Unfortunately, plans couldn’t keep up with changes.
Three days later, Shen Qianzhan received a call from her mother: “Dengdeng, Old Shen and I have come to Beijing.”
Caught completely off guard by the Shen couple’s surprise attack, Shen Qianzhan was immediately dumbfounded.
At that moment, Shen Qianzhan was in the small conference room deploying work plans. After a brief speechlessness, she inquired about the situation. Learning that the old couple had already arrived in Beijing, she immediately terminated the meeting to go to the airport to pick them up.
Su Zan was overjoyed. With the mindset of watching the excitement and not minding if things got bigger, he volunteered: “Sister Zhan, shall I come along?”
Shen Qianzhan put on her coat, glancing at him sideways: “What are you joining in the fun for?”
Su Zan carried her bag for her: “What joining in the fun? I still owe Uncle a meal.”
Two years ago during New Year, Qiandeng had a youth competitive project for satellite TV that was rushing to meet deadlines. The entire crew from producers and directors down to stage hands and lighting worked overtime without exception, Su Zan included.
That year coincidentally, filming was in Jiangsu, not far from Shen Qianzhan’s hometown. The Shen couple drove to the set to make dumplings for all the staff. Su Zan was acting as half a life producer at the time, mainly responsible for the crew’s three meals. Because of this, he bonded with Comrade Old Shen, cooking together and forming a brief but profound week-long friendship.
Thinking of this, Shen Qianzhan no longer prevented him, tacitly allowing Su Zan to accompany her.
——
An hour later, Shen Qianzhan arrived at the airport and met the Shen couple at the domestic arrivals exit.
The Shen couple had been somewhat apprehensive initially, but seeing that although Shen Qianzhan’s expression was stern, her tone was gentle – only complaining about their surprise attack without showing displeasure at their sudden visit – they finally relaxed.
“It’s because you’ve been calling less recently, I thought you were busy? When I asked if you’re coming home for New Year, you didn’t give a definite answer.” Mother Shen said: “In the past when we wanted to visit you during holidays, you either complained about the hassle of booking tickets or said you had no time. I was afraid you wouldn’t be happy about me coming?”
Shen Qianzhan was left speechless.
She had been drifting in Beijing too long, focusing entirely on her career. In her first few years as a Beijing drifter, she would often miss home, but later, after surviving the low point and becoming so busy that even regular meals became a luxury, contact with home gradually decreased. She often only remembered to check in every half month.
She was indeed in the wrong.
Su Zan glanced at Shen Qianzhan’s deflated expression in the back seat, secretly amused but maintaining a serious facade: “Auntie, don’t blame Sister Zhan. In our line of work, project cycles are long with many uncertain factors. She’s the backbone of the entire project – everything requires her attention. She’s genuinely busy. If you and Uncle don’t understand her, she’ll probably die of injustice.”
After speaking, he smoothly changed the topic: “Auntie, are you here specifically to spend New Year with Sister Zhan?”
“More or less.” Mother Shen smiled: “Dengdeng has a grandfather who came to Beijing for medical treatment at the end of last year. I thought the timing was convenient, so Old Shen and I came together.”
Su Zan had an impression of this. He picked up the conversation: “Sister Zhan, when you asked me to contact hospitals for a bed before your business trip last year, was it because of Grandfather?”
Shen Qianzhan had mostly forgotten about this. It happened at the end of November last year, before her business trip inspection. The grandfather wasn’t very close – separated by a generation, more like a distant relative.
At the time, Mother Shen asked if she could help contact hospitals in Beijing. After delegating this to Su Zan and learning it was handled, she put it out of mind and went on her business trip. Now with the matter brought up again, she finally felt conscience-stricken and proactively offered: “After you and Dad get settled, I’ll go with you both.”
——
Su Zan led them to a Beijing cuisine private restaurant near Shen Qianzhan’s neighborhood.
This restaurant was frequently visited for their private gatherings – quiet environment, authentic taste, and the rare ability to enjoy lamb spine hot pot and sliced roast duck in one go.
Su Zan had exceptional talent in pleasing elders, coaxing Old Shen into beaming smiles, almost to the point of patting Su Zan’s shoulder and calling him brother.
The latter didn’t treat himself as an outsider either. After arranging to take Old Shen fishing and visit museums tomorrow, he finally returned home satisfied.
After returning home, standing in the elevator preparing to open the door, Shen Qianzhan gave Mother Shen a preventive shot: “Mrs. Old Shen, after we enter the house, no matter what you see, you must stay calm and maintain composure, understand?”
Mother Shen panicked a bit: “Are you keeping a man?”
Shen Qianzhan briefly fell silent for several seconds, then efficiently opened the door, demonstrating for Mother Shen what Su Zan often mentioned when criticizing her – “living standards not even as good as a street performer’s bedroll.”
Three seconds later, Mother Shen, shocked beyond belief by what she saw, let out a blood-curdling scream.
Su Zan, who received the security system notification and checked the details, followed Mother Shen’s scream with laughter that sounded like a pig’s squeal.
——
Shen Qianzhan’s 200-square-meter suite cost nearly a million to decorate, but this decoration value became worthless three months after she moved in.
Piles of unorganized packages; miscellaneous clothes scattered everywhere; messily placed items – except for Shen Qianzhan herself being exquisite, the entire room was like a graveyard of luxury goods.
Initially, Shen Qianzhan would hire hourly workers to clean and organize, but after losing things several times, she gave up and simply let it remain messy.
One year during a gathering, the still-innocent Xiang Qianqian suggested meeting at Shen Qianzhan’s home, but was firmly and unanimously rejected by Su Zan and Qiao Xin. When Shen Qianzhan decided to install security cameras in the elevator that year, Su Zan even made a snarky comment: “With your place’s layout, thieves would get lost going in, right?”
This showed that beneath Shen Qianzhan’s glamorous exterior, there was indeed a soul that couldn’t bear deep scrutiny.
——
After cleaning all night, Mother Shen barely managed to move in.
Due to exhaustion, Mother Shen didn’t even have time to inquire about her most concerned topic – romantic matters – before falling into deep sleep.
The next day, Su Zan took leave.
Knowing Su Zan was accompanying Old Shen fishing, Shen Qianzhan turned a blind eye and continued yesterday’s unfinished meeting.
Near Spring Festival, employee work enthusiasm greatly diminished.
Shen Qianzhan didn’t assign them additional work. After setting post-holiday work plans, she took over the work of Qiao Xin, who had returned home early, and confirmed with Ming Jue when Ji Qinghe would start work after the holiday.
While waiting for Ming Jue’s feedback, Shen Qianzhan sent Lin Qiao a project confidentiality agreement.
For the sake of script progress, after much consideration, Shen Qianzhan decided to sign Lin Qiao to partner with Jiang Juanshan in co-creating the script. But for specific implementation, it depended on whether Jiang Juanshan agreed.
Too lazy to relay messages between both parties, Shen Qianzhan simply had Lin Qiao sign the confidentiality agreement and would discuss directly once the first script meeting time was set.
Before getting off work in the afternoon, Ming Jue replied: “CEO Ji says he can accommodate your schedule.”
Afraid of misunderstanding, Shen Qianzhan cautiously asked again: “Any time is fine?”
Ming Jue took time to answer: “After Producer Shen confirms the time, please notify me in advance. I’ll arrange it for CEO Ji.”
The work-obsessed Producer Shen immediately coordinated all three parties’ schedules and set the first script meeting for the third day of New Year.
Su Zan, who had gone fishing with his elderly friend, missed the opportunity to object immediately and felt his heart turn to ash.
——
On the last weekend before New Year, Shen Qianzhan accompanied the Shen couple to the hospital to visit Grandfather.
Before departure, Su Zan sent her a WeChat message: “Sister Zhan, I asked a friend to help contact a cardiac bypass expert for Grandfather. Remember to treat my friend well.”
Shen Qianzhan had heard from Old Shen that Su Zan helped introduce a cardiac surgery authority, so she didn’t suspect anything: “Thanks.”
Normally, Su Zan with his personality of taking advantage when given an inch would have already pushed for more. Today he was unusually quiet as a chicken, appearing quite composed.
So on the way to the ward, Shen Qianzhan tentatively asked Old Shen: “Do you know who the doctor Su Zan introduced for Grandfather is?”
“Surname Fei.” Old Shen recalled: “Seems not to be from Beijing.”
Shen Qianzhan frowned, confirming she had no impression, then asked: “How did Su Zan think to introduce a doctor for Grandfather?”
Old Shen, afraid she’d misunderstand that he had been talkative, explained: “That day’s fishing wasn’t satisfying, so Little Su arranged to come again on the weekend. I said I had to visit Grandfather at the hospital on the weekend. Little Su, who had helped you contact the hospital for a bed initially, knew Grandfather had heart problems, so he asked about the specific situation. I said Grandfather’s family was waiting to do cardiac bypass surgery after New Year. The next day he said a friend’s grandfather had also done this surgery quite successfully, so he introduced him to me.”
Hearing this, Shen Qianzhan’s heart settled halfway.
Old Shen wasn’t someone who didn’t know boundaries or loved troubling friends. It seemed Su Zan was purely being helpful.
Just as Shen Qianzhan was feeling somewhat ashamed for misunderstanding Su Zan, she looked up and saw Ji Qinghe standing at the end of the corridor, conversing with a middle-aged man.
His features were detached, facing the light with a gentle side profile. He was currently lowering his head slightly, attentively listening to the other person speak.
Shen Qianzhan’s steps paused, vaguely feeling… Su Zan had once again damn well put her in someone’s debt.
This guess was completely confirmed the moment Ji Qinghe and the middle-aged man appeared in Grandfather’s ward.
Shen Qianzhan felt like killing Su Zan and burying him in a mass grave. She smiled with her mouth but not her eyes, greeting Ji Qinghe standing at the door, saying with surprise: “CEO Ji, how are you here?”
In front of elders, Ji Qinghe was much more restrained.
He made a silencing gesture, indicating she should first listen to what the doctor had to say.
Grandfather’s attending physician and Dr. Fei were discussing the condition. In front of the patient, the two doctors didn’t talk deeply, only briefly coordinated their viewpoints.
After family members and doctors left the ward, Shen Qianzhan greeted Old Shen and escorted Ji Qinghe out.
The hospital’s inpatient department was slightly quieter than the outpatient department. Shen Qianzhan walked beside Ji Qinghe, only speaking thoughtfully after going downstairs and exiting the lobby: “I’m troubling you again. I didn’t know Su Zan…”
Ji Qinghe interrupted her: “Not troublesome.”
The daylight was somewhat cold, Beijing’s wind as cutting as a knife as always.
“The old man had cardiac bypass surgery a few years ago and recovered quite well.” Ji Qinghe glanced at her, his tone casual with a touch of indifference: “Dr. Fei is a cardiac surgery expert. You can rest assured with him performing the surgery.”
Shen Qianzhan’s face showed some embarrassment. Even with her sharp mind, she didn’t know what to say at this moment.
Having just rejected him clearly and cleanly, now she was troubling him again. Although this wasn’t her intention, the favor was owed solidly. No matter how you looked at it, she seemed like a green tea bitch, playing both sides.