Chapter 13 – Your Mom hates people who smoke
Xie Yizhao was slightly taken aback: “Do you know why?”
Assistant : I’m stumped by this question.
Li Xiao had been single since birth and didn’t understand women’s psychology at all. However, his parents had a loving relationship. Reflecting on how they interacted, he thought of a possibility, “Maybe it’s because you suddenly have to go on a business trip without informing Madam in advance? Women need a sense of security.”
Xie Yizhao frowned and lowered his eyes in deep thought.
He had never had the habit of notifying Lu Xi about his business trips before, and she never got upset.
But that was many years ago. He had no idea where she had been or what she had gone through since then. Perhaps she really lacked a sense of security now.
He asked patiently, “Is there any way to make up for it?”
Li Xiao was a bit surprised. He had been Xie Yizhao’s assistant for four years, and this was the first time they talked about something non-work-related. No wonder his new wife was so formidable—she had the confidence to back it up.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “Give her gifts, sweet talk her, make sure to inform her of your plans often, and spend more time with her.”
Based on his parents’ situation, this usually worked.
Xie Yizhao had never done these things before. He usually interacted with business partners, and in that circle, men would buy gifts, give money, or buy houses and cars for their wives or girlfriends, but wouldn’t inform their wives of their plans, sweet talk them, or spend time with them.
Some even led separate lives, and it wasn’t a secret.
He didn’t aspire to that kind of relationship.
Xie Yichao took out his phone, dialed Lu Xi’s number, and calmly put the phone to his ear.
He would dial this number every now and then, and regularly top up the balance, even though he knew the chances were slim. He wasn’t sure if she would still use this number.
The phone rang a few times, but no one answered.
With no expression on his face, Xie Yizhao was organizing his words when the call was suddenly answered.
Before he could speak, he heard Lu Xi’s somewhat anxious voice: “What’s up? Send me a message if you need something. I’m in a hurry to teach the brat a lesson!”
With that, she hung up.
Xie Yizhao : “…”
He put down his phone, his handsome face remaining calm, reflected in the car window, and couldn’t help but smile.
It seemed his wife didn’t need coaxing?
Half an hour later, Lu Xi sat in the special car Xie Yizhao had prepared for her and arrived at a café.
Two bodyguards were sitting in the front, one of whom also served as the driver. These two were assigned by Xie Yizhao to drive and protect her.
“Is he here?” Lu Xi asked expressionlessly, looking at the small shop by the roadside.
It was less than five hundred meters from Mingli High School, and many students were coming and going.
The driver replied, “Yes, with a few classmates, in a private room on the second floor. The young master refuses to go to the hospital and seems to be drinking.”
Huh?
Was this place a café or a bar?
Lu Xi frowned, looking very displeased, yet there was a sense of peculiar calmness.
The driver saw her expression in the rearview mirror and, for a moment, almost thought he was looking at Xie Yizhao.
No wonder they were a couple; their displeased expressions were identical.
It’s a pity she’s just a stepmother. Young Master is so rebellious, even Master sometimes can’t handle him, and there’s no way he’ll obediently listen to her.
The driver got out of the car and opened the door for her, and both bodyguards wanted to go up with her.
Lu Xi said, “You two stay in the car. I’ll go up by myself.”
Her tone left no room for objection.
The two exchanged glances.
Lu Xi coldly added, “If I’m not down in half an hour, go up and drag him to the hospital.”
This is called a show of force after a polite warning.
If the brat doesn’t listen to reason, then don’t blame her for using force.
In the second floor of In’s Café.
The shop was entirely decorated in an internet-celebrity style, a popular spot for students of Mingli High School. The second floor offered privacy and even private rooms for fifty yuan an hour, where you could smoke, drink, or do anything without interference.
There was a sofa in the private room. Xie Heng loved to come here and sleep when he skipped classes.
But this time, there were more people, making him annoyed with the noise.
“Brother Heng, we found out those guys are from No. 3 High School.”
“Daring to come to Mingli and make trouble, I’ll make them kneel tomorrow!”
Xie Heng frowned. He had a wound on his head, hit by a brick, and he had only wiped off the blood. His head still felt a bit dizzy.
He had a wound on his face and his hands were also injured. He leaned against the sofa with a blank expression, not bothering to talk to anyone.
Thinking back, he felt embarrassed.
He had been outnumbered five to one, but although he was at a disadvantage, he held his ground. He returned the kicks he received and even made one of them cry with a punch.
Just when he was getting into it, some bodyguards suddenly rushed in, pinned the others down in a few moves, and even wanted to take those guys to the police station.
“…”
It was utterly humiliating.
His pride hurt more than the blow on his head.
“Get out of here! Don’t follow me!” So, he chased away those bodyguards and refused to go to the hospital with them.
He really didn’t understand.
When would his father stop controlling him like this? He wasn’t a child anymore.
When he was little, at the age when he most needed company, Xie Yizhao was never around. Xie Yizhao missed his birthdays, was late for his parent-teacher meetings, and when he got into trouble at school, Xie Yizhao would just donate a building to settle things…
Maybe he thought this was caring for his son, but Xie Heng didn’t think so.
Xie Heng’s expression darkened, and he kicked the table hard, “Shut up! You’re too noisy!”
The room fell silent.
Xie Heng frowned impatiently and was about to chase everyone out when the private room door suddenly opened.
Lu Xi appeared at the door.
She glanced at Xie Heng, sitting among a group of people, with a wound on his forehead, one leg on the table, looking provocatively arrogant.
“Xie Heng, come out with me,” Lu Xi couldn’t help rolling her eyes.
“…”
The boy’s frown deepened.
“What are you doing here? Aren’t you making me miserable enough?” Xie Heng’s chest heaved, “Get out.”
Lu Xi ignored him.
She walked straight in, up to Xie Heng, and knocked his leg off the table, “Sit properly.”
Everyone else in the room looked puzzled.
Who was this? They had never seen her before. How could she be so arrogant?
Lu Xi had striking features, with delicately applied makeup and an aura that was both cool and composed. She was an impressive beauty.
Her face was oval-shaped, with almond-shaped eyes, and her cherry-colored lips were accentuated with lip gloss. Wearing a white blazer paired with slim-fit jeans, she struck a perfect balance between youthful and mature.
Moreover, she looked a lot like Xie Heng!
Could she be his sister?
Xie Heng, as always, said, “I don’t need you to interfere.”
To fully express his resistance, Xie Heng glanced at the pack of cigarettes and lighter on the table, left there by a few guys earlier.
He rarely smoked, only doing so when he was particularly agitated.
If his stepmother saw him smoking, she would definitely be furious and complain to his Dad, right?
Xie Heng let out a cold snort, reached for the pack, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with the lighter, blowing out a puff of smoke as he provocatively looked at Lu Xi.
Lu Xi lowered her eyes, her face calm, leaned in, and placed a hand on his arm.
Right where he was injured.
Xie Heng was wearing short sleeves indoors, and his wound was bruised and purple. When pressed suddenly, he winced in pain.
“Hurts?” Lu Xi pressed again, her tone cold. “Good, it should.”
Xie Heng kept silent, his lips tightly shut.
She calmly sat down on the other side of Xie Heng, waved away the smoke, and frowned. “Stop smoking.”
Xie Heng smoked even more fervently, deliberately defying her. “I will smoke. Listening to you makes me a dog.”
“……”
Lu Xi leaned close to his ear and whispered, “I’ll tell you a secret. Your Mom hates it when people smoke. It makes her very sad.”
“……” Xie Heng suddenly tasted bitterness in his mouth. He frowned. “I don’t believe you.”
Lu Xi smiled. “When have you ever seen your Dad smoke?”
Xie Heng was suddenly struck hard by this:!
Damn, that makes so much sense!
He picked up the ashtray, reluctantly extinguishing the cigarette. “Fine, I won’t smoke.”
His face was sullen, as if saying, ‘I’m not happy about it, but I don’t want to smoke anymore.’
Resentful and arrogant.
The others took a light breath, unable to believe it.
The school tyrant actually listened obediently?
So he admitted he’s a dog?
Xie Heng chased everyone out.
In the private room.
Xie Heng, with a stern face, glared at Lu Xi. “What exactly do you want?”
Lu Xi said calmly, “Take you to the hospital.”
“Save it. Don’t waste your efforts. Even if you do all this, I won’t accept you.” Xie Heng, having just lost face, was eager to say something harsh to regain his ground.
Lu Xi looked at him, her expression exceedingly calm.
She leaned back in her seat, crossed her legs, and smiled slightly. “Fine, don’t go to the hospital. When your wound gets infected and spreads, you might have to shave your head and end up with a bald spot.”
“……” Xie Heng’s face stiffened.
Lu Xi continued to scare him, “Oh, and if your hair follicles get damaged, you might be bald for life. Are you ready for that?”
Xie Heng froze, clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his pale hands showing.
After a moment, he said, stifled, “Fine, I’ll go! Is that enough?”
Lu Xi thought he seemed a bit angry but powerless.
Indeed, whether it’s a middle-aged man experiencing a midlife crisis or a teenage boy, the fear of balding is deeply ingrained in their genes.
Emergency room of the hospital.
Xie Heng wasn’t seriously injured; the doctor quickly treated his wounds.
Fortunately, the injury on his head was only on his forehead and didn’t affect his scalp, so he didn’t need to shave his hair.
Only then did Xie Heng finally feel relieved.
The door of the examination room was pushed open, and someone walked in, placing a bottle of drink in front of him.
Walnut milk.
“…” Xie Heng looked up speechlessly, meeting Lu Xi’s meaningful gaze. She smiled and said, “You hurt your head, drink more to nourish your brain.”
It was almost as if she had the words ‘I think you’re dumb’ written on her face.
Xie Heng had injuries on his forehead, both arms, back, and knees. He leaned against the shadowy side of the examination room, with his long legs stretched out, carrying a shoulder bag, and his messy hair hanging loosely over his forehead. He looked defiant and somewhat disheveled.
Like a puppy that got caught in the rain.
Teenagers are always reckless, getting themselves hurt all over, but still stubbornly standing tall, pretending not to care.
“If you want to scold me, just do it.” Xie Heng scoffed, looking out the window nonchalantly.
Lu Xi blinked : “Why should I scold you?”
Xie Heng was taken aback, frowning : “I got into a fight, got hurt, and troubled you to come here. How could you not scold me?”
If it wasn’t for putting on a show for his Dad, she wouldn’t have come at all.
It was so embarrassing to lose face in front of his stepmother!
Lu Xi smiled : “I heard you fought to help a classmate, and you took on four people by yourself and only got minor injuries. I’m proud of you.”
The boy looked at her in astonishment.
Lu Xi’s tone changed : “But getting hurt and not coming to the hospital, that was really dumb and deserves a scolding.”
“…”
Xie Heng uncomfortably shifted his stance, putting his weight on his other leg.
So he did get scolded after all.
But he wasn’t angry at all?
Lu Xi’s straightforwardness was much better than his Dad’s silence. At least she didn’t look at him with utter disappointment, as if him saying another word was a waste of her time.
Even if she was pretending, at least her acting was good enough that he couldn’t tell.
After a few seconds of silence, Xie Heng awkwardly spoke, “It was five.”
Lu Xi : ?
“I mean, it wasn’t four people, it was five.” He slightly raised his chin, still sulking, but the corners of his mouth were lifted.
Lu Xi : Is that the main point?
This guy, if he really were a puppy, he’d probably be wagging his tail proudly by now, right?
But if he were, he’d definitely be a Husky.
Proud and clueless.
Lu Xi couldn’t help but roll her eyes, too lazy to respond to his silly words. She slung her bag over her shoulder and turned around briskly, “Let’s go home.”
Xie Heng pressed his lips together, watching her figure.
He dragged his feet to catch up.
“I’m sorry, I…” Xie Heng looked down at himself in his disheveled state and mumbled, “I accidentally dirtied the clothes you bought me.”
This is so cute! Thank you for translating 😊