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"I dare not ask."
Ning Yuxuan stared at her phone screen.
What does he want by calling?
Ning Yuxuan's first reaction was to hang up the phone, but then she felt that if she didn't answer, she would lose her momentum and make it seem like she was afraid of him.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Ning Yuxuan pressed the answer button and put the phone to her ear.
A clear, cool male voice came from beside her ear: "Xuanxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan remained silent.
Two seconds later, Xie Zhiyan said again, "I know you're listening."
There was a faint hint of laughter in his voice.
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
She coughed and said in a pretentious tone, "Hello? The signal is bad. What did you just say?"
"It's nothing," Xie Zhiyan said. "Did you just send me a message?"
Ning Yuxuan rolled over in bed and replied casually, "Sorry, I meant to text my brother, but I sent it to the wrong person. Did I bother you?"
There was a moment of silence on the phone before Xie Zhiyan said, "No offense, I just got home."
Ning Yuxuan said "Oh," and then added, "That's good. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."
"etc."
Ning Yuxuan's heart skipped a beat.
Xie Zhiyan: "You really don't have anything to talk to me about?"
Ning Yuxuan pursed her lips: "Didn't I say I sent it to the wrong person?"
On the phone, the man seemed to let out a soft sigh.
Goodnight, Xuanxuan.
Ning Yuxuan: "...Goodnight."
After hanging up the phone, Ning Yuxuan stared at her phone screen for two seconds in a daze.
The next moment, she rolled over again with force, burying her entire face in the pillow.
Ning Yuxuan, Ning Yuxuan, what's wrong with you!
It's just asking him how many girlfriends he's had, why is he being so hesitant and indecisive!
After all that effort, I still couldn't get the answer.
I spent the whole day in meetings with the renovation team, and now the fatigue from the busy day is washing over me again.
Ning Yuxuan, clutching her phone, unknowingly fell asleep.
Over the next few days, Ning Yuxuan held several more meetings with the management team to confirm some details with the renovation team.
The hotel's general manager, Chen Jun, was always there. Having worked at Huayuan for so many years, he had far more experience in the industry and a better understanding of Huayuan itself than Ning Yuxuan.
Ning Fei also came a few times, but she didn't interfere with her daughter's decisions; she just listened in.
Judging from Ning Fei's attitude these days, the management team can tell that Ning Fei is preparing to gradually hand over the management of the hotel to her daughter.
No one dared to openly oppose the decision, but when the idea first emerged, many people privately had objections.
Ning Yuxuan is too young, and more importantly, she has absolutely no industry-related experience. Her only redeeming quality is probably her degree from a prestigious university, but that is still not enough to convince people.
Some people even privately suggested to Chen Jun that he, as the general manager, should try to persuade Ning Fei to reconsider and not ruin the hotel, which had finally gotten on the right track, because of his own personal feelings.
However, by now, the voices of opposition have largely subsided.
When Ning Yuxuan brought them together for a meeting, the data she cited and her remarks showed that she had done her homework very thoroughly. Thanks to her previous on-site inspections, she had a much deeper understanding of the situation of the new stores than Chen Jun did.
Her decisions may not show results in the long run, but at least they seem to be working well in the short term.
Only a small number of people are still dissatisfied with Ning Yuxuan. The main controversy lies in Huayuan's decision to open four new stores in Tongxing District at once.
Compared to Tongxing District, where the new store is located, tourists or business travelers visiting the northern part of the city are more inclined to stay in the six urban districts, which are more prosperous and have more cultural attractions.
The hotel's deputy general manager, Zhou Lin, even took the initiative to talk to Ning Fei: "Sister Fei, now that we have received investment from Hengjiang, such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, why not choose to open a new store in one of the six urban districts?"
As a veteran who joined Huayuan from its inception, Zhou Lin is experienced and a little younger than Ning Fei, so she privately calls Ning Fei "Sister Fei".
Ning Fei replied to Zhou Lin: "The investment was brought in by my daughter, and the location was the result of discussions between her and General Manager Xie of Hengjiang."
Zhou Lin still couldn't understand: "Sister Fei, I understand your trust in your daughter and that President Xie. But no matter how powerful Hengjiang Group is, they are not professional hotel operators after all; they just provide us with investment funds. When it comes to hotel site selection, they may not be as experienced as those of us who have been in this industry for many years."
Ning Fei wasn't actually clear about the reasons behind her daughter's initial decision.
Later, when Xie Zhiyan and his daughter visited their home for the first time, he personally explained the reason to her, and Ning Fei didn't think much of it anymore.
But after hearing that her daughter was with Xie Zhiyan, Ning Fei began to have some doubts again:
Could it be that Xie Zhiyan is willing to provide resources to support his daughter without considering the consequences because he loves her?
But having already decided to fully support her daughter, Ning Fei naturally wouldn't back down.
Ultimately, the discussion failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion for both parties. Ning Fei told her daughter about the incident, hoping she would pay more attention to Zhou Lin's thoughts.
For long-time employees like Chen Jun and Zhou Lin, who have been with Huayuan since its early days and have risen to management positions, it is very important to value their opinions and views.
After the management meeting on Thursday, Ning Yuxuan kept Zhou Lin behind.
“Aunt Zhou,” Ning Yuxuan said with a smile, “you can talk to me about your thoughts on today’s meeting.”
Zhou Lin never expected Ning Yuxuan to specifically keep her behind.
After her initial surprise, Zhou Lin replied, "Yu Xuan, I admit that your abilities are much stronger than I imagined, and you've adapted to this industry very quickly. I have no objections to any of the details we discussed in the meeting today."
Ning Yuxuan: "I have no objections to the details, but what about the general direction?"
Zhou Lin observed Ning Yuxuan's expression and, seeing that she genuinely wanted to know her thoughts, said frankly, "Then I'll be honest, Yuxuan. To be honest, I still don't agree with the decision to open four stores in Tongxing District at once, but..."
Ning Yuxuan raised an eyebrow: "But?"
Zhou Lin: "But since we have no way out now, I will still do my best to cooperate with you to make these four stores successful."
Ning Yuxuan smiled: "Okay. Aunt Zhou, I'm relieved to hear that. How about we make a bet?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Zhou Lin's eyes: "What bet?"
Ning Yuxuan smiled and said, "I bet the value of these four new stores will double within the next year compared to when we took them over."
Zhou Lin paused for a second, then said seriously, "Yu Xuan. It's not that Aunt Zhou doubts your abilities, but if you said two or three years, I would still think it's possible to do it. One year..."
She shook her head, everything understood without words.
Ning Yuxuan, however, seemed confident: "Aunt Zhou, in my opinion, a year is enough. The content of this bet is also my own goal, but I really can't complete it alone. Your help is crucial to me."
Zhou Lin stared at Ning Yuxuan thoughtfully for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled: "To be honest, I don't know why you're so confident. But since you've already asked, whether it works out or not, I'm willing to do everything I can to help you."
In Zhou Lin's opinion, Ning Yuxuan's words were like children playing house, every word revealing innocence and naivety.
However, there were indeed some things about it that touched her.
Huayuan was the company where she spent the longest time in her career, and also the one where she devoted the most energy.
Zhou Lin is 45 years old this year. She believes that she is still in the prime of her career, with rich experience and her physical fitness has not declined significantly.
She did want to work harder to make a name for herself, but she could tell that Ning Fei wasn't very ambitious in the hotel industry. In the past two years, all her decisions had been aimed at stability, which went against Zhou Lin's ideas.
Zhou Lin had considered changing jobs, but she had worked with Huayuan from scratch to where she was now, and both her personal feelings and salary made it difficult for her to make the decision to leave.
With the addition of Ning Yuxuan, a young woman, whether her goals are too ambitious or not, at least the entire Huayuan has a new objective, and Zhou Lin has a direction to strive for again.
After receiving Zhou Lin's reply, Ning Yuxuan raised her hand and said, "Then let's cheer each other on."
Zhou Lin shook her head helplessly, but still gave Ning Yuxuan a high five.
This young girl's style is completely different from Ning Fei's; I guess that's one of the advantages of being young.
On Thursday evening after get off work, Ning Yuxuan arranged to meet Tao You again.
After we went out to eat last time, we ran into Shen Chipeng and his group, which not only wasted our time but also prevented us from fully enjoying our shopping trip.
Tao You happened to have a day off on Thursday, so the two of them arranged to have dinner together again.
We went to a Japanese restaurant, not as upscale as the one we went to last time, but it was still very popular and you had to book a table two or three days in advance.
This time, Tao You insisted on treating everyone.
After meeting her, Ning Yuxuan finally understood the reason.
Tao You announced with a sweet smile, "Xuanxuan, my boyfriend and I are having our engagement party next month. Do you have time to come?"
Ning Yuxuan asked for the specific time and place, which was a Friday next month, which happened to be a public holiday.
What she's doing now is essentially working for Ning Fei, but with much more freedom in terms of time.
Unless the recording time for a variety show is already scheduled, you can generally free up your time in advance to participate.
Seeing that Ning Yuxuan had agreed, Tao You beamed: "I knew you were the best, Xuanxuan! This engagement banquet isn't very big. My friends only invited you and Miaomiao. It's too much trouble for Lanlan to fly back from abroad, so I told her to come at the wedding."
Tao You was referring to her other two roommates at University A. One of them is now working in a neighboring city, and the other has gone abroad for further studies.
After expressing a few more words of anticipation and joy, Tao You asked Ning Yuxuan with a smile, "By the way, Yuxuan, you and your domineering CEO boyfriend haven't had your engagement party yet, have you? Do you have a date in mind?"
Ning Yuxuan remembered the two marriage certificates that she had locked in the drawer at home.
Since we've already got the marriage certificate, there's no need to hold an engagement banquet.
Ning Yuxuan shook her head: "We don't plan to have an engagement banquet."
Tao You looked disappointed: "Oh, why? Is it because you don't want to, or your boyfriend doesn't want to do it?"
Ning Yuxuan thought for a moment and decided to take the blame herself: "It's because I'm lazy."
If Xie Zhiyan was unwilling to do it, Tao You, with her personality, would definitely stand up for her and feel indignant. This meal might very well turn into a criticism session for Xie Zhiyan.
Tao You blinked: "What a pity. Xuanxuan, you're so beautiful and have such a great figure. You'd definitely look amazing in your engagement dress. I've seen so many beautiful dresses online lately, but the styles just don't suit me. I was thinking that with your figure, they would definitely be perfect for you."
"Oh, right." Tao You remembered something else, "I'm going to a store to try on dresses in a while. If you're free then, would you like to come with me?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Sure."
Tao You smiled, her eyes crinkling: "I knew you were the best to me."
The two ate sashimi while chatting casually.
The topic eventually circled back to the wedding.
Tao You and her boyfriend have been dating for five years and their relationship is still going strong. Now they are finally getting married and are full of enthusiasm for all the wedding preparations.
"Xuanxuan." Tao You put a piece of salmon into her mouth, her eyes squinting with satisfaction. "You said you're not having an engagement party, so what about the wedding? We still have to have a wedding, right? I remember your boyfriend said last time it depended on your opinion..."
Ning Yuxuan paused slightly in her hand holding the chopsticks.
Last time, she was truly bewitched and agreed to hold a wedding for Xie Zhiyan.
However, Xie Zhiyan never mentioned the wedding again after that.
Ning Yuxuan didn't know if he had forgotten or if he didn't want to put too much pressure on her for the time being.
She's been busy with the hotel lately, so she hasn't had time to think about weddings or anything like that.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Yuxuan replied, "Wedding... I think there will be one. But we're both very busy with work, so it might have to wait until next year."
Tao You: "It's not too late! Preparing for a wedding takes a long time, so next year isn't too late. By the way, Xuanxuan, you've never told me how you and your boyfriend met?"
She had been curious about this for a long time, but had never had the chance to ask.
Ning Yuxuan was slightly taken aback, and replied truthfully, "It was a long time ago."
Tao You's eyes lit up: "When was 'a long time ago'?"
Ning Yuxuan recalled, "If we're talking about the first time we met, it was ten years ago."
Tao You did the math and exclaimed in shock, "Ten years ago, weren't you only fifteen? You two were... childhood sweethearts, inseparable since you were little?"
Ning Yuxuan chuckled: "I don't think so, he was already in college at that time."
She vaguely remembered the scene when she first met Xie Zhiyan.
It was the summer before she was about to enter her third year of junior high school. Ning Fei was worried about her high school entrance exam results, so she took her to the Xie family and asked Xie Zhiyan, an excellent student who had just finished the college entrance exam, to tutor her.
Ning Yuxuan had a very bad first impression of Xie Zhiyan.
Because he always had a cold face when he explained problems to her, and he never gave her a smile even when she answered correctly, as if she owed him money.
At that time, Ning Yuxuan was very resentful. She felt that she hadn't asked him to tutor her, so why should she have to put up with his temper?
Fortunately, Xie Zhiyan's mother, Zheng Xinmei, treated her very well. Every time she saw her, she praised her highly, saying that she was cute and beautiful, and she would cook delicious food for her in different ways.
Ning Yuxuan only persisted in going to tutoring every day because of Zheng Xinmei; otherwise, she would have given up long ago.
When Ning Yuxuan recalls that holiday, she remembers that Xie Zhiyan never said a single extra word to her, except when he was explaining problems to her.
By then, she was used to boys her age fawning over her, so she wouldn't bother trying to please a man who was several years older than her and very indifferent to her, even if he was very handsome.
Upon hearing Ning Yuxuan's words, Tao You's eyes widened: "How much older is your boyfriend than you?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Five years old."
Tao You breathed a sigh of relief: "Oh, that scared me to death... So when did you two get together, and how long have you been together?"
Ning Yuxuan: "About a month."
Tao You: "Oh...ah?"
She looked at Ning Yuxuan in shock: "A month?"
Ning Yuxuan calculated the time in her mind; it had actually been less than a month.
Tao You was incredibly surprised: "It's only been a month, and you're already talking about marriage?"
Ning Yuxuan remained expressionless: "We've known each other for a long time."
That's true. If it weren't for that, she wouldn't have dared to agree to marry Xie Zhiyan so easily.
Tao You paused for a second, then gave Ning Yuxuan a thumbs up: "Okay, Yuxuan, you're better than me!"
She dated for five years before deciding to marry her boyfriend, but Ning Yuxuan decided to get married after only one month.
Tao You stuffed a large piece of eel into her mouth, and then drank a few bowls of miso soup.
"Speaking of which, I have a question..." Tao You spoke again, "Since you've known each other for ten years, why are you only getting together now? What happened?"
Ning Yuxuan took a sip of soup and said casually, "It's nothing, it's just that after many years of no contact, we suddenly got in touch again because of some things."
Tao You's eyes lit up: "Oh? And what happened after you got in touch?"
Ning Yuxuan recalled Xie Zhiyan's promise to "marry me" and paused for a second before replying, "There's nothing special about it, just some coincidences, and then we got together."
Tao You narrowed her eyes: "Xuanxuan, you definitely didn't tell me the truth. If I ever get the chance to meet your boyfriend, I'll definitely interrogate him face to face!"
Ning Yuxuan smiled and said, "Okay, then you can ask him later. Let's eat first!"
This Japanese restaurant has great food, but it's not cheap either, so you have to enjoy the meal properly.
The Japanese restaurant was located on the top floor of the mall. After dinner, the two of them strolled down the stairs.
At 9 p.m., the mall's loudspeaker announced that it would close in half an hour.
The two had just finished shopping when Ning Yuxuan asked Tao You how to get home.
Tao You replied, "My boyfriend is away on a business trip these past two days and can't pick me up, so I'll take the subway home by myself."
Ning Yuxuan: "I'll have my driver pick me up and take you home on the way."
Tao You: "That works too. Hey, isn't your boyfriend coming to pick you up?"
Ning Yuxuan: "He's probably busy with work."
Tao You blinked: "No matter how busy you are with work, you should still come to pick up your girlfriend!"
Ning Yuxuan saw through her thoughts: "To be honest, do you want him to pick us up so you can gossip a little more?"
Tao You chuckled: "I had that thought too. You know, last time I didn't get a clear look at your boyfriend's face at all, I don't even know what he looks like. Why don't you give him a call and ask if he can come pick you up, and satisfy my curiosity?"
Ning Yuxuan was amused by her: "Then I'll ask him."
Tao You cheered, "Alright!"
Ning Yuxuan dialed Xie Zhiyan's number.
After two calls, the other end answered.
Ning Yuxuan got straight to the point: "My friend and I just finished shopping. Do you have time to pick me up?"
Where?
Ning Yuxuan gave the address of the shopping mall.
The person on the other end paused for a moment, probably checking the address.
After a moment, the man spoke: "I'll need about twenty minutes to get there. Is that enough time?"
Ning Yuxuan thought for a moment and said, "It should be possible."
The mall was closing in half an hour, so she and Tao You could shop around for a little longer.
After hanging up the phone, Ning Yuxuan told Tao You about the situation.
Tao You nodded, then asked, "I still don't know your boyfriend's name."
Ning Yuxuan: "Thank you, Zhiyan."
Tao You pondered, "It seems somewhat familiar; I might have heard it somewhere before."
The two strolled around the first floor of the mall for a while longer, and Xie Zhiyan arrived three minutes early.
Ning Yuxuan and Tao You sat together in the back seat, and Xie Zhiyan took Tao You home first.
Tao You was a little reserved at first along the way.
When Ning Yuxuan's boyfriend appeared last time, he looked imposing. Tao You still remembers how scared Shen Chipeng and the others were.
However, after driving for a while, Tao You noticed that the other person was speaking quite gently.
When the topic of her relationship with Ning Yuxuan came up, Xie Zhiyan even took the initiative to ask about their time in college.
Tao You gradually relaxed and said casually, "When Xuanxuan was at school, all sorts of random boys tried to woo her in various ways, like bringing her breakfast, accompanying her to class, and all sorts of other methods..."
Ning Yuxuan was not alarmed by what Tao You said.
Tao You added halfway through her sentence, "See, Xie Zhiyan? I told you I'm very popular."
Xie Zhiyan chuckled softly: "Yes, indeed."
Tao You continued, "Oh right, there are also those who set up candles under the dormitory building to confess their love... But who is our Xuanxuan? She has seen all these tricks since she was a child, and none of them can win her heart."
Ning Yuxuan finally realized that something was wrong.
Before she could finish her sentence, she saw the man turn around and give her a meaningful look: "Is that so?"
Tao You was completely unaware of the subtle interaction between the two: "Yes, our Xuanxuan is so outstanding, she definitely won't be easily swayed by these little tricks, so none of those guys succeeded!"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
It seems that the fact that she never had a romantic relationship during college has been completely exposed.
To prevent Tao You from revealing more, Ning Yuxuan gently tugged at Tao You's arm and whispered, "Stop talking about me. Didn't you say you were curious about my boyfriend? He's right here. Ask him whatever you want. I'll back you up."
Tao You was stunned for a moment.
She had previously vowed to Ning Yuxuan that she would interrogate her friend's boyfriend, but now that she finally had the chance, she was starting to back down.
Tao You glanced at the figure in the driver's seat and murmured, "Um, maybe next time..."
Ning Yuxuan glared at Tao You with a look of disappointment.
Tao You stuck out her tongue and whispered in her friend's ear, "I don't dare to ask."
Ning Yuxuan whispered to her, "What's there to be afraid of?"
Tao You honestly said, "I feel that your boyfriend's temperament is a bit like... uh, a bit like my boss, and I'm scared."
Ning Yuxuan was both amused and exasperated: "You just told him so much about my college days. Why weren't you afraid back then?"
Tao You retorted logically and with evidence: "Of course it's different. I dare to report my work to my superiors, but I dare not question them!"
...
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of Tao You's residential area.
Tao You got out of the car and waved goodbye to Ning Yuxuan.
It was getting late, so Ning Yuxuan asked Xie Zhiyan to wait at the entrance of the residential area for a while longer.
After Tao You let her know she was safe and had arrived home, Ning Yuxuan allowed Xie Zhiyan to leave.
Xie Zhiyan turned to look at her: "Would you like to sit down here?"
Ning Yuxuan: "No need, we'll be home in ten minutes anyway."
Xie Zhiyan did not insist and started the car.
...
Meanwhile, a photo in a group chat suddenly caused an uproar in the elite circles of Beicheng late at night.
A message spread like wildfire—
After Xie Zhiyan admitted to his relationship with Ning Yuxuan, he used that car to take another young girl home.
Those who were initially surprised that Xie Zhiyan and Ning Yuxuan were dating have become active again because of this news.
"I knew it! With Ning Yuxuan's qualities, Xie Zhiyan was definitely just playing around with her!"
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