Chapter 82
Because she’d been tangled up with him until the middle of the night, Nan Xu woke up to find there was only an hour left before they had to leave.
She jumped out of bed in a hurry, changing clothes as she called out, “Why didn’t you wake me earlier?”
“Isn’t an hour enough?” Xie Hejing asked. In his mind, an hour was more than plenty to get ready.
“Of course not. I still have to change and do my makeup. Not everyone can just walk out the door as easily as you.”
Xie Hejing had nothing to pack. After getting dressed, he sat on the sofa and watched Nan Xu rushing around—running into the bathroom to wash up one moment, then digging through her suitcase for her makeup bag the next.
He shifted his posture, propped his head on his hand, and continued staring at her.
Nan Xu didn’t have enough hands for everything. While putting on her makeup, she was also mentally checking off what else she needed to bring.
Seeing Xie Hejing’s gaze in the mirror, she said, “Don’t just stare, help me pick a jacket.”
She was worried the seaside might get too cold in the evening, but she hadn’t had the time to plan her outfit last night.
Xie Hejing stood up and walked over to the suitcase. “Which one do you want to wear?”
“Just pick one for me.”
Nan Xu was busy drawing her eyeliner.
Xie Hejing shook his head with a helpless smile. He thought she looked perfectly fine without makeup and could’ve used that time to sleep a little longer, but if she wanted to do her makeup, he’d let her.
When they gathered downstairs, Nan Xu arrived in a rush. She had even tied her hair casually on the way because she didn’t want to keep everyone waiting.
In the end, Xiang Weishi still hadn’t shown up.
He only sent a message in the group chat saying he was still in the shower, leaving everyone speechless.
Across the lobby, Wen Qi and Wei Qingxuan were sitting on the sofa. Wen Qi looked exhausted, leaning against Wei Qingxuan with her eyes barely open. It seemed she’d also stayed up late last night.
“Is Xiang Weishi done yet? What’s he even doing? Why is he trying to look so perfect? Who takes a shower this early in the morning?” Wen Qi yawned. Wei Qingxuan reached out to give her some water, but she turned her head away and glared at him, as if things had also been “unpleasant” last night.
An Nian, sitting nearby, was just as sleepy. She even video-called her parents for half an hour, and still Xiang Weishi wasn’t out yet.
Nan Xu took the chance to fix her hair. She had Xie Hejing hold a mirror for her while she tidied it up.
“How is it? Messy?” Nan Xu checked the mirror. She thought the front looked fine, but she wasn’t sure about the back.
“It’s not messy. It looks great.”
Xie Hejing stood there obediently like a human mirror.
“My darlings, I’m heeere~”
After more than forty minutes, Xiang Weishi finally appeared, flamboyantly dressed in a pink jacket with matching pink sunglasses, swaggering his way toward the group.
Wen Qi stared for a moment. “…”
Then she turned to Nan Xu and asked, “So… where’s his darling?”
Nan Xu choked a little. “No idea.”
Wei Qingxuan deliberately avoided looking in Xiang Weishi’s direction, keeping his eyes on Wen Qi instead, trying to figure out how to get her to stop being mad at him.
Xie Hejing simply ignored the commotion and turned around. “Everyone’s here. Let’s go.”
Getting no reaction, Xiang Weishi shouted, “Hey! Are you all blind to my outfit? Don’t you think I look handsome?”
Nan Xu and Wen Qi, both used to seeing handsome men at home, looked at him with identical expressions of speechless disbelief.
Had Xiang Weishi’s heartbreak scrambled his brain?
The only person who humored him was An Nian. She sincerely complimented, “You look great, ge.”
“It’s rare to see you this handsome.”
The second half of her sentence made everyone burst out laughing, and Xiang Weishi’s face instantly turned the same color as his clothes.
“What nonsense is that? What do you mean rare? I’m handsome every day.”
Hearing that, everyone silently agreed.
Something had definitely messed with this man’s head.
“Alright, enough nonsense,” Xie Hejing tilted his head toward the group. “Let’s go. Any later and you won’t make it to that market you wanted to see.”
Their schedule was pretty relaxed: visit the local market in the morning, explore the area, grab lunch in the afternoon, and head to the beach by evening.
It was Nan Xu’s first time at a seaside city market. There were so many unfamiliar things that she couldn’t help wandering around with the crowd, wide-eyed.
She moved fast, and within seconds, the crowd split them apart. Xie Hejing quickly reached out and grabbed her. “Why are you wandering off? You’ll get lost.”
“I’m not a kid,” Nan Xu said, glancing at how tightly he was holding her hand. She paused for a moment. “What, are you afraid I’ll run away?”
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you,” Xie Hejing said.
His grip tightened even more, leaving almost no distance between them as they walked closely side by side.
Xie Hejing was more than happy to follow Nan Xu everywhere. He refused to believe that with him glued to her like this, anyone would even dare try approaching her.
Nan Xu didn’t think that far. She simply let him hold her hand, it didn’t slow her down anyway. And with him so close, it was even more convenient when she wanted something to eat; he could pay right away.
The seaside market was huge, so the group didn’t stick together. Everyone wandered off to shop on their own and planned to meet up at the restaurant later in the afternoon.
Nan Xu bought a lot of snacks, but she was the type who wanted to try everything without being able to finish it. She hated wasting food, so in the end, Xie Hejing had to take care of whatever she couldn’t finish.
They wandered over to a stall selling grilled oysters. Tempted, Nan Xu turned to Xie Hejing and asked, “Can you still eat?”
“Are you planning to feed me again?” he asked, still holding the fried rice Nan Xu had bought earlier.
Well… yes. Anything she couldn’t finish, he’d end up eating—pretty much feeding him.
Nan Xu nodded. “I want grilled oysters.”
“Let’s go.”
She picked a few that looked good and asked the owner to grill them. She ordered some other seafood too, then followed Xie Hejing to a seat in the back and sat down to wait.
Looking at the whole food she’d ordered, Nan Xu laughed. “I feel like I won’t need lunch this afternoon.”
“You still have to eat lunch,” Xie Hejing said firmly. He wasn’t negotiating. She already didn’t eat much, skipping a meal would just make her hungry at night.
Whenever she begged him to let her order takeout, sweet-talking and coaxing him, he always had to put in a lot of effort just to refuse her.
“I’ve eaten plenty today already, even though you ate most of it.” Nan Xu paused, then asked, “Don’t you ever get full? You eat so much, but you’re not even a little fat!”
Whenever she tried to pinch his arm, she could usually grab only a thin layer of skin. His arms were so solid and well-built that every time he pinned her down, she had no way to fight back.
“Oh, right. You go to the gym.”
Nan Xu wasn’t a fan of working out. Or, more accurately, she just didn’t like moving much. She wasn’t fat, but her body was soft, which Xie Hejing loved touching.
“Come with me next time?” Xie Hejing asked.
Nan Xu shook her head instantly. “No way. I’d rather just eat less.”
“So scared of gaining weight?” Xie Hejing actually liked the softness of her body.
“It’s not that. I’m just scared I won’t fit into all the dresses I bought. That would be such a waste.”
She’d bought a ton of cute outfits for the summer, but Zhi’an was so hot she never got the chance to wear most of them.
“Then just buy more.”
Nan Xu froze. Right, she’d almost forgotten she was talking to the guy who was constantly thinking about what gifts to buy her.
“I’m going to check if the oysters are done,” Nan Xu said as she stood up and walked toward the stall.
On the grill, the oysters were sizzling, oil bubbling as the aroma of garlic spread through the air.
The lady boss greeted her enthusiastically. “Girl, they’re almost ready! Our oysters are all fresh! Not only do they taste great, they’re good for your boyfriend too!”
Good for my boyfriend?
Nan Xu didn’t understand how oysters could help Xie Hejing.
The lady boss laughed boldly and explained it to her. By the time Nan Xu returned to her seat with a big plate of seafood, her face was still burning.
When she saw Xie Hejing reaching for an oyster first, the lady boss’s words replayed in her mind instantly.
Oysters were known to be an aphrodisiac.
She didn’t even dare imagine, he was already like that normally.
If he ate more of this… wouldn’t it be…?
“Xie Hejing, don’t eat too much,” Nan Xu warned him preemptively. Better to give him an early reminder, otherwise he’d end up having to hold himself back again tonight.
“Afraid I’ll get fat?” Xie Hejing gave her a suspicious look. “Or something else?”
Nan Xu stammered, “N-no, nothing.”
“Then why’s your face so red?” Xie Hejing leaned closer, staring at her intently. “What did you talk about with the lady boss?”
Amazed—and horrified—by how sharp he was, Nan Xu could only lower her head in a fluster.
“What did we talk about? Nothing. I just asked when the oysters would be ready.”
“You get that red just from asking a question?” Xie Hejing clearly didn’t buy it. His gaze drifted to the oysters in front of him. Her reaction earlier had been… unusual.
Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he grinned. “Nan Xu, I didn’t expect you to be fantasizing about me in broad daylight.”
“When did I fantasize about you?” Nan Xu protested, refusing to accept that accusation.
“Then why are you blushing? Don’t tell me you’re blushing because of the oysters.”
He slowly ate another oyster, savoring it. After swallowing, he lifted his eyes and asked, “Do you think these actually work?”
Nan Xu turned her head away. “I don’t know.”
“So the lady boss was telling you about this earlier?”
Nan Xu’s heart jumped. She hadn’t said anything, yet Xie Hejing had pieced together their entire conversation just from her reactions.
“I’m guessing I don’t need something like this,” he said, though apparently that wasn’t enough—he had to ask for her input too. “What do you think? Or do you want something… stronger?”
“No! No need. You don’t need to eat any of them.”
To Xie Hejing, her words were practically a confession of his capability.
He narrowed his eyes, a wave of satisfaction running through him. “Sounds like you’re pretty satisfied.”
Satisfied?! Nan Xu had already skipped past “satisfaction” straight into fear.
When they met up with Wen Qi and the others at the restaurant that afternoon, Wei Qingxuan was carrying several shopping bags—everything Wen Qi had bought.
Nan Xu, on the other hand, had mostly bought snacks, and they’d eaten nearly all of it along the way, so she and Xie Hejing arrived empty-handed.
Seeing the two of them with nothing in their hands, Xiang Weishi asked, “You guys didn’t buy anything?”
If he had known, he would’ve gone with them instead. Following An Nian around had practically destroyed his legs. He had no idea where she got so much energy—he was about to collapse, yet An Nian was still bouncing around enthusiastically.
“We did. Mostly food, though. We ate almost everything on the way.”
Nan Xu sat down on Xie Hejing’s left side.
“Food?”
Xiang Weishi regretted everything. If he’d known, he definitely should’ve gone with them. He hadn’t eaten a single bite all afternoon, and now he was starving.
When the food arrived, Xiang Weishi practically pounced on it like a starving wolf. Under Xie Hejing’s watchful gaze, Nan Xu forced herself to eat a little, but she was already stuffed.
After the meal, they followed their plan and headed to the beach. The sun had just reached the horizon, its golden light trailing across the rippling water.
The salty sea breeze brushed through Nan Xu’s hair. She listened quietly to the waves crashing against the rocks, her skirt lifting and falling with the wind.
Everything felt peaceful and beautiful. Suddenly, Nan Xu spoke up: “Xie Hejing… do you think we’ll still have the chance to see such a beautiful sunset in the future?”
“If you want, I’ll buy a house here so you can see this every day.”
“I meant… seeing it with you,” Nan Xu corrected softly.
“Of course. Wherever you are, I’ll be there.”
Nan Xu let go of Xie Hejing’s hand. She rarely saw the ocean, and this was her first time on a beach where she could actually walk into the water.
She stepped forward slowly. Xie Hejing followed a few steps behind her, he didn’t stop her, but he stayed close enough to make sure she was safe.
The seawater washed over her ankles, and Nan Xu lifted her face in delight. “It feels pretty nice.”
Xie Hejing draped his jacket over her shoulders. “Cold?”
“No.” Nan Xu rolled up her sleeves, revealing the shell bracelet she’d bought earlier.
She’d bought a matching one for Xie Hejing too, but he had refused to wear it. Nan Xu waved her wrist at him, annoyed. “Hmph, serves you right! I wanted us to take a matching photo.”
“I brought it.” Xie Hejing pulled the bracelet from his bag and slipped it onto his wrist. “Go ahead, take the picture.”
“So you only wear it for photos?” Nan Xu frowned.
“No. I planned to put it in the safe when we got home. I didn’t want it to get damaged if I wore it.”
Nan Xu stared at the simple little shell bracelet and didn’t think there was anything about it that made it worthy of being locked up in Xie Hejing’s safe.
“…I don’t think anyone would steal something like this.”
“It’s your thought that deserves to be kept in a safe,” Xie Hejing said.
Whatever was on his mind, he said it directly. He never used sweet talk for effect, at least never with Nan Xu.
“I…” Nan Xu rubbed her forehead. For a moment, she regretted only buying him a simple shell bracelet today. She should’ve gotten him something more.
“I’ll give you something else when we go back. You don’t need to keep this one.”
Xie Hejing shook his head. Anything Nan Xu gave him, no matter how small, he wanted stored safely, protected from even the slightest damage.
“If I could, I’d lock you in the safe.”
He wanted to be the only one who knew the password, the only one who could see her. Hidden away from greedy eyes, entirely his and his alone.
But at the same time, he wanted Nan Xu to stay bright and happy.
Hearing this kind of over-the-top nonsense from him, Nan Xu had almost grown used to it. She laughed and said, “Lock me in a safe? What do you take me for?”
“My treasure. My baby.”
Xie Hejing wrapped his arms around her loosely—not the usual fierce, breath-stealing kind of embrace, but a soft, lingering one.
Yet in that gentle hold, Nan Xu felt an overwhelming sense of being cherished. His grip was so light it was almost stiff, as if he was afraid that using even a bit more strength might upset her or make her uncomfortable.
Nan Xu lifted her arms and gently wrapped them around Xie Hejing’s back, leaning into his chest on her own—telling him through her actions that he didn’t need to be so cautious.
Xie Hejing felt his heart melt into a puddle. His hold on her tightened slightly, and her familiar scent drifted continuously into his lungs.
He felt like he could drown in this ocean made entirely of her.
“My one and only beloved.”
Nan Xu sniffed and asked, “Are you just sweet-talking me? Men really love using sweet words.”
“You’ve been around other men?” Xie Hejing immediately caught the suspicious wording in her sentence.
Nan Xu: “…”
She knew it, only he would focus on that part.
“I haven’t eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs run, haven’t I?”
“If you ever lie to me, don’t expect to ever see me again.”
Nan Xu had taken his earlier words to heart, memorizing them carefully.
She had never believed she was important to anyone.
And the truth was Nan Xu feared separation. So most of the time, she placed herself in the role of a passerby in other people’s lives. That way, when someone drifted away, she could accept it without falling apart. Otherwise, the hurt would linger and echo inside her.
But Xie Hejing had barged into her life so forcefully, wiping out every bit of her fear, and told her—
—he would never leave her.
Xie Hejing truly understood all the fears Nan Xu never said out loud.
He not only knew she was afraid of being left behind, he also knew she was scared of doing something wrong, and that she often suppressed her own emotions.
But Xie Hejing never tried to dismiss her fears with something rough like “Don’t be scared.” Instead, he carried her emotions with her and told her that no matter who came or went, he would always be by her side.
With him, she was allowed to make mistakes without worrying he would walk away.
She could be alive and unrestrained—laugh when she wanted to laugh, cry when she wanted to cry, scold him if she felt like it.
And it was exactly this vivid, unfiltered Nan Xu that slowly filled the empty space in his heart, a space that had never been filled before.
Zhang Huiwan and Xie Hengzhi were both extremely career-driven. Most of Xie Hejing’s childhood was spent alone—one day at his grandmother’s, the next at his maternal grandmother’s, and another day home by himself.
Xie Hejing never complained. In fact, he never felt anything was wrong. He couldn’t imagine what a childhood with constant family presence was supposed to feel like.
He thought he lived perfectly well and didn’t need anything different.
He didn’t talk much, but the truth was that when he needed someone the most, there was no one to talk to.
So when Nan Xu approached him, it took him by surprise. How could there be a girl so timid, yet still willing to inch closer to him? She looked like she was about to cry, yet stubbornly held it together just to get near him.
Xie Hejing couldn’t make sense of it. But he couldn’t deny it…
He was drawn to her.
And then he slowly fell for her, paying more and more attention to her emotions, her life, her everything.
Most importantly, he had a desire to express himself to her—something he never felt with anyone else. And similarly, Nan Xu only ever showed her truest emotions in front of Xie Hejing.
“Xie Hejing, I want to cry, but I’m scared my makeup will smudge,” Nan Xu whispered. “If people see me crying at my age… would it be embarrassing?”
Instinctively, she wanted to hide her feelings again.
“Cry if you want to,” Xie Hejing said, gently stroking her head. “With me, you never have to act like an adult. Being a kid isn’t so bad.”
“Then it’s a deal. You have to treat me like your baby,” Nan Xu bit her lip. “You have to coax me more, okay? I don’t like being yelled at. I hate being ignored. I hate…”
Nan Xu suddenly stopped.
“Why’d you stop?” he asked.
There was no need to continue, because none of the things she hated would ever happen with Xie Hejing. What surrounded her here was nothing but warm, sincere, unreserved love.
“And there’s one more thing you have to remember. A very important one.” Nan Xu lifted her head, her expression earnest.
“I like Xie Hejing. I like everything about him. I like him so, so much.”
“Mm. I’ll remember.”
The golden light of the setting sun traced the outlines of their figures on the sand, their shadows rippling as waves washed over them.
Xie Hejing’s voice was full of tenderness. “I’ll treat you as my treasure for the rest of my life.”