You Lost Me to Him

The cotton mattress was highly absorbent. By the time Tang Le came out, a large, dark patch of moisture had already spread across the bedsheet. He didn’t need to touch it to know it had soaked through long ago.

He stood there quietly for a long while, his heart feeling as if it had fallen into an ice crevice. Just yesterday, when he had first moved in, everyone’s attitude had still been very friendly.

Was it because news of Lin Xuehua’s ruined graduation project had spread today? Or was it that Lin Xuehua hadn’t shown him any leniency out of fear or consideration for Ye Zhiqiu, as Tang Le had imagined?

Tang Le pressed his lips together. It was a long moment before he asked, “Who did this?”

His other roommates were playing games, reading, or texting their girlfriends. No one answered him.

“I asked who did this?” Tang Le spun around sharply, raising his voice.

“What’s all the shouting about?” The gaming roommate yanked off his headphones, his face full of displeasure.

“Can’t take it?” The one with the girlfriend also stopped typing. “What, is your bedding more important than someone else’s graduation project?”

The one reading looked up, neither warm nor cold. “I just don’t want my own graduation project to be ruined by someone someday.”

Tang Le stood there for a long while. Finally, he slowly bent down and pulled out a cardboard box from under his bed.

There was bubble wrap inside. He took it out, stripped off the ruined sheet, and used the bubble wrap to cushion the soaked mattress. Then he got a fresh sheet to put on.

The dorm door opened. A guy from the next room walked in, wiping his hair. Seeing the dark stain on Tang Le’s bed, he laughed and teased.

“Ooh, Tang Le,” he said. “Did you wet the bed?”

Someone immediately snorted with laughter.

Tang Le just bent over, silent, not even acknowledging it.

“Hey,” the gaming roommate complained again. “I even wear headphones out of consideration to give you guys a good environment. And you’re going to crinkle that plastic stuff all night? How are we supposed to sleep?”

“Yeah, have some consideration,” the one texting his girlfriend chimed in. “Maybe we should all apply for a transfer and leave this room to him.”

Tang Le said nothing. He finished making his bed, calmly took off his clothes, got into bed, put on his headphones, and pulled up the covers, ignoring whatever they were saying.

* * * *

At the same time, in New York, it was nine in the morning.

Ye Zhiqiu’s door was knocked on. Wang Ru and Gao Yang were peeking in from outside.

“What’s up?” Ye Zhiqiu rubbed his tired, dry eyes and asked with a smile.

“Are you busy?” Wang Ru asked.

“Mm.” Ye Zhiqiu invited them in, poured two glasses of water, and placed some chocolate and snacks on the fruit plate. “Just organizing some materials for my senior.”

He looked at Wang Ru and Gao Yang. “Aren’t you two going out today?”

There was a show by the Korean trendy brand OW today, and it didn’t conflict with Q.L.’s schedule. Wang Ru and Gao Yang had already decided yesterday to go check it out.

“It doesn’t start until ten-thirty,” Wang Ru said. “There’s still time.”

She paused, then asked, “Teacher Xiao Ye, have you not seen the messages in the group chat?”

“Group chat? Which one?” Ye Zhiqiu was a little confused.

“Our group’s chat,” Gao Yang said, smiling at his dazed expression. “Zhang Lan just messaged. Zhao Zhi will probably be fired.”

“He can’t be fired for this, can he?” Ye Zhiqiu rummaged in a drawer for a packet of instant coffee, made himself a cup, and drank slowly.

“Although it was indeed him who spilled the coffee on Zhou Hui, no one can prove it was intentional.”

When going abroad for exhibitions, although everyone was very careful, things didn’t always go smoothly. A few minor incidents were actually quite normal.

So, unless it was an intricately crafted piece that took an extremely long time and immense effort to produce, making it very difficult to prepare a backup, it was actually standard practice to have backups ready for unexpected situations.

Ye Zhiqiu’s piece did have some complex details, but due to time constraints, he had ultimately chosen a path leaning towards simplicity, beauty, and elegance. But even so, for anyone else, under such tight deadlines, it would have been absolutely impossible to produce another backup.

This was the fundamental reason Zhou Lang’s team was so certain Ye Zhiqiu didn’t have a backup and ultimately chose to sabotage his piece.

But even if everyone knew it, no evidence was still no evidence.

Innocent until proven guilty, and the offender was a first-time offender. Firing an employee under these circumstances would be legally and logically a bit of a stretch. It would also be bad for the company’s reputation.

“Then…” Wang Ru and Gao Yang exchanged a glance. “There’s nothing we can do about him?”

“Gao Yang,” Ye Zhiqiu had been busy all morning and was too lazy to find his own phone now, “text Zhang Lan. Tell her not to get involved in other people’s discussions.”

If before, people had only been convinced by Ye Zhiqiu’s talent and open-mindedness, still privately thinking of him as a young kid… then after these days at the shows, the differences had unknowingly faded. His image had already become no different from that of a true teacher, or even a senior.

Hearing this, Gao Yang immediately looked down and typed. “Got it, Teacher Xiao Ye.”

Now that Ye Zhiqiu’s stance was clear, the two of them stopped dwelling on the matter.

However, what they didn’t know was that Ye Zhiqiu actually had other thoughts about Zhao Zhi’s situation.

In fact, Ye Zhiqiu had suspected early on that even if Zhao Zhi wasn’t fired, the company probably wouldn’t keep him. Otherwise, there would have been no need for Qin Jianhe to call him back mid-exhibition.

But since the official announcement hadn’t been made yet, he didn’t say anything to them.

Not that it mattered. Since various rumors were already circulating within the company, it meant the official announcement wasn’t far off.

As expected, that evening, which was the next morning in China, the official notice came out. Zhao Zhi was formally asked to resign.

In the large group chat, many were speculating about the reasons behind it. Zhang Lan even sent Ye Zhiqiu a screenshot of the HR department’s newly posted announcement.

That day was Q.L.’s last show in New York. Before that, some brands had already moved on to London in advance.

When Ye Zhiqiu saw the message, everyone had just returned from the show.

It was all within expectations, so he just glanced at it and moved on.

After days of non-stop work and learning, suddenly having a weight lifted left everyone feeling tired. Since it didn’t conflict with the exhibition schedule, Meng Da ordered everyone to rest for a day before heading to London the day after.

Back at the hotel, Ye Zhiqiu sat down at his desk again and carefully organized the remaining small portion of Lin Xuehua’s design material.

When he was done, it was around three in the morning. He reviewed everything one more time, sent the material back to Lin Xuehua via email, then turned off his computer and went to bed.

He hadn’t slept well last night because of Qi Xin, and he’d been busy all day. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

When he woke again, it was after four the next afternoon. The sun was hanging low in the sky. It took Ye Zhiqiu a moment to realize he had slept for over thirteen hours.

He got up, washed up, and turned on his phone.

As soon as it connected, countless messages flooded in. Most were from Lin Xuehua. He had sent over a dozen messages and two emails in a short time, a clear sign of his excitement.

In Lin Xuehua’s view, Ye Zhiqiu had not only clarified his previous doubts and difficulties but had also broken down and explained things he had vaguely felt but never quite grasped, feeding it all to him. It had immediately given him a feeling of sudden clarity.

Moreover, because the ideas were so clear, made especially easy to understand by Ye Zhiqiu, and with the emergence of new branches, Lin Xuehua’s thinking had not only become very smooth but had also opened up a new dimension. Looking back now, his old approach seemed far too narrow.

What Ye Zhiqiu had given him far exceeded his expectations.

As a result, Lin Xuehua’s thinking was no longer stuck. For the first time, he experienced what it felt like to work in one go.

Ye Zhiqiu looked down at Lin Xuehua’s messages, sensing his excitement and joy, and smiled slightly.

In his view, Lin Xuehua’s problems weren’t really problems at all. They were just common phenomena due to lack of experience. In his past life, he had handled enough designs and had enough experience, so he could see through his bottleneck and help him break through the barriers at a glance. If Lin Xuehua looked back after working for a few years, these issues wouldn’t seem like such big deals.

Ye Zhiqiu lowered his eyes and replied politely.

[One Leaf Knows Autumn: You’re too kind, senior. It’s just that I saw a senior at the company do a similar design before, which is why I could help revise it so quickly.]

Then, he opened the email from Zhang Mian.

Since joining Q.L., understanding how hard Ye Zhiqiu was working, unless absolutely necessary, Zhang Mian had handled everything he could himself and hadn’t bothered Ye Zhiqiu.

This email was probably sent after Zhang Mian checked his schedule. After flying tomorrow, they would have another day of rest in London. Then the London shows would officially begin.

Ye Zhiqiu looked down and opened the email.

Attached was last month’s financial report. Ye Zhiqiu gave it a once-over. It was better than he had anticipated. He also opened the company’s recent order numbers and was momentarily a little surprised.

Compared to the previous number of clients, Zhang Mian had used his industry connections this past month to add several new ones.

The email was very simple. Zhang Mian only raised a few points.

First: After the payment came in for the previous orders, they finally had a little spare cash. He told Ye Zhiqiu not to worry and to use money where it was needed.

Second: For future development, the area and equipment of the Huo family’s factory they were currently renting were starting to feel inadequate. Zhang Mian was considering taking out a loan to buy land in the suburbs and build a factory completely their own.

Ye Zhiqiu smiled as he read, cursing under his breath, “Cunning old fox.”

On one hand, Zhang Mian was thoughtfully telling him not to live frugally, on the other hand, he wanted to take out a loan to buy land… Not to mention buying the land, the subsequent construction and equipment purchases—weren’t those all huge expenses? On the surface, he was being considerate, but actually, he was still telling him to save, save, save.

Instinctively, Ye Zhiqiu rubbed his forehead, then continued reading, still smiling.

Third: The current progress of the new battery being developed in collaboration with New Power.

It was about what Ye Zhiqiu had estimated. Probably in another two months, the samples could be sent to a professional institution for testing.

Zhang Mian had also copied him on the experimental data. Ye Zhiqiu looked at it carefully. New Power lived up to its reputation as a well-established domestic company, always steady. The data was even better than he had imagined.

After reading the email again, he was about to reply when his phone vibrated. A message from Wang Ru came in.

Ye Zhiqiu had put the “Do Not Disturb” sign on his door when he got back last night. Now, with the day almost over and the sign still hanging straight, Wang Ru was a little worried.

He had been up too late yesterday, and had been busy again today. He had completely forgotten about it.

Seeing Wang Ru’s message, he immediately stood up, took down the sign, and called her back.

“Teacher Xiao Ye,” Wang Ru said as soon as she answered, “we brought food back for you when we went out this afternoon. Do you want to eat now?”

She paused, then added, “But it’s cold. Or should we order something from the hotel?”

“Not yet,” Ye Zhiqiu smiled and thanked her. “Wait a few minutes for me. I’ll take you two out for dinner.”

“Chinese food?” Wang Ru’s voice brightened. “Really?”

Without waiting for an answer, she chirped, “Great!”

There were many Chinese restaurants in New York, but with their packed schedules every day, it was hard to find time to seek them out. Occasionally, when they found one, the food was just average. Wang Ru and Gao Yang had been craving for days. Especially Gao Yang, whenever he saw eating shows online, he could barely control his drool.

After hanging up, Ye Zhiqiu emailed Zhang Mian.

He had already thought about the factory situation. The land under Yeding, the Ye family’s property, was quite large. Besides the existing factory buildings, there was still an empty lot. In the future, if planned properly, that empty lot, combined with the existing factory buildings, could completely operate as two separate modules. There was no need to buy additional land.

After replying to the email, Ye Zhiqiu took Wang Ru and Gao Yang out to eat.

Qin Jianhe had written him a list of several good restaurants. Unfortunately, with all the various events happening, Ye Zhiqiu had only had the chance to try one Cantonese restaurant. He hadn’t gotten to the others yet.

Originally, he should have taken Gao Yang and Wang Ru to try a new place today. But for some reason, he instinctively gave the driver the address of that hotpot restaurant Qin Jianhe had taken him to.

No one in their group couldn’t handle spice, so this time they got the spicy broth. Finally, after being away from home, they enjoyed a proper meal.

Wang Ru was fine, always reserved and polite, but Gao Yang was truly craving it and devoured his food.

Seeing this, Ye Zhiqiu quickly ordered a few more plates of freshly sliced lamb.

“Teacher Xiao Ye, how did you know about this place?” Gao Yang asked between mouthfuls.

“A friend recommended it,” Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile.

Just then, the restaurant owner came in to deliver the extra lamb. Hearing this, she smiled and chimed in.

“Mr. Qin used to come by himself,” the owner said. She was in her forties and had a very gentle smile. “You’re the first guest he’s brought.”

Ye Zhiqiu didn’t say anything, just smiled and nodded politely at her.

The owner smiled. “Come to think of it, you and Mr. Qin really make a lovely couple.”

Gao Yang, seeing the large plates of lamb arrive, was thrilled. Hearing this, the slice of lamb in his hand fell onto the table with a plop.

Wang Ru’s eyes also widened as she looked at Ye Zhiqiu. “Your boyfriend?”

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

Ye Zhiqiu: “Heh, heh.”

The owner: “…Sorry, I didn’t realize…”

“It’s fine.” Ye Zhiqiu looked up and smiled at her again.

The owner smiled apologetically and left.

Seeing Wang Ru and Gao Yang still looking at him gossipingly, Ye Zhiqiu had to offer an explanation.

“No,” he said, smiling faintly, his voice very calm. “Just friends.”

* * * *

Unlike in New York, once in London, after familiarizing themselves with the venue, everyone noticeably relaxed.

The entire team, including the show director and dressers, was fixed. They were already proficiently working together. The models were also very familiar with each other’s positioning and could do it with their eyes closed without making mistakes.

A week passed quickly in London. Q.L.’s final show finally arrived.

It had to be said, the runway was a truly magical place. In just a week, over that short distance, Zhou Hui and Wei Tingjin had completely blown up.

Wei Tingjin was one thing; the quantity and quality of his work were rapidly increasing. But Zhou Hui was something else.

Before, Zhou Hui had never been appreciated. She hadn’t even signed with a formal agency. Now, with her sudden fame and skyrocketing value, major modeling agencies were extending olive branches. Among them were several New York agencies focused on training supermodels.

These agencies had great resources and high positioning. Signing with one would virtually guarantee a bright future.

Zhou Hui hadn’t imagined that coming out to work so nervously would result in her being unable to return to China for a while.

Knowing that Ye Zhiqiu would be going home after this show, she changed out of her clothes backstage and immediately continued their conversation.

“Teacher Xiao Ye, which agency do you think I should sign with?” Zhou Hui asked.

She had an inexplicable baby bird complex toward Ye Zhiqiu. For a big decision like signing with an agency, it seemed she couldn’t decide without his approval.

Meeting Zhou Hui’s pitiful yet earnest eyes, Ye Zhiqiu couldn’t help but soften.

He looked down and seriously thought about his past life. In that life, when Zhou Hui had entered his field of vision, she had already been very dazzling. If someone had told him she had been this humble before her fame, he probably wouldn’t have believed it

.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu thinking, Zhou Hui repeated the names of the agencies.

Among them, Jns was the best, MB was second, and IC was third.

From what he remembered, Zhou Hui had signed with IC back then. Because he remembered that one time Qiyun wanted to exhibit in New York and complained about Jns’s prices rising sharply. Because of Zhou Hui’s international influence, Qi Xin had ultimately chosen to work with IC.

“IC,” Ye Zhiqiu said.

No other reason. In his past life, Zhou Hui had been able to shine at IC, which meant she had adapted well to the company’s management and culture. Although JNS and MB were more famous and had more high-quality supermodels, the competition was also fierce. Zhou Hui’s confidence had only just started to emerge. Going there might not necessarily suit her.

“Okay,” Zhou Hui said immediately, not even asking why.

“Teacher Xiao Ye,” Zhou Hui said, reluctant to see him go, “when you have your own shows in the future, can I come too?”

“For free,” she quickly added.

Ye Zhiqiu smiled at her. “Okay.”

The music changed. Without looking up, Ye Zhiqiu knew it was Zhou Hui’s turn.

“Go,” he said, smiling at her.

After Zhou Hui walked on stage, Wang Ru couldn’t help laughing.

“Teacher Xiao Ye, if you opened a modeling agency, I bet Zhou Hui wouldn’t sign with any big company. She’d probably follow you.”

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu also smiled.

Zhou Hui had indeed complained before that she hadn’t studied fashion design, otherwise she could work by Ye Zhiqiu’s side like Wang Ru.

“She’s still young,” Ye Zhiqiu said. “After she’s been flying high and wide for a while and seen the vastness and wonder of the world, she’ll realize how naive her current thoughts are.”

After the final show in London ended, Ye Zhiqiu stood up and walked on stage for the curtain call, led by his models.

When he straightened up, the lights on and off stage all came on together. Amidst the thunderous applause from the audience, he looked up with a smile and was momentarily stunned.

In the audience, Zhao Keqi was smiling up at him, applauding as if he wanted to clap his hands raw.

Zhao Keqi had come with his father, Zhao Yunzhuang. They had thoroughly enjoyed the show, and seeing Ye Zhiqiu in person, Zhao Yunzhuang had taken a real liking to him.

Leaving the show venue, Ye Zhiqiu booked a restaurant and treated the Zhao father and son to a meal. Over the dinner, Zhao Yunzhuang sighed.

“Before, when Zhao Keqi said he wanted to invite you to be an actor, I laughed at him,” Zhao Yunzhuang said with a smile. “But now that I’ve met you, I immediately feel the same way.”

Whether Ye Zhiqiu could make a name for himself in film styling, he was only fifty percent sure at this point. But if he became an actor, with his delicate features, perfect figure, and the way he conducted himself, Zhao Yunzhuang was sure he could propel him to the very top.

He had come looking for a stylist for his new film, but now he was truly tempted to persuade Ye Zhiqiu to act.

“Thank you for the compliment, President Zhao,” Ye Zhiqiu smiled politely. “My younger brother is already an actor in the entertainment industry. I’d rather give myself a chance to try something different.”

“Younger brother?” Zhao Yunzhuang was momentarily startled, then looked at Zhao Keqi. “Have I met Xiao Ye’s younger brother?”

“Probably not,” Zhao Keqi said, leaning close to Zhao Yunzhuang. “It’s Ye Zhixia, the one who worked with Gao Wenye recently.”

The light in Zhao Yunzhuang’s eyes dimmed. He knew of him, but compared to Ye Zhiqiu, the gap was immense.

“Xiaoqiu,” Zhao Keqi said, “the main reason my dad came today was for that thing I mentioned before.”

“The costume stylist position?” Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile.

“Right,” Zhao Yunzhuang said.

“I am quite interested,” Ye Zhiqiu said. “If you think it’s okay, President Zhao, I’d like to try.”

The three of them talked and ate, not leaving the restaurant until ten o’clock at night.

London was even colder than New York. The wind blew Ye Zhiqiu’s scarf up. Zhao Keqi reached over and tucked it down for him.

“Thanks,” Ye Zhiqiu said, smiling openly at him.

“When are you going back?” Zhao Keqi asked.

“Tomorrow,” Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “What about you and President Zhao?”

“My dad has a animation copyright deal to discuss. Might take a few days,” Zhao Keqi said.

“See you back home, then,” Ye Zhiqiu said.

The car he called had arrived. Ye Zhiqiu walked over and opened the door for Zhao Yunzhuang. Zhao Yunzhuang liked him even more. Even as he settled into the car, he waved at Ye Zhiqiu. “See you back home, Xiao Ye.”

After the car drove away, Ye Zhiqiu waited a moment until another car pulled up, then opened the door and got in.

* * * *

He slept until morning. When he woke up and turned on his phone, Ye Zhiqiu got a shock.

Countless messages and calls had been pushed through, including many from unknown numbers.

It took him a while to figure out what had happened. His meeting with Zhao Keqi and his father last night had been photographed by some tabloid reporter and posted online.

Right now, a trending search was showing a topic about him and Zhao Keqi.

“Ye Zhiqiu and Zhao Keqi in passionate love, seen holding hands meeting parents.”

Ye Zhiqiu: “?”

He had to hand it to these reporters for their ability to spin a story from a picture. Moreover, in the photos, he and Zhao Keqi weren’t even holding hands. If anything, only one photo, due to the angle, looked a bit intimate. It was the moment when Zhao Keqi had tucked down his scarf, and he had looked up and smiled at him.

Truth be told, at that moment, the person who had flashed through his mind wasn’t Zhao Keqi at all. It was Qin Jianhe. He had remembered the way Qin Jianhe would wrap his scarf and put on his knit cap.

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

Fine. Whatever.

He got up, dressed, packed his things, and prepared to head to the airport.

His ticket had been booked earlier for nine in the morning. The flight was nearly thirteen hours. He would land around five in the morning, when the airport was least crowded.

But what he didn’t know was that while he was unconcerned about the gossip, someone else was beside themselves.

Qi Xin had been blocked by Ye Zhiqiu for over a week and was already frantic. He had tried everything, but there was no way to contact him.

Recently should have been the time of his greatest triumph. With each show, Qiyun was being discovered by more and more people, and orders were pouring in like wool. Even Tao Ruoqing had seen the opportunity and proactively invested more money.

But he couldn’t get in touch with Ye Zhiqiu.

Looking at the photo, at Ye Zhiqiu’s face, so beautiful even under high-definition lenses that it made his heart ache, and at his soft, smiling eyes, Qi Xin felt as if his heart was being cut.

This depressed mood had been tormenting him for hours. Feeling anxious and insecure, he couldn’t take it anymore. Gritting his teeth, he called Tao Ruoqing.

Tao Ruoqing had been in high spirits lately. Having made a sure-win investment, she felt more confident even at the card table.

Mrs. Wu played a tile and smiled at her. “Your Xiaoqiu is really talented.”

Tao Ruoqing collected her tiles, thanking Mrs. Wu with a smile. “Isn’t he, though?”

Mrs. Zhou had different thoughts.

“The eldest son of the Qin family has already clarified those rumors.

When your Xiaoqiu gets back, I’d like to ask you to have him do some digging,” Mrs. Zhou smiled.

“I know a very nice girl who’s quite smitten with him.”

“How nice?” Mrs. Li across the table asked. “Nicer than their Xiaoqiu?”

“Isn’t their Xiaoqiu already seeing someone…” Mrs. Zhou paused.

The fact that Ye Zhiqiu was involved with Qi Xin was no secret among the ladies. But today, a new rumor had surfaced.

And that investor, surnamed Zhao, was quite famous, ranking in wealth and status within the capital. For a moment, she couldn’t quite bring out the name “Qi Xin.”

Tao Ruoqing was just feeling annoyed, not knowing how to refuse Mrs. Zhou most directly without hurting feelings, when her phone rang.

“I need to take this,” she said with a smile.

As soon as she answered, Qi Xin’s voice came through.

“Auntie Ye, does Xiaoqiu… does Xiaoqiu have any other way to contact him?”

Afraid of upsetting Tao Ruoqing, Qi Xin hadn’t mentioned that Ye Zhiqiu had blocked him. But now, with no other choice, he had to ask for her help.

“No,” Tao Ruoqing frowned, seeing three pairs of eyes at the table looking at her八卦ly. She didn’t say much, just asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Xiaoqiu’s angry. He blocked me,” Qi Xin said, his tone inevitably a bit flustered. “I can’t reach him now, and now there are rumors about him and someone else…”

Hearing this, Tao Ruoqing laughed.

Ye Zhiqiu, despite being incredibly busy, had still stayed up late to design so many clothes for Qi Xin.

He had even decided to move out so he and Qi Xin could have time alone, neglecting even Tang Le whom he usually took care of.

She didn’t believe he had suddenly fallen for someone else in just a few days.

“They’re just rumors,” she said. “Don’t worry.”

How could Qi Xin not worry? Just thinking about Ye Zhiqiu with someone else made him feel like a cat was clawing at his heart.

A moment later, he booked a flight to Paris. He didn’t even care about the business he had in hand.

The London shows were over, and Ye Zhiqiu would probably be going to Paris for exhibitions in the next few days.

He decided to find him in person. To beg for forgiveness, to apologize, to ask him to take him off his block list.

After Tao Ruoqing hung up with Qi Xin, she played a few more rounds, and it was already noon. As she was leaving, Tang Le called.

“What’s up, Lele?” Tao Ruoqing was in a good mood, having won money.

“Mrs. Ye,” Tang Le asked, “I want to move out. Would you be able to help me a little with the rent?”

“Why the sudden move?” Tao Ruoqing asked, then realized. “Is that senior still giving you a hard time?”

Tang Le didn’t speak on the other end.

Unlike Ye Zhiqiu’s recent dazzling success, his life had been particularly difficult lately.

The matter of Lin Xuehua’s ruined graduation project had been posted on the school forum, and people were claiming he had done it on purpose.

He had indeed done it on purpose, but no one had evidence.

He had thought that as long as he remained humble, took whatever was dished out, and never admitted it, the whole thing would just blow over.

He hadn’t expected it to get this big.

Now, not only were all his roommates ostracizing him, but even in class, very few people wanted to sit with him.

That alone he could bear. He had never cared about the process, only about achieving the desired result.

But almost every day, his belongings were doused with water.

No one hit or yelled at him, but his bedding was almost never dry.

It was currently late spring, still quite cold. Day after day, it was indeed very difficult.

Tang Le had hardly slept a wink. It felt like he was being splashed with water even in his dreams, waking up wet every day with no end in sight.

The physical and mental double blow was quickly becoming unbearable.

“That won’t do,” Tao Ruoqing said. “I’ll go talk to that senior.”

Tang Le hadn’t given Lin Xuehua the watch. Hearing this, he immediately said, “No need.”

“If you still want me to keep an eye on Xiaoqiu for you,” he said, “then help me this once.”

Tao Ruoqing was quiet for a moment on the other end. After a long while, her voice cooled.

“Then start looking for a place,” Tao Ruoqing said. “Keep the budget in mind.”

* * * *

At five in the morning, Ye Zhiqiu pulled his suitcase through the arrivals gate.

Besides Zhang Lan and the Q.L. exhibition team, he hadn’t told anyone he was coming back.

He hadn’t expected anyone to pick him up, but just as he cleared the gate, he heard someone calling his name. A man’s voice, low and pleasant, as always, very nice to hear. “Ye Zhiqiu.”

Ye Zhiqiu looked up in surprise and saw Qin Jianhe, dressed in a black suit, walking quickly toward him.

There weren’t many people at the airport at this hour, and those who were there were mostly very tired.

Qin Jianhe was tall with long legs and was almost instantly by his side.

“How did you…”

“How did I know?” Qin Jianhe asked, looking down at him.

Ye Zhiqiu was wearing light beige casual clothes, with dark hair and red lips, no sign of the fatigue of a long flight on his face. After not seeing him for days, Qin Jianhe felt he was even more beautiful than before.

“Meng Da mentioned to me that you were coming back early,” he said calmly.

The weight in his hand lessened as Qin Jianhe took his suitcase. His other hand was clasped in Qin Jianhe’s palm.

“Hey,” Ye Zhiqiu said, trying to pull away, “careful of photographers.”

“Would that be so bad?” Qin Jianhe stopped and looked down at him.

His gaze was very deep, darkly fixed on Ye Zhiqiu’s eyes, which still held a smile.

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

“Of course it would,” Ye Zhiqiu said, amused. “While playing the field is exciting, if it all gets exposed, it’s not exciting anymore.”

“Then what is it?” Qin Jianhe asked.

Ye Zhiqiu pressed his lips together and smiled, saying nothing.

They walked one after the other into the elevator, heading down to the airport parking garage.

Qin Jianhe’s car was very low-key, parked next to a large pillar that blocked most of the view.

After watching him put his suitcase in the trunk, Ye Zhiqiu was about to open the car door when Qin Jianhe took his wrist.

“Professor Ye,” he said, looking down at him. His hand pressed firmly on Ye Zhiqiu’s shoulder, slowly pushing him back against the pillar, leaning in.

Almost immediately, the familiar woody scent of the man’s cologne enveloped Ye Zhiqiu.

“You like excitement so much?” he asked. “Why don’t we try something even more exciting?”