Ni Jingxi was stunned for a moment before looking at him and whispering, "That painting?"
When they were both around during the day, Ni Jingxi didn't ask many questions. Besides, Huo Shenyan was in a hurry to leave, and now that it was just the two of them, she naturally wanted to ask.
"You said this on purpose for Su Yiheng to hear, didn't you?" Such an expensive painting was registered in her name, and she didn't even know.
Ni Jingxi thought that perhaps it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and he deliberately said it to Su Yiheng.
Huo Shenyan looked at her calmly: "Do I need to?"
Ni Jingxi realized she had misspoke and immediately said, "That's not what I meant."
"Jingxi, do you think I would leave your life without any security?" Huo Shenyan looked at her and said softly.
Ni Jingxi is too independent and strong, and she is not the kind of person who pretends to be independent.
She is someone who can truly shoulder everything on her own, whether it's money or career. She doesn't claim to be without desires; she also has things she wants to possess.
Life was harsh on her, forcing her to shoulder everything alone from a very young age.
But she never let the ugliness of life make her ugly, and she never coveted things that didn't belong to her.
She will fight for whatever she wants herself.
Ni Jingxi looked at him in silence.
Huo Shenyan sighed softly: "I know what you're thinking, but I have my own thoughts too. I want your life to be better, and I want Grandma to have a better environment. I hope you don't have to worry about money, and you don't have to think about the pressure you're carrying every time you open your eyes."
Ni Jingxi once jokingly said that the hardest time was when she was in college, and her grandmother's salary was only four thousand.
But the nursing home cost eight thousand dollars a month, and every time she opened her eyes, she would think of the four thousand dollars she was carrying, and it was the same every month.
Year after year, day after day.
“Actually, it’s not just this painting,” Huo Shenyan said softly, looking at her. “You know we’ve never signed any prenuptial agreement.”
Ni Jingxi was completely stunned.
They had never discussed this issue, but Ni Jingxi had thought about it when they got their marriage certificate, at which time she already knew he was the heir to Hengya Group.
He was born with everything to build such a vast and impressive business empire.
Ni Jingxi kept thinking until the moment she arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau: if he asked her to sign a prenuptial agreement when she got the marriage certificate, would she agree?
But neither before they got their marriage certificate nor until this moment today, he had never mentioned those words.
She once felt comfortable in this marriage because he had rejected everything that made her feel the gap in their social standing.
He made himself so peaceful and serene at this wedding.
There was no calculation of money, nor any petty calculation.
Actually, it's not just families like his. Nowadays, many people argue fiercely about who gets on the deed when buying a house for their wedding. She interviewed many such cases when she was interning in the lifestyle section.
She was once grateful that her marriage began because of love.
She married him because she loved him.
But today she finally understood that everything was being concealed by him.
She was clearly not someone who had been raised in a greenhouse, yet he single-handedly shielded her from all the storms of life.
“Every penny I’ve earned since we got married belongs to…” Huo Shenyan looked at her, paused for a moment, and then slowly said, “It’s marital property.”
*
After Ni Jingxi finished eating, Huo Shenyan went to the comfort room because he received a call from Tang Mian, leaving Ni Jingxi alone in the glass viewing room.
This room has not only one entire wall made of glass, but also a glass ceiling.
When you look up, you see the entire starry sky.
Tonight, the moon and stars are numerous, the pale moon casting a soft glow, and countless stars are scattered across the sky. She lies on the chair, quietly gazing at the starry sky.
Sometimes life moves too fast, leaving little time to stop and reflect.
Until Huo Shenyan pushed open the door and came in, lying quietly beside her. The two leaned against each other, looking up at the starry sky above. Until Ni Jingxi felt something being put on her finger.
She slowly raised her palm, and there she saw a dazzling blue diamond between her fair fingers, radiating a crystal-clear brilliance.
Despite numerous exposés claiming that diamonds are the biggest scam of the 21st century and a product of marketing, many people have argued that diamonds are a deceptive phenomenon.
But none of this diminishes its dazzling brilliance.
Ni Jingxi was stunned for two seconds before turning to look at him.
But before she could speak, Huo Shenyan asked first, "Do you know what this diamond is called?"
Ni Jingxi pursed her lips, her hand still half-raised.
“The apple of your eye. You said you are the apple of your father’s eye, but what I want to tell you is…” Huo Shenyan stared at her gently with his dark eyes.
He raised his hand and pulled her hand, adorned with a diamond ring, into his own.
He cradled her snow-white hand in his large palm.
"From the day we got married, I have been the one who holds up the star that is you."
Until forever.
Chapter 35
The day after Tang Mi returned from Europe, she immediately called Ni Jingxi to say she wanted to come see her. Ni Jingxi gave her the address, and Tang Mi arrived an hour later.
"This is the first time I've ever seen such a high-class lifestyle up close." Tang Mi entered the house, not daring to move around, but stood in the living room looking around.
Ni Jingxi asked Aunt Qian to prepare coffee for her.
To everyone's surprise, Tang Mi turned her head to look at the oil painting hanging on the wall, hesitated for a moment, and said, "The oil painting hanging in Huo Shenyan's house shouldn't be fake, right?"
"You know this painting?" Ni Jingxi asked, somewhat surprised.
Tang Mi took a deep breath, feeling a sense of disappointment: "As a newlywed daughter-in-law of a wealthy family, Master Ni, you really need to brush up on your knowledge of art. None of the works by this artist are worth less than a million."
Ni Jingxi nodded. "This painting is worth six million."
"Is this really real?" Tang Mi gasped unexpectedly, though she didn't quite believe it.
After all, in her opinion, works of art should at least be stored in a special safe, rather than being so generous as to hang them directly in the living room.
Ni Jingxi nodded again.
Tang Mi said excitedly, "Your family really is a golden nest!"
Ni Jingxi: "..."
Fortunately, Aunt Qian quickly poured the coffee over. Ni Jingxi, still injured on her face, was only drinking water. Tang Mi then remembered that she had come to visit a patient, not to tour someone's luxurious home.
She stared at Ni Jingxi's face. Several days had passed, yet the injuries on her face were still so obvious. She couldn't even imagine how serious it must have been when she was first beaten.
"These beasts..." Tang Mi cursed fiercely.
She then sighed and said, "I always said that those of you who work in social news are in too much danger. Look how sharp my film reviews are, but those producers are still very polite to me, and I've never seen anyone beat me up."
Tang Mi's words were not an exaggeration. Her film reviews are very insightful, and she speaks the truth, whether it's good or bad.
That's why her writing is so popular.
Now she's so famous that she's been invited by magazines to attend fashion shows in Milan, and she's doing incredibly well in the entertainment industry.
Then look at Ni Jingxi, who got beaten up for writing an article. Luckily, Huo Shenyan arrived in time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.
So Tang Mi said, "What do you think about the studio I mentioned last time? Why don't you work with me? Your writing is so sharp, your article went viral on my WeChat Moments."
Ni Jingxi smiled and glanced at her, took a sip of water, and then slowly said, "You write film reviews because you like it, so of course I want to do what I like too."
"That's true. If you're really after money, you can just stay at home and be a wealthy socialite, and do your job of carrying on the Huo family line. Why do something so thankless?"
Her overly direct words almost made Ni Jingxi spit out her water.
Tang Mi then gave Ni Jingxi the souvenirs she had brought back from Milan, saying, "Yesterday, Hua Zheng asked me when we would come to see you together."
She glanced cautiously at Ni Jingxi. "I think Hua Zheng is a really nice girl. And are you really planning to keep your marriage a secret from everyone?"
"Isn't it quite common for people in the entertainment industry to secretly get married?" Ni Jingxi said half-jokingly.
It wasn't that she didn't tell Hua Zheng because she wanted to keep it a secret; she just didn't know to tell the young girl that the "Brother Shenyan" she kept talking about was actually her husband.
This seems like a bit too much of a blow.
Tang Mi said helplessly, "Then you should learn from the good side of our entertainment industry, like the wedding of the century."
Ni Jingxi looked at her: "You're thinking really far ahead?"
"Are you two never going to have a wedding?" Tang Mi retorted.
To be honest, Ni Jingxi hadn't really thought about this issue, not even the idea of announcing her marriage. If she were just an ordinary person, it probably wouldn't matter whether she announced her marriage or not. Because even if she did announce it, she could still live a normal life once the attention waned.
But she was a journalist, born to live on the front lines of the news.
Today someone else becomes the protagonist in her writing, and next time she will become the subject of gossip and heated discussion.
"We'll see." Ni Jingxi was unusually pessimistic.
Even Tang Mi couldn't help but look at her, "Lord Ni, this isn't like you at all."
The Ni Jingxi she knew had always been straightforward and decisive, and her cool and collected demeanor always won people over. So when Ni Jingxi said those words, she was genuinely surprised.
Ni Jingxi didn't deny it. Instead, she thought about it seriously for a moment, looked at her and said, "Maybe I'm just being too concerned."
The more she cares, the less she wants to be criticized. She cares too much about this marriage, to the point that she doesn't want to become the subject of gossip.
She probably already guessed what kind of discussion would follow the exposure.
It's nothing more than envy that she's so lucky, born into an ordinary family yet able to marry into such a family.
Or perhaps they're whispering about what secrets are hidden behind this marriage.
Because of the vast difference in their circumstances, others are less likely to believe that they want to get married simply because they love each other.
Ni Jingxi didn't want to appear too pretentious, but what she cared about was not being talked about.
Tang Mi opened her mouth, then suddenly laughed happily.
Ni Jingxi stared at her smiling face, somewhat stunned.