No wonder he had someone investigate the relationship between Miss Xie and Lian Qing. It took such a long time because the information showed that their blood relation was not deep.

Lian Qing’s background had little to do with the Miss Xie who bore some resemblance to him. Instead, it was connected to the maternal family of Miss Xie, the Zhao family.

He had never expected that Lian Qing was originally supposed to be from a wealthy family. His father was a talented young man and the eldest son of the main branch of the Zhao family, which had been declining in recent years within the upper-class society. However, this young man fell in love with an orphan girl who had been supported by their family.

Naturally, this love affair was not approved by the Zhao family. As the carefully cultivated heir of the family, how could he marry a woman who lacked abilities and had no prestigious background?

But the eldest son of the Zhao family was also stubborn. He directly left the Zhao family with his lover, rented a house, and worked to make a living. They even got married and had a child. Although their life as a family of three was somewhat difficult, it was also fulfilling and warm.

However, the main branch of the Zhao family only had two children in this generation: an outstanding eldest son and a mediocre second son. As the second son couldn’t satisfy the family’s expectations, and considering the sudden illness of the patriarch of the Zhao family, who happened to be Lian Qing’s grandfather, the Zhao family decided to recall the eldest son and accept his wife and child.

Unfortunately, before the eldest son could return to the family, a fire occurred, and both he and his wife died tragically. Their child disappeared without a trace in the fire.

Yu Wenning gritted his teeth in frustration. If this incident was an accident, it would be too coincidental. Moreover, the Zhao family surprisingly did not make a significant effort to search for the child at that time, which was unusual.

It was possible that someone intentionally hid the child or even disposed of the child directly. Upon careful consideration, the person who benefited the most from this situation was the second son of the Zhao family. Without the eldest son, his wife, and their grandson, it naturally fell into his hands.

As for why the patriarch of the Zhao family didn’t come forward to stop this or increase the manpower to search for the child, it was currently unknown. Yu Wenning speculated that the elderly Zhao patriarch might have been seriously ill at the time and eager to pass on the leadership of the conglomerate.

The choice was between the mature but mediocre second son or an unseen and unknown baby, whose abilities were unclear, and to uncover the truth behind the death of the eldest son and his wife. Given the priority of family interests for the patriarch, the choice was obvious.

Flipping to the next page, the content obtained by Yu Wenning from the secretary and lover of the second son of the Zhao family made his face darken even more.

Not only did the second son of the Zhao family take the lives of Lian Qing’s parents, but he also intended to kill Lian Qing himself. The reason was that the current leader of the Zhao conglomerate was mediocre in abilities, and the next generation was even worse. Seeing the decline of the Zhao family step by step, the elderly Zhao patriarch had the idea of finding his eldest son’s child and seeing if they could be nurtured as the next heir.

Unfortunately, while he was searching for Lian Qing, the second son of the Zhao family also discovered his secret actions. Consequently, he developed the intention to kill Lian Qing before the elderly patriarch could meet him.

The car accident that Lian Qing encountered on the day of the college entrance examination was indeed orchestrated by the second son of the Zhao family. Their original plan was to ambush him on the road he usually took down the mountain, kill him, and then throw him down the mountain, making it look like an accidental fall.

However, unfortunately, on that very day, Lian Qing was in a hurry to take Yu Wenning, whom he had found halfway, to the hospital. They took a shortcut down the mountain, so the ambush failed.

When they eventually found Lian Qing’s trace again, they made a spontaneous decision to directly hit him with a car and then escape.

Later on, the elderly patriarch of the Zhao family discovered this matter. Feeling chilled, and considering the family’s interests and Lian Qing’s personal safety, he had to make an agreement with the second son of the Zhao family—neither of them would pursue Lian Qing any further.

Unbeknownst to Lian Qing, he was abandoned and forgotten like that.

Yu Wenning pressed his lips together, veins bulging on his forehead, unsure whether he should let Lian Qing know about his true background.

Should he tell Lian Qing that he was originally a wealthy young Shifu who should have had loving parents and been raised as an elegant nobleman?

But his parents were murdered by his own uncle, and he was thrown down the mountainside by his uncle, only to be saved by his Shifu?

Should he also tell him that the car accident he had experienced over two years ago was not an accident caused by his carelessness but an intentional act by his close relative?

Yu Wenning couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Lian Qing had the right to know these things, but what would happen after he knew? He would be upset, nostalgic, heartbroken, and might even want to learn about his parents and seek revenge for them.

However, he would never feel happy and joyous about it.

So, was it necessary for Yu Wenning to tell Lian Qing?

He didn’t want to.

Rather than burdening him with those distressing matters and causing him more anguish, it would be better to say nothing at all. Yu Wenning was never good at being rational. He just wanted to see Lian Qing happy every day, like a little sun. He didn’t want his little sun to be overshadowed.

However, the Zhao family… the second son of the Zhao family and the elderly patriarch…

He would never let them off easily, especially the second son of the Zhao family, who was responsible for the lives of Lian Qing’s parents and repeatedly harmed Lian Qing.

He didn’t care about that scheming and crumbling family, nor did he care about those selfish relatives who were just as despicable as the people in his own family.

…

There wasn’t much content left in the drama “Bondless Frost and Snow.” After six intense days of filming, Lian Qing’s scenes officially concluded.

He was the last actor to finish filming on the set, and they didn’t wrap up until after 6 p.m. that evening. After the wrap, he took the initiative to treat everyone to a meal. These past few days, due to his injury, it had indeed delayed everyone’s progress. Moreover, since joining the crew, he had indulged in the snacks, treats, and drinks that everyone fed him.

The dinner didn’t finish until past 9 p.m. Apart from Lian Qing, who abstained from certain dishes due to dietary restrictions, almost everyone got drunk.

It wasn’t until he saw off everyone being picked up that he felt relieved and went to the airport with Chen Qi, heading back home.

On the way, he noticed Chen Qi frequently glancing at him and curiously asked, “Chen ge, what’s wrong?”

Chen Qi hesitated for a moment and said, “I think we don’t have to rush like this. After all, you don’t have any engagements for the next two days. Filming has been so tiring for you, so you should rest well tonight and return tomorrow.”

“No, I can’t wait,” Lian Qing leaned back and sighed, “A day apart feels like three autumns. I haven’t seen my significant other for eighteen years.”

“Oh, you’re quite the romantic!” Chen Qi chuckled.

“Of course, I was always one of the top students in math back in school.” Lian Qing was somewhat proud. He wasn’t naturally smart, but he was willing to work hard. During his school days, he could consistently rank in the top five of his class in almost every subject.

Chen Qi shook his head, laughing, thinking that these two big guys talking about love were unexpectedly sweet. He used to have doubts about their relationship and always felt that Lian Qing was not mature enough when it came to emotions. But now it seemed that because of that immaturity, their relationship appeared even more precious and passionate.

Love that can be controlled at will either lacks depth or loves oneself too much.

After hesitating for a while, Chen Qi finally asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time, “Little monk, what would you do if someday someone captured a photo of you and Mr. Yu holding hands or something like that?”

Chen Qi had been curious because in these past few days, he noticed that Lian Qing didn’t seem to deliberately keep his distance when interacting with Mr. Yu. With Lian Qing’s current popularity, if this continued, it was only a matter of time before such a thing was discovered. Mr. Yu wasn’t invincible either, and not everything could be suppressed.

Lian Qing didn’t hesitate in his response, “Then we’ll just go public.”

“But that way, you might lose a lot of fans and face severe criticism. Moreover, you might not be able to continue as an actor,” Chen Qi spoke realistically.

Although there are many calls for respect towards same-sex relationships in society nowadays, there are still many people who strongly oppose such relationships. Especially middle-aged and elderly individuals, as well as some young people heavily influenced by them, see same-sex relationships as sinful.

As a public figure, if such news were to come out, it could easily ruin one’s career.

Although many of Lian Qing’s fans ship the Qing/Wenning couple, whether they could accept it if fiction turned into reality remained to be seen. Furthermore, after coming out, there would definitely be many celebrities, directors, and others who would be hesitant to work with him due to his gay identity.

“That’s fine, then I won’t do it anymore.” Li Qing was quite optimistic. “Although I really enjoy acting and I’m quite attached to those lovely fans, family is still more important.”

A lover is also family, and in Li Qing’s heart, they are as important as his Shifu and junior Shixiong. While being a celebrity and acting have become his profession and hobby, they are far less important than family.

Chen Qi couldn’t help but laugh. The response was very “Little Monk” of him. He shook his head, realizing that Li Qing was still young…

He thought that at least Li Qing was mentally prepared. If it really came to that point, he wouldn’t be so helpless and distressed.

After rushing back overnight, it was already 1:30 a.m. when Li Qing arrived home. As he looked up from downstairs, he noticed that the lights were still on in his eldest brother’s house.

He instantly felt displeased, thinking that his brother was staying up late again!

Taking his luggage from Chen Qi’s hands, he said, “Chen Ge, just leave it here. You go back and stay safe, okay?”

“I’d rather escort you to your doorstep,” Chen Qi said, concerned.

“No need, really. Our security here is always good, and you know that nothing will happen.”

Chen Qi looked at him somewhat uneasily, then glanced up at the apartment building. Finally, he nodded slightly and said, “Alright then, get some rest and call me if you need anything.”

“Okay. Goodbye, Chen Ge. Be careful on your way back!”

“Okay.”

After seeing off Chen Qi, Li Qing slowly entered the building and took the elevator. It didn’t take long before he stood outside Yu Wenning’s door.

He lightly knocked on the door, but there was no response. He thought for a moment, took out a key from his backpack, and opened the door.

The apartment was quiet, with only some noise coming from the bathroom.

Li Qing’s eyes flickered with a plan. He lifted the suitcase and quietly placed it in the corner of the balcony. Then he looked around for a moment, hid behind a corner, and nervously stared at the movement in the bathroom.

After a short while, the sound of running water in the bathroom stopped, and soon after, the door opened. Li Qing became even more nervous, licked his lips, and listened carefully.

When the faint footsteps passed by him, he extended two fingers from his right hand and quickly reached out to press against the lower back of the person passing by him, lowering his voice in a sinister tone, “Don’t move!”

Through the thin sleepwear, he felt the muscles in the person’s lower back tense up instantly. In the next second, that person turned around and swung something at Li Qing’s forehead.

Li Qing was instantly frightened, quickly retreating. But unfortunately, that person continued to wield the weapon with precision, aiming directly at Li Qing’s face. He had no way to retreat any further and could only jump onto the dining table, shouting, “Stop! It’s me!”

Yu Wenning’s actions paused, and the weapon landed on the table with a loud thud. He looked up, shocked and angry, and said, “What are you doing?!”

Li Qing nervously and guiltily looked at him, then glanced at the hairdryer with a small piece chipped off at the edge of the table. He couldn’t help but swallow nervously.

“I… I just wanted to surprise you…”

“Thanks to you, it’s not a pleasant surprise!” Yu Wenning said irritably. “Your acting skills have improved, huh? You can even disguise your voice completely!”

That voice, cold and eerie, made people feel that this wasn’t a good person. Yu Wenning had never heard Li Qing speak in such a voice or tone before. For a moment, he even thought that someone had broken into their home to rob them or that someone from his father’s side had come to murder him.

“Ha… Haha…” Lian Qing awkwardly chuckled and said, “Thanks to Director Li’s excellent guidance, haha…”

“Who’s laughing with you? Be serious!” Yu Wenning remained expressionless.

Lian Qing quickly stood up straight, looking down at him with a pitiful expression in his eyes.

Unfortunately, Yu Wenning wasn’t falling for his act. He spoke coldly, “Do you know what you did wrong?”

“Yes, I know.” Lian Qing consciously grabbed his ears with both hands, imitating the way his Shidi usually admitted his mistakes. He crouched on the dining table and said in a grievous tone, “I shouldn’t have come back without informing you in advance, and I shouldn’t have secretly hid to scare you.”

“What else?” Yu Wenning asked, sternly resembling a disciplinary headShifu.

He’s really angry! If by any chance he accidentally hit Lian Qing just now, what would he do? And what if the object in his hand wasn’t a hairdryer, but a knife or something!

“Also… also…” Lian Qing thought for a while but couldn’t remember anything else.

Suddenly, Yu Wenning reached out and lifted him onto his shoulder.

“Hey, what are you doing, big brother…”

“You idiot!”

“No, my luggage is still on the balcony!”

“Bring it in tomorrow.”

“But I haven’t taken a shower yet…”

“Do it after you finish!”

“Wait, big brother, I admit my mistake, I really do…”

“Quiet, don’t move around!”

“Big brother, I’m hungry. Let me eat first before doing anything…”

“It’s fine, I’ll feed you until you’re full!”

“No, I mean I want food, meat. Let me have a meal first…”