Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"I don't believe it," Ye Zhixia muttered. "You could be..."

Before she could finish the phrase "so kind," Ye Zhixia suddenly swallowed her words.

Not far away, assistant Xiao Yang was hurrying over with a hair dryer.

Behind him followed another group of people, and at the front was a tall figure—Gao Wenye.

"Xiao Yang, why did you take so long?" Uncle Wang asked in a low voice as Xiao Yang approached.

"Just ran into Teacher Gao. He asked about Xiaxia, so we chatted for a bit," Xiao Yang explained, bending down to plug the extension cord from the van into the hair dryer.

"He's already moving quickly; don't complain," Ye Zhixia, who had just turned gentle and considerate, said as she saw Gao Wenye approaching.

She smiled warmly and stood up, greeting Gao Wenye, "Teacher Gao."

"How are you doing?" Gao Wenye asked with concern. "Today’s scene must have been tough."

He glanced at Ye Zhixia's still slightly damp hair. "Hurry and dry it off so you don’t catch a cold."

"Mm, thank you, Teacher Gao," Ye Zhixia replied obediently. A moment later, she remembered something and pulled Tao Ruoqing to her side.

"Teacher Gao, let me introduce you," she said. "This is my mother." She then gestured toward Ye Zheng. "And this is my brother, Ye Zheng."

Gao Wenye smiled and nodded at them. Then he looked at Ye Zhiqiu. "And this one..."

"Oh," Ye Zhixia realized she had instinctively left out Ye Zhiqiu. "This is also my brother, Ye Zhiqiu."

"Hello," Gao Wenye smiled at Ye Zhiqiu. "I didn’t expect you to be Xiao Ye’s brother; you look younger than him."

Ye Zhixia: "..."

An instinctive sense of crisis made Ye Zhixia’s joy at Gao Wenye’s concern instantly dissipate.

Her heart felt heavy, and she stared intently at Gao Wenye and Ye Zhiqiu.

Ye Zhiqiu gave her a half-smile, and Ye Zhixia immediately warned him with her eyes.

"I’m only eight months older than my brother," he said with a smile. "That’s why Ye Zhixia doesn’t like calling me her brother."

"Oh~" Gao Wenye was clearly taken aback, struggling to understand the relationship.

Carried for ten months, Ye Zhiqiu was only eight months older than Ye Zhixia...

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu’s mischievous smile, Ye Zhixia stepped forward, blocking him from Gao Wenye.

"I was born prematurely," she told Gao Wenye. "Don’t mind him; he never speaks seriously."

Gao Wenye laughed. "I find it quite amusing."

Ye Zhixia: "..."

If Gao Wenye weren’t right there, she would have shown her displeasure.

Fortunately, Ye Zhiqiu’s phone vibrated, and he smiled, looking down before stepping back from the crowd.

Ye Zhixia secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but soon noticed that Gao Wenye’s gaze followed Ye Zhiqiu.

Jealousy and bitterness mingled into fear, and Ye Zhixia forced a smile.

This expression could fool Gao Wenye but not Tao Ruoqing, whose brows subtly furrowed.

"Since it’s our first meeting and no one has eaten yet," Gao Wenye invited Tao Ruoqing with a smile, "why don’t I treat everyone to dinner?"

Tao Ruoqing, who disliked Gao Wenye, was about to refuse, but Ye Zheng spoke up.

"Let me do it," Ye Zheng said with a polite smile. "Thank you for taking care of Xiaxia these past few days."

Gao Wenye didn’t insist, nodding with a smile. His gaze once again swept over Ye Zhiqiu, who was standing a distance away.

The young man was wrapped in a long white down jacket, wearing a wool cap and a scarf around his neck.

Despite the potentially bulky outfit, he still looked slender and elegant, with an outstanding presence.

At that moment, he was typing on his phone, his thick, long lashes casting small shadows under his eyes, making his skin appear even more fair and translucent.

Like a crystal-clear snowman.

Gao Wenye suddenly had this thought.

Although it was winter, the midday sun was actually warm and gentle.

But even basking in the warm sunlight, Ye Zhiqiu could feel Gao Wenye’s intense gaze.

However, he didn’t care or pay it any attention.

He focused on replying to Jin Baobao’s messages.

"Fortune Bringer: This shop is run by my senior’s brother. It caters to high-end clients, but the prices are quite steep. Try it out first, and if it suits you, I can ask for a discount."

"One Leaf Knows Autumn: OKK."

"Fortune Bringer: Map location."

"Fortune Bringer: Not to be rude, but what’s with your sudden whims? Aren’t you busy enough? Why did you decide to start boxing now?"

Ye Zhiqiu didn't reply at first; instead, he opened the gym's location.

The gym was situated in the very heart of the Central Business District, where every inch of land was precious. No wonder the fees were so high.

But the advantage was that it was right next to the Q.L office building, which would save him a lot of time in the future.

After confirming the location, Ye Zhiqiu replied to Jin Baobao.

"Autumn Leaf: For self-defense."

Jin Baobao didn’t believe him.

"Fortune Accumulator: You’re just making things up, aren’t you?"

Ye Zhiqiu smiled and didn’t reply further.

This time, he wasn't exaggerating; he genuinely needed a self-defense skill.

His conflict with Qi Xin couldn’t stay at its current level; they had to move forward.

Only then could he make Qi Xin truly suffer.

In such a situation, it was hard for him to avoid more private interactions with Qi Xin.

In his past life, he genuinely liked Qi Xin, but their first intimate encounter happened under semi-coercive circumstances, with both of them half-willing.

That’s why they got married so quickly.

He knew better than anyone how much stronger Qi Xin was.

This time, he believed that even with just his mental strength, he could keep Qi Xin in check.

But he couldn’t afford to be careless.

After all, even a rabbit bites when cornered. When testing Qi Xin’s limits, he might not be as precise as he hoped.

After chatting with Jin Baobao, Ye Zhixia had already finished drying her hair.

Xiao Yang, Uncle Wang, and Gao Wenye’s assistant were helping Ye Zheng carry milk tea from the trunk to the film set for the staff.

Ye Zhixia took a bottle from the thermal box and smiled as she offered it to Gao Wenye.

"Teacher Gao, would you like some?"

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu approach, Gao Wenye took the bottle and offered it to Ye Zhiqiu. "Xiao Qiu, would you like some?"

Ye Zhiqiu: "…"

In his past life, his interaction with Gao Wenye was limited to being Ye Zhixia’s boyfriend and Gao Wenye’s confession to him.

After telling Ye Zhixia about it and suggesting they break up, he focused all his time and energy on Qi Xin, never interacting with Gao Wenye again.

Later, when Gao Wenye reappeared in his life, it was when he and Ye Zhixia were constantly supplying “fresh blood” to Qi Xin.

Ye Zhiqiu wondered how someone who had been in the entertainment industry for over a decade could not see that passing the milk tea from Ye Zhixia to him would only exacerbate the tension between the brothers.

But soon he understood.

Gao Wenye had long seen through Ye Zhixia’s feelings for him, which was undeniable.

He came from humble beginnings and won the Best Actor award at twenty-eight through sheer effort, but his talent was limited, and he had no outstanding performances in the following two years.

In contrast, while the Ye family wasn’t a traditional wealthy family, it was still a good choice for Gao Wenye.

So initially, he likely gave some subtle responses to Ye Zhixia.

But now, seeing Ye Zhiqiu…

He changed his mind. Since it was the same family, he would choose the one who made his heart flutter.

Therefore, he had to forcefully break the subtle response he had given Ye Zhixia.

If Ye Zhiqiu accepted the milk tea, he could openly pursue him.

And as for Ye Zhixia…

It would simply be a misunderstanding, nothing more than an elder’s care for a junior.

If he wanted, these excuses would come easily.

If Ye Zhiqiu didn’t accept it, he could still play both sides.

Ye Zhiqiu found it amusing. Old foxes indeed never lose out.

He subtly lowered his gaze, put his phone back in his pocket, and shook his head with a smile.

"Thank you," he said. "This flavor is my brother’s favorite."

Hearing this, Gao Wenye was slightly taken aback.

Not only did Ye Zhiqiu not accept it, but he also threw the hot potato back to him.

Now, giving it to Ye Zhixia seemed inappropriate, yet not giving it seemed worse.

Giving it would imply it was originally from Ye Zhixia.

Not giving it would mean ignoring Ye Zhiqiu’s clear statement that it was Ye Zhixia’s favorite flavor.

But Gao Wenye wasn’t idle either. After a brief moment of hesitation, he inserted a straw into the cup and took a sip.

"Thank you, it's very delicious," he said with a smile to Ye Zhixia. "I'm touched that you would share what you like with me."

*

There was still filming in the afternoon, so for lunch, everyone stayed close by and chose a private restaurant nearby known for its discretion.

The atmosphere at the dining table was pleasant, with Gao Wenye being jovial and skilled at making Tao Ruoqing happy.

In contrast, Ye Zhixia was much quieter than before.

Ye Zhixia spoke little, and Ye Zhiqiu spoke even less. He quietly ate his meal, occasionally chatting with Li Shaojun and others in the group chat.

"After this, Mom and I will head back first." After finishing their meal, as the waiter brought out the fruit platter, Tao Ruoqing began reminding Ye Zhixia, "Focus on your acting when you go back. If there are any issues, call home or tell Uncle Wang."

Tao Ruoqing paused, her gaze subtly sweeping past Gao Wenye, "When you're not filming, come home. Aunt Zhao has learned some new dishes and has been eager to cook them for you to try."

Tao Ruoqing seemed to have more to say, but Ye Zhiqiu quietly got up and walked towards the restroom.

He washed his face and then leaned against the sink, pulling out his phone to check the route back.

As he was thinking, footsteps approached from outside, and someone stopped in front of him.

"Xiao Qiu," Gao Wenye called his name, "can I call you that from now on?"

"A name is just a name," Ye Zhiqiu looked up calmly, "whatever you prefer."

His quiet demeanor was rather cold.

Subconsciously, the phrase "like a snowman" once again surfaced in Gao Wenye's mind.

Crystal clear and beautiful, almost too delicate to touch, for fear it might melt away.

"Alright," Gao Wenye smiled, looking at the phone in his hand, "let's exchange contact information. With your conditions, if you ever want to develop in the entertainment industry, I can offer you all the resources I have."

Everyone knew what resources in the entertainment industry meant.

Gao Wenye's words were already quite clear.

The faint sound of footsteps outside suddenly paused, and Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

"Sorry," he said, "my younger brother seems to have a good impression of you, so..."

He shrugged, "it's not convenient for me to contact you privately."

"But..." Gao Wenye tried to say something.

"Sorry," Ye Zhiqiu interrupted him, "I need to go back now."

He sidestepped Gao Wenye, opened the bathroom door, and immediately saw Ye Zhixia frozen at the entrance.

Seeing him, Ye Zhixia's tearful eyes finally showed emotion.

Jealousy, disgust, and hysteria surged, making his expression momentarily twisted.

Ye Zhiqiu calmly met his gaze, smiling lightly as if unaware.

He knew that his goal had been achieved.

Whether it was because Ye Zhixia rejected Gao Wenye or because Gao Wenye harbored unusual feelings for him...

It would plant a sharp thorn in both their hearts.

Once it erupts, the thorn would become a weapon, mercilessly piercing through the other's heart.