Thousands of Heartbeats

Yan Qiuzhi followed Chen Lunan, walking confidently and openly, which made the curious staff around them extinguish their gossiping thoughts.

This seemed so open and transparent; they should be discussing work matters, right?

But—what work matters could Chen Lunan and Yan Qiuzhi be discussing?

Thinking of a certain possibility, many people's eyes lit up.

At this moment, Yan Qiuzhi didn't have time to consider what others might be thinking. Her full attention was on Bo Yu. This was Bo Yu? Her favorite screenwriter?!

Is Chen Lunan finally introducing Bo Yu to her today?

——She thought, her eyes brightening a bit. When Chen Lunan turned his head, what he saw was Yan Qiuzhi staring at Bo Yu with an unwavering smile.

Yan Qiuzhi was good-looking, and when she genuinely smiled, she had a seductive charm. Radiant as the stars, even the corners of her lips were upturned, making it impossible to ignore her attractiveness.

Chen Lunan stared for a moment, then shifted his gaze to Bo Yu, his eyes deepening.

Wang Kang, standing by the side, watched with trepidation. Why was Miss Yan looking at other men with such affectionate eyes? Wasn't she afraid her husband would be jealous?

This was practically an open infidelity!

Bo Yu, however, remained composed. He smiled at Yan Qiuzhi, "Miss Yan, I've heard so much about you."

Yan Qiuzhi was startled, "Huh?"

What did he mean by hearing so much about her?

She stood still for a few seconds, quickly reacting, "Hello, are you really Teacher Bo?"

Bo Yu smiled and nodded, "Yes."

Suppressing her excited thoughts, Yan Qiuzhi, like a devoted fan, said, "I'm your fan. I really like the books you've written."

Bo Yu raised his eyebrows, glanced meaningfully at Chen Lunan on the side, and smiled.

"So, Miss Yan, which one of my books do you like the most?"

Yan Qiuzhi, playing her role as a fan to the fullest, said, "I like them all. I've bought every one you've written."

"......."

Bo Yu's thin lips curled slightly; the smile on his face deepened.

Yan Qiuzhi, still oblivious to what was happening, continued, "Teacher Bo, are you here to visit the set today?"

Bo Yu responded with a soft En and casually said, "Just came to visit with Lunan."

Yan Qiuzhi was momentarily stunned, only now noticing the man she had ignored.

She blinked, gave an indifferent Oh, and pretended not to care.

Bo Yu couldn't help but smile, "Miss Yan, aren't you going to ask Lunan why he came to visit?"

Without thinking, Yan Qiuzhi said bluntly, "Of course, he came with Director Guan."

She wouldn't assume that Chen Lunan came to visit her on purpose.

Bo Yu: "......."

Yan Qiuzhi showed no interest in why Chen Lunan came to visit. She chatted excitedly with Bo Yu instead.

In the end, she even remembered to ask, "Teacher Bo, can you give me an autograph?"

Bo Yu was momentarily surprised, glanced at Chen Lunan with a half-smile, and before he could make a teasing remark, Yan Qiuzhi said, "I happened to bring your book with me."

Bo Yu smiled, "Of course."

Under the watchful eyes of Wang Kang and others, Yan Qiuzhi rushed into the lounge, then came back holding a little treasure, handing it to Bo Yu.

Wang Kang took a look and, indeed, it was a book written by Bo Yu several years ago, an out-of-print edition.

Bo Yu lowered his head and generously signed the book for Yan Qiuzhi, even adding a few words of blessing.

Yan Qiuzhi stared at the words and smiled, "Thank you."

With Bo Yu's autograph, Yan Qiuzhi found Chen Lunan a bit more pleasing to the eye.

After returning to the lounge with the signed book, Yan Qiuzhi belatedly realized—did Chen Lunan ask her to go over because he had something to say, or was it just to introduce Bo Yu to her?

Thinking about it, she glanced at the people standing with the director and took out her phone to send a message.

Yan Qiuzhi: 【What did you call me over for just now?】

Chen Lunan's phone vibrated. He lowered his head, looked at it, and calmly put it away.

Lin Jing was particularly grateful for Director Guan's guidance and said with a smile, "Director Guan, do you have any plans for tonight?"

Director Guan smiled, "Not really, nothing important."

Lin Jing said, "We have a dinner gathering tonight. If Director Guan, Teacher Chen, and the others in your group have no other plans, would you like to join us?"

Director Guan replied, "Let them decide."

Just as Chen Lunan was about to refuse, Bo Yu said, "Sure, I'll freeload off Director Lin's meal, why not."

Lin Jing chuckled and glanced at Bo Yu, "Okay, then let's meet up later."

"No problem."

Yan Qiuzhi was unaware of what was happening outside. She was holding the book like a treasure; she looked it over for a while before heading to the restroom.

But, as fate would have it, she encountered Guan He again.

Yan Qiuzhi looked at the person blocking her path, frowned, and said, "Move aside."

The heat on Guan He's face had dissipated. She looked at Yan Qiuzhi arrogantly, "I didn't expect you to be so capable."

Yan Qiuzhi raised an eyebrow, giving her an unperturbed look.

Guan He held her neck high and said, "Being able to cling to Teacher Chen's thigh, no wonder you don't pay attention to those mediocre guys."

Yan Qiuzhi responded, "Oh. Is there anything else?"

Guan He's eyes were full of anger. "You—"

"What about me?"

Yan Qiuzhi coldly looked at her, "Move aside, or I'll push you away."

Ignoring her words, Guan He continued, "Your relationship with Teacher Chen won't—"

Before she could finish speaking, Yan Qiuzhi interrupted her.

At this moment, Yan Qiuzhi suddenly became interested. Folding her arms lazily, she asked, "Won't what?"

"Even if you sleep with Teacher Chen, he won't like someone like you." Guan He gritted her teeth.

Yan Qiuzhi shrugged, "If he doesn't like me, he doesn't. I don't care."

Guan He looked at her in disbelief, "You—"

Yan Qiuzhi flipped her hair, "At least I'm better than you." She smiled slightly, unapologetically twisting the knife in Guan He's heart. "I've slept with him, what about you?"

"You shameless."

Guan He cursed angrily.

"You need shame to eat?" Yan Qiuzhi chuckled.

"At least, being shameless got me onto Chen Lunan's bed. You can't even get close to him." With that said, Yan Qiuzhi completely ignored Guan He's furious protests and rushed into the restroom.

She didn't have time; she really needed to use the restroom.

When Yan Qiuzhi came out of the restroom, Guan He was nowhere to be seen.

She rubbed her eyes and was surprised at how childish she had been in her conversation with Guan He.

Yan Qiuzhi thought for a moment and estimated that Guan He probably didn't have time to record the conversation. With this in mind, she instantly felt relieved.

As she turned around, Yan Qiuzhi met with a familiar pair of eyes.

Her smile froze, and she glared, "When did you come over?"

Chen Lunan, listening to her tone, said lightly, "Since you mentioned that you slept with me."

Yan Qiuzhi: "......"

She choked for a moment, then asked unabashedly, "Didn't I sleep with you?"

Chen Lunan stared at her, seemingly surprised that Yan Qiuzhi would say such a thing. He paused slightly and, unusually, nodded, "En."

"What do you mean by En?" Yan Qiuzhi felt she must be delirious from being angered by Guan He, even asking such a question.

Chen Lunan's gaze rested on her face, then moved downward, stopping at her delicate collarbone. He said calmly, "You did sleep with me."

"........"

Whether it was because Chen Lunan's implications were too strong or for some other reason, Yan Qiuzhi was unexpectedly defeated by his thick-skinned response. She hastily added, "Pay attention; I really dislike Guan He."

Then she fled.

Regarding the dinner that night, Yan Qiuzhi received a message only after finishing filming. To her surprise, Guan He hadn't left yet and even wanted to join the crew for dinner.

Zhu Zhu immediately whispered in Yan Qiuzhi's ear, "Sister Yan Yan, she is really shameless."

Yan Qiuzhi: "......."

Why did this sound so familiar?

She responded with a casual En and whispered, "Let her be."

Zhu Zhu was a bit angry, "But I just can't stand her like this."

Yan Qiuzhi smiled and whispered, "It's okay."

The group arrived at the dinner venue. The place Lin Jing reserved was good— a large private room with three big tables, creating a lively atmosphere.

Yan Qiuzhi and the other actors naturally sat with Director Guan and Chen Lunan.

At a round table, when choosing seats, Yan Qiuzhi didn't hesitate and sat beside her idol.

As soon as she sat down, Bo Yu chuckled.

Seeing him chuckle, Yan Qiuzhi found it strange and asked, "Why is Teacher Bo laughing?"

Bo Yu's eyes sparkled with a cold smile, "Nothing, just find Miss Yan interesting."

For a moment, Yan Qiuzhi couldn't tell if this was praise or criticism.

She replied with a hesitant En and smiled awkwardly, "Thank you for your praise, Teacher Bo."

During the meal, Yan Qiuzhi realized that Guan He was sitting next to Chen Lunan.

Looking at the seating arrangement, she frowned subconsciously while sipping her tea.

"Why is this tea so bad?"

Bo Yu raised an eyebrow, "Is it?"

Before Yan Qiuzhi could respond, Lin Jing called out, "Get some juice for the table; if it's not good, don't force yourself to drink it."

Yan Qiuzhi didn't mind and took another sip, saying, "It's okay, even if it's not good, I can still drink it."

Chen Lunan's hand, which had just touched the teacup, paused.

Guan He, who was paying attention to Chen Lunan's subtle changes, asked softly, "Teacher Chen, would you prefer to drink alcohol?"

"No need," Chen Lunan replied.

Undeterred, Guan He continued to fawn, "Then, Teacher Chen, what would you like to drink?"

Chen Lunan moved to the side, and Guan He continued to get closer to talk to him.

On Yan Qiuzhi's side, Lin Jing indeed had someone bring juice for her and didn't forget to call for her, "Qiuzhi, give it a try."

Yan Qiuzhi, feeling gracious, replied, "Thank you, Director Lin."

Director Guan looked around and smiled, "Qiuzhi doesn't drink alcohol?"

Yan Qiuzhi nodded and embarrassedly said, "Sorry, Director Guan, my tolerance for alcohol is not that good."

Director Guan nodded, "It's okay. If you want to drink, drink; if not, don't. No need to feel embarrassed about it."

He jokingly added, "In this, you're a bit like Lunan; he's not good with alcohol either."

"......."

Bo Yu took a sip of wine and casually remarked, "It's not that he can't, he just doesn't like drinks that others offer."

As soon as he finished speaking, a clattering sound came from the other side.

Everyone looked over; it was the sound of Chen Lunan's teacup falling. Guan He still held a glass of wine, seemingly about to offer it to Chen Lunan.

Chen Lunan's eyes turned colder, and his tone changed, "Miss Guan, can't you understand human speech?"

Guan He's face turned pale.

After that incident, during the rest of the meal, everyone remained silent. Even the usual toasts were all forgone.

Yan Qiuzhi, sipping on her sweet juice, felt quite good.

With her idol by her side, the food tasted much more delicious.

After dinner, many crew members clamored to go to KTV to sing. Yan Qiuzhi originally thought of refusing, but after some thought, she agreed. It had been a while since she went to KTV. To her surprise, someone like Chen Lunan was going too.

Hearing the gossip from Zhu Zhu, Yan Qiuzhi whispered, "Unbelievable."

Zhu Zhu asked, "Huh? What did you say, Sister Yan Yan?"

Yan Qiuzhi shook her head, "Nothing. Why would Teacher Chen go?"

Zhu Zhu explained, "It's said that Director Guan likes singing, so Teacher Chen is accompanying him."

"Oh," Yan Qiuzhi responded.

All for the sake of a man.

The group set out for KTV in high spirits, booking two private rooms.

Yan Qiuzhi naturally ended up in the same room as Chen Lunan. She found a corner, sat down, and lowered her head, engrossed in playing with her phone.

Just now, she did a live-commentary of what happened at the dinner gathering to Shen Muqing, who was now full of curiosity, sending Yan Qiuzhi a series of emoticons.

Shen Muqing: 【And then? What happened next?】

Yan Qiuzhi: 【Then, no one spoke, and we quietly finished dinner.】

Shen Muqing: 【And now?】

Yan Qiuzhi: 【Now, we're at KTV.】

Shen Muqing: 【Did Guan He also go?】

Yan Qiuzhi: 【Yes.】

Shen Muqing: 【...How does she still have the face to go?】

This question was something Yan Qiuzhi was curious about as well.

While she was pondering, someone sat down beside her, bringing with them the crisp fragrance of high-mountain snow.

Her fingers paused, and she looked up. Chen Lunan's face, magnified by the fluctuating lights, entered her view.

Yan Qiuzhi was momentarily stunned. She took out her phone and typed: 【Why are you sitting next to me?】

Chen Lunan's phone vibrated. He glanced at the person next to him; only her side profile and her ear could be seen from his side: 【It's full over there.】

Yan Qiuzhi subconsciously turned her head to look, and indeed, apart from Guan He's side, every other place was taken.

She pursed her lips and continued typing: 【Fine, then I will reluctantly let you sit beside me.】

Chen Lunan looked over but didn't reply.

The two sat side by side in silence.

While Yan Qiuzhi initially chatted with Shen Muqing, they eventually started playing games together. When she focused on the game, she didn't notice herself leaning towards Chen Lunan when reaching for a drink.

She extended her hand to the table, lifted the cup without looking, and took a sip.

As soon as it touched her lips, she sensed something was wrong. Before she could react, Bo Yu's laughter rang out.

Leaning on his head, he looked over at them, his voice cold and teasing: "Miss Yan, does Lunan's drink taste good?"

"........"