HYAT - 28

Shen Qianzhan forgot how she got into the elevator and back home. When her paused memory resumed, the setting had switched from the stairwell to the living room sofa.

She was alone, sitting in the living room, with the sound of incoming calls ringing incessantly, singing to a white-haired night.

Her back still felt a little cold, not like a physical sensation from leaning against the wall for too long, but rather a psychological reaction caused by extreme fright.

Extreme fright?

Shen Qianzhan bit her finger unwillingly. Why did she just stay silent and let that “dog man” spout such nonsense?

Possessiveness?

Who did he think he was?

Neither legally nor nominally did she and Ji Qinghe have any relationship!

Initially, Shen Qianzhan felt quite guilty about attending the event.

She had just slept with Ji Qinghe. Although they had agreed not to rekindle their past, turning around and going to a blind date event at his cousin’s exchange meeting was indeed a bit thoughtless.

Wasn’t that obviously trampling on Ji Qinghe’s male dignity?

But any sense of guilt was completely gone under Ji Qinghe’s implied accusation and slander.

Was that “dog man” really thinking that about her?

She should have kneed him right then and there, saying goodbye to him and his descendants.

Shen Qianzhan was utterly annoyed. She failed to refute and crush Ji Qinghe on the spot, and now it was too late to say anything.

While fuming at her own slow-wittedness, she belatedly came up with a barrage of knowledge to refute Ji Qinghe until he fumed from every pore and prostrated himself. But having missed the opportunity, she could only stomp her feet in frustration.

________________________________________

After taking a shower, her mind finally cleared, and reason returned.

After her unwavering skincare routine, Shen Qianzhan lay on the bed, only then remembering to pity Su Zan, whom she had angrily taken out her frustration on.

Su Zan had followed the car from the cultural center all the way to the elevated highway. After Ming Jue discovered him, Shen Qianzhan messaged him to go home first.

When Shen Qianzhan got home, the surveillance at her door sent a video notification. At that time, Su Zan called her to confirm, but she ruthlessly hung up on him five or six times. Later, she simply put her phone on silent until now, when she finally condescendingly sent him an emoji.

Su Zan dared not explicitly mention his private deal with Ji Qinghe, trying to subtly clear himself.

Shen Qianzhan didn’t care about those things. She held onto Su Zan’s phrase, “Mr. Ji is overly concerned about you,” for a long time, not even knowing when she fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, Shen Qianzhan woke up once.

She had fallen asleep without warning, and woke up just as inexplicably.

When she opened her eyes, the sky outside the window was as black as a raven’s feather.

She fumbled under her pillow. The phone, which hadn’t been held for a long time, was cold. She raised her wrist to check the time—3:24 AM.

Shen Qianzhan pulled her hand back into the covers.

When she closed her eyes, all that appeared was Ji Qinghe’s image from last night, cornering and threatening her in the stairwell.

The sensation on her wrist seemed to linger, strong, powerful, irresistible. Even the warmth of his fingertips seemed to remain, like a chain tightly shackling her mind.

Many emotions she dared not savor when awake finally surged and swelled in the dead of night.

Shen Qianzhan hadn’t been unaware of Ji Qinghe’s special treatment of her.

Initially, she thought Ji Qinghe simply found her satisfying to use, and since it had happened once, a second and third time would naturally follow, requiring only a slight temptation from him. Later, Ji Qinghe asked if she was willing to be his “peony in the backyard.” Honestly, in that context, any normal person would interpret it as being kept.

And she felt quite disdainful of that.

Her values and upbringing would not allow her to accept being kept by a man.

She bent her knees, curled herself up, and let out a muffled sigh.

But now, it seemed Ji Qinghe still had feelings for her. Whether he wanted to be her FWB, lover, or sugar daddy, it was not good news for Shen Qianzhan.

She had no intention of entering a relationship, and even the thought of marriage was so faint it was almost non-existent, let alone with Ji Qinghe.

Her unlocked phone screen showed dozens of message notifications and SMS pushes.

Without looking, she knew they were all New Year’s greetings from midnight.

Time had already crossed an entire year at the turn of the hour hand.

This year, she turned thirty.

At the age of thirty, her career was starting to take off.

Independent economic capability, independent personal space, independent survival skills.

Independence made her lose interest in any kind of attachment or reliance, while growth stripped away her excessive kindness and innocence. She looked at the future not with misty confusion and ignorance, but with the unwavering certainty of an emerald oasis.

At her age, she was no longer suitable for relationships that would end fruitlessly. And love was never a good deed that would return as much as you invested. When young, you could fall and get bruised, then get up and run again. Growing up, she learned to avoid dangers that were not beneficial to herself, to avoid getting burned.

When she looked at Ji Qinghe, it was like gazing into an abyss.

For a woman like her, who was already planning for a comfortable old age, indulging in a bit of lust was harmless, a bit of naughtiness was harmless. But seriously pursuing a relationship... that wasn’t good for her health.

However, her body, once opened up, was like a Pandora’s box awakening from slumber.

Shen Qianzhan savored the memory of Ji Qinghe’s deep, dark eyes before he left, then let out a sigh and pulled the covers over her head to sleep soundly.

________________________________________

The next day was a holiday.

Shen Qianzhan slept until noon. When she woke up, her phone had been bombarded with messages until its battery died.

She washed up, chewed on whole wheat toast, and turned on her phone.

The moment it powered on, messages flooded in. From collaborating artists to company colleagues, thousands of New Year greetings poured in as if they didn’t care about data usage.

Shen Qianzhan calmly reviewed, celebrated, and deleted them.

After clearing her WeChat list, she finished her brunch and began her short, happy holiday mode.

Shen Qianzhan’s holiday mode was always boring; it was either watching movies or sleeping.

Due to her age hitting a round number this year, she suddenly felt a sense of life being half over. After watching a movie in the afternoon, she seriously pulled out a piece of A4 paper and made a year-end summary and New Year’s plan.

Her year-end summary was rather perfunctory. Shen Qianzhan dutifully made a work summary, briefly outlining all her work for the entire year.

Perhaps because the opportunity to openly flatter Shen Qianzhan was too rare, once the “Year-End Summary” was posted on WeChat Moments, her “butt buddies” swarmed out, occupying the comment section in no time.

— “Sister Zhan is so dedicated.”

— “I always thought I worked hard enough, but after seeing Sister Zhan’s year-end summary, I’m utterly ashamed.”

— “Sister Deng perfectly embodies what it means to work tirelessly. If I had half of Sister Deng’s work enthusiasm, I’d probably be settled in Beijing by now.”

— “This is what it means when excellent people work harder than you. Just look.”

— “Sister Zhan is awesome. Bo Xuan is a famous big shot in the industry. If there’s a chance to collaborate, please bring along a little brother.”

— “Being a producer is hard. It’s rare to see someone as grounded as Qianzhan, who can successfully get a team started every year. Learning from you!”

But amidst all the flattering comments, there were always a few rotten apples.

Su Zan questioned: “I reasonably suspect that the ‘circle master’s’ report is not accurate. In June last year, you clearly took several days of annual leave in Xi’an.”

Qiao Xin retorted: “Sister Zhan works even on vacation! Haters, don’t slander my goddess.”

Su Zan: “I disagree with ‘works even on vacation.’ You clearly did other bad things too.”

Meng Wangzhou, who had added Su Zan as a friend and could see his comments, asked: “There was a watch exhibition in Xi’an in June. Producer Shen didn’t miss it, did she?”

Su Zan replied: “No, no. Not only did she not miss it, but she gained a lot.”

Shen Qianzhan, oblivious to the comments, was diligently making her New Year’s plan. Rather than a plan, it looked more like a wish list.

For example: smooth project progress, buying a beloved bag every month, windfall...

Realizing that this plan didn’t quite align with her shrewd and capable image, Shen Qianzhan slightly adjusted her audience when posting to WeChat Moments.

Su Zan: “Sister Zhan, put your hand on your heart and tell me, what’s the difference between your New Year’s plan and my dream of being a fake rich second-generation slacker who just spends money?”

Shen Qianzhan replied: “The difference is that you’ve achieved yours while lying down, and I haven’t.”

Su Zan was so utterly defeated that he humbly retreated.

________________________________________

The next morning.

After the holiday, it was the first day back at work for the new year.

As soon as Shen Qianzhan arrived at her office, she saw a gift box with the Buzhongshui logo on her desk.

A card was neatly placed on top of the gift box, black with gold lettering, exuding a mysterious, sophisticated luxury.

Shen Qianzhan, full of doubt, opened the card. The blank space on the card only had “Happy New Year” written on it.

She suspiciously unwrapped the gift box. Inside the exquisite box were two treasures, one large and one small: Buzhongshui’s latest chain bag and a ladies’ wristwatch from Buzhongshui’s “December Series.”

She raised an eyebrow.

Sent by Ji Qinghe?

Shen Qianzhan was about to dial the intercom to call Qiao Xin, when the latter, as if sensing something, entered the office holding a gift box herself.

Their eyes met, and both saw confusion in the other’s gaze.

But this doubt quickly dissipated as Su Zan and Su Lanyi also received gift boxes. Buzhongshui had sent New Year gifts to all relevant staff collaborating with Qian Deng Entertainment.

The only difference was that what Shen Qianzhan received... was particularly thoughtful.

Once the door was closed, Su Zan pulled out the card from his gift box and compared it with Shen Qianzhan’s: “Mr. Ji is so cunning! My card isn’t worthy of his handwritten blessings? It’s printed!”

He continued to compare the watches, his mood heavy: “My sister and I only got a popular Buzhongshui watch, but he sent you the ‘April Sophora Sequence’ from the December Series.”

“Cunning, too cunning!”

Shen Qianzhan reminded him: “Qiao Xin also got a December Series one; she got the ‘September Late Autumn’ ladies’ watch.”

She played with her phone, contemplating whether to send Ji Qinghe a WeChat message. In terms of both etiquette and logic, it seemed she should post a photo and thank her investor dad for his generosity.

Su Zan interrupted her: “Qiao Xin got the ‘September Late Autumn’ because her birthday is in September. You, who have a February 29th birthday... why did he send you ‘April Sophora Sequence’?”

“The重點 is not on the ‘Sequence’ in ‘Sophora Sequence,’ it’s on April. The alias for the fourth lunar month is ‘Qinghe,’” Su Zan clicked his tongue twice, his face full of sourness: “Sister Zhan, is Mr. Ji officially pursuing you now?”

Shen Qianzhan was annoyed. She pointed to the door, silently and forcefully showing him the way: “Get lost.”

________________________________________

Shen Qianzhan ultimately didn’t thank Ji Qinghe separately. She followed the crowd, took a photo of the Buzhongshui gift box, and posted it on WeChat Moments, officially thanking the generous partner.

A few days later, an invitation arrived for a charity gala co-hosted by Bo Xuan and several other film companies.

Shen Qianzhan had just posted the invitation, and the very next day, she received a haute couture gown from Buzhongshui.

Shen Qianzhan, bewildered by Ji Qinghe’s puzzling behavior, was still unconvinced. The next day, she again showcased her schedule for the Sight and Sound Gala.

Ji Qinghe, that old dog, clearly didn’t care about exposing himself. He sent a set of Buzhongshui jewelry right on time.

This time, Shen Qianzhan finally couldn’t sit still. She pulled up Ji Qinghe’s WeChat and demanded: “Are you stalking my WeChat Moments?”

Ji Qinghe avoided the direct question: “I only admit to doing the third word.”