Guan Ciyan turned around and glanced at the new assistant lying on the floor. He frowned slightly and called the secretary’s office, “Secretary Zheng, replace Assistant Lin’s position. Have this person taken back now.”

After dismissing the driver, Guan Ciyan personally went to the underground garage and chose a car. The security guard opened the gate as soon as he saw him from a distance. Snowflakes floated in the air as he descended the mountain. The tiny white snowflakes melted as soon as they touched the windshield of the car. Guan Ciyan lowered the window, letting in a bit of cold wind.

The dry, cold, winter-like scent was unmistakable. This was the first time Guan Ciyan smelled such a scent, and the unsettling feelings in his heart were revived. He pressed down on the car window, resting his elbow on the ledge. The wind slipped through his fingers, and he curled his fingers slightly, as if grabbing something.

There were still many unresolved matters—Guan Jingyu was about to join a project, the old man still controlled his mother’s freedom, and Jian Yang’s eyes had no solution for treatment.

But suddenly, nothing seemed important anymore. His body felt lighter, and as the streetlights outside the car passed by in bright flashes, alternating between light and dark, certain small things became clearer.

Pressing the gas pedal to the floor, the storm swept snowflakes into the car. Guan Ciyan looked straight ahead, a comforting smile appearing on his face.

Returning to the villa, the dining table was spotless, and Xia Tian was quietly curled up in a corner, not rushing over. Zhang Bo was nowhere to be found, and the 140-square-meter living room was empty.

The silence made Guan Ciyan forget his movements. When the door closed, he finally walked inside. Zhang Bo came down from the second floor.

“Did he eat well?”

Zhang Bo quickly responded, “The young master ran away from home again.”

Guan Ciyan’s comforting smile instantly faded, his tone becoming unfriendly. “Go find him.”

“We’ve sent people to follow him, but… this time might be different from before,” Zhang Bo said, leaving it at that.

Guan Ciyan lowered his head and thought for a moment. “Forget it, I’ll go myself. Send me the address.”

He drove to the old city district, where the elevated highways and narrow alleys intersected. The GPS bounced back and forth. After much effort, when his position overlapped with Jian Yang’s, Guan Ciyan got out of the car to grab him, only to find that they weren’t on the same level.

There were still such chaotic areas in this city. Guan Ciyan doubted his city for the first time. Was this really a place people could live in?

The navigation was useless here. The car moved in and out of the small alleys, occasionally knocking over a trash can. Walking would have been faster.

Snowflakes piled on the low roofs of the houses, and half a finger of snow accumulated on the front of the car. Everything seemed to be covered with obstructions, making it hard to see. Guan Ciyan grabbed an umbrella and his phone and got out of the car.

As the unstable navigation continued its search, after passing the same trash can three times, Guan Ciyan finally figured out the pattern in this place.

The three-level elevated road extended into different areas, each of which had various illegal staircases, causing the navigation to mislocate. The snow continued to fall harder, and every step of the stairs was piled with snow. Guan Ciyan walked carefully, his eyes blinded by the light reflecting off the white snow, almost slipping from the stairs and stepping into a puddle.

The designer of his high-quality leather shoes clearly hadn’t considered that users would walk through puddles on slippery snowy days. Cold water seeped into the shoes and quickly spread to his feet, the chill running throughout his body. Guan Ciyan’s anxiety kept growing.

He took out his phone and dialed Jian Yang’s number.

The cold, gentle female voice on the other end: “Hello, the number you have dialed is currently in use…”

Who could he be calling?

Guan Ciyan dialed twice more, but the result was the same. Who else could Jian Yang be calling? Guan Ciyan sent a message to Zhang Bo, asking him to contact Jian Yang, but the message said it was also in use.

Zhang Bo regretfully informed him, “Sir, you might have been blocked.”

Guan Ciyan gritted his teeth and hung up the phone.

What a temper! Spoiling him!

Whether it was punishment or coaxing, he had done it all. Running away from home was one thing, but blocking his number? He should know how his body is, acting recklessly! Guan Ciyan sent a message to those following Jian Yang, asking them to bring the young master home first.

He finished editing the message but didn’t send it.

With Jian Yang’s explosive temper, forcing him might make him run even faster.

Helpless, Guan Ciyan kept looking at the map, layer by layer, trying to find him.

Meow—Meow—Meow—

“Little Sun.” Guan Ciyan followed the sound and walked over. A stray cat was lying in the corner of the wall, parts of its fur already frozen. It weakly cried out, probably not surviving the night. Guan Ciyan glanced at it, turned, and continued his search.

After walking a few steps, he took off his coat and threw it over the stray cat.

The stray cat, with its strong will to live, managed to survive with the coat to warm it.

Without the coat, Guan Ciyan quickly lost body heat. No matter how expensive the suit, it wasn’t warm enough, and the wet socks stuck to his feet felt like walking on ice. If Jian Yang’s shoes were wet… with his body, just a breeze could make him feverish.

Guan Ciyan called Zhang Bo, asking what Jian Yang was wearing when he left. He also instructed the driver to wait at the entrance, where there was a 24-hour illuminated billboard. He had to ensure that once he found Jian Yang, he could take him to a warm place immediately.

The snow kept falling. The distance between Guan Ciyan and the red dot on the map grew shorter, until they finally overlapped again. This time, Guan Ciyan was smart and found the nearest staircase to climb from the bottom, finally spotting Jian Yang at the entrance of a small convenience store on the third floor.

The cat bag was placed at his feet, and he was holding a cup of coffee, steam rising from it. The tip of his shoes was covered in snow, but his body was dry. He even stretched out his hand to catch snowflakes. His hair was blown to one side by the wind, his nose and cheeks flushed red. The warm yellow light from the convenience store reflected in his golden eyes, like a finely carved doll.

Guan Ciyan leaned against the iron railing, the snow on his hand melting into water and dripping onto the snow below, creating small pits. He bent slightly at the waist, his breath turning into white mist in the cold air. The chill around him began to warm, his anxious mood easing, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

“Heartless little thing, still have time to enjoy the snow.”

Guan Ciyan took a couple of steps forward, hearing Jian Yang speak to the cat, “Aren’t you cold in the bag? Once the snow stops, we’ll find a house.”

“Where else do you want to live? You won’t live in a villa, just like the slums, right?”

Jian Yang, who had been watching the little sun, froze for a moment when he heard the voice, then slowly looked up.

In the wind and snow, the man held a black umbrella, its surface covered with thick snow. His breath formed white mist as he spoke, obscuring half his face. Only his sharp peach blossom eyes were clear, their deep meaning difficult to understand.

The wind blew against his eyes, across his shoulders, and a few snowflakes stuck to his black suit. Jian Yang raised his hand to shield himself from the wind. The umbrella tilted toward him, and the snow on it slid off due to gravity.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The snow hit Jian Yang’s head three times, but luckily, one of his hands was covering his eyes.

Jian Yang brushed the snow off his face, looking at Guan Ciyan in disbelief. “Your revenge is too strong.”

“Me?” Guan Ciyan, who had humbly walked through the dilapidated alley for an hour, soaked his clothes and shoes, only to get a comment about his strong sense of revenge, immediately lost the faint smile on his face.

Jian Yang carefully placed his coffee aside to prevent snow from falling into it. He shook the snow off his hair, and a bit of white melted on his red lips, which he licked away. The wind grew stronger, and he couldn’t shake the snow off fast enough to keep up with the falling snow. Guan Ciyan shifted his position, blocking him from the wind, tilting his black umbrella toward him. He waited until Jian Yang had straightened his hair and collar before extending his hand. “Let’s go home.”

Jian Yang, absorbed in tidying himself, looked up, and suddenly, a hand stretched out in front of him. The palm was rough, with distinct knuckles, and the fingertips were reddened from the cold.

This hand had once held him, embraced him, without ever asking his opinion. But this time, Guan Ciyan didn’t pull him directly. Was this an indication that he could refuse?

He could choose to return to that big house with warm food and a comfortable bed, but he didn’t know what the cost would be.

Jian Yang looked up, his golden eyes blinking, creating a ripple like a stone tossed into a lake.

“Sir, it’s cold outside. You should go back.”

He still felt grateful toward Guan Ciyan. After all, he was the first person to take him in when he came to this world.

But that was all.

Guan Ciyan withdrew his hand and sighed. He squatted down to meet Jian Yang’s gaze, the black umbrella creating a small world above their heads. Snowflakes swirled around them, and the warm light from the convenience store windows shone in the background. “Won’t you come back with me?”

Jian Yang slowly but firmly shook his head.

Without Guan Ciyan’s protection, the wind and snow struck Jian Yang’s face. He sneezed, and tears began to well in his golden eyes, blurring his vision. Through the watery haze, he saw snow piled on Guan Ciyan’s shoulder.

Why didn’t the snow melt when it fell on his shoulder? Was he not cold too?

Jian Yang lifted his eyelids and looked into Guan Ciyan’s eyes.

Guan Ciyan took out his phone and found a new report:

[“Wen Ye returns, the new lead actor is chosen by royal decree”]

[“Gifted rookie actor receives the olive branch from the two Guan family uncles. Who will secure this ace card?”]

“Big star, be careful of paparazzi outside,” Guan Ciyan gently brushed Jian Yang’s eyelid with his finger, wiping away the tear stains.

After reading the article, Jian Yang took a moment to process.

What a clever play on words. Guan Ciyan and Guan Jingyu entered and left the hotel together, but the media was focusing on the competition for Jian Yang, as he was Wen Ye’s designated lead actor. The public’s attention shifted from their scandal to the internal strife between the two uncles of the Guan family.

Or rather, it seemed that Guan Jingyu had shamelessly attempted to steal his uncle’s “corner,” trying to take away Guan Ciyan.

He had been elevated to a rare talent in the acting world.

Without a single work, yet he had outshone every actor at Fuyu Sanctum. The Guan family still maintained its respectable image, while Guan Ciyan and Guan Jingyu were models of the second-generation heirs. Guan Jingyu had taken the blame for being despicable, but that didn’t matter in the business world. Wen Ye’s return had earned enough hype, and the promotion for the new movie was already in place.

One report, and everything changed. The benefits multiplied. Guan Ciyan’s intelligence and ability were truly impressive.

All the scandal surrounding him would transform into honor. As long as he could land Wen Ye’s role, Guan Ciyan could solidify his image as a genius actor.

This was the power of capital—one hand controls everything, turning clouds into rain with a flip. Heaven and hell were in his hands.

With the problems solved, it wasn’t just that Jian Yang didn’t owe anything, there were no scandals. To the outside world, it appeared that Jian Yang was the one sought after by Guan Ciyan.

Guan Ciyan had given him face and dignity.

“Now, can we go home?” Guan Ciyan’s face broke into a familiar teasing smile.

Jian Yang lowered his eyelids and shook his head.