Zhou Yang placed the lunch he had just brought back from the company cafeteria on the coffee table and straightened up to look at his boss, who was still busy at the desk. He hesitated before reminding him, “President Qin, it’s almost two o’clock, maybe you should eat first?”

“I know. Just leave it there, I’ll eat later,” Qin Mingyuan replied without even looking up, his eyes glued to the documents in his hands.

Great, looks like the meal’s going to get cold again. Zhou Yang sighed. As he was debating whether or not to persuade his boss one more time before leaving, the phone on the desk vibrated.

Since Qin Mingyuan usually didn’t like answering calls while working, Zhou Yang thought this time would be no different. But to his surprise, the boss glanced at the screen, quickly picked up the phone, and his voice was noticeably softer than when he talked to him.

“What made you think of calling me at this time?” Qin Mingyuan put down the documents, leaned back in his chair, and signaled to his assistant to leave.

Zhou Yang instantly understood. It was probably the boss’s significant other. He nodded wisely and quietly left the office.

Before closing the door, he saw Qin Mingyuan get up and walk over to the coffee table, coaxing the person on the other end of the call, “No, Zhou Yang brought me lunch. I’m just about to eat. If you don’t believe me, we can video chat…”

Zhou Yang didn’t dare listen any further. He gently closed the door, a smile spreading across his face—the type of smile people call the “auntie smile.”

How nice, the boss finally has someone who takes care of him.

Qin Mingyuan set up a stand for his phone, so he could continue the video call while showing the lunch box filled with a balanced meal to the person on the other end. “See? I wasn’t lying.”

“It’s quite late to be eating now,” Yun Pei said, not entirely pleased. “Even if you’re healthy, staying up like this will give you stomach problems eventually. Remember to eat on time in the future.”

Qin Mingyuan was usually punctual with meals, but every now and then, work would delay him. Who would’ve thought he’d get caught red-handed this time? However, instead of explaining, he simply enjoyed the concern and nodded cooperatively, “Got it.”

As he ate while on the video call, he asked, “How’ve you been these past few days? You didn’t clash with Huo Lijuan, did you?”

At the mention of that woman, Yun Pei’s expression briefly turned cold. He shook his head, “No, she’s the same as always, acting like nothing’s wrong. She tries to throw a couple of barbs my way, but I’ve managed to shut her down each time.”

“Good.” Qin Mingyuan nodded, taking a bite of his food. He reminded, “Be careful, though. Try not to run into her if you can. I’m worried that if she’s pushed too far, she might do something drastic.”

Hearing this, Yun Pei let out a cold laugh and replied, “Don’t worry about it. We’ve lived like this for years. If she really wanted to do something to me, she would’ve done it a long time ago.”

After reflecting on it, he suspected that the woman had probably planned to get rid of him and his mother years ago, but he narrowly escaped. Later, when she learned he was crippled, she likely felt less concerned—after all, a disabled person wasn’t much of a threat compared to her healthy son.

Moreover, with her status secured within the Yun family, manipulating him became easy. She never dared to be too harsh, for the sake of Yun Haowei’s reputation and her own, but deep down, she knew that the eldest son of the Yun family was no longer a threat.

These days, she wouldn’t risk doing anything too extreme. The consequences would be too great, and it could potentially unravel the secrets of the past. Not worth it.

Even if not for herself, she would think of her beloved son. It wasn’t worth taking risks over a cripple who posed no competition.

Qin Mingyuan understood all this too, but in his mind, nothing was ever 100% certain. When it came to someone he cared about, the worry was always there.

“Alright, let’s not talk about her anymore,” Yun Pei said, noticing the frown on his face. He moved closer to the screen, pretending to poke his brow, “Let’s talk about something happier. Yun Yuexian is back, and he doesn’t seem to be in a good mood.”

Qin Mingyuan paused mid-bite, recalling something, and asked, “Didn’t you say he was filming a new project that would keep him on set for at least two months? How long has it been?”

“A little over a week.” Yun Pei leaned back, resting his phone on the table, a look of schadenfreude on his face. “He doesn’t look like he’s just taking leave. He was probably replaced. The day he came back, he threw a massive fit. I could hear him smashing things in his room.”

Qin Mingyuan wasn’t too concerned about the actor. His attention was entirely on his lover’s lively expression, full of joy.

In the past, Yun Pei, like him, had been quiet and a bit distant, someone who was hard to approach. Only after getting to know him did Qin Mingyuan realize how easily Yun Pei could blush. But he didn’t like showing that side of himself, always putting on a cold front.

Now, though… Qin Mingyuan gazed at the screen, his eyes soft. Perhaps Yun Pei hadn’t noticed it himself, but he had become much more expressive, talking more freely, and his whole demeanor had started to brighten.

“Qin Mingyuan, are you even listening to me?” Yun Pei waved his hand in front of the camera when he didn’t get a response.

“I’m listening.” Qin Mingyuan pulled himself back from his thoughts. “You said Yun Yuexian trashed his room.”

He had been listening, so Yun Pei continued, “And I think he might be in a relationship.”

“Oh? What makes you think that?” Qin Mingyuan raised an eyebrow, taking another bite of his meal.

“I overheard him on the phone with someone, talking about whether that person loved him or not, and complaining that he was being targeted, but the other person didn’t help him, even though they knew about it.” Yun Pei recalled the conversation he had accidentally heard.

He didn’t particularly want to listen to Yun Yuexian’s drama, but whenever Yun Yuexian threw a tantrum, his voice was so loud that it was impossible not to overhear. Qin Mingyuan, on the other hand, knew exactly who Yun Yuexian had been talking to. He just didn’t know when those two had gotten involved. In the original storyline, they didn’t confirm their relationship until New Year’s.

He lowered his eyes. Looks like the early exit of the second male lead had pushed the romance plot ahead of schedule.

This meant that the upcoming plotlines had likely already begun. Clearly, Yun Yuexian’s troubles were the handiwork of Gao Qing.

At this point, Yun Yuexian was still just angry, not yet afraid. The situation was likely still in its early stages.

In other words, this was just a warning from Gao Qing. If Yun Yuexian backed off and distanced himself from her son, the punishment would end there.

But was Yun Yuexian the type to back down easily?

The answer was obvious. Yun Yuexian knew that his tearful phone call would make Liang Zichen feel bad for him and confront his mother, hoping to stop the targeting. He might even gain some benefits from it.

However, Yun Yuexian had overestimated how much influence Liang Zichen had within the Liang family and underestimated Gao Qing’s control over her son.

Gao Qing had worked hard to raise her son among a pack of scheming relatives, protecting his inheritance. She wasn’t about to let him turn around and argue with her over someone else.

Moreover, Yun Yuexian was a man who couldn’t bear children, a public figure in the entertainment industry. If he were to become the future lady of the Liang family, the wife of the company’s CEO, it would be easy for the hungry wolves circling the family’s fortune to find excuses to take a bite.

In such circumstances, Gao Qing would make sure Liang Zichen cut his losses, whether he liked it or not.

So, Yun Yuexian wasn’t heading for a happy ending, but rather an even harsher storm, one that would likely drag the Yun family down with him.

In the novel, the second male lead had been there to help. Now… Qin Mingyuan’s lips curled up slightly. He was looking forward to the upcoming drama.

“Yun Yuexian’s boyfriend is probably Liang Zichen, right?” Yun Pei also began to connect the dots. “So now the one targeting him is the Liang family’s head, Gao Qing?”

Qin Mingyuan glanced at his clever little “Mimosa” with approval. “The Yun family is about to fall into chaos.”

Upon hearing this, Yun Pei smiled, “Good. It should have fallen into chaos a long time ago.”

It should have happened when his mother died.

Seeing the coldness flash in his eyes, Qin Mingyuan knew Yun Pei was thinking of his mother again. After a brief pause, he said, “I’ve had people following Huo Lijuan recently, but she hasn’t met with anyone suspicious. She’s mostly just been shopping or having tea with other rich ladies. As for the car accident all those years ago, I’ve got people digging into that as well. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

Yun Pei hadn’t expected a quick resolution, especially after so many years. He was deeply grateful that Qin Mingyuan was helping him with this, even with his busy schedule. He also felt a bit sorry for him. “It’s okay. I’m not in a hurry. We’ll take it slow.”

“Why, feeling bad for your boyfriend having too much on his plate?” Qin Mingyuan teased, already knowing what Yun Pei was thinking from his expression.

There was something he hadn’t told Yun Pei yet. He had also arranged for an investigation into the private hospital they had passed by before. It was easier to start there than with Huo Lijuan, and he believed they would have some leads soon.

He didn’t mention it because he didn’t want to raise Yun Pei’s hopes only to disappoint him later if nothing came of it.

Yun Pei pressed his lips together but didn’t deny it.

He wanted to help Qin Mingyuan in some way, but after thinking about it, he realized there wasn’t much he could do. All he could do was remind him to eat properly and take care of his health.

“If you’re so worried, when are you going to come visit me on set?” Qin Mingyuan ran his fingers along the edge of the phone, as if touching Yun Pei’s face. “Let me recharge a bit.”

Recalling how Qin Mingyuan had “recharged” last time, Yun Pei’s face flushed in the video. After a moment of silence, he said, “I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

He was being so obedient that Qin Mingyuan’s heart softened. Picking up his phone, he said bluntly, “I’m starting to miss you.”

His low voice came through the phone, sounding as if he were right beside him. Yun Pei’s ears turned red, and feeling a bit embarrassed, he turned his gaze away for a moment before looking back. “Aren’t you looking at me right now?”

“Yeah,” Qin Mingyuan nodded, then added, “But I can only look.”

If they were face-to-face, he could hug him, kiss him, feel his warmth, and breathe in his scent.

He didn’t say these things out loud, but Yun Pei could sense them through his gaze. He was starting to miss him too.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

The knock on the door interrupted the affectionate atmosphere between them, and Qin Mingyuan looked up with clear displeasure.

Zhou Yang poked his head in cautiously, holding a file. “President Qin, I hate to interrupt, but there’s a contract that needs your signature. It’s a bit urgent.”

Since it was work-related, Qin Mingyuan couldn’t really fault him. He just shot him a cold look and gestured for him to come in.

Looking a bit intimidated, Zhou Yang stepped in, quickly placed the document on the desk, and retreated. “I’ll come back to collect it later, President Qin.”

Yun Pei had fallen silent after hearing the commotion on Qin Mingyuan’s end. After the door closed, he finally said, “You shouldn’t be so harsh on Assistant Zhou. He’s a good person.”

“I’m not harsh on him. He’s just timid,” Qin Mingyuan’s cold expression softened. “I haven’t even yelled at him, but he’s already shaking.”

To be fair, Qin Mingyuan’s aura was indeed intimidating, especially when his face was expressionless. It wasn’t surprising Zhou Yang was afraid of him. Yun Pei himself had been a bit intimidated by him at first, too, and had wanted to keep his distance.

He chuckled and said, “Since you still have work to do, I’ll hang up now. Don’t forget to finish your lunch.”

“Okay. If you need anything, call me. Don’t worry about interrupting me.” Qin Mingyuan nodded. By now, he had eaten most of his lunch during the video call. Yun Pei agreed, and just before hanging up, he added, “I recorded a new video today. I’ll probably upload it tonight. Make sure you watch it.”

Though he wasn’t sure why Yun Pei had specifically reminded him, Qin Mingyuan said he would. Only after Yun Pei ended the call did he put his phone away.

Later that night, when he got home, he opened Si Yu’s account to check out the latest upload. As soon as he saw the pigeon-blood red ring on those hands, he immediately understood what that smile from earlier meant.

He remembered saying at the auction that he wanted to see Yun Pei wear the ring while painting. He hadn’t expected him to remember.

As he looked at the dazzling ruby shining in the sunlight on those pale hands, he thought it was an even more beautiful sight than the painting itself.

Because Si Yu never wore jewelry, the comments were filled with discussions about the ring, which looked very expensive. The consensus was that it must have been a gift from someone very important.

Qin Mingyuan silently agreed. Yep, it was a gift from his boyfriend.