An Yi nervously finished a class and glanced at the front desk. Qin Muye was chatting happily with the director.

Considering the time, he had waited for almost half an hour. Not going over to say hello would be impolite.

“Teacher An, are you done with your work?”

The director called An Yi over, “I was just talking to your friend about the pottery you made.”

“Oh, really.”

An Yi glanced uncomfortably at Qin Muye, who looked at him openly, not hiding his admiration.

“They’re quite beautiful, I really like them, I want to display them at home.”

“Feel free to choose any one. The pieces on our display cabinet are all for sale,” the director said with a smile, pushing An Yi forward, “Teacher An, help your friend pick one. I have to go out for a while. Mr. Qin, feel free to come by more often when you’re free.”

Qin Muye smiled politely, “Of course, you go ahead and do your work.”

After seeing the director leave, An Yi decided to speak frankly.

“What did you want to talk to me about?”

“I heard that you’re a ceramic artist, and coincidentally, I’m renovating my suite and want to get some ceramic pieces for decoration,” Qin Muye smiled and glanced at the display cabinet, “Your works are quite unique, and I really like them.”

An Yi was puzzled, “Who told you that?”

Yan Chen was so opposed to Qin Muye, it was impossible for him to tell him about these things.

“I inquired specifically,” Qin Muye was quite frank, “I happened to have some business nearby today, so I decided to come and find you.”

His expression carried a hint of apology, “It’s a bit presumptuous of me to do this, so I want to apologize in advance.”

An Yi was a little unhappy.

But he wasn’t the type to be pushy. Qin Muye had already spoken, so there was no point in dwelling on it.

However, he thought Qin Muye’s reason for coming specifically for a few decorative items was a bit contrived.

But he couldn’t point it out.

In case Qin Muye really just wanted to shop for decorations, it would be embarrassing.

“Actually, my skills aren’t that great right now.”

Considering Yan Chen’s feelings, An Yi still wanted to find a reason to refuse Qin Muye.

“The things I make still have many flaws. You can look around more. There’s a ceramic trading market nearby, and the things there are quite good.”

Qin Muye looked at him with a faint smile, “Are you worried that Yan Chen will be unhappy if he finds out?”

An Yi’s face showed a hint of embarrassment at being seen through.

“It’s just a piece of pottery. It’s not that serious. If you’re really worried, we won’t tell him,” Qin Muye leaned down again and met his gaze, winked mischievously, “Let’s just keep it between us, how about that?”

An Yi was momentarily speechless.

Qin Muye continued, “I really do want to collect your works. I was particularly fond of that blue and white moon vase.”

“You liked that one?” An Yi was a little surprised.

From a young person’s perspective, antique-style vases might seem a bit “old-fashioned.”

“It’s quite simple and matches my taste,” Qin Muye stroked his chin, pondered, “It doesn’t quite fit the style of my house’s decoration, but it’s not a big problem. I can take it and display it elsewhere.”

“…Alright then.” An Yi packed the vase for him, recorded it in the ledger, and Qin Muye left satisfied after paying.

He thought the matter would end there, but two days later, Qin Muye came to the studio again, this time for the same reason.

“I’ve been to all the ceramic markets in Xiachuan, but I still can’t find what I want.”

This time, Qin Muye learned to be proactive, “Help me make one. You can decide the style and design, and the price is negotiable.”

“Um…” An Yi had a little headache.

Qin Muye sighed with distress, “The soft furnishing of the house is almost done now, but I’m still missing a few pieces of satisfactory decorations. Yi ge, can you help me out?”

An Yi had no choice but to agree.

After receiving several custom orders, An Yi always had high standards and strict requirements for such works.

Qin Muye kept insisting that An Yi could freely express himself. An Yi had no choice but to accompany Qin Muye to his house to take a look at the lighting and other accessories, hoping to get more inspiration.

“Here at the entrance, we can place an irregular-shaped vase, preferably in light tones. Do you have any specific favorite colors?” An Yi asked.

“No, I’m fine with anything,” Qin Muye poured him a glass of water, “Yi ge, come sit for a while.”

“No need. I’ll just take a few photos and leave,” An Yi deliberately kept his distance from Qin Muye, “Besides the entrance cabinet, is there anywhere else that needs to be done?”

“Over here, follow me.” Qin Muye led him to a music room and a bedroom, “Let’s make the decoration cabinets for these two rooms light-colored as well.”

An Yi nodded. When he was about to take photos, Jiang Hai suddenly called.

Qin Muye tactfully gestured towards the balcony, indicating they could talk there.

An Yi quickly went to the balcony.

As soon as he answered, he heard Yan Chen complaining on the other end, “What are you doing? Why aren’t you answering the phone? You’re always busy doing nonsense.”

The background noise was a bit empty, probably because Jiang Hai had put the call on speaker.

An Yi furrowed his brows and called out, “Xiao Jiang.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before Jiang Hai’s voice came through the receiver, “Mr. An, are you still working overtime now?”

“…Yeah.” An Yi glanced back guiltily. Qin Muye wasn’t in the room, so he should have gone out.

He said, “I’ve been quite busy these days.”

“Oh, then you’ve really worked hard,” An Yi heard Jiang Hai pause, and Yan Chen seemed a bit impatient as he clicked his tongue. Jiang Hai continued, “I didn’t call for anything else. I’ve already paid the fees for the transplant ward at the hospital, so you don’t need to worry about it. If you’re overwhelmed with other matters, feel free to come and find me. You need to take care of yourself. If you have time, also pay attention to President Yan. He’s been… um, a bit unhappy these days.”

An Yi understood.

The last part was the key point.

On the day Yan Chen went on a business trip, An Yi sent him a message asking if he had safely landed, but he didn’t reply.

An Yi tactfully didn’t bother him anymore.

Why was he unhappy now? Was the business trip not going well?

An Yi quickly took the photos and bid farewell to Qin Muye.

Qin Muye escorted him to the door and said, “There are three pieces in total. I’ll pay you half of the deposit first, and the balance will be paid when you finish.”

An Yi said, “Let’s talk about it next time you come to the store.”

“You don’t welcome me to the store anyway,” Qin Muye took out his phone and waved his WeChat business card, “And I want to transfer money to you personally, so there’s no need to go through the store’s system.”

An Yi was taken aback for a moment. Qin Muye meant to ask him for private work.

“What are you hesitating about?” Qin Muye smiled, “I’m interested in you, not your studio. Why let the middleman make a profit?”

An Yi did hesitate because bypassing the studio felt a bit inappropriate. After all, he needed the tools and materials from the studio for pottery making and firing.

“Actually, Yi ge you can set up your own facilities at home. Those things don’t take up much space,” Qin Muye suggested, “I know a few friends who like porcelain. I showed them the moon vase you made last time, and a few of them really liked it and wanted to commission you.”

“Ancient porcelain is too precious, usually kept for private collections. It’s enough to buy some modern porcelain for display, as non-experts can’t tell the difference.”

“Anyway, non-experts don’t understand. Buying some modern porcelain to serve as a facade is sufficient.”

Qin Muye said, “If you’re willing, I can introduce you. The price will definitely satisfy you.”

An Yi was somewhat tempted.

Especially at this critical moment, there are too many places that need money.

“But…” He looked at Qin Muye puzzled, “Why are you helping me? You and Yan Chen…”

“I’m helping you because I appreciate your talent. It’s purely because of you as a person, it has nothing to do with Yan Chen.” Qin Muye’s tone and expression were sincere without any flaws. “Yi Ge, your life shouldn’t revolve solely around Yan Chen.”

With his phone in hand, An Yi descended the stairs, feeling somewhat distracted as he looked at the newly added contact.

Ever since his senior year in high school, his life no longer belonged to him. He had to take care of his mother’s illness, put his sister through school, work to repay debts, and later, upon reuniting with Yan Chen, his life added another obligation: to please Yan Chen.

He had been busy making a living, troubled by unrequited love, with no interests or hobbies besides pottery and painting.

He knew nothing about the games young people played nowadays, and he didn’t know who was who when it came to entertainment gossip… His social circle was indeed too small, which made it understandable why Yan Chen found him uninteresting.

Lost in thought, he received a notification sound on his phone, indicating a transfer message.

Qin Muye had directly transferred twenty thousand yuan to him, causing An Yi’s eyes to widen.

Quickly, he messaged Qin Muye: “This is too much.”

Twenty thousand yuan was more than enough to buy his three ceramic pieces, and he didn’t want Qin Muye’s charity.

Just as he was about to initiate the refund, Qin Muye replied: “You deserve it. If you become famous one day, these few pieces I collect will be worth a fortune.”

An Yi still felt uneasy, but just as he clicked on the refund page, a video call request from Yan Chen suddenly popped up on the screen. An Yi’s mind hadn’t caught up, and he instinctively answered the call.

The sky was just beginning to darken on the side of Xachuang, while the sunset was still visible on the side of the harbor.

Yan Chen was lying on a beach chair in a bathrobe, his handsome face full of impatience. “Why aren’t you answering the phone? It’s been half an hour already, haven’t finished yet?!”

“…Uh, sorry, I had something just now.” An Yi held up his phone and asked with concern, “Is everything going smoothly for you? Aren’t you cold, wearing so little?”

“It’s fine. Why ask that when you won’t come over even if I ask you to?” Yan Chen casually asked, “Is Xiao Ya’s stuff ready?”

“Yeah, it’s almost ready. The hospital said it’ll be delivered next week.” An Yi asked eagerly, “Will you be back this weekend? She misses you a little.”

Yan Chen raised an eyebrow. “What about you?”

An Yi’s heart skipped a beat, his voice involuntarily softened. “I miss you too.”

Yan Chen chuckled absentmindedly, his expression just softening when he suddenly furrowed his brows. He asked sternly, “Where are you?”

An Yi hesitated, his heart racing, “I’m… downstairs in that neighborhood.”

“Oh? Take your phone and show me around.” Yan Chen demanded.

An Yi forced a smile, feeling nervous. “It’s dark outside, I can’t see clearly.”

Yan Chen persisted, “Hurry up and take the photos.”

An Yi was so nervous his hands were trembling.

Just then, Qin Muye’s voice came from behind, “Yi Ge, wait a moment.”