62 062
"A pleasant surprise."
Ning Yuxuan waited two seconds before the trunk slowly opened.
She pulled her suitcase over, then stopped in her tracks.
The trunk wasn't filled with two other suitcases, but with flowers.
The fragrance of flowers wafts over you.
Ning Yuxuan blinked, and considering Ning Shiyue and Ning Fei's unusual behavior that morning, a guess slowly formed in her mind.
She looked ahead at the car.
Someone got out of the driver's seat; it was someone she recognized.
Ning Yuxuan smiled slightly.
When the tall, handsome man walked up to her, Ning Yuxuan said, "Xie Zhiyan, you're so unsophisticated."
That's what she said, but her eyes were curved.
Xie Zhiyan looked at her with a smile.
Ning Yuxuan's second sentence was: "Where are my mom and my brother?"
Xie Zhiyan: "They also have a driver to pick them up. We just met them briefly, and they should be on their way to the airport now."
Ning Yuxuan pursed her lips: "No wonder they've been acting strange since last night, it turns out you've bribed them."
Then she remembered something: "They've already gone to the airport, so what about us..."
Xie Zhiyan knew what she wanted to ask: "I discussed it with Aunt Ning and the others, and we didn't book a plane ticket for you. Liu Cheng has already applied for the flight route in advance. We will take a private plane back to Beicheng at noon. There is no rush."
Ning Yuxuan said "Oh," and asked one last question: "Shouldn't you be in London discussing business? Why are you in Jiangcheng?"
Xie Zhiyan replied, "The flight was last night, and it landed in Jiangcheng at six o'clock this morning."
Ning Yuxuan was slightly taken aback.
In other words, Xie Zhiyan had only gotten off the plane two hours earlier.
He flew to England on Wednesday morning and flew back on Thursday night, with a client meeting in between. He probably won't even have time to adjust to the time difference.
Even if his private jet is spacious and comfortable, he probably won't get a good rest.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't moved at all.
Ning Yuxuan whispered, "Why did you rush over here? If you come back later, it's the same if we meet in Beicheng."
Xie Zhiyan's eyes softened: "There's no particular reason, I just wanted to see you sooner and give you a surprise."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
She concealed the emotions in her eyes, avoiding his gaze, and asked again, "Then what about this car?"
Xie Zhiyan: "The car was lent to me by a friend in Jiangcheng. Time was a bit tight, and I asked him to help me find someone to arrange the flowers."
His partners are all over the country, and his friends come from all over the world.
The day before yesterday, he contacted an old friend in Jiangcheng and, after explaining the situation, the friend agreed to lend him his car for a day without hesitation.
Ning Yuxuan turned around and looked again at the trunk full of flowers.
The style is a bit old-fashioned... but the person who paired it with the flowers has good taste, so it still looks quite nice.
The overall color scheme is pink. Ning Yuxuan has limited knowledge of flowers and could only roughly recognize pink lychee roses and tulips, but she couldn't name the others.
The man naturally took the suitcase from her and placed it beside her.
Ning Yuxuan bent down, picked a flower from the bushes, and smelled it.
A deep male voice came from beside her ear: "Do you still like it?"
Ning Yuxuan: "...It's alright."
Actually, she really likes it.
However, it wasn't because she received flowers; she had received countless flowers throughout her life.
What she cared about more was that he was willing to travel more than 10,000 kilometers back to prepare this surprise for her.
Although Xie Zhiyan didn't say it, she could roughly guess that he must have tried his best to shorten his schedule and rush back as soon as he finished meeting the client so that he could come to her side in time.
For some reason, Ning Yuxuan didn't want the man to notice her feelings.
So much so that she immediately avoided his gaze.
Ning Yuxuan looked down at the tulip in her hand when her left hand was suddenly grabbed by the man.
The man exerted a little force, and she subconsciously turned around to meet his gaze.
Xie Zhiyan gazed into her eyes: "Xuanxuan."
Under the double assault of the man's gaze and deep voice, Ning Yuxuan couldn't help but feel guilty and admitted, "Okay... it's not just okay, I really like it."
Xie Zhiyan chuckled.
After a moment of eye contact, he suddenly raised his hand and gently brushed his fingertips across the corner of her mouth.
A slight smile appeared in Xie Zhiyan's eyes: "You've already had breakfast? There are a few breadcrumbs on your face."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
In an instant, all the blood and energy rushed to his cheeks, making them burn.
Ning Yuxuan glared at him: "Xie Zhiyan!"
Xie Zhiyan smiled slightly: "It's okay, it's not obvious, I've already wiped it off for you."
Ning Yuxuan bit her lip.
Is this what she cares about?
Even if you've wiped it off, you've already lost face.
If she had known, she wouldn't have swallowed those two small pieces of bread so hastily just to fill her stomach, and things wouldn't be like this now.
Xie Zhiyan was actually laughing; he was clearly mocking her on purpose!
Thinking of this, Ning Yuxuan glared at him even more fiercely.
She thought her expression must be fierce at that moment.
In Xie Zhiyan's eyes, her wide eyes were like two lychees, crystal clear, and her lips were tightly pursed, revealing a hint of grievance.
The moment she bit her lip, her pink and full lips caved in slightly, making them look even more... alluring.
Xie Zhiyan lowered his eyes and quickly looked away from her face.
Ning Yuxuan's soft complaint reached her ears: "It's all your fault. You conspired with my brother and my mom to go downstairs so early, so I didn't have time to eat breakfast properly. I could only quickly nibble on that little piece of bread, otherwise it wouldn't have gotten on my lips..."
She spoke very quickly, and her tone was more like a coquettish complaint than a grumbling.
It makes you want to find a way to shut that incessantly chattering mouth.
At 8:30 a.m., it was the peak time for guests to come and go downstairs from the hotel.
People were coming and going all around, and many were drawn to the flowers in the trunk, glancing in this direction intentionally or unintentionally.
The man and woman are a perfect match in terms of both height and appearance, but the woman seems to be deliberately avoiding looking at the man. Is she throwing a tantrum?
Passersby were filled with curiosity, wondering if the man had upset his girlfriend and that's why he sent flowers to apologize, but still couldn't appease her.
Xie Zhiyan also noticed the gazes of those around him.
He suppressed the impulse in his chest, took a deep breath, and suddenly took her other hand as well.
Both of Ning Yuxuan's hands were enveloped by the man's large palms, and her voice stopped.
Xie Zhiyan looked up again and met her slightly bewildered eyes.
"It's my fault," Xie Zhiyan said. "Let's go eat something else nice to make it up to you, okay?"
Ning Yuxuan: "...Where to?"
...
Xie Zhiyan took Ning Yuxuan to a nearby breakfast shop.
This store is very popular, and there's already a long queue outside.
Xie Zhiyan had made a reservation in advance, which allowed him to successfully bring Ning Yuxuan into the store and take a seat.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at the long queue outside and asked Xie Zhiyan, "So bringing me here for breakfast was also something you planned in advance?"
Xie Zhiyan: "We did make some preparations in advance. After all, we came to pick you up early in the morning, so you might not have had time to eat properly."
Ning Yuxuan snorted: "I didn't eat well because of you."
She glanced down at the menu and ordered a signature shumai and a small portion of steamed pork ribs.
She has a strong palate, but she also prefers to eat something lighter in the morning.
Xie Zhiyan ordered a serving of chicken crest dumplings and a serving of yellow croaker noodles.
Soon the waiter brought all the dishes to the table.
Ning Yuxuan picked up a shumai and took a bite, and the last bit of dissatisfaction in her heart vanished instantly.
The food is soft and chewy with a moderate level of saltiness; good food can indeed bring people genuine happiness.
Xie Zhiyan picked up a piece of steamed pork ribs and placed it in Ning Yuxuan's small bowl.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Xie Zhiyan.
“Don’t think you can make me feel better just like that,” she said. “I haven’t forgotten how you laughed at me just now.”
She was no longer angry inside, but she still wouldn't let it go verbally.
Xie Zhiyan asked helplessly, "When did I laugh at you?"
Ning Yuxuan took a big bite of the rib: "Just now! When you were wiping the breadcrumbs off me, the way you looked at me and smiled was clearly mocking me!"
Xie Zhiyan placed another chicken crest dumpling on Ning Yuxuan's plate: "It's your imagination. I absolutely did not mean to mock you."
Ning Yuxuan glared at him: "Why do you keep putting food on my plate? It's like I'm easily bribed by delicious food!"
As she said this, she still put the dumpling that Xie Zhiyan had put on her plate into her mouth again.
The shumai and chicken crest dumplings were both delicious, but her favorite was the steamed pork ribs with rice flour.
It's fresh, tender, and smooth; you won't get tired of eating a little bit in the morning.
Since it was breakfast, the portions of each dish were small. Xie Zhiyan only tried one piece of pork rib, while Ning Yuxuan ate the rest.
She finished the whole plate and even wanted another serving, but she resisted the urge because she knew it wasn't good to eat too much for breakfast.
Xie Zhiyan noticed that her gaze lingered on the empty plate for a long time, and said, "This dish is not uncommon. If you like it, we can order it again when we return to Beicheng."
Ning Yuxuan licked her lips, still wanting more, and contradicted him: "No, I don't want to get up early to eat breakfast outside after I get home, it's too much trouble."
Xie Zhiyan: "Then I'll pack it up and bring it back. You can eat it after you get up."
Ning Yuxuan was drinking soy milk when she heard this and paused slightly.
A scene involuntarily popped into my mind—
She slept in late on the weekend and was awakened by a delicious aroma. When she opened her eyes, she saw Xie Zhiyan standing in front of her with a plate of steamed pork ribs.
Ning Yuxuan was frightened by her own nonsensical imagination.
She actually started fantasizing about living together with a man just because of one sentence he said.
Could it be that she has already accepted the possibility of living with Xie Zhiyan in the future?
Ning Yuxuan quickly took a deep breath, banishing those wild thoughts from her mind.
“No,” she said. “I don’t want to live with you.”
Xie Zhiyan raised an eyebrow and looked at her meaningfully.
Ning Yuxuan was stunned for a moment, and then her cheeks felt hot again.
Xie Zhiyan had only said he would pack it up for her, but her response was as if she were telling him what she was fantasizing about.
No, you can't blame her. He deliberately said those suggestive things!
Before Ning Yuxuan could express her dissatisfaction again, Xie Zhiyan spoke up in time: "Xuanxuan."
Ning Yuxuan: "...What are you doing?"
Xie Zhiyan: "That night, you said you wanted to talk to me about the wedding house in person."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
She brought it up on the phone, but Xie Zhiyan bringing it up at this time made one suspect his ulterior motives.
Xie Zhiyan looked at her calmly: "What are your thoughts? You can tell me."
Ning Yuxuan's brow twitched slightly as she looked at the man.
His tone was normal, and he seemed calm and composed, which made Ning Yuxuan think that perhaps she was just overthinking things.
Perhaps... he was simply discussing buying a house with her.
After all, they had already made an agreement beforehand, and even Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue knew about it.
Ning Yuxuan pulled herself out of her thoughts and cleared her throat: "Yes, that's right..."
Those houses were all personally selected by Assistant Liu. Ning Yuxuan had already told Liu Cheng her requirements before he went to choose them.
So when the assistant sent over the house information that day, Ning Yuxuan went through it and was generally quite satisfied.
Ning Yuxuan briefly explained the few minor details to Xie Zhiyan.
Xie Zhiyan nodded: "Yes, I'll have Liu Cheng double-check what you've said."
"Oh, right," Xie Zhiyan added, "I've already had Liu Cheng take photos of the hotel's decor and sent them to your email."
Ning Yuxuan nodded.
She had almost forgotten about it if Xie Zhiyan hadn't mentioned it.
The breakfast portion was just enough for two people to eat their fill.
Ning Yuxuan sent a message to her mother and learned that Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue had arrived at the airport safely.
Ning Fei told her not to worry, that she would send her messages after boarding and landing, and that someone would pick her up when she arrived in Beicheng.
The mother didn't say who it was, but since it wasn't the driver, it was probably Liang Jihuai.
This time she didn't come back with them, which gave the two of them a chance to be alone together.
Ning Yuxuan finished the last shumai and asked Xie Zhiyan, "Shall we go to the airport now?"
Xie Zhiyan: "No rush. The flight is scheduled to depart at 2 PM. You can go wherever you want to go."
Ning Yuxuan glanced at the sun outside the window: "It's so hot, I don't want to go out."
Xie Zhiyan: "Then let's not go outside."
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "The indoor attractions I'm interested in, my mom and I have already visited these past few days. There's a shopping mall we haven't had time to go to, but... are you sure you want to go shopping with me?"
Xie Zhiyan: "Is it not allowed?"
Ning Yuxuan leaned forward, getting closer to the man's eyes: "There's a seven or eight-hour time difference between London and China. You probably haven't had much rest these past two days, have you?"
Xie Zhiyan smiled and said, "So you were worried about me."
Ning Yuxuan replied without hesitation, "I'm worried about my own safety. If you drive while fatigued, I'll be in your car too."
Xie Zhiyan: "Then you drive?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
For a moment, he couldn't refute him.
Ning Yuxuan has indeed had a good rest these past two days. She doesn't have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds, and the hotel bed this time was very soft and comfortable.
Seeing that she didn't answer, Xie Zhiyan continued, "Liu Cheng has found a driver for me, who can take us there in a bit, but if you'd like to drive, you can drive yourself."
This wasn't the first time Assistant Liu had accompanied Xie Zhiyan on a business trip abroad; he had encountered similar situations before and was already experienced.
After landing at Jiangcheng International Airport, Liu Cheng quickly arranged a local driver for Xie Zhiyan, and then went to a hotel near the airport to rest by himself.
After Mr. Xie met with his girlfriend, he had rested enough to be ready to accompany Mr. Xie back to Beicheng in high spirits.
To be honest, this was the first time Liu Cheng had seen Xie Zhiyan arrange such a tight schedule. He started working almost as soon as he landed in London, and flew back to China right after finishing a meeting with a client.
Ning Yuxuan sensed something was wrong.
She frowned and asked Xie Zhiyan, "You found a driver here? Then why did you drive here alone to see me after just getting off the plane this morning?"
Xie Zhiyan said calmly, "I rested for a few hours on the plane, I'm not as tired as you think. Besides, I didn't want to be disturbed when I first saw you."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
His tone was so nonchalant that she didn't know whether she should be moved.
However, if Xie Zhiyan were to actually play the victim with her, it wouldn't be like him.
Ning Yuxuan: "Alright, since that's the case, I'll reluctantly be your driver this time."
After paying the bill, Ning Yuxuan got into the driver's seat.
Xie Zhiyan's friend's Mercedes-Benz wasn't cheap, but the model wasn't very new. Ning Yuxuan had driven similar cars with friends before, so it was easy for her to get used to.
Around nine o'clock, I caught the tail end of the morning rush hour, and there was a slight traffic jam on the road.
When we arrived at the shopping center, it had just opened.
When I entered the mall, there weren't many customers, and it seemed rather deserted.
Ning Yuxuan deliberately teased Xie Zhiyan: "Shouldn't you be a top VIP? Why didn't anyone greet you?"
Xie Zhiyan glanced at her with a faint smile: "If you want someone to greet you, I can make a call right now."
Ning Yuxuan: "Let's forget about it."
She believed Xie Zhiyan wasn't bragging, but she just wanted to wander around casually today.
Ning Yuxuan didn't have anything in particular she wanted to buy, so she wandered aimlessly from the first floor of the mall, going into any store that caught her eye.
Both of them had outstanding demeanor, especially Xie Zhiyan. The material of his clothes and his overall aura clearly indicated that he was a wealthy person.
The staff were all very welcoming.
However, to Ning Yuxuan's surprise, the one who was recognized was actually herself.
As Ning Yuxuan entered a jewelry store, a salesperson quickly approached her, her eyes shining as she looked at her: "Excuse me... are you Ms. Ning from the show 'Dear Mom'?"
Ning Yuxuan paused for a moment, then admitted, "Yes."
The shop assistant glanced at Xie Zhiyan cautiously again: "Then this is yours..."
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Xie Zhiyan and replied, "He's my boyfriend."
After hearing Ning Yuxuan's answer, the shop assistant immediately praised her enthusiastically: "Ms. Ning, you are even more beautiful and charming than you appear on TV. Your temperament and figure are outstanding. I spotted you at a glance! Your boyfriend is also very handsome!"
Ning Yuxuan found it somewhat amusing. The renowned CEO Xie from Beicheng was only being praised as her boyfriend here.
That's normal, though. She's been appearing on the hottest live-streaming variety shows every week lately and has even trended on social media a few times.
It's reasonable that ordinary people could recognize her but not Xie Zhiyan.
The sales assistant added, "Ms. Ning, you and your boyfriend must have a great relationship, right? We have several new wedding rings in our store that are really beautiful. You can come and take a look if you're interested!"
Ning Yuxuan was taken aback.
She came in just to browse around; she didn't intend to buy any wedding rings.
She wanted to refuse, but the man next to her said, "You can take a look."
Upon hearing this, the shop assistant quickly replied, "Okay, okay! Then you two come with me, and I'll introduce you. Sir, what's your name?"
My surname is Xie.
"Okay, Mr. Xie, Ms. Ning, this way."
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Xie Zhiyan silently.
Xie Zhiyan looked back and said in a low voice, "It's just a casual look, don't feel pressured."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Who said she was under pressure?
She's already got the marriage certificate, what kind of pressure could she possibly be under?
Ning Yuxuan: "If there's anything I like, you pay for it."
Xie Zhiyan chuckled to himself.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll pay.”
Ning Yuxuan said to the shop assistant, "I'd like to look at the bracelets first."
The shop assistant paused for a moment, then immediately replied, "Okay, no problem, Miss Ning."
When she sees a couple come in, she will assume that they are going to pick out a diamond ring or wedding bands.
However, the customer's opinion is the most important. Since Ms. Ning has clearly stated what she wants to see, as a service staff member, she certainly cannot make decisions on her own.
The shop assistant first led Ning Yuxuan to the bracelet section.
"Ms. Ning," the sales assistant said with a smile, "these are some of our best-selling items. Which type would you like? Let me show you around."
Ning Yuxuan's gaze swept around the display case: "Is this malachite?"
"Yes, yes, Miss Ning, you have excellent taste!" The sales assistant nodded repeatedly. "This style suits your temperament perfectly. Let me get it out for you to try on."
...
Ning Yuxuan tried on four bracelets in total and chose two of them.
The shop assistant was delighted, thinking that she hadn't misjudged the person; this Miss Ning was a big customer.
Both bracelets were expensive, but she bought them without hesitation.
"Let's leave it like this for now," Ning Yuxuan said after trying on the bracelet.
"Okay, Miss Ning," the shop assistant replied, but her mind was racing.
The ability to read between the lines is a basic skill for them in this line of work. Just now, watching Miss Ning and her boyfriend interact, she noticed quite a few things going on.
First of all, this gentleman must really like Miss Ning.
She works in a jewelry store and has seen all sorts of customers, including women who are excited and expectant, while men show little interest and only offer a few perfunctory words.
But the gentleman showed no impatience whatsoever, and his gaze toward Miss Ning remained gentle throughout.
Secondly, her intuition told her that between Miss Ning and this gentleman, the man was the one who wanted to take their relationship to the next level.
Seeing that Ning Yuxuan seemed to be leaving, the shop assistant turned her attention to Xie Zhiyan.
"Mr. Xie," the sales clerk said, "do you have anything you're interested in? We have wedding rings and diamond rings here, and we've recently launched many new styles. Perhaps one of them will be to your liking, just like Ms. Ning's."
[Author's Note]
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:50:00 on July 2, 2024 and 00:00:00 on July 6, 2024!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Rain1212 22 bottles; So what? 10 bottles; Sanli Qingfeng, Muli, 2416, Kylin, Linlinlinlin 3 bottles; Youku's "The Legend of the Hidden Sea" and "Layer by Layer" 2 bottles; Arostinaaaa, Wren, Yi Er San Si Wu, An, Cai Wandou, Haisen, Mu Ni Ge Da Chenchen Ya, Shuangshan Xiao, and Haoyunlai 1 bottle;
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
