It was yet another annoying rainy day. During a break from work, Qin Mingyuan turned his head to glance out the window. It wasn’t even five o’clock, but the gloomy weather made it look as dark as night outside.

The usually clear view from the top floor was now just a hazy gray. His eyes, already fatigued from staring at documents for too long, found no relief. He withdrew his gaze and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

A soft “ding” broke the silence as his phone on the desk lit up with a notification. He picked it up casually, leaned back in his chair, and tapped the screen.

It was a notification from the video app he had downloaded earlier, informing him that “Si Yu” had released a new work. He raised an eyebrow.

Ever since returning from C City, he had thrown himself back into work, and the painter who had briefly sparked his curiosity had long since been forgotten. He hadn’t even opened the app since.

The timing of this update was perfect. He had just been thinking about taking a break. Since the rainy weather was blocking his enjoyment of any beautiful scenery, perhaps watching some art could refresh his eyes.

Placing the phone back on the desk, Qin Mingyuan clicked a few things on his computer, found the video, and opened it. As he absentmindedly sipped from his coffee, his brows furrowed slightly—it had gotten a bit cold.

Soft music began to play as he placed the coffee back down, leaning his chin on his hand, and his gaze settled on the screen.

Si Yu’s videos always had a consistent composition. The easel was placed by a window where sunlight could stream in. It seemed like Si Yu had a preference for warm, golden light, always choosing to paint on such pleasant days.

The canvas was completely blank, as if frozen in a photograph for several seconds before a pair of hands entered the frame, holding a paintbrush.

The charcoal pencil began sketching on the paper, casually outlining the general shapes. Si Yu worked quickly, without much need for adjustments or corrections.

In just a few minutes, the overall composition was already done—a forest. The hands then left the frame and reappeared with a paintbrush and palette.

The coloring was much more meticulous, the movements slowed down, no longer as broad or random.

Si Yu was painting a maple forest, laying down warm orange tones to cover the leaves, using color to outline the more detailed parts.

Qin Mingyuan, whose mood had been somewhat agitated due to the rainy day, gradually calmed down as he watched the video. It was the same feeling he always got when attending art exhibitions—a sensation that was hard to describe but very comforting.

Si Yu was indeed an interesting person. The painting Qin Mingyuan had seen at the exhibition back then had been filled with gloomy emotions and a strong sense of aggression, but now, none of that was present.

It wasn’t just technical improvement; the entire style seemed to have gained a layer of light, making it feel healing just by looking at it.

Si Yu must be someone with a story. Qin Mingyuan’s fingers tapped lightly on his leg, his curiosity about this person growing slightly.

With his curiosity piqued, his gaze shifted from the painting to those hands in motion. The fingers were so slender, not much thicker than the paintbrush they held.

Qin Mingyuan still couldn’t shake the feeling that these hands seemed strangely familiar. It wasn’t an illusion; he trusted his memory. Perhaps when he had seen them before, it had been just a fleeting glance, so the image hadn’t stuck.

Where exactly had he seen them before? He rubbed his chin with his fingertips, narrowing his eyes in thought.

The rain outside continued to fall, droplets splattering against the glass. As he stared at the hands in the video, a vague thought flashed through his mind.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

The knock on the door came at the worst possible time, interrupting his thoughts. Qin Mingyuan frowned, paused the video, and called out for the person to enter.

As Zhou Yang entered, he immediately sensed the unwelcoming aura surrounding his boss. He paused for a moment, quickly ran through the day’s events in his mind to make sure he hadn’t offended Qin Mingyuan, and then walked over with more confidence.

“President Qin, here are the documents.”

He placed several new folders on the desk. Qin Mingyuan hummed in response, looking up at Zhou Yang, who hadn’t left yet, with a questioning gaze.

“Mr. Zheng called and invited you to dinner tonight. Do you want to go?” Normally, Zhou Yang would handle invitations on his own, but since there had been previous collaborations with Mr. Zheng, he felt it was necessary to ask.

Qin Mingyuan raised an eyebrow, clearly not remembering who Mr. Zheng was.

“We’ve had a few collaborations with his company before. He’s the one who… cough… wanted to introduce his daughter to you.”

Qin Mingyuan couldn’t help but scoff internally at the thought of such a random match. But given his status and age, it wasn’t all that surprising. He’d encountered situations like this before. He lowered his eyes and glanced at the documents. “Decline.”

Zhou Yang hesitated for a moment, then bravely added, “Mr. Zheng also mentioned that he has a son.”

Qin Mingyuan shot his audacious assistant a cold stare, causing Zhou Yang to shrink back a step. “Tell him, whether it’s a son or a daughter, I’m not interested.”

Zhou Yang nodded rapidly, preparing to leave.

“Wait.” Qin Mingyuan called him back. “What’s the latest with the film crew I asked you to keep an eye on? Has the hand double agreed yet?”

“Oh, right, I almost forgot to tell you,” Zhou Yang quickly explained, “It seems the person has agreed. If all goes well, they should join the crew the day after tomorrow.”

Zhou Yang didn’t think much of it, assuming his boss was merely concerned about the film’s progress and whether it would affect Yun Yuexian, the younger son of the Yun family.

Normally, no other director would allow a small issue like finding a hand double to delay filming. But Director Li was known for his perfectionism. Once he set his sights on something, no matter how difficult it was to obtain, he had to get it. Qin Mingyuan was a little surprised that the person had agreed after all. He had thought they wouldn’t be swayed by money, but perhaps the offer just wasn’t high enough before. His interest waned slightly.

Seeing his boss fall into silence, Zhou Yang remained standing, unsure whether he should leave. “President Qin, do you have any other questions?”

Tapping his fingers on the desk, Qin Mingyuan shifted his gaze to the paused video on the computer screen. “Clear my schedule the day after tomorrow. I’ll be going to C City again.”

No matter what, he wanted to satisfy his curiosity. He needed to know if he had truly seen that person before.

Going to C City again? Zhou Yang blinked. His boss had been distant toward Yun Yuexian for a while now, and Zhou Yang thought Qin Mingyuan had finally come to his senses. But now it seemed like his interest had been rekindled. However, as an assistant, Zhou Yang knew better than to pry. “Understood. I’ll take care of it.”

“Go ahead.” Qin Mingyuan gestured for him to leave, and just before Zhou Yang exited the room, he added, “Also, bring me another cup of coffee.”

After the door closed softly behind Zhou Yang, Qin Mingyuan looked at the screen once more, exited the video, and picked up the newly delivered documents.

Outside the office, Zhou Yang was immediately approached by other assistants who were eager to gossip. “So, is the boss going to the dinner tonight?”

“Nope.” Zhou Yang rolled his eyes at them. “Stop focusing on the boss’s personal life and get back to work. Also, clear his schedule for the day after tomorrow—President Qin is going to C City.”

“Going to C City again?” The assistant raised an eyebrow with a knowing look, rubbing his chin. “I thought the boss had lost interest in the Yun family’s young master, but it seems like he still likes him. He’s visiting every few days.”

Who could argue with that? Zhou Yang sighed inwardly. Honestly, he felt a little sorry for his boss. With someone like Qin Mingyuan, who could have anyone he wanted, why was he so fixated on this one person?

Just last time when they visited the set, Yun Yuexian had looked quite close to that Film Emperor. Zhou Yang had thought the boss would wake up to reality, but it seemed he still hadn’t completely let go.

However, Qin Mingyuan wasn’t as invested as before. Perhaps, Zhou Yang thought, he just needed some more time to fully move on.

Shaking his head, Zhou Yang pushed those thoughts aside and returned to his work. Trying to figure out the boss’s mind was a futile endeavor.