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"Marry me."
Gu Yunhao was stunned. It took him several seconds to realize that Ning Yuxuan was talking about returning the gift to her.
I had hoped to hear Ning Yuxuan say something kind, but instead I was mocked again.
Enraged, Gu Yunhao blurted out, "Ning Yuxuan! You really think I care about your worthless stuff? I'll send it to you tomorrow!"
On the phone, Ning Yuxuan's voice sounded light and airy: "Tomorrow? Are you sure?"
Gu Yunhao's mouth moved faster than his brain: "It's settled, it's tomorrow. Anyone who doesn't go is a dog!"
Taking a deep breath, Gu Yunhao wanted to say a few more harsh words—
Beep, beep...
The call was disconnected.
Gu Yunhao: "..."
He subconsciously looked at Cen Meng beside him and found that Cen Meng was staring at the screen in front of her with an extremely ugly expression.
Gu Yunhao followed her gaze to the live stream on the TV screen, and his heart sank.
Ning Yuxuan didn't avoid the cameras and answered his call directly.
Due to a live stream delay, Ning Yuxuan had just finished saying the word "creditor" in the video.
The comments section is now full of people criticizing him.
[I thought Ning Yuxuan's attitude was a bit off earlier, but now I think she deserved it! People like her deserve to be scolded!]
[I hate people who owe money and don't pay it back the most! Support Ning Yuxuan!]
Paying back debts is a matter of course!
Gu Yunhao grew up being pampered by everyone around him, and all he heard was flattery and praise. He had never been treated like this before.
Although the audience didn't know who they were cursing, Gu Yunhao did.
Unfortunately, he had no way to respond or defend himself, so he could only clench his fist with a livid face and swear at the TV.
...
After finishing the phone call, Ning Yuxuan returned to the kitchen.
Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue exchanged a silent glance, neither of them asking about the phone call.
Ning Yuxuan's academic background is actually quite good; she was admitted to University A through proper entrance exams back then.
After graduation, she changed jobs several times, the shortest lasting only one or two months, and the longest not exceeding six months.
Later, for some reason, he suddenly wanted to try making TV series, but of course, it ended in failure not long after.
Recently, Ning Yuxuan has been completely focused on Gu Yunhao, with nothing but romance on her mind, and she hasn't been in contact with her friends much anymore.
Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue knew without guessing that the phone call just now was definitely related to Gu Yunhao.
Ning Fei was worried that her daughter would be upset, but she didn't want to say too much during the live stream, so she could only gently suggest, "Xuanxuan, if you're tired, why don't you go and rest in the living room for a while? Xiaoyue and I are enough here."
Ning Shiyue chimed in, "Yeah, the kitchen is only so big. You're just making things worse here. You should go watch TV in the living room."
Ning Yuxuan raised an eyebrow: "No, I have to keep an eye on you, otherwise what if my braised fish turns into steamed fish?"
Ning Shiyue was initially a little worried, but now he was so angry he laughed again, and stopped washing the vegetables: "Do you think I'm as shameless as you?"
[Hilarious, this braised vs. steamed joke is just going to stick with us.]
[Hahaha, it's rare to see Ning Shiyue with such vivid expressions on a variety show. I thought a cold face was his usual expression.]
Indeed, Ning Shiyue smiled much more in this show than in other shows, but it was all because he was angry and laughing, haha.
Ning Yuxuan's interruption restored the relaxed atmosphere in the kitchen.
The three of them worked together and soon prepared three dishes and a soup. The family then brought the dishes to the table and began to eat lunch.
The production team prepared several questions in advance and asked them to the guests during lunchtime.
The first question was directed at Ning Fei: "Ms. Ning, the second season of 'Dear Mom' invited three groups of guests. Do you know anything about the other two groups?"
Ning Fei first wiped her mouth with a tissue before speaking slowly and deliberately: "I heard that you invited Qin Man and her daughter Jiang Ning'an, as well as an actress named Cen Meng and her mother, right?"
"Dear Mom" is a live-streamed variety show that focuses on family relationships. After the first season aired, it was a huge success in terms of popularity and reputation. The production team quickly began preparing for the new season.
A friend of Ning Fei's from the industry participated in the first season and gave the show a very positive review, saying that she felt much closer to her child after the show ended.
Ning Fei had been struggling to repair her relationship with her daughter, and her daughter had once again shown interest in the entertainment industry, so Ning Fei thought of participating in this variety show.
Ning Fei was a huge star in the entertainment industry when she was young, and was one of the most sought-after actresses at the time. Even after retiring from acting for many years, she still has a group of loyal fans, and her popularity among the general public is top-notch.
After she expressed her intentions, the production team immediately sent someone to contact her, and the contract was finalized in no time.
To meet Ning Fei's needs, the production team specially arranged for this season to focus on the mother-daughter relationship, called "Dear Mom: Mother-Daughter Special Season".
The other guest, Qin Man, is another Best Actress winner from the same era as Ning Fei.
Ironically, Ning Fei and Qin Man were competing for the Best Actress award at the Golden Dew Awards that same year. Whoever won would be the first to achieve a triple crown of awards.
Ning Fei ultimately won the Best Actress award, while Qin Man missed the chance to achieve a grand slam, only to break through again six years later and finally win the honor of being a triple crown Best Actress.
In various online lists of goddesses, Ning Fei and Qin Man's names often appear one after the other.
The appearance of these two award-winning actresses on the same variety show has kept the show's popularity high ever since the official announcement of the guest list.
In addition, Ning Fei's son, Ning Shiyue, and Qin Man's daughter, Jiang Ning'an, are both young actors who are active in the entertainment industry, which adds even more excitement to the show.
As for the third guest, Cen Meng, she cannot compare with the two actresses in terms of fame and popularity.
However, after a few years in the industry, Cen Meng has accumulated a number of fans by appearing in various TV dramas, and her real-life CP with her co-star even became a minor hit.
After receiving confirmation from the staff, Ning Fei smiled and said, "I am quite familiar with Ms. Qin Man. I have read some of her works, and I really like a few of them. However, we haven't been in contact privately for a long time, and apart from her works, I don't know much about her or her daughter."
“As for Miss Cen Meng—” Ning Fei paused, “I’ve heard she’s a promising new generation actress, and I’m really looking forward to meeting her for the first time.”
Even though she has been out of the entertainment industry for more than ten years, Ning Fei still answers questions with grace and elegance, leaving no room for criticism.
[As expected of my goddess! She speaks clearly and logically, and her voice is so beautiful!]
Listening to Teacher Ning speak is so pleasant, it feels like a gentle breeze.
Amidst the numerous praising comments, there were also discordant voices.
Can I say this? I've always disliked Ning Fei because she speaks insincerely and always has that smiling face; she's not genuine at all.
However, the live stream was mostly filled with fans of Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue, and this comment was quickly met with criticism.
[If you don't like Teacher Ning, why are you watching this live stream? Are you here to cause trouble?]
If you don't like it, you don't like it. So many of us love Goddess Ning Fei, we don't need your help.
...
After asking Ning Fei a few more questions, the staff began to ask Ning Yuxuan questions.
"Ms. Yu Xuan, you've acted in TV dramas before, and now you're participating in the program with Teacher Ning. What are your plans for the future? Will you continue to be active in the entertainment industry and develop your acting career?"
Before the shoot, the staff and guests had a brief discussion about the questions.
According to the original plan, Ning Yuxuan should have gone along with it and expressed her interest in acting, laying the groundwork for entering the industry later.
As for why Ning Yuxuan wanted to enter the entertainment industry, the reason is quite simple.
She discovered that the reason Gu Yunhao was becoming increasingly cold towards her was because he had met a young actress in the entertainment industry—Cen Meng.
In order to win back her boyfriend's heart, Ning Yuxuan is determined to prove that she is no less capable than Cen Meng: what Cen Meng can do, she can also do.
However, these are all the thoughts of "the villainous female supporting character Ning Yuxuan".
Ning Yuxuan calmly replied, "No, I have no intention of continuing to act. I participated in the show this time because I wanted to spend time with my mother."
The staff member was slightly taken aback: Why is the answer different from what we agreed on before?
The audience was also discussing it extensively.
Ah...it's a bit of a shame. Such a beautiful face, will we never be able to see it in movies and TV dramas again?
[If you've seen this woman's performance, you won't feel sorry for her; her acting is absolutely awful!]
It's a good thing she's not in the entertainment industry. She can just post more photos and vlogs on social media and let us admire her stunning good looks.
[I just don't believe it. If they really didn't want to enter the entertainment industry, why would they go on variety shows? Are they just creating a persona to gain popularity?]
[It's not really appropriate to mock someone for taking out a loan, but at least Ning Yuxuan isn't wrong to say that now.]
The staff snapped out of their daze, thankfully Ning Yuxuan's answer didn't affect the next question.
He continued, "Ms. Yuxuan, what are your recent career plans?"
"Plans..." Ning Yuxuan smiled and said calmly, "I've thought it through. I'm going to be my mom's full-time daughter."
Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue: "..."
Staff: "..."
Netizen: ...?
What does "full-time daughter" mean? Does it mean someone stays at home all year round and lives off their parents?
[Haha, I have to admit I admire Ning Yuxuan for making such a righteous claim about sponging off her parents.]
You know what, if I had a mother like Teacher Ning, I'd be happy to be a stay-at-home daughter too!
[If you ask me, there's nothing wrong with Teacher Ning being a mama's girl if she's willing!]
It took the staff a while to recover from their shock before they asked Ning Fei, "So... what do you think, Ms. Ning?"
Ning Fei coughed lightly and smiled, "If I could, I would certainly be willing to be my daughter's support for the rest of my life."
Deep down, Ning Fei still hopes that her daughter can find something she truly enjoys doing, instead of being idle and spending all her energy on her boyfriend like she is now.
But in front of outsiders, Ning Fei would never hesitate to defend her daughter and stand by her side.
Furthermore, Ning Fei's statement that she was "willing to be her daughter's support for life" was not a lie; she spoke from the bottom of her heart, her eyes filled with love and doting affection for her daughter.
[Sobbing, I'm suddenly so envious of Ning Yuxuan, having a mother who loves her unconditionally like that.]
[I cried, Teacher Ning is so kind! Would Teacher Ning mind having another cyberpunk daughter?!]
Count me in! I want to sign up to be Teacher Ning's daughter too!
This season's show focuses on the mother-daughter relationship, but Ning Shiyue has a large following, so the production team naturally wouldn't let her go.
However, since the program team did not expect Ning Shiyue's behavior at home to be so different from usual, the questions they prepared were quite serious.
Ning Shiyue maintained his concise and clear interview style as always, and could be described as sparing with words.
Unfortunately, the comments section was no longer buying it.
[Haha, seeing Ning Shiyue answering questions so seriously, I can't help but laugh.]
[That is to say, he was just speechless after being roasted by Ning Yuxuan, which is quite a contrast to his current arrogant mode.]
However, it must be admitted that as long as he's not talking to his sister, Ning Shiyue still exudes a cool and aloof top-tier aura!
After finishing the meal, the recording of the pilot episode came to an end.
The staff member said a few words to conclude the broadcast and then turned off the live stream.
Afterwards, the crew packed up their equipment, said "thank you for your cooperation" and "see you next time" to Ning Fei and her group, and then left by car.
The villa, which had been bustling just moments before, suddenly fell silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Ning Shiyue cleared his throat: "The crew needs to reshoot a few scenes, so I have to get to the set right away."
There are many big names in the crew, and the reshoot time was set after coordinating everyone's schedules, so that so many people in the crew could not wait for him.
The auditions for the TV series were originally scheduled for noon and afternoon, but Ning Shiyue had to give up the audition in order to come and record the pilot episode.
Ning Shiyue left in a hurry, leaving only the two of them at home.
Ning Fei recalled the interview she had just had and asked her daughter, "Xuanxuan, you said you don't want to act anymore... is that true?"
My daughter suddenly wants to try entering the entertainment industry again. She was begging me about it not long ago. Why did she suddenly change her mind?
Ning Fei was surprised just now, but she didn't ask because of the camera.
Ning Yuxuan nodded: "Yes, I've thought it through. Acting isn't for me."
Ning Fei hesitated for a moment.
That's fine. She knows her daughter's personality; she's never been suited for the complicated entertainment industry, but...
"Xuanxuan," Ning Fei spoke again, "Our family isn't exactly wealthy, but it's enough to ensure you'll live a comfortable life for the rest of your days. But you're still young; you should find things you want to do..."
Ning Yuxuan understood her mother's meaning and took the opportunity to express her own thoughts: "Mom, don't you own a chain of hotels? I'd like to help you manage and operate the hotel."
Ning Fei: "..."
She could hardly believe it: "Xuanxuan, have you thought this through?"
When they divorced, Ning Fei gave up her share of the property in exchange for custody of their two children, leaving with nothing.
She used her savings from her time in the entertainment industry to invest in real estate and made a fortune. She then used that money to open a chain of hotels, which now has ten branches in Beicheng.
It's not a very large business, but it provides a stable income for the family.
My daughter's major is a perfect match for my career, so it would be great if she could help manage the hotel under her name.
Seeing Ning Yuxuan nod, Ning Fei was very happy: "Then after the show is finished, I will have Chen Jun take you over to the hotel business."
Chen Jun is the general manager of Huayuan Hotel, and he is responsible for most of the hotel's affairs.
“Okay,” Ning Yuxuan said. “Mom, there’s something else I want to discuss with you.”
"What's up?"
"I want to open a few new stores in Tongxing District, preferably within a month, at most two months. It might be too late to start after the show is finished."
“You…” Ning Fei was surprised at first, then seemed to think her daughter’s words were too childish and laughed.
"Xuanxuan." She took a bottle of drink from the refrigerator, poured it into a glass, and handed it to her daughter. "Opening a new store isn't as simple as you think. Research, site selection, design, construction—every step is indispensable. Let alone several stores, even just one store, a month isn't realistic."
Ning Yuxuan took the glass: "If we have to start from scratch, it's indeed too late. However, there's a chain hotel in Beicheng that's not doing well, and four of its stores in Tongxing District are up for sale. We can take over one or two of them."
What she didn't say was that her eagerness to buy the hotel wasn't because she suddenly wanted to start a business, nor was it simply for making money.
In the original storyline, Gu Yunhao made a fortune after buying the hotel, winning the approval of the Gu family and the entire social circle, and from then on, his career soared.
Two months from now, the northwest part of Tongxing District will be planned as a resort area, becoming a key project for the tertiary industry in the northern part of the city.
This news is currently only known to high-ranking personnel within the organization. Not to mention ordinary people, even the wealthy and powerful families in Beicheng are completely unaware of it.
Gu Yunhao's decision to buy the hotel at this particular time was entirely due to a stroke of luck provided by the author, a stroke of pure chance.
After that, under the instigation of the female lead Cen Meng, Gu Yunhao targeted Ning Fei, ultimately ruining the Huayuan Hotel that Ning Fei had devoted many years of effort to.
The most direct and safest way to prevent things from developing this way is to buy the hotel first.
Considering the family's assets, buying them all is unrealistic; we can only buy one or two of them for the time being.
The biggest challenge now is how to persuade my mother.
In Ning Fei's eyes, her daughter always had a sudden idea and was only enthusiastic about things for a short time.
To be honest, if Ning Yuxuan put herself in Ning Fei's shoes, she wouldn't have agreed so easily either.
She couldn't possibly tell her mother the real reason: if she told her mother that this world was actually a novel, she would definitely be considered to have psychological problems, and might even be sent to the hospital for examination.
After talking for more than ten minutes, Ning Fei still did not budge.
Although Ning Fei loves her daughter dearly, investing is a serious matter, and she can't let her daughter do whatever she wants.
Moreover, she looked at the hotel her daughter had mentioned. It was a mid-to-high-end hotel, and the transfer fee alone would be substantial. In addition, the investment in redesign and renovation, employee salaries, and so on would require a large cash flow.
The Ning family is not a wealthy, long-established family with substantial assets, so taking over rashly would be too risky.
“Xuanxuan, I support you in opening a new store,” Ningfei said. “But a month is too much of a rush. Let’s take it slow.”
Ning Yuxuan knew she couldn't persuade her mother in a short time, so she had no choice but to agree.
Ning Fei has a habit of taking a nap at noon; after lunch, she will go back to her bedroom and lie on her bed for a while.
Ning Yuxuan also returned to her room.
She opened her phone and looked at the hotel's information for a while.
Her thoughts drifted away unconsciously, and when she came to her senses, Ning Yuxuan realized that she had opened her contacts without knowing when.
Ning Yuxuan's gaze sharpened slightly, and her finger slid across the screen a few times before slowly stopping above a name—
Xie Zhiyan.
In the original book, Xie Zhiyan is the final villain who almost bankrupted Gu Yunhao's company.
However, in the end, the male and female protagonists were more skilled and brought down Xie Zhiyan and his Hengjiang Group.
When Ning Yuxuan heard this part of the story, she was speechless.
Xie Zhiyan, who was young but held a high position and was ruthless, seemed to have his intelligence forcibly reduced at the last moment, and suddenly became no match for Gu Yunhao.
If the author of the novel hadn't been so eager for the protagonist to win, Ning Yuxuan really couldn't understand why things would turn out this way.
Now that she wants to invest, if she can get Xie Zhiyan's help, or even cooperate with him, she will definitely be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort.
The main reason she dared to approach this business tycoon, a figure well-known throughout Beicheng's elite circles, was—
Ning Yuxuan's impression of Xie Zhiyan has always been "a good person".
The two have known each other for ten years. Although they haven't been in much contact in recent years, Xie Zhiyan has always agreed to help Ning Yuxuan whenever she asks for his assistance.
As long as Xie Zhiyan took action, all her needs were met.
However, those previous times were just minor incidents. This time, Ning Yuxuan wanted his help with an investment involving tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan.
When Ning Yuxuan sent the message to Xie Zhiyan, she had absolutely no confidence.
Ten minutes later, Xie Zhiyan called.
The man's voice was deep as he cut to the chase: "You want me to help persuade your mother, and ideally, I could help you pay for some of the money?"
Ning Yuxuan hummed in agreement and added, "We won't let you, Mr. Xie, invest for nothing. It's a joint investment, and we'll give you dividends later."
She knew her suggestion was a bit outrageous; she was clearly not qualified to partner with Xie Zhiyan.
But Ning Yuxuan is least afraid of being rejected, and besides, she has known Xie Zhiyan for a long time, unlike others in the circle who are afraid of him.
The man on the other end of the phone didn't directly mock her, but his tone was more amused: "It's been a year, and Miss Ning is going to enter the business world?"
Ning Yuxuan shamelessly admitted, "Yes, I recently had a sudden epiphany and want to start a small business."
"I remember your boyfriend's last name is Gu."
The implication was that she was being asked why she didn't ask Gu Yunhao for help.
Who is Xie Zhiyan? The excuse I made up won't fool him.
Ning Yuxuan told the truth: "We broke up."
The phone went silent for a few seconds.
"It's not impossible for me to pay," Xie Zhiyan paused, "but there's a condition."
Ning Yuxuan's eyes lit up, and she immediately asked, "What are the conditions?"
"Marry me."
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