Savoring the Taste (TC)
Ten minutes later, Lin Zhinian came out. He had just received a tetanus shot and needed to be observed for another half an hour.
The young man's face was a bit pale. He sat down in a nearby chair, closed his eyes, feeling exhausted.
Ye Xingzhou went outside to answer a phone call. Qi Xing sat down next to Lin Zhinian and asked, "Are you okay?"
Lin Zhinian thanked him again, "Thanks for helping out tonight, Young Master Qi."
"No trouble at all," Qi Xing smiled, "I should thank you instead. How about offering yourself as a reward?"
Lin Zhinian looked embarrassed, but Qi Xing interrupted him, "Just kidding. How's your hand? Will it affect your painting in the future?"
"It's nothing serious," Lin Zhinian sighed in relief, "It didn't affect the nerves. Once the wound heals, it'll be fine."
Qi Xing leaned over to look at his hand, and Lin Zhinian's gaze followed his movements. His thoughts were somewhat scattered, thinking about Ye Xingzhou's strange behavior tonight, which made him feel uncomfortable.
"You..." Lin Zhinian started to speak, but Qi Xing interrupted, "What about me?"
Lin Zhinian hesitated for a moment and said, "Why were you with Xingzhou tonight?"
He had asked this question once before, and Ye Xingzhou said they met while he was out for a drive. When Lin Zhinian brought it up again, Qi Xing didn't find it strange. He casually said, "I went racing on the outskirts of the city with someone. We crashed the cars, and Young Master Yehappened to pass by and gave me a ride. The one who deliberately crashed my car was his family's fourth young master, and he owes me money for repairs."
As he said this, Qi Xing snorted, "Mr. Lin, do you even know what kind of person Young Master Ye is? He's like a madman, unpredictable. He inexplicably burned his own car. I think he's got some mental issues."
Qi Xing selectively ignored their fight earlier, especially since he was the one who lost, which was too embarrassing to mention.
Lin Zhinian frowned slightly, "Xingzhou isn't..."
"Isn't what?" Qi Xing disdainfully interrupted, not sparing Lin Zhinian any sympathy. He painted a picture of a rival in front of Lin Zhinian, "Since you're close to him, you should know something about his family, how he rose to power. Don't tell me you haven't heard any rumors. Some say he killed his own father and sent his stepmother to a mental hospital. Who knows if it's true, but there's often no smoke without fire."
He asked his father about this matter when he returned home that day. Qi Ronghua had also heard some rumors outside. Although not as specific, they all said Ye Xingzhou's rise to power wasn't honorable. Being a bastard child and having conflicts with his family and stepmother were common.
As for whether he dared to kill, well, he dared to set fires. As for killing... he could threaten his uncle with a model gun, so maybe.
At that time, Qi Ronghua repeatedly instructed Qi Xing not to provoke Ye Xingzhou again. Qi Xing didn't want to provoke him, provided Ye Xingzhou didn't compete with him for people.
Hearing Qi Xing talk about this, Lin Zhinian's expression changed slightly, and his eyebrows furrowed even tighter, "Those are baseless rumors, spread by outsiders. Young Master Qi, don't believe those. Xingzhou isn't that kind of person."
Qi Xing was unconvinced, "What kind of person? Mr. Lin, you graduated from high school and went abroad. It's been over ten years, and you think you know what kind of person Young Master Ye is? People change. Don't judge him based on the past. You might end up being harmed by him."
Lin Zhinian felt uneasy, "Young Master Qi, do you know that Xingzhou and I were high school classmates?"
Qi Xing casually nodded, "Yes, I know. I told you I wanted to pursue you, so I naturally wanted to know more about you."
Lin Zhinian fell silent for a moment, then sighed lightly, "Xingzhou won't harm me."
"Why are you so stubborn?" Qi Xing questioned.
"Young Master Qi, please stop," Lin Zhinian insisted, "You helped me out just now, and Xingzhou even blocked a blow for you when he came in. He's not as bad as you think."
"??"
This happened?
He wanted to say more but Ye Xingzhou's voice came from behind, "Let's go."
He had finished his phone call and returned. He glanced at Qi Xing, who pretended not to have heard what he said earlier.
Ye Xingzhou's gaze shifted to Lin Zhinian, "I've arranged for the driver to send you home. It's too late now. Go home first, and we'll do the recording tomorrow. I'll handle the rest."
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 stopped him, "Mr. Lin, I forgot to ask earlier. Did you receive the flowers I sent to the exhibition last time?"
Lin Zhinian didn't understand, "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."
"That's strange. It showed that it was delivered." Qi Xing muttered to himself, unable to understand.
Lin Zhinian didn't dwell on these matters. He looked at Ye Xingzhou standing next to Qi Xing and wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he didn't say anything.
After bidding farewell to the two of them, he got into the car and left first.
After Lin Zhinian left, Qi Xing waved his hand and said, "I'm leaving too," planning to call a taxi on the roadside.
Just as he walked out and remembered something, he patted himself and realized his phone was missing...
It must have fallen during the scuffle at Lin Zhinian's studio. He could only come back tomorrow to retrieve it. Qi Xing turned back, coughed lightly, and said to Ye Xingzhou with a forced smile, "Thanks for helping me out. Could you also give me a ride home?"
Ye Xingzhou took in his ridiculous expression, didn't say anything, turned and headed to the parking lot. Five minutes later, he drove the car over.
Qi Xing opened the car door and got in, "Turn left ahead."
Ye Xingzhou stepped on the gas pedal and casually threw out, "You get on my car, not afraid of being harmed by me?"
"You indeed heard that," Qi Xing sneered, "Eavesdropping on others' conversations is shameless."
"You should be more careful next time before talking bad about others and make sure you won't be heard by the other party," Ye Xingzhou coolly reminded him.
Qi Xing retorted, "If you've done something yourself, are you afraid of others gossiping? Unless you're guilty."
Ye Xingzhou no longer paid attention to him.
Qi Xing deliberately teased him, "So is what your cousin said true? Did you really kill your own father and send your aunt to a mental hospital?"
Ye Xingzhou turned his head, gave him a meaningful look, and said, "Curious?"
Qi Xing admitted frankly, "Curiosity is not acceptable?"
"Curiosity not only killed the cat but also can harm people," Ye Xingzhou said lightly, returning his gaze to the front.
Qi Xing responded, "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine…”
"Indeed," Ye Xingzhou suddenly remarked in a tone as calm as if discussing someone else's affairs, "One of them died and the other ended up in a mental hospital. They each found their own fate, which is quite good."
As Qi Xing listened to the coldness in his tone, he felt goosebumps rising on his body again, and he muttered, "You really are a beast, a madman."
The person beside him suddenly laughed.
It wasn't the ambiguous fake smile he had seen at the hospital earlier. Ye Xingzhou's laughter at this moment was light but particularly pleasing, as if Qi Xing's comment had rarely pleased him.
Qi Xing frowned, "What are you laughing at?"
The car stopped at the intersection, waiting for the red light. Ye Xingzhou turned his head towards Qi Xing again, "Afraid?"
His smile had not yet faded, and combined with his even more cold and deep facial features after removing his glasses, it seemed exceptionally sinister.
Qi Xing tried to ignore the slight discomfort in his heart, "What do I have to be afraid of? Do you dare to touch me?"
With his father's position in Huaicheng City today, coupled with the fact that this person also knew about his relationship with Old Chen, Qi Xing didn't believe that Ye Xingzhou would dare to have any bad intentions towards him.
"Well," the red light had turned green, and the car continued forward. Ye Xingzhou's voice remained calm, "You can also wait and see.”
Qi Xing was stunned. "Wait for what?"
Ye Xingzhou replied, "Just watch."
It was baffling.
Qi Xing hated it when people spoke in riddles. Ye Xingzhou's strange tone, though it set off alarm bells in his mind, was too confusing for him to bother figuring out.
Qi Xing's gaze shifted to the window, where he saw a flower shop still open on the street. Remembering that Lin Zhinian had mentioned not receiving the flowers he sent last time, Qi Xing gestured to Ye Xingzhou, "Stop the car."
Ye Xingzhou glanced over, and Qi Xing changed his mind again, "Forget it. I'll go to Lin Zhinian's studio tomorrow to get my phone and deliver the flowers myself. I don't want them to get stolen again."
Ye Xingzhou also noticed the flower shop on the street and chuckled, "Champagne roses, not bad, right?"
"How do you know I sent champagne roses?" Qi Xing realized immediately after speaking, "Oh, so Young Master Ye is the flower thief. Quite impressive. What about my flowers? Why didn't Lin Zhinian receive them?"
"I threw them away," Ye Xingzhou stated bluntly.
Qi Xing, with patience, asked, "If you don't care about Lin Zhinian, why do you care if I send him flowers?"
Ye Xingzhou: "He's allergic to flowers."
Qi Xing didn't quite believe it. "Is that true or are you teasing me?"
Ye Xingzhou couldn't be bothered to explain further. "Believe it or not, it's up to you."
Qi Xing thought for a moment. Just to be safe, he decided not to send flowers tomorrow.
However...
"I thought you really didn't care about Lin Zhinian. Turns out, you even know about his flower allergy? So, do you have feelings for him after all?" Qi Xing asked straightforwardly, but Ye Xingzhou only replied, "It's none of your business."
Qi Xing clicked his tongue in annoyance and let it go.
It really was none of his business. Regardless of whether Ye Xingzhou had feelings, Qi Xing would still pursue Lin Zhinian.
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped outside Qi Xing's residential complex.
Before getting out of the car, Qi Xing reminded Ye Xingzhou one last time, "Within three days, get my car fixed and bring it over. Also, about the issue between me and your youngest brother, it's not settled yet."
Ye Xingzhou replied indifferently, "As you wish."
Seeing that Ye Xingzhou didn't care about his younger brother, Qi Xing was pleased. "You're sensible."
As he pushed open the car door, he remembered something else, cleared his throat, and turned back to say, "Thanks."
Ye Xingzhou raised an eyebrow.
Qi Xing continued, "Even though I don't need it, Lin Zhinian mentioned that you helped me block a hit, so I reluctantly thank you, young master. I'll compensate you for the tie in a couple of days."
With a chuckle, he got out of the car.
Ye Xingzhou didn't start the car immediately. Instead, he lit a cigarette and let his gaze follow Qi Xing's figure, feeling somewhat absent-minded.
Qi Xing stopped at the entrance of the residential complex, glanced down and playfully nudged a stray cat that had appeared out of nowhere with his toe, causing the cat to bristle and run off. Qi Xing then smiled and entered the residential complex.
Ye Xingzhou took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaling slowly. The smoke blurred his eyes behind it.
Finding pleasure in impromptu decisions like this was quite refreshing for him, and he didn't exactly reject the idea.
Qi Xing, with his unpredictable behavior, was just like that stray cat, entertaining in his own way.
Since it was entertaining, Ye Xingzhou definitely wanted to give it a try. How would he know what it's like if he didn't try?
After finishing his cigarette, Ye Xingzhou casually extinguished the butt in the ashtray, started the car, and drove into the night.
Author's Note:
Ye Xingzhou: You can also wait and see. I'm planning to make a move on you.
Savoring the Taste (TC)
Ten minutes later, Lin Zhinian came out. He had just received a tetanus shot and needed to be observed for another half an hour.
The young man's face was a bit pale. He sat down in a nearby chair, closed his eyes, feeling exhausted.
Ye Xingzhou went outside to answer a phone call. Qi Xing sat down next to Lin Zhinian and asked, "Are you okay?"
Lin Zhinian thanked him again, "Thanks for helping out tonight, Young Master Qi."
"No trouble at all," Qi Xing smiled, "I should thank you instead. How about offering yourself as a reward?"
Lin Zhinian looked embarrassed, but Qi Xing interrupted him, "Just kidding. How's your hand? Will it affect your painting in the future?"
"It's nothing serious," Lin Zhinian sighed in relief, "It didn't affect the nerves. Once the wound heals, it'll be fine."
Qi Xing leaned over to look at his hand, and Lin Zhinian's gaze followed his movements. His thoughts were somewhat scattered, thinking about Ye Xingzhou's strange behavior tonight, which made him feel uncomfortable.
"You..." Lin Zhinian started to speak, but Qi Xing interrupted, "What about me?"
Lin Zhinian hesitated for a moment and said, "Why were you with Xingzhou tonight?"
He had asked this question once before, and Ye Xingzhou said they met while he was out for a drive. When Lin Zhinian brought it up again, Qi Xing didn't find it strange. He casually said, "I went racing on the outskirts of the city with someone. We crashed the cars, and Young Master Yehappened to pass by and gave me a ride. The one who deliberately crashed my car was his family's fourth young master, and he owes me money for repairs."
As he said this, Qi Xing snorted, "Mr. Lin, do you even know what kind of person Young Master Ye is? He's like a madman, unpredictable. He inexplicably burned his own car. I think he's got some mental issues."
Qi Xing selectively ignored their fight earlier, especially since he was the one who lost, which was too embarrassing to mention.
Lin Zhinian frowned slightly, "Xingzhou isn't..."
"Isn't what?" Qi Xing disdainfully interrupted, not sparing Lin Zhinian any sympathy. He painted a picture of a rival in front of Lin Zhinian, "Since you're close to him, you should know something about his family, how he rose to power. Don't tell me you haven't heard any rumors. Some say he killed his own father and sent his stepmother to a mental hospital. Who knows if it's true, but there's often no smoke without fire."
He asked his father about this matter when he returned home that day. Qi Ronghua had also heard some rumors outside. Although not as specific, they all said Ye Xingzhou's rise to power wasn't honorable. Being a bastard child and having conflicts with his family and stepmother were common.
As for whether he dared to kill, well, he dared to set fires. As for killing... he could threaten his uncle with a model gun, so maybe.
At that time, Qi Ronghua repeatedly instructed Qi Xing not to provoke Ye Xingzhou again. Qi Xing didn't want to provoke him, provided Ye Xingzhou didn't compete with him for people.
Hearing Qi Xing talk about this, Lin Zhinian's expression changed slightly, and his eyebrows furrowed even tighter, "Those are baseless rumors, spread by outsiders. Young Master Qi, don't believe those. Xingzhou isn't that kind of person."
Qi Xing was unconvinced, "What kind of person? Mr. Lin, you graduated from high school and went abroad. It's been over ten years, and you think you know what kind of person Young Master Ye is? People change. Don't judge him based on the past. You might end up being harmed by him."
Lin Zhinian felt uneasy, "Young Master Qi, do you know that Xingzhou and I were high school classmates?"
Qi Xing casually nodded, "Yes, I know. I told you I wanted to pursue you, so I naturally wanted to know more about you."
Lin Zhinian fell silent for a moment, then sighed lightly, "Xingzhou won't harm me."
"Why are you so stubborn?" Qi Xing questioned.
"Young Master Qi, please stop," Lin Zhinian insisted, "You helped me out just now, and Xingzhou even blocked a blow for you when he came in. He's not as bad as you think."
"??"
This happened?
He wanted to say more but Ye Xingzhou's voice came from behind, "Let's go."
He had finished his phone call and returned. He glanced at Qi Xing, who pretended not to have heard what he said earlier.
Ye Xingzhou's gaze shifted to Lin Zhinian, "I've arranged for the driver to send you home. It's too late now. Go home first, and we'll do the recording tomorrow. I'll handle the rest."
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 stopped him, "Mr. Lin, I forgot to ask earlier. Did you receive the flowers I sent to the exhibition last time?"
Lin Zhinian didn't understand, "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."
"That's strange. It showed that it was delivered." Qi Xing muttered to himself, unable to understand.
Lin Zhinian didn't dwell on these matters. He looked at Ye Xingzhou standing next to Qi Xing and wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he didn't say anything.
After bidding farewell to the two of them, he got into the car and left first.
After Lin Zhinian left, Qi Xing waved his hand and said, "I'm leaving too," planning to call a taxi on the roadside.
Just as he walked out and remembered something, he patted himself and realized his phone was missing...
It must have fallen during the scuffle at Lin Zhinian's studio. He could only come back tomorrow to retrieve it. Qi Xing turned back, coughed lightly, and said to Ye Xingzhou with a forced smile, "Thanks for helping me out. Could you also give me a ride home?"
Ye Xingzhou took in his ridiculous expression, didn't say anything, turned and headed to the parking lot. Five minutes later, he drove the car over.
Qi Xing opened the car door and got in, "Turn left ahead."
Ye Xingzhou stepped on the gas pedal and casually threw out, "You get on my car, not afraid of being harmed by me?"
"You indeed heard that," Qi Xing sneered, "Eavesdropping on others' conversations is shameless."
"You should be more careful next time before talking bad about others and make sure you won't be heard by the other party," Ye Xingzhou coolly reminded him.
Qi Xing retorted, "If you've done something yourself, are you afraid of others gossiping? Unless you're guilty."
Ye Xingzhou no longer paid attention to him.
Qi Xing deliberately teased him, "So is what your cousin said true? Did you really kill your own father and send your aunt to a mental hospital?"
Ye Xingzhou turned his head, gave him a meaningful look, and said, "Curious?"
Qi Xing admitted frankly, "Curiosity is not acceptable?"
"Curiosity not only killed the cat but also can harm people," Ye Xingzhou said lightly, returning his gaze to the front.
Qi Xing responded, "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine…”
"Indeed," Ye Xingzhou suddenly remarked in a tone as calm as if discussing someone else's affairs, "One of them died and the other ended up in a mental hospital. They each found their own fate, which is quite good."
As Qi Xing listened to the coldness in his tone, he felt goosebumps rising on his body again, and he muttered, "You really are a beast, a madman."
The person beside him suddenly laughed.
It wasn't the ambiguous fake smile he had seen at the hospital earlier. Ye Xingzhou's laughter at this moment was light but particularly pleasing, as if Qi Xing's comment had rarely pleased him.
Qi Xing frowned, "What are you laughing at?"
The car stopped at the intersection, waiting for the red light. Ye Xingzhou turned his head towards Qi Xing again, "Afraid?"
His smile had not yet faded, and combined with his even more cold and deep facial features after removing his glasses, it seemed exceptionally sinister.
Qi Xing tried to ignore the slight discomfort in his heart, "What do I have to be afraid of? Do you dare to touch me?"
With his father's position in Huaicheng City today, coupled with the fact that this person also knew about his relationship with Old Chen, Qi Xing didn't believe that Ye Xingzhou would dare to have any bad intentions towards him.
"Well," the red light had turned green, and the car continued forward. Ye Xingzhou's voice remained calm, "You can also wait and see.”
Qi Xing was stunned. "Wait for what?"
Ye Xingzhou replied, "Just watch."
It was baffling.
Qi Xing hated it when people spoke in riddles. Ye Xingzhou's strange tone, though it set off alarm bells in his mind, was too confusing for him to bother figuring out.
Qi Xing's gaze shifted to the window, where he saw a flower shop still open on the street. Remembering that Lin Zhinian had mentioned not receiving the flowers he sent last time, Qi Xing gestured to Ye Xingzhou, "Stop the car."
Ye Xingzhou glanced over, and Qi Xing changed his mind again, "Forget it. I'll go to Lin Zhinian's studio tomorrow to get my phone and deliver the flowers myself. I don't want them to get stolen again."
Ye Xingzhou also noticed the flower shop on the street and chuckled, "Champagne roses, not bad, right?"
"How do you know I sent champagne roses?" Qi Xing realized immediately after speaking, "Oh, so Young Master Ye is the flower thief. Quite impressive. What about my flowers? Why didn't Lin Zhinian receive them?"
"I threw them away," Ye Xingzhou stated bluntly.
Qi Xing, with patience, asked, "If you don't care about Lin Zhinian, why do you care if I send him flowers?"
Ye Xingzhou: "He's allergic to flowers."
Qi Xing didn't quite believe it. "Is that true or are you teasing me?"
Ye Xingzhou couldn't be bothered to explain further. "Believe it or not, it's up to you."
Qi Xing thought for a moment. Just to be safe, he decided not to send flowers tomorrow.
However...
"I thought you really didn't care about Lin Zhinian. Turns out, you even know about his flower allergy? So, do you have feelings for him after all?" Qi Xing asked straightforwardly, but Ye Xingzhou only replied, "It's none of your business."
Qi Xing clicked his tongue in annoyance and let it go.
It really was none of his business. Regardless of whether Ye Xingzhou had feelings, Qi Xing would still pursue Lin Zhinian.
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped outside Qi Xing's residential complex.
Before getting out of the car, Qi Xing reminded Ye Xingzhou one last time, "Within three days, get my car fixed and bring it over. Also, about the issue between me and your youngest brother, it's not settled yet."
Ye Xingzhou replied indifferently, "As you wish."
Seeing that Ye Xingzhou didn't care about his younger brother, Qi Xing was pleased. "You're sensible."
As he pushed open the car door, he remembered something else, cleared his throat, and turned back to say, "Thanks."
Ye Xingzhou raised an eyebrow.
Qi Xing continued, "Even though I don't need it, Lin Zhinian mentioned that you helped me block a hit, so I reluctantly thank you, young master. I'll compensate you for the tie in a couple of days."
With a chuckle, he got out of the car.
Ye Xingzhou didn't start the car immediately. Instead, he lit a cigarette and let his gaze follow Qi Xing's figure, feeling somewhat absent-minded.
Qi Xing stopped at the entrance of the residential complex, glanced down and playfully nudged a stray cat that had appeared out of nowhere with his toe, causing the cat to bristle and run off. Qi Xing then smiled and entered the residential complex.
Ye Xingzhou took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaling slowly. The smoke blurred his eyes behind it.
Finding pleasure in impromptu decisions like this was quite refreshing for him, and he didn't exactly reject the idea.
Qi Xing, with his unpredictable behavior, was just like that stray cat, entertaining in his own way.
Since it was entertaining, Ye Xingzhou definitely wanted to give it a try. How would he know what it's like if he didn't try?
After finishing his cigarette, Ye Xingzhou casually extinguished the butt in the ashtray, started the car, and drove into the night.
Author's Note:
Ye Xingzhou: You can also wait and see. I'm planning to make a move on you.
