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Chapter 28 — Otherwise… I will get even crazier…

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“Assistant Nan, fifteen minutes until the meeting.”

“Okay, I’ll be there right away.”

Nan Xu called back from the break room.

All of Xie Hejing’s tea and coffee were her responsibility, and he was—well, picky. Very… refined.

So she had no choice but to brew his coffee by hand, carefully following the recipe that had been sent over. After much effort, she finally managed to grind the beans and make a pot. Unable to resist, she poured herself a cup too.

The moment she took a sip, her face contorted from the bitterness. It took all her willpower to swallow it down.

She stared at the cup, remembering the way Xie Hejing could drink it without the slightest expression, and frowned. How could he possibly like coffee this bitter?

“Assistant Nan.” Someone called from outside the door again.

“I’m here.” Nan Xu lifted her head—and froze when she saw it was Xie Hejing standing there. Her smile faltered for a second before she quickly greeted him: “…President Xie.”

He disliked it when her smile slipped, especially when it happened upon seeing him.

He walked closer. “Assistant Nan, do you like our break room that much? Spending so long in here?”

If it weren’t for your overly complicated coffee… Nan Xu grumbled silently to herself, though she kept her polite smile. “Not at all.” Seeing him come closer, she hurriedly added, “President Xie, it’s almost time. We should head to the meeting.”

At her words, Xie Hejing pulled his gaze away—only for it to land on the two cups of coffee sitting on the table. His eyes flickered when he noticed the faint red stain on the rim of one. Without hesitation, he picked it up.

“Thank you for your hard work, Assistant Nan.”

“Haha, it’s nothing, not at all.”

This meeting was about a project Nan Xu had been following up on, so she was one of the ones presenting.

Xie Hejing sat in the first seat on the left, close enough that Nan Xu could see out of the corner of her eye how intently he was watching her.

She had been fairly relaxed before, but his gaze made her tense immediately.

Thankfully, she had been working overtime these past days and was confident in the project’s process.

Once she began, she gave the report with full focus, eventually forgetting about Xie Hejing’s presence altogether.

Sure enough, she made it through the entire report without him interrupting once. She was quick-witted—something Xie Hejing noted with approval as he sipped slowly at his coffee.

When the next person took over, Nan Xu finally let out a huge sigh of relief and returned to her seat. Her throat was dry from all the talking.

But she had only brought that one bitter cup of coffee with her. After a long hesitation, unwilling to get up in the middle of the meeting, she reluctantly lifted it and took a sip.

It took her a few seconds before she suddenly realized something was wrong.

She was wearing lipstick today, the kind that smudged easily. Normally, she kept a tissue handy and would blot her cup from time to time.

But this time, the rim was spotless.

Her heart skipped. She could immediately guess where the cup with her lipstick stain had ended up.

Her eyes trembled as she glanced toward Xie Hejing—just in time to see him lift his cup again, his lips pressing precisely against the faded mark of her lipstick.

Nan Xu’s eyes went wide. He looked over at her just then, and she instantly averted her gaze, silently praying he hadn’t noticed.

For the rest of the meeting, she sat on edge, terrified that Xie Hejing would suddenly realize the truth about the cup.

When it finally ended, Nan Xu darted forward at once, snatching up the nearly-empty cup in hopes of “destroying the evidence.”

Xie Hejing sat with lazy ease, long legs crossed, leaning back slightly in his chair. His tone was casual as he suddenly called out:

“Assistant Nan.”

There were still a few people in the conference room gathering their documents. At his sudden words, they all lifted their heads.

Nan Xu had just taken a few steps with the cup in hand when she froze under everyone’s gaze. Forcing herself to stop, she turned back stiffly and asked, “Yes, President Xie?”

Xie Hejing’s eyes didn’t go to Nan Xu but lingered on the faint lipstick stain left on the rim of the cup. By now, only a trace remained, and the smile tugging at his lips deepened.

Realizing what he was looking at, Nan Xu immediately shifted to block the cup with her hand, not daring to meet his gaze. “President Xie, do you need something? If not, I’ll go take care of those files from last time.”

“No,” his eyes drifted lazily from the cup back to her, “I just wanted to tell you—the coffee today was too sweet.”

Nan Xu’s face flushed scarlet in an instant, heat blooming beneath her skin.

She could only stammer out, “Noted, President Xie,” before bolting from the conference room as though fleeing for her life.

. . . . .

At lunch, a colleague leaned over curiously. “Hey, Nan Xu, I heard you added sugar to President Xie’s coffee?”

“We told you before, right? He only drinks it pure, no sugar.”

It was all his fault. She hadn’t added anything—she’d followed his recipe to the letter.

But she couldn’t explain, not without digging herself deeper. Biting down on her chopsticks, she mumbled vaguely, “I know, thanks for the reminder.”

Her desk had been arranged directly across from Xie Hejing’s office. With the blinds pulled up, the glass wall between them was perfectly clear. It was as if they were seated face to face.

Several young women in the office had even told her how envious they were—being able to look up at any time and see their impossibly handsome boss.

Nan Xu could only laugh it off, though secretly she felt trapped.

Especially now—after that mortifying incident—there was nowhere for her to hide. Every so often, her gaze flicked over, carrying a mix of embarrassment and silent reproach.

Xie Hejing noticed, of course. He always did. But since he was in an unusually good mood, he let it slide.

. . . . .

Close to the end of the workday, Nan Xu’s phone rang. It was Jiang Zhiyu, reminding her about the translation work she’d promised. The matter was important, he said, and asked if they could meet in person.

Only then did she realize she’d completely forgotten about it in the midst of all her project deadlines. She quickly apologized over the phone.

All the while, out of the corner of his eye, Xie Hejing had stopped working.

Watching her laugh softly into the phone, her eyes crinkling, his own narrowed.

He noted the time. From the moment she picked up until she hung up—ten full minutes.

She’d never spoken to him on the phone for more than five minutes.

Xie Hejing set his pen down, completely abandoning his work. Seeing how her mood had clearly lifted after the call, he reached for his desk phone.

“Nan Xu,” his voice came through cold and clipped, “come to my office.”

The chill in his tone made Nan Xu’s heart give a sharp lurch.

Ever since he had teased her about that drunken night and her reckless antics, she’d felt something between them had shifted into uneasy, dangerous territory.

And afterward, he had never once mentioned it again.

That silence unsettled her more than anything—because she knew, deep down, Xie Hejing wasn’t the kind of man to simply let things go.

Which meant her heart had been on edge ever since.

Nan Xu had been searching for a way to get along with Xie Hejing, wanting to clear the air. But every time their eyes met, she always ended up looking away first.

So when he suddenly summoned her to his office, her heart leapt into her throat.

The moment she stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind her with a bang. The sound made her flinch. Before she could react, Xie Hejing was already standing right in front of her, his eyes locked on hers.

“Do you have plans tonight?”

Nan Xu’s first instinct was to glance at the large glass wall—but she realized the blinds had been drawn at some point.

At least he wasn’t bringing up that matter. Relief loosened the tight knot in her chest, and she let out a small breath.

“Yes. I might be home late tonight, but don’t worry about me, Brother.”

That tiny exhale didn’t escape him. His already dark expression grew even stormier, and the fragile space between them vanished as he advanced step by step.

“You’re that afraid of people seeing us together?” His voice was low, almost dangerous.

“…No.”

Panic rising, Nan Xu retreated until her back hit the door. There was nowhere left to go.

“Tsk.” Xie Hejing gave a cold laugh. “So who are you meeting? That blind date of yours again?”

She bit her lip, nodding first, then shaking her head. “He doesn’t really count as a blind date anymore. More like… a friend.” Her gaze dropped as she swallowed hard. “Um, Brother, could you step back a little? Right now it’s…”

“It’s what?” he pressed.

“Too close,” she blurted, hands clenched. “It’s not appropriate. And you promised—” she drew in a breath and forced herself to finish—“you promised not to kiss me for no reason.”

At that, Xie Hejing’s expression lightened ever so slightly, one brow arching. “So just now… were you hoping I’d kiss you?”

Nan Xu’s head snapped up, eyes wide.

That wasn’t what she meant at all! How could he twist her words like that?

“I wasn’t. I only meant it’s not okay to stand this close at the office.”

“At the office, no.” He paused, as if mulling it over. Then, after a beat: “So you mean at home it’s fine?”

Her brows knitted in alarm, heat rushing through her. “No! I mean nowhere. Not at the office, not at home—nowhere.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed, his gaze falling inevitably to her lips. “Then where would be fine?”

“Nowhere!” she burst out. “Absolutely nowhere!”

By now, office hours had long ended. When she’d been on the phone earlier, she’d told Jiang Zhiyu when she got off work, and he had mentioned he’d already be waiting downstairs.

Nan Xu hated keeping people waiting.

Trying for a softer tone, she said, almost pleading, “Brother, it’s already past time. Can I go now?”

“What’s the rush?” His eyes sharpened with a dangerous glint. “You that eager for your little date?”

“It’s not a date,” she explained quickly. “I’m just helping Jiang Zhiyu with something important.”

“Helping?” His voice was edged with sarcasm. “You’re that generous with your kindness?”

Nan Xu nodded earnestly. “I’ve always been like that. And it’s nothing serious—just a small favor, really.”

“Brother, if you ever need help, I can help you too!” Nan Xu muttered.

Of course. He should have expected that. This girl was always like this—warm to everyone, giving without reserve to anyone who needed it.

To him, she was no different than she was to anyone else.

A bitter sense of unwillingness surged inside Xie Hejing, a feeling that had been festering for years.

Jealousy spread like wild grass, growing unchecked, rooting itself deep and dense in his chest.

He tried to cast it aside, but the moment Nan Xu smiled at someone else, it flared again—stronger, fiercer, uncontrollable.

In all their years apart, he had locked away that burning, reckless affection and the jealousy that came with it, over and over again. He thought he had mastered restraint.

But he couldn’t stop himself from looking at her. Couldn’t stop himself from making her his assistant, keeping her close to him every single day.

Every glance, every smile, every little gesture of hers tugged at his emotions with unbearable ease.

And in her eyes…

He was still only—

Brother.

He’d had enough!

She thought he stood so close just to remind her to be careful on her way to her “date”?

No. What he wanted was to kiss her, to bite her.

To make sure her heart was filled with no one but him.

She should only ever show that unguarded smile to him.

Xie Hejing’s brows lowered.

If he couldn’t hide these thoughts anymore, then they might as well drown together.

Her confused gaze met his.

His lips curled, sharp and dangerous, like a wolf in the dark baring its teeth before the strike.

He bent down, his lips brushing her ear—then bit.

A sharp sting shot through her, and Nan Xu beat at his chest with muffled outrage. “Xie Hejing, you’ve lost your mind!”

But he wouldn’t budge. She pushed and pushed, her fists striking hard enough to hurt her own hands, but he didn’t move an inch.

“Yes,” he growled, seizing her wrists and slamming them against the wall, his eyes burning with obsession and madness. “Nan Xu, maybe tonight we finally need to talk things through. Otherwise…”

His chest heaved as he leaned close to her ear, voice dropping to an icy murmur:

“…I’ll go even crazier.”

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Chapter 27 Part 2 — Back by his side

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The smile slowly froze on his face.

Realizing he hadn’t seen wrong, the sight before him completely stunned him.

Xiang Weishi’s mind went blank.

He even stammered, “No way… holy shit, shit, shit—what the hell, since when am I that strong?”

He swallowed hard, cursing inwardly: Damn it, in my twenty-some years of life this is the first time I’ve seen Xie Hejing cry. He actually cries?!

A few seconds later, he understood it had nothing to do with him. Xie Hejing wiped away the tears with a blank expression, as if the man crying just now wasn’t him at all. Only the redness at the corners of his eyes betrayed what he’d just felt.

“What’s today’s date?” Xie Hejing asked.

“The 23rd… no, the 24th.” Xiang Weishi glanced at his phone. “Actually, it’s past midnight—so the 25th now.”

“Mm,” Xie Hejing responded faintly, then fell silent again.

Xiang Weishi was still rattled by what he’d seen just now. Looking at Xie Hejing’s absent, hollow demeanor, he couldn’t help blurting out, “Didn’t you just get back from your trip abroad a couple days ago? What, did your soul get left behind there?”

Xiang Weishi hadn’t known about the trip at first.

But just after Xie Hejing had landed overseas, Xiang Weishi had been pestering him to play a ranked game online. He was competing with his roommate to see who could climb faster, and begged Xie Hejing to duo with him, promising him dinner in return.

Irritated, Xie Hejing simply told him he was abroad and didn’t have the time.

His flight had landed at night. The whole trip had been so sudden—so rushed that he hadn’t even packed anything properly, and had booked his hotel only at the last minute.

Lying in a bed in a foreign land, he opened Nan Xu’s WeChat Moments, not knowing how many times he had done so.

Since moving abroad, her Moments had dwindled. She no longer shared selfies. Almost every year, the only post she made was a simple birthday greeting to herself.

Their chat box still lingered on that summer when she had first left.

Xie Hejing tapped the screen, furrowing his brows, his fingers clattering out a long string of words. But then he froze, scrolled up to reread their old messages, and finally deleted everything he’d just typed.

The next day, he went to Nan Xu’s university.

The bus stop was rusted and weathered. Standing a little ways off, Xie Hejing tugged his hoodie lower over his face.

And suddenly—he saw her. For the first time, Nan Xu in her university years.

She stood at the bus stop, dressed in a simple coat, holding a book, chatting casually with someone beside her. She clearly didn’t notice Xie Hejing watching from across the crowd.

That distance gave him the chance to study her without restraint.

Her looks hadn’t changed much. The childishness had faded, but her smile was still gentle. She was slimmer than before, her wrist bones jutting out, and just below, faint bluish marks could be seen.

Xie Hejing’s eyes lingered on those marks, his mind going blank.

When he followed her onto the same bus, he finally realized where those marks came from.

Nan Xu was one of those who worked part-time to support herself. Whenever she wasn’t in class, she picked up shifts.

Because her hours were short and irregular, the only steady work she had—besides occasional translation gigs—was at a restaurant near the campus.

When Xie Hejing stepped inside that restaurant, she was in the middle of being berated by a difficult customer. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time.

Her expression remained calm, almost accustomed to it. With a soft smile, she apologized and smoothed things over. Without anyone stepping in, she handled the situation on her own.

Then, with the same polite smile, she continued weaving through the restaurant, serving tables.

But to Xie Hejing, that smile looked unbearable.

He frowned. He had seen her real, unrestrained laughter before—bright and alive. And he knew, without question, that what she wore now was not that.

Back when she was in Zhi’an, Nan Xu had barely ever set foot in a kitchen. But now, she was in the restaurant’s back kitchen almost every day.

She used to be so delicate that even a tiny cut could bring tears to her eyes. Yet now, even when something from the kitchen hit her, she managed to keep a straight face. Only her trembling hands betrayed the fact that she was still afraid of pain.

Xie Hejing had finally gotten a clear look at her hands. In the past, they had been like finely carved jade—fair, slender, and graceful. Now, all that luster was gone. The backs were dry and rough, the fingertips no longer soft.

That vain little girl who used to love looking pretty…

It felt as if a blunt weapon had slammed into his chest. Xie Hejing lowered his eyes.

He couldn’t bear to look. He didn’t dare to.

By the time her shifts ended, it was already late. Fatigue lined Nan Xu’s brow. She was walking down the street when she suddenly sat down on a bench by the roadside.

Xie Hejing stopped as well.

The same Nan Xu who had carried herself with such confidence and ease just moments ago now sat with her head bowed, staring at her hands in silence, sighing softly. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

Then, only a few seconds later, her shoulders trembled, and a single tear fell onto her dry, rough hand.

Xie Hejing’s nerves jolted. He almost rushed over to her—but just then, her phone rang. He froze, retreating back beyond her boundary.

It was a call from Wen Qiu.

Nan Xu held the phone a little away, took a deep breath, and only after several seconds managed to steady her voice so it wouldn’t shake. “Mom.”

Wen Qiu was still at the hospital, keeping Nan Xu’s father company. Stirring her takeout with chopsticks, she fussed over Nan Xu with gentle concern.

“Jiaojiao, are you eating well? About to go to sleep soon? Remember to soak your feet before bed. The weather’s getting colder and your health isn’t good—you mustn’t catch a chill. Mom will come stay near your school in a few days.”

Nan Xu’s lips trembled. She wanted to cry but bit down hard, refusing to let the tears fall. Her throat felt tight, like something was stuck there, making it impossible to get a word out.

When the silence dragged on too long, Wen Qiu asked softly, “What’s wrong, Jiaojiao? Do you blame Mom for not being by your side these days?” Her voice carried a hint of sadness.

Nan Xu’s nose stung, heat filling her eyes. She pressed her lips together tightly, sniffled, trying to swallow down that aching lump in her chest and hold back the tears threatening to spill.

“No, Mom. I’m just a little tired. Please don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. You should rest when you can and take care of your own health.”

The moment Wen Qiu heard her daughter was tired, she immediately gave up the thought of video calling. “Tired, huh? Alright then. Mom won’t keep you. Go get some good sleep. I’ll hang up now.”

“I…” Nan Xu steadied her voice. “Mm. Goodnight, Mom.”

Since home was far from school, Nan Xu rented a small place nearby with some classmates. The space was cramped, just enough for the essentials. Her own room barely fit a bed and a cabinet, with no extra space. But she didn’t have much desire for shopping anyway, so she didn’t mind. The rent was cheap, too.

Her roommate was a local girl in a similar situation, and fortunately, they got along well.

Xie Hejing stayed around for three days and somehow managed to get acquainted with the roommate.

From then on, whenever Nan Xu came back exhausted from work, she always found a refrigerator fully stocked and a table laid with hot food. She no longer had to drag herself to cook.

When she asked about it, she was shocked to learn it was her roommate who had cooked everything.

Her roommate’s family background wasn’t great, and she was usually frugal, often cooking just enough for herself, never such large meals.

Nan Xu thought she must have guests over, so she retreated to her room. But her roommate stopped her, saying that the food was made especially for her.

She needed money. Unable to find a decent part-time job for the moment, she wondered if she could earn a little by cooking dinner for her.

Nan Xu was tempted. Every time she came home from her part-time job, all she wanted was to collapse and not move.

She often skipped dinner or just grabbed something casual. But she didn’t have much money herself, so after some thought, she politely declined.

Her roommate was troubled. She thought of the offer that Chinese man had given her, and of the benefits she could gain.

So she knocked on Nan Xu’s door again. In the end, she proposed a price so low it left Nan Xu stunned—and agreed to cook her dinner every day.

That night, Xie Hejing dressed up in a mascot costume and waited outside the convenience store where Nan Xu passed after work.

When she walked by, his eyes followed her unconsciously. Then, pretending to randomly choose a “lucky passerby,” he handed her a huge bouquet of flowers.

It had been so long since Nan Xu had received flowers that she had almost forgotten the feeling. But when the bouquet was suddenly in her arms, a rare smile bloomed on her face.

Happiness—real happiness.

The kind that let her forget her exhaustion, if only for a little while.

Watching her up close, Xie Hejing’s gaze trembled. Hidden behind the mascot’s head, he never once looked away.

The bouquet was so large it blocked Nan Xu’s view as she carried it. She didn’t notice a loose stone in front of her. When she stepped on it, her body tilted unsteadily.

“Careful.”

Xie Hejing rushed forward and caught her securely.

A single, fleeting touch.

Hearing those words, Nan Xu turned in surprise toward the “mascot.”

“You’re Chinese?” she asked.

The “mascot” nodded.

Nan Xu’s heart skipped unexpectedly. Seeing that he didn’t speak again, she pressed on:

“Sorry, I might be being a little forward, but… could you say something else?”

“Not much, just… just say my name. Just the words ‘Nan Xu.’”

Silence hung in the air. The two of them simply stood there, a dozen steps apart, with crowds of people passing by and traffic flowing on the street. Yet it felt as though time itself had frozen.

One of them just wanted to look a little longer.

The other just wanted to be sure.

It wasn’t until her roommate called, asking why she still hadn’t come home, that Nan Xu snapped back to herself. Even so, she couldn’t help wanting one final confirmation.

Clutching the bouquet, she took a step forward and softly called out:

“Brother?”

The “mascot” didn’t answer. He didn’t say another word. He only shoved the rest of the gifts into her hands before hurrying away.

That very night, Xie Hejing left in a rush and returned to China.

Back in her room, Nan Xu sat staring blankly at the bouquet and pile of gifts. That “mascot” had felt so familiar.

She opened her chat window with Xie Hejing, hesitated, and typed:

[Brother, are you in America?]
Delete…

[Brother, I met someone whose voice sounded just like yours.]
Delete…

[Brother,]
Delete…

The English translation is:

Not knowing how to send this long-delayed message, Nan Xu sighed deeply, put down her phone, and decided it would be better not to bother him.

But that night, she posted something new to her Moments—for once, not just the usual birthday wish to herself.

[Lucky!]

The picture was of the bouquet.

Xie Hejing saw it only after his plane landed. He immediately saved the photo to his phone.

At long last, he had another picture stored there.

The last one had been of a snowy landscape.

Now, the two images sat side by side in his phone.

From that day on, Nan Xu’s Moments were no longer limited to the simple “happy birthday to me” once a year. Her posts became more frequent, more lively.

For example:

[Today my roommate gave me a ton of snacks from home. Strange—after living together so long, it’s the first time I’ve seen her buy these.]

[My roommate recommended me a part-time job! Finally, I can change work. Super happy—the new environment suits me.]

[Feels like my roommate’s turning into a master chef. She’s even learning to make braised pork for me. Amazing.]

[My roommate…]

And so on.

Watching her Moments gradually fill with lighter, happier posts, Xie Hejing couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips.

. . . . .

On the night of the 24th, Xie Hejing got a call from Xiang Weishi inviting him out for a gathering. He didn’t refuse.

Before leaving, on a whim, he tidied up his room. His eyes fell on a small box set to the side.

It held a jumble of things—little gifts Nan Xu had given him before she left. From time to time, he would take them out and wipe them clean.

This time, when he picked it up, the screws on the bottom loosened. A small strip of wood slipped out—and with it, something he had never noticed before.

At the very bottom of the box was a hidden compartment, barely five centimeters high. Inside lay a letter, unopened for years.

It was short, only half a page.

The words “(beloved by everyone)” had been crossed out.

Brother,

I hope this letter finds you well. As I pick up my pen to write, the night outside is pitch dark, and my heart feels just as messy—so many emotions tangled together, I can’t make sense of them.

I don’t usually write letters, so this one will be casual. Don’t think I’m too talkative—and if you do, well, I guess there’s nothing I can do. I just wanted to use this to chat with you. Have you ever been to America? This is actually my first time going abroad, my first time traveling so far. The unfamiliar place, the unfamiliar people… honestly, I’m a little scared.

A few days ago I told you Dad was going in for surgery. I’m worried, afraid something might go wrong. When I video called Mom, I noticed her white hairs. She tried to hide them, but of course I spotted them right away. That’s when I realized—they’ve both grown old without me noticing. And I feel so useless, like I haven’t done anything to help, haven’t eased their burdens at all.

I’ve said so much, but really, what I wanted to ask is… Brother, if you have time, could you give me a call? Or a video call? Don’t worry, I promise I won’t disturb you often.

There are some things I can’t tell Aunt Zhang—she’d tell Mom right away. You’re the only one I can tell, Brother.

Nan Xu

She had written a date, then scratched it out completely. In the end, she drew a little heart beside it.

. . . . .

On the 25th, one minute past midnight, Xie Hejing saw Nan Xu’s new post on Moments:

[Happy Birthday to myself. ps: My roommate got me a cake—it was amazing.]

He briefly closed the app, then swiftly transferred money to an account with practiced ease.

After that, he stared at his chat window with Nan Xu, his thoughts drifting back to that letter.

“Xie Hejing, what are you looking at?”

Seeing Xie Hejing, who had just been on the verge of tears, now sitting blankly with his phone, Xiang Weishi pulled out his own phone as well. Naturally, he also saw Nan Xu’s post.

He let out a whistle. “Damn, what kind of god-tier roommate is this?”

Snapping back to himself, Xie Hejing asked, “Xiang Weishi, what if someone you haven’t spoken to in a long time suddenly reached out to you?”

Xiang Weishi chuckled. “If someone I haven’t heard from in ages sends a message, it’s either because they want to borrow money, or they want something else. Either way, nothing good. I usually can’t be bothered to reply.”

He leaned closer. “Why, did someone hit you up for money?”

“No.”

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Chapter 27 Part 1 — Back by his side.

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For several days in a row, Nan Xu kept slipping into the mindset of someone who had “forced themselves” on another. The thought made her feel guilty toward Xie Hejing—so much so that she didn’t even dare meet his eyes.

That was Xie Hejing. How had she dared back then—how had she actually kissed him?

At dinner one evening, Zhang Huiwan kindly asked, “Jiaojiao, have you found a job yet? Your uncle’s company happens to be hiring. You could give it a try. With him looking out for you, you’d adapt quickly.”

Before Nan Xu could answer, Xie Hejing set down his chopsticks and cut in first: “No need.”

Xie Hengzhi shot him a look. “And what’s it got to do with you?”

Nan Xu quickly explained, “Uncle, Auntie, really, there’s no need. I’ve already found a job.”

“Really?” Zhang Huiwan smiled and pressed, “Where? Is it far from home? If you’re coming back late after work, make sure you’re careful.” She fussed over her with motherly concern.

Nan Xu glanced at Xie Hejing. “It’s at…”

“At my place,” Xie Hejing said bluntly. “She’s my assistant.”

“Your assistant?” Zhang Huiwan was startled. “But wasn’t Xiao Yan your assistant?”

“He’s planning to move to another city. He already resigned.”

“Oh, I see. Well, working with you is fine too—at least you’ll be able to look after her.”

The conversation carried on as usual, but Nan Xu couldn’t help blushing whenever she remembered how Xie Hejing had spoken up for her.

On her first day at the company, she deliberately avoided arriving at the same time as him. She dressed simply, hoping not to attract attention.

But the moment she walked in, everyone was stunned.

It wasn’t just that the new assistant was a woman—Xie Hejing had never hired a female assistant before—but also that he’d had her desk moved directly opposite his in his office.

He claimed it was “more efficient,” but to everyone else, it reeked of gossip.

Nan Xu could only do her best to ignore the stares.

The company perks were pretty good. Lunch at the cafeteria was free and, from the looks of it, tasty too. Most employees ate there instead of going out, so Nan Xu decided to do the same.

Since she didn’t really know anyone, she carried her tray to a quiet corner to eat alone.

But it wasn’t long before someone bold enough, unable to resist curiosity, brought their tray over and sat across from her.

Nan Xu looked up—it was clearly a senior colleague. She smiled first. “Hello.”

“I’m Chen, the finance director,” the woman said with a friendly smile. “Assistant Nan, you look so young. Young people usually like to sleep in—do you manage to get up on time in the mornings? Traffic is awful here in the city center. If you live far away, it’d be hard to clock in on time.”

She leaned in, all enthusiasm. “If you’re planning to rent a place, you should find somewhere close by. But living alone isn’t always safe. You’d better choose the neighborhood carefully. If you need help, you can always ask me—I can introduce you.”

Faced with this unusually “warm” senior, Nan Xu paused. She didn’t reveal where she lived, who she lived with, or whether she lived alone. She simply smiled and thanked her

Sister Chen paused for a moment, then continued, “Assistant Nan, you’re so pretty. Your parents must worry about you a lot. I’ve got a daughter at home myself, and I’m always afraid she’ll get bullied.”

“Parents’ love is the same everywhere,” Nan Xu replied politely.

Two questions, both answered flawlessly. Realizing Nan Xu wasn’t someone who could be easily tricked into revealing things, Sister Chen grew restless and decided to be more direct.

“Assistant Nan, did you get into our company because of some family connections?”

After all, she was so young, and on top of that, her arrival had made President Xie break several of his own rules. There was no way she could just be an ordinary hire.

“…” Nan Xu suddenly found the food tasteless in her mouth. She furrowed her brows ever so slightly before lifting them again, her expression carrying a faint air of spoiled elegance. “Of course,” she said, then gave a sudden bright smile.
“But, Sister Chen, do you really think President Xie is the kind of person who favors connections over ability?”

That soft, almost playful retort hit its mark. For the first time, Sister Chen looked at her seriously.

This was the president’s assistant—the person standing closest to him. One careless word from her, and it could reach Xie Hejing’s ears immediately. Sister Chen couldn’t afford to lose her well-paying position.

Adjusting her glasses, she couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

What a sharp girl.

With just a single line, she had washed her hands clean, left Sister Chen second-guessing the truth about her background, and even managed to turn the probing back around.

Sister Chen let out two awkward laughs. “Of course not,” she said, rising with her tray still half-full. “I’m done eating. You take your time.”

“Goodbye, Sister Chen.” Nan Xu smiled warmly.

After a sleepless night and now this kind of encounter on her very first day, Nan Xu’s mood was anything but good.

She forced herself to finish her lunch, then swiped her card for the elevator and returned upstairs. Just as she was about to head to the employee lounge, Xie Hejing called out.

“Nan Xu, come here.”

“Yes, President Xie. Do you have instructions for me?”

He stopped walking, turned back, and asked, “What’s wrong?” Her voice had sounded drained and listless.

Startled by his sharp perception, Nan Xu reminded herself again that she was here to work and needed to be at her best. She drew a deep breath, steadied her expression, and said, “Nothing, President Xie. What did you need me to do?”

“Open that door.” He raised his hand and pointed.

Only then did she notice another hidden door in the office. When she pushed it open, she found a large private lounge inside.

“You can take your lunch break here,” Xie Hejing said as he walked over.

Nan Xu widened her eyes. “That’s not necessary. The company already has a lounge.”

It was clearly his own resting place—using it herself felt inappropriate.

But Xie Hejing gave her no chance to refuse. “Clean it up after you wake up.”

“I need to step out for a while and will be back this afternoon.” He handed her a stack of documents. “Look over this project. From now on, you’ll be the one following it up.”

“Oh—okay.”

Her attention was immediately drawn to the files.

The crisp, businesslike tone reassured her. She was soon absorbed in reading, and by the time she looked up again, Xie Hejing was already gone.

She glanced around the lounge, then back at the documents, setting them aside for a moment.

After another look, she realized the room was so minimal that not a single personal belonging of his was in sight. Relief washed over her. She could treat it just like a hotel room.

The moment she lay down, the mattress felt soft and smooth beneath her. Nan Xu relaxed instinctively—but in the next second, her whole body tensed.

The blanket carried a faint cedar scent, reminding her that Xie Hejing had probably been lying there not too long ago.

Nan Xu shot upright as if jolted. Lying in that bed, in the exact same place where he had once rested, stirred a strange feeling that spread through her chest.

It was as though she had trespassed into a secret, forbidden space.

The thought made her breathing quicken, her heartbeat pound, and a nervous yet unnameable emotion rise inside her. And so, in what should have been the most comfortable place to nap, she barely managed to rest at all.

When work resumed in the afternoon, she worried he might notice something off about her. Fortunately, Xie Hejing never came back to the office.

Nan Xu had no intention of prying into his personal schedule, so she welcomed the quiet afternoon.

Still, she didn’t let herself relax. Her nerves stayed taut as she sat at her desk, flipping through the project files he’d given her—the first one entrusted to her. She couldn’t afford to make a single mistake.

The office stayed calm and still. He hadn’t left her any other tasks, so she spent the whole afternoon buried in the documents. By the time she realized it was already after hours, the building had emptied out.

She packed her things in a rush and opened the office door. Outside was pitch black, so she quickly turned on her phone flashlight and walked forward under its narrow beam.

Though a little afraid, she managed to take the elevator downstairs without incident.

Just outside the building, she unexpectedly ran into the blind date she had met a few days ago.

It was Jiang Zhiyu who spotted her first. He jogged over, smiling. “Nan Xu? What are you doing here?”

She blinked in surprise at the sight of him, but since she had nothing better to do, she struck up a casual conversation.

“I work here,” she said, pointing to the office tower behind her.

She learned he had just come from his parents’ house, and from the look on his face, things hadn’t gone well. Teasing lightly, she asked, “Don’t tell me you just got nagged about marriage again?”

Jiang Zhiyu pulled a comically pained expression. “Seems like the pressure’s getting so bad I’ll have to sit my parents down and tell them seriously to stop rushing me. Otherwise, they’ll have the words ‘Hates Marriage’ carved onto their son’s forehead.”

Nan Xu burst out laughing. She found him amusing, and since they happened to be headed in the same direction, they walked and chatted together.

In that short stretch, she learned exactly where his family lived, who was at home, how much he earned, and even how many vacation days he got each year. Things they hadn’t even covered at their blind date last time—this time he laid out in full.

Jiang Zhiyu wasn’t simple. At their first meeting, he had gotten her to open up easily. At the second, he revealed his family background and personal situation in perfect detail.

If anything, this chance encounter felt even more like a real blind date.

But the way he shared information was effortless—each revelation slipped naturally into conversation, disguised with humor.

When he spoke about his family, he always did it in a light, self-deprecating tone, as if gently unfolding his world for her.

For example, when the topic of his mother came up, he smiled wryly. “I’m still single, but my mom’s already planning gifts for her future daughter-in-law. She even asked me to find her a guidebook on how to be a good mother-in-law—wants to study in advance, you know, so there won’t be conflicts later. Tell me, where am I supposed to find something like that?”

“I told her fine, once she finishes reading those guides, I’ll go find myself a wife. Well, now she’s rushing me to bring her the book!”

“Lately I’ve been swamped with a foreign client, barely have time to breathe—and then I still get nagged the minute I get home.”

His expressions were so animated that Nan Xu found herself laughing, sometimes teasing him, sometimes trying to comfort him.

When he threw out a problem, she naturally picked it up, offering suggestions and even promising she could help with translations if he needed.

Staring at Nan Xu’s profile, Jiang Zhiyu’s lips curved into a faint smile. He’d only ever been on this one blind date before, but if this one turned out to be the last, he wouldn’t mind. Still—everything had to move slowly.

“All right then, thanks. Next time dinner’s on me.”

When Nan Xu got home, she was startled to find Zhang Huiwan still waiting in the living room. She hurried to urge her upstairs to rest.

Holding her hand, Zhang Huiwan glanced at the clock and scolded, “If Hejing dares make you work overtime that late again, I won’t give him a good face to see.”

Nan Xu quickly explained that it was her own fault—she’d been so absorbed in the documents that she lost track of time.

When she heard Xie Hejing hadn’t come home yet either, she couldn’t help but ask, “Does Brother Hejing often come back so late?”

“He’s in and out like a ghost,” Zhang Huiwan replied. “Don’t worry. You’ll see him at breakfast tomorrow.”

At that very moment, Xie Hejing was just leaving one dinner meeting and heading to a familiar bar, where he and Xiang Weishi usually had a drink or two.

By the time Xiang Weishi arrived, Xie Hejing had already downed several glasses. Tossing his coat aside, Xiang Weishi grinned. “What’s this? The busy man himself actually found time to ask me out?”

Xie Hejing tilted his head toward the seat beside him.

Xiang Weishi poured himself a drink, raising the glass casually.

But after several rounds, Xie Hejing still hadn’t spoken a word, only kept drinking.

Usually, when Xiang Weishi invited him out, Xie Hejing only sipped now and then—never like this, guzzling one after another. Something was off.

When Xie Hejing reached for the bottle again, Xiang Weishi pressed his hand over it. “You asked me here just to drink?”

“Not allowed?” Xie Hejing lifted his eyes.

“That’s not what I mean,” Xiang Weishi said. “But at least tell me what’s going on. Drinking’s only fun if you talk while you do it.”

At that, Xie Hejing lowered his head, staring at the glass in front of him. A long silence stretched before he finally muttered, almost under his breath:

“She’s back.”

“Who? Who’s back?”

The sudden words threw Xiang Weishi off. But seeing Xie Hejing’s expression, it took only a couple of seconds for realization to hit him.

“Nan Xu? hasn’t she been back for a while now?”

Xie Hejing kept his eyes fixed on the liquor. Several seconds passed before he said, “It’s different now.”

Back by his side.

“What’s different about…” Xiang Weishi’s voice trailed off. The scene before him tugged at something familiar.

He frowned, trying to recall, until suddenly it struck him—back during a university break, when they’d all returned to Zhi’an for a gathering.

Xie Hejing had been just like this then too—saying nothing, pouring drink after drink.

That time, everyone had been partying wildly, and Xiang Weishi had gone off to dance. When he returned, Xie Hejing had already drunk far too much.

The table beside them was roaring with laughter, but Xie Hejing sat alone at the bar, an arm propped up, casting a half-circle shadow. His face was buried in the crook of his elbow, the sharp lines of his spine starkly pronounced.

The music had been deafening, yet he seemed utterly detached from it all.

Xiang Weishi hadn’t thought much of it at first—figured Xie Hejing was just happy. After all, they all studied in different cities, and it wasn’t easy to meet up again.

But Xie Hejing was drinking too heavily. Xiang Weishi tried to stop him, challenged him to play dice instead, showing off a new trick he’d just learned.

Xie Hejing didn’t budge. Xiang Weishi muttered “Hey,” rolled up his sleeves, and yanked him upright with force.

Finally, Xie Hejing stirred. Xiang Weishi grinned in triumph—only to freeze when he caught sight of Xie Hejing’s face.

He was crying.

---

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Chapter 26 — If you dare to forget what happened tonight, then…

---

The bad news: Xie Hejing had been working too hard and ended up in the hospital.

He had a stomachache and drove himself to the hospital.

He’d suffered from this condition for a long time, but this time the pain was especially severe. Even the doctor was amazed at his tolerance for it.

By the time Nan Xu found out, it was already afternoon. She was in the middle of a job interview.

She had just walked out of the office building, decided the company wasn’t a good fit for her, and was scrolling on her phone to look for more openings when she happened to see a message from Aunt Zhang.

She hurriedly took a cab to the hospital and was met with the sight of a pale-faced Xie Hejing.

Her brows furrowed. She wanted to scold him a little, but with Uncle and Aunt Zhang both there, it wasn’t her place to say anything.

Nan Xu held her tongue until evening. When the couple finally went home to prepare dinner and left her to watch over him, she finally called out softly, “Brother.”

Xie Hejing looked completely unfazed. “Go on, say it. Your face is all scrunched up.”

Nan Xu kept her expression stern. “Your lifestyle is way too unhealthy. It’s lucky nothing serious happened this time, but what if something does? What would Uncle and Aunt do then?”

It was clearly a lecture, yet somehow Xie Hejing looked… pleased.

He bit the inside of his lip to stop himself from laughing.

A few seconds later, he sighed, lowering his gaze. “I can’t help it. Without an assistant, I have to handle everything myself.”

His expression even looked a little pitiful.

Nan Xu blinked in surprise. “It’s been days already, and you still haven’t hired anyone?”

Last time, after weighing her options, she had turned down his offer—she thought she needed to keep looking for a better position. She hadn’t expected that he still hadn’t found an assistant.

Xie Hejing, face perfectly serious, said, “No one suitable.”

“Plenty of people must be applying to your company. And you still can’t find one decent assistant?” Nan Xu sounded doubtful.

“An assistant has to be with me all the time. Professional skills aren’t enough—they also need to be someone I can work well with,” Xie Hejing explained.

Hearing this vague and picky standard, Nan Xu couldn’t help but complain, thinking of all the rude people she’d run into during her job hunt. “You’re hiring an assistant, not a partner. Why make it so complicated? Someone competent should be good enough.”

But at that, Xie Hejing’s expression hardened. He said each word with emphasis: “I will not settle.”

Nan Xu instinctively drew her neck back.

She hadn’t found the right job herself, and now Xie Hejing hadn’t found the right person either. Lowering her eyes in thought, she wondered—should she just take the job as his assistant?

But being his assistant meant sticking close to him all the time. She worried…

Her sighs and side glances eventually caught his attention. He asked, “Nan Xu, do you realize you’re completely incapable of hiding what’s on your mind?”

That shut her up. Left with no escape, she muttered reluctantly, “President Xie, I suppose I count as ‘working well with you,’ don’t I?”

Xie Hejing arched a brow. “Barely.”

Nan Xu: “…”

“If… if I were to be your assistant, then you mustn’t—”

She cut herself off.

Xie Hejing frowned. “Say it.”

“You—” Nan Xu’s cheeks grew warm, and before she could stop it, the memory of that night in the kitchen flashed through her mind. She drew in a breath and blurted out, “You can’t just kiss me for no reason.”

For no reason.

So… if there was a reason, then it would be allowed?

Xie Hejing was quietly dissecting her words, a faint smile flickering in his eyes.

Seeing his silence, Nan Xu gathered her courage and pressed, “Well? What do you say?”

At her question, Xie Hejing put on a perfectly serious expression. “We have a proper working relationship. Please don’t entertain any wild assumptions. And also…”

He deliberately mimicked her, stopping halfway.

Nan Xu prompted, “And also what?”

Xie Hejing narrowed his eyes slightly—like a predator lying in wait, though on the surface he looked calm, even harmless, all serious composure as he let her step into the trap herself.

“And also, don’t go imagining things about me.”

Nan Xu’s eyes widened. It took her a long moment before she managed to stammer out, “As if I would.”

“Besides,” Xie Hejing said, “there’s something I think I should make clear to you.”

Nan Xu, not thinking much of it, deleted the job postings on her phone without even looking up. “Go ahead.”

“The first time—it was you who kissed me.”

Her hand froze mid-motion. She stared blankly, caught off guard.

. . . . .

It had been the night after the college entrance exams, when the class organized a gathering.

Xie Hejing hadn’t gone—he had something else to do. But Nan Xu, thinking there might not be many more chances to join such events, decided to attend.

She had barely arrived when she spotted Wen Qi in the crowd. Wen Qi waved her over and motioned for her to sit beside her.

Nan Xu wasn’t familiar with the environment, but Wen Qi was bold and outgoing, pulling her into games and piling food on her plate.

Later, Wen Qi even coaxed her into drinking.

Flustered, Nan Xu refused, but Wen Qi slung an arm around her shoulders, laughing. “Xuxu, didn’t you just have your birthday a few days ago? We’re adults now! Don’t you want to at least know what alcohol tastes like? Don’t you want to find out what your tolerance is?”

Hearing that, Nan Xu wavered. She kept refusing, but Wen Qi’s persistence wore her down, and she finally agreed to try a fruit wine.

One sip turned into another, and soon it spiraled out of control.

Nan Xu had never had a good tolerance. It didn’t take much before she was dizzy and unsteady, slumping against Wen Qi’s shoulder.

Wen Qi clearly hadn’t expected her to get drunk so easily. A few small glasses, and she was out. Alarmed, Wen Qi didn’t dare drink more herself, afraid they’d both end up wasted.

She carefully rested Nan Xu’s head on her lap and told the noisy crowd to give them some space, staying beside her protectively.

When Nan Xu regained a sliver of awareness, she started insisting on going home—but stubbornly refused to tell Wen Qi where she lived.

Anxious, Wen Qi tried asking around, but quickly realized—no one would know Nan Xu’s address.

After much coaxing, Nan Xu finally mumbled out the name of a neighborhood.

The moment Wen Qi heard it, she froze. Wasn’t that where Xie Hejing lived?

They lived in the same neighborhood!!!

But there was no time to process the shock. She called a cab and went along with Nan Xu. When they reached the entrance, she still wanted to escort her to the door.

But Nan Xu adamantly refused. In the end, they made a compromise: once Nan Xu got home, she would send Wen Qi a voice message, and only then could Wen Qi leave.

Nan Xu had walked this path countless times before. Swaying, she made it to the front door, leaned against it, and fumbled with her phone to send Wen Qi a voice message.

She was drunk, her head spinning, her words halting and broken as she forced them out.

“Qiqi, I…I’m home. You—you should head back too. Be…careful.”

Only after receiving the message did Wen Qi finally feel at ease enough to leave.

The house was pitch dark. Aunt Zhang was still working overtime at the office, and Xie Hejing hadn’t returned yet either. Leaning against the entryway wall, Nan Xu stood there for a long time, her legs feeling impossibly heavy. She was too lazy to move.

That was, until she noticed a shadow drawing closer and closer.

She tried hard to open her eyes wide, but the lights were off and the alcohol was making her head spin. All she could make out was a vague, moving shape in front of her—some kind of “unknown creature.”

Drinking had made her bolder. She grinned and cheerfully greeted it.

“Hello there!”

Xie Hejing: “…”

He had been lying comfortably on the sofa when the door suddenly opened. Hearing Nan Xu’s voice, he realized she had come home—and had been standing in the entryway all this time, doing who knew what.

He came over to take a look. One whiff of alcohol, the slur in her voice—it was obvious. He frowned. “Nan Xu, you’ve been drinking? You dare drink?”

The “unknown creature” could even talk. Nan Xu nodded. “Mm… tastes awful. But there were one or two flavors that weren’t bad. I’ll bring you some next time.”

“…”

Seeing her still savoring it, Xie Hejing grew more annoyed. “What are you doing drinking? Go back to your room and wash off that reek of alcohol.”

When pulling her didn’t work, he sighed, ready to just scoop her up and carry her upstairs.

But the moment he drew close, Nan Xu, muddled and half-asleep, felt the coolness of his presence washing over her. She mumbled something under her breath, and then—her arms looped around his waist.

Xie Hejing’s body went rigid. He froze in place, the side of his waist suddenly burning hot, as if on fire. Even so, his voice was deliberately flat as he said, “Nan Xu.”

But the “drunkard” didn’t respond. Her breathing had already evened out, as if she’d fallen asleep right there, clinging to him.

Irritation prickled at him. He bit down on the inside of his lip, glancing sideways at her. She was fast asleep against him, eyes closed. When he tried to shift, the “drunk” tightened her hold, as if protesting his movement.

Xie Hejing’s temper flared. He pried her arms off, though in truth, she hadn’t been holding on with much strength—just the stubborn persistence of a drunk.

He coughed lightly, bent down, and shook her a little. “Hey, Nan Xu. I’ll take you upstairs. Can you wash up and change by yourself? Don’t go suffocating under the covers.”

But Nan Xu, sunk deep into sleepiness, only shook her head, trying to burrow back into him. “Don’t bother me. I’m sleepy…”

She slipped right through his grasp.

Xie Hejing exhaled sharply, bending down again, still trying to reason with this “drunk ghost.”

That was when her legs gave out. She stumbled forward—landing squarely against his lips.

Xie Hejing’s heart lurched violently.

Nan Xu, in her drunken state, was oblivious. All she registered was the cool, soft press of something against her mouth—like chilled, sweet jelly. Instinctively, she gave it a bite.

The wires in Xie Hejing’s brain went off with a violent crackle.

He shot upright, taking a hurried step back.

But as he retreated, Nan Xu leaned forward. Her unsteady steps left her swaying, nearly falling, and every so often he had to catch her.

No matter how he tried, the distance between them never widened—it stayed perilously close.

The nerves in his head throbbed with a dangerous rhythm.

Until, with his next step, the back of his leg hit the sofa. There was nowhere else to go. He fell back into it—Nan Xu tumbling down with him, right onto his chest.

Xie Hejing let out a muffled groan, his whole body burning—especially across his chest.

It took him a long while to steady himself. Staring up at the pitch-dark ceiling, he could clearly hear the pounding of his own heartbeat—fast, too fast.

Somewhere in that midnight silence, it felt as if something fragile yet fiery was blooming. His lips pressed into a stubborn line as he asked, almost against his own will:

“Nan Xu… do you like me?”

But Nan Xu had no awareness at all. She was like some drunken rogue teasing an upstanding man, humming carelessly, wriggling until she found a comfortable spot, and then sinking into deep sleep.

With no answer forthcoming, Xie Hejing’s face darkened. He carried her back to her room, then waited on the sofa until Zhang Huiwan came home. He explained what had happened, asking her to help Nan Xu change clothes and wash up.

After Zhang Huiwan was done, she returned to her room—never imagining that Xie Hejing would go back again.

He opened Nan Xu’s door and stood in the doorway.

Looking at her sleeping peacefully, utterly unaware, a sudden surge of impulse pushed him toward the bed.

He leaned down, wanting to kiss her. He even wanted to wake her—so she would see him kissing her, so he could savor the look of panic on her face.

And then, press her for an answer.

Why she had provoked him.

Whether she truly liked him or not.

But just as his thoughts blazed, he stopped short at the last moment.

After a long struggle with himself, he shut his eyes tight and brushed a light, tender kiss across her forehead instead.

The words he spoke, however, came out edged with steel: “If you dare forget tonight, then don’t ever see me again.”

As if fate itself were echoing his threat, Nan Xu really did forget the whole night after she woke. And the two of them… truly stayed apart for a long time.

Yet that sentence lingered in Xie Hejing’s heart, circling endlessly, never once spoken aloud.

Not until the day he saw Nan Xu again.

Even now, listening to him recount it, Nan Xu was completely stunned. “I—I…”

Of course, Xie Hejing hadn’t told her everything. But every detail of how she’d “taken advantage” of him—he remembered it all, vividly.

Nan Xu stammered “I…” for a long time, unable to form the rest of her words. Shock coursed through her. That she had done something like that while drunk—could there have been more? Had Xie Hejing spared her the details out of embarrassment?

Cautiously, she asked, “I… didn’t do anything else, did I?”

At her words, Xie Hejing’s gaze loosened, his tone drawling, careless:

“What else did you want to do?”

“For example… possess me?”

---

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Chapter 25 — I can’t hold back on everything…

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The days of senior year were filled with tension and anticipation, with everyone focused only on pushing forward. Before anyone realized it, a day, a week, a month had already flown by.

It wasn’t until the moment review sessions ended that they suddenly realized how much time had passed.

The heavy summer air lingered throughout the season. The gears of fate clicked into motion, pushing everyone toward their own path.

Partings came quietly—so quietly it almost felt too calm. On one such afternoon after the college entrance exam, Nan Xu received news that her father needed surgery.

She booked her ticket, packed her things, took care of the necessary arrangements, and knocked on Xie Hejing’s door, sincerely thanking him for taking care of her all this time.

The sound of cicadas seeped through the screen windows, rising and falling in waves. The summer heat made Xie Hejing restless, yet his tone sounded casual as he asked, “When will you be back?”

Nan Xu stayed silent. After a long hesitation, she finally answered, “I don’t know.”

Of course. She was going home, back to her family.

Xie Hejing’s expression dimmed.

It all seemed natural—Nan Xu had only been staying here temporarily for a year. With the exams over, it was only right that she returned to her family.

No one would stop her. No one could. Only someone quietly swallowed down their reluctance.

Unspoken feelings of youth sank beneath the tide of time.

On the day of her departure, Nan Xu waved goodbye to Zhang Huiwan and Xie Hejing after passing security at the airport.

Zhang Huiwan watched her with loving eyes, while Xie Hejing looked away.

But for the first time, he posted something on his social feed.

[Snow.]

The picture was of last winter’s snowfall.

Xiang Weishi teased him—what was he doing posting snow in the middle of summer?

But Xiang Weishi never noticed the small corner of the photo, where a girl crouched seriously shaping a snowball.

Too proud and awkward in his adolescence, Xie Hejing didn’t even realize he was in love. He only knew that one day, Nan Xu had stepped into his world—and never left.

Life went on as usual. In his room was a box, filling up little by little with sticky notes.

At first, he resisted writing her name on them. He laughed at himself for such foolishness, dismissing it as meaningless.

But the notes piled up anyway…

Eventually, he had to admit it—he couldn’t resist thinking of her.

And so, writing her name on those notes became an ordinary thing.

In front of others, he always acted indifferent, as though Nan Xu had never crossed his mind.

But at night, he would sit on the edge of his bed, staring at that box, quietly feeling the emptiness in his heart—an emptiness he knew might never be filled again.

Much later, he finally understood a single phrase:

——a sense of loss.

It felt like… he had missed someone.

Dusk deepened, and the neon lights of the city flickered on one by one.

Xie Hejing stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, a glass of untouched whiskey in hand. The clear liquid swayed gently, but his gaze remained fixed on the familiar street below.

It was autumn again.

An autumn of reunion with Nan Xu.

Nan Xu hadn’t had time to rent a place after returning, so Zhang Huiwan simply let her stay in the same room as before.

She glanced around the room—it was exactly as it had been. In the corner of the desk was still the motivational phrase she had once carved with a small knife. The words had long faded, but to her they felt like an imprint etched into her heart.

The familiar scent of the room calmed her, and she slept peacefully through the afternoon.

It was past nine in the evening when she finally noticed a message from the blind date Aunt Zhang had arranged for her.

[Sorry, I’m stuck in traffic. I might be a little late.]

Only then did Nan Xu suddenly remember she had a date tonight. She had originally wanted Aunt Zhang to cancel it, but Aunt Zhang had insisted—since the time and place were already set, she might as well go, even if just to make a new friend. At the very least, it was better than standing someone up. So Nan Xu had reluctantly agreed.

Thankfully, the restaurant wasn’t far from the house.

[It’s fine. No need to rush—I haven’t arrived yet either.]

She put on light makeup and stepped out, only to run into Xie Hejing, who had just returned.

He didn’t look too well, his expression carrying a trace of weariness.

Having just come from work, Xie Hejing was dressed in a formal suit. This was the first time Nan Xu had seen him in one.

He was completely different from the boy she remembered—strong, mature, exuding presence. The tailored suit emphasized his broad, solid frame; a navy tie hung loosely from his hand, several buttons of his shirt undone, a cigarette resting casually between his lips.

Effortless, yet commanding.

And he had clearly seen her too.

He raised a brow, tossed the cigarette aside, and stood there without moving, his eyes fixed on her, as if waiting.

In past conversations, Zhang Huiwan had mentioned to Nan Xu that Xie Hejing had started his own business back in college and had achieved considerable success by now, all through relentless, almost reckless hard work.

Drinking until his stomach bled, working through countless nights—it was common for him. No matter who told him to take care of himself, he never listened.

Nan Xu wanted to ask if he was okay. But then the memory of him kissing her in the kitchen came rushing back¹.

Her brows furrowed, anger still simmering. She decided to ignore him, turned her head, and stepped to walk past.

“Get in. I’ll take you.” His voice was hoarse, followed by a rough cough.

Nan Xu froze. “I’m going on a blind date.”

A blind date, and he still wanted to drive her there? From his reaction last time, he seemed very much against it.

Yet all Xie Hejing did was grunt in acknowledgment. He turned, opened the car door, and tilted his head toward her. “Get in.”

Nan Xu slid into the passenger seat. Silence filled the car, broken only by his occasional cough.

She had planned to ignore it. But after a few seconds, she couldn’t help herself.

“Your throat sounds bad. Remember to buy some medicine.”

Xie Hejing paused, then a faint smile tugged at his lips. “You’re worried about me?”

Nan Xu arched her brow, eyes flicking to the window. She didn’t admit it. “Of course not.”

Catching the opening, he glanced at her. She stared straight ahead, her defiance practically glowing.

“Still mad at me, huh? Not even calling me ‘brother’ anymore?”

The audacity—he dared to bring that up. Nan Xu didn’t want to argue, so she snapped, “Brother, just focus on driving.”

Sensing her foul mood, Xie Hejing wisely fell silent. The car grew quiet again.

A long while later, he finally spoke.

Years in the business world had taught him how to twist words beautifully—turning black into white, making circles sound like squares, talking people into confusion.

But in front of Nan Xu, there was no pretense.

“Nan Xu, I can’t hold back everything.”

Just like his feelings for her—he simply couldn’t.

After years apart, upon meeting again, he didn’t hear a single word about himself from her lips.

Xie Hejing’s hand rested on the steering wheel, his knuckles faintly white. Lowering his gaze, he said without any embellishment, “Sorry.”

His voice was low, quiet.

So quiet it slowly seeped into Nan Xu’s heart. She turned her head and looked at him directly.

In her memory, he had been a lean, spirited young man, full of youthful energy in every movement. Now, standing before her, was a powerful, composed business elite.

Yet, in the way he looked at her, she caught a glimpse of something.

Loneliness.

Had she imagined it…?

Her throat tightened, words stuck inside her, but before she could speak, he had already parked the car. With a slight lift of his chin, he looked toward the front of the restaurant. “Your blind date.”

Nan Xu froze, then turned her head to follow his gaze. She had seen a photo before—yes, it was Jiang Zhiyu.

He was already at the entrance, about to go inside. Nan Xu had no choice but to swallow back her words, nod lightly, and push the door open to leave the car.

Traffic flowed endlessly around them, headlights flashing across Xie Hejing’s profile. He leaned back slightly in his seat.

Watching the two figures who looked rather well-matched, Xie Hejing pulled out a cigarette. With a sharp click, the flame sparked, igniting the bitterness of this moment.

Through the haze of smoke, his eyes grew indistinct.

Jiang Zhiyu, indeed, was very courteous. He greeted Nan Xu warmly, and when he noticed her pale complexion, he asked with concern if she wasn’t feeling well and said she could end the date anytime.

At that, Nan Xu quickly pulled herself out of Xie Hejing’s shadow and shook her head with a smile.

“Jiang Zhiyu, with such good conditions, why would you need to go on blind dates?” she asked.

“Nan Xu—may I call you that?”

She nodded.

With gentlemanly ease, Jiang Zhiyu cut her steak for her. “Auntie Zhang showed me your profile. You’re just as outstanding. I think the reason we’re here is probably the same.”

Nan Xu tasted a bite of steak before replying, “True enough.”

They chatted idly for a while. For the most part, Nan Xu only responded rather than initiating, and Jiang Zhiyu must have noticed her distracted mood.

“Nan Xu, I imagine you just returned to the country. Blind dates must feel a little awkward. Why don’t we treat this as a chance to become friends instead? I’d really love to hear your stories about America.”

His voice was gentle, steady, instantly likable.

Just as Auntie Zhang had described, Jiang Zhiyu was skilled with people. With only a few words, he opened Nan Xu up.

They talked for quite a while, until the night had grown late.

Jiang Zhiyu offered to drive her home, but Nan Xu quickly declined. She wasn’t sure if Xie Hejing was still waiting outside, but even if he wasn’t, she didn’t want anyone else driving her home.

Leaving the restaurant, she spotted Xie Hejing’s car still parked by the roadside. She couldn’t tell if he was inside.

Nan Xu had already checked earlier—there was a pharmacy nearby. She went there first to buy some medicine before heading back.

Sure enough, Xie Hejing was still in the driver’s seat. He must have smoked quite a few cigarettes, but the car held no trace of smoke. Instead, there was a faint freshness in the air—something even cleaner than when she had first gotten in.

“What’s that smell?” She sniffed curiously. “It’s pretty nice.”

Seeing she hadn’t noticed any smoke, Xie Hejing relaxed. But when his eyes fell on the pharmacy bag in her hand, his expression changed. “You’re sick?”

Nan Xu placed the bag in front of him. “I’m perfectly fine.”

Only then did Xie Hejing see clearly what the medicine was. “You went to buy this for me? So late?”

Nan Xu replied, “And you’re still here waiting this late, aren’t you?”

“I wanted to.” Xie Hejing said.

The next second, Nan Xu followed up with, “Then I don’t mind either.”

Xie Hejing’s gaze dimmed slightly as he paused, smiling as he asked, “Do you really not mind?”

Something about his tone didn’t sound quite right, but Nan Xu couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

All she could do was tug nervously at her seatbelt and stammer, “I… let’s just go. Auntie just called asking when we’d be home—she’s making us a late-night snack!”

Since Zhang Huiwan and Xie Hengzhi couldn’t stay up too late, they only chatted with the two briefly after preparing supper before retreating to bed.

That left Xie Hejing and Nan Xu sitting at the table together.

He was the one who washed the dishes. With his shirt sleeves rolled up, his lean forearm muscles were revealed as he stood at the sink. His lowered lashes trembled faintly, brows and eyes focused, the warm light falling across his profile.

It was exactly like those “perfect boyfriend” types you’d see on TV…

Nan Xu startled at her own thought. How could she ever connect such an image with Xie Hejing?

She lingered at the kitchen doorway for a while before finally speaking: “Brother,” she recalled their conversation in the car, “if it’s about buying medicine, that I don’t mind.”

“Buying medicine…” Xie Hejing set the bowl into the cabinet, dried his hands, and walked over to stand against the doorframe, meeting her gaze. “What about everything else?”

Nan Xu’s eyes darted nervously. “What else?”

When she noticed his gaze lowering, she suddenly realized what he meant. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth. “No way.”

Seeing her like that, Xie Hejing couldn’t help but laugh.

“I happen to be short of an assistant, and you’d be a good fit.” He raised a brow and flicked her forehead lightly. “What were you imagining?”

“Or maybe reminiscing about something?” His voice carried a teasing edge.

“I wasn’t thinking anything…” Noticing his words, Nan Xu’s cheeks flushed faintly. “And I definitely wasn’t reminiscing!”

Arms crossed, Xie Hejing studied her with a half-smile. “Really?”

Nan Xu quickly shifted the topic. “So… what you said just now, about making me your assistant?”

The change was awkward, but Xie Hejing didn’t call her out on it.

Seeing her surprised expression, he reached out to ruffle her hair in mild exasperation. “When you sent out resumes, you didn’t even pay attention to the companies?”

“I…” Nan Xu thought back. She vaguely remembered one of the company names sounding familiar—Auntie Zhang had even mentioned it—but at the time, she hadn’t realized it was his.

“I didn’t apply for that position, though.”

Xie Hejing nodded solemnly. “Your resume’s good. And as it happens, there’s a vacancy for that role. I think you’d be more than capable.”

“That doesn’t sound right. Shouldn’t HR be the one talking to me, not you?” Nan Xu countered.

“Mm,” he said smoothly. “But I’m just the helpful type.”

Nan Xu: “…”

She had only wanted to settle down quickly after returning and then bring her parents over. Becoming Xie Hejing’s assistant might not be such a bad option.

But she needed to think it over carefully.

“I’ll consider it.”

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1. Chapter 1 ↩︎

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Chapter 24 — So… you like puppies?…

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Nan Xu stood at the sink, water trickling into her palms and splashing into tiny crystal droplets, but her mind was far from the act of washing her hands.

She stared at her palms for a long while, then turned them over to look at the backs of her hands.

In a daze, she seemed to slip back to the moment when Xie Hejing had held her hand. The warmth of his touch still lingered faintly, her heart pounding like a drum as the scene replayed again and again in her mind.

A flush crept quietly over her cheeks. She quickly shut off the tap, wiped her hands, and hurried under the covers as if to escape.

Something between them was quietly shifting, unseen but undeniable.

That night marked Nan Xu’s first bout of sleeplessness here.

Because of Xie Hejing.

In the room next door, faintly scented with incense, Xie Hejing lay on his bed staring at the wall, a dry laugh escaping his lips.

All the feelings he had never spoken aloud, all the ones he had tried to deny or bury, were written plainly across the wall of sticky notes.

Qi Zhiyu and Jiang Qiyi had stayed around for three days, and on the last day Aunt Zhang invited them to the house.

They hesitated at first, but couldn’t refuse Zhang Huiwan’s warmth and the persistent urging from Nan Xu and Xie Hejing.

The five of them sat around a bubbling hotpot, laughter filling the table. The atmosphere was lively and cheerful, and Nan Xu captured the moment with her phone, sending the photo to her mother, Wen Qiu.

After some casual chatter, Nan Xu switched off her phone and volunteered to do the dishes.

Not long after, Qi Zhiyu’s voice suddenly rang out from outside the door:

“It’s snowing! The first snow of the year!”

Nan Xu glanced out through the kitchen window. Snowflakes swirled in the dim evening sky, drifting lazily down from above. A thin layer of frost misted over the glass as the cold wind blew in.

Qi Zhiyu’s excited voice continued: “Xuxu, come on, let’s have a snowball fight!”

“Okay!” Nan Xu answered, quickly tidying up what she had in her hands before running toward the door—only to stop short.

The cold wind brushed against her, and under the warm golden glow of the lights she caught sight of Xie Hejing standing casually off to the side. Snowflakes landed softly on his shoulders, and a few strands of his hair were dampened by the melt.

He didn’t seem to mind at all, idly tossing a snowball up and down in his hand.

“Nan Xu, come on!” Jiang Qiyi beckoned to her.

He handed her a snowball with a bright grin. “Want to build a snowman? The snow’s heavy enough—we could make a really big one.”

Nan Xu laughed happily. “Sure! It didn’t snow in Zhi’an last year, and I felt a little regret. This time’s perfect.”

“We’ll take a picture and send it to my mom.”

Watching Nan Xu chatting and laughing so comfortably at Jiang Qiyi’s side—especially seeing her so naturally at ease—Xie Hejing’s gaze paused. His eyes seemed to merge with the winter chill, yet his lips curved faintly, almost imperceptibly, before he suddenly tossed the snowball in his hand toward Nan Xu.

The snowball didn’t hit her. Instead, it landed neatly at her feet, catching both their attention.

“Hahaha! So much for your snowball-throwing skills. Nan Xu’s standing right there and you still missed!” Jiang Qiyi turned, tightening the snowball in his hand, laughing loudly in mockery.

“Is that so?”

In the blink of an eye, Xie Hejing’s second snowball smashed against Jiang Qiyi’s shoulder. Packed solid and thrown with force, it exploded into a cloud of white against the black down jacket. Even though Jiang Qiyi had tried to dodge, the aim was too precise and he couldn’t escape in time.

The ache lingered on his shoulder as the snow slid down, his shock lasting only a moment before his stubbornness flared up. “Xie Hejing, that doesn’t count. Do it again!”

“Sure.” Xie Hejing’s smile was deliberately provoking.

The scene quickly grew chaotic. Nan Xu was slow at making snowballs—she had barely crouched down before several had already hit her. Annoyed, she retreated to a small corner, determined to finish rolling one before throwing it at whoever crossed her path.

But eight times out of ten, she missed.

While Nan Xu and Qi Zhiyu’s skirmish looked playful, the tension between Xie Hejing and Jiang Qiyi grew sharper, almost like sparks flying.

Their snowballs streaked back and forth at high speed, weaving white arcs through the air. The dull ‘thud, thud’ of colliding snow echoed nonstop.

Qi Zhiyu froze, staring.

She hurried over to Nan Xu and whispered, “What’s with those two? Why are they going at it so hard? Look—lucky it’s snowballs. If those were rocks, they’d both be in the hospital by now.”

The atmosphere had already shifted beyond harmless play, and the two girls watched nervously.

Suddenly, while dodging a snowball, Jiang Qiyi’s foot slipped. His body tilted backward, out of control. He flailed his arms, trying to steady himself, but it was useless—his arm struck heavily against a stone hidden beneath the snow.

“Hiss—!”

The sharp pain made Jiang Qiyi suck in a cold breath. His face went pale in an instant, sweat beading on his forehead and dripping into the snow.

“Brother!” Nan Xu cried out in alarm, terrified that Xie Hejing might hurl another snowball at him.

It was the first time she had ever shouted to him with such urgency—yet it wasn’t for him, but because of someone else. Xie Hejing lowered his gaze, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Nan Xu didn’t look his way at all. She rushed straight to Jiang Qiyi’s side, her face tight with worry, brows knitted as she asked softly, “Are you okay? Let’s go to the hospital.”

At the hospital, they learned Jiang Qiyi’s arm was fine, and Nan Xu finally let out a breath of relief. Still, on the way back she couldn’t shake the lingering fear. By the time they got home, exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep early.

Xie Hejing, however, remained outside in the yard. The snow had thickened through the night, blanketing the courtyard in a world of silver.

He crouched down, plunging his hands into the icy snow, scooping up a pile and packing it tight to form the base of a snowman. The cold wind cut across his reddening fingers, but he didn’t stop.

Little by little, the snowman took shape. He carved out its head with care, as the night grew deeper and the world around him sank into silence.

But in his mind, he could still see the evening scene: Nan Xu laughing freely with Jiang Qiyi in the snow. His eyes darkened, the light within them sinking even deeper.

When Nan Xu finally woke, it was already noon. She came downstairs for lunch, still a little embarrassed.

Zhang Huiwan, ever considerate, said warmly, “You kids don’t get enough sleep during school. Now that it’s the holidays, sleeping in is nothing to feel bad about. Come, try some of Auntie’s soup.”

Nan Xu sipped it slowly, but she couldn’t see Xie Hejing anywhere.

“Auntie, did Xie Hejing go out?”

“No,” Zhang Huiwan sighed. “He doesn’t seem well. I told him to go to the hospital, but he refused. I tried to get him to eat, but he wouldn’t. He’s resting in his room now.”

Ring ring—

The phone on the table suddenly rang.

Zhang Huiwan picked up the phone. It was about work, and the urgency showed on her face as she frowned. “Alright, fine, I’ll head over right away.”

After hanging up, she glanced at the soup with another crease of worry between her brows. “I don’t even know if he’ll want this.”

Seeing her hesitation, Nan Xu set down her chopsticks and said quickly, “Auntie, don’t worry. Go handle your work—I’ll take the soup up to him later.”

The person on the other end was urging her, so Zhang Huiwan nodded. “Alright then. Jiaojiao, take your time eating, no rush. If he wants the soup, let him drink it; if not, just leave it. I’ll get going.”

“Okay.”

As she opened the door, Zhang Huiwan muttered in surprise, “Eh? Who built that snowman at the front?”

At her words, Nan Xu darted to the door, cracking it open just a sliver to peek out.

There in the corner of the courtyard stood a rather large snowman.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she pushed the door fully open, running straight to it.

Her first instinct was to snap a photo and send it to Wen Qiu.

Then she studied the snowman carefully.

Circling it slowly, she brushed her fingertips lightly along its icy outline. The eyes were two smooth black stones, gleaming faintly, and around its neck was a scarf—one that looked oddly familiar.

She bent down, staring at the scarf in a daze, until shock rooted her in place.

It was Xie Hejing’s scarf.

Lifting her gaze, her eyes landed on the second-floor window of Xie Hejing’s room. The curtain stirred softly, as though someone had just pulled it shut.

Later, carrying the soup, Nan Xu knocked gently on his door, nerves prickling. “Brother, I brought you some soup.”

This time, there was no silence, no cold command for her to leave.

Before she had even finished speaking, the door opened.

Xie Hejing’s face looked as though it were veiled in gray gauze—deathly pale, bloodless. His lips were cracked and dry, like the parched bed of a long-forgotten river.

“Come in.” His voice was hoarse and low, carrying a muffled heaviness.

Nan Xu’s fingers tightened around the bowl.

He was letting her in.

When she hesitated, Xie Hejing glanced back, weariness in his eyes. “Is there a problem?”

She quickly shook her head. “No.”

Carefully, she set the bowl on his bedside table, not daring to glance around the room. Feeling uneasy, she mumbled, “Brother, the medicine and the soup are here. If you’re still not feeling well, just call me.” She paused, then added softly, “I’ll… get going now.”

“Wait.”

Xie Hejing sank back onto the bed and patted the edge beside him. “Come here.”

Nan Xu froze, her fingers nervously twisting at her hem. She could sense his mood wasn’t right. Was it just because of the cold?

“Come here,” he repeated.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over step by step and sat stiffly on the edge of the bed.

“Did you check on Jiang Qiyi?” His tone sounded casual, almost offhand.

“Yes,” Nan Xu replied. “I asked about him. Luckily, it’s winter and the layers of clothes helped—otherwise it could’ve been bad… I was thinking of visiting him again today.”

“You really do… care about him.”

Even just sitting by his bed seemed to cost her effort.

Xie Hejing lowered his gaze.

At that moment, her phone buzzed with a new message—Qi Zhiyu asking if she wanted to go visit Jiang Qiyi together.

Nan Xu rose to her feet. “Brother, drink the soup, okay? I’ll go check on Jiang Qiyi.”

Seeing the anxious look on Nan Xu’s face, a surge of nameless anger flared in Xie Hejing’s chest. “Nan Xu, do you really care about him that much? Is it that unbearable to stay with me?”

Nan Xu froze, turning back.

“No…” She wanted to explain, but when her eyes fell on his haggard face, the words lodged in her throat. “Brother, just rest well, alright?”

“Heh—” Xie Hejing gave a cold laugh as he pushed himself up. His steps were unsteady, but his will was firm.

Breathing heavily, each breath hot with fever, he raised his arms and trapped Nan Xu in the narrow corner.

“Your concern—so casual, so perfunctory. Or is it… only with me that you’re so perfunctory?”

“Nan Xu, is it that you can care about anyone?”

Nan Xu tried to push him away, but no matter how much force she used, he didn’t budge, looming over her with sheer stubborn arrogance.

She pressed her lips together, staring at him. Why was he so angry all of a sudden?

Frustration welled in her chest too, and she blurted out, holding her breath, “Caring about others is normal! If you don’t like it, then I just won’t come check on you anymore.”

She bent down, ready to slip past him.

Not come see him anymore?

He let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Fine. Suit yourself.”

Who cared? If she didn’t come, then she didn’t come.

But his nerves were pounding wildly, the same five words hammering through his mind:

Not come see him anymore!!!

He straightened, turning his gaze away from her.

But his senses betrayed him.

Like his ears—They strained to catch every sound she made.

Nan Xu gave a little huff in his direction and turned to leave without hesitation. But she had barely taken two steps before her wrist was caught.

She froze, then turned back.

Head lowered, Xie Hejing gripped her wrist, his voice hoarse and weary. “Wait…”

It was the first time Nan Xu had ever seen him like this. A softness seeped out, drop by drop, from beneath his cold shell, and her heart gave a violent jolt, leaving her rooted in place.

He cleared his throat with effort, murmuring, “Don’t go.”

She had never imagined Xie Hejing, of all people, would show weakness before her—softly whispering, asking her not to leave.

Shock crashed over her like a wave, leaving her mind blank, unsure of how to respond.

When she finally came to, she felt the icy coldness of his fingers clutching her wrist. Her chest tightened—he was sick, so why was she even quarreling with him?

Nan Xu parted her lips and answered quietly, “Alright.”

Xie Hejing blinked in surprise, then realization dawned. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he released her hand.

His fever-weakened body swayed. After taking two steps, he seemed to lose his strength altogether, bending forward until his chin rested against her shoulder.
“No strength left… let me lean a bit.”

The sudden closeness made Nan Xu’s heart pound so hard it felt deafening—she even worried Xie Hejing might hear it.

But she didn’t speak, didn’t move. She just let him rest against her, though her whole body was stiff with tension.

After a long silence, his muffled voice came again: “Are you mad at me?”

Nan Xu wanted to shake her head, but his rapid, burning breaths brushed against her neck at such close distance, tinged with the weakness of illness, and she couldn’t help but shiver slightly. “No,” she murmured.

The nerves that had been wound tight from their argument seemed, strangely enough, to ease a little in Xie Hejing at her reply.

The room was utterly silent, except for the ticking of the clock on the wall. Each sound seemed to strike at the very tip of Nan Xu’s heart. The faint scent of medicine lingered in the air, mingling with the familiar yet unfamiliar breath of Xie Hejing, bringing with it an inexplicable sense of peace.

Almost without thinking, Nan Xu raised her hand, wanting to support him. Just as she moved, his voice came again:

“You… what is it that you actually like?”

His eyes were lowered, hiding the flicker of tension within them.

The sudden, out-of-nowhere question left Nan Xu a little puzzled. She blinked and replied, “Like what? Let me think…”

Her gaze drifted to a poster on his wall—on it, a little dog was smiling at her. Memories of the puppy she once had flashed through her mind, and she smiled. “Puppies. I really like puppies. They’re so cute.”

Xie Hejing’s Adam’s apple moved, and his fingers lightly played with the ends of her hair. “So… you like puppies?”

“Mm.” Nan Xu nodded, though with the way they were leaning against each other, her chin could only rest on his shoulder.

Lowering his eyes, Xie Hejing let out two soft chuckles. The sound was deep, magnetic, and carried a faint upward lilt at the end.

Then—

He softly barked, “Woof.”

A breeze stirred, wind chimes rang.

The boy’s guarded heart took its first hesitant step, leaving footprints in the snow, beating with sudden, startling clarity.

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Chapter 23 — Does he know what he is doing?

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Nan Xu drifted back up to the second floor in a daze.

It took her several seconds to pull herself out of that hazy state before she turned again to glance downstairs at Xie Hejing.

He was standing below with both hands casually shoved into his pockets, his back slightly hunched, head tilted as he locked eyes with her. A mischievous, roguish grin instantly spread across his face, carrying that air of careless arrogance.

Nan Xu saw him like this for the first time and fled back to her room.

As for the photo—clearly, she could only wait for a chance to secretly take it when Xie Hejing wasn’t paying attention.

About an hour later, Nan Xu carefully cracked open her door, poked her head out, and heard the sound of a video game coming from downstairs. Keeping a calm expression, she went back to fetch a cup, then headed down to get some water.

During all this, Xie Hejing never once turned around.

Nan Xu’s heart tightened—he was too focused on his game to notice her. She quietly set the cup down, slipped out her phone, and switched to the camera. Slowly, she aimed the lens at him.

And right at that instant, he happened to turn his head toward her.

Her heart skipped. In her panic, she pressed the shutter.

“Click!” The crisp sound was immediately followed by a blinding flash that lit up the dim, empty living room like lightning.

Nan Xu froze, then hurriedly hid the phone behind her back.

At this moment, silence is golden.

“I…” She opened her mouth, but her throat felt blocked, the words stuck. Never in her life had she imagined she’d land in such an embarrassing situation.

“You were secretly taking pictures of me?” Xie Hejing’s gaze lingered lazily on her.

With every second that passed, Nan Xu’s chest tightened further. She couldn’t take the weight of his probing stare. All she wanted was to escape the mortifying moment, so she blurted something out and bolted upstairs:

“…Uh, it’s late. I’m going to sleep now. Brother, you should rest early too.”

Xie Hejing called out after her, but she pretended not to hear.

Back in her room, Nan Xu clutched her chest, her heart still pounding wildly.

Several minutes passed before she finally remembered to check the photo she’d risked so much to take.

At first glance, her face went stiff. It was blurry—just barely recognizable as a person, but the facial features were impossible to make out.

Nan Xu: “…”

She couldn’t hold back a heavy sigh.

The next day on the way to the restaurant, she still didn’t dare meet Xie Hejing’s eyes. With her head lowered, she tuned out everything else and just walked forward.

She was only two steps away from running straight into the restaurant wall when Xie Hejing reached out and grabbed the back of her collar, yanking her to a halt.

Seeing the wall right in front of her, realizing she had nearly crashed into it, and feeling his steady grip still holding her up, Nan Xu took several deep breaths before forcing a stiff smile.

“Thank you, brother.”

“You’re thanking me too soon,” Xie Hejing said, letting go of her collar. He bent down, flicked her forehead with a finger, and drawled, “You’ve been acting like an ostrich all day—not calling me, not talking at all. Were you planning on not explaining that little stunt you pulled last night, secretly taking pictures of me?”

“Hiss—”

So it had come to this after all.

Nan Xu rubbed her sore forehead, frowned, and sneaked him a glare.

But with her right under his nose, every tiny movement fell under his watchful eyes. Amused by her sulky expression, Xie Hejing chuckled.

“What, not convinced? Want to flick me back?”

He raised an eyebrow at her, his tone deliberately goading, as if daring her to try.

Nan Xu lifted her head, her eyes misting slightly, full of grievance and reproach.

“It hurts!”

Her voice was soft, the ending note trembling just enough to sound like a heartfelt complaint.

Xie Hejing froze for a moment, as if his heart had been lightly struck. Instinctively, he wanted to reach out and rub Nan Xu’s head, but the next second he snapped back to himself.

“Don’t act spoiled.”

Nan Xu stared at him in confusion, her clear eyes filled with bewilderment. “I wasn’t acting spoiled!”

But Xie Hejing ignored her, turning away first. “Let’s go.”

By the time they arrived, Qi Zhiyu and Jiang Qiyi were already there, browsing the menu. Just then, Nan Xu messaged that she was at the entrance. Qi Zhiyu instantly dropped the menu and fixed her eyes on the door.

Jiang Qiyi chuckled.

“Seriously? How handsome could he possibly be? I don’t see what’s so fascinating. Better to focus on what to eat.” He slid the menu back toward her and poured himself a cup of tea.

“This crispy pork looks pretty good.”

Just then, the two of them walked into the restaurant.

“Holy crap, a textbook heartthrob!” Qi Zhiyu exclaimed.

Jiang Qiyi snorted, glancing up carelessly—only to see Xie Hejing striding straight toward their table.

He wore a black cashmere coat, the cold wind ruffling the fringe across his brow. His thin lips were pressed into a straight line, and a loose dark-gray knit scarf hung casually around his neck. The effortless, unrestrained air about him made him stand out all the more in the noisy restaurant.

“Holy—” Jiang Qiyi’s teacup froze in midair, his eyes going wide as his smile stiffened. He blinked a few times, and once he was sure he wasn’t seeing things, he jabbed his elbow hard into Qi Zhiyu.

“Fine, I admit it. Dinner’s on me.”

Seeing his sulky expression, Qi Zhiyu burst out laughing.

The moment Xie Hejing stepped inside, his gaze was drawn to Jiang Qiyi—recognizing him as the guy who had once rested a hand on Nan Xu’s shoulder.

When their eyes met, Xie Hejing’s expression darkened slightly.

Nan Xu, however, didn’t notice the sparks flying across the table. Once she and Xie Hejing were seated, she asked the question that mattered most to her: “So, what dishes did you order?”

Only then did Qi Zhiyu reluctantly pull her gaze away from Xie Hejing’s face, sliding the menu toward them. “Not yet. You two go ahead.”

Since Nan Xu had brought Xie Hejing along, she couldn’t just leave him out. Without hesitation, she handed the menu over to him. “Brother, you pick.”

Xie Hejing’s eyes swept over the dishes, and before long he looked up, his voice low and steady as he began reading out the names.

Nan Xu, half-distracted scrolling through her phone, was about to reply to Qi Zhiyu’s flood of messages. But when she heard him naming the dishes, she slowly froze.

After living in Xie Hejing’s house for so long, she had never realized he liked these dishes. Take sweet and sour ribs, for example—when Aunt Zhang made them, he rarely ate more than one piece. Yet everything he was ordering now just so happened to be her favorites.

Since Xie Hejing had chosen almost all the dishes she liked, Nan Xu simply passed the menu back across the table and sent him a message on her phone.

[Brother, just order what you like. My friends are easy to get along with.]

She figured he was a little reserved, so he’d deliberately ordered what she liked.

Xie Hejing glanced at the message, his expression unreadable. He paused for a beat, clearly baffled by her thought process, then closed his phone under her gaze.

After the food was ordered, Xie Hejing said he was stepping out to buy something. That was all the release Qi Zhiyu had been waiting for.

She rattled off excitedly: “Xuxu, this guy is seriously top-tier.”

“He looks like a movie star—and that body? He’s basically a walking mannequin.”

Nan Xu took a sip of water, a little absentminded. “Really? A mannequin? I didn’t notice much.”

“You didn’t notice? With a guy like that sitting right in front of you?” Qi Zhiyu looked at her as if she had committed a crime against humanity.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Jiang Qiyi cut in. Though he had to admit Xie Hejing was handsome, he didn’t see the need to gush so much. “I’m still here, you know. Maybe you could throw me a compliment instead of drooling over someone else? Otherwise, what’s the point of hanging out together?”

Qi Zhiyu rolled her eyes. “Tch. He’s a mannequin, you’re a wardrobe.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jiang Qiyi frowned.

“Big belly—lots of storage.”

Nan Xu couldn’t hold back her laughter. Then Qi Zhiyu turned back to her. “By the way, why did you call him ‘Brother’ just now?”

“I’ve always called him that since we were kids. It’s a habit.”

“Tsk, tsk. Such a handsome childhood sweetheart,” Qi Zhiyu teased. “Xuxu, you’ve got the best chance of anyone.”

“What do you mean, ‘the pavilion closest to the water gets the moon first’——¹”

Just then, Xie Hejing returned. With his long legs, he stepped over the bench and sat down, smiling as he looked at Nan Xu. “So… which ‘moon’ are you after?”

Nan Xu was struck speechless. She had no idea if Xie Hejing had heard Qi Zhiyu’s teasing just now, nor whether he would appreciate being joked about. Given his usual aloof, cold nature, chances were he didn’t.

She pressed her lips together, about to explain—

—but Jiang Qiyi cut in. “Someone’s after Nan Xu, that’s the ‘moon.’”

“Someone…” Xie Hejing’s gaze slowly shifted to Jiang Qiyi. “Who?”

Xie Hejing’s gaze was sharp and fathomless, devoid of the slightest warmth. His half-narrowed eyes carried a hint of cutting edge, and his stare shot straight at Jiang Qiyi.

Even in the noisy restaurant, Jiang Qiyi felt a chill crawl up his spine.

Damn it, not this feeling again. He cursed inwardly.

He had meant to deflect the teasing for Nan Xu’s sake, but now all he could do was throw it back with a cowardly shrug. “Uh, it’s just some guy from our old school. He knows we’re close with Nan Xu, and since she transferred, he’s been asking us what kind of guys she likes.”

What kind of guys she likes…

Xie Hejing turned to Nan Xu with a trace of amusement. “Really? Then why don’t you tell us—what kind of guys do you like?”

The last few words lingered on his tongue, drawn out with a subtle weight.

Nan Xu frowned. Something about the way he asked felt strange, but thinking it over, it could have just been a casual question.

While she was still mulling it over, the smile on Xie Hejing’s lips slowly faded. His gaze dropped to her right hand resting under the table. Without a word, he traced a slow circle across the back of her hand with his fingertip.

The cool touch made her whole body jolt. Her other hand, halfway through lifting her teacup, froze. She looked up at him in shock, breath tightening for no reason she could name.

Noticing her sudden stillness, Qi Zhiyu asked, “Xuxu, what’s wrong? Is it too hot in here?”

“No—” Nan Xu took a quick breath and shook her head, “No.”

She darted a glance at Xie Hejing. His expression remained casual, almost indifferent, as though he were idly tracing circles not on her hand but on the wooden tabletop. Round and round, unhurried, relentless.

A faint itch spread through her chest. Nan Xu tried to quietly withdraw her hand.

But in the next second, Xie Hejing caught it. His grip wasn’t forceful, but it carried an undeniable firmness.

Startled, she instinctively tugged again, but he only tightened his hold, giving her fingertips a light squeeze—as if telling her not to move.

Eyes widening, she looked up—only to see his lips curve in a wicked smile.

“Come on, answer properly.” His fingertip tapped against her palm. “I’m curious too, little sister. What kind of guy do you like?”

Nan Xu’s ears flared scarlet.

“Go on, tell us!” Qi Zhiyu leaned in, excited. “We can help you figure it out.”

The chill of his touch lingered on her skin, and Nan Xu forced herself to stay calm, dragging her focus back to the conversation.

“I—” Her thoughts spun frantically. She had never seriously considered this before, and being put on the spot left her tongue-tied. After struggling for a long moment, she finally stammered, “I… I like…”

“…I like someone cute—” she managed at last.

Xie Hejing’s gaze flicked toward her, while his other hand clenched around the teacup on the table.

Nan Xu paused, then added, “And gentle. Not someone who’s always fierce. It’d be best if he smiles a lot.”

Xie Hejing: “…”

He wasn’t one to smile much, and she had once said he was fierce.

“I prefer someone who talks more,” she added.

Xie Hejing: “…”

The teacup in his hand landed heavily on the table with a loud clink.

The brief sound was quickly swallowed up by the surrounding noise, and Nan Xu didn’t notice. She went on, “And he doesn’t need to be very tall. Mm… 177 should be fine.”

Xie Hejing: “…”

He was 187.

With each word Nan Xu spoke, Xie Hejing’s expression grew darker. By the end, her hand was suddenly gripped tightly. His slightly calloused fingers slid against her palm.

Her heart skipped a beat. She cleared her throat. “That’s… about it.”

Perfect. Every single one of her requirements was the opposite of him.

Xie Hejing smoothed out his expression, then suddenly added, “Your taste isn’t great, is it?”

“What do you mean, ‘taste isn’t great’…” Nan Xu muttered under her breath.

Her hand had already been released. She stared at her palm, flexing her fingers a few times, unable to stop replaying what had just happened.

Xie Hejing—what on earth was he doing just now?!

Did he even realize what he was doing?

Sensing that the atmosphere was turning strange, Jiang Qiyi made an excuse about going to the restroom to slip away, then headed to the front desk to settle the bill.

But when he reached for his wallet, the staff told him their table had already been paid for. He followed their gesture—and sure enough, it was Xie Hejing.

Now he didn’t even have the chance to pick up the check. Jiang Qiyi sighed quietly and returned to his seat.

The dishes were almost all served. Xie Hejing picked up a piece of sweet-and-sour rib and placed it in front of the long-silent Nan Xu.

“Hey, don’t go falling in love too early.”

Judging from how specific she had been, he figured there might already be someone on her mind.

Hearing that, Nan Xu finally pulled herself out of her thoughts—only to suddenly recall what Nan Xiaocheng had told her back in high school:

“Daughter, never fall in love too soon. Not only will it affect your studies, but you’ll just end up getting hurt by some punk boy.”

“Brother, why do you sound like such an old man?” she muttered, pursing her lips when she saw Xie Hejing’s less-than-pleasant expression.

Still, she didn’t feel too guilty about it—after all, he had just scared her earlier.

At her words, Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow, pressed a chilled cola can to her flushed face, then glanced at her palm.

Noticing his gaze, Nan Xu quickly clenched her hand and turned her head away. The redness at the tips of her ears gave her away.

Seeing this, Xie Hejing chuckled, and with a pointed tone said, “Your heart’s beating pretty fast.”

---

1. Those in a favorable position get advantages first. ↩︎

---

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Chapter 22 Part 2 — What about him? Couldn’t he, too?

---

To celebrate the two finishing their exams, Zhang Huiwan deliberately came home early, planning to cook something special for them.

“Jiaojiao, how about hotpot tonight?” she said, shaking the groceries in her hands.

“Okay!” Nan Xu grinned and ran into the kitchen. “I’ll wash the veggies!”

When Xie Hejing walked in, he saw the two of them busy in the kitchen. Zhang Huiwan still managed to call out, “Hejing, set the table.”

“Mm.”

There wasn’t much on the table, and Xie Hejing began arranging things neatly. Suddenly, Nan Xu’s phone lit up with a message.

[Xuxu, we’ve decided. We’ll come tomorrow.]

His hands paused. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he continued tidying up.

At dinner, Zhang Huiwan kept piling food into Nan Xu’s bowl, worried she had lost too much weight after being discharged from the hospital.

Staring at the mountain of food in her bowl, Nan Xu had no choice but to keep stuffing bite after bite into her mouth. The moment she slowed down, her bowl would overflow again.

Even while busy chewing, she stayed observant. Catching sight of Xie Hejing’s distracted look, she thought he might feel left out. She quickly got up and dropped a slice of meat into his bowl.

“Brother, eat this—it’s really good.”

Xie Hejing actually looked surprised. He glanced up at her but said nothing. Only then did Nan Xu suddenly remember—he hated it when people got too close, let alone something as intimate as putting food in his bowl.

To smooth things over, she held out her own bowl with an awkward smile. “If you don’t want it, you can give it back to me.”

But without even glancing at her, Xie Hejing ate it in one bite.

“Hejing, your sister gave you food. Shouldn’t you give her something too?” Zhang Huiwan said.

Nan Xu was about to protest that her bowl was already overloaded, but Xie Hejing moved first—dropping a slice of ginger into her bowl.

“…Sister, eat some ginger. Good for keeping warm.”

That was deliberate. Absolutely deliberate revenge.

Nan Xu hated ginger the most. Clearly, he hadn’t liked her move just now.

She scrunched her nose. “…Thanks, Brother.”

“How could you give your sister ginger? Get her something else,” Zhang Huiwan scolded.

“No, no, it’s fine,” Nan Xu hurriedly waved it off.

Still, her eyes couldn’t help but follow Xie Hejing’s chopsticks as they dipped back into the pot.

When she saw him pick up a slice of potato, she relaxed—she actually liked that.

She waited expectantly, eyes bright, for him to place it in her bowl. But the very next second, Xie Hejing dropped it into his own instead.

Nan Xu instantly averted her gaze, pretending nothing had happened. But when Xie Hejing suddenly chuckled, her cheeks burned hot.

Zhang Huiwan, absorbed in her own food, couldn’t figure out what he found so funny.

Nan Xu decided to ignore everything and just focus on her own bowl. But she ate too fast, and in the next moment, she choked, coughing a couple of times. She quickly recovered and didn’t think much of it.

Then a cup was suddenly held out in front of her. It wasn’t transparent—she couldn’t see what was inside.

Nan Xu tilted her head. Xie Hejing didn’t even glance her way, as if the cup hadn’t been handed over by him at all.

Still half-doubting, she picked it up and took a sip through the straw.

Milk tea. And it was hot!

No wonder he’d used this kind of cup—otherwise, there was no way it would escape Aunt Zhang’s notice.

Even the flavor was exactly the one she usually liked.

How did he know?

Seeing Nan Xu lost in thought, Zhang Huiwan asked, “What’s wrong, Jiaojiao? Are you still feeling uncomfortable from choking?”

Nan Xu shook her head. “No, it’s great.”

The atmosphere at dinner stayed pleasant. Suddenly, Nan Xu spoke up: “Auntie, tomorrow some of my old classmates from No. 3 High want to meet up with me.”

“No problem,” Zhang Huiwan replied. “Are they coming here? If so, I’ll tidy up the house a bit.”

“No, no,” Nan Xu explained quickly. “We’re just planning to hang out nearby. I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn’t worry.”

“That’s fine too. You can bring them over if you want, but going out is okay as well. Just remember to come back early, and be careful, alright?” Zhang Huiwan reminded her.

Nan Xu nodded obediently.

The next afternoon, Qi Zhiyu and Jiang Qiyi arrived at the gate, smiling brightly as they came to pick her up.

As if sensing something, Jiang Qiyi suddenly felt a pair of eyes on him.

He lifted his head and scanned the area, but found nothing. A chill ran down his spine.

“Qi Zhiyu, hurry and call Nan Xu. Why does this place feel so creepy?”

Qi Zhiyu gave him a look of disdain. “It’s broad daylight. What’s so scary? Don’t be paranoid.”

Meanwhile, Nan Xu was washing her face when she saw their message. She quickly sped up and headed out.

The moment she stepped outside, she bumped into Xie Hejing.

Smiling, Nan Xu said, “Brother, I might be home late today. If Auntie asks, please explain for me, okay? Thank you.”

She carried a small bag, dressed neatly in a set of clothes with a down jacket over it. After closing the door gently, she turned and ran toward her two friends.

“Yuyu, Jiang Qiyi!”

Each of them gave her a big hug.

Especially Jiang Qiyi—taking advantage of his height, he ruffled the top of her head.

She walked in the middle, with Qi Zhiyu on her left and Jiang Qiyi on her right, both of them slinging an arm casually over her shoulders.

From the second floor, Xie Hejing’s gaze followed Jiang Qiyi.

At once, Jiang Qiyi felt that familiar icy chill creep over him again. He spun around, but once more saw nothing.

A shiver ran down his spine.

There aren’t any ghosts around here… right?

Nan Xu and Qi Zhiyu didn’t notice anything odd about him. The two of them were chatting with excitement, and after a while, Jiang Qiyi shook his head—blaming himself for being overly paranoid.

Nan Xu and he… their relationship didn’t seem ordinary at all.

Xie Hejing had his hands shoved in his pockets, the rarely worn black shirt hanging loosely on him. His gaze, cold and detached, lingered on the three of them.

It only took a few seconds before Jiang Qiyi naturally took Nan Xu’s bag from her, then casually slung his arm over her shoulder.

The two walked side by side, laughing and talking.

Xie Hejing’s eyes instantly darkened. His gaze returned to Nan Xu. She, however, didn’t seem to mind at all, as if she was used to it.

A shadow flickered across his eyes, and he clicked his tongue softly.

Nan Xu and her two friends headed to a shopping district nearby, and after walking around for a while, they stopped at a small eatery to rest.

Qi Zhiyu brought up Nan Xu’s life while staying with her host family.

“It’s been good,” Nan Xu said. “Aunt Zhang treats me really well. Uncle Xie is on an overseas assignment, so he’s not home. Oh, and they also have a son, a bit older than me…”

“A brother?!” Qi Zhiyu’s mouth formed a perfect “O.” “Why have you never mentioned this?”

“Didn’t I? Maybe I forgot.” Nan Xu sipped her milk tea. For some reason, it didn’t taste nearly as good as the one Xie Hejing gave her yesterday.

Qi Zhiyu suddenly gave her a mischievous grin. “Come on, tell us honestly. How does he look? How do you two get along? Did anything happen between you two…”

Seeing Qi Zhiyu’s imagination go off-track, Nan Xu quickly cut her off. “No! He just treats me like a little sister.”

If anything, their relationship was probably even less than that.

Nan Xu sighed.

“So, how does he look?” Qi Zhiyu pressed again.

Nan Xu thought for a moment. She originally wanted to just show them a picture, but she didn’t have any on her phone. So she said, “He’s really good-looking. The kind of face that stuns you at first sight, and keeps stunning you the more you look.”

Jiang Qiyi scoffed in disdain. “You girls only ever care about looks. Shouldn’t you pay more attention to character? What’s the use of a pretty face?”

Qi Zhiyu rolled her eyes. “At least a handsome face is nice to look at. Hey, Xuxu, isn’t it kind of unfair for us to just drag you out to play? From what you said earlier, Aunt Zhang is always busy with work, so it’s usually just the two of you at home. Doesn’t that leave him alone and bored?”

The implication in her words was obvious. Jiang Qiyi wasted no time in exposing her. “You just want to meet him and see if he’s really that good-looking, don’t you? Qi Zhiyu, you’re way too forward for a girl.”

Qi Zhiyu admitted it without shame. “Yeah, so what? It’s not like it hurts to meet another handsome guy. What, are you afraid he’ll outshine you?”

Jiang Qiyi laughed in disbelief. “Me? Afraid of that?”

Their back-and-forth went on, with Nan Xu quietly listening from the side, not saying a word. She didn’t really mind—it was entertaining to watch. But somehow, the argument ended with the two of them striking a deal: tomorrow they’d treat Nan Xu to dinner, and she had to bring Xie Hejing along.

Qi Zhiyu wanted to meet the handsome “brother.” Jiang Qiyi wanted to see just how handsome this guy could really be.

They even made a bet: if Xie Hejing turned out to be so good-looking that even Jiang Qiyi had to admit it, then he’d not only pay for dinner but also send Qi Zhiyu a red envelope.

Nan Xu was stunned, shocked by this ridiculous wager—but before she knew it, she had already agreed.

Senior year was packed with schoolwork, and they hardly had any time to hang out together. Even during this break, chances to go out were rare. So when the three of them finally did, they played around wildly until nine at night before Nan Xu went home.

She was humming a tune as she unlocked the door. The lights in the living room were still on.

Glancing at the coat rack, she noticed Aunt Zhang’s jacket wasn’t there—that meant it must be Xie Hejing.

That thought actually cheered her up a little. On the way home, Qi Zhiyu had begged her to take a picture of Xie Hejing for her. Nan Xu had hesitated, but after Qi Zhiyu nagged her the entire way back, she finally agreed.

Sure enough, when she walked further in, she saw Xie Hejing on the sofa playing a game. The main light was off; only a few wall lamps were on.

The glow from the screen lit up his face, highlighting the sharp bridge of his nose and casting a deep shadow beneath it, making his features look even more defined.

Beneath his high brow bone, his eyes were fixed intently on the screen, not even noticing her arrival.

Remembering Qi Zhiyu’s request, Nan Xu felt her heart stir. She set down her keys and sat beside him, clearing her throat. “Brother, are you free tomorrow?”

His fingers paused on the controller for a moment. “What’s up?”

“I was thinking… not me and my friend—” Nan Xu stumbled over her words, then rephrased. “I want to treat you to dinner tomorrow, to thank you for tutoring me in physics for so long.”

“Treat me to dinner?” Xie Hejing chuckled. “That’s sudden.”

“No, I’ve wanted to for a while.”

She just happened to find the perfect excuse now.

“Alright,” he agreed surprisingly easily. “But it won’t just be the two of us, right? That guy who had his arm around your shoulders today—he’ll be there too?”

His arm around her shoulders? Nan Xu hadn’t even noticed that, but since Xie Hejing agreed, that was enough.

“Yeah, both of my friends will be there.”

“Friends…” he murmured under his breath, but his gaze grew darker. “Alright.”

Nan Xu smiled, humming again, feeling like Xie Hejing was unusually easygoing tonight. She even started wondering if she could ask him for a photo.

“Pretty happy, huh?”

He spoke at last. Though phrased as a question, his voice was deliberately low, ending on a slightly raised note, carrying a trace of danger.

“Yeah, it was fun. I’m really happy,” Nan Xu replied cheerfully.

“Happy because you went out to play—or because you were with him?” Xie Hejing paused, recalling the scene from the afternoon. “Is that why he hugged you?”

Nan Xu froze, stunned by the question.

Her blank look only made his brows knit tighter, though a faint glimmer rose in his eyes.

Then what about him?

Couldn’t he, too?

He leaned his body forward, and the distance between the two of them suddenly closed significantly. Nan Xu could just see the untamed wildness spilling out of his eyes.

Yes—that was the word. Wild.

Nan Xu was startled by her own thoughts.

Before she could even sort them out, Xie Hejing moved in closer. He pulled the sofa cushion toward himself, and Nan Xu was forced to topple forward.

Her hands landed against his chest.

It was burning hot—so hot that her breath nearly caught in her throat.

The distance between them shrank until she could feel the warmth of his breath mingling with hers.

His gaze locked onto her, dark currents smoldering within it. Through gritted teeth, he said, “Nan Xu, why are there so many people who like you?”

So many… that he wanted to hide her away.

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Chapter 22 Part 1 — What about him? Couldn’t he, too?

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Nan Xu’s sudden movement made Xie Hejing freeze. His whole body went rigid, muscles tense as if he’d been struck by a pressure point. He coughed twice, trying to sound casual but failing. “Hey, Nan Xu—let go.”

“Nan Xu!”

When there was still no response, he turned his head. She was still fast asleep, lips moving faintly with indistinct murmurs. Xie Hejing leaned closer to catch her words.

“…Mom…” Nan Xu whispered weakly in her sleep.

Xie Hejing: “…”

The moment he understood, his urge to get up only grew stronger.

But Nan Xu, burning with fever, sensed his movement. Dreaming that she was clinging to her mother, she grew anxious. Her grip tightened, her voice breaking into sobs, as if on the verge of waking.

If she struggled any more, the IV needle would get pulled right out. Irritated but helpless, Xie Hejing sat back down.

Before long, whatever she was dreaming of made her tremble all over. Her arms around his waist only tightened, her sobs coming quicker and quicker.

It was the first time he’d seen her like this. Completely at a loss, Xie Hejing blurted out, “Stop crying.”

Then he realized she couldn’t possibly hear him.

His mind told him to leave her be.

But his body moved on instinct.

Glancing around and finding no one there, he hesitated for a long moment before finally lifting a hand. Awkwardly, stiffly, he patted her shoulder—copying the way Zhang Huiwan used to soothe him to sleep when he was a child.

The movements were stiff, even clumsy, but they worked. Slowly, Nan Xu’s sobs quieted. Only now and then did she murmur something under her breath.

Some of it he caught. Some of it was too soft to hear.

. . . . .

“Bro… ther.” The word slipped out softly.

“…Huh?!” Xie Hejing’s eyes snapped open. His taut nerves tightened again—had she just called him?

He stared hard at her. Her eyes were still closed, her breathing steady.

Bending closer, even his breathing slowed as he strained to listen, desperate to hear her say it again. To know whether he was imagining things from exhaustion.

But as if deliberately teasing him, Nan Xu only smacked her lips lightly and drifted deeper into sleep, silent.

Xie Hejing let out a slow breath. If not for the fact that she was sick and unconscious, he would’ve suspected she was doing it on purpose just to mess with him.

Straightening up, he lowered his gaze to her sleeping face, muttering with a mix of annoyance and resentment, “You’d better not call me that again.”

He had stayed in that position the whole night, and by morning his body was stiff. At six o’clock, when the sky outside was just beginning to lighten and the cold was at its peak, Xie Hejing shivered from the chill.

His jacket was draped over Nan Xu’s arms where she still clung to him.

She slept on, the panic that had clouded her brows finally easing.

Xie Hejing glanced at the clock on the wall, weighing when—and how—he should pry her hand off. The last thing he wanted was for Zhang Huiwan to walk in and see them tangled up like this.

When he turned sideways to check the clock, the movement twisted his jacket around his waist, opening gaps where the cold wind slipped in. Nan Xu felt the chill against her arm and instinctively leaned closer to the warmth beside her.

The arm around his waist tightened. Xie Hejing glanced down at her but didn’t notice anything unusual. It was only when he saw the jacket sliding off that he realized what had happened and quickly pulled it back over her.

“Liu Chengyi.” This time Nan Xu’s murmur was clear.

Xie Hejing immediately sensed that she was reliving the KTV incident in her dream. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and sure enough, she went on mumbling: “Don’t scold me.”

Her lips pouted, brows furrowed tightly—she looked on the verge of tears.

He had no choice but to reach out and gently pat her again. After practicing it all night, the motion now came almost naturally.

“Brother…” The word he had been waiting for all night suddenly slipped from her lips.

Xie Hejing was slightly taken aback, but the corners of his brows arched despite himself. His reply came out soft, almost tender, yet tinged with a trace of pride: “Brother is here.”

The moment the words left his mouth, even he was stunned by how gentle he sounded.

His throat tightened, and for a moment, he couldn’t say another word.

Thankfully, there was no one else in the hospital room—no one to witness this strange, unfamiliar side of him.

And luckily, Nan Xu was still asleep.

Xie Hejing exhaled in relief.

Thank God… Thank God…

But the next second, when he lifted his eyes, he met Nan Xu’s dark gaze. She was awake—and smiling at him, her eyes curved like crescent moons.

!!!

Xie Hejing’s face froze instantly, his eyes widening. Every word he might have said clogged in his throat.

“Brother, were you just—”

“No.” He cut her off with a sharp denial.

He stood up at once, hastily shrugging on his jacket as if to erase everything from last night—including that one slip of the tongue.

Why had he cared about her? Damn it, what was wrong with him? Regret gnawed at him.

Nan Xu watched his flustered movements and kindly asked, “Brother, where are you going?”

Anywhere. As long as it’s far from here.

Without answering, Xie Hejing quickened his pace, snatched up his phone, and stormed out the door.

He happened to run into Zhang Huiwan, who was bringing food. Seeing his hurried figure, she asked, “Hejing, where are you rushing off to?”

His face was cold as he replied, “Going home to grab some books, then to school.”

When Zhang Huiwan entered the ward, she turned to Nan Xu. “What’s wrong with your Brother Hejing? He didn’t look well.”

Nan Xu honestly didn’t know. She only remembered, in that hazy space between dream and wakefulness, someone gently soothing her nightmares, making her feel safe—safe in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time. But before she had the chance to ask about it after waking, Xie Hejing had already left in a rush.

She looked at Aunt Zhang, still unsure whether the person from last night had been Aunt Zhang or Xie Hejing. Her heart leaned toward Xie Hejing, but that was impossible.

Would Xie Hejing really comfort someone like that? And why had he rushed out just now?

“Jiaojiao?” Aunt Zhang called.

Nan Xu snapped out of her thoughts. “Ah, Auntie, I don’t know either. Maybe he had something to do at school!”

Aunt Zhang had taken leave to take care of Nan Xu. That morning, Nan Xu’s condition had seemed better—she even mentioned wanting to go to school in the afternoon. But around nine o’clock, her fever spiked again, giving Aunt Zhang a scare. Any thought of leaving was firmly put aside; she had to stay in the hospital.

By the time Xie Hejing came after school, Aunt Zhang had just gone home to handle work.

When Nan Xu saw him again, he was back to his usual self. Expressionless, he pulled her practice book out of his bag and said, curt as ever, “Write.”

Nan Xu wanted to ask about what happened this morning, but his look shut her up instantly.

“Okay.”

She worked through the other subjects and then threw herself into physics. But when she hit a block, that strange heat from the night before seemed to rise again, making her lightheaded. Frustrated, she let out a heavy sigh.

Seeing she was at her limit, Xie Hejing took the notebook from her and began scribbling formulas across the page.

Once she started to catch on, he stopped to let her think for herself, then added, “From now on, I’ll tutor you in physics. I’ll summarize the tricky question types and key points for you.”

“Okay!” Nan Xu nodded. In that instant, she caught sight of the dark circles under his eyes.

Last night… it must have been him.

Her gaze lingered on him, which quickly put him on guard. Afraid she’d bring up what happened in the morning, he cleared his throat and said, “It wasn’t like I wanted to, you—”

“Thank you, Brother Hejing.” Nan Xu interrupted, her tone completely sincere.

Whether it was him or not, whether he had wanted to or not—she should thank him.

Xie Hejing froze, cut off mid-sentence. Her sudden gratitude left him stunned. He turned his face aside, voice dropping low. “Mm.”

After finishing another page, Nan Xu couldn’t stand seeing the fatigue etched into his features. “Brother, you should rest a bit. Why don’t you sleep on the bed? I’ve already been lying down all day—I’ll take a walk outside.”

“No need.” He kept looking at her mistakes, but her words echoed in his head. After a pause, he said, “Don’t wander off.”

“Then at least go rest on the sofa over there. I promise I won’t run around.”

He looked at her, weighing her words for a long moment before agreeing. “Mm.”

He had stayed up all night and forced himself through a day of classes. As soon as he lay down on the sofa, he drifted into sleep.

Nan Xu quietly tidied up the books, then found a blanket to cover him. She pulled out her phone to reply to a friend’s messages.

Qi Zhiyu: [Baby Xuxu, I talked it over with my mom. After exams, I can come visit you for a whole week.]

Nan Xu’s face lit up: [Wow, that’s amazing! When you come, I’ll take you to eat all the good stuff.]

Qi Zhiyu: [And it won’t just be me—there’s someone else too. Guess who?]

Nan Xu thought for only a moment before replying: [Jiang Qiyi.]

Besides Qi Zhiyu, Jiang Qiyi was her best friend at Zhi’an No. 3 High School. It could only be the two of them.

Qi Zhiyu: [Smart.]

Qi Zhiyu: [When the time comes, make sure to take us around and have some fun, Xuxu.]

Nan Xu smiled: [As you command.]

Exiting her chat with Qi Zhiyu, Nan Xu’s eyes were drawn to the name “Liu Chengyi” on her screen, and in an instant, her good mood vanished.

Liu Chengyi had sent her a flood of messages. At first, Nan Xu had no intention of reading them, but when she saw the last three characters—[I’m sorry]—she changed her mind and tapped in.

The apology had been sent around 11:30 the night before. It wasn’t just a short message, but paragraphs of what looked like little essays, as if he were terrified she wouldn’t forgive him. Between the lines there was even a sense of fear—he admitted he was wrong and begged Nan Xu not to send anyone after him.

Nan Xu was baffled. When did I ever send anyone to look for him?

There were countless messages, the notification already at “99+.” Her thumb grew sore from scrolling before she finally reached the end of his apology.

Nan Xu was good-natured, but she wasn’t the type to forgive blindly. She had no intention of replying to Liu Chengyi. Instead, she decisively blocked and deleted him.

Because of her recurring fever, Nan Xu had stayed in the hospital for five days before finally being discharged.

Zhang Huiwan wanted her to rest at home longer—after all, with Xie Hejing around, her schoolwork wouldn’t fall behind. But Nan Xu felt she was more efficient at school, so Zhang Huiwan eventually agreed to let her return.

The moment she arrived at school, Xiang Weishi and Wen Qi came rushing over, bombarding her with questions.

They’d wanted to visit when they first heard she was sick, but Nan Xu had stubbornly refused to give them her address. In the end, they gave up and instead pulled her aside to chatter about the latest class gossip.

Only when class began did the two finally quiet down.

Nan Xu gripped her pen and let out a long, quiet sigh. Just recovering from illness, her energy was still low; she nearly couldn’t keep up. She stifled coughs but still ended up coughing uncontrollably.

No one in class paid attention to the sound. But a few minutes later, Xie Hejing suddenly turned his head, catching her gaze. She mouthed silently, “What’s wrong?”

Without speaking, he quickly passed her a note.

Nan Xu discreetly unfolded it and read the words:

“Not feeling well?”

Beneath those words seemed to be more, but Xie Hejing had scribbled them out with his pen. Nan Xu puzzled over it for a while, unable to figure out what he’d originally written.

His handwriting had a distinct style—sharp, angular strokes, each line decisive and clean. Completely different from her own rounded script. More than once, she’d caught herself marveling at how striking his handwriting looked in her notebooks. How did he even practice to get this good?

But knowing Xie Hejing’s personality, he was definitely not someone who’d sit down and practice diligently. It had to be natural talent.

That was the downside of written notes—she couldn’t hear his tone of concern. Just imagining it gave her a strange little thrill.

What a pity.

Still, the fact that he’d even written her a note was already something. Unconsciously, Nan Xu’s lips curved upward, before she quickly pressed them down again for fear someone might notice her smiling to herself.

Just as she was about to write back, Xie Hejing turned around again. Nan Xu quickly shook her head, signaling that she was fine.

Since the note no longer needed to be passed back, she started tucking it into her pencil case—only then noticing that the little slip of paper was crumpled, as if it had been balled up tightly in someone’s palm for a long time before finally being smoothed out.

She slowly rubbed the edge of the note, then gave up the idea of slipping it into her pencil case and instead tucked it between the pages of her book to keep.

The homeroom teacher, Qi Zhixin, came in with the exam schedule in hand. After taping it to the wall and taking a sip of tea, he reminded the class, “This is your last final exam. Next time, it’ll be the college entrance exam. I hope every one of you takes this seriously and achieves your ideal results.”

During finals week, temperatures in Zhi’an had dropped sharply. Zhang Huiwan had repeatedly reminded the two kids to dress warmly.

Worried about catching another cold, Nan Xu put on four layers before stepping out the next morning—only to bump right into Xie Hejing passing by.

Her brows knitted slightly. He was wearing only two thin layers, his jacket flimsy at best. Wasn’t he cold?

Usually, whenever Nan Xu asked him such things, Xie Hejing ignored her outright. She pressed her lips together—well, it was only a casual question anyway.

But later, when she went to the school store with Wen Qi to buy heat packs, Xie Hejing came to mind again.

The classrooms at No. 1 High School had heating, but the higher the floor, the weaker the warmth. On top of that, the school required every class to keep both doors and windows open for ventilation.

After just one class, even with four layers, Nan Xu was freezing. Wen Qi, who was naturally sensitive to the cold, was shivering too. They agreed to go buy heat packs.

Still, Nan Xu found it hard to believe Xie Hejing could really handle the cold in just two layers.

“Qiqi, I noticed today Xie Hejing only wore two layers. Has he always been this resistant to the cold?”

Wen Qi was picking through the heat packs. Hearing Nan Xu’s question, she found it a little strange. Since when did Nan Xu start asking about him? Haven’t they always kept their distance? But she didn’t overthink it.

“He’s always been like that. But this afternoon the temperature’s supposed to drop sharply, and they’re saying this winter’s the coldest Zhi’an’s seen in years. Not sure if he’ll be able to take it.”

Nan Xu’s gaze fell on a few packs of heat pads on the shelf. Without hesitation, she grabbed all of them. “Let’s go, time to pay.”

“Xuxu, why are you buying so many?” Wen Qi stared at the pile in shock. “Tomorrow’s the exam—you won’t even need this many at home!”

“It’s fine. Come on.”

Back in class with her arms full of heat packs, Nan Xu fretted over how to give them to Xie Hejing. After thinking it through, she decided the only way was to wait until the long break, when everyone went downstairs, and secretly slip them into his desk.

She had just stuffed the packs in, clapped the dust from her hands, and turned around—only to run right into Xie Hejing, who had come back for something.

Nan Xu froze on the spot. After a beat, she forced out an awkward laugh. “What a coincidence, haha.”

But Xie Hejing clearly wasn’t about to let her brush it off. He tilted his chin toward the desk. “What did you just put in there?”

Reluctantly, Nan Xu pulled the items back out, her gaze lowered. “The temperature’s dropping this afternoon. It’ll get even colder. I don’t want you catching a cold, Classmate Xie.”

For a brief moment, Xie Hejing just stared at the pink heat packs, his eyes flickering with something almost out of character—dazed, almost vulnerable. But it was quickly masked by the familiar sharpness in his gaze. He gave a careless smile. “‘Classmate Xie’? What’s this—are you worried about me?”

“Mm.”

Nan Xu recalled their earlier conversation about how she should address him. Right, it wasn’t supposed to be ‘Classmate Xie’.

“Brother, don’t catch a cold,” she said seriously.

The nonchalance in his eyes slowly dimmed, though his tone stayed casual. “Ahem… not necessary.”

And yet, in the days that followed, it was impossible not to notice the sight of a pink, cutesy heat pack peeking out of Xie Hejing’s uniform pocket—so wildly out of place with his style that it almost seemed comical.

Whenever Xiang Weishi’s hands got cold, he would sneakily fish the heat pack out of Xie Hejing’s pocket. But within seconds, Xie Hejing would always take it back, accompanied by three curt words:

“Don’t touch it.”

Xiang Weishi had even joked once that he guarded that heat pack like it was treasure.

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Chapter 21 Part 2 — It’s not good to provoke someone…

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Hearing this, Xie Hejing’s brows shot up, a dangerous air of hostility rising from him.

“…Tch.” He exhaled sharply.

Nan Xu’s shoulders trembled. Even though he said nothing, she could sense his anger.

He must be angry that she hadn’t listened—after all, he had already warned her about Liu Chengyi, and she hadn’t taken it seriously.

“Are you going to scold me?”

Nan Xu’s voice was soft and fragile, unlike anything she’d ever used before—like a wounded fawn, uncertain and afraid.

She wasn’t sure whether she could hold back her tears if he did scold her. Still, she would try.

He didn’t like it when she cried.

More than that—

—he hurt for her.

Xie Hejing met her gaze. Afraid of frightening her again, even his breathing grew lighter. He didn’t voice the words in his chest, but they lingered in his eyes.

“Why would I scold you?”

Nan Xu mumbled, “You reminded me before… to stay away from Liu Chengyi.” Just saying that name made the memories crash back, and the thought of having to face him again in class tomorrow broke her composure. Her voice cracked with sobs. “From now on, I’ll definitely keep my distance from him.”

Xie Hejing lowered his gaze, the sharpness in his eyes softening. “If you want to cry, then cry. Don’t hold it in.”

His tone was still cold and clipped as usual, but underneath it carried a tenderness neither of them noticed.

For the first time, Nan Xu felt truly safe. She clutched his sleeve, stepped closer, and buried herself in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Xie Hejing listened as her muffled whimpers swelled into unrestrained crying. Her tears soaked his shirt as his fists slowly clenched—yet in the next moment, he forced down his temper to comfort her instead.

Only when her crying finally subsided did Xie Hejing speak, unusually gentle: “Go upstairs and rest. Don’t think about anything else. Just get a good night’s sleep.”

The tenderness in his voice startled Nan Xu so much she forgot her sadness and looked up at him in astonishment.

Xie Hejing clearly realized what he’d done, and immediately slipped back into his usual harsh demeanor.

“What are you staring at?”

But this time, the fierceness carried a trace of guilt, as if he were covering something up. Nan Xu didn’t notice, though—she just nodded.

Mm. It must have been her imagination just now. This was the real Xie Hejing.

After watching Nan Xu go back to her room, Xie Hejing took out his phone and gave the address she had mentioned to the people on the other end.

By the time he arrived at the KTV entrance, his men had already been waiting for quite a while. When they saw him, someone asked, “Brother Jing, should we head straight up?”

Xie Hejing nodded.

At that hour, Liu Chengyi was still drinking with his group of good-for-nothing friends. Glass after glass went down, but his mind was elsewhere—he had no intention of letting Nan Xu off so easily.

She dared to hit him? He would make her pay.

But before he could even plot further, the door burst open, and Xie Hejing and his men walked in.

In panic, Liu Chengyi looked up, recognizing who it was. His forced smile was pitiful. “Xie Hejing, did you come to the wrong place? This is our room.”

The Xie Hejing standing there was a completely different man from the one who had carefully comforted Nan Xu earlier.

His presence radiated a chilling, dangerous aura.

He didn’t waste words.

He simply grabbed Liu Chengyi by the collar and dragged him out, like hauling a dog.

The 178cm-tall Liu Chengyi was completely helpless in front of him, constantly falling and tumbling as he was dragged out.

In desperation, he stammered, “Xie Hejing, what are you doing?”

Xie Hejing smirked, his voice laced with mockery. “I just don’t like the look of you.”

Liu Chengyi’s friends jumped to their feet, trying to intervene, but Xie Hejing’s men immediately blocked them, ensuring no one disturbed his “conversation” with Liu Chengyi.

Unimpeded, Xie Hejing hauled him all the way outside the KTV into a dark alley. There, without a word, his fists rained down on Liu Chengyi. Only the sounds of groans and pleas for mercy broke the silence.

After who knew how many blows, Xie Hejing finally paused. Seizing the chance, Liu Chengyi wheezed through bloodied lips, “What did I ever do to provoke you?”

At that, Xie Hejing crouched down. His expression carried a street-thug insolence rarely shown before Nan Xu. With a hand clamped tightly around Liu Chengyi’s throat, his eyes gleamed coldly.

“Of all people to mess with—you just had to go after my little girl.”

. . . . .

By the time Xie Hejing returned home, it was already midnight. Zhang Huiwan was still working late.

He sank onto the living room sofa, exhaling slowly.

Barely three minutes later, his phone rang. The caller ID read “Nan Xu.”

He turned toward the second floor—everything seemed quiet—then answered.

“What’s wrong?”

Nan Xu’s voice came weak and tired through the receiver. “Brother… are you home? I don’t feel well.”

“What’s wrong, where does it hurt?” Xie Hejing gripped the phone, already running upstairs, but stopped at her bedroom door. “I’m right outside your room.”

“Brother, I feel dizzy. I think I caught a chill earlier today…” She coughed softly. “Can you bring me some cold medicine?”

“I’m coming in,” he said into the phone.

He pushed the door open. Nan Xu strained to lift her head, and what came into her blurred view was a slightly double-imaged Xie Hejing. She quickly felt her head weigh a thousand pounds and slumped back onto the pillow.

Even earlier when she’d come home, her throat had felt scratchy, her body weak and feverish. She had brushed it off, thinking she only needed rest.

But waking up just now, it had only worsened. Her head pounded, her body burned.

Xie Hejing touched her forehead lightly.

Nan Xu curled deeper into the blanket. Strands of messy hair stuck to her flushed cheeks, her skin burning hot. When she felt the chill clinging to him from outside, she instinctively pulled the covers tighter.

He quickly withdrew his hand. “We’re going to the hospital.”

“Medicine should be enough,” came her muffled voice from under the blanket. “I still have school tomorrow.”

“…Get up and put on your clothes.” Xie Hejing’s brows knitted together.

Ever since childhood, whenever she had a fever, Nan Xu would be taken to the hospital for an IV. But she was afraid of needles. “I don’t want to go.”

Xie Hejing drew a deep breath, restraining his temper. His eyes caught on a coat draped over the end of her bed. He pointed.

“Then put that on—we’re going to the hospital.”

“That one doesn’t look good.” Nan Xu pouted.

“What’s so bad about it? Just put it on and let’s get to the hospital.” Xie Hejing said.

“I don’t want to go.” Nan Xu insisted.

Xie Hejing raised a brow, looking a little helpless.

“…Then wear a nice one, okay?” His tone was practically coaxing.

Right now his temper was unbelievably good. Hands on his waist, he stared at Nan Xu. He couldn’t exactly force her into the car.

“Which one do you want to wear?”

Seeing that Nan Xu was about to refuse again, Xie Hejing cut her off coldly: “If you say you’re not going one more time, I’ll call Aunt Wen. Do you want her to worry?”

That worked instantly. Nan Xu hurriedly sat up, afraid he really would make the call. “I’ll go,” she said quickly, then pointed at the wool coat hanging to the side. “I’ll wear this one—it matches my pajamas pretty well.”

Xie Hejing: “…”

With patience, he took the coat down, walked to the bed, and ignored her attempt to put it on herself. Draping it over her shoulders, he said, “Arms.”

Nan Xu froze for a moment before slipping it on.

Xie Hejing pulled the hood out, zipped it up for her, then straightened and lowered his gaze to her. “Can you walk?”

She looked too weak to manage. His hand was already half-extended, but Nan Xu braced herself on the bed and stood up on her own. “I can walk.”

Slowly, Xie Hejing withdrew his hand. “…Alright. Let’s go.”

He was so gentle now it felt like he was a different person entirely. If Liu Chengyi were here, he’d never believe Xie Hejing even had this side to him.

At the hospital, after all the examinations, Nan Xu still needed an IV drip. She curled up inside her coat, face buried, fists trembling with nerves.

Noticing, the nurse glanced at Xie Hejing and said, “Your girlfriend looks scared. Hold her still, or she might move when I put the needle in.”

Nan Xu’s head shot out of her coat immediately.

What a huge misunderstanding!

If Xie Hejing heard that, he’d definitely get mad. She didn’t even dare look at his expression as she rushed to explain: “Sister, this is my brother, not my boyfriend.” She held out her arm steadily. “You can go ahead, I won’t move. Sorry to trouble you.”

Xie Hejing just crossed his arms and stared at her back, silent.

The nurse worked quickly, then stood up and reminded Xie Hejing, “Keep an eye on it. When this bag finishes, call us to switch it out.”

“Mm. Thank you.”

By the time Zhang Huiwan arrived after getting the call, Nan Xu was already asleep against the bed.

Panting, Zhang Huiwan asked, “How is she?”

Xie Hejing lowered his voice: “She has a cold, it’s quite serious. She needs to be hospitalized first.”

Zhang Huiwan looked at Nan Xu worriedly. “It’s my fault, I haven’t been taking proper care of Jiaojiao these past few days.” She set her bag down on the table. “Hejing, you should go home first. I’ll stay here with her.”

But Xie Hejing didn’t move. “Mom, you go home. I’ll stay. What—aren’t you going to get your beauty sleep?”

“How could I possibly think about beauty sleep right now? I nearly died of nerves the moment I got your call.” Zhang Huiwan steadied herself and finally found a seat.

“That’s why you should go back first. I’m young, I can stay up. If anything happens to Nan Xu, I’ll be right here. But if you can’t hold out and something comes up, then what? You should go home.”

Zhang Huiwan hesitated, and Xie Hejing pressed a little harder: “Get some proper rest tonight. That way you’ll have the energy to take care of her tomorrow.”

In the end, Zhang Huiwan still lingered in the ward for quite a while before leaving. On her way out, she was already mulling over what nourishing food she could cook for Nan Xu.

Xie Hejing glanced up at the IV and saw it was nearly finished, so he called a nurse to change the bag.

Maybe the noise startled Nan Xu, because after the nurse left, Xie Hejing heard her muttering in her sleep, though he couldn’t make out the words. She stirred, even tugging the blanket off herself.

Xie Hejing frowned, bending down to pull the quilt back over her.

But before he could straighten up, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his waist.

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