Marry by Relying on Favor: Chapter 14 - He Lost Control
Chapter 14: He Lost Control
“The next scene is about to be shot. I’ll go find the makeup artist for a quick touch-up. Excuse me.”
Before Wen Shuchen could feel the soft warmth of the woman’s fingertips, He Qingchi pulled her hand back a moment earlier, maintaining a distance like they were still strangers. She turned, picked up the folding fan from the table, smiled at the director, and walked out of the dressing room without looking back.
Even her smile was meant for someone else.
Wen Shuchen slowly slid his long fingers back into his pocket, his eyes darkening as he watched He Qingchi’s departing figure. In front of the whole crew, she wanted to pretend not to know him, and he couldn't just call her out blatantly.
“President Wen, let me show you and Movie Queen Shu around the rest of the set—” Director Guo, sensing the awkward silence, quickly stepped in, terrified that any misstep in hospitality might upset the investor.
Wen Shuchen’s lips pressed into a line; his demeanor was not as gentle as before.
The assistant stepped forward, saying, “Director Guo, President Wen still has matters to attend to at the company this afternoon, so as for the set…”
Director Guo, seeing that the investor hadn’t even finished a full tour before leaving, dared not delay him. He chuckled, quickly taking over: “I’ll make sure to arrange the best hotel suite for Movie Queen Shu, and our staff will take excellent care of her.”
“......”
The assistant subtly hinted, “The actresses on set all require special attention.”
“I understand, I understand.” Director Guo nodded with a wide smile.
“......”
The assistant internally thought: You clearly don’t understand.
Shu Tongyi smiled with her elegant beauty, her cool aura softening slightly: “Don’t misunderstand, Director Guo. Just treat me normally. Mr. Wen doesn’t like special treatment.”
She rarely smiled, but now her lips curved gently as she glanced at Wen Shuchen.
Though she politely referred to him as Mr. Wen, her words made it obvious that the two had a rather familiar relationship in private. “Director Guo was just saying earlier that we should organize a dinner tonight, so some of the actresses can meet our investor. If you decline, I’m sure many of the women on set will be disappointed.”
The assistant stayed silent, quietly thinking this Miss Shu really knows how to work a crowd.
“Exactly! I’ve already reserved the private room,” Director Guo eagerly echoed, grateful that Movie Queen Shu brought up the dinner — otherwise he wouldn’t even know how to invite this investor.
Wen Shuchen remained expressionless, neither accepting nor declining the invitation.
Soon after, he was escorted away from the set by a group of bodyguards. The on-set security was tight; no one dared approach him, and not even a sneaky back-photo was allowed.
The excitement died down quickly on set, and everyone went back to their own work until the evening sun started to set.
Around 5:30 p.m., the assistant director called for a short break.
The crew began preparing the next set. He Qingchi had just finished several scenes, with only the final shot left, so she returned to the dressing room.
As she pushed the door open, she overheard a few actresses and the makeup artist gossiping.
— “Director Guo booked a private room for tonight. Do you think that investor will actually show up?”
— “If he does, I’m definitely changing into a sexy little dress!”
— “You think you can climb the ranks using the investor? Will Movie Queen Shu allow that?”
Everyone chuckled knowingly at the implication of a romantic entanglement.
One of the actresses, who was sitting in front of the makeup artist getting her hair pinned, spotted He Qingchi walking in and suddenly had an idea: “Our leading lady is here! Qingchi, Qingchi... Come tell us, did you greet the investor earlier today?”
Most of them were either on set or napping during the break and had missed seeing the investor.
The gossip had only spread afterward via the makeup artist and assistants.
He Qingchi, clearly not fitting in with the group, sat down at her makeup station. “I said hello and left.”
The implication: she didn’t know anything.
Still, the actress wheeled her chair closer, trying to gossip: “Word around is that the film’s investor is the mysterious big shot behind Movie Queen Shu. But something feels off. If they were really that close... why didn’t she just get the lead role instead of fighting for the second female lead?”
He Qingchi unwrapped a wet wipe and wiped her hands, glancing sideways at the actress.
— As if to say: You think she didn’t try?
But this particular actress didn’t have much clout on set and had limited information. She could only rely on her own speculation to gossip: “I mean, did Shu Tongyi really use her investor connection to get on the crew? She’s so overbearing—just steals a role if she wants it. Good thing I’m not the second female lead.”
He Qingchi’s hands paused, her long lashes casting a graceful shadow across her delicate features.
The actress rambled on: “So, are you going to Director Guo’s dinner party tonight?”
He Qingchi tossed the wet wipe. “I’m not feeling well, so I won’t go.”
“Don’t miss such a good opportunity—”
Faced with the well-meaning hint, He Qingchi merely smiled.
She sat quietly in front of the makeup mirror for a while, then took her phone and a red thread bracelet with Buddhist beads from her bag.
During filming, she couldn’t wear any accessories, so she always kept it safely stored and only put it back on after the shoot.
Her expression calm, she placed the bracelet back into the bag and unlocked her phone.
As the screen lit up, a new unread text message appeared.
She didn’t open it—just played on her phone to kill time, until she heard someone outside call for the next shot.
He Qingchi neatly powered off her phone and left her bag on her makeup station.
As she stepped out, a crew assistant holding several bags of desserts walked past. Before the door shut completely, He Qingchi heard someone inside say, “Miss Shu is treating us—”
She stood there for a few seconds, the rumor of Shu Tongyi and Wen Shuchen’s affair echoing in her mind.
For some reason, it made her feel suffocated.
That feeling had been lingering all afternoon—something felt off.
He Qingchi pressed her fingers to her brow, forcing herself to stop letting these thoughts spiral.
Whatever relationship Wen Shuchen had with Shu Tongyi—it had nothing to do with her.
*
The next scene was finished quickly, and He Qingchi returned to her hotel.
She had only informed the assistant director she’d be leaving early. After all, she wasn’t the focus of the dinner party, so skipping it was no big deal.
At the hotel, He Qingchi stepped out of the elevator in her high heels. To avoid being harassed by obsessive fans, the director had booked the entire floor for the actors.
She walked to her room, and just as she was about to swipe her key card, the door to the previously vacant room next to hers opened first.
Shu Tongyi stepped out, now dressed in a new long blue high-waisted gown, its color similar to the cheongsam costume she had worn earlier in the day.
He Qingchi hadn’t expected her to be staying in the room next to hers—such an encounter came with no warning.
What made things awkward was that neither of them had anyone around to ease the tension. The atmosphere in the hallway grew increasingly silent until Shu Tongyi, dropping her usual aloof and proud demeanor, took the initiative to greet her, “Miss He.”
He Qingchi returned the greeting in kind, keeping the same polite tone.
Then, Shu Tongyi abruptly asked, “Will you be attending the dinner tonight?”
“I need some rest tonight.”
They exchanged only these few words before He Qingchi swiped her key card to enter her room.
Just as the door opened a crack, Shu Tongyi’s cool voice came from behind, “When I first saw you at the restaurant, I was already curious—what exactly is your relationship with Wen Shuchen?”
He Qingchi slowly turned around, looking at that flawless, stunning face. But instead of answering, she said, “That night at the restaurant, you paid for my meal… I haven’t had the chance to repay you yet.”
Shu Tongyi didn’t let her change the subject. “Are you very close with Wen Shuchen?”
“Does it matter?” He Qingchi responded calmly.
Shu Tongyi didn’t reply again. Her beautiful face returned to its indifferent expression. Though she appeared only twenty-five or twenty-six, she seemed to carry a cold, aloof loneliness far beyond her age—someone who had endured too much, making her difficult to approach.
He Qingchi opened the door and walked in. This time, even if Shu Tongyi had said more, her footsteps didn’t pause.
Bang—the hotel door shut firmly behind her.
Just before it fully closed, Shu Tongyi’s voice had murmured, almost inaudibly, “Then you shouldn’t have taken…”
He Qingchi slipped off her heels and stepped onto the soft carpet, then dropped onto the sofa.
Her brows and eyes began to show subtle irritation. Thinking about the days ahead of closed-set filming, she realized she'd have to face Shu Tongyi during the day, and they were now neighbors at night. No matter how long she breathed, she couldn’t suppress the frustration in her chest.
She couldn’t understand why Shu Tongyi would lower herself to take a supporting role in this production.
Was she here in the role of the “official consort,” supervising which female cast members might get close to Wen Shuchen?
That question Shu Tongyi asked outside the room just now felt exactly like that.
Frowning, He Qingchi began unpacking her bag. She reached out with her fair fingers for her phone—then froze.
The red string bracelet?
Everything else was there on the sofa—but the red string was missing.
She stared blankly for a moment, then searched everything from top to bottom again.
Still not there…
She recalled Shu Tongyi’s words at the door—“Then you shouldn’t have taken…”
He Qingchi suddenly had a realization. She picked up her phone and sent a message to the actress who had been gossiping with her earlier: “Xiao Zhu, did you see anyone go near my makeup station this evening?”
The reply came quickly: “Oh that? I think Movie Queen Shu’s assistant accidentally knocked your bag to the ground…”
Reading this, a chill settled in He Qingchi’s gaze.
“You coming or not? Everyone’s already here,” came Xiao Zhu’s next message.
He Qingchi didn’t reply.
Instead, she opened another unread message that had been sitting in her inbox: “Dinner tonight—shall we meet?”
Sender: Wen Shuchen.
She sat on the sofa for a long time, fingers still resting on the screen.
*
The film crew’s dinner was held at an upscale private club. Director Guo had clearly spent a lot to please the investor.
All the actresses with name recognition from the film were present. Alongside them were assistant directors and producers—old hands at navigating entertainment’s social circles.
Smooth talk and toasts flowed endlessly.
In stark contrast, Wen Shuchen’s side felt like a different world entirely.
He sat flanked by two assistants; others trying to cozy up to him with drinks couldn’t even get close.
He only raised his glass symbolically with Director Guo. By nearly 9 PM, he hadn’t touched a single dish, though he had taken out his phone to check it three times.
Shu Tongyi, seated beside him, noticed all of this clearly.
She sipped her wine slowly, then slid a red string bracelet in front of him on the table.
Wen Shuchen’s deep gaze swept over—it was the first flicker of emotion in his expression that night.
“Mr. Wen,” Shu Tongyi spoke with her usual calm respect, “my assistant found this on the floor of the makeup room. I’ve seen those beads on you for years—it must be important.”
Wen Shuchen’s cool, pale fingers picked it up. The Buddhist beads were cold now, long absent from He Qingchi’s body warmth.
He said nothing, but his expression clearly darkened.
Shu Tongyi left it at that, though her eyes continued to observe him.
She believed Wen Shuchen, ever reserved and stoic, wouldn’t speak a single word about things that should remain unspoken.
But after a long silence, Wen Shuchen finally said, in an indifferent tone: “It’s very important.”
Shu Tongyi’s expression shifted for a brief moment. She turned to look at him.
Wen Shuchen’s deep-set eyes were pensive. He slipped the bracelet into his pocket and didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he picked up a glass and took a sip of baijiu.
He had turned down a far more important engagement tonight to attend this dull dinner with Director Guo—yet after waiting nearly the whole evening, He Qingchi still hadn’t appeared.
That alone left his mood unreadable, and his interest in socializing was clearly gone.
Maybe it was her cold attitude earlier that day, or maybe it was simply not seeing her tonight…
Though he hadn’t touched the food, Wen Shuchen had already consumed quite a bit of alcohol.
Midway through the dinner, he quietly excused himself. The rest of the group, deep in their merrymaking, didn’t even notice.
One door shut, sealing off the noise inside the private room.
In the lavishly lit hallway, it was quiet. Wen Shuchen leaned lazily against a corner wall, his tall frame mostly obscured by the dim lighting. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, letting the faint smoke drift from his lips.
He rarely smoked—only when faced with something he couldn’t figure out.
Clearly, He Qingchi was that something. He couldn’t grasp what she felt toward him.
When she needed help, she was shy yet dignified.
But once things were settled, it was like she flipped a switch and shut him out completely.
He held the cigarette loosely between his long fingers, letting ash fall unbothered.
He was deep in thought when suddenly, the sharp sound of high heels echoed down the hallway.
……
9:50 PM
He Qingchi glanced at the time on her phone—definitely late.
She had mistakenly gone to the wrong club and had to rush back. Her breathing hadn’t even steadied when she exited the elevator and turned a hallway corner—only to bump directly into a tall figure.
Her stilettos wobbled, and before she could steady herself, a firm hand yanked her into a side private room.
Bang—the door slammed shut and locked.
Caught off guard, He Qingchi was pushed against the wall. The man’s strong grip pinned her by the shoulders—she couldn’t break free. In the pitch-dark room, she first caught the scent of smoke and liquor. Then she felt him lean down. His warm breath brushed against her soft, pale cheek—searching for her lips.
9:50 PM
He Qingchi glanced at the time on her phone—definitely late.
She had mistakenly gone to the wrong club and had to rush back. Her breathing hadn’t even steadied when she exited the elevator and turned a hallway corner—only to bump directly into a tall figure.
Her stilettos wobbled, and before she could steady herself, a firm hand yanked her into a side private room.
Bang—the door slammed shut and locked.
Caught off guard, He Qingchi was pushed against the wall. The man’s strong grip pinned her by the shoulders—she couldn’t break free. In the pitch-dark room, she first caught the scent of smoke and liquor. Then she felt him lean down. His warm breath brushed against her soft, pale cheek—searching for her lips.
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