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Chapter 58 — Foul

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Xie Hejing continued to hold her tightly, his arms not loosening their grip. He could feel Nan Xu’s heartbeat, each throb resonating against him.

It wasn’t until Nan Xu couldn’t take it anymore and gave a few muffled coughs: “Brother, you’re holding me too tight.”

She patted Xie Hejing’s back. “I can’t breathe.”

Hearing this, Xie Hejing slightly eased the strength of his embrace, but unwilling to stop there, he instead lowered his head and gently bit her on the shoulder.

“Nan Xu, I genuinely want to meld you right into my body.”

Nan Xu tensed up at the comment. With Xie Hejing’s obsessive and slightly morbid tone, had he actually considered it?

“Brother, cannibalism is illegal.”

Xie Hejing’s shoulders twitched, followed shortly by the rise and fall of his chest as he desperately tried to swallow his laughter.

“What’s wrong?” Nan Xu asked, confused.

“Pfft—” Xie Hejing tried hard to hold it in, but his lips curled up uncontrollably, and in the end, he burst out laughing.

“Nan Xu, how are you so adorable!”

Nan Xu: “…”

Her mouth twitched. It was clearly his idea that was terrifying; she was just kindly reminding him.

“Alright,” Xie Hejing straightened up. “Time for the main event.”

Nan Xu knew exactly what the “main event” referred to.

Though she had mentally prepared herself, the sudden mention from Xie Hejing still made her ears flush.

“Oh, okay, I know,” Nan Xu mumbled in a low voice, but she still didn’t move, her fingers incessantly picking at the edge of her clothes.

Knowing her nature—that getting her to be proactive was harder than scaling the heavens—Xie Hejing simply reached out and took hold of the hem of her clothes.

“Raise your arms.”

Nan Xu bit her lip and dutifully raised her arms, though her eyes continuously avoided meeting his gaze.

Xie Hejing was tall, effortlessly dominating her field of vision as he looked down at her.

Her cheeks were flushed, her expression delicate yet lively. He truly felt the urge to hold her and bite her again.

While helping her take off her clothes, Xie Hejing’s fingertips would brush lightly over Nan Xu’s skin. The fine, smooth sensation tightened his breath.

The cool touch was like ripples on a water surface, repeatedly hitting the center of Nan Xu’s heart.

When Xie Hejing’s fingertips touched her again, they applied slightly more pressure, and Nan Xu couldn’t help but gasp.

Xie Hejing’s eyes suddenly darkened, and he no longer held back his strength, giving a swift pull that sent the clothes instantly dropping to the floor.

Nan Xu was momentarily stunned. When she came back to her senses, Xie Hejing’s gaze was already fixed on her.

His breathing gradually became heavy.

So heavy that every sound drilled into Nan Xu’s ears. She quietly lifted her eyes, catching Xie Hejing’s stare exactly.

It was an undisguised, predatory look, blatant with desire, scorching and impactful.

She felt a subtle, visual touch pass over her body. Nan Xu quickly raised her hands to try and shield herself, but Xie Hejing grasped her wrists.

The moment their fingertips connected, a shock ran through Nan Xu. How could Xie Hejing’s hand be so hot, so hot that she involuntarily flinched?

Xie Hejing held her firmly. “Don’t cover up. It’s beautiful.” After a two-second pause, his gaze drifted toward the center, his focus gathering, and then a corner of his mouth lifted. “And very cute.”

Knowing what he was referring to, Nan Xu’s face instantly grew hot, and she quietly warned him, “Don’t say it.”

“Alright, I won’t say it.”

Just looking…

Not just looking—kind of want to taste, too.

Although he had just tasted her, Xie Hejing found that he seemed to have an addiction—an addiction to every part of Nan Xu’s body.

Xie Hejing’s gaze was too scorching, and Nan Xu could only turn her head to breathe normally.

Xie Hejing’s hand tapped the edge of Nan Xu’s trousers. “Good girl, there’s this one too.”

“Ah, I…”

Nan Xu didn’t know why Xie Hejing suddenly said that—was he expecting her to do it herself?

“Stand still, don’t run,” Xie Hejing reminded her.

Though Nan Xu couldn’t run anyway; the door was behind her, and Xie Hejing completely blocked the path in front. Where could she possibly escape to?

But Nan Xu still agreed. At least she didn’t have to do it herself, which would have been far too embarrassing.

“Okay.”

But Nan Xu quickly realized that having him do it might be more awkward. The current posture was particularly mortifying.

Xie Hejing crouched down.

The tall figure in front of her disappeared, and Nan Xu followed him with her gaze.

She saw Xie Hejing in a casual stance, but he tilted his head up slightly and moved closer to her. He bit the fastened drawstring of her trousers with his teeth, then slowly pulled it out by moving his head.

His eyes, however, remained fixed on Nan Xu the entire time.

Nan Xu’s heart hammered furiously, and her eyelids fluttered as she tried to look away.

“Nan Xu, look at me.” Xie Hejing cupped Nan Xu’s waist with both hands, the slow, heavy friction carrying a strong sense of threat.

Caught completely off guard, Nan Xu shuddered all over as Xie Hejing’s fingers tightened forcefully and ruthlessly.

Nan Xu quickly said, “I’m looking, I’m looking.”

Only once he confirmed that her attention was fully on him did Xie Hejing ease his grip.

His teeth slowly picked off the drawstring and then moved to the waist of her pants. Before Nan Xu could react, Xie Hejing bit down hard and pulled them straight down.

A rush of coolness instantly swept over Nan Xu’s entire body. She couldn’t stop swallowing, biting her lip, afraid to say a word as her heart pounded violently.

Xie Hejing slightly narrowed his eyes, his direct gaze roaming over Nan Xu’s body, the predatory intent overwhelming.

It completely rattled Nan Xu, forcing her to try and create distance just to barely escape the heat radiating from him.

Xie Hejing stepped closer, practically cornering Nan Xu against the wall.

“What are you doing? Aren’t we supposed to… to put on clothes?” Nan Xu was so nervous that she was stumbling over her words. With that look in Xie Hejing’s eyes, she genuinely suspected he was about to make a move.

Sure enough, Xie Hejing raised a hand and touched Nan Xu’s lower back, and then trailed downward.

The heat from his palm transmitted to Nan Xu without any barrier, and she quickly tried to stop him. “Don’t move anymore.”

“Alright.”

He agreed easily this time, but his voice was impossibly husky.

Xie Hejing turned around, picked up those few pitiful pieces of fabric, and quickly returned to Nan Xu’s side.

His large hand covered her, then his fingers tightened, lifting her slightly upwards.

“You…” Nan Xu pursed her lips, unable to articulate anything.

Xie Hejing smiled broadly.

“Baby, what do you want to say?”

He gently rubbed her skin.

“Say it.”

“No, I don’t want to say it.”

How was she supposed to say it? Nan Xu felt that anything she said now would only fuel his mood and excitement.

So, she just tried hard to lower her head, keeping her face hidden from him.

Xie Hejing’s other hand, however, directly lifted Nan Xu’s chin, forcing her to display her current expression.

Her fair cheeks were still tinged with crimson, her eyes were slightly hazy, misted over, and the slight breaths she exhaled carried a feverish warmth, making her seem dreamy and tender.

Xie Hejing’s breathing hitched.

She was so alluring that it made him want to abandon the little rationality he had left.

After a long while, until Nan Xu’s breathing became somewhat broken, he finally paused, his fingertips picking up the rope and tying a knot at Nan Xu’s back.

And similarly below. By the time the “clothes” were put on, Nan Xu was completely limp in Xie Hejing’s arms.

She glared at him without any real threat: “You said the punishment, is it over once I put this on?”

It was just wearing a piece of clothing; although the process was truly hard to describe, Nan Xu breathed a sigh of relief.

Sensing the reliance she needed on him, Xie Hejing curled his lips, but easily shattered Nan Xu’s illusion: “Of course not.”

He took another item out of the bag. Nan Xu’s eyes suddenly narrowed when she saw it clearly.

It was a black bell with intricate patterns, strung together by several threads.

Nan Xu’s voice was trembling: “What… what is this for?”

“You’ll know soon enough,” Xie Hejing approached with the bell, leaning in to whisper in her ear, “Be good, Baby, lift your leg.”

“Xie Hejing…” Nan Xu’s fingertips dug fiercely into Xie Hejing’s arm, even deep enough to leave an immediate red mark when she dragged them across.

He freed a hand to pat her soothingly: “Be good, endure it for a moment.”

“This needs to be tied tight, it would be no fun if it fell off later.”

Nan Xu pursed her lips. She looked down, wondering why this bell had to be tied there, and the way he was tying it felt so shameful.

She gasped lightly, struggling to control her breathing. Xie Hejing’s hands were constantly moving below.

By the time the bell was tied, Nan Xu was completely drained of strength.

Xie Hejing placed a kiss on her hair, waiting for her to recover.

Three minutes later, Xie Hejing was the first to walk over and sit on the nearby sofa, patting the spot next to him.

“Come here.”

Nan Xu’s legs had little strength. She could only take small steps, but because of this, the bell was rubbing against her.

She tried hard to ignore the strange sensation.

Xie Hejing’s gaze circled Nan Xu’s body, then gradually focused on the bell, and a satisfied smile immediately appeared.

When Nan Xu reached Xie Hejing, she hadn’t even fully stabilized herself. Xie Hejing immediately reached out and pulled her to sit on his lap.

He even spread his legs slightly, “considerately” making room for the bell.

But the movement was too sudden; Nan Xu was still bumped, and a jolt went from bottom to top, making her entire back feel numb.

“I’ll rub it for you.”

His movements were gentle. Only when he noticed the pain on Nan Xu’s face subside did he reach out and move the bell.

Nan Xu suppressed her shame, and curiosity welled up: “Why doesn’t it ring?”

Nan Xu noticed that the small bell didn’t ring when she moved, or even when it was bumped. It hadn’t rung earlier either, not even when Xie Hejing touched it.

However, Xie Hejing didn’t explicitly say why, smiling with profound meaning: “It will ring when it senses ‘warmth’.”

He couldn’t tell her the truth, otherwise Nan Xu would definitely refuse to use it.

“What kind of warmth?” Nan Xu asked.

Xie Hejing did not answer.

Nan Xu frowned, thinking to herself, Is this bell temperature-sensitive?

Just as Nan Xu was lost in thought, Xie Hejing said in a light tone: “Now, the ‘punishment’ is about to begin.”

A flicker of alarm crossed Nan Xu’s eyes: “It’s only starting now?”

She thought it was already over.

Xie Hejing slowly picked up the cake that had been placed on the table beforehand and looked at her.

“I want to eat cake,” Xie Hejing said.

Nan Xu frowned: “Then eat it.”

The cake was right in his hand; did he mean she needed to feed him?

Xie Hejing lifted his leg slightly: “Sit closer,” he touched Nan Xu’s body with his fingertip again, “Cooperate with me.”

The fingertip touched and immediately withdrew.

Nan Xu paused for two seconds, then quickly reacted: “You mean, you’re going to eat it… here?” Her tone held considerable surprise.

“Smart,” Xie Hejing pulled all of Nan Xu’s hair back, revealing her beautiful neck and shoulder line, “Didn’t you want to know how the bell rings? Try it out.”

He evenly spread the cream on Nan Xu’s collarbone. The slightly cool and sticky feeling caused Nan Xu’s hands and legs to tighten a little.

Feeling Nan Xu’s movement, Xie Hejing’s mouth curved into a smile: “You must endure it. If the bell rings three times later, you will pick a card from that bag and follow the instructions on it.”

“If my body gets hot, the bell will ring?” Nan Xu gritted her teeth and asked.

Then what should she do? Try hard to keep herself from getting hot? How could she control that?

Xie Hejing casually continued spreading the cream: “Maybe.”

Hearing this ambiguous answer, Nan Xu gave him an annoyed look.

“Don’t look at a man like that, especially don’t look at me like that,” Xie Hejing kissed her at the corner of her mouth, “Otherwise, what I eat later won’t be cake.”

After finishing the cream on the piece of cake in his hand, Xie Hejing leaned over to pick up another piece.

His lips brushed against Nan Xu’s collarbone; he licked it once. Mixed with Nan Xu’s scent, the cream tasted even more fragrant than before.

When the cream from the second piece was applied, there was no room left on the top, so Xie Hejing could only part the “clothes.”

Nan Xu grabbed his wrist, but Xie Hejing easily pulled away: “Be good, it’s sweeter this way.”

He had almost never witnessed a scene like this: it was shocking, breathtaking, and extremely stimulating.

As he covered her to eat the first bite of cream, Xie Hejing deliberately chose a spot he had always wanted to try.

His teeth gnawed at the cream, yet it wasn’t just the cream; he slowly sipped and savored the “cream.”

Nan Xu could only try to look away, but the sensation was too intense. A strange feeling rose within her, so unfamiliar that Nan Xu found it hard to bear.

With such intimate contact, her lips slightly parted, her hands clutching Xie Hejing’s shirt, and every inch of her body was enveloped by a wave of heat.

She bit down hard on her lip, the surface of which turned white from her force. Suddenly, all her sensations uncontrollably rushed towards a single spot.

It happened so quickly that Nan Xu was a little flustered, only aware that a very strange change was occurring in her body.

It was a feverish heat accompanied by soreness and swelling.

Xie Hejing raised his eyebrows and worked harder.

Nan Xu wanted to tell him to stop; she felt like something was wrong with her.

But before she could speak, the “warmth” surged out completely. Nan Xu froze on the spot, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

The next second—

“Ding-a-ling!”

The bell vibrated, sharply stimulating Nan Xu’s eardrums.

Xie Hejing also raised his head, slowly licking the cream from the corner of his mouth: “Nan Xu, that’s the first ring.”

A conjecture instantly formed in Nan Xu’s mind, and she looked at Xie Hejing: “You meant this warmth?”

“As expected, no matter how much you deny it with your mouth, your body tells the truth.” Xie Hejing nodded: “It seems I don’t need to ask how you feel this time; your body has already provided the most genuine reaction.”

“Did you hear the bell just now? It was very loud.”

Nan Xu was furious and twisted hard against Xie Hejing’s body, intending to get up.

But as soon as she moved, the heat surged out again.

“Ding-a-ling!”

Xie Hejing smiled: “That’s the second ring.”

One more ring, and she would have to draw a card.

Nan Xu’s heart leaped. It truly was because of this, and this time the vibration lasted for almost a minute with no sign of calming down.

And the knot Xie Hejing tied was very tight; no matter how Nan Xu pulled, she couldn’t undo it.

The ringing continued.

“How do I make this bell stop!” Nan Xu asked.

“Very simple. Just keep still and calm,” Xie Hejing said softly.

Nan Xu was skeptical; he wouldn’t easily let the bell stop.

Regardless, she just wanted to get off his lap quickly; this bell was simply too much.

Seeing her movements increase, Xie Hejing grabbed and held her down, forcing her to calm down.

Nan Xu was restrained and unable to move, forced to remain seated, but she kept glaring at Xie Hejing.

Miraculously, the bell did slowly quiet down, gradually returning to its original stillness.

Nan Xu exhaled slowly; that abrasive feeling was finally gone.

“Do you believe me now?” Xie Hejing’s voice lifted at the end, “Do you still want to get down? Maybe if you move even a little, the third ring will quickly follow.”

“What do you think is written on those cards?”

She didn’t need to guess; they certainly wouldn’t be anything “good.” But she also had to admit that perhaps Xie Hejing was right: if she moved again, the third ring would be right behind.

She gritted her teeth: “I’m not getting down.”

Xie Hejing laughed aloud: “Then don’t move around. I haven’t finished my cream yet, and some of it has dropped.”

The cream was consumed bite by bite, and Nan Xu was on high alert, her entire body tense. She was even trembling slightly from being overly afraid of that heat surging out.

Xie Hejing comforted her: “Don’t be nervous. Maybe you’ll draw a very good card.”

“I won’t let it ring again,” Nan Xu frowned, her expression serious.

“Oh really?” Xie Hejing didn’t say anything, continuing to eat the cream, only his efforts became more intense.

Along with this, Nan Xu’s breathing was nearly out of control, and a faint sound escaped through her teeth.

The hand that had originally rested on Xie Hejing’s shoulder now clutched his back, growing tighter and tighter, attempting to use this method to suppress the rising surge of passion.

Sensing the force on his back, Xie Hejing guessed that there would probably be a few more red marks!

The smile in his eyes widened, though it was a pity Nan Xu hadn’t bitten him.

He could just bite her.

No sooner had the thought occurred than Xie Hejing acted. He exerted force with his teeth, eliciting two soft moans.

It was utterly stimulating.

In an instant, the warmth surged out uncontrollably and ceaselessly.

Nan Xu was completely stunned.

“DING-A-LING!!!”

The bell suddenly exploded, its sound soaring to the maximum, unrestrainedly filling every inch of the room.

Nan Xu could only lean weakly against Xie Hejing’s shoulder, hoping to quickly calm down, but the more she thought this, the louder the bell rang.

“The third ring.”

Xie Hejing patted Nan Xu’s back to remind her.

The corners of Xie Hejing’s mouth curled up wickedly. He lifted her with one arm and walked to the side, pouring her some cold water.

After all, he had extensive experience in enduring such things.

The bell’s sound diminished, and about five minutes later, it disappeared entirely.

Nan Xu leaned her whole body against Xie Hejing; he was too adept at control. No matter what, it was difficult for her to resist.

Xie Hejing carried her to the bag, then reached in and pulled out the cards, casually scattering them on the table.

He kissed Nan Xu’s damp eyes and said, “Pick one. I wish you good luck tonight.”

“Please put me down,” Nan Xu’s voice was low and muffled.

Xie Hejing deliberately asked, “Can you walk?”

Nan Xu raised her voice: “Yes, I can walk!”

“Alright.”

Xie Hejing didn’t hesitate and smoothly set her down.

Looking at the cards in front of her, although Nan Xu knew Xie Hejing wouldn’t openly tell her what they were about, she still couldn’t help but ask.

“What kind of content is on them?”

To allow her to prepare.

“What do you think?” Xie Hejing’s gaze swept over the bag, Nan Xu’s “clothes,” the bell, and finally settled on the cards.

Right, being placed alongside those items, there was no need to ask further.

Nan Xu took a deep breath, avoided looking at Xie Hejing, and under his gaze, picked up the card that looked most pleasing to her eye.

But only when she flipped it over did she see the content on the card.

“!!!”

Nan Xu’s heart jumped, and she quickly threw it away.

Xie Hejing chuckled at her reaction and asked, “What is it? Why are you so scared?”

He had only glanced through the cards earlier—knew a few of them at most—so there were plenty he hadn’t seen either.

Xie Hejing walked over, bent down, and picked up the card Nan Xu had thrown. When he read what was written on it, the amusement on his face reached its peak for the night.

[The other person lies down, and you sit on their face.]

Nan Xu froze completely, stunned. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing!!!

Xie Hejing returned to her side in an upbeat tone and said, “Well, Baby, looks like we got lucky tonight—this one’s pretty interesting.”

Nan Xu still stood there, dazed, while Xie Hejing had already crouched down.

He brushed his fingers against the little bell and suddenly noticed a faint stickiness between his thumb and forefinger.

His gaze lifted slightly.

“Guess it’s time to find out what this bell tastes like tonight.”

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Taw’s Note: Is this even allowed ah??? 😱😱😱

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Chapter 57 — I’ll change your clothes myself.

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The car stopped downstairs, and as usual, Xie Hejing held Nan Xu’s hand and led her toward the building.

While they waited for the elevator, Nan Xu watched the numbers climb closer and closer, a thin layer of sweat forming in her palm.

Sensing it, Xie Hejing tightened his fingers around hers, pulling her a little closer.

“Nervous?” he asked.

Nan Xu looked away without answering. Instead, she asked softly, “What are you going to do later?”

She couldn’t imagine what kind of “punishment” Xie Hejing meant.

She knew he would never hurt her—but maybe that was exactly why she was so uneasy. Whatever he had in mind might be something she couldn’t handle.

Her gaze flicked toward the bag in his hand, and she suddenly asked, “When did you buy all that?”

“I passed by a shop on my way back and went in for a look. Thought some of the things were nice—you might look good in them,” Xie Hejing replied calmly, his tone so composed that there wasn’t the slightest hint of embarrassment.

Just hearing how casually he said it made Nan Xu’s face burn.

She stole another glance at the bag, recalling that she’d seen something that looked like… clothing.

No, it couldn’t really be called clothing.

“You mean…” Nan Xu swallowed hard, trying to voice her suspicion, “you want me to wear what’s in that bag later?”

“They’ve been washed,” Xie Hejing said matter-of-factly. “There’s not much fabric, so they dried quickly. You don’t need to worry.”

Not much fabric?!

Nan Xu’s eyes widened.

How could he say something like that so casually?

Just then, the elevator arrived with a soft “ding.” The doors slowly opened. It was empty inside, and a blast of cold air rushed out, making Nan Xu shiver.

Grinding her teeth, she asked, “And what if I refuse to wear it?”

Still holding her hand, Xie Hejing led her in and chuckled. “That’s what I’ve been dreaming of.”

Dreaming of?

Nan Xu blinked in confusion. A moment ago, he’d been talking about the clothes being washed—and now this?

Then, after replaying her own words in her head, realization hit.

She had said not wearing it.

When she turned, Xie Hejing was already looking at her with an amused, assessing gaze—as if he’d completely accepted her declaration.

Nan Xu glared at him. “Keep dreaming.”

He wasn’t the least bit annoyed. Instead, he smiled. “Then I suppose you will wear it.”

Nan Xu: “…”

The elevator doors opened again, and the moment the apartment door clicked shut behind them—

In the blink of an eye, Xie Hejing had cornered her against the wall.

“W–what are you doing?!” Nan Xu stammered, still trying to catch up.

His breathing was uneven now as he brushed his lips against her neck. “Thinking about how you’d look without it.”

God only knew how badly he’d wanted to drag her straight into the bedroom the moment she’d said those words—to tear her clothes away and admire every curve of her body.

“Why do you always say things like that?” Nan Xu muttered, her face burning all over again.

“What else should I say then?” Xie Hejing murmured, pausing to look at her. His dark eyes held her still. “That I want to marry you? Would you say yes?”

Nan Xu froze under his gaze. “I—It hasn’t even been a month yet. Isn’t it too early to talk about this?”

Xie Hejing’s expression darkened for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

He straightened up, nodded slightly, and said, “You’re right. There’s still a week left. So let’s not waste time.”

He reached for the bag and pulled out that piece of black “clothing.”

“Change.”

Holding the pitiful scraps of fabric in her hands, Nan Xu’s face tensed in disbelief. The material was so light it felt like a single breath could blow it away.

She frowned and protested, “How am I supposed to wear this?”

It was barely enough to cover anything.

“Don’t know how?” Xie Hejing lifted his chin slightly. “I’ll help you.”

He really meant it—he started to reach for it.

Nan Xu quickly tightened her grip and stepped back, dodging his hand. “That’s not what I meant! I mean… there’s too little fabric. How is anyone supposed to wear this?”

Leaning casually against the wall, Xie Hejing crossed his arms, amusement flickering across his face. “You do have a choice—wear it, or don’t.”

That wasn’t a choice at all—just two burning pits of fire. The only difference was which one would scorch her slower.

Within half a minute, Nan Xu made her decision. “I’ll wear it.”

At least that way, there’d be something to cover her up.

She turned to head toward her room with the fabric in hand, but Xie Hejing reached out and stopped her.

Puzzled, she asked, “What? Didn’t you just tell me to change?”

The corners of his lips lifted into a lazy, roguish smirk. “I changed my mind.”

Nan Xu’s heart leapt in relief, thinking he was letting her off—until he added, “I’ll help you change,” and after a brief pause, “Right here.”

“You—” Nan Xu’s lips parted, at a loss for words. “You’re going to help me change? You…”

She could hardly describe the feeling. The few times he had touched her before, she had at least been able to hide her face. But now he wanted to dress her himself—in that.

And as if that weren’t enough to shake her, his next words made her pulse pound in her temples.

“Mm, right here in the entryway.”

“We haven’t tried the living room yet, or the kitchen… or the bathroom. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to shower. Or maybe your bedroom—how did it feel last night? How about another round on your bed?”

“Will that make you think of me in your sleep? Or keep you awake? Nan Xu, will you crave that feeling—go crazy over it?”

“Will you crave me? The same way I crave you?”

A hint of regret crossed Xie Hejing’s face. One month was too short—but maybe that was fine.

After a month, no matter what, he’d make sure she stayed by his side. Completely.

Nan Xu took a step back until her heel hit the door. The small sound snapped her back to reality. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest.

“What feeling?”

“The feeling on my tongue,” Xie Hejing said, eyes half-lidded, the corner of his mouth curling in a faint, dangerous smile. His voice was both feverish and unhinged.

Nan Xu’s breath stopped altogether. She knew—he wasn’t joking. He meant every word, and he would do it.

She turned her gaze aside. “No… no, I wouldn’t.” She knew that if she said otherwise, if she admitted even a little, Xie Hejing would take it as encouragement—dragging her back into that maddening cycle again and again.

If that ever happened, she’d collapse completely under him one day.

The coldness in Xie Hejing’s eyes gradually intensified. He stared intently at Nan Xu, trying to find any trace of a lie on her face, but there was absolutely none. She had denied him so calmly and resolutely.

His unwillingness reached its peak at that moment, the veins on Xie Hejing’s arms bulged, and then he suddenly let out two bursts of laughter.

“It doesn’t matter. There are many more positions, many more moves. We’ll find the one you’re obsessed with.”

Xie Hejing plucked the few pieces of fabric connected by a string from Nan Xu’s palm.

“Now, start changing.”

“I’ll undress you.”

To be honest, Nan Xu had felt okay just moments ago, but now she was starting to feel afraid.

She could sense that the thread of Xie Hejing’s rationality was taut and burning.

And the reality was exactly as Nan Xu perceived it.

For a moment, Xie Hejing genuinely considered letting Nan Xu feel what it was like to be beneath him right now.

She would struggle, cry out, and gasp; and the more she did, the more heightened Xie Hejing’s emotions would become.

But it wasn’t the right time yet; she would flee, she would avoid him, she would hate him.

What finally snapped the thread of Xie Hejing’s rationality was a single, short sentence from Nan Xu.

“Brother, I’m not changing,” she was terribly frightened, but still hoped they could just stop at this moment and not go any further. She worried Xie Hejing would completely lose control. “Should we… maybe, just forget it.”

In fact, dark and twisted thoughts had long been rooted in Xie Hejing’s heart.

He desired Nan Xu, he wanted her completely, from body to soul, he wanted it all.

And right now, he was trying to win her heart, but Nan Xu’s last sentence instantly made him feel that his effort to win her heart had utterly failed.

He gripped Nan Xu’s neck and lunged forward. Nan Xu was forced tightly against the door, her eyes filled with terror, breathing with extreme difficulty.

“Nan Xu, what did you say? Say it again!”

Even as cold sweat broke out on her forehead, Nan Xu still managed to say, “I said, let’s just forget it…”

“Shut up.” Xie Hejing shouted, cutting her off, his grip on her grew tighter, and with a cold, hard expression, he reached out and tore Nan Xu’s clothes open.

“Cough, cough…” Nan Xu choked out a few coughs. Xie Hejing abruptly eased his grip, deliberately avoiding the look of panic in Nan Xu’s eyes.

Xie Hejing bit his lip hard until blood spilled from between them again. With a chilling gaze, he continued to unfasten and pull aside Nan Xu’s inner wear.

“Brother, Xie Hejing…” Nan Xu tried to appeal to his reason.

He shouldn’t be such a lunatic; he used to seem so bright and cheerful.

But Nan Xu’s fragmented words had no effect.

His movements were relentless, his breathing heavy and ragged.

Nan Xu was completely powerless to resist, and soon a wave of coldness washed over her, making her skin tremble.

But the next moment, a wet sensation grazed her, and a delicate yet numbing feeling flooded Nan Xu’s mind.

Nan Xu tried to raise her hands to block him, but Xie Hejing quickly pinned them behind her back.

“Nan Xu, don’t reject me, don’t reject me. Not for this one week, at least.”

This one week was his final opportunity to win her heart; he wouldn’t admit defeat until the very last moment.

Her outer garment was undone, and her inner wear lay loosely crumpled on top. Nan Xu’s mind was a mess, and she was unable to respond to Xie Hejing’s words.

At this moment, she had to admit that Xie Hejing was indeed such a lunatic, only he had been cautious and disguised it in front of her before.

Nan Xu’s persistent lack of response caused Xie Hejing to intensify the pressure with his mouth, as he picked up that point and ground his lips and teeth against it.

“Hss…”

The cold mixed with pain, and Nan Xu’s hands trembled where Xie Hejing held her down.

He was terrifying.

Hearing her voice, Xie Hejing kept his head lowered and continued. Nan Xu’s body was tense, but there was nowhere left to retreat—she could only endure it.

“Nan Xu, don’t reject me.”

“Even if you see the madness in me, don’t run from me. Don’t leave me. Nan Xu, love me.”

He knew how timid she was, had always known how much she feared this dark, twisted side of him—how she couldn’t bear the weight of his desire.

But Xie Hejing still wanted to hear the word “love” from her lips.

“Nan Xu, say you love me. Say it!”

When he heard nothing, he finally raised his head—and saw confusion in her eyes, even regret.

Her slow thoughts finally caught up. She realized she had truly provoked someone dangerously unstable.

That flicker of regret in her eyes made Xie Hejing’s anger flare. He grabbed her by the throat again and shouted, “Say it. Say you love me!”

Don’t provoke him anymore. Don’t let him see her regret, or her fear.

Because once he did, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself—he’d lose control, let all his emotions explode, listen to her gasp beneath him, and completely possess her.

But he wanted to win her heart first, so she had to stop provoking him.

Nan Xu bit her lip. What scared her most wasn’t just Xie Hejing’s madness—it was the way he made her feel utterly powerless, completely under his control.

She wanted to get away from the chaos he brought into her calm life.

Yet, when he spoke just now, all she could think of was the kindness he’d shown her—the warmth that had been undeniably real.

Her lips trembled. Tears spilled uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes, one after another, falling onto the back of Xie Hejing’s hand.

His hand began to shake violently. He lowered his head against her shoulder, his voice breaking: “Nan Xu, say you love me. Please… say it.”

Nan Xu’s eyelashes quivered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Xie Hejing looked so pitiful. Why did he have to beg for love like this? It made her feel cruel—she wasn’t someone who could bear to hurt others like this.

But she had lived a quiet, sheltered life. Apart from her family’s bankruptcy, she had always been protected.

She had never encountered emotions this fierce, this suffocating—ones that threatened to consume her whole.

She was pitiful too. Because even though she feared this side of Xie Hejing, she still loved him—she truly did.

Could that love overcome her fear?

She couldn’t stop wondering.

Could it?

She didn’t know.

All she knew was—there was one week left.

Xie Hejing wanted to win her heart, and she needed to test hers.

She had to try to face these emotions, instead of running away. Even if she couldn’t accept them in the end…

Xie Hejing had promised to keep his word. When the time came, they’d part—just as they’d agreed.

“Xie Hejing…” Nan Xu finally spoke.

Her voice was hoarse, like gravel scraping against stone.

Xie Hejing didn’t move, still resting against her shoulder, but her sudden words made his heart tighten.

He was afraid that if he heard another word from her, the fragile thread of his sanity would finally snap.

He didn’t want her to hate him.

He wanted her to love him.

“I don’t want to hear it…”

It didn’t matter if Nan Xu stayed silent. As long as she didn’t say something that might push him over the edge again, he could restrain himself—he had always been good at restraint.

Her thoughts slowly cleared, and the tears in her eyes began to fade.

“I’m sorry.”

She shouldn’t have been so abrupt just now, shouldn’t have said it was over like that. It wasn’t fair to him.

Xie Hejing froze. He didn’t dare listen any further—because after “I’m sorry,” what usually followed were words that hurt.

“Don’t say it,” he warned in a low voice. “Don’t provoke me.”

But Nan Xu didn’t listen. She sniffed softly and said, “There’s one more thing. Don’t you want to hear it?”

When had she learned to tease like this?

Leaning against her shoulder, Xie Hejing felt torn in a way he’d never experienced. He’d always been able to read Nan Xu, but now—he couldn’t guess at all.

What would she say next?

Was she going to end things and walk away?

Say she hated him?

Or tell him to move away because she was afraid?

He didn’t want to hear any of that.

And yet—he wanted to hear her voice, even if it was all of those things.

“…Go on,” he said.

Nan Xu lowered her eyes. “I’ve never been good at handling emotions, so… I’m sorry.”

His expression dimmed. He didn’t want to hear her apologize.

When he first fell for her, he already knew how slow and hesitant she was when it came to feelings.

“But I’ll think about it seriously,” she continued. “You’re right—we still have a week.”

At that, Xie Hejing’s eyes lit up.

Did that mean she wasn’t planning to end things yet?

So for now, he didn’t need to resort to desperate measures to keep her.

“For the next week,” Nan Xu said softly, “I’ll try… to go along with you. But you can’t make me too… embarrassed.”

Xie Hejing’s heart skipped a beat.

“There’s one more thing,” Nan Xu said, swallowing hard.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I love you.”

“!!!”

He didn’t speak. He just pulled her into his arms—tightly, almost losing control.

“So now,” Nan Xu whispered, “you can take my clothes off.”

---

Taw’s Note: No… I honestly didn’t know the story would develop like this… I thought it would be all fluffy and cute… oh my… (⁠@⁠_⁠@⁠)

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Chapter 56 — Will you help me tonight?

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The next day was the weekend.

For once, Nan Xu woke up early on her own—without Xie Hejing calling her.

By the time he even came out of his room, she had already made breakfast and was sitting at the table, though her mind seemed elsewhere. She stirred her porridge absentmindedly, her gaze unfocused, her whole being in a daze.

Then came the soft creak of Xie Hejing’s door opening.

As if startled awake from a dream, Nan Xu quickly took a sip of the porridge that had already gone lukewarm, but she didn’t dare look up at him. Her eyes stayed fixed on the tabletop.

“Uh… you’re up, Brother,” she said awkwardly, pushing the bowl of noodles toward him. “I made breakfast. Let’s eat together.”

It was rare to see Nan Xu awake this early.

Xie Hejing looked a little surprised. He pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. “How come you’re up so early today?”

“I just woke up. I don’t really know why.” Nan Xu brushed it off casually and focused on her porridge.

“Did you sleep well last night?” Xie Hejing asked, stirring the noodles as if the question were nothing special.

Nan Xu immediately choked on her porridge. “Cough—cough…” Her head ducked even lower, practically buried in the bowl. “It was fine.”

“I drank some wine, so I slept pretty well. Maybe that’s why I woke up early today,” she added, fumbling for an excuse.

“Is that so? All thanks to the wine?” Xie Hejing paused, his eyes locking onto her face.

Nan Xu hesitated, sneaking a glance at him—he was watching her with that half-smile of his, the kind that made her feel completely exposed.

She quickly grabbed a sugar pancake and took a big bite, pretending to be casual. “Yeah, sometimes wine really helps, huh?”

Xie Hejing nodded slightly. “True. Wine can make the shy brave, and make the self-controlled lose their restraint. It’s a fine thing.”

Unfortunately, he hadn’t been the one drunk last night.

His words carried a teasing undertone, and Nan Xu understood it instantly. Heat crept up her face.

Trying to steer the conversation back, she said, “Brother, if you ever have trouble sleeping, you can try a bit of wine too. It might work for you.”

But Xie Hejing didn’t take the bait. “Nothing works when I can’t sleep—except holding you.”

Nan Xu: “…”

“You can’t possibly hug me every time you can’t sleep,” she muttered.

He raised a brow, silently conceding she had a point—though in his mind, having her sleep beside him seemed like the perfect solution.

Just one reach away.

He thought back to the night before—the way she had felt in his arms, her quick breaths gradually evening out, the faint scent of her hair warming his cold pillow.

Her soft head had nestled against his chest until she found a comfortable spot and drifted into deep sleep.

And whenever he moved, she would instinctively hold him tighter.

In those moments, he’d felt completely at peace. Every trace of restlessness faded away in that quiet embrace.

If he hadn’t been afraid he might lose control, he wouldn’t have sent her back to her room at all.

“Last night, you…” he suddenly brought up.

“I was drunk. I don’t remember anything—really, I don’t,” Nan Xu cut him off before he could continue, answering everything with the same excuse: she couldn’t remember.

“You don’t remember?”

Xie Hejing slowly repeated her words, glancing at her as if trying to tell whether she was lying.

For no reason, Nan Xu felt nervous. But since she’d already said it, she could only stick to her story. “Mm, I really don’t remember.”

“Not even a little?”

“Really, I’ve forgotten everything,” she said, forcing herself to sound calm instead of guilty.

Xie Hejing stared at her for a long moment. Seeing that she truly didn’t plan on admitting anything, he clenched his jaw silently.

“Fine.”

Nan Xu could hear the faint anger behind that single word, but she didn’t dare think about what had happened last night. Every time she tried, her whole body went weak—that suffocating, breathless feeling still lingered vividly in her mind.

All she could do was try to forget.

But Xie Hejing wanted the opposite—he wanted her to remember, to never forget.

If she claimed she couldn’t recall, then he would simply give her something unforgettable.

“You said wine helps you sleep, didn’t you? How about another drink tonight?”

“No way.” There was no chance she’d drink again. If she lost control one more time, she wouldn’t even be able to face him.

“Too much alcohol’s bad for you anyway,” she muttered, trying to sound reasonable.

Xie Hejing lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable. He took a bite of noodles and spoke in a calm voice: “We’re not eating dinner at home tonight. Xiang Weishi invited us out—with Wen Qi and Wei Qingxuan.”

Nan Xu blinked in surprise. “Didn’t he say last time that he’d never go out with us again?”

By now, Xie Hejing’s bowl was nearly empty. He slurped the last bite of noodles, wiped his mouth, and set his chopsticks down.

Nan Xu froze for a moment watching the motion, then quickly averted her gaze. He noticed—and his brows lifted slightly. His movements slowed, deliberately unhurried.

Nan Xu couldn’t understand it. He’d eaten so fast, yet somehow took forever to wipe his mouth. She’d already had several sips of porridge, and he still hadn’t left the table.

Just as she was about to ask, Xie Hejing stood up, grabbed his jacket, and said, “I’ve got a meeting. Stay home for a bit—or go out if you want. Just let me know, and I’ll pick you up for dinner.”

“Where are you going? How long will it take?” Nan Xu was thinking about going out herself, but she needed to know his schedule first.

Xie Hejing seemed rather pleased that she asked. “To see Cheng Keyi. He needed my help with something last time, but I didn’t have time.”

He fastened his watch. “If I don’t go now, he’ll probably show up at my office to bug me. It’s a bit of a hassle—should be done by four or five this afternoon.”

Then, a thought crossed his mind. “Want to come with me?”

“No way.”

It was finally her day off—she definitely wasn’t wasting it on that.

He only shrugged; it had just been a casual offer.

“Alright then. If you go out, just let me know.”

“Got it.” Nan Xu walked him to the door and waved with a small smile. “Drive safely.”

After Xie Hejing left, the house fell completely quiet.

Nan Xu put on a song and changed her clothes. She planned to sit for a while at the newly opened teahouse, then go find Qi Zhiyu, who happened to have the day off too.

While waiting for the elevator, Nan Xu was typing quickly on her phone, sending Xie Hejing the place she planned to go and what time to pick her up.

When the elevator doors opened, she heard a familiar barking. Sure enough, Jiang Zhiyu stood there with the little dog, Xiao Daizi.

She smiled and greeted Jiang Zhiyu, then bent down to pet Xiao Daizi.

Watching Xiao Daizi wag its tail like crazy, Jiang Zhiyu teased, “Looks like Xiao Daizi really likes you. I bet if I let go, it would follow you home.”

“Really? Then I should show it my front door—who knows, one day you might not be careful and it’ll come find me!”

“There was almost a case like that, actually—just yesterday. When I took it in the elevator, our neighbor from across the hall happened to get off on the 25th floor, and Xiao Daizi went crazy trying to follow him down.”

“I’m sure it was trying to find you. Ungrateful little thing—it’d ditch its owner for you.”

Nan Xu laughed and thought about whether she should carry some snacks in her bag next time to give to Xiao Daizi.

On the way to the teahouse, Xie Hejing sent her a message.

[Probably going to be an hour late.]

Nan Xu wasn’t bothered—it gave her an excuse to hang out at Qi Zhiyu’s place a little longer.

Qi Zhiyu had stocked up on all their favorite snacks when she found out Nan Xu was coming. Since they both finally had a day off, they decided not to go out and instead stayed in to binge a show.

They watched episode after episode. Nan Xu got so into it she lost track of time and didn’t reply to Xie Hejing’s texts.

Only when her phone rang did she remember they were supposed to go out for dinner. She quickly turned the volume down.

“I’ll be right down.”

A second later a new message popped up.

[Three minutes is more than enough time to come down from the seventh floor.]

Nan Xu hurried downstairs after telling Qi Zhiyu, and found Xie Hejing’s car waiting at the curb. She was startled—she’d only told him the name of the complex, so how did he even know the floor?

Once in the car, Nan Xu noticed the atmosphere was a bit tense. Sensing Xie Hejing might be angry, she quickly said, “I’m sorry, I was engrossed in the drama and lost track of time.”

But that wasn’t what had bothered him. When she didn’t answer earlier, he’d actually wanted to come and fetch her, but he’d held back because she was at a friend’s place.

Hearing no response from Xie Hejing, Nan Xu went on, “Next time I’m watching a drama, I’ll definitely remember to reply to your messages. Don’t be mad, okay?”

That seemed to ease him: “When you don’t reply, I get worried, you know?”

Nan Xu nodded quickly. “”I know, I won’t do it again.”

Xiang Weishi’s reason for inviting the four of them over this time was simple:

He wanted lessons on how to chase someone.

“You guys have experience! Tell me quickly, how do you chase someone?”

“Do you send flowers? Besides that, what else do you do?”

Wen Qi burst into laughter, laughing so hard she couldn’t even straighten her back. Leaning on Wei Qingxuan’s shoulder, she said, “You newbie! Why would she be with you if you just sent flowers? You need to know what she likes!”

Xiang Weishi had been ready to argue, but when he heard the second half of her sentence, he realized she actually had a point.

He stared blankly at the dishes in front of him for a long while, then said, “Handsome guys, I guess.”

After adding the girl on WeChat, he’d gone through every single post on her Moments—trying to figure out where to start.

Turned out, out of more than 120 posts, at least 110 were about some handsome guy.

Probably a celebrity—he’d even looked it up last night, but had already forgotten who it was.

“Wow!” Wen Qi exclaimed, but then fell silent again.

Everyone thought she’d come up with an idea and looked at her expectantly—especially Xiang Weishi, who craned his neck forward. “Come on, just say it already!”

“You sure you want me to say it?” Wen Qi asked with a mysterious smile.

“Ugh, stop keeping us in suspense,” Xiang Weishi urged, growing impatient.

Finally, Wen Qi took pity on him and spoke up. “If that girl likes handsome guys, then shouldn’t you go get some work done? Cosmetic surgery, I mean. Go now—maybe you’ll even recover in time.”

At that, the five people at the table burst out laughing—everyone except Xiang Weishi, who just sat there speechless.

“…Wow, thanks a lot,” he said dryly. “You never say anything helpful. Seriously, how did Wei Qingxuan even end up with you?”

Wen Qi grinned proudly. “Because I’m worth it!”

Xiang Weishi: “…”

He gave up completely. Then he turned to Wei Qingxuan, looking genuinely puzzled. “So how did you manage to win her over? She’s such a weirdo, and yet you pulled it off. You seem good at this stuff—come on, share your experience.”

Wei Qingxuan pressed his lips together.

It was simple. Direct, even.

Just drag Wen Qi back when she tried to flirt and run, and make sure she stayed—until she accepted him.

But he hesitated to say that out loud.

Wen Qi, hearing Xiang Weishi’s question, suddenly remembered exactly how Wei Qingxuan had “chased” her—and for once, she actually felt shy.

Her gaze darted away, and after a long pause she stammered, “There’s really nothing to share. Everyone’s different, you know.”

“How can there be nothing? Even you got chased successfully! What’s wrong with sharing a few tips?” Xiang Weishi frowned.

Seeing that Wei Qingxuan actually looked like he was about to explain, Wen Qi pinched his leg hard under the table and quickly said to Xiang Weishi, “This one’s off-limits.”

She wasn’t lying—Wei Qingxuan’s entire “pursuit process” was made up of scenes that couldn’t be spoken of in public.

Xiang Weishi gave the odd couple a long look, decided there was no point trying to learn from them, and turned to Nan Xu and Xie Hejing instead.

“Nan Xu, how about you tell us—how did Xie Hejing chase you?” He pinned his last hope on that pair. Surely they could give a normal answer.

“Ah!”

The first thing that flashed through Nan Xu’s mind was what had happened last night.

In an instant, she couldn’t even look at Xie Hejing. Her face burned hot.

“What’s wrong?” Xiang Weishi frowned when he saw her embarrassed expression. “Don’t tell me—was his way of chasing you that bad?”

“Uh…”

How was she supposed to answer that?!

Nan Xu bit her lip, forcing out three words: “It was good.”

At that, Xie Hejing let out a soft chuckle or two, his warm breath brushing against her, making her ears burn bright red.

Xiang Weishi turned his questioning toward Xie Hejing. “So how did you chase her? Come on, man, give us something this time!”

Nan Xu shot Xie Hejing a quick, worried glance. Given everything that had happened recently—especially this past month—if he really said what he’d done, she’d probably die of embarrassment right there at the table.

But Xie Hejing was as tight-lipped as ever. He simply sipped his tea, completely ignoring Xiang Weishi’s question.

“Hey, Xie Hejing! What happened to brotherhood? You’re really keeping that a secret?”

Still calm and unhurried, Xie Hejing set down his cup and continued peeling shrimp for Nan Xu. “Not convenient to say.”

Xiang Weishi: “…”

“What’s wrong with you two? Aren’t we friends? You can’t even help me with this tiny thing?”

Everyone else agreed—after all, Xiang Weishi had basically invited them here for this. It’d be too cruel if they refused to share anything.

Wei Qingxuan and Xie Hejing exchanged a look—there was a flicker of mutual understanding between them.

Wei Qingxuan took Wen Qi’s hand, kissed it lightly, and said quietly, “Do—”

——until she says yes.

But before he could finish, Wen Qi pinched him hard.

Xie Hejing began, “Tease—”

——until desire stirs.

He didn’t get to finish either, because Nan Xu suddenly covered his mouth in a panic.

Realizing how abrupt her movement was, she quickly grabbed a napkin and dabbed at his perfectly clean lips. “Your, um… your mouth looked a little dirty, Xie Hejing—uh, I mean, Brother—let me wipe it for you.”

Wen Qi jumped in fast. “Wei Qingxuan, my spoon fell. Pick it up for me.”

Xiang Weishi stared blankly at them, completely thrown off—but he had heard those two words clearly.

Do… Tease…

He thought about it for a second, and then—like a light bulb going off—his eyes widened.

He suddenly stood up, voice ringing with excitement. “Wait, are you guys saying… be a dog?”

Honestly, it kind of made sense. With the way those two were, it fit.

In his own strange way, Xiang Weishi felt he’d gotten an answer after all.

. . . . .

After the dinner, Nan Xu and Xie Hejing got back in the car.

She turned to him anxiously. “You scared me back there! I really thought you were about to say—”

Xie Hejing glanced sideways at her, smiling faintly. “Say what?”

“N–nothing.” Nan Xu quickly turned her head away.

It was all because last night’s events were too shocking; even after drinking, she could still remember them.

Which was exactly why she couldn’t stop thinking about it during dinner. For a second there, she’d honestly believed he was going to bring it up in front of everyone.

Thankfully, he hadn’t.

She let out a deep breath of relief and resolutely kept her eyes off him—because she knew that with just one look, he’d probably coax the truth right out of her.

Xie Hejing didn’t press the matter further, taking the bag he had placed in the car and focusing on organizing the contents.

He was contemplating what to use first tonight.

The car remained parked, and for a moment, it became quiet.

Nan Xu’s tense thoughts also relaxed. She turned her gaze to look out the window and saw a pharmacy.

Right, Xie Hejing had many tiny scars on his waist, and they weren’t fully healed. He had wine poured on them and then went to take a shower. She wondered what condition they were in now.

She also didn’t know if there was a first-aid kit prepared at home.

“Brother, do you need to buy some medicine for the scars on your body…” Nan Xu turned her head back.

As soon as her voice faded, Xie Hejing’s voice softly echoed: “Nan Xu, when did you see scars on my body?”

“!!!”

Nan Xu’s pupils contracted as she realized what she had said, overcome with regret.

The thing she had been avoiding all day was just exposed by her slip-of-the-tongue concern.

She tried to struggle: “I dreamt about it.”

But her crestfallen look clearly admitted the truth. Even if she didn’t remember every single detail of last night’s events, she hadn’t forgotten the important things.

Xie Hejing leaned closer to Nan Xu, clearly seeing the panic in her eyes.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t remember anything? Little liar.”

Nan Xu clenched her hands into fists, her palms marked with crescent-shaped indentations.

“I, I…”

She surrendered, not knowing how to reply.

“Good girl, people who lie will be punished.”

“Come here.” Xie Hejing waved her over, signaling for her to look at the bag in front of him.

Nan Xu refused, pressing her back tightly against the car door.

His tone was gentle: “Disobedient people will be punished too.”

Xie Hejing lightly touched a button, and the car door locked. He reached out and hooked his hand around Nan Xu’s neck, pulling her above the bag and pushing her head down.

Nan Xu was forced to look down. After clearly seeing the contents, she gasped.

“Why would you think of buying these?!”

“Which one do you like?” Xie Hejing casually hooked a finger. “We’ll use this one tonight?”

Tonight!!!

Nan Xu was shocked. Xie Hejing was practically a ‘model worker’; apart from the days when she had her period, he hadn’t wasted a single night.

And he was getting increasingly daring.

Last night had been almost at Nan Xu’s limit of what she could endure. She had initially thought that it couldn’t get any more intense than that, and there shouldn’t be anything else.

But she never expected Xie Hejing to be even more outrageous!

If they were truly together, wouldn’t the following days only escalate this behavior?

Nan Xu’s heart was pounding. This was too terrifying, and she was too stunned to speak.

Xie Hejing gently rubbed her lips: “Not talking? Then we’ll take our time using them.”

“Good girl, get moving. Will you help me tonight?”

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Chapter 55 — Good baby, you’re very sweet.

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“Sweet? Where exactly…”

Xie Hejing’s voice was a light murmur, as if afraid of startling Nan Xu, but his Adam’s apple bobbed wildly, and a dark look gradually arose in his eyes.

Nan Xu tilted her head and glanced at him, then reached out and poked the residual red wine on his wrist. Her dimples slowly appeared: “It’s sweet.”

“Want to taste it again?” Xie Hejing asked.

“Okay, taste it…” Nan Xu focused her drunken eyes and looked up.

Xie Hejing’s deep gaze made her heart tremble slightly. Nan Xu shook her head: “Hmm, don’t want to taste.”

Even when drunk, she didn’t forget to reject him. Xie Hejing sneered, but didn’t verbally refute, and lazily continued the previous action.

His long, slender fingers gripped the black and gold wine bottle, and he tilted his head back, gulping it down. The red wine still flowed downwards.

The ripped-open black shirt could no longer shield Nan Xu’s view.

She stayed in Xie Hejing’s arms, staring blankly as the trickles of red wine flowed before her eyes, then slowly went down, and finally disappeared somewhere.

Soon, the little bit of sobriety Nan Xu had managed to squeeze out vanished completely. Her thoughts, like the red wine, drooped onto Xie Hejing’s body, becoming more and more numerous, deeper and deeper.

The next second, when the red wine flowed down again, Nan Xu still couldn’t resist the drunkenness.

She grabbed the edge of Xie Hejing’s shirt with both hands, then leaned forward and lightly kissed it.

The force and warmth on his chest instantly made Xie Hejing stop moving. He lowered his eyes, and even his breathing paused slightly.

A serious head was diligently trying to find where the next drop of red wine had flowed down.

The rich fruity aroma carried a hint of astringency, leaving a lingering aftertaste that hit Nan Xu’s tongue. She complained in a low voice: “It’s not as sweet as before.”

Xie Hejing pulled her closer into his arms and said softly, “Why is it not as sweet as before?”

She struggled to look at Xie Hejing, but her head felt like a thousand pounds now. She leaned on Xie Hejing’s chest and answered with a tone of grievance: “It just isn’t.”

Hearing this, Xie Hejing took another sip of wine, then lifted Nan Xu’s chin and covered her lips.

The kiss was sudden, but Xie Hejing easily pried open Nan Xu’s lips and then poured the red wine into her.

The wine’s aroma, many times stronger than before, instantly invaded Nan Xu’s mouth and brain. Xie Hejing patiently fed her a few more sips, and Nan Xu’s intoxication became even deeper than before.

“Still want to drink? The next one will be even sweeter,” Xie Hejing asked with a smile.

“Even sweeter?” Nan Xu’s attention was completely focused on the last two words.

The haze of drunkenness had completely numbed Nan Xu’s nerves, making her forget to look at Xie Hejing’s eyes.

Like a dormant beast slowly waking up.

“Mmm,” Xie Hejing responded.

The rather potent wine took away some of the moisture in Nan Xu’s mouth. Her throat felt a little dry, and she just wanted to drink something.

“Alright.”

Xie Hejing temporarily placed her on the sofa, then fetched a bottle of red wine that wasn’t high in alcohol content, but was full of fruit flavor and easy to drink.

He popped the cork and casually tossed it aside. Xie Hejing sat back down on the sofa and pulled her back into his arms.

Nan Xu mumbled: “Brother, I’m thirsty.”

Her hazy gaze fell upon the wine Xie Hejing brought, the bottle was swaying in her eyes as well.

But she could distinguish that it was drinkable, her eyes were full of yearning, and she subconsciously licked her lips.

“Want to drink?” Xie Hejing asked again.

Nan Xu nodded heavily, and as if afraid Xie Hejing would refuse her, she added, “I want to drink.”

Xie Hejing, with a smile, pressed Nan Xu closer: “Then continue.”

This time, the wine’s impact was less intense than before, but it was more lingering.

Nan Xu’s drunkenness was almost reaching its peak. Earlier, she could still distinguish the dripping red wine and precisely kiss it.

But now, she was somewhat messy and lacked order.

Often, the wine would flow deeper before Nan Xu reacted. Once or twice was fine, but after repeated times, Nan Xu’s patience had vanished.

She grumbled: “Brother, the wine disappears very quickly.”

Xie Hejing curved his lips into a smile and simply said, “Good.”

The black shirt was then directly torn off.

At once, the trail of red wine became clearer. Except for the part that had soaked into his belt, the rest of Xie Hejing’s torso was laid bare before her eyes.

The fine, scattered cuts left by the red thread last time were still there—most had faded into faint marks, but a few remained deeper, scabbing over now.

When Nan Xu’s soft, moist lips brushed against them, a shiver ran through Xie Hejing’s body, and a low sound escaped his throat.

“What’s wrong?” Nan Xu lifted her head to ask.

He bit hard on the inside of his lip, tasting a trace of blood before he managed to hold himself back from flipping her over and pinning her down.

Staring at Nan Xu’s obedient, confused eyes, Xie Hejing frowned and said hoarsely, “It hurts.”

“Why does it hurt?”

Nan Xu couldn’t think deeply anymore, she could only respond to the words on the surface.

“Do you want me to help you, Brother?”

The sweet voice carried the most dangerous of meanings.

“…Hah—” Xie Hejing’s fingers twitched.

One hand braced against the back of the sofa, the other slowly traced along Nan Xu’s neck, sliding upward—from her earlobe to the tip of her ear.

Then, with deliberate gentleness, his fingers brushed across her lips. They were a pale pink, turning white when bitten, only to flush red again once released.

But aside from that, what else could they look like? His eyes darkened, his voice rough and low. “Will you regret it?”

Nan Xu blinked, not understanding. Regret? Regret what? Was it supposed to be difficult?

She still shook her head. “No.”

His hand moved to the back of her head, guiding her downward slowly, inch by inch.

Nan Xu didn’t resist—her body limp, yielding completely. Whatever he wanted her to do, she did.

Xie Hejing watched as she bent forward… If he had pressed even a little harder, it would’ve taken only seconds.

But halfway through, his hand suddenly froze. His fingers curled into a fist, trembling slightly before finally loosening.

“Forget it.”

He hadn’t sunk that low. Not yet.

Letting go, he helped Nan Xu sit upright again. Whether she could remember his words or not, he still said quietly, “Nan Xu, never drink in front of anyone else again.”

Nan Xu had no idea what kind of battle he had just fought within himself. Right now, she trusted him completely, so she nodded obediently to everything he said.

Xie Hejing was somewhat relieved that he’d managed to stop himself. His gaze shifted to the phone on the table.

“Nan Xu,” he said, “let’s play a game.”

She blinked. “A game? Will that make you feel better?”

“Let’s try,” he replied. “Maybe it will.”

“Okay… what kind of game?” she asked.

Xie Hejing unlocked his phone, found the audio recording he’d once made her do, and pressed play—placing the phone gently beside her.

“A game where you’re not allowed to lie.”

“Whatever you feel later,” Xie Hejing said quietly, “you have to tell me. Understand?”

Nan Xu nodded.

He turned the volume on his phone all the way up, set it nearby, and let Nan Xu sit on his lap while he continued to drink.

He couldn’t help wondering why the wine tonight refused to get him drunk. Maybe if he really were drunk—completely gone—he could let go of everything, push past every line, and make Nan Xu remember exactly what desire felt like. Tell her, “Nan Xu, this is what desire is.”

The voice from the recording grew louder and faster, spilling into Nan Xu’s ears.

Right in front of her sat Xie Hejing—his shirt gone, the traces of red wine and faint cuts scattered across his bare skin.

The overlapping marks rose and fell with his breathing.

Some had blurred into indistinct lines—Nan Xu knew those were her doing.

Gradually, her mouth went dry. Her head felt light, her body hot all over. She wanted something cold to press against her skin, but she had no strength left to move.

She could only sit helplessly on Xie Hejing’s lap, trapped between what she saw and what she heard.

At some point, her eyes filled with tears that refused to fall. She didn’t even know what was happening to her—why even breathing felt so hard.

Biting her lip, she braced herself against him, her back arched, but the strange, burning sensation didn’t fade. It only grew stronger.

Then, when the voice on the recording reached its peak—deep and trembling—Nan Xu’s hands gave out, and she almost collapsed to the floor.

Xie Hejing caught her in time, steadying her. Seeing her flushed face, he asked softly, “What did that feel like just now?”

“Hot… dizzy…” she answered, forcing out each word.

He raised a brow, waiting for her to continue. Instead, she whispered two more words: “Uncomfortable.”

Xie Hejing’s breathing quickened, rough and uneven. “Where does it uncomfortable?”

Nan Xu couldn’t pinpoint it. The strange heat was still moving restlessly through her body. She thought being close to him might help, but it only made the dizziness worse.

Tears slipped from her eyes. “I don’t know,” she said with a trembling voice. “Brother, I feel terrible.”

“When you heard the sound yesterday, did you feel the same?” Xie Hejing asked.

He knew that when Nan Xu was sober, she would never answer questions like these. So he could only ask now, to see whether she truly felt anything.

But Nan Xu couldn’t remember yesterday, not even what had happened an hour ago. All she could do was clutch his sleeve, looking lost and wronged. “Brother, am I sick?”

Realizing he wouldn’t get an answer, Xie Hejing finally gave up.

He took her hand, placed it around his neck, then bent down and lifted her easily into his arms.

Carrying her to his room, he laid her down.

As her body touched the cool surface of the bed, some of the heat in her skin began to fade—barely, but enough to let her breathe again.

Xie Hejing leaned down and brushed a light kiss across Nan Xu’s forehead.

Strangely, a moment ago, every touch from him had only made her feel worse—but now, away from the sound of that recording, his touch felt like medicine, cooling the fever under her skin.

His kisses trailed down to her chin, then stopped. The heat inside her, however, hadn’t faded. Nan Xu opened her eyes and asked directly, “Can you kiss me again?”

Xie Hejing propped himself up above her, studying her soft, dazed expression—exactly as he had imagined, except even more tempting.

“Where do you want me to kiss you?” he asked in his usual slow, steady tone.

When he didn’t move, the feverish feeling in Nan Xu’s body returned with force. Growing restless, she pointed to her arm, her neck, her waist.

Patient as ever, Xie Hejing followed her gestures. Wherever her finger touched, his lips followed—light, deliberate, unhurried.

But Nan Xu grew even more anxious. The tears she had been holding back welled up again as she pleaded, “Can you… kiss me again?”

“Where this time?” he asked once more.

Nan Xu shook her head helplessly. She didn’t know anymore. He had kissed everywhere she could think of, but it wasn’t helping. The heat inside her only built higher, suffocating.

She began to sob softly. “Anywhere… it doesn’t matter. Just—just make this feeling go away.”

Xie Hejing hesitated only for a second before murmuring close to her ear, “Nan Xu, do you remember what I told you last time? The things that can make you feel good aren’t just hands. What else?”

Nan Xu, overwhelmed, couldn’t think. She clutched at his blanket, lost, not even sure what she was supposed to do.

“I don’t know…”

“If you can’t remember,” he said quietly, starting to move away, “then we’ll stop here tonight.”

Nan Xu panicked, immediately looping her arms around his neck to keep him close. The two of them were still face to face—so close that Xie Hejing could see his own reflection in the amber of her eyes.

And right now, he filled them completely.

He waited silently, watching her struggle to remember. Her breathing grew longer, deeper.

She tried to recall, but her mind was a blur—like thick fog she couldn’t push through.

Five minutes passed, and she still couldn’t find an answer.

Just as tears were about to fall again, Xie Hejing bent down and pressed a kiss to the corner of her eye.

“Remember now?” he whispered.

Something seemed to stir in her head, that fog parting just a little. Nan Xu tilted her head and looked at him. “Is it… the mouth?”

Faint memories flickered to life—fragments of sound and touch from earlier, reawakening in her mind.

“Do you want to?” he asked, his voice low, intimate—two simple words carrying all the weight of temptation.

Nan Xu’s lips parted, but no words came out. She just stared at him blankly, her hands around his neck loosening.

Xie Hejing pressed his lips together and pushed himself up, creating distance between them.

“I’m leaving.”

“Don’t.” Nan Xu’s reaction was almost instinctive. She tugged at him weakly—her drunken strength barely enough to hold him back.

But somehow, the motion stopped him. She was afraid that if he really left, she’d have to endure this unbearable feeling all night.

Her voice came out in a small whisper, trembling with desperation.

“I want to.”

Absolutely, I can translate that passage for you. It’s a very evocative and intense scene.

Xie Hejing’s lips curved. “Nan Xu, look at me, and say it again.”

Nan Xu met his gaze and softly repeated. “I want to.”

Xie Hejing tucked Nan Xu’s wisps of hair behind her ear, and still asked unhurriedly. “You want with whom? You know who I am, right?”

Nan Xu nodded her head downwards. “It’s Brother, it’s Xie Hejing, so… I want to.”

Xie Hejing’s body tensed all over, he straightened up, arranged the quilt, knowing that Nan Xu would definitely be shy later, maybe even scared, and directly covered Nan Xu’s upper body with the quilt.

Giving her something she could clutch.

With her vision obscured, everything became more tense and clearer, and a cool breeze gently brushed against Nan Xu’s legs.

Nan Xu shivered, clutching the quilt tightly but finding that she still couldn’t stop the panic, thinking about covering her face.

Might as well not see anything at all.

But before she could cover it, Xie Hejing stopped her. He said: “I hope to see your expression when we get up later.”

Nan Xu pouted, turning her head away: “It will definitely be ugly.”

“No, it will be very captivating.”

Nan Xu was an unbreakable addiction to him, a poisonous vine with thorns. He craved for her thorns to deeply cut his skin, to wrap around him, and then inject the poison.

Letting the poison run through his whole body, and giving reason to his twisted and mad thoughts.

Finally, the poisonous vine tightened suddenly.

Besides dying from the sickness, Xie Hejing thought he would remember this moment for a lifetime.

The initial coolness made Nan Xu tremble all over, the hands clutching the quilt exerted all their strength, she bit her lower lip hard, almost instinctively wanting to move her legs.

But she was firmly held by Xie Hejing. The soft and wet feeling soon drained Nan Xu of her strength, and she could only part her legs following the movement of Xie Hejing’s hands.

Thus, he could lean in a little closer.

His warm breath made Nan Xu pant softly. The stray hairs Xie Hejing had just tucked away fell loose again, and the mattress sank deeper and deeper.

She could feel Xie Hejing’s movements, and also sense his heavy breathing.

With her gaze fixed on the ceiling, the alternating sensations of coolness and flushed warmth appeared on Nan Xu’s body, and her vision blurred again.

But not because of discomfort.

About half an hour later, Xie Hejing got up, his lips damp, and he saw the moment he had been longing for.

Nan Xu was semi-reclining on the bed, her eyes already tinged with a languid charm, breathing in small, soft gasps, the corners of her eyes lifted, glancing at him with a light, weighty look.

It was a look he had never seen before.

Darkness and frenzy surfaced in Xie Hejing’s eyes.

He should be the follower who died beneath the poisonous vine, thrillingly wanton and hopelessly infatuated.

He leaned forward, embracing Nan Xu, his grip very tight, so tight that both of them found it hard to breathe.

Yet, he utterly adored it, continuously tightening his embrace, and then whispered in Nan Xu’s ear.

“Good baby, you’re very sweet.”

---

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Chapter 54 — Nan Xu, stop teasing!!!

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“Assistant Xie, why do you look so tired?”

“Didn’t sleep well last night?”

Hearing the voice, Nan Xu instantly opened her eyes. Standing before her was Xie Hejing—and her little act of pretending to nap at her desk had clearly been caught by him.

He lightly tapped her desk, a wordless reminder.

Nan Xu hurriedly stood up. “Sorry, President Xie. Last night, I…” she hesitated for a moment, “went to bed a bit late.”

Xie Hejing gave a short hum of acknowledgment, the picture of a considerate superior. “Assistant Xie, you should rest earlier. Don’t let fatigue affect tomorrow’s work.”

His tone was perfectly proper and professional.

“Thank you for the reminder, I’ll make sure to sleep earlier and not let it affect my work,” Nan Xu replied obediently.

But inwardly, she couldn’t help complaining—the reason she’d stayed up so late was because of his recording.

After hanging up the call last night, she’d listened to it again… and ended up wide awake until three in the morning.

Thinking of that made her glance at Xie Hejing with a faint trace of resentment.

He caught her look immediately, the corners of his eyes lifting with amusement.

“Meeting in thirty minutes. Assistant Xie, prepare the meeting notes,” he said before turning and heading back to his office.

“Yes, sir,” Nan Xu replied.

Half an hour later, she took her laptop and entered the conference room—only to see a very familiar face.

Dong Fanxi.

After chatting with Sister Zhang, Nan Xu learned she’d been transferred from a branch office.

During lunch, Dong Fanxi was just as she’d been back in school—quiet, solitary, not one for small talk.

Nan Xu took Qi Yule and sat beside her.

Dong Fanxi’s hand, holding her chopsticks, froze for a moment. In truth, when she’d first seen Nan Xu in the office that morning, she’d been thrilled.

But years of being on her own had made her awkward about taking the initiative, even with an old friend.

Now that Nan Xu had sat down beside her, Dong Fanxi finally smiled and greeted her. “Nan Xu, we meet again.”

Her gaze shifted toward Qi Yule.

“And this is…? Sorry, I just got here, so I’m not familiar with everyone yet.”

Qi Yule smiled understandingly. “I’m Qi Yule, from the marketing department.” Then she turned to Nan Xu, catching onto what Dong Fanxi had said. “Xiao Nan, you two know each other?”

Nan Xu nodded. “Yeah, we were in the same class in high school.”

“Wow, what a coincidence! You even ended up working at the same company after graduation,” Qi Yule exclaimed. She was from out of town and hadn’t seen her own classmates in ages.

“Xiao Nan, first your boyfriend’s a high school classmate, and now you’ve got a colleague from high school too. You’ve got quite the luck with familiar faces,” Qi Yule teased.

Nan Xu’s heart nearly leapt into her throat. She hadn’t expected Qi Yule to bring that up—especially not in front of Dong Fanxi.

She silently prayed that Dong Fanxi wouldn’t ask who her so-called “boyfriend” was.

Sure enough, at the mention of “boyfriend,” Dong Fanxi’s expression flickered in surprise. Then, as if recalling something, she gradually composed herself again.

She looked at Nan Xu, clearly wanting to ask more, but with Qi Yule sitting there, it wasn’t the right time.

So she let the matter drop—for now.

Setting aside Dong Fanxi’s distracted air and Nan Xu’s nervous tension, the three of them still managed to keep the conversation pleasant.

When they swiped their cards to re-enter the company, Qi Yule suddenly clutched her stomach in pain, so Nan Xu and Dong Fanxi went up in the elevator first.

They’d taken their time at lunch, so by the time they returned, it was already late—and the elevator was empty except for the two of them.

“…Nan Xu,” Dong Fanxi spoke up suddenly.

Nan Xu tensed slightly, swallowing hard. “Go ahead.”

But instead of asking what Nan Xu had feared, Dong Fanxi simply said, “When did you come back to the country?”

At that, the tight string in Nan Xu’s mind loosened a little. Her tone grew lighter. “A few months ago. Why?”

“So it’s only been a few months?”

Dong Fanxi shook her head. “Nothing, really. I just think… it’s nice.”

She paused, then added softly, “I’d like to have a meal with you sometime, catch up properly.”

Hearing that, Nan Xu completely relaxed. “Sure, no problem. When are you free?”

“Maybe in a while. Things are a bit busy for me lately,” Dong Fanxi replied.

“Alright, just let me know when. I’ll adjust my schedule to match yours.”

Dong Fanxi couldn’t help but study her a little longer. Nan Xu was still the same—radiant, the kind of person who naturally drew others in, someone who brought warmth wherever she went.

“You and your… boyfriend,” she began.

Nan Xu’s heart skipped a beat. She kept her eyes fixed on the elevator doors, not turning her head, just listening quietly.

“How are things between you two?”

The question struck Nan Xu as odd. Normally, when old classmates heard about a “boyfriend,” their first reaction would be to ask who it was. But Dong Fanxi didn’t. And since she didn’t ask, Nan Xu had no intention of volunteering the answer.

“We’re doing fine,” she said lightly. “Still getting to know each other.”

“Still getting to know each other…” Dong Fanxi repeated softly, then lowered her gaze, saying nothing more.

Nan Xu couldn’t see her expression, but something about her tone felt strange. Did Dong Fanxi know something? But that didn’t make sense—she’d only just transferred here from the branch office.

The questions lingered in Nan Xu’s mind all the way until the end of the day. Even when she got into Xie Hejing’s car, she was still lost in thought.

Seeing her dazed expression, Xie Hejing flicked her forehead in annoyance.

“Who are you thinking about so intently that you didn’t even hear me calling you?”

Pain shot through her forehead, and Nan Xu instinctively hissed, “Ow,” startled out of her daze.

She immediately raised her hand to rub the sore spot, eyes misting slightly as her focus returned.

Looking at Xie Hejing’s teasing smile, she pouted. “Why’d you flick me? I wasn’t thinking about anyone.”

She’d just been… overthinking, that’s all.

Xie Hejing didn’t bother to argue. Instead, he went straight to what he wanted to ask.

“Did you listen to last night’s recording?”

At his words, Nan Xu’s eyes darted away toward the window. “I—yeah. I did.”

The tips of her ears turned pink.

Last night, almost without realizing it, she’d pressed play on the recording… and afterward, hadn’t managed to say a single word.

. . . . .

The heat was bottled up inside Xie Hejing, unable to be released.

He gritted his teeth and called out, “Nan Xu, talk.”

Nan Xu had already been stunned by his heavy breathing, but she still managed to say, “I like…”

It felt as if a lump of air was stuck in her throat, making Nan Xu’s breathing grow quick and uneven.

Xie Hejing asked again, not aggressively this time, but gently guiding her: “Keep going, Nan Xu, don’t be shy, you’ve said it before.”

Could the situation then be the same as now? Nan Xu frowned, looking at her phone screen, which felt like a hot potato.

But throwing it away now was impossible.

She inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled: “I like Brother.”

His heart was scorched by those words.

The corner of Xie Hejing’s eyebrow arched slightly with a touch of recklessness. His eyelids were half-lowered as he asked: “Nan Xu, did you press record?”

“I… I pressed it,” Nan Xu’s heart was pounding. She didn’t know why Xie Hejing wanted her to record it.

Xie Hejing stopped his movements, took the phone, and walked a few steps away. The sound of running water suddenly softened, but Xie Hejing’s voice became clearer.

The friction of his clothes, the undisguised hoarseness, the slight gasps that surfaced after the intense heat—all of it intertwined in the call, rushing towards Nan Xu relentlessly.

She couldn’t help but hold the phone further away, then grabbed a pillow and buried her whole face in it.

As the heavy breathing waxed and waned, Nan Xu buried herself deeper.

Until the final sound dropped, Nan Xu’s heart trembled violently. She heard Xie Hejing’s voice come back through the phone: “Nan Xu, how about listening to it in front of me next time?”

Nan Xu shot her face up from the pillow and shouted into the phone: “Absolutely not!”

If she really listened to it in front of him, Xie Hejing definitely wouldn’t let her simply just listen.

There was no sound from the other end, and silence lasted for a while.

Nan Xu thought he had hung up. She completely dropped the pillow, moved to the edge of the bed, and picked up her phone.

However, she saw that the call was still connected.

She cautiously called out: “Brother? Brother? Xie Hejing? Are you okay?”

“No,” Xie Hejing complained slightly, then continued, “Nan Xu, what did you feel just now? Did you have the urge to come over? Were you aroused?”

Xie Hejing asked her directly.

Nan Xu, however, was hesitant. She had covered her ears with the blanket, so the sounds she heard later were indistinct and sparse.

“I… I guess I heard it.”

“You guess you heard it?”

Xie Hejing’s voice dropped, a warning: “Nan Xu, you better listen to it seriously once, or you’ll listen to it in front of me tomorrow.”

Without a doubt, Nan Xu chose the former.

. . . . .

“Then you…” Xie Hejing started to say.

“Brother, hurry up and drive,” Nan Xu interrupted him, “We still have to go to the supermarket, right? Other things, let’s talk about them after dinner.”

Well, if she could stall for a while, she would, Nan Xu thought, lowering her gaze.

Xie Hejing could tell what she was trying to do, but didn’t say anything.

The car stopped in front of the supermarket.

Holding Nan Xu’s hand, Xie Hejing led her to the food section on the second floor.

Surrounded by all kinds of colorful snacks, Nan Xu grabbed quite a few.

Normally, Xie Hejing wouldn’t let her buy any junk food, but when she turned around and looked up at him with those innocent eyes, she said softly,

“But, Brother, I really want some.”

There was no way he could refuse her when she spoke like that. “Stop acting cute,” he said, clearing his throat before adding, “Fine.”

Nan Xu’s eyes lit up—so this was what counted as acting cute? Her lips curved into a small smile.

When they got home, the two went into the kitchen together. Nan Xu wasn’t much of a cook, so all she could do was help out a little.

But Xie Hejing had high standards—even for the dishes themselves.

Her poor attempts in the kitchen were far from acceptable to him. He tried to endure it, but in the end, couldn’t.

“Just go sit down,” he said, finally giving up.

Nan Xu was happy to comply. She handed everything over to him, then went to sit on the sofa, snacking and listening to music.

Since the playlist was on shuffle from Xie Hejing’s phone, she didn’t notice when it suddenly switched to that song—the one he had used last time to “help her relax.”

Her memories rushed back instantly, and that familiar sensation seemed to reappear between her legs.

Her cheeks flushed red as she listened.

She quickly set the chips down, hurried to the side, and reached for the phone to turn it off.

Just then, Xie Hejing came out with the last dish. Naturally, he heard the song too, and with a teasing smile asked, “Listening to this again tonight? You shouldn’t be nervous this time—maybe you’ll even enjoy it more.”

Even if it happened a few more times, she’d still be nervous. Nan Xu ignored him, turned on the screen, and stopped the music.

But even though the song was off, the sensations it brought back still lingered on her body. She lowered her eyes, not daring to meet his gaze.

Setting the plate down, Xie Hejing asked, “Why’d you turn it off?”

Nan Xu couldn’t possibly tell him the real reason. After thinking for a moment, she said, “We’re about to eat—it’s better not to have music playing.” A decent enough excuse.

He probably guessed what was really going on, but didn’t press the issue. Instead, he took a bottle of red wine from the cabinet and placed it on the table.

“Want a drink?”

Nan Xu nodded—anything to distract herself from her thoughts.

He poured her a little, barely enough to cover the bottom of the glass.

Nan Xu took a bite of braised pork but wasn’t in the mood to sip slowly. She downed the wine in one go.

Xie Hejing refilled her glass, and she didn’t even notice—she just drank it again.

Soon, her stomach felt uncomfortably full, and she couldn’t eat another bite, though her head finally started to clear from those earlier thoughts.

But her vision was beginning to blur, and her mind felt sluggish.

What kind of wine was this? She’d barely had any, yet it was already hitting her this hard.

In truth, she’d been so focused on calming herself down—trying to shake off those lingering sensations—that she hadn’t noticed how many times Xie Hejing had refilled her glass.

She naturally didn’t notice that one-third of the large bottle of wine had been drunk by her, who couldn’t hold her liquor well.

Xie Hejing stared at the blush on Nan Xu’s face, knowing the girl was drunk.

He led Nan Xu to sit on the sofa and said, “Be good and sit here, listen to me, or I’ll spank your palm.” Xie Hejing threatened her.

Nan Xu shrank her neck, hugged her hands in her lap, and timidly replied, “Don’t spank my palm.”

“Then be good and sit, you are not allowed to go anywhere.”

“Okay.”

. . . . .

Fifteen minutes later.

“…Brother, Brother, why are you swaying?” Nan Xu sat on the sofa, staring at Xie Hejing, who had just finished tidying up and was walking towards her.

“Stop swaying, my head is so dizzy,” she tried hard to blink her eyes, but it was useless.

She also found that not only was Xie Hejing “swaying,” but many other things were “rocking.”

Xie Hejing chuckled, picked her up into his arms again, grabbed the bottle of red wine beside them, and didn’t bother pouring it into a glass, drinking directly from the bottle.

“Brother, why is that light swaying too?”

“What was I just about to say? Why can’t I remember?”

“What did I want to do, Brother?”

“…”

Nan Xu nestled in Xie Hejing’s arms, the drunkenness entangled in her mind, making her unable to think, or even keep her balance.

The moment Xie Hejing’s hand loosened, she would tip over to the side.

Fearing that she would fall, she clutched at Xie Hejing’s clothes and leaned her head against his chest.

A wave of warmth coursed through Xie Hejing’s body, the intimate and dependent gesture made Xie Hejing’s lips curl into a smile.

He took an even larger gulp of wine.

Carelessly, the red wine slipped from the corner of his mouth down to his Adam’s apple, which Nan Xu happened to see.

She stared at the red liquid with hazy, drunken eyes, then reached out and poked it.

Xie Hejing’s breathing hitched as he looked down at Nan Xu; she seemed very interested in the wine flowing down.

An idea flashed in Xie Hejing’s mind. He continued to swallow, and “unintentionally” spilled red wine onto his body, letting it slowly flow downwards.

Nan Xu seemed to start playing; wherever the red wine flowed, she followed it with her gaze and poked it with her finger.

Xie Hejing was equally amused and continued to “leak” red wine to tease Nan Xu.

Just as a drop of red wine slowly traced a path from his neck, across his chest, and then disappeared into his black shirt.

Nan Xu, unable to poke the wine, became a little anxious. She lifted her heavy hand, gently lifted Xie Hejing’s shirt, and looked inside.

The sight almost ignited a flame.

With a sudden burst of breath, Xie Hejing slammed the wine bottle heavily onto the table, the force of which caused the red wine inside to splash out.

Several drops splattered onto Xie Hejing’s hand and wrist…

But at this moment, he completely disregarded it, only because Nan Xu’s posture wasn’t limited to just looking—she wanted to pull his shirt further open so she could poke that fading drop of red wine.

Xie Hejing could no longer control his breathing and suddenly gripped Nan Xu’s wrist with his large hand.

It was very thin, as if it could snap with just a light force; therefore, Xie Hejing relaxed his grip quite a bit.

Frowning, he said, “Nan Xu, if you don’t want to hear it, if you don’t want it—then don’t tease.”

Nan Xu had no idea how “dangerous” her earlier action had been, nor did she understand what Xie Hejing meant.

Her eyes were only drawn to his hand—the one holding her wrist—which also had some red wine on it.

After a brief silence, Nan Xu moved again. This time, instead of poking at the wine with her other hand, she leaned forward and lightly traced it with the tip of her tongue.

A satisfied smile curved her lips. “Brother, it’s a little sweet.”

Xie Hejing’s heart stopped for a beat.

---

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Chapter 53 — Nan Xu, run.

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“Shh!”

Nan Xu once again covered Xie Hejing’s mouth, raising her index finger to her lips before blowing out a slow breath.

“Brother, you must be sleepy and confused—you’re starting to talk nonsense.”

She smiled lightly. “Let’s just pretend I didn’t hear what you said earlier.”

Though her voice sounded calm, her palm—still holding the red string—was slick with sweat.

Maybe it was because Xie Hejing’s gaze burned too intensely.

After speaking, Nan Xu didn’t dare meet his eyes again. She pulled her hand back, shut her eyes, and sat cross-legged on the bed. Her back was straight and tense, and she gripped the edge of the blanket tightly.

Her mind went completely blank, as if by pretending to meditate she could somehow escape the words he’d just said.

Watching her deceive herself like this only deepened the amusement in Xie Hejing’s eyes.

Without making a sound, he slowly sat up straighter, moving toward her with deliberate slowness and a surprising gentleness.

Each inch he drew closer, Nan Xu’s eyelashes trembled just a little more.

Even with her eyes closed, she could tell by the increasingly strong scent of cedar—his scent—that he was nearing her.

But she didn’t dare open her eyes.

His movements carried a certain heat, and though she tried to empty her thoughts, her body grew warmer and warmer, betraying her calm facade.

She hoped that if she ignored him long enough, he’d give up—but every second with her eyes shut felt endless.

Her hearing and sense of smell sharpened unbearably; all she could catch was the sound of his quiet approach and the crisp, woody scent that filled the air.

Each moment stretched into eternity, until she couldn’t help wondering—how close was he now? How was he looking at her?

And how long did she need to hold still before he finally abandoned whatever thought had crossed his mind?

She didn’t know how much time had passed. Everything was silent—nothing but the faint sounds of his movements.

Nan Xu’s taut nerves finally began to relax.

She guessed he must have given up. After all, it had been so long—no sound, no voice telling her to open her eyes.

After another few minutes, her body had grown stiff, her legs numb and sore. She needed to move.

Thinking he must still be sitting quietly, Nan Xu finally opened her eyes.

The instant she did, she almost fell backward off the bed.

Xie Hejing’s face was right in front of hers—so close she could feel his breath. His chest rose and fell shallowly, as if he’d been holding it in.

But what truly made her freeze was what he had done.

It was mesmerizing.

The bundle of red string she had brought earlier was now wound entirely around his upper body.

Loop by loop, it trailed across his firm skin, coiling upward in tight, deliberate patterns. He hadn’t gone easy on himself either—perhaps punishing himself for nearly losing control earlier.

The string was tied so tightly that faint red marks traced his skin, standing out starkly against it.

The sharp lines of his waist carried a dangerous allure, something forbidden—something that stirred the urge to destroy or to tame.

Yet Xie Hejing’s eyes held nothing but untamed wildness. He was dangerous, and impossibly captivating.

Despite it all, his posture remained calm and languid, a faint smile still playing on his lips as he sat before her, legs casually parted, completely composed.

One of Xie Hejing’s hands idly toyed with the end of the red string at his waist, while the other end was caught playfully between his lips.

His head tilted slightly upward, and from that angle, Nan Xu could clearly see his Adam’s apple move up and down as he swallowed—quickly, tensely.

Nan Xu’s lashes fluttered, and she swallowed too, as if in sync.

The red string rested loosely between his teeth, and his gaze—sharp and unyielding—locked straight onto her, brimming with dominance.

For a moment, the whole world seemed to freeze. Nan Xu could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, so loud it almost drowned out everything else.

The sight before her was overwhelming.

A sudden panic rose within her—because in that instant, she’d actually wanted to reach out and touch him.

The thought startled her so badly she nearly gasped.

Then, Xie Hejing moved.

He took her hand and guided it to his waist, pressing her fingers around the end of the red string.

Nan Xu’s fingertips stiffened; she couldn’t even hold it properly. So Xie Hejing simply wrapped his own hand around both hers and the string, enclosing them together.

“Nan Xu,” he said softly, “do you want to pull it? Maybe the marks will get deeper.”

He lowered his gaze, voice still calm, almost casual. “They might last until tomorrow. Do you want to see what kind of mark you leave on me by then?”

He sounded as if he were genuinely worried the marks wouldn’t last long enough.

Insane. Absolutely insane!

It took Nan Xu half a minute to find her voice again. “It’s not me who left them.”

He was the one who had tied them himself!

At her words, Xie Hejing’s eyes darkened instantly. “Is that so? Then next time, I’ll have you do it for me—exactly like this.”

He tilted his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Should we take a picture, for keepsake?”

His tone remained level, but Nan Xu could feel the danger in it.

She shook her head quickly. “No need.”

Xie Hejing didn’t push further. Instead, he murmured, “So, these marks from the red string…”

Nan Xu exhaled shakily. “…They’re mine.”

He smiled, radiant and satisfied. “Smart girl.”

Of course, he wasn’t going to stop there. He kept her hand in his, following the path of the red string—tightening it, twisting it, tracing along it with slow, deliberate motions, his low hum vibrating softly between them.

To make it look like the mark was left by Nan Xu.

Nan Xu couldn’t even describe what she was feeling anymore. Words failed her completely.

So she gave up resisting. She shut her eyes again, hoping that if she couldn’t see him, she wouldn’t crumble under the intensity of his presence.

Just seeing him had sent her emotions spiraling—she’d wanted to run back to her room just to calm down.

But when she tried to move her legs, she found her body too weak to respond.

“Nan Xu,” Xie Hejing asked quietly, “are we going to sit like this all night?”

Nan Xu tried to steady her breathing. “If—if you put the red string away, then I won’t.”

“Alright,” he said.

For a second, she thought he’d agreed, relief flooding through her—

Until he added, in that same mild tone, “Then let’s sit like this all night.”

Nan Xu: “…”

Clearly, trying to out-stubborn him wasn’t going to work.

She finally opened her eyes.

She still didn’t dare to look at him for too long.

“Brother, it’s not that I don’t dare to,” Nan Xu bit her lip, “it’s just… what if, after I kiss it, you—” she hesitated, “what if you have a reaction?”

She blurted it out all at once, giving up on keeping her composure.

What if Xie Hejing really couldn’t control himself?

Knowing her timid nature, she’d definitely be scared—and she’d definitely want to run. But what if she couldn’t get away?

Would he really do what he said—tie them together with that red string?

Nan Xu shivered at the thought.

Xie Hejing let out a cold laugh. “What if?”

“There’s never been a ‘what if.’ It’s always been there.”

Nan Xu sucked in a sharp breath. “Wait—don’t tell me it hasn’t gone down?”

Gone down?

Xie Hejing couldn’t help but laugh. What did she think this was—some kind of illness that could just go away on its own?

“No, and there’s still swelling,” Xie Hejing said bluntly.

Things were quickly spiraling out of control. Nan Xu frowned, trying to think of a way out. If this kept going, what if Xie Hejing did something even crazier?

“But you said once the red string was tied, tonight would be over. Now that the string’s already been…” Under Xie Hejing’s sharp gaze, she changed her wording mid-sentence. “Already been tied by me, doesn’t that mean it’s over?”

Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow, wanting to deny it—but the growing pressure below made his jaw tighten.

After a moment, he made up his mind.

“Just one kiss,” he said. “After that, I’ll let you go for tonight.”

“Really? You’re not lying?”

“Really,” he forced himself to reply.

Nan Xu’s feelings were tangled between tension and relief. On one hand, he’d promised to let her go; on the other, she really did have to kiss that red string.

She took a few minutes to steel herself before finally saying, “Then… lie down.”

Her voice sounded as if she were marching to her doom.

Xie Hejing’s body tensed at her words. He leaned back slightly, returning to a half-reclined position, his gaze never once leaving her.

Nan Xu knelt at the bedside, and his burning stare seemed to ignite the air around her.

Nervously gripping the hem of her shirt, she took a few deep breaths to steady herself.

Finally, she exhaled, leaned forward, and slowly bent down toward the red string.

She was close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his skin.

Without hesitating any further, she followed that heat and lowered herself just a little more.

The moment her lips brushed against the string, Xie Hejing let out a barely audible breath.

His hands clenched the sheets tight, his chest heaving as something inside him caved in—an endless, unfillable pit of desire.

His eyes were flushed red at the corners, staring fixedly at Nan Xu. It wasn’t that no one else could fill the emptiness—just that only she could.

“Nan Xu…” he called softly, his voice laced with endless, consuming desire.

The restrained tremor in his voice carried a hint of unbearable tension.

Nan Xu’s whole body jolted as if struck by electricity. Her breath brushed against Xie Hejing’s skin, and the forbidden closeness between them sent her nerves spiraling out of control.

She wanted to move, but her body felt frozen in place.

Instinctively, she looked up at him.

The veins along Xie Hejing’s neck bulged as he struggled against the desire threatening to devour him. His chest rose and fell sharply, his breathing unsteady.

In his dark eyes, there was only Nan Xu.

“Brother, you…” Nan Xu began, but couldn’t finish.

Xie Hejing’s voice came out hoarse and tight with restraint. It was as if he was suppressing every urge inside him when he gasped out, “Nan Xu, go back to your room. Now.”

His jaw clenched so hard that his teeth clicked faintly together.

A moment longer—no, just a few more seconds—and the dam holding back his desire would collapse.

Nan Xu didn’t miss the warning in his tone. It was obvious he was at his limit. Panic flooded her chest.

She quickly straightened up, scrambled off the bed, and dashed toward the door, almost running.

The instant the door shut behind her, Xie Hejing took a deep breath and yanked the red string from his waist.

His movements were rough—too rough. The string cut into his skin, leaving several small gashes, but he didn’t seem to care.

He headed straight for the bathroom, and the door slammed shut with a sharp bang.

Back in her room, Nan Xu still hadn’t recovered. She sat motionless on the edge of her bed, mind blank.

Xie Hejing’s last words echoed in her head—

“Nan Xu, go back to your room.”

But she couldn’t shake the feeling that what he really wanted to say was:

“Nan Xu, run.”

The way he had looked just moments ago was terrifying. Nan Xu had every reason to believe that if she’d hesitated even a second longer—or kissed him more than once—she might not have made it out of that room.

Her hands trembling, she pulled out her phone. It took several minutes of listening to calming instrumental music before her breathing steadied enough for her to brush her teeth, wash her face, and crawl into bed.

But no matter how tightly she curled under the blanket, sleep wouldn’t come. Her mind kept drifting back to Xie Hejing.

She couldn’t forget the image of him in those final seconds—his entire body tense, the air around him thrumming with restrained danger.

Was he all right now? Was he in pain?

After half an hour of inner turmoil, Nan Xu finally called him.

He didn’t answer the first time.

That was rare—Xie Hejing almost never ignored her calls. But remembering how he’d looked earlier, Nan Xu could understand why.

So she called again. This time, the call connected after only two rings.

“Hello.” His voice was low and rough.

And faintly, from the other end, Nan Xu could hear the sound of running water. He seemed to be walking, the sound of water growing louder with each step.

“Brother, are you… taking a shower?”

Xie Hejing didn’t answer. He simply adjusted the phone and set it somewhere nearby.

Only the sound of running water remained on the other end. Nan Xu’s lips straightened, “I just want to ask how you’re doing right now? Are you in a lot of pain? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

The sound of the running water gradually became clearer. Two minutes after the call connected, Xie Hejing finally spoke his second sentence.

“Nan Xu, I’ll only ask once. Do you want to hear the sound that comes next?”

Just hearing her voice, a sudden surge of heat rushed within Xie Hejing, desperately wanting to break free.

When Nan Xu didn’t say anything, he took it as a tacit agreement.

Then, he said again: “Nan Xu, I really want to hear your voice.”

As the time approached midnight, Nan Xu felt that if she didn’t know how Xie Hejing was doing, she might not be able to sleep all night.

“Okay.”

“What should I say?” Nan Xu was so poor of words at the moment that she just wanted to ask about Xie Hejing’s condition, but she didn’t want to keep repeating that one question.

“Say anything,” Xie Hejing said.

Nan Xu pursed her lips in thought. After a moment, she finally thought of talking about daily life with Xie Hejing.

“Brother, I called Xixi last time, and she wants to invite us to go camping. Do you want to go?”

“Up to you. If you want to go, we’ll go.” The voice on the other end was a little fragmented.

Nan Xu didn’t pay attention and continued, “Brother, I have so many clothes in my room already. Please don’t buy me new ones. Also, why can’t I find that pink bag from last time?”

“Got it. I put it away.”

Xie Hejing’s voice gradually became rushed.

“I still want to eat braised pork tomorrow, is that okay? Let’s come back early and go to the downstairs supermarket to buy the ingredients.”

“Okay,” Xie Hejing answered, his voice like a low groan.

Nan Xu gradually got into the conversation: “Also, I really miss Aunt Zhang’s cooking. Can you bring some back for me next time you go home?”

“Mm.”

. . . . .

Nan Xu just chatted with Xie Hejing about various random things, basically saying whatever came to mind, and Xie Hejing responded to every sentence.

However, the intervals between his replies became longer and longer, his words grew shorter, and there were brief, muffled grunts in between.

Nan Xu gradually felt something strange. The sound of running water on the other end was still there, but there were many more indistinct syllables.

The hand gripping the phone tightened slightly, and a blush appeared on Nan Xu’s face: “Brother, are you, are you…”

Nan Xu ultimately didn’t say it out loud.

Xie Hejing raised his eyes, looked lazily at the phone, and nudged his teeth with his tongue.

“Nan Xu, follow me and say, “you like Brother”.”

Xie Hejing’s heavy breathing came across the phone.

Nan Xu didn’t speak. Xie Hejing repeated it again: “Nan Xu, turn on the recording, and then tell me.”

“Who do you like?”

---

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Chapter 52 — Tell me, baby, how do you feel?

---

Xie Hejing’s short sentence was enough to scare Nan Xu wide awake.

“Don’t.”

If they really met now, tonight would definitely not end there—and Nan Xu didn’t even dare to imagine what would happen next.

Xie Hejing rested his chin on her shoulder, his fingers tapping lazily against her waist, the unhurried rhythm carrying an oppressive weight.

“Don’t want to?” he asked softly. “But you’ll have to face it someday. What will you do then—when you’re afraid?”

She was already terrified.

Nan Xu breathed shallowly, afraid even a louder exhale would trigger his next move.

“I…”

She wanted to refuse again, but Xie Hejing’s slender fingers pinched a small piece of her waist and began to knead it slowly.

The delicate touch made him reluctant to stop—his thumb and forefinger rubbing back and forth, savoring the softness.

The tingling sensation shot straight to Nan Xu’s mind. Her breathing grew heavier, ragged and uneven.

Hearing that sound, Xie Hejing asked in a low voice, “So? Were you about to refuse me again?”

There was a dangerous edge in his tone that Nan Xu couldn’t miss.

She kept her eyes lowered, trying to think of an answer that wouldn’t provoke him.

Then suddenly, the pressure of his fingers increased, and she let out a muffled gasp.

“Nan Xu,” he asked evenly, “why aren’t you answering me?”

If not for the weight pressing against her leg, she might have thought he was perfectly calm.

Nan Xu gritted her teeth. The unbearable ticklish ache at her waist seeped into her chest, making it almost impossible to think, let alone speak.

Even so, she bit her lower lip hard, forcing her thoughts back into focus.

“Then… we’ll talk about it when the time comes.”

She blurted it out in one breath and exhaled shakily afterward.

But her clarity lasted only a moment before his hand grew even bolder.

“When will that be?” Xie Hejing asked again.

Nan Xu turned her eyes away, trying to dodge the question. “I don’t know. Just—not now.”

Xie Hejing’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Alright,” he murmured, his teeth grazing her earlobe. “Then listen to me tonight, okay?”

Even through the fabric, his heat was unmistakable. Nan Xu used every bit of willpower to ignore it.

Her fists landed on his back—weak at first, then harder, as if venting her frustration. But Xie Hejing didn’t resist; the silence between them only grew hotter.

The heat made Nan Xu arch her back, but he held her even tighter.

She drew in a sharp breath, her manicured nails gripping his pajama shirt. As her breathing quickened, the dark-blue fabric sank beneath her hand.

Instead of anger, Xie Hejing’s smile deepened. “Are you trying to leave your mark on me? Should I take it off, then?”

“Don’t.” Nan Xu’s heart skipped, and she quickly stopped him.

She was afraid that if she spoke even a second later, Xie Hejing would actually act on it.

A hint of a smile flashed in Xie Hejing’s eyes. “Then what are you doing? Nan Xu, your breathing is heavy, your legs are trembling, your back is tense…”

Hearing him list her reactions made Nan Xu want to crawl into a hole, but in her current position, she could only end up closer to Xie Hejing’s embrace.

“Stop talking,” she quickly demanded.

Xie Hejing indeed stopped, then bit Nan Xu’s earlobe again, his tone silken, his warm breath fanning Nan Xu’s ear tip, which was practically scarlet.

“Be good, tell me, how does it feel? Hmm?”

His voice was low and husky, the soft exhales slowly drawing out and then settling, causing her heart to tremble.

Nan Xu’s breath hitched. She frantically turned her head away, trying to escape Xie Hejing’s breath and gaze.

“N-nothing… it doesn’t feel like anything.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Hejing’s eyebrows twitched, his expression darkening slightly. The hand resting on Nan Xu’s waist tightened, and the kneading force immediately became much stronger.

Waves of ticklish sensation washed over her, and Nan Xu was almost overwhelmed.

“Stop, stop kneading.”

Xie Hejing glanced at Nan Xu’s reaction, very satisfied, and completely ignored her words, his hand movements continuous.

Suddenly, a dark glint flashed in his eyes, and the kneading changed into a pinch.

“Ah!”

The force wasn’t heavy, but it startled Nan Xu. She subconsciously squeezed her legs together.

But Xie Hejing’s lean waist blocked her, making it impossible to close them.

In the split second of Nan Xu’s surprise, her fingernails sharply scraped across Xie Hejing’s back. His pajamas were thin, and the sensation was almost immediate.

The thrilling rush of pleasure traveled from his back to his chest, then surged downward.

He let out a low groan and pressed her further down.

“How about now?”

Nan Xu shivered all over, a feeling she had never experienced—strange, oppressive…

She felt like her nerves were being tugged by Xie Hejing, from top to bottom, from outside to inside. Her scattered thoughts were forcefully pulled back by Xie Hejing, entirely focused on the burning contact.

She frowned and bit hard on Xie Hejing’s shoulder; the tattoo was once again covered by a teeth mark.

Xie Hejing was actually somewhat obsessed with the feeling of Nan Xu biting him—a subtle, intoxicating feeling mingled with the sharp pain.

He called this Nan Xu actively leaving a mark on him, a sign of claiming.

But Xie Hejing also knew Nan Xu was furious at the moment. He tried to soothe her, saying, “Be good, get used to it. You’ll become familiar with it later.”

Nan Xu wasn’t listening; she only knew that if this continued, there would truly be no stopping tonight.

“If you don’t let me down, I’ll be angry, and I won’t talk to you tomorrow, or the day after… and I won’t ever try again with you.”

She issued a final ultimatum.

Xie Hejing frowned deeply. Undeniably, he had heard her.

And he was genuinely considering whether or not to release Nan Xu.

Seeing that Xie Hejing was beginning to waver, Nan Xu added fuel to the fire. “I mean what I say. Xie Hejing, if you really make me angry, I’ll just go try it with someone else.”

She had only said it to tease him, but she never expected such a strong reaction.

He stood up abruptly, gripping Nan Xu’s legs tightly so she couldn’t move, forcing her to wrap her arms around him as he strode toward the bed.

Watching the distance between them shrink rapidly, Nan Xu panicked and pleaded, “Hey, I was joking! Xie Hejing, I’m not mad anymore, okay? You can’t be mad either…”

“Calm down, I told you—it was a joke!”

“Ah!”

Nan Xu yelped as she was thrown onto the bed. Xie Hejing leaned over her, bracing himself with both hands as he demanded, “Who do you plan to ‘try’ with? Have you already decided to leave me?”

The air around him dropped to a freezing point, his expression dark and terrifying as he glared down at her.

“Nan Xu,” he ground out, voice hoarse and edged with fury, “I’ll say this once—don’t even think about it.”

Only then did Nan Xu realize how sensitive he was to those words. She swallowed nervously and said carefully, “Okay, I won’t. Don’t be angry, okay? Let’s both calm down.”

Xie Hejing didn’t answer. His gaze stayed fixed on her, as if trying to tell whether she truly meant it.

Nan Xu didn’t shy away. Instead, she mimicked his usual way of comforting her—wrapping her arms around him and gently patting his back, again and again.

Xie Hejing’s eyes flickered, and the chill around him slowly faded.

Nan Xu continued softly, “I just said it without thinking.”

“And you were being mean too. I was already so—so embarrassed, and you just had to say it out loud! It’s mortifying!”

Leaning into the crook of her neck, Xie Hejing inhaled her scent freely.

“Mm, I was mean,” he admitted. “I’m sorry. But I’m serious, Nan Xu—you’ll have to get used to it, otherwise it’ll hurt a lot later…”

Nan Xu froze, quickly covering his mouth. “Why are you still talking?” she protested.

He kissed her palm lightly. “I’m just saying—I don’t want to hurt you…”

“Ah! Stop talking already!” Nan Xu covered her own ears in frustration.

Seeing this, Xie Hejing straightened up. He tugged lightly at her wrist, but when she didn’t move, he didn’t force her—he didn’t want to risk hurting her.

Whether she could hear him or not, he said, “It’s a natural thing. But if you don’t want to hear it, fine… I won’t say another word.”

I’ll just show you instead, he finished silently in his mind.

“Really?” Nan Xu lowered her hands, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Watching her fall right into his trap, Xie Hejing replied smoothly, “Really.”

“But the night isn’t over yet,” he added with a faint smile. “I won’t make you talk about how you feel, but you’ll have to make it up to me somehow.”

“What do you mean, make it up?” Nan Xu asked.

As soon as the memory of earlier flashed in her mind, she turned away in embarrassment.

“I don’t want you holding me tonight,” she muttered.

Xie Hejing’s lips twitched. He wanted Nan Xu to take back what she just said—better yet, to throw it away and never bring it up again.

But considering how close he’d come to losing control earlier, he clenched his jaw and forced out, “Okay.”

Nan Xu finally relaxed a little.

But just as she lifted her head, she saw Xie Hejing expressionlessly taking off his clothes. Startled, she scrambled to the other side of the bed.

Her reaction made his gaze darken, stirring the primal, predatory instinct within him. The veins in his forearm tensed; it took every bit of restraint not to pull her under him, kiss her deeply, and then…

Her soft little gasp from earlier echoed in his mind. Would it sound even better if she were beneath him? Would she cry? She probably would—and she’d be beautiful when she did.

She’d likely be overwhelmed; he’d have to hold himself back.

That thought made Xie Hejing’s breath hitch. The longer Nan Xu stayed near him, the harder it was to control himself.

Maybe one day, he really would lose control.

His hands hadn’t stopped unbuttoning his shirt when Nan Xu’s panicked voice broke in. “What are you doing! Let’s just talk, okay? Don’t take it off!”

“What are you afraid of? I’m not going to do anything to you.”

Those words did ease her nerves—just a little—but not enough for her to fully relax.

Her eyes stayed fixed on him, wary of any sudden move she couldn’t handle.

“I meant I want you to do something to me,” Xie Hejing said lightly.

“…” Nan Xu choked.

“Do what, exactly?” she asked after clearing her throat.

Xie Hejing quickly stripped off his shirt, revealing the firm, defined lines of his muscles, then lay down on the bed.

“Nan Xu, get the thing in the top drawer of the nightstand,” he said.

“Oh, okay.”

She agreed, but since she was sitting on the inside of the bed, she’d have to climb over him to reach it.

She swallowed nervously. “When I go over there, you’re not allowed to grab me.”

“Alright.”

Moving gingerly, Nan Xu got up and stepped past him. Halfway through, she accidentally met his eyes—dark and bottomless—and nearly lost her balance. Luckily, she managed to steady herself and reached the nightstand.

She opened the drawer but didn’t see anything except a tangled bundle of red string.

She couldn’t understand why he’d keep that in his nightstand.

Xie Hejing didn’t bother to explain. “Bring it here.”

Nan Xu straightened out the string, held it carefully, and walked back to him. “Now what?”

“Tie it around my waist,” he said calmly.

“!!!”

Her mind went blank, and heat rushed up her neck.

“Are—are you serious?”

What kind of shameless request was that?

“Mn.”

When he’d prepared that red string, all he’d thought about was her—how it would look wrapped around her body, winding over her skin. But that was something he could never say out loud.

Seeing Nan Xu frozen in place, Xie Hejing said slowly, “You don’t want to do this? Then do you want to continue what we were doing just now instead?”

Before he even finished speaking, Nan Xu had already kicked off her shoes, climbed onto the bed, and hurried to his side. “I’ll do this one,” she blurted out, so quickly it was as if she feared he might change his mind.

Even though she didn’t fully understand his strange request.

She picked up one end of the red string and placed it against his waist. The firm, flexing muscle under her fingertips made her tremble slightly.

Forcing herself to stay calm—and trying to ignore the scorching gaze she could feel from above—Nan Xu knelt beside him. One hand held the end of the string in place, while the other slowly drew it across his body.

As she leaned forward to reach the other side, her hair brushed lightly over his torso.

He turned his head slightly, his expression taut with suppressed emotion.

His gaze followed the movement of that red string. Since Nan Xu refused to bite him, perhaps this was another way to leave a mark on his body.

Nan Xu focused only on wrapping the string. She’d finished the side facing her and paused.

Xie Hejing lay half-reclined on the bed, his slightly arched waist accentuating the defined lines of his abs.

The thin red thread stretched tremblingly across his waist, carrying a quiet, dangerous allure.

Its vivid color drew the eye—no matter how much she tried to look away, Nan Xu couldn’t ignore it.

She risked another glance. The red string swayed faintly with his breathing, teasing the air in silence.

Xie Hejing cleared his throat on purpose, making the string quiver even more, further catching her gaze.

Her hand tightened around the thread, palms damp with sweat that slightly stained the silk-red fibers.

“Can’t handle it anymore?” Xie Hejing’s tone was faintly amused. “Or are you… feeling something?”

Nan Xu gritted her teeth. “I’m not scared,” she muttered, tugging at the thread. “Turn around. I need to tie the other side.”

He raised an eyebrow and spread his hands lazily. “Figure it out yourself.”

Clearly, he had no intention of cooperating by turning over.

Nan Xu pressed her lips into a line. What could she do—push him over?

…Should she try?

Her hand hovered midair, hesitated, then dropped again. She just couldn’t bring herself to touch him.

Feeling a little helpless, she whispered, “Brother, I really can’t.”

“What do you want me to do then?” she asked in a resigned tone.

She was getting better at guessing what he’d say next, and that only made the smile in Xie Hejing’s eyes deepen.

He didn’t tease her for long. “Kiss it.”

“Huh?”

Kiss him again? He really seemed to like that.

But she didn’t have much choice. Nan Xu shifted closer on her knees, about to lean in when Xie Hejing suddenly stopped her.

She tilted her head, confused—it was the first time he’d ever refused her kiss.

“What’s wrong?”

“Be good,” he said softly. “Kiss the red string.”

Seeing her still staring at the thread in her hand without reacting, he added with a hint of laughter, “The one that’s on me.”

---

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Chapter 51 — Be good, say good morning to it too

---

“I didn’t go anywhere. I was just at home.”

“Really?” Xie Hejing glanced again at the phone screen just as it dimmed.

Nan Xu hadn’t saved the sender’s name, and in those few seconds, he hadn’t clearly seen who had messaged her.

Hearing the suspicion in his tone, Nan Xu’s relaxed expression began to tighten.

“Yeah,” she said, “I just tidied up a bit, then went downstairs to throw out the trash…”

“Oh, right—when I was coming back up, I ran into a little dog named Xiao Daizi. Such a cute name.”

“I even tried to help it find its owner.”

Xiao Daizi… its owner…

Xie Hejing recalled the message from earlier, his anger quietly ebbing away.

“What’s wrong with you?” Nan Xu asked, clearly puzzled. His mood changed faster than spring weather.

His gaze lingered on her phone for a moment, suspicion flickering in his eyes, but it passed quickly. He should trust her.

A second later, his tone softened. “Nothing.”

Nan Xu was completely confused now. She raised her voice. “Then why did you kiss me like that just now? You even bit me!”

She touched her lower lip—it wasn’t even the first time he’d done that—and complained, “Can’t you not bite me for once?”

“No,” Xie Hejing said calmly.

“Nan Xu, I want to bite every part of you.”

He said it so naturally—without the slightest hint of embarrassment—as if he were discussing something perfectly ordinary.

Nan Xu seriously suspected that if she nodded, Xie Hejing would lean in the next moment.

As for where he planned to bite… she quickly shut her eyes, refusing to let her imagination run wild.

Thinking back to this week, a hint of embarrassment rose in Nan Xu’s ears.

“Don’t say things like that,” she muttered, turning her head away and trying to get off his lap.

But Xie Hejing’s hand was already resting on her lower back; with just a little pressure, she couldn’t move at all.

Frustrated, she glared at him. “What are you doing? I’m going to eat.”

“I’ll feed you,” he said.

Nan Xu crossed her arms and turned her face aside, pouting. “No.”

He didn’t argue. Instead, he simply pulled her a little closer.

His palm was hot as it traced along the curve of her waist, slipping slowly under the hem of her shirt.

A shiver ran through her body. Nan Xu swallowed hard and quickly pressed his hand down. “Stop it! I haven’t even eaten yet!”

“I thought you weren’t hungry.” His hand slid out from under her clothes, fingers intertwining with hers. “If you’re not hungry, then let’s go do something more important.”

“What ‘important’ thing?”

Nan Xu asked without thinking—because really, what could possibly be more important than eating right now?

Hearing his careless tone, Xie Hejing’s expression darkened. “What do you think? It’s only a month—I don’t have time to waste.”

“Are we… still continuing tonight? But yesterday, you—” Nan Xu trailed off, unable to finish.

A few days ago, her period had come. She’d thought that would give her and Xie Hejing a chance to coexist peacefully for a while. But instead, he had simply picked her up and carried her back to his room—claiming that since she had her period, she didn’t need to worry about anything happening between them.

Nan Xu had been skeptical, but he really did just hold her and sleep. Not once did he cross the line.

One night, though, she’d had a bit of leakage without realizing. When she got up in the middle of the night and came back, she saw a faint red stain on the sheets.

She wanted to wake Xie Hejing up so she could change them, but she couldn’t bring herself to disturb his sleep.

Still, what if he turned over and touched the spot? That would be even worse. She stood there, frozen in place, debating for a full two minutes.

Just then, Xie Hejing reached out in his sleep, instinctively searching for her—but his hand found only the cold sheets.

He woke with a start, breath rough, eyes still hazy from sleep. When he saw her standing by the bed, he let out a deep sigh of relief.

But the worry on Nan Xu’s face made his chest tighten again. He immediately got up, pulled her close, and rubbed her lower back gently.

“What’s wrong? Does it hurt again?”

Nan Xu shook her head. “I stained your sheets. I’m sorry.”

At that, his tense posture eased. So that was all—he’d thought something serious had happened, enough to make her stand there like a child being punished.

“You should rest. I’ll change the sheets,” Nan Xu said, now that he was awake.

But he didn’t move.

Maybe he was grumpy after waking up, she thought, and tilted her head toward him. “Sorry for waking you.”

“Nan Xu,” he said through clenched teeth, “if you ever sneak away from me again over something so small, I’ll tie our wrists together with a rope. Even when we sleep, I’ll keep you tied to me.”

When he’d reached out and found only empty space, he’d really thought she’d left. In that instant, he’d already imagined how he would punish her for it—how he would hold her tight, pin her down, and make sure she could never escape again.

He would make every inch of her body remember him—no matter how much she begged or cried, he wouldn’t stop.

Nan Xu had no idea what kind of thoughts were running through his mind. She just thought he was joking, so she teased, “Then what if I need to use the bathroom?”

“I’ll carry you there,” he replied without hesitation. “Not just that. When you shower, when you eat—I’ll hold you the whole time.”

He said it so quickly, so firmly, that for a moment she didn’t know whether to laugh or be afraid.

After a pause, his gaze fell on her wrist. His eyes narrowed slightly as if measuring its size, deep in thought.

If it were made of iron, it would surely rub Nan Xu’s wrist. Ordinary string wouldn’t work either, it would break easily…

Maybe gold.

Her skin was pale, it would look beautiful against it. He could wrap the outside in a layer of silk, using the sky blue color Nan Xu likes.

Satisfaction flickered in his eyes.

“Nan Xu,” he said softly, “maybe I should make our red string of fate myself.”

His tone was calm—almost tender—but the look in his eyes was dark and unsettling.

And in that moment, Nan Xu finally realized…

He might not be joking at all.

“Y-you’re insane,” Nan Xu stammered, her teeth trembling slightly.

Xie Hejing turned his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

He hadn’t even told her the crazier part yet.

But when he caught the flicker of fear in her eyes, the violent edge in his expression faded. Not now, he thought. She’s still here with me.

He pushed those dark thoughts down and spoke softly, his tone suddenly gentle. “Be good. Go sleep in the master bedroom.”

Nan Xu didn’t dare mention the stained bedsheet again. She quickly grabbed her phone and hurried off to the master bedroom.

The cold bed gradually warmed beneath her, but just as she began to drift toward sleep, a knock came at the door.

Nan Xu got up and opened it—Xie Hejing stood outside, still in his pajamas.

Their earlier conversation lingered in her mind, making her uneasy. She asked quietly, “It’s so late… why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“I can’t sleep,” he said, eyes lowered.

Nan Xu assumed he was having insomnia again, probably because of her. She was about to say something comforting when he spoke first.

“I want to hold you while I sleep.”

Nan Xu blinked. “…If you hold me, you’ll sleep even less.”

These past few nights, whenever he held her, she often heard him get up in the middle of the night to shower.

At first, she hadn’t thought much of it, but as it became more frequent, she couldn’t help but comment—telling him not to shower so late at night since it was bad for his health.

She’d even suggested, “Just wait until morning to wash up.”

“I can’t,” he had said at the time, his tone heavy with restraint. “I can only do it at night.”

“Why? That’s bad for your health.” Nan Xu had frowned, confused.

“Because holding it in is worse,” he’d replied.

It took her a moment back then to understand what he meant—and once she did, every time she later heard the shower running at night, her whole body would stiffen.

When they slept, she would inch toward the edge of the bed, trying to give him space.

But every single time, he would pull her right back into his arms. And before long, he’d be up again, taking another cold shower.

Nan Xu couldn’t make sense of that kind of self-torture.

So now she cleared her throat and said softly, “For your own good, so you don’t have to shower again tonight, let’s sleep separately.”

He raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile forming. “And you think if we sleep apart, I won’t have to shower?”

Nan Xu: “…”

Her face flushed red. She muttered under her breath, “Can’t you control yourself?”

“I’m going to bed,” she said quickly, “so go back, okay? Good night.”

She started to close the door, but he casually stretched out a long leg, blocking it.

Then, with almost no effort, he pushed it open and stepped inside. “Go to sleep, Nan Xu. I’m tired too. And I promise I won’t take a shower tonight.”

Nan Xu stared at him, half exasperated, half amused. “No,” she said firmly.

Before she could react further, Xie Hejing tilted her chin up, his thumb brushing against her skin. His touch was firm, but his voice turned pleading.

“Be good, Nan Xu. Let me get a good night’s sleep, okay?”

“I haven’t slept well in days,” he murmured, rubbing his cheek lightly against hers. “You know that, don’t you? Would you really be that cruel to me?”

Nan Xu never imagined that Xie Hejing would act pitiful, let alone in front of her.

Her mind was filled only with the dangerous Xie Hejing, the unwell Xie Hejing, and the Xie Hejing who was in a bad mood—never the type to pretend to be weak.

And right now, she had obviously classified him as “not feeling well,” not thinking in any other direction at all.

After a moment of thought, Nan Xu asked, “Are you sure you can actually sleep like this?”

Xie Hejing’s gaze darkened slightly. “I can.”

But the next morning, when Nan Xu woke up, she clearly felt the strong sign of his desire.

Heat radiated from where his body pressed against her lower back.

Feeling awkward, Nan Xu tried to shift forward, but his arm was locked firmly around her waist. No matter how she wriggled, she could only move an inch or two.

Just as she carefully tried to maintain that tiny bit of distance, a low chuckle sounded above her.

“Nan Xu,” his morning voice rough and lazy, “say good morning.”

Startled by the sudden sound, Nan Xu’s whole body tensed before she forced herself to relax again.

“G–Good morning, Brother,” she said stiffly, forcing a dry laugh.

Xie Hejing didn’t respond. His eyes were shadowed as one hand, still over the fabric of her shirt, rested on her stomach, while the other curved around her neck, pulling her back hard against him.

“Be good,” he murmured near her ear. “Say good morning to it too.”

. . . . .

Remembering that, Nan Xu’s face flushed hot. “I don’t care—I’m eating. If you don’t let go, the food’s going to get cold. That’s such a waste.”

Xie Hejing simply repeated, “I’ll feed you.”

“No!” she protested, pouting. But it was clear he was determined, and if she refused again, they’d just stay locked in this stalemate.

“…Fine. You feed me.”

She gave in at last—after all, what did it matter?

He scooped up a spoonful of cake and brought it to her lips. “Open up.”

Nan Xu puffed her cheeks. “I want to eat the spicy soup first, it’ll get cold soon.”

“Eat this first,” his voice softened.

Nan Xu blinked. “Alright then.”

She opened her mouth wide, afraid she wouldn’t be able to bite it all otherwise, and took the entire spoonful—almost swallowing the spoon in the process.

Clearly, Xie Hejing had no experience feeding anyone. The spoon was piled high with cake, fruit, chocolate, and cream all at once.

Nan Xu chewed patiently, then swallowed. Fortunately, it wasn’t overly sweet, and she actually found it quite nice.

Xie Hejing watched her closely, eyes lowered, studying the soft movements of her cheeks as she chewed—the faint fuzz on her face visible under the light, utterly gentle and obedient.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The longer he looked, the cuter she seemed.

Meanwhile, Nan Xu’s attention had already returned to the food on the table. The cake was gone, but he still hadn’t moved.

She finally had to remind him, “Brother, the spicy soup.”

Xie Hanjing’s eyebrows unconsciously lifted, a smile echoing as he said, “Sure.”

Nan Xu ate the meal very slowly, even yawning after she finished. Xie Hanjing pulled out a tissue and wiped her mouth for her.

Nan Xu didn’t refuse, then leaned lazily against Xie Hanjing’s shoulder.

“Sleepy again?” Xie Hanjing tilted his head, his face touching Nan Xu’s cheek.

Nan Xu nodded.

“How can you be sleepy right after eating? We haven’t done the main business yet!” Xie Hanjing reached out and pinched Nan Xu’s cheek. “And you’re going to ignore me just because you finished eating?”

Only then did Nan Xu realize there was still “main business.” Her voice hitched, “How about tomorrow?”

“Nan Xu, this month is very precious to me. I hope you can understand.”

Xie Hanjing’s sudden, polite, and consultative tone surprised Nan Xu.

Had Xie Hanjing changed his ways?

She turned her head, and his dejected expression came into her view.

“I… fine, okay then.”

A subtle, deep-seated meaning surged in Xie Hanjing’s eyes.

Actually, Nan Xu didn’t need to move much at all. Xie Hanjing carried her back to the room, then sat down.

They didn’t kiss or do anything else, they just sat there quietly.

Except she was still sitting on his lap.

At this rate, Nan Xu almost felt like whenever Xie Hanjing was around, she had an exclusive seat.

It was warm and wonderfully strange. Hearing his steady breathing and feeling his strong heartbeat, it was as if all unsettling factors were isolated outside by him.

She just needed to hold him.

As they continued to sit, Nan Xu’s sleepiness gradually surged. She squeezed her tired eyes shut, trying to muster her spirits, and asked, “Brother, how are we going to try today?”

“No rush,” Xie Hanjing patted Nan Xu’s back. “Move closer, lean on me, hold on tight, and you’ll know in a bit.”

“Okay.” Nan Xu’s voice trailed off, thick with exhaustion.

But she still listened to Xie Hanjing, shifting her legs twice to significantly close the distance between them, and then lifted her arms to hug him even tighter.

As their bodies pressed together, Nan Xu felt nothing unusual, even thinking it was more convenient to lean on Xie Hanjing’s shoulder and sleep.

Xie Hanjing frowned slightly, his hands resting loosely on both sides of Nan Xu’s legs, just waiting for her to slowly discover it.

The surrounding air was warm and secure.

. . . . .

About ten minutes later, Nan Xu started to feel that something wasn’t right.

A feeling of pressure came from the inside of her thigh.

The hard and scalding sensation gradually became clearer. Nan Xu couldn’t help but try to avoid it, but the feeling only intensified with her movement.

Nan Xu wanted to say something, but she opened and closed her mouth, feeling like her lips wouldn’t listen to her commands; she couldn’t speak at all.

Sensing Nan Xu’s change, Xie Hanjing’s hands, which were hanging at her sides, began to grip her waist. He asked with a smile, “Do you know now?”

Embarrassment quickly rose to her face. Nan Xu’s breathing grew rapid, and her heart began to pound fiercely. She was extremely nervous, yet she didn’t dare to move rashly again.

She was afraid that the pressure would immediately sweep over other areas.

Nan Xu averted her head, her voice clearly trembling, yet she insisted, “Don’t talk nonsense. No, there’s nothing at all.”

“Brother, it’s really late today, let’s go to sleep first,” Nan Xu blurted out in a panic. “No, I mean—I’m going to sleep first. Good night, brother. Good night!”

But Nan Xu, desperate to escape, clearly forgot that she was still in Xie Hanjing’s embrace, her legs easily held down by his large hands, unable to move.

Nan Xu could only lower her head and avoid looking at him, but the feeling of pressure was becoming clearer and more domineering.

She gritted her teeth: “Brother, let go of me quickly. We can’t keep going like this.”

Xie Hanjing slightly raised an eyebrow, a blazing heat hidden in his eyes, but his tone was very casual and relaxed.

“Be good, don’t worry,” he paused for a couple of seconds before adding, “Do you want to meet it?”

---

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Chapter 50 — Why are you whispering love words to me so early in the morning?

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It was already past ten on Sunday morning when Nan Xu finally woke up, still half-dazed.

When she stepped out of her room, Xie Hejing was already sitting in the living room, reading through some documents.

That’s when she remembered, he had called her to get up three times earlier this morning, and she’d ignored every single one.

Now, the look he gave her carried a faint hint of grievance.

Nan Xu cleared her throat, greeted him a little awkwardly, and quickly turned to the kitchen to prepare brunch. Two minutes later, she heard Xie Hejing answer a phone call from the living room.

The voice on the other end sounded familiar.

Nan Xu paused what she was doing and walked over to him, tilting her head up as if to ask permission to listen in.

Xie Hejing put the phone on speaker.

Zhang Huiwan’s voice came through, sharp and direct.

“Xie Hejing, what have you been up to lately? You don’t even come home for meals anymore.”

He glanced at Nan Xu, thinking silently, Trying to win you a daughter-in-law.

“Mom, work’s been busy.”

“Busy? Too busy to come home even once? You’re living near the office, fine—but you haven’t been home all week!”

Nan Xu thought back, it was true. Xie Hejing had been staying here the whole time, eating and sleeping without returning to the family house once.

“And another thing, what’s this big project that required Jiaojiao to be away on a month-long business trip? You didn’t explain it properly last time, so you’d better come back and make it clear today.”

Nan Xu raised her brows. From the sound of it, Xie Hejing was definitely in for a scolding later.

She glanced at him quietly, only to find him smiling faintly—clearly amused by the look on her face.

Seeing her slightly worried expression, his eyes softened with laughter.

“Hello? Xie Hejing? Cat got your tongue? If you don’t come home today, I won’t let you off!”

Hearing Aunt Zhang’s exasperated tone through the phone, Nan Xu shrank her neck a little. Yeah… there was no maybe about it—he was definitely in trouble.

“Mm, I know. I’ll be home for lunch,” Xie Hejing said calmly.

Zhang Huiwan muttered a few more complaints before hanging up.

“Are you going to get scolded?” Nan Xu asked right away.

Lately, she’d been receiving texts from Aunt Zhang herself, full of concern about how her ‘business trip’ was going. Meanwhile, Xie Hejing had apparently been getting periodic earfuls from her about why he’d sent Nan Xu away for a month.

He shrugged. “Just a few words, nothing serious.”

Nan Xu lowered her eyes.

“You’re that worried about me, huh?” His lips curved into an unguarded smile.

“I just think… this was something between the two of us, and it’s a little pitiful that you’re the only one getting scolded,” she said earnestly.

Just that one simple line, and the air around them suddenly felt sweeter. Xie Hejing looked at her quietly, eyes warm and still.

In fact, he thought it might be nice if his mom scolded him a few more times. Better yet, she could scold him at Nan Xu’s place.

That way, he could show up here pretending to be pitiful…

Right. Pretending to be pitiful could work.

Xie Hejing’s gaze deepened.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Nan Xu tilted her head, studying him. “Are you… a little scared too?”

This girl…

So soft, so sweet—he almost wanted to hide her away from the world, never letting anyone else see her.

Biting the inside of his lip, Xie Hejing murmured, “Why are you whispering love words to me so early in the morning?”

“Ah?”

Nan Xu blinked. “Was that… love talk?”

Did Xie Hejing misunderstand what love talk meant?

He narrowed his eyes slightly. “…”

His breath grew heavier.

“Oh—right, I said it, I said it.” Nan Xu quickly went along with him.

Xie Hejing tossed his phone onto the sofa, took a few steps forward, and slowly bent down until his chin rested on her shoulder. His voice was low and warm.

“What if I really am a little scared?”

Nan Xu frowned thoughtfully. “Then… how about I tell Aunt Zhang it was my idea to come on this trip, so she won’t blame you? Or she can scold me instead…”

But getting Aunt Zhang to scold her would probably be harder than getting Aunt Zhang to stop scolding Xie Hejing.

Xie Hejing chuckled against her shoulder, the vibration of his laughter rippling through her.

“What are you laughing at?” she asked.

He wrapped his arms around her. “Silly girl. Who volunteers to take the blame like that?”

“But haven’t you always taken the blame for me?” Nan Xu thought back. “Ever since school, you’ve been doing that.”

“Then you’re a fool too,” she mumbled softly.

“I’m not the same as you,” he said. “For me, it’s only natural.”

“Then it’s natural for me too—it’s just that you’ve never given me the chance.” Nan Xu puffed out her cheeks, looking a little indignant.

“You’re not,” Xie Hejing replied decisively.

Her pout deepened. “Why not?”

“Because I want something from you. So everything I do—it’s only natural.” His tone was quiet, his eyes steady.

“But you’re different. You don’t want anything from me, so you don’t need to do those things.”

He truly wished she did want something from him—that she’d crave him, become addicted to him. But she didn’t.

Love? With a gentle temperament like hers, plenty of people would give her love—friends, family… His love was just an extra.

Money? Even without being his assistant, she was capable enough to find a good job. She’d never lack for that either.

Everything Nan Xu might need… she didn’t have to seek it from him.

So Xie Hejing could only take a more extreme path. He knew how slow she was when it came to feelings, so all he could do was pull her closer—step by step—until desire finally took root.

“I…”

Nan Xu tried to think of something she might want from him, but nothing came to mind.

After a moment, she turned the question back on him. “Then what is it you want from me?”

“To be with you,” he said quietly, pressing a kiss to her neck. “For a lifetime.”

“Nan Xu, as long as you stand there, everything I do for you is only natural.”

Nan Xu shook her head. “No, it’s not like that.”

Xie Hejing’s gaze deepened. “Not like what?”

It took Nan Xu several seconds before she finally said, “No one owes anyone anything. Nothing someone does for another is ‘only natural.’”

“Brother, you’ve treated me really well, so I want to treat you well too.”

“It’s a two-way process.”

“I might not do it perfectly, but I’m willing to try.”

Xie Hejing stayed silent. Thinking he wasn’t listening, Nan Xu continued.

“If you’re always good to someone who doesn’t care for you at all, and you still can’t let her go, then you’re just… a big fool.”

“That’s not how it should be. In a relationship, you also deserve to be loved. Do you understand?”

“Only when both people give and care for each other can a relationship truly grow stronger.”

Every word Nan Xu spoke carried quiet sincerity, her soft voice wrapping around Xie Hejing like a gentle stream, brushing against the most tender part of his heart.

In that moment, he understood again why so many people liked Nan Xu.

But with that thought, his chest tightened.

All the more reason—he could never, would never, let her go.

He still didn’t say a word. Nan Xu tilted her head slightly, unable to see his expression, and asked softly, “Brother, are you even listening to me?”

“I am.”

“Then did you remember what I said?”

“Mm. But—” Xie Hejing paused for a moment, “those last few lines of yours sounded like something someone would say before leaving.”

“How could you think that?” Nan Xu huffed lightly. “I meant every word. And besides, I’m still right here in your arms, aren’t I? How am I leaving?”

She was indeed still in his arms, and his eyes curved faintly at the corners.

“Alright.” He glanced at the time—it was almost eleven. If he went back too late, Madam Zhang Huiwan would really be upset.

“Nan Xu, it’s almost noon. I have to head out for a while.”

“Okay,” Nan Xu replied softly.

Just “okay”?

He frowned. “That’s it? No other reaction?”

“Reaction?”

Nan Xu blinked, confused. After thinking for a bit, she said, “Brother, go ahead. I’ll wait for you to come back.”

“That’s all?” He straightened up, eyes fixed on her.

Nan Xu froze. “What else should I say?”

“You could at least say you’ll miss me,” he said through gritted teeth, “and give me a kiss.”

Good thing this girl was this dense—otherwise, someone else would’ve already stolen her away.

So that’s what he wanted to hear. Nan Xu frowned slightly. It was just lunch—did she really have to say she’d miss him for that?

But Xie Hejing’s gaze stayed locked on her, clearly saying that if she didn’t, he wasn’t leaving today.

Nan Xu cleared her throat. “Brother, I’ll miss you.”

Xie Hejing’s breath hitched. The way she said those words—so earnest, so unguarded—made it impossible to walk away. Even though he’d been the one to ask for it, hearing her say it for real made him not want to leave at all.

“…Then I won’t go today,” he murmured. “I’ll go tomorrow.”

“Ah!”

Everything happened so fast that Nan Xu didn’t even have time to react.

She froze for a moment before saying, “But didn’t you already promise Aunt Zhang?”

“Brother, don’t keep her waiting like that. She’ll miss you—Aunt Zhang really cares about you.”

“Yeah, everyone misses me… except you,” Xie Hejing muttered, looking away.

“I do miss you,” Nan Xu said with a laugh. “Brother, you’re acting like a kid.”

Before she could slip back into the kitchen, Xie Hejing caught her by the wrist and pulled her in for another long kiss. By the time he let her go, her lips were flushed and swollen.

Which was exactly why, when he finally left, Nan Xu hid in the kitchen and refused to come out to see him off—who knew if he’d try to kiss her again before leaving?

After Xie Hejing was completely out the door, Nan Xu finished her meal and tidied up the apartment.

She tossed out some useless items, quickly filling the trash bin.

Changing clothes, she got ready to take the trash downstairs—but as she passed the mirror by the entryway, she noticed the faint mark still at the corner of her lips. Frowning, she went back to her room, put on a mask, and then headed down with the garbage bag.

When she came back, she ran into a corgi near the stairwell, whining softly and circling the elevator doors.

Nan Xu had only moved in recently, so she didn’t know whose dog it was. She stayed and played with it for a while, but no owner appeared.

Seeing the little dog pacing anxiously in front of the elevator, she asked gently, “Do you want to come in with me? I can help you find your owner.”

Just as the elevator arrived on the first floor, she said it half-jokingly—but to her surprise, the corgi trotted right in with her.

It seemed like it was used to taking the elevator with its owner. Nan Xu pointed at the panel.

“Okay, little one, do you recognize the floor? I’ll point, and if you do, bark, alright?”

The method didn’t quite work. The corgi barked at some floors, whined at others, and went completely silent for the rest.

Nan Xu followed the “loudest” floors, stopping at several levels to ask around, but no one claimed the dog.

Finally, one resident said, “That dog looks a lot like the one that young guy on the 26th floor owns. I’ve seen him walk it before.”

Nan Xu’s face lit up. She thanked the person and went back into the elevator with the dog, pressing the button for the 26th floor.

As the elevator ascended, the corgi began to whine again. Nan Xu crouched down, stroking its head gently.

“Don’t be scared. We’ll see your owner soon. Just don’t run off like that next time, okay?”

When the elevator doors opened on the 26th floor, a man was standing right outside.

Nan Xu looked up—and froze in surprise.

It was Jiang Zhiyu.

He recognized her immediately and smiled. “Nan Xu? You live here too?”

“Mm.” She nodded. “I live right below you, on the 25th floor.”

At the sight of its owner, the corgi bolted out of the elevator, circling excitedly around Jiang Zhiyu’s legs, tail wagging furiously.

Jiang Zhiyu scooped the dog into his arms. “Xiao Daizi, I only looked away for a second, and you still dared to run off. Scared now, huh? If that kind-hearted sister hadn’t brought you back, what would you have done?”

He had only stepped away to grab his takeout, and when he turned around, the little dog was gone. After searching every corner of his apartment and finding nothing, he figured it must’ve slipped out, so he hurried downstairs to wait for the elevator—only to see Nan Xu crouched there, gently comforting the dog.

“Nan Xu, thank you,” he said, freeing one hand to pat the corgi’s head. “He’s too playful—always trying to sneak out when I’m not watching.”

Nan Xu had caught the name he used earlier. “Did you just call him Xiao Daizi?”

At the sound of its name, the little dog barked once, as if proudly confirming it.

Jiang Zhiyu chuckled and stroked its head. “Yeah, he loves playing with bags—plastic ones, paper ones, any kind, ever since he was a puppy. So I just named him Xiao Daizi.”

“That’s such a cute name.” Nan Xu’s compliment came out naturally, sincere and warm.

Jiang Zhiyu felt a small rush of joy and, before thinking too much, blurted, “Would you like to come in for a bit? I really should thank you properly.”

Nan Xu waved her hand quickly. “Oh, no need. I just came down to throw out some trash, I’ll head back soon.”

Seeing the polite distance in her manner, Jiang Zhiyu immediately realized how his words might have sounded. Inviting a woman he’d barely spoken to into his home wasn’t exactly appropriate.

He scratched his neck awkwardly. “Ah, sorry about that—I just meant, I wanted to thank you somehow.”

“It’s fine.” Nan Xu smiled, easing the moment. “Just make sure to keep a closer eye on Xiao Daizi. Let him rest a bit—I saw him running around downstairs for quite a while.”

“Alright. Thanks again, really.”

Nan Xu went back downstairs afterward, not planning to go out again. She curled up on the couch and turned on a variety show, laughing so hard at times that she nearly fell over.

By the time Xie Hejing returned, her attention was still fixed on the laptop screen.

He cleared his throat deliberately.

Nan Xu blinked up in surprise. “Brother, you’re back.”

“I thought you said you’d miss me. So why didn’t you even notice when I came in?” His tone was low, mock-serious.

“…” Nan Xu quickly paused the show. “Missing someone doesn’t have to show, you know. Like now—I am thinking about you.”

“Where did you learn to be so slick with words?” Xie Hejing said, trying—and failing—to hide a smile tugging at his lips.

Nan Xu ignored his teasing, her eyes drawn to the bags in his hands. Chestnuts, cake, and even the spicy hot pot she’d been craving last week.

That’s when it hit her—he’d been gone since noon, and now it was already dusk.

“Brother,” she asked, “did Aunt Zhang scold you for that long?”

Zhang Huiwan, sharp-tongued but soft-hearted, had indeed given him a talking-to, but only for about an hour before letting him go. On his way back, some urgent business had come up, which delayed him even longer.

He’d figured Nan Xu probably hadn’t eaten yet, so he’d stopped to get her favorite food before heading home.

But instead of greeting him, the first thing she noticed were the bags in his hands.

Xie Hejing narrowed his eyes. “You just now thought to ask me that?”

Nan Xu smiled sheepishly. “…Sorry.”

“How are you? Are you okay? Aunt Zhang didn’t make things too hard for you, did she?”

“She did.”

Nan Xu widened her eyes. “How did she make things hard for you?”

Xie Hejing set the things down on the table and said lazily, “You don’t need to worry about that.”

He walked around the table, sat down on the sofa, and pulled Nan Xu into his arms, his tone pitiful.

“You just need to comfort me.”

The thing Nan Xu dreaded most was comforting people—especially when the person was Xie Hejing. She couldn’t afford to be careless about it.

Held in his arms, with her phone still on the table and out of reach, Nan Xu asked, “How do you want me to comfort you?”

“Kiss me first.” A glint of mischief flashed in Xie Hejing’s eyes, his lips curling into a faint smile.

That was no longer a difficult thing for Nan Xu. She nodded. “Alright.”

Xie Hejing’s favorite position was always having her sit on his lap and kiss him like that.

Since she was supposed to be “comforting” him, Nan Xu didn’t resist when he lifted her onto his legs.

But after that, Xie Hejing didn’t move. He just looked at her, silently telling her to continue.

Nan Xu pressed her lips together, hesitated only briefly, then leaned down to kiss him.

She always kissed with her eyes closed; otherwise, she’d get too shy.

Xie Hejing, on the other hand, kept his eyes open—watching her get lost in the kiss, watching her every soft movement, every spark of emotion.

She was mesmerizing.

Nan Xu’s kisses were gentle, too gentle for him.

But instead of deepening it himself, he lifted a hand to the back of her head, stopping her from pulling away and forcing her to keep kissing him again and again.

Just then, Nan Xu’s phone buzzed on the table. She didn’t notice.

Xie Hejing did. He immediately pulled away, his gaze landing on her phone.

It wasn’t locked.

A new message popped up.

[Nan Xu, thank you so much for today. I’d like to treat you to dinner.]
[Do you have time? If not, that’s okay too.]

A moment later, another message appeared, probably because she hadn’t replied.

[I noticed you really liked Xiao Daizi. We live pretty close—if you’d like, you can come over and hang out anytime.]

He even knew where she lived.

Xie Hejing’s expression darkened instantly, the lazy look in his eyes turned sharp and cold.

Without thinking, he bit her lightly.

Feeling that something was off, Nan Xu tried to pull back to see what was wrong with him.

But Xie Hejing wrapped his arms around her tighter, holding her as if he wanted to fuse her into himself.

His kiss turned rough—urgent, possessive.

“Mm…!”

The sudden intensity startled her. She pushed at his shoulders, trying to get him to let go.

But instead, his kisses grew heavier, silencing her completely and stealing every breath.

When they finally broke apart, Nan Xu’s eyes were dazed. She hadn’t even caught her breath when he spoke—his voice low, heavy with jealousy, like a storm about to break.

“Nan Xu,” he asked, “where did you go today?”

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Chapter 49 — Even if she ran, he would bring her back.

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The next morning, when Xie Hejing woke up, there was no sign of Nan Xu in the house.

But he did have a message on his phone.

[Brother, I’ve gone to the office first.]

He paused for a moment, though he could already guess why. A faint smile curved his lips.

[Did you eat breakfast?]

He glanced toward the kitchen, there was no sign that anyone had cooked.

At that moment, Nan Xu was at her desk, drowning in a mountain of paperwork.
She rubbed her tired eyes and let her gaze drift away from the computer screen for a second.

When her phone chimed with a notification, she propped her chin on one hand and glanced down.

[Yeah, I did. Bought a slice of cake downstairs.]

By the time Xie Hejing arrived at the office, Nan Xu was focused on sorting freshly printed documents, not noticing his presence at all.

He was the one who took the initiative, walking over and tapping on her desk—three sharp, clear knocks: tok, tok, tok.

Several nearby coworkers looked up, then quickly ducked back to their own work.

Seeing who it was, Nan Xu immediately stood up.

“…Good morning, President Xie.”

“Mm,” Xie Hejing replied in a businesslike tone. “Come to my office in a bit.”

“Oh, okay.”

Nan Xu neatly labeled the documents needing signatures with sticky notes, then knocked on his office door ten minutes later.

“Come in.”

She stepped inside and handed the folder over. “President Xie, please sign these.”

“Mm.”

Xie Hejing picked up his pen. His long fingers curved elegantly, wrist slightly raised, the veins on the back of his hand shifting subtly with each stroke.

Nan Xu couldn’t help but glance twice—then, recalling last night, her face heated. She coughed lightly, trying to chase the memory away, but her fingers fumbled awkwardly with the papers.

Xie Hejing narrowed his eyes with a faint smile, noticing her flustered movements, though he said nothing.

When the last document was signed, Nan Xu let out a quiet breath. “President Xie, is there anything else you need me to do?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

Tilting his chin slightly, he gestured toward the potted money tree on the corner of his desk.

Nan Xu followed his gaze and pressed her lips together, feeling embarrassed. She had bought that plant at a flower market once—it looked nice, and she thought his office felt too bare, so she brought it in.

But after that, she’d completely forgotten to take care of it. Now its leaves were yellowing and drooping.

“How did you manage to kill my money tree?” Xie Hejing asked lightly.

Nan Xu’s heart skipped a beat. If he were the superstitious type, I’d be in real trouble right now.

She quickly picked up the pot with a nervous laugh. “Haha, President Xie, I’ll take it home for a few days—bring it back to life for you, I promise.”

In her head, she was already planning to swing by that same flower shop and buy an identical one.

“Leave it,” Xie Hejing said calmly. “Just come in and water it more often.”

Nan Xu lowered her voice. “Can it still be saved?”

“That depends on how careful you are,” Xie Hejing replied.

Nan Xu smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m very careful. I’ll make sure to water it on time every day.”

“Is that so?” Xie Hejing raised a brow. “Then when you were staring at my hand just now, didn’t you notice the ink on my finger?”

“Huh?”

Nan Xu looked down at his hand and saw a dark ink stain smudged across the tip of his index finger—it stood out sharply against his pale skin.

She hadn’t noticed it at all earlier, which only proved that when she’d been looking at his hand, her mind had been somewhere else entirely.

The smile in Xie Hejing’s eyes deepened. “Were you thinking about last night?”

“And when you went to sleep… did you dream about it?”

Nan Xu jumped, startled by his words. Even though she knew no one would casually enter his office, she still glanced around nervously.

“President Xie, don’t say things like that,” she whispered. “We’re at work.”

She pulled a small pack of tissues from her jacket pocket, tore one out, and placed it in front of him. “Here. Wipe it off.”

Xie Hejing glanced at the tissue but didn’t move. Instead, he said, “Used it last night, and now you’re just going to ignore me today?”

“You—” Nan Xu nearly choked on her words, her face burning with embarrassment. “No, and please keep your voice down.”

“This is my office,” Xie Hejing replied with a raised brow, then added lightly, “There’s no one else here.”

Of course Nan Xu knew that, but the wide glass wall behind her was uncovered—the blinds weren’t drawn. Anyone outside could see straight in. And while her desk was the only one facing that direction, who knew if someone might catch a glimpse from another angle?

Xie Hejing didn’t seem to care at all. He extended his hand toward her and said simply, “Wipe it.”

Nan Xu blinked at him. “You want me to wipe it?”

He gave a lazy “Mm.”

She glanced nervously toward the glass, hesitating. “Can’t you just do it yourself? It’s only a little ink.”

His fingers twitched slightly, his voice lowering, expression turning flat. “You wipe it.”

“I ‘serve’ you all night, and now you won’t even do this much? How ungrateful.”

Nan Xu’s face flushed crimson. “Brother, stop saying that.”

He smiled. “Not calling me ‘President Xie’ anymore?”

Realizing her slip, she quickly corrected herself. “President Xie, please stop.”

“Then are you going to wipe it or not?” he asked again.

“…I’ll wipe it.”

Nan Xu clenched her fists, determined to finish quickly and get out. Still, the thought of being seen made her tense. Her hand, holding the tissue, trembled slightly as she reached forward.

Xie Hejing chuckled. “What are you so worried about? Even if someone saw, what’s the big deal? We could just say we’re together.”

“No.” Nan Xu’s eyes snapped up to his. “You promised—not within a month. No one can know.”

Wen Qi and Xiang Weishi had figured it out on their own, but everyone else…

Nan Xu’s hasty denial made Xie Hejing narrow his eyes slightly.

She really did follow the rules…

A couple of seconds passed, and a thought crossed his mind—if she truly didn’t have feelings for him, then when the month ended, wouldn’t she really walk away?

A faint glint of frustration flashed in his eyes before he quickly masked it.

He lifted his hand. “Then hurry up and wipe it off, before someone sees.”

His tone carried a hint of sourness—petty and a little disgruntled.

Nan Xu didn’t notice his mood. She simply nodded. “Okay, I’ll do it right away.”

Xie Hejing: “…”

She crumpled the tissue a little and began wiping at the ink on his fingertip.

But after the delay, the ink had already dried, and the paper alone couldn’t get it off.

Her gaze shifted to the teacup in front of him. “Wait a sec, I’ll use some water.”

She dampened the tissue with the warm tea, then subtly turned her body, trying to block any possible line of sight from the glass wall outside.

Nan Xu gently held his hand, carefully rubbing at the stain on his finger.

“Nan Xu,” Xie Hejing suddenly said, “I’ve changed my mind.”

The words made her tense up. “Changed your mind about what?”

“Next time, after using my hand, I won’t bother washing it. I’ll let you wipe it for me.” His tone was perfectly serious, but his words were anything but.

Nan Xu’s hand froze. The image of him washing his hands last night flashed through her mind, and her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.

If he really made her do that… she probably wouldn’t sleep at all that night.

“I’m not doing that,” she muttered softly.

Xie Hejing looked up at her. “No? So you’d rather I keep it on all night instead? Didn’t think you were into that, Nan Xu.”

Her eyes widened. “No! Of course not!” She flustered, her voice pitching higher. “Ugh, I’m not doing it, okay? Maybe you just shouldn’t… use your hand at all.”

Not willing again?

His fingers turned, gripping her hand instead. The sudden contact made her flinch, and the look in his eyes darkened.

“Don’t want me to use my hand? Fine,” he said lowly. “Then should I use something else? My mouth, maybe—or—”

Nan Xu panicked, clapping a hand over his mouth before he could finish. Once he finally stopped talking, she quickly let go.

“Brother, don’t be like this,” she pleaded softly. “Can we talk about it after work?”

Xie Hejing drew in a deep breath, forcing his composure back. “Fine.”

When Nan Xu finally left his office, half an hour had passed. She had barely taken a few steps down the hall when she ran into Qi Yule, who was coming to give a report.

Seeing Nan Xu’s distracted expression, Qi Yule teased, “You were in President Xie’s office for so long, and you still look so downcast—did he scold you?”

Her heart skipped.

If Qi Yule noticed how long I was in there… then did others notice too?

Her brows knit slightly.

Sensing her mood, Qi Yule quickly offered comfort. “What did he scold you for? Tell me—I’ll help you think of a solution.”

Nan Xu finally came back to her senses, thanked Qi Yule for her concern, and said,
“It’s nothing serious, just that… I almost killed President Xie’s money tree.”

“That’s all?”

Qi Yule looked surprised and clearly disapproved that Xie Hejing had actually scolded Nan Xu for over half an hour just because of that.

“It’s no big deal. In a few days, I’ll bring over a couple of pots from my dad’s place—he loves growing plants and flowers anyway.”

Nan Xu bit her lip and gave a faint smile. “Thank you.”

When the workday ended, a text appeared on Nan Xu’s phone.

[Parking lot.]

Nan Xu cleared her throat. Three simple words—yet they somehow made her nervous.

She packed up, slung her bag over her shoulder, said goodbye to her colleagues, and headed alone toward the far corner of the company’s parking lot.

The moment she came into view, Xie Hejing’s eyes followed her every step.

He couldn’t understand how this girl could still act so indifferent toward him. After everything that happened last night, she could just stop when she wanted and even fall asleep without a second thought.

Recalling how nervous and cautious she’d been earlier, his once unwavering determination wavered a little.

Would she really walk away from him after a month?

He was the one who’d set the rules, yet now, Xie Hejing felt a pang of regret. He should have said half a year, a year—five years, even ten…

Nan Xu had no idea what he was thinking. Under his intense gaze, she moved more carefully, trying not to make any wrong move.

She slipped into the passenger seat with practiced ease, and before Xie Hejing could speak, she blurted out first: “Brother, I’ve thought about it. Let’s not rush things. For now, we’ll just use hands. I’ll—uh—I’ll do it.”

Her face flushed bright red as she said it all in one breath.

But Xie Hejing didn’t respond.

Puzzled, Nan Xu looked up and found him staring at her silently, his expression unreadable.

“Brother, are you still mad at me?” she asked cautiously.

He still said nothing.

Nan Xu immediately apologized, “I’m sorry, I know using hands… it’s tiring for you too. I’ll take care of it.”

“Nan Xu…” His tone was deep and low, carrying a weight that sent a chill down her spine.

Nan Xu blinked rapidly.

Even apologizing isn’t working now?

If it wasn’t about that, then what was he angry about this time? Her head was starting to hurt.

“What’s wrong?”

Xie Hejing took a slow breath, recalling what she’d said last time in the car at the resort. Could it be true—that she could feel something for others, but not for him?

“Is there someone else in your heart?” he asked quietly, his eyes fixed on her face, not wanting to miss even the slightest flicker of emotion.

Without hesitation, Nan Xu smiled and said, “Of course.”

His brows furrowed. “Who?”

Who else could she be thinking of when she was with him?

“You,” she said naturally, without a trace of pretense.

Xie Hejing’s breath hitched sharply. He swallowed hard, a mix of joy and ice flickering in his dark eyes.

He ground his teeth. “Then why is your desire for me so weak? Or do you not have any at all—and instead, you feel it for someone else?”

“I…”

Nan Xu pressed her lips together, her voice hesitant. “I don’t know. I’ve never tried with anyone else, so how would I know? Should I… test it out?”

She bit her lip again. Just imagining being that close to someone else made her feel uneasy—uncomfortable, even.

Seeing her look so serious, as if she were actually considering it, Xie Hejing’s face darkened. “Nan Xu, no. Don’t even think about it, you hear me? You’re not allowed to think about it.”

“…But you’re the one who asked,” Nan Xu replied softly. “I have to answer seriously, right? Otherwise, you’ll get mad again.”

“…”

Xie Hejing clenched his fists, realizing this was the first time he’d completely lost ground in a conversation with her. “Fine. I won’t ask anymore.”

If she really started wondering about trying it with someone else, and ended up feeling something for another man but not for him—

Xie Hejing honestly thought he might lose control and bite her to death.

“Then… Brother, are you still mad?” Nan Xu asked carefully.

Mad? He was furious.

He’d only said a few words, and she’d already entertained such a thought.

If it weren’t for that one-month agreement tying her to him, who knew if she’d already been whisked away by someone else.

“No. Why would I be mad?” he muttered, turning his face aside.

Nan Xu looked at the tight line of his jaw and couldn’t shake the feeling that he was in a bad mood.

So, she set her bag down on the seat, leaned over toward the driver’s side, and tilted forward until she could reach him—

then pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his lips.

“Don’t be mad, okay?”

Xie Hejing’s expression softened instantly. He cleared his throat. “And who taught you that?”

Nan Xu smiled, her eyes bright. “No one. I figured it out myself.”

There was a playful glint in her gaze—like a clever little fox.

Xie Hejing couldn’t imagine, nor could he tolerate, her showing that same look to anyone else.

“Nan Xu,” he asked quietly, “after this month… will you leave?”

Nan Xu froze. Why bring that up all of a sudden?

“I don’t know. Who can really say what’ll happen a month from now?”

“I see.” Xie Hejing’s lips curved slightly as he turned to meet her gaze.

“Nan Xu, do you really think I’ll let you go?”

Something in his tone made her uneasy. She frowned. “Are you saying you’ll go back on your word?”

“How could I?”

His expression remained calm, almost too calm.

If she didn’t try to leave, then of course he’d keep his word.

But if she did try…

Well, he’d only promised to end things, he never promised to let her leave him.

“Of course I’ll keep my word,” he said evenly.

Nan Xu blinked, feeling that Xie Hejing seemed very troubled right now.

Was he troubled that she might leave?

Nan Xu reached out and smoothed the frown between his brows, her voice soft.

“Brother, don’t worry. I’ll stay with you.”

At the very least, she was certain of one thing, Xie Hejing was different from everyone else in her heart.

But Xie Hejing didn’t respond. Instead, a thought surfaced that he couldn’t quite suppress—once Nan Xu truly understood what kind of desires he harbored, would such a timid girl really not be frightened away?

A shadow flickered in his eyes again, dark and dangerous. Then his lips curved into a faint smile.

It didn’t matter.

Even if she ran, he would bring her back.

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