Xie Heng felt quite aggrieved, as he was innocently implicated and suffered a round of threats from his own Mom.
But when he saw Lu Xi being carried back to the room by his Dad, all that grievance instantly vanished.
What was he even worried about? His Dad was the one facing a real, up-close death threat! He couldn’t help but imagine Ms. Lu going on a drunken rampage, throwing punches and kicks at his father.
Now that would be hilarious!
He wondered if his Dad would get kicked off the bed in the middle of the night and be forced to take his blanket and sleep miserably on the couch.
Xie Yizhao had no idea his son was cursing him in his heart.
He didn’t actually get kicked out of bed, but he did get kicked.
After carrying Lu Xi back to the room, he didn’t place her on the bed right away but instead let her half-recline on the sofa. This position would be more comfortable and help her sober up faster.
Just as he was about to have someone prepare a bowl of hangover soup, Lu Xi suddenly grabbed onto him. To be precise, it was his tie.
Xie Yizhao sighed helplessly and simply took off the tie, placing it in Lu Xi’s hand.
His voice was low and gentle, as if coaxing a child: “Be good. If you like it, you can keep it. I’m giving it to you.”
But Lu Xi just tossed the tie aside and grabbed onto him again. This time, by his collar.
Like a little animal, she leaned in close to his neck, sniffing around before frowning in displeasure. “You drank. You smell like alcohol.”
The helplessness in Xie Yizhao’s eyes deepened as he sighed silently.
His gaze fell on Lu Xi’s face, which was just inches away.
Her fair skin had a beautiful glow, her cheeks were slightly flushed, her eyes tinged with a bit of red, and there was a dazed, captivating look in them.
To Xie Yizhao, Lu Xi seemed to be bathed in a soft, warm light.
He instinctively leaned back slightly, trying to avoid her nuzzling.
When she was sober, Lu Xi was very sensible. She never got too close to him like this in their bedroom because she knew better than to tempt fate.
But now, she was recklessly testing his patience.
“That’s your alcohol scent, Xiao Xi,” Xie Yizhao said helplessly.
Even if there was any on him, it was because she had rubbed it onto him.
Lu Xi tilted her head in thought, then pursed her lips and muttered unhappily, “And there’s another scent on you. Some woman’s perfume… Whose is it?”
Xie Yizhao pinched the bridge of his nose, amused. “It’s from a woman named Lu Xi. Do you want to settle the score with her?”
Lu Xi hesitated for a few seconds before realizing that she was Lu Xi. She licked her lips, looked at Xie Yizhao sheepishly, then let go of him.
“Oh… I guess that’s my scent?” Lu Xi wobbled as she stood up. “I need to shower.”
She was still somewhat rational. She knew she had to wash up before sleeping, or she’d feel gross.
Xie Yizhao’s temple throbbed.
He seriously doubted she could shower by herself in this state.
“Sit down first,” he instructed, calling the butler to bring some hangover soup. After hanging up, he touched Lu Xi’s head. “I’ll help you.”
Lu Xi froze.
Uh-oh… That was a loaded statement. She needed a second to process it.
When she finally understood, she immediately eyed him with suspicion.
—Him! How could he! In a moment like this! Still be thinking about that kind of thing!?
Annoyed, she lifted her leg and kicked him.
“We agreed, nothing like that when we’re here!” Lu Xi righteously called him out.
This had always been an unspoken rule between them.
For the sake of their little rascal’s mental and emotional well-being, letting him hear anything inappropriate between his parents would be too embarrassing.
Not to mention, it wasn’t just parents. She remembered watching TV at her uncle’s house as a kid, and whenever there was even a kissing scene, she’d be so embarrassed she’d want to dig a hole and hide.
Xie Yizhao was briefly stunned by the kick, then saw her glaring at him in utter disdain. He felt both exasperated and amused.
Seeing that he was still smiling, Lu Xi bit her lip and raised her foot to kick him again.
But this time, she missed.
Xie Yizhao caught her ankle, his dark eyes glinting as he smirked. “I meant just a bath, nothing more. But you, Xiao Xi, what exactly are you thinking?”
Lu Xi : “…”
Wait, was that really what he meant?
So… the real one with a dirty mind was her?
She suddenly remembered how she’d kicked him just now and shrank back guiltily. This was getting ridiculous.
Blame it on the alcohol…
Lu Xi opened her mouth to refuse, but as she steadied herself against Xie Yizhao, she realized her head was still spinning. There was no way she could shower on her own.
She batted her lashes at him apologetically. “Then I’ll have to trouble you, Hubby?”
Xie Yizhao chuckled, replying humorously, “No problem, just don’t kick me again.”
On the way to the bathroom, Lu Xi mumbled, “Ugh, alcohol is awful. I’m never drinking again.”
Xie Yizhao raised an eyebrow.
She had said this at least five times before.
Yet she always drank again.
The bathroom was warm with the heating system on, but this was still her first time bathing like this.
Even though Xie Yizhao was her husband, Lu Xi still felt too embarrassed to look directly at him.
Water cascaded evenly over her skin. Instead of sobering up, she somehow felt even more lightheaded. Probably because of someone’s presence, making the air in the bathroom feel especially hot.
“Is the water temperature okay?” His deep voice brushed against her ear.
“Mhm…”
“Lean on me, don’t fall.”
Lu Xi went silent, shutting her eyes and counting sheep in her head, trying to distract herself.
She wasn’t sure how long passed. It felt like just a few seconds.
Then, she felt his lips press gently against her hair. Soft. Tender.
Lu Xi couldn’t help but open her eyes, turning around in the misty air to look at him in confusion.
His gaze locked onto hers, intense and direct, just like his presence—so bold that it caught her off guard. But the atmosphere was so perfect at this moment that she couldn’t bring herself to refuse. Instead, a strange, unfamiliar anticipation curled in her chest, making her shiver slightly.
She instinctively turned her head away again, feeling his breath tickle her shoulder.
“Keep your voice down, he won’t hear,” Xie Yizhao whispered, intertwining their fingers as he stepped closer, letting her rest her full weight against him. “Is that okay?”
Lu Xi sighed inwardly, suddenly feeling an unfamiliar flutter of excitement.
All she could do was shut her eyes and nod lightly.
At this point, she wasn’t sure anymore. Was it Xie Yizhao who seduced her, or was she the one leading him astray?
Either way… she felt so guilty.
The next day, Xie Heng had plans. After getting up, he told the butler he wouldn’t be home for lunch.
He also excused himself to Lu Xi—he wouldn’t be going to the studio today.
His class monitor had arranged a gathering, saying they should all hang out one more time before school started. A dozen or so classmates would be there.
Song Siyang volunteered to join, tagging Xu Jiaming and Xie Heng along.
Song Siyang thought, if Xu Jiaming really was transferring abroad, they wouldn’t get to see each other much in the future.
Whether or not Xu Jiaming understood Song Siyang’s intention, he quickly agreed.
Naturally, Xie Heng was going too.
Xie Heng already decided, as his Dad advised, to persuade Xu Jiaming to talk to his mom.
The time and place were decided by the class monitor. They would have lunch together at noon, then either go singing or play a script murder game in the afternoon. If everyone was still up for it in the evening, they’d go for a barbecue.
This was the third time Xie Heng had joined a class gathering. He wouldn’t say he had a close relationship with his classmates, but at least there was no hostility. They could joke around with him, and the atmosphere was quite pleasant.
After lunch, the group voted and ultimately decided to go singing.
Xie Heng had been to KTV many times before with his rowdy friends, but this was his first time going with classmates.
The others were also a bit reserved, hesitant to pick a song and sing.
Only Song Siyang was completely unfazed. He confidently selected a love song and sang it with a look of deep immersion, despite his voice sounding like it had been kissed by a demon.
In the end, Xie Heng couldn’t take it anymore and cut him off mid-song.
Song Siyang clutched the microphone, unwilling to let go, and laughed while pointing at the screen. “Didn’t expect that, huh? I picked this song myself!”
Xie Heng : “……”
Song Siyang handed him the microphone. “How about you sing, Brother Heng?”
Xie Heng smacked his hand away. “Get lost, I’m tone-deaf.”
Not just him, practically all ten-plus classmates claimed they couldn’t sing.
Song Siyang frowned.
This won’t do. How can everyone be this shy? How are we supposed to have fun like this?
So he proposed, “Let’s play the ‘Seven’ game. If you lose, you have to do Truth or Dare. If you refuse the challenge, then you have to sing. How about it?”
Xie Heng was never interested in these pointless games.
But this time, he glanced at Xu Jiaming, thought for a moment, then leaned back on the sofa with his hands behind his head, looking relaxed. “Sure, let’s play.”
Xu Jiaming was easygoing. He wasn’t particularly interested but nodded anyway.
A game like this would be boring if taken too seriously, but most of the students in Class A were top students, so things wouldn’t get too out of hand.
Most people weren’t dumb, they all chose Truth over Dare.
And the questions asked were mostly teasing : Do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend? Do you have a crush? That kind of thing.
Song Siyang didn’t mind. He answered what he wanted to, and if he didn’t feel like it, he just sang a song.
Xie Heng, however, seemed a bit distracted today and kept messing up.
His answers were blunt.
“No, I don’t like anyone.”
“No, I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“No, I’ve never kissed anyone… Can you stop asking these boring questions?”
Song Siyang couldn’t stand it anymore.
So he added a new rule on the spot : If someone chose Truth five times, their sixth loss could only be a Dare, or they had to sing.
Xie Heng clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.
He knew this rule was aimed at him.
But he had to admit, it was a timely addition.
Less than three minutes later, Xie Heng lost again. This time, he had no choice but to pick Dare.
Song Siyang cheered, “Brother Heng, take out your phone! Call the first contact in your address book and say ‘I miss you’!”
Upon hearing that, Xie Heng’s face darkened.
Under the expectant gazes of his classmates, he pulled out his phone, opened his contact list, and looked utterly resigned.
The first contact was : [Dad].
“Pfft—hahahaha!!!”
The whole room erupted in laughter.
Song Siyang laughed the loudest, while even the usually reserved Xu Jiaming couldn’t help but chuckle.
Only Xie Heng couldn’t laugh.
Calling his Dad and saying ‘I miss you’ was out of the question. Absolutely impossible.
If he really did it, his Dad would probably kill him.
Without a word, Xie Heng stood up, grabbed the microphone from Song Siyang’s hand, and started singing right where the previous song had been cut off.
The others were still laughing at first, but as soon as Xie Heng started singing, the room gradually fell silent.
Even the usually cheeky Song Siyang muttered under his breath, “Holy sh*t…”
Is he kidding?
He sings this well and calls himself tone-deaf?
Is this some kind of humble brag?
The others felt the same way. A few girls who already had a crush on Xie Heng were completely mesmerized.
Xie Heng’s singing wasn’t about fancy technique, but his voice was rich and pleasant—low and deep, yet still carrying the clarity of youth. His pronunciation was slightly lazy, giving it a distinctive charm. In short, it was good.
Even Song Siyang had to admit, his Brother Heng was seriously cool.
An idea struck him. He sneakily pulled out his phone and recorded a short video.
He originally wanted to post it on his social feed, but after some thought, he decided against it. He didn’t want to get beaten up.
After hesitating for a second, he had a sudden stroke of genius and sent the video to Lu Xi.
Xie Heng remained oblivious. After finishing the song, he sat back down.
The game continued.
With the earlier excitement, even Xu Jiaming seemed more relaxed. He let his guard down and finally lost once.
He didn’t mind and chose Truth without hesitation.
Huang Ying swallowed nervously. It was her turn to ask a question, but facing Xu Jiaming, she felt too shy to ask about girlfriends or first kisses.
After a moment of hesitation, she quietly asked, “Do you believe in love at first sight or growing feelings over time?”
Xu Jiaming answered without much thought, “Love at first sight.”
Huang Ying blinked, surprised.
She hadn’t expected that. She thought someone as reserved as him would lean toward love growing over time…
Xie Heng wasn’t paying attention to the game. He just found it dull.
Originally, he planned to wait until Xu Jiaming lost a round so he could take the chance to suggest he talk to his Mom.
But now, he was running out of patience. Xu Jiaming was too good at this game.
So he found an excuse and pulled him out of the room.
Using the gentlest tone he could manage, he urged Xu Jiaming to have that conversation.
Xu Jiaming fell silent for a few seconds before smiling. “Alright, I’ll think about it… But I don’t know how to bring it up.”
Xie Heng frowned. “She’s your Mom, isn’t she? Just say it.”
Xu Jiaming said softly, “My Mom and I are different. She cares a lot about me, and I don’t want to make things difficult for her.”
Because of that secret, he had always felt that Yang Yihan was overly anxious about him. And to avoid making her feel pressured, he pretended not to know.
They deeply cared for each other, they were the closest people in the world, but they also treaded carefully, afraid to break the fragile balance between them.
Xie Heng didn’t get it.
What’s so different about this?
Seeing his confused frown, Xu Jiaming chuckled. “Honestly, sometimes I envy your relationship with CEO Lu. You guys can talk about anything, and she really, really loves you.”
Xie Heng looked away, a little embarrassed.
“What, what love? That’s so dramatic…”
Xu Jiaming smiled and offered a friendly hint : “Have you checked CEO Lu’s latest social media post? Take a look, you’re in for a surprise.”
Xie Heng, puzzled, pulled out his phone.
Then, his expression turned to pure shock.
!!!
“How the hell does Ms. Lu have a video of me singing?!” He gritted his teeth and glared at the private room door. “It must be that idiot Song!”
But despite his irritation, he had to admit, Xu Jiaming was right. Lu Xi really did love him.
Because she had posted:
[My little cub sings better than anyone in the world! ❤️]
Xie Heng was beginning to understand what Xu Jiaming meant.
Lu Xi was good at expressing love. She made him feel safe. There was nothing he couldn’t tell her. Because he was sure, beyond a doubt, that she loved him. She and him were the best duo in the world.