Lunch was the hospital’s nutritional meal. Yu Yan found it rather bland, but he thought it must suit Shen Yuming’s taste.

When they left the hospital, it was exactly 3 p.m. Zhao Chi came to pick them up.

“When I have time, I’ll get my driver’s license too,” Yu Yan muttered.

Shen Yuming chuckled, “You don’t need to.”

“Didn’t you say I avoid taking responsibility?” Yu Yan grumbled.

“I was talking about your mental state, not your actions. Even if you had a license, you wouldn’t have to drive. Just do what feels right to you.”

Yu Yan responded with an “oh” and opened the car door for him.

“To the office.”

Once Yu Yan got into the car, he slammed the door shut with a “bang.” “Home! There are only two hours left before the end of the workday. Why go to the office?”

It was a 20-minute drive to the office, which, factoring in the elevator, would take half an hour. Rounding up, that left barely any time before the workday ended.

If they went home, Shen Yuming could rest properly, but if they went to the office, there was a chance he’d end up working overtime.

Shen Yuming didn’t reply; he simply chuckled a few times and pulled out his laptop to handle some files.

From the driver’s seat, Zhao Chi, quick to catch on, drove straight into the residential complex.

As soon as they stepped inside, Yu Yan noticed a thick, bohemian-style carpet spread across the floor, instantly becoming the most eye-catching feature in the living room.

“Wow!” Yu Yan exclaimed. He kicked off his shoes and stepped onto the carpet.

The carpet was thick and soft, with fine, plush fibers that felt soothing against bare feet.

He walked across it as if he were playing in the sand. “When did this carpet get laid? It wasn’t here a few days ago.”

“Today,” Shen Yuming replied without changing his expression. “It was a gift from a partner.”

“The custom furnishings partner?”

“Yes, this is the thickest carpet their factory produces.”

Yu Yan rolled around on the floor twice before suddenly lifting his head. “Can we replace the carpets at the office with these too?”

“They already have been.”

Yu Yan was thrilled. “That carpet was too thin. Sitting on it to build Legos or play games always made my bones hurt.”

Shen Yuming handed him a game controller. “Why not try it out first?”

“Let’s go!” Yu Yan eagerly started the game, glancing worriedly at Shen Yuming’s hand. “Is your hand okay?”

“It’s fine. I’ll just hold the controller without moving it.”

The racing game had just updated to a new version with new maps.

Last night, He Zhiyu had even posted a screenshot of a record-breaking time in the group chat to taunt Yu Yan. Yu Yan was determined to post his own victory screen later to return the favor.

At first, he expected it to be like before, where Shen Yuming would disappear from his view within seconds. But to his surprise, this time, their speeds were almost neck and neck, and occasionally, Yu Yan even managed to pull ahead by a few car lengths.

At the finish line, Yu Yan crossed first, leading by 0.78 seconds.

He couldn’t stop grinning and even took out his phone to document the historic moment.

“Yuming, I won!”

“Mm, you won,” Shen Yuming said with a soft laugh.

After the game ended, Yu Yan was about to start another round but suddenly paused.

“Yuming, let’s have a match.”

Shen Yuming raised a brow. “What kind of match?”

Yu Yan, excited, clung to his arm. “If I win, you have to say, ‘Brother Yan, you’re amazing.’ How about that?”

“Who… taught you this?” Shen Yuming was momentarily speechless.

“He Zhiyu! Every time he wins, he makes me call him ‘bro.’ He even said if I won, he’d call me that, but I never beat him. I’ve been playing this game for months, and this is the first time I’ve won!”

“He Zhiyu said calling someone ‘bro’ isn’t about age but about respect—recognition of strength. He’s even called me ‘bro’ before.”

He Zhiyu was someone who never cared about age when addressing people. When they weren’t close, he’d call Yu Yan “Second Gen Bro.” Once they were more familiar, he’d switch to “Little Yan” or “Little Yan Bro.” The same went for Cao Yuanye; if he needed something, he’d call him “Brother Yuanye,” but when he was feeling cocky, he’d call him “my little bro.”

Everyone who knew him understood his personality and didn’t mind.

Looking at Yu Yan’s animated expression, Shen Yuming couldn’t think of a reason to refuse. He suddenly smiled. “Alright. If I win, will you call me ‘bro’ too?”

“Sure, Yuming.”

After all, he’d called him that countless times already—one more wouldn’t hurt.

Shen Yuming stretched his wrist. “Let’s change the way you address me. This one always makes me feel like you’re only calling me that because of Yu Chen.”

“That’s different. Before, it was because you were my brother’s friend, but now you’re my friend—it has nothing to do with my brother,” Yu Yan said hesitantly. “Yu-ge? Shen-ge? Neither of those sounds good!”

He leaned closer to Shen Yuchen and lowered his voice. “Ah Chen?”

Shen Yuchen’s heart suddenly raced, but he maintained a calm expression as he looked at Yu Yan.

Yu Yan rubbed his slightly warm ears and quickly added, “I heard my parents call you that, and it sounded pretty nice.”

“If I win, will you call me that too?” Shen Yuchen raised an eyebrow slightly.

“No way,” Yu Yan shook his head and tentatively asked, “How about… gege?”

Shen Yuchen’s heart stirred slightly, but his face remained expressionless as he nodded. “Let’s start.”

“Wait—”

Yu Yan stopped him, suddenly standing up to stretch, rolling his wrists and ankles before sitting back down. “Alright, let’s go.”

The race began, and the speed of their cars remained neck and neck. They chased each other closely, neither willing to give an inch.

In the last third of the lap, the number of obstacles increased suddenly. Yu Yan had to slow down and even crashed a few times.

But Shen Yuchen’s car was still behind him, and the final stretch was so narrow—barely wide enough for one car—there was no way to overtake.

He was going to win!

Yu Yan was so excited he could almost pop champagne!

Suddenly, on the screen, the black car lifted on just its right two wheels and, with a “whoosh,” sped past his car.

After overtaking, the black car landed with a slight jolt and crossed the finish line in first place, just one second ahead of Yu Yan.

“Yan-ge, so impressive!”

Shen Yuchen’s low, magnetic voice sounded beside him, making Yu Yan’s ears even redder. He tried to cool himself down by fanning his hands.

“Gege, are you messing with me?”

“No,” Shen Yuchen replied evenly.

Yu Yan grabbed his arm. “Ge, how did you make the car lift like that? Teach me!”

Once he learned it, he could show off in front of He Zhiyu and make him call him “ge”!

“It’s pretty simple,” Shen Yuchen said as he opened the training mode.

“Simple? That’s the first time I’ve seen that kind of maneuver! Is it only possible in the game, or can real cars lift like that too?” Yu Yan was still brimming with excitement.

Shen Yuchen selected a car in the training mode. “Get in.”

Yu Yan controlled his character to sit in the passenger seat.

As Shen Yuchen drove, he explained, “See that ramp ahead? Control the right tires to drive over the slope.”

When the car hit the slope, Yu Yan saw the right side of the car lift and balance perfectly on the screen.

After driving a short distance, the car returned to its normal driving position.

“That’s so cool!” Yu Yan exclaimed. “Can real cars actually drive like that?”

“They can, but side driving requires a lot of skill from the driver,” Shen Yuchen explained.

Yu Yan immediately asked, “Can you do it?”

“I can. I’ll show you next time,” Shen Yuchen nodded.

“Maybe not. It feels dangerous,” Yu Yan hesitated, then added, “Does my brother know how to do it?”

Shen Yuming lied without hesitation, his face calm, “I don’t know.”

“Then he probably doesn’t,” Yu Yan chuckled softly.

The two played games for four whole hours, with Yu Yan winning most of the time.

Knowing Shen Yuming had been letting him win, Yu Yan felt relaxed and focused on learning the side-driving technique, though every attempt ended in failure.

After dinner, a movie played on the TV while Yu Yan sat on the carpet assembling LEGO pieces.

At 8:30 p.m., Yu Chen’s call came in right on time.

Even before answering, Yu Yan could already predict what his brother would say—asking where he was and indirectly reminding him it was time to come home.

“Brother, are you off work?” Yu Yan asked.

Shen Yuming set down some LEGO parts and turned to go to his room.

“I’m not at the company, and I’m not on set either. I’m at Brother Chen’s house.”

“He’s injured, isn’t he? I came to check on him.”

Shen Yuming returned from his room holding sleepwear, clearly intending to take a shower.

The bandages on his hand hadn’t even been removed yet, and he wanted to shower!

Yu Yan shuffled forward and grabbed the hem of his pants.

On the phone, Yu Chen was still chattering on about something, but Yu Yan wasn’t listening anymore. He nodded absentmindedly, “Okay, I know, Brother. I’ll go home tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry, nothing will happen. I’m at Brother Chen’s house, not someone else’s.”

With that, he hung up.

The abrupt end of the call left Yu Chen fuming. It was precisely because Yu Yan was at Shen Yuming’s house that he felt uneasy!

Yu Yan frowned. “What are you doing with sleepwear?”

“Showering,” Shen Yuming replied, his gaze dropping to the hand clutching his pants.

Realizing what he was doing, Yu Yan quickly let go and stood up. “The bandages are still on. What shower? Why not just wipe yourself down?”

Shen Yuming hadn’t anticipated digging himself into a hole. “I’ll be careful.”

“Do you have to shower?” Yu Yan knew he couldn’t change his mind.

Shen Yuming nodded.

“Wait here.”

Yu Yan tossed out the words, turned, and went to the kitchen. He came back with plastic wrap and carefully wrapped Shen Yuming’s injured hand.

“Plastic wrap isn’t breathable, so it might feel a bit uncomfortable. Just rinse quickly and don’t take too long,” Yu Yan instructed worriedly.

Shen Yuming nodded. “Okay.”

While Shen Yuming was in the shower, Yu Yan called Jiang Mo and heavily emphasized how serious Shen Yuming’s hand injury was. Out of a sense of responsibility to his benefactor, he had to stay and take care of him.

But Jiang Mo didn’t seem to care much about his explanation. It felt like she’d let him stay no matter what his excuse was, only reminding him to stay safe.

The second time staying over at Shen Yuming’s place felt much more natural for Yu Yan compared to the first.

Since he was exhausted from playing all day, he fell asleep almost as soon as he hit the bed after his own shower. Half-asleep, he noticed Shen Yuming still working on some documents.

The bed was enormous, and the occasional clack of the keyboard didn’t bother Yu Yan at all.

Since he went to bed early, Yu Yan woke up particularly early the next morning, even before Shen Yuming.

After a quick wash-up, he ordered breakfast and tidied up the game controllers and unfinished LEGO pieces.

Not long after he finished cleaning up, the doorbell rang.

Breakfast delivery already?

Outside the door stood two strangers, dressed impeccably—clearly not delivery people.

One of them, a woman, looked about the same age as Jiang Mo. The other was a mixed-race girl with light blonde hair and pale blue eyes, strikingly beautiful.

“Who are you?” Yu Yan asked.

The girl’s voice was pleasant, and her large eyes were wide open.

Yu Yan snapped back to his senses. “Who are you looking for?”

Zhang Shujun asked, “Excuse me, does Shen Yuchen live here?”

“Mom?”

Shen Yuchen’s voice came from behind, tinged with surprise.

Yu Yan instantly realized that this was Shen Yuchen’s mother, who had already moved abroad, along with her youngest daughter.

Shen Yuming poured two glasses of water. “This is my friend, Yu Yan.”

“Is this the Yu family’s child? It’s been over ten years, and he’s grown so handsome,” Zhang Shujun remarked in surprise.

Did she mistake him for Yu Chen?

“No, it’s not him,” Shen Yuming said as he placed the glasses down, offering no further explanation.

Just then, the delivery arrived, but there were only two portions.

“Auntie, have you eaten yet?” Yu Yan asked.

Zhang Shujun nodded immediately. “We’ve already eaten.”

“Brother, can I play with your Lego?”

Zhang Can Can, who was already fifteen, had golden curls that made her skin appear especially fair and delicate. She was stunning.

Shen Yuming turned slightly to glance at her. “That Lego belongs to this brother; you should ask him.”

Zhang Can Can turned to Yu Yan and asked sweetly, “Brother, can I play with the Lego?”

The half-built Lego in the corner was the result of two hours of effort from Yu Yan and Shen Yuchen, and Yu Yan had planned to finish it with Shen Yuchen later.

After a brief hesitation, Yu Yan said, “There are plenty of unopened sets in the study. I’ll take you to pick a new one.”

“Okay! Are there any race cars?”

“There should be. Do you like race cars?” Yu Yan asked.

Zhang Can Can nodded eagerly. “I’ve watched my brother’s races before.”

Zhang Shujun wouldn’t come by without a reason—it was obvious she had something serious to discuss with Shen Yuchen. Yu Yan took Zhang Can Can to the study and set her up with Lego.

After sorting the pieces for her, he left to eat, finding that Shen Yuchen had already set up breakfast for him.

“What made you suddenly decide to return to the country? If I had known earlier, I would’ve gone to the airport to pick you up.”

Shen Yuchen’s tone was polite but lacked warmth.

The distant attitude reminded Yu Yan of the time Shen Yuchen traveled overseas with birthday gifts for Zhang Shujun, only to find out that she and her family had gone skiing in Switzerland.

Zhang Shujun glanced toward the study and smiled. “Can Can is here as an exchange student for a while. I figured you’re busy with work, so I didn’t want to bother you. What happened to your hand?”

“I bumped it,” Shen Yuming replied briefly. “How long do you plan to stay this time?”

Zhang Shujun shook her head. “I’m not sure yet. Can Can’s father’s company is in bad shape, with constant infighting. I didn’t want her to be affected, so I brought her here.”

Yu Yan pieced it together—so they had come back to avoid trouble!

Although he wasn’t sure of the specifics of Zhang Can Can’s father’s company, it was clear that her father held a high position there.

But back then, when she walked away and left a mess for Shen Yuchen to deal with, did it not cross her mind that he might be affected?

“Have you arranged the school?” Shen Yuming asked again.

“Yes, everything is set. It’s an international school nearby.”

The mother and son exchanged a few words here and there, but Yu Yan noticed that Zhang Shujun’s gaze would occasionally fall on him, filled with a heavy sense of implication.

If the person sitting here today were an elder who treated Shen Yuchen decently, Yu Yan would have tactfully found an excuse to leave.

But sitting here now was Zhang Shujun, a mother who always placed her younger daughter above Shen Yuchen.

Yu Yan pretended not to notice her meaningful glances and remained seated calmly, as though in complete control.

For the next three hours, most of the conversation revolved around Zhang Shujun discussing the situation of her daughter’s biological father’s company, asking Shen Yuchen how to maximize benefits. Shen Yuchen patiently provided the optimal solutions based on local laws.

By the time the clock struck eleven, Zhang Cancan had finished assembling the Lego set. Acting as a gracious host, Yu Yan suggested treating Zhang Shujun and her daughter to lunch.

The restaurant they went to was a Cantonese place in the CBD, one that Yu Yan and Shen Yuchen had visited several times before and knew wouldn’t disappoint.

From the moment they sat down, Zhang Shujun started attending to Zhang Cancan’s needs—asking the staff to replace the white tea with lemon water because Cancan wasn’t used to drinking tea, and swapping the bench seating for chairs because Cancan preferred them.

Yu Yan handed the menu to Zhang Shujun, saying, “Auntie, please order. You’ve just returned to the country; I wonder if you’re still used to the local cuisine.”

Zhang Shujun thanked him politely and took the menu, “I cook Cantonese food at home too, so I’m used to it.”

The four of them occupied the four sides of the square table. Opposite Yu Yan, Zhang Cancan was busy typing away on her phone, presumably chatting with someone. Beside her chair was the completed Lego set, which she had brought along at Shen Yuchen’s suggestion when they left.

After ordering, Zhang Shujun handed the menu back to Yu Yan, “It’s just some simple home-cooked dishes. After being abroad for so long, I wanted to see if the flavors here are any different from the ones I make myself.”

Yu Yan glanced at the menu. The portions were generous, enough for the four of them, and the dishes seemed tailored to Zhang Cancan’s tastes.

“Could I trouble you to add a dish of boiled choy sum?” Yu Yan handed the menu to the server and explained to Zhang Shujun, “Brother Chen is allergic to celery, so I added a vegetable dish.”

Zhang Shujun showed a moment of embarrassment. “Oh? I hadn’t noticed.”

“Perhaps Brother Chen never ate it before, so you didn’t realize,” Yu Yan replied with a polite smile.

Feeling a bit guilty, Zhang Shujun apologized, “My mistake.”

“I only found out this year myself,” Shen Yuchen said lightly, but the faint smile on his face was unmistakable.

When the dishes arrived, the one with celery was placed in front of Zhang Cancan.

Zhang Cancan was still busy typing on her phone, seemingly uninterested in the conversation at the table.

The earlier slip of conversation quickly faded, and the dining table returned to a relaxed and chatty atmosphere.

Shen Yuchen asked curiously, “Where are you staying?”

“We stayed at a hotel last night,” Zhang Shujun explained.

The word “stayed” clued Yu Yan in—it seemed she didn’t plan to remain in a hotel.

Shen Yuchen caught on as well. “I have an apartment in Bishui Bay that’s been renovated but hasn’t been lived in. It’s close to the school. Why don’t you move in?”

“No need. I was thinking…” Zhang Shujun paused for a few seconds before continuing, “The old house left behind by your grandparents should be tidied up. I’ll take Cancan to stay there. She hasn’t seen it yet, and after all… that house should rightfully include her share.”

Clunk—a meatball slipped from a pair of chopsticks, bouncing twice on the table before rolling to the floor. Everyone’s eyes turned to Yu Yan.

So Zhang Shujun hadn’t just returned to avoid trouble but also to fight for her daughter’s share of the inheritance!

When she abandoned everything and left Shen Yuchen alone in the country to deal with the aftermath, did she ever think this day would come?

A meatball dropped into Yu Yan’s bowl. When he looked up, he caught Shen Yuchen putting down his chopsticks.