Not long after Ji Qinghe left, thunder rolled across the sky. The rain came swiftly, spring thunder and torrential rain arriving suddenly.
The stifling air dissipated bit by bit in the thunderclaps like a heavy pump releasing pressure.
Shen Qianzhan couldn’t sleep. She half-raised herself to look out the window.
There was a streetlight at the hotel entrance. Under its glow, the rain poured magnificently, cascading down in dense curtains. Between heaven and earth stretched a vast expanse of white mist with extremely low visibility.
Feeling restless and troubled, she got up and lit another incense stick.
The previous stick had burned down to the top cap of the gilded pagoda before extinguishing.
Shen Qianzhan collected the unburned incense onto the smoke barrier pad, took another stick, and lit it with the lighter. As her fingertip pressed the lighter, her thoughts drifted to Ji Qinghe.
Every hotel room was equipped with matchboxes for convenient fire-making.
Ji Qinghe didn’t smoke and had no habit of borrowing fire—this lighter obviously wasn’t his.
She looked down, examining the lighter in her hand by the bedside wall lamp.
The lighter body was pure white with a smooth glaze finish, like piano lacquer. At first glance, she saw nothing special about it, until her fingertip touched the embossed lettering on the base—she noticed the lighter’s bottom bore Bu Zhong Sui’s English abbreviation and logo.
Shen Qianzhan pressed her lips together, unable to hide her smile.
It hadn’t been long ago—two months earlier, during Wuxi’s snowstorm. The hotel had lost power and water, making life inconvenient. For nighttime illumination, besides flashlights and searchlights, there were candles.
The “Spring River” crew had hundreds of people. Flashlights and searchlights were in limited supply, so candles were most commonly used.
After nightfall, most people used the hotel-provided matches for lighting. The crew managers, worried about fire safety, made earnest nightly reminders like dormitory checks, insisting everyone blow out candles before sleeping.
Shen Qianzhan used scented candles.
Once when Ji Qinghe came over in the middle of the night, she relit a scented candle for illumination. The matchsticks were thin, and fearing she’d burn her fingers, she struck several times before successfully lighting it.
Though Ji Qinghe said nothing at the time, he had taken note of her difficulty with matches.
——
Shen Qianzhan slept well for the latter half of the night, sleeping deeply until Qiao Xin came to wake her the next day.
For this Xi’an trip, Shen Qianzhan handed all affairs to Su Zan and instructed Qiao Xin to assist.
Though time was tight, Qiao Xin was experienced with assistant work and found it manageable. Besides, Shen Qianzhan was only leaving for three days and could be contacted by phone or WeChat if needed—no major handover was necessary.
Su Zan personally drove them to the airport, watching Ji Qinghe and Shen Qianzhan pass through security before returning to the crew with Qiao Xin.
On the return journey, Little Su Zan listened to the sounds of planes taking off and landing, sighing deeply at the window: “I don’t know why, but today I have the heartache of sending off a daughter to marry.”
Qiao Xin spat at him: “Who are you taking advantage of?”
Su Zan’s eyes were melancholy, full of wistfulness: “Who’s joking with you?”
“Look these past few days—Sister Qianzhan and CEO Ji are as close as wearing the same pants. On set, if she doesn’t see CEO Ji for a moment, she sends people to find him. When Teacher Fu rehearses, her eyes are glued to CEO Ji. I don’t know what’s so interesting…”
After speaking, he sighed again, worried: “This Xi’an trip—it’s probably publicly funded family meeting.”
Qiao Xin found this reasonable and stopped playing Snake: “Not really, right? Sister Qianzhan isn’t even dating yet and she’s already meeting parents?”
“She wouldn’t want to skip the dating phase and go straight to getting a marriage certificate with CEO Ji, would she?” Thinking of this possibility, she completely freaked out.
Su Zan analyzed upon hearing this: “It’s quite possible.”
“During the Wuxi snowstorm, I felt Sister Qianzhan’s defenses had loosened. CEO Ji, Assistant Ming, and I shared a room for those days. Of us three, only CEO Ji stayed out all night, stealing fragrance and jade. I don’t believe Sister Qianzhan wouldn’t keep him—he couldn’t stay next door so late otherwise.”
“And the night of the opening banquet—afraid of yellow implications, I won’t elaborate. Anyway, you saw with your own eyes how close these two were, practically sharing a bed. What’s impossible after that?”
The more Su Zan thought about it, the more convinced he became. Recalling the two’s tacit understanding when passing security, he clicked his tongue twice, increasingly certain of his guess: “My mouth is blessed—just wait and see.”
“When they return, they’ll definitely be inseparable like glue, with no place for you to stand.”
Qiao Xin: “…”
How miserable for her.
——
They arrived in Xi’an at 3 AM.
Ming Jue came to pick them up.
Arriving so late, Ji Qinghe didn’t go directly home but chose to return to a nearby villa in Xi’an’s city center for the night.
To show respect for Shen Qianzhan, Ji Qinghe symbolically asked her opinion before calling home: “Let Ming Jue take us to the city center first. After you’ve rested, we’ll visit Grandfather.”
Shen Qianzhan naturally had no objections.
Ji Qinghe nodded and added: “The city house is where I live. There’s a housekeeper at home. Are you hungry? Should I have some late-night snacks prepared?”
Shen Qianzhan shook her head: “Too late—we won’t reach the city until 4 AM.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a sea of red lights reflected in her eyes. Ming Jue then smiled bitterly: “We might not even make it by 4.”
Their luck was truly terrible.
They encountered an accident traffic jam just after entering the airport highway.
A few minutes earlier, a car accident had occurred on the airport highway surface—several vehicles in a chain collision with serious damage.
Vehicle debris completely blocked the road, making passage impossible in the short term.
Ji Qinghe signaled Ming Jue to check the situation.
3 AM was when road pressure was lowest—a chain collision at this time was quite coincidental.
Soon Ming Jue returned, telling Ji Qinghe: “Two lanes of the airport highway are closed for repairs. Probably fatigue driving—the driver wasn’t careful.” He paused and added: “Traffic police have arrived and are clearing the road. The wrecker is still en route—probably another half hour before the road clears.”
Cars were accumulating behind them, with drivers who didn’t understand what happened ahead getting out to check.
Facing this helpless situation, Shen Qianzhan remained calm. Accustomed to staying up late, despite travel fatigue, her mental state wasn’t greatly affected.
She moved toward the car door and patted her thigh: “Would CEO Ji like to lean on me and sleep a while?”
Ji Qinghe raised his eyes.
Those eyes, with pupils deep as an abyss, looked gentle and profound: “In a different location, I’d be very willing.”
The back seat wasn’t spacious—whether pillowing on Shen Qianzhan or not, he was destined to sleep unsteadily: “It’s just half an hour. Let’s wait.”
Ming Jue glanced at the empty passenger seat, wanting to remind them there was still a seat in front for adjustment that would be more comfortable than the back seat. The words reached his lips, but feeling it would be thankless, he simply stayed quiet.
——
The accident took nearly half an hour to clear. Under police direction, road traffic gradually returned to normal, with congested vehicles ahead passing through in orderly queues.
After the tunnel, road conditions were good with clear views of three main arteries.
All vehicles, after ten minutes of slow passage through the tunnel, found their element, merging into lanes in batches and speeding toward different directions.
With this delay, the three reached the city center near 5 AM.
Dawn was breaking faintly with hints of daylight.
The housekeeper at Ji Qinghe’s home had already risen, preparing hot tea, fruit, and breakfast, waiting in the living room.
The housekeeper was surnamed Xie. Hearing Ji Qinghe call her Aunt Xie, Shen Qianzhan followed suit.
This was Aunt Xie’s first time seeing Ji Qinghe bring a girl home. Not daring to stare, she fetched slippers for Shen Qianzhan, smiled restrainedly, and asked: “Toiletries are all prepared, separately arranged in the bathroom. Miss, would you like to eat something first, or wash up first?”
Shen Qianzhan glanced at Ji Qinghe, puzzled.
Why was Aunt Xie only attending to her and not Ji Qinghe?
Seeming to sense her thoughts, Ji Qinghe changed his shoes and turned to her: “You’re new here—the layout and arrangements are all unfamiliar. Based on your preferences, let Aunt Xie arrange things for you.”
“That’s right.” Aunt Xie continued: “Mr. Ji just instructed me to prioritize you, seeing whether Miss is tired, sleepy, or hungry.”
Shen Qianzhan felt unusually embarrassed.
She smiled awkwardly, wanting to sleep first. Before she could speak, Ji Qinghe interrupted like a prophet: “Better have breakfast first.”
Shen Qianzhan glared at him resentfully.
Ji Qinghe was completely unaffected, instead taking her hand and leading her to the dining room: “Eat first, then sleep—you won’t be woken by hunger.”
After leaving Wuxi, Ji Qinghe’s words and actions became much more natural.
When he wanted to hold her hand, he didn’t need to consider prying eyes and repeatedly restrain himself. He didn’t need to repeatedly consider whether his words were appropriate.
Her current identity was simply the girl he was pursuing.
No need for deliberation, no need for concerns, and no need for restraint.
——
After breakfast, Aunt Xie led her to the guest room to settle in.
“The bedding was just changed two days ago—the quilt is light and not heavy. Before you came, I specially took it to the courtyard to air, drying it for two consecutive days until it was soft and fluffy.” She looked back at Shen Qianzhan with a smile: “The towels and bath products in the bathroom are all new. See if they suit you, Miss—tell me if you need anything and I’ll arrange it.”
Shen Qianzhan hadn’t received such treatment even when she was the financial god at Ji Chuner Bay. Though not uncomfortable, she felt somewhat embarrassed by such hospitality: “Thank you, Aunt Xie. I’m only staying two days—no need for such trouble.”
“It’s no trouble.” Aunt Xie opened the door, reminding her to watch the threshold: “Mr. Ji lives mainly in Beijing, rarely in Xi’an. My work is usually leisurely—it’s rare to be busy once, entertaining such a precious guest.”
She introduced several room facilities, then led Shen Qianzhan to the bathroom, detailing the arrangement of towels and bath products. Confirming nothing was overlooked, she closed the door and withdrew.
With this quiet moment, Shen Qianzhan’s spirits relaxed, bringing some drowsiness.
Not knowing if she’d stay here for all the coming days, Shen Qianzhan didn’t immediately unpack. She took black pajamas and her toiletry bag, heading to the bathroom to shower and remove makeup.
When she emerged from the bathroom, a freshly bathed man had sprouted on the previously barren bed.
Ji Qinghe leaned against the headboard, reviewing documents.
Hearing movement, he looked up. His gaze lingered for a moment on her black silk lace nightgown, a flash of amazement passing through his eyes.
Her skin was already snow-white, and the black silk made it appear like pure satin jade, translucently white.
Before Ji Qinghe could look away, Shen Qianzhan exploded: “Why are you here?”
Half his body was covered by thin satin bedding, his posture leisurely as he watched her: “My home—if not here, where should I be?”
Shen Qianzhan fell silent for several seconds, pressing her lips without speaking.
During the standoff, Ji Qinghe patted the empty side of the bed: “Come up.”
“Just three days total—how much time will you sleeping take from me?” He simply threw off the covers, his bare feet stepping on the carpet by the bed, walking to her in a few steps and lifting her up: “Sleep together—nobody’s time gets wasted.”
Shen Qianzhan kicked and struggled: “Can’t sleep today.”
Ji Qinghe: “On my turf, you don’t get to decide.”
Shen Qianzhan: Damn, this dog of a man.