After the auction, the event turned into a regular cocktail party. Yu Yan’s father had repeatedly warned him not to drink alcohol, and he took it to heart, managing to avoid even a drop over the next two hours.

After coming out of the bathroom, Yu Yan didn’t see Shen Yuchen, assuming he was chatting with someone else. He turned to leave and happened to run into Qi Ke, who was coming towards him with a young boy in his arms.

When Qi Ke saw him, his eyes immediately lit up, and he ignored the boy in his arms, “Young Master Yu, long time no see.”

A strong scent of alcohol hit Yu Yan’s face, making his eyes sting.

He didn’t want to get involved, so he turned to leave, but no matter which way he moved, Qi Ke blocked his path, as if he were just trying to amuse himself.

Yu Yan took a deep breath, “What? Now that the scars have healed, you’ve forgotten the pain?”

Qi Ke’s bandage had already been removed, but his hair, once parted at a 3:7 ratio, had been shaved close to his scalp, revealing a long, winding scar that stretched about half a finger in length on his forehead.

The scar had been stitched several times, looking extremely horrifying.

“Don’t say that, this look suits you. You look like someone just released from jail.”

Qi Ke’s face twisted as he showed a cruel expression, giving a look toward the little boy.

The boy, who seemed quite perceptive, walked toward the corner of the hallway and stood by the door, probably to block others from entering.

Qi Ke moved closer and raised his hand as if to press it to Yu Yan’s face, but was pushed away. He wasn’t angry, though. Instead, he coldly said, “You think the Yu family can protect you? One is the heir of a proud family, the other a little thug who hasn’t even graduated from high school. I’m curious to see what choice they’ll make.”

“What do you think? You’d better take care of yourself before worrying about others.”

Perhaps in Qi Ke’s world, there was no such thing as family bonds, which was why he repeatedly used lowly tactics like sowing discord to threaten him.

But Yu Yan never saw himself as someone who could be chosen, so he didn’t take these empty threats to heart.

Just as he took a few steps, he was suddenly yanked back by Qi Ke and slammed against the wall.

“Let’s see then.”

A face suddenly loomed in front of him, and his stomach churned violently. Yu Yan tried to push him away, but it was in vain. Qi Ke’s strength was greater than he had expected.

The warm breath hit his face, and the nauseating feeling grew stronger.

He gathered all his strength to throw a punch, but it missed.

Shen Yuchen’s face turned ashen as he grabbed Qi Ke by the collar and dragged him toward the bathroom.

His arm muscles tensed, the black suit stretched tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand, fingers gripping firmly.

Just before Shen Yuchen dragged Qi Ke into the bathroom, Yu Yan instinctively raised his eyes and locked gazes with him.

Anger, cruelty, restraint, and control—Yu Yan had never seen such a complex mix of emotions in Shen Yuchen’s eyes.

The sound of fists pounding on flesh echoed in his ears, along with Qi Ke’s soft sobs, as though something had blocked his mouth.

Yu Yan snapped back to his senses, took a deep breath to calm his emotions, and used his gaze to stop the young boy from making any further movements.

He then took out a bright yellow “Cleaning, temporarily out of service” sign from the storage room and placed it at the entrance to the hallway leading to the bathroom.

There were other bathrooms at the event, so people would see the sign from a distance and naturally head elsewhere.

Yu Yan glanced at his watch, and after about ten minutes, he knocked on the wooden frame of the bathroom door.

The knocking sound gradually faded, and another sound followed, which sounded like Shen Yuchen had kicked Qi Ke.

When they came out of the bathroom, Shen Yuchen’s clothes were quite wrinkled, but he seemed unaffected, even looking more handsome.

“Are you alright?” Shen Yuchen looked Yu Yan up and down to make sure he was fine before he relaxed.

Yu Yan had already calmed down, even wearing a slight smile, and gave him a thumbs up. “I’m fine, bro. That was so cool.”

The young boy, seeing they weren’t talking, nervously entered the bathroom.

“Bro, your hand…”

Shen Yuchen’s right hand was swollen, trembling lightly, with his knuckles a bloody mess, the blood staining his entire hand.

He didn’t punch Qi Ke, so how did he get such a serious injury?

“It’s fine.” Shen Yuchen dismissed it, but his hand trembled slightly as he spoke.

Yu Yan’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately said, “I’ll go find a doctor.”

“No need.”

After seeking help from the staff, a doctor arrived quickly. Shen Yuchen’s hand was badly swollen, and in addition to disinfecting with iodine, it also needed to be iced.

Yu Yan regretted it a bit. Had he known Shen Yuchen would get such a serious injury, he wouldn’t have let him take action.

He grabbed an ice pack to place on Shen Yuchen’s hand, but Shen Yuchen raised his hand to avoid it.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s cold.” Shen Yuchen gave a simple reply.

The heating in the hall was high, and Yu Yan felt uncomfortable from the heat, while Shen Yuchen’s hand was warm due to the injury.

After a brief hesitation, Yu Yan suggested, “How about I get something to cushion it?”

“Okay.”

Unable to find anything suitable, Yu Yan folded his handkerchief several times and placed it on Shen Yuchen’s hand before carefully putting the ice pack on top.

“Is it still cold?”

“It’s fine.” Shen Yuchen was satisfied now.

Yu Yan looked down for a moment, “If it still feels cold, I’ll go get a towel.”

“No need, this is fine.” Shen Yuchen lowered his gaze to the gray handkerchief. It was from a high-end brand, something Yu Yan wouldn’t normally use, so it must have been prepared by Jiang Mo.

Yu Yan carefully adjusted the ice pack, ensuring it was effective but not pressing too hard on the wound to cause discomfort.

“Is it cold?” Yu Yan checked the temperature on Shen Yuchen’s wrist, and the coldness spread from his fingertips.

“It’s not cold.”

During this time, Jiang Mo made a phone call, and Yu Yan mentioned his location.

It wasn’t just Jiang Mo who came, but also Yu Lin and Yu Chen.

As Yu Chen turned the corner of the hallway, what he saw was Shen Yuchen sitting on the couch like a grandpa, his right hand resting on the coffee table, with Yu Yan’s suit jacket draped over him. Meanwhile, Yu Yan was kneeling on the floor, holding an ice pack in one hand and keeping the other hand pressed against Shen Yuchen’s wrist, occasionally speaking to him.

A wave of inexplicable panic surged in Yu Chen’s heart. He recalled Xi Yuan’s words: “Dad, Mom, did Uncle Zhou’s daughter return from abroad? Xiao Yan is not young anymore, should we arrange for them to meet?”

His eyes locked onto the two of them like an anchor, and his voice was heavy, as if discussing a valuable contract.

“Uncle Qian’s daughter is also good, she’s in the entertainment industry and has common topics with Xiao Yan.”

“Or Aunt Zhao’s daughter works, too. She came to our house recently, and she and Xiao Yan got along well.”

Jiang Mo hadn’t noticed the two in the corner, thinking Yu Chen had just remembered something. “Old Zhou’s daughter has a boyfriend abroad, so she’s not single anymore. This matter of matchmaking depends on Xiao Yan’s attitude. If we set up a meeting and Xiao Yan isn’t interested, it’ll be awkward for the girl.”

“We can chat first, though.”

“There’s no rush. Before, I was worried about Xiao Yan not socializing, just staying at home alone, but now he has friends. He’s in a whole different state.” Jiang Mo chuckled lightly.

Yu Chen gave a light “hmm” and said no more, quickly walking toward the two of them.

As he approached, Jiang Mo noticed the injury on Shen Yuchen’s hand. “How did you get hurt? Have you applied medicine? Should we go to the hospital?”

Yu Chen didn’t speak, his attention not on Shen Yuchen’s injury.

“It’s nothing, Aunt, I’ve already applied medicine,” Shen Yuchen said with a light laugh.

Yu Yan rubbed his stiff neck. “Mom, Brother Chen got hurt for my sake.”

“What happened?”

“We ran into Qi Ke earlier. He was drunk and tried to kiss me, but luckily Brother Chen arrived in time.” Yu Yan briefly explained, “It’s all his fault. Brother Chen got hurt while avenging me, so…”

Yu Lin’s expression darkened, exchanging a look with Yu Chen. “The Qi family is getting worse and worse.”

“I’ll check the surveillance footage.”

Shen Yuchen had been injured because of Yu Yan, and this matter shut down all the words Yu Chen was about to say. He didn’t want to stay there and make things worse.

Jiang Mo had heard about the Qi family’s behavior, but this matter was not something to openly discuss, especially in front of Yu Yan.

She could only be thankful that Shen Yuchen arrived in time. She kept messaging Yu Chen, wanting to see the details of the surveillance, whether Yu Yan had been bullied, and what the outcome was.

The charity event soon came to an end, and the ice pack had already melted into water.

Yu Yan carefully removed it. “It’s slightly reduced in swelling, but we’ll need to ice it again when we get back.”

“Okay.” Shen Yuchen nodded in agreement.

“Brother Chen, should I get a caregiver for you?” Yu Yan was worried he would be alone at home without anyone to take care of him.

“No need. This small injury isn’t a big deal.” Shen Yuchen shook his head in refusal.

Yu Yan thought he didn’t want a stranger at his home, otherwise, he wouldn’t be living in such a small apartment. “Then I’ll go to your place to take care of you.”

“No need. You should go home and get some rest. Don’t worry about today’s events.” Shen Yuchen folded the wet handkerchief, squeezed it in his palm, and naturally put it in his pocket.

“How can I let you be alone? The doctor said your hand shouldn’t move. What will you do living alone?”

Shen Yuchen still refused, and the two couldn’t come to an agreement.

Jiang Mo suggested, “Ah Chen, why don’t you stay at our house for a while? The guest room we reserved for you is still there. Auntie can tidy it up, and you can stay.”

Yu Yan’s eyes immediately lit up, and he eagerly nodded. “Yes, yes, that works too.”

Shen Yuchen politely declined, “Auntie, really, there’s no need. It’s just a small injury, and it’ll recover in a couple of days. You and Uncle have been so kind to me, and since Xiao Yan is my friend, I can’t just let him get into trouble.”

Seeing him refuse again, Yu Yan was a little disappointed and looked at Jiang Mo with bright eyes, hoping she could persuade him again.

The next moment, Shen Yuchen reached out and ruffled his hair. “Alright, I’ll ice it myself.”

“Then you have to send me a photo, okay?” Yu Yan finally stopped insisting.

“Okay.”

Jiang Mo spoke, “I’ll make some nourishing soup tomorrow and have Xiao Yan bring it to you at the office.”

“Thank you, Aunt.” Shen Yuchen didn’t refuse.

Just returned, Yu Chen’s eyelids twitched twice, but in the end, he didn’t say anything.