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Qi Xing casually mentioned his interest in Lin Zhinian but he didn't seem too concerned. Several days had passed since the charity gala and he had almost forgotten about it until one evening while drinking and playing cards at a nightclub with Yang Kaiming and others, someone, who knew about his change of target and was waiting to see him make a fool of himself, brought it up.
Nonchalantly tossing the cards in his hand, Qi Xing shrugged and said, "What's the rush? When I decide to pursue someone, I definitely will."
Someone teased him, "Wasn't Young Master Qi the one chasing that young celebrity before? It's only been a few days, and you're already tired of chasing him?"
Qi Xing couldn't be bothered to explain, "If I'm tired of it, there's no need to mention it."
Yang Kaiming chimed in, "You guys don't understand Qi. He likes those pure, sincere, and devoted types who aren't after his money. Do you think such creatures exist in this world? That's why he's always on the pursuit but never succeeds."
The group burst into laughter, and Qi Xing rolled his eyes, "Well, you'll see. I'll definitely succeed this time."
"Really, Young Master Qi, I heard that Lin Zhinian, the great artist, is related to the Ye family. Do you dare to compete with him?"
"Yeah, that Ye guy is not simple. Those old guys from the Ye family, who look down on everyone, haven't had a good end in his hands. Young Master Qi, do you dare to touch his person? Better think twice."
"Beauty is everywhere. Why bother challenging someone of such high difficulty?"
With voices coming from all directions, some reminding him, some advising against it, Qi Xing found none of it pleasing.
Was Ye Xingzhou that extraordinary?
Qi Xing didn't think he was inferior to Ye Xingzhou at all. He had set his sights on Lin Zhinian and he was determined to pursue him.
Throwing down a royal flush with force, Qi Xing issued a bold statement, "You'll see. One day, Ye Xingzhou will kneel down and call me daddy."
————
So, the next day, he headed straight to Lin Zhinian's art exhibition.
This was the first stop of Lin Zhinian's solo art exhibition tour in Huaicheng City, which had opened just three days ago at the City Art Museum.
Qi Xing was visiting such a place for the first time. He sent Lin Zhinian a WeChat message upon arriving at the entrance. Ten minutes later, Lin Zhinian came out to greet him. Qi Xing caught sight of him walking out, dressed in vintage overalls, a white shirt and a beret, exuding an artistic vibe. Qi Xing couldn't help but whistle softly to himself, feeling satisfied with his choice.
Lin Zhinian came over to greet him, "Sorry, Young Master Qi, it's the weekend and there are quite a few people. I just chatted with some guests for a while and came out a bit late."
"No problem, I came uninvited," Qi Xing said generously.
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, explaining and introducing the artworks along the way.
Qi Xing listened absentmindedly. Rather than the paintings he couldn't appreciate, he was more interested in the person beside him.
He wasn't here to see the exhibition; he was here for Lin Zhinian.
Finally, they stopped in front of a painting near the floor-to-ceiling windows. Lin Zhinian briefly mentioned the name of the painting, without the detailed introduction like the others. Qi Xing's gaze lingered on it for a few seconds longer, deep in thought.
He recognized this painting, "A Young Man's Hope," which won a prestigious international art exhibition's gold award last year, propelling Lin Zhinian to fame.
The painting depicted a slender young man's back silhouette peering into the darkness, with only a single beam of light visible. The overall tone was somewhat heavy and oppressive but it was strategically placed in the brightest spot by the window, where the light inside and outside the painting converged, seeming to convey some metaphor.
Before coming here, Qi Xing had searched online for information about this art exhibition. He came across an interview with Lin Zhinian, who mentioned this painting had a special meaning but didn't elaborate.
"Teacher Lin, can I buy this painting?" Qi Xing asked with a smile, gesturing towards it.
Lin Zhinian immediately refused, "I'm sorry, Young Man Qi but I don't intend to sell this painting."
"That's a pity," Qi Xing said, sounding regretful. "Is it because this painting holds a special meaning for you?"
Lin Zhinian looked slightly embarrassed, "I'm sorry but this is personal."
"Oh, never mind then," Qi Xing shrugged.
The two of them were talking when suddenly a voice came from behind: "Zhinian."
Qi Xing turned his head to see it was Ye Xingzhou again, just entering from outside the exhibition hall. His suit jacket draped over his arm, his attire impeccable. The glasses still perched on his nose, his hair neatly combed and exuding an air of sophistication.
Lin Zhinian greeted him with slight surprise, "Xingzhou, what brings you here?"
Without much explanation, Ye Xingzhou replied, "I need to go out for a bit."
Lin Zhinian mentioned that a professor had scheduled to visit the exhibition with him today and would come later, so he couldn't cancel at the last minute.
Ye Xingzhou said, "You're busy for now, so I'll wait for you at the café outside."
Just as Lin Zhinian breathed a sigh of relief, Qi Xing called out to him from behind, "Teacher Lin, I'm already here, can I treat you to a meal?"
Lin Zhinian could only apologize to him, "I'm sorry, Young Master Qi, let's arrange it another time."
"Okay," Qi Xing shrugged, "I just met Teacher Lin, I'm obviously not as important as others.”
Ye Xingzhou gave Qi Xing a cold glance but said nothing and turned to leave first.
————
Five minutes later, at the café:
Qi Xing pulled out a chair and sat down in front of Ye Xingzhou, raising an eyebrow as the latter glanced at him. "Wanna chat?"
Ye Xingzhou's expression remained cold and indifferent, neither confirming nor denying. Qi Xing went straight to the point and asked, "What's your relationship with Teacher Lin?"
Ye Xingzhou didn't answer immediately, just looked at him calmly.
Qi Xing maintained his composure, meeting his gaze across the coffee table.
He finally got a clear look at the eyes hidden behind the silver-framed glasses: long and restrained, beneath sharp eyebrows with deep and unfathomable pupils that seemed to contain a hint of frost when they stared at someone.
Internally displeased, Qi Xing muttered, "Hey?"
Ye Xingzhou responded, "What does it have to do with you?”
The man finally spoke, his tone dripping with contempt, confirming Qi Xing's belief that he was indeed unpleasant.
"I plan to pursue Teacher Lin. Originally, your relationship with Teacher Lin has nothing to do with me and won't affect what I do. But to avoid putting Teacher Lin in a difficult position, I thought I'd inform you first. If you don't want to say anything, that's fine but I've already set my sights on Teacher Lin." Qi Xing leaned back in his chair, exuding an arrogant attitude.
Ye Xingzhou lifted his coffee cup, taking a slow sip before setting it back down with indifference. Then he uttered two words nonchalantly, "Up to you."
Qi Xing's gaze lingered on his face as he chuckled. "I don't think you and Teacher Lin are a match at all."
Ye Xingzhou remained composed. "And why is that?"
"Just a gut feeling," Qi Xing pointed to his head then mimicked shooting a gun at Ye Xingzhou. "My gut feeling is usually accurate. Your intentions towards Teacher Lin aren't pure."
When pursuing someone attractive, it's essential to understand potential rivals with a strong presence.
Last night, when Qi Xing's friends mentioned Ye Xingzhou, some of them were well-informed. They casually gossiped, mentioning that Ye Xingzhou was the eldest son and illegitimate child of the Ye family's patriarch. He was brought back from outside when he was in his teens and remained low-key until the patriarch's death. Unexpectedly, after the patriarch's demise, he emerged, seized power by teaming up with other shareholders and directors of the company and swiftly rose to the top, successfully ousting all dissenting members of the Ye family.
Although some dared not provoke him in significant matters, there were still those who deliberately tried to provoke him elsewhere. Some of his uncles, taking advantage of their seniority, even tried to interfere in his marriage affairs, hoping to entrap him.
"I heard that last month his uncle publicly tried to matchmake him, causing quite a scene. Since then, he's been seen frequently with that artist Lin."
As a group of idle young men chuckled and joked about these scandalous anecdotes, Qi Xing casually listened but absorbed the information nonetheless.
Ye Xingzhou's behavior was understandable; when provoked, he retaliated with even more provocation. He probably wasn't concerned about others gossiping about his sexuality. However, for the Ye family, a so-called high-class elite, those old folks holding onto their status probably couldn't afford such embarrassment.
If the person standing up against Ye Xingzhou wasn't Lin Zhinian, Qi Xing would have happily watched the drama unfold. But now that he had set his sights on Lin Zhinian, he naturally stood on the moral high ground, looking down on Ye Xingzhou.
Ye Xingzhou remained unmoved, not deigning to respond to Qi Xing's repeated provocations. He prepared to leave, glancing at his watch.
Qi Xing, feeling ignored and displeased, called out to him, "Hey, didn't you say you were waiting here for Teacher Lin? He hasn't arrived yet, and you're leaving already? Is your patience really that short? What do you take Teacher Lin for?”
Ye Xingzhou picked up his suit jacket and draped it over his arm as he walked past Qi Xing. His steps halted and he turned his head to look at him.
Qi Xing raised his eyes, meeting Ye Xingzhou's gaze. In that instant, he could see the blatant scrutiny in the deep, dark eyes behind the lenses. His expression froze for a moment and he unconsciously raised his voice a bit. "What, afraid to admit you've been found out?"
Ye Xingzhou remained silent, observing Qi Xing.
To him, this second-generation dandy seemed like a belligerent rooster, puffing up his chest and strutting around. He had encountered many like him before but perhaps what set Qi Xing apart was his exceptionally good looks. Wth flirtatious eyes darting around, even when glaring at someone, it seemed like he was trying to flirt.
Oddly enough, he seemed unaware of it himself.
Ye Xingzhou had met Qi Ronghua before, the man whom others considered a fortunate upstart. He appeared to be simple-minded but was actually shrewd. However, Ye Xingzhou hadn't expected his son to have such characteristics.
It was a waste of a good appearance.
Qi Xing felt uneasy under Ye Xingzhou's silent scrutiny. Before he could furrowed his brow, Ye Xingzhou's distinct and slender fingers suddenly reached out and stopped at the side of his face.
Qi Xing was taken aback, feeling Ye Xingzhou's fingertips brush against his jawline. The clear and warm touch made him shudder involuntarily, almost causing him to jump.
"What are you doing?" Qi Xing asked impatiently.
Ye Xingzhou withdrew his hand calmly, his face devoid of expression but his tone carried a hint of mockery, "With just a touch, you already look like you've been flirted with. With your demeanor, you also want to pursue someone?"
Qi Xing: “...”
Qi Xing remained silent, feeling a surge of anger and embarrassment coursing through him.
His face flushed red.
He glared angrily as the man who had labeled his actions as "frivolous [1]" walked away nonchalantly.
[1] refers to behavior or actions that are characterized by lack of seriousness, sense, or responsibility, often seen as superficial or unimportant. It can also imply being silly, carefree, or overly concerned with trivial matters. In the context of the conversation, Ye Xingzhou accused Qi Xing of appearing frivolous for reacting strongly to being touched, suggesting that Qi Xing's response was exaggerated or unwarranted.
Unable to contain his frustration any longer, Qi Xing raised his middle finger toward the retreating figure.