Chapter 88

Chapter 88

"Xiao Qiu." Compared to his recent gaunt and defeated appearance, Qi Xin had started making big money again and couldn't help but regain his glow, becoming arrogant once more.

"Do you think," he asked, "it's feasible for me to talk to Uncle Ye now?"

The two were sitting in a Hunan restaurant, where the power of the chopped pepper fish head and green pepper beef fillet had Qi Xin sniffling and drinking water while constantly wiping the sweat from his forehead with a napkin.

Ye Zhiqiu was slowly eating the fish head, raising his eyes with a half-smile when he heard this, the ridicule and disdain in his gaze almost palpable.

He had just shipped a batch of goods, still relying on Tao Ruoqing's funds to make a profit, and Ye Zhiqiu truly wondered where Qi Xin's confidence came from.

To actually believe that such a small capital could impress Ye Hongxian.

If Ye Hongxian were so easy to appease, he wouldn't have been so decisively kicked out of the house in his previous life.

Meeting his gaze, Qi Xin was taken aback, unable to speak for a long time.

The joy and pride brought by his temporary success instantly faded.

Honestly, he feared Ye Zhiqiu's gaze the most.

"Sorry." Qi Xin apologized instinctively, "I know I'm being too hasty, but I really want to confirm our relationship as soon as possible, so we can be intimate in public like other couples."

"Xiao Qiu," he continued, "I've thought about it for a long time."

"Thought about it so much that you're willing to risk being kicked out by the old man and rebuild your guard against me?" Ye Zhiqiu sneered, picking at the fish bones leisurely.

"I'll help you pick them out." Seeing this, Qi Xin hurriedly picked up his chopsticks to please him.

Thinking of how Qin Jianhe always used serving chopsticks when serving him food, Ye Zhiqiu felt an inexplicable disgust as Qi Xin's chopsticks approached.

He raised his hand and slapped Qi Xin's chopsticks with his own, causing them to fly out of his hand.

Qi Xin was stunned, feeling a chill in his heart.

Ye Zhiqiu didn't even lift his eyelids, continuing to eat his meal attentively.

After a moment of silence, Qi Xin got up and, under the surprised gaze of a couple feeding each other at the next table, bent down to retrieve his chopsticks.

He put down the already dirty chopsticks and took out a new set from the drawer under the table.

The table fell silent, and Qi Xin's anticipation and joy seemed to cool down considerably.

"Xiao Qiu..." He sounded a bit embarrassed.

"Eat." Ye Zhiqiu looked at him, still with that half-smile, "Don't say I didn't give you a chance. If your taste still doesn't align with mine after all this time, I won't be with you."

He tilted his head slightly, the upward curve of his eyes adding a touch of adorable arrogance.

"Got it, got it." Despite Ye Zhiqiu's arrogant and impolite attitude, Qi Xin's heart softened the moment their eyes met, "I'll eat."

Throughout the meal, Qi Xin drank almost a pot of water.

Sweating profusely, his face flushed red from the spiciness.

"Practice more when you get back," Ye Zhiqiu said when they parted, "next time I'll take you somewhere even spicier."

His tone was full of complaints, "Because of you, I didn't dare to eat extra spicy today."

"Yes." Qi Xin smiled sweetly, "I know, you've always been considerate of me."

"You know that's good enough." Ye Zhiqiu said.

Their cars weren't parked together, but Qi Xin still followed Ye Zhiqiu to where he parked.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu open his car door, Qi Xin approached again.

"Xiao Qiu," he asked, "when will you be back from the film set?"

"Not sure." Ye Zhiqiu immediately grew impatient seeing Qi Xin leaning on his car door.

This impatience wasn't feigned or intended to embarrass Qi Xin; it stemmed from a deep-seated disgust.

"I'll be done with my business late tonight," Qi Xin said, "I haven't had a chance to visit your place yet. Can I come over tonight to familiarize myself with it?"

"Not convenient," Ye Zhiqiu coldly refused, "I don't like outsiders entering my private space. Even Baby Shaojun hasn't been there much..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Qi Xin saw the words "let alone you" clearly written in his eyes.

Both the word "outsiders" and Ye Zhiqiu's unfinished sentence made Qi Xin uncomfortable.

But he couldn't find a way to refute it.

Although he knew Ye Zhiqiu liked him and was willing to do things for him, they hadn't confirmed their relationship.

For Ye Zhiqiu, he was indeed an outsider.

Ultimately, it was because his family and Qi Yun were not good enough.

Qi Xin clenched his fists, his desire to earn more money rising rapidly.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu close his car door, fasten his seatbelt, and start the engine, he hurried to the front of the car and knocked on the window.

Hearing the sound, the person inside glanced over but showed no intention of rolling down the window.

Seeing this, Qi Xin had to shout, "Next time..."

He had intended to tell Ye Zhiqiu the time of his next visit, but before he could speak, Ye Zhiqiu suddenly floored the gas pedal, and the car shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Qi Xin almost got dragged under the car and was scared into a cold sweat.

His heart pounded wildly, and by the time he regained his composure, Ye Zhiqiu's car was already out of sight.

Ye Zhiqiu's temper is really...

Qi Xin gave a bitter smile.

Perhaps only he could be so tolerant of him?

*

When Ye Zhiqiu arrived at the filming site, the crew was shooting a scene between Meng Qingyan and Baiyou.

Li Ling was standing behind the camera, watching with such excitement that he didn't even notice Ye Zhiqiu's arrival.

Ye Zhiqiu stood behind him and saw Meng Qingyan and Baiyou kissing in the lens.

Meng Qingyan pressed Baiyou down tightly, and the wildness of the act seemed to spill out of the lens instantly.

"Tsk." Ye Zhiqiu chuckled.

"You're here?" Li Ling finally noticed him and asked in a low voice, but his eyes remained glued to the two people in the lens.

"Damn," he said, "it's so intense."

As he spoke, he moved closer to Ye Zhiqiu. "As someone who ranks top in the country for certain professional skills, I'm almost getting turned on watching them film this scene."

"If they don't have something going on, I won't believe it," Li Ling whispered.

In the lens, Baiyou's ears were flushed pink, and his slender waist was held by Meng Qingyan, giving him an unexpectedly vulnerable appearance.

Both were incredibly attractive, and together they looked stunning.

The kiss was long, and the director hadn't called cut since Ye Zhiqiu arrived.

Li Ling's eyes were fixed on the lens, and just as he was about to speak, he saw Baiyou suddenly raise his hand and push against Meng Qingyan's shoulder, somewhat reluctantly.

"Baiyou," Zhou Lian frowned, "you're supposed to seduce him, seduce him! Do you know what seducing means?"

The two had already separated.

Baiyou had a cold expression and said nothing, while Meng Qingyan stared at him with an intensely invasive gaze, as if deeply immersed in the scene.

"Let's try again," Zhou Lian shouted. "This time, let's get it right."

"Great," Li Ling exclaimed excitedly. "I can watch it again."

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

While watching Meng Qingyan and Baiyou film the kissing scene, they conversed in low voices.

On the surface, Li Ling appeared modest and respectful, making it impossible to guess their conversation's content.

"Today, Cui Xuan didn't come," Li Ling said gleefully. "Originally, this group was supposed to shoot a fight scene between him and Baiyou. If not for Emperor Meng coming to save the day and changing Group B's shooting plan to film this scene, the entire schedule would have been messed up."

"Honestly," he added with a sneer, "wouldn't it be better if Cui Xuan's swollen face came to film the fight scene? No need for makeup."

Ye Zhiqiu didn't respond but gave a casual laugh.

This time, the shot finally passed, and Li Ling clicked his tongue, then laughed. "Before, when I wasn't involved, I didn't know, but today I heard that this is the second time Cui Xuan has taken leave. It's truly 66666. The staff is already starting to complain about him, and soon there will probably be news about a newcomer throwing their weight around."

"That's not necessarily true," Ye Zhiqiu smiled. "Gao Wenye will definitely protect him."

However, even if Gao Wenye protects him, a newcomer committing a taboo and forcing an actor like Meng Qingyan to step in to save the day will likely tarnish his reputation in the industry.

Li Ling chuckled and subtly moved a bit further away from Ye Zhiqiu. "Teacher Liu is coming over."

At that moment, Liu Yisi had just finished adjusting the costumes for the two actors and hurried over upon seeing Ye Zhiqiu.

"I was just saying you hadn't arrived yet," Liu Yisi said with a smile, leading Ye Zhiqiu inside. "The changes you suggested last time, I showed them to the director, and he also thought they were good."

"Mm." Ye Zhiqiu took the folder from Liu Yisi and flipped directly to the costumes that needed modification.

"I was thinking, if you didn't come today, I would bring them to you later," Liu Yisi smiled. "The workload for the uniform modifications is quite significant."

As they spoke, they went inside.

The wardrobe in the dressing room was packed, with the four-season outfits of the two main characters filling three closets.

Liu Yisi had already had her assistant sort out the costumes that needed modification and placed them on a mobile rack, which she pushed in front of Ye Zhiqiu as they spoke.

"Do you still need to supervise the shooting?" Ye Zhiqiu took out his tools and bent down to start working.

"No need," Liu Yisi said. "Zhu Han and the others can handle it. I'll stay here to help you and learn at the same time."

Although Liu Yisi was young, she had already mastered much of Li Xun's expertise. With her assistance, Ye Zhiqiu felt significantly less pressure.

"I heard that Fashion China has scheduled an interview with you?" Liu Yisi asked as she started to unpick some stitches.

"Who told you that?" Ye Zhiqiu asked with a smile.

"One of their editors interviewed Mr. Li several times before and knows him well," Liu Yisi smiled. "They found out you're our costume designer and asked me about it."

"Mm." Ye Zhiqiu nodded. "Next month."

"So it's coming up soon," Liu Yisi said, adding a reminder in case Ye Zhiqiu was unaware of Fashion China's practices. "They usually feature the designer's work and open discussions on their official forum. You should release some new designs; the promotional effect is excellent."

"Alright." Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

The two were talking when Ye Zhiqiu's phone suddenly vibrated.

He glanced down and saw it was Li Shaojun, so he stopped his work and answered the call.

"Where are you?" Li Shaojun asked right away.

"At the set," Ye Zhiqiu replied. "Why, are you guys near my place?"

"How did you guess?" Li Shaojun was surprised. "Jin Baobao said he misses you and wants to stay over tonight. Is that convenient?"

When he said "convenient," he couldn't help but sound a bit sarcastic.

In the background, Jin Baobao's murmurs of "It's clearly you who misses him" made it sound particularly amusing.

"Convenient," Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile.

He added, "But I have to wait a bit before I can go back."

"No problem," Li Shaojun said. "Tang Yue also wants to come. We'll pick him up after his class. Want to join us for dinner?"

"Sure," Ye Zhiqiu agreed.

After hanging up, he checked the time and sent a message to Aunt Fang, telling her not to come over to cook today.

By the time he finished everything, it was already past 4:30 PM.

Ye Zhiqiu packed up his things and went out, saying goodbye to Zhou Lian and Baiyou as he prepared to leave.

"Xiao Qiu," Baiyou, whose ears were still red from embarrassment about Ye Zhiqiu seeing his kiss scene with Meng Qingyan, said hesitantly, "I..."

He stuttered on the "I" for a while but couldn't finish his sentence.

"You did great," Ye Zhiqiu couldn't help but tease, smiling mischievously.

"Who taught you this?" Baiyou was slightly annoyed. "Being so slick."

"You don't know," Ye Zhiqiu said, "how envious others are of getting to do a kiss scene with Meng Qingyan, that big hunk."

"Forget it." Baiyou turned to leave.

"I'm sorry, brother," Ye Zhiqiu quickly smiled and pulled him back.

But inside, he was a bit curious.

Jin Baobao used to be soft-spoken as a child, and Baiyou would always stand up for him whenever he got bullied.

Even now, Baiyou had a bit of a tough streak and wasn't the type to blush over a kiss scene.

Besides, this show had quite a few intimate scenes, so this was just the beginning.

Still, Ye Zhiqiu didn't continue teasing him.

"I'm heading off, brother," he said with a laugh. "Baby and Shaojun are waiting for me for dinner."

"Xiao Qiu," Baiyou called out again.

"Hmm?" Ye Zhiqiu raised an eyebrow.

"Don't tell Baby," Baiyou said.

"Tell him what?" Ye Zhiqiu was momentarily confused but quickly understood. "About the kiss scene today?"

"Yeah," Baiyou nodded.

Ye Zhiqiu tried to keep a straight face but couldn't help smiling.

"Okay," he chuckled.

However, while Ye Zhiqiu was told not to say anything, Jin Baobao was dying to know.

Before filming started, Jin Baobao was thrilled to hear that Baiyou would be working with Meng Qingyan and wanted to visit the set to see his idol.

Unfortunately, Baiyou wouldn't let him.

So when he saw Ye Zhiqiu, he kept asking questions nonstop.

After having dinner outside, Ye Zhiqiu brought them back home.

The house was always clean and tidy.

But since Qin Jianhe spent most of his time here, there were inevitably some signs of his presence.

First, there were the slippers in the entryway that were three sizes larger than Ye Zhiqiu's. Then, there was the extra set of toiletries in the bathroom.

And on the bed, there was the silver-gray tie left behind from their playful night.

As soon as they entered, Li Shaojun inspected every corner, his face darkening with each new discovery.

That guy, Qi Xin, must have really moved in, he thought.

In contrast, the darker Li Shaojun's face became, the brighter Tang Yue's expression grew.

"Oh, Xiao Qiu," only Jin Baobao, oblivious to everything, continued, "Le Le has completed his contest entry and will submit it to the organizers soon."

"So soon?" Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

"Yeah," Tang Yue nodded. "Living alone is quiet, and I can focus better, so I've been more efficient."

Then he asked Ye Zhiqiu, "You've been pretty busy lately, haven't you?"

Ye Zhiqiu nodded with a smile.

He added, "The work is one thing, but I also need to prepare a script for an interview with Fashion China."

"Have you prepared it yet?" Tang Yue asked.

Fashion China's influence in the industry could be considered top-tier among domestic fashion magazines.

Over the years, those invited for interviews were mostly well-known figures in the industry.

Someone as young as Ye Zhiqiu would likely be the first.

For a moment, Tang Yue felt a mix of envy and jealousy.

"Just finished it last night," Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile. "I'll need to spend some more time revising it, but it should be fine after that."

"Can I take a look?" Tang Yue asked.

"No way," Ye Zhiqiu replied with a smile, his beautiful eyes gleaming. "It’s still under wraps."

It had been a while since they last met, so sitting together, they had endless topics to discuss.

Especially Jin Baobao, who couldn't stop talking once he saw Ye Zhiqiu.

Li Shaojun even found a good bottle of wine in Ye Zhiqiu's wine cabinet and opened it, and the group sat in the living room drinking and chatting.

Li Shaojun and Jin Baobao knew little about fashion design.

Apart from complaining about how busy Ye Zhiqiu was, they didn’t mention much about work-related matters.

On the other hand, Tang Yue, using the opportunity to ask about Ye Zhiqiu's work, subtly inquired about Qin Jianhe.

After two glasses of wine, Ye Zhiqiu got up and went into the bedroom to change the bed sheets and pillowcases that had absorbed Qin Jianhe's scent.

Just as he was pulling off the pillowcase, Tang Yue pushed the door open and walked in.

"Need any help?" he asked considerately.

"No need," Ye Zhiqiu smiled. "Go back and enjoy yourself."

"Okay." Tang Yue looked at Ye Zhiqiu for a moment before asking, "Can I take a look around your studio?"

"Of course," Ye Zhiqiu chuckled. "There’s nothing secret."

Worried that Ye Hongxian and Tao Ruoqing might drop by unexpectedly, he always kept important documents locked away.

His computer was also password-protected.

"I’ll go then," Tang Yue said.

"Sure, go ahead," Ye Zhiqiu said.

This was their first visit here since the move.

On moving day, when they left, his studio wasn’t fully set up yet.

Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun didn’t care much about it.

But Tang Yue was different.

He would definitely be curious about the setup of his studio.

So, from the moment they arrived, Ye Zhiqiu had been waiting for him to make this request.

In his plan, this timing was perfect.

In fact, even if they hadn’t come today, he had planned to find an excuse to invite them over in the next few days.

Watching Tang Yue's excited back, the warmth in Ye Zhiqiu's eyes gradually cooled.

How wonderful, he thought.

Over the years, he had always been adept at pretending to be caring and considerate.

But only this time did Ye Zhiqiu truly feel his genuine consideration.

After all, just as he had woven this web, Tang Yue willingly fell into it.

Without making him exert any effort at all.