Became a National Couple with My Ex Chapter 47: Your Ex Is Proud of You

Even after the car had driven quite a distance, Liang Yixuan still hadn’t snapped out of it. It took her a while to come back to her senses. Then she suddenly remembered something and picked up her phone to log onto Weibo.

As expected, the incident from earlier had already blown up online. A hashtag called #ZaiXuLiangYuanXitangOldStreet was trending near the top of the Hot Search list, and another one, #BianXuNoTimeToExplainGetInTheCar, was rapidly climbing the ranks—so fast you could practically see it rising in real time.

She tapped into both hashtags. Under them, countless videos and photos showed the two of them together from all kinds of angles.

The closest ones were practically zoomed into their faces, while the furthest were shot from one end of the street to the other. The footage had the chaotic energy of "Who cares who they are, just film first and figure it out later." Most of the videos were either blurry from all the jostling or pixelated beyond recognition due to excessive zoom.

But in the middle of all that chaos, one calm and steady-handed user stood out and went viral.

This particular poster had filmed from what looked like the second-floor window of a nearby shop—just above and diagonally in front of Bian Xu and Liang Yixuan.

The 30-second clip started with Bian Xu wrapping his arm around Liang Yixuan's shoulders to shield her from the crowd, then captured the fans’ ear-piercing screams, the sudden chaos, security stepping in, and finally the two of them getting into the Bentley and driving away—every moment caught on camera.

@Don’tAskMyNameJustCallMeLeiFeng:「Saw the security and cameramen on-site and knew something was up. Grabbed a good vantage point early to bring you all the front-line scoop.」

「Bless this blogger with lifelong peace and good fortune!」

「Help, just 30 seconds of leaked footage and I’m already obsessed. If the full episode is anything like this, it’s going to give me a sugar overdose!」

「Even with such brutal close-up shots, my babies still looked amazing. Mom is so proud of your looks, qaq」

「I was there in person, and let me tell you, they looked even better in real life. Please, I'm begging the production team to ditch those beauty filters that dull their looks. Liang Yixuan’s skin is flawless, Bian Xu’s broad shoulders, tiny waist, and long legs—none of that comes through properly in the final edit (I’m mad).」

「I was just a kilometer away. Missed it. Crying and jealous of everyone who was there T^T」

「I get the excitement, but let’s all stay safe. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.」

「Yeah, stay calm while shipping your favorite couple (dbq I know I’m being a hypocrite—it’s just, my goddess looked really scared…)」

「Bian Xu: You think I wasn’t scared? That was the first time in my life I personally opened the back door of my Bentley.」

「@ProductionTeam, come out and take your scolding! Our 'Zai Xu Liang Yuan' couple is now nationally famous. They’re not just any random celebs who can casually show up in public. Please act like you understand that!」

Under this comment, a netizen posted the production team’s latest apology from their official account:

「We deeply apologize for the disturbance that occurred this morning at Xitang Old Street. Filming had wrapped five minutes before the incident, and our security staff had just relocated to the street entrance. Due to miscommunication between the filming and security teams, the guests were left without close protection, which led to the chaos. Fortunately, no one was injured, and we thank the security team for promptly stepping in to maintain order and ensure everyone’s safety. We will reflect on this seriously and make improvements. Once again, we are very sorry!」

Liang Yixuan read the post carefully, then suddenly felt someone leaning close beside her.

"Having fun on your phone?"

"…." Liang Yixuan turned the screen toward Bian Xu. "I’m reading this. The production team was quick to respond, and their apology seems pretty sincere."

Bian Xu skimmed through it quickly and let out a small laugh. "Bunch of smooth operators."

"Huh?"

He pointed to the second line of the post and commented, "Even the apology kills two birds with one stone. Don’t be too moved by it."

Liang Yixuan thought about what he said and scrolled down to the comments:

「Let’s highlight this part: ‘Filming had wrapped five minutes before the incident.’ Which means Bian Xu putting his arm around Liang Yixuan’s shoulder wasn’t scripted—it was off-camera! Are they secretly dating already?? Girls, I’m crying—what about you?!」

Liang Yixuan: "…"

The car reached the southern suburbs right at lunchtime.

Though she and Bian Xu had eaten a few snacks at the old street and weren’t hungry, Cao Guizhen (her grandmother) was thrilled to see Bian Xu bringing Liang Yixuan over again. Thinking of how she hadn’t properly hosted him the last two times, she was determined to keep him for a proper meal this time.

Liang Yixuan wanted to say that Bian Xu wouldn’t be used to her grandma’s plain cooking, but she didn’t want to hurt her feelings. So she winked at Bian Xu from the back seat of the Bentley, trying to signal him to make an excuse and leave.

To her surprise, Bian Xu completely went against her and followed her grandma through the gate into the courtyard.

Cao Guizhen happily said she’d go buy more groceries at the market.

Liang Yixuan quickly held her back. "No need, Grandma." She glanced at Bian Xu and asked softly, "You’re really staying for lunch?"

Bian Xu raised an eyebrow. "Not welcome?"

Cao Guizhen gently tapped Liang Yixuan’s hand. "What kind of tone is that to use with Xiao Xu?"

Liang Yixuan was at a loss for words.

That nickname still felt awkward every time she heard it.

She pouted and explained to her grandma, "I just meant, if he’s staying for lunch, then we don’t need to cook a full meal. Let’s just have the fresh meat wontons we bought at the old street. We were planning to freeze them for breakfast tomorrow anyway."

"Then let’s have that. Xitang’s wontons are delicious. I’ll go make them."

"Grandma, you sit and rest—I’ll cook."

But Cao Guizhen shook her head. "Grandma’s still in great shape, no need to rest! You take Xiao Xu to the living room. Lunch will be ready soon."

Liang Yixuan didn’t argue further.

Her grandma had lived alone for so long that she sometimes felt unneeded. If she didn’t have things to do, she’d feel a little down. Cooking, cleaning—then being praised for it—made her genuinely happy.

Liang Yixuan led Bian Xu into the house. As soon as they stepped in, she saw several old wooden trunks with their lids off stacked in the living room. She called toward the kitchen, "Grandma, why are these empty trunks out here?"

"Oh," Cao Guizhen poked her head out, "I forgot to tell you. The laundry room on the third floor had a leak—it dripped all the way down into the second-floor storage room. Who knows how long it had been leaking, but the wooden trunks got damp. Yesterday, your Aunt Fang’s son came by to visit and helped me carry them outside to dry in the yard. These ones still aren’t completely dry. Since it was damp and rainy this morning, I didn’t put them out."

"Did the leak get fixed?"

"Don’t worry, I already had someone come fix it."

Liang Yixuan glanced out at the sky. Seeing that the sun had come out, she bent down to move the boxes.

Bian Xu blocked her hand and looked at her sideways. "Liang Yixuan, impressive—what are you now, a warrior woman?"

Liang Yixuan shot back, "Well, someone’s hands are just too precious to do this kind of work."

Bian Xu gave her a quick glance, then bent down, picked up a box, and walked out toward the yard.

Watching his back, a small smile formed on Liang Yixuan’s lips—when suddenly, the landline phone in the front hall rang.

She quickly walked over and picked it up. "Hello?"

There was silence on the other end.

The old wall-mounted landline didn’t have caller ID. Liang Yixuan tried again, "Hello?"

Finally, a voice came through. "Xiao Xuan, it’s Mom."

Liang Yixuan froze on the spot.

Ever since their unpleasant argument at the hospital, she and her mother had been stuck in a cold war—both knowing it, but neither willing to address it. They hadn’t spoken since.

She took a breath and replied calmly, "Hi, Mom. I’m at Grandma’s house today."

Liang Qin also responded as if nothing had happened, lightly saying, "I can’t visit often. Since you’re in Nanhuai, take good care of Grandma…"

Just as Liang Yixuan was about to say "okay," her grandmother’s voice came from the kitchen:

"Aiya, Xiao Xu, I asked you to stay for lunch, not to help out! Why are you carrying boxes now?"

Liang Yixuan froze, panicking for a moment—wondering if that had been loud enough for Liang Qin to hear. But before she could react, her mother’s voice came from the receiver:

"There’s a guest at the house?"

By the front hall, Bian Xu noticed the change in Liang Yixuan’s expression. He glanced toward the kitchen, then pointed at the phone for Grandma Cao Guizhen to see.

Grandma hadn’t realized that Liang Yixuan was on the phone—she’d only seen Bian Xu going in and out busily. She wiped her hands on her apron and started to walk out.

Liang Yixuan quickly motioned to her grandma that it was fine, then turned her back and answered into the phone, "Yes."

The relationship between Bian Xu and Liang Yixuan had already gone viral online. Even if Liang Qin didn’t normally follow social media, a simple search would be enough to learn who Bian Xu was—and what kind of relationship he might have with her daughter.

The single "Xiao Xu," combined with Liang Yixuan’s hesitant "yes," was all Liang Qin needed to understand who the guest was—and how far things had progressed.

Her voice came through again, calm but firm: "Everything I told you last time—none of it got through, did it?"

Liang Yixuan fell silent.

Bian Xu set the box down, frowning as he walked over and reached for the phone.

But Liang Yixuan pulled away and shook her head.

"Xiao Xuan, let me say this again," Liang Qin said. "I’ve been through life. I was young once too, so I understand how impulsive you might feel at your age. That’s exactly why I have to warn you—don’t go down the wrong path. Think carefully. What’s more important: the short thrill of dating someone, or your future? That man—he’s going to ruin you…"

"Mom—" Liang Yixuan suddenly cut her off. "He’s not that man."

Bian Xu’s gaze flickered.

On the other end of the line, Liang Qin was caught off guard—for the first time in her life, her daughter had talked back to her. She paused for a long moment before finally speaking again.

"So now, for a man, you’re even willing to interrupt your mother?"

Liang Yixuan glanced at Bian Xu, took a deep breath, and said, "I’m not doing this for him. I’m doing this for myself. I never said my future isn’t important. I just don’t understand why, in your eyes, love and ballet can’t exist together."

Liang Qin went silent.

"If you can’t prove that your logic is right," Liang Yixuan lowered her eyes, "then I’ll prove that it’s wrong. Last December—when you had no idea—I was already in a relationship."

Bian Xu’s hand, hanging by his side, slowly clenched into a fist.

Liang Yixuan blinked, holding back the warmth welling up in her eyes, then continued, "This past year, being in a relationship didn’t make me fall behind in school or ballet. Actually, my teacher told me I’ve finally broken through the bottleneck I was stuck in for years. Now I even have a chance to be cast as the lead."

Maybe it was because she hadn’t fully processed what she’d just heard, but Liang Qin didn’t respond for a long time.

Liang Yixuan tightened her grip on the receiver and looked at Bian Xu.

She thought of what he’d told her—that maybe there’s no such thing as absolute right or wrong in this world, so she should go after what she truly wanted.

She remembered him saying that an independent person has a hundred ways to break free from their cage—as long as she’s sure that no matter who shows up or what happens, she’ll never compromise and go back to that ship again.

Liang Yixuan let out a slow breath.

"Mom, I’ve been doing ballet for so many years, and I’ve always listened to you when it came to that—not because I’m some obedient machine, but because your dream happened to be my dream, too.

But when we disagree on other things, I can think for myself.

I’m not calling today to argue about whether I can date or not.

I just want you to know—I’m my own person.

I want to…" Liang Yixuan shook her head and closed her eyes, "I want to take charge of my own life."

There was a soft click from the receiver, followed by a long series of beeps—Liang Qin had hung up.

Liang Yixuan had never said this much to her mother before—let alone so many things that went against her. She stared blankly at the white wall in front of her as the busy tone echoed in her ear.

A hand gently took the receiver from her palm and placed it back on the hook.

Liang Yixuan looked up at Bian Xu.

He lowered his gaze and gave her a small smile.

"Liang Yixuan… impressive. A warrior woman."

Liang Yixuan frowned and lowered her head. "Don’t tease me…"

Bian Xu reached out, cupping the back of her head and pulling her into his chest.

"I’m not teasing you. Your…" he paused halfway through the sentence, then sighed. "Your ex-boyfriend is proud of you."