The second floor wasn’t open to guests, only a few warm yellow corridor lights were turned on, casting a dim glow. The long hallway was carpeted, soft to step on, and seemed to absorb all footsteps.

Qin Mingyuan knew the basic manners; he didn’t wander into the rooms randomly but found an open-air balcony at the end of the hallway. Pushing open the glass door, he stepped out.

A set of outdoor sofas was arranged on the balcony, regularly cleaned and looking neat, but he didn’t sit down. Instead, he walked up to the railing, took out a cigarette, and lit it with a click. The flame briefly illuminated his face in the dim light, catching on the cigarette.

He took a drag, pinching the cigarette between two fingers and slowly exhaled the smoke, letting the breeze scatter it into the night.

His other hand fiddled with the metal lighter a couple of times before putting it back in his pocket.

It was still quite cold in February, and standing outside in a thin suit wasn’t a great idea, but Qin Mingyuan didn’t mind; it seemed to calm his restlessness.

From his spot, he could vaguely see the bright lights and the well-dressed people inside the first-floor hall, wondering if they were even aware that someone was missing and whether they were still in the mood to attend the banquet.

He scoffed mockingly to himself, took another drag from his cigarette, and pondered who the real guest of honor at this birthday party was.

After finishing his cigarette, he didn’t light another but stood quietly, letting the smell of smoke dissipate from his clothes. He checked his watch, then turned and left the balcony.

Stepping back inside onto the soundproof carpet, he adjusted his slightly creased cufflinks as he walked forward. His gaze paused and his steps halted when he noticed something at the stairwell—a slim young man in an electric wheelchair, visible from the side with a prominent nose and long eyelashes.

The young man was looking down at the stairs, expressionless, quietly sitting there.

“Need a hand?” Qin Mingyuan offered help for once, approaching him.

Turning his head, the youth revealed a handsome face with large, dark eyes that shone brightly under the corridor’s lights.

His skin was very pale, the unhealthy kind likely from not going out much, and he was noticeably thin, his arms on the wheelchair’s armrests skinny enough not to seem like they belonged to an adult man.

“No, thank you.”

He didn’t seem surprised by Qin Mingyuan’s presence, his cold face showing no change of expression as he left with just a few words, maneuvering his wheelchair deeper into the shadowy hallway.

Qin Mingyuan didn’t really care and just shrugged, slipping his hand into his trouser pocket and turning to go downstairs. He stopped halfway, catching sight of the brightly lit first floor and then looking back at the dimly lit second floor, standing at the boundary between two worlds, suddenly recalling who that person was.

In the Yun family villa and using a wheelchair—that could only be Yun Pei, the Eldest Young Master of the Yun Family, who became disabled for life due to a car accident. This character’s story was quite poignant. Before the age of twelve, he had a happy family and a carefree life. But on his twelfth birthday, his life took a drastic turn.

The accident that took his mother’s life left him unable to walk, and less than a month after her funeral, his father brought home a strange woman and her son, only two years younger than him.

He had barely recovered when he had to watch helplessly as the woman moved into his mother’s room and packed away all her belongings into a dark storeroom.

That seemingly sweet and cute younger brother would cling to their father, sweetly calling him “Daddy” and winning candies with his smiles, all while looking charming.

And he, confined to the wheelchair he could never leave, was completely alienated from them, becoming an outsider.

When reading the book, Qin Mingyuan had always imagined this character to be brooding and prickly, like a beast lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike, which is why he orchestrated the kidnapping that led to Yun Yuexian’s demise.

He had never thought the man would appear so frail, pale, and childlike, almost like an underdeveloped teen who could be easily lifted with one hand.

“Brother Mingyuan.”

Lost in thought, Qin Mingyuan was brought back by the sound of his name. Looking up, he saw Yun Yuexian coming up from downstairs and stopping in front of him.

“Been looking for you, where were you?” asked Yun Yuexian, to which Qin Mingyuan glanced once more at the second floor before replying, “Just stepped out for a smoke.”

“Oh,” Yun Yuexian nodded and then smiled, “Let’s go down then, it’s time to cut the cake.”

With a casual agreement, Qin Mingyuan waited for Yun Yuexian to lead the way, his eyes lingering on the spot where the wheelchair had been.

He remembered the book mentioning that Yun Yuexian and Yun Pei shared the same birthday, which also marked the day the younger boy permanently lost his mother at age twelve.

Looking down at Yun Yuexian blending into the bright lights below, Qin Mingyuan felt an overwhelming sense of irony.

Halfway down the stairs, without hearing Yun Yuexian behind him, he stopped and turned back. It might have been his imagination, but the look in the young man’s eyes seemed mocking, unsettling him a bit. “Brother Mingyuan?”

Qin Mingyuan’s eyelashes lowered, and when he looked up again, his expression was calm. He continued down with Yun Yuexian, who led him to a beautifully decorated five-tier cake surrounded by cream flowers and the number 22 candles at the top.

“Here, Mingyuan, since you’re close with Xiao Xian, why don’t you both cut the cake together?”

“Is everyone here?” Qin Mingyuan asked, not immediately taking the dessert knife offered to him, his eyes scanning the crowd before landing on Yun Yuexian, his face expressionless. “Didn’t you say you had an older brother? Why don’t I see him?”

Yun Haowei and his wife Huo Lijuan’s smiles faltered, their expressions turning somewhat stiff.

The few guests in the know shifted their gaze, silently anticipating the drama.

“Brother Mingyuan might not know…” Yun Yuexian’s voice dropped, his eyes dimming as he leaned in closer, as if reluctant to have others hear about his brother’s personal matters, “Today is the anniversary of my brother’s mother’s death. He just returned from the cemetery this evening, and he’s not in a good mood, already resting.”

Recalling the dark clothes the young man had worn, Qin Mingyuan paused, his voice blunt and direct: “If today is such a day, why bother throwing a big party? Doesn’t it just make him sadder?”

This response seemed to catch Yun Yuexian off guard, his expression surprised for a moment before turning into a worried frown. “I thought the same, but my parents thought making the house lively might lift his spirits. Unfortunately, he still didn’t want to join. It seems like we might have made a mistake again.”

Qin Mingyuan’s gaze dropped, the sarcasm in his eyes deepening. Clearly, everyone had been happily engaging throughout the banquet without a single thought of the absent brother. Perfect actor material indeed.

As the atmosphere began to chill, Huo Lijuan quickly adjusted her expression, resting a hand on her son’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Xiao Pei will understand our good intentions. After we cut the cake, why don’t you personally take a piece up to him?”

“Right, right, birthdays are for happiness, let’s cut the cake!” Yun Haowei smoothly continued, placing the knife in his son’s hand and cutting the cake with him.

The guests cooperatively clapped, no longer mentioning the slight awkwardness.

In a more remote area, near the villa entrance where Qin Mingyuan had met an acquaintance, a middle-aged man raised his eyebrows at his female companion. “What did I tell you? The waters in these wealthy families are deep. President Qin’s novelty might just be wearing off.”

“Maybe President Qin really didn’t know about the Yun family’s situation; he wouldn’t know such private family matters without looking into them specifically after all these years,” the woman considered, still appreciative that he had shown up at the party, clearly still interested.

“You think Qin Mingyuan is who? Anyone he sets his eyes on, even if he doesn’t inquire himself, others will investigate and lay it all out before him. How could he not know?” The middle-aged man gave her a patronizing look, sneering, “Mentioning the Yun family’s eldest young master now puts Yun Yuexian in a tough spot, probably pressuring him to realize the situation and not drag things out or he’ll lose his patience.”

The woman nodded, half-understanding, thinking to herself how complicated the lives of the wealthy could be.

Regardless, the cake was successfully cut, and the Yun couple distributed it among the guests. Yun Yuexian indeed took a piece up to the second floor, returning shortly, empty-handed but with cream on his face and shoulder.

Huo Lijuan, spotting this from a distance, handed her cake to a server and pulled him aside to a quieter spot, conveniently near Qin Mingyuan who had intentionally stood away from the sweet food.

“What happened?” she asked, wiping his face with her finger.

Yun Yuexian seemed embarrassed, glancing Qin Mingyuan’s way before wiping his face with the back of his hand, “Brother’s still upset…”

He didn’t finish, but Huo Lijuan understood, “Did he throw the cake at you?”

“No, it was my own clumsiness…” Yun Yuexian pursed his lips, his discomfort at lying apparent.

Huo Lijuan didn’t press further, sighing lightly as if only now noticing someone nearby, she apologized, “I’m sorry, Mingyuan, for making you witness this spectacle.”

It indeed had been quite the show, Qin Mingyuan thought silently, not responding as he checked the time and calmly announced, “It’s getting late; I should be going.”

“Leaving already? There’s a dance later,” Huo Lijuan was surprised, anxious as her husband hadn’t discussed his project with him yet, “Stay a bit longer, let Xiao Xian keep you company. You both are so busy, hardly have time to meet.”

Yun Yuexian, nudged by someone, stepped forward, trying to persuade him, “Yeah, Brother Mingyuan, it’s still early.”

Unmoved, Qin Mingyuan glanced at his cake-stained shoulder, “You should probably clean that up first.”

Reminded by this, Yun Yuexian turned to look at his dirtied clothes. In that brief moment, Qin Mingyuan had already bypassed him and walked away.

With his long legs, Qin Mingyuan moved quickly, and mother and son couldn’t catch up without causing a scene, watching as he left without a backward glance.

Yun Haowei was still busy entertaining other guests and hadn’t noticed the exchange. By the time he was aware, Qin Mingyuan had already gotten into his car and driven off.

The driver, having received the message, was already waiting outside. Qin Mingyuan opened the car door and, before getting in, turned to look back at the villa.

A window on the second floor glowed with warm yellow light, a figure visible sitting by it, though too far to see clearly, seemingly looking upwards.

Qin Mingyuan then turned his gaze to the sky. The stars were sparse in the city, just a few here and there, but the moon hung like a bright disk in the thick night.

He soon withdrew his gaze, ducked into the car, and as he looked out through the window again, the figure had disappeared from the window, and his car smoothly glided away, gradually leaving the villa behind.