HYAT - 53

Hearing this, Su Zan’s feelings were complicated, and he couldn’t tell if Ming Jue’s words were a compliment or an insult.

At this moment, the two had reached the car.

The underground garage was not spacious, and a few rows of parking spaces were filled with the commercial vans and private cars rented by the crew.

Ming Jue shone his flashlight on a dusty black BMW parked in the corner. The wheels were covered in ice and mud, and it had long lost its original luster.

Su Zan looked at the snow and slush around the car and asked, “This car has been on the road for a while. Where did you and CEO Ji come from?”

“Nanjing,” Ming Jue said as he unlocked and opened the trunk. “There was a blizzard in Jiangsu, and only the Nanjing airport was barely open. CEO Ji changed his flight at the last minute, catching the final flight, which was delayed for over six hours.”

When the trunk opened, the car’s interior light turned on, like a faint firefly, casting a soft glow in the corner of the underground garage.

Ming Jue placed the flashlight on his suit collar, tilted his head, and motioned for Su Zan to set up the foldable hand truck.

Su Zan nimbly unfolded the hand truck, biting the flashlight’s lanyard, and dutifully started loading the supplies.

The rear seats of the BMW were completely folded down, freeing up most of the space for instant noodles. Su Zan made three trips back and forth before all the food and bottled water were moved to the storage room rented by the logistics team.

After locking the door, Su Zan wiped the sweat from his forehead and felt a bit exhausted: “Let’s take a break and have a smoke.”

Ming Jue didn’t object. Seeing Su Zan plop down on the stairs, he sat down a short distance away.

Su Zan offered him a cigarette, but Ming Jue looked at it and didn’t take it: “I don’t smoke.”

“That’s weird, is that a rule from CEO Ji?” He bit the end of the cigarette and tossed his lighter around in his hand. “Do you mind if I smoke?”

Ming Jue made a “go ahead” gesture and said, “CEO Ji doesn’t smoke or drink, and he rarely goes to social events. He also doesn’t have a habit of having his subordinates block smoke or drinks for him, so I’ve never smoked.”

Seeing this, Su Zan lit his cigarette, took a drag, and asked, “How long did it take you to get here from Nanjing with CEO Ji?”

“I didn’t keep track.” From the moment Ji Qinghe decided to reroute to Nanjing, Ming Jue was in charge of communicating with the local authorities about CEO Ji’s reception, accommodation, and travel. But the flight was delayed for over six hours due to the blizzard, so all of their plans changed the moment they landed.

Ji Qinghe requested a BMW that could handle snowy terrain. After loading the supplies, they drove straight to Wuxi.

The highway was icy and slippery. Ji Qinghe drove the entire way after dark. Just a dozen kilometers from their destination, they ran into a diversion and a closed road. The cars trying to get into the city were backed up all the way from the highway to the toll plaza.

Thinking about this, Ming Jue suddenly remembered something and said, “The highway was closed, and CEO Ji had to pull some strings to get in early. A truck that left later should be stuck on the highway tonight. I’ll go with you to the toll plaza to meet it tomorrow when the highway reopens.”

Su Zan’s cigarette shook, and he almost burned himself: “There’s another truck?”

Seeing his astonishment, Ming Jue hesitated for a moment before answering: “Didn’t you say there were hundreds of people on the crew starving? That small carload of stuff can only last for one meal at most, right?”

When Su Zan was discussing solutions with Shen Qianzhan this afternoon, he had also suggested sending the logistics team to the supermarket to stock up on food. However, most of the crews in the film city had been there since before the New Year, sacrificing their holidays to meet project deadlines.

When the heavy snow first started, many crews who needed to film winter scenes were delighted that they didn’t have to use artificial snow, and the rental of locations and rush filming were unusually lively.

After the New Year, with spring approaching, even fewer crews were leaving. Everyone was waiting for the weather to get warmer so they could finish filming and go home. No one had expected this natural disaster to come so suddenly, and for the snow to linger. All the crews that had come before and after the New Year were trapped in the film city, and the supermarkets within a five-kilometer radius had long since been picked clean.

Otherwise, the logistics team wouldn’t have gotten so angry and argued with Xiao Sheng today.

Ji Qinghe’s gesture was clearly a lifesaver. Su Zan was so grateful he felt like putting Shen Qianzhan in his bed for him. He bit his cigarette, extended both hands, and forcefully shook Ming Jue’s hands: “You and CEO Ji are truly saviors sent from heaven.”

Ming Jue was also honest. He struggled to pull his hand from Su Zan’s grip and said, “If you want to thank someone, thank Shen Daji. If Producer Shen weren’t trapped here, CEO Ji wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble to come.” With that, he raised his wrist and looked at the time with the faint light from his flashlight: “It’s getting late. Could you please arrange a place for me to sleep so I can get some rest?”

Only then did Su Zan remember that he hadn’t arranged a place for Ji Qinghe and Ming Jue to stay. He thought for a moment and asked, “My room is a standard room with two beds. Do you mind staying with me tonight?”

Ming Jue was exhausted. He didn’t mind sharing a room with Su Zan. It didn’t matter where he slept. The tricky part was Ji Qinghe.

The hotel was now completely full, and there was no way to get an empty room. It was now early in the morning, and it would be unrealistic to wake people up to get a room for him.

Su Zan had a plan in mind. He flicked his cigarette ash and stood up: “Alright, let’s head back first.”

________________________________________

At the same time, in Shen Qianzhan’s room.

The flashlight’s beam had dimmed from being on for so long.

Shen Qianzhan held her phone, wanting to send a message. As she felt the cold device in her hand and saw the “no signal” message at the top, she suddenly felt a sense of frustration, like she had no one to turn to.

Her thoughts were in line with Su Zan’s.

It was too late to disturb too many people, and Ji Qinghe’s presence here was out of place. To avoid rumors, his presence should be kept to a minimum.

If it were just Ji Qinghe, Shen Qianzhan wouldn’t have to think about it. Su Zan’s standard room next door would be the perfect place for him. But with Ming Jue, there weren’t enough beds. Three people crammed into one room was something Ji Qinghe wouldn’t agree to, and Shen Qianzhan also felt it would be an awkward ask.

She was still thinking when Ji Qinghe took her hand and placed her palm against his forehead: “Help me check if my temperature is a little high.”

He cooperated by lowering his head slightly, as if he were a devout believer under her palm. His lips were pursed, his eyes were downcast, and in the dim light, the contrast of his facial features unexpectedly gave him a slightly youthful look.

This scumbag was two years older than her.

Under her palm, his forehead felt a little hot, and his eyelashes brushed against her palm when he blinked, tickling her slightly.

Shen Qianzhan looked up, a little startled: “Did you catch a cold on the way?”

It was only then that she noticed Ji Qinghe was wearing only a thin suit shirt under his long coat. Because the suit was dark, she hadn’t noticed it before.

After the power went out at the hotel, the temperature in the room plummeted. The small heater, electric blanket, and all other electrical equipment were useless, and the room was as cold as an ice cellar. Compared to the world outside the window, the only difference was the roof above their heads, which blocked the wind and snow. Other than that, it was no different from the freezing world outside.

Shen Qianzhan, disregarding the danger of flashing him, knelt up and placed the back of her hand on Ji Qinghe’s forehead again.

He was still cooperative, tilting his body slightly. But his eyes, with his eyelids slightly raised, were staring at her without blinking.

Perhaps it was because of the late hour, or perhaps she had lost all sense of rationality tonight and was left with only tenderness. Ji Qinghe’s eyes behind his glasses were as deep as a well. At first glance, they seemed shimmering with light. When she looked away, his eyes would perfectly reflect her image. Looking at them again, the well seemed as deep as the ocean, with hidden reefs and a lurking dragon. When he looked at her, he gazed steadily, and his eyes were bottomless.

She held her breath, feeling a sense of weightlessness, as if she was being pulled into an abyss. It was the same feeling as that day when she inadvertently met his gaze across the bustling crowd, wishing she could die in his arms.

Her distraction lasted only a second.

Shen Qianzhan quickly snapped out of it. She pulled her hand back, curled her legs, and half-sat on the pillow: “It might be a low-grade fever. We need to use a thermometer to be sure. The crew has a medical team...” She paused and said, “But their abilities are limited. They’re usually only responsible for dealing with minor injuries.”

As she spoke, she got up from the end of the bed, not avoiding his gaze, and took a sweater and a pair of long pants from the closet, putting them on in a few quick movements: “We don’t have all the equipment. I don’t know if they have a thermometer or fever reducers.”

The Wuxi film studio had only recently been established. To attract investment, the film city and the local government had introduced policies to attract film crews. The surrounding facilities were complete, with hospitals and shopping malls, like an emerging, eco-friendly, modern city.

Large crews usually had a medical team of two or three people to handle emergencies or basic symptoms. For more serious issues, there was a top-tier hospital three kilometers away, which was enough to handle most problems. But now, with the roads blocked by snow, it was impossible to go anywhere.

If the medical team’s basic medicines ran out, the consequences could be immeasurable.

As she recalled which floor and room number the female doctor on the medical team lived in, she put on the hotel’s cloth slippers and went to the headboard to find her phone.

Ji Qinghe had been watching her with a calm gaze. As soon as her composure showed a crack, he subtly smiled, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her down.

Shen Qianzhan hadn’t been paying attention and stumbled, her knee hitting the edge of the bed.

Between the two of them, Ji Qinghe always had the absolute advantage.

He held Shen Qianzhan’s wrist, pulling her closer with more force. When she was close enough to be pulled into his arms, he held her chin and leaned in to look at her.

The distance was so close that the emotions in her eyes were completely exposed to him.

Ji Qinghe parted his lips, his mouth seemingly about to touch hers, but not quite. Only his breath mingled with hers, a faint and ambiguous presence.

He pretended not to know how agonizing this action was for her. His other hand rested on her waist, gently kneading it.

Just as he remembered, her waist went soft, and she lost half the strength to support her body. The almost nonexistent distance between them was completely shattered. Shen Qianzhan crashed into him, and their lips met.

Ji Qinghe didn’t hold back anymore. He held the back of her neck and moved in for the kiss.

Shen Qianzhan was taken by surprise and felt indignant, but her body’s reaction was much more honest than she was. Her lips, kissed by Ji Qinghe, felt a little numb. Her heart felt empty, as if the sky had fallen and the earth had caved in.

Her last bit of rationality was still protesting, urging her to push him away and resist. She raised her hand and gave a weak, unthreatening punch to his shoulder: “You’re taking advantage of me again.”

Shen Qianzhan’s words were muffled by the kiss. She was slightly annoyed, but with their disparity in strength, not to mention a fight, her struggle was as useless as an ant trying to shake a tree and only added to the romance.

Unexpectedly, Ji Qinghe let go of her. His slightly cold nose brushed against hers, and as he spoke, his lips touched her occasionally: “If I don’t take advantage of you, who should I?”

He subtly kneaded her waist, making her feel weak and boneless. He then brushed his nose against hers and tilted his head back to kiss the tip of her nose and her cupid’s bow: “You can hit me or scold me, but letting go is not an option.”

Shen Qianzhan silently glared at him.

Her face was clearly angry, but when he looked at her like that, it was as if she was taking a step into an abyss, falling willingly.

She lowered her eyes and asked, “What’s not an option? I didn’t hear you clearly.”

Ji Qinghe pinched her waist, this time with a little force. Shen Qianzhan, caught off guard, let out a soft sound and symbolically pushed his left shoulder with her hand: “Are you angry from embarrassment?”

“I’m about to lose it.” He leaned in and kissed her, his voice low and full of laughter: “Producer Shen should hurry up and experience it.”

Shen Qianzhan secretly cursed him in her mind: “What a pervert.”

She completely ignored the fact that she had started the banter.

She felt that she had been overly indulgent tonight and her conscience was a little uneasy. She struggled to get her wrist out of his grip and said in a broken voice: “I’ll go... find a thermometer, and check your temperature.”

Ji Qinghe’s lips moved away slightly: “Aren’t you checking my temperature already?”

Shen Qianzhan glared at him. As she turned her head, Ji Qinghe saw the flush spreading from the tip of her ear to her cheek, glowing faintly in the flashlight’s beam.

His eyes deepened, like an isolated fire in April, setting the forest ablaze.