Chapter 35

Inside the room, Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang were still talking.

"Mom! Just keep those thoughts to yourself, and for heaven's sake, don't go spouting them off to anyone else!"

"Don't you worry. I just can't stand that mother and daughter, so I was only venting to you. Once the cameras start rolling tomorrow, I certainly won't be saying anything out of line."

"Sigh... I hope you still remember that tomorrow. I was honestly scared to death by what you were saying this afternoon."

"What of it? If you ask me, son, you’re just too cautious. I was only speaking the plain truth! That rude little brat deserves to be—"

Ning Yuxuan did not linger by their door. She walked to the very end of the hallway and knocked on the door.

She knocked on Qin Man’s door, and the room occupied by Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang suddenly went silent. Liu Yufang’s sentence remained unfinished.

A second later, Jiang Ning’an’s voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"It’s me, Ning Yuxuan," Ning Yuxuan replied. "Are you and Teacher Qin asleep yet? I wanted to borrow something, if it’s not too much trouble."

"Oh, hold on! I’ll open the door for you right away!"

A moment later, Jiang Ning’an opened the door wearing pajamas: "Yuxuan, come on in. My mom just finished showering and is inside drying her hair."

The bathroom door was closed, and the humming sound of a hairdryer emanated from within.

Ning Yuxuan stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Jiang Ning’an was wearing pink cartoon pajamas with two rabbit ears on the hood—a stark contrast to her icy, elegant persona on screen.

Noticing Ning Yuxuan’s gaze linger on the rabbit ears, Jiang Ning’an smiled sheepishly: "I saw these on sale when I was at the mall and just picked them up."

Ning Yuxuan raised an eyebrow: "Really? But I recall... during the last gift-giving segment, Teacher Qin gave you a rabbit doll. Do you really like rabbits?"

Jiang Ning’an looked surprised, then a bit shy: "Your observation skills are incredible, Yuxuan."

Ning Yuxuan’s eyes crinkled: "Rabbits are naturally cute. I really like your pajamas, too."

Jiang Ning’an’s eyes lit up: "Really? Then I’ll buy another pair and give them to you when we get back!"

Ning Yuxuan didn’t play coy: "That sounds great. I wear a size medium."

Seeing Ning Yuxuan agree, Jiang Ning’an became visibly happier: "Actually, I’ve always loved this kind of cute clothing! It’s just that my agency forces me to maintain a cold, sophisticated image, so I rarely have the chance to wear things like this."

Ning Yuxuan laughed: "Then you should wear them in private and try to satisfy yourself."

A hint of surprise flashed in Jiang Ning’an’s eyes: "I thought that with your personality, you’d tell me not to care about what others think."

Ning Yuxuan shook her head: "I’m not you, so I can’t say that for you. Besides, as an actor, it’s impossible to completely disregard these things. Take my mother, for instance—she cares deeply about how she appears to the audience. She checks her outfit and makeup repeatedly every single day before filming."

Jiang Ning’an laughed: "Be careful or I’ll tell Teacher Ning that you’re talking behind her back."

The two chatted for a bit before Jiang Ning’an remembered why Ning Yuxuan had knocked.

"You said you needed to borrow something?"

Ning Yuxuan explained that Ning Fei’s legs were bothering her and she wanted to borrow a massage gun.

Jiang Ning’an nodded: "Yes, of course! Let me find it in my suitcase for you!"

She immediately began digging through a suitcase in the corner. A moment later, Jiang Ning’an returned not just with the massage gun, but also a leg massage roller, a massage hammer, and a box of medicated patches.

She piled them all into Ning Yuxuan’s arms: "Take all of these to Teacher Ning and see which one she prefers."

Ning Yuxuan couldn't help but laugh: "This is too much."

Jiang Ning’an smiled: "My mom often gets sore, too, so I always pack these when I travel."

Ning Yuxuan took the massage gun: "I’ll just take this one for now, otherwise Teacher Qin won’t have anything to use."

Jiang Ning’an insisted on pulling several sheets from the box of patches and stuffing them into Ning Yuxuan’s hand: "Take these, too. They’re very effective and quite convenient!"

Ning Yuxuan accepted them and asked: "What time do you and Teacher Qin usually go to sleep?"

Jiang Ning’an: "Ten-thirty at the earliest, maybe eleven. I’m a night owl, and my mom isn’t used to sleeping early either."

Ning Yuxuan nodded: "Alright, I’ll bring the massage gun back before ten-thirty."

Stepping out of Qin Man’s room, Ning Yuxuan closed the door and headed straight for the stairs.

A voice suddenly called out to her: "Yuxuan."

Ning Yuxuan turned around and met Cheng Xiyang’s eyes: "Yes?"

Cheng Xiyang held out an object: "This is a calming herbal sachet. The herbs inside help with sleep. It’s for you and Teacher Ning."

Ning Yuxuan did not take it.

Cheng Xiyang looked embarrassed: "It really is just for sleep. If you don't believe me, you can check my room; my mom has one on her bedside table, too. This is a society governed by law; I wouldn't dare put anything poisonous in it."

Ning Yuxuan’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and she cut straight to the point: "It seems you’re well aware that the relationship between you and me isn't exactly good."

Cheng Xiyang’s expression stiffened at being called out.

But he quickly forced a smile: "I know. My personality is very different from Shi Yue’s, which is why he doesn’t like me. Because of Shi Yue, you might have some prejudice against me. But since we’re fated to be on this show together, I really hope we can get along well, Yuxuan."

Ning Yuxuan remained calm: "Ning Shiyue doesn’t like you just because of personality differences, right?"

Cheng Xiyang: "..."

Ning Yuxuan watched, unmoved, as Cheng Xiyang’s expression shifted before she spoke leisurely: "If you’re asking about what happened earlier, my answer is that I don’t like sticking my nose into other people's business."

Clearly, Cheng Xiyang’s main purpose in calling her over wasn't to give her a sachet, but to test what she had overheard and whether she would talk.

"However," Ning Yuxuan looked at him coldly, "if you provoke me or my family, I won't go easy on you."

With that, she turned and headed upstairs, giving Cheng Xiyang no chance to respond.

Cheng Xiyang stood there holding the sachet he hadn’t managed to give away, his fingers tightening unconsciously.

It wasn't until the sachet made a crunching sound under his grip that he snapped out of it. He gritted his teeth and headed back to his room.

...

Back in her room, Ning Yuxuan handed the massage gun to Ning Fei.

Ning Fei massaged her calves while chatting casually with her daughter.

During the villa recording, the guests' electronic devices were confiscated. As a result, they couldn't contact the outside world, and their entertainment options were limited—no social media, no binge-watching shows. However, there was a silver lining: it gave Ning Fei more time to talk to her daughter.

Ning Fei sat on the bed using the massage gun, while Ning Yuxuan sat on the opposite bed snacking.

"Oh, right, Xuanxuan," Ning Fei said, looking at her daughter, who was eating dried tofu by the bedside. "That gentleman who was pursuing you—how are things going with him?"

Over the past period, Ning Fei and her daughter had grown closer, and she now felt comfortable asking about her daughter's romantic life. In the past, if she had mentioned it even once, her daughter would have started a fight with her.

Ning Yuxuan’s hand paused on the packaging: "You mean him..."

Ning Fei observed her daughter’s expression; seeing no signs of resentment, she pressed further: "Yes, is he still pursuing you? Or have you made up your mind?"

Ning Yuxuan blinked.

When she had walked Xie Zhiyan to the garage last time, she had promised him she would tell her mother when the time was right. Now seemed like a good opportunity.

After a moment of hesitation, Ning Yuxuan nodded slightly: "I... I said yes."

Ning Fei, who had been using the massage gun on her calf, instinctively stopped: "Really?"

Ning Yuxuan: "Yes."

"Then..." Ning Fei looked at her daughter, "can you tell Mom who it is? What’s his name, and what does he do?"

"You know him, too," Ning Yuxuan whispered. "Xie Zhiyan."

Ning Fei: "..."

It would be a lie to say that Ning Fei hadn’t noticed the subtle shifts in the dynamic between Xie Zhiyan and her daughter recently. But given how different their personalities were, she had always assumed she was just overthinking things.

Hearing her daughter confirm it herself, Ning Fei was stunned.

She looked at her daughter, at a loss for words.

The massage gun clattered onto the bed, buzzing against the mattress. Ning Fei finally snapped out of it and hit the power button.

She looked up at her daughter: "Xuanxuan, Mom is... a little surprised."

Ning Yuxuan smiled: "I can tell."

Ning Fei confirmed: "You and Zhiyan are together? He was the one pursuing you?"

Ning Yuxuan: "Yes."

Ning Fei couldn't help but recall past events: Xie Zhiyan visiting their home for the first time in years, accompanying her and her daughter to the supermarket, having hot pot, bringing gifts...

She recounted these memories as she asked: "When did you... When Zhiyan first came to our house and said he wanted to invest in Huayuan, were you already together then?"

Ning Yuxuan laughed and denied it: "Not that fast. Mom, you forget, I had only broken up three days before that."

Ning Fei realized: "Oh, right."

"Then, when Zhiyan came over for hot pot..."

Ning Yuxuan rested her chin on her hand: "He was pursuing me then."

Ning Fei nodded: "No wonder..."

She had felt that day that her daughter’s attitude toward Xie Zhiyan had suddenly changed.

Ning Fei asked: "When did you agree to be with him?"

Ning Yuxuan: "Last weekend when he came over. I wanted to tell you that night, but something came up..."

That "something" was Ning Shiyue.

Ning Fei fell into deep thought. She still found it hard to believe that her daughter was with her friend’s son. After ten years of knowing each other, she and her friend had both firmly believed that the two children would never be a match.

Seeing this, Ning Yuxuan stood up from her bed, placed the snack packaging on the table, and sat down beside Ning Fei.

The shift in the mattress brought Ning Fei back to reality. She looked at her daughter.

"Mom," Ning Yuxuan blinked, "do you support us?"

Ning Fei hadn't fully recovered from the shock: "...Of course. If you like him, Mom likes him."

Ning Yuxuan couldn't resist teasing her mother: "Is that so? You didn't like the last one."

She didn't want to mention that person's name again. However, Ning Fei immediately understood who her daughter meant and glared at her: "How can that be the same?"