Chapter 27 Part 1 — Back by his side.
For several days in a row, Nan Xu kept slipping into the mindset of someone who had “forced themselves” on another. The thought made her feel guilty toward Xie Hejing—so much so that she didn’t even dare meet his eyes.
That was Xie Hejing. How had she dared back then—how had she actually kissed him?
At dinner one evening, Zhang Huiwan kindly asked, “Jiaojiao, have you found a job yet? Your uncle’s company happens to be hiring. You could give it a try. With him looking out for you, you’d adapt quickly.”
Before Nan Xu could answer, Xie Hejing set down his chopsticks and cut in first: “No need.”
Xie Hengzhi shot him a look. “And what’s it got to do with you?”
Nan Xu quickly explained, “Uncle, Auntie, really, there’s no need. I’ve already found a job.”
“Really?” Zhang Huiwan smiled and pressed, “Where? Is it far from home? If you’re coming back late after work, make sure you’re careful.” She fussed over her with motherly concern.
Nan Xu glanced at Xie Hejing. “It’s at…”
“At my place,” Xie Hejing said bluntly. “She’s my assistant.”
“Your assistant?” Zhang Huiwan was startled. “But wasn’t Xiao Yan your assistant?”
“He’s planning to move to another city. He already resigned.”
“Oh, I see. Well, working with you is fine too—at least you’ll be able to look after her.”
The conversation carried on as usual, but Nan Xu couldn’t help blushing whenever she remembered how Xie Hejing had spoken up for her.
On her first day at the company, she deliberately avoided arriving at the same time as him. She dressed simply, hoping not to attract attention.
But the moment she walked in, everyone was stunned.
It wasn’t just that the new assistant was a woman—Xie Hejing had never hired a female assistant before—but also that he’d had her desk moved directly opposite his in his office.
He claimed it was “more efficient,” but to everyone else, it reeked of gossip.
Nan Xu could only do her best to ignore the stares.
The company perks were pretty good. Lunch at the cafeteria was free and, from the looks of it, tasty too. Most employees ate there instead of going out, so Nan Xu decided to do the same.
Since she didn’t really know anyone, she carried her tray to a quiet corner to eat alone.
But it wasn’t long before someone bold enough, unable to resist curiosity, brought their tray over and sat across from her.
Nan Xu looked up—it was clearly a senior colleague. She smiled first. “Hello.”
“I’m Chen, the finance director,” the woman said with a friendly smile. “Assistant Nan, you look so young. Young people usually like to sleep in—do you manage to get up on time in the mornings? Traffic is awful here in the city center. If you live far away, it’d be hard to clock in on time.”
She leaned in, all enthusiasm. “If you’re planning to rent a place, you should find somewhere close by. But living alone isn’t always safe. You’d better choose the neighborhood carefully. If you need help, you can always ask me—I can introduce you.”
Faced with this unusually “warm” senior, Nan Xu paused. She didn’t reveal where she lived, who she lived with, or whether she lived alone. She simply smiled and thanked her
Sister Chen paused for a moment, then continued, “Assistant Nan, you’re so pretty. Your parents must worry about you a lot. I’ve got a daughter at home myself, and I’m always afraid she’ll get bullied.”
“Parents’ love is the same everywhere,” Nan Xu replied politely.
Two questions, both answered flawlessly. Realizing Nan Xu wasn’t someone who could be easily tricked into revealing things, Sister Chen grew restless and decided to be more direct.
“Assistant Nan, did you get into our company because of some family connections?”
After all, she was so young, and on top of that, her arrival had made President Xie break several of his own rules. There was no way she could just be an ordinary hire.
“…” Nan Xu suddenly found the food tasteless in her mouth. She furrowed her brows ever so slightly before lifting them again, her expression carrying a faint air of spoiled elegance. “Of course,” she said, then gave a sudden bright smile.
“But, Sister Chen, do you really think President Xie is the kind of person who favors connections over ability?”
That soft, almost playful retort hit its mark. For the first time, Sister Chen looked at her seriously.
This was the president’s assistant—the person standing closest to him. One careless word from her, and it could reach Xie Hejing’s ears immediately. Sister Chen couldn’t afford to lose her well-paying position.
Adjusting her glasses, she couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
What a sharp girl.
With just a single line, she had washed her hands clean, left Sister Chen second-guessing the truth about her background, and even managed to turn the probing back around.
Sister Chen let out two awkward laughs. “Of course not,” she said, rising with her tray still half-full. “I’m done eating. You take your time.”
“Goodbye, Sister Chen.” Nan Xu smiled warmly.
After a sleepless night and now this kind of encounter on her very first day, Nan Xu’s mood was anything but good.
She forced herself to finish her lunch, then swiped her card for the elevator and returned upstairs. Just as she was about to head to the employee lounge, Xie Hejing called out.
“Nan Xu, come here.”
“Yes, President Xie. Do you have instructions for me?”
He stopped walking, turned back, and asked, “What’s wrong?” Her voice had sounded drained and listless.
Startled by his sharp perception, Nan Xu reminded herself again that she was here to work and needed to be at her best. She drew a deep breath, steadied her expression, and said, “Nothing, President Xie. What did you need me to do?”
“Open that door.” He raised his hand and pointed.
Only then did she notice another hidden door in the office. When she pushed it open, she found a large private lounge inside.
“You can take your lunch break here,” Xie Hejing said as he walked over.
Nan Xu widened her eyes. “That’s not necessary. The company already has a lounge.”
It was clearly his own resting place—using it herself felt inappropriate.
But Xie Hejing gave her no chance to refuse. “Clean it up after you wake up.”
“I need to step out for a while and will be back this afternoon.” He handed her a stack of documents. “Look over this project. From now on, you’ll be the one following it up.”
“Oh—okay.”
Her attention was immediately drawn to the files.
The crisp, businesslike tone reassured her. She was soon absorbed in reading, and by the time she looked up again, Xie Hejing was already gone.
She glanced around the lounge, then back at the documents, setting them aside for a moment.
After another look, she realized the room was so minimal that not a single personal belonging of his was in sight. Relief washed over her. She could treat it just like a hotel room.
The moment she lay down, the mattress felt soft and smooth beneath her. Nan Xu relaxed instinctively—but in the next second, her whole body tensed.
The blanket carried a faint cedar scent, reminding her that Xie Hejing had probably been lying there not too long ago.
Nan Xu shot upright as if jolted. Lying in that bed, in the exact same place where he had once rested, stirred a strange feeling that spread through her chest.
It was as though she had trespassed into a secret, forbidden space.
The thought made her breathing quicken, her heartbeat pound, and a nervous yet unnameable emotion rise inside her. And so, in what should have been the most comfortable place to nap, she barely managed to rest at all.
When work resumed in the afternoon, she worried he might notice something off about her. Fortunately, Xie Hejing never came back to the office.
Nan Xu had no intention of prying into his personal schedule, so she welcomed the quiet afternoon.
Still, she didn’t let herself relax. Her nerves stayed taut as she sat at her desk, flipping through the project files he’d given her—the first one entrusted to her. She couldn’t afford to make a single mistake.
The office stayed calm and still. He hadn’t left her any other tasks, so she spent the whole afternoon buried in the documents. By the time she realized it was already after hours, the building had emptied out.
She packed her things in a rush and opened the office door. Outside was pitch black, so she quickly turned on her phone flashlight and walked forward under its narrow beam.
Though a little afraid, she managed to take the elevator downstairs without incident.
Just outside the building, she unexpectedly ran into the blind date she had met a few days ago.
It was Jiang Zhiyu who spotted her first. He jogged over, smiling. “Nan Xu? What are you doing here?”
She blinked in surprise at the sight of him, but since she had nothing better to do, she struck up a casual conversation.
“I work here,” she said, pointing to the office tower behind her.
She learned he had just come from his parents’ house, and from the look on his face, things hadn’t gone well. Teasing lightly, she asked, “Don’t tell me you just got nagged about marriage again?”
Jiang Zhiyu pulled a comically pained expression. “Seems like the pressure’s getting so bad I’ll have to sit my parents down and tell them seriously to stop rushing me. Otherwise, they’ll have the words ‘Hates Marriage’ carved onto their son’s forehead.”
Nan Xu burst out laughing. She found him amusing, and since they happened to be headed in the same direction, they walked and chatted together.
In that short stretch, she learned exactly where his family lived, who was at home, how much he earned, and even how many vacation days he got each year. Things they hadn’t even covered at their blind date last time—this time he laid out in full.
Jiang Zhiyu wasn’t simple. At their first meeting, he had gotten her to open up easily. At the second, he revealed his family background and personal situation in perfect detail.
If anything, this chance encounter felt even more like a real blind date.
But the way he shared information was effortless—each revelation slipped naturally into conversation, disguised with humor.
When he spoke about his family, he always did it in a light, self-deprecating tone, as if gently unfolding his world for her.
For example, when the topic of his mother came up, he smiled wryly. “I’m still single, but my mom’s already planning gifts for her future daughter-in-law. She even asked me to find her a guidebook on how to be a good mother-in-law—wants to study in advance, you know, so there won’t be conflicts later. Tell me, where am I supposed to find something like that?”
“I told her fine, once she finishes reading those guides, I’ll go find myself a wife. Well, now she’s rushing me to bring her the book!”
“Lately I’ve been swamped with a foreign client, barely have time to breathe—and then I still get nagged the minute I get home.”
His expressions were so animated that Nan Xu found herself laughing, sometimes teasing him, sometimes trying to comfort him.
When he threw out a problem, she naturally picked it up, offering suggestions and even promising she could help with translations if he needed.
Staring at Nan Xu’s profile, Jiang Zhiyu’s lips curved into a faint smile. He’d only ever been on this one blind date before, but if this one turned out to be the last, he wouldn’t mind. Still—everything had to move slowly.
“All right then, thanks. Next time dinner’s on me.”
When Nan Xu got home, she was startled to find Zhang Huiwan still waiting in the living room. She hurried to urge her upstairs to rest.
Holding her hand, Zhang Huiwan glanced at the clock and scolded, “If Hejing dares make you work overtime that late again, I won’t give him a good face to see.”
Nan Xu quickly explained that it was her own fault—she’d been so absorbed in the documents that she lost track of time.
When she heard Xie Hejing hadn’t come home yet either, she couldn’t help but ask, “Does Brother Hejing often come back so late?”
“He’s in and out like a ghost,” Zhang Huiwan replied. “Don’t worry. You’ll see him at breakfast tomorrow.”
At that very moment, Xie Hejing was just leaving one dinner meeting and heading to a familiar bar, where he and Xiang Weishi usually had a drink or two.
By the time Xiang Weishi arrived, Xie Hejing had already downed several glasses. Tossing his coat aside, Xiang Weishi grinned. “What’s this? The busy man himself actually found time to ask me out?”
Xie Hejing tilted his head toward the seat beside him.
Xiang Weishi poured himself a drink, raising the glass casually.
But after several rounds, Xie Hejing still hadn’t spoken a word, only kept drinking.
Usually, when Xiang Weishi invited him out, Xie Hejing only sipped now and then—never like this, guzzling one after another. Something was off.
When Xie Hejing reached for the bottle again, Xiang Weishi pressed his hand over it. “You asked me here just to drink?”
“Not allowed?” Xie Hejing lifted his eyes.
“That’s not what I mean,” Xiang Weishi said. “But at least tell me what’s going on. Drinking’s only fun if you talk while you do it.”
At that, Xie Hejing lowered his head, staring at the glass in front of him. A long silence stretched before he finally muttered, almost under his breath:
“She’s back.”
“Who? Who’s back?”
The sudden words threw Xiang Weishi off. But seeing Xie Hejing’s expression, it took only a couple of seconds for realization to hit him.
“Nan Xu? hasn’t she been back for a while now?”
Xie Hejing kept his eyes fixed on the liquor. Several seconds passed before he said, “It’s different now.”
Back by his side.
“What’s different about…” Xiang Weishi’s voice trailed off. The scene before him tugged at something familiar.
He frowned, trying to recall, until suddenly it struck him—back during a university break, when they’d all returned to Zhi’an for a gathering.
Xie Hejing had been just like this then too—saying nothing, pouring drink after drink.
That time, everyone had been partying wildly, and Xiang Weishi had gone off to dance. When he returned, Xie Hejing had already drunk far too much.
The table beside them was roaring with laughter, but Xie Hejing sat alone at the bar, an arm propped up, casting a half-circle shadow. His face was buried in the crook of his elbow, the sharp lines of his spine starkly pronounced.
The music had been deafening, yet he seemed utterly detached from it all.
Xiang Weishi hadn’t thought much of it at first—figured Xie Hejing was just happy. After all, they all studied in different cities, and it wasn’t easy to meet up again.
But Xie Hejing was drinking too heavily. Xiang Weishi tried to stop him, challenged him to play dice instead, showing off a new trick he’d just learned.
Xie Hejing didn’t budge. Xiang Weishi muttered “Hey,” rolled up his sleeves, and yanked him upright with force.
Finally, Xie Hejing stirred. Xiang Weishi grinned in triumph—only to freeze when he caught sight of Xie Hejing’s face.
He was crying.