Chapter 139

Chapter 139

With over half an hour left, Qin Jianhe leaned against the bed, handling official business on his tablet, while Ye Zhiqiu dozed off beside him.

When the alarm on the pillowside rang, he instinctively reached out to touch the side.

The thin blanket still retained a faint warmth, but Qin Jianhe was nowhere to be seen.

Ye Zhiqiu's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly opened his eyes, just about to call out when the door was pushed open, and Qin Jianhe entered with a small wooden tray in hand.

"What's wrong?" Seeing the fear in Ye Zhiqiu's eyes, he hurriedly walked over.

"Nothing," Ye Zhiqiu stared at him intently, as if unwilling to blink, but the tension in his nerves gradually eased.

He raised his hand to grasp the one Qin Jianhe extended, feeling the warmth transmitted from that palm, and smiled slightly, "I had a nightmare."

"Tell me about it," Qin Jianhe placed the tray with two cups of coffee on the bedside table, leaned down, and looked at him with serious black eyes, "What kind of dream?"

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

After some thought, Ye Zhiqiu could only fabricate.

"I dreamed," he said half-truthfully, "that someone took you away."

Hearing this, Qin Jianhe seemed momentarily stunned, then a smile appeared in his serious eyes.

Holding Ye Zhiqiu's hand to his cheek, he let him feel his warmth.

"Dreams are often the opposite," Qin Jianhe smiled, "your dream must be foretelling that I will never leave you for even a step in this life."

Ye Zhiqiu laughed, unable to deny that he felt very happy being comforted.

His rapidly beating heart slowly returned to a gentle rhythm, and Ye Zhiqiu pulled at Qin Jianhe's collar with a smile.

As if he wanted to say something, but didn't, he leaned back against the headboard and smiled at Qin Jianhe, "Did you go out to make coffee?"

The suite connected to a living room, which had a corner bar equipped with a coffee machine, which Ye Zhiqiu had vaguely noticed before.

"Yep," Qin Jianhe handed him a cup, "iced coffee, to perk you up."

Ye Zhiqiu held the cup, took a sip, and immediately closed his eyes in comfort at the cool, smooth taste.

For some reason, he suddenly remembered their "iced coffee journey" during the previous New York Fashion Week.

"Are you free for the September fashion week?" he asked.

"Sure," Qin Jianhe smiled, clearly remembering as well, "I'll accompany you to have coffee, and then we can go eat hotpot together."

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu's eyes light up, Qin Jianhe chuckled and ruffled his hair.

Finishing his coffee, he glanced at the time.

"I'll go downstairs first," he said, taking the loosened tie and handing it to Ye Zhiqiu, teasingly calling, "Mr. Ye?"

Ye Zhiqiu wrinkled his nose but then bent his eyes and leaned forward, obediently tying the tie for Qin Jianhe.

At the last step, he deliberately tightened it, then tightened it more, until Qin Jianhe, breathing slightly constricted, leaned in to kiss him, before he slowly relaxed the tie against his Adam's apple.

*

The afternoon session was tightly scheduled.

Apart from discussions on the overall direction of economic development, many industry representatives also took the stage to speak.

Regarding the development and reform directions of their respective industries, everyone proposed valuable and targeted suggestions.

This sparked even more enthusiastic discussions in the venue.

During the meeting, Ye Zhiqiu had intentionally looked back.

Qi Xin had arrived early in the venue, but throughout, apart from listening attentively during a few speeches by people in the fashion industry, he mostly engaged in quiet conversations below, likely seeking opportunities.

On Jiang Nan's side, things were a bit subtle.

In the morning, both father and son were present, but in the afternoon, only Jiang Baichuan attended, with Jiang Nan's seat remaining empty.

Ye Zhiqiu smiled inwardly without showing it.

He turned back and looked seriously at Qin Jianhe's profile in the front row.

It being the first day, everyone's enthusiasm was unprecedentedly high, and the meeting, originally scheduled to end at half past five, extended until just after six due to the heated discussions.

The banquet hall was set up on the second floor, consisting of several combined halls, covering a vast area and divided into different functional zones.

Besides dining, it was also the best place for everyone to relax after a busy day.

Exiting the conference hall, everyone loosened their ties, planning to change clothes upstairs before heading to the banquet hall for dinner.

Only Qi Xin quickened his pace to catch up with Ye Zhiqiu.

"Xiao Qiu," he called from a distance, "do you want to... tonight..."

His words trailed off halfway, facing Ye Zhiqiu's cold gaze, he awkwardly shut his mouth.

"The whole world knows you're scheming against me." Ye Zhiqiu stopped, looking at him with a mocking smile.

"Qi Xin," he seemed puzzled, his lips curling in a cold smile, "how can your face be so thick? Aren't you afraid of others laughing at you? Don't you have any shame at all?"

Qi Xin: "..."

Seeing Qi Xin remain silent, Ye Zhiqiu slightly turned his face.

In the corner of his eye, Qin Jianhe's tall figure had already walked far away. Zhou Tongxin, holding a stack of documents, hurriedly approached him, saying something inaudible.

It must have been something important, for after the opening ceremony at noon, Zhou Tongxin left the venue and returned to the company.

He must have just come back now.

Qin Jianhe raised his hand, taking the documents into his arms, and whispered something to Zhou Tongxin.

Then, Zhou Tongxin headed towards the stairs leading to the second-floor banquet hall.

"Didn't I say we'd meet in my room tonight?" Ye Zhiqiu's eyes were cold. "If you can't even wait that long, it's best you don't show up in front of me again."

People were passing by, and many cast curious glances at the two of them.

Though they couldn't hear their conversation, Qi Xin, looking like a stray dog, was being scolded by Ye Zhiqiu and hung his head, appearing particularly embarrassed.

"I still have some business to take care of, don't follow me," Ye Zhiqiu gave him one last look and walked away.

"Xiao Qiu," seeing Ye Zhiqiu about to leave, Qi Xin hurriedly called out, "I... I'll find you tonight."

Ye Zhiqiu didn't respond, continuing forward.

Not far ahead was the reception desk, where Qin Jianhe was walking with the documents in his arms.

Since most people had already picked up their room keys in the morning, the reception area was unusually empty, with only one staff member remaining.

Recognizing the person, Ye Zhiqiu's gaze involuntarily tightened.

For standing there was Dong Changwen.

He subtly slowed his steps, and by the time he approached, Dong Changwen had already completed the check-in process for Qin Jianhe and handed him a key card.

From his actions, it seemed he intended to personally escort Qin Jianhe upstairs.

"Mr. Qin," Ye Zhiqiu called from a distance.

Qin Jianhe turned around, a layered smile spreading across his dark eyes.

"Are you going upstairs?" Ye Zhiqiu asked politely.

"Yes," Qin Jianhe nodded, responding softly.

"There's a matter of business I need to report to you," Ye Zhiqiu said, "Can we talk for a moment?"

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu's serious expression, Qin Jianhe pressed his lips together, but a slight, almost imperceptible smile still curved at the corners of his mouth.

"Sure," he said.

There were sofas on both sides of the hotel entrance for guests to rest. Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu turned without a word and walked over.

The smooth progress of things suddenly changed, and Dong Changwen instinctively followed a few steps behind.

"Excuse me," as if sensing someone behind him, Ye Zhiqiu suddenly stopped, turning to look at him with a faint smile, "Mr. Qin and I have some business to discuss, and it's not convenient to have others around."

"I am..." Dong Changwen tried to explain, "I just wanted to help this gentleman carry the documents."

"I'll do it," Ye Zhiqiu said, taking the documents from Qin Jianhe's arms.

Qin Jianhe slightly lowered his gaze, cooperating with his action.

Only when they sat down in the semi-circular booth did Qin Jianhe secretly pinch his hand, amused.

"What are you doing?" he said, chuckling softly, "So mischievous."

"What was the room number the receptionist gave you?" Ye Zhiqiu asked, reaching for the key card in Qin Jianhe's hand.

"Why?" Qin Jianhe handed him the key card, "Room 668, not far from your room."

He smiled, "I'll be handling business here for the next couple of days, so some documents can be delivered directly to my room by Zhou Tongxin."

"668 isn't your room number," Ye Zhiqiu said, gripping Qin Jianhe's hand, "Go upstairs first and go straight to my room."

Meeting Qin Jianhe's calm gaze, Ye Zhiqiu hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "I can't explain these things right now, but I'll tell you everything later."

Qin Jianhe nodded, "Is it related to the secrets you mentioned before?"

Ye Zhiqiu: "..."

He fell silent for a moment, then nodded lightly.

"Alright," Qin Jianhe said, picking up the documents and standing up, "I'll wait for you upstairs."

Ye Zhiqiu nodded, watching Qin Jianhe step out of the booth. He immediately unlocked his phone.

He removed Qi Xin from his blacklist and dialed his number.

Perhaps afraid of angering him, Qi Xin had gone in the opposite direction towards the elevator, likely heading to the banquet hall upstairs.

The call connected quickly, and the other end was indeed noisy.

"Xiao Qiu," Qi Xin called, probably moving to a quieter place, the noise gradually fading.

"Room 668, I've placed the key card in the gap of the armrest of the first sofa set to the right of the reception desk. Come and get it yourself, and come straight in when you arrive," Ye Zhiqiu said straightforwardly, "And don't talk so much, it annoys me."

With that, he hung up without waiting for a response.

Ahead, Dong Changwen had been keeping an eye on Qin Jianhe's movements.

Seeing him finally alone again, he immediately moved forward to greet him.

Unfortunately, Ye Zhiqiu took a few quick steps and blocked his path.

"Sorry," Ye Zhiqiu still smiled slightly, "I heard the store sells bedding. Could you show me where it is?"

"It's just..." Dong Changwen raised his hand to point in a direction.

"What? Are you busy?" Before he could finish, Ye Zhiqiu interrupted with a smile, "Can't you take me there?"

"I..." Dong Changwen was speechless.

He had planned everything so meticulously, everything should have gone smoothly.

But for some reason, unexpected events kept happening at critical moments today.

Fortunately...

He turned his head to see Qin Jianhe's back as he entered the elevator.

Fortunately, he had managed to hand over the room card to him, and the other party had not the slightest suspicion.

Once he entered that room, everything after that would no longer be his concern.

If the company held him accountable later, he would at most be blamed for negligence, losing some salary and bonus.

To him now, that amount of money was no longer significant.

"How about it?" Ye Zhiqiu smiled again, "Do you only want to serve my boss?"

"No, sir," Dong Changwen said, "It's dinner time, and I'm the only one at the service desk right now. I really can't leave. Would it be okay if I ask someone else to show you?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand to call a waiter in front, but Ye Zhiqiu gave a cold laugh.

"What if I insist you take me?" He looked at him with a half-smile, making him uneasy, "Or, we could go find your Manager Wang together. I'd like to confirm whether Jiuzhou treats guests differently."

At that moment, Qin Jianhe's figure had already disappeared into the elevator, and Dong Changwen couldn't help but sigh heavily in his heart.

Originally, he wanted to watch him enter the room before feeling reassured.

But now, delayed by Ye Zhiqiu, it was impossible to catch up.

In this matter, his advantage was his identity as a waiter, but at the same time, his disadvantage was also his identity as a waiter.

"Sorry, sir," he said, his attitude becoming more respectful, "I'll take you there right now."

Seemingly satisfied, Ye Zhiqiu nodded slightly and smiled.

Dong Changwen led Ye Zhiqiu to the store.

With the time gap already created, Ye Zhiqiu no longer continued to make things difficult for him.

He carefully selected a set of bedding in the store, then leisurely carried the items upstairs.

When he returned to his room, Qin Jianhe was already sitting at the desk, handling documents.

Seeing him come in, he turned his head with a smile and asked, "Do you want to go to the banquet hall?"

"No," Ye Zhiqiu said, placing the items on the sofa. He clung to Qin Jianhe from behind, lowering his head to kiss him.

Unable to resist, he used his hand, his fingertips, to trace down his side neck, feeling his body temperature seep into his skin, confirming his real presence.

"What's wrong?" Qin Jianhe asked, pushing his office chair back half a step with his long legs and pulling him into his arms.

"So clingy?" He mimicked Ye Zhiqiu's usual tone.

"I want to hold you today," Ye Zhiqiu said, burying his nose in the crook of his neck and sniffing lightly.

Hearing this, Qin Jianhe laughed, raising his hand to gently stroke his black hair.

"Then let's stop working," he said, "I'll order something to eat, and we'll go to bed after eating."

"Okay," Ye Zhiqiu said.

The air grew quiet as they leaned their heads together, looking at the menu.

Just as they submitted the order, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed through the hallway.

Actually, calling them footsteps wasn't quite accurate.

Because, if described accurately, the sound was more like a rumbling thunder.

Perhaps due to the large number of people, even sitting in the room, one could feel a slight vibration in the floor.

They're here.

Ye Zhiqiu thought.

Not only did his expression turn serious, but even Qin Jianhe, who usually paid little attention to external affairs, lifted his eyes to look at the door.

This commotion immediately made him think of the word "escape."

Q.L. donated substantial funds to charitable causes every year, and during the annual fire safety month, the company would hold evacuation drills.

This noise was almost identical to the chaos when everyone crowded together, desperately trying to escape during a fire.

Holding Ye Zhiqiu's hand, Qin Jianhe stepped forward and opened the door.

However, there was no fire or smoke outside; only a group of reporters carrying cameras were rushing madly towards room 668.

The door to room 668 was open, and even from halfway down the corridor, one could see the situation inside.

At this moment, many reporters had already rushed in, frantically pressing their shutter buttons. The afterglow of the flashlights was clearly visible even from outside.

No one noticed Ye Zhiqiu and Qin Jianhe.

Excitement was written all over everyone's faces, as if they had caught a big scoop that could launch them to stardom.

Their gazes were fixed on their lenses, focused on the room inside.

Subconsciously, Ye Zhiqiu's hand began to tremble slightly.

Because for the first time, he truly realized that in his previous life, Qin Jianhe had also faced so many cameras.

And most likely, these people were even more excited back then.

Because the news value of Qin Jianhe far outweighed that of Qi Xin.

Holding Qin Jianhe's hand, they slowly moved forward.

Standing at the door of Room 668, Ye Zhiqiu looked inside coldly.

The bedroom door was also open, now blocked by countless reporters. The sound of shutters clicking was as dense as heavy rain, incessantly ringing in their ears.

Mixed in with this were several shocked whispers.

"Damn, what's going on? Isn't it supposed to be an exposure of a romantic relationship?"

"Who cares, this is explosive. Let's take pictures before the police arrive."

"Has anyone called the police?"

"The situation didn't look right earlier; someone has already called."

"The hotel security will probably be here soon..."

Using his height advantage, Ye Zhiqiu peered through the crowd.

Inside the suite, on the large bed at the far end, two naked figures were tightly entangled together.

The figure on top had skin flushed an abnormal red, moving with intense and violent motions.

Below, Jiang Nan was clearly awake.

He cried and screamed in despair, struggling to find something to cover his body, but to no avail.

One by one, the lenses and eyes captured every frame of their disgrace.

Jiang Nan's face was contorted with pain, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"It's not you, not you, damn it, who let you in?"

"You disgusting thing, get away."

"Stop filming, stop filming, go away, go away..."

He cried out hoarsely, but it seemed no one heard him.

Because Qi Xin had lost his mind.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he moved his body like a mindless beast, completely oblivious to the many people watching and filming them.

He just took relentlessly.

Seemingly meeting Qin Jianhe's cold gaze, Jiang Nan's frenzied expression suddenly froze, his eyes instantly filled with overwhelming despair.

Then, he was once again overwhelmed by the storm.

In fact, during this brief moment, a few reporters tried to restrain Qi Xin, but they were quickly defeated by his frenzied assault.

Qi Xin clung tightly to Jiang Nan, as if ready to fight anyone who tried to take him away.

From the news in his previous life, Ye Zhiqiu knew that Jiang Nan had been drugged, but he had never imagined that the drug could be so potent.

So potent that it seemed to strip away a person's sanity, turning them into a beast.

Subconsciously, he silently tightened his grip on Qin Jianhe's hand.

He couldn't imagine how much pain and how much resilience it must have taken to withstand such a powerful drug.

But thankfully, this time, he wouldn't have to suffer that pain, endure that torment, or bear those scars...

Unable to control the turmoil in his heart, Ye Zhiqiu felt both relief and fear.

His disgust and revulsion towards Jiang Nan reached its peak at this moment.

He stared blankly at the chaotic scene, but his thoughts were solely on Qin Jianhe.

Suddenly, everything went dark as a large hand covered his eyes.

"Let's go," Qin Jianhe whispered in his ear.

The two figures entangled in the room had no beauty, only ugliness and disgust.

He didn't want to taint Ye Zhiqiu's eyes.

As he covered Ye Zhiqiu's eyes, a layer of ice also covered his own.

At Room 668, Qin Jianhe lowered his gaze, recalling the room card given to him by the male attendant at the service desk.