Since the day of Qingming, the continuous rain that lasted for two days had finally stopped. The weather cleared, and the golden sunlight broke through the clouds, spreading its warmth once again. The dampness on people’s bodies dissipated, and everyone’s mood noticeably improved.

This change was especially appreciated by the everyday workers who had to commute to and from work, as it reduced a lot of unnecessary inconveniences. Zhou Yang, for one, was quite relieved.

However, that relief didn’t last long. News that reached his ears made him tense up again. Holding the documents that needed approval, he hesitated outside his boss’s office, worried about facing his boss’s potentially cold demeanor.

His boss had been on a business trip for two days and had only flown back late last night. Early this morning, he was already back at work—Zhou Yang wasn’t sure if he had gotten any rest.

But what concerned Zhou Yang wasn’t that; it was something related to the party held by the Liang family two days ago.

Actually, it wasn’t the party itself that worried him, but rather some rumors that had surfaced after the event.

The Yun family had also received an invitation to the party. Yun Haowei had attended with his wife and younger son, even though their business wasn’t quite on the same level as the others invited. It wasn’t clear how they had gotten the invitation.

But this wasn’t the main point. The real issue was that it seemed the second young master of the Yun family had some sort of special relationship with the young master of the Liang family. He was said to have taken extra care of him during the event.

Zhou Yang hadn’t learned this through gossip but from a business representative, who mentioned it either as a hint or as a warning. After all, it was no secret within certain circles that his boss had some interest in the second young master of the Yun family. Now, with this situation, people were paying attention.

If the Liang and Qin families were to clash over this, given their influence, it could significantly impact the business circles in A City.

Zhou Yang’s feelings were complicated. Mainly, he couldn’t quite figure out his boss’s stance. If his boss had lost interest in the second young master of the Yun family, then this was nothing to worry about. But if he still had feelings… things could turn chaotic.

Sigh.

Zhou Yang sighed inwardly, clutching the documents for several minutes before finally knocking on the door. No matter what, work couldn’t be delayed.

When he heard the response and stepped inside, he carefully glanced at the person sitting behind the desk. Thankfully, everything seemed normal—the usual expressionless face, no signs of irritation, and the atmosphere around him wasn’t heavy. Zhou Yang let out a sigh of relief, thinking he might have been worrying over nothing. His boss had only returned late last night and rushed to the office early this morning, so how would he have had time to hear about party gossip?

After standing there for a while, still in a daze, Qin Mingyuan glanced up from his desk, noticing Zhou Yang frowning and sighing to himself. Feeling a bit baffled, he knocked on the desk with his knuckles to get his attention. “Why are you standing there? Bring the documents over.”

Zhou Yang snapped out of his thoughts, hastily stepping forward to hand over the documents for approval.

While waiting, he couldn’t help but steal glances at his boss’s expression, trying to see if there was really nothing unusual.

The gaze on him was so obvious that Qin Mingyuan couldn’t ignore it even if he wanted to. However, he didn’t address it. After reviewing and signing the documents, he handed the folder back and casually asked, “Is there something you want to say?”

Zhou Yang instinctively shook his head, but after receiving the documents, he hesitated again. Should he mention what he had heard? If his boss still cared about the Yun family’s second young master, wouldn’t it be wrong for him not to say anything?

As Zhou Yang’s expression shifted once more, Qin Mingyuan leaned back in his chair, clasped his hands over his lap, and stared at him impassively, waiting for him to speak.

“President Qin, about the party at the Liang family two days ago…” Zhou Yang began, stumbling over his words, unable to get the rest out under his boss’s unwavering gaze.

Fortunately, just then, Qin Mingyuan’s phone emitted a soft “ding,” and Zhou Yang’s inner turmoil was put to rest. Qin Mingyuan glanced down, seeing a new notification light up on the screen. He raised an eyebrow slightly.

Opening his phone, he saw that the account he had been following for a while had just posted a new video.

Zhou Yang, who had instantly gone silent upon hearing the phone notification, now felt a strange sensation that his boss’s mood had somehow lightened.

He cautiously peeked at the phone in his boss’s hand, but didn’t dare lean in to see what was on the screen.

Just as he averted his eyes, he found himself meeting his boss’s gaze. Startled, he quickly looked down and straightened his posture even more.

“Anything else?” Qin Mingyuan asked, tapping the armrest lightly.

“No, President Qin. I’ll take my leave.” Zhou Yang didn’t dare hesitate for a second. He bowed slightly and turned to leave as quickly as possible.

Better to not meddle in his boss’s personal affairs. If he got angry, it could lead to collateral damage, and Zhou Yang was just a lowly worker after all.

Once the office door was shut, Qin Mingyuan reopened his phone.

The familiar scene appeared on the screen, with soft, soothing music playing in the office. A few seconds into the video, a pair of slender hands appeared, holding a charcoal pencil and moving across a canvas.

These hands, like their owner, appeared fragile as if they could break at any moment. Yet, they were remarkably resilient—not like delicate flowers, but more like grass that could survive even in cracks.

The sunlight filled the screen, like a hazy filter, making the fingers look nearly translucent.

Qin Mingyuan rested his chin on his hand, watching those hands sketch on the canvas. As the drawing took shape, it started to feel familiar.

He squinted slightly. When the charcoal pencil lifted from the canvas, he finally realized that the mountain landscape seemed to resemble the one from the cemetery.

—Haven’t updated recently?

—No inspiration.

Recalling their conversation that day, Qin Mingyuan let out a soft chuckle. The cold, hard expression on his face softened, like spring water breaking through a frozen layer of ice, becoming lively once more.

“Quite attentive to his fans…”

——

After successfully posting the video, Yun Pei wheeled himself over to the sunlit window, basking in the golden light.

The painting he had completed earlier that morning still sat on the easel. It depicted a misty mountain scene, blurry in the rain, serene and dreamlike.

Yun Pei’s fingers brushed lightly over the edge of the canvas, his long lashes casting shadows over his eyes, hiding the emotions within.

Whenever he visited his mother, his mood tended to be bad for several days before and after. He hadn’t planned to update recently, afraid that his emotions might bleed into his work, resulting in something too dark.

But when the weather cleared, he had the sudden urge to paint. And when he picked up his brush, the image that emerged was this landscape.

Strangely enough, the image in his mind wasn’t just of his mother’s cold tombstone; there had been a moment when he thought of the man walking beside him.

Yun Pei withdrew his hand and looked out the window. Maybe it was because it had been so long since someone had walked with him on that path. The feeling of having company was oddly unfamiliar.

Qin Mingyuan was a bit of an odd person. Yun Pei had met him a few times now, and each time, he couldn’t quite figure out what was going on in the man’s mind. Although Qin Mingyuan’s gaze always seemed curious, Yun Pei didn’t feel repelled by it. Somehow… it felt like Qin Mingyuan meant no harm.

Since that was the case, he would consider this an acknowledgment to his “fan.” He couldn’t ignore a direct request for updates, could he? Yun Pei blinked slowly, telling himself this, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touching his lips.

But the pleasant mood didn’t last long. A faint sound of laughter floated up from downstairs, catching his attention.

Looking down, Yun Pei saw Huo Lijuan and her younger son, Yun Yuexian, sitting in the garden, seemingly enjoying afternoon tea. They both appeared to be in high spirits, chatting and laughing about something.

Yun Pei’s expression turned cold as he looked down at them. Even though he stood in the sunlight, the warmth couldn’t reach him.

Yun Yuexian had recently finished filming a movie, and with no promotional events scheduled for the next few days, he had been staying home to rest. The house had become lively with the constant presence of this mother-and-son duo. The kitchen had been making special meals for him every day, and the servants were always bustling around, eager to please him. Every time Yun Yuexian sweetly thanked the maids, they beamed with joy.

When it came to being likable, Yun Yuexian was indeed very skilled. Most people would probably adore someone so pretty and kind-hearted.

Even Yun Pei himself had once been fooled by such sweetness, thinking he could try to accept this younger brother who hadn’t done anything wrong.

That was, until the day Yun Yuexian had pushed him down the stairs. Lying on the ground, his vision blurry, Yun Pei had watched as the child he once thought was innocent cried hysterically, clinging to their father, saying that his brother had accidentally fallen.

He had cried so pitifully, his little face flushed red, gasping for breath. Everyone had rushed to comfort him. Even their father hadn’t immediately turned to check on Yun Pei. It wasn’t until Yun Pei lost consciousness that only one of the maids who usually took care of him was by his side.

As these memories resurfaced, Yun Pei’s face remained emotionless, his gaze cold as he observed the warm scene in the garden below.

Yun Yuexian, after having his cheek pinched by Huo Lijuan, smiled and looked up, meeting Yun Pei’s gaze. The other paused for a moment, then smiled even more brightly.

Yun Pei ignored him, placing his hand on the wheelchair’s control to turn away. But just then, Yun Yuexian suddenly raised his cup of red tea toward him, as if greeting him.

Yun Pei’s fingers froze on the controls. His eyes quickly darted toward a nearby shelf, and his expression instantly darkened. He turned back to the window and slammed his hand against the glass with a loud “bang,” as though it might shatter.

He stared furiously down at the person smiling up at him. Yun Yuexian took a sip of his tea, while Yun Pei’s eyes reddened slightly at the corners from anger.