His Venomous Former Boss Chased Him And Beat Him Fiercely Chapter 81

Suitable for Sleeping

The theme for this show had been set: a relatively abstract word—Farewell. However, fashion shows based on this concept were not uncommon.

Although Kong Xunwen had been involved throughout the process, he was still very curious about the final presentation.

The start time of the show was also quite unique; it had to begin before dawn, just as the sun was preparing to rise. The entire venue was outdoors, with the sky serving as the backdrop.

Yet, strictly speaking, the timing wasn’t the most special part. What piqued curiosity the most was the design Qiu Zhijie had created for this theme.

Kong Xunwen was also intrigued. He sat among familiar faces, people highly renowned in the world of fame and fortune. The seating arrangement was, of course, deliberate, though since he hadn’t been involved this time, he hadn’t bothered to learn the details.

The air was cool now, carrying the dampness of the early morning. The sky was still pitch black, with only the sound of the tide ebbing and flowing in the nearby sea.

The lights came on, illuminating the faces of the audience on both sides with a soft glow. Simple, cool-toned lights lined the center. Following a simple, light drumbeat, the first model walked out.

She held her head high, her face devoid of expression. She wore a short white dress with a voluminous, bouncing hem. Closer to her skin, underneath the outer layer, were scattered pink flowers, connected together, featuring stamens that looked like water droplets.

They swayed with her every movement, the petals opening and closing, giving an impression of warmth and joy.

The sleeves resembled folded morning glories, suddenly unfurling when she lowered her arms. Sewn onto barely noticeable netting, silver pearl threads—visible only when the lights shifted—spread upward from her shoulders and collarbones, like vines or perhaps fireworks.

It didn’t look like farewell; it looked like the flutter of a first meeting.

Next came shades of blue, deep and light, spreading like a tide, suddenly turning into white foam at the chest, with the darker colors seemingly concealed beneath.

The fabric was light as clouds, or perhaps foam. Despite the long train, it floated gracefully, softly enveloping the model.

Warm yellow mixed with orange and blue, the colors harmoniously blended. The horizon began to lighten slightly, and the music intensified, preparing for the upcoming climax.

Large swathes of passionate red, piled up in beautiful, smooth curves, connected at the ankles. The thin gauze was lifted by the strong sea breeze, shimmering with iridescent light as it turned—the model’s soaring wings.

Then came somber, dark-toned reds, interspersed with purple. The weight of the fabric meant the wind couldn’t lift it, with only fine chains in certain breathable areas swaying gently.

Pure colors, intricate patterns, sharp tailoring…

As the vibrant colors passed, the sun rose on the horizon, and the clothes on the models began to shift to darker shades, or became pale, only catching the warm light of the sunrise and the stage lamps.

The time was right.

As the previous model returned backstage, the final model appeared on the runway. She wore a long, gray veil that obscured her face. Fine diamond light refracted off the veil, crystal clear. The irregular hem of the front veil reached only to her chin and neck at its longest point.

A few swaying diamonds, like water droplets, hung precariously from her chin.

The long dress meticulously wrapped the model’s body. At first glance, one only noticed the beautiful material, from the fitted fabric on top to the gradually heavier, smoothly transitioning velvet below, and the vortex-like pattern that unfolded from the waist as she walked.

Finally, the previously seen dresses were worn by models who walked on and off the stage again, followed by the appearance of the final designer—Qiu Zhijie.

Unsurprisingly, Qiu Zhijie himself was not dressed subtly; in fact, he looked exceptionally dazzling.

But today was certainly his time to shine.

Kong Xunwen couldn’t help but mutter inwardly: Peacock.

Qiu Zhijie gave a speech on stage. Kong Xunwen didn’t listen very attentively; it was the usual talk, the usual sentiments.

“…Regarding farewell, there is a saying you must all have heard: Farewell is for the sake of the next reunion.”

The speaker paused.

Kong Xunwen raised his eyes. His eyesight was good. Qiu Zhijie wasn’t far from his seat, but his gaze wasn’t directed toward him; instead, it was fixed on the rising sun ahead.

“But some farewells have no reunion. In that case, let us cherish the present.”

Applause erupted.

There was a gathering afterward, but Kong Xunwen didn’t go. Honestly, no matter how many times, he couldn’t get used to or handle such occasions. Since he didn’t need to attend now, he opted for whatever was most comfortable.

He returned to the house on the small island, which was the quietest place today. Kong Xunwen changed his clothes and comfortably settled onto the sofa.

He closed his eyes. Qiu Zhijie hadn’t slept at all yesterday, dealing with early rehearsals and various emergencies. Kong Xunwen hadn’t slept much either, and this had been the case for the past few days, not just yesterday.

The images he had just seen, and that one sentence, seemed to linger in his mind, making his thoughts a little chaotic.

But thankfully, everything had gone smoothly.

The young man gradually relaxed, and soon his closed-eye rest turned from a nap into deep sleep.

Perhaps because he hadn’t rested much recently, he slept for a long time, until noon. When he opened his eyes, the house was still empty.

Before any other emotion could surface, his phone vibrated.

He reached for his phone and saw it was flooded with messages from Qiu Zhijie. A message came every so often, and the latest one had just arrived: Why are you still sleeping? Go eat lunch first.

This person.

Kong Xunwen looked around, found a camera pointed at him, and without hesitation, raised his hand and made a gun gesture. The next second, his phone vibrated again.

He looked down. It was an emoji of a small figure clutching its chest and falling backward. It didn’t look like it had been shot down; it looked like it was falling back from being smitten, covered in hearts.

Kong Xunwen curled his lip and flipped over to read the messages.

They were a jumbled mess, starting with “Why aren’t you replying?” to the next moment, “Fine, rest well then,” followed by complaints about the necessary banquet and venting his frustrations to Kong Xunwen.

A notification showed a new message had arrived.

Kong Xunwen raised an eyebrow and scrolled down to see the message.

[Heart][Heart] I can’t stand it anymore, I’m going to run away. Wait for me, I’m coming to find you.

He read it for a moment but didn’t reply. He put his phone down, preparing to grab a bite to eat.

Though he said he was going to run, Qiu Zhijie wasn’t the type to be irresponsible. By the time he was actually able to break away, Kong Xunwen had nearly digested the snack he’d eaten and was contemplating whether to go back to sleep or start streaming.

Just as he was thinking this, the sound of the door opening came from the entrance. Kong Xunwen was standing not far from the door, lost in thought, and turned his head to look when he heard the sound.

The main door opened, letting in the bright sunlight and a rush of heat. Kong Xunwen couldn’t help but squint, and then his body was enveloped in a hug.

Qiu Zhijie had changed his clothes, making them less flashy, but not by much. Because Kong Xunwen was being held, the parts of his body touching Qiu Zhijie felt rigid and uncomfortable.

The embrace wasn’t particularly comfortable, but Kong Xunwen still didn’t push him away.

When Qiu Zhijie finally let go… or rather, didn’t completely let go, Kong Xunwen’s vision blurred, and another warmth landed on his lips.

He kept his eyes open. Qiu Zhijie’s eyes, directly facing him, were also slightly narrowed, looking down, not fully closed.

Seeming to notice something, Qiu Zhijie looked up, a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes. He reached out a hand. While the aggressive intensity on Kong Xunwen’s lips didn’t lessen, he managed to mumble, “Close your eyes.”

Kong Xunwen softened. The dark circles under this man’s eyes were prominent; if his eyes weren’t so attractive, he’d truly look like a panda.

He closed his eyes. He was still uncomfortable due to the stiff fabric of Qiu Zhijie’s clothes, but he endured it.

He had thought it would just be a kiss, but when a hand slipped under his shirt hem, he suddenly snapped awake. The hand had already reached his chest when he pressed down on it.

Qiu Zhijie reluctantly pulled back slightly, refusing to move away. He stared at the pale eyes before him, and as he watched, his brow relaxed.

Seeing that Qiu Zhijie wasn’t speaking, Kong Xunwen pushed his shoulder. “Look at your eyes. Go to bed and get some sleep first.”

“No, I’m wide awake right now.”

That “awake” clearly carried a different meaning. Kong Xunwen didn’t shift his gaze. “Then you should look at what time it is.”

“…” Qiu Zhijie finally loosened his grip, and the distance between them increased slightly. Just as Kong Xunwen thought he had convinced him, Qiu Zhijie nodded. “It’s time to sleep now.”

Kong Xunwen: “…”

This time, before Kong Xunwen could say anything, Qiu Zhijie took a step forward and simply lifted him up. He walked steadily, showing no signs of having been sleep-deprived for so long.

Having been carried many times, Kong Xunwen’s first reaction was actually to hook his arms around Qiu Zhijie’s neck. When he realized this, he was surprised to find that, despite being held this way, he didn’t feel the panic or fear he used to.

…It was probably because this person was too skilled at carrying him.

Yes, that must be it.

While he was thinking about random things, Qiu Zhijie hadn’t forgotten his objective. He walked purposefully toward the bedroom, holding Kong Xunwen.

He casually instructed the smart housekeeper to draw the curtains, but the light in the room didn’t dim much. The soft light filtered through the white, non-blackout curtains, covering everything in a hazy, translucent filter.

Kong Xunwen realized Qiu Zhijie had no intention of giving up. He glanced at the curtains, speechless. “What’s the difference between having these curtains drawn and not?”

Qiu Zhijie raised an eyebrow. “There’s a difference. With the curtains drawn, it’s suitable for sleeping.”

After saying that, he lowered his head and kissed Kong Xunwen. Flipping around, he closed the door while simultaneously pressing Kong Xunwen against it.

Kong Xunwen closed his eyes, frowning.

Fine. He was well-rested anyway. If this person performed poorly later because he hadn’t slept, Kong Xunwen would definitely mock him thoroughly!

Events proved that Qiu Zhijie wouldn’t give him that chance.

Kong Xunwen realized something was wrong at this point. Although his skin wasn’t overly sensitive, it wasn’t so numb that he couldn’t feel someone’s outer clothing pressed against him.

He opened his eyes and saw that he was bare, while the person in front of him was fully clothed. Coupled with the ambiguous filter of light filtering in from outside, there was no part of his body that was obscured; everything was clearly illuminated. A sense of shame immediately flooded him.

He unconsciously bit his lower lip, clutching the blanket that had been pushed aside, and reached out with his other hand to pull at Qiu Zhijie’s collar.

Qiu Zhijie didn’t stop his movements and didn’t try to block him.

With trembling fingers, Kong Xunwen finally managed to unbutton the collar, and a necklace slipped out. Kong Xunwen tilted his head, and the pendant struck his lips, which instinctively closed around it.

He released the pendant from his teeth, replacing the bite with a gentle clamp on the rectangular pendant. The red gemstone on it, held between his slightly parted lips, contrasted beautifully with the color of his flesh.

Qiu Zhijie’s movements paused. He looked down at Kong Xunwen. His dark, deep eyes didn’t lighten even in the bright light; instead, they appeared even blacker.

His gaze was intense, burning on the face of the person before him, then slowly dropping to the red and white contrast.

Kong Xunwen looked up and felt as if he had been scalded, his eyelashes fluttering. This kind of look was not unfamiliar to him.

The pendant dropped from his lips, swinging, hitting Qiu Zhijie’s newly opened collar, then swinging back. However, the spot it had just occupied was already claimed by Qiu Zhijie himself.

Only the light, shifting with the passage of time, gradually faded and dimmed.