《True Color》


 CH 1

    At eight o¡¯clock in the evening, the night was dark and the autumn rain was slightly cool.


    Inside the brightly lit banquet hall of a five-star hotel, a charity gala was taking place.


    The guests were mostly social elites, including celebrities from the entertainment and fashion circles. Fragrances filled the air, and there was a lively atmosphere.


    Qi Xing stood in front of the dessert table, admiring the exquisite-looking food with great interest. He enjoyed tasting them while being out of place among the others who were busy socializing with just a glass of wine in hand.


    A few minutes later, someone approached him and greeted, ¡°Qi Xing, why did you come today? I thought you weren¡¯t interested in this kind of occasion.¡±


    Qi Xing glanced at the person, who was one of his good friends, Yang Kaiming. ¡°You¡¯re here too,¡± he said.


    ¡°Do you think I want to be here?¡± the person made a face. ¡°My dad forced me to come, saying that I should get to know more people and broaden my horizons. Spare me, please.¡±


    Qi Xing looked in the direction of his gaze. The person¡¯s father was enthusiastically chatting and carrying favor with a big shot in front of him but the response he received from the bigshot lacked excitement.


    ¡°It¡¯s not interesting,¡± Qi Xing commented impartially.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Yang Kaiming showed no sympathy for his own father being ignored. ¡°Are you here alone, Qi Xing?¡±


    Qi Xing casually nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The invitation was from his parents, but with their personalities, they had no interest in such fake social gatherings. So he came alone.


    Yang Kaiming looked around and spotted a certain small celebrity in the crowd, realizing something, he teased Qi Xing, ¡°Qi Xing, did you come for that person? Have you chased after them all the way here?¡±


    Qi Xing chewed the last bite of the pastry in his mouth leisurely, his cold eyes fixed on the person mentioned by Yang Kaiming. The person was now by the side of a certain wealthy lady, nodding and bowing, trying to please her without any trace of shyness and reservation as when facing Qi Xing.


    ¡°I gave up,¡± Qi Xing put down his plate, his mind disinterested.


    Yang Kaiming wanted to ask further, but suddenly there was a commotion at the entrance of the banquet hall, and people around hurriedly welcomed the arrival of an important guest.


    Lowering his voice, Yang Kaiming said, ¡°It¡¯s the one from the Ye family.¡±


    Qi Xing swallowed the last bite of the pastry slowly, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± Yang Kaiming¡¯s voice became even lower. ¡°It¡¯s Ye Xingzhou, the new head of the Ye family. After his father passed away, the Ye family has been in constant internal conflicts for the past few months. It only settled recently. This guy is an illegitimate child, but he¡¯s talented. None of his brothers, uncles, or even his father¡¯s generation could outshine him.¡±


    As the words fell, Qi Xing saw the man entering the banquet hall. He was tall and had strong facial features. A pair of silver-framed glasses sat perfectly on his high nose. The curve of his lips was just right, showing a cultured and elegant demeanor. He looked like a true gentleman.


    The big shot who had been indifferent to Yang Kaiming¡¯s father was now shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with him. The man, surrounded by the admiration of others, treated the big shot with respect as if he were a junior, which seemed to please the other party.


    Yang Kaiming marveled, ¡°This Ye Xingzhou seems to have a good nature. He should be easy to get along with. How did he stand out among the wolves and tigers in the Ye family?¡±


    Qi Xing didn¡¯t pay attention to what he was saying at all. His attention was completely drawn to another person beside Ye Xingzhou.


    The young man was dressed casually in a simple suit. He had a gentle and handsome appearance, but his presence was far inferior to the person next to him. However, the smiling expression in his eyes inexplicably aroused Qi Xing¡¯s interest.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± he asked.


    Only then did Yang Kaiming notice the person who came with Ye Xingzhou. After observing for a moment, he said, ¡°I remember now. He is a great painter from the Lin family. It seems he¡¯s quite famous, having held exhibitions both domestically and internationally.¡±


    ¡°Lin family?¡± Qi Xing asked.


    Yang Kaiming explained, ¡°They¡¯re also from the upper-class circle in Huai City, but their family has fallen in recent years. I heard they¡¯re just an empty shell now, but if he can come with Ye Xingzhou tonight, he must still have some influence.¡±


    Qi Xing smiled, ¡°He looks good.¡±


    Yang Kaiming was taken aback, ¡°You mean Ye Xingzhou?¡±


    Qi Xing corrected him, ¡°The person next to him.¡±


    Yang Kaiming took a closer look at the person Qi Xing mentioned. Indeed, he wasn¡¯t bad, but in his opinion, he couldn¡¯t compare to Ye Xingzhou, let alone Qi Xing himself.


    ¡°Qi Xing, are you saying that after giving up on that small celebrity, you¡¯ve found a new crush?¡± Yang Kaiming asked.


    Qi Xing raised an eyebrow, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Yang Kaiming quickly reminded him, ¡°People like them who consider themselves ¡®old money¡¯ in the upper-class circles of Huai City have always looked down on us nouveau riche. It¡¯s better for you, Qi Xing, not to get your hopes up.¡±


    ¡°What ¡®old money¡¯? If we go back a few decades, which family¡¯s ancestors didn¡¯t come from humble origins? They¡¯re just thinking too highly of themselves.¡±


    Qi Xing picked up his glass of red wine, took a step forward, and walked towards the person without hesitation.


    Lin Zhinian had just finished exchanging ideas with a foreign art collector when he turned around and noticed someone staring at him without any reservations. It was a young man with an extravagant and handsome appearance. His expression paused slightly.


    Qi Xing approached and raised his glass to signal him. ¡°Sir  Lin, I¡¯ve long admired you.¡±


    Lin Zhinian asked, ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    Ten minutes ago, they didn¡¯t know each other, but now they did.


    Without blinking, Qi Xing lied, ¡°I¡¯m a fan of your paintings, sir Lin. I¡¯ve attended several of your exhibitions before. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here tonight. What a coincidence! My name is Qi Xing, and I¡¯m delighted to have this opportunity to meet you, sir Lin.¡±


    Lin Zhinian almost immediately guessed his identity. With the surname Qi and not appearing to be accompanying anyone, he could only be from the prestigious Ronghua Capital Qi family, which was currently very influential in Huai City.


    When it came to the Qi family, almost everyone in the upper class of Huai City was aware of them.


    The founder of Ronghua Capital, Qi Ronghua, was a local peasant with only a high school education who came to Huai City to make a living just over a decade ago. In that short period, he first made a fortune in the catering industry, then ventured into hotels and real estate, entered the entertainment industry to make quick money, followed by financial investments, and even dabbled in the high-tech internet industry. It was clear that he pursued wherever there was money to be made, and his luck was astonishing. He made a fortune in every field, making people envious of him.


    Those days, even the arrogant ¡°old aristocrats¡± in Huai City looked down on Qi Ronghua and mocked him as a new rich, but they still had to greet him with a smiling face when they met him.


    Lin Zhinian was somewhat surprised. He had never met Qi Ronghua, but he had heard many sarcastic remarks about him and his family, and he didn¡¯t have a good impression of them. The young master Qi in front of him, although appearing silly, had a demeanor that was not inferior to his companions who had grown up receiving elite education.


    Moreover, Qi Xing¡¯s appearance was exceptionally attractive.


    Qi Xing¡¯s wine glass was brought in front of him, and Lin Zhinian calmly clinked glasses with him.


    Qi Xing continued to talk about Lin Zhinian¡¯s paintings, which he had just searched for on his phone. He spoke confidently and without any awkwardness.


    Lin Zhinian could sense it, but he responded with a smile without exposing him.


    Five minutes later, a gentle male voice interrupted them, saying, ¡°Zhinian, come over here.¡±


    They both turned their heads simultaneously. It was Ye Xingzhou, who had just finished talking with someone a few meters away and called Lin Zhinian over.


    When Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze swept over Qi Xing, it seemed to pause on his face for a second. Qi Xing also casually scrutinized him, and in the instant their gazes met, he instinctively felt the coldness in Yeh Xingzhou¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t obvious, but it was impossible to ignore.


    That feeling made Qi Xing very uncomfortable. This person was clearly not someone easy to get along with.


    Only Yang Kaiming, that fool, would think he was good natured and was easy to get along with.


    Ye Xingzhou withdrew his gaze, and Lin Zhinian said ¡°Excuse me¡± to Qi Xing and returned to his side.


    Qi Xing took a sip of wine and his gaze remained fixed on Lin Zhinian. Seeing the somewhat intimate vibe between him and Ye Xingzhou, he seemed to suspect something.


    Yang Kaiming followed and listened to the entire conversation, teasing Qi Xing, ¡°I think that great painter didn¡¯t realize that you actually don¡¯t understand his paintings at all.¡±


    Qi Xing remained calm and said, ¡°So what? He still smiled at me.¡±


    Yang Kaiming laughed, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou led Lin Zhinian to the dessert table, and Lin Zhinian whispered to him, ¡°The person who just introduced himself as Qi should be Qi Ronghua¡¯s son.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou wasn¡¯t interested and replied, ¡°If you find it annoying, you don¡¯t have to pay attention to him.¡±


    Lin Zhinian observed his expression. When Ye Xingzhou said this, his face remained calm, and it sounded like comforting words, but he didn¡¯t care at all.


    Soon, more people came to toast Ye Xingzhou. He picked up a plate and casually picked up a pastry to hand it to Lin Zhinian before engaging in conversation.


    The several people who came to toast were slightly surprised by the scene and discreetly observed Lin Zhinian.


    The Lin family¡¯s status was no longer what it used to be. If Lin Zhinian had come there alone that day, without the reputation of a famous young oil painter, few people would have paid attention to him. Ye Xingzhou openly showed his care for him in front of others. If Lin Zhinian were a woman, the insinuation would be almost self-evident. People would only marvel at the Lin family¡¯s good fortune and the opportunity to rise again through a daughter¡¯s marriage. However, he happened to be a man.


    He is a man¡­ but perhaps that¡¯s not a problem?


    Regardless of what they thought in their hearts, everyone present was discerning, and their smiles remained unchanged as they flattered Lin Zhinian. They even included Lin Zhinian when exchanging pleasantries and toasting.


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s face maintained its usual warm and gentle expression, empty of the domineering presence of someone in a higher position. It gave people the impression that he was still young, and his rise to power might just be an illusion.


    As Lin Zhinian listened to the insincere compliments about his paintings from the people around him and caught sight of Yeh Xingzhou¡¯s unchanged smile, he drank the wine, suppressing the complex emotions surging within him.


    On the other side, Qi Xing¡¯s gaze leisurely followed Lin Zhinian, and he asked Yang Kaiming, ¡°What kind of relationship do those two have?¡±


    Yang Kaiming also saw the scene just now and coughed lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never heard any rumors about Ye Xingzhou like that. Qi Xing, not everyone is like you. But who knows, whether they are or not, I advise you not to set your sights on him.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Qi Xing smiled as he looked at Lin Zhinian¡¯s softer profile under the bright lights. ¡°I just took a liking to him.¡±


    Yang Kaiming said, ¡°But what if they really do have that kind of relationship?¡±


    Qi Xing lightly tapped his finger on the glass, his voice rising, ¡°So what?¡±

 CH 2

    After the banquet, there was a charity auction arranged in the small hall next to the banquet hall.


    Yang Kaiming seized the opportunity and planned to slip away, asking Qi Xing if he wanted to join him. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Qi Xing. There won¡¯t be anything good at this charity auction. It¡¯s still early. Why don¡¯t we go somewhere else to continue having fun?¡±


    Qi Xing ignored him and watched as Lin Zhinian and Ye Xingzhou walked side by side into the small hall. He casually put down his wine glass and followed them.


    A person of Ye Xingzhou¡¯s status naturally had someone helping arrange seats in the front row. He sat down with Lin Zhinian, surrounded by influential figures.


    As for Qi Xing, he randomly picked a seat a few rows behind them, sat down with his legs crossed, and eagerly stared at Lin Zhinian in front of him. He couldn¡¯t help but sneer when he saw Lin Zhinian smiling and radiant while talking to Ye Xingzhou.


    ¡°I see no hope for you, Qi Xing,¡± said Yang Kaiming, who had also followed in and sat beside Qi Xing, teasing him. ¡°In the eyes of the great artist Lin, there is only Ye Xingzhou. You will just be wasting your effort.¡±


    Qi Xing replied coldly, ¡°If you have nothing good to say, then keep your mouth shut.¡±


    Yang Kaiming shrugged and continued to watch the show.


    The auction began, and the items were donated by celebrities who attended the charity event. Although the items were not bad, they were not particularly exceptional either. Qi Xing glanced through the auction catalog handed to him by the emcee but had little interest.


    Nevertheless, the atmosphere was lively as everyone supported each other.


    After several rounds, it came to the climax, and the item showcased on the display platform was a modern oil painting by a renowned foreign artist. The auctioneer announced the starting price, ¡°70,000!¡±


    As soon as the words fell, someone raised their bidding card and made a bid. The price kept increasing, quickly surpassing 1 million, with more participants bidding than before.


    Qi Xing was puzzled and asked Yang Kaiming, ¡°What¡¯s so special about this painting? Why are so many people bidding for it?¡±


    Perhaps as a new rich, he didn¡¯t understand art. He couldn¡¯t see the value of that strange-looking painting that would justify such a high price.


    Yang Kaiming sighed, ¡°Qi Xing, didn¡¯t you hear what the auctioneer said? This painting is a collection donated by Old Chen. You know who Old Chen is, right? He¡¯s a prominent figure in Huai City. Just a stomp of his foot, and everyone here will shake. Although he didn¡¯t come today, he donated this painting to show respect. These people are bidding high not for the painting itself but because of Old Chen.¡±


    Qi Xing tilted his head and noticed Lin Zhinian in front of him whispering something to Ye Xingzhou. Then, Ye Xingzhou also raised his bidding card, and the bidding reached one million five hundred thousand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± Qi Xing sneered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Yang Kaiming.


    Qi Xing replied, ¡°It¡¯s not certain that no one is bidding for the painting itself. sir Lin seems to genuinely like it.¡±


    Yang Kaiming was speechless. He also saw Lin Zhinian and Ye Xingzhou exchanging whispers. Then, Ye Xingzhou made another bid.


    But that doesn¡¯t seem contradictory, right? Lin Zhinian likes the painting, and Ye Xingzhou helps him acquire it, in honor of Old Chen whilst also making Lin Zhinian happy. It¡¯s a win-win situation.


    Qi Xing laughed suddenly, ¡°If I buy the painting and give it to Lin Zhinian, will he throw himself into my arms?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think so,¡± Yang Kaiming replied.


    Qi Xing said, ¡°How would you know ?¡±


    Before Yang Kaiming could stop him from being impulsive, Qi Xing raised his bidding card and directly announced his bid, ¡°Two million.¡±


    There was a small commotion in the crowd, and everyone¡¯s gaze turned to him. Qi Xing leaned back calmly in his seat and smiled at Lin Zhinian when he turned around.


    Lin Zhinian shifted his gaze away, and Ye Xingzhou raised his bidding card again, increasing the bid to two million one hundred thousand.


    Qi Xing raised his bidding card for the second time, ¡°Three million.¡±


    Other participants in the auction stopped bidding, but Ye Xingzhou continued to raise the price.


    Ye Xingzhou only added an additional 100,000 each time, while Qi Xing jumped a million right from the start. After a few times, the price quickly reached 5 million.


    People with keen eyes could see that those two hel ad grudges, so they no longer got involved and watched to see who would have the last laugh.


    There were also some who didn¡¯t know who Qi Xing was before and asked around. Once they heard that he was the second generation of Ronghua Capital, they each understood. It turned out that he had the mannerisms of a new rich, arrogant and unafraid of offending people.


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t even spare a glance at Qi Xing from start to finish. When the auctioneer repeated the price of 5 million, he finally raised his bidding card once again. With a slight parting of his thin lips, he announced the price: ¡®8 million.¡¯


    The person next to him teased him, ¡®Xingzhou, it seems like you really like this painting.¡¯


    Ye Xingzhou casually replied, ¡®Zhinian likes it, so I¡¯m bidding for him.¡¯


    Lin Zhinian¡¯s eyes flickered with momentary surprise.


    Qi Xing in the back row didn¡¯t look too good. Yang Kaiming quickly held him back, afraid that he might lose his head and continue raising the price. ¡®This painting isn¡¯t worth that much. Forget it, Qi Xing, don¡¯t indulge. If you really win it, you¡¯ll be kicked out of the house by your father.¡¯


    It wouldn¡¯t go that far, but buying such a shoddy painting for 8 million would at least earn him three days of scolding from his parents. Qi Xing held back and managed to restrain himself.


    Even 800,000 for that painting would be an inflated price, let alone 8 million. Even if it was for the sake of paying honor to Chen Lao, that was indeed quite an over the top gesture.


    Those around Ye Xingzhou who heard his words looked at Lin Zhinian with different eyes, as if they were truly examining his relationship with Ye Xingzhou.


    After the auctioneer repeated the bidding three times, the hammer fell, and the deal was made.


    Lin Zhinian lowered his eyes and, amid a mix of laughter and congratulations, whispered a ¡®thank you¡¯ to Ye Xingzhou.


    Ye Xingzhou crossed his long legs and leaned back in his seat, continuing to chat casually with the big shots next to him.


    At half-past nine, the auction ended, and the night¡¯s excitement finally dispersed.


    Qi Xing still had his legs crossed lazily in his seat, his hands folded in front of him, his face darkened but no one knew what he was thinking.


    Yang Kaiming was about to ask him if he wanted to leave when the people sitting in the first row stood up and walked over, talking together. He instinctively fell silent and looked at Qi Xing.


    Qi Xing lifted his eyelids slightly and lazily spoke when Ye Xingzhou and his group passed by them, ¡®Ye Xingzhao, what a generous offer, spending 8 million on a relatively unknown painting. It¡¯s truly impressive. I¡¯m sorry, because of my impulsiveness, you ended up spending several million more. But charity is also a good thing, I believe you don¡¯t mind spending a bit more money.¡¯


    Ye Xingzhou halted his steps and turned his head. The elegant young man in front of him was lounging in his seat, looking up at him leisurely with a mocking and provocative look in his eyes.


    However, Ye Xingzhou seemed completely indifferent to the hostility displayed. He maintained his composure and replied, ¡®I yield.¡¯


    Afterward, he didn¡¯t say anything more and continued chatting with others as they walked toward the exit.


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s nonchalant reaction made Qi Xing even more frustrated, but he didn¡¯t show it. When his gaze fell on Lin Zhinian, he relaxed again.


    Lin Zhinian felt somewhat uncomfortable, nodded quickly, and turned his gaze away, quickly catching up with Ye Xingzhou¡¯s fast pace.


    After the people left, Qi Xing¡¯s face turned cold . Yang Kaiming watched as the group walked away and casually sighed, ¡®Ye Xingzhao is really impressive.¡¯


    Qi Xing rolled his eyes at him and said, ¡®Are you interested in him? Then go pursue him, and if you succeed, I¡¯ll give you a big red envelope.¡¯


    Yang Kaiming replied, ¡®Stop it. At least I like someone with an impressive chest, okay?¡¯


    Qi Xing couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with him anymore and left.


    It had been raining outside all night, and it hadn¡¯t stopped.


    At the hotel entrance, Ye Xingzhou personally escorted the elder senior into the car. Once the car drove away, he suppressed his smile and signaled to Lin Zhinian, who was following behind him, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    A black business car pulled up in front of them, and the umbrella-wielding bodyguard stepped forward to open the door. Ye Xingzhou got into the car first and Lin Zhinian took the umbrella from the bodyguard¡¯s hand and went around to the other side of the car.


    Just as he was getting into the car, someone called out to him, ¡°sir Lin.¡±


    Lin Zhinian looked up and saw a lazily standing young man with his hands in his pockets, swaying under the lights, inexplicably catching people¡¯s attention. ¡°Sir Lin, I just forgot to ask you, can we exchange WeChat?¡±


    Lin Zhinian pursed his lips and hesitated for a moment before walking over and taking out his phone.


    As he was operating his phone with his head down, Qi Xing¡¯s gaze fell on his face, openly staring at him without any avoidance.


    As he looked closer, Lin had rosy lips, fair complexion, and delicate features, indeed quite to his liking. Qi Xing¡¯s heart began to wander, and his gaze drifted away for a moment, glancing past Lin Zhinian¡¯s face. Through the late-night rain and mist, his gaze collided with another pair of cold black eyes that were looking back at him.


    The rear window of the Maybach was halfway down, and the man in the car simply looked at him coldly without saying a word. With distinct eyebrows and eyes, he exuded a sharp aura, but most of it was hidden by the silver-framed glasses, giving the illusion he was kind-hearted.


    However, perhaps due to a cautious wariness towards a rival, Qi Xing felt uncomfortable as soon as he saw him. Being stared at by those eyes gave him an inexplicable sense of unease.


    Not wanting to lose his momentum, he provocatively raised his chin and raised his eyebrows.


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t bother with him, retracted his gaze, and looked down at his phone, patiently waiting for the person who was still outside the car.


    Lin Zhinian glanced at Qi Xing¡¯s WeChat card, put away his phone, and said, ¡°here.¡±


    Qi Xing glanced to confirm that he had been added and said with satisfaction, ¡°sir Lin, you¡¯re having an art exhibition in a few days, right? I¡¯ll come and see it and after that shall I treat you to a meal?¡±


    Lin Zhinian nodded slightly, ¡°Let¡¯s make plans when the time comes.¡±


    After exchanging a few words, Lin Zhinian said his goodbyes and walked back to the car, opening the door and getting in.


    Qi Xing¡¯s gaze shifted back to Ye Xingzhou, who was in the car next to him. His side profile had smooth and sharp contours, a near-perfect curve. He was actually quite good-looking, but there was a vague aura of danger emanating from him, which made people dislike him.


    The car window slowly rolled up, gradually blocking Ye Xingzhou¡¯s face and interrupting Qi Xing¡¯s somewhat wandering thoughts.


    The car drove away, and Yang Kaiming, who was behind, caught up and asked, ¡°Young Master Qi, are we still going for a drink?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anymore,¡± Qi Xing loosened his tie and waved his hand casually. ¡°I¡¯m going home. Don¡¯t you see what time it is now?¡±

 CH 3

    Qi Xing said he had taken a liking to Lin Zhinian but hadn¡¯t taken it too seriously. It had been several days since the charity banquet, and he had almost forgotten about it.


    It was on a certain night at a nightclub when Qi Xing was drinking and playing cards with others. Yang Kaiming and the other dandies who knew his intentions in pursuing Lin Zhinian brought up the topic, and that¡¯s when he remembered.


    Throwing down the cards in his hand, he casually shrugged and said, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? When I say I¡¯m going to pursue someone, I definitely will.¡±


    Someone teased him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you pursue that young celebrity before? It¡¯s only been a few days, and you¡¯re already bored because you couldn¡¯t perk his interests?¡±


    Qi Xing didn¡¯t bother to explain,


    Yang Kaiming chimed in, ¡°You guys don¡¯t understand Qi Xing. He likes those pure, unpretentious, genuinely devoted white lotuses who don¡¯t care about his money. Do you think such people truly exist? That¡¯s why he¡¯s always on the pursuit, but he can never catch up.¡±


    They all burst into laughter, and Qi Xing rolled his eyes. ¡°You guys just watch. This time, I will definitely succeed.¡±


    ¡°Really, Qi Xing? I heard that Lin the Great Painter is actually related to the Ye family. Are you daring to compete with him for someone?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Ye Xingzhao is not ordinary at all. None of those high and mighty old folks from the Ye family ended up in a good situation in his hands. Qi Xing, I don¡¯t think you match up to him, It¡¯s better to forget about it.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful people can be found anywhere. Why bother competing with someone like Ye Xingzhao for Lin Zhinian?¡±


    Various voices chimed in,, but Qi Xing didn¡¯t pay attention to any of them.


    Was Ye Xingzhou really that amazing? He didn¡¯t feel that he was inferior to Ye Xingzhou in any way. He had set his sights on Lin Zhinian, and he wouldn¡¯t give up without pursuing him.


    So, the next day, he headed straight to Lin Zhinian¡¯s art exhibition.


    It was Qi Xing¡¯s first time in such a place, and he sent a WeChat message to Lin Zhinian when he arrived at the entrance. Lin Zhinian came out to greet him after about ten minutes. Qi Xing caught sight of him walking out, dressed in retro suspenders, a white shirt, and wearing a beret. He exuded an artistic vibe, and Qi Xing couldn¡¯t help but whistle softly in his mind, he really was attractive.


    Lin Zhinian came over to greet him, saying, ¡°Sorry, Qi Xing. It¡¯s the weekend, and there are quite a few people here. I was chatting with someone and came out late.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I came uninvited,¡± Qi Xing generously replied.


    Lin Zhinian invited him inside.


    The exhibition hall wasn¡¯t large, but it was tastefully decorated with an artistic atmosphere. Lin Zhinian led Qi Xing inside and explained the artworks along the way.


    Qi Xing listened absentmindedly. He was more interested in the people painting rather than the flowers he couldn¡¯t appreciate. He didn¡¯t go there today to see an art exhibition at all.


    Finally, they stopped in front of an oil painting near the floor-to-ceiling window. Lin Zhinian briefly mentioned the name of the painting, without going into as much detail as with the others. Qi Xing¡¯s gaze lingered on it for a few extra seconds, lost in thought.


    He knew the painting, ¡°The Youth¡¯s Wish.¡± It had won a gold award at a well-known international art exhibition the previous year, and it had led Lin Zhinian to fame.


    The painting depicted a slender boy with his back to the viewer, peering into the only beam of light in the darkness. The overall tone of the painting was somewhat heavy and oppressive, but it was intentionally placed by the brightest spot near the window. The light inside and outside the painting seemed to overlap, conveying a certain metaphorical meaning.


    Before coming, Qi Xing had looked up information about this art exhibition online and came across an interview with Lin Zhinian where he mentioned this painting and its special significance. However, he didn¡¯t explicitly explain what it meant in the interview.


    ¡°Sir  Lin, can I buy this painting?¡± Qi Xing turned his head and asked with a smile.


    Lin Zhinian directly refused, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Qi Xing. I have no intention of selling this painting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pity,¡± Qi Xing expressed some regret, ¡°Is it because this painting holds a special meaning for you?¡±


    Lin Zhinian looked slightly embarrassed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s a private matter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright then,¡± Qi Xing shrugged, ¡°Let¡¯s forget about it.¡±


    As they were talking, a voice suddenly came from behind them, ¡°Zhinian.¡±


    Qi Xing turned around and saw Ye Xingzhou again. He had just entered the exhibition hall, took off his suit jacket and draped it over his arm. He was impeccably dressed, with glasses perched on his nose and his hair neatly groomed, exuding an elite aura.


    Lin Zhinian went to greet him, slightly surprised, ¡°Xingzhou, why are you here?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t explain much, ¡°Come with me for a moment.¡±


    Lin Zhinian mentioned that he had made an appointment with a professor to visit the exhibition that day, and he didn¡¯t want to break it at the last minute.


    Ye Xingzhou said, ¡°You go ahead, I¡¯ll wait for you at the caf¨¦ outside.¡±


    Lin Zhinian just breathed a sigh of relief when Qi Xing called out to him, ¡°sir Lin, I¡¯ve come all the way here just to invite you to dinner?¡±


    Lin Zhinian could only apologize, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Qi Xing. Let¡¯s make plans for another time.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Qi Xing shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve only just met you, so I¡¯m aware i can¡¯t compare to others.¡±


    Lin Zhinian became even more embarrassed and apologized to him again.


    Ye Xingzhou cast a cold glance at Qi Xing but said nothing. He turned around and left first.


    Five minutes later, at the caf¨¦.


    Qi Xing pulled out a chair and sat down in front of Ye Xingzhou, raising an eyebrow at the man looking back at him, ¡°Shall we chat?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s expression was cold and indifferent, neither confirming nor denying. Qi Xing went straight to the point and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with sir Lin?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t answer immediately, just calmly looked at him.


    Qi Xing maintained his composure and returned his gaze. With only the distance of a coffee table between them, he finally saw clearly the eyes hidden behind the silver-framed glasses¡ªnarrow and restrained, pressed beneath sharp eyebrows. The eyes were deep in color, untroubled as they stared at people, resembling frost.


    He felt annoyed inwardly and said, ¡®Hey?¡¯


    Ye Xingzhou asked, ¡®how is my relationship with him your business?¡¯


    His tone was contemptuous. Qi Xing confirmed once again  the person in front of him was truly unlikeable.


    ¡®I plan to pursue sir Lin. Originally, your relationship with him had nothing to do with me, and it doesn¡¯t affect what I will do. But to avoid making things difficult for sir  Lin, I thought I should inform you first. If you don¡¯t say anything, that¡¯s fine. Anyway, I¡¯ve set my sights on him.¡¯ Qi Xing leaned back in his chair, assuming a relaxed posture while maintaining an arrogant attitude.


    Ye Xingzhou picked up his coffee cup, took a sip, and casually replied with two words, ¡®do as you please¡¯¡¯


    Qi Xing¡¯s gaze stopped on his face, and he smiled. ¡®I don¡¯t think you and him are a match at all.¡¯


    Ye Xingzhou remained calm and asked, ¡®Why do you say that?¡¯


    ¡®Intuition,¡¯ Qi Xing pointed to his own head and made a shooting gesture toward Ye Xingzhou. ¡®My intuition has always been accurate, and I sense that your thoughts toward him are impure.¡¯


    When pursuing a beautiful person, it¡¯s necessary to have a good understanding of a formidable rival.


    The previous night, when his group of friends mentioned Ye Xingzhou, some of them were well-informed and casually gossiped. They said he was the eldest son and illegitimate child of the Ye family patriarch. He was only brought back from the outside world when he was in his teens. Before the patriarch passed away, he had been low-key and average. No one expected that after the patriarch¡¯s death, he would suddenly emerge, unite with the other shareholders and directors of the company, forcefully seize power, and successfully get rid of any Ye family members who didn¡¯t submit to him.


    Although that was the case, there were always some people who didn¡¯t dare to provoke him in significant matters but intentionally caused trouble for him in other ways. Among his uncles and elders, some tried to interfere in his marriage, using it as a means to control him.


    ¡®I heard that last month his uncle publicly played matchmaker for him at a social event, causing quite a scene. Since then, he has been seen frequently with the painter Lin.¡¯


    The  young men laughed and joked about the affairs of others, treating it as entertainment. Qi Xing casually listened but paid attention to what he heard.


    Ye Xingzhou probably wasn¡¯t afraid of others gossiping about his sexual orientation. However, for the Ye family, who considered themselves the so-called upper class, those old folks with their esteemed positions probably couldn¡¯t bear the humiliation.


    Ye Xingzhou remained unmoved, not taking his provocation seriously. He no longer paid attention to Qi Xing.


    Glancing at his watch, he stood up, preparing to leave.


    Qi Xing, who was being ignored, was unhappy and called out, ¡®Hey, you said you were waiting for sir Lin here. He hasn¡¯t arrived, and you¡¯re leaving already. Is your patience that short? ¡®


    Ye Xingzhou picked up his suit jacket and put it back on his arm. As he passed by Qi Xing, he stopped, turned his head, and looked at him.


    Qi Xing raised his eyes and met the direct gaze behind the lenses, perceiving a clear scrutiny in those black, profound eyes. His expression froze for a moment, and he instinctively raised his voice a bit, ¡®What? Can¡¯t admit it when you¡¯re exposed?¡¯


    Ye Xingzhou silently watched Qi Xing, who resembled a belligerent rooster, shaking his crest and fanning his tail feathers, posturing and acting arrogantly. He had seen many such people before, and if there was anything different about  Qi Xing it was probably that he was exceptionally good-looking, with coquettish eyes fluttering about as if he were flirting with someone, although he himself seemed unaware of it.


    Ye Xingzhou had previously met Qi Ronghua, who appeared to be a lucky upstart according to most people but seemed shrewd in his eyes. He didn¡¯t expect his son to have the same qualities.


    A waste of a good-looking appearance.


    Qi Xing felt increasingly uneasy under Ye Xingzhou¡¯s silent gaze. Before he could furrow his brows, Ye Xingzhou¡¯s slender fingers, with distinct knuckles, suddenly reached out and stopped by the side of his face.


    Qi Xing was taken aback, and Ye Xingzhou¡¯s fingertip had already brushed past his jaw. The clear and warm touch made him shudder, almost causing him to jump.


    ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Qi Xing asked impatiently.


    Ye Xingzhou calmly withdrew his hand. His face showed no expression, but his tone carried mockery. ¡®With just a touch, you already have the look of being taken advantage of. With your current state, do you think you can pursue someone like i do ?¡¯


    Qi Xing: ¡®¡­¡¯


    After coming back to his senses, his blood surged, his face turned red, and he stared at Ye Xingzhou with anger. The man who had ¡®taken advantage¡¯ of him had already left gracefully.


    Qi Xing couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and flipped him off as his retreating figure grew distant.¡±

 CH 4

    Twenty minutes after, Lin Zhinian came out, and Ye Xingzhou was already waiting for him in the car.


    Lin Zhinian opened the car door and sat inside. He apologized first, and Ye Xingzhou casually put down the half-read magazine and gestured for the driver to start.


    ¡°Come with me to Qingping Garden and have a meal with Chen Lao.¡±


    Lin Zhinian was momentarily surprised but quickly understood. Ye Xingzhou had finally achieved his wish. Eight million had secured him an invitation to Qingping Garden, which was a profitable deal for him.


    ¡°What can I do?¡± he hesitantly asked.


    Ye Xingzhou leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, saying calmly, ¡°Chen Lao is fond of Western oil paintings. Just chat with him about anything.¡±


    Lin Zhinian nodded. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±


    His gaze fell upon Ye Xingzhou¡¯s face, and seeing the fatigue in his expression, he asked softly, ¡°Xingzhou, why do you look so exhausted?¡±


    Without opening his eyes, Ye Xingzhou responded with a casual ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡±


    Lin Zhinian thought about what happened earlier and thought  to explain, ¡°Qi Xing suddenly had the idea to visit the art exhibition today. My second uncle wants to cooperate with Ronghua Capital, and Qi Ronghua is famous for spoiling his son. I didn¡¯t want to offend him and strain the relationship.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou simply said, ¡°do as you please.¡±


    Those words devoid of any emotion seemed considerate but actually indifferent.


    Lin Zhinian felt somewhat unwilling and continued, ¡°Qi Xing wanted to buy the award-winning painting from me, but I didn¡¯t agree. Xingzhou, after the exhibition is over, I¡¯ll give you the painting.¡±


    The words ¡°I painted it for you¡± reached his lips but were left unsaid.


    With closed eyes and an unchanged expression, Ye Xingzhou calmly replied, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The conversation came to a complete stop. Seeing Ye Xingzhou¡¯s lack of interest, Lin Zhinian had no choice but to give up. He shifted his gaze to the scenery outside the car window, lost in thought.


    He had known Ye Xingzhou for a long time. They attended the same international high school. Ye Xingzhou transferred there in the second semester of their freshman year. Everyone knew him as the illegitimate son, and his brothers and classmates isolated and bullied him. Back then, Ye Xingzhou was even more indifferent than he is now, solitary like a lone wolf. Lin Zhinian was the only one who reached out to him.


    At least at that time, Ye Xingzhou¡¯s eyes held warmth when he looked at him. When did it start to change? Lin Zhinian wondered. Perhaps it was when Ye Xingzhou asked him if he wanted to join him, and he refused. He was afraid, he needed the shelter of his family, and he couldn¡¯t give up those worldly possessions.


    For over a decade, he studied and worked abroad. Although the Lin family¡¯s glory had faded, he had obtained what he had always wanted: honor, fame, and dreams. The only thing missing was Ye Xingzhou.


    What exactly was their relationship now, Lin Zhinian himself didn¡¯t know. Before returning to Huai City and seeing Ye Xingzhou again, he had imagined many possibilities, none of which matched the current situation. Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t hide his intention to get closer to him, whether for utility or humiliation, perhaps both. Lin Zhinian could refuse, but he didn¡¯t want to, for the sake of the Lin family or his own selfishness.


    The car drove north for forty minutes and entered a privately-owned estate surrounded by mountains and water. It used to be a royal garden but now served as a private sanatorium. It was a place where not just anyone could enter, even with money.


    In the past, the Ye family was invincible in the business world, and their connections wouldn¡¯t be underestimated. However, those had nothing to do with the current Ye Xingzhou. After taking control of the company, he had to establish a new network of personal relationships on his own.


    For the opportunity to have a meal that cost eight million, he truly believed it was worth it.


    The car stopped in front of a small building with Chinese architecture. A man who appeared to be the butler greeted them and led them inside.


    Chen Lao was painting in front of a large table in the living room. The old man, nearly seventy years old, wore a blue Tang suit. He wasn¡¯t tall, but his posture was upright, and his brush moved swiftly. He had the aura of a refined scholar.


    Chen Lao used to be an influential figure in both politics and business. Even Ye Xingzhou¡¯s deceased father had to call him ¡°elder brother¡± in front of him.


    Ye Xingzhou and Lin Zhinian waited on the side for a while until Chen Lao finished the painting. Then he looked up and seemed to notice their presence, smiling and saying, ¡°I got so absorbed in my painting that I didn¡¯t notice you come in. You don¡¯t have to stand there so formally, please have a seat.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou presented the gift he brought¡ªa box of Longjing tea. It wasn¡¯t anything particularly valuable, but it suited Chen Lao¡¯s taste. He happily accepted it, saying, ¡°We¡¯re just having a simple meal, no need to be so polite. I remember seeing you before; back then, you were only in your teens. Your father said you were reserved and didn¡¯t talk much. I saw potential in you even then. It¡¯s been so many years in the blink of an eye.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou replied calmly, ¡°I should have come to visit you earlier, but there was never a suitable opportunity.¡±


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ye Xingzhou introduced Lin Zhinian by his side. Chen Lao had also heard of his name and showed interest, saying with enthusiasm, ¡°Although I can only paint traditional Chinese paintings myself, I am quite interested in Western paintings. I have collected quite a few. Unexpectedly, I have the pleasure of meeting an expert today.¡±


    Lin Zhinian hurriedly responded, ¡°Chen Lao, you flatter me. I¡¯m just driven by my interest, not really an expert.¡±


    Chen Lao waved his hand, saying, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing for young people to have talent. No need to be so modest.¡±


    The conversation then revolved around art. Lin Zhinian engaged in casual conversation with Chen Lao, while Ye Xingzhou occasionally added a few words. The atmosphere remained pleasant.


    As lunchtime approached, the butler came to remind them that lunch was ready, but Chen Lao showed no intention of moving immediately. He continued talking as if waiting for someone.


    Twenty minutes later, someone finally arrived. Before the person entered, his voice could be heard, ¡°Old man, why did you suddenly call me for a meal? You didn¡¯t even give me advance notice, and the traffic was terrible.¡±


    They looked up and saw the person who spoke, and it was Qi Xing.


    Lin Zhinian¡¯s expression showed surprise, while Ye Xingzhou slightly furrowed his brow, but he quickly returned to his usual demeanor.


    Qi Xing noticed them and raised an eyebrow. He walked over and sat next to Chen Lao, saying in a carefree manner, ¡°You should have told me you were coming here. We could have come together.¡±


    Chen Lao asked him, ¡°Do you know each other?¡±


    ¡°We do. I went to see Lin Laoshi¡¯s art exhibition this morning. And, old man, you already know, I wanted to bid on the painting you donated, but Mr. Ye here snatched it from me for eight million.¡± Qi Xing emphasized the ¡°eight million¡± as if he intended to mock Ye Xingzhou.


    Chen Lao had a smile on his face. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve met by coincidence .That¡¯s good.¡±


    He introduced Ye Xingzhou and Lin Zhinian, saying that Qi xing was his adopted grandson. ¡°I see that you¡¯re all young people and have things to talk about, so I invited this kid as well. It¡¯s just a meal together, the more the merrier.¡±


    Qi xing stared at Ye Xingzhou, with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m afraid someone might think I ruined his plans by coming here.¡±


    Lin Zhinian smiled and joined in. ¡°It¡¯s indeed livelier with more people. Besides, I owe Qi xing a meal.¡±


    But Qi xing only stared at Ye Xingzhou and drew out his words. ¡°What do you say, Ye xingzhao?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou calmly looked back at him and lightly uttered two words, ¡°I have no objections.¡±


    There was neither awkwardness nor embarrassment in his expression. Although Ye xingzhao didn¡¯t expect the relationship between Qi xing and Chen , it didn¡¯t affect him at all.


    Qi Xing sneered in his heart. Not seeing him change his expression made him frustrated.


    During the meal, Chen lao continued to chat with Lin Zhinian about his art exhibition and mentioned the award-winning piece by Lin Zhinian. Qi Xing casually said, ¡°I quite like that painting. I wanted to buy it from Sir Lin, but unfortunately, he wouldn¡¯t part with it.¡±


    Because Chen Lao was present, Lin Zhinian explained, ¡°I intended to give that painting to Xingzhou. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°So it was meant for Ye xingzhao,¡± Qi xing suddenly realized, ¡°i understand.¡±


    Lin Zhinian nodded slightly, looking slightly uncomfortable.


    Chen lao scolded Qi xing with a laugh. ¡°You little rascal, don¡¯t meddle in others affairs. Buying it would only ruin it.although I was also thinking it would be nice if I could have a chance to buy that painting, it¡¯s truly magnificent¡±


    Qi Xing retorted, ¡°Old man, you don¡¯t get a chance to join the fun either. Since sir Lin was going to give the painting to Ye Xingzhao, neither of us will buy it.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t pay him any attention and calmly proposed to Chen lao, ¡°If you like it, I can donate the painting to you.¡±


    As he spoke, Lin Zhinian¡¯s face changed slightly, but he quickly concealed it.


    Chen lao laughed and said, ¡°How can I accept such kindness? A true gentleman doesn¡¯t take away what someone else likes. I feel embarrassed to accept.¡±


    ¡°My nephew doesn¡¯t appreciate those things, and it would be better if the painting goes to someone who truly understands. If you like it, don¡¯t hesitate,¡± Ye Xingzhou¡¯s tone was like a junior presenting a gift that matches the other party¡¯s preferences. After speaking, he considerately turned to Lin Zhinian and asked, ¡°What do you think, Zhinian?¡±


    Lin Zhinian raised his eyes and met Ye Xingzhou¡¯s calm and composed gaze. His voice paused, and he said, ¡°It¡¯s an honor for my humble work to be collected by Chen lao.¡±


    Qi Xing, sitting across from them, clicked his tongue, laughing as he gave Chen Lao a thumbs-up. ¡°You really are influential, old man.¡±


    With the conversation reaching that point, Chen lao no longer declined and happily accepted their goodwill.


    After a joyous meal, they accompanied Chen lao to have a pot of tea. Later, Chen Lao enthusiastically took Lin Zhinian to appreciate the paintings he collected, telling Qi xing and Ye Xingzhou that they didn¡¯t have to come along if they weren¡¯t interested.


    Ye Xingzhou went to the restroom and came out, and proceeded to the yard outside to get some fresh air while waiting for Lin Zhinian.


    In the corridor of the courtyard, Qi xing fed the fish in the pond below. When he saw Ye Xingzhou coming out, he casually threw a handful of fish food into the water and spoke first, ¡°It must have been quite a struggle for you to flatter my godfather and specially bring sir Lin to please him.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t take his sarcasm seriously. He casually lit a cigarette, and Qi xing sneered, ¡°and also if you don¡¯t want to be kicked out by my godfather, you better not smoke in front of him.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze turned towards him, the cigarette hanging from his mouth, his eyes slightly narrowed. His pupils were pitch black, but the gaze behind the lenses was explicit. He stared at Qi xing attentively without withdrawing his gaze.


    Qi Xing became slightly annoyed.


    He remembered how Ye Xingzhou ¡°harassed¡± him at the art gallery before and felt uncomfortable all over again.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Qi xing raised his voice, his face showing annoyance.


    Ye Xingzhou picked up on these few words and finally spoke, ¡°The son of a nouveau riche?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know the relationship between me and my godfather?¡± Qi xing laughed, ¡°cause i won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    After saying that, he changed his mind, walked closer to Ye Xingzhou, and deliberately provoked him by getting in his face. ¡°How about this? Since you don¡¯t seem to care much about sir Lin anyway, you let me have him. I¡¯ll help you build face in front of my godfather, so you don¡¯t have to go through the trouble of painting and giving gifts with a forced smile. Maybe my godfather will look at you with more favor.¡±


    Getting too close, they had already passed the safe distance, but Qi xing didn¡¯t realize it himself.


    Ye Xingzhou calmly looked at him, his gaze piercing through him as he slowly uttered, ¡°I refuse.¡±

 CH 5

    The smell of smoke attacked the nose, causing Qi Xing to step back in discomfort and glare at the person in front of him.


    Ye Xingzhou ignored him and casually put out his cigarette in the nearby trash can.


    Just as Qi Xing was about to curse, Lin Zhinian came out, causing him to hold back.


    ¡°Xingzhou, let¡¯s head back,¡± Lin Zhinian said, and after bidding Qi Xing, he accompanied Ye Xingzhou inside to bid farewell to Old Chen. Then the two of them left first.


    Qi Xing suppressed the urge to give Ye Xingzhou the middle finger and went back inside. Old Chen was leaning back in his rocking chair, drinking tea and reading a book. When he saw Qi Xing come in, he gestured to the chair next to him with the hand holding the book. ¡°Have a seat, don¡¯t jump around like a monkey.¡±


    Qi Xing sat down and complained as soon as he leaned back. ¡°Old man, did you call me here to watch a show? Is there any point to it?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re quite interesting,¡± Old Chen teased him. ¡°You¡¯re interested in that Mr. Lin, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Qi Xing curled his lips. ¡°Unfortunately, he¡¯s not interested in me. But old man, do you really think his paintings are good?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re quite good,¡± Old Chen calmly replied.  ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you speak so nicely of others before.¡±


    ¡°That kid from the Ye family is different,¡± Old Chen smiled and explained. ¡°To be able to stand up to that group of black-hearted people in the Ye family at such a young age, his skills and abilities must be outstanding. He has a promising future ahead of him. You should strive to be like him. You¡¯re  young, you might as well learn from him.¡±


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Qi Xing immediately refused. ¡°You just said his family is full of black-hearted people, so the one who can win must be the blackest of them all. If I learn from him, he might just corrupt me.¡±


    Old Chen laughed heartily. ¡°You¡¯re a coward sometimes too? I couldn¡¯t tell. Weren¡¯t you so brave while taunting him just now? So you¡¯re afraid of him, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of him,¡± Qi Xing waved his hand. ¡°I just don¡¯t like him.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to be impulsive,¡± Old Chen chuckled after having enough fun. ¡°It¡¯s good to be cautious, but making a few more friends won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Qi Xing still wasn¡¯t interested. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it later.¡±


    He had plenty of friends; he didn¡¯t need someone like Ye Xingzhou.


    After spending the afternoon with Old Chen, drinking tea and playing chess, Qi Xing found an excuse to leave before evening. As the car drove out of Qingping Garden, he received a call from his mother, Wang Cuilan, asking him to come home for dinner.


    ¡°I made plans with someone¡­¡± Qi Xing protested.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you made plans with,¡± Wang Cuilan interrupted with a strong tone. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯m going on a self-driving trip with your aunties. Can¡¯t I have a meal with my son before leaving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there then.¡± Qi Xing had no choice but to turn the car around and head home.


    As soon as he entered the house, the aroma of food filled the entire room. Qi Ronghua was wearing an old man¡¯s vest and cooking in the kitchen. They didn¡¯t hire a housekeeper, and the hourly worker would only come during the day to do the housework. As long as Qi Ronghua was at home, he would personally cook. Wang Cuilan was holding her beloved cat in the living room, watching TV. When she reached the sentimental part, tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn¡¯t pay any attention to her son¡¯s return.


    Over the years, the place they lived in kept getting bigger and better. His parents looked sophisticated and had the air of wealthy and noble individuals. However, when they came back home, it was still the same. One loved to study culinary arts whenever they had free time, and the other enjoyed watching melodramatic love stories on TV. If these hobbies were known to others, those snobbish people would definitely criticize their taste as nouveau riche. But it didn¡¯t matter; no one in their family cared about such things.


    After watching the TV episode, Wang Cuilan finally noticed that her son had come back and sent him to assist his father.


    Qi Xing rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen. Qi Ronghua happily cooked while asking for his help in washing and preparing the vegetables. While working, Qi Xing casually mentioned about going to Qingping Garden for lunch that day.


    The relationship between their family and Chen Lao was not particularly complicated. Qi Xing¡¯s grandfather and Chen Lao¡¯s father were good buddies who grew up together in the same village and were inseparable. They joined the military together during the war, but Qi Xing¡¯s grandfather had the misfortune of losing a leg on the battlefield and returned to his hometown early, while Chen¡¯s father achieved a class transformation through military achievements. The two families had lost contact for several decades since then.


    When Qi Ronghua first came to Huai City to try his luck, he opened a small restaurant, and it was through this chance encounter that Chen Lao¡¯s memories were stirred, and they discovered their families close relationship.At that time, Qi Xing was only a few years old and caught Chen Lao¡¯s attention, so he became his godson , their relationship developed into what it is today.


    Qi Ronghua¡¯s business had grown over the years, not only due to his good luck, sharp vision, and decisive actions but also because of Chen Lao¡¯s secret assistance. However, Qi Ronghua understood the boundaries well and never mentioned those matters publicly. He rarely troubled Chen Lao for his own benefit. Qi Ronghua had emphasized this point to Qi Xing many times, so apart from going to Qingping Garden for a meal whenever he had free time, Qi Xing had never mentioned to anyone that he knew Chen Lao, despite their close relationship.


    After listening, Qi Ronghua asked with concern, ¡°Did the Ye family member visit Chen Lao? You didn¡¯t say anything inappropriate in front of them, did you? I heard that you didn¡¯t get along well with the Ye family member at the charity wine party last time. Don¡¯t provoke him.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t provoke him,¡± Qi Xing didn¡¯t take his father¡¯s words seriously. ¡°Everyone says he¡¯s remarkable. Is he really that impressive?¡±


    Qi Ronghua: ¡°Anyway, you and him are not on the same path. Just avoid provoking him.¡±


    Qi Xing responded casually, ¡°Oh.¡±


    After they sat down at the table, Qi Ronghua mentioned a wedding invitation he received that day. He said, ¡°The Ye family is hosting a wedding next weekend and invited us to join the celebration.¡±


    Qi Xing asked, ¡°Who¡¯s getting married? Ye Xingzhou?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be his third younger brother,¡± Qi Ronghua shook his head. ¡°Who¡¯s getting married is not important. The young Ye just came into power and wants more people to get to know him through this occasion.¡±


    Wang Cuilan immediately said, ¡°I¡¯m not going. It¡¯s not fun to put on a smiling face on such occasions. Besides, I¡¯ll be out running errands for at least half a month. I can¡¯t make it.¡±


    Qi Ronghua said, ¡°The invitation has already arrived, and I need to make an appearance. In the business world, you have to keep your face.¡±


    Qi Xing¡¯s eyes lit up, and he raised his hand. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    After dinner, Qi Xing received a call from Yang Kaiming and the others, inviting him to go out and hang with them


    As he left the house, Qi Xing was scolded by Qi Ronghua and Wang Cuilan as usual,  and he promised to be back before midnight, putting on his shoes and running off quickly.


    He sighed with relief when he entered the elevator. He thought he needed to find an excuse to move out and live alone. He couldn¡¯t stand having curfew even though he was already in his twenties.


    While waiting at a red light on the road, Qi Xing saw a flower shop on the side of the street. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, hesitated for two seconds, then pushed open the car door and got out.


    If he wanted to pursue someone, he had to take some practical action. Compared to the clueless Ye Xingzhou, he believed he was more suitable for Lin Zhinian.


    After leaving Qingping Garden in the afternoon, Ye Xingzhou had his driver drop Lin Zhinian off at the art gallery first.


    There was silence during the entire journey. When they got out of the car, Lin Zhinian hesitated for a moment and turned to Ye Xingzhou, asking, ¡°Xingzhou, are you free tonight? Can we have a meal together, just the two of us?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou looked at him, expressionless, and didn¡¯t immediately respond. Lin Zhinian asked again, ¡°Is it not possible?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze lingered on his face for a couple of seconds before saying, ¡°I have a prior engagement tonight, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Lin Zhinian said, ¡°What about tomorrow? It¡¯s the weekend, so you should be free, right? Lunch or dinner, whenever you have time. I just want to have a meal alone with you. I¡¯ve been away for so long, and we haven¡¯t had a chance to catch up properly.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou replied, ¡°I have to go to the company in the daytime. There are things I need to take care of.¡±


    ¡°Then how about tomorrow night?¡± Lin Zhinian boldly suggested, ¡°I helped you with a small favor today, and considering the painting, can we have a meal together?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou turned his gaze away and casually said, ¡°I¡¯ll come to pick you up tomorrow evening.¡±


    Lin Zhinian sighed in relief. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a deal.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s car quickly drove away, and Lin Zhinian stood by the roadside for a moment before regaining his composure and entering the building.


    The next afternoon, Ye Xingzhou¡¯s car appeared again at the entrance of the art gallery.


    That afternoon, he drove by himself and didn¡¯t get out of the car after parking. He picked up his phone and dialed Lin Zhinian¡¯s number. It rang once, but before anyone answered, he hung up and threw the phone aside. He opened half of the car window, lit a cigarette, and patiently waited for Lin Zhinian to come out.


    Five minutes later, a delivery rider arrived, holding a bouquet of flowers and standing at the entrance of the art gallery, looking around.


    ¡°Sir, excuse me, do you know if Lin Zhinian¡¯s oil painting exhibition is taking place here?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou glanced at the person and the delivery rider seemed hesitant in asking. Probably because the car and the person inside it emitted a strong elite aura. If it weren¡¯t for being in a rush to deliver the order, he wouldn¡¯t have approached.


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze fell on the flowers in the person¡¯s hand and he casually lifted his chin, asking, ¡°Are those flowers for him?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± the rider quickly said, ¡°The recipient is Mr. Lin Zhinian, but it seems the phone number provided was incorrect. It¡¯s an empty number.¡±


    ¡°He is my friend, so give me the flowers,¡± Ye Xingzhou said.


    The rider thought that such a wealthy person wouldn¡¯t mind if he took one bouquet of flowers. After hesitating for a moment, he handed the flowers over.


    A large bunch of gaudy champagne roses with a choking floral scent, which Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t particularly like. He held the cigarette in his mouth, opened the card that was placed among the flowers.


    ¡°To sir Lin,


    Wishing you a successful exhibition. As for the promised meal, the one at Qingping Garden doesn¡¯t count. Next time, please honor me with your presence (:


    Qi Xing¡±


    The bold and striking handwriting was just like the person who wrote those words.


    Ye Xingzhou stared at those sentences and squinted his eyes.


    Suddenly, the image of Qi Xing approaching him yesterday at Qingping Garden, letting his guard down, came to his mind.


    Energetic, vivid, and radiant.


    Unfortunately, he was an idiot..


    He flicked the ash onto the card, covering the two words ¡°Qi Xing.¡± Ye Xingzhou sneered and casually threw the flowers out of the car window.


    With a loud sound, the bouquet accurately fell into a nearby trash bin.

 CH 6

    Qi Xing, who rarely woke up early, got up and got ready to accompany his father to attend the Ye family¡¯s wedding.


    As the car drove towards the mountains, before getting off, Qi Ronghua couldn¡¯t help but remind his son again, ¡°We¡¯re here to attend the wedding. When we meet people, I want you to greet them politely and behave. Don¡¯t wander around unnecessarily.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Qi Xing replied absentmindedly, his gaze falling outside the car window.


    The third son of the Ye family¡¯s wedding was held at a resort villa developed by the Ye family on the outskirts of the city. It was Qi Xing¡¯s first time being there, and he had to admit that the environment and scenery of the place were quite beautiful. It was a good place for leisure and enjoyment.


    The Ye family¡¯s wedding was a grand event, with distinguished and wealthy guests. Qi Ronghua wanted to keep a low profile, but to his surprise, when they arrived at the venue, the person who came to greet them was Ye Xingzhou himself.


    Qi Xing stood with his hands in his pockets, watching his father shake hands and chat with Ye Xingzhou, curling his lip in disdain.


    When Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze fell on him and saw his expression, Qi Xing raised his chin without embarrassment and asked, ¡°Ye Xingzhao, where is sir Lin?¡±


    His tone was as bold as usual, without any politeness. Ye Xingzhou looked at him expressionless and replied, ¡°He¡¯s inside.¡± Then he turned to Qi Ronghua and said, ¡°Uncle Qi, please come in.¡±


    Qi Xing sneered, ¡°Ye Xingzhao, you¡¯re really good at buttering people up. You address my grandfather as your grandpa and my dad as your uncle. Should I call you uncle or brother too?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou glanced at him and said, ¡°whichever you like.¡±


    Qi Xing rolled his eyes and said, ¡°¡­ whatever.¡±


    Qi Ronghua coughed and interrupted them, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first. There are so many guests here, Ye Xingzhao, you don¡¯t need to specially welcome us.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll accompany Uncle Qi to go in.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou gestured, ¡°Uncle Qi, this way, please.¡±


    Inside the resort villa, there was a large artificial lake, and the wedding venue was on the lawn by the lake. As the time had not yet arrived, guests were gathered in small groups, chatting and socializing.


    Ye Xingzhou personally led Qi Ronghua over, and for a while, many people came up to greet and converse with them. After chatting with them for a while, Ye Xingzhou reminded Qi Ronghua that there was a resting area in the villa area behind them, and they could make themselves comfortable there. He then went to greet other guests.


    The crowd didn¡¯t disperse. Although Qi Ronghua was secretly mocked as a nouveau riche, his Ronghua Capital was currently thriving, and there were quite a few people waiting for him to leak money. The surroundings were filled with flattering and obsequious voices. Qi Xing took the opportunity to slip away and find his own amusement.


    Yang Kaiming saw him from a distance and walked over briskly, saying, ¡°I knew you would definitely come today.¡±


    Qi Xing glanced at him disinterestedly and said . ¡± I don¡¯t have time for you. I¡¯m going to find sir Lin.¡±


    Yang Kaiming was used to his temper and smiled, saying, ¡°You¡¯ve come to someone¡¯s territory to attend a wedding and take the opportunity to interfere with his relationship. Only you, Qi Xing, can do such a thing. But  I just saw him heading to the villa. I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    They walked together towards the villa area, and Qi Xing¡¯s gaze swept over Ye Xingzhou, who was surrounded by a group of stars in the distance. ¡°From the looks of it, anyone who doesn¡¯t know would think that Ye Xingzhou was the main character of this wedding.¡±


    Yang Kaiming replied, ¡°It¡¯s normal. Ye Family¡¯s previously highly regarded second son was sent to an overseas branch, and the third son betrayed his own brother at the critical moment and now makes a living under him. Not to mention organizing a wedding, together with Ye Xingzhao. As for the fourth son, let¡¯s not even mention him. He¡¯s useless and can¡¯t do anything. Even you and I look down on him.¡±


    Qi Xing laughed and said, ¡°You have quite a sharp tongue.¡±


    When they reached the door of the rest area, Yang Kaiming was about to push the door open when Qi Xing suddenly held his hand and gestured for him to be silent.


    Voices could be heard from inside.


    ¡°How are you and Ye Xingzhou doing now?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m just friends with him. Please don¡¯t keep asking me about this.¡±


    ¡°Just friends? But you¡¯re always together like a couple. Weren¡¯t you close when you were studying together? Can¡¯t you take the initiative to please him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not like that with him¡­¡±


    Yang Kaiming raised an eyebrow at Qi Xing. It was evident that the people inside were Lin Zhinian and his uncle. One sounded aggressive, and the other seemed awkward and restrained. Lin¡¯s uncle was someone who cared about his reputation in public, but unexpectedly, he was pressuring his own nephew to use his body to please another man in private.


    Qi Xing had heard enough and forcefully pushed open the door without hesitation.


    The two people inside looked surprised. Lin Zhinian¡¯s face showed a fleeting embarrassment, and Qi Xing acted surprised as well, saying, ¡°Ah, sorry, we didn¡¯t know there were people inside. So, sir Lin, you¡¯re here. What a coincidence, I was just looking for you.¡±


    He walked towards Lin Zhinian, while Lin uncle scrutinized him and looked towards Lin Zhinian with suspicion. Lin Zhinian introduced them, forcing a smile, ¡°This is Qi Xing from Ronghua Capital. Qi Xing, this is my uncle.¡±


    The other party¡¯s eyes brightened, and he immediately became more enthusiastic, extending his hand with a radiant smile, ¡°So, you¡¯re Qi Xing. Nice to meet you.¡±


    However, Qi Xing didn¡¯t move nor shook his hand,


    The smile on the other party¡¯s face froze halfway. Qi Xing ignored him and turned to Lin Zhinian, saying, ¡°The wedding over there is about to start. Will you go over now? Shall we go together?¡±


    Lin Zhinian breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After leaving the villa, Lin Zhinian awkwardly thanked him, ¡°Thank you for helping me out just now, Qi Xing. I¡¯m sorry you had to witness that.¡±


    Qi Xing shrugged indifferently, ¡°It was nothing. But, is your uncle always like that?¡±


    Lin Zhinian replied, ¡°¡­He cares too much.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Qi Xing smiled and asked, ¡°Then, you and Ye Xingzhao, really don¡¯t have that kind of relationship? Since that¡¯s the case, can I pursue you? ¡°


    Upon hearing this, Yang Kaiming quickly found an excuse and ran off. Lin Zhinian felt uneasy and said, ¡°Qi Xing, please don¡¯t joke like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking,¡± Qi Xing said innocently, ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking? I really want to pursue you.¡±


    Seeing Lin Zhinian hesitate and not knowing how to respond, Qi Xing waved his hand with a smile, ¡°Forget it, take your time to consider, sir Lin. I¡¯m definitely sure i can treat you better  than Ye Xingzhao.Think about it carefully.¡±


    Back at the lakeside, there were more people at the wedding venue than before. Ye Xingzhou was still the center of attention in the crowd, holding a glass of champagne and leisurely listening to others¡¯ conversations. Every movement and gesture exuded the demeanor of a graceful nobleman.


    Qi Xing followed Lin Zhinian and walked over, observing him from a distance, inwardly criticizing the pretentiousness of that person, feeling a bit annoyed.


    When Lin Zhinian approached, someone made room for him. Lin Zhinian walked up to Ye Xingzhou and asked softly, ¡°Is the wedding about to start?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou took a sip of his drink and casually reminded him, ¡°It will be a while. Why don¡¯t you have something to eat first?¡±


    ¡°Xingzhou is taking good care of Zhinian. Even after so many years, your relationship is still as good as before. It¡¯s really enviable. Take a look, it makes people jealous.¡±


    A smiling middle-aged man suddenly spoke, carrying an air of an elder, looking at Ye Xingzhou and Lin Zhinian.


    Ye Xingzhou raised his eyelids and calmly looked back, not responding. The man continued, ¡°I still remember when you two were in high school, you were often seen together. It¡¯s been so many years, and it¡¯s rare that your relationship is still the same. Now even Wan Qing is married, but you, as his older brother, is falling behind. I think you should settle down too. Our family is not so conservative, there¡¯s nothing wrong with liking men¡­¡±


    Ye Xingzhou slowly drank his wine, seemingly unaffected by the words, while Lin Zhinian subconsciously looked at him, his eyes flickering.


    The surrounding people were just enjoying the spectacle. The members of the Ye family discussed Ye Xingzhou¡¯s romantic affairs in public, with some truth and some fabrication, only known to the parties involved.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, stop talking nonsense,¡± someone finally spoke up and intercepted. It was another elder from the Ye family, who pointed his cane at the ground, displeased. ¡°Today is Wan Qing¡¯s wedding. Don¡¯t get drunk and speak nonsense here.¡±


    ¡°Big brother, how am I speaking nonsense? Who among us doesn¡¯t know about the relationship between Xingzhou and Zhinian?¡±


    ¡°I told you to shut up!¡±


    ¡°What good does it do for me to shut up? We can¡¯t control Xingzhou¡¯s affairs, but big brother, you even wanted to introduce a girl to Xingzhou before. Why bother? If he likes men, and you forcefully push a girl onto him, won¡¯t it create enmity?¡±


    ¡°Xingzhou is not the kind of person you¡¯re talking about. Stop talking nonsense here!¡±


    Ye Xingzhou remained composed, allowing them to argue while he continued to drink his own glass of wine.


    Qi Xing stood on the side with folded arms, watching the drama unfold. Yang Kaiming approached him and whispered, ¡°The odd-tempered one from the Ye family is Ye¡¯s uncle. I heard he made a lot of money in their family company before being kicked out by Ye Xingzhou. It seems he deliberately wanted to make trouble for Ye Xingzhou today. The other one is Ye Xingzhou¡¯s uncle, who previously acted as a matchmaker for Ye Xingzhou in public. He¡¯s the one the Ye family values the most in terms of reputation.¡±


    Qi Xing scanned over Ye Xingzhou, who didn¡¯t even furrow his brows, and made a fair assessment, ¡°It seems like they¡¯re both putting on a show. Ye Xingzhou doesn¡¯t want to pay any attention to either of them.¡±


    After finishing half a glass of wine, Ye Xingzhou placed it on the refreshment table and spoke up, ¡°I appreciate the concern from my uncle and my uncle¡¯s brother.¡±


    The Ye uncle wanted to say something, but Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t give him a chance. ¡°But this is a private matter between Zhinian and me. It seems unnecessary to discuss it in front of everyone.¡±


    Qi Xing applauded twice and interjected, ¡°it¡¯ll be good if you at least respect Lin zhinian¡¯s opinion. What do you mean by ¡®not that kind of person¡¯? What kind of person is that? Honestly, Lin Zhinian might not even fancy Ye Xingzhao, right? What do you think, Lin zhinizan?¡±


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Lin Zhinian felt embarrassed. Ye Xingzhou¡¯s eyes fell on Qi Xing, paused for a moment, and suddenly said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of person I am, but do you know what kind of person you are?¡±


    ¡°Does it concern you?¡± Qi Xing retorted.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± Ye Xingzhou said, nodding. ¡°I¡¯m just curious. I¡¯m very interested in you and your affairs, Qi xing.¡±


    His tone was calm, but his words had a subtle, indescribable sense of ambiguity. The gazes of the people around them became somewhat surprised and thought-provoking.


    Qi Xing was taken aback for a moment and blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ye Xingzhou nodded,  and shifted his gaze away, signaling to others, ¡°The wedding is about to begin. Please take your seats.¡±

 CH 7

    A few minutes before the start of the ceremony, the emcee invited everyone to take their seats.


    The Ye uncle turned his head and stopped Ye Wanqing, who had been ignored throughout the wedding. He asked, ¡°Today is your wedding day, such an important day. Why isn¡¯t your mother here?¡±


    Ye Wanqing explained awkwardly, ¡°she isn¡¯t feeling well.That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t ask her to come today.¡±


    ¡°She  isn¡¯t feeling well? When I saw her six months ago, she seemed to be in good condition.Why didn¡¯t you inform us, the elders, so that we could visit her?¡±


    The Ye uncle deliberately raised his voice, implying something. Ye Wanqing¡¯s expression turned sour, and he answered stiffly, ¡°My mother needs rest and doesn¡¯t want to be disturbed. So, there¡¯s no need for you, Uncle, to visit her for now.¡±


    The onlookers who knew a little about the Ye family¡¯s situation quickly avoided the topic and hurried to their seats. It wasn¡¯t something they should be listening to as outsiders.


    Ye Xingzhou walked past his uncle, his footsteps slightly paused. He glanced at him and then continued walking towards the seating area.


    The Ye uncle was stunned for a moment, his mind suddenly chilled when he sensed the coldness hidden in Ye Xingzhou¡¯s glance.


    After the commotion subsided, Qi Xing was still immersed in his displeasure when his father came over and slapped him on the back of his head.


    Qi Ronghua lowered his voice and scolded his son, ¡°I told you not to run around and not to speak recklessly. Did you not hear a word of what I said?¡±


    Yang Kaiming nodded in agreement, ¡°Qi xing, I suggest you stop provoking Ye xingzhao. You can¡¯t gain any anything from that.¡±


    Qi Xing glanced at Yang Kaiming and then chuckled as he responded to his father. Taking advantage of the fact that Qi Ronghua was busy with others, he went with Yang Kaiming to the seats in the back row.


    As soon as he sat down, he leaned back lazily in his chair, his gaze still fixed on Ye Xingzhou and Lin Zhinian sitting in the front row. Holding his breath, he raised his hand and made a gesture as if aiming and firing at the back of Ye Xingzhou¡¯s head.


    Still not letting go of his resentment.


    Yang Kaiming saw his action and asked with a smile, ¡°Qi xing, who is it that you¡¯re really interested in? Why do I feel like you¡¯re only focused on Ye Xingzhou and no one else?also what did Ye xingzhao mean by saying he¡¯s interested in you and your affairs?¡±


    ¡°How would I know? He¡¯s got some problem in his head,¡± Qi Xing tilted his head and pointed to his own temple. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m as crazy as him? Or maybe blind? I would never be interested in someone like him?¡±


    Not that his taste in men was particularly good.


    Yang Kaiming thought it was best not to mention the random thoughts before. He didn¡¯t think much of this Lin artist. It was unclear whether he was simply compromising for Ye Xingzhou or if he had ulterior motives. Who knew?


    When the wedding march started playing, the gaze of the guests turned to the couple walking down the aisle. However, Lin Zhinian¡¯s gaze fell on the icy profile of Ye Xingzhou, feeling somewhat absent-minded.


    He didn¡¯t expect Ye Xingzhou to say such ambiguous words in front of everyone, nor could he fathom what was going through Ye Xingzhou¡¯s mind when he said that. He thought he understood Ye Xingzhou, but in reality, there was a long-standing rift of more than ten years between them, and many things had already changed.


    During the private dinner they had arranged, whether he was reminiscing about the past or expressing his longing over the years, Ye Xingzhou remained indifferent, without any emotional reactions.


    If Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t care, then he really didn¡¯t care. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but it was self-deception.


    The bride and groom in front had already started their vows, but Qi Xing wasn¡¯t interested. He absentmindedly listened to Yang Kaiming¡¯s idle chatter in his ear. Suddenly, someone behind him called him, ¡°Hey, Qi, what are you doing here?¡±


    A figure flipped over from behind the seats and sat next to Qi Xing, looking at him with a half-smile. Qi Xing glanced at him and casually replied, ¡°we got a formal invitation from your family.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Fourth Young Master Ye.¡± Yang Kaiming greeted the person with a smile, to which he responded with a disdainful ¡°Hmph.¡±


    The person was Ye Wanqi, the fourth son of the Ye family. He was also a playboy who excelled in eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring. However, his character was too despicable, and Qi Xing didn¡¯t like him. They had even had some conflicts before.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Qi xing came to the race. Why? Are you afraid?¡± Ye Wanqi bit his cigarette and deliberately provoked Qi Xing. ¡°Come out and race with me the day after tomorrow. Let me show you my new ride.¡±


    Smelling the pungent smoke, Qi Xing frowned and inexplicably remembered the time when Ye Xingzhou blew smoke in his face.


    He turned his face away and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Ye Wanqi sneered, ¡°Are you scared? Afraid of losing to me?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to provoke me,¡± Qi Xing remained unmoved. ¡°I have no interest in winning against a someone like you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the car you¡¯ve been longing for, and it¡¯s the latest limited edition,¡± Ye Wanqi dangled the bait. ¡°Won¡¯t you come and take a look? How about a race with me? If you win, I¡¯ll give you the car?¡±


    Qi Xing finally turned his gaze back and looked at him as if he were looking at a fool. ¡°You¡¯re giving me the car?¡±


    Ye Wanqi flicked the cigarette ash and said, ¡± you¡¯ll find out if you come¡±


    The car he mentioned was indeed the one Qi Xing had been wanting. Qi Xing had the money, but getting the qualifications to buy a car was troublesome, especially for limited edition sports cars, even if you had the money, they were hard to come by.


    Ye Wanqi knew this, which was why he deliberately came to Qi Xing and talked about it.


    Seeing a hint of hesitation on Qi Xing¡¯s face, Yang Kaiming quietly reminded him, ¡°Be careful, it might be a trap.¡±


    ¡° Let¡¯s cut to the chase. Will you come or not?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll go,¡± Qi Xing replied . ¡°You said if I win, you¡¯ll give me the car for free. Why wouldn¡¯t I want that? If you dare  go back on your word, I¡¯ll hunt you down till you repay your debt.¡±


    ¡°You can talk big when you win,¡± Ye Wanqi coldly snorted and stood up to leave.


    Qi Xing didn¡¯t bother with him anymore, and Yang Kaiming anxiously reminded him once again, ¡°Qi xing, are you really going? That guy is willing to bet his brand new car. There¡¯s a good chance he¡¯ll play some dirty tricks.¡±


    Qi Xing shrugged indifferently, ¡°What kind of ideas can that blockhead come up with? I¡¯ll go and see.¡±


    When the wedding ceremony was over, Qi Ronghua received a message from Qi Xing, saying that he had gone out to play with Yang Kaiming and had disappeared.


    Guests were leaving one by one, and halfway through, Qi Xing saw Lin Zhinian, walking alone and asked Yang Kaiming to stop the car.


    ¡± what are you planning?¡± Yang Kaiming hesitated and stopped the car outside the estate. ¡°Almost everyone has left. Where are you going?¡±


    Qi Xing unbuckled his seatbelt and said, ¡°Lin zhinian is still inside. I¡¯ll go and pick him up.¡±


    Yang Kaiming exclaimed, ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I have to seize this opportunity. Should I leave him alone here with that Ye Xingzhou?¡± Qi Xing finished speaking and opened the car door, instructing Yang Kaiming, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Just wait here.¡±


    He walked in confidently and sent a message to Lin Zhinian.


    ¡°Li, haven¡¯t you left yet?  Do you want to go back together?¡±


    There was no reply from him, but Qi Xing unconsciously walked to the lakeside where the ceremony had taken place. Surprisingly, it had already been cleared so quickly. He paused his steps when he heard voices ahead and looked up from his phone screen.


    Not far away were Ye Xingzhou and his uncle, accompanied by several bodyguards.


    A few hours ago, the confident Uncle Ye was now being held by Ye Xingzhou¡¯s bodyguards, unable to move, and was angrily shouting at Ye Xingzhou, ¡°You beast! You killed your father. You¡¯re not human! Ah!¡±


    One of Ye Xingzhou¡¯s bodyguards punched Uncle Ye in the face, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood, along with a missing tooth.


    Ye Xingzhou stood in front of him, eyes lowered, calmly playing with something in his hand, ignoring the curses.


    Qi Xing saw clearly that it was a gun in his hand and widened his eyes in astonishment.


    ¡°You bastard! We shouldn¡¯t have let you into the family in the first place. You¡¯re just like your dead mother¡­¡±


    The cold and hard muzzle pressed against Uncle Ye¡¯s forehead, causing his words to choke in his throat. His body involuntarily trembled, and his voice changed, ¡°You¡­ you dare. This is illegal, illegal!¡±


    Ye Xingzhou looked down at him with a contemptuous and emotionless gaze, as if he were looking at a dead man.


    Time seemed to freeze as Ye Xingzhou¡¯s finger slowly pulled the trigger. The man with the gun against his head, drenched in cold sweat, his lips trembling, making a constant ¡°heh heh¡± sound, but unable to complete a full sentence.


    Qi Xing stood still, holding his breath. He had witnessed many absurd things, but witnessing someone being killed was a first. He forgot to run and forgot to find a place to hide.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    In the instant that Ye Xingzhou pulled the trigger, Uncle Ye screamed loudly, his eyes rolling back, and he collapsed to the ground. Ye Xingzhou looked at him with a sneer, calmly released his grip, and let what he was holding fall to the ground.


    It was just a model gun.


    And his uncle was now lying on the ground, completely terrified, like a dead dog, and even lost control of his bodily functions.


    Qi Xing finally snapped out of his daze, instinctively took a step back to avoid it, but Ye Xingzhou suddenly looked up and stared in his direction.


    Those eyes were cold, gloomy, and sharp as an eagle¡¯s, and in that instant, Qi Xing felt a paralyzing fear coursing through his body. He instinctively wanted to escape, but Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t give him a chance.


    The man coldly nodded to the bodyguard beside him, and someone quickly approached, forcefully holding Qi Xing down.

 CH 8

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Qi Xing angrily questioned, but no one answered him. In a few quick movements, he was pushed in front of Ye Xingzhou.


    The image of Ye Xingzhou pulling the trigger was still fresh in Qi Xing¡¯s mind. The gun was fake, but the chilling unease it brought was real. Realizing that he had been scared by this man a moment ago, he felt a surge of anger. He glared at Ye Xingzhou and said, ¡°Let me go.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou remained silent, his gaze fixed on Qi Xing¡¯s face, calmly and subtly shifting.


    Qi Xing was held by bodyguards on both sides, looking somewhat disheveled. There was a hint of anger on his face as he continued to put on an intimidating show. It was both ridiculous and laughable, but coupled with his striking face, it didn¡¯t seem out of place. Instead, it created an indescribable feeling.


    However, Qi Xing himself was oblivious to this.


    Suddenly, Ye Xingzhou raised his hand and gripped Qi Xing¡¯s chin, lightly rubbing his fingertip against it.


    Qi Xing¡¯s body tensed up, as Ye Xingzhou was half a head taller than him and held him in such a position. The feeling of being completely controlled made him extremely uncomfortable.


    He tried to struggle but couldn¡¯t break free. Gritting his teeth, he asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou squinted his eyes and gradually increased the pressure in his hand.


    Qi Xing winced in pain from the grip, finding it difficult to breathe. His teeth were also trembling. He said through gritted teeth, ¡°Let me go!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have been peeping here,¡± Ye Xingzhou finally spoke, his deep voice filled with coldness. ¡°Is it fun?¡±


    Qi Xing cursed, ¡°What shameful things have you done that you¡¯re afraid of being seen? Oh, I see, you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll find out that you killed your own father and sent your mother to a mental hospital, right? I never expected that you, Young Master Ye, would be such a person. It¡¯s truly eye-opening.¡±


    Even though he knew he shouldn¡¯t provoke Ye Xingzhou further, it was his personality to never lower himself and submit. If he hadn¡¯t been restrained, he would have fought Ye Xingzhou right then and there.


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s face showed no sign of being angered or exposed. After Qi Xing finished speaking, he casually said, ¡°So what?¡±


    This response made Qi Xing even more puzzled. In a fit of anger, he lowered his head and fiercely bit down on Ye Xingzhou¡¯s hand, which was just inches away.


    He bit down on the web of Ye Xingzhou¡¯s right hand, biting deeply and heavily. Despite having his hair pulled back by the bodyguards, he refused to let go. He glared at Ye Xingzhou with a provocative look, full of defiance.


    However, apart from initially furrowing his brows, Ye Xingzhou remained completely still and coldly stared back at him.


    When Qi Xing tasted the bitter, metallic taste of blood in his mouth, he finally couldn¡¯t bear it and reluctantly released Ye Xingzhou¡¯s hand, spitting out a disgusted ¡°ptui¡± sound.


    In this confrontation, it seemed that he was the one who lost in the end.


    A deep red bite mark appeared on the web of Ye Xingzhou¡¯s hand, which was bleeding. He glanced at it indifferently, then returned his gaze to Qi Xing.


    Qi Xing, an impulsive second-generation young master, was panting with uneven breaths. He continued to glare at Ye Xingzhou, his eyes filled with anger, his lips stained with blood. This appearance inexplicably exuded a sense of seductive allure, as if he had been ravished and violated by someone.


    Ye Xingzhou admired Qi Xing¡¯s demeanor, his gaze dark and mysterious. No one knew what he was thinking.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± Qi Xing demanded again, still using an extremely stiff tone, refusing to back down.


    Ye Xingzhou leisurely lifted his chin, indicating for someone to take away his trembling uncle who was still cowering on the ground. His gaze returned to Qi Xing¡¯s face as he instructed the bodyguards, ¡°Throw him into the lake.¡±


    Qi Xing was taken aback. ¡°You dare!¡±


    There was a mocking expression in Ye Xingzhou¡¯s eyes. Qi Xing was being dragged towards the water¡¯s edge , and he cursed loudly, ¡°You lunatic! If you throw me into the water, even if I become a vengeful ghost, I will come back to haunt you!¡±


    Ye Xingzhou calmly reminded him, ¡°I don¡¯t intend to take your life, just to wake you up.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t swim!¡± Realizing that Ye Xingzhou was serious, Qi Xing panicked. ¡°If you throw me into the water, it¡¯s equal to killing me!¡±


    Ye Xingzhou remained unmoved. His bodyguards were experienced, and they would just make this ignorant kid swallow some water. It wouldn¡¯t kill him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell my godfather that your eight million will go down the drain! If you don¡¯t believe me, try it¨C¡°


    Before he could finish his last sentence, Qi Xing was already pushed into the water. In the instant he fell into the water, his survival instincts drove him to desperately struggle and grab onto the only thing he could, Ye Xingzhou¡¯s trouser leg right in front of him.


    Ye Xingzhou was pulled into the water as well.


    Water rushed in from all directions, flooding into their mouths and noses. Qi Xing continued to struggle, tightly holding onto the person he had dragged down, ignoring everything else.


    Ye Xingzhou, annoyed, furrowed his brow. Being clung to by the person, he kept descending with no end in sight, experiencing an unprecedented state of confusion. He had to grab onto him, restraining Qi Xing¡¯s flailing body. With the help of the bodyguards, they managed to resurface and drag Qi Xing back to shore.


    After taking a shower, Qi Xing casually wrapped a bathrobe around himself and pushed open the bathroom door.


    Ye Xingzhou sat on the couch in the room, engrossed in his phone. Qi Xing noticed it and walked up, taking it back forcefully. ¡°Are you crazy? Why were you snooping through my phone?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou raised his eyes and coldly informed him, ¡°Your friend called and said he had something urgent and left.¡±


    Qi Xing quickly checked the call logs and indeed found a missed call from Yang Kaiming half a minute ago.


    He had dropped his phone on the ground when Ye Xingzhou¡¯s bodyguard restrained him, and he didn¡¯t know when he had picked it up.


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t have to answer  the call, did you?¡± Qi Xing was irritated. Yang Kaiming, that unreliable friend of his, must have been scared off by Ye Xingzhou¡¯s voice and left him behind.


    Ye Xingzhou asked, ¡°Did you sneak back to see Lin Zhinian?¡±


    ¡°What does it matter to you whether I see him or not? Did you also go through my WeChat messages? Have you no shame?¡± Qi Xing grumbled and opened the WeChat app. Lin Zhinian had just replied, saying that he had already left.


    Qi Xing clicked his tongue, forcefully turning off the phone screen.


    ¡°Give me some clothes, and lend me a car.¡± He said it was borrowing, but he showed no hint of politeness on his face.


    Initially, at the lakeside, Qi Xing was momentarily frightened by Ye Xingzhou. But after taking a shower, he had figured it out. Whether it was pulling out a toy gun or throwing him into the water and pulling him out, it was all just an act. It was impossible for someone to commit murder in broad daylight. Since that was the case, there was nothing to be afraid of.


    Ye Xingzhou stared at him coldly. Because of the earlier scare, Qi Xing¡¯s face was still pale, and his lips appeared redder as he muttered those unpleasant words.


    His slightly wet hair was messy, water dripping down onto his partially exposed chest through the loosely tied bathrobe.


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze flickered, and when his eyes met Qi Xing¡¯s, Qi Xing suddenly realized that Ye Xingzhou had taken off his glasses. Without them, his eyes appeared even colder and more penetrating, devoid of any emotion. It made Qi Xing inexplicably feel as though he was being watched by a venomous snake.


    Despite being in a bathrobe, with messy hair that was usually perfectly maintained, Ye Xingzhou¡¯s imposing presence remained unchanged. The removal of the facade only exposed the ruthless and dominant nature deep within him, completely unhidden.


    Realizing this, Qi Xing was not only startled but also frustrated.


    ¡°Did you hear what I said? Lend me some clothes and a car,¡± Qi Xing repeated, enduring the urge to scratch Ye Xingzhou¡¯s face. .


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t lend them to you?¡± Ye Xingzhou asked.


    Qi Xing¡¯s expression changed slightly, ¡°Do you really want your eight million to go down the drain?¡±


    This statement seemed to have some effect. Ye Xingzhou seemed to ponder for a moment and replied, ¡°You can do what you want¡¯


    Finally, Qi Xing couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and cursed, So after going through so much trouble to get close to my godfather,  you¡¯re acting like it¡¯s nothing? Who the fuck do you think you are¡±


    Ye Xingzhou leisurely lit a cigarette, allowing Qi Xing to act up.


    Qi Xing was furious, but he also knew that he was trying to intimidate Ye Xingzhou with just his words. Since his godfather had agreed to let him go to Qingping Garden and accepted his gift, it meant that he saw something worth investing in him. It wasn¡¯t something Qi Xing could change with just a few words.


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t actually take Qi Xing¡¯s threats seriously.


    But Ye Xingzhou¡¯s attitude was really unpleasant.


    Seeing the cigarette in his hand lit up, Qi Xing  leaned forward, snatched the cigarette, and forcefully extinguished it in the ashtray on the coffee table.


    When he raised his eyes, he unexpectedly collided with the deep and dark pupils of Ye Xingzhou, who was staring at him intently.


    Separated by a coffee table, their gazes met in a brief moment as Qi Xing leaned forward. It was as if they could feel each other¡¯s breath.


    Qi Xing was stunned. This time, Ye Xingzhou spoke first, his voice deep and low, ¡°Is this your way of asking for help?¡±


    Qi Xing furrowed his brows, ignoring the strange discomfort that arose in his heart for a moment. He stood up and stepped back, retorting sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯m a guest who was invited to your family¡¯s wedding. Is this how the Ye family treats its guests?¡±


    ¡°The wedding ended a long time ago,¡± Ye Xingzhou said coldly. ¡°It was you who voluntarily showed up.¡±


    Qi Xing took a deep breath, repeatedly reminding himself to stay calm. He forced a smile on his face and said, ¡°Then please, Ye brother, be gracious and forgive my impudence. Lend me some clothes to change into and a car to leave as soon as possible, can you?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou leaned back on the sofa, watching him with interest, and teased him about his words, ¡°Ye brother?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe Uncle Ye,¡± Qi Xing reluctantly lowered his head, not willing to give in even though he didn¡¯t want to. ¡°You said it yourself, i can call you whatever i like.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze was mocking. ¡°Say it one more time.¡±


    Qi Xing: ¡°¡­¡±


    Freak.


    Having captured the countless expressions on Qi Xing¡¯s face, Ye Xingzhou seemed to finally let him go. He called someone in and instructed, ¡°Go get some clothes for Qi Xing and arrange a car to send him back.¡±


    He continued to stare at Qi Xing as he spoke, his eyes filled with a hint of domination.


    Qi Xing felt uncomfortable. Before leaving, he pointed his finger at Ye Xingzhou . ¡°Just you wait and see. I won¡¯t forgive what happened today.¡±

 CH 9

    Two days later, Qi Xing went to the northern half of the city to participate in a gambling race organized by Ye Wanqi, the fourth son of the Ye family.


    He went alone in his own sports car. Just before leaving, Yang Kaiming called to say that he couldn¡¯t make it due to some family matters and once again reminded him to be careful as it might be a dirty trap.


    Xing didn¡¯t care much and replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I know what I¡¯m getting myself into.¡±


    When he reached the foot of the mountain, there were already a dozen or so people gathered there, young men and women who usually hung out with Ye Wanqi, a bunch of unruly characters.


    As Qi Xing got out of the car, all eyes immediately turned towards him.


    ¡°Qi Xing, you came right on time. I thought you wouldn¡¯t dare come,¡± someone said amidst whistles and teasing.


    Qi Xing glanced at the smiling Ye Wanqi, who had a woman with revealing clothes and heavy makeup in his arms, a cigarette in his mouth, leaning against a convertible sports car, proudly beckoning him.


    Qi Xing casually inserted his hands into his pockets and walked forward, first sizing up Ye Wanqi¡¯s car.


    The convertible sports car had a sleek, sharp design with a gray-gold exterior shimmering in the night. Qi Xing reached out and touched it, feeling reluctant to let go. He couldn¡¯t help but feel awful that such a good car ended up in the hands of someone like Ye Wanqi, wasting its potential.


    Ye Wanqi observed his expression and grew even more cocky ¡°Well, what do you think? I didn¡¯t deceive you, did I? Do you want it? If you win, I¡¯ll give you the car. If you lose, your car belongs to me.¡±


    Qi Xing didn¡¯t believe him at all. He wasn¡¯t a fool. He had never gotten along with this fourth son of the Ye family. They were both playboys, but Ye Wanqi had no boundaries when it came to playing and had a terrible character. They had raced against each other before, and Qi Xing had never lost. It was strange that he suddenly invited him for a race, with a new limited edition sports car as the wager. It was clear he had some tricks up his sleeve.


    Knowing that something was amiss, Qi Xing still showed up. He simply wanted to see the car with his own eyes and satisfy his curiosity.


    But seeing Ye Wanqi¡¯s arrogant appearance made Qi Xing very displeased. He wanted to see what this guy was really up to.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s get in the car then.¡±


    Amidst the roaring engines, seven or eight sports cars raced up the mountain road together.


    Qi Xing¡¯s car was in a relatively rear position, but he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He skillfully controlled the steering wheel, smoothly maneuvering the red sports car through the traffic, overtaking one car after another with ease using the mountain terrain and bends, showcasing his driving skills.


    The mountain wind whistled across his face, and Qi Xing enjoyed it with narrowed eyes.


    In just ten minutes, only the last two cars were left in front of him. The one leading the race was Ye Wanqi, who had started first, and the one behind him was a silver sports car.


    Qi Xing had initially planned to overtake them in one go, but the silver car in front suddenly took an unconventional turn, playing an S-shape in front of him, intentionally blocking his way. Qi Xing cursed, and another car rushed up from the side, desperately trying to scrape against his car, deliberately swerving away from him.


    That was followed by the second and third cars. All the cars seemed to have planned it, surrounding and blocking Qi Xing, coming dangerously close to his car, with the piercing sound of tires scraping against the ground accompanied by laughter from the unruly crowd.


    It was clear they were deliberately targeting him.


    Qi Xing was a very hot tempered person, and that situation fueled his anger. He slammed his fist on the steering wheel, disregarding everything, and stepped on the gas pedal to accelerate. A few seconds later, the front of his car forcefully collided with the rear of the silver car in front.


    Caught off guard, the car veered to the right and scraped against the rocks on the right side in a thunderous collision.


    The front of Qi Xing¡¯s car was also dented, and the airbags almost released. Seeing an empty path ahead, he quickly reacted, stomping hard on the accelerator and swiftly driving away, finally escaping from the commotion.


    Ye Wanqi, who was in the lead, slowed down, driving and looking back at the scene. When he saw Qi Xing suddenly go crazy, crashing into the car and rushing toward them, he was startled and tried to accelerate, but it was too late.


    Amidst the screams of the women in the car, Qi Xing¡¯s vehicle grazed their car and overtook them. He then abruptly turned the steering wheel, slamming on the brakes, and stopped abruptly in front of their car.


    Ye Wanqi forcefully stepped on the brakes, narrowly avoiding a collision. After the car came to a stop, he broke out in a cold sweat, his heart pounding. He saw Qi Xing, with a dark expression, stepping out of his car and striding toward him.


    Qi Xing regained his senses and grabbed Ye Wanqi by the collar in a tight grip, pulling him up from the seat. He fiercely said, ¡®I knew you wouldn¡¯t be honest. How dare you play tricks on me?¡±¡¯


    Intimidated by Qi Xing¡¯s imposing manner, Ye Wanqi was too frightened to react for a while. After a long pause, he swallowed his saliva and forced a dry laugh, ¡®What do you want?¡¯


    Qi Xing coldly glanced at the dandies who had gotten out of their cars behind them, still holding onto Ye Wanqi. ¡®Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m afraid of you just because you brought your crew here.?¡±


    Ye Wanqi hesitated and didn¡¯t dare provoke Qi Xing any further.


    He was still a coward, and he believed that Qi Xing would actually do as he said. He had never come out on top against Qi Xing before, and now, with neither his father nor his older brother as the head of the Ye family, if something went wrong, there would be no one to help him clean up the mess. That dat he had only wanted to scare Qi Xing, but he hadn¡¯t expected that Qi Xing wouldn¡¯t be afraid at all.


    Being held by his collar,, Ye Wanqi felt humiliated and unwillingly said, ¡®Let¡¯s forget about this matter. You can go¡­¡¯


    ¡®Forget about it? You think that¡¯s possible?¡¯ Qi Xing sneered. ¡®This matter can¡¯t be forgotten. You have to compensate me for the repair costs of my car, and I won the race, so this car now belongs to me.¡¯


    ¡®No, that¡¯s not possible,¡¯ Ye Wanqi immediately retorted. ¡®When did you win?¡¯


    ¡®Are you blind? Can¡¯t you see for yourself?¡¯ Qi Xing pointed with his hand. Ye Wanqi instinctively turned his head, and indeed, Qi Xing¡¯s car was parked next to the finish line they had agreed upon.


    Ye Wanqi: ¡®¡­¡¯


    Qi Xing raised an eyebrow. ¡®You have to keep your end of the deal¡¯


    Ye Wanqi forced a smile. ¡®Do you really want this car? Yesterday, my girl and I did it in this car. Don¡¯t you mind it being dirty?¡¯


    As soon as Qi Xing heard that, he frowned. Ye Wanqi was shameless, and who knew if he had any dirty diseases on him. Qi Xing was indeed disgusted.


    With that in mind, Qi Xing released his grip on Ye Wanqi¡¯s collar, shaking his hand in disgust. ¡®I don¡¯t care. Within three days, clean the inside and outside of this car and bring it to me. Transfer the ownership as well. If not, i¡¯ll surely be back.¡¯


    Ye Wanqi¡¯s tone hardened. ¡®That¡¯s impossible. If you don¡¯t have any interest in this car, let¡¯s forget about what happened today. I can compensate you for the repair costs, but don¡¯t expect anything else.¡¯


    Qi Xing¡¯s face darkened. ¡®So, you really intend to play me like that?¡¯


    Ye Wanqi had a look of a dead pig not afraid of boiling water. ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    During the standoff, headlights approached from the front on the mountain road. It was a car coming down from the mountaintop.


    Qi Xing impatiently looked over. It was a black sedan that slowed down as it passed by them and parked by the side of the road.


    Seeing the other car¡¯s license plate, Ye Wanqi¡¯s face instantly changed color, his eyes darting around in panic. Qi Xing hadn¡¯t figured out what was happening yet when he saw the man stepping out of the car¡ªit was Ye Xingzhou.


    He was alone, getting out of the driver¡¯s seat and leaning against the door, calmly observing the entangled Ye Wanqi and Qi Xing.


    Ye Wanqi saw Ye Xingzhou as if a mouse had seen a cat. Forgetting about Qi Xing, he quickly went over to greet Ye Xingzhou anxiously. ¡®Big brother, why are you here¡­¡¯


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t even spare a glance, his gaze fixed on Qi Xing¡¯s face in front of him. His deep, dark eyes behind the glasses were like they were sizing him up.


    Qi Xing also hadn¡¯t expected to encounter Ye Xingzhou there. He still remembered the grudge from the incident at Ye San¡¯s wedding a couple of days ago


    He clapped his hands twice and said, ¡°Since Young Master Ye has come, let¡¯s settle this. Your younger brother, Ye Wanqi, made a deal with me. He said if I win the race, he would give me his car. Now that I¡¯ve won, he¡¯s backing out. Is this how your Ye family behaves?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou remained calm and silent, looking at the sports car.


    Ye Wanqi, with a stiff expression, explained, ¡°I saw that big brother never drives this car and it¡¯s always parked at home, so I decided to take it out for a spin for a couple of days. I¡¯ll return it to you now¡­¡±


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze turned colder, but he still didn¡¯t say anything. Qi Xing, however, understood clearly, ¡°You, Ye Wanqi, are nothing but a liar. So, this car wasn¡¯t yours in the first place?¡±


    Finally, Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze shifted to Ye Wanqi. With a cold glance, Ye Wanqi¡¯s legs went weak, and he stammered, ¡°I¡¯ll return the car to you. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± He quickly ran off with his woman.


    Qi Xing was displeased. ¡°Hey!¡±


    Ye Wanqi had no intention of paying attention to him. He got into someone else¡¯s car and made a quick getaway.


    In an instant, only Qi Xing and Ye Xingzhou were left on the mountain road.


    With tensions rising, Qi Xing couldn¡¯t stand the sight of Ye Xingzhou and became irritated. He forcefully patted the engine hood of the car next to him and raised his chin towards Ye Xingzhou, ¡°I don¡¯t care whose car this is among you brothers. Since Ye Wanqi lost the car to me, it¡¯s mine. He was also fooling around with his woman in the car. You¡¯re responsible for cleaning the car before returning it to me. Also, my car got hit, so you have to compensate me for the repairs.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou silently watched him. Qi Xing raised his voice, ¡°What? Are you planning to evade your responsibilities too?¡±


    Deep down, he knew it was impossible to get the car from Ye Xingzhou¡¯s hands, and he didn¡¯t even plan to. But he just wanted someone to feel as dissatisfied as him.


    Ye Xingzhou stepped forward, and his hand reached for the car door. He lightly frowned.


    Qi Xing, being ignored, shouted at him again, ¡°Hey!¡±


    In Ye Xingzhou¡¯s hand appeared a lighter. With a soft sound, a flame emerged.


    Qi Xing was stunned, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze grew even colder. As he extended his hand and let go, the lit lighter fell onto the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s dirty,¡± his voice, devoid of warmth, softly spoke.


    Qi Xing, bewildered by his actions, watched as the flame on the lighter quickly ignited. It burned through the surface leather of the seat, and the filling inside made contact with the fire, rapidly catching ablaze.


    A pungent smell filled the air, and Qi Xing regained his senses, ¡°Are you crazy?!¡±


    Ye Xingzhou coldly raised his eyes, and the blazing fire flickered in his eyes behind the lenses, filled with a cold, sinister aura, revealing that he truly was a complete lunatic.


    Qi Xing looked at the cherished sports car being destroyed , and a surge of anger rose within him.


    ¡°Are you sick?! You lunatic!¡±


    His mind heated up, and he rushed forward, landing a punch on Ye Xingzhou¡¯s face.

 CH 10

    Qi Xing¡¯s fist swung out but his fist caught by Ye Xingzhou before it could reach his face.


    Facing Ye Xingzhou¡¯s mocking gaze, Qi Xing grew angry and followed up with a kick, but it was effortlessly evaded by Ye Xingzhou.


    Frustrated by his failed attempts, Qi Xing, who had never lost a fight before, became even more furious. He forcefully pulled his hand back and launched himself at Ye Xingzhou, throwing punches and kicks, aiming for vulnerable spots.


    Ye Xingzhou skillfully dealt with the attacks, regarding Qi Xing¡¯s hits as nothing more than scratches from a cat¡¯s paw. He showed no signs of distress.


    On the other hand, Qi Xing grew increasingly agitated as he couldn¡¯t gain the upper hand. His attacks became more chaotic, resorting even to biting. His mind was clouded with anger, losing all reason.


    Biting down fiercely on Ye Xingzhou¡¯s arm, Qi Xing¡¯s actions caused a slight change in Ye Xingzhou¡¯s eyebrows. He seemed surprised for a moment but quickly pushed Qi Xing away. Seizing the opportunity, Qi Xing tripped him and forcefully pushed Ye Xingzhou to the ground.


    Ye Xingzhou remained calm, except for a slight furrowing of his brow as he lay on the ground. Qi Xing pounced on him, sitting on top of him triumphantly and grabbing his shirt collar.


    ¡° Aren¡¯t you so powerful?!¡± Qi Xing taunted, preparing to strike Ye Xingzhou¡¯s face again. However, once more, his hand was caught by Ye Xingzhou, along with his other hand.


    Unable to land a hit and with both his hands restrained,  he struggled with all his might but couldn¡¯t break free.


    With Qi Xing still sitting on top of him, unaware of the danger of their position, Ye Xingzhou, despite being pushed to the ground, completely dominated the situation. He tightly held Qi Xing¡¯s hands and looked up at him.


    Qi Xing¡¯s face was flushed with anger, his peach blossom eyes filled with displeasure, even more intense than the flames rising behind them.


    Moreover, he was still rubbing against Ye Xingzhou, completely unaware of the erotic nature of their posture.


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze grew darker, silently watching him without offering a word of warning. He tilted his head slightly, vaguely  observing Qi Xing.


    Uttering curse words between breaths, Qi Xing suddenly felt Ye Xingzhou¡¯s knee pressing against his waist. Caught off guard, he exclaimed, but before he knew it, Ye Xingzhou had flipped them over, completely reversing their positions and suppressing Qi Xing beneath him.


    Qi Xing¡¯s hands were still tightly restrained, and Ye Xingzhou¡¯s leg pinned his body. Now he couldn¡¯t even kick, finding himself completely disadvantaged.


    ¡°You, let go of me¡ª¡±


    Ye Xingzhou pressed both of his hands against his head and leaned down, the overwhelmingly oppressive aura coming close. Qi Xing found himself unable to voice any more words as they got stuck in his throat.


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s glasses had fallen off during their struggle, and now, under the bright light  of the flames, Qi Xing could finally see clearly the pair of eyes that were getting closer to him¡ªdark, gloomy, and filled with emotions he couldn¡¯t understand.


    This person was truly a venomous snake with its fangs bared, or perhaps a beast in human disguise, and Qi Xing  had foolishly provoked him.


    But that was just Qi Xing¡¯s personality. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up fighting with Ye Xingzhou. Whether it was impulsiveness or a surge of adrenaline, ever since he met Ye Xingzhou, he had always found him extremely displeasing and had wanted to fight him.


    Even though he had no chance of winning.


    Qi Xing¡¯s chest heaved, feeling uncomfortable all over. Unconsciously, his aura weakened, and even his voice became softer: ¡°What are you doing? Get off me, let go¡­¡±


    Ye Xingzhou lightly rubbed his thumb against the inside of Qi Xing¡¯s wrist, causing Qi Xing to shudder, almost jumping up.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t move, so he could only curse: ¡°Are you crazy? Let go!¡±


    Apart from cursing and having a smart mouth, what else are you capable of?¡± Ye Xingzhou finally spoke, his voice deep and resonant.


    They were too close, and Qi Xing could clearly feel the heat of Ye Xingzhou¡¯s breath. Goosebumps rose one after another, and he finally realized the situation he was in. He didn¡¯t dare move anymore, and his voice squeezed out of his teeth: ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Even these words lacked conviction, and being pinned down by a grown man without being able to move, with such a suggestive gaze fixed on him, was a great humiliation for Qi Xing. He felt both resentful and humiliated, and without realizing it, his eyes began to redden.


    Ye Xingzhou silently watched, raising an eyebrow slightly.


    This expression only fueled Qi Xing¡¯s resentment. He mumbled, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you sooner or later.¡±


    Qi Xing¡¯s eyes turned red, even his nose.


    Behind them, the fire burned hotter and hotter. Ye Xingzhou lowered his gaze, his eyes fixed on the person beneath him. In that moment, he keenly sensed the fire igniting within his own heart.


    He had always looked down on privileged second-generation individuals like Qi Xing, but now, seeing this person with red eyes, expressing his complaints, anger, and unwillingness beneath him, he couldn¡¯t help but find it endearing.


    Proud yet fragile, it truly was the type he liked.


    Silence lingered for a long time, even the restless panting sounds were concealed by the entangled ambiguity of the blazing fire. Finally, Ye Xingzhou¡¯s hand slid over Qi Xing¡¯s face and he slowly said, ¡®I¡¯ll wait.¡¯


    Qi Xing frowned, intuitively sensing that the tone of this statement was off. Ye Xingzhou finally released his hold on him, stepped back, and stood up.


    Qi Xing regained his senses and immediately propped himself up, looking up at him. He seemed somewhat surprised that Ye xingzhou did not continue to trouble him.


    Ye Xingzhou stood in front of him, his gaze lowered and calm as he looked at him for a moment. Their eyes met, and Qi Xing couldn¡¯t bear the tense atmosphere. He pushed his hand against the ground and stood up, saying, ¡®What are you looking at?¡¯


    Ye Xingzhou replied, ¡®Do you want this car?¡¯


    Qi Xing replied with irritation, ¡®With it burned like this, what use would I have for it? Take it back and sell it as scrap?¡¯


    In reality, only the seat was burned. It could be replaced, and the interior could be refurbished, and the car could still be driven. But Qi Xing no longer wanted it.


    Having lost the fight and taken advantage of, he found the car to be an ill omen.


    ¡®As for you, this is your own car, right? It¡¯s worth several tens of millions. Was it necessary to burn it like this?¡¯


    ¡®I find it dirty,¡¯ Ye Xingzhou took a deep drag of his cigarette, flicked the cigarette butt away, and crushed it with his foot, ¡®Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you back.¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s no need,¡¯ Qi Xing immediately refused without hesitation, ¡®I have my own car.¡¯


    Ye Xingzhou glanced at the damaged front of his car and said, ¡®You¡¯re planning to drive this wrecked car back? Aren¡¯t you afraid something will happen along the way?¡¯


    ¡®I won¡¯t die.¡¯


    Qi Xing replied with these three words, turned around, and started walking. But a hand reached out from behind and grabbed his arm, ¡®Get in the car.¡¯


    Qi Xing turned around, ready to hit someone, but he held back, ¡® Do you want to fight again?¡¯


    ¡°If you can¡¯t win, why do you keep provoking?,¡± Ye Xingzhou let go of his hand. ¡°If you want me to pay for the car repairs, leave the car here. I¡¯ll have someone come and take it to the repair shop.¡±


    Qi Xing certainly didn¡¯t lack the money for the repairs, but he also didn¡¯t want Ye Xingzhou to get away with it so easily. After hesitating for a moment, he coldly snorted and walked toward Ye Xingzhou¡¯s car.


    Ye Xingzhou lowered his head and slowly rubbed his fingertips. Then he followed Qi Xing.


    Qi Xing opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat. He gave his home address, then closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat, ignoring the person beside him.


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t start the car immediately. He made a phone call to have someone come and tow the car, then hung up and turned to look at Qi Xing. His gaze lingered on Qi Xing¡¯s face for a couple of seconds before he leisurely rolled up the sleeve of his right shirt. There was indeed a fresh red bite mark on his forearm, a result of Qi Xing¡¯s frustration earlier.


    The mark on the palm of his hand from Qi Xing¡¯s bite hadn¡¯t faded yet.


    Qi Xing had been waiting for a while but didn¡¯t feel the car moving. He opened one eye and glanced over, seeing Ye Xingzhou¡¯s actions and recalling what he had just done, making his teeth ache.


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze shifted back, and Qi Xing immediately closed his eyes, pretending not to have seen it. But Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t give him the chance. ¡°Are you born in the Year of the Dog?¡±


    Hearing the mockery in the man¡¯s tone, Qi Xing felt displeased and stared back with his eyes open. ¡°You brought this upon yourself, Ye Young Master.¡±


    This person had repeatedly brought bad luck to him, and yet he still had the audacity to talk nonsense with him. Qi Xing thought he was too annoying.


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t continue the topic and started the car.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come to race here in the future.¡±


    Qi Xing treated it like a joke. ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡±


    ¡°Today, you were lucky to return in one piece,¡± Ye Xingzhou said coldly. ¡°Ye Wanqi used the same method to teach someone a lesson before, and the person got paralyzed from a car accident. In the end, the family had to pay to settle the matter.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Qi Xing understood. ¡°The Ye family is indeed a bunch of ruthless people.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou turned his head and glanced at him again, his gaze somewhat ambiguous. Qi Xing didn¡¯t care. ¡°If you can come here, so can I. You¡¯re too overbearing.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t say anything else and continued driving, lighting another cigarette.


    Qi Xing couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to him either. He leaned back in the seat, crossed his long legs, and lazily closed his eyes.


    Ye Xingzhou held the cigarette in his mouth, his indifferent gaze once again swept over the person beside him, finally resting on the side of his face, shamelessly observing him with narrowed eyes.


    Even someone as audacious as Qi Xing, who cursed Ye Xingzhou as a lunatic and a psychopath, dared to close his eyes so defenselessly in his presence.


    ¡°Keep staring, and I¡¯ll gouge your eyeballs out.¡±


    This time, Qi Xing didn¡¯t even bother to open his eyes. After cursing, he turned his head, facing the car window, and continued to sleep.


    Ye Xingzhou withdrew his gaze and smirked. The smoke blurred the emotions in his eyes, leaving only the cigarette between his fingers and the flickering flame.


    Despite being attractive, he was a fool.


    Despite being a fool, he was attractive.


    The same sentence structure, different word order, and completely opposite meanings.

 CH 11

    As the car drove back to the city, Ye Xingzhou¡¯s phone rang halfway. He casually tapped the Bluetooth button in the car and answered the call.


    ¡°Xingzhou, are you free right now?¡± It was Lin Zhinian¡¯s voice. ¡°Can you come to my studio? A group of people showed up claiming that I occupied their house and they want me to move out. I¡¯m blocking the door to prevent them from coming in, but they¡¯ve been banging on the door outside.¡±


    Lin Zhinian¡¯s voice was hurried and panicked as he sought help from Ye Xingzhou.


    Ye Xingzhou asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lin Zhinian anxiously replied. There were vague sounds of things being smashed on the other end of the phone. ¡°They look like a group of thugs. They said the contract I signed with the agent for this house is invalid and that the house belongs to them. They want me to either pay or give them the house, otherwise, they¡¯ll destroy my studio. My assistants have all gone home, and now I¡¯m the only one here.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou calmly advised him, ¡°Call the police first.¡±


    ¡°Sir  Lin, are you okay ,where are you?¡± Qi Xing¡¯s voice chimed in. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, report to the police quickly. We¡¯ll come over right away.¡±


    Lin Zhinian seemed taken aback by Qi Xing¡¯s presence on the call, then replied, ¡°I¡¯m at the studio. Xingzhou knows the address.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou threw a remark to Lin Zhinian, ¡°I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes.¡± He hung up the phone, calmly drove to the next intersection, and turned the car around.


    Qi Xing sneered at him, ¡°do you not care at all about sir Lin? He¡¯s in trouble, and you¡¯re not the least bit concerned.you were just planning to let him report to the police and leave it at that?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou kept his gaze forward without deliberately accelerating the car. ¡°I¡¯m not a police officer, and neither are you.¡±


    ¡°What does he even see in you?¡±,  Qi Xing said and couldn¡¯t be bothered to say more.


    Ye Xingzhou ignored him, and the car turned into a small path at the next intersection. Ten minutes later, it stopped in front of a secluded single-story Western-style building at the end of a quiet tree-lined road. It was Lin Zhinian¡¯s personal studio.


    There were three or four cars parked in front of the building, with the gate wide open. As soon as Qi Xing got out of the car, he heard banging sounds and curses coming from inside. He strode in and indeed found a group of people smashing things and splattering paint everywhere. Lin Zhinian was trying to stop them, but to no avail. When Qi Xing entered, Lin Zhinian was being pushed and bumped against the edge of a sharp iron desk. His palm grazed the sharp edge, instantly leaving a deep gash that oozed blood.


    With a cold expression, Qi Xing grabbed a chair and forcefully smashed it towards the thugs behind Lin Zhinian.


    Ye Xingzhou arrived a step late, and as he entered, he saw Qi Xing wielding a stick and randomly attacking people, while Lin Zhinian desperately protected his destroyed artworks, retreating further and further, looking particularly disheveled.


    Ye Xingzhou frowned, took a step forward, and raised his hand to block the iron rod that was coming at him from behind Qi Xing.


    Seizing the opportunity, Qi Xing delivered a ruthless kick to one of the thugs who was confronting him, but Ye Xingzhou pulled him back. At that moment, timely police sirens could be heard from outside.


    A few minutes later, all the thugs were taken away by the police. Lin Zhinian sat down in a disheveled manner, his palm still dripping blood.


    Qi Xing approached him and reminded, ¡°Go to the hospital. Your hand needs stitches.¡±


    Lin Zhinian shook his head and hoarsely said, ¡°I want to tidy up here first.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same if you tidy up later. Treating the wound is more important,¡± Qi Xing said, looking around the chaotic studio. ¡°Do you have any bandages or something similar? First, bind the wound to stop the bleeding. We¡¯ll go to the hospital now.¡±


    Lin Zhinian shook his head again.


    Qi Xing thought for a moment, then turned around and looked at Ye Xingzhou. His gaze paused for a moment, and he walked over.


    ¡°Let me borrow your tie for a moment,¡± he said not waiting for Ye Xingzhou¡¯s consent as he reached out to loosen his tie.


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s expression turned slightly cold, but Qi Xing pretended not to see it. ¡°I¡¯ll help sir Lin stop the bleeding¡­ What¡¯s this? How did you tie your tie like this?¡±he said as he struggled to undo the tie.


    Qi Xing complained while his hands continued to work. He wasn¡¯t a patient person to begin with, so if he couldn¡¯t undo it, he resorted to violent tugging.


    Ye Xingzhou was pulled forward by the force, and Qi Xing looked up, meeting his eyes filled with mockery. Finally realizing how strange their current posture was, Qi Xing curled his lips and let go. ¡°You do it yourself, hurry up.¡±


    When Lin Zhinian looked up, he happened to witness that scene. He saw Ye Xingzhou staring at Qi Xing with interest for a few seconds and then calmly undoing his own tie before handing it over.


    Lin Zhinian was slightly stunned. It was the first time he had seen Ye Xingzhou looking at someone with such eyes, and earlier, he indeed saw Ye Xingzhou block the sneak attack from behind Qi Xing.


    An indescribable sense of strangeness surged within him. Without further thought, Qi Xing had already come back, squatting down with Ye Xingzhou¡¯s tie in hand, and began bandaging the wound on Lin Zhinian¡¯s palm.


    Qi Xing¡¯s actions weren¡¯t gentle, but they were sincere. Lin Zhinian softly thanked him.


    ¡°No need to thank me, sir Lin. Just  have a meal with me next time,¡± Qi Xing said casually.


    Lin Zhinian forced a smile and replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Curious, Qi Xing asked him, ¡°Where did those people come from? What¡¯s the deal with them?¡±


    Lin Zhinian hesitated and said, ¡°¡­I¡¯m not entirely sure either. After I returned to the country, I rented this house as a studio through an agency. The contract was signed with the agency. They came twice before, claiming that this house belonged to them and that my contract with the agency was invalid. I ignored them, but tonight they came to smash and rob.¡±


    ¡°You were deceived by the agency,¡± Qi Xing immediately saw through the situation. ¡°sir Lin, you¡¯ve been abroad for over ten years. It¡¯s normal not to understand these complicated matters. Either the agency deceived you, or the agency colluded with the landlord to cheat you out of your rent. Didn¡¯t you seek assistance before renting the house?¡±


    Seeing Lin Zhinian feeling embarrassed, Qi Xing thought of Ye Xingzhou. He shifted his gaze and teasingly said, ¡°and Mr Ye over here can¡¯t even help sir Lin with such a small matter. He could only watch as your studio gets destroyed.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t answer. His thoughts were still on the scene where Qi Xing helped Lin Zhinian bandage his wound. Although his actions were rough, his concern didn¡¯t seem fake. Someone like Qi Xing, who was usually arrogant and domineering, wouldn¡¯t bother helping others with such things, making it quite rare.


    Qi Xing raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou looked at him with a somewhat ambiguous expression.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to trouble Xingzhou,¡± Lin Zhinian quickly intervened, changing the subject. ¡°Xingzhou, Qi Xing, why did you both come here together?¡±


    He seemed to have finally realized that Ye Xingzhou was different from usual. Ye Xingzhou wasn¡¯t wearing his glasses , and there was a noticeable red mark above his left cheekbone. Apart from blocking the attack on Qi Xing earlier, Ye Xingzhou hadn¡¯t made a move. That mark was already there before he came in.


    Moreover, from earlier until now, Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze had been fixed on Qi Xing.


    This time, Ye Xingzhou spoke first, calmly saying, ¡°i was out for a drive. We happened to run into each other. Let¡¯s go, we should get you to the hospital first.¡±


    Qi Xing, who rarely agreed with him, said, ¡°Yes, we need to quickly go to the hospital to get stitches done.¡±


    Lin Zhinian could only listen to them. When he got up, he looked back at the mess in the room, feeling somewhat defeated. Qi Xing comforted him, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it now. We¡¯ll clean up later.¡±


    Lin Zhinian forced a smile and replied, ¡°Fortunately, the exhibition just ended. Most of the paintings are still at the art gallery.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou had already stepped out ahead.


    Inside the emergency room, Lin Zhinian received stitches and a tetanus shot. Ye Xingzhou waited outside while Qi Xing couldn¡¯t stand the smell of the antiseptic and also went outside.


    Hearing footsteps, Ye Xingzhou looked up from his phone screen. Qi Xing tossed his bloodstained tie to him, saying, ¡°Here, take it back.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou took it and threw it directly into the nearby trash bin.


    Qi Xing clicked his tongue and said, ¡°I¡¯ve realized you really don¡¯t care about sir Lin. Look at your attitude. First, you didn¡¯t want to come. When you did come, you acted like it had nothing to do with you, without even a word of concern. With that attitude, why do you keep Lin Zhinian by your side then? I¡¯ve said it before, you might as well give him to me.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou put away his phone and said casually, ¡°Are we going or not?¡±


    ¡°Are you that busy? If you are, then hurry up and leave. I¡¯ll stay here with Lin Zhinian,¡± Qi Xing eagerly wanted him to leave. ¡°you must have important matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t delay you.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou asked, ¡°How long do you plan to stay?¡±


    ¡°I know your parents require you to be home before twelve o¡¯clock at night? It¡¯s almost eleven,¡± Ye Xingzhou reminded him.


    ¡°?¡±


    How the fuck do you know?


    Ye Xingzhou remained calm and said, ¡°Uncle Qi mentioned it before.¡±


    Qi Ronghua was the type of person who loved to show off his son to others. Regardless of who he was with, he would always talk about Qi Xing, whether there was a reason or not. That¡¯s why everyone outside knew about his famous doting on his son.


    Qi Xing felt embarrassed for once, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. At least wait until Lin Zhinian is discharged.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to pursue him?¡± Ye Xingzhou suddenly asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re only realizing now that I want to pursue him? Are you suffering from senile dementia? I¡¯ve already told you about it countless times, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou smirked lightly, ¡°You¡¯re not his type.¡±


    Qi Xing frowned, feeling that Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze was somewhat malicious, and his tone was particularly unserious.


    ¡°What do you mean i¡¯m not his type?¡±


    ¡°You can give it a try,¡± Ye Xingzhou said, ¡°Just don¡¯t cry if you get rejected.¡±


    Qi Xing choked up, and he suddenly seemed to realize Ye Xingzhou was actually a terrible person who couldn¡¯t care less about Lin Zhinian, unfortunately disguised as a decent person ,completely fooling everyone.


    Thinking back to the situation on the mountain earlier, where he was pinned down and unable to move by Ye Xingzhou, Qi Xing¡¯s nerves began to thump again, and he felt the urge to punch him.


    But he couldn¡¯t win.


    Ye Xingzhou saw through him with a glance. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your efforts.¡±


    Qi Xing suppressed his anger and gritted his teeth, ¡± stay away from Lin Zhinian and i¡¯ll definitely continue to pursue him.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s tone was contemptuous, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait and see. Oh, by the way, you owe me a tie.¡±


    Qi Xing asked, ¡°¡­why?¡±


    ¡°You were the one playing a hero and ruined my tie in the process. Shouldn¡¯t you compensate for it?¡± Ye Xingzhou¡¯s voice was calm, but the act of fussing over a tie was childish in itself.


    Qi Xing was speechless.


    ¡°What kind of person are you?¡±

 CH 12

    Ten minutes later, Lin Zhinian came out. He had just finished his tetanus shot and had to be observed for another half an hour.


    His face was somewhat pale as he sat down in a nearby chair and wearily closed his eyes.


    Ye Xingzhou went aside to answer a phone call, and Qi Xing sat beside Lin Zhinian and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Lin Zhinian thanked him again, saying, ¡°Thanks for your help tonight, Qi Xing.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Qi Xing smiled ¡®How¡¯s your hand? Will it affect your ability to paint?¡±


    ¡°No ,¡± Lin Zhinian sighed with relief, ¡°It didn¡¯t damage any nerves. As long as the wound heals, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Qi Xing leaned in to look at his hand, and Lin Zhinian¡¯s gaze followed his movements. His thoughts were somewhat scattered as he recalled Ye Xingzhou¡¯s strange reactions earlier, and he felt somewhat uneasy.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Lin Zhinian began to speak, but Qi Xing raised his head and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Lin Zhinian hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Why were you with Xingzhou tonight?¡±


    He had already asked that question once before, and Ye Xingzhou said they ran into each other outside. Qi Xing didn¡¯t find it strange and casually replied, ¡°I went racing with someone outside the city. I crashed my car, and coincidentally, Ye Xingzhao passed by and gave me a ride. It was his family¡¯s fourth young master who intentionally crashed into my car. He¡¯ll have to compensate me for the repair costs.¡±


    With that, Qi Xing sneered, sir Lin, do you also know Ye Xingzhao is crazy? He inexplicably set his own car on fire. I think he¡¯s mentally ill.¡±


    As for the fight they had, Qi Xing intentionally ignored it since he was the one who lost. It would have been too embarrassing to mention it.


    Lin Zhinian furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Xingzhou is not like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Not like what?¡± Qi Xing disdainfully replied, taking the opportunity to fabricate a love rival in front of Lin Zhinian. ¡°You are close to him, so you should know more about his family. How he climbed his way up to the top, don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t heard any rumors. People outside say he killed his own father and sent his stepmother to a mental hospital. Who knows if it¡¯s true? After all, there¡¯s no smoke without fire.¡±


    Qi Xing had asked his own father about that matter and Qi Ronghua had heard some rumors as well. Although they weren¡¯t as specific, they all mentioned that Ye Xingzhou¡¯s methods of climbing to the top were unethical. He was an illegitimate child and had a difficult relationship with his family.


    As for whether he was capable of killing or starting fires, well, he dared to threaten his uncle with a model gun, so who knew what he was capable of?


    Upon hearing Qi Xing¡¯s words, Lin Zhinian¡¯s expression changed slightly, and his brows furrowed even tighter. ¡°Those are baseless rumors spread by outsiders, don¡¯t blindly believe them. Xingzhou is not that kind of person.¡±


    Qi Xing dismissed it, saying, ¡°What kind of person is he according to you? Sir Lin , you graduated from high school and went abroad for over ten years ago. How do you know what kind of person he became? People can change, don¡¯t judge him based on the past. Be careful of him¡±


    Lin Zhinian felt uneasy and said, ¡°Qi Xing, let¡¯s not talk about it. You helped me just now, and when Xingzhou came in, he even took a blow for you. He¡¯s not as bad as you think.¡±


    Qi Xing asked with confusion, ¡°?¡±


    Did that really happen?


    He wanted to say something, but Ye Xingzhou¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou had finished his phone call and glanced at Qi Xing. Qi Xing pretended not to notice and didn¡¯t care if Ye Xingzhou had heard what he had just said.


    Ye Xingzhou looked at Lin Zhinian and said, ¡°I¡¯ve instructed the driver to take you home. It¡¯s too late now, so go home first. We¡¯ll record the statement tomorrow, and I¡¯ll have someone handle the other matters.¡±


    Lin Zhinian nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou¡¯s driver had already arrived, and the car was parked at the hospital entrance.


    As Lin Zhinian got into the car, Qi Xing called out to him, ¡°sir Lin I forgot to ask earlier, did you receive the flowers I had someone send to the art exhibition?¡±


    Lin Zhinian seemed confused, ¡°What flowers?¡±


    Qi Xing was surprised, ¡°You didn¡¯t receive my flowers?¡±


    Lin Zhinian genuinely didn¡¯t know what he was talking about, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. It clearly showed that someone signed for them,¡± Qi Xing muttered to himself, unable to understand.


    Lin Zhinian didn¡¯t want to dwell on that and looked at Ye Xingzhou standing next to Qi Xing. He had something to say but hesitated for a moment and ultimately didn¡¯t say it.


    After bidding farewell to the two of them, he sat in the car and left first.


    After Lin Zhinian left, Qi Xing waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving too,¡± and went to hail a taxi on the side of the road.


    Just as he walked out and remembered something, he patted his body and realized his phone was missing¡­


    It probably fell when he was fighting at Lin Zhinian¡¯s studio. He could only retrieve it the next day. Qi Xing turned around, coughed lightly, and forced a smile at Ye Xingzhou. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Ye, Can you please take me home?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou observed the comical expression on his face, said nothing, and walked towards the parking lot. Five minutes later, he drove the car over.


    Qi Xing opened the car door and got in. ¡°Take a left up ahead.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou stepped on the accelerator and casually said, ¡°Are you not afraid of being harmed by me when you get in my car?¡±


    ¡°So, you did hear it,¡± Qi Xing sneered, ¡°eavesdropping on other people¡¯s conversations is rude.¡±


    ¡°You should be more cautious yourself. Next time you want to badmouth someone, make sure they won¡¯t hear it first,¡± Ye Xingzhou coolly reminded him.


    Qi Xing replied, ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of others talking about things you¡¯ve done, it means you feel guilty.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou no longer paid attention to him.


    However, Qi Xing deliberately provoked him, ¡°So, is what your uncle said true? Did you really kill your biological father and send your stepmother to the mental hospital?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou turned his head and looked at him meaningfully. ¡°Curious?¡±


    Qi Xing admitted frankly, ¡°is curiosity not allowed?¡±


    ¡°Curiosity not only kills the cat but also kills people,¡± Ye Xingzhou¡¯s gaze returned to the front, his voice becoming calm.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, forget it¡­¡± Qi Xing said vaguely.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Ye Xingzhou suddenly added in a calm tone, as if he was talking about someone else¡¯s business, ¡°One died, and one ended up in a mental hospital. They each have their own fate. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Hearing the coldness in his tone, Qi Xing felt goosebumps rise on his body. He muttered, ¡°You truly are a beast and a madman¡±


    The person beside him suddenly laughed.


    It was not the ambiguous fake smile he had seen at the hospital earlier. Ye Xingzhou¡¯s laughter at that moment was very light but particularly pleasant, as if Qi Xing¡¯s evaluation had pleased him.


    Qi Xing frowned, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    The car stopped at a traffic light, and Ye Xingzhou turned to Qi Xing again, asking, ¡°Are you really not afraid of me?¡±


    With the lingering smile at the corner of his mouth, along with his glasses removed, his cold and profound facial features seemed even more sinister.


    Qi Xing tried to ignore the slight discomfort in his heart. ¡°What should I be afraid of? You wouldn¡¯t have a chance to harm me¡±


    With his father¡¯s current status in Huai City, combined with the fact that Ye xingzhou knew about his relationship with Old Chen, Qi Xing didn¡¯t believe that he would dare to have any ulterior motives against him.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the traffic light turned green, and the car continued moving forward. Ye Xingzhou¡¯s voice remained calm and unhurried, ¡°alright if you say so.¡±


    Qi Xing hated it when people spoke in riddles. Although Ye Xingzhou¡¯s strange tone made alarm bells ring in his mind for no reason, he couldn¡¯t figure it out and didn¡¯t bother to think about it.


    Qi Xing¡¯s gaze turned to the flower shop still in business on the street. He remembered that Lin Zhinian said he didn¡¯t receive the flowers he sent last time and gestured to Ye Xingzhou, ¡°Park the car.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou glanced at him, and Qi Xing changed his mind again, ¡°Forget it. When I head over to sir  Lin¡¯s studio tomorrow to get my phone. I¡¯ll personally deliver the flowers to him in person.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou also saw the flower shop on the side of the street and smirked, ¡°Champagne roses, not bad.¡±


    ¡°How did you know I sent champagne roses?¡± Qi Xing immediately realized what he said, ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the flower thief, i¡¯m not the least bit surprised. the flowers? What did you do to them?¡±


    ¡°I threw them away,¡± Ye Xingzhou said bluntly.


    ¡°¡­ ¡± Qi Xing endured and asked, ¡°Since you don¡¯t care about sir Lin, what does it matter to you if I give him flowers?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s allergic to flowers,¡± Ye Xingzhou replied.


    Qi Xing didn¡¯t quite believe it, ¡°are you lying to me?¡±


    Ye Xingzhou couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain further, ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    After giving it some thought, Qi Xing decided not to send flowers tomorrow, just in case.


    However¡­


    ¡°I thought you really didn¡¯t care about sir Lin, but it turns out you know he¡¯s allergic to flowers? So, do you have feelings for him or not?¡± Qi Xing asked directly, while Ye Xingzhou simply responded, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Qi Xing scoffed and let it go.


    Indeed, it had nothing to do with him. Regardless of whether Ye Xingzhou had any feelings, he would pursue still Lin Zhinian.


    Twenty minutes later, the car stopped outside Qi Xing¡¯s residential compound.


    Before getting out of the car, Qi Xing reminded Ye Xingzhou, ¡°Fix my car and bring it back within three days. Also, I haven¡¯t settled the score between your fourth brother and I.¡±


    ¡°Do as you please,¡± Ye Xingzhou replied.


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t care at all about his little brother, Qi Xing simply sneered and got out of the car


    As he opened the car door, he remembered something, cleared his throat, and turned back to say, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Ye Xingzhou raised an eyebrow.


    Qi Xing continued, ¡°Although I didn¡¯t need help, sir. Lin said you helped me block the stick and I¡¯ll compensate you for the tie in a few days.¡±


    With that, he got out of the car.


    Ye Xingzhou didn¡¯t immediately start the car. He lit a cigarette and his gaze followed Qi Xing¡¯s figure, somewhat absent-minded.


    Qi Xing stopped at the entrance of the residential compound, bent down, and playfully teased a stray cat that suddenly appeared from somewhere, making the cat bristle before it ran off. Qi Xing entered the residential compound and shut the gate behind him.


    Ye Xingzhou took a deep drag of his cigarette, then slowly exhaled. The eyes behind the smoke seemed a bit blurred.


    Finding someone attractive was quite a new experience for him, but he wasn¡¯t against it either.


    ¡°This kid¡± ,Ye Xingzhou remarked to himself with a smile . Qi Xing, was as playful as that stray cat, unpredictable, but indeed interesting.


    Finding him interesting, he was definitely up for the challenge.


    After finishing his cigarette, Ye Xingzhou casually flicked the cigarette butt into the ashtray, started the car, and drove into the night.