Late Sunday night, Cen Meng finally came forward to respond to the highly publicized mistress scandal.
Cen Meng posted a video, appearing without makeup, her eyes red and the dark circles beneath them clearly visible.
In the video, she tearfully recounted her experience of being “the other woman” and stated that she had now broken up with the man involved.
At the end of the video, Cen Meng even apologized to Ning Yuxuan.
However, most netizens were not convinced by this apology video.
“Yeah, right, like we don’t know. Otherwise, why would she target Ning Yuxuan on the show?”
“Now that she’s being criticized, she suddenly cries? Too little, too late!”
“This time she only comes out to apologize after being exposed. What if Ning Yuxuan was innocent? She’d definitely be hiding in the shadows, secretly pleased.”
“If she really wanted to apologize, she should do it face to face with Ning Yuxuan. What’s the point of posting it online?”
But Cen Meng’s video wasn’t really meant for these people.
There were still some fans who had liked Cen Meng to begin with and accepted her explanation.
Her agency also found a public relations strategy, rallying fans and online supporters to portray Cen Meng as a strong yet gentle girl who knows when to hold on and when to let go.
“Cen Meng is amazing! Once she realized the guy was a jerk, she decisively ended things. So many girls can’t do that!”
“Actually, neither Cen Meng nor Ning Yuxuan are at fault; the one to blame is the guy!”
“Everyone should learn from Cen Meng — once you see a scumbag’s true colors, cut your losses immediately!”
……
Ning Yuxuan heard about the online buzz but didn’t bother to respond to the rumors, nor did she want to get into a public feud with Cen Meng.
She had more important matters to attend to.
On Monday during the day, Ning Yuxuan spent the whole day discussing hotel affairs with Ning Fei.
As Ning Fei grew older, her energy was not what it used to be, and the Hua Yuan hotel chain hadn’t undergone any major changes in recent years.
This time, Ning Yuxuan planned to open four new stores in one go, which rekindled some of Ning Fei’s youthful enthusiasm.
Ning Yuxuan proposed renovating two of the existing stores, while turning the other two into themed hotels — an idea Ning Fei fully supported.
They spent a long time discussing the specific design directions for the themed hotels and came up with some preliminary plans.
Ning Yuxuan recorded all these ideas in a document, planning to discuss them in detail with the designers later.
In fact, several design firms and suppliers had already proactively reached out to Ning Fei, expressing interest in collaboration.
There’s no such thing as a completely airtight secret — news had already leaked that Xie Zhiyan had invested in Hua Yuan hotels.
But this was Ning Yuxuan’s first time managing a hotel, and the investment was brought in by the daughter.
Ning Fei didn’t want to discourage her daughter’s enthusiasm and let her make the final decisions, acting only as an advisor.
.
The next day, Ning Yuxuan got up early and put on light makeup before heading out.
Xie Zhiyan’s car was parked outside the villa.
It was still the same Bentley as before, but this time he was driving himself instead of a chauffeur.
Ning Yuxuan got into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.
Xie Zhiyan asked, “Did you bring everything you needed?”
Ning Yuxuan responded with a simple, “Mm.”
All she needed to bring were her ID card and household registration book. The family’s household registration book had been placed by Ning Fei in the study cabinet, and Ning Yuxuan easily retrieved it.
Hearing Xie Zhiyan’s question, Ning Yuxuan rummaged through her bag and glanced at the household registration book again, a fleeting, almost imperceptible sadness flickering across her expression.
It wasn’t because of the marriage itself, but rather...
Something so important, and yet she had kept it a secret from her mother.
Though it was an unavoidable decision, Ning Yuxuan still felt a twinge of regret deep in her heart.
The car slowly pulled out of the villa community, and the man’s clear, crisp voice sounded in her ear: “Regret it?”
His tone was even, with only a slight upward inflection at the end, making it impossible to discern any real emotion.
Ning Yuxuan snapped back to attention and gave Xie Zhiyan a decisive look: “Of course not!”
Marriage wasn’t a rash impulse; it was a decision she had made after careful consideration. There was no way she would regret it at the last moment.
Xie Zhiyan’s voice was low and steady: “Good.”
Twenty minutes later, the two arrived at the civil affairs bureau.
Xie Zhiyan said he would take care of everything, and at first, Ning Yuxuan didn’t think much of it.
But when they arrived, they found a dedicated staff member waiting for them, and Ning Yuxuan realized that someone like Xie Zhiyan probably had even the marriage registration process pre-arranged.
Within just over ten minutes, they completed all the procedures and officially became a legal couple.
Back in the car, Ning Yuxuan opened the inner page of the marriage certificate and admired the photo they had just taken in one smooth motion.
Setting everything else aside, just judging by appearance, Ning Yuxuan thought she and Xie Zhiyan looked quite well-matched.
She had known since she was little that she was pretty. When Ning Fei took her out to play as a child, she was often surrounded by grandparents, uncles, and aunts admiring her.
Throughout school, she had countless admirers and had received more love letters than she could count.
But she had never been truly moved by any of them—until she met Gu Yunhao. Suddenly, she experienced a passionate first love that was impossible to control, and from then on, her life goal became “to become Gu Yunhao’s bride.”
Looking back now, Ning Yuxuan thought that kind of intense love at first sight could only be explained by plot convenience.
Otherwise, Gu Yunhao was just so-so looking—handsome, yes, but not enough to drive her crazy.
Now, looking carefully at the men around her—whether Ning Shiyue or Xie Zhiyan—none of them were less good-looking than Gu Yunhao.
Thinking this, Ning Yuxuan absentmindedly traced the wedding photo with her fingertip.
“Is it really that pretty?” Xie Zhiyan suddenly asked as the car stopped at a traffic light at an intersection.
Ning Yuxuan instinctively withdrew her hand: “What?”
Xie Zhiyan stated the obvious without any ripple of emotion: “You stared at it for a long time.”
Ning Yuxuan blinked: “It’s pretty!”
She held up the marriage certificate, the photo facing herself: “No wonder it’s me—born beautiful. Even the staff’s casual snapshot made me look like a big star.”
Her boastful tone was probably a bit over the top, because Xie Zhiyan chuckled.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at him and added, “You’re not bad either!”
Xie Zhiyan looked at her and spoke softly, "As long as you're satisfied."
His tone was gentler than usual, making Ning Yuxuan feel there was an unspoken meaning behind his words.
Was Xie Zhiyan referring to her satisfaction with the photo, or was it about the marriage arrangement?
Before she could figure it out, the man spoke again, "You haven't had breakfast yet, have you?"
Ning Yuxuan was surprised. "How did you know?"
She had been a heavy sleeper since childhood and disliked getting up for breakfast.
When she was little, Ning Fei, worried about her health, would have the housemaid bring her steamed buns or bread to eat on her way to school.
But once she started university, with no one to supervise her, Ning Yuxuan completely let herself go and stopped eating breakfast altogether.
After graduating, she spent quite some time as an unemployed slacker at home, sleeping until nearly noon every day. Ning Fei had no choice but to accept that she combined breakfast and lunch into one meal daily.
Xie Zhiyan didn’t answer her question but said, "There’s a nearby place with good food. I’ll take you there."
Curious, Ning Yuxuan asked, "Don’t you have to go back to the company?"
Xie Zhiyan replied calmly, "I cleared my schedule for today."
"Oh," Ning Yuxuan responded softly, "Alright then."
The car passed through several traffic lights before slowly stopping in front of a breakfast stall.
Once inside, Ning Yuxuan glanced at the menu and noticed the font and decorative patterns looked familiar.
Looking up again, she realized the shop’s name was the same as the one she remembered.
Near the south gate of University A, there was a small food street where Ning Yuxuan and her roommates often ate.
Among them, one steamed bun shop suited Ning Yuxuan’s taste perfectly. She loved it from the first bite and often brought various friends there.
Unfortunately, the shop suddenly closed down at the end of her freshman semester. The owner left in a hurry, and no one knew where she had moved.
When Ning Yuxuan found out, she was heartbroken and told everyone how much she regretted it.
Confirming this was indeed the same shop, Ning Yuxuan looked at Xie Zhiyan in surprise, "This place..."
Before she could finish, the shop owner approached, "Is that... Yuxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan looked up in delight, "Aunt Fang, is this really your shop?"
The owner’s face was equally astonished. "Yes, I wasn’t sure at first, but it really is you, Yuxuan."
Back then, many students came here to eat, but Ning Yuxuan was the most frequent visitor and had a particularly distinctive look.
Over time, Aunt Fang had remembered her name.
Later, when her mother-in-law fell seriously ill, and her husband was overwhelmed, she had to hurriedly transfer the shop to someone else.
It happened to be the students’ final exam period, and Ning Yuxuan hadn’t come for several days, so Aunt Fang didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.
Her mother-in-law’s illness lasted several years, but in the end, she passed away. After sending her off, Aunt Fang took the chance to open a new shop in a different location.
After a brief conversation, Ning Yuxuan finally understood what Aunt Fang had been through all those years.
The landlady, ever optimistic, had a few more fine lines on her face, but her smile was just as warm as before. "What would you like to eat this time?"
Ning Yuxuan curved her eyes into a smile. "The usual, of course!"
The landlady chuckled heartily. "Alright, alright! And for this gentleman…?"
The man beside Ning Yuxuan exuded an air of nobility. The landlady, not often serving such distinguished guests, grew a bit more cautious.
Xie Zhiyan ordered two of the restaurant’s signature breakfast dishes.
The landlady nodded and went back to prepare their meal.
Ning Yuxuan asked Xie Zhiyan, "Did you pick this place on purpose?"
Xie Zhiyan replied coolly, "I just happened to recognize the name."
Ning Yuxuan responded thoughtfully with an "Oh."
She remembered she hadn’t mentioned this place to Xie Zhiyan before, but during that holiday when she stayed at the Xie family’s, this restaurant had just closed down.
Maybe she had been complaining about it to Ning Fei every day back then, and Xie Zhiyan had overheard.
The restaurant wasn’t busy, and soon the landlady brought out their dishes.
Ning Yuxuan took a bite of the steamed bun and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
It was exactly the taste she remembered.
She recalled what Xie Zhiyan had said earlier in the car: "You don’t have any other plans today?"
Xie Zhiyan asked, "Why?"
Ning Yuxuan smiled brightly. "Well, I don’t either. How about I pay for this meal, and then I’ll treat you to something nice for lunch? Consider it a celebration for our marriage certificate!"
Xie Zhiyan glanced at her. "Do you need my help with something?"
Ning Yuxuan was caught off guard but didn’t panic; she went along with it smoothly. "My mom and I discussed several hotel design plans yesterday. I thought you could take a look for me."
They were married now, and with Xie Zhiyan investing in the hotel, it made sense to use him as a consultant.
Xie Zhiyan asked, "Where to?"
That question stumped Ning Yuxuan.
The Hua Yuan Hotel had a dedicated office area, but she hadn’t officially taken over management yet, and her own office wasn’t set up.
"How about..." Ning Yuxuan suggested, "your company? I remember Hengjiang’s headquarters is nearby."
Xie Zhiyan chuckled. "I even had my assistant clear my schedule today. Looks like you’re eager to drag me back to work."
Ning Yuxuan was speechless.
True, if they went to Hengjiang, Xie Zhiyan’s time might not be hers alone.
"Then..." Ning Yuxuan took a sip of her drink, "my place isn’t great either; it would disturb my mom’s nap. How about your place?"
At that, Xie Zhiyan gave her a long, deep look.
Ning Yuxuan almost choked.
"Ahem..." she cleared her throat. "I didn’t mean it like that!"
Xie Zhiyan leisurely bit into a purple sweet potato pastry.
After Ning Yuxuan took a few more big sips to calm herself, the man finally spoke slowly, "If you want to keep things from my mother and your family in the future, you really should come see my place."
Ning Yuxuan: "...Let’s talk about that later!"
When they decided to get married, both had agreed that they wouldn’t have to live together after the wedding, so Ning Yuxuan never really thought about that aspect.
Now, suddenly being asked to share a room with a man, she just wasn’t prepared for it.
In the end, neither of them went to each other’s place.
After breakfast, Xie Zhiyan took Ning Yuxuan to a nearby tea restaurant that had private business rooms specifically for meetings.
They spent the entire morning there. Ning Yuxuan went over the plans she and Ning Fei had discussed yesterday with Xie Zhiyan.
Most of the time, Ning Yuxuan was talking non-stop, while Xie Zhiyan quietly listened.
He only occasionally asked a few questions, but each one hit the mark, instantly making Ning Yuxuan realize which areas she hadn’t thought through carefully.
However, Ning Yuxuan didn’t look to Xie Zhiyan for solutions; she simply took note of the issues he pointed out, planning to think them over carefully on her own later.
This was her first time preparing to open a store, and she wanted to try solving the problems herself.
When lunchtime came, Ning Yuxuan felt a little reluctant to lose this free consultant.
But she couldn’t let Xie Zhiyan, who was like a living Buddha, go hungry, so she took the initiative to ask, “What do you want for lunch? You name it—I’m treating!”
She had already decided that even if this meal cost her a fortune, she’d go for it. After all, if anyone else wanted to have Xie Zhiyan as a consultant, it wouldn’t be settled with just one lunch.
Xie Zhiyan replied, “You’ve let me decide the last two times, so this time it’s your turn.”
Ning Yuxuan no longer held back, “Then let’s have Sichuan cuisine. I haven’t had it in a long time.”
Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue didn’t like spicy food, so she couldn’t get them to join her.
She did have a few friends who shared her taste, but over the past two years she’d been so focused on Gu Yunhao that she rarely went out with anyone else, and gradually those friendships had grown distant.
Xie Zhiyan didn’t object, so they went to a nearby Sichuan restaurant with good reviews.
It was peak dining time, and the restaurant was crowded. All the private rooms were taken, so they had to sit in a corner of the main hall.
While eating, besides enjoying the food, Ning Yuxuan’s mind was filled with thoughts about the hotel; she didn’t have much chance to chat with Xie Zhiyan.
After the meal, Ning Yuxuan suddenly felt like she had forgotten something.
It wasn’t until they reached the restaurant entrance that she suddenly remembered—she’d completely forgotten to pay the bill.
She had promised to treat, but in the end, Xie Zhiyan had paid.
The aisle in the restaurant was narrow, and Xie Zhiyan was walking ahead of her.
Ning Yuxuan tugged on his sleeve from behind, “Didn’t we agree that I’d treat? Why didn’t you remind me when it was time to pay?”
Xie Zhiyan glanced back at her, “You were so lost in thought.”
Ning Yuxuan wanted to transfer the money to him but felt it was too formal, so she said, “Then I’ll treat you next time.”
They were husband and wife, so there would definitely be more chances to eat together in the future.
When they got to the parking lot, Ning Yuxuan got into the passenger seat of Xie Zhiyan’s car again.
The car had just started moving when Ning Fei called.
“Yuxuan,” Ning Fei said, “your brother’s event tonight got postponed to tomorrow. Will you be home before dinner? If so, how about we switch the hotpot to tonight?”
Last night, Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei were chatting about what to eat, and Ning Yuxuan mentioned that it had been a long time since the family had hotpot together.
Coincidentally, Ning Shiyue had no work scheduled for Wednesday evening, so Ning Fei decided to buy some ingredients from the supermarket and have a hotpot dinner with the whole family that night.
Ning Yuxuan replied, “Sounds good. I should be home in about half an hour. Let’s go to the supermarket together later.”
Ning Fei smiled and agreed, “Alright, Mom will get things ready and wait for you at home.”
…
Meanwhile, news about the Xie family was spreading through the elite circles of Beicheng.
It turned out that Xie Zhiyan had quietly invested in a relatively small chain hotel, becoming its second-largest shareholder. At the same time, he also purchased four outlets of another hotel chain in Tongxing District.
In recent years, any business that received investment from Xie Zhiyan was at least well-known in Beicheng. But this time, many people in the elite circle hadn’t even heard of this particular hotel.
Upon closer investigation, they found out that the hotel owner was an established actress in the entertainment industry—Ning Fei.
Putting the pieces together, some people suddenly understood the key connection.
No wonder Xie Zhiyan greeted Ning Yuxuan at the birthday banquet—it turned out that Ning Yuxuan’s mother and Xie Zhiyan had formed a business partnership.
As this news spread, even the hotel prices in Tongxing District immediately fluctuated, rising by several percentage points.
Countless events in recent years had proven that Xie Zhiyan’s judgment was absolutely reliable. Although people didn’t fully understand why, they all wanted to get a piece of the pie.
Soon, Gu Yunhao also learned about this.
Previously, his father had agreed for him to gain more experience and gave him some money to invest.
Gu Yunhao wanted to enter the hotel industry and had several options in mind, including a chain hotel in Tongxing District.
Later, he heard that someone had bought it ahead of him, and he felt a bit regretful.
But since that hotel was cheap and its facilities and surrounding environment weren’t the best, Gu Yunhao didn’t think much of it.
Now, hearing that Ning Fei, Ning Yuxuan’s mother, had bought that hotel with Xie Zhiyan’s involvement, Gu Yunhao felt a complicated mix of emotions.
He didn’t want to think too much about it, but couldn’t help himself—
Could it be that Ning Yuxuan agreed to break up with him because of Xie Zhiyan?
Did she think she might climb up the social ladder with Xie Zhiyan’s help and therefore look down on him?
Thinking of this possibility, Gu Yunhao almost wanted to call Ning Yuxuan immediately and tell her that Xie Zhiyan would never be interested in her, and that she’d be better off staying with him.
But since he was the one who had initiated the breakup, calling her now to say these things would be beneath him—it would make him seem like he still cared.
Gu Yunhao held himself back again and again, finally resisting the urge to contact Ning Yuxuan.
Then today, Gu Yunhao heard another piece of news.
Someone had accidentally bumped into Xie Zhiyan at a Sichuan restaurant and saw him having lunch with a woman.
The restaurant was crowded and dimly lit. It wasn’t anything fancy—definitely not a high-end place—with an average spend of less than a hundred yuan per person.
The person who spread the news was standing far away and couldn’t see clearly. At one point, they even doubted if they had mistaken someone for another, since Xie Zhiyan didn’t seem like the type to frequent such places.
It wasn’t until the two left that the man’s expensive bespoke suit and limited-edition watch confirmed that it really was Xie Zhiyan.
As for the woman, she was even less recognizable.
But considering Xie Zhiyan’s status, if he were meeting for business or a blind date, he certainly wouldn’t choose a place like this. So there was only one possibility—
The woman was either Xie Zhiyan’s girlfriend or someone he was romantically involved with.
Moreover, their behavior toward each other seemed quite intimate. The woman tugged at Xie Zhiyan’s sleeve, and he didn’t pull away.
Since Xie Zhiyan returned to the country and reentered the public eye, no one had ever heard of him having a girlfriend. Many had tried to introduce their daughters to him for blind dates, only to be rejected.
The gossip quickly spread throughout the social circles.
When Gu Yunhao heard the news from his rowdy friends, his first reaction was a genuine feeling of happiness.
So, Ning Yuxuan dreaming of getting close to Xie Zhiyan was just wishful thinking!
He was certain the woman dining with Xie Zhiyan wasn’t Ning Yuxuan.
After all, Ning Yuxuan had the same taste as him—she didn’t touch spicy food at all, let alone purposely go to a Sichuan restaurant.
Unable to hold back any longer, Gu Yunhao sent Ning Yuxuan a long message:
“Although we’ve broken up, considering our year-long relationship, I still want to remind you that besides me, you won’t find another man with such good qualities who’s willing to take you seriously. Those other guys may seem to like you on the surface, but they’re just playing around.”
After sending the message, he stared at his phone screen for a long time.
Seeing no reply from Ning Yuxuan, Gu Yunhao hesitated about whether to add another sentence.
Had he been too vague? Should he just tell her outright that Xie Zhiyan already had a girlfriend, so she should stop dreaming?
But the message was already sent, and sending another before she replied would make him look bad.
He waited a long time, but still no response.
Finally losing patience, he typed another message: “That’s all I have to say. Take care of yourself.”
He hit send, and WeChat quickly popped up with a line of text:
“Message sent but rejected by the recipient.”
Gu Yunhao: “...”
Meanwhile, Ning Yuxuan put down her phone.
She had forgotten to block Gu Yunhao last time, but he hadn’t contacted her since.
Unexpectedly, after all this time, he suddenly sent her a message out of the blue. This time, Ning Yuxuan didn’t hesitate and blocked him.
The car slowly drove into the villa district. Since the driver had registered last time, entry was smooth and unobstructed.
Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan exchanged thanks, and she opened the car door to get out.
As she lifted her eyes, she locked gazes with Ning Fei, who was standing right at the entrance.
Ning Fei was still holding a garbage bag when she saw her daughter. At first, she was pleasantly surprised, but then her gaze shifted with a hint of curiosity toward the car behind her daughter.
Soon after, Xie Zhiyan stepped out of the car.
“Aunt Ning,” the man greeted with a faint smile, “I didn’t expect we’d meet again so soon.”
