There isn't much information about Xie Zhiyan online.
Unlike the flood of promotional articles and retouched photos that pop up when searching for celebrities, typing "Xie Zhiyan" mostly yields news reports.
Attending the World Entrepreneurs Summit in one month, participating in a high-profile tech conference the next—most netizens might not grasp the significance of these events, but just the names alone exude prestige.
A glance at Xie Zhiyan's profile reveals an overwhelming list of titles: founder, chairman, and CEO of Hengjiang Group; ranked among China's Top 50 Most Influential Business Leaders, and so on.
While industry insiders are already familiar with the name "Xie Zhiyan," even outsiders can tell from these credentials that he’s a heavyweight.
Suddenly, the live chat explodes with comments.
Some are quick to educate others:
["This is the CEO of Hengjiang Group! Just check their stock price today to see how loaded he is!"]
["Yep, we’re talking about a real tycoon here—net worth in the tens of billions."]
["Let’s put it this way: all the previous guests on this show combined probably don’t come close to his wealth."]
Others are in awe:
["Rich AND ridiculously good-looking? What flaw did God even give him?"]
["They say you can only pick two out of tall, rich, and handsome—clearly, that’s a lie!!!"]
Some marvel at the show’s clout:
Big shots like him rarely appear on variety shows, and Xie Zhiyan himself has never participated in televised programs before.
["No way, our show’s actually this influential?! They managed to land a titan like him?"]
["Suddenly our little variety show feels ultra-classy lol. Director, who do you know in high places?"]
Then there’s the shock over Ning Fei’s connections:
["Ning Fei and Xie Zhiyan are friends? An A-list actress and a business magnate—feels like worlds colliding."]
["Teacher Ning Fei is full of surprises!"]
Lastly, a small faction mourns their dashed shipping dreams:
["So he’s really not Ning Yuxuan’s boyfriend? Ugh, disappointing!"]
["Seriously, their height and looks are so compatible—they’d make the perfect golden couple just standing together!"]
The director grins ear-to-ear at the skyrocketing engagement.
He knew pulling strings to invite Xie Zhiyan was the right move.
The only regret? Xie Zhiyan declined to appear as Ning Yuxuan’s boyfriend, opting instead for Ning Fei’s friend.
His exact words were: "Whether to go public is something I need to discuss with my girlfriend. I can’t make that decision for her."
The director understood—landing Xie Zhiyan was already a stroke of luck, so he agreed without hesitation.
Besides, it made sense for someone like Xie Zhiyan to guard his privacy and avoid exposing too much of his personal life.
After each guest arrives, the first order of business is introductions, followed by presenting gifts.
A staff member asks Ning Fei, "Teacher Ning, would you like to introduce Mr. Xie?"
Ning Fei hesitates, unsure where to begin.
She glances at her daughter, then at Xie Zhiyan. "Zhiyan, why don’t you introduce yourself?"
Xie Zhiyan smiles faintly. "Of course."
Ning Yuxuan maintains a composed facade, offering him a polite smile as if attentively waiting for his introduction.
Xie Zhiyan’s gaze sweeps over her briefly.
Their eyes meet for less than a second, and Ning Yuxuan’s fingers tighten unconsciously.
Xie Zhiyan begins, "My mother and Teacher Ning were university classmates and have been close friends for years. I grew up under Teacher Ning’s care."
He pauses, then adds, "There’s another connection—I’ll be collaborating with Teacher Ning as an investor for her upcoming project."
["Ah, that explains it! No wonder they know each other!"]
["Wait, did I hear that right? A new film? So Teacher Ning’s really making a comeback?"]
["I think I get it now—Xie’s here to promote Ning Fei’s new movie, right?"]
After two months of preparation, The Misdelivered Letter has secured funding and finalized its cast.
With the project greenlit, filming is set to begin soon.
Ning Fei catches Xie Zhiyan’s intention—he’s here as her friend, not to disclose his relationship with her daughter.
She nods and takes over. "Yes, and I’d like to take this opportunity to share some news with everyone. I’m returning to the film industry, and a new work should be ready for release soon."
The production team is pleasantly surprised—Ning Fei’s comeback announcement is an unexpected bonus.
A triple-crown actress returning to the screen is guaranteed to trend, and the show will ride that wave.
A staff member eagerly asks, "Teacher Ning, could you share more details about the project?"
Ning Fei smiles lightly. "We’re still in early stages, so I’ll keep it brief for now. Stay tuned for official updates—the project should release next year."
Though she reveals little, longtime viewers recall Ning Fei and Qin Man reviewing a script together during a past livestream.
Excitement builds.
["Does this mean Ning Fei and Qin Man are really collaborating? It’s practically confirmed!"]
["So we basically witnessed the birth of this project! Both actresses first read the script right here on our show."]
Sensing Ning Fei’s reluctance to elaborate, the staff moves on to the next segment: presenting Xie Zhiyan’s gifts.
A bag of fruit, a premium snack and nut assortment, and a limited-edition cap.
"The fruit and nuts are for Teacher Ning," Xie Zhiyan says. "The cap is a birthday gift for Shi Yue."
["Wait, Xie Zhiyan knows Shi Yue too? And they seem pretty close?"]
["Their moms are friends, so it makes sense they’d be acquainted. But now that I think about it, why does Ning Yuxuan seem less familiar with Xie Zhiyan?"]
["Maybe same-gender friendships are stronger? Boys hung out with boys, girls with girls when they were kids."]
Ning Fei thanks him. "I’ll put Shi Yue’s gift in his room so it doesn’t get misplaced before he’s back."
While her mother steps away, Ning Yuxuan eyes the fruit and snacks Xie Zhiyan brought.
The fruits included papaya, grapes, kiwi, and peaches.
The first three were favorites of both her mother and herself, while the last one was something only she enjoyed.
As for the snack gift box, Ning Fei didn’t eat any of it—no surprise there—so in the end, it would all inevitably end up in her stomach.
In other words, although Xie Zhiyan’s gifts were ostensibly for her mother, more than half were actually meant for her.
Thinking of this, Ning Yuxuan glanced up at Xie Zhiyan.
Just then, their eyes met.
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Even if she wasn’t planning to publicly reveal her relationship with Xie Zhiyan on the show yet, she couldn’t act like they were sworn enemies, avoiding conversation even when their gazes crossed.
Clearing her throat, Ning Yuxuan said, "Thank you."
Xie Zhiyan: "You’re welcome."
[LOL, this is so awkward. These two really don’t seem close at all.]
[HAHAHA this reminds me of those family reunions where the adults leave, and I’m just sitting there staring at my distant cousins in silence.]
After Ning Fei returned, the crew moved on to the next segment, where the three of them would chat together.
With the fruits and snacks laid out on the coffee table, Ning Fei suggested they could munch while talking.
Ning Yuxuan picked out a small packet of macadamia nuts from the gift box.
The grapes had already been washed, but Ning Fei rinsed them again in the kitchen before bringing them out on a tray.
The conversation revolved around Ning Fei’s friendship with Zheng Xinmei.
Ning Fei began by recounting how she and Zheng Xinmei first met: "Zhiyan’s mother and I were classmates in the acting program during undergrad..."
After briefly reminiscing about their university days, Ning Fei skipped over the period when she was married and raising children.
Even though she had made peace with that chapter of her life, she still avoided mentioning anything related to her ex-husband in public.
She jumped straight to her return to the film industry.
"When I first came to Beicheng, I was juggling raising two kids and acting," Ning Fei said. "I owe a lot to Zhiyan’s mother for helping me through that time."
Xie Zhiyan nodded. "My mother and Teacher Ning have always been close. Because of their friendship, I grew up watching her films."
Ning Fei smiled modestly. "You flatter me. I was just lucky to be noticed by directors and land a few decent roles."
Ning Yuxuan, who was busy cracking open a macadamia nut, chimed in without looking up: "Not just decent—they were amazing!"
Then she glanced at Xie Zhiyan, suddenly feeling the urge to put him on the spot.
"President Xie," she said, "you mentioned you grew up watching my mom’s films. So, which one do you think is her best work?"
This was the first time Ning Yuxuan had actively addressed Xie Zhiyan since they’d all sat down.
Xie Zhiyan met her gaze, his expression unreadable.
"Teacher Ning’s filmography isn’t extensive," he replied smoothly, "and each of her works explores different themes, making it hard to single out one as the best."
Ning Yuxuan tossed the nut shell into the trash. "But if you had to pick one?"
A faint crease appeared between Xie Zhiyan’s brows.
Ning Yuxuan kept her tone casual. "Sorry, President Xie, I’m just curious. You don’t mind, do you?"
(Translation: I just want to mess with you a little.)
A flicker of amusement passed through Xie Zhiyan’s eyes before he answered calmly, "Choosing the best is difficult, but if we’re talking about my personal favorite, I do have an answer."
Ning Yuxuan: "...Which one?"
Xie Zhiyan: "The Story of If."
This was Ning Fei’s first film after her comeback, where she delivered a masterful performance portraying the protagonist, "Li Ruguo," from age twenty to thirty-nine.
However, the film didn’t earn her any major awards—just a few nominations.
Given that it was her return project after years away from the industry, many had been skeptical, and due to factors like scheduling and production quality, its box office performance had been modest.
Compared to Ning Fei’s more famous works, this one often flew under the radar.
Hearing this, Ning Fei also looked at Xie Zhiyan with interest, curious about his reasons for liking it.
Xie Zhiyan explained evenly, "There’s one scene that left a deep impression on me—the protagonist standing on a beach at sunset, gazing at the ocean. It was beautiful and poetic."
Ning Fei smiled warmly. "That scene was truly special. I remember our crew waited three whole days for the perfect sunset. The first two days were either rainy or overcast, but on the third day, we finally managed to capture it just before the sun disappeared."
Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Yuxuan, do you remember? You were there that day."
Ning Yuxuan had been very young at the time, but she still remembered that shoot.
Ning Fei knew her daughter well—impatient and hating to memorize lines, Ning Yuxuan wasn’t cut out for the long waits and script-heavy demands of a film set.
So whenever directors asked if Ning Yuxuan could make a cameo as a child character, Ning Fei always declined on her behalf.
Only once had she agreed: for a scene where the protagonist’s eight-year-old daughter held her hand on the beach.
Ning Yuxuan’s age fit perfectly, and since no lines were required, she participated.
It was the only time she ever shared the big screen with her mother—just ten seconds of footage, but deeply meaningful.
Thinking back, Ning Yuxuan felt a quiet stirring in her chest.
Out of all Ning Fei’s acclaimed works, Xie Zhiyan had chosen this one—and specifically mentioned the scene where she’d appeared.
It was hard not to suspect he’d done it on purpose.
Ning Yuxuan resisted the urge to look at Xie Zhiyan and simply replied, "Yes, I remember."
Most viewers in the livestream were familiar with Ning Fei’s more famous films, and few had seen this lesser-known one.
As for Ning Yuxuan’s cameo, the movie hadn’t promoted it, so even fewer knew about it.
For now, no one picked up on the detail, and the discussion moved elsewhere.
[Didn’t expect President Xie to name such an underrated film. Guess CEOs just have different tastes?]
[Honestly, Xie Zhiyan seems really patient. Ning Yuxuan kept pressing him, but he answered so thoughtfully.]
[+1 I thought Ning Yuxuan was being a bit rude insisting he pick one, but he didn’t brush her off at all.]
[That’s the mark of a true leader—grace under pressure!]
After discussing the beach scene, Ning Fei naturally segued into other memories from filming.
As her comeback project, that movie remained vivid in her mind even years later.
Ning Yuxuan peeled macadamia nuts while listening attentively.
By the time Ning Fei reached the part about the wrap party, Ning Yuxuan had just finished the small packet of nuts.
Her throat felt a bit dry after eating them, so she took a sip of water.
A grape was handed to her.
Without thinking, Ning Yuxuan accepted it and popped it into her mouth.
The second grape followed the same way.
When the third grape was offered, she finally realized something was off.
The person handing her the grapes wasn’t Ning Fei—it was… Xie Zhiyan.
Compared to her mother, Xie Zhiyan’s fingers were noticeably longer, his knuckles more pronounced. It should’ve been easy to tell them apart.
But Xie Zhiyan had given her fruit before, and she’d been too absorbed in Ning Fei’s story about the wrap party to register who was passing her the grapes.
Now that she’d noticed, her hand froze.
The third grape was pinched between her thumb and forefinger—eat it or not?
After a brief pause, she slipped it into her mouth anyway.
Not eating it would’ve been too obvious.
Sharp-eyed viewers didn’t miss the small moment.
[...Did I just see Xie Zhiyan hand Ning Yuxuan three grapes?]
[Yes, you did! And she ate them like it was the most natural thing!]
CP fans, who had been disheartened by the lack of interaction between the two earlier, were now buzzing with excitement.
[Who said they weren’t close? Passing fruit like that? Textbook couple behavior!]
I’m screamingggg—that scene needs a deep dive! Only couples have that kind of understanding!
Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan’s visuals were perfectly matched—a stunning beauty and a CEO, straight out of a romance drama.
In no time, a fervent fanbase had sprung up around them.
But most viewers remained level-headed, urging the shippers to calm down.
[Chill out! It’s just a few grapes. Are we really overanalyzing this? For all we know, they could both be married.]
[Weren’t you the same people shipping Duan Ziyao and Ning Yuxuan before? You can turn any interaction into a love story.]
[Think about it—Xie Zhiyan gets along well with the rest of the Ning family. If he and Ning Yuxuan were really together, why wouldn’t they just go public?]
The CP fans knew their logic was flimsy, but they stubbornly fired back.
[It’s called couple’s banter, okay?!]
[You just don’t get it—this is the thrill of a secret romance! Public displays are boring; flirting under the nation’s gaze is where it’s at!]
They were just spouting nonsense to defend their ship.
Little did they know, they were accidentally closer to the truth than they realized.
To avoid Xie Zhiyan handing her more grapes, Ning Yuxuan spoke up after finishing the last one. "I’m going to wash a peach."
She stood and hurried to the kitchen.
Since filming was entirely at home today, the crew hadn’t confiscated phones.
The cameras were all focused on the living room, leaving the kitchen with only a few stationary GoPros.
As Ning Yuxuan stood at the sink, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Figuring she could check for messages while out of sight, she pulled it out in a blind spot of the GoPros.
Her fingers stilled when she saw the sender’s name.
Xie Zhiyan: [Running away?]
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Who was running?!
And he was the one who’d shown up unannounced—now he had the nerve to act like she was the one being shady!
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, but after a few seconds, she decided against replying.
Better not risk it—who knew what his situation was?
Back in the living room, Xie Zhiyan slipped his phone back into his pocket.
Normally, viewers might criticize guests for using their phones during a live shoot, but with Xie Zhiyan, no one batted an eye.
The man was a Fortune 500 CEO—of course he had messages to attend to.
Only the CP fans were losing their minds.
[See?! The second Ning Yuxuan leaves, he texts her. If that’s not love, what is?!]
[I’m deceased—real couples can’t stand to be apart for even a minute!]
Most of the live chat had given up arguing with the shippers, though a few still tried.
[He’s a CEO! Replying to messages is part of the job—probably just work stuff.]
[LOL you CP fans are wild. Next you’ll be saying they already have kids.]
Ning Yuxuan returned to the couch with her washed peach.
Ning Fei had moved on to discussing another film.
Ning Yuxuan quietly nibbled at her peach, taking deliberately small bites.
The fruit was sweet—normally, she’d finish one in three minutes flat.
But tonight, she ate with exaggerated slowness, both to keep her hands occupied and to deter Xie Zhiyan from offering her more grapes.
Even Ning Fei noticed.
"Yuxuan?" she asked. "Is the peach not sweet?"
Ning Yuxuan: "No, it’s very sweet."
Ning Fei: "Then why…?"
Ning Yuxuan blurted the first excuse that came to mind: "My tooth hurts a little. Can’t open my mouth too wide."
Ning Fei took it seriously. "Is it bad?"
Ning Yuxuan quickly shook her head. "No, not at all. Probably just from chewing the nuts too hard earlier."
Ning Fei nodded. "If it still hurts tomorrow, go see a dentist."
Xie Zhiyan chimed in, "True, toothaches shouldn’t be ignored. I know a good dentist—I can schedule an appointment if you’d like."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
She looked up at him, certain he’d seen right through her excuse.
Others might miss it, but she knew his expressions too well.
That slight curl at the corner of his mouth? He was enjoying this.
Through gritted teeth, she replied, "How generous of you, President Xie."
Xie Zhiyan smiled faintly. "Don’t mention it. Just a small favor."
The CP fans pounced.
[HE CARES ABOUT HER!!]
[I KNOW RIGHT?!]
Most viewers had grown numb to these outbursts, either amused or rolling their eyes at how shippers could twist even polite small talk into romance.
After spending twenty minutes on a single peach, Ning Yuxuan passed another half-hour idly flipping through a book on the coffee table.
In short, the goal was to keep her hands busy and leave no opportunity for Xie Zhiyan to act.
Finally, the chatting segment came to an end.
The production team announced that Xie Zhiyan would now join the two of them in preparing dinner for the evening.
Xie Zhiyan was wearing a light-colored shirt today, which wasn’t the most practical for cooking.
The man lowered his head to undo his cufflinks, rolling up his sleeves to reveal a glimpse of his forearms.
The director, well aware of the appeal, gave this moment a solid ten-second close-up—prompting a flurry of "Ahhh!!" in the live chat.
Upon entering the kitchen, Xie Zhiyan took an apron hanging by the door and put it on.
Given his effortlessly refined demeanor, the dark gray apron didn’t look out of place at all—instead, it might as well have been a high-end fashion accessory.
Xie Zhiyan glanced back at Ning Yuxuan, who was trailing behind.
Ning Yuxuan instinctively froze, her internal alarms blaring: This man was probably about to say something she wouldn’t know how to respond to.
Sure enough, he spoke the next second.
"Could you tie the straps for me?" Xie Zhiyan’s tone was calm and polite. "Thanks in advance."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
The audience: "???"
