Shen Qianzhan didn’t hear clearly the first time.

Ji Qinghe repeated: “The old master wants to meet you.” His voice was on the lower side, with a mature timbre that carried the unique magnetism of an adult man.

Shen Qianzhan first savored that voice, and when she processed the content of his words, she felt a moment of surprise: “Old Master Ji?”

“Very surprised?”

The elevator ascended to the second floor, making a brief stop.

Ji Qinghe switched the umbrella to his other hand and moved closer to her side before the elevator doors opened.

A crowd of people squeezed at the elevator entrance, either holding medical records or report forms—all patients or family members going upstairs to see specialists in the outpatient clinic.

A nurse gently called for people to make way, pushing an elderly person in a wheelchair who was still on an IV drip.

The floor beneath Shen Qianzhan’s feet sank slightly as people entered one by one, and she seemed to feel the elevator’s load capacity gradually approaching saturation.

She moved to avoid the corner, and her leg had just touched the wet umbrella when Ji Qinghe noticed first and handed her the umbrella: “Hold this.”

Just as Shen Qianzhan took it, he turned around, using his back to block all contact, protecting her between the elevator wall corner and his front.

She suddenly forgot what she had wanted to say earlier. Before her eyes was his hair, dampened by rain and snow, less rigid and meticulous than usual, making his features appear much softer. Only those eyes remained as deep and unfathomable as a cliff, not possessing the slightest bit of safety.

Shen Qianzhan swallowed, her gaze uncontrollably shifting from his brows and eyes to his lips.

Ji Qinghe’s lips weren’t thin—his lower lip was slightly fuller than the upper, with lines as precise as if 3D-printed, exquisitely perfect like a template.

He didn’t smoke or drink, lacking the worldly scents that clung to others. When faint, he was like cold smoke; when intense, like pine mist. Even the lingering fragrance after passionate encounters carried the crisp scent of cold pine and thin fog.

More than once, Shen Qianzhan had felt the impulse to lean into his neck and breathe in that elusive yet soul-stirring fragrance.

In the not-so-spacious enclosed elevator at this moment, her wish was fulfilled. She secretly took two breaths of this divine essence and asked in a suppressed voice: “The perfume from your Bu Zhong Sui—does it smell particularly good?”

As the elevator ascended, conversation gradually arose amid the humming mechanical sounds.

Ji Qinghe accommodatingly lowered his head, that strand of hair tinged with coolness brushing past her nose tip as he leaned toward her ear, indicating for her to say it again.

Shen Qianzhan cursed inwardly.

If they weren’t in an elevator, she definitely wouldn’t be able to maintain her composure right now.

She took a deep breath, internally criticizing “where the hell did this demon Ji Qinghe come from” while calmly saying: “It’s nothing, let’s talk outside.”

Ji Qinghe curved his lips slightly, pretending ignorance, pushing his luck as he whispered near her lips: “Didn’t hear clearly.”

When he spoke, his breath swept past her ear, stirring her sensitive ear to a slight itch, with familiar tremors transmitting from the crown of her head all the way to her feet, her heart experiencing an electric numbness.

Shen Qianzhan had first tasted desire at twenty-nine, and now at thirty, she already yearned intensely for soul-stirring passionate encounters. His deliberate teasing made her blood surge with anger as she glared: “Behave yourself.”

Ji Qinghe chuckled softly, quite pleased with his successful scheming.

Ji Qinghe knew Shen Qianzhan’s three major weaknesses crystal clear.

First was her right ear, second was her lower back, third… unspeakable. Just like snakes have their vital seven-inch point, people have their soft spots. When these three areas of Shen Qianzhan were controlled, she could only submit to whatever was demanded.

Their movement was small and they were in a corner, so their lowered conversation didn’t attract attention.

Shen Qianzhan’s thick skin, which had weathered mountains and seas without knowing what embarrassment meant, was unexpectedly thin today. She constantly felt that the whispered conversations and examining glances around them were directed at her.

The elevator stopped at each floor, and by the seventh floor, half the passengers had cleared out.

Shen Qianzhan had also reached her destination.

Ji Qinghe stepped out of the elevator before her. Crossing the corridor, when the operating room at the end became faintly visible, his steps paused slightly, and he stopped very gentlemanly in place: “The surgery should be ending soon. I’m not quite suitable to appear at the upcoming occasion, so I’ll see you off to here.”

Shen Qianzhan had a deep understanding of his consistent restraint and propriety. She nodded and said gratefully: “Thank you, President Ji.”

Whether she was sincere or just being superficial, Ji Qinghe could tell at a glance: “No need for false politeness.”

Shen Qianzhan was used to him seeing through her tactics, and her smile became more genuine: “Don’t you need to go wait for Dr. Fei?”

“We arranged to meet in his office beforehand.” Ji Qinghe lifted his wrist to check the time and explained: “I came over earlier because I heard Dr. Fei hadn’t finished surgery yet, wanted to check on the situation.”

Hearing this, Shen Qianzhan raised her eyebrows slightly.

Her features tended toward softness, so when she raised her eyebrows, the action carried less imposing presence and more charm.

“Old Master Ji has been waiting until now?”

“Mm.” Ji Qinghe said: “He came this afternoon for several examinations.”

He heard what Shen Qianzhan wanted to ask. Meeting her gaze, he said: “Not today. If you’re willing, I’ll arrange another time for a formal meeting.”

The weight of the latter half of that sentence was considerable. As she pondered the meaning of “formal,” she felt an rare pang of guilt.

Before knowing the relationship between Ji Qinghe and Old Master Ji, her face had been thicker than city walls. She had repeatedly gone to request meetings, completely unaware of what embarrassment meant. Now with such a great opportunity laid before her, her mind was full of “sorry for sleeping with your grandson.”

Shen Qianzhan had a particular trait—profit-seeking. After considering that the worst outcome would just be having her legs broken by Old Master Ji, she succumbed to the temptation of a face-to-face conversation with the master of court clock restoration, and nodded with restraint: “Alright, I’ll wait for your arrangement.”

Ji Qinghe nodded, a cluster of hard-to-catch profound amusement flashing through his eyes.

During the Spring Festival holiday at home, with nothing else to do, Shen Qianzhan had flipped through the “Bu Zhong Sui Chronicles” that Su Zan had accidentally compiled while investigating Ji Qinghe from beginning to end. The materials collected online were incomplete and scattered, making her reading choppy. Although she ultimately couldn’t figure out the relationship between Ms. Meng Qiongzhi and Mr. Ji Qingzhen, she at least gained some superficial understanding.

The materials showed that Ms. Meng Qiongzhi was a brilliantly talented high society lady with rich life experiences. When girls her age were still confused about how to map their future plans, Ms. Meng Qiongzhi had already demonstrated sharp vision and clear purpose, dedicating herself to artistic design careers and making her mark in Europe.

The story between Old Master Ji and Ms. Meng received minimal coverage online, with only fragmentary mentions. As their relationship deteriorated, interviews with Ms. Meng Qiongzhi couldn’t even find a shadow of Ji Qingzhen. If Ji Qinghe hadn’t identified himself, Shen Qianzhan estimated it would have taken considerable time to verify this relationship.

After all, who would think that the founder of a world-facing luxury brand would have a story with a clock restoration master dedicated to national cultural heritage?

In summary, Shen Qianzhan listed three possible motivations for Old Master Ji wanting to meet her.

First was that the incident of that little brat Ji Lin secretly hiding the planning documents had been exposed, and after Old Master Ji learned of Ji Qinghe’s collaboration with her, he wanted to meet to resolve the misunderstanding.

Second was that Ji Qinghe had invested in “Time” on behalf of Bu Zhong Sui, and after Old Master Ji heard about the inspiration source for “Time,” he decided to meet with her to discuss it.

Third was that Old Master Ji knew Ji Qinghe had been slept with by her, and as the family patriarch, he was coming to settle accounts.

With mental preparation, everything becomes easier to plan.

Shen Qianzhan maintained an optimistic attitude and quickly put this matter out of her mind for the moment.

Grandpa’s heart bypass surgery was very successful. After the surgery, Dr. Fei left first, and nearly half an hour later, Grandpa was wheeled out of the operating room by the anesthesiologist and sent to a ward for continued observation, accompanied by family members.

The old Shen couple had stayed all afternoon and finally completely relaxed at this point. After accompanying him for a while and seeing there was really nothing they could help with, and not wanting to take up space or cause trouble, they went home with Shen Qianzhan first, planning to visit again tomorrow.

Grandpa had caregivers and his children staying overnight. In Shen Qianzhan’s view, these medical care conditions didn’t require Mother Shen’s help at all. But she couldn’t resist Mother Shen’s deep affection and loyalty, and as a junior, it wasn’t appropriate for her to voice this. The next day, she could only take a detour to drop Mother Shen at the hospital first before going to work.

Around noon, Ji Qinghe sent her a WeChat message: “Free tonight? The old master’s flight back to Xi’an is tomorrow.”

Shen Qianzhan pondered her schedule for today… She suspected Ji Qinghe had privately asked Qiao Xin about her work arrangements, otherwise how could he be so certain she would definitely be free tonight?

Thinking aside, she replied: “Yes, send me the specific time and location.”

Ji Qinghe replied: “The courtyard next to Time Hall.”

Shen Qianzhan’s eyelid twitched.

She somewhat understood how “formal” Ji Qinghe’s “formal meeting” from yesterday really was—formal enough to bring her to his home?

But elderly people generally don’t like staying in hotels. Since there was a place to stay in Beijing, there was no need to specifically go to a hotel just to meet a junior. Moreover, she often visited people’s homes when meeting screenwriters, major directors, and artists in Beijing—it wasn’t a big deal.

Time-saving and cost-effective!

Having thought it through, Shen Qianzhan rallied her spirits again. After entrusting the task of picking up Mother Shen to Comrade Old Shen, she left work early to prepare meeting gifts.

Thanks to last year’s experience of three visits to request Old Master Ji’s assistance, Shen Qianzhan’s groundwork was exceptionally thorough.

She bought two bottles of exquisitely packaged vintage wine, acquired an inkstone, and also packed a handmade silk scarf for Ms. Meng Qiongzhi. After completing these preparations, Shen Qianzhan finally felt much more at ease.

Seeing the appointed time approaching, Shen Qianzhan timed her departure for the courtyard.

To appear thoroughly courteous, she sent Ji Qinghe a message about her estimated arrival time before passing the last intersection.

Ji Qinghe’s reply came quickly: “Drive carefully.”

Shen Qianzhan felt slightly reassured.

Just three seconds later, her phone, which was still navigating, vibrated again. Ji Qinghe had sent another message: “I’m waiting for you.”

Though they were just three cold words, Shen Qianzhan inexplicably detected some ambiguity different from usual.

She looked up at the traffic conditions.

The latter part of the road was somewhat congested due to a bus stop.

She absent-mindedly watched the slowly passing pedestrians, unable to resist lightly biting her finger.

She arrived at Time Hall ten minutes later. Shen Qianzhan hadn’t been in contact with Meng Wanzhou for a long time and didn’t know if this guy was still waiting in the old spot to help her park. With a tentative mindset, she drove over to take a look. In the only parking space in front of Time Hall sat a black vintage bicycle.

A young man was seated on the back.

Instead of his usual suit that constantly emanated a cold aura, he wore a solid-colored sweater with a dark coat draped over it, loose casual pants covering his feet, making his features appear lazy, handsome, and gentle.

Only those unchanging gold-rimmed glasses framed his features as usual—refined and composed.

Shen Qianzhan’s little heart, which never obeyed her control, skipped another beat, as if struck by a sniper’s bullet, blood flowing in reverse.

Damn it, why wasn’t this bastard acting like a bastard today? Who could handle him aging in reverse like this every day?