Chapter 53 — Nan Xu, run.
“Shh!”
Nan Xu once again covered Xie Hejing’s mouth, raising her index finger to her lips before blowing out a slow breath.
“Brother, you must be sleepy and confused—you’re starting to talk nonsense.”
She smiled lightly. “Let’s just pretend I didn’t hear what you said earlier.”
Though her voice sounded calm, her palm—still holding the red string—was slick with sweat.
Maybe it was because Xie Hejing’s gaze burned too intensely.
After speaking, Nan Xu didn’t dare meet his eyes again. She pulled her hand back, shut her eyes, and sat cross-legged on the bed. Her back was straight and tense, and she gripped the edge of the blanket tightly.
Her mind went completely blank, as if by pretending to meditate she could somehow escape the words he’d just said.
Watching her deceive herself like this only deepened the amusement in Xie Hejing’s eyes.
Without making a sound, he slowly sat up straighter, moving toward her with deliberate slowness and a surprising gentleness.
Each inch he drew closer, Nan Xu’s eyelashes trembled just a little more.
Even with her eyes closed, she could tell by the increasingly strong scent of cedar—his scent—that he was nearing her.
But she didn’t dare open her eyes.
His movements carried a certain heat, and though she tried to empty her thoughts, her body grew warmer and warmer, betraying her calm facade.
She hoped that if she ignored him long enough, he’d give up—but every second with her eyes shut felt endless.
Her hearing and sense of smell sharpened unbearably; all she could catch was the sound of his quiet approach and the crisp, woody scent that filled the air.
Each moment stretched into eternity, until she couldn’t help wondering—how close was he now? How was he looking at her?
And how long did she need to hold still before he finally abandoned whatever thought had crossed his mind?
She didn’t know how much time had passed. Everything was silent—nothing but the faint sounds of his movements.
Nan Xu’s taut nerves finally began to relax.
She guessed he must have given up. After all, it had been so long—no sound, no voice telling her to open her eyes.
After another few minutes, her body had grown stiff, her legs numb and sore. She needed to move.
Thinking he must still be sitting quietly, Nan Xu finally opened her eyes.
The instant she did, she almost fell backward off the bed.
Xie Hejing’s face was right in front of hers—so close she could feel his breath. His chest rose and fell shallowly, as if he’d been holding it in.
But what truly made her freeze was what he had done.
It was mesmerizing.
The bundle of red string she had brought earlier was now wound entirely around his upper body.
Loop by loop, it trailed across his firm skin, coiling upward in tight, deliberate patterns. He hadn’t gone easy on himself either—perhaps punishing himself for nearly losing control earlier.
The string was tied so tightly that faint red marks traced his skin, standing out starkly against it.
The sharp lines of his waist carried a dangerous allure, something forbidden—something that stirred the urge to destroy or to tame.
Yet Xie Hejing’s eyes held nothing but untamed wildness. He was dangerous, and impossibly captivating.
Despite it all, his posture remained calm and languid, a faint smile still playing on his lips as he sat before her, legs casually parted, completely composed.
One of Xie Hejing’s hands idly toyed with the end of the red string at his waist, while the other end was caught playfully between his lips.
His head tilted slightly upward, and from that angle, Nan Xu could clearly see his Adam’s apple move up and down as he swallowed—quickly, tensely.
Nan Xu’s lashes fluttered, and she swallowed too, as if in sync.
The red string rested loosely between his teeth, and his gaze—sharp and unyielding—locked straight onto her, brimming with dominance.
For a moment, the whole world seemed to freeze. Nan Xu could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, so loud it almost drowned out everything else.
The sight before her was overwhelming.
A sudden panic rose within her—because in that instant, she’d actually wanted to reach out and touch him.
The thought startled her so badly she nearly gasped.
Then, Xie Hejing moved.
He took her hand and guided it to his waist, pressing her fingers around the end of the red string.
Nan Xu’s fingertips stiffened; she couldn’t even hold it properly. So Xie Hejing simply wrapped his own hand around both hers and the string, enclosing them together.
“Nan Xu,” he said softly, “do you want to pull it? Maybe the marks will get deeper.”
He lowered his gaze, voice still calm, almost casual. “They might last until tomorrow. Do you want to see what kind of mark you leave on me by then?”
He sounded as if he were genuinely worried the marks wouldn’t last long enough.
Insane. Absolutely insane!
It took Nan Xu half a minute to find her voice again. “It’s not me who left them.”
He was the one who had tied them himself!
At her words, Xie Hejing’s eyes darkened instantly. “Is that so? Then next time, I’ll have you do it for me—exactly like this.”
He tilted his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Should we take a picture, for keepsake?”
His tone remained level, but Nan Xu could feel the danger in it.
She shook her head quickly. “No need.”
Xie Hejing didn’t push further. Instead, he murmured, “So, these marks from the red string…”
Nan Xu exhaled shakily. “…They’re mine.”
He smiled, radiant and satisfied. “Smart girl.”
Of course, he wasn’t going to stop there. He kept her hand in his, following the path of the red string—tightening it, twisting it, tracing along it with slow, deliberate motions, his low hum vibrating softly between them.
To make it look like the mark was left by Nan Xu.
Nan Xu couldn’t even describe what she was feeling anymore. Words failed her completely.
So she gave up resisting. She shut her eyes again, hoping that if she couldn’t see him, she wouldn’t crumble under the intensity of his presence.
Just seeing him had sent her emotions spiraling—she’d wanted to run back to her room just to calm down.
But when she tried to move her legs, she found her body too weak to respond.
“Nan Xu,” Xie Hejing asked quietly, “are we going to sit like this all night?”
Nan Xu tried to steady her breathing. “If—if you put the red string away, then I won’t.”
“Alright,” he said.
For a second, she thought he’d agreed, relief flooding through her—
Until he added, in that same mild tone, “Then let’s sit like this all night.”
Nan Xu: “…”
Clearly, trying to out-stubborn him wasn’t going to work.
She finally opened her eyes.
She still didn’t dare to look at him for too long.
“Brother, it’s not that I don’t dare to,” Nan Xu bit her lip, “it’s just… what if, after I kiss it, you—” she hesitated, “what if you have a reaction?”
She blurted it out all at once, giving up on keeping her composure.
What if Xie Hejing really couldn’t control himself?
Knowing her timid nature, she’d definitely be scared—and she’d definitely want to run. But what if she couldn’t get away?
Would he really do what he said—tie them together with that red string?
Nan Xu shivered at the thought.
Xie Hejing let out a cold laugh. “What if?”
“There’s never been a ‘what if.’ It’s always been there.”
Nan Xu sucked in a sharp breath. “Wait—don’t tell me it hasn’t gone down?”
Gone down?
Xie Hejing couldn’t help but laugh. What did she think this was—some kind of illness that could just go away on its own?
“No, and there’s still swelling,” Xie Hejing said bluntly.
Things were quickly spiraling out of control. Nan Xu frowned, trying to think of a way out. If this kept going, what if Xie Hejing did something even crazier?
“But you said once the red string was tied, tonight would be over. Now that the string’s already been…” Under Xie Hejing’s sharp gaze, she changed her wording mid-sentence. “Already been tied by me, doesn’t that mean it’s over?”
Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow, wanting to deny it—but the growing pressure below made his jaw tighten.
After a moment, he made up his mind.
“Just one kiss,” he said. “After that, I’ll let you go for tonight.”
“Really? You’re not lying?”
“Really,” he forced himself to reply.
Nan Xu’s feelings were tangled between tension and relief. On one hand, he’d promised to let her go; on the other, she really did have to kiss that red string.
She took a few minutes to steel herself before finally saying, “Then… lie down.”
Her voice sounded as if she were marching to her doom.
Xie Hejing’s body tensed at her words. He leaned back slightly, returning to a half-reclined position, his gaze never once leaving her.
Nan Xu knelt at the bedside, and his burning stare seemed to ignite the air around her.
Nervously gripping the hem of her shirt, she took a few deep breaths to steady herself.
Finally, she exhaled, leaned forward, and slowly bent down toward the red string.
She was close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his skin.
Without hesitating any further, she followed that heat and lowered herself just a little more.
The moment her lips brushed against the string, Xie Hejing let out a barely audible breath.
His hands clenched the sheets tight, his chest heaving as something inside him caved in—an endless, unfillable pit of desire.
His eyes were flushed red at the corners, staring fixedly at Nan Xu. It wasn’t that no one else could fill the emptiness—just that only she could.
“Nan Xu…” he called softly, his voice laced with endless, consuming desire.
The restrained tremor in his voice carried a hint of unbearable tension.
Nan Xu’s whole body jolted as if struck by electricity. Her breath brushed against Xie Hejing’s skin, and the forbidden closeness between them sent her nerves spiraling out of control.
She wanted to move, but her body felt frozen in place.
Instinctively, she looked up at him.
The veins along Xie Hejing’s neck bulged as he struggled against the desire threatening to devour him. His chest rose and fell sharply, his breathing unsteady.
In his dark eyes, there was only Nan Xu.
“Brother, you…” Nan Xu began, but couldn’t finish.
Xie Hejing’s voice came out hoarse and tight with restraint. It was as if he was suppressing every urge inside him when he gasped out, “Nan Xu, go back to your room. Now.”
His jaw clenched so hard that his teeth clicked faintly together.
A moment longer—no, just a few more seconds—and the dam holding back his desire would collapse.
Nan Xu didn’t miss the warning in his tone. It was obvious he was at his limit. Panic flooded her chest.
She quickly straightened up, scrambled off the bed, and dashed toward the door, almost running.
The instant the door shut behind her, Xie Hejing took a deep breath and yanked the red string from his waist.
His movements were rough—too rough. The string cut into his skin, leaving several small gashes, but he didn’t seem to care.
He headed straight for the bathroom, and the door slammed shut with a sharp bang.
Back in her room, Nan Xu still hadn’t recovered. She sat motionless on the edge of her bed, mind blank.
Xie Hejing’s last words echoed in her head—
“Nan Xu, go back to your room.”
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that what he really wanted to say was:
“Nan Xu, run.”
The way he had looked just moments ago was terrifying. Nan Xu had every reason to believe that if she’d hesitated even a second longer—or kissed him more than once—she might not have made it out of that room.
Her hands trembling, she pulled out her phone. It took several minutes of listening to calming instrumental music before her breathing steadied enough for her to brush her teeth, wash her face, and crawl into bed.
But no matter how tightly she curled under the blanket, sleep wouldn’t come. Her mind kept drifting back to Xie Hejing.
She couldn’t forget the image of him in those final seconds—his entire body tense, the air around him thrumming with restrained danger.
Was he all right now? Was he in pain?
After half an hour of inner turmoil, Nan Xu finally called him.
He didn’t answer the first time.
That was rare—Xie Hejing almost never ignored her calls. But remembering how he’d looked earlier, Nan Xu could understand why.
So she called again. This time, the call connected after only two rings.
“Hello.” His voice was low and rough.
And faintly, from the other end, Nan Xu could hear the sound of running water. He seemed to be walking, the sound of water growing louder with each step.
“Brother, are you… taking a shower?”
Xie Hejing didn’t answer. He simply adjusted the phone and set it somewhere nearby.
Only the sound of running water remained on the other end. Nan Xu’s lips straightened, “I just want to ask how you’re doing right now? Are you in a lot of pain? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
The sound of the running water gradually became clearer. Two minutes after the call connected, Xie Hejing finally spoke his second sentence.
“Nan Xu, I’ll only ask once. Do you want to hear the sound that comes next?”
Just hearing her voice, a sudden surge of heat rushed within Xie Hejing, desperately wanting to break free.
When Nan Xu didn’t say anything, he took it as a tacit agreement.
Then, he said again: “Nan Xu, I really want to hear your voice.”
As the time approached midnight, Nan Xu felt that if she didn’t know how Xie Hejing was doing, she might not be able to sleep all night.
“Okay.”
“What should I say?” Nan Xu was so poor of words at the moment that she just wanted to ask about Xie Hejing’s condition, but she didn’t want to keep repeating that one question.
“Say anything,” Xie Hejing said.
Nan Xu pursed her lips in thought. After a moment, she finally thought of talking about daily life with Xie Hejing.
“Brother, I called Xixi last time, and she wants to invite us to go camping. Do you want to go?”
“Up to you. If you want to go, we’ll go.” The voice on the other end was a little fragmented.
Nan Xu didn’t pay attention and continued, “Brother, I have so many clothes in my room already. Please don’t buy me new ones. Also, why can’t I find that pink bag from last time?”
“Got it. I put it away.”
Xie Hejing’s voice gradually became rushed.
“I still want to eat braised pork tomorrow, is that okay? Let’s come back early and go to the downstairs supermarket to buy the ingredients.”
“Okay,” Xie Hejing answered, his voice like a low groan.
Nan Xu gradually got into the conversation: “Also, I really miss Aunt Zhang’s cooking. Can you bring some back for me next time you go home?”
“Mm.”
. . . . .
Nan Xu just chatted with Xie Hejing about various random things, basically saying whatever came to mind, and Xie Hejing responded to every sentence.
However, the intervals between his replies became longer and longer, his words grew shorter, and there were brief, muffled grunts in between.
Nan Xu gradually felt something strange. The sound of running water on the other end was still there, but there were many more indistinct syllables.
The hand gripping the phone tightened slightly, and a blush appeared on Nan Xu’s face: “Brother, are you, are you…”
Nan Xu ultimately didn’t say it out loud.
Xie Hejing raised his eyes, looked lazily at the phone, and nudged his teeth with his tongue.
“Nan Xu, follow me and say, “you like Brother”.”
Xie Hejing’s heavy breathing came across the phone.
Nan Xu didn’t speak. Xie Hejing repeated it again: “Nan Xu, turn on the recording, and then tell me.”
“Who do you like?”