The hotel’s top-floor banquet hall was extremely spacious, and even with so many people present, it still felt comfortably open. There was still some time before the auction would start, so most guests gathered in small groups, chatting casually. Some took the opportunity to make connections with the powerful and wealthy.

When Qin Mingyuan entered, many eyes turned his way. Once people recognized him, expressions of surprise appeared, and the quicker ones immediately grabbed their wine glasses to come over.

Barely finishing one round of greetings, a few more people, both men and women, started approaching. The normally pleasant scent of high-end perfumes now only made Qin Mingyuan’s headache worse.

Frowning slightly, he grabbed a glass of champagne from a waiter’s tray and, despite his discomfort, clinked glasses with them politely, taking only a small sip, not drinking much.

Noticing his pale complexion, some people, seeing that he wasn’t in the mood, began directing their conversations toward his assistant. They exchanged pleasantries and then tactfully excused themselves.

Still, with his status, appearance, and position, Qin Mingyuan was too eye-catching in this setting. Once one group left, it wasn’t long before another came over.

Because he rarely attended these kinds of events, many people, despite being intimidated by his aloof aura, couldn’t resist coming up to try to speak with the president of Qin Corporation.

In addition to people from the business world, a few celebrities also came by to greet him. Among them was a handsome, gentle-looking young man who happened to be an artist signed under Qin Corporation’s entertainment subsidiary. He had been doing very well in recent years, but it seemed that only at such an occasion could he meet his company’s big boss.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t like attending galas precisely because of the unnecessary socializing. Sometimes, even when he put on a cold face, it wasn’t enough to extinguish people’s enthusiasm to get acquainted with the president of Qin Corporation.

Taking another small sip of champagne, he suppressed the irritation and the throbbing pain in his temples. He planned to deal with the few company presidents in front of him before finding a quiet corner to relax.

“Oh, by the way, President Qin, I think I saw the Yun family here today. I just spotted Young Master Yun Yuexian over there,” one of the presidents’ wives kindly pointed out, perhaps trying to win his favor.

The president next to her seemed to recall something and chimed in, “Right, and the Yun family also brought their eldest son today, you know, the one with the leg disability.”

Hearing this, Qin Mingyuan finally paid more attention to what they were saying.

Zhou Yang, standing beside him, cautiously glanced at his boss and quickly shut his mouth, pretending not to hear.

“You don’t get it,” another president said, swirling the wine in his glass with a smile. “This charity gala is primarily to benefit disabled people. By bringing his disabled eldest son, Yun Haowei is just trying to show how sincere he is about doing charity. After all, his own son has suffered the same kind of hardship.”

There was a faint note of sarcasm in his tone, but someone nudged him, reminding him of Qin Mingyuan’s presence. Realizing his mistake—knowing that Qin Mingyuan had a thing for Yun Yuexian—he awkwardly laughed it off and took a sip of wine without saying more.

Qin Mingyuan’s expression remained unchanged. He raised his glass slightly to excuse himself and said, “Pardon me.”

As he walked away with his assistant, the president shook his head. “It’s a shame. Qin Mingyuan is so sharp and decisive in business, but when it comes to feelings, he’s completely lost. With his status, he could have anyone he wants, yet he insists on chasing after someone who doesn’t like him.”

Another person nodded in agreement. “I just saw that Yun family boy having a great time chatting with Young Master Liang Zichen. I’d say he’s quite something, to have both of these men wrapped around his finger.”

Qin Mingyuan didn’t hear the rest of their conversation. He passed his champagne glass to his assistant, Zhou Yang, without a word.

Zhou Yang quickly took the glass, sneaking a glance at his boss’s impassive face, then shifted his gaze to look for the Yun family.

“President Qin, the Yun family is over there…” Zhou Yang’s sharp eyes spotted the familiar figure of Yun Yuexian from afar. However, as he saw who was standing with him, his voice faltered.

Qin Mingyuan had already followed Zhou Yang’s gaze and saw the Yun family together.

Yun Yuexian was talking with Liang Zichen, both of them smiling and obviously enjoying the conversation. Yun Haowei and Huo Lijuan stood beside them, and the four of them looked harmonious, almost like a family.

“Isn’t that just great? Young Master Liang is here too. Well, they did work together on a project before, so I guess they’re sort of colleagues,” Zhou Yang rambled nervously, his voice trembling as he noticed his boss staring in that direction.

He had already seen some people around casting curious glances their way, clearly waiting for a scene to unfold.

Given that his boss was sick today and already in a foul mood, what if he lost his temper and started a fight? Should Zhou Yang stop him? Or join in? What if he stopped him and got his salary docked? But if he helped, wouldn’t the scene get even more chaotic?

Qin Corporation may have a strong foothold in A City’s elite circle, but the Liang family wasn’t weak either. If they ended up clashing and causing a scene, wouldn’t they just end up giving others an advantage?

Zhou Yang regretted noticing Yun Yuexian. No, he should’ve disposed of the invitation yesterday, so they wouldn’t have come to this gala at all! Then this wouldn’t be the biggest crisis of his career!

As Zhou Yang was busy imagining a dramatic showdown between the Qin and Liang families, with both falling from grace over petty jealousy, his boss had already started walking over.

Despite himself, Zhou Yang hurried to follow, a grimace on his face. They were about to confront each other, weren’t they? Given his boss’s current state, would his punches be slower? Should he… wait, did his boss go to the wrong person?

Zhou Yang wasn’t the only one puzzled. The guests, who were eagerly awaiting a dramatic confrontation between the three key players of this juicy gossip, were equally confused.

Everyone watched as Qin Mingyuan walked toward the Yun family’s group but completely ignored Yun Yuexian and Liang Zichen, as if they didn’t even exist.

Instead, he stopped in front of the eldest son of the Yun family, Yun Pei, who sat alone in a wheelchair a few steps away from the others. Under everyone’s astonished gazes, Qin Mingyuan bent down and placed his hand on the armrest of Yun Pei’s wheelchair. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”

The onlookers, expecting a confrontation, were now utterly dumbfounded. Wasn’t the rumor that President Qin liked Yun Yuexian? Had they misunderstood, or had Qin Mingyuan made a mistake?

Zhou Yang stood a couple of steps behind his boss, his mouth hanging open in surprise, looking rather foolish as he struggled to grasp what was happening.

Yun Pei, who had been feeling bored and pondering when the event would finally end, suddenly noticed a shadow fall over him. He instinctively looked up and, before he could even react to the sight of Qin Mingyuan’s cold face, was startled by the question.

Why would they come together? He hadn’t expected to run into him here at all…

Wait, Yun Pei finally came to his senses and quickly glanced around. Sure enough, many curious eyes were now on them, including the surprised Yun Haowei and Huo Lijuan, as well as the increasingly sour-faced Yun Yuexian.

“You…” Yun Pei instinctively tried to retreat, but he had forgotten that Qin Mingyuan’s hand was on his wheelchair’s armrest. The wheelchair didn’t move, so he had no choice but to place his hand on Qin Mingyuan’s arm, signaling for him to let go. “Qin Mingyuan…”

However, this action only made them appear even more familiar with each other in the eyes of others.

“Mingyuan…” Yun Yuexian, seeing their intimate posture, called out to him in a pitiful tone, as if hurt by the sight.

Liang Zichen turned to look at Yun Yuexian, his expression turning displeased.

Sensing this, Yun Yuexian quickly adjusted his expression and tugged at Liang Zichen’s sleeve, adding, “Why are you here?”

When he noticed Liang Zichen’s expression softening, Yun Yuexian felt a bit relieved, but a surge of frustration bubbled up inside him. Did that cripple really manage to hook up with Qin Mingyuan?

“Yes, President Qin, are you… acquainted with our Xiao Pei?” Yun Haowei finally spoke, his gaze flitting back and forth between them.

Huo Lijuan’s expression mirrored her son’s sour look. Remembering the time when Qin Mingyuan had once sent this crippled son home, her face darkened even more. It must have started back then!

Qin Mingyuan had no intention of dealing with them. His gaze lingered briefly on the flushed tip of Yun Pei’s ear, and he found that his foul mood, caused by his illness, had lifted significantly.

Today, Yun Pei was dressed in a light blue suit, which cinched at the waist, highlighting his slender figure. The brooch he wore on his chest was the one Zeng Lianyi had given him, and it suited him perfectly.

After a moment of silent appraisal, Qin Mingyuan stood up and finally deigned to give the Yun family a glance. “Didn’t he tell you? We’ve had dinner together a few times.”

His casual remark left the Yun family with varied reactions. Yun Yuexian and his mother looked particularly grim, while Yun Haowei’s expression showed a flicker of delight.

He had been torn between choosing either the Qin or the Liang families, two enticing prospects. But now, seeing Qin Mingyuan’s attitude toward his eldest son, he couldn’t help but entertain some new ideas. If Qin Mingyuan had truly shifted his affections, it could mean huge benefits for the Yun family.

Barely containing his excitement, Yun Haowei was about to ask further when the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight illuminated the central stage.

The auction was about to begin.

The guests began moving toward their assigned seats, their attention shifting toward the upcoming auction. For now, no one was paying attention to this corner.

“We should go take our seats,” Huo Lijuan said, eager to get away from the unpleasant situation. She was especially irritated by the gleeful look on Yun Haowei’s face.

“Let’s go, Zichen,” Yun Yuexian said, flashing a bright smile at Liang Zichen, as if trying to prove something. “But our seats aren’t together.”

Liang Zichen ruffled his hair nonchalantly. “No worries, just sit next to me later.”

“Okay.” Yun Yuexian, feeling reassured, glanced once more in Qin Mingyuan’s direction, but the lighting was too dim, and they were too far away for him to see his expression.

There’s no way Qin Mingyuan likes that cripple over me. He’s just trying to make me jealous. He’s using all these tricks, like ghosting me before, just to get my attention.

If he wants to play this game, let’s see who gets jealous first. After all, I know he cares more about me!

With his head held high, Yun Yuexian walked off with Liang Zichen, looking as if he had no care in the world.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t care about what Yun Yuexian was imagining. He just thought it was perfect that the two main characters were getting so close. It was better if they stuck together and never bothered him again.

As the crowd dispersed, Yun Pei felt more at ease. He looked up at the man beside him and pursed his lips. “Why did you…”

Qin Mingyuan bent down slightly in response, bringing his face closer to Yun Pei’s. The latter stopped mid-sentence, his words cut off by Qin Mingyuan’s hoarse voice, likely due to the cold, “Didn’t I say? If you want to use me to upset Yun Yuexian, I don’t mind.”

When he had walked over earlier, he saw how this little Mimosa was left behind by the Yun family, looking down slightly with a quiet and somewhat lonely demeanor.

Even though the scene around them was lively, it seemed to have nothing to do with him. He looked so out of place.

And at that moment… Qin Mingyuan had suddenly wanted to do something, something that would make everyone’s eyes fall on Yun Pei. No one would be able to ignore him anymore.