Near the barbecue joint was a film set, located in a common outdoor shooting location frequently used for historical dramas. It wasn’t just the crew of "Tide Order" filming here.
The newcomer’s face was adorned with delicate makeup, a red floral forehead decoration, and although dressed in casual clothes, it was clear she had just come off a set.
Several people at the table recognized Cen Meng.
The scandal between Ning Yuxuan and Cen Meng on Weibo had caused a huge uproar citywide. Gossip within the industry spread even faster than among netizens, so naturally, no one here was unaware.
Everyone exchanged a glance, sensing the visitor meant trouble, and remained silent.
“Yuxuan.” Cen Meng’s face lifted into a smile. “Long time no see. It’s crowded here—would you mind stepping aside for a moment to talk?”
The curve of Cen Meng’s smile hadn’t changed much from before, but after such a heavy blow to her spirit, even though she forced herself to maintain her composure, she looked noticeably less vibrant than before.
Still, since she dared to approach this “old acquaintance,” it was obvious she had prepared thoroughly.
Cen Meng slipped her hand into her pocket, confirming that the voice recorder was safely tucked inside.
She spoke to Ning Yuxuan, but it was Ning Shiyue’s reaction that was more pronounced.
“Cen Meng!” Ning Shiyue suddenly sprang up from his chair, “How do you still have the nerve to show your face here?”
The young man’s eyes were filled with disgust and wariness.
Ning Shiyue hadn’t forgotten the malicious and ridiculous text Cen Meng had sent to Ning Yuxuan’s phone number—one that was both cruel and cunning, forcing people to stay guarded.
Cen Meng had said she intended to ruin Ning Yuxuan’s reputation.
Since then, Ning Shiyue had always kept a wary eye on her.
Today, Cen Meng was targeting Ning Yuxuan, but she had also prepared measures against Ning Shiyue—not now, but when the time was right.
However, if Ning Shiyue happened to say something that could damage his own image and she caught it on her recorder, that would be killing two birds with one stone.
With this thought, Cen Meng said nothing but boldly glanced at Ning Shiyue.
Beside them, Ning Yuxuan slowly rose, gently patting Ning Shiyue’s hand to calm him.
“Ning Shiyue,” Ning Yuxuan said calmly, “don’t lose your temper.”
Ning Shiyue: “...”
Ning Yuxuan’s tone was even, without any unnecessary words, yet it effectively soothed Ning Shiyue’s emotions.
After everything they had been through, Ning Shiyue knew Ning Yuxuan wouldn’t let Cen Meng trample all over her.
He clenched his teeth and nodded slightly.
But he didn’t sit down, instead staying by Ning Yuxuan’s side.
If Cen Meng made any move against Ning Yuxuan, he could react immediately.
Having calmed Ning Shiyue, Ning Yuxuan redirected her gaze to Cen Meng. “Alright.”
A flicker of delight appeared in Cen Meng’s eyes as she pointed to the side. “I think it’s quieter near the back door. Let’s go there to talk.”
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Ning Shiyue, silently asking, “Together?”
Ning Shiyue was momentarily taken aback.
Ning Yuxuan probably wasn’t afraid of Cen Meng.
Since she invited him along, it was clearly intentional.
After a brief hesitation, Ning Shiyue picked up his phone from the table and followed.
Next to the back door of the barbecue joint was a small empty lot, secluded from the noisy surroundings, creating a stark contrast to the raucous atmosphere inside the shop.
Cen Meng fixed her gaze on Ning Yuxuan, eyes burning with intensity. "Yuxuan, time has passed, things have changed. Seeing me here now—aren’t you shocked? Confused?"
Ning Yuxuan’s eyes remained steady, showing no flicker of emotion. "Shocked? Confused?"
She curled the corner of her lips slightly. "What makes you think that my appearance would stir such strong feelings in you?"
Cen Meng’s brow twitched for a moment.
"Isn’t that true?" Cen Meng challenged. "You did so much before, didn’t you? All to make sure I couldn’t survive in this industry anymore, to strip me of everything I had—my fans, my endorsements, even my roles. And now, seeing me here, aren’t you surprised? Don’t you want to know why?"
After hearing this, Ning Yuxuan lifted her eyelids lazily and glanced at Cen Meng with a hint of boredom.
"You called me over just to say this?"
The light, dismissive tone hit Cen Meng’s heart like a punch.
She had only come this time hoping to capture some useful material, something to drag Ning Yuxuan’s reputation through the mud just like hers.
But seeing Ning Yuxuan look at her with such indifference—almost pity—her emotions slipped out of control.
Whether it was to provoke Ning Yuxuan or simply to vent her own feelings, Cen Meng snapped, "Ning Yuxuan, stop pretending to be so high and mighty. You must be furious seeing me still landing roles, right? Well, sorry to disappoint you—I’ve just secured a part for myself. Want to know what it is?"
Ning Yuxuan didn’t answer, but Cen Meng went on, talking to herself, "It’s the role of a homewrecker! Just like the label you stuck on me—a mistress! But I’m not afraid. As long as I can act, I will never give up!"
After the scandal broke, to avoid risks, the big productions with strong crews canceled their cooperation with Cen Meng.
But a smaller online fantasy drama saw potential in Cen Meng’s dark popularity and cast her as a mistress character, planning to use her as a promotional gimmick.
Such a small-time production, such a role—Cen Meng would have never accepted it before.
Besides, playing such a character might tag her forever as a "mistress," a label she could never shake off.
But she had no choice. No other production wanted her now. She had to bet everything on this, fight for survival.
If she could drag Ning Yuxuan down with her, there would still be room for maneuver.
Netizens are known to love passionately and hate fiercely.
If she could prove that Ning Yuxuan was just a selfish, scheming villain, making netizens despise her, then their attitude toward Cen Meng would naturally do a complete 180.
Then, with some careful guidance of public opinion, all those so-called "black marks" from before would turn into evidence of Ning Yuxuan’s sabotage against her.
And the role of the third party would become a choice forced upon her by Ning Yuxuan, making netizens feel even more pity for her.
Thinking of this, Cen Meng looked at Ning Yuxuan with hatred, yet her eyes also held a faint glimmer of hope—
Just say it. Say how much you hate me, how much you want me dead.
In a place where no one could see, Cen Meng’s fingers clenched the voice recorder tightly.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at the fingers tucked in Cen Meng’s pocket and spoke slowly, “Cen Meng, I realize you and Gu Yunhao really are cut from the same cloth.”
Cen Meng’s voice trembled, “Why… why are you bringing him up?”
The name Gu Yunhao was still a wound she couldn’t heal.
After Gu Yunhao coldly and unilaterally ended their relationship, she had tried to reach out to him countless times, even pleading with his friends for help.
At first, she had hope—after all, every time before, as long as she acted coy and used a few tricks, this man would obey her every word.
But this time, Gu Yunhao seemed to have made up his mind. No matter what, he refused to respond.
If Gu Yunhao still had even a shred of pity for her, she wouldn’t have had to play the role of a third party in a struggling, low-budget production just to find a way to turn her life around.
Ning Yuxuan’s tone was casual: “Because you’re just like Gu Yunhao—always talking to yourself. You chose to be the third party, to play the mistress, to flaunt someone else’s book and house as if they were yours. But you insist on blaming me for all of it.”
Cen Meng’s fingertips dug painfully into her palm.
Again, Ning Yuxuan looked down on her like this, casually saying these things as if it were nothing.
She hated Ning Yuxuan for this attitude more than anything!
Ning Yuxuan had that enviable family, a mother and brother everyone adored, and had never known hardship since childhood. She had no idea what Cen Meng had been through!
She wanted to fight for what Ning Yuxuan had from birth through her own efforts—what was wrong with that?
Originally, she had come just to provoke Ning Yuxuan, but Cen Meng ended up being the first to lose her temper.
Her voice sharp, Cen Meng snapped, “Who gave you the right to judge me like that? Do you think I want to be a mistress? Gu Yunhao clearly loved me, but because of his grandfather’s expectations, he ended up with you! You have the support of Old Master Gu, but I have nothing—I have to fight for everything myself!”
Her chest heaved, her eyes reddening.
She was practically yelling at Ning Yuxuan: “And that book, that house! You got those things so easily, but I had to work my fingers to the bone to get them, only for you to snatch them back in the end!”
Ning Shiyue couldn’t hold back any longer: “Cen Meng, can you have some shame? Which of those things originally belonged to you? Even that Gu Yunhao bastard was never yours to begin with.”
Cen Meng hadn’t expected Ning Shiyue, who had been silent until now, to suddenly speak.
She stared at Ning Shiyue in stunned silence: “You—”
Ning Yuxuan laughed out loud.
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Ning Yuxuan said with a smile to Ning Shiyue. “Your skill at roasting people has improved a lot.”
Ning Shiyue snorted lightly. “I’ve always been like this; I just didn’t have the chance to show it before.”
Ning Yuxuan: “You did well. When we get back, I’ll reward you with a couple more skewers of grilled potatoes.”
The two teased each other, their tone light and easy.
They didn’t head back for quite a while. Zhuang Yiming came over and asked if they were done.
Ning Yuxuan didn’t even look at Cen Meng. “Is my grilled eggplant ready yet?”
Zhuang Yiming chuckled, “It’s ready, it’s ready! Fresh and hot, just brought to the table. We know you love eggplant, so we saved some just for you. Yuxuan, now’s the perfect time to go back and eat.”
“Alright,” Ning Yuxuan smiled and asked Ning Shiyue, “Shall we head back?”
Ning Shiyue: “Mm.”
Cen Meng stared at them all in disbelief, a sense of absurdity washing over her.
Here she was, emotionally accusing Ning Yuxuan, but Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue seemed completely unfazed, even joking with each other.
Even Zhuang Yiming, who used to be far less important than her and basically invisible, didn’t even glance at her.
Suddenly, Cen Meng felt like a joke.
The words she wanted to say were left unspoken—she no longer had the strength to voice them.
Watching the three walk away, Cen Meng didn’t stop them.
She touched the voice recorder in her hand.
Though things hadn’t gone as smoothly as she’d hoped, at least she’d managed to record some material.
…
The cast and crew of *Tide Order*’s wrap-up dinner lasted until half past ten at night.
Everyone split into several cars to head back.
Naturally, Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue were together, with Zhuang Yiming joining them. The three shared a taxi back to the hotel.
Zhuang Yiming sat alone in the front passenger seat, leaving the back row for the siblings.
He had drunk the most beer among everyone, and his face was slightly flushed.
Normally, Zhuang Yiming was quite talkative, and the alcohol only made him more lively.
“Hey, Yuxuan,” Zhuang Yiming turned back, slurring a bit, “what’s the deal with that Cen Meng? Didn’t she quit the industry after some scandal? How is she still getting roles?”
Ning Yuxuan furrowed her brow. “You know Cen Meng too?”
Zhuang Yiming nodded. “Of course! We worked together on a drama before. The lead actress had already been filming for three days, but then this Cen Meng showed up mid-shoot and took over the lead role.”
During that shoot, Zhuang Yiming was a minor male supporting actor, while Cen Meng was the lead.
She was very respectful to the popular male leads and the veteran actors.
But to actors like him, who had little fame, Cen Meng was cold and indifferent, even careless during scenes.
Whenever something went wrong during filming, she would shift the blame onto him.
The director, however, never reprimanded Cen Meng because of the powerful people backing her. Instead, he would scold the lesser-known actors like Zhuang Yiming.
Back then, Zhuang Yiming was still a nobody, unable to speak up and forced to keep everything to himself.
Now, after drinking some wine, Zhuang Yiming rambled on incessantly, unloading a string of complaints about Cen Meng.
The taxi driver in the front seat kept glancing sideways, thinking to himself, "This ride’s been full of exclusive gossip—I can’t wait to tell my wife all about it when I get home."
After finishing his tirade about Cen Meng, Zhuang Yiming turned to Ning Yuxuan. “By the way, Yuxuan, I heard from Shiyue that you have a boyfriend now? Why didn’t he come with you tonight?”
Before Ning Yuxuan could answer, Ning Shiyue rolled his eyes.
“Zhuang Yiming, don’t go running your mouth just because you’ve had a few drinks,” Ning Shiyue said bluntly. “My sister’s boyfriend is none of your business.”
Though Zhuang Yiming had a bit of wine in him, he wasn’t drunk—his mind was still clear.
He waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, I got it, Shiyue. I won’t ask anymore.”
The hotel was near the barbecue joint.
With a step on the gas, they arrived in less than ten minutes, leaving Zhuang Yiming no chance to stir up more trouble.
After getting out of the car, Zhuang Yiming went ahead and took the elevator upstairs by himself.
Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue strolled behind at a leisurely pace.
“I sent you the recording,” Ning Shiyue said. “I just listened to it briefly with my earphones. It was pretty quiet there, so the recording came out quite clear.”
Ning Yuxuan smiled slightly and patted Ning Shiyue’s shoulder. “Not bad! You didn’t even need me to explain—you just knew what I meant.”
Ning Shiyue let out a scoff, his face showing a hint of pride, though he tried to act indifferent. “What’s the big deal? I’ve known you since birth, haven’t I? Of course, we have some kind of unspoken understanding. Besides... you’ve never lost when you went up against Cen Meng before. You definitely didn’t just call me over to help for nothing.”
Ning Yuxuan gave him an appreciative look.
After a moment, Ning Shiyue’s smile faded as the words Zhuang Yiming had just spoken echoed in his mind.
“Speaking of which,” Ning Shiyue frowned slightly, “why hasn’t Xie Zhiyan contacted you tonight?”
He knew Xie Zhiyan was busy with work, but at the barbecue place earlier, Ning Yuxuan hadn’t touched her phone much—not a single call or message.
Last night, Ning Shiyue had felt a bit guilty for interrupting the call between Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan. He had thought that if Xie Zhiyan called again tonight, he would definitely not be a third wheel.
But he didn’t even get the chance to make up for it.
Ning Yuxuan shook her head. “I don’t know. Xie Zhiyan isn’t in the country right now—maybe he’s adjusting to the time difference.”
Ning Shiyue’s eyes widened. “He went abroad? When?”
Ning Yuxuan gave him a strange look. “Yeah, why would I lie to you? He even sent me a screenshot of his flight info. He flew out at seven this morning.”
Ning Shiyue said, “That’s impossible... then how could he possibly make it back by Friday?”
Ning Shiyue stopped himself just in time before finishing the second half of his sentence.
He had promised Xie Zhiyan to keep it a secret. They had already messed up last time, so this time there was absolutely no way he would let anything slip.
Still, the lingering doubts in his mind hadn’t completely faded.
At the same moment, Ning Yuxuan’s phone rang.
She took out her phone, and both her and Ning Shiyue’s eyes landed on the screen.
Seeing the caller ID read “Agent Xie,” Ning Shiyue was confused for a moment, then suddenly understood.
Terms of address might be playful between couples, but the name “Xie” was unmistakable.
“Go ahead and chat!” Ning Shiyue hurriedly said, “I’m heading back first!”
Watching Ning Shiyue’s hurried retreating figure, Ning Yuxuan was momentarily speechless.
She answered the call, “Hello? The busy man finally has time to find me?”
Xie Zhiyan’s voice was as magnetic and pleasant as ever, seemingly not catching the teasing tone in her voice, calmly explaining, “Just had dinner with a client, just got back to the hotel not long ago. What about you?”
Ning Yuxuan: “I just got back too. Had some late-night snacks—barbecue.”
Xie Zhiyan: “With Shiyue?”
Ning Yuxuan rolled her eyes, “Yeah, but not just him. There were several other guys too… Let me think, there were probably five in total, all really handsome, and way younger than you.”
Ning Yuxuan was just speaking casually.
But thinking back roughly, those guys really were several years younger than Xie Zhiyan.
All the young actors who joined the barbecue gathering had briefly introduced themselves to Ning Yuxuan beforehand. The youngest was still studying at the film academy, only eighteen.
Xie Zhiyan chuckled softly.
“Are you telling me this to make me come back sooner?”
Ning Yuxuan pouted, “I didn’t say that. Besides, even if I told you to come back early, would you actually do it?”
Xie Zhiyan just sent her his flight itinerary for going abroad.
Ning Yuxuan still didn’t know when he would return and hadn’t taken the initiative to ask.
Xie Zhiyan’s tone was calm, “This time it’s about a cross-border cooperation. The situation is quite complicated. There will be a few more meetings, so I probably won’t be flying back until next week.”
Ning Yuxuan’s heart sank a little.
She had long expected the trip wouldn’t be short. Traveling tens of thousands of kilometers back and forth, there was no way he could return in just two or three days.
But hearing it from Xie Zhiyan himself still stirred some emotions inside.
She suppressed the feelings in her heart, “Oh, I understand.”
Xie Zhiyan: “Not happy?”
Ning Yuxuan: “No.”
Xie Zhiyan: “Not missing me?”
Without thinking, Ning Yuxuan denied it, “No, not at all.”
There was a few seconds of silence on the phone before Xie Zhiyan sighed softly, “But I do.”
Ning Yuxuan: “…”
She had heard similar words many times yesterday and thought she had become immune.
Yet her heart still betrayed her, racing uncontrollably.
Ning Yuxuan pursed her lips, telling herself not to be enchanted by this man.
It was clearly him who suddenly had to go on a business trip, him who said he wouldn’t be back this week, and now he was saying all these things.
Ning Yuxuan didn’t reply for a long moment.
Xie Zhiyan asked her, “Are you downstairs at the hotel?”
Startled, Ning Yuxuan instinctively glanced around.
Then she felt ridiculous—Xie Zhiyan was on the other side of the world. There was no way he could be here.
“How do you know?” Ning Yuxuan asked.
Xie Zhiyan said, “I could tell from the sound of your voice over there.”
Ning Yuxuan said she had just returned to the hotel.
In the background, the faint noise of traffic could be heard, with the occasional passerby walking by.
Ning Yuxuan was amazed at the man’s sharp senses. She responded with a soft “Hmm,” then said, “I was just about to go upstairs with Ning Shiyue when you called. I’m downstairs answering your call.”
Xie Zhiyan asked, “Is it cold outside tonight? Do you want to come back first?”
“It’s okay, I…” Ning Yuxuan hesitated.
She wanted to say she was wearing a long dress with a light jacket over it—just the right temperature.
Suddenly recalling the question Xie Zhiyan had asked yesterday, as if possessed, Ning Yuxuan spoke up, “Do you want to see what this dress looks like on me right now?”
