Chapter 86 "Keep Your Word"
Chapter 86
The film festival selection process takes time, and the results are usually announced in mid-August. With nearly three months to go, Yu Pan, after spending most of the last two weeks completely relaxed and doing nothing, started thinking about finding something to do.
There's no way around it; he's no longer in a situation where he's all set for himself. His studio has about thirty people to support, and every day there's a significant expense.
Although he has his own little savings, plus the creative fund that Shen Yanzhou had prepared for him long ago, it's enough for him to keep going for ten or eight years, so he doesn't have to worry about money at all.
But Yu Pan had his own plans. He had to work hard to earn money! Otherwise, how could he support Shen Yanzhou? Although he knew that Shen Yanzhou didn't need him to support him at all, this thought was like a small flame that would occasionally flicker and give him some motivation.
Yu Pan already had a general idea for the second script. This time, he wanted to challenge himself with something different. The story was set in the early Republican era and would tell the story of a seemingly cynical rich young man who navigates and struggles amidst various forces, ultimately finding his own path.
Practice makes perfect. Compared to the stumbling and fumbling when writing the first notebook, Yu Pan was clearly more confident this time, and her writing flowed much more smoothly.
However, there is a lot of research required for Republican-era themes. Just the historical background, the characters' clothing, and the language habits alone are enough to give him a headache.
Fortunately, he's no longer working alone; his studio staff are all incredibly capable. All he has to do is mention what kind of information he needs, and within two days, copies of relevant books and periodicals will appear on his desk, saving him a lot of trouble.
Yu Pan originally estimated that this script would take at least four or five months to write, but with the help of the team, he only needed to focus on brainstorming and writing, and his efficiency was extremely high. He actually completed the first draft of the second script, "Feng Hua Yue," in early August.
As before, as soon as the script was finalized, Yu Pan couldn't wait to show it to Teacher Ji.
Ji Yun carefully reviewed the manuscript, and when he put it down, his eyes were filled with undisguised admiration. He didn't offer much praise, but simply pointed out a few details that needed minor adjustments.
A few days later, Yu Pan was revising her manuscript at home when a notification suddenly popped up on her computer screen, indicating that there was a new email.
He casually clicked on it, and when he saw the words on it, he was startled – it was from the film festival's official website!
The email stated that his film "Little People" had been shortlisted for the main competition and that he and the film's creators were formally invited to attend the film festival and awards ceremony at the end of the month.
Yu Pan stared at the screen for three times, not even bothering to make a phone call, and ran out, driving straight to Shen Yanzhou's company.
He rushed to Shen Yanzhou's office door, forgetting to knock, and pushed the door open. Shen Yanzhou was talking to his subordinates when he saw him burst in, his face flushed, and was taken aback for a moment.
Everyone working alongside Shen Yanzhou knew Yu Pan, and her subordinates, seeing this, quickly left.
"What's wrong, Panpan?" Shen Yanzhou stood up, walked around the desk towards him, and asked, "Why are you running so fast?"
Yu Pan was so excited she could barely speak, hugging Shen Yanzhou's neck and jumping up and down, "Brother! We made it! We made it!"
Shen Yanzhou knew exactly what Yu Pan meant by being shortlisted. He picked Yu Pan up and spun her around, excitedly saying, "Panpan, you're amazing!"
Yu Pan was spun around in Shen Yanzhou's arms, hugging his neck tightly, and said loudly, "I told you I could do it! Aren't I amazing!"
"Yes, it's amazing!" Shen Yanzhou put Yu Pan down, their foreheads touching, sharing their joy. The office quieted down, with only their slightly rapid breathing remaining.
"What do you want to eat tonight?" Shen Yanzhou asked in a low voice. "We have to celebrate properly."
"Anything is fine with me!" Yu Pan's eyes crinkled into a smile. "I have to tell Lin Xiao and the others this good news right away!"
"Okay, you inform the crew first, I'll make the arrangements tonight." Shen Yanzhou felt a surge of pride as she looked at his excited expression.
His Panpan is gradually moving towards a broader stage, shining brightly.
-
The film festival was held as scheduled at the end of August on Lido Island in Venice, Italy. Yu Pan, along with Teacher Ji, lead actress Lin Xiao, and several studio staff, set off ten days in advance.
Shen Yanzhou was originally going to go together, but the company had a very important acquisition project that was at its most critical stage, so he couldn't leave and had to let Yu Pan and the others go first.
"Let me know you've landed safely," Shen Yanzhou said as he helped Yu Pan straighten her neatly combed collar at the airport. "I'll definitely be there before the awards ceremony starts."
"I know, don't worry, Teacher Ji is here." Yu Pan leaned closer and whispered, "You keep your word."
Shen Yanzhou was amused by Yu Pan's words and ruffled his hair, "When has your brother ever gone back on his word?"
"That's not true," Yu Pan smugly hummed.
There are no direct flights from China to Venice, so the group transferred twice and spent nearly twenty hours before finally setting foot on Lido Island.
This was the first time Yu Pan had voluntarily left Shen Yanzhou for such a long time. She had regretted it since the first transfer, and all she could think about was that she should have waited for Shen Yanzhou to finish his work before coming together.
The first two days on the island went quite smoothly. Yu Pan attended several parties with Teacher Ji and met many friends in the film industry.
He would call Shen Yanzhou many times a day to share his daily life, and Shen Yanzhou would always listen to him finish.
Time passed day by day, and with only one day left until the awards ceremony, Yu Pan called Shen Yanzhou again. It was already late at night in China, and Shen Yanzhou had just finished a social engagement.
"It's a long flight, so remember to bring some books or newspapers to read on the plane," Yu Pan nagged. "The food on board is pretty good too, much better than the flights we usually take."
Shen Yanzhou couldn't help but laugh on the other end of the phone, "Okay, okay, I've got it all in mind."
Yu Pan had flown this route before and knew that it was almost impossible to contact anyone on long-haul flights, so she could only call Shen Yanzhou around the time of his layover. Strangely, Shen Yanzhou's assistant answered the phone.
"Where's my brother?" Yu Pan asked.
The assistant stammered, "President Shen... is in a very important conference call."
“Okay,” Yu Pan thought that Shen Yanzhou sometimes did hand his phone to his assistant for safekeeping during meetings, so she didn’t think much of it. “Then tell him to remember to call me back after the meeting.”
“Uh, yes, Mr. Yu,” the assistant replied.
But more than three hours passed before she could call back, and the phone was switched off. Yu Pan thought that the person must have already boarded the plane, even though it was half a day earlier than planned. Maybe Shen Yanzhou wanted to come and be with him sooner.
However, from that night until the start of the awards ceremony the next day, there was still no news from Shen Yanzhou. Yu Pan sat at the awards ceremony, tightly gripping her phone, her palms sweaty.
"Don't worry too much," Teacher Ji, who was sitting next to him, noticed his unease and comforted him. "It's probably just a flight delay, or his phone ran out of battery."
Yu Pan nodded reluctantly, but he couldn't hear a word being said on stage. He had no interest in the celebrities and directors who were there, nor in appreciating the other shortlisted works; his mind was completely occupied by Shen Yanzhou.
He would never disappear like this.
When the stage announced that "Little People" had won the Best New Director award, the spotlight shone on Yu Pan, and enthusiastic applause erupted all around him. Yet, he felt as if he were in a dream.
It wasn't until Teacher Ji gently nudged him that he stood up and walked towards the stage.
Standing on the podium, holding the heavy trophy, Yu Pan looked at the dark mass of people below and the constantly flashing lights, but felt no joy whatsoever.
He mechanically read the prepared thank-you speech in English, his mind only on Shen Yanzhou.
For the latter half of the awards ceremony, Yu Pan felt extremely uncomfortable. As soon as the ceremony ended, he even declined media interviews and rushed back to his hotel, repeatedly dialing that familiar number, only to be met with a cold, switched-off message.
Just as he was about to break down, there was a knock on the door, one after another, so urgent it made him panic.
Yu Pan excitedly ran to open the door, but standing outside was Teacher Ji with a solemn expression.
“Panpan,” Ji Yun pressed down on Yu Pan’s trembling shoulders, “Listen to me, Xiao Zhou… he was in a car accident the night before last.”
Yu Pan froze on the spot, her ears ringing.
“He’s in the ICU at Beijing People’s Hospital right now,” Ji Yun said, gripping Yu Pan’s shoulder tightly. He had only found out about it from two Chinese directors at the awards ceremony. After confirming that it was indeed Shen Yanzhou from Beijing, he immediately came to find Yu Pan. “We need to get back as soon as possible.”
Yu Pan opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound; she could only grip Teacher Ji's arm tightly.
"Let's go... let's go now..." he finally managed to squeeze out those words.
After receiving the award, there was a banquet and media events to follow, but Yu Pan couldn't spare the time for any of them.
All honors and reputations were meaningless at this moment; he only wanted to return to Shen Yanzhou's side immediately.
-
When the plane landed at Beijing Airport, Yu Pan had never felt that a 20-hour flight was so long; every minute and every second felt like torture.
Yu Pan rushed to the hospital and bumped into Tan Ming, who was about to leave, at the entrance.
Tan Ming was somewhat surprised, "Panpan? You now..."
"Where's my brother!" Yu Pan shouted hoarsely, "Where is Shen Yanzhou?!"
Knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, Tan Ming sighed and led his men towards the inpatient department.
The smell of disinfectant in the hospital was so strong and pungent. Through the glass of the ICU, Yu Pan saw that Shen Yanzhou was covered in tubes, wearing a breathing mask, and his lips were frighteningly pale.
With red eyes, his assistant told him that someone else had been driving under the influence and ran a red light, crashing straight into Shen Yanzhou's car. Both the driver and the person who caused the accident were in the intensive care unit, but Shen Yanzhou was in the most serious condition, with six broken ribs, a head injury, and a broken leg.
"The patient's vital signs are currently stable, but close observation is still needed." The doctor's wording was very cautious. "The impact of the head injury can only be assessed after the patient regains consciousness."
When Yu Pan went in to visit him wearing sterile clothing, her legs felt weak.
He had never seen Shen Yanzhou so vulnerable in his life. The person who always stood in front of him, sheltering him from the wind and rain, seemingly omnipotent, was now lying quietly on the hospital bed, his breathing so light that it was almost inaudible.
Yu Pan sat down on the chair by the bed and carefully touched the hand of Shen Yanzhou that was not receiving an IV drip.
The warmth from his fingertips reassured him slightly, but seeing Shen Yanzhou's closed eyes made his heart clench again.
“Brother,” Yu Pan sniffed, “I won an award, did you see it? The trophy is so beautiful… You promised to come, but you didn’t keep your word.”
As he spoke, his voice began to tremble, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably: "I forgive you for breaking your promise, please wake up soon..."
Two days have passed, and Shen Yanzhou still shows no signs of waking up.
Since learning of Shen Yanzhou's accident, Yu Pan has barely eaten or drunk anything, nor has she slept. She just sits on the bench outside the ICU, refusing to leave no matter who tries to persuade her.
Tan Ming and Tan Bai would come to the hospital to accompany him every day, watching him grow more and more haggard, his chin becoming sharper and his eye sockets deeper.
"Panpan," Tan Bai placed the insulated lunchbox he brought on the chair, "eat a little, otherwise Brother Chen will be heartbroken when he wakes up."
Every time Teacher Ji comes, she brings a variety of soups, such as chicken soup in the morning and fish soup in the evening, trying to find ways to supplement his nutrition.
But Yu Pan just shook her head, her eyes never leaving the ICU door.
It wasn't until the nurse announced that visiting was allowed that Yu Pan seemed to come alive, abruptly standing up. Perhaps he stood up too quickly, his vision blurred, and he swayed, but fortunately Tan Bai reacted quickly and caught him.
“You can’t do this,” Tan Bai frowned, “What if Brother Chen sees this…”
“I know,” Yu Pan took a deep breath and tried to stand up straight. “I will take good care of myself.”
Once again donning a sterile gown, Yu Pan entered the ward and sat down by the bedside. This time, he didn't cry; he simply held Shen Yanzhou's hand and pressed his face against the warm back of that hand.
After wearing the ring for a while, he straightened up and took it off his hand.
These were wedding rings he had commissioned after Tan Bai's wedding, which he originally planned to give to Shen Yanzhou on the day he won the award in Venice.
Yu Pan held the ring and, through the sterile gown, gestured on Shen Yanzhou's ring finger.
Unfortunately, Shen Yanzhou's hand was swollen from the IV drip, and he could no longer wear the ring.
Yu Pan thought she had cried all her tears in the past few days, but now it was as if a dam had suddenly burst.
On the eighth day of Shen Yanzhou's coma, after a comprehensive assessment, the doctors transferred him from the ICU to a single-person monitoring ward in the neurosurgery department.
Around the time he was discharged from the ICU, Lin Siyuan brought a neurosurgeon from the United States to the hospital for a consultation with the attending physician in China.
After the consultation, the experts' conclusions were basically consistent with those of the domestic doctors: the impact to Shen Yanzhou's head caused a severe concussion and a temporary increase in intracranial pressure. However, current imaging shows that the hematoma is being absorbed, and there is no irreversible damage to the main neurological functions. It is only a matter of time before he wakes up.
This conclusion was like a reassuring pill, finally easing the tension that had been building up for days.
-
As soon as Shen Yanzhou was discharged from the ICU, many people who heard the news came to visit him, but Yu Pan politely declined them all. He really didn't want to hear the polite words these people said in the ward.
As night deepened, only the rhythmic ticking of the medical equipment remained in the ward.
As she had done the previous few nights, Yu Pan fetched warm water, wrung out a towel, and carefully wiped Shen Yanzhou's face and arms, avoiding the wounds and tubes, while speaking softly to him.
"Brother, Teacher Ji made soup again today, but I still don't have much of an appetite. How about we drink it together when you wake up?"
“Xiao Bai said, if you don’t wake up soon, I’ll become as thin as a bamboo pole…” Yu Pan couldn’t help but laugh as she said this, “He’s exaggerating too much. It’s only been a few days, how could I lose weight so quickly…”
After doing all this, Yu Pan lay down by the bed, holding Shen Yanzhou's hand. It felt a little cold, so he pressed his forehead against it, trying to warm Shen Yanzhou up.
Just as he was becoming drowsy and about to fall asleep, he suddenly felt his fingers in his palm move very slightly.
Yu Pan woke up instantly, his heart leaping into his throat. He held his breath and stared intently into Shen Yanzhou's eyes.
In the dim light, he saw Shen Yanzhou's eyelashes flutter a few times, and then, those eyes that had been closed for half a month finally slowly opened a crack.
His lips moved beneath the oxygen mask, as if he wanted to say something, but no concrete sound came out, only a faint whisper.
But Yu Pan understood the lip movements.
He was saying "Panpan".
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Author's Note: Panpan [Cat Head]: [Laughing out loud][Melted][Cracked open][Burning with sobs][Please][Burning with sobs][Please][Burning with sobs][Sprinkling flowers]
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