Chapter 66
Early in the morning, Xie Hejing took a phone call while sitting on the sofa.
Even though he kept his voice low on purpose, Nan Xu could still faintly hear bits of his conversation from the bedroom.
“Mm, got it,” Xie Hejing’s voice suddenly became clearer. “Okay.”
“…”
The call lasted about three minutes.
Nan Xu lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling for those same three minutes.
When Xie Hejing came in and saw she was awake, he looked a little surprised. “You’re up early today. Did I wake you?”
Nan Xu shook her head. Sitting up, she recalled what she’d overheard and asked, “Are you going back to Zhi’an?”
Xie Hejing gave a short “yeah.” “There’s a dinner tonight. I need to meet someone important.”
Seeing that she didn’t react much, he tightened his grip on his phone but kept his tone light.
“Assistant Nan, want to come back to Zhi’an with me?”
He wasn’t sure how she’d respond—after all, she’d been upset just yesterday. But there was no way he’d return alone after coming all this way.
If she refused, he half-joked to himself, he’d just have to drag her back.
Nan Xu didn’t say much. She simply got up, threw on a coat, and as she passed him, said crisply, “Alright.”
Xie Hejing froze for a second, eyes following her. “What’s with the sudden obedience today?”
Nan Xu paused, tilted her head, and said, “Maybe because… I miss Uncle and Auntie.”
He’d been trying so hard these past few days to convince her to go back, and now she agreed—because she missed his parents.
Xie Hejing caught her by the wrist. “You can think about anyone you want, but not me?”
Nan Xu blinked, not quite processing that he was actually jealous over this.
“You’re right here beside me,” she said, amused. “Why would I need to miss you?”
“Oh?” He raised a brow. “So you’re saying I should stay away for a few days, let you find out what missing me feels like?”
The jealousy in his tone was practically dripping. Nan Xu could tell he wouldn’t drop it unless she said what he wanted to hear.
“That’s not what I meant,” she said quickly. “I meant—I hope you’ll stay by my side.”
That did the trick. Xie Hejing immediately looked satisfied. “Now that’s more like it.”
He let go of her hand.
“Go wash up. Breakfast’s on the table. I’ll pack up later, and we’ll head back to Zhi’an.”
He really was the kind of person who could be set off by one word and soothed by another.
Nan Xu started toward the bathroom, but then stopped—she’d noticed the dark circles under his eyes.
Walking closer, she studied him for a moment and asked, “Did you not sleep last night?”
Last night, Xie Hejing had held her in his arms, feeling uneasy the entire time. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but she was sleeping so peacefully he couldn’t bring himself to wake her.
And since she seemed in a normal mood this morning, he decided not to ask anymore.
This time she spoke first and asked. Xie Hejing took advantage of the opportunity, leaned on her shoulder, and said in a tired voice, “Mm. I couldn’t sleep until very late, I was thinking about you the whole time.”
“Thinking about me? Why would you think about me?” Nan Xu hadn’t realized she’d done anything worth keeping him up all night. “What were you thinking about, exactly?”
Xie Hejing curved his lips into a faint smile. “I was thinking… when I’ll finally be promoted to official status.”
. . . . .
Their flight was at noon, and the entire way, Xie Hejing never once let go of Nan Xu’s hand, as if afraid she might slip away.
Nan Xu couldn’t help but laugh and reminded him, “You’re squeezing my hand too hard—it hurts.”
Xie Hejing paused.
“…Fine.”
Only then did he loosen his grip.
Two hours later, they were back in Zhi’an.
Out of habit, Nan Xu said she’d take a taxi back to Zhang Huiwan’s place.
Xie Hejing didn’t object, but he did remind her, “It’s not really convenient.”
“What’s inconvenient about it?” Nan Xu asked without thinking. “I already told Auntie before I got on the plane that I’d be home for dinner.”
Xie Hejing was silent for a beat. “…Alright, let’s go then.”
At the villa entrance, Zhang Huiwan and Xie Hengzhi were already waiting. Zhang Huiwan especially looked like she’d been waiting forever.
Nan Xu was the first to get out of the car. “Uncle, Auntie, hello! I missed you both so much.”
It had been over a month since Zhang Huiwan had last seen her. Hearing those sweet words made her feel like her daughter had finally come home.
Though they’d video-called a few times, it still wasn’t the same as seeing her in person.
At a glance, Zhang Huiwan noticed that Nan Xu looked much thinner than before—it made her heart ache.
When she saw the two of them each carrying suitcases, she quickly took Nan Xu’s luggage, shoved it into Xie Hejing’s hands, and linked arms with Nan Xu as they went into the house, chatting warmly.
Left standing behind them, Xie Hejing stared at their backs, his expression forlorn.
They shouldn’t have come back—at least then, Nan Xu would still be by his side all the time.
“Jiaojiao, Auntie missed you so much,” Zhang Huiwan said affectionately. “The other day, when we talked on the phone, you even covered for Xie Hejing. But he’s already confessed—it was his fault for making you angry and not wanting to come home.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already given him a serious scolding. I guarantee he won’t make you upset again.”
Hearing that, Nan Xu turned to glance at Xie Hejing.
Both hands full of suitcases, he shrugged dramatically, feigning a pitiful look.
Nan Xu couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Seeing her in such good spirits, Zhang Huiwan smiled too. “Come on, let’s eat. You’ve been away for so long—you must be craving my cooking.”
Nan Xu nodded eagerly. “I am.”
After dinner, exhaustion hit her hard. She yawned.
Zhang Huiwan knew Nan Xu had the habit of taking a nap, and she certainly hadn’t rested well on the plane at noon, so she told her to quickly go back to her room and sleep for a while.
Nan Xu was truly exhausted. Without even glancing at Xie Hejing, who clearly wanted to talk to her, she simply answered Zhang Huiwan, then headed straight to her room.
Xie Hejing started after her, but he barely took two steps before Zhang Huiwan called out, “Hejing, where are you going?”
“…”
He stopped, visibly reluctant. “…Just going to rest in my room.”
“Hold on a second,” Zhang Huiwan said. “Come help me translate this document first. My eyes aren’t feeling great today.”
“Okay, I’ll give it to you in a bit,” he replied, clutching his laptop and starting toward the stairs.
“Do it here,” she insisted. “It’s urgent, and I’ve got other things I need your help with after this.”
“…”
He clenched his jaw. “Alright.”
Once again, he felt he really shouldn’t have come back. He couldn’t even get a moment to talk to Nan Xu.
“What’s wrong? You in a hurry?” Zhang Huiwan asked, noticing how fast his fingers were flying across the keyboard.
“No… not in a hurry,” he said through his teeth.
Meanwhile, Nan Xu slept deeply. By the time she woke, it was already time for the dinner event.
Zhang Huiwan and Xie Hengzhi had already eaten and gone out for a walk—they’d probably be back soon.
When Nan Xu came downstairs, only Xie Hejing was there, sitting at the table, typing away on his laptop. He was so focused he didn’t even notice her approach.
She stood there for about half a minute before finally calling out, “Brother, it’s about time. Didn’t you say you had a dinner meeting?”
Hearing her voice, Xie Hejing snapped out of his work. “You’re awake? Want to eat something before we go?”
Nan Xu shook her head. “No need, I’m not hungry yet. We shouldn’t be late.”
“There’s still time,” he said, closing his laptop and setting it aside.
Without another word, he reached out, pulled her into his arms, and buried his face against her neck.
“I want to hold you… kiss you… and maybe even—”
Nan Xu startled, panic flashing across her face. Aunt Zhang and Uncle Xie could come home any minute!
She quickly slipped out of his arms. “Y-you should watch yourself!”
He looked down at his now-empty arms, irritation flickering across his face as he stared at her flustered expression, terrified of being caught. His jaw tightened. “What’s wrong?” he asked deliberately.
Nan Xu muttered, “What if Uncle and Auntie come back soon?”
What if?!
He wanted to just blurt it all out—drag her off tomorrow to get their marriage certificate and end this sneaking around.
But he knew if he pushed too hard, she’d only run.
“So what do you want to do, then?” he asked.
“Let me think first. Either way, we can’t let them find out right now.”
Nan Xu felt it would be too embarrassing to tell them yet. She needed the right moment—especially since she’d been calling Xie Hejing “brother” for so long.
He wasn’t good enough to show off, was that it?!
Xie Hejing gave a cold, humorless laugh. “Sure. After all, I don’t even have an official title yet. If they found out I slept with by you without one, then—”
Nan Xu quickly covered his mouth again.
She was really terrified of Xie Hejing’s reckless tongue—he always managed to say the most outrageous things, and in such a risky place, no less.
“Where was it me being…” Nan Xu bit her lip, “Clearly you were the one who went to Huaining City, and you even tied me up!”
“Alright then,” he said smoothly, “I’ll give you a chance to sleep with me tonight.”
When Nan Xu didn’t respond, Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow, his tone low and teasing. “Do you want to tie me up?”
“Do you want to take the lead, then watch me try to endure it?”
“Nan Xu,” he murmured, voice dark and tempting, “you can do anything you want tonight.”
Xie Hejing’s way of stirring her heart was already masterful; whether it was his tone or his words, she simply couldn’t resist him.
But she still managed to whisper weakly, “I’ve already seen you endure plenty of times.”
Especially during this one month, Xie Hejing had practically turned self-restraint into an art form.
He inhaled sharply, then leaned closer, even more direct now. “Don’t you want to hold it… and watch it struggle—trying so hard to stay under control?”
At first, Nan Xu didn’t quite process what he meant—until he guided her hand over him, slowly, deliberately, until it rested somewhere that made her face instantly burn.
“Stop talking,” she said, flustered.
The moment he saw her reaction, he knew she was embarrassed—but notably, she didn’t push him away this time.
He smiled. “So you do want to.”
Nan Xu opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to refuse. Instead, she muttered softly, “But I promised Auntie I’d stay here tonight.”
“That’s fine,” he said carelessly, lips curving. “Makes it even more exciting.”
“You—!”
Nan Xu was once again completely stunned by Xie Hejing’s shamelessness.
“Alright,” he said finally, straightening her rumpled clothes and patting her shoulder. “Let’s go.”
When they arrived at the meeting place, Nan Xu met the “important person” Xie Hejing had mentioned.
“Uncle Shen,” Xie Hejing greeted.
The man’s temples were graying, but his posture was upright, his steps steady, and his voice carried both calmness and authority.
When he saw Xie Hejing, his eyes lit with approval. He patted his shoulder. “Didn’t expect you to improve this much in just a few years. The kid who used to follow me around is now hosting dinners.”
“Uncle Shen, you’re teasing me. The moment I heard you were coming to Zhi’an, I came back from out of town just to see you.”
“Is that so? Well, at least you’re still filial,” Uncle Shen said, his gaze turning casually—but perceptibly—toward Nan Xu.
Nan Xu lowered her head, unsure how to address him. She couldn’t call him “Uncle” like Xie Hejing did, but calling him “President Shen” felt too distant.
Uncle Shen’s eyes were sharp. Years of experience had made him adept at reading people; with just one look, he could guess most of what they were thinking.
If he remembered correctly, this was the first time Xie Hejing had ever brought a woman along—and to meet him, no less.
He studied her for a moment longer.
Nan Xu grew tense, hardly daring to move.
Sensing it, Xie Hejing subtly shifted his body, positioning himself to block Uncle Shen’s line of sight.
Of course he knew exactly what the older man was thinking. But since Nan Xu didn’t want to reveal their relationship, being stared at like that would only make her more nervous.
So he shielded her.
Yet in Uncle Shen’s eyes, that protective gesture was as good as a confession. He glanced at Xie Hejing again, his sharpness softening, then inclined his head slightly toward Nan Xu—as if to confirm.
Xie Hejing’s throat moved, and the corner of his mouth curved into a faint, knowing smile.
He hadn’t said a word—but Uncle Shen had guessed it all on his own.
He nodded in acknowledgment.
Seeing the satisfied grin on Xie Hejing’s face, Uncle Shen suddenly burst out laughing from deep in his chest.
“Hahaha! Come on, let’s go inside. Today’s a good day—I’m in a great mood. We should have a proper meal together.”
Nan Xu had no idea what kind of silent exchange had just passed between the two men. All she noticed was that, in an instant, Uncle Shen’s gaze toward her had softened—from assessing and sharp to warm and friendly.
Throughout the meal, he kept asking her what dishes she liked, occasionally inquiring about her family.
Nan Xu started to wonder if Uncle Shen already knew everything. But watching how naturally Xie Hejing interacted with him, she couldn’t detect anything suspicious—so she simply let it go.
She ended up drinking quite a bit that night. Wanting to leave a good impression on Xie Hejing’s elder, she was the one who first raised her glass to toast.
“President Shen—”
“You can call me Uncle Shen, like that brat does!” he interrupted cheerfully.
Nan Xu’s heart skipped. She immediately glanced at Xie Hejing, who merely turned his head away, pretending complete innocence.
She coughed lightly, lifting her glass since she couldn’t back out now. “Then… Uncle Shen, I’ll drink to you.”
Uncle Shen downed his glass in one go, his eyes flicking between them. “Next time I come to Zhi’an,” he said with a meaningful smile, “I hope it’s to drink at your wedding.”
At those words, Nan Xu instantly understood. There was nothing else to say—she just nodded, blushing furiously.
After the dinner, even though she was dizzy from all the alcohol, she still remembered to question Xie Hejing.
“When did you tell… Uncle Shen?”
Xie Hejing blinked innocently. “Tell him what?”
“About…” she mumbled, leaning against his chest, “about us.”
He smirked, deliberately teasing her. “Us? What about us? You mean… what’s happening tonight?”
Nan Xu went in circles with him, getting nowhere. Exasperated, she smacked his arm. “You’re so annoying.”
Just then, his phone rang. They had just reached the car. Xie Hejing helped her into the back seat, leaving the door loosely closed.
It was Uncle Shen calling—he said there was something he wanted to give to Nan Xu and asked Xie Hejing to come pick it up.
Uncle Shen’s “gifts” were always valuable, and since it was for Nan Xu, Xie Hejing immediately agreed.
After hanging up, he leaned down to the back seat and said gently, “Be good and wait here for me, alright? I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” Nan Xu nodded obediently.
But after sitting there alone for a while, she started to feel bored. Her phone had fallen earlier, and Xie Hejing had picked it up and put it in his pocket.
Dizzy from the alcohol, she leaned lazily against the backseat, gazing out the window, waiting for Xie Hejing to reappear.
About ten minutes later, she saw him across the street.
Excited, she leaned forward against the door to get a clearer look.
But the door was only loosely closed—when she pressed against it, it swung open suddenly. Nan Xu lost her balance and fell straight onto the pavement, gasping in pain as she hit the ground.
The moment Xie Hejing saw her fall, his pupils constricted. Without hesitation, he started running toward her.
But the street was busy with traffic, and just then, a car sped toward them. Nan Xu looked up, dazed, and saw Xie Hejing rushing in her direction.
“Don’t come over—!”
Her alcohol-fogged mind slowed everything down; the world moved in fragments, sound and color blurring together.
She stared, frozen, her heart sinking deeper and deeper, her body locked in shock.
Then—
A blaring car horn pierced through the air, snapping her back to reality.
Nan Xu’s head cleared instantly. Panic flooded her chest as she looked around wildly for Xie Hejing—but no matter where she looked, she couldn’t see him.
All she could hear was the echo of that drawn-out horn… and the image of him running toward her burned into her mind.
Without any warning, tears streamed down from the corners of Nan Xu’s eyes. Her throat tasted faintly of iron, and every swallow came with a dull pain.
“Brother…”
“Brother…”
“Xie Hejing…”
Her voice grew louder, but no one answered. Nan Xu’s heart clenched, panic flooding her chest until she could barely breathe. She turned her head, calling again, “Xie Hejing!”
“What’s wrong?”
Earlier, the thing Uncle Shen gave him had slipped out of his hand. Xie Hejing bent down to pick it up and just happened to miss the passing car.
He didn’t notice that brief moment at all—his attention was completely fixed on Nan Xu. But when he reached the car and heard her shout, his chest tightened sharply.
When he saw the tears streaming down her face, Xie Hejing froze in shock.
Without another word, he hurriedly scooped her up and carried her back into the car, holding her tightly in his arms.
He gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. “Did you fall? I should’ve closed the car door properly.”
Nan Xu pressed her lips together and kept crying silently. Even now, the suffocating fear from a moment ago still wrapped around her like a shroud.
For that brief instant, she had truly thought something terrible had happened to him.
Besides his name, she couldn’t even manage to utter any other words from her throat. She completely lost all her strength and could only slump down right where she was.
Her eardrums were ringing loudly. Apart from the sound of that car horn, Nan Xu couldn’t hear anything at all, and she could only helplessly call out Xie Hejing’s name.
One call after another went unanswered, and Nan Xu was practically scared out of her wits.
Until Xie Hejing walked over to her side and anxiously asked what was wrong.
It was like a person on the brink of dying of thirst finding a clear spring. Instantly, the surrounding sounds once again pierced Nan Xu’s ears.
She couldn’t describe that feeling exactly, only that her nearly-dead heart had started beating again.
She stared at his face, unable to say a word, just crying uncontrollably until she finally choked out, “Xie Hejing…”
“I’m here.”
Her tears kept falling faster than he could wipe them away.
“What happened? I was only gone for a moment.”
Nan Xu’s voice trembled between sobs. “Xie Hejing…”
He answered softly, patient and gentle, “I’m here, right in front of you. Were you scared because you couldn’t find me?”
Nan Xu nodded.
Xie Hejing’s lips pressed into a thin line. He regretted leaving her in the car, he should’ve just held her and gone together instead.
But even so, it didn’t seem like that alone could’ve made her cry this hard.
He asked again, “Why are you crying like this? Tell me, okay?”
Nan Xu kept crying, and he kept wiping her tears. When she wouldn’t speak, he coaxed her softly, “Hey, hey… my sweet girl, don’t cry.”
He kissed away the tears that kept spilling down her face.
Something must have frightened her badly just now, something he didn’t see in those few seconds.
Xie Hejing’s gaze darkened, but when it fell on Nan Xu again, it softened completely.
Xie Hejing’s gentle words finally calmed Nan Xu down. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and stared blankly at the man in front of her.
Her heartbeat, which had been racing, finally began to settle.
It was only in that terrifying instant just now that Nan Xu truly realized how much Xie Hejing meant to her.
She couldn’t live without him.
Even thinking about that moment now made it hard for her to breathe.
“You’ll stay with me forever… right?” Nan Xu asked softly, almost afraid of the answer.
She had really been frightened this time.
Xie Hejing nodded without a trace of hesitation. “I will.”
“Then you’re… my…”
Nan Xu trailed off, searching for the right words.
Though her sentence was incomplete, Xie Hejing still caught her meaning immediately.
“Your boyfr—” he paused, then smirked slightly, correcting himself, “your lover.”
After all, given how things were between them, wasn’t that what he was?
But at that, Nan Xu shook her head.
Xie Hejing chuckled, teasing lightly, hoping to ease the tension in her eyes. “What, now I’m not even allowed to be your lover?”
Nan Xu bit her lip, her voice trembling as she whispered, “I want you to be my boyfriend… is that okay?”