Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Those eyes were so deep, so dark, so resolute...

They struck Ye Zhiqiu's heart with a heavy pressure.

His heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably, pounding uncomfortably in his chest. Ye Zhiqiu instinctively struggled, trying to distance himself from the cause of this turmoil.

But Qin Jianhe's hand firmly held his head in place, leaving him no chance to escape.

Ye Zhiqiu lowered his eyes and frowned slightly, unable to determine what exactly in his words had touched Qin Jianhe.

He could not discern the sincerity in Qin Jianhe's words either.

Or perhaps it was just an expression of his poor mood?

Since he couldn't retreat, he decided to move forward instead. He leaned his body slightly, pressing himself into Qin Jianhe's embrace.

The moment he buried his face in the crook of Qin Jianhe's neck, he secretly sighed in relief.

Finally...

Finally, he could escape the piercing gaze of those eyes.

"Qin Jianhe," Ye Zhiqiu finally spoke after a moment of silence. "One cannot be too greedy."

"Is this being greedy?" Qin Jianhe asked.

"To me, it is," Ye Zhiqiu replied softly.

This time, he only wanted those people to receive their due retribution, unlike in his previous life, where they could still live happily and prosperously despite all the evil they had done.

As for everything else, he didn't even consider whether he still believed or wanted them...

To him, they were merely luxuries.

But Ye Zhiqiu didn't explain further; he continued speaking.

"If you say tonight, tomorrow night, the night after, or even this year, next year, the year after," he said slowly, "I can do that. I like my current life and haven't thought about changing it."

He paused, trying to suppress the difficulty in his voice, "But if you talk about every night or forever, then I'm sorry."

"Because I really haven't thought about it, so I can't give you an answer."

As he spoke, he glanced at his watch, "And now, we have three minutes left. Once it's time to leave, if we both exit together, it might raise suspicions."

Hearing this, Qin Jianhe's body shifted slightly.

He pulled back a little, looking down at Ye Zhiqiu quietly in the dim light.

In the dimness, his eyes were so dark that one couldn't see any hint of emotion within them.

Just as Ye Zhiqiu thought he might be disappointed or should give up, Qin Jianhe raised his hand.

His warm fingertips gently brushed over Ye Zhiqiu's furrowed brow, smoothing it out. Then, Qin Jianhe leaned down and kissed him, with utmost tenderness.

Ye Zhiqiu's eyes suddenly felt hot, and he responded passionately.

Ye Zhiqiu's words could lie, but his kiss could not.

Qin Jianhe once again cupped the back of his head, taking control once more.

"Alright, Ye Zhiqiu," after a long kiss, Qin Jianhe pulled Ye Zhiqiu back into his embrace, his voice soft and hoarse, "I'll choose tonight first."

"Choose?" Ye Zhiqiu chuckled at his choice of words.

But the kiss had been so comfortable that his mind was a bit sluggish.

Leaning against Qin Jianhe's shoulder, he couldn't think deeply about anything.

"But that's how you should be," he calmed his racing heart and lightly patted Qin Jianhe's back, "That suits your status."

"What status?" Qin Jianhe asked softly.

"The cold and ruthless supreme leader," Ye Zhiqiu said, "That's what everyone says."

At this, Qin Jianhe finally laughed and gently ruffled Ye Zhiqiu's hair.

"Weren't you worried about being seen?" he relaxed his arms, "It's almost time to leave."

"I should go then," Ye Zhiqiu straightened up, about to turn and leave, but Qin Jianhe pulled him back half a step by the wrist.

Qin Jianhe looked down, straightening his collar and hair before saying calmly, "Done."

Ye Zhiqiu didn't linger, turning to walk downstairs.

When he reached the last step, Qin Jianhe called out his name again, "Ye Zhiqiu."

Ye Zhiqiu stopped and looked up slightly.

The winding staircase had completely blocked Qin Jianhe's figure, and he couldn't see his expression.

Only Qin Jianhe's deep and pleasant voice echoed softly in the stairwell, "See you tonight."

"Okay." Ye Zhiqiu responded, pulling open the metal door and stepping out.

It was like two different worlds.

Inside was dim and quiet, while outside was brightly lit.

Although the crowd from work had yet to flood the hallway, voices were already buzzing in the various offices.

All of this helped Ye Zhiqiu quickly snap out of his inexplicable mood.

In the office, Zhang Lan had just finished sewing the outfit and, seeing him enter, she eagerly held it up for him to see.

"Teacher Xiao Ye," Zhang Lan's eyes sparkled, "it looks even better than the sketch."

The women's suit, made of a fabric that draped smoothly against the skin, rippled with faint patterns as Zhang Lan moved, like ripples on a pond stirred by a spring breeze, only to quickly settle back into a smooth gem-like surface.

"Hmm." Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

Since he had envisioned the final effect during the cutting process, his reaction was far less enthusiastic than Zhang Lan's.

"You were..." Zhang Lan suddenly paused.

For some reason, she felt that Ye Zhiqiu's lips seemed unusually rosy.

They looked as if they had been gently pressed by fingertips, bringing all the color to the surface.

So vivid and beautiful that one couldn't look away.

"Cough..." Zhang Lan cleared her throat, inwardly scolding herself for being beastly.

"Are you having lunch at the company today?" she changed the subject.

"No." Ye Zhiqiu didn't notice her unease, as he was busy packing things up, "I'm going to the hospital to visit Old Li."

"Wow, how enviable." The topic shifted to the film crew, and Zhang Lan immediately forgot her sudden thoughts, her eyes filled with admiration.

Q.L's contracts have always been strict. It's rare to find someone like Ye Zhiqiu who has such a high degree of freedom in their contract. Even within the entire fashion industry, there are only a few designers with similar freedom.

If there are any, they either hold absolute status and influence in the fashion world or have their own independent studios, free from contractual constraints.

"Having great skills is truly beneficial." Zhang Lan's eyes shone as she praised, "Mr. Qin really has a keen eye."

Ye Zhiqiu chuckled, involuntarily recalling Qin Jianhe's gaze today.

Even though it was just a brief flashback, his heart still raced a bit.

Without dwelling on it further, Ye Zhiqiu slung his backpack over his shoulder, waved to Zhang Lan, and headed downstairs.

He always avoided thinking too deeply about Qin Jianhe.

It felt as if thinking too much would jeopardize this rare comfort and ease.

He had experienced the most complex and cruel relationships.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never return to that simple and passionate state of mind.

So, let it be.

Give himself and Qin Jianhe an escape route.

But before leaving, he couldn't help calling out to Zhang Lan.

"It wasn't Mr. Qin," he said, "it was Teacher Meng who first recognized me."

*

After buying fruit baskets and gifts at a nearby mall, Ye Zhiqiu had a quick lunch outside before driving to the hospital.

Upon arrival, he found Zhou Lian and Liu Yisi had just arrived as well.

Seeing this, Liu Yisi hurriedly took the gifts from Ye Zhiqiu, while Zhou Lian gestured to the empty sofa for him to sit down.

"Come, let me introduce you," Zhou Lian said.

"Do we need introductions?" Li Xun, leaning on the hospital bed, laughed, "Old Zhou, you're getting limited in your directorial role."

Ye Zhiqiu naturally hadn't sat down yet. Hearing this, he laughed along with Zhou Lian and politely bowed, saying, "Hello, Teacher Li, I've long admired you."

"Oh?" Although both involve clothing, there is a significant difference between true fashion design and costume design for films. Li Xun immediately asked with a smile, "Have you seen my work?"

Ye Zhiqiu nodded with a smile, "Yes, I have."

Before studying this field, he hadn't paid much attention, but after learning fashion design, Ye Zhiqiu realized that most classic movies feature the same few costume designers.

Ultimately, while there are countless costume designers and teams in China, only a few truly excel.

Anyone can issue press releases and create a facade of success, but for major productions and good scripts, the production teams always turn to these skilled costume designers.

And Li Xun, along with his entire team, is one of them.

Moreover, Li Xun excels not only in modern costumes but also in ancient and contemporary designs.

He is well-versed in the clothing, accessories, and rituals of various dynasties.

The costumes he creates are exquisite.

This requires not only superb craftsmanship and design skills but also deep knowledge of cultural history.

Ye Zhiqiu clearly knew that to succeed in this field, he had much to learn and explore.

He genuinely admired Teacher Li Xun.

Therefore, recently, whenever he had time, he would watch movies involving Li Xun's work. When he didn't, he would collect various costume photos to study.

While he might not fully grasp Li Xun's style, the word "seen" certainly applies.

"I heard from Director Zhou that you've finished reading the script." From the moment he entered the room, Ye Zhiqiu's demeanor was polite and respectful, yet without the usual ingratiating behavior found in most people. This gave a very refreshing and comfortable impression, and Li Xun had a good first impression of him.

"Finished it." Upon hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu immediately pulled out his tablet from his backpack and showed Li Xun the sketches he had drawn earlier. "Professor Li, please take a look. Is my understanding correct?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lian also came over to look at the sketches with Li Xun.

On the screen, there were more than a dozen sketches, each one a silhouette of a character.

With just a few strokes, he had vividly captured the characters' personalities, temperaments, and clothing styles.

Li Xun put on his reading glasses and slowly flipped through them with Zhou Lian for quite a while, nodding slightly in approval.

"Not bad, Xiao Ye." Zhou Lian couldn't hide his delight and couldn't help but secretly admire Zhao Yunzhuang's discerning eye, indeed exceptional.

"I've only seen design drafts before; this is the first time I've seen someone draw the character images first."

"Since it's my first time in this industry," Ye Zhiqiu smiled, "having these sketches will constantly remind me, so I won't go off track even after a long time."

"Very good, very good." Li Xun also rarely praised someone, "No wonder Professor Li spoke highly of you in front of me before."

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu was slightly taken aback. "You know my teacher?"

But then he found it somewhat amusing, "Well, considering it, we're all in the same circle."

"Not exactly the same circle," Li Xun put down his reading glasses again, "Li Qinghe is my cousin."

This surprised not only Ye Zhiqiu but also Zhou Lian.

Although both Li Xun and Li Qinghe were involved in fashion, one worked in academia and the other in art. Even though they shared the same surname, few people associated them together.

Unexpectedly, they were cousins.

During his school days, Li Qinghe had always been particularly supportive of Ye Zhiqiu.

With this connection, Ye Zhiqiu felt even closer to Li Xun.

Just as Liu Yisi returned to her seat after putting away some items, the group gathered around the hospital bed to discuss the main style and color scheme of the costumes.

Despite their age difference of nearly fifty years, surprisingly, Ye Zhiqiu and Li Xun agreed on many points.

This gradually eased Zhou Lian's concern about potential conflicts between the new and old costume designers due to their age, experience, or leading roles in the film.

The discussion lasted almost two hours, ultimately deciding on a final plan where Ye Zhiqiu would be the lead designer, supported by the team, with Li Xun overseeing the work.

"Then, Xiao Liu," finally, Li Xun looked at Liu Yisi, "I'll have to trouble you to run errands between Xiao Ye and the hospital."

"Of course, Professor," Liu Yisi replied with a smile.

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, when people tend to feel the most tired, Li Xun showed signs of fatigue after working continuously for so long.

Seeing this, the others did not disturb him further and said their goodbyes before leaving the ward together.

"Xiao Ye," as they walked downstairs, Zhou Lian asked, "Have you made any progress on the part of the costumes you were supposed to choose from Q.L?"

"It should be sorted out in the next couple of days," Ye Zhiqiu smiled. "Before finishing the script and discussing with Professor Li, I hadn't started on this part yet."

"That's fine." Zhou Lian said, "Did Xiao Liu send you the proportions?"

"Teacher Xiao Liu sent them to me earlier," Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

Although Liu Yisi was currently his assistant, she was older and had been with Li Xun's team for many years, making her much more knowledgeable about the industry. Therefore, Ye Zhiqiu always referred to her as Teacher.

"Good," Zhou Lian said, "In a few days, when we start filming, we need the supporting actors to try on their costumes. Can you come over then?"

Ye Zhiqiu checked the time, set a reminder on his calendar, and replied, "That shouldn't be a problem."

"I was thinking," Zhou Lian said, "it would be helpful if you could also review the accessories. It will assist your future creative work."

"Sure," Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

As they discussed work matters, they reached the underground parking lot.

Zhou Lian gave a few more instructions before they waved goodbye.

Once in the car, Ye Zhiqiu switched his phone from silent mode back to ring mode.

Several unread messages and missed calls awaited him.

After replying to the work-related messages, Ye Zhiqiu checked the other messages.

Qi Xin had sent several messages, mostly concentrated before noon. Perhaps fearing being blocked again, he hadn't sent any further content afterward.

Ye Zhiqiu slowly scrolled through Qi Xin's messages, which mostly detailed the impact of the new designs he had given him yesterday among clients.

Besides Xin Ge placing an order, most other clients were also very interested and were waiting for the prototypes.

Among these, Qi Xin mentioned that early this morning, the company had gained a significant new client who placed a substantial order after seeing the catalog.

Ye Zhiqiu didn't start the car right away. Instead, he lit a cigarette and leaned back against the seat, silently calculating the amount of funds Qi Xin needed initially.

From the contracts he had reviewed at the factory, apart from Xin Ge, which was strong enough to make advance payments, most other clients delayed payment significantly.

Given the volume of orders, if Qi Xin hadn't received millions of dollars in investment from Tao Ruoqing, he wouldn't have been able to operate smoothly.

The financial pressure alone would have driven him to despair.

Ten million...

It wasn't that ten million was insufficient, but rather, considering Tao Ruoqing's cautious and calculating nature, this ten million likely did not exceed half of her available capital.

Or perhaps, just about one-third?

Now, she should have already tasted the sweetness of profit.

But this sweetness is currently limited to paper and has not yet solidly landed in her account, giving her a sense of reality.

However, once the first batch of goods is shipped out, things will be different.

At that point, in order to secure more investment, Qi Xin will certainly prioritize transferring Tao Ruoqing's profits to her.

The substantial increase in her bank balance and the tangible possession of bags and jewelry she previously couldn't afford will thoroughly ignite the last vestiges of greed in her heart.

Only when her greed outweighs caution will Tao Ruoqing begin to reveal her true cards bit by bit.

This process might not be too fast, but it won't be too slow either.

Coincidentally, besides the messages from Qi Xin, there were also two missed calls from Tao Ruoqing on the screen at the moment.

Ye Zhiqiu started the car and called her back.

"Xiao Qiu," Tao Ruoqing's voice was as gentle as ever, "next week is your birthday. Is there anything special you want this year? Mrs. Zhou recently recommended a nice hotel to me, and I'm going to book the banquet hall. After all, turning twenty is a big birthday, and several of the ladies will come to celebrate with you."

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu chuckled.

He wasn't sure whether these ladies genuinely wanted to celebrate his birthday or simply wanted to get information about Qin Jianhe from him.

"Not this year," he said, "I had planned to tell you and Dad these past few days, but I got busy and forgot."

"How can you not celebrate?" Tao Ruoqing sounded surprised. "Last year, didn't you say you wanted to make a big deal out of your birthday this year?"

The memory of his nineteenth birthday, which happened over a decade ago, was now hazy for Ye Zhiqiu.

But in the past, he did love celebrations and would always plan his birthdays well in advance.

"I've been too busy this year," Ye Zhiqiu smiled. "I just sent the latest two drafts to Qi Xin yesterday, and I still need to introduce him to a well-known brand. I've been busy with this, and there's already a lot of work piling up between the film crew and the company. I really don't have the time."

Tao Ruoqing was silent for a moment before asking, "A well-known brand?"

"Mm," Ye Zhiqiu replied with a subtle smile. "It's not convenient to say right now. I'll let you know if it works out."

"But you still have to celebrate your birthday," Tao Ruoqing continued. "One day won't make a difference."

"No celebration," Ye Zhiqiu said, his tone playful. "But if you send me gifts, I'll definitely accept them."

"You silly child, how could there be no gifts?" Tao Ruoqing laughed, slightly scolding him. "Tell your father later; he'll only blame me for being inattentive."

"I'll talk to him," Ye Zhiqiu said, then added, "I'm driving, so I'll hang up now."

"Wait..." Tao Ruoqing hadn't finished speaking when the call ended, leaving her to put down the phone with an unfinished sentence.

"That child says he's too busy this year and can't celebrate his birthday," she said regretfully to Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Zhou across from her, sighing softly. "Not being his birth mother does make a difference. He wanted to move out, and after a few days, I missed him terribly, but he didn't even come home once. Now he says he won't celebrate his birthday. Who knows if he doesn't even want to spend his birthday at home."

As she spoke, her expression grew increasingly gloomy.

"He might really be busy," Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Zhou exchanged glances and comforted her. "I heard Meng's young master's new drama is starting soon, and your Xiao Qiu is the stylist."

"Yes," Mrs. Zhou added, "My son is only busy with school, yet he complains about being swamped every day. Your child is much more capable. Xiao Qiu aside, Xia Xia is also balancing studies and acting."

"I heard Xia Xia has taken on a new script recently?" Mrs. Zhang chuckled. "With the backing of a big company, he's doing well in the industry."

Hearing this, Tao Ruoqing felt a bit displeased.

Although she had reluctantly accepted Gao Wenye, she could still sense a slight condescension whenever the ladies mentioned him.

But if she hid her feelings, others would speculate and gossip more.

So, despite feeling uncomfortable, she smiled and replied, "Yes, it's a TV series his partner's company is investing in, and he's just making a cameo appearance."

"Oh, that's great," Mrs. Zhang said. "Investing in a TV series isn't cheap."

"It's fine," Tao Ruoqing sipped her tea before continuing. "They're happy together and financially stable, so they don't cause any worries for their parents. That's enough."

After chatting for a while, as the sky darkened, they each went home.

Once in the car, Tao Ruoqing called Qi Xin to ask about the well-known brand Ye Zhiqiu mentioned.

Learning that Ye Zhiqiu was busy connecting him with Man Qing, Qi Xin, who had received no response from them since morning, finally felt better.

On Tao Ruoqing's end, knowing the brand Ye Zhiqiu referred to was Man Qing, she became even more confident in her investment.

Thus, her final reservations about the investment gradually dissipated.

Returning home from the hospital at just past four-thirty, Ye Zhiqiu took a shower, changed into comfortable loungewear, and immediately entered his workspace to start working.

*

After revising all the sketches according to today's corrections by Teacher Li Xun and printing them out to pin on the workboard, Ye Zhiqiu began drawing again.

He needed to rush out rough drafts of a few costumes to take to the hospital for Teacher Li Xun to review.

Given Teacher Li's expertise and his own novice status in this field, Ye Zhiqiu decided to follow Teacher Li's opinions unless there were very specific details he wanted to include.

Time flew quickly when he was busy. It seemed like he had just sat down when his phone rang.

Qin Jianhe sent a message.

"QIN: Working late tonight, will be back late. Ordered you some food; remember to open the door later."

Ye Zhiqiu checked the time; it was just past five-thirty.

He replied with a simple "okay" and was about to continue working when the doorbell rang.

Qin Jianhe's delivery had arrived.

After a quick meal, Ye Zhiqiu returned to his desk to work.

This time, he drew for several hours straight.

When he finally put down his pen, it was already ten o'clock at night, and Qin Jianhe still hadn't come back.

Ye Zhiqiu picked up his phone and found a new message from Qin Jianhe on the screen.

However, looking at the timestamp, it had been sent over an hour ago.

"QIN: I might be very late. Go to sleep if you're tired; don't wait for me."

Ye Zhiqiu was momentarily dazed before remembering that Qin Jianhe didn't have the key or the password to the house.

He got up, went to the bathroom to wash up, and replied to the message, sending the house password to Qin Jianhe.

Coming out of the bathroom, Ye Zhiqiu paused slightly, and subconsciously, he went to the window again, looking outside.

Qin Jianhe's window was dark.

Ye Zhiqiu didn't wait any longer. He climbed into bed, pulled the thin blanket over himself, and closed his eyes.

Despite feeling exhausted after a busy day, he couldn't fall asleep once he lay down.

All his attention seemed focused on the front door facing the living room, as if Qin Jianhe would walk in at any moment.

The waiting was calm, without much turmoil, but Ye Zhiqiu knew he was somewhat anticipating it.

After an unknown amount of time, he felt a large hand grip his waist, and then he was enveloped in a scorching embrace.

Ye Zhiqiu first felt comfortable, finding a cozy position, before realizing what was happening.

He opened his eyes groggily, meeting Qin Jianhe's dark, focused gaze.

"What time is it?" he asked. "How did I not hear anything?"

He leaned closer to inhale the scent near Qin Jianhe's chest.

There was a faint fragrance of shower gel on Qin Jianhe, familiar yet not the same as the one he used at home.

Ye Zhiqiu became more alert.

"Did you go home to take a shower first?" he asked, surprised.

"Mm," Qin Jianhe said. "I didn't want to wake you."

As he spoke, he raised his hand, covering Ye Zhiqiu's eyes with his long fingers, the coolness of his ring touching his skin.

"Go to sleep," Qin Jianhe said gently.

A strange emotion welled up in Ye Zhiqiu's heart, gradually growing into a surging river.

He pulled Qin Jianhe's hand away from his eyes and kissed his palm.

"Are you tired, Qin Jianhe?" he murmured. "I suddenly want you so much."

Not to do, but to have.

The muscles on the body beside him tightened abruptly. Moments later, Qin Jianhe leaned forward, pinning Ye Zhiqiu beneath him.

"What did you say, Ye Zhiqiu?" he asked, half-teasing. "Say it again, let me hear."

Ye Zhiqiu blinked, confused, his hands reaching to touch the firm muscles around his waist.

"I want you," Ye Zhiqiu said, his lips slightly parting, still half-asleep and dazed. "Can't you understand, Qin Jianhe?"

However, he didn't get to finish his sentence.

Because Qin Jianhe's scorching kisses rained down like a storm.