Chapter 35 — Nan Xu, help your brother? Please?
“Nan Xu, think of something.”
Xie Hejing leaned lazily against her doorframe, arms crossed, giving her a sidelong glance that carried both ease and pressure.
Think of something? How was she supposed to do that?!
Nan Xu avoided his gaze, swallowing nervously. “I—I don’t know. I really can’t. Maybe it’s just in your head. Maybe there isn’t any smell at all.”
“There is,” Xie Hejing said firmly, still watching her with that serious expression. “I’m sure of it.”
He paused, then reminded her quietly, “Didn’t you say that if I ever needed help, you’d help me?”
His gaze slid, almost carelessly, to her hands. “Well—I need it now.”
Nan Xu bit her lip, fidgeting. “But this… this is different.”
How was she supposed to help with this? What if she messed it up and things turned unbearably awkward?
“You don’t want to?” Xie Hejing stepped closer, his eyes dark. “Or is it that—you’re only willing to help other people?”
“I…” Nan Xu frowned, conflicted.
She had promised him before—that if he ever needed help, she wouldn’t turn him down. If she refused now, would it seem like she was going back on her word?
Scent… covering a scent… She turned the idea over and over in her head.
Maybe it wasn’t impossible?
Meanwhile, Xie Hejing stood back and simply watched, entertained by the changing expressions on her face—hesitant one second, loosening the next—until he couldn’t resist reaching out.
He pinched her cheek again. “So? Will you help me or not?”
The pad of his thumb pressed against soft skin, not with force, but enough that he could feel the tiny twitch of her face beneath his fingers. He let go, absently rubbing his fingertips afterward.
Nan Xu looked up at him.
He did seem genuinely troubled by this whole scent issue. If even a tie felt “unclean” to him, then with that strange smell lingering on his body… what if he really couldn’t sleep because of it?
And besides—he’d always been good to her. Wasn’t this just a small favor?
After a few seconds, she nodded. “I’ll help, Brother. Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”
A fleeting smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Suddenly, Nan Xu thought of something. She was certain her own scent was nothing more than her body wash. Bright-eyed, she said, “Wait here, Brother.”
She darted into the bathroom and returned with the bottle she’d brought from Zhi’an, holding it out like a precious gift. “Here. This—this is my scent. If you wash with it once, it should work!”
Xie Hejing: “…”
“It won’t work,” he said flatly. “That strange smell can’t be washed away.”
Hearing that, Nan Xu pulled the bottle back, muttering under her breath. “What is that weird smell, anyway? Where did you even pick it up?”
Xie Hejing hid the amusement flickering in his eyes, instead lowering his lashes and putting on an expression of faint frustration. “Someone else touched me.”
“Someone else? Who?” Nan Xu asked.
He raised his eyes slightly. “President Qi’s sister.”
President Qi’s sister… that means Qi Hui.
Nan Xu’s eyes widened as she stared at Xie Hejing, her gaze instinctively flicking up and down his figure. “Bro—ther, you… you didn’t really… lose your innocence, did you?”
Xie Hejing’s face darkened instantly, his jaw tight. “No.”
Seeing his expression sour, Nan Xu quickly forced a nervous laugh. “Haha, Brother, I was just kidding—don’t take it seriously.”
“I’ll think about how I can help you.”
She grabbed her phone, determined to check again. This time she was extra cautious, making sure it was definitely a science site before scrolling further.
But the methods she found weren’t very promising. Things like scented candles, air fresheners… they felt just as useless as the body wash she had offered earlier.
When she stayed silent for a while, Xie Hejing finally asked, “Found a solution?”
Nan Xu shook her head. “Not yet. Don’t worry, Brother, I’ll keep looking.”
His eyes lifted slightly, his tone deceptively casual. “Maybe… it could work the same way as that tie.”
“The tie?” Nan Xu blinked, replaying the scene in her head. That tie had suddenly become “clean”—but she still had no idea how.
“How did it get clean?” she asked.
She really didn’t know what Xie Hejing meant by “clean,” or why the tie had changed in just a minute.
His gaze lowered deliberately to her hands. “Because you touched it.”
Nan Xu mulled over the words. For a split second, she almost felt amused—as if she’d suddenly become some kind of witch, her touch enough to purify things without even needing a magic wand.
Wait.
Her brain sparked with a realization, and before she could think it through, she blurted out, “Brother—you don’t mean you want me to touch you, do you?!”
The fish in the pond had circled the bait for so long—and finally nibbled.
Xie Hejing’s eyes narrowed, lids half lowered. He didn’t dare move recklessly, worried that if he startled the fish, it might dart away forever.
“Nan Xu, you’d better be clear on what kind of touch you’re talking about,” he said smoothly. “Otherwise, I might suspect you have… improper thoughts about me.”
“I do not—!”
Flustered, Nan Xu rushed to explain, “I mean touch, literally touch. If I touch you… then you’ll become clean?”
What kind of nonsense is this?
Xie Hejing chuckled. “Maybe we could test it.” With that, he turned and started toward his room.
He didn’t even finish the sentence before leaving.
Nan Xu panicked, trailing after him to clarify, but in her haste she followed him straight into the room.
“Brother, this isn’t okay—”
Her protest cut short the moment Xie Hejing stopped and turned to face her.
She crashed straight into his back, no surprise there, and her nose stung a little from the impact.
Rubbing it with a small pout, she shot him a sidelong glance.
Xie Hejing turned around, lowering his gaze to her. “And why not?”
This time his voice was softer, carrying a hint of plea. “Nan Xu, help your brother? Please? Hmm?”
His tone shifted from forceful to gentle. He bent down to meet her eyes, lashes trembling, looking almost troubled—as if this was the only solution left to him.
Pressing his lips together, he let his eyelids lower halfway. He knew all too well how soft-hearted this girl was.
Nan Xu instinctively leaned back, yet her face heated up anyway. She recalled, just for a second, that this was the first time he had ever called himself “Brother” in front of her.
It felt a little unfair.
It took her a while to find her voice again. Stammering, she asked, “Wh-where… where am I supposed to touch?”
The moment the words slipped out, Xie Hejing broke into a smile. After a short pause, he asked, “Where do you want to start?”
Her cheeks flamed scarlet. “I don’t know! If you don’t say anything, I’m going back to my room to watch variety shows.”
“Then start here.” He lifted her hand and pressed it against his chest. “And then… lower.”
Seeing her still frozen, he lowered his voice. “Is that okay, Jiaojiao?”
Her head buzzed like a struck gong, heat rushing up all at once. His words echoed in her mind, making even swallowing suddenly difficult.
“Bro-Brother, don’t… don’t call me that.”
She couldn’t take it. If she kept hearing it, she might really start having thoughts she shouldn’t.
“Didn’t you say it makes us sound closer?” Xie Hejing smiled faintly at her.
“I—” Nan Xu could barely keep it together. Afraid of where her mind was heading, she quickly cut him off. “Brother, let’s just start.”
She had said the words, but she still couldn’t meet his eyes, her gaze darting around the room.
“Alright.” He agreed smoothly.
Watching her intently, he tugged his robe open a little at the collar, slow and unhurried.
Nan Xu stood stiff and uneasy, looking everywhere but at him, missing the dark ripple in his eyes entirely.
Her nervous, bashful demeanor only deepened his hidden amusement. Though he tried to hold it back, a sly glint slipped through.
“You can start now,” Xie Hejing said.
The words hit her like a clap of thunder in the quiet room.
“M-me? I’m supposed to?” she asked in disbelief.
“Well, unless you plan on just standing there and watching me do it myself?”
She was completely silenced by that. Shuffling forward in tiny hesitant steps, she muttered, “Then don’t you dare blame me later—this isn’t me wanting to look, okay?”
Xie Hejing nodded.
But since Nan Xu hadn’t once looked at him, she completely missed it and asked, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Nan Xu, are you really planning to keep staring at that cabinet?” he ‘kindly’ reminded her. “If your hand ends up in the wrong place, I’ll have every reason to suspect you did it on purpose.”
“As if I would!” Nan Xu quickly turned back toward him.
Xie Hejing leaned against the back of the sofa, his Adam’s apple shifting as he swallowed. His robe hung open at the front, revealing the sharp lines of his muscles without reservation.
He narrowed his eyes. “Then go ahead.”
Nan Xu drew in a sharp breath, gritted her teeth, and reached out.
The moment her fingertips brushed against his chest, it was like pressing against burning metal—she jolted as though scalded, instinctively wanting to pull back.
Sensing her retreat, Xie Hejing’s hand closed loosely around hers. He didn’t hold her forcefully, only asked, almost lazily, “You really planning to give up halfway?”
Hearing that, Nan Xu bit down on her lip so hard it turned pale. Then, with a surge of resolve, she pushed her hand back onto him. “No.”
Her heart was pounding in her throat—when suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
It was the takeout she had ordered earlier, planning to eat while watching a variety show.
Even so, just knowing it was the delivery made her heart skip hard. Her hand jerked uncontrollably, sliding downward.
Her nails, painted in a pale lotus-pink oval shape, grazed across his abs and left a faint streak.
Xie Hejing let out a low grunt, and Nan Xu froze up, stiff with panic.
A moment later, the mark turned from pale to flushed red.
He gave a couple of soft, amused chuckles.
Nan Xu’s heart trembled wildly. She wanted to rub the mark away, but didn’t dare. Before she could stammer out an apology, he said, “Nan Xu, this mark and your hand are quite a match. What if I tattooed it in permanently?”
Nan Xu stared at him in disbelief. “What are you even thinking?”
Tattoo that? Was he serious?!
“Oh, right. I forgot to show you something.”
Expression blank, Xie Hejing tugged his robe aside, baring his shoulder.
Nan Xu’s pupils shrank. There, on his skin, was already a tattoo—inked in black and red, delicate lines flowing smoothly.
And she recognized it instantly. It was her bite mark.
The edges were still bruised, as if he’d deliberately kept breaking the wound open before it healed, just so the imprint would stay sharp enough to etch into his skin.
On his sun-browned complexion, the mark stood out starkly, searing itself into her eyes.
Xie Hejing’s gaze fell on Nan Xu’s neck. The marks there had long faded, and for a fleeting moment, a hint of disappointment crossed his face.
Nan Xu’s eyes widened in shock, her voice trembling. “Why would you tattoo that—are you out of your mind?”
At her words, Xie Hejing leaned forward, bending slightly, his hand sliding to the back of her neck. He tugged her toward him, forcing her to meet his eyes, their noses almost touching.
With a dangerous edge to his tone, he said, “Crazy? Nan Xu, I thought you already knew. Did you really think I was just playing games with you?”
Nan Xu shot back, “But today was just to help—wasn’t it?”
His brow twitched. “You’d better tell me you wouldn’t help anyone else like this.”
He pressed her hand down, his eyes darkening with obsession. “Nan Xu, do you even know what your hand is touching? This is Xie Hejing—your brother in your heart.”
Her hand trembled, but he held it firmly, guiding it without mercy, letting it wander across his body as he pleased.
Nan Xu’s lashes fluttered, quick and uneven, each quiver betraying her panic. She couldn’t even clench her fingers; Xie Hejing had complete control over her hand.
“Let go first…” she whispered.
After a long pause, Xie Hejing curved his lips into a faint smile. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his fingers brushing the ends of her hair as he teased, “Good girl, Nan Xu… don’t run from me.”
“Why not try again? Why not take one step further? What are you so afraid of, hmm?”
His relentless questions left her speechless. She could only lean helplessly against his shoulder, listening to his low murmur in her ear.
“Jiaojiao… we can’t escape this.”