Chapter 16

Chapter 16

After the morning classes ended, Tang Yue looked over at Ye Zhiqiu's seat as usual.

On Ye Zhiqiu's desk, in addition to his professional books, there was also an open copy of *The Complete Guide to Leathercraft*.

Tang Yue leaned forward curiously and noticed that Ye Zhiqiu had already read nearly half of the book.

"Why are you studying leathercraft now?" Tang Yue asked.

"Just killing time," Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

"You have time to kill," Tang Yue complained, "you study, work, and still find time to read other professional books..."

"I'm different," he said, "just my coursework and assignments are almost overwhelming me."

"Xiao Qiu," Tang Yue tugged on Ye Zhiqiu's sleeve, "teach me, how do you manage your time?"

In the past, Ye Zhiqiu would have helped Tang Yue organize his studies and assignments, but now he just smiled.

"I'm forced to," he said, "the company has an event with another brand coming up, so I'm getting familiar with leather goods production beforehand."

"Oh, I see," Tang Yue nodded in understanding, picked up his phone to check the time, "let's go eat first, or we'll be too late and there won't be anything left."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Zhiqiu's phone rang.

The phone was on the corner of the desk, and Tang Yue saw Qi Xin's name.

"He's still calling you," he said with a smile.

"Mm-hmm," Ye Zhiqiu nodded, "I was going to tell you, I can't have lunch with you today."

He blinked, "Qi Xin made a loving meal and brought it over."

"Eh~" Tang Yue laughed, "so mushy."

Then he asked, "what's going on between you two now?"

Ye Zhiqiu didn't answer; he smiled, packed up his things, and waved at Tang Yue. "I'll go first."

His steps were quick and lively, and his tall, slender figure soon disappeared from Tang Yue's sight.

Tang Yue smiled quietly for a moment, then sent a message to Tao Ruoqing.

Ye Zhiqiu had been very busy lately, and the time they could spend together was decreasing, which naturally meant less information he could provide to Tao Ruoqing.

The decrease in usefulness made Tang Yue somewhat uneasy.

After all, this was his first chance to change his fate, and he didn't want to miss it.

After sending the message, he hesitated for a moment, then opened his contacts and dialed the second person who could change his fate.

The phone rang for a while before the other end finally answered, "Hello, who is this?"

"Hello, Mr. Yu, I'm Ye Zhiqiu's friend, Tang Yue," Tang Yue said, "we met at the *Zhuoxin* celebration party and the racetrack that day."

Tang Yue had secretly noted down Yu Renzhi's number when Yu Renzhi exchanged contact information with Jin Baobao, so Yu Renzhi's phone did not have Tang Yue's number.

But he quickly remembered.

"It's you," he said, his voice tinged with slight confusion, "what's the matter? Is Xiao Ye looking for me?"

That wouldn't make sense; if Ye Zhiqiu needed him, why would someone else call?

"No," Tang Yue smiled, "it's like this, Q.L is currently hiring designer assistants, and I can handle the job responsibilities, but they require relevant work experience. So, I was wondering if you could help me by talking to Mr. Qin..."

At this point, his tone became more urgent.

"I don't mean to ask for special treatment, I just want a chance to interview."

"That's the case," Yu Renzhi pondered for a moment, "Q.L designers are very busy, and their assistants have a lot of work and interact with many people, which is why they have such requirements. If you're still in school, it might affect your studies."

"But Xiao Qiu is a student too," Tang Yue said, "he mentioned that Q.L invited him before."

How could Ye Zhiqiu be the same?

Ye Zhiqiu is a natural talent.

According to Meng Da, his works don't need to be numerous; contributing one or two high-quality pieces per season is enough.

But Yu Renzhi couldn't say that outright.

After all, it would be too discouraging.

And Tang Yue was Ye Zhiqiu's friend.

"If you think you can handle it, I'll ask for you," Yu Renzhi said.

"Thank you, Brother," Tang Yue immediately said, changing the form of address, "whether it works out or not, I'm extremely grateful. How about this, when you have time, let me treat you to dinner?"

Whether he could get into Q.L or establish a connection with Yu Renzhi, both would be beneficial to Tang Yue.

However, Yu Renzhi didn't give him that opportunity.

Although he was friendly and fun-loving, he wasn't like that with everyone.

If Tang Yue weren't Ye Zhiqiu's friend, he might not even remember who he was.

"No need, it's just a small favor," Yu Renzhi hung up the phone.

At the same time, Ye Zhiqiu had already brought Qi Xin to the artificial lake near the school gate.

Along the lake were several pavilions with stone tables and chairs. During the spring and summer, the pond was filled with lotus flowers, and it was common to see people resting here.

But now that the weather had turned cold, the lotus pond had withered, and the pavilions offered no shelter from the wind, so naturally, the place had become deserted.

Ye Zhiqiu led Qi Xin into one of the pavilions and sat down, his smiling gaze fixed on the thermos in Qi Xin's hand.

"Just some home-cooked dishes," Qi Xin opened the thermos, taking out the dishes one by one as if presenting treasures. "See if you like them."

There were four dishes and a soup, including a dish of green pepper beef, showing that he had put in real effort.

Yet, Ye Zhiqiu showed no appreciation.

He first tasted the chicken soup and commented mercilessly, "You used an electric stove, didn't you? It's not fragrant. This kind of soup is best when slowly simmered over charcoal."

Then he picked up a stuffed eggplant, spat it out after just one bite: "Ugh, this oil isn't good."

If Qi Xin had managed to maintain a smile before, it faltered when Ye Zhiqiu bit into the cola chicken wings.

"This chicken wing is a bit fishy," Ye Zhiqiu said, putting it down.

"The tomato and egg stir-fry has too much water."

"The green pepper beef is passable, but the beef is tough."

Qi Xin: "..."

Only he knew how much effort he had put into selecting fresh ingredients early that morning at the market. He hadn't even gone to work that morning to prepare these dishes.

Watching Ye Zhiqiu pick at the green pepper beef, Qi Xin felt a mix of frustration and anger rising within him.

"I learned these dishes back in school, where just being full was enough," he tried to explain, suppressing his emotions. "I'll practice more."

"Hmm." Ye Zhiqiu looked at him. "Good luck."

With those words, Qi Xin's anger dissipated, leaving only a sense of defeat.

"Alright," he said. "If there's anything you want to eat, let me know, and I'll make it for you tomorrow."

"Sure," Ye Zhiqiu smiled innocently. "I'll send you a list later."

Days passed with Ye Zhiqiu's picky eating and Qi Xin's fluctuating emotions, until finally, Friday arrived—the day VIA and Jin Qi finalized their cooperation details.

The negotiations were handled by Sun Wei, so Ye Zhiqiu didn't attend.

After work, they waited for Qi Xin to pick him up, then drove to the hotel hosting the dinner party.

The dinner was a buffet, with food, drinks, and beverages available in the entrance hall. Inside, there were areas for relaxation.

"Come, Director Jiang," seeing Ye Zhiqiu enter, Sun Wei immediately stood up and introduced him to Jiang Nan beside her. "This is our company's designer, Ye Zhiqiu."

Jiang Nan smiled and stood up, but froze when he saw Qi Xin beside Ye Zhiqiu.

Qi Xin's steps also halted abruptly, subconsciously creating some distance between himself and Ye Zhiqiu.

"What's wrong?" Ye Zhiqiu stopped, looking at Qi Xin with a half-smile. "Do you know Director Jiang?"

"How could it be?"

"We're just alumni..."

They spoke simultaneously, but their words did not match.

This drew the attention of those who had been chatting nearby, causing some confusion.

"So, do you know each other or not?" Ye Zhiqiu laughed, noticing their awkward expressions.

"We're alumni," Qi Xin explained. "Director Jiang might not have noticed me before."

"Hello, I'm Qi Xin." He introduced himself.

"Hello, fellow alumnus." Jiang Nan played along.

Seeing their forced and uncomfortable act, Ye Zhiqiu chuckled, remaining noncommittal.

He took off his scarf and coat, revealing his well-tailored suit.

His already perfect figure in the coat became even more striking in the suit, instantly overshadowing Jiang Nan standing beside him.

"Hello, I'm Ye Zhiqiu." Ye Zhiqiu extended his hand with a smile.

"Hello, Jiang Nan." Seeing Qi Xin's admiring look at Ye Zhiqiu, Jiang Nan felt a pang of discomfort.

"Have you eaten yet?" Sun Wei asked Ye Zhiqiu.

"Not yet." Ye Zhiqiu smiled and sat down beside Sun Wei, instructing Qi Xin, "Get me some food."

His usual commanding tone.

Over the past few days, after Ye Zhiqiu's treatment, Qi Xin had become quite adept at enduring humiliation.

But today, in front of Jiang Nan, in front of his crush, being ordered around by Ye Zhiqiu made him feel a deep sense of humiliation.

Why did we run into Jiang Nan?

How could it be such a coincidence?

If he had known it would be like this, he would never have come.

But Qi Xin didn’t dare to disobey Ye Zhiqiu’s order. He had just taken a pose to sit down but, upon hearing this, he had no choice but to stand up again.

"Alright." He asked, "What would you like to eat?"

"Anything is fine," Ye Zhiqiu smiled gracefully, "I’m not picky."

Qi Xin: "..."

Really?

You’re not picky?

Who would believe that?

Seeing him obediently walking out, Sun Wei chuckled, "Admirer or boyfriend?"

"An admirer, I guess?" Ye Zhiqiu laughed, "I’ve heard for a long time that the food at this hotel is excellent, so I brought him here to broaden his horizons. You don’t know..."

Ye Zhiqiu wrinkled his nose, "how terrible his cooking is?"

Jiang Nan: "..."

Damn! Qi Xin actually cooked for Ye Zhiqiu.

Noticing Jiang Nan looking over, Ye Zhiqiu smiled slightly and nodded at him.

"I’ve heard a lot about Director Jiang," he said, passing his WeChat QR code across Sun Wei, "Come on, let’s add each other on WeChat."

In the previous life, Jiang Nan added him on WeChat, spying on his status to deliver precise blows.

This time, it was time to switch positions.

Ye Zhiqiu’s eyes were so beautiful, clear and pure...

After a moment of silence, Jiang Nan raised his phone to scan the code.

Things were fine on their end, but Qi Xin, who had just reached the door, froze completely.

If they added each other’s contacts, what about him? How could he handle this in the future?

He feared both Ye Zhiqiu seeing his interactions with Jiang Nan and Jiang Nan noticing his attentiveness toward Ye Zhiqiu...

Was this banquet really here to claim his life?