The winter break ended quickly.
With the new semester starting, Xie Heng’s days of sleeping in indulgently came to an end.
He had worked at Lu Xi’s studio until the very last day and successfully received his paycheck.
A total of 3,600 yuan.
Holding the money, Xie Heng was quite happy, but he deliberately complained, “So little. It’s not even as much as my monthly allowance.”
Without even looking at him, Lu Xi said, “Wait until summer break. Go to your Dad’s place. He has money, you can milk him for it.”
Xie Heng thought about it and figured that wasn’t a bad idea.
His Dad’s company was a big corporation, probably with a very different atmosphere from here. He was curious to experience a different working environment.
But openly talking about switching jobs in front of his current boss was a major workplace taboo. Xie Heng straightened his back and dutifully pledged his loyalty, “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll come back to help you next time too.”
Lu Xi merely let out a sarcastic laugh. This kid couldn’t hide anything on his face. She saw right through him but didn’t call him out.
“Alright, take your money and go home. Get ready for school tomorrow.” Lu Xi waved him away.
Being dismissed, Xie Heng wasn’t upset at all. Instead, he grinned and eagerly asked, “Boss Lu, would you like some coffee? I’ll make you a cup.”
By now, he was a skilled coffee maker. No one in the office was more familiar with that coffee machine than him.
Ever since he started working there, Lu Xi had stopped ordering takeaway coffee. Her daily latte was always prepared by Xie Heng.
Lu Xi nodded.
Xie Heng quickly made her a latte and attentively placed it on the heating coaster he had bought.
After Lu Xi took a sip, Xie Heng asked, “Does it taste good?”
Lu Xi looked at him. “Are you trying to ask me for money?”
Xie Heng choked a little, feeling wronged. Did he really seem that money-hungry?
“No, I just… want to ask you something.” Xie Heng pulled out his phone and showed Lu Xi two pictures of diamond rings. “With your taste, which one looks better?”
Lu Xi glanced at them briefly. “The one on the left.”
Xie Heng was surprised. “No way. The left one is only 8 carats, but the right one is 13 carats.”
Lu Xi was speechless. This clueless straight guy, how had he worked under her for so long without improving his aesthetic sense even a little?
She shook her head helplessly. “Who told you that a bigger diamond is always more beautiful? First of all, anything too big looks gaudy. Besides, the one on the right has worse clarity and brilliance than the one on the left. The left one is definitely more expensive.”
So that’s how it was…
Xie Heng realized he had given his Dad bad advice. He quickly stepped out of the office and sent a message to Xie Yizhao.
[Dad, I checked for you. Ms. Lu likes the ring you chose. No need to switch to a bigger one.]
At that moment, Xie Yizhao was in an important meeting.
His phone, placed on the table in front of him, vibrated once. He glanced at the message and was instantly at a loss for words.
A proposal was meant to be a surprise, yet this kid had gone ahead and spoiled it for him. Now how was he supposed to keep any element of surprise?
If it weren’t for the fact that Lu Xi liked the ring, he would have had to pick another one.
But she did like it…
For a moment, Xie Yizhao was conflicted, trying to balance between preserving the surprise and making sure his wife was happy.
Meanwhile, the people in the meeting noticed that their boss’s expression had suddenly turned serious.
A project team leader, who had just started presenting a proposal for a newly acquired piece of land, hesitated mid-sentence, suddenly unsure if he should continue.
Everyone carefully observed Xie Yizhao’s face, exchanging nervous glances.
Did the boss not like their proposal?
Xie Heng had no idea that before even starting work at his Dad’s company, he had already caused a minor crisis in the meeting room.
The first day of school was a bright and sunny day. He wasn’t the earliest to arrive, but he wasn’t late either.
When he got there, he saw Xu Jiaming was already in his seat, organizing his winter break homework.
Xie Heng nodded at him in greeting.
As for what happened with Xu Jiaming’s situation, Xie Heng had only heard a few casual remarks from him while they were playing basketball.
Xu Jiaming’s Mom had somehow obtained some incriminating evidence against that man, causing him a lot of trouble. Now, he had fled to a small foreign country, both to escape debt and to avoid enemies. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to come back and cause trouble for a long time.
“And besides, he has no reason to bother me anymore. He can’t expect me to support him in his old age,” Xu Jiaming said.
His tone was light, as if he were talking about a complete stranger.
Xie Heng didn’t fully understand, but he got the main point. Xu Jiaming’s crisis was resolved, and Xu Jiaming didn’t have to transfer schools. That was a good thing.
Xie Heng walked over to Xu Jiaming’s desk, cleared his throat, and asked, “You said you used to train at a martial arts school?”
“Yeah.”
Xie Heng hesitated. “Do you think I’m too old to start now?”
Xu Jiaming gave him a once-over, then chuckled. “With your fighting skills, do you really need more training?” Just how badly did he want to beat people up?
“Of course I do. I want to be more professional, I need to know how to control my strength. I don’t want to get hurt, and I don’t want to hurt others too badly either,” Xie Heng said seriously.
Xu Jiaming saw his determination and realized he hadn’t given up on his goal.
Xu Jiaming was a little surprised.
He had thought that Xie Heng’s ambition to become a police officer was just a passing whim. But seeing him still so persistent, he took it more seriously.
He nodded lightly. “Then you should train at a proper martial arts school. You’ll improve a lot more than just swinging wildly.”
Xie Heng immediately thought of the martial arts hall he had visited before.
What was it called…? Gao Yi Martial Arts Hall.
He had looked it up online. The school had good ratings, accepted students, and the tuition wasn’t too expensive.
Anyway, his personal funds were in good shape. Even though he couldn’t touch that one million yet, his allowance was more than enough to cover tuition.
It was just that his Dad seemed to have a share in that store too. That day, the people in the hall even called him ‘Senior Brother.’
If he went there, his dad would definitely find out soon.
Xie Heng wasn’t planning to hide it from his Dad, though. He just wanted to find a chance to mention it first. Who knows? Maybe he could even get a discount or something…
After her son started school, Lu Xi felt like the house had suddenly become much quieter.
For the first few days, she wasn’t used to it. More than once, after waking up, still groggy, she would ask the butler during breakfast why Xie Heng hadn’t come downstairs yet and if he still wanted to go to work with her today.
The butler couldn’t help but laugh at her confusion.
“Young Master has gone to school. Madam, you’re not used to it yet, are you?”
Lu Xi felt a little embarrassed by his laughter.
It was strange. Normally, this brat was always hanging around in front of her, occasionally saying things that annoyed her. Sometimes, he could be a bit of a nuisance.
But now that he wasn’t around, Lu Xi actually felt unaccustomed to it.
Going to work, coming home, there was only her in the backseat of the car. No one sitting next to her, chattering about basketball players she didn’t know or care about. No one sharing an earphone with her, introducing her to his latest favorite songs.
At the office, she couldn’t drink the special ‘little cub version’ latte that her brat used to make for her. Sometimes, when she glanced at the heating coaster on her desk, she would suddenly feel a pang of melancholy.
Her phone wallpaper was the picture of baby Xie Heng sucking on a pacifier. Every time she saw it, she felt even more emotional.
The brat had grown up now. He couldn’t be like a little kid anymore, following her around like a tiny sidekick.
She couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful for missing out on Xie Heng’s early childhood.
Xiao Heng must have been super adorable back then—a little crybaby, maybe even clinging to the hem of her clothes, calling her ‘Mommy’ in a soft voice. Just thinking about it was enough to make her heart melt.
At night, Lu Xi couldn’t help but talk to Xie Yizhao about it. She would pester him to tell her stories about Xie Heng’s childhood.
As long as she asked, Xie Yizhao would tell her.
Though most of his stories were about how Xie Heng had been a mischievous troublemaker, always up to some kind of mischief, Lu Xi still listened with great interest.
On Sunday morning, Xie Heng didn’t have school, so he and Lu Xi met at the breakfast table.
While they were eating, Xie Heng noticed that Lu Xi kept staring at him.
Her gaze made him a little uneasy.
If this were school, and someone stared at him like that, he’d assume they were trying to pick a fight. But since it was his own Mom, he retracted his long legs under the table, touched his face uneasily, and started wondering if he had done something wrong to upset her recently.
Xie Heng : “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Lu Xi pressed her lips into a smile. “Nothing, I just suddenly think you look cute.”
C-cute?
Is that a word to describe a guy?
Xie Heng felt slightly embarrassed. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, then dramatically sighed, “I get it now. It must be because I haven’t been home recently. You miss me too much.”
Lu Xi frowned.
See? See? When this brat keeps his mouth shut, he looks like a dashing young man. But the moment he speaks, she can’t help but want to smack him.
One of the top ten unsolved mysteries of the Xie family.
She couldn’t hold back and rolled her eyes at him. “I don’t miss you. I miss the coffee you make, you little narcissist.”
Xie Heng pouted. Yeah, right.
The butler had already told him that during his first few days of school, Ms. Lu had been so out of it that she almost called him to go to work with her. Clearly, she missed him, she just wouldn’t admit it.
The next day, Lu Xi received a coffee made by Xie Heng himself.
When she got up and went downstairs, she caught the scent of coffee in the dining room and was momentarily surprised.
She usually didn’t drink coffee at home in the morning. She would order one after getting to the studio. The house staff wouldn’t have made coffee for her without asking.
Then she walked over and saw a coffee cup placed on a cup warmer, with a sticky note attached to it. Her eyes lit up with delight.
It was Xie Heng’s handwriting.
[Even though I can’t go to work with you, I promise that as long as I’m home, I’ll make you coffee.
—From a handsome, adorable, and selfless high schooler who does good deeds without leaving his name.]
Lu Xi picked up the coffee cup, blinking rapidly, overwhelmed with emotion.
Oh no, what should she do? Her little brat had been acting so sweet lately!
She could feel that her maternal instincts had suddenly surged, a change that felt both unfamiliar and a little overwhelming. Of course, she wouldn’t let herself become the kind of parent who revolves entirely around her child. She and Xie Yizhao still had their own lives to live.
But…
This past month, Xie Yizhao had been particularly busy.
Busier than before, at least twice as busy.
Even when he wasn’t traveling for work, he often got home very late. Lu Xi understood, of course. It was a new year, and even her small studio was crazy busy. How much more so for someone managing an entire corporation?
That night, after showering, Lu Xi sat at her vanity, carefully applying her skincare routine.
Xie Yizhao grabbed some clothes and was about to head into the bathroom.
But before going in, he suddenly paused at the door and asked gently, “Are you free next Sunday night?”
Lu Xi was slightly taken aback, then immediately nodded.
She smiled teasingly. “Is CEO Xie applying in advance to go on a date with me?”
Xie Yizhao responded with a touch of humor, “CEO Lu will find out then.”
Lu Xi was looking forward to this little break in his busy schedule.
She was also a bit curious.
Usually, when planning dates, Xie Yizhao would give her a precise time—sometimes down to the minute—and let her know the details: what they were going to do, and whether she was okay with the plan.
But this time, he only said ‘Sunday night.’
Lu Xi guessed he was probably planning another surprise, just like the Ferris wheel or the auction on last Christmas Eve.
She didn’t make wild guesses. She went about her work as usual for the next week, waiting patiently for him to surprise her.
Sunday night arrived quickly.
Lu Xi was in her studio. The other employees had the day off, but she had to interview a womenswear designer. After the interview, she received a message from Xie Yizhao, telling her to wait for him in her office.
[Okay.]
She waited for Xie Yizhao to pick her up for dinner.
Around six o’clock, someone knocked on her office door. When she looked up, it wasn’t Xie Yizhao who walked in.
“Xiao Heng?” Lu Xi blinked at him.
Xie Heng stood at the door, coughed lightly, and awkwardly took out a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. “I’m here to take you to dinner.”
Lu Xi : ?
What was going on?
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on, don’t mess around. Give me the flowers and be on your way. I have a date with your Dad. If you play third wheel, you might get beaten up.”
Xie Heng walked over, pulled Lu Xi up, grabbed her handbag, and firmly shoved the flowers into her arms. Then, half-pushing, half-pulling, he led her out of the office.
“Just come with me first. I’ll explain on the way.”
Lu Xi was completely baffled.
Holding the flowers, she let Xie Heng lead her to the car. She frowned and asked, “Are you kidnapping your own <om?”
Xie Heng, as if afraid she’d pinch his face, pressed himself against the car door. “I wouldn’t dare. Don’t be mad, I was forced into this.”
Lu Xi was both amused and exasperated.
She had a guess. This was probably related to whatever ‘surprise’ Xie Yizhao had prepared. But… this felt more like a shock than a surprise.
“Fine, let’s go.” Lu Xi sniffed the flowers casually.
She was curious to see what this father-and-son duo was up to.
The farther they drove, the more they veered from the city center.
Lu Xi had never been here before. It looked like the outskirts.
About forty minutes later, the car came to a stop.
Lu Xi glanced outside. It appeared to be a villa-style resort. At night, the lawn at the entrance was lit with warm yellow lights, making it look quite beautiful.
Xie Heng got out first, then walked around to open the door for Lu Xi.
She gave him a curious look.
This brat, when did he become such a gentleman?
Lu Xi pressed her lips together, said nothing, and stepped out. She was dying of curiosity but didn’t let it show. She was eager to see what Xie Yizhao had planned.
“Hold onto my arm,” Xie Heng suddenly murmured.
Lu Xi raised an eyebrow.
Xie Heng was clearly embarrassed, his face slightly flushed. But he knew tonight was an important night for both Ms. Lu and his dad. He had to step up and see this through.
So he took Lu Xi’s hand and forced her to hold onto him.
Lu Xi : …
No doubt about it. The son of a domineering CEO was bound to be just as domineering.
Since when did things work like this?
Xie Heng led her inside the villa.
Strangely, there was no one at the entrance, and as they walked further in, they didn’t see any other guests or staff either.
However, the scenery was serene, and the night air was fresh. Walking through the courtyard felt almost tranquil.
Xie Heng remained silent the entire way.
Lu Xi sensed that he was nervous about something.
Three minutes later, Xie Heng brought her in front of a three-story building.
Lu Xi looked up. All she could see were lush plants climbing the staircase and the glow of dim lights.
She still didn’t ask any questions.
She simply followed Xie Heng, holding onto his arm, as they ascended the elegant white staircase.
The stairs weren’t tall, but they walked very, very slowly.
But Lu Xi was already sensing something.
She felt Xie Heng pause his steps.
At that moment, she lifted her head, and sure enough, she saw Xie Yizhao standing at the top of the stairs. His gaze, deep and gentle like the night itself, was filled with warmth.
Xie Heng quickened his pace and stopped in front of his Dad. “Alright, I’ve brought Ms. Lu to you.”
Lu Xi glanced at Xie Heng.
Then she smiled and turned to Xie Yizhao.
She slipped her hand out of Xie Heng’s, and seamlessly, Xie Yizhao took her hand in his, pulling her to his side. With a meaningful look, he said, “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Watching his Dad and Lu Xi exchange glances, Xie Heng suddenly felt like the biggest third wheel in the entire estate.
He quickly said, “Dad, good luck. It’s all on you now.”
Then, as an afterthought, he turned to Lu Xi. “Don’t feel pressured. If you want to say yes, say yes. If you don’t, just call me, I’ll come rescue you right away.”
Lu Xi : “What?”
Xie Yizhao shot him a warning look. “Scram.”