Yu Qingyue grabbed his phone from the bedside, which had been charging all night, and turned on the screen. Seeing that it was barely six in the morning, he tossed the sweater aside, planning to get a little more sleep.

However, just as he was lying in bed and starting to drift off, he heard Yu Wanlai’s faint, intermittent sounds through the wall. The sounds seemed to be suppressing something—half-pain, half-pleasure. It was so different from the usual disjointed noises Yu Wanlai made; this one was deep, sensual, hoarse, and seemed dull because it was coming through the wall. Didn’t the doctor say there wouldn’t be any side effects from the medication? What was going on now?

Yu Qingyue, irritated, yanked the blanket over his head. But it didn’t help much; the sounds still reached his ears, growing louder the more he tried to ignore them. He opened his eyes, glared at the wall next to him, and muttered, “What’s the use of this? Since when did the soundproofing in this place get so bad? Can’t this guy just shut up?”

Frustrated, he sat up cross-legged on the bed, arms crossed, staring calmly at the white wall in front of him. If you ignored the visible anger in his eyes and his red ears, he actually seemed calm.

Five minutes later, Yu Qingyue grabbed his phone and saw that it was exactly six in the morning. He rubbed his hair in exasperation, got out of bed, and walked toward the bathroom. Halfway there, unwilling to let it go, he turned back and knocked hard on the wall a few times. When the noise abruptly stopped, he let out a sigh of relief, his lips curving into a satisfied smile. A few stray strands of hair from his head stood up, swaying as he headed for the bathroom.

After washing up, Yu Qingyue descended the stairs with a fresh face. Wang Ma had just brought out the fish porridge and handed it to Yu Wanlai when Yu Qingyue sat down at the dining table. For once, Yu Wanlai didn’t greet him with his usual “Little brother~ Little brother~” Yu Qingyue glanced up at him, secretly grumbling in his heart, wondering who was making all that ruckus upstairs just now, now that Yu Wanlai looked so composed.

Just as he was about to look away, he unexpectedly locked eyes with Yu Wanlai, who had been quietly observing his expression. Yu Qingyue cursed inwardly, and pretending nothing had happened, he calmly looked down and took a sip of the porridge.

The steam from the freshly served porridge rose in the air. Yu Qingyue scooped a spoonful, gently blowing on it before cautiously sipping it. Yu Wanlai looked up at him again, seemingly about to say something, but then hesitated. Silence spread throughout the dining table.

As it was almost time for their usual breakfast, Yu Wanlai closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and brought his bowl closer to Yu Qingyue. It was then that he realized something unusual—today, Yu Qingyue wasn’t sitting in his usual spot. Instead, he was sitting in Qin Shuang’s spot, which was diagonally across from Yu Wanlai.

There must be an explanation! Today, it must be explained!

Yu Wanlai pressed his lips together, and when he put his bowl down, his hand trembled, making a “clink” sound as he set it down. He pulled out a chair, cleared his throat, and sat down. Glancing at Yu Qingyue, he hesitantly began, “I didn’t know… uh, I didn’t expect the room… cough cough... wasn’t soundproof.”

Yu Wanlai awkwardly chuckled twice, trying to cover up, “Haha, maybe it was just the residual effects of the medication. I really didn’t mean to, I usually…”

This couldn’t be blamed on him, right? Usually, he didn’t hear any sounds at all, and he thought the soundproofing in the house was great.

It was only when he was interrupted that he suddenly realized his bathroom was right next to Yu Qingyue’s bedroom. What kind of layout was this? It’s all the designer’s fault! Actually, this kind of thing was quite normal. Although Yu Qingyue didn’t care much about these things and rarely expressed concern, Yu Wanlai could understand to some extent. What he didn’t understand was—what exactly was going on? He had just been forced to listen to a live performance in the morning, and now he had to hear a replay of it?

Yu Qingyue felt his ears burning again. He didn’t want to hear any more sounds from Yu Wanlai. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and said, “Shut up! Go back to your seat.”

Caught off guard by the scolding, Yu Wanlai paused for a moment, forgetting what he was going to say next. He held his bowl and went back to his seat, looking inexplicably aggrieved. It was indeed frustrating. He had been startled out of nowhere and hadn’t even finished yet, but now he had to hold it in!

As Qin Shuang entered the dining room, she immediately sensed the strangely silent atmosphere. She glanced at the two of them but didn’t ask anything. Instead, she sat down at Yu Qingyue’s usual spot. Yu Qingyue, relieved that his mother didn’t question him, sighed quietly. However, as soon as Qin Shuang took the bowl and utensils from Wang Ma, she spoke, “What’s going on, Yueyue? Why are you sitting here… Did you two have a fight?”

Yu Wanlai, sitting across from her, nearly spat out his porridge. He choked and coughed, “Cough, cough, cough—”

Seeing Yu Qingyue with his head down, almost burying his face in his bowl, he quickly covered, “No, Auntie, we didn’t have a fight.”

Yu Qingyue nodded, “Mm, no fight. I just wanted to change seats, that’s all.”

Seeing that they seemed to be in harmony, Qin Shuang didn’t think they were arguing and didn’t pursue it further.

Yu Wanlai thought the matter would pass, until Yu Qingyue scanned his WeChat on his phone and then told him to use WeChat for communication in the future, even though they shared the same office, and their desks were only about a meter apart.

Yu Wanlai: ………

Yu Wanlai shot a resentful look at Xu Ran, who was standing by Yu Qingyue’s desk. Only when he stopped feeling the intense gaze on him did Xu Ran’s hand, holding the notebook, tremble slightly. What was going on? This had been happening for several days. Why was this person staring at him like that every day?

Yu Wanlai withdrew his gaze and glanced at Yu Qingyue again, pouting a little, feeling inexplicably aggrieved. So, Yu Qingyue just wouldn’t talk to him anymore? For the past few days, he had seemed perfectly normal with everyone else, except for him. Whenever he finally spoke to him, Yu Qingyue wouldn’t even meet his eyes for a second.

Yu Qingyue had naturally noticed the occasional glances Yu Wanlai sent his way, but he had been making a conscious effort to ignore them. He couldn’t help it—ever since that night, things had been increasingly abnormal. Yu Qingyue didn’t like these changes. If it weren’t for the fear of things becoming too abrupt, and since he hadn’t decided how to handle the situation with Yu Wanlai, he was planning to have him move out of his office.

Yu Qingyue still couldn’t confirm whether Yu Wanlai had actually stopped making sounds after he knocked on the wall that morning. His mind had been a mess when he brushed his teeth, filled with all sorts of images. He couldn’t shake them off until, unable to resist, he took matters into his own hands, and then Yu Wanlai’s labored breathing seemed to echo in his ears again.

Among those images, the one that lingered the longest—and was the one he least wanted to think about—was Yu Wanlai.

Xu Ran, after reporting the schedule for the day while holding his notebook, asked, “Does Mr. Yu have anything to add?”

Yu Qingyue’s hand hovered over the keyboard for a couple of seconds. “…Did we manage to get in touch with that gem designer we’ve been trying to recruit?”

Xu Ran recalled the matter quickly and organized his words, “We did get in touch, but our HR department has been over a few times, and it’s been unsuccessful each time…”

Yu Qingyue nodded, understanding the situation. Given the lack of updates, he had already anticipated things weren’t going smoothly. He lightly tapped his fingers on the desk twice. “I remember I don’t have anything scheduled for tonight, right? Then make an appointment for me, I’ll go see her myself during dinner.”

“Okay, I’ll contact her now,” Xu Ran replied, then left the office, closing the door behind him.

Yu Wanlai had been waiting for a while beside him but hadn’t heard from Yu Qingyue. Was he planning to go alone tonight? Not even bringing him along? If things continued like this, was he going to be kicked out of the company? Getting fired over something like this seemed too bizarre. While he didn’t particularly enjoy the business dealings, he didn’t want to be kicked out for no reason, especially since it had been a while since he had spoken to Yu Qingyue, who had previously been getting along with him fine.

Yu Wanlai moved his chair closer to Yu Qingyue, shamelessly speaking up, “Brother~ can you bring me tonight?”

Yu Qingyue’s fingertips trembled slightly, though it was almost unnoticeable. He kept his eyes fixed on the computer screen, his brow furrowed slightly. His voice was cold and stern, “No, I’ll handle this myself.”

Seeing that Yu Wanlai was about to speak again, Yu Qingyue cut him off, “Go back to your seat.”

Once Yu Wanlai returned to his own seat, and the distance between them was restored, Yu Qingyue’s stiff posture relaxed.

A few minutes later, Xu Ran came back with the result. “Mr. Yu… They said they have a family event tonight and can’t meet outside, but they are available at home. Would you like to go there?”

Yu Qingyue nodded. “Alright, I’ll go see her. Send me the address.”

Yu Wanlai pursed his lips. He had heard about this designer before, and he knew she was a woman with a rather eccentric personality. Was it really appropriate for Yu Qingyue to go alone at night? It would be much better if he brought him along.

…In the evening, after Yu Wanlai finished dinner, he checked the time, and it was nearly 8 p.m. Yet, Yu Qingyue still hadn’t returned. He sent him a message, but there was no reply. After getting the address from Xu Ran, Yu Wanlai headed toward the garage.

Sitting on his motorcycle, he was in disbelief as he zoomed in on the map on his phone. The location was near a natural scenic area. Wasn’t she supposed to be a lady? How could she be living in such a remote place? This was almost out of the city. A famous designer wouldn’t be short on money, right? After confirming the details with Xu Ran, Yu Wanlai muttered, “Truly eccentric,” before putting on his helmet and setting off.

When Yu Wanlai arrived near the location, he looked around, thinking it was indeed very remote. The entire route had been mostly highway, and now, with rows of tall ginkgo trees, the area felt even more isolated. There weren’t many cars on the road, so when Yu Wanlai stopped at a traffic light, bored, he heard the engine of a car on the opposite side. He absentmindedly looked ahead and saw the familiar Bentley Flying Spur. Just as he was about to wave, a car from his side ignored the traffic light and sped straight toward the Bentley.

Yu Wanlai watched in shock as the car crashed with a loud “bang.” The sound of car alarms echoed continuously, and he felt a chill run down his spine, his body stiffening.

When he saw two large men in black clothes getting out of the car that had caused the accident, quickly walking toward the Bentley, his heart started racing faster, as if it was about to leap out of his chest. A sense of foreboding grew stronger by the second. Blinking his dry eyes, he snapped back to reality and immediately twisted the throttle, speeding toward them.

When he saw one of the men open the back seat of the Bentley and violently attempt to drag the person inside out, Yu Wanlai stopped his motorcycle without even bothering to put down the kickstand. He let the heavy motorcycle tip to one side with a loud “clang,” and decisively took off his helmet, smashing it onto the head of one of the attackers.

The streetlights around them were dim, and it wasn’t until the helmet accurately hit the man’s head that Yu Wanlai finally let out a sigh of relief.

The man’s head was suddenly struck by something flying from a distance, causing him to crash into the car door. Taking advantage of this, Yu Wanlai quickly ran a few steps forward and, before the man could react, kicked the burly man who was helping to drag the other person. The force sent the man flying half a meter. Then, Yu Wanlai slammed the car door shut, and in the next moment, the other man’s head was caught by the door with a painful cry, collapsing motionless to the ground.

The man who had been knocked down quickly got up, spat, and grabbed a stick nearby, swinging it at Yu Wanlai. “Damn it! I told you not to meddle!” Yu Wanlai swiftly turned around, picked up the helmet to block the attack, and began to fight back.

After several exchanges, the helmet in Yu Wanlai’s hands was now so battered it was unrecognizable. He took a deep breath, waiting for the right moment, then grabbed the iron rod from the man and swung it forcefully at his head. This opponent was strong, and Yu Wanlai’s stamina was draining quickly. If he didn’t finish him off, both of them would be in trouble tonight.

Finally, with a muffled “bang,” the man, pointing at Yu Wanlai, fell to the ground before he could even speak. Yu Wanlai exhaled in relief, gripping the iron rod tightly as he staggered toward the back seat of the car. He kicked the person lying next to the car door aside, opened the door, and quickly scanned Yu Qingyue from head to toe. He was relieved when he didn’t see any blood on him.

Why hadn’t he woken up yet? Yu Wanlai blinked in confusion. He extended a hand to gently stroke Yu Qingyue’s face, only to find that his dirty hands had left marks on the pale skin. Yu Wanlai wiped his hands on his clothes to clean them, then gently touched Yu Qingyue’s cheek again. He felt the warmth of his breath near his nose and smiled with relief.

“Thank goodness. Thank goodness I came today.”

He gently shook Yu Qingyue, speaking softly, “Wake up… Wake up, Yueyue? Talk to me.”

Then, recalling something, Yu Wanlai took out his phone from his inner pocket and quickly dialed emergency services and the police.

Yu Qingyue, feeling the warmth on his face and hearing the familiar noisy voice in his ear, finally stirred and slowly regained consciousness. His vision was still blurry, but as it cleared, he saw a figure holding a round object coming toward Yu Wanlai’s head.

Yu Qingyue’s pupils contracted sharply, and he quickly shouted, “Watch out!”

Yu Wanlai heard the warning in time and managed to dodge, but still got hit a little. He dropped the phone and immediately turned, raising the rod in his hand to strike the man, knocking him to the ground where he lay motionless.

Remembering that Yu Qingyue had already regained consciousness, Yu Wanlai threw the rod aside and stumbled back to the car. He let out a soft laugh, his gaze locked on Yu Qingyue.

“You’re awake? It’s okay, don’t be scared. I’ve already called the police and an ambulance… Why do you look like that?”

As he spoke, his voice grew weaker, and his body felt as if it would collapse like a leaf in the wind.

Yu Qingyue hurriedly reached out to support Yu Wanlai, holding his collapsing body tightly in his arms. His eyes reddened, and without realizing it, tears blurred his vision, making it hard to see the person in his arms clearly.

He wiped the tears from his eyes with one hand, and with the other, he pressed tightly on the bleeding wound on Yu Wanlai’s head. His vision slowly cleared. His cheek was pressed against Yu Wanlai’s, the sticky blood no longer mattered. His lips trembled as he spoke, “…Brother, brother, I’m not scared, but please don’t get hurt. You promised me… I… I swear I’ll never ignore you again if you wake up, brother!”