Xie Zhiyan's voice was very soft, almost like a sigh. "It's just the two of us here. Let's not bring up anyone else."
Ning Yuxuan instinctively wanted to say something, but as her lips parted slightly, they brushed against the man's fingertips again.
She had no choice but to close her mouth and take a small step back, letting her lips leave the warmth of his fingers.
She took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, but her heartbeat remained unnaturally fast.
"What are you doing?" Ning Yuxuan accused, glaring at Xie Zhiyan. "Weren’t you the one who brought it up first? And now you’re playing the victim?"
A flicker of emotion passed through Xie Zhiyan's eyes.
"My apologies," he said gently.
His sudden apology deflated her anger.
She muttered under her breath, "Can you stop apologizing every time I’m about to lose my temper?"
Xie Zhiyan asked, "Why?"
Ning Yuxuan replied matter-of-factly, "Because stopping mid-rant is really frustrating."
Xie Zhiyan’s lips curved slightly. "Then by all means, continue."
Ning Yuxuan frowned. "Xie Zhiyan, you—"
She wanted to say, Don’t think I won’t dare.
Just then, a car drove past, its headlights illuminating half of Xie Zhiyan’s face—highlighting his sharp jawline, the bridge of his nose, and his slightly thin lips.
Ning Yuxuan fell silent.
"...Never mind."
She tossed out the two words and turned to walk away.
Xie Zhiyan, with his long legs, caught up in just two strides. "Yuxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan ignored him.
His amused voice drifted to her ear. "The convenience store over there is still open. Want to stop by?"
Still, she said nothing.
Xie Zhiyan added, "I remember you mentioned wanting mung bean ice cream at dinner."
Ning Yuxuan’s steps slowed slightly.
She had said that, but there hadn’t been any left in the fridge.
"Let’s go," Xie Zhiyan said. "We can get the flavor you want, plus a few others to take home."
Her body betrayed her before she could resist—she stopped walking.
The convenience store in the villa area usually closed around ten, and from where they stood, the lights were still on.
Ning Yuxuan finally spoke, her tone deliberately casual. "I told my mom I’d head back after seeing you off. If I take too long, she’ll worry."
"Then send her a message?" Xie Zhiyan suggested. "But Aunt Ning already knows about us."
Ning Yuxuan shot him a look. "So what?"
Xie Zhiyan replied smoothly, "Taking a little longer to walk your boyfriend home—I think she’d understand."
Ning Yuxuan glanced at him but didn’t argue.
Truthfully, when Ning Fei had told her to see Xie Zhiyan off, she’d added, No need to rush back. Ning Yuxuan had understood the hint—her mother was giving her time.
Amusement flickered in Xie Zhiyan’s eyes. "Decided on the flavors yet? I remember you like vanilla and chocolate."
Ning Yuxuan bit her lower lip, strongly suspecting he was using sweets to coax her.
After a second of hesitation, she gave in—
No point in denying herself.
"Let’s go!" she declared. "We’ll decide when we get there!"
The store looked close, but it still took them three or four minutes to reach it.
As they walked side by side, Ning Yuxuan suddenly spoke. "Xie Zhiyan."
His deep voice responded, "Hmm?"
"Were you jealous earlier?"
This time, it was Xie Zhiyan who stayed silent.
Ning Yuxuan seized the opportunity, stopping to stare at him. "Well? Were you?"
Xie Zhiyan met her gaze steadily. "If I say yes, will you never mention him again?"
Ning Yuxuan blinked, unwilling to give him the satisfaction. "That depends on my mood. Besides..."
She smirked. "I’m quite popular, you know. I’ve had plenty of relationships. Even if I don’t bring up that one, there are still numbers two, three, four, five, six, and seven."
Xie Zhiyan chuckled softly.
Ning Yuxuan narrowed her eyes. "You don’t believe me?"
Xie Zhiyan replied mildly, "I didn’t say that."
They reached the store.
At this hour, it was nearly empty. The cashier sat behind the counter, scrolling through her phone, not even looking up when they entered. The sound of a short video played from her speaker.
Ning Yuxuan grabbed a basket and headed straight for the freezer.
Ning Fei avoided sugar, and Ning Shiyue wasn’t fond of sweets, so the ice cream at home was usually just for her.
She didn’t want to buy too much, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave any flavors behind.
After deliberating, she picked five different ones before remembering Xie Zhiyan was still standing beside her.
He had waited patiently the whole time.
Ning Yuxuan pointed to a vanilla ice cream bar tucked in the far corner. "Grab that one for me—the yellow wrapper."
It was wedged deep inside, and she didn’t feel like reaching for it.
Xie Zhiyan obliged effortlessly, his long arms making it look easy.
"Anything else?" he asked.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at him, then scanned the freezer again, secretly disappointed.
That had been the hardest one to reach.
With six ice cream bars now in her basket and a mung bean one in her hand, Ning Yuxuan gave her selection a satisfied once-over.
"All set," she announced. Then, as an afterthought, "Do you want any?"
Xie Zhiyan’s brow lifted slightly before he reached in and picked up an identical mung bean popsicle.
Ning Yuxuan’s eyebrows shot up.
She’d asked casually, fully expecting him to decline—he didn’t seem like the type to enjoy sweets.
Seeing the matching wrapper in his hand, she couldn’t help but ask, "You’re getting the same one as me?"
Xie Zhiyan replied smoothly, "I’d like to taste what’s got you so obsessed."
Ning Yuxuan opened her mouth, then closed it.
"...Never mind."
She’d been about to suggest he pick a different flavor so they could swap tastes—just like she used to do with Tao You back in school. They’d always buy different ice creams or milk teas to share.
But then she remembered—she and Xie Zhiyan weren’t that close yet.
"Let’s go," she said instead, nodding toward the basket. "Time to pay."
Xie Zhiyan took the basket to the counter and settled the bill.
The cashier bagged the ice cream, and Xie Zhiyan took it, gesturing for Ning Yuxuan to go ahead.
She let him carry the bag without protest, already unwrapping her mung bean popsicle as she stepped outside.
One bite confirmed it was just as good as she remembered.
Xie Zhiyan unwrapped his own and took a bite.
Ning Yuxuan turned her head to look at him. "Well? Is it delicious?"
Xie Zhiyan gave a quiet "Mhm."
Ning Yuxuan wasn’t satisfied. "That’s it?"
Xie Zhiyan chuckled. "It’s very good."
Ning Yuxuan: "That’s more like it."
The residential density in the villa area was low, with only the occasional car passing by.
Each holding an ice cream, the two walked along the tree-lined path.
In the quiet of the night, Ning Yuxuan could even hear the faint crunch of her own bites.
Gazing at their shadows stretching under the streetlights, she suddenly felt a strange sense of nostalgia, as if transported back to her university days.
Back then, she and Tao You would often stroll like this along the campus paths.
Her thoughts drifted further.
Truthfully, if she thought about it rationally, her college life hadn’t been particularly remarkable.
Aside from having more admirers than most, she’d lived an ordinary life—attending classes, completing assignments, occasionally going out with friends.
And back then, she’d already fallen for Gu Yunhao. But since their universities were on opposite ends of the city—his in the south, hers in the north—she could only visit his campus once a week at most.
Those days, controlled by what she called "the heavens," spent obsessing over Gu Yunhao, shouldn’t have been worth missing.
Yet now, looking back, Ning Yuxuan still found that time beautiful.
Like those nights when she didn’t have early classes the next day, and the four girls in her dorm would chatter away until two or three in the morning.
She didn’t know how long she’d been lost in thought when Xie Zhiyan’s voice pulled her back. "Xuanxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan blinked. "Hm?"
Xie Zhiyan sounded amused. "We’re home."
Surprised, she looked up and realized they’d already reached their doorstep without her noticing.
Lost in her thoughts, she’d barely touched her ice cream, leaving most of it uneaten.
Luckily, the mung bean popsicle wasn’t the melting kind, and her hand remained dry.
She glanced at the man beside her.
While she’d been distracted, Xie Zhiyan had quietly walked her home without a single question.
Ning Yuxuan looked down at the plastic bag in his hand.
Xie Zhiyan said, "You open the door. I’ll help you bring these in."
After a pause, she nodded. "Alright."
Holding the popsicle in one hand, she unlocked the door with the other.
The moment she pushed it open, a voice called from inside, "You’re back?"
Footsteps followed, and Ning Fei appeared, pausing when she spotted Xie Zhiyan behind her daughter. "Zhiyan?"
Xie Zhiyan smiled faintly. "I went with Yuxuan to buy some ice cream. It was too much for her to carry alone, so I came along."
Ning Yuxuan hadn’t expected her mother to still be up. "Mom, you haven’t washed up yet?"
Ning Fei’s gaze flickered between her daughter and her boyfriend before she shook her head lightly. "Not yet. I was just about to."
Then, turning back to Xie Zhiyan, she added, "Give those to me. I’ll put them in the fridge."
Taking the bag, she shot Ning Yuxuan a meaningful look. "Xuanxuan, walk Zhiyan to the garage."
Ning Yuxuan: "...Right."
Originally, she’d planned to part ways with Xie Zhiyan at the garage after leaving the supermarket, carrying the ice cream back herself.
But lost in thought, she’d ended up bringing him all the way home again.
As Ning Fei headed to the kitchen with their purchases, Ning Yuxuan shut the door behind her, the popsicle still between her lips.
"Well, this is perfect," she muttered to Xie Zhiyan. "Now my mom’s definitely going to think we’re some lovesick couple in the honeymoon phase, making a whole production out of saying goodbye."
Xie Zhiyan remained unruffled. "Then she won’t doubt our relationship."
Ning Yuxuan took another bite of ice cream, deliberately contradicting him. "Not necessarily. She might think we’re overdoing it and find it suspicious. I mean, you’re almost thirty, and I’m nearly twenty-five."
Xie Zhiyan raised a brow. "And?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Lingering at the doorstep like we can’t bear to part? That’s something only college couples do."
Remembering the pairs of lovers she used to see clinging to each other outside her dorm, she couldn’t help but grimace.
"But…" A thought struck her—Xie Zhiyan’s almost-jealous reaction earlier.
She suddenly regretted not paying closer attention and wished she could see that side of him again.
So she called his name. "Xie Zhiyan."
"Yes?"
Deliberately tilting her head up to meet his eyes, she said, "Back in the day, I was one of those couples hugging it out at the dorm entrance."
Xie Zhiyan held her gaze calmly. "Were you now?"
Without missing a beat, Ning Yuxuan nodded. "Yep. Haven’t I told you? I’ve had two, three, four, five… well, plenty of boyfriends!"
"Oh?" Xie Zhiyan replied, perfectly composed. "Do enlighten me."
Ning Yuxuan studied his expression, searching for even a hint of jealousy.
But this time, his face was unreadable, his dark eyes as still as undisturbed water, giving nothing away.
Refusing to back down, she decided to push further.
"For example," she began, improvising, "my first boyfriend wasn’t even in my college, but whenever he had free time, he’d sit in on my department’s lectures with me—never missed a single one!"
Pausing, she watched Xie Zhiyan’s reaction under the streetlight.
Still perfectly serene.
When she didn’t continue, he even had the nerve to ask, "Didn’t you skip your 8 a.m. classes often? What did this boyfriend do then—attend alone?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
How did he know that?
Clearing her throat, she backtracked. "When I said ‘never missed,’ I meant when I went. He was only there for me, so if I didn’t go, obviously he wouldn’t either."
Xie Zhiyan let out a neutral "Hm," his thoughts unreadable.
Worried she might trip herself up if she kept going, Ning Yuxuan switched to another "boyfriend."
After a moment, she tried again. "There was another one who treated me really well too—brought me breakfast at my dorm every single morning, rain or shine!"
Xie Zhiyan replied lazily, "You love sleeping in. Did you even have time to eat it?"
Caught off guard, she stammered, "Of course! And—and even if I didn’t, I could always eat it in class!"
Amusement tinged Xie Zhiyan’s voice. "Wouldn’t that boyfriend who attended lectures with you notice?"
Ning Yuxuan: "He—he wouldn’t…"
Two seconds later, she realized she’d walked right into his trap.
Ning Yuxuan glared at Xie Zhiyan. "What do you mean, 'will it be discovered'? It's not like I'm dating two at the same time!"
Xie Zhiyan chuckled softly. "Mm."
Ning Yuxuan frowned. "What are you laughing at?"
Xie Zhiyan replied airily, "Just thinking it must be exhausting to date so many boyfriends in four years of college."
Ning Yuxuan caught the implication in his words and took an aggressive bite of her ice cream. "You don’t believe me, do you?"
Xie Zhiyan merely looked at her without confirming or denying.
Ning Yuxuan scowled. "Why wouldn’t you? I’m this pretty—can’t I have had a few boyfriends?"
Though the stories she’d spun about her past relationships were fabricated, the details weren’t entirely made up.
The guys who had pursued her had indeed done things like attend her lectures or buy her breakfast.
Of course, Tao You had once stepped in to warn off a persistent classmate who insisted on sitting with her, threatening to report him to his advisor if he didn’t back off—which he promptly did.
As for the one who brought her breakfast, Ning Yuxuan simply never woke up early enough to meet him. After being stood up a few times, he gave up.
Ning Yuxuan lifted her chin defiantly, meeting Xie Zhiyan’s gaze.
A breeze swept by, lifting strands of her hair—some of which stuck to her ice cream.
Before she could brush them away, Xie Zhiyan reached out first.
His fingers gently tucked the stray locks behind her ear, his touch grazing her cheek in a way that sent a faint tingle through her skin.
Ning Yuxuan held still.
The last time Xie Zhiyan had accidentally brushed her lips, she’d been too stunned to react, leaving her at a disadvantage.
This time, she refused to flinch, meeting his eyes with what she hoped was unshaken composure.
At least on the surface.
As for whether her heart was racing—well, he couldn’t hear that.
Xie Zhiyan spoke suddenly, his voice low. "You are very pretty."
Ning Yuxuan froze.
His words, rough and quiet, brushed against her ears like a feather.
She realized he was responding to her earlier remark—I’m this pretty, can’t I have had a few boyfriends?
Her gaze flickered away. "I know."
Xie Zhiyan smiled.
After a beat, he said, his voice deep and smooth, "Yuxuan, remember when you asked what your mother and I talked about for so long?"
Ning Yuxuan’s mind lagged for a second before she recalled the conversation.
"What about it?" she asked. "You already answered me."
Xie Zhiyan’s tone was calm. "Mm. Aunt Ning told me to indulge you more, to spoil you."
Ning Yuxuan wasn’t sure why he was bringing this up now, but she nodded. "Exactly. You should treat me better."
Xie Zhiyan continued, "She also mentioned that despite having many admirers, you’ve only been in one relationship—and that guy treated you poorly. So you might not know how to navigate a relationship, or feel insecure. She asked me to be patient and avoid arguments."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Before the rift between her and her mother over Gu Yunhao, she had never kept secrets from Ning Fei. She’d even excitedly shared the first love letter she received.
So her mother knew everything about her romantic history—that she’d never liked anyone in high school, and that none of her college suitors had ever caught her interest.
Which meant her mother had already spilled everything to Xie Zhiyan. All those stories she’d just made up? He’d seen right through them.
The realization made her cheeks burn.
She forced out a retort. "Not all my relationships are things I’d tell my mom about. There’s plenty she doesn’t know."
Xie Zhiyan raised a brow. "Is that so?"
Ning Yuxuan lifted her chin. "Of course!"
Xie Zhiyan studied her, amused. "I thought you were making up stories just to make me jealous."
Ning Yuxuan bit her lip.
Even if he’d seen through her, she wasn’t about to admit it.
She shot back, "Well, were you jealous?"
Xie Zhiyan smirked. "A little."
Ning Yuxuan scoffed.
Yeah, right.
His expression earlier had been completely unruffled—no trace of jealousy whatsoever.
If she’d known her mother had already laid bare her entire romantic history to Xie Zhiyan, she wouldn’t have bothered inventing all those "boyfriends."
She glanced at her watch.
Between the trip to the supermarket for ice cream and their meandering conversation, it was almost ten.
Ning Fei was sensitive to noise, and returning any later would disturb her rest.
Noticing her movement, Xie Zhiyan said, "It’s getting late. I’ll head out. I’ll pick you up on Friday to meet my mother."
Ning Yuxuan nodded. "Mm."
Though they’d said their goodbyes, neither moved.
Xie Zhiyan’s gaze held hers, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
For a fleeting moment, Ning Yuxuan thought he might pull her into an embrace—or do something else couples did.
Like the pairs she’d seen outside her dorm, wrapped around each other.
But in the end, Xie Zhiyan only stepped closer, brushing away the strands of hair the wind had tousled again.
Then his lips pressed against her forehead, just as they had once before.
Except this time, they lingered.
Long enough that even someone as slow to react as her could have pulled away.
Ning Yuxuan didn’t. She closed her eyes softly instead.
"Goodnight," Xie Zhiyan murmured.
...
Back home, Ning Yuxuan toed off her shoes quietly, careful not to wake Ning Fei.
At this hour, her mother should already be in bed.
But just as she tiptoed toward the stairs, the door to Ning Fei’s bedroom creaked open.
Her mother stood there in pajamas, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Finally decided to come back?"
Ning Yuxuan startled. "Mom!"
Ning Fei grinned, gesturing at the wall clock. "You were out for over half an hour."
Ning Yuxuan scrambled for an excuse. "We went to the supermarket! I took forever picking ice cream, and the walk there and back took time—"
Ning Fei laughed. "Relax, I’m not scolding you. Honestly, seeing you like this makes me happy."
Watching her daughter’s happiness brought her joy too.
Ning Yuxuan tugged at her mother’s sleeve. "Mom, speaking of which—you totally sold me out earlier! What did you tell Xie Zhiyan about me in the living room?"
Ning Fei feigned innocence. "What do you mean?"
Ning Yuxuan huffed. "Why did you tell him I’ve only had one boyfriend? I just finished telling him I’d dated plenty, and he saw right through me!"
Ning Fei shook her head, equal parts exasperated and amused. "Most people try to downplay their exes when they start dating someone new. Why on earth would you inflate the number?"
Ning Yuxuan spoke with conviction, "I want him to realize how charming I am, so he’ll truly cherish me!"
Ning Fei shook her head with a smile. "Silly girl. Alright, I won’t talk about you with Zhiyan anymore, okay?"
Ning Yuxuan wasn’t actually blaming her mother—she was just whining playfully.
She nodded. "Mm. Mom, you should go rest now. It’s already so late."
After saying goodnight to Ning Fei, Ning Yuxuan returned to her room.
Fresh out of the shower and lying in bed, Ning Yuxuan couldn’t help but recall the way Xie Zhiyan had looked at her earlier that evening.
For some reason, she felt that his final gaze had been as if he were looking at something fragile.
Even the kiss on her forehead had been so gentle it felt almost cautious.
Was he afraid she’d get angry?
Ning Yuxuan retraced the course of their relationship, trying to figure out why.
As she pondered, she suddenly realized that she had almost no secrets left in front of him:
From how many boyfriends she’d had to her favorite ice cream flavor—he knew everything about her.
Yet she knew nothing about him.
At first, Ning Yuxuan thought she didn’t care. Theirs was just a marriage of convenience, a transactional arrangement. How many women he’d been with had nothing to do with her.
But now, she felt inexplicably indignant.
The clock had already struck eleven, but Ning Yuxuan couldn’t resist picking up her phone and tapping on Xie Zhiyan’s profile.
Ning Yuxuan: [You’ve never told me—how many girlfriends have you had?]
The moment she hit send, she regretted it.
If she was going to ask, she should’ve waited until next time. Bringing it up so late made it seem like she cared way too much.
Thinking this, she held down the message and tapped "recall."
Xie Zhiyan was always busy. He probably went straight to bed after getting home and wouldn’t be glued to his phone.
Ning Yuxuan reassured herself and locked her screen.
The next second, a ringtone blared—an incoming voice call popped up.
She nearly jumped out of bed in shock.
