Chapter 26

After stepping out of the car, Xie Zhiyan acted as if Gu Yunhao were invisible, walking right past him.

He approached Ning Fei to offer his greetings.

Ning Fei nodded with a smile, though she felt a twinge of worry inside. She had already been taken aback by her daughter’s ex-boyfriend showing up out of the blue; she hadn’t expected Xie Zhiyan to arrive at the exact same moment. She wondered if her daughter would be able to handle the situation.

"Zhiyan—" Ning Fei began. She wanted to ask him to come inside with her, leaving her daughter to deal with Gu Yunhao alone. After all, this was her daughter’s private matter, and she didn’t want to interfere too much.

Before she could finish, the villa door opened and Ning Shiyue stepped out. "Mom, you’re back?"

He had only just returned home after his event concluded. Hearing activity outside but seeing no one come in, he had come out to check. To his surprise, there were four people standing at the entrance—besides his mother and sister, there were two other men.

Ning Shiyue’s initially relaxed expression tightened instantly. His gaze shifted between Gu Yunhao and Xie Zhiyan before settling firmly on Gu Yunhao. The message in his eyes was clear: *What are you doing here?*

Ning Fei felt the situation was becoming far too chaotic. She exchanged a glance with her daughter and went over to take her son’s arm. "Xiaoyue, let’s head inside first."

Ning Shiyue shot Gu Yunhao a glare. To be honest, he wanted nothing more than to walk over and give him a piece of his mind—no, even more than that. Ever since Gu Yunhao had started dating Ning Yuxuan, he had constantly wanted to punch him. But to spare his mother and sister from any awkwardness, he held himself back.

"Fine," Ning Shiyue agreed reluctantly.

Ning Fei looked toward Xie Zhiyan. "Zhiyan, you..."

"I'll stay with Yuxuan," Xie Zhiyan replied with a faint smile.

"That’s... for the best," Ning Fei said. With Xie Zhiyan there, she had no fear of her daughter being taken advantage of. She turned to Ning Yuxuan and said, "Come inside soon after you’ve finished talking."

Ning Yuxuan nodded. With one last look at Gu Yunhao, Ning Fei and Ning Shiyue headed inside.

Only the three of them remained outside. Gu Yunhao stood stiffly, clutching the bouquet of white lilies, his expression appearing somewhat comical. It was a stiflingly hot summer day in Beicheng. He was wearing a full suit and tie; while the car’s air conditioning had kept him cool, standing out here had already left him drenched in sweat.

In contrast, Xie Zhiyan wore a light-colored shirt, looking far more refreshed and composed. Despite Gu Yunhao’s attire being formally more rigid than Xie Zhiyan’s, he felt his own presence diminish in comparison. Perhaps it was a lack of inner confidence. Gu Yunhao was still a peripheral figure in his family’s business, while Xie Zhiyan was already the head of a major conglomerate—a man even the elder Mr. Gu had to treat with deference.

Gu Yunhao had come with the intention of convincing Ning Yuxuan that a future with Xie Zhiyan was impossible, hoping to win her back. He had never intended to challenge a man like Xie Zhiyan, nor had he expected to run into him head-on.

Xie Zhiyan was not a man he could afford to offend; even if he didn't care about himself, he had to consider the Gu family. Furthermore, he wasn’t certain what the relationship between Ning Yuxuan and Xie Zhiyan was at the moment. Having met Xie Zhiyan on various social occasions before, he couldn’t pretend not to recognize him despite the disparity in their status.

Various thoughts raced through his mind. He forced a smile at Xie Zhiyan. "Mr. Xie..."

Xie Zhiyan gave a slight nod, his face expressionless.

Gu Yunhao glanced at Ning Yuxuan beside him before looking away. "Mr. Xie, I came here today because there is something I need to discuss with Yuxuan in private." The subtext was a request for Xie Zhiyan to excuse himself.

Xie Zhiyan did not move.

Beside him, Ning Yuxuan curled her lip. "Gu Yunhao, after the last time we saw each other, there is absolutely nothing left between us. I have nothing to discuss with you."

Gu Yunhao’s fingers tightened around the bouquet. He had spent a long time psyching himself up before arriving, determined to swallow his pride and beg for reconciliation in a soft, reasonable manner. Ning Yuxuan was soft-hearted and had deep feelings for him; he believed that if he just persisted with a few gentle words, he could sway her. He hadn't expected anyone else to be there, rendering all his preparation useless.

His dignity was at stake; no matter how willing he was to lower his posture, he couldn't grovel before another man.

Xie Zhiyan remained standing there, showing no intention of leaving. Not daring to tell him to go, Gu Yunhao could only address Ning Yuxuan. "Yuxuan, I know you’ve been angry with me, but... just give me a few minutes. Let’s step aside and talk, okay?"

Ning Yuxuan rolled her eyes. "I already told you, I have nothing to say to you. I hope you don't come looking for me again. You wouldn't want the whole circle to know that the young master of the Gu family is constantly pestering his ex-girlfriend, would you?"

She knew that Gu Yunhao cared most about his reputation among the elite social circle and his peers. The recent string of events must have been humiliating for him, so she struck exactly where it hurt.

Having said that, she signaled to Xie Zhiyan. "Let’s go inside."

"Alright," Xie Zhiyan replied.

When she had stepped out of the car, she had been holding a bottle of soda. Xie Zhiyan naturally took it from her and said gently, "You go open the door."

With her hands free, Ning Yuxuan walked to the door to use the fingerprint lock. Xie Zhiyan stood behind her, both of them leaving Gu Yunhao with nothing but their backs. The height difference between them was nearly a head, and they looked like a perfect match standing together.

The sight stung Gu Yunhao deeply. Only half a month ago, Ning Yuxuan had eyes only for him; now, she wouldn't even give him a second glance, choosing instead to head home with another man. Meanwhile, he stood on the side of the road with flowers in his hand, feeling like a joke.

The lock clicked open, and Ning Yuxuan stepped inside. Seeing that Xie Zhiyan was about to follow and the door was about to close, Gu Yunhao lost his composure.

"Mr. Xie!" he called out loudly.

Xie Zhiyan’s figure paused slightly, as if he had said something to Ning Yuxuan. Then, she took the bag Xie Zhiyan had been carrying, along with the drink he had taken from her, and gently closed the door.

Xie Zhiyan turned and walked down the steps to the roadside. "What do you want to say?"

Still in a state of agitation, Gu Yunhao blurted out, "I really like Yuxuan. No—I love her."

It was strange; when he was with Ning Yuxuan, he had never once told her he "loved" her, at most offering a perfunctory grunt whenever she asked if he did. Yet, facing a man he barely knew, the words came out with ease.

Gu Yunhao looked at Xie Zhiyan. "Mr. Xie, I don't know what your relationship with Yuxuan is, but... I want you to know that while there might be some misunderstandings between us, that doesn't change the fact that we are truly in love."

Xie Zhiyan’s brow furrowed slightly, but that was all; he showed no other reaction. Gu Yunhao felt like a clown talking to him, yet he couldn't suppress his resentment. The calmer Xie Zhiyan acted, the more Gu Yunhao wanted to break that composure and drag him into the emotional whirlpool. If nothing else, he wanted to make the conversation sound like something other than his own one-sided breakdown.

No matter how calm or superior Xie Zhiyan was, he was still a man; it was impossible to remain unmoved after being provoked repeatedly.

Gu Yunhao noticed the other man’s eyes graze his hands, so he took the opportunity to lift the flowers. "Mr. Xie, these are Yuxuan’s favorite lilies. I had people search all over Beicheng to find this most precious variety."

He lowered the flowers and used his left hand to tug roughly at his tie. "And this tie—she gave it to me when we first started dating. She said she spent days running through countless malls to find the one that best suited my style."

Gu Yunhao’s chest heaved as he spoke. He didn't even understand why he was telling Xie Zhiyan these things; perhaps he just wanted to infuriate him and see him lose control. But he failed.

Xie Zhiyan simply looked at him. "Are you finished?"

Gu Yunhao went silent.

Xie Zhiyan’s expression remained calm, though his eyes were now visibly cold. It was this coldness that suddenly brought Gu Yunhao to his senses. Why was he telling him all this? If Xie Zhiyan decided to take his anger out on the entire Gu family because of today...

Panic rose in Gu Yunhao’s heart, and he started to stammer, trying to make amends.

Xie Zhiyan looked at him, his voice cold and low. "If you're done, you can leave. And don't come back here to harass her again."

After a pause, Xie Zhiyan glanced at the flowers in Gu Yunhao’s hand and added, "By the way."

"She hates lilies. She can't stand the smell."

With that, Xie Zhiyan turned and headed back toward the steps. The villa door was left slightly ajar. Ning Yuxuan pushed it open and poked her head out. "Are you done talking?"

Xie Zhiyan gave a soft "Hmm."

The door closed behind him, leaving Gu Yunhao standing alone on the side of the road, stunned.

Inside the entryway, Xie Zhiyan changed his shoes. Ning Yuxuan looked at him with curiosity. "What did you two talk about? Why did it take so long?" She had never heard of any collaboration between the Gu and Xie families, and given Xie Zhiyan’s status, she doubted he would be familiar with someone on the fringes of the business world like Gu Yunhao. She couldn't fathom what they could have found to talk about for so long.

Xie Zhiyan’s gaze lingered on the space behind Ning Yuxuan, his face impassive. "I'll tell you in detail later."

Ning Yuxuan glanced back; Ning Fei had just walked out from the kitchen and stopped when she saw her daughter and Xie Zhiyan talking. Ning Shiyue was at the dining table, and though he wasn't staring openly, he was clearly keeping an eye on them.

"Alright," Ning Yuxuan said, not pressing further. She changed the subject, "Mom said dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Do you want to go to the study first? We can discuss the Huayuan project?"

As she spoke, she gave Xie Zhiyan a wink. The hotel project wasn't actually urgent, but she remembered that when Xie Zhiyan left last time, she had told him that the next time they met, they would see her mother as a couple.