Chapter 39

When Ning Fei chose the location for her new home, she had carefully considered the distance to the Huayuan headquarters.

After a ten-minute drive, the two returned to the villa area. Xie Zhiyan parked the car in the garage, and they stepped out together. Ning Yuxuan walked in front, while Xie Zhiyan followed behind, carrying the large bouquet of Ecuadorian roses.

After unlocking the door and changing into slippers in the foyer, Ning Yuxuan walked into the living room, scouting for a spot to display the roses.

"Right here!" Ning Yuxuan pointed to the small circular tea table beside the sofa. "Put them there."

Xie Zhiyan complied, placing the bouquet on the table.

Ning Yuxuan leaned over to inspect them for a few seconds, adjusted the angle of the roses slightly, and then nodded with satisfaction. "Hmm, that's better."

She straightened up and looked at Xie Zhiyan. Seeing her gaze, the man arched an eyebrow slightly, as if waiting for her next command.

Ning Yuxuan checked the time; there was still half an hour until dinner. Ning Fei had sent a message saying she would be a bit later than expected but was already on her way, about fifteen minutes from home.

After a moment’s thought, Ning Yuxuan said to Xie Zhiyan, "I spent the whole day talking with the renovation team and have basically mapped out the plan. Why don't you take a look?"

As she spoke, she tugged on his arm, intending to lead him to the study.

The man gently caught her wrist instead. "Xuanxuan."

Ning Yuxuan paused and turned back. "Hmm?"

Xie Zhiyan applied a slight pressure, causing her to turn around completely until she was facing him.

"Xuanxuan," Xie Zhiyan said unhurriedly, "even a free consultant needs a break."

Ning Yuxuan was momentarily speechless. "Um... well, how long do you need to rest? Is ten minutes enough?"

Xie Zhiyan seemed to answer a different question: "I just landed in Beicheng at noon today and sat through two meetings this afternoon."

Ning Yuxuan: "..."

Put that way, she realized she might have been a bit excessive. This was Ning Yuxuan’s first "startup," and watching the plans for her new shop slowly take shape had made her so excited that she felt tireless. But she really shouldn't have dragged Xie Zhiyan into working with her to the point of forgetting to eat or sleep.

"Then..." Ning Yuxuan looked at the man beside her. "Why don't you rest on the sofa for a while? My mom messaged to say she'll be home soon; we can have dinner once she arrives."

They sat down on the sofa. Ning Yuxuan had spent the entire day in meetings with the renovation company and her management team, and her mind was still full of those details. Now that she wasn't allowed to talk about work, she suddenly didn't know what to say.

Ning Yuxuan made small talk. "The cover story we agreed on last time... you haven't forgotten, have you? There was that accident when you came over before, but it will definitely come in handy this time."

Xie Zhiyan looked composed. "Which part are you referring to? That I was deeply in love with you, or that I was driven by physical attraction?"

Ning Yuxuan glared at him. "Didn't you say 'driven by physical attraction' didn't fit your personality? Don't tell me you've forgotten all our rehearsed lines after just over a week."

Xie Zhiyan smiled.

"I haven't forgotten," he said calmly. "I fell for you without knowing why, and it grew into a deep affection, so once you were single, I began to pursue you and confessed my feelings. Isn't that it?"

The man's voice, usually cold, was exceptionally gentle at this moment.

Ning Yuxuan tried to hold his gaze at first, but later, her cheeks grew so warm that she had to look away. "That's about right."

Xie Zhiyan’s voice, tinged with a smile, reached her ears: "There's still time before your mother gets back. Is there anything else you want to tell me? Other than what kind of flowers you like, you haven't really told me anything else."

Ning Yuxuan looked at him. "I like a lot of things. If I tell you now, will you be able to remember them all?"

Xie Zhiyan replied, "I can try."

Ning Yuxuan pondered for a few seconds before starting: "I love spicy food and strong flavors, which is the complete opposite of my mom and brother. For fish, I like it braised—preferably sea bass or black carp, or anything with few bones. Apples must be peeled before I eat them, and it's better if they're cut into small pieces. Also..."

She reeled off a long list of her preferences—what dishes she liked, what fruits, and how they should be prepared. In truth, she knew that being this detailed went far beyond what a boyfriend needed to know. Even for a couple married for years, one wouldn't necessarily remember the other's preferences so clearly. But she was doing it on purpose to give him a hard time; who told him to speak in that incredibly gentle tone, making her heart race?

She spoke so much that by the time she finished, her throat felt dry. She cleared her throat.

Xie Zhiyan glanced at her and stood up. "I'll go get you some water."

Ning Yuxuan: "..."

That slightly amused look just now was definitely mocking her!

She watched his tall figure walk away and raised her voice: "I don't want plain water! I want a drink—get me the one I like best!"

A moment later, Xie Zhiyan returned with a glass of tomato juice. Ning Yuxuan stared at the glass in his hand, silent.

"What's wrong?" Xie Zhiyan asked calmly. "Didn't you say you like to drink tomato or carrot juice before a meal? I saw the bottle of carrot juice in the fridge was unopened, so I poured a glass of tomato juice instead."

Ning Yuxuan stared at him. She had intended to make things difficult for him, speaking quickly and jumping randomly from topic to topic—from drinks to fruit and back again. Yet, he had actually remembered everything, including what she liked to drink before a meal.

Was this man really a genius with a photographic memory?

Seeing her staring, the corners of Xie Zhiyan's mouth curled up slightly. "What?"

Ning Yuxuan looked at him for a few more seconds, then said with a straight face, "Xie Zhiyan, did you never have to put any effort into studying when you were in school? Did you remember everything after hearing or seeing it once, and then just breeze through exams to get perfect scores? And at work, do you keep all the data and plans in your head, never forgetting a single document?"

Xie Zhiyan chuckled. "The way you put it, my life sounds incredibly simple."

"Isn't it?" she countered. "I can't think of anything you can't do."

Xie Zhiyan’s gaze flickered as he focused on her. "That sounds like a compliment."

"It is a compliment," she affirmed, even though that hadn't been her original intention.

Xie Zhiyan lowered his eyes for a moment before saying, "There is something."

Ning Yuxuan didn't react immediately. "Hmm?"

His tone was calm, but there was an emotion in his eyes she couldn't decipher. "You said there’s nothing I can’t do, but actually, there is."

Ning Yuxuan blinked. She wanted to ask what it was, but felt it might be crossing a line. Their relationship was strange; though they were married, they hadn't yet reached the point of discussing such deep topics.

While she hesitated, Xie Zhiyan curled his lips slightly. He changed the subject as if nothing had happened: "Anything else? Besides what you've already said, is there anything else you want me to know?"

Ning Yuxuan stopped dwelling on his previous comment. "My taste in food is mostly covered. I'll add more when I think of it. As for other hobbies, I like movies and TV shows. For movies, I like sci-fi and post-apocalyptic themes, and occasionally romance. But if it's one of my mother's films, I'll watch it regardless. And for TV shows..."

She continued talking non-stop while sipping the tomato juice he had brought her. Once she was finished, she asked, "Did you remember it all?"

"Mostly," he replied calmly.

Ning Yuxuan had a sudden thought. "How about I quiz you?" She wanted to know if his memory was truly that good, or if it had just been a coincidence.

Seeing he didn't object, she launched a surprise inspection: "What was the sci-fi movie I said was my favorite?"

Xie Zhiyan watched her enthusiastic expression and, without hesitation, named two movies, adding, "You said these two were your favorites and that you've watched each of them at least three times."

Ning Yuxuan: "..."

The answer was perfectly correct. She stayed silent for a long time, and the man raised an eyebrow in question.

"It's nothing," she said, trying to sound fierce. "I'm just envious and jealous of you!"

Xie Zhiyan laughed softly.

She gave him a dissatisfied look. He explained gently, "My memory is quite good, but it's not as magical as you imagine. Many of the things you told me, I already knew; I was just reviewing them."

Ning Yuxuan looked at him thoughtfully. She remembered that she had never summarized her preferences in such detail to anyone else before today. If he already knew these things, it could only mean that he had observed and remembered them back when she used to visit the Xie family.

Xie Zhiyan met her gaze. "What?"

Ning Yuxuan bit her lip. "Xie Zhiyan, you wouldn't happen to be..."

She held back, but eventually, the words slipped out: "You wouldn't happen to have been secretly in love with me all this time, would you?"

...

The air suddenly went quiet; Ning Yuxuan could hear both their breaths. After the words left her mouth, she felt a pang of regret. She had asked so bluntly—if he said no, wouldn't she be incredibly embarrassed? Honestly, the thought had just come to her as a flash of inspiration after what he said.

Thinking back on how they used to interact, it was hard to convince herself that he had been harboring a secret crush. Otherwise, why would he have gone years without contacting her?

Ning Yuxuan coughed. "Just pretend I—"

Before she could finish, the sound of the front door handle turning echoed through the house. Ning Fei, wearing exquisite makeup and carrying a small crossbody bag, opened the door.

"Xuanxuan?" the woman's gentle voice drifted in. "I'm home. Are you there?"

Ning Yuxuan snapped out of it, glanced at the man beside her, and stood up quickly.

"Mom!" Ning Yuxuan hurried to the foyer to greet her. "It's almost six o'clock! You're late!"