Chapter 15 — Brother, why are your ears red? [3/3]
Xie Hejing and Xiang Weishi walked in front, with Wen Qi and Nan Xu following closely behind as they left the basketball court.
The four of them headed into a nearby park. There were lots of exercise machines scattered around, but at this hour, no one was there—it was the perfect place to catch their breath.
Wen Qi lay down on a sit-up bench with a sigh. “Chen Qian’s such a bastard. Next time I see him, I’ll beat him up again.”
Xie Hejing said nothing, his gaze fixed on Nan Xu. She didn’t dare look back, only glanced away nervously.
She was afraid he’d ask why she had rushed in back there.
But in the heat of the moment, who had time to think?
Xiang Weishi, closest to Nan Xu, added, “Exactly. He even shoved a girl—what kind of man does that? He and I are enemies now, no doubt about it.”
“Hss…” Xiang Weishi hissed and rubbed his wrist.
Nan Xu immediately leaned in, worried. “What’s wrong? Does it hurt? Is it your wrist? Do we need to go to the hospital?”
Xie Hejing’s eyes darkened. He narrowed them slightly, gaze falling on Nan Xu’s fingers resting on Xiang Weishi’s wrist.
“I’m sorry, this is all my fault.” Nan Xu dropped her head, guilt weighing heavily on her.
If they got hurt because of her, she couldn’t just let it go—she’d take full responsibility.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at Xiang Weishi. “Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it gets treated properly.”
Xiang Weishi blinked. Since when was it that serious?
“He twisted it last time when Chen Qian shoved him during a game. It’s not because of you,” Xie Hejing finally said.
“Yeah, don’t blame yourself. This is all thanks to that bastard Chen Qian,” Xiang Weishi chimed in.
Hearing that, Nan Xu finally felt a little better.
“Now we can be considered friends through thick and thin, right?” Xiang Weishi said with a grin. “Come on, let’s go eat. My treat.”
Wen Qi sat up. “Next time. I’ve got something to do today. Or you guys can go without me.”
“No way. Then it’s next time. Let’s see when you’re all free.” Xiang Weishi glanced at Xie Hejing and Nan Xu.
Nan Xu looked to Xie Hejing. Seeing he didn’t object, she smiled and nodded at Xiang Weishi.
“Perfect…” Xiang Weishi threw an arm around Xie Hejing’s shoulder. “You’ve gotta be free, right? Don’t tell me you’ve gotta run home and cook again!”
Xie Hejing lifted his gaze, caught sight of Nan Xu’s hopeful expression, then lowered his eyes again. “Yeah.”
Leaving the park, Nan Xu and Wen Qi walked in front, while Xie Hejing trailed behind at a leisurely pace. Xiang Weishi turned his head and called out quietly, “Xie Hejing…”
“Speak.”
“Ease up a little, will you?” Xiang Weishi said. “Don’t keep that thousand-mile-away look on your face. I can tell Nan Xu doesn’t even dare talk to you.”
Nan Xu had transferred in quite a while ago, and they almost always ate lunch together, yet she and Xie Hejing had exchanged barely a handful of words. Just earlier, Xiang Weishi noticed how she didn’t even dare look him in the eye, so he figured he’d remind him out of kindness.
“You care a lot, don’t you?” Xie Hejing’s brow twitched.
“Of course I do. I’m just trying to smooth things out between classmates. Besides, I think Nan Xu’s a great girl—pretty too.” Xiang Weishi chuckled, rotating his wrist. “And she was so worried about me.”
Xie Hejing’s expression instantly turned cold.
Wen Qi got a call and left first. Meanwhile, Xiang Weishi, perhaps genuinely touched by Nan Xu’s earlier words, became unreasonably enthusiastic, insisting on walking her home.
Nan Xu’s inner alarm bells rang. She immediately shook her head, politely declined, said “See you tomorrow,” and hurried off before Xiang Weishi could respond.
Watching her retreat like she was escaping, Xiang Weishi guessed aloud, “Hey, Xie Hejing, do you think she’s shy?”
“Who would be shy around you…” Xie Hejing adjusted his wrist guard, speaking slowly. “They’d have to be blind.”
To Xiang Weishi, it sounded like a challenge to his charm, and he refused to accept that.
“Tons of girls get shy around me. Why else would Nan Xu run off so fast?”
“Man, I’m just too irresistible.”
Xie Hejing had no interest in discussing something Xiang Weishi had never actually possessed.
To prove his “charisma” even more, Xiang Weishi activated his overthinking mode: “Think about it—after Chen Qian threw that punch, why do you think Nan Xu suddenly came over, and why did she keep looking our way?”
At that, Xie Hejing paused.
The wrist guard he usually wore now felt unbearably irritating, so he yanked it off and shoved it in his pocket.
Nan Xu didn’t have her phone with her, and she wasn’t sure how far the park was from the bus stop. She sat down in a pavilion near the entrance, deciding to wait. When Xie Hejing came out, she could just tag along.
About three minutes later, after brushing Xiang Weishi off with a few words, Xie Hejing headed casually down the same path Nan Xu had taken.
Bored out of her mind, Nan Xu spotted his figure from the pavilion. He wasn’t that close yet, but she still sensed a faint gloom clinging to him.
Had they gotten into an argument just now?
She jumped up, limped over to him with some difficulty, and glanced around. “Where’s Xiang Weishi…”
“Gone.” Xie Hejing shot her a glance and turned away. “Let’s go home.”
The dying sunlight stretched their shadows long as the two of them stepped into the house one after the other.
Inside, the villa was pitch-dark, unusually quiet.
Click—
The lights came on, the darkness vanished, but the silence lingered.
Nan Xu stood in the entryway, slowly changing her shoes. With the chill radiating off Xie Hejing, she figured it was safer to keep her distance. Maybe he was in a foul mood from arguing earlier.
Xie Hejing, already in his slippers, tossed his keys onto the coffee table, then half-slouched against the back of the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling for a few seconds.
From the corner of his eye, he watched Nan Xu walk in.
Out of nowhere, he recalled what she had said to Xiang Weishi earlier: “I’ll take responsibility until the end.”
He let out a quiet, derisive laugh. Take responsibility for who? She couldn’t even manage herself right now.
Noticing that his expression had eased a little, Nan Xu carried the first-aid kit over from the cabinet. Fixing her eyes on the bruise on his cheek, she said softly, “Brother, your injury… it needs some medicine.”
Hearing this, Xie Hejing sat up straight. Nan Xu was still two sofa lengths away.
His brow furrowed. “Come here.”
Nan Xu hugged the first-aid kit as she walked over and held it out to him.
Xie Hejing didn’t take it. He tapped his cheek lazily. “I can’t see.”
The wound was on his face—of course he couldn’t.
“There’s a mirror upstairs,” Nan Xu said.
“Too lazy to go up,” he replied.
“Then I’ll go get it for you.”
She set the kit down and really started toward the stairs to fetch a small mirror.
“Stop.” Xie Hejing called after her, slow and unhurried.
Nan Xu hesitated, unsure what he meant. “What is it? Don’t you need medicine?”
Leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees, he tilted his head slightly back, words clipped: “I said—you. Come. Apply it.”
Nan Xu froze for a few seconds, unsure if she’d heard right. Cautiously, she asked, “You mean you want me to do it?”
Xie Hejing turned his head away and didn’t answer.
She went over, opened the kit, and pulled out a cotton swab with practiced ease. “Next time you should say it clearly. It’s just medicine—I wouldn’t refuse.”
“If you’re embarrassed, just say it like this: ‘Beautiful Miss Nan Xu, please apply the medicine for me.’ Simple enough, right?”
Xie Hejing didn’t respond, but Nan Xu ended up laughing at her own joke.
“Boring.”
He kept his eyes fixed on her movements.
Nan Xu picked up the iodine and quirked her lips. “You don’t get embarrassed just because I’m watching, do you? Didn’t I ask you to help me with medicine last time?”
The medicine was ready, but she was still standing.
“Sit.” Xie Hejing gestured at the sofa beside him.
Instead, she shook her head, comparing their heights and the table’s position. “I’ll just squat and do it. Lean down a bit.”
He complied, bending closer. Suddenly, his face was right there, within reach.
At the same time, her long lashes, smooth skin, delicate features—like the first lilac blooming after a rain—were all laid bare before him. His Adam’s apple bobbed once.
But in Nan Xu’s eyes, there was only the wound at the corner of his mouth.
When she dabbed the medicine on, Xie Hejing didn’t even flinch. Nan Xu, on the other hand, sucked in a sharp breath.
That must hurt so much!
She tossed aside the used swab and reached for another. When she looked back, she realized his face seemed even closer.
Much closer—so close she could hear the sound of his breathing, feel the warmth of it brushing against the side of her neck. The faint tickle made her skin prickle.
She rubbed at the spot with the back of her hand, but it only spread, trickling into her chest.
Her cheeks slowly flushed pink. Her throat had gone dry without her noticing, and even her breathing turned cautious. Her lashes trembled uncontrollably, her ears burned red, and her hand slipped—pressing the swab down harder than she meant to.
Nan Xu froze for two seconds.
The closeness was impossible to hide. No matter how she tried, her body betrayed her.
As she continued rubbing, the corner of Xie Hejing’s mouth curved upward.
Now that’s what being shy looks like.
It had never been like Xiang Weishi claimed—Nan Xu had never been shy with him.
Why did he suddenly start smiling while she was treating him?
Nan Xu looked up, confused.
She crashed right into Xie Hejing’s gaze.
He raised his brows lazily, smiling as if he could see straight through her attempt to hide her distraction.
Nan Xu abruptly stood up and tossed the cotton swab into the trash.
“I’m not doing this anymore.”
A soft laugh drifted through the living room.
“Weren’t you the one who said you don’t get shy?” Xie Hejing drawled.
“N-no… it’s different.”
Nan Xu was so nervous her mind went blank. She had just been staring at him, spacing out. It was supposed to be something simple—just applying medicine—so why was her face so hot?
And why was her heart pounding so fast?
Last time he’d treated her wounds, everything had felt perfectly normal.
“So tell me,” Xie Hejing leaned back, watching her leisurely, “what’s so different?”
Nan Xu bit her lip, unwilling to admit she’d lost focus just now.
“Being shy is…” The words stuck in her throat. She quickly changed tack. “Anyway, I’m not shy. My legs just went numb from squatting too long, that’s all.”
She braced herself for a long back-and-forth, but Xie Hejing only gave a faint, “Oh.”
“Keep going.”
That was it? Just letting it slide so easily?
Nan Xu almost forgot she’d declared she was done. Putting on a front, she said, “Fine, but this time I’ll do it standing.”
“Suit yourself.”
Silence fell over the living room again. Nan Xu forced herself to focus only on the cut at the corner of his mouth, refusing to meet his eyes.
Once she’d finished with that wound, she turned to tidy up the kit—only to catch sight, out of the corner of her eye, of a few scratches across his neck. They weren’t deep, but faint streaks of blood clung to the skin.
“You need these treated too,” she said, pointing at the marks, guessing Chen Qian must’ve left them.
“Mm. Go on, then.”
Nan Xu picked up another swab.
Xie Hejing leaned his head back. His Adam’s apple shifted now and then, his profile sharp and clean, lips pressed together, his expression distant.
Nan Xu felt a wave of relief—at least he wasn’t saying anything that would throw her off this time.
As she worked carefully, she noticed a tiny mole on the side of his neck, so faint you wouldn’t see it without being this close.
“You’ll take responsibility for this too, won’t you?” Xie Hejing asked suddenly, his voice slow and unhurried.
“Huh?” Nan Xu blinked, her gaze flicking upward in confusion.
Her delayed reaction only annoyed him further. His tongue pressed against the corner of his mouth, and pain shot through the wound.
“What, so Xiang Weishi’s injury is worth taking responsibility for, but mine isn’t?”
Only then did Nan Xu realize he was referring to what she had said at the park.
Her long silence grated on him even more. He clicked his tongue.
That finally jolted her into replying. “Yes, of course. I’ll take care of it—I promise.”
She thought that would settle things, but he pressed on: “If Xiang Weishi got hurt, would you treat him too?”
Would you get shy then, too?—that, he didn’t ask.
Nan Xu didn’t dare hesitate, bobbing her head like a drum. “Yes, I would. I’d treat anyone.”
Xie Hejing: “…”
His lips tightened into a straight line, his brows knitting inward.
After a moment of silence, he finally voiced the thought he’d been holding back since the walk home. “When Chen Qian threw that punch and you came over… who were you looking at?”
The sudden question caught her off guard, but she didn’t overthink it. “You.”
A laugh escaped him. His frown eased, his expression softening bit by bit.
Once she was done, Nan Xu tidied everything away and put the medicine kit back where it belonged.
When she returned, Xie Hejing tossed something at her. She caught it instinctively—a black wristband.
“What are you giving me this for?”
Xie Hejing only said, “Just hold on to it.”
Already used to his habit of not explaining, Nan Xu hummed an acknowledgment. Out of his sight, she slipped it on her wrist—it actually looked pretty good on her.
Her stomach growled. It was well past dinner time.
“You’re hurt today,” she said. “Don’t wear yourself out. Let’s just order delivery for once. My treat, okay?”
At some point, he’d actually started listening to Zhang Huiwan and began watching what she ate, refusing to let her order food from places with questionable hygiene. Nan Xu could only sigh about it—back then she was the one covering for him.
“My hands aren’t hurt,” Xie Hejing said, stepping into the kitchen.
Nan Xu followed after him. “Then let me help you.”
“No need.” He didn’t even turn his head.
Still, she trailed him all the way to the doorway. Just as she was about to step inside, he pulled the door shut. “No. Don’t get in the way.”
“Oh.” Her response was small and dispirited as she stepped back.
Not watching her feet, she stepped right onto the robot vacuum that had silently rolled up behind her. Her foot slipped, and she fell hard to the floor.
She’d already taken a bad fall earlier when Chen Qian shoved her. Now, hitting the ground again, Nan Xu couldn’t get up for a moment.
Seeing this, Xie Hejing’s expression changed. He yanked the door back open and rushed to her side. She looked miserable, fists clenched tight.
“Where does it hurt?” he asked.
Nan Xu froze but refused to say. “I just need a minute.”
He didn’t believe her. “Where did you hit yourself? Let me see.”
“You can’t look.”
“What’s there to hide?” He frowned.
“It’s just… you can’t.” She gritted her teeth.
It didn’t seem like anything was visibly wrong, but the pain written on her face didn’t look faked. With rare patience, Xie Hejing tried again. “Fine. Then at least point to it, alright?”
“No.” Nan Xu turned her head away and tried to get up on her own, but halfway through she wobbled and nearly fell again.
“Then rub it yourself.”
She shook her head.
Quickly, he reached out and caught her, holding her steady. His patience finally snapped, his voice sharp: “Nan Xu.”
It was the first time she’d ever heard him raise his voice at her. Her lips trembled, eyes brimming with tears, looking up at him like a pitiful little thing who’d been bullied.
He drew in a deep breath and softened his tone. “Forget it. We’ll go to the hospital. You can tell the doctor.”
With that, he scooped her up in his arms and headed for the door.
She didn’t want to go, but she couldn’t break free. Flustered, she blurted out the truth. “My butt!”
The air went silent for several seconds.
Xie Hejing’s grip tightened unconsciously, and the tips of his ears actually turned red.
Nan Xu, oblivious, continued earnestly, “I fell on my butt just now.” She paused, then added, “That’s why you can’t look.”