67 067
"Why are you running?"
There isn't much information about Xie Zhiyan online.
Compared to the usual press releases and heavily edited photos of entertainment stars, searching for "Xie Zhiyan" mostly yields news articles.
In a certain month of a certain year, I attended a certain World Entrepreneurs Summit, and in another month, I attended a certain science and technology event.
Most netizens don't know what these events are, but just by looking at the names, they can sense that these conferences are very high-end.
Clicking into Xie Zhiyan's encyclopedia entry, the various titles are dazzling.
The founder, chairman and CEO of Hengjiang Group, ranked among the top 50 most influential business leaders in China, etc.
Industry insiders are already familiar with the name "Xie Zhiyan," and even laymen can tell from this information that he is definitely a big shot.
Immediately, the live stream chat was flooded with comments.
There's some information provided for everyone.
This is the CEO of Hengjiang Group! Just check Hengjiang's stock price today to see how rich he is!
Yes, this is a true tycoon, the kind with a net worth of hundreds of billions.
To put it simply, all the guests who have appeared on this show combined probably aren't as wealthy as this one.
There were some amazing things.
[Not only is he rich, but he's also incredibly good-looking... What door did God close for him?]
[What happened to the saying that a "tall, rich, and handsome" man can only possess two of the qualities at most?! It's all a lie!!!]
Some people were impressed by the production team's capabilities.
Big shots of this caliber usually don't participate in variety shows, and Xie Zhiyan himself had no prior record of participating in television programs.
[Seriously? Our show is this amazing?! We were able to get such a big shot on board?!]
[Suddenly our variety show feels so high-class, hahaha! Director, do you have connections?]
There was also the astonishment of Ning Fei's connections.
[Teacher Ning and Xie Zhiyan are actually friends? One is an award-winning actress and the other is an entrepreneur; it feels like a crossover between dimensions]
Teacher Ning Fei is truly a hidden talent!
In the very end, there's still a small group of people who were disappointed after their shipping failed.
[He's really not Ning Yuxuan's boyfriend? I'm so disappointed!]
[Exactly! They're such a perfect match in terms of height and looks; they look like a golden couple standing together!]
The director was grinning from ear to ear as he watched the surge in bullet comments.
He knew that finding a way to invite Xie Zhiyan to the show was definitely the right choice.
The only pity is that Xie Zhiyan did not agree to come as Ning Yuxuan's boyfriend, but as Ning Fei's friend.
Xie Zhiyan's original words were: "Whether or not to go public still needs to be discussed with my girlfriend. I can't make the decision for her."
The director knew very well that getting Xie Zhiyan to participate in the show was already incredibly lucky, so he would do his best to meet all of his requests and readily agreed.
Moreover, the director could understand that characters like Xie Zhiyan value privacy and might not want to reveal too much of their private lives to the public.
Upon each guest's arrival, the first thing is to introduce themselves, and the second thing is to show off the gifts they brought.
The staff member asked Ning Fei, "Ms. Ning, could you please introduce Mr. Xie?"
Ning Fei hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to begin.
She glanced at her daughter, then looked at Xie Zhiyan: "Zhiyan, why don't you introduce yourself?"
Xie Zhiyan smiled and nodded: "Okay."
Ning Yuxuan remained calm on the surface, giving Xie Zhiyan a polite smile, as if she was earnestly waiting for him to introduce himself.
Xie Zhiyan glanced at it indifferently.
Their eyes met for less than a second, and Ning Yuxuan unconsciously clenched her fingers.
Xie Zhiyan began, “My mother and Teacher Ning were classmates in university and have been friends for many years. I received a lot of care from Teacher Ning when I was a child.”
After a pause, Xie Zhiyan added, "Furthermore, I have another connection with Teacher Ning. I will be collaborating with her on her new work as an investor."
[So that's how it is! No wonder Xie Zhiyan and Teacher Ning know each other!]
[What did I just hear? A new movie? So Teacher Ning is really making a comeback?]
[I think I understand now. So, Mr. Xie came to the show to promote Ms. Ning Fei's new movie?]
After two months of preparation, "The Wrongly Sent Letter" has finally raised enough funds and confirmed the wishes of all the main actors.
After being officially approved, filming will begin soon.
Ning Fei realized that Xie Zhiyan had come today as a friend and did not intend to make his relationship with her daughter public.
She nodded and continued, "Yes, I'd also like to take this opportunity to announce some news to our audience. I'm preparing to return to the film and television industry, and there should be new works to share with everyone soon."
The production team was also surprised that Ning Fei would choose to announce this news today; it was a pleasant surprise for them.
The news of the three-time Golden Horse Award-winning actress's comeback is definitely worth a trending topic, and the production team can benefit from it again.
The staff member quickly asked, "Ms. Ning Fei, could you tell us more about your new work?"
Ning Fei smiled and said, "It's still in the preparation stage and hasn't reached the promotion period yet, so I won't say much for now. You can follow the news for more details. The work should be officially released next year."
Although Ning Fei didn't reveal anything, longtime viewers remember that Ning Fei and Qin Man read a script together during a live stream.
Everyone was very excited.
So, is it really true that Teacher Ning Fei is going to collaborate with Teacher Qin Man? It's probably pretty much a done deal!
So, doesn't that mean we all witnessed the birth of a work together? Both teachers first saw the script on this show!
The staff sensed that Ning Fei didn't want to reveal too much about her new work, so they moved on to the next step: showing off the gift Xie Zhiyan brought.
A bag of fruit, a snack and nut gift pack, and a limited edition hat.
"The fruit and nut gift pack is for Teacher Ning," Xie Zhiyan said. "The hat is a birthday present for Shi Yue."
So President Xie and Ning Shiyue know each other? And they seem to have a pretty good relationship.
[Their mothers are good friends, and Xie Zhiyan and Ning Shiyue are of the same generation, so it's normal for them to know each other. But speaking of which, why does Ning Yuxuan seem not to be very familiar with Xie Zhiyan?]
[Perhaps people of the same sex are more familiar with each other. When we were little, boys liked to play with other boys, while girls played with other girls.]
Ning Fei thanked her and said, "I'll go and put the gift for Xiao Yue in his room so he won't lose it when he comes back."
While her mother went to put away the hats, Ning Yuxuan looked at the fruit and snacks that Xie Zhiyan had brought.
The fruits include papaya, grapes, kiwi, and peaches.
The first three items were both her mother's and her favorites, but the last one was only her favorite.
As for the snack gift pack, Ning Fei didn't eat any of it; it was obvious that it ended up in her stomach.
In other words, although the gifts Xie Zhiyan brought were nominally for his mother, most of them were actually intended for her.
Thinking of this, Ning Yuxuan looked up at Xie Zhiyan.
She happened to make eye contact with the man.
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Even if she doesn't plan to publicly reveal her relationship with Xie Zhiyan on the show for the time being, she can't make it seem like the two of them are enemies, not saying a word when they look at each other.
Ning Yuxuan cleared her throat: "Thank you."
Xie Zhiyan: "You're welcome."
[Haha, this is a bit awkward; these two don't seem to know each other very well.]
[Haha, this reminds me of when I visited relatives during Chinese New Year, and the adults weren't there, leaving me and a few distant siblings looking at each other in bewilderment.]
After Ning Fei returned, the staff moved on to the next segment where the three of them would chat together.
There were fruits and snacks on the coffee table, and Ning Fei suggested that everyone could eat something while chatting.
Ning Yuxuan picked out a small bag of macadamia nuts from the gift bag.
The grapes had already been washed, so Ning Fei went to the kitchen to rinse them again, then placed them in a fruit platter and brought them out.
The conversation revolved around the friendship between Ning Fei and Zheng Xinmei.
Ning Fei first talked about how she and Zheng Xinmei met: "Zhiyan's mother and I were classmates in the undergraduate acting class..."
After briefly reminiscing about her university days, Ning Fei skipped over the period when she got married and had children.
Even though Ning Fei has reconciled with her past self, she still refuses to mention anything related to her ex-husband in public.
Ning Fei went straight to the point about her return to the film industry.
“When I first came to Beicheng, I had to take care of two children and film movies at the same time,” Ning Fei said. “Thanks to the help of Zhiyan’s mother, I was able to get through that period smoothly.”
Xie Zhiyan hummed in agreement: "My mother and Teacher Ning have a very good relationship. Because of her, I grew up watching Teacher Ning's movies."
Ning Fei smiled and said, "You flatter me. I was just lucky to be noticed by the director and get to film a few decent works."
Ning Yuxuan was breaking open a macadamia nut in her hand when she casually remarked, "Not just good, it's excellent!"
As she spoke, she glanced at Xie Zhiyan and suddenly decided to make things difficult for him.
"Mr. Xie," Ning Yuxuan said, "You just said you've loved watching my mother's movies since you were little. Which one do you think is the best?"
After the three of them sat down, Ning Yuxuan spoke to Xie Zhiyan for the first time.
Xie Zhiyan looked over, his gaze meaningful.
"Teacher Ning doesn't have many works," Xie Zhiyan said calmly. "And the themes of each work are basically different, so it's hard to choose the best one."
Ning Yuxuan threw the peeled fruit shells into the trash can: "What if we have to choose one?"
Xie Zhiyan's brow twitched slightly.
Ning Yuxuan looked at him nonchalantly: "Sorry, Mr. Xie, I was just curious. You don't mind, do you?"
I just wanted to make things difficult for you.
A smile flashed across Xie Zhiyan's eyes, and he said unhurriedly, "It's difficult to choose the best work, but if it's my favorite, I do have an answer."
Ning Yuxuan: "...What?"
Xie Zhiyan: "If Story".
This is Ning Fei's first film after her comeback. Ning Fei delivered a superb performance, portraying the life of the female lead "Li Ruguo" from the age of twenty to thirty-nine.
However, this work did not earn Ning Fei the Best Actress award; she only received a few nominations.
Moreover, this was Ning Fei's first film after fading out of the entertainment industry for several years, and many people were not optimistic about it. In addition, due to various factors such as scheduling and production team, the box office was not high.
Compared to Ning Fei's other more famous works, this one is often overlooked.
Upon hearing this, Ning Fei looked at Xie Zhiyan with great interest, wanting to know why he liked the movie.
Xie Zhiyan explained calmly: "There is one scene that left a deep impression on me. The female protagonist is standing on the beach at sunset, looking out at the sea. It is very beautiful and poetic."
Ning Fei smiled and said, "That scene was indeed very rare. I remember our entire crew waited for three whole days for the perfect sunset. The first two days were either rainy or cloudy. On the third day, we finally managed to finish filming that scene before the sun went down."
“Xuanxuan, do you remember?” Ning Fei looked at her daughter. “You were there that day too.”
Ning Yuxuan was very young at that time, but she still remembers that filming.
Ning Fei knows Ning Yuxuan best. She knows that Ning Yuxuan is impatient and hates memorizing things. She is not suitable for being on a film set where she has to memorize long lines of dialogue and wait for her scenes to be filmed for several hours.
Therefore, whenever there are scenes with little girls in a movie, and the director asks Ning Fei if she would be willing to let her daughter make a cameo appearance in the film, Ning Fei always helps Ning Yuxuan refuse.
Only on that one occasion did the director need a girl to play the female protagonist's eight-year-old daughter, to hold hands with Ning Fei and film a scene on the beach.
Ning Yuxuan was the right age and didn't need to memorize lines, so she participated in the filming of this scene.
This was also the only time she appeared on the big screen with her mother, and even though it was only a ten-second shot, it was still very memorable.
Thinking of this, Ning Yuxuan's heart stirred slightly.
Ning Fei has so many more famous works, but Xie Zhiyan specifically mentioned this one, and even the scene where she only appeared.
It's hard not to suspect that he did it on purpose.
Ning Yuxuan resisted the urge to look at Xie Zhiyan and answered Ning Fei, "Yes, I remember."
Most of the viewers in the live stream were watching Ning Fei's most famous works, and not many had heard of this movie.
As for the scene where Ning Yuxuan appears, the movie didn't use it as a selling point, so even fewer people knew about it.
For a moment, no one noticed this; everyone was talking about other things.
[I didn't expect President Xie to mention this somewhat obscure work. Does the CEO have a different taste than most people?]
[I think President Xie has a pretty good temper; he was able to answer so patiently even when Ning Yuxuan kept asking him questions.]
[+1, I thought it was a little impolite for Ning Yuxuan to force him to choose, but I didn't expect President Xie to still answer, and not at all perfunctory.]
[Perhaps this is the vision and perspective of a true leader!]
After discussing the beach scenes, Ning Fei took the opportunity to talk about other things that happened during the filming of this movie.
As her first work after her comeback, Ning Fei still vividly remembers the time she spent filming that movie.
Ning Yuxuan listened attentively as she peeled macadamia nuts.
By the time Ning Fei mentioned the day filming wrapped up, Ning Yuxuan had just finished the small bag of macadamia nuts in her hand.
Ning Yuxuan's throat felt a little dry after eating a bag of nuts, so she took a sip of water.
A grape was handed to me.
Ning Yuxuan naturally took it and put it in her mouth.
The same applies to the second one.
When the third grape was handed to her, she finally realized something was wrong, albeit a beat late.
It wasn't Ning Fei who handed her the grapes, but... Xie Zhiyan.
Compared to mothers, men's fingers are longer and the knuckles are more prominent, which should make them quite easy to distinguish.
Xie Zhiyan had given Ning Yuxuan fruit before, but Ning Yuxuan was engrossed in listening to her mother talk about the wrap party and accepted it without thinking.
After realizing what was happening, Ning Yuxuan's hand stopped.
The third grape was held between my thumb and forefinger; I didn't know whether to eat it or not.
She paused for a second, then popped the grape into her mouth.
Not eating is too deliberate.
The sharp-eyed audience didn't miss this small detail.
[If I'm not mistaken, President Xie handed Ning Yuxuan three grapes?]
Yes, you read that right! And Ning Yuxuan even took it and ate it very naturally!
The CP fans, who had been heartbroken after seeing that the two had barely exchanged a few words, became excited again.
[Who said they're complete strangers? The way they're passing fruit to each other is so natural, they look like a real couple!]
[I'm totally shipping them! That scene just now needs careful consideration! Only a couple could have such perfect chemistry!]
Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan are such a perfect match in terms of appearance; one is a stunning beauty and the other a domineering CEO, making them the ideal couple for idol drama leads.
In a short period of time, the show attracted a large number of enthusiastic fans who shipped the two characters as a couple.
However, most viewers were quite rational and urged the CP fans to calm down.
Calm down, all of you! It's just a few grapes, and you're already munching on them? Maybe they all have families.
[Were you the same people who shipped Duan Ziyao and Ning Yuxuan before? You can analyze eight hundred possible romantic relationships from just one interaction.]
[Think about it carefully. Xie Zhiyan has a good relationship with the other two members of the Ning family. If he and Ning Yuxuan are really a couple, why don't they just go public?]
The CP fans actually felt it was a bit far-fetched, but they still stubbornly fought back.
[Isn't this just playful banter between young couples?]
【What do you know? This is the thrill of having an affair! Public displays of affection are so boring; secretly having an affair in front of the whole nation is much more exciting!】
CP fans are just spouting nonsense to protect their own CP pairing.
However, what they didn't know was that, in some ways, they were actually close to the truth.
To prevent Xie Zhiyan from offering her more grapes, Ning Yuxuan finished the grapes in her mouth and said, "I'll go to the kitchen to wash a peach and try it."
As she spoke, she stood up and hurried to the kitchen.
The entire episode was filmed at home today, and the production team didn't take my phone away.
The cameras are currently positioned in the living room; there are no photographers in the kitchen, only a few GoPros.
Ning Yuxuan walked to the kitchen sink, and her phone vibrated in her pocket.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Yuxuan took out her phone from a blind spot of the GoPro.
I haven't replied to any messages all day, so this is a good opportunity to check if there are any that need a reply.
Ning Yuxuan paused upon seeing the sender's name in the latest message.
Xie Zhiyan: [Why are you running?]
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Who ran away?!
Moreover, he was the one who suddenly showed up on the show without any prior notice, yet he still accused the other party first!
Ning Yuxuan placed her hand on the keyboard, intending to type, but hesitated for a few seconds before putting it down.
Forget it, who knows what's going on with him? It's best not to reply!
In the living room, Xie Zhiyan put his phone back in his pocket.
When viewers see guests using their phones during live streams, some might complain that they are unprofessional.
But when Xie Zhiyan posted the message, everyone said they were not surprised.
Those big shots are obviously very busy, so it's perfectly normal for them to take some time to reply to messages.
Only the CP fans were as excited as if they'd been injected with chicken blood.
[See that? Xie messaged Ning Yuxuan as soon as she left! What else could they be but a real couple!]
[Ahhh, I'm totally shipping them! These sweet couples don't want to be apart for even a minute!]
Most people in the live stream had already given up on ignoring the fervent CP fans; only a few were still arguing back.
[He's the CEO of a Fortune 500 company! It's perfectly normal for him to reply to messages; it's probably work-related.]
[Haha, you CP fans are so imaginative! Do you think these two are already pregnant?]
Ning Yuxuan washed the peaches and returned to the sofa in the living room.
Ning Fei has already started talking about another movie.
Ning Yuxuan silently took her washed peach and nibbled on it in small bites.
The peaches were very sweet; she could usually finish a whole one of these juicy peaches in three minutes.
But this time, in order to keep herself busy and to prevent Xie Zhiyan from handing her grapes again, she ate them with great elegance.
Even Ning Fei couldn't help but glance at her.
"Xuanxuan?" Ning Fei asked, "What's wrong? Isn't this peach sweet?"
Ning Yuxuan: "No, it's very sweet."
Ning Fei: "Then how come you..."
Ning Yuxuan casually made up an excuse: "I suddenly have a toothache and can't open my mouth."
Ning Fei took it seriously and asked worriedly, "Is it serious?"
Ning Yuxuan quickly shook her head: "No, no, it's not serious at all. It's probably just that I ate the nuts too hard and hurt myself."
Ning Fei nodded: "If it still hurts tomorrow, go to the hospital to get it checked out."
Xie Zhiyan suddenly spoke up: "Yes, toothaches should not be ignored. I know a good dentist; I can help you schedule an appointment if needed."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
She looked up at Xie Zhiyan, certain that he had guessed that her claim of toothache was just an excuse.
Others may not know him well, but she has already figured out this man's expression.
A slight upturn at the corners of the mouth like this is definitely a sign of being in a good mood!
Ning Yuxuan gritted her teeth: "Then thank you very much, President Xie."
Xie Zhiyan smiled faintly and said, "It's nothing, just a small favor."
CP fans are out in force again.
[Ahhhhh, he cares about her!]
Who can argue with that!
Other viewers were used to these comments; some just laughed it off, while others scoffed inwardly, thinking that CP fans' thought processes were indeed different from ordinary people, able to ship even such polite conversations.
After spending a full twenty minutes eating a peach, Ning Yuxuan spent another half hour flipping through a book on the coffee table.
In short, the goal is to keep your hands busy and not give Xie Zhiyan any chance.
The chat session finally ended.
The production team announced that Xie Zhiyan would be preparing dinner with the two of them.
Xie Zhiyan was wearing a light-colored shirt today, which made things a bit inconvenient.
The man bent down, unbuttoned his cuffs, and rolled up the cuffs of his shirt, revealing a section of his forearm.
The director cleverly gave this action a close-up shot for over ten seconds, which immediately triggered a series of "Ahhh" comments in the live chat.
Upon entering the kitchen, Xie Zhiyan took off the apron hanging by the door and put it on.
Because of his exceptionally refined demeanor, the dark gray apron looked perfectly natural on him; in fact, it appeared to be a fashionable accessory.
Xie Zhiyan turned around and looked at Ning Yuxuan, who was walking behind him.
Ning Yuxuan instinctively stopped in her tracks, alarm bells ringing in her mind: this man is probably about to say something she can't handle.
The man spoke the next moment.
"Could you help me tie the strap on my back?" Xie Zhiyan said calmly. "Thank you."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
audience:"???"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
