Chapter 87 Lack of Security
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Shen Qiyan had heard some gossip before, such as fathers and sons falling for the same person, or two brothers sleeping with the same person. It wasn't unusual for unrelated friends to sleep together, so there was nothing to be surprised about. However, it was unnecessary to end up in jail, and he would have to bail them out.
Shen Yueze ignored him, his arm behind his head, typing on his phone with one hand. He looked tired and listless, his legs crossed, his black work pants covered in dust and scattered bloodstains, making it impossible to tell whose they were.
Where are the others?
"The person next door is injured about the same as you."
Shen Qiyan stared at him for a moment, feeling that there were other reasons, not entirely because of Wen Yining, but he would have kept quiet about it.
He reminded him, "Dad's been really tired lately, so you should behave yourself and not cause him any trouble. If anything happens, hire a lawyer. If they're suing you for money, then just give in to them."
Shen Yueze scoffed coldly, "If you really gave her a sum of money, she'd be long gone the next day."
“Chen Jiabai is more reliable than you. He has always listened to his family and has never done anything out of line. He is not as unconventional as you. When he is in a relationship, he is aiming for marriage. You are not going to marry him, so what is the point of pestering him?”
"It doesn't matter as long as it's interesting."
He leaned back lazily, scrolling through the screen, browsing the unread messages from the past two days, not a single one from that ingrate Wen Yining.
Shen Qiyan knew very well that he just wanted to sleep with the girl. "It's no wonder he got arrested."
Judging from the severity of Chen Jiabai's blows, he was genuinely angry. Shen Qiyan felt it was mostly his younger brother's fault, but he had always been a capricious and unruly person since childhood, and his father's education had been ineffective, let alone that of his half-brother, so he never bothered to talk nonsense with him.
The private hospital was excessively quiet.
Shen Qiyan sat on the sofa next to his hospital bed, legs crossed, wearing a white shirt and casual trousers. He had a lazy air about him as he replied to his good brother's WeChat messages. He probably wouldn't mention that he had been beaten up like this. Ye Qingchi would only know that Chen Jiabai had been beaten up, otherwise he would lose face.
They didn't take his words seriously at all. They clearly have brains and abilities, but they don't make good use of them.
Shen Qiyan's attitude became more serious, and his tone turned cold. "There are many things I don't like about you, but I'm too lazy to say them. Things are different now. Dad wants you to go over and share the burden. He's over there extremely busy, facing both internal and external troubles."
He paused for a moment, then said, "You want to stay this free forever, without getting involved in intrigue and power struggles, and be a carefree prince? Impossible."
"As you know, corruption and infighting are rampant at the top, but corruption exists in all companies, so there's really nothing that can be done about it."
"Mainly because xxx fell from power, he hasn't slept well for many days."
The political figure Shen Qiyan mentioned was a powerful figure in Shen Zongjun's faction who was ousted by another.
Throughout history, those in high positions have had to choose sides, and once they do, there are bound to be winners and losers.
Given Shen Zongjun's position and his position within the vortex of power, the person he could trust most was naturally his own son. No matter how bad or dissolute his son was, he wasn't stupid.
No matter what happens, the only thing they won't do is betray their fathers, especially these two who have been outstanding and capable since childhood. With a little training, they can be used by many people.
Shen Qiyan continued, "In the past few years, he didn't care about you. He was just giving you time. When you've had your fun, you'll come back to him one day. If not now, then a few years later. I believe you understand. He didn't force you to do anything. In a relatively free situation, you still have to help him share some burdens."
Shen Qiyan knew that he wasn't ignorant, but simply didn't want to. No one likes living in an environment full of calculations, but one has to make choices.
Marriage isn't the most important thing for them; their families aren't forcing them to marry anyone.
Shen Zongjun's plans, ambitions, and foresight mean that even if he is temporarily at a disadvantage, he will never truly fall. Whoever has interests tied to the Shen family will be the one to take advantage of their power.
Shen Zongjun only wanted to focus his energy on his career, rather than worrying about his son and father-in-law's petty schemes.
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On the film set.
The temperature was hot and humid, making it hard to breathe. The cicadas chirped incessantly, and iced drinks and coffee were everywhere on site. Wen Yining had trouble sleeping after drinking tea and coffee, but she had no choice but to stay awake to keep going as she was rushing to meet deadlines.
Shi Yuheng also stayed up all night with her, smoking one cigarette after another to stay awake.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, adjusted his baseball cap, and focused intently on Wen Yining's changing expressions. "Not bad. After staying up all night, I'm going to take a shower and get a good night's sleep after work."
Holding the walkie-talkie, he said with a satisfied attitude, "Okay, that's fine, it's approved."
She immediately relaxed and took the coffee and phone from her assistant.
After leaving the police station, she filmed for two days on set with almost no rest time and only a few scenes with Fang Nong. She didn't have many scenes with Fang Nong. Shi Yuheng's assistant had told her that the two of them had already slept together.
She didn't know if it was true or not, but Shi Yuheng didn't seem to have any romantic feelings for Fang Nong. He was quite polite and distant in his speech, which reassured her a bit. As long as she wasn't replaced, that was fine.
After getting the phone, my first instinct was to check WeChat to see if Shen Yueze had sent me a message.
For two days in a row.
We haven't been in touch for two days, not a single message or phone call.
Chen Jiabai didn't send anything either, probably because he's still angry. This actually avoids a confrontation, which is good, as there's no need for explanations.
She sat in the makeshift rest area, wearily facing the fan. Strands of hair clung to her neck. She had been sweating during the day and felt sticky all over. Li Wu and a few supporting actors asked her what she wanted to eat. "Let's go get some late-night snacks together later. How about some barbecue and some beer?"
The second male lead, Deng Hao, who had a crush on her, observed her for a while and sensed that she was preoccupied with something. She seemed quite downcast during the show and didn't talk much, even though she was originally a rather cheerful person.
I happened to have heard the gossip, so I told her, "You just broke up with your boyfriend, so you should go out and have more fun. After you finish drinking, take a nap, and maybe you'll be able to get over it."
Li Wu nudged him, reminding him to keep quiet, "Don't mention it."
Deng Hao said dismissively, "What's the big deal? Everyone's been heartbroken. Wen Yining, there are so many handsome guys in the entertainment industry. If you make a few more films and become a bit famous, you can date anyone in the industry. I think you shouldn't get back together with him."
"I don't feel safe dating male celebrities. There are so many female fans, I can't handle it. I'll probably find someone outside the entertainment industry. He doesn't have to be handsome, just average-looking. I don't want someone who can just wave his hand and have girls swarming around him."
She was truly fed up with this feeling of insecurity while she was with Shen Yueze. If she continued to look for this type of man, wouldn't she be crazy? It's not like she was born liking to be tormented.
Her expression was indifferent. The person in front of her was not her type. Besides, they weren't even in a romantic relationship. Was it really a breakup?
Perhaps for him, it was just a change of bed partner.
He doesn't change girlfriends quickly, but he's never short of female company. He has a wide social circle, and he can meet friends of friends through casual introductions. Even if they're not close, he doesn't delete them or chat with them in a flirtatious way. But whenever he has a free period and a girl finds out, she can't resist flirting with him.
I've added over a thousand friends, and that's just from one of the social media apps.
She also has guys like that in her phone, but they're not really backup options. She doesn't have the energy to chat with a dozen or so at the same time. Although someone taught her to just send the same messages, she feels uncomfortable saying even one more word to guys she's not interested in.
The reason I haven't deleted it is because I think I'll be single someday in the future, and maybe my preferences will change.
She had also met boys and girls with very chaotic private lives. Compared to them, Shen Yueze was not promiscuous. He had no one-night stands and had never dated any small-time models or internet celebrities. But the more chaotic the situation, the harder it was for him to fall in love.
Holding his phone, he repeatedly scrolled through Shen Yueze's social media, scrolling down and refreshing, but there were no new updates.
I also checked out some of his buddies' posts, some of which shared their daily lives as rich kids, but he wasn't among them.
Shi Yuheng said the police station released him yesterday, and it was his family who came to bail him out. Why is there still no news about him today?
I'm so itchy, I can't resist. I even want to go to his house right now to see if he's there, and who he's with, a boy or a girl?
The people around her were chatting enthusiastically, but she didn't participate at all. She was so anxious that she couldn't stand it. No one had ever occupied so much of her mind before. Being with him was like being addicted to drugs, with pleasure mixed with pain.
I've heard that people who have used drugs can't quit because of psychological addiction.
I don't know why, but I have this strange feeling that my bones are being gnawed on by ants.
All I could do was call Chen Mo.
"Oh my god, you finally have time to answer the phone."
Chen Mo hadn't seen her in a long time. "You've been so busy lately, often out of contact. I thought you were busy filming, so I didn't look for you."
"It turned out that I was being held captive in a villa in the mountains by Shen Yueze."
captivity……
So, it could be said that she tried to escape in the middle of the night but was discovered by him.
Wen Yining didn't want to chat for the time being. "I'll tell you about this later. How did they resolve it yesterday? After he got out of the police station, Chen Jiabai didn't retaliate against him, right?"
"It looks like they had a fight. He has a broken rib and looks a bit disheveled. His clothes are covered in blood, or maybe it's from his nose. I don't know whose it is."
"My mom even brought me food. Maybe she's worried and wants to observe me for a couple of days. Normally, I can be discharged after being bandaged up."
Her heart tightened, and she quickly asked, "Which hospital? Have you been there?"
"Who are you going to see? They're both inside, but I don't know if they've been discharged today."
Wen Yining immediately tensed up, considering many possibilities, and a fight was indeed the most likely one.
"What about Shen Yueze? Was he injured too?"
"Chen Jiabai's face turned blue; he'd been punched, and his mouth was chapped. He was only eating liquids. I reckon Shen Yueze was in a similar state."
Chen Mo sent her the address and kindly advised, "Why don't you not go today? It's quite awkward. I didn't tell you at first because I didn't want you to go. Let's talk about it after you're discharged from the hospital. This relationship is already awkward to begin with."
But she couldn't wait. After finishing work, she didn't go to dinner with Li Wu and the others. However, considering that eating was also a way to maintain interpersonal relationships, she lied and said, "I'll go another day. I'm too tired today. I barely slept last night. I'll go catch up on some sleep first."
Shi Yuheng patted her shoulder and said with concern, "Okay, you don't need to go. You have to film a night scene tomorrow. If you don't get more sleep, you won't be able to stay up."
Deng Hao couldn't help but expose her, "Look at how rushed she is, does she look like she's going to a hotel? Is she going to see her ex-boyfriend?"
Shi Yuheng glanced at it again, but didn't ask. It's not good to meddle in private matters; the reason for calling the police was already overstepping his bounds.
She changed back into her own clothes, and without even removing her makeup, hailed a taxi from the roadside and headed straight to the private hospital.
After rushing there, she paced back and forth near the elevator a few times, clutching her phone, her heart pounding with anxiety. She still didn't know Shen Yueze's ward number; Chen Mo had only sent Chen Jiabai's.
When she asked the nurse on duty, the nurse didn't tell her directly. Instead, she used the landline on the table to call someone and said to the person on the other end in a proper and polite manner, "A girl is looking for Shen Yueze. Um... this is her first time here today... I don't know which bed number she is in. Okay."
Wen Yining placed her hand on the table in front of her, her brows furrowed slightly as she looked at the nurse with a puzzled expression, a hint of unease in her voice. She wondered why the nurse hadn't just told her her room number. Even though it was a private hospital, if someone's relatives came to visit, they could just ask and she would know. Who was this call for? Shen Yueze? The voice didn't sound like him.
The nurse hung up the phone and then told her, "Wait here for a while, Mr. Shen will be here soon."
Wen Yining hummed in agreement, took a deep breath, turned around, stopped staring at the nurse, and began to aimlessly observe the resumes of renowned doctors hanging on the wall, waiting in silence.
By 10:30, almost everyone in the hospital had fallen asleep, and the nurses on duty had stopped talking to each other. The corridor was so quiet that you could hear the chaotic heartbeats.
A few minutes later, Shen Qiyan came out, closed the ward door, and strode towards her.
Standing half a corridor away, Wen Yining stood still, her breathing erratic, her face calm as she sized him up. He had similar eyebrows and features to Shen Yueze, was over 1.8 meters tall, and wore a low-key casual outfit. His demeanor was aloof and distant, with no luxury brands, and his watch was equally understated.
Shen Qiyan: "You are Wen Yining?"
"Um, are you his brother?"
She hadn't heard him mention him much, but she knew he existed.
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A note from the author:
Writing this book was so stressful... I kept telling my friend that I felt like going crazy and yelling in the street. She understood me perfectly, saying that's just how long stories are.
It's normal to feel pressure, though; it means I want to write the story I envision. [glasses emoji]
This chapter contains 30 red envelopes!
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