Qiandeng Pictures’ annual party was held at Jichun’er Bay.

Unlike last year, this year’s annual party not only included the company’s employees, but Su Lanyi also invited many industry artists and partners to participate together.

Qiandeng’s comprehensive strength improvement in the industry was obvious to all. Su Lanyi had always been inclined to use the annual party as an opportunity to publicize Qiandeng’s achievements in recent years. While elevating the company’s status, she could also demonstrate her influence in the industry.

For such an important occasion, as one of Qiandeng’s founding generals, Shen Qianzhan naturally couldn’t remain aloof.

She had selected her outfit and makeup for the annual party a week in advance. Different from her usual charming and alluring feminine style, Shen Qianzhan this time chose a Dior autumn haute couture suit – crisp and dashing, declaring from head to toe the elite aura of “this lady is very capable.”

Shen Qianzhan usually wore blazers quite often, in colors rich enough to almost assemble a complete rainbow. But pure dark colors, tailored to fit, highlighting her figure like earthfire tearing through black night – pure yet seductive, seductive yet dashing – was indeed rare to see.

For makeup, the innovative retro look advantageously sculpted her features to be three-dimensional and profound. Those eyes were like soul-hooking sickles, and as her gaze flowed, it was as if stars and the Milky Way had fallen in, with mountains and rivers all under her contemptuous gaze.

From the moment she stepped into the venue, the amazed and envious gazes converging from all directions immediately made Shen Qianzhan understand – tonight, she was set.

——

Ji Qinghe arrived relatively early. Near year-end, the official business requiring his attention was numerous and complex, frequently traveling between Bu Zhong Sui headquarters and Beijing.

When the venue lights suddenly dimmed, he was perfunctorily dealing with some magazine editor-in-chief Su Lanyi had invited from who knows where. So, Shen Qianzhan’s entrance that knew nothing of keeping a low profile – he took in every detail.

Ji Qinghe’s appreciation of Shen Qianzhan began with her appearance.

There really weren’t many women who could make him feel pleasing to the eye. Shen Qianzhan was the only one – no matter what form she took, she always made his heart itch.

He watched Shen Qianzhan sway with each step, effortlessly greeting company artists and investor representatives, his eyes deepening as he revealed a helpless smirk.

Ming Jue had already dismissed the tactless magazine editor-in-chief. Turning back to see Ji Qinghe lost in thought, he followed his gaze – Shen Qianzhan was like a blooming social butterfly, surrounded three layers deep by buzzing bees and fluttering butterflies.

He suddenly remembered something that happened these past few days.

After Shen Qianzhan got off at that intersection that day, Ji Qinghe lowered the partition, and his first words were: “That top star is on the endorsement candidate list?”

Before he could finish verifying, Ji Qinghe threw that document away and said expressionlessly: “Remove him, no cooperation.”

Ming Jue, standing in his position, deeply sympathized with the young idol who had his butt pinched by Producer Shen and consequently lost his endorsement deal. But considering his identity and position, he could only collude with Ji Qinghe.

He looked with pity at the ignorant “crazy waves” surrounding Shen Qianzhan. Meng Wanzhou from before last was driven out of the courtyard house and was still sleeping rough under bridges…

——

Shen Qianzhan’s seat was close to the main stage, adjacent to Su Lanyi.

The annual party had a segment for speeches by department heads. As a producer who also enjoyed certain decision-making power in the company, Shen Qianzhan appeared second only to Su Lanyi.

The giant screen started from Qiandeng Pictures’ founding, editing and playing footage along the timeline of the company’s development.

Shen Qianzhan appeared in Qiandeng’s second year after establishment. From then on, every TV drama and film invested in and produced by Qiandeng had Shen Qianzhan’s presence. She was like a guiding light illuminating the path forward in Qiandeng’s development history, single-handedly pulling up a rising mountain range.

Her eyes reflected the changing lights and shadows of the footage. Those memories, either dusty or deeply buried, gradually unsealed as the film played frame by frame in retrospect.

In Qiandeng’s second year of establishment, she was at the lowest point of her life.

Dreams shattered, faith collapsed, with no family wealth to rely on and no roof for shelter – she had reached a dead end.

Each step taken back then was arduous; one wrong move could lead to eternal damnation.

Now summarized in footage, it was just a few short minutes of life. Those moments of tossing and turning, breakdown and despair were like being gently erased by an eraser. Except for the person involved who always remembered, etched into bone and marrow, in the eyes of the world, it was just a blank space that no one cared about.

Applause erupted.

There were veteran employees who had grown together with Qiandeng and were deeply moved, as well as new employees who were simply inspired by the motivational footage. Those sounds of applause, like coming from a parallel space, surged from all directions.

Initially not quite real, gradually like rising and falling tides, wave after wave becoming clear.

Shen Qianzhan stood at the edge of this tide, moistened by the spray, finally coming back to her senses.

Su Lanyi had already taken the stage to give her speech, generously praising Shen Qianzhan as a great contributor. On the giant screen, the camera very cooperatively focused on Shen Qianzhan’s exquisite face.

Like awakening from a great dream, after a brief moment of being dazed, she looked directly at the camera and smiled gracefully in acknowledgment.

This smile was brilliant as light, glorious in its radiance.

——

The warm and harmonious atmosphere of the annual party continued until all department leaders finished their speeches and entered the lottery segment.

Shen Qianzhan’s luck was too strong; she was always forbidden from participating in such segments. Feeling bored, she caught sight of Ji Qinghe getting up to leave out of the corner of her eye. She touched her chin and discreetly followed.

Su Lanyi handled things properly. While inviting important guests to the annual party, she had prepared several hotel rooms for these distinguished guests to rest.

As soon as Shen Qianzhan followed him out, Ming Jue was waiting on the necessary path to hand her a room key card.

She looked down at the room card, troubled to the point of frowning… This plot looked exactly like the secret affair scenes in adult novels where they sneak out of meetings for intimate encounters.

Ming Jue suppressed his laughter, urging seriously: “CEO Ji just wants to have an undisturbed private environment to chat with Producer Shen. Producer Shen can rest assured.”

Rest assured my ass.

Shen Qianzhan grumbled internally: You haven’t seen him when he’s like a wolf or tiger.

Despite thinking this, Shen Qianzhan resignedly took the room card and went upstairs with Ming Jue.

As the floors got higher, Shen Qianzhan finally felt something was wrong. She frowned: “I remember the 36th floor is exclusive suites, not open to the public.” Much less could it be guest rooms Su Lanyi arranged for investors.

Ming Jue nodded, neither denying nor explaining.

Shen Qianzhan had long experienced Assistant Ming’s stubbornly silent personality that wouldn’t give a fart even with half a stick of beating. Seeing he wouldn’t respond, she didn’t bother asking for trouble.

The elevator arrived. Ming Jue held the elevator door open and gave her directions: “Producer Shen, turn left and walk twenty meters.”

To avoid deepening the ambiguous feeling, Ming Jue thought it over and swallowed back the second half of his sentence: “CEO Ji is already waiting for you in the room.”

Even so, when Ming Jue saw the look Shen Qianzhan gave him before leaving, he still felt like he was… a brothel madam who had tricked an innocent young woman into a den of iniquity.

He touched his nose and silently recited the Core Socialist Values.

——

When Shen Qianzhan swiped her card to enter, only the entrance light was on in the room.

All the light in the entire interior came from the endless city night view in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Ji Qinghe leaned against the wine cabinet, half-sitting at the table, turning his head to glance at her.

Silent yet deadly.

Shen Qianzhan lightened her steps, walking to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The lights below were like an orderly chessboard, perfectly dividing regional streets. She stood above the chessboard, and with a wave of her hand she could cover half the city’s fireworks and bustle.

This feeling wasn’t unfamiliar – she liked high floors, liked the view of having everything in sight when looking down.

She lived and struggled in this city of Beijing, but her sense of belonging was so sparse that she could only find the feeling of her existence by standing by windows late at night.

She stood with arms crossed, took a breath to bolster her courage: “I thought about it for two days and still feel maintaining the status quo is better.”

Shen Qianzhan turned her head slightly, noting his reaction.

After adapting to the dim light, his features gradually became clear in her vision. Shen Qianzhan saw him furrow his brow, seemingly unsurprised: “The reason?”

Shen Qianzhan’s original draft was – CEO Ji is very excellent, and she was inexplicably terrified of CEO Ji’s favor. But the gap between them was too large, she wasn’t young anymore, and didn’t want to add another romantic affair to her life. She also wasn’t very interested in maintaining a physical relationship – people in this industry feared overturning, and she didn’t think sleeping with her was worth all of Bu Zhong Sui’s resources.

She was short-sighted and didn’t want to rely on men to get rich.

But when these words reached her lips, after hesitating repeatedly, she still swallowed them back.

These reasons were just excuses to Ji Qinghe. And the consequences of making excuses… Shen Qianzhan glanced at the large bed in the distance and immediately straightened her spine.

“I had someone I liked very much.” Shen Qianzhan looked up at him: “He was a director, the director of my first independent production.”

“CEO Ji probably doesn’t understand our industry well. I used to be in project planning, similar to Qiao Xin’s current situation. Before meeting him, I had been building up experience, not knowing when I’d be able to prepare my own projects.”

“He supported me in becoming an independent producer and gave me startup funding. I resigned and began preparing projects based on the experience I’d accumulated as a planner. Independent producers have no company backing, no reliable connections, and no money. The project was forced to halt in early preparation.”

“When there was no money, he took me to dinner parties to meet investors. When there was no suitable creative team, he introduced me to people. All difficulties seemed light as paper before him – a wave of his hand and they were easily resolved.” Shen Qianzhan lowered her gaze, focusing on a distant billboard: “I learn quickly. What he taught me, I quickly mastered. After the project was implemented, there was a screenwriter, script, investors, and film crew – everything went smoothly.”

“I still remember the day filming started.” She paused briefly, and when she spoke again, her voice was steady, like describing a story unrelated to herself: “It was no different from any ordinary day, with particularly good sunshine. He wore a light blue shirt, patted my head congratulating me, said he was going on a business trip for two days, and asked if I wanted any gifts. Then after he left, he never came back.”

Shen Qianzhan parted her lips, her tone bone-chillingly cold: “He ran off with the money, trampling my dignity, and disappeared. After that, I felt like I had died once, sinking to the bottom, with nowhere to turn.”

Without funding, without a director, the project collapsed. She couldn’t afford the crew’s huge upcoming expenses and could only dismiss everyone.

She bore massive breach-of-contract compensation and was pushed out to endure all the malicious misunderstanding.

Now that she was successful and famous, no one tactlessly brought up that past anymore.

Only she clearly remembered the pain of dead passion and shattered faith from those years.

“CEO Ji can understand this as me having been hurt in love and unwilling to accept another relationship.” Shen Qianzhan brushed her hair, saying indifferently: “Anyway, everyone thinks I’m the kind of scumbag woman who changes men like clothes. Sleeping together is fine, but forget about romantic feelings.”