As usual, Shen Lian returned to the set early the next morning, bringing spicy pepper soup and savory sauce flatbread at Lin Fu's request via text.
He had just dropped them off for Lin Fu when he stepped outside and heard a crew member say, "Mr. Shen, Ms. Huang was looking for you just now."
"Oh, thanks."
Shen Lian thought for a moment, then went to the door of Huang Jiacan's lounge. How did she get here even earlier than me?
After a scare like that, taking a few days off would have been perfectly reasonable.
The moment Shen Lian knocked, a slapping sound inside abruptly stopped. He hadn't noticed it before, since it had blended into the background noise, but its sudden cessation made it stand out.
"Who is it?" Huang Jiacan's voice came from inside, hardly friendly.
Shen Lian paused. "Me."
Then came the click of heels against the floor. From the pace alone, Shen Lian could imagine Huang Jiacan's expression changing from stormy to sunny.
Huang Jiacan opened the door and greeted Shen Lian with a huge smile. In truth, she didn't look well, as though she hadn't slept all night. Even her foundation hadn't quite covered the dark circles beneath her eyes, but her eyes were bright. "I came looking for you earlier, but you weren't there."
"Right, someone on the crew told me. Did you need..."
Before he could finish his question, Shen Lian inadvertently caught a glimpse of the scene inside through the gap.
Had there been so much as a woman's handbag on the table, Shen Lian would have immediately looked away. But what was he seeing?
Noticing his gaze, Huang Jiacan glanced behind her, then said gently to Shen Lian, "Come in first. I'll be done here in a minute."
Shen Lian