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"Let me go first!"
When Ning Yuxuan realized that after she brought it up, the man merely raised an eyebrow slightly and casually took the half-hamburger from her hand, she began to regret it.
She may have really underestimated Xie Zhiyan.
Ning Yuxuan felt that she might have been influenced by Tao You, and had also brought Xie Zhiyan into the image of a "domineering president" from the novel.
What happened to the stereotype that domineering CEOs are all germaphobes?
Why does Xie Zhiyan seem completely unaffected? He not only drinks the soda she's already drunk without any remorse, but he also doesn't mind eating the half-eaten hamburger she's left unfinished.
Ning Yuxuan silently watched Xie Zhiyan, struggling with whether or not to take back what she had just said before he finished eating.
Of course, it would be even better if Xie Zhiyan took the initiative to change his mind.
Perhaps it was because the "expectation" in her eyes was too obvious.
Xie Zhiyan glanced at the hamburger in his hand and asked her, "Are you really not full?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Obviously not.
She wasn't on a diet; she was an adult woman with a moderate to high appetite. She had been hungry since noon and had only eaten a small piece of matcha pastry and a macaron. How could half a hamburger be enough?
She made Xie Zhiyan eat a hamburger purely out of revenge.
If Xie Zhiyan really ate it, what else would she eat?
We can't just buy a new one.
Ning Yuxuan was already having second thoughts, and her words began to waver: "It's...okay. I was a little full just now, but now that I feel it again, I feel a bit better."
She thought her hints were probably pretty obvious.
Since I've already said that, if Xie Zhiyan is sensible, he should return the hamburger to her.
That way, she could continue to eat, and he wouldn't have to eat her leftover hamburger; they both had a bright future.
Ning Yuxuan quietly looked at Xie Zhiyan, trying to give him a subtle hint through her eyes.
Xie Zhiyan met her gaze, his tone relaxed and casual: "Really? Then I'll try a couple of bites first. If you're not full, you can have the rest."
Ning Yuxuan: "...?"
Xie Zhiyan lowered his head slightly, slowly raised the hamburger in his hand, and took a bite.
To be fair, Xie Zhiyan's actions could be described as "refined".
Ning Yuxuan even suspected that people like them, who grew up in wealthy families, might have undergone some kind of "professional dining training".
Otherwise, how could he eat a hamburger with such an orderly and nonchalant air, as if he were savoring some high-end food?
Unlike her, who would have salad dressing stuck to the corners of her mouth after taking a big bite and had to wipe it off with a napkin.
However, Ning Yuxuan was not in the mood to appreciate the man's eating. She maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, but inside she was screaming: "My burger!"
After taking a bite of the hamburger, Xie Zhiyan leisurely picked up her glass of cola on the table and took a sip.
Ning Yuxuan thought to herself: Great, now her food and drinks have been "defiled" by him.
Xie Zhiyan calmly commented, "It tastes good."
He paused, then added, "But I'm not lying to you, I really did eat a full meal before coming from the dinner party, so I need to take my time to finish the whole burger."
Ning Yuxuan finally couldn't stand it anymore and snatched the hamburger from Xie Zhiyan's hand.
A hint of a smile flashed across Xie Zhiyan's eyes: "What?"
Ning Yuxuan, expressionless, argued: "My stomach digested some more in the past minute, and now I'm hungry again, so I've decided to take back my hamburger."
She doesn't have any food-related germaphobia and used to often share food with close friends and family.
For example, when we were in college, I would often buy two cups of milk tea with Tao You and take turns drinking them. At home, I would often let Ning Fei, who doesn't like desserts, take a small bite of her popsicle first, and then I would continue eating.
Xie Zhiyan... Ning Yuxuan can now barely count him as one of her close friends.
After all, they are husband and wife.
Ning Yuxuan glanced down at the small bite mark on the hamburger that the man had taken, took a deep breath, and silently repeated to herself twice: Wasting food is shameful!
She took a big bite of the remaining hamburger.
She heard a man's pleasant chuckle in her ear. Ning Yuxuan looked up and saw that the man's chest was vibrating slightly, as if he was really in a good mood.
She was just eating a hamburger, is that so funny?
Ning Yuxuan ate while glaring at him.
She finished the double beef burger in less than five minutes.
Ning Yuxuan felt exactly 80% full, and after resting for a while at home, she could go straight to sleep.
She drank three-quarters of the cola and gave the remaining quarter to Xie Zhiyan.
Since he didn't mind drinking what she left over, Ning Yuxuan simply asked him to help her participate in her "Clean Plate Campaign".
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Ning Yuxuan glanced at the time and said, "It's about time, shall we go back?"
If she goes back now, she can get home around 10 o'clock, which is half an hour earlier than the time she told her mother.
Xie Zhiyan: "Wait a moment."
Ning Yuxuan gave him a somewhat puzzled look.
Xie Zhiyan picked up a stack of napkins on the table and took out the middle one.
Ning Yuxuan thought to herself that this person was quite particular, even using the middle part of the tissues which was relatively clean.
The next second, a tissue was gently placed on her chin.
The man's movements were gentle yet clean and efficient as he wiped away a bit of salad dressing from her chin.
Ning Yuxuan paused slightly, feeling a little annoyed.
She was so busy wiping her mouth that she forgot to look at her chin; it probably got on her chin when she was looking down and eating her hamburger.
She should have taken out a mirror and examined her face more closely.
Xie Zhiyan wiped a little bit of salad dressing off her face. Seeing that she still seemed to be in a daze, he asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Ning Yuxuan snapped out of her daze and said honestly, "I was thinking, luckily the foundation I used tonight was quite long-lasting, and I even used setting spray to set my makeup properly. Otherwise, with all this back and forth, my makeup would have been completely ruined."
She glanced at the white tissue, and the good news was that, apart from the salad dressing, there was no foundation stain on it.
Otherwise, if Xie Zhiyan wiped it like that, a piece of her makeup would fall off her chin, which would be really embarrassing.
Xie Zhiyan chuckled to himself.
After a moment, he looked into her eyes and said, "You look beautiful today."
The moment he saw her, he noticed that her makeup was different today, and it made her even more dazzling with her dress and jewelry.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at him: "Wasn't she pretty before?"
Despite her deliberate attempts to embarrass her, Xie Zhiyan remained calm and composed: "Today's makeup is very special; it's a different kind of beautiful than before."
Ning Yuxuan was speechless for a moment.
Unexpectedly, Xie Zhiyan is quite good at sweet talk.
Ning Yuxuan quickly recalled that Xie Zhiyan was probably seeing her dressed so formally and elegantly for the first time today.
She reunited with Xie Zhiyan at Old Master Gu's birthday banquet. She attended at the last minute and had no intention of stealing the spotlight, so she only wore very light makeup.
When appearing on TV shows, Ning Yuxuan doesn't like the feeling of having thick foundation on her face all day, so she always asks the makeup artist to make her makeup as light as possible.
Because she had a good natural look, the makeup artist didn't object.
As for going out with good friends like Tao You, she is even more accustomed to going out without makeup.
Ning Yuxuan rolled her eyes and, on a whim, decided to make things even more difficult for him.
She asked Xie Zhiyan, "Do you prefer me with light makeup, or with heavy makeup like today? I can't say I like both."
This question is just as deadly as the classic "who to save first if someone falls into the water" question; every choice a respondent makes can be criticized.
Xie Zhiyan's lips curled slightly, and he said calmly, "If you're willing to spend time dressing yourself up, what right do I have to criticize you?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Xie Zhiyan raised an eyebrow, questioning Ning Yuxuan's expression.
Ning Yuxuan murmured, "I'm starting to suspect that you might have taken some dating skills classes."
Xie Zhiyan: "If I really had further education, I wouldn't have only dated you once, even though I'm almost thirty."
Ning Yuxuan's cheeks began to burn.
"I already said that," she insisted, "we're still just pretending to be a couple, we're not actually dating..."
She hasn't received a formal confession yet.
Xie Zhiyan continued, "I came to pick you up at the last minute today, and I didn't have time to prepare properly."
Ning Yuxuan told him, "There won't be a chance tomorrow either. My mom and I are flying to Jiangcheng to visit Ning Shiyue on set. Oh, after we come back from the visit, I'll probably have to record a show again, so I won't have time then."
So, she's been quite busy lately, with a schedule as packed as Xie Zhiyan's.
Xie Zhiyan said gently, "Then I'll wait until you have time to share it with me."
Ning Yuxuan deliberately nitpicked: "You don't seem to be in a hurry at all."
Xie Zhiyan said calmly, "We've waited so long, of course there's no rush."
Ning Yuxuan muttered, "How could it have been so long? It's clearly only been a few days."
She glanced at her watch and said, "No, I can't chat with you anymore. Let's get in the car and go home quickly, or my mom will worry about me."
...
Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan are eating hamburgers here, enjoying a peaceful moment.
Meanwhile, at the banquet on the other side, the commotion caused by Xie Zhiyan's appearance had not yet completely subsided.
Xie Zhiyan only stayed at the banquet for a total of ten minutes before leaving.
This includes the time spent toasting and chatting with Wu Shangdong himself, as well as leaving after finding Ning Yuxuan.
The banquet hall was very large, and many of the guests only realized that the head of the Xie family had come after Xie Zhiyan had already left.
"Didn't they say President Xie wasn't coming today? Chairman Wu explained before that President Xie had a business meeting to discuss and was at another dinner party. Why is he suddenly showing up again?"
"I heard he didn't come for Chairman Wu, but to pick up his girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? Which girlfriend?"
"Who else could it be? The one who was photographed before, and Xie Zhiyan sent someone to pick him up in a private car."
Over the past month, there have been many rumors about Xie Zhiyan and Ning Yuxuan, especially circulating among the wives' circle.
Aside from the birthday banquet for the Gu family patriarch a month ago, this was the first time the two had appeared together in public.
Seeing two people walking side by side in person is far more credible than seeing photos or hearing about it.
Although the two only spent a few minutes together, and only a dozen or so people witnessed it, its significance was absolutely profound.
The images of the two leaving the banquet hall together became increasingly outlandish.
Another man is also involved.
Not many people knew that Gu Yunhao and Ning Yuxuan had been together before.
However, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever.
Previously, not many people cared about the relationship between Gu Yunhao and Ning Yuxuan, mainly because Gu Yunhao was not an important figure, and people were not interested in how many girlfriends this good-for-nothing playboy had had.
As Ning Yuxuan has become increasingly famous in the industry recently, and after trending on social media several times, almost everyone in the industry who follows gossip knows that Ning Yuxuan was in a relationship with Gu Yunhao for more than a year.
Some say that Gu Yunhao was right next to President Xie when he left holding Ning Yuxuan's hand tightly.
Before entering the elevator, Xie Zhiyan glanced at Gu Yunhao.
Gu Yunhao was so angry that his face turned red, and he almost rushed up to punch Xie Zhiyan, but he held back because there were too many onlookers.
In fact, this is completely fabricated.
After being hit hard by Ning Yuxuan, Gu Yunhao couldn't recover for a long time and found a place to drink alone in silence.
He only heard about Xie Zhiyan coming to pick up Ning Yuxuan after Xie Zhiyan left.
Gu Yunhao only found out about this after one of his so-called friends told him.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yunhao asked incredulously, "What did you say? Xie Zhiyan came in person?"
Impossible. Wasn't Ning Yuxuan desperate after failing to get help from Xie Zhiyan, which is why she came to the banquet alone seeking a solution?
The young man in the gray suit who came to deliver the news nodded: "Yes, it can't be fake. Several people saw it with their own eyes."
Gu Yunhao still refused to believe it: "How could that be... Are you sure Xie Zhiyan came for Ning Yuxuan? Maybe he's just here to support Wu Shangdong, and it has nothing to do with women."
The man in the gray suit immediately denied it: "That's impossible. President Xie only stayed for ten minutes. Apart from exchanging pleasantries with Chairman Wu for a few minutes, he didn't talk to anyone else. He left after picking up Ning Yuxuan."
Gu Yunhao: "..."
The man in the gray suit looked at the trembling wine glass in Gu Yunhao's hand with a mixture of curiosity and schadenfreude: "What's wrong, Brother Hao? Are you alright?"
Gu Yunhao slammed the bottom of his wine glass onto the table.
"I'm fine!" he said bitterly. "What could possibly be wrong with me?"
On the other side, Wu Shangdong and his wife were discussing the same thing.
"You're something else," Wu Shangdong scolded his wife in a quiet little room. "When you introduced that Xiao Ning to me, why didn't you tell me about her relationship with Xie Zhiyan? What if I had rejected her back then? Wouldn't that have directly offended the Xie family?"
Mrs. Wu raised her eyebrows and complained, "Didn't I say so? I forgot too. Besides, I thought you knew because you agreed so readily. This isn't news in our circle; it's been around for a while now."
Wu Shangdong: "I'm busy negotiating business every day, how could I possibly pay attention to these so-called news like you do?"
Mrs. Wu snorted, "Old Wu, don't talk about me like that. You should be thanking me. If it weren't for me, would you have had the chance to do Xie Zhiyan this favor?"
Wu Shangdong didn't refute it further, knowing in his heart that what his wife said made sense.
He frowned and pondered, "Speaking of which, I still haven't figured out Xie Zhiyan's attitude towards that young girl. Judging from his tone, it seems he doesn't want me to confuse the Ning family's hotel with the Xie family's."
Mrs. Wu replied without hesitation, "What's there to not understand? Ning's daughter is so young and has just started managing the hotel. Mr. Xie wants to give her a chance to develop her skills and gain more experience."
Wu Shangdong glanced at his wife: "It's not as simple as you think. If you really want to support your wife's family, you'll have to wait until after you get married."
Besides, how old is that little girl surnamed Ning? No matter how much training she receives, she could never become Xie Zhiyan's right-hand woman. Does Xie Zhiyan have the time for that?
Mrs. Wu scoffed at her husband, "Come on, I think you're overthinking it! If Mr. Xie likes that young lady, just give him a chance! Alright, alright, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. Mrs. Li is coming over, and I need to have a drink with her."
...
Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan came out of the restaurant, and the driver was waiting in the parking space on the side of the road.
The two got into the car one after the other.
With a third person present, Ning Yuxuan couldn't continue her conversation with Xie Zhiyan at the restaurant.
She asked Xie Zhiyan a question she had been curious about before: "How come you're so well-informed? I didn't even tell you I was going to Wu Shangdong's banquet, and you already knew."
Xie Zhiyan replied with his eyes closed, "The circle in Beicheng is only so big. You are my girlfriend. If someone sees you, someone will naturally tell me."
Ning Yuxuan pursed her lips: "That's true. I forgot that you, President Xie, are a super celebrity in the industry. People can recognize your car at a glance."
Xie Zhiyan chuckled: "You're quite famous now. At today's dinner, someone even asked me about you."
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "What are you asking me?"
Xie Zhiyan: "I want to know why you and I are together."
Those who are interested have already found out what Ning Yuxuan's family does and how much wealth they have.
As for those things that couldn't be found, no one dared to ask Xie Zhiyan directly, for fear of offending him.
You can only ask trivial gossip, such as how the two of them met.
Ning Yuxuan asked curiously, "So what did you say?"
Xie Zhiyan: "Didn't you already teach me everything?"
Ning Yuxuan didn't react for a moment: "When..."
I had a few drinks today, and now it's getting late.
Xie Zhiyan leaned back in his leather seat, his voice different from his previous calm and clear tone, instead sounding somewhat lazy: "I have been in love with you for a long time, and it was not easy to finally have the opportunity to win you over. I cherish you like a treasure."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
This was indeed the script she wrote for Xie Zhiyan; the two of them had rehearsed their statements beforehand.
But this was the first time Xie Zhiyan had mentioned it in front of a third party—the driver was still in the front seat.
And when did he add that phrase "treat it as a treasure"?
Even though the air conditioning was on in the car, Ning Yuxuan felt an involuntary heat rising within her.
Could it be the few glasses of red wine we drank at the dinner party?
The driver in the front seat sat upright as he drove, but his mind was racing with turmoil.
Is this what Mr. Xie said?
The key question is, is this something he can even hear?
...
Ning Yuxuan looked at the night view outside the window for half a minute to calm herself down.
Then she asked Xie Zhiyan, "Do you know why I suddenly went to the Wu family's dinner party?"
Xie Zhiyan: "I didn't know at first, but after meeting Wu Shangdong, he told me about his cooperation with Huayuan."
Ning Yuxuan said "Oh," her tone slightly disappointed: "It seems that Wu Shangdong only agreed to cooperate with me so easily because of you."
Otherwise, I wouldn't have specifically mentioned this to Xie Zhiyan.
Xie Zhiyan: "It shouldn't be the reason you're thinking of."
Ning Yuxuan: "Why?"
Xie Zhiyan: "When I told Wu Shangdong that I went to the banquet to pick you up, he seemed very surprised and even confirmed it with me."
Ning Yuxuan thought for a moment.
If Wu Shangdong truly knew about her relationship with Xie Zhiyan before agreeing to cooperate, even if he didn't anticipate Xie Zhiyan's arrival, he wouldn't be so surprised that Xie Zhiyan came to pick her up.
It seems that when Wu Shangdong agreed to supply goods to Huayuan, he really didn't know that she was Xie Zhiyan's girlfriend.
Ning Yuxuan's mood brightened, which at least showed that her trip to the banquet today was worthwhile.
She looked at Xie Zhiyan.
The man's eyes were slightly closed, as if he were resting.
When I was eating a burger at a fast food restaurant before, there was an auntie cleaning the place.
The faint smell of disinfectant mixed with the aroma of food made Ning Yuxuan unaware of the man's smell of alcohol.
Now, in the cramped space inside the car, and with the two of them very close, Ning Yuxuan could smell the alcohol on Xie Zhiyan.
It doesn't smell bad.
No wonder his voice sounded different than usual just now; it was deeper and slightly languid.
Compared to Xie Zhiyan in his usual manner, the tone of his voice now is more in line with Ning Yuxuan's image of a "young master" of his age.
Of course, no one in the circle regards Xie Zhiyan as a rich kid or a second-generation rich kid anymore. His influence is already on a completely different level from that of his peers.
To be honest, Ning Yuxuan prefers Xie Zhiyan's current voice tone.
Xie Zhiyan's voice was usually too serious, but now it had an added layer of allure.
Ning Yuxuan suddenly became very curious about Xie Zhiyan's current state.
Is this considered slightly tipsy?
I think so, but he definitely wasn't really drunk.
Xie Zhiyan's self-control is truly terrifying; when he was eating a hamburger with her just now, she didn't notice anything amiss at all.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Yuxuan stretched out two fingers and boldly poked Xie Zhiyan's cheek.
The moment her fingertips touched Xie Zhiyan's skin, her fingers were suddenly grabbed by the man.
Ning Yuxuan was so frightened that she almost screamed, but she managed to hold back because she knew there were other people in the car.
Isn't it said that drinking alcohol slows down a person's reaction time?
Moreover, Xie Zhiyan clearly had his eyes closed and couldn't see her movements, so how could he grab her hand so quickly?
Ning Yuxuan tried to pull her fingers back forcefully, but the man's hand was strong and powerful, and she couldn't break free at all.
Left with no other choice, she could only whisper in Xie Zhiyan's ear, "Xie Zhiyan! What are you doing? Let me go!"
Ning Yuxuan wore perfume in preparation for the banquet.
Several hours have passed, and the scent of the perfume has dissipated considerably, but it can still be smelled in the confined space of the car.
The scent of roses lingered around his nose, and the woman's warm breath caressed Xie Zhiyan's ears and neck.
Ning Yuxuan was still preoccupied with how to free her hands from the man's grasp, and therefore remained completely unaware of Xie Zhiyan's change.
She met Xie Zhiyan's gaze after failing to pull her hand back again.
In the dim light, the darkness in the man's eyes was frighteningly intense.
To use a somewhat clichéd analogy, Ning Yuxuan felt for a moment like prey in Xie Zhiyan's eyes, his gaze seeming to want to tear her apart inch by inch.
Ning Yuxuan was initially a little embarrassed because there was a driver in front, and their conversation might be overheard.
At that moment, she was suddenly incredibly grateful that there was a third person in the car, and also grateful that Xie Zhiyan was not a dissolute person.
Otherwise, she felt that, given the man's current gaze, she might not be able to get out of the car unscathed.
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