“What do I need to do for you to believe me?”

Yu Qingyue looked at Yu Wanlai, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly before quickly smoothing it out. He spoke slowly, deliberately dragging out the suspense, “Unless…”

Yu Wanlai immediately picked up on it, without hesitation, “Unless what?”

Yu Qingyue finally finished his sentence, “Unless you explain everything to me in detail, tell me everything you know, then I’ll consider trusting you.” As he spoke, he slightly raised his chin, as if his trust was a very precious thing.

Yu Wanlai sat back in the chair, furrowing his brows in thought, as if making a significant decision. The Yu family had kept this secret for so long, so they must have their own reasons. And anyway, this was a matter that should ideally come from the person involved; anyone else speaking about it could just cause trouble. But now, it seemed that whether he spoke or not, it would raise suspicions. Yu Qingyue already knew, so revealing it couldn’t be considered a betrayal or a disturbance. After all, his life depended on the main character.

After some thought, Yu Wanlai clenched his teeth, then suddenly looked up at Yu Qingyue, his expression firm as if making an important decision in his life.

“I can tell you, but after I do, you must promise that you will trust me from now on, and never doubt me again, including about this matter!”

Yu Qingyue’s eyes darkened as he stared at Yu Wanlai and nodded, “Deal.”

Regarding this matter, the original novel didn’t provide much detail, as it was a conflict from the previous generation. Yu Wanlai picked and chose his words carefully, organizing what he knew and what wouldn’t sound out of place as he explained things to Yu Qingyue.

The truth was quite simple: when Qin Shuang was in college, she was young and innocent, and one of the male students from her department, who had aspirations of advancing his career, took an interest in her. At first, she rejected him, but over time, she couldn’t resist his persistent courting. Not long after they got together, her family found out. However, her family didn’t approve of their relationship, and the scumbag, resentful of how Qin Shuang’s family treated him coldly, thought they looked down on him. He tricked Qin Shuang into living with him and often stayed out.

Before long, Qin Shuang became pregnant, and her family reluctantly agreed to their relationship, but before agreeing, they decided to test the man. As soon as he heard there was an opportunity to go abroad for study along with 10 million, he immediately agreed to break up with Qin Shuang and left the country with his bags.

Qin Shuang received a breakup text out of the blue and couldn’t get in touch with him anymore. At this time, Yu Cheng, who had grown up with Qin Shuang, was tired of being pressured into arranged marriages by his family. Seeing Qin Shuang crying every day, he couldn’t bear it and proposed an alliance between their families. Both families were old friends with equal status, and a marriage between them would elevate both sides, so they agreed happily.

Qin Shuang, having been hurt in her first love, didn’t hesitate much and agreed. She had prepared herself to be respectful and polite in her marriage, but to her surprise, Yu Cheng didn’t care about her past and treated her even better than before. Their relationship warmed over time, and they walked through life together for many years, up to the present day.

However, Yu Wanlai didn’t reveal all the details. After all, he had only returned to the Yu family a few years ago, so knowing all of this seemed too calculating and strange. He only told Yu Qingyue that he was not Yu Cheng’s biological son, and that Yu Qingyue’s father knew this and had told him, repeatedly emphasizing how well Yu Cheng had treated him and advising him not to bother with Qi Heng.

The name of the scumbag wasn’t mentioned in the original book. When Yu Qingyue first asked him, Yu Wanlai really didn’t know, and he only pieced together the name from the story.

Yu Qingyue gave him a strange look, not understanding why he was emphasizing how good Yu Cheng was to him. He just wanted to know the truth, especially since this matter had been hanging over their heads for so long. Why not resolve it sooner? He didn’t understand why everyone was keeping it from him. It was his own matter, but he was the last to know.

Yu Qingyue’s eyes darkened, and he stared at his knees, struggling to hold back the tears. He suddenly remembered that he had once doubted if his mother had betrayed his father. Qin Shuang must have been very disappointed in him. A mixture of emotions surged within him, and for a moment, he felt overwhelmed. But it wasn’t intentional. He had just been struck by the unexpected phone call and the news that came with it, which hit him like a ton of bricks. Alone in the quiet hospital room, his thoughts were torn back and forth. All the bad thoughts that had once crossed his mind rushed back in, and he couldn’t shake them off. He had always been the one who should have trusted his mother the most.

Yu Wanlai watched as Yu Qingyue remained silent for a long time. He too fell silent. The room became so quiet that even the sound of a needle falling could be heard.

Qin Shuang stood at the door, her hand resting on the doorknob, caught between the dilemma of entering or not. Then, she spotted Yu Cheng approaching from a distance. With a glance at the room, she stepped forward and grabbed him, pulling him out of the room.

After all, Yu Qingyue already knew everything. At this point, even if they went in suddenly, it wouldn’t change anything. They both wouldn’t know how to face it, so it was better to let the child stay quiet for now.

Yu Qingyue had been curled up in bed for a long time, hugging his legs without moving. Yu Wanlai wasn’t sure if his calf had been burned earlier and was about to reach over to check. Just as he extended his hand to move Yu Qingyue’s leg, he noticed a damp mark on his knee.

Yu Wanlai: …This is bad, he made the male lead cry! Is there still hope?

Yu Qingyue’s wound on his back hadn’t been stitched up yet, and any sudden movement could cause it to tear. He didn’t dare to exert too much strength, and when he tried to resist Yu Wanlai’s touch, he was easily moved aside.

Yu Wanlai sat on the bed, lifted Yu Qingyue’s face, and grabbed a tissue to wipe his face. He didn’t know how to comfort others, but he was afraid Yu Qingyue might hold a grudge against him, so he couldn’t just ignore it either.

The tissue wasn’t of the best quality, and some bits of it stuck to Yu Qingyue’s face. Yu Wanlai reached out, intending to use his finger to remove them.

When Yu Qingyue saw him about to touch his face again, he quickly tilted his head back to avoid it. If it hadn’t been for him being slow to react, he wouldn’t have let Yu Wanlai wipe his face. He slapped away Yu Wanlai’s hand, “What are you doing? Move, who allowed you to touch me?”

Yu Wanlai was stunned, looking at him as if he were a scumbag. Had he really burned the bridge after crossing the river? Or was he truly holding a grudge against him? But it was this person who had forced him to say everything!

Yu Wanlai withdrew his hand and nodded, “…Fine.”

He stood up, intending to sit back in the chair, but after glancing at Yu Qingyue’s face, he couldn’t resist and reached out to touch it again.

Yu Qingyue didn’t expect him to make a sudden move again. Yu Wanlai’s actions were quick, and all he felt was a light stroke on his cheek before the hand was withdrawn.

Yu Qingyue glared at Yu Wanlai.

Yu Wanlai looked at the now smooth face in front of him, feeling a sense of satisfaction. His hand naturally fell by his side, and without thinking, his fingers lightly traced it twice. This person’s skin was really fair, delicate, and soft. He suddenly thought of egg custard.

He didn’t even notice Yu Qingyue’s glare.

“Gurgle—”

The sudden sound of a stomach growling broke the tense silence in the room. Yu Wanlai looked toward the source of the sound—Yu Qingyue’s stomach. Before he could say anything, Yu Qingyue covered his stomach with his hand, his ears turning slightly red.

Yu Wanlai clicked his tongue in realization. He had moved the dinner table so far away from the male lead, hadn’t let him eat, and now he had made him cry.

He quickly moved the small dining table back to the bed, placing it where the soup wouldn’t spill, and went to the water counter to grab a fresh pair of chopsticks, handing them to Yu Qingyue. “Here, eat.”

He reached out to touch the bowl’s edge, feeling that it was still warm, and let out a sigh of relief. It was winter, and although the room had heating, the warmth from the food dissipated quickly. No wonder he had been so worried.

Yu Wanlai relaxed and quietly sat back down in the chair, taking out his phone to check. Almost an hour had passed, and Yu Cheng still hadn’t returned.

Suddenly, he thought of something, slapped the bed, and exclaimed, “…Where’s the nurse? Didn’t your mom go to call the nurse?”

Yu Qingyue ate a piece of meat and gave Yu Wanlai a side-eyed glance, as if looking at a fool.

Yu Wanlai didn’t notice his look and was focused on Yu Qingyue’s calf, which had shifted while he was eating. The loose pants had already been pushed up. He reached out to pull it back up and muttered, “How’s your leg? I got distracted earlier and forgot to check…”

Yu Qingyue put down his chopsticks and pulled his pants leg back, “Can you let me eat in peace? I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about me.”

Qin Shuang had always been very attentive, and the soup must have been cooled a bit before it was poured into the thermos, because although it was still hot, it wasn’t enough to burn him or cause blisters. It just hurt a bit at first, and now it was still bright red. He gave Yu Wanlai a disdainful glance and started to rush him out, “Aren’t you supposed to be learning how to manage the company? Are you that free?”

Yu Wanlai choked for a moment. It’s like giving good food to a stubborn dog—what a waste of his kindness… Though, perhaps his intentions weren’t entirely pure, but he was genuinely concerned, and yet he wasn’t appreciated! After Yu Qingyue finished eating, he washed the dishes, then took everything back to the company. He would bring it back home later that night.

*A few days later, Yu Qingyue was discharged from the hospital. As he breathed in the fresh air again, he felt his mood lighten considerably. Staying in the cramped, quiet hospital room had made him constantly think about his background and Qi Heng. No one had ever told him anything about Qi Heng, and he had never met the person, but he mostly didn’t like him. After all, the man never even showed up, yet he had already ruined his life.

Now, he was still unsure how to face Yu Cheng and Qin Shuang. The past few days had passed so quickly, and in the blink of an eye, several sunrises and sunsets had passed.

Yu Qingyue wrapped his coat tightly around himself and leaned to the side. He could understand and was slowly learning to accept the situation, but he couldn’t control the awkwardness and discomfort he felt.