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"I love her."
After getting off the bus, Xie Zhiyan acted as if he didn't see Gu Yunhao at all, completely ignoring him.
Xie Zhiyan walked up to Ning Fei and greeted her.
Ning Fei nodded with a smile, but felt a little worried inside.
The fact that her daughter's ex-boyfriend suddenly showed up at her door was already surprising enough, but she didn't expect Xie Zhiyan to arrive at that exact moment as well.
I wonder if my daughter can handle it?
Ning Fei spoke: "Hold the inkstone—"
She wanted Xie Zhiyan to come inside with her first, so that her daughter could deal with the matter with Gu Yunhao alone.
After all, this was her daughter's own business, and Ning Fei didn't want to interfere too much.
But before he could finish speaking, Ning Shiyue pushed open the door and walked out of the villa: "Mom, you're back?"
Ning Shiyue had just arrived home after the event when he heard noises outside but no one came in, so he went out to check.
To everyone's surprise, there were four people standing at the door: besides her mother and sister, there were two other men.
Ning Shiyue's relaxed expression instantly tightened, his gaze shifting back and forth between Gu Yunhao and Xie Zhiyan before finally fixing on Gu Yunhao.
The meaning in his eyes was clear: What are you doing here?
Ning Fei: "..."
This scene is absolutely chaotic.
Ning Fei and her daughter exchanged a glance, then Ning Fei went up to her son and pulled him along, saying, "Xiao Yue, let's go inside first."
Ning Shiyue glared at Gu Yunhao.
To be honest, he really wanted to go over there and berate Gu Yunhao right now—no, more than that—
Ever since Gu Yunhao and Ning Yuxuan got together, he has wanted to beat Gu Yunhao up every single moment.
But in order not to make things difficult for his mother and Ning Yuxuan, Ning Shiyue held back.
Ning Shiyue reluctantly agreed to Ning Fei's request: "Okay."
Ning Fei looked at Xie Zhiyan: "Zhiyan, you..."
Xie Zhiyan smiled faintly: "I'll go with Yu Xuan."
Ning Fei: "...Okay."
With Xie Zhiyan by her side, she was no longer afraid that her daughter would suffer.
Ning Fei instructed Ning Yuxuan, "Come in quickly after you've finished talking."
Ning Yuxuan nodded.
Ning Fei glanced at Gu Yunhao one last time before going inside with Ning Shiyue.
Only three people remained outside the door.
Gu Yunhao was still holding the bouquet of white lilies in his hands, standing there stiffly, his expression somewhat comical.
The summer weather in the north of the city was hot and dry. He was wearing a full suit and tie. The air conditioning in the car was on, so it wasn't hot, but after standing outside for a short while, he was already sweating profusely.
Xie Zhiyan, on the other hand, was wearing a light-colored shirt and looked much more refreshed than him, with a composed expression.
Gu Yunhao's clothes were clearly much more formal than Xie Zhiyan's, yet he inexplicably felt that his aura was inferior.
It probably stems from a lack of inner confidence.
Gu Yunhao is still a marginal figure in the family business, while Xie Zhiyan is already the head of the group, and even Old Master Gu has to treat Xie Zhiyan with great respect.
Gu Yunhao's only thought during this trip was to persuade Ning Yuxuan to realize that a relationship between her and Xie Zhiyan was impossible, and to bring her back into his arms.
He never intended to compete with Xie Zhiyan, let alone expect to run into this man head-on today.
Xie Zhiyan was not someone he could afford to offend. Even if he didn't care about himself, he had to think about the Gu family.
Furthermore, Gu Yunhao was unsure of the exact nature of the relationship between Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan.
Gu Yunhao had met Xie Zhiyan a few times in various occasions before. Although their statuses were not equal, he could not pretend not to know him.
Various thoughts flashed through his mind, and he forced a smile at Xie Zhiyan: "President Xie..."
Xie Zhiyan nodded slightly, his face expressionless.
Gu Yunhao glanced at Ning Yuxuan beside Xie Zhiyan, then looked away.
"Mr. Xie," Gu Yunhao said, "I came here today because I have something I'd like to discuss with Yuxuan privately."
The subtext is that they hope Xie Zhiyan can temporarily avoid the situation.
Xie Zhiyan did not move.
Ning Yuxuan, standing next to her, pursed her lips and chimed in, "Gu Yunhao, we've had absolutely no connection since our last meeting. I have nothing to talk to you about."
Gu Yunhao tightened his grip on the bouquet.
Before coming, he had mentally prepared himself for a long time, thinking that this time he would put aside his pride and beg Ning Yuxuan for peace in a good tone.
Ning Yuxuan is soft-hearted and has deep feelings for him. He can always move her by saying a few sweet words.
But Gu Yunhao didn't expect there would be other people present, so his preparations were useless.
When it comes to dignity, no matter how much he's willing to lower himself, he would never beg Ning Yuxuan in front of another man.
Xie Zhiyan remained standing there, showing no intention of avoiding him.
Gu Yunhao didn't dare to ask Xie Zhiyan to leave directly, so he could only say to Ning Yuxuan, "Yuxuan, I know you've been angry with me, but... just give me a few minutes, let's talk privately, okay?"
Ning Yuxuan rolled her eyes: "I've already said, I have nothing to say to you. I hope you won't come looking for me again. You don't want the whole industry to know that the young master of the Gu family keeps shamelessly harassing his ex-girlfriend, do you?"
She knew that Gu Yunhao cared most about his reputation in the elite circles and in front of his brothers. The recent series of events must have made Gu Yunhao feel very embarrassed, so she deliberately picked on his sore spots.
After saying that, Ning Yuxuan gave Xie Zhiyan a look: "Let's go inside."
Xie Zhiyan: "Okay."
She was holding a bottle of soda when she got out of the car, and Xie Zhiyan naturally took it from her, saying gently, "You open the door."
Ning Yuxuan's hands were free, so she walked to the door and pressed the fingerprint lock.
Xie Zhiyan stood behind her waiting, and the two of them only showed Gu Yunhao their backs.
The two are more than half a head taller than each other, and when they stand together, they look like a perfect couple.
This scene deeply affected Gu Yunhao.
Just half a month ago, Ning Yuxuan was completely devoted to him, but now she treats him coldly and goes home with another man in front of him.
Standing by the roadside with the flowers, watching all of this, felt like a joke.
The door was unlocked, and Ning Yuxuan went into the house first.
Just as Xie Zhiyan was about to follow them inside, the door was about to close.
In a moment of impulsiveness, Gu Yunhao disregarded everything else.
He shouted, "President Xie!"
Xie Zhiyan paused slightly, seemingly saying something to Ning Yuxuan.
Then Ning Yuxuan took the bag that Xie Zhiyan had been carrying, as well as the bottle of drink that he had just taken from her, and then gently closed the door.
Xie Zhiyan turned around and walked down the steps to the roadside.
What are you trying to say?
Gu Yunhao was still in a daze and blurted out, "I really like Yu Xuan, no, I love her."
Strangely, he never said "I love you" to Ning Yuxuan when they were together. At most, he would give a few perfunctory "uh-huh" when she asked if he loved her.
Now, facing a man he didn't know well, Gu Yunhao easily uttered the words "I love Ning Yuxuan".
Gu Yunhao looked at Xie Zhiyan: "President Xie, I don't know what your relationship with Ning Yuxuan is, but... I want to tell you that there may be some misunderstandings between Yuxuan and me, but that doesn't stop us from truly loving each other."
Xie Zhiyan's brows furrowed slightly.
But that was all; there was no further reaction.
Gu Yunhao felt like a clown talking to Xie Zhiyan about these things, yet he couldn't suppress his inner resentment.
The calmer Xie Zhiyan appeared, the more Gu Yunhao wanted to break his composure and drag him into the vortex of emotions.
At least this makes the conversation sound less like he's unilaterally going crazy.
No matter how calm and aloof Xie Zhiyan may be, he is still a man and cannot remain unmoved by Xie Zhiyan's repeated provocations.
Gu Yunhao noticed that the other person's gaze swept over his hand, so he took the opportunity to raise the flowers in his hand: "President Xie, these are Ning Yuxuan's favorite lilies. I had people search all over Beicheng to find this most precious variety."
He put the flowers down and roughly pulled the tie on his chest with his left hand: "And this tie, it was a gift from Yu Xuan when we first got together. She said she spent several days running around to countless shopping malls before finally choosing this one that best suits my style."
As Gu Yunhao spoke, his chest heaved.
He himself didn't understand why he was saying these things to Xie Zhiyan. Perhaps he just wanted to provoke the man and see him lose control of his emotions.
But he still failed.
Xie Zhiyan simply looked at him and asked, "Are you finished?"
Gu Yunhao: "..."
Xie Zhiyan's expression was calm, but his eyes revealed a clear coldness.
It was this chill that suddenly brought Gu Yunhao back to his senses.
Why is he saying these things to Xie Zhiyan?
If Xie Zhiyan takes his anger out on the entire Gu family because of what happened today, then...
Gu Yunhao panicked and was about to say something to make amends.
Xie Zhiyan looked at him, his voice cold and deep: "You can leave now that you've finished speaking, and don't come here to harass her again."
After a pause, Xie Zhiyan glanced at the flowers in Gu Yunhao's hand and spoke again, "By the way."
"She hates lilies the most because she doesn't like the smell," Xie Zhiyan said, turning and walking towards the steps.
Ning Yuxuan left the villa door ajar and peeked in: "Have you finished talking?"
Xie Zhiyan hummed in agreement.
The gate was then closed, leaving Gu Yunhao standing alone by the roadside, stunned.
Xie Zhiyan was changing his shoes at the door when Ning Yuxuan looked at him curiously: "What did you two talk about? Why did it take so long?"
I haven't heard of any cooperation between the Gu family and the Xie family. Given Xie Zhiyan's status, he probably wouldn't be very familiar with someone like Gu Yunhao, who is on the fringes of the business world.
She couldn't guess what the two of them were talking about, and they talked for quite a while.
Xie Zhiyan's gaze fell on Ning Yuxuan's back, his expression unchanged: "I'll tell you the details when I have time."
Ning Yuxuan glanced back and saw Ning Fei walking towards them from the kitchen. She stopped when she saw her daughter talking to Xie Zhiyan.
Ning Shiyue was at the dining table, not openly observing, but he was keeping an eye on the two's movements.
"Alright." Ning Yuxuan didn't press further, and changed the subject, "My mom said dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Would you like to come to the study first, and we can talk about Huayuan?"
As she spoke, she gave Xie Zhiyan a wink.
The hotel matter wasn't urgent, but Ning Yuxuan remembered that when Xie Zhiyan left last time, she told him that next time they would meet Ning Fei as a couple.
But afterwards, she and Xie Zhiyan were busy with their own things. There were many things to prepare for the new store, and Ning Yuxuan also had to appear on variety shows.
Before today's meeting, Ning Yuxuan hadn't had a chance to mention this matter to Xie Zhiyan again.
The two of you should discuss how to behave during the meal beforehand.
Xie Zhiyan nodded: "Okay."
Ning Yuxuan led Xie Zhiyan toward the study.
Seeing the two of them walking over together, Ning Fei called out to her daughter, "Xuanxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan explained, "I took Xie Zhiyan to the study and asked him to take a look at the design plan."
Ning Fei frowned: "It's almost time to eat..."
Ning Yuxuan said in a coquettish tone, "I'm in a hurry."
Ning Fei sighed.
Ever since her daughter decided to help her manage Huayuan and open a new store, she's been incredibly enthusiastic these past few days.
Aside from filming variety shows, I basically go out to investigate or research solutions as soon as I wake up.
Ning Fei had seen this situation before; when her daughter was little, she would immediately put a hundred times the effort into doing whatever she liked.
Whether it's painting, singing, or dancing.
But they often can't stick with it for long, losing interest after a few days or at most half a month.
So seeing her daughter putting in so much effort this time, Ning Fei was both gratified and worried that she might be rushing things and wasting too much energy.
Counting the days, it's been exactly half a month since my daughter first mentioned opening a new store to her.
It seems that the daughter's enthusiasm has not yet subsided.
Ning Fei looked at Ning Yuxuan helplessly: "Alright then, you two go to the study to look at the plan. I'll call you when dinner is ready."
"Mmm-hmm." Ning Yuxuan nodded repeatedly, "I understand!"
Ning Yuxuan went into the study with Xie Zhiyan and closed the door.
After thinking for a moment, she turned the door lock on again and pulled it twice to make sure it was locked.
Xie Zhiyan: "Do we need to be so careful?"
Ning Yuxuan sensed the sarcasm in his tone and gave Xie Zhiyan a disapproving look: "I call this being cautious."
She straightened up, walked to the chair, and sat down: "Don't you remember what we said before you left last time?"
Xie Zhiyan gave her a deep look: "Say you're my girlfriend?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
That's what it meant, but the way he said it made it sound like it had some deeper meaning.
“Yes,” Ning Yuxuan said. “Last time we met, I told my mom that we were a couple.”
She unconsciously used her left hand to fidget with the fingers of her right hand, a habit she had when thinking.
Ning Yuxuan pursed her lips: "However... how about we call it a day? You came too suddenly, I'm not fully prepared yet."
Xie Zhiyan: "Are you scared?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
“I didn’t.” Ning Yuxuan glared at him. “I just think we rushed things a bit. We didn’t even have time to reconcile our statements.”
Xie Zhiyan raised his eyebrows slightly.
Ning Yuxuan muttered, "It's just dating, and it's not even real, what do I have to be afraid of..."
Xie Zhiyan's eyes held a smile, but he remained silent.
Ning Yuxuan automatically interpreted his expression as mockery, and her competitive spirit suddenly flared up: "Today is fine too! How about we just go over our statements now?"
There are still twenty minutes until lunchtime; if we hurry, we should be able to make it.
Xie Zhiyan's smile widened: "Okay."
Ning Yuxuan mentally went through all the stages of their relationship before asking, "First of all, when did we get together?"
Without waiting for Xie Zhiyan's reply, she continued, "Gu Yunhao and I broke up on the weekend of half a month ago, so the time when we got together must have been after that."
She hadn't thought about it before, but after doing the math, Ning Yuxuan felt that things were really rushed.
She had only broken up with Xie Zhiyan half a month ago, and she was already pretending to be a couple with her mother.
But she had just decided to do it today, and now she's backing out at the last minute, as if she's really scared.
Ning Yuxuan sat in the chair, deep in thought.
There are two studies in the house. The one on the first floor is smaller, and the only chair there has been taken by Ning Yuxuan.
Xie Zhiyan leaned against the wall next to the bookshelf, looking lazy and casual, yet still maintaining an excellent physique.
After thinking for a while, Ning Yuxuan raised her head to look at him: "How about we say that you confessed to me when you came to my house on Tuesday? I thought about it for three days and agreed to be with you on Friday."
This timing is reasonable. Confessing your feelings in person shows sincerity. She starts recording her variety show on Saturday, so you need to accept him before then.
Xie Zhiyan: "Okay."
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Xie Zhiyan with satisfaction, thinking that he was quite cooperative.
She then asked, "So when did you start liking me?"
Xie Zhiyan didn't answer immediately, but just looked at her.
Ning Yuxuan thought Xie Zhiyan was clueless, so she gave him a suggestion: "How about in the days after my breakup? We can meet by chance at the birthday banquet, and you'll be attracted to my looks..."
Xie Zhiyan glanced at her.
Ning Yuxuan cleared her throat: "I mean, love at first sight."
In her view, there was no difference between the two words.
Xie Zhiyan looked at Ning Yuxuan helplessly: "When I met you, you were in junior high school. How could I have fallen in love with you at first sight?"
Ning Yuxuan realized the ambiguity in her words and corrected herself: "What I meant was... that day we met by chance at the birthday banquet, and you suddenly realized that the little girl you remembered had become so beautiful! With such a great figure! So charming and beautiful! So you suddenly fell in love with me."
As she spoke, several similar scenes from idol dramas popped into her mind, and she became more and more vivid in her description, almost to the point of gesturing wildly.
Xie Zhiyan couldn't help but chuckle at her expression.
Ning Yuxuan looked at him with dissatisfaction: "Don't just laugh, do you think it's okay?"
Xie Zhiyan suppressed his smile: "That doesn't make sense."
Ning Yuxuan frowned: "What's unreasonable about it?"
She had just mentally praised him for his cooperation when he started picking on her.
Xie Zhiyan said casually, "I have excellent observation skills. I didn't need so many years to discover what you're talking about."
Ning Yuxuan was slightly taken aback.
She felt as if Xie Zhiyan was praising her.
But his tone was so calm that she couldn't be sure.
Before she could figure it out, Xie Zhiyan continued the conversation as if nothing had happened: "You seem to have forgotten that last time you told me that I've always liked you. It's just that because you have someone you like, I haven't confessed my feelings all these years."
Ning Yuxuan was puzzled for a moment: "...Really?"
It seems there is such a thing.
Because she always made up the scripts, she had forgotten exactly how she wrote the last one.
Ning Yuxuan pondered, "So, both of these scenarios seem plausible. One is that you suddenly fall in love with me after seeing me again, and the other is that you've actually been secretly in love with me all along."
She hesitated for a moment, fidgeting with her fingers: "Wouldn't the first one be better? After all, having a crush for so many years doesn't fit your personality..."
Xie Zhiyan casually retorted, "Does lust at first sight qualify?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
This man always manages to leave her speechless with just a few words.
"Okay." Ning Yuxuan thought for a few seconds and made a decision, "Then you can just keep having a crush on me."
She concluded, "So you've liked me for years, and after I broke up with my boyfriend, you finally had a chance, so you confessed to me not long after, and then we got together a couple of days ago."
"Next are some details." Ning Yuxuan looked at Xie Zhiyan. "What do you plan to call me? Like my mother, Xuanxuan?"
Xie Zhiyan: "Okay."
Ning Yuxuan: "Then I will too..."
Zheng Xinmei and Ning Fei both called Xie Zhiyan by the last two characters of his name, so logically she should follow suit.
However, as Ning Yuxuan uttered "Zhiyan" to herself, she immediately felt that something was off.
She glanced at Xie Zhiyan and said decisively, "I'll just call you by your full name. I've been calling you that for so many years, it's become a habit."
"Okay." Xie Zhiyan looked into her eyes. "Xuanxuan."
Ning Yuxuan's breathing faltered slightly, and her heartbeat quickened for a moment.
"Xuanxuan" and "Yuxuan" differ by only one character, but when he says them, they sound completely different.
The latter seemed to linger on the man's lips, becoming even more alluring.
Ning Yuxuan took a deep breath, trying to banish those inexplicable thoughts from her mind.
"The supplies should be mostly correct." She asked Xie Zhiyan in a businesslike tone, "Is there anything else you'd like to add?"
Two people who have just gotten together don't need to know each other too well; what I just said should be enough to handle things.
Xie Zhiyan pondered for a few seconds.
He suddenly asked, "What's your favorite flower, Ecuadorian explorer?"
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Xie Zhiyan with some surprise.
She really does like this variety of red roses the most, for no particular reason other than that they are vibrant and beautiful enough.
But she seems to have never told Xie Zhiyan what kind of flowers she likes before, and this question is too detailed.
Even real boyfriends and girlfriends may not know each other's favorite flowers, let alone the specific variety.
Ning Yuxuan: "Yes, but why are you asking this?"
Xie Zhiyan: "I'll give it to you next time."
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "...Oh, that works too."
If you're in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, sending flowers definitely makes the gesture more genuine.
After the statements were finally completed, Ning Yuxuan got up to stretch her body and went over to unlock the door.
"After we finish eating, I'll tell my mom we're together," she said.
Xie Zhiyan: "Mm."
The two stared at each other, and the air suddenly fell silent.
Having said too much in one breath, Ning Yuxuan suddenly became speechless, looking at the man in front of her, unsure of what to say.
She felt her throat was a little dry from talking so much, and unconsciously licked her lips.
Xie Zhiyan's eyes flickered slightly.
"Xuanxuan".
Ning Yuxuan: "Hmm?"
The man who had been leaning against the wall suddenly moved closer, and the two were now very close.
Xie Zhiyan's unique, cool aura enveloped her.
Ning Yuxuan felt a little uncomfortable and parted her lips slightly as if she wanted to say something.
The next moment, the study door opened.
Ning Shiyue pushed the door open and came in: "Ning Yuxuan, Mom said dinner will be ready soon—"
The young man abruptly stopped, staring incredulously at the two people standing very close to him.
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
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