Ning Shiyue: "..."
"Nothing," Ning Shiyue coughed twice. "Just keep doing what you're doing now—ignore Cheng Xiyang as much as possible."
Ning Yuxuan suddenly understood and asked curiously, "Do you have some kind of grudge against him?"
After asking, she remembered she was live-streaming and added, "Don’t worry, I didn’t put you on speaker. No one else can hear you."
The audience: "..."
Though the live-stream viewers couldn’t hear what Ning Shiyue said, they could piece together from Ning Yuxuan’s words that the "him" she referred to was Cheng Xiyang.
[Wow, Ning Yuxuan is straight-up gossiping right now!! But why won’t she let us listen, why?!]
[Ugh! I really want to know why Ning Shiyue dislikes Cheng Xiyang so much!]
[Right? I remember they used to get along fine at the start of the talent show. They even did a duo performance together. Then suddenly, one day, things just went sour.]
[I need the tea! Ning Yuxuan, can’t you share the details with us after you hear it? We’re all dying to know!]
Unfortunately, Ning Yuxuan couldn’t see the audience’s pleas.
Over the phone, Ning Shiyue’s tone was dripping with disdain. "It’s not exactly a grudge. I just don’t like him. As for why…"
He hesitated for two seconds. "It’s… complicated. Hard to explain in a few words. I’ll tell you another time."
Given Ning Shiyue’s usual straightforward personality, his hesitation only made Ning Yuxuan even more curious.
But since she was live-streaming, she reluctantly agreed. "Oh… alright. Next time I visit you on set, you’ll have to tell me everything."
Ning Shiyue: "Alright, I have a meeting with the director this afternoon. Gotta go."
The little girl from earlier had used the last piece of cardstock from Ning Yuxuan’s group, meaning they’d completed their task early—collecting twenty-six birthday wishes for Qin Man.
Qin Man was turning fifty-two, and the show had planned to gift her fifty-two heartfelt messages from strangers. Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei’s team was responsible for half, while Cheng Xiyang’s group handled the other half.
With their task finished an hour and a half ahead of schedule, the production team told them they could do whatever they wanted with the remaining time.
Ning Yuxuan suggested going to a nearby mall to buy Qin Man a birthday gift.
Though they got along well with Qin Man and her daughter on the show, they didn’t interact much off-camera. They’d only learned about Qin Man’s birthday from the production team.
Ning Fei had no objections—she hadn’t gone shopping with her daughter in a while.
They took the crew’s car to the mall.
Afternoons were always the sleepiest, and since the show was live-streamed all day, the guests hadn’t had time for a nap.
Ning Yuxuan leaned against Ning Fei and whined, "Mom, can I rest my head on your shoulder for a bit?"
Ning Fei smiled. "Of course."
Ning Yuxuan nestled against her mother’s shoulder.
Feeling the weight of her daughter’s head, Ning Fei’s smile deepened.
[Ugh, this scene is so wholesome. I’ll never get tired of watching Ning Yuxuan and her mom together.]
[Teacher Ning’s smile is so beautiful. You can feel her love for her daughter even through the screen.]
[Treasure this version of Ning Yuxuan who actually whines! She’s never like this with anyone else!]
"Yuxuan," Ning Fei said softly, "Do you remember when you were little, and I’d take you to and from school? You used to fall asleep on my shoulder like this all the time."
After marrying her ex-husband, Ning Fei had stepped away from the spotlight for a few years, dedicating all her time to her family and two children.
Ning Yuxuan had been sickly as a child, frequently needing doctor visits, so Ning Fei had always been extra protective of her.
Even when Ning Yuxuan was in elementary school and they had a driver and a nanny, Ning Fei still insisted on accompanying her to and from school every day.
"I remember," Ning Yuxuan murmured. "Sometimes I’d fall asleep in the car on the way home, and you’d carry me inside."
Ning Fei’s gaze grew distant, a nostalgic smile on her lips. "Yeah. But you’ve grown up now—I can’t carry you anymore."
The roads in Beicheng were bumpy, and the car’s stop-and-go motion was oddly soothing, like a rocking cradle.
Ning Yuxuan’s voice was already slurring with sleep. "Then I’ll carry you instead."
Ning Fei laughed. "You must be really tired if you’re talking nonsense like that."
Ning Yuxuan didn’t respond, just nuzzled closer.
Ning Fei adjusted her posture to make her daughter more comfortable.
Mumbling, Ning Yuxuan added, "I mean it. You’re so thin, and I’m strong. I could totally carry you."
Ning Fei couldn’t help but chuckle. "Alright, alright. You could."
Ten minutes later, the car pulled into the mall’s parking lot.
Ning Fei gently patted her daughter’s back. "Yuxuan, time to wake up."
Ning Yuxuan rubbed her eyes and got out of the car.
By the time they took the elevator into the mall, she was slightly more alert.
"Mom," she asked, "What kind of gift do you think Teacher Qin would like?"
Ning Fei shook her head. "I’m not sure."
She didn’t know Qin Man well—their last meeting had been at a producer’s office, discussing work.
Calling to ask now would be too obvious. If Qin Man guessed their intentions, the surprise would be ruined.
Ning Yuxuan thought back to earlier episodes. "During the first recording, Jiang Ning'an mentioned that Teacher Qin likes collecting sunglasses. Maybe we should look for a pair?"
The mall had plenty of brands selling sunglasses, including luxury labels with iconic designs.
But if Qin Man was a collector, she either already owned the classics or wasn’t interested in them.
After browsing a few stores on the first floor without finding anything special, Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei stepped into a lesser-known designer boutique.
Ning Yuxuan’s eyes lit up immediately.
"Mom, look." She picked up a pair from the display. "Aren’t these gorgeous?"
The sunglasses had an asymmetrical, petal-shaped frame with gradient pink-purple lenses.
A sales associate approached them. "Miss, those just arrived this week—they’re part of our new collection for the second half of the year."
Ning Fei took them and examined them. "Isn’t the design a bit too bold?"
Ning Yuxuan countered, "Teacher Qin must already have tons of classic styles at home."
Ning Fei nodded in understanding. "Alright, we’ll go with your choice."
Ning Yuxuan asked the associate to set the first pair aside, then continued browsing.
Half a minute later, she picked up another pair. "Mom, do you like these?"
Ning Fei sighed. "Weren’t we shopping for Teacher Qin?"
Ning Yuxuan blinked her eyes: "Since we're already here, come on, let me try this on you."
Ning Fei verbally declined, but still obediently let her daughter place the sunglasses on her nose.
Ning Yuxuan didn’t hold back her praise: "Looks great!"
The salesperson naturally seized the opportunity to promote: "You have excellent taste! This is one of our best-selling styles—elegant and vintage, perfectly matching Mom’s aura."
Ning Yuxuan nudged Ning Fei toward the mirror: "Mom, look—doesn’t it suit you?"
Ning Fei studied her reflection.
Her daughter’s eye for style was undeniable—the sunglasses not only looked good but also complemented her face shape.
From Ning Fei’s expression alone, Ning Yuxuan could tell she was pleased.
Without hesitation, she declared to the salesperson: "We’ll take this pair. I’ll browse a bit more and settle the bill later."
Thrilled by such a decisive customer, the salesperson eagerly agreed: "Of course, no problem! By the way, this design also has a sister model that’s very popular. Would you like me to bring it for you to try?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Sure!"
The salesperson hurried to a nearby shelf and returned with another pair.
As Ning Fei moved to remove the first pair, Ning Yuxuan swiftly stopped her: "No rush, Mom!"
She took the "sister" sunglasses, put them on herself, and leaned in beside Ning Fei.
The two pairs shared similar designs, differing only in lens tint and slight variations in frame detailing.
The salesperson gushed: "Mom looks so youthful—standing together, you two could pass as sisters!"
Unlike many of her peers in the industry, Ning Fei had little anxiety about aging.
While other actresses her age resorted to injections or facelifts, she stuck to routine skincare treatments.
The show Mom aimed to capture the authentic lives of celebrity mothers and daughters, so no filters or retouching were used. Even under the unforgiving HD cameras, Ning Fei’s face bore no traces of excessive cosmetic procedures.
In this regard, she and Qin Man were alike—Qin Man also avoided injectables and surgeries to preserve her natural appearance for the big screen.
Viewers often praised them as role models for aging gracefully.
Though unbothered by age, Ning Fei couldn’t help smiling at the compliment.
Ning Yuxuan pulled out her phone: "Come on, let’s take a sisterly selfie."
Ning Fei chuckled: "Always with the nonsense."
Still, she indulged her daughter, tilting her face slightly for the camera.
"How’s this angle?" she asked. "Does it flatter my face more?"
[I’ve noticed Ning Fei always plays hard to get but goes along with her daughter anyway!]
[Honestly, has she ever refused any of Yuxuan’s requests on the show?]
[If I had a daughter this adorable, I’d spoil her rotten too!]
[You guys are too much—first you wanna be Ning Fei’s kid, now you’re eyeing Yuxuan’s mom role!]
[LOL I’m not picky! I’m not here to break up the family—I’m here to join it!]
After the photos, Ning Yuxuan asked the salesperson to wrap up both pairs.
The salesperson’s grin widened: "Absolutely! We also have some popular men’s styles—would you like to take a look?"
Ning Yuxuan considered it: "Maybe we should pick one for Ning Shiyue?"
Knowing resistance was futile, Ning Fei sighed in amusement: "If you want to buy it, go ahead."
Eagerly, Ning Yuxuan followed the salesperson to the men’s section: "I’m choosing for my brother."
Sensing a golden sales opportunity, the salesperson turned up the charm: "What style does he prefer? Or you could describe his usual fashion, and I’ll recommend something."
Without missing a beat, Ning Yuxuan replied: "His taste doesn’t matter—I’m the one who has to like it."
Salesperson: "..."
[DEAD. I CAN’T—]
[The salesgirl’s face is priceless!]
[Ning Shiyue, where’s your dignity in this family?!]
To her credit, the salesperson recovered instantly, maintaining professionalism: "Then what style appeals to you?"
Ning Yuxuan pondered: "Anything unconventional? Nothing boring."
What drew her to this store was its bold, playful designs—far from dull.
"Absolutely!" The salesperson nodded vigorously. "Check out these over here—"
Among the display, Ning Yuxuan selected a pair with gold frames and pink lenses.
She imagined Ning Shiyue’s delicate features and fair skin could pull off the look.
After a quick phone call, the salesperson added: "Miss Ning, our manager just informed me we’re running a ‘buy four, get one free’ promotion—the free item being a men’s pair. Would you like to pick another?"
Truthfully, the promotion was concocted on the spot—the manager hoped to impress this high-spending client for future business.
Never one to turn down freebies, Ning Yuxuan agreed: "Sure, I’ll take one more."
This time, she decisively grabbed a black-framed pair: "This one."
Ning Fei gave her daughter a knowing glance—this choice starkly contrasted with Ning Shiyue’s flamboyant pair.
Due to the live broadcast, she didn’t ask who the extra sunglasses were for.
The total for four pairs (plus the free one) reached five figures.
Ning Fei paid with her card.
Ning Yuxuan took the bags: "Thanks, Mom! I’ll work hard so you can swipe my card soon!"
Ning Fei smiled: "No rush. I’m happy to provide for you a while longer."
She knew her daughter was pouring energy into Huayuan’s ventures, but she never expected grand success or wealth.
All she wanted was for Ning Yuxuan to find joy in her work and live each day to the fullest.
Above all, she refused to pressure her.
With time to spare before their next schedule, mother and daughter browsed a nearby jewelry store.
Qin Man, a year older than Ning Fei, was born in the Year of the Monkey.
They selected a playful monkey-shaped gold pendant as an additional gift.
Upon leaving, they ran into Cheng Xiyang’s group.
For the blessing-collection segment, the show had assigned each pair to different locations—Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang happened to be at this very mall.
However, although Cheng Xiyang is considered a top-tier actor among the new generation, his national recognition still falls far behind Ning Fei and Qin Man.
As time was about to run out, Cheng Xiyang and his mother barely managed to gather twenty-six blessings to complete their task.
When they ran into Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei, Cheng Xiyang immediately walked over enthusiastically.
"Yuxuan," Cheng Xiyang flashed a smile, "What brings you and Teacher Ning here? Were you looking for us?"
Behind Cheng Xiyang, Liu Yufang followed at a leisurely pace.
Seeing her son being so warm toward Ning Yuxuan, she wasn’t exactly pleased.
She didn’t understand why her son was so eager to engage with a young girl who wasn’t even a well-known actress and seemed unlikely to benefit his career.
But remembering her son’s request for her not to interfere, Liu Yufang kept her thoughts to herself.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Cheng Xiyang and replied coolly, "No."
Cheng Xiyang frowned almost imperceptibly.
Although Ning Yuxuan had never been particularly warm toward him before, he felt that this time, her gaze was even colder.
Suppressing the subtle discomfort in his heart, he smiled and said, "Then I guess it’s just a coincidence between our two groups."
"Not really," Ning Yuxuan stated matter-of-factly. "There’s only one shopping mall nearby. If we wanted to buy anything, we had to come here."
Cheng Xiyang: "..."
Thanks to the production team’s excellent secrecy, there were hardly any of Cheng Xiyang’s fans in the live stream when the show started in the morning.
The audience found it amusing that Ning Yuxuan didn’t recognize Cheng Xiyang, and no one made a big deal out of it.
But by the afternoon, a flood of Cheng Xiyang’s fans had gathered in the live stream.
Upon hearing that Ning Yuxuan had openly claimed not to know Cheng Xiyang earlier, his fans were furious.
They believed she had done it on purpose—to humiliate Cheng Xiyang and make it seem like his popularity paled in comparison to Ning Shiyue’s.
The fact that Cheng Xiyang had lost by a mere twenty thousand votes during the talent show, placing second behind Ning Shiyue, had always been a sore spot for his fans.
Ning Yuxuan’s behavior on the show had struck right at their most sensitive nerve.
Now, seeing her indifferent attitude toward Cheng Xiyang, they could no longer hold back their displeasure.
[Ugh, Ning Yuxuan is so annoying. Cheng Xiyang is being so nice to her, and she acts like this?]
[At least Cheng Xiyang has manners—he’s still smiling at her despite her rudeness.]
[I used to like Teacher Ning Fei, but her kids are just unbearable. Both of them are so impolite.]
[Can the production team just focus on Cheng Xiyang? As a fan, I don’t want to see anyone else!]
The backlash from Cheng Xiyang’s fans sparked protests from the original viewers.
[If you don’t like it, don’t watch! Ning Yuxuan and Teacher Ning Fei are the main cast—Cheng Xiyang just joined later!]
[Exactly! If you don’t like Ning Yuxuan, why even tune in? No one forced your idol to be on this show.]
The live stream quickly devolved into arguments, much to the dismay of viewers who just wanted to enjoy the show peacefully.
[See, this is why the production team shouldn’t invite random celebrities. I just want a wholesome mother-daughter show.]
[Same. I just want to watch the moms and daughters in peace, not deal with drama.]
[+1. Remember how nice the vibe was last episode when there were only four guests? The live chat was so chill.]
Unfortunately, these viewers wouldn’t get their wish.
While the charm of the two mother-daughter pairs was a big part of Dear Mom’s success, the show’s constant presence on trending topics had also played a crucial role.
So when Cheng Xiyang volunteered to join, the production team immediately signed him on as the first additional guest.
His contract was for one episode at a time—if the audience response was positive, he and his mother would continue. If not, the show could bring in someone else.
This was something the director wouldn’t have even dreamed of during the first season.
Back then, he had to fly around the country, personally persuading each guest to join before finally assembling the cast.
But the entertainment industry was ruthlessly pragmatic. After the second episode of this season went viral, countless celebrities were eager to participate, giving the director far more leverage in negotiations.
Since the two groups had crossed paths, the production crew arranged for all four to ride back to the villa together.
The car ride would take about twenty minutes, and Cheng Xiyang was the first to break the silence.
"Yuxuan," he said with a smile, "There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you."
Ning Yuxuan gave him a sidelong glance.
Growing up, Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue had always had opposite tastes, much to Ning Fei’s frustration.
If Ning Shiyue liked a dish, Ning Yuxuan would find it too bland. If Ning Yuxuan favored a flashy outfit, Ning Shiyue would call it tacky.
But there was one thing the siblings agreed on—the people they disliked.
Instinct told Ning Yuxuan that nothing good would come out of Cheng Xiyang’s mouth.
Anyone Ning Shiyue disliked was probably not a good person.
Still, she was curious—what exactly had Cheng Xiyang done to provoke Ning Shiyue’s disdain? Her brother had been evasive when she asked over the phone.
Ning Yuxuan said, "Go ahead."
Cheng Xiyang met her gaze. "Yuxuan, do you not like me very much?"
Before she could answer, he added with a smile, "But it’s okay. I believe any misunderstandings between us can be cleared up once we spend more time together."
When Cheng Xiyang and Ning Shiyue’s strained relationship first became public, most people had sided with Cheng Xiyang.
Ning Shiyue had a reputation for being aloof, while Cheng Xiyang was known for his gentle demeanor. Many assumed Ning Shiyue was the difficult one.
But over the years, Ning Shiyue’s career had flourished, and those who worked with him praised his professionalism and approachability, despite his reserved exterior.
Public opinion had gradually shifted.
Rumors began circulating that Cheng Xiyang acted one way in front of fans and another behind the scenes—that his poor character was the real reason Ning Shiyue kept his distance.
Joining this show wasn’t just about boosting his popularity—Cheng Xiyang also hoped that interacting with Ning Yuxuan would help dispel those rumors.
He looked at her earnestly. "I remember you gave me sixty points this morning. By the time filming ends, I’m sure that score will go up."
Ning Yuxuan gave a noncommittal nod. "Good luck."
Cheng Xiyang: "?"
After all that heartfelt sincerity, was that all she had to say?
Cheng Xiyang pressed on eagerly: "After spending half the day together, has my score in your heart changed at all, Yuxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan glanced at him with detached calm. "It has, actually."
Cheng Xiyang's brow lifted slightly. "Oh?"
"Mhm." She replied nonchalantly, "It’s fifty-nine now."
Though she didn’t know why Ning Shiyue disliked Cheng Xiyang, given that he was her own younger brother, she decided to deduct one point out of principle.
Cheng Xiyang: "…"
