After some thought, Ning Yuxuan replied to Ning Shiyue: ["It's alright. As an audience member, I think it's quite nice."]
Ning Shiyue: ["...What do you mean?"]
Ning Yuxuan: ["I mean if I weren’t the person involved, I’d love watching it."]
Before this, Ning Yuxuan had also witnessed public confessions or proposals in public settings. Every time, she would sincerely sigh, "Love is so beautiful," and then wholeheartedly applaud for the couple.
But if it were her in that situation, she wasn’t particularly fond of such grand gestures.
Perhaps it was because she had been publicly confessed to too many times since childhood, and she had rejected too many people in front of crowds. So this kind of display didn’t move her much.
Ning Shiyue: ["So you mean… you don’t like it yourself?"]
Ning Yuxuan stared at the chat log with Ning Shiyue.
It was obvious that Ning Shiyue would never normally share this kind of thing with her, let alone take the time to discuss whether the video was romantic or not.
There were only two possibilities—either Ning Shiyue was planning to confess to someone in this extravagant manner, or…
Ning Yuxuan: ["Why are you asking so much? Did Xie Zhiyan ask you to gather intel for him?"]
The other side fell silent for a long while.
Ning Yuxuan went to brush her teeth, and when she returned, she finally got a reply.
Ning Shiyue: ["How could that be?"]
Ning Shiyue: ["I have something to do early tomorrow morning, so I need to sleep soon. Can’t chat anymore!"]
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
She knew she had guessed right.
Ning Shiyue’s guilty conscience was way too obvious.
He had always been like this since childhood—terrible at lying. Every time she saw through him and he didn’t want to admit it, he would awkwardly change the subject.
Ning Yuxuan ignored him and went to shower before heading to bed.
The next morning, Ning Yuxuan yawned as she got up and washed up.
Her mother had already packed the suitcases and handed Ning Yuxuan a piece of toast with egg as she came downstairs: "We still have some time. Eat this while you think about whether you’ve forgotten anything."
Ning Yuxuan took a bite. "Thanks, Mom."
At 7:50, the doorbell rang.
Ning Fei went to open it—it was Liang Jihuai.
"Ah Fei," Liang Jihuai stood at the doorway. "Are the suitcases ready? I’ll help load them into the car."
Ning Fei gestured to the luggage nearby. "All packed. There are just these few. Thank you, Jihuai."
There were three suitcases in total—one large 24-inch one and two 20-inch carry-ons.
They were only staying in Jiangcheng for two full days, with half-days for travel, so they didn’t need to bring much.
But Ning Fei always brought gifts whenever she visited Ning Shiyue on set—for his colleagues and the crew.
This time, since it was also Ning Shiyue’s birthday, she had prepared a gift for him, filling up the large suitcase with presents alone.
The other two suitcases held their clothes, toiletries, and other necessities.
Ning Yuxuan was still eating her breakfast in the living room when she caught sight of Liang Jihuai at the door.
She studied the 55-year-old award-winning actor.
Liang Jihuai stood in the entryway, roughly estimated to be around 180 cm tall—quite impressive for his generation.
Most men his age, especially those who lived comfortably, tended to gain weight.
But Liang Jihuai’s figure remained straight and well-proportioned, without a trace of excess weight, comparable to much younger actors in the industry.
As for his looks, he was undoubtedly one of the most handsome men his age, clearly having been a heartthrob in his youth.
Ning Yuxuan thought to herself that her mother had always been selective when it came to relationships—in the past twenty years, she had only been in one serious relationship.
Yet now, she was willing to give Liang Jihuai a chance.
It made sense.
At the very least, Liang Jihuai was undeniably attractive.
He and her mother looked well-matched.
Liang Jihuai noticed Ning Yuxuan as well. "Is this your daughter, Ah Fei?"
Ning Fei smiled and nodded. "Yes, Ning Yuxuan."
Ning Yuxuan raised her toast in greeting. "Hello, Teacher Liang."
Liang Jihuai nodded. "Hello. May I call you Yuxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Of course, Teacher Liang."
They didn’t talk further. Liang Jihuai helped Ning Fei carry the suitcases to the car while Ning Yuxuan finished her breakfast.
At 8:00 sharp, Ning Yuxuan threw on a light jacket and got into the car with her mother.
Liang Jihuai sat in the driver’s seat, setting up the GPS—the drive to the airport would take just over twenty minutes.
Ning Yuxuan and her mother sat in the back.
Liang Jihuai first asked if they wanted anything to drink. "There’s bottled water and tea in the car."
Ning Fei took a bottle of water and handed Ning Yuxuan a carton of black tea.
Then Liang Jihuai made small talk with Ning Fei, mentioning that the weather in Jiangcheng was even muggier than in Beicheng, so they should be careful to avoid heatstroke.
"I happened to have some cooling patches at home, so I brought a few packs for the car," Liang Jihuai said. "If you or Yuxuan need them, feel free to take some. I’ve brought them on flights before—no issues."
Ning Fei, remembering how much her daughter disliked the heat, didn’t refuse. "Thank you, then."
Liang Jihuai smiled. "No need to be so polite. It’s nothing."
Ning Yuxuan sipped her tea, thinking that Liang Jihuai was quite considerate.
Sure, it was because he had feelings for her mother, but still—many men wouldn’t even bother being this attentive while pursuing someone.
Ning Fei took the cooling patches and tucked them into her bag.
The car fell into a brief silence. Maybe the two of them were holding back because Ning Yuxuan was present.
With some time left before they reached the airport, the quietness felt a little awkward.
Ning Yuxuan broke the silence. "Teacher Liang."
Liang Jihuai: "Yes, Yuxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan: "I heard that the movie my mom won her first Best Actress award for was one she filmed with you."
Liang Jihuai: "That’s right. You’ve heard correctly. It was your mother’s first film after her debut—my fourth."
Ning Yuxuan: "So it was your first time working together? What was your first impression of my mom when you met?"
Ning Fei glanced at her daughter, amused. "Yuxuan, that was so long ago. Why ask about that now?"
Ning Yuxuan: "I’m curious!"
Liang Jihuai chuckled. "It’s fine, it’s fine. Ah Fei, don’t scold her. I’m happy to reminisce about the good old days. Let me think… my first impression of your mother…"
With Ning Yuxuan leading the conversation, Liang Jihuai shared many stories about filming with Ning Fei back then.
Before this, he had worried Ning Fei might not like him bringing up the past too much, so he held back.
But now, with Ning Yuxuan actively asking questions and showing interest, he naturally ended up sharing more memories than usual.
Ning Fei listened, also feeling a little nostalgic.
At that time, she was only twenty-three years old, in the prime of her youth.
Innocent, passionate, and full of anticipation for the future.
Back then, she hadn’t yet stepped into marriage.
The car ride, less than half an hour long, was filled with intermittent laughter.
Ning Fei had mentioned her past to her children before, but hearing it from someone who had lived through it was entirely different from an outsider’s perspective.
Now, listening to Liang Jihuai recount stories about her mother’s younger days, Ning Yuxuan gained a deeper understanding of Ning Fei back then—
Turns out, her mother hadn’t always been as gentle as she was now. She had been a lively young woman who played pranks on colleagues on set, even sneaking potato chips behind the director’s back, only to be scolded harshly when caught.
When Liang Jihuai shared this story, Ning Yuxuan looked at Ning Fei in surprise. "Mom! So you loved snacks when you were young too, and even ate them secretly!"
Ning Fei chuckled helplessly. "Well, I never thought having Jihuai drive us today would expose all my old secrets."
Liang Jihuai also laughed. "Yuxuan, I might have to hold back on these stories in the future, or your mom might get mad at me."
By the time they reached the airport, Ning Yuxuan was still eager to hear more.
After checking in, Liang Jihuai escorted them to the security checkpoint.
Ning Fei thanked him again. "Thank you, Jihuai."
Liang Jihuai replied, "No need for thanks. Have a safe flight, and send me a message when you land."
Ning Yuxuan added, "Thank you, Teacher Liang. I hope to hear more about my mom’s past someday."
Hearing this, Liang Jihuai looked slightly surprised, his tone almost flattered. "Of course, no problem."
Before this trip, he had been nervous, worried that Ning Fei’s daughter might resent him.
He hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly—let alone her extending an olive branch.
Liang Jihuai waved goodbye as he watched the mother and daughter disappear into the security line.
Once alone with her daughter, Ning Fei teased, "You’ve never been this curious about my time on set before. What’s changed?"
Ning Yuxuan pretended to be serious. "That’s because you never told me about your secret potato chip habit!"
Ning Fei burst into laughter.
After a moment, she asked, "So, you seem to have a good impression of Jihuai?"
Ning Yuxuan nodded. "He’s alright."
Ning Fei joked, "Why? Just because he told you about the chips?"
Ning Yuxuan answered honestly, "That’s just a small part of it. The main reason—"
She straightened up with mock solemnity. "Teacher Liang keeps himself in great shape, his skin is well-maintained, and he looks really good standing next to you."
Ning Fei was momentarily stunned before lightly swatting her daughter’s back. "What nonsense! You can’t talk about elders like that!"
Ning Yuxuan grinned. "You asked!"
Still bantering, the two joined the security line.
They passed through security just before nine, with some time left before boarding.
Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei settled into the VIP lounge.
After replying to a few messages, Ning Fei leaned back on the sofa to rest.
Ning Yuxuan also handled some work messages—Chen Jun and Zhou Lin were already at work by then.
Wu Shangdong’s team worked efficiently. The verbal agreement from last night’s banquet had already turned into a formal contact with Chen Jun that morning.
Barring any surprises, the contract would be finalized in a couple of days.
Ning Yuxuan wondered if the speed was due to Xie Zhiyan’s influence.
After all, his very public gesture of picking her up at the banquet had sparked quite a discussion—something she’d caught wind of.
Finishing her messages, Ning Yuxuan wandered over to the lounge’s food section.
Xie Zhiyan texted to ask if everything was going smoothly.
She replied: [Yes, in the lounge now, boarding soon.]
Snapping a photo of the spread, she sent: [Any recommendations?]
Given his frequent travels, he’d know airline lounges better than she did.
Xie Zhiyan responded: [The osmanthus cake is good. The crab-flavored broad beans might suit your taste too.]
Ning Yuxuan sent a quick "Thanks, President Xie" and picked a few favorites.
Before ten, she and Ning Fei boarded their flight.
They landed in Jiangcheng at half past noon and took a car to the hotel where the film crew was staying.
Ning Shiyue had booked them a suite at the same hotel.
He’d wanted to pick them up personally, but Ning Fei refused, so he arranged a car instead.
At the hotel, Ning Shiyue was already waiting downstairs, pulling both suitcases to the front desk to check them in.
Once upstairs, he asked if they’d eaten enough on the plane or wanted an early lunch.
"No need," Ning Fei said. "The inflight meal was quite good. Yuxuan and I are full."
Ning Yuxuan added, "I’m saving room for dinner—when you fulfill your promise. You’re not backing out, are you?"
Ning Shiyue scoffed. "As if I would!"
Ning Fei looked between them. "What did you two agree on this time?"
Ning Yuxuan explained, "Shiyue promised to eat spicy food with me in Jiangcheng. Mom, you’re our witness so he can’t chicken out later."
Ning Shiyue shot her a look. "Unlike you, I don’t go back on my word."
Ning Yuxuan raised an eyebrow. "When have I ever?"
Ning Shiyue smirked. "Plenty! Like in middle school when we bet half our New Year’s money on who’d rank higher in finals. You never paid up when you lost."
Ning Yuxuan countered, "Because I was ahead by percentage! Our grade had way more students than yours—it’s only fair!"
Ning Shiyue rolled his eyes. "We agreed on raw rankings. I was sixteenth, you were seventeenth."
Ning Yuxuan crossed her arms. "Percentiles are objectively fairer. And why are you bringing up ancient history? So petty."
Ning Shiyue laughed incredulously. She’d asked for examples, and now she was turning it around on him.
As they bickered, Ning Fei sipped her tea and interjected mildly, "Yuxuan, Shiyue, aren’t you thirsty? Drink some water before continuing."
Ning Shiyue had reserved a restaurant for that evening, leaving them a few free hours in the afternoon.
They visited a famous local museum nearby.
By dusk, Ning Shiyue led them to the restaurant.
True to his word, it offered both local flavors and dishes suited to Ning Yuxuan’s palate.
The task of ordering fell to her again—she selected a mix of mild and spicy options.
The mild dish was ordered for Ning Fei, while the one covered in chili peppers...
Ning Yuxuan held up her phone to start recording while giving Ning Shiyue a signal: "Go ahead."
Through the phone screen, she saw the young man's eyebrows furrow instantly.
Ning Shiyue protested, "Earlier, you only said I had to eat something spicy, not that you’d record it."
Ning Yuxuan replied matter-of-factly, "Of course I have to record it! This is a rare opportunity—who knows when you’ll eat spicy food again? How can I not document it?"
Then she glanced at Ning Fei. "Mom, why don’t you film too? We can get a dual-angle shot."
Ning Fei smiled. "Sure."
Another phone was pointed at Ning Shiyue, who now held chopsticks in hand.
Ning Shiyue: "..."
"Since when is it fair to gang up on the birthday boy like this…" he muttered under his breath before picking up a bite of the dry-fried lotus root with his chopsticks and putting it in his mouth.
After swallowing, he noticed the other two staring at him.
"What?" Ning Shiyue raised an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance. "It’s barely spicy at all, no challenge for me—cough—"
Mid-sentence, a Sichuan peppercorn lodged itself in his throat.
Ning Shiyue erupted into violent coughing, hastily grabbing the glass of lemon water on the table to wash it down.
Ning Fei quickly handed him a couple of napkins.
Ning Yuxuan stopped her. "Mom, don’t rush—keep filming first…"
Hearing this, Ning Shiyue shot her a glare between coughs.
Once he finally caught his breath, his face flushed and eyes blazing, he turned to Ning Yuxuan. "I was practically choking to death, and not only did you prioritize filming, but you also stopped Mom from handing me a napkin!"
Ning Yuxuan remained unbothered. "You were nowhere near choking to death. Besides, a delayed napkin wouldn’t have changed how much you coughed."
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Ning Yuxuan added fuel to the fire. "The moment right after you said it wasn’t spicy and then started coughing was pure gold. I’ve already saved the clip—perfect for your wedding someday."
Ning Shiyue retaliated, "Just wait. When I get home, I’m digging up all your childhood videos and editing them into a montage to loop at your wedding."
Ning Yuxuan fired back, "Oh, I’ve still got those childhood photos of you in a pink dress with a red dot on your forehead. I’ll post them on Weibo and buy a trending tag: Ning Shiyue’s Glamorous Childhood Portraits."
Ning Shiyue scoffed. "You couldn’t even afford balloons for me, but now you’re buying hashtags?"
Ning Yuxuan shrugged. "Different priorities. One was a surprise for you, the other is about your humiliation—obviously, the latter takes precedence."
...
After their spirited back-and-forth, both Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue were thirsty and sipped their drinks in silence.
Ning Fei, who had watched the entire exchange while gracefully savoring a bite of fish cake from the clay pot, finally spoke up. "Shiyue, what was that about not affording balloons?"
Ning Shiyue paused. "...Nothing, just a random comment."
Ning Yuxuan side-eyed him. "He took on a side gig as an information broker."
Ning Shiyue opened his mouth but then shut it again.
He took another sip of lemon water, thinking: Sorry, Zhiyan-ge. I tried, but my cover was blown before I even got started.
Ning Fei shook her head with a smile. These two were always speaking in riddles.
It reminded her of when she first brought the siblings to Beicheng.
Back then, she had just resumed her career, and money was tight. But after escaping the stifling environment of the Lin family, the two adjusted quickly to their new school.
Even as kids, they bickered constantly yet always covered for each other in front of her.
Seeing them now, all grown up but still bantering like children in her presence, made all those years of hardship feel worthwhile.
After tonight, Ning Shiyue would be a year older.
Since they weren’t celebrating at home this time, Ning Fei had only ordered a small five-inch cake to avoid waste.
Once dinner was nearly done, the three brought out the cake and lit the candles.
Ning Yuxuan picked up her phone again. "Don’t worry, this time I’ll make sure you look handsome."
Ning Shiyue closed his eyes and made a wish.
Neither Ning Fei nor Ning Yuxuan asked what it was.
After cake, as they prepared to return to the hotel, Ning Shiyue got a call from the director.
Hanging up, he said, "The director mentioned how nice the moonlight is tonight and wants to add a night scene. He asked me to head to the set."
Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan exchanged glances.
Ning Yuxuan looked up at the half-moon obscured by clouds. "Guess you’re getting more cake."
Ning Shiyue smirked. "Or maybe there really is a scene to shoot."
Still, he knew—given the occasion—the crew was likely planning a surprise.
Ning Shiyue asked, "I’m taking a cab to the set. You two coming?"
Ning Yuxuan shrugged. "Why not? Let’s see how the crew’s cake tastes."
The restaurant wasn’t far from the hotel or the set.
Fifteen minutes later, the three arrived.
Sure enough, as soon as Ning Shiyue stepped onto the set, several actors pulled party poppers in celebration.
Then the director himself appeared, leading Ning Shiyue to a three-tier birthday cake prepared by the crew.
Surrounded by everyone, Ning Shiyue blew out candles and made another wish.
It was clear the cast got along well—Ning Shiyue’s smile was genuine, not forced.
While the crowd showered the birthday boy with well-wishes, many also greeted Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan.
Though Ning Fei hadn’t been on set in years, her past iconic roles had earned her legions of admirers among the younger actors.
Several approached her to express their admiration.
Ning Yuxuan’s crowd was smaller but still lively.
A young actor sidled up with a grin. "Taro Bubble Tea?"
Ning Yuxuan blinked, recognizing the reference. "WatchMeCarryThisGame?"
That day, when Ning Shiyue caught her gaming, he’d roped in a co-star to join their match.
This guy knew her in-game ID—he must be that co-star.
Zhuang Yiming grinned. "Yeah, that’s me! Hi, Yuxuan-jie, I’m Zhuang Yiming, Shiyue’s colleague and the third male lead."
Ning Yuxuan smiled. "Hi, no need for formalities—just Yuxuan is fine."
Zhuang Yiming nodded. "Got it, Yuxuan-jie! You and Ning Fei just arrived today, right? Jiangcheng’s weather is super muggy—you adjusting okay?"
Ning Yuxuan nodded. "It’s alright. We avoided the worst of it by visiting the museum this afternoon."
Zhuang Yiming gave a thumbs-up. "Smart move!"
"By the way," Zhuang Yiming added, "I watched two episodes of that 'Mom' variety show you did with Ning Fei, and I loved it! I told Shiyue earlier that I’m your fan!"
The two exchanged a few casual pleasantries.
Zhuang Yiming was a natural at socializing—no matter which film set he joined, he could quickly warm up to people. Since Ning Yuxuan wasn’t as "revered" as Ning Fei, chatting with someone his own age felt effortless.
Ning Yuxuan wasn’t as outgoing as Zhuang Yiming, but she didn’t mind casual conversations like this.
At some point, Zhuang Yiming brought up their previous gaming sessions: "I was too shy to add you as a friend back then, but how about we exchange game IDs today? We can play together sometime!"
Ning Yuxuan replied, "Sure."
They both took out their phones and added each other as in-game friends.
Meanwhile, Ning Shiyue was in high spirits.
Ning Fei and Ning Yuxuan had come to visit him, bringing birthday gifts, and the crew had prepared a surprise celebration.
On top of that, today was a day off, washing away the exhaustion from the past half-month of filming.
Ning Shiyue snapped a photo of the three-tiered birthday cake the crew had arranged, then selected a few pictures Ning Yuxuan had taken of him at the restaurant earlier and posted them on his social media.
Likes and comments poured in almost instantly.
Amid a flood of "Happy Birthday!" messages, one reply stood out.
["Wow, is that Yuxuan and her boyfriend in the background? They look so good together!"]
Ning Shiyue: "??"
What nonsense was this?
He tapped on the cake photo he’d posted, zoomed in with two fingers, and finally spotted Ning Yuxuan and her so-called "boyfriend" in the corner.
Ning Yuxuan and Zhuang Yiming stood with their backs to the camera, heads bent together over their phones, engrossed in whatever they were doing.
From that angle, they did look somewhat intimate.
Ning Shiyue: "..."
What was Zhuang Yiming up to behind his back?
He turned to confront the culprit, unaware that another like had appeared in his notifications—this one from "Zhiyan Ge."
