Act Nine

He curled the corners of his lips and smiled slightly: "I thought Producer Shen would need to go around in circles a bit longer to understand my heartfelt intentions"

In December, she unexpectedly reunited with Ji Qinghe, who represented the investment project that was intended to last throughout the year.

To put it bluntly, the screenwriter, unable to control themselves, might have turned a personal biography into a romanticized account.

Yet, it is vaguely smiling

Because her rationality allowed her to foresee the three major consequences arising from this action in the next moment—being permanently banned for life, having an irreconcilable relationship with Old Master Ji, and living in complete estrangement from Ji Qinghe until death

Ji Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, showing no mercy in his words simply because she was a woman: "Is that so?"

He lifted his innocent and bewildered eyes from the rising steam of the hot pot and asked, "Are you two fans of 'Journey to the West'?"

In October and November, Shen Qianzhan once again traveled to Xi'an to invite Elder Ji to come out of retirement and serve as the special consultant for the project

Shen Qianzhan looked at the calculating expression that only appeared when the two were alone, feeling a bit overwhelmed: "Why not make it clear, General Manager Ji?"

Meng Wangzhou gazed at his nose and then at his heart, tears welling up, as he buried his head in his meal

What on earth is he thinking to invite Producer Shen to dinner, and now look, he's almost got one foot in the grave

At that moment, Shen Qianzhan really wanted to pour the Pu'er tea in her hand all over Ji Qinghe's face

In April of this year, at the Film and Television Summit, Bai Xuan released the first concept video of the tribute drama and officially commenced fundraising

Her eloquence, which is effective everywhere, encounters Ji Qing and becomes as mute as a fish, always unable to find the right words to retort

In June, Shen Qianzhan went to Xi'an to attend the Shaanxi Museum Clock and Watch Exhibition, where she met Ji Qinghe that day

But it was only for that moment

In May, Shen Qianzhan, representing Qian Deng Ying Ye, secured the first collaboration with Bo Xuan under the theme of watch restoration craftsmanship

The main storyline concerning the protagonist in the plan undoubtedly develops based on the character of the old master Ji. Although the descriptions of the romantic subplot are merely brief and cursory, it is not difficult to infer the protagonist's emotional struggles from the supporting characters introduced to advance the plot.

Shen Qianzhan shot a fierce glance at Ji Qinghe—this dog of a man, always knowing how to make her feel disgusted with his insinuations

After listening to the entire passage and understanding the principal-agent relationship between Shen Qianzhan and Ji Qinghe, he was so astonished that he failed to catch a meatball, causing the soup to splash all over him

No problem

Even though Ji Qing and Quan Cheng did not use any intense negative vocabulary, their tone remained consistently calm and indifferent, she still perceived the underlying sarcasm in that statement

The depth of the previous discussion has alleviated most of Shen Qianzhan's resistance to the collaboration between the two, but there remains a lingering half. It is imperative to quickly discuss solutions while they can still coexist peacefully.

Given Producer Shen's attitude last night, I thought our next meeting would be at a funeral, either you lying down or me lying down

It is quite difficult for Shen Qianzhan to adopt a different perspective

He has not remarried since his divorce from Ms. Meng. Ji Qinghe's tone was calm, completely unlike someone discussing their own family secrets; it was as if he were hastily summarizing another person's life, with a demeanor and tone that conveyed a sense of indifference. This proposal, which is based on the old master, imposes the artistic effects you desire, lacking objectivity

Meng Wangzhou involuntarily perked up his ears upon catching the words "Ms. Meng"

He was digesting while pulling out tissues, and really wanted to advise Shen Qianzhan... Ji Qing was dictatorial and authoritarian, full of cunning, and specialized in treating those with a fear of clusters. She could have collaborated with anyone, yet she specifically chose Ji Qing.

"Contract?" Ji Qinghe asked: "What contract?"

The light was dim, and the corners of his lips were partially hidden beneath the celadon cup, making the curvature difficult to discern

The Pu'er tea in her hand suddenly became hot, prompting her to quickly set down the cup. To cover her discomfort, she cleared her throat and changed the subject: "So, what are your thoughts after reviewing the proposal?"

Ji Qinghe glanced at her, his tone calm yet somewhat inscrutable: "If I weren't certain that the old man hasn't hired a hitman and doesn't want to live his later years in the spotlight, I would probably misunderstand this as a personal biography of Ji Qingzhen written by someone he commissioned."

She followed the timeline, linking the entire project from bidding, contracting, to preparation into several clear time segments

Shen Qianzhan felt a knot in her stomach at the thought of these three chain reactions

I have said, "Ji Qing and Wei Wei leaned in, their eyes slightly raised behind the mirror, perfectly releasing a sense of pressure: 'I hope that Producer Shen will never have a day when he needs to seek help.'"

The concerns and actions of Ji Qinghe are all reasonably explained

After the meal, considering that Meng Wangzhou had been focused on eating excessively, Shen Qianzhan requested Ji Qinghe to step aside for a moment to talk

Shen Qianzhan tore off the facade and retorted impatiently: "Isn't this just the other day?"

"Producer Shen is very similar to Ms. Meng in her youth; she is a person with clear goals and ambition written all over her face, determined to achieve her objectives without rest until she succeeds." Ji Qing put down his chopsticks and glanced at Shen Qianzhan with a very indifferent look: "When you were reviewing the old man's biography, weren't you curious as to why he said nothing about his marital relationship?"

Shen Qianzhan: "... ..." She felt that she could also lie down under any circumstances.

Since General Ji is willing to cooperate, Qian Deng also hopes that both parties can reach a cooperation agreement soon. I will have Su come over tomorrow to bring the contract for your review. Shen Qian Zhan displayed the gentle and considerate demeanor that only a party A could have, and tentatively suggested, "Or you could provide me with the contact information of your legal department, so that the legal teams of both sides can connect directly"

Ji Qinghe did not react to Shen Qianzhan's display of keen intelligence; he caressed the tea handle of the celadon teacup, and the dark pupils of his eyes reflected faint ripples under the light

Shen Qianzhan circled the teacup, pondering for quite a while

Meng Wangzhou understood it only partially

Setting aside the private entanglements between the two individuals, the appearance of Ji Qinghe is reasonable and justifiable

This comment made Shen Qianzhan feel somewhat embarrassed

What a mess, at least the trolls are somewhat acceptable

The two individuals are currently in the main hall of the Time Hall.

After Shen Qianzhan understood the key point, he spoke directly: "So, President Ji is very interested in the project, but the only concern is that he worries we might engage in unrealistic artistic processing for the sake of viewership spikes, which could affect the reputation of Old Master Ji"

According to the logic of Qing He, he was dissatisfied with the planning proposal after seeing it, particularly due to its use of the old gentleman as a prototype for sensationalism. In order to protect the old gentleman's reputation and to pursue a win-win objective that Shen Qianzhan was yet unaware of, he invested in the project and sought to control its direction

Especially since she did not expect that the emotional experiences of Old Master Ji would actually be intertwined with those of Bu Zhong Sui

Shen Qianzhan let out a sigh, almost rolling her eyes: "Mr. Ji could actually be straightforward about it. In the business world, as long as there is a common goal for mutual benefit, there are no grudges that cannot be resolved"