Su Qiu hadn't forgotten that their marriage began with the wishes of their elders—a mutual exchange of what each needed.
Since it was a partnership, it naturally existed for the benefit of both parties. So subconsciously, Su Qiu didn't want to bring her troubles to Zhou Jingqian.
If it weren't for her hands moving faster than her brain, hastily sending that message to Zhou Jingqian, Su Qiu wouldn't have planned to mention Feng Yan's matter at all. She would have quietly handled it herself.
But the message had already been sent, triggering a series of unexpected developments.
If she tried to hide it now, in Zhou Jingqian's eyes, it would only look like she'd accepted flowers from a male suitor and was keeping it from him.
No matter what, Zhou Jingqian's tone toward her never carried the slightest hint of aggression.
But she never expected that he would turn her around, chair and all, refusing to let her avoid the topic.
Gentle in tone, forceful in action.
Su Qiu glanced at his arm—incredibly strong. He could probably lift her up with one hand.
Su Qiu lowered her eyes, her hands neatly folded on her knees, and honestly told him everything about Feng Yan approaching her to fake a marriage.
Zhou Jingqian's brow furrowed slightly, sensing there was more beneath the surface. "Why would he approach you?"
Why her? Probably just as Feng Yan had said—her reputation, her connections, her image were all decent.
And then there was the time he'd pretended to be drunk and crossed the line with her. She hadn't made a scene, leading Feng Yan to think she was a pushover he could easily manipulate.
Su Qiu said, "I've already found a solution. Don't worry."
Zhou Jingqian listened, remaining silent without responding, his deep gaze resting on the top of her head, as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
Of course he understood her thinking.
Their marriage had no feelings behind it, and she genuinely didn't want to cause him the slightest trouble.
But he had clearly said before that whenever she needed him, he would do his duty.
Clearly, she hadn't taken those words to heart.
Zhou Jingqian respected her choice. He still asked in his gentle tone how she planned to resolve it.
Having grown up doted on by her father and grandmother, living in love and care, Su Qiu had no shortage of confidence. Facing something like this, she wasn't flustered.
When he heard she planned to gather more dirt and leverage on Feng Yan, Zhou Jingqian's brow relaxed slightly.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Could you show me the video you have?"
As he said this, Zhou Jingqian watched Su Qiu's face closely, not missing any subtle expression.
She was calmer than he'd imagined.
She hadn't developed an unmentionable shadow from that incident.
Su Qiu nodded, unlocked her phone, and found the video.
Anyone who didn't recognize the person in the video would only think it was a drunk man making a scene in the hallway—a common sight in places like bars.
If pressed, Feng Yan could even say, "I was drunk, but I never touched her."
Only Su Qiu's voice appeared in the video.
Her reaction had been timely, but Zhou Jingqian still keenly detected the slight tremor beneath her composed tone.
Zhou Jingqian remained expressionless, his fingers tightening slightly around the phone as he stared at Feng Yan's face in the video, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
When he looked up again, there was no sharpness visible on the man's face. He set the phone back on the table and slowly rose to his feet.
Su Qiu didn't understand, tilting her head up to look at him.
Zhou Jingqian's arms opened slightly, his tone softer than ever before: "Want a hug?"
Su Qiu's eyes brightened. Without hesitation, she stood up and slowly wrapped her arms around him.
Zhou Jingqian's palm rested on her back as he asked casually, "You said earlier that Feng Yan's backing is Liu Qi from Jingce Media?"
Su Qiu nodded.
Having gotten the information he wanted, Zhou Jingqian formed a plan and didn't mention Feng Yan again.
He ruffled her hair, his tone naturally shifting the topic: "Do you need to go to the set today?"
"I can skip it."
Su Qiu looked up at him. "You're here. I'll keep you company."
Zhou Jingqian let out a low chuckle. "What do you want to do today?"
Su Qiu thought for a moment, then asked him first, "Where did you go to the gym this morning?"
"Downstairs at the hotel."
"Won't people recognize you?"
Zhou Jingqian: "I have bodyguards around me, and my photos haven't been published online. No one can recognize me."
He patted her little head—so small, yet she was worrying about his affairs.
"So, have you decided what you want to do today?"
Su Qiu raised her hand, pointing at the even more luxurious building across from the floor-to-ceiling window. "I want to go swimming in the pool on the top floor of that hotel across the way."
The weather had been muggy lately, and Su Qiu had wanted to swim for a while, but the pool at her hotel had been under maintenance.
Zhou Jingqian said yes, then took out his phone and made a brief call to his assistant to arrange it.
Su Qiu went to the wardrobe to find her swimsuit. She picked a mint-green dress-style one with a crossed-strap design on the back.
Su Qiu wore dresses almost all summer.
She still remembered how, when she was little, her grandmother would make her dresses with a sewing machine, turning pieces of fabric into beautiful princess gowns like magic in her hands.
Grandmother would say, "Qiuqiu is my little princess."
Su Qiu packed the items she needed into her bag, and Zhou Jingqian naturally reached over to take it, his other hand slipping into hers.
The elevator descended from the upper floors. When the doors opened, two young women stood inside.
"Oh, Teacher Su?" It was none other than Xia Tong, the lead actress of the production.
Su Qiu smiled, her tone familiar: "Teacher Xia, heading out for your scenes?"
Xia Tong nodded. "Yeah, my scenes are later today, so I got to sleep in a bit more than usual."
Her gaze drifted to Zhou Jingqian's face, and she froze for a moment—he was even more handsome than the male lead she acted opposite. How had she not known this hotel was housing someone like him?!
Suddenly catching sight of their clasped hands, Xia Tong was taken aback and couldn't help asking, "And this is…?"
Su Qiu paused, then turned to look at Zhou Jingqian.
Zhou Jingqian lowered his gaze to meet hers, and Su Qiu smiled. "My husband."
She said the word "husband" without the slightest hesitation.
When Zhou Jingqian called her, seeing the contact name "A-Husband," she would unconsciously repeat it in her mind, and the more she said it, the more natural it became.
Xia Tong's face showed surprise. "You… you're married?"
Everyone in the production had heard a little about Feng Yan's persistent attentions toward Su Qiu.
Xia Tong also knew exactly what kind of person Feng Yan was—she'd even worried that Su Qiu, being naive, might get taken in.
Now, looking at Zhou Jingqian's face, Xia Tong felt relieved.
With such an outstanding husband in the picture, who would ever look twice at someone like Feng Yan?
Su Qiu hadn't actually planned to hide the fact that she was married. She wasn't an idol actress who needed fans; being married or not had zero impact on her work.
It was just that no one had asked, and she could hardly go around with a megaphone announcing she was married.
Besides, before today, her ring finger had always been bare—even if she'd said it, no one would have believed her.
She just happened to run into Xia Tong in the elevator.
Su Qiu knew that the young assistant beside Xia Tong was the production's resident gossip queen, so this was the perfect chance to let the news of her marriage spread through her.
Xia Tong assumed Su Qiu had deliberately summoned her husband here, so she gave Su Qiu a look that said, "I've got your back."
Su Qiu had always been well-liked on set. She had a soft, adorable face, and her personality was beyond reproach.
When actors couldn't quite nail the emotional nuance of a scene and came to ask for her guidance, Su Qiu treated everyone the same regardless of their status, walking them through it thoroughly.
Anyone with any real fame in the industry tended to put on airs, let alone someone as young as Su Qiu who had already written several highly acclaimed scripts—and she was the direct disciple of the golden screenwriter Qiao Zhi.
Su Qiu's path as a screenwriter had been smooth sailing. In another three to five years, she might even take over Qiao Zhi's mantle and become the next golden female screenwriter.
The elevator stopped on the first floor. Zhou Jingqian and Su Qiu stepped out first, while Xia Tong and her assistant headed to the basement level.
The assistant stared at Zhou Jingqian's retreating figure and blinked. "Sister Tong, hasn't Sister Fan been looking to sign new talent?" What about that guy? Not only is he handsome, but his whole vibe is one of a kind in this industry!"
The only downside was that being married made it hard to attract fans—but as long as they kept it well hidden, it wouldn't be a problem.
Xia Tong laughed and tapped her forehead. "Don't just look at his face. That watch on his wrist is a global limited edition—you can't even buy it with money. Would someone like him care about the scraps we earn?"
The assistant clicked her tongue at that. She hadn't noticed at all—she'd only seen that he was wearing the simplest white shirt and black trousers. "So low-key…"
Xia Tong smiled. "Teacher Su is low-key too. If we hadn't happened to run into them today, who would've known she was married?"
"Guess that's why they're a couple—they're both low-key in style."
Sure enough, the moment Xia Tong arrived on set, her gossip-queen assistant spread the news of Su Qiu's marriage.
When Feng Yan heard it over in Group B, he let out a derisive snort, refusing to believe it at all.
Then he thought it over—it seemed Su Qiu planned to stay on the production, too afraid to burn bridges with him.
Feng Yan held a cigarette between his fingers, lost in thought, until someone nearby reminded him that the actors had finished their scenes and the camera needed to move. Only then did he snap back with a look of impatience.
His gaze then drifted darkly to the young, pretty second female lead standing before him.
Most of the people staying in the nearby hotels were production staff, and at this hour, the majority were busy filming.
The vast rooftop infinity pool had barely a soul in sight.
The pool's edge seemed to merge with the city skyline, and the water was so clear you could see the pale blue tiles at the bottom.
Su Qiu came out of the changing room in her swimsuit—a mint green that made her skin look even fairer.
She sat down at the pool's edge, her legs dangling in the tepid water, kicking back and forth occasionally to send up little splashes.
She glanced toward the men's changing room.
Though they had kissed, they had never seen each other in the buff.
Su Qiu recalled touching Zhou Jingqian's abs last night—hard and firm beneath her fingers, the lines clearly defined.
She remembered the moment she'd accidentally brushed against them, and how the breathing in her ear had grown even lower and raspier.
A moment later, Zhou Jingqian walked out in a black swim shirt and matching trunks.
Su Qiu: "…"
She quietly turned her head back around.
Su Qiu swam two laps before losing the energy to keep going. What she really enjoyed was just soaking in the water.
This seven-star hotel was the tallest building in the area, and Su Qiu glided over to the pool's edge, taking in the entire cityscape spread out before her.
She should have come in the evening instead—then she could watch the sunset here with Zhou Jingqian.
She also liked watching the sunset from the terrace of their wedding suite.
Once she wrapped up filming and returned home, she would invite Zhou Jingqian to swim together.
By then, she should be able to say the words, "Can you take off your shirt and let me see?"
Su Qiu was admiring the view, and Zhou Jingqian was admiring her.
The man's deep gaze fell on the expanse of snow-white skin revealed by the crisscross straps on her back.
The water in the pool rippled gently.
Zhou Jingqian swam over and embraced Su Qiu from behind, his arms circling her waist while also shielding that tantalizing glimpse of skin.
Su Qiu didn't turn around—she knew it was Zhou Jingqian.
Water dripped from the tips of her hair, and fine droplets clung to her cheeks from surfacing.
Zhou Jingqian tilted his head to look at her, then raised his hand and used his fingertip to wipe away a droplet on her left cheek.
His fingers carried a coolness that made Su Qiu shiver involuntarily. She turned around in his embrace, gazing at the man's handsome, refined face so close to hers.
His eyes were as calm as ever, his movements carrying not a hint of boundary-crossing intimacy.
Su Qiu turned her head and saw their nearly overlapping reflections in the water.
Zhou Jingqian suddenly raised his hand and took hers, which rested on the pool edge, their two wedding rings clinking together.
Zhou Jingqian: "Let me take a photo."
Su Qiu didn't think much of it, assuming he wanted to send it to Grandmother Zhou to update her on the couple's recent life.
After getting out of the pool, Zhou Jingqian changed and came out: "I need to take a work call."
Su Qiu nodded and sat down on the white lounge chair by the pool to wait. She took out her phone, opened WeChat, and scrolled through her Moments as usual.
Suddenly, she spotted the newest post from Zhou Jingqian—no caption, just a photo attached.
It was exactly the photo he had just taken.
Su Qiu was stunned.
One of Zhou Jingqian's friends must have commented something, and when he replied, he perhaps missed tapping the reply button—the message was posted directly beneath the photo, visible to everyone:
Not my girlfriend. She's my wife.