Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Two days later, Sheng Jinyu attended the press conference for the film *Sound Abyss*.

Before the event began, the hall's screen continuously played the film's teaser trailers.

Reporters had already swarmed in, securing the best camera positions, eager to snatch the next big headline.

As one of the film's investors and producers, Sheng Jinyu was seated in a prime spot, right beside the main cast.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed a familiar face among the actors: Song Xiao, who visibly flinched upon seeing him, likely fearing repercussions for the previous drugging incident.

The director and several producers took their seats. The director, speaking with a Hong Kong accent, chuckled and suggested bringing the lead actors over to meet him, adding that the "big boss" should at least know where his money was going.

Sheng Jinyu waved dismissively, his tone cool. "I merely invested. My concern is the return on investment, not interfering with your production process."

The director laughed heartily, then casually added, "Oh, by the way, the original author of this project is a newcomer. The script is excellent, full of potential—recommended by Old Xiao. I meant to introduce you two last time."

"He might become a regular collaborator. I'm doing him a favor by mentoring the kid. Would you like to meet him later?"

Sheng Jinyu knew he was referring to Xiao Qingzhuo. He and Xiao Qingzhuo shared a history—the renowned screenwriter had once produced a documentary interviewing fifty prominent figures, and Sheng Jinyu had been a guest during his peak racing career, fresh off winning three consecutive championships.

Afterward, Xiao had gifted him a calligraphic scroll inscribed with eight characters:

"Boundless as heaven, swift as the wind."

He held a certain fondness for the man, so indulging him was no trouble.

Sheng Jinyu nodded, agreeing to meet after the conference.

Soon, the lights dimmed. After the host quieted the crowd, the large screen began playing a concept trailer—a standalone clip shot to establish the film's tone before official production.

Sheng Jinyu wasn't particularly interested. He only vaguely knew it was a romance film, an S-tier project (indicating a high-budget, high-priority production). His sole concern was the return on his investment.

Halfway through the nearly two-minute clip, Sheng Jinyu vaguely understood it was a story about unrequited love, bathed in melancholic blue tones—aesthetically pleasing, at least.

He took a sip from his teacup, frowned at the unpleasant taste, and set it down. It was nothing like Su He’s meticulously brewed tea.

As the background music swelled, a voiceover began. The words sounded eerily familiar. His gaze snapped to the screen—then froze.

The teacup slipped from his fingers, spilling the remaining tea onto the table. But the surrounding noise was too loud for anyone to notice the mishap.

On-screen, a letter rendered with special effects appeared, a hand writing with the soft scratch of pen on paper. It was a hopeless love letter, penned by the protagonist in the dead of night to an unrequited love—simple yet profoundly heartfelt.

Murmurs rose around him, but Sheng Jinyu heard none of it.

Too familiar. He had read that letter dozens of times, memorized every single line.

How could such a coincidence exist? Su He’s love letter to him—how could it be identical to the one in this film?

Unless… Su He had copied it from the internet?!

Forcing himself to regain composure, Sheng Jinyu shifted, leaning back against the chair, his fingers unconsciously tracing the teacup.

It’s fine, it’s fine. Even if the love letter was copied from the internet, the feelings were real. Why would he doubt Su He’s feelings for him now?

The press conference swiftly concluded, followed by the inevitable post-event reception. As Su He tried to leave, he was swarmed by people asking for autographs—unexpectedly, many crew members were fans of his books.

With promotional materials readily available, Su He signed and distributed them one by one.

Just as he rose from his seat, Xiao Qingzhuo approached.

"Come, I’ll take you to meet the investors," Xiao said, patting his shoulder.

Su He suddenly remembered something and asked, "Is it Sheng Jinyu?"

This time, it was Xiao Qingzhuo’s turn to be surprised. He chuckled. "You know him?"

"The last time I met my mentor on set, I came with Mr. Sheng. My primary job is actually his assistant," Su He explained with a smile, following him out.

Xiao Qingzhuo recalled their first meeting, having wondered why Su He, not a crew member, was in the restricted areas of the set. Now it made sense.

"No wonder you never took me up on my offers to work with me. Turns out you already had a lucrative position keeping you busy!" Xiao teased playfully.

"Since you two know each other, that makes things easier. It would be great if we could all have dinner together."

With that, the two entered the banquet hall. Su He had intended to tell Sheng Jinyu about this earlier, but after the incident at the hotel, he got busy and forgot.

Now was a good opportunity to tell him about his other identity. Su He always felt that Sheng Jinyu hadn't quite believed he was a writer during their time on the boat.

Upon entering the venue, Su He immediately spotted Sheng Jinyu.

Even among a crowd of striking celebrities, he was instantly noticeable, holding a glass by the champagne tower, his face impassive.

Su He hadn’t seen Sheng Jinyu’s stern expression in so long that he had almost forgotten he was, in fact, a cold-tempered person.

Having grown accustomed to his slightly mischievous smile, this icy Sheng Jinyu felt somewhat unsettling.

Xiao Qingzhuo went ahead to greet Sheng Jinyu and the director, then smoothly brought Su He into the conversation.

Su He stepped forward, a gentle smile on his face as he looked at Sheng Jinyu. "Mr. Sheng, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am the original author of *Sound Abyss*."

He saw Sheng Jinyu staring at him blankly, his gaze unyielding. Xiao Qingzhuo and the director began chatting, mentioning their prior acquaintance, and the conversation flowed.

Su He assumed Sheng Jinyu was simply too surprised to see him there.

He moved closer to Sheng Jinyu, and with one signed promotional item still in his hand, he smilingly slipped it into Sheng Jinyu’s hand.

He whispered conspiratorially, "See? I wasn't lying. I really am a writer. You're sort of my benefactor now, so this is for you!"

Su He felt Sheng Jinyu’s hand tremble slightly.

He paused, then quickly asked, "Are you feeling unwell? You look so pale!"

He instinctively reached to hold Sheng Jinyu’s hand, but the other subtly pulled away.

Su He’s hand met empty air, and he stared at Sheng Jinyu, perplexed.

Xiao Qingzhuo was still chatting with the director, occasionally patting Su He’s shoulder, and the atmosphere seemed harmonious. Yet, Su He was lost in thought, staring at Sheng Jinyu’s silent face, a string of question marks slowly forming in his mind.

What had he done this time to upset this young master?

In the following days, Su He received a call from Assistant Fang, who said the company had suddenly become very busy, with so much work that Sheng Jinyu wasn't returning home much.

He pulled up Sheng Jinyu’s schedule and, after adjusting it, couldn't help but frown. It was packed too tightly; wasn't he leaving himself any time to rest?

Su He vaguely sensed that Sheng Jinyu’s state wasn't right. Unsure who had upset him, he tried to find opportunities to approach him, bringing meals or documents.

But Sheng Jinyu refused to see him, seemingly genuinely too busy, with no time even for a brief meeting.

This was highly unusual.

Normally, even when he was in a bad mood and didn’t want to see anyone, if Su He insisted on approaching him, he would never turn him away.

But this time was different. Sheng Jinyu seemed to be avoiding him.

Su He’s mood sank. He bit his lip, unsure of what he had done. This time, it seemed he was the one who had upset Sheng Jinyu.

That evening, he finally managed to wait for Sheng Jinyu to return, only to coincidentally be on a phone call at the time.

On the other end was the boisterous Shao Fei, his voice loud and unrestrained: "A few of them ran off to dates with their girlfriends—those traitors, choosing girls over bros! But honestly, the timing’s a bit awkward, bumping right into Valentine’s Day. Otherwise, those guys could’ve milked you dry!"

Su He chuckled. "They deserve it. Everyone’s helped me a lot. If it weren’t for the scheduling conflict, I wouldn’t have picked this day. We’ll make it up and gather another time."

As a newcomer breaking into the scene, brought into this circle by Xiao Qingzhuo, Su He knew he wouldn’t have an easy path on his own. Fortunately, Shao Fei’s expertise aligned perfectly—he introduced Su He to a few industry connections, including children of stars and directors, who had indeed helped him a great deal.

"Cut the crap! Missing out on Author Su’s treat is their loss. Next time, I’ll organize a yacht trip and take you all out to sea!" Shao Fei was likely in a noisy setting, yelling over the din.

While still on the call, Su He vaguely heard someone open the door and enter. Knowing it must be Sheng Jinyu returning, he clutched his phone and hurried out from the side hall.

He didn't see anyone, but then heard a heavy door slam. Sheng Jinyu hadn't stayed for even a moment; he had just left?!

Su He panicked. He quickly ended the call and rushed into the courtyard, only to see the distant taillights of a car.

He tried to console himself—maybe Sheng Jinyu had forgotten something and turned back. But what could be so important that Sheng Jinyu had to retrieve it personally?

He waited until midnight, but no one returned. Reluctantly, he called Assistant Fang, feeling like a worried spouse anxiously checking on her husband’s sudden disappearance in the middle of the night.

Assistant Fang seemed to have been woken abruptly from sleep, still groggy as he reflexively answered, "The Young Master...? He left work in the afternoon. Unless something urgent comes up, he wouldn’t stay at the company."

Su He’s expression darkened. "Didn’t you say he was swamped? Too busy to even come back?"

Hearing Su He’s icy tone, Assistant Fang jolted fully awake.

Someone who never got angry was terrifying when they finally did. Assistant Fang scrambled to explain, "Mr. Su, don’t worry. The company has been... quite busy lately. The Young Master might’ve gone back to work overtime."

"Overtime without you?" Su He pressed relentlessly.

Assistant Fang was on the verge of tears. He had no idea what rift had formed between these two recently—Sheng Jinyu refused to explain, and Su He clearly had his own suspicions. He feared misspeaking and accidentally betraying his boss.

This feeling of being interrogated by the boss’s significant other was something Fang Cheng had now experienced in his lifetime.

Stammering cautiously, he danced around the topic. Su He gradually calmed down, realizing Fang Cheng genuinely seemed unaware, and stopped pressing him.

"Sorry for losing my temper earlier. It’s just—he came back and left again. It’s late. Do you know where he might’ve gone?" Su He asked heavily.

The boss was missing?!

Fang Cheng couldn’t stay composed either. He quickly sat up. "The Young Master hasn’t disappeared without a word like this in a long time. Mr. Yan might know more. I’ll call him right—"

"No need," Su He cut him off. "I’ll handle it."

After hanging up on Fang Cheng, Su He immediately called Yan Yichen’s number.