After Being Slapped by My Father, He Called Me ‘Teacher.

“Whatever it is, just say it.” Ye Zhiqiu’s expression was calm, even a faint smile in his eyes. “But if you touch my ‘drumstick’ again, I won’t let it slide.”

“Tsk.” Ye Zhixia laughed dismissively. “I’m warning you. If you dare touch my ‘drumstick,’ yours won’t survive either.”

“Did I touch it?” Ye Zhiqiu asked, his expression sharpening. A presence Ye Zhixia didn’t recognize emanated from him.

In that moment of distraction, Ye Zhiqiu stepped closer.

He looked down slightly, his tone serious. “This is the first time tonight. Next time, I won’t be so polite.”

“How will you not be polite?” Ye Zhixia’s fieriness couldn’t be contained any longer, like a dog guarding its food. “Are you really going to fight me over Teacher Gao?”

“I’m not interested in old men.” Ye Zhiqiu’s smile was ambiguous.

“Who are you calling an old man?” Ye Zhixia was furious.

“Your Teacher Gao.” Ye Zhiqiu laughed. “But if you provoke me like this again, I wouldn’t mind taking some time to have a meal with your Teacher Gao. Or see a movie. Go on a date.”

“You…” Ye Zhixia was livid, wanting to swing but afraid Ye Zhiqiu might actually follow through. “Teacher Gao doesn’t like you.”

“Want to test that?” Ye Zhiqiu stepped closer. “I’ll call him right now. Ask him to go stargazing on the hilltop…”

He smiled. “On a cold night like this? Think he’ll come or not? Want to bet?”

Ye Zhixia stared at him, furious, shocked, and deeply unsettled.

“You’re insane. You’d bet on something like this?”

“You can bet on anything. If you win, anything you like—person or thing—no matter how much I like it or how hard it is to give up, I’ll yield it all to you.” Ye Zhiqiu pressed closer. “If I win, I don’t ask anything of you. Such a favorable bet…”

He asked slowly, “Want to try?”

“I…” Ye Zhixia’s chest heaved violently. His fists clenched at his sides.

“You’re insane.” After a long moment, he took a deep breath, his jaw tight. “Just wait till I tell Dad and Mom.”

“Go ahead and tell them.” Ye Zhiqiu sneered. “See if Mom and Dad support you chasing some washed-up old man past thirty.”

“Who are you calling a washed-up old man?” Ye Zhixia, enraged, lunged to grab Ye Zhiqiu’s hair.

Ye Zhiqiu didn’t back down. Using his height advantage, he grabbed Ye Zhixia’s hair first.

The brothers tangled instantly.

Ye Zhixia fought dirty, aiming every blow at Ye Zhiqiu’s face.

Ye Zhiqiu dodged desperately but still took a sharp elbow to the face, seeing stars from the pain.

He fought to flip over, pinning Ye Zhixia beneath him, fist raised—

The door slammed open.

Ye Hongxian was somehow home.

He’d just learned some details about Yunkai outside. His mood was already rock bottom. Seeing the two tangled together nearly finished him off.

Without thinking, he strode over and kicked Ye Zhiqiu in the lower back, knocking him off Ye Zhixia.

Ye Zhixia wasn’t done. He scrambled up, still lunging for Ye Zhiqiu’s face.

Before he could reach, he too was kicked.

The brothers lay on the floor, panting, still glaring viciously at each other.

“Both of you, get downstairs.” Ye Hongxian’s face was dark.

“Talk here.” Ye Zhiqiu wiped the blood from his face.

Ye Hongxian hated Ye Zhiqiu most.

Even now, with Ye Zhiqiu bleeding and Ye Zhixia unharmed, he just snorted coldly.

“Getting braver. Other than fighting your brother, what else can you do?”

“Plenty.” Ye Zhiqiu said.

Otherwise, why would you be so angry tonight?

“Like what? Tell me.” Ye Hongxian’s face was dark.

“Tonight is the first highlight of my career. You didn’t know, did you?” Ye Zhiqiu laughed. “Then again, what do you know about me?”

Ye Hongxian couldn’t be bothered to ask what highlight.

He only knew he’d suffered setbacks outside, and now his own son was making it worse at home.

He raised his hand to slap him.

Seeing this, Ye Zhiqiu couldn’t help but laugh, lifting his face to him.

“Go ahead. Hit me. Right here on the wound.” He challenged Ye Hongxian. “After all, it’s the only thing you can do to me as a ‘father.'”

“You little bastard.” Ye Hongxian’s slap landed hard on Ye Zhiqiu’s cheek, snapping his head to the side.

It was vicious.

Ye Zhiqiu’s ears rang.

Probably from all the disappointment and despair accumulated in his past life, he felt neither wronged nor sad in this moment.

Instead, he clearly remembered the hospital ward scene—Qin Xusheng’s sword-drawn, bow-bent confrontation attitude toward Qin Jianhe.

A strange, indescribable kinship rose in his heart.

But this slap was enough.

Enough for Gao Wenye to take it out on Ye Zhixia.

They say killing the heart is worse than killing the body.

He didn’t kill. But he killed hearts.

“Oh my, sir, you can’t hit a child like that!” Seeing Ye Hongxian charge, Aunt Zhao and Tao Ruoqing rushed up.

Aunt Zhao reached him first, quickly pulling Ye Hongxian back.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu’s face rapidly swelling, she was terrified.

“Madam, come look at the young master!”

“Relax. He won’t die.” Ye Hongxian’s face was cold, though even he was slightly startled by the damage.

Ye Zhiqiu’s skin was fair. Any mark showed instantly.

Let alone this—first wounded by Ye Zhixia, then finished off by his own unrestrained slap.

Ye Hongxian felt a twinge of regret but couldn’t back down.

Fortunately, Tao Ruoqing arrived quickly.

Cursing Ye Hongxian, scolding Ye Zhixia, she quickly led Ye Zhiqiu downstairs.

Aunt Zhao fetched ice and liniment. First, she applied ice, then massaged with the liniment.

Ye Zhiqiu whimpered in pain, clinging to Aunt Zhao and threatening to run away.

Tao Ruoqing coaxed and coaxed until he finally calmed down.

“Why were you fighting with Xiaxia?” Tao Ruoqing asked.

“He told me to stay away from his precious Teacher Gao.” Ye Zhiqiu sneered contemptuously. “Who’d be interested in some middle-aged guy?”

Even Ye Zhiqiu dismissed Gao Wenye like this. Tao Ruoqing disliked him even more.

“I’ll talk to him.” Tao Ruoqing had no choice but to soothe. “What’s so good about that Gao Wenye anyway? If word gets out, people will think you two brothers are fighting over him. How embarrassing.”

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu turned away coldly.

“Go upstairs and rest. Your company’s event is still going, isn’t it? If your boss needs you and can’t find you, that would delay important matters.”

Tao Ruoqing’s head pounded.

Not because Ye Zhiqiu was impossible—but because Ye Zhixia was so absurd. Knowing Ye Zhiqiu had zero interest in Gao Wenye, he still attacked him.

For the first time, she realized Ye Zhixia’s feelings for Gao Wenye might far exceed her imagination.

* * * *

At the mention of “important matters,” Ye Zhiqiu finally got up.

Watching him go upstairs, Tao Ruoqing stood frozen for a moment, then headed straight to Ye Zhixia’s room on the second floor.

* * * *

His room was very quiet.

Muffled arguments from downstairs drifted up intermittently.

Ye Zhiqiu paid them no mind.

He calmly reviewed everything that had happened tonight, discarding the useless, ensuring he wouldn’t misstep in the future.

The arguing downstairs grew louder, Ye Hongxian’s voice joining in.

His phone rang.

He couldn’t make out what Ye Hongxian was yelling.

It was his current professor, Li Qinghe.

Ye Zhiqiu answered quickly. “Professor.”

“Zhiqiu.” Li Qinghe’s voice was warm and kind—a stark contrast to Ye Hongxian. “Your senior just called me. Their company’s marketing department watched VIA’s stream tonight and saw the drafts you sent me. They’re very interested in collaborating.”

“Professor!” Ye Zhiqiu was overjoyed, momentarily forgetting the sting on his face. “Can we meet with them in the next few days?”

“I gave your senior your number.” Li Qinghe said. “He should contact you tomorrow with details.”

Ye Zhiqiu covered his injured cheek, suppressing a laugh. “Thank you, Professor.”

This was his backup plan for VIA. If this cooperation went through, no matter how Jiang Nan schemed, he couldn’t hurt VIA.

After hanging up, Ye Zhiqiu photographed his bruised, swollen cheek and sent it to their small group chat.

The chat exploded.

Tang Le, leaning against his headboard, saved the photo to his album.

Messages poured in.

Ye Zhiqiu was about to reply when his phone rang again.

Assuming Li Qinghe had forgotten something, he answered immediately, polite and obedient.

“Professor.”

Silence on the other end.

Then a man’s deep, magnetic voice slowly sounded in his ear.

“Shouldn’t I be calling you Professor?”

The voice was so beautiful it made his ear tingle.

He quickly pulled the phone away and saw three letters on the screen: QIN.

It was Qin Jianhe.

“I…” Ye Zhiqiu was stunned. “Why are you calling me Professor?”

“Weren’t you going to teach me about relationships?” Qin Jianhe’s voice was low. “Professor Ye.”

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

His ear tingled even more.

It took him a moment to remember he had indeed made such a bold claim.

Sensing his prolonged silence, the other spoke again.

“My mother contacted Professor Zhang Wenyuan today.” Qin Jianhe said. “If you have time tomorrow, you can meet with him first.”

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

Joy exploded in his heart. He wanted to jump on his bed and roll around.

He didn’t realize how wide he was smiling until a wince escaped him—the wound hurt.

Hearing the sound, Qin Jianhe paused in scrolling his mouse, unconsciously recalling the photo Yu Renzhi had sent to the group that night at the racetrack—Ye Zhiqiu injured.

“Wounded again?” he asked.

“Yeah.” The joy faded. Ye Zhiqiu’s tone grew anxious. “Is it rude to meet a professor with a swollen face?”

Silence on the other end.

After a long moment, Qin Jianhe laughed softly.

“You’re quite aggressive, Ye Zhiqiu.” He said his name.

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

Thinking back, his naive past self had indeed been quite aggressive.

That was why he’d confronted Ye Zhixia so directly tonight.

It was similar to who he used to be—not enough to raise suspicion, but not identical either.

Before, he could only rage impotently. Now, he could control the pace and direction.

“What?” Ye Zhiqiu laughed too. “Not calling me Professor now?”

“Professor Ye.” Qin Jianhe laughed. “If you’re worried about disrespecting the professor by showing up injured, I can accompany you. That should show enough sincerity.”

Ye Zhiqiu’s fingers tightened on the phone.

For some reason, he felt moved.

The arguing downstairs grew louder, but Qin Jianhe’s words only made him feel warm and safe.

“Thank you.” He said softly. “You’re a really good person.”

“Sorry.” Qin Jianhe’s tone was flat. “I don’t accept ‘good person’ cards.”

Ye Zhiqiu laughed. “Then… see you tomorrow?”

“Mm.” The man on the other end gave a low response. “Okay.”