Song Siyang fled in a panic.

Xie Heng and Lu Xi both fell silent.

When she finally realized what was happening, Lu Xi couldn’t help but laugh.

But because of what Xie Heng had just asked, she found that she couldn’t really laugh after all.

Where had she been for the past sixteen years… How was she supposed to explain that?

The words ‘I traveled through time’ were impossible for her to say, not just figuratively, but literally.

Xie Heng realized that his appearance had been seen, but he couldn’t be bothered to chase after Song Siyang. Instead, he simply sent a message threatening him to keep quiet.

He wasn’t worried about that side of things.

Putting down his phone, Xie Heng turned and saw Lu Xi looking deeply troubled.

Even with that Batman—no, wait, luxury eye mask on, her expression was still obvious.

Xie Heng suddenly felt a little nervous.

Had he asked something he shouldn’t have?

He hadn’t meant to bring it up, but it was all because of that dream last night—it had made him act impulsively.

He wasn’t stupid.

Lu Xi’s disappearance all these years had been far too strange. With his Dad’s wealth and influence, even if she had gone abroad, as long as she was still on this planet, there should have been some trace of her.

And ever since she returned, she looked like she was still in her twenties, exactly the same as before she went missing.

Sometimes, even Xie Heng forgot her actual age and assumed she was just in her early twenties.

She looked far too young.

No wonder people mistook her for a stepmother. Even he had taken a long time to believe the truth.

Sure, some of his classmates’ Moms looked young, but that was thanks to cosmetic procedures. From a distance, it was fine, but up close, the signs of aging were still obvious.

Yet, Ms Lu… from her appearance, her mindset, even her voice—she was just like a young girl.

He didn’t want to dig too deeply and upset her, but he really, really wanted to know what had happened to her all these years.

“If it’s some kind of secret you can’t talk about, just say so. I promise I won’t ask again,” Xie Heng said.

Lu Xi : “Maybe it is a secret. That’s why I can’t say it.”

Xie Heng was slightly startled.

She can’t say it… Not that she won’t, but that she literally can’t?

“You mean… you’re not allowed to say it?” Xie Heng’s imagination suddenly ran wild.

Could it really be some kind of classified secret? Would she be taken away if she spoke about it?

Seeing him suddenly acting all nervous, his eyes darting around like he was on high alert, Lu Xi frowned.

“What are you looking for?”

Lowering his voice, Xie Heng leaned in close and whispered, “Are we being monitored?”

Lu Xi : “…”

She resisted the urge to smack him and instead pushed his buzz-cut head away with a blank expression. “Just how many conspiracy novels have you been reading?”

“Oh.” Xie Heng sat back obediently, glancing at her expression.

He had just been joking, but this was getting ridiculous.

His eyelids were starting to itch. He really wanted to take off the eye masks…

Just as he hesitated, she suddenly spoke, sounding quite justified, “My situation is more complicated than you think. You might need to expand your imagination a little.”

Xie Heng : ?

Was his thinking too limited?

Feeling a bit exasperated, he started to suspect Lu Xi was messing with him. “Don’t tell me… you were abducted by aliens?”

Lu Xi paused.

She let out a soft laugh. “Nope. Try again.”

Xie Heng lowered his gaze, rubbing his ear thoughtfully. “So… you can’t say it, but if I guess right, you’ll give me a hint?”

Lu Xi : “I’m not sure. We can try.”

“…”

Xie Heng was speechless.

But now, he was even more intrigued. It felt like solving a mystery. Even if it wasn’t exactly detective work, guessing right would still feel like an accomplishment.

Settling in, he crossed his legs and shut his eyes in deep thought.

“You’re actually a clone?”

“…No, you’re the clone.”

Xie Heng wasn’t offended by the jab. Thinking harder, a light bulb suddenly went off in his head. “You were like Sleeping Beauty. You slept in some mysterious place for sixteen years, and then my dad brought you back?”

Lu Xi almost wanted to thank him—not only had he turned her into Sleeping Beauty, but he had also cast his own Dad as Prince Charming.

She couldn’t help but ask, “And this ‘mysterious place’ would be…?”

Xie Heng made something up on the spot. “Somewhere like Shangri-La.”

Lu Xi sighed. No wonder his literature grades were bad.

“No, none of that,” she laughed in exasperation. “Can’t you be a little more imaginative?”

Xie Heng : To be honest, his imagination was already running wild at this point.

He let out a helpless chuckle, then gave up entirely. “What, are you saying you actually traveled through time? Like, straight from the past to now?”

Don’t ask how he knew. He hadn’t watched it himself, but his deskmate did—constantly. So, he’d inevitably catch a glimpse now and then.

Just as she thought she was about to be rejected again, Lu Xi suddenly fell silent.

Xie Heng’s heart tightened in an instant.

What was she doing? Hurry up and say no!

Lu Xi’s heartbeat quickened.

She hadn’t expected Xie Heng to guess the truth so quickly. It made her a little excited.

And the secret she couldn’t speak of—if someone else said it, it seemed like it wouldn’t really affect her.

Even though she couldn’t nod directly, as if something unknown was holding her back, perhaps she could try another way.

“Xiao Heng, maybe you really are suited to be a police officer,” Lu Xi paused before adding, “You’re so smart. Mom is very proud of you.”

Xie Heng’s eyelids trembled involuntarily.

Was she implying…

No way?

Did he guess correctly? She had traveled through time?

That was even more absurd than aliens or clones, yet, though his rational mind doubted it, his emotions couldn’t help but believe her.

He knew now. It must have been the moment she fell into the river that day, the second she hit the water—she was chosen by fate and sent sixteen years into the future.

That explained why she still looked so young.

Xie Heng felt his palms heat up. Thankfully, his head didn’t ache, nor did he feel dizzy, or he might have thought he was coming down with a fever again.

Lu Xi had already removed her eye mask, wiped her face clean, and then reached over to help Xie Heng remove his as well.

Seeing his eyelashes flutter as he prepared to open his eyes, Lu Xi frowned slightly. “Wait a second, let me clean it off for you.”

The boy hummed in agreement and obediently sat still.

Lu Xi used a tissue to wipe away the essence around his eyelids and eyes, gently reminding him, “It’s still a little sticky. If it bothers you, you can go wash your face.”

Only then did Xie Heng open his eyes.

A pair of clear eyes, so similar to hers, gazed at her intently. His expression was full of happiness and contentment, with a hint of dependence.

Finally, he understood.

She hadn’t left this home or him all these years because she didn’t want him. There had been reasons beyond her control.

That was enough. Whether it was aliens, clones, or time travel—what did it matter?

“Then… will you ever disappear again?” Xie Heng fixed his gaze on her, unwilling to miss even the slightest change in her expression.

Lu Xi smiled calmly. “No, don’t worry. So, stop having nightmares.”

Xie Heng finally breathed a real sigh of relief.

A servant came in and announced that dinner was ready, inviting the young master and madam to eat.

Lu Xi estimated that by this time, if Xie Yichao wasn’t working overtime, he should be home soon. She was planning to go upstairs and freshen up.

“Oh, right.” Xie Heng suddenly remembered something. “Does my Dad know about this?”

Lu Xi thought for a moment, then shook her head without saying anything.

She wasn’t sure if Xie Yizhao knew or how much he had guessed. But he had certainly realized that the truth wasn’t simple, though he probably hadn’t considered the possibility of time travel…

However, unlike Xie Heng, who was at an age where everything in the world fascinated him—reckless, impulsive, and insatiably curious yet sincere and endearing—Xie Yizhao didn’t ask too many questions.

That day, the only thing he had cared about was whether she would leave again.

Now, Xie Heng had asked the same question.

Once he knew she wouldn’t, he was at peace.

And a Xie Yizhao like that made her feel at peace, too.

Xie Heng suddenly grinned, his eyes gleaming with pride. “Great! We won’t tell him, this will be our secret.”

Hah, his Dad said he wasn’t allowed to be a cop, yet look how smart he was. He figured out the truth so easily.

His Dad really didn’t know what he was missing.

Feeling good, Xie Heng slept particularly well that night. No fever, no nightmares. Even the soreness in his throat eased considerably after a good night’s rest.

The next morning, he insisted on going to Lu Xi’s studio with her.

Xie Yizhao had originally planned to take the day off, but since his son wasn’t staying home to rest, it saved him the trouble. Though he wasn’t exactly pleased about it.

It felt as if his rebellious son was deliberately avoiding him, choosing to work instead of taking a break with him?

Before leaving for work after breakfast, he patted Xie Heng’s shoulder. “Don’t cause trouble for your Mom.”

Xie Heng scoffed silently.

Of course not. He was there to help, earning money with his own abilities, not causing trouble.

Lu Xi couldn’t help but laugh.

She enjoyed seeing the daily battles between the father and son. Though they seemed to be at odds, it was much better than before, when they barely acknowledged each other and the house felt lifeless.

She wasn’t worried about their relationship at all.

Work was busy, but not chaotic, and for the time being, there were no major problems.

The only annoyance came in the form of occasional ‘flies’ buzzing around—harmless, but irritating.

For example, Mrs. Xia, who had appeared at the Yin family banquet the other day.

Lu Xi hadn’t taken their minor disagreement at the event to heart, brushing it off as Mrs. Xia simply being a bored socialite who liked to make small talk.

What she hadn’t expected was for the woman to spread rumors behind her back, claiming she was pregnant.

That woman had totally fooled her little Xie.

In this circle, there were no real secrets. If Mrs. Xia thought she could make up gossip and walk away unscathed, she was sorely mistaken.

With just a little digging, Lu Xi had easily traced the rumors back to her.

Lu Xi wasn’t planning to do anything drastic, like complain to Xie Yizhao and have him retaliate against the Xia family.

That would be excessive.

It is said that the Xia family has been in decline in recent years. Mrs. Xia’s son is also a disappointment, seemingly entangled in financial disputes and a divorce scandal—completely unpresentable.

If she were to seriously go against Mrs. Xia, it would only lower her own status.

For people like that, the best response is to not even spare them a glance.

But since the other party had come knocking herself, Lu Xi certainly wouldn’t give her a warm welcome.

That morning, it was nearly ten o’clock when Lu Xi arrived at the studio with Xie Heng. She had just been to a garment factory to check on some production details for a piece of clothing.

As she stepped into the office, she saw Mrs. Xia standing at the front desk, her face long, loudly berating the receptionist:

“What’s wrong with your app? I’ve been trying to book a custom order for two weeks and still couldn’t get a slot. Are you really that busy?”

The receptionist repeatedly apologized, “I’m terribly sorry, but we’re fully booked this month. Perhaps you could try again next month?”

Mrs. Xia let out a cold snort. “A studio this small, where the boss is also the designer and doesn’t even have much of a reputation, can you really be that busy? Are you just brushing me off?”

The receptionist, a young girl fresh out of college, glanced at the luxury watch and diamond ring on Mrs. Xia’s hand, as well as her affluent appearance. She panicked and didn’t know what to say.

Xie Heng frowned.

Who was this woman causing trouble? She had to be here to stir up trouble, thinking she could bully the receptionist.

His expression darkened, and he was just about to step forward.

But Lu Xi shot him a look.

Xie Heng understood immediately—she wanted to handle it herself. Pressing his lips together, he didn’t intervene, but he remained on guard, watching the scene unfold.

Lu Xi cleared her throat. “Who is this?”

Mrs. Xia turned around and, upon seeing Lu Xi, her expression changed slightly, a flicker of awkwardness flashing through her eyes.

She quickly put on a smile. “Oh, it’s me, Mrs. Xia. Have you forgotten, Mrs. Xie? We met at the Yin family’s gathering last time…”

Lu Xi interrupted, “Oh, I remember now. You’re the one who was spreading rumors that I was pregnant, right?”

Mrs. Xia was stunned, her expression shifting rapidly.

She had never encountered someone like Lu Xi who would hit straight where it hurt right from the start.

“No, that’s not true. I never said that…”

Lu Xi frowned slightly. “Also, don’t bother booking anymore. You won’t get a slot. Our shop is small, and we’re not capable of serving esteemed guests like you. We don’t want your money either. You can leave.”

Her words showed no courtesy at all, not even considering the presence of Mrs. Xia’s friends.

Lu Xi wasn’t planning to go after her, but she certainly wasn’t going to be polite either.

She knew her own worth. Her small studio wasn’t famous to the extent that Mrs. Xia would struggle to get an appointment for a month and then personally show up.

This was obviously an attempt to set her up.

Mrs. Xia was both furious and humiliated, her face pale. She glared at Lu Xi for a long time but couldn’t find the words to retort. In the end, her friend had to drag her away.

Lu Xi didn’t spare her another glance. She simply smiled at her colleagues, who had been watching the spectacle, and headed straight into her office.

The receptionist, having just witnessed her boss’s impressive combat prowess, was practically squinting in admiration.

Just then, she suddenly noticed the black handbag on the counter.

“Oh no, this belongs to that woman. She’s going to come back for it.” The receptionist picked it up hesitantly, wondering if she should chase after her to return it.

There was still time to catch up.

But she was also a little afraid of being on the receiving end of Mrs. Xia’s anger…

“No worries, I got it.” Xie Heng grabbed the bag and strode off. He wasn’t afraid of getting scolded.

Even though he couldn’t outargue that woman or fight her, if she dared to bully him, he could always go complain to Ms. Lu—and to Mr. Xie.

With his long legs, he quickly caught up and spotted the two women rounding a corner.

At this moment, Mrs. Xia was still seething, her hands trembling.

“She’s just relying on being Xie Yizhao’s woman, does she really need to act so arrogant?”

Her friend tried to console her, “Forget it. Just take it as giving CEO Xie some face. After all, she’s his wife, still young and pretty. Why go head-to-head with her?”

Mrs. Xia knew she had embarrassed herself. She forced her voice lower, but it was still louder than usual.

“Hmph, as if Xie Yizhao treats her that well. He only set up a tiny studio for her—how much could that cost him? Xie Yizhao is shrewd. Once the novelty wears off, who knows, he might just replace her.”

Her friend nodded. “True. He’s so wealthy, yet he won’t even open a bigger studio for her. Guess the richer they are, the stingier they get.”

Mrs. Xia scoffed. “Exactly. He wasn’t even that generous to his ex-wife. They even signed a prenuptial agreement before getting married.”

Xie Heng suddenly came to an abrupt stop.

His brows furrowed, and his expression turned odd.

Prenuptial agreement?

That kind of thing meant his Dad had planned ahead so that in case of divorce, he wouldn’t have to split his assets with Ms. Lu?

Damn.

His dDd was that stingy? Why not just hold onto his money and live alone—what was the point of getting married at all?

---

After going downstairs, Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao saw that Xie Heng was already in the dining room having breakfast.

Although his fever had subsided, and aside from his hoarse voice, he had no other symptoms, the doctor had advised yesterday that he should eat light meals for the next few days and avoid cold air.

Luckily, it was winter break, so he could stay home to recover.

The kitchen had prepared shredded pork congee for him that morning—something he had insisted on; otherwise, he would have only had plain congee with pickled vegetables.

Still, he ate with resentment.

If every time he got sick, he had to endure such a bland diet for several days, then he swore he would never repeat his mistakes. If he ever took off his shirt to play basketball again, he’d be a fool.

Hearing movement, he looked up and saw Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao walking toward him.

The boy’s gaze wavered.

Why was she coming downstairs dressed like that?

Seeing that Xie Heng looked fine, Lu Xi felt relieved, but she still walked over to touch his forehead.

Xie Heng didn’t dodge but softly said, “I’m fine now. I’m strong.”

Lu Xi just snorted with a smile.

Technically, he wasn’t wrong—he was in good health. The doctor had said last night that his fever was acute, and as long as it had gone down and he got proper rest, it wouldn’t return.

It was rare for the three of them to have breakfast together.

Normally, at this hour, Lu Xi would still be asleep.

Xie Heng also noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes.

Lu Xi caught his glance because, even though he thought he was being subtle, his actions were anything but.

“What are you looking at? Don’t you know it’s rude to stare at a girl’s just-woken-up face?” Lu Xi couldn’t help rubbing her face.

Whenever she didn’t sleep well, she always felt her face was puffy, her eyelids swollen, and dark circles obvious. Not to mention, she wasn’t even wearing makeup.

Suddenly scolded, Xie Heng was confused. “What? You look great right now.”

Why wasn’t he allowed to look?

Lu Xi was stunned. Seeing the boy’s genuinely puzzled expression, she held back a laugh, feeling unexpectedly cheerful.

Xie Yizhao sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Just then, he noticed Lu Xi giving him a meaningful look.

He paused.

Last night, Lu Xi had discussed with him that once Xie Heng recovered, they needed to scold him together.

She had read in a parenting book that when disciplining a child, parents shouldn’t play good cop/bad cop. Instead, they should both be involved, praising together and criticizing together.

But now, Lu Xi didn’t want to scold him anymore.

After all, her little boy had just complimented her—so sweet!

She decided to let Xie Yizhao be the bad guy instead. He was used to it anyway, right?

She blinked at Xie Yizhao, making her message very clear.

Xie Yizhao lowered his eyes and smiled slightly, not minding her little tricks. He would find a way to make her make it up to him later anyway.

Then, looking up at Xie Heng, his previously gentle expression turned slightly stern. “What happened yesterday? Be more careful when playing basketball from now on. Don’t get sick again and make your Mom worry, she didn’t sleep well last night.”

Under the table, Lu Xi secretly gave him a thumbs-up.

Nice job!

Xie Heng, of course, wasn’t happy about being scolded. He had just finished eating and set his chopsticks down, staring rebelliously at Xie Yizhao. “Dad, stop pretending. You were worried about me too. You secretly checked on me several times last night.”

Xie Yizhao was momentarily speechless.

This brat was getting bolder in front of him.

But since he was still recovering, Xie Yizhao couldn’t scold him, let alone hit him. After a moment, he put down his chopsticks, adjusted his tie, and looked at Lu Xi. In a gentle voice, he said, “I’m heading to work.”

Lu Xi waved at him, trying hard to suppress her laughter, but her shoulders trembled uncontrollably.

Xie Yizhao pretended not to see and left quickly.

Xie Heng, satisfied that he had managed to fluster his Dad for once, was in a good mood. He waited a few minutes for Lu Xi to finish laughing before asking, “So when are we leaving?”

Lu Xi wiped away tears of laughter. “Going where?”

“Work, of course.”

Lu Xi glanced at him, amused. “Not going. Today’s a rest day.”

Xie Heng thought for a moment. “But I’m fine now. I can work.”

Lu Xi didn’t understand why he was so enthusiastic about a job that paid just 30 yuan an hour. “If you don’t want to rest, I still need to! Look at my dark circles.”

“…”

Xie Heng glanced at her.

He said nothing and obediently sat back down.

When Ms. Lu didn’t get enough sleep, her temper was truly bad. He’d better not push his luck.

But he still felt a bit heartbroken over the lost wages. Three hours in the morning, almost a hundred yuan gone.

---

After lunch, Lu Xi took a nap at home and made sure to remind Xie Heng to sleep as well so he could recover faster.

She woke up at five in the afternoon.

Looking in the mirror, she saw that the dark circles were still there, so she quickly put on a pair of under-eye patches.

Leisurely sitting back on the bed, she noticed a message from Xie Heng, sent an hour ago.

Buzzcut Brat : [I can’t sleep. I’m a little afraid to sleep.]

Buzzcut Brat : [How can you sleep so much? Let me know when you wake up. I have something to talk to you about.]

Lu Xi snorted.

How dare he say she sleeps too much?

She typed quickly on the screen : [Come to the living room.]

Then, she took out another pair of eye masks.

Three minutes later, Lu Xi and Xie Heng successfully met in the living room.

Lu Xi generously handed him the eye masks. Sitting down on the sofa, she patted the spot beside her, “Come on, put on the eye masks. Let’s have a nice chat, just the two of us.”

Xie Heng held the small patches in his hand and then stared at the strange things around Lu Xi’s eyes. He instinctively resisted. “I don’t want them.”

Lu Xi said, “These are expensive. One pair costs more than two hundred. Boys need to take care of their skin too.”

“So expensive?” Xie Heng was baffled. These things stay on for barely ten minutes, what good could they possibly do?

He tugged at the corner of his lips. “Can I sell them instead?”

Lu Xi : “No. Either use them or give them back.”

Xie Heng frowned, hesitated for a while, and reluctantly decided to give them a try.

But how was he supposed to apply them? Which side was up? Which side was down?

Seeing the pure confusion in his eyes, Lu Xi couldn’t help but laugh and waved him over so she could help.

Xie Heng walked over and sat down.

To keep warm, he was wearing a sweater and sweatpants even indoors. Normally, it wasn’t anything special, but now, looking at Lu Xi, who was curled up comfortably in fluffy loungewear on the sofa, he started to feel envious.

That outfit looked way more comfortable.

“Wait a second, I’m going upstairs to change.”

Like a gust of wind, Xie Heng ran upstairs. Not long after, he came back down—now wearing the pink monster-themed pajama set.

In this house, he had already lost all sense of dignity. There was no shame left to carry. Comfort was the only thing that mattered.

Lu Xi’s eyes lit up with delight.

She truly loved seeing him in this outfit—like a life-sized baby dinosaur. But if only he had worn something like this when he was actually little, he would’ve been even cuter.

Too bad she had missed out on that.

At that thought, her gaze softened unconsciously. She pulled Xie Heng down to sit beside her and carefully applied the eye masks for him.

Xie Heng still felt uncomfortable. The area around his eyes was cold and had a strong scent.

So strong that he had the urge to peel them off.

But then he remembered the price. He forced himself to endure it.

Fine.

These weren’t eye masks.

These were… Batman’s eye covers.

Batman’s eye covers.

Xie Heng repeated the thought in his head.

Once everything was set, Lu Xi leaned back, resting her head against the couch. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

Xie Heng mimicked her, leaning back and closing his eyes. “I had a nightmare last night.”

“Hmm? Saw a ghost?”

“No…” He had only been scared of ghosts when he was a kid.

Xie Heng cleared his throat and mumbled, “I dreamt about the accident. Your car fell off the bridge… I woke up in a panic.”

Lu Xi froze for a moment.

With the eye masks on, the skin around her eyes wasn’t supposed to move, but she still frowned instinctively.

Could it be that taking him to the boat yesterday had triggered some hidden trauma?

Lu Xi suddenly realized. She had never actually talked to Xie Heng about this.

Her disappearance, her return, and that accident from years ago…

“Do you… have that dream often?” she hesitated before asking.

Xie Heng pressed his lips together. “Not really. I used to have it all the time when I was a kid. It got better as I grew up.”

…Really?

Lu Xi sighed softly in her heart.

This was her fault.

She had assumed Xie Heng was strong, that he wouldn’t dwell on things. But he was only sixteen. If she had talked to him earlier—maybe not even explaining everything in detail, but at least addressing it—perhaps she could have helped him move past the fear.

Xie Heng took a slow breath. “It’s not a big deal. I just wanted to ask… where have you been all these years?”

His voice dropped a little. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Lu Xi’s fingers curled slightly on her knee, unconsciously clenching.

“There’s nothing I can’t say.”

Hearing that, Xie Heng instinctively opened his eyes in surprise, then quickly shut them again when he remembered the eye masks. “Then… tell me.”

That was the moment Song Siyang walked in.

The housekeeper had let him in.

As a frequent visitor to this house, the butler had simply told him that Xie Heng and Madam were in the living room and let him go straight in.

His footsteps echoed at the doorway.

“Brother Heng? I heard you were sick. Are you feeling better—”

His voice suddenly cut off, the last note cracking like a duck being strangled mid-quack.

He stood frozen, staring blankly at the two people on the sofa.

Dressed in fluffy blue bear pajamas and pastel pink monster pajamas… was that really CEO Lu and Brother Heng?

Wait, what was that on Brother Heng’s face?!

Just as Xie Heng was about to hear the truth he had been waiting for, he was rudely interrupted. Annoyed, he spoke up. “What do you want?”

Song Siyang turned around and bolted. “S-Sorry! Wrong room!”

---

Lu Xi was momentarily stunned, her brows furrowing tightly.

She… was being hugged by a 1.8-meter-tall man wearing a girly pastel pink monster-themed pajama set?

And why did this ‘monster’ look like he was about to cry? So pitiful.

She couldn’t help but glance at Xie Yizhao.

His expression wasn’t great either, somewhat grave. While Xie Heng was still clinging to Lu Xi, he raised a hand to feel the boy’s forehead.

It was burning hot.

“He’s got a fever,” Xie Yizhao said before turning to fetch the medical kit. But before he could step away, Lu Xi let out an “ah” and grabbed his hand.

Xie Heng, half-conscious and feverish, was tall and broad. At first, the hug had been light, but gradually, his entire weight started leaning against her. Lu Xi was about to topple over.

“…”

Xie Yizhao quickly supported her and, in the same motion, took his troublesome son off her hands. He couldn’t help but frown and shake his head.

He could’ve just stayed in bed and made a sound if he needed help. Even if he didn’t say anything, they would have noticed something was wrong and checked on him.

Did he really come out just to hug Lu Xi?

With ease, Xie Yizhao helped Xie Heng back into bed and made sure he was lying down properly.

Lu Xi touched his back—no sweat. The blanket was still clean and dry. Only then did she feel reassured enough to let him rest.

Soon, the butler arrived with the medical kit.

Seeing Xie Heng lying there, face flushed with fever, the butler’s heart clenched. He immediately took his temperature.

“Master, Madam, it’s 38.6°C. Ah, I knew it! I told him he’d get sick trying to tough it out…” The butler muttered as he rummaged through the kit for fever medicine.

Lu Xi nodded. Once he was better, she would definitely give him a good scolding.

“Which fever medicine works best for him?” She glanced down at the various medications the butler had pulled out—plenty of options for colds, fevers, and inflammation.

Xie Yizhao spoke up. “He rarely gets sick. Last time, it was just a mild fever at 37.5°C from playing basketball in the cold. He slept it off without taking any medicine.”

The butler opened his mouth, about to say something, but then swallowed his words.

He hadn’t expected that the master of the house remembered better than he did.

Lu Xi glanced at Xie Yizhao, then at Xie Heng. After being settled back in bed, the boy had reopened his eyes and was now staring intently at his Dad.

His fevered gaze, framed by slightly downturned puppy-like eyes, was especially bright.

Xie Heng grumbled unhappily, “Why do you even remember such an embarrassing thing? And it wasn’t from playing basketball, I caught a cold from a classmate.”

Xie Yizhao looked down at him with a chilly gaze. “Then who did you catch it from this time?”

“…”

Xie Heng sighed. “I’m already sick. Can’t you go easy on me for once?”

Xie Yizhao remained silent.

If he still had the energy to argue, then he wasn’t too bad off. Xie Yizhao felt both helpless and a little relieved.

Lu Xi rolled her eyes at the father and son. She was annoyed with Xie Heng, but more than that, she felt sorry for him. She decided to let it slide for now and shot a glare at Xie Yizhao. “Just let him be. Can’t you hear him whining at you?”

Xie Heng : “I am not!”

His moment of weakness—leaving his room just to hug Ms. Lu—was already humiliating enough. Thinking about it made his toes curl in embarrassment.

Lu Xi ignored his prideful act and picked out a medicine she found effective. She pressed a pill into her palm and held out a glass of warm water from the nightstand. “Do you want to take it yourself, or should Mommy feed you?”

“…I’ll take it myself.”

Xie Heng’s face turned even redder.

Even Xie Yizhao gave Lu Xi an exasperated look.

For some reason, he felt both a little jealous and a little sorry for Xie Heng. Knowing Lu Xi’s playful nature, once he recovered, she would definitely tease him about this.

Even though Xie Yizhao was usually serious and composed, the image of his son—dressed as a pink monster with little horns, clinging to Lu Xi and acting soft—almost made him chuckle.

Xie Heng snatched the pill, tossed it in his mouth, and downed it with a gulp of water.

Lu Xi watched him. “Finish the whole glass. You need to drink more water right now.”

Xie Heng didn’t argue. He frowned slightly but obediently drank the rest. His head was muddled, and he felt awful. After taking the medicine, he lay back down.

Lu Xi turned to the butler. “Call Dr. Wei to come take a look. Let’s leave for now so he can rest.”

Xie Heng, who had closed his eyes, heard footsteps. He couldn’t help but peek through his lashes, anxiously watching the small figure standing beside his Dad.

Even though he knew she was just leaving his room and still inside the house, the lingering fear from his nightmare made him uneasy.

He pressed his lips together. When he thought she might turn around, he quickly shut his eyes tight.

Not long after, he heard the door close behind them.

Maybe it was the medicine working, but his headache eased, and his body gradually relaxed. The discomfort subsided, and he drifted into sleep.

It wasn’t a deep sleep, though.

He vaguely felt people entering and leaving his room, whispering softly. A cool, gentle hand occasionally touched his forehead and hair, bringing a sense of comfort and security.

When he finally woke up again, he glanced at the clock.

It was already six in the morning.

Xie Heng sat up and touched his forehead.

It seemed like the fever was gone?

He got up, moved his hands and feet a bit, then walked to the full-length mirror to check his complexion. It looked normal again.

Xie Heng couldn’t help but feel a little smug.

He’s young and has a strong body. Just one pill and a good sleep, and he was fine. The adults really made a big fuss about nothing, calling a doctor over yesterday?

Right now, he was just starving.

He felt like he’d burned a lot of energy. He needed to eat more today to make up for it.

Xie Heng was about to change and go downstairs when he suddenly caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and froze.

Wait a minute, had he been wearing these pajamas all night?

His expression changed drastically.

He carefully recalled last night.

His Dad and Ms. Lu knocked on his door. He had groggily gotten up and hugged Ms. Lu… while wearing this ridiculous outfit?!

The boy suddenly felt as if the world had ended. He collapsed back onto the bed in despair.

He didn’t want to go downstairs anymore.

Might as well keep having a fever.

Ms. Lu was definitely laughing her head off right now!

---

Lu Xi didn’t have time to laugh at Xie Heng.

She hadn’t slept well last night and woke up extra early. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes in the mirror gave her a headache.

She knew her own body well.

The upside was that she usually slept soundly. The downside? If she ever had insomnia, she’d get dark circles the next day and would have to make sure she got proper rest for the next few days to get rid of them.

Glancing at the reflection beside her—Xie Yizhao, brushing his teeth—she became even more frustrated.

Some people were just born with endless energy and good skin, huh?

He had gotten up with her in the middle of the night to check on Xie Heng, yet why didn’t he have dark circles too?

She couldn’t resist poking Xie Yizhao’s waist. Then, before he could react, she quickly slipped away.

“……”

The man paused for a moment. The corners of his lips twitched slightly in resignation.

He didn’t bother chasing after her. After finishing his morning routine, he stepped out, carrying the fresh scent of aftershave—only to see a fluffy blue teddy bear sitting cross-legged on the bed, playing on its phone.

Xie Yichao : “……”

So, was this supposed to be a mother-son matching outfit?

Lu Xi saw him come out and had already forgotten her little sneak attack from earlier. She smiled and said, “I’m not going to the studio today. Just giving my assistant some instructions.”

Xie Yizhao nodded.

He sat beside Lu Xi and thought for a moment before saying, “I can take the day off today too.”

Lu Xi’s eyes lit up.

She was just about to say that the three of them could go out together when she remembered that Xie Heng hadn’t fully recovered yet. So she changed her mind and nudged Xie Yizhao. “How about you take tomorrow off instead? Stay home with him, and I’ll go to work.”

Xie Yizhao raised an eyebrow slightly.

Honestly, he didn’t think Xie Heng catching a little cold warranted a parent staying home to watch over him. When he was sick as a kid, his parents never did that. There were always plenty of people around, and doctors on call.

And even if Xie Yizhao were home, he wouldn’t be much help.

But then again, maybe this was exactly why Xie Heng only acted spoiled with Lu Xi while he… just got attitude.

Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but smile slightly and agreed.

“But I think he’d rather have you stay home with him than me,” Xie Yizhao said casually.

Lu Xi actually thought the same.

But if she admitted it, wouldn’t that seem a little narcissistic? She blinked innocently and played dumb. “Really? Don’t be jealous. If you are, go be jealous in front of your son.”

Xie Yizhao was speechless.

If anyone in this household had the best way with words, it was definitely Lu Xi. Not only was she eloquent, but she was also incredibly persuasive.

Normally, Xie Yizhao wasn’t easily influenced by what others said. Yet lately, he found himself swayed by Lu Xi’s words more often than not.

Like right now. He hadn’t thought much of it, but after she pointed it out, he suddenly felt a little… sour.

Was he really jealous of that brat?

He cleared his throat lightly, then let out a quiet chuckle, taking Lu Xi’s hand and gently kneading her fingers.

Her hands were small and soft—very pretty, very delicate. But completely bare. Not a single ring.

Xie Yichao’s gaze flickered slightly.

He had noticed this a long time ago. From the night she was pulled out of the water, she hadn’t been wearing a ring.

“What are you looking at?” Lu Xi leaned in close, her eyes full of curiosity.

Seeing her teddy bear pajamas, the last bit of gloom in Xie Yizhao’s heart dissipated. He pinched the tip of her nose lightly. “Nothing.”

Lu Xi was skeptical.

She always felt that Xie Yizhao was deep and reserved. If he didn’t want people to know what he was thinking, he could keep a straight face indefinitely.

After all, he had been groomed as a future heir since childhood. A straight-A student, a powerhouse in the business world, dealing with all kinds of people. He was the definition of a cunning old fox. And now, with over a decade more life experience than her…

If she could guess what was on his mind, that would be the real miracle.

Lu Xi never wasted time on impossible problems. When something was unsolvable, she knew when to let it go.

Besides, right now, her mind was preoccupied with Xie Heng anyway.

---

When Lu Xi returned home, the butler greeted her with a smile. “Madam, Young Master seems to have given Master a gift. Master looked quite happy and specially placed it in the study.”

Lu Xi was a little surprised.

No way. Xie Heng actually knew how to give his Dad a gift? That didn’t fit his character at all.

Curious, she wondered what he had given Xie Yizhao that could make Xie Yizhao so happy.

Lu Xi had a gut feeling. If Xie Heng was giving out gifts, he wouldn’t just give one to Xie Yizhao.

Without hesitation, she planned to go straight to Xie Heng and demand her share. But as she passed by her study, a sudden thought crossed her mind, and she turned to open the door.

The moment she switched on the light, she saw the green plant on her desk, and her eyes lit up.

She walked in, carefully touched the leaves of the plant, and couldn’t help but chuckle. Then her gaze shifted to the windowsill.

There were two new pots of succulents. She couldn’t name them, but they looked adorable and chubby.

Lu Xi walked over, admiring them for a while before taking some photos, planning to think of a caption and post them on her social media before bed.

After exercising, she returned to her room to shower, just in time to see Xie Yizhao coming out of the bathroom, still carrying the cool scent of fresh water.

“You’re back?” He smiled at her.

Lu Xi nodded and was about to tell him that she had also received a gift when she saw him approaching, seemingly wanting to hug her. She immediately took a few steps back. “Wait, I just finished playing badminton and I’m all sweaty. Let me shower first, then you can hug me.”

No way was she going to let him waste his shower.

He smiled, unconcerned. He was a bit of a clean freak, but when it came to Lu Xi, he never thought too much about it. For some reason, he was in an exceptionally good mood today. Seeing Lu Xi, his first instinct was to embrace her.

But more than his own desires, he respected hers. So he simply stopped in front of her without making another move.

Lu Xi grinned and sidestepped him, heading to the walk-in closet to grab her clothes.

As she came out, she heard Xie Yizhao ask, “By the way, did you receive the gift Xiao Heng sent you? I placed it in the study.”

Lu Xi replied, “I did. I even took pictures. It’s beautiful, though I don’t know what it’s called.”

“I took pictures too.” Xie Yizhao pulled out his phone and showed her a few photos—shot from rigid angles, the typical ‘straight-man’ style of photography. He then calmly explained, “This is called the ‘Green Apple Calathea.’ It prefers shade and needs watering two or three times a week. Also… it symbolizes family unity and happiness.”

Lu Xi was momentarily stunned.

How did he manage to research all that in such a short time? Was he just waiting for her to come home so he could show off?

She smirked knowingly. “Oh? Any other photos?”

Xie Yizhao shook his head, putting away his phone. “Just those few.”

Lu Xi let out a meaningful “Oh.”

She understood now.

Xie Heng had only given him one plant, and he was already this thrilled. If she told him she had received three… would he feel a little unbalanced?

Haha!

Just the thought of it was enough to make Lu Xi smug for a long time. But she decided not to say anything to provoke Xie Yizhao. After all, it was rare for him to seriously accept a gift from his son and feel proud about it. If she rubbed it in, wouldn’t that just damage their father-son bond?

For the sake of their budding relationship, she even decided not to post the pictures on social media.

See? She had sacrificed so much for this family.

Xie Yizhao didn’t notice her little scheme. With a smile, he asked, “So, what did you receive?”

Lu Xi casually replied, “Same as yours.”

She wasn’t lying. The plant was the same. She just had two extra pots.

After showering, Lu Xi got into bed, ready to binge-watch a drama. Meanwhile, Xie Yizhao sat on the sofa, reading a book. He walked over and gently ran his fingers through her hair.

Lu Xi thought he was about to hug her, so she turned around, ready to cooperate.

Unexpectedly, Xie Yizhao brought up Xie Heng again. “I’ve noticed that after just one day of working at your place, he’s actually made some progress. How did he perform?”

Lu Xi suddenly wanted to roll her eyes…

Why was this brat still the main topic?

Hadn’t she already told him all about it earlier?

Thinking about his fragile ‘fatherly heart,’ she patiently recounted the highlights of the day again.

They were all minor incidents, but Xie Yizhao listened attentively, clearly interested. When she finished, a faint smile appeared on his handsome face. “Since he wants to train himself, let him come to my company next summer. Consider it my return gift to him.”

Lu Xi playfully glared at him and turned away.

His intentions were way too obvious.

This old man was just being petty. Clearly, he was jealous of how well-behaved his son was at her place and felt unbalanced. Now, he wanted to snatch him over under the guise of a ‘return gift’…

Return gift, my foot!

A real return gift would be something tangible—like how Lu Xi actually bought things to give to him.

That night, Lu Xi impulsively placed an online order.

She bought two sets of loungewear—technically, pajamas—perfect for wearing after a shower and before bed.

One was a light blue teddy bear design for herself.

The other? A pastel pink and Morandi green monster-themed set—for Xie Heng, the little brat.

The delivery was fast, arriving the next morning. By 9:30 AM, Xie Yizhao had already left for work, while Lu Xi and Xie Heng were still leisurely having breakfast when the delivery guy rang the doorbell.

The servant brought in the package, but Xie Heng, busy eating his beef noodles, only glanced at it without much interest.

Ms. Lu was an avid online shopper, receiving at least five packages a day, so he was long used to it.

Without even looking, he could guess they were clothes or cosmetics.

But this time, Lu Xi smiled at him and said, “Go open it. One of them is for you.”

Hearing that, Xie Heng’s eyes lit up.

A gift for himself—that was different. He immediately put down his noodles, wiped his mouth, and happily went over to open the package, even asking the servant for scissors.

Once unwrapped, he took out a neatly packaged set of pajamas, and his smile vanished.

What the hell was this?

Fluffy, soft, and worst of all—pink?

Lu Xi said, “These are pajamas I bought for you. They’re really comfortable.”

Xie Heng was skeptical. He had plenty of complaints but swallowed them down. After some hesitation, he picked out the blue one with a bear on it, reluctantly accepting it.

But Lu Xi stopped him. “Hey, put that down. That one’s mine. Yours is the other one.”

Xie Heng stared at the one he had left behind—the overwhelmingly pink one.

His expression became indescribable.

Seeing his disdain, Lu Xi was displeased. She thought her son’s fair complexion would look great in pink. Besides, they were just pajamas—who cared about color at home? Boys could wear pink too.

She frowned. “If you don’t want it, give it back. I’ll let your Dad wear it.”

Xie Heng spoke honestly, “I don’t think my Dad will wear it.”

Lu Xi snorted. “He will. That’s why he has a wife while you don’t even have a girlfriend.”

“…” A vein twitched on Xie Heng’s forehead. Huffing, he grabbed the pink monster-themed pajamas. “Fine, Master, stop nagging. I’ll wear it, okay?”

That’s what he said.

But for the next few days, he never wore them outside his room.

He only put them on in private.

Because when he grudgingly tried them on once, he had to admit—ignoring how they looked—they were actually really comfortable.

He wasn’t too picky. Sometimes, after finishing his homework, he would fall straight into bed, and wake up still wearing them.

---

Lately, Xie Heng’s sleep quality had been excellent.

He would fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

His winter break had been especially fulfilling these days.

After a conversation with Lu Xi in the car, he realized how tough adulthood was. He thought about it for a long time and decided to reorganize his daily schedule.

Mornings were spent following Lu Xi to her company, afternoons were for studying, and evenings were for playing basketball before doing more assignments.

His schedule was packed.

At the office, he had gotten used to the workflow. Simple tasks like making photocopies no longer challenged him. Occasionally, he handled interviewee receptions, played receptionist, or helped order lunch when everyone was busy.

He even found an old coffee machine in the storage room.

Wei Ning said it was a gift from a client, but since no one in the office knew how to use it, it had been gathering dust.

Following online tutorials, Xie Heng quickly figured it out. The first cup he brewed, he proudly delivered to Lu Xi’s office.

After drinking it, Lu Xi was pleasantly surprised and praised him. She even invited him to come back for summer break, warning him not to let another company steal him away.

Xie Heng wasn’t sure who ‘another company’ referred to, but he was quite happy.

He liked working at Lu Xi’s office. It was small but had a relaxed atmosphere, and he was getting proficient at all sorts of office skills.

A few days later, Lu Xi suddenly called him into her office, telling him to accompany her on a field assignment.

“Me?” Xie Heng pointed at himself. “What about your assistant?”

Lu Xi usually only brought Wei Ning when handling business matters. She never let Xie Heng tag along.

Lu Xi said, “Wei Ning took a leave. Are you coming or not? If not, I’ll bring someone else.”

“I’m coming!” Xie Heng grinned.

Lu Xi glanced at him, amused. She swiftly packed up her things and was about to leave when she suddenly paused. She checked her bag, then her pockets, and then searched all over her desk.

Watching her frantic rummaging, Xie Heng asked in confusion, “What are you looking for?”

“My phone. Have you seen it?” Lu Xi looked bewildered.

Xie Heng was speechless. “Isn’t it in your hand?”

Lu Xi looked down. Oh. It was.

She awkwardly cleared her throat, pretending nothing had happened, and walked straight out of the office.

Xie Heng lengthened his strides to keep up while giving her a puzzled look.

Looking for a phone while holding it—he had done that before, but only when his mind was elsewhere.

Could it be that she had something on her mind today?

Was it a work problem?

If it was, he probably wouldn’t be of much help. He’d only make things worse.

Over the past few days at the office, he had learned one important workplace survival rule: observe more, talk less, and don’t overstep when you don’t understand something.

But he was her son.

He couldn’t just ignore it.

So, he decided to follow along and see if she really had something troubling her.

After getting into the car, Lu Xi told the driver their destination. “Wendong Wharf.”

Xie Heng was momentarily stunned and quickly asked, “Why are we going to the wharf?”

Lu Xi replied, “A celebrity is filming there. I need to help with their styling. We’ll be on a boat, the scenery should be nice.”

Xie Heng pursed his lips in silence.

What nice scenery? It was just a river. He felt like Lu Xi was coaxing a child, trying to make it sound more interesting so he wouldn’t find it boring.

On a normal day, he wouldn’t mind her treating him like a kid and humoring him. But right now, he wasn’t in the mood.

A river…
A boat…

Wendong Wharf led to Yuejiang—it wasn’t the place where she had her accident. But just thinking about how she had disappeared into the water and then mysteriously reappeared made his heart feel uneasy.

A little panicked. A little scared.

Lu Xi, on some level, also had lingering fears. She would never set foot in the waters where the accident happened. But today’s shoot was in a different location, and she didn’t think anything would go wrong.

It might sound superstitious, but since she had been back for so long without any incidents, her instincts told her that her fate had already changed. She couldn’t just let PTSD control her life.

Before they set out, she had felt a little uneasy. But now that she was in the car, she had calmed down.

When they arrived at the boat, the crew welcomed her. Xie Heng followed her the entire time, even standing guard outside the dressing room.

Everything went smoothly.

Just as Lu Xi had felt, nothing happened.

Xie Heng, apart from being quieter than usual and sticking close to her, didn’t show any unusual behavior.

After they got off the boat, Lu Xi dropped Xie Heng home before heading to work.

Before leaving, she suddenly thought of something. Rolling down the car window, she looked at Xie Heng, who was still standing obediently outside. “You accompanied me on this assignment today. I’ll give you a 100-yuan bonus, it’ll be added to your next paycheck.”

Xie Heng’s eyes lit up. “Really?! Then you have to bring me along next time too!”

“You little money-grubber.” Lu Xi gave him a playful glare.

Xie Heng felt like he’d sunk pretty low. He was actually happy over a mere 100 yuan? In the past, if someone threw 100 yuan at his feet, he wouldn’t even bother picking it up.

Now that nothing had happened on the boat, he was relieved. When he got home, he called Xu Jiaming over to do some schoolwork together.

But for some reason, an unexplained restlessness gnawed at him.

He couldn’t focus.

Even Xu Jiaming noticed. “What’s up with you?”

Xie Heng frowned, feeling his palms slightly sweaty. “Maybe I had too much coffee this morning.”

He had drunk three cups just to test the flavors!

Xu Jiaming looked at him speechlessly.

Xie Heng took a deep breath, then suddenly put down his pen and stretched. “Forget it. Let’s go play basketball. Call Old Song too.”

And so, their afternoon study session turned into a basketball match.

Xie Heng played for three whole hours, sweating profusely. At some point, he took off his fleece-lined hoodie, leaving only a long-sleeved T-shirt. He didn’t feel cold while playing. Actually, it felt great.

It wasn’t until evening, on his way home, that a sudden gust of cold wind made him shiver.

Xie Heng frowned.

Only then did he realize he had left his hoodie on a bench by the court.

With just a few hundred meters left to home, there was no way he was turning back for it. He had always relied on his good health—he rarely caught colds—so he simply powered through.

As soon as he stepped into the warm house, he let out a sigh of relief.

He didn’t think much of it, but the butler was startled to see him come home in just a thin shirt. The man quickly ordered someone to prepare ginger tea.

“Young master, you can’t dress like this while playing ball! What if you get sick?”

Xie Heng shrugged nonchalantly. “I won’t. I haven’t had a cold in years.”

The butler was speechless. That was exactly the kind of statement that jinxed things.

Xie Heng, however, didn’t care. To prove his point, he ate as much as usual at dinner and felt completely fine. But when he returned to his room afterward, his head felt a little heavy. He couldn’t focus on his books and was unusually sleepy.

At that moment, his bed was incredibly tempting.

He changed into his pink monster-themed pajamas and collapsed onto his bed.

Not long after, a chill crept through his body. He curled up under the blanket, but he was still cold.

Then, he had a nightmare.

He saw a bridge.

He saw Lu Xi in a car, and suddenly, the steering wheel went out of control. The vehicle sped forward like it had lost its mind—straight into the water…

His brows furrowed tightly, his face clouded with distress.

---

Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao arrived home at the same time.

“Where’s Xiao Heng? In his room doing homework?” she asked out of habit.

The butler nodded. Seeing Lu Xi, he couldn’t help but tell her about what had happened that afternoon, hoping she could rein Xie Heng in. In this house, she was the only one he truly listened to.

Lu Xi frowned. “Got it. I’ll go check on him. He’s not allowed to be this reckless again.”

“I’ll come with you.” Xie Yizhao’s expression was also serious as he followed.

Lu Xi nodded.

No mixed doubles today, but a tag-team scolding would do.

When they reached the second floor, Lu Xi knocked on Xie Heng’s door. “Xiao Heng? Come out for a bit, we need to talk.”

Inside, the boy’s eyelids fluttered, and he struggled to wake up.

He felt awful, but he could still move. He sat up, rubbed his face, and—without realizing he was burning up—went to open the door.

Lu Xi froze when she saw him.

Wasn’t he refusing to wear it earlier? So why had he secretly put it on?

She was about to laugh, but then she noticed his face.

Her smile faded.

Xie Heng’s face was flushed red, but his eyes were unusually bright.

She exchanged a glance with Xie Yizhao, suspecting he had a fever.

On instinct, she reached out to check his forehead. But just as she lifted her hand, Xie Heng suddenly lowered his head and obediently wrapped his arms around her.

His voice was hoarse as he whispered, “Can you hug me? I feel really bad…”

---

Lu Xi saw her son’s overly radiant little face. After a brief moment, she snapped back to her senses, deliberately turning to look at the sign on the office door. She then teased Wei Ning with a smile, “Is this still my office? I almost thought I walked into the wrong place.”

Wei Ning was momentarily stunned.

Of course, it was still Lu Xi’s office, just completely transformed.

As Lu Xi stepped inside, Xie Heng tactfully stood up from the chair. She glanced at him before sitting down with a smile.

Something felt off. Her brows relaxed slightly as she reached out to touch the chair beneath her.

Why was it warm?

Xie Heng caught the surprised look in her eyes and raised an eyebrow. “The chair has a heating function. You didn’t know?”

Lu Xi gave him a look. “Thanks for telling me. Otherwise, I would’ve remained blissfully unaware.”

She really hadn’t known.

The office chair had been purchased by the administrative staff. As long as it was comfortable, she had never bothered to explore its other features.

Following the coffee’s aroma, she noticed something strange to her left.

She pointed at it. “And what’s that?”

“A heated coaster,” Xie Heng replied. “I got it when I bought the coffee. Put your cup on it, and the coffee stays warm.”

Lu Xi: ? Since when did such high-tech gadgets exist?

She thought about it and found it quite practical.

At home, she never needed one since she finished her coffee quickly. But at work, if she got busy, she might take one sip and set it aside, only to find it cold by the time she remembered it.

Lu Xi nodded. She took a sip of coffee, placed it back on the coaster, then glanced around the office. “Did you clean up for me?”

“Yeah, it was too…” He barely swallowed the word ‘messy.’ “Anyway, I just tidied up a bit.”

He grabbed a stack of discarded papers from a cabinet. “I didn’t throw anything away, and I didn’t touch your computer or drawers.”

Lu Xi flipped through the papers and couldn’t help but smile.

They were all her discarded drafts—ideas she had scribbled down in random sketches. Sometimes, she crumpled them up carelessly. Some ended up in the trash, while others remained on her desk, only to be accidentally knocked onto the floor and later swept away by the cleaning staff.

More than once, she had tried to retrieve them, only to realize they were gone.

This had happened several times before.

Lu Xi patted the young man on the shoulder. “Thanks, Scrap Paper Hero.”

“…” Xie Heng felt like he had just been roasted by his own mother. He had proof, but he was too lazy to argue.

Wei Ning, standing off to the side, had been silent for a while. She wished she could shrink into a corner and disappear.

Was Young Master Xie here to steal her job?

A heated chair, a heating coaster, coffee, and even tidying up the office… Compared to him, she suddenly felt a little incompetent.

In this small studio, the roles of work assistant and personal assistant weren’t clearly separated. Technically, she should have been handling some of these tasks, but Lu Xi had never required it. If Lu Xi wanted coffee, Lu Xi would order delivery herself, sometimes even treating the team.

As for cleaning the office, Wei Ning had suggested it before, but Lu Xi had said she’d do it herself, so she left it alone.

Now, Wei Ning suddenly felt utterly overshadowed.

Her professional career was under serious threat.

But… wasn’t Young Master Xie supposed to be the aloof, rebellious school tyrant?

Why did he turn into such a thoughtful little sweetheart around CEO Lu? A heating coaster? That was next-level bootlicking.

Lu Xi, oblivious to her assistant’s inner turmoil, never doubted Wei Ning’s competence. She had hired her for her work experience, not for menial chores.

As for Xie Heng, she hadn’t expected him to be so attentive. It was a stark contrast to his usual careless demeanor.

That was genuinely surprising.

She glanced at him again, seeing his lips pressed tightly together, and couldn’t help but chuckle.

She had assumed he insisted on coming to her studio simply out of boredom during winter break, but now it seemed like he actually wanted to contribute.

Lu Xi raised an eyebrow. “Thanks, you did a great job.”

This time, the praise was sincere.

Xie Heng’s lips curled up. “No big deal.”

“But… how much did you spend this morning?”

Xie Heng’s expression stiffened slightly. He rubbed his nose and muttered, “Two hundred and twenty-five.”

Lu Xi thought, At least it wasn’t 250¹. She smiled and teased, “You haven’t earned a single penny yet, but you’ve already spent so much. Young Master, are you here to work or do charity?”

Xie Heng choked.

He had already convinced himself it was worth it, but now, he suddenly felt cheated.

Clearing his throat, he softened his tone and tried to negotiate. “Can I get reimbursed?”

Lu Xi looked at his short, neat haircut and couldn’t resist reaching out to ruffle it.

Xie Heng, embarrassed to be patted on the head in front of Wei Ning, endured it for the sake of getting his money back. He gazed at Lu Xi with hopeful eyes.

But Lu Xi shook her head. “Nope. This is your first workplace lesson. If your boss didn’t ask for it, don’t make decisions on your own. And even if it were reimbursable, you’d need a receipt.”

Xie Heng’s smile froze.

Angrily, he grabbed his own coffee and took a big sip.

Fine. No reimbursement. But did she really have to take advantage of him, too? That head pat was totally not worth it.

Watching the scene unfold, Wei Ning suddenly felt relieved.

Never mind. With Young Master Xie’s painfully naive workplace skills, he wasn’t much of a threat after all.

Lu Xi waved her hand at him. “Go out and find something to do. Don’t slack off, or I’ll dock your pay.”

Unhappy, Xie Heng left the office.

He couldn’t help but grumble inwardly, Ms. Lu was truly a heartless boss.

But just as he stepped out, his phone suddenly vibrated.

[Ms. Lu sent you a red envelope.]

Xie Heng’s eyes lit up, and he immediately clicked on it.

Inside was 233 yuan.

“…” He somehow felt mocked again.

Soon, another message popped up:

[As a boss, I won’t reimburse you. But as your Mom, I’ll send you a red envelope.]

Xie Heng’s ears turned red. He glanced at the other people in the office, rubbed his ear, and quickly put his phone away, pretending nothing had happened.

Ms. Lu was seriously embarrassing.

---

Earlier in the meeting, after discussing work matters with her colleagues, Lu Xi casually mentioned Xie Heng before the meeting ended.

“Xiao Heng is on winter break and bored at home, so I arranged for him to do some part-time work here. He’ll be assisting the whole office. If you have any small tasks, like making copies or running errands, just ask him to do them.”

That’s what she said, but in reality, who would dare order around the boss’s son?

To the others, this was just the young master killing time. Sure, Lu Xi was easygoing and unlikely to make trouble for them over minor issues, but this young master didn’t seem like someone easy to boss around.

So, everyone simply minded their own business, not engaging with Xie Heng.

His presence even made the office quieter than usual.

Normally, after a period of work, people would slack off a bit—chatting, snacking, scrolling on their phones. As long as work wasn’t delayed, Lu Xi wouldn’t interfere.

But since she was the boss, if she happened to be in the main office, people would naturally behave.

Slacking off right in front of the boss? That would be too bold.

And slacking off in front of the boss’s family? Still risky.

---

Xie Heng didn’t have his own workstation. Seeing that Wei Ning hadn’t come out yet, he went to the front desk to ask for a chair.

Xu Meng was particularly enthusiastic. She personally led him to the storage room, found a clean office chair, wiped it down, and pointed him to a spot near Lu Xi’s office.

Not long after he sat down, Wei Ning finally emerged.

But she seemed busy. She only glanced at him, smiled, and nodded before grabbing something and leaving.

Xie Heng : “…”

Suddenly, he had no idea what to do.

No one in the office talked to him, and Lu Xi’s assistant wasn’t around.

He glanced at Lu Xi’s office door a few times, debating whether to go in and ask her to assign him something.

But he held back.

If he weren’t her son, just a new employee, and he went to the boss saying he had nothing to do, would he get fired?

Xie Heng cleared his throat.

Just then, a colleague stood up, holding some documents, and walked toward the copier—conveniently located at an empty workstation beside him.

Xie Heng had a sudden idea and spoke up, “Need to make copies? I can do it.”

The colleague hesitated, then smiled awkwardly. “No, no, you just relax. I’ll do it myself.”

Xie Heng was speechless. He wasn’t here to relax.

“It’s fine. Ms. Lu said I should handle odd jobs. Something like making copies is perfect for me,” he insisted, frowning slightly.

Seeing how determined he was, the colleague figured arguing would just waste time. Handing over the documents, he said, “Double-sided copies, five sets. Just call me when you’re done.” He paused. “You can just call me Li Qi.”

Usually, people in the office called him ‘Brother Li,’ but he obviously couldn’t expect Xie Heng to do the same.

Xie Heng nodded.

Li Qi was about to walk away, relieved, when Xie Heng suddenly called after him.

“Uh… Brother Li, how do you use this copier?” The boy’s clear eyes were filled with pure curiosity.

Li Qi : “…”

So eager, yet completely clueless.

But being called ‘Brother Li’ made him feel quite pleased. Who doesn’t like a polite, well-mannered kid? Without hesitation, he patiently explained the copier’s functions and even threw in a quick tutorial on the printer.

Xie Heng picked it up quickly. After all, at his age, learning new things came easy. He grasped it after just one explanation.

Li Qi watched him successfully make one copy and left him to it. Before long, Xie Heng had finished the rest and delivered them straight to Li Qi’s desk.

Surprised, Li Qi said, “Thanks… Oh, by the way, how should we address you?”

His question caught the attention of nearby colleagues.

They’d been wondering about this too.

Calling him ‘Young Master’ was obviously out. Calling him by his full name felt too formal. Normally, colleagues used casual titles like ‘Sister X’ or ‘Brother X,’ but they weren’t close enough to him for that.

Xie Heng, however, was casual about it. “Just call me Xiao Xie.”

Li Qi was momentarily surprised, then nodded.

Xie Heng turned around to return to his workstation. But then, as if something had occurred to him, he turned back and said, “If you guys need to make more copies, just give them to me. I’ll be right by the copier, and I guarantee there won’t be any mistake. Otherwise, you can go complain to CEO Lu.”

As soon as he left, his colleagues couldn’t help but exchange glances.

Was Xiao Xie… actually kind of cute?

The office wasn’t that big. Whatever happened, everyone could see. When Xie Heng had just asked Li Qi for guidance, his attitude had been pretty good.

Li Qi whispered, “I think Xiao Xie really wants to work. Why don’t we just cooperate with him?”

The coworkers sitting nearby all nodded.

Not that they had much choice. Xie Heng was stationed right next to the copier, standing firm like a one-man barricade. Whenever someone walked past him, his eyes would light up expectantly, as if they’d be letting him down if they didn’t hand him something to copy.

Before long, everyone got used to it, handing off small tasks like copying to him.

They even had him go downstairs to pick up a job candidate for an interview.

At eleven o’clock, after finalizing details with a celebrity team, Lu Xi stretched and stood up.

The heated office chair was surprisingly comfortable.

Her coffee was still warm, sitting within arm’s reach. She took small sips as she thought of it.

Lu Xi strolled to the window and opened a sliver of the blinds. Outside, she saw Xie Heng busy at work. He had just loaded a fresh pack of copy paper into the machine, tapped a few buttons, and expertly started making copies, chatting with his colleagues as he worked, a relaxed smile on his face.

Lu Xi was a little surprised.

It seemed like Xie Heng was getting along well with everyone.

The corners of her lips lifted slightly. Relieved, she returned to her seat and got back to work.

Maybe even Xie Heng himself hadn’t realized it yet, but he had grown a lot. He no longer needed her guidance. He could integrate into a team all on his own.

Watching his cheerful demeanor now, Lu Xi couldn’t help but recall the first time she had seen him at the bar.

Back then, he had been surrounded by people, yet he had looked so lonely. Amidst the swirling smoke, his face had been clouded with gloom, as if he wanted nothing to do with the world.

But now, she didn’t have to worry about him anymore.

---

Xie Heng had no idea that his Mom had just reminisced about his dark past again.

His morning hadn’t exactly been life-changing, but at least it had been fulfilling. And the afternoon was even better. When the projector in the meeting room suddenly stopped displaying anything, he read the manual, searched online, and, despite not being entirely confident, fiddled with the remote a few times… and somehow fixed it.

On the way home that evening, Xie Heng felt a real sense of accomplishment.

If he had to describe it, it was like making a perfect shot into the basket, so satisfying.

Of course, Lu Xi had already heard of his ‘heroic deeds.’ Seeing the faint, drifting smile on his face, she chuckled and asked, “How was your first day at work?”

Xie Heng: “It was alright. I’ll keep experiencing it tomorrow.”

“Tired?”

“Not at all. Way easier than school,” Xie Heng said honestly, half-joking. “By the way, how much do you pay full-time employees? If I ever can’t find a job, I might as well come work for you.”

Lu Xi gave him a look. “You think working here is great?”

Xie Heng shrugged indifferently. “Yeah, it’s pretty nice. The workload isn’t heavy, colleagues are friendly, and the boss… is okay, I guess. If it were up to me, I’d be happy to stay here forever.”

“Oh? I’m ‘okay’? Wow, thanks so much for your high praise,” Lu Xi said dryly.

But she didn’t quite agree with his perspective.

She didn’t like discouraging him, nor did she enjoy lecturing. Criticism could kill his motivation.

But as both her son and a half-employee of hers, she felt he needed a bit of a reality check.

“You think there’s no pressure because you have a private car picking you up and dropping you off. You don’t have to worry about being late, squeezing into the subway, or getting fired if you don’t perform well—after all, your boss is your Mom, and your salary doesn’t really matter to you.” Lu Xi said.

Xie Heng was momentarily stunned. He instinctively asked, “Are you paying them very little?”

Lu Xi thought for a moment. “Not little, but not that much either. Take our finance manager, Zhu Jie, for example. She makes about ten thousand a month. But she has to pay off her mortgage, cover rent, pay for her kid’s tuition and extracurricular classes, and still handle everyday expenses… Do you think she’s under pressure?”

Xie Heng ran a hand through his hair.

That sounded… pretty tough.

He frowned. “What about her husband? Doesn’t he make money too?”

Lu Xi had heard the office gossip about Zhu Jie’s useless husband, but she wasn’t going to badmouth him behind his back. Instead, she answered lightly, “Not every man is reliable.”

Xie Heng nodded in agreement.

That being the case, his Dad was actually pretty reliable.

Seeing his thoughtful expression, Lu Xi didn’t say anything more. She understood his mindset. When she had been his age, she had also been eager to grow up, believing that adulthood meant freedom and no pressure.

It was a childish notion.

But that was, after all, something for the future, years down the line.

Lu Xi didn’t want to say too much. She’d rather let him hold onto his harmless innocence for as long as possible, while he was still at an age where it was natural to be naive.

After a long pause, Xie Heng finally spoke. “Then what about you and my Dad? Do you both feel a lot of pressure too?”

Lu Xi nodded. “Of course, there’s pressure. But I’m doing okay. Your Dad, on the other hand, is running such a huge corporation. His stress is on a whole different level.”

Hearing this, the driver couldn’t help but chime in. “That’s for sure. How could there not be pressure? Take me, for example—now that I’m working as a driver for Madam, I’m earning a bit more. But back when I was driving for a ride-hailing service, I had to wake up early and stay out late every day, and I still couldn’t make more than 5,000 a month. My wife was delivering food too, working really hard, and last year, she was diagnosed with a heart condition. I told her to quit. When people get too exhausted, it can be fatal.”

Xie Heng glanced at the back of the driver’s head.

He looked to be in his early fifties, but he seemed worn down by life, with quite a few strands of white hair mixed in.

Xie Heng nodded slightly, though it was unclear how much he actually understood. He didn’t say anything else. For the rest of the ride, he didn’t even look at his phone, just quietly watched the city lights flicker past the car window.

---

At 8:30 p.m., Xie Yizhao finally returned home, bringing with him a faint scent of alcohol after a business dinner.

“Where’s Madam?” he asked habitually as he handed his briefcase to the butler.

The butler replied, “Madam finished dinner and went to play badminton with a friend from the neighborhood.”

Xie Yizhao nodded.

Their villa complex had an indoor badminton court, and badminton was the only sport Lu Xi played well.

Since she wasn’t home yet, he decided to take a shower first. Otherwise, she might complain about the smell of alcohol on him later.

As he passed the second floor, a thought crossed his mind, and he headed toward his study to retrieve a document.

When he reached the study door, he noticed a potted plant on the floor.

He frowned slightly and picked it up, but he couldn’t tell what kind of plant it was.

A sticky note was attached to the pot, and from the handwriting, it was unmistakably Xie Heng’s.

[Put this on your desk. When work gets tiring, take a look at it. It’ll help you relax and relieve stress.]

Xie Yizhao raised an eyebrow slightly.

The corners of his lips lifted as he carried the plant to Xie Heng’s room and knocked on the door.

Xie Heng had just been about to start his listening practice when he got up to answer. Opening the door, he saw his Dad standing there, holding the small potted plant, his lips curved in a subtle smile.

“Thanks for the gift. I’ll keep it in my study.”

“…”

Xie Heng felt a bit embarrassed. He nodded casually. “I bought one for Ms. Lu, so I figured I’d get one for you too. This is called a green apple calathea, it’s really easy to take care of.”

As he spoke, he caught the faint scent of alcohol on his Dad.

His brows furrowed slightly.

He remembered reading somewhere that alcohol was carcinogenic.

But thankfully, his Dad wasn’t a heavy drinker. His Dad only drank occasionally at business dinners.

Still… did this mean that even someone like his Dad, with his status and success, still faced pressure and had times when he had no other choice but to drink?

Xie Heng pressed his lips together, staring intently at his Dad’s hair.

Good. His Dad still had plenty of hair, with no signs of graying.

He looked at his Dad’s face. His Dad’s complexion was healthy. And as for physical strength… well, he’d experienced that firsthand the other day when he got a beating.

Yeah, it didn’t look like his Dad would drop dead from exhaustion anytime soon.

Xie Yizhao noticed the strange way his son was looking at him. “What are you staring at?”

Xie Heng’s eyes flickered. He rubbed his buzzed hair and blurted out, “N-nothing. You just look pretty young. You and Ms. Lu make a good match. Keep it up!”

---

1. In Chinese, 250 is a slang for ‘idiot’. ↩︎

---

“So, you’re really planning to agree to his request and arrange a position for him in the studio?” Xie Yizhao asked.

Lu Xi sighed. “What else can I do? You didn’t see how his eyes lit up at that moment. I’m just afraid that if I don’t agree, he’ll actually go wash people’s hair for a job.”

Xie Yichao let out a chuckle, wrapping an arm around Lu Xi. “So what if he does? Work is work, there’s no dignity lost as long as it’s an honest way to make money. Letting him toughen up a bit over winter break isn’t a bad thing.”

Lu Xi shot him a glare.

Sometimes, she really couldn’t blame Xie Heng for always butting heads with his Dad. Honestly, even she sometimes wondered if Xie Yizhao was his real dad. Why did Xie Yizhao always act like a stepfather?

It wasn’t that she looked down on being a shampoo boy. Earning one’s own money was absolutely fine.

It was just…

She frowned slightly and said in a soft voice, “Have you ever seen the hands of a shampoo boy? They crack, wrinkle, and might even develop rashes. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t feel bad for your own son.”

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed in the hospital room with Xie Heng that day.

Xie Yizhao fell silent at her words.

After a moment, he gently squeezed her shoulder, his tone softening as if negotiating, “Well then, I’ll trouble Madam to arrange something for our son. Anything will do.”

Lu Xi paused, then burst out laughing.

How rare. She had just been inwardly calling him a stepfather, and now here he was, playing the role of a devoted dad, speaking like some worried old father bribing someone with cigarettes and liquor to pull strings for his kid.

Lu Xi decided to put on airs as well. She sighed dramatically, sounding delicate, “My neck hurts, my shoulders hurt, and so does my waist. You’d better show some sincerity first.”

Xie Yizhao’s hand paused for a second before he chuckled, his cool breath brushing against her ear. “If CEO Lu is going to boss me around like this, shouldn’t you arrange something for me too?”

Lu Xi couldn’t help but laugh and played along. “Sure! How much do you want for a month? I’ll just buy you outright.”

The grip on her shoulder suddenly tightened slightly. Lu Xi laughed and dodged away.

Teasing Xie Yizhao was so much fun.

She ran out of the open-concept restaurant, heading down the corridor, but Xie Yichao had longer legs. It didn’t take long before he caught up with her near the courtyard’s hot spring pool.

Lu Xi glanced at the pool and immediately surrendered, showing her flexibility. “I was wrong. I won’t tease you anymore.”

Xie Yizhao pressed his lips together slightly.

But from her eyes, he could tell. There wasn’t the slightest bit of sincerity in her so-called apology. It was just a tactic.

He never thought of himself as particularly humorous, but when he was with her, he made an effort to be more easygoing. He wanted her to enjoy spending time with him. And besides, if she wanted to tease him like this more often, he wouldn’t mind.

Xie Yizhao narrowed his eyes slightly, resting one hand against the gray-green brick wall, trapping her in front of him. Amusement flickered in his voice. “Then, have you considered my request yet, CEO Lu?”

Lu Xi blinked at him. “Since dear old father Xie personally asked, of course I’ll consider it seriously.”

The man remained silent, internally replaying her words. He couldn’t help but recall how that ungrateful son of his had once said that she preferred younger men, and he suddenly felt a bit jealous.

Lu Xi sometimes spoke faster than she thought, and sometimes she was just bad at reading the situation yet still enjoyed provoking people.

She was already regretting it. Holding onto Xie Yichao’s tie, she blinked innocently, trying to change the subject. “I’m already designing clothes for you, remember? Want to see the sketches? Oh, and I need to take your measurements too.”

Xie Yizhao’s gaze darkened, blending into the deep night around them. “Hmm, measure them yourself.”

He picked Lu Xi up.

And carried her toward the hot spring pool.

Then, he thoroughly proved that he was still very much a young man.

---

Lu Xi: …Don’t ask. If you ask, she regrets teasing him. But she’ll do it again next time.

By the time Xie Yichao carried her back to the bedroom upstairs, it was already close to ten o’clock. Lu Xi, exhausted, decided on the spot that she wasn’t going home tonight. She’d just sleep here.

Ever since that one time, with their and Xie Heng’s right above and below, staying at home became inconvenient. After all, he was older now.

So, Xie Yizhao frequently took her out for the night.

This house—where he had once played piano—was his top choice.

At first, Lu Xi had been reluctant to come because of her Uncle and Aunt. She didn’t want to run into them and have an awkward encounter. But later, she thought, this is their home. Why should they avoid it because of those two? That’s just making things harder on themselves.

With that mindset shift, she stopped caring.

And as it turned out, she hadn’t run into them even once.

Probably because of their schedules. Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao worked during the day and only came over at night, leaving in the morning, so they never crossed paths.

After a full night’s rest, Lu Xi woke up refreshed.

While brushing her teeth, she decided on a job for Xie Heng at her company.

Mingli’s final exams were over, and Xie Heng was officially on winter break. Other than playing basketball, he was free every day.

That day, Lu Xi was heading to the studio, so she caught a ride in Xie Yizhao’s car. On the way, she stopped by the house to pick up Xie Heng and bring him along.

Last night, Xie Heng had just realized that his Dad and Ms. Lu hadn’t come home.

Lately, he had been busy preparing for exams. After coming home, eating his late-night snack, and heading to bed, he never noticed. But now, he realized that for over a month, the third-floor bedroom had been empty at least half the time.

Last night, after getting his hair cut with Lu Xi, he went out to play basketball with Song Siyang and the others. When he returned at 9 PM, he even brought back a snack for Lu Xi, only to hear from the butler that neither she nor his Dad was home.

“Where did they go? Why didn’t they take me?”

The old butler was speechless. He didn’t have the heart to say it—how could they possibly take him along?

Xie Heng didn’t overthink it. He just assumed his Dad and Lu Xi had gone somewhere fun without him. Though he felt a bit left out, he didn’t dwell on it.

Now, hearing that Lu Xi was taking him to her studio, his eyes instantly lit up. His curiosity about last night’s whereabouts disappeared, and he eagerly hopped into the car.

Once he had calmed down a bit, he finally asked, “So, what important role do you have for me, Ms. Lu?”

Xie Yichao was driving today, no chauffeur.

He was already familiar with Xie Heng’s tone—arrogant and smug. He glanced at the boy’s neatly trimmed short hair in the rearview mirror.

Much better than that ridiculous blue hair from before.

He actually looked a little like a police officer now.

But he was still too immature. The moment he saw Lu Xi, all his childishness came spilling out.

Lu Xi sat in the passenger seat, applying lipstick in the mirror. Without even turning around, she said, “I haven’t decided yet. You’ll be a floater for now.”

Silence from the back seat.

Xie Heng didn’t understand what ‘floater’ meant, but it sounded impressive.

Curious, he asked, “What does that mean? Is it a high-ranking position?”

Suddenly, Xie Yizhao hit the brakes.

He had been driving smoothly to accommodate her makeup, but this sudden stop nearly made Lu Xi smudge her lipstick. She shot him a glare.

Xie Yzchao glanced at Xie Heng before calmly resuming driving as the light turned green. Since Lu Xi was busy applying lipstick, he took it upon himself to explain in a steady voice:

“It means you’ll go anywhere. Whichever department needs hand, you’ll go there.”

Xie Heng initially thought it sounded pretty good.

But after thinking about it again—wait, no. He frowned and asked, “Isn’t that just doing odd jobs?”

He realized it now—wasn’t this exactly the kind of workplace PUA tactics people talked about online? Calling a tiny, struggling company a ‘startup’ and disguising layoffs as ‘optimization.’

Lu Xi didn’t quite get his point. Yesterday, when he heard about being a shampoo boy, he seemed fine with it. So why was he looking down on doing odd jobs now?

She put away her lipstick and mirror, cleared her throat, and said, “Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to gain some work experience and explore your career path? I’m letting you rotate through different roles to gain experience. This is me helping you.”

Xie Heng lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Although he felt that Ms. Lu was trying to trick him, she kind of made sense.

Fine then, odd jobs it was. He could bend and adapt. But there was one thing he needed to clarify first.

Out of habit, he reached up to touch his hair, only to find that instead of the usual soft blue strands, his fingers brushed against his short, bristly buzz cut. He pursed his lips and asked, “Alright, so how much are you paying me per month?”

Lu Xi glanced at him. “Hourly wage. Let’s say thirty yuan an hour.”

Xie Heng was stunned. “That little? Are you ripping me off?”

Wasn’t this just algorithm-based price discrimination?

Before Lu Xi could respond, Xie Yizhao chimed in, “The other day, I was at a dinner, and I saw a recruitment notice at the hotel. They were hiring part-time dishwashers for the winter break at 22 yuan an hour.”

Xie Heng was speechless.

So technically, Ms. Lu was offering him a better deal.

He silently did the math in his head. If he worked eight hours a day, that would be 240 yuan per day. If he worked for a full month, he’d make over 7,000 yuan.

That calculation made him feel much better.

Alright then, he decided to take this job seriously.

Maybe by the end of the break, he’d gain something from it. And maybe, just maybe, he’d finally have an answer for his Dad’s question.

---

Before Lu Xi even stepped into the office, the whole workplace already knew she was bringing her son in for a part-time job.

She had only casually mentioned it to Wei Ning in the morning.

But beyond that, even Wei Ning didn’t know much.

Still, while an office worker’s day often started with gossip, it didn’t revolve entirely around it. There was a meeting today, and more than ten people were busy with their own tasks, so they didn’t think too much about it. They simply assumed the boss was bringing her son over for some experience, just to play around.

Before long, Lu Xi arrived, with Xie Heng following behind her.

Everyone, led by Wei Ning, looked up and was briefly stunned.

The last time they saw this handsome young man, he had trendy, colorful hair. How had he turned into a buzz-cut little tough guy in such a short time?

Lu Xi kept it brief: “This is my son, Xie Heng. You’ve met him before. Starting today, he’ll be interning here for a month. If you have any miscellaneous tasks, feel free to assign them to him.”

Before the employees could fully process this, she turned to Xie Heng and said, “I’m heading into a meeting now. You can wait for me in my office.”

New to the job, Xie Heng nodded obediently.

Lu Xi didn’t bother with him further. She grabbed her documents and went straight to the conference room.

Xie Heng watched as everyone except the receptionist disappeared into the meeting.

Left with no choice, he headed to Lu Xi’s office.

He’d been here a few times before, but only briefly, usually just to pick up Ms. Lu and leave right away. This was the first time he was actually sitting down and taking a proper look.

The chair at her desk was adjusted too low. He decided to raise it a bit.

Bending down to check how to adjust it, he noticed a red button on the chair.

He had seen this type of chair at Song Siyang’s house. It had a heating function, making it comfortable to sit in during winter.

Xie Heng wasn’t interested in that; he wasn’t afraid of the cold. But Ms. Lu seemed to be.

Even though the office had heating, he thought about it for a moment and decided to turn it on for her. It would probably be more comfortable.

Then, he glanced at the control panel by the door, feeling that the room was a little too warm. He got up and adjusted the central air conditioning to the temperature she was used to at home.

Sitting back down, he recalled that it was now 9:30 AM. Normally at this time, Ms. Lu would still be asleep. After she woke up and had breakfast, she would usually have coffee.

He remembered her mentioning that she had already eaten…

When he walked in earlier, he seemed to have spotted a coffee machine, but he didn’t know how to use it.

Fortunately, there was a café downstairs. He didn’t feel like ordering delivery, so he decided to go buy it himself.

The receptionist, a fresh graduate, was playing on her phone since she had nothing to do. Suddenly, she noticed Xie Heng approaching and immediately straightened up, worried that he might report her to Lu Xi.

Xie Heng was already at the door, and the automatic sensor had triggered it open when he suddenly hesitated and turned back.

“Uh…” He touched his earlobe, frowning in hesitation.

He didn’t know her name, and calling her ‘Receptionist’ felt too impersonal. After thinking for a moment, he settled on:

“Sister, I’m heading out to buy something. If my Mom comes out, can you let her know?”

Xu Meng nodded quickly.

“Thanks.” Xie Heng turned and left.

Xu Meng blinked in surprise, feeling unexpectedly flattered.

Did the cool, aloof-looking boy just call her ‘Sister’?

So polite!

Xie Heng moved fast. He bought two cups of coffee downstairs, and while he was at it, the café staff convinced him to buy a heated coaster as well. The total came to over 200 yuan.

Thinking about his 30-yuan hourly wage, he felt a slight pang of pain.

But considering he had already spent over 200,000 yuan on pearls for Ms. Lu, this wasn’t really a big deal.

When he returned, Xu Meng beamed at him. “The meeting’s not over yet.”

He nodded and gave her a faint smile in return.

Back in the office, he sat for a few minutes before standing up again, scanning the room with a slight frown.

Ms. Lu’s office… was kind of messy. Did she not organize it regularly?

Xie Heng’s own bedroom was always tidy. He preferred to clean it himself rather than have the housekeeper do it. He was pretty experienced at this kind of thing.

Without tossing anything away, he simply sorted things out. Stacking what looked like waste papers to one side, tidying up the desk, hanging her bag on the coat rack, and folding the blanket she had left on the sofa.

Alright. That looked better.

An hour later, the meeting finally ended. Lu Xi returned to her office with Wei Ning, ready to assign some tasks.

However, when she opened the door—

She looked at her office, familiar yet somehow strange.

Something felt off.

Was this really her office? Or had she stepped into a parallel universe?

Then, the rich aroma of coffee hit her nose—it was her favorite latte.

The buzz-cut Xie Heng was sitting in her chair, his back to the door. When he heard the noise, he turned around immediately, flashing her a bright, clean smile.

He picked up the coffee from the heated coaster and held it up to her.

“CEO Lu, your latte.”

Lu Xi blinked and touched her face.

Huh.

Hiring this buzz-cut little intern might actually be worth it.

---

The next day marked the start of the semester finals at Mingli High School, lasting three days.

This time, Xie Heng only said he would improve but didn’t specify how much. Lu Xi could tell he was more relaxed than before.

Even his luck seemed better.

At least he wasn’t late, didn’t run into children getting robbed, and didn’t end up missing the exam due to some unexpected hospitalization.

Still, on the first day of the exams, Lu Xi reassured him that no matter how he performed, he would get a reward.

Xie Heng’s eyes lit up. He happily asked, “How much money?”

Lu Xi rolled her eyes at him.

She quickly touched the pearl necklace around her neck and silently reminded herself: Don’t get mad, don’t get mad. After all, this brat only wants the money to save up and buy her gifts. He’s her own kid. She can’t hit him.

With that thought, her anger completely vanished, and the more she looked at Xie Heng, the cuter he seemed.

On the afternoon of the third day, Lu Xi fulfilled her promise and left work early to pick him up.

As soon as Xie Heng walked out of the exam hall, he saw her message saying she was coming to get him. He immediately turned down his school team friends’ invitation to play basketball. Spotting the family car, he grinned and jogged over happily, like an excited little puppy.

“Are we going out to eat?” Xie Heng tilted his chin proudly. “By the way, I did pretty well this time. You should take me somewhere nice.”

Lu Xi wasn’t sure what counted as ‘nice,’ but she was curious—just how well had he done to be this smug?

“How many ranks did you move up? What’s your score?”

Xie Heng thought for a moment and said, “At the very least, I passed every subject this time.”

Lu Xi fell silent for a second.

Well, at least he had a clear understanding of his own level. That was a good thing. She decided to encourage him.

Generously, she said, “Besides taking you out to eat, there’s another reward.”

Xie Heng’s face lit up with expectation.

His demands weren’t high. As long as Lu Xi took him to buy a new pair of shoes or maybe a gaming console, he’d be happy. There wasn’t much else he needed.

So, Lu Xi took him to a barbecue restaurant with excellent reviews.

Xie Heng had heard about this place from his classmates. It cost around 1,000 per person, a bit pricey, but the ingredients were fresh and delicious.

Since he had a big appetite and had been under pressure from exams, he ate a lot. When the bill came, Lu Xi had spent over 3,000.

She scanned the QR code to pay, smiling as she glanced at Xie Heng. “For someone your age, you sure can eat. No wonder you’re growing so much.”

A kid like this would be too expensive for an average family to raise.

Xie Heng knew he ate a lot and was already feeling a little guilty. Hearing her comment, he couldn’t help but blush.

He muttered, “I’m still growing.”

Lu Xi sized him up. He was already this tall. Was he planning to grow tall enough to touch the sun?

Under her teasing gaze, Xie Heng lowered his eyes, a little embarrassed.

It wasn’t just emotional embarrassment. It was financial embarrassment.

His Dad was rich, but his Dad only gave him 5,000 a month. After his usual expenses, there wasn’t much left. If he wanted to treat Lu Xi to a meal of this caliber, it wouldn’t be impossible, but it would be a real stretch.

He knew he shouldn’t feel guilty about spending his Mom’s money, but he still wished he had been the one paying today.

Even though he knew Lu Xi was just joking and didn’t actually mind, he still felt a little self-conscious.

He wasn’t a mama’s boy, and he definitely didn’t want to be a freeloader.

“Fine, I’ll treat you next time,” Xie Heng said, suppressing the pain in his heart. “I don’t need any more rewards.”

Lu Xi glanced at his head.

It had been dyed for three or four months. His blue hair had started to fade, and the tips were now a yellowish-green, with black roots growing in. At a glance—if it weren’t for his good-looking face—it was pretty painful to look at.

She didn’t know what others thought, but even her mom-filter was struggling to hold up.

She firmly shook her head. “No way. You have to take your reward, or you’ll have to move out.”

Xie Heng : ?

Was it really that serious?

If she insisted on giving him a reward, he wouldn’t refuse. No need to make a big deal out of it.

But since Lu Xi was so determined to buy him something, he was still happy about it. So, he obediently followed her.

They first went to a shopping street, took the elevator to the fifth floor, and stopped in front of a hair salon.

Xie Heng came to his senses, touched his hair, and suddenly understood.

So she brought him here to dye his hair…

Xie Heng couldn’t help but complain, “You said you’d bring me ages ago. Now you finally remember? Look at my hair, it’s almost unbearable to look at.”

Lu Xi was used to her silly goose’s tsundere tone.

She walked inside and said flatly, “It really is unbearable. Even I, your dear mother, can’t stand it anymore. I don’t know what those girls on the forum who confess to you are thinking.”

Xie Heng followed her in.

Suddenly, his smile froze, and his steps halted.

What did she mean by that? So just because she was his ‘Mom,’ she had the right to personally attack him?

Angry, he childishly tugged at the tassels on Lu Xi’s scarf, thinking that maybe he should just go all out and dye his hair some non-mainstream bright yellow—make himself look even worse to get back at her.

But that was just a thought.

Unexpectedly, when the salon’s head stylist examined his hair, he said there was no way to just touch up the color. It had to be completely redyed, which meant bleaching it again.

Xie Heng recalled the last time he bleached his hair. Back then, he didn’t know what bleaching entailed, so he didn’t care. But once it started, his scalp stung like a thousand tiny bugs biting into it.

At the time, just to spite Lu Xi, he had even considered getting a full sleeve tattoo.

But after experiencing the pain of bleaching, he immediately dropped that idea. If bleaching already hurt this much, how bad would a tattoo be? He could endure the pain from fighting, but this slow, drawn-out torture was another story.

His scalp tingled at the thought, and he frowned. “Does it have to be bleached? Are there any colors that don’t require bleaching?”

The stylist suggested several options, but Xie Heng shook his head at each one. Lu Xi frowned too.

Xie Heng was getting impatient and didn’t want to bother anymore. “Forget it, just dye it black.”

Lu Xi : “Are you sure? Black dye can look unnatural, like you’re wearing a wig.”

Xie Heng : “…”

He pictured that in his head. It was kind of horrifying.

“I don’t know anymore. You decide,” he sighed, slumping next to Lu Xi, completely resigned to her judgment.

Neither option appealed to her either. One would damage his hair, the other would make him look bad.

Lu Xi pulled him into a chair. He was too tall; she had to do this to get a better angle.

She lifted a section of his hair, examined the length, and decided it wasn’t too bad.

“Let’s just cut off the blue part. Problem solved.”

Xie Heng was stunned. “Wouldn’t that make it a buzz cut?”

“So what? It’s winter break soon. It’ll grow back by the time school starts.”

Lu Xi had full confidence in his metabolism.

“…” Xie Heng, however, was doubtful. “What if it’s still a buzz cut by then?”

Lu Xi calmly ruffled his hair. “Then nothing. It’s not like you have a girlfriend to worry about losing.”

Hard to argue with that logic.

---

Since he wasn’t getting a perm or dye job, the process was quick.

After washing his hair, the stylist got to work cutting.

Noticing Xie Heng’s solemn expression, the stylist chuckled. “Relax. With my skills, even a buzz cut will look good on you. Your face is what matters most.”

Xie Heng huffed lightly.

Even if it turned out ugly, he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to school during break anyway. He could just stay home and make his Mom suffer by looking at him.

Getting a haircut was always boring.

Lu Xi flipped through a magazine at the nearby table while the salon even provided her with fruits and snacks.

Thinking about the winter break, a thought popped into Xie Heng’s mind. He glanced at Lu Xi through the mirror.

He cleared his throat to get her attention.

Lu Xi looked up at him.

“So, uh… is your studio hiring for the break?” Xie Heng blurted out. “Do you need a part-timer?”

Lu Xi saw right through his intentions and smirked. “I’m not in charge of hiring.”

“But you’re the boss!”

“And?”

Xie Heng put on his best salesman act. “Come on, hire me. I’m strong and hardworking. I could be a security guard. Or a model.”

Lu Xi lazily flipped to the next page. “Forget modeling. You charge five thousand per shoot. I can’t afford you. Security pays two thousand a month. Interested?”

If he took that job, he’d be kind of an idiot. He could make five thousand just lying around at home.

The stylist overheard and joked, “How old are you, little bro? You at least sixteen?”

Xie Heng proudly pursed his lips. “Almost seventeen.”

“Nice, then how about working here? We’re hiring shampoo assistants—three to five thousand a month, with food and housing included.”

Xie Heng blinked, momentarily stunned.

That… was way more generous than his ‘Mom.’

Lu Xi saw the look of contemplation on his face and nearly burst out laughing.

Fine, she’d hire him—let him sweep the floors or do odd jobs. Otherwise, the stylist might really rope him into washing hair for a living.

---

In the private dining room of the restaurant.

A square table sat in the middle of the private dining room. Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao sat side by side, while Xie Heng sat across from them.

More than twenty minutes had passed since they placed their order.

Lu Xi glanced uneasily at the door, resisting the urge to go out and urge the waiter to hurry up with the dishes, because the atmosphere in the room was just too awkward!

Her joke in the car earlier had naturally been ignored. She had known it wouldn’t be taken seriously; she had only said it to lighten the mood. After all, this wasn’t a problem that could be solved with a fight.

At this moment, both Lu Xi and Xie Heng were absorbed in their phones. One expressionless, the other with a subtly complex look.

Only Xie Yizhao appeared completely at ease, sipping his tea and gazing out at the night view as if he had nothing to do with the awkward tension in the room.

Sometimes, Lu Xi genuinely admired his composure. No wonder he was the big boss—just one sentence from him could send his son straight into an emotional slump. And she wasn’t spared from the collateral damage either.

She had been to this restaurant a few times before and liked it because they usually served food quickly and with great presentation. But today, for some reason, the service was dragging.

Noticing Lu Xi’s small fidgeting movements, Xie Yizhao raised an eyebrow slightly. “Everyone’s hungry, right? I’ll call them.”

Just as he was about to press the service button, a knock came at the door, and the waiter entered with dishes.

Xie Yizhao calmly reminded, “Please serve the dishes faster.”

The waiter nodded and explained that since it was the weekend, the restaurant was packed, but they would do their best.

Xie Heng clenched his fingers slightly.

What was up with his Dad? Why was his Dad doing this again—dealing blows without explanation, acting so indifferent? Couldn’t his Dad at least tell him why?

Xie Heng fixed his gaze on Xie Yizhao and muttered, half in defiance, “Thanks, but I’m not hungry. I’m already full, full of frustration.”

Xie Yizhao gave him a calm look, raising an eyebrow as he countered, “If you’re not hungry, then why did you come?”

Lu Xi : “…”

Sensing that father and son were about to clash again, Lu Xi cleared her throat and smiled at the waiter. “Do you have anything to help cool tempers? Stir-fried bitter melon? Chrysanthemum tea? Lotus seed tea?”

The waiter, subtly aware of the tense atmosphere, immediately responded, “We have braised bitter melon salad and chrysanthemum tea.”

Lu Xi nodded. “Great, we’ll add those.”

After the waiter left, she reached into her small bag and pulled out a pack of mint candies. Taking out two, she placed them in front of Xie Yizhao and Xie Heng.

“Here, one each. Cool down a little.”

Xie Yizhao glanced at her, half amused, half helpless.

Xie Heng frowned at the mint candy in front of him. He didn’t even like mint, and right now, he didn’t feel like eating candy at all. He wasn’t a three-year-old. Did Ms. Lu really think a piece of candy could make everything better?

But in the end, he ate it.

After all, she wasn’t the one who made him angry today. He had to give her this bit of respect.

Besides, he was curious. If he ate the candy, would she try to persuade his Dad to reconsider?

Xie Yizhao, on the other hand, had no such complicated thoughts. He simply wouldn’t refuse something Lu Xi gave him.

Almost simultaneously, the two unwrapped the candies and put them in their mouths.

The mint was cool and refreshing, with a hint of jasmine.

So far, so good. Even for two people who didn’t usually eat mint candy, the flavor was acceptable.

But then, after the delicate jasmine scent faded, a strange, overpowering taste emerged.

Durian.

Xie Heng’s face scrunched up immediately. “What the hell did you give us? Poison?”

Lu Xi couldn’t help but look at him with amusement. “Come on, if I wanted to poison you, I would’ve done it long ago.”

Xie Heng : …Thanks, that was not reassuring.

“Xiao Xi…” Even Xie Yizhao’s expression darkened, though his reaction was much more restrained. There was a mix of amusement, helplessness, and something he couldn’t quite put into words.

Lu Xi blinked. “What’s wrong?”

Then, as if remembering something, she quickly checked the candy’s packaging. Her expression shifted.

She bit her lip and pulled out another pack of mint candies from her bag.

One was mint-jasmine. The other… was mint-durian.

She had bought them both at a convenience store earlier, purely out of curiosity. She hadn’t expected to accidentally subject them to this.

“I grabbed the wrong one.” Lu Xi blinked innocently.

She took out two napkins and handed them to them. “Go ahead and spit it out. I promise I won’t be mad.”

Both men had been fully prepared to do just that.

But now, with an inexplicable sense of stubborn pride, they changed their minds in unison and silently swallowed the durian-flavored abomination.

Lu Xi was speechless.

What was even the point of this?

Sometimes, she couldn’t help but find it amusing. These two were always at odds, never able to get along.

Yet in so many ways, they were so alike.

From their looks to their tastes, right down to their shared, deeply ingrained stubbornness.

They might not even realize it themselves.

Lu Xi originally didn’t want to get involved in the conflict between father and son, but after thinking about it, she found it impossible to stand by and do nothing. The way they were acting was seriously affecting her appetite!

She turned to Xie Heng. “By the way, you haven’t asked for my opinion yet.”

He was slightly taken aback. “Opinion on what?”

“On whether I agree with you becoming a police officer in the future.”

Xie Heng instinctively replied, “There’s no need to ask. You wouldn’t disagree, right?”

He couldn’t quite explain why, but he had always felt that Madam Lu would support his decision. Even though she had never explicitly said so, he had a strong, unshakable belief that in this family, she would always stand by his side.

Lu Xi raised an eyebrow and smiled. “What if I don’t agree?”

“Why not? Give me a reason and convince me.” Xie Heng crossed his arms, looking unconvinced.

Lu Xi shrugged at him. “See? The moment I say I don’t agree, you immediately ask me why. But why haven’t you asked your Dad?”

Xie Heng was momentarily speechless.

He frowned and rubbed his ear.

If he had to explain… he supposed it was because he didn’t think his Dad would give him a proper explanation. Instead, he expected the usual dismissive phrases that parents used with their children—things like ‘You’re still young, you wouldn’t understand’ or ‘You’ll get it when you’re older.’

But lately, his Dad had been surprisingly reasonable.

Xie Heng suddenly felt a bit annoyed.

Yeah, why hadn’t he just asked directly? Why was he waiting for his Dad to bring it up first?

Before Lu Xi could say anything else to Xie Yizhao, the waiter arrived with the dishes. In addition to the what they had ordered earlier, there was now a plate of chilled bitter melon salad and chrysanthemum tea.

The waiter poured tea for all three of them, and Lu Xi added a piece of bitter melon to each of their plates.

“Here, cool down a bit. Xiao Heng, tell your dad why you want to be a police officer. Xie Yizhao, tell your son why you disagree. Over.”

Having forcibly assigned speaking roles to both men, Lu Xi focused on her meal and refrained from interfering further.

One was an adult, the other was half-grown. They needed to learn how to have a proper conversation.

Xie Yizhao glanced at Xie Heng and let out a silent sigh.

Truthfully, even without Lu Xi mediating, he had planned to have a talk with Xie Heng, just not right now.

He could tell that his son was in a stubborn and impulsive state of mind, prone to tunnel vision. When he was like this, nothing anyone said would get through to him. That’s why Xie Yizhao had planned to wait a few days, let him cool off, and then have a calm discussion.

That would be much more effective.

But then he thought about tomorrow’s exam. If this issue distracted Xie Heng and affected his performance, that would be a real loss.

After a moment of contemplation, Xie Yizhao finally spoke in a measured tone. “Actually—”

“Wait a minute.” Xie Heng raised a hand to cut him off. “I want to ask something first. If that day I had managed to fight you to a draw, would you still oppose it?”

Xie Yizhao lifted his gaze slightly, looking at Xie Heng with mild surprise.

Adjusting his posture, he leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on the table and tapping it lightly. “To be honest, your physical ability is indeed one of my concerns.”

Xie Heng: “…”

How frustrating. He felt mocked, but he couldn’t refute it.

Xie Yizhao quickly continued, “But since you brought it up this way, I’m even less certain about your true motivation. Why don’t you answer your Mom’s question first? Why do you want to choose this profession?”

“…”

Xie Heng looked up, meeting his father’s gaze. He opened his mouth, but suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

He furrowed his brows.

That was weird. He had been so sure.

Being called ‘Police Brother’ secretly pleased him. He thought the uniform was cool. His skills weren’t as good as his Dad’s, but he was definitely capable enough to handle small-time criminals.

Most importantly, he had finally figured out his future direction, and this choice felt right for him. So what was there to overthink?

Seeing the confusion in his son’s eyes, Xie Yizhao more or less understood. His tone softened. “You can answer now, or you can take some time to think and come back to me later. As long as it’s before you submit your application, you’ll have a chance to convince me.”

Xie Heng gave a muffled “Mm,” and continued, “I’ll think about it some more.”

After speaking, he seemed a little absent-minded. He picked up a piece of bitter melon with his chopsticks, chewed a few times, and only then realized. Something was wrong.

The bitterness hit him so hard his face turned slightly green.

Spitting it out would be embarrassing, so he took a deep breath and forced himself to swallow.

Even Xie Yizhao was momentarily speechless at his son’s blunder. He exchanged a helpless glance with Lu Xi.

Clearing her throat, Lu Xi gave Xie Heng a sympathetic look.

This time, he couldn’t blame her. He hadn’t even taken the piece from his own bowl, but from the plate of bitter melon in front of him.

The poor kid was so stressed he couldn’t even eat properly.

Lu Xi, feeling both amused and exasperated, moved the plate of bitter melon aside to prevent any further accidents.

She couldn’t help him sort out this kind of life decision, and neither could Xie Yizhao. Figuring out one’s future was hard, but it was something only he could do for himself. Parents shouldn’t make the choice for him.

Still, Lu Xi wanted him to know her true feelings.

“By the way, I won’t oppose your dream, but if I ever see you get hurt, I’ll be sad, and it’ll break my heart. I might even cry.”

Xie Heng paused, startled.

Wait—so that meant… she didn’t support it either?

Lu Xi glanced at him, her voice turning gentler. “But if you’ve truly made up your mind and are determined to take this path, then I hope you grow stronger—stronger and stronger—so that you can protect yourself and avoid getting hurt.”

The boy, feeling her genuine concern, felt his ears heat up slightly. But more than that, he felt a deep warmth settle in his heart.

It felt as warm as wearing a down jacket in the winter.

After pausing for a moment, Xie Heng cleared his throat and finally curled his lips into a smile. “Got it. I’m not that weak—I won’t make you cry.”

Lu Xi beamed, raising her chrysanthemum tea to clink glasses with him. “Then I wish you and your Dad a smooth conversation. Cheers!”

Xie Heng put on an expression of ‘this is such a hassle, but I can’t do anything about you,’ the classic rebellious son look. He lifted his cup and clinked it against hers.

“You’re not joining us?” Lu Xi cast a sidelong glance at Xie Yizhao.

The latter sighed helplessly, pinched the bridge of his nose, and relented. He raised his water glass and lightly touched it to Lu Xi’s, lowering his rim slightly¹.

Xie Heng suddenly caught on and, following suit, lowered his cup as well.

Lu Xi, who had the alcohol tolerance of a lightweight and zero understanding of drinking culture, didn’t notice the subtle exchange between the two men. She cheerfully tapped her glass against theirs.

Just like that, she effortlessly diffused another family conflict.

Without her, these two emotionally constipated men at home would really be helpless.

---

1. In Chinese culture, lowering one’s glass when clinking means showing respect or deference to the other party. It could be from a subordinate to a superior, a junior to an elder, or anything else where someone’s position is lower than the other party. So in this case, Xie Yizhao is saying that he holds Xixi higher than himself. ↩︎

---

But then, Xie Yizhao suddenly called out to Xie Heng.

“Wait, I have something to tell you.”

Xie Heng raised his eyebrows slightly, feeling a little nervous.

His Dad was probably going to lecture him.

Which was fair. He had acted impulsively this time, believing a rumor without confirming it, almost causing a huge misunderstanding. He was even a little embarrassed himself.

So this time, he wasn’t going to talk back.

Xie Yizhao glanced at his son, who was obediently standing there, and instantly saw through his son’s thoughts. He relaxed his expression slightly but spoke in a serious tone, “Your Mom and I have no plans to have another child, so stop overthinking it, alright?”

Xie Heng was stunned for a moment.

Why wasn’t he getting scolded?

After two seconds, he processed the key point and asked in confusion, “Really? Why not?”

Xie Yizhao didn’t answer why. He simply said calmly, “This kind of decision isn’t made on a whim. If we ever do plan for another child, we’ll discuss it with you first.”

Xie Heng thought he misheard.

His Dad was being this kind and reasonable today. Had his Dad been possessed?

Unable to hold back, he asked, “Why would you discuss it with me?”

Lu Xi watched the father and son struggling to communicate and found it amusing. She didn’t interject, just leaned back comfortably against the cushion, propping her head up, enjoying the scene like a spectator at a play.

Xie Yizhao glanced at his wife’s relaxed demeanor and suddenly felt a little envious. He sighed. He had promised to be patient, yet he still couldn’t help but shoot his son an exasperated look.

“If we were to have another child, it would be your sibling, so naturally, we would take your thoughts into consideration.”

Xie Heng tightened his hands.

He blinked. “Oh. Okay.”

Now he understood.

Although he wouldn’t have objected, the fact that they cared about his opinion made him a little happy.

Lu Xi had been silent for a while but saw things clearly.

This blue-haired kid wasn’t used to having a say in family matters. Suddenly being included, and with Xie Yizhao lowering his stance first, left him momentarily at a loss.

But that was fine. He would get used to it eventually.

Seeing that father and son had almost finished their conversation, Lu Xi lazily spoke up, “Also, next time you hear something like this, come and ask us first. Don’t believe rumors so easily, got it?”

Xie Heng took a deep breath. “Got it.”

At first, he looked quite obedient, but then he suddenly thought of something and glanced at Lu Xi again. “So, you really don’t plan to give me a little brother or sister?”

Lu Xi rolled her eyes at him.

She liked her current figure—no scars, no stretch marks. She wasn’t about to go through that painful process again.

Call her selfish if you want, but she never really liked kids. She only liked Xie Heng.

Lu Xi reminded him, “Instead of worrying about us, why don’t you focus on yourself? Midterms are over, New Year’s is coming—do you think finals are far behind?”

Xie Heng’s face immediately fell.

Finals… Oh no!

When their midterm results came out, the homeroom teacher kept reminding them that the New Year was early this year, in January, so they shouldn’t slack off.

Now, Xie Heng realized with despair that he had been slacking off this whole time.

He pulled out his phone and checked the calendar—less than a month left!

Xu Jiaming had analyzed it for him before, saying that the higher his rank, the harder it would be to improve. He had advised him to aim for a modest jump—thirty ranks would be impressive enough.

Xie Heng understood that logic. If you take too big of a step, you might… well, stumble. But now, time was running out!

His face darkened, and he didn’t bother saying anything else. He casually slung his bag over his shoulder and headed upstairs.

Once he was out of sight, alone, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

He didn’t mind having a younger sibling, but if Lu Xi didn’t want to go through childbirth again, that was great news.

He had looked it up. Giving birth was excruciating and could even have long-term side effects.

Lu Xi was so delicate. Having him might have already been a huge ordeal for her. Her health was the most important thing.

Anyway, he’d make sure to take care of her in the future…

He had it all figured out. If his salary as a police officer wasn’t enough, he’d just eat and live off his Dad while he could, saving up as much as possible. That should be enough.

But for now, with finals coming up, Xie Heng wasn’t thinking about his future police career.

He had made up his mind. If he really improved by thirty ranks this time, he’d talk to his dad and see if he agreed.

And if he didn’t… well, he’d deal with that later.

From that day on, Xie Heng pushed himself into intense study mode. He still occasionally got distracted in class, but much less than before, and he could mostly keep up with the lessons.

Xu Jiaming had once said he had a solid foundation, just that he had wasted too many years.

At the time, Xie Heng thought he was just being consoled, but now, he realized it was true.

If he didn’t understand something, he asked his deskmate after class. Huang Ying was always happy to help. And if she didn’t know, he’d ask the people around him.

At this point, he had given up on hiding it. He boldly studied, no longer embarrassed. In the end, what was there to be ashamed of? He used to think it was humiliating, but actually, everyone was just focused on learning. No one was laughing at him.

His classmates and teachers noticed the change in him.

Some genuinely wanted to be his friend. Some had parents who told them to get close to the Xie family.

As for the teachers, they had no ulterior motives—they simply liked seeing their students improve.

Recently, Lu Xi kept getting private messages from the homeroom teacher about Xie Heng’s performance.

Almost all of them were full of praise.

Now, the homeroom teacher was so used to it that they sent updates to both ‘Xie Heng’s Dad’ and ‘Xie Heng’s Mom’ at the same time.

The rest of the family also noticed the changes in Xie Heng.

For example, the butler realized that Xie Heng had been eating a lot more lately. However, despite his increased appetite, he didn’t gain any weight and remained the same size. At first, the butler was a little concerned and even brought it up with Lu Xi.

Lu Xi just smiled and said, “It’s fine. Using your brain consumes a lot of energy. Give him some nutritious food, or his brain won’t be able to keep up.”

The butler didn’t fully understand.

But since Madam said so, it must be right. After all, in this household, even Master had to listen to Madam.

Since she said Young Master needed brain nourishment, the butler not only followed the nutritionist’s meal plan for Xie Heng but also specifically arranged for frequent servings of stewed pig brain soup and a fixed daily morning cup of walnut milk.

Xie Heng was speechless.

When he found out it was Lu Xi’s instruction, he was even more speechless, almost indignant.

Yet, despite his frustration, he still obediently drank the entire cup of walnut milk, biting on the straw with irritation.

He would keep improving, test after test. By the time the college entrance exams arrived, he would surely impress her. Then she wouldn’t think he was stupid anymore.

As the semester approached its final exams, the weather grew colder.

But Lu Xi didn’t feel the chill.

While Xie Heng was busy studying, she was busy with her business. Although her studio had only recently launched, things were steadily improving and gradually falling into place.

That dress she had designed—gifted by Xu Jiaming to Yang Yihan—had been worn by Yang Yihan in a January photoshoot, which received great feedback. Yang Yihan even called Lu Xi personally to thank her.

But Lu Xi felt like she was the one who should be grateful.

A big celebrity wearing her design? That was free publicity. She gave away one dress, and Yang Yihan helped her advertise for free. Honestly, Lu Xi felt like she got the better deal.

Sure enough, not long after, a team representing another actress reached out to her studio, hoping Lu Xi could design a custom dress for her.

Initially, Lu Xi hesitated. The deadline was only a month away, the requirements were complicated, and it was year-end—she didn’t want to overwork herself.

But in the end, she still took the job.

She couldn’t resist, the payment was just too generous.

Although she wasn’t short on money, earning it herself felt different from receiving it from Xie Yizhao. Spending her husband’s money was enjoyable, but sometimes, she needed a different kind of fulfillment.

Because of her busy schedule, she had spent less time hanging around in the study with Xie Yizhao lately. But that was okay, he was even busier than she was.

With year-end meetings, reports, and evaluations, Xie Yizhao rarely came home for dinner these days.

Then, one evening, he finally came back from work early. Just as Lu Xi also returned late from overtime. At the same time, they ran into Xie Heng, who had just gotten back from school, looking more and more like a regular high school student.

Lu Xi suddenly realized something. “How long has it been since the three of us had dinner together?”

The two men exchanged glances.

Xie Heng looked a little confused, while Xie Yizhao was perfectly clear-headed. He naturally took the paper bag from Lu Xi’s hands—the one she had brought back from her studio—and gently reminded her, “Twenty days ago, I invited you to dinner, and you turned me down.”

Over the past twenty days, Lu Xi had rejected him five times. He remembered them all.

Lu Xi blinked innocently. “Then how about we go out for dinner now? Xiao Heng can come too. You have exams tomorrow, tonight is a good time to relax.”

Xie Heng shrugged. “Of course I’m coming. Don’t even think about leaving me behind.”

It was a school night, but one evening off wouldn’t make a difference.

Naturally, Xie Yizhao went along with Lu Xi’s suggestion.

For their family dinner, he didn’t even call the driver. He drove them himself to a restaurant five kilometers away.

On the way, Lu Xi refrained from asking Xie Heng about his studies, not wanting to pressure him.

Instead, she turned on the music. Her phone’s auto-play function kicked in, and coincidentally, <Wonderful Tonight> started playing.

Something stirred in Lu Xi’s heart. She instinctively glanced at the rearview mirror, just in time to meet Xie Yizhao’s gaze.

She couldn’t help but smile.

Clearly, Xie Yizhao was thinking the same thing. He cleared his throat in an attempt to cover it up, his demeanor particularly relaxed and cheerful.

Sitting in the back seat, Xie Heng sensed the subtle atmosphere between them—one that only they could understand.

He couldn’t help but feel… weird.

Of course, he was happy that his parents had a good relationship. It was much better than some of his classmates, whose parents had divorced after messy breakups. But still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was a massive third wheel, completely excluded.

Unable to take it anymore, Xie Heng deliberately interrupted, “My finals start tomorrow. As my parents, don’t you think you should show some concern?”

Lu Xi glanced back at him. “Do you want us to ask?”

“I don’t really care,” Xie Heng said. “Either way, I’m definitely going to improve this time.”

Lu Xi played along and clapped her hands. “Great! Then when you get your results, go ask your Dad for a reward.”

Xie Yizhao shot a sideways glance at his wife, who loved to set him up, but his lips curled into a faint smile. “No problem.”

Hearing that, Xie Heng’s eyes lit up. “Anything I want?”

Xie Yizhao raised an eyebrow, noticing his son’s excitement. “Sounds like you’ve already got something in mind. Go ahead, let’s hear it.”

Xie Heng, feeling elated, blurted out his request before he could stop himself. “I want to enroll in the police academy after graduation. I want to be a police officer. Will you agree?”

The moment the words left his mouth, he realized his voice was trembling slightly.

He was too nervous.

Song Siyang had told him that if he did this, who would take over the family business? He also said that being a police officer was dangerous and that his Dad would never agree.

Xie Heng hadn’t argued back.

He knew his decision was unconventional.

But deep down, he still hoped to gain his Dad’s support.

He suddenly realized he cared about his Dad’s opinion more than he had thought.

He wanted his Dad’s approval.

Xie Yizhao frowned slightly.

He understood his son well. He knew Xie Heng had been holding back this desire for a long time before finally speaking up. It hadn’t been easy for his son. Looking at his son’s reflection in the rearview mirror—his face still pure and straightforward, filled with determination yet naively optimistic—Xie Yizhao hesitated.

Only for a few seconds.

Then, he calmly said, “I don’t agree.”

Lu Xi was stunned. She turned to look at Xie Yizhao.

Xie Heng was also taken aback.

At a red light, Xie Yizhao stopped the car.

Xie Heng’s brows furrowed tightly. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he was too upset. After a brief silence, he reached out and poked Lu Xi’s shoulder.

“My Dad is so stubborn. Can you do something about him?” he asked, sounding both frustrated and aggrieved.

Lu Xi listened to his sulky tone, blinked innocently, and considered her options.

Could she get out of the car? Would they let her off at the next intersection?

After thinking for a moment, she made a serious suggestion: “How about we drive to the martial arts hall, and you two can fight it out?”

---

Lu Xi thought for a moment. She felt a little sorry that the brat had been deceived by a mere rumor, yet she was also somewhat displeased. Since he had found out, why hadn’t he told her? Even asking her about it would have been better.

That evening, when Xie Yizhao returned home, Lu Xi didn’t bother covering for their silly son and told him everything directly.

Xie Yizhao had an appointment tonight and didn’t return until nearly nine o’clock. Lu Xi was in her study, working on a design draft.

When he knocked and entered, she immediately put down her work, got up, and eagerly shared this ‘funny incident’ with him.

“…” Xie Yizhao rarely looked so speechless.

The only person capable of rendering him at a loss for words was his own son.

Resting her face on her hand, Lu Xi happily admired her husband’s stunned expression for quite a while.

Frowning, Xie Yizhao spoke in a measured tone, “So… all this time, he’s been… protecting your stomach?”

Lu Xi nodded. “Yes. And that nonexistent little sister.”

Hearing this, the man’s expression turned subtle. His gaze lowered, landing on her flat abdomen. Sitting down in her spot, he pulled her onto his lap, wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and asked in a low voice, “Are you sure she doesn’t exist?”

Lu Xi widened her eyes and couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. “Our son is foolish, and now you are too? Don’t you know better?”

They had been careful, taken all the necessary precautions. Surely he was well aware of that.

Xie Yizhao chuckled, his large hand resting on her stomach as he gave it a light, teasing press. “I know. I was just joking.”

What an annoying joke with no boundaries!

Lu Xi pushed his face away, and Xie Yizhao didn’t resist, letting her guide his head aside. But out of nowhere, he planted a soft kiss on her fingers.

“…”

A strange sensation, like a tiny spark, flickered through her fingertips. She quickly withdrew her hand and shot him a glare.

She had learned a valuable lesson over the past few days. When it came to men with rekindled passion, it was best not to provoke them. She had no intention of letting rumors turn into reality.

Xie Yizhao let out a soft laugh but didn’t push further. They simply sat together, quietly embracing. Lu Xi had long since grown accustomed to using his lap as a sofa, entirely at ease with the arrangement.

His hand idly played with strands of her hair, as if finding amusement in the small action.

Lu Xi found it rather funny.

Before, after dinner, he would shut himself in his study. But now, he went straight to hers.

Old Xie had become unusually clingy lately.

But she was adapting to the change well. Perhaps it was because their relationship had evolved gradually, step by step. It felt natural to her, not awkward at all. Besides, Xie Yizhao wasn’t some lovesick fool, and neither was she. After indulging in a bit of affection, she would send him back to his own study, and they would each get back to work without disruption.

But tonight, she wasn’t planning to let him go.

In at most an hour, Xie Heng would be home. Lu Xi had already made up her mind, She was going to talk things through with him.

“You’re his Dad, so you need to be there too,” she told Xie Yizhao.

Xie Yizhao nodded. “Of course. We brought him into this world, so we’ll handle him together.”

Lu Xi was speechless.

Why did he make their son sound like some kind of natural disaster? Sure, the kid could be destructive and exasperating at times…

Thinking back to the time she caught him sneaking her perfume, she couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a mix of amusement, affection, and a strange tenderness.

Perhaps this was what people meant when they said someone was so adorably foolish it made them lovable.

Others might not understand, but as his Mom, she certainly did. She was fiercely protective of him and didn’t like hearing anyone speak badly about him.

Even if that person was his own Dad.

She couldn’t help but defend Xie Heng. “He’s not foolish, he just cares too much and got confused. Have you forgotten how he found my lost ornament last time? And how much his test scores improved?”

Xie Yizhao nodded. “I know. My son—our son—could never be foolish.”

Lu Xi : “…”

Was he praising their son or just looking for an excuse to compliment himself?

His ego was definitely getting thicker.

She couldn’t be bothered to argue with him, though. Since he had included her in the compliment, she gladly accepted it.

“But,” she suddenly thought of something and hesitated before asking, “do you… like daughters more than sons?”

Xie Yizhao was briefly stunned, as if surprised by her question.

But he quickly regained his composure. “I never really thought about it. If I had to say… Xie Heng is already the best.”

Lu Xi glanced at him. “That’s a nice thing to say. Why don’t you ever say it to him?”

For some reason, both father and son had no trouble talking to her, but whenever they were face to face, they acted like they had no mouths.

Xie Yizhao gave a small smile.

He didn’t know either. Somehow, whenever he was with Lu Xi, it was easy to say what was in his heart.

But with Xie Heng, the gap between them had always been too deep. They were too alike, both stubborn in their own ways. In a whole week, they probably exchanged fewer than a hundred words. Heart-to-heart conversations were out of the question.

Still, he had noticed their relationship improving lately.

At the very least, when they met in the morning, his son would acknowledge him with a curt “Dad,” even if his son’s expression was still as smug and aloof as ever.

But Xie Yizhao could tell, things were changing for the better.

And it was all because she had come back to this home…

Xie Yizhao had only recently come to deeply realize that he was an unqualified father. If he wanted to do a good job, there was still a long way to go. For now, just being a good father to his rebellious son, Xie Heng, was enough of a challenge. Like Lu Xi, he didn’t think their family needed another new addition at the moment.

---

Xie Heng arrived home under the moonlight.

He took off his earphones, still humming a tune.

Recently, the school had distributed the latest uniforms, but just like before, wearing them wasn’t mandatory.

However, this time the design was stylish, and with both the school tyrant and the top student publicly endorsing it, the uniform had unexpectedly become the latest fashion trend on campus. Unlike previous uniforms, which almost no one wanted to wear, this time, the entire field during Monday’s flag-raising ceremony was packed with students in matching outfits. Even many teachers were wearing the down jackets designed by Lu Xi.

Even Xie Heng, who had never worn a down jacket before, was wearing one this year.

In previous winters, he never felt cold. There was heating at home and in the classroom, and he usually traveled by car. If he was outside, he could just tough it out.

But this year, after putting on a down jacket, he suddenly found he couldn’t go without it. If he didn’t wear it outside, the cold wind felt like it was drilling straight into his bones.

Xie Heng felt that Lu Xi was spoiling him.

He never used to be this delicate.

He took off his down jacket, and the butler accepted it with a smile. “Go to the living room, Master and Madam are waiting for you.”

Xie Heng paused slightly.

His first thought was : Did he get into trouble recently?

It didn’t seem like it… The boy was confused, but seeing the butler’s smiling, unchanged expression, he was reassured. “Don’t worry, Master and Madam seem to be in a good mood.”

So, it wasn’t to scold him this time.

Relieved, Xie Heng ruffled his hair and walked into the living room with a relaxed stride.

“What do you need me for?” Xie Heng didn’t sit down, instead leaning against the sofa. His gaze swept over Xie Yizhao briefly before landing on Lu Xi.

Lu Xi looked at him, patted her stomach, and asked with a bright smile, “Oh, nothing much, just wanted to ask, do you prefer a little brother or a little sister?”

Xie Heng was stunned.

Wait… Were they finally coming clean with him?

That was fine, but how come there was no lead-up at all? They were just outright asking whether he wanted a little brother or sister? Was this even his choice to make?!

Seeing Xie Heng’s blank face, Lu Xi couldn’t hold back a chuckle and winked at Xie Yizhao.

Xie Yizhao actually felt a little sorry for his son this time, but ultimately, he firmly stood by Lu Xi’s side. He wasn’t going to help his son out.

Lu Xi was very pleased with herself. She raised an eyebrow, watching Xie Heng with interest, waiting for his answer.

The boy scratched his ear and hesitated. “How would I know? What does this have to do with me?”

Lu Xi chuckled. “If it has nothing to do with you, then why have you been sneaking around lately, paying so much attention to my belly?”

Xie Heng froze and blurted out, “You knew I knew?”

“Hmph,” Lu Xi crossed her arms and sneered. “Not only do I know that you know, I also know that after you found out, you deliberately didn’t want me to know that you knew!”

“…” Xie Heng stared at his Mom’s queen-like posture, his mind spinning from her words. His head felt like it was going to explode.

What even was this conversation?

He sat down on the sofa, facing his parents, wide-eyed and confused.

Although he still didn’t quite understand Lu Xi’s question, he could sense that something was off.

Frowning, he asked, “So, is it a little brother or a little sister?”

Lu Xi glared at him. “Neither! Those are just rumors!”

“…” Xie Heng pressed his lips together, staring at Lu Xi with doubt. “Really? Are you guys still trying to keep it from me?”

Xie Yizhao finally spoke. “You didn’t even ask us, yet you just decided on your own that your Mom was pregnant?”

—This kid had no critical thinking skills at all.

He swallowed down that thought. His relationship with his son was improving, and he didn’t want to ruin it.

Xie Heng spoke as if it was obvious. “I observed her. She really looked like it!”

Lu Xi wasn’t pleased. “So, you’re saying I look pregnant? Are you saying I’ve gained weight?”

Sitting beside her, Xie Yizhao was the first to sense the chill in the air.

He glanced at his still-clueless son and cleared his throat, giving him a warning look.

Luckily, in front of his Mom, Xie Heng still had some survival instincts.

The moment he realized he had said something wrong, he knew he couldn’t take it back, but he could try to fix it. Shrinking his neck slightly, he quickly explained in a somewhat sheepish tone, “No, of course not! You’re not fat at all. I just thought, since you’ve been sleeping more and eating more lately, maybe…”

Lu Xi narrowed her eyes. “…I’ve been eating a lot?”

Xie Heng swallowed hard.

Crap. He said something wrong again.

His brain short-circuited, and instinctively, he looked at his Dad for help.

This unconscious act delighted Xie Yizhao.

The last time Xie Heng had looked at him with such innocent eyes was when he was still a little boy.

So, after thinking for a moment, Xie Yizhao took Lu Xi’s hand and gently patted it, saying in a low voice, “What he means is, you used to eat too little.”

Lu Xi pressed her lips together, immediately pacified.

Little Xie was infuriating, but Old Xie was still the most thoughtful.

But while Lu Xi was satisfied, Xie Heng was now annoyed.

So it was just a rumor?

And yet Song Siyang had sounded so certain?!

He remembered that after going home that day, Song Siyang’s Dad had kicked Song Siyang a few times, and Song Siyang had been complaining about it while gaming.

At the time, Xie Heng had felt bad for Song Siyang.

Now he just thought—good, Song Siyang deserved it! Uncle had gone too easy on Song Siyang!

But he was still a little annoyed at Lu Xi.

However, when he faced her, his annoyance melted into grievance. He lowered his head, fidgeting with his fingers, and muttered, “Why would you trick me like that?”

What kind of Mom played pranks like this on her son? Too much.

Lu Xi had a good temper. As long as she was coaxed, she wouldn’t hold onto her frustration. She smiled and apologized, “Alright, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have teased you like that.”

Xie Heng coughed lightly, trying to maintain his dignity. “Fine, I forgive you.”

And so, a family drama caused by a rumor was perfectly resolved.

Lu Xi was ready to let him go back to his room.

Xie Heng also knew the conversation was wrapping up. He had learned his lesson. He wouldn’t be a third wheel anymore, especially since he didn’t want to witness their affection. He picked up his book and prepared to head upstairs.

---