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"Don't cry, Xuanxuan."

Ning Yuxuan had always wanted to taste Xie Zhiyan's cooking again.

It wasn't the simple egg noodles from last night; it was the kind of elaborate dish he made on the show, like braised prawns.

However, Xie Zhiyan didn't buy any groceries when he returned from the company at noon. Ning Yuxuan hadn't eaten anything since she started sleeping, and she couldn't wait for him to buy groceries and prepare the ingredients from scratch.

So this time we had no choice but to give up.

"Let's skip it today," Ning Yuxuan said in a merciful tone. "I'll have your cooking another time, okay?"

Xie Zhiyan chuckled: "Since you've given the order, how could I dare disobey?"

Ning Yuxuan pouted, thinking to herself: There are plenty of times when they won't listen.

She told him to slow down yesterday, but he didn't listen to her.

Xie Zhiyan loosened his tie and walked to Ning Yuxuan's side: "So what do you want to eat now? Shall we go out to eat?"

Ning Yuxuan: "No, it's too hot outside, I'm too lazy to move, let's order takeout."

She then put the steamed pork ribs she had just taken out back into the refrigerator: "I'll heat this up and eat it together with the takeout when it arrives."

She walked to the sofa, sat down, and ordered using her phone.

Xie Zhiyan sat down next to her with a calm expression.

Ning Yuxuan glanced at him: "I'm planning to order from a Sichuan restaurant nearby, do you want to eat there?"

She had eaten here before, and the food was good; it had been a while since she'd had it.

Xie Zhiyan's brow twitched slightly: "Do I have a choice?"

Ning Yuxuan replied to him in a seemingly generous manner, "You can also order something different from mine, and we can each eat our own."

Xie Zhiyan smiled and said, "Do you know why I wanted to try your favorite flavors?"

Ning Yuxuan: "..."

She hadn't really thought about this issue carefully.

Ning Yuxuan stared at Xie Zhiyan, somewhat incredulous: "You didn't plan this all along, did you? You were already preparing to live with me back then, weren't you?"

Xie Zhiyan smiled but remained silent.

Ning Yuxuan pondered the timeline for a moment: "Wait a minute, when did you start trying spicy food? At that time, I still liked Gu... I still liked someone else."

Before I knew it, I almost blurted out that name again.

She has made peace with her past experiences, so she won't deliberately avoid talking about that person; she simply feels it's unlucky to talk about it.

Xie Zhiyan's gaze sharpened slightly, and he said calmly, "No matter who you've liked before, I'm the one you'll marry in the end."

Ning Yuxuan blinked.

Why did she feel that Xie Zhiyan's cold tone carried a hint of jealousy?

She had noticed similar jealousy in him before, but he had managed to brush it off that time.

Ning Yuxuan couldn't help but want to test this man's bottom line.

She said deliberately, "How do you know? What if I hadn't called you that day, or what if I had refused your terms on the phone?"

Xie Zhiyan's gaze narrowed slightly, his tone steady: "Even if it wasn't that day, it would have been sometime later."

Ning Yuxuan was genuinely curious about his thoughts this time: "How can you be so sure? What if I just don't want to marry you?"

Xie Zhiyan looked deeply into her eyes, a faint smile curving his lips: "Then I'll take you back and make you my bandit queen."

Ning Yuxuan's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

The man's tone seemed to be joking, but she inexplicably felt that he was serious.

Ning Yuxuan almost wanted to ask: So how are you going to snatch it?

Xie Zhiyan suddenly tapped her forehead: "Didn't you say you were hungry? Why are you still standing there without ordering?"

Ning Yuxuan's thoughts were pulled back by him.

"Order." Her gaze returned to her phone screen. "Let me see, one serving of boiled sliced ​​pork, one serving of hand-shredded cabbage, plus the steamed pork ribs from the fridge... This should be enough for two people, right? Oh, and rice too..."

Ning Yuxuan began to concentrate on researching what to eat for lunch, muttering to herself as she swiped her fingers back and forth on the screen.

Xie Zhiyan silently looked at the woman beside him.

She is already his wife.

After so many years, he finally got what he wanted.

Xie Zhiyan could hardly imagine how he would react if he really lost her.

He has always prided himself on being rational and restrained, and tries his best not to let his emotions dictate his behavior.

But he had experienced the feeling of losing control far too many times with her.

What he said earlier was just a joke, but Xie Zhiyan thought that if it really came to that, he might actually make a decision that even he himself dared not imagine.

"Hello, Xie Zhiyan?"

Xie Zhiyan was taken aback for a moment: "What?"

The woman in front of him frowned, looking at him with displeasure: "I asked you, what's our building number again?"

The first time I ordered takeout here, the delivery app automatically located my neighborhood.

Ning Yuxuan remembered the door number, but forgot which building this was.

Xie Zhiyan snapped out of his daze: "Building Seven."

Ning Yuxuan hummed in agreement, and complained as she typed in the address, "She's already home and she's still thinking about work. She doesn't even answer my questions."

Before she could finish speaking, a hand gripped her waist.

Through the thin nightgown, Xie Zhiyan gently massaged her waist: "I wasn't thinking about work, I was thinking about you."

Ning Yuxuan paused for a second, then looked at him irritably: "I haven't ordered yet, don't mess with me."

What was originally an accusation, however, became slightly softer as he caressed the soft flesh on her side.

Xie Zhiyan's eyes darkened slightly: "Mm."

He agreed verbally, but his fingers remained on her waist.

There was nothing excessive about it, yet it made her incredibly itchy.

Ning Yuxuan refrained from saying anything to him, not wanting to appear too sensitive, unable to bear even a touch on her waist.

She deleted the misspelled word and retyped the correct number.

Xie Zhiyan applied slight pressure with his fingers, giving her waist a light pinch.

The numbers were mistyped again, and Ning Yuxuan could no longer tolerate it.

"Xie Zhiyan!" She glared at the man in front of her. "I'm ordering takeout. Don't move, or I'll get angry!"

The hands that had been roaming over her body finally stopped.

Xie Zhiyan's voice was deep: "Okay, I won't move."

Ning Yuxuan met his dark eyes, and the scene from last night suddenly flashed into her mind at an inopportune moment.

At first, she was extremely nervous, and her body was stiff and awkward.

Similar conversations seem to have occurred when I was feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Realizing what she was thinking, Ning Yuxuan's cheeks flushed bright red.

She turned her face away from him, took a deep breath, and continued entering the house number.

As a result, because he moved too quickly and too forcefully, he accidentally pressed the wrong number.

A low chuckle came from beside her ear.

Ning Yuxuan was almost furious. She had ordered takeout, but this man had caused her to enter the wrong address three times.

In a fit of anger, she threw her phone at Xie Zhiyan: "I've already chosen the dishes. You fill in the address, and don't forget to include a red envelope!"

...

After all that trouble, I finally managed to order takeout.

The restaurant is less than two kilometers away, and it will only take about twenty minutes to deliver.

Ning Yuxuan clutched her waist and complained to the man, "If you keep doing this, I don't want to live with you anymore. All you do is torment me."

Xie Zhiyan gently coaxed her, "It's my fault."

Ning Yuxuan persisted: "And this nightgown you prepared for me, it's so thin, and it's not even pretty."

The material of this nightgown is light and breathable, making it very comfortable to wear to sleep.

But being too thin is also a problem; for example, when the man held her waist just now, the burning heat was transmitted to her skin almost without any obstruction.

Xie Zhiyan: "Sorry, there wasn't much to refer to when I bought it."

Ning Yuxuan frowned and glanced at him.

On the surface, this is an apology, but it seems to have a hidden meaning.

Xie Zhiyan looked back at her without changing his expression: "Otherwise, when you have time, bring a few of your usual nightgowns and other clothes over? That way, it will be convenient for you to change clothes when you live here."

Ning Yuxuan: "..."

The feeling of ulterior motives became stronger.

Ning Yuxuan: "Okay, let's talk about it next time."

Xie Zhiyan added, "I checked the dress you wore yesterday, and it's not dirty. You can wear it home directly."

Ning Yuxuan instantly recalled the scene from last night, where their clothes were haphazardly piled together, and her cheeks began to flush again.

And what kind of talk was that? What did he mean by "not getting it dirty"?

But Xie Zhiyan remained calm and composed, looking completely serious.

Ning Yuxuan bit her lip, staring at the "beast in human clothing" in front of her.

She hadn't noticed before, but now she realized that although he was wearing the same white shirt as yesterday, it was smooth and wrinkle-free, so he must have changed into a new, ironed shirt.

And the tie, it didn't seem to be this color last night either.

Looking at Xie Zhiyan's face again, besides his handsome features as always, he seemed to look particularly refreshed.

Thinking back to the red marks she found on her body while washing up earlier.

Ning Yuxuan grew angrier the more she looked at it.

Why is it that only she is affected, while he still maintains his gentle and refined demeanor, like a true gentleman?

Her gaze was too direct, and Xie Zhiyan raised an eyebrow slightly: "What are you looking at?"

Ning Yuxuan glared at him fiercely: "Look at that two-faced, beastly guy!"

...

The takeout finally arrived, and Xie Zhiyan took out the steamed pork ribs from the refrigerator and put them in the microwave.

Ning Yuxuan was already seated at the dining table, eagerly beginning to enjoy the food.

Two minutes later, Xie Zhiyan sat down next to her.

Immediately afterwards, a steamed pork chop was placed into her bowl.

Ning Yuxuan picked up a rib and put it in her mouth, squinting her eyes in satisfaction.

"Oh, right," Ning Yuxuan said, "My mom just called me, and I told her I'd be home in a bit."

Xie Zhiyan: "Okay, I'll take you there later."

Ning Yuxuan: "Don't you need to go back to the company earlier this afternoon?"

Xie Zhiyan: "It's not far. And after the meeting in the morning, I don't need to go to the company to handle work in the afternoon."

Ning Yuxuan said "Oh" and casually teased him, "No wonder you're the boss, you can just not go to the company if you want to."

The two takeout dishes plus a pork rib dish were just enough for the two of them to finish.

Ning Yuxuan glanced at the time; it was almost one o'clock in the afternoon.

She told Xie Zhiyan, "I'm going to rest in my bedroom for half an hour, and then I'll go home."

As she reached the bedroom door, she turned back and said, "You're not allowed to come in."

Xie Zhiyan looked at her.

Ning Yuxuan: "What's wrong?"

Xie Zhiyan's tone was helpless: "It's only the second day, and they won't let me into the room?"

Ning Yuxuan: "...Isn't there a secondary bedroom?"

Xie Zhiyan: "We moved in in a hurry, so the cleaning staff only changed and replaced the bedding in the master bedroom."

Ning Yuxuan: "..."

She felt deep down that this was just an excuse.

Everything else in the house could be tidied up in time, except for the bedrooms other than the master bedroom.

Ning Yuxuan glanced at Xie Zhiyan suspiciously, then looked back at the bedroom.

The clothes that were piled haphazardly on the chair last night have been tidied up, and her light blue shirt dress is now neatly folded on the chair.

No one else had come to the apartment today except the two of them, so it must have been Xie Zhiyan who cleaned it.

The note on the bedside table hasn't been taken away yet.

Xie Zhiyan went to the company for a meeting early this morning, but he still remembered to buy her steamed pork ribs for breakfast.

Ning Yuxuan admitted that she had softened her heart a little.

“Alright then…” she pursed her lips. “You can rest with me, but… you can’t do anything else.”

However, Ning Yuxuan soon regretted her decision.

She lay on her side on the bed, deliberately facing the outside of the bed, so as not to be face to face with Xie Zhiyan.

However, just as she relaxed and wanted to take a nap, the man's fingers slipped under the hem of her nightgown.

Ning Yuxuan trembled: "Thank... thank you, Zhiyan!"

The man's fingers had already moved smoothly up her lower back and onto her spine.

A tingling sensation washes over you.

Ning Yuxuan felt dizzy and tried to stop him: "No, I have to go home in a bit..."

Xie Zhiyan's voice was hoarse: "It's perfect now since we haven't changed our clothes yet."

Feeling the strange touch behind her, Ning Yuxuan moved her body with difficulty: "No, I have to record a show the day after tomorrow... for several days."

The soreness from last night hasn't fully subsided yet. What if she can't walk on Friday if we do it again?

Xie Zhiyan's voice was deep: "Then we won't see each other for several days."

Ning Yuxuan: "..."

That's not what she meant at all!

Ning Yuxuan: "It really won't work. This time, the recording is in another city, and we might have to walk a lot every day... Waaah!"

The skin behind her ear was suddenly touched by warm lips, the last sound turning into a sob, and her body arched involuntarily.

His hot breath brushed against the back of her neck: "It's okay, just stay like this, don't move."

Ning Yuxuan's brain had already become sluggish, and it took her a beat to realize what the man meant by telling her to "stay the way she is now."

She had no chance to refuse.

Her waist was already bound, and her round, fair shoulders were also trapped in the man's palm.

In the end, only heavy breathing and her sobs remained in the room.

...

After tidying up her clothes in the bathroom, Ning Yuxuan glared at Xie Zhiyan with eyes that were practically spitting fire.

She only softened her heart a little, how did it turn out like this again!

Not only did I not get any rest, I became even more tired.

After finishing, Ning Yuxuan didn't even take a shower right away, and fell asleep in a daze, only waking up half an hour later.

I originally planned to leave before 2 o'clock, but now that I've finished packing, it's almost 4 o'clock.

What's even more infuriating is that Xie Zhiyan still looked radiant, a stark contrast to her frail appearance.

The only saving grace is that she kept saying she wanted to go home and record a show.

Therefore, all the marks are located below the collarbone, and will not be seen as long as you don't wear clothes with too low a neckline.

A man who is satisfied is exceptionally gentle and patient.

I carefully straightened her clothes, checking them inside and out, and found nothing amiss.

If they didn't come home all night, their mother would surely know what they did, but no matter what, they couldn't go back disheveled.

Before leaving, Xie Zhiyan bent down to help her put on her shoes.

Ning Yuxuan accepted all of this with a clear conscience: after what happened last night and just now, this was what she deserved.

I texted my mother to say that I would be home soon.

Ning Yuxuan got into the passenger seat, and Xie Zhiyan drove her home.

After making a few turns, the car stopped in front of the villa.

Xie Zhiyan and Ning Yuxuan got off the bus together.

Meeting her questioning gaze, Xie Zhiyan said, "I've kept you out all night, so I should at least say hello to Aunt Ning before I leave."

Ning Yuxuan didn't stop him. She stepped forward and knocked on the door a few times as a gesture, then unlocked it with her fingerprint.

I opened the door and didn't see my mother at first glance.

A few seconds later, footsteps came from the stairs, and Ning Fei came down from upstairs.

Ning Yuxuan shifted her shoulder somewhat awkwardly and said, "Mom, I'm back..."

Ning Fei hummed in agreement and quietly watched the two of them.

Ning Yuxuan noticed her mother's unusual behavior and slowly lowered her gaze.

Ning Fei held two small, dark red notebooks with gold lettering in her hands.

Ning Yuxuan's heartbeat stopped instantly.

Deep down, I still held onto a sliver of hope, since it's not uncommon for similar-looking ID cards to exist.

Ning Yuxuan asked softly, "Mom, what's wrong?"

Ning Fei walked silently to the two of them.

At close range, Ning Yuxuan finally saw clearly the three big characters "Marriage Certificate" on the red booklet.

...

Ning Yuxuan had imagined countless scenarios for confessing to her mother, but she never expected to be discovered like this.

Not knowing how to respond, she instinctively asked, "Mom, where did you find it?"

Ning Fei's tone sounded relatively calm: "The study on the second floor. I was looking for my driver's license, but one of the drawers was locked, so I went to find the spare key to open it."

She didn't need to explain the rest.

Ning Yuxuan didn't know what to say: "Mom..."

Ning Fei lowered her eyes and remained silent at first, then glanced at her daughter and the man beside her.

She sighed: "Xuanxuan, Zhiyan, let's go sit in the living room and talk."

The three of them sat down on the sofa in the living room.

Ning Yuxuan was still hesitant about whether to be completely honest about the reason for the marriage. Perhaps she could find an excuse, saying that it was an impulsive decision that led her to secretly get the marriage certificate with Xie Zhiyan.

Ning Fei may appear gentle and seemingly indifferent to worldly affairs, but she is not someone who can be easily fooled.

“Xuanxuan.” Ning Fei looked at her daughter, “Mom looked at the registration date on this, it’s before you told me you were with Zhiyan.”

Ning Fei looked at Xie Zhiyan and smiled politely, "I'm sorry, Zhiyan. Auntie knows you may also have something to say, but I want to hear my daughter explain it to me herself."

Xie Zhiyan nodded silently, indicating his understanding.

Now that things have come to this, Ning Yuxuan knows that she has no choice but to confess everything.

Lying to my mother again would only hurt her more.

With a feeling of guilt and trepidation, Ning Yuxuan recounted the entire incident to her mother.

How did she and Xie Zhiyan first get in touch, how did they decide to exchange conditions for marriage, and when did their fake relationship become real?

Ning Yuxuan told Ning Fei everything except for the most detailed information.

Of course, Ning Yuxuan chose to keep the details of the "original plot" and the "awakening" part to herself and would not tell anyone.

After speaking, Ning Yuxuan lowered her eyes and quietly awaited the "verdict".

After a long silence, Ning Fei finally spoke.

"Xuanxuan," Ning Fei looked at her daughter with a complicated expression, "Why didn't you discuss such a big matter with your mother?"

Ning Yuxuan pursed her lips and said truthfully, "Because I feel that no matter what I say, you will not agree to me buying those stores."

Ning Fei remained silent.

My daughter is right. Given the circumstances at the time, she certainly wouldn't have agreed to take such a big risk and use up all of the family's working capital to buy those stores.

Xie Zhiyan, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "Auntie—"

Ning Fei raised her hand to stop him: "Hold the inkstone."

Xie Zhiyan: "..."

Ning Yuxuan felt heavy-hearted and apologized for what seemed like the umpteenth time: "I'm sorry, Mom, I shouldn't have lied to you."

Ning Fei didn't answer, but lowered her eyes and looked at the two marriage certificates on the coffee table.

The living room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

After an unknown amount of time, Ning Fei finally looked up and met her daughter's gaze again.

"Xuanxuan," Ning Fei asked, "Do you genuinely want to be with Zhiyan now, and continue your life as husband and wife?"

Ning Yuxuan was stunned and subconsciously looked at the man beside her.

Xie Zhiyan silently took her hand.

Ning Yuxuan was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Mm."

Ning Fei observed their actions; eyes and body language don't lie.

Ning Fei sighed softly: "So, apart from this time, you won't lie to Mom again?"

Ning Yuxuan understood her mother's implied meaning, her eyes widened, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.

Seeing her daughter's expression, Ning Fei's eyes revealed helplessness: "Don't rush to laugh, answer Mom first."

Ning Yuxuan nodded vigorously: "I promise, no matter what happens in the future, I will never lie to you again!"

Ning Fei smiled and asked, "Really?"

Seeing a smile finally appear on her mother's face, even if it was just a little bit, Ning Yuxuan could no longer hold back.

She suddenly stood up and threw herself into Ning Fei's arms without thinking.

"Mom!" Ning Yuxuan didn't want to cry, but her voice involuntarily broke into a sob as she spoke, "You're so good to me. I've lied to you for so long, and you're still willing to forgive me so quickly!"

Hearing her daughter's choked voice, Ning Fei's nose also felt a little sore.

"Silly girl," Ning Fei's voice was extremely gentle, "No matter what you do, Mommy will never be angry with you."

Hearing this, Ning Yuxuan cried even harder.

It wasn't just that her eyes were moist; nestled in her mother's arms, tears truly streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Ning Yuxuan had forgotten when she last cried like this, as if she wanted to use up all the tears she had accumulated over a long period of time.

She was the one who had done wrong, yet she cried as if she had suffered a tremendous injustice.

Ning Fei patted her daughter's back helplessly and soothed her gently, "Sweetie, you're such a big girl now, why are you still acting like a little kid?"

Ning Yuxuan still couldn't stop crying.

Ning Fei had no choice but to bring up her daughter's boyfriend: "Don't cry, Xuanxuan, Zhiyan is still here."

Ning Yuxuan paused for a moment, sniffing, "Don't worry about him, Mom, just pretend he doesn't exist."

After saying that, he buried his head in his mother's neck again.

Ning Fei chuckled: What kind of talk is that?

Helpless, she could only continue to coax her daughter, and occasionally give Xie Zhiyan an apologetic look.

...

After crying for a while, Ning Yuxuan finally lifted her head from her mother's shoulder.

Ning Fei looked at her daughter helplessly, stood up, and said, "Look at you crying. Your mother's clothes are all wet. You need to go change."

Then he said to Xie Zhiyan, "Zhiyan, let's eat together at home tonight? I'll ask Aunt Xu to make an extra portion of dinner for one more person."

Xie Zhiyan nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the entrance hall.

All eyes turned to that direction: Who would come to the house at this hour?

After a few more sounds, Ning Shiyue appeared at the door.

The group stared at each other, wide-eyed.

The production team gave Ning Shiyue a few days off so he could participate in the recording of the final episode of "Dear Mom".

The production team of "Mom" will also help promote the TV series, so both sides will gain popularity, which can be considered a win-win situation.

Ning Shiyue secretly bought a plane ticket to come back this time, without notifying anyone in advance, wanting to give Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan a surprise.

When I got home, I was surprised to see three people standing in the living room.

Ning Shiyue scratched his head and took a few steps forward: "Why are you all just standing here like idiots? Um, Brother Zhiyan, you're here too..."

He was slightly embarrassed, so his eyes wandered aimlessly.

The next second, Ning Shiyue froze.

What are those two red books on the coffee table?