18 018
"Give an inch and you'll take a mile."
Ning Yuxuan never expected that things would develop into Xie Zhiyan, Ning Fei, and herself going to the supermarket together.
When it comes to winning over elders, Xie Zhiyan seems to have a natural talent for it.
Back then, Xie Zhiyan was the quintessential "other people's child." During her middle school years, Ning Yuxuan would often hear about Xie Zhiyan's glorious deeds from teachers and other students' parents.
Although Ning Fei didn't say much, Ning Yuxuan could tell that she really liked her best friend's son.
After Xie Zhiyan invested in Huayuan, Ning Fei became even more amiable towards him.
Ning Yuxuan couldn't help but want to tell Ning Fei that Xie Zhiyan's willingness to invest was something she obtained by exchanging the bright red notebook in her bag, not because Xie Zhiyan was a good person.
There's a supermarket less than ten minutes' walk from the villa area.
Xie Zhiyan parked the car in the villa's garage, and the three of them walked to the supermarket.
Ning Fei walked in the middle, Ning Yuxuan walked on the right with her mother's arm in hers, and Xie Zhiyan walked on their left.
Xie Zhiyan and Ning Fei talked about Zheng Xinmei, and Ning Fei laughed at his jokes.
"If you talk about your mother like that, I'll have to have a good talk with Xinmei next time I see her."
The two chatted happily, and Ning Yuxuan felt a little superfluous for a moment.
After exchanging a few words, Ning Fei extended an invitation: "Zhiyan, Xiaoyue is coming back tonight too. I remember how attached he was to you when he was little. If you're free tonight, why don't you join us for hot pot?"
Ning Yuxuan had anticipated things would develop this way: "He—"
“Okay,” Xie Zhiyan answered even faster than her, “I’m not busy today.”
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
It seems that on her first day after getting her marriage certificate, she's destined to see Xie Zhiyan's face all day long.
Upon arriving at the supermarket, Xie Zhiyan pushed the shopping cart.
It was still early before dinner time, and there weren't many people in the supermarket at this hour, so the group strolled around leisurely.
Most of the ingredients used for hot pot are frozen, so the group went to buy some snacks and drinks first.
Of course, Ning Yuxuan is the one who buys most of the snacks, as Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue at home don't eat many snacks.
Ning Fei mentioned the local specialties from Xingcheng that Xie Zhiyan had given her before: "By the way, Zhiyan, I haven't properly thanked you for the local specialties that you asked Xiaoyue to bring back last time. Xuanxuan especially liked that brand of dried bean curd. She said she couldn't find it online and even said she wanted to find someone to buy it for her."
Xie Zhiyan gave Ning Yuxuan a meaningful look before smiling gently at Ning Fei: "Really? I really didn't know about this."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Ning Fei was telling the truth; that brand of dried tofu was better than anything she had ever eaten before, and it was also quite niche. Ning Yuxuan couldn't even find an online store selling it by taking a picture and searching for it.
It would be a bit absurd for Ning Yuxuan to specifically ask Xie Zhiyan, such a busy man, just for a bag of dried tofu, so she gave up on the idea.
When Xie Zhiyan looked at her meaningfully just now, Ning Yuxuan instantly realized that she was still too understanding.
Ning Yuxuan deliberately spoke slowly: "Since we're on the topic, Xie Zhiyan, how about you become my personal shopper? Every time you or your friends go to Xingcheng, how about you bring back a few packs of dried tofu for me?"
Xie Zhiyan agreed without changing his expression: "Okay."
Ning Yuxuan: "It's a deal then! If you ever forget, I'll hold you accountable!"
Xie Zhiyan followed her lead with great interest: "Do we need to sign a contract?"
Ning Yuxuan was provoked by him and her competitive spirit flared up: "...Sign! I'll draft the terms and conditions for you to sign as soon as we get back!"
The two chatted back and forth, while Ning Fei remained silent, looking thoughtfully at her daughter and Xie Zhiyan.
As far as Ning Fei knew, since she stopped taking her daughter to the Xie family, her daughter and Xie Zhiyan had probably not been in contact for several years.
Is the relationship between my daughter and Xie Zhiyan really that good?
While shopping at the supermarket, Xie Zhiyan received a call from his assistant.
Unless it's a work-related decision that forces him to make, his assistant won't bother him unnecessarily.
Xie Zhiyan found a quiet corner to take the call, while Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan continued walking forward.
Ning Fei glanced back at Xie Zhiyan in the distance and asked her daughter, "Xuanxuan, what about you and Zhiyan...?"
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "What?"
Ning Fei hesitated and asked, "The person you mentioned who was pursuing you... is it Zhi Yan?"
Ning Yuxuan was stunned for a second.
She almost forgot that after recording the live stream that day, she had talked to Ning Fei in her room about her suitors.
After asking the question, Ning Fei shook her head slightly, as if she couldn't believe it.
She had only asked the question on a whim, but upon closer reflection, the possibility of Xie Zhiyan pursuing her daughter was extremely small.
Firstly, Ning Fei knew her friend's son very well and knew that Xie Zhiyan's personality was completely different from her own daughter's.
Secondly, Ning Fei thought that if Xie Zhiyan really had feelings for her daughter, he should have made a move long ago. Why did he wait until now?
Moreover, neither Zheng Xinmei nor herself, the two people who know the child best, have noticed anything amiss over the years.
I must have been overthinking it.
Ning Yuxuan was still hesitating whether to go along with it and admit it, but when she saw Ning Fei deny it first, Ning Yuxuan immediately felt unconvinced.
"Mom." Ning Yuxuan tugged at Ning Fei's arm and gestured with her chin towards Xie Zhiyan. "What do you mean by shaking your head? Do you think he could never pursue your daughter?"
Ning Fei: "No, it's not..."
Ning Yuxuan looked at Ning Fei, earnestly trying to defend herself: "Take a good look at your daughter. With her face, her figure, and such a good personality, what makes her not worth pursuing?"
Ning Fei was amused by her daughter: "Yes, yes, it's worth it!"
“Exactly!” Ning Yuxuan said seriously, “That’s why I’m carefully considering it. Even if Xie Zhiyan’s conditions are acceptable and he likes me a lot, I’m not so easy to pursue…”
Ning Fei hesitated, then said, "Xuanxuan..."
Ning Yuxuan, without blushing or skipping a beat, asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
Ning Fei winked at someone behind her.
Ning Yuxuan realized something.
Turning around, she saw that Xie Zhiyan had finished his call and was standing behind her.
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
These past few days, whether on the show or at home, Ning Yuxuan has been relentlessly roasting Ning Shiyue until he's speechless.
Seeing her daughter get the short end of the stick was a rare sight, so Ning Fei couldn't help but laugh and try to smooth things over for her daughter: "Sorry, Zhiyan, Xuanxuan and I were just joking."
Xie Zhiyan's eyes held a faint smile: "I know."
Ning Yuxuan stood next to Ning Fei and glared at Xie Zhiyan.
Xie Zhiyan raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly and added slowly, "And Yu Xuan is indeed very outstanding, and I... like her very much."
He deliberately slowed down his speech for the last few words, and made eye contact with Ning Yuxuan without showing any emotion.
Suddenly, Ning Yuxuan's heart skipped a beat.
...
After discovering that Ning Yuxuan had blocked him, Gu Yunhao was furious but had nowhere to vent his anger.
Just then, Cen Meng called.
Gu Yunhao answered impatiently, and said bluntly, "Didn't I tell you not to come looking for me these next few days?"
Two days ago, he and Cen Meng reached an agreement that, for the sake of their future, they would avoid the limelight for the time being and not see each other.
Otherwise, if they were accidentally photographed by paparazzi, it would not be good for either Cen Meng's or the Gu family's reputation.
There was a moment of silence on the phone, then Cen Meng's aggrieved voice came through: "Yun Hao... what's wrong with you? I didn't say I wanted to meet you, I just wanted to call you..."
Gu Yunhao took a deep breath.
He also realized that he had become too impatient with Cen Meng compared to before.
Ning Yuxuan was constantly on his mind, making him restless.
Gu Yunhao told himself: This is not right.
The person he has always loved is Cen Meng. How could he become impatient with the person he loves because of a woman he has already abandoned?
Gu Yunhao tried to regain his patience and softened his tone: "I'm sorry, Mengmeng, I was in a bad mood and took it out on you."
After a while, the woman's voice on the other end said gently, "It's okay, Yunhao, I know you didn't mean it."
Gu Yunhao felt a little relieved.
As expected, his choice was right. Only his Mengmeng was so understanding and gentle.
"Mengmeng, what's up with your call?"
"Yunhao, I heard... the Xie family invested in Ning Yuxuan's family's hotel?"
That's really bringing up the very thing you shouldn't be talking about.
Gu Yunhao instantly became irritated again, and replied with difficulty, "Yeah, so what?"
"Yunhao, tell me, is Ning Yuxuan with Xie Zhiyan...?"
"Impossible!" Gu Yunhao denied without even thinking. "Absolutely impossible!"
Gu Yunhao slowly exhaled: "Mengmeng, what exactly did you call for? Just to say these nonsensical things to me? You need to know how much I've sacrificed to be with you!"
The person on the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds.
Cen Meng gripped her phone tightly.
How could she not feel Gu Yunhao's impatience with her today?
However, the previous incident almost implicated Gu Yunhao, so she had to endure it again and again in order to prevent Gu Yunhao from disliking her and to win back his love for her.
Therefore, no matter how bad Gu Yunhao's attitude was, she had to maintain a gentle and stable demeanor.
Besides, only Gu Yunhao can help her with what she wants to do now.
These days, Cen Meng has suddenly started having a recurring dream.
In her dream, she got everything she wanted: love, wealth, and career, while Ning Yuxuan lost everything and had nothing.
In the end, she looked down at Ning Yuxuan like an absolute victor, mocking her overestimation of her abilities and insatiable greed.
But when she woke up, all the things she had been dreaming about still belonged to Ning Yuxuan.
Cen Meng was unwilling to accept this; she was determined to change everything.
"Yunhao," Cen Meng said softly, "didn't you say before that your father gave you some money that you wanted to use to enter the hotel industry? Since Ning Yuxuan and the others are going to open a new store in Tongxing District, why don't we also acquire a chain hotel there and operate it? Didn't you also have your eye on a reasonably priced high-end hotel a few days ago?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Yunhao sneered inwardly: As expected of a woman, she doesn't understand anything.
Gu Yunhao patiently explained, "That's what I thought before, but now that Xie Zhiyan has invested, hotel prices throughout Tongxing District have risen. Although the increase isn't much, I've calculated that if we acquire that hotel at the current price, the funds for subsequent renovations and opening will be very tight."
To train him, his father only gave him a limited amount of money, and he had to negotiate everything else himself.
Those people wouldn't directly embarrass him because he was the eldest grandson of the Gu family, but in reality, they didn't take him seriously and treated him like a child playing house.
Gu Yunhao didn't realize this at first, and was even pleased with how polite everyone was to him.
He later discovered that everyone treated him with great courtesy, but whenever money was mentioned, they would make excuses and refuse to take out any real cash.
Thinking about how many setbacks he had encountered and how much time he had wasted during this period, Gu Yunhao felt frustrated.
Cen Meng: "Yun Hao, I have a way."
Gu Yunhao: "What?"
Cen Meng: "I remember you told me that your grandfather was going to have dinner with the richest man in Jincheng recently, and that man was a close friend of Old Master Gu despite their age difference."
“I did say that, so what—” Gu Yunhao paused halfway through his sentence, “You mean…”
“Yes,” Cen Meng affirmed. “I heard that the Lin family, the richest family in Jincheng, mainly deals in electronic equipment, and their business also includes various electrical appliances used in hotels. Why don’t you ask your grandfather to take you to a social event and try to get to know Mr. Lin? Maybe it can be of some help.”
Gu Yunhao pondered for a moment.
He had always thought that Cen Meng was just a woman with a little bit of cleverness, completely clueless about doing business, but he had to admit that her proposal this time had tempted him.
Besides the hard furnishings, the biggest cost in hotel renovations is the various electrical equipment.
From televisions and projectors to air conditioners, water heaters, and all sorts of appliances, large and small, each requires a significant financial investment.
If he could negotiate a long-term partnership with the Lin family and get a preferential price, his funds would suddenly become much more readily available.
Moreover, this way, his family will no longer underestimate his abilities.
After considering it for a while, Gu Yunhao felt that Cen Meng's suggestion was indeed feasible.
He said happily, "Mengmeng, you really reminded me. You're right, I'll ask Grandpa to introduce me to Mr. Lin from Jincheng later."
Hearing Gu Yunhao say this, Cen Meng was also very happy: "It's good that I can help you. Then Yunhao, you go and get busy. I'm fine here too. I'll come to find you once the rumors on the internet have calmed down a bit."
...
In the supermarket.
Ning Fei didn't take Xie Zhiyan's words about liking daughters as romantic love; she just thought it was a polite remark to get out of an awkward situation.
After all, a supermarket with people coming and going doesn't seem like a proper place to openly express emotions.
The three of them browsed the frozen food section of the supermarket and bought all the ingredients they needed for the hot pot.
When I got home, it wasn't dinnertime yet, and Ning Shiyue texted me saying he was still on his way back.
Ning Yuxuan simply pulled Xie Zhiyan to the study and discussed the hotel with him for a long time.
Ning Shiyue finally returned around 5 p.m.
Ning Shiyue had already heard that Xie Zhiyan was also here today, but seeing Xie Zhiyan at home still made Ning Shiyue feel slightly uncomfortable.
"President Xie..." Ning Shiyue stood in the living room and greeted Xie Zhiyan with a restrained expression.
Seeing her son's expression, Ning Fei found it amusing: "Xiao Yue, don't just stand there like an idiot, come in and help me carry the things out of the kitchen."
Xie Zhiyan: "Auntie, Shi Yue and I will go. You can rest."
Ning Fei nodded: "Alright, then you two young men can come."
Xie Zhiyan and Ning Shiyue went to the kitchen together and brought out the stove and ingredients.
After a few visits, Ning Shiyue stopped being so formal with Xie Zhiyan and started calling him "Brother Zhiyan" as before.
The four people sat down in the restaurant, with Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan in one row, and Ning Shiyue and Xie Zhiyan opposite them.
The broth was the same as when we used to have hot pot at home; it was a half-and-half pot, but this time there was one more person eating spicy food.
Seeing Xie Zhiyan pick up a meatball from the spicy hot pot, Ning Fei asked curiously, "Zhiyan, I remember you didn't eat spicy food much when you were little, right? When did you change your taste?"
Xie Zhiyan said unhurriedly, "When I was a child, my mother liked light flavors, and I followed her example. But later, as I had more social engagements, I tried many other flavors."
Ning Fei nodded: "That's right, people's tastes do change. When Xiao Yue was little, he hated braised dishes and would cry whenever he ate them, but now he can eat some."
Ning Shiyue glanced at Ning Yuxuan upon hearing this.
Ning Yuxuan had just finished eating a shrimp dumpling when she saw this and glanced at Ning Shiyue: "What do you want to say?"
Ning Shiyue snorted softly, "Actually, I don't like braised pork anymore, but I only eat a couple of bites because Ning Yuxuan likes it..."
Ning Fei smiled and said, "When a family eats together, they always have to be considerate of each other."
Ning Fei loved both children equally.
But Ning Fei always had a different kind of affection for her daughter, Ning Yuxuan, and was more willing to indulge her.
Besides Ning Yuxuan being her first child, the reason for the disdain for her and her daughter was that after she gave birth to her daughter, everyone in the Lin family except for her and her husband looked down on them.
In particular, Ning Yuxuan was in very poor health before she was five years old, and she would get sick every few days.
Ning Fei will never forget that day at the Lin family's banquet, when her sister-in-law looked at her with undisguised contempt: "An uncultured actress, who gave birth to a sickly, money-losing daughter. I really don't know what Yuanfeng is thinking, that he still argues with the old man every few days for your sake."
Ning Fei did not choose to divorce immediately because her husband's feelings for her were still the same as before their marriage. Although he could not completely help her withstand the pressure from her family, he did his best to shield her from gossip.
Ning Fei always felt that since the Lin family didn't like her daughter, she had to protect and love Yu Xuan even more and not let her daughter get hurt in any way.
After Ning Fei gave birth to Ning Shiyue, the Lin family's attitude towards her improved slightly.
But by then Ning Fei had completely lost hope in her married life, and even her husband's love could not make her continue to endure the life of being trapped in the Lin family's old house.
When her daughter and son grew a little older, and her daughter's health improved, Ning Fei resolutely divorced her husband and left Jincheng with her two children.
Back then, her husband was not valued at home, and her two older brothers already had several sons. Therefore, when Ning Fei proposed to leave with nothing and take her two children, she did not encounter much resistance from the Lin family.
Her husband's two older brothers and their wives wished she would take the children and never go back, so they wouldn't have a share of the Lin family's wealth.
Back then, no one could have imagined that, with the passage of time and the twists of fate, years later, it would be her former husband, Lin Yuanfeng, the youngest son of the Lin family, who would become the main person in charge of the Lin family.
"……mom?"
Ning Fei was momentarily stunned, then realized it was Ning Shiyue calling her.
She smiled apologetically at her son: "It's nothing, I was just thinking about the past. Mom is getting old, and I can't help but think about old times."
Ning Yuxuan pouted and said, "Mom, you're not old at all! Didn't you see the comments on Weibo's trending topics? They all say that time can't defeat beauty. You're still as elegant and beautiful as ever!"
Ning Fei beamed with delight: "You're so good with words."
Although she had accepted her natural aging process, she was still very happy to hear her daughter say that.
"By the way," Ning Fei asked, "where were we?"
Ning Shiyue: "Speaking of Ning Yuxuan's and my tastes."
“Yes, yes.” Ning Fei nodded with a smile, looking at Xie Zhiyan across from her. “Zhiyan, you don’t know this, do you? Xuanxuan and Xiaoyue have had completely different tastes since they were little. Xiaoyue likes light flavors like me, while Xuanxuan likes spicy food. Xiaoyue likes steamed food, while Xuanxuan loves braised food.”
Xie Zhiyan smiled and asked gently, "So, Auntie, how did you resolve this?"
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Xie Zhiyan silently.
This man really does know how to change his expression.
At this moment, Xie Zhiyan had a smile on his face, appearing as a gentle and refined gentleman, making people feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.
Compared to the "President Xie" who was cold and domineering to everyone at the previous birthday banquet, he was like a completely different person.
Ning Yuxuan didn't know if Xie Zhiyan was genuinely interested in these mundane family matters, or if he was just putting on an act in front of familiar elders.
Ning Fei took a sip of water to moisten her throat: "I can only ask the housekeeper to cater to their tastes every time she cooks dinner. As a result, they each only take the two dishes they like, clearly dividing the table. If you didn't know better, you'd think there was a Chu-Han border on the table."
"Fortunately..." Ning Fei changed the subject, "As Xiao Yue grows up, he has slowly started to try the dishes that Xuan Xuan likes to eat, hasn't he?"
Ning Shiyue gave a noncommittal hum and lifted his eyelids to look at Ning Yuxuan: "It's a pity that some people don't appreciate it."
Ning Yuxuan smiled and met his gaze: "I'm not ungrateful! Haven't I been encouraging you to keep trying? Why don't you give it your all—"
She picked up a slice of beef from the spicy pot and threw it into Ning Shiyue's bowl: "Want to try something spicy?"
Ning Shiyue: "..."
The young man's nose wrinkled as he looked at the extra piece of beef covered in chili peppers in his bowl.
"Ning Yuxuan, you really are..." Ning Shiyue searched his mind for all the words he had ever learned in his life, "taking an inch and wanting a mile, going further and further, human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant!"
Ning Yuxuan smiled and said, "I just thought you still have room for improvement!"
Ning Shiyue was speechless at her shamelessness.
He disdainfully pushed the piece of meat to the side of the bowl with his chopsticks, muttering under his breath, "With you like this, what if you ever get married..."
Ning Yuxuan raised an eyebrow: "What did you say?"
Ning Shiyue didn't want to continue talking. In his opinion, his sister getting married and starting a family was something that would happen a long time from now.
Seeing Ning Yuxuan's smug look, Ning Shiyue couldn't help but tease her: "I'm saying, what if you get married in the future and your husband's tastes are different from yours? Will you treat him the same way?"
Ning Yuxuan blinked her eyelashes, her gaze unconsciously shifting to the man opposite her for a second.
Xie Zhiyan happened to be looking at her as well.
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
“Yes!” Ning Yuxuan said matter-of-factly the next moment, “If you want to be my husband, you have to cater to my tastes! No discussion!”
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