Chapter 45 — Good baby, good girl, open your mouth, okay? Hmm?
“Nope, not showing you,” Xie Hejing teased, raising an eyebrow.
Nan Xu’s cheeks flushed a soft, tipsy pink. Her eyelids drooped, then struggled back up again.
“Why not?” she mumbled softly, blinking, a confused look in her eyes.
If she saw it now, she’d surely get startled—and he’d have to catch her again.
“Enough with the whys,” he said, glancing at the table. Her honey water had been sipped twice already. “‘Drunkard,’ drink your water.”
He leaned over, picked up the cup—still warm—and brought it to her lips.
Nan Xu tilted her head away. “You still call me ‘drunkard,’ I’m not drinking.”
She scrunched her nose. “I’m not even that drunk.”
Xie Hejing’s lips curved slightly. After drinking, she was livelier—playful, cute, and charming all at once.
“Alright,” he said. “Then what do you want me to call you?”
Nan Xu lowered her eyes, thinking for a moment. “Call me… I don’t know.”
“You’re so drunk you forgot your own name?” Xie Hejing teased, smiling.
“I’m Nan Xu, Brother. I’m not drunk,” she emphasized again, though her words were still slurred.
Her little act made him chuckle. He couldn’t resist pinching her cheeks. “Fine, not drunk then. Let’s get to the main business.”
“What main business?”
Nan Xu frowned. Dizziness washed over her, and lifting her head felt exhausting. Her body went limp, and she collapsed onto Xie Hejing.
“You promised me at the bar, you’d let me kiss you when we got home,” he reminded her.
“The bar…” Nan Xu thought for a moment, but instead of recalling that promise, she pictured Wei Qingxuan peeling grapes for Wen Qi. Slowly, a smile crept onto her face. “I remember now… Brother, I want grapes too.”
Xie Hejing: “….”
Well… that wasn’t what he’d been thinking about. But he didn’t mind. The night was long, and Nan Xu was in his arms—he could kiss her whenever he wanted.
He straightened up, then leaned forward to grab his phone.
The sudden movement startled Nan Xu; she thought she might fall and instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.
Noticing her grip, Xie Hejing’s gaze flickered, and he slowed down, carefully holding the motion for ten seconds while she clung to him.
When they finally settled back onto the sofa, Nan Xu released her hands.
Xie Hejing felt a brief pang of disappointment.
The next second, he grabbed her hands and placed them around his waist. “Hold me.”
Nan Xu protested: “It’s hot.”
Xie Hejing’s body was hot, and the tighter Nan Xu held him, the hotter it became.
She tried to pull her hands away, but he pressed them back. “Hot or not, you’re holding me.”
You’ll still be hugging me when we sleep later.
He left the second part unsaid, coaxing her instead: “Be good, hug me. I’ll buy you food—anything you want.”
Nan Xu’s eyes lit up. “How about barbecue?”
“No,” Xie Hejing refused firmly.
Her stomach was sensitive—eating that kind of food could make her vomit or give her diarrhea.
Being denied, Nan Xu sniffled. “Then what about crayfish? I want something spicy, really spicy.”
“No,” he refused again.
Nan Xu’s face fell. “Then I won’t hug you! I’m going back! I don’t want to stay here!”
She started fussing, trying to leave.
Xie Hejing’s expression darkened, and he grit his teeth. “Fine. I’ll order it, but don’t eat too much.”
“Okay.”
After placing the order, he saw the delivery would take over an hour. During the wait, Nan Xu fell asleep on him. He dared not move—any slight motion and her arms around him would loosen.
But Xie Hejing had never felt time pass so quickly. It seemed like she had just fallen asleep when the doorbell rang.
He carefully lifted her onto the sofa and draped a nearby jacket over her. Then he spread all the food she had wanted on the table.
“Nan Xu, time to eat.”
She mumbled indistinctly, turned over, and didn’t move.
Seeing her sleep so soundly, he pinched her nose. “Nan Xu, if you don’t wake up, the food will get cold.”
Her nose blocked, struggling to breathe, Nan Xu finally opened her eyes. “Brother, I’m so sleepy.”
Xie Hejing chuckled but still said, “Eat first, then sleep.”
Nan Xu, easygoing even under the lingering effects of alcohol, didn’t protest. She obediently sat at the table and ate slowly.
Xie Hejing sat beside her, peeling grapes.
Knowing she wouldn’t eat much, he had ordered small portions so she wouldn’t feel burdened.
Halfway through, she smiled at him. “Brother, this place is really nice. I’ll come here often.”
Hearing this, Xie Hejing paused. Apparently, she hadn’t absorbed what he said in the car.
“It’s not just my home—it’s ours. You’ll be staying here for the whole month.”
“Staying here?” Nan Xu blinked, trying to shake off the alcohol haze in her brain.
“Yes,” he nodded, not giving her time to think. “Hurry and eat—afterwards, you still need to brush your teeth and sleep.”
Nan Xu turned her head but ate much more slowly.
She picked up a crayfish and just as it touched her tongue, a wave of intense heat surged up. Tears sprang into her beautiful eyes from the spiciness.
Xie Hejing immediately handed her the water he had prepared. He had anticipated this reaction, but Nan Xu, never having tried it before, had insisted.
Sure enough, the spice was too much—she stopped eating, wiped her mouth, and let out a big yawn.
Xie Hejing handed her the grapes. “Eat these, then sleep after.”
Nan Xu picked them up, popping one into her mouth after another.
Xie Hejing watched her slowly, his gaze drifting to her lips. Once a rosy pink, they were now slightly reddened and swollen from the spice, glistening with grape juice—temptingly soft and luscious.
His Adam’s apple moved unconsciously. “After peeling all these for you, you’re not going to feed me one?”
Hearing that, Nan Xu paused, holding a grape to Xie Hejing’s lips. “Here, you eat it.”
He shook his head. “You eat first.”
Nan Xu frowned, puzzled by his intentions, but too lazy to question further. She withdrew her hand and continued eating. The sweet juice made her squint in contentment.
Before she could savor it fully, Xie Hejing suddenly leaned in. One hand cradled the back of her head, the other trapped her hand.
He kissed her lips—gentle, yet firm.
“Mmm… mm…”
Nan Xu let out two soft whimpers. His tongue nudged between her teeth, nibbled, and brushed against the grape in her mouth, gently pressing it.
The soft fruit began to deform under the pressure, its sweet juice spilling from the corners of her mouth, stirred by Xie Hejing’s movements.
Then he paused, swallowing the fruit, and kissed the corner of her lips. He picked the largest grape and held it to her lips.
Nan Xu, still catching her breath, refused to open her mouth.
“Good girl, open up,” he coaxed.
She shook her head stubbornly.
Xie Hejing didn’t rush. He brushed her lips gently, kissed her forehead, then her eyes, nose tip, and finally a soft touch on her lips.
“Good baby, good girl, open your mouth, okay? Hmm?”
Her gaze blurred; she tried to stay alert, but her awareness quickly drifted.
After a long moment, she gathered just enough clarity to part her lips. “Be gentle.”
Xie Hejing’s kisses were usually intense, as if he wanted to steal every breath from her, making her melt into his arms. He would hold her tightly, unwilling to ever let go.
A sly smile curved his lips, a dark glint in his eyes. “Where should I be gentle?”
Nan Xu frowned, confused. She raised her hand, pressing it gently to his lips. “Here… be gentle here.”
He bent closer, meeting her gaze. Even knowing she was drunk and not fully aware, he reminded her, “Sweetheart, this is your only chance to say ‘be gentle.’ Next time you say it, I won’t listen,”—he paused a beat—“and I won’t stop.”
Nan Xu’s eyelids were heavy with intoxication; she struggled to discern his words. She didn’t even realize what he meant—only catching the last line.
Won’t stop?!
She looked up at him, slightly dazed. “Stop… why stop?”
Xie Hejing’s breath deepened. He truly loved this drunken, vulnerable version of Nan Xu.
He nodded, praising her. “Yes, exactly. Why would we stop? We won’t stop.”
Nan Xu’s only chance to make Xie Hejing be gentle had already slipped away.
He kissed lightly—lighter than he ever had before—afraid that if he kissed too hard, she might have a chance to scold him, call him out, and then demand a gentler kiss next time.
Although, of course, he wouldn’t actually listen.
The grape juice smeared at the corner of Nan Xu’s lips was repeatedly swept away by Xie Hejing, and together they went through an entire plate of grapes.
Nan Xu stared at the empty plate for a long moment before finally realizing what happened. She pouted, complaining, “Why did you eat them all? I only had a few!”
Xie Hejing, in a good mood, asked, “Then, more tomorrow?”
Nan Xu refused, puffing out her cheeks and saying nothing.
He continued, “How about something else to eat?”
She didn’t respond. “I’m sleepy,” she murmured.
Xie Hejing had prepared so much for her—clothes, shoes, food, daily necessities… even skincare products, all researched and bought for her.
But Nan Xu, too drunk to care, resisted taking a shower and going to bed. He tried to help, but she wildly refused, fighting off the effects of the alcohol.
Finally, he had to stand by the bathroom door, talking to her to make sure she was still conscious. He even worried she might lose her balance and fall while trying to sleep in the bathroom—if he saw anything, she’d definitely cry. And this was the kind of crying he couldn’t soothe.
Luckily, Nan Xu came out safely, dressed in her pajamas. Xie Hejing finally exhaled in relief.
“Where do I sleep?” she asked, too drowsy to care about words, only thinking about sleep.
He smiled. “Here for now. The master bedroom is still being set up, so it’s not ready.”
Nan Xu nodded without thinking further.
Xie Hejing’s smile deepened. The first thing he did after renting the apartment was to set up the master bedroom according to Nan Xu’s preferences. It was fully ready—there was no issue of his room being done while the master bedroom wasn’t.
If she were fully awake, Nan Xu might have wanted to explore the master bedroom first, but in her sleep-deprived, intoxicated state, she simply collapsed on the bed. Soon, the steady sound of her breathing confirmed she was asleep.
Xie Hejing tidied up the clothes Nan Xu had changed out of, then went to the living room to put away the delivery food, finishing with a quick shower.
He quietly climbed into bed. Nan Xu was still asleep. He didn’t hold her immediately, but placed her hand on his waist, knowing she liked to hug something while sleeping.
To prevent her from rolling over in the night and letting go, he propped a pillow against her lower back.
The next morning, Nan Xu woke to a strange blanket, an unfamiliar room, and the familiar sight of Xie Hejing.
When she moved, she realized her hand was still hugging his waist—maybe even a little tightly—and her heart jumped to her throat in an instant.
How did she end up sleeping on Xie Hejing’s bed, hugging him?!
She peeked up quietly—he was still asleep. Her heartbeat slowed slightly.
Trying to calm herself, she bit her lip and attempted to quietly withdraw her hand, planning to get out of bed as soon as possible.
But just as she pulled halfway back, Xie Hejing’s hand closed over hers. His voice, lazy and just-awake, rumbled softly:
“Not going to admit it?”
Nan Xu’s head felt like it was exploding. Her hands trembled, her voice stammered: “I… I… don’t… admit… what?”
Xie Hejing smiled faintly, one hand propping up his head, the other lightly patting hers that was still on his waist. “What do you think?”
“I… I hugged you all night,” she stammered.
“And…” he prompted, letting her hang in suspense.
“And…?” Nan Xu swallowed hard, quickly asking. She couldn’t possibly have done something to him while drunk, could she?
Xie Hejing didn’t answer directly, just said, “How could I say? You think about it yourself.”
He wanted to see how much she remembered from last night.
“I… I think… let me think…” Nan Xu lowered her gaze, not daring to look around, carefully recalling the previous night: drinking, riding in the car, eating, and…
Her eyes widened in realization as she looked at Xie Hejing.
He tightened his hand slightly, squinting as if to see through her thoughts.
Nan Xu’s teeth chattered.
And “be gentle,” followed by a shower…
But she didn’t feel anything strange on herself. Had she done something to Xie Hejing last night? Otherwise, why did she remember “be gentle”? What exactly was supposed to be gentle?
Her head felt like it might explode.
Seeing her flustered, Xie Hejing became serious. He cleared his throat: “Alright, nothing happened. You don’t have to take responsibility.”
Nan Xu, still lost in thoughts of what she might have done, suddenly heard this. She bit her lip and asked uncertainly, “Really… I don’t need to take responsibility?”
Her words carried a tiny hint of hope, as if one “yes” from him would let her quickly change and leave.
Xie Hejing’s brows furrowed: “You really want to not take responsibility?”
“No, no!” Nan Xu hurriedly denied, carefully seeking reassurance. “Then… can you at least tell me what I did to you?”
“‘Be gentle,’ changing clothes… I don’t remember much from last night. You tell me first, then I can take responsibility.”
Since she only recalled these things, Xie Hejing’s aggressive aura dissipated quite a bit, and a hint of mischief flashed in his eyes.
“Nothing really… very simple…”
Nothing? That’s good. Nan Xu exhaled deeply.
Xie Hejing curled his lips into a grin. “You hugged me, kissed me, climbed onto my bed late at night, tried to… but I didn’t agree. So you had to hug me to sleep.”
The words “didn’t agree” were spoken rigidly, yet Nan Xu hadn’t reacted. He added, “And… you hugged me all night.”
He spoke in one breath. Nan Xu was still lost in relief at “nothing happened,” until she carefully recalled the last part.
Her eyes went wide. “What… I tried to…?”
Her shock made Xie Hejing frown. “Why so surprised? You didn’t succeed. Until you’re sure about your feelings for me, I won’t let you have me so easily.”
Nan Xu: “…”
She opened her mouth, hesitating, then asked, “Why didn’t you knock me out and make me sleep outside?”
He was indifferent. “Couldn’t do it. And besides, Nan Xu, don’t focus on my actions—I’m the one being hugged here.”
“Just hugging… shouldn’t be a big deal, right?” she murmured. After all, she had kissed him—hugging seemed reasonable.
Unexpectedly, Xie Hejing didn’t argue. He even seemed pleased. “Yes, hugging isn’t a big deal. So, let’s continue tonight.”