Chapter 69

Chapter 69

There was a moment of silence on the other end, and Ye Zhiqiu could only hear the pattering rain.

It was louder and more direct than what he heard through the glass in his room at this moment.

"Are you outside?" Ye Zhiqiu asked, instinctively checking the time on his wristwatch.

"Mm." Qin Jianhe responded softly.

His voice was low and deep, and although it was just a faint sound, it instantly drowned out the chaotic noise of the wind and rain outside.

It felt as if the voice was right by his ear, gently tapping against Ye Zhiqiu's eardrums.

Ye Zhiqiu was slightly taken aback and fell silent for a moment.

"I just left the company," Qin Jianhe continued, "and I'm waiting for Uncle Li to drive over."

"Oh." Ye Zhiqiu acknowledged.

During this period, he had noticed that Qin Jianhe didn't always have Uncle Li pick him up. Most of the time, Uncle Li appeared when Qin Jianhe needed rest due to heavy work or when he had to attend social events.

Although it wasn't always the case, Ye Zhiqiu still asked, "Do you have a social event tonight?"

As soon as he said it, he regretted it.

Not only was it past the usual time for formal social gatherings, but it also made it seem like he was overly concerned about Qin Jianhe.

Instinctively, Ye Zhiqiu rubbed his cheek to ease the slight awkwardness.

Sure enough, Qin Jianhe chuckled on the other end.

"It's not really a social event," he said, "Ren Zhi and the others invited me out for a drink."

"Mm." Unconsciously, a hint of a smile appeared in Ye Zhiqiu's eyes. Then, he heard the sound of a car door opening and closing, followed by a quieter environment around Qin Jianhe.

"I'm getting into the car," he said, sounding almost like a child reporting to a parent.

Ye Zhiqiu instinctively rubbed his cheek again.

"Go ahead then," he said, "I'm packing up too."

"Are you moving into your new place the day after tomorrow?" Qin Jianhe asked, "I've prepared a housewarming gift for you. Let me know when it's convenient to drop it off."

Before Ye Zhiqiu could respond, Qin Jianhe added, "Nothing expensive, just everyday items."

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu had no reason to refuse.

"Mm," he said with a smile, "but if you come later, my friends might be there."

"Alright," Qin Jianhe replied with a laugh, "I'll come over secretly after they leave."

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

He pursed his lips, but couldn't help smiling after a moment. Then, both sides of the call fell silent.

The sound of the rain was faint, making it hard to tell where it was coming from. It echoed in his ears and seemed to seep into his heart.

Fine and pervasive.

"Go ahead and pack," Qin Jianhe said, "see you the day after tomorrow evening."

After hanging up, Ye Zhiqiu paused for a moment before looking down and flipping through Lan Yue's photo album again.

There were only a few photos.

Perhaps due to the passage of time and frequent handling, most of them had turned yellow and faded.

It was time to find someone to restore them, Ye Zhiqiu thought.

Then, his thoughts returned to the cause of Lan Yue's death.

Was it simply postpartum depression, or did someone add fuel to the fire and push her over the edge?

Having experienced a previous life, Ye Zhiqiu knew better than anyone that even in the toughest times, death is not an easy choice.

Even in his previous life, when he was deeply depressed and living like a walking corpse, every time he hid on the balcony to smoke, he would feel an uncontrollable urge to jump...

But he never actually did.

Let alone Lan Yue.

She was so gentle and always smiling, clearly a kind-hearted girl.

Lan Hua had mentioned that when he was born, he came to take care of her, and she was fine back then.

Lan Hua said she was no different from any other new mother.

At that time, she was immersed in her new role in life.

How could such a person commit suicide two or three months later?

Moreover, a two- or three-month-old baby is the cutest. How could a mother who was "immersed" in her new role suddenly abandon her crying child and leave without looking back, leaving him to face a cruel fate?

Unless something truly desperate happened that made her lose all hope.

Looking back, it might not seem significant, but under the influence of postpartum hormonal changes, it could push her to the brink.

Ye Zhiqiu lit a cigarette, his brows furrowed as he drew on it deeply.

It wasn't until the ash fell onto the photograph that he suddenly snapped back to reality, hurriedly brushing it away.

The ash was hot, but fortunately, it hadn't burned the photo.

Ye Zhiqiu let out a sigh of relief and extinguished the remaining half of the cigarette in the ashtray.

These thoughts were not new to him; in fact, he had pondered them countless times before.

But it had been so long that he found it increasingly difficult to trace back to those memories.

Ye Zhiqiu lowered his eyes and pursed his lips, taking a moment before closing the photo album.

He got up and carefully placed the album in the compartment of his suitcase, then began packing his belongings.

There were plenty of suitcases at home. Although the two he used most often were still with Qin Jianhe, Ye Zheng and Ye Hongxian frequently traveled for work. Aunt Zhao quickly found four large suitcases for him.

One suitcase was already filled with books and daily necessities, while the other three contained some of his everyday clothes.

After studying fashion design, he had developed good organizational habits, making the task relatively easy.

In less than half an hour, the suitcases were all lined up against the wall.

Ye Zhiqiu returned to his desk and opened his class schedule for the semester.

He planned to resume both work and classes together.

He had classes on Monday afternoon, so he intended to go to the company in the morning and then head to school in the afternoon with the set of tools he bought for Lin Xuehua.

He actually bought two sets of tools—one for Lin Xuehua and one for himself.

After all, he needed to set up a new workspace at his residence, which meant purchasing many tools anew.

After closing the class schedule, Ye Zhiqiu went online and ordered a sewing machine, a pegboard for tool storage, and additional tools to complete his set.

Once everything was settled, he habitually took a blank sheet of paper and began his daily review.

This time, the first words he wrote were "Cui Xuan."

Then, his pen paused mid-air, lingering there for a long moment.

The sound of rain outside seemed to intensify, pounding heavily in Ye Zhiqiu's ears, as if the world had suddenly gone blank, leaving only the downpour.

His hand holding the pen trembled slightly, and his fingers tightened.

Ye Zhiqiu slowly came back to his senses and lowered his gaze to write again.

This time, he wrote "Uncle Wang" on the paper.

Ye Hongxian had never mentioned Lan Yue's passing.

And Ye Zhiqiu had never asked Aunt Zhao about it.

Not just because he feared stirring up trouble, but mainly because during that period, Aunt Zhao had to return home due to an emergency with her elderly relatives.

Coincidentally, Lan Yue had given birth, and a postpartum nurse was hired. With the Ye family being small, Aunt Zhao managed things at home before returning.

Unexpectedly, something happened during that time.

Ye Zhiqiu had tried to find that postpartum nurse in his previous life.

At that time, he wasn't looking for her because he suspected anything about Lan Yue's death.

Rather, having lost the photo album, he desperately sought comfort elsewhere.

Aunt Zhao was no longer a viable option.

When Ye Hongxian had driven him out, he had warned that anyone from the Ye family who contacted him would be expelled along with him.

He didn't want to involve her.

So, the postpartum nurse who had cared for Lan Yue after giving birth seemed like the perfect choice.

She lived in the house, caring for the new mother and baby, spending the most time with Lan Yue.

She could tell him about Lan Yue and even describe what Lan Yue was like as a new mother and what he was like as an infant, whether Lan Yue loved him or not.

Later, he did manage to find some information about her.

Unfortunately, she had passed away when he was around seven or eight years old.

By the time he discovered Tao Ruoqing's true nature and started suspecting the cause of Lan Yue's death, he assumed that due to the passage of time and people moving on, there might be no useful leads left in the world regarding this matter.

But just now, he suddenly thought of Uncle Wang again.

Uncle Wang came to the Ye family after Tao Ruoqing married into it, and over the years, he was the only driver they had.

So, did the Ye family not have a driver when Lan Yue was pregnant?

At that time, Ye Ding was just starting out and was very busy.

Ye Hongxian certainly wouldn't have had the time or patience, let alone the responsibility, to accompany Lan Yue for prenatal checkups and ensure her safety during pregnancy.

If that was the case, there must have been another driver in the household before.

Ye Zhiqiu sat quietly in contemplation for a moment, then marked "Uncle Wang" with a star to signify its importance.

He stood up, gazed out the window at the dark rain for a while, steadied his emotions, and then sat down again to finish his unfinished work.

When he had finally composed himself, Ye Zhiqiu was completely calm.

He shredded the paper and then opened his email.

After dealing with a few emails, Ye Zhiqiu shut down his computer, got up, and went to bed.

Although it was hard to fall asleep, he had to meet the director and Zhao Yunzhuang at the Eighth Group production the next day, so Ye Zhiqiu forced himself to close his eyes.

Tossing and turning through the night, listening to the rain outside gradually diminish until only a faint rustling remained, Ye Zhiqiu finally drifted off into a hazy sleep.

When the alarm rang, golden sunlight was already streaming in through the gaps in the curtains.

The sky had cleared.

Having barely slept, Ye Zhiqiu took a moment to gather himself before getting up.

In the bathroom, as he washed up, he looked up and met a pair of extremely cold eyes in the mirror.

Those eyes were deeply shaded, like ice, quietly staring back at him.

Ye Zhiqiu blinked, raised his hand to rub his cheeks a few times, not stopping until his skin warmed slightly and the grayish hue in his eyes began to fade.

However, the faint dark circles under his eyes became even more noticeable as his gaze warmed.

After changing clothes, Ye Zhiqiu went downstairs for breakfast.

Everyone was there except for Ye Zhixia.

Perhaps because he was about to move out, Ye Hongxian, unusually, served him several dishes and gave him some earnest advice.

Tao Ruoqing was even more considerate, asking how his luggage was packed and if he needed anything for the rental apartment. In front of Ye Hongxian, she transferred some money to him.

Everything was done without a hitch.

Even the slight resentment in Ye Hongxian's eyes, due to Ye Zhixia's immaturity, vanished instantly.

Ye Zhiqiu smiled and accepted everything, maintaining an appearance of family harmony.

Not just Ye Hongxian, even Tao Ruoqing felt that after half a year of work at VIA last year, he had indeed matured significantly.

Going out now would be a good thing.

Tao Ruoqing couldn't help but think.

If they spent too much time together, Ye Hongxian might change his opinion of him, which could be problematic.

After breakfast, Ye Zhiqiu drove straight to the set.

They had scheduled the meeting for ten o'clock in the morning, and he arrived half an hour early.

The crew hadn't started filming yet, but the sets were mostly ready.

A red building stood before him, and the temporary meeting room was set up on the first floor.

Director Zhou Lian, the producer, and Zhao Yunzhuang hadn't arrived yet, but Zhao Keqi was already there.

Also present were a few costume and makeup artists, as well as assistants to the main stylist, Li Xun, who had been hospitalized.

This was Zhao Yunzhuang's usual team, familiar with Zhao Keqi, and when Ye Zhiqiu arrived, everyone was teasing Zhao Keqi.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu, Zhao Keqi seemed to have found a savior.

Hiding behind Ye Zhiqiu, he whispered, "Why did you come so late?"

At this age, usually brash and bold, Ye Zhiqiu found Zhao Keqi's behavior amusing for the first time.

"What happened?" he asked with a smile. "Aren't the seniors all very friendly? They can't possibly eat you."

"You don't know, people in this industry have seen it all; their jokes are not easy to handle," Zhao Keqi whispered, poking Ye Zhiqiu's waist. "You can't become like them."

"That's because you haven't seen my true self," Ye Zhiqiu smiled. "If I start joking around, you might not be able to handle it either."

Their conversation was not kept secret, and upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

Among everyone present, Ye Zhiqiu was the youngest. Seeing this, he immediately bowed slightly with a smile.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Ye Zhiqiu. Please take care of me from now on."

Instantly, everyone greeted him warmly, and Zhao Keqi quickly introduced him to everyone.

A small assistant from the director's team brought over water, smiling and greeting Ye Zhiqiu.

"Director Zhou and Mr. Zhao will be here soon. Mr. Ye, please take a seat."

Ye Zhiqiu thanked her and sat down next to Zhao Keqi.

"Why are you here?" Ye Zhiqiu asked him with a smile.

"I came to cheer you on," Zhao Keqi said, then quietly introduced Ye Zhiqiu to each person's personality and expertise.

Ye Zhiqiu listened attentively, memorizing the information.

As he finished introducing the last person, the door opened, and Zhao Yunzhuang and Zhou Lian entered.

"Old Zhou, let me introduce you," Zhao Yunzhuang said to Zhou Lian. "This is Ye Zhiqiu, Teacher Xiao Ye."

"Hello, Director Zhou, Mr. Zhao." Ye Zhiqiu promptly rose politely.

"I know, I know," Zhou Lian said, sizing Ye Zhiqiu up. "I've seen you on the trending topics a few times. I even saved a few pictures."

Hearing this, everyone laughed again.

"Xiao Zhao," Zhou Lian handed a stack of documents to the young assistant who had just brought water, "distribute these for everyone to review. We'll have a meeting later."

Then he pushed open a small door inside and waved at Ye Zhiqiu, "Xiao Ye, Old Zhao, let's talk business first."

Zhao Yunzhuang wasn't really old, at most in his early fifties.

Because he was the elder brother in the Beijing circle, people had been calling him "Old Zhao" for the past ten years.

Ye Zhiqiu politely stepped back, letting the two seniors enter first before following and gently closing the door behind him.

The content of their discussion was as Ye Zhiqiu had expected.

For his first attempt at this kind of work, he had no special requirements regarding compensation; his main concern was the working hours.

Like Q.L, his only request was that, under the condition of not delaying work, he could have flexible working hours.

Zhou Lian and Zhao Yunzhuang did not object to this point.

Except for actors trying on costumes, most well-known makeup artists do not stay on set.

They usually delegate the work on set to assistants or relevant staff.

Li Xun was also like this.

Although Ye Zhiqiu was not yet a renowned makeup artist, as long as he could complete the work, whether he came to the set and how long he stayed were not major issues.

The negotiations went very smoothly.

Finally, Zhou Lian raised two more points.

Since Ye Zhiqiu didn't have an assistant, they discussed with Old Li and decided to assign an assistant from his team to assist Ye Zhiqiu and facilitate communication with Old Li.

Ye Zhiqiu had no objections to this.

"Secondly," Zhou Lian handed a script to Ye Zhiqiu, "our film, although organized by Old Zhao, has investments from Meng's Jewelry and your Q.L."

Ye Zhiqiu nodded, knowing that the brand must have sponsored a lot of costumes and accessories.

"As for the accessories, it's fine," Zhou Lian continued, "but for the sponsorship from Q.L, we'll need you to select them after reviewing the script."

"In that case, I should also get the list of confirmed actors," Ye Zhiqiu said with a subtle smile, "because when designing costumes, the characteristics of the actors themselves also need to be considered, in addition to the roles."

"Xiao Zhao will give it to you later," Zhou Lian nodded. "Our film starts shooting in half a month, but you don't need to worry. Before Old Li was hospitalized, he had already designed several costumes for the two male leads, plus the sponsorship from Q.L, so we can manage for a while."

"Understood." Ye Zhiqiu smiled and nodded.

"After reviewing the script," he asked, "can I visit Mr. Li at the hospital?"

"Of course." Zhou Lian was pleased that Ye Zhiqiu understood immediately.

The discussions went very pleasantly, and the terms were quickly agreed upon.

Knowing they still had other meetings, Ye Zhiqiu took the initiative to leave.

"How about lunch together?" Seeing Ye Zhiqiu leaving, Zhao Keqi followed him out.

"No, thank you." Ye Zhiqiu stopped, "I have something else to do."

"I don't know what keeps you so busy all the time," Zhao Keqi complained.

He was two years older than Ye Zhiqiu but acted quite childishly.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu didn't respond and only unlocked his car, he couldn't help but ask, "Have you had time to train at the gym lately?"

"Soon." Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

Zhao Keqi's expression relaxed a bit, and he stopped pestering him, waving his hand, "See you later then."

"See you later." Ye Zhiqiu opened the car door and got in.

A small asphalt road led from the production site to the main road, lined with lush flowers and trees, mimicking the layout of a residential area.

Driving out through the gate and turning onto the main road, Ye Zhiqiu didn't head into the city but instead turned towards the outskirts.

On the way, he stopped at a small flower shop and bought a bouquet of baby's breath.

With no traffic in the suburbs, Ye Zhiqiu drove fast and soon arrived at the foot of a mountain.

It had rained heavily yesterday, and although the sky had cleared up, the path up the mountain was still muddy.

Stepping on the slightly muddy stone steps, Ye Zhiqiu entered the cemetery.

It was cold, and since it wasn't yet Qingming Festival, and it had rained last night, there was not a single person in the cemetery.

Only the sound of the wind rustling through the dry grass and branches and the chirping of birds could be heard.

Even the elderly caretaker had gone for a nap.

Ye Zhiqiu didn't disturb him, pushing open the small gate and walking in.

The cemetery was large, and Lan Yue's grave was at the far end. It took Ye Zhiqiu a while to find her tombstone among the rows of graves.

It felt a bit unfamiliar; Ye Zhiqiu couldn't even remember when he last visited.

Perhaps it was when he learned that the nanny had passed away, and he had come here to cry.

Later, he was too preoccupied with his own troubles and found it hard to go out, so he hadn't come since.

Dust covered the tombstone, and even though it had rained all night, it hadn't washed it clean.

This made Lan Yue's photograph appear somewhat mottled.

Ye Zhiqiu bent down to place the bouquet of baby's breath on the ground, then removed the silk scarf from his neck and gently wiped the tombstone.

Soon, Lan Yue's smiling face became clear and vivid before him.

"Come to see you," he said with a smile, looking at the person on the tombstone.

"In the past, I was deceived, recognizing the thief as my mother," he whispered softly. "So I didn't come to see you much. I'm sorry."

The wind blew, making his neck feel cold without the scarf, and the baby's breath trembled on the ground.

Usually so afraid of the cold, but at this moment, Ye Zhiqiu felt nothing.

He raised his hand to gently touch Lan Yue's smiling face on the tombstone.

"I don't know what flowers you liked, so I bought baby's breath," Ye Zhiqiu murmured. "If you really are the moon in the sky, you'd probably like many stars around you, right?"

He pursed his lips, his eyes slightly red, but he did not shed tears as he had in his previous life.

The air grew quiet again, and something blown by the wind came over—it was unburnt paper money.

"Next time," Ye Zhiqiu lowered his gaze. "I'll bring you a lot of paper money."

"Mom," he called hoarsely, "if there was another reason for your departure, rest assured, I will seek justice for you."

In fact, he had many things he wanted to say to Lan Yue.

But in the end, only these few words came out.

After saying this, he stood quietly in front of the tombstone for a moment before bending down to bid farewell to Lan Yue.

When climbing up the mountain, Ye Zhiqiu still felt a sense of hesitation, but when descending, his steps were firm and steady.

It was already noon, and the sunlight was particularly bright. As he walked, Ye Zhiqiu mentally selected reliable people.

Li Shaojun and Jin Baobao were naturally the most reliable, but they were too young and prone to acting impulsively upon knowing the truth.

Moreover, Tang Yue was also involved.

Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun were ruled out.

Then, he thought of Lan Hua.

But after so many years, Lan Hua had finally put this matter behind him and returned to a normal life. Ye Zhiqiu didn't want him to be dragged back into it, worrying constantly.

Then there was Zhang Mian.

He had reached the foot of the mountain and stopped in front of his car.

But Yun Kai's entire operation was in Zhang Mian's hands, and his workload was already overwhelming. After the new samples passed inspection, it would likely double.

Zhang Mian wouldn't work either.

Moreover, someone who has died once is naturally very cautious.

Official matters were already entrusted to Zhang Mian, but personally, he still wanted to keep some distance.

Zhang Mian wouldn't work either, so...

For a moment, Ye Zhiqiu felt a sense of desolation.

The sky was vast, the world immense, yet he realized that he couldn't find a single reliable person.

The world spread out beneath his feet, but he felt enveloped in darkness, unable to see the way forward.

In the dead silence, the phone suddenly rang, piercing the quiet of the nearly deserted path at the foot of the mountain.

Instinctively, Ye Zhiqiu's eyelid twitched.

He took out his phone and saw Qin Jianhe's name on the screen.

Like a sudden burst of sunlight piercing through clouds, Ye Zhiqiu's surroundings slowly brightened.

He answered the call, unaware of how eager his movements were.

"Qin Jianhe," he said.

Perhaps due to the intense emotions earlier or the long silence, he realized his voice was hoarse.

There seemed to be a pause on the other end, then Qin Jianhe's voice came through, steady and deep, gently striking his eardrums.

He called his name: "Ye Zhiqiu."

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu responded softly, momentarily speechless.

"Where are you now?" Qin Jianhe asked.

"I..." Before speaking, Ye Zhiqiu hesitated, but after a while, he slowly said, "I'm at the cemetery."

"I came to see my mom," he added.

There was a brief silence on the other end, then Qin Jianhe spoke softly.

"Get in your car and wait for me. I'll be there soon."

Will you be there soon?

Ye Zhiqiu was momentarily dazed, thinking he must have misheard something.

"Today, Qing Yan and I came to the film set to discuss investment," Qin Jianhe said. "When we arrived, they said you had just left."

The sound of a car door opening and closing came from the other end, followed by the navigation system announcing their destination, which was precisely where Ye Zhiqiu was standing.

Ye Zhiqiu pursed his lips, and his fingers tightened around the phone subconsciously.

"Qin Jianhe," he asked, "if I wanted to ask you for a favor, would that be okay?"

There seemed to be a faint laugh from the other end. Qin Jianhe's voice remained steady and reassuring.

"Of course," he said. "And it would be even better if you could come to my house more often to give me pointers on my cooking."