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◎"I miss you."◎
When Ning Shiyue stormed over to Zhuang Yiming, the two had just exchanged friend lists and were chatting casually.
"Let me tell you about Teacher Yuxuan," Zhuang Yiming said exaggeratedly. "Thanks to you, I added that marksman you used to play with as a friend, and even played a few games with him! His skills are truly amazing; this nickname is more suitable for him!"
When Zhuang Yiming registered for the game, he couldn't think of a good name, so he simply called himself "Watch Me Dominate the Whole Field".
“But your friend doesn’t talk much,” Zhuang Yiming added. “He also doesn’t like to use voice chat, and I still don’t know his real name.”
Zhuang Yiming only watched the first two episodes of "Dear Mom". After joining the production team, he didn't have time to watch the variety show anymore and didn't know who the guest star was in the latest episode.
Ning Yuxuan: "His name is Duan Ziyao, and he is a professional e-sports player."
Zhuang Yiming exclaimed, "Duan Ziyao? The mid laner for OCG? No wonder he's so good! Teacher Yuxuan, you have amazing connections!"
Ning Shiyue walked up behind the two of them, and the first thing he heard was the name "Duan Ziyao".
This is adding insult to injury.
Ning Shiyue slapped Zhuang Yiming's shoulder hard without any mercy and said irritably, "What's going on?"
Ning Yuxuan and Zhuang Yiming turned around at the same time.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Zhuang Yiming chuckled and said, "Brother Shi Yue, happy birthday! I swapped game friend slots with Teacher Yu Xuan. I was too shy to send a friend request before, so I just added her since we ran into each other."
The address was polite, and the reason was justified.
Ning Shiyue's complexion improved slightly.
Ning Yuxuan looked at Ning Shiyue with a smile: "Why are you here, birthday boy? Have you received everyone's blessings?"
Ning Shiyue hummed in agreement: "Hmm."
Zhuang Yiming's gaze swept between Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue, and he tactfully said, "Then you two siblings chat for a while, I'll go take a look elsewhere!"
The place where Ning Shiyue celebrated her birthday was a pre-built outdoor set.
The crew finally got a day off today, and everyone was in a relaxed mood, chatting and eating cake in small groups.
Everyone in the crew knew how much Ning Shiyue valued his mother and sister. Seeing Ning Shiyue talking to Ning Yuxuan, they all wisely refrained from disturbing him and his family.
Ning Shiyue looked around: "You're not with Mom?"
Ning Yuxuan laughed and said, "Everyone is crowding around the great artist Ning for autographs, so I won't join in the fun."
For artists who want to go further on the path of acting, Ning Fei's achievements are absolutely something everyone dreams of, and she is undoubtedly an idol for actors.
Everyone wanted to have more opportunities to talk to her.
"And you?" Ning Yuxuan asked, "Why are you coming to find me instead of joining in the fun with everyone?"
Ning Shiyue thought to himself, "It's all because of that guy Zhuang Yiming."
"What were you talking about just now?" Ning Shiyue asked.
Ning Yuxuan's brow twitched slightly, and she deliberately said, "Didn't you hear everything? They were talking about Duan Ziyao."
Ning Shiyue frowned instantly.
Ning Yuxuan laughed triumphantly: "Ning Shiyue, you really should look in the mirror. Your face almost scrunches up whenever Duan Ziyao is mentioned. Do you really hate him that much? Or do you really believe in the random pairing made up by netizens?"
Ning Shiyue replied without hesitation, "Of course I didn't believe it! That guy is three years younger than me, how could I possibly believe that the two of you have a chance!"
"Why is that?" Ning Yuxuan narrowed her eyes. "Or have you been bribed and become someone's spy?"
Ning Shiyue denied it again: "No! This is all slander, nothing about espionage."
Ning Yuxuan: "Then why did you ask about my preferences on Xie Zhiyan's behalf?"
Ning Shiyue subconsciously said, "That's because..."
I only realized something was wrong halfway through the conversation.
“No…” Ning Shiyue cleared his throat slightly guiltily, “I didn’t ask for him, I wanted to ask myself.”
Ning Yuxuan gave him a look that seemed to say, "Do you think I believe you?"
Ning Shiyue struggled in vain and had no choice but to admit, "Okay... I did ask for Brother Zhiyan."
Ning Yuxuan asked curiously, "Did he ask you for help? What did he say to you?"
Ning Shiyue hesitated for a second, then simply took his phone out of his pocket: "Why don't you take a look yourself?"
Ning Yuxuan gave him an approving look: "You know what's good for you."
She opened WeChat and found the chat history between Ning Shiyue and Xie Zhiyan.
Xie Zhiyan: [Shi Yue, are you busy? I have a question I'd like to ask you.]
Ning Shiyue: [No problem, Brother Zhiyan, just ask me anything, I'll definitely answer everything I know!]
Xie Zhiyan: [What kind of confession do you think your sister would like?]
Ning Shiyue: [Confessing? My sister doesn't seem to like confessing. As far as I know, every boy who has confessed to her since we were little has been rejected.]
Ning Shiyue: [But if you need it, Brother Zhiyan, I can ask her for you!]
Xie Zhiyan: [Thank you very much.]
Xie Zhiyan: [No need to tell her it was me who wanted to ask.]
Ning Shiyue: [No problem, I understand! Leave it to me!]
Ning Yuxuan wanted to laugh.
Unexpectedly, Xie Zhiyan actually went to consult Ning Shiyue seriously. Judging from the time, it was the morning after she proposed to "formally confess her feelings".
Xie Zhiyan didn't react much to her request that day, and she thought he didn't take it to heart. Unexpectedly, he went to Ning Shiyue for advice early the next morning.
Ning Yuxuan tossed the phone back to Ning Shiyue: "Still saying you weren't a spy?"
Ning Shiyue took the phone and coughed, "I was just asking you a question for Zhiyan, it's not that serious, hey, don't—"
Ning Yuxuan had already taken out her phone and sent a voice message to Xie Zhiyan: "Some people can't think of how to create a surprise themselves, so they actually call in outside help. How cunning. But your trick failed. I caught the outside help red-handed."
Ning Shiyue was too late to stop her and could only look at Ning Yuxuan with a deathly pale face.
His lifelong reputation was ruined just like that!
They promised to gather information for Brother Zhiyan and keep it a secret, but they failed to complete either task.
It's all Ning Yuxuan's fault for knowing me too well, leaving me no room to maneuver.
After Ning Yuxuan finished sending a voice message to complain about Xie Zhiyan, she was about to put her phone away.
Suddenly, a voice call came in from the other end.
Ning Yuxuan hesitated for a second before answering.
"Hello?" Ning Yuxuan asked, "What's wrong? Did you find out my trick and have to call me to explain?"
Ning Shiyue watched as Ning Yuxuan answered the phone, hesitated for a moment, and did not move.
Will Brother Zhiyan blame him?
I promised Brother Zhiyan that I would take care of it, but I was completely exposed in just one day.
Xie Zhiyan's voice, tinged with a faint smile, rang in Ning Yuxuan's ear: "I didn't mean to explain."
Ning Yuxuan: "Then why did you call?"
The man spoke clearly and gently: "Because I miss you."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
The sudden sweet words almost made her drop her phone, and her heart skipped a beat.
Ning Yuxuan silently exhaled, then her gaze paused slightly, and her brows furrowed—
Why is Ning Shiyue still standing here like an idiot?
Not only did she not try to avoid him, she also stared at him with wide eyes.
Ning Shiyue was worried that Xie Zhiyan would use Ning Yuxuan to hold him accountable, so he stood here to explain immediately: he really didn't mean it.
Seeing Ning Yuxuan looking at him, Ning Shiyue assumed that Xie Zhiyan had mentioned him on the phone.
Ning Shiyue pointed to himself, as if to say: Is Brother Zhiyan asking me?
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Otherwise, Ning Shiyue wouldn't have never been in a relationship since he was a child.
He's so clueless and oblivious; it's no wonder he can't even find love!
She and Ning Shiyue stood in a corner of the film set, with the rest of the crew nearby, making it difficult to find a quiet spot.
Ning Yuxuan didn't reply for a while, then a man's voice came from the phone again.
"Didn't you ask me yesterday if I missed you when you weren't around?" Xie Zhiyan's voice was deep and pleasant. "I'll answer you again."
Ning Yuxuan: "...Mm."
It was rare to hear Xie Zhiyan be so warm and caring on the phone.
But she simply couldn't concentrate on listening to his sweet nothings right now.
Xie Zhiyan: "What are you thinking about?"
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Ning Shiyue, who was still staring blankly at her: "I wasn't thinking about anything."
Seeing Ning Yuxuan's displeasure, Ning Shiyue cautiously asked, "What's wrong? Is Brother Zhiyan blaming me?"
Ning Shiyue lowered his voice deliberately, but their corner was very quiet, so Xie Zhiyan still heard him.
Judging from Ning Yuxuan's reaction, it's not hard to guess what's going on over there.
Xie Zhiyan: "..."
He asked, "Is Shi Yue next to you?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Yes, I'm with the helper you found. I have to go now, bye."
Seeing that she had hung up the phone, Ning Shiyue was still worried about his image in Xie Zhiyan's mind: "What happened? What did Brother Zhiyan say? Does he think I'm unreliable?"
Ning Yuxuan rolled her eyes: "Yes, it's extremely unreliable, especially unreliable."
Ning Shiyue finally realized that something was wrong.
On the first night Ning Yuxuan left Beicheng, her boyfriend called. Perhaps, maybe... they wanted to have a private talk?
Ning Shiyue's expression changed, and he cautiously asked, "Um, did I... disturb you?"
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Ning Shiyue but remained silent.
Everything is understood without words.
Ning Shiyue: "...I'll leave now."
Ning Yuxuan grabbed Ning Shiyue: "Alright, I've already hung up the phone, where are you going? We'll talk later..."
She looked at Ning Shiyue with amusement: "I won't say anything to you since it's your birthday today."
Ning Shiyue, feeling guilty, changed the subject: "Do you want some cake? I'll get you a piece."
When Ning Yuxuan arrived at the film set, she had just eaten dinner and was still full, so she didn't eat the cake prepared by the crew.
Now that I've rested for a little while, I've made some room in my stomach again.
“Okay,” Ning Yuxuan said. “I want to bring strawberries.”
Seeing this as a rare opportunity to make amends, Ning Shiyue immediately ran to the table, cut a piece of cake, and brought it over to Ning Yuxuan along with a disposable plate.
"Here you go." Ning Shiyue handed over the plate. "Here's the cake you ordered. It has two strawberries on it."
Ning Yuxuan took the cake and took a bite.
It tastes good, the cream is rich and creamy, and the fruit filling is also delicious.
While enjoying her cake, Ning Yuxuan casually asked Ning Shiyue, "How have you been on set these past few days? Are you tired?"
Ning Shiyue remained silent.
Ning Yuxuan put a strawberry in her mouth, but received no reply. She looked at Ning Shiyue with a puzzled expression and asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Ning Shiyue: "..."
This was the first time Ning Yuxuan had ever asked him, "Are you tired?"
In my memory, she had never cared about me like this before.
Ning Shiyue got along well with his colleagues on the set these days. Director Zhang Tai was strict but also very professional, and none of the actors he worked with were particularly annoying.
But this was his first period drama, and he was the male lead with the most screen time in the entire cast, so he was under a lot of physical and mental pressure.
In addition, people are more sentimental at night than during the day, and today is his birthday.
Ning Shiyue found that her eyes were starting to sting.
Realizing this, Ning Shiyue quickly turned his back.
Ning Yuxuan took a big bite of cream, and then saw Ning Shiyue turn around with his back to her and his head down.
Like a puppy that has made a mistake.
Ning Yuxuan found it amusing and walked around to Ning Shiyue's front: "What, did I hit a nerve? You've been working so hard on set these past few days, you're so tired you've cried?"
Ning Shiyue suddenly raised her head: "I won't be so tired that I cry!"
Ning Yuxuan blinked her eyelashes: "So you cried because you heard me care about you and were moved by your gentle and understanding older sister?"
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Her interruption touched me, but I couldn't bring myself to cry.
Ning Shiyue muttered, "I've never seen anyone like you who likes to praise yourself so much."
Ning Yuxuan smiled and said, "Alright, you're almost crying. I have some good news to cheer you up."
“I told you I didn’t cry…” Ning Shiyue muttered, “What good news?”
Ning Yuxuan: "Our performing artist, Teacher Ning Fei, may be falling in love."
Ning Shiyue's expression froze: "...What?"
Ning Yuxuan: "I know you heard me."
Ning Shiyue: "With whom?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Have you heard of Liang Jihuai, the double Golden Dew Award Best Actor?"
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Of course he had heard of it. Liang Jihuai's achievements in the industry were obvious to all. In his acting classes when he was a student, the teacher often used Liang Jihuai's performance clips as examples for the students.
Ning Yuxuan added: "This morning, Teacher Liang took my mom and me to the airport. However, Teacher Liang is probably still pursuing my mom, and she hasn't agreed yet. The two of them are still in the process of getting to know each other."
Ning Shiyue remained silent for a long time before finally letting out an "Oh".
Ning Yuxuan: "So, what are your thoughts?"
Ning Shiyue didn't know what to say: "I..."
Ning Yuxuan added, "If you object, I will reject it on behalf of Mom."
Ning Shiyue: "...Who said I was going to object?"
This time it was Ning Yuxuan's turn to be surprised: "So you support Mom and Teacher Liang being together?"
Ning Shiyue: "I didn't say I supported it."
Ning Yuxuan crossed her arms and looked at Ning Shiyue.
Ning Shiyue snorted lightly: "I neither support nor oppose it, is that not allowed?"
To be honest, when Ning Yuxuan first told Ning Shiyue that her mother might be in a relationship, Ning Shiyue's first reaction was that he felt quite awkward.
After all these years, my mother has been single.
However, he's no longer a child, so he's not so incapable of accepting something like this.
He certainly wouldn't object if his mother wanted to pursue her own happiness.
As she spoke, Ning Fei finally managed to escape from the "fans" on set.
"Xuanxuan, Xiaoyue," Ning Fei walked over, "Why are you two hiding in this corner?"
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "It's nothing, just chatting."
"By the way," Ning Yuxuan glanced meaningfully at Ning Shiyue, "I already told Ning Shiyue about that matter."
Ning Fei was slightly taken aback, then realized what her daughter meant.
Ning Fei's daughter had previously said she would help her talk to her son about her relationship with Liang Jihuai, but she didn't expect it to happen so soon, and she was still a little uneasy.
Ning Shiyue doesn't seem to like expressing his feelings much, but Ning Fei knows that her son is actually very thoughtful and no less so than her daughter.
“Xiao Yue…” Ning Fei looked at Ning Shiyue.
Ning Shiyue interrupted, "Mom, don't treat me like a child. Ning Yuxuan can understand you, so of course I can too."
Ning Yuxuan silently rolled her eyes at Ning Shiyue, refraining from embarrassing him.
A hint of surprise flashed in Ning Fei's eyes, then she nodded: "Thank you, Xiao Yue."
Ning Shiyue turned her head away: "It's nothing."
The film crew will be working as usual tomorrow, so this simple birthday party lasted until 9 p.m.
The group gradually left the film set and returned to their hotel.
Director Zhang Tai came to find Ning Shiyue's family.
“Teacher Ning.” Zhang Tai is a little younger than Ning Fei. The two have never worked together, but they have met a few times before.
Zhang Tai had already spoken to Ning Fei beforehand; his main purpose in coming this time was to see Ning Yuxuan.
Ning Fei took Ning Shiyue aside to talk, leaving Ning Yuxuan and Zhang Tai a few minutes to talk alone.
"Yu Xuan, am I sure I remembered your name correctly?" Zhang Tai said with a smile. "Xiao Ning... ah no, Shi Yue often mentions you, his older sister, on set, and always praises your beauty to me. Seeing you in person today is truly an eye-opener."
These words sounded like mere politeness, and Ning Yuxuan knew that Ning Shiyue would never praise her like that on set.
Ning Yuxuan smiled and shook hands with Zhang Tai: "Hello, Director Zhang."
Zhang Tai smiled and nodded: "I heard from your mother that you've been coming to the film set during the day these past two days?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Yes."
The main purpose of this trip to Jiangcheng was to visit Ning Shiyue's work unit; they didn't arrange much sightseeing.
The summers in Wuhan are very hot and humid, and it's not suitable to wander around outside for too long during the day. Visiting popular attractions in the evening is enough.
"Oh, is that so?" Zhang Tai smiled kindly. "I have a role here, would you be interested in playing it?"
Seeing that Ning Yuxuan was about to speak, Zhang Tai quickly added, "Don't rush to refuse. Here's the thing. This role only has one scene and a few lines, so it won't take you too much time. Your appearance is very suitable for this role, and I really hope that you can make a cameo appearance, Yuxuan."
Ning Yuxuan initially wanted to refuse, but after hearing the director's question, she became curious: "What role?"
Zhang Tai chuckled: "The male lead... oh, he's the enemy of Shi Yue's character, a woman who looks glamorous but is actually a vicious snake."
...
On the way back to the hotel, Ning Shiyue was both curious and resentful about Zhang Tai's private conversation with Ning Yuxuan: "What did Director Zhang say to you? And why did he have to send me away?"
Ning Yuxuan: "It's nothing. He just said that you often praised me for being beautiful and gentle on set, and he was just being polite with me."
Ning Shiyue: "..."
He still doesn't quite believe it.
Upon arriving at the hotel, the three of them took the elevator upstairs together.
Ning Shiyue's room, like most of the male actors in the crew, was on the third floor.
Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei's room is the hotel's best suite, located on the eighth floor.
After Ning Shiyue got off the elevator first, Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei also took their room cards and went back to their room.
"Mom, you use the bathroom first," Ning Yuxuan said. "I'll shower after you're done."
Ning Fei's mother is used to going to bed early, and she always used the bathroom first when recording the show.
Ning Fei agreed and went to the bathroom to remove her makeup and take a shower.
Whenever my mother goes out, she always makes sure she looks very presentable. In addition, she washes her hair, blow-dries it, and does skincare every night. The whole process takes at least half an hour.
Ning Yuxuan changed into her nightgown, rolled around comfortably on the bed, and took out her phone to pass the time.
There were several unread messages on my phone, one of which was from Xie Zhiyan.
Xie Zhiyan: [Have you rested?]
Ning Yuxuan rolled to the middle of the bed and typed while lying down: 【Not yet, just arrived at the hotel.】
Xie Zhiyan: [How is the environment?]
Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei stayed in a family suite at the hotel, which had a large bedroom and a semi-open-air balcony.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Yuxuan took her phone, walked to the balcony, and closed the balcony door.
She dialed a phone number with a foreign language connection.
Two seconds later, the call was connected.
Xie Zhiyan: "Xuanxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan raised the corners of her lips: "Didn't you say you missed me? I'm being kind and giving you a call."
Xie Zhiyan: "Are you alone this time?"
Ning Yuxuan: "My mom went to wash up, it should take her more than half an hour. I'm on the balcony now, I'll call you after I close the door."
She paused, then asked, "And you?"
Xie Zhiyan: "At home, I just finished work not long ago."
The phone went silent for a few seconds.
Ning Yuxuan looked up at the moon and suddenly remembered Xie Zhiyan's unexpected words, "I miss you," from a few hours ago.
I really want to listen to it again.
Ning Yuxuan pursed her lips: "So, what are you thinking about right now?"
The man on the other end of the phone seemed to have read her mind. Instead of answering her, he chuckled deeply.
Ning Yuxuan: "...Thank you, Zhiyan!"
The man finally stopped laughing at her slightly embarrassed and angry tone.
Xie Zhiyan: "I miss you."
Beyond the tenderness, there was a hint of helplessness.
It was as if it was done on purpose to satisfy her.
Around ten o'clock, the sweltering air in Jiangcheng finally brought a touch of coolness.
Ning Yuxuan reached out and touched her cheek in the breeze; it was a little hot.
"Oh," Ning Yuxuan said, "I understand."
Xie Zhiyan: "That's it?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Yes, that's it."
What else could he possibly expect from her?
Even if she knew, she wouldn't say anything.
It's his fault for not being so decisive when he said he wanted to talk to her earlier.
Xie Zhiyan seemed to have given in, and after a few seconds of silence, he asked her, "How's the weather in Jiangcheng?"
Ning Yuxuan couldn't quite tell if she was a little disappointed. Looking at the moon in the sky, she replied, "It's very hot during the day. But it's alright at night. I was wearing a dress on the terrace, and the breeze was very refreshing."
Xie Zhiyan: "What kind of skirt?"
Ning Yuxuan was taken aback.
She hadn't expected Xie Zhiyan to ask such a question; it didn't seem like his style.
Ning Yuxuan wanted to ask him if he had been drinking again today.
On second thought, he swallowed the words that were about to come out.
Ning Yuxuan looked at the nightgown she was wearing and slowly said, "Nothing special, just a regular slip dress. Light purple, small V-neck, the neckline is made of semi-transparent gauze with rose embroidery. There's also a bow, which sits right in the middle of the chest..."
She lowered her head, casually yet meticulously describing the dress she was wearing.
After he finished speaking, Ning Yuxuan asked him, "Well, have you figured it out yet?"
No one answered her.
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