Ji Shuhe muttered softly: "...I'm going to complain to my brother about this—he'd rather go to you than come to me."
It was rare for Wen Shaoyu to hear Ji Shuhe say something against her brother, so he readily agreed: "Your brother has always got things backwards. I pay him a consulting fee, and whenever something comes up, he always asks me for advice first."
He said it lightly, but it seemed to once again brush over the eight years.
Ji Shuhe was slightly stunned, but thought that Wen Shaoyu wasn't wrong.
Back in Yong'anli, the two of them had been thick as thieves. As someone who had disappeared for eight years, she had no right to expect to be the first choice.
Whether it was Ji Shulang or... Wen Shaoyu.
A faint melancholy silently crept into her heart, but the thought was quickly suppressed.
She sneered at herself inwardly. She was the one who said she wanted to maintain a friendship with Wen Shaoyu, so why was she still expecting to be someone special in his world?
Such inconsistency was truly unbecoming.
Meanwhile, Wen Shaoyu regretted his words as soon as he said them. He had gone as far as to fabricate stories about Ji Shulang just to have a few more words with Ji Shuhe, but once said, it was like spilled water—it seemed to deliberately emphasize her eight-year absence, which backfired.
He had to change the subject: "Are you still at Xiafei Lane? About what time will you wrap up? I'll come pick you up directly later?"
"No need!" Ji Shuhe almost blurted out.
On the other end, Wen Shaoyu immediately frowned: "Why?"
Because, Ji Shuhe thought, too much intimate interaction would blur the boundaries of friendship.
Besides, gossip was human nature. Not to mention Stella, who loved to stir up trouble, but many crew members knew Wen Shaoyu was a partner. If, in full view of everyone, she got into his car...
Her mind raced as she tried to come up with a more proper excuse: "Our executive producer landed in Xinhai today. I need to go back and give him a recent briefing first!"
Silence fell on the other end. Ji Shuhe grew more guilty, her eyes darting around as she quickly added: "And... after following the shoot all day, I'm a mess. I need to go back and change first. I really can't say what time I'll be done. It would be more trouble for you to find parking and wait. Don't bother. I'll just take a cab back after I clean up."
As her words trailed off, Ji Shuhe was almost afraid to hear his reply. Her fingers unconsciously pressed against the slightly raised pattern on the edge of her phone case. It was rough and uneven, much like her heartbeat at that moment, which had no direction.
Wen Shaoyu's deep voice came through the receiver. His tone was restrained but clearly dissatisfied: "Ji Shuhe, do we really have to be so distant with each other?"
"I didn't..."
"Or are you avoiding me?" He cut her off, his tone intensifying. "Ji Shuhe, just now, were you thinking about something because of what I said?"
Ji Shuhe was speechless.
That moment of silence seemed to confirm Wen Shaoyu's guess. He didn't say anything more, and Ji Shuhe just held the phone. The noise around them faded away, leaving only the sound of breathing—hers and his.
Wen Shaoyu always understood her well.
He understood that behind her excuses lay avoidance.
The reconciliation that night had indeed untied old knots, but it also seemed to push open a door she hadn't noticed before. Behind it was not the answer to a happy reunion, but a new confusion she couldn't resolve.
Wen Shaoyu's voice came through again, not loud but brooking no refusal: "No matter what time, I'll come pick you up."
Ji Shuhe gave up resisting—or rather, she stopped forcing herself to seek clarity in that tangled mess of contradictory thoughts.
"...Okay." Ji Shuhe agreed softly, as if acquiescing to something.
Even if they were just friends, they could still have dinner together, right?
Shen Xing's flight was delayed by two hours. Originally due to arrive much earlier, he didn't reach the hotel until after Ji Shuhe had changed and was waiting for Wen Shaoyu at the entrance.
Shen Xing didn't expect to run into Ji Shuhe here. A hint of surprise showed through his weary expression: "Xiaoshu? Are you... going out?"
"Sorry, Senior." Ji Shuhe was a bit embarrassed at being caught by her boss. "We wrapped up early today, so I made dinner plans with family. Could I brief you when I get back? I won't be too late!"
Of course, the main purpose of coming to Xinhai was for work, but she had done quite a bit of "personal business" taking advantage of her location, and now being caught by Shen Xing made her feel guilty.
"Please cut me some slack."
Shen Xing shook his head with a smile and pressed his temples: "With the flight, transfer, and delays, I've been traveling for over ten hours. Don't you think I should rest tonight to get over jet lag? Executive producer Ji, that's not how you do upward management."
Hearing this, Ji Shuhe burst out laughing: "Then President Shen, get a good rest tonight. Once you're refreshed, you can come find fault with me."
"Find fault?" Shen Xing smiled gently. "Looking at it that way, maybe it'd be better for you if you brief me while I'm still out of it."
Ji Shuhe's face fell: "Senior..."
"Alright, I'm just teasing you." Shen Xing looked around. "How are you getting back? Did you call a cab?"
"No cab, I'm waiting for someone..."
Just as Ji Shuhe started to speak, a black Mercedes slowly pulled up and stopped precisely in front of the two.
The window rolled down, and Shen Xing saw Wen Shaoyu in the driver's seat.
He found him somewhat familiar. His gaze paused briefly, then he looked up at Ji Shuhe with an understanding tone.
"Looks like someone's here to pick you up."