“Mr. Lu, we’ve got the information! They’ve booked the 10 pm flight back to Beijing today.”
Lu Nanze laughed mockingly upon hearing this. “Bring them to me!”
“Roger,” his bodyguard said before he turned around and started walking away.
“Wait.”
The bodyguard turned and saw Lu Nanze putting on his jacket. “I’ll come with you.”
That evening, a fleet of five black sedans departed the villa together.
They drove in a neat formation towards the airport.
All along the way, it attracted curious stares from countless people.
They arrived at the airport an hour and a half later.
Lu Nanze got out of the car and strode into the building.
“Sir, they booked the XX flight and will board in half an hour. All our men are already waiting there.”
Nodding, Lu Nanze gave the go-ahead, “Let’s go.”
The group of men arrived at the boarding gate.
A few of them were ready to perform a thorough check, however, Lu Nanze swept his gaze through the crowd and told them with a hand wave, “She’s not among them. Keep waiting.”
“Roger.”
Half an hour passed.
Qiao Lian and Shen Liangchuan had not made an appearance.
The passengers were starting to board the aircraft. Lu Nanze narrowed his eyes. He waited till everyone had boarded the plane, and he waited till the plane took off. And still, the two did not appear.
Then suddenly his pupils shrank again. “They fooled us!”
At that instant, Song Cheng was speeding along the expressway with his two passengers in the car. They had traveled a few hundred kilometers and were about another half a day’s drive from their destination, Beijing.
Qiao Lian stared steadily at the man beside her. Ever since he had returned to the hotel, he had not spoken a word, and instead had swiftly packed their belongings and left with her in tow. She had wanted to speak a few times but had stopped herself each time. Eventually, she could not hold back. “What about the film? How did that matter go?”
Shen Liangchuan glanced at her with little expression and said in response, “It’s been settled.”
Qiao Lian bit her lip. “And the outcome?”
He continued, “I terminated the contract.”
He said it simply, without a hint that showed the sacrifice involved.
Qiao Lian was surprised.
Terminated the contract?
Shen Liangchuan had put in a lot of effort into this film.
In the last few months, he had spent almost all of his time analyzing the script.
The research that he had done on Cao Cao as a historical figure had been so extensive that he now knew as much as the archaeologists. He had even gone to a professor at the History Faculty of the university to seek a private lecture and learn all that was known about this man.
He was passionate about this film.
It was obvious to Qiao Lian. But he had dropped it just like that…
Qiao Lian bit her lip and hung her head. She paused for a moment and then said, “Shen Liangchuan, I’m sorry…”
He turned towards her. Seeing all the guilt on her face, he couldn’t help himself from reaching out and putting his arms around her shoulders. “Xiao Qiao…”
“Hmmm?”
Qiao Lian lifted her head and looked at him.
“No matter how tough it gets, we’ll make the journey together, ok?”
She bit her lip upon hearing this.
Finally, she nodded.
In the time to come, she would discover that it was easier said than done. They were in for a rough ride.
Night had fallen now.
In order to get back to Beijing as quickly as possible, they had not taken a break at all.
Qiao Lian fell asleep, only to realize by the time she woke up that the sky had darkened.
Looking into the dark night, she suddenly felt that there was no light at the end of this seemingly long tunnel she was travelling through.
She turned to glance at Shen Liangchuan and noticed that he had shut his eyes to rest. Sensing her movement, he opened his eyes now.
She bit her lip as she looked at him steadily. Then she spoke, “Zi Chuan, why are you so good to me?”
Shen Liangchuan’s expression darkened as she continued with a question:
“Zi Chuan, on that day eight years ago… why didn’t you turn up?”
“Mr. Lu, we’ve got the information! They’ve booked the 10 pm flight back to Beijing today.”
Lu Nanze laughed mockingly upon hearing this. “Bring them to me!”
“Roger,” his bodyguard said before he turned around and started walking away.
“Wait.”
The bodyguard turned and saw Lu Nanze putting on his jacket. “I’ll come with you.”
That evening, a fleet of five black sedans departed the villa together.
They drove in a neat formation towards the airport.
All along the way, it attracted curious stares from countless people.
They arrived at the airport an hour and a half later.
Lu Nanze got out of the car and strode into the building.
“Sir, they booked the XX flight and will board in half an hour. All our men are already waiting there.”
Nodding, Lu Nanze gave the go-ahead, “Let’s go.”
The group of men arrived at the boarding gate.
A few of them were ready to perform a thorough check, however, Lu Nanze swept his gaze through the crowd and told them with a hand wave, “She’s not among them. Keep waiting.”
“Roger.”
Half an hour passed.
Qiao Lian and Shen Liangchuan had not made an appearance.
The passengers were starting to board the aircraft. Lu Nanze narrowed his eyes. He waited till everyone had boarded the plane, and he waited till the plane took off. And still, the two did not appear.
Then suddenly his pupils shrank again. “They fooled us!”
At that instant, Song Cheng was speeding along the expressway with his two passengers in the car. They had traveled a few hundred kilometers and were about another half a day’s drive from their destination, Beijing.
Qiao Lian stared steadily at the man beside her. Ever since he had returned to the hotel, he had not spoken a word, and instead had swiftly packed their belongings and left with her in tow. She had wanted to speak a few times but had stopped herself each time. Eventually, she could not hold back. “What about the film? How did that matter go?”
Shen Liangchuan glanced at her with little expression and said in response, “It’s been settled.”
Qiao Lian bit her lip. “And the outcome?”
He continued, “I terminated the contract.”
He said it simply, without a hint that showed the sacrifice involved.
Qiao Lian was surprised.
Terminated the contract?
Shen Liangchuan had put in a lot of effort into this film.
In the last few months, he had spent almost all of his time analyzing the script.
The research that he had done on Cao Cao as a historical figure had been so extensive that he now knew as much as the archaeologists. He had even gone to a professor at the History Faculty of the university to seek a private lecture and learn all that was known about this man.
He was passionate about this film.
It was obvious to Qiao Lian. But he had dropped it just like that…
Qiao Lian bit her lip and hung her head. She paused for a moment and then said, “Shen Liangchuan, I’m sorry…”
He turned towards her. Seeing all the guilt on her face, he couldn’t help himself from reaching out and putting his arms around her shoulders. “Xiao Qiao…”
“Hmmm?”
Qiao Lian lifted her head and looked at him.
“No matter how tough it gets, we’ll make the journey together, ok?”
She bit her lip upon hearing this.
Finally, she nodded.
In the time to come, she would discover that it was easier said than done. They were in for a rough ride.
Night had fallen now.
In order to get back to Beijing as quickly as possible, they had not taken a break at all.
Qiao Lian fell asleep, only to realize by the time she woke up that the sky had darkened.
Looking into the dark night, she suddenly felt that there was no light at the end of this seemingly long tunnel she was travelling through.
She turned to glance at Shen Liangchuan and noticed that he had shut his eyes to rest. Sensing her movement, he opened his eyes now.
She bit her lip as she looked at him steadily. Then she spoke, “Zi Chuan, why are you so good to me?”
Shen Liangchuan’s expression darkened as she continued with a question:
“Zi Chuan, on that day eight years ago… why didn’t you turn up?”
