Qi Ye seemed quite surprised by her question.
He raised his eyebrows and even wore a faint smile on his lips.
"Of course not. How could I let you hide away for the rest of your life? You were born for the stage, and I hope you'll always shine brightly."
He even motioned for Zhang Wan to fetch the itinerary.
It was the schedule for Xu Tingyu's upcoming concert tour.
"I know you have more performances later, so I've arranged a dance studio for you. You can choreograph and practice there."
"It definitely won't affect your tour, but you have to promise me to be a good girl during this period."
"Tingyu, I really don't want to hurt you. You're the one I love the most. Can we just be good to each other?"
His eyes looked extremely sincere.
But all it did was make Xu Tingyu feel absurd.
"So, in your eyes, am I just a doll you can control at will?"
Now she finally understood why he wouldn't let her see You You.
He wanted her to be the kite in his hand, and You You was the string holding her back.
Qi Ye still smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Tingyu, even if I say I don't think that way, you won't believe me. But still, I just want you to be obedient, okay?"
He asked "okay", but his tone left no room for negotiation.
Xu Tingyu knew she had no choice.
She remained silent, only looking at Qi Ye with a look of utter coldness.
Their eyes met. After a moment, Qi Ye was the first to look away.
He shifted his gaze awkwardly and said to Zhang Wan, who was standing by the door, "Take Miss Xu to change. She'll accompany me to a gala tonight."
It wasn't really the right time, but he couldn't wait any longer.
He was eager to show the world that Xu Tingyu was the perfect match for him when standing by his side.
Zhang Wan, having been slapped, naturally wouldn't say anything more. She lowered her head and quickly led Xu Tingyu away.
The huge dressing room was filled with all kinds of clothes, shoes, hats, and bags.
From low - key luxury niche brands to top - tier luxury labels, everything was there.
Any item you picked up would fit perfectly.
Looking at the room full of things, Xu Tingyu didn't feel touched at all. Instead, she frowned.
Now that there were only the two of them in the room, Zhang Wan didn't say a word.
It was Xu Tingyu who suddenly asked her, "He doesn't treat you like a human being. Why do you still like him?"
It wasn't a wild guess. Zhang Wan's feelings were just too obvious to ignore.
Zhang Wan paused in the middle of picking out clothes for her and then turned around to look at her.
For some reason, her eyes looked sad.
"But it was him who gave me the hope to live when I was at my wit's end."
"And I've been with him for so many years. This was the first time he hit me with his own hands."
"So, he really cares about you. He cares so much that he lost his composure."
Qi Ye was truly a master of PUA.
He slapped Zhang Wan without mercy and showed no sign of apology afterwards.
Yet she actually felt sorry for Qi Ye.
She felt sorry that he was so angry with Xu Tingyu that he lost control and hit her.
Xu Tingyu couldn't help but sneer, "It's not me who made him like this. He's just this kind of person. He just showed his true colors when he was enraged."
Zhang Wan didn't argue. She just picked up a champagne - colored evening gown and showed it to her.
"The boss bought this dress in Paris when he was on a business trip in March. Try it on."
Xu Tingyu looked at the style and immediately refused. "I don't wear strapless dresses. Do you have a suit? Get me a suit."
Zhang Wan frowned. "No. There are only dresses."
Qi Ye liked to see her in dresses, so he would buy them for her whenever he traveled around the world on business.
Before they knew it, there was a whole room full of them.
Xu Tingyu ignored her explanation. She walked forward and randomly picked a modified cheongsam.
It was the most conservative one among them.
When she picked it up, she found that the quality was really good. The embroidery on it was clearly the work of a famous artist.
Zhang Wan didn't stop her but said, "The boss had this cheongsam custom - made last year. He had a whole series of 12 sets made."
After Xu Tingyu changed and came out, hearing this, she raised her eyebrows with a half - smile. "Do you like him that much?"
Zhang Wan pushed her in front of the dressing table. While helping her braid her hair, she asked, "Why do you say so?"
"You seem to know everything about him. You even remember such small things about his clothes so clearly."
Xu Tingyu looked at her through the mirror.
There were hundreds of clothes here, yet she could casually mention the time and the series. It was obvious how much effort she had put in.
As a subordinate, caring about the boss to this extent was more than just a simple crush, wasn't it?
Zhang Wan smiled. "The boss is a very demanding person. I can't help him much, so I can only make his life easier in these small things."
Xu Tingyu seemed to be interested in her and asked, "How did you two meet?"
Just now she said that Qi Ye gave her the hope to live when she was at her most desperate.
Did that also mean that Zhang Wan was an emotional person?
Could she find a breakthrough from her?
Seeing her interest, Zhang Wan was a bit vigilant but still answered.
After all, there was no one else she could talk to about these things.
"We met in the school library. We were from different departments. He majored in art, and I majored in law."
Originally, their majors had nothing to do with each other. But they met because of a cup of spilled coffee.
While she was clumsily trying to wipe the coffee stain off Qi Ye's clothes, she knew it was over.
She had worked in a clothing store before. She could tell at a glance that the fabric of the clothes was very expensive.
Just when she was feeling anxious, Qi Ye generously said it was okay and that it was his fault for not watching the road.
Later, they bumped into each other in the library a few more times and got to know each other.
After that, they had more interactions during school activities.
Just before graduation, something happened to Zhang Wan's family.
Her father's investment failed, and he owed a huge debt. He came to her in the UK and said they couldn't go back to China.
It was a debt that her family could never pay off in their lifetime.
But the debt collectors still chased them to the UK, leaving Zhang Wan with no way out. She even dragged her father onto the rooftop.
At the critical moment, it was Qi Ye who stood up and helped her pay off the most urgent part of the debt.
They were just classmates, yet he gave her a seven - figure sum without hesitation.
Moreover, he also found someone to coordinate with the debt collectors on behalf of her family.
After all, even if they forced Zhang Wan's family to death, they still couldn't get the money back. It was better to let them work and pay back as much as they could.
Later, after they graduated, Zhang Wan joined his company.
Qi Ye paid her a salary higher than the market rate, which was actually to relieve her financial pressure.
Otherwise, with the salary he offered, he could have found a better - qualified person.
"I don't like him just because he's nice to me. It's because he's a really good person."