Chapter 50 It all comes down to who has the stronger connections. I've met her a few times...

The previously harmonious scene instantly became awkward. The sounds of clinking glasses and laughter seemed to have been paused. No one in the private room touched their bowls or chopsticks, and no one dared to be the first to speak out.

The other investors were also shrewd; after exchanging glances, they all tacitly refrained from expressing their opinions.

Firstly, their investment is insignificant compared to that of the Wen family, so there's really no need for them to wade into this mess.

Secondly, Shen Rou and Chief Screenwriter Li are not their people, so they have no reason to oppose the Wen family for unrelated individuals.

So they were basically all there to watch the show.

Zhu Qingzhi remained silent, but secretly pinched Wen Qi's hand, the unspoken message being, "Don't cause trouble, let me go!"

But Wen Qi didn't care about that little bit of force. He hooked her little finger and gently twisted it to dissipate her strength.

The next second, he went even further, slipping his fingers through hers and interlocking them firmly, his posture carrying an intimacy that left no room for refusal.

In that instant, Zhu Qingzhi felt like her head was about to explode. She subconsciously engaged in a battle of wits with Wen Qi, but after a long back-and-forth struggle, they couldn't figure out what was going on.

Just as she was feeling annoyed, she caught a glimpse of the investor next to her staring at her with great interest, his eyes clearly indicating that he had noticed something was amiss.

Zhu Qingzhi's heart skipped a beat. Forgetting about Wen Qi, she immediately suppressed all her displeasure, put on an impeccable smile, bowed slightly, raised her glass, and handed it to the other person.

The atmosphere in the private room was as heavy as lead, so oppressive that it made one feel uneasy.

Chief screenwriter Li didn't expect Director Zheng to bring up the issue of the dual scripts again at the dinner table. He secretly observed Wen Qi's reaction and couldn't sit still any longer. He picked up his wine glass and walked around from the side: "President Wen, this is really a misunderstanding."

"Yes, yes, it's all a misunderstanding." Shen Rou also came to her senses and hurriedly chimed in.

She quickly glanced at Wen Qi, whose eyes and brows revealed a cold and distant demeanor, just as the rumors outsider described him as unapproachable.

But she's Xiaoning's best friend, after all. Xiaoning has clearly said that she has a good relationship with Wen Qi, but judging from this, it seems like she's here to confront her.

Did Xiaoning not tell Wen Qi about their relationship? That shouldn't be the case; Xiaoning just called her this morning.

Shen Rou couldn't figure out Wen Qi's thoughts. Her enthusiasm for trying to get closer to him with the wine in hand had long since dissipated. But then, Chief Screenwriter Li was nudging her with his elbow. In her anxiety, Shen Rou saw Zhu Qingzhi standing to the side, refusing to leave.

Hey! She's really getting herself into this mess, doesn't she know when to stop? Fine, let's just drag her down with us.

Shen Rou's eyes darted around, and she immediately grabbed Zhu Qingzhi's arm: "Qingzhi was there about the script too, but we were really good friends."

Zhu Qingzhi had just taken a sip of wine when Chen Rou suddenly tugged at her, causing her to sway violently. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and didn't spill all the wine, but some still splashed out.

Yes, that little bit, no more, no less, was all on Wen Qi. A few scattered plum blossoms suddenly appeared on his white shirt, particularly noticeable under the light.

Oh dear.

She held her breath, blinked, put the wine glass on the table, and pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth. Her series of actions were so fast that they were like a frame-dropping scene, all in one continuous motion within five seconds.

As she wiped, her movements slowed down, and it was clear that she regretted it.

It's so weird! The feeling of having a dozen pairs of eyes staring at my forehead is just too weird!

Zhu Qingzhi's knuckles, which were gripping the tissue, turned slightly white. The panic she had just felt had subsided, leaving only overwhelming embarrassment.

In an instant, a subtle shock crept into the oppressive atmosphere. Chen Rou's eyes widened in disbelief, clearly not expecting this turn of events.

Even the words of embellishment that the head screenwriter, Li, was about to utter caught in his throat.

Is this girl adding fuel to the fire? Even if he and Zhu Qingzhi aren't on the same side, he can't let her spoil the investors' enthusiasm! Otherwise, he'll lose his job.

Chief screenwriter Li raised his wine glass even higher, a smile plastered on his face: "Well, young people are bound to be flustered, that's normal. Mr. Wen, you're so magnanimous, please don't take it to heart."

As he spoke, he winked at Shen Rou, who then seemed to snap out of her daze.

Of course, she was aware of the stakes involved, and she was afraid that Zhu Qingzhi would cause trouble and make her a scapegoat, so she quickly followed up, "Yes, yes, Qingzhi is just too nervous. Look, her hands are shaking."

Wen Qi lowered his eyes, staring at Zhu Qingzhi's hand pressed against his chest. His eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, and no one could see his expression.

What does this mean?

Shen Rou panicked even more, and felt like she wanted to cut Zhu Qingzhi in two. She hurriedly grabbed Zhu Qingzhi's hand.

Wen Qi was faster than her. She not only reached out and wiped away the few wine stains on Zhu Qingzhi's hand, but also thoughtfully pulled Zhu Qingzhi closer to her: "I'm sorry, I tripped you."

These words left everyone even more bewildered, adding an inexplicable layer to the subtle tension they had just felt.

Zhu Qingzhi wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground right now, but those dozen or so gazes were still glued to her forehead, burning her with embarrassment. In desperation, she sent a distress signal to Yang Qing.

Yang Qing seemed to understand her meaning, since he got up and walked this way. But he also seemed not to fully understand, because he was walking incredibly slowly! He showed absolutely no professionalism befitting a part-time agent!

Zhu Qingzhi decided to rely on herself first. Looking at the few wet spots on Wen Qi's shirt, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "President Wen, they say that water brings good fortune. This is to bring you good luck."

It seems she was right when she studied that decorative painting!

Her eyes narrowed, then instantly regained their brilliance. "It seems not only will you benefit, but I'll also get a share, and so will [Yunshuiyao]!"

Zhu Qingzhi stood there, her cheeks still flushed, and when she said "it will flourish when it encounters water," her voice rose slightly at the end, carrying a hint of feigned composure.

Her fingers, which were gripping the tissue, curled up slightly—a small gesture she made when nervous, just like during her last audition.

Her eyes were bright, like they held stars, and the embarrassment hidden in them had long since turned into a clever probing. Especially the sentence, "I've given you a way out, so take it right now!" almost jumped out of her sparkling eyes.

The warmth of her hand still lingered in his palm. Wen Qi's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile as he spoke, a lingering chuckle in his throat: "Thank you for your kind words."

At this moment, some laughter finally broke out in the private room, and Chief Screenwriter Li finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The situation changed so quickly, it was like riding a roller coaster. Zhu Qingzhi, that little girl, really knows how to handle things; she managed to ease the tension with just a few words.

President Wen is a magnanimous person. Although he only said polite words like "Thank you for your kind words," the screenwriter, Director Li, knew in his heart that this meant he would not pursue the matter further.

However, the atmosphere between the two of them is rather strange. Could it be that Zhu Qingzhi and Wen Qi are also related?

The head screenwriter, Li, couldn't help but glance at Zhu Qingzhi a few more times. When his gaze shifted to Wen Qi, his expression immediately changed. Regardless of whether there was anything fishy going on between the two of them, getting this matter settled first was the best course of action.

He raised his glass even higher, his voice rising eight octaves: "Absolutely! Qingzhi's mouth is like it's blessed! It's incredibly accurate! The [Yunshuiyao] project will definitely not disappoint you, Mr. Wen!"

Zhu Qingzhi truly admired Chief Screenwriter Li; he was always there for her when needed, unlike that leisurely Yang Qing who just sat back down! Nor was he like Director Zheng, who didn't say a word and had no intention of helping her out of the predicament!

Perhaps her gaze was too intense, Director Zheng cleared his throat and finally slapped the table: "Alright, alright, you two stop teasing that young girl."

At this moment, genuine laughter finally filled the private room, and the air seemed to lighten considerably.

Zhu Qingzhi smiled and tried to run away, but when she looked up, she met Wen Qi's eyes again. They were like clouds blown away by the wind, gentle and tender: "I have met Miss Zhu a few times."

No, who asked you?!

Zhu Qingzhi blinked twice, feigning composure: "I did see President Wen at the LR dinner yesterday."

Wen Qi's smile deepened. He closed the open script with one hand and turned to look at Director Zheng: "I won't interfere with the crew's affairs. This was agreed upon with you beforehand."

Director Zheng glanced at him, his face expressionless, and simply raised his glass to tap the table. Then, several investors began to echo his sentiments one after another.

"Of course, of course, Mr. Wen and I share the same thoughts."

"I'm a big fan of yours, Director Zheng. Just ask if you need anything, and I won't interfere with anything else."

"Yes, yes, me too."

The investors in the private room all stood up at the same time and raised their glasses together.

Director Zheng also stood up: "I hope that the film 'The Knot' will live up to Qingzhi's good wishes."

The chief screenwriter Li and Shen Rou didn't look too good. After exchanging glances, they knew that Director Zheng had used Wen Qi to suppress the investors' desire to get involved, and that Director Zheng was indirectly supporting Zhu Qingzhi.

But what could they do? Their two investors weren't here today. Even if they had, they couldn't openly disagree, so no matter how unhappy they were, they could only put on a smiling face for now.

After everyone finished their drinks, Director Zheng said a few more words and then announced the end of the meeting.

Wen Qi was being held back by Director Zheng, who wouldn't let him leave. This suited Zhu Qingzhi perfectly, so she didn't wait for him at all and ran off as fast as she could.

It was nearly nine o'clock. The cold wind carried the fragrance of winter plum blossoms on the bare branches, blurring the ink-black color. Scattered stars dotted the scene. Yang Qing and Zhu Qingzhi stood together waiting for a car.

Because of Yang Qing's behavior just now, Zhu Qingzhi had a lot of opinions about him, so she kept her head down and looked at the marble tiles on the porch.

“After filming for ‘Yunshuiyao’ starts, you’ll probably have to stay in Nancheng until the end of March.” Yang Qing didn’t notice her coldness and objectively discussed the work arrangements with her. “There are many other work arrangements during this period that will require your cooperation to coordinate your schedule.”

Zhu Qingzhi didn't mince words: "I know. By the way, is there still no news about the dating reality show that Director Yang mentioned before?"

The dating reality show was just a contractual agreement, but it had never been implemented, which made her feel uneasy.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Yang Qing stepped forward to open the car door for her and said with a smile, "The dating reality show is already in the preparation stage, and filming will start no later than the second half of the year."

Zhu Qingzhi had just gotten into the car when her phone vibrated. It was a message from Wen Qi: "[You ran pretty fast.]"

She smiled and gave a playful "tongue out" emoji before putting her phone away.

The car was warm and cozy, and the neon lights outside the window cast a flowing halo on the glass. Yang Qing sat in the passenger seat, and the dappled light and shadow outside the window shone on his face.

As Zhu Qingzhi gazed at the half-lit, half-shadowed outline, that inexplicable feeling welled up in her heart again.

At the dinner table, he and Wen Qi barely exchanged a single word or even made eye contact, yet for some reason, there was an unspoken understanding between them, like two actors who had worked together for years exchanging a secret code that only they could decipher across the noisy crowd.

Zhu Qingzhi suddenly asked, "Director Yang, did you and President Wen know each other before?"

The car was warmly heated, and Yang Qing was gazing at the street scene passing by outside the window. Hearing this, she slowly turned her head, a faint smile on her lips, and said in a calm and unhurried tone: "President Wen is a benchmark figure in the industry. It's hard not to know him."

The ambiguous answer neither indicated familiarity nor unfamiliarity, and even deliberately paused on the word "know".

Zhu Qingzhi didn't ask any further questions, only gave a soft "hmm" and then said, "Stop the car."

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Author's note: Kiyoshi [Sunglasses]: There is only one truth.

Wen Qi [shrugs]: As expected...

Yang Qing [cracked]: Dared not speak.

Ah Mei: Progress is incredibly fast [sunglasses] Your identity will be exposed soon.