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◎"You like him?"◎
Xie Zhiyan took a step back, increasing the distance between himself and Ning Yuxuan.
Ning Yuxuan also came to her senses and looked at Ning Shiyue: "Is dinner ready?"
Ning Shiyue: "..."
He hadn't yet recovered from the scene he'd just witnessed.
If he wasn't mistaken, Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan seemed a little too close just now.
Seeing the two people who had returned to normal distance and acted as if nothing had happened, Ning Shiyue almost thought that he was hallucinating because he was too tired from work.
Ning Yuxuan also had a headache.
She had already made a decision, but looking at the shocked expression on Ning Shiyue's face, she wasn't sure if she should give him an even bigger shock.
Just as he was hesitating, Ning Shiyue suddenly spoke up: "It's nothing, you don't need to explain! I know that was just an accident, I wasn't overthinking it, and I didn't misunderstand!"
He spoke very quickly, and it was unclear whether he was talking to Ning Yuxuan or trying to convince himself.
In Ning Shiyue's heart, although Xie Zhiyan hadn't been in frequent contact with them in previous years, he had always been like an older brother to them.
In his eyes, Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan were completely unrelated to the word "love".
Yes, he must be overthinking it.
The two of them didn't do anything intimate; they just got a little close together. It's nothing serious.
Ning Shiyue told himself this while thinking about going out to calm down: "Dinner is ready, I'll go to the dining room first, you guys come quickly too."
After quickly saying that, Ning Shiyue wanted to leave the room.
"Shi Yue." Xie Zhiyan's deep voice rang out.
Ning Shiyue paused, then slowly turned his head as if in slow motion: "...What's wrong, Brother Zhiyan?"
Xie Zhiyan: "Your sister and I..."
Ning Yuxuan tugged at Xie Zhiyan's sleeve: "Let me explain."
Xie Zhiyan glanced at her and stepped back slightly.
Ning Yuxuan cleared her throat: "Ning Shiyue, Xie Zhiyan and I are together."
Before she could finish speaking, she felt Xie Zhiyan's slightly surprised gaze sweep over her, probably because he didn't expect her to admit it so readily.
Ning Shiyue froze completely, as if some acupoint had been struck.
He asked in a daze, "...What do you mean by 'together'?"
Ning Yuxuan remained expressionless: "It means exactly what you think. Xie Zhiyan confessed to me, and I've already accepted."
One should press on with one's might, but the momentum will wane with each attempt, and exhaust it completely with each subsequent one.
Since I've already decided to tell my mother anyway, I might as well talk to Ning Shiyue about it now.
Ning Yuxuan could feel Xie Zhiyan's gaze lingering on her, but her attention was focused on Ning Shiyue, so she didn't respond to the man's gaze.
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Seeing his stiff expression, Ning Yuxuan found it somewhat amusing.
She held out her hand and waved it in front of Ning Shiyue's eyes: "What's wrong? Didn't you understand that word?"
Ning Shiyue finally found his voice: "You...like him a lot?"
Ning Yuxuan's brow twitched slightly; she hadn't expected Ning Shiyue's first question to be this.
"I like it," she said.
If you don't like someone, how can you be together? There is no right answer to this question.
After speaking, Ning Yuxuan couldn't help but glance at the man beside her.
Xie Zhiyan lowered his eyes slightly, not responding to her gaze for the first time, seemingly lost in thought.
Ning Shiyue stared blankly at Ning Yuxuan, as if he still couldn't accept the fact.
The two men in the room remained silent, while Ning Fei's voice came from outside the door.
"Xuanxuan? Xiaoyue?"
Ning Fei walked towards the study, muttering to herself, "What's wrong with these kids? I sent one to call the other two, but they've all disappeared."
The footsteps grew closer, then there was a knock on the study door: "Xuanxuan, are you in there? Xiaoyue?"
Ning Shiyue seemed to wake from a dream, took half a step back, and opened the door: "Mom."
Ning Fei looked around the room with a puzzled expression, and became even more confused when she saw that all three of them were inside: "Why are you all crammed into this small room and not moving? Come out and eat!"
Ning Shiyue was the first to respond: "Coming right away."
He was the first to walk out of the room, as if he wanted to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.
Ning Fei felt that her son seemed more enthusiastic than usual, but she didn't think much of it: "Well, Xuanxuan and Zhiyan, you two come too."
Ning Yuxuan agreed: "Okay."
Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue walked in front, while Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan followed a short distance behind.
After taking a few steps, Ning Shiyue suddenly turned around and gave Ning Yuxuan a look that was both affirmative and meaningful.
Ning Yuxuan: "...?"
She completely failed to understand the meaning behind Ning Shiyue's look.
Dinner was already laid out on the table. The aunt had prepared a very lavish meal that looked incredibly appetizing.
As usual, the dishes catered to both Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue's tastes, with spicy dishes set aside.
Last time, Xie Zhiyan and Ning Yuxuan both ate spicy hot pot, so this time Ning Fei thought of having them sit together, so she invited her son to go to the other side with her.
Ning Shiyue was getting colder, so he called out to Ning Fei.
"Mom," Ning Shiyue pointed to the seat next to Ning Yuxuan, "I'll sit here. I want to try a different flavor today."
Ning Fei glanced at her son with slight surprise: "That works too."
Ning Shiyue sat down next to Ning Yuxuan, his head down, seemingly lost in thought.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Ning Shiyue, completely unable to guess what he was thinking.
What are they doing? Are they trying to physically separate her and Xie Zhiyan?
As everyone began to eat, Ning Fei asked her daughter, "Did Zhiyan help you with the plan?"
Ning Yuxuan: "There are quite a few things to discuss, and some are still missing. I'll have him take a look at them for me later."
Ning Fei nodded, then said to Xie Zhiyan, "Xuanxuan has a lot of ideas, but she has only just started managing the hotel for me, so it's inevitable that she won't think things through. Zhiyan, don't spoil her too much, and just tell her what's wrong."
Xie Zhiyan smiled and agreed: "Of course, Huayuan Hotel is the result of Xuanxuan and Auntie's hard work, and I will not be irresponsible."
Ning Fei smiled faintly in response, but her brows furrowed slightly involuntarily.
She vaguely felt that something was off about what she had just said, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
A cough suddenly came from the dining table.
Ning Shiyue coughed twice, then pointed at the plate on the table with the tip of his chopsticks: "Mom, this fish is especially delicious, why don't you try a bite while it's hot?"
Ning Fei's attention was drawn to her son's unusual thoughtfulness: "Okay, I'll try it."
Ning Yuxuan looked at Ning Shiyue across from her and seemed to understand what he was doing.
Ning Shiyue doesn't want her mother to find out about her relationship with Xie Zhiyan?
The problem is, she didn't tell Ning Shiyue that she wanted to keep it from Ning Fei.
Ning Yuxuan hadn't expected that in the short time it had been since Ning Shiyue went to the study to call her, countless thoughts had already crossed his mind, and he had made a major decision—
After the initial shock, Ning Shiyue began to mentally assess whether Xie Zhiyan was a suitable "brother-in-law".
First of all, compared to Ning Yuxuan's ex-boyfriend Gu Yunhao, Xie Zhiyan is absolutely the one who wins by a landslide in every aspect.
In fact, given how much Ning Shiyue dislikes Gu Yunhao, he would probably find any decent man to be better than Gu Yunhao.
Secondly, Ning Shiyue believes that the people Ning Yuxuan met in the wealthy circles through Gu Yunhao are all the same as Gu Yunhao – no good people.
Ning Shiyue felt that the remaining college and high school classmates who had pursued Ning Yuxuan were completely unworthy of his sister.
After comparing them in his mind, and thinking about Xie Zhiyan, Ning Shiyue felt that his brother Zhiyan was the best boyfriend candidate among the people Ning Yuxuan could meet.
She has an outstanding appearance, top-notch abilities, and most importantly, impeccable character.
Moreover, after getting to know Xie Zhiyan better recently, Ning Shiyue felt that his temper seemed to be much milder than before, and he should be able to tolerate Ning Yuxuan's little quirks.
Ning Shiyue thought about it more and more and it seemed more and more plausible. He also realized that the reason Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan were secretly meeting in the study was because they felt it wasn't the right time yet and didn't want their mother to know about it.
The two had only been together for a short time and didn't want to tell their mothers so soon, which was understandable as it would cause her worry.
Under these circumstances, Ning Yuxuan actually chose to be honest with him first, and Ning Shiyue suddenly felt that he had an extra heavy responsibility on his shoulders.
Since she trusts him so much, it doesn't seem unreasonable for him to reluctantly cover for her in front of her mother.
Throughout the entire dinner, Ning Shiyue was more nervous than Xie Zhiyan and Ning Yuxuan combined.
Whenever Ning Shiyue saw Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan about to have some interaction, he would immediately become fully focused, afraid that the two would give themselves away.
Xie Zhiyan would serve Ning Yuxuan food once, and Ning Shiyue would immediately follow suit and serve her food twice more.
But Xie Zhiyan showed no sign of stopping, and before long, Ning Yuxuan's bowl was piled high with food.
Finally, Ning Yuxuan couldn't take it anymore and threw all the food she couldn't finish back to Ning Shiyue: "You put these on my plate, so you're responsible for finishing them for me!"
Ning Shiyue had no choice but to swallow his bitterness and eat all the dishes that Ning Yuxuan had thrown back.
After dinner, Ning Fei refused to let Xie Zhiyan, a guest, help clear the table.
"After you get back, the housekeeper and I will take care of the tidying up," Ning Fei said.
When Xie Zhiyan came, he brought Ning Fei a gift, which was a local handicraft he bought when he went on business trips to various cities abroad.
The price isn't too expensive; Ningfei wouldn't accept anything too valuable.
Ning Fei usually enjoys collecting handicrafts with local characteristics from different places and displaying them at home as decorations.
However, Ning Fei has hotels to manage, so her travel time is limited, and she only visits a few of the most popular attractions, unlike Xie Zhiyan who brought back some of the less popular cities.
Ning Fei had already glanced at the gifts Xie Zhiyan had brought before dinner and was quite interested. After dinner, she kept Xie Zhiyan in the living room and asked him about the origin of these handicrafts.
Ning Yuxuan was thinking that she hadn't found a chance to tell her mother about that matter yet, and wondered if she should go over too, but Ning Shiyue pulled her away first.
Ning Shiyue pulled Ning Yuxuan into the study, hesitated for a second, then locked the door and pulled it twice to make sure it wouldn't be pushed open.
Ning Yuxuan watched his series of actions and felt that everything about him was familiar.
After making sure the door was locked, Ning Shiyue looked at Ning Yuxuan with a serious expression: "Since you don't want Mom to find out about your relationship with Zhiyan, you should be more careful."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Ning Shiyue said seriously, "For example, just now, Brother Zhiyan called you Xuanxuan twice, but luckily I diverted the attention both times so that Mom wouldn't notice anything was wrong."
Ning Yuxuan wondered: Is it possible that this was a name she and Xie Zhiyan had specifically agreed upon?
However, seeing Ning Shiyue speaking to her so solemnly, Ning Yuxuan held back and didn't say those words aloud.
Ning Shiyue then pointed out several more of her "flaws," such as Xie Zhiyan serving her too many dishes, pouring her water twice, and handing her a tissue once.
"In short," Ning Shiyue concluded, "if it weren't for me, you two would have been exposed in front of Mom long ago!"
When Ning and Shi Yue said these things, they had a look of disappointment on their faces, but also a sense of pride in their own cleverness.
Ning Yuxuan really couldn't bear to directly criticize him.
She said tactfully, "Actually, I thought about it and it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with telling Mom?"
Ning Shiyue frowned: "If Mom knew that you found a new love so quickly in order to get over the pain of the breakup, she would definitely be very worried about you."
Ning Yuxuan: "I'm not with Xie Zhiyan for that reason..."
Ning Shiyue snorted: "Don't worry, I won't tell Brother Zhiyan these things."
At this point, his expression became somewhat unnatural, and he cleared his throat: "Although I have a good relationship with Brother Zhiyan, you are, after all, my own sister. Between you and Brother Zhiyan, I will definitely side with you."
Ning Yuxuan's feelings were complicated.
What Ning Shiyue said actually touched her a little.
But how could she explain to Ning Shiyue that she didn't care about Gu Yunhao at all, let alone get over the pain of the breakup?
Ning Yuxuan thought about it and realized that no matter what she said, Ning Shiyue probably wouldn't believe her, since the things she did when she was controlled by the plot were too outrageous.
She's only been awake for half a month now, which is still too short compared to the many years that have passed. It's normal that Ning Shiyue still doesn't believe it.
Time will tell.
Ning Shiyue was most afraid of emotional scenes, so he quickly interrupted the current atmosphere: "Alright, let's go to the living room too, otherwise Mom will become suspicious. Remember to be careful and don't give anything away."
Ning Yuxuan nodded hesitantly.
Forget it... In order not to discourage Ning Shiyue, I'll tell Ning Fei about myself and Xie Zhiyan next time.
Anyway, Ning Shiyue already knows, so she hasn't made no progress at all.
Upon entering the living room, Xie Zhiyan was still chatting with Ning Fei about the gifts.
When Ning Fei saw her daughter and son arrive, she smiled and showed them the wood carvings Xie Zhiyan had bought from abroad: "Xuanxuan, look at this little pig and this little ox, they're the same zodiac signs as you and Xiaoyue. You two can take them and put them in your room."
Ning Shiyue accepted it.
"It's getting late," Ning Fei said to Xie Zhiyan. "Tomorrow is a workday, Zhiyan, you probably have to go to work, right? Shall I have Xuanxuan take you?"
Before Xie Zhiyan could answer, Ning Yuxuan chimed in, "Sure."
The man glanced at her silently.
Ning Yuxuan understood Xie Zhiyan's meaning and looked at him with a slightly guilty expression.
The two had only taken a few steps out of the villa when Ning Yuxuan spoke up: "I didn't intentionally run away at the last minute, it was because of Ning Shiyue."
Xie Zhiyan raised an eyebrow.
Ning Yuxuan explained, "Ning Shiyue seems to have misunderstood. He thinks that we hid in the study to hide from my mother, so he has been trying to cover for us."
She lowered her head and said, "I really couldn't bear to hurt Ning Shiyue's feelings, so I'll talk to my mom about it next time."
After Ning Yuxuan finished speaking, she didn't hear the man next to her say anything.
After waiting a little while, she turned to look at him.
Ning Yuxuan forgot that Xie Zhiyan was not one to show his emotions, and with the darkness of the night, she could see his expression even less clearly.
All that could be heard was Xie Zhiyan's deep voice: "Is that really the reason?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Yeah, what else?"
Deep down, she was actually aware of some of her true thoughts.
If she simply didn't want to disappoint Ning Shiyue, she wouldn't have changed her decision so quickly; in the end, it was she who backed down.
There was a two-second silence before Xie Zhiyan suddenly spoke: "When Ning Shiyue asked you, you said you liked me."
His tone, stating facts, made it impossible to discern his intention in suddenly bringing this up.
Ning Yuxuan: "...What's wrong?"
Her heart was racing again, and she added, "That was to make Ning Shiyue believe it."
Xie Zhiyan stopped in his tracks: "Since you lied to your brother, why did you refuse to tell Aunt Ning?"
Ning Yuxuan turned around: "What do you want to say?"
She looked up at him, her expression showing some anger at his persistent questioning.
A few seconds of silence.
Suddenly, she felt a warmth on the back of her hand as the man's palm enveloped hers.
Ning Yuxuan instinctively tried to struggle, but Xie Zhiyan's strength was just right, gentle yet powerful.
"Yu Xuan," Xie Zhiyan said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to force you."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
“It’s okay,” she said.
After a moment of silence, Ning Yuxuan spoke again: "Didn't you say you wanted to change how we address each other?"
Xie Zhiyan chuckled softly and changed his address to "Xuanxuan".
"Hmm." Ning Yuxuan paused for a moment. "I don't intend to back out. In a few days, when it's appropriate, I'll tell my mom that we're already dating."
...
The two walked side by side to the garage.
Ning Yuxuan remembered something: "You still haven't told me what you and Gu Yunhao talked about at the door earlier?"
Xie Zhiyan's voice was calm: "Nothing important."
"Really?" Ning Yuxuan looked at Xie Zhiyan suspiciously. "Did he say a lot of bad things about me to you?"
She remembered that Gu Yunhao had sent her a strange warning text message last time.
Given Gu Yunhao's thought process, Ning Yuxuan strongly suspected that he had deliberately stopped Xie Zhiyan this time in order to do everything in his power to slander her.
“No,” Xie Zhiyan said. “He said you really like lilies, but I told him you hate the smell of lilies.”
Ning Yuxuan was surprised. What does this have to do with anything?
"He specifically asked you to go out, just to talk to you about what flowers I like?"
Xie Zhiyan's tone was low and steady, sounding very credible: "Yes."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Well, anyway, Gu Yunhao is mentally ill, so it's not surprising that he would do anything weird.
She glanced at Xie Zhiyan's car and changed the subject: "Will you come again next week?"
Xie Zhiyan's clear voice carried a faint smile: "If you want me to come, then I can come."
...
After watching Xie Zhiyan's car drive away, Ning Yuxuan did not immediately return to the villa.
She wasn't that oblivious; how could she not realize that Xie Zhiyan's feelings for her were more than just those for a business partner?
Otherwise, he wouldn't have kissed her forehead when they parted last time.
I wouldn't have held her hand just now.
Even after awakening, Ning Yuxuan herself couldn't figure out her own thoughts.
Her feelings for Gu Yunhao have long since turned to disgust, but the many years she was infatuated with him and the many things she did for him were all things she personally experienced.
All the great joys and sorrows were experienced by her personally, not just described in a few cold lines in a novel.
Many times, Ning Yuxuan herself felt a little dazed. What exactly is love? Is it just a series of joys and sorrows controlled by the plot?
She didn't dislike Xie Zhiyan, but there were too many things she hadn't figured out, and Ning Yuxuan didn't want to start a new relationship so confusedly.
Moreover, Xie Zhiyan's affection for her came too suddenly, making her feel like it was all unreal.
Back at the villa, Ning Yuxuan chatted with Ning Fei for a few minutes, then went back to her room and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Taking time to clear your mind can help maintain a stable mood.
After some time, the phone rang twice.
Ning Yuxuan picked up her phone, lay on the bed, and opened the messages.
Xie Zhiyan: [I'm home. I bought a lot of dried tofu; it should be enough for you until we meet again.]
Xie Zhiyan: [But remember not to eat too much at once, it's bad for your stomach.]
Ning Yuxuan's lips involuntarily curled up.
She replied to him: 【I know!】
After thinking for a moment, Ning Yuxuan changed Xie Zhiyan's contact name to "Mr. Xie the Shopping Agent".
She took a screenshot and sent it to Xie Zhiyan, then typed: "I usually only save people's names by their full names, even my mom and brother."
Xie Zhiyan: [Is it only different for the one for my boyfriend?]
Ning Yuxuan's fingers paused slightly.
For a moment, she didn't know whether Xie Zhiyan was asking about himself or about someone she didn't want to mention.
Because she suddenly remembered that she always used to add the full name of her contacts to her phone. Before today, she seemed to have only given Gu Yunhao a special nickname and pinned his chat to the top of her chat list.
Of course, that was all in the past. Now, Gu Yunhao has long been removed from the top of her chat list and blocked by her, and she has also deleted a lot of people related to him.
Ning Yuxuan replied to Xie Zhiyan: 【What I'm giving you now is different. How about it? Don't you feel honored?】
[Author's Note]
The quick-witted Xuanxuan had already realized that someone had feelings for her; however, the extent of those feelings far exceeded her expectations. (He adores her.)
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