Yun Pei still followed Qin Mingyuan out. When they came out, the fans who came to visit the set had not left yet. They saw someone coming out from afar and started to make a commotion.
They calmed down when they got closer and saw that it was not their idol. A few sharp-eyed people recognized Qin Mingyuan as the handsome guy who had entered before, and they gathered together to talk to each other. Some even boldly picked up their SLR cameras to take pictures, but they put them down in fear after being looked at coldly by others.
Yun Pei was not used to such crowded scenes, especially those girls who were still looking at his legs. There was no malice, just pure pity and curiosity. He had long been accustomed to such gazes, but so many people made him a little irritated.
Qin Mingyuan withdrew his gaze that was trying to stop people from taking pictures and glanced at the person beside him. The other person's expression didn't change much, except that the fingertips on the armrest were a little tense.
He took a step forward, his tall body walking in front, more or less blocking the view.
The man's shadow fell on him. Yun Pei raised his head, stared at his broad back for two seconds, pursed his lips, and lowered his eyes lightly.
They walked one after another through the space the girls had made way for, and no one spoke. Qin Mingyuan's powerful aura made them inexplicably frightened, and they dared not say a word.
Only when the two walked away did they subconsciously breathe a sigh of relief. One of them patted his chest and said, "That guy is so handsome, but he looks cold and fierce."
"To be honest, the moment he looked at me just now, I almost thought I was going to die." Her best sister exaggeratedly tilted her body and leaned against her.
"But don't you think he was protecting the little brother in the wheelchair? He was always standing in front of him!"
"No way, you can even eat this, they are both so cold."
"You don't understand. You can't judge things by appearances."
"Okay, forget about being an amateur. Let's take a look at the photos we took today and use our brother Liang's beauty filter to calm down!"
When they were almost at the parking lot, Yun Pei took the initiative to say, "Use my car. It's more convenient. The driver is here too."
Qin Mingyuan stopped and looked back at him, "No need to drive, there should be a lot of places to eat nearby."
Yun Pei looked at him strangely, wondering if he was unfamiliar with the place or had other plans.
The area near the school is mainly populated by students. There are generally no decent big restaurants. Most of the places are snack bars, and the rest are small restaurants. People like the other party probably won't like them.
But he had never been here before and didn't know much about it. Maybe there really was some high-end restaurant here, so he didn't say anything to refute it.
To his surprise, the place where they finally sat down was not an elegant restaurant, but a rice noodle shop, the style of which was incompatible with the man sitting opposite him.
Qin Mingyuan, who had a strong aura, was sitting in the shop in a suit and tie. Although it was not lunchtime, there were still many people here, which attracted a lot of stares. He didn't care at all and even calmly asked Yun Pei what he wanted to eat.
After ordering, she saw that his eyes were still on her, so she raised her eyebrows and asked, "What's wrong?"
Seeing him at ease, Yun Pei shook his head and said, "Nothing, I just didn't expect Mr. Qin to eat in a place like this."
Hearing this, Qin Mingyuan didn't have any special reaction, and replied calmly: "I ate it often when I was in college."
Grandpa's supervision of him was not always there. During his college years, he had more freedom. Perhaps it was because he behaved well and he also felt that he had grown up and would not go astray, so except for his academic requirements, he was much more relaxed about other things.
"Or does Young Master Yun feel that inviting you here for dinner is too perfunctory?" Qin Mingyuan added, looking at the other person's cold face.
"No, it's pretty good." Yun Pei shook his head again. In fact, compared to the other party, he was the one who had never been to such a place.
After the car accident, his personality became more withdrawn. As a teenager, he had a strong sense of self-esteem and was unwilling to face those looks that might just be of pity. He always felt that everyone was laughing at him maliciously.
He didn't want to go to school, so after failing his enrollment, he hired a tutor to study at home. He did not return to campus until his senior year of high school, but he never lived on campus because it was inconvenient. His meals were delivered from home, and he always kept to himself.
His father is a man who values his reputation. Even though he knows that everyone may have already known about it in private, he will not admit that he has cheated on his wife. Yun Yuexian is still a stepson, and Huo Lijuan can only maintain the image of a kind and gentle stepmother.
So over the years they could only put some small obstacles in his way, and he had never been short of anything in life. In the first few years, a nutritionist was hired to prepare his diet. He didn't have many opportunities to come to places like this.
It was quite bizarre. He had never imagined that one day he would be sitting here with his younger brother's "admirer", who was the president of Qin Corporation, a company with a business worth hundreds of millions just by raising his hand.
The food was brought up steaming hot by the waiter, one serving of three-fresh rice noodle and one serving of beef rice noodle, served in a casserole, which was still bubbling when placed on the table.
The clerk was a young girl, maybe she was a student working part-time in that school. She quietly looked at Qin Mingyuan's face, which turned a little red. She even made an extra trip to bring them bowls, chopsticks and spoons. These things were placed in the disinfection cabinet for customers to take.
Yun Pei noticed her actions and his eyes also fell on the man's face. He was indeed a handsome face that made young girls blush and their hearts beat fast, but he was a little cold and unapproachable. Otherwise, the other party might have the courage to ask him for his contact information.
Somehow, Yun Pei suddenly remembered the man's brief smile at the hospital gate last time, and thought that if that was the case, it would definitely not discourage many people who liked him.
The gaze on his face was too obvious to ignore. Qin Mingyuan stopped stirring the rice noodles with chopsticks and looked up. "Am I more attractive than food?"
Yun Pei came back to his senses and realized that he had been looking at the other person for too long. He felt a little embarrassed and didn't know what to say. He simply pretended not to hear anything and picked up the chopsticks to pick up the noodles, trying to cover it up by eating.
"Well… "
The result of stuffing the clay pot noodles directly into his mouth was predictable. His movements were too fast, and Qin Mingyuan didn't have time to stop him. Seeing him lower his head and cover his mouth, he raised his hand to signal the waiter to get a bottle of water, and took out a tissue from the paper box on the table and handed it to him, "So hungry?"
Yun Pei didn't care whether he was being ridiculed by him for the time being. He took the paper and wiped the soup from the corner of his mouth. He moved his tongue which was still stinging, and couldn't help but glare at the culprit sitting opposite him.
The person who was burned had a physiological redness and moisture in his eyes. His eyes were round and his pupils were dark. He looked harmless at first glance and even a little pitiful. Qin Mingyuan moved his fingers and felt that it was more pleasing to the eye than his usual cold expression.
The clerk quickly brought the water over. He unscrewed the bottle cap and placed it in front of the person, "Drink some water and relax."
Yun Pei took the water bottle and took a sip. He didn't swallow it in a hurry. Instead, he held it in his mouth to cool his tongue down. He was completely unaware that his puffed cheeks made him look like a hamster hiding food in the eyes of the people opposite him.
It was not until he swallowed the water in his mouth and took a few sips, regaining his calm expression, that Qin Mingyuan withdrew his gaze. He thought that this mimosa was obviously still a child, but it had to pretend to be mature and have a cold face, which made it lack a lot of vitality.
The 24-year-old "kid" Yun Pei learned his lesson and became much more careful afterwards. He put the three-fresh noodles into a bowl and let it cool before putting it into his mouth. Putting aside the little episode just now, the taste was still very good.
"I'm a little curious, why did you choose the name Siyu? It sounds like a female." After eating a few bites of food, Qin Mingyuan broke the silence.
The hand holding the powder paused, Yun Pei lowered his eyes, and said as if he didn't care: "My mother's name is Luo Yuqing."
Qin Mingyuan understood and did not continue the topic. "You had always refused before, why did you agree to be a hand replacement later?"
If it was just Siyu, he might have guessed that the money had been paid, but if it was Yun Pei, obviously not. Although the Yun family was not a wealthy family, they probably did not lack this little pay.
Yun Pei stopped again. This time he looked up at the man opposite him and said, "To distract Yun Yuexian."
Apart from anything else, Yun Yuexian really likes the acting industry. He has been excited for a long time to get Li Lin's role. If he sees himself on the crew, he will surely have a heart attack.
Such a straightforward answer made Qin Mingyuan pause. He raised his eyebrows and thought to himself that it was still a mimosa with thorns.
"Didn't Mr. Qin come to visit Yun Yuexian at work today? Is it really nothing to do with coming out for dinner with me?" Yun Pei took a sip of water, his eyes still on his face.
The atmosphere was silent for two seconds, which was not noticeable in the noisy environment of the store.
Seeing him silent and speechless, Qin Mingyuan, who had achieved his goal, was in a good mood. "To be exact, I came to visit Siyu. I was a little curious because of that painting."
Hearing him say this, Yun Pei was quiet for a while and asked, "Why did you buy that painting?"
From his own perspective, it was not a very good work, either from a technical level or in terms of artistic conception. It was as if one could see himself trapped in negative emotions at that time. It was precisely because of this that he submitted it to the exhibition. He did not expect to sell it, but just did not want to see it again.
If you compare that painting with his current works, no one would believe that they were created by the same person.
"I just find it interesting," Qin Mingyuan stirred the noodles in the bowl and picked out a piece of beef to eat, "I'm a little curious about the creative state of mind of the author of this painting."
What he didn't say was that he could vaguely see his own psychology at certain periods of time from it.
He lived with his grandfather for many years, and when he occasionally went home he felt like an outsider. Listening to the laughter downstairs, he felt that his spacious and bright room was dark, and he couldn't catch the light coming in from the window.
Perhaps I felt some empathy, so I bought the painting.
At that time, he didn't know that Siyu was Yun Pei, and he was not sure whether what the painter expressed was what he thought, or whether it was what the staff member said.
For some reason, he was eager to confirm, so he made time to come here again today.
When Qin Mingyuan saw Yun Pei in the art classroom, he realized that he was right. The artistic conception that the painting wanted to express was not that bright. That was the darkest corner of the human heart.
"There are a thousand Hamlets in the hearts of a thousand people." Yun Pei did not answer his question directly, but gave an ambiguous answer, "What you see is what it is."
Knowing that he was unwilling to talk to him more, Qin Mingyuan, who already had the answer in his mind, did not insist. He nodded and continued eating.
Before he finished his bowl of noodles, the cell phone in his pocket rang. It was his assistant calling. He raised his hand to signal, then stood up and went to the restaurant door.
Yun Pei looked over and saw the man standing tall outside the door. The sunlight fell right on him, casting a layer of hazy light and shadow on him, softening his cold and hard profile.
It doesn't look that inhumane.
When he hung up the phone, Yun Pei withdrew his gaze and lowered his head to eat the noodles in his bowl.
"Something urgent has happened at the company, so I may have to go back. Can you do it yourself?" Qin Mingyuan came back from outside and asked politely.
A partner of ours went on a business trip temporarily, so tomorrow's meeting had to be moved to this afternoon. I should be able to catch up if I rush back now.
Qin Mingyuan always puts work first, and his curiosity has been satisfied, so there is no reason for him to miss this meeting.
Yun Pei put down his chopsticks temporarily, looked up at him, and nodded, "Boss Qin, take care."
Without further ado, Qin Mingyuan whispered goodbye and went to the front desk to pay the bill.
When leaving the restaurant, he looked back for some reason. The young man's thin body was almost blocked by the backrest of the wheelchair. He was sitting alone at that table, looking particularly lonely compared to the bustle of other tables.
Qin Mingyuan inexplicably thought of his ending in the book again. He lowered his eyes in silence. If possible, he might try to change something, otherwise wouldn’t he be too bored in this place
—
Yun Pei came back alone after dinner and saw Yun Yuexian in front of the building. He didn't bring an assistant and was standing there alone. When he turned his head and met Yun Pei's eyes, he was not surprised. Instead, he turned around and pretended to wait for him to come over.
Yun Pei didn't quite understand what he was doing. He controlled the wheelchair to stop and looked at the other person expressionlessly.
Yun Yuexian met his gaze, smiled at him, and bent down slightly in a caring manner, "Brother, where did you go just now? I wanted to find you for dinner but couldn't find you."
He still had scenes to play later, and he still had the slightly sickly makeup on his face, which made him look particularly pitiful.
Yun Pei has known since childhood that this half-brother has an outstanding appearance, and he also knows that the other party is used to using this appearance to act cute and obedient.
Even when I first saw him, I felt that he looked pitiful and weak, like a kitten. He looked at him in panic with his big eyes and called him brother in a soft voice, as if he was afraid of being driven away.
Later, he suffered because of this illusion at first sight and realized that he was the stupid one.
Yun Pei looked up at him in silence, sitting steadily in the wheelchair, his hands casually resting on the armrests on both sides, looking up at him quietly, his face facing the sun was cold, and he did not cooperate with the other party in playing this kind of brotherly drama, "What's the matter?"
Yun Yuexian stood up straight after hearing this, put her hands behind her back, tilted her head towards him, her eyes curved like crescent moons, innocent and cute, "Qin Mingyuan came to visit me today, I hope you can understand."
"So?" Yun Pei tapped his fingertips on the armrest, "Why did he want to have lunch with me?"
The smile on Yun Yuexian's face faded a little, but soon rose again, "It's just playing hard to get. Don't take yourself too seriously."
Yun Pei caught his brief change in expression. He lowered his eyelashes, and when he raised his eyes again, there was no change. "You're right. Don't take yourself too seriously."
After he finished speaking, he was ready to control the wheelchair and leave, but Yun Yuexian was still standing in front of him. He raised his eyebrows to signal her.
"Men will always be persistent about what they can't get, no matter how high his position and power is, even if he is the head of the Qin family." Yun Yuexian looked down at him, her smile still cordial.
Yun Pei understood what he was implying, but he didn't care much and replied, "If you don't catch the fish for too long, be careful that the line won't hold up, and the fish will bite someone else's hook."
Yun Yuexian's smile finally faded, her expression darkened, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Even if this is the case, it won't be a crippled hook like you."
Yun Pei leaned back in his chair indifferently, looking at him as if he was looking at a clown. "There will always be someone else."
As if she felt that she had lost her composure, Yun Yue took a deep breath, her expression became harmless again, and she changed the subject, "Come to think of it, I didn't expect that my brother would come to be my hand replacement."
He emphasized the word "substitute" and raised his hand to look at it. "It's my fault that my body is too healthy. It doesn't meet Director Li's requirements. Thank you for your hard work, brother. Please go in."
Yun Pei had been ridiculed like this more than once or twice, and was no longer hurt. He also understood that the happier he smiled, the more unhappy he was in his heart, so he ignored him and steered his wheelchair past him.
Yun Yuexian stood there staring at his back, her eyes slightly narrowed, then she remembered something and sneered.
Who would be interested in him if he looked so skinny and useless? It was just that Qin Mingyuan wanted to attract his attention. Just like the sudden alienation he had shown recently, it was all a man's trick.
(End of this chapter)