Spring Night of Misty Rain - Chapter 20

Due to the effects of her illness, combined with heavy psychiatric medication and numerous rounds of electroconvulsive therapy, Shen Zeyu’s memory was riddled with vast, gaping holes.

She forgot things quickly. Although she had recalled a few unpleasant memories the day before, they had become hazy again after a night’s sleep. It wasn’t until her female trainer woke her in the morning that she picked up her phone after breakfast and saw a string of messages from Chen Ci:

“What do you mean, an ‘unsuccessful attempt’ at being the other woman?”

“When were you ever into a married person? Was it before Shang Qiuchi cheated on you? If it was before, I’m impressed! If it was after… child, you are far too embarrassing!”

Being in the midst of an episode, the low morning pressure already had her in a foul mood. Combined with the misty drizzle outside and these messages, she felt even more miserable.

Shen Zeyu took a large gulp of porridge and replied with her cheeks puffed out: “It was after Shang Qiuchi. You’re scolding me, so I’m not talking to you anymore!”

Angrily, she muted Chen Ci’s messages and ignored her. After completing her routine exercises, she returned home and began the revisions for the translation.

The translator Xu Luosu had hired was a professor from a foreign language academy whose literary level was higher than Shen Zeyu’s own. Asking her to “revise” was really just a gesture of respect toward the author, allowing her to give it a once-over.

Shen Zeyu spent the afternoon flipping through it and felt there were no major issues. That evening, as Xu Luosu was finishing work, she sent her a message: “I’ve finished reading the English script. I think if you have a professional specializing in DG (Foreign Studies) review it one more time, it will be perfect.”

For overseas broadcast projects like this, it was best not to touch any “red lines,” or it might jeopardize the company’s other projects.

Xu Luosu replied quickly: “Okay.”

Receiving the client’s confirmation, Shen Zeyu let out a long sigh of relief, her mood lifting slightly. “Then my work is done. Good luck, Boss!” It was only because the task was finished that she felt light enough to tease.

However, she was far too naive. How could Xu Luosu possibly let her off so easily?

A moment later, a message came back from Xu Luosu: “Wait a second, Senior Sister. I just negotiated the contract with Spiderfish today, and they want to sign for another season. I see that you’re in a good state, so how about this—if you’re free, why don’t you come over to the Film City to discuss the plan for the second season?”

Shen Zeyu rejected it immediately without a second thought: “I’m not free!”

Xu Luosu didn’t give up: “Why don’t you think about it again?”

Shen Zeyu didn’t hesitate for a second: “I’m really not free.”

She was busy every day—busy trying to soothe her own heart. It was exhausting; she didn’t want more work.

This time, Xu Luosu called her directly.

The phone buzzed and vibrated on the table, startling Shen Zeyu so much she nearly jumped. She instinctively pushed the phone away, leaving it in the corner of the desk to vibrate until it went silent before she cautiously picked it up.

The moment her hand touched the phone, another call came in. Shen Zeyu was so frustrated she nearly smashed the device.

The buzzing was noisy in her ears. Shen Zeyu sighed and reluctantly answered: “Hello…”

“Senior Sister~” Xu Luosu’s voice came through the line.

So coquettish!

The girl’s laughter drifted over from the noisy film set. “How have you been lately?”

As long as they weren’t talking about work, Shen Zeyu could tolerate it. But being in a depressive phase, her mood was irritable, and she couldn’t help but sound a bit sarcastic. “How I am… don’t you already know? Thanks to you, my life has been very ‘fulfilling’ lately.”

Xu Luosu chuckled secretly. Hiding in a corner of the film set, she spoke in a soft, gentle tone. “Alright, it’s all my fault. How about I give you a raise?”

Shen Zeyu stopped her immediately. “Don’t. Our contract clearly states that this is within my scope of work. Don’t you dare raise it.” She was afraid that if Xu Luosu paid her more, she’d have even more work to do.

Based on Xu Luosu’s previous observations of Shen Zeyu, the woman was someone who maintained a very strict sense of distance. Compared to her previous polite formality, this moderate complaining actually made Xu Luosu feel that they had grown much closer.

Xu Luosu’s eyes curved with a smile as she coaxed her warmly. “I’m sorry. It’s my first time producing a show and I lack experience, so I made you do all that extra work for nothing.”

In reality, Xu Luosu’s team was already highly organized and mature. Compared to her previous jobs, the work Shen Zeyu was doing now was much lighter. It was only because her body couldn’t withstand high-intensity stress that she felt tired.

With Xu Luosu’s apology, Shen Zeyu felt she was being a bit unreasonable.

She pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and said in a muffled voice, “It’s not that I don’t want to go, but I write very slowly now. I can’t maintain a continuous output.”

Her Bipolar Disorder made her work life very unstable; she could only produce in bursts. This was generally unsuitable for a team that required a steady flow of scripts.

Xu Luosu had considered this as well and offered a suggestion: “But this is your story framework. I think if anyone else does it, the vision will be different. How about this: our team sets the framework and brainstorms the episodic stories, and we find another screenwriter to share the workload with you?”

This was actually a common method used by overseas production teams—different writers specializing in different plots to build an anthology-style structure.

By suggesting this, Xu Luosu was signaling that the production of Ye Lan was being benchmarked against mature international film and television companies.

Shen Zeyu didn’t dislike this creative model, but for some reason, she felt a faint resistance to the idea.

She tapped the desk uneasily, waiting a long while before replying: “I… in my current situation, I can’t collaborate with others.”

Xu Luosu was silent for a moment, then asked, “What if it’s me? Can you accept that, Senior Sister?”

“Huh?”

Shen Zeyu hadn’t expected that answer at all. Xu Luosu continued: “Don’t reject me yet. I’ve imitated your scripts and written a few short stories. I’ll send them to you when I get back.”

“Take a look first, then give me your answer, okay?”

Shen Zeyu was silent for a long time. Finally, she spoke. “Junior Sister Xu, does your day have 48 hours in it?” She felt that Xu Luosu’s energy levels were on a completely different plane than hers. Shen Zeyu felt lucky if she could manage four hours of work a day, but Xu Luosu seemed to work twenty-four!

Xu Luosu laughed heartily. “Something like that.”

But it wasn’t true.

In reality, she was incredibly busy. She owned a cluster of companies spanning from film and clothing to pharmaceuticals, real estate, and entertainment. If she hadn’t recently hired a Chief Assistant, her acting career would have ended long ago, let alone her screenwriting ambitions.

But none of that could be said to Shen Zeyu.

Heavy love is the same as hate; both are things that make a person hesitate to move forward.

She wanted Shen Zeyu to step out—in a way that felt light and effortless.

She held the phone, her voice boundlessly tender. “So, can I use my 48 hours to support your 4 hours, Senior Sister?”

Shen Zeyu thought about it, feeling a slight stir in her heart. “I suppose that’s okay. Eight times the battery power… sounds quite reliable.”

However, she remained reserved, leaving herself some room to maneuver. “I’ll look at your scripts first.”