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"Should we go somewhere else to kiss?"

For unmarried men in this circle, changing girlfriends is a common occurrence.

However, Xie Zhiyan's reputation has always been that he is "not interested in women," and he is the only one among his peers who holds real power, so his love life has attracted much attention.

When news of Xie Zhiyan and Ning Yuxuan's relationship first broke, it caused quite a stir in the industry, with many people expressing surprise and envy.

Xie Zhiyan is the only son in his family, and now he controls the entire Hengjiang Group. Over the years, many people have wanted to marry their daughters into the Xie family.

Previously, people thought that Xie Zhiyan was still young and had not yet considered getting married and having children.

But now that someone has actually succeeded, and this person's conditions don't seem particularly special, it's no wonder some people are kicking themselves—

Their family was much wealthier than the Ning family's, and their daughter was no less capable than Ning Yuxuan. If they had worked a little harder back then, their daughter might already be married into the Xie family by now.

Fortunately, Ning Yuxuan is only Xie Zhiyan's girlfriend, and everything is still uncertain.

Many people have considered taking his place.

A group of wives in the northern part of the city suddenly became active late at night.

Mrs. Wu: [@Mrs. Li, @Mrs. Liu, have you heard? Just as you predicted, Mr. Xie and that young lady from the Ning family were just playing around.]

Mrs. Liu: [What's going on, Mrs. Wu? What news have you got this time? Tell us all!]

Mrs. Wu: [A friend of a friend of mine saw Mr. Xie's bronze Bentley on his way home after having dinner at the mall today.]

Mrs. Liu: [And then?]

Mrs. Wu: [My friend's friend was curious and followed the car for five minutes, only to find that the car had stopped at the entrance of a residential complex, and a young girl got out!]

Mrs. Liu: [Everyone knows Mr. Xie has a girlfriend, right? Taking her home, what's so surprising about that?]

Mrs. Wu: [I haven't finished yet, you remember that photo, right? The Ning family's little girl was tall and had long hair, but this one is a short-haired girl who looks like a student, and she doesn't look very tall! And that neighborhood is just an ordinary residential area, it's been around for a while.]

Mrs. Liu: [Isn't it that young lady from the Ning family?]

Mrs. Wu: [That's right, they've changed people!]

Mrs. Wu: [We all thought Mr. Xie hadn't dated anyone all these years because he was too picky, but who would have thought we just hadn't figured out his taste! He likes ordinary young girls like this, simple and cute!]

Mrs. Li: [I was having a facial spa just now, I'm late]

Mrs. Wu: [Oh, Mrs. Li, you've finally arrived! Take a look at the chat history yourself.]

Mrs. Li: [I've seen it, I knew it... Speaking of which, Mrs. Liu, isn't your youngest daughter just turned twenty and still in school? Perhaps...]

Mrs. Liu: [Haha, Mrs. Li, you're joking. My youngest daughter only knows how to play all day; she wouldn't understand any of this. Your daughter is so smart and beautiful, Mrs. Li!]

In the group chat, Mrs. Li and Mrs. Liu were passing the buck to each other, seemingly complimenting one another.

In fact, she had already made a plan in her heart, intending to do everything she could to arrange for her daughter to meet Xie Zhiyan at the subsequent dinners and banquets.

Maybe we'll get lucky and become in-laws with the Xie family.

Mrs. Wu secretly regretted that she only had two sons and no daughters, otherwise she would definitely have found an opportunity to introduce her daughter to President Xie.

...

Xie Zhiyan's car left the entrance of Tao You's residential area and headed towards the villa area.

Ning Fei sent a message to Ning Yuxuan a few minutes ago, saying that she was getting ready to sleep and had left the light on for her.

It's about a ten-minute drive to get there.

Ning Yuxuan, feeling bored, opened the tower defense game on her phone and started playing.

She deliberately turned the volume up to the loudspeaker, and the sounds of various turrets firing filled the car, making it sound quite lively.

Xie Zhiyan didn't talk to her, and she didn't initiate conversation either.

The car finally entered the gate of the villa area and stopped after making a few turns.

"Thank you for bringing me back," Ning Yuxuan said as she opened the car door.

As I got out of the car and walked towards my house, a tall figure suddenly blocked my way.

Ning Yuxuan tilted her head back: "What are you doing?"

Xie Zhiyan looked at her and slowly asked, "Are you angry?"

Ning Yuxuan blinked her eyelashes: "How can you tell I'm angry?"

Xie Zhiyan stared at her silently for a few seconds, then suddenly tapped her forehead with his long, well-defined fingers.

"Eyebrows, eyes," Xie Zhiyan said unhurriedly, "You can tell from anywhere."

Ning Yuxuan looked at him and silently took half a step back.

Xie Zhiyan didn't press her any further; he simply stood there and calmly watched her.

"Why are you angry?" Xie Zhiyan asked. "Is it because I shouldn't have asked your friend about your school days?"

Ning Yuxuan remained silent.

Xie Zhiyan sighed softly, his face showing helplessness: "I haven't been involved much in your student life, so I want to know more about it."

Ning Yuxuan's eyes darted around.

Was he explaining something to her?

When Ning Yuxuan first decided to marry Xie Zhiyan, she had imagined many ways for the two of them to get along, but she never thought that this scene would happen today.

Actually, Ning Yuxuan wasn't that angry, just a little depressed.

She had discovered last time that he knew her too well, while she knew very little about him.

Tonight, Xie Zhiyan asked Tao You about those things, and learned everything about her college dating experiences, but she still knew nothing about his romantic history.

Ning Yuxuan glanced at Xie Zhiyan and finally spoke: "It's not because of the things you asked Tao You."

Under the cover of night, Xie Zhiyan's expression softened: "Then what is it because of?"

Ning Yuxuan thought for a moment and said, "I have a question for you."

"What?"

Ning Yuxuan pursed her lips slightly: "How many girlfriends did you have before you said you wanted to marry me?"

After asking the question, Ning Yuxuan wanted to avoid eye contact with the man to prevent him from seeing through her thoughts.

But she held back, staring at Xie Zhiyan without moving.

Even if you can't see his eyes clearly, you can't lose in terms of momentum.

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhiyan seemed somewhat taken aback.

After a few seconds, he spoke: "The message you sent me that night, was it to ask this question?"

Ning Yuxuan: "..."

She didn't expect that as soon as she asked a question, the man would immediately connect it to that night.

Ning Yuxuan fiddled with the floral pattern: "Answer my question first."

Xie Zhiyan watched her subtle movements, his fingers twitching slightly.

But in the end he did nothing, only calmly saying, "I've never had a girlfriend."

Ning Yuxuan's heart skipped a beat.

"Really?" she asked.

Xie Zhiyan hummed in agreement.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I assumed you already knew all this, so I didn’t specifically tell you.”

Ning Yuxuan pouted: "How would I know if you don't tell me?"

Xie Zhiyan said gently, "It was my oversight."

Ning Yuxuan looked at him and asked again, "You've really never had a girlfriend? Not even the kind of ambiguous relationship?"

Xie Zhiyan calmly retorted, "What do you mean by 'ambiguous'? Is it the kind where someone accompanies me to class and brings me breakfast?"

Ning Yuxuan glared at him, annoyed.

He then took the opportunity to ridicule her.

Xie Zhiyan chuckled lightly, then became serious: "No, neither of those."

“If you don’t believe me,” he said slowly, “you can ask anyone who knows me; they all know this, or…”

Xie Zhiyan gazed into Ning Yuxuan's eyes and said gently, "When you go to see my mother tomorrow afternoon, you can ask her yourself."

Ning Yuxuan snorted: "Who knows if you'll try to get your mother to give a false testimony before you go back?"

However, although she said that, she actually believed it in her heart.

Looking back on all these years, it seems that no one has ever heard of Xie Zhiyan having had a girlfriend.

He had no reason to lie to her.

Xie Zhiyan: "Are you still angry?"

Ning Yuxuan: "..."

She said, "It's not entirely because of that that I'm angry, I just feel..."

Ning Yuxuan hesitated for a moment.

Xie Zhiyan didn't urge her, but waited quietly for her to speak.

Ning Yuxuan made up her mind that since they were going to meet each other's parents anyway, it was good to make some things clear.

“I just feel,” she said, “that you know so much about me, but I know absolutely nothing about you…”

After a moment of silence, Xie Zhiyan suddenly chuckled.

Ning Yuxuan gave him a questioning look.

Xie Zhiyan: "So, shouldn't I be the one who's unhappy?"

Ning Yuxuan glared at him: "That's because you didn't tell me anything."

Xie Zhiyan suddenly asked, "Are you tired today?"

Ning Yuxuan was slightly taken aback: "It's alright, what's wrong?"

Xie Zhiyan raised his arm and pointed to the roadside: "I remember there was a small pavilion over there when we came here. Shall we talk as we walk?"

...

Under the streetlights, the two people's shadows were stretched very long.

Xie Zhiyan's deep voice came from beside him: "You can ask me anything you want to know now."

Ning Yuxuan muttered, "I don't have that many questions for you. It's just that I'm meeting your mother tomorrow, so I'm preparing in advance to avoid giving myself away. It's like studying for an exam."

Xie Zhiyan: "Should we write it down in the memo?"

Ning Yuxuan: "No need! Although my brain isn't as sharp as yours, I still got into A University, so I can remember it."

Xie Zhiyan: "Okay."

I used to feel like I didn't know enough about him, but now that I have the chance to ask, I don't know what to ask.

Ning Yuxuan pondered, "I've told you what I like to eat and drink before, why don't you tell me too? What foods do you like, and what do you dislike?"

Xie Zhiyan pondered for a moment.

Ning Yuxuan gave him a dissatisfied look: "See, we agreed that you could tell me anything you wanted to know, but when I asked, you still refused to say anything."

Xie Zhiyan's tone was calm: "It's not that I'm unwilling to talk about it, it's just that I don't know where to begin."

Ning Yuxuan pouted: "That's because he doesn't want to say."

Before she could finish speaking, the hand that was close to Xie Zhiyan was suddenly enveloped by his large palm.

Ning Yuxuan paused slightly, but didn't pull away, letting him lead her.

Walking like this, it really does feel like a couple strolling down the street on a date.

Xie Zhiyan may have a cold aura, but his body temperature is actually a bit higher than hers.

Feeling the warmth from the man's palm, Ning Yuxuan inexplicably felt very at ease and had a sense of security.

His calm voice came from beside me: "Let me think about it. Apart from social engagements, I usually eat the meals prepared by my assistant. I don't have any particular likes or dislikes when it comes to food."

Ning Yuxuan pondered his words: "Without any particular likes or dislikes, eating the same work meals every day... that would be so boring."

"It is a bit boring," Xie Zhiyan said casually, "so Heaven sent you to save me."

Even though she knew he was just saying it casually, Ning Yuxuan still laughed at him.

"Come on," Ning Yuxuan retorted. "Aunt Zheng's cooking is so delicious, and you still say these things. You really don't know how lucky you are. I even suspect that you ate too well at home when you were a child. Too much of a good thing can be bad, and now you have no taste for food."

Xie Zhiyan smiled faintly and said, "She does often complain to me that she has excellent cooking skills but nowhere to use them. So she misses you very much, saying that she feels most accomplished when cooking when you are around."

Ning Yuxuan lightly bit the corner of her lip: "I do miss Aunt Zheng's cooking. Now that you mention it, it seems like it's been a long time since I've had it."

Xie Zhiyan: "What do you want to eat tomorrow? I'll ask my mother to make it."

Ning Yuxuan blinked: "Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Although she used to pester Aunt Zheng for this and that when she was little, things are different now.

Xie Zhiyan: "Don't say it was your request, just say it's what I wanted to eat."

Ning Yuxuan looked at Xie Zhiyan: "When you go home to see your mother, do you usually tell her what you want to eat?"

Xie Zhiyan: "No."

Ning Yuxuan rolled her eyes: "When you took me back this time, you suddenly told her you wanted to eat a certain dish. Didn't your mother immediately guess it was because of me?"

Xie Zhiyan couldn't help but chuckle: "That makes sense."

Ning Yuxuan snorted: "If it were you, you'd only come up with bad ideas."

The two walked to the small pavilion next to them, circled around it, and then came back.

Ning Yuxuan discovered that Xie Zhiyan didn't seem to have any particular likes or dislikes, unlike herself, who could list a whole bunch of things she liked.

The two walked for more than ten minutes, but she still couldn't get any information out of them.

After circling around, I finally got back to my doorstep, and it was getting late.

Ning Yuxuan said, "I'm going home."

Xie Zhiyan nodded slightly and gently released her hand.

Ning Yuxuan then realized that he had been led by the man the whole way.

She opened the door to her house, and before going inside, she turned around and glanced at Xie Zhiyan again.

The light in the entryway illuminated the man's face, and Ning Yuxuan unconsciously clenched her fingers.

Sensing that Xie Zhiyan was about to get closer, Ning Yuxuan, not knowing what she was thinking, blurted out, "It's always the forehead, how about we kiss somewhere else this time?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man's gaze suddenly deepened.

Ning Yuxuan panicked and quickly pointed to her cheek with her fingertip: "I meant here."

Xie Zhiyan: "..."

Ning Yuxuan bit her lip: "Fine, if you won't kiss me, I want to go back—"

The next moment, a familiar yet unfamiliar cool scent enveloped her, and a thin lip gently touched the back of her ear, leaving a kiss.

Ning Yuxuan's mind went blank for a moment.

The man's breath was hot, and she instinctively sensed danger.

Before her body could react, Xie Zhiyan had already straightened up and slowly released his arms from her back.

"Good night," Xie Zhiyan said in a hoarse voice.

...

After closing the door for a long time, Ning Yuxuan seemed to finally remember something and reached out to touch behind her ear.

Didn't we agree to kiss on the cheek?

He kisses so indiscriminately.

.

On Friday morning, after Ning Yuxuan got up, she took Ning Fei to the dressing room.

Ning Fei looked puzzled: "What's wrong, Xuanxuan? Didn't you say you'd be eating at home for lunch today? I even asked Aunt Xu to make your favorite stir-fried pork with chili peppers."

After attending meetings at Huayuan headquarters for several days in a row and finalizing all the key matters, Ning Yuxuan took a day off today and had lunch at home with Ning Fei.

Ning Yuxuan nodded: "We eat at home."

Ning Fei was even more confused: "So what clothes are you going to wear now?"

Ning Yuxuan cleared her throat: "I'm going to visit Aunt Zheng this evening. Mom, can you help me decide what to wear?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Fei stared at her daughter for a long time.

Ning Yuxuan frowned: "Mom, why are you looking at me like that?"

Ning Fei suddenly laughed and teased, "My daughter has really grown up. You and I went to Xinmei's house so many times before, but I never saw you put in this much effort, coming over hours in advance to pick out clothes."

Ning Yuxuan said in a spoiled tone, "Mom!"

Ning Fei shook her head: "Xinmei likes you the most, so you don't need to be so nervous. Just wear whatever you like."

Ning Yuxuan bit her lip: "But I haven't visited Aunt Zheng in so long. This is my first time visiting her in so long, so I should make a good impression. Mom, what style of clothes do you think Aunt Zheng would like me to wear?"

Ning Fei laughed and said, "Why don't you just ask Zhi Yan?"

Ning Yuxuan: "He doesn't even care what he usually eats, so he probably doesn't pay much attention to these things either, and..."

Moreover, she didn't want Xie Zhiyan to know that she had gone to such lengths to meet his parents.

"Mom!" Ning Yuxuan hugged Ning Fei's arm and shook it. "Please help me! Pick one out for me!"

Ning Fei couldn't resist her daughter's coquettishness and said repeatedly, "Okay, okay, Mom will see."

It was rare for her daughter to ask her for help, so Ning Fei thought about it carefully for a moment.

"Thinking about it carefully, Xinmei's usual style of dressing is quite simple," Ning Fei said thoughtfully. "You could choose a solid-color dress."

Ning Yuxuan picked and chose among the rows of clothes racks, and finally found a light purple long dress and a light green one.

She held up both dresses to herself and asked Ning Fei which one suited her better.

Ning Fei thought for a few seconds: "Light purple, I think Xin Mei would prefer this style."

She often goes shopping with her friends and has some understanding of their aesthetic sense.

Ning Yuxuan nodded: "Okay, then let's go with this one!"

Ning Fei suddenly sighed softly.

Ning Yuxuan turned her head: "What's wrong?"

Ning Fei smiled and sighed, "Suddenly I feel like my daughter is about to get married."

She hadn't really felt it before, but today, seeing her daughter picking out clothes to meet her boyfriend's parents, she suddenly felt a mix of emotions she couldn't quite explain.

Upon hearing this, Ning Yuxuan immediately said, "Mom! Even if I really marry Xie Zhiyan, I will stay at home with you."

Ning Fei was amused by her daughter: "Silly girl, when you get married, of course you and your husband will move out together. Who would live with their mother after getting married?"

Ning Yuxuan: "I just want to live with you, is that not allowed?"

Ning Fei smiled and shook her head.

Although she was reluctant to part with her daughter, she also knew very well that whether it was her son or daughter getting married, it meant they had their own lives and should move out on their own.

Ning Yuxuan thought for a moment and said seriously, "If I really move out, I will live near you, Mom, and come to see you every day."

Hearing her daughter say this, Ning Fei's eyes suddenly stung.

"Okay." Ning Fei nodded with a smile. "Mom understands."

The next second, the daughter suddenly put down the dress she was holding and pounced on her.

Although she was clearly holding back, Ning Fei still took half a step back, and then her daughter tightly embraced her.

"Mom!" Ning Yuxuan buried her head in Ning Fei's neck. "If you're so reluctant to let me go, then don't send me away!"

Ning Fei's nose tingled a little, but her eyes were full of smiles: "Okay, Mom won't kick you out. You can stay at home as long as you want."

...

After lunch, Ning Yuxuan didn't go to the office. Instead, she stayed home and organized the contents of the meetings from the past few days.

The renovation and refurbishment of the four stores have begun one after another, and there are people in charge of overseeing them, but she still plans to go to the site in a couple of days to take a look herself.

Xie Zhiyan said he would come to pick her up at 4:30 pm and take her to the Xie family's old house.

The Xie family's old house is quite far from the city center, about an hour's drive away.

When Ning Yuxuan finished organizing the documents in her hand, she glanced at the time; it was a quarter past four.

She went to the dressing room to change her clothes and casually scrolled through her WeChat Moments to pass the time.

Just as I was looking at it, Tao You sent me a message.

Tao You: [I've been busy with work all day, and I finally managed to find some time to edit yesterday's photos! Xuanxuan, I also did some minor edits for you, take a look!]

Several photos of the two of them together followed.

Tao You always takes photos whenever she goes out to eat. Yesterday, when the two of them were eating Japanese food, she took several photos with Tao You.

Ning Yuxuan opened the picture Tao You sent her, looked at her own face, and didn't find anything amiss.

She replied: 【What did you fix? I can't see the difference.】

Tao You: [I touched up your lipstick; a piece was smudged in the original picture! Also, there was a hair on your nose, which I photoshopped out! That's about it. Xuanxuan, you're so beautiful; slimmer faces and bigger eyes are just side effects for you!]

Tao You: [So? If you have no problem, I'll post it on my WeChat Moments!]

Ning Yuxuan: [No problem, go ahead and send it.]

Tao You: [Okay!]

Tao You: [By the way, Xuanxuan, do you want to post something on your Moments too? Otherwise, it's always just me posting! I remember you used to love posting on Moments, but you don't update your status much anymore.]

Ning Yuxuan hasn't posted anything on her WeChat Moments for a long time.

It's not that I'm not posting on purpose, it's just that I don't feel like there's anything particularly worth sharing.

After thinking for a moment, she replied to Tao You: 【Okay, I'll send one too.】

Tao You: [Okay! I'll send you all the other photos I took!]

Ning Yuxuan selected from the pictures Tao You sent her, choosing two selfies of the two of them, one a photo taken by a passerby next to a doll in a clothing store, and another a photo of Japanese food, and put them together into a four-grid collage to send out.

After posting, Tao You immediately gave her a like.

Ning Yuxuan also liked Tao You's new post and added a heart emoji in reply.

Although she herself doesn't care much about these things, she completely understands Tao You's habit of maintaining her social media presence.

Even the best of friends need to nurture their relationship.

Ning Yuxuan didn't understand this principle before, and neglected Tao You for Gu Yunhao's sake. Fortunately, Tao You didn't hold it against her.

Ning Yuxuan doesn't want to make the same mistake again this time.

Around 4:30, Xie Zhiyan sent a message saying that he and the driver would arrive at her doorstep in five minutes.

Ning Yuxuan put her phone away, said goodbye to Ning Fei, and prepared to leave.

She never expected that a casual post on her WeChat Moments would cause such a huge uproar.

After the incident with Xie Zhiyan was exposed, many people added Ning Yuxuan as a friend.

Ning Yuxuan didn't know what was going on at first and accepted several friend requests, which she never deleted.

After this post was published on WeChat Moments, it was immediately seen by Mrs. Wu.

Mrs. Wu has been a full-time housewife for many years. Apart from having meals with friends, she only occasionally accompanies her husband to social parties. She has a very leisurely life.

When Xie Zhiyan and Ning Yuxuan's relationship was made public, Mrs. Wu was among the first to know and became one of the lucky few to add Ning Yuxuan as a friend.

As soon as she added Ning Yuxuan as a friend, she opened her Moments to find out more, but unfortunately, Ning Yuxuan had set her privacy settings to only show the last six months, so her Moments were completely blank, and Mrs. Wu could only leave disappointed.

Ning Yuxuan posted on her WeChat Moments today, and Mrs. Wu saw it immediately and started analyzing it right away.

Mrs. Wu knew what Ning Yuxuan looked like. Ning Yuxuan had appeared on variety shows and was a frequent visitor to the trending topics. A simple online search could yield a ton of photos of her.

However, she had never seen the short-haired girl in the photos that Ning Yuxuan posted.

Mrs. Wu remembered that yesterday, a friend of her friend told her that the little girl Xie Zhiyan took home had short hair.

Especially in that full-body group photo, the short-haired girl doesn't look very tall, which matches the information provided by her friend.

Mrs. Wu fell into thought, and then came to a conclusion—

Ning Yuxuan came out to clarify the rumors after hearing them!

It's not just a clarification, but also a way of telling everyone: Xie Zhiyan not only didn't date other girls, but he also doted on her terribly!

Everyone knows that Xie Zhiyan is a mysterious figure who is rarely seen; it's impossible to invite him to a typical party.

But now Xie Zhiyan has become Ning Yuxuan's personal driver, not only picking her up and dropping her off, but also taking time to drive her friends home.

What is this if not a special favor?

After figuring it out, Mrs. Wu immediately sent this exclusive, breaking news to the wives' group.