Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The next day, Su Tinghe intentionally passed by the corner where the miscellaneous items were piled up and noticed that the box was gone.

A peculiar feeling stirred in Su Tinghe's heart, unsure whether it was more disappointment or curiosity. In this world, it wasn't something shameful, so where could Shang Huoyong have taken it?

Su Tinghe felt a nagging curiosity due to Shang Huoyong's unnecessary actions, but the itch didn't last long as Su Tinghe was soon called to the set by Zhang Shijing.

Su Tinghe didn't really care how Zhang Shijing wanted to shoot the scenes. Professional tasks are best handled by experts; Su Tinghe only needed to provide the funds.

The only thing was that the wardrobe for the crew, especially the main characters, had to meet Su Tinghe's approval.

Su Tinghe's criteria for satisfaction were that the costume materials had to be of high quality and the designs had to be attractive.

After being dissatisfied with the shoddy wardrobe from the previous crew, Su Tinghe increased the budget for wardrobe, makeup, and set design. The costumes rushed by the production team Su Tinghe had contacted last time were very satisfying.

Clothes make the man. With the upgrade in costume quality, the actors looked more spirited.

Zhang Shijing couldn't help but marvel at how important it was to have a reliable and wealthy financier for the crew.

The TV series was scheduled to be filmed at the studio city over the next two months, and the kickoff event would also be held there. Zhang Shijing informed Su Tinghe of the arrangements and invited him to attend as the producer.

The studio city wasn't in the same city, and Su Tinghe, having lived here for so long, had never ventured elsewhere. Su Tinghe quickly took the chance to travel.

But since it was the first time traveling far, Su Tinghe felt a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Somehow, Mrs. Shang heard that Su Tinghe was investing in a TV series and was greatly surprised. Taking advantage of Su Tinghe and Shang Huoyong returning to the Shang family for a meal, she chatted with Su Tinghe about it. Su Tinghe offhandedly mentioned that the TV series was set to begin filming.

The studio city wasn't too far, just a two to three-hour drive, especially since there was a popular White Pagoda Temple nearby. After thinking for a few seconds, Mrs. Shang proposed to go with Su Tinghe.

Shang Huoyong was puzzled, "Mom, why are you meddling?"

Mrs. Shang replied, "You don't understand. It's rare for Tinghe to handle such a big scene, so of course, we should go and support him."

More importantly, before Shang Huoyong and Su Tinghe got married, Mrs. Shang had visited the White Pagoda Temple and had the abbot perform a compatibility reading based on their birth dates. The abbot had said some ambiguous words at the time. Now that they had been married for a while, it was indeed time to visit the abbot again.

With Mrs. Shang accompanying him, Su Tinghe was naturally delighted. Shang Huoyong was so busy with work every day that Su Tinghe couldn't expect him to accompany him.

Since Mrs. Shang was going, Mr. Shang, confident that Shang Huoyong was managing work matters, also decided to join.

The three of them happily confirmed the itinerary, and Shang Huoyong suddenly felt a sense of isolation. He could only seek comfort from the family pet, Beibei, but Beibei rubbed against Shang Huoyong's leg and then ran straight to Su Tinghe, wagging its tail and being extremely fawning.

Shang Huoyong felt even more slighted. It seemed that from people to pets, there was no place for him in this family. At that moment, Shang Huoyong truly grasped the meaning of 'the cuckoo usurping the magpie's nest.'

A few days later, on the afternoon before the kickoff event, Su Tinghe, Mr. and Mrs. Shang were going to the studio city together. The usual driver for Mr. and Mrs. Shang had to take temporary leave due to family matters, so Su Tinghe's usual driver drove the company car.

Halfway through the journey, Mrs. Shang video-called Shang Huoyong. The phone screen swept over Su Tinghe and Mr. Shang in the car, and Shang Huoyong's eyes widened in shock. He asked with growing anxiety, "Who is driving? Which car is it?"

Mrs. Shang was taken aback by Shang Huoyong's unusual reaction and honestly replied, "It's Old Zhao, Su Tinghe's usual driver. He's driving one of your villa's company cars."

Shang Huoyong's grip on the phone tightened noticeably, and he stared straight at the screen, asking, "What's the license plate number?"

Mrs. Shang frowned slightly, thinking. Mr. Shang chimed in, "I can't recall exactly, but the last few digits might be 379."

Shang Huoyong's eyes widened in an instant, his pupils shaking. He shouted at the screen, "Pull over right now!"

"No," Mrs. Shang replied firmly. "You can't just stop on the highway."

"I said, tell the driver to pull over right now," Shang Huoyong's anxiety surged, his voice rising sharply.

Both Shang's mother and father were baffled by Shang Huoyong's actions. Shang's mother couldn't hold back her frustration: "Do you really think you're some kind of overbearing CEO? Do you expect us to do whatever you say? Stopping on the highway is a violation that costs 6 points on your license. Do you even know that? And it's dangerous!"

Shang Huoyong couldn't explain at the moment. He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, and said, "Then stop at the next service area and stay there without moving."

After saying this, Shang Huoyong immediately rushed out of the office to check Su Tinghe's real-time location and the nearest service area.

Assistant Song, who seldom saw Shang Huoyong in such a panic, quickly followed and asked what was going on.

Shang Huoyong had no mind to explain, only instructing Assistant Song to handle company matters for now and that important issues would be discussed later.

Shang Huoyong grabbed a driver and immediately headed towards Su Tinghe, keeping a video call with his mother all the way until he saw with his own eyes that they had safely stopped at the service area. Only then did his anxiety ease.

How could he explain to his parents that in his past life, his parents had died in an accident due to brake failure in the very car they were now sitting in, driven by the same driver, Zhao.

In this life, Shang Huoyong had arranged regular checks on the family's vehicles and had someone monitor Driver Zhao's actions, but nothing unusual had been found.

But just a few days ago, Su Tinghe had coincidentally given Driver Zhao a large sum of money.

Shang Huoyong had taken all precautions, thinking that with Su Tinghe and his parents riding in a car from the Shang family, there would be no accidents. But when he spotted the familiar driver during the video call with his mother, his heart tightened, and the horrific scene of his parents' death from his past life flashed before his eyes.

Seeing that the car his parents were in had normal brakes and safely stopped at the service area, Shang Huoyong's anxiety eased. Upon arriving at the service area, he rushed to them and tightly embraced his mother and father.

Su Tinghe extended his arms, expecting Shang Huoyong to hug him too, but Shang Huoyong skipped him and clung to his mother. It was only when Shang's mother pulled Su Tinghe in that the group finally embraced.

Mother and son share a deep bond. Shang's mother gently patted Shang Huoyong's back, asking, "What's going on?"

Shang Huoyong shook his head, managing a faint smile: "It's nothing; I've never attended a launch ceremony before; I just wanted to join in the fun."

Shang's parents exchanged glances but didn't press further. The atmosphere grew slightly tense. Shang's mother joked half-seriously, "I think wanting to join the fun is just an excuse; you really just wanted to see your wife."

Shang Huoyong neither denied nor confirmed, but in the eyes of the other three, it was as good as an admission.

As the evening approached, there was no need to linger at the service area. Shang Huoyong had his parents ride in his car, while he and Su Tinghe rode in the car driven by Driver Zhao.

This move, in the eyes of Shang's parents, confirmed their conclusion that Shang Huoyong had come all this way just to see Su Tinghe.

Su Tinghe thought so too.

Upon arrival, the extra Shang Huoyong had to stay with Su Tinghe.

Sharing a room, Shang Huoyong circled around the topic: "I heard you gave Driver Zhao some money."

Su Tinghe nodded: "Yes, his daughter was hospitalized and he couldn't raise the cash quickly, so I helped him out."

"You're quite kind-hearted," Shang Huoyong said with an expressionless face, his tone flat, making it unclear whether it was praise or sarcasm.

In the previous world, Su Tinghe's grandmother was devoutly religious, and his parents often donated food and supplies to disaster victims. Influenced by them, Su Tinghe also did his best to perform good deeds and make connections, often finding that helping others also benefited himself.

*

On the day of the launch ceremony, Shang Huoyong had to work remotely and didn't join. Shang's parents were determined to support Su Tinghe and naturally attended.

Su Tinghe followed the crew in offering incense, then handed out the prepared hongbao to everyone.

Everyone noticed that the hongbao felt unusually thick and hard, which seemed odd. Upon opening them, they were surprised to find small glass bottles inside, containing golden peanuts and ingots, symbolizing good fortune and wealth.

Even the smallest hongbao contained six golden beans, while the hongbao for the lead actors, director, and the original author and screenwriter were filled to the brim with small glass bottles.

Su Tinghe had no attachment to the flimsy paper currency of this world. To him, a few thin sheets of paper were far less valuable than gold. So, he decided to stuff the red envelopes he handed out with golden beans, specifically choosing peanuts and ingots, symbols of prosperity and wealth, which also served as a beautiful blessing for the film crew.

The crew members initially thought they were working on a small-budget production, but the red envelopes they got were more lavish than those from big-budget productions, leaving them pleasantly surprised and grinning from ear to ear.

Director Zhang Shijing was once again awed by Su Tinghe's generosity. The world of the rich was indeed straightforward and unpretentious. Having worked on many low-budget films before, where every penny was pinched, he finally felt a sense of pride and assurance. If he failed to deliver a good film and caused Su Tinghe to lose money, he would be deeply ashamed.

In any case, a well-funded crew was always a plus, and more importantly, the investor didn't meddle in the filming process. Zhang Shijing's mood could be described in one word: thrilled!

Two days after the opening ceremony, during the actual filming, Shang Huoyong's parents sent over afternoon tea in Su Tinghe's name, and naturally, Shang Huoyong couldn't be outdone, also sending afternoon tea in Su Tinghe's name for two days straight.

Noticing that lead actors in other crews would treat everyone to milk tea, Su Tinghe, unfortunately, had two new actors in his crew who couldn't afford such luxuries. With a wave of his hand, he sent afternoon tea in the names of the two leads and the director for several days.

As a result, within a few days of the opening, the crew members were eating like kings, instantly making them the best-fed and best-treated crew in the film city.

Wanting to visit the temple for morning prayers, Shang Huoyong's mother chose the day after the opening ceremony to take Su Tinghe and others to the White Pagoda Temple.

Only then did Shang Huoyong realize that his mother had indeed consulted a fortune teller about him and Su Tinghe. Fearing that Su Tinghe might inadvertently reveal his previous advice to abstain from lust to the abbot, Shang Huoyong quickly intervened, suggesting they explore the surroundings instead.

Shang Huoyong's mother glared at him and chided, "The master is right here. It won't be too late to wander around after meeting him."

Unable to resist, Shang Huoyong followed his mother into the inner chamber. She said to the abbot, "Last time, I only showed you their birth charts. You mentioned that although they are a good match, there is a calamity in their fate. If they overcome it, they will see clear skies and smooth sailing ahead. May I ask, master, what is this calamity? Is it life-threatening? And how can it be resolved?"

The abbot, though advanced in years, had clear and piercing eyes, focusing on Shang Huoyong and Su Tinghe. Shang Huoyong, afraid that Su Tinghe might say something inappropriate, kept a close eye on him. Su Tinghe, feeling guilty about his identity, dared not look at the abbot and kept his eyes on the ground.

The abbot calculated with his fingers and said, "This calamity is indeed dangerous, but it seems to have passed now, with no threat to life." He pointed at Su Tinghe and said, "This young man is your family's little lucky star. There may be unexpected joys in the future."

Su Tinghe pointed at himself in disbelief, "Me?"

Shang Huoyong's mother looked shocked, "It's already passed?" Nothing had happened during this period.

Shang Huoyong shifted his gaze from Su Tinghe to the abbot, his face showing a thoughtful expression.

Su Tinghe's father: I don't quite understand, but it seems to say that our family has good luck.

The abbot looked mysterious, "Some things are invisible to the eye; you must see them with your heart." He refused to say more.

Before leaving, the abbot suddenly said without context, "Be careful when you go out."

The abbot's final words were very soft, leaving everyone puzzled, but they didn't pay much attention to it.

Shang Huoyong's mother wanted to pay respects to every deity, but Shang Huoyong lacked the patience and chose to wait at a coffee shop outside the White Pagoda Temple.

Estimating that enough time had passed, Shang Huoyong left the coffee shop. As Su Tinghe exited the temple, he saw Shang Huoyong not far away and was about to wave when he noticed a car heading straight towards Shang Huoyong.

The temple entrance was on a slope, and a car was sliding down from above, gaining speed and getting closer to Shang Huoyong. Su Tinghe's eyes widened, and he shouted, "Shang Huoyong!"

Shang Huoyong turned towards the sound and saw Su Tinghe rushing towards him.

With a "bang," someone fell to the ground.