Chapter 84

Chapter 84

The room was silent, even the assistant who had followed Ye Zhixia was stunned at the door, instinctively raising a hand to cover her mouth.

Seeing this, Cui Xuan tried to get up from Gao Wenye's arms, but Ye Zhixia, who had rushed over in two quick steps, grabbed her by the hair and started slapping her.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed loudly in the quiet space.

Cui Xuan's face was slapped to one side, her cheek quickly turning red and swollen, with blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

She lowered her eyes, not openly confronting Ye Zhixia, but the hatred in her gaze grew more intense.

Another slap landed, and Cui Xuan staggered, as if she could no longer stand steadily, falling into Gao Wenye's arms.

Seeing this, Ye Zhixia lost control even more, raising his hand high and bringing it down again.

But this time, Gao Wenye did not remain passive. He slightly turned his body to shield Cui Xuan, and the slap left clear finger marks on his own cheek instead.

The sharp sound reverberated in the room, and Ye Zhixia's arm tingled with pain.

Looking at the rapidly swelling red mark on Gao Wenye's cheek, he froze.

"Enough?" Gao Wenye said coldly, lifting his eyes. "He just stumbled; there's no need for this, is there?"

Ye Zhixia remained silent, his chest heaving violently.

Frustration, anger, hurt, fear...

A flood of emotions surged within him.

He loved Gao Wenye.

Even though their relationship had shattered many illusions about Gao Wenye.

Years of being his fan had deeply rooted that love within him, making it impossible to let go.

Despite knowing the true character of the person before him, he couldn't step away.

So, seeing the finger marks on Gao Wenye's face, he instinctively panicked.

Seeing that this finally calmed Ye Zhixia down, Gao Wenye subtly looked at the trembling Cui Xuan in his arms and said, "Go out first."

Then he instructed the assistant standing at the door, "Take Xiao Cui downstairs and help her with some ice."

"Yes," the assistant responded, helping Cui Xuan up.

Before leaving, the assistant closed the door tightly behind them.

The air fell silent once more. Ye Zhixia felt a sharp pain in his heart, standing there dazed for a moment before losing control of his tears.

There was nothing he could do.

He had no choice.

Even so, he still loved Gao Wenye and couldn't bear to let go.

But if he didn't let go of Gao Wenye, that sharp knife would only pierce his own heart.

It hurt so much!

So much that he could hardly breathe.

Seeing his tears, Gao Wenye finally got up, walked to him, and pulled him into a hug.

"Look at you," he said. "I told you, he just stumbled. Why can't you believe me?"

"You have to be worth believing," Ye Zhixia cried.

"The last time was a mistake because I drank too much," Gao Wenye said. "You can't keep judging me based on that one incident, can you?"

"Xia Xia," he said earnestly. "If I didn't love you, I wouldn't have married you. Can you trust me just this once?"

Seeing Ye Zhixia remained silent, he continued.

"Our road together is long, both in terms of our relationship and career. We're already inseparable. I'll treat you well. Trust me, okay?"

Ye Zhixia took a deep breath and, after a moment, slowly wrapped his arms around Gao Wenye's waist.

This was a sign of Ye Zhixia's concession, and Gao Wenye felt reassured.

"From now on, don't suspect me of having feelings for Xiao Qiu or hit others without reason, okay?" he pressed further.

Ye Zhixia remained silent for a moment, swallowing his anger.

When he first entered, he only noticed how intimate their positions were.

But the office glass was frosted, and he was too agitated to see clearly whether they were kissing.

However, he knew deep down that things were not as simple as Gao Wenye claimed.

Recalling the scene when he caught Li Ling and Gao Wenye together, and Gao Wenye kneeling before him begging for forgiveness, he clenched his fists.

Wait, he thought.

Wait until he catches them red-handed again and then deal with Gao Wenye properly.

The phone rang, and Ye Zhixia slowly stepped out of Gao Wenye's embrace, pulling out his phone.

It was Tao Ruoqing.

Seeing the word "Mom" on the screen, Ye Zhixia's eyes welled up again.

He took a moment to compose himself before answering the call.

"Mom," Ye Zhixia said, trying to sound calm.

But Tao Ruoqing could still sense something was off.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. "Your voice sounds a bit different. Are you catching a cold?"

"No," Ye Zhixia cleared his throat. "I just signed the contract with Hand in Hand 99. I got a little too excited celebrating with my colleagues."

"Really," Tao Ruoqing laughed. "You're married now, and you're still acting like a child."

Ye Zhixia bit his lip, restraining himself from speaking for a moment, then heard Tao Ruoqing ask, "When will you be coming home?"

He had originally thought that today, with the signing and official announcement, he could return home with his head held high, basking in everyone's envious gazes and stealing Ye Zhiqiu's spotlight.

So earlier, Ye Zhixia had already agreed to have dinner with Tao Ruoqing at home.

But now...

Although he knew deep down that the official announcement wasn't as crucial as he imagined,

since the contract was already signed, and the announcement was merely an added bonus.

Yet, he had wanted to use that added bonus to dampen Ye Zhiqiu's spirits on his big day.

Unfortunately, everything seemed less important now.

Afraid of worrying Tao Ruoqing, he replied, "I'll rest for a bit and come back later."

"What about Wenye?" Tao Ruoqing asked. "Is he coming? If he is, I'll have Aunt Zhao prepare some dishes he likes."

Ye Zhixia knew all along that Tao Ruoqing didn't particularly like Gao Wenye.

Not only because of his background and status, but also due to his ambiguous feelings towards Ye Zhiqiu and his age.

Tao Ruoqing was only in her early forties, while Gao Wenye was already in his thirties.

Just a decade younger than her.

All this was for his sake, so that after marriage, he would treat him well, leading her to accommodate him in every way.

In that instant, Ye Zhixia felt a surge of resentment.

"Mom asked if you're going," he looked at Gao Wenye.

Gao Wenye naturally wanted to go, especially since he hadn't seen Ye Zhiqiu in a long time.

Moreover, it was Ye Zhiqiu's birthday today.

But given how things had turned out today, not to mention the slap from Ye Zhixia that left his face swollen,

and the various suspicions Ye Zhixia harbored towards him, he knew what to say.

"I won't go," he said.

"I won't go," Ye Zhixia told Tao Ruoqing.

Tao Ruoqing, unaware of their recent spat, genuinely felt pleased with Gao Wenye's decision.

Today was Ye Zhiqiu's birthday, and if he knew to keep a distance, it meant he was truly settling down.

"If there's no issue, why don't you both come over?" Tao Ruoqing joked. "That way, you won't have to rush back tonight."

Hearing this, Ye Zhixia felt even more bitter.

Since moving in with Gao Wenye after getting their marriage certificate, he hardly ever stayed overnight at home.

No matter how late it was, he always rushed back.

To outsiders, it seemed like they were a loving couple, inseparable.

But in reality, only he knew that he couldn't bear leaving Gao Wenye alone, fearing he might stray.

Yet, he was also fiercely competitive, wanting everyone to envy him and think he was living a blissful life.

So he kept those hardships to himself, constantly feeling insecure.

*

Near the end of the workday, Wang Ru knocked on Ye Zhiqiu's office door.

"Teacher Xiao Ye," she said as soon as she entered, "today, the public relations department forwarded several invitations from fashion magazines and shows. Do you have any interest?"

As she spoke, she handed a file folder to Ye Zhiqiu, adding, "This time, there's also an invitation from China Fashion."

After his success at Fashion Week, Ye Zhiqiu gained international recognition in the fashion world.

Since returning to the country, invitations from various fashion shows and magazines had been pouring in.

But due to his busy schedule recently, he had declined them all.

Now that most of his tasks were settled and his life was returning to normal, Wang Ru felt it was a pity to turn down these influential domestic magazines and shows, so she brought them to his attention.

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu looked away from his computer screen and opened the file folder in his hand.

Inside, Wang Ru had neatly organized each show's nature, content, interview segments, and scheduling, making it clear and easy to understand.

Ye Zhiqiu slowly flipped through the pages.

Perhaps because he had declined too many invitations in the past, his reputation for being hard to reach spread within the circle. Among these five, three of them noted that they could arrange the interview time according to his schedule.

Ye Zhiqiu pondered slightly.

Everything else aside, he was indeed quite interested in Fashion China.

Not only was Fashion China more professional and authoritative, but it also didn't have those messy questions and segments.

Most importantly, they always reserved ample space to publish the designer's works.

Including finished products or design drafts.

"Also," seeing Ye Zhiqiu pondering slightly, Wang Ru added, her eyes brightening, "Zhang Qunqun returned to the country these two days. Her assistant called a couple of days ago, saying they wanted to meet with you."

Qin Jianhe talked Zhang Qunqun into becoming his exclusive model, and these past few days, other colleagues at the company were practically green with envy.

Ye Zhiqiu had also been making sample clothes based on Zhang Qunqun's measurements, including several designs he had recently submitted and approved.

Although this news hadn't been officially announced yet, in fact, various interviews after Zhang Qunqun's return had already been scheduled in advance.

They probably want to understand his creative philosophy to better express the clothing during the magazine shoot.

Ye Zhiqiu didn't think much about it.

No matter how busy he was, he was still just a designer with fixed work hours. If he was willing, he could adjust his schedule.

But Zhang Qunqun was an A-list actress, a top-notch actor favored by directors, truly worth every second of her time.

"Then let's arrange it according to her schedule," Ye Zhiqiu said.

"Alright." Wang Ru responded and then asked, "What about Fashion China..."

Ye Zhiqiu's gaze lingered on the page of Fashion China in the folder, silently calculating the publication timeline for the interview.

After a moment, he smiled and looked at Wang Ru: "In May."

"Okay," Wang Ru immediately became cheerful, taking the folder from Ye Zhiqiu. "I'll reply to them right away."

Ye Zhiqiu didn't say anything more and redirected his attention back to the computer screen.

It was already 5:30 PM, and the hallway echoed with noise and footsteps. Seeing that Ye Zhiqiu was still busy, Wang Ru quietly left.

Around 6:00 PM, Ye Zhiqiu finally finished his work.

The phone rang; it was Li Shaojun.

Li Shaojun and Jin Baobao had already picked up Tang Yue and arrived at the Ye family home, asking how soon Ye Zhiqiu would be back.

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu felt a bit guilty.

"Right away," he said.

"Right away," Li Shaojun said to someone on the other end.

"I'm leaving now," Ye Zhiqiu had to say.

Before Li Shaojun could utter any harsh words, he quickly hung up the phone.

At this hour, rush hour had passed, and most of those working overtime were dining in the cafeteria, so the underground garage was particularly quiet.

Ye Zhiqiu's car was parked next to a pillar.

Taking advantage of this free moment, he walked forward while checking the congratulatory messages on WeChat.

As he passed the pillar, Ye Zhiqiu suddenly paused, and the two people standing behind it were startled as well, staring at each other for a moment.

"Teacher Xiao Ye," Sun Chaoyang scratched his head awkwardly and greeted him first.

Standing beside him was a girl Ye Zhiqiu recognized, an assistant designer from Zhou Lang's team.

Her eyes were slightly red, as if she had just been crying.

Ye Zhiqiu frowned but didn't say anything at first.

Perhaps afraid he might misunderstand, the girl spoke up, "Sorry, Teacher Ye, I was just talking to Sun Chaoyang. Please don't misunderstand."

Ye Zhiqiu nodded, walked around the pillar, and headed towards his car.

Before getting into his car, he turned back and gave a reminder.

"Don't talk here in the future," he said. "There are too many people around, and the garage echoes."

The two people were taken aback, then showed a hint of gratitude on their faces.

Ye Zhiqiu didn't say anything more, opened the car door, got in, and drove out of the garage.

Along the way, Tao Ruoqing and Ye Zheng each called a few times. Without even asking, he knew everyone was waiting for him, and Ye Hongxian was certainly unhappy.

When he arrived home, the living room was bustling. Ye Zheng was playing cards with Li Shaojun, Jin Baobao, and Tang Yue, while Ye Zhixia sat on the opposite side, clearly on a different team.

Ye Hongxian and Tao Ruoqing were drinking tea. Seeing Ye Zhiqiu come in, though slightly displeased, they didn't say anything.

"The whole family has been waiting for you," Ye Zhixia said, the first to speak. "You sure know how to keep us waiting."

"Sorry, I was a bit busy," Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

"It's good that you're back," Tao Ruoqing got up quickly. "I'll ask Aunt Zhao to bring the dishes."

"Let me help," Ye Zhiqiu offered to go over, but Li Shaojun stopped him.

"I'll go," Li Shaojun said, handing the deck of cards to Ye Zhiqiu. "You've been busy all day. Rest for a bit and help me finish this game."

Ye Zhiqiu smiled and took the deck, sitting down.

Seeing this, Ye Zhixia rolled her eyes.

Midway through rolling her eyes, she met Ye Hongxian's gaze.

"Look at yourself," Ye Hongxian said unhappily. "Today is your brother's birthday, and you're sitting there like a lord."

Ye Zhixia: "…"

"Go!" Ye Hongxian shouted at him. "Even Shaojun, who is a guest, knows to help out. You sit there like a lord, who are you trying to impress?"

"If I may say," Tao Ruoqing happened to come out and overheard, smiling, "Xia Xia deserves to sit here today."

"He," she smiled, "just signed with Hand in Hand 99 along with Wen Ye, officially joining their program team."

Hearing this, a hint of pride appeared on Ye Zhixia's face.

"Congratulations," Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile.

"Congratulations," Tang Yue added. "I heard that everyone who participates in this show becomes incredibly popular. Is that true?"

"Of course it's true," Tao Ruoqing said. "Look at Ding Lan; they were practically forgotten, but now they've made a comeback. They're getting offers non-stop."

Ye Zhiqiu chuckled, looking down at his cards and carefully calculating his moves.

But he also felt slightly puzzled.

Given his understanding of Ye Zhixia, on his birthday, Ye Zhixia usually tries to cause trouble. Why did he sign with Hand in Hand 99 without making a fuss?

He should have at least bought some trending topics.

Li Shaojun's hand wasn't great, so Ye Zhiqiu spent a long time rearranging the cards without much hope of winning.

Holding the cards, he listened as everyone congratulated Ye Zhixia.

Seeing this, Jin Baobao became unhappy and threw down his cards.

"My hand isn't good," he said. "Forget it, I'm not playing anymore."

Ye Zheng looked down at his cards and saw that both the jokers were in his hand, clearly contradicting what Jin Baobao had said.

Knowing he was standing up for Ye Zhiqiu, Ye Zheng was about to speak.

Then Jin Baobao's eyes lit up as he held his phone.

"Holy crap," he said, "my goddess is back in the country."

"Holy crap, holy crap, my goddess is going to be your exclusive model?" He shouted at Ye Zhiqiu.

With this shout, everyone's attention shifted.

"Zhang Qunqun is back in the country?" Ye Zhiqiu asked with a smile.

He knew she was returning these days but didn't expect it to be today.

"You knew and didn't tell us," Jin Baobao complained. "That's not cool."

Ye Zhiqiu also picked up his phone and opened the news.

When Zhang Qunqun was surrounded by reporters at the airport asking about her new plans, she laughed and said she was back to model for her favorite designer.

She revealed the unannounced news right away.

Indeed, Zhang Qunqun's popularity was undeniable. As soon as she landed, half the trending topics were about her, one of which included Ye Zhiqiu's name.

Online discussions erupted.

"Ahhhh, my idols from different worlds can actually collaborate. Who can understand my excitement?"

"Ye Zhiqiu is truly remarkable. Even the director of M.H came to see him during Fashion Week, showing his influence in the fashion world."

"So, their collaboration makes perfect sense, right? After all, top-tier talent with top-tier talent, they're a match made in heaven."

"So, what other surprises does Ye Zhiqiu have in store?"

"On the Q, L official website, several of Ye Zhiqiu's new designs have already been pre-ordered in six figures. Does anyone know if they're available?"

"Anyone admired by Sister Qun must be amazing."

"Breaking news: although not officially announced, it's no secret in the industry that Building No. 8 indeed hired Ye Zhiqiu as their stylist."

"Ahhhh, really? No wonder the previously leaked looks were so high-end."

"So, what the father-son duo Zhao Yunzhuang and Zhao Keqi said at the airport when they returned was true?"

"Zhao Yunzhuang's judgment is spot-on."

"…"

Due to netizens bringing up the issue of Building No. 8's styling, "Ye Zhiqiu Building No. 8" quickly trended.

Almost every comment online praised him.

"Xiao Qiu, you're amazing," Tang Yue said after reading for a while, looking up at Ye Zhiqiu.

Although Ye Zheng didn't say anything, he stood up and ruffled Ye Zhiqiu's hair.

Only Ye Zhixia.

The smugness from earlier gradually faded as he stared at the phone screen, his eyes darkening.

He couldn’t understand why every time, he couldn’t defeat Ye Zhiqiu.

Today, it should have been him trending on the hot search list, but now, he could only watch Ye Zhiqiu bask in the spotlight.

Moreover, it was those unreachable celebrities in the entertainment industry who were elevating him.

Not only that, even Ye Hongxian had a smile on his face.

"Alright, come eat," Tao Ruoqing smiled. "As I always say, my children are each more outstanding than the last."

Even though Tao Ruoqing was trying to ease the tension for him, hearing this made Ye Zhixia feel uncomfortable.

More?

Who is more than whom?

The meal seemed lively, but undercurrents were surging beneath the surface.

Especially after the meal, when everyone presented their prepared gifts to Ye Zhiqiu, surrounding him and the gifts together, making it seem as if the world revolved around him.

Jin Baobao, in particular, brought a dazzling zircon crown from home and placed it on Ye Zhiqiu’s head, dressing him up like a radiant little prince.

Everyone standing beside him became mere accessories to him.

Ye Zhiqiu smiled as he accepted the gifts, not bothering to open them, and instructed Li Shaojun to take them to the car.

"What?" Ye Hongxian asked. "You’re not staying overnight after coming back all the way?"

The wind had picked up outside, and the sky was not as clear as during the day. Looking out the window, it appeared somewhat gloomy.

"Not staying," said Ye Zhiqiu. "I have some work left at home, so I need to rush back and finish it."

Seeing Ye Hongxian’s cold expression, he smiled. "Let me finish this busy period first."

"The child is busy; let him go back," Tao Ruoqing stood up, playing peacemaker.

As Ye Zhiqiu was about to leave, Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun also got up.

"Go back and work then," said Li Shaojun. "Baby and I will take Tang Yue back."

"Okay." Ye Zhiqiu nodded.

In fact, he and Tang Yue were more conveniently located than Li Shaojun and Jin Baobao.

But considering what would happen later, he decided to avoid being alone with Tang Yue to prevent any further complications with his competition entry.

The group left the Ye residence, with two cars following one another.

Soon after turning onto the main road, the two cars separated, with Ye Zhiqiu taking another route.

Although the general direction was the same, taking this route would save some time getting back to his place.

In the rearview mirror, the taillights of Li Shaojun’s car gradually receded until they were no longer visible, and Ye Zhiqiu looked away.

Almost simultaneously, his phone rang.

Ye Zhiqiu lowered his gaze and saw the letters “QIN.”

He pursed his lips slightly, a smile appearing in his eyes.

"Hello, Qin Jianhe," he answered, putting the call on speaker.

Just as he was about to tell the other party that he was already on his way home, Qin Jianhe’s voice came through, deep and pleasant, laced with amusement.

"Pull over," he said.

Ye Zhiqiu was taken aback and subconsciously glanced at the rearview mirror.

A very familiar car was following him at a moderate distance.

Through the phone, Qin Jianhe’s voice came again, slightly deeper.

"I’m here to pick you up," he said.