His Venomous Former Boss Chased Him And Beat Him Fiercely Chapter 29

After dinner, they could eat something else too.

“Were you waiting specifically for me?” Qiu Zhijie asked, a smile spreading across his face as his car smoothly pulled to a stop right in front of Kong Xunwen.

He raised his voice slightly, the question clearly reaching Kong Xunwen’s ears.

Kong Xunwen put away his phone and straightened up, ignoring the question. “Hurry up and park your car properly.”

Only when Qiu Zhijie, jingling his car keys and carrying a bag, got out and walked up to him did Kong Xunwen ask, “You didn’t tell me you were coming today?”

Qiu Zhijie raised his hand and handed the bag to Kong Xunwen. “A gift.”

Then he answered the previous question: “I wanted to give you a surprise.”

“A surprise?” Kong Xunwen repeated, taking the bag. Was today some kind of gift harvest festival? Everyone seemed intent on giving him presents.

But his mood unexpectedly brightened. He opened the bag and pulled out the contents.

It was a smartwatch. He looked up at Qiu Zhijie. “Why send me this?”

Qiu Zhijie took the watch, grasped the young man’s wrist, and fastened it, adjusting it to the right size. He tapped the small digital screen to demonstrate the functions for Kong Xunwen. “This can monitor your condition at any time. If anything is wrong, it will send an alert to me. You can also set it to notify someone else.”

He spoke, eyes lowered, introducing each feature to Kong Xunwen very seriously.

Kong Xunwen only noticed the man drawing closer and closer until they were pressed together. Qiu Zhijie was taller, and while demonstrating the watch’s functions, he had unconsciously enveloped Kong Xunwen entirely in his embrace.

He was surrounded by the man’s scent. He could even smell the slightly spicy yet warm base notes of Qiu Zhijie’s cologne, which seemed to transfer onto him along with the man’s body heat.

“…Got it.” Kong Xunwen gently pushed the long, beautiful hand away. His fingertip brushed against the slightly warm, almost hot fingers, contrasting sharply with the cool silver ring, causing his own hand to tremble slightly.

“Thank you for the gift. I really like it.” The young man’s eyelashes fluttered, and he spoke as if nothing unusual had happened.

A tingling sensation spread across Qiu Zhijie’s ring finger. He withdrew his hand and smiled upon hearing the reply. “As long as you like it.”

His thumb lightly rubbed the spot that still tingled, but the sensation wouldn’t stop; even his heart felt a corresponding itch.

Kong Xunwen turned and walked toward the courtyard. “What a coincidence, my teacher was here today too. He just left.”

Qiu Zhijie paused before realizing what he meant, then quickly followed. “Your teacher?”

“Mhm,” Kong Xunwen replied, pausing slightly. “I’ve been learning painting from my teacher since I was a child.”

This must be a very important elder. Realizing this, Qiu Zhijie felt a pang of regret. He wished he had arrived earlier, just to meet him.

However, on second thought, today wasn’t the best opportunity; he hadn’t prepared. “Perhaps we can meet sometime later, if the chance arises.”

Kong Xunwen felt slightly unaccustomed to the new weight on his wrist and unconsciously rotated the watch. Hearing Qiu Zhijie’s suggestion, he responded with a casual hum.

Behind him, Qiu Zhijie felt a surge of secret delight. Meeting an elder implied certain things, and since Kong Xunwen hadn’t refused, it meant…

He had a great chance!

Kong Xunwen remembered the live stream he had scheduled. Just as he was about to check the time on his phone, he paused, lifted his hand, and checked the watch instead. It was past five o’clock.

Usually, he streamed around two in the afternoon, but he had reserved this time slot because he was treating the children to dinner today.

He usually ate dinner around seven, but after chatting and having a snack with his teacher this afternoon, he wasn’t hungry right now. Still, he asked, “Are you hungry?”

Qiu Zhijie lost his appetite just thinking about what he had eaten for lunch. He had intended to grab a quick bite but had unexpectedly stepped on a landmine—the food was awful, and the memory of the taste still made him feel unwell.

He shook his head and asked, “Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I can cook.”

“No appetite? Are you feeling unwell?” Kong Xunwen frowned slightly, scrutinizing Qiu Zhijie. He relaxed only when he saw that the man merely looked a little tired.

Being cared for softened Qiu Zhijie’s expression. “I ate something truly terrible at noon, so I just don’t have much appetite right now.”

Kong Xunwen continued watching the man and saw a hint of grievance flash in his eyes.

“If you don’t have an appetite, we can eat later,” Kong Xunwen said, looking away. “I wouldn’t be so unreasonable as to make someone who just traveled so far come back and cook for me.”

“You should go rest first.”

Qiu Zhijie chuckled softly but moved closer instead. “Being by your side is rest enough for me.”

It was only then that Kong Xunwen fully recovered the feeling of having Qiu Zhijie constantly around. He raised an eyebrow and looked over. “Is that so? Then maybe I should set up a paid service for being near me.”

He started walking toward his streaming room.

Qiu Zhijie followed, his gaze fixed intensely on the young man, his smile unwavering. “In that case, may I request an exclusive service? Monthly or yearly packages are fine. I can book the next five hundred years.”

Kong Xunwen entered the streaming room, picked up his phone, opened the streaming app, and paused at the ‘Start Broadcast’ screen. He looked up. “Then I shall mercifully inform you—no.”

Following the merciless rejection came an even more ruthless command: “Alright, you can leave now. Close the door and don’t disturb me.”

Qiu Zhijie obediently fell silent, but his gaze remained fixed on Kong Xunwen as he closed the door.

Just as Kong Xunwen clicked ‘Start Broadcast,’ he felt that familiar sensation of being watched again. He looked up.

The door he had just closed was now cracked open, and a pair of eyes peered straight through the gap. Those eyes were dark and bright, utterly focused, as if seriously appreciating some masterpiece lost to the world.

Looking closer, the man had actually dragged a chair over. His long legs were awkwardly squeezed into the space, and he looked slightly tired, his head resting gently against the doorframe.

Yet, his face showed complete concentration.

Although Kong Xunwen knew Qiu Zhijie watched his streams, nothing compared to this direct, visual observation while he was live. He felt completely thrown off.

Since the stream had already started, he could only shoot a quick glare at Qiu Zhijie, trying to convey his meaning: leave immediately.

The man didn’t move an inch.

Kong Xunwen had no choice but to suppress the strange feeling and greet his fans with his usual smile. “Good afternoon, everyone. This stream will probably run until six or seven o’clock.”

[Good afternoon, Awen! You started early today too. Luckily, I was prepared, hehe.]

[Ah—only streaming for such a short time today?]

“I have something going on today,” Kong Xunwen said, unconsciously glancing at Qiu Zhijie, who was still by the door. “Mainly, I’m starting a new painting tomorrow.”

“Today, I’ll just be sketching out a draft.”

Kong Xunwen chatted with his fans for a few minutes, yet he couldn’t ignore the gaze that remained fixed on him the entire time. He finally leaned slightly to the side, making sure the camera couldn’t catch him, and mouthed words toward Qiu Zhijie.

“Stop looking, go away.”

Since Kong Xunwen genuinely seemed annoyed, Qiu Zhijie finally stood up.

He left reluctantly, pulling out his phone and opening the familiar live stream room.

Meanwhile, Kong Xunwen quickly returned to the camera’s view. Without offering further explanation, he moved his easel closer, where a prepared sheet of paper was waiting.

The fans, who had been momentarily confused by Kong Xunwen’s brief absence from the camera, refocused their attention, no longer dwelling on the short interlude.

Once he started sketching the draft, Kong Xunwen became completely immersed. He interacted very little with the bullet comments, only responding a few times when he paused his brush to think.

Upstairs, Qiu Zhijie leaned back on the sofa with his phone, watching the young man in the stream. Unconsciously, he closed his eyes and fell asleep, the screen of his phone still displaying the live broadcast.

It wasn’t until several hours later that the man on the sofa slowly woke up.

The living room was completely dark, illuminated only by the faint glow of a few appliances. The sound of rain outside created an environment conducive to relaxation.

He had traveled today and woken up early, so it wasn’t surprising that he had been tired enough to fall asleep. But after several hours of rest, Qiu Zhijie felt fully refreshed. He stretched his body, which had stiffened from sleeping on the sofa, and checked his phone.

It was already past nine, nearly ten o’clock, but the live stream hadn’t ended, and the young man was still working.

Didn’t he say he was only streaming for an hour or so today?

He got up and checked the kitchen. There were no signs of activity; Kong Xunwen probably hadn’t eaten dinner yet.

Qiu Zhijie frowned. He rolled up his sleeves, put on an apron, and began preparing the belated dinner.

In truth, he was mostly blaming himself. Falling asleep was one thing, but sleeping for so long was another; otherwise, they wouldn’t have delayed dinner until this hour.

There was no music playing in the room. The patter of rain outside drifted in, acting like white noise that calmed the mind. Coupled with the sight of the young man focused on his painting in the stream, quite a few people were drawn to stay and watch.

The sky was dark, and the rain had grown heavier. Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door. It wasn’t loud, but it was enough to draw attention.

Kong Xunwen looked up and instinctively called out, “Come in.”

His eyes caught the bullet comments scrolling past, reminding him that he was live. He immediately regretted it. “Wait, don’t…”

“What?” Qiu Zhijie, who had already opened the door, stopped just outside the camera’s recording range and asked innocently.

Kong Xunwen could only shake his head. “Nothing. What is it?”

The bullet comments immediately became lively again.

[What is this, what is this? Who is that?]

[That voice is so nice to listen to.]

[It sounds a little familiar, doesn’t it?]

[I remember! Isn’t that the person who confessed to the streamer before? Has he already moved in?!]

[I was there too! I remember the streamer asking if it was a dare, hahahahaha.]

[So, are they together now?]

[The voice is quite pleasant, sigh, but it’s another day of heartbreak, boohoo.]

“It’s time to eat,” Qiu Zhijie said, his tone gentle but carrying an air that brooked no refusal. “Turn off the stream and come eat first.”

Kong Xunwen glanced at his painting, about to object.

“It’s already very late. Let’s go eat,” Qiu Zhijie cut him off directly.

[Yeah, it’s really late now. Go eat quickly.]

[But it would be best if you could take us with you, hehe.]

[It would be even better if we could see who you’re eating with, hehe.]

[But at this hour, you can not only eat dinner, but after dinner, you can eat something else too, hehe.]

Kong Xunwen quickly scanned the bullet comments, felt his eyes burn at certain phrases, and immediately looked away. He nodded toward Qiu Zhijie. “Okay, right away.”

Qiu Zhijie, however, did not leave.

Kong Xunwen ended the stream right under Qiu Zhijie’s watchful eye. Before he could even tidy up his scattered painting supplies, he was urged to go eat.

After washing his hands and sitting down at the dining table, Kong Xunwen looked outside.

The courtyard lights were on, and the pomegranate tree bore small, bright red flower buds.

The rain had lessened again. He saw the long corridor connecting the front and back courtyards, which ran alongside the pomegranate tree. The section next to the tree was built like a small pavilion.

In the past, his family used to eat together in that small pavilion, so a stone table had been placed there permanently. They just needed to move chairs over when they wanted to use it.

When Kong Xunwen had cleaned the first floor earlier, he had moved the chairs out there as well. Since the pavilion was right next to the wall, no rain would fall inside.

“Do you want to eat out there?” Qiu Zhijie’s voice came from beside him.

Before he could fully process the thought, Kong Xunwen turned back and simply uttered a questioning sound: “Huh?”