Without bothering to explain to Zeng Lianyi, Qin Mingyuan quickly strode toward the bathroom. When he reached the door, he knocked and called out to let the person inside know he was about to come in.

Pushing the door open, he could feel the dampness of the steam. Yun Pei had fallen to the floor, completely bare, and was reaching out to grab his wheelchair. His legs, pale and thin from lack of sunlight, were limp and clearly unhealthy, devoid of any strength.

Qin Mingyuan hurried over, grabbing a bath towel from nearby and shaking it open to cover Yun Pei. Hearing footsteps approaching from outside, he turned back. “Don’t come in. It’s not convenient.”

The footsteps paused for a moment before retreating into the distance.

Having stopped Zeng Lianyi from entering, Qin Mingyuan bent down, wrapping one arm around Yun Pei’s shoulders and the other beneath his knees. He lifted him back into the wheelchair. “What happened?”

“…I heard something outside, so…” Yun Pei tightly gripped the towel around himself, his embarrassment from being seen so vulnerable causing him to lower his gaze. “I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

Already feeling like he was imposing by borrowing the bathroom, Yun Pei had wanted to wash up quickly and leave. But then he heard what sounded like a woman’s voice outside, saying words like “darling” and “miss me.” That only made him feel more awkward.

Under such circumstances, he didn’t feel it was appropriate to stay any longer. Besides, he was mostly done washing and thought he could leave soon. However, when he tried to get out of the bathtub, his hand slipped, causing him to fall, and his wheelchair was pushed a bit too far away, leading to this unfortunate scene.

Hearing his apology, Qin Mingyuan pressed his lips together without saying much. He grabbed a towel and draped it over Yun Pei’s wet hair, instructing him to dry off a bit to avoid catching a cold. “Did you get hurt?”

Yun Pei shook his head. His legs had no sensation, but his elbows and the side of his hip were sore, probably bruised, but nothing serious.

The bath towel was large, but still not big enough to cover his entire body. His incomplete legs, exposed to the air, left him feeling vulnerable. He instinctively shrank his body, trying to cover himself as much as possible.

Qin Mingyuan handed him a bathrobe and, sensing Yun Pei’s discomfort, turned his back to give him privacy. After recalling Yun Pei’s earlier actions, Qin Mingyuan stepped out of the bathroom.

When he returned, Yun Pei had already dressed in the bathrobe, which was tightly secured, covering his chest and revealing a slender waistline.

Qin Mingyuan brought over a blanket and placed it over Yun Pei’s legs, covering the parts the bathrobe couldn’t hide, including his lower legs, making sure everything was securely covered.

Yun Pei was taken aback for a moment, only realizing what had happened when Qin Mingyuan stepped away. He tightened his grip on the soft blanket and quietly said, “Thank you…”

Qin Mingyuan shook his head. Once Yun Pei had dried his hair enough to stop the dripping, Qin Mingyuan grabbed the wheelchair handles and carefully pushed him out, avoiding the water on the floor.

When they returned to the living room, Zeng Lianyi was sitting casually on the sofa, sipping the untouched glass of orange juice. Her eyes lit up as she saw them and stood up to greet them.

“Oh, darling, who is this young man?” she asked, her gaze lingering on the wheelchair for a moment before smiling warmly, as if she hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

Hearing her call Qin Mingyuan “darling” in front of him made Yun Pei feel a bit awkward. Not sure how to address her, he stayed silent for the moment.

“He’s a friend,” Qin Mingyuan explained briefly, then looked down at Yun Pei. “This is my… mother. You can just call her Auntie.”

Mother? Yun Pei froze for a moment, recalling the things he had previously speculated. He suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, his expression becoming a little stiff.

Now that he took a closer look at her, he realized she didn’t appear as young as he had thought. The fine lines around her eyes were visible, though she was well-maintained and carried an elegant air. She certainly didn’t look like someone who had a son as old as Qin Mingyuan.

Not wanting to stare for too long, Yun Pei quickly dropped his gaze and softly greeted, “Hello, Auntie.”

“Hello, dear,” Zeng Lianyi responded warmly. She found him to be quite polite and likable, much softer than her son, who had only grown colder and more rigid with age. She observed the two of them, wondering how they could have possibly become friends, and smiled, narrowing her eyes. “Darling, you never told me you had a friend to bring home.”

Seeing the expression on her face, Qin Mingyuan knew she was probably imagining something ridiculous. He chose to stay quiet and didn’t answer.

Zeng Lianyi didn’t mind. She leaned down, took Yun Pei’s hand, and asked kindly, “What’s your name, dear?”

Startled by the warmth of her hand, Yun Pei, whose fingers were usually cold, felt a familiar twinge of emotion. It reminded him of being held by his mother’s hand as a child. He raised his eyes to meet hers and replied, “Yun Pei.”

“Yun Pei?” Zeng Lianyi repeated, her eyes suddenly brightening as she remembered something. Zhou Yang had mentioned before that the person her son liked was also a young master from the Yun family.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. He had brought the person home—could that mean something had progressed between them? Her blockheaded son finally made some headway? She had thought it would take at least another year or so!

Though her son was a bit slow on the uptake, he still had good looks. Plenty of people had shown interest in him, but Zeng Lianyi had never cared for those who had ulterior motives.

But this young man, Yun Pei, she liked. He might not talk or smile much, just like her son, but he was far more polite and his eyes were clear and innocent.

Having dealt with all kinds of people in her life, Zeng Lianyi prided herself on being able to tell someone’s intentions at a glance. And from what she could see, Yun Pei had none of the calculating looks she had often encountered.

She glanced at her son and said, “Darling, why don’t you go make a glass of juice for Xiao Pei?”

Qin Mingyuan was genuinely encountering someone this forward for the first time. He paused but then turned to head to the kitchen. After all, the juice Zeng Lianyi was drinking had originally been meant for Yun Pei.

With Qin Mingyuan busy in the kitchen, Zeng Lianyi gently led Yun Pei over to the sofa, lightly squeezing his fingers.

“Why are your hands so cold, Xiao Pei?” she asked with concern, covering his hand with both of hers to warm it up. She hadn’t noticed earlier because she was too caught up in the conversation.

Held between her two warm hands, the constant flow of warmth seeped into Yun Pei’s palm, making his heart feel a little bittersweet. “My health isn’t great. It’s always been like this.”

Hearing this, Zeng Lianyi glanced again at his legs, remembering something. She turned to the kitchen and called out, “Darling, forget the juice. Make some warm milk for Xiao Pei instead.”

Having just washed and peeled an orange, Qin Mingyuan paused and answered with an “Mm,” putting the orange back in the fridge. He took out some milk, poured it into a small bowl, and put it in the microwave to heat.

He glanced back at the living room while the milk heated, noticing how the sunlight had shifted further into the room, casting a warm glow over the decorative snake plants. The usually cold and hard atmosphere of his home suddenly felt much more inviting.

With a soft “ding,” the microwave signaled that the milk was ready. Qin Mingyuan retrieved a clean mug, poured the warmed milk into it, and carried it to the living room.

He handed the mug to Yun Pei, waiting for him to take it with both hands before sitting down on the sofa himself. “Why did you come by alone?” he asked.

He still couldn’t bring himself to call her in any affectionate way, so he simply left the title out altogether.

“I sent your father back to the villa first so he wouldn’t interrupt our mother-son time. I had Zhou Yang pick me up from the airport,” Zeng Lianyi replied nonchalantly, waving her hand. She had spent so much time with his father abroad that, now back, her son was naturally her priority.

Qin Mingyuan narrowed his eyes slightly. No wonder Zhou Yang had seemed so guilty when he called earlier—it was because he had been helping to hide the fact that his mother had returned.

He nodded. “Alright. I’ll have the driver take you back later.”

“Take me back? Nonsense!” Zeng Lianyi looked at him disapprovingly. “We’ll go together. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, of course we should have dinner together. I’ve already asked your father to have the housekeeper prepare extra dishes.”

Qin Mingyuan glanced at his watch. “I have to head to the company later.”

“Darling, don’t turn into your father. He used to be all about work—cold and dull. You spend 360 out of 365 days at the company. It’s rare for you to have a day off, so just enjoy it. Qin Corporation isn’t going to collapse just because you miss one day,” Zeng Lianyi said, shaking her head. Although she spent most of her time abroad, she was still familiar with her son’s daily life, often getting updates from Zhou Yang.

As for the matter of her son’s romantic pursuit, she had refrained from prying too much, respecting his privacy. She had hoped he would tell her about it himself, but to her surprise, it seemed like things had progressed significantly since she was now meeting the person in question directly.

Qin Mingyuan lowered his gaze without responding. Such affectionate nagging was unfamiliar to him. His grandfather had always emphasized managing the company, with their conversations revolving around business rather than his well-being or rest.

As for his parents, their relationship had always been distant. They didn’t live together and certainly never talked about such things.

Just as he was about to respond, the doorbell rang. He glanced over at Yun Pei, who was quietly sipping his milk without interrupting their conversation, and assumed it must be his driver delivering the clothes. He stood up to answer the door.

However, instead of the middle-aged driver he had seen twice before, it was a young man in a security uniform standing at the door, holding a paper bag. “Mr. Qin, a man at the front gate asked us to deliver this to you. Could you check if it’s yours?”

For the safety of the residents, the bag had already been inspected and contained nothing dangerous—just a few pieces of clothing.

Qin Mingyuan nodded, thanked the man, and closed the door. He brought the bag back to the living room, placing it on Yun Pei’s lap. “You can change into these now.”

After a moment’s pause, he added, “You can use my room to change. It’s just over there.”

Zeng Lianyi, who had been drinking her juice, smiled knowingly. He may not be great with relationships, but at least he was smart enough to invite Yun Pei into his private space to change clothes. How much more intimate could it get?

She cleared her throat and suggested, “Darling, why don’t you go with him? Xiao Pei might need some help.”

Qin Mingyuan, however, wasn’t thinking about that at all. His apartment had four rooms in total: one master bedroom, an adjoining walk-in closet, a study, and a guest room with a bathroom that had been converted into a gym. After all, the bathroom floor was still wet, and he didn’t want Yun Pei to risk another fall, so the most convenient place to change was his own bedroom.

“No need, I can manage on my own,” Yun Pei quickly declined. Without waiting for further discussion, he maneuvered his wheelchair out of the living room, even forgetting to protest about using Qin Mingyuan’s room.

Seeing how embarrassed Yun Pei was, Zeng Lianyi didn’t press the matter. After all, it was important to respect the young man’s boundaries. She turned to her son and said, “Darling, did you hear what I said earlier? You’re not going to the company today. We’ll head back to the villa together and have dinner.”

What could Qin Mingyuan say? He simply responded with a resigned “Mm.”

Zeng Lianyi’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she scooted closer to him. “Darling, why don’t we invite Xiao Pei to join us?”