Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Isn't this worthy of full marks?" Qin Jianhe sneered. "Because I didn’t cooperate with your kiss?"

"I meant a pretend kiss," Ye Zhiqiu muttered, then added, "But it's not because of that."

He lowered his eyes and focused on the live stream of VIA and Jin Qi’s promotional event on the screen, speaking casually.

The phone volume was turned down very low, and the live stream had already entered its main segment.

The hosts were introducing each new product for the night, along with the designers behind them.

The models, with their graceful figures, wore high-quality garments, making Jin Qi’s handbags appear rather cheap in comparison.

There was no way Jiang Nan would be so kind as to support VIA.

Ye Zhiqiu knew better than anyone how much malice he held against him.

Even if he treated him with utmost caution and respect, Jin Qi would still show unfavorable behavior towards VIA.

And this behavior would undoubtedly be attributed to him.

Endurance did not bring kindness or appreciation; it only made one a punching bag for others without any cost.

So this time, Ye Zhiqiu decided not to endure anymore.

He could take the initiative or use his strength to make the other party shut up completely.

"Mr. Qin doesn’t seem to have much experience in relationships, does he?" Ye Zhiqiu smiled while watching the rapidly scrolling comments on the screen. "In a relationship, you can’t show too much satisfaction easily, or the relationship might start to decline from there."

"Is that so?" Qin Jianhe looked at the pale side of his face beneath his jet-black hair. "Indeed, I don’t have as much experience as you."

Ye Zhiqiu didn’t mind; he glanced up at him with a smile in his eyes.

"If there’s a chance in the future, I could teach you?" he teased.

As they spoke, the car had already moved through a block.

Ye Zhiqiu looked ahead; it was a traffic light, and a rider was leaning against a motorcycle smoking.

"Could you stop here, please?" Ye Zhiqiu said with a slight smile. "My friend is here to pick me up."

Qin Jianhe said nothing but signaled the driver to stop.

The car pulled over by the roadside, and Ye Zhiqiu suddenly sobered up, looking at him seriously.

"Thank you for your help today," he said politely, becoming distant again as if their interactions over the past few days were just an act. "I will remember this kindness."

Qin Jianhe remained silent, only looking at him indifferently.

The dim light in the car made his already deep-set eyes appear even darker.

"If Professor Zhang Wenyuan has any news, could you let me know?" Ye Zhiqiu got out of the car, holding the door and smiling at him. "I’ll treat you to dinner later."

"Still want to eat chopped pepper fish head?" Qin Jianhe asked suddenly.

"You choose," Ye Zhiqiu laughed. "Whatever you want, I’m fine with it."

With that, he closed the car door and walked towards the motorcycle.

Under the orange streetlight, the rider tossed the helmet to him from a distance, which Ye Zhiqiu caught skillfully.

He put on the helmet, got on the bike, and wrapped an arm around the rider’s waist. The motorcycle roared to life and merged into the traffic.

"Why didn’t you let him drive you?" Li Shaojun asked as he drove.

Qin Jianhe had helped him a lot, especially today, when he cooperated in acting out a scene.

Ye Zhiqiu didn’t feel entitled to have him drive him back.

"He’s busy with work, isn’t he?" he said. "And you happened to be nearby."

Li Shaojun was speechless. "You’re already protecting him like this?"

"That’s right," Ye Zhiqiu laughed. "If I don’t protect my own, who will?"

Li Shaojun: "..."

The motorcycle suddenly accelerated, and Ye Zhiqiu let out a small cry, instinctively punching Li Shaojun’s back.

"Brat." He cursed, but it only provoked a loud laugh from Li Shaojun, echoing through the night.

When they arrived home, it was almost nine o'clock, and Ye Zhiqiu was nearly frozen stiff.

He left Li Shaojun’s motorcycle and had him drive his own car back.

In the living room, Ye Zhixia was applying a face mask and drinking bird’s nest soup, while Tao Ruoqing continued knitting a scarf she had been working on for a long time.

"You’re back," Tao Ruoqing said, putting down her yarn. "I’ll ask Aunt Zhao to reheat the chicken soup."

"Okay." The warmth of the room thawed Ye Zhiqiu’s frozen face as he rubbed it and took off his coat.

While Tao Ruoqing went to the kitchen, Ye Zhixia looked over at him.

"I’ll come to your bedroom later; I have something to discuss with you," Ye Zhixia said.

"Okay." Ye Zhiqiu casually draped his coat over the sofa and went to wash his hands in the bathroom.

When he came out, Aunt Zhao had brought up the chicken soup, along with a few small pancakes and a plate of side dishes.

"Tonight's meal is simple," she smiled. "Young master, if you want anything else, as long as we have it at home, I can prepare it right away."

"No need." Ye Zhiqiu glanced at the dining table and then suddenly asked after a moment, "Where are my chicken legs?"

"I ate them." Before Aunt Zhao could speak, Ye Zhixia spoke up first, "I ate both chicken legs."

Before they had even formally clashed, Ye Zhixia had already laid down her challenge.

Ye Zhiqiu chuckled but said nothing.

He sat down at the table and began eating while re-entering VIA's live stream.

The live stream was already one-third through, reaching its climax, with comments flying across the screen.

Ye Zhiqiu looked up to check the number of viewers online.

The influence of the two top streamers was indeed formidable; one of the live streams had nearly a million viewers, while the other, though slightly fewer, still had six digits.

This time, Sun Wei had indeed gone all out.

VIA's current predicament was not just about losing market demand and becoming marginalized, but also about the crisis in cooperation with upstream suppliers and processing factories.

Just like the fabric factory Ye Zhiqiu had visited before.

The decline in sales inevitably led to a sharp reduction in production, and the major factories that had previously cooperated with VIA were already eager to completely rid themselves of this burden.

The key to solving the problem lay in opening up the market.

This was why Sun Wei had staked everything on this new product promotion.

Ye Zhiqiu's arrival was a chance given by heaven.

Sun Wei understood that if they couldn't turn things around this time, VIA would be beyond saving.

That's why more than half of the twenty or so new products featured in this event were designed by Ye Zhiqiu.

And Ye Zhiqiu did not disappoint; in the past hour, he had launched three items, each selling out instantly.

Despite this, the netizens in the live stream were still complaining about VIA's scarcity marketing tactics.

In this enthusiastic buying atmosphere, many of the other designers' works also sold well.

The VIA group chat was buzzing with excitement; for the first time in years, the team saw hope.

Several young people from the market operations department even returned to the company overnight to reopen pre-sale channels for the sold-out items on the official website. In just half an hour, the sales figures were impressive.

Feeling reassured, Ye Zhiqiu finished his soup and got up to go upstairs.

Seeing this, Ye Zhixia also stood up and followed him into his bedroom.

"If you have something to say, say it," Ye Zhiqiu remained calm, a faint smile in his eyes. "But if you touch my 'chicken legs' again, I won't let it slide."

"Tsk," Ye Zhixia laughed dismissively. "I'm warning you, if you dare touch my 'chicken legs,' yours won't be safe either."

"Did I?" Ye Zhiqiu asked, his expression turning serious, exuding an unfamiliar aura that made Ye Zhixia uneasy.

Slightly stunned, Ye Zhiqiu approached her.

He lowered his eyes slightly, speaking earnestly, "This is the first time. If there's a next time, I won't be so lenient."

"How will you not be lenient?" Ye Zhixia's aggressive nature couldn't be hidden anymore, like a fierce dog protecting its food. "Are you really going to fight me over Teacher Gao?"

"I have no interest in old men," Ye Zhiqiu said with a half-smile.

"Who are you calling an old man?" Ye Zhixia exploded upon hearing this.

"Your Teacher Gao," Ye Zhiqiu chuckled. "But if you keep provoking me like today, I don't mind taking some time to have dinner with your Teacher Gao, or maybe watch a movie, go on a date."

"You..." Ye Zhixia was furious, wanting to attack but fearing Ye Zhiqiu might actually do it. "Teacher Gao doesn't like you."

"Wanna bet?" Ye Zhiqiu stepped closer. "Should I call him? Invite him to see the stars on the mountain...?"

"It's so cold outside," he laughed. "Do you think he'll come or not? Want to make a bet?"

Ye Zhixia looked at him, feeling both angry and bewildered. "You're crazy! How can you bet on something like this?"

"Everything can be gambled on. If you win, anything you like, whether a person or a thing, no matter how much I like it, I'll give it to you," Ye Zhiqiu pressed on. "If I win, I don't ask for anything. Such a fair bet..."

He slowly asked, "Wanna try?"

"I..." Ye Zhixia's chest heaved, her fists clenched at her sides.

"You're crazy." After a while, she took a deep breath, gritting her teeth. "I'll tell Dad and Mom."

"Go ahead," Ye Zhiqiu sneered. "See if they support you dating a man over thirty who has nothing."

"Who are you calling an old man?" Ye Zhixia lunged forward, grabbing Ye Zhiqiu's hair.

Ye Zhiqiu didn't back down, using his height advantage to grab Ye Zhixia's hair first.

The siblings instantly started fighting, Ye Zhixia attacking viciously, aiming for Ye Zhiqiu's face.

Ye Zhiqiu desperately dodged but still got hit hard on the face by Ye Zhixia's elbow, causing stars to dance before his eyes.

He struggled to flip her over, pinning her down, but just as he raised his fist, the door was suddenly kicked open.

Ye Hongxian had returned.

Having just learned some details about Yun Kai, he was already in a terrible mood. Seeing the two tangled together, he nearly exploded with anger.

Without a second thought, he stepped forward and kicked Ye Zhiqiu in the waist, knocking him off Ye Zhixia.

Ye Zhixia wasn't done. He got up to grab Ye Zhiqiu's face again, but before he could get close, he too was kicked.

The two brothers fell to the ground, panting heavily, but still glared at each other fiercely.

"Both of you, get up," Ye Hongxian barked with a stern face.

"Let's talk here," Ye Zhiqiu said, wiping the wounds on his face.

Ye Hongxian hated Ye Zhiqiu the most. Even though Ye Zhiqiu had visible injuries and Ye Zhixia was unscathed, he still snorted coldly.

"You're getting more skilled, huh? Apart from bullying your younger brother, what else can you do?"

"I can do plenty," Ye Zhiqiu replied.

Otherwise, why would you be so agitated today?

"What can you do? Tell me," Ye Hongxian said sternly.

"Today is the first highlight of my career since I started, didn't you know?" Ye Zhiqiu laughed, "Of course, what do you know about my affairs?"

Ye Hongxian couldn't care less about Ye Zhiqiu's highlights.

All he knew was that after facing setbacks outside, his own son was causing him even more trouble.

He raised his hand in anger.

Seeing this, Ye Zhiqiu couldn't help but laugh and lifted his face toward him.

"Come on, hit me, hit where the wound is." He provocatively looked at Ye Hongxian, "After all, this is the only thing you can do as a 'father.'"

"You bastard." Ye Hongxian slapped Ye Zhiqiu hard across the cheek, making his face turn to the side.

The slap was so fierce that Ye Zhiqiu's ears rang.

Perhaps due to the accumulated disappointment and despair from his past life, he didn't feel wronged or sad at that moment.

Instead, he vividly recalled how Qin Xusheng had confronted Qin Jianhe in the hospital room.

A strange sense of shared suffering welled up within him.

However, this slap was enough.

Enough for Gao Wenye to vent his anger on Ye Zhixia.

They say killing someone also means destroying their spirit.

He didn't kill, but he destroyed spirits.

"Oh, sir, you can't hit the children like that." Seeing Ye Hongxian charge forward, Aunt Zhao and Tao Ruoqing quickly followed.

Aunt Zhao stepped in first, grabbing Ye Hongxian and looking at Ye Zhiqiu's rapidly swelling cheek, she was terrified. "Madam, please look at the young master."

"Don't worry, he won't die," Ye Hongxian said coldly, somewhat shocked by the severity of Ye Zhiqiu's injuries.

Ye Zhiqiu had fair skin, so any injury was very noticeable.

Especially when he was first injured by Ye Zhixia and then slapped by himself.

Ye Hongxian felt a bit regretful but couldn't back down.

Fortunately, Tao Ruoqing arrived quickly.

She scolded Ye Hongxian, berated Ye Zhixia, and hurriedly took Ye Zhiqiu downstairs.

Aunt Zhao immediately fetched ice and red flower oil, applying ice to Ye Zhiqiu's face and then rubbing it with the oil.

Ye Zhiqiu groaned in pain, holding Aunt Zhao's hand and threatening to run away from home.

Tao Ruoqing spent a long time calming him down.

"Why did you fight with Xiaxia?" Tao Ruoqing asked.

"He wanted me not to pursue his teacher Gao," Ye Zhiqiu said, then sneered contemptuously, "Who would fancy an old man?"

Even Ye Zhiqiu despised Gao Wenye, which made Tao Ruoqing dislike him even more.

"Mom will talk to him later," Tao Ruoqing consoled, "What's so good about Gao Wenye? If word gets out, people might think you two are fighting over him, which would be embarrassing."

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu turned his head away with a cold face.

"Go upstairs and rest. Isn't there still an event going on at your company today? Don't delay important matters if your boss needs you."

Tao Ruoqing was extremely frustrated.

It wasn't that Ye Zhiqiu was impervious to reason, but rather that Ye Zhixia was so unreasonable as to attack Ye Zhiqiu despite knowing he had no interest in Gao Wenye.

She realized for the first time that Ye Zhixia's feelings for Gao Wenye might have surpassed her imagination.

Mentioning important matters, Ye Zhiqiu finally got up.

Watching him climb the stairs, Tao Ruoqing stood stunned for a moment before heading straight to Ye Zhixia's room on the second floor.

The room was quiet, with faint sounds of arguments from downstairs occasionally drifting in.

Ye Zhiqiu paid no attention.

He calmly reviewed everything that had happened today, filtering out the unnecessary to ensure every step he took in the future would be correct.

The noise downstairs grew louder, with Ye Hongxian's voice faintly mixed in.

The phone rang, and Ye Zhiqiu couldn't make out what Ye Hongxian was shouting.

The call was from his current teacher, Li Qinghe. Ye Zhiqiu quickly answered, "Teacher."

"Zhiqiu," Li Qinghe spoke kindly, forming a stark contrast to Ye Hongxian, "your senior just called me. The marketing department of their company watched VIA's live stream today and reviewed the drafts you sent over. They are very interested in collaborating now."

"Teacher," Ye Zhiqiu was overjoyed, forgetting the stinging pain on his face, "is it possible to meet them in the next few days?"

"I've given your number to your senior," said Li Qinghe, "he should contact you tomorrow about the specifics."

Ye Zhiqiu raised his hand to cover his injured cheek, suppressing a smile, "Thank you, Teacher."

This was his backup plan for VIA. If this collaboration worked out, no matter how Jiang Nan tried to cause trouble, it would no longer affect VIA negatively.

After hanging up, Ye Zhiqiu took a photo of his swollen, bruised cheek and sent it to their small group chat.

The group chat quickly became lively.

Tang Yue leaned against his bed and saved Ye Zhiqiu's photo to his gallery.

Messages kept coming in, and just as Ye Zhiqiu was about to reply, the phone rang again.

Thinking it might be Li Qinghe with something he forgot to mention, Ye Zhiqiu immediately picked up, polite and obedient, "Teacher."

There was a moment of silence, then a deep, magnetic voice slowly sounded in his ear: "Shouldn't I be calling you teacher?"

That voice was so pleasant that Ye Zhiqiu's ears tingled pleasantly.

He quickly moved the phone away and saw the letters QIN on the screen.

It was Qin Jianhe.

"I..." Ye Zhiqiu was taken aback, "How am I your teacher?"

"Weren't you going to teach me how to date?" Qin Jianhe whispered, "Teacher Ye."

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

His ears tingled even more.

After a while, he remembered that he had indeed boasted like that before.

Seeming to notice his silence, the voice spoke again.

"My mother contacted Teacher Zhang Wenyuan today," Qin Jianhe said, "if you have time tomorrow, you can meet with Teacher Zhang to discuss things."

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

Joy exploded within him, and Ye Zhiqiu wished he could jump on the bed and roll around.

He didn't realize how big his smile was until it pulled at his wound, making him hiss softly.

Hearing the sound on the other end, Qin Jianhe paused his mouse movements, involuntarily recalling the photo Yu Renzhi had sent to the group chat of Ye Zhiqiu's injury at the racetrack.

"Got hurt again?" he asked.

"Yeah," the joy fading, Ye Zhiqiu's tone turned anxious, "is it impolite to meet a teacher with a swollen face?"

There was a moment of silence, then after a while, Qin Jianhe chuckled softly.

"You're quite combative, Ye Zhiqiu." He called his name.

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

Thinking back, his naive self from the past was indeed quite combative.

That's why he confronted Ye Zhixia so directly today.

It was similar to how he used to be, not raising suspicion but not exactly the same.

Because back then, he only knew how to rage helplessly, whereas now he could control the pace and direction of events.

"So?" Ye Zhiqiu laughed, "Not calling me teacher anymore?"

"Teacher Ye." Qin Jianhe chuckled, "If you're worried about meeting a teacher with an injury, I can accompany you. That should show enough sincerity."

Ye Zhiqiu's grip on the phone tightened, feeling unexpectedly touched.

The noise downstairs grew louder, but Qin Jianhe's words made him feel warm and reassured.

"Thanks," he whispered, "you're really a good person."

"Sorry," Qin Jianhe replied coolly, "I don't accept good person cards."

Ye Zhiqiu laughed, "Then, see you tomorrow?"

"Mm." The man on the other end responded softly, "Yes."