Gu Yunhao was stunned for several seconds before realizing that Ning Yuxuan was referring to returning the gifts to her.
He had hoped to hear some soft words from her, only to be mocked again instead.
Anger surged in Gu Yunhao, and he blurted out, "Ning Yuxuan! Do you really think I care about your worthless stuff? I’ll send it back to you tomorrow!"
Over the phone, Ning Yuxuan’s voice sounded light and indifferent. "Tomorrow? Are you sure?"
Gu Yunhao’s mouth moved faster than his brain. "It’s settled—tomorrow. Whoever doesn’t show up is a dog!"
He took a deep breath, ready to hurl a few more harsh words—
Beep, beep…
The call was disconnected.
Gu Yunhao: "…"
He instinctively glanced at Cen Meng beside him and found her staring at the live broadcast on the screen with an extremely grim expression.
Following her gaze, Gu Yunhao’s heart sank when he saw the delayed footage of the live broadcast—Ning Yuxuan had answered his call right in front of the cameras.
The moment captured on screen showed her just finishing the word "creditor."
Now, the barrage of comments was filled with insults directed at him.
[I thought Ning Yuxuan’s attitude was a bit harsh earlier, but now I say she’s absolutely right! People like him deserve to be called out!]
[Ugh, I can’t stand people who don’t pay their debts. Go, Ning Yuxuan!]
[Paying back what you owe is only right!]
Gu Yunhao had grown up being pampered and praised by everyone around him—he had never been humiliated like this before.
Even though the viewers didn’t know they were cursing him, he knew.
Yet, he couldn’t defend himself. Fuming, he clenched his fists and swore at the TV.
…
After ending the call, Ning Yuxuan returned to the kitchen.
Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue exchanged a silent glance but didn’t ask about the phone call.
Ning Yuxuan actually had an impressive academic background—she had been formally admitted to the prestigious A University.
But after graduation, she hopped between jobs, the shortest lasting only a month or two, the longest not even half a year.
Later, for some reason, she suddenly decided to try acting, but that venture ended in failure too.
Recently, she had been completely obsessed with Gu Yunhao, her mind filled with nothing but romance, and she had even drifted apart from her old friends.
Without needing to guess, Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue knew the call had to be about Gu Yunhao.
Worried about her daughter’s mood but unable to say much during the live broadcast, Ning Fei gently suggested, "Xuanxuan, if you’re tired, why don’t you rest in the living room for a bit? Shiyue and I can handle things here."
Ning Shiyue chimed in, "Yeah, the kitchen’s cramped anyway. You’re just getting in the way—go watch TV or something."
Ning Yuxuan raised an eyebrow. "No way. I need to keep an eye on you, or my braised fish might turn into steamed fish!"
Ning Shiyue, who had been slightly concerned, was once again provoked into laughter. He stopped washing the vegetables. "You think I’m as shameless as you?"
[LMAO, the braised vs. steamed joke will never die.]
[Hahaha, it’s rare to see Ning Shiyue this expressive in a variety show—I thought his default was just glaring.]
[True, he’s smiled way more in this show than in others, though most of them are exasperated laughs lol.]
With Ning Yuxuan’s teasing, the kitchen regained its earlier lighthearted atmosphere.
Working together, the three of them soon prepared three dishes and a soup, setting the table for lunch.
The production team had prepared a few questions for the guests during mealtime.
The first was directed at Ning Fei: "Teacher Ning, this season of Dearest Mom has invited three sets of guests. What do you know about the other two pairs?"
Ning Fei dabbed her lips with a napkin before answering calmly, "I heard you invited Qin Man and her daughter Jiang Ning'an, as well as an actress named Cen Meng and her mother, correct?"
Dearest Mom was a live variety show centered on family bonds. After the success of its first season, the production team quickly moved forward with a second.
One of Ning Fei’s industry friends had participated in Season 1 and spoke highly of the program, saying it had helped strengthen their relationship with their child.
Since Ning Fei had been struggling to mend her relationship with her daughter—and her daughter had shown renewed interest in the entertainment industry—she decided to join the show.
In her youth, Ning Fei had been one of the most sought-after actresses, a household name even after retiring from the industry over a decade ago.
Once she expressed interest, the production team immediately reached out, and the contract was finalized swiftly.
To accommodate Ning Fei’s wishes, the directors designed this season to focus on mother-daughter relationships, titling it Dearest Mom: Mother-Daughter Special.
The other guest, Qin Man, was another acclaimed actress from Ning Fei’s era.
Ironically, the two had once competed for the same Best Actress award at the Golden Dew Awards—the winner would become the first to achieve the "Triple Crown" of major film awards.
Ning Fei ultimately won, while Qin Man missed her chance at the Triple Crown, only achieving it six years later.
In online rankings of legendary actresses, their names were often mentioned side by side.
The announcement of their joint appearance in this show had already generated massive hype.
Adding to the excitement were Ning Fei’s son, Ning Shiyue, and Qin Man’s daughter, Jiang Ning'an—both rising young actors in the industry.
As for the third guest, Cen Meng, her fame and public recognition paled in comparison to the two veteran actresses.
However, after a few years of appearing in various TV dramas, she had built a modest fanbase, and her on-screen chemistry with a co-star had briefly gone viral.
After the staff confirmed her answer, Ning Fei smiled gracefully. "I’m quite familiar with Qin Man’s work—I’ve seen several of her films, and there are a few I particularly admire. But we haven’t been in touch privately for a long time, so aside from her acting, I don’t know much about her or her daughter."
"As for Miss Cen Meng—" Ning Fei paused, "I’ve heard she’s a promising young actress. I look forward to meeting her."
Even after over a decade away from the spotlight, Ning Fei’s responses remained poised and flawless.
[That’s my goddess! So articulate and elegant, with such a soothing voice!]
[Listening to Teacher Ning speak is like a breath of fresh air.]
Amid the flood of praise, a few dissenting comments surfaced.
[Can I just say? I’ve never liked Ning Fei because she sounds so fake, always smiling like it’s rehearsed.]
But the live chat was dominated by fans of Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue, who quickly shot back.
[If you don’t like Teacher Ning, why are you even watching? Just here to stir trouble?]
[You’re entitled to your opinion, but the rest of us adore Goddess Ning Fei—we don’t need you.]
…
After asking Ning Fei a few more questions, the staff turned their attention to Ning Yuxuan.
"Miss Yuxuan, you've previously acted in TV dramas, and now you're joining this show with Ning Fei. May we ask about your future plans? Do you intend to remain active in the entertainment industry and pursue an acting career?"
Before filming, the staff had briefly discussed the questions with the guests.
Originally, Ning Yuxuan was supposed to take the opportunity to express her interest in acting, laying the groundwork for her future entry into the industry.
As for why Ning Yuxuan wanted to join the entertainment world, the reason was simple.
She had noticed that Gu Yunhao's growing indifference toward her was because he had met a rising starlet—Cen Meng.
To win back her boyfriend's affection, Ning Yuxuan was determined to prove she was no less than Cen Meng: whatever Cen Meng could do, she could do too.
However, these were the thoughts of the "villainess Ning Yuxuan."
Ning Yuxuan calmly gave her answer: "No, I don’t plan to continue acting. I joined this show because I wanted to accompany my mother."
The staff was momentarily stunned—this wasn’t the answer they had agreed on beforehand.
The audience buzzed with reactions.
[Ah… what a shame. Such a beautiful face, and we won’t get to see it in movies or dramas anymore?]
[To the person above, if you’d seen her acting, you wouldn’t feel sorry—her performances were downright painful to watch!]
[Staying out of the entertainment industry is for the best. Just post more photos and vlogs on social media so we can admire her stunning looks.]
[I don’t buy it. If she really didn’t want to be in showbiz, why join a variety show? Is she just trying to craft a likable persona?]
[Let’s not jump to conclusions. At least for now, there’s nothing wrong with what Ning Yuxuan said.]
The staff quickly regained their composure—fortunately, Ning Yuxuan’s answer didn’t affect the next question.
They continued, "Then, Miss Yuxuan, do you have any career plans for the near future?"
"Plans…" Ning Yuxuan smiled and replied with ease, "I’ve decided—I’m going to be my mom’s full-time daughter."
Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue: "…"
The staff: "…"
Netizens: …???
[…What the heck is a ‘full-time daughter’? Does that mean being a full-time freeloader?]
[Hahaha, the audacity to say that so shamelessly—I have to admit, I’m kind of impressed.]
[Let’s be real, if I had a mom like Ning Fei, I’d want to be a full-time daughter too!]
[Honestly, if Ning Fei’s fine with it, what’s wrong with being a mom’s girl?]
It took the staff a while to recover from their shock before they turned to Ning Fei. "So… Teacher Ning, what do you think?"
Ning Fei cleared her throat and smiled. "If possible, I’d love to be my daughter’s lifelong support."
Deep down, Ning Fei still hoped her daughter would find something she truly loved doing, rather than idling away her time obsessing over her boyfriend.
But in public, Ning Fei would never hesitate to stand by her daughter and defend her.
Besides, "being her daughter’s lifelong support" wasn’t a lie—Ning Fei meant every word, her eyes filled with love and adoration.
[Ugh, suddenly I’m so jealous of Ning Yuxuan for having a mom who loves her unconditionally.]
[I’m tearing up—Ning Fei is just too amazing! Teacher Ning, would you mind having a digital daughter?]
[Count me in! I want to sign up to be Ning Fei’s daughter too!]
This season of the show focused on mother-daughter relationships, but with Ning Shiyue’s massive popularity, the production team naturally wouldn’t overlook him.
However, since they hadn’t expected Ning Shiyue’s at-home persona to be so different from his usual image, the questions prepared for him were more serious.
Ning Shiyue maintained his signature concise interview style, speaking sparingly.
Unfortunately, the audience wasn’t buying it.
[LOL, seeing Ning Shiyue answer questions so seriously is kind of hilarious.]
[I mean, just a while ago, he was getting roasted by his sister and left speechless—the contrast with his cool-idol act now is too funny.]
[Still, gotta admit, when he’s not talking to his sister, Ning Shiyue totally nails the aloof superstar vibe!]
As dinner wrapped up, the filming of the preview episode came to an end.
The staff delivered a closing statement before ending the livestream.
The crew packed up their equipment, exchanged polite words like "Thanks for your cooperation" and "See you next time" with Ning Fei and her family, then left by car.
The lively villa suddenly fell silent, and an awkward atmosphere settled in.
Ning Shiyue cleared his throat. "The production team needs to reshoot a few scenes—I have to head back to set immediately."
With several big-name actors involved, the reshoot schedule had been coordinated around everyone’s availability—he couldn’t keep the whole crew waiting just for him.
Originally, he had a TV drama audition scheduled for the afternoon, but to attend the preview filming, he’d had to skip it.
After Ning Shiyue hurried off, only two people remained at home.
Ning Fei thought back to the interview and asked her daughter, "Yuxuan, when you said you don’t want to act anymore… did you mean it?"
Her daughter had recently been eager to break into the entertainment industry again, even begging for her help not long ago—why the sudden change of heart?
Ning Fei had been surprised during the interview but held back her questions for the cameras.
Ning Yuxuan nodded. "Yes, I’ve thought it over—acting isn’t for me."
Ning Fei considered this.
Perhaps it was for the best. She knew her daughter’s personality wasn’t suited for the cutthroat entertainment world, but still…
"Yuxuan," Ning Fei spoke again, "Our family isn’t exactly wealthy, but we have enough to keep you comfortable for life. Still, you’re young—you should find something you’re passionate about…"
Ning Yuxuan understood her mother’s meaning and took the chance to share her thoughts. "Mom, you own a chain of hotels, right? I’d like to help you manage them."
Ning Fei: "…"
She could hardly believe it. "Yuxuan, are you sure?"
When she divorced, Ning Fei had given up her share of the marital assets in exchange for custody of her two children.
Using her savings from her acting career, she invested in real estate and later opened a chain of hotels, which now had ten locations in Beicheng.
The business wasn’t massive, but it provided a steady income for the family.
Since Ning Yuxuan’s studies were relevant, her willingness to help manage the hotels was a welcome development.
Seeing her daughter nod, Ning Fei was delighted. "Then once the show finishes filming, I’ll have Chen Jun guide you through the hotel operations."
Chen Jun was the general manager of Huayuan Hotel, overseeing most of its affairs.
"Okay," Ning Yuxuan said. "Mom, there’s one more thing I’d like to discuss."
"What is it?"
"I want to open a few new branches in Tongxing District—preferably within a month. If we wait until after the show, it might be too late."
"You…" Ning Fei was first taken aback, then chuckled as if amused by her daughter’s naivety.
"Xuanxuan." She took a bottle of soda from the fridge, poured it into a glass, and handed it to her daughter. "Opening a new branch isn’t as simple as you think. Market research, location scouting, design, construction—every step is essential. Even one store would be unrealistic to set up in just a month, let alone several."
Ning Yuxuan accepted the glass. "If we were starting from scratch, it would indeed be impossible. But there’s a struggling chain hotel in Beicheng with four locations in Tongxing District up for sale. We could take over one or two of them."
What she didn’t say aloud was that her urgency to buy the hotel wasn’t about suddenly pursuing a career or simply making money.
In the original plot, Gu Yunhao had purchased this very hotel and profited massively, earning the recognition of the Gu family and the entire elite circle, propelling his career to new heights.
A month later, the northwestern part of Tongxing District would be designated as a resort area, becoming a key project for Beicheng’s tertiary industry.
This information was still known only to top insiders—ordinary people had no clue, and even the wealthy families of Beicheng were completely in the dark.
Gu Yunhao’s decision to buy the hotel at this exact moment was pure authorial favoritism, a stroke of dumb luck.
Later, spurred by the female lead, Cen Meng, Gu Yunhao would target Ning Fei, eventually destroying Huayuan Hotel, the business Ning Fei had poured years of effort into.
The most direct and foolproof way to prevent this chain of events was to buy the hotel first.
Given their family’s financial situation, acquiring all four locations wasn’t feasible—they’d have to settle for one or two.
The biggest hurdle now was convincing her mother.
In Ning Fei’s eyes, her daughter was impulsive, jumping from one idea to the next without commitment.
Honestly, if Ning Yuxuan were in her mother’s shoes, she wouldn’t agree either.
She also couldn’t reveal the real reason—if she told her mother this world was actually a novel, she’d be written off as delusional, possibly even sent for a psychiatric evaluation.
After nearly twenty minutes of discussion, Ning Fei still hadn’t budged.
Though she adored her daughter, investment was a serious matter, not something to indulge on a whim.
Moreover, she’d looked into the hotel her daughter mentioned—it catered to the mid-to-high-end market. The transfer fee alone was substantial, not to mention redesign costs, renovations, employee salaries, and other expenses requiring a massive cash flow.
The Ning family wasn’t one of Beicheng’s wealthy elites. Taking such a risk recklessly was too dangerous.
"Xuanxuan, if you want to open a new branch, I support you," Ning Fei said. "But a month is far too rushed. Let’s take it slow."
Ning Yuxuan knew she wouldn’t persuade her mother immediately, so she conceded.
Ning Fei had a habit of napping after lunch, retreating to her bedroom to rest.
Ning Yuxuan returned to her own room.
She opened her phone and scrolled through the hotel’s details again.
Her thoughts drifted unconsciously, and when she snapped back to reality, she realized she’d somehow opened her contacts.
Her gaze sharpened as her fingers slid across the screen, pausing over a name—
Xie Zhiyan.
In the original story, Xie Zhiyan was the final antagonist, nearly bankrupting Gu Yunhao’s company.
But in the end, the protagonists outmaneuvered him, toppling both Xie Zhiyan and his Hengjiang Group.
When Ning Yuxuan had read that part, she found it absurd.
The ruthless, high-powered Xie Zhiyan, who had dominated the business world at a young age, suddenly seemed to lose all his intelligence in the final act, becoming no match for Gu Yunhao.
If not for the author’s desperation to hand the protagonists a victory, she couldn’t fathom why it had played out that way.
Now, if she wanted to secure this investment, Xie Zhiyan’s help—or even a partnership—would make everything easier.
The reason she dared to approach this infamous business magnate, known and feared throughout Beicheng’s elite circles, was simple—
Ning Yuxuan had always seen Xie Zhiyan as "a good person."
They’d known each other for ten years. Though they hadn’t spoken much recently, every time she’d asked for his help, he’d agreed without fail.
And whenever Xie Zhiyan stepped in, her problems were solved.
That said, those past requests had been trivial compared to this one—an investment involving tens or even hundreds of millions.
When she texted Xie Zhiyan, Ning Yuxuan had zero confidence he’d respond.
Ten minutes later, he called.
The man’s voice was deep and direct: "You want me to convince your mother and ideally chip in some money?"
Ning Yuxuan hummed in agreement, adding, "I won’t let you invest for free. It’s a partnership—you’ll get a share of the profits."
She knew how outrageous her proposal sounded. Partnering with Xie Zhiyan? She was laughably unqualified.
But Ning Yuxuan wasn’t afraid of rejection. Besides, she’d known him long enough not to fear him like others in their circle did.
Rather than mocking her outright, Xie Zhiyan’s tone carried a hint of amusement. "After a year apart, the young Miss Ning is venturing into business?"
Ning Yuxuan shamelessly owned it. "Yes, I’ve had an epiphany. Thought I’d dabble in entrepreneurship."
"I recall your boyfriend’s surname was Gu."
The implication: Why not ask Gu Yunhao for help?
Xie Zhiyan wasn’t someone easily fooled by excuses.
Ning Yuxuan told the truth. "We broke up."
The line went quiet for a few seconds.
"Having me invest isn’t impossible," Xie Zhiyan said after a pause. "But there’s a condition."
Ning Yuxuan’s eyes lit up. "What condition?"
"Marry me."
