Previously, when Shen Chiyan wanted to cure Song Qinian's illness and make her speak, he had fantasized every day that if Song Qinian could speak, she would definitely call his name first.
If she could call him "husband," or say "Shen Chiyan, I love you," he would be even happier.
But he never expected that two years later, she returned, she could speak, and the first words out of her mouth were, "It has nothing to do with you."
Hmph...
How dare she say it has nothing to do with him!
His stomach, which had finally started to feel a little better, began to ache incessantly. Shen Chiyan's face looked so bad it seemed he might collapse at any moment.
Gao Kunlun and Shen Keqin didn't know what to do, their faces filled with anxiety.
This stalemate couldn't go on. Shen Keqin gave a dry laugh, "Brother, let's go back first!"
Shen Chiyan's eyes were still fixed on Song Qinian. After a few seconds, he fiercely shook off Gao Kunlun, who was supporting him, and left the hospital directly.
Shen Keqin wanted to say something more to Song Qinian, but seeing Li Junshen and the child next to her, after a few seconds of hesitant struggle, he chased after Shen Chiyan.
As soon as they left, Song Qinian's tensed nerves suddenly relaxed. Her legs felt incredibly weak. The next second, Li Junshen steadied her, "Are you okay?"
After standing firm, Song Qinian gently pushed Li Junshen away, "I'm fine, let's go back."
In the car, Zian fell asleep in Li Junshen's arms. Song Qinian looked at the scenery flashing past the window, her heart in turmoil.
She truly didn't expect to run into Shen Chiyan so coincidentally, and even be misunderstood by Shen Chiyan as Zian being her son with Li Junshen.
She had never considered telling anyone about Zian's parentage. Both Shen Chiyan and Li Junshen had nothing to do with Zian. Zian was her son alone.
Based on Song Qinian's understanding of Shen Chiyan, he was a vindictive person. If he thought she had betrayed him, he would definitely find ways to retaliate.
However, Song Qinian waited for several days and didn't receive any retaliation from Shen Chiyan. This made Song Qinian feel she was being too paranoid.
Shen Chiyan already had the big star Lin Qiutong by his side, so how could he possibly have the time to bother with her?
Time passed quickly. As Song Qinian's birthday approached, something happened that caught her completely off guard.
The company that had bought the rights to "My Queen" began seeking investors and sponsorships. Shen Chiyan invested in the drama, but with a single condition: Lin Qiutong must play the lead role of Xu Weiyu.
When Song Qinian bought the rights, she had stipulated that the casting of the male and female leads must be approved by her. At the time, she was concerned about the current trend of "fast food culture," where companies might buy her work and then cast popular but untalented idols, turning her work into a victim of capital manipulation.
Now, Song Qinian had explicitly stated that Lin Qiutong was unsuitable, yet Shen Chiyan, as the largest investor, was pushing for it, clearly intending to defy her.
The production team was caught in the middle, unsure of what to do. However, Shen Chiyan's intention was clear: the matter was negotiable, implying that if Song Qinian negotiated with Shen Chiyan, there might be a way forward.
"Call Me Queen" was Song Qinian's first work, and she naturally wanted it to be the best it could be, having poured her heart into its creation.
So, when the production team arranged a call and invited Song Qinian, she went to their location without hesitation.
Shen Chiyan knew very well that no matter whether she conceded on this matter or not, he would still find trouble for her in other ways.
Since some things were unavoidable, it was better to resolve the issues once and for all.
When Song Qinian arrived at the hotel, quite a few people were already seated in the private room. Shen Chiyan sat in the center, swirling a glass of red wine and chatting with an actress who had recently won an award for best actress. She was giggling at his words.
The two were seated very closely, appearing quite intimate.
The CEO of the film and television company, Mr. Tan, stood up immediately upon seeing Song Qinian enter. "Miss Song, you're finally here. Come, come, sit here."
Song Qinian walked over and sat in the seat furthest from Shen Chiyan. However, Shen Chiyan, knowing she was present, didn't even look up at her.
Mr. Tan kept glancing at Shen Chiyan's expression, but Shen Chiyan was too busy flirting with the woman beside him to show any intention of discussing business.
Song Qinian gave Mr. Tan a look. He understood and nervously walked over to Shen Chiyan. "Mr. Shen, Miss Song is here, shouldn't we..."
"Oh? Miss Song is here!"
Shen Chiyan acted as if he had just noticed Song Qinian. He looked at her faintly and gave her a wicked smile.
Song Qinian's face showed no change. She acted as if she were there for a business meeting and said with neither subservience nor arrogance, "Mr. Shen, regarding the casting for 'I Am Queen'..."
Before Song Qinian could finish her sentence, Shen Chiyan calmly interrupted her. He looked at Mr. Tan beside him and said, "Mr. Tan, didn't you tell Miss Song that we are only here to eat, drink, and have fun today, not to discuss business?"
Mr. Tan's heart sank. They had agreed to meet today to decide who would get the role of Xu Weiyu, and now it was just about eating, drinking, and having fun?
Although Lin Qiutong's backer was Mr. Shen, Mr. Shen hadn't shown much favor to Lin Qiutong in the past two years. Many had speculated that Lin Qiutong might have fallen out of favor.
Now, Lin Qiutong had lost the role of Xu Weiyu because of Song Qinian, and Mr. Shen had jumped out to defend her. Anyone with a bit of social understanding would have immediately given the role of Xu Weiyu to Lin Qiutong without a second thought.
But this Song Qinian, for some reason, insisted that Lin Qiutong was unsuitable.
Given Mr. Shen's temperament, he would normally have crushed Song Qinian completely. The person behind "Qiyan" would likely disappear from the face of the earth. Yet, he hadn't done so, claiming to be a civilized person who wanted to have a good discussion with the esteemed author.
He had called her here, only to leave her waiting.
Mr. Tan looked at Song Qinian with difficulty, somewhat at a loss.
Song Qinian watched Shen Chiyan resume chatting with the woman next to him and took a deep breath. Only then did she realize that Shen Chiyan had no intention of discussing the casting with her at all; he was just toying with her.
Song Qinian stood up directly. "Mr. Tan, I need to go home to be with my child. You all continue to eat, drink, and have fun. I'll take my leave."
As Song Qinian turned to leave, Shen Chiyan's icy voice suddenly rang out, "Stop!"
There were many people in the private room. As soon as Shen Chiyan spoke, many eyes shifted between him and Song Qinian, holding their breath in anticipation.
Song Qinian turned back and looked at Shen Chiyan coldly. Shen Chiyan's face had turned very unpleasant. She acted as if she hadn't noticed and said faintly, "Didn't Mr. Shen say we're not discussing business?"