Chapter 27

Xie Zhiyan took a step back, widening the distance between himself and Ning Yuxuan.

Ning Yuxuan also regained her composure and looked toward Ning Shiyue. "Is dinner ready?"

Ning Shiyue: "..."

He had not yet recovered from the scene he had just witnessed. If his eyes hadn't deceived him, Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan had been standing a bit too close for comfort, hadn't they? Watching the two of them now, standing at a normal distance and acting as if nothing had happened, Ning Shiyue almost wondered if he was hallucinating from overwork.

Ning Yuxuan felt a mild headache coming on. She had already made her decision, but seeing the shock on Ning Shiyue's face, she wasn't sure if she should hit him with an even greater bombshell.

As she hesitated, Ning Shiyue suddenly spoke up. "It’s nothing, you don't have to explain! I know it was just an accident; I’m not imagining things, and I haven't misunderstood anything!"

He spoke at a rapid-fire pace, unsure if he was talking to Ning Yuxuan or trying to convince himself. In his mind, although Xie Zhiyan hadn't been in frequent contact with them over the past few years, he had always been a figure akin to an older brother. To him, the idea of Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan being associated with the word "romance" was simply impossible.

Yes, he was definitely overthinking it. They hadn't been doing anything intimate; they were just standing a little close. It was no big deal.

While telling himself this, Ning Shiyue wanted to leave the room to clear his head. "Dinner is ready. I’m heading to the dining room; you two should come soon." He turned to leave the room immediately after speaking.

"Shiyue," Xie Zhiyan's low voice sounded.

Ning Shiyue froze, turning his head in slow motion. "...Yes, Brother Zhiyan?"

Xie Zhiyan: "Your sister and I..."

Ning Yuxuan tugged at Xie Zhiyan's sleeve. "Let me say it."

Xie Zhiyan glanced at her and stepped back slightly.

Ning Yuxuan cleared her throat. "Ning Shiyue, Xie Zhiyan and I are together."

Before she even finished, she felt Xie Zhiyan's gaze sweep over her with mild surprise; he clearly hadn't expected her to admit it so bluntly. As for Ning Shiyue, he froze entirely, as if struck by a paralyzing spell.

"What... what do you mean by 'together'?" he asked, dazed.

Ning Yuxuan remained calm. "Exactly what you think. Xie Zhiyan confessed to me, and I accepted."

She decided to strike while the iron was hot. Since she had already decided to tell her mother, she might as well make things clear to Ning Shiyue right now. She could feel Xie Zhiyan’s eyes fixed on her, though she was too focused on Ning Shiyue to respond to him.

Ning Shiyue: "..."

Seeing his rigid expression, Ning Yuxuan found it somewhat amusing. She waved a hand in front of his face. "What’s wrong? Which word didn't you understand?"

Ning Shiyue finally found his voice. "Do you... really like him?"

Ning Yuxuan's brows flickered; she hadn't expected this to be his first question.

"I do," she said.

If she didn't like him, why would they be together? There was no other correct answer to that question. Even so, after saying it, she couldn't help but steal a glance at the man beside her. Xie Zhiyan’s eyes were slightly lowered, and for the first time, he didn't return her gaze, clearly lost in his own thoughts.

Ning Shiyue stared blankly at Ning Yuxuan, still struggling to accept the reality. As the two men stood in silence, Ning Fei’s voice drifted in from the hallway.

"Xuanxuan? Shiyue?" Ning Fei walked toward the study, muttering to herself, "What is up with these kids? I sent one to call the other two, and now all of them have disappeared."

Her footsteps grew closer, and then she knocked on the study door. "Xuanxuan, are you in there? Shiyue?"

Coming back to his senses, Ning Shiyue took half a step back and opened the door. "Mom."

Ning Fei looked into the room, confused to see all three of them inside. "Why are you all huddled in this small room? Come out and eat."

"Coming," Ning Shiyue replied first. He walked out of the room quickly, as if desperate to escape a crime scene.

Ning Fei thought her son seemed more eager than usual, but didn't think much of it. "Alright, Xuanxuan, Zhiyan, you two come too."

"Okay," Ning Yuxuan agreed.

Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue walked ahead, while Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan followed a short distance behind. After a few steps, Ning Shiyue suddenly turned around and gave Ning Yuxuan a look that was both firm and meaningful.

Ning Yuxuan: "...?" She had no idea what that look was supposed to mean.

Dinner was already laid out on the table. The auntie had prepared a sumptuous feast that was truly appetizing. As usual, the dishes catered to both Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue’s tastes, with the spicy dishes placed on one side. Since Xie Zhiyan had enjoyed the spicy hot pot with Ning Yuxuan last time, Ning Fei suggested they sit together, while she and her son took the other side.

Unexpectedly, Ning Shiyue called out to Ning Fei.

"Mom," Ning Shiyue said, pointing to the seat next to Ning Yuxuan. "I’ll sit here. I want to try something different today."

Ning Fei looked at her son, slightly surprised. "That’s fine."

Ning Shiyue sat down next to Ning Yuxuan, head bowed, lost in thought. Ning Yuxuan glanced at him, unable to fathom his intentions. What was he doing? Was he trying to physically separate her and Xie Zhiyan?

As they began to eat, Ning Fei asked her daughter, "Did Zhiyan finish looking over your proposal?"

"There were a lot of things to discuss, so it's not quite done yet," Ning Yuxuan replied. "I'll have him look at it again later."

Ning Fei nodded and said to Xie Zhiyan, "Xuanxuan has a lot of ideas, but she’s just started helping me manage the hotel, so it’s inevitable that she’ll overlook some things. Zhiyan, don't spoil her too much; if something is wrong, just tell her directly."

Xie Zhiyan responded with a faint smile. "Of course. Huayuan Hotel is the hard work of you and Xuanxuan, Auntie; I wouldn't be anything less than diligent."

Ning Fei smiled in return, though her brows furrowed slightly. She felt vaguely as if something about that sentence was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what.

Suddenly, a coughing fit erupted at the table.

Ning Shiyue coughed violently, then pointed his chopsticks at a dish on the table. "Mom, this fish is delicious. You should try a bite while it's hot."

Touched by her son’s rare display of attentiveness, Ning Fei’s focus shifted. "Alright, I'll have some."

Ning Yuxuan looked at Ning Shiyue across the table, finally beginning to understand what he was doing. Was Ning Shiyue... trying to keep her relationship with Xie Zhiyan from their mother?

The problem was, she hadn't told Ning Shiyue that she wanted to hide it from Ning Fei.

What Ning Yuxuan didn't know was that in the short time since he’d come to fetch her from the study, Ning Shiyue’s mind had been racing, leading him to a major decision. After the initial shock, he had begun to evaluate whether Xie Zhiyan was a suitable "brother-in-law."

First, compared to Ning Yuxuan’s ex-boyfriend Gu Yunhao, Xie Zhiyan was an overwhelming victory in every aspect. In fact, given how much Ning Shiyue detested Gu Yunhao, he would likely consider any man with decent credentials an improvement. Furthermore, in Ning Shiyue's eyes, the people from the elite social circles Ning Yuxuan had met through Gu Yunhao were all just as bad as him. As for the high school and college classmates who had pursued her, Ning Shiyue felt none of them were worthy of his sister.

After comparing them in his head, Ning Shiyue concluded that Brother Zhiyan was the best boyfriend candidate Ning Yuxuan could possibly find. He was handsome, incredibly capable, and, most importantly, a person of good character. Moreover, after reacquainting himself with Xie Zhiyan recently, he felt the man’s temper had become much milder than before, enough that he could probably tolerate Ning Yuxuan’s little quirks.

The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. He assumed that the reason the two of them were hiding in the study was that they felt it wasn't the right time to tell their mother and didn't want to worry her. Since they had just started dating, it was normal not to want to rush the news.

And since Ning Yuxuan had chosen to confide in him, Ning Shiyue felt a heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders. Since she trusted him so much, it wouldn't hurt for him to help cover for her in front of their mother.

Throughout the rest of dinner, Ning Shiyue was more nervous than the two of them combined. Every time he saw an interaction brewing between Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan, he became hyper-vigilant, terrified they would slip up. Every time Xie Zhiyan put food in Ning Yuxuan’s bowl, Ning Shiyue would immediately follow up by putting twice as much in hers.

Xie Zhiyan showed no signs of stopping, so, back and forth, the food in Ning Yuxuan’s bowl piled up like a mountain.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, Ning Yuxuan dumped all the food she couldn't eat back onto Ning Shiyue’s plate. "You put it there, so you’re responsible for finishing it!"

Ning Shiyue suffered in silence, forced to eat the food she’d returned to him.

After dinner, Ning Fei insisted that Xie Zhiyan, as a guest, should not help with the cleaning. "You can head back soon; the auntie and I will handle it," she said.

When Xie Zhiyan had arrived, he had brought Ning Fei a gift—local handicrafts he had picked up during his business trips to various countries. They weren't overly expensive, as Ning Fei wouldn't accept anything too extravagant. She enjoyed collecting such items to decorate the house. However, since she was busy managing the hotel, her travel was limited to popular tourist spots, unlike the items from obscure cities that Xie Zhiyan brought back.

Ning Fei had glanced at the gifts before dinner and was quite interested, so after the meal, she kept Xie Zhiyan in the living room to ask about their origins.

Ning Yuxuan thought about approaching them to find an opportunity to speak to her mother, but she was pulled away by Ning Shiyue first. He dragged her into the study, hesitated for a second, then locked the door, checking the handle twice to ensure it couldn't be pushed open.

Watching his actions, Ning Yuxuan felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Once the door was secure, Ning Shiyue looked at her with profound seriousness. "Since you don't want Mom to find out about your relationship with Brother Zhiyan, you two really need to be more careful."