.
“Because of all this, I want to express my feelings sooner rather than later.”
Unbothered by others around them, Zhao Chiyi continued where his interrupted confession had left off: “Even if you don’t want to join Evergreen Entertainment, I won’t force you. Everything you desire, I’ll still give you—including myself.”
A few meters away, Jiang Cheng Yu glanced at Zhao Chiyi.
Shen Tang gripped the script. “President Zhao...”
“Let me finish,” Zhao Chiyi cut her off. “My feelings for you aren’t a whim. Every time I visited Hengdian to check on shoots, it was always to see you. I can name every watch you own, every dress you’ve paired with them.”
Jiang Cheng Yu twirled his sunglasses in his hand.
Those watches and dresses were all chosen by him.
Zhao Chiyi stared into her eyes. This was his first time confessing to a woman. In the past, women chased him—never had he imagined being so passive, so humble.
“Shen Tang, try to trust me. Don’t trap yourself on an island. No matter how difficult things get, I’ll be by your side. As long as you don’t break up with me, I won’t leave first. Whether it’s love or marriage, I’ll wait for you.”
“I’m not asking you to accept me now. I just want you to know my intentions. I’ll keep pursuing you until you feel I’m worthy of your trust.”
Today’s confession was to prepare her mentally—he was going to chase her.
Only one grape remained in the lunchbox. Zhao Chiyi picked it up and popped it into his mouth. “I might stay in Haitang Village for a while. Focus on your acting—I’ll help take care of Grandpa.”
He stood up. “You can continue reading your script.”
Zhao Chiyi nodded toward Jiang Cheng Yu. In business, there might still be room for negotiation, but in matters of the heart, no one would yield to the other.
Shen Tang’s lunch break was ruined.
Jiang Cheng Yu moved his chair, sitting next to her.
He glanced at her profile—barely any makeup, almost bare-faced, and her outfit was from that era. “Yesterday, when you filmed that scene, I happened to dream about you.”
Shen Tang turned a page of the script.
Jiang Cheng Yu’s gaze dropped to the scarf around her neck. In a low voice, he said, “Tang Tang, let me see how bad the injury is.”
“It’s nothing.” Shen Tang couldn’t memorize her lines and quietly recited them under her breath.
“Will you give Zhao Chiyi a chance?”
It took her three repetitions to remember the line, then she replied: “I don’t know whether I’ll give Zhao Chiyi a chance right now, but I do know—I have no future with you.”
Jiang Cheng Yu spoke frankly: “Asking me to get married right now, even I find it unrealistic. Shen Tang, let’s date with the intention of marriage. Once we fall in love, the natural progression will lead to marriage and a home.”
The marriage of the second young master of the Jiang family was indeed tempting.
In the past, she wouldn’t have hesitated—willing to try getting to know him, willing to try falling in love, even if they didn’t end up together, she wouldn’t regret it.
But now, she lacked the courage.
Breaking up with him once had left her heartbroken.
She didn’t want to endure that pain again.
Promises meant nothing in the face of past wounds.
Shen Tang turned to meet his gaze. “After dating you for another three to five years, what if you end it with ‘I still don’t want to get married’? Who will I turn to for justice then?”
“...”
Jiang Cheng Yu and Zhao Chiyi were alike—they wouldn’t waste time on empty words.
“I’m not asking you to reconcile with me now.”
He expressed his sincerity: “I’ll pursue you earnestly, understand you, and at the same time, I’ll work on adapting to the idea of marriage. The day you marry me will be the day we reconcile.”
He couldn’t bear to make her anxious again.
This much of a confession was enough; saying more might backfire.
“Let me see the injury on your neck. I won’t feel at ease unless I see it.” He was still fixated on the marks hidden beneath the scarf.
Shen Tang closed the lunchbox. “Don’t think that just because you declared you’re pursuing me, you get special privileges with me.”
She still didn’t loosen the scarf. Handing the lunchbox to her assistant, she picked up the script and went to find Gu Heng.
With many people on set, Jiang Cheng Yu didn’t chase after her.
The assistant informed Jiang Cheng Yu: “President Jiang, earlier someone from the crew asked who you were. I said you’re the person in charge of funding, concerned about Miss Tang Tang’s injuries.”
“Thank you, I understand.” Jiang Cheng Yu still wasn’t reassured. He asked the assistant how serious Shen Tang’s neck injury was.
Having been by Shen Tang’s side for a long time, the assistant had learned tact in speech: “Miss Tang Tang doesn’t want you to see it because she doesn’t want you to worry. Yesterday, Fan Yishuo dragged her by the neck from the corridor into the office, where he then slammed her against the wall. With all his strength as a man...”
Halfway through, she stopped tactfully.
Jiang Cheng Yu’s gaze swept over the crowd, searching for Shen Tang.
Shen Tang was discussing a psychological shift in the female lead’s emotional scene with Zhou Mingqian. After Chen Nanjin received a call, he abruptly stood up. “I’m heading over now.”
Hanging up, he turned to Shen Tang nearby, “Do you want to come to the hospital with me?”
Zhou Mingqian guessed Xiao Zhen had arrived. He had the assistant clear the area.
With no one else around, Shen Tang spoke freely. “What, want me to apologize to your nephew?”
Chen Nanjin ignored her sarcasm. “Your mother is here, at the hospital. Come with me to see her.”
“Hmph.” Shen Tang laughed derisively.
Chen Nanjin: “She came here for you.”
“Are you trying to take credit for both of you?” Shen Tang tapped the script against the chair. “Her coming is her business. You choosing to protect me in front of your wife is your business. Don’t expect me to be grateful for your insincere efforts—it’s never going to happen.”
She called out to Gu Heng: “Emperor of Acting, do you have time to rehearse lines?”
Chen Nanjin could only sigh. He gave Zhou Mingqian a few instructions, grabbed his phone, and hurried to the hospital.
The set wasn’t far from the hospital—a ten-minute walk.
Fan Yishuo was lying in bed receiving an IV. The current situation clearly showed Aunt Fan at a disadvantage.
He wanted to call Yino, but his phone had been confiscated by Xiao Zhen’s bodyguards to prevent recording. They promised to return it before leaving.
Xiao Zhen didn’t hide her presence from him. Leaning against the window sill, she looked down at him and Aunt Fan with an air of superiority.
It was his first time meeting Xiao Zhen in person. Her aura and gaze were sharp, reminiscent of Shen Tang’s haughty demeanor.
He didn’t know the old stories between Xiao Zhen, Aunt Fan, and Uncle Chen from their youth. All he knew was about Shen Tang’s existence—from his parents’ casual conversations, he learned that Aunt Fan often got so upset with Shen Tang that she couldn’t eat.
Xiao Zhen folded her sunglasses and lightly crossed her arms.
Old grievances, decades-old affairs—they seemed like yesterday.
“Back then, you schemed tirelessly to win over Chen Nanjin. How much did he truly care for you? These years, your hatred for Tang Tang stems precisely from knowing your worth in his heart.”
Fan Yu’s face turned ashen.
Xiao Zhen hit her sore spot accurately.
“Don’t tell me you’re unaware that half of Chen Nanjin’s assets are left to Tang Tang?”
She smiled. “Unfortunately, Tang Tang doesn’t want it. The money she spent in her childhood was repaid tenfold. What you’ve desperately sought, Chen Nanjin tried everything to give to my daughter, yet she didn’t care. Tell me, how much of a failure does that make you? And you still boast online about how much your husband loves you. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Even with her nephew present, Fan Yu disregarded her image. “Xiao Zhen, this isn’t a place for you to run wild. Get out of here now!”
Xiao Zhen: “Why are you panicking? I’m not here to steal Chen Nanjin.”
“You...” Fan Yu was too angry to speak.
She was completely blindsided by Xiao Zhen’s appearance, caught off guard.
Whether she admitted it or not, she always felt inferior in front of Xiao Zhen, diminished.
“If you had even a shred of decency, I wouldn’t have come to Haitang Village to deal with you.” Xiao Zhen shifted, gazing at the coastline through the window.
That place—Tang Tang must have played there often as a child.
“Almost forgot—”
Xiao Zhen glanced at her. “In That Summer , the character Jiang Chu—you’re not blind, surely you recognize whose prototype it is? My daughter.”
Fan Yu’s nails nearly dug into her palm, yet she was powerless to refute. “I’ve never seen someone as despicable and shameless as you.”
Xiao Zhen wasn’t the least bit offended, a smile lingering on her lips. “Likewise. None of us are noble, so let’s stop stepping on each other.”
She glanced at her watch. “At most, in ten minutes, your husband will arrive.”
Fan Yu’s expression changed again. “What do you plan to do?”
“Look how nervous you are,” Xiao Zhen put on her sunglasses. “I’ll have him witness this. Today, you’ll apologize to my daughter. If your attitude isn’t good, I won’t let you off easily.”
Fan Yu found it laughable. “Who do you think you are?”
Xiao Zhen looked out at the sea again, not sparing Fan Yu a glance, and tossed out casually: “I’m the big boss of your company. Satisfied with that answer?”
“What do you mean?” Fan Yu’s forced smile froze, a sense of unease rising.
“It means that in the film and television company you and Chen Nanjin co-own, I currently hold the largest stake. Understand?” Xiao Zhen redirected her gaze from the sea and signaled her secretary to show Fan Yu the documents.
“The shareholders of the company, aside from you and Chen Nanjin, are all individuals I meticulously arranged to infiltrate over the years.”
Fan Yu couldn’t believe it—such a thick stack of documents, she had no heart to flip through.
“I spent fifteen years turning your company into mine.” Xiao Zhen asked her, “Surprised?”
Fan Yu hurled the documents at Xiao Zhen, but her bodyguards swiftly intercepted them.
Xiao Zhen hadn’t brought much today, but she came with four bodyguards.
Fan Yu squinted, her chest tightening in pain.
“Do you really think controlling a company will make me bow to apologize to Shen Tang? Dream on! Xiao Zhen, tread carefully. Pushing too far will only result in consequences—I can’t guarantee your husband won’t learn about your past.”
“Learning threats now, are we?”
Xiao Zhen’s tone remained calm. “I wouldn’t dare come here if I were afraid of you. Also, I forgot to mention—just at the beginning of this month, my company became the largest shareholder of your brother and sister-in-law’s companies. Investing in these companies is pocket change to me. If you’re not afraid of losing everything, drowning in debt, or ruining Chen Yino’s happiness for life, I don’t mind playing along with you.”
Fan Yu suddenly glared at her. She never expected Xiao Zhen to be so ruthless, her methods as brutal as her father’s.
“Director Chen has arrived upstairs,” the secretary reported after a call.
Xiao Zhen nodded, acknowledging it.
Fan Yu mocked herself inwardly. Chen Nanjin must have sprinted here.
In front of Xiao Zhen, she was utterly defeated.
“Think about how to apologize to Tang Tang—until she’s satisfied.”
Before leaving, Xiao Zhen added to Fan Yu: “The things you’ve done to Tang Tang over the years—I’m not unaware. I simply chose to ignore them because I didn’t want her staying in the entertainment industry anyway. But now you dare lay a hand on her. It seems you’ve forgotten who you are.”
They left the ward.
Fan Yu stared at the closed door, feeling as if she’d woken from a nightmare.
________________________________________
In the afternoon, a breeze swept through Haitang Village, bringing unexpected coolness.
The second scene was an emotional one between Shen Tang and Gu Heng. In the drama, they had just confessed their feelings and shared their first kiss.
Today, the set was crowded—with both Jiang Cheng Yu and Zhao Chiyi present.
The one affected wasn’t Shen Tang—it was Gu Heng.
While rehearsing lines, Gu Heng whispered to Shen Tang: “If I really kiss you in a moment, do you think I’ll live to see tomorrow morning?”
Shen Tang smiled. “Are you scared of them?”
Gu Heng joked, “Not scared of a one-on-one fight. But if they both attack me, I won’t stand a chance.” Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jiang Cheng Yu and Zhao Chiyi intently watching from the monitor.
“They’re probably too busy admiring themselves to notice anyone else. Today, they might even count how many eyebrows I have.”
Shen Tang couldn’t help but laugh.
From a distance, the assistant recorded a short video on her phone. It had been a long time since she’d seen Shen Tang smile like this.
Gu Heng and Shen Tang’s pairing as a couple—she had shipped them for a long time.
Their looks were a perfect match, and their heights complemented each other.
When the casting of Gu Heng and Shen Tang as leads was announced, the CP fans nearly cried tears of joy.
Privately, she preferred a man like Gu Heng for Shen Tang—warm and gentlemanly.
Unlike Jiang Cheng Yu and Zhao Chiyi, whose inherent superiority due to their prestigious backgrounds created an invisible chasm that Shen Tang found hard to cross.
The clapperboard sounded.
The assistant quietly stepped aside to watch Shen Tang and Gu Heng’s upcoming kissing scene.
A restrained and subtle romantic scene from forty years ago.
Gu Heng carefully controlled the nervous expression on his face. As he leaned down to kiss her, his Adam’s apple slid nervously, and his breathing nearly stopped.
A slow-motion shot—it was torture for him.
Just as he was about to touch Shen Tang’s lips, they both burst into laughter.
Gu Heng felt as if ten thousand arrows were aimed at him, ready to fire.
Zhou Mingqian leaned back in his chair, glanced at Jiang Cheng Yu, then at Zhao Chiyi, and remarked, “Do you two have a masochistic streak?”
He instructed the assistant, “Clear the set for shooting.”
Three minutes later, Jiang Cheng Yu and Zhao Chiyi were cleared from the set.
Zhao Chiyi offered a cigarette to Jiang Cheng Yu—a gesture of courtesy between rivals.
Jiang Cheng Yu accepted without hesitation.
Two men who barely knew each other now had even less to say.
Blue smoke drifted amidst the silence.
Between rivals, there’s always a silent comparison of strengths and weaknesses. Jiang Cheng Yu now joined this unspoken competition.
Zhao Chiyi was a rival he couldn’t afford to underestimate.
In terms of time, he was behind Zhao Chiyi.
With Zhao Chiyi’s father overseeing the conglomerate, Zhao Chiyi focused solely on nurturing Evergreen Entertainment, one publicly listed company. He had plenty of time to accompany Shen Tang.
As for Jiang Cheng Yu, he still had to manage Jingxu Group.
Frequent business trips were routine. When traveling to countries with time differences, even calling required careful timing.
The cigarette was finished.
Jiang Cheng Yu pointed toward the sea. “I’m heading over there.”
Zhao Chiyi nodded, understanding where he was going—to visit Shen Tang’s grandfather.
The late afternoon sun bathed the sea surface, the deep blue water gleaming with a golden hue.
The sea breeze was perfect, swaying the flowers at the entrance.
Grandpa was in good spirits, tidying up the small open garden at the guesthouse entrance.
“Grandpa, let me help.”
Jiang Cheng Yu removed his cufflinks and rolled up his sleeves.
Grandpa smiled. “Have you seen Tang Tang?”
“Yes, she’s filming. Being there would disturb her.” As he spoke, he crouched down, gathering weeds and piling them to the side.
Grandpa hesitated to ask why he hadn’t succeeded in winning her back yet—asking would hurt his pride.
Considering it carefully, “Young Jiang, I have something to say to you.”
“Please go ahead, Grandpa.” Jiang Cheng Yu listened attentively.
Grandpa grew tired and removed his gardening gloves. “Has Tang Tang mentioned anything about her parents to you?”
“No,” Jiang Cheng Yu corrected himself. “She briefly mentioned they divorced and started new families, not in Shenzhen. That’s all.”
Grandpa’s throat tightened as he spoke: “Tang Tang’s parents abandoned her. She grew up with me and hasn’t seen her father in over twenty years.”
Jiang Cheng Yu was stunned. “Doesn’t your uncle return for Chinese New Year?”
Grandpa shook his head. “No one acknowledges her.”
He had always assumed that even after divorce, parents would maintain minimal contact, visiting a few times a year, especially during the holidays.
At worst, they were distant.
“Tang Tang is a good girl—she keeps everything bottled up inside. If she ever gets moody, please bear with her.” Initially, he didn’t plan to tell Jiang Cheng Yu this—Tang Tang had explicitly told him not to discuss it with anyone. But looking at Jiang Cheng Yu, he thought him a decent young man.
As for Tang Tang’s biological parents, he kept quiet, leaving it to Tang Tang to disclose when she was ready.
Grandpa pulled a pill bottle from his pants pocket. “Take a look at this. It’s my medication. I’ve been taking it since my surgery, and I need to visit the hospital regularly. The doctor prescribed this last month. Even if they try to hide it from me, I suspect my days are numbered. I just hope to live another year. I don’t know if Tang Tang rejecting you is because she’s not in the mood for romance right now. Could you wait a little longer for her? Consider it a request from this old man.”
“Please don’t say that, Grandpa.” Jiang Cheng Yu held the pill bottle, a lump forming in his throat.
The salty scent of the sea filled the air.
________________________________________
“Cut!”
Without Jiang Cheng Yu and Zhao Chiyi on set, everything proceeded smoothly.
By evening, the sixth scene of the afternoon was completed.
Two night scenes remained to be filmed.
During the break, the assistant brought Shen Tang fruit in two lunchboxes.
“Tang Sister, the blue box contains fruit sent by President Jiang, and the pink box is from President Zhao. I checked—they contain the same six types of fruits, likely bought from the same store. Which one do you want to eat first?”
Shen Tang: “...”
Suddenly, she lost her appetite entirely.
While the assistant was pondering how to handle the two large boxes of fruit, Chen Yino approached.
“Tang Sister, let me pick out your favorite fruits first.” The assistant walked away with the lunchboxes.
Shen Tang unscrewed her water bottle and took a sip. From the start, she and Chen Yino were destined for an uneasy relationship—her expressions toward Yino were always indifferent.
“Teacher Shen,” Chen Yino held a script, appearing to rehearse lines with Shen Tang. Unconsciously, she had rolled the script into a tube.
“I already know about your relationship with my father.”
Shen Tang hummed softly and continued drinking water.
After a night and an entire day, Chen Yino still couldn’t accept that her father had been married and had another child.
Growing up, she had been everyone’s little princess, a star kid, the cherished jewel in her father’s eyes. Wherever he went, he always brought her along.
She was luckier still—her parents remained deeply in love. Her handsome father had never been linked to scandals, and his affection for her mother remained steadfast.
But last night, all her dreams shattered.
By the seaside, her father told her that both she and Shen Tang were his daughters, loved equally.
The fall from heaven to hell was just like that.
Shen Tang didn’t have time to waste. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll rehearse lines with Gu Heng.”
Chen Yino snapped back to reality. “Your mother went to the hospital today and asked my mother to apologize to you.”
Shen Tang wasn’t surprised that Xiao Zhen would do such a thing. “What do you want to say?”
Chen Yino finally locked eyes with Shen Tang. “My mom has been severely impacted lately. She stayed up all night in the hospital last night and is now on the verge of collapse. Can I apologize to you on her behalf?”
Shen Tang slowly screwed the cap back onto her water bottle—a transparent glass bottle containing cooling herbal tea brewed by Grandpa.
“My issues with them have never involved you.”
Chen Yino appreciated this about Shen Tang. Despite numerous opportunities, if Shen Tang had wanted to reveal the truth, she wouldn’t have remained unaware until now.
Shen Tang added: “Similarly, from now on, don’t get involved in my affairs with them.”
Chen Yino tightly clenched the rolled-up script in her hands. “Mom and Dad just had another argument. If it weren’t necessary, I wouldn’t bother you. Please, Teacher Shen, for my father’s sake, don’t hold a grudge against my mom. I’ll write a handwritten apology if needed. Things at home are chaotic—I’m worried Dad and Mom will break apart from fighting.”
Shen Tang bent down, picked up the script from the stool, and handed her water bottle to the assistant for safekeeping.
Her phone vibrated—it was a voice call from ‘Wanderer of the Double Bed.’
“When do you wrap up? Hurry home when you’re done.”
Shen Tang heard the sound of mahjong tiles shuffling. “Where are you?”
“In your living room, playing mahjong with Grandpa, President Jiang, and President Zhao.”
“...”
Google Sites
Report abuse