Chapter 32: Reality: The Old House

Chapter 32: Reality: The Old House

Ding Tai perked up, a sudden jolt running through him, but he still probed cautiously:

"So you're from President Chi's team? I said this young man is elegant and dashing, clearly extraordinary. If he could be an artist, tsk tsk, he'd be a talent raking in millions annually... Ah, I wonder how many young girls he'd captivate."

"Please."

The blue-robed Taoist gave him a sidelong glance, his swaying earrings shimmering with a subdued glow under the light:

"Tu Mi was indifferent when she saw him. Talking about captivating girls, it's good enough if he can take care of himself."

Ding Tai froze for a moment before patting Tu Mi's chair back and laughing triumphantly:

"Tu Mi has face blindness! She's not like ordinary girls. President Chi, this is my specially chosen golden assistant. You don't know, our Teacher Yan's charm is too great; only someone as reliable as Tu Mi can handle it!"

Tu Mi, having her chair back suddenly grabbed, silently nodded in agreement, putting on a well-behaved demeanor as if nothing had happened.

Ding Tai didn't give up and turned to Ming Yiyang:

"How would you like to be addressed, young man? Are you interested in joining the industry?"

Ming Yiyang didn't even raise his gaze.

"I'm not interested."

Ding Tai wasn't fazed by the rejection and continued to entice him further:

"If you were to join, you'd become colleagues with Teacher Yan! There would be many opportunities for collaboration. Plus, your situation is different from Teacher Yan's; you might even earn more than he does!"

The youth lifted his long lashes to meet the man's gaze nonchalantly,

"Oh, in that case, could Teacher Yan help me with my shoes?"

The room fell silent instantly.

When it came to killing a conversation, Ming Yiyang was indeed the master.

The boiling water bubbled away, but the young man remained unperturbed as he skewered duck intestines into the pot, as if he hadn't just made that provocative remark.

"I was just joking, Mr. Yan. Have some duck intestines."

He promptly placed the cooked intestines on Yan Qiling's plate, then, noticing the man's inaction, deliberately leaned in to inquire,

"Oops, I forgot to use the serving chopsticks. I hope Mr. Yan won't mind?"

Yan Qiling responded gently,

"I do mind. You go ahead and enjoy them yourself."

"Fantastic."

The young man promptly picked up the duck intestines and ate them.

Ding Tai watched, dumbfounded.

But the scene wasn't over yet.

After putting down his chopsticks, Yan Qiling ordered a pot of chrysanthemum tea for the young man, smiling as he said,

"You enjoy joking around so much; perhaps you should have more tea to cool your temper."

"Seeing is sharing."

Ming Yiyang showed no fear at all:

"Pour more for President Chi. He's older and needs to take care of his health."

Chi Zihe nearly choked to death, while Tuan Mi frantically fetched him tissues.

Ding Tai was secretly astonished.

He had worked with Yan Qiling for at least two years, and he knew this man's personality like the back of his hand. One could call it indifference, or perhaps aloofness, depending on the perspective.

This trait had its advantages and disadvantages.

On the bright side, Yan Qiling never caused trouble for Ding Tai, and his work ethic was widely praised. He also continuously introduced an abundance of connections to him.

The downside was that these connections were drawn to Yan Qiling himself, but the man was inflexible in his actions, rarely making exceptions like the sudden concession he just made, which could be considered a groundbreaking event.

Ding Tai had witnessed numerous attempts to provoke Yan Qiling before. There were also young artists who, having achieved success at a young age, relied on their youthful charm and seemingly innocent tactics to challenge others.

Yan Qiling would always take it all in stride.

He was like an incredibly absorbent soundproof barrier; any noise that reached him would be completely absorbed without any reflection. Sometimes, his lack of response could even be unsettling.

When these young artists encountered him, they either retreated voluntarily or ended up hurting themselves with their own provocations, like a boomerang hitting its thrower.

Yet, Yan Qiling, like an audience member watching a monkey show, would occasionally applaud but never approach the stage.

This was the first time he saw Yan Qiling so clearly refute something he disliked, even going as far as to mock the other party specifically.

Considering the silver-haired youth's unexpected "shoe-polishing joke"... well, one could say that this was what it meant to meet one's match.

Ding Tai abandoned his thoughts of poaching the talent and gradually calmed down.

The personality of this young man with white hair was indeed too provocative. While talent was crucial in the industry, emotional intelligence was equally indispensable...

Moreover, this was Chi Zihe's person.

Ding Tai wasn't very clear about what kind of company Chi Zihe ran.

The man seemed carefree and not particularly wealthy, but many of the tycoons Ding Tai knew maintained close ties with Chi Zihe.

It was best for him to steer clear of this guy.

Realizing this, Ding Tai promptly changed the subject.

"Hahaha, speaking of which, it's fate that we can all gather here. Let's have a toast!"

They raised their glasses in a perfunctory manner.

The young man drained his cup of chrysanthemum tea in one go and didn't spare another glance at Yan Qiling.

-

After the meal, they called a car.

Chi Zihe reeked of alcohol and, being aware of it, took the front passenger seat.

Ming Yiyang sat in the backseat and turned his head to see Yan Qiling sitting far away from him.

He deliberately moved closer.

Without any warning, Yan Qiling unfastened his cuff, and in that instant, a burst of silver light shot straight at his face!

Ming Yiyang instinctively reached out to grab it, and the light latched onto his palm.

The Spirit Binding Rope.

It chilled his hand as it tightened around it, but it didn't do anything else, seemingly serving only as a silent warning.

Holding onto the rope, the young man tilted his head to observe Yan Qiling's expression.

Yan Qiling's face was indifferent, his black, glassy eyes honestly reflecting Ming Yiyang's slightly flushed cheeks from drinking.

Yet, there was no emotion directed at him in those eyes at this moment.

Aside from the scent of alcohol, there was also a faint trace of cigarette smoke on him, a hurried indulgence during his trip to the restroom.

Ming Yiyang scoffed.

"Dislike it?"

Yan Qiling's demeanor was aloof.

"You seem to have all five vices."

"I don't solicit sex or use drugs. How can I have all five vices?"

"Oh, so you still gamble?"

Winding the Spirit Binding Rope around his palm a few times, Ming Yiyang tightened the rope connecting them, speaking nonchalantly.

"I don't gamble, but I do play. Anyway, I won't deny that. Go ahead and say what you want."

Yan Qiling's response was to press the window button with the tip of his finger.

With a whoosh, the window slid down, and the cold air in the car mixed with the scent of alcohol was swept away by the hot breeze from outside. Their hair danced in the evening breeze.

Ming Yiyang fell silent, observing the man who had abandoned his outward appearance.

However, Yan Qiling glanced in the rearview mirror and abruptly rolled up the window, then began tidying his disheveled hair.

Ming Yiyang: "…"

He also checked the mirror and caught sight of Chi Zihe's just-withdrawn gaze.

…He retracted his previous statement.

Sure enough, even at the end of the world, Yan Qiling would cling to his perfect image until death.

Chi Zihe turned back because he sensed something odd about the two men's aura.

To be honest, if it weren't for the possibility of a Heaven Rank Wujie Master appearing, he wouldn't have wanted Ming Yiyang to become involved with Yan Qiling.

But right now, only Yan Qiling could intervene.

The two in the backseat were disturbingly quiet.

Darkened glass occasionally reflects the fleeting glimpse of the man's captivating features.

Ming Yiyang observes him from the shadows.

Tracing the contours of his profile with his gaze.

Ming Yiyang senses, somewhat intuitively, that Yan Qiling has an extraordinary level of patience towards him.

Of course, he is well aware of his actions and words.

He could restrain himself, but he was more curious about Yan Qiling's reaction. He wanted to know where this man drew the line with him.

He was simply someone who didn't know when to stop.

One could call it confidence, or one could label it as narcissism.

But judging from the current situation...

Yan Qiling's threshold for anger was still far from being reached.

This person.

He had an unimaginable level of patience and tolerance towards him.

-

Yan Qiling's house was indeed an old, Western-style villa with a history.

Upon opening the door, one would find a narrow and low foyer, with a dark-colored shoe cabinet embedded in the wall beside it.

There was a niche on top of the shoe cabinet, filled with various decorative figurines. Among them, the most eye-catching was a white cartoon astronaut statue.

The astronaut sat cross-legged, guarding a scattering of keys and coins in its embrace. It served as a container for odds and ends, exuding a modern vibe.

However, when placed in this century-old house, it didn't seem out of place. Instead, it held a peculiar charm that transcended time and space.

As Ming Yiyang sat down on the uneven foyer to change his shoes, he casually ran his hand over the wood, raising an eyebrow slightly.

The wooden plank was old sandalwood, its surface smooth and well-preserved.

Such flooring could cost a few hundred per square meter at the cheaper end, or even thousands at the higher end. This spoke volumes about the maintenance cost of this house.

Transcending the lengthy corridor, on the left-hand side, the first arched entrance was framed with purple sandalwood, creating an impressive effect. It contrasted starkly with the surrounding white walls and instantly evoked a sense of vintage elegance.

This entrance led to the living room.

The living room was not spacious; it featured a large, plush blue floral rug around a leather sofa. On the left wall adjacent to the entrance, there were two substantial glass cabinets.

The first cabinet showcased an array of cameras, lenses, and film rolls.

In the second cabinet, one could find numerous magazines featuring Yan Qiling as a model, in sizes big and small, amounting to several dozen issues. Each shelf held thick photo albums.

It was evident that the actual number of photographs stored surpassed what was displayed.

"Wow, it seems you've become even more professional since I last saw you," Chi Zihe remarked, opening the cabinet and casually picking up a single-lens reflex camera. After examining it for a while, he exclaimed in admiration.

"Where did you get your hands on this Sony A900? Wow, the design is quite impressive."

"It was from a second-hand market, just something I picked up for fun."

Yan Qiling hung his coat on the rack and noticed Ming Yiyang staring at the ceiling. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"The interior decorations aren't restricted, but the layout and exterior facade can't be altered."

The living room's ceiling was painted white with a simple, ornamental false ceiling, and the main beam ran through it all.

Due to the proper cleaning of the main beam, it now appeared as an aesthetic feature rather than a structural element.

A lily pendant lamp hung from black iron wires in the center, its bulbs seemingly recently replaced. The streamlined wall lights embedded in the ceiling complemented the brightness of the room.

Despite the old-world charm of the house's decor, Ming Yiyang was still puzzled.

"Isn't this troublesome? Why buy a house like this?"

"I've gotten used to it. Moving somewhere new would feel uncomfortable."

Yan Qiling changed the subject.

"Shall we have wine or tea?"

Chi Zihe held his DSLR camera, capturing the orchid in the corner of the living room without lifting his head. "Wine! I was dying tonight with Ding Tai. He insisted on beer; a shot of white liquor would've been better."

Ming Yiyang had assumed that given Yan Qiling's numerous taboos, there was no way he would help with this request.

To his surprise, Yan Qiling actually went to the kitchen cabinet and opened a bottle of whiskey, pouring it over ice for them to enjoy.

Not only that.

Yan Qiling also drank some for himself.