When the commercial break ended, Ning Shiyue returned to the living room carrying a plate of neatly cut fruit.
He sat down beside Ning Yuxuan and placed the fruit plate in front of her. “The fruit is ready. You eat first; if you can’t finish it, I’ll help you out.”
He didn’t even realize that his tone was much gentler than usual.
Ning Yuxuan paused the drama and glanced at the fruit in front of her.
She had never liked eating apples with the skin on since she was a child. Ning Shiyue, on the other hand, was the exact opposite—he believed apples were best enjoyed washed and eaten whole.
They had even argued once as kids over this, neither convincing the other.
But this time, the apples on the plate were peeled and cut into neat little cubes, each pierced with a toothpick.
Besides that, there were also Ning Yuxuan’s favorite kiwis, sliced into rounds, and the nectarines were washed spotless.
The attention to detail was almost ridiculous.
Ning Yuxuan’s gaze lingered on the fruit for a moment before looking up at Ning Shiyue.
He felt a little uncomfortable under her stare. “What’s up?”
Ning Yuxuan blinked at him. “Ning Shiyue, did you do something wrong? Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?”
Ning Shiyue laughed irritably. “Ning Yuxuan, I shouldn’t have been nice to you. Good intentions really are taken for granted.”
Ning Yuxuan rolled her eyes and shifted her gaze to the phone on the coffee table.
In the past few minutes, the only thing that had happened was her asking Ning Shiyue to check a text message for her.
After thinking for two seconds, Ning Yuxuan picked up the phone and opened the recently deleted messages.
Her phone kept deleted texts cached for a while before permanently erasing them after thirty days.
Ning Shiyue, sitting right beside her, immediately reached out to stop her when he saw what she was doing.
But Ning Yuxuan nimbly dodged his arm and quickly tapped on the screen.
Then Cen Meng’s message popped up.
Ning Shiyue wanted to block her view again, but Ning Yuxuan had already turned her back to him.
Just a few seconds were enough for Ning Yuxuan to roughly read through the message.
Ning Shiyue had no choice but to give up interfering and wore a look of regret.
If he had known she would figure it out so easily, he would have deleted the message more thoroughly back then.
Unable to stop her, Ning Shiyue silently observed Ning Yuxuan’s expression.
He hadn’t forgotten the last time she had hidden in her room crying over Gu Yunhao, when he had even spoken harshly to her.
If she cried again this time, then… to make up for that, he would patiently comfort her.
Ning Shiyue thought this to himself, carefully preparing comforting words in his mind.
However, after scanning the message, Ning Yuxuan’s lips curved up slightly.
Ning Shiyue, closely watching her expression, was dumbfounded.
No matter how he thought about it, there was nothing funny in that message, was there?
“You…” Ning Shiyue cautiously began, “If you’re sad, you don’t have to force yourself to hold it in.”
“Sad?” Ning Yuxuan raised her eyelids. “Why would I be? I actually want to thank her.”
Ning Shiyue looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Ning Yuxuan replied lightly, “Thanks for her blessing. Honestly, I really hope I never have to be involved with the Gu family again.”
The message from Cen Meng had made her want to laugh.
At this point, Cen Meng’s way of threatening her was still to make sure she could never win Gu Yunhao’s heart again, that she’d never marry into the Gu family.
It was like someone eating spoiled food but still constantly worried about others stealing it from them.
Ning Shiyue studied Ning Yuxuan’s face carefully and asked cautiously, “Are you really feeling okay?”
Ning Yuxuan: “Really, I’m fine. Besides—”
Ning Shiyue: “Besides what?”
Ning Yuxuan smiled and popped a piece of apple into her mouth: “Getting such thoughtful fruit-cutting service just because of a text message? I’m pretty satisfied.”
Ning Shiyue froze for a second, then turned his face away. “Who said it’s because of that… I was just afraid the fruit at home would go bad, so I was handling it casually. It’s not a big deal.”
Ning Yuxuan: “Not a big deal? Then how about every night from now on, you bring me a serving like this…”
Ning Shiyue: “Ni–ng, Yu–xuan!”
……
The last half episode of the drama finished quickly.
Although today’s live stream ended early, the production team sent a message saying tomorrow’s live stream would proceed as planned.
They had to get up early tomorrow to head to the recording site. After watching an episode, it was finally time to rest.
Ning Yuxuan had eaten most of the fruit from the platter, tossing the rest to Ning Shiyue.
Before heading back to her room to rest, Ning Shiyue called out to her, “By the way.”
Ning Yuxuan stopped in her tracks. “What is it?”
Ning Shiyue’s face tightened. “You still need to be on guard against Cen Meng. She said she’s going to…”
Repeating Cen Meng’s words felt too ominous, so Ning Shiyue thought for a moment and changed his wording: “Anyway, just be careful.”
Ning Yuxuan nodded. “Okay.”
“But…” Ning Shiyue hesitated a bit, then added, “But you don’t need to worry too much. If she really tries anything sneaky… well, Mom and I will protect you.”
For a long time before, due to various conflicts and misunderstandings, Ning Shiyue and Ning Yuxuan barely spoke to each other.
Now their relationship was slowly returning to how it used to be, but most of the time it was just teasing and bickering.
It was rare for Ning Shiyue to say something so “tender,” and he felt awkward all over, his ears burning a little.
Once he finally finished speaking, Ning Shiyue immediately prepared to leave.
Seeing Ning Shiyue so clumsy and uneasy, Ning Yuxuan deliberately called after him, “How exactly are you going to protect me?”
Ning Shiyue felt even more uncomfortable but forced out, “…Just like when we were kids, I won’t let you suffer unfairly for no reason.”
After saying that, Ning Shiyue couldn’t help but rush off. Saying such cheesy things was definitely not his strong suit.
Watching Ning Shiyue practically flee, Ning Yuxuan smiled silently.
Yeah, no matter what grievances she had before, her mother and brother would always protect her without hesitation.
Back in middle school, there was a time when two boys at school got into a fight over her. Even though she knew nothing about it, the homeroom teacher called her into the office for a scolding and even summoned her parents.
It was the first time Ning Yuxuan had ever experienced something like this, and she was so scared that she cried uncontrollably.
Ning Fei hurried over from the film crew after taking leave, but she didn’t blame her at all. Instead, she stood firmly by her side and argued with the homeroom teacher on her behalf.
After that, Ning Shiyue stayed by her side every day for a whole month, accompanying her to and from school so that no other boys would dare to bully her.
Thinking back to those days, Ning Yuxuan’s gaze gradually grew resolute.
According to the story, not only did she, as the supporting female character, suffer a tragic ending, but her mother and younger brother were also dragged down with her.
This time, those things would never happen again. Just as Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue had protected her so well before, now she was determined to protect her own family.
.
On Sunday morning, the production team of the show "Dear Mom" released a statement.
@Dear Mom Season 2: Thank you to all the fans for your attention to the show. Due to some uncontrollable factors, Cen Meng and her daughter will temporarily withdraw from the recording. Sunday's live broadcast will proceed as scheduled, accompanied by @Ning Fei @Ning Yuxuan @Qin Man @Jiang Ning'an to spend a wonderful time with everyone. Starting next week, new guests will join us.
This decision was made after an overnight meeting by the production team. The directors have already been working tirelessly to contact suitable artists and coordinate schedules.
Fortunately, the show’s popularity is high enough that many artists are willing to participate. One week should be enough time to find a new pair of guests to save the show.
Seeing this statement from the production team, fans breathed a sigh of relief.
“Great! I thought I wouldn’t get to see my dear Ning’an today! Thanks to the production team!”
“Kudos to the production team for decisively replacing the problematic guests and giving us a clean, pleasant atmosphere again.”
“Ahhh, finally I don’t have to see that annoying person anymore. So good for my peace of mind!”
At ten o’clock in the morning, the live stream started promptly.
The two mother-daughter pairs had already gathered at the villa from the previous episode.
According to the original plan, today’s show was about mothers and daughters swapping roles for a day—
When they were young, it was always the mother taking care of the daughter, but today, the mothers would do no chores at all and would fully enjoy a day of being served by their daughters.
Although one group of guests was temporarily missing, most of the program could proceed as usual with only slight adjustments to the specific segments.
After the live broadcast began, the staff announced the first task: Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning'an were to prepare lunch together.
In the last episode, everyone’s cooking skills were fully exposed.
Although Ning Fei and Qin Man weren’t particularly skilled, they could manage basic home-cooked dishes.
But Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning'an were complete kitchen novices, only able to lend a hand at best.
Originally, everyone’s expressions were relaxed, but after the rules were announced, an unprecedented silence fell over the scene.
The four exchanged glances.
After a beat, Ning Yuxuan sighed, “Mom, are you ready to go hungry at lunch today?”
Ning Fei couldn’t help but chuckle as she patted her daughter on the shoulder. “It’s okay, Mom’s not very hungry. Just a little something will do.”
Jiang Ning’an also looked worried.
Seeing this, Qin Man stepped forward to reassure them, “When I’m filming, I often don’t have time to eat. I’m used to it by now.”
The audience burst into laughter at the reactions of these few people.
【Hahaha, so the two teachers have basically accepted that they’ll be hungry at lunch today. That’s just too tragic!】
【The production team really knows what they’re doing—putting the two worst cooks in charge of lunch. Are they just going to blow up the kitchen?】
【Is this really about moms enjoying being taken care of by their daughters? I feel like it’s more of a punishment for Teacher Qin and Teacher Ning, haha!】
【Production team, how could you! Can you bear to watch two goddesses go hungry at noon?!】
The production team knew Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning’an weren’t good cooks, so they had already prepared all the ingredients that might be needed for lunch—no need for them to go grocery shopping.
All they had to do now was, within two hours, cook a lunch for four people.
At this point, Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning’an had no choice but to put on aprons and head into the kitchen to start preparing.
Meanwhile, Ning Fei and Qin Man were assigned to the living room, trying out a shoulder and neck massager while sipping tea and chatting.
The massager was a sponsor product, a bit of product placement.
Neither Ning Fei nor Qin Man looked particularly relaxed. Ning Fei persistently asked the staff, “If we can’t help with the cooking, can we at least go into the kitchen to give them some guidance?”
The staff coldly refused. If the moms helped out, the whole “swap” theme would lose its meaning.
Inside the kitchen, Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning’an huddled together, studying the ingredients provided by the production team.
Ning Yuxuan carefully examined a tomato. “There are eggs and tomatoes. How about we make tomato scrambled eggs? Something simple so we won’t mess it up.”
Jiang Ning’an immediately agreed. “Sounds good. Let’s start with tomato scrambled eggs. By the way, Yuxuan, do you know whether to add the eggs or the tomatoes first?”
To make the show more entertaining, the staff forbade them from looking up recipes online. They had to figure it out themselves.
Ning Yuxuan clearly got stumped. After thinking for a long time, she answered, “Um… I think we should fry the eggs first?”
Jiang Ning’an asked again, “How many eggs and tomatoes do you think we should use?”
Ning Yuxuan pondered for a few seconds. “Let’s use three of each.”
Curious, Jiang Ning’an asked, “Why three?”
Ning Yuxuan replied seriously, “Because three is my lucky number.”
【Hahaha, I thought Ning Yuxuan was seriously thinking about it, but it’s actually for that reason!】
【Feels like watching two clueless students trying to solve a problem together—both helpless and hopeless, haha!】
【Good thing Ning Yuxuan’s lucky number isn’t nine, or else we’d be putting in nine eggs and tomatoes!】
【Haha, the earlier comments cracked me up. I really think Ning Yuxuan could pull off something like this!】
Meanwhile, Ning Fei and Qin Man couldn’t offer much help. They resigned themselves to trying out the massage devices while chatting quietly.
Neither of them was particularly talkative, and since they weren’t that familiar with each other, their conversation naturally gravitated toward the current show.
Ning Fei broke the silence first: “So, was it you who wanted to join this show, or was it your daughter?”
Qin Man answered honestly, “The director reached out to me, and it was my decision to participate. But Ning Yuxuan didn’t object either.”
Ning Fei smiled gently. “Same here. I was the one more eager to come. At first, Yuxuan was a bit reluctant, but thankfully she changed her mind later.”
[So it turns out both goddesses wanted to come themselves; I thought it was their daughters who liked variety shows more.]
[Both teachers probably want to use this chance to strengthen their bond with their daughters. Though their approaches differ, their love for their children is the same.]
[I’m oddly shipping this—Teacher Ning and Teacher Qin actually seem quite in sync.]
As they continued chatting, the topic shifted to yesterday’s filming.
The different groups of guests had spent the entire day filming separately, so no one knew how the others were doing.
Qin Man mentioned what happened that morning: “Ning Yuxuan and I looked through a few scripts I had, and did a quick analysis.”
Ning Fei’s interest was piqued. “Oh? What scripts?”
Qin Man replied, “There were two TV drama scripts, but neither really fit. There was a movie script I’m quite interested in…”
At this point, Qin Man hesitated.
She really liked the dual-female-lead movie script she read yesterday, but due to various reasons, she was hesitant to accept it. One major concern was the lack of a suitable co-star.
Then her daughter suddenly mentioned that she thought Ning Fei would be perfect.
As an actor, appreciating and learning from good works is essential.
Qin Man didn’t know Ning Fei well personally, but she had seen all of Ning Fei’s works—many more than once.
Hearing her daughter’s opinion, Qin Man also felt that the other role in the movie would suit Ning Fei well, and that with her acting skills, she could handle it beautifully.
But Ning Fei hadn’t appeared in any new projects for ten years. Although she never officially announced retirement, everyone assumed she had left the entertainment industry.
Since they weren’t close, it felt somewhat presumptuous for Qin Man to persuade Ning Fei to return.
Ning Fei noticed Qin Man’s hesitation. “What’s wrong? Is it something you don’t want to say?”
Qin Man made up her mind and shook her head. “Nothing I can’t say. How about I bring the script for you to look at?”
Ning Fei readily agreed. “Sure.”
In the kitchen, Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning'an were still struggling through their preparations.
They had settled on two vegetarian dishes: tomato scrambled eggs and stir-fried seasonal vegetables.
Both dishes required few ingredients and were relatively simple, so they decided to save them for last.
But when it came to the meat dishes, they hit a snag.
Ning Yuxuan stared at the chicken wings in front of her. “Should we marinate these chicken wings for a while first? What do you think, Ning'an?”
Jiang Ning'an pondered. “I think so. I remember seeing others do it that way… Yuxuan, do you know what seasonings to use for marinating?”
Ning Yuxuan shook her head. "I don't know. How about we just add a little bit of everything we have in the kitchen?"
The two of them discussing this made the viewers in the live chat hold their breath in suspense.
“Stop it, Ning Yuxuan! You can’t just randomly add seasonings!”
“Exactly! If you add too little, it might just be bland, but if you add too much, it’ll turn into some kind of disaster dish!”
“Help! Can someone please save these two? I’m seriously worried they’re about to blow up the kitchen!”
“I feel so sorry for Teacher Ning and Teacher Qin. I can’t even imagine what kind of weird stuff they’ll end up eating.”
Fortunately, Jiang Ning'an was a bit more rational. After hearing Ning Yuxuan’s suggestion, she hesitated and said, “Maybe we shouldn’t add everything…”
The two were at a loss. Ning Yuxuan glanced at the staff member. “Are we really not allowed to check the recipe at all?”
With their skill levels, even following the recipe might not guarantee a delicious dish. Expecting them to figure it out on their own was just too much.
The staff member had been watching their discussion the whole time. At first, he was firm, but now he was wavering. If they were allowed to freestyle like this, would they even be able to eat lunch properly?
After consulting the director, the staff member replied to Ning Yuxuan, “The director said you can ask for help outside the set, but you can’t ask the other two teachers. You can only seek help from someone else.”
Jiang Ning'an’s eyes lit up. “So we can call friends who know how to cook?”
Staff member: “Yes.”
The staff member who was in charge of the electronic devices handed over their phones and explained the new rule from the director: “You can call anyone you want, but only once. Choose wisely.”
Jiang Ning'an thought for a moment and decided to call Pan Wenyan.
Among all her friends in the circle, Pan Wenyan was the best cook. More importantly, she had just chatted with Pan Wenyan yesterday and knew that Pan had no work commitments today.
The audience was excited.
“Our Cai Xin and Master CP is getting a sequel! This ship is sailing strong!”
“Ah, the CP I’m shipping is really happening!”
Meanwhile, Ning Yuxuan was scrolling through her contacts for a long time.
Logically, Ning Shiyue would have been the best choice, but he was attending an event today and probably wouldn’t have time to answer.
Tao You, who had messaged her yesterday, was just like her—his only specialty was instant noodles with egg.
After thinking for a while, Ning Yuxuan found a name in her contacts and dialed a voice call.
The call connected quickly. “Is that you, Xuanxuan?”
“It’s me. Auntie, are you busy?”
The voice on the other end was gentle. “Not busy, not busy. It’s been a while since I last saw you. What made you think of calling me?”
Zheng Xinmei’s favorite hobby was cooking and baking. Whenever Ning Yuxuan went to the Xie family’s place, Auntie Zheng would personally prepare a big feast.
Thinking of people she knew who were good at cooking, Ning Yuxuan immediately thought of Auntie Zheng.
She explained the situation of the show and asked if she could give her some guidance.
Zheng Xinmei readily agreed, “Of course, Yuxuan! What dishes are you planning to make?”
Before the call, Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning'an had briefly discussed their plan: Ning Yuxuan would handle the cola chicken wings, while Jiang Ning'an would take care of the braised pork.
Under Zheng Xinmei’s guidance, Ning Yuxuan quickly prepared the marinade for the chicken wings and put the wings in to marinate.
The show’s original intention was for Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning'an to ask about the recipes, so they wouldn’t be completely lost and end up making something inedible.
However, Ning Yuxuan didn’t hang up the phone, and this didn’t violate the show’s “only one chance” rule.
After marinating the wings, Ning Yuxuan asked, “Auntie, if you’re not busy, could you give me some more tips for a bit longer?”
Zheng Xinmei smiled warmly, “No problem. Zhiyan was supposed to stay with me all day, but suddenly had to take a work call. I’m a bit bored, so it’s perfect to chat with you and pass the time.”
Ning Yuxuan was completely unreserved, “That’s great! My mom and I are counting on you to fill our stomachs this noon!”
Zheng Xinmei chuckled at Ning Yuxuan’s exaggerated tone. She loved this girl’s straightforward and genuine personality—never putting on any fake politeness.
Ning Yuxuan first helped Jiang Ning'an by prepping the braised pork.
When it was her turn to cook, she put her phone on speaker on the countertop for convenience.
Standing at the stove, Ning Yuxuan rolled up her sleeves and said, “I’m ready. What do I add first?”
“Start with the oil, just a little bit.”
Ning Yuxuan paused mid-action.
The livestream chat instantly exploded.
[What’s going on?!]
[Why is that a man’s voice? Ning Yuxuan’s been calling ‘Auntie’ all along!]
[So handsome! This male voice is such a treat for voice lovers!]
[Who exactly is this guy!!!]
