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"To your house?"
Late Sunday night, Cen Meng finally responded to the widely publicized affair involving a mistress.
Cen Meng posted a video in which she appeared without makeup, with red eyes and clearly visible dark circles under her eyes.
In the video, she tearfully recounted her experience of being a "homewrecker" and stated that she has now broken up with the man.
At the end of the video, Cen Meng even apologized to Ning Yuxuan.
Most netizens were not buying the apology video.
[Nobody would believe you didn't know, otherwise why would you target Ning Yuxuan on the show?]
[Now that they've been scolded and are crying, it's too late!]
[This time you only apologized after being exposed. What if Ning Yuxuan had been wronged? You'd probably be secretly laughing behind the scenes, right?]
[If you really want to apologize, you should say sorry to Ning Yuxuan in person. What's the point of posting it online?]
However, Cen Meng's video was not sent to these people.
Some netizens who initially had a favorable impression of Cen Meng accepted her statement.
Meanwhile, Cen Meng's company also found a direction for public relations, working with fans and online trolls to portray Cen Meng as a girl who can take things in stride and is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside.
[Mengmeng is amazing! She broke up with him decisively after finding out he was a jerk. How many girls could do that!]
Actually, neither Cen Meng nor Ning Yuxuan did anything wrong; the man was the one who was wrong!
Everyone should learn from Cen Meng and cut their losses as soon as they see through a scumbag's true colors!
...
Ning Yuxuan heard about the online rumors, but she was too lazy to respond to them and didn't want to fight with Cen Meng.
She has more important things to do.
On Monday, Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei spent the entire day discussing matters related to the hotel.
As Ning Fei gets older, her energy is not as good as before, and Hua Yuan has not made any major changes in recent years.
With Ning Yuxuan opening four new stores this time, Ning Fei has also rediscovered some of the drive she had in her youth.
Ning Fei strongly agreed with Ning Yuxuan's idea of renovating two of the stores and turning the other two into themed hotels.
The two discussed the specific design direction of the themed hotel for a long time and came up with some preliminary plans.
Ning Yuxuan wrote all these plans down in a document, waiting to discuss them in detail when she met with the designer.
In the past two days, quite a few design companies and suppliers have contacted Ning Fei, saying they are willing to cooperate with her.
No secrets stay hidden forever; people already know that Xie Zhiyan invested in Huayuan Hotel.
However, this was Ning Yuxuan's first time participating in the management of a hotel, and the investment was brought in by her daughter.
Ning Fei didn't want to dampen her daughter's enthusiasm, so she decided to let her daughter make the final decisions and act as her advisor.
.
The next day, Ning Yuxuan got up early, put on light makeup, and went out.
Xie Zhiyan's car was parked outside the villa.
It was the same Bentley as last time, but this time he was driving it himself, not with a chauffeur.
Ning Yuxuan sat in the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.
Xie Zhiyan asked her, "Have you packed everything?"
Ning Yuxuan hummed in agreement.
All she needed to bring were her ID card and household registration booklet. Ning Fei kept the household registration booklet in a cabinet in the study, so Ning Yuxuan could easily get it.
Hearing Xie Zhiyan ask this question, Ning Yuxuan took out her household registration book from her bag and looked at it again, her mood momentarily dropping without being noticeable.
It wasn't because of marriage itself, but...
She kept such an important matter a secret from her mother.
Although it was a last resort, Ning Yuxuan still felt a little regretful.
The car slowly drove out of the villa area, and the man's clear voice rang in my ears: "Regret it?"
His tone was flat, with only a slight rise in the last syllable, making it impossible to discern any emotion in his voice.
Ning Yuxuan snapped back to reality in an instant, glanced at Xie Zhiyan, and said decisively, "Of course not!"
Marriage was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a well-considered one. How could she possibly regret it at the last minute?
Xie Zhiyan's voice was deep: "That's good."
Twenty minutes later, the two arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Xie Zhiyan said he would arrange everything, and Ning Yuxuan didn't think too much about it at first.
When they arrived at the scene, Ning Yuxuan found that there were staff members waiting for them. She realized that people like Xie Zhiyan probably had to arrange even the marriage registration process in advance.
In just over ten minutes, the two completed all the procedures and officially became a legally married couple.
Back in the car, Ning Yuxuan opened the inside page of her marriage certificate and admired the photos that had been taken in one go.
Putting everything else aside, just in terms of appearance, Ning Yuxuan felt that she and Xie Zhiyan looked quite well-matched.
She knew she was good-looking from a young age. When Ning Fei took her out to play as a child, she was often surrounded by her grandparents, uncles, and aunts.
Even after starting school, he had a constant stream of suitors and received countless love letters.
However, she had never been interested in any of her suitors until she met Gu Yunhao. Suddenly, she fell in love and couldn't stop, and from then on, her life goal became "to become Gu Yunhao's bride".
Looking back now, Ning Yuxuan feels that the intense love at first sight could only be explained by plot manipulation.
Otherwise, Gu Yunhao is just average-looking; he's good-looking, but not to the point of driving her crazy.
Now look closely, aren't all the men around her, whether it's Ning Shiyue or Xie Zhiyan, more handsome than Gu Yunhao?
As Ning Yuxuan thought this, her fingertips unconsciously traced the wedding photo.
"Is it very beautiful?" Xie Zhiyan suddenly asked as the car stopped at the intersection waiting for the traffic light.
Ning Yuxuan subconsciously withdrew her hand: "What?"
Xie Zhiyan calmly stated the facts: "You stared at it for a long time."
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "Beautiful!"
She held up her marriage certificate, the photo facing herself: "No wonder I'm so beautiful. I'm naturally gorgeous. Even a casual snapshot by a staff member makes me look like a big star."
Perhaps her boastful tone was too exaggerated, Xie Zhiyan chuckled.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at the man and added, "You're not bad either!"
Xie Zhiyan looked at her and said slowly, "I'm glad you're satisfied."
His words were gentler than usual, making Ning Yuxuan feel that he had something else in mind.
Is Xie Zhiyan's satisfaction with this photo, or with this transaction involving marriage?
Before she could figure it out, the man spoke again: "Haven't had breakfast yet, have you?"
Ning Yuxuan asked in surprise, "How did you know?"
She has always been a heavy sleeper and doesn't like to get up for breakfast.
When Ningfei was little, to ensure her health, the nanny would pack her buns or bread and make sure she ate them on her way to school.
Later, when she went to university, no one could supervise her, so Ning Yuxuan started to let herself go and stopped eating breakfast altogether.
After graduation, she stayed at home unemployed for a long time, sleeping until almost noon every day. Ning Fei couldn't do anything about it and could only tacitly allow her to eat breakfast and lunch together every day.
Xie Zhiyan didn't answer Ning Yuxuan, but simply said, "There's a restaurant nearby that has pretty good food, I'll take you there."
Ning Yuxuan asked curiously, "Don't you need to go back to the company?"
Xie Zhiyan said calmly, "I've cleared my schedule for today."
Ning Yuxuan said "Oh," and then said, "Okay."
After passing several traffic lights, the car slowly came to a stop in front of a breakfast stall.
Upon entering the store, Ning Yuxuan picked up the menu and glanced at it, finding the font and patterns on the menu somewhat familiar.
She looked up again and realized that the store name was the same as the one she remembered.
There's a snack street near the south gate of University A, where Ning Yuxuan and her roommates used to eat often.
One of the steamed bun shops was the perfect fit for Ning Yuxuan's taste. She fell in love with it at first bite and even brought various friends along to eat there.
Unfortunately, the shop suddenly closed down at the end of her freshman year. The owner left in a hurry, and no one knows where she moved to.
When Ning Yuxuan found out, she was devastated and told everyone she met that it was a pity.
Having confirmed that this was indeed the same shop from before, Ning Yuxuan looked at Xie Zhiyan with undisguised surprise: "This place..."
Before she could ask clearly, the proprietress came over: "Are you... Xuanxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan looked up in surprise: "Aunt Fang, is this really your shop?"
The proprietress was also full of surprise: "Yes, I wasn't sure just now, but it really is you, Xuanxuan."
Many students came to eat at the restaurant back then, but Ning Yuxuan came the most frequently and was particularly beautiful.
Over time, the proprietress remembered Ning Yuxuan's name.
Later, her mother-in-law fell seriously ill, and her husband couldn't manage everything on his own, so she had to hastily transfer the shop to someone else.
It just so happened that it was during the students' final exams, and Ning Yuxuan didn't come to the store for several days in a row, and the owner didn't even have time to tell her.
After that, her mother-in-law's illness lasted for several years, but she eventually succumbed to it. The proprietress saw her mother-in-law off in her final days, and after she had some free time, she opened a new shop in a different location.
After a few words, Ning Yuxuan understood the experiences the proprietress had had over the years.
The proprietress has an optimistic personality, and apart from a few more fine lines on her face, her smile is as warm as ever: "What would you like to eat this time?"
Ning Yuxuan smiled and said, "Do you even need to ask? Same as always!"
The proprietress chuckled, "Okay, okay! And this one...?"
The man next to Ning Yuxuan looked incredibly wealthy and powerful. The proprietress rarely served guests like him, so she became a little more cautious.
Xie Zhiyan ordered two of the featured breakfast items from the menu.
The proprietress agreed and went back to work.
Ning Yuxuan asked Xie Zhiyan, "Did you specifically choose this shop?"
Xie Zhiyan said in a nonchalant tone, "I just happened to see that the name of this store looked familiar."
Ning Yuxuan gave a thoughtful "Oh".
She remembered that she had never mentioned this restaurant to Xie Zhiyan, but the holiday when she ate at Xie's house happened to be shortly after the restaurant closed.
It's probably because I was complaining to Ning Fei every day back then, and Xie Zhiyan overheard it.
There weren't many people in the restaurant, and the proprietress quickly served the dishes the two had ordered.
Ning Yuxuan took a bite of the steamed bun and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
It tastes just like I remember.
Ning Yuxuan recalled what Xie Zhiyan had said in the car earlier: "You said you didn't have any other plans for today?"
Xie Zhiyan: "What?"
Ning Yuxuan smiled and said, "I don't have any either, so I'll pay for this meal. I'll also treat you to a nice lunch today as a celebration of our marriage certificate!"
Xie Zhiyan glanced at her: "Do you need my help?"
Ning Yuxuan remained calm despite being hit where it hurt, and readily agreed, "My mom and I discussed a few hotel design plans yesterday, and I thought it would be good to have you come and take a look."
They're all married now, and the hotel has Xie Zhiyan's investment, so why not use a consultant who's readily available?
Xie Zhiyan: "Where to?"
This question stumped Ning Yuxuan.
Huayuan Hotel has a dedicated office area, but Ning Yuxuan has not yet officially taken over the management of the hotel, and her own office is not yet set up.
“How about…” Ning Yuxuan asked Xie Zhiyan, “Go to your company? I remember Hengjiang’s headquarters is nearby.”
Xie Zhiyan chuckled: "It's rare for your assistant to clear my schedule for today. It seems you can't wait to drag me back to work."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
That's true. If Xie Zhiyan really goes to Hengjiang, her time might not be entirely hers anymore.
“Well…” Ning Yuxuan took a sip of her drink, “It’s not really appropriate to come to my house, it would disturb my mom’s afternoon nap. How about we go to your house?”
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhiyan gave her a deep look.
Ning Yuxuan realized what was happening and almost choked.
"Ahem..." Ning Yuxuan cleared her throat. "That's not what I meant!"
Xie Zhiyan slowly took a bite of the purple sweet potato pastry.
After Ning Yuxuan took two big gulps of her drink to calm her nerves, the man slowly said, "From now on, if you want to keep this from my mother and your family, you really should go and see me."
Ning Yuxuan: "...We'll talk about it later!"
When they decided to get married, the two agreed that they wouldn't live together after marriage, so Ning Yuxuan never thought about that aspect.
She wasn't ready to suddenly be alone in a room with a man.
In the end, neither of them went to either of their homes.
After breakfast, Xie Zhiyan took Ning Yuxuan to a nearby tea restaurant, which had private business rooms specifically for discussing business.
In one morning, Ning Yuxuan told Xie Zhiyan about the several plans she and Ning Fei had come up with the day before.
Most of the time, Ning Yuxuan talked non-stop, while Xie Zhiyan listened quietly.
Xie Zhiyan only asked a few questions occasionally, but they all hit the nail on the head, making Ning Yuxuan realize what she had not considered.
However, Ning Yuxuan did not seek solutions from Xie Zhiyan. She simply wrote down the problems he mentioned and planned to think of solutions carefully when she got back.
This was her first time preparing to open a shop, and she wanted to try to solve the problems herself.
When lunchtime arrived, Ning Yuxuan was still somewhat reluctant to part with this free consultant.
However, she couldn't let Xie Zhiyan, this great Buddha, go hungry, so Ning Yuxuan took the initiative to ask him, "What do you want to eat for lunch? Just say whatever you want, it's on me!"
She had made up her mind. Even if this meal cost her a fortune, she would accept it. After all, if someone wanted Xie Zhiyan to be their consultant, it wasn't something that could be done over a single lunch.
Xie Zhiyan: "I made the decisions for the last two meals, but you decide this time."
Ning Yuxuan stopped being polite and said, "How about we go eat Sichuan food? I haven't had it in ages."
Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue don't like spicy food, so she didn't want to ask them to come with her.
She used to have a few friends who shared similar tastes, but because she had devoted herself to Gu Yunhao for the past two years, no one could invite her out, and gradually she became estranged from her former friends.
Xie Zhiyan had no objection, and the two went to a well-rated Sichuan restaurant nearby.
It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was crowded, with all the private rooms full, so we could only sit in a corner of the main hall.
While eating, Ning Yuxuan was preoccupied with the hotel and didn't have time to say much to Xie Zhiyan.
After finishing her meal, Ning Yuxuan felt like she had forgotten something.
When Ning Yuxuan arrived at the restaurant, she suddenly realized that she had forgotten to pay the bill.
She had agreed to treat everyone, but Xie Zhiyan ended up paying the bill anyway.
The aisle in the restaurant was narrow, and Xie Zhiyan walked ahead of her.
Ning Yuxuan tugged at his sleeve from behind: "Didn't we agree that I would treat you? Why didn't you remind me when we were paying the bill?"
Xie Zhiyan turned to look at her: "You seem to be deep in thought."
Ning Yuxuan wanted to transfer the money to Xie Zhiyan, but felt it would be too formal, so she said, "Then I'll treat you next time."
They are a married couple, and they will have another chance to eat together in the future.
Upon arriving at the parking lot, Ning Yuxuan once again sat in Xie Zhiyan's passenger seat.
The car had just started moving when Ning Fei called.
"Xuanxuan," Ning Fei said, "your brother's schedule for tonight has been changed to tomorrow. Are you coming home before dinner tonight? How about we change our hot pot to tonight?"
Last night, Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei were talking about what to eat. Ning Yuxuan mentioned that her family hadn't had hot pot in a long time.
Since Ning Shiyue had no work scheduled for Wednesday night, Ning Fei decided to go to the supermarket to buy some ingredients so the family could have hot pot together that evening.
Ning Yuxuan: Sure, I'll be home in about half an hour, and we'll go to the supermarket together in a bit.
Ning Fei smiled and agreed, "Okay, then Mom will pack up and wait for you at home."
...
Meanwhile, news about the Xie family is spreading among the elite circles of Beicheng.
One is that Xie Zhiyan quietly invested in a small chain hotel, becoming the second largest shareholder of that hotel, and at the same time purchased four branches of another hotel in Tongxing District.
In the past two years, those who have received investment from Xie Zhiyan have all been well-known companies in Beicheng. However, many people in the elite circles have never even heard of this hotel.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the hotel's owner was Ning Fei, a veteran actress in the entertainment industry.
When the events unfolded in sequence, someone quickly grasped the key to the matter.
No wonder Xie Zhiyan greeted Ning Yuxuan at the birthday banquet; it turns out that Ning Yuxuan's mother and Xie Zhiyan had a collaboration.
As the news spread, hotel prices in Tongxing District immediately fluctuated, rising by a few percentage points.
Countless events over the past few years have proven that Xie Zhiyan's judgment is absolutely sound. Although everyone is puzzled as to why, they also want to get a share of the profits.
Gu Yunhao soon learned about this as well.
His father had previously agreed to let him gain more experience and gave him a sum of money to invest.
Gu Yunhao wanted to enter the hotel industry and had his eye on a few options, including a chain hotel in Tongxing District.
When Gu Yunhao heard that someone had bought it in advance, he felt a little regretful.
However, apart from being cheap, the hotel's facilities and surrounding environment weren't the best, so Gu Yunhao didn't think much of it.
When Gu Yunhao heard that the hotel was actually bought by Ning Yuxuan's mother, Ning Fei, and that Xie Zhiyan was involved, he couldn't describe how he felt.
He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't help but think about it—
Could it be... that Ning Yuxuan agreed to break up with Xie Zhiyan because of him?
Is it because she thinks she might be able to get close to Xie Zhiyan that she looks down on me?
Thinking of this possibility, Gu Yunhao wished he could call Ning Yuxuan immediately and tell her that Xie Zhiyan would never be interested in her, and that she should just obediently follow him.
But he was the one who initiated the breakup. It was too beneath him to talk about these things with Ning Yuxuan on the phone; it made it seem like he still cared about her.
Gu Yunhao held back for a long time before finally managing to refrain from contacting Ning Yuxuan.
Today, Gu Yunhao heard another piece of news.
It is said that someone ran into Xie Zhiyan by chance at a Sichuan restaurant and saw him having lunch with a woman.
The restaurant was crowded and dimly lit; it wasn't a high-end restaurant, and the average cost per person was less than 100 yuan.
The person who spread the news was too far away to see clearly and even doubted whether he had mistaken the person for someone else, since Xie Zhiyan didn't seem like the type to frequent such places.
It was only when the two were leaving that the man's expensive custom-made suit and limited-edition watch confirmed that he was Xie Zhiyan.
As for who the woman was, I didn't even see her clearly.
However, given Xie Zhiyan's status, he wouldn't choose such a place to discuss business or go on a blind date, so there's only one possibility—
The woman is either Xie Zhiyan's girlfriend or they are developing a relationship in that direction.
Moreover, the woman and Xie Zhiyan seemed quite intimate; when the woman tugged at Xie Zhiyan's sleeve, he didn't refuse.
Since Xie Zhiyan returned to China and entered the public eye, no one has heard of him having a girlfriend. Many people have tried to introduce their daughters to Xie Zhiyan for blind dates, but he has refused.
The gossip quickly spread within the circle.
When Gu Yunhao heard the news from his cronies, his first reaction was actually genuine joy.
As expected, Ning Yuxuan's dream of getting close to Xie Zhiyan was just that—a dream!
He was certain that the woman having dinner with Xie Zhiyan was not Ning Yuxuan.
Because Ning Yuxuan has the same taste as him, she doesn't eat any chili peppers, let alone go to Sichuan restaurants.
Gu Yunhao could no longer hold back and sent Ning Yuxuan a long message:
Although we've broken up, out of consideration for our year-long relationship, I still want to remind you that you won't find another man as good as me who is also willing to be serious about you. Those other men may seem to like you on the surface, but they're just playing around.
After sending the message, he stared at his phone screen for a long time.
Seeing that Ning Yuxuan hadn't replied to his message, Gu Yunhao hesitated whether to add another message.
Was he being too vague? Should we just tell Ning Yuxuan that Xie Zhiyan already has a girlfriend and tell her to stop daydreaming?
But once the message has been sent, sending another one before the other party replies would seem like a loss of face.
I waited for a long time, but still received no reply.
Gu Yunhao finally lost his patience and typed another message: "That's all I have to say. Take care of yourself."
He clicked send, and a message popped up on WeChat.
The message has been sent, but the recipient has rejected it.
Gu Yunhao: "..."
...
On the other side, Ning Yuxuan put down her phone.
I forgot to block Gu Yunhao last time, and Gu Yunhao hasn't contacted me since.
Unexpectedly, after so long, this person sent her another message out of the blue. This time, Ning Yuxuan blocked him without hesitation.
The car slowly drove into the villa area. Since the driver had already registered last time, they were able to enter without any problems this time.
Ning Yuxuan thanked Xie Zhiyan and got out of the car.
He looked up and met Ning Fei's gaze as she stood at the door.
Ning Fei was still carrying a trash bag. She was pleasantly surprised to see her daughter, but then looked at the car behind her daughter with some confusion.
Soon, Xie Zhiyan also got out of the car.
"Aunt Ning," the man said with a faint smile, "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
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