Xie Zhiyan took a step back, putting some distance between himself and Ning Yuxuan.
Ning Yuxuan also snapped out of her daze and turned to Ning Shiyue. "Is dinner ready?"
Ning Shiyue: "..."
He hadn’t quite recovered from what he had just witnessed.
If he wasn’t mistaken, hadn’t Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan been standing a little too close just now?
Looking at the two of them now, maintaining a perfectly normal distance as if nothing had happened, Ning Shiyue almost wondered if he was hallucinating from exhaustion.
Ning Yuxuan was also feeling a headache coming on.
She had already made up her mind earlier, but seeing the shock on Ning Shiyue’s face, she wasn’t sure if she should give him an even bigger bombshell.
As she hesitated, Ning Shiyue suddenly spoke up. "It’s fine, no need to explain! I know it was just an accident. I’m not overthinking it, and I’m not misunderstanding anything!"
His words came out in a rush, as if he was trying to convince himself as much as her.
In Ning Shiyue’s mind, Xie Zhiyan, though not in frequent contact with them in recent years, had always been like an older brother figure.
The idea of Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan being linked by the word "romance" was simply inconceivable to him.
Yes, he must be overreacting.
They hadn’t done anything intimate—just stood a little closer than usual. Nothing to make a fuss about.
Ning Shiyue repeated this to himself as he tried to step out for some air. "Dinner’s ready. I’ll head to the dining room first. You two should come soon."
After delivering this line quickly, he turned to leave the room.
"Shiyue." Xie Zhiyan’s deep voice called out.
Ning Shiyue froze mid-step, then slowly turned his head like he was moving in slow motion. "...Yeah, Zhiyan-ge?"
Xie Zhiyan: "Your sister and I—"
Ning Yuxuan tugged at Xie Zhiyan’s sleeve. "Let me explain."
Xie Zhiyan glanced at her and took half a step back.
Ning Yuxuan cleared her throat. "Ning Shiyue, Xie Zhiyan and I are together."
Before the words had even fully left her mouth, she felt Xie Zhiyan’s slightly surprised gaze flicker toward her—probably not expecting her to admit it so bluntly.
As for Ning Shiyue, he stiffened like he’d been hit with a paralysis spell.
He mumbled, "...What do you mean, ‘together’?"
Ning Yuxuan didn’t bat an eyelash. "Exactly what you’re thinking. Xie Zhiyan confessed to me, and I said yes."
Strike while the iron is hot.
Since she’d already decided to tell their mother eventually, she might as well lay it all out for Ning Shiyue now.
She could feel Xie Zhiyan’s eyes lingering on her, but her focus was entirely on Ning Shiyue, so she didn’t return his gaze.
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Seeing how rigid he’d gone, Ning Yuxuan almost laughed.
She waved a hand in front of his face. "What’s wrong? Which part didn’t you understand?"
Ning Shiyue finally found his voice again. "You... really like him?"
Ning Yuxuan’s brows twitched slightly. She hadn’t expected that to be his first question.
"I do," she said.
If she didn’t, why would they be together? There was only one right answer to that question.
Still, after saying it, she couldn’t help but glance at the man beside her.
Xie Zhiyan’s eyes were lowered, and for the first time, he didn’t meet her gaze. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
Ning Shiyue, meanwhile, was staring at Ning Yuxuan as if still struggling to process the truth.
The two men fell into silence simultaneously, just as Ning Fei’s voice came from outside the door.
"Yuxuan? Shiyue?"
Ning Fei walked toward the study, muttering to herself, "What’s going on with these kids? I sent one to fetch the other two, and now all three have vanished."
Footsteps drew closer, followed by a knock on the study door. "Yuxuan, are you in there? Shiyue?"
Ning Shiyue snapped out of his daze and took half a step back to open the door. "Mom."
Ning Fei peered into the room, her confusion deepening when she saw all three inside. "Why are you all crammed in this little room? Come out and eat."
Ning Shiyue was the first to respond. "Coming."
He strode out ahead of the others, as if eager to escape some impending disaster.
Ning Fei thought her son seemed unusually enthusiastic but didn’t dwell on it. "Yuxuan, Zhiyan, you two come along too."
Ning Yuxuan nodded. "Okay."
Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue walked ahead, while Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan followed at a slight distance.
After a few steps, Ning Shiyue suddenly turned back and gave Ning Yuxuan a firm, meaningful look.
Ning Yuxuan: "......?"
She had no idea what that look was supposed to convey.
Dinner was already laid out on the table—a lavish spread prepared by the housekeeper, enough to make anyone’s mouth water.
As usual, the dishes catered to both Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue’s tastes, with the spicy ones grouped on one side.
Last time, Xie Zhiyan had joined Ning Yuxuan in eating from the spicy pot, so this time, Ning Fei naturally assumed they’d sit together and gestured for her son to join her on the other side.
But Ning Shiyue abruptly stopped her.
"Mom," he said, pointing to the seat next to Ning Yuxuan, "I’ll sit here. I feel like trying something different today."
Ning Fei gave him a surprised look but nodded. "Alright."
Ning Shiyue sat down beside Ning Yuxuan, head lowered in thought.
Ning Yuxuan studied him, completely baffled.
What was he doing? Trying to physically separate her and Xie Zhiyan?
As everyone began eating, Ning Fei asked her daughter, "Did Zhiyan help you finalize the proposal?"
Ning Yuxuan: "We had a lot to discuss, so there’s still some left. I’ll ask him to look at the rest later."
Ning Fei nodded, then turned to Xie Zhiyan. "Yuxuan has plenty of ideas, but she’s still new to managing the hotel with me, so she might overlook some things. Don’t spoil her too much, Zhiyan. If something’s off, just say so."
Xie Zhiyan smiled faintly. "Of course. Huayuan Hotel is yours and Yuxuan’s hard work. I wouldn’t take it lightly."
Ning Fei returned the smile, though her brow subconsciously furrowed.
Something about that sentence felt odd, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
A sudden cough came from the table.
Ning Shiyue cleared his throat loudly, then pointed at a dish with his chopsticks. "Mom, this fish is amazing. You should try it while it’s hot."
Touched by her son’s rare thoughtfulness, Ning Fei’s attention shifted. "Alright, I’ll have a taste."
Ning Yuxuan watched her brother from across the table and finally understood what he was up to.
Was Ning Shiyue... trying to keep their mother from finding out about her and Xie Zhiyan?
But she hadn’t even told him to keep it a secret from Ning Fei.
Ning Yuxuan had no idea that in the short time since Ning Shiyue went to the study to fetch her, his mind had already taken countless twists and turns, culminating in a major decision—
After the initial shock wore off, Ning Shiyue began mentally evaluating whether Xie Zhiyan, this "brother-in-law," was a suitable match.
First, compared to Ning Yuxuan’s ex-boyfriend Gu Yunhao, Xie Zhiyan was undeniably superior in every way.
In fact, given how much Ning Shiyue despised Gu Yunhao, he’d probably consider any halfway decent man an improvement.
Then there were the wealthy socialites Ning Yuxuan had met through Gu Yunhao—in Ning Shiyue’s eyes, they were just as bad as Gu Yunhao himself.
As for the classmates from university and high school who had pursued Ning Yuxuan, Ning Shiyue deemed them utterly unworthy of his sister.
After running through these comparisons in his head, Ning Shiyue concluded that Xie Zhiyan was the best boyfriend material Ning Yuxuan could possibly find among the people she knew.
Not only was he exceptionally good-looking and highly capable, but his character was also beyond reproach.
Moreover, after reacquainting himself with Xie Zhiyan recently, Ning Shiyue noticed that his temper seemed much milder than before—enough to tolerate Ning Yuxuan’s little quirks.
The more Ning Shiyue thought about it, the more convinced he became. He figured the reason Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan were sneaking around in the study for their "date" was that they weren’t ready to let their mother know yet.
It made sense—they’d just started dating and didn’t want to trouble their mother with the news so soon.
Yet Ning Yuxuan had chosen to confide in him first. Ning Shiyue suddenly felt the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders.
If she trusted him this much, then he could grudgingly cover for her in front of their mother—it wasn’t too much to ask.
Throughout dinner, Ning Shiyue was even more nervous than Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan combined.
Every time the two exchanged even the slightest interaction, he was on high alert, terrified they’d give themselves away.
If Xie Zhiyan served Ning Yuxuan a bite of food, Ning Shiyue would immediately pile two more onto her plate.
But Xie Zhiyan showed no signs of stopping, and before long, Ning Yuxuan’s bowl was practically overflowing.
Finally, she’d had enough and dumped all the uneaten food back onto Ning Shiyue’s plate. "You’re the one who kept giving me this—now you finish it!"
Ning Shiyue swallowed his protests and resignedly ate everything she’d shoved his way.
After dinner, Ning Fei absolutely refused to let Xie Zhiyan, their guest, help clear the table.
"Once you leave, the housekeeper and I will take care of it," she insisted.
Xie Zhiyan had brought Ning Fei a gift—handicrafts he’d collected from various cities during his business trips abroad.
They weren’t overly expensive (Ning Fei wouldn’t accept anything too extravagant), but they were unique souvenirs from places she’d never visited.
Ning Fei loved decorating her home with cultural artifacts, but managing the hotel left her little time to travel. When she did, she stuck to popular tourist spots, unlike Xie Zhiyan, who ventured into more obscure locales.
Before dinner, she’d already skimmed through his gifts with keen interest. Now, she kept him in the living room afterward, asking about the stories behind each piece.
Ning Yuxuan, still searching for the right moment to tell her mother about her relationship, hesitated—but before she could join them, Ning Shiyue dragged her away.
He pulled her into the study, hesitated for a second, then locked the door, tugging the handle twice to make sure it wouldn’t budge.
Watching his meticulous routine, Ning Yuxuan couldn’t shake the feeling of déjà vu.
Once the door was secure, Ning Shiyue turned to her with a grave expression. "If you don’t want Mom finding out about you and Zhiyan-ge, you two need to be more careful."
Ning Yuxuan: "…"
Ning Shiyue pressed on, dead serious. "For example, just now, Zhiyan-ge called you ‘Xuanxuan’ twice. Luckily, I distracted Mom before she noticed anything off."
Ning Yuxuan thought to herself: Or maybe that’s exactly what Xie Zhiyan and I agreed he should call me.
But seeing how earnest Ning Shiyue was, she bit back the remark.
He went on to list several more of her "slip-ups"—Xie Zhiyan serving her too many dishes, pouring her water twice, even handing her a tissue.
"Long story short," Ning Shiyue concluded triumphantly, "if it weren’t for me, you two would’ve been exposed in front of Mom ages ago!"
His expression was a mix of exasperation and smug pride at his own quick thinking.
Ning Yuxuan couldn’t bring herself to crush his spirits.
She chose her words carefully. "Actually, I’ve been thinking… maybe telling Mom wouldn’t be so bad?"
Ning Shiyue frowned. "If she finds out you jumped into a new relationship just to get over your breakup, she’ll worry about you."
Ning Yuxuan: "That’s not why I’m with Xie Zhiyan—"
Ning Shiyue snorted. "Please, I know you. Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to Zhiyan-ge."
Here, his expression faltered slightly. He cleared his throat. "Even though Zhiyan-ge and I are close, you’re still my real sister. Between the two of you, I’ll always side with you."
Ning Yuxuan’s emotions were complicated.
Against her will, his words stirred something in her.
But how could she explain that she’d long since moved on from Gu Yunhao—that there was no "breakup pain" to recover from?
After a moment, she realized Ning Shiyue might never believe her. Not when her past actions, controlled by the plot, had been so irrational.
She’d only regained her senses half a month ago. Compared to all those years, it was no wonder he remained skeptical.
Time would have to prove it.
Ning Shiyue, allergic to sentimentality, hastily cut through the mood. "Alright, let’s get back to the living room before Mom gets suspicious. And be careful this time—no more mistakes."
Ning Yuxuan nodded reluctantly.
Fine… she’d wait for another chance to tell Ning Fei about her and Xie Zhiyan. At least Ning Shiyue knew now—that was progress.
When they returned, Xie Zhiyan was still chatting with Ning Fei about the gifts.
Spotting her children, Ning Fei held up a wooden figurine Xie Zhiyan had brought from abroad. "Xuanxuan, look—this little pig and calf match your and Shiyue’s zodiac signs. Why don’t you take them to your rooms?"
Ning Shiyue accepted them without a word.
"It's getting late," Ning Fei said to Xie Zhiyan. "Tomorrow is a workday, Zhiyan—you probably have to go to the office, right? Should I have Yuxuan walk you out?"
Before Xie Zhiyan could respond, Ning Yuxuan chimed in first: "Sure, I can."
The man gave her a silent glance.
Ning Yuxuan understood his meaning and met his gaze, a hint of guilt flickering in her eyes.
They had only taken a few steps outside the villa when Ning Yuxuan spoke up: "I didn’t mean to back out last minute. It’s because of Shiyue."
Xie Zhiyan raised an eyebrow.
Ning Yuxuan explained, "Shiyue seems to have misunderstood. He thought we were sneaking into the study to hide things from my mom, so he kept trying to cover for us."
She lowered her head. "Seeing him like that, I couldn’t bear to disappoint him. So I figured we’d tell my mom another time."
After she finished, there was no immediate response from the man beside her.
After a brief pause, she turned to look at him.
Ning Yuxuan had forgotten—Xie Zhiyan was never one to show his emotions easily, and in the darkness, his expression was even harder to read.
All she heard was the deep timbre of his voice: "Is that really the reason?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Yes, why else?"
Deep down, she was aware of her own hesitation.
If it were just about not disappointing Shiyue, she wouldn’t have changed her mind so quickly about a decision she’d already made. Ultimately, she was the one who had retreated.
The air fell silent for a couple of seconds before Xie Zhiyan spoke again: "When Shiyue asked you, you said you liked me."
His tone was matter-of-fact, giving no indication of why he’d brought it up.
Ning Yuxuan: "...What about it?"
Her heartbeat quickened slightly, and she added, "That was just to make Shiyue believe it."
Xie Zhiyan stopped walking. "If you were willing to lie to your brother, why couldn’t you say the same to Aunt Ning?"
Ning Yuxuan turned to face him. "What are you trying to say?"
She tilted her head up, her expression tinged with irritation at his questioning.
A few seconds of silence passed.
Then, the back of her hand suddenly warmed—his palm enveloped hers.
Ning Yuxuan instinctively tried to pull away, but Xie Zhiyan’s grip was firm yet gentle.
"Yuxuan," Xie Zhiyan said, his voice laced with apology, "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pressure you."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
"It’s fine," she murmured.
After another beat of silence, she spoke again: "Weren’t you supposed to change how you address me?"
Xie Zhiyan let out a soft chuckle and corrected himself: "Xuanxuan."
"Mm." Ning Yuxuan paused. "I’m not going back on my word. When the time is right in a few days, I’ll tell my mom that we’re dating."
...
They walked side by side to the garage.
Ning Yuxuan suddenly remembered something: "You still haven’t told me what you and Gu Yunhao talked about earlier at the entrance."
Xie Zhiyan’s voice was calm. "Nothing important."
"Really?" Ning Yuxuan eyed him skeptically. "Did he say a lot of bad things about me?"
She still remembered the inexplicable warning text Gu Yunhao had sent her last time.
Given his usual thought process, Ning Yuxuan wouldn’t be surprised if he’d deliberately stopped Xie Zhiyan just to badmouth her relentlessly.
"No," Xie Zhiyan said. "He mentioned that you really like lilies. I told him you actually hate the scent of them."
Ning Yuxuan was baffled. What kind of nonsense was that?
"He called you out just to chat about what flowers I like?"
Xie Zhiyan’s tone was steady and convincing: "Yes."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Well, Gu Yunhao had always been a bit unhinged. Nothing he did was surprising anymore.
She glanced at Xie Zhiyan’s car and changed the subject: "Will you come again next week?"
Xie Zhiyan’s cool voice carried a faint trace of amusement: "If you want me to, I will."
...
After watching Xie Zhiyan’s car drive away, Ning Yuxuan didn’t immediately return to the villa.
She wasn’t so oblivious that she couldn’t tell Xie Zhiyan’s feelings for her went beyond just a cooperative partnership.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have kissed her forehead the last time they parted.
Or held her hand just now.
But ever since her awakening, Ning Yuxuan hadn’t even fully sorted out her own feelings.
Her past obsession with Gu Yunhao had long since turned to disgust, but the years she’d spent pining for him and the things she’d done—those were all her own experiences.
Every high and low had been something she’d lived through, not just cold lines in a novel.
Sometimes, Ning Yuxuan herself felt a little lost. What exactly was love? Was it just a series of emotions dictated by some predetermined plot?
She didn’t dislike Xie Zhiyan, but there were too many things she hadn’t figured out yet. She didn’t want to rush into a new relationship half-heartedly.
Besides, Xie Zhiyan’s sudden affection for her felt almost unreal.
Back in the villa, Ning Yuxuan exchanged a few words with Ning Fei before retreating to her room, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Sometimes, letting her mind wander helped stabilize her emotions.
After some time, her phone buzzed twice.
Ning Yuxuan picked it up and opened the message while lying in bed.
Xie Zhiyan: [I’m home. I bought plenty of dried tofu—it should last you until we meet again.]
Xie Zhiyan: [But don’t eat too much at once. It’s not good for your stomach.]
Ning Yuxuan couldn’t help but smile.
She replied: [I know!]
After a moment’s thought, she changed Xie Zhiyan’s contact name to "Mr. Xie the Personal Shopper."
She took a screenshot and sent it to him, then typed: [I usually only save full names for contacts—even my mom and brother are like that.]
Xie Zhiyan: [Only your boyfriend gets special treatment?]
Ning Yuxuan’s fingers stilled.
For a second, she wasn’t sure if he was referring to himself or someone she’d rather not think about.
Because it suddenly occurred to her—before today, the only person she’d ever given a special nickname to was Gu Yunhao, even going so far as to pin his chat at the top.
Of course, that was all in the past. Now, Gu Yunhao had long been unpinned, blocked, and deleted—along with many of his associates.
Ning Yuxuan replied to Xie Zhiyan: [Right now, you’re the only exception. How does it feel to be honored?]
