Chapter 53

After wishing Xie Zhiyan good night, Ning Yuxuan returned home.

Ning Fei was still awake and beckoned to her daughter.

“Yuxuan, come sit down.” Ning Fei looked at her gently. “Mother wants to talk to you.”

Ning Yuxuan went over and sat beside her.

She had more or less guessed what her mother wanted to ask.

Sure enough, Ning Fei began, “Yuxuan, what do you really think about buying a house?”

Ever since Ning Fei had accidentally overheard her daughter’s conversation with Xie Zhiyan, the two of them had not had a chance to speak privately.

Ning Yuxuan answered honestly, “I think it’s still a little early, but… Xie Zhiyan said he would take care of both the money and the work, so I suppose we could buy one.”

“Do you mean it’s too early to live together, or too early to discuss marriage?”

Ning Fei had always been open-minded. Given her daughter’s age, she did not object to her living with someone before marriage.

But she wanted to understand the situation clearly.

The question left Ning Yuxuan at a loss.

She had hidden the fact that she and Xie Zhiyan had registered their marriage from the very beginning. But if she could, she wanted to avoid telling any more lies.

One lie required countless others to cover it up, and Ning Yuxuan was beginning to understand that all too well.

After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Mom, if you were giving me advice from the perspective of someone who has been through it before, would you advise me to get married?”

Ning Fei paused. After thinking for several seconds, she replied slowly, “Marriage is what happens when the feelings between two people reach a certain point, and they agree to enter the next stage of life together. I can’t give you advice, because only the two of you know what it truly feels like.”

Ning Yuxuan hesitated. “But…”

Ning Fei looked at her daughter and suddenly smiled. “Are you wondering whether, because my own marriage didn’t turn out well, I might tell you not to get married?”

It had been nearly twenty years since she had divorced her husband. Now, when she thought of that marriage, the pain and struggle she had once endured had long since faded away.

Her expression was calm as she spoke.

Still, this was the first time mother and daughter had ever discussed the subject. They had rarely had opportunities to confide in each other. Ning Yuxuan had never asked her anything like this, and Ning Fei had never brought it up of her own accord.

Ning Yuxuan nodded.

Ning Fei gazed at her tenderly. “Marriage is like drinking water. Only the person drinking it knows whether it is warm or cold. I won’t assume that, because my marriage failed, you will necessarily follow the same path. And besides… whether you marry or not, your mother will always be your support.”

Many years ago, Ning Fei had entered the entertainment industry alone. She had not only needed to support herself, but also repay her father’s debts.

She had therefore achieved financial independence at a very young age, but that did not mean she had been mature in her thinking.

So when she met Lin Yuanfeng, she was quickly moved by his passionate pursuit and chose to leave show business and marry into the Lin family.

A childhood deprived of familial affection had left her desperately longing for love. She had believed that marrying Lin Yuanfeng would give her the family she had always dreamed of, along with a stable and happy home.

Later, she learned that reality was not so kind. But Ning Fei had had no way back in life; even after making the wrong choice, she had to bear the consequences herself.

Her daughter was different.

The Ning family’s assets—and Ning Fei herself—would always be her daughter’s way out.

Ning Fei stroked her daughter’s smooth, long hair. “So, Yuxuan, make whatever decision you want. Your mother will always be here.”

Ning Yuxuan leaned against Ning Fei’s shoulder and murmured, “Mm.”

“Mom.” After a while, Ning Yuxuan straightened and asked, “May I ask you one more question?”

“Of course,” Ning Fei replied softly.

“Suppose… suppose you had the chance to live your life over again. Would you still choose to marry and have children?”

“Of course.”

Ning Yuxuan was startled. “Why?”

She had thought her mother would say no—or at the very least, hesitate for a long time.

Although Ning Fei had long since come to terms with the past, Ning Yuxuan knew that her mother had gone through a deeply painful period both during the marriage and after the divorce.

Ning Fei smiled at her daughter. “Silly girl, because if I hadn’t married and had children, I wouldn’t have had you.”

Ning Yuxuan stared at her, stunned.

Ning Fei’s gaze was gentle and tranquil. “Having you as my daughter is the greatest meaning that marriage held for me.”

A wave of bitterness rose suddenly in Ning Yuxuan’s nose.

She did not want to cry, so she deliberately joked with her mother. “You can’t let Ning Shiyue hear that, or he’ll start complaining that you play favorites.”

Ning Fei could not help laughing. “You and Shiyue are both the finest gifts heaven has ever given me.”

Ning Yuxuan blinked. “But I’m still the more special one, aren’t I?”

Ning Fei lightly tapped the tip of her daughter’s nose. “If you already know the answer, why ask?”

…

Early Monday morning, Ning Fei had arranged to meet with a screenwriter and left the house first.

Before she went, she reminded her daughter, “Yuxuan, if you’re going to Hua Yuan today, have Uncle Li drive you.”

Ning Yuxuan had just gotten up and washed.

One advantage of working for the family company was the flexibility to arrange her own schedule. If she did not have a meeting, she could go to the office later—or even work from home.

“Mom, aren’t you taking Uncle Li?” Ning Yuxuan asked.

In the past, apart from the occasional outing or date, Ning Yuxuan had mostly stayed at home. Ning Shiyue had a company car, so one driver had been enough for the household.

After Ning Yuxuan began managing Hua Yuan, however, there were inevitably times when mother and daughter needed to go out at the same time.

But it was not easy to find a driver one could trust completely, so for the time being, the family still had only one.

Ning Fei had hardly driven since obtaining her license. Whenever both mother and daughter needed to go out, Ning Yuxuan would have Uncle Li take her mother first while she drove another car herself.

Facing the mirror, Ning Fei carefully evened out her lipstick and smiled at her daughter. “No need. Ji Huai happens to have business nearby, so he’ll give me a lift.”

Ning Yuxuan blinked slowly. “Oh. All right.”

Ning Fei waved to her daughter, a smile touching the corners of her lips. “Then I’ll be off.”

Ning Yuxuan watched her mother’s retreating figure, thoughtful.

Liang Jihuai was a veteran actor in the entertainment industry, a two-time Best Actor winner, and one of her mother’s former colleagues.

Her instincts told Ning Yuxuan that her mother’s relationship with the actor Liang might be somewhat unusual—or perhaps that he was pursuing her.

Ning Yuxuan had never doubted her mother’s appeal. Ning Fei was beautiful and gentle by nature; it was impossible for her not to have admirers.

Although Ning Fei rarely discussed such matters with her children and had never brought a boyfriend home, Ning Yuxuan knew that her mother had dated someone once over the years, when Ning Yuxuan had just begun university.

For some reason, however, Ning Fei had broken up with that boyfriend before Ning Yuxuan graduated. To this day, Ning Yuxuan did not even know what the man looked like.

Later, she heard that other men had pursued her mother as well, but Ning Fei apparently had not accepted any of them.

If her mother truly wanted to begin a new relationship, Ning Yuxuan would give her wholehearted support.

Then again, perhaps she was simply overthinking things. In any case, since her mother had not mentioned it, there was no need for her to ask.

…

After breakfast, Ning Yuxuan went to the headquarters of Hua Yuan.

Unless she had other plans, Ning Yuxuan still preferred working at the office. She was more efficient there, and it was not far from home by car.

After a morning of work, Ning Yuxuan ordered takeout and was eating lunch when Zhou Lin, the hotel’s deputy general manager, knocked on her office door.

The company had always worked with a regular furniture supplier, which handled Hua Yuan’s annual furniture replacements and losses.

The two sides had cooperated smoothly for several years. Since there was no reason to change suppliers for the new hotel, the management had unanimously agreed to continue working with the same company.

The new hotel was currently undergoing renovations. The furniture had not yet arrived, but the process had been advancing steadily. The contract was essentially finalized, with only the final approval remaining.

What Zhou Lin came to tell Ning Yuxuan, however, was an unexpected development: the furniture supplier had suddenly changed its mind and declared that it would not sign the contract unless the price was increased by ten percent.

In the past, whenever something unexpected arose, Zhou Lin and Chen Jun would discuss a solution and then report it to Ning Fei, who would make the final decision.

But Ning Fei now intended to transfer management authority to Ning Yuxuan little by little and withdraw completely into the background.

So as soon as Zhou Lin received the news, she came straight to Ning Yuxuan to discuss it.

“This matter affects the furniture supply for all the new hotels, so it’s extremely important,” Zhou Lin said. “I’ll schedule a meeting for half an hour from now. Shall we discuss how to handle it with the others?”

Ning Yuxuan glanced at her watch. It was a quarter past one.

“Two o’clock,” she said. “Let’s not interfere with everyone’s lunch break.”

Zhou Lin was caught somewhere between laughter and exasperation.

She could not tell whether Ning Yuxuan had yet to realize how serious the matter was or simply had an exceptionally steady temperament.

Ning Yuxuan smiled. “It’s not as though the hotel is opening this afternoon, or all the employees went on strike this morning. Even if it’s urgent, another fifteen minutes won’t make a difference, will it?”

Zhou Lin gave in. “All right, then. Two o’clock.”

She sent out a meeting notice through the company’s work system, informing several members of the management team that the meeting would begin promptly at two.

Ning Yuxuan had eaten only half her lunch.

But she knew Zhou Lin was impatient by nature. Since she had already come, making her go back and wait would only make her uncomfortable.

Ning Yuxuan gestured toward the chair. “Auntie Zhou, sit down. You can tell me what happened while I eat.”

Zhou Lin was only too happy to do so and immediately sat across from her.

“For the past five years, Hua Yuan has purchased all its furniture from this factory,” Zhou Lin explained. “We’ve never had a problem before, so when they suddenly said they wanted to raise their prices, I immediately asked why.”

Ning Yuxuan put a piece of greens into her mouth and nodded, indicating that Zhou Lin should continue.

“I assumed they would cite rising raw-material costs or labor expenses,” Zhou Lin said. “I didn’t expect them to tell me so bluntly that another buyer had offered a higher price for their inventory.”

Ning Yuxuan frowned slightly.

Zhou Lin went on, “So if they’re to supply us at the price we originally agreed on, they want us to pay an additional ten percent to offset the losses they might incur by turning down the new buyer.”

As she spoke, indignation appeared on Zhou Lin’s face. Clearly, she found the explanation utterly despicable.

Sure enough, the next moment she cursed, “They’ve got some nerve! They’re the ones breaking their word, yet they expect us to compensate them for their losses.”

Ning Yuxuan waited until Zhou Lin had finished venting before replying calmly, “There’s nothing we can do. The order hasn’t been signed yet, so legally speaking, they haven’t breached the contract.”

“I know that, of course,” Zhou Lin said. “But Hua Yuan has been working with them for so long. Haven’t we always paid the deposit promptly, and paid the balance the moment the goods arrived? I never expected them to stab us in the back at a time like this.”

Ning Yuxuan did not join in the cursing. Her attention had been caught by something Zhou Lin had said earlier.

“Did they say who the buyer offering the higher price was?”