Chapter 12 — Nurturing a relationship
Xie Hejing had the call on speakerphone, and Xiang Weishi’s voice was a bit loud, so it came clearly through the phone.
The moment Nan Xu heard it, her head shot up.
Could Xiang Weishi be nearby?
Her heart was pounding.
She completely forgot about her noodles and opened her mouth to speak, but Xie Hejing silenced her with just a glance.
“What are you doing at the food street?” Xie Hejing asked, holding the phone as he looked outside.
The food street was crowded, but since the noodle shop was already on the edge of it, a quick scan was enough to see who was around.
But Xiang Weishi wasn’t in sight.
“Isn’t the arcade right around here? Gotta eat first to have the energy to play. Didn’t expect to run into you too—guess there’s no excuse not to go now, huh?”
“Damn, who’s that sitting across from you?” Xiang Weishi asked. “Is that a girl?”
“No wonder you’ve been acting so strange lately. Turns out you’re sneaking off to go on dates without me. Hold on, I’ll come over and check her out myself. I’m almost there anyway. The more, the merrier—we can all hang out together.”
The sudden flood of words left Nan Xu completely overwhelmed.
She grew anxious, quickly digging a mask out of her bag and putting it on, eyes fixed on the noodle shop entrance, afraid Xiang Weishi would show up any second.
Meanwhile, Xie Hejing lounged casually in his seat, lightly tapping the tabletop with his finger.
“Where are you right now?” he asked.
“Just one block away. Gotta say, I’ve got a good eye—anyone else probably wouldn’t even recognize you from afar…” Xiang Weishi said smugly.
“…”
Xie Hejing cut him off mid-sentence and ended the call.
As soon as the call disconnected, Nan Xu stood up. “Then… should I leave first?”
“Do you even know the way?” Xie Hejing twirled the phone in his hand.
Nan Xu shook her head. She only knew the route from the school gate to the bus stop. The rest of the area she hadn’t figured out yet.
Xie Hejing glanced toward the entrance. It wasn’t that big of a deal. At worst, when Xiang Weishi came, he’d just block him.
“What are you panicking for? Just finish your food.”
“I’m full,” Nan Xu replied.
“Really? You sure?” There was still nearly half a bowl left.
Nan Xu nodded. “That’s just how much I normally eat. I just eat slowly.”
“Alright then, let’s go.” Xie Hejing picked up the jacket beside him.
When they reached the door, Nan Xu suddenly remembered what Xiang Weishi had said earlier. “My backpack and jacket…”
She was worried his sharp eyes would recognize her.
Xie Hejing seemed to realize the same thing. With the jacket already in his hand, he simply draped it over her shoulders.
His coat was long and oversized. When he put it on Nan Xu, it looked like a child wearing an adult’s clothes, but it did a good job of covering both Nan Xu’s jacket and backpack.
After more than ten minutes of brisk walking, they were already far from the noodle shop. Just as Nan Xu was about to let her guard down, a voice suddenly rang out behind them—Xiang Weishi’s.
He was half-running, half-shouting.
“Hey, Xie Hejing! Why are you walking so fast? I had to jog just to catch up!”
Xie Hejing bit the inside of his cheek and let out an impatient breath. Persistent as a ghost.
“Brother, don’t let him recognize me.” Nan Xu’s voice was soft, breathless with exhaustion.
Glancing down, Xie Hejing saw her fingers clutching both sides of his jacket, knuckles white from tension and force.
She really was nervous. Realizing that, he uncharacteristically agreed without hesitation.
Nan Xu didn’t want people knowing she was staying at his place—least of all Xiang Weishi, who already kept an eye on their band’s schedule. She didn’t want to risk exposing anything more.
Gasping for breath, Nan Xu felt like her legs weren’t her own. In order to keep up with Xie Hejing’s pace, she had been almost jogging the entire way, and her heavy backpack was painfully digging into her shoulders.
From behind came Xiang Weishi’s hurried, frantic voice again.
Xie Hejing inhaled sharply, a few choice words nearly slipping out directed at him, but with Nan Xu there, it wasn’t convenient to say them aloud.
Their pace quickened, and Xiang Weishi also sped up.
A gust of wind funneled through a narrow alley nearby, catching the hem of Nan Xu’s jacket. She hurriedly tugged it back into place and glanced down, checking that none of her clothes were showing.
Xie Hejing, however, had already set his sights on the alley.
Turning sideways, he led Nan Xu into the alley. As it happened, there were a few households there with some clutter by their doors. Nan Xu stood behind it, and most of her was blocked from view.
By then, Xiang Weishi finally caught up. He bent over, panting so hard he could barely string words together.
“You… you guys… why’re you walking… so fast?” He looked about ready to collapse on the spot.
But even in his exhaustion, he craned his neck, eyes darting past Xie Hejing, trying to see who was behind him. That curiosity was half the reason he’d chased them so hard in the first place.
The figure looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite make out her face.
Nan Xu had her back to them, Xie Hejing’s jacket covering everything Xiang Weishi might recognize. With the clutter shielding her and the glare of the streetlamp behind, unless he pushed past Xie Hejing, there was no way he could tell who she was.
“What the hell are you following us for?” Xie Hejing asked, clearly annoyed.
“Hey, am I interrupting something?” Xiang Weishi grinned.
He rose on tiptoe, straining to catch a glimpse of Nan Xu’s profile. “I’m just curious, that’s all.”
At that, Nan Xu ducked her head even lower.
Xie Hejing shifted his stance, blocking her completely. “What’s there to be curious about?”
Seeing their seamless coordination, Xiang Weishi immediately caught on, stepping back a few paces with a knowing smile.
“You two…” Xiang Weishi raised his brows, tapping his index fingers together suggestively.
Nan Xu couldn’t see the gesture, but Xie Hejing caught it clearly. He knew if he didn’t play along, Xiang Weishi would only pester them more.
So he gave a casual, noncommittal grunt.
“Holy shit, shit, shit!” Xiang Weishi suddenly shouted.
Hiding behind, Nan Xu had no idea what kind of silent exchange was happening between the two. She only found his sudden outburst strange—and loud enough to startle her. Jumping a little, she accidentally bumped the cabinet beside her. Glancing around nervously, she worried they’d wake someone.
“What are you yelling for?”
Nothing irritated Xie Hejing more than trouble, yet tonight trouble seemed to be knocking on his door nonstop.
Finally, Xiang Weishi came down from his shock. “Well, in that case, let me treat you guys to a meal.”
Xie Hejing didn’t budge, expression unreadable. Xiang Weishi tilted his head, calling past him toward Nan Xu. “Hungry? Little sister, I’ll treat you! No need to be so shy.”
The words “little sister” seemed to be torn apart and poured into Xie Hejing’s ears. His eyes grew cold: “Xiang Weishi, who are you calling ‘little sister’? Who is your ‘little sister’?”
Xiang Weishi blinked.
Wait… was this—was he jealous?
He’d never seen Xie Hejing like this before. It felt like he’d stumbled upon a whole new side of him, and honestly, the trip here was worth it just for that.
But the warning flashing in Xie Hejing’s eyes was so sharp it made him shiver. Xiang Weishi shrank back slightly, hastily softening his tone.
“Your sister, obviously. I meant your sister.”
“Seriously though, Xie Hejing, are you coming to the arcade or not? Everyone’s still waiting. I slipped away from the group to find you. And look at this—you didn’t even tell me when you two started… hehe, knowing each other. Don’t you think you should share a little?”
With a grin, he fell back into his usual teasing. So that’s why Xie Hejing had been acting strange the past few days. Turned out he was busy… nurturing a relationship.
“No time. I have to walk her home.”
No matter how Xiang Weishi angled himself, he couldn’t get a glimpse of the person behind Xie Hejing.
So now he was even hiding her away? It was unexpected, but judging from how protective Xie Hejing looked, there was no way he’d get to see her tonight.
Still… there would be other chances. Sooner or later, he’d find out who the girl was.
His phone buzzed nonstop, friends urging him to hurry back.
Xiang Weishi sighed helplessly. “Alright, alright. Let’s sit down and talk properly sometime, yeah? Litt—” He swallowed the last syllable under Xie Hejing’s icy glare. “I don’t have time today. Tomorrow, let’s get together. It’s my treat.”
Someone called again, rushing him, and Xiang Weishi jogged off.
Only when his footsteps faded did Nan Xu finally let out the breath she’d been holding, relief flooding through her.
“He didn’t recognize me, right?”
“No.”
“And tomorrow…” She’d heard him say they’d meet again.
“Forget him.”