Chapter 77
Because her period had started, Nan Xu felt even worse, lacking energy all day.
President Xie generously gave her time off work, but he himself was so busy that he could only get home at night.
Nan Xu had no energy to cook, and Xie Hejing wouldn’t let her order takeout, so she decided to go home to see Wen Qiu and Nan Xiaocheng.
Nan Xiaocheng was in the kitchen, wearing a gray-and-white apron, stirring a big pot. He said that since Nan Xu happened to be home today, she could try his cooking.
The simmering chicken soup sent up rolling steam and let out a steady gurgle.
Nan Xiaocheng confidently scooped a spoonful to taste it, but didn’t say a word.
Nan Xu watched him from the kitchen doorway for a while. Judging by his expression, she suspected the chicken soup might not turn out so well, but she encouraged him anyway. “Dad, keep at it. I’m looking forward to tasting your cooking.”
In truth, Nan Xu knew her own cooking skills were entirely inherited from Nan Xiaocheng; she often couldn’t even eat what she made herself. But she didn’t want to reject his effort.
Wen Qiu sat on the sofa knitting a sweater, and Nan Xu went over to rest against her.
“Mom…”
Even as she had grown up, Nan Xu still loved the feeling of being in Wen Qiu’s arms. Listening to her gentle breathing and smelling the faint scent of soapberries, all of Nan Xu’s fatigue seemed to melt away.
“How come you’re still leaning on your mom at this age?” Wen Qiu gently ruffled Nan Xu’s hair, her voice soft and tender.
Nan Xu wrapped her arms around Wen Qiu’s waist, nuzzling against her. “No matter how old I get, I’ll always want to hug you.”
“How have things been with Hejing recently?” Wen Qiu asked with concern.
“Very well,” Nan Xu said, thinking back to last night, a laugh escaping her throat before she quickly restrained it. “Anyway, he’s really good to me.”
Last night, after Nan Xu had deliberately teased and tried to run away, Xie Hejing had chased her into the room, grabbing her just as she tried to cover herself with the blanket.
“Still trying to hide?”
“No… I’m just a little tired, wanted to sleep,” Nan Xu lowered her gaze, fidgeting with the hem of her nightdress.
“Tired?” Xie Hejing sneered. “And yet you dared to take off my clothes?”
She even kissed him and teased him. Did she think he could just endure it?
Seeing the rise and fall of his chest and the unsteady tone in his voice, Nan Xu felt a little scared. She emphasized again, “Hey, I got my period.”
“I know,” Xie Hejing said, his hands planted on either side of her, restraining himself as best he could.
“Didn’t you think about what might happen afterward?” he asked, breathing heavily.
His hand rose, slipping into hers, and he said with a suggestive tone, “Nan Xu, your hands are really beautiful.”
Nan Xu froze completely at the head of the bed, the sly smile that had been in her eyes moments ago vanished instantly.
Xie Hejing held her hand, his fingers gradually tightening around hers. “Perfect for doing something else.”
“Xie Hejing…” Nan Xu’s eyelashes trembled violently, a haze of helplessness quickly clouding her brow. The composed posture she had been carefully maintaining collapsed in an instant.
For a moment, the room was filled only with their breathing—one steady but restrained, the other anxious and flustered.
She was truly afraid that Xie Hejing would do something like this; otherwise, even if they didn’t ‘do this’ tonight, she’d probably still have to sleep very late.
She lowered her gaze and softened her posture. “But it hurts…”
Xie Hejing raised a brow. “It hurts just because I’m here?”
“….” Nan Xu covered her stomach with her other hand. “It hurts here. You know… it’s my period.”
“Tsk!” Xie Hejing lowered his head, stray strands of hair falling over his forehead but unable to hide the surging desire in his eyes. At that moment, he truly wanted to bite her—just to vent.
But Nan Xu leaned forward, slowly pressing a kiss to the corner of his eye. “Brother… can you hold me? It really hurts.”
She pursed her lips and blew gently, making the hair on his forehead sway.
It was just like the struggle in Xie Hejing’s heart.
His body felt intensely uncomfortable, but he couldn’t bear to force Nan Xu at a time like this.
“!!!”
He straightened up.
“Enough,” Xie Hejing said, taking a deep breath. “You’d better talk less today.”
Otherwise, he really might not be able to hold himself back.
He turned and walked toward the door. Nan Xu, lying on the bed in the inner room, laughed loudly at his slightly hurried steps—even Xie Hejing, rummaging through the cabinet in the living room for a heat patch, heard it.
He sighed. Once Nan Xu’s period was over, he certainly wouldn’t let her off so easily.
Nan Xu hadn’t been lying to him. Teasing him earlier was fine, but now the real pain had started to rise. She buried herself completely under the blanket, trying to drift off to sleep, but the discomfort made it impossible to feel drowsy.
Five minutes later, Xie Hejing returned to the bedroom.
On the nightstand in front of Nan Xu was a cup of brown sugar water. The clink of the cup hitting the table was loud, showing just how still annoyed he was.
“Thank you.” Since she couldn’t sleep anyway, Nan Xu sat up and held the cup, thanking him.
He grunted, face stern, and lifted a corner of her blanket, then slipped thick socks onto her feet.
Nan Xu struggled. “It’s really hot right now… won’t these be too stuffy?”
Xie Hejing didn’t say a word and didn’t even respond—he simply tightened his grip, making sure the little bear socks were snugly on her feet.
These socks were the ones Nan Xu had bought back when her girlish side was in full bloom. She had even picked out a little bear pair for Xie Hejing, though she’d never seen him wear them.
Once the socks were on, Xie Hejing pulled out a heat patch, made sure it was warm, and then pressed it against Nan Xu’s lower abdomen.
Nan Xu froze. “Will I sweat in the middle of the night? I don’t like that feeling.”
“Keep it on,” Xie Hejing said simply.
“…Alright.” Nan Xu lowered her gaze and sipped her brown sugar water in small, careful mouthfuls.
It wasn’t much different from usual, but seeing her like this, he somehow felt a pang of pity.
“If you sweat, I’ll wipe it for you.”
His voice was cold, and yet just from the tone, no one would guess how warm his words actually were.
“Wouldn’t that disturb your sleep?” Nan Xu lifted her head.
“Heh… you even notice,” Xie Hejing said. “Who was so bold just now?”
Not only would it disturb his sleep, he could already feel the heat lingering on his body, guessing that he’d have to take a cold shower again tonight.
Nan Xu felt a bit embarrassed. She bit her lip. “I just wanted to tease you a little.”
“Reason?” Xie Hejing asked, standing by the bed with his arms crossed.
“Well… you’re always so… fierce. Even when I cried, you wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Revenge?” Xie Hejing raised an eyebrow.
Nan Xu muttered, “…I guess… kind of.”
She sipped the brown sugar water, brewed for her by the very person she’d just “taken revenge” on.
“You’re not afraid I’ll get revenge?”
“Th-That would be a few days from now,” Nan Xu said, thinking about it quite casually. Besides, whether she teased Xie Hejing or not, he never listened to her anyway, so she might as well enjoy herself for now.
“And right now, I don’t want you to take revenge on me.”
Nan Xu put down her cup and opened her arms toward him. “I want you to hold me.”
Xie Hejing’s gaze followed the steam rising from her cup, as if the mist could dampen the fire inside him.
Seeing that he didn’t move or say anything, she asked again, “Is that okay?”
“No,” Xie Hejing said firmly.
Nan Xu could more or less guess why—after all, she had just made him angry.
“Alright.” She turned over, resting her hand on the blanket, and closed her eyes to drift toward sleep.
She curled up slightly, aching, her body folding in on itself.
Xie Hejing couldn’t stand the sight for long. Two seconds later, he lay down beside her.
“Just for a moment.”
His hand rested naturally at her waist, then shifted forward slightly, massaging her sore lower back.
A smile appeared on Nan Xu’s face. She didn’t know how Xie Hejing defined “a moment,” but half an hour later, he was still holding her tightly, with no intention of letting go.
After holding the same position for a while, Nan Xu simply turned over to face Xie Hejing.
She still hadn’t fallen asleep, and he asked, “Still hurting?”
Nan Xu nodded. “Can’t sleep.”
Xie Hejing adjusted their position so she could lean more comfortably against him, his fingertips tracing lightly along her spine.
But his words were relentless. “Serves you right. Let’s see if you dare run around barefoot at home next time.”
The ache made Nan Xu wince, and hearing him scold her only made it worse. She pursed her lips. “I thought it wouldn’t hurt this much… didn’t expect it to be like this. Don’t scold me anymore, I know I was wrong.”
She sniffled softly. “I won’t dare next time…”
Instantly, Xie Hejing’s irritation melted away. He really didn’t want her to cry from the pain, and hurriedly got up. “I’ll get you some medicine.”
After taking it with hot water, Nan Xu still lingered weakly in his arms.
“You should sleep a little first. If it really doesn’t get better, we’ll go to the hospital.”
Her hand rested between them, palm against his chest, and she could clearly feel his heartbeat—still a bit fast.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
Xie Hejing avoided the question, simply emphasizing two words: “Sleep.”
Then he closed his eyes, refusing to answer no matter what she asked. Nan Xu didn’t press it either. She shut her eyes, listening to his steady breathing at her ear, and gradually drifted off.
Once Xie Hejing sensed that Nan Xu was nearly asleep, he loosened the hand he had been resting on her lower abdomen, but still kept her safely in his arms.
Seeing her still-moist eyelashes, he took a tissue and gently wiped them away, bit by bit, before quietly slipping out of bed to take a shower.
The next morning, when Nan Xu woke up, Xie Hejing had already gone to the office. On the table was a note he had left for her:
[Eat breakfast, and send me a photo. No takeout.]
Nan Xu chuckled at the note, reached under her pillow for her phone, and sent him a picture of herself eating bread.
[President Xie, homework submitted!]
At that moment, Xie Hejing had just finished a meeting. Seeing that the time wasn’t too late for her photo, the tension in his brow eased a little.
[Did you eat anything else?]
So cold and curt. Nan Xu couldn’t help but silently complain to herself.
[All eaten—corn, eggs, chicken drumsticks, everything’s gone.]
She even sent him a “don’t worry” sticker.
[Mm.]
Nan Xu shook her head at the single, one-word reply. He couldn’t even be bothered to type more.
. . . . .
Dinner was ready, and the whole family sat at the table. Nan Xu and Wen Qiu took turns praising Nan Xiaocheng, but no one dared to start eating first.
Nan Xiaocheng said, “Go ahead, you two,” as he got up to serve Nan Xu a bowl of chicken soup.
“Jiaojiao, drink it. I tasted it in the kitchen just now. It was a little bland, so I added some salt—now the flavor should be perfect.”
Nan Xu took a sip, half-believing, half-doubting. To her surprise, the chicken soup was genuinely delicious this time—it could almost be called the most successful chicken soup in Nan Xiaocheng’s culinary career.
Seeing her expression of surprise, Nan Xiaocheng immediately asked, “How is it?”
Nan Xu gave high praise: “It’s really good, Dad! You’re amazing, this might be the best chicken soup you’ve ever made.”
Nan Xiaocheng looked a little proud. “Of course! What can your old man not do successfully? Now I’m definitely not the worst cook in the family anymore.”
Wait, if you’re not the worst, then who is?
Nan Xu quietly sipped her soup, unsure if she could still retract her compliment.
After finishing the meal, the family sat on the sofa to watch TV. Coincidentally, Xie Hejing had finished work early today and was waiting downstairs in his car.
When Nan Xu received his message, she asked: [Why don’t you come up? My parents really like having you at our home.]
Xie Hejing tugged at his tie and replied: [Next time. It’s too rushed today.]
Nan Xu put away her phone and told her parents, “Dad, Mom, Xie Hejing is here to pick me up. I’ll head down first.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Qiu came out of the kitchen. “Why don’t you let him come up and sit for a bit?”
Nan Xiaocheng walked over to the window and indeed saw Xie Hejing’s car. He murmured, “He came quite quickly.”
He had been thinking of letting Nan Xu stay at home tonight, but unexpectedly, Xie Hejing had come straight to pick her up.
“No, it’s fine,” Nan Xu said as she walked to the entryway to change her shoes. “He’s been really tired lately, and it’s getting late. Let’s just head home and rest early.”
“You two rest early as well,” she said, gripping the door handle as she spoke to them.
“All right,” Wen Qiu replied. “Be careful on the way.” She turned and handed the bag on the table to Nan Xu. “Take this with you and eat it later.”
Nan Xiaocheng walked over just in time. “Xuxu, try to eat at home more often. Otherwise, you won’t know how much better my cooking is getting.”
“All right, Dad. Next time, continue making chicken soup for me.”
“Will do,” he said.
When she got into the car, Nan Xu couldn’t help but yawn. “Let’s go.”
Xie Hejing rubbed the top of her head. “So sleepy?”
Nan Xu nodded. “If you had come even a little later, I probably would’ve already fallen asleep.”
“Still uncomfortable?” Xie Hejing massaged her waist with practiced ease.
“Much better. Not really uncomfortable anymore,” Nan Xu replied without lifting her head.
Hearing this, the corners of Xie Hejing’s mouth lifted slightly.
Back at home, after a quick wash-up, Nan Xu lay in bed. Strangely, her sleepiness didn’t feel as strong as before, so she just stared at the ceiling.
When Xie Hejing came out of the shower, she was still lying there.
“Not sleepy again?” he asked.
Nan Xu shook her head. “I don’t know. I was really sleepy at my parents’ place.”
“Maybe seeing me got you excited.”
Nan Xu: “……”
“It’s probably more likely that you got excited when you saw me.”
Xie Hejing lowered his eyes: “How did you know?”
Hearing that, Nan Xu blinked and almost immediately turned away. “I’m just kidding. Don’t get too excited, go to sleep.”
Xie Hejing had been holding back since last night, and he was still restraining himself now—but tonight, there was no way he’d let Nan Xu off so easily.
He slowly lay down. It was such an ordinary movement, yet Nan Xu felt an intense pressure. Flustered, she instinctively scrambled toward the other side of the bed.
Xie Hejing didn’t hold her back; instead, he followed her forward and whispered in her ear, “Where do you want to go?”
“Today… it doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”
Nan Xu had assumed that even if Xie Hejing wanted to do something, it would be a few days later. She didn’t expect it to come this soon.
“But I… my hand…”
Xie Hejing cut her off immediately. “Tonight, I won’t disturb your sleep.”
Are you sure you really won’t disturb me?” Nan Xu asked doubtfully. “You always finish so late.”
Xie Hejing: “…”
It was truly the first time he had met someone who disliked that aspect.
“I won’t.”
“Can’t you just take care of it yourself?” Nan Xu tried to resist a bit more.
Xie Hejing, however, sighed, “No.”
“I can’t finish without you.”