Take It, Ye Zhiqiu

Ye Zhiqiu stood quietly for a moment, a little while longer, before finally pulling himself out of those gloomy thoughts of the past.

Just as he was about to retreat quietly, the kitchen door suddenly opened and Qin Jianhe walked out.

Seeing him, he seemed momentarily taken aback, then smiled slightly.

“Why are you up so early?” Qin Jianhe walked over and touched Ye Zhiqiu’s cheek with a smile.

There were still faint pillow marks on Ye Zhiqiu’s cheek.

It made him look softer than usual, especially innocent, and especially endearing.

Ye Zhiqiu looked up, rubbing his soft cheek against Qin Jianhe’s palm. His light brown eyes were warm in the morning light.

“I woke up,” he said, instinctively rubbing his eyes.

Qin Jianhe looked down at him, his eyes full of laughter.

He had changed clothes, into a simple loungewear set, looking very gentle and approachable.

Completely different from the fierce, domineering man from last night.

“What?” Ye Zhiqiu, unsettled by his gaze, couldn’t help looking down to check his own clothes, then touched his neck, suspecting marks had been left there.

“Are you going out today?” Qin Jianhe asked, his voice slightly deep.

“Yeah.” Ye Zhiqiu didn’t understand why, but nodded anyway.

“Then wear a turtleneck,” Qin Jianhe said.

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

He looked up and shot Qin Jianhe a resentful glare.

The evidence was right there, yet the man’s face didn’t even flush.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu’s glare, the smile in Qin Jianhe’s eyes deepened.

He raised the hand that was on Ye Zhiqiu’s cheek and tapped the tip of his nose with his thumb.

Right on the mole.

“You really like this mole?” Ye Zhiqiu asked, a little confused, raising his hand to touch his own nose lightly.

His nose was especially good-looking.

The bridge was high, but the curve was soft. At the tip, it tilted up slightly, with a hint of playfulness.

And that light pink mole made him instantly lively and mischievous.

It was like the finishing touch.

Qin Jianhe looked down at him for a moment, then nodded.

“I like it very much,” he said honestly.

In fact, it wasn’t just this mole. He liked everything about Ye Zhiqiu.

This feeling was equally new to Qin Jianhe.

It was as if his stagnant life had instantly turned into a living spring with Ye Zhiqiu’s intrusion.

The spring bubbled up, its water sweet.

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu didn’t say anything. He just instinctively thought of his past life, when Qi Xin hadn’t liked it, so he had that mole removed.

But this time, Qin Jianhe didn’t let him dwell on it, nor did he let him sink back into those dark emotions.

He reached out, straightened Ye Zhiqiu’s collar, and leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose.

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

“Call me ‘brother’ again,” Qin Jianhe said, looking down at him, his words playful but his expression extremely serious.

“Hey!” Ye Zhiqiu laughed, leaning back against the sun-drenched windowsill and looking up at him. “Weren’t last night’s calls enough? If you want to be a big brother so badly, ask your mom to give you a little brother or sister?”

Large swaths of sunlight poured down, falling on Ye Zhiqiu’s soft black hair, his fair, tender cheeks, and his long-fingered hand resting on the windowsill.

It made his fair skin almost translucent, yet tinged with a light pink.

Different from the pink of the night before.

But Qin Jianhe’s gaze still darkened.

He unhurriedly stepped forward, also stepping into the light.

“I only like it when you call me that,” he said.

Ye Zhiqiu looked up at him, his eyes holding a hint of amusement.

“Say it,” Qin Jianhe said, using his authority to bully him, reaching out and pinching Ye Zhiqiu’s chin.

“Damn,” Ye Zhiqiu said. After a moment, he rubbed his bitten lip and had to give in. “Brother.”

“Two syllables,” Qin Jianhe said, his face not even red.

This creature was just like a dog. He bit if you didn’t comply.

Ye Zhiqiu had to see people today, so he swallowed his pride.

“Brother,” he said expressionlessly, watching the smile in Qin Jianhe’s eyes deepen, and couldn’t help but smile himself, pressing his lips together. “Qin Jianhe, are you being childish?”

Childish or not, the satisfaction was real.

“I made pork rib soup with yams,” Qin Jianhe said, ruffling Ye Zhiqiu’s hair with a smile. “Go wash your hands and come eat.”

Ye Zhiqiu went to wash his hands. When he came out, the fragrant pork rib soup was already on the table.

Besides the yams, there were also carrots and corn. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender, the broth sweet, and even the carrots had been stewed until they melted in the mouth.

Watching Qin Jianhe’s well-defined hand holding the soup ladle, Ye Zhiqiu instinctively pressed his lips together.

“I want to take a photo,” he said suddenly.

Last time, he had taken photos, but for some reason, he hadn’t really wanted Jiang Nan to see them.

But now…

A domestic man had its own lethal appeal. No reason not to share.

“Hm?” Qin Jianhe raised an eyebrow ambiguously, but his posture was very cooperative.

Ye Zhiqiu focused seriously, and click.

In the morning light, Qin Jianhe’s hand holding the ladle was tinged with a light gold, giving it an indescribable warmth, very gentle.

And in the bowl, the ribs, yams, carrots, and corn were arranged, the broth clear. It looked delicious.

Perfect. No filter needed.

Ye Zhiqiu looked down, opened his Moments, added the photo, and began to seriously compose the caption.

“After a hard night, nothing is warmer than a bowl of hot soup made by the one you love.”
“Nourishes the stomach, strengthens the spleen, and replenishes the kidneys. I recommend yam pork rib soup.”

The phrases “hard night” and “replenishes the kidneys” were added deliberately, the implication clear.

Then, he skillfully set it to “Visible Only to Jiang Nan” and hit send.

“Let me see.” Qin Jianhe pushed the filled soup bowl in front of him and reached out his hand.

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

But it didn’t really matter.

He had indeed had a hard night, and he did need to replenish his kidneys.

Ye Zhiqiu pressed his lips together and handed his phone to Qin Jianhe.

Qin Jianhe looked down for a moment, the smile in his eyes deepening unconsciously.

“What are you laughing at?” Ye Zhiqiu’s cheeks grew warm.

“Nothing,” Qin Jianhe cleared his throat softly. “So this level means Professor Ye needs to replenish his kidneys?”

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

This guy!

He had been twice. He hadn’t.

Wasn’t he entitled to replenish after being tormented half the night?

“Then you should drink more, Professor Ye,” Qin Jianhe said very politely, handing the phone back.

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

* * * *

Ye Zhiqiu really loved soup.

Especially when it was cold. A bowl of hot soup warmed his stomach and made his whole body feel comfortable and relaxed.

He had done a lot of exercise last night and expended a lot of energy. He drank two bowls of soup and ate half a bowl of rice.

When Ye Zhiqiu put down his chopsticks, Qin Jianhe got up to clear the dishes.

As he did, he reached behind him, took the snack box he had put away earlier from the sideboard, and placed it in front of Ye Zhiqiu.

“Want some candy?” he asked.

Ye Zhiqiu looked up at him, a teasing smile in his eyes. “Are you really planning to treat me like a little brother?”

“Mm.” Qin Jianhe’s expression didn’t change. “Can I?”

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

Damn, why did he suddenly feel like he was being teased?

“These are good,” Qin Jianhe said, leaning over slightly and picking up a piece of chocolate from the snack box with his long fingers. “Try it?”

Ye Zhiqiu had looked through the snack box yesterday. He didn’t remember seeing these, and couldn’t help being a little confused.

“The secretary’s office was sharing candy yesterday. They all said it was good,” Qin Jianhe explained, seeming to read his confusion. “I asked for some.”

Ye Zhiqiu: “…”

It was hard to imagine what the extremely gossipy Zhou Tongxin would make of Qin Jianhe actively asking for candy.

He would probably talk about it for the rest of his life!

Wasn’t that too high a price?

After all that, Ye Zhiqiu couldn’t refuse.

He immediately reached for it, but Qin Jianhe pulled his hand back.

He unwrapped the candy, exposing the top half of the cone-shaped chocolate, and brought it directly to Ye Zhiqiu’s lips.

Ye Zhiqiu pressed his lips together, his eyelashes fluttering slightly as he opened his mouth. The next moment, the sweet fragrance of chocolate filled his mouth.

Qin Jianhe hadn’t moved. He was watching him with a smile.

Ye Zhiqiu bit down. The outer chocolate cracked, and the next moment, the aroma of rum spread through his mouth.

Sweet and mellow. Really good.

Instinctively, Ye Zhiqiu’s eyes curved.

Seeming satisfied with his reaction, Qin Jianhe’s eyes met his for a moment, the smile in them deepening.

The smile, in his dark eyes, was like two stars, especially bright.

Ye Zhiqiu was momentarily stunned. He was about to speak when Qin Jianhe lowered his gaze.

He stood up and went into the kitchen.

Ye Zhiqiu slowly ate one piece of chocolate, then another, before finally coming back to his senses.

He looked down and opened his phone to contact Zhang Mian.

Since Qin Jianhe was home, some things weren’t convenient to say aloud, so he just sent a message.

Yunkai had accumulated a lot of documents needing his signature, as well as several specific decisions. Zhang Mian had been waiting for him to return to discuss them.

Knowing he was already back, Zhang Mian immediately wanted to meet, and quickly booked a private room at a discreet restaurant near the company for lunch.

Then, Ye Zhiqiu contacted Lan Hua.

Lan Hua’s school wasn’t too far from Yunkai. He could go see him after discussing things with Zhang Mian.

He had barely had any free time these past few months, and during the New Year, he had been afraid Tao Ruoqing would notice something. So they hadn’t seen each other since their last meeting.

In this life, after seeing the truth clearly, Lan Hua had become completely different to Ye Zhiqiu than in his past life.

Although his biological father was still alive, to him, Lan Hua was his only remaining family in this world.

On this trip abroad, he had specially chosen a small neck and shoulder massager to bring back for Lan Hua.

Lan Hua spent long hours at his desk. His neck and shoulders weren’t good.

This massager was perfect for him. And because it was small and quiet, it could be used even in the office.

After hanging up with Lan Hua, Ye Zhiqiu thought for a moment, then called Professor Zhang Wenyuan.

They had discussed before, after the New Year, he would come for lessons two evenings a week.

But because of the exhibition, this had been delayed until now.

However, Professor Zhang was very understanding and had never expressed any dissatisfaction.

On the contrary, he supported and encouraged him, even praising him on the phone.

Ye Zhiqiu listened with a smile, deeply touched.

They agreed on a time for the lessons. Zhang Wenyuan then asked how much of the leather craft books he had read.

Ye Zhiqiu had actually finished them.

He had found answers to many of his questions through his knowledge of fashion design, drawing parallels.

But there were still many things he didn’t understand. His small notebook was filled with pages of questions.

While they were on the phone, Qin Jianhe had already finished washing the dishes and came out of the kitchen.

He didn’t disturb them, going straight to the walk-in closet to change.

When he came back out in his formal suit, Ye Zhiqiu had just finished the call, smiling.

“Are you starting your lessons?” Qin Jianhe asked, adjusting his cuffs.

“Yeah.” Ye Zhiqiu nodded, his eyes shining.

“Going to Professor Zhang’s today?” Qin Jianhe’s eyes naturally crinkled with a smile as he looked at him. He reached out and handed Ye Zhiqiu the tie hanging from his finger.

Ye Zhiqiu stood up and skillfully began to tie it.

“Probably tomorrow,” he said with a smile. “I have to meet a friend today, and this afternoon I’m going to see my uncle…”

He paused, finished tying the tie, and stepped back to look at Qin Jianhe. “Besides, Q.L.’s first show in Paris starts today. Wang Ru and Gao Yang are new to this; I should keep an eye on them.”

“Aren’t you new too?” Qin Jianhe asked.

Ye Zhiqiu was momentarily stunned, then realized that if he didn’t count the domestic shows in his past life, this was indeed his first show.

Seeing his daze, the smile in Qin Jianhe’s eyes deepened unconsciously.

“Professor Ye is so busy,” he teased.

“Of course,” Ye Zhiqiu said. “I also have to teach you, my rebellious disciple.”

Qin Jianhe laughed at that and flicked Ye Zhiqiu’s forehead.

“If you’re going to see your uncle,” he paused, then asked, “do you want me to come with you?”

“No, no.” Ye Zhiqiu waved his hands quickly. “I’ll be fine on my own.”

“Mm.” Qin Jianhe nodded. “I’ll leave Uncle Li for you. You can use him to get around.”

“No need,” Ye Zhiqiu said again, his eyes smiling, but his fingers instinctively curled.

Other things aside, his relationship with Zhang Mian wasn’t ready to be exposed yet.

“What’s wrong?” Qin Jianhe raised an eyebrow slightly.

“I can just take a taxi,” Ye Zhiqiu said.

Qin Jianhe looked at him for a moment, then said nothing. He picked up his jacket, draped it over his arm, and nodded slightly.

The door opened and closed. Qin Jianhe left.

Ye Zhiqiu pressed his lips together. After a long while, he sat back down, inexplicably feeling a little guilty.

* * * *

Qin Jianhe’s living room was very large. Sitting on the sofa and looking toward the dining room window, both the framed rose specimen and the plastic rose in the glass vase looked very small.

Ye Zhiqiu stared at them for a moment.

Just a moment.

Then he looked away, unlocked his phone, and opened his email.

There were quite a few unread emails, several from colleagues in the ordering department.

He read those first, replied, then moved on to the others.

Most of the rest were about business collaborations. He forwarded those with decent terms to the company’s business department.

Finally, there were personal emails.

Two. One from Zhao Keqi, and one from Sun Chaoyang.

He knew Sun Chaoyang’s was personal because he had no work dealings with Zhou Lang’s team.

Even if it were work-related, the sender would be Gao Yang or Wang Ru, not Sun Chaoyang.

Ye Zhiqiu hesitated for a moment, then opened Sun Chaoyang’s email first.

It was very brief, simply recounting that he had met Qi Xin in Paris.

He had forgotten to ask the man’s name, and wasn’t sure if he really knew Ye Zhiqiu, so he specially sent an email to remind him.

Ye Zhiqiu knew it was Qi Xin immediately.

He smiled. He could almost imagine Qi Xin’s panic after learning from Jiang Nan that he was back.

But that Qi Xin had gone to such lengths to keep up the act was a little surprising.

He replied with thanks, then opened Zhao Keqi’s email.

This time, Zhao Keqi brought good news.

Zhao Yunzhuang had discussed it with the director. Both sides had reached an agreement on the styling, and they had initially decided on Ye Zhiqiu.

After he returned, they would probably arrange a meeting soon to discuss the contract terms in detail.

At the end of the email, Zhao Keqi mentioned his return date.

Ye Zhiqiu checked it. Tomorrow.

He thought for a moment, then opened a booking app to check flights.

There were two flights a day from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Beijing. He calculated the times silently, then smiled and opened the four-person group chat.

[One Leaf Knows Autumn: Babies, want to have lunch together tomorrow? I, Hu Hansan, am not only back but also brought you gifts.]

A stone stirred a thousand waves. The chat instantly erupted.

[Prosperity: Ahhhhh, my baby is coming back tomorrow? I missed you so much.]

[Li Shao: So soon? What about Paris and Milan?]

[Lele: Clapping hands.jpg]

[One Leaf Knows Autumn: I came back early. I haven’t had a single lesson since the New Year. If I delay any longer, I’ll be the shame of my major.]

[Prosperity: Exams are for ordinary people. A genius like you shouldn’t be judged by exams. It’s not logical.]

[Li Shao: I’ll pick you up at the airport tomorrow.]

[Lele: Good timing, Xiaoqiu. I’m looking at apartments right now. I’m not sure about some things. You can help me decide when you’re back.]

The chat went quiet for a moment.

After his conversation with Lin Xuehua that day, Ye Zhiqiu hadn’t mentioned Tang Le again.

Lin Xuehua was probably busy with his project; they hadn’t been in touch recently.

It seemed Tang Le was having a hard time at school, otherwise he wouldn’t want to move out.

His family was unusually poor; they couldn’t afford his rent.

And Tang Le didn’t have a job either.

So Tao Ruoqing was probably funding him.

Ye Zhiqiu smiled and replied.

[One Leaf Knows Autumn: Sure. Which apartment are you looking at? Do you have photos? We can all take a look.]

[Prosperity: Lele finally decided to move out?]

[Lele: Yeah, but let’s talk specifics tomorrow.]

In the lull between their messages, Li Shaojun had already booked a restaurant and sent a location in the group chat.

Ye Zhiqiu saved the location, then stood up to change.

* * * *

He was ready by ten-thirty. He grabbed his things, got into a car, and headed straight for the restaurant near Yunkai in the suburbs.

It was just eleven-thirty when he arrived. Zhang Mian was already waiting in the private room.

He stood when Ye Zhiqiu came in.

“President Ye,” he said.

Ye Zhiqiu laughed and sat down across from him. “Just call me Ye Zhiqiu, like before.”

Whether Yunkai was developing smoothly and successfully was clear just from Zhang Mian’s attitude; you didn’t even need to look at the data.

“Okay, I won’t stand on ceremony then,” Zhang Mian said generously.

“I ordered a few of their signature dishes,” Zhang Mian said, pushing the menu toward Ye Zhiqiu. “See if there’s anything else you like.”

Ye Zhiqiu looked down.

The restaurants in the suburbs had a varied menu, from sweet to salty, everything available.

His gaze slowly moved down, then suddenly stopped on “Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Chili.”

For some reason, he thought of Qin Jianhe’s phone call in the kitchen that morning.

If he understood correctly, Qin Jianhe would probably be making this for him in the next couple of days.

His eyes curved instinctively. His gaze didn’t linger on those four words.

He would rather eat Qin Jianhe’s.

He added two small dishes, then closed the menu.

When he looked up again, Zhang Mian had somehow produced a tall stack of documents.

“Ordering’s done,” Zhang Mian said unceremoniously, handing him a pen. “Start signing.”

Ye Zhiqiu flipped through the documents, signing as he read, while Zhang Mian carefully reported on Yunkai’s recent development trends.

He had been signing for over half an hour and was only halfway through.

His hand wasn’t tired, but with so many documents to review and data to analyze, his mind tired easily.

He didn’t know how Qin Jianhe managed to look at so much data, proposals, and reports every day and still be so energetic at night.

Ye Zhiqiu paused, lost in thought for a moment.

“Tired?” Seeing this, Zhang Mian stopped speaking. “Why don’t we eat first, then continue?”

Ye Zhiqiu smiled and nodded. He handed the signed documents to Zhang Mian and left the rest on the empty seat beside him.

Zhang Mian pressed the call button. Soon, a server pushed in a cart.

The steaming dishes were placed on the table one by one, and the room immediately filled with the aroma of food.

“I saw the battery data the other day,” Ye Zhiqiu said, holding his water cup and smiling. “Everything’s going smoothly.”

“Yes.” Zhang Mian helped Ye Zhiqiu to some soup. “New Power has already scheduled the needle penetration test for three months from now. They’ll probably send the first samples over then.”

He paused, smiling. “Wang Qitang has mentioned a few times that he wants to meet the big boss behind me.”

“Let him wait,” Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “Not yet.”

Zhang Mian didn’t know exactly what Ye Zhiqiu’s ultimate goal was, but from the way he supported Yunkai in taking business from Yeding, he could guess a little. So he changed the subject.

“I heard your father and brother just bought some new equipment?” Zhang Mian asked.

“I did hear them mention that plan,” Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile. “They already bought it?”

During his time abroad, he hadn’t proactively contacted his family at all, nor had he asked about Yeding.

Not just this time. In his past life, he had never asked about Yeding either.

And yet, he had still been treated with such suspicion.

“They said last week it was installed and tested,” Zhang Mian said. “Your father also invited quite a few people in the industry. I heard they’ve already gotten some orders.”

Ye Zhiqiu smiled slightly and didn’t say anything more.

They both knew that in a few months, Yeding would face another huge blow.

That was fine, Ye Zhiqiu thought. One step at a time.

If he dealt a fatal blow, he wouldn’t get to watch those people’s pain and struggle.

These things were the most essential part of his carefully planned strategy.

* * * *

After the meal, Ye Zhiqiu finished signing the remaining documents, discussed a few issues with Zhang Mian, and then left.

It was nearly three o’clock when he left.

By the time he arrived at the small school where Lan Hua worked, it was already past three-thirty.

It was an awkward time. Lan Hua took Ye Zhiqiu to the next-door milk tea shop for a drink.

They only talked as long as it took to drink the milk tea.

Lan Hua still had work. Ye Zhiqiu finished the pearls in his cup, then took a taxi and left.

* * * *

He arrived back at Qin Jianhe’s apartment at exactly five-thirty.

He swiped his card to enter, changed his clothes, and when he came back out, the door opened. Qin Jianhe was back.

His jacket was casually draped over his arm, and he was holding a vibrant, dewy rose.

Their eyes met, and both paused momentarily.

Perhaps because of the slightly tense atmosphere when Qin Jianhe left that morning, Ye Zhiqiu hesitated for a moment, then ultimately didn’t approach.

He stood where he was, smiling at him.

His expression was fine, calm and composed.

But somehow, Qin Jianhe saw the shadow of a child in him.

A child without a home.

Unsure of the boundaries in someone else’s home, or believing he had made a mistake, he was especially tense.

As if, if his reaction was even slightly off, he would turn and leave, never to return.

His heart ached sharply. Qin Jianhe reached out slightly.

“For you,” he said, offering the rose to Ye Zhiqiu.

Ye Zhiqiu looked down at the rose, but didn’t reach for it.

Sighing softly, Qin Jianhe stepped forward and pulled Ye Zhiqiu into his arms.

“I didn’t buy it特意 for you,” Qin Jianhe said quietly, then added after a moment, “Come on, Ye Zhiqiu. Take it.”