Zheng Xinmei was seriously considering the possibility.
Without waiting for Ning Yuxuan’s answer, she had already eagerly opened the navigation app on her phone and entered the recording address Ning Yuxuan had just mentioned.
"Xuanxuan, look." Zheng Xinmei pulled up the route map. "It only takes ten minutes to drive there from here—that’s much closer than your place. You can even sleep in a little tomorrow morning."
Ning Yuxuan hesitated. "Auntie, I—"
"Mom," Xie Zhiyan interjected, "she hasn’t stayed here in a long time. She might not be used to it."
Zheng Xinmei shot her son a look. "What’s there to not be used to? Xuanxuan stayed with us for more than a couple of days during her summer internship in her first year of college, didn’t she?"
She then turned to Ning Yuxuan with hopeful eyes. "What do you think, Xuanxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan hesitated, glancing at Zheng Xinmei.
Auntie Zheng was so enthusiastic that she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
Logically, there was no issue with her staying here. She had already packed the luggage she needed for tomorrow’s recording, and the production team could pick it up when they fetched Ning Fei.
But still…
Ning Yuxuan quickly glanced at the man beside her.
Noticing her hesitation, Zheng Xinmei quickly added, "How about this, Xuanxuan—I’ll have someone clean up the bedroom you stayed in before. You’ll have your own room, just like when you were here last time!"
At this point, Ning Yuxuan felt that refusing any further would be ungrateful.
"Then I should call my mom first," Ning Yuxuan said.
Zheng Xinmei’s eyes lit up. "Let me do it! I’ll call A-Fei right now."
With that, she dialed Ning Fei’s number. "Hello, A-Fei? Yes, yes, Xuanxuan’s here with me—we just finished dinner! Actually, I was thinking of having her stay the night…"
Over the phone, Zheng Xinmei explained the situation.
Two minutes later, she hung up with a satisfied smile. "Your mom agreed! So, Xuanxuan, I’ll have your room prepared right away."
Without giving Ning Yuxuan a chance to decline, Zheng Xinmei stood up and called for the housekeeper to get the room ready, leaving Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan alone.
Ning Yuxuan: "…"
The situation had completely deviated from her expectations.
Though she knew it wasn’t entirely Xie Zhiyan’s fault, she couldn’t help but shoot him a look. "Why didn’t you try harder to talk your mom out of it?"
Xie Zhiyan replied leisurely, "I did try once. It didn’t work."
Ning Yuxuan pressed, "You could’ve said more."
Xie Zhiyan shrugged. "You didn’t refuse, so I thought you wanted to stay."
Ning Yuxuan was momentarily speechless. Then, a thought occurred to her. "When you visit your mom, do you usually go back the same day, or do you stay the night?"
Xie Zhiyan answered smoothly, "It depends on the situation."
Ning Yuxuan frowned at him.
He knew exactly what she was asking—he just wasn’t giving her a straight answer.
Noticing her expression, Xie Zhiyan’s lips curved slightly. "If you’re asking whether I’m staying tonight, the answer is: it’s up to you. Do you not want me to leave?"
Ning Yuxuan: "…"
"Who said that?" she retorted. "You should go back early. That way, I can keep Auntie Zheng company and maybe dig up some secrets you’ve been hiding from me."
Xie Zhiyan simply smiled at her, offering no comment.
Ning Yuxuan decided to ignore him, picking up a grape from the fruit platter and popping it into her mouth.
The man beside her asked softly, "Weren’t you full earlier?"
She had momentarily forgotten, but now that the grape was in her mouth, she did feel a little too full.
She shot him a look. "I feel better now. Is that a problem?"
Xie Zhiyan moved the fruit platter slightly away. "If you want to eat, wait a little longer."
Meanwhile, Zheng Xinmei instructed the housekeeper to prepare the guest room—fresh sheets, new pillowcases, and a set of disposable toiletries and sleepwear.
Though they didn’t often have guests, the house was always well-stocked.
Once everything was arranged, Zheng Xinmei returned to the living room. "Xuanxuan, everything’s ready. You can rest easy here tonight and head to your recording tomorrow feeling refreshed."
Then she turned to her son. "Zhiyan, you’re staying the night too, right? You’ll leave tomorrow morning?"
Unless there was urgent business, Xie Zhiyan usually stayed overnight when visiting.
Xie Zhiyan nodded. "I’ll leave tomorrow."
Ning Yuxuan gave him a sidelong glance.
"Perfect!" Zheng Xinmei beamed. "Then I’ll have both of you keeping me company tonight. It’s still early—how about we play some cards?"
…
Zheng Xinmei dug out a deck of playing cards, and the three of them settled in the living room, playing while a drama played softly in the background.
She hadn’t been much of a card player in her youth, but after marrying, she’d spent a fair amount of time playing with other socialites, honing her skills.
Back then, it had been more about networking than enjoyment, but now, with her son and future daughter-in-law joining her, she was genuinely happy.
"Just so we’re clear," Zheng Xinmei warned playfully, "we’re playing for fun. I can handle losing, so neither of you better go easy on me."
She fixed her son with a pointed look. "Especially you."
Ning Yuxuan laughed. "Sounds like he’s got a history of this."
Zheng Xinmei nodded. "Oh, absolutely. Xuanxuan, you help me keep an eye on him."
Xie Zhiyan sighed. "I feel like I’m being ganged up on before the game’s even started."
Ning Yuxuan smirked. "That’s what you get for having a track record. Serves you right!"
Zheng Xinmei chuckled at their banter.
Her son had grown quieter with age, so having someone to bicker with him like this made the house feel lively again.
After an hour of playing, all three had their share of wins and losses, though Zheng Xinmei came out on top more often.
As they put the cards away, Zheng Xinmei sighed wistfully. "Xuanxuan, if you didn’t have to wake up early tomorrow, I’d keep you playing for another two hours."
Ning Yuxuan smiled. "Next time I come over for dinner, we’ll play again."
Zheng Xinmei brightened. "Deal! Your room should be all set by now. Come on, I’ll show you."
She stood, then gave her son a meaningful glance before leading Ning Yuxuan upstairs.
The room was spotless, the bedding in her favorite color, with a neatly folded nightgown placed on the bed.
Zheng Xinmei smiled and said, "The toiletries are all placed in the bathroom. The nightgown is from the gift I prepared for you. It happens to come in handy tonight, so I took the liberty to take it out in advance. It's already been washed."
Ning Yuxuan said, "Thank you, Auntie."
"What a good girl," Zheng Xinmei said with a gentle smile. "I knew you weren't the shy type."
She turned around and took a look. After realizing that her son hadn't followed, she spoke again, "Auntie wants to have a few more words with you, and then you can go to bed early."
Ning Yuxuan nodded.
After coming here today, Xie Zhiyan was almost always present when Zheng Xinmei chatted with her.
Just now, when she saw Zheng Xinmei giving Xie Zhiyan a look, signaling him not to follow, Ning Yuxuan had already mentally prepared herself for a private conversation.
"Xuanyuan," Zheng Xinmei's voice was very gentle. "To be honest, although your mother and I used to have a good relationship, neither of us ever thought that you and Zhiyan would get together."
Ning Yuxuan nodded.
Not to mention Zheng Xinmei and Ning Fei, she herself had never thought about it before either.
Zheng Xinmei continued, "But I won't lie to you. When I heard from Zhiyan that he was chasing you, I was so happy! It's his good fortune that you're willing to be with him."
A look of surprise flashed across Ning Yuxuan's eyes. Did Xie Zhiyan tell Zheng Xinmei that he was chasing her? When did that happen?
However, this wasn't the right time, so Ning Yuxuan held back from asking.
Zheng Xinmei put her hand on Ning Yuxuan's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Anyway, you two should be together well. Auntie fully supports your decision."
Zheng Xinmei didn't say anything more.
She gave a few final instructions, telling Ning Yuxuan to treat this place as her own home and to call someone if she needed anything.
After helping Ning Yuxuan close the door, Zheng Xinmei went downstairs and found her son standing beside the staircase.
Zheng Xinmei was both annoyed and amused. "What are you standing here for? Are you afraid I'll make things difficult for Xuanyuan?"
"No," Xie Zhiyan said. "I'm afraid you might have something to say to me too."
Zheng Xinmei looked at her son and sighed inwardly.
Children were really the most fun when they were young. As they grew up, even she, as his mother, often couldn't figure out what her son was thinking.
Then Zheng Xinmei said, "Mom does have something to ask you."
Xie Zhiyan waited for his mother to continue.
Zheng Xinmei said with a smile on her face, "You've even brought her home. Have you thought about when you'll get married?"
Xie Zhiyan said calmly, "It depends on what she wants."
Zheng Xinmei raised her eyebrows. "So, if Xuanyuan is willing, you're ready at any time?"
Xie Zhiyan replied, "Yes."
Hearing her son answer so straightforwardly, Zheng Xinmei was both surprised and relieved.
She was originally worried that her son only wanted to be in a relationship and didn't want to get married. With this answer, she felt more at ease.
"Then work hard," Zheng Xinmei said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to the good news between you and Xuanyuan."
...
The Xie family's old mansion was located in the suburbs, and its area was much larger than the villas near the city center.
Ning Yuxuan had lived here before, so she was quite familiar with the place.
The guest room she was staying in was spacious and bright, with a semi - enclosed balcony and a bathroom.
Ning Yuxuan sent a message to Ning Fei, telling her mother that she was going to rest soon.
Then she went into the bathroom to take a hot shower and changed into the nightgown that Zheng Xinmei had prepared for her.
The nightgown smelled of the laundry fragrance left after being dried. It should have been washed and dried during the card - playing earlier.
There was a facial mask placed beside the disposable toiletries. Ning Yuxuan opened it and put it on for fifteen minutes.
It was probably specially prepared by Zheng Xinmei, so it would be impolite not to use it.
There was a small wall - mounted washing machine in the bathroom. Ning Yuxuan put the underwear she had changed into it and set the washing and drying program.
The long dress she had just changed into before going out didn't need to be washed.
After finishing all this, Ning Yuxuan looked at her phone.
Ning Fei told her not to worry about the recording tomorrow and said that she would prepare everything that needed to be prepared, telling her to rest here in peace for one night.
Xie Zhiyan even sent her a message, even though his bedroom was right next door.
[There are still quite a few grapes left in the fridge. Do you still want some?]
Ning Yuxuan's craving for grapes was instantly aroused.
Before Xie Zhiyan took away the fruit plate, she had tasted one grape. It was big, sweet, and seedless.
Unfortunately, she was so full at that time that she didn't have room for the fruit, so she could only leave with regret.
Now that the food in her stomach had almost digested, it was just the right time to have some fruit.
Ning Yuxuan replied: [Yes.]
Xie Zhiyan didn't reply again. One minute later, there was a knock on the door.
Ning Yuxuan thought of that big and sweet grape and couldn't wait to open the door. Then she remembered that she had just taken a shower and changed her clothes.
She looked at the off - the - shoulder spaghetti - strap nightgown she was wearing.
Since she wasn't at her own home, it was inconvenient to find a coat to put on, and it was too troublesome to change back into her own dress.
After thinking for a while, Ning Yuxuan hid behind the door and slowly opened it a little. "Xie Zhiyan?"
The man outside gave a low "hmm", and there seemed to be a hint of a smile in his voice.
Ning Yuxuan opened the door a little wider, just enough for her to stick out one arm. "Give it to me."
The man was silent for a second. "Then hold it carefully."
Ning Yuxuan wiggled her fingers to show that she understood.
The slightly cool porcelain plate was placed in her palm. Ning Yuxuan could feel that the other person didn't let go until he was sure she had a firm hold.
Then she found a problem.
The crack in the door was wide enough for her to stick out her hand, but it wasn't wide enough for her to bring the plate in.
She couldn't see the size of the plate while hiding behind the door, and trying to force it in would inevitably cause some bumps.
Ning Yuxuan thought, "Oh well. It's just a spaghetti - strap nightgown. It's not like I'm not wearing anything."
She simply opened the door completely and took the plate in. "Thank you."
After getting the plate, she looked up and met Xie Zhiyan's eyes for a second.
Ning Yuxuan was very sure that his eyes didn't just stay on her face.
It wasn't a blatant scan, but rather as if he casually lowered his eyes, and his gaze slowly passed over her neck and collarbone.
Ning Yuxuan inexplicably felt that the skin where his gaze landed started to burn. Before the man's gaze could move further down, she quickly closed the door.
Leaning against the door to calm down for a few seconds, she looked at the porcelain plate in her hand.
The plate wasn't small, but half of it was empty. Roughly counting, there were only about ten grapes.
"… So stingy," Ning Yuxuan murmured.
She placed the plate on the bedside table, picked up her phone, and typed: [Why are there only so few?]
Xie Zhiyan didn't reply for a few minutes. [Eating too much before going to bed isn't good for your health.]
Ning Yuxuan wanted to ask him what he was looking at just now, but she felt that even if she asked, she wouldn't get an answer she liked.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she decided not to send anything.
Recalling the man's deep gaze just now, Ning Yuxuan popped a grape into her mouth and took a hard bite.
What a hooligan!
...
After finishing the grapes, Ning Yuxuan brushed her teeth and went to bed. She soon fell into a dream.
However, the man in the next room had a rare bout of insomnia.
When he still couldn't fall asleep late at night, Xie Zhiyan began to think that perhaps it was a mistake to let his mother keep her here today.
Early the next morning, Ning Yuxuan was woken up by the alarm.
After washing up and changing her clothes, she went downstairs and only saw Xie Zhiyan.
"Where's Aunt Zheng?" Ning Yuxuan asked.
Xie Zhiyan replied, "She had something to do and went out. I'll drive you there after breakfast."
Normally, the program crew would send a car to pick up the guests for the recording. But this time, since Ning Yuxuan wasn't with Ning Fei, she didn't ask the program crew to pick her up separately.
Ning Yuxuan remembered the bombarding friend requests from yesterday and said, "Isn't your car a bit too eye - catching?"
Xie Zhiyan answered irrelevantly, "When I sent the driver to pick you up last time, quite a few people should have seen my car already."
Ning Yuxuan thought for a while and said, "Okay then."
It would be a bit troublesome for her to get there on her own without Xie Zhiyan's ride.
The breakfast in the dining room consisted of some of Ning Yuxuan's favorite dishes.
After breakfast, Ning Yuxuan sent a message to Ning Fei, telling her that she was about to set off.
She followed Xie Zhiyan to the garage and got into the passenger seat of his car.
The roads were clear on the weekend morning, and they arrived at the outer area of the recording site in ten minutes.
Ning Yuxuan had informed the staff in advance. After checking the license plate number, the staff let them through, and finally, the car stopped in front of the villa.
Ning Fei had just finished her makeup but hadn't done her hair yet. When she heard that her daughter had arrived, she came out to greet her.
Ning Yuxuan got out of the car and gave Ning Fei a hug. She noticed that the staff members beside them were all looking in the direction behind her.
She turned around and saw Xie Zhiyan standing a few steps behind her.
"Aunt Ning," Xie Zhiyan nodded slightly. "I wish you a smooth recording."
Ning Fei smiled and said, "Thank you for driving Xuanxuan here."
"It's my pleasure."
After a brief exchange, Xie Zhiyan didn't stay any longer.
But the gazes of several staff members followed Xie Zhiyan's car until it drove around the corner and out of sight.
Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei went to the dressing room. Qin Man and Jiang Ning'an were also there.
The third group of guests wasn't with them. According to the staff, they would be revealed after the live - broadcast started.
One day before the program was aired on Saturday, the official Weibo account of the program crew released a preview.
This week, a new group of guests would still join the program. Their identities were temporarily kept secret, and they would participate in the recording of this episode as flying guests.
The two groups of guests who had already quit the program had both had major scandals, so serious that it would be very difficult for them to stay in the entertainment industry in the future.
Cen Meng was already in a terrible situation. Most of her endorsements had been dropped, and she hadn't appeared in public recently.
Cheng Xiyang and his mother had been scolded mercilessly by netizens and were even criticized on a legal program, completely cutting off Cheng Xiyang's possibility of continuing his development in the show - business.
Since he had become a disgraced artist, his two upcoming dramas couldn't be aired normally either, which made the entire crew and the investors extremely angry.
Many netizens joked that the program "Dear Mom" could also be named "It's Your Turn". Except for the two groups of actress - mother pairs, whoever joined the program would have a scandal.
Some netizens even played a joke, saying that if you didn't like a certain star, you could recommend him to the program crew. As long as they joined the program, all their dark secrets would be exposed.
However, despite such remarks, the number of artists applying to participate in the program on the director - group's side was only increasing.
In the entertainment industry, popularity is king. With the current level of discussion about "Mom", participating in the program is a great opportunity to boost one's popularity.
The program crew also figured it out. Since more than half of the episodes had passed, instead of spending time looking for regular guests, it would be better to invite a new group of flying guests for each of the remaining episodes.
In this way, the audience would be less likely to get bored, and the program crew could also attract new audiences with different preferences.
If one or two more groups of guests had scandals, they could even stir up some more topics. Anyway, as long as the program remained popular, there would always be artists willing to come.
At the usual time on Saturday morning, the live - broadcast room opened.
[Here I am! Good morning, everyone!]
[Let's guess who the new guests are today. Will they really have a scandal?]
Sure enough, the first scene of the live - broadcast was still in the villa.
This time, the program crew didn't play the game they had played when the previous guests appeared. Instead, they let the staff give the guests some hints directly.
"The new guests this time are a mother - son pair."
"The male guest is very young. He just celebrated his nineteenth birthday at the end of last year."
"This male guest once appeared on a variety show with Ning Shiyue."
The hints were given step by step. As the descriptions became more and more detailed, the answer became more and more obvious.
The last description was that this male guest was a very popular e - sports player recently.
As soon as this hint was given, most of the audience guessed who it was.
A genius e - sports player emerged in the e - sports circle last year. In his first season of his career, he won the world championship with his team.
And of course, a very important point was that he was extremely good - looking, which attracted a large number of fans.
[Wow, is it Duan Ziyao? The program crew is really good. Is this his first live - broadcast variety show?]
[Who? I've never heard of this name.]
[Duan Ziyao. He's a very popular e - sports player in the e - sports circle recently. He's the top star in the e - sports circle! He's a boy under twenty, with excellent gaming skills and good looks!]
The staff played a short video on the big screen.
The original intention of the program crew was for the guests to admire the new guest's heroic appearance on the game field and also to show the connection between this guest and Ning Shiyue.
So the video included Duan Ziyao's wonderful moves on the game field, the scene where he and his teammates held the championship trophy, and the clips of him and Ning Shiyue on the same variety show.
That variety show was an e - sports program. Its main form was to invite entertainment stars to form teams for training and competitions and to invite professional e - sports players to give guidance.
In the episode that Ning Shiyue participated in, he was on the same team as Duan Ziyao for a demonstration game, and that episode even made it onto the hot search list.
After watching the video, the staff asked the guests for their thoughts.
The reason why the program crew chose an e - sports player as a flying guest this time was mainly to use the popularity of the e - sports circle to attract new young audiences.
Qin Man and Ning Fei didn't know much about e - sports. In their era, video games weren't very popular, so they just politely made some small talk.
When it was Ning Yuxuan's turn, the staff asked if she had ever played the game in the video.
After getting an affirmative answer, the staff then asked, "What's your evaluation of this newly - joined guest?"
Ning Yuxuan thought seriously for two seconds and said, "I'd like to give him a thumbs - up."
[Wow! It's rare to hear Ning Yuxuan praise the opposite - sex. This newly - arrived younger brother is really extraordinary!]
[Could it be that the new guest's appearance is to Ning Yuxuan's taste? Let's take a look at the handsome guy in person!]
The staff members were also extremely surprised.
Based on Ning Yuxuan's previous performance, they didn't expect her to have such a positive evaluation of the new guest.
"Why?" the staff member asked. "Are you impressed by the new guest's superb skills?"
Ning Yuxuan said seriously, "I just think it's quite hard to be my younger brother's teammate."
Audience: "..."
[Hahaha]
[We thought Ning Yuxuan was praising the new guest, but unexpectedly, she was giving a sharp comment on her own younger brother.]
[Translation: Ning Yuxuan thinks her younger brother is a bit bad at the game.]
