Chapter 86

Chapter 86

The person at the door did not speak, only watching him quietly.

Qian Wenhua came back to his senses and hurriedly wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes, ushering the person inside.

"Look at me," he said. "Come in, come in."

"Do you need me to join you?" Qin Jianhe raised his hand, placing it reassuringly on Ye Zhiqiu's shoulder, lowering his voice as he asked.

After all, this involved the Ye family's privacy, and he was unsure if Ye Zhiqiu minded others being present.

Ye Zhiqiu did not turn around but directly reached up and gripped Qin Jianhe's hand resting on his shoulder.

The answer was clear.

Wei Jie always handled matters thoughtfully.

Although only Qian Wenhua had come, Wei Jie still booked the best suite in the hotel for him.

Besides Qian Wenhua's bedroom and the living room outside, the suite also included a guest bedroom and a small meeting room.

But the three of them did not go there, instead sitting down on the circular sofa in the living room, with only a coffee table holding water cups between them.

"Uncle Qian," Ye Zhiqiu finally spoke. "Tell me about what happened back then, about my mother... and why you traveled overseas and changed your name?"

His voice was slow, his expression calm.

Qian Wenhua looked at him, unable to resist a mix of emotions.

That tiny, soft baby had grown up so quickly and become so accomplished.

Hearing this, he couldn't help but sigh softly, "Time really flies."

Ye Zhiqiu remained silent, waiting quietly.

"Actually, over the years, I've thought about telling you about what happened back then," Qian Wenhua finally began slowly. "But on one hand, you were still young, and I also inquired about you from old acquaintances, learning that Mrs. Tao has always been good to you."

Qian Wenhua paused.

"As one grows older and experiences various ups and downs, one realizes that life cannot be perfect. So I thought, since you were doing well, why should I disrupt your peaceful life by telling you about the past?" Qian Wenhua sighed again. "So gradually, my attention towards you lessened."

Doing well?

Ye Zhiqiu felt like laughing, but his lips instinctively tightened.

"Last year, I was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer, which made me think of you again," Qian Wenhua continued. "I found out you had just won the fashion competition, living a life of luxury and success, so I hesitated once more. But I didn’t expect that you were also looking for me."

At these words, Ye Zhiqiu's eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Although Qian Wenhua looked somewhat thin, his spirit was excellent, showing no visible signs of illness.

"Your health..." he frowned slightly.

"Using immunotherapy, the results have been quite good, but who knows what the future holds?" Qian Wenhua smiled openly. "However, at my age, with this one thing weighing on my mind, today, I can finally tell you, and even if I leave, I'll have no regrets."

"You must think it was Tao Ruoqing who made me leave, right?" Qian Wenhua asked.

"Mm," Ye Zhiqiu responded, but a sense of unease crept into his heart.

Almost simultaneously, Qin Jianhe's grip on his hand tightened slightly, indicating they shared the same thoughts.

"Actually, it wasn't," Qian Wenhua said. "Back then, Tao Ruoqing naturally wanted me to leave, but she was just a woman who had risen through selling herself and was trying to maintain a low profile."

"In fact," Qian Wenhua paused before continuing, "it was Mr. Ye who made me leave."

As expected.

Ye Zhiqiu thought, quickly understanding the situation.

"So," he asked, "what exactly happened back then?"

"When you were just a few months old," Qian Wenhua recalled, "one day while I was washing the car in the yard, a very young woman came to the door."

He took a sip of water. "She said she was Mr. Ye's colleague, so Mrs. Ye invited her in."

Ye Zhiqiu pursed his lips, knowing the crucial moment was approaching.

"When I finished washing the car, I suddenly heard Mrs. Ye calling out twice from the living room. Although I couldn't make out the content, her voice sounded strange." Qian Wenhua said. "I immediately put down what I was doing and went into the living room."

"Every day, Mrs. Ye would take you out to sunbathe under the tree in the yard and then let you play with toys on the baby mat in the living room before bringing you upstairs," Qian Wenhua said. "That day, when that woman came, you were still downstairs. When I entered, she was smiling as she held you in her arms, but for some reason, Mrs. Ye's face was pale, looking terrible. However, when I asked, she didn't say anything."

"What about the nanny?" Ye Zhiqiu asked immediately. "Was she there? Did she know what happened?"

Qian Wenhua paused for a moment, then sighed: "She had gone to the kitchen to prepare milk for you, so we don't know exactly what happened. But upon hearing the commotion, she rushed back to the living room, and the woman, seeing us, carefully placed you back down with a smile."

"I could clearly feel that Mrs. Ye immediately relaxed," Qian Wenhua said. "As soon as the woman put you down, she quickly picked you up and held you tightly. That night, I heard Mrs. Ye and Mr. Ye arguing."

"In the two years I worked as a driver for the Ye family, that was the first time I saw Mrs. Ye lose her temper, and it was uncontrollable," Qian Wenhua said. "From what I could hear, that woman was not Mr. Ye's colleague but a woman he kept outside during Mrs. Ye's pregnancy, and judging from their argument, she was also pregnant, though it wasn't noticeable yet."

"Mr. Ye usually had a bad temper, and Mrs. Ye often gave in to him, but this time, she didn't yield an inch. Over the following month, the couple went from heated arguments to cold silence, and Mrs. Ye often cried while looking at you. At that time, postpartum depression was still a new term, so only Aunt Wang, the nanny, comforted her. We hoped things might improve, but who knew..."

Qian Wenhua furrowed his brow, a trace of bitterness appearing on his forehead.

"That woman was Tao Ruoqing," he said bitterly.

"So, that day Tao Ruoqing came to the Ye family, held the child, and actually used the child to threaten Mrs. Ye?" Qin Jianhe finally spoke, his voice heavy.

"Uncertain." Upon hearing this, Qian Wenhua gently shook his head. "But based on my two years of observation in the Ye family, Mrs. Ye's reaction at that time was indeed abnormal, as if she had been frightened."

The air fell silent.

Although there was no clock in the room, Ye Zhiqiu could almost hear the ticking sound, crawling across his heart.

It was as if time was rewinding, and he felt Lan Yue's pain and despair as if it were his own.

"Later, not long after Mrs. Ye passed away, that woman came into the house," Qian Wenhua said. "Soon after, Mr. Ye gave me a sum of money to leave, and he didn't want me to stay in the capital or even in the country."

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu's lips curled in mockery, his eyes cold as ice.

Ye Hongxian had always been hypocritical; the reason for making Qian Wenhua leave was naturally to prevent him from staying in the capital and spreading the news.

As for the previous nanny who had already passed away, since she was a temporary worker and hadn't stayed in the Ye family for too long, she knew very little about the situation and thus wasn't disturbed.

"I took my family to Australia first, and Mr. Ye helped with the paperwork, but I couldn't find a job due to my poor foreign language skills, not even as a taxi driver," Qian Wenhua said. "After a few years, I moved my family to Malaysia, and then to Singapore."

Covering his mouth to cough lightly, Qian Wenhua looked up again. "Years ago, I returned to the country once. Somehow, Mr. Ye got wind of it and came to see me. I didn't want to be troubled by past matters, so I changed my name and started anew."

This explanation made sense. Hearing it, Ye Zhiqiu nodded.

After all, no one would want to be entangled by trash.

If Ye Hongxian hadn't threatened Qian Wenhua back then, Ye Zhiqiu wouldn't believe that Qian Wenhua would have willingly left his homeland in a language he didn't understand.

The old man was only being polite out of respect for him.

After all, what power did an ordinary driver have against someone like Ye Hongxian, who was considered successful?

The old man didn't know what Ye Zhiqiu was thinking. After a moment of silence, he sighed softly.

Looking at Ye Zhiqiu, he seemed to see Lan Yue again, sighing softly, "Mrs. Ye was such a gentle and beautiful person. Whenever I think of the past, I can't help but feel a deep sadness."

Even Qian Wenhua couldn't let go of those memories, yet Ye Hongxian could move on so quickly and remarry.

Thinking of the words Ye Hongxian often said, Ye Zhiqiu felt a wave of disgust and revulsion.

"When I remarried, it was all for you. How could I leave you without someone to take care of you?"

"You little monster, you used to bring bad luck to your mother, and now are you trying to do the same to me?"

"Every time I see this child, I think of Lan Yue. How could I possibly like him?"

"..."

He couldn't imagine how Ye Hongxian could say such things without any remorse.

Clearly, it was because of him. Knowing that Lan Yue had just given birth and her hormones were unstable, he cheated on her and refused to give her any support...

Then he blamed all these mistakes on the innocent baby.

"Thank you." Ye Zhiqiu lowered his eyes for a moment before continuing. "If you need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. I will do whatever I can to help."

"The old man doesn't have much time left," Qian Wenhua said with a smile, shaking his head. "But..."

He sighed again, as if all the sighs of his life were gathered today. "But, I always thought I would take this secret to my grave without telling the right person. Now that I've told you, I feel worried."

If he remembered correctly, yesterday was Ye Zhiqiu's birthday.

He was only twenty, at the age when blood boils easily. If he acted impulsively and did something irreparable...

He wouldn't be able to face Lan Yue in the afterlife.

Seeing his concern, Qin Jianhe raised his eyes slightly.

"Don't worry," he said, his tone firm and reassuring. "I'm here."

Leaving the hotel, Ye Zhiqiu's expression was unusually calm.

Apart from the icy coldness in his eyes, he looked almost the same as usual.

Qin Jianhe didn't speak, but he didn't release Ye Zhiqiu's hand for a moment.

When Uncle Li saw their figures, he immediately got out of the car and silently opened the door for them.

Only when they sat in the car, as it drove from underground to the surface, and the setting sun's rays filtered through the window glass onto Ye Zhiqiu's thin eyelids, did he close his eyes silently.

"I'm fine," Ye Zhiqiu said.

In fact, he had never intended to leave anyone in the Ye family alive.

Lan Yue's experience didn't particularly affect the overall plan.

It only strengthened his initial resolve.

At this moment, he was extremely calm, reviewing his plan once more.

He no longer dwelled on Lan Yue's despair, as it was similar to his own despair in his previous life.

And he had endured that despair for nearly ten years.

Facing the setting sun, the car continued on its journey.

Throughout the ride, Qin Jianhe didn't speak to comfort him, only holding his hand tightly.

This made Ye Zhiqiu feel better.

He never needed anyone's consolation; it would make him feel weak, just like before.

That was an identity and role he detested deeply.

The two returned home in silence.

Ye Zhiqiu took out his tools to do some crafting.

Leather sewing required great patience and perseverance; every stitch needed strength and precision.

A task that usually felt arduous now became surprisingly cathartic.

He slightly lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes like folded butterfly wings, stitching one needle after another, thread after thread, as if tireless.

Meanwhile, Qin Jianhe sat quietly beside him, opening his computer to review unfinished plans and reports...

In the room, the only sounds were the threading and occasional soft tapping of the keyboard.

For dinner, Qin Jianhe ordered takeout: two steaming hot casseroles and a pot of fragrantly cooked white rice porridge.

They ate facing each other.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu eat quite a bit, Qin Jianhe finally felt relieved.

"Qin Jianhe," Ye Zhiqiu slowly looked up after dinner.

"Hmm?" Qin Jianhe raised his eyes to look at him, his phoenix-like eyes deep.

"If one day, I did something very cruel, would you be very disappointed in me?" Ye Zhiqiu asked.

He didn't have to ask Qin Jianhe this question.

But for some reason, he still voiced it.

Hearing this, Qin Jianhe smiled faintly, lowering his eyes to hold his hand.

In his childhood, there were countless nights when he dared not sleep.

Because he feared Nie Fengjun might not make it, might take the path of no return.

At an age when all children wished their families could stay together forever, he had already hoped many times that his parents would divorce.

He wanted nothing, needed nothing.

He only hoped his mother would be safe.

In fact, wasn't Nie Fengjun another Lan Yue?

Only, she made it through, but Lan Yue did not.

Putting himself in her shoes, he couldn't imagine what he might have done if Nie Fengjun had truly met with disaster back then?

Perhaps, that family of three would have preferred death over life.

So now, no matter what decision Ye Zhiqiu made, he could fully accept it.

Ye Zhiqiu's fingers were slender, with a light crimson mole on the side of his left middle finger, similar to the one on his nose.

Qin Jianhe slightly bowed his head, pressing his warm, soft lips onto that small mole.

"No," he said, "If I could, Ye Zhiqiu..."

"I wish to be the sword in your hand."

I wish to be the sword in your hand, sweeping away all thorns, pains, and unrest in your life.

And then walk hand in hand, until eternity.