56. Chen Yunsheng's Office
The exterior shooting location is an ancient garden on the outskirts of the city.
The transfer went very smoothly, and Fu Yifang remained highly cooperative, leading to an even more efficient afternoon shoot than the morning. The images, adjusted by Fu Yifang, were both tranquil and vibrant, perfectly capturing the essence of the brand.
However, despite everything going smoothly, Jiang Nan remained on edge the entire time. She had to keep an eye on the filming while also paying attention to the surroundings. She didn't truly relax until the director called the end of the filming.
On the way back, Wenwen and the other colleagues were still excitedly discussing their successful day and where to go for dinner to celebrate. But Jiang Nan, leaning back in his chair and gazing at the distant sky, felt no excitement at all.
By the time the bus entered the city, it was already dark and the city's neon lights were slowly lighting up. Jiang Nan leaned against the window to calm down for a while, the long-suppressed anxiety and the urge to seek help growing stronger and stronger.
She immediately took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Chen Yunsheng:
Are you still at the company? I'm done here and have something to tell you.
After sending the message, she stared at the screen, feeling a little uneasy. In fact, she didn't have to go to his company, it would be the same if she went home and talked about it.
But before Jiang Nan could add anything, Chen Yunsheng's reply popped up:
Yes. Just come over, Wei Yan will pick you up.
Those few simple words calmed Jiang Nan down. Then, while making an excuse to avoid the party, she replied to Chen Yunsheng. After finishing the rest of her chores, Jiang Nan got out of the car on the side of the road.
Then she took a taxi and told the address of Shenghua’s headquarters as soon as she got in.
By the time the car pulled up to the Shenghua Group Building, darkness had already fallen. The towering glass curtain wall was almost brightly lit in the night, exuding a cold and imposing majesty. Jiang Nan got out of the car and stood there in silence for a moment before quickly walking into the lobby.
Wei Yan was already waiting at the door, smiling as he ushered her into the private elevator. Jiang Nan wanted to say something, but the afternoon's calls and texts had left her with little energy for small talk. Wei Yan, too, remained silent and didn't ask any further questions.
When the elevator arrived, Wei Yan, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke: "Ms. Jiang, Mr. Chen is still in a meeting. It will probably take another ten minutes. Please sit in the office for a while."
"Okay, thank you, Assistant Wei." Jiang Nan followed him into the spacious but deserted office.
The huge floor-to-ceiling windows offered a dazzling nightscape of Jiangcheng. But inside, only a few softly lit lights illuminated the office, making it seem empty and solemn, with a cold air. Jiang Nan sat down on the sofa in the reception area and suddenly noticed a silver albizzia tree on the coffee table.
She immediately thought of the silversmith shop, but she didn't have Fu Yifang's eyes, so she couldn't tell whether the silver wattle tree was the work of Master Li.
Wei Yan poured her a glass of warm water and quietly left.
For a moment, she was the only one left in the office, so quiet she could almost hear her own heartbeat. And so everything that had happened during the day—Song Wei's questioning, Fu Yifang's indifference, that silent phone call, the subsequent disconnected number, the threatening text messages—came to mind.
These scenes replayed in her mind like a kaleidoscope, making her feel a chill belatedly.
After an unknown amount of time, the office door finally opened. Chen Yunsheng walked in, still carrying a hint of the conference room's cool air. He took off his suit jacket and casually draped it over the back of the sofa, then sat down on the single sofa next to Jiang Nan. He loosened his tie and asked her, "Is the shoot going well?"
There was a hint of fatigue from work in his voice, but his tone was gentle and his eyes were focused.
"Well, it went quite smoothly. Teacher Fu was very cooperative," Jiang Nan nodded, holding the cup of lukewarm water that had cooled in both hands. "But..." She paused, as if she was organizing her words, or as if she was mustering up her courage.
Chen Yunsheng did not urge her, but just looked at her quietly, waiting for what to say next.
"But in the middle of it, President Song came," Jiang Nan looked up at him. "She seemed to be looking for Teacher Fu to ask for something, and she looked very anxious, but Teacher Fu said she didn't have anything."
Chen Yunsheng's expression changed slightly when he heard this, but he didn't look very surprised. He nodded slightly, motioning her to continue.
"We chatted for a bit afterwards. She didn't say much, but we could probably guess that Song Huai must have left something with Teacher Fu before he died, or that Teacher Fu was keeping it," Jiang Nan said, choosing his words carefully. "And then..."
She took out her phone, opened the text message, and handed it to him. "During a break in filming, I received a call, but no one answered. I called back several times, but the number was always disconnected. Not long after that, I received this."
Chen Yunsheng's eyes fell on the mobile phone screen.
This text message of only three words was particularly eye-catching under the bright light of the mobile phone.
His face was as calm as water, seemingly no different from usual, but Jiang Nan could sense his solemnity. She was silent for a moment, then continued, "I've thought about it, and it seems that I can only come to you to discuss this matter."
"When did it happen?" Chen Yunsheng took the phone and took a closer look at the sending number. Then he took out his own phone and wrote down both unfamiliar numbers.
"This morning, in Teacher Fu's studio," Jiang Nan took the phone he handed back. After saying this, her tense nerves relaxed a little, but that strange feeling of unease still lingered. "I don't know who it was. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I just feel..."
"Something's wrong?" Chen Yunsheng answered her question with a firm tone, "Whether it's a prank or something else, it's always better to be cautious." After that, he stood up, walked to the desk, picked up the intercom, and dialed a number: "Wei Yan, come in."
Soon, Wei Yan knocked on the door and came in.
Chen Yunsheng briefly recounted the incident, focusing on the unavailable call number and the anonymous text message. Wei Yan's expression immediately grew serious. Then Chen Yunsheng continued, "From today on, please pay close attention to Jiang Nan's daily schedule. Have Zhang Lei pick her up and drop her off on time, and avoid visiting crowded, unfamiliar places unless absolutely necessary."
"I understand, Mr. Chen." Wei Yan nodded and immediately turned around to do it.
Chen Yunsheng sat back on the sofa and comforted Jiang Nan: "I will take care of this matter, don't worry."
Jiang Nan nodded blankly.
"Who do you think it could be?" she couldn't help but ask.
Chen Yunsheng was silent for several minutes, his expression calm and gentle. His answer was somewhat vague: "There are many possibilities. There are many stakeholders involved in this project, and perhaps some people don't want to see it go too smoothly."
He deliberately kept the focus vague, not mentioning Song Wei's potential venting of anger, nor did he point out the potential threat posed by his second uncle Chen Minghui and the Liang family. Afterward, all the evidence cleverly pointed to the other driver's drunken driving as the cause of the accident in Jichuan, but he never stopped doubting it.
Especially when he gradually found out that Chen Minghui and Liang Yue's aunt were lovers and even raising two children abroad, the suspicion was resolved and became a certainty.
He had always known about his second uncle's ambition and was also aware of his second aunt's regret for not having children, but he had never expected that his second uncle would kill him for the family property, nor had he expected that his second uncle would always act like he was both afraid of and in love with his second aunt but it was just an act.
He has two illegitimate children, a boy and a girl. The boy is twenty years old and the girl is fifteen years old.
In other words, Chen Minghui had been having an affair for at least twenty years, and the Liang family probably took advantage of the Chen family during those years.
But even more troublesome now was the tumultuous past between Song Wei, Han Yan, and Gao Wanqing. Jiang Nan was implicated in these affairs, and Chen Minghui and the Liang family would definitely not miss this opportunity to muddy the waters and even commit murder by borrowing a knife.
That text message was both a warning to Jiang Nan and a test of his reaction.
"But no matter which possibility it is," he slowed his tone, "this timid approach shows that the other party has some concerns. You should remain vigilant, but don't be overly nervous. Just live and work normally, and leave the rest to me."
He was silent for a minute or two, then suddenly instructed, "No matter what Second Uncle and Liang Yue say to you, don't pay attention to them. If you really can't make up your mind, come to me."
Jiang Nan was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized that this text message and the silent phone call might also be actions from Chen Minghui - although he knew that wealthy families would most likely use such intimidation tactics to fight for property, but when faced with the real situation, Jiang Nan was still a little confused.
"Okay, I understand." Jiang Nan tactfully didn't ask any more questions.
"Have you eaten?" Chen Yunsheng's tone became increasingly gentle.
"not yet."
"Me neither," he stood up and said with a smile, "Let's go and eat first. What do you want to eat?"
This sudden, everyday question left Jiang Nan stunned for a moment. She looked up at his calm gaze and said tentatively, "I'm fine with anything. How about something lighter?"
"Okay, there's a Cantonese restaurant nearby that's pretty good," he said, picking up his coat. "Let's go."
Jiang Nan stood up with him and walked towards the office door. Chen Yunsheng opened the door for her and said casually as she passed by, "The ring is ready and will be delivered in two days. Remember to try it on."
Jiang Nan: “?”
She stopped and looked back at Chen Yunsheng: "What ring?"
"Wedding ring," Chen Yunsheng said calmly, "the one with the pink diamond."
Jiang Nan pursed his lips, his tone half surprised and half admiring: "Did you really make it custom?"
Chen Yunsheng nodded.
Jiang Nan was silent for a moment, then solemnly promised him: "I will definitely not let you lose it."
"Okay." Chen Yunsheng smiled, then pressed the elevator button and led Jiang Nan in.
He knew that appeasing Jiang Nan was only the first step. Next, he had to outmaneuver his opponents in the shadows. Chen Minghui and the Liang family might try to exploit Song Wei's old grudges and stir up trouble, perhaps even disrupting the birthday banquet. If that were the case, he would have to find their weak spots before they could strike.
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