Chapter 22 Part 2 — What about him? Couldn’t he, too?
To celebrate the two finishing their exams, Zhang Huiwan deliberately came home early, planning to cook something special for them.
“Jiaojiao, how about hotpot tonight?” she said, shaking the groceries in her hands.
“Okay!” Nan Xu grinned and ran into the kitchen. “I’ll wash the veggies!”
When Xie Hejing walked in, he saw the two of them busy in the kitchen. Zhang Huiwan still managed to call out, “Hejing, set the table.”
“Mm.”
There wasn’t much on the table, and Xie Hejing began arranging things neatly. Suddenly, Nan Xu’s phone lit up with a message.
[Xuxu, we’ve decided. We’ll come tomorrow.]
His hands paused. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he continued tidying up.
At dinner, Zhang Huiwan kept piling food into Nan Xu’s bowl, worried she had lost too much weight after being discharged from the hospital.
Staring at the mountain of food in her bowl, Nan Xu had no choice but to keep stuffing bite after bite into her mouth. The moment she slowed down, her bowl would overflow again.
Even while busy chewing, she stayed observant. Catching sight of Xie Hejing’s distracted look, she thought he might feel left out. She quickly got up and dropped a slice of meat into his bowl.
“Brother, eat this—it’s really good.”
Xie Hejing actually looked surprised. He glanced up at her but said nothing. Only then did Nan Xu suddenly remember—he hated it when people got too close, let alone something as intimate as putting food in his bowl.
To smooth things over, she held out her own bowl with an awkward smile. “If you don’t want it, you can give it back to me.”
But without even glancing at her, Xie Hejing ate it in one bite.
“Hejing, your sister gave you food. Shouldn’t you give her something too?” Zhang Huiwan said.
Nan Xu was about to protest that her bowl was already overloaded, but Xie Hejing moved first—dropping a slice of ginger into her bowl.
“…Sister, eat some ginger. Good for keeping warm.”
That was deliberate. Absolutely deliberate revenge.
Nan Xu hated ginger the most. Clearly, he hadn’t liked her move just now.
She scrunched her nose. “…Thanks, Brother.”
“How could you give your sister ginger? Get her something else,” Zhang Huiwan scolded.
“No, no, it’s fine,” Nan Xu hurriedly waved it off.
Still, her eyes couldn’t help but follow Xie Hejing’s chopsticks as they dipped back into the pot.
When she saw him pick up a slice of potato, she relaxed—she actually liked that.
She waited expectantly, eyes bright, for him to place it in her bowl. But the very next second, Xie Hejing dropped it into his own instead.
Nan Xu instantly averted her gaze, pretending nothing had happened. But when Xie Hejing suddenly chuckled, her cheeks burned hot.
Zhang Huiwan, absorbed in her own food, couldn’t figure out what he found so funny.
Nan Xu decided to ignore everything and just focus on her own bowl. But she ate too fast, and in the next moment, she choked, coughing a couple of times. She quickly recovered and didn’t think much of it.
Then a cup was suddenly held out in front of her. It wasn’t transparent—she couldn’t see what was inside.
Nan Xu tilted her head. Xie Hejing didn’t even glance her way, as if the cup hadn’t been handed over by him at all.
Still half-doubting, she picked it up and took a sip through the straw.
Milk tea. And it was hot!
No wonder he’d used this kind of cup—otherwise, there was no way it would escape Aunt Zhang’s notice.
Even the flavor was exactly the one she usually liked.
How did he know?
Seeing Nan Xu lost in thought, Zhang Huiwan asked, “What’s wrong, Jiaojiao? Are you still feeling uncomfortable from choking?”
Nan Xu shook her head. “No, it’s great.”
The atmosphere at dinner stayed pleasant. Suddenly, Nan Xu spoke up: “Auntie, tomorrow some of my old classmates from No. 3 High want to meet up with me.”
“No problem,” Zhang Huiwan replied. “Are they coming here? If so, I’ll tidy up the house a bit.”
“No, no,” Nan Xu explained quickly. “We’re just planning to hang out nearby. I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn’t worry.”
“That’s fine too. You can bring them over if you want, but going out is okay as well. Just remember to come back early, and be careful, alright?” Zhang Huiwan reminded her.
Nan Xu nodded obediently.
The next afternoon, Qi Zhiyu and Jiang Qiyi arrived at the gate, smiling brightly as they came to pick her up.
As if sensing something, Jiang Qiyi suddenly felt a pair of eyes on him.
He lifted his head and scanned the area, but found nothing. A chill ran down his spine.
“Qi Zhiyu, hurry and call Nan Xu. Why does this place feel so creepy?”
Qi Zhiyu gave him a look of disdain. “It’s broad daylight. What’s so scary? Don’t be paranoid.”
Meanwhile, Nan Xu was washing her face when she saw their message. She quickly sped up and headed out.
The moment she stepped outside, she bumped into Xie Hejing.
Smiling, Nan Xu said, “Brother, I might be home late today. If Auntie asks, please explain for me, okay? Thank you.”
She carried a small bag, dressed neatly in a set of clothes with a down jacket over it. After closing the door gently, she turned and ran toward her two friends.
“Yuyu, Jiang Qiyi!”
Each of them gave her a big hug.
Especially Jiang Qiyi—taking advantage of his height, he ruffled the top of her head.
She walked in the middle, with Qi Zhiyu on her left and Jiang Qiyi on her right, both of them slinging an arm casually over her shoulders.
From the second floor, Xie Hejing’s gaze followed Jiang Qiyi.
At once, Jiang Qiyi felt that familiar icy chill creep over him again. He spun around, but once more saw nothing.
A shiver ran down his spine.
There aren’t any ghosts around here… right?
Nan Xu and Qi Zhiyu didn’t notice anything odd about him. The two of them were chatting with excitement, and after a while, Jiang Qiyi shook his head—blaming himself for being overly paranoid.
Nan Xu and he… their relationship didn’t seem ordinary at all.
Xie Hejing had his hands shoved in his pockets, the rarely worn black shirt hanging loosely on him. His gaze, cold and detached, lingered on the three of them.
It only took a few seconds before Jiang Qiyi naturally took Nan Xu’s bag from her, then casually slung his arm over her shoulder.
The two walked side by side, laughing and talking.
Xie Hejing’s eyes instantly darkened. His gaze returned to Nan Xu. She, however, didn’t seem to mind at all, as if she was used to it.
A shadow flickered across his eyes, and he clicked his tongue softly.
Nan Xu and her two friends headed to a shopping district nearby, and after walking around for a while, they stopped at a small eatery to rest.
Qi Zhiyu brought up Nan Xu’s life while staying with her host family.
“It’s been good,” Nan Xu said. “Aunt Zhang treats me really well. Uncle Xie is on an overseas assignment, so he’s not home. Oh, and they also have a son, a bit older than me…”
“A brother?!” Qi Zhiyu’s mouth formed a perfect “O.” “Why have you never mentioned this?”
“Didn’t I? Maybe I forgot.” Nan Xu sipped her milk tea. For some reason, it didn’t taste nearly as good as the one Xie Hejing gave her yesterday.
Qi Zhiyu suddenly gave her a mischievous grin. “Come on, tell us honestly. How does he look? How do you two get along? Did anything happen between you two…”
Seeing Qi Zhiyu’s imagination go off-track, Nan Xu quickly cut her off. “No! He just treats me like a little sister.”
If anything, their relationship was probably even less than that.
Nan Xu sighed.
“So, how does he look?” Qi Zhiyu pressed again.
Nan Xu thought for a moment. She originally wanted to just show them a picture, but she didn’t have any on her phone. So she said, “He’s really good-looking. The kind of face that stuns you at first sight, and keeps stunning you the more you look.”
Jiang Qiyi scoffed in disdain. “You girls only ever care about looks. Shouldn’t you pay more attention to character? What’s the use of a pretty face?”
Qi Zhiyu rolled her eyes. “At least a handsome face is nice to look at. Hey, Xuxu, isn’t it kind of unfair for us to just drag you out to play? From what you said earlier, Aunt Zhang is always busy with work, so it’s usually just the two of you at home. Doesn’t that leave him alone and bored?”
The implication in her words was obvious. Jiang Qiyi wasted no time in exposing her. “You just want to meet him and see if he’s really that good-looking, don’t you? Qi Zhiyu, you’re way too forward for a girl.”
Qi Zhiyu admitted it without shame. “Yeah, so what? It’s not like it hurts to meet another handsome guy. What, are you afraid he’ll outshine you?”
Jiang Qiyi laughed in disbelief. “Me? Afraid of that?”
Their back-and-forth went on, with Nan Xu quietly listening from the side, not saying a word. She didn’t really mind—it was entertaining to watch. But somehow, the argument ended with the two of them striking a deal: tomorrow they’d treat Nan Xu to dinner, and she had to bring Xie Hejing along.
Qi Zhiyu wanted to meet the handsome “brother.” Jiang Qiyi wanted to see just how handsome this guy could really be.
They even made a bet: if Xie Hejing turned out to be so good-looking that even Jiang Qiyi had to admit it, then he’d not only pay for dinner but also send Qi Zhiyu a red envelope.
Nan Xu was stunned, shocked by this ridiculous wager—but before she knew it, she had already agreed.
Senior year was packed with schoolwork, and they hardly had any time to hang out together. Even during this break, chances to go out were rare. So when the three of them finally did, they played around wildly until nine at night before Nan Xu went home.
She was humming a tune as she unlocked the door. The lights in the living room were still on.
Glancing at the coat rack, she noticed Aunt Zhang’s jacket wasn’t there—that meant it must be Xie Hejing.
That thought actually cheered her up a little. On the way home, Qi Zhiyu had begged her to take a picture of Xie Hejing for her. Nan Xu had hesitated, but after Qi Zhiyu nagged her the entire way back, she finally agreed.
Sure enough, when she walked further in, she saw Xie Hejing on the sofa playing a game. The main light was off; only a few wall lamps were on.
The glow from the screen lit up his face, highlighting the sharp bridge of his nose and casting a deep shadow beneath it, making his features look even more defined.
Beneath his high brow bone, his eyes were fixed intently on the screen, not even noticing her arrival.
Remembering Qi Zhiyu’s request, Nan Xu felt her heart stir. She set down her keys and sat beside him, clearing her throat. “Brother, are you free tomorrow?”
His fingers paused on the controller for a moment. “What’s up?”
“I was thinking… not me and my friend—” Nan Xu stumbled over her words, then rephrased. “I want to treat you to dinner tomorrow, to thank you for tutoring me in physics for so long.”
“Treat me to dinner?” Xie Hejing chuckled. “That’s sudden.”
“No, I’ve wanted to for a while.”
She just happened to find the perfect excuse now.
“Alright,” he agreed surprisingly easily. “But it won’t just be the two of us, right? That guy who had his arm around your shoulders today—he’ll be there too?”
His arm around her shoulders? Nan Xu hadn’t even noticed that, but since Xie Hejing agreed, that was enough.
“Yeah, both of my friends will be there.”
“Friends…” he murmured under his breath, but his gaze grew darker. “Alright.”
Nan Xu smiled, humming again, feeling like Xie Hejing was unusually easygoing tonight. She even started wondering if she could ask him for a photo.
“Pretty happy, huh?”
He spoke at last. Though phrased as a question, his voice was deliberately low, ending on a slightly raised note, carrying a trace of danger.
“Yeah, it was fun. I’m really happy,” Nan Xu replied cheerfully.
“Happy because you went out to play—or because you were with him?” Xie Hejing paused, recalling the scene from the afternoon. “Is that why he hugged you?”
Nan Xu froze, stunned by the question.
Her blank look only made his brows knit tighter, though a faint glimmer rose in his eyes.
Then what about him?
Couldn’t he, too?
He leaned his body forward, and the distance between the two of them suddenly closed significantly. Nan Xu could just see the untamed wildness spilling out of his eyes.
Yes—that was the word. Wild.
Nan Xu was startled by her own thoughts.
Before she could even sort them out, Xie Hejing moved in closer. He pulled the sofa cushion toward himself, and Nan Xu was forced to topple forward.
Her hands landed against his chest.
It was burning hot—so hot that her breath nearly caught in her throat.
The distance between them shrank until she could feel the warmth of his breath mingling with hers.
His gaze locked onto her, dark currents smoldering within it. Through gritted teeth, he said, “Nan Xu, why are there so many people who like you?”
So many… that he wanted to hide her away.