Chapter 106

Chapter 106

The sound of spring rain pattered softly, as if the air had paused for a moment.

Ye Zhiqiu sat in the car and noticed that the umbrella outside was slightly lowered.

The black umbrella blocked out the last bit of daylight, and under it, Ye Zheng stood with his back to the light, making it impossible for Ye Zhiqiu to see his expression.

But for some reason, he could still sense that Ye Zheng had something to ask.

Ye Zheng was six years older than Ye Zhiqiu and had watched him grow up since childhood.

When they were very young, Ye Zheng had carried him, played with him, and even carried him on his back.

Once, Ye Zhiqiu had thought Tao Ruoqing was his biological mother.

As a result, the idea that Ye Zheng was his biological brother had long been deeply ingrained in his mind.

Even after learning the truth, even after gradually realizing that they were not only not his family but also the ones behind his tragic fate, Ye Zhiqiu still felt an uncomfortable sensation when he knew about Ye Zheng's hidden feelings for him.

Earlier, with Tao Ruoqing present, and because he wanted to use this misplaced affection to strike her deeper, he hadn't felt as strongly.

But now, in the dark rain, only he and Ye Zheng were quietly facing each other.

Even knowing that Tao Ruoqing must be watching them from the window, he still felt uneasy.

The air was silent. Ye Zhiqiu raised his hand to close the car door.

Just as the door was about to shut, Ye Zheng's hand reached out, stopping his action.

"I don't think he's good enough," Ye Zheng said slowly, "nor do I think he deserves you."

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu narrowed his eyes slightly and then smiled.

"But," he said, his tone tinged with a faint sarcasm, "in the face of storms, he is willing and will always stand up to protect me."

The fingers resting on the car door tightened suddenly, then slowly relaxed.

Even though he couldn't see Ye Zheng's expression clearly, Ye Zhiqiu could tell that his face had turned pale.

The night wind blew through the treetops, causing the raindrops clinging to the branches to fall chaotically onto the umbrella, creating a series of dull thuds.

Ye Zhiqiu looked down coldly at the hand on the car door, which slowly withdrew as if losing its strength.

Then, he fastened his seatbelt and, without hesitation, backed up, turned around, and drove out of the Ye family compound.

The rain curtain stretched endlessly under the headlights, and Ye Zhiqiu's fingers unconsciously tightened around the steering wheel.

Just now, he suddenly realized that his previous assumptions about Ye Zheng might not have been accurate.

Ye Zheng's emotions were usually stable, rarely fluctuating like today.

If it weren't for the sudden revelation about Ye Zhixia, the shocking truth beneath the facade, Tao Ruoqing's strong pressure on him, and her willingness to sacrifice Ye Zhiqiu's reputation to strike Gao Wenye, every one of these things would not have affected him so deeply...

He might not have spoken those words tonight.

And he certainly wouldn't have shown any signs of vulnerability.

Ye Zhiqiu had always assumed that Ye Zheng knew about Qi Xin's collaboration with Tao Ruoqing.

Naturally, he also knew that Qi Xin had approached him with ulterior motives from the beginning.

But seeing his reaction just now, Ye Zhiqiu overturned this assumption for the first time.

And he realized for the first time that perhaps Tao Ruoqing had never told him the truth about this matter.

Perhaps she had already sensed Ye Zheng's abnormal feelings for him and feared complications if she revealed the truth.

Or perhaps she simply wanted to maintain the image of a loving mother in his eyes, so she kept it secret.

So, was it possible that Ye Zheng had liked him in the past life?

A thought suddenly illuminated his mind.

In the night rain, Ye Zhiqiu pulled over to the side of the road. He unlocked his phone and jotted down a cryptic keyword in his notes for future reference.

Then, he put his phone away, restarted the car, and drove forward resolutely.

As the car sped up, the end of the small road approached quickly, and Ye Zhiqiu's eyes involuntarily filled with a smile.

Just like last time, he flashed the headlights twice, and his heart instantly felt lighter and more carefree.

At the end of the road, the headlights of another car lit up, and the door opened. Qin Jianhe bent down to get out.

He held a large umbrella, dark green, adorned with various cartoon patterns. It was the kind often left in the company lobby for employees who forgot their umbrellas on rainy days.

His knuckles gripped the matching handle, and the silver ring on his pinky finger, slightly wet, gleamed faintly under the car lights, like a tiny star on his hand.

"Hey, Ye Zhiqiu," Qin Jianhe bent down by the car window, his eyes filled with a deep smile. He tapped on the window with his knuckles and asked, "Getting out?"

Ye Zhiqiu rolled down the window, smiling, "Aren't you getting in?"

"Get out," Qin Jianhe said, raising his hand, "someone will come to fetch your car later."

"You're..." Ye Zhiqiu chuckled, looking towards Qin Jianhe's car.

The lights were on in the car, and Uncle Li was sitting in the driver's seat, looking over. The partition between the front and back seats had already been lowered.

"Hey," Ye Zhiqiu said.

"Get out of the car." Qin Jianhe chuckled softly at his expression.

Raindrops fell behind him, making his smile seem like a bright moon, faint but luminous.

Ye Zhiqiu felt a warmth in his heart, almost as if he was being tempted. He reached up to unlock the door and stepped out.

Rain fell from all directions, but not a single drop touched him.

As soon as he got out, he was pulled into Qin Jianhe's embrace.

"How long have you been here?" Ye Zhiqiu asked, burying his nose gently into Qin Jianhe's neck.

The faint scent of wood warmed him in the cool rain, creating a strong sense of security.

Though it was a test, what he had said to Ye Zheng was true.

No matter what storms came, Qin Jianhe would protect him.

But Ye Zheng could not.

Ye Zheng knew this well, which is why in his previous life, he never revealed his feelings or told anyone.

Because Ye Zheng could neither defy nor betray Tao Ruoqing.

He had come to the Ye family at the age of six, and before that, Tao Ruoqing had raised him alone.

A woman with no special skills raising a child must have been incredibly difficult.

So Ye Zheng grew up more mature than other children, never forgetting the sacrifices his mother made for survival.

Including her body and dignity...

That was someone he could never betray, even if he betrayed everyone else.

Knowing that spreading the messages Gao Wenye sent him would only tarnish his own reputation and invite malicious speculation.

That was why he pleaded with Tao Ruoqing not to involve him.

Yet, because he could not defy Tao Ruoqing, when she insisted, he remained silent.

His deliberate test indeed struck a vulnerable spot in Ye Zheng's heart.

So, was it the same in his previous life?

Did he endlessly give in for his mother, ultimately sacrificing himself?

Or perhaps, in his previous life, his personality was too arrogant, and he never had the chance to shine in his career, remaining more like an immature child...

Even if he had feelings for him, they were probably not as intense as this time.

Otherwise, he might never have shown them.

Ye Zheng might truly like him, but Tao Ruoqing need not overreact.

After all, no one could replace her in his heart.

For her, he would silently sacrifice everything.

A cold smile spread across his lips, and Ye Zhiqiu paused by the car door, burying his face in Qin Jianhe's neck.

Qin Jianhe did not speak, only silently lifting his hand to comfortingly stroke his back.

The moment he saw Tao Ruoqing post those messages from Gao Wenye online, he wanted to hold him like this.

At that moment, the cold hatred and fierce anger were overshadowed by his concern and love for the person in his arms.

So, that was the family Ye Zhiqiu had grown up with for nineteen years.

That was the stepmother rumored to love and pamper him more than his biological mother?

To satisfy her own desires, she pushed his pure and precious soul into the maelstrom of public opinion without hesitation.

It was laughable, yet infuriating.

Holding Ye Zhiqiu tightly, Qin Jianhe bowed his head and placed a burning kiss on his hair.

Involuntarily, he recalled Ye Zhiqiu's question.

"If one day, I do something cruel, would you be disappointed in me?"

No, he never would.

If Ye Zhiqiu's will wasn't so strong, he would be even colder and more decisive, sweeping away all malice and harm for him.

Today, what he instructed Wei Jie to handle was not just Gao Wenye.

He respected Ye Zhiqiu's decision.

Because certain experiences had taught him that some things can only be healed by tearing them apart, destroying them, and then rebuilding anew.

Only then can the soul find peace and truly bid farewell to the past, stepping into a new life.

He wanted to step into a new life with Ye Zhiqiu.

"Ye Zhiqiu," Qin Jianhe closed his eyes, his voice low and gentle, heavily restrained, "I'm here."

I am always here.

No matter what decision you make, I am here.

*

At the same time, in the hotel, Ye Zhixia had just turned her phone back on.

At that moment, she was looking at the newly trending topic online, laughing maliciously.

Compared to the overflowing smile and malicious ridicule on her face, Gao Wenye's expression was much worse.

Just now, he spent a long time blocking all the parties who came to discuss contract termination and compensation claims.

Thinking he could gain a brief respite, he now felt even more anxious and uneasy.

"My mother doesn't have Ye Zhiqiu's phone password; this screenshot must have been sent by him voluntarily." Ye Zhixia laughed uncontrollably, tears almost streaming from her eyes, maliciously taunting Gao Wenye, "Gao Wenye, do you really think Ye Zhiqiu likes you?"

"In fact," she caught her breath before continuing, "to him, you might not even be worth as much as a dog."

"It must have been your mother forcing him to hand it over." Gao Wenye still couldn't accept that Ye Zhiqiu didn't reply to his messages but instead blocked him again.

Not only that, knowing what it meant for him, he still allowed Tao Ruoqing to post his information on Weibo.

"Is Ye Zhiqiu so perfect in your eyes?" Ye Zhixia's smile finally faded slightly, her face turning cold as she asked, "It's just that you haven't slept with him yet. If you did, it would be nothing special."

"Xiao Qiu is different from you." Gao Wenye spoke with disdain, unconvinced.

"Tsk tsk tsk," Ye Zhixia clicked her tongue, but Gao Wenye's words still sparked anger within her, "He's different from me? He is indeed different—he's far more promiscuous than I am. You didn't know that?"

Gao Wenye ignored her.

Anyway, before coming upstairs, he had already told the front desk that once a room became available, he would move out of this suite.

He lowered his head to send a message to Wang Ge, asking if he could find a way to transfer his domestic assets.

Seeing that he wasn't speaking, Ye Zhixia grew even angrier.

"You won't believe it when I say you're not even worth a dog. Forget about Ye Zhiqiu, but what about Cui Xuan? You cherished him so much, but he treated you like trash, using you and then discarding you?"

Mentioning Cui Xuan, Gao Wenye's fists finally clenched instinctively.

If Cui Xuan were in front of him right now, these fists would undoubtedly land mercilessly on him.

The reason he could tolerate Ye Zhixia so much was simply because they were both tied to the same rope.

His phone vibrated, and Wang Ge's message came through.

"Wang Ge: As soon as the incident happened, Hand in Hand 99 joined several production companies to file an asset preservation application. From the current situation, it looks very difficult."

Gao Wenye closed his eyes for a while before replying.

"Gao Wenye: Find some connections and see if there's any room for negotiation."

"Gao Wenye: Also, get the company video footage. Find the video from my office the day before Hand in Hand 99 made their announcement, and get the evidence of how that little bitch Cui Xuan seduced me."

Wang Ge had already left the company.

As the situation escalated and Gao Wenye directly blocked many cooperation partners, further intensifying the conflict, shortly after work hours ended, a group of people arrived at the company.

They were extremely professional, taking over the company immediately and not allowing anyone to take anything out.

Help Gao Wenye transfer his assets?

Forget about the fact that all channels were now blocked; even if there were ways, he wouldn't dare help him.

Gao Wenye was finished; helping him would mean completely destroying his last bit of retreat in this circle.

With elderly parents and young children, he couldn't afford to follow him to ruin.

The reason he was still watching the domestic situation for Gao Wenye was merely due to years of friendship.

However, transferring assets was beyond his capability, but getting the company video footage should still be possible.

Like Gao Wenye, he also couldn't stand Cui Xuan's despicable behavior.

Everyone was in the industry.

To pursue interests without any rules indeed deserved some consequences.

After all, no matter how unclean Gao Wenye was in terms of morals and conduct, Cui Xuan's accusations pushed him into legal trouble.

Now, the employees of Xinye Company had scattered, and the only thing he could do for Gao Wenye was this last task.

Avoidance was never a solution; Gao Wenye would eventually have to face this mess.

Sighing deeply, Wang Ge lowered his head and replied earnestly.

"Wang Ge: Brother, I can try to figure out the video issue, but everything else is beyond my ability."

[Wang Ge: Brother, given the extent of the situation, whether it leads to ridicule or criticism, my suggestion is to issue a statement as soon as possible. Even if it's just an apology and acknowledgment of fault, showing sincerity might give you a chance to return someday. If you do nothing, you'll only be passively judged as 'guilty.']

Gao Wenye was already in his thirties; where would he have another chance to turn things around?

Even Wang Ge felt uncertain about these words.

But even if it wouldn't help Gao Wenye's career, speaking up was always better than silence in the public eye.

After all, a person who cannot even face their own mistakes and only knows how to evade will forever be nailed to the pillar of shame, never able to turn things around.

This was his final piece of sincere advice for Gao Wenye. Whether he listened or not was up to him.

Fortunately, this time Gao Wenye did listen.

Wang Ge immediately added Gao Wenye's statement on the Cui Xuan incident to the prepared backup draft from the PR department and sent it to Gao Wenye for review.

About ten minutes later, Gao Wenye officially issued a public apology.

As soon as the statement came out, Cui Xuan was once again thrust into the spotlight.

However, both were making claims without evidence, and most people instinctively sided with the weaker party, so the situation remained relatively manageable.

The drama continued well into the early hours of the morning.

The number of comments under Gao Wenye's Weibo post skyrocketed, reaching an unprecedented level of attention that he had never dared to imagine.

Yet, this attention came with curses, ridicule, fans leaving, and backlash, making Gao Wenye too afraid to even look at the comments.

At one o'clock in the morning, Ye Zhiqiu, exhausted, closed his eyes in Qin Jianhe's arms, feeling Qin Jianhe's soft, burning kisses continuously landing on his eyebrows, the corners of his eyes, and the little mole on his nose.

Incredibly tender.

Qin Jianhe is truly something.

He is always the fiercest and most dominant, but also the gentlest and most careful.

He always manages to stir up huge waves within him, like a stormy sea rolling in.

These waves toss him up and down, both physically and spiritually, overwhelming him with intense pleasure that makes him forget everything in reality.

Such meticulous kisses made Ye Zhiqiu fear that Qin Jianhe would get carried away again.

"Hey." He smiled with his eyes closed, reminding him.

"Just sleep," Qin Jianhe whispered, his voice hoarse.

Ye Zhiqiu: "…"

His eyelashes fluttered, and he struggled to lift his eyes to look at him.

Qin Jianhe's brows and eyes were drenched in sweat.

At that moment, his dark, intense phoenix eyes still burned with a flame, greedily and intently watching him.

Ye Zhiqiu: "…"

Every time, he was amazed by this man's energy.

His phone vibrated beside the pillow.

Ye Zhiqiu moved his fingers, feeling the strain of even holding the phone, so he turned over and lay down.

But just as he turned, the solid, lean body behind him pressed against him, pinning him underneath.

Hot, soft lips unhesitatingly captured his soft earlobe.

Ye Zhiqiu: "…"

A tingling heat spread from his ear to the top of his head. He steadied himself and read the message.

The message was from Li Ling.

"Soft and small 0: Did you see Gao Wenye's apology statement tonight?"

"Soft and small 0: He and Cui Xuan are going at it, and it's great."

"Soft and small 0: In this matter, Ye Zhixia's impact seems smaller than expected."

"…"

Ye Zhiqiu: "…"

Ye Zhiqiu was too lazy to type and replied with a voice message.

"Don't worry, there's more to come."

Li Ling's reply came quickly, also in a voice message.

"Holy shit, you just got off, didn't you? Who the hell is so amazing that they can do this to you?"

Ye Zhiqiu: "…"

The voice message played out loud, and he couldn't help but laugh as he turned to look at Qin Jianhe, who promptly bit his lip.

"Do you want another round?" Qin Jianhe asked, his voice deepening again.