Yu Yan only accompanied Jian Ran on the set for one day. Early the next morning, he took a car home.

Today, Yu Chen was going to take them to visit their new home.

The villa was located in the best part of Bishui Bay, with a lake view visible right from the house.

It was said that the interior design was done by a renowned domestic designer, giving the entire villa an artistic vibe, a style that Xi Yuan would definitely like.

The house was equipped with Chaoxing’s full set of smart home systems. For the first time, Yu Yan was amazed by technology and couldn’t help but marvel at how fortunate it was that he hadn’t joined the company—otherwise, how could he have come up with something this convenient?

Yu Chen took Yu Lin and Jiang Mo upstairs to see the terrace and the flower room. Yu Yan had already wandered around earlier and wasn’t interested in going up again.

He moved next to Shen Yuchen and nudged him with his shoulder. “Chen-ge, I heard from my brother that this house is your wedding gift to him?”

“Yes.” Shen Yuchen nodded.

He hadn’t wanted to come today, but Yu Chen insisted on dragging him along, saying they could discuss internal matters at Chaoxing after viewing the house.

“So generous? You live in a small apartment, but for your friend’s wedding, you gift a villa?” Yu Yan looked at the villa with envy.

He had long heard about the housing prices in Beijing, and this villa certainly wasn’t cheap—it had to be at least eight figures.

If only all of his brother’s friends were as approachable and generous as Shen Yuchen!

Unfortunately, his brother also had friends like Shen Yuming, who was two-faced!

Yu Yan shook his head and sighed.

Shen Yuchen said in a low voice, “The small apartment is more convenient.”

“That’s true.”

Yu Yan knew a bit about Shen Yuchen’s situation at home—perhaps he found living in a large space by himself to be lonely.

The house had excellent soundproofing, and no noise came from upstairs.

As always, Shen Yuchen was a man of few words. If Yu Yan didn’t speak, the surroundings would fall silent.

Through the colorful French windows, one could see the swing in the yard.

Yu Yan casually grabbed a down jacket from the sofa and bundled himself tightly.

“Going outside?”

“There’s a swing outside.” He pointed.

The swing chair was white, but the frame around it was decorated with graffiti in Morandi tones and floral vines.

Yu Yan sat on the chair and swayed a couple of times, his feet occasionally kicking the ground to control the gentle motion of the swing.

Beijing had been experiencing intermittent snowfall. These past few days, the snow was starting to melt, and with temperatures below -10°C, Yu Yan shivered as he spoke.

A soft sound of the door closing came from behind him, and Shen Yuming had already put on a jacket and come out as well.

Today, Shen Yuming was wearing a black windbreaker. It was probably warmer than the cashmere coat he had worn a few days ago, but it couldn’t compete with a down jacket for warmth.

He stood tall, his arms crossed casually as he leaned against the doorframe, watching Yu Yan swing. Aside from the scarf Yu Yan had knitted for him, he didn’t have any other cold-weather gear.

The scarf didn’t quite match his outfit today, but Shen Yuming didn’t seem to care.

“Chen-ge, aren’t you cold?”

His voice, muffled by the scarf, mask, and down jacket, sounded dull.

“No.”

“Are you wearing gloves?” Yu Yan pressed further.

Shen Yuming shook his head. “No.”

As soon as he said this, Yu Yan immediately started removing his fleece-lined, windproof gloves.

Because of the thick clothing and the gloves’ extra padding and buttons, Yu Yan’s movements were slow and clumsy.

Shen Yuming raised an eyebrow slightly, silently watching Yu Yan’s actions. When Yu Yan finally got the gloves off and handed them over, Shen Yuming spoke leisurely, “No need, I—”

“Chen-ge, take the gloves and push me.”

Yu Yan tugged down his scarf and mask, revealing his smiling face. His eyes were dark and bright, his eyelashes dusted with frost, and the dimples at the corners of his mouth deepened as he grinned.

The words Shen Yuming had been about to say were swallowed back down.

He should’ve known better than to predict Yu Yan’s thoughts using common sense.

He accepted the light blue gloves and slowly put them on.

Yu Yan had already stuffed his hands back into his pockets, his dark eyes gleaming. “Come on, I’m ready!”

Standing behind him, Shen Yuming gave the swing a gentle push.

“You can use a bit more force. I can handle it.”

Shen Yuming pushed harder.

“Harder still.”

“Even harder.”

“Bang—”

Yu Yan flew in a parabolic arc and landed face-first in a snowdrift.

Shen Yuming’s pupils constricted sharply, and he hurried forward.

Above him came an angry shout, “Shen Yuchen, what are you doing!”

Yu Yan struggled to climb out of the half-meter-deep snow, sniffing as Shen Yuchen wiped the snow off his face.

Shen Yuchen’s movements were gentle. The thin calluses on his fingertips pressed against his skin. Though firm, the touch wasn’t painful—it even carried a hint of warmth that seeped through.

Yu Yan’s voice was filled with grievance. “Ge, who pushes a swing and ends up pushing the person?”

“Sorry, it’s my first time pushing someone on a swing.” Shen Yuming brushed the snowflakes off Yu Yan’s eyelashes, meeting his dark eyes. “Are you hurt?”

“It’s nothing, just a small injury.” Yu Yan waved it off and wiped his face. “Is my face okay?”

After all, he had landed face-first, and his hands had been tucked into his pockets.

Now his face was completely numb from the cold.

“No problem,” Shen Yuming shook his head.

“That’s good.” Yu Yan sniffled again. “Ge, next time remember to push the chair.”

“Okay.”

As soon as he said this, hurried footsteps sounded, and the security door was pushed open forcefully, letting in a gust of wind.

Yu Chen roared, “Shen Yuchen! First, you steal my brother’s gloves, and now you push him into the snow? Is this how you act as an older brother?”

Shen Yuming glanced at him indifferently, too lazy to respond, and carefully put the gloves back on Yu Yan’s hands.

Yu Yan sniffled. “Ge, it’s fine. I wanted to play on the swing, and I asked Chen-ge to push me.”

“Really?” Yu Chen looked skeptical.

“Mm-hmm.”

Yu Lin and Jiang Mo came downstairs. Seeing that Yu Yan wasn’t hurt, they finally relaxed.

Yu Chen scratched his nose. “Uh, I misunderstood you. Sorry.”

“Mm.” Shen Yuming didn’t bother making a fuss.

Yu Chen and Xi Yuan’s engagement banquet was held in late December at a hotel owned by Minghua. Many prominent figures in the city were invited.

Yu Yan initially planned to sneak in once the banquet started, but Yu Chen pulled him out of bed two hours earlier and dragged him to a studio for styling.

After much insistence, Yu Chen finally gave up the idea of making him wear a tailored suit and settled for something slightly more formal.

Before the banquet began, Yu Chen led Yu Yan around to greet people. Everyone they met was either a corporate executive or an influential figure.

At first, Yu Yan, still groggy, thought Yu Chen was merely introducing him to others. He even felt a bit embarrassed, thinking his brother was stealing the spotlight.

It took him a while to realize that Yu Chen was actually backing him up. Those polite introductions essentially translated to, “This is my little brother—please look after him in the future.”

By the end of it, Yu Yan was stuffed, figuratively speaking.

This was largely because Yu Chen wouldn’t let him drink alcohol—not even red wine or champagne. Instead, Yu Chen had an assistant buy tea beverages and poured them into a champagne glass for him to hold.

When Yu Chen went to greet the Xi family, Yu Yan sat in a corner on a sofa, resting while eavesdropping on guests praising his brother.

“How’s that smart home project between Chaoxing and Minghua going? I’m planning to buy a house there when I get married next year.”

“Next year? You might not even get one. I heard all the units in Bishu Bay are already booked.”

“Yu Chen really has some skills. When he first took over the company, everyone thought he was too young to handle it. Who would’ve thought, in just a few years, he’d quietly build the country’s top-tier smart home system?”

“I heard Chaoxing’s next project is partnering with medical institutions to create assisted-living smart homes for the elderly. Do you think I have a chance to invest?”

“With Shen Yuming in the picture, do you think you’ll get a chance?”

Shen Yuming!

Yu Yan’s alarm bells immediately went off. He straightened up and quickly silenced his phone.

It had been so long since he’d heard anything about Shen Yuming that he’d grown complacent, never expecting this person to suddenly pop up again.

Of course, Shen Yuming was his brother’s close friend. How could he miss his brother’s engagement banquet?

However, with so many guests present, who among them was Shen Yuming?

“Even with all those skills, it might all end up benefitting his little brother!”

“That freeloading little brother was kicked out of Chaoxing ages ago—what’s it got to do with him?”

“To protect the Yu family’s assets, Yu Chen tricked that fool into the entertainment industry. He was just going around earlier looking for people to introduce resources to him.”

“The entertainment industry? That cesspool? That fool’s probably doomed.”

The group of people laughed maliciously.

Yu Yan’s eyelid twitched as he glanced at the unfamiliar faces of the group.

He knelt on the sofa, leaning an elbow on the backrest and cheerfully waved at them. “Hi—”

“Were you talking about me when you said ‘fool’?”

The group exchanged uneasy glances before hurriedly leaving, nudging and shielding each other as they went.

Gone so soon?

Yu Yan hadn’t even had the chance to gather information about Shen Yuming.

He took out his phone, snapped a photo of their retreating backs, and opened Yu Chen’s WeChat.

[Yu Yan: Bro, someone just called me a fool. They also said things that aren’t conducive to our family’s unity.]

Yu Chen was probably busy at that moment and didn’t reply right away.

Humming a tune, Yu Yan decided to head to the balcony for some fresh air.

As he approached, he heard angry shouting.

“You refuse to let your biological brother join the company, yet you prioritize an outsider? What kind of brother are you?”

“I handed the company to you so you could help outsiders?”

“You’ve truly disappointed me!”

It sounded like a family dispute, so Yu Yan prepared to leave. But then he heard a familiar voice, and his feet seemed rooted to the spot.

Shen Yuchen’s voice was calm and indifferent, “He’s not my brother, and the company isn’t yours—it was left to me by my grandparents.”

“You—”

Shen Yuming, holding a cigarette between his teeth, spoke in a muffled tone, “Anything else you’d like to say?”

“Hopeless!”

The man stormed out, and Yu Yan had nowhere to hide. He locked eyes with him head-on.

The man sneered, glared at him, and walked away with a huff.

Yu Yan rubbed his nose but remained still.

“How long are you planning to stand there?”

Only Shen Yuchen was left on the balcony. He had loosened his tie and leaned lazily against the table, a cigarette in one hand and a lighter in the other.

Smoke curled around him, shrouding his face. The faint orange glow of the cigarette was the only highlight on him.

When the smoke thinned, Yu Yan took a couple of hesitant steps forward.

“Brother Chen, fancy meeting you here.”

“Mm, it is quite the coincidence.”

Yu Yan pressed his lips together in thought before speaking again. “Well, you don’t have to feel too upset. After all… he’s not exactly a good father, and you don’t have to be a good son either.”

From their previous interactions, Yu Yan had pieced together a rough understanding of Shen Yuchen’s family situation.

After his parents divorced, each remarried. His mother had an older daughter, while his father had a son already old enough to work.

Both parents doted on their new children, neglecting him.

No wonder Shen Yuchen once asked why he would give away what was rightfully his. Shen Yuchen had given away far too much and still had things taken from him.

If he didn’t assert himself, he’d be left with nothing.

Having rarely received positive emotional feedback in his life, Yu Yan didn’t know how to comfort others. His mind blanked as he tried to figure out what to say.

After hesitating for a long time, he stammered, “Well… back when I was in the orphanage, there was this kind-hearted person who used to bring us small cakes. There was this older kid who would finish his cake and then try to steal ours. And… I beat him up.”

Meeting Shen Yuchen’s amused gaze, Yu Yan gritted his teeth and continued, “What I mean is, those things were yours to begin with. You don’t have to give them to anyone else, and you definitely shouldn’t feel bad for the ones trying to take them.”

Yu Yan’s way of comforting people wasn’t great—he knew that. He understood the reason for Shen Yuchen’s sadness but wasn’t sure if Shen Yuchen would be okay with him knowing too much or if he even wanted comfort. So, Yu Yan cautiously held back.

Perhaps he was destined to have bad luck with balconies; he shouldn’t have come here in the first place.

Shen Yuming suddenly chuckled softly, “Yu Yan—”

“Huh?”

Yu Yan instinctively looked up, his round, dark eyes locking onto Shen Yuming’s gaze, his worry nearly overflowing.

He wore a simple black parka without any extra embellishments, making him seem far more docile and innocent than when he dressed in flashy logos.

“Is your way of comforting people always self-deprecating?”