Chapter 11 — With me here, just be bold and do it.
By this hour, the main gate was already locked. Day students who wanted to leave now either needed a leave slip or had to wait until the evening study session ended—but that wouldn’t be until eleven.
Teachers on patrol passed by the teaching building from time to time. The two of them stood at the stairwell corner outside, glancing toward the school gate. Several security guards were stationed there, standing so alert it looked as if even a mosquito flying past would get a second look.
“What should we do?” Nan Xu looked at Xie Hejing. The sky was already dark, and she had never gone home this late before. “Will Auntie worry if we get back too late?”
She was overthinking it. Xie Hejing coming home late was almost routine. And besides, it was only eight o’clock. Zhang Huiwan never worried, as long as he didn’t cause trouble and kept his grades near the top. At most, she would call him later to check on him later.
But if Nan Xu were to come along, the situation would be different.
His mom really did seem to treat Nan Xu like her own daughter.
Sure enough, when Xie Hejing pulled out his phone and opened WeChat, his screen was flooded with messages from Zhang Huiwan.
Since Nan Xu didn’t bring her phone to school, Zhang Huiwan had no choice but to message Xie Hejing. Nearly a dozen texts were asking when they were coming home, along with several missed calls. But since Xie Hejing’s phone had been on Do Not Disturb, he hadn’t heard a thing.
He raised an eyebrow and switched Do Not Disturb off.
Never thought he’d one day experience this kind of smothering maternal love…
Expressionless, he sent back a single reply: [On the way.]
Then he leaned out, glancing again at the cluster of guards—each of them as tense as fighting cocks, eyes locked on the gate as if to say, “not even a mosquito will get past us.”
Without hesitation, Xie Hejing turned back and said, “We’ll take the back gate.”
“Huh?”
The thought of going there again made Nan Xu lift her eyes toward the sky. The moon hung high, and even though she knew there wouldn’t be any strange noises this time, that place still felt unbearably damp and eerie.
“Can we not?” she asked carefully.
“Sure,” Xie Hejing’s lips curved. “Then wait till eleven to go home.”
And with that, he strode off, leaving Nan Xu no time to hesitate.
Eleven? No way—she still had things to do.
Watching his figure disappear into the dark, Nan Xu stomped her foot, bit her lip, and hurried after him.
The two of them returned to the school’s back gate.
It was better here—only one guard on duty, who usually stayed inside the security booth with limited visibility.
After watching for a while, Xie Hejing confirmed that the guard was fully absorbed in his phone. He scanned the area, locked onto a blind spot in the guard’s line of sight, and started forward.
Nan Xu didn’t dare make a sound, afraid of alerting the guard, and could only follow quietly behind him.
The spot where Xie Hejing planned to climb over just happened to be right next to a small bamboo grove.
In the darkness, the bamboo forest looked even deeper and more sinister than it had at dusk.
When the wind stirred, Nan Xu couldn’t help doubting her earlier assumption. Maybe those classmates hadn’t imagined the crying sound near the window after all.
“It’s so dark here!” Nan Xu couldn’t help but whisper.
Xie Hejing, however, remained calm. After a few quick glances to confirm the direction, he slipped into the grove.
Inside, unlike outside where a few streetlights still lit the way, it was pitch black. The ground alternated between stones and mud, but Xie Hejing moved without the slightest hindrance, walking steadily and swiftly.
Nan Xu was struggling. She could barely see the path beneath her feet, each step difficult. She wanted to keep up with him, but his stride was long and his pace quick.
Several times she nearly lost him. After much hesitation, she finally reached out and grabbed the corner of his shirt.
Feeling the tug on his clothes, Xie Hejing paused for a beat. His gaze dropped briefly, but he said nothing, simply continued forward with her in tow.
To Nan Xu, Xie Hejing felt like her last lifeline in this dark bamboo grove. She clung tightly to his shirt, yet even that didn’t seem enough.
The place was terrifying. Her courage wasn’t great to begin with, and on top of that, she suffered from night blindness. If she lost him now, she’d probably wander for an hour and still never find her way out.
Her steps quickened, hand reaching again for his clothes—but suddenly she stepped on a stone, stumbled forward in panic, and her fingers brushed against Xie Hejing’s hand.
Nan Xu didn’t even notice, too focused on watching her footing.
But Xie Hejing felt it immediately. That cold touch sent a jolt of electricity shooting through him, racing from his fingertips through his whole body. He froze on the spot, his voice rising a notch. “What are you doing?”
His abrupt stop gave Nan Xu no time to react.
She crashed headlong into his solid back. Rubbing her nose, she felt a sting that made her eyes water before it finally eased.
“I didn’t do anything!”
Nan Xu looked up, honestly bewildered. She had just been walking normally, trying to keep up with him—how could that count as doing something wrong?
Xie Hejing curled his fingers slightly, watching her innocent, wronged expression. His pulse hammered in his temple, and though he wanted to snap, he almost found it absurdly funny.
“You—”
“Brother, keep your voice down, you’ll draw the guard,” she reminded him kindly.
Xie Hejing: “…”
He swallowed his temper, frowned, and pressed on.
But the farther they went, the closer Nan Xu stayed.
“Keep your distance.”
What he got in return was her soft, fragile whisper: “Brother, I’m scared.”
Usually, whenever he came out like this, it was with Xiang Weishi—carefree, joking the whole way, never the least bit afraid. If not him, then Wen Qi, who was bold enough to complain that they were too slow.
But Nan Xu was different. She had always been driven to and from school by her family, obedient and well-behaved. Climbing walls, sneaking through bamboo groves at night—those were things she’d never even imagined.
Without realizing it, her hand had slipped from his shirt to his arm, gripping it tightly.
“Brother, slow down a little. I can’t see very well.”
…That way of addressing him again.
A shadow flickered in Xie Hejing’s eyes, and his voice stiffened slightly.
“Got it.” After a pause of a few seconds, he added, “Troublesome.”
But even as he said that, he really did slow his pace, and with Nan Xu still holding onto his sleeve, she finally felt much more at ease.
When they reached the wall, Nan Xu froze. She knew Xie Hejing could vault over it easily, but with her complete lack of athletic ability, that kind of height was basically impossible for her.
Before she could say anything, Xie Hejing crouched down, beckoned her with his hand, and then pointed at his shoulder.
“Step on me. Climb over.”
“Huh?!” Nan Xu gasped in shock.
Step on him?
“Don’t understand?” He raised an eyebrow.
Nan Xu shook her head quickly. “I understand, I understand.”
But when she lifted her foot toward his shoulder, she still hesitated. She had never stepped on anyone before. With her weight, wouldn’t it hurt him?
Xie Hejing, however, was too lazy to think further. He reached out directly and, without question, took her foot, placing it firmly on his shoulder. “In a moment, brace yourself with your hands and use some strength to flip over,” he paused, seemingly thinking of Nan Xu’s pitifully thin arms, unsure if she had the strength. He then added, “If you can’t get over, I’ll catch you from below. With me here, just be bold and do it.”
Nan Xu froze at that. For the first time, she felt her face heat up.
When she didn’t answer right away, Xie Hejing frowned. “Is there a problem?”
“No.”
She braced both hands on the wall and used every ounce of strength she had, finally managing to scramble up, though she only ended up sprawled across the top.
He vaulted over after her, then helped her down on the other side.
The moment her feet hit the ground, Nan Xu felt her heart finally settle.
She glanced at his shoulder, now marked with two dusty shoe prints. Without thinking, she reached out and brushed at them.
Xie Hejing turned away. “Let’s go.”
After all that, Nan Xu was already starving. Conveniently, the road they had landed on led straight to a lively night market.
The sounds of chatter and sizzling food reached her ears, and the scent of grilled snacks made her stomach growl.
She jogged a few steps to catch up with him. “Brother, let me treat you to dinner!”
During their last phone call, Wen Qiu had worried about her. Even though Nan Xu insisted she didn’t need it, Wen Qiu still transferred her a decent amount of living expenses. Nan Xu had been careful with it, usually picking only the cheapest dishes in the cafeteria.
But treating Xie Hejing to a meal—she didn’t feel the least bit reluctant.
After all, he had cooked for her so many times.
“If we eat, it’ll be even later getting home. Aren’t you worried my mom will get anxious?” Xie Hejing arched an eyebrow.
“Then you can tell Auntie I was hungry and you just came with me. She won’t blame you.” Nan Xu tilted her head up at him.
“Tch. Why would she blame me? I’m not the one who wants to eat.” He scoffed.
“Exactly. So, shall we?” Nan Xu’s eyes curved with her smile.
Xie Hejing didn’t reply, but this whole stretch was lined with street stalls. Eating here with Xiang Weishi had never been a problem.
“This whole row is full of the unhealthy stuff your aunt warned you about. You still want to eat here?”
Nan Xu lowered her head in thought. If she was treating him, then yeah… this kind of food really wasn’t the best choice.
“Then what do you want to eat? We’ll go wherever you’d like.”
Xie Hejing glanced around, considering which places nearby would meet the “acceptable” standard.
Nan Xu thought he actually wanted to eat from these stalls but was only holding back because of her.
“If you want to eat this, it’s fine. I—”
“Covering for me?” His gaze returned to her. “Just like last time, you say you’re covering for me, but you actually just want to eat it yourself?”
At that, Nan Xu blinked, a little guilty. “This time I really mean it.”
“Alright. I’ll believe you once.”
Not far away was a noodle shop he’d been to a few times. The hygiene was decent.
He pulled out his phone and quickly tapped out a message to Zhang Huiwan.
[I’m hungry. Just happened to have Nan Xu keep me company for dinner.]
Zhang Huiwan: [You can’t eat by yourself?]
Xie Hejing chuckled: [So I eat and let her just sit there and watch?]
Zhang Huiwan: [Don’t let Jiaojiao eat anything dirty or unhealthy, you hear me?]
He raised a brow, glancing at the girl beside him who barely reached his chest. His mom sure was attentive.
[Got it.]
When he tucked his phone away, Nan Xu asked, “Did you tell Auntie?”
“Mm.”
Nan Xu looked around at the glowing neon signs. The street was lined with all sorts of food stalls, the air thick with the scent of cumin. She swallowed.
“What do you want to eat?”
Before long, they reached the noodle shop. Xie Hejing tilted his chin toward it. “Noodles.”
“Noodles?” Nan Xu echoed, a little stunned. “You mean… just noodles?”
She’d been preparing herself to treat him to a whole feast and was already thinking about how to explain it to Auntie later. But in the end, he only wanted noodles.
“What’s wrong? Not satisfied?” Xie Hejing asked lazily.
“No, no, that’s fine.”
The place was small and unassuming, the kind of shop most people would walk past without noticing. The menu on the wall didn’t seem to offer anything particularly special either, and Nan Xu couldn’t quite figure out why he’d chosen it.
“Do you eat here often?” she asked.
“A few times.”
Seeing customers, the owner came out from the back wearing an apron. “What’ll you two have?”
Nan Xu stared at the menu on the wall, hesitating. Most of the noodle options leaned toward the spicy side.
Ugh! She didn’t really like spicy food at all…
“Wow, all of these look so spicy!”
Xie Hejing paused, about to suggest they go somewhere else, but the owner quickly recommended, “We also have non-spicy options: winter melon shrimp noodles, tomato beef noodles, and minced meat egg noodles. All non-spicy.”
“Then I’ll have the winter melon shrimp noodles,” Nan Xu said with a smile.
“Then you…” The owner turned to Xie Hejing.
“The same.”
The noodles arrived quickly. Nan Xu took her bowl but immediately felt a little regret.
“You don’t like it?” Xie Hejing asked.
“No, it’s fine—I just forgot to ask for no scallions.”
His phone rang. Seeing the caller, Xie Hejing’s brows furrowed.
“You better have a good reason.”
“Of course I do! Going out, obviously. Why stay home so early? I heard the arcade we passed last time just opened. Let’s go check it out.”
Nan Xu picked through the tiny scallions in her bowl. The more she tried, the tighter her lips pressed together.
This is so hard… and I’m so hungry!
“No time.” Xie Hejing pressed a hand to his lips and coughed lightly.
Nan Xu looked up, thinking he was about to say something to her.
But instead, he picked up the phone with one hand, took her bowl with the other, and casually began picking the scallions for her.
Nan Xu froze for a moment, but Xie Hejing’s movements were so natural, as if he had done this countless times before.
Her lips curved slightly, and she said nothing, focusing entirely on him.
“You know, nine out of ten calls you say you’re busy. What are you even doing?”
“Picking scallions,” Xie Hejing said nonchalantly.
“What?!”
Xiang Weishi’s voice suddenly shot up a few decibels—Nan Xu even heard it—so she looked up.
Xie Hejing held the phone farther away. Xiang Weishi, still in shock, asked again, “What are you doing… picking scallions?!”
“Mm.” His voice was calm and flat.
Xiang Weishi panicked even more. “Xie Hejing, if you’re not on the next season of <King of the Kitchen>, I’m not even going to watch it. All that effort of yours, cooking one moment and picking scallions the next, won’t be for nothing!”
“Alright, fine. We’ll talk next time. Hanging up now.”
After ending the call, Xie Hejing finished picking the scallions in Nan Xu’s bowl and handed it back to her.
Nan Xu was like a cat waiting to be fed. When the bowl was placed back in front of her, she eagerly took a bite before remembering to say thanks.
Xie Hejing finished his own noodles in a few quick slurps. Across from him, Nan Xu still ate delicately, taking small, careful bites—she had always been graceful when eating.
Riiing—riiing—
The phone rang again.
It was still Xiang Weishi calling. Xie Hejing’s eyes darkened with impatience.
“What is it this time? Say it all at once.”
But the voice on the other end was a little excited.
“Hey, I saw you.”