By the time May arrived, the weather was starting to feel a bit restless. Clothes were becoming lighter, and going out only required a single layer—no more cumbersome jackets.

Qin Mingyuan stepped out of the bathroom after washing up, took off his robe, revealing a muscular and toned body, and went into the walk-in closet to pick out clothes.

Most of what he saw were suits, with some custom-made formal attire mixed in. In essence, they weren’t much different. Finally, he pulled out a black silk shirt and a pair of casual slacks.

He left the room and headed to the kitchen. The porridge in the rice cooker was ready. He scooped out a bowl and fried two eggs, making himself a simple breakfast.

Just as he finished washing the bowl and spoon, his phone buzzed from the dining table. Someone had sent a WeChat message. Qin Mingyuan dried his hands and walked over to check.

[Mimosa]: See you at the venue entrance at 10 o’clock. I have the tickets, so we’ll head in together.

After reading the message, he replied with a quick “Okay” and sent it.

A few days ago, when Yun Pei told him the exhibition’s specific date, the two had added each other on WeChat, and Yun Pei had informed him that the tickets were already booked.

At that time, the immensely wealthy President Qin was somewhat amused. It was his first time being treated by a younger “brother.”

His phone buzzed again. He opened it to see a single “Mm”—the message seemed very cold and aloof, contrasting with the cute nickname he had set for the contact.

Glancing at the time on his phone, it was almost 9:30. If he left now, he should arrive just in time.

Before closing WeChat, he received another message from Zhou Yang asking about work. Qin Mingyuan quickly replied.

He recalled that when he mentioned yesterday that he’d be taking a half-day off, Zhou Yang had shown a rather peculiar expression, hesitating before finally asking if he was going to visit Yun Yuexian on set. Qin Mingyuan had given him a cold, expressionless glance, and Zhou Yang promptly shut up.

It wasn’t entirely unreasonable for Zhou Yang to think so. After all, both his predecessor and he himself were workaholics, rarely taking time off. The only exceptions his predecessor had made were for Yun Yuexian, and since he arrived, it seemed like he was doing the same.

Putting away his phone, Qin Mingyuan returned to his room, selected a watch, grabbed his car keys, and left.

The elevator had recently been cleaned, as there was a faint scent of freshener in the air. The walls were spotless, reflecting his image clearly.

Qin Mingyuan’s gaze instinctively fell on the reflection, meeting his own sharp eyebrows and eyes. He mused to himself how much the original owner looked like him, except for an extra black mole beneath the left eye.

With a “ding,” the elevator arrived at the basement level. He pulled his gaze away, gripping the car keys as he walked out, wondering if his sudden, inexplicable arrival in this world had anything to do with the original owner.

He got into the car, feeling much more at ease than when he had first arrived. After all, staying here wasn’t bad, and whether or not he could return would depend on fate.

The weather was fantastic today. Even early in the morning, the sun was already shining brightly. As soon as he exited the underground garage, he was bathed in golden sunlight.

Taking a day off from his busy work schedule to attend an art exhibition—not for business or to assess a project—was a novel experience for him.

Even during his relatively free university years, most of his time had been spent learning more about finance. By his final year, he was already juggling company matters.

Since he had ended up in this world, maybe he didn’t need to push himself so hard anymore. Taking it easy once in a while wasn’t so bad.

The drive was smooth, and he arrived at the exhibition venue just as the clock struck 9:55. After parking, Qin Mingyuan pulled out his phone to ask where Yun Pei was.

It was as if they were synced—before he could unlock his phone, a WeChat notification popped up. It seemed to be a photo. Just as he clicked on it, another message appeared.

[Mimosa]: [Image].jpg

[Mimosa]: I’m at this spot. Has President Qin arrived yet?

Qin Mingyuan opened the image, recognizing that it was taken somewhere near the exhibition entrance. He replied with a “Be there soon,” pocketed his phone, and walked toward the entrance.

This art exhibition was much larger than the previous one he had attended. The gallery had two floors dedicated to the event, and most of the pieces on display were by well-established artists.

Because of this, there were many attendees. The entrance was crowded with people, most lining up to get in.

Using his height to his advantage, Qin Mingyuan scanned the area. His striking looks and aura drew attention. Some young women were sneaking glances at him, whispering among themselves, their cheeks flushed.

He didn’t pay much attention, focusing instead on a less crowded corner near the entrance.

There, a young man in a wheelchair sat quietly, completely out of place amid the bustling crowd. His head was slightly lowered, as if he had just glanced at his phone. When he looked up again, his gaze met Qin Mingyuan’s.

Yun Pei watched as the tall, striking man navigated through the crowd toward him with large strides, making his long legs seem even more prominent.

“Have you been waiting long?” Qin Mingyuan asked, bending slightly to meet his gaze.

Still a bit caught off guard, Yun Pei instinctively shook his head. He wasn’t used to seeing Qin Mingyuan dressed like this. The few times they had met, he had always been in formal suits. This casual outfit felt a bit unfamiliar.

His hair seemed unstyled, looking slightly tousled, with some strands falling over his forehead and partially covering his eyebrows. He didn’t seem as sharp as usual, exuding less of a threatening aura.

The black silk shirt was of high quality, draping smoothly over his broad shoulders and slim waist. He wasn’t wearing a tie, and the top two buttons were undone, revealing his collarbone. As he leaned over, you could faintly see the smooth lines of his chest muscles.

For some reason, Yun Pei felt a sudden urge to look away, feeling like he was intruding on something. He quickly averted his gaze, finally settling on the man’s handsome face. As he discreetly observed Qin Mingyuan, Qin Mingyuan was also observing him. Yun Pei was wearing a beige crew-neck long-sleeve T-shirt, making his complexion look much healthier, and his presence more vibrant than usual.

His hair seemed recently cut, with clearly defined layers. The stray hairs around his neck were neatly trimmed, revealing his long, fair neck—he looked like a university student who hadn’t yet graduated.

Their relationship wasn’t close, and they hadn’t seen each other for nearly a month. It was easy enough to chat over the phone, but now that they were face-to-face, Yun Pei felt a bit awkward.

However, Qin Mingyuan didn’t seem to have the same problem. After glancing at his watch, which showed a bit past ten, he said, “Let’s head inside.”

Yun Pei nodded in agreement, pulling two exhibition tickets from a side pocket in his wheelchair. He handed them to Qin Mingyuan, as it would be easier for him to handle the tickets at the entrance.

Qin Mingyuan took them and walked beside Yun Pei as he maneuvered his wheelchair forward.

Although the line looked long, it moved quickly. Once they entered, the large space of the venue made it seem less crowded, with people dispersing across the area.

Since they had plenty of time, they started with the section near the entrance. Usually, the pieces displayed in such spots were by less famous artists, and the works were not as valuable.

Both of them remained quiet as their eyes focused on a portrait. The painting was half-abstract, half-realistic. The person’s facial features were distorted, yet the body was neatly drawn, creating a strange sense of disconnection.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t claim to be an art expert—he generally relied on intuition and personal preference to view paintings.

But this time, he had someone knowledgeable beside him. He turned to look at Yun Pei, noticing how focused he seemed. Curious, he asked, “Do you like it?”

Yun Pei shook his head and pointed to the person’s neck in the painting. “The brushstrokes there are not smooth. It’s poorly handled.”

Qin Mingyuan paused, following his finger to the spot. He didn’t see any issue at all. He turned back, and this time, Yun Pei was looking at him. Their eyes met, and Qin Mingyuan nodded, “Yeah, not good at all.”

After all, he didn’t know much about art, so he trusted the artist’s judgment.

They moved on to the next piece, and Qin Mingyuan suddenly remembered something. “By the way, I noticed that you don’t have any portrait paintings in the videos you post. Do you not like drawing them?”

Yun Pei’s expression seemed to falter for a moment, and he lowered his gaze, shaking his head slightly. “I’m not good at them.”

Seeing his reaction, Qin Mingyuan wisely refrained from asking more. The two quietly continued looking at other artworks.

In front of some paintings, there would be a small crowd admiring them. The next piece they stopped at, a realistic landscape painting, had two young women standing in front, snapping photos. Based on their conversation, they seemed to be art students.

“Honestly, none of these pieces inspire me as much as Si Yu’s work,” one of them sighed.

“Totally agree. It’s been almost two weeks since his last update. I miss it.”

Hearing the familiar name, Qin Mingyuan instinctively glanced down at the young man in the wheelchair. He seemed unfazed, as if he hadn’t heard anything, but if you looked closely, you could see that the tips of his ears had turned pink.

Qin Mingyuan shifted his gaze back to the two girls. They were still quietly discussing how Si Yu’s updates were incredibly infrequent and how he rarely did live streams. Apparently, his last live stream had been nearly six months ago.

Qin Mingyuan raised an eyebrow and suddenly spoke, “Are you fans of Si Yu too?”

Yun Pei shot his head up, unsure what this guy was up to.

The low male voice startled the two girls. They turned around to see a strikingly handsome man with a cool demeanor. Instantly, their faces turned a little red. One of them stammered, “Y-yeah.”

“So am I,” Qin Mingyuan said, his expression unchanged, as if the person they were discussing wasn’t standing right next to him. “His work is truly outstanding.”

“Really?” The girl seemed excited to meet a fellow fan, especially one so handsome and mature. She raised her voice slightly in excitement before sheepishly glancing around to make sure they weren’t disturbing anyone. “Hi there.”

“Hi,” Qin Mingyuan nodded. He was about to say something else when he suddenly felt a tug on his right sleeve. Looking down, he saw Yun Pei, his ears now completely red.

The “Mimosa” had curled up its leaves again.

As he looked down, the two girls followed his gaze and noticed the young man in the wheelchair beside him. He appeared thin and pale, with refined and handsome features. He seemed a bit shy, quietly gripping the man’s sleeve with his slender, fair fingers.

Perhaps because of his legs, the girls assumed he might be somewhat self-conscious. They felt a tinge of sympathy, politely averting their gaze to avoid making him uncomfortable.

It wasn’t shyness—just sheer awkwardness. Yun Pei really wanted to drag this man away, but their relationship wasn’t close enough for him to act so rudely. After the subtle reminder, he even let go of his sleeve.

Not wanting to push things too far, Qin Mingyuan reluctantly set aside his playful mood, calmly saying goodbye to the two girls. As they walked away, he could still hear their whispered conversation.

“That handsome guy seemed kind of cold, but he’s really sweet to his younger brother.”

“Yeah, and who would’ve thought Si Yu had such high-quality fans? I mean, that guy’s…”

Their voices faded as they walked further away, but it was clear they were full of praise. Qin Mingyuan lowered his gaze, noticing that the “Mimosa” blush had now spread from the tips of his ears down to his neck. His eyes twinkled with a trace of amusement.