Chapter 56

Today, the chauffeur was driving the same Rolls-Royce that had picked up Ning Yuxuan and Tao You from the mall earlier, the one that had left Shen Chipeng and his companions thoroughly demoralized on the spot.

When Xie Zhiyan bought this car, he probably never anticipated the current situation, and consequently, he had not opted for a partition.

There was no center console separating the rear seats. Ning Yuxuan’s hand was imprisoned in Xie Zhiyan's grip, forcing her into a close-range stare-off with the man.

Her heart pounded like a drum, and her breathing became erratic.

Ning Yuxuan managed to sustain the eye contact for only a single second before looking away.

Initially, Xie Zhiyan had been holding just two of her fingers, but now the man's long fingers slowly moved, completely enclosing her entire hand.

Then, with a slight tug, he pulled Ning Yuxuan so that her whole body fell toward him.

In an instant, Xie Zhiyan’s distinct scent enveloped her.

Aside from his characteristic cool, crisp fragrance, there was also the faint aroma of alcohol.

Ning Yuxuan felt as though she were growing slightly intoxicated.

Was it because of the scent of alcohol on Xie Zhiyan, or because of the two glasses of red wine she had consumed at the banquet?

Ning Yuxuan could not tell them apart. She only felt her body growing somewhat weak, and a fleeting desire to surrender to the moment.

Just leaning against Xie Zhiyan like this... it should be fine, right?

Ning Yuxuan rested almost her entire weight against the man's body, burying her face just below his shoulder.

Her voice came out muffled: "Why do you keep holding my hand and refusing to let go?"

Xie Zhiyan did not answer.

His hand was much larger than hers.

Ning Yuxuan noticed that the temperature of Xie Zhiyan's palm seemed much higher than before, perhaps due to the alcohol he had consumed.

His scorching palm enveloped hers, his fingers rubbing slowly and firmly over the back of her hand.

It was as if he wanted to do something more to her, yet felt compelled to exercise restraint, leaving him to channel all his strength into simply holding her hand.

Ning Yuxuan began to feel a slight ache from his hold.

Burying her head against his chest, she whispered softly, "It hurts."

Xie Zhiyan immediately lightened his grip, and two words slowly slipped from his lips.

"Apologies."

Ning Yuxuan was startled by the deep huskiness in his voice.

She remained silent, feeling the forceful friction of the man's hand transform into a gentle caress. A stray thought flashed through her mind—

Why was he only touching her hand?

Clearly, her entire person was now in his embrace; he could easily touch anywhere he pleased.

Ning Yuxuan was quickly startled by her own thought.

What was she subconsciously anticipating?

Ning Yuxuan struggled to steady her breathing, not daring to speak recklessly.

She was afraid that if she said anything, Xie Zhiyan might actually put her fleeting thoughts into reality.

Neither of them made any further major movements, nor did they speak, and the interior of the car fell silent.

Ning Yuxuan could hear the sound of the man's breathing beside her ear.

It was low, and even somewhat heavy.

In truth, leaning against Xie Zhiyan was not particularly comfortable.

The bones in his shoulders were hard, and his chest was the same. As for other places...

Ning Yuxuan did not dare to touch them to verify.

Her posture was also rather strange, with one hand held by Xie Zhiyan, making her entire body look somewhat twisted.

Previously, whenever Ning Yuxuan wanted to rest in the back seat, she would either curl up entirely in Ning Fei's embrace or rest her head directly on her mother's lap.

Now, she wouldn't dare do anything of the sort, adjusting her posture with the utmost caution.

She was terrified that a single careless move might trigger some switch within the man.

Yet if she remained in this uncomfortable posture the whole way, she would likely be aching all over by the time the car reached home.

Recalling that she still had to catch a flight to Jiangcheng for several hours tomorrow, Ning Yuxuan felt she could not wrong herself quite so much.

Cautiously and in a low voice, she called his name: "Xie Zhiyan?"

The man's voice carried a low and slight hoarseness: "Hmm?"

Ning Yuxuan: "Can you let me go now?"

Silence.

It felt as though a century had passed before Xie Zhiyan finally released her hand.

Ning Yuxuan let out a soundless breath and slowly maneuvered her entire body away from Xie Zhiyan.

When sitting up, she did not dare use the man's body for leverage, instead bracing her hands against the seat.

She was cautious to the absolute extreme, moving almost as if in slow motion.

Xie Zhiyan was likely amused by her extreme wariness, as his chest vibrated with a low chuckle.

In the dim light, Ning Yuxuan cast a weak glare in Xie Zhiyan's direction, though she had no idea if he even saw it.

Sensing that the man had no intention of doing anything else to her, Ning Yuxuan's mood settled just a tiny bit.

"Xie Zhiyan..." she began, sounding partly as though she were inquiring and partly as though she were complaining, "Just how much did you drink today?"

He was somewhat unlike his usual self.

Hearing this, Xie Zhiyan chuckled softly once more, answering her with his eyes half-closed: "Not much."

Ning Yuxuan: "Not much is how much? Two glasses, three glasses?"

Xie Zhiyan: "More or less."

Drinking was inevitable at business dinners, and he was no exception.

Xie Zhiyan had consumed neither too much nor too little, but it was far from his limit and nowhere near enough to make him drunk.

If he had truly been drunk, he would not have been able to exercise such restraint just now.

At the very moment her soft, fragrant body leaned against him, he had had to muster almost a lifetime of self-control to keep from pulling her entirely into his arms and kissing her fiercely.

Ning Yuxuan looked at the man, sensing that he was gradually regaining his composure.

At least there were no longer any signs of him laying hands on her.

Whether to ease her tension or to distract herself and make time pass faster, Ning Yuxuan found herself speaking more.

She asked again, "Then how many drinks does it usually take for you to get drunk?"

Xie Zhiyan tilted his head to look at her, the corners of his lips curling upward slightly: "What, trying to get me drunk? Well, try it and you'll find out."

Ning Yuxuan: "..."

She was certain Xie Zhiyan probably wasn't drunk, but his state was definitely different from when he was completely sober.

Normally, Xie Zhiyan would never smile like that, let alone give her such a reply.

Her imagination running wild, Ning Yuxuan thought that this must be a golden opportunity to fish for information, though it was a pity they weren't the only two people in the car.

Still, such a chance could not be missed.

After a moment of hesitation, she couldn't help speaking up once more: "Xie Zhiyan."

She had used his name an extraordinary number of times tonight.

And every single time, he responded with patience: "Hmm?"

Ning Yuxuan: "If I fly to Jiangcheng tomorrow, we won't be able to see each other for at least five or six days. If either of us is busy after the recording ends, it might be even longer."

Xie Zhiyan listened quietly.

Ning Yuxuan bit her lip, turned her body slightly, and moved a bit closer to his ear: "Will you miss me?"

Xie Zhiyan's deep eyes gazed over at her.

Ning Yuxuan held her breath, suddenly regretting having asked that question.

Yet she still refused to avert her gaze from his.

Xie Zhiyan: "I will."

With just that single word, Ning Yuxuan managed to detect both helplessness and tenderness intertwined within it.

She had expected him to say a bit more, never imagining he would be so concise and straightforward.

Outwardly maintaining an unbothered expression, Ning Yuxuan uttered an "Oh" and turned her head to look out the window.

Yet her heart was already pounding at an unbelievable speed.

The other questions she had carefully prepared beforehand vanished from her mind entirely.

Her left hand was suddenly enveloped by Xie Zhiyan's.

Ning Yuxuan’s hand trembled slightly.

This time, the pressure from the man's hand was much lighter than before—devoid of any danger, feeling much more like the hand-holding from when the two of them used to walk side by side in the past.

Ning Yuxuan did not struggle away, allowing him to hold her hand while her eyes remained fixed on the scenery outside the window.

The scenery outside was gradually growing familiar.

Almost home.

...

The car turned into the villa district and stopped by the roadside near her home.

When Ning Yuxuan stepped out of the car, she checked the time: three minutes past ten.

Xie Zhiyan walked Ning Yuxuan all the way to her front door.

The two of them had bid farewell right here just last night, at which point she had still believed they wouldn't see each other for another week.

She hadn't expected the scene to repeat itself so soon.

Ning Yuxuan: "I'll head inside then, good night."

Xie Zhiyan replied with a soft "Hmm": "Good night."

Neither of them made the next move.

Outwardly, Ning Yuxuan met his gaze calmly, while her mind raced with a flurry of thoughts—

Would it be a kiss on the forehead again this time?

If he wanted to kiss somewhere else, should she refuse?

Just yesterday, she had stated that she required a formal confession before she would be willing to accept more intimate actions.

And yet, right now, she realized she didn't seem all that resistant after all.

Just like in the car earlier...

Lost in her stray thoughts, Ning Yuxuan watched the man before her take a step closer.

Reflexively, she slowed her breathing.

The next second, a crisp click sounded from behind.

The villa door swung open, and Ning Fei's voice rang out: "Xuanxuan? Is that you?"

Ning Yuxuan: "..."

Catching sight of her daughter's back at first glance, Ning Fei's heart finally settled completely.

Then, seeing Xie Zhiyan standing right in front of her daughter, Ning Fei's movements froze.

She should have guessed earlier that if her daughter came home so late, it might be because Xie Zhiyan had gone to pick her up.

It was just that her heart had been consumed with worry over whether her daughter's trip would go smoothly, and with the hour being so late, Ning Fei hadn't had the capacity to worry about much else.

Hearing what sounded like her daughter's voice at the door, she had opened it instantly.

Things having reached this point, Ning Fei cleared her throat: "Zhiyan, thank you for bringing Xuanxuan back."

Xie Zhiyan: "It was only right, Auntie."

After a brief pause, he added, "It's getting late, so I won't stay long."

Ning Fei said politely, "It's so late, you've really been put to trouble. Thank you so much, drive carefully on your way back."

Xie Zhiyan smiled and nodded: "No need to see me out, Auntie."

Before leaving, Xie Zhiyan glanced at Ning Yuxuan.

Their gazes locked for two seconds before the man turned and walked away.

Ning Yuxuan still hadn't fully recovered her wits.

Naturally, she didn't blame her mother for suddenly appearing, yet a faint sense of disappointment lingered in her heart—

He had just left like that.

Ning Fei welcomed her daughter into the house.

Noticing that her daughter was wearing a strapless evening gown with both arms fully exposed, Ning Fei reached out to stroke her daughter's arm with a look of distress: "Xuanxuan, traveling all the way back like this, aren't you cold?"

Ning Yuxuan smiled faintly, shaking her head: "It's already summer, and the temperature is so high, how could I be cold?"

Ning Fei asked again, "Did everything go well? No one gave you a hard time, did they?"

Ning Yuxuan laughed: "Mom, I just went to attend a banquet, why make it sound like I was entering a den of tigers and dragons?"

Seeing her daughter's relaxed expression and her playful mood, she assumed nothing of consequence must have happened.

Ning Fei laughed as well: "I didn't mean anything by it, Mom was just a bit worried about you. Are you hungry? If you are, I can cook you a bowl of noodles."

Ning Yuxuan grabbed her mother's arm: "Not hungry at all, I came back with a very full stomach."

After returning home, Ning Fei asked a string of questions, yet uniquely refrained from asking whether the purpose of her trip had been accomplished.