Chapter 66

Chapter 66

At eight o'clock in the morning, Ye Zhiqiu put down his utensils, tilted his head slightly, and looked out the window.

Today was a gloomy, rainy day.

The wind was strong, and the sky was gray, with dark clouds looming overhead.

It reminded him of his childhood, when he would especially enjoy staying in his room during bad weather.

Being inside on such days always gave him an inexplicable sense of safety and warmth.

Ye Zhiqiu liked that feeling.

But those were childhood memories.

Now, he had grown up.

No matter how much he liked that feeling, he still had to step into the storm when necessary.

"Today," he said, turning his gaze from the window and smiling at Qin Jianhe, "I should go back to the Ye family."

He said "Ye family" rather than "home."

As if he wasn't part of the Ye family.

Hearing this, Qin Jianhe paused in his eating.

"Mm," he said, "remember to take an umbrella when you go out."

"Okay," Ye Zhiqiu responded with a smile.

"And your suitcase," Qin Jianhe continued, "since we're moving in a couple of days, I won't bring it back yet."

"Mm," Qin Jianhe looked up at him, "when do you plan to move? I can send someone to help."

Ye Zhiqiu remained silent, looking at him with a half-smile.

"Alright, understood," Qin Jianhe said, meeting his gaze with a chuckle.

Ye Zhiqiu's eyes also lit up with amusement.

"How about the day after tomorrow?" he said, "It's the weekend then."

Qin Jianhe stood up and ruffled Ye Zhiqiu's soft hair, "Grown up and independent now."

"Satisfied?" Ye Zhiqiu looked up, teasing him with a half-smile, "Dad?"

That single word seemed to trigger something, and Qin Jianhe's eyes instantly darkened.

Ye Zhiqiu laughed and dodged back, reminding him, "Morning meeting."

At the dining table, Zhou Tongxin had called to inform Qin Jianhe of today's schedule, which Ye Zhiqiu heard clearly. Qin Jianhe had a morning meeting to attend.

Hearing this, Qin Jianhe's lips tightened into a straight line, and even the lines of his jaw became sharp, conveying a sense of restraint.

After a moment, he still grabbed Ye Zhiqiu's wrist, pulling him into a hug for a while before letting go.

Before leaving, Qin Jianhe touched Ye Zhiqiu's hair again.

"If you need anything," he said, "come find me."

Ye Zhiqiu didn't ask what kind of "need" he meant; he simply nodded obediently.

After Qin Jianhe left, Ye Zhiqiu reopened his suitcase and packed the gifts for Jin Baobao, Li Shaojun, and Tang Yue into his backpack.

Then, he looked down at the pair of limited-edition sneakers Qin Jianhe had given him.

Taking them out and opening the shoebox, Ye Zhiqiu gazed at them for a while before putting them back.

With plenty of time left, he went to Qin Jianhe's study.

Finding paper and a pen, he sat down at the desk.

During his time abroad, not having to face people and matters back home, these were almost the most comfortable days since his rebirth.

But at the same time, he hadn't reviewed things carefully for a long time.

Now that he was back, he subconsciously resumed this habit.

Compared to when he first returned, the situation was now relatively stable.

This stability came from his tireless efforts, though far from his ultimate goal, it was already a fairly ideal state for now.

Ye Zhiqiu didn't want to ruin everything due to carelessness or oversight.

While deep in thought, he began writing on the paper as usual.

In fact, these few days living with Qin Jianhe had given him a rare sense of comfort and enjoyment.

To put it simply, perhaps this was what they called happiness.

This surprised him.

Because he had always thought that he might have lost the ability to feel happiness.

Ye Zhiqiu paused for a moment, holding the pen, but did not dwell on this unfamiliar feeling. He continued writing.

When the page was nearly full, he read through it carefully from top to bottom.

Confirming that there were no issues, he put down the pen and turned to feed the paper into the shredder behind him.

The paper filled with writing was quickly swallowed by the shredder, turning into dust.

Almost simultaneously, a light tapping sound came from the window as large raindrops, the size of soybeans, began to fall.

The phone on the desk flashed intermittently. Ye Zhiqiu picked it up and saw a message from Qin Jianhe.

"QIN: It's raining."

"QIN: Have you left yet?"

Ye Zhiqiu replied.

"YZQ: Leaving now."

"QIN: The umbrella is on the dining table. Remember to take it."

Ye Zhiqiu typed two words but paused for a moment before deleting them one by one.

He didn't reply to Qin Jianhe again but instead opened the group chat with four people.

Since nine o'clock, Jin Baobao had been jumping around in the group chat. Tang Yue occasionally chimed in, but Li Shaojun had class today and hadn't said anything.

Ye Zhiqiu went downstairs and immediately saw the black umbrella placed at the corner of the dining table.

It was a folding model, easy to fit into his backpack.

He grabbed the umbrella and left the key card for Qin Jianhe on the entryway cabinet, then pulled open the door and stepped out.

As the door closed behind him, like a brief shelter shutting once more, Ye Zhiqiu re-entered the storm.

Arriving at the entrance of the residential area just in time, he saw the car he had called for stopping by the gate.

Ye Zhiqiu folded the umbrella and got into the car, giving the restaurant's address.

The group chat was also starting to liven up. Jin Baobao had already arrived at the restaurant, while Li Shaojun and Tang Yue were on their way.

Ye Zhiqiu sent a message in the group to let them know his location.

As soon as he spoke up, Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun immediately started asking for gifts.

Ye Zhiqiu laughed at their antics and didn't reply further.

Traffic in the city gets congested when it rains, so the journey, which usually takes twenty minutes, took nearly an hour this time.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Ye Zhiqiu checked his watch; it was almost twelve o'clock.

Ascending to the private room, he found the other three already there.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu, Jin Baobao rushed over and gave him a big hug. Li Shaojun also came over, extending his arms to embrace both of them.

"Gifts," he said.

"And mine too," Jin Baobao added.

Compared to their enthusiastic greeting, Tang Yue was much more reserved.

He seemed a bit restrained, sitting in his seat with a smile, watching them.

"Everyone will get their gifts," Ye Zhiqiu chuckled, his eyes curving into crescents, "but you need to let me go first."

If we don't count the previous life, just considering their years growing up together, Ye Zhiqiu, Jin Baobao, and Li Shaojun rarely spent such a long time apart.

Even if one of them went traveling with their family, they would usually return within a week.

Seated, Ye Zhiqiu opened his backpack and started taking things out while asking, "What were you guys talking about earlier? I could hear you from far away."

"Haven't seen it yet?" Jin Baobao asked. "Gao Wenye just announced his new company."

"He also promoted some young idols," Li Shaojun added.

"Oh?" Ye Zhiqiu paused, looking up with a smile.

"Is Ye Zhixia..." Jin Baobao asked, curious.

Ye Zhiqiu shook his head. "We haven't spoken properly since she hit me last time."

He smiled. "I doubt she'll talk to me about anything in the future."

While speaking, he took out the gifts.

First, for Jin Baobao.

Besides various trendy accessories from fashion shows abroad, there was also an electric leg massager.

Jin Baobao often complained about leg pain from dancing.

Next, for Li Shaojun.

"The gaming console isn't convenient to bring back. I'll get you one next time I find something fun in the country," Ye Zhiqiu smiled. "I remember you couldn't get this perfume before, and I happened to see one bottle at the London store."

Li Shaojun wasn't really that keen on the gaming console.

With online games and mobile games being so popular, they were much more convenient than consoles.

His request was mainly to join in the fun with Jin Baobao.

At this moment, seeing the perfume bottle was truly an unexpected joy.

Li Shaojun carefully took the perfume bottle into his hands, and a handsome face finally revealed a look of joy.

Ye Zhiqiu knew he had brought the right gift.

Nothing could make him happier than seeing Li Shaojun and Jin Baobao delighted; the smile in Ye Zhiqiu's eyes instantly deepened.

He lowered his gaze, reaching back into his backpack to retrieve Tang Yue's gift.

It was also a bottle of perfume.

Compared to the slightly cool fragrance for Li Shaojun, this one was particularly warm.

"Suitable for you," Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile, handing it to Tang Yue. "Le Le is usually too restrained; this perfume is very relaxing and can complement your shortcomings."

Tang Yue: "…"

He hated being lectured the most, yet for some reason, Ye Zhiqiu seemed particularly fond of lecturing him now.

Already in a bad mood, he felt even more repulsed at this moment.

"Thanks, Xiao Qiu." Without showing any change in expression, Tang Yue smiled and accepted it.

"I also brought a set of professional fashion design tools for Senior Lin Xuehua," Ye Zhiqiu said, putting down his backpack with a smile. "However, it comes in a metal case and is quite heavy, so I'll bring it to school next week. I believe he will like it."

Tang Yue pursed his lips, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the perfume.

He had been having a terrible time recently, barely getting any good sleep, with dark circles clearly visible under his eyes.

Moreover, because the incident of ruining Lin Xuehua's graduation project had become widely known, people everywhere avoided him as if he were a snake or a scorpion. Even some classmates who used to be friendly with him had grown distant.

The feeling of being isolated from the world and not understood by anyone was truly unbearable.

Deep down, he knew that Lin Xuehua must have something to do with this.

The set of tools Ye Zhiqiu mentioned was well-known in the fashion design world. Because this field is niche, there are many affordable alternatives, so no platform in the country had introduced them.

Some students at school were using them, but most purchased them through personal shoppers.

An item originally priced at over two thousand euros, due to its weight and high shipping costs plus customs duties, ended up costing nearly twice as much.

Honestly, at this point, he did not want to give anything to Lin Xuehua anymore.

But he also knew he couldn't say that out loud.

Although Ye Zhiqiu, Li Shaojun, and Jin Baobao didn't blame him for "not doing it on purpose," they certainly sympathized with Lin Xuehua.

So, despite his reluctance, he nodded under Ye Zhiqiu's smiling gaze.

The food arrived quickly. Although Ye Zhiqiu hadn't ordered, all the dishes on the table were ones he liked.

Considering the blandness of foreign cuisine, Li Shaojun had specially booked a Sichuan restaurant, where the spicy and fragrant dishes were particularly appetizing.

As soon as the food came, Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun filled Ye Zhiqiu's plate.

Ye Zhiqiu, who had intended to check Gao Wenye's company announcement, put aside his phone and picked up his chopsticks to eat.

"Let me tell you," he said, his lips glistening with oil and his eyes curved into a smile, "I already had chopped pepper fish head for breakfast. If you keep feeding me like this, I'm going to get heat rash."

"You should have said so earlier," Li Shaojun said, placing a large piece of tripe on his plate.

"The sky might fall, but we're eating this meal first," Jin Baobao said, not stopping his chopsticks, placing frog meat in front of him.

Ye Zhiqiu finished the food on his plate and then remembered something, looking up. "Didn't Le Le mention asking for help to look at houses? What kind did you see?"

Hearing this, Tang Yue looked up from his bowl.

"I'll show you after we finish eating," he said.

His demeanor was listless, lacking energy.

Ye Zhiqiu met his gaze and smiled gently.

Where is Tang Yue now?

He is merely paying the price for his mistakes and malice, which is only natural.

But what did he do wrong in his previous life to be used as a stepping stone and kicked into the abyss?

Tang Yue now feels the world's hostility and even darkness.

But what about him?

Because of Tang Yue and others, he lived a long, desperate, and hopeless life in his previous life.

In comparison, Tang Yue's current predicament is nothing.

Subconsciously, Ye Zhiqiu checked the time again.

It was almost one o'clock, and Zhao Keqi and his father should be landing soon.

Unlike Ye Zhiqiu's unexpected return, which surprised the media, Zhao Yunzhuang and his son's return was no secret.

Moreover, Zhao Yunzhuang's trip abroad was not just to attend his fashion show but also to negotiate the copyright of an anime.

With Zhao Keqi's scandal heating up, it was the perfect free publicity opportunity, and Ye Zhiqiu didn't think Zhao Yunzhuang would avoid it.

A few people were eating while Jin Baobao chattered away, asking about the fashion show and constantly showing Ye Zhiqiu screenshots of domestic netizens praising him.

Ye Zhiqiu looked up with a smile, seeing Jin Baobao's big, sparkling eyes, happier than if he had received the accolades himself.

After Jin Baobao finished his excited chatter, Li Shaojun took out a set of keys from his backpack and handed them to Ye Zhiqiu.

"All the keys for the rental apartment are here," he said. "Also, add the landlord on WeChat for easy communication and rent payments next time."

"Send me the contact." Ye Zhiqiu held his bowl of spicy soup.

A moment later, his phone vibrated, and a WeChat profile was sent over.

"When are you moving?" Li Shaojun asked. "I can help."

"No need," Ye Zhiqiu said. "I have a lot of things, but I don't use most of them daily. I'll pack up this weekend and move myself."

"The pots, pans, and utensils are all there, and they look new," Li Shaojun said. "If you're uncomfortable with that, I can buy a new set today."

"Not necessary." Ye Zhiqiu said casually. "There are plenty of dining options nearby, and I might not even cook."

"Alright," Li Shaojun, always concerned, said. "Then it's just your studio tools left. I don't know much about those, so you'll have to handle them yourself."

"Sure." Ye Zhiqiu nodded and sent a friend request to the landlord.

As they ate and chatted, the atmosphere was lively and warm, even Tang Yue maintained a smile throughout.

But only he knew the bitterness in his heart.

Ye Zhiqiu truly shone brightly.

While Ye Zhiqiu dazzled everyone on the international stage, Tang Yue faced constant bullying at school.

Ye Zhiqiu could live in a high-end neighborhood in the central business district, in a beautifully decorated large house, while Tang Yue could only seek shared accommodation in the outskirts.

When Ye Zhiqiu was pampered and his plate piled high with food, Tang Yue was merely a clown, smiling awkwardly by his side.

In the past, the gap between them was already vast.

But Ye Zhiqiu never cared about family background, so Tang Yue didn't feel it acutely all the time.

Now, however...

Tang Yue was truly exhausted.

This stark and brutal contrast weighed heavily on him, making it hard to bear.

Yet, he still had to smile until his face ached.

"Why isn't Le Le talking today?" Ye Zhiqiu seemed oblivious to his discomfort, smiling as he looked over. "Are you worried about the rental?"

"Yes." Tang Yue nodded reluctantly.

"Senior Lin Xuehua is very reasonable," Ye Zhiqiu said innocently. "I've helped him sort out his thoughts. Once the tools are delivered, he will surely forgive you, and then you won't have to move."

These words felt like another stab to Tang Yue's heart.

For Tang Yue, it was no longer just about Lin Xuehua.

Even if Lin Xuehua forgave him openly, the incident of damaging his roommate's thesis project had spread widely.

For Tang Yue, breaking free from his family and entering university had been his long-held dream.

But now, this hard-earned dream had turned cruel.

Did he regret it? Yes, he did.

Looking back, Tang Yue truly regretted his actions.

Ye Zhiqiu was right about one thing.

Lin Xuehua was indeed a reasonable person.

So, after careful consideration, he made that decision.

Given Lin Xuehua's character, he would be angry and might turn against him.

But with a sincere apology, Lin Xuehua would have to try to make amends.

Posting the incident on the forum was something Tang Yue hadn't anticipated.

He still couldn't understand why Lin Xuehua acted out of character.

Despite his apology, Lin Xuehua still had someone post the incident online, completely severing ties.

Tang Yue had suspected Ye Zhiqiu.

But after careful observation, he concluded that Ye Zhiqiu remained oblivious, his attitude unchanged.

The perfume Ye Zhiqiu gave him was worth the same as Li Shaojun's, which showed his genuine intentions.

"They think I deliberately damaged Senior's thesis project." Tang Yue thought for a moment and spoke honestly.

"Did you?" Ye Zhiqiu asked, looking at him with an unreadable gaze.

A sense of guilt rose within Tang Yue, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"If you didn't, why do you care what they say?" Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

"You don't understand." Tang Yue met Ye Zhiqiu's gaze, murmuring softly.

A young master like Ye Zhiqiu would never understand unless he had also fallen into the mud and been trampled so hard he couldn't lift his head again.

Tang Yue couldn't help but think, unable to control the malice in his heart.

Before Ye Zhiqiu could respond, Jin Baobao suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my god!"

"Xiao Qiu, your rumored partner is back in the country."

"What rumored partner?" Ye Zhiqiu's smile didn't seem to care. "You mean Zhao Keqi?"

"Who else could it be?" Li Shaojun asked. "I forgot to ask you before, how do you even know Zhao Yunzhuang's son?"

"I met him at the boxing gym," Ye Zhiqiu said. "But I only practiced for a few days before getting busy. I didn't expect such a coincidence; his father turned out to be Old Zhao."

"You're really lucky," Jin Baobao muttered while browsing online, then exclaimed again, "Oh my god!"

"Did Zhao Yunzhuang specifically come to see you?" Jin Baobao said, opening a video just posted by a reporter.

In the video, Zhao Yunzhuang and Zhao Keqi walked briskly out, answering reporters' questions cooperatively.

"Don't believe their nonsense," Zhao Yunzhuang laughed. "One of our purposes this time was indeed to see Xiao Ye. Everyone on the team agrees that he's a good fit for the styling of 'Building No. 8,' so they sent me to review him. Of course..."

Pausing, Zhao Yunzhuang continued, "We have another purpose: to discuss the domestic rights of a comic."

Reporters clicked away with their cameras.

"Is it confirmed that Meng Qingyan and Baiyou will star in 'No. 8 Machine'?"

"Can Ye Zhiqiu, as a young designer, handle the styling for this film?"

"Has the filming start date for 'Building No. 8' been set?"

"Which comic is it, and where will it be released? Will it be free or paid?"

"..."

"Really?" Jin Baobao looked up in surprise. "Are you really going to work on the styling for this movie? Then I can visit not just my dear Youyou and Yan, but also you."

"It's not confirmed yet," Ye Zhiqiu said. "The details haven't been discussed."

"Even if it is confirmed," he smiled, "Old Li will oversee it, and I'll assist. His assistant will be on set, so I won't necessarily be there all the time."

"Wouldn't that put you at a disadvantage?" Li Shaojun immediately asked.

"There's no disadvantage," Ye Zhiqiu smiled, his eyes bright and gentle. "It's a major production, and I get to learn from Old Li. That's something many people dream of."

"That's good," Li Shaojun nodded.

Throughout the conversation, Tang Yue remained silent, and everyone's attention was focused on the interview with the Zhao family on the screen. No one noticed.

Finally, the interview reached its last frame, and Ye Zhiqiu lifted his eyes with a smile.

Across from him, Tang Yue held his spoon as if petrified, his face pale.

"Le Le?" Ye Zhiqiu called out with a smile.

"Huh? Yes?" Tang Yue looked up, slightly flustered.

"Le Le, are you okay?" Ye Zhiqiu's smile faded slightly, concern in his eyes. "You look pale."

Tang Yue's mind buzzed, knowing his face must look terrible.

Despite his efforts to adjust, nothing seemed to help.

All those previous setbacks, frustrations, and feelings of inadequacy...

None of them mattered now.

The real blow was waiting here.

He couldn't understand why fate favored Ye Zhiqiu so much?

Ye Zhiqiu was already so much luckier than him.

He had a promising future in the fashion industry.

Why did he have to compete with him in film styling too?

They both participated in the international fashion competition; he didn't even make the cut, while Ye Zhiqiu won the championship.

He endured it.

He wanted to join Q.L and even secretly contacted Yu Renzhi, but even for an assistant position, Q.L. didn't give him any chance...

Yet Ye Zhiqiu entered Q.L. as a designer right after.

He wanted to enter the entertainment industry through styling, using Ye Zhixia and Gao Wenye as a shortcut.

But Ye Zhiqiu beat him to it in such a high-profile manner.

He couldn't understand why Ye Zhiqiu, who treated him well, always blocked his path, leaving him nowhere to go.

School, he couldn't continue living there anymore.

Career, he hadn't even started, yet he was already being stepped on everywhere.

Feeling like a stray dog, Tang Yue suddenly wondered what the point of all his struggles had been.

If...

If only he hadn't met Ye Zhiqiu.

Perhaps in others' eyes, he could be considered excellent.

But now, with Ye Zhiqiu setting the standard, he wasn't even worth considering.

For over a week, Tang Yue hadn't slept well, reaching his physical limit.

On top of that, he faced constant exclusion at school, adding immense mental pressure.

At this moment, the string in his heart could no longer hold under the intense jealousy and relentless blows.

Ye Zhiqiu calmly and coldly watched as Tang Yue's spoon slowly slipped from his hand, hitting the table with a bang and then bouncing onto the ground, shattering into several pieces.

He suddenly felt like laughing.

In his previous life, he had endured those depths for so many years.

Yet Tang Yue, who had pushed him into that dark abyss, couldn't even handle this minor setback.

"Tang Yue," he said, getting up along with Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun, "what's wrong?"

"Be stronger."

Yes, be stronger, Tang Yue.

After all, it's just the beginning.