Extra 6 : The Cub Turns into a Little Bear (6)
Xie Yizhao was completely unaware of the emotional damage he had inflicted on Xie Heng.
Nor did he sense that the bond between father and son was on the verge of collapse.
Once the classmates had mostly finished eating, Xie Yizhao took the initiative to offer them a tour of his home.
Before hosting the banquet, the Xie family had locked up certain private areas, but the rest of the house was open for guests to explore freely, and many did just that.
Lu Xi picked up her phone and followed along.
The Xie residence was enormous. It was rumored to be the result of merging two buildings. It was more than three times the size of the Lu residence.
As she walked through the grand halls, Lu Xi had only one thought: If a thief broke in, they’d probably get lost inside.
That said, with the Xie family’s tight security, such concerns were unlikely.
Trailing behind the group of classmates, Lu Xi found little interest in touring someone else’s house.
After enjoying the delicious food, she was already thinking about heading home.
But seeing how enthusiastic everyone else was, she felt a little awkward bringing it up and decided to wait for the right moment.
She held her phone, pretending to send a voice message.
In reality, she was talking to Little Bear.
Pinching its soft ears, she teased, “So, do you still want him to be your Dad?”
The floppy bear ears drooped unhappily.
Lu Xi chuckled. “So the song was right, only Mom is good in the world1?”
Little Bear nodded vigorously. That song really hit the mark!
Dad was just too hateful…
Xie Yizhao noticed that Lu Xi had fallen behind and glanced back a few times, only to see her holding her phone, mumbling to herself at times, grinning at others, as if chatting with someone on the other end.
—So she stayed behind on purpose…
As the host, Xie Yizhao naturally had to lead the way at the front.
After completing the tour, he brought his classmates to the courtyard garden. It was a beautiful place. Though he himself was indifferent to it, most guests found it stunning. His mother had hired top designers to meticulously craft the landscape, featuring many rare plant species.
While the others eagerly wandered inside, Xie Yizhao remained outside.
Lu Xi noticed his gaze drifting toward her, so she put away her phone and smiled at him as if nothing had happened.
Xie Yizhao walked toward her.
Teenagers at this age often felt awkward—unlike their carefree childhood selves, who could interact freely, yet also not as mature as university students.
Even if there was mutual attraction, it was vague and inexperienced, making him hesitant to look directly at her face.
Instead, his eyes were drawn to the little bear strap dangling from her phone. It swayed back and forth, catching his attention.
For some reason… he felt like the bear was glaring at him, its tiny face scrunched up in an adorably fierce scowl.
Xie Yizhao cleared his throat and asked in a low voice, “Are you bored?”
Lu Xi wouldn’t say that outright to the host, so she responded with a flawless smile, “Not at all. I just stayed up late last night, so I’m feeling a little tired.”
Xie Yizhao gave a small nod.
He was always composed, never losing his cool in any situation, and rarely found himself at a loss for words. But now, he hesitated.
After a brief pause, he finally said, “If you’re leaving later, let me know. I’ll see you off.”
Lu Xi was slightly taken aback by his courtesy but nodded nonetheless.
A silence settled between them.
Lu Xi disliked awkward pauses. She wasn’t particularly shy and usually got along well with guys, but with Xie Yizhao, for some inexplicable reason, she always felt a bit nervous.
Just as she was considering slipping away to the greenhouse, Xie Yizhao suddenly spoke in a soft voice:
“Happy birthday in advance.”
Lu Xi froze. “How did you know?”
Her birthday was tomorrow.
Xie Yizhao lowered his gaze slightly, hiding a trace of embarrassment in his eyes, and answered calmly, “I heard a classmate mention it.”
That was true. But bringing it up now made him feel somewhat uneasy.
The air grew awkward again.
It was the kind of unease unique to teenage boys and girls.
Both hesitated, unsure of what to say next.
Little Bear peeked out clumsily, glancing back and forth between Xie Yizhao and Lu Xi, reading the large, bolded word ‘awkward’ written all over their faces.
“…” This is so frustrating, Little Bear thought.
—Daddy, you’re so lame. Why are you so slow at wooing Mommy? Your flirting skills are terrible.
—You know it’s her birthday, so why didn’t you bring a gift?
Oh! Right!
Since he just found out, he had to prepare one!
Lu Xi had no time to dwell on how Xie Yizhao knew her birthday, because just then, his father appeared, walking over with a few guests, including her own Uncle and Aunt.
“Yizhao, how’s it going with your classmates?” Xie Mingheng smiled kindly at Lu Xi. “You must be Xiao Lu.”
Lu Xi was surprised. His memory was impressive. He remembered her name after just one introduction?
She pressed her lips into a polite smile. “Hello, Uncle Xie.”
Xie Heng, meanwhile, was curiously staring at the older man.
—So this is Daddy’s Dad… which makes him Grandpa?
He had never met his Grandpa before. Dad had once told him that Grandpa had passed away from an illness before he was born.
For some reason, the little cub suddenly felt a bit sad. He didn’t quite understand what ‘passing away’ meant yet, but he knew it was something bad. However, when he looked at Grandpa, Grandpa seemed to be in great spirits, looking so young and full of life.
Lu Yuehua and Cen Yun walked over to Lu Xi. Cen Yun said, “We just found out that Xixi and Xiao Xie are classmates. We didn’t expect that you would know her as well, CEO Xie?”
Xie Mingheng thought, Of course, after all, she was the first girl Xie Yizhao ever mentioned on his own.
Standing beside him was a well-dressed middle-aged couple, accompanied by a girl with straight bangs.
“Shasha, this is your Brother Xie. Go on, say hello.”
The girl glanced at her mother, looking a little embarrassed. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum: “Brother Xie.”
Her father chuckled and said, “Didn’t you just say you don’t know anyone here? Go on, follow your Brother Xie around and let him show you around.”
The girl took another look at the aloof young man standing across from her and spoke even more hesitantly, “I’d rather not… I don’t know him.”
“If you start spending more time together, you’ll get to know each other soon enough! Our family and the Xie family have been close for generations.” The man looked at Xie Mingheng as he spoke, but the latter simply smiled faintly and did not comment.
Lu Xi had already figured it out. So this was a matchmaking setup for a wealthy family alliance?
Feeling a little amused, she snuck a glance at Xie Yizhao, only to meet his gaze head-on.
Xie Yizhao was completely composed. Lu Xi suddenly felt like someone who had been caught laughing at someone else’s misfortune.
Unexpectedly, she was dragged into the situation herself.
Cen Yun suddenly put an arm around her and smiled. “Xixi, our family is also on good terms with Uncle Xie. And since you’re Xiao Xie’s classmate, why don’t you join him in showing Shasha around?”
Lu Xi : “…”
How did this involve her now?
She was puzzled for a second, then saw the encouragement in her aunt’s eyes and instantly understood what she meant.
She felt like curling her toes in embarrassment.
Wait… she really wanted to ask her Aunt, where did her Aunt get the confidence that their Lu family could be considered a match for the Xie family?
She didn’t know much about business, but it was obvious to anyone that the gap was too wide.
Just moments ago, she had been an outsider watching the drama unfold, but now the fire had spread to her. Lu Xi couldn’t help but glance at the girl across from her.
Shasha looked back at her and gave a small, helpless smile. Clearly, Shasha also found her parents’ arrangement absurd.
When it came to marriage, there was a vast difference between how adults and children saw things.
Xie Mingheng was well aware that his son’s marriage wouldn’t be entirely up to himself in the future. There would inevitably be various factors to consider, and his son would have to find a girl from a family of equal standing. However, he still hoped to maximize Xie Yizhao’s happiness.
If it had to be a marriage alliance, the best outcome would be if the two children actually liked each other.
Lu Xi quickly found an excuse to slip away. She rushed into the greenhouse and blended in with her classmates, determined not to get involved in adult matters.
Xie Heng had no idea what was going on. He just heard a group of adults talking endlessly, saying a bunch of things he couldn’t understand.
Now he was starting to feel sleepy, looking drowsy and listless.
Lu Xi noticed it. Her Little Bear wasn’t as excited as when they first arrived.
Was it because his ‘Dad’ had called him ugly, and he was still upset about it? This little cub sure held a grudge.
But then again, he was just a baby. Lu Xi could understand.
Xie Yizhao was the real problem. How could he not see how ridiculously cute this Little Bear was?
Around 8 PM, some classmates began leaving as they had arranged with their parents. They politely bid farewell to Xie Yizhao, and Lu Xi was eager to leave as well.
But her Aunt had already told her that they would leave together later, so she had no choice but to wait.
Besides, she still had one more thing to do.
Once most of the classmates had left, Lu Xi walked over to Xie Yizhao and said, “I’ll be leaving with my family later. Thanks for hosting us tonight.”
Xie Yizhao nodded. “Would you like to take some desserts home?”
Lu Xi blinked in surprise and let out a soft “Ah?” She hadn’t expected Xie Yizhao to be so hospitable.
“N-no need…” Taking food after eating here already? That felt a little shameless.
Xie Heng had been dozing off but suddenly woke up when he heard his Dad’s voice.
He wasn’t the type to hold grudges. After a nap, he had already forgotten the earlier unpleasantness. He rolled over in Lu Xi’s palm and stretched out his tiny paw to scratch at her.
Lu Xi felt it at the same time her phone chimed with a notification.
Little Bear Cub : [Want Daddy to hold me.]
[Task countdown: 1 minute.]
Just one minute?
Lu Xi was dumbfounded.
This Little Bear, who had been sulking just moments ago, was now thinking about his Dad again?
He really had two different faces.
And he was only giving her one minute. Was he really that desperate?
“You wait right here, don’t move.” Lu Xi’s tone was serious.
Xie Yizhao : “…”
Lu Xi didn’t have time to think. She quickly removed the bear strap and rushed to the first-floor restroom as fast as she could.
- It’s a Chinese children’s song titled 世上只有妈妈好 (shìshàng zhǐyǒu māmā hǎo). Literally, the title means “Only Mom is Good in this World.” The lyrics describe a mother’s selfless dedication to her child, praising her warmth and protection. ↩︎