As the car moved along the road, Qin Mingyuan glanced sideways at the swiftly changing scenery outside the window, tapping his fingers lightly on his leg while he reviewed the plot of the novel in his mind.

His memory was fairly good; he could recall most of what he had read, but he hadn’t paid much attention to the details of this book initially, and as luck would have it, he had glossed over the current part of the story.

“President Qin, I’ve booked a French restaurant for lunch. They have good food and it’s a discreet place, so it won’t cause any trouble for Mr. Yun. Would you like to confirm?” The assistant leaned over from the passenger seat, holding up his phone to show him.

Hearing that he was also going to have lunch with Yun Yuexian soured Qin Mingyuan’s mood a bit. He kept a straight face but inwardly sneered, figuring out why the original self had chosen this timing for the visit.

Without responding, Zhou Yang called out to him again, hearing only a low “Whatever,” before settling back into his seat.

Cautiously glancing at his seemingly impassive boss through the rearview mirror, Zhou Yang felt puzzled. His boss seemed a bit off today, especially distracted and unusually somber when Mr. Yun was mentioned.

Although the boss was always serious, today he seemed particularly unapproachable, especially regarding matters involving Mr. Yun, whom he always insisted on double-checking everything about—why say “whatever” now?

The boss’s sudden infatuation with the young Yun, and his inability to pull away, though hard for Zhou Yang to understand, had been quite evident over the past few days. His current mood clearly indicated he was having a bad day.

Qin Mingyuan knew the assistant in the front was sneaking glances at him. Feeling the gaze again, he looked up, catching his reflection in the mirror.

Zhou Yang instinctively shrank a bit, afraid he had irritated his boss, and sat up straight.

“Zhou Yang,” Qin Mingyuan didn’t care about his assistant’s thoughts and directed his gaze from the mirror to the back of his head. “What’s Mr. Yun’s schedule?”

Zhou Yang, relieved it was just a question about the schedule, turned slightly and replied, “Didn’t President Qin remember? It’s the skincare brand endorsement shoot for our subsidiary.”

Qin Corporation, with its wide array of interests, including cosmetics, had developed a skincare line that had grown into a mid-to-high-end brand. Without the original Qin Mingyuan’s intervention, Yun Yuexian, given his status, wouldn’t have had access to such resources.

Qin Mingyuan raised an eyebrow to indicate he understood and didn’t inquire further, turning his gaze back outside.

Zhou Yang saw that his boss didn’t wish to speak further and also turned his attention forward, more puzzled than before. Wasn’t it the boss himself who had instructed the subsidiary to take good care of Yun? How could he have forgotten?

The main office wasn’t far from the subsidiary, about a twenty-minute drive. An assistant jogged over to open the car door as Qin Mingyuan stepped out, adjusting his suit and overcoat as he did.

He followed the assistant into the underground parking lot’s elevator, watching silently as the floor was selected, still without speaking.

With a ding, the elevator doors slid open. Qin Mingyuan didn’t rush out but let the assistant lead the way.

The subsidiary had been forewarned of his visit. The employees they passed didn’t seem surprised but were a bit nervous, quickly greeting him and then walking away.

Qin Mingyuan maintained a stern demeanor, merely nodding slightly in response, appearing even more unreachable than usual.

“President Qin, it’s right here,” Zhou Yang opened a door for him, stepping aside to let him enter first.

Stepping inside, he found himself in a small photo studio where several staff members busied themselves around a backdrop. Except for the photographer’s instructions and the clicking of the camera, it was orderly, and no one seemed to notice their arrival.

Qin Mingyuan stopped behind the crowd, lifting his eyes to observe the young man being photographed under the lights, knowing this was the person he was here to see.

As the protagonist of the novel and a figure in the entertainment industry, Yun Yuexian’s appearance was as expected—handsome, with fair skin and a warm, approachable smile, the type to easily win people over.

Is this all?

Hearing what seemed like a scoff beside him, Zhou Yang turned his head in surprise, meeting still the same impassive face of his boss. Blinking, he thought he might have misheard.

Qin Mingyuan had seen plenty of beautiful faces, from heiresses to stars, many prettier than Yun Yuexian. It was hard to believe his original self would fall for someone based just on looks.

He pondered the scene from the book where the two first met:

(Qin Mingyuan turned amid the bustling crowd, locking eyes with the young man. His face bore a smile, his eyes bright and clear, starkly out of place here. Qin Mingyuan felt his heartbeat quicken.)

Looking again at the man under the lights, Qin Mingyuan felt nothing special, his heartbeat even steadier than usual.

“Alright, that’s enough for today. Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Yun,” the photographer said, putting down his camera and signaling the end of the shoot. Only then did the staff notice the big boss from the head office standing there, starting slightly before hurriedly greeting him.

“Teacher Yun performed exceptionally well today, worked hard without complaints, and cooperated with us thoroughly. President Qin, you have great taste in choosing him as the spokesperson.”

Although the original pursuit of Yun Yuexian was no secret, the photographer’s praise seemed partly genuine, mostly flattery.

Qin Mingyuan nodded calmly, acknowledging the comment without further remark.

As Yun Yuexian tidied himself up behind the backdrop, he noticed Qin Mingyuan and approached with his assistant, smiling, “Brother Mingyuan, when did you get here?”

No need to be so familiar; they weren’t close. Qin Mingyuan looked down at the approaching figure, checking his watch before answering, “Fifteen minutes ago.”

Zhou Yang cast a curious glance at his boss, wondering why he didn’t just say he had just arrived to avoid giving Mr. Yun any stress.

Indeed, Yun Yuexian furrowed his brows slightly, a troubled expression crossing his face, “I’m sorry for taking up your time, Brother Mingyuan.”

The boss should respond with his usual consideration, reassuring him it was no problem! Zhou Yang felt stressed on behalf of both men.

“Hmm.” Knowing is good enough. If it weren’t for this meal, I could have gotten more work done. Qin Mingyuan felt his irritation rise again.

This time, not only Zhou Yang but also Yun Yuexian looked at him in surprise, unsure what to say next.

“Let’s go,” Qin Mingyuan wasn’t about to stand there wasting time with awkward stares. He glanced at his watch again and turned to leave.

“Wait, Brother Mingyuan, my clothes…” Yun Yuexian called after him, pointing to the white shirt he was still wearing from the shoot.

Such a hassle, Qin Mingyuan thought, glancing back at him briefly without stopping, “I’ll wait for you in the car.”

He walked away without looking back, leaving Zhou Yang feeling a bit embarrassed. He smiled awkwardly and explained to Yun Yuexian, “Please don’t mind President Qin; he’s been upset over some work matters today. Take your time, our car is in the underground garage.”

“I know, I won’t take it personally,” Yun Yuexian returned the smile and headed to the dressing room with his assistant.

Standing in front of the elevator, Qin Mingyuan waited for it to arrive as his assistant caught up and stood beside him, shooting him a look that seemed to want to speak but held back. When Qin Mingyuan glanced his way, Zhou Yang straightened up and stood formally.

When they reached the parking lot, Qin Mingyuan didn’t head straight for the car but stepped aside to light a cigarette, his expression grim amid the swirling smoke.

“President Qin, are you… in a bad mood today?” Zhou Yang hesitated before finally asking.

Qin Mingyuan looked at him but said nothing.

Zhou Yang pointed to the cigarette, “That’s the second one you’ve smoked today.”

He had seen the cigarette butts in the office ashtray. His boss rarely smoked, having seen him do so only a few times in the years he’d worked for him. The last time had been after a banquet where they had met Mr. Yun.

Qin Mingyuan flicked the ash with his fingertip, not responding to the question. Talking about traveling through a book would likely make the assistant think he was ill.

He was still questioning whether he was experiencing some kind of mental breakdown.

As his boss didn’t respond, Zhou Yang, knowing his place, didn’t push further, considering the colder-than-usual look on his face and wondering if it had something to do with Mr. Yun. After all, pursuing someone so earnestly without reciprocation would frustrate anyone, even a president.

He didn’t quite understand what Mr. Yun was thinking. His boss was highly sought after, with many vying for his attention, yet he remained deeply committed to someone who wouldn’t even give him a definite response.

Even the president, with all the potential partners he could choose from, insisted on pursuing someone who didn’t reciprocate his feelings.

After finishing his cigarette, Qin Mingyuan extinguished it in a trash can and returned to the car, settling just in time for Yun Yuexian to emerge from the elevator.

He stopped to instruct his assistant to return to their car before walking over to Qin Mingyuan’s.

Wrapped in a thick white down jacket, he looked fresh and clean. Zhou Yang opened the car door for him, receiving a thankful smile—a sign of good temperament.

“Brother Mingyuan, did you wait long?” Yun Yuexian settled in the car, smiling apologetically at the man.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t respond, merely nodding to the driver to start the car. Once they were moving, he glanced sideways at Yun Yuexian with a meaningful look, “I thought you wouldn’t join me for lunch.”

Yun Yuexian paused, then smiled again, “How could I not? Though it’s been… we’re still friends, right? Of course, we can have lunch together.”

Qin Mingyuan made no extra comment to his easygoing reply, turning his gaze forward, “How’s work been lately?”

What he really wanted to know was whether Yun Yuexian had encountered the main character yet and if the primary plot had developed.

“It’s been good; the drama I’m shooting will wrap up soon,” Yun Yuexian said, turning his head to look at the man beside him, slightly embarrassed, “And thank you for recommending the script to me, Brother Mingyuan. Although I’m not the lead, the role is really vibrant, and I’ve enjoyed playing it.”

Qin Mingyuan tapped his fingers on his thigh, continuing, “During the shooting, did you meet anyone special?”

“Special? Everyone’s pretty nice, there’s nothing…” Yun Yuexian paused mid-sentence, glancing sideways at Qin Mingyuan with slightly reddened ears, “Brother Mingyuan, are you worried about me… No, I’ve told you before, I want to focus on my career right now, not on dating.”

It seems he hasn’t encountered it yet, Qin Mingyuan understood, not pressing further.

“By the way, Brother Mingyuan, my dad told me you referred some business to our family’s company again recently. I really appreciate it, but please, no more favors. I owe you too much already,” Yun Yuexian said, his fingers nervously intertwined, his expression showing a hint of embarrassment.

Qin Mingyuan turned to look at him, eyes slightly narrowed, his fingertips tapping again, “Alright, no more then.”

Coughing discreetly, Zhou Yang, who had been quietly observing from the front seat, choked on his saliva, quickly lowering his head to suppress a cough. When he looked up, his eyes met Qin Mingyuan’s in the rearview mirror, his heart skipping a beat, “S-sorry, President Qin.”

“If you have a cold, remember to take medicine,” Qin Mingyuan advised, not waiting for a reply, adding, “Don’t let it affect your work.”

The ruthless capitalist! Zhou Yang swallowed the thanks he had been about to offer, forcing a smile to show he understood.

The rest of the drive passed in silence, no one speaking further.

Qin Mingyuan glanced sideways at the seemingly meek man beside him, then indifferently shifted his gaze away. The original character might have been a fish caught on a line, never let go, but he was not.