Chapter 33

Chapter 33

The private room in the club was exceptionally secluded, with excellent soundproofing.

Even though outside there were bustling streets and bright lights, the only sounds heard were the soothing tones of a piano melody.

Yu Renzhi practically lay back into the booth, stretching his limbs comfortably and letting out a long sigh. "With all the work we have throughout the year, it's only these few days that we can relax a bit."

"Among everyone here, you're the one who lives the easiest life," Wang Qitang said, having just solved his biggest problem and now looking particularly vibrant. He asked with a smile, "Why do you seem so boneless?"

Of the four people, Qin Jianhe was the first to take over the family business, although strictly speaking, he didn't fully assume control.

After all, when Qin Xusheng suddenly fell ill and became paralyzed, Wang Xin somehow convinced him to hand over Q.L to their younger son, Qin Weian.

Qin Weian was two years younger than Qin Jianhe and was only nineteen at the time, an age when he was more interested in partying and having fun, lacking both knowledge and poise.

At the time, all their close friends and relatives were worried for Qin Jianhe, urging him to take control of Q.L as soon as possible.

After all, Q.L wasn't just the Qin family's business; it was also the life's work of Nie Fengjun.

Without Nie Fengjun, relying solely on Qin Xusheng's abilities, Q.L would never have had a chance to establish itself in the fashion industry.

Moreover, Nie Fengjun still held thirty percent of Q.L's shares.

The development of Q.L directly affected Nie Fengjun's personal interests.

But while everyone else was anxious, only Qin Jianhe and Nie Fengjun remained calm.

Qin Jianhe continued his studies and practiced managing his stock account.

Since turning eighteen and opening his own stock account, Qin Jianhe hadn't taken any money from home.

He excelled in trading stocks, honing his skills amidst the economic fluctuations, making his eyes exceptionally sharp.

This calm lasted for over two years until the problems with Q.L grew increasingly severe.

Raised by Wang Xin, Qin Weian was lazy and lacked any business acumen, making it impossible for him to manage a large enterprise like Q.L.

Not only could he not control the company's veterans, but during his two-year tenure, several production accidents occurred at Q.L.

In one particularly absurd incident, a design change went unnoticed from production to global distribution.

The disconnect between departments was severe.

For an internationally renowned luxury brand, such mistakes were embarrassingly low-level.

This incident caused a significant uproar and led to a rapid decline in Q.L's status and reputation within the fashion industry.

A brand that had been in the top five for years plummeted far beyond the top fifty, becoming a laughingstock in the fashion world.

Furthermore, due to Qin Weian's nepotism and purges, Q.L's once healthy corporate culture deteriorated, with office politics becoming rampant.

Those dedicated to their work were suppressed, while sycophants rose quickly through the ranks.

Eventually, even Meng Da was ousted from his position as head of the Design Department.

Many in the Design Department left, and those who stayed lost interest in developing new products, leading most to submit subpar work just to get by.

This directly resulted in Q.L no longer producing high-quality items.

By the end of the second year, Q.L was publicly shamed for copying designs from other brands.

It was then that Qin Xusheng finally realized the severity of the situation.

Facing imminent collapse, regardless of his favoritism towards his younger son, he had to swallow his pride and seek help from Nie Fengjun and her son.

Nie Fengjun did not say much; she respected Qin Jianhe's decision.

At the time, Qin Jianhe had just come out of the rooftop pool. Though dressed in ordinary jeans and a T-shirt, his wet black hair and piercing gaze made him intimidating.

Even Qin Xusheng was secretly alarmed.

"Fine," Qin Jianhe said calmly upon learning of Qin Xusheng's intentions, "I want your shares."

Qin Xusheng nearly fainted from anger,

The Qin family's shares, aside from those already in circulation, amounted to only thirty percent in Qin Xusheng's hands, the same as Nie Fengjun's.

"If you take all my shares, what will happen to your brother?" Qin Xusheng asked.

"Brother?" Qin Jianhe gave him a faint smile. "If you had controlled yourself a little, I wouldn't have this cheap brother."

"Also," he added, "if you treat Q.L like a toy for your precious son, let him play freely. If he ruins it or breaks it, don't feel sorry. Don't try to have it both ways."

Qin Xusheng nearly fainted again.

When he regained consciousness, Qin Jianhe ruthlessly took nineteen percent of his shares.

There was no choice; handing over the company to Qin Jianhe was his own plea.

And he had to give up a significant portion of his shares.

Qin Xusheng began to regret his decision.

If he had given the company to Qin Jianhe from the start, he might have earned some gratitude and warmth from him.

But later on, despite his desperate pleas, all he received was cold disdain and ridicule.

Among all this, what pained him the most was the nineteen percent share of equity.

Nineteen percent was already Qin Xusheng's bottom line.

Because any more than that, combined with Nie Fengjun's thirty percent, would mean that Qin Jianhe and his mother would have complete control over Q.L.

What he didn't know was that before this, Qin Jianhe had already maximized his purchase of Q.L.'s publicly traded shares.

After the share transfer agreement took effect, he immediately began selling off his own stocks to short-sell Q.L.

Taking advantage of the shareholders' extreme disappointment in Q.L., he managed to acquire all ten percent of Q.L.'s external shares for himself.

Qin Xusheng's efforts were in vain, and he was so enraged that he spat out blood on the spot.

Wang Xin even caused a huge commotion, but Qin Jianhe didn't even see her; he just had her escorted out.

Qin Jianhe officially took over Q.L. in just two years, not only righting the sinking ship but also breaking into the top three rankings for the first time, surpassing the previous limit of the top five.

This battle, both internally and externally, was almost legendary.

As a result, among those studying fashion, almost no one was unaware of Qin Jianhe's name.

Compared to Qin Jianhe, although Wang Qitang's burden wasn't light either, he had the advantage of a harmonious family, loving parents, and the guidance of the older generation, making his succession relatively smooth.

Meng Qingyan, though he hadn't yet considered returning, had carved out his own territory in the entertainment industry.

Only Yu Renzhi, who seemed to do nothing all day, complained about being tired the most.

"Sigh, you don't understand," Yu Renzhi sighed, lying sprawled out. "No matter what kind of environment you're in, you'll still get tired."

As he spoke, he reached out his hand, and Wang Qitang patiently handed him the wine glass.

The door to the private room was knocked on, and they assumed it was a waiter bringing the fruit platter. But when the door opened, it was Zhang Yuntang.

Seeing this, Wang Qitang quickly got up to greet her: "Why are you here?"

"I came to meet a friend," Zhang Yuntang smiled, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Wang Qitang. "I heard you guys were here too, so I decided to drop by."

"Come in quickly." Wang Qitang held her hand in his.

"Oh, sister-in-law is here," Yu Renzhi, who had been lying lazily, straightened up upon seeing Zhang Yuntang.

"Yes," Zhang Yuntang smiled gently. "I was about to leave, but when I heard you guys were here, I thought I'd come over."

"Sister-in-law, sit down." Meng Qingyan got up and offered the seat next to Wang Qitang to Zhang Yuntang.

The Zhang family was in the business of battery anodes, which coincidentally aligned with the Wang family's transition.

Though their relationship started through an arranged marriage, they got along quite well.

"Speaking of which," seeing Zhang Yuntang reminded Yu Renzhi of something. "Xiao Yu, shouldn't we call sister-in-law out? It's rare for everyone to be together like this."

Hearing this, Zhang Yuntang's eyes suddenly widened, looking curiously at Qin Jianhe.

"Is Brother Yu dating someone?" she asked. "Who is it? Do I know them?"

Given Qin Jianhe's status, anyone who could match him in Beijing would be rare indeed. Zhang Yuntang quickly ran through her mind and became even more curious.

"Just a kid from an ordinary family," Qin Jianhe said, seemingly reading her thoughts, pushing a glass of wine towards her indifferently.

"Someone I don't know?" Zhang Yuntang blinked.

"I'll call sister-in-law." Seeing Qin Jianhe take no action, Yu Renzhi dialed the number himself.

"Hello, sister-in-law." As soon as the call connected, Yu Renzhi's eyes lit up. "Are you free today? Want to come hang out?"

"Give me the phone." Before he could finish, Qin Jianhe reached out his hand.

Yu Renzhi instinctively dodged, but upon meeting Qin Jianhe's deep phoenix eyes, he obediently handed over the phone.

"Where are you guys?" Ye Zhiqiu's voice came through the receiver, filled with amusement.

"We're drinking at the club." Qin Jianhe lowered his eyes, and the cold aura around him dissipated inexplicably.

"Qin Jianhe?" Ye Zhiqiu laughed. "Yu Renzhi said to come over?"

He added, "Is this part of the task?"

"No," Qin Jianhe replied. "If you don't want to come, you don't have to. Don't force yourself."

There was another laugh on the other end, followed by a brief silence.

Although Uncle Wang had gotten drunk and Ye Zhiqiu secretly poured a lot of the alcohol into the trash can, tonight's high-proof liquor had still left his head feeling heavy.

Rubbing his slightly aching temples, he propped his cheek and gazed out at the distant star that always seemed to stay in the same position in the clear sky after last night's snow.

The sky was clearer today after the snowfall.

Even that star seemed brighter than usual.

Ye Zhiqiu couldn't help but be slightly entranced.

These words, because of Gao Wenye's text message, Qin Jianhe had already said once when he brought him back last night.

Now it was the second time.

Involuntarily, he thought back to the past.

In the past, Qi Xin always used his own difficulties to make him help, to beg him to sacrifice for him.

Even knowing that clients had intentions toward him, he still had to take him along to entertain them for the sake of getting orders...

All kinds of things, once, twice... countless times.

But now, Qin Jianhe told him that if he didn't want to, he didn't have to do it.

Perhaps sensing his silence was a bit too long, the man's deep voice came from the other end: "Hmm?"

"Uh-huh," Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

After a long pause, and perhaps due to the alcohol, his voice sounded a bit languid and hoarse.

"Have you been drinking?" Qin Jianhe asked.

"Uh-huh." Ye Zhiqiu responded again, and after a moment, he said, "I had a little white wine."

"Where are you now?" Qin Jianhe asked. "I'll send someone to pick you up and bring you home."

"I'm at home," Ye Zhiqiu laughed softly. He was in a good mood today and couldn't help talking more. "Are you worried about me?"

Qin Jianhe didn't say anything, and after a while, he asked, "Do you have any hangover medicine at home?"

"No," Ye Zhiqiu replied, "Aunt Zhao said she would brew some hangover soup for me."

"Hmm," Qin Jianhe acknowledged softly. "Go to bed early after you drink it."

"Okay," Ye Zhiqiu said, his tone different from usual, sounding unusually obedient.

Unconsciously, Qin Jianhe's eyes filled with a smile.

"Goodnight," he said, hanging up the phone.

"Tsk tsk tsk..." Yu Renzhi finally mustered the courage to retrieve his phone. Seeing the smile in Qin Jianhe's eyes, he couldn't help but click his tongue. "He hasn't even done anything yet, and he's already acting like a devoted husband."

He mimicked Qin Jianhe's tone sarcastically: "If you don't want to come, you don't have to force yourself."

At this, everyone burst out laughing, especially Zhang Yuntang.

"Hmm," Qin Jianhe looked up, his eyes smiling faintly. "Do you have any complaints?"

"No, no, how could I?" Yu Renzhi immediately said, then complained, "Relying on you to get her out is hopeless. I'll have to ask her myself later."

"How so?" Meng Qingyan also asked. "She drank quite a lot."

"Hmm," Qin Jianhe acknowledged softly, then dialed the driver's number. "Uncle Li, buy some hangover medicine and deliver it to the Ye family's place."

This time, even Wang Qitang laughed.

He held Zhang Yuntang's hand. "I used to say he was a block of wood or an ice cube, but it seems I was wrong."

"Yes," Zhang Yuntang laughed. "You should learn from Brother Yu."

*

Worried that Ye Zhiqiu might be asleep, Uncle Li did not contact him but pressed the electronic doorbell at the gate.

Soon, the gate opened, and Aunt Zhao hurried out.

"Who are you?" Looking at Uncle Li, Aunt Zhao was a bit puzzled but quickly remembered him.

He had come to pick up the young master before.

"Hello," Uncle Li said, mentioning Zhang Qingsheng, the grandson of the Qin family's old butler. "This is the hangover medicine Mr. Zhang asked me to deliver to Mr. Ye Zhiqiu."

"You came specially to deliver hangover medicine?" Aunt Zhao was incredulous.

"Yes," Uncle Li nodded. "Please bother you. If Mr. Ye hasn't slept yet, please have him take one before resting. It will make him feel better."

"Oh... oh..." Aunt Zhao hadn't fully reacted when Uncle Li got into his car, skillfully turned around, and drove away.

"Sigh," Aunt Zhao sighed. "Isn't the young master still close with Young Master Qi? And now this Zhang family is so attentive..."

"It's complicated," she shook her head. "It really is complicated."

"Who was it?" Ye Zhixia was playing games in the living room when she saw Aunt Zhao muttering as she entered. She asked.

"It was someone delivering hangover medicine for the young master," Aunt Zhao waved the bottle of medicine, smiling.

Among the three young masters at home, Ye Zheng was usually called "Eldest Young Master," Ye Zhixia was known as "Youngest Young Master," and only Ye Zhiqiu was referred to by his name.

Hearing this, Ye Zhixia sat up straight, asking with a half-smile, "Who was it?"

"It was the grandson of the Qin family's old butler," Aunt Zhao smiled. "Such a considerate young man."

Ye Zhixia snorted and reached out her hand. "I'll take it up to him."

"Youngest Young Master," Aunt Zhao handed over the medicine. "The young master drank quite a lot, so please don't argue with him again."

She pointed upstairs. "Mr. Ye is also at home today."

"Got it," Ye Zhixia said, getting up and heading upstairs.

Ye Zhiqiu's room still had lights on. Ye Zhixia tried to push the door open but couldn't, so she knocked.

"Who is it?" Ye Zhiqiu's voice came faintly from inside.

"It's me," Ye Zhixia said, pressing her whole body against the door to listen for movement inside.

After a while, the door finally opened, and Ye Zhiqiu appeared at the door wearing a bathrobe, his hair wet.

Having just taken a shower, the hot water had left his skin flushed and particularly tender.

Ye Zhixia: "…"

Every time he saw Ye Zhiqiu looking beautiful without even realizing it, he felt suffocated.

Then, he thought of Gao Wenye again, which only added to his confusion and agitation.

"Is there something you need?" Ye Zhiqiu looked at him.

He must have drunk quite a lot that night, as even his usually clear eyes were now filled with redness.

"I brought you some hangover medicine." Ye Zhixia waved the medicine in his hand.

"Such kindness?" Seeing this, Ye Zhiqiu smiled, "Or are you trying to bribe me?"

"Don't flatter yourself." Ye Zhixia entered Ye Zhiqiu's room and closed the door, "This was specially sent by the grandson of the Qin family's old butler."

He emphasized the words "the old butler's grandson" deliberately.

Ye Zhiqiu was taken aback for a moment before realizing that the medicine was sent by Qin Jianhe.

"Give it to me." He extended his hand.

"No, Ye Zhiqiu," Ye Zhixia sneered, "do you really enjoy hanging out with servants? First the butler's grandson, then Uncle Wang, and you even went into his shabby house to drink with him all night..."

Ye Zhixia laughed, "I've never seen someone so willing to degrade themselves."

"Hmm," Ye Zhiqiu didn't get angry. He tilted his head, smiling meaningfully, "Who knows, I might even become buddies with the chauffeur's son."

Ye Zhixia frowned, not understanding what Ye Zhiqiu meant.

"You're really drunk." He said, tossing the medicine into Ye Zhiqiu's hand with disdain before turning to leave.

The box of medicine wasn't heavy, but it felt weighty in his hand.

Ye Zhiqiu held it tightly and after a while, reached for his phone.

When he picked up his phone, he realized that the group chat had resumed.

Ye Zhiqiu didn't look at it immediately; instead, he opened the chat window with Qin Jianhe.

"The hangover medicine arrived, thank you for your concern. Actually, you didn't have to..."

His typing fingers paused for a moment, and he deleted the last few words.

He hit send, and a new message appeared on the screen.

"One Leaf Knows Autumn: The hangover medicine arrived, thank you for your concern. [Bow].jpg"

Qin Jianhe replied quickly.

"QIN: Take the medicine and rest early."

"One Leaf Knows Autumn: Okay."

After sending this, he paused briefly, lost in thought.

Then, he took the medicine, went to the bathroom, and dried his damp hair.

Whether it was the effect of the hangover medicine or something else, when he came out of the bathroom, Ye Zhiqiu felt much better.

He sat on the bed and opened the small group chat.

There were over a dozen unread messages, and Ye Zhiqiu scrolled to the top to start reading from the beginning.

"Fortune Bringer: Has your brother Ye Zhixia finished filming with Gao Wenye? @One Leaf Knows Autumn."

"Liao Shao: Why are you suddenly concerned about Ye Zhixia?"

"Fortune Bringer: Ye Zhixia doesn't need my concern. My daughter Youyou had an audition today and coincidentally met Gao Wenye."

"Le Le: What happened?"

"Fortune Bringer: Haha, don't mention it. This Gao Wenye is so snobbish. At first, he was quite polite because Youyou is pretty, but later, when he found out from his assistant that Youyou's mother is our maid, his face turned dark."

"Fortune Bringer: So what if she's a maid? Did Youyou ever eat his rice or drink his water? It's really frustrating."

"Fortune Bringer: My son Yan is a double award-winning actor, younger than him, and better-looking. He never looked down on Youyou when they performed together. What gives him the right?"

"Fortune Bringer: Ye Zhixia must be blind to like him."

"Liao Shao: He's been blind for a long time."

"Le Le: Isn't Gao Wenye's background humble too?"

"Fortune Bringer: His father seems to be a truck driver. But so what? A truck driver raised a movie star. That should be a source of pride and respect. No one cares about his background except himself. I heard he hasn't visited his parents in years. An ungrateful brat. If I were his father, I would have wished I shot him on the wall back then."

"Fortune Bringer: If this film is going to have Gao Wenye, I won't let Youyou take the role. I'll support her for the rest of her life."

"One Leaf Knows Autumn: …"

"One Leaf Knows Autumn: Who was talking about needing a job and wanting to work for me just the other day?"

"Fortune Bringer: … Hehe."

"Liao Shao: How about we meet up tomorrow morning? We'll be with our elders in the evening."

"Fortune Bringer: Sure."

"Le Le: I envy all three of you being together. I can't go."

"Yi Ye Zhiqiu: Alright, I'm going to sleep now."

"Li Shao: This early?"

"Yi Ye Zhiqiu: Yeah, good night."

After sending the last message, Ye Zhiqiu reached up to turn off the light.

Someone had repeatedly told him to go to bed early, so he didn't want to stay up late.

*

Tao Ruoqing had mahjong sessions every day during the New Year.

While it was called playing mahjong, it was also an opportunity for Ye Zhixia to be seen more often among these wealthy ladies.

Additionally, Gao Wenye's pursuit of Ye Zhixia would definitely be a topic of discussion.

After all, it highlighted how popular Ye Zhixia was.

After breakfast, when Ye Zhiqiu left the house, Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Li were already there.

The two ladies were particularly gracious, each giving him a red envelope.

Upon hearing the news, Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun insisted he treat them to lunch, quickly depleting the contents of the two red envelopes.

After lunch, the two wanted to go to the arcade, but Ye Zhiqiu left early and met Zhang Mian at a nearby café.

"Nah." As soon as they met, Zhang Mian handed over a thick stack of documents and a pen.

"Are all these to be signed?" Ye Zhiqiu asked.

"How long have they been piling up?" Zhang Mian smiled.

"Alright." Ye Zhiqiu took a sip of coffee, asked the waiter for two sugar cubes, and then uncapped the pen.

"People usually cut down on sugar," Zhang Mian observed, "why do you like eating so much sugar? Aren't you worried about gaining weight?"

"Life is already bitter enough," Ye Zhiqiu signed quickly, "if I don't eat something sweet, how am I supposed to get through it?"

"If I told you," Zhang Mian suppressed his smile, "that Xin Dongli gave us a definite answer, would you still feel that way?"

The pen paused, and Ye Zhiqiu suddenly looked up.

"What?" he asked, "Zhang Mian, what did you say?"

"Actually, we got word last night, but Wang Qitang only made a verbal commitment, so I didn't tell you right away, not wanting to raise false hopes during the New Year." Zhang Mian smiled, transferring two new emails to Ye Zhiqiu's inbox, "But they moved fast; today their legal department sent over the contract. You'll need to review the terms later."

"Have you looked it over?" Ye Zhiqiu asked.

"I have," Zhang Mian said, "the main points are fine, but some details might need tweaking."

He paused, "That's why I want you to look it over again."

"It's the New Year today," Ye Zhiqiu chuckled, "even if I sign, it will have to wait until after the holiday. I'll take it home to review."

"I thought the same thing," Zhang Mian said, "this way you have plenty of time to read it carefully."

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu signing diligently, Zhang Mian sipped his coffee and discussed other company matters with him.

"A couple of days ago," he smiled, "your elder brother came to our factory?"

"Oh?" Ye Zhiqiu looked up.

"He wanted to cooperate with us," Zhang Mian chuckled, "after I refused, you should have seen the look on his face."

Several clients had been lost, and Ye Ding now relied solely on chargers and charging stations.

While it wasn't enough to bring the company down, the profits were significantly lower than before.

Ye Hongxian couldn't help but worry.

"Just left?" Ye Zhiqiu started signing again.

"He kept making concessions afterward," Zhang Mian said, "but I remembered your words, so don't worry."

"Mm-hmm." Ye Zhiqiu capped the pen and checked the time.

"Do you have something else to do?" Zhang Mian asked.

"Mm-hmm." Ye Zhiqiu nodded.

As he was leaving, he asked Mrs. Zhang, who mentioned that tonight was the New Year, and the mahjong session would end earlier.

Calculating the time, it was almost then.

"You can go," Zhang Mian stood up, "I should head home for the New Year too."

They bid farewell outside the café and went their separate ways.

Arriving home, he saw Mrs. Zhang, Mrs. Li, and Mrs. Wu leaving together, while Tao Ruoqing was standing in the hallway to see them off.

"Xiao Qiu is back." Mrs. Wu, who hadn't seen Ye Zhiqiu in the morning, hurriedly took out the prepared red envelope to give him.

"Thank you, Mrs. Wu," Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

"Where have you been?" Mrs. Wu asked with a smile, "Were you on a date?"

"Mm-hmm." Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

There are no secrets in these ladies' circles. Ye Zhiqiu had once run into Mrs. Zhang while having dinner with Qi Xin.

It's likely that his relationship with Qi Xin has already spread far and wide.

"Whose son is he?" Mrs. Wu asked with a smile.

"He's the son of my mother's old classmate," Ye Zhiqiu replied, smiling innocently. "His surname is Qi."

He added, "But my father isn't too keen on it. When everything is settled, I'll send you some wedding candy."

By mentioning only Ye Hongxian as disapproving, it seems Tao Ruoqing must be supportive.

Moreover, since he's the son of her old classmate, she might have arranged this marriage herself.

Just now, at the mahjong table, she seemed to despise Gao Wenye, who was pursuing Ye Zhixia. How could she suddenly favor this penniless Qi?

Could it be because this child isn't her own?

She always claims to love this child dearly, but it's all just lip service.

Being without a mother is truly hard...

Mrs. Wu sighed inwardly and gave Ye Zhiqiu a meaningful glance.

Though this child is somewhat spoiled and willful, it would be a shame to waste such good looks.

"Child," Mrs. Wu whispered, "sometimes, you should listen more to your father."

With that, Mrs. Wu quickened her pace to catch up with Mrs. Zhang ahead.

Ye Zhiqiu turned to watch her leave, smiling slightly.

Doesn't Tao Ruoqing love using the ladies' circle to spread gossip?

Now, she should experience what it feels like to be caught up in such gossip.

"Xiao Qiu?" Tao Ruoqing called out to Ye Zhiqiu from under the corridor.

"Hmm?" Ye Zhiqiu turned and walked towards her.

"What did Mrs. Wu say to you?" Tao Ruoqing asked with a smile.

"Nothing much." Ye Zhiqiu smiled and showed her the red envelope. "Mrs. Wu gave me a red envelope."

His beautiful eyes curved into a charming arc as he softly remarked, "How festive."