55. Threatening phone calls
The shoot was scheduled for the first Tuesday in August.
Fu Yifang's studio has set aside a spacious side hall as a temporary studio, and outside the window is his carefully maintained landscape courtyard. The atmosphere is so peaceful that one almost forgets that this is a commercial shoot.
Jiang Nan arrived on set two hours early to finalize details on lighting, set design, and props with Wenwen and the project team. Director Lin Kui from Fu Yifang's team was also on hand to coordinate. Everything seemed perfectly aligned, waiting only for Fu Yifang to arrive.
At nine o'clock sharp, Fu Yifang appeared. He was dressed in a dark linen Chinese-style jacket, his elegant demeanor perfectly complementing the studio's artistic atmosphere. After a brief exchange with the director, he walked to the center of the set, ready to begin filming.
Fu Yifang was even more silent than the last time they met. Most of the time, he just stood behind the monitor with his arms folded, occasionally making one or two brief, almost harsh requests about the set or lighting. But the entire team did their best to cooperate and meet his requirements, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
So, despite some minor hiccups, the filming went surprisingly smoothly.
Despite his high standards, Fu Yifang's professionalism is impeccable. He manages to capture the emotions and presence of the other amateurs and models with just the right touch, neither too rigid nor too jarring. The Summer Pulse products, captured in the lens, blend seamlessly with the Zen-inspired environment, highlighting the brand's quality while infusing it with Fu Yifang's unique artistic flair.
During the break, Jiang Nan comforted herself that Song Wei had agreed to pay him, most likely because she was impressed by his talent, while preparing to distribute mineral water to the staff on site. Just as she was about to count the points with Wen Wen, she suddenly saw Song Wei appear at the courtyard entrance.
She was wearing a smart grey trouser suit today and had delicate makeup on, but there was an unconcealable anxiety between her brows.
Jiang Nan patted Wenwen's shoulder, winked at her, and then turned to greet her. She forced a professional smile and said warmly, "Mr. Song, what brings you here?"
Song Wei's eyes quickly scanned the filming scene and finally landed on Fu Yifang, who was looking down at the monitor not far away. Then she replied in a stiff tone: "I was passing by and came to see the progress." As she spoke, she walked straight towards Fu Yifang.
Jiang Nan couldn't stop Party A, so he could only follow her, feeling vaguely uneasy.
"Teacher Fu," Song Wei walked up to Fu Yifang, her voice deliberately softer, but her eagerness still leaked out from her tone, "Did the filming go well?"
Fu Yifang looked up and saw that it was Song Wei. He simply nodded as a greeting. Then, his gaze returned to the monitor, clearly not wanting to talk any further.
Song Wei's smile faltered. She frowned and remained silent for a few seconds. Then she took a half step forward and lowered her voice, "Teacher Fu, about that matter I mentioned last time... about my brother's little trinket. Do you think it would be convenient for you to...?"
Fu Yifang frowned slightly, and finally looked at Song Wei straight in the eye. His voice was half helpless and half irritated: "Boss Song, it's working hours now. And I told you, that thing is not with me."
"How could it not be here with you?" Song Wei's voice was filled with pleading. "That's the birthday gift he promised me. It's really important to me—"
"I'm sorry, I can't help you," Fu Yifang interrupted her, his tone becoming impatient. "Perhaps Mr. Song just mentioned it casually at the time and didn't actually place an order. Please go back and don't delay the filming."
Song Wei's expression darkened instantly. She stared at Fu Yifang, her breathing quickening. The staff around her subconsciously slowed down their movements, their gazes wandering, pretending to be busy.
The atmosphere was extremely awkward for a moment.
Jiang Nan stood aside, caught in a dilemma. She could clearly see the impatience on Fu Yifang's face, and also the sadness and embarrassment that was almost overflowing from Song Wei.
After a long while, Song Wei finally seemed to calm down. She forced a smile and said, "Okay. Since Teacher Fu said so, I might have remembered it wrongly. I won't disturb you from your work anymore."
After saying that, she immediately turned around and walked out hurriedly. When she passed by Jiang Nan, she didn't even look at her.
Jiang Nan tried to comfort Fu Yifang, hesitated for a moment, and then quickly caught up with Song Wei: "Boss Song, I'll see you off."
Song Wei didn't stop until she reached the alley outside the studio. She turned her back to Jiang Nan, her shoulders slumped slightly. The forceful aura she had just maintained had completely dissipated, revealing a deep sense of exhaustion.
Jiang Nan stood behind her, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Comfort seems hypocritical, and asking questions is even more of an overstep.
A few minutes later, Song Wei turned around. She had regained her usual calm, slightly apathetic demeanor, with only a hint of redness around her eyes betraying her earlier fluctuations.
"I'm sorry to make you laugh." She curled the corners of her mouth and said in a light tone.
"No." Jiang Nan shook his head quickly.
Song Wei's gaze fell on Jiang Nan's face, as if she wanted to explore something from her expression, but in the end she just sighed: "It's just an old thing. But I think it's a thought after all. Maybe I really... remembered it wrongly."
There was a rare sense of confusion and fragility in her voice, completely different from her usual image of a shrewd and strong client.
Jiang Nan thought of Han Yan's meaningful tone on the phone and Chen Yunsheng's vague mention of the past, and felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
"Some things may be better left in the past." Jiang Nan chose his words carefully and spoke.
Song Wei was stunned for a moment, then looked at Jiang Nan deeply, her eyes gradually becoming complicated. Then she nodded, her tone casual: "Maybe."
She didn't say anything else, took out her car keys from her bag, and her attitude became serious and concise again: "Thank you for taking care of the filming. If you have any questions, please contact my assistant directly."
Jiang Nan quickly agreed and said, "Be careful on the road."
Song Wei looked at her for a moment before responding, "I will. Thank you."
Watching Song Wei's car drive away, Jiang Nan softened in fear, leaning against the wall for a few minutes before turning back. However, the scene just now was like a tiny thorn, piercing her heart, making her feel uneasy about the upcoming filming.
As if to confirm her hunch, her cell phone suddenly vibrated before she could even enter the door.
It was an unfamiliar local number.
She hesitated for a moment before finally picking up the phone: "Hello, how are you?"
But there was silence on the other end of the line.
"Hello, who are you?" Jiang Nan asked again, feeling a little strange.
But there was still no response from the other end. However, this silence was different from some unexpected blankness. It was a deliberate, stagnant, and threatening silence, as if something was waiting with bated breath on the other end.
Jiang Nan frowned, the strange feeling in his heart turning into a vague uneasiness: "If you don't say anything, I'm hanging up."
Just as she was about to hang up, there was a very slight sound, like a muffled breath, from the other end of the phone, and then the call was hung up.
A busy tone beeps.
Jiang Nan stood there in a daze, holding his cell phone.
The summer morning sun was almost scorching, but she felt an inexplicable chill creeping up her spine. She subconsciously turned her head to look at the alley entrance, but everything was normal there.
Her mind raced. Who had called? Song Wei? Qin Yu? Or someone else who was unhappy with her for getting the project?
She thought of Chen Yunsheng's words, and the attitudes of Han Yan and Gao Wanqing, and her heart was in a mess.
"Nannan, what are you doing? Get ready for the next group!" Wenwen called her from inside.
Jiang Nan quickly came back to his senses and responded, "Coming!"
She put away her phone and walked back to the studio. No matter what was going on, she thought, the most important thing right now was to get the shot done.
Next, the filming continued.
Jiang Nan concentrated her attention and kept a close eye on every detail of the scene, but the eerie feeling brought by the silent phone call always hung in her heart and could not be shaken off.
——
In the side hall of Fu Yifang's studio, the lighting technician was adjusting the final angle and the photographer was busy checking the camera. Everything looked professional and orderly.
Fu Yifang himself has returned to his position.
He sat on the chair in front of the mountains and rivers, his expression returning to his usual calm and indifferent state, as if Song Wei's sudden visit and urgent pleading had never happened.
Jiang Nan stood beside the surveillance camera, watching every corner of the scene, especially the entrances and exits. Wen Wen leaned over and asked in a low voice, "Did Song Wei give you any trouble? Her expression was terrifying."
"Nothing, just a quick chat." Jiang Nan shook her head, not wanting to say more. The fewer people who knew about these old stories and relics, the better, lest Song Wei change her mind and come back to cause trouble for them.
After a while, the director shouted "start" and started shooting again.
Fu Yifang was extremely cooperative, his gestures, eyes, and tone of voice all on point, and his efficiency was so high that it made one sigh that this artist wasn't that difficult to work with. All the interior shots, originally scheduled for a full morning, were completed half an hour early.
"Teacher Fu, the results are excellent," the director exclaimed as he watched the playback. "We plan to start the afternoon shoot around three o'clock. Do you think we need to adjust the time?"
"Let's do three o'clock," Fu Yifang took the water from his assistant and glanced at Jiang Nan casually. He paused, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just told Lin Kui, "Arrange a car."
Lin Kui responded with a smile and also gave Jiang Nan a relaxed smile.
Jiang Nan smiled and breathed a sigh of relief temporarily.
The intermission lasted much longer than expected. The staff began packing up their equipment and preparing to move on. Jiang Nan checked several times, making sure everything was alright, before walking to a corner and pulling out his phone.
She opened the call log, looked at the unfamiliar number, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally clicked call back.
Then, a clear system prompt tone came from the receiver:
"Sorry, the number you dialed is unavailable. Please check before redialing."
Jiang Nan was stunned.
It was clearly the number the other party called from, how could it be a disconnected number?!
A strange feeling of unease spread within her again.
She instinctively felt that this matter was not that simple. While she was thinking about how to deal with it, Wenwen ran over excitedly: "Nannan! Let's take a photo with Teacher Fu's work? It's a rare opportunity!"
Jiang Nan forced a smile and said, "You guys go ahead. I'm going to ask about the preparations at the location."
"Oh, you are indeed a workaholic." Wenwen scolded, but did not force her and pulled Li Lan over.
She was alone in the corner for the moment. The trees swayed, the sun shone brightly, yet Jiang Nan felt the silence was a bit too much. She leaned against the wall and tried to dial the number again, but it was still unavailable.
Just when she was about to give up, her cell phone suddenly vibrated.
This time it was a text message from another unfamiliar number, and the content was only three short words. However, Jiang Nan still felt a chill in his bones at that moment:
Be careful
Just three words, yet they revealed an undisguised malice.
She quickly looked around, trying to find the culprit, but the courtyard was still quiet, with only the murmur of the team packing up their things nearby.
Jiang Nan's fingers trembled as he wanted to reply to the text message and ask who the other party was.
But in the end she didn't do it.
She couldn't reply, she thought. If she did, she might play into the other party's hands, expose her panic, and even cause more chaos.
Furthermore, she is at work now, surrounded by people, and the other party is cautious, so he dares to use this hidden method.
She took a few deep breaths to calm her pounding heart. Then, she composed her expression and calmly walked towards Lin Kui, who was directing the moving of equipment.
"Director Lin, has the route for the filming location this afternoon been confirmed? Do we need to send someone over in advance to coordinate?" She tried to keep her voice steady.
Lin Kui looked at her with some surprise, thinking she was a little too nervous, but he still replied politely: "Don't worry, Miss Jiang, we go there often and even know a few faster routes."
"That's good." Jiang Nan nodded, but his eyes unconsciously scanned around again.
"Is Miss Jiang okay?" Lin Kui noticed something was wrong with her. "She doesn't look well."
"It's okay, maybe I'm just a little tired."
At this moment, Wenwen and the others returned, all laughing and joking. It was clear that the photo shoot had been a success. Fu Yifang, surrounded by a group of people, also walked towards the indoor lounge, preparing to rest for a while before heading out to the location.
The return of the crowd made Jiang Nan feel more at ease.
However, those two unfamiliar numbers and that malicious text message were like a dark cloud hanging over the filming.
She didn't know who was watching from behind, nor did she know what the warning meant. She only knew that the project was far more complicated than Chen Yunsheng had predicted.
Jiang Nan was silent for a while, and could only adjust his mood, put the matter aside for the time being, and then walked to catch up with the crowd.
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