Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Ye Zhiqiu stood quietly for a moment, taking some time to shake off the somber emotions from the past.

Just as he was about to sneak back, the kitchen door suddenly opened, and Qin Jianhe walked out.

Seeing him, Qin Jianhe seemed to be taken aback for a moment before breaking into a gentle smile.

"Why did you wake up so early?" Qin Jianhe approached, smiling, and touched Ye Zhiqiu's cheek.

Ye Zhiqiu's cheek still bore a slight imprint from the pillow.

This made him look softer than usual, particularly dazed and endearing.

Ye Zhiqiu lifted his face, his soft cheek brushing against Qin Jianhe's palm, and his light brown eyes warmed in the morning light.

"I woke up," he said, subconsciously rubbing his eyes.

Qin Jianhe looked down at him with a warm smile in his eyes.

He had changed into simple, casual home clothes, looking gentle and approachable.

A stark contrast to his fierce and domineering demeanor last night.

"What are you doing?" Ye Zhiqiu felt a bit flustered under his gaze and couldn't help but check his clothes and touch his neck, suspecting there might be marks.

"Are we going out today?" Qin Jianhe asked, his voice slightly deep.

"Mm." Ye Zhiqiu nodded without understanding why.

"In that case, wear a turtleneck later," Qin Jianhe said.

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

He looked up, glaring at Qin Jianhe with a hint of resentment.

The evidence was clear, yet this person spoke without even blushing.

With that look from Ye Zhiqiu, the amusement in Qin Jianhe's eyes grew stronger.

His hand moved up to Ye Zhiqiu's cheek, using his thumb to touch the mole on his nose.

"Do you really like this mole?" Ye Zhiqiu asked, raising his hand to lightly touch his own nose, puzzled.

His nose was exceptionally good-looking.

High-bridged yet with a gentle curve, it slightly turned up at the tip, giving it a playful touch.

And the small red mole made him instantly lively and charming.

Like the finishing touch on a painting.

Qin Jianhe looked down at him and nodded after a moment.

"I really like it," he said straightforwardly.

In fact, he liked everything about Ye Zhiqiu.

This feeling was novel to Qin Jianhe.

It was as if his stagnant life had become a bubbling spring because of Ye Zhiqiu's presence.

Clear water gurgling, sweet and refreshing.

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu didn't speak but subconsciously recalled the previous life when he had removed this mole because Qi Xin disliked it.

But Qin Jianhe didn't let him dwell on those dark thoughts.

He straightened Ye Zhiqiu's collar, then leaned down to kiss his nose.

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

"Call me 'Brother' again," Qin Jianhe said, looking at him with an unorthodox request but a serious expression.

"Hey!" Ye Zhiqiu laughed, dodging back and leaning against the sunlit windowsill, looking up at him, "What, not enough calls last night? Want your mom to have another brother or sister for you?"

Sunlight streamed in, bathing Ye Zhiqiu's jet-black hair, snow-white cheeks, and his slender hand resting on the windowsill.

The sunlight made his skin almost translucent, yet tinged with a faint pink.

Different from the pink of the night before.

But Qin Jianhe still couldn't help his eyes darkening.

He took a step forward, stepping into the light.

"I only like hearing you call me," he said.

Ye Zhiqiu looked up at him, his eyes half-smiling.

"Call me," Qin Jianhe began to take advantage, lifting his hand to pinch Ye Zhiqiu's chin.

"Damn." Ye Zhiqiu said, rubbing his bitten lip after a while, and had to give in, "Brother."

"Two words," Qin Jianhe calmly demanded.

This guy is like a dog; if you don't call him, he'll bite.

Ye Zhiqiu had to go out and meet people today, so he had to endure the humiliation.

"Brother," he called without any expression on his face, noticing the deepening amusement in Qin Jianhe's eyes, and couldn't help but smile slightly, "Qin Jianhe, aren't you being childish?"

Whether he was being childish or not was another matter, but the satisfaction was genuine.

"I made a yam and pork rib soup," Qin Jianhe said with a smile, ruffling Ye Zhiqiu's hair, "Go wash your hands and come eat."

Ye Zhiqiu went to wash his hands, and when he came back, the fragrant pork rib soup was already on the table.

The soup contained yam, carrots, and corn, with the ribs tender and the broth sweet, even the carrots were cooked to melt in the mouth.

Looking at Qin Jianhe's hand holding the spoon, with its distinct knuckles, Ye Zhiqiu subconsciously pursed his lips.

"I want to take a photo," he suddenly said.

Last time, they clearly took a photo of their intertwined fingers on the bed.

But for some reason, Ye Zhiqiu suddenly didn't want Jiang Nan to see Qin Jianhe's sweaty, sexy hand, so he kept it in his phone without posting it.

But now...

A good man at home also had a fatal charm, nothing wrong with sharing it.

"Hmm?" Hearing this, Qin Jianhe raised an eyebrow with a half-smile, but his posture was very cooperative.

Ye Zhiqiu unlocked his phone, focused carefully, and snapped a picture.

Under the morning sunlight, Qin Jianhe's hand holding the spoon was bathed in a faint golden glow, giving off a warm and gentle feeling.

In the bowl, the ribs, corn, and carrots all appeared in the frame, the broth clear and nourishing, looking delicious and inviting.

Perfect enough that no filter was needed.

Ye Zhiqiu lowered his eyes, opened his social circle, added the photo, and began editing the text.

"After a hard night's work, nothing is warmer than a bowl of hot soup made by someone you love."

"Good for the stomach, spleen, and kidneys, I recommend yam and pork rib soup."

"The hard night's work" and "good for the kidneys" were phrases he deliberately included, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

Then, he skillfully set it to be visible only to Jiang Nan and clicked send.

"Let me see," Qin Jianhe pushed the bowl of soup in front of him and held out his hand.

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

But it seemed fine.

He did have a hard night and did need to replenish his kidneys.

Ye Zhiqiu pursed his lips and handed the phone to Qin Jianhe.

Qin Jianhe looked down for a moment, the amusement in his eyes growing stronger.

"What are you smiling about?" Ye Zhiqiu's cheeks heated up.

"Nothing," Qin Jianhe cleared his throat, "So, Professor Ye needs to replenish his kidneys after just that level of effort?"

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

This guy!

Yesterday, he did it twice, not just once.

Wasn't he supposed to replenish himself after being tormented for half the night?

"Then Professor Ye should drink more," Qin Jianhe politely said, handing the phone back.

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

Ye Zhiqiu really loved soup.

Especially when it was cold, a bowl of hot soup warmed his stomach and made his whole body feel comfortable and relaxed.

After last night's intense exercise and physical exertion, he drank two bowls of soup and ate half a bowl of rice.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu put down his chopsticks, Qin Jianhe got up to clear the dishes.

As he cleared them, he reached out and grabbed the snack box from the cabinet behind him, placing it in front of Ye Zhiqiu.

"Want some candy?" he asked.

Ye Zhiqiu looked up at him, teasingly, "Are you really planning to treat me like a little brother?"

"Mm," Qin Jianhe said without changing his expression, then asked, "Is that okay?"

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

Damn, why did he suddenly feel teased?

"This one is good." Seeing that he hadn't spoken or moved, Qin Jianhe leaned forward slightly, using his long fingers to pick up a chocolate with a liquor center from the snack box, "Want to try it?"

Ye Zhiqiu had looked through the snack box yesterday and didn't remember seeing this one, so he couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled.

"Yesterday, I saw the secretaries distributing candy, and they all said it was delicious," Qin Jianhe explained, noticing his confusion, "I asked for some."

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

It's hard to imagine what the story of Qin Jianhe asking someone for candy would turn into in the extremely gossipy mouth of Zhou Tongxin.

He'd probably tell it for the rest of his life!

Isn't that too high a price to pay?

Given this situation, Ye Zhiqiu definitely couldn't refuse.

He immediately reached out to take it, but Qin Jianhe pulled his hand back.

He tore open the wrapper, revealing the top half of the cone-shaped chocolate, and fed it directly to Ye Zhiqiu's lips.

Ye Zhiqiu pursed his lips slightly, his eyelashes fluttering as he opened his mouth. In the next moment, the sweet aroma of chocolate filled his mouth.

Qin Jianhe hadn't left yet, smiling at him.

Ye Zhiqiu bit down, breaking through the outer layer of chocolate. The next moment, the scent of rum spread in his mouth.

Sweet, rich, and indeed delicious.

Instinctively, Ye Zhiqiu curved his eyes in a smile.

Seemingly pleased with his reaction, their eyes met for an instant, and the smile in Qin Jianhe's eyes deepened.

The smile in his pitch-black eyes was like two stars, exceptionally bright.

Ye Zhiqiu was taken aback, about to speak, when Qin Jianhe lowered his eyelashes again.

He got up and went into the kitchen.

Ye Zhiqiu slowly ate one piece of chocolate, then another, before gradually coming back to his senses.

He lowered his head and tapped on his phone, starting to contact Zhang Mian.

Considering that Qin Jianhe was at home, some things were not convenient to say outright, so Ye Zhiqiu just sent a message.

There were already many documents waiting for his signature at Yun Kai, along with specific decisions to be made. Zhang Mian had been waiting for him to return to discuss them.

Hearing that he had returned to the country, Zhang Mian immediately wanted to meet.

And quickly booked a private room at a relatively secluded restaurant near the company for lunch.

Then, Ye Zhiqiu contacted Lan Hua.

Lan Hua's school wasn't too far from Yun Kai, so after talking with Zhang Mian about the company, he could conveniently go and see him.

These past few months had been almost entirely without free time, and during the New Year, he had also been afraid that Tao Ruoqing might notice something, so they hadn't seen each other since their last meeting.

In this lifetime, after seeing through everything, Lan Hua's significance to Ye Zhiqiu had become completely different from the previous life.

Although his biological father was still alive, for him, Lan Hua was the only remaining family member in this world.

This time, he had specially chosen a small shoulder and neck massager to bring to Lan Hua.

Lan Hua spent long hours working at a desk, and his shoulders and neck weren't in good condition.

This massager was perfect for him.

Moreover, because of its small size and lack of noise, it was very convenient to use even in the office.

After hanging up with Lan Hua, Ye Zhiqiu thought for a moment and then dialed Teacher Zhang Wenyuan's number.

Previously, they had discussed that after the Spring Festival, he would go for classes two evenings a week.

But due to the exhibition, this matter had been postponed until now.

However, Teacher Zhang was very understanding and had never shown any dissatisfaction with Ye Zhiqiu over this.

On the contrary, he supported and encouraged him, even praising him when he answered the call.

Ye Zhiqiu listened with a smile, feeling particularly moved.

They agreed on the class times, and Zhang Wenyuan asked how much of the set of books on leather goods he had read.

Ye Zhiqiu had actually finished reading them.

During the reading process, he found inspiration from fashion design, making connections and gaining insights.

But there were also many questions he couldn't fully grasp, filling several pages of notes in his small notebook.

While they were talking on the phone, Qin Jianhe had already finished washing the dishes and came out of the kitchen.

He didn't disturb him and went straight to the dressing room to change clothes.

When he emerged in formal attire, Ye Zhiqiu had just hung up the call with a smile.

"Starting classes?" Qin Jianhe asked while adjusting his cuffs.

"Mm." Ye Zhiqiu nodded, his eyes sparkling.

"Are you going to Teacher Zhang's place today?" Meeting his gaze, Qin Jianhe naturally smiled, lifting his hand to offer the tie hooked between his fingers to Ye Zhiqiu.

Ye Zhiqiu stood up and skillfully tied the tie for him.

"Maybe tomorrow or the day after," he said with a smile. "Today, I need to meet a friend, and I also want to visit my uncle in the afternoon..."

He paused, carefully tying the tie and stepping back to look at Qin Jianhe. "Besides, the first show of our company in Paris is starting today. Wang Ru and Gao Yang are doing it for the first time, so it's better to keep an eye on them."

"Aren't you also doing it for the first time?" Qin Jianhe asked him.

Ye Zhiqiu was taken aback for a moment before he realized that if he didn't count the shows from his previous life in China, this was indeed his first show.

Seeing him slightly stunned, Qin Jianhe's smile deepened involuntarily.

"Teacher Ye is truly busy," he teased.

"Isn't that the truth?" Ye Zhiqiu said. "I still have to teach this rebellious disciple of mine."

Hearing this, Qin Jianhe laughed and flicked Ye Zhiqiu's forehead with his finger.

"If you're going to see your uncle," he paused, then asked, "do you need me to go with you?"

"No, no," Ye Zhiqiu quickly waved his hand. "I can manage on my own."

"Hmm." Qin Jianhe nodded. "I'll leave Uncle Li here. Wherever you go, let him drive you."

"That won't be necessary," Ye Zhiqiu said, his eyes smiling but his fingers curling unconsciously.

Everything else aside, his relationship with Zhang Mian wasn't ready to be exposed yet.

"What's wrong?" Qin Jianhe raised his eyes slightly.

"I can easily take a taxi," Ye Zhiqiu said.

Qin Jianhe looked at him for a moment without speaking, then took his coat and draped it over his arm, nodding lightly.

The door opened and closed as Qin Jianhe left.

Ye Zhiqiu pursed his lips and sat back down after a while, feeling a bit guilty.

Qin Jianhe's living room was spacious. Sitting on the sofa and looking towards the dining room window, both the rose specimen in the picture frame and the plastic roses in the glass bottle seemed very small.

Ye Zhiqiu stared blankly for a while.

But only for a short while.

Then, he shifted his gaze, unlocked his phone, and opened his email.

There were several unread emails, some from colleagues at the brand order meeting.

Ye Zhiqiu read those first, replied, and then moved on to the others.

Most of the other emails were about business collaborations, some with good terms. He forwarded these to the company's business department.

Finally, there were personal emails.

Two of them, one from Zhao Keqi and one from Sun Chaoyang.

He determined Sun Chaoyang's email was personal because they had no overlap in work matters. If there were any work-related issues, it would be Gao Yang or Wang Ru sending the email, not Sun Chaoyang.

Ye Zhiqiu hesitated for a moment before opening Sun Chaoyang's email first.

Sun Chaoyang's email was brief, simply recounting his encounter with Qi Xin in Paris.

He had forgotten to ask the person's name and wasn't sure if they really knew Ye Zhiqiu, so he sent an email to remind him.

Ye Zhiqiu immediately recognized the person as Qi Xin.

He smiled, imagining Qi Xin's frustration when he learned from Jiang Nan that Ye Zhiqiu had returned to China.

However, Qi Xin's act was surprisingly thorough.

Ye Zhiqiu thanked him in the reply and then opened Zhao Keqi's email.

This time, Zhao Keqi brought good news.

Zhao Yunzhuang had already communicated with the director, and they had reached a consensus on the styling, preliminarily selecting Ye Zhiqiu.

After returning to China, they would likely schedule a meeting soon to discuss the collaboration details.

At the end of the email, Zhao Keqi mentioned his return date.

Ye Zhiqiu checked the time; it was tomorrow.

He pondered for a moment and then opened the ticket booking app to check flight information.

From Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Jingzhong, there were two flights per day. After calculating the timing, Ye Zhiqiu smiled and opened their group chat.

"One Leaf Knows Autumn: Hey everyone, do you have time for lunch tomorrow? I'm back, and I've brought gifts."

The group instantly buzzed with excitement.

"Treasure Accumulator: AAAAAAAA, my treasure is coming back tomorrow? I miss you so much."

"Li Shao: So soon? Weren't there still Paris and Milan?"

"Le Le: Clapping.jpg"

"One Leaf Knows Autumn: I came back early. Haven't attended a single class since the New Year. If I delay any longer, I'll become the shame of the major next exam."

"Treasure Accumulator: Exams are for ordinary people. You're a genius; why should you be judged by exams?"

"Li Shao: I'll pick you up at the airport tomorrow."

"Le Le: Xiao Qiu's return is perfect. I'm looking at houses outside and can't decide. You can help me once you're back."

The group fell silent for a moment.

That day after hinting to Lin Xuehua, Ye Zhiqiu didn't bring up any topics related to Tang Yue again.

Lin Xuehua was probably busy with her design work; the two of them had barely been in contact recently.

From the looks of it, Tang Yue must be having a hard time at school; otherwise, he wouldn't have decided to move out on his own.

His family's situation is far from ideal, unable to afford the rent for an external living space.

Moreover, Tang Yue isn't working part-time either.

It seems that Tao Ruoqing must still be supporting him.

Ye Zhiqiu smiled and replied, lowering his eyes.

"Zhiqiu: Sounds good. Which place did you look at? Do you have any photos? We can all take a look first."

"Cai Cai Jin Bao: Le Le has finally decided to move out?"

"Le Le: Yeah, but let's discuss the details when we meet tomorrow."

In the gaps between their chat, Li Shaojun had already booked a restaurant and sent the location to the group.

Ye Zhiqiu saved the location, then got up to change clothes.

After tidying up, it was already half past ten in the morning. He grabbed his things, got into the car, and headed straight for the restaurant near Yun Kai in the suburbs.

When he arrived at the restaurant, it was just eleven-thirty. Zhang Mian was already waiting in the private room.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu arrive, he immediately stood up.

"Mr. Ye," he said.

Ye Zhiqiu chuckled and sat down opposite him. "Just call me Ye Zhiqiu like before."

The progress and success of Yun Kai were clear even without looking at the data; Zhang Mian's attitude spoke volumes.

"Alright, then I won't be polite," Zhang Mian said straightforwardly.

"I've already ordered some signature dishes," Zhang Mian pushed the menu towards Ye Zhiqiu. "Take a look and see if there's anything else you like. We can add a couple more dishes."

Ye Zhiqiu glanced down at the menu.

The restaurant here in the suburbs served a variety of dishes, ranging from sweet to savory, all listed on the menu.

His gaze slowly moved down, and he suddenly saw the words "Chopped Pepper Fish Head."

For some reason, Ye Zhiqiu thought about the content of Qin Jianhe's phone call that morning in the kitchen.

If he understood correctly, Qin Jianhe would likely make it for him in the next few days.

His eyes involuntarily curved, and Ye Zhiqiu didn't linger on those four words.

He preferred to eat what Qin Jianhe cooked.

Adding two small dishes, Ye Zhiqiu closed the menu.

When he looked up again, Zhang Mian had produced a tall stack of documents from somewhere.

"The dishes are ordered," Zhang Mian handed over a pen without ceremony. "Let's sign these documents first."

Ye Zhiqiu flipped through the documents, signing while listening to Zhang Mian's detailed report on Yun Kai's recent development trends.

After signing for about half an hour, he had only finished half of them.

His hand wasn't tired, but analyzing so much data all at once could easily tire the brain.

He wondered how Qin Jianhe managed to stay so energetic every night despite reviewing so many documents, plans, and reports.

Ye Zhiqiu paused, slightly lost in thought.

"Tired?" Seeing this, Zhang Mian stopped talking. "Why don't we eat first and continue later?"

Ye Zhiqiu nodded with a smile, handing over the signed portion to Zhang Mian and leaving the rest on the empty seat beside him.

Zhang Mian pressed the bell, and soon, a waiter wheeled in the food cart.

Hot dishes were placed on the table one by one, filling the private room with the aroma of food.

"I reviewed the data from the battery side the other day," Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile, holding his water cup. "Everything is going smoothly."

"Yes," Zhang Mian helped Ye Zhiqiu ladle soup. "Xin Dongli has scheduled the needle penetration test three months from now. The first batch of samples should be sent over then."

He paused, smiling. "Wang Qitang has mentioned several times that he wants to meet the big boss behind me."

"Wait a bit longer," Ye Zhiqiu smiled. "Now is not the right time."

Zhang Mian didn't know exactly what Ye Zhiqiu's ultimate goal was, but from his support of Yun Kai in snatching Ye Ding's clients, he had guessed something.

Hearing this, he changed the topic.

"I heard your father and brother just brought in a new set of equipment?" Zhang Mian asked.

"They did mention this plan before," Ye Zhiqiu smiled. "Have they already brought it in?"

During his time abroad, he never initiated contact with his family or inquired about Ye Ding's affairs.

Not just this time, in his previous life, he never asked about Ye Ding, nor did he care about him.

Yet, even so, he was still treated with such suspicion.

"Last week, I heard they had finished installing and testing it." Zhang Mian said, "Your father also invited many people from the industry. I heard he has already secured some orders."

Ye Zhiqiu smiled slightly but didn't say anything else.

Both of them knew that in a few months, Ye Ding would face another massive blow.

It didn't matter. Ye Zhiqiu thought, one step at a time.

If it were a fatal blow, there would be no way to watch their pain and struggle.

These things were an indispensable part of his carefully planned process.

After finishing the meal, Ye Zhiqiu signed the remaining documents and discussed some issues with Zhang Mian before leaving.

When he left, it was nearly three o'clock.

By the time he arrived at the elementary school where Lan Hua worked, it was past three-thirty.

The timing was neither too early nor too late, so Lan Hua took Ye Zhiqiu to a nearby milk tea shop for a cup of milk tea.

The uncle and nephew only chatted for as long as it took to finish a cup of milk tea.

Lan Hua still had work, so after Ye Zhiqiu finished the pearls in his cup, he took a taxi and left.

When he returned to Qin Jianhe's house, it was exactly five-thirty.

He swiped his card to enter, changed his clothes, and when he came out, the door was pushed open—Qin Jianhe had returned.

His coat casually draped over his elbow, Qin Jianhe held a vibrant rose in his hand.

Their eyes met, and both of them paused slightly.

Perhaps because of the somewhat solemn atmosphere when Qin Jianhe left that morning, Ye Zhiqiu hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not approach.

He stood there, smiling at him.

His demeanor seemed perfectly fine, calm and composed.

But strangely, Qin Jianhe saw a child in him.

A child without a home.

Someone who couldn't gauge boundaries in someone else's house or felt they had made a small mistake, thus being particularly cautious.

As if any wrong reaction from him would make him turn around and leave, never to return.

Qin Jianhe's heart ached intensely, and he slightly reached out his hand.

"It's for you." He offered the rose to Ye Zhiqiu.

Ye Zhiqiu looked down at the rose but did not reach out to take it.

Sighing softly, Qin Jianhe stepped forward and pulled Ye Zhiqiu into his embrace.

"I didn't buy it specifically for you; on my way back, the flower seller only had this one left," Qin Jianhe whispered to him, then added after a moment, "Come on, Ye Zhiqiu, take it."