Yu Nian’s fingers loosened, and the phone almost slipped out of his hand.

The restaurant was noisy, but the voice on the other end of the phone was so clear, elegant, and gentle, cutting through the bustling crowd and reaching his ears.

He tightened his grip on the phone, hesitated for a moment, and then called out, “Brother?”

He and Pei Zhao had intermittently exchanged WeChat messages over the past two months, mostly initiated by Pei Zhao, asking him how he was doing outside, whether he had added clothes now that the weather was getting colder, and other trivial matters. He was more concerned than when he was at home.

He would reply, but after a long day at work, coupled with the ongoing cold war at home, he often kept his replies brief, just reporting that everything was fine with him, to prevent his family from worrying.

But they hadn’t spoken on the phone for a while.

Maintaining this invisible tacit understanding, he refused to back down, and his siblings were temporarily unwilling to yield, so they remained at an impasse.

Like many families who were estranged yet still cared about each other.

But now, Pei Zhao suddenly called.

Hearing his brother’s voice unexpectedly, Yu Nian couldn’t explain why, but his nose felt a little sour.

He excused himself from the restaurant, pushed open the door, and quickly walked to the shade of the umbrella.

The sparse shadow of the plane tree fell on the white table. The red parasol shielded the sunlight. He sat on a white chair, holding his phone, and asked nervously, “Brother, is there something wrong for you to call?”

Pei Zhao remained silent on the other end.

“Can’t I call you if nothing’s wrong?” Pei Zhao asked softly, with a hint of bitterness in his voice. “You’re my younger brother. I just want to see how you’re doing. Is that not allowed?”

As he said this, his gaze gently swept over Yu Xinli, who was sitting beside him, with a hint of helplessness and complaint.

He had wanted to make this call for a long time.

However, Yu Xinli hesitated. She didn’t know what Yu Nian’s current thoughts and feelings were. She was afraid that if they called suddenly, Yu Nian would become even more rebellious.

Now, even though she cared deeply about Yu Nian, she refused to show any weakness, sitting stiffly upright like an indifferent sculpture, wearing a white dress with clean and beautiful pearl earrings, making her look like an emotionless idol.

But she was unwilling to miss even a single word of Pei Zhao’s conversation with Yu Nian.

Yu Nian felt uncomfortable when Pei Zhao asked him, lowering his head.

He actually had a deep emotional bond with his family, and these days he missed his siblings too. Being asked like this made it even harder for him.

“I didn’t mean that…” he mumbled, “I’m just afraid you might need something urgent.”

“There’s nothing urgent, I just want to see you,” Pei Zhao smiled.

He glanced at Yu Xinli, sighed again, feeling a little helpless with the big and small stubbornness in his family. He was the only one who could mediate.

Considering carefully, he asked Yu Nian softly, “Nian Nian, tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. How do you plan to spend it?”

Yu Nian was taken aback by the question.

How to spend it…

He had just made plans with Qi Wang to spend it together.

But from this sentence alone, he vaguely sensed the meaning of his brother’s call. He felt a bit embarrassed for a moment and bit his lip.

“I, I was planning to spend it with friends,” he said hesitantly. “Friends I met through work.”

Pei Zhao didn’t pay much attention and just pursed his lips, saying softly, “I see…”

There was silence on both ends of the phone.

In the end, Pei Zhao couldn’t help but speak again, his voice low, “Can you postpone your plans with your friends a bit? Your sister and I want to bring you back to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival together. Is that okay?”

Yu Nian’s heart skipped a beat.

But then he heard his brother add, “We don’t have any other intentions. We just want to celebrate the festival with you. We’re not trying to pressure you, nor do we want to spoil your mood. I know you’ve been doing well outside lately, and you seem happy. Actually, I am quite happy for you too. It’s good to see my little brother being so independent after leaving home, much livelier than when he was confined at home.”

“Your sister and I just… miss you a little.”

Pei Zhao’s voice gradually lowered, with a hint of sigh.

Hearing this, Yu Nian’s fingers curled on his knee.

But then he immediately heard his brother continue, “If your appointment with your friends can be postponed, I’ll send a driver to pick you up if you’re willing to come back and have dinner with us for the Mid-Autumn Festival. How about it?”

However, he hesitated for a moment and added, “But I’m not trying to pressure you. If you think it’s more fun to spend the festival with your friends, that’s fine too. It’s indeed happier for people of the same age to be together.”

Yu Nian bit his lip, his nose turning red, his eyes moist.

If anyone passed by, they would think he had been bullied.

But he only heard his brother’s voice, not his sister’s.

He tried to suppress his voice, trying to remain normal, and asked vaguely, “Does my sister know you’re calling me?”

He couldn’t help but suspect that his brother had made this call to him behind his sister’s back.

If that were the case, it would be really embarrassing for him to return home rashly.

What if he ended up arguing with his sister again? The Mid-Autumn Festival would be completely ruined.

Pei Zhao also sensed Yu Nian’s concerns. He was about to respond when a fair, jade-like hand stretched out from beside him, with nails painted in deep blue polish.

Yu Xinli took the phone from Pei Zhao’s hand.

The call was on speakerphone.

Every word from Yu Nian fell into her ears.

For some reason, she seemed to detect a hint of choking in Yu Nian’s voice.

Unlike Pei Zhao, she had never agreed to let Yu Nian leave home like this, working at some restaurant without anyone to look after him, not knowing whether he was cold or warm.

But despite her many concerns, her softness and worries, she refused to show any of it.

For two months, it had always been Pei Zhao who contacted Yu Nian.

Now, holding the phone, her face as cold as jade finally revealed a hint of helplessness, a glimpse of vulnerability.

“I’m right beside your brother,” she said. “Are you coming back? I’ll be waiting for you at home.”

Yu Xinli still hadn’t learned to be gentle; it seemed like she was naturally lacking that softness.

But upon hearing her voice, Yu Nian’s hand even trembled slightly. Compared to his brother, he was even more at a loss in dealing with his sister.

This incident had arisen from an argument between him and Yu Xinli.

But hearing Yu Xinli suddenly soften her tone, he couldn’t help but feel his eyes well up with tears, flowing even more fiercely.

“I… I’ll think about it,” he hesitated.

“Okay.”

Yu Xinli didn’t rush him.

This time, she truly heard the trembling in Yu Nian’s voice, but she didn’t point it out.

Just before hanging up, she couldn’t help adding, “Don’t let yourself be wronged out there. If anything happens, come back and tell me. I’ll have Aunt Chen make almond jelly for you.”

The call ended.

The stillness felt like the pause button had been pressed again.

The autumnal restlessness swept over.

Yu Nian sat at the table, holding his phone, absent-mindedly lost in thought, unable to articulate what was on his mind.

When he returned to work, despite washing his face, his eyes still had a hint of redness.

Fortunately, everyone was busy working, so no one noticed.

But Qi Wang did.

His peripheral vision swept over Yu Nian’s face, and he frowned.

When the restaurant was less crowded, he walked over to Yu Nian, as if grabbing something, but slightly bent down, staring at his face.

“What’s wrong?”

He touched Yu Nian’s under-eye area, his expression darkening, as if a storm was brewing, “Have you cried? What happened?”

He was puzzled. Yu Nian had been in the restaurant all day and hadn’t gone anywhere else, and he seemed fine just a moment ago.

Yu Nian quickly shook his head.

He sniffled, feeling composed before but now feeling even more wronged under Qi Wang’s questioning.

“I… well,” he didn’t know how to explain, scratching his head, feeling troubled, “I just received a call from my brother. He wants me to come go for the Mid-Autumn Festival. I haven’t agreed yet.”

Qi Wang understood.

He knew Yu Nian had run away from home.

Now that his family was calling him back, it was probably a signal of reconciliation.

But he still didn’t understand why Yu Nian’s eyes were red. He furrowed his brows slightly, “Then why aren’t you happy? Did they scold you?”

Yu Nian shook his head again.

“No.”

He lowered his head in embarrassment, not knowing how to explain to Qi Wang.

“I actually had a conflict with my family and left home,” he hesitated to tell Qi Wang, “As I told you before, I’m the youngest sibling, and because of some things I did, I had a big fight with them, so I left home. But today they called me, asking me to go back for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I don’t know what to do…”

I…

I miss them too.

He didn’t say this out loud.

Due to some youthful pride, it was difficult to articulate.

But his eyes clearly conveyed that sentiment.

He looked at Qi Wang guiltily, “And… I also made plans with you.”

He was someone who valued his promises, especially to Qi Wang, whom he liked.

Qi Wang, however, said, “It’s okay.”

He lied, his tone casual, “I forgot to tell you, the bar didn’t approve my leave. They said the bar is busy and they need me there.”

He looked at Yu Nian for a moment. Yu Nian wasn’t very tall, standing beside him, he still looked like an immature young man.

He took a cup, put some chocolate flakes used for coffee inside, and said softly, “You’ve been away for so long, you must miss home. Just go back.”

Yu Nian opened his mouth to say something but couldn’t refute.

For the past few years, he had spent every Mid-Autumn Festival with his brother and sister.

There were one or two occasions when his brother and sister were too busy with their conglomerate affairs and couldn’t spare time. They had to use a private jet to fetch him, hastily eating a meal before rushing back to the company.

Now, his brother and sister came to C City just for him. He knew he couldn’t remain indifferent.

“But…”

What about you?

Yu Nian wanted to say more.

But Qi Wang stood up straight, picked up the cup, and walked away, patting his head, “No buts, it’s settled.”

A few hours later, Yu Nian spoke to Song Yunchun and requested leave and left work early.

But as he walked out of the restaurant’s door, he hesitated, turned his head, and waved to Qi Wang.

Qi Wang also watched Yu Nian from inside the window.

Now it was getting late, the streetlights outside were lit one by one, illuminating his departing figure.

He wondered if Yu Nian would really come back this time.

A young person who ran away from home, without any deep-seated grievances, if the family talked it out, there was probably no need for him to toil away outside.

Qi Wang’s movements slowed down a bit.

The night breeze of autumn carried with it dry leaves, gently tapping on the transparent glass window.

He glanced at the piano on the left side of the restaurant. He inexplicably remembered the scene from Yu Nian’s first day here.

A young man with short deep brown hair, with a bit of natural curls at the ends, wearing a gray casual shirt with an iris flower embroidered on the cuff. He sat in front of the black piano, a small pot of jasmine on the piano, soft and white, as he turned slightly, the jasmine almost brushing against his eyebrows.

Those were bright amber eyes, tinted by the sunlight, containing a hint of surprise, with the corners slightly lifted, his thick eyelashes blinked, seemingly ready to stir up a storm in someone’s heart with just a blink.

At that time, he and Yu Nian were just strangers, not even considered acquaintances.

Later, they even had a falling out at one point.

But he had to admit, that scene was truly brilliant and beautiful, leaving an impression on him until now.

Yu Nian walked down a street until he saw his own car and driver.

This was his request just now.

He was cautious, after all, he still maintained the image of a poor worker. If a luxury car suddenly came to pick him up, it wouldn’t just be a problem with his image, but how would he continue working at the restaurant in the future? Not to mention explaining it to Qi Wang, even Xiao Gu and Chu Hejun would be difficult to explain to.

His brother and sister agreed to his request.

Now, as he sat in the car, in the back seat of a Maybach, the seat reclined, the ride smooth, he looked at his hands and felt as if he were in a different world.

Just a few minutes ago, he was still playing the piano in the restaurant, and just a couple of hours ago, he was still taking orders from customers.

For the past two months outside, he had almost forgotten that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Thinking about this, Yu Nian chuckled a bit.

He asked the driver, “Where are my brother and sister now?”

The driver replied, “The young miss and young master are waiting for you at the villa on Renhuai Road.”

Yu Nian understood.

Their family also owned property in C City, but they didn’t often stay here.

He looked down at his fingers. It was still a bit congested in the city, with the car moving slowly, making him feel nervous.

But no matter how nervous he was, there was always an end to this road.

Over an hour later, the car arrived at its destination, and the driver parked the car at the entrance of the villa, coming out to help him open the door.

Yu Nian didn’t immediately get out. He hesitated for a moment in the car before slowly getting out.

He scratched his face, gathered his courage, and walked slowly towards the gate.

The villa in C City was in a relaxed and exquisite countryside style. It wasn’t very spacious, but it was elegant, with beautiful arched French windows, light-colored walls, limestone floors, and lush vegetation in the courtyard, exuding a charm even in autumn.

It was a birthday gift for his brother when he turned twenty-five, and every detail was designed according to his brother’s preferences, even the tea set was printed with his brother’s favorite violets.

Yu Nian slowly climbed the steps and walked through the gate.

The interior was brightly lit, with a fireplace on the wall, and the branch-shaped lamp above shining on the two people he had been longing for on the sofa.

When they heard movement at the door, Pei Zhao, and Yu Xinli turned their heads together.

Yu Nian immediately stopped in his tracks.

He received two pairs of eyes from the sofa. Just now, he was quite comfortable, but now he seemed a bit shy and uneasy, standing there with a nervous expression on his face.

None of them spoke for a moment.

A few minutes later, Pei Zhao got up from the sofa and walked quickly to him, hugging him tightly.

“Nian Nian…”

Pei Zhao was much taller than Yu Nian, although he looked thin, he still had the body of an adult male, enveloping Yu Nian tightly.

He seemed to have a thousand words to say, but didn’t know where to start, so he could only gently pat Yu Nian’s back.

And beyond Pei Zhao’s shoulder, Yu Nian saw Yu Xinli looking at him quietly, also slowly walking over.

A slender, jade-white hand fell on his head, gently pressing.

“You’ve lost weight,” Yu Xinli said.

Yu Nian’s eyes inexplicably welled up.