A few days later, Ke Mingxuan sent Bian Yiqiu onto the flight to the United States. He Shuo and Zuo Cheng accompanied him, while Ye Zhen and Lao Meng stayed behind to manage the company. The local reception staff and hospital experts in the U.S. had already been arranged, so they would head straight to the hospital upon arrival. The surgery was scheduled for half a month later.

The truth was, Bian Yiqiu’s head injury could have been operated on domestically, but Ke Mingxuan insisted on sending him abroad. The first reason was that the medical technology in the U.S. offered more reliable results with lower risks. After all, it was a brain surgery, and they couldn’t afford to take any chances. The second reason was that, although the Ke and Feng families had not strongly opposed their relationship this time—thanks to Bian Yiqiu’s miraculous survival—they still hadn’t fully accepted it. Sending Bian Yiqiu abroad for a while was a way to ease the tension between the two families, giving everyone time to cool off and creating space for calmer, more productive negotiations.

The brief separation was for the sake of a better future, so there was nothing to feel sentimental about. The two men definitely wouldn’t act all mushy in public. After handling the check-in procedures, Boss Bian checked the time and was about to turn and leave.

Ke Mingxuan suddenly grabbed his arm. “Don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”

Bian Yiqiu thought for a moment and said, “Behave yourself at home.”

Ke Mingxuan curved his lips into a smile. “Anything else?”

Bian Yiqiu thought again, then replied, “Come over earlier.”

Ke Mingxuan’s smile grew more obvious. “Come over earlier for what?”

Bian Yiqiu leaned in close to his ear, speaking in a tone only the two of them could hear. “Either fuck you, or let you fuck me.”

Young Master Ke was left dry-mouthed by this guy’s blunt, no-holds-barred flirting, completely indifferent to the setting. If it weren’t for the time crunch, he honestly would’ve pushed him straight into the VIP lounge to have his way with him.

Seeing his reaction, Bian Yiqiu smirked mischievously and flashed a grin. “I’m leaving.”

Without waiting for Ke Mingxuan to react, he took a long stride and walked off, not even glancing back.

Flirting and running off like that— Boss Bian really wasn’t playing fair. Yet, at that moment, Young Master Ke had no way to stop him. With Bian Yiqiu’s current condition, even if he wanted to, he couldn’t bring himself to lay a hand on him.

Who would’ve thought that the arrogant, carefree, and charming Young Master Ke would end up falling for someone like this?

He watched Bian Yiqiu’s tall and upright figure grow further away in his sight. After passing through security, Bian Yiqiu cheekily turned around and blew him a kiss, then was dragged away by He Xu and Zuo Cheng, who couldn’t bear to watch.

Ke Mingxuan muttered a playful “idiot” and turned to leave the airport.

When Mingxuan returned to his family home, Commander Ke wasn’t there, and Feng Shuxian was in the kitchen cooking with the auntie. Surprised to see him back so soon, she quickly asked the auntie to take out the Vietnamese prawns from the fridge to thaw and prepare a couple more dishes.

Ke Mingxuan told her not to bother and to simply prepare whatever was available.

Feng Shuxian paused briefly before asking, “Since when did you become so polite with your mom?”

Caught off guard, Ke Mingxuan hesitated, looking slightly awkward as he replied, “Mom, I didn’t mean anything by it…”

“I know you didn’t,” Feng Shuxian said with a forced smile. “Just sit down, the food will be ready soon.”

In the evening, when Commander Ke returned home, the three of them sat down for dinner. He neither scolded nor reprimanded Ke Mingxuan and didn’t say a single word to him. Instead, he spoke with Feng Shuxian, mentioning how he had to swallow his pride but finally managed to stabilize things with Minister Chen.

Feng Shuxian cast a glance at her son, but Ke Mingxuan kept his head down, silently focusing on his meal, seemingly uninterested in the conversation.

After dinner, Commander Ke went upstairs to his study, slamming the door shut as though his son didn’t exist.

Feng Shuxian could feel the tense atmosphere between the father and son. The weight of it was hard for her to bear, but she didn’t know how to resolve it. Lost in thought, she found herself absentmindedly staring at the dinner table.

Ke Mingxuan walked up behind her, wrapping his arms gently around her. “Mom,” he called softly.

Feng Shuxian snapped out of her thoughts and, in an attempt to sound lighthearted, patted his hand. “You’re all grown up now, yet you’re still acting like a child.”

“No matter how old I get, I’ll always be your son,” Ke Mingxuan replied, resting his chin on her shoulder. After a brief silence, he added softly, “I’m sorry.”

Hearing his apology, Feng Shuxian’s eyes instantly reddened, but she forced herself to hold back her tears. “There are so many good girls out there. Don’t you want to try again?”

Ke Mingxuan’s expression turned serious. “Mom, it’s not about girls, or even men. I love Bian Yiqiu for who he is. His gender doesn’t matter to me.”

Feng Shuxian’s face clouded with sorrow as she sank into the chair, overwhelmed and at a loss. This kind of love was something she couldn’t understand.

Ke Mingxuan moved closer, kneeling halfway in front of her, and gently took her hand in his. Looking up at her, he said earnestly, “Mom, he and I have been through life and death together. We’ve walked through hell and come back. There’s nothing that can separate us now. Apart from you and Dad, he’s the person I love most in this world, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I know it’s hard for you to accept right now, but I hope you can give me some time, to prove that the person I’ve chosen and the path I’ve decided to take aren’t mistakes.”

Feng Shuxian stared at her son, tears brimming in her eyes, and finally, they spilled over. How could a mother not be moved by the unwavering love in her son’s eyes, by the conviction in his words?

Unlike her husband, she wasn’t fixated on the Ke family’s reputation or status. What had always weighed on her mind was a mother’s worry: would her son truly be happy, being with someone like Bian Yiqiu?

Over the past weeks, she had learned all she could about Bian Yiqiu from her brother. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t worried. But ever since that day two months ago, when Bian Yiqiu had been gravely injured and her son abandoned his parents, his bride, and all the wedding guests to run to his side, she had known there was no turning back.

No matter how much she had hoped for an ideal daughter-in-law, that dream was gone forever.

If she chose to accept it, she would carry her own heartbreak. If she didn’t, her son would bear the pain. And as a mother, there was nothing she could do but prioritize her son’s happiness, even if it hurt her.

By the time Ke Mingxuan left the house, Feng Shuxian still hadn’t given a definitive answer, but her tone had noticeably softened. She even asked a few questions about Bian Yiqiu’s recovery.

Ke Mingxuan explained that he had sent him off earlier that afternoon. The medical advancements in the U.S. meant lower surgical risks, making it the better option.

Feng Shuxian nodded but didn’t say anything more. Before leaving, Ke Mingxuan looked up at the study on the second floor. Feng Shuxian followed his gaze and said, “You know your dad’s temper… take it slow.”

Of course, Ke Mingxuan knew his father wouldn’t be swayed by just a few words. The fact that his mother’s attitude had softened was already an unexpectedly positive outcome.

In the days that followed, Ke Mingxuan focused on handling company affairs at He Sheng Media. With plans to stay in the U.S. for an extended period, he needed to delegate some of his responsibilities and authority to Pei Siyuan. Of course, he framed it as an initiative to expand into overseas markets, conveniently leaving Pei Siyuan in charge of overseeing the headquarters.

Pei Siyuan rolled his eyes so hard it almost seemed like they would roll out of his head. “Can you be any more shameless? Just admit you’re going to be with President Bian. What’s with this ridiculous excuse about expanding overseas markets? How do you even say that with a straight face?”

Ke Mingxuan gave him a look as if to say, “What’s wrong with going to be with my wife?”

Pei Siyuan was left speechless and had to admit defeat.

Before they could finish their conversation, Secretary Lisa called through on the internal line to announce that General Manager Li from Fengze Trading had arrived.

“Tell him I’m not in—”

Ke Mingxuan’s words were abruptly cut off as the office door swung open. Li Ze stepped inside just in time to catch the tail end of the sentence, his expression visibly souring.

Pei Siyuan, holding a file, walked out and greeted Li Ze politely.

Ke Mingxuan calmly hung up the phone, turned around, and smiled. “Ah Ze, what brings you here? Come on in and sit down.”