After indulging in swimming for a while, Yun Pei was carried by Qin Mingyuan back onto the lounge chair, where several towels were wrapped around him, bundling him up tightly.

Once satisfied that no part of Yun Pei’s wet body was exposed, Qin Mingyuan even draped a towel over his head, helping to pat his hair dry. When no more water dripped from his hair, he wrapped the towel around Yun Pei’s head, making him look like an Arab. Only then did Qin Mingyuan grab another towel, casually wiping himself off and throwing it over his shoulders like before.

Yun Pei, who was wrapped up so tightly that he couldn’t move, stared at him speechlessly, wiggling his trapped arms. “I can’t move.”

“I’ll take you back to shower later. For now, just don’t move,” Qin Mingyuan ignored his struggling. Yun Pei’s body was too weak—if he stayed wet and walked into an air-conditioned room, he would definitely catch a cold.

The pool’s bathroom only had a basic shower, which wasn’t suitable for Yun Pei, so he’d have to return to the villa to properly bathe.

“You’re going to take me back like this?” Yun Pei, with only his eyes visible, was a bit reluctant. While he didn’t mind other people’s stares too much, that didn’t mean he had no sense of shame.

Just as he was about to say that his body wasn’t that weak, Qin Mingyuan suddenly bent over, hands placed on either side of Yun Pei’s body, trapping him again. This time, the pressure from above made Yun Pei instinctively fall silent.

“If you don’t want to end up lying in bed with needles in your arm like last time, be obedient.” Qin Mingyuan didn’t mind using himself as a negative example.

When Qin Mingyuan finally stepped back, Yun Pei breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the man’s bare body, he retorted, “So why aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”

Qin Mingyuan glanced at him without answering. Last time had just been an accident—he’d been overworked, with little rest and irregular meals, so naturally, his immune system was weak. Catching a chill had turned into a full-blown cold.

But he recovered quickly, bouncing back to full health overnight.

Yun Pei, however, was different. With his small, frail body, if he fell ill, he’d be bedridden for a good ten days. And then, it would be Qin Mingyuan’s fault.

Though Qin Mingyuan said nothing, Yun Pei could feel the unspoken mockery in that glance. In the end, he was being teased for being weak.

“Why haven’t I seen either of you for so long? Turns out you’ve been hiding out by the pool.”

Before they could argue further, Zeng Lianyi entered the room, laughing as she saw Yun Pei wrapped up like that. “Xiao Pei, are you cosplaying an Arab or a mummy?”

Yun Pei glanced at Qin Mingyuan, who was still drying his hair, feeling somewhat frustrated.

Qin Mingyuan explained, “We went for a swim, and I didn’t want him to catch a cold.”

“You got Xiao Pei in the water?” Zeng Lianyi instinctively looked at Yun Pei’s legs, disapprovingly glaring at her son. “Aren’t you worried something might happen? You’re being reckless.”

Qin Mingyuan let the towel hang loosely from his shoulders. “It’s fine, I was watching over him. You’re just in time—take him back to bathe and change. I’ll shower here.”

Since Yun Pei showed no signs of distress, Zeng Lianyi relaxed. “Alright, I’ll take him back.”

She watched as her son naturally picked Yun Pei up and gently placed him in the wheelchair, even re-wrapping the towel around him. Zeng Lianyi couldn’t help but smile with an auntie-like fondness, coughing lightly to hide it and covering her mouth with her hand.

Pushing Yun Pei away, Zeng Lianyi left with him, while Qin Mingyuan went into the shower for a quick rinse, changing into clean clothes afterward.

By six o’clock, the sky was still bright, and the clouds in the sky turned red, casting a warm glow over everything, including him.

With his hair still a bit damp, Qin Mingyuan returned to the villa and saw the living room, now elaborately decorated with various embellishments. He recalled that when he left earlier, none of this had been here.

This was undoubtedly Zeng Lianyi’s idea. Qin Mingyuan didn’t mind, passing through without much thought, and headed to his room to blow-dry his hair.

His hair was relatively stiff, and if he didn’t take care of it, it would get quite unruly.

There’s a saying that the hardness of a person’s hair reflects their temperament. Qin Mingyuan could be quite stubborn in certain ways, and that seemed to fit.

Yun Pei’s hair, on the other hand, was soft, sliding smoothly through fingers.

Yun Pei himself was obedient, though not entirely so—he had his own persistence on certain matters. When faced with people he didn’t like, he could be quite tough, like a mimosa plant with thorns.

After finishing his hair, Qin Mingyuan came out of the bathroom just as someone knocked on the door. He walked over and opened it.

Zeng Lianyi stood there, hands crossed in front of her. “Xiao Pei didn’t have any clothes to change into, so I grabbed a set from your wardrobe for him.”

Qin Mingyuan nodded casually, not minding. His closet had plenty of brand-new clothes with the tags still on, so he assumed she had just picked a random set.

Zeng Lianyi coughed lightly, raising an eyebrow. “I also grabbed some underwear. But don’t worry, they’re new and still sealed.”

Qin Mingyuan froze for a moment, realizing her intent. Instead of reacting with embarrassment, he said, “I doubt it’s the right size.”

His son’s straightforwardness left Zeng Lianyi a bit disappointed. She waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine as long as it fits.”

Better than nothing, though she didn’t say that aloud. After all, as an elder, it wouldn’t be proper to speak too casually. She still had to maintain some decorum.

“Once Xiao Pei finishes bathing, it should be about time for dinner. Wait and bring him down with you.” Zeng Lianyi checked her watch and gave him a reminder before heading off. She had other things to attend to.

After she left, Qin Mingyuan spent a bit of time in the study, handling a few work documents to pass the time.

The sunset outside turned from vibrant to dark, and the room dimmed along with it. Glancing at the time, he figured it was about time and got up to leave his room.

The hallway lights were already on, casting a warm yellow glow. He walked toward Yun Pei’s guest room, and just before he reached the door, it opened.

Yun Pei wheeled himself out, his freshly dried hair fluffy, his face clean and fair. He wore a dark blue shirt with subtle patterns that gleamed under the light. It was a bit too big—its sleeves covered half of his hands, and the collar, though buttoned all the way up, hung loosely, revealing a bit of his collarbone. The casual pants he wore were rolled up at the cuffs, and the waistband was so loose that one might wonder if it would fall off if he weren’t sitting.

Qin Mingyuan’s gaze traveled from Yun Pei’s head to his feet. Despite the ill-fitting clothes, he oddly found it rather suitable, and thought Yun Pei somehow looked… nice in them.

Misinterpreting Qin Mingyuan’s gaze, Yun Pei glanced down at his outfit and explained, “Auntie gave these to me. If you mind, I can…”

“I don’t mind,” Qin Mingyuan interrupted, stepping forward. “Zeng Lianyi mentioned it to me.”

What surprised him more was that this outfit was one he had worn before—something he had changed out of and that the servants had cleaned and put back in the closet. He hadn’t expected Zeng Lianyi to ignore all the new clothes and choose this set. Clearly, she was doing it on purpose.

It seemed she was determined to match them up, having misunderstood their relationship.

Feeling a bit helpless, Qin Mingyuan scratched his nose, unaware that his expression softened at this realization, showing no resistance at all.

“Come on, let’s head downstairs. It’s probably time to eat.” He naturally reached out to grab the wheelchair, pushing Yun Pei toward the elevator.

Without realizing it, Yun Pei had grown accustomed to being pushed by him, casually retracting his hand from the control panel.

When they reached the first floor, the elevator doors opened to reveal a completely dark space, with only the faint outlines of objects visible.

Confused for a moment, they quickly understood what was going on.

Soon, a small flame from a candle lit up in the corner, followed by overlapping voices singing a birthday song. It was easy to tell who was there just from the sound.

Qin Mingyuan pushed Yun Pei toward the small area illuminated by candlelight. In the dim glow, he saw Zeng Lianyi holding a cake, standing next to Qin Pei and Uncle Wu.

“Make a wish!” Zeng Lianyi excitedly pushed the two-layer cake toward him, looking more thrilled than the actual birthday celebrant.

Though Qin Mingyuan wasn’t particularly interested in celebrating his birthday, he accepted their good intentions and closed his eyes to cooperate.

Originally, he just wanted to go through the motions to make them happy, but at that moment, he did make a wish.

If he was destined to remain in this world and never return, he hoped that his parents and brother in that other world could live well and always be as happy as they were when he left.

Opening his eyes, he blew out the candles amidst the cheers, surrounded by applause and well wishes.

As the lights came back on, he lowered his gaze and met Yun Pei’s eyes. Perhaps moved by the joyful atmosphere, Yun Pei was smiling, his bright eyes focused on him.

“Happy birthday.”

Qin Mingyuan raised his hand and placed it on Yun Pei’s head. As the young man’s expression shifted to one of surprise, he gently ruffled his hair. Watching Yun Pei’s ears turn red, he said, “Thank you.”

Seeing their interaction, Zeng Lianyi chuckled again, deliberately raising her voice. “Alright, alright, stop being so lovey-dovey. Come on, take a look at the cake! I personally piped the frosting and did the decorations.”

When the lights had turned on earlier, Qin Mingyuan had already noticed that the frosting on the cake was uneven. Now, upon closer inspection, some areas were thick while others were thin, but the fruit and flower decorations were beautiful. After all, as a fashion designer, Zeng Lianyi had an excellent aesthetic sense, which was clearly her strength.

He nodded in approval. “It’s nice.”

Zeng Lianyi wasn’t entirely satisfied with his response. “Shouldn’t you be moved to the point of tears and say, ‘Thank you, dearest mother’ right about now?”

Qin Mingyuan stared at her, expressionless.

“Alright, alright, I’m just joking. Let’s go, time to head to the dining room for dinner.” Zeng Lianyi quickly dropped her exaggerated complaint, handing the cake to Uncle Wu to be cut after the meal.

They all moved to the dining room, where the table was filled with an even more lavish spread than lunch.

On Qin Mingyuan’s place setting, there was an additional bowl of noodle soup. The noodles were clearly handmade, uneven in thickness and length, and the fried egg on top was overcooked.

Looking across the table at Zeng Lianyi’s expectant face, it wasn’t hard to figure out who made it. He picked up his chopsticks and, under her eager gaze, lifted a bite of noodles to his mouth.

“How is it? Is it good?” Zeng Lianyi cupped her face, eagerly watching him.

She didn’t notice Qin Pei beside her casting a sympathetic glance at her son.

“You did well,” Qin Mingyuan said stoically as he swallowed the bite. Then, after a pause, he added, “But next time, don’t bother.”

Zeng Lianyi’s smile faltered, and she pouted at him. “Your mom rarely cooks, and this is how you thank me?”

His taste buds couldn’t tolerate it—the noodles weren’t fully cooked, and the sauce was a disaster. Qin Mingyuan quickly took a sip of juice to wash down the indescribable flavor. From the taste, it was clear Zeng Lianyi hadn’t distinguished between light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, or vinegar, dumping them all in together.

Having witnessed the making of the noodles firsthand, Qin Pei once again felt deep sympathy for his son. His wife’s cooking skills were practically non-existent, yet she was overly confident and refused to take any guidance from the chefs. She treated cooking like designing clothes, improvising freely—perhaps this was the mark of a true designer.

Qin Mingyuan put down his glass, noticing Zeng Lianyi’s disappointed face, and said, “Thank you. It was very thoughtful.”

Although the noodles didn’t taste good, this was the first time anyone had made birthday noodles for him. While it might have been for “Qin Mingyuan,” he still received the kind gesture.

Zeng Lianyi’s spirits lifted immediately after hearing his words, her face lighting up with a smile. “You’re welcome, darling. Happy birthday!”

The atmosphere at the dinner table was warm and cozy. Yun Pei, quietly observing them, felt a hint of nostalgia. His own mother used to make birthday noodles for him, but now he’d never have the chance to taste them again.

Suddenly, a piece of spare rib was placed on his plate. He looked up and saw Qin Mingyuan lowering his chopsticks, without sparing him a glance.

Retracting his gaze, Yun Pei took a bite of the rib. It was sweet and sour, the flavor chasing away all the bitterness in his heart.