Chapter 59 Stupid kid.

Sun Ziyi was on summer vacation, and Xu Zecheng was worried that she ate too much takeout, so he brought her to the stadium to work together every day. He took her to the morning market every morning and let her choose what she wanted to eat that day. Then he drove to the stadium and personally went to the kitchen to prepare a special meal for her at noon.

In the morning, not long after Sun Ziyi and Xu Zecheng arrived at the stadium, Shen Qingqing called and said she was coming to see Sun Ziyi. Sun Ziyi wanted to ask her if she shouldn't go to Hangzhou at this time, but Shen Qingqing hung up in a hurry.

About two hours later, she finally arrived, looking particularly dejected. The court was so large that Sun Ziyi was too lazy to walk, so he drove the court's four-seater sightseeing bus from the lounge to the gate to wait for her. Seeing Shen Qingqing get out of the taxi, carrying a large schoolbag, Sun Ziyi asked her, "You came right after landing? Didn't you even go home to change clothes?"

Shen Qingqing shook her head “No, I’m in such a bad state now, I want to find you later.”

As Sun Ziyi was reversing the car, he said to Shen Qingqing, "Xu Zecheng is going to cook lunch. You can eat with us."

Shen Qingqing said okay, and after Sun Ziyi had reversed the car, he got on the passenger seat of the sightseeing bus.

-

Sitting in the sightseeing bus that was leaking air from all sides, Chen Qingqing originally wanted to recount her experience of asking for money as calmly as possible, but she became more and more depressed as she spoke, and finally she became silent as if she was out of breath.

Sun Ziyi was thinking about how to comfort her, but after all, things had not been going well for him recently, so he hesitated to speak and was weighing in his mind what to say. Xu Zecheng called again and asked her to bring the vegetables in the trunk to the kitchen because he had forgotten to take them.

So Sun Ziyi drove the electric scooter to the parking lot with Chen Qingqing.

Shen Qingqing looked around and couldn't help but say, "Your boyfriend's family has a huge business..."

Sun Ziyi nodded and said, "I just couldn't make it in life anymore and finally decided to find a rich man."

Although she knew that Sun Ziyi was teasing her, Shen Qingqing didn't laugh. Her current mental state was such that she probably wouldn't be able to laugh even if Shen Teng was in front of her.

After he'd collected the food and placed it in the back seat of the sightseeing bus, Sun Ziyi finally figured out what he wanted to say to Shen Qingqing. "You had very little work experience before. You didn't even go to Hangzhou because you suffered a setback in Shanghai, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, I don't have the experience and I can't do a good job planning. Even if I go to Hangzhou, the result will be the same. It's better not to do it."

Sun Ziyi sighed, "You're a typical newcomer to the workplace. You plan everything in advance. Before you went to Shanghai, did you think that since it was a friend's recommendation, you would definitely get this done? Did you have a preconceived notion of a successful outcome in your mind?"

Shen Qingqing looked at Sun Ziyi in shock. "I can't say I expected complete success, but the expected result was also 80%. I really didn't expect it to be so embarrassing."

"That's how it is when you first start working. You like to set the outcome, but the results are often not what you want."

Shen Qingqing said, "Then I'll change it next time. This time I feel like I need to take it slow."

Sun Ziyi asked, "Huanhuan? How many people are there in your crew?"

"Not many. They've arrived in Guizhou now and are coordinating with local production. Once the coordination is complete, I'll go over and start filming."

Sun Ziyi said, "Even if it's a crew of only five people, there will be expenses every day, and you have to keep running around and looking for money for these people."

Shen Qingqing nodded, “Yes, I’m going to sell the car.”

Sun Ziyi? He uttered a cry, turning his head to look at her while driving. "It can't be that serious, has it come to this?"

Shen Qingqing said with a sad face, "Of course I'm here. My psychological quality is too poor, and I'm not without money. Why can't I invest myself?"

Sun Ziyi uttered an "ah" and began to persuade her, "This is not a matter of whether you are rich or poor. If you are sure to pay for it yourself this time, then next time you encounter difficulties and are short of money, you can think about selling houses. In the early stage, you sold jewelry and clothes to start the project. Now that it has been launched, it must have a healthy operation. If you keep selling like this, sooner or later you will get yourself into trouble. What's more, it is not right to operate a project like this. If you don't come up with a good plan to face the investors in the middle stage, then why do you think you can come up with good content to face the audience in the later stage? At first, you faced the platform, which was the first wave of screening. Now you face the investors, which is the second wave of screening. In the future, you will face the audience, which is the final screening. The first project can determine whether you can continue in this industry."

Shen Qingqing didn't speak or respond, she didn't know what to say, her whole heart was a mess.

-

The two of them arrived at the cafeteria entrance. Sun Ziyi got out of the car first, walked around to the passenger seat, and extended his hand to Chen Qingqing. "Come on, hold my hand."

Shen Qingqing handed over her hand, and Sun Ziyi held her hand with one hand and carried the vegetables with the other, talking as they walked, and told her about what happened yesterday.

"Actually, I was in the same boat as you. When I wrote my first project, it was terrible. There was no structure. I didn't know how to create characters. Everyone was very stereotyped, and I wasn't good at creating resistance for the characters. But without resistance, the plot can't unfold. It was very difficult to write. I couldn't have them be in sweet love for 20 episodes, right? What would be the point?"

"The producer at the time was Sarah. She was always praising me, scolding me, and playing the emotional card. I had no days off, no deadlines, and had to hold meetings anytime, anywhere. Having meetings anytime, anywhere is terrifying because you have no end in mind. You have to keep the strings taut until the film is finished."

The two of them had already walked to the cafeteria. The kitchen was in a corner with a transparent window. Because Xu Zecheng hadn't started cooking yet, he opened the window to cut the vegetables. Sun Ziyi passed the vegetables in through the window. Shen Qingqing greeted Xu Zecheng and put her schoolbag aside. Sun Ziyi sat where he could see Xu Zecheng cooking and continued to talk to Shen Qingqing.

Sun Ziyi said, "What kept me going was reading over and over again the articles I wrote in the early years. When someone praised me for my talent, I would frantically read those comments in the middle of the night. That's what kept me going through the collaboration with Sarah."

Chen Qingqing replied to Sun Ziyi listlessly, "But no one has ever praised me. I feel miserable every day."

Sun Ziyi said as a matter of course, "Because you have just started, it will be difficult at the beginning."

Sun Ziyi added, "After finishing that project, I started working on other projects. Each one was incredibly difficult to write, but the people there were much more professional than Sarah. They gave me deadlines, provided me with complete meeting minutes, and discussed the details with me on an equal footing. I had rest periods at every stage. I've been thinking lately that for many of the projects I worked on, I actually had the right people, but I just wasn't in the right place at the right time."

Sun Ziyi's voice floated into Xu Zecheng's ears through the window. Xu Zecheng could hear them talking, so he turned his head to look at them from time to time.

Sun Ziyi went on to recall, "I remember when I was working on a certain project, I had a high fever and developed pneumonia. I lived alone at the time, and every night before going to bed I would tell you, 'Chen Qingqing, you have to call me early the next morning. Do you know why?'"

Shen Qingqing recalled and said, “You said you wanted to get up and run.”

Sun Ziyi held up his face and laughed, "Of course not. I was afraid that I would die alone at home and no one would find me. I didn't dare to tell you directly that you were preparing for the wedding at that time. I was afraid that you would worry about me."

Shen Qingqing said, “Fuck, you can just say it directly next time.”

Sun Ziyi said a little proudly, adjusting his hair, "There won't be a next time. I have Xu Zecheng now. He will never let me die."

Shen Qingqing finally smiled.

"But when I had a fever that time, I was thinking, I will definitely pass this time, because the heroines in idol dramas always brave the rain, the illness, and all kinds of obstacles to succeed in the end."

Shen Qingqing asked, “Did it succeed then?”

Sun Ziyi hummed, "Of course not! I'm not the heroine of an idol drama. Then I started revising the script many times, but nothing worked. So I borrowed money from Jiebei and asked a script doctor to adjust the script for me. It took three months. The investor didn't pay me, and I had to pay Jiebei back the next month, so I paid it back and borrowed it out again. But I managed to get through it. By the time I finished adjusting the script, the project team had already found another screenwriter, and that's how I missed out on my second project!"

Shen Qingqing exclaimed, she didn't expect this result, because Sun Ziyi never said it.

"I refused to talk about this at the time because I felt that my mentality had been tempered a lot during this process. I learned about the many changes in work and that no one would wait for you. That time when I quarreled with Li Bei, I also knew about Zhang You's existence in advance. If I had never known, I would still have continued to do it, because I always think of how brave I was in the past. If I didn't move forward, I would be sorry for my past self. In the past few years, I have been relying on ruminating on my past bravery to move forward."

Sun Ziyi added with a grin, "Of course, I didn't do particularly well, but I still want to say that if you don't have the courage this time, you won't have the courage next time. But if you have the courage to move forward this time, it will give you the confidence you need next time."

Chen Qingqing held her face in her hands but still said nothing. Her heart was still in a mess. Sun Ziyi's words could only give her a little comfort, comforting her that everyone had suffered, but this was still not enough, because no one could be persuaded with just a few words, and everyone moved forward by falling.

Sun Ziyi turned around and shouted towards the kitchen, "I'm so hungry, can you give me a cucumber?"

Xu Zecheng had his back to her, so her expression couldn't be seen, but he lowered his head and wiped his face, then turned around and handed her half a cucumber. Shen Qingqing had sharp eyes, and from her angle she could see that Xu Zecheng's eyes were red.

Shen Qingqing took out her phone and sent a message to Sun Ziyi, "Xiao Cheng is crying."

Sun Ziyi turned his head to look at Xu Zecheng, and just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by Shen Qingqing. Shen Qingqing said again, "Don't let him know that you found him crying."

"I don't understand, why is he crying?"

"He must have heard us talking and felt sorry for you in the past."

Sun Ziyi immediately said "impossible", then turned around and asked Xu Zecheng nonchalantly, "Are you cutting onions? Do you need paper?"

Chen Qingqing looked at Sun Ziyi speechlessly and typed, "I still have to take a few more classes for my career, and you still have to take another nine years of compulsory education for your love."

Sun Ziyi replied, "No way? I think I'm pretty good at love, and there's nothing wrong with us."

"You're wrong. Xu Zecheng is quite good at love."

-

Xu Zecheng cooked a few dishes and moved them to a private room in the cafeteria. The room had a large revolving table, and the three of them sat at one corner, making it easier to pick up food. Xu Zecheng moved the dishes in front of them and said, "Qingqing, eat more. My cooking is average, but it's edible."

Shen Qingqing said, “I’m not picky about food, as long as I can eat enough.”

As she adjusted her chopsticks, the door of the private room suddenly opened. Shen Qingqing turned her head and found that it was Wang Shu who opened the door, followed by Jiang Yong.

Wang Shu looked at Xu Zecheng with a smile, "Mr. Xu, can I have a meal with you?"

Xu Zecheng and Shen Qingqing hadn't spoken yet, but Sun Ziyi spoke first, "I didn't cook your food, Mr. Wang."

Friends are like this, and a compulsory course is to share the same hatred and enemies. Knowing that Shen Qingqing and Wang Shu were getting a divorce, and seeing Shen Qingqing in such a situation, Sun Ziyi subconsciously didn't want to give Wang Shu a good face, even though she also knew that Wang Shu had done nothing wrong.

Xu Zecheng reached out from under the table and patted Sun Ziyi. Sun Ziyi wanted to continue talking, but Chen Qingqing casually handed her chopsticks to Wang Shu and said, "Please sit down."

Shen Qingqing looked behind him and said, "Jiang Yong, sit down too. Let's eat together."

Sun Ziyi couldn't help but patted Chen Qingqing, and Chen Qingqing patted her back, and the three of them patted each other under the table.

As soon as Jiang Yong and Wang Shu sat down, Xu Zecheng stood up. "I didn't know guests were coming. Yiyi, you and Mr. Jiang, please come with me and cook two more dishes. Otherwise, there won't be enough."

Sun Ziyi said, "I'm not going. If you want to go, go ahead. Besides, we have a chef. If your cooking isn't good, how can we entertain Mr. Wang?"

Jiang Yong said, "The chef's cooking lacks soul. Mr. Xu, I'll go with you. You're definitely too busy to handle it alone."

Sun Ziyi immediately said, "Okay, then Mr. Jiang will accompany you, so I won't go."

Xu Zecheng pulled Sun Ziyi's arm and said, "Go, why not go?"

Finally, Sun Ziyi was taken away after much persuasion.

-

Only Shen Qingqing and Wang Shu were left in the private room.

Wang Shu relaxed completely, walked to the next cupboard to get a set of dishes and chopsticks, and then returned to sit next to Shen Qingqing. "I didn't know you were in Beijing. I heard you started a project."

Shen Qingqing nodded and watched Wang Shu cut and move the plate of fruit in front of her. He knew that Shen Qingqing didn't eat raw fruit. "We found a platform to advertise. The people on the platform proposed it."

Shen Qingqing said, “Catastrophe is good, and they have started advertising.”

Wang Shu didn't answer, but asked Shen Qingqing, "Now many platforms display IP addresses. I saw you were in Henan a while ago? Then you went to Shanghai."

Shen Qingqing nodded and said, "Aren't you busy? Recently, I only stayed in Shanghai for half a day, and you saw it all."

"Busy, but you are my wife."

After Wang Shu finished speaking, he poured himself a glass of water, supported himself on the table with one hand and held the glass with the other. He looked like a leader in the bureau, except that he lacked a big belly.

Shen Qingqing could tell that Wang Shu had been doing well recently. He looked high-spirited and relaxed. It was obvious that he really wanted to drink some water, rather than just trying to cope with the situation uncomfortably.

Wang Shu finished his drink and continued, "How is your project going? I wanted to ask the platform again, but I didn't want to cause you any trouble, so I didn't."

Shen Qingqing said, “It’s not going well, I’m going to sell the car.”

Wang Shu then asked, "Are you short of money? If you are, we can invest in your film. Since Catastrophe is doing well, Shanghai has asked us to invest in more advertising."

Shen Qingqing said, “No, the subject matter is not suitable.”

Wang Shu remained silent this time. He certainly knew that the subject matter was inappropriate, because the people on the platform had already told him what his wife was working on.

Wang Shu thought for a moment and said, "How about I introduce you to some investors?"

Shen Qingqing said no need.

After saying this, Shen Qingqing suddenly started eating with big mouthfuls.

Wang Shu extended his chopsticks to pick up some food for her. "If you have any difficulties, just tell me. We are husband and wife, and you are the closest person to me."

Shen Qingqing paused for a moment. She really couldn't bear to hear the words "dearest person". Why didn't she say "I, Shen Qingqing, am your dearest person" when she secretly bought the house? Shen Qingqing's heart seemed to be ignited again at this moment, but she tried to restrain herself and said, "Boss Wang, we still have to talk about divorce."

Wang Shu was very calm. "Let's not talk about this now. This is still with Teacher Sun's boyfriend. What if we get into a fight?"

Shen Qingqing thought about it and it was true. She should try to be as stable as possible when she is in someone else’s place. “Well, you are doing well now, right?”

Wang Shu put a handful of vegetables into his bowl, picked up a handful of rice, and put it into his mouth. He said in a vague voice, "Every day when I come home, the house is empty, and I don't know how to wash clothes."

"You can find a part-time worker and ask her to leave my cloakroom alone."

Wang Shu didn't say anything. The two of them ate their food in silence. Of course, they both knew that those three people would not come back...

"You finally returned to Beijing. Are you going home tonight? How about we go for a walk together in the evening?" Mr. Wang asked tentatively.

"Maybe not. I'm leaving today. I'm going to Hangzhou to meet an investor." Shen Qingqing was browsing her phone while talking.

"Didn't you just arrive in Beijing today? Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Wang Shu thought she was making excuses.

Shen Qingqing reached out, handed over her phone, and showed Wang Shu her ticket information. During this meal, she suddenly realized that if she was not brave, she would have to return to her father's arms and her husband and continue to be that stupid child in her thirties.