Xie Huaiye looked up and met Yan Ning's gaze.

His eyes were deep and gentle.

The smile from when she was recounting the past hadn't completely faded; it lingered faintly in her eyes.

"Yes, that's all in the past."

He stood up, casually closing the medicine box. "Let's go. It seems like they're about to reach a conclusion over there."

Yan Ning nodded and stood up.

The wound on her lower back was properly treated, and the pain was replaced by a cooling medicinal sensation.

A faint smell of disinfectant still lingered in the air.

It mingled with Xie Huaiye's clean and refreshing aura.

It smells a bit peculiar...

Yan Ning glanced at Xie Huaiye's retreating figure, her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly regained her composure.

The two returned to the meeting point one after the other. As soon as they stood still, they heard a loud "bang" coming from Feng Junjun's side.

"Fine! They all want me to leave, so I'll leave!"

Xia Wantang's face turned ashen as she slammed something she was holding onto the ground.

She rushed out without looking back.

Su Muyao shrank back, glanced at Feng Jun, then at Qi Minghao, and didn't dare to say a word.

Although she and Xia Wantang have a good relationship, she herself is a burden, and it's good enough that she wasn't eliminated.

The atmosphere became a bit tense.

But the chat in the live stream didn't care about any of that; astute viewers had already picked up on the key information:

[Ahhh! Xie Shao and Yan Ning are back together! They disappeared together just now!]

[A full ten minutes! Ten minutes! What were you doing that required you to sneak around behind our backs? (doge)]

[Some fans mentioned that Xie Shao seemed to have brought a first-aid kit? Yan Ning is injured? Did Xie Shao treat her personally?]

[I don't care! I'm totally shipping this interaction! Xie Yan CP is locked in today! I'm swallowing the key!]

The recording of the second episode has come to an end, and everyone boarded the bus back to the city.

The journey was bumpy, but the carriage was very quiet.

Only Su Muyao occasionally whispered something to Qi Minghao.

Yan Ning leaned against the window, watching the scenery rushing past outside.

The thought of going home and facing the two women's sarcastic faces and endless nagging made her feel uneasy.

I couldn't help but feel a little irritated.

Compared to returning to the Su family home, participating in the program recording was actually the time when she was most relaxed and stress-free.

Unfortunately, such easy days always come to an end.

The car finally arrived at the city's rest stop.

The group got off the bus one after another and went home.

Just as Yan Ning was about to leave, a hand with distinct knuckles gently tugged at her sleeve.

"Yan Ning".

It was Xie Huaiye's voice, a little lower than usual.

Yan Ning turned around.

The light from the streetlamp fell on his deep-set eyes and brows, and he looked unusually uneasy.

"Hmm?" Yan Ning looked at him in confusion.

Xie Huaiye cleared his throat, his gaze first drifting elsewhere before quickly returning to her face with a slightly helpless smile:

"Um... Xiao Zhu has been making a huge fuss these past few days, constantly demanding to see you, and he's even eating half a bowl less of food."

He paused, seemingly a little embarrassed, "Are you free tonight? How about coming over for dinner? Just to... appease that little brat?"

His tone carried a hint of coaxing.

Her eyes, however, were fixed intently on Yan Ning, with a hint of barely perceptible expectation.

Go home and see Su Muyao and Jiang Lan's sour faces?

Should we go to Xie Huaiye's house for dinner so we can see the adorable Xiao Zhuo again?

Yan Ning hardly hesitated.

Her annoyance instantly dissipated, and a faint smile curved her lips.

"OK."

Xie Huaiye's eyes lit up noticeably.

It felt like a sigh of relief, or the satisfaction of receiving candy:

"Okay, the car is just ahead."

They were picked up in a luxurious Rolls-Royce Phantom.

The driver respectfully opened the car door for them.

Yan Ning sat inside; the car was spacious and comfortable, filled with a refreshing and pleasant aroma.

Ye Huaiye then sat down, the distance between the two was neither too far nor too close, but their presence was extremely strong.

The car started smoothly.

Yan Ning looked at the increasingly unfamiliar street scene outside the window, somewhat puzzled:

"Huh? This doesn't seem to be the same route as last time?"

"Hmm." Xie Huaiye turned his head to look at her.

He explained, "My dad thought the previous place had bad feng shui and was a bit unlucky."

He spoke casually, as if it were a trivial matter, “He sold that set and bought this one.”

Yan Ning nodded, silently complaining to herself:

The rich really know how to deal with bad luck efficiently!

The car eventually drove into a heavily guarded upscale community and stopped in front of a brightly lit villa.

It's more like a villa than a villa.

It's more like a charming little manor.

The front garden was beautifully maintained, and the fountain reflected shimmering light under the lamps.

"arrive."

Xie Huaiye got out of the car first and naturally reached out to Yan Ning, wanting to help her.

Yan Ning looked at the hand extended in front of her; the palm was large, and the fingers were long and strong.

Her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

She hesitated for half a second, but still gently placed her hand on his.

His palms were dry and warm, and he held her steady with just the right amount of force before releasing her in a gentlemanly manner.

After getting out of the car, Yan Ning looked up and gazed ahead.

"Wow!"

Yan Ning couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, looking around, "This is huge!"

It's several times more impressive than the last mansion.

The Xie family's extravagance is indeed well-deserved.

Xie Huaiye looked into her bright eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips; he seemed to be in a good mood.

"Go in."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!