50 050
"The wedding room."
Xie Zhiyan drove himself here this time.
Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei sat together in the back seat.
"Zhiyan, thank you so much for your trouble," Ning Fei said politely. "You came all this way to pick up Xuanxuan and me, and you even contacted Uncle Li."
Uncle Li is the Ning family's driver; he was supposed to pick them up after the show ended.
Xie Zhiyan turned the steering wheel and said calmly, "I should apologize for coming over without saying hello. I hope you don't mind my abruptness, Auntie."
"How could that be? It's not abrupt at all." Ning Fei smiled gently. "By the way, Zhi Yan, do you have work to do tonight?"
Xie Zhiyan: "I don't have any work scheduled for this afternoon or evening. I just took my mother to visit a friend this afternoon, and since we were nearby, I came to pick you up."
Ning Fei: "Xinmei isn't home. Why don't you have dinner with us tonight?"
Xie Zhiyan: "Then thank you very much for your hospitality, Aunt Ning."
Ning Fei smiled and said, "You're welcome, you're welcome. It's not like I'm cooking. I just asked Aunt Xu to add an extra pair of chopsticks."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ning Fei glanced at her daughter and said, "Hey, you little rascal, why are you playing on your phone again?"
Ning Yuxuan looked up: "Are you finally done with the formalities?"
Ning Fei looked at her daughter, both amused and exasperated: "What are you saying?"
Ning Yuxuan stuck out her tongue.
Ever since Ning Fei learned that she and Xie Zhiyan were together, she has become much more polite to Xie Zhiyan than before.
The difference in attitude is probably due to how one treats a friend's son versus a prospective son-in-law.
After listening to Ning Fei and Xie Zhiyan finish their conversation, Ning Yuxuan asked curiously, "Xie Zhiyan, who was that bouquet of flowers in the passenger seat for?"
As soon as she got into the car, she noticed a bouquet of pink and purple flowers on the passenger seat.
Ning Yuxuan doesn't know much about flowers; she can only tell that the light pink ones are peonies, but she can't name the others.
Xie Zhiyan said gently, "It's for Aunt Ning."
Ning Fei asked in surprise, "For me?"
She had noticed the bouquet of flowers on the passenger seat when she got in the car, but since it was Xie Zhiyan's car, she didn't ask too many questions.
The car happened to stop in front of the barrier gate.
Ning Yuxuan was curious about what the bouquet of flowers looked like, so she took advantage of the moment to lean over and reach across the seat to take the bouquet from the passenger seat.
Ning Fei didn't have time to stop her daughter, so she could only remind her from the side, "Hey, you little rascal, be careful not to bump into anything!"
Ning Yuxuan replied, "Don't worry, I won't damage your flowers!"
Ning Fei was both amused and exasperated: "I'm talking to you, don't bump your head! The flowers are there, they're not going to run away, what's the rush?"
Ning Yuxuan finally picked up the flowers and put them in her arms, then smiled at Ning Fei: "Look, your daughter is very agile; both she and the flowers are unharmed."
Ning Fei shook her head helplessly: "How old are you? You're still acting like a child."
Ning Yuxuan handed the flowers to Ning Fei: "Mom, come and see your flowers!"
Ning Fei accepted the flowers with affection: "Blue Fuji peonies paired with pink-edged lisianthus, what a nice combination, fresh and beautiful. I'll put them in a vase in the living room when I get back."
"Zhiyan," Ning Fei said again, "Thank you for your trouble, you even brought me flowers too."
Xie Zhiyan: "As long as Auntie likes it."
Ning Yuxuan fiddled with the mauve multi-headed roses in her hand, then glanced at the bouquet in Ning Fei's arms.
“I’ve noticed,” Ning Yuxuan said, “that these flowers are all quite beautiful—roses, peonies, and lisianthus, they’re all lovely.”
Ning Fei looked at her daughter with affection and teased, "You've always liked everything and wanted to learn everything since you were little. Your tastes change every day. Didn't you say you liked roses before? How come you like something else so quickly?"
Ning Yuxuan argued vehemently, "Because they're all beautiful! Spring is all about a hundred flowers blooming. Besides, who says you have to be loyal to one thing? I'm going to be fickle!"
Ning Fei frowned slightly.
What is said without malice may be taken to heart by the listener.
Ning Fei has been through this before and has suffered from it before.
It's fine for my daughter to say whatever she wants at home, but now her boyfriend is right in front of me. What if she starts overthinking things?
Ning Fei: "Xuanxuan..."
Before she could figure out how to subtly remind her daughter, Xie Zhiyan spoke first: "That's good too. Xuanxuan likes all kinds of flowers, so I won't have to worry about what to give her in the future."
Ning Yuxuan chimed in, "Well, I don't like just any flower. It has to look pretty and smell nice too!"
Xie Zhiyan smiled and replied, "Yes."
Ning Fei took back what she was about to say.
That's enough, children and grandchildren have their own blessings.
At least for now, Xie Zhiyan is wholeheartedly doting on her daughter, and her daughter is enjoying the relationship, so her mother doesn't have to worry about her.
The journey home involves passing through the city center, and there's some traffic congestion.
Ning Yuxuan tossed the flowers onto the seat and fell asleep leaning on Ning Fei's shoulder.
Ning Fei placed her daughter's roses on the chair and then straightened her daughter's shirt.
With the air conditioning on in the car, it's easy to catch a cold if the air blows on your stomach.
I originally wanted to wake my daughter five minutes earlier, but seeing that she was sleeping soundly, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Once the car came to a smooth stop in front of her house, Ning Fei gently patted her daughter awake: "Xuanxuan, we're home."
While patting her daughter's back, she looked up and explained to Xie Zhiyan, who was helping to open the car door, "She probably got tired from playing games all day on the show and fell asleep in the car. Please wait a while."
Xie Zhiyan smiled and said, "No rush."
The man's slender fingers covered Ning Yuxuan's hand and patted it lightly twice.
Under the combined gentle persuasion of her mother and Xie Zhiyan, Ning Yuxuan was finally woken up.
There was still some time before dinner when I got home.
Ning Fei took the flowers to the living room, found a pair of scissors, and prepared to put the flowers given by her daughter's boyfriend into a vase and trim them a little.
Ning Yuxuan followed, saying, "Mom, I'll stay with you!"
Ning Fei patted her daughter's shoulder: "Alright, Xuanxuan, you don't like flower arranging, so stop making a mess here. Take Zhiyan upstairs to rest for a while. I'll call you both when dinner is ready."
Ning Fei knew her daughter was impatient and not interested in flower arranging, so she didn't drag her into it.
Also, considering that Xie Zhiyan was coming to the house to see his daughter, and that the young couple needed time alone, she didn't want to be a third wheel.
Ning Yuxuan was kicked upstairs by Ning Fei, and said indignantly, "I just wanted to see how she trimmed it, but she wouldn't even let me see."
She then looked at Xie Zhiyan, who had come up with her, and asked, "I haven't asked you yet, why did you suddenly decide to pick me up?"
Xie Zhiyan's brow twitched slightly, but he didn't have time to answer.
Ning Yuxuan stopped him from making excuses in advance: "Don't use the reason you gave me and my mom. I don't believe it. How can there be so many coincidences in the world? It just so happens that you were nearby when our show ended."
Xie Zhiyan chuckled.
"I'm your boyfriend," Xie Zhiyan said calmly. "Can't I come all the way here to pick you up?"
Ning Yuxuan pointed out the facts: "But when I was recording the show before, apart from that one time when you sent the driver over, I never saw you come to pick me up in person."
Xie Zhiyan: "Before, our relationship was not public, but now it's different."
Ning Yuxuan stared at Xie Zhiyan.
Xie Zhiyan met her gaze without changing his expression.
Ning Yuxuan still felt that something was wrong, so she quietly walked over and sat down on the sofa next to her.
On Saturday morning, he suddenly said he would take her to the show, and even got out of the car to greet Ning Fei, receiving a lot of attention from others before leaving.
It's worth noting that Xie Zhiyan's car was already more conspicuous than ordinary cars, and coupled with his own aura, almost all the staff present were curious about his identity.
On the way to the dressing room, many people asked Ning Yuxuan if the man who brought her there was her boyfriend and what he did for a living.
Since the show premiered a month ago, Ning Yuxuan has gotten along well with the production team, which is why everyone dares to gossip directly with her.
Ning Yuxuan acknowledged Xie Zhiyan's status as her boyfriend, but didn't want to say too much about the rest, so she just gave a casual answer.
Looking back now, although Xie Zhiyan's behavior could be explained in its own way, Ning Yuxuan felt that there was something she hadn't considered.
Ning Yuxuan pondered, unconsciously counting on her fingers.
Xie Zhiyan sat down in the seat next to her.
Ning Yuxuan turned to look at him: "Xie Zhiyan, you didn't deliberately go to pick me up just to show people that you're my boyfriend, did you?"
Xie Zhiyan slightly raised an eyebrow: "With whom?"
"Who knows..." Ning Yuxuan mocked him, "I'm not a mind reader, and I can't eavesdrop on your calls or check your phone. How would I know which one of the many people you interact with every day was the one who offended you, President Xie?"
Xie Zhiyan: "You can investigate if you want."
Ning Yuxuan: "I... huh?"
Xie Zhiyan casually took out his phone and placed it on the empty space between the two of them.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at the phone that the man had casually tossed on the sofa, then looked at the man in front of her.
She said it casually and didn't have any real intention of doing so.
But Xie Zhiyan's personal cell phone was right in front of her, and it seemed very tempting.
Ning Yuxuan felt like she would be missing out if she didn't open it and take a look now.
She confirmed, "You really want me to see it?"
Xie Zhiyan casually hummed in agreement: "The lock screen password is our wedding anniversary."
Ning Yuxuan picked up her phone and was about to unlock it when she heard this and paused.
What was the date we got our marriage certificate?
She only remembered that it was a Tuesday, but she couldn't recall the exact date without looking at the calendar.
Ning Yuxuan tried to recall, but quickly gave up.
There was absolutely no clue.
She slowly raised her head and looked at Xie Zhiyan.
Their eyes met, she bit her lip, and blinked her eyelashes guiltily.
Ning Yuxuan was unaware that at this moment, her eyes were slightly watery, and her expression had a pitiful look, which was quite different from her usual self.
Xie Zhiyan's eyes flickered slightly, and he abruptly withdrew his gaze from hers.
The man gave a date.
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "Thanks for reminding me."
She instinctively felt that Xie Zhiyan's behavior was somewhat illogical: he didn't take the opportunity to mock her or do anything else.
Could it be that he had already anticipated that he had forgotten this day?
It's worth pondering why Xie Zhiyan remembers it so clearly.
However, for now, Xie Zhiyan's personal cell phone is more attractive to her than any of these.
Ning Yuxuan entered six numbers as Xie Zhiyan instructed and successfully unlocked the screen.
In fact, Ning Yuxuan had no interest in checking Xie Zhiyan's chat history with other people one by one, investigating where he went and which women he chatted with.
Her motivation was more curiosity about him as a person, and the thought that it would be a waste not to see him since she had finally gotten this opportunity.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Yuxuan opened Xie Zhiyan's WeChat and entered her name in the search box.
She wanted to know how Xie Zhiyan talked about himself with others.
Before searching, Ning Yuxuan expected that he probably hadn't mentioned her much, since Xie Zhiyan didn't seem like the type to talk about his private life with everyone.
However, after losing, a series of chat logs popped up, and I couldn't scroll to the bottom of them all at once.
It wasn't Xie Zhiyan himself mentioning her to others, but rather many other people asking Xie Zhiyan about her situation.
It appears to be a message sent by his friend shortly after the two publicly announced their relationship.
The sentence structures are also very similar; different people are asking Xie Zhiyan: Are you really with Ning Yuxuan?
She underestimated the level of interest that people in the elite circles of Beicheng had in Xie Zhiyan's love life.
But Xie Zhiyan didn't reply to any of these.
Ning Yuxuan scrolled down for a long time before finally seeing his reply: "It's true, Ning Yuxuan is my girlfriend."
It seems that this one message was what prompted so many people to rush to add her on WeChat.
Ning Yuxuan turned her head and glanced at Xie Zhiyan.
Xie Zhiyan showed no unease about his privacy being invaded, appearing completely calm and composed: "Finished reading?"
Ning Yuxuan: "...Not yet!"
I finally got my hands on his phone, and I feel like it would be a waste to just give it back to him like this.
Seizing the opportunity, Ning Yuxuan recalled in her mind how others checked people's phones in the various relationship gossip posts she had previously browsed.
Some people search for ride-hailing apps, sell addresses and spending records, and some even search for music streaming apps.
However, none of these suited her.
Firstly, she wasn't that interested in where Xie Zhiyan went or what he ate; secondly, she found it troublesome.
Finally, Ning Yuxuan opened a commonly used social media platform and checked its search history.
She raised an eyebrow—
Flowers suitable for gifting to your girlfriend's mother
What kind of flowers do girls like to receive?
"Beautiful rose varieties"
Different Colors of Ecuadorian Roses
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Suddenly I felt like laughing.
She originally thought that Xie Zhiyan would simply tell his assistant his general needs and then leave everything to his assistant to handle.
Surprisingly, it was he who went to search for it himself.
Imagine Xie Zhiyan carefully studying various types of flowers, perhaps even comparing pictures back and forth; she found that even funnier.
Ning Yuxuan couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Xie Zhiyan seemed to want to appear open and honest, so he didn't watch her "check her phone".
Only then did she look over because of her laughter.
Ning Yuxuan flipped her phone screen over and held it up for him to see: "I didn't expect you to search for these things yourself."
Xie Zhiyan never expected that she would think of looking at his search history.
A hint of surprise flashed across the eyes of the man who was always as steady as a mountain, and his gaze narrowed for a moment.
Ning Yuxuan's eyes widened as if she had discovered a new continent: "Xie Zhiyan, are you embarrassed?"
Xie Zhiyan: "..."
“I rarely had the opportunity to give flowers to my elders before,” he explained.
Zheng Xinmei has many hobbies, such as cooking and baking, but she doesn't really like tending to flowers and plants.
Ning Fei, however, is particularly fond of flower arranging and is an expert in the field, able to identify the varieties of flowers at a glance.
Giving a gift in the recipient's area of expertise naturally requires careful consideration.
Moreover, the other party is Ning Yuxuan's mother.
Ning Yuxuan persisted: "What about the next few? Don't you know what kind of flowers I like? Why did you have to search for them specifically?"
Xie Zhiyan had regained his composure and said calmly, "Your demands are too high. I don't dare to just send you the same thing every time. I have to put in more effort to satisfy you."
Ning Yuxuan retorted with dissatisfaction, "Where are my demands too high?"
However, she was quite happy to learn that Xie Zhiyan had gone to such lengths to send flowers to her and her mother.
Ning Yuxuan tossed the phone back to Xie Zhiyan.
The man caught it with nimble movements: "Not going to continue watching?"
Ning Yuxuan waved her hand dismissively, "That's enough for now, I'll contact you again if I need anything next time!"
Xie Zhiyan couldn't help but chuckle at her expression and tone.
After a moment, he stopped smiling and said lightly, "There might not be another chance next time."
Ning Yuxuan retorted without backing down, "It's okay, I already know your password anyway. I can just sneak a peek while you're asleep!"
Xie Zhiyan stared at her silently, his eyes slightly dark.
Ning Yuxuan then realized that she had said the wrong thing.
Although they are husband and wife, they don't live together yet, let alone sleep in the same bed.
How could you possibly peek at him while he's asleep?
He doesn't think she's implying something, does he?
Ning Yuxuan coughed to cover her discomfort: "I mean..."
The more she explained, the more she would try to cover it up, so she simply said, "Anyway, I didn't mean anything by it, so don't overthink it."
Xie Zhiyan smiled and asked, "What nonsense are you thinking?"
Ning Yuxuan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she ignored him.
After a moment of silence, Xie Zhiyan suddenly said, "Xuanxuan, do you still remember what you said to me on the day we decided to get married?"
Ning Yuxuan didn't follow his train of thought and asked in confusion, "What?"
All she remembered was that after leaving Grandpa Gu's birthday banquet, the two of them discussed getting their marriage certificate.
That day, the two discussed their wedding plans. Although the process was exceptionally fast, they certainly spoke far more than just ten or eight sentences.
He suddenly brought up what she had said that day, and heaven knows which sentence he was referring to.
Xie Zhiyan helped her recall methodically: "You said back then that you would tell both families about our marriage two months later."
Ning Yuxuan: "...Is that so?"
She vaguely remembered that she seemed to have said something similar at the time.
But she had long forgotten exactly what she said.
Although there is a prenuptial agreement, it mainly contains clauses related to property, and details such as when to disclose the agreement to family members are not written in it, so it is impossible to verify.
Ning Yuxuan regretted that she should have brought a voice recorder and recorded the entire conversation between the two of them.
This is my first time entering into a marriage of convenience, and I have no experience.
Xie Zhiyan's tone was calm and composed: "Hmm."
Ning Yuxuan felt inexplicably nervous: "Why are you bringing this up? No matter which day you start counting, it's definitely not been two months yet, right?"
Xie Zhiyan said slowly and deliberately, "If we're going to get 'married,' perhaps we should consider buying a house in Beicheng as our wedding home."
Ning Yuxuan blurted out, "When we were discussing getting married, we agreed that we would live separately, and things like buying a house were definitely not in the agreed terms!"
She might forget other things, but she remembered very clearly that they didn't have to live together.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to marry him so easily.
Xie Zhiyan's eyes softened, and his tone was reassuring: "I only said I was buying a house, not that I was asking you to live with me."
Ning Yuxuan continued to watch him warily.
Xie Zhiyan sighed softly: "If we don't even buy a house, how can we convince our mothers that we really want to get married? Or are you planning to tell your mother that we'll move into my current apartment after we get married?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
What he said seemed to make sense.
Ning Fei had said something similar to her before: after getting married, you should move out.
Moreover, buying a new house is an essential part of the wedding process for most people, let alone someone like Xie Zhiyan who is not short of money at all.
Buying a house is probably about the same as her buying a handbag in terms of his assets.
It might need to be even more casual.
Ning Yuxuan hesitated, "So what do you mean?"
Xie Zhiyan's tone was calm: "There's no rush to decide, but you can take a look first. Although we may not actually have the opportunity to live there, since we're going to buy, we should go with your preferences."
Ning Yuxuan thought for a second, then grasped the key point: "If it's based on my preferences, then who will pay?"
She wasn't as wealthy as Xie Zhiyan; she had to spend her money wisely.
Besides, she's actually working for her mother now, and all her assets are in Huayuan's new stores, so she doesn't have much cash on hand.
She wouldn't be willing to pay for a house just to pretend to be Xie Zhiyan's wife, even if it was only a small portion.
Xie Zhiyan chuckled lightly: "I'll provide the options, you just pick."
Ning Yuxuan pondered: "...I have to record a program on weekends and work on the renovation of the new store on weekdays, so I don't have much time to look at houses."
Xie Zhiyan: "You can just make your request, and I'll have Liu Cheng find someone who meets your criteria."
Ning Yuxuan had heard of this name before; he was Xie Zhiyan's special assistant.
Xie Zhiyan had put it this way, and for a moment she didn't know what to say in response.
Thinking about it, it seems like she's not at a disadvantage. She only needs to say a few words, without having to spend any money or effort, and everything else is handled by Xie Zhiyan.
Xie Zhiyan made everything sound reasonable.
But she still had a feeling—
It seems I've unknowingly fallen into a trap.
Ning Yuxuan pondered, "Regarding buying a house... I'll think about it for the next couple of days, and then I'll call or text you when I've made up my mind."
Regardless, buying a house is still a big deal for her.
Xie Zhiyan: "Okay."
There was a few seconds of silence, then there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Xuanxuan, shall I hold the inkstone?"
Ning Fei's voice was gentle, but Ning Yuxuan was still caught off guard by her thoughts.
She exchanged a glance with Xie Zhiyan, then stood up to open the door: "Mom?"
Ning Fei smiled faintly: "Dinner is ready. Shall we go downstairs to eat, Zhiyan?"
"Of course, Auntie." Xie Zhiyan smiled and nodded.
As they were leaving, Ning Fei gently tugged at her daughter's sleeve from behind.
Ning Yuxuan stopped in her tracks and looked at her mother.
Xie Zhiyan walked ahead downstairs.
Ning Fei seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking: "Xuanxuan, Mom didn't mean to eavesdrop, it's just... you two were talking quite loudly, and the bedroom doors aren't soundproof. I happened to hear a couple of sentences when I came up."
Ning Yuxuan's heart skipped a beat.
Ning Fei: "You and Zhi Yan... you two are planning to buy a house and get married?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
