“What choice?” Wang Zhigang looked up at Qin Mingyuan, his expression hesitant.

“Stand up first,” Qin Mingyuan said, not interested in making someone talk while kneeling, gesturing for him to get up.

Wang Zhigang glanced at Yun Pei, who kept his eyes lowered and remained silent. He slowly stood up with the help of the bed, though he kept his back bent, appearing submissive and fearful.

Qin Mingyuan rested one hand on the wheelchair’s backrest and the other in his pants pocket. He glanced sideways at the person on the hospital bed. “I can cover your son’s medical expenses and help find a suitable bone marrow match. I’ll also arrange for a skilled doctor to perform the surgery.”

Wang Zhigang’s body shook. He looked at Qin Mingyuan in disbelief, his mouth opening as if to speak, but he calmed down when he noticed Yun Pei. “What do you want in return?”

Qin Mingyuan’s hand moved from the wheelchair to gently massage the back of Yun Pei’s neck, soothing his lover. “You’ll take what you have and turn yourself in. Tell the authorities everything about what happened back then.”

Wang Zhigang fell silent, lowering his head as if deep in thought.

Qin Mingyuan wasn’t in a hurry. He continued to rub the soft skin under his hand, easing Yun Pei’s emotions.

“If I do as you say,” Wang Zhigang finally spoke, his fists clenched at his sides, “you must promise that my son will recover and be discharged in good health. You must also sponsor his education, all the way until he graduates from university.”

If he turned himself in, he would undoubtedly go to prison. He didn’t know how long his sentence would be, but any crime connected to a life would be severe.

His family had already been drained of their savings due to his son’s illness, and he had to secure his son’s and his family’s future.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t immediately respond to his demands, but his gaze was filled with disdain, which made Wang Zhigang lower his head once again.

Qin Mingyuan curled his lips in a mocking smile. “So greedy. No wonder you were able to do something like that for money back then.”

Wang Zhigang’s face paled at his words, but for his son’s sake, he didn’t argue.

“What I’m offering you is what I said. As for his future…” Qin Mingyuan’s cold gaze bored into him. “That’s up to him.”

Wang Zhigang opened his mouth to protest, but Qin Mingyuan raised a hand to stop him.

“You can refuse me, of course. But think about it carefully. Can Huo Lijuan give you the same guarantees? Will she make sure your son recovers?” Qin Mingyuan wasn’t going to promise more than necessary and didn’t want to waste more time discussing it.

Wang Zhigang’s face darkened. Other than arranging for his son to be admitted to this hospital, Huo Lijuan had done little else to help, and he didn’t dare push her too far, fearing she’d cut ties completely.

Seeing his silence, Qin Mingyuan pressed on, “Consider this: if she was willing to kill to marry into the Yun family back then, what makes you think she wouldn’t find someone to deal with you now? She’s the Yun family’s matriarch now, with far more power and money than before. Isn’t it possible she’d hire someone just as greedy as you?”

Each question made Wang Zhigang’s face turn even paler, and his pupils trembled. He was clearly shaken.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t push further, allowing Wang Zhigang time to think. He knew that the relationship between Wang Zhigang and Huo Lijuan was just a shallow business transaction, and now that Wang Zhigang was going back on their deal, there was no way Huo Lijuan would tolerate being blackmailed.

Wang Zhigang knew this deep down, too. He had no other choice before, but now, another option was in front of him.

He turned to look at the bed. His son or himself?

The room fell into a long silence, broken only by the steady beeping of the medical equipment.

Finally, Wang Zhigang seemed to come to a decision. His eyes red, he turned and said with resignation, “If you ensure my son’s surgery goes well, I’ll turn myself in.”

However, Qin Mingyuan shook his head. “I don’t trust you. If you back out after the surgery, I can’t exactly take the bone marrow back out of your son.”

Wang Zhigang knew Qin Mingyuan doubted his integrity due to his dealings with Huo Lijuan. He had nothing to say in his defense, so he gritted his teeth and asked, “Then what do you want?”

Uncompromising as ever, Qin Mingyuan replied, “I’ll find a suitable bone marrow match for your son, and you’ll turn yourself in. Afterward, I’ll arrange the surgery.”

Wang Zhigang lowered his eyes, thinking for a moment. Then he looked up and asked, “And why should I trust you? We’ve only just met today. I don’t know anything about you. If I get arrested and you don’t follow through with the surgery, I’d have no recourse.”

Qin Mingyuan had anticipated this question. Without further explanation, he pulled a gold-embossed business card from his pocket and handed it to Wang Zhigang.

Wang Zhigang hesitated before taking it. The first thing he saw was the name, followed by the title printed below it. He froze in shock. “You’re the president of the Qin Corporation?”

“You saw it, didn’t you?” Qin Mingyuan gestured toward the card in his hand.

Wang Zhigang looked down at the words again, making sure he hadn’t misread them.

Even as an ordinary person, Wang Zhigang knew exactly what kind of power and influence the Qin Corporation wielded in A City. The leader of such a group had no reason to deceive someone as insignificant as him. Covering his son’s surgery would be nothing more than pocket change.

Still, if he had so much money, why wouldn’t he just provide full support for his son’s future…

The thought of asking Qin Mingyuan to sponsor his son’s education reappeared in Wang Zhigang’s mind.

“Don’t even think about it,” Qin Mingyuan cut him off, as though reading his thoughts. “The Qin Corporation donates a lot to charity each year and has sponsored plenty of students. While I don’t care about the money, I’m not going to spend another penny on your son.”

Caught in his scheming, Wang Zhigang bit his lip and remained silent. He wanted to ask why, but when his gaze swept over Yun Pei, he swallowed his words.

Of course. The fact that Qin Mingyuan was here with Yun Pei, negotiating on his behalf, meant that their relationship was anything but ordinary. Naturally, he’d hold a grudge against someone who had harmed Yun Pei.

For a moment, Wang Zhigang didn’t know what to say.

“You don’t have to trust me,” Qin Mingyuan said coldly. “But let me tell you this: even if you don’t turn yourself in, I can still uncover the truth of what happened back then. It might take a little more effort, but do you really think you’ll be able to stay out of it when that happens?”

His eyes were sharp as he continued, “Turning yourself in and getting arrested are two very different things.”

Wang Zhigang stared at the card in his hand, knowing that everything Qin Mingyuan said was true. With his power and resources, it was only a matter of time before the truth was exposed.

“I’ll give you some time to think it over,” Qin Mingyuan added, glancing toward the hospital bed. “But how much time does your son have left to wait? That, I don’t know.”

With that, Qin Mingyuan didn’t wait for a response. He simply pushed Yun Pei out of the room.

The more time Wang Zhigang had to think, the more fears would plague him. Qin Mingyuan knew Wang Zhigang would eventually call him back.

They returned to the parking lot, where the two of them got into the car. Qin Mingyuan pulled a recording device from his pocket. “If he refuses to turn himself in, we have another plan. This can’t be used as direct evidence, but at the very least, it gives us a lead for further investigation.”

Just as he had said, Qin Mingyuan didn’t trust Wang Zhigang, so he had recorded their conversation as a precaution. Even if it couldn’t be used as evidence in court, it could serve as leverage.

Yun Pei glanced at the recorder and nodded. He seemed tired, despite not having said much toward the end of their conversation.

Qin Mingyuan put the recorder away, then reached over to touch Yun Pei’s head. “Tired?”

Yun Pei nodded, his voice hoarse when he spoke. “I want to go home.”

“Alright, let’s go home now.” Without saying more, Qin Mingyuan leaned over to buckle Yun Pei’s seatbelt, then started the car.

Throughout the ride, Yun Pei remained quiet, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping. Qin Mingyuan knew he was awake but didn’t disturb him.

When they reached the underground parking lot of their apartment, Qin Mingyuan parked the Maybach in its spot.

He looked over at the peaceful figure in the passenger seat before getting out of the car. Instead of retrieving the wheelchair from the trunk, he walked around to the other side and opened the door. Leaning in, he unfastened Yun Pei’s seatbelt.

Yun Pei opened his eyes, watching as Qin Mingyuan kissed him lightly on the forehead. He wrapped his arms around Qin Mingyuan’s neck as he was lifted out of the car.

Curled up in his arms, Yun Pei buried his face in Qin Mingyuan’s neck. Qin Mingyuan kicked the car door shut and carried him into the elevator.

When they reached their floor, Qin Mingyuan gently reminded Yun Pei to hold on tightly to his neck as he used one hand to unlock the door.

Qin Mingyuan carried Yun Pei into their bedroom, placing him softly on the bed. Yun Pei’s arms slipped from around his neck as he propped himself up slightly, looking at him. He reached out and stroked Qin Mingyuan’s face.

“Qin Mingyuan,” Yun Pei called his name softly. When the man responded with a quiet hum, Yun Pei opened his eyes. His voice, low and hoarse, was filled with emotion as he said, “He traded my mother’s life for a million yuan.”

Qin Mingyuan’s hand froze. He watched as Yun Pei’s eyes slowly turned red. With a sigh, he leaned down and kissed his eyelids, feeling the dampness of tears on his lips.

As he pulled away, Yun Pei blinked and continued, “I feel like I’m a terrible person. When I saw that child lying in bed, I didn’t feel sorry for him at all. I didn’t sympathize. All I wanted to say to that man was, ‘Look, this is your karma.’”

“No, that’s not terrible,” Qin Mingyuan replied as he lay down beside him, pulling him into a tight embrace. “It’s a perfectly normal reaction. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Back then, Wang Zhigang had sacrificed someone’s life for the sake of his own child. Now, his own son had fallen ill. In a way, it truly was karma.

That child was both innocent and not. Innocent in the sense that he hadn’t done anything and likely didn’t know about his father’s actions. Not innocent because the blood money had been spent on him.

When one benefits from the wrongdoing, there are always consequences.

Yun Pei shook his head slightly in Qin Mingyuan’s arms, but he didn’t speak. It was unclear what he wanted to convey.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t push for more answers. He simply nuzzled the top of Yun Pei’s head with his chin, his hand lightly patting his back.

The room was quiet, the gloomy sky outside letting in no light, much like the mood inside Yun Pei’s heart.

He curled deeper into Qin Mingyuan’s chest, his face pressed against his lover’s heartbeat. At least he still had this warmth.

Gradually, his breathing evened out, and Qin Mingyuan’s hand stopped its gentle patting. He glanced down at the sleeping figure and kissed the tip of his nose.

The tenderness left his face as his expression grew cold.

Wang Zhigang likely hadn’t lied. The details of his deal with Huo Lijuan had been fairly accurate. But there was one thing that didn’t sit right.

Qin Mingyuan had reviewed the accident reports. The car had lost control and crashed into a roadside flowerbed, with enough force to cause the vehicle to flip.

The area where the accident occurred had surveillance. Normally, an accident of this nature would have prompted a thorough investigation, and any mechanical issues with the car should have been uncovered. Once that happened, other suspicions would naturally arise.

But the investigation into this case had been abruptly cut off, hastily ruled as an accident.

There was only one possible explanation for this: someone had paid to have it covered up.

At the time, Huo Lijuan had only been a mistress kept outside the family. Offering Wang Zhigang one million yuan for the tampering had already been a stretch. Qin Mingyuan didn’t believe she had the power to suppress an entire investigation.

So who else, aside from her, had been involved in this cover-up?

Qin Mingyuan’s eyes narrowed, his presence becoming intimidating. The tension in his body made Yun Pei stir uncomfortably in his sleep, so Qin Mingyuan quickly softened his expression, gently patting his back.

Once Yun Pei’s breathing returned to its steady rhythm, Qin Mingyuan stopped his movements, his gaze softening as he brushed a lock of hair away from Yun Pei’s eyes.

No matter what, as long as he was here, he wouldn’t let anyone hurt Yun Pei again.