After learning that Old Shen was safe, Shen Qianzhan relaxed and quickly fell asleep.

Thunder and rain all night.

By dawn, the rain finally stopped.

Raindrops pattered down along the window eaves, creating gentle sounds.

Eight AM.

The alarm and knocking sounded simultaneously. Shen Qianzhan opened her eyes and instinctively reached to her side.

Her hand found nothing.

She turned to look.

Beside the bed, apart from the covers she’d kicked off, was empty.

The sheets were also pristine without a wrinkle.

She stared blankly amid the knocking, gradually remembering—

Ji Qinghe had gone to sea to find Old Shen;

Last night after her meeting, she’d fallen asleep on the balcony, then was awakened by heavy rain, getting completely soaked;

She’d woken at one AM to receive Ji Qinghe’s message telling her Old Shen had been found;

What else?

Oh, the storm at sea – for safety, they’d stayed overnight on Beiji Island, returning the next day.

Shen Qianzhan gathered her consciousness, finally fully awake.

She sat up wrapped in her blanket, calling toward the door to wait a moment. She reached for her phone with only three percent battery and checked her messages.

Confirming this wasn’t a dream, her heart lightened. She changed clothes while washing up and opening the door.

The line producer had come to deliver breakfast.

Breakfast was a bowl of millet porridge, a salted duck egg, a scallion roll, and several side dishes for the porridge.

Shen Qianzhan accepted it gratefully.

The line producer heard her hoarse voice with a nasal tone and asked with concern: “Sister Zhan, didn’t you sleep well last night?”

“I’m fine.” Shen Qianzhan pinched her nose tip.

Upon waking, she’d noticed her blocked nose – like catching a cold.

“You don’t look well.” The line producer pointed to her paper-pale lips, worried: “After breakfast, rest some more. Or if you’re uncomfortable somewhere, I’ll get you medicine.”

Shen Qianzhan had wanted cold medicine but fast-acting cold remedies all shared one drawback – drowsiness.

Considering she had to meet Old Chen’s family at noon, she swallowed her words: “It’s nothing, probably low blood sugar from getting up early. I’ll be fine after resting.”

After breakfast, Shen Qianzhan and Su Zan split up.

She went to oversee the crew while Su Zan, the line producer, and production supervisor went to the airport to pick up Mrs. Chen.

Shen Qianzhan hadn’t originally considered having Su Zan handle this. After last night’s meeting, he’d specifically stayed behind and volunteered to pick up Mrs. Chen.

He gave no reason, as if certain Shen Qianzhan would agree.

In fact, she had no reason to oppose Su Zan’s decision.

After seeing them off, Shen Qianzhan went to the crew with Qiao Xin.

Though news of Old Chen’s accidental death was suppressed immediately, it couldn’t completely stop the spread. After one night, everyone in the crew knew, whether they’d known before or not.

Compared to hotel staff, Shen Qianzhan was much more confident about crew members’ confidentiality.

The crews she led occasionally had a few oddballs, but people never had uniform personalities. Especially in environments where hundreds lived together for three or four months – all types existed.

Friction, disputes, and conflicts were inevitable.

But one thing was her primary concern besides safety when forming crews – confidentiality.

Everyone signed a confidentiality agreement before joining, far stricter than what Su Zan gave hotel employees. Any leak of materials, behind-the-scenes content, or confidential information resulted in immediate accountability without mercy.

The crew’s filming location was in Wuxi’s newly constructed Republican-era sets.

Getting out of the car, Shen Qianzhan felt the atmosphere was strange. Everyone seemed to harbor enormous secrets, displaying excessive caution and deliberate care, completely lacking the previous days’ excitement about relocating to Beijing.

Shen Qianzhan twisted the ring on her pinky finger, walking inconspicuously into the venue with Qiao Xin.

Shao Chouxie was explaining a scene to Song Yan. Seeing her arrive, he nodded slightly in greeting.

She didn’t interrupt, walking straight inside to sit behind the monitor, quietly observing.

Once she arrived, the crew’s atmosphere instantly changed.

Fewer people whispered privately. Those moving props moved props, those laying tracks laid tracks. Even the makeup team stopped gathering in small groups, individually carrying makeup bags to style hair and touch up makeup for actors entering soon.

She smiled slightly, glancing at Qiao Xin behind her.

Their eyes met, each seeing knowing smiles in the other’s gaze.

At noon.

Shen Qianzhan calculated the time and called Ji Qinghe.

After nearly a minute, he answered with a low greeting.

As the call connected, the boat’s engine noise was deafening, causing persistent ear ringing.

Shen Qianzhan was somewhat surprised: “You’re still at sea?” She’d thought, departing at dawn, they’d be ashore by noon.

“We left rather late.” Ji Qinghe moved into the cabin where noise lessened and her voice became much clearer.

He turned his back to the door, looking out through the small cabin window.

In the distance, blue seas and sky met at the horizon – remarkably fine weather.

“About another hour to the harbor.” Ji Qinghe said: “After reaching harbor, I’ll take Uncle home first.”

Shen Qianzhan hummed acknowledgment, her fingertip playing with a strand of hair: “How’s Old Shen?”

“Resting.”

“How did he get trapped on Beiji Island?”

At this, Ji Qinghe paused slightly and laughed: “Supposedly, the boat captain Uncle rented got confused about pickup time.”

“Of course, that’s Uncle’s one-sided account.”

His laughter was clear and resonant, low and magnetic: “But from what I understand, Uncle and his friend had pricing disagreements with the rental boat captain. The captain dropped them off and left with an empty boat.”

Shen Qianzhan was speechless.

After processing this, she felt somewhat exasperated.

Over the phone, he seemed to guess her expression and laughed again: “Beiji Island has a seventy-year-old guardian. I suspect Uncle wanted to catch the island’s fishing boat back and wasn’t anxious. But bad luck – he encountered a storm, signal interruption prevented contact. Plus during fishing moratorium, the old man was on leave, leaving only Uncle and his group on the island, causing the communication blackout.”

And mobilizing the maritime rescue team.

Shen Qianzhan was instantly speechless.

She rubbed her temples, her tone unfriendly: “Tonight I’ll give him a good lecture on desert island survival stories.”

“What about you?” Shen Qianzhan changed topics: “Meeting Old Shen in a different capacity – how did it feel?”

“Pretty good.” Ji Qinghe’s tone lifted slightly: “Effortless.”

Shen Qianzhan heard the relaxation and casualness in his voice, guessing he and Old Shen got along wonderfully. Though curious about what sparks they’d created during this meeting, it couldn’t be explained clearly over the phone, and she lacked time to hear his detailed account. She could only temporarily suppress her curiosity and ask about other things—

“How did you find Old Shen?”

“Beiji Island is habitable?”

“What has Old Shen been eating these days? Didn’t he think of ways to return?”

The signal at sea wasn’t great, her voice cutting in and out.

Ji Qinghe listened with some difficulty understanding. He reassembled words and phrases to guess her meaning.

So they often had disconnected conversations, starting strong but ending weakly.

Communication barriers didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for talking. As mealtime approached, production staff distributed lunch boxes under a temporary awning.

Extras lined up to collect lunch.

Besides the three-vegetable, two-meat, one-soup lunch boxes, another awning displayed a barrel of cooling mung bean soup. Underneath were foam boxes with ice creating wisps of cold air.

Shen Qianzhan leaned half-sitting against the windowsill, watching production staff arrange mung bean soup in disposable cups neatly on small tables, then gradually emptied by extras coming for soup.

This scene was rather interesting – she watched intently.

After this quiet moment, Shen Qianzhan suddenly remembered something: “My mom will definitely cry tears of joy seeing Old Shen return. After she finishes crying, next she’ll interrogate you.”

“Just drop Old Shen off and excuse yourself with urgent business – leave quickly. If you can’t save face or your acting isn’t good, message me in advance. I’ll call you, pretending I’m calling you away.”

Ji Qinghe neither agreed nor disagreed.

He’d have to meet them eventually – what did fleeing accomplish?

“Mrs. Shen is quite talkative. After keeping you for dinner and overnight, she’ll conduct a population census.” Shen Qianzhan counted on her fingers: “First asking how many family members, whether you’re an only child, how many siblings. After checking the household registry, she’ll ask about hobbies, what you and I have in common, how we got together.”

“If you seem cooperative, she’ll push further, asking about future plans, subtly probing marriage intentions, whether your family favors boys over girls.”

Ji Qinghe raised an eyebrow: “You know so clearly – brought someone home before?”

Shen Qianzhan deflated like a dud firecracker, instantly defeated.

She tried hard to recall, answering cautiously: “Not exactly bringing them. She previously arranged blind dates for me. Seeing my resistance, she directly had friends bring the guy to our house. I just… overheard some things.”

Ji Qinghe suddenly laughed, “I trust you wouldn’t dare hide anything.”

Shen Qianzhan’s ears inexplicably heated. She smoothed her slightly unruly bangs, saying quietly: “Lunch is ready, let’s not chat anymore.” Then immediately added: “We’ll talk when you return.”

Ji Qinghe gave a soft acknowledgment. After she hung up, he opened the cabin door and walked out.

That afternoon, Shen Qianzhan met Mrs. Chen.

Mrs. Chen was in her forties, short and somewhat thin.

When Shen Qianzhan saw her, she was sitting in a chair staring blankly at the death certificate issued by public security. She’d apparently just cried – her eyes were red, whites bloodshot, circles dark, looking somewhat haggard.

After Shen Qianzhan sat down, she realized someone had arrived. After composing herself slightly, she forced a smile, greeting in accented Mandarin: “Producer Shen.”

“Hello.” Shen Qianzhan extended her hand to shake, and when their eyes met, seeing the grief in Mrs. Chen’s eyes, she suddenly felt heartbroken.

To meet Mrs. Chen, Shen Qianzhan wore no makeup, her face clean and gentle.

She quietly observed Mrs. Chen for a moment, first offering words of comfort.

Old Chen’s incident happened suddenly. From Shen Qianzhan’s position, she certainly wanted to resolve and appease quickly. At least, that’s what she’d thought before meeting Mrs. Chen.

If this had happened before, Shen Qianzhan might not have empathized. Like a precision instrument, she always operated for her work. All accidents were obstacles to her progress – she’d only calmly and indifferently find optimal solutions, quickly smoothing over and moving on.

But after meeting Ji Qinghe, her heart seemed to soften. Especially having just experienced Old Shen’s disappearance, tasting the panic and urgency of family encountering accidents, she found herself unable to ignore the shock and grief Mrs. Chen suffered after Old Chen’s accidental death.

She again explained the reasons for Old Chen’s accidental death to Mrs. Chen, having Su Zan produce Old Chen’s work schedule: “The crew’s work arrangement was reasonable and flexible. Everyone had sufficient rest time. Even night shifts guarding the ancient bells allowed normal rest and sleep – no staying up all night.”

Mrs. Chen nodded: “I know, Su Zan explained on the way.” She looked at Shen Qianzhan with some uncertainty: “Old Chen died suddenly in the crew – you’ll compensate losses, right?”

“Old Chen’s case is accidental death from natural causes. Following procedures, insurance companies pay compensation.” After explaining, fearing she wouldn’t believe it, Shen Qianzhan said quietly: “The investigation and determination were done by public security – you should have learned this before coming.”

Mrs. Chen nodded.

She didn’t talk much, mostly staying silent, listening to Shen Qianzhan speak.

Only when she had questions would she interrupt.

Seeing her understanding, Shen Qianzhan relaxed, continuing to inform her of subsequent procedures.

She didn’t pressure Mrs. Chen, remaining patient throughout. After discussing business, remembering Mrs. Chen and Old Chen had two young daughters, she asked: “Coming here this time, are the children being cared for?”

Mrs. Chen was surprised she’d care about the children. After hesitating, wiping tears, she said: “Yes. Our eldest daughter boards at high school and doesn’t know her father died yet. The younger one’s still in elementary school – grandparents at home help with pickup, no problem.”

Shen Qianzhan was silent several seconds, having Qiao Xin get a hot towel from the hotel for Mrs. Chen’s eyes: “About Old Chen’s matter, I’m very sorry.”

Mrs. Chen shook her head: “Old Chen’s passing has nothing to do with you all – it was just too sudden, I can’t accept it at once.”

“His eldest and second brothers are lazy parasites. The whole Chen family depended on Old Chen alone for income. His sister, married for so many years, constantly returned to her maiden home asking for money. Old Chen was spineless and soft-hearted – when his parents played weak, he’d agree.”

Speaking of this, she choked up again: “Old Chen and I were very loving when young, accompanying him through hardships following crews. After having children, we gradually spent less time together, leading to more complaints and misunderstandings. I just regret – knowing he’d leave so early, I would have treated him better.”

She rambled on, saying much more. Like confiding, but more like reminiscing.

She said she and Old Chen had been fighting and separated for months, but separation didn’t matter much – Old Chen only rested five to seven days yearly, probably not even knowing she’d moved out.

The children rarely saw their father. His love for them was entirely expressed through satisfying their celebrity worship – recently Old Chen had mailed signed photos of Fu Yang and Song Yan to his younger daughter.

Her relationship with in-laws was poor, first because they showed Old Chen no care, second because their endless demands for supporting other children meant despite Old Chen’s high wages, their daughter still lived hard times over the years, unable to afford five or six hundred yuan shoes.

Mrs. Chen gave Shen Qianzhan an impression of patient strength with unique personality.

Her gracious manner and proper etiquette also changed Shen Qianzhan’s previous speculations about her.

While feeling heartbroken, Shen Qianzhan also felt deep relief.

Relief that Mrs. Chen had principled moral compass, and that her character was upright and virtuous.

Finally, the conversation ended with Mrs. Chen’s bitter smile as she asked Shen Qianzhan: “How should I tell the two children?”

Shen Qianzhan remained silent.

Looking at the sobbing woman before her, her heart heavy without the relief of smoothly resolving matters: “Don’t worry, I’ll quickly get you the insurance compensation. If you have difficulties, feel free to contact me and Su Zan.”

After leaving Mrs. Chen’s room, Shen Qianzhan borrowed a cigarette from Su Zan, smoking under the awning at the hotel’s back entrance.

Her heart was irritated – after finishing one cigarette, she smoked another.

When asking Su Zan for a third, he refused.

He sat on the steps gripping the cigarette pack, playing with his lighter by tossing and catching it in his palm.

Su Zan had rarely spoken to her since last night. Shen Qianzhan never accommodated others, and being given the cold shoulder made her even less willing to yield.

Just as she reached to grab them, Su Zan agilely avoided, muttering quietly: “Mr. Ji asked me to look after you – giving you two cigarettes is already my limit. Any more and he’ll definitely wring my neck when he returns.”

Shen Qianzhan glanced at him dismissively: “You’re afraid of him?”

Su Zan shook his head: “Because he’s good to you, I’m willing to fear him.”