HYAT - 55

After waking up, Shen Qianzhan spent some time drawing her eyebrows, applying lipstick, and covering her dark circles.

She had been up for too long last night, and even though she had managed to catch up on some sleep, her complexion was still a little dull and not quite right this morning.

Soon after she had finished getting ready, the medical team member who had been called to check on Ji Qinghe last night arrived.

She wasn’t in her room, so Shen Qianzhan led her next door to take Ji Qinghe’s temperature.

The door was unlocked, with a crack open.

To avoid walking in on an inappropriate scene, Shen Qianzhan tapped lightly on the door before entering. She waited until she heard a voice say “come in” before she stepped inside.

Inside, three beds were laid out. In addition to the two standard beds, the folding bed was placed by the window, appearing white in the sunlight that streamed into the room.

Ji Qinghe lay on the bed fully clothed, leaning against the headboard with one arm behind his head, seemingly in a light sleep. Hearing the noise, he seemed to be forced to open his eyes and turn to look.

Seeing this, Shen Qianzhan took a step back and let the girl behind her step forward: “She’s here to take your temperature and see if the fever has gone down.”

Ji Qinghe closed his eyes slightly, as if consenting.

The girl put down her medical kit, took out a forehead thermometer, and asked as she took his temperature: “How are you feeling now?”

“My head hurts,” Ji Qinghe opened his eyes, and his gaze went over the girl to Shen Qianzhan behind her.

The latter stood with her hands behind her back, like she was inspecting a project, and scanned him from head to toe: “Why aren’t Su Zan and Ming Jue in the room?”

“They went to pick up a car,” Ji Qinghe said as he sat up. “Ming Jue was worried the highway was still closed and the car couldn’t get in, so he took Su Zan with him.”

Shen Qianzhan was puzzled: “Su Zan can’t lift or carry anything. What help can he be to Ming Jue besides keeping him company with his chatter?”

Ji Qinghe seemed to let out a small, faint laugh: “Isn’t him not being here helping them?”

The girl who was taking Ji Qinghe’s temperature for the third time almost dropped the device. She lowered her head quietly, jotted down the data in her notebook, and quickly said: “The fever hasn’t gone down yet. You still need to take the fever reducers on time. Don’t get cold and don’t get exposed to the wind. I’ll come back tonight.”

She put away the thermometer and, as she closed her medical kit, thought for a moment and said: “It would be best to get an IV at the hospital if possible, it’s faster.” But in the current situation, it was difficult to even walk from one end of the street to the other, and she wasn’t sure if the hospital was even open.

Shen Qianzhan had also considered this. Seeing her finish packing up her medical kit to leave, she walked a few steps to see her out.

After seeing the girl off at the door, Shen Qianzhan stopped and watched her leave down the stairs before turning and walking back.

________________________________________

Ji Qinghe’s mental state wasn’t very good. His complexion was a little pale, and there was a tired, bruised look under his eyes, which made him seem quite pitiable.

Shen Qianzhan helped him take his medicine, but unfortunately, with the power and water out, the bottled water couldn’t be heated and was still cold. She felt a pang of guilt feeding a sick person cold water and figured the hotel must have some hot water boiled with coal. She was about to go downstairs to get some.

However, before she could say anything, Ji Qinghe cut her off: “Did you get enough sleep to be up so early?”

“No,” Shen Qianzhan said, calculating the half an hour she had spent from lying down to finally closing her eyes after returning to her room: “I barely got any sleep.”

If she wasn’t worried about his fever, she would have slept until the meeting this afternoon.

Ji Qinghe saw that she looked like she was about to leave at any moment, and subtly changed the subject: “What are the standards for the crew’s hotel?”

Shen Qianzhan suspected he was complaining about the poor environment. She thought for a moment and said: “That depends on the person.”

Ji Qinghe moved over to the side of the bed and patted the empty spot on the edge, motioning for her to come and sit down.

The gesture was so natural that Shen Qianzhan almost sat down without thinking.

To hide her awkwardness, she looked around, pretending she had just noticed that Ji Qinghe was sleeping on the narrowest folding bed in the room. She asked deliberately and pretentiously: “How could Su Zan and Ming Jue let CEO Ji sleep on this small bed?”

“You think the bed is too small?” Ji Qinghe’s eyes deepened, and he chuckled: “We could always switch to a bigger one.”

This scumbag would seize any opportunity to be inappropriate.

Shen Qianzhan didn’t respond to his words or do as he wished. After a quick look around, she couldn’t find the sofa chair she had noticed yesterday, so she reluctantly lifted the blanket that Su Zan had wadded into a ball and sat on the edge of the bed.

Ji Qinghe’s original intention was to keep her around for a little longer. Seeing her reaction, he wasn’t at all annoyed: “You just said it depends on the person? How so?”

“First, it depends on the investor. If the investor provides a lot of money, the producer’s budget is more flexible. Second, it depends on the actor. Whether it’s a TV show or a movie, there’s a long filming period. It’s common for A-list actors to demand five-star hotels or resort villas, and once agreed upon, it has to be delivered. But apart from the actors, everyone else, from the director to the producers and the crew members, will choose a more affordable and economical hotel,” she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “A stingy and broke person like me would choose a hotel similar to this one.”

Ji Qinghe had chatted with Su Zan all night, not in great detail, but they had covered everything. He had a lot of understanding of both Shen Qianzhan and the producer’s profession. He followed her words and threw out a few ideas.

Shen Qianzhan was naturally talkative.

Especially after their conversation last night, her attitude toward Ji Qinghe had clearly changed a lot.

With both of them in a calm and peaceful state, Shen Qianzhan surprisingly found that if she put aside her guard and prejudice against Ji Qinghe, he was an excellent conversationalist who could listen patiently and provide effective suggestions.

For example, for the current predicament of Spring River, Ji Qinghe, while not speaking from a producer’s perspective, offered a very plausible strategic self-rescue plan from a business standpoint—to reduce filming costs, they could choose to develop a long-term relationship with a partner to ease the current financial strain.

“The snow won’t last for many days,” Ji Qinghe said in a low voice, toying with his phone. “After this cold front passes, the temperature will rise, and it’s only a matter of time before the affected areas recover.”

________________________________________

Just before the afternoon meeting, Su Zan finally returned.

He wasn’t surprised to see Shen Qianzhan talking to Ji Qinghe in his room. He chugged a bottle of water and, still out of breath, shared the terrifying moment he had experienced today: “The snow crushed a billboard. The rusted iron frames almost all fell on the car. If I hadn’t hit the brakes in time, CEO Ji’s BMW would have been a goner.”

Ming Jue was much more refined than Su Zan. He was mindful that Shen Qianzhan was there and was more reserved. He maintained an appropriate distance whether he was talking or standing: “It wasn’t as terrifying as he said. In fact, if Xiao Su had not hit the brakes, the car would probably be perfectly fine.”

Ji Qinghe finally looked at them and asked: “What happened to the car?”

Ming Jue replied: “After Xiao Su slammed on the brakes, the wheels skidded, and the car spun half a circle, shattering a headlight.”

Su Zan heard this narrative, which clearly portrayed him as the at-fault party. Fearing that Ji Qinghe would ask him to pay, he quickly cleared his name: “A huge billboard like that falling down, who could stay calm and continue driving forward? Didn’t you see the snow that was kicked up was almost as thick as an avalanche? If you had hit the gas and driven in, it wouldn’t have been just a broken headlight; it would have been a rear-end collision!”

Ming Jue glanced at him and, in a rare moment of disagreement, showed a look of disdain.

Su Zan was still chattering away, trying to prove his innocence: “The supply truck was right behind us. If I had had a rear-end collision, would the supply truck have been spared? Besides, with a billboard that big, who knows how many steel bars and how many tons it weighed.”

Shen Qianzhan was not patient enough to listen to the two of them argue to a conclusion. She patted Su Zan on the shoulder, interrupting him: “Whoever is holding the steering wheel is responsible. Do you have any objections?”

Su Zan’s face instantly fell: “You’re heartless! Are we discussing who is responsible? We’re discussing the technical aspects of an emergency reaction!”

Alright, she had been too nosy.

Shen Qianzhan patted her butt and walked away without looking back.

________________________________________

During the afternoon meeting, Shen Qianzhan presented the plan she and Ji Qinghe had discussed during their chat this morning, and the reactions from all sides were varied.

Shen Qianzhan proposed signing a long-term contract with the film studio to reduce the rental fees for Spring River, or to have the film studio reduce the fees and receive a share of the profits in return for an investment.

Some were afraid of Su Lanyi, some questioned the feasibility of the strategy, and others complained that the film studio’s scale was not large enough to meet their filming needs.

Shen Qianzhan was only offering advice; Xiao Sheng was the one to make the final decision, not her.

While they argued fiercely, she borrowed Song Yan’s assistant’s game console and played Snake for the entire afternoon.

After the meeting, the director of Spring River stopped Shen Qianzhan and offered her a piece of information: “There’s a vacant lot in the southeastern corner of the film city, right next to the Republic of China-era street, where they’re setting up a new set. They’re halfway through building it. I heard Producer Xiao say you’re preparing a tribute drama. You should go take a look sometime; it might be suitable.”

Shen Qianzhan casually agreed. After the person left, she looked for Su Zan, and they went back together.

________________________________________

Around eight o’clock that evening, Shen Qianzhan had just finished washing up with the pitifully little water they had when there was a knock on the door.

Ji Qinghe stood outside and immediately said something she couldn’t refuse: “I’m heading back tomorrow.”

Shen Qianzhan was a little surprised: “Isn’t your car broken?”

“That’s why I’m leaving early.” Ji Qinghe leaned against the door and asked: “Aren’t you going to let me in to say a proper goodbye?”

Shen Qianzhan rolled her eyes, turned, and went back into the room, leaving him to do as he pleased.

As expected, as soon as she was inside, Ji Qinghe followed her in and closed the door.

Learning from yesterday’s lesson, Shen Qianzhan was fully dressed after washing up. With the water and power out, there was nothing to offer. She pushed the fruits Su Zan had brought over in the evening toward him, while she leaned against the corner of the table, her hips half-resting on the surface. She picked up a sliced fruit and looked at him: “Did your fever go down?”

“Low-grade fever,” he said. He sat in a chair, took her hand, and put the fruit into his mouth.

Shen Qianzhan, who was forced to feed him a piece of fruit, laughed in anger: “Do you have no shame?”

A scented candle was lit in the room, and the light was so dim it was like a dry weed about to go out.

Ji Qinghe looked up slightly, his gaze falling on her face, which was so vibrant that even the darkness couldn’t hide it. He chuckled: “I can be even more shameless.”

Shen Qianzhan glared at him. A look was not enough to kill him, so she raised her hand and pinched him, from the back of his hand to his wrist, pinching him in the most painful way possible.

Ji Qinghe didn’t feel any pain. Her strength was like a tickle to him. Every time their skin touched, it was like a spark flying from a bonfire, setting fire everywhere.

At first, he just let her mess with him. Gradually, an inappropriate, naughty thought came to his mind. He grabbed her wrist with his hand, making her unable to move. His fingertips rested on her wrist, and he could feel her pulse throbbing. Ji Qinghe brought her wrist to his lips and bit down.

He bit a little too hard, and Shen Qianzhan let out a gasp. He looked up at her as she gasped: “Su Zan said the male actors in the crew are all your type. Is that true?”

He asked calmly, each word clearly articulated. It didn’t sound like curiosity; it sounded like an interrogation. From the unwavering look in his eyes to the cold teeth on her wrist, Shen Qianzhan immediately understood and denied it: “No.”

Ji Qinghe raised an eyebrow, seemingly unsatisfied with her perfunctory answer.

Shen Qianzhan was so frustrated she felt like crying. Wasn’t this scumbag here to say goodbye? This was torture!

“It’s really not true,” Shen Qianzhan said. “I’ve only been here for a few days. Besides the producers and directors, I haven’t seen a single man.”

Ji Qinghe chuckled: “That sounds like a pity?”

“Not at all,” Shen Qianzhan said, and she rubbed his calf with her toe. “Who here could compare to you?”

Ji Qinghe avoided her touch. He stood up, grabbed the scented candle, and moved closer to her. The candlelight softened the contours of her face, making her look gentle and graceful. Her eyes, which had lost their aggressiveness, were filled with a look that said, “Come and bully me.”

He composed himself and asked again: “Do you get a lot of guys knocking on your door in the middle of the night?”

Shen Qianzhan let out a small “hmm” and thought for a few seconds: “Should I answer this in two parts?”

Ji Qinghe looked at her without a word.

Shen Qianzhan interpreted his look as, “Give me your made-up story, I’ll listen.” She said: “Knocking on the door in the middle of the night is the first part, and whether I open the door or respond is the second part. You can’t mix the two questions into one...”

Before she could finish, her wrist was in sharp pain. The scumbag bit her without any mercy.

Shen Qianzhan’s eyes turned red from the pain. She raised her foot to kick his calf, but missed. The moment she moved, he squeezed her legs apart and pinned her down, making her unable to move.

Ji Qinghe showed no mercy. His voice was low and a little husky, as if he was laughing and holding back at the same time: “Behave.”

“No, no one knocked on the door,” Shen Qianzhan said, lowering her eyes. The look in her eyes as she looked at her wrist was incredibly wronged: “Why did you really bite me?”

As soon as she finished, and before the warmth had even faded, there was a knock on the door.

Shen Qianzhan was stunned.

What?

All she ever did was bully Su Zan. She hadn’t done anything terrible!

Under Ji Qinghe’s increasingly dangerous gaze, Shen Qianzhan bravely explained: “It’s probably the hotel staff.”

The next second, a man’s voice rang out, full of twists and turns: “Producer Shen, open the door.”

Shen Qianzhan: “...”

Damn it, tonight was really going to get messy.