The dishes had all been served at the restaurant.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at the trending topics and only then realized that a video from her graduation ceremony had been dug up by netizens.
She examined the video carefully but still couldn’t recall much about the person in it, only remembering that he was a classmate from the same department.
However, the department had over a hundred students, and she had mostly interacted with the girls, showing little interest in the male classmates. After all these years, her memory of them had faded even further.
Strangely, Ning Shiyue remembered more clearly than she did.
When mentioning Shen Chipeng, Ning Shiyue’s tone was laced with disdain: "That guy was on your department’s basketball team, but his skills were just average."
His physical condition was decent, but his basketball IQ was lacking.
Ning Yuxuan nibbled on her chopsticks: "I think I remember now."
Ning Shiyue stared at her: "Remember what?"
"That Shen guy," Ning Yuxuan recalled. "During the intercollegiate finals, he got completely fooled by a player from the electronics department and fell flat on the court."
Back then, Ning Yuxuan had a roommate whose boyfriend was on the basketball team, and she’d dragged her along to watch the finals.
Their department lost that match, with Shen Chipeng performing the worst. Her roommate had complained about it for a whole month, blaming him for her boyfriend’s loss.
Ning Fei also seemed to remember: "Wasn’t he the tall, sturdy boy who came over for dinner during Yuxuan’s first winter break? He had a sweet tongue too."
Ning Shiyue scoffed: "Yeah, in the span of one meal, he complimented you at least five times on how young you looked and said you resembled a movie star."
Ning Fei smiled and nodded: "That’s right."
The boy hadn’t realized she was actually an actress, mistaking her for someone who simply resembled a character from a film.
Ning Yuxuan took a sip of barley tea: "Why do I feel like the two of you remember him better than I do?"
Ning Shiyue shot her a look: "Not everyone is as forgetful as you."
Ning Fei simply smiled without responding. When it came to her daughter, she naturally remembered things more vividly.
As the conversation shifted to the guys who had pursued Ning Yuxuan in college, Ning Shiyue became unusually talkative.
"Remember that senior of yours, the one with the last name Li?" Ning Shiyue said with a frown. "On Valentine’s Day, he sent a whole pile of chocolates to our house. Mom doesn’t eat sweets, and you hate hazelnut flavor, so I ended up finishing all of them."
Ning Yuxuan munched on a potato and blinked: "That happened?"
Ning Shiyue: "Yeah, it took me two months to finish all that chocolate. Don’t tell me you’ve completely forgotten?"
Ning Yuxuan pretended to think: "Well, maybe I have a vague memory of it… But so many guys have given me gifts over the years—how am I supposed to remember all of them?"
Ning Shiyue laughed in exasperation: "Are you bragging now?"
"I’m just stating facts," Ning Yuxuan replied with a grin.
Ning Fei joined in with a smile: "Back in middle school, the two of you even competed over who received more love letters in a semester. Remember that?"
She had always been open-minded about such things, so her children never hid these matters from her.
Ning Shiyue frowned: "I was that childish?"
At the same time, Ning Yuxuan asked: "Who won in the end?"
Ning Shiyue: "…"
Ning Fei chuckled: "Yuxuan won by a narrow margin—one more letter than Shiyue."
Ning Yuxuan’s eyes curved into crescents: "I knew it was me."
Ning Shiyue gave her a deadpan look: "What’s there to be proud of?"
Ning Yuxuan remained unfazed: "A win’s a win. And if we’re counting gifts, I definitely got more than you too."
Ning Shiyue snorted: "What’s the point? Those guys who liked you only ever gave snacks or flowers—zero effort."
Just then, Ning Yuxuan’s phone chimed with a notification.
It was a message from Xie Zhiyan: [The snacks you asked me to buy are here.]
It took her a second to recall that during their last grocery run, she’d casually asked Xie Zhiyan to pick up some specialty dried tofu from Xingcheng for her.
She hadn’t actually expected him to remember, given how busy he was.
Still, that brand of dried tofu was delicious—unfortunately, it was only sold locally in Xingcheng and had a short shelf life, making it impossible to stock up in bulk.
Ning Yuxuan replied: [Should I give you my address so you can mail it?]
Xie Zhiyan: [The last two times I met Auntie Ning, I didn’t have time to bring gifts. I’ll have some free time in a couple of days—I’ll drop by and deliver them in person.]
So he intended to come over himself.
Ning Yuxuan thought for a moment before responding: [Alright, just message me before you come.]
When Xie Zhiyan arrived, she could ask him for more advice on the hotel project.
After sending the message, she noticed Ning Shiyue staring at her from across the table.
She raised a brow: "What?"
Ning Shiyue averted his gaze: "…Nothing."
The corners of Ning Yuxuan’s lips had curled up slightly while texting—whoever it was had clearly put her in a good mood.
Ning Shiyue wanted to ask but didn’t want to seem overly invested in her personal life.
Ning Yuxuan, however, had no intention of hiding it: "It was Xie Zhiyan."
Ning Shiyue immediately asked: "What did Brother Zhiyan want?"
Ning Yuxuan answered truthfully: "He said he didn’t bring Mom a gift last time, so he’s coming over in a couple of days to deliver it. He’s also bringing me some dried tofu."
Ning Shiyue simply said, "Oh."
Ning Fei took a sip of tea: "Zhiyan is very thoughtful. He’s brought me gifts every year without fail."
Ning Yuxuan was surprised: "Every year? I had no idea."
Ning Fei smiled: "In the past, he always mailed them. Since I’m the one who opens all the packages at home, you wouldn’t have noticed."
Ning Yuxuan pondered: "Then I should probably prepare something for Auntie Zheng too…"
Over the years, she’d been so preoccupied with Gu Yunhao that she’d even lost touch with her closest friends, let alone thought about gifts for elders.
Ning Fei said gently: "Xinmei doesn’t lack for anything and wouldn’t mind. But if you’d like to, she’d surely be delighted."
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "I’ll pick something out when I have time. Mom, you can help me decide."
Ning Fei’s brows lifted slightly: "Since Zhiyan is coming over soon, why not ask for his input?"
Ning Yuxuan fluttered her lashes: "His taste isn’t as good as yours."
Ning Fei shook her head with a laugh: "From what I’ve heard, Zhiyan helped Xinmei pick out all the gifts she’s given you over the years. That book you got this year—wasn’t it something he brought back from England?"
As the two chatted over their meal, Ning Shiyue remained silent for a long while.
He furrowed his brows, sensing something off.
Back when guys used to pursue Ning Yuxuan, they’d always send things to the house—snacks, trinkets, all sorts of little gifts.
Why was Brother Zhiyan suddenly sending snacks too?
No, impossible, Ning Shiyue told himself.
Xie Zhiyan was worlds apart from those other men—completely different.
Besides, there was no way Xie Zhiyan could have feelings for his sister. If he did, how could Ning Shiyue have missed it?
Right, absolutely no chance!
Ning Yuxuan’s phone had been particularly lively today. Shortly after replying to Xie Zhiyan’s message, two more people she hadn’t spoken to in a while reached out.
One was from the male classmate mentioned earlier.
Shen Chipeng: [Haha Yuxuan, I never thought we’d end up trending together! Do you remember me? I was shocked when I saw that old video resurface. Who knew netizens would dig it up? Hahaha, guess we couldn’t hide from them!]
Shen Chipeng: [I watched your show—you’re just as pretty and adorable as ever! And I had no idea your mom was a movie star. Anyway, are you free lately? Such a rare coincidence—let me treat you to dinner?]
Ning Yuxuan couldn’t even recall when she’d added him as a friend. Their chat history was completely blank, probably lost when she switched phones.
Between the compliments and the dinner invite, even someone as oblivious as her could see the subtext.
Shen Chipeng was interested in her.
Without hesitation, she declined: [Thanks, but I’ve been really busy lately. Dinner won’t work.]
Her rejection was firm, but Shen Chipeng wasn’t ready to give up. He replied quickly: [No worries, I get it. We’re all busy adults. But this is such a funny coincidence, and it’s been ages since we caught up. How about I come to your neighborhood? Just a quick, casual meal?]
Ning Yuxuan frowned. She didn’t remember this Shen guy being so persistent back in the day.
If he knew her address and kept pushing, it could get annoying.
After a brief pause, she typed: [Sorry, but I just got married. My husband’s pretty strict—no solo meals with other guys.]
This time, Shen Chipeng seemed genuinely stunned. Several minutes passed before his reply.
Shen Chipeng: [Wow, that’s sudden! Congrats, haha! Wishing you a happy marriage!]
He followed up with a sticker, likely to wrap up the conversation.
Perfect. Exactly what she wanted.
Aside from Shen Chipeng, Ning Yuxuan’s college roommate Tao You also messaged her.
Tao You was the one whose boyfriend had been on the basketball team. Back in university, she’d been close to Ning Yuxuan and helped fend off plenty of unwanted admirers.
After graduation, Tao You stayed in Beicheng for work, and their friendship lasted a while longer—until Ning Yuxuan started ditching her for Gu Yunhao. Tao You never complained, but their bond gradually faded.
Checking their chat history, their last conversation was six months ago.
That day, Tao You had invited her shopping, but Ning Yuxuan said she had a date with Gu Yunhao. After that, they hadn’t spoken.
Tao You: [Why’s Shen Chipeng popping up again? That guy just won’t disappear.]
Even after half a year, Tao You’s tone was as familiar as ever, like they’d just chatted yesterday.
Ning Yuxuan couldn’t help but laugh.
She replied: [Yeah, he just asked me to dinner. I turned him down.]
Tao You sent back a single “[Ah],” followed by a string of question marks and exclamation points.
A few seconds later: [Please tell me you didn’t say yes?]
Ning Yuxuan: [Nope.]
Tao You: [Good! The audacity of that guy. After striking out with you, he cycled through three or four girlfriends, and now he’s back? Don’t tell me he’s trying to sell some “eternal love” act, claiming he never forgot you all these years?]
Ning Yuxuan: [Not this time. Maybe I shut him down too fast for that. But wow, you still hate him that much? Because of that basketball game?]
Tao You: [As if it’s about the game! The guy’s just a terrible person. Remember how he spread rumors about you back then?]
Tao You sounded even more indignant than Ning Yuxuan herself.
Tao You: [Plus, let’s be real—he’s not even that good-looking. At best, his body’s okay. How are people in the comments calling him handsome? Terrible taste!]
They bantered for a bit before Tao You asked: [We haven’t gone out for good food in forever. Are you swamped lately? Can I still get you to say yes to me?]
Ning Yuxuan smiled as she typed: [I am busy, but it depends who’s asking. For you? Always.]
Tao You: [Deal! Next week, then. Fancy dinner!]
After replying, Ning Yuxuan looked up and explained to the person beside her: “It’s Tao You. She wants to grab dinner next week. I said yes.”
Ning Fei nodded. “Tao You? That’s nice. You two haven’t seen each other in a while.”
She knew Tao You had been her daughter’s closest friend in college and had always liked the straightforward girl.
Seeing Ning Yuxuan reconnect with old friends made Ning Fei relieved.
As long as her daughter wasn’t isolating herself anymore and was rebuilding her social circle, she could rest easy.
After dinner, the family chatted and laughed on the drive home.
Meanwhile, someone else was having a far less pleasant afternoon and evening.
After being kicked out of the Golden Bay apartment, Cen Meng immediately called Gu Yunhao.
But for some reason, the line was constantly busy. No matter how many times she tried, she couldn’t get through.
Before she could reach him, more bad news piled up.
A big-budget S-tier drama had already cast her as the female lead—contracts were all but signed.
Yet shortly after her eviction scandal hit the trending list, a staff member called to inform her: “We’ve found a more suitable actress for the role. Regrettably, we’ll have to cancel our collaboration.”
Cen Meng wasn’t fooled by the polite excuse. The timing was too obvious.
But there was nothing she could do.
The production team’s directors and investors were beyond her reach. She’d only landed the role thanks to Gu Yunhao’s connections in the first place.
When her “other woman” scandal first trended, the crew had already voiced concerns. Back then, Gu Yunhao had shielded her. Now, with no one to intervene, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and reply politely: “Of course, maybe next time.”
Not long after, her agent called again—the luxury jewelry endorsement she’d been counting on had pulled out.
It was a brand she’d coveted for ages, set to be officially announced in two days.
Per the contract, the termination was due to her scandal, meaning she now owed them compensation for breach of agreement.
An hour later, the director of Dear Mom reached out to inform her she wouldn’t be needed for tomorrow’s filming.
One blow after another left Cen Meng utterly shattered.
She had worked so hard in the entertainment industry for so long, bending over backward to cling to Gu Yunhao, just to secure those roles and endorsements.
Overnight, was it all going to vanish into thin air?
Cen Meng had no other options left. She could only call Gu Yunhao again.
Yet again, the line was busy. This time, it finally dawned on her—
Had Gu Yunhao blocked her?
Cen Meng couldn’t believe it.
For the past year, Gu Yunhao had doted on her unconditionally.
Whether she wanted money, gifts, or resources in the industry, all she had to do was act coquettishly a few times, and he would give her everything.
The only thing Cen Meng wasn’t satisfied with was that, due to pressure from his family, Gu Yunhao had never broken up with Ning Yuxuan.
But after her relentless efforts, even that issue had been resolved not long ago.
All she had left to do was give one final push on the variety show to utterly ruin Ning Yuxuan’s reputation. Then, she could rightfully be with Gu Yunhao and gain the recognition of the Gu family.
Everything was just one step away—how could it all suddenly fall apart like this?
Even the man who had loved her so deeply was turning his back on her?
Cen Meng took a deep breath, switched to her secondary number, and dialed Gu Yunhao again.
The moment the call connected, she didn’t know how to describe her emotions.
She should have been relieved that she finally got through, but this also confirmed that Gu Yunhao had indeed blocked her original number.
The phone rang for half a minute before he finally picked up. "Hello?"
Instantly, tears streamed down Cen Meng’s face. "Yunhao!"
A long silence followed on the other end.
Gu Yunhao’s voice sounded strained. "Why are you calling?"
Cen Meng sobbed uncontrollably. "Yunhao, please, I really have no one else now! Don’t hang up, don’t abandon me, okay?"
Her voice was pitiful, but the man’s only response was silence.
Cen Meng’s heart grew colder by the second.
Being blocked, the silence—what did it all mean?
But right now, Gu Yunhao was her only hope. Without this man’s love, she truly had nothing left.
She took another deep breath.
The fact that Gu Yunhao hadn’t immediately hung up meant there was still a sliver of sympathy left in him.
Over the years, what hadn’t she endured?
Flattering her mother, pleasing her stepfather, even tolerating sharing Gu Yunhao with Ning Yuxuan.
She could sacrifice everything, even her dignity, if it meant winning him back.
Cen Meng pleaded between sobs, "Yunhao, I know I was wrong. It’s all my fault for dragging you into this. But I love you so much—I’d give up anything for you. If you want to get back with Ning Yuxuan, I won’t stop you. Just promise you’ll still see me sometimes!"
At her words, the man’s breathing finally shifted slightly.
Gu Yunhao hesitated. "Cen Meng, you..."
For some reason, hearing the woman he once loved beg so pathetically didn’t evoke pain in him. Instead, a strange feeling surfaced.
Cen Meng’s words reminded him of Ning Yuxuan.
If he were still with Ning Yuxuan, today’s scandal wouldn’t have been about him and Cen Meng. He wouldn’t have been branded a scumbag, mocked by netizens and high society alike.
If he hadn’t broken up with Ning Yuxuan, his mother wouldn’t have berated him so harshly, and his grandfather might have even looked at him differently.
Thoughts like these weren’t new—they surfaced every time Cen Meng annoyed him.
But this time, the feeling was stronger than ever.
Ning Yuxuan could be willful, but she never went against his wishes. She always prioritized his interests.
Cen Meng, on the other hand, seemed obedient on the surface but constantly demanded things from him—resources in the industry, money, luxury homes.
Over the past half-month, she had become even more unbearable.
He had softened and let her stay longer at Golden Water Bay, only for her to cause this massive scandal and drag him down with her.
Ning Yuxuan would never have humiliated him like this.
The thought hardened his voice. "Enough. I can’t help you this time. And don’t mention Ning Yuxuan again—you’re not fit to compare to her."
"Yunhao—"
The call ended abruptly.
Cen Meng slumped into her chair, tears streaming down her face until they dried.
Slowly, the sorrow and despair in her eyes twisted into hatred.
Gu Yunhao’s final words echoed relentlessly in her ears—
"You’re not fit to compare to her."
Her fists clenched so tightly her nails dug into her palms.
Why did Ning Yuxuan have to destroy everything just as her life was finally looking up?
Now, even the man who once adored her claimed she couldn’t measure up to that woman!
With tear-streaked cheeks, Cen Meng grabbed her phone and typed out a message.
[Ning Yuxuan, do you think ruining my career means you’ve won? Do you think turning Gu Yunhao against me means you’ll win his heart? Dream on! Just wait—I’ll make sure you’re publicly humiliated too. You’ll never marry into the Gu family!]
...
After returning home, Ning Fei retreated to her room to rest.
Ning Yuxuan soaked in a relaxing hot bath, then lounged with a face mask while watching a drama.
The show was a urban fantasy series starring Ning Shiyue. She had been working through his filmography, and this was next on her list.
Ning Shiyue had claimed he didn’t want her watching it, but when he saw her streaming it on the TV, he sat down beside her anyway.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at him.
He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I figured you might not understand some parts. I can explain if you need."
She suppressed a laugh to keep her mask in place. "How thoughtful of you."
Five minutes later, her phone buzzed.
Ning Shiyue eyed it on the coffee table. "You’ve been popular tonight. Nonstop messages."
Ning Yuxuan smirked. "Your sister’s always in demand. You’re just noticing now?"
Ning Shiyue: "..."
With the face mask on and an orange in hand, she couldn’t easily check her phone.
She nudged her chin toward it. "See who it is for me. Password’s my birthday."
Ning Shiyue picked it up obediently.
The drama reached a gripping scene, so Ning Yuxuan kept her eyes on the screen as she asked absently, "Who is it?"
Silence.
She turned to give him a questioning look. "Hmm?"
Ning Shiyue lowered his head, fingers tapping the screen. "Just spam. I deleted it."
Ning Yuxuan turned her head back to the TV and said, "Oh, alright, thanks."
Ning Shiyue glanced at the orange in Ning Yuxuan’s hand and asked, "What other fruit would you like? Apples, kiwis, or peaches? I’ll prepare them for you."
Absorbed in the drama, Ning Yuxuan replied absentmindedly, "A bit of everything, I guess."
Ning Shiyue stood up. "Sure, just wait a moment."
Five minutes later, the show cut to a commercial break.
Snapping out of her trance, Ning Yuxuan wanted to discuss the plot with Ning Shiyue but realized he was no longer there.
The sound of movement from the kitchen reminded her that he had gone to cut fruit for her.
Ning Yuxuan blinked in surprise.
Since when had he become so thoughtful?
