The hotpot dinner was lively and full of laughter.
Ning Fei was especially cheerful today, reminiscing about many amusing childhood stories of Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue.
Over the years, raising her two children alone had been an arduous journey for Ning Fei, and only she truly understood the hardships she had endured.
Especially during the early days after moving to Beicheng, Ning Fei refused any assistance from her ex-husband. The only person who supported her back then was her close friend Zheng Xinmei.
Zheng Xinmei helped her find an affordable place in Beicheng and occasionally took Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue to stay at the Xie household when Ning Fei was too busy with filming.
This was how Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue had come to know Xie Zhiyan since childhood.
But no matter how difficult the past had been, it was all behind them now.
Ning Fei didn’t want to dwell on it, nor did she want her children to feel guilty about it.
Now, as she shared stories of her daughter and son growing up, her face was filled with a serene smile, focusing only on the joyful and heartwarming moments.
The group at the table enthusiastically kept the conversation going, and the lively chatter never ceased.
When Ning Fei mentioned how Ning Shiyue once cried in frustration over a math problem, Ning Yuxuan teased him mercilessly: "No wonder you were such a crybaby!"
Ning Shiyue retorted, "You’re the crybaby! I remember you crying just as much when we were kids!"
Ning Yuxuan stuck out her tongue. "At least I never cried over homework, right, Mom?"
Ning Fei chuckled, playing along as she thought back. "Well… Yuxuan never really cried over schoolwork."
Her daughter had certainly given her plenty of worries over the years, but academics had never been one of them.
Ning Yuxuan had always been a good student, and after middle school, with Xie Zhiyan—a top student—tutoring her, her grades remained consistently outstanding.
She later smoothly entered a prestigious high school and was admitted to A University.
That was why it pained Ning Fei even more when her daughter later wasted her time over a failed romance.
Her daughter deserved a bright future, one where she would shine, not one spent pining over a man.
Hearing her mother’s words, Ning Yuxuan grinned triumphantly. "See? Even Mom agrees."
Ning Shiyue bit into a piece of tofu fiercely. "That’s only because you’d just message Zhiyan-ge every time you couldn’t solve a problem! With someone helping you, of course you wouldn’t cry!"
"I was just making the most of available resources," Ning Yuxuan said matter-of-factly. "Besides, you knew Xie Zhiyan too—why didn’t you ask him for help?"
The siblings bickered back and forth, while the man they were discussing remained unfazed.
Xie Zhiyan leisurely sipped his plum juice, completely unbothered by being the center of attention.
Ning Shiyue glanced at him briefly before looking away.
He didn’t want to admit that back then, his pride had stopped him from asking Xie Zhiyan for help—he didn’t want to seem like he couldn’t solve such simple problems.
Clearing his throat, Ning Shiyue said, "That’s because I wasn’t as shameless as you, always bothering others with my problems!"
"Oh really?" Ning Yuxuan turned to Xie Zhiyan with an innocent look. "Did you find it bothersome?"
Xie Zhiyan: "..."
Under the gaze of the three others at the table, the man took a sip of water before answering.
Xie Zhiyan: "Not at all."
Satisfied, Ning Yuxuan smirked at her brother, looking unbearably smug.
Ning Shiyue rolled his eyes.
"Zhiyan-ge," he said, turning to Xie Zhiyan, "you’re just too nice. The more you indulge my sister, the more she—"
Before he could finish, Ning Yuxuan stuffed a fish ball into his mouth with her chopsticks. "Just eat."
Ning Shiyue: "..."
With his mouth full, he could only glare at her.
Ning Fei laughed heartily, though she still reminded him, "Chew slowly, don’t choke."
Xie Zhiyan chuckled as well.
"It’s fine," he said to Ning Shiyue. "There’s plenty of time—I’ll get used to your sister’s personality eventually."
Ning Yuxuan shot him a sidelong glance.
On the way home, Ning Shiyue had already heard from Ning Fei over the phone about Xie Zhiyan’s investment in Huayuan and Ning Yuxuan’s plans to open a new store.
Assuming Xie Zhiyan was referring to their future business collaboration, Ning Shiyue didn’t think much of it.
Ning Fei, however, paused slightly, her gaze shifting between her daughter and Xie Zhiyan.
By the end of the meal, all the hotpot ingredients had been finished.
Ning Yuxuan happened to glance at Ning Shiyue’s bowl and realized that even the spicy beef slice she had tossed in earlier had mysteriously disappeared.
Since leaving dirty dishes overnight would leave a strong odor, they needed to be cleaned immediately rather than waiting for the housekeeper the next day.
Xie Zhiyan and Ning Shiyue gathered the pots and utensils, carrying them into the kitchen.
Though there was a dishwasher, the dishes still needed a quick rinse before being loaded in.
When Ning Fei tried to help, she was gently stopped at the kitchen entrance.
"Auntie," Xie Zhiyan said with a faint smile, "Shiyue and I can handle this."
Ning Fei hesitated. "But you’re a guest—this is too much trouble..."
Xie Zhiyan bent down to place a bowl in the dishwasher, his tone warm. "I got to enjoy a free meal—it’s only fair I contribute a little."
Unable to refuse, Ning Fei relented. "Then I’ll leave it to you."
As Xie Zhiyan and Ning Shiyue worked in the kitchen, Ning Fei stepped out and happened to meet her daughter’s gaze.
With a smile, she remarked, "Zhiyan is such a good young man—capable at work and diligent at chores too."
Ning Yuxuan teased, "Mom, are you really that easily won over just because he washed some dishes?"
Ning Fei shook her head lightly.
Throughout the meal, she had sensed something unusual between Xie Zhiyan and her daughter.
But she wasn’t entirely sure, and with Ning Yuxuan having just gone through a painful breakup, Ning Fei didn’t want to push things.
So she only tested the waters briefly before dropping the subject when her daughter didn’t react. "Once they’re done cleaning, Yuxuan, you should see Zhiyan out."
Ten minutes later, the kitchen and dining area were spotless, with only the hum of the dishwasher remaining.
As instructed, Ning Yuxuan walked Xie Zhiyan to the door.
His car was parked in the garage beside the villa, just a minute’s walk away.
Neither spoke during the short journey.
Only when they reached the garage did Ning Yuxuan suddenly say, "I think Mom might suspect something about us."
Xie Zhiyan’s brow lifted slightly. "Oh?"
Ning Yuxuan nodded: "Mm... I can't quite explain it, but I feel like she might have noticed something. What if we just..."
The two stood some distance apart, the moonlight casting only a faint glow on their faces.
Xie Zhiyan saw Ning Yuxuan's bright, sparkling eyes gazing at him, as if stars were shimmering within them.
She tilted her head up to look at him: "What if we just go with the flow and enter a relationship?"
Xie Zhiyan: "..."
For once, the man was momentarily speechless.
Ning Yuxuan waited a moment, but when Xie Zhiyan didn’t respond, she continued, "But I’ve already hinted to my mom that you were the one who pursued me. If we’re going to ‘date,’ you’ll have to act like you’re more into me."
She went on, refining the script in her head: "Right, because you’re crazy about me, you took the initiative. As for me, I only have a slight interest in you, so I agreed to give it a try—still evaluating things, you know?"
She blinked, seeking Xie Zhiyan’s opinion: "What do you think?"
Xie Zhiyan: "...Fine."
Ning Yuxuan’s brows twitched slightly.
Was Xie Zhiyan hesitating? His tone sounded different from usual.
The dim light made it impossible to read his expression, leaving her clueless about his emotions.
"Does that mean you agree?" she pressed.
Perhaps because the surroundings were so quiet, Xie Zhiyan’s voice came out deeper than usual: "Mm."
With his confirmation, Ning Yuxuan started brainstorming ways to make their act more convincing: "But if you just suddenly start pursuing me, it’ll seem too abrupt..."
After a brief pause, inspiration struck: "How about this? You’ve actually liked me for a long time, but since I was hung up on someone else, you never confessed. Now that you finally have a chance, you decided to lay your feelings bare. How’s that for a plot?"
Xie Zhiyan remained silent.
Ning Yuxuan assumed he was reluctant and reasoned with him: "I know it doesn’t quite match your personality, but this is the most plausible explanation. It can’t be that I was the one who liked you all along—that wouldn’t make sense, especially since I was so obsessed with Gu—"
Before she could finish saying "Gu Yunhao," Xie Zhiyan cut her off.
His voice was low, carrying a restrained intensity: "Yuxuan."
Ning Yuxuan paused: "Hm?"
Xie Zhiyan: "I understand what you mean."
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "...Really?"
"Mm."
In the darkness, his voice was slow and deliberate: "It was me who liked you. I pursued you."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Even though she knew Xie Zhiyan was just repeating her words, her heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
Thankfully, the night was the perfect cover—she couldn’t see his expression, and he surely couldn’t catch the faint fluster on her face.
Steadying herself, she smiled nonchalantly: "Great, it’s settled then. Next time we see my mom, we’ll be a couple."
She gestured toward Xie Zhiyan’s car: "It’s getting late, you should head back."
Xie Zhiyan gave a quiet "Mm," but didn’t move immediately.
Ning Yuxuan realized, to her own surprise, that she was inexplicably nervous—more so than she had been that morning at the civil affairs office when they’d gotten their marriage certificate.
"You—"
Before she could finish, Xie Zhiyan suddenly took half a step forward.
Ning Yuxuan instinctively held her breath.
At this distance, she could finally see the depth of his dark eyes, but his intentions remained a mystery.
Xie Zhiyan met her gaze: "If we’re pretending to be a couple, shouldn’t we act a little closer?"
Surrounded by his cool, masculine scent, Ning Yuxuan felt her brain short-circuiting: "S-should we?"
The next moment, he leaned in slightly, his warm lips brushing against her forehead.
A feather-light kiss.
Before she could react, he had already retreated to a safe distance.
"See you next time," Xie Zhiyan said, a faint chuckle in his voice. "My girlfriend."
......
Only after Xie Zhiyan’s car had disappeared from view did Ning Yuxuan finally snap out of her daze.
Had she just… been taken advantage of?
But then again, the whole "let’s be a couple" idea had been her own suggestion.
Feeling her heart still pounding wildly in her chest, she scolded herself—
Ning Yuxuan, it was just a peck on the forehead! Why are you reacting like this?!
Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, she repeated the process a few times until her racing pulse finally calmed down.
By the time she returned to the villa, Ning Fei was already in the shower.
Ning Shiyue was pacing near the entrance with his back to the door. When he heard it open, he immediately turned around.
"You were just going to the garage—why did it take so long?" He handed her a peeled apple. "Don’t tell me you got lost around your own house too?"
Ning Yuxuan accepted the apple: "The night view was beautiful, so I took a moment to admire it. What’s the problem?"
Ning Shiyue scoffed: "Since when have you been so sentimental?"
She took a bite: "And you? What’s with the solo stroll in the entryway?"
Ning Shiyue stiffened slightly.
No way was he going to admit that after peeling the apple, he’d hesitated about whether to go check on her when she didn’t come back right away.
"I ate too much hotpot," he said stiffly. "It’s cold outside—didn’t want to catch a chill, so I walked it off indoors."
Ning Yuxuan gave him a look that said, "Yeah, right."
Ning Shiyue cleared his throat and averted his eyes: "Just reminding you—don’t forget about tomorrow noon."
She took another bite of the apple and raised an eyebrow: "I thought you didn’t want to go."
"I don’t," he said tersely. "But since I already agreed, I’m not the type to go back on my word."
Lin Yuanfeng, Ning Fei’s ex-husband and their father, was in Beicheng for a business trip and had messaged them earlier about meeting up for a meal.
The Lin family had some business dealings in Beicheng, and Lin Yuanfeng visited three or four times a year, always asking if they were free to meet.
Ning Shiyue didn’t exactly resent his father, but there was no affection there either.
He’d turned down the last two meetups earlier in the year, citing work commitments. This time, he’d planned to refuse again.
But since Ning Yuxuan had agreed to go, he’d hesitated for days before deciding to join her.
"I’ll drive tomorrow," Ning Shiyue told her. "Don’t sleep in too late—I’m not waiting around all afternoon for you."
"Got it," Ning Yuxuan said, holding up the half-eaten apple. "It’s pretty sweet—want one too?"
Ning Shiyue's eyes widened slightly before he made a face of disgust: "I'm not eating your leftovers!"
Ning Yuxuan laughed: "I meant, if you want one, I can peel another apple for you."
Realizing his misunderstanding, Ning Shiyue's ears instantly burned red. "No need!" he snapped before quickly turning and walking away.
Watching his retreating figure, Ning Yuxuan leisurely finished the entire apple.
It really was quite sweet, she thought.
.
The next morning, Ning Yuxuan woke up naturally.
Ning Shiyue was already prepared, and once she got ready, the two of them got into the car together.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the reserved restaurant.
Lin Yuanfeng had already ordered dishes and was waiting in the private room.
When Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue arrived, Lin Yuanfeng beamed and handed them the menu. "Here, I’ve already ordered some of your favorites. Take a look and see if there’s anything else you’d like."
Ning Shiyue stiffly glanced at the menu and replied curtly, "This is fine."
Lin Yuanfeng had expected this and smiled bitterly before turning to Ning Yuxuan. "What about you, Yuxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan said, "Let me check the menu."
Lin Yuanfeng’s eyes lit up. "Of course, take your time!"
His children had always been distant, rarely expressing their preferences during their occasional meals together.
Now that his daughter was willing to order something herself, it was already a rare improvement.
After browsing the menu, Ning Yuxuan added two more dishes.
Once the food was served, Lin Yuanfeng first asked about his ex-wife’s health, then inquired about the children’s recent lives.
Then, tentatively, he broached another topic: "Yuxuan, I heard… you’ve started helping your mother manage Huayuan Hotel and even accepted investment from the Xie family?"
There were no secrets in the business world, especially since Lin Yuanfeng had always kept an eye on his ex-wife’s hotel ventures.
Ning Yuxuan didn’t hide it. "Yes."
Lin Yuanfeng: "If there’s anything I can do to help—"
Ning Yuxuan cut him off. "Dad, you know why Mom chose to leave Jincheng back then."
Lin Yuanfeng froze, immediately understanding what she meant.
Ning Yuxuan continued calmly, "Mom raised me and Shiyue without taking a single cent from the Lin family."
Ning Fei was a strong-willed woman. Once she chose to leave with nothing, she never asked her ex-husband for a penny in child support.
Later, when she invested in the hotel, she used only her own hard-earned savings from her acting career.
That was also why Ning Yuxuan had preferred seeking cooperation with Xie Zhiyan over asking her own father for help.
She didn’t want to go against her mother’s wishes.
Hearing this, Lin Yuanfeng let out a bitter chuckle. "I didn’t mean anything else. I just wanted to be of some use to you."
After divorcing Ning Fei, Lin Yuanfeng had always regretted his inability to protect his wife.
Once he gained control of the family business, he tried everything to reconcile, but Ning Fei remained resolute, giving him no hope.
Ten years after the divorce, Lin Yuanfeng remarried.
He and his current wife agreed not to have children and even drafted a will—
If he passed away, his assets would be divided equally between his son and daughter.
Yet despite this, Lin Yuanfeng still felt he owed his ex-wife and children, always wishing he could do more for them.
Ning Yuxuan smiled. "I know. But I don’t need money right now. Instead, I have another question for you."
She looked straight at him. "Dad, if the Gu family and the Ning family ever come into conflict, whose side would you take?"
For the first time since lunch began, Lin Yuanfeng’s expression shifted to one of surprise.
He had never expected his daughter to ask him such a thing.
Years ago, Lin Yuanfeng had helped the Gu family, and Old Master Gu, remembering the favor, always invited him to dinner whenever he visited Beicheng.
However, the Lin family’s main business was in Jincheng, with no direct collaboration or conflicting interests with the Gus.
After the initial shock, Lin Yuanfeng’s gaze turned serious. "Yuxuan, what do you mean by that?"
Ning Yuxuan was blunt. "I heard Gu Yunhao, the Gu family’s eldest grandson, is planning to enter the hotel industry. If the Gu family and Huayuan end up competing for market share, would you help them?"
The original novel hadn’t mentioned what role the Lin family played when Huayuan was destroyed by Gu Yunhao and Cen Meng.
Today, Ning Yuxuan had come precisely to clarify this.
Lin Yuanfeng: "..."
After a long silence, Lin Yuanfeng sighed repeatedly. "Good, good. My daughter has grown up."
"I promise you this," he said solemnly. "No matter what, I will never stand on the side opposing you."
...
Ever since his call with Cen Meng, Gu Yunhao had been trying to get his grandfather to introduce him to the Lin family’s head in Jincheng.
He was desperate to prove to everyone who had mocked him that he wasn’t just a scandal-ridden playboy—he was capable of achieving something.
But for some reason, his grandfather, who had always supported his ventures before, refused to budge this time.
Gu Yunhao was at his wits’ end and didn’t dare ask his mother for help.
After his scandal, she had berated him harshly and ordered him to lay low for a while. He didn’t want to risk her wrath now.
Left with no other options, Gu Yunhao turned to his circle of friends for assistance.
Eventually, his childhood friend Qi Ang helped him get Lin Yuanfeng’s contact information.
Gu Yunhao sent a meticulously polite message introducing himself, then waited anxiously.
Since Lin Yuanfeng and his grandfather were close, Gu Yunhao assumed that, even if he lacked experience, the man wouldn’t ignore him entirely out of respect for his grandfather.
Finally, the next evening, he received a reply—Lin Yuanfeng agreed to meet him the following week.
Overjoyed, Gu Yunhao immediately called Cen Meng to share the news. "Mengmeng, that idea you gave me is making progress!"
Cen Meng sounded equally delighted. "That’s wonderful, Yunhao! I knew you could do it!"
With things moving forward, Gu Yunhao was in high spirits and regained about eighty percent of his usual tenderness toward her.
He asked warmly, "How about you? Are you doing alright?"
Cen Meng replied softly, "Mm… The second episode of Mom is about to start filming soon. After a few days, the online hate has died down a little. Yunhao, once this episode wraps up, I’ll come see you, okay?"
Normally, Cen Meng’s gentle voice soothed Gu Yunhao’s mood.
But this time, it only made him more irritable.
The online public opinion had just died down, and he had barely let out a sigh of relief when Cen Meng started insisting on seeing him again.
Earlier, when he asked her to move out of the Golden Water Bay villa, she had made excuses and dragged her feet.
Now, disregarding his reputation, she was determined to take the risk and come find him.
When had his considerate Mengmeng become so unreasonable?
The accumulated frustrations of recent days threatened to boil over once more.
Gu Yunhao suppressed his irritation, but his tone still turned noticeably colder. "We'll talk about it later."
Perhaps sensing his mood, the line fell silent for a long moment.
Finally, Cen Meng's voice came through, soft and pleading: "Yunhao, I understand your difficulties. I'll be careful. Hang in there—I know we'll make it through this together."
On Saturday morning, the second episode of Dear Mom aired as scheduled.
This installment differed from the first—instead of gathering in the villa, the show began with the crew visiting the homes of the three guests.
Amid eager anticipation, the program started on time, with live streams showing all three participants simultaneously:
Ning Fei's living room, Jiang Ning'an's bedroom, and the library of Cen Meng's luxurious mansion.
