Qin Mingyuan walked over and sat on the edge of the bed without any hesitation. His long legs, wrapped in suit pants, stretched out as he unbuttoned his jacket, revealing glimpses of his muscular build beneath the shirt.

His physique was strong, and his aura was commanding. Sitting on the bed, he seemed as comfortable as if he were in a CEO’s chair. Despite the room being of decent size, it suddenly felt a little cramped, as if it were being dominated by a predator claiming its territory. This oppressive feeling made Yun Pei feel somewhat uncomfortable, as if he were the one intruding, a small, lost animal wandering into someone else’s space.

“Why are you staying so far away?” Qin Mingyuan finally spoke, his eyes scanning the room before realizing Yun Pei was still near the door.

Hearing his voice, Yun Pei snapped out of his thoughts, unsure of what he had been pondering. He shook his head slightly and maneuvered his wheelchair closer, stopping about two steps away from the bed.

“President Qin hasn’t told me yet, why did you come here?”

Instead of answering, Qin Mingyuan asked, “Have you been online today?”

Yun Pei froze for a second, realizing why he might be asking that. He hadn’t been online, but he knew about Yun Yuexian’s injury making the trending searches because his father had scolded him about it again. However, he hadn’t paid much attention.

“I know. He was photographed going to the hospital yesterday,” Yun Pei said after a pause. His tone was somewhat ambiguous as he asked, “Did you come to visit him?”

Qin Mingyuan didn’t answer immediately. His gaze lingered on Yun Pei’s face for a while, speculating that he might not be aware of the Weibo post Yun Yuexian had made, nor the subsequent fan backlash against him.

Being stared at like this made Yun Pei feel uneasy. His fingers twitched as he resisted the urge to touch his face to check if there was something on it.

Qin Mingyuan retracted his intense gaze, resting his elbows on his legs and clasping his hands together. The movement shortened the distance between them slightly. “I saw the articles on Weibo and thought he’d at least be lying in the hospital for a couple of days. But when I saw him today…”

He paused and glanced at Yun Pei’s hand resting on his lap. His slender fingers were so pale that the blue veins on the back of his hand were visible. It was a hand Qin Mingyuan had seen many times in videos, just as frail as its owner.

He looked up. “Eat more. Next time you get into a fight, you’ll need the strength.”

Yun Pei took a moment to process what he was saying. After a few seconds, he realized that Qin Mingyuan was suggesting that he hadn’t hit hard enough. He blinked, unsure of how to respond.

“You…” Yun Pei started, but then found himself at a loss for words, his usually calm eyes now showing a hint of disbelief.

Even if he no longer liked Yun Yuexian, surely he wouldn’t be so indifferent about the fact that he had been beaten, would he? Could emotions really fade that quickly?

“Surprised?” Qin Mingyuan straightened up slightly, looking down at the man in the wheelchair who sat lower than him. “I told you before, I’m not interested in him.”

As for the actions taken by “Qin Mingyuan” in the past, the version of him that had acted like a doting fool—that had nothing to do with who he was now.

“I just thought…” Yun Pei pressed his lips together. He just thought that even if the feelings had faded, hearing about someone you once liked being hurt would still bring a bit of concern.

But he didn’t voice these thoughts. Their relationship wasn’t close enough to delve into each other’s emotions.

Instead, Yun Pei changed the subject, half-jokingly saying, “Actually, when I first saw you, I thought you were here to hold me accountable.”

In truth, Yun Pei was a bit puzzled. They hadn’t seen each other many times, and each interaction had been brief. He couldn’t think of any reason Qin Mingyuan would specifically seek him out.

It wasn’t like he was a fan, right?

Subconsciously, Yun Pei glanced at the easel near the window, his own thought amusing him.

A sudden smile appeared on Yun Pei’s face, surprising Qin Mingyuan. It was refreshing.

When he smiled, the cold aura around him seemed to warm up. His dark, dull eyes brightened, like a dewdrop on a shy Mimosa plant unfurling its leaves, softening the atmosphere.

It turned out his face was quite nice to look at.

Catching Qin Mingyuan’s gaze, Yun Pei quickly reined in his smile, feeling a bit awkward. He cleared his throat and changed the topic again. “By the way, do you usually enjoy going to art exhibitions?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yun Pei felt something strange about them. It was as if he were inquiring about Qin Mingyuan’s interests.

Yun Pei glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, noticing Qin Mingyuan’s expression remained neutral, so he continued, “Because you bought one of my paintings at an exhibition, I was just asking out of curiosity.”

“Occasionally,” Qin Mingyuan nodded. “Sometimes I go to relax and clear my mind.” It had started as something he did with his grandfather, but later became a way for him to regulate his emotions, a habit he gradually formed.

He didn’t care much about the quality of the paintings. What interested him more were the personal thoughts and habits they revealed. Over time, looking at such art helped him find a sense of peace.

At first, Qin Mingyuan had always been in a state of hidden agitation due to constantly suppressing his emotions. People couldn’t tell from his composed face, though. They only saw his cold and unapproachable demeanor.

Eventually, he learned ways to cope. Visiting art exhibitions became one of the more effective methods, and over time, he became even more reserved.

Many people praised him for being young and capable, mature and steady. In reality, his temper wasn’t that great; he just hid it well.

But now… Qin Mingyuan glanced at Yun Pei, sitting quietly in front of him. Watching his videos seemed even more effective than going to art exhibitions.

Yun Pei didn’t understand the meaning behind his look. After hearing his words, he instinctively responded, “I remember there’s a famous art exhibition next month in A City, but it’s only open for one day. If you have time, you could check it out.”

After saying this, Yun Pei froze. Why did that feel so odd?

In the next moment, Qin Mingyuan’s response made him realize why it felt strange. “Are you inviting me?”

Yun Pei choked on his words and didn’t respond. Clearing his throat, he wanted to clarify that he hadn’t meant it as an invitation, just sharing information.

“It’s not a bad idea.”

Qin Mingyuan spoke first, not seeming to find anything wrong with the two of them going to an art exhibition together.

Now, Yun Pei couldn’t bring himself to explain further. Qin Mingyuan had already agreed; denying it now would just make things more awkward.

Seeing the conflicted expression on Yun Pei’s face, Qin Mingyuan’s eyes glimmered with a barely noticeable smile.

He knew Yun Pei hadn’t meant it as an invitation. It was just his playful side acting up, teasing him a bit. Unexpectedly, Yun Pei took it seriously.

Though he seemed cold and prickly on the outside, Yun Pei was easily flustered and shy once a little kindness was shown. And he was surprisingly easy to fool.

Someone like him shouldn’t end up with such a tragic fate…

The amusement in Qin Mingyuan’s eyes faded, and he tapped his fingers lightly on his leg. “Alright then, it’s settled.”

What else could Yun Pei say? He could only nod. Whatever, most art exhibitions were quiet affairs anyway. Even if they had nothing to talk about, it shouldn’t be too awkward.

Could it be more awkward than right now?

He tugged at the blanket covering his legs, feeling the silence settle in after the conversation ended.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t break the silence either. With a slightly mischievous glint in his eyes, he watched Yun Pei lower his head and fidget with the blanket while he himself sat comfortably on the bed, completely at ease.

On the surface, Yun Pei appeared calm, but inside, he was wondering why this man wasn’t leaving yet. Wouldn’t the others notice he had been upstairs for so long?

As these thoughts occupied his mind, he continued plucking at the soft fabric, pulling at the fluff until his phone chimed with a message notification.

He quickly pulled it out, relieved to have something to distract him. It was only an app update notification, but it reminded him that they didn’t have each other’s contact information. If they were going to meet, it might be inconvenient without exchanging numbers.

After a moment of hesitation, Yun Pei looked up and said, “Um…”

“Hmm?” Qin Mingyuan raised an eyebrow, the sound coming from his nose in a low, slightly seductive way.

Yun Pei’s ears flushed red, the color clearly visible under the cold white light. For some reason, he felt inexplicably teased.

Steadying his thoughts, Yun Pei’s expression returned to normal as he handed over his phone, the contact page ready. “Phone number, so we can contact each other.”

Seeing the shy Mimosa curl up only to casually unfurl again, Qin Mingyuan’s mood improved. He didn’t tease him further, taking the phone and entering his private number.

When the phone in his pocket rang, he handed Yun Pei’s phone back.

Yun Pei took it and saved the contact under “President Qin.” When he looked up, the man was already standing. The close proximity and Qin Mingyuan’s towering figure made Yun Pei instinctively lean back, his head touching the back of the wheelchair.

As his hair fell back, it revealed his eyes, which reflected the light from above, shining brightly.

Qin Mingyuan suddenly felt an urge to ruffle his hair. His fingers twitched, but he restrained himself. “I should go.”

The sky outside had darkened completely, and a cool night breeze blew through the slightly open window, making the curtains flutter.

Yun Pei gave a low hum in response and nodded, worried he hadn’t been heard.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t say anything more. He walked toward the door, which was still ajar from when he’d entered earlier. With a simple pull, it opened fully.

Before leaving, he glanced back. Yun Pei’s wheelchair was still inside the door. When their eyes met again, Yun Pei paused and said, “Take care, President Qin. Be careful on your way out.”

The scene stirred an indescribable feeling in Qin Mingyuan. He clenched his fingers slightly, gave a low “mm,” and then turned to leave.

Yun Pei stayed by the door for a while before wheeling himself back into the room. His gaze landed on the wrinkled part of the bed, and he realized that the lingering gloom from yesterday’s commotion had somehow dissipated.

As Qin Mingyuan reached the staircase, he looked up to see Yun Yuexian walking toward him with a smile.

“Brother Mingyuan, I was just about to call you for dinner. You’ve been up here for a while.”

The scene overlapped with a memory, and Qin Mingyuan recalled a previous birthday party. Subconsciously, he glanced back down the hallway.

Yun Yuexian called out to him again, and Qin Mingyuan refocused, checking his watch as he descended the stairs.

When he reached Yun Yuexian, he said, “No need. My assistant called, there’s an urgent matter at the company. I need to head back.”

After saying this, he continued down the stairs. Yun Yuexian froze for a moment, then hurried after him. “What’s so urgent? Can’t you at least have dinner before going?”

Qin Mingyuan stopped at the landing and turned to face him. “It’s urgent.”

After a pause, he added, “Aren’t you going to let your brother know about dinner?”

Yun Yuexian’s expression stiffened slightly. He was annoyed that Qin Mingyuan had brought up his disabled brother again.

He didn’t show anything on his face, only furrowing his brows in slight discomfort. “Brother already told the servants he wouldn’t be eating. If I go bother him again, he’ll get upset.”

As he spoke, Yun Yuexian subconsciously touched the bandage on his head, his eyes dimming slightly.

It was as if he wanted to emphasize who had caused the injury. Qin Mingyuan, expressionless, turned and continued down the stairs. “I’ll head out first. Enjoy dinner. With Film Emperor Liang there, it won’t be a dull meal.”

Yun Yuexian paused at the remark, wondering if Qin Mingyuan was insinuating something.

Qin Mingyuan ignored him, descending the stairs without another word. The others had already gathered in the dining room, and no one looked his way except the servant in the living room, who greeted him politely.

He nodded in acknowledgment and walked straight out the door.

Yun Yuexian stood frozen, biting his lip in frustration. He felt both angry and helpless. But with Liang Zichen still waiting in the dining room, he couldn’t very well chase after Qin Mingyuan—he couldn’t afford to lose hold of both men.

Once outside the Yun family villa, Qin Mingyuan got into his car. Before starting the engine, he paused, took out his phone, unlocked it, and opened his call log. He selected the number at the top and sent a message.

[Eat well. You’ll need the strength to fight.]

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Translator Note:

OMG!!! Mimosa is so cuteeee!!!!