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◎“Our home.”◎
Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan looked at each other, their hearts pounding like drums, yet neither was willing to look away first.
It was as if by staring at him, she could find the answer she sought in his deep eyes.
After an unknown amount of time, the man finally spoke.
Xie Zhiyan: "Why do you ask that?"
The problem was thrown back at us exactly as it was.
Ning Yuxuan was unwilling to continue playing games with him like this, so she simply said what was on her mind: "Because... there are many, many reasons."
A faint smile crossed Xie Zhiyan's eyes.
What kinds are there?
Ning Yuxuan pursed her lips, and many people and events floated into her mind.
Some she had noticed long ago, while others she hadn't thought much about at the time, but later realized something was off.
For a moment, I didn't know where to begin.
Xie Zhiyan didn't urge her, but gazed at her gently.
Amidst her chaotic thoughts, Ning Yuxuan finally found a place to settle down.
“On the day we got our marriage certificate…” Ning Yuxuan began slowly, “That day, after we came out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, you took me to my favorite breakfast shop when I was in college.”
As she spoke, she looked up at Xie Zhiyan.
The man's expression was calm, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
Ning Yuxuan continued, "I thought about it later, and that shop wasn't very close to the Civil Affairs Bureau, about a fifteen-minute drive away. It was such a small breakfast stall, yet you still chose to take me there."
Ning Yuxuan ate at that shop for a whole year, but it suddenly closed down at the end of the second semester of her freshman year, and the owner also disappeared without a trace.
Ning Yuxuan felt it was a great pity and complained to everyone she met during that time.
It just so happened that during her summer break after her freshman year, she interned near the Xie family's old house. During that time, she often went to the Xie family's house for meals, and sometimes she would stay overnight at the Xie family's house if she worked overtime late.
So during that month, he probably complained to Zheng Xinmei many times, intentionally or unintentionally.
It's estimated that Xie Zhiyan heard about it around that time.
Xie Zhiyan said it was just a random shop he chose, so Ning Yuxuan didn't think much of it at the time.
But no matter how much I thought about it later, I couldn't believe that such a coincidence could happen.
Ning Yuxuan looked at the man opposite her: "So Xie Zhiyan, you specifically found the proprietress's shop, and then specifically took me there on the day we got our marriage certificate, didn't you?"
Xie Zhiyan stared at Ning Yuxuan for a moment, then hummed in agreement.
Ning Yuxuan paused slightly in her breathing.
"You..." she couldn't help but ask, "How did you find such a small shop in such a big city like Beicheng?"
Xie Zhiyan: "When you were a freshman, there was only one breakfast shop near University A that had closed down. It wasn't hard to find out who the owner was. If you contacted the owner herself, you could find out the address of her new shop."
The man's tone was calm, as if this were something that was easy for him to do.
But if you think about it for a moment, you'll realize it's not that simple.
Ning Yuxuan was lost in thought for a few seconds.
If she hadn't remembered that breakfast later and brought it up with him again, Xie Zhiyan probably would never have used it to take credit for her.
"So..." she began, "you specially planned your trip for the day you got your marriage certificate?"
Xie Zhiyan smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying: "Getting a marriage certificate is an important day, you should eat something you like."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
I can't quite describe how I feel. It's not all surprise; there's a sense of satisfaction that's both unexpected and yet perfectly reasonable.
After a pause, she spoke again: "The restaurant you took me to after the Gu family's birthday banquet that day was one of my favorites. And also... you always remembered what my favorite flower is."
That day, when they were giving their statements, Xie Zhiyan asked her if her favorite flower was the Ecuadorian explorer.
Memories flooded back, and before Xie Zhiyan could answer, Ning Yuxuan continued, "My favorite drinks, my favorite movies. I only said them once, and you remembered them all."
Xie Zhiyan smiled silently at her, neither admitting nor denying it.
Ning Yuxuan thought that this probably meant tacit agreement.
She doesn't usually like to get to the bottom of things.
But at this moment, all she wanted to do was say everything that was on her mind.
“And the day we came back from Jiangcheng,” Ning Yuxuan said, “the piano piece you played when you put the ring on my finger in the restaurant…”
She paused, then looked at Xie Zhiyan: "Do you remember what it was?"
Xie Zhiyan: "A Memorial of Love".
Hearing him answer so quickly, Ning Yuxuan knew she must have been right.
Ning Yuxuan: "There is a grand piano in the Xie family's old house. I touched it a few times during the holidays. It should be this piece."
Seeing that he didn't deny it, she asked again, "But I don't think I ever played it for you on purpose. How did you remember it?"
Xie Zhiyan smiled and said, "Because it seems like you only know how to play that one song. I've heard the same song several times at home."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
She pouted and said, "Because I haven't practiced the piano for many years, I've forgotten everything else, and I only remember this simple piece."
The man almost changed the subject.
Ning Yuxuan steered the conversation back on track: "That piece of music, was it you who had the restaurant's musicians play it?"
Xie Zhiyan: "Yes."
Ning Yuxuan: "But you didn't say anything..."
Xie Zhiyan: "Even if I didn't say it, you could tell from my ears, couldn't you?"
Ning Yuxuan: "What if I didn't recognize it?"
Then all his special arrangements would have been for nothing?
Xie Zhiyan said casually, "That means this piece of music isn't anything special to you, so there's even less need to mention it."
Ning Yuxuan paused for a second, speechless for a moment.
At this point, it seems that no further evidence is needed to prove her speculation.
But then I remembered that this conversation started because of something Zheng Xinmei said at dinner tonight.
So Ning Yuxuan asked one last question.
Or rather, it states the final fact in a declarative tone: "You only started changing your tastes because of me."
Xie Zhiyan suddenly smiled.
"I feel like..." the man said calmly, "that you're getting more and more confident?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Because the more she thought about it, the more she felt there was no other possibility.
Ning Yuxuan looked at the still composed man in front of her and said with some dissatisfaction, "You haven't answered my question yet."
Xie Zhiyan asked knowingly, "What question?"
Ning Yuxuan: "You've always liked me, haven't you?"
When I asked the question again, I felt almost no uncertainty.
But the tension remained; Ning Yuxuan unconsciously clenched her hands, feeling her heartbeat.
Ning Yuxuan kept staring at Xie Zhiyan, waiting for him to give her a positive answer.
What awaited her was the man's deep gaze and the sudden, chilling aura that enveloped her.
Ning Yuxuan gasped in surprise at Xie Zhiyan's sudden approach.
However, her voice was quickly swallowed by the man.
After a few seconds of stiffness, Ning Yuxuan's body gradually softened.
Practice makes perfect.
Even though their first kiss was only three days ago, the two already had a tacit understanding about this matter.
Without any probing, their bodies automatically intertwined.
Two seconds later, Ning Yuxuan, just like before, reached out and put her arm around Xie Zhiyan's shoulder, so that she could stay firmly against the man.
The movements were incredibly natural, as if the body had already memorized the posture.
As Xie Zhiyan placed his hands on the man's shoulders and neck, he seemed to let out a muffled laugh.
He didn't say anything, but for some reason, Ning Yuxuan immediately guessed what he was laughing about.
He was probably laughing at her for being "too self-aware," for clinging to him without him even having to say anything.
Ning Yuxuan's cheeks were burning hot, and she felt even more frustrated.
Unwilling to comply with his wishes, she withdrew her arms and struggled to leave the man's embrace.
His entire body was restrained by Xie Zhiyan's strong arms, and he had no way to escape.
Ning Yuxuan was furious and bit Xie Zhiyan's lips with her teeth.
The man's movements faltered slightly.
This was the first time Ning Yuxuan had done this, and seeing that it worked, she was quite pleased with herself.
The next moment, she began to regret it.
She was met with Xie Zhiyan's even more intense offensive.
As the oxygen gradually thinned, Ning Yuxuan began to feel dizzy.
The hand that had just been withdrawn couldn't help but climb back onto Xie Zhiyan's body.
Only in this way could she control herself from sliding onto the sofa.
When she was kissed until she was completely powerless, Ning Yuxuan thought weakly: Next time, next time she must successfully resist him.
This time, let him be.
...
When the kiss ended, both of them were breathing heavily.
Ning Yuxuan leaned on Xie Zhiyan's shoulder, too weak to lift her eyes to look at his expression.
“Xie Zhiyan…” she murmured.
The man's voice was low and husky: "Hmm?"
Ning Yuxuan: "You still haven't answered me..."
I already knew the answer in my heart, but I still wanted to hear him say it clearly.
Xie Zhiyan laughed, his chest heaving.
After the passionate kiss, the man's voice was no longer clear and crisp, but rather husky and chuckled.
"Why haven't I seen you so persistent before?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Isn't it because you keep refusing to give a straight answer..."
Xie Zhiyan remained silent for two seconds.
Because of Ning Yuxuan's posture, his face could not be seen.
She shifted in the man's arms, trying to find a position where she could see his expression clearly.
Before she could even begin to struggle, Xie Zhiyan pinned her down.
Ning Yuxuan said with dissatisfaction: "You..."
"You're right." Xie Zhiyan's deep voice rang in her ear.
Ning Yuxuan paused for a moment as hot breath sprayed behind her ear.
Xie Zhiyan held her in his arms, his voice slow and deep: "I have always liked you."
Their breathing hadn't completely calmed down from the intense kiss.
However, in an instant, Ning Yuxuan felt that everything around her was so quiet that she could hardly hear her own rapid breathing.
Only one sentence remained in my mind.
I've always liked it.
Ning Yuxuan couldn't help but ask, "...How long has it always been?"
Xie Zhiyan chuckled softly, without giving her a definite answer: "Long before you realized it."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
My heart felt suddenly filled with something, a sense of satisfaction I had never felt before.
The exact duration seems unimportant now.
She stopped asking questions and simply leaned quietly against the man.
The atmosphere was quiet and reassuring.
Occasionally, one could even faintly hear Ning Fei and Zheng Xinmei laughing downstairs. The two old friends seemed to be chatting about something and were having a good time.
After an unknown amount of time, Xie Zhiyan suddenly spoke up: "It's strawberry flavored."
Ning Yuxuan was stunned.
For a moment, I couldn't quite process it.
The man's magnetic voice carried a deep smile: "I don't think I made a mistake, did I?"
Ning Yuxuan finally realized what was happening.
The two bottles of mouthwash I just used in the restroom were grapefruit and strawberry flavored, respectively.
She hesitated for a moment, then finally chose the strawberry flavored bottle.
With a thud, all the blood rushed to his head.
Ning Yuxuan: "Xie Zhiyan! How could you do this!"
Xie Zhiyan: "What?"
Ning Yuxuan was furious and embarrassed: "You're making fun of me!"
She was no longer content to lean on him and pushed him away forcefully.
Xie Zhiyan let her do as she pleased.
Ning Yuxuan finally broke free from him and glared at him angrily.
Xie Zhiyan smiled at her: "Is it really strawberry flavored?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
No, the problem isn't about the flavor at all.
Ning Yuxuan glared at the man with a bluff, her tone fierce: "Xie Zhiyan, don't overthink it!"
Xie Zhiyan raised an eyebrow.
Ning Yuxuan: "I didn't rinse my mouth just to... well, I didn't do that to you!"
Xie Zhiyan remained expressionless: "How am I?"
Ning Yuxuan's face turned bright red.
Why is he never going to stop!
Ning Yuxuan couldn't argue with him, so she simply chose to ignore him and turned her back to him without saying another word.
A few seconds later, the hand closest to the man was grasped by him.
Xie Zhiyan's large hand gently enveloped hers, as if offering some kind of silent comfort.
Ning Yuxuan silently let him hold her hand, and she finally calmed down.
Forget it, I can't be bothered to argue with him.
She glanced at the wall clock and even wondered why her mother hadn't come upstairs to call them yet.
My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket.
Ning Yuxuan was startled. She glanced at the screen and realized it was her mother calling.
She answered the voice call: "Mom?"
Ning Fei: "The fruit is cut up. If you and Zhiyan have time, come down and have some. There are your favorite peaches, as well as apples, grapes, and things like that."
Ning Yuxuan: "Okay, we'll go down right away."
"Okay," Ning Fei said softly, "Then I'll hang up now."
The call was disconnected.
I can roughly guess why my mother chose to call instead of coming up to them directly.
Her mother must have noticed something a couple of days ago, so this time her mother guessed that they might be doing something upstairs.
Thinking of this, Ning Yuxuan felt that the heat that had finally dissipated from her cheeks was starting to return.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself not to think about these random things.
Ning Yuxuan turned to the man beside her and said, "My mother told us to go downstairs to eat fruit."
Xie Zhiyan: "Shall we go there now?"
Ning Yuxuan: "...Mm."
Xie Zhiyan stood up and extended his hand to her.
Ning Yuxuan glanced silently at the man's well-defined fingers, but didn't take his hand.
Although his kisses made her body feel a little weak, her legs weren't so weak that she needed help to stand up.
When she stood up, Ning Yuxuan deliberately avoided Xie Zhiyan and walked in front of him.
Xie Zhiyan didn't say anything and followed behind her.
Ning Yuxuan walked to the top of the stairs, and just as she was about to take her first step down, she stopped.
Xie Zhiyan stopped behind her and asked, "What's wrong?"
Ning Yuxuan turned around.
She asked somewhat awkwardly, "Could you take a look at me? I don't seem to have anything wrong with me, do I?"
Even though they had been upstairs for so long, pretending to be natural would only make them seem like they were trying to cover something up.
But you can't go to see your elders looking disheveled.
Xie Zhiyan's lips curled up slightly, and he said gently, "Let me see."
The man's gaze slowly swept over her from top to bottom.
His gaze had just landed on her collarbone when Ning Yuxuan couldn't help but say, "I'd better go to the restroom to see for myself."
Before she could finish speaking, her hand was grabbed by the man.
Ning Yuxuan: "...What are you doing?"
Xie Zhiyan raised his hand and tucked the stray hairs from her temple behind her ear.
Ning Yuxuan paused slightly in her breathing.
Xie Zhiyan's movements were gentle; he only lightly touched her hair and brushed her cheek.
Ning Yuxuan suppressed the slight itching sensation: "Are you done?"
"Not yet," Xie Zhiyan replied calmly, his hands touching her collar again.
He moved slowly and gently smoothed her collar.
"Alright," Xie Zhiyan finally said, "you shouldn't be able to tell anything anymore."
Ning Yuxuan: "...Oh, let's go then."
She chose to trust him this once, after all, Xie Zhiyan had no reason to deliberately not help her tidy up and let the two mothers downstairs see.
Xie Zhiyan: "Wait a minute."
Ning Yuxuan cast a questioning glance at her.
Xie Zhiyan: "Can you take a look at it for me too?"
After a pause, he added in a nonchalant tone, "Are your shirt buttons still on? Did you rip them all over like last time?"
Ning Yuxuan glared at him fiercely.
However, she still glanced at Xie Zhiyan.
Perhaps it was because she had kept her arms tightly around his neck and back the whole time, and hadn't reached for his clothes again.
Apart from being slightly wrinkled, the man's shirt looked normal.
After confirming that everything was correct, the two went downstairs one after the other.
Ning Fei and Zheng Xinmei were already eating fruit on the sofa in the living room.
Seeing the two of them come down, Zheng Xinmei smiled and invited Ning Yuxuan to sit next to her.
"I was telling you about Zhiyan's childhood while we were eating, but I haven't finished yet," Zheng Xinmei said. "I just remembered something else, something related to Zhiyan's elementary school graduation photo."
...
Zheng Xinmei stayed at the Ning family's house until 9:55 PM.
If it weren't for the fact that Ning Fei is used to resting early, she would have liked to stay a little longer.
Xie Zhiyan drove here this time, and naturally, he also drove his mother back.
With the elders present, Ning Yuxuan did not deliver Xie Zhiyan's belongings separately as usual.
She and Ning Fei saw Xie Zhiyan and Zheng Xinmei to the door and watched them leave.
Ning Fei was actually quite tired after recording a program during the day.
However, Zheng Xinmei was too enthusiastic, and the two hadn't seen each other for a while, so they kept chatting until now.
Now that Zheng Xinmei has left, Ning Fei gave her daughter a few words of advice, then went upstairs to take a shower and prepare to rest.
Ning Yuxuan also returned to her room and replied to the message first.
Tao You confirmed with her that they would go to the store together on Tuesday to try on wedding dresses for the banquet.
Ning Yuxuan replied that it was no problem and that she would see him then.
After washing up, Xie Zhiyan also sent a message.
This is the address of the house we're going to see tomorrow, along with some additional information.
Ning Yuxuan opened the file and glanced at it briefly. It contained all the questions she had asked before, and now they had all been confirmed.
Xie Zhiyan asked her how about picking her up after lunch tomorrow.
Ning Yuxuan replied with "Okay".
Tired from a long day, she quickly drifted off to sleep.
...
The next morning, Ning Yuxuan got up and checked her work information and emails.
Although Hua Yuan had already discussed with Zhou Lin and Chen Jun that all matters, big and small, would be decided by the two of them this week, and a detailed plan had been discussed in the previous meeting.
But Ning Yuxuan also found it hard to completely relinquish her responsibilities as a manager.
Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei had lunch together at home at noon.
At 2:55, Xie Zhiyan sent a message saying he would arrive at the villa entrance in ten minutes.
Xie Zhiyan and the driver arrived on time. Ning Yuxuan said goodbye to Ning Fei and then went out.
The car was parked on the side of the road, and Ning Yuxuan sat down, holding onto her skirt.
She wore a dusty rose-pink cotton dress when she went out today.
When Ning Yuxuan was choosing a house, she considered that it should be close to her current home.
Therefore, the destination we are going to is very close, and it only takes less than ten minutes to drive there during off-peak hours.
Upon arrival, Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan got out of the car together.
This time I just came to take a look. The house has already been cleaned in advance, and the keys have been handed to Xie Zhiyan.
Neither the driver nor the assistant were with them; it was just the two of them.
This area is a high-end residential community with a low population density.
On a weekday afternoon at this time, I didn't see many people along the way.
When they arrived at the apartment, the two of them went into the elevator together, and it was just the two of them.
As the floor numbers kept changing, Ning Yuxuan's heartbeat became inexplicably unsteady.
I knew perfectly well that I was just looking at a house.
However, when Xie Zhiyan and I were alone in the enclosed space, it was just the two of us from beginning to end.
Moreover, this house is also their nominal marital home.
Ning Yuxuan took a deep breath.
Xie Zhiyan, who had been standing silently beside her, suddenly spoke up: "Are you nervous?"
Ning Yuxuan's heart skipped a beat.
He didn't even see her expression, how could he be so perceptive?
Ning Yuxuan refused to admit it: "...No."
Xie Zhiyan said calmly, "When you're nervous or thinking, you keep counting on your fingers."
Upon hearing this, Ning Yuxuan paused, her left hand holding the fingers of her right hand.
She herself was unaware that she had this habit.
Caught red-handed, Ning Yuxuan stubbornly insisted, "I was thinking."
Xie Zhiyan added casually, "When I'm thinking, I snap my fingers back and forth one by one; I only snap all four fingers together when I'm nervous."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Why can't this person say everything at once?
Ning Yuxuan loosened her grip on her hand, turned her head and glared at Xie Zhiyan.
Just then, the elevator doors opened.
Ning Yuxuan left Xie Zhiyan behind and exited the elevator alone.
The man behind her reminded her, "To the right."
Ning Yuxuan, who was about to turn left, paused and changed direction.
The apartment has a combination lock, but it can also be opened with a key.
Xie Zhiyan opened the door.
The first thing that catches the eye is the huge floor-to-ceiling window in the far distance.
Today is a beautiful sunny day, and this is the time when the sun shines the best.
Ning Yuxuan's eyes lit up, and ignoring the man beside her, she hurried to the French windows.
A "beep" sound came from not far away, as if Xie Zhiyan had turned on the air conditioner.
Ning Yuxuan ignored him and admired the panoramic city view in front of her.
The villa also has large floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a lush and verdant view of the courtyard, which is pleasing to the eye.
But after all, it's higher up here, with a better view, offering a completely different sightseeing experience compared to a villa.
Footsteps sounded behind her, then slowly stopped beside her.
Ning Yuxuan stared intently at the scenery before her, saying, "If I really buy this place, I want to put a deck chair here."
Xie Zhiyan spoke up beside her, "You can put whatever you want in our home."
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