On Valentine’s Day… I Bought My Boss a Rose

Early in the morning, Meng Da was already pacing outside Qin Jianhe’s office.

Going in…

It was just hiring a designer. At most, it should be a matter for HR and the design department.

This was the first time they needed the boss himself to lower his status for a face-to-face meeting.

He was afraid that before he could even get the words out, his boss would kick him out.

Not going in, he might miss out on Ye Zhiqiu.

The arguments he’d prepared all night didn’t seem quite perfect enough. Meng Da paced back and forth, hands behind his back, from east to west, north to south.

Just as he was hesitating, Qin Jianhe’s secretary, Zhou Tongxin, walked over from the secretary’s office carrying a tall stack of documents.

“What’s wrong, Teacher Meng?” Zhou Tongxin smiled when he saw him. “The secretaries and assistants have been watching you circle in front of the boss’s door since early morning. I didn’t realize there was a hot stove there.”

“Who are you calling an ant on a hot stove, you little brat?” Meng Da laughed despite himself. Seeing Zhou Tongxin about to knock, he quickly grabbed his arm. “Secretary Zhou, when you go in, take a look and see what kind of mood the boss is in today.”

Zhou Tongxin: “…Did something major happen in the design department?”

“No, no,” Meng Da said quickly. “Something else.”

Zhou Tongxin straightened his expression and knocked on the door.

Zhou Tongxin went in. Since he was already waiting anyway, Meng Da went to the break room and made himself a coffee.

He finished his coffee. The door to the president’s office finally opened, and Zhou Tongxin came back out with another thick stack of documents.

“How is he?” Meng Da hurried over.

“Emm~” Zhou Tongxin thought for a moment, then shook his head apologetically. “You know how the boss is. He never lets his emotions show. It’s really hard to tell.”

Meng Da: “…”

“You’re an old hand. Whatever it is, the boss will cut you some slack,” Zhou Tongxin said. “If you don’t dare knock, I’ll knock for you.”

Before Meng Da could react, Zhou Tongxin had already knocked on Qin Jianhe’s door again. Then he quickly walked back toward the secretary’s office, grinning.

“You little brat.” Meng Da was both amused and exasperated, unable to hold back a curse.

Qin Jianhe’s voice came from inside the office, as indifferent as ever.

“Come in.”

In for a penny, in for a pound. Meng Da organized his thoughts as he pushed the door open.

Qin Jianhe was bent over his desk signing documents, not even looking up.

“Morning meeting in five minutes,” he said. “If you have something to say, say it fast.”

Five minutes?

Five minutes was perfect.

Enough time to explain the whole situation, but not enough time for the boss to yell at him.

Meng Da thought to himself.

From the start, he hadn’t expected this to be approved immediately. He was prepared to hang around and pester the boss.

“Boss,” Meng Da began, “do you remember the winner of this year’s international fashion competition, Ye Zhiqiu?”

The pen that had been flying across the page suddenly paused.

Meng Da heard Qin Jianhe respond quietly: “Mm.”

“Oh, look at my memory.” Meng Da slapped his forehead. “You ran into him before at Old Huang’s fabric factory.”

“His cooperation with VIA is ending now, right?” Meng Da continued. “I want to recruit him to Q.L.”

“Mm.” Qin Jianhe finally looked up. “When have you not wanted to?”

Meng Da: “…”

“Three minutes left,” Qin Jianhe said.

“Here’s the thing.” The hardest part was coming. Meng Da spoke very slowly. “The kid is also very interested in us. Especially you. He’s admired you for a long time…”

Meng Da paused.

He couldn’t tell if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw his boss’s usually tightly pressed lips twitch slightly.

“Admired me for a long time?” Seeing Meng Da pause, Qin Jianhe raised an eyebrow. “And then?”

“And then…” Meng Da gave a flattering little laugh. “He wants to meet with you in person to discuss the terms of joining our company.”

He quickly added, “Although Xiao Ye is young, his impact at VIA this year has been significant. Even M.H. is courting him now. Personally, I don’t think his requests are particularly excessive.”

He carefully studied Qin Jianhe’s expression as he spoke.

Qin Jianhe’s face remained expressionless. Just as he finished, Qin Jianhe glanced at his watch.

“Fine,” he said. “You set the time.”

“No, boss, he really—” Meng Da had instinctively assumed Qin Jianhe would refuse, so the explanation tumbled out. Halfway through, he suddenly froze. “What?”

Qin Jianhe had already stood up to organize his meeting materials. Seeing Meng Da standing there like a stunned goose, he couldn’t help but be amused.

“Do I need to repeat myself?” he asked.

“No, no, no.” Meng Da immediately stood up and hurried out. “I’ll get right on it.”

* * * *

After Meng Da’s figure disappeared through the door, Qin Jianhe stood there for a moment.

This pause lasted quite a long time.

After a while, he lowered his eyes slightly, and the corners of his mouth lifted.

* * * *

With the year-end rush, as soon as Meng Da left Qin Jianhe’s office, he hurried to the secretary’s office to confirm Qin Jianhe’s schedule with Zhou Tongxin.

It was less than a week until the new year. Zhou Tongxin scrolled down for a long time before finding a small opening.

“Hey, the evening of the 14th.” He pointed at the screen. “The boss’s schedule is free.”

“The 14th?” Meng Da leaned in to look. “Valentine’s Day?”

“Yeah.” Zhou Tongxin hesitated for a moment, then added, “This time is a bit special. What if the boss has a private date?”

“The boss doesn’t have a date.” Meng Da was certain. “Valentine’s Day is even better. Everyone else is on dates, leaving the boss all alone…”

“That’s true.” A young assistant nearby covered her mouth with a laugh. “The boss’s friends have been in and out of relationships so many times. How come the boss never dates?”

Hearing this, Zhou Tongxin shot her a look. The assistant immediately hugged her documents and ran off, still giggling.

“I’ll pencil it in for now.” Once she was gone, Zhou Tongxin couldn’t help but laugh himself. “I’ll mention it to the boss on the way to the meeting and text you whether it’s okay or not.”

“Thorough and reliable.” Meng Da immediately relaxed and gave Zhou Tongxin a thumbs-up.

* * * *

When Meng Da called, Ye Zhiqiu wasn’t out of bed yet.

The new year was approaching, school was already on break. And now, he could be considered officially resigned.

Barring special circumstances, he basically didn’t need to go to VIA anymore.

“Xiao Ye.” As soon as the call connected, Meng Da excitedly said, “Are you free on the evening of the 14th?”

Ye Zhiqiu, still groggy and with his mind blank, took a moment before answering, “Yes, I’m free.”

“Great, great!” Meng Da said.

After Meng Da went on for a while about the things to pay attention to when meeting Qin Jianhe, Ye Zhiqiu finally realized he was talking about the date to meet Qin Jianhe.

“Okay.” He checked the date on his calendar.

Three more days.

“Is it in his office?” Ye Zhiqiu asked, a bit puzzled. “That time is after work hours, right?”

“That’s fine,” Meng Da said. “I’ve already confirmed with the boss.”

“Okay then,” Ye Zhiqiu said.

* * * *

He got up, washed, and dressed. But instead of going downstairs to eat, he sat down, opened his laptop, and checked the email Zhang Mian had sent him.

Although Yunkai hadn’t been established long, thanks to its technical advantages and Zhang Mian’s knowledge of the new energy industry, it had already secured quite a few orders.

Naturally, Zhang Mian had also accumulated quite a few documents and reports.

Ye Zhiqiu roughly reviewed the data, then called Zhang Mian. They arranged to meet at a discreet location.

After that, Zhang Mian reported on the company’s current direction and project progress…

Before he even finished the call, someone knocked on his door.

“Young master.” Aunt Zhao’s voice came faintly through the door. “Young Master Qi is here.”

****

After that last incident, Ye Zhiqiu had ignored Qi Xin for a full two weeks before acknowledging him again.

When he reappeared before him, Qi Xin had noticeably become “obedient.”

Under his humiliation and “training,” the sharp edges on him were gradually being worn away.

In front of him, he was slowly becoming submissive. His distinctive traits were blurring. His self-esteem was weakening.

Maybe it was an act, maybe it was real. Ye Zhiqiu didn’t care.

He unscrupulously emotionally manipulated and controlled Qi Xin, then occasionally fed him a sugar cube. Tightening and loosening, casually weaving a trap around him.

But no matter how they interacted in private, in front of Tao Ruoqing, Ye Zhiqiu always acted as if he had been won over by Qi Xin.

Ye Zhiqiu had many suitors, but he’d never been serious about any of them.

In her eyes, this was the first time he seemed interested.

So, to keep Qi Xin steady, Tao Ruoqing had already given him a portion of investment funds.

This was money she had secretly siphoned from Yeding over the years, her retirement fund.

She dreamed of Qiyun becoming the next VIA, taking her along for the ride.

With real money in hand, Qi Xin naturally became even more obsequious toward Ye Zhiqiu, terrified that this ancestor might get unhappy and let the bird in his cage fly away.

“Let him wait,” Ye Zhiqiu said.

“Someone looking for you?” Zhang Mian asked.

“No one important.” Ye Zhiqiu’s voice was calm. “Tell me about the contact with New Power.”

“I was just about to discuss that with you,” Zhang Mian said. “The government recently announced new policies, continuously increasing support for new energy. So New Power has indeed put industrial transformation on their agenda. Because our production technology can effectively avoid expensive metals like cobalt and nickel, they’re very interested in our proposal and technology.”

“Mm.” Ye Zhiqiu acknowledged.

“However, given our company’s small size, they have significant concerns.”

“Then it depends on how ambitious Wang Qitang is.” Ye Zhiqiu laughed softly. “In the past two years, whether new energy vehicles or hybrids, Ruiyi’s market share has been growing. Domestically and internationally, some manufacturers have even started abandoning traditional vehicles to focus on new energy. If he hesitates any longer, there might not even be scraps left for him.”

“Ye Zhiqiu,” Zhang Mian sighed involuntarily. “What other good stuff haven’t you shown us?”

There was some, but that was his bargaining chip for future negotiations with Ruiyi and Nie Fengjun. He wasn’t ready to bring it out yet.

“Isn’t this enough?” he laughed.

“Enough, more than enough,” Zhang Mian said. “But can’t I be curious?”

“Mastering this is enough for you to live comfortably,” Ye Zhiqiu said. “Eat one bite at a time.”

Zhang Mian was actually five or six years younger than him. He didn’t know how Ye Zhiqiu could sound so world-weary.

“Yes, sir,” Zhang Mian laughed.

* * * *

After hanging up, Ye Zhiqiu went downstairs.

Qi Xin was sitting with Tao Ruoqing, drinking tea and chatting. Hearing footsteps, he instinctively stood up.

“Xiaoqiu.” He smiled. “Since you have some free time these days, want to come see Qiyun?”

As their interactions increased, and as Ye Zhiqiu casually relaxed the boundaries between them, Qi Xin no longer hid his family’s business like he had at the beginning.

Sometimes Ye Zhiqiu wondered if, while he was manipulating Qi Xin, Qi Xin wasn’t completely passive either.

He was gradually revealing the details of Qiyun, laying the groundwork to make those requests of him later.

“No.” Ye Zhiqiu stretched lazily. “Looking at fabrics and making samples every day—can’t I have one day off?”

“I was too eager,” Qi Xin said. “Then is there anything you want to do? I’m free this morning. I can take you to relax, and we can have lunch together.”

“Don’t want to go out.” Ye Zhiqiu sat on the sofa and ate his breakfast.

The morning sun fell on him, making his fair skin nearly translucent. His casual posture was like a beautiful, lazy cat.

“I’ve never seen such a lazy child.” Tao Ruoqing shooed them out. “Go on, go out with Xiao Qi for a while.”

“There are new movies out for the Spring Festival holiday. A few good ones.” Qi Xin smiled. “Not far, just nearby.”

Ye Zhiqiu reluctantly stirred himself.

“Alright, then.”

* * * *

Ye Zhiqiu wasn’t particularly interested in the movie. Especially since Qi Xin had chosen an artsy romance film. It made him drowsy.

Coming out of the theater, Ye Zhiqiu was still groggy when he heard Qi Xin answer a call.

“It’s almost the New Year, right?” Qi Xin said. “Zhou Hao and Wang Qun want to get together for a meal. They’re not far from here. Should I have them come over?”

“I don’t like them.” Ye Zhiqiu snapped awake, his face instantly turning cold. “What did I tell you last time?”

“Qi Xin,” Ye Zhiqiu asked, “do you really like me?”

“Of course I like you.” Qi Xin immediately panicked.

“You like me? And you’d still take me to see Wang Qun, who looks at me with such lecherous eyes?” Ye Zhiqiu asked.

Qi Xin: “…”

Qi Xin said, “He just has that kind of squinty look. He really wasn’t being disrespectful to you.”

“Really?” Ye Zhiqiu laughed. “Since they’re so important to you, go ahead by yourself.”

“No, no, I won’t go.” Qi Xin quickly sent a message declining. “See, I’ve already refused.”

“Qi Xin.” Ye Zhiqiu suddenly stopped, his delicate brows slightly furrowed. “My dad already looks down on your family. My brother’s investigated your social circle thoroughly. I keep telling you not to associate with such low-class friends. Why don’t you listen?”

Qi Xin: “…”

They weren’t that low-class.

Wang Qun was an alumnus of his and Jiang Nan’s, now a designer at some small clothing brand. He had always supported him and Jiang Nan.

Zhou Hao’s family owned a fabric factory. Not huge, but not small either. They had given Qiyun very favorable prices and payment terms, helping him out a lot. You could say they’d been very generous.

But with Ye Zhiqiu saying this, he didn’t dare argue.

Seeing this, Ye Zhiqiu didn’t even feel like eating anymore. He turned and walked away.

“If you don’t want to be clear, don’t come looking for me again,” he said.

In his previous life, Qi Xin had used every means—soft and hard, subtle and gradual—to make him drift away from his own friends, the better to control him.

Now Ye Zhiqiu was giving him the same gift, slowly turning him into a man with no one left.

Especially Zhou Hao.

In his previous life, Zhou Hao had solved countless problems for Qi Xin and bailed him out many times.

Such a good friend.

Qi Xin didn’t deserve him.

“Okay, okay, okay.” Qi Xin quickly caught up. “I won’t associate with them anymore.”

Only then did Ye Zhiqiu stop and smile faintly at him.

“So, these next few days, can we go out more often?” Qi Xin asked.

“Want to rest quietly for a few days,” Ye Zhiqiu said.

“What about Valentine’s Day…”

“Didn’t we agree? Until Qiyun is successful, until my dad approves, we’re just friends.” Ye Zhiqiu frowned. “Why would friends celebrate Valentine’s Day?”

Qi Xin: “…”

“Xiaoqiu.” Qi Xin finally asked, “In the future, when you join Q.L., could you pass on any designs that Q.L. doesn’t want to Qiyun?”

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu looking at him with an ambiguous smile, Qi Xin quickly explained.

“I’m not trying to use you,” he said. “I just really, really want your dad to approve of me sooner. I really, really want to be worthy of you. I really, really want to be with you, Xiaoqiu.”

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu laughed, looking very pleased.

“Sure,” he grinned. “If I can get into Q.L.”

* * * *

Three days later, Ye Zhiqiu arrived as agreed.

At six in the evening, he stepped into the Q.L. lobby right on time.

After identifying himself, a staff member politely escorted him to a private elevator that went straight to the top floor, toward Qin Jianhe’s office.

There was a knock on the door. A familiar voice came faintly from inside.

“Come in.”

The staff member smiled, gestured for him to enter, and opened the door.

Qin Jianhe’s office was very large, divided into work and leisure areas.

The leisure space could even accommodate a small group meeting of more than a dozen people.

A comfortable set of sofas surrounded a space by the window. On the coffee table sat a half-finished chessboard.

Qin Jianhe sat behind his desk, looked up, and gestured.

“Sit.”

Ye Zhiqiu sat down.

Soon, an assistant brought in two glasses of warm milk.

“May I?” Though he knew it was for him, Ye Zhiqiu still asked since Qin Jianhe hadn’t said anything.

He hadn’t driven today. He had deliberately taken a taxi.

Valentine’s Day made the whole city bustling. Traffic was inevitably congested, and driving would have been inconvenient.

He had gotten out across the street and walked over.

Even though it was only a ten-minute walk including the traffic lights, his hands were already cold.

“You may.” Qin Jianhe smiled, stood up, and sat across from him. “If it wasn’t for you, would I have just let it sit there and get cold?”

Ye Zhiqiu lowered his eyes and smiled, cradling the cup in his hands.

“State your terms.” Qin Jianhe looked at him.

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony,” Ye Zhiqiu said. “First, let me make it clear: all my terms and requests are based on the premise that they won’t affect the company’s normal operations.”

He was rarely dressed so formally today, appearing more refined and elegant than usual.

The tailored suit perfectly outlined his beautiful figure, yet the formality gave him a slightly restrained, almost ascetic aura.

Qin Jianhe looked at him, his deep phoenix eyes unconsciously narrowing slightly.

“Mm.” He acknowledged and picked up the other glass of warm milk.

“First,” Ye Zhiqiu said directly. “I don’t want a fixed annual salary. I want my compensation to be tied to my output, including designs the company adopts and their subsequent production and sales figures.”

“Confident.” Qin Jianhe laughed. “Fine.”

“Second,” Ye Zhiqiu continued. “I want the flexibility to work part-time as a stylist or costume consultant for productions while still working here. Like I said, without affecting my main job.”

“Ye Zhiqiu.” Qin Jianhe laughed again. “Isn’t that a bit greedy? Studying, working, learning leather craft, and taking on other part-time work…”

“Are you Superman?” he asked.

“Do you agree or not?” Ye Zhiqiu asked calmly.

They looked at each other for a moment. After a long pause, Qin Jianhe nodded slightly.

“Fine.”

“And,” Ye Zhiqiu continued, “some designs that are unsuitable for Q.L., I might give to others.”

Hearing this, Qin Jianhe paused thoughtfully.

Those dark eyes looked directly into Ye Zhiqiu’s.

“Are you short of money?”

“You could say that.” After a moment, Ye Zhiqiu spoke quietly.

“I actually didn’t have to mention this one,” he added. His fingers unconsciously tightened around the cup. “But I didn’t want to lie to you.”

For some reason, the look in Qin Jianhe’s eyes softened slightly.

“Anything else?” he asked.

Ye Zhiqiu shook his head.

“I know my requests might be a bit excessive.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled faintly. “So I’m prepared for you to reject them.”

“And if I reject them?” Qin Jianhe asked. “Are you planning to go behind my back, or give up on Q.L.?”

“Neither.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled and took a document from his backpack, handing it over. “I might try to convince you.”

This was the sales performance Sun Wei had compiled for him—the sales miracle he had created at VIA.

Enough to prove his worth.

“Ye Zhiqiu.” Qin Jianhe didn’t take the document. Instead, he asked seriously, “Do you think you’re worth this price?”

Ye Zhiqiu’s expression also became serious. He nodded firmly.

“Yes.”

“Then that’s it.” The corner of Qin Jianhe’s mouth lifted slightly. “Since you’re worth it, what reason do I have to disagree?”

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

“Qin Jianhe,” Ye Zhiqiu said after a moment, “this kind of interview is a bit ridiculous.”

“Drink your milk.” Qin Jianhe looked down. “Then we’ll go out to eat.”

He laughed softly again.

“Don’t think you’ve gotten the better of me. When I work you hard later, I won’t go easy.”

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

* * * *

“It’s Valentine’s Day.” Ye Zhiqiu obediently drank his milk, warmth quickly spreading through him. “Restaurants will be crowded.”

“Mm.” Qin Jianhe gathered his things without looking up. “So I booked a private room earlier.”

Ye Zhiqiu put on his coat and couldn’t help laughing.

“It’s nearby,” Qin Jianhe said. “We’ll walk.”

“Okay.” Ye Zhiqiu followed him downstairs.

* * * *

The streets were lively.

Couples passed by holding hands, kissing boldly.

Children were selling flowers, baskets full of bright red roses, their big eyes watching the passersby.

“Brother, brother.” Someone tugged at Qin Jianhe’s coat. “Won’t you buy a flower for your brother?”

The child’s voice was high and innocent.

“Only this brother doesn’t have a flower.”

Qin Jianhe glanced sideways, very mischievously, and said to Ye Zhiqiu, “Hear that? The little girl said I’m the only one without a flower.”

The little flower seller: “…”

Ye Zhiqiu pressed his lips together, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.

He crouched down, picked the most beautiful rose from the basket, bought it, and handed it to Qin Jianhe.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, President Qin.”

Just then his phone rang. Qin Jianhe took the flower with a smile and answered the call.

“Mom,” he said.

The other side spoke for a moment. Qin Jianhe straightened slightly and looked around.

After a moment, Ye Zhiqiu heard him reply with a smile, “Got it.”

When he hung up, he suddenly laughed.

It was very different from his usual faint, polite, distant smile.

This smile was bright and genuine, reaching all the way to his eyes. It was intensely infectious.

“What?” Seeing him like that, Ye Zhiqiu couldn’t help laughing as well.

“My mom’s nearby. She said she saw me,” Qin Jianhe said.

Ye Zhiqiu paused and instinctively looked around.

“She said it’s rare to see someone giving me flowers, and that I should treat you well.”

“Hey, Ye Zhiqiu,” Qin Jianhe asked, smiling lightly, “am I not good to you?”