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◎"Have you really been secretly in love with me all this time?"◎
When Ning Fei chose her new home address, she took into account the distance from Huayuan's headquarters.
After a ten-minute drive, the two returned to the villa area.
Xie Zhiyan parked the car in the garage, and the two of them got out together.
Ning Yuxuan walked in front, with Xie Zhiyan behind her helping to carry the large bouquet of Ecuadorian roses.
After unlocking the door and changing her shoes in the entryway, Ning Yuxuan went to the living room to find a place to put the roses.
"Here!" Ning Yuxuan pointed to the small round coffee table next to the sofa. "Put it here."
Xie Zhiyan placed the bouquet of roses on the coffee table as instructed.
Ning Yuxuan bent down and examined the rose for two seconds, then turned it slightly before nodding in satisfaction: "Hmm, not bad."
She straightened up and glanced at Xie Zhiyan.
When the man saw her looking over, he raised an eyebrow slightly, as if waiting for her to give him a command.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at the time; there was still half an hour until dinner.
Ning Fei sent a message saying that it was taking longer than expected, but she was on her way back and would arrive home in about ten minutes.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Yuxuan said to Xie Zhiyan, "I spent the whole day talking with the renovation team today and we've basically come up with the renovation plan. Why don't you take a look at it for me?"
As she spoke, she tugged at Xie Zhiyan's arm, trying to lead him into the study.
The man then grasped Ning Yuxuan's wrist in return: "Xuanxuan."
Ning Yuxuan paused, turned around to look at him: "Hmm?"
Xie Zhiyan applied slight pressure, causing her to unconsciously turn around and face the man directly.
"Xuanxuan," Xie Zhiyan said slowly, "Even a free consultant should have time to rest."
Ning Yuxuan was momentarily speechless after hearing his words: "Um... how long do you want to rest? Is ten minutes enough?"
Xie Zhiyan seemed to be giving an irrelevant answer: "I just landed in Beicheng at noon today, and I had two meetings this afternoon."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Now that you mention it, it seems like she went a bit too far.
This is Ning Yuxuan's first time "starting a business". She is so excited to see the plan to open a new store gradually take shape that she is tireless.
But she really shouldn't have dragged Xie Zhiyan along with her, making them work so hard they neglected their meals and sleep.
“Well…” Ning Yuxuan glanced at the man beside her, “Why don’t you rest on the sofa for a while? My mother sent me a message saying she’ll be home soon, and we can have dinner when she arrives.”
The two sat down on the sofa.
Ning Yuxuan spent the entire day in meetings with the renovation company and management team, and her mind was filled with those matters.
Now that she's suddenly not allowed to talk about work, she really doesn't know what to say for a moment.
Ning Yuxuan made conversation: "You haven't forgotten the statements we exchanged last time, have you? There was a little accident when you came to our house before, but it will definitely come in handy this time."
Xie Zhiyan replied calmly, "Which one are you referring to? Is it my deep affection for you, or lust at first sight?"
Ning Yuxuan glared at her: "Didn't you say that lust at first sight is not in your character? Don't tell me that you've forgotten all the statements we made in just over a week?"
Xie Zhiyan smiled.
"I haven't forgotten," Xie Zhiyan said unhurriedly. "My feelings for you arose without warning and deepened over time, so after you became single, I started to actively pursue you and confess my love, right?"
The man's voice was usually rather cold, but at this moment it was especially gentle.
Ning Yuxuan initially forced herself to look him in the eye, but later, her cheeks grew hot from listening, and she couldn't help but look away: "More or less."
Xie Zhiyan's slightly amused voice came: "There's still some time before your mother comes back. Is there anything else you want to tell me? Right now, apart from what kind of flowers you like, you haven't told me anything else."
Ning Yuxuan looked at him: "I like a lot of things. If I tell you now, can you remember them all?"
Xie Zhiyan: "I can give it a try."
Ning Yuxuan thought for a few seconds and then said, "I like spicy and strongly flavored food the most, which is completely different from my mother's and brother's tastes. The fish should be braised, preferably sea bass or Qingjiang fish, or other fish with few bones. Apples must be peeled before eating, and it's even better if they are cut into small pieces, and also..."
She listed a long list of her preferences, what vegetables and fruits she liked to eat, and how she wanted them cooked.
In fact, Ning Yuxuan also knew that explaining things in such detail was completely beyond what a boyfriend and girlfriend needed to know.
Let alone Xie Zhiyan being her boyfriend whom she just started dating, even long-married couples who have lived together for many years might not remember each other's tastes so clearly.
But Ning Yuxuan was deliberately trying to make things difficult for Xie Zhiyan, since he had just spoken to her in such an incredibly gentle tone, making her heart race.
She talked so much that by the time she finished listing all the foods she liked, her mouth was dry.
Ning Yuxuan cleared her throat.
Xie Zhiyan glanced at her, then stood up: "I'll go get a glass of water."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
That slightly smiling glance just now was definitely mocking her!
Ning Yuxuan looked at the man's tall back and raised her voice: "I don't want plain water, I want a beverage, bring me my favorite one!"
A moment later, Xie Zhiyan came over with a glass of tomato juice.
Ning Yuxuan stared at the glass in the man's hand without saying a word.
"What's wrong?" Xie Zhiyan asked calmly. "Didn't you say you like to drink tomato juice or carrot juice before meals? I saw that the bottle of carrot juice in the refrigerator was still unopened, so I poured myself a glass of tomato juice first."
Ning Yuxuan stared at Xie Zhiyan.
She was deliberately trying to make things difficult for him. She spoke quickly and urgently, and her words were disjointed and erratic, jumping from one topic to another, sometimes talking about drinks and sometimes about fruit.
He actually remembered everything, and remembered it clearly, including what she liked to drink before meals.
Could this man really be a genius with an unparalleled memory?
Seeing Ning Yuxuan staring at him intently, Xie Zhiyan's lips curled up slightly: "What's wrong?"
Ning Yuxuan looked at Xie Zhiyan for a few more seconds, then said in a serious tone, "Xie Zhiyan, when you were in school, did you not need to put any effort into studying? You could memorize everything after seeing or hearing it once, and then get full marks on exams with your eyes closed? After you started working, all the data and plans were in your head, and you could remember all the documents after just one glance?"
Xie Zhiyan couldn't help but chuckle at her words: "Hearing you say that, my life seems incredibly simple."
Ning Yuxuan retorted, "Isn't that right? I can't think of anything you can't do."
Xie Zhiyan's eyes flickered slightly as he stared intently at her: "That sounds like you're complimenting me."
Ning Yuxuan affirmed, "I'm praising you."
Although that was not her intention.
Xie Zhiyan lowered his eyes slightly, and after a long while, he said, "Yes."
Ning Yuxuan didn't react for a moment: "Huh?"
Xie Zhiyan's tone was calm, but she couldn't understand the emotions in his eyes at all: "You just said there's nothing I can't do, but actually there is."
Ning Yuxuan blinked.
She wanted to ask Xie Zhiyan what it was, but felt it was too presumptuous to ask someone she didn't know well.
Their relationship was strange; although they had gotten their marriage certificate, they didn't seem to have reached the point of discussing such topics in depth.
Ning Yuxuan was still hesitating, but Xie Zhiyan slightly curled the corners of his lips.
He changed the subject with a calm expression: "Anything else? Besides what I just mentioned, is there anything else you want me to know?"
Ning Yuxuan then stopped dwelling on the previous topic and thought for a moment before saying, "We've covered our tastes. I'll add more later if I think of anything else. As for other hobbies, I like watching movies and TV series. I prefer sci-fi and post-apocalyptic movies, and I occasionally watch romance films. But if it's a movie starring my mother, I'll watch it. And TV series..."
While drinking the tomato juice Xie Zhiyan poured for her, she continued talking non-stop.
After she had finished speaking, she asked Xie Zhiyan, "You've remembered everything?"
Xie Zhiyan remained calm: "More or less."
Ning Yuxuan suddenly had a whimsical idea: "How about I test you?"
She wanted to know if Xie Zhiyan's memory was truly that good, or if it was just a coincidence.
Seeing that Xie Zhiyan did not object, Ning Yuxuan began a surprise inspection: "What was my favorite science fiction movie?"
Looking at her enthusiastic expression, Xie Zhiyan slowly and deliberately named the two movies, and finally said, "You said you liked these two the most, and that you watched them more than three times each."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
The answer is completely correct.
Ning Yuxuan remained silent for a long time, and the man raised his eyebrows slightly, indicating his question.
"It's nothing," Ning Yuxuan said deliberately, feigning a fierce tone. "I'm just really envious, jealous of you!"
Xie Zhiyan chuckled softly.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at him with displeasure.
Xie Zhiyan explained gently, "My memory is good, but it's not as amazing as you think. I already knew a lot of what you're telling me; this is just a review."
Upon hearing this, Ning Yuxuan looked at Xie Zhiyan thoughtfully.
She recalled that she had never summarized her preferences in such detail with anyone as she had today.
If Xie Zhiyan already knew these things, it could only be because he observed and remembered her when she visited the Xie family in the past.
Xie Zhiyan met her gaze: "What?"
Ning Yuxuan pursed her lips: "Xie Zhiyan, you wouldn't be..."
She hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help blurting out, "You haven't actually been secretly in love with me all this time, have you?"
...
The air suddenly became quiet, and Ning Yuxuan could hear her own and the other person's breathing.
After she said it, she regretted it.
She asked so directly; what if Xie Zhiyan said he didn't have it? Wouldn't she lose face?
And to be honest, she only had a flash of inspiration after hearing what Xie Zhiyan said.
Looking back on her time with Xie Zhiyan, she found it hard to convince herself that this man had always secretly loved her.
Otherwise, why wouldn't he have contacted her for several years?
Ning Yuxuan coughed and said, "Just pretend I am..."
Before the words were finished, the sound of a doorknob turning came from the entryway.
Ning Fei, with her makeup on and a small crossbody bag slung over her shoulder, opened the villa door.
"Xuanxuan?" A woman's gentle voice rang out. "I'm back. Are you home?"
Ning Yuxuan suddenly came to her senses, glanced at the man beside her, and quickly stood up.
"Mom!" Ning Yuxuan hurried to the entrance to greet Ning Fei. "It's almost six o'clock, you're late!"
Ning Fei hung up her crossbody bag and smiled, "I had a great chat with Qin Man and Ji Huai today, reminiscing about things from when we were filming, and before I knew it, I'd lost track of time. But I made it back before six o'clock, didn't I?"
"Oh, right," Ning Fei asked again, "is Zhi Yan here too?"
Ning Yuxuan pointed to the living room: "Over there."
Xie Zhiyan walked over and greeted her, "Aunt Ning."
Ning Fei smiled and looked at what Xie Zhiyan was holding: "Hey, Zhiyan, you're here. Didn't you already give me a gift last time? Why did you bring another one this time?"
Xie Zhiyan smiled and said, "Last time was a long time since we last met, so I brought the gift I had given before. This time, as Xuanxuan's boyfriend, I'm visiting you, so I've prepared some other interesting little trinkets, nothing expensive."
Ning Fei was already in a good mood today, and upon hearing this, she smiled even more broadly: "Zhiyan, you're too kind."
Xie Zhiyan: "Of course."
Ning Yuxuan watched silently from the side, and finally couldn't help but interject, "Mom."
Ning Fei turned her head: "Hmm?"
Ning Yuxuan looked displeased: "Didn't you say you were going to test him? Why are you praising him so much now?"
She deliberately didn't lower her voice so that Xie Zhiyan could hear her too.
Ning Fei tapped her daughter's forehead: "You silly child."
Ning Yuxuan covered her forehead and made a face at Xie Zhiyan from behind Ning Fei.
Ning Fei's gaze swept across the living room and landed on the bouquet of roses on the small coffee table.
As she walked over, she asked her daughter, "Did Zhiyan give this to you?"
Ning Yuxuan hummed in agreement. She didn't understand flowers, and her love for red roses was only due to the superficial reason that they were pretty and bright.
My mother is quite knowledgeable about various flower varieties, and she likes to arrange flowers when she has free time.
Ning Fei walked closer to examine the bouquet of roses: "These are Explorer Red Roses? I'll find a vase, add some water, and put the flowers in it. That should make them bloom for a few more days."
Ning Yuxuan: "Isn't it too much trouble? Anyway, the flowers we pick will eventually wither, so we can just buy more later."
Ning Fei shook her head helplessly; her daughter's ideas were always different from hers.
Xie Zhiyan smoothed things over, saying, "If Auntie likes flowers, I'll buy some other flowers and deliver them to her home later."
Ning Fei quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need."
Dinner was ready, and the three of them went to the restaurant to eat together.
With Ning Shiyue away, Ning Fei specially asked the housekeeper to cook all the dishes her daughter liked.
Because we are entertaining Xie Zhiyan today, the dishes are much more plentiful than usual.
Ningfei won't be going out tomorrow, so the rest can be put in the refrigerator and reheated for lunch the next day.
Ning Fei looked at her daughter's boyfriend and said gently, "Zhiyan, these are all dishes that Xuanxuan likes to eat. I wonder if they suit your taste?"
Xie Zhiyan: "I'm not a picky eater; I can eat anything Xuanxuan likes."
Ning Fei: "That's good. Come on, Zhiyan, eat more fish."
The two exchanged pleasantries, and Ning Fei expressed her gratitude to Xie Zhiyan for sending a car to pick her up earlier.
They were speaking so politely that Ning Yuxuan felt uncomfortable and couldn't get a word in edgewise.
She simply took out her phone, took a picture of the dishes on the table, and sent it to Ning Shiyue.
Ning Yuxuan: [Sometimes I feel it's nice that you're not home. Look, there's a whole table full of my favorite dishes.]
Ning Shiyue had just finished work and quickly replied: 【Why is this so lavish? Besides you and Mom, are there other people eating at home?】
Ning Yuxuan: [Yes.]
Ning Shiyue: [Who?]
Ning Yuxuan couldn't help but tease him: "Guess?"
Before Ning Shiyue could reply, Ning Fei's voice came through.
"Xuanxuan," Ning Fei called to her daughter, "You're eating, why are you playing on your phone the whole time?"
Ning Yuxuan put her phone away and smiled sweetly, "Okay, I'm not playing anymore."
Ning Fei: "Zhiyan and I were just talking about you. Zhiyan is usually very busy with work, so it's not easy for you two to meet. Xuanxuan, you don't need to worry too much about Huayuan's affairs, just rest when you need to."
Ning Yuxuan pouted: "But opening a new store is also important, he's busy and I'm busy too."
Ning Fei sighed.
She didn't want her daughter to be too tired, as this age is the time for her to date and go out and have fun.
When she was the same age as her daughter, she plunged headlong into the mundane details of marriage, wasting the best years of her life.
Therefore, Ning Fei hopes that her daughter can enjoy life to the fullest at this age.
Xie Zhiyan said, "It's alright, Auntie. I'll just visit Xuanxuan more often."
Ning Fei smiled and said, "Well, but you two should still try to be considerate of each other, right, Xuanxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan was busy with the braised chicken wings in her bowl when she heard this, and nodded haphazardly, "Mmm."
Ning Fei looked at her daughter helplessly.
She and her friends used to think that Xie Zhiyan and her daughter had too different personalities and it was unlikely that they would get along.
In retrospect, it was just right.
Xie Zhiyan's calm and steady personality perfectly complements his daughter's lively and outgoing nature.
After the meal, Ning Yuxuan took advantage of Xie Zhiyan's absence while he went to get the gift to call Ning Fei back.
"Mom!" Ning Yuxuan said coquettishly, "You said you would side with your own daughter, but I don't think you did at all just now! It's not like he's never been to our house before, and you were still being so polite to him!"
Ning Fei tapped her daughter's forehead: "You know, this time is different from before. It's the first time he's visiting me as your boyfriend, so of course I have to be polite on the surface."
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "So you're saying you still have my side deep down?"
Ning Fei was amused by her daughter: "Of course, you silly girl, why are you suddenly jealous?"
As they spoke, Xie Zhiyan brought over the gifts for Ning Fei, which included some exquisite handicrafts, as well as some snacks and tea.
Ning Fei asked Xie Zhiyan to come to the living room to introduce the gifts and have a chat.
Ning Yuxuan realized that her mother wanted to speak with Xie Zhiyan alone, so she didn't follow.
She had silenced her phone while we were eating, and when I took it out now, there were several unread messages.
Ning Shiyue: [No guessing! Just tell me directly.]
Ning Shiyue: [Where is he?]
Ning Shiyue: [Is it Xie Zhiyan?]
Ning Shiyue: [I knew it was him! Why did he come to the house again, especially when I wasn't home? What if Mom finds out?]
Ning Shiyue: [Wait, you didn't already tell Mom, did you?]
These messages were spaced between one and several minutes apart, showing that the emotions of the senders were constantly changing.
Ning Yuxuan followed the text and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Even though she hadn't replied, Ning Shiyue was able to send so many messages all by himself, which was completely different from the Ning Shiyue who used to send only a few words at a time.
Ning Yuxuan: [Shouldn't you be very busy filming on set? How come you're suddenly so free?]
Half a minute after the message was sent, Ning Shiyue made a voice call.
Ning Yuxuan's brow twitched slightly as she answered the phone: "Hello?"
"Ning Yuxuan!" the young man's urgent voice came, "Did you hide it from me and tell Mom about your relationship with Zhiyan?"
Ning Yuxuan smiled and said, "What do you mean by hiding it from you? It's me who's in a relationship, not you."
Ning Shiyue's voice rose several octaves: "You really said that?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Yes."
There was a few seconds of silence on the phone.
Then came Ning Shiyue's incredulous voice: "You, Ning Yuxuan, I knew I shouldn't have kept it a secret for you! It would have been fine if you had told Mom, but you even did it when I wasn't home! And the three of you even ate alone at home while I was away!"
Ning Yuxuan laughed as she listened.
Ning Shiyue went on and on, basically complaining that Ning Yuxuan had chosen a time when he wasn't home to announce such an important event as their relationship.
He had been thinking about this carefully for the past few days, and he had a lot he wanted to say to Xie Zhiyan, but now he couldn't say any of it.
Ning Yuxuan never expected that this matter would have such a big impact on Ning Shiyue, turning him into a chatterbox.
After Ning Shiyue finally finished complaining, Ning Yuxuan comforted him: "Alright, alright, after you finish filming and go home, I'll have Xie Zhiyan pay a special visit to your brother-in-law, how about that?"
Ning Shiyue, who had almost calmed down, suddenly raised his voice again: "What brother-in-law? You two aren't even married yet!"
Ning Yuxuan thought to herself, not only is she married, but she has also locked her marriage certificate in a drawer at home.
She suppressed a laugh and replied to Ning Shiyue, "Okay, okay, anyway, just have him come to visit you. You can say whatever you want then, I won't stop you."
Ning Shiyue snorted softly: "That's more like it."
Ning Yuxuan glanced at the call time: "You've been talking to me for so long, isn't the production crew urging you?"
"I've already finished work for more than half an hour," Ning Shiyue said. "The crew has been shooting on location these days, and we need to take advantage of the best lighting time. I started getting my makeup done at 4:30 this morning and finished at 6:00 in the evening."
Ning Yuxuan calculated the time: "Then you should go back and rest quickly, otherwise you won't get enough sleep. I'll hang up now."
"Wait!" Ning Shiyue called out to her, "That..."
He hesitated for two seconds before finally asking, "The rug you and Mom made, was it a birthday present for me?"
Although they didn't say on the show that it was a gift for him, the pattern on the rug was his zodiac animal, and his birthday was coming up soon, so it was easy to guess.
Ning Yuxuan admitted, "Yes."
The show is available to everyone, and she and Ning Fei hadn't originally planned to make it a birthday surprise.
Ning Shiyue: "The crew will be moving to Jiangcheng next week, and we will have a day off after we arrive in Jiangcheng."
Ning Yuxuan: "And then?"
"And then..." Ning Shiyue coughed twice, "It's nothing much, it's just that I was alone in the hotel on my day off and didn't have anything to do, and it just so happens that the next day is my birthday..."
Ning Yuxuan pretended to be naive and said, "That's perfect. You can sleep in all day at the hotel and relax properly."
Ning Shiyue realized she was doing it on purpose: "...Ning Yuxuan!"
Ning Yuxuan laughed: "Okay, okay, I know what you mean. I should be free that day. I'll ask Mom, and if it's okay, we can go visit the set together."
After finishing his call with Ning Shiyue, Xie Zhiyan and Ning Fei had also finished their conversation.
Ning Yuxuan looked at Xie Zhiyan as he walked over and asked curiously, "What did my mom and you talk about?"
Xie Zhiyan: "Auntie said you have a lot of bad habits and asked me to be more tolerant of you."
Ning Yuxuan pouted: "I knew it."
However, she also understood that her mother said this because she hoped Xie Zhiyan would treat her well.
"Anything else?" Ning Yuxuan asked again.
"And another thing..." Xie Zhiyan looked at Ning Yuxuan, "Auntie said that since I have already visited her, we can also visit my mother when we have time."
Ning Yuxuan was stunned.
Her relationship with Xie Zhiyan developed in such a chaotic way that it was completely different from the normal process.
She even forgot that normally, after Xie Zhiyan visited Ning Fei, she should also visit Aunt Zheng at the Xie family home.
Ning Yuxuan hesitated and asked, "When...when is it?"
Xie Zhiyan replied casually, "My mother is basically at home every day. If you have time, you can come tomorrow."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Isn't this progress a little too fast?
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