Back in the private room, the group seemed to be chatting about some funny stories from filming, and the atmosphere was lively and cheerful. Qin Mingyuan entered without anyone noticing.

Someone was sitting in his seat—Li Lin’s assistant, Xiao Chen. He was leaning to the side, chatting with Yun Pei, and appeared to be quite happy, judging by his smile.

Qin Mingyuan walked over, and as soon as Xiao Chen noticed him, he quickly stood up, greeted President Qin, and then said goodbye to Yun Pei before slipping away, as if a bit afraid of him.

Sitting down, Qin Mingyuan rested his hand on the back of Yun Pei’s wheelchair and asked, “What were you talking about?”

Yun Pei shook his head, “Nothing much, he watched my videos and we chatted casually for a bit. I think he noticed I was sitting here alone and came over to keep me company, afraid I’d get bored.”

The last time Qin Mingyuan had met Xiao Chen on set, he had thought that although Xiao Chen seemed young and somewhat unreliable, he was actually very attentive and cautious, handling things well. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have become Li Lin’s assistant.

Qin Mingyuan nodded without pressing further. He glanced around at the lively atmosphere and then asked, “Did Liang Zichen give you any trouble just now?”

“No, he’s been talking to the director the whole time.” Yun Pei knew that Liang Zichen’s previous animosity toward him was because of Yun Yuexian. There wasn’t any personal grudge between them. Now that the situation had passed, Yun Pei figured that an actor of Liang Zichen’s stature wouldn’t bother causing trouble in this kind of setting.

Seeing Qin Mingyuan still deep in thought, Yun Pei picked up the communal chopsticks, placed a piece of food on his plate, and said, “Eat something. You’ve only been drinking.”

Qin Mingyuan glanced at the food Yun Pei had given him, then looked at him for a moment before nodding. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

The door to the private room was pushed open. Since they were sitting near the entrance, they instinctively turned their heads to see who it was. It was Yun Yuexian who had returned.

Water droplets that hadn’t been completely wiped off still clung to the side of Yun Yuexian’s face, and his eyes were red, as if he had just cried.

He froze when his eyes met theirs, but quickly recovered, even raising a hand to wipe the corner of his eye. His appearance looked pitiful.

Qin Mingyuan immediately looked away, and Yun Pei was even less likely to acknowledge him. The two of them tacitly continued eating, acting as if they hadn’t seen anything.

Yun Yuexian’s expression twisted for a moment as he stood there, ignored. He glanced at their backs, sitting side by side, then adjusted his expression and returned to his seat.

“What did you say to him?” Yun Pei asked Qin Mingyuan after seeing Yun Yuexian sit down, while Liang Zichen beside him started chatting.

Qin Mingyuan was just pouring himself a bowl of soup. Hearing this, he turned to Yun Pei and replied, “I told him not to show up in front of me again.”

From that single sentence, Yun Pei could pretty much guess what the conversation had been about. With Yun Yuexian’s temperament, he could easily imagine how angry the guy must have been. Yun Yuexian had probably thrown a fit in the restroom before calming down and returning.

The redness in his eyes wasn’t all fake—at least half of it was genuine frustration.

Yun Pei’s lips curled into a slight smile.

Qin Mingyuan noticed and raised an eyebrow. He lowered his head and sipped his soup, evidently in a good mood as well.

After setting his bowl down, Qin Mingyuan felt a gaze on him. He glanced up and saw Liang Zichen staring at him from across the table.

He wasn’t surprised. Yun Yuexian’s teary return made it seem as though Qin Mingyuan had said something hurtful and bullied him.

But Liang Zichen, to his credit, didn’t show any displeasure on his face. When their eyes met, he even raised his wine glass in a gesture of acknowledgment.

Qin Mingyuan gave him face and raised his own glass in return, taking a small sip.

Honestly, he couldn’t quite understand these novel-like protagonists’ thought processes. Before, when Liang Zichen thought he had feelings for Yun Yuexian, there was hostility. Now that Qin Mingyuan had made his stance clear, Liang Zichen still wasn’t happy.

He chuckled inwardly, took another sip of wine, and thought that perhaps protagonists were all like this—believing the world should revolve around them, that everything should go their way.

“President Qin, may I toast you?”

Before Qin Mingyuan could set his glass down, someone appeared next to him. He looked up and saw a young man with an unfamiliar face—probably a small actor from the other table.

Qin Mingyuan held his glass but didn’t speak. The young man, assuming his silence was consent, quickly clinked his glass against Qin Mingyuan’s and downed his drink.

Due to the angle, Yun Pei happened to meet the young man’s gaze as he drank. There was a hint of provocation in those eyes. Yun Pei paused and, as the young man set his glass down, gave him a closer look.

He had an excessively pretty face for a man—delicate and refined, with what seemed like a bit of makeup on. You could see faint traces of foundation, and his hairstyle was meticulously styled.

He wore a ripped-style T-shirt, with a tear at his waist that revealed a pale, slender waistline.

Yun Pei lifted his eyes, noticing the flush of drunkenness on the young man’s face. His eyes, filled with emotion, were fixed on the man sitting calmly beside him.

Lowering his lashes, Yun Pei felt an inexplicable discomfort. The faint scent of perfume on the young man seemed particularly pungent.

The allure of being the wife of the Qin Corporation’s president, coupled with the man’s personal charm, attracted countless people trying to get close to him. This kind of scene wasn’t new.

Yun Pei had witnessed several attempts to flirt with Qin Mingyuan before, but such direct seduction was a first.

The air conditioning seemed a bit cold. Yun Pei tugged at his jacket, which still carried the man’s scent, giving him a sense of security.

With a soft clink, Qin Mingyuan set his wine glass back on the table, having not taken a sip. He raised his eyes slightly, looking at the young man. Even though he was seated, his presence was more imposing than the person standing.

Many people had come to toast him tonight, but no one had dared clink glasses without a response from him. This young man was the first.

Rather than being intimidated, the young man seemed to gain confidence from Qin Mingyuan’s gaze. He smiled, took a step closer, and casually rested his hand on a nearby object. He bent slightly and called out softly, “President Qin…”

“Take your hand off.” Qin Mingyuan’s expression turned cold, his entire aura instantly becoming sharp.

The young man flinched, instinctively retracting his hand. It was only then that he realized where he had placed it—on the back of Yun Pei’s wheelchair.

Seeing him pull his hand away, Qin Mingyuan glanced at Yun Pei, who was sitting in the wheelchair with his eyes lowered, silent. Qin Mingyuan wasn’t sure if all these people coming over had disturbed Yun Pei, but he felt irritated. His words were sharp, “If you’re in heat, go find someone else. Don’t bother me.”

The young man’s face flushed with embarrassment at having his intentions so bluntly exposed. He could even feel the mocking stares of several actors sitting nearby.

He didn’t dare argue, nor did he have the face to stay any longer. With a sullen expression, he turned and walked away.

Once he was gone, an odd silence fell between Qin Mingyuan and Yun Pei. The atmosphere felt strange, almost awkward.

After a brief pause, Qin Mingyuan broke the silence, “Are you full?”

“Mm,” Yun Pei responded softly. He had put down his chopsticks a while ago, not having eaten much to begin with.

“Let’s head out then. Looks like it’ll be a while before they’re done.” Qin Mingyuan checked his watch. It was already past 9 p.m.

Yun Pei had no objections. He didn’t know most of the people here anyway. If it weren’t for Qin Mingyuan, he wouldn’t have attended this gathering in the first place. After the little scene just now, he wasn’t keen on staying any longer.

Qin Mingyuan stood up to say goodbye to the director and was briefly held back by the producer and investors for a short chat. Liang Zichen, sitting nearby, simply glanced at him without saying anything.

Yun Yuexian looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated, ultimately remaining silent, perhaps afraid of another confrontation with Qin Mingyuan.

The producer wanted to ask Xiao Chen to escort them, but Qin Mingyuan politely declined.

“Let’s go.” Qin Mingyuan strode back, turned Yun Pei’s wheelchair around, and pushed him out of the private room.

Inside the elevator, they remained silent, watching the floor numbers change. The atmosphere was oddly harmonious, despite its strangeness.

When they reached the hotel entrance, the driver, who had been notified, was already waiting for them.

As Yun Pei was lifted into the car, the scent of Qin Mingyuan’s body, mixed with a faint trace of alcohol, filled his senses. Yun Pei looked up at him. Once Qin Mingyuan settled into the seat from the other side, Yun Pei asked, “You drank quite a bit. Are you okay?”

As the car started, Qin Mingyuan loosened a button on his shirt and turned to him, “I’m fine. I didn’t drink much, actually.”

Red wine didn’t have a high alcohol content to begin with, and whenever someone came to toast him, Qin Mingyuan would just take a sip, or sometimes merely touch his lips to the glass. He hadn’t actually consumed much.

Seeing that Qin Mingyuan seemed alert and unaffected, Yun Pei relaxed. Still feeling a bit awkward, he turned his head to look out the car window.

The Maybach drove on in silence for a while. Qin Mingyuan, rubbing his temple, glanced at the back of Yun Pei’s head, his hair looking soft and fluffy, tempting him to ruffle it, “What’s wrong?”

Qin Mingyuan’s deep voice suddenly sounded in the car, causing a slight tickle in Yun Pei’s ears. He resisted the urge to rub his ear and turned to respond, “What?”

“You’ve seemed upset since earlier,” Qin Mingyuan said calmly, his gaze steady on Yun Pei. 

“Were you bothered by all the people?”

“No,” Yun Pei shook his head, lowering his gaze. He had just realized something that made him feel a bit flustered.

Not wanting to explain, Yun Pei stayed silent, and Qin Mingyuan didn’t press further. Instead, he reached out and ruffled Yun Pei’s hair.

Yun Pei tensed but didn’t avoid the touch, allowing the warm hand to rest on his head. His mind wandered, realizing how much their physical contact had increased recently.

When Qin Mingyuan pinched his earlobe, Yun Pei flinched and couldn’t help but lean back slightly to avoid the touch, raising his hand to cover his ear, “What are you doing?”

Qin Mingyuan retracted his hand and rubbed his fingertips, which still carried the warmth, “Why is it so red?”

Yun Pei didn’t need to be told; he could feel the unusual heat in his ear. He instinctively rubbed it again before dropping his hand, “Maybe it’s just a bit hot.”

As he spoke, Yun Pei began to take off his jacket, but Qin Mingyuan reached over and stopped him.

Holding Yun Pei’s hand and feeling the coolness of his fingers, Qin Mingyuan said, “Don’t take it off. The air conditioning is on, and it’ll get cold.”

Yun Pei muttered a quiet “mm” and pulled his hand back, avoiding Qin Mingyuan’s gaze. He turned once again to look at the brightly lit nightscape outside the car window.

The passing scenery outside made Yun Pei pause for a moment. He leaned closer to get a better look, but the car had already moved on.

“What’s wrong?” Qin Mingyuan’s eyes were still on him, watching his every move.

“I think I saw Huo Lijuan’s car,” Yun Pei said, temporarily distracted from his earlier awkwardness.

It had happened too fast, and he hadn’t caught the license plate clearly. It might have just been a similar model.

Qin Mingyuan took a moment to remember who Huo Lijuan was, raising an eyebrow. They had passed a hospital just now—was she seeing a doctor this late at night?

Yun Pei wasn’t particularly concerned about whether it was Huo Lijuan’s car or not. He didn’t really care where she went. But in that brief moment, he had seen a middle-aged man getting into the car. Though he hadn’t seen the man’s face clearly, something about him seemed familiar, like he’d seen him somewhere before.

“If it’s bothering you, should we turn back and take a look?” Qin Mingyuan suggested, noticing Yun Pei’s furrowed brow.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Yun Pei quickly shook his head, “No, I probably just saw it wrong. It’s late, let’s not waste time.”

Maybe it wasn’t Huo Lijuan’s car. It could’ve belonged to someone else, and the middle-aged man might’ve just been the owner.