Chapter 143

Chapter 143

After discussing the main matters, Ye Zhiqiu and Meng Qingyan exchanged a few more words before Ye Zhiqiu bid farewell and got off the car.

The staff who had been dining in front of the small building had already left, and at the parking lot, a Range Rover had just pulled up.

Recognizing it as Old Li's car, Ye Zhiqiu hurried forward a few steps to open the door and help Old Li out.

When Building No. 8 started filming, Li Xun could only be treated in bed at the hospital.

When he came to the set last month after being discharged, he was still confined to a wheelchair.

But now, he could walk with the support of a cane.

Even when the driver brought out a portable wheelchair from the trunk, he waved it off.

"Xiao Ye, help me take a few steps," Li Xun said.

"How has your health been recently?" Ye Zhiqiu asked with concern.

"What can it be?" Li Xun replied optimistically, "Just have to take care of myself for now."

As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Ye Zhiqiu, "If it weren't for you this time, I might not have been able to leave the hospital."

"In our line of work," he sighed, "it's both mentally and physically draining."

It was true, but Ye Zhiqiu didn't respond, only smiling, "Good things happen to good people."

By the time they reached the entrance of the small building, Li Xun paused and looked at Ye Zhiqiu with a smile.

"If all goes well, the movie will be released by the end of the year," he said, "Although this is your first film in the industry, your performance surpasses many veteran makeup artists. I've been considering putting your name first in the credits."

He then asked, "Dare you accept it?"

Ye Zhiqiu understood what he meant by that question.

Previously, Zhao Keqi had told him that his father and the director were actually against Li Xun's decision.

After all, Ye Zhiqiu was still a newcomer in this field, while Li Xun's status in the industry was almost unshakable.

If his first work overshadowed Li Xun, it would indeed easily lead to rumors, as Zhao Yunzhuang and Zhou Lian had feared, about him being too sharp and causing trouble.

However, there must be a reason for Li Xun wanting his name to be listed first.

So far, Ye Zhiqiu had no works that had been seen by the audience.

And the production teams he would join in the future would also be large-scale productions directed by renowned directors, where he wouldn't be the only makeup artist.

If he didn't show any sharpness, other makeup artists might not truly respect him, making his work more difficult.

The reason why overshadowing Li Xun would cause rumors was simply because Li Xun was too strong and held too high a position.

But similarly, such rumors would not last long.

Because smart people would quickly realize that with Li Xun's status, if he hadn't agreed, a newcomer like Ye Zhiqiu couldn't possibly be listed ahead of him.

Since Ye Zhiqiu could be listed ahead, it indirectly indicated that he had gained Li Xun's recognition and appreciation.

This logic, even if outsiders didn't understand, insiders would definitely see through it clearly.

Ye Zhiqiu smiled, looking at Li Xun with determination.

"I dare," he said.

"Good, good child," Li Xun looked at him, feeling even more pleased as he already greatly admired Ye Zhiqiu, "This is what you deserve, and it's something you need for joining 'Qiankun.'"

'Qiankun' was the grand historical drama that Li Xun had introduced to Ye Zhiqiu.

The director was Guan Qingbin, a well-known director known for creating suspense.

It was Li Xun who personally handed over Ye Zhiqiu's work from Building No. 8 to Guan Qingbin, which led to this opportunity for Ye Zhiqiu.

Listing his name first was also Li Xun's way of adding weight to Ye Zhiqiu's entry into the 'Qiankun' team.

"After Building No. 8 is released, you should receive formal recognition within the industry," Li Xun said, "If 'Qiankun' also goes smoothly, your position in the industry will be firmly established."

In fact, Ye Zhiqiu and Li Xun were not yet formally recognized as master and apprentice.

Therefore, at this moment, he was genuinely moved.

"Thank you, Master." Ye Zhiqiu smiled, sincerely.

Before he finished speaking, the door to the director's lounge suddenly opened wide. It seemed Zhou Lian had seen Li Xun inside and rushed out eagerly.

"Oh, Old Li," with the film nearing completion, Zhou Lian was in an excellent mood, "Thank you for coming to support us."

He took Ye Zhiqiu's place, helping Li Xun walk inside.

"At the end of August, we've received an invitation to the Golden Olive Film Festival," Zhou Lian asked Li Xun, "Old Li, can you come and attend?"

"We'll see how my health is then," Li Xun waved his hand.

"As for Xiao Ye..." Zhou Lian asked, suddenly remembering that Ye Zhiqiu would already be on the 'Qiankun' set in August.

"Can Xiao Ye spare one evening to come?" Zhou Lian said, "If not, I'll call Old Guan personally."

"I'll do my best." Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

"Also," Zhou Lian added, "our group has three major investors. Mr. Zhao will definitely go, Qingyan is an actor himself, and now it's only left to Mr. Qin. I called the office today, and his secretary answered. You should follow up on that."

"Get him to come, get him to come." Zhou Lian said.

Ye Zhiqiu smiled, "Alright, if there's a chance, I'll personally ask Mr. Qin."

"What do you mean 'if there's a chance'?" Zhou Lian was dissatisfied, "If there isn't a chance, you have to create one, understand, Xiao Ye?"

"Yes." Ye Zhiqiu laughed and agreed.

Li Xun's health had not fully recovered, but he stayed in the group for over half an hour before leaving.

Although Ye Zhiqiu stayed until noon, he did not stay for lunch with the group.

The location of the film set was not far from Lan Yue's cemetery, so he went to visit his mother.

At the foot of the summer mountain, everything was lush and green, with wildflowers turning the mountain path into a colorful ribbon.

As Ye Zhiqiu walked, he bent down to pick flowers. By the time he reached Lan Yue's tombstone, he had gathered a modest bouquet.

He tied it together with green grass stems and placed it at Lan Yue's grave.

"Mom." He smiled, feeling a bit more relaxed than he had in a long time, "The things I planned to do seem almost complete without me realizing it."

While some were still being wrapped up, the overall situation was settled and could not be changed.

This included Qi Xin and Jiang Nan.

On the surface, even the Jiang family and Qi family believed that although this matter was dangerous, they had successfully avoided Qin Jianhe.

Unfortunately, they didn't know that Qin Jianhe had already learned the truth.

Qin Jianhe would not tolerate such despicable means being used against him.

It was a lesson he had learned from his mother long ago.

One act of leniency would only invite more insolence.

This time it was directed at him, but what about next time? It might be directed at someone close to him.

He would have to send a clear warning.

The Jiang family's assets were at most equivalent to one of the many subsidiaries under the Qin Corporation.

They couldn't withstand his pressure.

The Jiang family would inevitably decline as they did in the previous life, and the Qi family's plans would also fail.

"It seems there's suddenly nothing left to do." Ye Zhiqiu carefully wiped Lan Yue's tombstone with a handkerchief, smiling to himself.

When he first reincarnated, he had only one goal.

Revenge.

To return all the pain those people had inflicted on him, in full measure.

The entire meaning of his second life was for this purpose, so he thought that when everything was over, he would wither away.

But that didn't happen.

Many "accidents" appeared in his life, and because of these accidents, his life became colorful again.

"After everything is done," he smiled, "I can spend more time with Qin Jianhe and improve my professional skills."

He picked up the bouquet again and placed it closer to the tombstone.

"Mom," he said, "this time, I will be happy."

*

Leaving the cemetery, Ye Zhiqiu went to Yunkai.

Yunkai was moving back to the old site where Ye Ding used to be, and most of the move was already complete.

The land where Ye Ding's old site stood was under construction, with new factory buildings being built.

Recently, Zhang Mian had hired many new people, intending to train them and eventually promote them to management positions.

With all these tasks piled up, the company's pending business had grown into a mountain.

After handling everything, it was already dusk.

Yu Renzhi and Wang Qitang had already arrived at the hotel and were constantly tagging the others who hadn't arrived yet in the group chat.

His phone rang; it was Qin Jianhe.

"Still at Yunkai?" he asked.

"Yep." Ye Zhiqiu said, rubbing his temples to relieve his eye fatigue, "Just finished dealing with some urgent matters and am about to head out."

There was a low, pleasant laugh from the other end.

"I just got to the entrance of Yunkai, I won't go in," Qin Jianhe said, "Let's go together."

Ye Zhiqiu jumped up, nearly knocking over the water cup on his desk.

Zhang Mian, who was organizing documents, was startled.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Mian asked silently.

Ye Zhiqiu didn’t answer him, only smiled into the microphone, “I’ll be right out.”

He hung up and started walking out.

As he walked, he instructed Zhang Mian.

“Qin Jianhe is coming to pick me up, so I won’t drive my car. See who’s free these next few days and have them bring it over for me.”

Zhang Mian: “….”

The night had already fallen, but the last streak of twilight hadn’t yet faded from the horizon.

The fiery hue cast Ye Zhiqiu’s bright eyes in an especially intense light.

From afar, he saw Qin Jianhe’s extremely low-key car parked on one side of the company gate.

Seemingly spotting his figure, the rear door opened, and Qin Jianhe’s tall frame bent down to step out, taking a few steps forward.

Ye Zhiqiu ran out and naturally leaned into Qin Jianhe’s embrace, but remembering they were at the company entrance, he quickly pulled back half a step.

“How did you know to come?” He smiled with pursed lips, subconsciously raising his toes as he spoke.

Taking advantage of this posture, Qin Jianhe slightly lowered his head and kissed him lightly on the lips, parting immediately after.

Ye Zhiqiu: “….”

Instinctively, he turned his head to look inside, just in time to see Zhang Mian’s files slip from his arms.

Ye Zhiqiu: “….”

A faint blush tinged his pale cheeks, and Qin Jianhe looked down at him, unable to resist a soft laugh.

“You’re still laughing?” Ye Zhiqiu raised his hand, but Qin Jianhe took the opportunity to grasp his wrist.

He pulled him into the car and closed the partition between the front and back seats.

“What are you doing?” Ye Zhiqiu’s face grew even hotter.

“I want to kiss you,” Qin Jianhe said, leaning in slightly and pressing him against the window for a kiss.

After the kiss, he placed his lips on his nose and the still pink cheeks.

“You’re so cute like this,” he said again.

Ye Zhiqiu: “….”

“Ye Zhiqiu,” seeing him silent, Qin Jianhe looked down and played with his fingertips, “Even your fingertips are soft.”

“Hey,” Ye Zhiqiu laughed, “That’s enough.”

Qin Jianhe’s lips curved into a clear smile.

The laughter in his dark eyes was even more profound, like a deep vortex that could draw a person in.

“Why did you come?” Ye Zhiqiu’s heart raced under his gaze.

At first, they would go straight to bed, and he would enjoy what he should, only losing control of his heartbeat during the most intense moments.

But now, despite being so familiar with each other and meeting every day, he felt increasingly weak, his heart racing at the slightest provocation.

“Worried you might strain your eyes reading too many documents this afternoon, making driving unsafe,” Qin Jianhe still held his hand, asking, “Are you tired?”

“Not really.” Ye Zhiqiu leaned closer, “My eyes are a bit tired, though.”

“Want to take a nap?” Qin Jianhe lifted his hand to cradle the back of his head, gently pressing him against his shoulder, “I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

Ye Zhiqiu leaned in.

The light from the street lamps outside filtered in, casting a flickering glow on his dark eyelashes.

After a while, Ye Zhiqiu suddenly remembered something.

“Director Zhou said Building Eight has been invited to the Golden Olive Film Festival. Two out of three investors have confirmed they will attend. What about you? Do you want to go?” he asked.

“Not really.” Qin Jianhe’s hand continued to stroke his hair, his voice tinged with a hint of laziness.

After a moment, he asked, “What about you?”

“Old Li isn’t in good health, so he probably can’t make it,” Ye Zhiqiu said, “I’ll go.”

The hand smoothing his hair paused, and Ye Zhiqiu couldn’t help but smile.

He was particularly considerate, immediately lifting his hand to hug Qin Jianhe’s arm.

“Come on,” he said, smiling and pouting like a child, “Go with me.”

Qin Jianhe remained silent, turning to look at him.

“Come on,” Ye Zhiqiu repeated, tilting his face up, “I’ll call you something else tonight, okay?”

“Call me daddy?” Recalling that time, Qin Jianhe’s heart grew warm, and he looked down at him, calling his name, “Hmm? Ye Zhiqiu?”

Ye Zhiqiu: “….”

His thick lashes trembled, and he lowered his head, smiling.

The hand behind his head tightened slightly, and Qin Jianhe lifted his face again.

His eyes, filled with warmth, gazed deeply at him. Slowly, Qin Jianhe lowered his head to kiss him.

"Then let's go?" he mumbled.

"Let's go," Ye Zhiqiu said again, feeling the hand on the back of his head from Qin Jianhe apply a little more pressure.

For some reason, during the breaks in their kisses, he suddenly recalled the words Meng Qingyan had spoken to him that morning.

"Brother Yu had a rather special childhood, and he is actually someone who finds it extremely difficult to develop feelings for others," Meng Qingyan said. "However, once he truly does fall for someone, he will be the most sincere and loyal person, because this is his ultimate choice after struggling to break through his own instincts and repeatedly overcoming all the good and bad moments in his heart."

Yes.

Ye Zhiqiu couldn't help but think.

The harder it is for someone to develop feelings, the more intense and genuine those feelings become once they are given.

So, he thought, the two rings must have the most passionate roses carved on them.

One kiss ended, and the car had already stopped at the hotel entrance. Qin Jianhe's phone began ringing wildly, as Yu Renzhi couldn't wait any longer and was calling to hurry them up.

Qin Jianhe didn't answer, instead raising his hand to tidy up Ye Zhiqiu's disheveled hair.

Once everything was done, he held his hand, and the two got out of the car together.

The restaurant belonged to Yu Renzhi, so the waiter had been waiting at the door since early.

Seeing them get out of the car, the waiter hurriedly greeted them and led them upstairs to the private room.

As soon as the door to the private room opened, Meng Qingyan looked at Yu Renzhi.

"Aren't you supposed to kowtow?" he asked, quite mercilessly.

Yu Renzhi: "..."

Hearing this, Wang Qitang also laughed, "Kneel down quickly."

This time, Zhang Yuntang was also present, but only he was unaware of the situation.

Wang Qitang leaned over and whispered the story to him with a smile, making Zhang Yuntang giggle.

He was particularly curious about Ye Zhiqiu, his big eyes fixed on Ye Zhiqiu, unwilling to look away, filled with admiration and curiosity.

"Bro, I was wrong," Yu Renzhi said shamelessly, hesitating for a moment before pulling out a chair and kneeling down, facing Ye Zhiqiu, "I shouldn't have called you an old man."

It was just a joke, and Ye Zhiqiu hadn't expected him to really kneel down.

Seeing this, he was both amused and a bit at a loss, quickly stepping forward to help him up.

But just as his pale hands reached out, his wrist was grabbed.

"I'll do it," Qin Jianhe said softly.

"Tsk." Meng Qingyan said.

"Tsk tsk." Wang Qitang said.

Zhang Yuntang, who wanted to tsk but didn't have the nerve to, immediately lit up with excitement, entering full-on shipper mode.

"Get up," Qin Jianhe chuckled, reaching out to pull Yu Renzhi up by the collar.

"Is that how you help someone up?" Yu Renzhi grumbled as he stood up, clearly unhappy.

Everyone sat down and teased each other for a while.

Qin Jianhe introduced Zhang Yuntang to Ye Zhiqiu, "This is Zhang Yuntang, Qitang's partner. His family is in the battery cathode business."

"Hello," Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

"Hello," Zhang Yuntang stood up and extended his hand, very polite, his eyes especially bright, "I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Ye."

"Call me Xiao Qiu," Ye Zhiqiu smiled.

Zhang Yuntang didn't hesitate, immediately calling out warmly, "Xiao Qiu."

"Bro, bro," Yu Renzhi, not wanting to be ignored, said, "I've missed you so much, you know?"

Before Ye Zhiqiu could say anything, Qin Jianhe already gave him a cool look.

Yu Renzhi: "..."

"No manners," Wang Qitang scolded him, "A wife is for respecting, not for missing, don't you know?"

"Yes," Yu Renzhi immediately took the serving chopsticks and served dishes to Zhang Yuntang and Ye Zhiqiu.

With Yu Renzhi around, even though Qin Jianhe, Wang Qitang, and Meng Qingyan started discussing business matters, the table remained lively.

After the meal and conversation, it was nearly ten o'clock at night.

They bid each other farewell, fetched their cars, and went home.

Because he had drunk alcohol, Ye Zhiqiu leaned against Qin Jianhe's shoulder on the way back.

Their hands were intertwined, chatting intermittently.

The traffic wasn't heavy at night, and the car quickly drove into the central street where they lived.

From east to west, passing by the residential area Ye Zhiqiu rented, they would reach their destination.

As they passed the familiar gate, Ye Zhiqiu's peripheral vision caught something, and he paused, then straightened up to look back.

Outside the car window, under the streetlights, a very familiar figure was squatting at the entrance of his residential area.

The figure was so slender that it seemed a mere gust of wind could knock it over. At that moment, it was staring intently at every car entering and leaving the neighborhood, as if afraid to miss something.

Who else could it be but Qi Xin?