Chapter 50

Chapter 50

From the moment they met, Ye Zhiqiu had consistently ignored Qi Xin's requests and avoided discussing them.

Not only that, he further restricted his movements.

Now, not only was he not allowed at the company gate, but he was also barred from going near Ye Zhiqiu's home.

So when Ye Zhiqiu suddenly agreed to his request, Qi Xin was stunned for a moment before realizing what had happened.

He was overjoyed and instantly lifted his head.

Indeed, Ye Zhiqiu still liked him.

Although he had a bad temper, was arrogant and willful, and often lacked respect and sensitivity towards others...

Qi Xin was certain that Ye Zhiqiu genuinely cared for him.

Otherwise, why would he spend his precious few days off during the New Year working overtime to draw plans and rush designs for him?

Otherwise, why would he agree to his request even during the busiest time before the exhibition, when he couldn't even rest on weekends?

There was only one explanation.

He loved him and naturally wanted to help improve his image in Ye Hongxian's eyes, and naturally wanted to receive everyone's blessings together.

"Xiao Qiu..." Qi Xin was ecstatic and deeply grateful, momentarily speechless.

However, Ye Zhiqiu still seemed rather nonchalant.

He looked at him with a half-smile, kicked his shoulder lightly, and said, "Keep going. I didn't tell you to stop."

Qi Xin: "..."

Qi Xin felt a warmth in his heart.

Even if Ye Zhiqiu had kicked him in the face, he would have found it endearing and childlike due to his gratitude.

In fact, because of this gratitude, an inexplicable urge suddenly arose within him.

He wanted to kiss Ye Zhiqiu.

Anywhere...

His foot or his hand, as long as it was Ye Zhiqiu.

But remembering the slap from last time and having just obtained Ye Zhiqiu's consent today, he forcibly suppressed that impulse.

Under Ye Zhiqiu's half-smiling gaze, Qi Xin lowered his eyes again and earnestly massaged Ye Zhiqiu's calf.

If initially, his diligence was partly driven by a deliberate attempt to please Ye Zhiqiu, now it had become genuine.

Even if Ye Zhiqiu's mocking gaze still stung, it didn't matter.

After all, no one understood his sincerity more than he did himself.

Having just received a favor, Qi Xin didn't want to, nor did he have the right to complain too much.

The idea was good, but unfortunately, most young people these days haven't experienced much hardship.

Qi Xin was no exception.

Growing up, he was the family's treasure, pampered and cherished.

As he grew older, his parents sent him abroad for studies, where he lived comfortably without any worries.

After returning, despite his lofty ambitions, he had achieved nothing significant and faced no pressure.

If there was any pressure, it came from his admiration and love for Jiang Nan.

He wanted to become stronger, worthy of Jiang Nan, and someday achieve both career success and love.

But ultimately, none of this was related to what he was doing now.

Kneeling at Ye Zhiqiu's feet, Qi Xin soon began to feel tired.

His legs went numb, his thighs ached, and even his arms and hands were about to cramp.

Time started to drag, yet Ye Zhiqiu seemed oblivious to his frequent changes in posture.

He picked up his phone and focused intently on something, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes fixed downward with great concentration.

This side of Ye Zhiqiu was particularly charming, and Qi Xin couldn't help but steal glances frequently.

Fine then...

After countless stolen glances, Qi Xin resignedly lowered his eyes and continued massaging Ye Zhiqiu's calf.

Ye Zhiqiu's leg was slender, yet the touch was warm and soft, making Qi Xin's mind wander uncontrollably.

Suffering physical pain while also enduring psychological thirst, Qi Xin found it especially difficult.

He didn't dare to call a halt himself, hoping Ye Zhiqiu would notice his predicament sooner.

But Ye Zhiqiu remained engrossed in his screen, never once looking at him.

Eventually, unable to hold on any longer, Qi Xin accidentally fell backward and sat on the ground.

Ye Zhiqiu finally looked up from his phone, as if awakening from a dream.

Seeing Qi Xin awkwardly wiping his sweat, he let out a somewhat disdainful laugh.

"Just this?" he said, striking a harsh blow to Qi Xin's self-esteem. "How useless."

Qi Xin: "…"

Ye Zhiqiu always seemed to have this knack—lifting him up, making him feel sweet and happy, only to stab him hard, leaving him in agony.

Qi Xin endured it and got up under Ye Zhiqiu's mocking gaze.

His legs were numb, causing him to limp, already feeling humiliated, and Ye Zhiqiu's ambiguous snicker only added to his discomfort.

Qi Xin: "…"

He was completely stunned.

Both of them were raised by their parents with love, and Qi Xin had to muster all his strength to suppress the unease in his heart.

"Were you busy just now?" he asked Ye Zhiqiu.

"Mm," Ye Zhiqiu replied without looking up. "Didn't you want two sets of design drafts? I've been organizing my inspirations from recent times."

Qi Xin: "…"

His annoyance quickly dissipated, replaced by gratitude.

Even more so, the slight resentment he had felt towards Ye Zhiqiu turned into a faint sense of guilt.

"I need to get back to the company," Ye Zhiqiu said, putting down his phone and reaching for his coat. "Business first."

"Sure, sure," Qi Xin immediately responded. "We can work on ours when we have time."

He deliberately used the word "ours."

Ye Zhiqiu heard it but merely gave a faint, noncommittal laugh.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Ye Zhiqiu finally remembered to ask.

"You mentioned some smaller brands approached you earlier?" he said. "Who are they?"

"They're all very small brands in the market, but they do well in retail," Qi Xin explained. "You probably haven't even heard of them?"

"Hmm?" Ye Zhiqiu tilted his head with a smile.

Under that gaze, Qi Xin instantly lost his composure.

He detailed the recent sales situation and major clients of his company to Ye Zhiqiu.

Ye Zhiqiu listened quietly, seemingly slightly distracted, pondering something deeply.

"How," Qi Xin asked, "do you actually know someone in there?"

"No." Ye Zhiqiu shook his head.

Not to mention knowing them, he had not even heard of these brands before.

Yet, inexplicably, a new idea suddenly sprang into his mind.

Ye Zhiqiu lowered his eyes and smiled subconsciously.

"What?" Seeing Ye Zhiqiu smile, Qi Xin was quite pleased. "Is Qi Yun doing pretty well?"

He added, "If we keep up this momentum, your uncle will definitely accept me in the future."

"It is doing pretty well," Ye Zhiqiu smiled. "But what I just thought about wasn't that."

For the first time without Qi Xin asking, he volunteered, "Actually, someone invited me to dinner today. I didn't want to go at first, but now, I've suddenly changed my mind."

Qi Xin: "..."

Qi Xin's steps faltered.

For some reason, no matter who Ye Zhiqiu went to dinner with, he couldn't help but wonder.

What was the relationship between that person and Ye Zhiqiu? Or perhaps, did that person also like Ye Zhiqiu?

"What's wrong?" Seeing him stop, Ye Zhiqiu tilted his head and asked.

Qi Xin dared not ask, but not asking made him feel as if cats and dogs were clawing at his heart.

"You..." He stuttered.

"If you have something to say, spit it out." Seeing him stutter, Ye Zhiqiu instantly lost patience.

A coldness crept into his delicate features, and he gave him no extra patience. "If you can't say it, don't bother."

With those last words, they had already left the restaurant.

Ye Zhiqiu didn't even look back, heading straight for Q.L.

Qi Xin hurriedly caught up. "Xiao Qiu..."

"What?" Ye Zhiqiu stopped. "Anything else?"

"No." Qi Xin could only say.

Ye Zhiqiu looked at him, seemingly amused yet exasperated, but mostly with disdain.

"Qi Xin," he said, "can you even do this?"

*

The temperature in Hong Kong was much higher than in the capital. Qin Jianhe, dressed in a formal suit, wore only a thin windbreaker over it.

After an afternoon of meetings, when he stepped out, the outside world was already lit up with lights.

The sea breeze was strong, and as he crossed the hotel's sky bridge, the wind blew his coat tails up.

Qin Jianhe paused slightly, lifting his eyes to look at one side of the sky bridge.

The hotel's location was excellent, right by the seaside. From afar, he could see the scattered lights from ships on the sea.

This spot would be even more comfortable if it were summer.

For some reason, Ye Zhiqiu's slightly curved eyes suddenly popped into his mind.

Qin Jianhe's face showed no expression, but subconsciously, he started to search for where nearby he could find good desserts.

"Mr. Qin," Zhou Tongxin, carrying files and following behind, finally caught up, "Do you have any other arrangements for tonight?"

"Private schedule," Qin Jianhe replied softly.

A private schedule meant no accompaniment, which in turn meant Zhou Tongxin could get some rest.

Although the meeting was attended by Qin Jianhe, as his personal secretary, Zhou Tongxin had to remain vigilant throughout without any slack.

This meeting was the first gathering of representatives from all global regions since the beginning of the year.

Given its importance, Zhou Tongxin had been on high alert the entire time, not daring to relax for a moment.

Hearing this, he instinctively relaxed his back but still did not forget to remind him.

"Mr. Qin," he said, "We have a full day of meetings tomorrow."

"Hmm," Qin Jianhe nodded, then asked, "What time is our return flight scheduled for tomorrow?"

"Ten-thirty tomorrow night," Zhou Tongxin responded immediately, "Arriving around two in the morning."

"Book a room near the airport," Qin Jianhe said, "I'll stay there for the night."

Having worked with Qin Jianhe for years, Zhou Tongxin knew that Qin Jianhe had a bit of a cleanliness complex.

If possible, he preferred not to stay in hotels and always chose to go home.

This was the first time in years that he requested a hotel near the airport despite being back in the capital.

Hearing this, Zhou Tongxin was slightly taken aback and quickly reviewed Monday's schedule in his mind.

Monday had several appointments, all within the capital, so flying wasn't necessary.

However, Zhou Tongxin still promptly agreed and quickly took out his phone to send a message to the secretarial office.

Soon, the name of the new hotel and the room number were synchronized to Zhou Tongxin's phone.

Zhou Tongxin followed closely behind Qin Jianhe into the elevator, relaying the information.

Qin Jianhe didn't say anything, just nodded.

The elevator went straight to the top floor. When the doors opened, Zhou Tongxin followed Qin Jianhe into the suite and sorted the documents on the desk in the study.

Once everything was settled, Zhou Tongxin did not leave immediately but returned to the living room to see if Qin Jianhe had any further instructions.

The bedroom door was tightly closed, and Zhou Tongxin instinctively checked his watch.

It was almost eight o'clock in the evening.

Next to the meeting room was the banquet hall. After the meeting, Qin Jianhe did not join the others for dinner but came back early...

Not only that, but he also had a private schedule.

At this hour, Zhou Tongxin couldn't help but speculate whether his boss was going to meet someone important.

Just as he was lost in thought, the bedroom door finally opened, and Qin Jianhe emerged, having changed his clothes.

He had swapped out his formal four-piece suit for a simple casual outfit.

He looked younger and more relaxed.

This appearance made it seem less likely that he was going to meet someone "important."

After all, this attire was too casual.

Seeing Zhou Tongxin still there, Qin Jianhe paused slightly, "No other matters."

Perhaps due to changing into casual clothes, his demeanor seemed softer, less cold and distant than before.

"Go and relax properly," he said, "Stay safe."

"Yes, sir." Although his boss had softened, Zhou Tongxin reflexively responded with extra seriousness.

Qin Jianhe glanced at him but said nothing.

Yet, inexplicably, he once again thought of Ye Zhiqiu.

Among all the people around him, only Ye Zhiqiu dared to act recklessly in front of him.

Subconsciously, the corners of his lips curled up, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

Zhou Tongxin: "..."

What exactly had he done?

Actually, it made the leader smile at him.

And it was an exceptionally gentle smile?

When something unusual happens, there must be a reason. Zhou Tongxin involuntarily shuddered.

He was cautious and respectful.

Not until he saw Qin Jianhe get into the elevator, the doors close, and the elevator numbers start ticking down one by one...

Did he finally feel safe and secretly let out a sigh of relief.

When Qin Jianhe returned to the hotel, it wasn't late.

At that time, Zhou Tongxin had just finished his meal and had a drink at the bar downstairs in the hotel.

Counting the time, it had only been about an hour since Qin Jianhe's car had parked back in front of the hotel.

Zhou Tongxin couldn't help but find himself ridiculous and began to seriously reflect on his gossiping nature.

Almost everyone in Q.L knew that the leader was famously indifferent and detached...

He actually expected the leader to make something out of "personal schedule," which was simply laughable.

This was the first time Zhou Tongxin reflected on himself, and just as he finished reflecting, reality slapped him in the face.

However, the next day at noon, photos of the leader having lunch with the popular actress Zhang Qunqun were taken.

The location was in the restaurant of the conference hotel.

Qin Jianhe and Zhang Qunqun were sitting by the window.

Contrary to his usual privacy-conscious style, this was the first time Qin Jianhe had been photographed in high-definition.

"You invited me for this?" Zhang Qunqun tilted her head and smiled.

"I think you're the most suitable," Qin Jianhe said calmly, eating slowly.

"You want me, a renowned actress, to be the image ambassador for a product designed by someone from your company?" Zhang Qunqun was incredulous.

"Is that not possible?" Qin Jianhe looked up, his voice as calm as ever.

"Aren't I going to be overshadowed by Liu Bailin?" Zhang Qunqun exaggerated, "Old classmate, my old classmate, you invite Liu Bailin as the spokesperson and have me, the great Zhang Qunqun, be a sidekick to my competitor? Are you really my classmate?"

Q.L's global spokespersons were always supermodels first.

But considering the domestic consumer base's acceptance habits, this year's domestic spokespersons were specially chosen to be Best Actor Meng Qingyan and last year's Golden Ostrich Best Actress Liu Bailin.

As for Zhang Qunqun...

She started as a child star and has won Best Actress awards at various domestic film festivals. Recently, she has been focusing on expanding her international market.

She came to Hong Kong to meet a director and discuss the script for her next film.

They rarely met, so Qin Jianhe invited Zhang Qunqun over.

During a break in the meeting, he asked Zhang Qunqun to have a working lunch and discuss some business matters.

"This series doesn't involve Liu Bailin," Qin Jianhe said. "Her temperament is not quite suitable."

"Really?" Zhang Qunqun became more serious, "Even though you're the CEO of Q.L and it's natural to work for your own company, why do I feel like you're bringing in personal preferences?"

"Tell me," she leaned back in her chair, her red lips and wavy hair exuding charm, "which designer's work is it?"

Qin Jianhe looked at her for a moment and then said, "Ye Zhiqiu."

When Ye Zhiqiu was at VIA, Qin Jianhe noticed that he had no shortcomings in design but showed particular talent in women's wear.

Spirit, allure, charm...

It seemed every stitch and thread in his designs carried deep emotion and personal flair.

Breathtakingly beautiful.

Qin Jianhe once thought that this might be related to his early loss of his birth mother.

While designing clothes, he poured all his imagined love and regret for his mother into those soft fabrics through each stitch.

Liu Bailin was naturally excellent, but her demeanor was more dignified, lacking the lively and innocent charm of a young girl.

In this aspect, Zhang Qunqun was the perfect choice.

She could bring out the full potential of Ye Zhiqiu's designs, making them more visible, accepted, and loved by the public.

"Don't give me the name," Zhang Qunqun said, "I don't know much about people in your fashion circle."

"Give me a photo," she said.

Qin Jianhe: "..."

He only had one photo of Ye Zhiqiu on his phone, taken while Ye Zhiqiu was sleeping, secretly by him.

He definitely couldn't show it to Zhang Qunqun.

Qin Jianhe lowered his eyes, unlocked his phone, and sent a message to Ye Zhiqiu.

"Qin Jianhe: Can you send me a photo of yourself?"

Ye Zhiqiu replied quickly.

"Ye Zhiqiu: What? Mr. Qin, missing me already?"

Qin Jianhe instinctively pursed his lips.

But after a moment, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.

Even under his thick lashes, his dark eyes unconsciously softened with a faint smile.

Zhang Qunqun: "…"

"Well," Zhang Qunqun said sarcastically, "fine, I get it. You don't need to look at photos, after all, you're fighting for an old classmate's lifelong happiness. My pride means nothing."

Qin Jianhe ignored her and lowered his head to reply to the message.

"Qin Jianhe: Yes."

"Qin Jianhe: I miss you."

"Ye Zhiqiu: Should I send you a nude photo tonight?"

Qin Jianhe: "…"

Involuntarily, the corners of Qin Jianhe's mouth flattened, and his long lashes trembled slightly.

Zhang Qunqun: "What did he say? You're so excited? X-rated hints?"

Qin Jianhe: "…"

"The work meals don't suit your taste," Qin Jianhe coldly dismissed her, "now that everything is settled, you can go back now."

"Hey, Qin Yu," Zhang Qunqun laughed, "I've never seen you like this before."

"The treatment won't be lacking; the contract will be handled by my assistant with your staff." Qin Jianhe said.

Hearing this, Zhang Qunqun stood up with a smile.

She lowered her eyes and patted her red velvet dress, then bent down again, seemingly reluctant.

"I still want to see the photo," she said, "I'm too curious about what kind of person could make you act like this."

"If you can leave within one minute," Qin Jianhe locked his phone, preventing her from seeing it, "I'll consider investing in the script you're currently negotiating."

Isn't it an art film?

Don't you want to win international awards?

Won't you need to burn money to achieve that?

"Go ahead and shoot it," Qin Jianhe said.

Hearing this, Zhang Qunqun immediately picked up her small bag and hurried towards the door.

"Qin Yu, you better keep your word," she said.

"Don't worry," Qin Jianhe replied.

Once Zhang Qunqun disappeared through the door, Qin Jianhe unlocked his screen and replied to the message.

"Qin Jianhe: Don't take those kinds of photos."

When Ye Zhiqiu saw this message, he had just finished work and was driving back to the Ye residence.

He parked the car in the courtyard and sat in the driver's seat, laughing uncontrollably.

Qin Jianhe is truly innocent.

And interesting.

How did I not meet him in my previous life?

He lowered his head to reply to the message.

"Ye Zhiqiu: Alright, I'll listen to you. When I get to your place, I'll let you see in person, okay?"

Just as he sent the message, his phone suddenly displayed a hot news alert: "Breaking News: Popular Actress's Relationship with Business Tycoon Exposed."

Thinking it was a message from Qin Jianhe, Ye Zhiqiu instinctively clicked on the alert.

Then, he saw a photo of Qin Jianhe dining with Zhang Qunqun.

Zhang Qunqun, in a red dress and red lipstick, exuded charm and allure, a rare beauty.

Qin Jianhe, in a suit, had a sharp and handsome profile.

A perfect match of beauties.

Ye Zhiqiu paused, then smiled after a moment.

Actually, there was no surprise.

Sitting in his position, every move Qin Jianhe made required careful consideration, both publicly and privately.

His phone rang again.

Ye Zhiqiu opened it and saw Qin Jianhe's reply.

"QIN: Okay."

He smiled and didn't reply further.

Naturally, he didn’t know that before sending that "okay," Qin Jianhe had actually written a rather long message.

Because it was too personal, he ended up deleting it character by character.

Then, he placed his phone beside him and waited for Ye Zhiqiu’s message while eating.

But there wasn’t any; Ye Zhiqiu did not reply again.

After finishing the meal, Qin Jianhe opened their chat history once more, looking at those few short messages and smiling slightly as he lowered his eyes.

Just as he was about to leave, his phone suddenly rang.

It was Zhang Qunqun.

"Holy shit." As soon as the call connected, Zhang Qunqun blurted out an expletive that was completely out of character for her, "Qin Yu, we’ve been photographed."

At the same time, another call came in, from Zhou Tongxin.

Qin Jianhe hadn’t seen the news yet, but the entertainment industry is only so big; he could guess the content of the news.

"I understand," he said, very calmly, "my secretary will contact you later. Let’s handle this together with both teams."

Then, he hung up the phone and opened Weibo.

Whether it was due to his influence or Zhang Qunqun’s, within just a few minutes, their names were already side by side at the top of the trending topics list.

Behind them was a deep red "explosive" tag.

The news content was simple but exaggerated, filled with ambiguity and vague wording.

Yet, netizens were still led to scream excitedly.

"Holy crap. Holy crap, crap, crap. Not surprisingly, it’s my Sister Qun. When she does something, it’s always top-notch."

"Is this Mr. Qin? Holy crap, he’s incredibly handsome. True love conquers all, I guess. All those reporters couldn’t get a clear shot before, but now he’s showing his face for Sister Qunqun."

"Divine romance, I’m totally shipping them."

"The one who married into wealth before, wasn’t she mocking Zhang Qunqun for focusing only on her career and never getting married? Her face must be slapped black and blue now, right?"

"Compared to Mr. Qin, her wealthy family can barely be considered middle-class, if that’s even generous."

"Damn, damn, damn! I’m the one who should be Mr. Qin’s lost lover. Sister Qun, step aside, let me have him."

"Damn, it’s just a profile shot, but how can someone be this handsome? It feels like he’s from a different dimension..."

"..."

Qin Jianhe lowered his eyes and paused quietly.

Subconsciously, he reopened the chat window with Ye Zhiqiu.

The last message was from him, a single "okay."

Ye Zhiqiu hadn’t replied since then.

Under normal circumstances, Qin Jianhe wouldn’t overthink it.

After all, Ye Zhiqiu has a bit of a self-centered personality; maybe he just didn’t want to reply or was busy and forgot.

That’s all very normal.

But now...

Qin Jianhe lowered his eyes and started typing a new message.

"Qin Jianhe: Zhang Qunqun is my elementary school classmate."

He thought for a moment and added another sentence.

"Qin Jianhe: I met her today just to discuss some business matters, don’t overthink it..."

His fingers paused in mid-air, and then he deleted the words "don’t overthink it" one by one.

Qin Jianhe smiled faintly.

It seemed that given his relationship with Ye Zhiqiu, he had no right to say those four words.

Another message appeared in the chat window.

"Qin Jianhe: I met her today just to discuss some business matters."