The man's eyes held a naked, dangerous glint.
For a moment, Ning Yuxuan almost truly believed Xie Zhiyan intended to do things beyond kissing to her right here, in her own home.
Ning Yuxuan's breath hitched, her heart pounding violently. "Xie Zhiyan, what do you think you're doing? This is a crime!"
Xie Zhiyan let out a very soft laugh.
"Wasn't it you who said it?" His tone was unhurried. "You're attracted to my looks. It's mutual consent. How is that a crime?"
Ning Yuxuan wanted to bite her own tongue. She shouldn't have said that earlier; the more she said, the more mistakes she made.
This man was too adept at sophistry.
Ning Yuxuan took a deep breath, her retort lacking conviction. "Who said it's mutual consent? I didn't..."
"Oh?" Xie Zhiyan's brow lifted slightly. "Then why didn't you push me away when I kissed you just now?"
He leisurely straightened his shirt, saying calmly, "With a reaction like yours, I thought you were enjoying it."
Ning Yuxuan felt her face was about to explode with heat from his words. Her gaze followed his movements, and blood rushed to her cheeks.
The white shirt was wrinkled at the waist—wrinkled by her own forceful tugging.
When she was kissed to the point of losing herself, her body had subconsciously responded. Yet, holding him seemed too compliant, so she had channeled all her strength into his clothes.
Ning Yuxuan had never imagined finding herself in such a situation. Her words came out stammering. "I wasn't enjoying it... A-and besides, even if I didn't refuse your kiss, it doesn't mean you can do other things to me!"
She stumbled through her sentence and saw the corner of Xie Zhiyan's mouth actually curve up slightly.
Ning Yuxuan didn't understand. What was so funny about what she said?
A moment later, Xie Zhiyan suppressed his smile and looked at her with keen interest. "So, in other words, other things are not allowed, but kissing you is fine?"
Ning Yuxuan hadn't expected her words to be interpreted that way and stared, dumbfounded. "You—"
Before she could finish, the man's cool, intense presence enveloped her once more.
He kissed her for the third time.
If the first kiss was met with Ning Yuxuan's complete resistance, and the second saw her beginning to passively accept it, then the third was a complete surrender to abandon.
They had already kissed twice; what difference did one more time make?
She had already broken up with Gu Yunhao. There was no need to guard some chastity for that scumbag.
At the very least, Xie Zhiyan was truly pleasing to the eye, both in physique and appearance, and kissing him... was also truly pleasurable.
The lingering weakness in her legs from the first two rounds hadn't fully dissipated. Ning Yuxuan could barely stand.
As if embracing the chaos, she reached out and wrapped her arms around the man's shoulders, using him to steady herself.
Feeling her response, Xie Zhiyan's back stiffened slightly for a second.
Then, a scorching palm pressed against her back. He held her tighter, almost pressing her into his body.
Wherever the man touched felt like it was on fire. Ning Yuxuan felt as if she were treading on clouds, only able to cling more tightly to him to maintain her balance.
As her tongue was gently sucked, her cheeks flushed crimson, a fine layer of sweat beaded on her neck, and her entire body grew feverishly warm.
Just as she was being kissed to the point where her soul seemed about to leave her body, Xie Zhiyan's movements suddenly paused, his lips parting from hers slightly.
Ning Yuxuan, lost in the moment, was abruptly interrupted and looked up at him with dissatisfaction.
Her hands around his neck and shoulders tightened, trying to pull him closer.
The man seemed pleased by her action, letting out a low, muffled laugh.
"Someone's coming," he whispered, his voice slightly hoarse.
Ning Yuxuan's mind was sluggish. A beat later, the realization hit her like a thunderbolt.
How could she have forgotten? This was her living room.
Although her mother had left the living room to them and gone upstairs, it didn't mean she wouldn't come back.
Ning Yuxuan panickedly released her arms from around the man, hastily taking a step back. The movement was too abrupt, and she nearly stumbled.
Xie Zhiyan steadied her, but she pushed him away without a second thought.
Footsteps sounded from the staircase. The noise on the wooden stairs was distinct, and this time Ning Yuxuan heard it too.
She looked towards the staircase. Two seconds later, Ning Fei's figure appeared.
Ning Yuxuan's heart was pounding chaotically. Forcing composure, she tugged at the hem of her top, trying to pretend nothing had happened.
"Yuxuan, Zhiyan?" Ning Fei stood at the foot of the stairs, her voice tinged with hesitation. "How is your chat going? Am I interrupting?"
Ning Yuxuan, feeling immensely guilty, responded reflexively. "No, you're not!"
Hearing her daughter's words, Ning Fei then approached.
Stopping before the two of them, Ning Fei's gaze lingered on her daughter's face, her brow twitching slightly.
She knew her daughter too well.
Ning Yuxuan probably thought she was hiding it well enough, but Ning Fei saw at a glance her daughter's disheveled hair, flushed cheeks, and slightly swollen lips.
The panic, embarrassment, and subtle shyness in her daughter's expression were all clearly visible to her.
Ning Fei: "..."
She thought perhaps she really had come at an inopportune time.
"What would you like for dinner?" Ning Fei asked. "Will Zhiyan be staying to have dinner with us?"
Ning Yuxuan answered without thinking. "He's not eating with us!"
The man chuckled softly.
"Auntie Ning," Xie Zhiyan said gently. "I've already overstayed my welcome today. I have some work to attend to this evening and should be heading back."
Ning Fei nodded. "Alright."
She glanced at her daughter, hesitating slightly.
Xie Zhiyan smiled faintly. "No need to see me out. My driver is waiting outside."
Ning Fei: "...Very well then."
Watching Xie Zhiyan leave the villa, Ning Fei then turned to her daughter.
"Yuxuan, you and Zhiyan..."
Ning Yuxuan quickly interrupted her mother. "Nothing! There's nothing between us!"
Ning Fei: "..."
Ning Yuxuan's cheeks felt warm. "Mom, I'm a bit tired. I'd like to go back to my room and rest."
Ning Fei's lips parted slightly, but in the end, she said nothing.
She nodded gently. "Alright."
Watching her daughter's retreating back as she went upstairs, Ning Fei became thoughtful.
Although she had unilaterally agreed to Xie Zhiyan's proposal, her daughter's marriage ultimately couldn't completely ignore her daughter's own wishes.
But now, it seemed this marriage might actually come to pass.
After Xie Zhiyan left, aside from meals, Ning Yuxuan shut herself in her room for two full days.
Most of the time, she slept. Only in her dreams could she truly relax.
The rest of the time, she did the same thing over and over.
When Gu Yunhao called, it was hard to say what state of mind she was in, but she found herself inexplicably pressing the record button after answering.
Later, she played this recording countless times in her room.
The first time she listened, the familiar ache in her heart surged just as it always had, making her feel almost sick with discomfort.
But with each repeated playback, it was as if she were undergoing a kind of desensitization therapy. With each listen, the physical pain lessened a little.
Her emotions also gradually shifted from the initial pain, resentment, and anger to pure disgust towards Gu Yunhao.
Until finally, all emotions settled into calm.
Ning Yuxuan was even beginning to doubt why she had been so infatuated with such a scumbag for so long.
On Tuesday evening, Ning Yuxuan listened to the recording one last time, then logged into her Weibo account.
The day he broke up with her, Gu Yunhao had said to her: "Yuxuan, let's part on good terms. I wish you happiness. I won't mention you in front of anyone again, and please don't disturb Mengmeng and me. Let's each live our own lives in peace."
Back then, Ning Yuxuan had cried and pleaded, saying she didn't want to break up, that she could change whatever she did wrong, as long as she could stay with him.
But now, Ning Yuxuan found Gu Yunhao's words laughable.
He was the one who had betrayed her, so what right did he have to ask for them to each live in peace?
The night the recording was posted, Ning Shiyue, who was working out of town, called.
After answering, the young man's voice sounded incredulous yet unable to hide his excitement: "Ning Yuxuan, did you really post that recording yourself?"
Ning Yuxuan gave an "Mhm" in reply.
Ning Shiyue cursed over the phone, then immediately added: "Well done!"
Ning Yuxuan couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Since breaking up with Gu Yunhao, this was the first time she had genuinely laughed from the heart.
Hearing her laugh, the person on the other end of the line was momentarily stunned.
Ning Shiyue: "Don't get the wrong idea, Ning Yuxuan. I'm not praising you. I just purely hate Gu Yunhao."
The corner of Ning Yuxuan's mouth lifted slightly: "I know."
After she said this, the line fell quiet for a while.
Ever since she had gotten together with Gu Yunhao, the siblings hadn't had a pleasant conversation in a long time.
After a long pause, Ning Shiyue spoke again: "I'm coming back the afternoon of the day after tomorrow. Let's go get some good food then. Consider it... celebrating that bastard Gu Yunhao's reputation being ruined."
Ning Yuxuan: "Okay, it's a deal."
.
On Thursday evening, Ning Yuxuan, Ning Fei, and Ning Shiyue went out for a meal at a restaurant.
During the day on Friday, she made plans to go shopping with her long-uncontacted university roommate, Tao You.
Ning Yuxuan discovered that life without Gu Yunhao was even better than she had imagined.
Only...
When she saw a giant diamond ring poster for a certain jewelry brand on the first floor of the mall, Ning Yuxuan froze for a moment.
It wasn't until Tao You's voice pulled her back from her thoughts that Ning Yuxuan smiled somewhat self-deprecatingly.
After leaving last Sunday, Xie Zhiyan had not appeared at the Ning house again, nor had he mentioned the so-called bet.
Ning Yuxuan couldn't quite describe her feelings; it was probably a sense of "just as expected."
Xie Zhiyan's feelings for her were indeed not serious.
Just as well. Her new life was good now, and she didn't need him to disturb it.
Thinking this, Ning Yuxuan told herself everything would return to normal.
That was until, while having Japanese food with Tao You in the evening, her phone rang, the caller ID showing the three characters: "Xie Zhiyan."
Ning Yuxuan's heart skipped a beat.
Her finger hovered over the decline button for a long time, but in the end, she chose to answer.
"Hello?" Her tone was stiff. "I'm having dinner with a friend. What do you want?"
On the other end of the line, the man's voice was calm: "I've been dealing with some unavoidable matters these past few days, but it's all settled now."
Ignoring the strange feeling in her heart, Ning Yuxuan said coldly, "I don't care what you've been doing these days."
Xie Zhiyan's tone remained gentle, completely different from when he had forced her the other day: "I had a talk with Old Master Gu and Gu Yunhao's father. The Gu family won't dare bother you again."
Ning Yuxuan was slightly taken aback.
Ever since she had exposed the recording, Gu Yunhao, who had initially stopped contacting her, had been frantically calling her.
Ning Yuxuan found it ridiculous. Only when his reputation was damaged would he remember her.
She blocked every one of his numbers.
Later, members of the Gu family had called a few times too. Apart from answering one call from Old Master Gu, Ning Yuxuan had coldly ignored all the others.
Still, Ning Yuxuan had felt a vague unease, after all, the Gu family's influence in Beicheng far exceeded her own family's.
She hadn't expected Xie Zhiyan to help her resolve this lingering worry.
Ning Yuxuan softened her tone: "...Thank you."
Xie Zhiyan laughed.
"Rare," he said casually. "So besides when we're kissing, there are other times you're gentle with me too."
Ning Yuxuan's heart missed a beat. Guiltily glancing at Tao You sitting opposite her, she lowered her voice: "What nonsense are you talking!"
Xie Zhiyan: "Was anything I said wrong?"
Ning Yuxuan's cheeks grew warm: "Everything was wrong!"
When she kissed him, since when was she gentle?
At most, she just didn't resist him fiercely!
Xie Zhiyan chuckled lightly, then changed the subject: "You're eating out? Where? I'll come pick you up."
Ning Yuxuan: "No need. There's no need for us to meet again."
Xie Zhiyan: "I didn't expect Miss Ning to go back on her word like this."
Ning Yuxuan: "...What?"
Xie Zhiyan's tone was breezy: "The bet you agreed to, I haven't forgotten it."
...
After dinner, Tao You was picked up by her boyfriend.
A Rolls-Royce stopped in front of Ning Yuxuan. After five days, she finally saw Xie Zhiyan again.
Seeing this man once more, Ning Yuxuan's body instinctively tensed.
She already knew what kind of true nature lay hidden behind this man's gentle and refined mask.
"Xie Zhiyan." She forced herself to stay calm. "I agreed to see you just to make things clear. I will not marry you."
The man did not respond.
In the darkness, his expression was unclear, making Ning Yuxuan even more nervous.
She pressed her lips together, mustering the strength to continue: "No matter why you chose to pester me, I am not your plaything, and I certainly won't—"
Ning Yuxuan couldn't finish her sentence because the man had already pulled her forcefully into his arms.
Their lips met swiftly, tongues tangling together, the scorching gasps indistinguishable as to whose they were.
Their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly already. Xie Zhiyan's hand moved up from her waist, lingering on her back.
And she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Ning Yuxuan felt all of this was utterly absurd.
She had clearly intended to reject Xie Zhiyan and make things clear, yet within a minute of meeting him, she was kissing him again.
It was true he had initiated it, but she also had absolutely no desire to push him away.
A tingling sensation traveled all the way from her spine to the back of her head. Ning Yuxuan was completely lost in the man's kiss, unconsciously letting out a soft moan between her lips, her hands holding him even tighter.
He responded with an even more intense kiss and caresses.
By the time the kiss finally ended, Ning Yuxuan's legs were so weak she could barely stand.
Xie Zhiyan's hand supported her waist, helping her steady herself.
"Whether you're willing to admit it or not," the man's voice was low and hoarse, "Ning Yuxuan, you like me too. That's a fact."
Ning Yuxuan stared at him blankly.
"But..." she heard herself say, "I just like kissing you. That doesn't mean..."
Xie Zhiyan interrupted her: "Do you know how long I've wanted to kiss you like this?"
Ning Yuxuan's mind was still somewhat dazed. She asked subconsciously, "How long?"
Xie Zhiyan: "Since the year you turned eighteen."
Ning Yuxuan froze, as if she had suddenly lost her ability to comprehend Chinese and couldn't digest the meaning of his words.
"So," Xie Zhiyan gazed at her intently, "Ning Yuxuan, no matter what, you will ultimately become my wife."
"This time, I will not give you another chance to leave."
