Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The winter days were short. When Ye Zhiqiu emerged from VIA, the sky outside was already pitch black.

Ye Zhiqiu started his car but didn't head home. Instead, he drove towards the central business district.

The car passed through the neon lights and finally stopped in front of a relatively low-key shop. Ye Zhiqiu got out of the car without giving a second glance to the surrounding opulence and walked into the shop.

At the same time, on the upper floor of the shop, in a reservation-only hidden bar by the window, Yu Renzhi was on the phone.

"Damn it, you're really not going tomorrow?" Yu Renzhi sounded incredulous. "Your company, Q.L., is the main investor, and most of the costumes in the movie are designed by your company's designers. You're telling me you're not going?"

The person on the other end remained silent, occasionally tapping on a keyboard.

"No way?" Yu Renzhi realized something. "Last time was my fault; I shouldn't have brought someone else to our private gathering."

After saying this, he couldn't help defending himself. "It was because Jiang Nan asked me. Besides, his family has always maintained cooperation with other brands under your Qin family. His father and your father are old acquaintances. I thought it wouldn't be a problem, but who knew he would say those inappropriate things."

Under the Qin family, besides Q.L., there were several mid-range brands aimed at the general public.

However, Qin Jianhe had delegated all authority to professional brand managers. He rarely intervened unless there were special circumstances, including the choice of partners.

But Yu Renzhi was still wrong.

Qin Jianhe disliked Jiang Nan not just because of what he said that day.

Rather, it was because Jiang Nan casually smeared and belittled others to cleanse himself of any wrongdoing.

"I promise," Yu Renzhi continued, "I won't bring him again."

"Will you come or not, Xiao Yu..."

"Damn!"

Yu Renzhi's voice suddenly changed, accompanied by a thud, probably from hitting his head somewhere.

"Quick, quick, guess who I saw."

Qin Jianhe paused his typing and hung up the call expressionlessly.

At the same time, messages started flooding the group chat.

"Yu Renzhi: Damn, I saw the little beauty, image.jpg"

"Yu Renzhi: The little beauty went into the drone specialty store downstairs."

"Wang Qitang: His name is Ye Zhiqiu."

"Yu Renzhi: So what if I call him the little beauty? Xiao Yu, how's the little beauty's onboarding process going?"

"..."

The phone kept vibrating, more annoying than Yu Renzhi's voice. Qin Jianhe opened the screen, intending to mute the notifications, but he saw the photo of Ye Zhiqiu that Yu Renzhi had just sent.

The photo was taken from above, which usually diminishes the subject's stature. But in this photo, the young man still looked tall and graceful. The beige cashmere coat and light camel-colored scarf made him look different from the impression he gave at the club that day, exuding a calm and quiet scholarly air.

Initially not wanting to participate, Qin Jianhe still replied to Yu Renzhi.

"Qin Jianhe: He went to VIA."

"Yu Renzhi: ... What, say that again?"

"Wang Qitang: ..."

"..."

At the same time, Ye Zhiqiu finally chose a drone model.

He had never played with drones before and wasn't familiar with them, but fortunately, he had a clear goal.

In the end, following the shop owner's recommendation, he selected a miniature drone no larger than half a palm.

It was easy to control and had sufficient functions.

The radio broadcast played softly in the car, an old song flowing gently through the small space.

Ye Zhiqiu enjoyed this environment and feeling, making him feel relaxed and safe, so he didn't drive fast.

When he arrived home, Tao Ruoqing was still knitting in the living room.

The light illuminated her side profile, making her look as gentle and virtuous as always.

Hearing the noise, she smiled and looked up.

"It's colder today, so I had Aunt Zhao make some chicken soup. Go wash your hands and have a bowl to warm up."

"Mm." Ye Zhiqiu responded, taking off his scarf and coat.

"I noticed you seem a bit cold lately," Tao Ruoqing said. "This afternoon, I bought some yarn and knitted scarves for you and your brother."

Ye Zhiqiu didn't say anything, but a natural smile appeared on his face.

As usual, he carelessly threw his coat onto the corner of the sofa and went to wash his hands.

When he came out of the bathroom, Aunt Zhao had already placed a fragrant bowl of chicken soup and two appetizers on the table.

In these few days since his rebirth, Ye Zhiqiu had been unusually busy, and as a result, he ate more than usual.

A bowl of soup, two side dishes, and half a bowl of rice were quickly devoured by him.

After eating his fill, he gradually warmed up.

Seeing him put down his utensils, Tao Ruoqing patted the spot next to her. "Come, chat with Mom for a while."

She smiled, "Tomorrow Xiaxia will start filming. Your brother is busy, and your father..."

If it were in the past, Ye Zhiqiu would have likely spoken up for Tao Ruoqing at this point, sometimes even leading to conflicts between him and Ye Hongxian.

But today, Ye Zhiqiu only watched her quietly and attentively, saying nothing.

Tao Ruoqing paused, her smile turning slightly bitter. "Mom feels lonely at home sometimes."

"Didn't you used to play mahjong with Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Li?" Ye Zhiqiu pulled out the scarf she had just started knitting. "I have plenty of scarves at my company; I'll bring some back. Why bother knitting?"

"Tsk, they play big stakes now; Mom can't afford it anymore." Tao Ruoqing laughed, then suddenly remembered something. "Your brother said your car will be ready tomorrow."

Tao Ruoqing was skilled at layering her words.

The "frugal mom" and the "extravagant son" naturally formed in her narrative.

Yet, she showed no resentment, instead remaining exceptionally gentle.

In the past, Ye Zhiqiu would have been moved and felt guilty, deepening his trust and affection for her.

But today, he only playfully wrinkled his nose.

"That's why I didn't choose the eight-hundred-thousand one but picked the two-hundred-thousand one." He said, wearing a slightly innocent expression that seemed to say, "Praise me for being sensible and well-behaved."

Tao Ruoqing: "..."

Tao Ruoqing: "That's why Mom says you're more sensible now."

Ye Zhiqiu smiled contentedly, his eyes crinkling. "I'm going upstairs now, Mom. I have to go to the factory tomorrow."

Recently, Qi Xin had been complaining to her, and Tao Ruoqing really wanted to probe Ye Zhiqiu's thoughts. But after a moment's consideration, she held back.

Impatience leads to mistakes; it wasn't the right time yet.

As she listened to Ye Zhiqiu's footsteps recede up the stairs, her smile gradually faded.

.

The next morning, as Ye Zhixia joined her film crew, the courtyard bustled with activity before dawn.

Both Tao Ruoqing and Ye Hongxian were there, and Uncle Wang went to the far-off vegetable market early to buy Ye Zhixia's favorite fresh cherries.

Each cherry was large and luscious red.

Even from a distance, looking out the window, one could imagine how sweet they were.

Ye Zhiqiu stood behind the curtains, not going down to see Ye Zhixia off.

Only when everything below quieted down did he come downstairs to wash up.

The factory wasn't far, but at this hour, traffic was almost always congested.

By the time Ye Zhiqiu arrived, it was already past nine o'clock.

The person who received him was a middle-aged man. As Sun Wei had mentioned, upon learning that Ye Zhiqiu came from VIA, the man's attitude became rather dismissive.

"What's your surname?" Ye Zhiqiu asked casually.

"Just call me Brother Zhang," the man said bluntly.

"Brother Zhang," Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

The young man was handsome and polite; even if he was originally impatient, Brother Zhang's attitude improved slightly.

"New here?" he asked. "Never seen you before."

"Mm," Ye Zhiqiu nodded. "Still in school, just here to gain some experience."

Brother Zhang glanced at him, lit a cigarette, and led him towards the warehouse.

Then he asked, "Do you smoke?"

"Mm," Ye Zhiqiu nodded. "I do."

Brother Zhang took a cigarette from his pack and tossed it along with a lighter over to Ye Zhiqiu, who caught them and lit the cigarette, taking a deep drag.

Grayish-white smoke instantly spread under the winter sun.

In his previous life, Ye Zhiqiu had developed a heavy smoking habit, and cigarettes became his last support, barely keeping his nearly shattered spirit intact.

Although he was still young and hadn't seriously smoked much, his actions were fluid and practiced.

"Not bad," Brother Zhang remarked.

Just then, the factory gates opened, and a black Bentley slowly drove in.

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

His car had been stopped at the gate by the security guard.

Thinking about it, it wasn't surprising. The car he was driving was an old model that Ye Zheng had used during his studies, worth a few hundred thousand at the time, but now outdated.

Naturally, it couldn't compare to a luxury Bentley.

"Oh, the person I've been waiting for has arrived," Brother Zhang's demeanor suddenly changed, straightening his posture. "Go to the warehouse yourself later; someone will be there. Show them your credentials, and they'll take you to see the materials."

Ye Zhiqiu: "…"

As he spoke, the black Bentley had already arrived.

Before the driver could get out, Brother Zhang immediately put out his cigarette, bowed forward, and opened the rear door.

Accompanied by a low and pleasant voice of gratitude, a pair of glossy black leather shoes stepped onto the ground, and a tall and handsome man bent down to exit the car.

"Mr.… Mr. Qin…" Brother Zhang, who had just been treating Ye Zhiqiu differently, now lowered his head and bowed deeply, fawning excessively, "I didn't expect you to come in person today."

It was Qin Jianhe.

In the fashion industry, no one would not know Qin Jianhe.

Ye Zhiqiu naturally knew him too.

But this was the first time in both his past and present lives that he had seen Qin Jianhe in person.

This man seemed very low-key; even in his previous life, photos of him were extremely rare. Ye Zhiqiu had only seen one photo of him, and it was during a huge scandal involving Jiang Nan.

That news story Ye Zhiqiu still remembered clearly.

Jiang Nan, unable to win Qin Jianhe's affection, secretly drugged his drink and arranged for a large group of reporters to wait outside to capture the intimate scene between them.

According to reports, the drug was very potent; once ingested, there was no escaping its effects.

Yet Jiang Nan still failed.

When the reporters broke in, Jiang Nan was indeed naked, but Qin Jianhe's clothes remained perfectly intact.

His expression was cold and fierce, his dark eyes burning with rage.

Jiang Nan was being choked by one of his hands, his face turning red, and his pupils beginning to dilate uncontrollably.

If not for the reporters he had arranged, he might have been strangled to death on that bed that night.

However, because the reporters arrived in time, Jiang Nan's reputation was ruined.

In the photos, Qin Jianhe's other hand was completely pierced through by a wine bottle shard, blood dripping profusely, staining the white sheets, looking quite terrifying.

According to details that emerged during the trial, Qin Jianhe had stabbed himself with the glass to stay alert.

He was a ruthless man.

As these memories flashed through his mind, Ye Zhiqiu realized that his gaze had been fixed on Qin Jianhe all along.

At that moment, perhaps feeling uncomfortable under his stare, Qin Jianhe's icy, emotionless gaze finally turned toward him.

Instantly, their eyes met.

Ye Zhiqiu: "…"