Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “What were you doing at the Fashion Institute?”
The time Qi Xin delivered lunch was noon, when the roads outside were almost always congested.
Qin Jianhe didn’t speak. He just looked down at him slightly, his thick lashes obscuring the emotion in his eyes, making him appear somewhat inscrutable.
Ye Zhiqui was momentarily stunned, then a moment later he understood.
Qin Jianhe really didn’t let anyone get away with anything.
It was clear: if he didn’t answer Qin Jianhe’s question, Qin Jianhe wouldn’t answer his.
“No,” Ye Zhiqiu said. “Even if I had a boyfriend, it definitely wouldn’t be him.”
“Even if?” Qin Jianhe repeated the phrase meaningfully.
Ye Zhiqiu: “…”
“Then,” Qin Jianhe asked again, “is the food in the school cafeteria not good?”
“Huh?” Ye Zhiqiu blinked, momentarily not understanding his meaning.
“Forget it.” Qin Jianhe looked at him for a moment, then smiled faintly. “Go shower first.”
****
The entire fifth floor, besides the separate shower area, was dominated by a huge, sapphire-like swimming pool.
At the moment, someone was swimming in the pool, churning up white foam.
On the lounge chairs by the pool, attendants attentively offered fruit plates and coffee. Many people who had just finished training were resting.
Qin Jianhe casually draped the coat over his arm onto the back of one of the chairs.
“I’ll wait for you here.” Seeing the confusion flicker in Ye Zhiqiu’s eyes, he explained.
“There are people here who specifically target newcomers, especially ones as soft-skinned as you.” His tone was calm. “It’s your first time. If you don’t have someone with you, it’ll be easy for people to bother you later.”
Ye Zhiqiu had heard Jin Baobao mention before that some wealthy older men liked to target innocent-looking male students.
He hadn’t expected this kind of person to be in a fitness club.
“Isn’t this place pretty proper?” Ye Zhiqiu looked around doubtfully.
Strictly speaking, this place wasn’t just proper; it was probably one of the most high-end fitness clubs around.
Each floor had complete facilities, including post-workout relaxation areas, and plenty of necessary security personnel.
“A proper place doesn’t mean there are no bad people,” Qin Jianhe said succinctly.
That was undeniably true. Ye Zhiqiu appreciated the gesture.
“Then… thank you,” he said.
* * * *
Knowing someone was waiting outside, Ye Zhiqiu showered extremely quickly. He barely dried his hair, just roughly blew it a few times, before changing and coming out.
His steps were hurried, but the moment he saw Qin Jianhe, they unconsciously slowed.
Qin Jianhe was still sitting in the same spot, posture leisurely and casual, one hand resting on the tablet on his knee, slowly scrolling.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up slightly, turned off the tablet, and stood.
“I’m done.” Ye Zhiqiu’s eyes curved slightly. “Ready to go?”
He glanced at the tablet in Qin Jianhe’s hand.
“If there’s something you haven’t finished, you can wait a bit longer.”
“Nothing urgent.” Qin Jianhe’s gaze fell on his slightly damp hair.
“But you.” He reached out and touched his soft, dark hair. “Your hair isn’t dry.”
Ye Zhiqiu’s hair was dark and soft, but very thick. Running his hand through it, Qin Jianhe was unconsciously reminded of layered clouds.
“It’s okay.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled and touched his own slightly damp hair ends.
He had plenty of experience with this.
In his past life, during the years he helped Qi Xin build his career, forget drying his hair—even getting a good night’s sleep was a luxury.
A quick shower, a change of clothes, and rushing out with wet hair into the cold wind for the next meeting, negotiation, or various shows…
It was routine for him.
Sometimes his hair even froze, and he couldn’t care less.
But luckily, though his hair wasn’t short, it wasn’t too long either. Once he got to a warm place, it dried quickly.
“What do you mean, ‘okay’?” Qin Jianhe looked at him. “You’re very sensitive to cold.”
It was a statement, not a question, without a trace of doubt.
“Doing this long-term will give you headaches in the future.”
Seeing him standing still, Qin Jianhe added, “Go dry it.”
His tone was always calm. Even when there was occasional laughter in his eyes, his words lacked the warmth of others’.
At this moment, his tone also carried an undeniable pressure.
But inexplicably, Ye Zhiqiu only felt warmth.
He unconsciously lowered his eyes, then after a moment smiled.
“Okay.” He added, “I’ll be quick.”
“No rush.” Qin Jianhe said, naturally taking his coat and backpack from him. “Come out when it’s dry.”
Ye Zhiqiu went back inside.
This time, he took his time, carefully drying his hair until it was completely dry and his scalp felt warm before coming out again.
* * * *
When he came out, Qin Jianhe had already put away his tablet and was holding his clothes and backpack, waiting.
Earlier, when he’d run into Qin Jianhe at the gym, he’d wanted to ask him to dinner.
But now, for some reason, he hesitated.
“No,” he said, “I ate a lot at noon, so this afternoon…”
“Is Qi Xin’s cooking that good?” Qin Jianhe asked, neither warmly nor coldly.
Ye Zhiqiu: “…”
“Let’s go.” Qin Jianhe said, placing his knit cap on his head. “There’s a new restaurant nearby. Want to try it?”
“How about I treat you?” Ye Zhiqiu said. “Don’t I still owe you a meal?”
“Next time,” Qin Jianhe said.
“Hey, you’re really autocratic, you know that?” Ye Zhiqiu followed behind Qin Jianhe.
“Am I?” Qin Jianhe laughed. “I didn’t know.”
* * * *
The restaurant was near the Western place they’d eaten at before, just a few minutes’ walk from the gym.
When they arrived, it was peak dinner hour. There wasn’t a single private room left.
Luckily, there was still a table by the window on the second floor. The previous guests had just left, so they were fortunate not to have to wait.
“What do you want to eat?” Qin Jianhe handed her the menu the server had brought. “You order.”
“Let’s have some soup.” Ye Zhiqiu said. “Something light.”
“Okay.” Qin Jianhe agreed.
Ye Zhiqiu ordered one soup and two dishes. Qin Jianhe added two more and a dessert.
“Do you come here to practice often?” Ye Zhiqiu asked.
Qin Jianhe had figured out that whenever Ye Zhiqiu wanted to be distant or polite, he called him “President Qin” or used formal address.
If he was angry or had deeper feelings, he called him “Qin Jianhe.”
“No.” Qin Jianhe said. “It’s the end of the year, the company is busy. Only occasionally.”
“Presi…”
“Hm?”
Ye Zhiqiu pressed his lips together. The words on the tip of his tongue suddenly wouldn’t come out.
He really wanted to ask Qin Jianhe why he was so good to him.
Was it because he wanted him to come to Q.L. after his collaboration with VIA ended?
But the issues with VIA and Jinqi weren’t even resolved yet. And even if that was his intention, he could have just sent someone from the company. That would have been enough weight.
Or…
Ye Zhiqiu frowned slightly.
Earlier at the gym, after drying his hair, he’d carefully looked at himself in the mirror.
Undoubtedly, the face in the mirror was very good-looking.
Even after all those years, even after he’d wasted away to nothing in his past life, he could still be described by the word “beauty.”
So he knew his own strengths well.
Besides his talent and genius in design, and the information advantage of being reborn…
He also had this face, blessed with innate advantages.
And so, he didn’t hesitate to use this face as a weapon, whether against Qi Xin or Gao Wenye.
But, he could ask Zhao Keqi, “Are you trying to hit on me?” He couldn’t say the same thing to Qin Jianhe.
In his past life, until the day of his accident, Qin Jianhe still didn’t seem to be married, and there were never any related dating rumors.
Back then, Qin Xusheng was still alive, but his personality had become even more bizarre.
Reporters would surround him whenever he was admitted to or discharged from the hospital, listening to him curse Qin Jianhe for being cold and unfilial.
And among the various charges he listed, one was always Qin Jianhe’s unmarried status.
Ye Zhiqiu had only occasionally seen it, but he remembered it clearly, because back then he had truly, deeply envied Qin Jianhe.
Thinking back now, the marriage of Qin Xusheng and Nie Fengjun was somewhat similar to his own relationship with Qi Xin in his past life.
Except, Qin Xusheng and Nie Fengjun had truly loved each other. But after achieving fame and success through Nie Fengjun, he could no longer resist the increasing temptations, or perhaps no longer bothered to disguise his true nature.
Qi Xin, on the other hand, had treated him as a transaction with Tao Ruoqing from the very beginning.
From start to finish, he was just a stepping stone, a shortcut for Qi Xin to get close to Jiang Nan.
After using him to achieve success, he also had the task of cleaning up for Tao Ruoqing, which led to further, deeper manipulation of him…
Come to think of it, Nie Fengjun was far luckier than him.
But what difference did it make?
Two relationships so full of exploitation could only leave one completely disillusioned with love.
It was the same for him.
For Qin Jianhe, who was only six or seven at the time, witnessing his parents’ marriage crumble, witnessing his father’s absurdity and debauchery, couldn’t have been much better, could it?
If not, he wouldn’t have so firmly chosen to go with his mother back then.
But if that wasn’t it, was Qin Jianhe just too good to him?
Ye Zhiqiu couldn’t figure it out.
“What’s wrong?” Seeing him lost in thought, Qin Jianhe asked.
“Nothing.” Ye Zhiqiu shook his head.
“If there’s something you want to ask me,” Qin Jianhe said, “you can ask anything.”
“Huh?” Ye Zhiqiu blinked confusedly, momentarily not understanding his meaning. “Ask what?”
“Aren’t you meeting with Meilan tomorrow to negotiate?” Qin Jianhe smiled faintly at him. “The Qin Group has a mid-range brand with some connections to Meilan. If you need help, just say the word.”
“Oh, that.” Ye Zhiqiu laughed, then shook his head. “No need. I know what I’m doing.”
“That’s good, then,” Qin Jianhe said.
* * * *
After dinner, they walked together for a bit, parting at the same intersection where Qin Jianhe had waited for him last time.
Qin Jianhe headed toward Q.L., while Ye Zhiqiu went back to the gym to get his car.
“President Qin,” Ye Zhiqiu called out after taking a few steps. He turned back, his eyes especially bright in the darkness. “Wait for my good news tomorrow.”
“Mm.” The warm orange glow of the streetlights softened the man’s cold, sharp features. A smile played at the corner of his mouth as he responded calmly.
“And,” Ye Zhiqiu added, “thank you.”
To this, Qin Jianhe didn’t respond, only nodded slightly, then turned and walked away.
The streetlight stretched his shadow very long.
A corner of his coat, lifted by the wind, fluttered against the light like a butterfly’s wing, tracing a beautiful arc.
Ye Zhiqiu’s heart inexplicably lightened.
As if those wings had sprouted on his own heart, allowing him to ride the wind and fly.
* * * *
The negotiation between VIA and Meilan was set for nine the next morning at the Epoch Blue Business Hotel, in a conference room on the top floor.
Given that both sides had already disclosed the basic framework of the negotiation and had reached a consensus on each other’s demands, the talks proceeded very smoothly.
With virtually no objections, two hours later, the conference room doors opened on schedule.
The negotiation had been conducted in complete silence. Before this, neither side had leaked any information to the outside world. They were waiting to simultaneously release a cooperation announcement at noon.
After seeing the Meilan team off, the VIA group took the elevator down to the fifth floor.
Sun Wei had booked a private room. They took the opportunity to eat together and celebrate.
At noon, when everyone was slightly tipsy, Sun Wei shook her phone with a smile.
“It’s here.”
Instantly, some people got up and gathered around Sun Wei to look at the announcement together. Others picked up their phones to check the news.
Ye Zhiqiu sat in his seat, smiling as he opened his phone.
He first checked VIA’s official website and Weibo.
VIA’s announcement was very simple: Welcome our new partner, @Meilan. Happy cooperation.
Compared to VIA, Meilan’s announcement was much more interesting.
@Meilan: Grateful for the encounter, fated to join hands. @VIA, let’s walk the flower path together, with no fear of betrayal.
“Holy shit!” a young guy from the operations department couldn’t help exclaiming. “Sister Sun, did you buy PR articles?”
“Are you stupid or just drunk?” another girl laughed. “Meilan posted that. How could Sister Sun buy PR articles from them?”
“Meilan’s got guts, openly mocking Jinqi like that. So satisfying.”
Sun Wei: “…”
Sun Wei was stunned too.
At the negotiating table, Meilan hadn’t given an inch. Why would they speak out for them like this after the talks?
This wasn’t part of either party’s obligations. Let alone speaking out and defending them to this degree—even between good friends, this would be considered extremely loyal.
“Xiao Ye,” Sun Wei looked at Ye Zhiqiu, “did you say something to your senior?”
“No.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled and shook his head. “Besides, my senior is only a design director. He doesn’t have that kind of authority.”
“That’s true.” Sun Wei smiled.
“Anyway, it’s a good thing,” Ye Zhiqiu said.
He looked down, opened his chat with Qin Jianhe, and was about to type when a message from Qin Jianhe arrived.
[QIN: Congratulations. You got what you wanted.]
Ye Zhiqiu pressed his lips together in a smile. The question he’d wanted to ask, he didn’t.
He typed a reply: [Thank you.]
His phone vibrated again. Thinking it was still Qin Jianhe, Ye Zhiqiu looked down and saw a message from Qi Xin.
[Qi Xin: Xiaoqiu, I’m here. The weather cleared up today. Cafeteria or the lakeside pavilion? Your choice.]
[One Leaf Knows Autumn: Sorry, I’m not at school today.]
[Qi Xin: ???]
[One Leaf Knows Autumn: Check Weibo’s trending topics.]
In just a few minutes, the news about VIA and Meilan had been pushed to the top of the trending searches.
Jinqi had bought so much paid promotion in the previous days that now that public opinion had flipped, they were the first to be hit by the backlash.
[I thought Jinqi seemed a bit off before. I’ve never seen such disrespect for a cooperation partner. It’s fine if they don’t want to cooperate, but Jinqi gave the impression of deliberately setting a trap, luring people in and then killing them. Really vicious.]
[+1. When I said this before, their internet trolls came after me. LOL. Now the egg’s on their face, right?]
[LOL. Jinqi just wanted to prove VIA’s products were as cheap as their own shabby giveaways. Now Meilan’s slapped them in the face. Meilan’s status is way higher than Jinqi’s, right? Probably even higher than their own high-end brand Ruilin. If they say Meilan is lowering themselves, aren’t they insulting themselves?]
[Jinqi really shot themselves in the foot. Hopping around like clowns, stupid and evil.]
[So really, don’t do things that harm others without benefiting yourself.]
[After Jinqi’s stunt this time, anyone thinking of cooperating with them in the future will have to think twice.]
[Meilan’s really something. So loyal.]
[Ahhh, I didn’t even know about VIA before, but this time I’m going to rally behind them. Checked their website—the clothes are gorgeous! Not many domestic brands can compare. Why aren’t they more popular?]
[Ahhhh, I haven’t even gotten my hands on the leftovers yet. Where did all these people come from, fighting me for them?]
[If you look at the designers listed for those styles, it’s probably Ye Zhiqiu, right? He won this year’s international fashion competition. He’s got real skills. Single-handedly stopped VIA’s downward spiral.]
[Yeah, I was only looking at the clothes before, never noticed the designer’s name. Thanks to the comment above, I see it now. This designer’s aesthetic is really impressive.]
[Impressive and ends up at VIA? Hilarious.]
Qi Xin scrolled through the comments, unable to articulate the feeling in his heart.
At first, when Jiang Nan stabbed VIA in the back, he’d been a little angry. But mostly, he was worried Ye Zhiqiu would blame him again.
After all, he’d finally managed to smooth things over. He didn’t want to lose all that progress.
So he’d waited outside the Jiang company until late at night.
Partly to apologize for that phone call and win Jiang Nan back, and partly to see if he could beg Jiang Nan to go easy.
Unfortunately, he never got to see Jiang Nan.
Jiang Nan saw him waiting outside and took a different route home through the back door.
Later, Ye Zhiqiu didn’t blame him, so he’d put the whole thing out of his mind.
He thought it was all over. But now, VIA had fought back.
He could only imagine how difficult Jiang Nan’s situation must be.
He hadn’t even had a chance to explain about that phone call, and now this…
Qi Xin’s vision darkened.
And on top of that, he’d braved the cold wind early this morning to go to the market, buy ingredients, and cook. Ye Zhiqiu wasn’t even there, and he hadn’t bothered to tell him in advance.
So nothing had ever really changed between them, had it?
Happy? He gets a smile. Unhappy? He’s sent running around, made a fool of.
No matter how hard he worked, one word from Ye Zhiqiu and it was all for nothing. He couldn’t even be bothered to explain.
Torn between Jiang Nan on one side and Ye Zhiqiu on the other, standing in the cold wind, Qi Xin felt like he was being ripped apart.
He replied with a cold expression.
[Qi Xin: I worked really hard to prepare this meal.]
[One Leaf Knows Autumn: Don’t you have to eat too?]
Qi Xin: …
Qi Xin took a deep breath.
If he didn’t know perfectly well that Ye Zhiqiu couldn’t care less about him, he’d suspect Ye Zhiqiu understood him so well he could hit his anger points with such precision.
Qi Xin thought for a moment and trotted out the classic cheater’s line.
[Qi Xin: I don’t mind how much food I make for you or how much time I waste. I do it willingly. But you didn’t even mention you had to deal with VIA stuff this afternoon. Weren’t you just afraid I’d tell Jiang Nan?]
[Qi Xin: I already promised you I wouldn’t contact him anymore. Don’t you believe me?]
In his experience, once he said this, the other person would fall into the trap of trying to prove themselves.
No matter how aloof, they’d instinctively turn around and explain that they did trust him.
Soon, a reply came from Ye Zhiqiu.
[One Leaf Knows Autumn: Believe you? Why should I believe you? Who are you to me? How long have we even known each other? What makes you think I should believe you?]
[One Leaf Knows Autumn: Hey, whoever you are, don’t get so full of yourself.]
A barrage of questions left Qi Xin reeling, his mind going blank.
This wasn’t what he’d expected. Not at all.
The cold wind bit at him. The hand holding his phone began to tremble slightly.
Qi Xin calmed himself for a moment and started typing on his phone, but he couldn’t stop making typos.
He finally managed to type a message and hit send.
A merciless red exclamation mark appeared before his eyes again.
Ye Zhiqiu had blocked him again.
Qi Xin: “…”
Damn it! He’d just barely managed to win him back!
What the hell had he been thinking, losing his temper at Ye Zhiqiu like that?
* * * *
The backlash in public opinion grew more and more severe. Many netizens who had been manipulated by Jinqi slowly realized what had happened and turned their guns on Jinqi.
And because Jinqi had bought trending topics in bulk in the previous days, plus the dramatic reversal today generating massive traffic, VIA got a wave of free publicity without spending a cent.
Not only that, several major clients who had left years ago came back during this storm, and large orders came flying in like snowflakes.
VIA rose again. Not only did it reverse its decline, it showed signs of skyrocketing.
And the name Ye Zhiqiu once again shook the industry, attracting the attention of countless people.
Among them, many came headhunting.
Compared to VIA’s jubilation, things were much more somber inside Jinqi.
Jiang Nan sat in his office with a dark face, silent. His usually doting grandfather was so angry his blood pressure spiked.
Just moments ago, the old man had personally issued an apology to VIA in Jinqi’s name, claiming that inexperienced subordinate staff had made a grave mistake, and repeatedly apologized to VIA.
The apology naturally drew mockery.
But in the long run, it was better than stubbornly staying silent.
Looking at the scathing comments, the old man was furious.
“From the start, I said don’t cooperate with a second-rate brand like VIA. You wouldn’t listen. Then you couldn’t even cooperate properly. Now look—you’ve handed victory to VIA.” The deep furrow between his brows was etched deeply. “Your parents sent you abroad to gain experience for a few years after graduation. What did you actually learn? Even if you’d had these ideas within your own company, it would have been fine. VIA was already on its way down. They were probably thrilled to see you walking right into their trap.”
“Stop it.” The more he talked, the more agitated Jiang Nan became.
Seeing Ye Zhiqiu’s reputation soar in the industry again made his teeth ache with hatred.
He was frustrated. He was regretful. He couldn’t imagine how or when VIA had connected with Meilan.
How was this even possible?
Even when his own family’s company had cooperated with VIA, they’d only used the insignificant Jinqi. Even then, his grandfather felt Jinqi was too good for VIA.
A brand of Meilan’s caliber—how could it possibly be interested in VIA?
Jiang Nan couldn’t understand it.
“Go home.” The old man felt exhausted. “Spend a couple of days reflecting. Don’t come back to the company until you’ve thought things through clearly.”
“Are you trying to humiliate me?” Jiang Nan had only recently returned from abroad and was trying to establish authority in the company. He never expected to step on a landmine with his very first move.
He was already furious, and instead of supporting him, his usually doting father was putting him down.
Wouldn’t the subordinates who already didn’t respect him look down on him even more now?
“What else do you want me to do?” the old man snapped. “Pamper you? Indulge you? Do you think everyone else is blind?”
Jiang Nan: “…”
Furious, he got up and left.
* * * *
It was dark by the time he reached the door.
Jiang Nan suddenly felt lost, unsure where to go.
He opened his phone and found the contact saved under the name “Yu.” He stared at the number, lost in thought.
Qin Jianhe must know about this by now, right?
Was he happy for Ye Zhiqiu?
Did he ever think about his situation?
If—if he called him now—would he answer?
Jiang Nan stared blankly for a moment, then gritted his teeth, gathered his courage, and tapped the number. The call connected instantly.
After a long moment, the other side answered. A deep, pleasant voice sounded in Jiang Nan’s ear.
“Hello, Qin Jianhe.”
Jiang Nan was overjoyed. He suppressed his racing heart and adjusted his voice.
“Hello, brother. It’s Jiang Nan…”
Beep, beep, beep.
The call ended.
Jiang Nan: “…”
Standing in the cold wind and staring at the dark phone screen, Jiang Nan almost cried.
After a long moment, he raised his finger again and pulled up Qi Xin’s number.
* * * *
Time flew by.
After that reversal, VIA skyrocketed. Orders were already scheduled through the second half of next year.
And alongside VIA’s rise, a new energy company called “Yunkai” also began to make a name for itself in the industry, rapidly gaining prominence.
With the Spring Festival approaching, Sun Wei knew she could no longer keep Ye Zhiqiu.
She hadn’t actually planned to keep him.
Ye Zhiqiu was VIA’s benefactor—and hers as well. She didn’t want to hinder his future.
Because anyone could see that Ye Zhiqiu was truly wasted at VIA.
As the holiday neared, Sun Wei called Ye Zhiqiu into her office and pushed a large red envelope toward him.
“Think of this as New Year’s money for a kid,” she said. “For your later designs, I plan to pay you royalties.”
“Thank you.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled, not standing on ceremony.
Sun Wei’s suggestion was a bit unexpected.
But since she was being so generous, he didn’t mind helping her again.
“Have you decided where you’re going?” Sun Wei asked.
“Teacher Meng Da from Q.L. contacted me a couple of days ago.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “Probably Q.L.”
“What do you mean ‘probably’?” Sun Wei’s eyes lit up. “You definitely have to go.”
Ye Zhiqiu smiled again.
Come to think of it, since that night, apart from accidentally running into each other twice at the gym, he and Qin Jianhe hadn’t been in contact.
During this time at the gym, he’d become very solid with the basics and had already scheduled sessions with Coach Zhou Hong, the trainer Qin Jianhe had recommended.
Besides that, he’d become good friends with Zhao Keqi and had visited Professor Zhang Wenyuan’s home several times on his own…
Even though they hadn’t met, his life seemed strangely filled with traces of Qin Jianhe.
But he still hadn’t had a chance to treat Qin Jianhe to the meal he owed him.
At the end of the year, even Sun Wei was running around nonstop. How much busier must Qin Jianhe be, managing the entire Qin Group?
So, with nothing particularly urgent, Ye Zhiqiu hadn’t taken the initiative to contact him.
“I have some conditions,” Ye Zhiqiu said to Sun Wei. “Q.L. might not agree.”
Sun Wei nodded.
“Everything can be negotiated. Your value is clear,” she said. “I believe this industry will give you a fair evaluation.”
She sighed softly.
“Even though VIA has some fresh blood now, after you leave I’m still worried about a gap.”
“Sister Sun.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “If you trust me, I can recommend two people to you.”
“Of course I do,” Sun Wei said immediately. “When have I ever not trusted you?”
“One is a senior female student of mine, a junior named Zhang Ting. If you have no objections, I can introduce her later so you can meet and talk.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled faintly. “The other is named Zhou Wen. He’s currently working at a small brand and is considering changing jobs. You might want to reach out to him.”
Both of them were rising stars in the fashion design world.
Not widely known yet, but for a brand positioned like VIA, they were more than enough.
“I don’t know how to thank you, Xiao Ye.” Sun Wei was incredibly grateful.
“You’ve already paid me well. And at VIA, I’ve gained a lot.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “That’s more than enough.”
* * * *
When he left, it was already pitch dark outside.
Ye Zhiqiu received another call from Meng Da.
“Xiao Ye.” Ye Zhiqiu was a hot commodity now, and Meng Da was afraid of losing him to someone else. “Let’s meet for a meal in the next couple of days.”
“Okay.” Ye Zhiqiu laughed, then paused before adding, “But I have some conditions that might require a face-to-face meeting with President Qin.”
“President Qin?” Meng Da sounded surprised.
“Yeah.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “Is that inconvenient?”
“Convenient, convenient.” Without even asking Qin Jianhe’s opinion, Meng Da agreed immediately. “It’s just that President Qin can be quite cold and businesslike. I’m afraid you might find him difficult to deal with.”
“That’s okay,” Ye Zhiqiu said.
“Xiao Ye,” Meng Da was still worried, “make sure you wait for my message before making any final decisions, alright?”
“Okay. Thank you, Teacher Meng.” Ye Zhiqiu laughed and reassured him. “I won’t commit to anyone until I’ve met President Qin. Don’t worry.”
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! 🙂