The moment she saw the man merely raise an eyebrow slightly before taking the half-eaten burger from her hand without hesitation, Ning Yuxuan began to regret her decision.
She might have seriously underestimated Xie Zhiyan.
Ning Yuxuan wondered if she had been influenced by Tao You, subconsciously projecting the stereotypical "domineering CEO" trope from novels onto Xie Zhiyan.
Weren’t all tycoons supposed to be germaphobes?
Why did Xie Zhiyan seem completely unaffected—not only drinking from the same soda she had sipped without a second thought but also unbothered by eating a burger she had already taken bites from?
Ning Yuxuan silently watched Xie Zhiyan, debating whether she should snatch the burger back before he took a bite.
Of course, it would be even better if he backed out on his own.
Perhaps the "expectation" in her eyes was too obvious.
Xie Zhiyan glanced at the burger in his hand and asked, "Really full?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Obviously not.
She wasn’t on a diet—as a grown woman with a decent appetite, having only eaten a small matcha pastry and a single macaron since noon, half a burger was nowhere near enough.
Her offer to let Xie Zhiyan have it had been purely out of spite.
If he actually ate it, what would she have left?
Buying another one wasn’t an option.
Ning Yuxuan was already wavering, her tone hesitant. "Well… sort of. I was a little full earlier, but now that I think about it, I might still have some room."
She figured her hint was clear enough.
If Xie Zhiyan had any tact, he’d return the burger to her.
That way, she could finish her meal, he wouldn’t have to eat her leftovers, and they’d both be better off.
Ning Yuxuan stared at Xie Zhiyan, intensifying her silent plea with her eyes.
Xie Zhiyan met her gaze, his tone leisurely. "Oh? Then I’ll just take a couple of bites. If you’re still hungry afterward, you can have the rest."
Ning Yuxuan: "…?"
Xie Zhiyan lowered his head and took a deliberate, unhurried bite.
To be fair, his movements could be described as "refined."
Ning Yuxuan even suspected that people like him—raised in wealthy families—must have undergone some kind of "professional dining etiquette training."
Otherwise, how could he make eating a burger look so effortless and poised, as if he were savoring haute cuisine?
Unlike her, who would inevitably get sauce smeared at the corner of her mouth after one big bite, forcing her to wipe it off with a napkin.
But right now, Ning Yuxuan wasn’t in the mood to appreciate his table manners. While her expression remained calm, internally she was screaming: Her burger!
After tasting the burger, Xie Zhiyan picked up her cup of cola and took a sip.
Ning Yuxuan thought: Great. Now both her food and drink had been "tainted."
Xie Zhiyan remarked casually, "Not bad."
After a pause, he added, "But I wasn’t lying—I did come here straight from a dinner. I’ll need to take my time finishing this."
Ning Yuxuan finally couldn’t take it anymore. She snatched the burger right out of his hand.
A flicker of amusement crossed Xie Zhiyan’s eyes. "What’s wrong?"
Ning Yuxuan deadpanned, "My stomach digested a bit more in the last minute, so I’ve decided to reclaim my burger."
She didn’t have any food-related hang-ups. Growing up, she’d often shared meals with close friends and family—like swapping drinks with Tao You in college or letting Ning Fei take the first bite of her ice cream before finishing it herself.
As for Xie Zhiyan… she could grudgingly count him among the "close" category now.
After all, they were married.
Ning Yuxuan glanced down at the small indentation where he had bitten the burger, took a deep breath, and mentally repeated: Wasting food is shameful!
Then she devoured the rest in large, determined bites.
A low chuckle sounded beside her. When she looked up, Xie Zhiyan’s shoulders were shaking slightly, as if genuinely entertained.
Was her eating really that funny?
Between bites, she shot him a glare.
In under five minutes, she polished off the double beef burger.
Ning Yuxuan assessed her stomach—about eighty percent full. Perfect for going straight to bed after getting home.
She drank three-quarters of the cola and pushed the remaining quarter toward Xie Zhiyan.
If he didn’t mind finishing her leftovers, she might as well enlist him in her "clean plate campaign."
Satisfied, she checked the time. "We should head back now, right?"
If they left now, they’d be home by ten—half an hour earlier than she’d told her mother.
Xie Zhiyan said, "Wait a moment."
Ning Yuxuan gave him a questioning look.
He picked up a stack of napkins from the table and pulled one from the middle.
Ning Yuxuan thought he was being oddly fastidious—even choosing the cleanest napkin in the pile.
But the next second, the napkin gently pressed against her chin.
His touch was light and precise, wiping away a smudge of sauce she’d missed.
Ning Yuxuan’s breath hitched, inwardly scolding herself.
She’d been so focused on her mouth that she’d forgotten to check her chin. It must have gotten messy when she leaned over to eat.
She should’ve taken out a mirror for a thorough inspection.
As Xie Zhiyan finished cleaning her face, he noticed her dazed expression. "What are you thinking about?"
Snapping out of it, she answered truthfully, "Just glad my foundation is long-wearing today. I even used setting spray. Otherwise, after all this, my makeup would’ve melted off."
She’d checked the napkin—good thing only sauce came off, not foundation.
If Xie Zhiyan had wiped away a patch of her makeup, the embarrassment would’ve been unbearable.
Xie Zhiyan laughed softly.
Then, meeting her eyes, he said, "You look beautiful today."
From the first glance, he’d noticed how her makeup stood out—enhancing her elegance alongside the gown and jewelry.
Ning Yuxuan side-eyed him. "Was I not beautiful before?"
Unfazed by her deliberate challenge, Xie Zhiyan replied smoothly, "Today’s look is special. A different kind of beauty."
Ning Yuxuan was momentarily speechless.
Who knew Xie Zhiyan could be so smooth with his words?
Quickly recalling, she realized this was the first time he’d seen her in such formal, meticulously styled attire.
Reuniting with Xie Zhiyan happened at Old Master Gu’s birthday banquet. Ning Yuxuan had attended last-minute, with no intention of stealing the spotlight, so she had only applied a very light makeup look.
Even when appearing on shows, Ning Yuxuan disliked the feeling of heavy foundation clinging to her face all day, so she always asked her makeup artist to keep her look as natural as possible. Given her naturally flawless complexion, the makeup artist never objected.
As for going out with close friends like Tao You, she was accustomed to going completely bare-faced.
Ning Yuxuan rolled her eyes playfully, suddenly deciding to push her luck a little further.
She asked Xie Zhiyan, "So, do you prefer me with light makeup or this bold look today? You can’t say ‘both.’"
The question was as perilous as the classic "Who would you save first if we fell into the water?"—no matter which option the respondent chose, they’d inevitably be criticized.
Xie Zhiyan’s lips curled slightly as he replied calmly, "You’ve taken the time to dress up. Who am I to judge?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Xie Zhiyan raised a brow at her expression, silently questioning it.
Ning Yuxuan muttered, "I’m starting to suspect you took some kind of romance masterclass."
Xie Zhiyan: "If I had, I wouldn’t have waited until almost turning thirty to only date you."
Ning Yuxuan’s cheeks burned.
"I already told you," she insisted, struggling to maintain composure, "we’re still in the fake-dating phase. This doesn’t count as a real relationship..."
She hadn’t received a proper confession yet.
Xie Zhiyan picked up the thread: "I came to get you on short notice today. I didn’t have time to prepare properly."
Ning Yuxuan informed him, "Tomorrow’s no good either. My mom and I are flying to Jiangcheng to visit Ning Shiyue on set. Oh, and after that, I’ll probably be busy filming again, so no free time then either."
By that calculation, her schedule was packed—almost as hectic as Xie Zhiyan’s, the ever-busy man himself.
Xie Zhiyan said gently, "Then I’ll wait until you have time to spare for me."
Ning Yuxuan teased, "Seems like you’re not in any hurry at all."
His voice remained steady: "After waiting this long, what’s another moment or two?"
She grumbled, "It hasn’t been that long. Barely any time at all."
Glancing at her watch, she sighed. "Enough chit-chat—we should head home before my mom starts worrying."
...
While Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan enjoyed their burgers in peaceful bliss, the ripples from his brief appearance at the banquet had yet to settle.
Xie Zhiyan had only stayed for ten minutes at most—just long enough to exchange pleasantries with Wu Shangdong himself before locating Ning Yuxuan and leaving.
The banquet hall was vast, and many guests only realized the head of the Xie Family had been there after he’d already gone.
"Wasn’t President Xie supposed to skip tonight? Chairman Wu even explained earlier that he had a business dinner elsewhere. How did he end up showing up after all?"
"Word is he didn’t come for Chairman Wu—he was here to pick up his girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? Which one?"
"Is there another? The same woman from those photos last month, the one Xie Zhiyan sent a private car for."
Over the past month, rumors about Xie Zhiyan and Ning Yuxuan had spread like wildfire, especially among the socialite circles.
But aside from Old Master Gu’s birthday banquet, this was the first time the two had appeared together publicly.
Seeing them side by side in person carried far more weight than any photo or hearsay.
Though their joint appearance lasted mere minutes—witnessed by only a handful—the implications were undeniable.
The image of them leaving the banquet together quickly spiraled into increasingly exaggerated retellings.
And then there was the other man tangled up in the gossip.
Few had known about Gu Yunhao and Ning Yuxuan’s past relationship.
But secrets never stay buried.
Previously, few had cared about Gu Yunhao’s love life—after all, the idle young master’s revolving door of girlfriends wasn’t exactly headline material.
But as Ning Yuxuan’s star rose, fueled by recent trending appearances, their year-long relationship became common knowledge among gossip enthusiasts.
Some claimed that when Xie Zhiyan firmly clasped Ning Yuxuan’s hand to leave, Gu Yunhao had been standing right there.
That Xie Zhiyan had deliberately glanced at Gu Yunhao before stepping into the elevator.
That Gu Yunhao, flushed with rage, had nearly thrown a punch at Xie Zhiyan—only holding back because too many eyes were watching.
In truth? Pure fiction.
Stung by Ning Yuxuan’s rejection, Gu Yunhao had retreated to drown his sorrows alone.
He only learned about Xie Zhiyan’s appearance after the fact, when a so-called friend broke the news.
Upon hearing it, Gu Yunhao stared in disbelief: "What did you say? Xie Zhiyan came personally?"
Impossible. Hadn’t Ning Yuxuan failed to secure Xie Zhiyan’s help, forcing her to attend the banquet alone as a last resort?
The gray-suited messenger nodded emphatically: "No mistake. Multiple people saw it."
Gu Yunhao still refused to accept it: "How could... Are you sure Xie Zhiyan came for Ning Yuxuan? Maybe he just showed up out of respect for Wu Shangdong. Nothing to do with her."
The gray suit immediately countered: "No way. President Xie only stayed ten minutes—just long enough to greet Chairman Wu before leaving with Ning Yuxuan."
Gu Yunhao: "..."
Noticing the tremor in Gu Yunhao’s wineglass, the messenger couldn’t hide a hint of schadenfreude: "You alright, Hao-ge?"
Gu Yunhao slammed his glass down.
"I’m fine!" he snapped. "Why wouldn’t I be?"
Meanwhile, Wu Shangdong and Mrs. Wu were having their own discussion about the same events.
In a quiet side room, Wu Shangdong chastised his wife: "When you introduced that Ning girl to me, why didn’t you mention her connection to Xie Zhiyan? If I’d turned her down, I’d have offended the Xie Family!"
Mrs. Wu bristled: "Didn’t I tell you? I must’ve forgotten. Besides, you agreed readily enough—I assumed you knew. It’s not exactly breaking news in our circles."
Wu Shangdong retorted: "Unlike you, I don’t have time to track every piece of gossip. I’m busy running actual businesses."
Mrs. Wu snorted, "Old Wu, don’t you dare lecture me here. You should be thanking me instead. If it weren’t for me, would you have had the chance to owe Xie Zhiyan this favor?"
Wu Shangdong didn’t argue further, knowing deep down that his wife wasn’t entirely wrong.
Frowning, he mused, "Speaking of which, Xie Zhiyan’s attitude toward that young girl… I still haven’t quite figured it out. From what I gathered, he seems reluctant to let the Ning family’s hotel get entangled with the Xie family’s affairs."
Mrs. Wu replied without hesitation, "What’s so hard to understand? That Ning girl is so young and just starting to manage the hotel. President Xie probably wants to give her a chance to spread her wings and gain experience, don’t you think?"
Wu Shangdong shot his wife a look. "It’s not as simple as you make it sound. If he really wanted to support his woman’s family, he’d wait until after marriage. Besides, how old is that Ning girl? No matter how much she ‘gains experience,’ she’ll never become Xie Zhiyan’s right-hand woman. Does he really have time for that?"
Mrs. Wu scoffed at her husband. "Oh, please! You’re overthinking it! President Xie likes the girl, so he’s giving her opportunities. That’s all! Enough of this—Mrs. Li is coming over, and I need to have a drink with her."
...
Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan stepped out of the restaurant, where their driver waited by the curb.
They got into the car one after the other.
With a third person present, Ning Yuxuan couldn’t continue the conversation they’d been having inside.
Instead, she asked Xie Zhiyan something she’d been curious about for a while: "How are you so well-informed? I never told you I was attending Wu Shangdong’s dinner party, yet you knew."
Xie Zhiyan leaned back, eyes closed. "The social circles in Beicheng aren’t that big. You’re my girlfriend—if someone sees you, they’ll naturally report back to me."
Ning Yuxuan pursed her lips. "Right, I forgot. President Xie is practically a celebrity in these circles. Even your car gets recognized instantly."
Xie Zhiyan chuckled. "You’re quite famous yourself now. At tonight’s dinner, someone actually asked me about you."
Ning Yuxuan blinked. "Asked what?"
Xie Zhiyan: "They wanted to know how we ended up together."
Anyone with half a brain had already looked into Ning Yuxuan’s family background and assets.
As for the details they couldn’t uncover, no one dared to ask Xie Zhiyan directly for fear of offending him.
So they settled for harmless gossip, like how the two had met.
Ning Yuxuan was intrigued. "And what did you tell them?"
Xie Zhiyan: "Didn’t you already coach me on this?"
Ning Yuxuan hesitated. "When did I…?"
She’d had a few glasses of wine at the dinner, and it was late now.
Xie Zhiyan reclined against the leather seat, his usually steady and crisp voice now laced with a lazy drawl: "I’ve been smitten with you for ages. It took me forever to finally win you over, and now I treasure you like the rarest gem."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
This was indeed the script she had crafted for Xie Zhiyan—their rehearsed backstory.
But this was the first time he’d said it in front of a third party—the driver was still in the front seat.
And since when had he added that "rarest gem" nonsense?
Despite the car’s air conditioning, Ning Yuxuan felt an inexplicable warmth creeping up her skin.
Was it the red wine from earlier?
Up front, the driver sat rigidly at the wheel, his mind reeling—
Since when did President Xie talk like this?
More importantly—was he even supposed to be hearing this?
...
Ning Yuxuan stared out the window at the passing city lights for half a minute, steadying herself.
Then she turned back to Xie Zhiyan. "Do you know why I suddenly went to the Wu family’s dinner?"
Xie Zhiyan: "I didn’t at first. But after meeting Wu Shangdong, he mentioned his collaboration with Huayuan."
Ning Yuxuan let out a soft "Oh," her tone tinged with disappointment. "So Wu Shangdong only agreed to work with me because of you."
Otherwise, why would he have brought it up to Xie Zhiyan?
Xie Zhiyan: "Probably not for the reason you’re thinking."
Ning Yuxuan: "Why not?"
Xie Zhiyan: "When I told him I came to pick you up, Wu Shangdong looked genuinely surprised. He even double-checked with me."
Ning Yuxuan considered this.
If Wu Shangdong had known about her relationship with Xie Zhiyan before agreeing to the deal, he wouldn’t have been so shocked that Xie Zhiyan came to fetch her—even if he hadn’t expected Xie Zhiyan to show up at the dinner.
It seemed Wu Shangdong had genuinely agreed to supply Huayuan without knowing she was Xie Zhiyan’s girlfriend.
Ning Yuxuan’s mood lifted. At least her trip to the dinner hadn’t been entirely pointless.
She glanced at Xie Zhiyan.
The man’s eyes were lightly shut, as if resting.
Earlier, at the fast-food restaurant, an auntie had been mopping the floors.
Between the scent of disinfectant and fried food, Ning Yuxuan hadn’t noticed the alcohol on Xie Zhiyan.
But now, in the confined space of the car, with him so close, she caught the faint trace of liquor on him.
It wasn’t unpleasant.
No wonder his voice had sounded different just now—deeper, more languid.
Compared to his usual self, this tone fit Ning Yuxuan’s mental image of a man his age—a "young master" of elite circles.
Of course, no one in their social sphere actually saw Xie Zhiyan as just another wealthy heir. His influence far surpassed that of his peers.
But privately, Ning Yuxuan preferred this version of his voice.
Normally, Xie Zhiyan sounded too composed. Now, there was an alluring edge to it.
Suddenly, Ning Yuxuan grew intensely curious about his current state.
Was this what tipsy looked like on him?
It had to be. He definitely wasn’t drunk.
His self-control was terrifying. When they’d been eating burgers earlier, she hadn’t noticed a thing.
After a moment’s hesitation, Ning Yuxuan boldly reached out and poked Xie Zhiyan’s cheek with two fingers.
The instant her fingertip brushed his skin, his hand snapped up and caught hers.
Ning Yuxuan nearly yelped, barely managing to stifle the sound since they weren’t alone.
Wasn’t alcohol supposed to slow reflexes?
And Xie Zhiyan’s eyes were closed—how had he even seen her move?
She tried to tug her hand free, but his grip was unyielding.
Left with no choice, she leaned in and whispered by his ear, "Xie Zhiyan! What are you doing? Let go!"
For the dinner, Ning Yuxuan had spritzed on perfume.
Hours later, the fragrance had faded, but in the car’s enclosed space, it still lingered subtly around them.
The scent of roses lingered in the air, and the woman’s warm breath brushed against Xie Zhiyan’s ear and neck.
Ning Yuxuan was still preoccupied with freeing her hand from the man’s grasp, completely oblivious to the shift in Xie Zhiyan’s demeanor.
It wasn’t until her latest attempt to pull away failed that she finally met his gaze.
In the dim light, the darkness in his eyes was unnervingly intense.
To use a somewhat clichéd metaphor—for a moment, Ning Yuxuan felt like prey trapped in Xie Zhiyan’s sights, his stare as if he wanted to devour her piece by piece.
Earlier, she had been slightly embarrassed by the presence of the driver, worried their conversation might be overheard.
Now, she was suddenly and profoundly grateful for that third person in the car—and for the fact that Xie Zhiyan wasn’t the type to abandon all restraint.
Otherwise, given the way he was looking at her, she doubted she’d make it out of this car unscathed.
