On one side, Ye Zhiqiu slept peacefully.
On the other, Gao Wenye was completely unable to sleep.
For a moment, he wanted to borrow a staff member’s phone and call Ye Zhiqiu again.
But his age and experience reminded him that doing so would be counterproductive. He had no choice but to endure.
Gao Wenye read Ye Zhiqiu’s messages over and over.
The more he read, the more restless and eager he became, and the heavier and harder it was to bear.
What made him eager was Ye Zhiqiu’s line: “Whether you like me or I like you, we can only be strangers in this life. Ye Zhixia is my brother. I can’t overstep with anyone my brother likes.”
Though not a single word explicitly expressed liking, the more Gao Wenye read it, the more he felt that Ye Zhiqiu must have feelings for him too.
It was only because of Ye Zhixia’s feelings for him that he had to shut him out.
This stirred in him an unavoidable mix of bittersweetness and sweetness.
He’d been acting for over a decade, filming emotional scenes until they were second nature. But this feeling of being completely, helplessly captivated—this was a first for him.
How could he not go crazy for it? How could he not be moved?
What was hard to bear was Ye Zhixia’s bullying and abuse of Ye Zhiqiu, and the resistance toward him that it caused.
Thinking of this, Gao Wenye regretted even more the ambiguous signals he’d sent Ye Zhixia before he’d ever met Ye Zhiqiu.
Especially in the last few days, after he’d had someone look into the Ye family’s specific situation.
It turned out Ye Zheng wasn’t Ye Hongxian’s child. And Ye Zhiqiu and Ye Zhixia weren’t even brothers by the same mother—they were half-brothers.
No wonder Ye Zhiqiu had said he was only a few months older than Ye Zhixia.
Gao Wenye laughed contemptuously.
He didn’t know how the Ye family explained it to Ye Zhiqiu, but as a man, he could see at a glance: Ye Hongxian must have cheated while his wife was pregnant, gotten someone pregnant, and that’s how Ye Zhixia came to be.
Calculating it that way, the rightful heir to the Ye family should actually be Ye Zhiqiu.
But as the saying goes, with a stepmother comes a stepfather.
And seeing how viciously and without restraint Ye Zhixia attacked Ye Zhiqiu, it was clear Ye Zhiqiu’s position in the Ye family wasn’t stable.
Originally, he’d only planned to use Ye Zhixia to gild his own less-than-honorable background.
He hadn’t thought much about the Ye family’s business empire.
But now he suddenly realized that if that prize might fall into his hands effortlessly, he couldn’t help but consider this option.
From the bottom of his heart, he hoped the one who eventually took over the Ye family would be Ye Zhiqiu.
Then he’d have no regrets—both power and beauty in his hands.
But at the same time, this presented a new dilemma.
He dared not make a rash choice.
Gao Wenye frowned irritably and scrolled through his phone again.
There were also several messages from Ye Zhixia, received on the way back to the hotel. He’d planned to reply properly once he had time.
But then Tang Le had appeared, and he still hadn’t dealt with them.
Now, just seeing Ye Zhixia’s name disgusted him.
How could he be so vicious and shrewish toward his own brother at home, yet turn around and speak sweetly to him, acting cute and coquettish? It was sickeningly fake.
It made Gao Wenye, on top of his disgust, feel an extremely uncomfortable sense of split contradiction.
If it weren’t for the “family fortune” carrot dangling in front of him, he would have ended things with Ye Zhixia immediately and been done with it.
But now…
After a long hesitation, Gao Wenye sighed heavily and turned off his phone.
* * * *
Sometime during the night, it had started snowing.
When Ye Zhiqiu woke up, a thick layer had already covered the ground.
He stood at the window for a moment before washing up, then leaned against the windowsill and opened Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and related forums to see how Jinqi was steering and suppressing public opinion about VIA.
Overnight, the buzz hadn’t dropped—it had only grown.
But amidst the mockery, a few different voices had emerged.
[I’ll just watch: Return them! Everyone, hurry up and return them! I couldn’t get a single coat or trench coat from that livestream. I’m waiting for you all to return them so I can snap them up!]
[Little XX: VIA really seems to be on its last legs. Being beaten down like this and no one even speaks up for them?]
[Love to watch the drama: Maybe VIA doesn’t even have a proper PR department? LOL.]
[Speaking the truth: Truth be told, I’ve never even heard of this brand. They debuted and immediately crashed and burned.]
[Everyone move, let me: The person above trying to snap up returns—aren’t you afraid of losing face? VIA can only share a stage with Jinqi’s freebies. Stand down and let me handle it.]
[Little Moon: Damn, I had my eight-hundred-meter blade raised, and you pull this?]
[Eh: Doesn’t anyone think Jinqi is…?]
[…]
Though these different voices were small, they had already paved the way for what came next.
Ye Zhiqiu turned off his phone, got dressed, and went downstairs.
But before he even reached the stairs, arguing drifted up from below.
It was Tao Ruoqing and Ye Zhixia.
“It’s freezing cold and snowing. Why are you rushing back to the set?” Tao Ruoqing said. “I know you don’t have scenes until this afternoon.”
“I want to go back early.” Ye Zhixia’s voice was anxious and displeased. Judging by their tones, they’d been at an impasse for a while.
“Don’t think I don’t know.” Tao Ruoqing laughed coldly. “You’re rushing back just to see that Gao Wenye, aren’t you?”
“What’s wrong with Teacher Gao?” Ye Zhixia said. “Why can’t you see any good in him? He’s a movie king! A movie king!”
Realizing she couldn’t reason with him, Tao Ruoqing was silent for a moment, then finally gave up arguing.
“In your eyes, he might be perfect. But in your mother’s eyes, he’s not worthy of a single one of your toes.” She said. “Don’t expect to go this afternoon. Uncle Wang will be taking your brother to school.”
“Ye Zhiqiu already drives himself to school.” Ye Zhixia stamped his foot in anger. “You’re being completely unreasonable.”
“It snowed heavily today. The roads are slippery.” Tao Ruoqing’s voice was cold. “It’s not safe for your brother to drive himself.”
“Ha…” Ye Zhixia laughed coldly. “You don’t usually care this much about him. What’s this? Shouldn’t you be happy if he died? Because of Teacher Gao, you’re pretending with me now?”
“Ye Zhixia!” Tao Ruoqing’s voice changed, she was so angry. She whipped her head around to look up the stairs, worried Ye Zhiqiu might have heard this.
“Are you letting me go or not?” Ye Zhixia threatened.
Outside, snow flew thick and fast, the wind howling.
But never had Tao Ruoqing felt so cold inside.
The child she raised herself, the one she schemed endlessly to secure the Ye family fortune for, the one she humbled herself before those wealthy wives for, socializing and maneuvering just to marry him into a powerful family…
And now he threatened her over a man.
The air went completely still.
After a moment, Ye Zhixia’s voice finally gained a note of uncertainty.
“Mom.”
Ye Zhiqiu lifted his hand from the second-floor railing and continued downstairs.
As expected, Tao Ruoqing was crying.
“What’s wrong?” He stopped on the bottom step and asked.
Hearing this, Tao Ruoqing and Ye Zhixia both jumped.
“N-nothing, Xiaoqiu.” Tao Ruoqing’s face was pale. After a moment of stunned silence, she recovered. “When did you come down? What did you hear?”
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.
It sounded like an admission of guilt.
“Just heard Ye Zhixia talking about dying and living,” Ye Zhiqiu said.
Seeing the mother and son’s expressions grow uglier, he slowly hardened his face and stepped closer to Ye Zhixia, one step at a time.
“Ye Zhixia, I knew it. You were badmouthing me again.”
He hadn’t heard clearly… Tao Ruoqing closed her eyes. Her whole body was tense, nearly collapsing from the relief.
“Your brother didn’t say anything,” she said.
“If he didn’t say anything, how did he make you cry?” Ye Zhiqiu pressed forward relentlessly and shoved Ye Zhixia hard in the chest.
Before Ye Zhixia could even react, he was pushed to the ground.
“Are you crazy, Ye Zhiqiu?” Ye Zhixia yelled.
The fall was hard. The sharp pain in his tailbone nearly kept him from straightening up.
“I’m crazy?” Ye Zhiqiu stepped forward and kicked him in the chest. The movement was so fast, Tao Ruoqing couldn’t intervene in time.
“I’m crazy?” Ye Zhiqiu pointed at his own cheek. “Your own brother, you beat until I look like this. Your own mother, you make her cry. Are you just born rebellious, Ye Zhixia?”
Ye Zhixia: “…”
He’d gotten hit twice, and it was his fault?
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Seeing Ye Zhiqiu raise his hand to strike again, Tao Ruoqing quickly grabbed his arm. “He’s being unreasonable. I’ve already talked to him.”
“Since you have scenes to shoot today.” Ye Zhiqiu finally released his grip on Ye Zhixia. “I’ll let you off this once.”
Ye Zhixia: “…”
He tried to scramble up, but Tao Ruoqing held him down.
“Go to the set.” Afraid Ye Zhixia might say something rash in his anger, Tao Ruoqing gave in. “Uncle Wang should be done with breakfast by now. Have him take you.”
Ye Zhixia glared viciously at Ye Zhiqiu.
After a moment, he relaxed his clenched fists.
These past two days, he’d sent messages every day during Gao Wenye’s breaks. Though not especially enthusiastic, Gao Wenye had always replied.
Except for last night’s message—still no response.
Ye Zhixia was both uneasy and anxious. Weighing the situation, he didn’t linger.
“Ye Zhiqiu, just wait.” He spat out one last threat, then hurried out as if afraid Tao Ruoqing might change her mind.
****
After Ye Zhixia disappeared through the door, Tao Ruoqing finally clutched her chest and slowly sat down on the sofa, leaning against its back.
“Your mother’s going to be killed by you two one day,” she said.
“The one making you angry is Ye Zhixia.” Ye Zhiqiu said. “I stood up for you, and you blame me?”
Tao Ruoqing: “…”
“Forget it.” She clutched her chest again. “I’m not arguing with you today.”
A noise came from the hallway leading to the kitchen. Aunt Zhao emerged with a clay pot of congee, smiling.
“Time to eat.”
“What’s good?” Ye Zhiqiu was drawn over. He lifted the lid and saw it was full of preserved egg and lean pork congee.
“Ancestor!” Aunt Zhao jumped. “Careful, you’ll burn your hand.”
Ye Zhiqiu smiled and put the lid back on.
“Madam.” Aunt Zhao asked. “Shall I braise some lamb for lunch? Lamb is warming on snowy days.”
In just a moment, Tao Ruoqing had composed herself. Hearing this, she smiled and nodded.
“What about the young master?” She looked around but didn’t see Ye Zhixia, curious. “I thought I saw him come down this morning.”
“Back to the set.” Mentioning it annoyed Tao Ruoqing.
“Why didn’t he eat breakfast?” Aunt Zhao fussed. “I specially made his portion too.”
“Forget him.” Tao Ruoqing said.
Right now, she couldn’t stand anyone mentioning Ye Zhixia. It gave her an instant headache.
* * * *
Ye Zhiqiu said nothing more.
He finished breakfast quietly, checked his schedule on his phone’s memo app, then got up and left.
The roads were slippery from snow. He drove very carefully.
On the way, he stopped by a sporting goods store to pick up equipment for his first MMA class that evening.
The store was full of a dazzling array of products. Ye Zhiqiu didn’t know much about sports brands.
Hesitating, he suddenly remembered something. He pulled up that photo of Qin Jianhe and showed it to the owner.
“Excuse me, do you carry this brand of protective gear?” he asked.
“Yes, yes, yes.” The owner agreed repeatedly. “It’s in the back.”
Then he asked, “What equipment are you looking for?”
Ye Zhiqiu opened his memo app again and listed the items the gym staff had told him about.
Hand wraps, boxing gloves, shin guards, and training clothes.
For a beginner, that was enough for now.
Soon, the owner brought everything out. Ye Zhiqiu chose sizes and colors.
When it came to the clothes, he suddenly stopped.
He spotted the same style Qin Jianhe had been wearing.
“Never mind.” He suddenly said. “Let’s get a different brand for the training clothes.”
“This is the best brand. It’s also more comfortable to wear.” The owner initially thought Ye Zhiqiu was worried about the price, but seeing him choose other gear from the same brand, he was confused. “Young man, don’t just focus on looks. If you’re doing MMA, comfort comes first.”
“That…” Ye Zhiqiu thought for a moment. Qin Jianhe’s set was black, so he pointed at a white one. “This one, size 180. Thanks.”
“Alright!” The owner happily responded.
But as soon as he stepped out of the store, hit by the cold wind, Ye Zhiqiu suddenly realized something was wrong.
One black, one white. It almost looked like couple outfits.
The thought was strange, weird. Ye Zhiqiu paused.
He pressed his lips together and turned back to look at the sporting goods store.
Snowflakes landed on his eyelashes, one by one.
Ye Zhiqiu blinked, then suddenly found the thought ridiculous.
Other people wore this brand of training clothes too. Were they all wearing couple outfits with Qin Jianhe?
He laughed softly, then shook his head, opened the car door, and got in, placing his purchases on the passenger seat.
Besides, he thought as he fastened his seatbelt, Qin Jianhe was so busy, who knew how often he even made it to the gym. They might not even run into each other. Why was he worried?
* * * *
At noon, Qi Xin arrived as promised.
The snow had stopped, but outside was bitterly cold. They moved their lunch location to the less crowded No. 2 cafeteria on campus.
“I knew you were injured, so I only made one spicy dish—the steamed fish with chili. The rest are milder. Try them.” Dark circles shadowed Qi Xin’s eyes. Clearly, he hadn’t slept well.
Ye Zhiqiu smiled knowingly.
He’d probably spent last night groveling at Jiang Nan’s feet again.
After that phone call, he’d completely offended Jiang Nan. No way Jiang Nan would forgive him without paying a price.
But today wasn’t as lucky as that other day. Even staying in the car, this heavy snow wouldn’t be comfortable.
“Mm.” Ye Zhiqiu responded calmly, watching with a smile as Qi Xin laid out the dishes on the table.
Steamed fish with chopped chili, lotus root and rib soup, eggs with garlic sprouts, stir-fried yam, and two steaming bowls of white rice.
“Eat quickly, before it gets cold.” Qi Xin was especially attentive.
Before coming, he’d been afraid. Afraid Ye Zhiqiu would blame him for Jinqi’s attack on VIA.
But he hadn’t.
“Okay.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled slightly.
He picked up his chopsticks, tasted the fish first, then had a spoonful of soup.
In all this time pursuing Ye Zhiqiu, this was probably the first time they’d truly sat down and eaten together.
Qi Xin stared at Ye Zhiqiu, unable to look away.
The cafeteria was warm. The young man across from him had taken off his coat and casually draped it over his chair.
Now, in only a light blue cashmere sweater, his skin looked even fairer—pure and fresh, pleasing to the eye.
The way he ate was pleasant to watch too.
Eyes slightly lowered, bite after bite, unhurried. His thick lashes cast shadows, making him look especially obedient.
“Good?” Watching his already rosy lips glisten with a trace of oil, becoming even redder and more beautiful, Qi Xin felt his heart warm.
The suffering of the past two days suddenly seemed less heavy to bear.
“Mm, it’s good.” Ye Zhiqiu looked up.
“Your cooking has improved.” He spoke Qi Xin’s name, a smile in his voice. “Qi Xin.”
Qi Xin: “…”
Happiness and joy flooded his heart like a rising tide, completely enveloping it.
“I’m glad you like it.” He smiled, his eyes lighting up.
Seeing this, Ye Zhiqiu smiled back.
“You eat too,” he said.
“Oh, right, right.” He’d been so absorbed watching Ye Zhiqiu, he hadn’t even touched his own food.
Qi Xin had specially brought serving chopsticks. He looked down and carefully placed more food on Ye Zhiqiu’s plate.
Ye Zhiqiu, though slender, had a good appetite. By the end, there was almost nothing left on his plate.
“If you like it, I’ll make it for you again tomorrow,” Qi Xin said.
“Mm.” Ye Zhiqiu’s eyes curved. “Thank you for your trouble.”
“No trouble, no trouble,” Qi Xin said quickly.
It wasn’t just polite words.
Almost simultaneously, a thought had risen unbidden in his heart: Ye Zhiqiu was really good.
As if, because of today’s praise and courtesy, all of Ye Zhiqiu’s previous faults instantly vanished without a trace in his mind.
After all, this was Ye Zhiqiu.
Spoiled, super-demanding Ye Zhiqiu.
To earn his praise, Qi Xin instinctively felt honored.
* * * *
Packing up the insulated container, Qi Xin watched the young man across from him put on his coat, wrap his scarf, and bend to pick up his knit cap.
“Want to take a walk?” Qi Xin said. “It’s the first snow of the year.”
“No, thanks.” Ye Zhiqiu shook his head, looking at him calmly. “Exams are coming up.”
“Right, right,” Qi Xin said quickly. “Been out of school so long, I forgot.”
“See you tomorrow, then.” Ye Zhiqiu said, pulling on his knit cap.
It was beige, with a pom-pom, especially cute, making his face look even smaller and more beautiful.
Qi Xin looked at him, feeling his heart warm.
He wanted to confess, but worried the timing wasn’t right, so he forcibly suppressed the urge.
“See you tomorrow,” he said.
* * * *
After afternoon classes, Ye Zhiqiu drove to the gym.
The first class focused on basic movements, striking techniques, combined with some simple offensive moves.
Though boring, Ye Zhiqiu practiced especially seriously.
When the class ended, the other students all complained of exhaustion and headed up to the fifth floor to shower or swim, leaving Ye Zhiqiu alone in their training room.
He put on his gloves and started working on the heavy bag, practicing his power.
That night at Zhang Wenyuan’s, his leg strength couldn’t even contend against one of Qin Jianhe’s hands. He couldn’t afford not to heed that warning.
This time, not only did he have to prepare for any eventuality, he had to do it perfectly.
“Hey, little brother.” A young man from the next training room poked his head in, smiling. “You new here?”
“Yeah.” Ye Zhiqiu stopped, wiping sweat from his forehead. “My first class today.”
“I’m Zhao Keqi.” The guy squeezed in without ceremony. “Been at it for about three months.”
“Senior.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “I’m Ye Zhiqiu.”
“Since you’re calling me that,” Zhao Keqi said, “I’ll act the part. That’s not right. First time training, even just the regular routine will leave your joints and muscles aching for a while. And you’re adding extra?”
“It’s okay.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “I’m not afraid of pain.”
Zhao Keqi’s eyes widened.
“No, seriously,” he said. “This is just for fitness and self-defense. What’s the rush? You got some big revenge to carry out?”
Ye Zhiqiu laughed out loud.
Well, Zhao Keqi had actually hit the nail on the head.
He checked the time. He’d been at it for nearly half an hour. That was enough.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you.” Ye Zhiqiu pulled off his gloves as he spoke, then looked down and unwrapped his hand wraps.
“Hey, little brother.” Seeing him pack up to leave, Zhao Keqi followed. “Let’s exchange contacts. We can communicate sometime.”
“Are you trying to hit on me?” Ye Zhiqiu paused, looking at Zhao Keqi with an ambiguous smile.
“Is it that obvious?” Zhao Keqi asked. “Or have you just seen this move too many times?”
Ye Zhiqiu chuckled. “Sorry, I have a boyfriend.”
“Ye Zhiqiu.” A low male voice sounded from behind him, especially pleasant to hear.
Ye Zhiqiu turned and immediately saw Qin Jianhe.
“Going home?” Qin Jianhe asked.
Ye Zhiqiu: “…”
Qin Jianhe had just come down from the fifth floor.
His expression was cool. He wore a standard three-piece suit, the lines perfectly outlining his figure, especially elegant and noble, and also especially distant.
Zhao Keqi: “…”
Going… going home?
Damn. Was this Ye Zhiqiu’s boyfriend?
So freaking handsome, cool, and aloof.
He pitifully clutched his chest, instantly crushed.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Zhao Keqi said.
“Bye.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled.
After he left, Ye Zhiqiu looked back at Qin Jianhe.
“What a coincidence?”
The young man’s training clothes were already damp with sweat, even his eyes and brows moist. Fresh from exercise, his fair skin glowed with a healthy light pink.
“Mm.” Qin Jianhe looked down slightly at his sweat-damp hair. “Go shower.”
“Oh.” Ye Zhiqiu had no choice but to agree.
He turned and headed upstairs, taking two steps before realizing Qin Jianhe was following.
“I can manage on my own.” Ye Zhiqiu teased. “Surely President Qin doesn’t want to help me wash?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Ye Zhiqiu suddenly realized that might not have been the best thing to say.
“I… I didn’t mean it like that.” He quickly explained.
“Then what did you mean?” Qin Jianhe looked down at him, amusement flickering in his dark eyes.
Ye Zhiqiu: “…”
He looked up at Qin Jianhe, momentarily tongue-tied, unable to speak.
Perhaps his expression amused Qin Jianhe. His gaze drifted slightly downward, and he smiled.
“What’s this? Even your training clothes are matching couple outfits with mine. Ye Zhiqiu, are you trying to pursue me?”
Damn! Ye Zhiqiu thought. Wasn’t that exactly what he’d just said to Zhao Keqi?
What had he said after Zhao Keqi admitted it?
Ye Zhiqiu thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered: he’d said, “Sorry, I have a boyfriend.”
He wasn’t falling for the same trick twice.
“No way,” Ye Zhiqiu said, turning and continuing forward.
“Because you already have a boyfriend?” Qin Jianhe asked.
Ye Zhiqiu: “…”
“That Qi Xin guy?” Qin Jianhe asked. “I passed by the Fashion Institute at noon. Saw him carrying an insulated container and going in.”
If You Notice any translation issues or inconsistency in names, genders, or POV etc? Let us know here in the comments or on our Discord server, and we’ll fix it in current and future chapters. Thanks for helping us to improve! 🙂