After his morning run, Qin Mingyuan came back dripping with sweat. He took the towel handed to him by the servant and wiped his face and damp hair. He headed upstairs to his room for a shower.

When he came back down, he was dressed in a shirt and trousers, his tie neatly done in a beautiful Windsor knot, and his suit jacket draped over his arm. He had returned to his familiar image as President Qin of Qin Corporation.

Entering the dining room, he saw the familiar wheelchair already parked beside the dining table. He walked over, greeted him, and hung his jacket on the back of the chair next to him before sitting down.

“Morning,” Yun Pei set down his spoon and turned to look at him. 

“Where’s Auntie and the others?”

“Ms. Zeng likes to sleep in when she rests. They probably aren’t up yet. Don’t worry about them. Once we finish eating, we can head out directly.” Having spent time with them before, Qin Mingyuan was familiar with their routines. It was rare enough that they got him up so early yesterday.

Yun Pei nodded and continued sipping his porridge.

The servant soon brought over a bowl of century egg and lean pork congee and set down new utensils.

“How did you sleep last night?” Qin Mingyuan casually asked as he sipped his own congee.

“Not bad,” Yun Pei nodded. Perhaps it was due to “swimming” yesterday, though he hadn’t moved much. Still, being in the water drained his energy, and he practically fell asleep the moment he hit the bed.

Qin Mingyuan had also slept soundly last night. His biological clock was always early, so once he woke up, he went for a run. Though the villa had its own gym, the beautiful outdoor scenery was too good to waste.

By the time the two finished breakfast, the driver was already waiting outside the villa. Before they left, Qin Mingyuan went back upstairs and came down with a familiar painting frame.

Yun Pei glanced at him in surprise, “Are you taking that with you?”

“Mm,” Qin Mingyuan replied as he walked over, “I don’t come back here often.”

Understanding what he meant, Yun Pei didn’t say anything further. He was happy that the painting he had poured his heart into was appreciated by the person who received it.

The Qin family couple still hadn’t gotten up. It was Uncle Wu who saw them off, escorting them to the car and watching it drive away before heading back to the villa.

Except for when he had been sick, this was the first time Yun Pei sat side by side with Qin Mingyuan in the backseat. The tall man with long legs took up most of the space, sitting much closer than when he was in the front. In the small space, Yun Pei could faintly smell the light, cool scent of the man’s cologne.

He felt as though the scent had clung to him as well, probably from when Qin Mingyuan had carried him into the car. He didn’t dislike it.

In fact… he rather liked it.

Realizing what he was thinking, Yun Pei felt his ears heat up. He raised a hand to touch them, feeling like something had been off with him lately.

“Are you hot?” Qin Mingyuan noticed his movements and turned to see his reddened ears, asking casually.

Yun Pei had changed back into his short-sleeve shirt from yesterday, and knowing Yun Pei’s fear of the cold, the car’s temperature was set quite high. Qin Mingyuan, wearing just a shirt without his jacket, was starting to feel a little warm.

Caught off guard by the question, Yun Pei wanted to shake his head. The temperature was just right for him. But then, remembering something, he glanced at Qin Mingyuan, then at the driver, who was wearing a full suit and already sweating at the temples.

Realizing that they were both uncomfortable because of him, he leaned forward to ask the driver to lower the temperature. When he sat back, he admitted, “It is a little hot.”

Qin Mingyuan had only asked casually, knowing that Yun Pei wouldn’t actually feel warm. He could tell what Yun Pei was thinking but didn’t say anything.

As the car’s temperature gradually cooled, Qin Mingyuan quietly placed his jacket over Yun Pei’s shoulders.

Surrounded by the cold scent of the jacket, Yun Pei was taken aback. He turned to look at the man beside him and tugged the jacket closer, wrapping it tightly around himself.

Out of the corner of his eye, Qin Mingyuan noticed the young man huddling into his jacket. He briefly smiled, though it quickly disappeared, his expression returning to its usual calm.

After dropping Yun Pei off at the Yun family villa, the driver got out to fetch the wheelchair. Qin Mingyuan walked around to the other side and opened the car door. Yun Pei was just in the process of taking off the jacket when Qin Mingyuan bent down and skillfully lifted him out of the car.

The driver, a little late, was still setting up the wheelchair. So Qin Mingyuan simply stood there, holding Yun Pei easily, the light weight no trouble at all.

Yun Pei’s arms circled around Qin Mingyuan’s neck, and he could feel the warmth radiating from him. The man holding him was steady and strong—a solid, healthy figure.

His future girlfriend would probably feel very safe with him.

Since Qin Mingyuan wasn’t truly interested in Yun Yuexian, he’d probably like girls. But what type of girl would he like? Someone independent like Aunt Zeng, or a sweet, cute girl?

Yun Pei’s thoughts wandered, and he shook his head slightly to clear them, realizing how far off track they had gone.

But in doing so, his hair brushed against Qin Mingyuan’s chin, tickling him. Qin Mingyuan lowered his gaze, “What’s wrong?”

Yun Pei shook his head again and rested a hand on Qin Mingyuan’s head. Without the support, his grip on the man’s neck tightened instinctively.

Qin Mingyuan placed his hand on Yun Pei’s head to stop him from moving and, with a soft touch, smoothed his hair. He didn’t mind that the closer grip brought their bodies even nearer, “Don’t move. It’s tickling.”

Yun Pei, finally realizing what he was doing, froze and stayed still. Before he could think of something to say, the driver finally brought over the wheelchair.

Qin Mingyuan gently placed him into the chair. The warmth that had surrounded Qin Mingyuan’s chest disappeared, leaving him feeling cool and empty. He shoved his hands into his pockets, “I’ll be off, then.”

Sitting in the wheelchair, Yun Pei looked up at him, “Alright, take care on the way.” Qin Mingyuan nodded and turned to head back to the car, but just then, he caught a glimpse of someone on the second-floor balcony. The person turned and went inside—it looked like Yun Yuexian.

He was probably still feeling the consequences of the scolding from Gao Qing after the auction incident. His schedule had been lighter lately, meaning he’d been spending more time at home.

But once the movie came out, his popularity would rise again, and more jobs would flood in. His on-screen chemistry with Liang Zichen was already creating a buzz.

Though Gao Qing didn’t like Yun Yuexian, she was smart enough not to let a minor celebrity disrupt her son’s career. So once the movie premiered, she’d likely let Yun Yuexian be.

When Liang Zichen inevitably became attached, that’s when trouble would begin. In the original story, “Qin Mingyuan” had protected him. This time, who knew if he could withstand the pressure from Gao Qing?

Pulling his gaze away from the balcony, Qin Mingyuan looked down at Yun Pei, bending to place his hands on the wheelchair’s handles, casting a shadow over Yun Pei, “If anything happens, call me.”

After the “fight” last time, Qin Mingyuan knew that Yun Pei wasn’t the type to be easily bullied. Still, Yun Pei was physically at a disadvantage. With the Yun family couple favoring Yun Yuexian, there was always a chance that Yun Pei could end up getting mistreated.

Being surrounded by a dominant presence like Qin Mingyuan could be quite overwhelming, but instead, Yun Pei felt strangely safe. He didn’t understand why Qin Mingyuan was saying this to him, but he still nodded, “Alright.”

Satisfied with the response, Qin Mingyuan stood up straight, hesitated for a moment, then reached down to ruffle Yun Pei’s hair again before heading for the car.

Watching the car drive off into the distance again, Yun Pei raised his hand to touch the spot where he’d been patted. He entered the villa in a surprisingly good mood.

Just as he reached the villa’s entrance, his phone buzzed. Taking it out, he saw a message from the man who had just left. He opened it, puzzled.

[President Qin: I just realized I forgot to give you the strawberries we picked yesterday. I’ll have them sent over from the villa.]

Yun Pei looked at the message, a smile slowly spreading across his lips.

Just then, the villa door clicked open. He looked up, his smile still on his face.

“Feeling so happy just because you’ve latched onto Qin Corporation’s big shot?” Yun Yuexian leaned against the doorframe, his expression mocking as he looked at Yun Pei.

Yun Pei’s face immediately turned cold. Without replying, he brushed past him and entered the villa. Every time he came back, he had to deal with this mother-and-son duo. It was infuriating.

Not content with being ignored, Yun Yuexian followed him inside, refusing to give up. 

“Yun Pei, Qin Mingyuan is just something I threw away. Now that you’ve picked him up, what’s there to be proud of?”

Yun Pei’s wheelchair came to a stop, and he turned to look at him. His eyes swept over Yun Yuexian’s face before he asked, “Was it you who threw him away, or did he throw you away?”

Yun Yuexian’s face darkened as Yun Pei struck a nerve. He stepped forward, crossing his arms as he loomed over Yun Pei, “Either way, Yun Pei, how do you know that your future won’t be like mine?”

Before Yun Pei could respond, Yun Yuexian sneered, “I see it clearly now. These rich men don’t care about true feelings. No matter how passionately they pursue you, it’s all just because you’re new to them. I couldn’t keep his heart, and you think a cripple like you can?”

It wasn’t just Qin Mingyuan. Even Liang Zichen couldn’t be trusted. Lately, he’d been facing all kinds of pressure and had reached out to Liang Zichen, only to get comforting words and empty reassurances.

The Liang family was powerful, but the control was still in his mother’s hands, not Liang Zichen’s. Their relationship wasn’t deep enough for him to fully defy his mother for Yun Yuexian.

Every time Yun Yuexian thought about the jobs he’d lost recently, he felt furious. Qin Mingyuan’s affection had been too cheap, only using him for hype. Now, Qin Mingyuan had even sent his legal department after him, turning him into a laughingstock across the internet.

He resented Qin Mingyuan’s ruthlessness, but he still coveted his status. Once, everything Qin Mingyuan had was at his disposal, and now, the contrast was too bitter to bear.

And to top it all off, his half-brother—the one he despised the most—had been growing closer to Qin Mingyuan. Even spending nights away from home, personally picked up and dropped off by Qin Mingyuan. He couldn’t stand it.

Yun Yuexian bent down and grabbed the handles of Yun Pei’s wheelchair, “Big brother, with your wrecked body, can you even satisfy him?”

Yun Pei, clearly disgusted, leaned back slightly. He couldn’t help thinking how much like his mother, Huo Lijuan, Yun Yuexian was—full of filthy thoughts.

Yun Pei’s expression of distaste only made Yun Yuexian feel more pleased with himself. He reached out to touch Yun Pei’s face, but Yun Pei dodged him. 

Still, Yun Yuexian didn’t mind, “Have you ever thought that you’re just his second choice? Maybe when he looks at you, he’s thinking of me.”

This wasn’t so much an insult to Yun Pei as it was a way for Yun Yuexian to comfort himself. He simply couldn’t understand what about this crippled brother could possibly appeal to Qin Mingyuan.

Yun Pei tilted his head slightly to look at him, finding the whole situation laughable. He even smiled, “Yun Yuexian, you’re truly pitiful.”

Yun Yuexian’s expression hardened, “What do you mean?”

Yun Pei had no desire to argue with him further. Lowering his gaze, he shook his head, “If thinking that way makes you feel better, then go ahead.”

He maneuvered his wheelchair to move past him, but Yun Yuexian grabbed the handles again. Yun Pei turned and coldly stared at him.

“Yun Pei, you have no idea how cold-hearted Qin Mingyuan is. He used to care so much for me, gave me whatever I wanted. And now? Look how he treats me.” 

Yun Yuexian stared at him intensely, his tone changing, “These rich, powerful men don’t have hearts. They don’t feel anything. Don’t think you’ll be the exception!”

“I don’t need to be an exception. What happens between Qin Mingyuan and me has nothing to do with you. And you’re wrong about something…” Yun Pei met his gaze calmly, completely unaffected by his words. In fact, his expression softened. 

“He is the warmest person in the world.”