Chapter 80
Three days later, at Zhi’an Airport.
The temperature outside was high, and even inside the airport there were plenty of travelers lugging suitcases, sweating through their shirts. Nan Xu hated the heat, and she hated being tired even more.
When they got out of the car, she handed all the luggage to Xie Hejing and kept only a small crossbody bag for herself. Her pale yellow chiffon dress fluttered lightly in the hot wind sweeping through the corridor. Her hands were completely free, and Xie Hejing clearly had no intention of giving her anything to carry.
The sunlight outside was harsh and blinding. Even squinting didn’t help. Seeing the driver still unloading their bags, she turned to Xie Hejing and said, “I’ll go inside and wait for you, okay? It’s too hot out here.”
Xie Hejing responded with a short “Mm. Don’t go far.”
Nan Xu really didn’t go far. She sat on the chair closest to the entrance, close enough to still see Xie Hejing clearly.
A message popped up from Wen Qi, asking how long until they arrived.
[Almost there, we’re right outside the airport. We’ll head in soon,] Nan Xu replied.
Since Xie Hejing was still dealing with the luggage, she kept chatting with Wen Qi for a bit.
It wasn’t until she sensed someone standing beside her that she looked up. Thinking it was Xie Hejing, she lifted her head with a smile.
“Qiqi said…”
But the person wasn’t Xie Hejing.
It was a boy wearing a baseball cap. He smiled with curved eyes, looking cautious and clearly a little nervous.
“Hi… could I add you on WeChat?”
With the way Nan Xu was dressed today, she looked like a fresh, youthful college student. Her fair skin and gentle temperament made her stand out—just sitting there, she was a beautiful scene all on her own.
Nan Xu hurriedly waved her hands. She wasn’t particularly shocked that someone asked for her WeChat, but she was terrified of Xie Hejing seeing it. Otherwise, that jealous man would definitely kick up a storm.
The boy gave an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, I know I’m being a bit abrupt. I don’t mean anything bad, I just thought maybe we could be friends.”
Just what she was afraid of happened.
At that moment, Xie Hejing happened to walk over, pulling two suitcases. The moment he saw a boy standing beside Nan Xu, his expression instantly darkened. He stepped in front of Nan Xu and said to the boy:
“Can’t you see—”
Nan Xu didn’t dare let Xie Hejing get into a confrontation. Before he could even finish, she quickly tugged him back.
But that only made him even angrier. He narrowed his eyes, staring at Nan Xu’s slender figure blocking him.
What was that supposed to mean?
Was she worried about the other guy?
Nan Xu’s attention was still on the boy in front of her, his phone screen was still lit up with a QR code.
“Sorry,” she said quickly, “I’m already married.”
Nan Xu spoke softly as she lifted her hand, pointing at her ring finger. Ever since she’d put on that ring, she hadn’t taken it off for a single day.
The boy froze for a moment. He looked young, and when he saw Xie Hejing walking toward her earlier, he had more or less guessed that might be her boyfriend. But he hadn’t expected her to already be married.
His first attempt at asking for someone’s WeChat had ended in total defeat. He scratched his head awkwardly and said, “Alright… sorry for bothering you.”
Only after watching the boy walk away did Nan Xu finally turn back to scold Xie Hejing. “What were you doing just now? Were you trying to start a fight?”
The happiness Xie Hejing felt from hearing her say she was married hadn’t even lasted a full minute before it was crushed by her criticism. He let out a cold laugh. “I was going to start a fight? Wasn’t the problem that kid? He couldn’t see the ring on your hand?”
“Well… maybe it was blocked or something. He didn’t mean any harm. But you looked like you were about to beat him up.”
“Can’t you control your temper a little?” Nan Xu muttered.
The more she talked, the angrier Xie Hejing got. Now she was complaining that he had a bad temper?
His eyes darkened. “With anyone else, maybe. But toward you? Impossible. And toward other men? Definitely impossible.”
“…I—” Nan Xu could tell from his tone that he was upset. But she had almost zero experience coaxing anyone, so she could only say stiffly, “Then you’re not allowed to be mad. Don’t be mad at me.”
Xie Hejing actually let out a laugh—half angry, half amused. “I’m not even allowed to be angry?”
“It’s not that,” Nan Xu said, but the more she explained, the worse it sounded. She bit her lip, frowned, and thought for a moment before continuing, “I’m not saying you can’t be angry… but you’re not allowed to be angry at me about this. I even told him I’m married.”
“Then why were you protecting him just now?” Xie Hejing asked.
“When did I protect him?” Nan Xu froze for a second. “I was just afraid you’d get into a fight over something so small.”
“And I wasn’t trying to defend anyone. I just felt like it wasn’t worth ruining your mood for the trip over something so trivial. Don’t you think so too?” she said.
She really was afraid that if Xie Hejing got jealous, he’d go on forever, and she’d be the one who suffered for it. If she could coax him a little now, she’d take the chance.
Xie Hejing lowered his eyes. “Nan Xu, since when did you become this good with words?”
So she couldn’t talk, that was a problem. She could talk, also a problem. Why is it so difficult!
She forced out a small smile. “I’m not. I meant it. It’s the truth.”
Hearing that, some of the tension finally left Xie Hejing’s expression. “Fine. Next time I’ll get you a bigger ring, so every man who even thinks about approaching you can see it clearly.”
Nan Xu let out a breath of relief and adjusted the strap of her crossbody bag. “Is that really necessary?”
“Yes,” Xie Hejing said, completely serious. “At the very least, they should know they’re not worthy of you. I don’t want random people coming up to you.”
“But I still like this one.”
Nan Xu gently rubbed the ring on her finger. No matter how many rings or gifts Xie Hejing bought for her afterward, none of them compared to this one. The design was simple, almost plain, but it had been crafted by Xie Hejing himself. It was engraved with “nx,” and with all the affection he’d carried for her—unchanged from his youth to now.
Xie Hejing also realized this ring couldn’t be replaced. “Fine then, I’ll give you something else.”
“Why are you always thinking about giving me things?” Nan Xu laughed.
Ever since she’d jokingly mentioned “a fee for changing what she called him,” Xie Hejing had been trying to give her gifts every so often. But Nan Xu never accepted them; he couldn’t even find the chance to give them to her.
“Is it really that hard to give you something?” Xie Hejing sighed, sounding uncharacteristically defeated.
“Don’t give me anything. I already have more than enough. I can’t even use everything I have. Whatever you give me will just end up sitting around gathering dust.”
By nature, Nan Xu wasn’t someone who cared for luxury. She felt that having enough was enough.
But Xie Hejing took it another way. To him, it meant he simply hadn’t found the right gift that touched her heart. He lowered his eyes in thought, then lifted them with a teasing smile.
“How about this… why don’t I give myself to you?”
Hearing that, Nan Xu abruptly stopped walking.
Xie Hejing raised his eyebrows and stopped as well. “What’s wrong? Did that make your heart flutter?”
Nan Xu let out a small huff. “Weren’t you already mine long ago?”
“Or… did you not think so?” She crossed her arms, sounding hurt.
Seeing the flicker of panic in his eyes, amusement rose in Nan Xu’s own, but she quickly pushed it down and deliberately said, “I get it now. I was just being full of myself.”
She lowered her head and refused to say anything more, walking straight ahead like she wanted nothing to do with him.
Watching her look so disappointed, Xie Hejing wished he could travel back a few minutes and clamp a hand over his own mouth.
“No, I didn’t mean it like that.”
The laugh that bubbled up in Nan Xu’s throat was forcibly swallowed back down. Her cheeks puffed into round little curves as she kept her head down, afraid that if she looked up or spoke even a word, she’d burst out laughing.
But to Xie Hejing, her posture made her look even more upset.
“Nan Xu!”
“I said it wrong just now.”
“NAN XU!!!”
Nan Xu ignored him and walked even faster.
That only made Xie Hejing more frantic. When she was easy to coax, one kiss would fix everything; when she wasn’t, ten sentences still wouldn’t get a single word out of her.
He hurried his pace, stepped around Nan Xu, and blocked her path by placing the suitcase right in front of her legs, forcing her to stop.
“What are you doing?” Nan Xu pretended to be angry.
Xie Hejing hadn’t expected one sentence to have such a big impact. He bent down slightly, coaxing her, “I’m yours. I’ve always been yours. I’ll always be yours. Okay?”
Nan Xu pressed her lips together and turned her head away, taking a deep breath to hide the smile tugging uncontrollably at her mouth.
“Give me a clear answer,” Xie Hejing said. “If you still won’t talk to me, I’ll kiss you right here.”
These two really were perfectly matched, each had their own way of dealing with the other.
Nan Xu truly feared he might ignore the surroundings and do something impulsive, so she quickly answered, “Okay, okay!”
A few years ago, Xie Hejing would never have believed that one day he’d be chasing after Nan Xu, practically offering himself up to her.
While they were talking, they reached the meeting point.
They ran straight into Wen Qi and Wei Qingxuan. Wen Qi was the type who never carried much herself, yet today she was dragging a small suitcase. She said it was filled entirely with her makeup and she didn’t trust Wei Qingxuan not to break anything.
When they turned their heads, they saw Xiang Weishi standing off to the side with two backpacks on his back and three suitcases in hand, while An Nian held her own small suitcase and greeted everyone sweetly.
Wen Qi smiled politely at An Nian, but when her eyes landed on Xiang Weishi, her expression was nowhere near as kind.
Clicking her tongue, Wen Qi shook her head. “Xiang Weishi, are you moving houses or going on a trip?”
Xiang Weishi rolled his eyes. “These are all An Nian’s. Can’t you see everything is pink? I only have one suitcase.”
Hearing that, An Nian lowered her head shyly. “I couldn’t help it… I brought a little too much.”
Nan Xu stepped forward. “It’s fine, bring more if you need to. Girls usually have a lot of stuff, it’s normal. Xiang Weishi, you’re her brother, so cut her some slack.”
“Oh, I’ve been cutting her slack,” he grumbled, placing the two backpacks temporarily on top of the suitcase. The suitcase wobbled twice under the weight. “If I wasn’t cutting her any slack, all this stuff would already be dumped on the road.”
“An Nian, what on earth do you have in here? It’s ridiculously heavy.”
An Nian said, “Nothing much… just my quilt and pillow. I can’t sleep well without them.”
Xiang Weishi: “……”
“You’re going on a trip and you bring your own quilt and pillow? Why not bring your whole bed?”
“That wouldn’t be very appropriate,” An Nian said seriously.
“You do know it wouldn’t be appropriate?! My back is about to snap in half because of you.”
“Then… I’ll carry it myself,” An Nian said, reaching for her suitcase.
Xiang Weishi might complain endlessly, but his hands were honest, before she even touched it, he hoisted her suitcase up onto his back in one go. “Enough, enough. Let’s go to security check.”
. . . . .
They arrived in Mo City at dusk. Compared to Zhi’an, the temperature here dropped sharply, and the difference between day and night was huge—honestly, the perfect place for someone like Nan Xu, who hated the heat, to escape the summer.
But she hadn’t been paying attention to adding layers, and as soon as they got off the plane, she couldn’t help sneezing. Xie Hejing immediately draped his jacket over her shoulders.
Luckily, they were soon in the car heading to the hotel, and Nan Xu wasn’t exposed to the cold air for long. If she caught a cold on the very first day, the rest of the trip would definitely be ruined.
After hours of traveling, everyone decided to rest the first night and save the sightseeing for the next day. Mo City was a seaside town, and Nan Xu naturally preferred going to the beach. The others agreed without hesitation.
The moment they entered the hotel, the chilly wind was kept outside. Nan Xu took off Xie Hejing’s jacket and collapsed onto the hotel’s sofa.
“The shape is so unique, it looks like a seashell.” She walked into the bedroom. The bedsheets and duvet were all designed with a beach theme. She couldn’t help but sigh sincerely, “Qiqi is really good at picking hotels.”
“Go take a bath, you were in the cold wind just now.” Xie Hejing opened her suitcase and rummaged through it for a long time, but didn’t find a single thick set of sleepwear. “You didn’t bring anything warmer to sleep in?”
Nan Xu was speechless. “I… forgot.”
She’d known Mo City was cooler at night than Zhi’an, but she hadn’t expected this much of a drop.
“I’ll wear a nightdress, it should be fine!” She picked out a gray slip dress. “And the hotel has heating anyway. As soon as I finish bathing, I’ll go straight under the covers.”
Hearing her last few words, Xie Hejing’s brows twitched slightly. He didn’t argue, though. Instead, he said gently, “That’s fine. Don’t stay in the bath too long. I’ll order you some late-night snacks.”
“Okay, okay!”
Just thinking about snacks made Nan Xu shorten her usual hour-long bath to barely thirty minutes.
When she came out, she really did see several plates of Mo City specialty snacks neatly arranged on the table. She walked over and started eating happily.
She casually grabbed the cold water beside her and took a sip. “How come you’re ordering late-night snacks for me today?”
He normally never let her eat at this hour.
“I’m afraid you won’t have any strength later,” Xie Hejing said with a faint curve of his lips.
Nan Xu froze instantly, she had a conditioned reflex to that kind of matter. Her movements stopped, and her eyelashes fluttered. “We just got to Mo City today, and I’m on my period…”
Xie Hejing’s gaze dropped to the cold water in her hand. Nan Xu was usually very careful about this, especially since this period had been unusually painful for her. For days, she had completely avoided cold drinks. Even if she accidentally drank something cool, she’d hold it in her mouth until it warmed before swallowing. She definitely wouldn’t drink it straight like she just had.
This morning, Xie Hejing had asked her about her period so he could prepare whatever she might need. Nan Xu kept saying it wasn’t over yet and that she could handle everything herself.
In reality, it had fully ended yesterday.
But she had been worried that she’d teased Xie Hejing too much earlier, and once her period ended, she’d be the one who suffered for it. So she intentionally dragged it out, only to accidentally expose herself just now.
Nan Xu quickly put down the cold water and even pushed the snacks back to where they originally were.
“Um… I’m full. You take your time eating. I’m going to wash my hand and go to bed.”
“Nan Xu.”
His voice slipped from between his teeth, slow and unhurried—like an invisible rope tightening around her.
“You dare lie to me?”
She was done. She was absolutely done tonight.
Even the tip of her heart trembled.
She took a deep breath. “I didn’t lie.”
“It… just ended. Just now.”
Xie Hejing stepped forward, bent down, and looked her in the eyes. “I’ll ask you one more time. When did it actually end? If you tell me the truth now, I might consider letting you off tonight.”
“Really?” Nan Xu asked.
He lifted his chin slightly. “Mm. Really.”
Nan Xu swallowed and confessed honestly, “The day before yesterday.”
The day before yesterday!!!
Xie Hejing almost choked on his own breath. This girl had lied to him for two whole days.
If he let her off tonight, that would truly mean something was wrong with him.
“The day before yesterday, huh? The day before yesterday…” The more Xie Hejing repeated it, the tighter his hand on Nan Xu’s shoulder became, until he finally just lifted her straight off the ground and carried her toward the bed.
“You’re going back on your word! Didn’t you say you’d let me go?” Nan Xu struggled and protested.
“I said I’d consider it.”
And his final answer was clear, there was absolutely no way he was letting Nan Xu off.
Nan Xu kept resisting. Even after he put her down on the bed, she didn’t stop.
“You forget you’re wearing a skirt?” Xie Hejing said calmly.
Nan Xu’s breath caught in her throat. She didn’t dare move too much and instead softened her voice, trying to negotiate. “We’re going to the beach tomorrow… If I can’t walk properly, that’d be so embarrassing.”
“And I packed so many pretty outfits. If you leave marks on me, I won’t be able to wear any of them.”
“So?” Xie Hejing asked, clearly not moved.
“So tonight… we should both just sleep peacefully. Okay?” Nan Xu pleaded.
“No.”
Xie Hejing leaned down, his whole body pressing against hers, tightening her breath yet making her too afraid to push him away.
“You know how many days I’ve held back.”
“I know.” Nan Xu racked her brains, trying to think of what to say.
But Xie Hejing no longer had the patience. Even so, he held on to the last thread of reason, his voice unbearably soft and intimate. “Wife… take them off yourself.”
“So I won’t end up hurting you later.”