Northern City.
Xu Xiao and Ning Dong's child arrived in this strange yet beautiful world at 9:31 in the morning. When the nurse carried out the tiny, palm-sized baby from the delivery room, Ning Dong's emotions were not just excitement but also a deep affection for the little angel who had come into their lives...
The man who had once always walked on the edge of death seemed to tremble slightly as he held the baby with barely open eyes. Xu Xiao lay on the hospital bed as the nurse wheeled her out of the delivery room. Her face showed some fatigue, but her spirits seemed decent. When she saw Ning Dong holding the baby in an awkward way, she was momentarily stunned, then inexplicably smiled. Old Master Ning arrived upon hearing the news, and seeing the smiling baby in Ning Dong's arms, his wrinkled face instantly lit up with joy, repeatedly saying "good."
The eldest son of the Ning family had a son, and those who learned of it naturally came to congratulate him. As a result, the originally quiet and warm hospital room was bustling with people coming and going every day. Ning Dong had been reserved since childhood, and having spent a long time in the military, he was naturally somewhat aloof. Xu Xiao could initially greet people with a smile, but when every day became monotonous, she couldn't stand it anymore and just wanted to curse.
Old Master Ning was extremely fond of Ning Dong's son, his first great-grandchild. After learning about the situation, he immediately ordered that no one should disturb Xu Xiao.
Lu Zhengting and Xia Yan arrived in Northern City in the afternoon.
As soon as they exited the airport, they felt a slight chill in the breeze brushing past them. Northern City is located in the north, and though it was also winter, the temperature was even colder than in Jiang City. Xia Yan tightly pulled her wool coat closed and looked up at the two men in trench coats who didn't seem to feel the cold at all, as if they were more resistant to it. Fortunately, Ning Bei had arranged for someone to wait for them outside the airport.
Lu Zhengting held Xia Yan tightly as they sat in the car, while Ning Xi leisurely got in last.
"Winter in Northern City is really cold," Xia Yan said, rubbing her icy hands and occasionally breathing warm air onto them.
"Little sister-in-law, you don't know yet, but in a few days, it will probably snow here."
Xia Yan glanced at Lu Zhengting, who had his hands tucked into his pockets for warmth, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, her eyes full of sweetness. Noticing that Ning Xi, whom she had been ignoring, was staring at her with a resentful look, she gave an awkward smile and asked, "So that would be the first snow of the year?"
"Of course. Do you like snow, little sister-in-law?"
"Most girls probably like scenes of heavy snow falling everywhere, right?"
"That's from watching too many TV dramas. When it's snowing heavily, who would still be walking around the streets if they had nothing to do?" Ning Xi scoffed. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and an image of Zhan Meng lying lazily in bed, watching a romantic Korean drama while gazing at the heavy snow outside, clutching a big bag of snacks and crunching away, popped into his mind. Just thinking about it made him unable to suppress a smile.
Later, when he went to great lengths to trick Zhan Meng into coming to Northern City, he discovered she was nothing like he had imagined. Zhan Meng was a woman who didn't watch Korean dramas, hated the cold, and disliked snow.
"Ning Xi, what are you thinking about? That smile on your lips is so full of affection," Xia Yan said, waving her hand in front of his eyes with a teasing grin. When she saw him snap back to reality, she joked.
"Little sister-in-law, you'd better be careful. I'm afraid if Brother Ting gets jealous, he'll beat me up."
"If he beats you up, I'll help you."
"Help him beat me?"
"How could you think that of me? Am I that kind of person?"
Ning Xi looked at Xia Yan's smiling face in disbelief—that smile was unsettling.
Lu Zhengting's expression was very grim now, partly from fatigue and partly from the jealousy Ning Xi had mentioned. He didn't warn Xia Yan but instead shot a warning glare at the innocent Ning Xi, who was caught in the crossfire. Ning Xi, on the verge of tears, turned his resentful gaze to the window. As a single man, who had he offended to be treated like this?
Ning Xi shut up and stopped talking to Xia Yan. Bored, Xia Yan glanced at Lu Zhengting, who wore a blank, serious expression, and put her hand back in his pocket. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed the fatigue between his brows and fell silent, quietly watching the unfamiliar scenery flash by outside.
In truth, Xia Yan wasn't entirely unfamiliar with Northern City. The car, which had been full of chatter, suddenly grew quiet. Ning Xi looked at Lu Zhengting and Xia Yan, one on each side. In this cold weather, inside the warm car, before him were two people holding hands, their expressions strangely similar, the atmosphere exceptionally harmonious and warm. He frowned, thought of something, pursed his lips, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes to pretend to sleep.
Northern City People's Hospital.
Ning Xi pushed open the hospital room door and saw that the hallway inside seemed taken over by gifts, with a servant clearing them away. Xu Xiao, lying in bed, saw them and quickly propped herself up. Ning Xi, who had his back to her, turned around, and his triumphant smile instantly captivated everyone present. Ning Nan had returned to Northern City earlier for a schedule, while Ning Bei had arrived shortly before them.
The moment Ning Bei saw Xia Yan, his eyes practically sparkled, and he wished he could stand beside her and bond. After all, he was the last to meet her, and having heard from the others that she was the one who could tame Lu Zhengting, he was even more curious about what kind of extraordinary person could subdue him.
When Xia Yan's eyes met Ning Bei's, she was startled for a moment, but seeing Ning Xi walk over and casually drape an arm around his shoulder in a familiar way, she guessed this was the youngest, Ning Bei.
"Little sister-in-law, this is my first time meeting you. Here's a small gift I prepared for you. I hope you like it," Ning Bei said, slipping out from under Ning Xi's arm and walking up to Xia Yan with a smile. He pulled a delicately wrapped small box from his pocket and handed it to her, though his hand trembled slightly when he caught Lu Zhengting's sharp gaze.
Xia Yan smiled, about to refuse, when she heard Lu Zhengting say, "Take it. The youngest's gifts are always valuable."
Hearing this, Xia Yan's mouth twitched. It was hard for her to believe such words came from Lu Zhengting, especially given Xiao Han's usual lavish spending habits and the "my family is super rich" mentality. The worst thing was the sudden silence. A few seconds later, Lu Zhengting's deep voice rang out again, "Given Ning Bei's taste, you probably won't like it."
At that, Ning Bei's expression turned hurt. Xia Yan elbowed Lu Zhengting, then put on a smiling face for Ning Bei. "I'll really like it. Thank you, Ning Bei."
"Little sister-in-law, you're so serious, I'm flattered."
"..." Xia Yan looked at Ning Bei's carefree demeanor and imagined him transforming into a CEO handling business matters. It felt a bit awkward, because not only was Ning Bei's personality a bit flighty, but he was also the only one in the Ning family with a baby face—big eyes, thick eyebrows, and lips that were red and sensual. If not for his tall stature, incredibly long legs, and very European-American style of dress, Xia Yan wouldn't have believed he was Ning Bei, the man who dominated the business world.
Giving birth seemed like a small matter to Xu Xiao. Aside from looking a bit tired when she first came out of the delivery room, she had almost recovered to normal, full of energy. Seeing Lu Zhengting staring intently at the gift in Xia Yan's hands, she couldn't help but say, "Yan Yan, why don't you open it and see? If you don't like it, sell it for cash."
"..."
"Sister-in-law, saying that in front of me makes me feel terrible. Shouldn't you at least wait until I leave?" Ning Bei said to Xu Xiao. As soon as he spoke, he saw Ning Dong's brow furrow and quickly shut up.
"Bei Bei, don't be so cute, okay?"
"Sister-in-law, don't ruin my image."
"Do you have an image? Bei Bei," Ning Nan said, eyeing the clowning Ning Bei.
Ning Bei got angry. "Nan Nan, you're the one with an image!"
...
Ning Dong's focus was solely on Xu Xiao. Because the baby was a bit premature, he was placed in an incubator. Ning Nan and Ning Bei escalated from bickering to a challenge. Under Xu Xiao's intense gaze, Xia Yan opened the gift Ning Bei had given her. Inside the exquisite box was a Cartier limited-edition necklace. Xia Yan seemed shocked—receiving such an expensive gift upon first meeting was a first for her.
Xia Yan looked at Lu Zhengting, flattered. "This is too valuable."
"Don't you like it?" Lu Zhengting asked calmly, his clear eyes seeming to hold a glimmer of light.
"No, it's just that it's very valuable, and I didn't prepare any gift."
"He won't accept a gift from you." Lu Zhengting thought Xia Yan was going to say she didn't like it, but instead she was worried about not having a gift for Ning Bei. He frowned. Even if Xia Yan dared to give it, Ning Bei wouldn't dare to accept it.
Ning Bei, keeping an eye and ear on everything, made a temporary stop gesture at Ning Nan, but Ning Nan ignored him and threw a punch. Luckily, Ning Bei dodged quickly, or his handsome, lovable face would have been ruined.
"Ning Nan! I said no hitting the face."
Ning Nan laughed heartily, unconcerned. "I'll hit wherever I want!"
"Damn it."
Without even glancing at Lu Zhengting, Xia Yan put the necklace back in the box, pulled her hand from his, walked to the bedside, and looked at Xu Xiao. "Sister Xiao Xiao, where's the baby? Why can't I see him?"
"My son is asleep in the incubator," Ning Dong said smugly, then shot a cold look at the two still bickering and added, "Second, youngest, both of you quiet down. Can't you see Xiao Xiao is weak and needs a peaceful rest?"
Ning Nan stopped and turned to look at Xu Xiao, who was laughing with Xia Yan, feeling a bit annoyed. Did Xu Xiao, with her lively demeanor, look weak?
"Nan Nan, what are you staring at me for?" Xu Xiao said to Ning Nan, her voice not weak at all.