After folding up the wheelchair and placing it in the trunk, Qin Mingyuan patted the dampness off his coat and opened the driver’s door to get inside.

He glanced at Yun Pei, who was sitting properly in the passenger seat, and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t have to help you with your seatbelt, do I?”

Reminded by his words, Yun Pei reached for the seatbelt quietly hanging by his side and buckled it, then thanked him again.

Qin Mingyuan turned his gaze away, buckled his own seatbelt, adjusted the temperature in the car, and pressed the gas pedal, driving off.

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere in the car remained quiet. Yun Pei turned his face toward the misty rain outside the window for a while, then glanced at the man who was concentrating on driving.

He wasn’t particularly familiar with this person—he only knew that Qin Mingyuan seemed to have an interest in Yun Yuexian. Their first meeting had been at the Yun family’s villa, but Yun Pei hadn’t paid much attention at the time, as he had been in a bad mood.

This was their second meeting. How to put it… Qin Mingyuan didn’t seem all that different from what the rumors said—cold, indifferent, exuding the aura of someone used to being in charge. You could tell just by looking at him that he was someone who gave orders regularly.

But it seemed he wasn’t as unapproachable as people said. It was just that…

As Yun Pei stared at his sharp features, he wondered whether the goodwill Qin Mingyuan was showing him was just casual politeness or if it had something to do with Yun Yuexian.

“Am I that good-looking?”

The deep voice interrupted the silence in the car, pulling Yun Pei’s thoughts back. He blinked and looked away, calmly shifting his gaze to the windshield, where droplets of rain collected. “You’re alright.”

Qin Mingyuan, hands gripping the steering wheel, glanced sideways at him. His eyes briefly skimmed over Yun Pei’s slightly reddened earlobes, then his delicate face, before returning to the road. “What were you doing at the hospital?”

There was a slight pause before Yun Pei realized Qin Mingyuan was starting a conversation. His hands, neatly resting on his lap, curled slightly as he replied, “Routine check-up.”

His legs didn’t have much hope of recovery, but regular check-ups were still necessary. He also received massages from time to time to prevent excessive muscle atrophy.

Upon hearing this, Qin Mingyuan lowered his gaze to Yun Pei’s legs, which were more slender than most people’s. His eyes then moved to the hands resting on his knees—pale, thin, with long, delicate fingers. They looked fragile, as though they might break with the slightest pressure, yet they exuded a certain sickly beauty. They didn’t stand out when left alone, but once you noticed them, it was hard to look away.

They reminded him of a delicate seedling breaking through the cracks in a wall—weak and frail at first glance, but resilient and tenacious, growing stronger by the day.

He thought to himself, perhaps Yun Pei was like a mimosa—cool and indifferent, shrinking at the slightest touch but quickly returning to its calm, composed state, keeping up appearances.

Qin Mingyuan’s fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel, feeling quite satisfied with his metaphor.

The rain seemed to be getting heavier, pattering against the car windows. He reached out and turned on the windshield wipers, clearing the foggy view.

Yun Pei didn’t seem interested in conversation. After answering Qin Mingyuan’s question, he fell silent again, and the man didn’t press further. The car was once again filled with quiet.

When the phone in Yun Pei’s pocket started ringing, it seemed particularly loud in the silence. He took it out and muted the sound before checking the caller ID. Answering, he held the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

The car had stopped at a red light, and Qin Mingyuan glanced sideways at him. Yun Pei lowered his eyes slightly as he listened to the caller. With the phone covering most of his face, he looked especially well-behaved, occasionally murmuring a quiet response.

“Mhm, I’m on my way… It’s fine, let’s leave it at that.” It was the driver apologizing profusely on the other end, but Yun Pei didn’t seem to mind, offering a few words of comfort before ending the call.

Putting his phone away, he noticed the car had come to a stop. Glancing up at the red light, he turned to look at Qin Mingyuan, only to meet a pair of deep eyes staring back at him. He paused, “Is there something wrong?”

Qin Mingyuan shook his head. “Your driver is still coming to pick you up?”

“Not yet,” Yun Pei lowered his gaze slightly, hiding his emotions. After a brief moment, he looked up again. “They were just checking if I was still at the hospital.”

Qin Mingyuan gave a nonchalant nod and turned his attention back to the road as the light turned green. He pressed the gas pedal and continued driving.

Yun Pei reached up and rubbed the seatbelt across his chest, his gaze falling on the man’s profile. “I’ll remind you again—Yun Yuexian and I don’t get along. I’m sure you understand why. If you’re trying to win his favor, don’t waste your time with me.”

For appearances’ sake, Yun Haowei publicly claimed Yun Yuexian as his stepson, but within the elite circles, everyone knew the unspoken scandals. Those with connections were well aware of the situation, and the Qin family was no exception.

There was an unbridgeable gap between a legitimate child and an illegitimate one. If Qin Mingyuan thought he could get closer to Yun Yuexian through Yun Pei, that would be a serious mistake.

Besides, both his father and that woman were very satisfied with this potential son-in-law. They would gladly approach him, even without Yun Pei doing anything.

As for Yun Yuexian’s attitude… Yun Pei knew all too well what he was thinking, having lived with him for so many years.

Given their relationship, this man should be keeping his distance from Yun Pei.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t rush to respond. He turned the steering wheel to take a corner and, in an even tone, said, “How can you be so sure I’m approaching you because of him? Maybe…”

He stretched out the last word but didn’t finish, leaving Yun Pei frowning ever so slightly. He suspected the man was doing it on purpose.

The car pulled over smoothly at the side of the road, and Qin Mingyuan turned to face Yun Pei. His eyes lingered on his face before he spoke in a low voice, “Maybe it’s just the opposite?”

For a moment, Yun Pei didn’t understand what he meant. Then Qin Mingyuan unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned forward, and rested his hand on the back of Yun Pei’s seat, moving closer. Instinctively, Yun Pei leaned back until he was pressed against the window.

His grip on the seatbelt tightened, feeling uncomfortable being surrounded by the man’s presence. Yet, his cold gaze remained fixed on Qin Mingyuan, showing no signs of backing down. “What do you mean?”

“The literal meaning,” Qin Mingyuan said, tilting his head slightly, lowering his body even more as he trapped Yun Pei in the corner. “How can you be so sure that the one I’m interested in is Yun Yuexian?”

The man’s gaze was predatory, like a beast closing in on its prey. Even the small tear mole at the corner of his eye seemed menacing. Yet his face remained expressionless, his posture serious, without the slightest awareness that he was being overbearing.

Yun Pei stared back at him silently, like a defiant little beast, even lifting his chin slightly. “There’s no difference.”

Qin Mingyuan raised his eyebrows, as if asking what he meant.

Yun Pei pushed against his shoulder, forcing some distance between them, and stared straight at him. “Yun Yuexian doesn’t like me, and I hate him. Whatever you’re trying to do, it won’t turn out the way you want.”

After his words fell, the two of them locked eyes in silence. Even the noisy rain pelting the windows didn’t disturb the tension inside the car.

It was Qin Mingyuan who backed away first. He straightened his collar, buckled his seatbelt again, and restarted the car. The windshield wipers resumed their rhythm as he pressed on the gas. Before moving forward, he spoke up, “Don’t worry, I’m not interested in either of you.”

No matter how calm and composed Yun Pei appeared on the surface, when the man backed off, he couldn’t help but feel relieved. He straightened his posture, glanced at Qin Mingyuan’s cold profile, and didn’t reply.

All those gifts and investments in the Yun Corporation, constantly offering presents—and now he says he’s not interested in Yun Yuexian? Yun Pei didn’t believe it.

Still, this man was indeed strange, always meticulous and impossible to read.

Yun Pei pressed his lips together slightly. No matter how you looked at it, Qin Mingyuan was a difficult person to deal with. If Yun Yuexian was genuine in his interactions with him, that would be one thing. But if there were any ulterior motives, there was no way Yun Yuexian would come out on top. The President of the Qin Corporation didn’t seem as easy to manipulate as he had initially thought.