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"Is it not okay, wife?"
One stone stirs up a thousand waves.
The final live stream ended amidst the viewers' reluctance to part and their astonishment at Ning Yuxuan's diamond ring.
However, the end of the live stream does not mean the end of the discussion.
Soon, screenshots of Ning Yuxuan showing off her ring were taken and became a hot topic on various social media platforms.
Is this... an engagement? A successful proposal? Or a wedding?
[They probably haven't gotten married yet. With the Xie family's wealth, if they were to get married, the wedding would definitely be a wedding of the century.]
[Whichever one it is, it's definitely verified by the person themselves, indicating that their wedding is just around the corner!]
Seriously, isn't anyone talking about this ring? It's absolutely gorgeous! Such a huge, sparkling diamond—no wonder everyone saw it immediately!
The fans who ship the couple have gone completely crazy.
[Does anyone understand?! My newly favorite couple announced they were together a few days ago, and now they've announced their engagement. Does this mean we'll see their wedding photos in a few days?]
[Ahhh, I'm dying of sweetness! Xuanxuan's expression and demeanor were practically a declaration of love from afar, as if she were saying to President Xie: Honey, I've told everyone about us!]
[So when will these two be able to reunite? I want to see!]
[President Xie only appeared on the show for half a day, but there were already countless sweet moments. I can't even imagine how sweet they'll be when they're together again after they go public!]
[@All variety show production teams, my sister wants you to! Get them to appear on the show together again!]
...
Xie Zhiyan returned to Beicheng earlier than Ning Yuxuan.
On Monday morning, Xie Zhiyan's private plane flew back to Beicheng. While Xie Zhiyan was starting a meeting at the Hengjiang headquarters building, Ning Yuxuan had just woken up from her sleep.
When the ring went viral, Xie Zhiyan had just finished his second meeting of the day.
As the meeting ended and everyone was leaving, Assistant Liu walked up to Xie Zhiyan and whispered something to him.
"Mr. Xie, do you think we should handle this trending topic?"
As one of Xie Zhiyan's closest employees, Liu Cheng was the most knowledgeable about the relationship between President Xie and Ms. Ning.
After all, even the luxury apartment that President Xie recently bought was handled by Liu Cheng himself.
Liu Cheng understood best the special attention and importance Xie Zhiyan placed on Ning Yuxuan.
Even so, Liu Cheng was unsure of Xie Zhiyan's attitude towards making personal feelings the subject of public discussion, so he came specifically to ask for instructions.
Xie Zhiyan's gaze lingered on the trending topics for a moment.
As Xie's personal assistant, Liu Cheng kept a close eye on Xie's expression, and then he was surprised to see—
Xie Zhiyan's lips seemed to curl up slightly, almost imperceptibly, and he looked quite pleased.
"No need to remove it," Xie Zhiyan said calmly. "Just have someone keep an eye on it."
Liu Cheng suppressed his surprise and nodded: "Okay, no problem, Mr. Xie."
...
When the trending topic was pushed to her phone, Mrs. Wu was enjoying afternoon dessert with several of her "sisters".
As the most well-informed woman in the social circle of wives, Mrs. Wu is not only well-informed about the gossip and rumors within the wealthy families, but also has a keen eye for various entertainment trending topics.
Mrs. Wu quickly browsed the trending topics, then cleared her throat and solemnly announced to the other wives, "Sisters, I reckon that Mr. Xie from Beicheng will be getting married soon."
Mrs. He was eating a crème brûlée with elegant movements; she had only eaten half of the small dessert in ten minutes.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. He was so shocked that she forgot to put her small spoon away, leaving it suspended in mid-air: "It's... that Mr. Xie from Hengjiang?"
Mrs. Wu nodded.
Mrs. Li interjected from the other side, "With whom? Still that Miss Ning?"
Mrs. Wu: "Yes, who else could it be?"
Both ladies were surprised.
Mrs. Li: "Is this news credible? I heard similar news a few days ago, but someone told me it was just hearsay and shouldn't be taken seriously."
Mrs. Wu shook her head mysteriously: "No, I guess this time it's for real."
As she spoke, she pushed a picture of the diamond ring in front of the other two ladies.
The two ladies leaned over for a closer look, and Mrs. Li asked doubtfully, "This... the diamond ring looks quite valuable, but could it be just wishful thinking on the part of that young lady from the Ning family?"
There have been cases like this before.
Last year, a top female celebrity showed off her ring in public.
Netizens were abuzz with discussion, and the media immediately reported that the actress was about to tie the knot with her wealthy boyfriend of three years and officially become a wealthy wife.
The next day, the man's father publicly denied his son's relationship with the actress, claiming that it was impossible for his son to marry her.
Mrs. He chimed in, "Yes, Ning Yuxuan's family background... is still quite different from the Xie family. Dating is one thing, but marriage might be a bit difficult, right?"
Mrs. Wu clicked her tongue twice: "Mrs. He, speaking of family background... haven't you heard that rumor?"
Before Mrs. He could reply, Mrs. Li on the other end was already excited: "Mrs. Wu! You mean... that rumor is true too?"
Mrs. Wu took a leisurely sip of her flower tea before speaking amidst the expectant gazes of the two: "As far as I know, it's true."
For so many years, the relationship between Ning Yuxuan and Lin Yuanfeng was little known in Beicheng.
On the one hand, Ning Fei and Lin Yuanfeng's marriage was a secret, and the Lin family never approved of Ning Fei as their daughter-in-law and never publicly acknowledged her status.
On the other hand, after the divorce, Ning Fei did not want her children to have any further connection with the Lin family, and she also warned Lin Yuanfeng not to make a fuss.
In the elite circles of Beicheng, almost only the Gu family patriarch knew that Ning Yuxuan was Lin Yuanfeng's daughter.
Lin Yuanfeng had done a great favor for the Gu family, so Old Master Gu was willing to keep Ning Yuxuan's secret while taking care of her.
However, after Lin Yuanfeng personally admitted his relationship with Ning Yuxuan, Gu Yunhao, though deeply shocked, did not tell anyone about it. But secrets don't stay hidden forever.
In recent days, the news that Ning Yuxuan is actually the daughter of Lin Yuanfeng, the richest man in Jincheng, has spread to many people.
Mrs. Wu's information is always the most accurate in the circle.
With Mrs. Wu's confirmation, Mrs. He suddenly realized: "No wonder, that makes sense. The Lin family and the Xie family... then Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan can be considered a good match."
Mrs. Li was still somewhat bewildered.
After listening to Mrs. He's explanation, Mrs. Li asked doubtfully, "Then why hasn't Chairman Lin publicly acknowledged his relationship with Ning Yuxuan? And I heard that Chairman Lin has been remarried for several years now. Could it be that he has long since... stopped wanting to acknowledge his ex-wife's daughter?"
Mrs. Li's dilemma is also the dilemma of most people in the wealthy circles of Beicheng.
Blood ties are important, but as the saying goes, where money is, there is love.
This applies to ordinary families, and wealthy families are no exception.
If Ning Yuxuan is indeed Lin Yuanfeng's biological daughter, then why has Lin Yuanfeng never seemed to provide the Ning family with any financial support over the years?
There is no trace of the Ning family in the list of major shareholders of Lin's Electronics Group.
This makes one wonder about the authenticity of Ning Yuxuan and Lin Yuanfeng's relationship, or whether they are indeed father and daughter, but Lin Yuanfeng has long since lost all affection for his ex-wife's child.
In this profit-driven circle, such ruthlessness is not uncommon.
Mrs. Wu shook her head: "I don't know about that. But in my opinion, the marriage between Mr. Xie and the young lady from the Ning family should be a done deal."
Mrs. He: "How do you know?"
Mrs. Wu narrowed her eyes: "Intuition."
...
After returning to Beicheng, Ning Yuxuan told Lin Yuanfeng that she had already obtained her marriage certificate.
The father and daughter did not have a deep emotional bond, but they also did not harbor any deep hatred for each other.
This is also Ning Fei's intention.
Upon learning that her daughter had been proposed to, Ning Fei was overjoyed for her daughter.
Later, after seeing the trending topic, Ning Fei reminded her daughter, "Xuanxuan, you should also tell your father about the wedding."
Regardless of anything else, Lin Yuanfeng is Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue's father.
Her relationship with Lin Yuanfeng was long gone, but blood is thicker than water, and she should tell him about her daughter's important life event.
So after arriving home, Ning Yuxuan took a picture of the marriage certificate and sent it to Lin Yuanfeng.
Lin Yuanfeng immediately called.
On the phone, the man's slightly weathered voice couldn't hide his excitement.
"Xuanxuan, Daddy has made up his mind," Lin Yuanfeng said. "I'll go to Beicheng tomorrow to personally give you your wedding gift."
...
A few days later, another piece of news struck like a bolt from the blue, shaking the entire elite circle.
Lin Yuanfeng transferred 30% of Lin's Electronics' shares to Ning Yuxuan.
Previously, even after the resort project was made public, all the assets under Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan's names were only enough to allow the Ning family to barely step into the elite circle of Beicheng.
But things are different now.
Given the size of the Lin family business, this 30% share transfer is enough to make Ning Yuxuan one of the wealthiest young women in the industry.
This equity change not only proves the relationship between Lin Yuanfeng and Ning Yuxuan, but also proves that Lin Yuanfeng is not stingy at all with his ex-wife's children.
This timing also makes one wonder.
This time, most people in the wealthy circles finally believe that Xie Zhiyan and Ning Yuxuan's marriage is probably inevitable.
.
Tao You's engagement ceremony was set for the end of July, and Ning Yuxuan witnessed her friend's happy moment.
The wedding was set for a few months later. Tao You and Ning Yuxuan agreed that although Ning Yuxuan had already registered her marriage, she still hoped that Ning Yuxuan would be her bridesmaid.
In early August, Huayuan's four new stores finally opened one after another.
On the day the new store opened, Ning Yuxuan received countless flower baskets and many bouquets of flowers.
The number of congratulatory messages on her phone was countless, and she didn't even have time to reply.
There was no way around it; there were just too many things to worry about when opening a new store, and Ning Yuxuan and the entire management team were extremely busy.
On the night of the opening of the first new store, Ning Yuxuan attended the celebration banquet.
The real celebration banquet is scheduled for a few days later, and the entire management team of Huayuan will attend.
This small celebration was held at home, and there were only four people in attendance: Ning Fei, Ning Shiyue, Xie Zhiyan, and herself.
Ning Shiyue's drama finally wrapped up filming a couple of days ago, just in time for the opening of Huayuan's new store.
At the dinner table, Ning Shiyue downed several glasses of wine.
"Ning Shiyue," Ning Yuxuan looked at him amusedly, "Why do I feel like you're even more excited about the new store opening than I am, someone who's been involved from beginning to end?"
Ning Shiyue was already quite drunk.
Hearing this, he glanced at Ning Yuxuan and scoffed, "So what if I'm excited? You've become a rich woman, and I finally don't have to worry about working to support you anymore. Can't I even be happy?"
Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei exchanged a glance.
This was the first time she had heard Ning Shiyue say these words.
Could it be that he spoke the truth after drinking?
Ning Shiyue never drank alcohol at home before, I never expected that his alcohol tolerance was so low.
Ning Yuxuan stared at Ning Shiyue across from her: "You used to think about earning money to support me?"
Ning Shiyue snorted: "Of course. You've never gone out to work and just stayed at home all day. I can't keep letting Mom support you forever, can I? Mom is already this old, while I'm younger than you and in good health. I can at least support you until you become an old lady, and maybe even take care of you in your old age."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Good grief, one sentence cursed both her and her mother.
Although it sounds harsh, it's the truth: no one can live forever.
Ning Fei smiled helplessly and comforted her daughter, "Xiao Yue is probably drunk, don't take it to heart."
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "I didn't mean to argue with him, but..."
She took out her phone and turned on the video recording: "I have to record what he says, so he won't deny it when he sobers up."
A hand reached out, and Xie Zhiyan said calmly, "I'll help you."
Ning Yuxuan gave the man an approving look and handed him her phone.
Then she looked at Ning Shiyue, whose eyes were already glazed over, and asked, "You just said you planned to support me for the rest of my life?"
Ning Shiyue looked back at Ning Yuxuan and remained silent for a long time.
Just when Ning Yuxuan thought this guy was going to back out, he spoke again: "Yeah! What's wrong? You don't believe me?"
Ning Yuxuan: "...I do not believe it a little."
Ning Shiyue glared at her: "Don't you believe me! I'm a popular star now, really famous! I don't waste money, I definitely earn enough to support you!"
Ning Yuxuan almost burst out laughing.
Who would have thought that Ning Shiyue, who usually just smirks and says "so-so" when acquaintances and relatives praise him for doing well, would pat his chest and say he's very popular when drunk?
Ning Yuxuan glanced at her husband beside her, cleared her throat, and asked the drunken young man again, "What if I get married and have a husband? Will you still support me?"
Ning Shiyue blinked slowly, and after a few seconds, he said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Are you stupid? What is a husband anyway? Can he be more reliable than a younger brother?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
It seems that Ning Shiyue, in his drunken state, has forgotten the fact that she is already married, and has even erased her brother-in-law Xie Zhiyan from her memory.
Ning Yuxuan suppressed a laugh and looked at the man next to her who was holding up the phone to record the video.
Xie Zhiyan's brows furrowed, and the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch slightly.
Ning Fei watched this scene helplessly: "Zhiyan, I'm sorry, please don't mind it, Xiaoyue is really something..."
Ning Yuxuan stopped her mother: "Mom, please don't apologize for Ning Shiyue. Adults have to be responsible for their own words. Besides, he was drunk, Xie Zhiyan won't hold it against him, right?"
As she spoke, Ning Yuxuan winked at Xie Zhiyan.
Xie Zhiyan: "..."
"Of course." The man's expression seemed nonchalant.
However, whether it was Ning Yuxuan's imagination or not, she sensed a hint of gritted teeth in those two words.
Ning Yuxuan was having a hard time suppressing her laughter.
Xie Zhiyan suffered a loss in silence; he couldn't very well argue with his drunken brother-in-law.
Ning Shiyue was completely unaware of all of this.
"Let me tell you, Ning Yuxuan," Ning Shiyue spoke again, his tone solemn, "Many men are unreliable. Even if you get married, you might get divorced, but I will always be your younger brother! Even if your husband leaves you one day, I will never disown you as my older sister!"
Ning Yuxuan burst into laughter, bending over backwards.
The man beside her suddenly turned pale.
After the celebration banquet, Ning Yuxuan lent a hand to Xie Zhiyan, and together they carried Ning Shiyue back to the bedroom to rest.
If Ning Yuxuan had known that Ning Shiyue would behave so badly when drunk, she would definitely have stopped him from drinking any alcoholic beverage with a higher alcohol content than beer.
However, it was also an unexpected opportunity to hear his true feelings.
Ning Yuxuan was quite pleased, although some people didn't look too happy after hearing it.
After settling Ning Shiyue in, the two came out of the room.
"Thank you for recording this for me." Ning Yuxuan patted Xie Zhiyan on the shoulder. "If we really get divorced someday, I'll use this evidence to ask Ning Shiyue to support me."
Xie Zhiyan: "..."
The man remained silent and closed the door behind him.
Then, amidst the woman's radiant expression, he kissed her fiercely, sealing her lips with his.
Ning Yuxuan was caught off guard by the kiss and instinctively pushed him away.
A broken sentence escaped from his lips: "Ning... Ning Shiyue is still... still inside..."
Lying on the bed just a wall away, just a few seconds ago she was spouting nonsense like "Ning Yuxuan, you have to believe me."
Xie Zhiyan grasped Ning Yuxuan's hand, which was struggling erratically: "He's drunk, he won't be able to get up for a while."
Ning Yuxuan leaned against the wall, feeling trapped by the man's tall figure: "But he's so close, he can hear me... and my mother is also..."
The rest of his words were once again stuck in his throat.
...
A few minutes later, the location moved from Ning Shiyue's bedroom door to Ning Yuxuan's own room.
Ning Yuxuan was on tenterhooks from the start, fearing that Ning Shiyue would suddenly have a "last gasp" and push open the door, and that her mother would suddenly come looking for them.
The feeling of panic, akin to "cheating," reaches its peak when a man suddenly picks you up in his arms.
Ning Shiyue's bedroom is on the first floor, while Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei's rooms are on the second floor.
Heaven knows if Xie Zhiyan's princess carry of her from the first floor to the second floor might have attracted his mother's attention, or if he was unlucky enough to run into her directly.
With this worry in mind, Ning Yuxuan dared not struggle anymore, and hugged the man's neck tightly without making a sound.
Seeing the woman in his arms suddenly stop moving, Xie Zhiyan looked down at her and chuckled, "Why are you suddenly being so obedient?"
Ning Yuxuan glared fiercely at the man: Nonsense! Don't you know why?
Fortunately, her fears did not come true.
Xie Zhiyan carried her upstairs without any hindrance and placed her on the soft bed in the bedroom.
Ning Yuxuan knew she couldn't stop the situation from developing.
Who knew that her casual mention of "divorce" would elicit such a strong reaction from the man?
The moment Ning Yuxuan touched the bed, she immediately commanded Xie Zhiyan, "Close the door, no, lock the door!"
Ning Yuxuan felt a little relieved after seeing Xie Zhiyan lock the door with her own eyes.
However, he didn't get a chance to breathe for long before the man leaned down and pressed down on him again.
Ning Yuxuan's dress belt had been untied and thrown aside at some point.
Soon, Xie Zhiyan's shirt was no longer neat and became wrinkled in her hands.
When the man deftly unhooked the metal clasp of her bra, Ning Yuxuan finally managed to regain her senses for a moment.
"No..." she pushed him away, "There's no such thing here..."
Immediately afterwards, Ning Yuxuan was stunned when she saw Xie Zhiyan skillfully pull a small square box out of the drawer under the bedside table.
"When did you buy this? And why is it in my room? I had no idea!"
Xie Zhiyan's eyes were filled with dark ink, and his voice was hoarse beyond belief: "Last time we were forced to stop in your room, and I went to buy it the next day."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
This was Xie Zhiyan's second time staying overnight at her house. As for what happened the first time...
Ning Yuxuan unconsciously clenched her fingertips, feeling her fingers and palms begin to burn slightly.
It had been some time since their first time together.
But this was the first time she had done this in her bedroom, and Ning Yuxuan felt as if she had returned to what she had done more than half a month ago, with an even greater sense of nervousness.
Every time I accidentally make a sound, I panic and can't help but hold my breath, but then I quickly lose control due to the violent impact.
Repeating the cycle.
...
The man carried Ning Yuxuan out of the bathroom, and she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
The next morning, my phone was flooded with messages again.
The messages congratulating her on the opening of her new store had mostly subsided by last night.
Ning Yuxuan scrolled through her chat list in confusion, finally finding the answer in her Moments.
Xie Zhiyan posted a picture on his WeChat Moments showing the opening ceremony of Huayuan's new store.
Caption: Congratulations to my wife on the opening of her new store.
Ning Yuxuan clicked into Xie Zhiyan's profile and found that this was still his only post on WeChat Moments.
Against a blank background, the flower basket in the photo and the word "wife" in the caption stand out.
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
The bedroom door was pushed open, and Xie Zhiyan came in carrying breakfast.
Ning Yuxuan pointed at her phone: "What's going on here?"
Xie Zhiyan placed the breakfast on the table, his tone calm yet carrying a faint smile: "Hmm? What's going on?"
Ning Yuxuan held up her phone screen to show him.
Xie Zhiyan nodded slightly as if suddenly realizing something, and calmly replied, "Yes, I'll post a congratulatory message on my WeChat Moments for your new store opening."
A feather-light kiss landed on Ning Yuxuan's lips.
"Is that not okay, honey?"
(End of text)
[Author's Note]
Waaaaah, the main text is finally finished! This is the most difficult book I've written in the past two years (I won't go into details here), and I'm so happy to finally get to this point! I'm giving away 200 red envelopes in the comments section so everyone can join in the fun! (They'll be distributed in 48 hours)
Starting tomorrow, I'll be updating with side stories. The plan is to include some sweet moments of daily life living together after marriage, excerpts from the synopsis (the interview with CEO Xie), the wedding, and possibly some mother-daughter/sibling interactions (depending on my inspiration and everyone's interest), as well as some things that weren't clearly explained in the main story.
Then there's the "forced marriage" scenario I really wanted to write! In the main story, Mr. Xie easily got his wish and married Xuanxuan. The "what if" scenario is that if Xuanxuan hadn't been so willing to marry him, and mistakenly believed she still loved her ex-boyfriend (a side effect of being controlled by the plot), how would their marriage-of-convenience-to-love relationship have developed?
Finally, feel free to leave a comment if there's anything else you'd like to see, and I'll write about it when I have inspiration!
In short, thank you all for your support! My little darlings, when you have time, please visit my author page and add me to your favorites, or give a shout-out to the pre-orders on my author page!
----------
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:50:00 on July 30, 2024 and 23:50:00 on July 31, 2024!
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