The faint morning sunlight filtered through the gap in the not-quite-closed curtains, landing directly on the face of the sleeping man.

As if disturbed, his eyelashes fluttered slightly, and his closed eyes slowly opened, still carrying a trace of confusion from just waking up.

Qin Mingyuan stared at the familiar ceiling, instinctively raising his hand to press against the bridge of his nose, but his gaze landed on the medical tape stuck to the back of his hand.

He frowned, reaching up to peel it off. A small red puncture mark remained, evidence that he had recently received an IV.

Slightly dazed, he sat up and realized he was still wearing the same shirt and trousers from the banquet the previous evening. His shirt was unbuttoned, giving him a somewhat disheveled appearance after a night’s sleep.

Ruffling his hair, Qin Mingyuan vaguely remembered being with Yun Pei last night and giving him the ring he had bought at the auction.

After that, his head had felt dizzy and heavy, and he had lost consciousness. The last thing he recalled was Yun Pei’s somewhat surprised expression.

How did he get home?

Qin Mingyuan couldn’t quite remember, but since Zhou Yang had been with him, it was likely that Zhou Yang had brought him home and called a doctor.

Not wanting to dwell on it, and since he didn’t feel any major discomfort, he prepared to get out of bed. His eyes fell on the nightstand, where an empty glass and a familiar ring rested.

Why was the ring here?

He picked it up, remembering that despite being slightly out of it last night, he had indeed given it to Yun Pei. Did Yun Pei not like it and had Zhou Yang bring it back?

Qin Mingyuan had bought the ring on a whim. He was supposed to bid on something at the banquet anyway, and it didn’t really matter what it was.

When he saw the ring, he had inexplicably thought of Yun Pei’s hands as he painted. He imagined that the ring would look beautiful on them.

But now that he was thinking clearly, he realized that casually giving someone a ring like that was a bit inappropriate.

Three million yuan meant nothing to him, but it might have been too extravagant for Yun Pei, who had likely returned it for that reason.

Setting the ring back on the nightstand, he stopped thinking about it and got up to take a shower.

As for the slight sense of disappointment lingering in his heart, it was quickly suppressed, disappearing before he even noticed.

After showering, Qin Mingyuan felt much better. Thanks to his good health, he recovered quickly from illnesses.

Dressed in a loosely tied bathrobe, with his bronze chest exposed, he walked out of the bathroom with his hair still slightly damp and messy.

Glancing at his phone, he saw it was just after 8 a.m. He put it down, deciding to make a simple breakfast before heading to the office. He hadn’t eaten anything substantial the previous night, only sipping a bit of champagne at the banquet, so his stomach was empty.

Opening the bedroom door, he noticed that the temperature in the living room felt the same as in the bedroom—the air conditioning hadn’t been turned off?

He didn’t think much of it and headed toward the kitchen. However, as he passed through the living room, he came to an abrupt stop, a rare look of surprise appearing on his usually expressionless face.

He stood there for a long moment before walking toward the sofa.

The familiar wheelchair sat empty nearby, while its owner was curled up on the couch, fast asleep, using Qin Mingyuan’s suit jacket as a blanket.

Qin Mingyuan was momentarily confused. He pressed his hand to his forehead. Wasn’t Zhou Yang the one who brought him home last night? How did Yun Pei end up here?

Zhou Yang wouldn’t have been irresponsible enough to leave someone who was “inconvenienced” to take care of him, right? No, how did Yun Pei end up following him home?

Qin Mingyuan couldn’t figure it out, but he could guess that the person who had taken care of him last night was likely Yun Pei, the one now sleeping on the sofa.

He lowered his hand and looked at the small figure curled up on the couch, pitifully covered only by a suit jacket. Despite the large size of the sofa, it couldn’t be as comfortable as a bed.

After standing by the couch for a while, Qin Mingyuan sighed, bending down to gently remove the jacket. He carefully slipped his arms under Yun Pei’s shoulders and knees, lifting him up.

The small figure in his arms weighed almost nothing. How could someone so delicate have dared to stay behind and take care of him?

As he lifted Yun Pei, the latter stirred slightly. Qin Mingyuan instinctively held his breath, but Yun Pei didn’t wake up. Instead, he wrapped his arm around Qin Mingyuan’s shoulder and patted him gently, mumbling in his sleep.

“Qin Mingyuan… go back to sleep… I’m here…”

“…”

Qin Mingyuan silently stared at Yun Pei’s face, which was nestled against his firm chest, seemingly unbothered by the hard surface.

The unconscious gesture of patting his shoulder was clearly something Yun Pei had done many times before, and his words sounded like a soothing lullaby.

This strange, half-remembered feeling made Qin Mingyuan frown. He was certain something had happened last night that he wasn’t too eager to recall.

Carrying Yun Pei back to the bedroom, Qin Mingyuan gently placed him on the side of the bed he hadn’t used. He had probably sweated on the other side, so it wouldn’t be as comfortable.

As Yun Pei’s body settled onto the soft bed, he instinctively nuzzled his face into the fluffy pillow, looking a little childish despite his usual cold demeanor.

Qin Mingyuan pulled the summer blanket over him, glancing down at his own disheveled bathrobe. He silently walked to the closet to change his clothes.

He had thought he was alone, so it didn’t matter how he dressed. But now that someone else was in his home, it seemed more appropriate to look presentable.

After changing into proper clothes, he headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. Initially, he planned to just brew some coffee and toast a couple of slices of bread. But now that he had a “guest,” he decided to make something more substantial.

He put some red bean porridge in the rice cooker, steamed a bag of vegetarian dumplings, and a few custard buns. After some thought, he also boiled two eggs in a small pot.

The eggs in the fridge were from the villa, laid by chickens that were specially fed. Naturally, their nutritional value was higher than the ones you’d find in stores.

Just right for someone with such a frail body like Yun Pei’s to replenish his strength.

As Qin Mingyuan wondered when Yun Pei would wake up, he sent a message to Zhou Yang, letting him know that he might be late to the office.

Zhou Yang replied quickly, asking if he was feeling better and suggesting that he rest at home if he still didn’t feel well. The company could manage without him for a day.

Qin Mingyuan exchanged a few messages, assuring Zhou Yang that he was fine but might be delayed due to some matters.

After a short while, Zhou Yang sent another message, tentatively asking if Young Master Yun Pei was still there.

Qin Mingyuan narrowed his eyes and didn’t respond. He decided he would ask Zhou Yang about last night when he got to the office.

…

When Yun Pei woke up groggily, he was still a little disoriented. He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling for a while, trying to gather his thoughts. It took him a moment to remember where he was, and he pushed himself up with his arms.

Looking around, he realized he was in Qin Mingyuan’s bedroom. The person who should have been sleeping here was nowhere to be seen.

Had he sleepwalked his way into bed?

He scanned the room again, noticing that his wheelchair wasn’t there. There was no way he had walked here on his own, so that meant…

His fingers pinched the summer blanket that had slipped onto his lap. Did he really sleep so soundly that he hadn’t noticed being moved?

Yun Pei pulled back the blanket, wanting to get off this bed that didn’t belong to him. But without his wheelchair nearby, he was stuck, helplessly sitting there, unsure of what to do.

Just then, the door opened, and the missing man walked in. Upon seeing Yun Pei sitting up on the bed, Qin Mingyuan paused for a moment, then said naturally, “Why didn’t you make a sound when you woke up?”

“I…” Yun Pei awkwardly clenched his hands at his sides. “I just woke up.”

Seeing him sitting on the bed, looking uncomfortable but unable to move, a faint smile appeared in Qin Mingyuan’s eyes. Without teasing him, he said, “I’ll bring your wheelchair over.”

He walked out of the room, and Yun Pei let out a breath of relief, reaching down to touch his legs. In moments like this, they really could be inconvenient.

Qin Mingyuan quickly returned, pushing the wheelchair over to the side of the bed. He reached out, lifting Yun Pei effortlessly and settling him into the chair.

His actions were so swift and natural that Yun Pei’s “I can manage” got stuck in his throat. Before he could even say it, he was already seated in the wheelchair.

He opened his mouth but ended up saying only, “Thank you.”

Qin Mingyuan nodded casually. “Go freshen up. I’ve made breakfast. There’s an unopened toothbrush in the guest bathroom; I’ve already placed it on the sink for you. Can you manage?”

“I can. Thank you,” Yun Pei quickly replied.

“No problem,” Qin Mingyuan said, gazing at him thoughtfully before adding, “Actually, I should be the one thanking you.”

With that, he walked out of the room, leaving behind a casual, “Join me in the dining room after you’re done.”

Yun Pei paused for two seconds before maneuvering his wheelchair toward the guest bathroom he had used before.

Qin Mingyuan returned to the kitchen. The porridge was still warm in the cooker, so he ladled it into two bowls. The steamed dumplings and custard buns were plated, and the boiled eggs were peeled and set aside.

Once everything was arranged on the table, he opened the fridge, took out a sealed glass container, and served a small dish of pickles.

The housekeeper who helped him clean occasionally knew that he often ate breakfast at home and had given him these homemade pickles, which tasted great.

When Yun Pei finished freshening up and came out, breakfast was already laid out on the table. He looked surprised at the sight of Qin Mingyuan, dressed in a shirt and trousers, who looked ready to head straight to the office after putting on a tie and jacket.

“Why are you staring at me? Come sit down,” Qin Mingyuan said, gesturing to the seat he had pulled out. “Is the table too high?”

Yun Pei shook his head. His wheelchair was fairly high, so he could sit comfortably at the dining table. He adjusted his position and glanced at the breakfast on the table, saying, “I didn’t expect you to know how to cook.”

“It’s just porridge. Everything else is pre-made,” Qin Mingyuan replied. He wasn’t much of a cook, often relying on simple meals due to his busy work schedule. “Eat the eggs first.”

Obediently, Yun Pei picked up one of the boiled eggs and took a bite. The eggs were small, with large, yellow yolks. The flavor was different from the usual eggs—richer, like they were from free-range chickens.

Noticing how curious he was about the egg, Qin Mingyuan explained, “They’re from the villa. The chickens are home-raised.”

“You have chickens at your villa?” Yun Pei asked, swallowing the egg.

“Yeah,” Qin Mingyuan said, adding some pickles to his porridge. “There’s a lot of space, and my grandparents thought it was a waste to leave it empty, so they started raising some.”

These were details he had learned during his last visit to the villa, when Uncle Wu, the housekeeper, had reminisced about the old days with his grandparents.

His grandparents were quite down-to-earth, it seemed, raising chickens in the villa courtyard. The image amused Yun Pei as he imagined it.

He thought he understood Qin Mingyuan’s words, but in reality, he didn’t fully grasp the scale. The chickens weren’t just in the villa’s courtyard—it was more than that.