He Deleted Everyone… and Kept Only Him

His heart racing, his breath short, Tang Le felt his vision go dark for an instant before he was caught by three hands reaching out.

“Lele, what’s wrong?” Jin Baobao was a little scared, but still tried to comfort him. “Don’t be afraid, we’ll take you to the hospital right away.”

Hearing “hospital,” Tang Le quickly closed his eyes and waved his hand.

“No need,” he said with difficulty. “It’s probably just from staying up too late working on assignments. I’m a bit run down.”

It wasn’t that he was deliberately covering for his roommates; he wasn’t that noble.

But if he told the truth, Ye Zhiqiu would definitely make a huge scene in the dormitory.

With his temper… once he blew up, few people could stop him.

Tang Le closed his eyes, instinctively remembering when he and Ye Zhiqiu first met.

It was back when they were freshmen.

One day at lunch, when he turned around after getting his food, he accidentally bumped into a group of boys who were play-fighting.

One of them was wearing an expensive tracksuit that was immediately stained with grease.

The boy wouldn’t let it go. Probably noticing from Tang Le’s clothes that he wasn’t well-off, he said some pretty nasty things.

Somehow, as luck would have it, Ye Zhiqiu had also come to the campus cafeteria that day.

He had been carrying his backpack as well. Somehow, he had so much cash on him. He immediately unzipped it and pulled out a wad of bills, throwing it right in the face of that snobbish guy.

That’s why Ye Zhiqiu had been especially kind to him afterward.

Knowing his family was poor and that made him feel inferior, he brought him into his circle and took care of him without making a show of it.

If he found out now that his roommates had been pouring water on his bed every night, Tang Le didn’t know what Ye Zhiqiu would do.

That incident before was one thing. Although Ye Zhiqiu had come out victorious and Tang Le had also entered everyone’s spotlight, it had been an accident. Even if it had blown up, the blame wouldn’t have fallen on him.

But it was different now. If this blew up, it would only push him further into the spotlight.

Seeing the whole thing slowly starting to fade, Tang Le would rather suffer in silence than reveal the truth.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ye Zhiqiu asked, leaning in slightly.

“I’m fine,” Tang Le said immediately.

Since he insisted and his color was slowly improving, the three exchanged a glance and sat back down.

“Don’t eat any more of these spicy things,” Ye Zhiqiu said. He pressed the call button for the server and ordered a bowl of plain congee for Tang Le.

Tang Le: “…”

He didn’t have much money. He usually ate simply even when dining out.

Ye Zhiqiu had been away, so they hadn’t gathered recently. Finally having a chance to eat well, with one sentence from Ye Zhiqiu, he was sent back to square one.

Still, he obediently put down his utensils and nodded. “Okay.”

After the commotion, everyone’s mood had dampened a bit. At least they could eat in peace.

Li Shaojun was the first to put down his chopsticks. Just as he was about to speak, Ye Zhiqiu’s phone rang.

“Speak of the devil.” Ye Zhiqiu laughed and answered. “Zhao Keqi?”

Zhao Keqi said something on the other end, and Ye Zhiqiu nodded with a smile. “Okay.”

After a moment, he said, “You don’t need to come pick me up. I know where the set is.”

“…”

After hanging up, Li Shaojun was the first to ask. “Going to the set for an interview?”

“Not really an interview.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled, holding his chopsticks. “To be precise, it’s to discuss the terms of a future collaboration.”

The meaning was obvious.

The production team had no issue with Ye Zhiqiu’s professional skills. They just needed to hammer out the compensation and collaboration details.

In short, Ye Zhiqiu had essentially been officially confirmed by the team.

The rain outside grew heavier, thudding coldly in Tang Le’s heart.

He had never felt so cold, never felt such desolation inside.

Fortunately, the plain congee arrived quickly. Ye Zhiqiu smiled and personally ladled him a bowl, placing it before him.

Joy put a spring in one’s step. Unlike Tang Le’s haggard expression, Ye Zhiqiu’s smile was gentle, his eyes bright.

But Tang Le could see that he was deliberately suppressing his own happiness.

Afraid of hurting him?

Tang Le thought mockingly.

Ye Zhiqiu probably didn’t know that the more he did this, the worse Tang Le felt.

And the worse he felt, the more he had to show delight for Ye Zhiqiu’s sake…

Was there any torture worse than this in the world?

Tang Le couldn’t help thinking.

Using the excuse of drinking congee, he lowered his head and slowly adjusted his emotions.

By the time he finished the bowl, the others had also put down their utensils.

“Lele, what kind of apartments have you been looking at?” Jin Baobao asked.

Tang Le took out his phone and shared them in the group chat.

Most of them were either too expensive or too far away.

Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun were fine, not knowing the truth behind the scenes. But Ye Zhiqiu could tell at a glance that these were within Tao Ruoqing’s budget ceiling.

He looked up, his expression unchanged. “Are you looking to share?”

Tang Le certainly didn’t want to, but he shook his head.

“Then why not spend a little more to rent a small one-bedroom in an older neighborhood near the school?” Ye Zhiqiu thought for a moment, as if he had Tang Le’s best interests at heart. “Living alone is more comfortable and quiet. You won’t be disturbed if you need to work on assignments or anything.”

“How much more do you need?” Ye Zhiqiu smiled at him. “I’ll cover it for you.”

Tang Le didn’t answer immediately.

Although he had always resented Ye Zhiqiu’s charity-laced care for him, seeing the budget ceiling Tao Ruoqing had given him, and the apartments he could afford with it, he couldn’t help thinking of Ye Zhiqiu.

Thinking of the apartment Ye Zhiqiu had rented, thinking that Ye Zhiqiu might help him live more comfortably.

The feeling was contradictory, as if it carried both hatred, shame, and longing.

Tang Le couldn’t explain it, but he did it anyway.

He said he wanted Ye Zhiqiu to help him look at apartments, but really, he was just longing for Ye Zhiqiu’s protection.

He had thought Ye Zhiqiu would, as before, solve the problem without a word.

But this time, unusually, he asked directly, in front of Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun.

His fingers hanging at his side curled in shame. Tang Le shook his head. “No need.”

“We’re friends, no need to stand on ceremony,” Jin Baobao immediately chimed in. “You’ll graduate in a couple of years and be able to work and earn money yourself. How about…”

He looked at Li Shaojun and Ye Zhiqiu. “Xiaoqiu helps this year, then Shaojun and I help the next couple of years. That should get you through.”

Seeing Tang Le about to protest, Jin Baobao smiled.

“Don’t refuse. Just make a few outfits for Shaojun and me when you get the chance,” he said, then looked at Ye Zhiqiu. “Xiaoqiu’s an exception; he can make his own.”

Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu laughed.

It was just an ordinary laugh, but Tang Le’s cheeks flushed red.

He lowered his eyes, his already clenched fists tightening further.

“Thank you,” he said.

The gratitude felt especially humiliating.

But at the same time, he couldn’t help secretly sighing in relief at the prospect of finally living in a relatively decent place.

Yet, as he relaxed, his originally straight back unconsciously stooped.

Ye Zhiqiu watched him calmly, a flicker of amusement passing through his beautiful eyes.

If this were before, if he had never experienced any of it, even knowing the truth, he would have immediately confronted Tang Le head-on, using extreme methods to solve the problem.

But now, having been through the grind of his past life, he understood better than anyone that psychological trauma was the most direct and cruelest way to destroy someone.

That was what Tang Le, Tao Ruoqing, Qi Xin, Jiang Nan, and the others had taught him in his past life.

That was why he was now able to wield it so effectively, with such ease.

The rain grew louder and louder.

Ye Zhiqiu remembered that Jin Baobao had a class in the afternoon.

He glanced at his watch.

It was already two-thirty.

“Should we head out?” he said. “Those who have class should go to class, and those who need to go home should go home.”

“I’ll take you.” Li Shaojun knew he hadn’t driven himself, having just returned to the Ye household.

“I called a car.” Ye Zhiqiu smiled, putting on his backpack and checking the ride-hailing app. “It’ll be here in five minutes.”

He added to Li Shaojun, “You take Baobao and Lele.”

Li Shaojun didn’t insist.

They gathered their things and walked out. The wind blew a thin mist of rain onto their faces, bitterly cold.

“Get in quickly,” Ye Zhiqiu said, checking his watch again. “My car will be here any minute.”

“You wait inside,” Jin Baobao said, pushing him back toward the entrance, then hurried after Tang Le and Li Shaojun, running for the car.

After their car had disappeared into the rain, splashing water, the car Ye Zhiqiu had called finally arrived.

He didn’t open his umbrella, just held his backpack briefly over his head and bent to get in.

“This rain…” the driver began, but Ye Zhiqiu’s phone rang.

The driver stopped mid-sentence. They briefly confirmed the address, then the car started, its headlights cutting through the rain as it headed toward the Ye household.

Only then did Ye Zhiqiu pull out his phone and look down at the screen.

It was Qi Xin.

He didn’t answer, just watched the screen as the phone rang until it automatically hung up.

But a moment later, the phone rang again.

This time, Ye Zhiqiu didn’t keep Qi Xin waiting. He answered.

“Hello.” Against the sound of the rain outside, Ye Zhiqiu’s voice sounded particularly cold.

“Xiaoqiu.” Qi Xin really was sick; his voice was hoarse and weak. “I’m sick.”

“Yeah.” Ye Zhiqiu responded flatly. “Your father called me earlier.”

“My father?” Qi Xin paused, as if completely unaware. “He… what did he say?”

“He said you were sick and asked me to come take care of you.” Ye Zhiqiu’s smile was mocking. “What, Qi Xin, I’ve done a lot of work for you, and those outfits at the sports arena show were pretty popular. Your family can’t even afford a nurse now?”

“No, no, no.” Qi Xin knew immediately that Ye Zhiqiu was angry and silently cursed Qi Ruichang.

Qi Ruichang thought the same way he did. Ye Zhiqiu had done so much for Qiyun, he must really like him.

But even though Ye Zhiqiu liked him, he still put on airs. During the New Year, when they had wanted to meet him, he hadn’t even shown his face.

Qi Ruichang had been unhappy about that for a while.

Thinking he could give Ye Zhiqiu a warning, Qi Ruichang had used his illness as an excuse to try and put Ye Zhiqiu in his place.

But of course, Ye Zhiqiu wouldn’t have it.

He was a spoiled brat.

Qi Xin had collapsed at the factory yesterday and had been brought to the hospital immediately. Because he hadn’t rested properly for a long time and had a fever of nearly forty degrees, he had been sleeping fitfully since last night. He had had no idea his father had called Ye Zhiqiu.

He had been hoping to play the victim a little, but now he didn’t dare say a word.

“So what was your father’s intention?” Ye Zhiqiu laughed derisively. “I used to think my dad and brother were biased against your family. I guess I was naive.”

Hearing Qi Xin cough anxiously on the other end, Ye Zhiqiu pressed on relentlessly.

“Is it a rule in your family that if someone marries you, they have to take your name, quit their job to stay home and raise the kids, and wipe the old folks’ asses?” His tone was unhurried, but every word was cold and sharp. “I haven’t even agreed to go out with you yet, and you’re already so eager for me to come take care of you? Hilarious!”

“That’s not what my dad meant. He’s just old-fashioned,” Qi Xin instinctively defended him.

“Old-fashioned?” Ye Zhiqiu laughed. “Is old-fashioned exploiting others for your own benefit? Don’t pretend I don’t know what ‘old-fashioned’ means. My family has a dictionary.”

He was sharp-tongued; Qi Xin couldn’t argue with him or calm him down.

He had missed him terribly and had wanted to use his illness to act a little pitiful and ask to see him, but that plan was now ruined.

Qi Xin felt deeply frustrated.

“I’ll talk to my father,” he conceded. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t interfere with us again.”

Ye Zhiqiu didn’t respond, but his light, ambiguous laugh came through.

Qi Xin closed his eyes, almost instantly picturing his cold, proud expression, the mocking curl of his lips.

It was, objectively, quite rude.

But because it was on Ye Zhiqiu’s face, it became inexplicably captivating.

Ye Zhiqiu was already beautiful. When he was being proud, he was like a thorny, gorgeous rose.

Even if he cut his hands to shreds, Qi Xin still wanted to pluck him.

“Xiaoqiu,” Qi Xin coughed again, finally managing to say his name breathlessly.

There was a pause on the other end, as if he had finally softened. Ye Zhiqiu also coughed lightly.

“Focus on getting better,” he said. “I was actually planning to visit you, but since your father insisted, now I’m not going.”

Qi Xin: “…”

“We’ll meet when you’re well,” Ye Zhiqiu said coldly, and hung up.

Qi Xin stared at his phone for a long time, a flood of emotions washing over him.

It wasn’t until Qi Ruichang returned with hot water that he snapped out of it.

“Dad,” Qi Xin coughed, “did you call Xiaoqiu?”

Ye Zhiqiu was annoyed, and Qi Ruichang was annoyed too. His face darkened.

“What?” he asked. “Did he tattle to you?”

If Qi Xin weren’t sick, Qi Ruichang thought, would Ye Zhiqiu even get a chance to tattle?

He was the one who should be complaining about that rude kid.

“No.” Qi Xin finally stopped coughing, his eyes full of tears. “I called him.”

Qi Ruichang poured a glass of water to let it cool, then sat down.

“I always knew Tao Ruoqing had raised her stepson badly,” he said, “but this is too much.”

His throat was dry and itchy; Qi Xin couldn’t speak for a moment.

Seeing this, Qi Ruichang thought Qi Xin was agreeing with him.

“He’s no match for Jiang Nan,” Qi Ruichang said. “Jiang Nan is sweet and polite. When Qiyun is big enough that we don’t need him anymore, tell him to get lost.”

Seeing Qi Xin about to cough again, he reached over and patted his back.

“Anyway, he’s got no father or mother who cares about him. With Tao Ruoqing in the picture, he’ll never get a thing from the Ye family,” Qi Ruichang said, trying to drill his thoughts into Qi Xin’s head. “We can find other good designers in time, but in the long run, the Jiang family will do more for our development.”

Qi Xin coughed into the side of the bed for a while. When he finally stopped, he rasped at Qi Ruichang, “Enough.”

Qi Ruichang was stunned.

In all his life, Qi Xin had never disobeyed him, never shouted at him like this.

“You haven’t fallen for him for real, have you?” Qi Ruichang’s face slowly darkened.

Qi Xin didn’t answer. His brow was deeply furrowed, his heart a tangled mess.

In fact, the answer inside him was practically screaming to get out.

From the day he had started feeling repulsed by Tao Ruoqing, from the day he had become more tolerant of Ye Zhiqiu, from the day he had begun to overlook Jiang Nan, he had probably developed genuine feelings for Ye Zhiqiu.

Even if he couldn’t say exactly what he liked about him.

Maybe it was because he was so beautiful; whenever he smiled at him, Qi Xin couldn’t help drowning in those warm, light brown eyes.

Or maybe it was because his unpredictable temper always thrilled him, his usually calm heart always stirred by him.

Seeing him silent, Qi Ruichang grew more anxious.

“Don’t be foolish about this,” he said. “That Ye Zhiqiu was ruined long ago. And think about Tao Ruoqing. If she finds out you actually have feelings for him, once everything is settled, do you really think she’ll let the two of you be together? One word from her, and do you think Ye Zhiqiu would ever let it go?”

Each sentence made Qi Xin’s expression darker.

He had indeed intended to manipulate Ye Zhiqiu from the start.

Tao Ruoqing had repeatedly warned him not to develop real feelings.

If she found out what was truly in his heart, once the Ye family inheritance was settled, if she revealed his true nature to Ye Zhiqiu…

He wouldn’t just never let it go. With Ye Zhiqiu’s temper, he might even kill him.

He was terrified of Ye Zhiqiu finding out how despicable he really was.

He regretted ever being so eager for quick success that he had boarded this ship from which there was no return.

Seeing his worsening expression, Qi Ruichang sighed and patted his shoulder.

“Xiao Xin,” he said earnestly, “you two are never going to work out. You’re a sensible boy. Rein in your heart. Take what you need from him and move on. The future is long. Don’t just focus on what’s in front of you.”

****

The car crept along, stopping and starting. From the furious wind and rain, the raindrops the size of soybeans pounding the roof, to the moment when the rain finally slanted into a gentle, fine line, it finally stopped at the gate of the Ye household.

Ye Zhiqiu paid and thanked the driver, then pushed the door open and got out.

Again, he didn’t open the umbrella, just held his backpack over his head and ran inside.

The sky was dark, the light rain pattering on the plants and trees in the yard, as if night had already fallen.

Ye Zhiqiu looked up at the sky again, realizing there would probably be a good downpour later.

The living room was brightly lit. Ye Hongxian and Ye Zheng’s cars weren’t there. In the parking spot in front of the main entrance, besides the two cars he and Uncle Wang usually drove, there was also a light blue BMW.

Ye Zhiqiu hadn’t seen it before.

He didn’t think much of it, but instead walked around to the corridor and casually pushed open the closed door.

Hearing the noise, the people talking in the living room turned their heads simultaneously.

Ye Zhiqiu’s steps paused slightly as he met Gao Wenye’s eyes.

In the living room, Tao Ruoqing was brewing tea. Gao Wenye was sitting on the sofa across from her, next to Ye Zhixia, their hands intertwined.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu, Gao Wenye was momentarily stunned, then instinctively tried to pull his hand away.

But Ye Zhixia didn’t let him.

Instead, he held on tighter.

Ye Zhiqiu looked at them and smiled naturally.

On such a rainy day, and with Gao Wenye’s entertainment company having just been officially announced today, to come rushing to the Ye household now…

Either Tao Ruoqing had already convinced Ye Hongxian, or Gao Wenye and Ye Zhixia’s feelings had grown so deep that a day apart felt like a year.

Either way, it was something he was happy to see.

“Oh, Xiaoqiu is back.” After a brief, awkward silence, Tao Ruoqing stood up. “Why didn’t you call? I would have sent Uncle Wang to pick you up.”

“Taking a taxi is easy enough,” Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile.

He was wet from the rain, his hair and lashes damp, his fair skin like a lotus freshly emerged from water, so beautiful and clean it was almost hard to look at.

Gao Wenye stared at him, momentarily dazed.

The calm he had just regained was once again unsettled.

But Ye Zhiqiu didn’t look at him again. He smiled at Tao Ruoqing and said, “I’m going upstairs to change.”

“Okay,” Tao Ruoqing said. “Come back down. Zhixia’s boyfriend is here. You young people can chat.”

Chat about what?

He saw right through Tao Ruoqing’s intentions.

On the way back, he had specially looked up the announcement about Gao Wenye’s new company and the newly signed actors.

One of them, in his past life, had been sent by Gao Wenye to Qi Xin’s bed, and had stayed with him for quite a while.

Ye Zhiqiu still remembered how, when Qi Xin had brought him home once to pick something up, they had run into each other as Ye Zhiqiu was returning from the market. The kid had been so smug and arrogant with him.

And this same new actor had also, through Gao Wenye’s connections, been sent to audition for the “Building Eight” crew.

Although it was only a small part with one or two appearances, the PR announcements had been overblown, making it seem like a major production debut.

Gao Wenye had left to start his own company, Xinye Entertainment. And with the new actors seemingly favored by a major director, along with PR company push, Gao Wenye’s online buzz was considerable.

And Tao Ruoqing, knowing full well that Gao Wenye had feelings for him, still invited him downstairs, just to make Gao Wenye, in front of everyone, recognize his place.

Plus, after seeing the Zhao father and son’s interview today, she wanted him to put in a good word with them to help the new actor get into the production.

That would be a perfect start for Xinye Entertainment.

However, Ye Zhiqiu thought, his slightly lowered gaze turning cold…

Since he could get into Qi Xin’s bed, getting into Gao Wenye’s bed probably wouldn’t be a problem either, would it?

It seemed he really should give them a good “helping hand.”

****

At the same time, Qin Jianhe’s work finally reached a pause.

He took his eyes off the computer screen and turned his head slightly to look outside.

Rain pattered against the window glass, making mottled patterns. It was just past four, but the sky was as dark as night.

He stayed like that for a while, looking outward, then lowered his eyes and picked up his phone from the corner of the desk.

There were many message notifications on the screen, mostly from group chats.

Qin Jianhe didn’t look at them. He instinctively opened his chat app and scrolled down the list, looking for that familiar avatar.

Ye Zhiqiu’s avatar had been pushed far down. Qin Jianhe opened it and saw no new messages.

He raised his hand, as if to type something, but in the end did nothing and just backed out again.

After the Zhao father and son’s return this afternoon, their interview had mentioned Ye Zhiqiu, leading to a lot of teasing and laughter in the four-person group chat.

Qin Jianhe had been busy then and hadn’t had time to read carefully. He had intended to look later.

But now, he suddenly lost interest.

After a moment’s silence, as if remembering something, he looked down, opened the WeChat backend, and switched to another account.

As soon as he switched, a new friend request popped up on the screen.

“Hello, I’m your tenant, Ye Zhiqiu.”

It was a very simple message, but Qin Jianhe looked at it for a long time.

A smile slowly crept into his eyes. Then he very carefully tapped “Accept.”

There were only three contacts in his list: the real estate agent, Li Shaojun, and Ye Zhiqiu.

Qin Jianhe almost didn’t hesitate. He deleted the other two, leaving only Ye Zhiqiu.

Then he put down his phone, dialed an internal line, and asked Wei Jie to come in.

Wei Jie had recently become the envy of the secretary’s office again.

Because Qin Jianhe had hardly called for him.

When he came in now, he still looked sleepy, clearly not fully awake.

“President Qin,” Wei Jie said.

“The apartment from before, it’s all settled.” Although Wei Jie’s manner was a little lax, Qin Jianhe didn’t seem to mind. On the contrary, there was a faint smile in his eyes.

“Yes.” Wei Jie paused, trying to remember, then said, “But the other apartment is still empty.”

Qin Jianhe had bought two apartments, with completely different styles.

But Teacher Xiao Ye’s friends had only looked at the first one and decided on it, so the second one was sitting empty.

“Mm.” Qin Jianhe thought for a moment.

Neither apartment was large, just over ninety square meters.

Keeping it served no purpose, and the small amount of rent was meaningless.

“List it for sale,” Qin Jianhe said.

“But…” But he had bought it less than a month ago.

He started to say it, but then thought better of it and swallowed the rest.

He was fully awake now and immediately became efficient.

“Okay,” Wei Jie said. “I’ll list it after work.”

“No rush.” Qin Jianhe looked outside at the steady rain. “Wait for better weather.”

Wei Jie agreed.

Seeing that Qin Jianhe seemed to have nothing more to say, he turned to leave.

But just as he touched the doorknob, Qin Jianhe called him back.

“President Qin?” Wei Jie turned immediately.

But Qin Jianhe didn’t say anything.

He was quiet for a long time, as if thinking.

Finally, just as Wei Jie was starting to think the boss had forgotten he was there, he looked at him again.

“The secretary’s office,” Qin Jianhe asked, “any new snacks lately?”

****

At eight in the morning, Ye Zhiqiu set down his utensils and turned his head slightly to look out the window.

It was a rainy day.

The wind was strong, and the sky was a murky grey, with dark clouds pressing in from the distance.

It reminded him of when he was a child, how he especially loved curling up in his room on days with bad weather.

Because staying in a room or under the covers on such days always gave one an inexplicable sense of safety and warmth.

Ye Zhiqiu loved that feeling.

But that was a childhood thing.
Now, he was grown up.
No matter how much he loved that feeling, when it was time to walk into the wind and rain, he still had to walk into the wind and rain.

“Today,” Ye Zhiqiu withdrew his gaze from the window and smiled at Qin Jianhe, “I need to go back to the Ye household.”

He said “the Ye household,” not “home.”
As if he wasn’t really a member of the Ye family.

Hearing this, Qin Jianhe’s eating movement paused.
“Mm,” he said. “Remember to take an umbrella when you go out.”

“Okay.” Ye Zhiqiu agreed with a smile.

“As for your suitcase,” he said, “I’m moving in a couple of days, so I won’t take it back for now.”

“Mm.” Qin Jianhe looked up at him. “Which day are you planning to move? I’ll send someone to help.”

Ye Zhiqiu didn’t answer, just looked at him with an ambiguous smile.

“Okay, got it.” Meeting his gaze, Qin Jianhe couldn’t help but laugh.

Ye Zhiqiu’s eyes also crinkled with amusement.

“The day after tomorrow,” he said. “The day after tomorrow is the weekend.”

Qin Jianhe stood up and ruffled Ye Zhiqiu’s soft hair. “All grown up, independent.”

“Proud of me?” Ye Zhiqiu looked up, teasing him with a smile. “Dad?”

That one word flipped some kind of switch. Qin Jianhe’s eyes instantly darkened.

Ye Zhiqiu laughed and leaned back to dodge, reminding him, “Morning meeting.”

At the table earlier, Zhou Tongxin had called Qin Jianhe to report his schedule. Ye Zhiqiu had heard clearly that Qin Jianhe had a morning meeting today.

Hearing this, Qin Jianhe’s lips pressed into a thin line, even the line of his jaw becoming sharply defined, radiating an indescribable sense of restraint.

After a moment, he still grabbed Ye Zhiqiu’s wrist, pulled him into his arms, and messed around for a good while before letting go.

Before leaving, Qin Jianhe touched Ye Zhiqiu’s head again.

“If you need anything,” he said, “come to me.”

Ye Zhiqiu didn’t ask which aspect of “need” he meant, just nodded obediently.

After Qin Jianhe left, Ye Zhiqiu reopened his suitcase, took out the gifts for Jin Baobao, Li Shaojun, and Tang Le, and put them into his backpack.

Then he looked down at the limited edition sneakers Qin Jianhe had given him, still in the suitcase.

He took out the shoebox and opened it, gazing at them for a long while before putting them away again.

It was still early. He went to Qin Jianhe’s study first.

He found paper and a pen and sat down at the desk.

During his time abroad, away from the people and situations at home, Ye Zhiqiu had lived more comfortably than at any time since his rebirth.

But at the same time, he hadn’t done any serious strategy session in a long time.

Now that he was back, he instinctively picked up the habit again.

Compared to when he first returned, the situation was actually quite stable now.

This had been achieved through his constant scheming. Although the goal was still far off, for the time being, it was a relatively ideal state.

Ye Zhiqiu didn’t want to ruin everything with a momentary lapse or oversight.

As he thought, he slowly wrote on the paper as usual.

In fact, the past few days at Qin Jianhe’s had given him a rare sense of ease and enjoyment.
To put it plainly, this was probably what people called happiness.

It surprised him.
Because he had always believed that he had perhaps long lost the ability to feel such happiness.

Ye Zhiqiu paused, his pen hovering. He stopped deliberately reminiscing about this long-lost feeling and continued writing.

When the paper was almost full, he carefully reviewed it from top to bottom.

After confirming there were no issues, he set down his pen, turned, and fed the paper into the shredder behind him.

The paper filled with writing was quickly swallowed by the shredder, turning into confetti.

Almost simultaneously, a light tapping sound came from the windowpane. Raindrops the size of soybeans began to fall.

His phone on the desk lit up and dimmed repeatedly. Ye Zhiqiu picked it up just as a message from Qin Jianhe came in.

[QIN: It’s raining.]
[QIN: Have you left yet?]

Ye Zhiqiu replied.
[One Leaf Knows Autumn: Soon.]

[QIN: The umbrella is on the dining table. Remember to take it.]

Ye Zhiqiu typed two words, but after a moment’s pause, he deleted them one by one.
Instead of replying to Qin Jianhe, he opened the four-person group chat.

Since after nine, Jin Baobao had been active, with Tang Le occasionally chiming in. Li Shaojun, who had class today, hadn’t spoken.

Ye Zhiqiu went downstairs and immediately spotted the black umbrella on the corner of the dining table.
It was a compact, foldable one.
He took the umbrella, also picked up his keys and backpack, then opened the door and walked out.

The door closed behind him, like a temporary haven shutting once more. Ye Zhiqiu stepped back into the wind and rain.

At the entrance, the car he had called was just pulling up.
Ye Zhiqiu folded the umbrella, got in, and gave the driver the restaurant’s address.

By now, the group chat was getting lively. Jin Baobao had arrived first, already at the restaurant. Li Shaojun and Tang Le were also on their way.

Ye Zhiqiu replied to the group, telling them his location.

As soon as he spoke, Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun immediately started demanding their gifts.
Ye Zhiqiu laughed at their antics but didn’t reply further.

In the capital, any rain meant traffic jams. The car stopped and started, finally pulling up to the restaurant.
Ye Zhiqiu checked his watch. It was nearly eleven o’clock.

A drive that usually took twenty-plus minutes had taken almost an hour.

He went upstairs to the private room. The other three were already there.

Seeing Ye Zhiqiu, Jin Baobao immediately rushed over and hugged him tightly. Li Shaojun also came over and put his arms around both of them.

“Gift,” he said.

“And mine,” Jin Baobao said.

Compared to their warm exuberance, Tang Le was more reserved.
He seemed a bit uncomfortable, just sitting in his seat and smiling at them.

“You’ve all got gifts, babies,” Ye Zhiqiu laughed, his eyes curving into crescents as the two teased him. “But you have to let go of me first so I can get them.”

If they didn’t count his past life, considering just these years growing up together, Ye Zhiqiu, Jin Baobao, and Li Shaojun had really never been apart this long.
Even if one of them occasionally went on a trip with their family, they were back within a week at most.

They sat down. Ye Zhiqiu opened his backpack and started pulling out gifts.

“What were you guys talking about just now?” he asked. “I could hear you from way down the hall.”

“Haven’t you seen it yet?” Jin Baobao said. “Gao Wenye just released a statement announcing his new company.”

“And signed a few young actors,” Li Shaojun added.

“Oh?” Ye Zhiqiu’s movement paused. He looked up with a smile.

“Is Ye Zhixia…” Jin Baobao started gossiping.

Ye Zhiqiu shook his head. “We haven’t really spoken since the last time he hit me.”

He smiled. “I doubt he’d tell me anything even if something did happen.”

While talking, he took out the gifts.

First, Jin Baobao’s.
Besides some very popular little accessories from the various international shows, there was also an electric leg massager.
Jin Baobao, being a dancer, often complained about leg pain.

Then Li Shaojun’s.

“A game console wasn’t convenient. I’ll get you something fun from domestic next time,” Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile. “I remember you couldn’t get this perfume last time. I happened to see a bottle at a counter in London.”

Li Shaojun hadn’t really wanted a game console that badly.
With all the online and mobile games available now, they were much more convenient than a console.
He had asked for one just to play along with Jin Baobao’s enthusiasm.

Seeing the perfume now was a real, unexpected delight.
Li Shaojun carefully took the bottle into his hands, a look of genuine happiness finally appearing on his handsome face.

Ye Zhiqiu knew he had chosen the right gift. Nothing made him happier than seeing Li Shaojun and Jin Baobao happy. The smile in his eyes deepened instantly.

He looked down, reached back into his backpack, and took out Tang Le’s gift.

It was also a bottle of perfume.
Compared to the slightly cool scent of Li Shaojun’s, this one was much warmer.

“It suits you,” Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile, handing it to Tang Le. “Lele, you’re usually too reserved. This perfume is very expansive, just right for balancing you out.”

Tang Le: “…”

He hated being lectured more than anything, but for some reason, Ye Zhiqiu seemed particularly fond of lecturing him lately.

Already in a bad mood, he felt even more repulsed.

“Thank you, Xiaoqiu,” he said, keeping his expression neutral and accepting the gift with a smile.

“I also brought a set of professional fashion design tools for Senior Lin Xuehua,” Ye Zhiqiu said, putting his backpack down and smiling. “But it’s in a metal case, quite heavy. I’ll bring it to school next week. I’m sure he’ll love it.”

Tang Le pressed his lips together, unconsciously tightening his grip on the perfume bottle.

He had been doing very poorly lately, hardly sleeping well, with obvious dark circles under his eyes.

And because the news of him ruining Lin Xuehua’s graduation project had spread far and wide, people avoided him like the plague. Even some classmates he had been on decent terms with had grown much colder.

This feeling of being isolated from the world, of not being understood by anyone, was truly too agonizing.

He knew that Lin Xuehua was definitely behind this.

The set of tools Ye Zhiqiu mentioned was very famous in the fashion design world. Because the field was relatively niche and there were many affordable alternatives, no domestic platform had ever imported them.

Some students at school used them, but they all bought them through proxy buyers. The original price was over two thousand euros, but with heavy shipping costs and customs duties, the final price nearly doubled.

To be honest, things had gone too far. He didn’t want to give Lin Xuehua anything anymore.

But at the same time, he knew he couldn’t say that.

Although, because it was “an accident,” Ye Zhiqiu, Li Shaojun, and Jin Baobao hadn’t blamed him, that didn’t mean they didn’t sympathize with Lin Xuehua.

So, no matter how unwilling he was, he still nodded under Ye Zhiqiu’s smiling gaze.

The food arrived quickly. Although Ye Zhiqiu hadn’t ordered, the table was filled with his favorite dishes.

Probably taking into account the bland, monotonous food abroad, Li Shaojun had specially chosen a Sichuan restaurant. The dishes were spicy, fragrant, and wonderfully appetizing.

As soon as the food was served, Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun heaped Ye Zhiqiu’s plate full.

He had been planning to take a moment to check the news about Gao Wenye’s company announcement, but seeing this, he put down his phone and immediately picked up his chopsticks.

“I’m telling you,” he said, his lips glistening with oil, his eyes curved, “I already had steamed fish head with chopped chili this morning. If you keep feeding me like this, I’m going to get heat rash.”

“You should have said something,” Li Shaojun said, still putting a large piece of tripe on his plate.

“We’ll deal with the consequences after this meal,” Jin Baobao said, adding frog legs to his pile.

Ye Zhiqiu ate what was on his plate, then looked up as if remembering something. “Didn’t Lele say he wanted us to look at apartments? What have you seen?”

Hearing this, Tang Le looked up from his bowl.

“I’ll show you after we eat,” he said.

He looked listless, lacking energy.

Ye Zhiqiu met his eyes and smiled slightly.

Tang Le had only experienced this much.

He was merely paying the price for his own mistakes and malice, which was only right.

But in his past life, what mistake had he made to be used as a stepping stool and kicked into the abyss?

Tang Le now felt the world’s hostility, even felt it was dark.
But what about him?
Because of Tang Le and the others, what kind of desperate, hopelessly long life had he lived in his past life?

By comparison, Tang Le’s current predicament was nothing.

Instinctively, Ye Zhiqiu checked his watch again.

It was nearly one o’clock. Zhao Keqi and his father should be landing soon.

Unlike his own unexpected early return, the Zhao father and son’s return time wasn’t a secret.

Besides, Zhao Yunzhuang had gone abroad not only to see his show in person but also to discuss an animation copyright cooperation.

Zhao Keqi’s rumor was hot right now, a perfect opportunity for free publicity. Ye Zhiqiu didn’t think Zhao Yunzhuang would avoid it.

As they ate, Jin Baobao chattered non-stop, asking about the shows and constantly showing Ye Zhiqiu screenshots of netizens praising him.

Ye Zhiqiu looked up at him with a smile. Jin Baobao’s big eyes sparkled as if he were a million times happier than if he had received the honor himself.

When Jin Baobao finally tired of chattering, Li Shaojun took a set of keys from his backpack and handed them to Ye Zhiqiu.

“All the keys for the rental,” he said. “Also, add the landlord on WeChat. That way you can contact him if anything comes up, and it’ll be easier to pay rent next time.”

“Send me his contact,” Ye Zhiqiu said, drinking hot and sour soup from a bowl.

A moment later, his phone buzzed, and a WeChat contact card was sent over.

“Which day are you moving?” Li Shaojun asked. “I’ll help.”

“No need,” Ye Zhiqiu said. “My stuff seems like a lot, but I don’t actually use that much day-to-day. I’ll pack up in the next couple of days and drive it over myself on the weekend. That should be fine.”

“The place has all the pots, pans, and utensils,” Li Shaojun said. “I looked; they seem brand new. If you mind, I’ll go buy you a new set today.”

“Not for now,” Ye Zhiqiu said casually. “There are plenty of places to eat nearby. Whether I cook or not is a different matter.”

“Alright,” Li Shaojun said, always a worrier. “That just leaves the tools for your studio. I don’t know anything about that. You’ll have to handle that yourself.”

“Okay.” Ye Zhiqiu nodded and sent a friend request to the landlord.

They chatted and ate, the atmosphere lively and warm. Even Tang Le managed to keep a smile on his face.
But only he knew the bitterness in his heart.

Ye Zhiqiu was so brilliant.

While he was shining on the international stage, beloved by everyone, Tang Le was being crushed by everyone on campus.

Ye Zhiqiu could rent a beautiful, large apartment in a high-end central business district complex, while Tang Le could only afford to share a place in a fringe area.

When Ye Zhiqiu’s plate was piled high with food, Tang Le was just a laughingstock, a clown sitting beside him.

The gap between them had always been vast.
But because Ye Zhiqiu never cared about wealth or background, Tang Le hadn’t always felt it so acutely.

But now…
Tang Le was just too tired.

So when this crude, direct comparison came crashing down, he felt he could barely endure it.

But he still had to smile, his facial muscles aching.

“Lele, you’ve been quiet today,” Ye Zhiqiu said, as if completely unaware of his discomfort. He smiled and looked over, putting him on the spot. “Are you worried about the apartment?”

“Yeah,” Tang Le had to nod.

“Senior Lin Xuehua is actually very reasonable,” Ye Zhiqiu said with an innocent smile. “I’ve already helped him organize his thoughts. Once I give him those tools, I’m sure he’ll forgive you. Then you won’t have to move, right?”

This was like another knife in Tang Le’s heart.
Because now, for Tang Le, it was no longer just about Lin Xuehua.

Even if Lin Xuehua explicitly forgave him, the news of him ruining his roommate’s graduation project had already spread far and wide.

Leaving his birth family and entering university had been Tang Le’s dream for many years.
But now, this dream he had finally achieved had suddenly turned cruel on him.

Did he regret it? Yes.
Looking back now, Tang Le truly regretted it.

Ye Zhiqiu had been right about one thing.
Lin Xuehua was indeed a very reasonable person.
That was why Tang Le had made this decision after assessment.

Given Lin Xuehua’s personality, he would certainly be angry, maybe even turn hostile.
But once Tang Le showed sincerity, and since the damage was already done, Lin Xuehua would have no choice but to try to salvage.

Having the matter posted on the forum was something Tang Le had never anticipated.

He still couldn’t understand why Lin Xuehua had acted so out of character.
He had already apologized, but Lin Xuehua still had the matter posted publicly, completely burning bridges.

He had suspected Ye Zhiqiu, too.

But after observation, he had concluded that Ye Zhiqiu, as always, knew nothing, and his attitude towards him hadn’t changed.
The fact that the perfume he gave him was comparable in value to Li Shaojun’s proved it.

“They think I deliberately damaged the senior’s project,” Tang Le said, deciding to tell the truth.

“Did you?” Ye Zhiqiu asked, his eyes fixed on him with an unreadable expression.

An inexplicable guilt rose in Tang Le’s heart. He was momentarily speechless.

“If you didn’t,” Ye Zhiqiu smiled, “then why do you care what they say?”

“You don’t understand,” Tang Le said, looking at him, murmuring.

How could someone like Ye Zhiqiu, born with a silver spoon, ever understand unless he himself had fallen into the mud and been trampled until he couldn’t lift his head?

Tang Le couldn’t help thinking, unable to control the malice in his heart.

Before Ye Zhiqiu could respond, Jin Baobao suddenly said, “Holy crap.”
“Xiaoqiu, your rumored love interest is back in the country too.”

“What rumored love interest?” Ye Zhiqiu’s smile showed he didn’t care. “You mean Zhao Keqi?”

“How many rumored love interests do you have?” Li Shaojun asked. “I forgot to ask you before, how do you know Zhao Yunzhuang’s son?”

“We met at the gym,” Ye Zhiqiu said. “I only trained for a few days before I got busy. What a coincidence that his father is Old Zhao.”

“Your luck is really something,” Jin Baobao muttered, scrolling through his phone. Then he said again, “Holy crap!”

“Did Zhao Yunzhuang specially come to see you?” Jin Baobao said, clicking on a video just posted by reporters.

In the video, Zhao Yunzhuang and Zhao Keqi were striding out of the airport, answering reporters’ questions cooperatively.

“Don’t listen to their nonsense,” Zhao Yunzhuang said with a laugh. “Zhao Keqi and I had two main purposes for this trip. One was indeed to see Xiao Ye. For the styling of this upcoming ‘Building Eight’ project, the team’s opinion is quite unanimous, and they favor him. So they sent me as a representative to check things out. Of course…”

He paused, getting to the point. “I also had another purpose, which was to discuss the domestic rights to a manga.”

Reporters’ cameras clicked rapidly.

“Has ‘Building Eight’ officially confirmed Meng Qingyan and Bai You as the leads?”

“As a young designer, is Ye Zhiqiu really qualified to handle the styling for this production?”

“Has the start date for ‘Building Eight’ been set?”

“Which manga is it? Which platform will it be on? Paid or free?”

“…”

“Really?” Jin Baobao looked up, delighted. “Are you really going to be the stylist for this movie? Then I can visit not only my Youyou and Yanyan, but you too.”

“Nothing’s final yet,” Ye Zhiqiu said. “We haven’t even discussed the details.”
“And even if it works out,” he smiled, “Teacher Li will be in charge and I’ll assist. Teacher Li’s assistant will be on set. I won’t necessarily be there all the time.”

“Won’t that put you at a disadvantage?” Li Shaojun immediately asked.

“There’s no disadvantage,” Ye Zhiqiu said, his eyes bright and warm. “A big production for my first project, and a chance to learn from Teacher Li—it’s something many people would beg for.”

“That’s good, then.” Li Shaojun nodded.

Tang Le hadn’t said a word, and their attention was all on the screen, captivated by the interview.

When the interview finally played its last frame, Ye Zhiqiu looked up with a smile.

Across from him, Tang Le was gripping his spoon as if frozen, his face pale.

“Lele?” Ye Zhiqiu called his name gently.

“Ah? Huh?” Tang Le looked up, flustered.

“Lele, are you okay?” Ye Zhiqiu’s smile slowly faded, his eyes showing a hint of concern. “You don’t look well.”

Tang Le’s mind was buzzing. He knew his expression must be terrible.
No matter how hard he tried to adjust, it was useless.

So, all those previous blows, the injustices, the unwillingness to compare, the feelings of being unable to go on…
Had meant nothing.

The real blow was waiting for him here.

He didn’t understand why Heaven favored Ye Zhiqiu so much.

He was already so much luckier than Tang Le.
He already had such a bright future in fashion.
Why did he have to steal the path of film styling from him too?

They had entered the international fashion competition together. Tang Le hadn’t even made the finals; Ye Zhiqiu had won the championship.
Tang Le had endured that.

He had wanted to go to Q.L., had even quietly contacted Yu Renzhi. But even for a design assistant position, Q.L. had given him no chance.
And soon after, Ye Zhiqiu had joined Q.L. as a designer.

He had wanted to enter the entertainment industry as a stylist, using Ye Zhixia and Gao Wenye as a shortcut.
And now Ye Zhiqiu was beating him to it, in such a high-profile way.

He didn’t understand. Ye Zhiqiu was always so good to him, yet every step he took seemed to block Tang Le’s path, leaving him nowhere to go.

He could no longer stay in the dorms.
His career hadn’t even begun, and he was already being crushed.

Like a lost dog, Tang Le suddenly wondered what the point of all his previous struggles had been.
If only he had never met Ye Zhiqiu.
Maybe he could have been considered outstanding in others’ eyes.

But now, with Ye Zhiqiu as a shining jewel before him, Tang Le wasn’t even fit to be mud.

For over a week, Tang Le hadn’t slept well. His body was at its limit.
And with the exclusion he faced at school, the mental pressure was immense.
At this moment, the string inside him, under intense jealousy, hatred, and relentless blows, finally snapped.

Ye Zhiqiu watched calmly and coldly as the spoon slowly slipped from Tang Le’s hand, clattered onto the table, then bounced off and shattered on the floor.

He suddenly felt like laughing.

In his past life, he had endured such an abyss for so many years.
And Tang Le, who had pushed him into that abyss, couldn’t even bear such a small blow.

“Tang Le,” he said, standing up along with Jin Baobao and Li Shaojun. “What’s wrong?”
“Be strong.”

Yes, be strong, Tang Le.
After all, this was only the beginning.