In Ning Shiyue's eyes, he had known Ning Yuxuan since the day he was born.
Having grown up together for over twenty years, he was fully aware of every guy who had pursued Ning Yuxuan and everyone she had ever liked.
So naturally, if Ning Yuxuan started dating or got married, he should be the first to know.
Staring at the red certificates on the coffee table, Ning Shiyue could hardly believe his eyes.
Even if he hadn't seen it firsthand, he recognized them—dark red covers with gold embossed lettering, palm-sized, and two of them.
Without a second thought for embarrassment or awkwardness, he strode to the table without even greeting anyone properly.
A closer look confirmed it—the words "Marriage Certificate" were printed clearly on the cover.
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Had he been working too hard on his latest drama this past month? Was he hallucinating?
Noticing his reaction, Ning Yuxuan exchanged a glance with their mother before looking at Xie Zhiyan beside her.
After a brief hesitation, she decided not to stop Ning Shiyue from what he was about to do.
After all, the truth would come out sooner or later. It was better to reveal it now, at least ensuring Ning Shiyue found out on the same day as Ning Fei.
Otherwise, if the whole family kept it from him, who knew how he’d react when he eventually discovered it on his own?
Ning Shiyue paid no attention to the others’ expressions. Without hesitation, he picked up the two red booklets.
Opening one, the bright red official seals confirmed their legitimacy.
Flipping to the next page, a maroon-colored background framed the smiling faces of a man and a woman.
Ning Yuxuan’s smile was as radiant as ever, while Xie Zhiyan looked unusually gentle, his usual sharpness softened, lips curved in a faint smile.
A perfect pair.
But Ning Shiyue was in no mood to appreciate it.
His eyes widened, as if trying to bore a hole through the photo with his gaze.
Shifting his attention slightly, the "Holder" column clearly displayed the name "Ning Yuxuan." Below it were the basic details of both Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan.
As for the other booklet in his hand, he didn’t even need to check—it would be the same.
Ning Shiyue froze for five seconds before flipping through the pages again—back and forth, back and forth—as if hoping to find something hidden in the thin sheets of paper.
But his mind was completely blank. Aside from their names, none of the other words registered.
Ning Yuxuan couldn’t hold back any longer. "What are you flipping through so much? Be careful not to tear it."
Ning Shiyue finally snapped out of his daze and slowly uttered, "What is this?"
Ning Yuxuan coughed awkwardly. "As you can see… a marriage certificate."
Ning Shiyue: "..."
He still couldn’t believe it.
"Is this real? The kind you get from the civil affairs office?" Ning Shiyue pressed. "Not a prop? Not a prank? Not a fake you had someone make?"
Ning Yuxuan was stunned by his imagination, torn between laughing and staying serious. "Ning Shiyue, forging official documents is illegal."
Ning Shiyue: "...Oh."
Ning Yuxuan blinked, studying him.
Was the shock too much? Had he short-circuited?
After another glance at the certificates, Ning Shiyue asked after a pause, "Then… is it because Xie Zhiyan’s family has a house undergoing demolition, and you want a share?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
If he was coming up with excuses like this, it showed just how hard he was struggling to accept reality.
Ning Yuxuan: "No."
She cleared her throat and explained, "There’s no convoluted reason. Xie Zhiyan and I really got married."
This time, Ning Shiyue lowered his head and stayed silent for a full minute.
Ning Yuxuan didn’t rush him, giving him time to process.
Finally, Ning Shiyue looked up again, enunciating each word, "So, while I was away from Beicheng, you secretly got married? Not only didn’t you discuss it with me beforehand, but you were planning to hide it from me along with everyone else?"
Ning Fei: "Xiao Yue—"
Ning Shiyue cut her off. "Mom, don’t defend her. I want to hear it from her."
Ning Fei closed her mouth silently, glancing at Xie Zhiyan beside her daughter.
It was like déjà vu.
Earlier, when Xie Zhiyan had tried to speak, she had stopped him the same way.
With a barely audible sigh, Ning Fei said, "I’ll go upstairs and change first."
Once their mother had left, Ning Yuxuan looked at Xie Zhiyan. "Go pour us some water."
Clearly, Ning Shiyue wanted answers from her alone. Having Xie Zhiyan here wouldn’t help—if anything, it might make things worse.
When only the two of them remained in the living room, Ning Yuxuan spoke. "Ning Shiyue, don’t get worked up. Let me explain."
"Who’s worked up?" Ning Shiyue glared. "Why would I be? You’re the one getting married, not me. It has nothing to do with me. Why should I care? Why should I be upset?"
Ning Yuxuan: "...So, do you still want to hear my explanation or not?"
Ning Shiyue nearly choked on his own breath.
What kind of response was that?
Couldn’t she tell he was just venting? Just because he said he didn’t care, she’d really drop it?
Now even angrier, Ning Shiyue snapped, "Fine, don’t say anything then. I—"
"I’ll talk, I’ll talk!" Seeing their sibling bond teetering on the edge, Ning Yuxuan hurried to salvage it. "It’s not as bad as you think. First, I didn’t sneak off to get married while you were away from Beicheng."
Ning Shiyue: "...What do you mean?"
Ning Yuxuan: "The marriage certificate is right in your hands. Look at the date—it’s from June. You hadn’t even started filming then."
Ning Shiyue froze, checking the certificate again. The registration date was indeed June.
After a few seconds of mental processing, realization dawned, and his expression grew even more incredulous.
"So…" Ning Shiyue stared at her, "You’ve been married for over a month and didn’t bother to tell me?"
His voice cracked on the last word from sheer disbelief.
Ning Yuxuan cleared her throat. "Which brings me to my second point—I didn’t tell you right away, but it wasn’t just you. I kept it from Mom too. She only found out today when she stumbled upon the certificates while looking for something in the study. At most, she knew a few hours before you."
Ning Shiyue: "..."
As ridiculous as it sounded, Ning Shiyue had to admit—hearing this did make him feel slightly, just slightly, better.
But only a little. He wasn’t about to forgive her that easily.
"So what?" Ning Shiyue demanded gruffly. "What difference does that make?"
From his harsh tone, Ning Yuxuan detected a faint softening.
So she continued in a gentle tone, "I admit it was wrong of me to hide my marriage from all of you. But there’s some backstory to this. Do you want to hear it?"
Ning Shiyue: "...Go ahead."
Ning Yuxuan: "Well, here’s what happened..."
She repeated the same explanation she had given Ning Fei earlier to Ning Shiyue.
It was almost amusing—because she had just recounted the entire story to her mother in detail, this time Ning Yuxuan explained it even more smoothly, quickly laying out the whole situation.
After listening, Ning Shiyue stared at her blankly: "So, you got married just to open a new store?"
Ning Yuxuan corrected him: "Not one store—four. And it wasn’t about 'getting married off.' It was a conditional partnership with Xie Zhiyan."
Even though their fake marriage had turned real, and they were now truly husband and wife, Ning Yuxuan had never seen it as "marrying into the Xie family."
Ning Shiyue muttered, "I don’t see much difference. Besides..."
He still couldn’t wrap his head around it: "Were those new stores really that important? If you were short on money, you could’ve just told me. Was marriage really necessary for this?"
Ning Yuxuan’s brow twitched slightly: "Told you?"
Ning Shiyue cleared his throat loudly: "Not that I’m offering to support you or anything! I just mean our family isn’t struggling. I make a decent income from my work every year. Did you really have to rush into marriage just to boost the family’s finances?"
Judging by his expression and tone, Ning Yuxuan could tell his anger had mostly subsided.
She rarely spoke to Ning Shiyue with this much patience, but keeping her marriage a secret from him was indeed her fault.
Ning Yuxuan said softly, "You’re right. I didn’t think it through. But in the end, things turned out well, didn’t they?"
"How is this 'well'..." Ning Shiyue murmured. "You just got married like that, and I didn’t even get to have a proper talk with Zhiyan-ge as your brother."
Lately, Ning Shiyue had been busy filming on set.
During breaks, he had often imagined returning to Beicheng and sitting down with Xie Zhiyan for a serious conversation—one where he’d assert himself as Ning Yuxuan’s younger brother.
He had even rehearsed a line in his head: Zhiyan-ge, even though I’ve always supported you two being together and hoped you’d make it work, if you ever treat my sister poorly, I’ll stand firmly by her side.
But now, before he even got the chance, the two of them had already tied the knot.
Thinking about this, the anger Ning Shiyue had nearly let go of began creeping back.
He shot Ning Yuxuan a sidelong glance: "Don’t think I’m that easy to appease. I’m still not fully on board with this."
Ning Yuxuan smiled faintly: "Then what do you want? I’m listening."
Ning Shiyue: "I need to have a man-to-man talk with your boyfrie—no, your husband!"
Ning Yuxuan nearly laughed out loud.
But she kept a straight face and nodded seriously: "Alright. When do you plan to have this talk?"
Ning Shiyue: "Within the next couple of days!"
Ning Yuxuan: "How about right now?"
Ning Shiyue: "Wha—"
Before he could finish, footsteps stopped beside him.
"Shiyue." Xie Zhiyan stood next to him, his tone steady. "Would you like some water?"
Ning Shiyue instinctively took the glass: "Thanks."
Ning Yuxuan arched an eyebrow, watching him with amusement.
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Being too polite was a problem—it instantly deflated his momentum.
"Ahem." Ning Shiyue held the glass without drinking. "Zhiyan-ge, there’s something I want to talk to you about."
Xie Zhiyan’s gaze flickered slightly: "Alright."
Ning Yuxuan glanced between them: "Should I step away, then?"
She suppressed a laugh. "After all, it is a man-to-man conversation."
Xie Zhiyan, unaware of their earlier exchange, raised a brow at her words.
Ning Shiyue shot her a glare.
He was being serious here—what was with that tone?
He put on his most solemn expression: "Yes, you should leave."
Ning Yuxuan nodded seriously: "Fine, you two talk."
Since she hadn’t consulted Ning Shiyue at all before getting married, letting him have this conversation with Xie Zhiyan was the least she could do.
Not that she was worried about Xie Zhiyan. If he couldn’t handle Ning Shiyue, his reputation in the business world would be meaningless.
Leaving the two men in the living room, Ning Yuxuan went to the dining area, where she found her mother.
Ning Fei looked up as her daughter approached: "Did you explain things to Shiyue?"
Ning Yuxuan nodded.
Ning Fei: "Is he still upset?"
Ning Yuxuan hummed in agreement: "I talked it through with him. He was... pretty annoyed at first, but he came around. He should be fine now."
Ning Fei relaxed: "Good."
She had been prepared to step in if Ning Shiyue remained angry—she couldn’t let resentment fester between her children.
Ning Fei: "So where is he now?"
Ning Yuxuan chuckled: "He insisted on having a 'man-to-man talk' with Xie Zhiyan, so I left them to it in the living room."
Ning Fei laughed as well.
Ning Yuxuan: "Mom, don’t you think Shiyue is ridiculous? He’s never even been in a relationship, yet he’s acting like some seasoned expert."
Ning Fei smiled: "He means well."
"By the way," Ning Fei added, "I’ve asked Auntie Xu to prepare a few extra dishes. The four of us can have dinner together later?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Sure."
After a pause, she added: "Make a couple of Shiyue’s favorites too—as an apology. Oh, and yours as well, Mom."
Ning Fei smiled: "I’ll let Auntie Xu know."
As her mother turned toward the kitchen, Ning Yuxuan called out: "Mom!"
Ning Fei looked back: "What is it, Xuanxuan?"
Ning Yuxuan hesitated.
"...You’re really not angry with me anymore?" she asked.
After explaining at length to Ning Shiyue, she had realized just how quickly her mother had forgiven her.
She had cried, and her mother had comforted her instead.
Ning Fei’s gaze softened: "I already told you—I’m not angry."
All she wanted was for her daughter to be happy.
Though Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan had married for other reasons at first, Ning Fei had seen how genuinely joyful her daughter had been since falling in love with him.
She knew her daughter well—none of that happiness was faked.
How could she possibly stay angry?
Her mother’s voice was so tender that Ning Yuxuan’s eyes stung again: "Mom..."
Ning Fei smiled and pulled her into a hug.
"Silly girl," Ning Fei said softly, "Stop crying now, or Mom will have to change clothes again."
Ning Yuxuan wiped her tears and smiled, nodding vigorously. "Okay."
...
At 5:30 in the evening, dinner wasn’t ready yet.
Ning Yuxuan drank some water, changed her clothes in the bedroom, and replied to a few work messages.
When she returned to the first floor and glanced at the living room, she saw Ning Shiyue and Xie Zhiyan still sitting on the sofa.
Unable to contain her curiosity, she walked over to them.
As she approached, both turned to look at her.
Ning Yuxuan spoke first. "You two, still talking?"
Ning Shiyue coughed theatrically. "Almost done."
She glanced at him, then at Xie Zhiyan.
Xie Zhiyan’s expression was calm, even relaxed—nothing like someone who had just been interrogated.
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
She should’ve known. Ning Shiyue was all bark and no bite.
For a moment, she’d actually hoped he might give Xie Zhiyan a hard time.
"So, what were you talking about?" she asked. "Anything I’m allowed to hear?"
Ning Shiyue immediately replied, "No."
She rolled her eyes, thinking she’d just ask Xie Zhiyan later.
Ning Shiyue frowned. "Why are you here?"
"Mom told me to tell you that dinner will still take a while, so you and Xie Zhiyan should rest a bit longer," she said, then added, "By the way, I haven’t asked—weren’t you filming? Why are you back so suddenly?"
As she spoke, she sat down on the sofa.
Since she was addressing Ning Shiyue, she naturally took the spot closer to him.
Noticing her choice, Ning Shiyue’s lips twitched upward briefly before he schooled his expression.
Even if she was married now, he was still the one who’d known her the longest.
"The crew gave me four and a half days off," he explained. "From noon today till Sunday. I’ll go back Monday to resume shooting."
Ning Yuxuan thought about the filming schedule for the variety show. "So you’re joining us for Mom?"
Ning Shiyue nodded. "Yeah, the crew assigned me a promotional task. They’ll shoot other scenes first while I do the livestream."
Ning Yuxuan: "Oh."
Ning Shiyue frowned. "We haven’t seen each other in so long, and I finally get to spend a few days with you. Aren’t you even a little happy?"
She deadpanned, "Happy or not, you’re already here."
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Something felt off.
Earlier, when he’d discovered she’d kept her marriage from him, he’d briefly held the moral high ground and enjoyed a rare half-hour of "gentle Ning Yuxuan."
Had that privilege already expired?
Indignant, he huffed, "Ning Yuxuan, I get that you’re ungrateful, but this is too fast! Let me remind you—I’m still not completely over this! If you don’t—"
Mid-sentence, he remembered Xie Zhiyan was still sitting right there.
He’d just spent the last half-hour trying to sound mature and composed in their conversation.
If he started bickering with Ning Yuxuan now, all that effort would be wasted.
Swallowing the rest of his words, he muttered instead, "Ning Yuxuan… can’t you be a little nicer to me?"
The words came out sounding almost plaintive.
Ning Yuxuan blinked.
Fine, she had kept things from him. She’d humor him this once.
Putting on her most sincere expression, she said, "You’ve worked so hard filming. Mom and I missed you. Welcome to the show. Are you tired? Thirsty? Should I get you more water?"
Ning Shiyue: "..."
That was somehow worse.
"Forget it," he grumbled. "Just act normal."
Under his breath, he added, "I must’ve owed you in a past life."
After questioning Ning Shiyue, Ning Yuxuan turned to Xie Zhiyan. "So, what did you two talk about?"
Ning Shiyue: "?"
He was right here, and she was already ignoring him to ask Xie Zhiyan?
Xie Zhiyan smiled faintly. "Shiyue asked me to take good care of you and shared some of your preferences."
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Now he understood—husband and wife were always on the same team.
He’d barely finished talking to Xie Zhiyan before being sold out.
At least Xie Zhiyan had kept his word and didn’t reveal the "profound" advice he’d painstakingly prepared.
Ning Yuxuan hummed. "My preferences? Ning Shiyue, do you really know me?"
He glared. "I’m your brother. We’ve known each other for over twenty years—what do you think?"
"Then what’s my favorite food?"
"Are you serious? Every time we ate together, Mom would have Auntie Xu make dishes only you liked. How could I not remember?"
"Fair," she conceded. "Then what kind of shows and movies do I like?"
Ning Shiyue: "...You dragged me into watching your favorite films as a kid. When I refused, you threatened to hit me. Remember?"
She thought for a moment, then brightened. "Oh right! I made you watch that zombie apocalypse movie, and halfway through, you cried and said you’d tattle to Mom."
Ning Shiyue: "Lies! I didn’t cry!"
Unfazed, she insisted, "You did."
Ning Shiyue turned to Xie Zhiyan. "Zhiyan-ge, believe me, she’s making this up. There’s no way I cried!"
Ning Yuxuan smirked. "Zhiyan-ge won’t believe you. He’s my husband."
Ning Shiyue: "...So what? Zhiyan-ge and I were closer back then. He knows I’d never cry over something like that!"
...
At 5:50 PM, Ning Fei interrupted their squabble.
"Shiyue," she said, "Dinner’s almost ready. Come help me set the table and serve the rice."
Even after years of living comfortably, Ning Fei still preferred doing small chores herself rather than leaving everything to the help.
Ning Shiyue stood. "Got it."
Ning Fei turned to the others. "Yuxuan, Zhiyan, go wash up. Dinner will be ready soon."
They agreed.
Ning Yuxuan headed to the bathroom.
The moment she stepped inside, strong arms encircled her from behind.
After sharing the most intimate moments, even the simplest touch now carried a different weight.
Ning Yuxuan's breath hitched slightly as she turned to glance at Xie Zhiyan. "Washing my hands," she said.
Xie Zhiyan replied with a quiet, "Mm."
The man leaned in closer, his warm breath brushing against the shell of her ear.
"Call me 'husband' again, hm?"
