Chapter 67
The night was as dark as ink. Xie Hejing leaned against the railing, a cigarette loosely held between his fingers.
The flame flickered, bright and dim, as thin smoke rose and veiled half his face.
In his mind, he kept hearing Nan Xu’s words from earlier:
“Be my boyfriend.”
But she had been drinking tonight, and he couldn’t tell whether it was something she blurted out on impulse or if she truly meant it.
After all, this girl often forgot what she said after drinking.
Maybe tonight she’d said it without thinking and tomorrow she’d take it all back.
Xie Hejing crushed the cigarette out, a restless irritation rising in his chest.
He didn’t sleep at all that night.
By the time dawn came, he had only dozed for a couple of hours. When he woke, his head ached dully, and he sat on the edge of the bed for a long while before finally pulling himself together.
When he went downstairs, three people were already seated at the table waiting for him.
Zhang Huiwan called out, “Come eat, you’re just in time,” then added casually, “You’re up late today.”
Xie Hejing’s gaze fell on Nan Xu.
She was quietly sipping her soy milk, saying nothing, as if trying to make herself invisible.
He didn’t say a word, just kept his eyes fixed on her movements.
Seeing that she truly had no reaction, not even glancing his way, he frowned in irritation.
Following his line of sight, Zhang Huiwan glanced at Nan Xu, puzzled. “What are you looking at? Jiaojiao’s been up for ages, you’re the last one.”
“Oh.” Xie Hejing turned slightly, his tone cool and even.
He sat down beside Nan Xu, lifted the bowl of porridge in front of him, and asked casually, “Nan Xu, did you sleep well last night?”
“…Pretty well.”
Nan Xu’s tone was calm, revealing nothing unusual.
“No dreams?” he pressed, unwilling to let it go.
Even in that brief stretch of shallow sleep, he had dreamt of her.
Nan Xu’s eyelashes fluttered for a moment before she composed herself again. “No, I slept just fine.”
“You…”
“Alright, alright, stop with all the questions,” Zhang Huiwan cut in. “Eat up and get going, you’ll be late for work.”
Cut off mid-sentence, Xie Hejing said nothing more. Nan Xu’s lips curled ever so slightly, a smile hidden behind the rim of her soy milk.
She knew exactly what he’d wanted to ask—about last night.
Truth was, for the first time after drinking, she remembered everything she’d said, every word crystal clear.
And she certainly hadn’t forgotten how, after she asked him to be her boyfriend, he’d gone completely still—neither replying nor moving—just staring at her quietly, as if trying to carve that version of her deep into his memory.
The car was silent. Nan Xu slowly drew out a faint smile, catching her own reflection in Xie Hejing’s dark eyes.
Just as she was about to lean closer for a clearer look, he gently set her down, opened the car door, and stepped out.
He didn’t go far, just leaned against the car door.
From inside, through the glass, Nan Xu could see him clearly.
He pulled a cigarette from his bag, held it between his lips, and flicked the lighter.
A spark flared—once, twice—but the flame wouldn’t catch.
Maybe it was just that the wind tonight was too strong.
Nan Xu could only guess.
Her eyes were heavy with sleep, yet she forced them open to glance outside.
Xie Hejing was standing there with a lighter in one hand and shielding the flame with the other. He flicked it several times, but the cigarette still wouldn’t light.
Strange.
Her gaze gradually focused on his hand—and then she realized, maybe it wasn’t the wind’s fault.
It was his hand.
——It was shaking.
Nan Xu couldn’t remember exactly when Xie Hejing had returned to the car. All she could recall was that just as she was about to drift completely into sleep,
he had pulled her gently into his arms and whispered beside her ear,
his tone unusually solemn: “Nan Xu, you’ve been drinking tonight. Think it over tomorrow, then tell me again.”
Even now, she didn’t understand why he hadn’t just agreed at the time—why he wanted her to say it again when sober.
For someone like Nan Xu, there were things she could only say out loud with the courage of alcohol.
On the drive to the office the next morning, neither of them spoke. Xie Hejing seemed perfectly composed, not once bringing up the night before—
though every now and then, he would glance sideways at her.
He could have agreed right away last night.
He’d dreamt of hearing those words from her more times than he could count.
He could have even recorded it—so that even if she denied it later, he’d have proof.
But the more he cherished it, the more Xie Hejing didn’t want to respond carelessly while Nan Xu was muddle-headed.
He wanted her to mean it.
The whole day passed with no mention of it, everything between them outwardly normal.
Nan Xu sat at her desk, chin propped on one hand, staring absently toward Xie Hejing’s office, where he worked with his usual calm and precision.
Did he really forget what happened last night?
No, his expression that morning made it clear he hadn’t.
Then why was he so composed now?
Was it because… he didn’t want to agree?
Nan Xu bit her lip, feeling her mood sink further.
When work ended, Xie Hejing simply said they’d eat out tonight. She didn’t even stop to ask whether he had told Aunt Zhang and Uncle Xie.
Her mind was caught on a single loop: should she bring it up first?
In the car, she reached into her bag for her phone, only to realize she’d left it at her desk.
“I left my bag upstairs,” she said. “I’ll go get it.”
Before she could open the door, Xie Hejing caught her wrist. “I’ll go,” he said, pushing the door open. Then, pausing, he turned back and asked,
half teasing, half serious, “You can stay put this time, right?”
He really didn’t want to come back and find her crying again.
At the mention of last night, Nan Xu’s heart tensed up—but he still didn’t say anything about her confession.
Her voice came out soft. “I can.”
After he left, her thoughts spiraled into a quiet mess.
She had truly believed Xie Hejing would agree. But after an entire day of silence… did that mean he was refusing her?
She couldn’t make sense of it, no matter how she tried.
About fifteen minutes later, Xie Hejing came rushing back into the parking lot—
not only with her bag, but also holding a warm paper bag of roasted chestnuts.
Her favorite kind. From the little shop two streets away from the company. She’d only mentioned it briefly this morning.
He could’ve waited and driven her there himself, but Xie Hejing had wanted her to eat them sooner. So he went and bought them himself.
When he came back, Xie Hejing had been running a bit too fast, and now a fine sheen of sweat dotted his forehead.
The warmth from the roasted chestnuts in his hand spread slowly to Nan Xu through his touch. She sniffled softly, her gaze lingering on the faint smile on Xie Hejing’s face—then suddenly, a memory from years ago surfaced.
That year, when they were punished to stand outside the classroom, Xie Hejing had taken all the blame for her over a phone call. In the end, he was made to stand in the hallway by the math teacher—and her share of the punishment came with it.
Nan Xu’s seat had been near the corridor. When the math teacher wasn’t looking, she quietly lifted the curtain to peek outside.
Sure enough, Xie Hejing was standing there, obediently taking his punishment. She’d heard from Xiang Weishi and the others that Xie Hejing had been punished before, but he’d never taken it seriously—he would just fool around a bit, and once the teacher left, he’d find a spot to nap.
But that time, he really did stand there for a full half hour.
When Nan Xu lifted the curtain, he seemed to sense it. He turned his head and caught her in the act of peeking.
Back then, Nan Xu had still been a little afraid of him—and found it strange that he would help her like that.
Startled by his glance, she quickly dropped the curtain, pretending she hadn’t seen anything.
But ten minutes later, her thoughts drifted back to him again. She couldn’t help but sneak another peek.
What she didn’t expect was that Xie Hejing had been watching that spot the whole time, waiting for her to appear again.
The moment her face showed up, sunlight from the hallway struck her eyes.
Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow and stepped sideways, blocking all the glaring light for her.
He didn’t really look like someone being punished—he stood there lazily, hands in his pockets, his posture careless and easy. The corners of his eyes tilted up with a kind of playful charm, and when he smiled, one sharp canine showed. He lifted his chin toward her and mouthed silently:
“Classmate Xiao Nan, peeking at me?”
That was the first time Nan Xu ever etched a boy’s face so clearly into her memory.
. . . . .
“Why aren’t you eating?” Xie Hejing asked, noticing that Nan Xu was holding the chestnut absentmindedly.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Nan Xu glanced up and saw the sweat still beading on his forehead. She pulled out a tissue from her bag and gently wiped it for him.
As she dabbed away the sweat, another memory quietly came back.
It was about three days after the college entrance exams. The whole of Zhi’an was sweltering, and the air conditioner at home had broken down.
Zhang Huiwan was at work. After Nan Xu called to tell her, she couldn’t come home right away, so she told Nan Xu to stay put and arranged for a repairman to come over.
She even asked whether Xie Hejing was around. When she heard that he’d gone to play basketball despite the heat, Zhang Huiwan scolded him lightly and told Nan Xu to call him back home.
The repairman would arrive in an hour, and since it wasn’t convenient for a young girl to handle it alone, Xie Hejing should be there to talk to the repairman.
So Nan Xu had no choice but to call him, though her words came out a little awkwardly.
“Brother, the air conditioner at home broke down… The repairman will come soon. Auntie asked you to… to come home first.”
She was afraid she’d disturb him and get scolded.
But Xie Hejing didn’t sound upset at all, he just asked when it had broken.
Nan Xu thought about it and said, about half an hour ago.
On the other end of the line, the background was noisy; she could even hear his friends talking.
“What, you’re done already? We just started playing!” someone said.
“The air conditioner’s broken, so what? It’s not like you have to fix it yourself.”
“Hey, you’re bailing on us today. Next time, you’re buying dinner.”
Xie Hejing responded with a short “yeah,” tossed the basketball to someone nearby, and…
The next second, the line went quiet. All Nan Xu could hear was the sound of his footsteps. She guessed he must’ve left the court.
A couple of seconds later, his voice came again. “Hot?”
“Ah?” Nan Xu thought he was asking if the house was hot. “Yeah, pretty hot,” she replied.
Even sitting still, she could feel the thick, restless heat of summer pressing against her skin.
Through the window, she saw the wind ripple through the trees, the green leaves swaying like waves. Sitting on the sofa, she let her thoughts drift into a quiet blank.
Twenty minutes later, the door opened.
Nan Xu quickly got up to meet him.
The moment Xie Hejing stepped inside, a wave of heat came in with him.
He was carrying a foam box, which he placed down in front of her before clearing his throat. “If it’s hot, eat these.”
Nan Xu blinked in surprise before opening the box. Inside were two big ice packs, bottles of cold water, and a pile of popsicles—lots of kinds, even some old-fashioned ones she hadn’t seen since childhood.
She leaned closer; the cool air from the box brushed against her face, instantly driving away the heat clinging to her skin.
But compared to her comfort, Xie Hejing looked completely drenched in sweat. Worried the ice would melt, he had apparently sprinted all the way back carrying the box.
His red jersey was soaked through, the fabric darkening in patches, and beads of sweat clung to his temples.
Nan Xu pulled a tissue from her pocket and stepped forward to wipe his forehead.
But Xie Hejing turned his head aside. “I’m all sweaty, it’s gross.”
“It’s not gross.”
At that, his gaze landed on her face.
She was smiling, a small dimple showing at the corner of her mouth, her eyes curved softly as she lifted her hand toward him. “Brother, bend down a little, okay?”
“—!”
“—!!”
Xie Hejing could hear his own heartbeat—loud, heavy, and getting harder to ignore.
He stared at her for several seconds before finally leaning down, slowly, in front of her.
. . . . .
Nan Xu’s thoughts were drifting today; she’d been thinking about a lot of old memories.
Her lips curved up unconsciously.
Seeing that, Xie Hejing asked, “What are you thinking about that makes you smile like that?”
Nan Xu peeled a chestnut but didn’t eat it. Instead, she held it up to his lips.
Xie Hejing leaned forward and took it into his mouth.
When her fingers brushed against Xie Hejing’s soft lips, Nan Xu’s hand curled slightly, a hint of nervousness tightening her chest. Still, she couldn’t help asking again, her voice barely above a whisper:
“Xie Hejing… will you be my boyfriend?”
Xie Hejing froze for a moment, his breath catching. He’d been holding back all day, but this time he couldn’t anymore—he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.
“I was actually planning to bring it up later,” he said with a small laugh, “when we got to the restaurant.”
Nan Xu blinked, puzzled. “Why at the restaurant?”
“To make it more romantic.”
He’d figured girls liked romantic things, so he’d already made a reservation that morning and even arranged the decorations.
“Confessing is supposed to be my job, isn’t it?” he said, though the smile on his face refused to fade.
After all, Nan Xu had just asked him twice. For someone as shy as her to say twice that she wanted him to be her boyfriend, Xie Hejing felt like nothing in the world could top that.
“It’s fine if I’m the one saying it,” Nan Xu replied gently. “Besides, I remember you once said you’d only ever be confessed to, you’d never confess to anyone yourself.”
“So, I’ll just do the confessing for you.”
Xie Hejing paused, thinking. He vaguely remembered saying that—but that was to someone else, not to her.
Resting his hands on either side of Nan Xu’s head, he chuckled softly. “How could anyone else compare to you?”
“In my eyes, you’re the only one who’s special.”
“So… Nan Xu, I like you. Only you. And I want to be with you, for the rest of my life.”