Chapter 47

Chapter 47

He Xiaoxiao returned to her rented apartment from the dinner gathering, slipping off her high heels and stepping barefoot onto the carpet.

The director, when drunk, urged everyone to drink, regardless of gender. He Xiaoxiao had also consumed quite a bit, and now felt a burning sensation in her stomach.

"You're back?" A bespectacled man with an academic air descended the small staircase. It was He Xiaoxiao's agent, Geng Hui.

"I'll get you a glass of water."

"Mhm." He Xiaoxiao threw her bag onto the sofa and sprawled out languidly.

Geng Hui quickly returned with a glass of warm water, placing it within He Xiaoxiao's reach on the coffee table. "So, did you manage to meet with Ning Yuyi?"

"No, he's very guarded," He Xiaoxiao said, sipping the warm water, attempting to ease the burning sensation in her stomach. "Or rather, he doesn't care for such social interactions."

"He doesn't care?" Geng Hui queried, puzzled.

"We'll try again next time. I'm sure I'll get him eventually," He Xiaoxiao emptied the glass, the discomfort in her stomach persisting. "As long as I can capitalize on his fame, I'll be thrust into the public eye."

"As long as you have a plan," Geng Hui replied, taking the empty glass to the kitchen.

He Xiaoxiao lay for a while longer before heading upstairs to rest.

After her shower, the phone lying on her bed rang just as she exited the bathroom.

Anyone seeing the caller's name on the screen at that moment would be stunned, surely wondering why an A-list actor like Xu Yingzhe, who was married, would call an 18th-tier actress in the middle of the night.

He Xiaoxiao glanced at the incoming call, her eyes briefly flashing with irritation.

However, her demeanor changed completely once she answered.

"Hello, darling," He Xiaoxiao cooed flirtatiously. "Why are you calling me so late?"

"I was shooting until late," Xu Yingzhe whispered, "Are you home?"

"Yes, just got in. Drank too much and my stomach feels off."

"Upset stomach? Do you need me to massage it?" Xu Yingzhe teased.

"Oh please, you can't even get here in time," He Xiaoxiao reclined onto her bed, "Darling, isn't Paris Fashion Week next week?"

"What about it? Want to go?"

"Of course! Paris Fashion Week is every woman's dream," He Xiaoxiao began to hint at her intent. "Aren't there only five invitations for Chinese celebrities?"

"Yes."

"And you, being so influential, must have one, right?" He Xiaoxiao's voice softened even further, "Darling~"

Xu Yingzhe was unopposed to having a female companion accompany him, "Start a video call."

"Hm?" He Xiaoxiao adjusted her hair, pulling the strap of her nightgown slightly down to reveal her creamy and full chest before starting the video. "Why the sudden video request?"

"It's a quiet night, darling. Don't you want to spice things up?" Xu Yingzhe left the implications hanging, knowing full well he was dealing with a clever woman on the other end.

Indeed, grasping the implication, He Xiaoxiao smiled alluringly and slowly slipped off her nightgown.

……

Another bright and sunny day greeted them. Gazing out the window, the clouds resembled tufts of cotton candy suspended in the sky.

The delightful weather lifted Ning Yuyi's spirits. She accompanied the housekeeper on a shopping trip for ingredients and spent the better half of the day in the kitchen.

Placing the prepared meals in a thermal box, Ning Yuyi decided to pay an unexpected visit to Fan's Group for an inspection.

Hence, without notifying Fan Zhongchuan, she drove to the Fan's Group building.

After parking, to avoid being recognized, Ning Yuyi donned sunglasses, a mask, and a cap. She made sure she was well-concealed before grabbing the thermal box and heading out.

Approaching the reception, Ning Yuyi tapped on the counter, "I'm here to see Fan Zhongchuan."

"Mr. Fan?" The short-haired receptionist looked up, startled by the sight of a figure covered in a mask, sunglasses, and cap. She almost reached for the security alarm. "Hello, do you have an appointment?"

"An appointment?" Ning Yuyi slapped her forehead, realizing she overlooked the fact that a busy executive like Fan Zhongchuan would typically require appointments. Sighing, she responded, "No, I'll just call him myself."

Call Mr. Fan?

The receptionist doubted this person truly knew Fan Zhongchuan. She assumed, given the disguise, the visitor might be a celebrity trying to get close to their CEO.

But then...

Considering Mr. Fan's demeanor, she silently pitied the visitor.

She figured the visitor would probably wait for a long while before leaving, both embarrassed and frustrated.

To her surprise, Ning Yuyi effortlessly dialed a number.

"Hey, Fan Zhongchuan."

"I haven't eaten yet. Are you in your office?"

"Why not come down to the lobby? There's a surprise waiting for you."

It sounded so genuine.

The receptionist smirked inwardly, skeptical that this plainly dressed person knew Mr. Fan.

Yet, in a short while, she witnessed the untouchable Mr. Fan rushing out of the elevator and warmly embracing Ning Yuyi.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Without minding the onlooking employees, Fan Zhongchuan leaned in to kiss the only exposed part of Ning Yuyi's face — her forehead. "Did you bring me lunch?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise inspection. But I couldn't get in without an appointment," Ning Yuyi said, pulling down her hat brim. "Don't you feel embarrassed with everyone watching?"

"Why would I be embarrassed about kissing my boyfriend?" Fan Zhongchuan replied with confident conviction.

Naturally.

Ning Yuyi mentally agreed but felt shy under so many scrutinizing eyes.

"Let's head to your office; there are too many onlookers here."

Only after the two entered and the elevator doors closed did the vast, yet eerily silent lobby come alive with whispers and murmurs.

"Was that Fan Zhongchuan's boyfriend?"

"Did Mr. Fan fall in love? My heart's broken now!"

"Even in love, Mr. Fan's temperament hasn't mellowed... I'm still scared to face him."

"Did you take a picture? I didn't dare to."

"Neither did I. Let's quickly return to our desks and share the gossip with others."

……

The front desk receptionist, a woman with short hair, stared in awe at the receding figure of Ning Yuyi. Eventually, she was left with a sense of relief.

Thankfully, she hadn't made things difficult for that young man earlier.

Fan Zhongchuan's office occupied more than half of the top floor of the entire building, with the remainder serving as the assistant's office.

As Ning Yuyi followed Fan Zhongchuan through the assistant's office, he could see a group of flabbergasted individuals behind the glass partition.

"What kind of image do you portray in front of them? They seem so shocked about you being in a relationship," Ning Yuyi asked immediately upon entering the office, voicing his puzzlement.

"Image? The boss's image." Fan Zhongchuan led Ning Yuyi to a small round table by the window, with chairs on both sides.

"I think it resembles the image of the King of Hell more," said Ning Yuyi, bursting into a fit of giggles, clutching his stomach.

In the end, it was Fan Zhongchuan who leaned in, silencing Ning Yuyi's laughter with a kiss.

When they broke apart, Ning Yuyi caught his breath in short gasps.

"Still laughing?" Fan Zhongchuan teased, holding Ning Yuyi's chin, appearing ready to lean in for another kiss if prompted.

Ning Yuyi shook his head vigorously in response.

Fan Zhongchuan helped him sit down, then took out insulated boxes from a bag and neatly arranged them on the table.

From left to right, the table was adorned with crispy sesame rolls, sautéed mushrooms, braised duck shreds, fried prawns, steamed eight-treasure pork, and smoked chicken belly, complemented with two stir-fried green vegetables. It was a feast for the eyes.

"You've worked hard, Ningning," said Fan Zhongchuan, leaning in to kiss Ning Yuyi's cheek.

"Why are you always so fond of kissing?" Ning Yuyi covered his face, adding, "Kisses don't fill the stomach."

"Kissing Ningning indeed doesn't satiate," Fan Zhongchuan replied with a meaningful glance.

With just one look, Ning Yuyi understood the implication behind Fan Zhongchuan's words.

He immediately recoiled, like a startled quail, no longer daring to test Fan Zhongchuan's patience.

Ning Yuyi had the appetite of two grown men, and the two of them finished the meal in no time, sharing bites back and forth.

While Fan Zhongchuan resumed his work, Ning Yuyi sat on the guest sofa, engrossed in his tablet.

The guest sofa was directly opposite Fan Zhongchuan's desk, allowing him to see Ning Yuyi engrossed in his tablet with just a glance.

The afternoon flew by, and as the sun began its descent, a golden afterglow filled the office.

Captivated by the view, Ning Yuyi took out his phone to capture the stunning sunset.

As he was reviewing the picture, Fan Zhongchuan approached him.

"Done for the day?" asked Ning Yuyi without looking up.

"Mhm, let's go for dinner," Fan Zhongchuan said, thoughtfully helping Ning Yuyi put on his hat and mask. "It's rush hour now, and it'll be crowded downstairs."

"Aren't we taking the elevator straight to the basement?" Ning Yuyi asked, looking up in surprise.

"No."

"Why?" Ning Yuyi asked, puzzled.

"I want them to see my boyfriend," Fan Zhongchuan replied, intertwining their fingers and enclosing Ning Yuyi's hand within his own. "Is that okay, Ningning?"

Ning Yuyi was taken aback by such a childish reason, at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.

He eventually sighed, "Are you always this immature?"

While verbally calling out Fan Zhongchuan's immaturity, Ning Yuyi's actions told a different story as he held Fan Zhongchuan's hand and walked out of the lobby.

While Fan Zhongchuan wanted to show off Ning Yuyi, Ning Yuyi also saw this as an opportunity to label Fan Zhongchuan as "taken."

Ning Yuyi often received nagging remarks from Zhou Er and Nian about not being active on social media.

So after dinner that night, Ning Yuyi took a photo of their meal and posted it on Weibo.

The two had Western cuisine, with both of their steaks captured in the shot.

With the airing of the variety show featuring old friends, Ning Yuyi had garnered quite a following, all eagerly waiting on Weibo.

The moment Ning Yuyi's post went live, it quickly received hundreds of comments.

[Ahhh, Ning, you're finally active! Mom missed you so much QAQ]

[That steak is making me hungry!]

[Two steaks, did Ningning dine with a friend?]

[Girls, notice the detail? Zoom in on the picture, and you can see a quarter of a finger in the top right, looks male to me!]

[Even though it's blurry, the finger looks quite handsome. Definitely not the agent's.]

[Confirmed! We know Ning's agent has pudgy fingers. So, is that Xie Yezhou sitting opposite?]

[Wow, you guys are like reincarnated Sherlocks. I ship this so hard; I'll sleep sweetly tonight!]

[This is the sweetest pairing I've ever shipped. So blissful.]

[Can shippers please go away? Why not just keep your fandom to yourself? It's so annoying.]

……

Ning Yuyi hadn't expected that a casual dinner post would once again stir up a fervor among the shipper fans.

Seeing the comments under Ning Yuyi's Weibo post, Xie Yezhou felt an even more pressing need to clarify the nature of his relationship with Ningning.

Author's Note: Second update for today. I'm exhausted QAQ.