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Chapter 79

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Because of Xie Hejing’s very insistent request, Nan Xu still ended up buying some food for him after work and drove to wait in the company’s underground parking lot at roughly the time he usually got off.

[I’m at the parking lot. When are you finishing work?]

When the message popped up on Xie Hejing’s phone, he was in the middle of listening to a work report. They were in the middle of a bidding process these days, and the atmosphere in the office was tense to the extreme.

Standing before him, Zhang Yi weighed every word he said, as if each syllable needed approval before leaving his mouth. He was so tense he barely dared breathe.

But for some reason, the moment Xie Hejing’s phone vibrated, and he glanced at the screen, the stern expression on his face shifted—subtly, but unmistakably.

At first, Zhang Yi thought there must have been something wrong with his report.
But then Xie Hejing lifted his head and said, “Good. That’s all for today. You can get off work.”

“President Xie, but…”

Before he could finish, he caught sight of something he had never seen before: the faint curve of a smile on President Xie’s usually stone-cold face.

Only then did Zhang Yi realize what was going on.

He hurriedly gathered the documents into his arms and quickly replied, “Yes, President Xie. See you tomorrow.”

Xie Hejing didn’t bother keeping track of where Zhang Yi went after that. He lowered his head to type a reply to Nan Xu, his entire demeanor softened with a barely concealed sweetness.

He echoed Zhang Yi’s farewell casually, “See you tomorrow.”

He’d only been being polite, so Zhang Yi really hadn’t expected Xie Hejing to answer him. The unexpected reply made Zhang Yi stiffen with discomfort.

Nan Xu had taken a good nap that afternoon, and she was clearly in a great mood now—humming a tune as she lazily tapped open Wen Qi’s voice message in the group chat.

[Xiang Weishi, where’s the girl you’re bringing? Why haven’t you added her yet?]

Nan Xu, Xie Hejing, Wen Qi, Wei Qingxuan, and Xiang Weishi had opened a group chat to plan a short trip to a nearby city. A group would make it easier to discuss details.

Seeing Wen Qi’s message, Xiang Weishi suddenly remembered he was supposed to bring someone along, so he also sent a voice message:

[I forgot. Adding her now.]

One minute later…

“Super Mega Lightbulb” invited “Get Rich! Get Rich!” to the group chat.

[Get Rich! Get Rich!: Hi everyone!]
[Super Mega Lightbulb: This is my cousin.]

Nan Xu looked up. She hadn’t expected the girl Xiang Weishi was bringing to be his cousin. She had thought he might invite the girl who dumped him and get everyone to help him win her back.

But clearly, Xiang Weishi didn’t have that kind of foresight.

[Get Rich! Get Rich!: Hi! My name is An Nian. I just came back to Zhi’an recently. My cousin said he wanted to introduce me to his friends.]

Everyone was fine with meeting a new person. Nan Xu and Wen Qi both sent their welcomes, and the flood of stickers instantly eased An Nian’s earlier nervousness.

Nan Xu, however, noticed Xiang Weishi’s group nickname. She read it out loud and burst into laughter.

[Nan Xu: Xiang Weishi, when did you change your nickname? And why this name?]

[Wen Qi: Honestly? It suits you. Fits your “just got dumped” character setting perfectly.]

An Nian, shocked: [You got dumped, ge?! When did that happen??]

Apparently Xiang Weishi hadn’t told his cousin the real reason for this trip. Now that Wen Qi had exposed him just like that, Nan Xu could easily imagine the dark lines forming on Xiang Weishi’s face.

[Wen Qi: Your cousin didn’t tell you? He got dumped, so we’re taking him out to cheer him up. Though I’m still not sure whether he’s here to relax or to suffer.]

[Wen Qi: Meimei, do you have a boyfriend? If you do, Xiang Weishi might be the only single dog in this whole group.]

[Get Rich! Get Rich!: I don’t have one yet.]

[Super Mega Lightbulb: Don’t get ideas. Who could possibly be worthy of my cousin? And I wasn’t “dumped.” It was just a normal breakup. A normal! Breakup!!]

Xie Hejing finally spoke, typing a few words in the chat:

[Is there a difference?]

He hadn’t said a word the whole time, and the moment he finally spoke, he cut straight to the chase.

Wen Qi was laughing so hard she couldn’t straighten her back: [Hahahahahaha!]

Wei Qingxuan: [I don’t see the difference either. Or have you experienced an abnormal breakup before?]

Xiang Weishi stared at this group of merciless friends.

[Super Mega Lightbulb: Can you all at least speak human language?]

He even attached a sticker that perfectly expressed “I’ve lost the will to live.”

Nan Xu couldn’t help but laugh too, but she refrained from piling on.

[A breakup is a breakup. The result’s the same anyway. Let’s meet at the airport in three days.]

[Meimei, you still don’t know what we look like. You might not be able to find us. So just come together with Xiang Weishi, okay?]

To comfort her injured cousin, An Nian silently changed her nickname.

[Cosmic Super Mini Lightbulb: Okay.]

Xiang Weishi looked at An Nian’s new nickname and mentally gave her a thumbs-up. At least bringing her along wasn’t for nothing.

But… why was she “Cosmic Super Mini Lightbulb”?

He messaged her privately, only to receive:

[Ge, I can’t steal the spotlight from your Big Lightbulb.]

Stabbed again, Xiang Weishi: “….”

This spotlight—whoever wants it can have it, okay?!

[Wen Qi: Xiang Weishi, keep an eye on yourself. Don’t show up late and drag your meimei down with you.]

[Super Mega Lightbulb: Relax. We’ll definitely be the first ones there.]

Nan Xu switched to one of her favorite songs. She was humming along when Xie Hejing happened to open the passenger door.

Seeing the smile still lingering on her face, he asked, “You’re this happy today, because you saw me?”

“Mm… something like that.” Nan Xu turned the music up a little.

As Xie Hejing fastened his seatbelt, he frowned slightly. Something about her answer sounded half-hearted. “What do you mean ‘something like that’?”

“I was already in a good mood today. But after seeing you, I’m… even happier.” Two dimples appeared on Nan Xu’s cheeks, like she was hiding a pair of sweet candies.

“…Ahem.”

The car fell quiet for a moment. Nan Xu rarely expressed herself so directly.

Xie Hejing’s lips curved upward. He’d originally planned to keep a straight face, but the smile slowly reached his eyes and was impossible to hide.

A thought stirred in his chest. “Why don’t you just come pick me up every day, then?”

Even now he was still trying to benefit himself. Nan Xu immediately shut it down. “Let’s not. This parking lot is way too dark. Staying here all the time is scary.”

Xie Hejing: “…”

“And isn’t it better if I just wait for you at home? Besides, in a few days I’ll be going to work with you anyway. We’ll be together practically 24 hours a day. Missing a few days won’t kill you.”

Xie Hejing was briefly persuaded by Nan Xu’s reasoning, but he still had no intention of giving up on making her pick him up.

Just seeing her messages had already filled his commute with anticipation, sweeping away all the exhaustion from the day.

“Right,” Nan Xu said as she reached into the back seat and pulled out a few bags. She didn’t bother sorting them and simply stuffed them all into his hands. “I bought some mini cakes, coffee, and fruit.”

She had originally wanted to buy barbecue too—planning to use this chance to openly eat late-night snacks—but for the sake of her stomach, she stood outside the barbecue shop for ten minutes before reluctantly walking away.

Smiling with her eyes curved, she said, “President Xie, you worked hard today.”

Xie Hejing tightened his grip on the bags. Part of him wanted to eat right away, but another part wanted to kiss Nan Xu. After a moment of struggle, he set the bags aside and kissed her.

“Thank you, Mrs. Xie.”

“Not at all.”

When he leaned in for a second kiss, Nan Xu pressed a hand against his chest. “President Xie, why aren’t you eating the things I bought?”

“I am.”

Xie Hejing took out a cake and bit into it. It seemed sweeter than usual.

Watching him finish the entire cake, Nan Xu smiled in satisfaction before driving out of the parking lot.

Not long after, Xie Hejing turned his head again. He still preferred looking at Nan Xu.

Thinking of what he had called her earlier, he took a sip of coffee, cleared his throat, and said, “You should change the way you address me.”

“What way?” Nan Xu was focused on the road and didn’t have time to look at him. She spoke casually, “President Xie? I call you that all the time. What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing.”

Xie Hejing looked straight ahead, his tone calm—almost too calm. “I’m your legally wedded husband, but up until now, I haven’t heard you call me… ‘husband.’”

His expression didn’t waver at all, but if you listened carefully, beneath the calm was a faint hint of grievance.

“!!!”

If Nan Xu weren’t driving at that moment, she would’ve been stunned speechless for several seconds.

She never expected Xie Hejing to care about something like that. And said so suddenly, her face heated instantly with embarrassment.

Even though he was right, and she herself had heard him call her “wife” before, asking her to say that word out loud just like that… it felt stuck in her throat, impossible to push out.

After a long pause, she finally said, “We’ll talk about it when we get home.”

Xie Hejing let out a soft laugh. “Going home first? I didn’t expect you to be so ceremonial about it.”

Nan Xu: “…”

She just didn’t want to get distracted while driving, but she definitely couldn’t tell Xie Hejing that. So she simply went along with him: “Of course it needs a bit of ceremony. Isn’t there usually a red-packet fee for changing how you address someone? You should prepare that.”

Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow. He didn’t say anything, but he actually seemed to be thinking about it.

On the way home, the two chatted about all sorts of trivial things—like some gossip the store clerk mentioned when she went shopping yesterday; how she’d seen a stray cat when buying the cake earlier and was suddenly tempted to adopt one; how the flowers in their vase at home needed replacing…

All ordinary little things, but Xie Hejing listened to every word with full attention.

Half an hour later, they arrived home. Nan Xu had completely forgotten about the “change-of-address fee.” After resting a bit, she went to shower.

But when she stepped out of the bathroom, she froze.

Spread out in front of her were stacks of property deeds, car keys, bank cards, and even signed equity transfer documents—all neatly laid out by Xie Hejing.

Her eyelashes trembled twice in disbelief. “What are you doing? If you give me all this and I run away, wouldn’t all your assets go down the drain?”

Still thinking about running?

“You try.” Xie Hejing’s voice dropped dangerously. “If you dare run, I’ll lock you in the house.”

He took a deep breath, pushed the signed transfer documents toward her, and said, “Come here and sign.”

Realizing he wasn’t joking at all, the teasing remark Nan Xu had prepared died on her lips, turning into nothing but a thin, breathless sound.

It took Nan Xu quite a while before she finally reached out and pinched her palm.

“No one gives a change-of-address fee with that much fanfare. I was just teasing you, how did you take it seriously? I… still can’t really say it yet. Give me some time to get used to it.”

“I’m serious,” Xie Hejing said, frowning. “And… get used to it? How long do you plan to take?”

“It won’t be long,” Nan Xu said as she turned away to towel her hair dry. “Put all that stuff away.”

But Xie Hejing didn’t move. He kept everything laid out exactly where it was and simply stared at her, clearly insisting she sign.

Knowing there was no convincing him otherwise, Nan Xu stopped trying. She bent down to pick up the hair dryer from the basket, but before she could even plug it in, Xie Hejing took it out of her hands.

With her hands suddenly empty, Nan Xu wrapped her soft bath towel a little tighter and sat down on the stool beside him.

“Fine. You do it then.”

Her jet-black hair had only reached her shoulders when she first came back to Zhi’an; now it fell all the way past the bend of her elbow, the ends dripping steadily onto the floor.

Xie Hejing bent over, his long fingers combing through her damp hair. Warm air flowed between them, carrying her faint fragrance straight toward him. His Adam’s apple moved slightly.

As he casually separated and lifted her wet strands, droplets slid down onto his sleep shirt… and onto Nan Xu’s shoulders and neck, slowly tracing their way downward toward the edge of her towel.

The sight alone hit Xie Hejing like a shock.

Nan Xu rubbed her eyes, debating whether she should do a bit of skincare before going back to sleep. She didn’t notice the change in Xie Hejing at all.

Seeing the trail of water sliding along her skin, Xie Hejing swallowed hard again, the hand resting on her shoulder suddenly tightening.

Feeling the pressure, Nan Xu frowned and opened her eyes. “What are you doing?”

She immediately caught the turmoil in his gaze. After being with him for so long, Nan Xu instantly understood what that look meant.

She huffed, annoyed. “If you keep this up, I really will go back to my parents’ place.”

“I didn’t even touch you,” Xie Hejing said, forcefully trying to steady his voice. “What, you want me to become a monk?”

“You didn’t touch me, but your eyes did. Do you even know what you looked like just now…?”

If not for her period, Nan Xu suspected he wouldn’t be quietly drying her hair like this, let alone calmly discussing whether he did or didn’t “touch” her.

“So I can’t even look now?” he chuckled. “Where does this little tyrant come from, being so bossy?”

Nan Xu tilted her head, cheeks puffed out. “From your house,” she declared, looking every bit like she was saying “And what about it?”

Xie Hejing froze for half a second.

He was hopelessly drawn to her when she looked like this. But he couldn’t kiss her right now, not when it would be too hard to stop. He couldn’t make any big movements either. If Nan Xu realized he was reacting to her, she’d probably pack a bag and escape in the middle of the night.

Xie Hejing turned slightly, letting the blow dryer sweep a circle above Nan Xu’s head, carefully avoiding her gaze.

“Fine. She’s mine. I admit it.”

Hearing the helplessness in his tone, Nan Xu held back a laugh, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Thinking of what they’d been talking about earlier, she called, “Xie Hejing, do you really want to hear me call you that badly?”

But they had only gotten their marriage certificate not long ago…

“Obviously.”

The strength of his hand increased. “Don’t you want to hear me call you ‘wife’?”

Nan Xu lowered her bright eyes, deliberately answering, “I mean… I guess I can tolerate it.”

Xie Hejing’s hand tightened again on her shoulder, repeating her words slowly, “‘Tolerate it’?”

“You’re sure that’s what you mean?”

Nan Xu was wrapped in just a bath towel; when his fingers pressed into her fair skin, a faint red mark appeared. She instinctively flinched.

“You’re bullying me again!”

She shot him a glare meant to be fierce, but with her flushed eyes and lingering dampness in them, the look only came out all the more enticing.

Xie Hejing closed his eyes and swallowed, barely restraining himself from scooping Nan Xu up and carrying her to the bed. But he didn’t restrain his words, saying directly, “I’ve changed my mind.”

Nan Xu massaged her shoulder, completely confused. “What now? What idea? What are you trying to do again?”

Xie Hejing looked at her for a long moment, eyes dark with something she couldn’t ignore, and said with maddening calm…

“I want to hear you call me ‘husband’…in bed.”

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Chapter 78

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Nan Xu froze, speechless.

She felt heat spread from the tips of her ears down to her neck. Hearing such a blunt confession from Xie Hejing was like being forced to swallow a shot of burning liquor.

Flustered, she lowered her head.

Seeing Nan Xu stayed quiet for too long, Xie Hejing couldn’t help but press her, “Didn’t hear me? Do you need me to repeat it?”

“No,” Nan Xu murmured, rubbing lightly against his chest. “…I heard you.”

But her unconscious movement only intensified Xie Hejing’s burning desire.
His breath grew rough and edged with desire. “And then?”

“Then… I…”

Nan Xu parted her lips, but the words stuck in her throat. Images of Xie Hejing’s tenderness from the night before kept flashing through her mind, but the man holding her now was burning with desire.

Every one of his movements seemed magnified in her eyes, including the scorching heat of the hand resting on her.

“Does it really hurt that much?” she asked.

How could he not even handle it himself anymore? He used to be perfectly fine.

Nan Xu bit her lip and curled up even tighter under the blanket, struggling with whether she should help him.

“You really can’t…” Nan Xu could never say things as calmly and shamelessly as Xie Hejing. Skipping over the explicit words, she asked softly, “Really… not even that?”

“No,” Xie Hejing repeated firmly.

“Mm…” Nan Xu thought about it seriously, then asked, “Is something wrong? Should you maybe see a doctor?”

“Nan Xu!!!” Xie Hejing’s voice suddenly shot up. “There’s nothing wrong with me. Once your period is over, you’ll feel it yourself.”

Nan Xu: “…”

Not only did she fail to calm him down, she somehow managed to make him angry again. She could already imagine how miserable she’d be in a few days. Nan Xu decided it was safer to shut her mouth before things got any worse.

But Xie Hejing’s labored breathing kept pouring down from above, making it impossible for her to fall asleep.

She could still manage; after all, he’d given her leave, and she could nap in the afternoon. But Xie Hejing didn’t have the time to catch up on sleep at all.

“Can you… try again? See if you can sleep?”

His answers were coming faster now. She barely finished speaking before he shot back, “I can’t.”

Nan Xu clenched the edge of his sleep shirt, torn between choices.

Saying yes felt like indulging him too much.

But rejecting him… she didn’t want to watch him suffer like this either.

Xie Hejing had probably guessed exactly what was going through her mind. He lowered his gaze and caught her restless, fidgeting fingers.

“Please… wife.”

Nan Xu’s breath hitched. Every time that word left his mouth, it was like a hook catching onto her heart and making it skip a beat.

“Don’t… don’t call me that,” Nan Xu said, taking a deep breath to steady the flutter in her chest.

“If I don’t call you ‘wife,’ then what should I call you?” he murmured deliberately, lowering his voice. “Baby? Jiaojiao? Or maybe…”

“Stop!” She cut him off in a panic, which only earned her his quiet, triumphant laugh.

Wind picked up outside the window. Nan Xu could hear it whistling in the distance, and naturally, she could also hear her own heartbeat speeding up after Xie Hejing had completely thrown her off balance.

“Wife…” His voice suddenly turned low and plaintive. “I really can’t do this without you.”

“It’s almost midnight. Are you really okay with letting me suffer like this all night?”

He always knew exactly where her weak spots were, always able to twist her reasoning into a mess. Nan Xu exhaled and muttered, “Fine, I… I’ll try.”

Even so, her burning-hot face ended up buried further into his chest.

Her trembling made Xie Hejing’s brows lift. “Why are you shaking so much?”

“I’m nervous,” Nan Xu admitted honestly.

“It’s not like this is our first time seeing each other. Why are you still nervous?” he asked.

“I get nervous every time.”

“Then don’t look… Just feel it.”

Before she could react, he reached for the silk sleep mask on the headboard and slipped it over her eyes with no room for refusal.

Light vanished instantly, leaving only the sound of his breathing growing sharper in her ears.

She reached up to tug at the mask, but let go a second later.

Maybe… staying like this was better.

At least she wouldn’t lose sleep over it later.

Nan Xu had still been lost in her own thoughts.

A moment later, her hand was suddenly grabbed and squeezed hard. She jolted, her whole body tightening. In the darkness, every touch felt magnified, her breathing instantly thrown into chaos.

Xie Hejing tightened his grip in a deliberately wicked way. “Ready?”

Nan Xu immediately shrank back into her timid little quail state again, as if the hand he was holding no longer belonged to her.

The soft rustling of fabric slowed beside her ear. She’d never noticed before that Xie Hejing undressed this slowly.

Nan Xu felt like a lamb waiting to be executed and couldn’t help saying, “Can you hurry up?”

Xie Hejing let out a low laugh. “Impatient already?”

“…I just want to sleep early,” Nan Xu said. “You promised you wouldn’t keep me awake tonight, so you’d better watch the time.”

“…Alright.” He agreed, and he didn’t want to waste time undressing either. His movements sped up immediately.

“Hold tight.”

His hand covered hers completely, giving her no room to pull away.

The moment they made contact, heat shot through her. That burning warmth seeped through her skin and straight into her chest. The rough texture and rapid pulse throbbed beneath her fingertips.

And of course, Xie Hejing tightened his grip even more.

“Xie Hejing… it’s… really hot.”

Xie Hejing turned to the side and kissed Nan Xu’s hair repeatedly, letting her nervous feelings be soothed.

Half a minute later, sensing that she’d finally calmed down a little, he murmured, “Be good, sweetheart… move.”

Nan Xu’s mind went completely blank. She could only move her fingers mechanically, and the tremor that pulsed against her palm made her throat tighten.

She seriously doubted whether Xie Hejing could really control the time like he claimed.

Her wandering thoughts didn’t escape him for long. He bit her earlobe in warning. “You’re distracted at a time like this? What are you thinking about?”

“I was thinking about how long you’ll take,” Nan Xu admitted. “Will fifteen minutes be enough?”

Xie Hejing let out a soft scoff and shot back, “What do you think?”

Nan Xu: “…”

“Then… thirty minutes?” she tried again. “You can’t possibly be as slow as… that time. It can’t still take that long.”

“Is that not allowed?” he raised a brow.

“Of course not,” Nan Xu said without hesitation.

Realizing negotiation was useless, she simply gave him an ultimatum.

“I’m tired. You handle your timing. If you keep me awake later, I’m going to be angry.”

“Then I’ll go to my parents’ place and catch up on sleep and ignore you completely.”

Seeing she wasn’t joking at all, Xie Hejing let out a muffled groan. “Then if you ‘try harder,’ it’ll end faster.”

“Isn’t this enough effort yet?” That strange sensation made it simply impossible for Nan Xu to ignore.

Nan Xu asked with a hint of impatience, “How much more effort do I need to make?”

“Squeeze tighter… wife.” Xie Hejing took a deep breath, and then moved Nan Xu’s hand at a rapid pace.

A tingling numbness exploded up her arm. The fine sweat seeping from her palm made the contact even stickier and clearer. Nan Xu was completely shocked. The tension in her hand made her feel like Xie Hejing would devour her at any moment.

“Hss…”

Xie Hejing tilted his head back, his Adam’s apple bobbing rapidly. His voice was a hoarse gasp, and his burning hot palm pressed down firmly on the back of Nan Xu’s hand, grinding with a nearly uncontrollable force.

“Good girl… just like that.”

Even though her eyes were covered by a blindfold, Nan Xu could still imagine Xie Hejing’s appearance. She hesitated for a moment, then secretly lifted the blindfold just a sliver.

Xie Hejing’s damp hair hung messily across his forehead, the blue veins on his neck were visible, and his eyes were half-closed, his gaze barely able to focus—a look of complete immersion in the present moment.

Nan Xu was glad she had lifted the blindfold, otherwise she would have completely missed Xie Hejing’s alluring and lost-in-the-moment look.

Xie Hejing’s words dissolved into broken moans, his breaths sweeping over the top of Nan Xu’s head in bursts.

After an unknown amount of time passed, Xie Hejing suddenly buried his head into Nan Xu’s neck, his voice mixed with suppressed sobs and broken whispers: “Almost… almost there.”

Although Xie Hejing tried his best to control himself, Nan Xu still ended up staying up very late.

The morning light squeezed into the room through a gap in the curtains. Nan Xu didn’t know why she had woken up so early, she was even awake before the soundly sleeping Xie Hejing beside her, and she wasn’t sleepy at all.

She felt extremely unbalanced. Seeing Xie Hejing’s relaxed and sated expression, Nan Xu bit her lip and, ignoring their position, bit him directly on his chest. The moment her teeth sank into his warm muscle, the person beneath her suddenly stirred.

A low chuckle vibrated through Xie Hejing’s chest: “Want to keep going?”

Nan Xu simply could not reach such a shameless state. She released him and said angrily, “Dream on.”

Still fuming, Nan Xu reached out and pushed him: “I want to eat something. Go make it for me. I also want water, and I need to change clothes, and I need to…”

Nan Xu kept listing demands.

Xie Hejing curved his lips and reached out his arms, scooping her into his embrace: “Fine, let’s go.”

Held so tightly she could barely breathe, Nan Xu struggled in Xie Hejing’s arms for a while before he finally relaxed his grip for a moment.

“Why are you holding me so tightly? I’m not going to run away,” Nan Xu accused him.

That wasn’t certain. After Nan Xu’s hint last night, Xie Hejing increasingly felt that if Nan Xu became afraid of him in the future, she would hide at her parents’ house.

But he didn’t say any of that out loud.

“As long as you don’t run.”

He guided the wide-awake Nan Xu to the dining table and pressed her into a chair. “Stay here. I’ll make breakfast.”

While they were eating, Nan Xu kept feeling Xie Hejing’s gaze on her. At first she tried to ignore it, but eventually he stopped moving altogether—no eating, no talking—just staring straight at her.

There was no way she could pretend not to notice anymore.

“Why are you staring at me?”

She lifted her eyes to look at him, and slowly realized he wasn’t looking at her face at all… but at her hands.

His gaze felt almost physical, so intense she didn’t need him to say a word to know exactly what was going through his mind.

Nan Xu was eating; she couldn’t exactly hide her hands behind her back. She snapped, “Stop looking. And stop thinking whatever you’re thinking.”

At that, Xie Hejing let out a faint smile and asked, “Oh? You know what I’m thinking?”

“Well… whatever it is, the answer is no.” Nan Xu didn’t care what he was actually imagining—his expression told her clearly enough that it wasn’t anything proper.

“I was just thinking,” he said, voice low, “how your hands could be so soft… so comfortable…”

“Stop—stop!” Nan Xu called out twice in a row before he finally shut up. She wished she had a few extra hands just to cover his mouth.

“Go to work already. If you wait any longer, you’ll be late.” Nan Xu turned her phone around to show him the screen. “You’ve got twenty minutes.”

Xie Hejing didn’t look at the phone at all, he kept his eyes on her. “You’re not coming with me?”

Nan Xu stared at him in disbelief.

Not long ago, he’d said he was giving her time off, and now he wanted to take it back?

No way.

She reminded him, “President Xie, you said you were giving me a break. Did you forget? I still have two days left!”

“You’re still not feeling well?” he asked.

“No.”

“Then why aren’t you going to work?” he pressed, refusing to give up.

But when it came to her time off, Nan Xu wasn’t budging.

“President Xie, don’t go back on your word. You said I had two days, so I have two days.”

“And besides, I need to catch up on sleep!”

“Catch up on sleep?” Xie Hejing repeated, as if evaluating whether she truly needed it.

“Of course,” Nan Xu said, and after a few seconds, she grit her teeth. “And don’t pretend you don’t know why I need to.”

Xie Hejing deliberately teased her. “Why don’t you remind me? My memory’s a bit fuzzy.”

“Xie Hejing!” Nan Xu slammed her chopsticks down and stood up, clearly outraged.

How could he forget what happened last night?

Impossible. He just wanted to drag her back to work.

“I’m not going back during my break,” she declared. “Say one more word and I’ll quit. I can work anywhere.”

Xie Hejing’s expression darkened instantly, though he still did his best to suppress his anger. “You can’t even go nap in my office lounge?”

Nan Xu couldn’t understand why he was so insistent on having her follow him to work, he was even fine with her sleeping there.

She shook her head. “No. Your lounge isn’t as comfortable as home.”

Hearing that, Xie Hejing stood up abruptly. At his height of nearly 1.9 meters, just standing there in front of her created an overwhelming pressure without him needing to say a word.

Nan Xu muttered quietly, “What are you doing? I’m just telling the truth.”

But Xie Hejing replayed her words in his mind, and no matter how he tried, the irritation wouldn’t go away.

Anywhere she worked would be the same?

The same?

“I’ll give you a chance. Take back what you just said.”

Nan Xu blinked, confused. She had said so many things, how was she supposed to know which line had set him off?

“Which one?”

“‘Anywhere is the same!’” he repeated coldly. “I’ll ask you again—is it really the same?”

“Is Assistant Nan planning to change jobs?”

Nan Xu originally wanted to argue back, but then Xie Hejing continued, “Even if you’re no longer Assistant Nan, I’ll still make you come to work with me. The only difference is that I’ll have to start emphasizing your identity as Mrs. Xie instead.”

Nan Xu didn’t dare imagine what ridiculous things he might actually do if it came to that. She hurried to pacify him.

“No, no—I’m not planning to change jobs. The benefits here are pretty good. I’m not going anywhere for now.”

“If you say something that ridiculous again, I’ll knock you out and carry you to the office so you can ‘accompany’ me at work.”

Nan Xu sucked in a sharp breath.

Xie Hejing was still as unhinged as always.

Thank goodness she corrected herself in time.

Being around him really required a strong heart. Otherwise, who knew what terrifying idea he might come up with next.

Nan Xu forced herself to calm down and continued eating her breakfast.

“Got it.”

Xie Hejing walked to the entryway. Seeing Nan Xu spacing out after finishing her meal, he deliberately cleared his throat.

Nan Xu didn’t notice, still lost in thought.

Xie Hejing sighed and coughed again.

Nan Xu still had no clue what he was trying to signal, but she did notice the cough this time. “Is your throat uncomfortable?”

Xie Hejing: “…”

Since she couldn’t even pick up on a simple request for a goodbye kiss, he had no choice but to walk back himself and plant a series of kisses across her face.

“Mrs. Xie, I want to see you tonight when I get home.”

---

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Chapter 77

---

Because her period had started, Nan Xu felt even worse, lacking energy all day.

President Xie generously gave her time off work, but he himself was so busy that he could only get home at night.

Nan Xu had no energy to cook, and Xie Hejing wouldn’t let her order takeout, so she decided to go home to see Wen Qiu and Nan Xiaocheng.

Nan Xiaocheng was in the kitchen, wearing a gray-and-white apron, stirring a big pot. He said that since Nan Xu happened to be home today, she could try his cooking.

The simmering chicken soup sent up rolling steam and let out a steady gurgle.

Nan Xiaocheng confidently scooped a spoonful to taste it, but didn’t say a word.

Nan Xu watched him from the kitchen doorway for a while. Judging by his expression, she suspected the chicken soup might not turn out so well, but she encouraged him anyway. “Dad, keep at it. I’m looking forward to tasting your cooking.”

In truth, Nan Xu knew her own cooking skills were entirely inherited from Nan Xiaocheng; she often couldn’t even eat what she made herself. But she didn’t want to reject his effort.

Wen Qiu sat on the sofa knitting a sweater, and Nan Xu went over to rest against her.

“Mom…”

Even as she had grown up, Nan Xu still loved the feeling of being in Wen Qiu’s arms. Listening to her gentle breathing and smelling the faint scent of soapberries, all of Nan Xu’s fatigue seemed to melt away.

“How come you’re still leaning on your mom at this age?” Wen Qiu gently ruffled Nan Xu’s hair, her voice soft and tender.

Nan Xu wrapped her arms around Wen Qiu’s waist, nuzzling against her. “No matter how old I get, I’ll always want to hug you.”

“How have things been with Hejing recently?” Wen Qiu asked with concern.

“Very well,” Nan Xu said, thinking back to last night, a laugh escaping her throat before she quickly restrained it. “Anyway, he’s really good to me.”

Last night, after Nan Xu had deliberately teased and tried to run away, Xie Hejing had chased her into the room, grabbing her just as she tried to cover herself with the blanket.

“Still trying to hide?”

“No… I’m just a little tired, wanted to sleep,” Nan Xu lowered her gaze, fidgeting with the hem of her nightdress.

“Tired?” Xie Hejing sneered. “And yet you dared to take off my clothes?”

She even kissed him and teased him. Did she think he could just endure it?

Seeing the rise and fall of his chest and the unsteady tone in his voice, Nan Xu felt a little scared. She emphasized again, “Hey, I got my period.”

“I know,” Xie Hejing said, his hands planted on either side of her, restraining himself as best he could.

“Didn’t you think about what might happen afterward?” he asked, breathing heavily.

His hand rose, slipping into hers, and he said with a suggestive tone, “Nan Xu, your hands are really beautiful.”

Nan Xu froze completely at the head of the bed, the sly smile that had been in her eyes moments ago vanished instantly.

Xie Hejing held her hand, his fingers gradually tightening around hers. “Perfect for doing something else.”

“Xie Hejing…” Nan Xu’s eyelashes trembled violently, a haze of helplessness quickly clouding her brow. The composed posture she had been carefully maintaining collapsed in an instant.

For a moment, the room was filled only with their breathing—one steady but restrained, the other anxious and flustered.

She was truly afraid that Xie Hejing would do something like this; otherwise, even if they didn’t ‘do this’ tonight, she’d probably still have to sleep very late.

She lowered her gaze and softened her posture. “But it hurts…”

Xie Hejing raised a brow. “It hurts just because I’m here?”

“….” Nan Xu covered her stomach with her other hand. “It hurts here. You know… it’s my period.”

“Tsk!” Xie Hejing lowered his head, stray strands of hair falling over his forehead but unable to hide the surging desire in his eyes. At that moment, he truly wanted to bite her—just to vent.

But Nan Xu leaned forward, slowly pressing a kiss to the corner of his eye. “Brother… can you hold me? It really hurts.”

She pursed her lips and blew gently, making the hair on his forehead sway.

It was just like the struggle in Xie Hejing’s heart.

His body felt intensely uncomfortable, but he couldn’t bear to force Nan Xu at a time like this.

“!!!”

He straightened up.

“Enough,” Xie Hejing said, taking a deep breath. “You’d better talk less today.”

Otherwise, he really might not be able to hold himself back.

He turned and walked toward the door. Nan Xu, lying on the bed in the inner room, laughed loudly at his slightly hurried steps—even Xie Hejing, rummaging through the cabinet in the living room for a heat patch, heard it.

He sighed. Once Nan Xu’s period was over, he certainly wouldn’t let her off so easily.

Nan Xu hadn’t been lying to him. Teasing him earlier was fine, but now the real pain had started to rise. She buried herself completely under the blanket, trying to drift off to sleep, but the discomfort made it impossible to feel drowsy.

Five minutes later, Xie Hejing returned to the bedroom.

On the nightstand in front of Nan Xu was a cup of brown sugar water. The clink of the cup hitting the table was loud, showing just how still annoyed he was.

“Thank you.” Since she couldn’t sleep anyway, Nan Xu sat up and held the cup, thanking him.

He grunted, face stern, and lifted a corner of her blanket, then slipped thick socks onto her feet.

Nan Xu struggled. “It’s really hot right now… won’t these be too stuffy?”

Xie Hejing didn’t say a word and didn’t even respond—he simply tightened his grip, making sure the little bear socks were snugly on her feet.

These socks were the ones Nan Xu had bought back when her girlish side was in full bloom. She had even picked out a little bear pair for Xie Hejing, though she’d never seen him wear them.

Once the socks were on, Xie Hejing pulled out a heat patch, made sure it was warm, and then pressed it against Nan Xu’s lower abdomen.

Nan Xu froze. “Will I sweat in the middle of the night? I don’t like that feeling.”

“Keep it on,” Xie Hejing said simply.

“…Alright.” Nan Xu lowered her gaze and sipped her brown sugar water in small, careful mouthfuls.

It wasn’t much different from usual, but seeing her like this, he somehow felt a pang of pity.

“If you sweat, I’ll wipe it for you.”

His voice was cold, and yet just from the tone, no one would guess how warm his words actually were.

“Wouldn’t that disturb your sleep?” Nan Xu lifted her head.

“Heh… you even notice,” Xie Hejing said. “Who was so bold just now?”

Not only would it disturb his sleep, he could already feel the heat lingering on his body, guessing that he’d have to take a cold shower again tonight.

Nan Xu felt a bit embarrassed. She bit her lip. “I just wanted to tease you a little.”

“Reason?” Xie Hejing asked, standing by the bed with his arms crossed.

“Well… you’re always so… fierce. Even when I cried, you wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Revenge?” Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow.

Nan Xu muttered, “…I guess… kind of.”

She sipped the brown sugar water, brewed for her by the very person she’d just “taken revenge” on.

“You’re not afraid I’ll get revenge?”

“Th-That would be a few days from now,” Nan Xu said, thinking about it quite casually. Besides, whether she teased Xie Hejing or not, he never listened to her anyway, so she might as well enjoy herself for now.

“And right now, I don’t want you to take revenge on me.”

Nan Xu put down her cup and opened her arms toward him. “I want you to hold me.”

Xie Hejing’s gaze followed the steam rising from her cup, as if the mist could dampen the fire inside him.

Seeing that he didn’t move or say anything, she asked again, “Is that okay?”

“No,” Xie Hejing said firmly.

Nan Xu could more or less guess why—after all, she had just made him angry.

“Alright.” She turned over, resting her hand on the blanket, and closed her eyes to drift toward sleep.

She curled up slightly, aching, her body folding in on itself.

Xie Hejing couldn’t stand the sight for long. Two seconds later, he lay down beside her.

“Just for a moment.”

His hand rested naturally at her waist, then shifted forward slightly, massaging her sore lower back.

A smile appeared on Nan Xu’s face. She didn’t know how Xie Hejing defined “a moment,” but half an hour later, he was still holding her tightly, with no intention of letting go.

After holding the same position for a while, Nan Xu simply turned over to face Xie Hejing.

She still hadn’t fallen asleep, and he asked, “Still hurting?”

Nan Xu nodded. “Can’t sleep.”

Xie Hejing adjusted their position so she could lean more comfortably against him, his fingertips tracing lightly along her spine.

But his words were relentless. “Serves you right. Let’s see if you dare run around barefoot at home next time.”

The ache made Nan Xu wince, and hearing him scold her only made it worse. She pursed her lips. “I thought it wouldn’t hurt this much… didn’t expect it to be like this. Don’t scold me anymore, I know I was wrong.”

She sniffled softly. “I won’t dare next time…”

Instantly, Xie Hejing’s irritation melted away. He really didn’t want her to cry from the pain, and hurriedly got up. “I’ll get you some medicine.”

After taking it with hot water, Nan Xu still lingered weakly in his arms.

“You should sleep a little first. If it really doesn’t get better, we’ll go to the hospital.”

Her hand rested between them, palm against his chest, and she could clearly feel his heartbeat—still a bit fast.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

Xie Hejing avoided the question, simply emphasizing two words: “Sleep.”

Then he closed his eyes, refusing to answer no matter what she asked. Nan Xu didn’t press it either. She shut her eyes, listening to his steady breathing at her ear, and gradually drifted off.

Once Xie Hejing sensed that Nan Xu was nearly asleep, he loosened the hand he had been resting on her lower abdomen, but still kept her safely in his arms.

Seeing her still-moist eyelashes, he took a tissue and gently wiped them away, bit by bit, before quietly slipping out of bed to take a shower.

The next morning, when Nan Xu woke up, Xie Hejing had already gone to the office. On the table was a note he had left for her:

[Eat breakfast, and send me a photo. No takeout.]

Nan Xu chuckled at the note, reached under her pillow for her phone, and sent him a picture of herself eating bread.

[President Xie, homework submitted!]

At that moment, Xie Hejing had just finished a meeting. Seeing that the time wasn’t too late for her photo, the tension in his brow eased a little.

[Did you eat anything else?]

So cold and curt. Nan Xu couldn’t help but silently complain to herself.

[All eaten—corn, eggs, chicken drumsticks, everything’s gone.]

She even sent him a “don’t worry” sticker.

[Mm.]

Nan Xu shook her head at the single, one-word reply. He couldn’t even be bothered to type more.

. . . . .

Dinner was ready, and the whole family sat at the table. Nan Xu and Wen Qiu took turns praising Nan Xiaocheng, but no one dared to start eating first.

Nan Xiaocheng said, “Go ahead, you two,” as he got up to serve Nan Xu a bowl of chicken soup.

“Jiaojiao, drink it. I tasted it in the kitchen just now. It was a little bland, so I added some salt—now the flavor should be perfect.”

Nan Xu took a sip, half-believing, half-doubting. To her surprise, the chicken soup was genuinely delicious this time—it could almost be called the most successful chicken soup in Nan Xiaocheng’s culinary career.

Seeing her expression of surprise, Nan Xiaocheng immediately asked, “How is it?”

Nan Xu gave high praise: “It’s really good, Dad! You’re amazing, this might be the best chicken soup you’ve ever made.”

Nan Xiaocheng looked a little proud. “Of course! What can your old man not do successfully? Now I’m definitely not the worst cook in the family anymore.”

Wait, if you’re not the worst, then who is?

Nan Xu quietly sipped her soup, unsure if she could still retract her compliment.

After finishing the meal, the family sat on the sofa to watch TV. Coincidentally, Xie Hejing had finished work early today and was waiting downstairs in his car.

When Nan Xu received his message, she asked: [Why don’t you come up? My parents really like having you at our home.]

Xie Hejing tugged at his tie and replied: [Next time. It’s too rushed today.]

Nan Xu put away her phone and told her parents, “Dad, Mom, Xie Hejing is here to pick me up. I’ll head down first.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Qiu came out of the kitchen. “Why don’t you let him come up and sit for a bit?”

Nan Xiaocheng walked over to the window and indeed saw Xie Hejing’s car. He murmured, “He came quite quickly.”

He had been thinking of letting Nan Xu stay at home tonight, but unexpectedly, Xie Hejing had come straight to pick her up.

“No, it’s fine,” Nan Xu said as she walked to the entryway to change her shoes. “He’s been really tired lately, and it’s getting late. Let’s just head home and rest early.”

“You two rest early as well,” she said, gripping the door handle as she spoke to them.

“All right,” Wen Qiu replied. “Be careful on the way.” She turned and handed the bag on the table to Nan Xu. “Take this with you and eat it later.”

Nan Xiaocheng walked over just in time. “Xuxu, try to eat at home more often. Otherwise, you won’t know how much better my cooking is getting.”

“All right, Dad. Next time, continue making chicken soup for me.”

“Will do,” he said.

When she got into the car, Nan Xu couldn’t help but yawn. “Let’s go.”

Xie Hejing rubbed the top of her head. “So sleepy?”

Nan Xu nodded. “If you had come even a little later, I probably would’ve already fallen asleep.”

“Still uncomfortable?” Xie Hejing massaged her waist with practiced ease.

“Much better. Not really uncomfortable anymore,” Nan Xu replied without lifting her head.

Hearing this, the corners of Xie Hejing’s mouth lifted slightly.

Back at home, after a quick wash-up, Nan Xu lay in bed. Strangely, her sleepiness didn’t feel as strong as before, so she just stared at the ceiling.

When Xie Hejing came out of the shower, she was still lying there.

“Not sleepy again?” he asked.

Nan Xu shook her head. “I don’t know. I was really sleepy at my parents’ place.”

“Maybe seeing me got you excited.”

Nan Xu: “……”

“It’s probably more likely that you got excited when you saw me.”

Xie Hejing lowered his eyes: “How did you know?”

Hearing that, Nan Xu blinked and almost immediately turned away. “I’m just kidding. Don’t get too excited, go to sleep.”

Xie Hejing had been holding back since last night, and he was still restraining himself now—but tonight, there was no way he’d let Nan Xu off so easily.

He slowly lay down. It was such an ordinary movement, yet Nan Xu felt an intense pressure. Flustered, she instinctively scrambled toward the other side of the bed.

Xie Hejing didn’t hold her back; instead, he followed her forward and whispered in her ear, “Where do you want to go?”

“Today… it doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”

Nan Xu had assumed that even if Xie Hejing wanted to do something, it would be a few days later. She didn’t expect it to come this soon.

“But I… my hand…”

Xie Hejing cut her off immediately. “Tonight, I won’t disturb your sleep.”

Are you sure you really won’t disturb me?” Nan Xu asked doubtfully. “You always finish so late.”

Xie Hejing: “…”

It was truly the first time he had met someone who disliked that aspect.

“I won’t.”

“Can’t you just take care of it yourself?” Nan Xu tried to resist a bit more.

Xie Hejing, however, sighed, “No.”

“I can’t finish without you.”

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Chapter 76

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The heat in Zhi’an had become unbearable recently. Nan Xu would start sweating after just a few steps outside.

Hating the sticky feeling on her skin, she decided to stay home and avoid going out altogether.

“Go out for a walk, don’t just stay at home all the time. Aren’t you bored?” Xie Hejing said.

Nan Xu had taken these past couple of days off to escape the heat, spending them stubbornly indoors.

“I don’t want to. It’s way too hot in Zhi’an this year,” she said, sitting on the sofa with some fruit she’d treated herself to.

She skewered a piece of watermelon with a toothpick; the icy sweetness made her squint with delight.

“Also, I don’t want to get tanned.”

Xie Hejing looked at her exposed arms, her skin like porcelain. If she got tanned, she’d probably be upset afterward.

“Then put on some sunscreen and wash it off when you get back. It’s not that sunny outside right now. Go take a walk, you can’t stay cooped up all day.”

The sun was just setting behind the mountains, the light outside soft and gentle.

Nan Xu thought for a moment. “Alright, fine.”

She went to her room to grab the sunscreen and had just returned to the sofa when it was suddenly in Xie Hejing’s hands.

“What are you doing? Are you going to put it on for me?”

“Mm,” Xie Hejing said, squeezing some sunscreen into his palm and rubbing his hands together. “Come here.”

Nan Xu didn’t hesitate. She sat down next to him and even reminded him, “Make sure you spread it evenly.”

She lay across Xie Hejing’s legs, letting him apply the sunscreen wherever he wanted; she simply turned along with him.

“It’s rare to see you so obedient,” Xie Hejing said.

Lately, he had been so busy that Nan Xu hardly dared to get close to him, especially at night, when she wished she could keep her distance. It was rare for her to actually lie obediently on his lap.

Nan Xu sat up and glared at him. “What do you mean by that?”

“I’m complimenting you,” Xie Hejing said, gently holding her arm. The soft touch made him unable to resist caressing it a little.

Nan Xu pulled her hand back. “You’re not really applying sunscreen, you’re just taking the opportunity to touch me.”

“Both,” Xie Hejing admitted.

Nan Xu didn’t know how to respond to such blunt honesty. She turned her head. “Hurry up and finish.”

“Why are you in such a rush now?” he teased.

“I still need to go buy some food, so hurry up,” Nan Xu muttered.

Xie Hejing didn’t waste any time, and in just a few moments, he had finished applying the sunscreen.

Nan Xu stood up to grab a bag to take with her, but Xie Hejing pulled her back.

Looking into his eyes, she could guess what he meant. She bent down and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“Thank you.”

By the time they stepped outside, the sky was growing darker. There were quite a few people walking their dogs in the neighborhood.

They ran into the elderly man who lived across the street. He greeted them warmly. “It’s you two again, the young couple! I hadn’t seen you for a while, and I was wondering if you had moved. I only found out you had moved back when you brought me wedding candy last time.”

“How’s the wedding planning going? When are you thinking of having it?” he asked.

Xie Hejing smiled. “Still some time. We’re planning to wait until after our trip.”

“Besides, it’s way too hot in Zhi’an right now. Not really suitable.”

Given Nan Xu’s temperament, once the weather got hot, she didn’t even want to move—let alone host a wedding.

The elderly man raised his eyebrows. “Ah, so you’re thoughtful,” he said, then turned to Nan Xu. “Miss, you’ve got good taste.”

Nan Xu had been squatting down, playing with the old man’s little dog. Hearing his words, she reluctantly stood up.

“Yes, Grandfather, you’re right. I’m lucky.”

“We’ll send you an invitation when we have our wedding.”

The elderly man tightened the leash on his dog and laughed heartily. “Alright then! I’ll be waiting to drink at your wedding banquet!”

. . . . .

“What do you want to buy?”

Xie Hejing held Nan Xu’s hand as they walked side by side out of the neighborhood.

“Um… I want cake, the mousse cake from that shop in front of the No. 1 Middle School.”

Worried that Xie Hejing might forbid her from eating cake at night, she added, “It’s been so long since I had it. Having a little tonight shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Sure.”

Surprisingly, Xie Hejing didn’t refuse. He simply turned a corner and headed with her toward the garage.

The cake shop was still a fair distance from their location. If they walked, they probably wouldn’t even make it to the cake shop before it closed.

As Xie Hejing got into the car, he was still thinking about Nan Xu’s conversation with the elderly man, she had admitted that she had good taste. He let out a low chuckle.

Nan Xu, fastening her seatbelt, was puzzled by his sudden laugh. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re being all mysterious,” she muttered.

Because some students had evening self-study sessions at No. 1 Middle School, the shops in front of the school tended to stay open later than most.

When they arrived, the cake shop was still open, but the cake Nan Xu wanted had just sold out.

Seeing Nan Xu looking a little down, Xie Hejing asked, “Want to check other shops?”

“No need.”

Nan Xu picked out some other cakes.

“These will do too,” she said.

Carrying the bag, they stepped out of the cake shop. Looking at No. 1 Middle School just a short distance away, Nan Xu noticed that the teaching buildings were still lit in the distance.

She suddenly remembered the night Xie Hejing had helped her climb over the school wall.

“Let’s walk around the school a bit,” she said.

She slid her wrist through the top of the bag and took Xie Hejing’s hand.

“I haven’t been back to No. 1 Middle School since I returned.”

“Then come during the day? We can see it more clearly then.” he asked.

Nan Xu shook her head. “No, just now. Let’s just walk around a little.”

The cake bag swayed slowly between their hands. Gradually, the streetlights on either side flickered on. Nan Xu stopped, looked up, and realized that night had fully fallen.

She lowered her gaze, and in the glow of the streetlights, her shadow quietly merged with Xie Hejing’s silhouette.

She stepped forward, and in the shadow, she leaned perfectly against Xie Hejing’s shoulder. The mottled pavement beneath them now seemed to form patterns across their bodies.

Nan Xu extended her thumb and forefinger, reaching along the shadow on the ground. Her finger shadows landed precisely on either side of Xie Hejing’s head.

It was as if she had “pinned” him in place, and she was delighted.

Xie Hejing remained still, letting her play with the shadows.

Nan Xu was so enchanted that she kept trying different movements until a light sweat formed on her back, and only then did she stop.

“Xie He…”

She looked up and met Xie Hejing’s gaze, a pair of eyes filled with gentle amusement.

Nan Xu remembered that night they had climbed over the school wall together; back then, his eyes had been restless, cold, and impatient.

But now, his gaze was much softer, almost like a completely different person from before.

The leaves of the phoenix tree rustled in the night breeze. Nan Xu leaned closer, studying the eyes that belonged only to her.

Where there had once been distant, untouchable depths, now they were focused entirely on her, drawing her in slowly.

She suddenly whispered, “Xie Hejing… I really like you.”

“What did you say?”

Xie Hejing’s Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed, and he could hear the sudden racing of his own heartbeat.

“What did you just say?”

Nan Xu realized what she had just said. She pressed her lips together and tried not to admit it.

“No, I didn’t say anything. Come on, let’s walk a bit further.”

She was clearly embarrassed, but this sudden confession left Xie Hejing savoring the moment. He didn’t push her further; he simply followed her lead, walking along. A couple of seconds later, he added, “I like you too.”

To avoid giving away what she had just said, Nan Xu hummed a little tune and resisted responding.

Xie Hejing thought: This girl really doesn’t want to admit it at all.

He let go of her hand, and naturally, she ended up leaning into his arms.

“Pretending you didn’t hear me?” he asked.

Nan Xu coughed. “No… I heard.”

“Then why aren’t you saying anything?”

Knowing she couldn’t pretend anymore, Nan Xu pushed aside her shyness and said in one breath, “I like you… I really like you.”

“Mm, say it a few more times,” he said.

Xie Hejing stared at the six-second recording on his phone, feeling a little regretful that it was so short.

“Why do you need to record it?” Nan Xu frowned.

“So that you can’t deny it someday.”

“You… are childish,” Nan Xu said, pretending to be serious. “This is so childish of you, and there’s no way I’d ever deny it.”

Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow. He didn’t care how Nan Xu complained, he was absolutely keeping the recording. Who knew, maybe on a sleepless night he could even replay it for comfort.

Since Nan Xu hadn’t gone out for a walk these past few days, Xie Hejing asked if she could manage walking back home instead of driving.

Nan Xu thought it would be easy and agreed right away… only to later realize she had seriously overestimated herself.

By the time they reached home, she didn’t even have the strength to eat the cake. She used the very last bit of energy she had to place the cake on the table before collapsing face-first onto the sofa.

“We barely walked at all. How are you already out of energy?” Xie Hejing looked at her limp posture and was already considering whether he should start taking her out to exercise.

Nan Xu didn’t care. She didn’t even lift her head, voice muffled into the cushion. “I was tired to begin with… and I don’t like exercising. You’ve always known that.”

“No wonder your stamina’s so bad. Every time I put you on top, you run out of strength after just a little while.”

Nan Xu froze for a second before realizing what he meant. Instantly forgetting she was exhausted, she flipped over and shot him a glare.

“That’s because of you! Why do you always—” She choked on her words, flustered. “Ugh, I’m done talking to you. My legs are so sore…”

Xie Hejing accepted defeat and shut his mouth. He sat down beside her, bent over, removed her shoes for her, and gently lifted her foot to massage it, slow and careful.

Nan Xu felt wonderfully relaxed under his hands, and at the same time, she remembered what Wen Qiu had said. She murmured, “My mom said you spoil me too much.”

“Isn’t that how it should be?” Xie Hejing replied matter-of-factly.

Nan Xu sighed. “No… it’s that you do everything for me. When I go back to my mom’s, I get a bit unaccustomed—I keep instinctively asking you to get things for me. My mom asked if you do everything at home, and I said pretty much… then she scolded me a little. Hmm,” she exhaled, “okay, I guess I’m a bit at fault.”

“Are your legs sore? I can massage them too,” she asked.

Nan Xu was so weak that even pinching him didn’t do much, let alone massaging. Xie Hejing shook his head. “No, not sore.”

“Then… are you tired now? Hungry?” she continued.

Xie Hejing smiled. “Not tired. But I am hungry.”

“Well, perfect. You can eat the rest of the cake. I’m too exhausted to eat anything.”

Xie Hejing slowed his movements on her legs. “I don’t want to eat that.”

“Then what do you want to eat?”

Nan Xu pursed her lips. She didn’t have the energy to make anything, and besides, her cooking wasn’t great.

“Tomorrow…”

“You,” Xie Hejing slowly uttered a single word.

Nan Xu blinked, and two seconds later she grabbed the pillow next to her and threw it at Xie Hejing. “You’re so annoying.”

Later that night, after going to the bathroom, Nan Xu realized her period had started. The sudden boldness made her unusually daring, so much so that she even dared to sit on Xie Hejing’s lap while he was looking at documents.

Xie Hejing looked slightly surprised. “Have you… figured it out?”

She had been avoiding him for days, and now she boldly came to tease him. He wondered what had changed—was it her temperament or her mindset? What had she just seen?

Xie Hejing pondered this, yet he overlooked the simplest explanation: Nan Xu was confident he wouldn’t make any move on her at this moment, which made her fearless.

She slowly began to slide Xie Hejing’s sleep shirt off. “Yeah… I just figured it out,” she said.

!!!

Xie Hejing inhaled sharply.

Nan Xu didn’t even have to move aggressively. The moment she sat on him, his entire presence shifted. In just a second, the restrained, lazy aura he had carried before vanished completely, replaced by a gaze filled with intimacy and raw allure.

“Where do you want to go?” he murmured, his voice deep, radiating a mature dominance. The smile in his eyes carried the warmth and possessiveness unique to a husband.

Nan Xu refused to show hesitation. She continued to pull down Xie Hejing’s shirt until his upper body was fully exposed.

Nan Xu leaned in and kissed him gently, then began to explore, teasing, and unabashedly tracing the lines of Xie Hejing’s body.

She was completely different from her usual self, the timid girl who would normally run away after even a single kiss from him.

Even that wasn’t enough. Remembering the last experience, Nan Xu continued teasing, “If we put ice here, how long do you think it would take to melt?”

“Curious? Then let’s try,” he said, reaching to pick her up and fetch the ice.

But Nan Xu stopped him. “No rush yet.”

Her moist lips traced the fine shallow lines on his body, gradually deepening the touch.

Hearing Xie Hejing’s restrained, muffled groan, she finally stopped—but her expression showed she was far from satisfied. Moments like these, teasing him, didn’t come often.

“What do you want to do?” he asked, his eyes burning with desire, the last threads of restraint about to snap.

Nan Xu laughed boldly. “I want to see how long you can hold out tonight.”

She leaned close, whispering into his ear, “I got my period.”

Before he could react, she dashed off his body and ran toward the bedroom.

Xie Hejing ground his teeth, veins on the back of his hand bulging. “Nan Xu!!!”

---

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Chapter 75

---

Lately, the two of them had been planning their honeymoon.

Nan Xu was having a hard time choosing a destination. Curled up in Xie Hejing’s arms, she showed him a few places she was interested in.

“Where should we go? Bali, Semporna… or somewhere in the country?”

Nan Xu was completely torn. Each place had its own charm, and she’d already been agonizing over the choice for days.

But after thinking about it for so long, she still couldn’t decide. With a sigh, Nan Xu wondered if she was simply not built for making choices. “Mm, I can’t pick. You choose.”

She shoved the iPad into Xie Hejing’s arms and got up to get some water, only for him to pull her back immediately.

“I need water,” she reminded helplessly.

Lately, she’d noticed more and more that Xie Hejing seemed to really love clinging to her. When other people were around he’d restrain himself a little, but whenever it was just the two of them at home, he practically wanted to hold her all the time.

And it wasn’t just when they were sleeping anymore. Whether Nan Xu was watching a show, eating, or drinking water—if Xie Hejing saw her, he wanted her in his arms.

Because of that, she’d become incredibly familiar with his scent. Over time, she even got used to it… and maybe a little addicted.

A few times when she went back to her parents’ place to sleep, she ended up unable to fall asleep at all.

Lying in bed, all she could think about was that cool cedar smell on Xie Hejing’s body.

Nan Xu frowned, and finally had no choice but to call Xie Hejing, complaining that she might have developed some kind of condition.

——She couldn’t sleep without him.

“Xie Hejing, did you do this on purpose? You just want me to be unable to sleep without you.” She said it casually.

But in Xie Hejing’s ears, that sentence was practically a love confession.

He couldn’t sleep either. He was lying in bed surrounded by Nan Xu’s scent, yet she wasn’t there. He kept tossing and turning, wanting to go pick her up.

“I did,” he said, sitting up lazily. “I want you addicted to me.”

Nan Xu: “…”

How could someone be so shameless and yet so straightforward about it?

“Then can you sleep?” she asked, annoyed.

“No,” he answered honestly.

Hearing that, some of her irritation from insomnia eased.

“Good,” she murmured, eyes half-closed, suddenly feeling more balanced inside.

“Should I come get you?” Xie Hejing asked tentatively.

“Get me? You mean take me back?” Nan Xu asked, confirming.

“Since neither of us can sleep, why don’t you come back and sleep here?”

Xie Hejing twirled the keychain in his hand, the silver glint circling again and again.

“But I have to go to the temple with my mom early tomorrow morning.”

Ever since returning to Zhi’an, Wen Qiu had developed a habit of going to pray every month. Most of the time, the whole family went together, but lately Nan Xiaocheng had been preparing to return to work, and Xie Hejing was busy too.

So this time, it was just Nan Xu and Wen Qiu.

“And what does it even look like if you pick me up in the middle of the night?”

If Wen Qiu woke up tomorrow morning and didn’t see her, and asked where she’d gone…

Nan Xu would be too embarrassed to say she couldn’t sleep without Xie Hejing, so she went back to him.

“It’s nothing. I’ll just send you back early tomorrow,” Xie Hejing said, the keys spinning faster between his fingers.

“Isn’t that troublesome? Going back and forth…” Nan Xu glanced at the time, it was already midnight. “It’s so late.”

“What’s so troublesome about it? Just tell me if you want to come or not. I can’t sleep without you either, and it might even mess with my work tomorrow.”

Nan Xu thought it over carefully before finally making up her mind. “Then… come pick me up.”

After hanging up, Xie Hejing didn’t waste another second. He changed into something casual and drove straight to the building where Nan Xu’s parents lived.

He sent Nan Xu a message from inside the car: [I’m here.]

She lifted the curtain and looked toward the spot where Xie Hejing usually parked.
Sure enough, his familiar car was already waiting quietly downstairs. She couldn’t tell if he’d noticed her pulling the curtain open, but the hazard lights blinked twice.

It had been less than half an hour, and he was already downstairs. Nan Xu was amazed at how fast he’d arrived.

Since she would be coming back early in the morning, she didn’t bother changing out of her pajamas. She simply threw on a coat and headed downstairs.

Seeing how she was dressed, Xie Hejing frowned. “Just a coat? Aren’t you cold?”

Nan Xu didn’t get into the car right away. She stood outside for a moment to feel the temperature. Even though it was late at night, Zhi’an was still fairly warm.

“I’m not cold.”

“Get in, quickly,” Xie Hejing urged, unable to hold back.

The moment she sat down, he took her hand.

Her fingers were a little cold.

He spoke in a low voice. “And you’re saying you’re not cold?”

“I really wasn’t,” she muttered.

Xie Hejing didn’t bother arguing with her. When they got out of the car, he took off his own jacket and draped it over Nan Xu’s shoulders.

“You’re not afraid of catching a cold?” Nan Xu asked.

“I’m more afraid of you catching one.”

“…”

Nan Xu secretly decided she should dress warmer next time.

Once they got home, Xie Hejing didn’t say another word. He simply pulled her into his arms and fell asleep almost immediately.

Nan Xu had thought she would fall asleep quickly too, but after lying there for a while, she was still wide awake.

Nestled in his arms, she turned slightly, carefully tracing the lines of his face. Her fingertips brushed over his brow bone, then the bridge of his nose, his lips, his jaw.

Her movements were slow, each second spent memorizing every detail of him.

When her fingers reached his Adam’s apple, he swallowed. Startled, Nan Xu worried she’d woken him, so she quickly pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Then she tucked herself back into his arms and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Nan Xu originally planned to return wearing exactly what she’d come in.

But Xie Hejing insisted she dress warmer before going back.

Any more delay and they’d be late, so Nan Xu had no choice but to change into a thicker outfit and head out with him.

As soon as they went upstairs and opened the door, they bumped into Wen Qiu, who was just about to head out to buy breakfast.

Nan Xu quickly held up the breakfast she’d bought downstairs. “Mom, I already got breakfast. Let’s eat.”

“Jiaojiao, you got up so early today? And when did you change clothes? You weren’t wearing this yesterday,” Wen Qiu said, surveying her outfit from head to toe.

Nan Xu placed the food on the table, took a sip of her porridge, and mumbled vaguely, “This outfit’s been here all along. I only noticed it today… so I changed.”

. . . . .

Even thinking back on it now, Nan Xu felt a bit embarrassed.

She said, “I won’t be hugging you to sleep for the next few days, so that I won’t keep thinking about you when I’m at my parents’ house.”

Xie Hejing still held her tightly, his chin resting on the top of her head.

“If you don’t want to hug me to sleep, then who do you want to hug?”

Nan Xu raised an eyebrow. “My stuffed animals, of course. Haven’t I always hugged them? I have plenty of things I can hug.”

Xie Hejing’s eyes twitched at the corner, he had completely forgotten about that. He let out a cold laugh. Even this little toy dared to compete with him for his wife.

“If you don’t hug me, tomorrow I’ll throw all your stuffed animals away. Whatever you hug, I’ll throw it away.”

Nan Xu: “…”

“You’re completely unreasonable.”

“There’s no reason to argue about this. Isn’t it only natural for me to hug my wife to sleep?” Xie Hejing lowered his gaze to look at her.

Nan Xu: “…”

She refused to speak to him.

Xie Hejing returned his attention to the iPad, carefully watching the places Nan Xu had selected.

“Going to all of them?”

He looked over the list. Since Nan Xu couldn’t decide, it meant she wanted to go to all of them.

Nan Xu’s temper flared quickly and then faded just as fast.

“No need to go to all of them. Isn’t work keeping you busy?”

Lately, Xie Hejing had been incredibly busy. Several nights, Nan Xu had already gone to bed, only to see him still working on documents when she went out for water.

“Just pick one place casually, and truly relax. Travel isn’t about how many places you visit, it’s about who you go with,” Nan Xu said.

Hearing this, Xie Hejing couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile.

Nan Xu looked up at him. “How is it that you stay up all those nights and your skin still looks so good?”

It was enviably flawless, something she couldn’t help but admire.

“And… your eyelashes are so long. Xie Hejing, your irises are amber… they’re really beautiful.”

Xie Hejing hadn’t expected Nan Xu to notice such details. But thinking that they fascinated her, he curved his lips. “It’s natural!”

Without thinking, Nan Xu blurted out, “Will these genes be inherited?”

!!!

Xie Hejing’s breath instantly grew heavier. Pulling Nan Xu into his arms, he started heading toward the bedroom. “Let’s find out.”

Seeing him swallow repeatedly, Nan Xu suddenly realized what she had just said. She gave an awkward laugh. “I… I was just saying it casually.”

Xie Hejing held her hand against his face.

“Don’t want to see these features appear on someone who looks a bit like you?”

He leaned closer so she could see clearly. “Maybe they will be inherited!”

Nan Xu froze for a moment. But Xie Hejing’s movement toward the bedroom brought her back to reality. She pulled her hand back. “Isn’t it too soon? We just got our marriage certificate.”

Xie Hejing raised his head but didn’t argue. “Alright, we’ll talk about it when you feel ready.”

The sudden topic change almost made Nan Xu forget why she had gotten up in the first place. Tugging at Xie Hejing’s coat, she said, “I want some water.”

Right now, there was no way Xie Hejing would let her get it herself, either he’d carry her to the water or carry the water back and feed it to her.

At first, Nan Xu couldn’t quite understand Xie Hejing’s behavior. He seemed to want to take care of almost everything for her.

But gradually, she got used to it, even to the point of being able to guess what he would do next.

Just as she expected, Xie Hejing carried her in one arm, picked up a cup of warm water, and returned to the sofa, bringing the cup to her lips.

Nan Xu sipped slowly and suddenly remembered something Wen Qi had told her last time.

“Oh, right… Xiang Weishi seems to have broken up. Qiqi said she wanted to take him out to relax and asked if we wanted to join.”

Xie Hejing was aware of Xiang Weishi’s breakup, though it wasn’t exactly a serious one. He had pursued a girl earnestly for a while; she agreed to give it a try, but in the end, it didn’t work out, and they went their separate ways.

Nan Xu didn’t expect it to have reached the point where he needed a little “cheer-up” outing. He asked, “Wei Qingxuan going?”

Nan Xu nodded. “Yes, and it seems Xiang Weishi will bring another girl along too.”

Xie Hejing’s lips curled into a smirk. Xiang Weishi could still bring a girl along, huh.

“Do you know who it is?”

“No, I didn’t ask carefully,” Nan Xu turned her head, signaling for him to put the cup down. “Qiqi’s idea is that we stay out for a few days. She just wanted to check if you could take the time.”

“Sure.”

At dinner, Nan Xu was still focused on her variety show while Xie Hejing tapped away at the keyboard behind her.

Suddenly, she exclaimed, “So handsome!”

Instantly, Xie Hejing went on high alert. He put down the computer, squeezed up next to her, and watched along—but after a while, he still didn’t see anyone he could call handsome.

“Who are you talking about?”

As soon as Nan Xu heard that, she knew his jealousy was flaring up again. She used one hand to brush her eyebrow and the other to point at the male guest on the screen.

“Him. Isn’t he handsome? I’ve been following his variety shows and dramas these past few days.”

With every word she spoke, Xie Hejing’s expression darkened. But Nan Xu didn’t think about the consequences and continued: “He just has so much personal charisma. His movie comes out in a few days, I want to go watch it!”

“Oh? Let me see.” Xie Hejing scrutinized him carefully, then snorted coldly. “What’s so good about him?”

Nan Xu felt a mischievous thrill. She actually enjoyed seeing Xie Hejing get jealous.

She stifled a laugh and deliberately said, “Maybe it’s just the novelty.”

“You feel a novelty toward him?” Xie Hejing ground his teeth.

Nan Xu casually replied, “Mm.”

“You’re tired of me?!”

His voice rose noticeably. It had only been a few days—he had just married her, and she was already bored of him?

“I didn’t say that,” she said coquettishly, turning her head toward him.

Teasing Xie Hejing was fun, but in the end, it was always Nan Xu who suffered.

That night in bed, Xie Hejing didn’t hug her at all—in fact, he even slept with his back to her.

It was a rare occurrence.

Nan Xu was a little surprised, guessing it might be because of what she had said that evening. She spoke up again to clarify: “I only said he’s novel to me, not that I’m bored of you.”

“And how could I ever get bored of you? We just…”

Xie Hejing didn’t respond to her words. Instead, he turned over, his expression serious. “When something comes too easily, people don’t value it.”

“What?” Nan Xu didn’t catch his meaning.

“You made it too easy for me back then. I should have been more reserved, so you wouldn’t get me so easily.”

Nan Xu pressed her lips together. She never imagined the word reserved would come out of Xie Hejing’s mouth and she certainly didn’t think it could ever be associated with him.

“You’re sure that, in your state back then, you could actually be reserved?”

Xie Hejing: “….”

Just looking at Nan Xu made his heart race, it really was hard to live up to that word.

She continued, “I won’t get bored of you, don’t worry. I still cherish you more than I can even express.”

Her words sounded a bit like bait casually thrown out by a flirt. Nan Xu was wondering how to back up what she just said.

“Really?” Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow. “So you’re saying… I’m very attractive to you?”

“Well… I guess you could put it that way,” Nan Xu said, sensing a trap in his words but unable to figure it out.

But soon she realized what he meant. Xie Hejing threw back the covers, got up, and slowly began removing his pajamas.

Nan Xu wanted to stop him, but when she met his gaze, she quickly fell silent—otherwise, she might really have to do the thing she was worst at:

——Coaxing Xie Hejing.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she watched him undress, then he lay back down.

He turned his head toward her and said, “Show me where I’m attractive to you.”

Did he really need her to point that out while undressing?! His intentions were obvious.

Nan Xu refused to give in. She pulled the covers tightly around herself and said firmly, “I’m not pointing.”

Two seconds later, she added, “I’m sleepy. It’s already so late, staying up isn’t good for you either.”

But to avoid having to coax Xie Hejing later, Nan Xu specifically emphasized, “And every part of you attracts me, every single part attracts me!!!”

Xie Hejing chuckled lightly. “Are you sure?”

“…Hmm.”

But he wasn’t about to let Nan Xu get away with it so easily.

Nan Xu understood, but she couldn’t guess what Xie Hejing’s next move would be.

The mattress bounced as Xie Hejing got off the bed. Nan Xu didn’t know where he was going, but soon she heard his footsteps coming back.

Her vision was blocked in the darkness. Before leaving, Xie Hejing had turned off all the lights, leaving her unable to see anything.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

Xie Hejing didn’t answer. The next moment, a few ice cubes were pressed against her back and hands.

Soon, the ice melted, the cold running down along her spine, spreading outward. The cube in her hand was melting too.

Xie Hejing followed the melting water with his lips.

The heat of his mouth mixed with the cold, making Nan Xu’s breathing tense; her whole body trembled under the sensation.

He remained unhurried, methodically kissing every inch as he gently turned her over.

Nan Xu reached out, pushing him away. “Stop…”

She felt like she was caught between fire and ice.

Xie Hejing still held the ice cubes, his breath warm, his voice a teasing murmur: “Want to try playing with it?”

“Or… do you want to play with me?”

---

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Chapter 74

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“Nan Xu, get up. Don’t forget what we’re supposed to do today.”

Seeing that she was still sleeping soundly, Xie Hejing tugged at her ear and lifted it a little.

“Mmm…” Nan Xu responded vaguely, then rolled over to the other side and even pulled the blanket—the one Xie Hejing had just lifted—back over herself.

Still not getting up.

“It’s already so late. You’re still trying to stay in bed?”

Nan Xu curled her whole body under the blanket, only a few strands of hair slipping out onto the pillow. Her muffled voice came through.

“It’s not late… we can go get the marriage certificate this afternoon too.”

Xie Hejing couldn’t help laughing. Nan Xu really was the definition of someone who couldn’t get out of bed.

Clearly, calling her wasn’t going to work. Xie Hejing pulled the blanket away and scooped her up, heading straight for the bathroom.

The sudden lift made Nan Xu jolt, flailing a little before grabbing onto his arm.

“What are you doing?” she muttered, lips pursed.

She noticed the curtains he had drawn open and glanced outside. The sky was still a hazy gray-blue, and the streetlights were still on, glowing through the early morning fog.

“It’s… it’s not even fully light yet.”

Drowsy and nestled against his chest, she pleaded, “How about you just put me back in bed? We can go in the afternoon…”

Xie Hejing hadn’t forgotten what she said yesterday. If he slowed down even a little, it would only give her more chances to run away or change her mind. So he refused immediately. “No.”

Being carried in his arms, Nan Xu had no way to fight him off, so she simply gave up and let him do as he pleased. She even closed her eyes, trying to squeeze in a bit more sleep during the short walk.

Xie Hejing couldn’t help laughing. “You’re that tired?”

“I am,” Nan Xu yawned. “You’re the one who wouldn’t let me sleep properly last night.”

As if remembering something, Nan Xu suddenly snapped her eyes open and stared at Xie Hejing in confusion. “Why aren’t you tired? Weren’t you the one who went to sleep later than me? And you were also… doing all the work.”

She really couldn’t figure it out. Every time, she ended up so exhausted she could barely stay awake, yet Xie Hejing somehow still had the energy to bathe her and change her clothes.

By the next morning, she was the one drained, while he was full of energy.

“Maybe I’m just naturally gifted,” Xie Hejing said with a raised brow.

“…” Nan Xu had no words. Of all the answers he could have given, that was not the one she expected.

Xie Hejing squeezed toothpaste onto a toothbrush and handed it to her. “Brush. Then come out to get dressed and eat.”

After all that, Nan Xu’s sleepiness had mostly faded. She stared at herself in the mirror. Even though she slept so late last night, thankfully she didn’t have dark circles today—otherwise she’d have to work hard to cover them up.

Xie Hejing had been waiting at the table for quite a while, but Nan Xu still hadn’t come out.

Did she crawl back into bed to sleep again?

He pressed his lips together, thinking he might as well just scoop her up, throw her into the car, and head straight to get the marriage certificate first.

But the moment he pushed the door open, he saw Nan Xu standing in front of the mirror, midway through changing her clothes.

Hearing the door, she turned her head and saw Xie Hejing leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, a hint of amusement in his eyes as if he were admiring her. Nan Xu called out, “Why are you coming in? I’m still changing!”

Xie Hejing lifted his chin slightly. “Go on.”

“With you standing there, how am I supposed to keep changing?” Nan Xu clutched her clothes to cover herself. “Hurry up and close the door, don’t you want to leave early?”

“Oh? So you do know I want to leave early?”

He shut the door behind him with one hand and walked toward her step by step.

His hunter-like gaze never strayed, locking onto her as if he had already seen through everything beneath her clothes.

Nan Xu clutched her shirt even tighter and stepped back until her spine pressed against the cold mirror, making her shiver.

Even though it was broad daylight, she couldn’t help swallowing nervously—when Xie Hejing lost control, he didn’t care whether it was day or night.

She forced herself to sound calm as she warned him, “Don’t you dare mess around. I need to look presentable today, we’re taking photos later.”

Xie Hejing walked right up to her and easily took the clothes from her hands. With that, everything was fully exposed to his view. On a normal day, Nan Xu wouldn’t have stood a chance of escaping, but today they still had something important to do, so Xie Hejing had no choice but to let her go for now.

“I know,” he said casually. “I’ll dress you.”

“…” Nan Xu gritted her teeth. “No need. I know how to dress myself.”

Today she had picked a cream-colored long dress. The neckline was decorated with intricate embroidery, and the waist had a cutout design that traced her figure perfectly.

She originally planned to just put it on and leave. If he told her to change, she was going to claim there was no time. But now that plan was completely ruined.

Sure enough, when Xie Hejing shook the dress open, he naturally noticed the cutout waist. He glanced at Nan Xu.

Nan Xu cleared her throat. “What? It’s normal. It just… shows a bit of waist.”

She had thought about choosing another dress—the one that reached her knees—but when she looked in the mirror earlier, she noticed Xie Hejing had left quite a few marks on her legs.

Thankfully, the rest weren’t too visible and could be covered. Otherwise, in this unbearable heat, she would’ve had to wrap herself up from head to toe. Just thinking about the marks on her legs made her mutter angrily, “It’s all your fault. There are still marks on my legs. I told you to be careful, but you never listen.”

Nan Xu reached out to grab the dress back, but Xie Hejing turned his body sideways, easily dodging her.

“What? You’re not in a hurry anymore?”

“Are you sure you want to wear this one?” Xie Hejing asked.

“I’m sure. This is the one I want to wear.” Nan Xu folded her arms. “Are you trying to control what I wear now?”

He raised a brow. “Did you even check if there are any marks on your waist?”

The moment he said that, it was like a bolt of lightning struck her. She had spent ages choosing this dress. She didn’t see anything when she checked in the mirror earlier, but who knew—there could be marks she missed somewhere else.

Her feet shifted nervously. Forget blaming him; she turned around and said, “Help me check if there’s anything. I don’t know if foundation can cover it.”

She kept muttering under her breath.

Xie Hejing’s fingertips tightened around the dress.

Nan Xu’s skin was delicate, just the moment she had leaned against the mirror had left a faint blush on her back. Her shoulder blades rose and fell slightly as she shivered.

Her smooth, pale back was completely unmarked, but that only stirred Xie Hejing’s most primal instincts.

His Adam’s apple bobbed.

He suddenly wanted to leave a mark on her again—preferably right on her waist—just to see if she’d dare wear something that showed it next time.

But since they were going to get their marriage certificate today, he didn’t want to go too far.

“…None.”

Even in that short moment, Xie Hejing’s voice had already turned a little hoarse.

Hearing his answer, Nan Xu finally let out a breath of relief and turned around. “Then why did you…”

Before she could finish, Xie Hejing slipped the dress over her and slowly pulled it down. One of his hands came up to cover her eyes.

Darkness fell instantly. Nan Xu asked, “What’s going on?”

“Don’t look. I won’t be able to hold back.” Xie Hejing sped up as he helped her into the dress.

At the end, he didn’t forget to pinch her waist, clearly fascinated by that exposed curve.

Nan Xu hadn’t expected that wearing a dress would actually make things easier for him.

She bit her lip, unwilling to let it slide. “You’re so annoying… Believe it or not, I’ll touch you back.”

“You can.” There was even a hint of anticipation in his eyes. Tugging at his collar, he said, “Where do you want to touch? I’ll take my shirt off right now.”

Nan Xu: “…”

How could someone like him exist?

“I was joking. I don’t want to touch you anywhere, least of all you.”

“Move.” Nan Xu deliberately squeezed past him and headed out of the room.

She was truly furious. No matter what, she could never win in an argument with Xie Hejing. Even when she tried to act shameless, he out-shamelessed her every time.

All she could do was pinch his arm in passing, quietly and viciously.

Xie Hejing willingly let himself get shoved aside. He glanced at the faint crescent-shaped mark she left on his arm, smiling. It faded quickly, and he even looked a little disappointed.

When they stepped out, she didn’t see him at the table. Turning her head, she spotted Nan Xu on the sofa, venting her irritation on the sugar cake—biting into it one aggressive mouthful after another.

Xie Hejing shook his head, amused. “Let’s go. Eat in the car.”

“Aren’t you afraid the crumbs from my sugar cake will get all over your precious car?” Nan Xu lifted the pastry like a threat, waving it in front of him.

“What precious? I only have one precious thing—and that’s you.”

Nan Xu had never seen him smile this much in one day. From the moment they left home, all the way to the civil affairs bureau, and even after they picked up the marriage certificate—two little red booklets in hand—he wore a smile the entire time.

Earlier, the clerk had even said to her, “Your husband seems to have such a warm personality and smiles a lot. Wishing you both a happy marriage.”

Nan Xu couldn’t exactly explain to a stranger that most of the time he looked intimidating, that he was hardest to approach when he wasn’t smiling at all.

She could only smile back and say, “Thank you.”

Back in the car, Nan Xu originally wanted to take a nap, but when she saw the smile still lingering on Xie Hejing’s lips, she couldn’t help asking, “Xie Hejing, are you really that happy today?”

Xie Hejing countered, “You’re not happy?” He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if warning her. If she dared to say no, she could forget about sleeping tonight.

“I am happy,” Nan Xu said. “But does being happy mean handing out flowers and red envelopes to every single person we meet? Even the dog on the street got some.”

She had no idea when he had even prepared all those flowers and red envelopes. Every staff member they encountered received one, and he had even given a flower and an envelope to the little yellow dog outside the civil affairs bureau.

Nan Xu: “…”

She was completely stunned.

“And also, you’ve been staring at those two red booklets for half an hour. Weren’t we supposed to go have dinner with our parents? My mom already messaged asking why we’re not there yet.”

“Mm. Let’s go.”

Xie Hejing finally put the two marriage booklets away.

Today, both families had arranged to meet for a celebratory dinner after the two got their marriage certificate.

Xie Hejing had prepared gifts for both mothers. When he handed Nan Xu a gift as well, she paused in surprise. “I get one too?”

He already gave her more than enough on a normal day. On an occasion like this, he only needed to prepare gifts for the parents.

“Others can go without. You can’t.”

Hearing that, Wen Qiu smiled with satisfaction. “Jiaojiao, what did you prepare for Hejing?”

Nan Xu frowned and lowered her head. She hadn’t even thought that far.

Zhang Huiwan took a sip of her wine. “Jiaojiao doesn’t need to prepare anything. Marrying Xie Hejing is already enough.”

Xie Hengzhi and Nan Xiaocheng exchanged a glance. Xie Hengzhi cleared his throat first, reminding Xie Hejing, “And the two of us don’t get anything?”

Nan Xiaocheng pressed his lips together. “It’s fine if we don’t. As long as you two are good together.”

Of course Xie Hejing had prepared something. He turned around and brought over the wine that Xie Hengzhi liked and the tea that interested Nan Xiaocheng.

The gifts were clearly well-chosen and hard to find, thoughtful enough to make both men beam with satisfaction.

“These are things Nan Xu and I prepared together. Dad, Mom, see if you like them.”

All four parents were very pleased with the gifts, it was exactly what each of them liked.

Nan Xu had only given a few suggestions; almost everything was prepared by Xie Hejing himself.

Watching him handle everything so perfectly while she had forgotten to prepare anything for him, Nan Xu couldn’t help feeling guilty.

When he sat down, she tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “Sorry… I didn’t think that far today. Let me make it up to you tomorrow.”

Xie Hejing took a sip of wine, leaned close to her ear, and murmured, “You can make it up to me tonight.”

Nan Xu clutched the gift in her hands, her ears instantly turning red. “W-What are you saying…”

She hadn’t had any alcohol. After they parked the car in the garage, she was just about to get out when the Xie Hejing in the passenger seat suddenly reached out to stop her.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick from the wine?”

She knew Xie Hejing was happy today, and when he was happy, he drank without restraint. But Nan Xu didn’t want to ruin the mood, so she hadn’t stopped him.

A faint flush spread across his face, and even his voice had a lazy, drunken drawl.

“No.”

“Then why are you stopping me? Why aren’t you getting out?” Nan Xu reached for the car door, but Xie Hejing grabbed her hand before she could open it.

“I want you to kiss me.”

“Here?” Nan Xu stared at him.

Xie Hejing nodded. “Mm.”

“Wait till we’re home.”

“No.”

Nan Xu couldn’t understand why he refused to wait even a little longer, insisting she kiss him right here.

“Why not? Why does it have to be in the car?” she asked again.

Suddenly, Xie Hejing leaned in. He tugged his collar open loosely, his breath warm against her ear.

“I want to try it in the car.”

His lashes lowered halfway, the sharpness in his eyes completely softened by drunken affection.

His words were thick with unmistakable intimacy.

“Okay? …wife?”

!!!

Nan Xu’s heart thumped faster and faster, and she couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She had to blink rapidly just to hide it.

“What did you just say? I didn’t hear you clearly.”

Xie Hejing buried his face in the crook of her neck, laughing quietly. His warm breath seeped through her thin clothes, burning against her skin.

The tip of his nose brushed along her collarbone, slow and teasing. “Didn’t hear it?”

Nan Xu felt that Xie Hejing was practically a demon—always finding ways to make her lose her rationality little by little, until she couldn’t help agreeing to him.

“But… we don’t have anything in the car…”

“I brought it. In my pocket.”

Nan Xu blinked in surprise. “You carry that around?”

Xie Hejing didn’t bother to explain. He got out of the car, swaying slightly, opened the driver’s door, pulled Nan Xu into the seat, and climbed in after her.

It was their first time in the car, and Nan Xu was visibly nervous.

He noticed. He slipped a small package into her hand.

“Help me put it on, okay? Wife.”

He was being way too unfair tonight, using that word over and over, making Nan Xu feel as if she were a little drunk herself.

But she managed to squeeze out a bit of sanity, refusing to completely fall apart. Lowering her gaze, she said, “I… I don’t know how.”

Xie Hejing let out a soft laugh. “I’ll teach you. Step by step.”

---

He placed her hand on his belt. “Can you undo this? If you can’t, I’ll…”

“I can.” Nan Xu cut him off immediately, afraid he’d say something outrageous again. “I can do it.”

“Then open it.”

Xie Hejing leaned back slightly, his posture completely open—letting her do whatever she wanted. His gaze stayed fixed on Nan Xu’s tense hands.

“Wife, faster. It hurts holding it in.”

“Don’t… don’t call me that.”

Nan Xu couldn’t handle the way he said that word, especially with his drunken, slightly aggrieved tone.

With a soft click, heat surged forward. Nan Xu’s palms were damp, the edge of the package digging into her hand and repeatedly jolting her nerves.

Her fingers trembled, but she forced herself to tear the package open.

Xie Hejing’s eyes lifted at the corners, his whole body turning boneless as he leaned against her. His hand covered the back of hers, not allowing the slightest retreat.

“Put it on.”

Nan Xu’s fingertip accidentally brushed along the edge, and Xie Hejing let out a low, muffled sound from deep in his throat. Her heart stumbled in panic, and she tried her hardest to ignore the sounds by her ear. Only when everything fit properly did the tension in her muscles finally ease.

“And then…”

Xie Hejing had been holding back for too long. He couldn’t wait for her to finish her sentence. He lifted her skirt, even guiding her hand to hold it up—but Nan Xu didn’t want to hold it.

Xie Hejing said, “If you get it dirty later, there’s nothing in this car for you to change into.”

Hearing that, Nan Xu had no choice but to hold up her skirt herself, and no matter how she did it, the whole posture was embarrassingly suggestive.

To Xie Hejing, though, it was breathtaking. He watched her sit stiffly, afraid to make any unnecessary movement.

Then, with deliberate mischief, Xie Hejing nudged her up slightly. Nan Xu let out a startled cry, her free hand grabbing his shoulder to steady herself. “Don’t…”

Xie Hejing’s hands were carelessly igniting the fire, and as he did so, he asked, “Don’t what?”

He held her completely in his arms, letting their breaths tangle like climbing vines.

“Mm—!” Nan Xu couldn’t get a word out; even her breathing stalled in that moment.

The alcohol had faded from Xie Hejing’s face as he spoke in a low, husky voice, “Is this the part where you want me to stop?”

---

---

Chapter 73

---

That day, it rained in Zhi’an.

Nan Xu was on her way home when it started, and unfortunately, she’d forgotten to check the weather forecast and bring an umbrella.

Even though she hurried the whole way back, she still ended up soaked.

Xie Hejing happened to have the day off and was at home. The entryway light flicked on as she came in.

He set down the report he’d been reading and saw Nan Xu standing there, looking rather dishevelled.

Grabbing a towel, he draped it over her head. With his fingers curved slightly, he rubbed her hair through the fabric and chuckled. “So you like getting caught in the rain?”

Nan Xu shook her head. “No.”

“Then why didn’t you call me? I could’ve picked you up.”

“It’s not that far,” she said, standing still as he continued drying her hair. Then, as if trying to be considerate, she added, “You finally have a day off, I didn’t want to bother you.”

Xie Hejing frowned. “…If I ever hear you say that again, you’re in trouble.”

Nan Xu just laughed. “That threat doesn’t scare me anymore.”

A soft laugh escaped from Xie Hejing’s throat. “Impressive, you’ve gotten bold.”

Nan Xu curved her lips into a smile but didn’t reply. Instead, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Xie Hejing had never been able to resist her hugs.

This time was no different, even though she was damp from the rain he so disliked.

Her wet arms circled his neck, the chill of her skin seeping into his back and making him grunt quietly.

Nan Xu deliberately pressed herself closer.

The traces of rain on her clothes soon spread to his shirt, darkening the fabric. The dampness made something in Xie Hejing’s eyes shift, his gaze growing heavier.

He swallowed and warned in a low voice, “Let go. Don’t move around, I’m still drying your hair.”

The faint, cool scent of his cologne lingered at the tip of Nan Xu’s nose. Her cheek rested against his chest, listening to the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat.

She rubbed lightly against him again, then tilted her head up. “I just want to hold you.”

Xie Hejing paused.

“…”

He swallowed whatever rejection had been on his tongue. His expression stayed composed, but his arm slid around her, drawing her firmly into his embrace.

As his gaze dropped to her rain-soaked clothes, his breathing slowly deepened, turning warm and uneven.

The soft light in the entryway glowed behind him, casting a faint halo over his hair as he stepped closer.

Nan Xu froze for a moment, caught off guard by how he looked under the soft light. Without thinking, she blurted out, “Xie Hejing, how are you so good-looking?”

He raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “…Good taste.”

The damp patches on Nan Xu’s clothes were many, and the water stains on his own shirt made that more than obvious. At that point, Xie Hejing gave up on drying her hair.

“Go take a shower first,” he said. “I’ll make some ginger tea for you afterward.”

“Okay,” Nan Xu answered obediently. She loosened her hold around his waist and turned to leave, but before she could take a step, a firm hand tightened around her waist again.

She froze. What had started as a small tease suddenly felt like a dangerous game.

Forcing a laugh, she said, “Didn’t you just tell me to take a shower? Why aren’t you letting go?”

Pointing to the damp marks on his own shirt, Xie Hejing looked at her with mock innocence. “We both got wet. Shouldn’t we shower together?”

Nan Xu: “…”

The words left her speechless. After a moment, she managed a weak protest. “No way, I’m not showering with you.”

“But I want to,” he murmured, his fingers tracing slow, teasing circles along her waist. “How about I help you wash up? Let me take care of you.”

A shiver ran through Nan Xu’s body, her skin prickling from the touch. She turned her head away, forcing her voice to stay steady. “Don’t start with that. You and I both know it won’t stop at just a shower.”

Xie Hejing gave her a look that practically said, “So you do know what you’re doing.” He held her still, stopping her half-hearted struggle with ease.

“Then what were you doing teasing me just now? Didn’t think about the consequences?”

Nan Xu turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze. “I… well—still, no. Absolutely not.”

“Then what about me?” he asked lightly. “I’m wet too.”

“You can shower in the guest room.”

Xie Hejing had bought the place outright, and Nan Xu had officially moved in. Everything she’d once taken away had been returned to its original spot in the master bedroom, arranged exactly the same way.

Aside from the fact that their relationship was now out in the open, not much had changed from a month ago, except that Xie Hejing had long stopped being content to stay in the guest room. He’d moved into the master bedroom without the slightest hint of shame.

“Don’t want to,” he said simply.

“Ah-choo!” Nan Xu sneezed, a shiver running through her from the lingering chill. She sniffled and tried to continue, “Then you…”

Before she could finish, Xie Hejing had already scooped her up and was heading toward the master bedroom.

“Hey!” she protested, glaring up at him. “Keep this up, and I’ll go on our honeymoon alone!”

He laughed, the sound low and amused. “Never heard of anyone going on a honeymoon alone.”

“Well, you’ve heard it now,” Nan Xu huffed.

“What, you thought you could shake me off?” Xie Hejing said.

Nan Xu: “…”

Entering the bathroom, Xie Hejing skillfully helped her take off her jacket, and then her inner wear.

Nan Xu grabbed his hand: “Hey, we haven’t registered our marriage yet, I still have a chance… Mmph.”

The word “run” hadn’t even been spoken.

Xie Hejing had already pinched her chin and kissed her fiercely.

The fact that Nan Xu could still say these things at this time showed that he hadn’t been forceful enough, and she hadn’t learned her lesson yet.

After a long while, Nan Xu’s eyes were already hazy, while Xie Hejing’s expression was completely clear.

His thumb brushed along Nan Xu’s chin, the motion carrying a hint of quiet reprimand.

“We’re going to register our marriage tomorrow.”

Hearing this, the confusion in Nan Xu’s eyes gradually receded. She slapped Xie Hejing’s hand away, rubbing her aching chin, a little aggrieved: “Who asks someone to register their marriage like that?”

The two families had already discussed and agreed upon the time and place for their wedding, and even helped the two of them discuss potential honeymoon destinations.

But registering the marriage was something the two of them had to discuss and decide on themselves.

Evidently, upon hearing Nan Xu’s words, a hint of confusion appeared in Xie Hejing’s eyes: “Then how am I supposed to ask?”

“You praise me a little, then you go out now, and then…”

Nan Xu was still trying to figure out how to get through tonight.

However, Xie Hejing had already seen through her intentions and swiftly helped her take off her inner wear as well.

“We’re going the moment the Marriage Registration Office opens tomorrow.”

Xie Hejing took off his shirt and placed it on the vanity counter. After a moment, he spread the shirt out on the counter, a smile in his eyes.

“Hold on tight.”

Before Nan Xu could react, she was already picked up and seated on the vanity counter.

“You, ah!”

The next moment, her throat tightened, and she couldn’t even speak a full sentence, her hands subconsciously grasping Xie Hejing’s hair.

It took a while for Nan Xu’s breathing to gradually steady, but she felt hotter and hotter, forcing her to gasp for air.

“You… you should’ve at least said something first. You scared me.”

Xie Hejing didn’t say a word, he was too busy at the moment to speak.

Nan Xu continued to try and steady her mind, saying: “Enough, Xie Hejing, that’s enough.”

Xie Hejing let out a cold snort, the exhaled air landing right on Nan Xu’s body, causing her to tremble and tighten her knees.

“Xie Hejing, your hair… it’s prickly on my legs.”

Hearing that, Xie Hejing finally stopped, though he didn’t move away, which still made Nan Xu a little nervous. She mumbled, “…it’s just… kinda scratching my leg.”

“Alright.” Xie Hejing took a step forward, his breath brushing against her skin as he replied, “We’ll get the marriage certificate tomorrow, and then I’ll get a haircut, however you like it.”

Nan Xu was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear. She could only stare helplessly up at the bathroom ceiling—only to realize, to her shock, that there was now a mirror installed above her.

Her pupils constricted. “Xie Hejing, you… seriously,” she bit her lip, utterly confused, “why would you even put a mirror here?”

“So you can see clearly.” Xie Hejing straightened slightly, his voice calm. “If you don’t want to look down, then look up. From this angle, you can see everything.”

His hand came to rest on her knee, but then he suddenly paused and asked, “Nan Xu, when you moved to the west side of the city, did you take dance lessons?”

The question came out of nowhere. And at a time like this, Nan Xu usually couldn’t respond to whatever he said, just hearing him speak made her blush.

But this time, she could actually answer.

“I did, but I stopped around high school.”

Satisfied with her answer, Xie Hejing no longer worried about being too rough. He shifted slightly, his tone laced with amusement. “No wonder you’re so flexible.”

His fingertips brushed against her skin again. “Flexible everywhere.”

So this was his intention all along. She regretted answering him.

Nan Xu glared with wide, bright eyes: “Shut up, don’t say another word.”

“Alright,” Xie Hejing agreed, continuing to bend closer. “You need to concentrate.”

As he lightly brushed against her sensitive skin, Nan Xu’s cheeks flushed crimson, her breathing trembled, and she suddenly looked up, catching sight of the mirror again.

She scolded him, “You’re unbelievable!”

Hearing Nan Xu’s fragmented words, Xie Hejing’s movements slowed down, but just as Nan Xu was about to let down her guard, Xie Hejing suddenly intensified his action.

“Then I’ll be even more unbelievable.”

Occasionally, he would apply slight pressure with his teeth and then release it, leaving Nan Xu’s breathing completely unsettled, her whole body covered in fine shivers.

“Xie Hejing, please, change the location.”

The rapid and chaotic breathing left only pleading in Nan Xu’s eyes, her body utterly soft.

Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow, the mockery in his eyes practically overflowing: “You can’t take this already?”

Xie Hejing placed his hands on either side of Nan Xu: “Then what are we going to do after we register the marriage tomorrow? That will be the first day you become my wife.”

The unfamiliar, intimate word wife startled Nan Xu for a moment. But as she processed what he said, she could already picture how intense he’d be once that day came.

Her lips quivered, and she couldn’t stop the choked sob that escaped her. “We’re not getting it anymore, I don’t want to.”

“Tsk…”

That dark, predatory look returned to Xie Hejing’s eyes.

Xie Hejing did not speak, he only sought out the sweet, hidden spots. Seeing the panic surge in Nan Xu’s eyes, he chuckled: “Not registering? Then let’s continue.”

Nan Xu truly could neither retreat nor advance, completely trapped in a dilemma. She definitely couldn’t escape tomorrow, so Nan Xu could only try her best to negotiate with him.

She ignored the fact that she had just been refusing and instead spoke in a soft, gentle voice: “We can register, but you’re not allowed to be too crazy tomorrow, or I really won’t talk to you.”

Xie Hejing: “…”

He didn’t want to agree, how long had he waited for this day?

But Xie Hejing still didn’t refuse out loud. Nan Xu pressed her advantage: “If you agree, I can try my best to cooperate with you a little tonight.”

Xie Hejing almost burst out laughing, Nan Xu was simply adorably innocent. He could agree tonight, and he could switch things up with a new tactic tomorrow night.

“Fine.”

Xie Hejing gently patted the side of Nan Xu’s leg, his tender gaze filled with inescapable affection.

He picked her up and carried her into the bathtub, making Nan Xu face him, and coaxing her: “I’m just helping you take a bath, relax.”

Nan Xu couldn’t relax at all. Being stared at intently by him—although it wasn’t the first time—Nan Xu truly couldn’t get used to it. Every time, she tried her best to avoid Xie Hejing’s gaze.

Xie Hejing cupped Nan Xu’s face in his hand, forcing her gaze to meet his.

Then he released her, his fingertips tracing along her skin, his lips following close behind. Noticing the tension in her body, he pressed a kiss to her shoulder and murmured softly, “Relax, I’ll be gentle.”

He guided her hand onto his body, whispering again in a low, coaxing tone, “Feel me.”

Their fingers intertwined as his other hand slid behind her neck. His tongue brushed against the curve of her throat, his voice muffled and husky.

“Be good, baby. Don’t tense up, hmm?”

Then he paused completely, locking eyes with her, watching the tremble of her lashes and the nervous flick of her tongue across her lips.

A deep shiver ran through him, his voice rough with restraint. “You’ll only feel good if you relax. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lean on me, sweetheart.” Bit by bit, Xie Hejing drew Nan Xu deeper into the warmth of the moment.

There was something almost hypnotic in his tone, and Nan Xu found herself leaning forward, resting her chin on his shoulder.

His breath caught for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly in quiet pleasure.
“That’s it… good girl.”

Then, with a teasing smile, he said, “I helped you bathe, don’t I deserve a little reward?”

Nan Xu blinked nervously. “What kind of reward?”

“Give me a kiss first.”

Nan Xu blinked, seeming to ponder where to kiss him. She looked at Xie Hejing in front of her, deliberating for a long while.

After a moment, a tiny kiss landed on Xie Hejing’s tattoo.

But Nan Xu’s kiss was a brief touch and stop, and she asked him, “Is that right?”

“Yes,” Xie Hejing nodded, scooping up hot water and pouring it over Nan Xu. “But it’s not enough. Good girl, you can be a little more proactive.”

Nan Xu was puzzled. She felt that what she had done was already quite proactive and didn’t know what Xie Hejing meant by being more proactive.

“What counts as more proactive?” she asked with a curious look.

“Sitting on me yourself, okay?” Xie Hejing said.

Nan Xu froze in place and replied, “This…”

For Nan Xu, this was nearly impossible.

Xie Hejing knew it, so the next second, his hands gripped her and directly pulled her onto his lap with force.

Nan Xu frantically pressed down on Xie Hejing’s shoulders, but met his eyes, which were brimming with surging desire. He deliberately leaned back: “Straddle me. There’s just one last step.”

Nan Xu’s hands weakly pushed against Xie Hejing’s chest: “Don’t do this.” Her pushing movements only made Xie Hejing’s breathing grow heavier.

Xie Hejing’s hand slowly stroked her, and a detailed wave of tingling instantly invaded Nan Xu. She unconsciously moved along with him.

Such close contact meant that just one more step would completely end this agonizing push and pull. Yet, Xie Hejing chose not to continue, maintaining a posture that feigned indifference to desire.

Then he casually said to Nan Xu, “If you want to, sit down.”

Nan Xu would never admit it. She turned her head: “I don’t want to.”

Xie Hejing knew Nan Xu’s shy nature; she wouldn’t agree, and she certainly wouldn’t make a move.

But Xie Hejing enjoyed teasing her, watching her desire slowly being aroused by him and then fiercely suppressed. Her body was visibly trembling, yet she refused to make a sound.

The dark fire in Xie Hejing’s eyes slowly intensified. He looked down, then let go of her hands, leaving Nan Xu to maintain the posture herself.

“If you don’t want to, then hold yourself up.”

Without Xie Hejing’s support, Nan Xu’s entire body quickly turned weak. Even her hair trembled and swayed along with her muscle spasms.

Xie Hejing said, “Holding back so hard?”

Nan Xu didn’t want to speak to him. She had never met anyone so capable of tormenting others.

Xie Hejing played with a strand of her hair and continued, “All you have to do is sit down. Sweetheart, sit down, and then let all the sounds out. You know I like to hear them.”

The rest of his coaxing was completely cut off by Nan Xu’s action. With a sense of recklessness, she kissed Xie Hejing’s non-stop lips.

And then, she completely ended the tug-of-war.

Xie Hejing let out a low, restrained sound, his breath rough as he met her lips with intensity. He gave a faint, teasing smile.

“So, you’re finally giving in?”

---

---

Chapter 72 (End of Main Story)

---

By the end of May, the weather in Zhi’an was already warming up.

Nan Xu was staying with Wen Qiu and Nan Xiaocheng in the neighborhood next to Xie Hejing’s.

Xie Hejing came by almost three times a day—morning, noon, and night—without missing a single day.

The old men in the neighboring complex all knew him by now. Whenever they saw him coming from afar, arms full of bags, they would call out kindly, “Xiao Xie, here to see your girlfriend again?”

Xie Hejing would smile and reply, “Yes.”

“You’d better work hard, young man! Try your best to bring your girlfriend home this year and make her your wife,” one of them teased.

“I will,” Xie Hejing said, nodding with a grin. “That’s the plan for this year.” Then he walked around the fence and headed into the complex.

At first, Nan Xu didn’t want him visiting so often. But at the end of April, she hadn’t been feeling well and had to undergo a minor surgery.

She was nervous about it, so she couldn’t help letting Xie Hejing come by to keep her company.

Every time he came, he would joke around to distract her, easing much of her anxiety.

That was when Nan Xu gradually realized, she really couldn’t stay away from him for too long.

When the doorbell rang, it was Wen Qiu who opened it. Upon seeing Xie Hejing, she immediately smiled warmly.

“Hejing, you’re here. Have you eaten? If not, I’ll go make you something now.” Seeing the pile of things in his hands, she added, half-scolding, half-concerned, “Why’d you bring so much again? We still have plenty left from last time.”

“No need to trouble yourself, Auntie. I’ve already eaten.” Xie Hejing skillfully set the bags on the table. “My mom made me bring these, she’d get upset if I didn’t.”

Wen Qiu could tell exactly what he meant. He just wanted them to accept the gifts without fuss. So she didn’t argue. “Alright then, thank your mother for me.”

Knowing exactly who Xie Hejing was hoping to see, Wen Qiu tilted her head toward the back room.

“Jiaojiao’s still napping. You’ll have to wait a bit on the couch.”

“Sure thing, thank you, Auntie.”

The more Wen Qiu looked at him, the more satisfied she felt. She turned away to start putting away the things he’d brought, leaving Xie Hejing sitting on the sofa face-to-face with Nan Xiaocheng.

“Hello, Uncle,” Xie Hejing greeted politely.

“Mm.”

Nan Xiaocheng, unlike Wen Qiu, rarely smiled.

A brief silence fell over the living room. He didn’t bother watching TV either, instead fixing his gaze on Xie Hejing before asking, “Taking Jiaojiao out again?”

“Yes,” Xie Hejing replied evenly. “A new restaurant opened nearby. Last time I dropped her off, she mentioned wanting to try it, so I thought I’d take her there.”

Nan Xiaocheng snorted faintly. Ever since Nan Xu had moved in, Xie Hejing had practically been a daily presence. Aside from sleeping here, he might as well have been living with them.

And now he was taking her out again.

Just then, Nan Xu emerged from her room, freshly awake. She opened the door to see Xie Hejing sitting properly on the sofa, looking a little tense. She couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re early today.”

Usually, he arrived just as she was waking from her nap.

I missed you…

Of course, those words weren’t something he could say out loud right now. So Xie Hejing just blinked at her playfully and said, “I’m here to take you out for something to eat.”

Nan Xu had mentioned it casually before, not expecting Xie Hejing to actually come pick her up.

“Then wait a bit, I’ll go change,” she said.

Xie Hejing nodded.

A gentle spring breeze brushed past as Nan Xu came out again, now wearing a light blue dress with tiny daisies embroidered along the hem. She’d tied a matching ribbon at the end of her ponytail, fresh and lively.

She ran up to Xie Hejing and twirled around. “Do I look good?”

“You look beautiful,” Xie Hejing said, eyes filled with warmth.

“Hmph!” Nan Xiaocheng, snorted when he heard she only asked Xie Hejing.

Noticing it, Nan Xu smiled and ran over to him. “Dad, do I look good today?”

“My daughter looks good every day,” he said proudly.

Hooking her arm through Xie Hejing’s, Nan Xu headed toward the door. Suddenly remembering something, she turned to Wen Qiu, who was tidying up. “Mom, I won’t be home for dinner tonight.”

Nan Xiaocheng frowned, clearly about to object, but Wen Qiu gave him a calm, warning look.

“Okay, give us a call if you’re coming back tonight.”

“Okay!” Nan Xu replied sweetly.

A moment later, she frowned a little. Wait… why did Mom say to call if I’m coming back? Doesn’t she usually tell me to come home early?

But before she could ask, she and Xie Hejing were already out the door.

On the way, Xie Hejing asked, “Why aren’t you having dinner at home today?”

Adjusting her bag, Nan Xu completely forgot the odd exchange earlier. “Because I want to eat with you. I’ve been eating too light this whole month, I’m craving something spicy tonight.”

“Let’s go to the place we used to stay,” Xie Hejing said. “I’ll cook for you.”

That apartment had been a short-term rental, but it held too many memories. He was already thinking about buying it.

Hearing that she’d get to taste his cooking again, Nan Xu’s eyes lit up. She nodded eagerly.

But when evening came, she frowned at the table full of bland dishes.

“Didn’t you say you’d make something spicy for me?”

Xie Hejing calmly picked up some greens and placed them in her bowl. “I’ll make it for you later. You shouldn’t eat anything too spicy right now.”

Nan Xu knew he was right. When he’d offered to cook earlier, she had already suspected he wouldn’t actually make it spicy. And sure enough, she’d been right.

“Fine,” she muttered, chewing the tasteless vegetables.

“Oh, by the way,” she said after a moment, “don’t I still have a suitcase here? I should bring it back with me this time.”

She started to get up, ready to head to the main bedroom she used to stay in.

“Don’t go in there,” Xie Hejing said suddenly.

Nan Xu froze mid-step. “Why not? Is there something inside?” Her eyes brightened. “Wait, did you prepare a surprise for me?”

Xie Hejing: “…”

His surprises had never once gone smoothly, Nan Xu always managed to guess them beforehand. Still, he wanted to preserve what little surprise he could this time.

“No,” he said evenly, continuing to eat as if nothing was unusual. “It just hasn’t been cleaned in a while. There’s a lot of dust.”

“Really?” Nan Xu stared at Xie Hejing, clearly doubtful.

But his expression was perfectly calm, no sign of guilt anywhere. Resigned, Nan Xu picked up her chopsticks again. “Fine. Then later, help me open the window, okay? I’ll go in after the dust clears a bit.”

“Mm, eat first.”

After dinner, Nan Xu wasn’t in a hurry to leave. She sat on the sofa, watching TV.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Xie Hejing quietly slipped into the master bedroom. But to his surprise, just moments later, Nan Xu followed him in.

“I don’t believe…”

She froze mid-sentence, completely stunned.

Before her eyes was an entire wall covered in tulips, her favorite flower. On the side wall, a projector was playing a video.

It started from her childhood—then middle school, high school, university, and finally her working years.

Every stage of her life, carefully collected, edited, and cherished by him.

Nan Xu turned to him, eyes wide. “How do you even have so many videos of me?”

But before Xie Hejing could answer, the video shifted, and the faces of Wen Qiu and Nan Xiaocheng appeared on screen.

Nan Xu instantly guessed what this was. Her lips trembled, and her eyes filled with tears.

The video’s audio began to play.

“Jiaojiao, Mom found out a few days earlier that Hejing was going to propose to you, so I recorded this in advance,” Wen Qiu’s gentle voice said.

“I know you love Hejing, and everyone can see how well he treats you. Now you two are about to start something new and important. Mom just hopes you’ll follow your heart and always stay happy.”

. . . . .

“Jiaojiao, Dad will always support whatever you decide,” Nan Xiaocheng said, raising his fist to the camera as if cheering her on.

Nan Xu couldn’t help but laugh, it felt like she was about to participate in some kind of competition.

Then the video changed again, showing clips of her relatives and friends one after another.

By the end, her tears had pooled and spilled over. She threw herself into Xie Hejing’s arms.

“How could you not say anything? I told myself I wouldn’t cry on a day like this.”

Xie Hejing gently stroked her hair. “You would’ve guessed anyway. So now that you know, don’t cry, okay?”

Nan Xu sniffled and nodded. Then she extended her hand toward him. When he didn’t move, she raised it higher. “Hmm? You’re proposing without a ring?”

Xie Hejing chuckled softly. “I already gave it to you.”

“Already?” Nan Xu blinked in confusion. “When?”

He lifted his chin toward her suitcase.

Still skeptical, especially since she had zero memory of ever receiving a ring from him, Nan Xu walked over and knelt down.

The moment she unlatched one of the clasps, a flood of papers and photos spilled out.

Startled, she picked up one of the notes. It was a letter, from Xie Hejing.

More precisely, a love letter.

And the signatures at the bottom were all from different periods of his life.

Each letter matched the timeline from the video: from childhood, to adolescence, to adulthood.

Xie Hejing had written love letters to Nan Xu for every stage of her life, completing what once felt unfinished.

When the suitcase was finally opened, the thing placed right in the center was a diary. It was the one he’d given her before she went abroad.

Nan Xu had cherished it deeply, carrying it with her wherever she went, often jotting down her thoughts inside.

On the very first page, in bold strokes, were a few large words written by Xie Hejing:

——For Nan Xu

Nan Xu looked at him, puzzled. He gestured for her to keep turning the pages.

Her fingertips held the corner of a page as she slowly flipped through, seeing many entries she had written while overseas.

Her once-tense expression softened; she relaxed and sat right down on the floor.

Xie Hejing handed her a pillow, and she placed it on her lap as she continued reading through her own diary—sometimes crying, sometimes laughing.

At one point, she even gasped in disbelief at something she’d written, as if it were the words of a stranger.

The notebook was thick—filled with fragments of her life spanning several years—yet somehow still less than half used.

An hour passed before she finished reading her own words. Looking up at him, she asked, “What do you mean by all this?”

Xie Hejing sighed softly, no wonder she’d never noticed.

“Turn it around. Start from the back.”

At his words, Nan Xu flipped the notebook over and began from the last page. She soon noticed that each page corner had a tiny doodle—like a flipbook animation.

Her eyes followed the little figure across the pages, one by one, until it stopped on a certain scene.

The tiny person was kneeling on one knee, holding something in his hands.

Nan Xu, curious, poked at the page—and her eyes widened as she realized that part of the page was hollow.

She carefully widened the small opening and finally saw what was hidden inside.

There, quietly resting within, was a ring.

Nan Xu’s breath hitched. This diary had been with her for years—she’d never opened it from the back, never even noticed those drawings.

“This ring… how long has it been in here?”

“Since the day I gave you that notebook,” Xie Hejing said, pinching her cheek fondly. “Silly Nan Xu, all these years and you never found it.”

Nan Xu was completely stunned.

“So that means… years ago, you already—”

“I told you I wanted to marry you long ago. Did you really think I was joking?”

Nan Xu instinctively shook her head. She’d never imagined he would’ve hidden a ring for her that early on.

Xie Hejing took out the ring and gently slipped it onto her finger. With a touch of nervousness, he asked, “Nan Xu, will you marry me?”

Her eyes curved like crescent moons. “Yes.”

It was perhaps the most tender kiss Xie Hejing had ever given—careful, full of joy, and brimming with the quiet tremor of emotion when he saw the tears on her lashes.

His lips brushed softly against hers, and Nan Xu instinctively leaned back.

He placed his palm gently behind her head, deepening the kiss—a slow, affectionate promise.

At last, he was going to marry the girl he had always loved.

The three wishes Xie Hejing made on his birthday:

1. Nan Xu wouldn’t be afraid of him.
2. Nan Xu would completely fall in love with him.
3. Nan Xu would marry him.

Now, all three of Xie Hejing’s wishes had finally come true.

At last, his world had welcomed its mistress.

Under the moonlight that poured into the night, Nan Xu lifted her hand and studied the ring carefully, letting the light dance across its surface.

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, but in the end, she asked only one question: “If something had gone wrong during my surgery last time… what would you have done?”

She still remembered that moment—when she was pushed out of the operating room and opened her eyes to see Xie Hejing’s tear-reddened gaze.

She had imagined such a scene before the surgery, but the reality of it had struck her far more deeply. That image had stayed with her ever since.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Xie Hejing said, “I would’ve gone with you.”

Just four simple words, but Nan Xu understood what he truly meant.

She lowered her eyes and listened quietly as he continued.

Xie Hejing took a deep breath. “But first, I’d make sure your parents and mine were taken care of. I’d find them a reliable place to live in comfort. I’d put part of my savings into a fund, make sure someone visited them regularly, or arranged for them to withdraw money every month…”

As he spoke, Nan Xu gradually realized that he wasn’t just saying this on impulse, he had clearly thought it all through, in painful detail.

Suddenly, she didn’t want to hear any more. Or rather, she was afraid to.

Because when it came to their relationship, Xie Hejing was utterly, hopelessly devoted—borderline insane in his love.

“That’s enough,” she said softly. “I get it. Stop.”

But he went on, perfecting his plan as if she hadn’t spoken. “That way, someone will always look after them, make sure they’re okay…”

“And then,” he finished, “I’ll come find you.”

Nan Xu shook her head. “I don’t want that. I don’t want you to come find me.”

She wanted him to live well—to keep living, no matter what.

But once again, she underestimated the depth of his attachment. He gave a small laugh. “I told you before, wherever you go, I’ll follow.”

Nothing could separate them. Not even life and death.

Nan Xu felt a flicker of fear, yet instead of pulling away, she leaned into his arms.

“We’ll both live well,” she whispered.

After a pause, she asked again, “If we are old and gray someday, will you still feel the same way?”

“Of course.”

Xie Hejing held her a little tighter. “I’ll make sure we’re buried together. And on our tombstone, I’ll have them carve a single line.”

Nan Xu couldn’t help but ask, “…What line?”

He smiled, lowering his voice.

“Shh. be quiet, we’re resting. Don’t wake my beloved.”

[End of Main Story]

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Chapter 71

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“I’m meeting up with Fanxi today, you can head home first,” Nan Xu said as she stood at the company entrance, talking to Xie Hejing on the phone.

“Dong Fanxi?” Xie Hejing asked while fastening his seat belt.

“Yeah. We’re just catching up, we were pretty close back in high school.”

As his car exited the underground garage, he happened to spot Nan Xu standing at the front gate.

He lowered the window and gave her a small nod before speaking into the phone again. “Come home early.”

“I know. Oh, and tell Auntie and Uncle I won’t be home for dinner tonight.”

Then Nan Xu suddenly added, “Oh right, there’s one more thing.”

Wen Qiu and Nan Xiaocheng had stayed in Zhi’an until the New Year before returning to the U.S. Their plan was to do some quick packing there and then move back to Zhi’an for good.

Nan Xu had been thrilled about it, she’d prepared everything in advance and was just waiting for them to come home.

It was now early April. During their last call, her parents had said they’d be back in about two weeks.

Nan Xu asked, “When they come back, should I stay with them, or with you?”

She switched the phone to her other hand and glanced behind her, Dong Fanxi hadn’t come out yet.

By then, Xie Hejing’s car had already disappeared from her view. “If you’re asking me,” he said, “of course I want you to stay with me.”

Nan Xu laughed. That was exactly the kind of answer she’d expected from him.

Still, she couldn’t help feeling a little torn.

There was a short pause on the line, and then Xie Hejing’s voice came, softer now. “It depends on your parents. If they’d like you to stay with them, then go. Don’t worry about it.”

Nan Xu chuckled. “Since when did you become so considerate?”

Xie Hejing fell silent for a moment.

“Anyway,” he said at last, “you’ll be living with me for a long time in the future. There’s no rush. And besides, we’ve still got two weeks, maybe by then, they’ll want you to live with me.”

“Then I hope your wish comes true.” Nan Xu smiled, though she knew it was still too early to say. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dong Fanxi approaching, so she lowered her phone.

“Fanxi’s here. I’m hanging up.”

“Wait—” Xie Hejing called out.

“What is it?”

“Don’t drink,” he warned. After a short pause, he amended, “Or at least, don’t get drunk.”

“Got it.”

Nan Xu slipped her phone into her bag just as Dong Fanxi walked up to her.

“Sorry, did you wait long? I couldn’t find something just now, took me a while,” Dong Fanxi said apologetically.

Nan Xu beamed, looping her arm through Dong Fanxi’s. “Not at all. Come on, I’ve been wanting to try this restaurant for ages. Xiao Qi’s been recommending it nonstop.”

Dong Fanxi looked down at the arm linked through hers, momentarily taken aback.

It had been a long time since anyone had held her arm like that. She’d thought she might feel uncomfortable, but the moment Nan Xu did it, she couldn’t help but smile.

The two of them arrived at a Western restaurant and sat down facing each other.

Holding the menu, Nan Xu enthusiastically asked, “How about the beef stew with red wine? Or this foie gras, do you like that kind of thing? And what about drinks? What wine do you want? But I can’t drink too much today, hope you don’t mind.”

Dong Fanxi took the menu from her and ordered skillfully. “Let me treat you this time. You used to treat me a lot.”

“Did I?” Nan Xu frowned slightly, unable to recall.

“You did,” Dong Fanxi replied with a small smile.

Nan Xu might not remember, maybe because she thought it wasn’t a big deal, but Dong Fanxi remembered every single time clearly.

Her family hadn’t been well-off, and back in high school, she’d been quiet and withdrawn. She didn’t have many friends, and with her pride at its peak, she would always pick the cheapest lunch. When teachers asked, she’d just say lightly, “I don’t have much of an appetite lately.”

Sometimes, she even skipped dinner altogether.

Dong Fanxi never knew how Nan Xu found out she had stomach problems, maybe it was the way she unconsciously pressed her stomach during class, or maybe it was that one time she broke out in a cold sweat from the pain, and Nan Xu helped her to the nurse’s office.

For a while after that, Nan Xu would sit beside her during lunch and often share food from her tray.

Dong Fanxi always found it strange. Nan Xu looked so slim, yet she would pile her plate high and say, “I got too much again. Help me finish it, or it’ll go to waste.”

When Dong Fanxi asked her about it, Nan Xu just smiled and said she had taken too much by accident.

Eventually, Dong Fanxi realized that Nan Xu was simply protecting her pride.

But she never said thank you back then.

Now, sitting across from Nan Xu again, she looked at her seriously and said, “Thank you, for those meals back then.”

The sudden gratitude made Nan Xu a little embarrassed. She vaguely remembered bits and pieces of it. Denying it now would feel awkward, so she just smiled and answered openly, “It’s nothing.”

Then Dong Fanxi asked, “Do you know why I came to work at Xu Hui?”

“Xu Hui” was Xie Hejing’s company, a name Nan Xu was very familiar with by now. But she wasn’t sure why Dong Fanxi suddenly brought it up.

“Because the company has good prospects?” Nan Xu guessed.

Xie Hejing was ambitious and capable, definitely the kind of boss worth following.

“That’s part of it,” Dong Fanxi said. “But the main reason is that I wanted to stay in Zhi’an. There’s… someone here I still think about.”

Seeing Nan Xu’s puzzled look, Dong Fanxi hesitated for a moment but didn’t say more.

——That someone was Xie Hejing.

Back in their second year of high school, Dong Fanxi had been practically invisible in class—quiet, solitary. She didn’t mind it much, except that it made her an easy target for the wrong kind of people.

Like that group of delinquents from another school. One day after class, Dong Fanxi ran into them fighting near the school gate. She didn’t say a word and tried to walk away, but they dragged her into it anyway. They demanded money from her and would show up now and then to threaten her again.

She was exhausted, helpless. Her parents didn’t care, and she was too afraid to tell a teacher.

Then one day, when they cornered her again because she couldn’t pay up…

Xie Hejing appeared dramatically.

Just as she’d hoped, he had stepped in and taught those bullies a lesson, so much so that they were left with a lasting fear of him. After that, Dong Fanxi never saw them around school again.

She thought that maybe, after helping her like that, Xie Hejing would at least remember her, that he might see her as more than just a stranger. Inevitably, she began to hope for something.

But she was disappointed. Xie Hejing had only helped her out of instinct; he would’ve done the same for anyone.

Dong Fanxi buried her feelings quietly, hiding her teenage crush where no one could see.

Later, things at home worsened, and she developed a psychological disorder. Around that same time, news broke that a student at a neighboring school had jumped off a building.

The incident caused an uproar among the teachers and administrators at No.1 High School. They held emergency meetings overnight, organized mental health workshops, and even launched a campus-wide awareness campaign.

Each class was assigned to create a banner with a motivational slogan. The task for Dong Fanxi’s class fell to Xie Hejing.

The homeroom teacher had already chosen a slogan meant to inspire academic excellence:

[Study hard, strive for the peak.]

But when Xie Hejing brought the finished banner back, the words were entirely different:

[Let life stay evergreen, live toward the sun.]

Dong Fanxi would never forget the look on his face when he unfurled the banner—his smile bright and defiant, the corners of his lips tugging up to reveal a hint of his tiger tooth.

When the teacher angrily questioned him, he didn’t defend himself, only accepted full responsibility and said with a grin full of youthful recklessness, “Teacher, I think there are things more important than studying.”

He pointed at the banner. “Like this.”

Dong Fanxi looked at it and softly repeated under her breath, “Let life stay evergreen, live toward the sun.”

The slogan change infuriated the teacher, but since the school was about to host an inspection, there was no time to replace it.

Ironically, during a parent meeting, someone from another class even complimented that particular banner. The teacher’s face turned dark, but the slogan stayed.

Every day, when Dong Fanxi returned to class, she would pause beneath that banner, letting her young heart fill with quiet, tender emotions.

Later, when Nan Xu transferred into their school, Dong Fanxi, who had always watched Xie Hejing from afar, saw for the first time how differently he treated a girl.

Even though the two of them were discreet, she still noticed it: Nan Xu wearing his school jacket around her waist, the two of them walking side by side after class, and once—him brushing his hand through Nan Xu’s hair.

Dong Fanxi understood then, and she hid her feelings even deeper.

When she first applied to Xu Hui, it was to one of its subsidiaries. She told herself that if she worked hard enough to be transferred to headquarters, she might be able to stay close to him, close enough to simply exist in his orbit.

But lately, she had begun to sense something between Nan Xu and Xie Hejing again, that same unspoken connection she had noticed back in high school. And this time, she knew for certain: the one by his side would never be her.

“But now I’m leaving Xu Hui,” Dong Fanxi said slowly, taking a sip of red wine.

She had thought about this decision for a long time. No matter how difficult it was, she knew she had to make peace with it. She had given herself a year—starting from the subsidiary, working her way up to headquarters, one deliberate step at a time—to close the distance between them.

But now, it was time to step out of that long, adolescent dream.

Nan Xu frowned. “Why? You just got transferred to headquarters not long ago. You’re doing so well.”

Dong Fanxi paused for a moment. She had rarely met someone like Nan Xu, someone who fit so many gentle, radiant descriptions.

Where Dong Fanxi was quiet and shadowed, Nan Xu was bright and full of life.

The complete opposite of her.

In the second half of senior year, when Dong Fanxi’s mental health was at its lowest, Nan Xu would reach out every few weeks, asking her out to sketch or walk around, helping her shift her focus little by little.

When Dong Fanxi once nearly swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills, it was Nan Xu who grabbed her hand and whispered beside her: “What do you want to eat? I can take you. Or is there something you’re curious about? We can go try it together.”

Back then, Dong Fanxi had snapped, her tone harsh: “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Nan Xu had only paused for a second, then smiled softly and said, “I mean… there are still so many wonderful things in life worth discovering. We should never give up on ourselves.”

And right now, Dong Fanxi still kept up her habit of painting.

Before meeting Nan Xu, she could never have imagined that someone like Nan Xu could even exist.

But it was exactly someone like that who could make someone like Xie Hejing fall into such a quiet, devoted kind of love.

Because she, too, had experienced one-sided love, Dong Fanxi could see through Xie Hejing’s feelings, and she even understood the meaning behind his company’s name.

When she first realized it, she couldn’t believe that someone as bold and uninhibited as Xie Hejing could silently love someone for so many years.

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized—everyone in the world of secret love is the same.

Maybe that was the only thing she and Xie Hejing had in common.

“No, I won’t. I have already reached the end of this road, and now I want to explore something else,” she slowly revealed a smile. “I misspoke just now, I have two people I love in this city.”

Nan Xu was stunned. “Two?” she repeated in disbelief. “Two people you love?”

“Mm.” Dong Fanxi didn’t intend to explain further. “They’re both doing well now. I think it’s time I go see other cities.”

. . . . .

On her way home, Nan Xu kept thinking about what Dong Fanxi had said. Every word seemed to carry hidden meaning, but she didn’t know enough to guess what it was.

Xie Hejing set a glass of water in front of her. “What are you thinking about?”

Nan Xu took it and sipped. “I was just wondering… how someone could love two people at once.”

The moment he heard that, Xie Hejing’s expression darkened, and his voice turned cold. “Who else do you love?”

Realizing he’d misunderstood, Nan Xu glanced at him and teased on purpose, “Oh, I like lots of people, more than just two.”

Xie Hejing snatched the glass from her and slammed it onto the table. He grabbed her chin and, smiling, said, “Say that again.”

Even though he was smiling, Nan Xu could sense the danger in his eyes.

She immediately dropped the teasing. “There’s no one else. I only like you.”

Xie Hejing snorted. “That’s more like it.”

Still, he didn’t let her go. He kissed the corner of her lips—once, then again, as if one wasn’t enough.

Nan Xu pushed him away. “What are you doing? Your parents will be back any minute.”

Even though they had already made things clear between them, she still didn’t want to act intimate in front of their elders.

Xie Hejing’s eyes deepened. “You know I’ve been holding back for a long time, right?”

“So what,” Nan Xu said, drinking her water and forcing herself to stay calm, not to fall into his rhythm.

But clearly, Xie Hejing wasn’t satisfied with her calmness. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

“Baby, don’t you ever feel bad for your man?” he murmured. “It hurts, missing you every day.”

“Then maybe try holding back a little,” Nan Xu whispered. “Don’t think about me so much.”

“I can’t,” he said pitifully. “When I see you, I can’t help it.”

“Come to my room tonight, okay?”

He lightly bit her earlobe. “Be good, hmm? Have a little mercy on me, or I won’t be able to sleep again.”

At midnight, Xie Hejing sat at the edge of his bed, staring at the clock as the seconds ticked by.

Nan Xu still hadn’t come.

He furrowed his brows, debating whether to just go to her room, after all, there was no way he could fall asleep without holding her.

Ten minutes later, he had already gathered everything he needed when a knock sounded at the door.

A flicker of emotion crossed his eyes. He stood and quietly walked to the door.

Nan Xu stood in the dark hallway, wearing a ruffled nightdress. This was the first time she had gone to Xie Hejing’s room in quite a while.

Her hand had just knocked on the door, but she discovered it wasn’t locked at all. Nan Xu reached out and pushed the door open, immediately falling into a cold embrace.

Nan Xu was startled and instinctively called out, “Brother.”

Xie Hejing chuckled lightly. “Little Sister?”

Without hesitation, he reached out and swept her into his arms, carrying her farther inside.

Clutching his pajama shirt, Nan Xu said in a low voice, “Hey, you… you have to promise not to be so rough this time.”

He smiled. “Rough? Tell me, how was I rough?”

Her cheeks flushed red. “Just… don’t bite me, okay? And when I say stop, you have to stop.”

“Sweetheart,” he said softly, tightening his hold just a little, “sometimes stopping isn’t that easy.”

“I didn’t mean now,” she said quickly, her face growing hotter. “I mean later… when things get…”

Then it’s even more impossible to stop,” Xie Hejing easily shattered her illusion.

Xie Hejing didn’t even wait until the bedside, he sat down on the edge of the bed and lifted Nan Xu’s nightgown.

Seeing the lonely nightgown lying on the floor, Nan Xu whispered, “My dress is dirty. You’ll have to wash it clean for me.”

Xie Hejing said while kissing her, “Wash, I’ll wash the dress, and I’ll wash you too.”

The familiar sound of tearing open a packaging packet.

Xie Hejing gently lifted Nan Xu, yet the force was only the lightest when he held her.

Nan Xu bit her lip, clutching Xie Hejing’s arm: “How come you don’t change this one bit?”

Still so fierce.

Xie Hejing didn’t speak, his eyebrows raised, and he pressed Nan Xu further in, holding her tightly, guiding her slowly to feel the dampness, the scorching heat, and the friction.

“Sweetheart, the longer you hold it in, the rougher it will be, just bear with it.”

In this sitting position, Nan Xu was completely under his control, moving up and down; her mind was almost in a haze, and she could only beg him in a low voice.

“Xie Hejing, slow down. Wuwu, Brother, I’m begging you…”

Hearing this, Xie Hejing tapped her body with his fingertip and said in a deep voice, “Don’t call me ‘Brother’ anymore.”

“Sweetheart, let’s change places.”

He picked her up and walked toward the bathroom. Nan Xu gasped in surprise. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Shh… lower your voice, the walls aren’t soundproof.”

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Chapter 70

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[Girlfriend, I miss you.]

Lying in his room, Xie Hejing stared at the empty space around him. Something felt missing. After a moment, he picked up his phone and sent that message to Nan Xu.

At that time, Nan Xu was in the shower. By the time she saw the message, half an hour had already passed.

[Then keep missing me for now. I’m going to put on a face mask.]

Xie Hejing: “…”

He replied bluntly.

[I want to come to your room.]

As the cool mask settled on her face, Nan Xu lazily massaged her hands and glanced at her phone.

[No. My parents are coming to Zhi’an tomorrow, remember? We have to pick them up in the morning. You forgot? You should sleep early tonight.]

[But I can’t sleep without you.]

Nan Xu paused. She didn’t want him tossing and turning all night either, so she suggested:

[How about this? I’ll give you my body pillow. Hug it and go to sleep, okay?]

She figured… it should feel about the same, right?

Xie Hejing: “…”

[I want to hug you.]

How could he possibly hug a pillow when he had a girlfriend?

[But… you, you can’t ever control yourself.] Nan Xu hesitated, torn.

If he ended up oversleeping tomorrow again, what excuse could he use this time? Watching dramas till late?

[I can control myself.]

Xie Hejing sent the words through gritted teeth.

Nan Xu was doubtful: [Really?]

[I promise. I just want to sleep. I’ve already been lying in bed for an hour, and I still can’t fall asleep.]

He had gone to bed early, thinking he’d rest before meeting Nan Xu’s parents the next day, but the moment he closed his eyes, sleep wouldn’t come.

He tossed and turned, wide awake, and after an hour of staring at the ceiling, he started wondering if he’d even last until morning.

[Fine.]

Nan Xu finally gave in.

When Xie Hejing arrived, he was dressed impeccably—long-sleeved pajamas, pants, every button fastened all the way to the top.

He looked so proper that Nan Xu couldn’t help laughing.

“You really do look like you’re only here to sleep.”

“What else would I be here for?”

He was serious. If he messed up tomorrow’s schedule, he probably wouldn’t sleep for days out of guilt.

Nan Xu, still unconvinced, asked again: “You’re sure you won’t lose control and go take another shower in the middle of the night? That’d just make it harder to sleep.”

“If I can get a little sleep, I’ll take it.”

Nan Xu nodded. Her skincare was done anyway. She lifted a corner of the blanket.

“Then sleep.”

“Mm.”

Xie Hejing lay down, but only on the very edge of the bed, as if he didn’t dare come any closer.

Nan Xu blinked at him in surprise.

“You’re not going to hold me? You usually like sleeping while holding me.”

Nan Xu figured that Xie Hejing probably had a habit of hugging something when he slept.

Whenever the two of them were together, no matter how much he tried to restrain himself, he always ended up holding her in his sleep.

Just seeing Nan Xu, catching even a whiff of her scent, was enough to make Xie Hejing’s earlier words “I can control myself” almost fall apart.

Right now, he didn’t even dare to hold her, or even look at her for too long.

With his eyes closed, his voice sounded calm and cool. “Mm, let’s just sleep like this tonight, otherwise…”

Nan Xu turned off her bedside lamp and asked, “Otherwise what?”

“Otherwise I’ll get too worked up again till midnight,” Xie Hejing replied.

When she thought about it, it did make sense. She tucked herself in and said softly, “Alright then. Good night.”

The room fell completely silent, the lights all off. Ten minutes passed, and just as Nan Xu was about to drift off to sleep…

Xie Hejing called out quietly, “Nan Xu…”

She didn’t respond to the first call.

Then he called again, “Nan Xu!”

Yawning, half-asleep, she murmured, “What is it?”

“I still want to hold you.”

He simply couldn’t stop himself when she was right there beside him.

“Then hold me,” Nan Xu turned over.

Before Xie Hejing could move, she had already reached out and nestled herself into his arms, rubbing her head lightly against his chest.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she murmured sweetly, “You smell so nice, Brother.”

Xie Hejing almost lost another night’s sleep because of that one line. His throat bobbed violently, his breathing turning uneven.

Nan Xu, eyes still closed, moved her hand a little higher, gently patting his back as she whispered, “Let me lull you to sleep.”

Looking at her drowsy face, still trying to stay awake just to soothe him, Xie Hejing felt as if his heart had been dipped in honey, warm and sweet.

He reached out and pulled her closer. “Go to sleep. I’ll fall asleep soon.”

Holding her tightly, breathing in her gentle scent, his mind finally began to settle.

“Mm,” Nan Xu murmured, finding a comfortable spot in his arms, “good night.”

“Yeah… good night.”

. . . . .

Wen Qiu and Nan Xiaocheng arrived in Zhi’an at noon.

Nan Xu, Xie Hejing, Zhang Huiwan, and Xie Hengzhi all went to pick them up. The meeting with Nan Xu’s “boyfriend” was set for the evening.

So during lunch, the four elders didn’t question Nan Xu much. After all, it had been years since they’d last seen each other, and they had plenty to catch up on.

Nan Xu took the chance to say she had to work in the afternoon. The elders were too busy chatting to stop her, only reminding her to bring her boyfriend on time that evening.

Especially Nan Xiaocheng, who said, “I really want to see which young man managed to steal my daughter’s heart without a word.”

Xie Hejing, sitting beside them, gave a small, awkward cough.

Nan Xu quickly lowered her head to hide her laughter and muttered, “You’ll find out tonight.”

They had arranged to meet at a restaurant.

When Xie Hejing pulled up to the entrance, Nan Xu got out first. “You go park the car. I’ll wait for you upstairs.”

“Mm. I’ll be right there,” he replied.

When Nan Xu walked into the private room, she realized all four pairs of eyes were fixed on the doorway.

The moment she entered, every gaze landed squarely on her.

She hadn’t been nervous before, but now her heart suddenly tightened. “Why is everyone looking at me?”

Nan Xiaocheng stood up and walked over to her, glancing behind her. No one was there.

Then he looked toward the doorway again. Still no one.

“That guy didn’t dare to come?” Nan Xiaocheng asked.

Nan Xu clutched the strap of her bag, her palms nearly damp with sweat. “He’s here… just behind me.”

“Alright.” Nan Xiaocheng moved to stand by the door, waiting.

A few seconds later, he happened to meet Xie Hejing’s eyes as the door opened.

Nan Xiaocheng: “…”

Xie Hejing: “…”

“Hello, Uncle,” Xie Hejing greeted.

“Mm.” Nan Xiaocheng nodded. “Hejing, come in first.”

Nan Xiaocheng kept peering down the hallway, he wanted to be the first to see Nan Xu’s boyfriend.

“Ah, okay.” Xie Hejing replied and naturally walked over to stand beside Nan Xu.

Seeing that Xie Hejing still hadn’t taken a seat, Zhang Huiwan couldn’t help reminding him, “Hejing, come sit down. Don’t just stand there, when Jiaojiao’s boyfriend comes in later, he might misunderstand.”

At that, Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow, then directly reached out and took Nan Xu’s hand.

Nan Xu paused slightly, then squeezed his hand back, smiling up at him with a hint of mischief.

“Xie Hejing!!!”

Zhang Huiwan slapped the table, her eyes nearly popping out.

Xie Hengzhi looked utterly confused, his gaze darting back and forth between Xie Hejing and Nan Xu.

Hearing Zhang Huiwan’s outburst, Nan Xiaocheng turned around in confusion and followed her line of sight… only to see the two of them holding hands.

He almost choked on his breath.

“Jiaojiao, your boyfriend… is him?”

Nan Xu smiled brightly. “Mm.”

Among everyone, Wen Qiu remained the calmest. A gentle smile stayed on her face; she only froze for a moment before her expression softened into genuine amusement.

When she saw Nan Xu and Xie Hejing at the airport earlier today, she had already sensed something. Knowing her daughter well, Wen Qiu noticed how differently Nan Xu looked at Xie Hejing, her eyes were filled with trust and affection.

Especially when Xie Hejing helped carry her parents’ luggage, Nan Xu hadn’t shown a hint of awkwardness or refusal.

Normally, if someone other than close family helped her, Nan Xu would insist on saying thank you several times and politely decline.

But this time, she didn’t. Instead, she had said casually, “Dad, Mom, if there’s anything you want to eat, just tell me or Brother Hejing.”

From that one sentence, Wen Qiu had already guessed most of it. Their hand-holding just now only confirmed what she suspected.

To be honest, she was quite pleased with Xie Hejing.

During their years abroad, Xie Hejing sent them things every month.

Whether it was food or daily necessities, he always made sure everything was well prepared.

At first, Wen Qiu thought it was Zhang Huiwan’s idea. It wasn’t until their last video call, when the topic came up, that she realized Zhang Huiwan had no idea about it at all—and even she wasn’t sure why Xie Hejing had been doing it.

Now, looking back, all of his actions finally made sense.

Xie Hejing was polite, thoughtful, and dependable. Someone who could handle things on his own. Wen Qiu might have recognized that even earlier than Nan Xu did. After all, she had watched Xie Hejing grow up.

The two families used to be neighbors, and the children were about the same age. Back then, the adults had even half-jokingly entertained the idea of arranging a childhood engagement.

But later, they decided against it. They wanted their kids to grow up freely, to love freely.

Because of work, Nan Xu’s family moved to the west side of Zhi’an City, a bit farther away from the Xies, and that idea was completely set aside.

Who would’ve thought that, after all these years, Nan Xu would end up with Xie Hejing anyway?

Wen Qiu stood up and walked over to her daughter, pulling her into a warm hug. “Jiaojiao, I’m so happy that you’ve found someone you love and who loves you, too.”

She could tell how much Nan Xu liked Xie Hejing. The way Nan Xu looked at him was exactly how Wen Qiu used to look at Nan Xiaocheng.

Nan Xu hadn’t expected her mother to say something like that. She had prepared herself for doubts, questions, maybe even disapproval.

But instead, her mother hadn’t asked a single thing—she simply supported her, wholeheartedly and joyfully.

Nan Xu hugged her mother tightly, her voice trembling. “Mom…”

Nan Xiaocheng, meanwhile, had no time for their emotional moment. He strode straight up to Xie Hejing, looking him up and down.

Xie Hejing stood tall and calm, letting himself be scrutinized. “Hello, Uncle.”

Nan Xiaocheng’s temple throbbed. “So it’s you! It was you all along!”

Beside him, Xie Hengzhi broke into a wide grin, repeating over and over, “Good, good, this is great.”

That meant Nan Xu would be his family’s daughter-in-law. He couldn’t imagine a better match.

Zhang Huiwan glared at him. “What are you saying? When did Xie Hejing manage to steal Nan Xu away? This brat hid it so well, even from me!”

She shot Xie Hejing a sharp look. How had she missed it completely? The boy had secretly won Nan Xu over right under her nose.

Xie Hengzhi took a satisfied gulp of his drink. “What’s wrong with that? This way, Nan Xu will officially be part of our family.”

“She already is part of our family,” Zhang Huiwan said matter-of-factly.

But then she stopped for a moment. Even though she had always thought of Nan Xu as her own daughter, she also knew that one day Nan Xu would fall in love, get married, and leave home.

She thought back to Xie Hengzhi’s words…

He was right, this really wasn’t bad at all. She wouldn’t have to worry about anyone treating Nan Xu badly.

Still…

Zhang Huiwan had always seen Nan Xu as her own child. The thought left her both proud and wistful, like her own flower had been picked, yet also as if her own son had brought one home.

Wen Qiu released Nan Xu and gently patted her back. “I’m really proud of you for having the courage to follow your heart.”

Nan Xu’s personality was remarkably good since she was a child; she was willing to share everything with others.

But Nan Xu was never the type to fight for things. Whether in dealing with people or understanding situations, she had always been a little naive, a little slow to catch on. And when faced with the unknown, she often chose to retreat.

Wen Qiu had worried about her daughter’s future for years. Sometimes, she thought that by the time Nan Xu realized she liked someone, that person might already be long gone.

She worried Nan Xu would get hurt in love, or worse, be deceived by someone undeserving.

Thankfully, her daughter had grown up safe and healthy, and even more thankfully, Xie Hejing was by her side.

Wen Qiu could almost imagine how much effort Xie Hejing must have put in, how much patience and care it took for Nan Xu to finally understand what love was and to take that brave step forward.

“Mom’s really proud of how much you’ve grown,” Wen Qiu said warmly, gently rubbing Nan Xu’s cheek. Then she turned to Xie Hejing.

“Auntie has to thank you too… for protecting her, for taking care of her, for helping her grow.”

Xie Hejing froze. He could easily face Nan Xiaocheng’s scrutiny with calm composure, but confronted with Wen Qiu’s sudden gratitude, he didn’t quite know what to do.

“I… Auntie, you’re giving me too much credit. There are still a lot of things I haven’t done well,” he said.

Before he could say more, Zhang Huiwan marched right up to him and declared, “Then fix all the things you didn’t do well.”

Clearly, she had already accepted the situation and was even a little excited about it.

She clapped Wen Qiu on the shoulder. “Who would’ve thought, after all these years, we’d actually end up as in-laws? We should’ve just gone through with that childhood engagement back then!”

Dinner that night was harmonious, if you ignored Nan Xiaocheng’s occasional side glances.

Nan Xu gave a helpless little smile and quietly texted Xie Hejing:

[My dad keeps staring at us.]

[He should. Guess I’ll just have to work harder to ease his doubts.]

Nan Xiaocheng couldn’t bring himself to relax. His daughter had barely been home a few days, and she already had a boyfriend. He wanted to say no flatly, instinctively.

Wen Qiu calmly placed some food on his plate. “Jiaojiao’s just stepping into a new chapter of her life. We should be happy for her.”

“Whether her choice is right or wrong doesn’t matter. As long as she’s willing, we should support her.”

“Besides, she still has us behind her.”

Her words eased Nan Xiaocheng’s heart. He stopped watching the two of them so closely and even found himself joking with Wen Qiu again.

“You don’t think Jiaojiao will forget about us once she has Hejing, do you?”

“She won’t. Neither of them are that kind of person,” Wen Qiu said confidently.

Nan Xu would never forget them, and as for Xie Hejing, he certainly wouldn’t. If he were, those monthly packages and messages of concern would never have happened.

After dinner, everyone tactfully left the two of them alone.

Xie Hejing held Nan Xu’s hand as they strolled slowly toward home.

“How do you feel about today?” she asked. “Were you nervous?”

Hejing replied, “Not nervous. Just… a little regretful.”

Nan Xu immediately turned to him, a bit anxious. “Regretful? What do you regret?”

“Regret not being with you sooner.”

He chuckled, recalling what Zhang Huiwan had said earlier. “Apparently, our families almost arranged a childhood engagement. Too bad they didn’t go through with it, I could’ve been with you years ago.”

Nan Xu turned her head with mock indignation. “You wish.”

“Even if we had that engagement, it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t like you.”

“True,” he admitted with a grin.

Then Xie Hejing pulled her back into his arms, resting his chin lightly on her head, savoring the quiet, perfect moment.

“Still had to chase you anyway.”

Nestled against his chest, surrounded by his warmth, Nan Xu breathed in the comfort of it and asked softly, “Was it hard? Did you ever think about giving up, Brother Hejing?”

She could feel how much he had invested in her, how much effort it had taken for him to get here.

He teasingly pinched her delicate earlobe, smiling.

“Once I knew it was you,” he said, “there was no giving up.”

“No matter how hard it was, I’d still chase you.”

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