Watch Me Belong to Him

His back hit the pillar. Not hard, but not soft either.

The pain was just a tiny prickle, barely perceptible.

So faint, so fleeting, that it quickly transformed into an indescribable itch.

Intertwining with the subtle, clean woody scent, it seemed to seep in everywhere, traveling from his back straight to Ye Zhiqiu’s heart.

He had been so thoroughly tamed once, yet that innate spark of wildness still surged at this novel sensation.

“What’s this?” Ye Zhiqiu looked up, his smile ambiguous.

“President Qin isn’t so impatient that you want to do it here, are you?”

The hand on his shoulder tightened suddenly.

Qin Jianhe’s eyes darkened.

Seeing this, Ye Zhiqiu couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Qin Jianhe was aloof and distant, and precisely because of that, teasing him was all the more amusing.

“Come on.” Ye Zhiqiu stood on his tiptoes, reaching up to kiss Qin Jianhe’s lips, one hand mischievously reaching for his belt buckle.

But in the next instant, that unruly hand was caught.

Qin Jianhe turned the tables, pulling Ye Zhiqiu tightly into his arms and kissing him.

Qin Jianhe held him fiercely, one arm locked around his waist like iron, the other pressing against the back of his head, leaving no room for escape.

This kiss was so fervent, carrying a hint of madness, stealing all of Ye Zhiqiu’s air.

His eyes grew moist, his mind went blank.

Amidst the numbness and tingling, he responded just as fervently.

“Ye Zhiqiu,” Qin Jianhe finally spoke, his voice low, after a long moment.

“So the excitement you wanted is that kind?”

He lowered his head again, taking Ye Zhiqiu’s small Adam’s apple between his teeth, pressing and grinding gently.

It was like torture.

“Want to try?” he asked, his voice slightly hoarse from excessive restraint.

Footsteps sounded in the distance, growing closer.

Ye Zhiqiu struggled slightly, but Qin Jianhe ruthlessly pinned him down again, his dark eyes fixed deeply on him.

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

“Or perhaps,” Qin Jianhe’s lips curved into a barely perceptible smile, watching Ye Zhiqiu caught in limbo, “just kiss in front of them?”

“Hey!” Ye Zhiqiu started to protest, but his actions were once again suppressed.

Qin Jianhe leaned down and kissed him, leaving no chance for retreat or escape.

The footsteps drew nearer and nearer, until Ye Zhiqiu could almost make out the conversation between a man and a woman.

Each subsequent step seemed to land directly on his eardrums.

But Qin Jianhe didn’t move.

His hands and lips were equally steady, equally strong.

Then, finally, the two stopped behind the pillar, exchanged a few quiet words, and turned into another lane.

The sound of a car door opening and closing echoed through the garage, then the engine started, and the noise quickly faded away.

“Hey! Qin Jianhe.” Ye Zhiqiu finally managed to pull back a little, unsure whether to be angry or amused.

“Are you f*cking childish or what?”

“You held hands with someone and met the parents,” Qin Jianhe looked down at him, a faint smile in his eyes.

“So why can’t I kiss you in front of a stranger?”

“Oh, come on.” Ye Zhiqiu immediately pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and shoved the news article in Qin Jianhe’s face.

“Show me one picture where we’re holding hands.”

Meeting Qin Jianhe’s amused eyes, he finally realized he’d been had.

“Hey, Qin Jianhe.” He called his name, then couldn’t help but laugh.

Watching his expression shift rapidly, Qin Jianhe couldn’t help but smile either.

He leaned in and pulled Ye Zhiqiu back into his arms.

“Home?” he asked.

“Mm.” Ye Zhiqiu answered softly, his nose resting against Qin Jianhe’s neck, breathing in the faint scent of his cologne.

The underground garage was chilly, but the fragrance made him feel strangely warm.

“I’ll stay at your place for a day or two. Once I’ve rested, I’ll go home and get my things,” Ye Zhiqiu said, then suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, right, Qin Jianhe. My friends found me an apartment.”

“You’re not going to look at my place?” Qin Jianhe asked.

“Probably not,” Ye Zhiqiu said.

They talk as they got into the car.

Qin Jianhe leaned over and fastened Ye Zhiqiu’s seatbelt.

“Where’s the apartment?”

Ye Zhiqiu thought for a moment and gave the name of a neighborhood.

“Shaojun said it’s not far from the company and school, but I actually don’t know where it is.”

Qin Jianhe glanced at him, the smile in his eyes deepening.

“I know where it is.”

“Where?” Ye Zhiqiu asked.

“It’s right next to my neighborhood,” Qin Jianhe said.

“Really?” Ye Zhiqiu’s eyes widened slightly. “Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?”

“Mm.” Qin Jianhe said. “Are you trying to be close to me on purpose?”

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

“Fine, fine, fine,” Ye Zhiqiu said.

In the rearview mirror, he saw Qin Jianhe glance at his watch.

It had felt like only a few minutes, but it was already six-thirty.

Ye Zhiqiu was a little surprised.

He wasn’t hungry, but he was craving something.

He thought for a moment.

“There’s a breakfast place near my school. It’s still early, there probably won’t be many people.”

“Mm.” Qin Jianhe responded, re-routing.

“What’s good there?”

“I want some tofu pudding,” Ye Zhiqiu said, his eyes bright with a smile.

The car drove on, finally stopping near the Fashion Institute.

The breakfast stall was small, with only five or six tables inside.

Outside, a windbreak had been set up, with over a dozen tables.

Thanks to the large frying pot nearby, it wasn’t cold at all.

Ye Zhiqiu sent Qin Jianhe inside first, ordered two bowls of tofu pudding outside, and grabbed a few of the freshly fried dough sticks that the owner had just pulled from the pot, then brought everything in.

The tofu pudding arrived, sprinkled with bright green cilantro and minced pickled vegetables.

Ye Zhiqiu skillfully added a spoonful of chili oil, took a taste, and his beautiful eyes immediately curved with pleasure.

Watching him, Qin Jianhe also took a bite.

It was very ordinary tofu pudding, nothing special.

But because Ye Zhiqiu ate with such relish, he instinctively thought it wasn’t bad.

The hygiene was a bit concerning, though.

Qin Jianhe withdrew his gaze from the surroundings and refocused on Ye Zhiqiu.

“Did you try any of those Chinese restaurants in London?” he asked.

“Mm.” Ye Zhiqiu nodded. “They were pretty authentic, but still not as good as home.”

“Yes,” Qin Jianhe smiled. “They’ve been ‘localized’.”

Authentic Chinese restaurants were rare abroad.

Most catered to local tastes, with some adjustments to the recipes.

“That hotpot place you took me to was much better,” Ye Zhiqiu said, looking up with a smile.

There was a bit of sesame on the corner of his mouth.

Qin Jianhe said nothing, just silently reached out and wiped it away.

After eating, they returned to Qin Jianhe’s apartment.

It was just as clean and tidy as the previous times, spotless.

The dried rose specimen still held its place on the windowsill.

In the sunlight, it looked remarkably vibrant and delicate.

The difference was that this time, there were many more snacks on the table: beef jerky, chocolate, preserved plums… everything one could want.

They were neatly arranged in snack bowls, their beautiful wrappers glittering in the sun, looking incredibly tempting.

Qin Jianhe went to the walk-in closet to change into formal wear.

When he came out, Ye Zhiqiu had just opened the top layer of the snack box and was curiously examining the layer below.

He was leaning forward on the dining chair, his thick lashes gilded by the morning sun, giving him an air of pure innocence.

“This is for you,” Qin Jianhe said, placing a magnetic card with a key ring on the corner of the table.

“What’s this?” Ye Zhiqiu looked up.

“Door and elevator card,” Qin Jianhe said. “For both.”

“Oh.” Ye Zhiqiu remembered.

Last time, when Qin Jianhe had offered to record his fingerprint, he had refused.

If he was going to stay here for two days, having such a card would definitely be more convenient.

Instinctively, he remembered that night in his past life when Qi Xin had locked him out in the cold.

“I’ll return it to you when my place is ready and I move out,” Ye Zhiqiu said.

“Okay,” Qin Jianhe said, looking down at him.

Ye Zhiqiu pressed his lips together and was about to reach for the card when Qin Jianhe caught his wrist.

He pulled Ye Zhiqiu up from the chair and into his arms.

“Ye Zhiqiu,” he said.

“Hm?” Ye Zhiqiu answered, a little confused.

But Qin Jianhe didn’t say anything more.

He just held him tight.

Ye Zhiqiu hesitated for a moment, then suddenly looked up with an expression of dawning realization.

“Or what?” he asked tentatively. “Should we do it before you go to the office?”

It had been a while, so having needs was perfectly normal.

“Ye Zhiqiu.” Qin Jianhe seemed to laugh softly.

“You really are considerate of my ‘physiological needs’.”

“Isn’t that how it should be, given our relationship?” Ye Zhiqiu said, a little proudly.

“See, I help you make money on the outside, and I help you with your physiological needs on the inside.”

“Tell me, aren’t you incredibly lucky to have met me?”

“Mm.” Qin Jianhe looked down at him, a smile flickering in his eyes.

“Meeting you is my honor.”

“So you want to…”

“No,” Qin Jianhe said, leaning down to kiss him, swallowing the rest of Ye Zhiqiu’s words.

“Tonight,” he said, his thumb rubbing gently over Ye Zhiqiu’s moist lips.

He had managed to hold back when he hadn’t seen him.

But now, with Ye Zhiqiu right in front of him, from the first moment he saw him at the airport, Qin Jianhe had felt an overwhelming urge to pull him into his arms and openly tell him how much he had missed him.

But he couldn’t say it.

More than the physical need, he realized he had an equally strong psychological need for Ye Zhiqiu.

“I’ll have time when I get back tonight. We can do it properly,” he said.

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

He didn’t know how this man could talk about such things as naturally as eating or sleeping.

“Will you rest at home this afternoon?” Qin Jianhe asked after a moment.

“I’ll come back and have lunch with you.”

“No,” Ye Zhiqiu said. “I want to go see Qiyun’s show.”

That night, Qi Xin had been so excited.

He wanted to see just how successful their show really was.

The sports arena was large.

If he found a hidden corner, Qi Xin might not even see him.

Hearing this, Qin Jianhe was silent for a moment.

“That Qi Xin,” he asked, “why didn’t he call you today?”

When he was with Ye Zhiqiu, it was rare for Qi Xin not to call and insert himself into the situation.

“Oh, right,” Ye Zhiqiu remembered, reaching for his phone.

“I forgot. I blocked him.”

He counted. “It’s been over a week. Time to let him out.”

Qin Jianhe: “…”

Ye Zhiqiu really didn’t hide his two-timing from him at all.

And he himself was something else, having to remind him.

“Where’s the venue?” Qin Jianhe asked, his tone unreadable.

“I’ll come have lunch with you.”

Ye Zhiqiu looked up.

He was about to refuse, but then remembered Qi Xin mentioning that Qiyun would be sharing a stage with the Jiang family at this exhibition.

There might be a chance of running into Jiang Nan.

The odds weren’t great, but it wasn’t impossible.

“Sure,” he smiled. “It’s at the sports arena.”

After Qin Jianhe left, Ye Zhiqiu went to shower.

Then he gathered his things to go out.

As he was putting on his coat, he suddenly remembered something.

He stood by the door for a moment, then returned to the walk-in closet.

Almost everything in Qin Jianhe’s closet was haute couture, in various lengths.

Ye Zhiqiu selected a medium-length coat and held it up to himself.

It fit him roughly the same way a long coat would fit Qin Jianhe.

He took a photo of the coat and sent it to Qin Jianhe.

[One Leaf Knows Autumn: Is it okay if I borrow one of your coats? Image.jpg]

[QIN: You can use anything in the house. You don’t need to ask my permission.]

Ye Zhiqiu didn’t reply.

He put on the coat, went back to the bathroom, found Qin Jianhe’s unlabeled cologne, sprayed a little on his wrist, and dabbed it behind his ears.

Then he put on his backpack, hat, and sunglasses, and went out.

Not long after leaving, before he even reached the sports arena, his phone buzzed.

It was Qi Xin.

Qi Xin must have been trying to message him every day.

Now that he realized he had been unblocked, he immediately called.

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

He didn’t answer.

Then Qi Xin sent two messages.

Probably because he had been blocked last time for sending too many messages in the middle of the night, he was much more restrained this time.

After two, he stopped.

Ye Zhiqiu looked down and opened their chat.

[Qi Xin: Xiaoqiu?]

[Qi Xin: Baby, Xiaoqiu, you finally unblocked me. Crying floods of tears.jpg]

[Qi Xin: I just arrived in Paris. I’ve already seen a lot of brand groups near the venue. Shouldn’t your company be coming here in the next couple of days? Xiaoqiu, I truly know I was wrong, so I specially flew here to apologize to you. Please, just reply to me. I was just so excited and wanted to share it with you immediately that I forgot about the time difference.]

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

He paused, then suddenly let out a derisive snort.

Qi Xin had gone to Paris?

He was about to ignore him again, but after a moment’s thought, he replied.

[One Leaf Knows Autumn: Did you specially fly here to apologize to me, or to apologize to my designs?]

Qi Xin replied immediately.

[Qi Xin: To you, of course, Xiaoqiu. I even left my business behind in China to come here especially.]

Ye Zhiqiu laughed and didn’t reply again.

He put his phone down and looked out the window.

Past this intersection was the sports arena.

Outside the venue, the colorful promotional banners of various brands were vaguely visible.

Ye Zhiqiu’s mind wandered.

He remembered that in his past life, when Qiyun was first starting out, they had also held many shows in this very arena.

Qi Xin had even held a few shows of his own, featuring his independent designs.

But every piece the models wore had been drawn by his own hand, stitch by stitch.

Back then, almost every time, Jiang Nan had attended.

He was sweet-talked, always calling him “sister-in-law,” yet would act especially close with Qi Xin.

He had always told himself he was overthinking.

But many things couldn’t be explained away with just “overthinking.”

For example, at celebration dinners, when Jiang Nan offered Qi Xin half-eaten fruit, Qi Xin would always eat it without hesitation.

For example, when it was cold, if Jiang Nan acted coy, Qi Xin would immediately drape his own coat over Jiang Nan’s shoulders.

For example, on Valentine’s Day, Jiang Nan would wear the same cologne as Qi Xin and come to discuss business with him…

All of it happened right in front of him.

Every single incident trampled on his boundaries and caused him immense pain.

But Jiang Nan was like a flower that “fed” on others’ pain, blooming even more vividly and beautifully.

Whenever he raised an objection, Qi Xin would get angry, calling him petty and saying that Jiang Nan always respected him, always calling him “sister-in-law,” so how could he have any ulterior motives?

Over time, he had even started to doubt himself, wondering if he was just too sensitive and overthinking.

Qi Xin had been his first love.

Ye Zhiqiu had fallen hard from the beginning.

So he hadn’t had enough experience to compare or judge what was right or wrong in a relationship.

It was only much later that he slowly understood.

The things that had caused him pain had indeed been done deliberately by others.

His pain, his humility, had merely been an aphrodisiac for someone else’s sense of superiority.

Of course, Jiang Nan hadn’t actually “fed” on pain.

To be precise, he had simply enjoyed the sense of superiority he derived from how Qi Xin treated him.

Ye Zhiqiu was far more beautiful than him, yet his own lover preferred Jiang Nan.

That sense of superiority satisfied, delighted, and brought Jiang Nan joy.

Watching the scenery outside, Ye Zhiqiu suddenly laughed.

The smile was cold, carrying an indescribable hint of cruelty.

It was truly hard for a child without a mother.

Having never been taught certain things, having never received that kind of guidance, and with Tao Ruoqing often instilling the opposite ideas…

It had taken him ten years and death itself to slowly peel back the layers of illusions and touch a corner of the truth.

The car stopped in front of the sports arena.

Ye Zhiqiu got out.

Instinctively, he turned to the glass wall and adjusted the coat he was wearing.

Qin Jianhe’s coat was an OVERSIZE on him, but unexpectedly, it looked quite harmonious and good.

It was already ten-twenty.

In ten minutes, the show would begin.

Familiar with the place, Ye Zhiqiu timed his entry perfectly.

Thanks to recent word-of-mouth, Qiyun’s reputation had spread within a small circle.

Although the exhibition was already more than halfway through, the audience seemed even larger than before.

He still recognized some fashion buyers he had dealt with in his past life.

Taking advantage of the dimming lights, he sat down in the very back corner.

The main show began.

Ye Zhiqiu watched quietly.

Mid-range brands did have some good designs, but to his current eye, they still felt too superficial.

Whether in color or style, the fashion elements all seemed to shadow those of big-name brands.

But they lacked the texture of the originals.

Watching too much of it felt cloying, lacking innovation.

The leather goods from the Jiang family’s various lines had the same problem.

The audience was very quiet until Qiyun’s two models appeared, causing a slight ripple.

Compared to the other brands, Ye Zhiqiu’s designs were indeed very fresh.

Both the colors and styles immediately made the whole show feel more lively and bright.

After the show ended, many people headed to the ordering room backstage.

Ye Zhiqiu also stood up, but before he could move, someone called his name.

Jiang Nan walked out from backstage.

“So it is you?” His spot had been so dark and tucked away that Jiang Nan probably hadn’t been sure.

Now that he saw Ye Zhiqiu turn his head with a smile, he was a little surprised.

“Aren’t you abroad for the exhibitions?”

“Mm,” Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “I was feeling a bit tired the last couple of days, so a friend let me come back early.”

“Friend?” Jiang Nan was confused, but quickly understood.

At Q.L.’s shows, who had the authority to let a designer come back early?

Of course, it was Qin Jianhe.

In an instant, his hand, hidden within his sleeve, clenched into a tight fist.

Ye Zhiqiu looked at him, the smile in his eyes growing even brighter.

Jiang Nan was noticeably thinner and more haggard than before, looking rather “dried up.”

It reminded Ye Zhiqiu of himself in his past life, similarly haggard.

Like a delicate flower that had lost its moisture right at its most beautiful bloom.

So Jiang Nan could also be hurt by such things, Ye Zhiqiu thought with satisfaction.

In fact, after joining Q.L. and getting busy, especially recently with the overseas exhibitions, he had long stopped posting anything related to Qin Jianhe on his Moments.

Yet the damage to Jiang Nan was still clearly visible.

Ye Zhiqiu looked at him, his eyes slightly curved, barely concealing the malice and pleasure underneath.

So Jiang Nan could be hurt too, he thought again.

People said not to do unto others what you wouldn’t have them do unto you. Yet Jiang Nan knew perfectly well how much damage such actions caused, yet he had continued for ten years, tirelessly posting ambiguous messages and photos with Qi Xin on his Moments, showing them to him.

Cutting him, piece by piece.

Not just online, but in real life as well.

Remembering the past, Ye Zhiqiu couldn’t help but laugh.

“What are you laughing at?” From the moment Ye Zhiqiu said a friend let him come back, until now, they hadn’t exchanged many words. Yet the atmosphere had instantly become confrontational.

“Nothing,” Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “I just thought you looked a bit thinner than last time, Director Jiang.”

He tilted his head slightly, his smile a little helpless. “Everyone else is trying to lose weight, but my friend is determined to make me gain weight.”

Friend again.

Jiang Nan’s fingernails, clenched tightly in his palm, almost drew blood.

As he spoke, Ye Zhiqiu stepped out of the shadows and into the light, slowly approaching Jiang Nan.

Only then did Jiang Nan notice that the coat Ye Zhiqiu was wearing seemed unusually large.

Being in design himself, although his specialty was leather art, over the years, to research various combinations, he had also developed a considerable knowledge of clothing.

Although he hadn’t recognized it at first, up close, he immediately identified it as a haute couture piece by the foreign independent designer, Matthew.

Getting even closer, he could also detect the faint woody scent emanating from the coat.

This was the same scent he had smelled on Qin Jianhe at the club that time.

Later, he had asked Yu Renzhi about it.

Yu Renzhi said it was a unique fragrance that Qin Jianhe had a perfumer create according to his own preferences, a scent completely unavailable on the market.

Jealousy rushed over him like a flood, carrying mud and sand, roaring wildly, nearly sweeping away all of Jiang Nan’s reason.

He was in pain, he was furious…

Just thinking about Qin Jianhe and Ye Zhiqiu together, intimately, made him feel like a fish gutted, salted, and placed in a frying pan…

Too agonizing.

So agonizing that he wanted to die together with Ye Zhiqiu, to end it all.

A phone ring suddenly sounded, startlingly loud in the empty space, jolting Jiang Nan slightly and pulling him back from the abyss of despair.

He saw Ye Zhiqiu smile, then answer the phone.

“You’re here?” he said, his expression instantly brightening. “I’ll come out.”

“Okay,” he said.

Then he hung up. As if unaware of Jiang Nan’s distress, he smiled at him.

“Director Jiang,” he said, “my friend is here to pick me up. Talk to you later.”

Jiang Nan pressed his lips together. It was a long moment before he managed to force out two words.

“See you,” he heard himself say.

Watching Ye Zhiqiu’s tall figure walk toward the exit, he pressed a hand to his chest, breathing heavily twice, then, as if suddenly waking up, he hurried after him.

Outside the sports arena, a black car was parked.

Jiang Nan recognized it immediately as Qin Jianhe’s.

Ye Zhiqiu had already gotten in, but the door wasn’t yet fully closed.

Through the crack, he could see Qin Jianhe holding Ye Zhiqiu tightly in his arms, kissing him deeply.