CHAPTER 235: CHAPTER 233: KAIXING MANSION FLOOR 32?

Shi Su returned to Kaixing Mansion; it was already past two in the morning.

Too tired, she groggily got out of the car. After swiping her elevator card and randomly pressing the top number button, she leaned inside the elevator, one hand holding her suitcase, the other holding her phone, waiting for it to stop.

Until the elevator dinged to a halt, she stepped out but suddenly paused, looking around at a corridor that seemed very familiar. However, on the 31st floor, Mrs. Qin had placed some particularly beautiful flowers on the windowsill at the edge of the corridor. This floor, however, had none, with the entire passageway reflecting a cold minimalist style.

She suddenly raised her head to look: 32nd floor?

That can’t be right.

Her elevator card was only supposed to allow access to the 31st floor, wasn’t it? In such a well-secured apartment, apart from her own floor, it should be impossible for the card to be effective for other floors.

Yet she had stopped on the 32nd floor?

Shi Su looked puzzled as she turned back into the elevator, swiped the card again lower down, pressed 31st floor, and sure enough, it lit up. She thought for a bit, pressed 32nd floor, and that lit up too.

Could the card have a bug?

Too tired to think it through, yet with something seemingly forming in her thoughts, she frowned and returned to the 31st floor, dragging her suitcase directly into the door.

Glancing at the keypad lock on the door, she wasn’t in a hurry to change the password—she just wanted to enter and sleep.

-

After returning to Jiang City, there wasn’t much time for rest or adjustment. Early in the morning, she rushed off to the film set again.

Since that night in Z City, Shi Su hadn’t inquired about any follow-up situation with Jing Jihan, and Zhou He hadn’t mentioned much either. However, she clearly felt that the entire crew seemed to be under strict regulations, often receiving visits from investors considering withdrawing funding, which kept everyone on edge daily.

Tong Yuanyuan hadn’t come to shoot these past few days, supposedly on sick leave. As one of the dual female leads, the additional scenes naturally fell on Shi Su, who spent several consecutive days shuttling around different locations.

Jiang City had been forecasting the first snowfall for several days, but even as year-end approached, there was still no sign of snow.

The weather, however, was extremely cold. Jiang City’s winters are harsh, and the longer the snow holds off, the colder it gets.

The promo phase of the fantasy drama "Jiang Jing Ru Hua" had already started. Perhaps it was the more captivating character and plot of the second female lead Tian Yuli or maybe Shi Su’s impressive action scenes, or simply because Shi Su’s current popularity was indeed high. The production’s promotions frequently featured her. But because the investment included the influence of Jiang Jing Ru Hua with Jing Luozhou backing it, even using her to hype the drama’s popularity, they avoided negative news and instead capitalized on her captivating action scenes to gradually extend and expand their reach.

Xia Yilin’s fans complained on the production’s official microblog that there was no clear distinction of primary roles, arguing that mentions of the first female lead Xia Yilin were too few compared to the second female lead.

The next day, "Jiang Jing Ru Hua" released several clips featuring the first female lead—both emotional and action scenes—but the reactions were lukewarm. Despite their fans’ efforts to promote and control comments, the lack of significant interest was evident from the popularity metrics. In the end, Xia Yilin’s fans stopped voicing objections, discreetly spreading rumors instead. They claimed that Shi Su relied on her connections to gain additional scenes, throwing various rumors at her. However, with the drama yet to officially air and given that Shi Su’s scenes truly captivated the audience, no one paid attention to those frenzied online fans.

...

Another day forecasted for the first snowfall yet no snow in sight, Shi Su sat in the car wrapped in a thick coat, waiting.

Waiting for what?

A business banquet was in progress at the Wanxing Ruiyang Hotel in Jiang City, attended mostly by the city’s business elite. Jing Jihan was still in Z City and hadn’t returned, and even if he had, there was no certainty he would attend such a banquet.

Shi Su was there not as a participant but because the film’s producers somehow contacted the banquet organizer. To save costs, they planned to shoot several banquet scenes right after the event was over by using the newly vacated venue.

Coincidentally, the scenes involved Shi Su, so she followed instructions to wait there.

It was now past nine at night, and she was putting on makeup in the car with her coat on. Though the production had arranged a mobile home for her after returning to Jiang City, it still wasn’t particularly warm in this weather.

The weather was cold, and her period hadn’t finished. Chu Jiu had brought her several warm patches, which she stuck onto her body, but her stomach still felt uncomfortable.

No idea when the banquet would end, but it was estimated to finish around half-past ten.

Due to her menstrual cycle, Shi Su’s complexion was a bit paler than usual, so the makeup artist applied some blush to make her look healthier.

Finally, nearing eleven, the elite guests and socialites at the Wanxing Ruiyang Hotel began to leave gradually, with luxury cars crossing back and forth between the hotel entrance and the underground parking.

The producer called, saying the venue was almost empty, and with simple clearing and placement of suitable props, they could begin shooting soon; Shi Su should head in to prepare.

Under her coat, Shi Su wore a sharp women’s suit meant for attending a banquet within the drama. Her character in the series had a career-oriented demeanor, more mature than Tong Yuanyuan’s setting, and preferred professional or women’s suits most of the time, even for attending banquets.

Upon entering, Chu Jiu helped her remove her coat. Shi Su surveyed the place before taking the script to find the director.

The director was still conversing with the banquet venue’s manager, and as she approached, she overheard the manager saying, "No need to thank me. I’ve been friends with Mr. Yang the producer for a long time. It’s just for filming a scene; just inform the hotel cleaning staff afterward. Give their manager a few packs of cigarettes, and that’ll handle it. After all, the venue’s already here, no additional effort needed, not much trouble. Oh right, the host tonight is the Shi Hong Group. Mr. Shi was just upstairs at the hotel discussing some business and should be out soon. If you want to meet him, you can."

The director’s eyes lit up: "Great, I’ll greet Mr. Shi—"

Sensing their dialogue as she approached, Shi Su instinctively paused and turned to leave.

Suddenly, she heard the manager chuckle, "Speak of the devil, and here he is, Mr. Shi! Mr. Shi, let me introduce you; this is Mr. Liu from Rongsheng Media, here to film a scene using our banquet venue. Mr. Yang has probably informed you already?"

The middle-aged man, surrounded by people, stepped out from the elevator. Perhaps in his fifties, he was well-maintained, dressed neatly, and emanated an air of seriousness. Hearing this, he only glanced in the direction of Mr. Liu, then suddenly noticed Shi Su turning to leave. His brows immediately furrowed in displeasure.