In the car, the atmosphere was silent and awkward.
Xie Heng sat in the front passenger seat, wearing a nonchalant smile. Xie Yizhao was in the back with Lu Xi, one of them playing on their phone, the other staring ahead with a blank expression, seemingly lost in thought.
The driver had no idea what was going on in this family.
But he was a bit nervous.
When he had to avoid an electric bike, he stepped on the brake, swallowing nervously as he tried to keep the car steady, but it still swayed slightly.
Actually, the feeling wasn’t very noticeable in this modified luxury car.
But the Madam didn’t have her seatbelt on and was still a little dizzy, so she tilted sideways until the man next to her caught her.
Xie Yizhao spoke softly, “Drive more steadily.”
His tone wasn’t harsh, but it carried a heavy sense of pressure.
Xie Heng scoffed. The driver was scared of his Dad, but he wasn’t.
In the past, he had more or less feared Xie Yizhao, partly because of his Dad’s position, and partly because his Dad was too powerful, always looking down on others as if his Dad was omnipotent. Xie Heng couldn’t even grasp his Dad’s thoughts.
But things were different now.
Since Ms. Lu came into the picture, to put it bluntly, his Dad had become more like a real person.
Xie Yizhao had some warmth.
Even if he was a billionaire businessman outside, he still got scolded by Ms. Lu when he got home.
His wife was being coquettish, and he had to cooperate, even carrying her to the car like a laborer.
Even if she teased his face, he couldn’t get angry.
Hahaha!
He was even worse off than Xie Heng!
Xie Heng thought the more than three thousand yuan spent tonight was totally worth it! It was much more entertaining than any drama.
“I… I’m fine now,” Lu Xi said, shaking her head and quickly becoming much clearer.
She wasn’t really drunk.
Just a little tipsy, not enough to lose all sense. Earlier, when she touched the man’s face, it was just something she couldn’t hold back.
What’s wrong with touching someone’s face? It wouldn’t make a piece of flesh fall off.
Lu Xi felt calm and justified.
But holding her now… didn’t seem necessary?
Xie Yizhao lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on her. His look was faint but deep, with no emotion in his voice, “You’re drunk, don’t move around.”
Lu Xi replied, “…I’m not drunk.”
She had to clarify for herself.
There was no need to argue with a drunk person. Xie Yizhao pressed his lips together and gently applied some pressure, just enough to let her rest her head on his shoulder.
The man had a calming, cold fragrance that made people feel at ease.
Lu Xi blinked, feeling quite comfortable leaning against him, so she obediently stayed in that position.
Xie Heng, from the rearview mirror, saw this scene and suddenly felt a bit out of place.
“Cough, cough—” He purposely made a loud noise, pulling at the corner of his mouth with a teasing smile.
Xie Yizhao glanced at his son’s bright blue scalp in the mirror.
“I haven’t asked you yet. Why go out for a meal, and let her drink so much?” the man asked in a deep voice.
The boy’s shoulders stiffened. Meeting his Dad’s indifferent gaze, which carried an invisible authority, still made him feel a bit of fear. He muttered softly, “She drank rice wine, who knew it would get her drunk?”
If this were a game, he would definitely say, ‘bad at it but still love to play.’
But now, it’s Ms. Lu who did the deed, but she can pluck hairs from his old Dad’s mouth1, use his CEO Dad as a human cushion, and yet, it’s him who got scolded.
But from now on, he would remember it thoroughly.
Ms. Lu is delicate and needs to be properly attended to.
She can’t be disturbed too much, or she’ll faint.
She can’t touch alcohol, or she’ll get drunk after just one glass.
After getting home, it was still early, and the servants hadn’t gone to bed yet. Xie Yizhao ordered someone to make a bowl of hangover soup for Lu Xi.
Lu Xi thought he was being a bit dramatic and tugged at his sleeve. “It’s fine, I’m just a bit tipsy, I’m already sober now.”
Xie Yizhao dismissively said, “It’ll feel better after you drink it.”
He then casually took her hand, leaving Xie Heng behind, and walked directly toward the elevator.
Lu Xi froze for a moment.
Her gaze dropped to their intertwined hands, and something stirred in her heart.
They were married, so holding hands wasn’t a big deal, but they rarely did it. The only times were at their wedding or in public after marriage.
Lu Xi had always thought holding hands was more romantic than hugging or kissing. As the old saying goes, ‘Hand in hand, growing old together.’ But their marriage was arranged, without love. If they held hands for no reason, she’d probably suspect he was up to something.
But now, things seemed different.
The man’s palm was dry and warm, sending a reassuring, steady feeling. Lu Xi slowly looked at his side profile. Though still handsome and sharp, he was no longer in his twenties, so he was lacking that youthful sharpness. But, he had become more considerate.
Now, Xie Yizhao was already a business tycoon in the eyes of others. He had wealth and power, and with a stomp of his foot, the business world would shake. Many feared him and respected him, but Lu Xi found that, compared to before, she liked the current Xie Yizhao even more.
Back in the room.
Xie Yizhao knew the first thing Lu Xi would do when they got home was take a shower. He took off his suit, loosened his tie, and touched Lu Xi’s forehead. Seeing that her temperature was fine, he said, “Don’t take a bath tonight. Just shower.”
Lu Xi nodded. She was aware of the basics; she wasn’t a fool.
Xie Yizhao watched her, his gaze deep in the warm orange light, his cold face softened with warmth.
His hand traced down her forehead, stopping at her left cheek, where his thumb gently brushed over it a few times.
Her face was soft, smooth, and delicate—perfect to the touch.
Xie Yizhao hadn’t thought much about it. He just wanted to check her temperature, but for some reason, when she looked at him with those bright and proud eyes, his heart suddenly flustered, and he lost control of his hand.
Now, however, even though he knew it was wrong, he found he didn’t want to pull his hand back.
Lu Xi : ?
Was this his way of getting back at her for teasing him earlier?
Such a big man, surely he wouldn’t be so petty?
But Xie Yizhao’s self-control was remarkable. He silently lowered his hand, suppressing the hint of something unusual in his gaze, and calmly said, “Try to drink less when you’re out, unless I’m there.” He paused. “Or, it’s also okay if Xiao Heng is with you.”
“…Got it. I know my limits.”
Lu Xi averted her gaze from him and furrowed her brows.
It’s just that the man was too meticulous, and suddenly, she felt something strange in her heart.
Out of the blue, she thought of a term she had learned from a dating reality show: ‘father-type boyfriend.’
So, isn’t Xie Yizhao… a father-type husband now?
They spent the night together, just like usual, peacefully.
But today, Lu Xi got up early, which even surprised Xie Yizhao.
She was honestly a bit excited.
The thought of starting her own career, creating her own brand, and designing clothes she liked made her so excited that she couldn’t sleep.
But she was awake without getting out of bed, watching as Xie Yizhao got up, changed clothes, went for a run, then took a cold shower, looking full of energy before heading to work.
Lu Xi : “…”
Her phone suddenly started to feel hot in her hands.
Compared to him, she seemed like a bit of a lazy fish.
He had already reached the peak, and yet still had such self-control. When compared to him, she seemed like a lazy salted fish with nothing but daydreams and poor grades.
She suddenly understood why Xie Heng felt so much pressure when facing his Dad.
By the time breakfast came around, she ran into Xie Heng at the table and couldn’t help but curl her lips.
It was already ten o’clock.
Normal high school students wake up early, stay up late, and focus entirely on studying. But look at him—completely relaxed, no sense of urgency, waking up at this time, still full of energy, clearly well-rested.
He’s a poor student, and she’s more like an unemployed person.
Not long after breakfast, Xu Jiaming and Yang Yihan arrived at the house.
She brought a bottle of fine wine and a beautifully wrapped box of chocolate. “I was shooting in Europe a few days ago, and a friend at a winery gave this to me. I tried it, and it tastes great. The chocolate is from the local area too.”
Yang Yihan knew the Xie family didn’t lack such things, but it was just a token of her thoughtfulness.
Lu Xi had made a bit of a fool of herself over wine last night. She took the wine wrapped in champagne-colored ribbon, smiled, and asked the servant to put it away.
As for the chocolate, she opened it right away and ate it.
“Are you here to see Xiao Heng?” Lu Xi asked, sending the servant to call him downstairs.
That guy went back to his room after breakfast, not sure what he was doing.
Xu Jiaming, always polite and gentle, looked clean and sunny today, his short black hair neatly styled, looking very fresh.
He smiled and nodded.
Xie Heng soon came clattering down the stairs. Just then, Song Siyang also arrived at the house, and the three young men went out together.
Lu Xi had met Song Siyang before; his family also lived in the villa district, and he was quite close with Xie Heng.
“I won’t be back for lunch,” Xie Heng said as he hurried out.
Song Siyang, seeing that he was talking to the butler but shouting across the living room, was a bit puzzled.
Then he glanced at the basketball in Xie Heng’s hand and was somewhat surprised. “Didn’t you say you were going to play games? If we’re playing basketball, I have to go home and change shoes.”
Xie Heng: “Who said I’m playing games? I’m going to your place!”
Song Siyang: “Going to my place to play games? Alright, I’m in!”
Anyway, his parents aren’t home during the day, so they can order takeout later and happily play games all day.
Xu Jiaming glanced at him as if he were looking at a fool, someone who was still in the dark, pitifully so.
He said calmly, “Xie Heng asked me to tutor him.”
“…” Xie Heng felt a little embarrassed, losing the dignity of the school tyrant. But in front of his friends, he didn’t care much about his ‘tyrant’ persona.
From the moment he asked Xu Jiaming to help him with his studies, he had already lost all dignity.
Song Siyang : ???
What’s going on?
He blankly pulled out his phone and looked at the message Xie Heng had sent him the night before.
He stared at it for a moment, then his face turned pale.
[I’ll borrow your house tomorrow, Xu Jiaming is going to tutor me.]
Yesterday, while eating, he had only glanced at it and had read it as ‘Xu Jiaming is going to support2 me.’
“…”
So it’s not ‘support,’ it’s ‘tutor’?
He felt incredibly annoyed.
What has been going on with his brother Xie Heng lately?
The three of them arrived at Song’s house.
The reason Xie Heng chose this place was because it was in Villa Area B, which was far from his home, and Song Siyang’s parents didn’t have any connection with his family, so there was no worry about leaks. Otherwise, he would’ve gone directly to Xu Jiaming’s house, right?
But he still made a warning upfront, “Don’t tell anyone that I’ve been studying lately, or we won’t be friends anymore!”
Xu Jiaming wondered, is this something to be embarrassed about?
Then Song Siyang, with his hand on his chest, confidently guaranteed, “Don’t worry, Brother Heng, we won’t let you lose face!”
“…”
Xu Jiaming pursed his lips.
Great, now he’s stuck in the world of study slackers.
The Song family has three large study rooms: one for each of Song parents, and one for Song Siyang. Song Siyang’s is the most empty.
Song Siyang led them inside and took a look at Xie Heng, still unable to believe it. He asked, “Is this for real? Are you sure? It’s such a nice day, aren’t you going to play basketball?”
Xu Jiaming put down his backpack and pulled out a folder filled with papers he’d prepared based on Xie Heng’s situation.
He said calmly, “Of course, I’m getting paid, so I’ll be serious about it.”
Xie Heng ground his back teeth together, “Don’t worry, I won’t back out, but you’ve got to make me move up fifty ranks in the midterm exams!”
He wasn’t one to owe anyone a favor, so he promised to send Xu Jiaming a signed basketball from a retired star player. The signed version was hard to find.
Song Siyang : “…Fifty ranks? That’s too difficult, right?”
“Obviously!” Xie Heng sneered, “So I’ll just secretly move up fifty ranks and amaze everyone.”
“…”
Xu Jiaming had nothing to say.
Fiftieth from below? Who would be amazed by that…
In the living room of the Xie family.
Lu Xi regarded Yang Yihan as a friend and had told Yang Yihan about the invitation from Master Louis a few days ago, saying she planned to decline and design independently.
Yang Yihan’s eyes lit up, and she smiled, “That’s great, your taste is good, and you know how to design. You can do whatever you like,” she paused and added, “but that old man has a terrible temper, you don’t need to put up with him.”
Lu Xi wasn’t worried about that.
She agreed with the first part of Yang Yihan’s statement—she designed clothes only for her own happiness. If she could make money, that was great, but if not, she’d just enjoy it herself. After all, she wasn’t short of money.
Louis was a Master she admired, but she’d heard many scary rumors about him in the industry. If she really worked with him, it might drive her crazy.
“Maybe one day I’ll wear the clothes you design and walk the red carpet.”
Yang Yihan’s tone was sincere, and Lu Xi felt flattered. She smiled, then furrowed her brows. “I haven’t figured out how to start yet—finding a studio, hiring employees… it’s all so troublesome.”
Lu Xi had never worked before.
She graduated and became Mrs. Xie, never having experienced the hardships of being a corporate slave.
Yang Yihan thought for a moment. “Why not ask Mr. Xie for help? It should be a piece of cake for him.”
She didn’t know Xie Yizhao personally, but his reputation was well-known, and she naturally understood his strength. Helping his wife with small matters would be effortless for him.
Lu Xi : !
Right!
How come she didn’t think of such an easy solution? Thankfully, Yang Yihan reminded her.
This is what they call ‘the darkest place is under the lamp.’ She had been lying in bed with that man last night, yet she forgot to discuss it with him.
Yang Yihan was happy to help Lu Xi as well.
Yang Yihan had work in the afternoon, so after chatting for a bit, she got up to say goodbye.
Then, Lu Xi made a call to Assistant Li.
“Once Mr. Xie is free, ask him to return my call. I need to talk to him.”
Assistant Li pursed his lips.
The only person in the world who could boss Mr. Xie around like that was his wife.
However, Mr. Xie’s expression wasn’t great. His eyes were downcast, thinking about something, and there was an aura of displeasure around him.
Every so often, Young Master Ye from the Ye family would send over a document. It was personal, and even Li Xiao didn’t know its contents.
Whenever Xie Yizhao finished reading it, he would always have this cold, stern expression.
Li Xiao asked Lu Xi to wait, then knocked on the door before entering cautiously. “Mr. Xie, your wife is calling.”
Mr. Xie had instructed that if it was a call from his wife or son, it should be relayed to him immediately.
“Mm, you can go out.”
Xie Yizhao softened his expression, closed the file sent by Ye Sisheng, which contained trivial clues from a private detective. Though they were useless, he received them regularly every few days.
Xie Yizhao understood his intent.
The information was being compiled, hoping that Xie Yizhao might find something his side couldn’t uncover.
This was why, over the years, even though Xie Yizhao understood Ye Sisheng’s feelings, he had never acted on them. In the end, Ye Sisheng was just a pitiful man who admired his wife, and Ye Sisheng’s actions were still upright.
Even though their stances were opposed, Ye Sisheng was still a respectable opponent.
Moreover… he didn’t even consider Ye Sisheng an opponent.
“Xixi?” Xie Yizhao spoke gently.
Lu Xi didn’t notice anything unusual in his tone. She excitedly shared her plan, without hesitation, directly asking for his help.
She had always spent his money without a second thought, never planning to be polite with him.
Of course, Xie Yizhao wouldn’t refuse.
He realized that when he heard Lu Xi ask for his help, something in his heart was unexpectedly soothed. All the earlier displeasure was gone, replaced by a sense of satisfaction.
And a feeling of accomplishment.
“I understand,” he said, his voice calm and emotionless.
After a pause, Xie Yizhao suddenly said softly, “How about this—let me pick you up for dinner tonight, and we can talk about the details.”
Lu Xi was taken aback. “Dinner tonight?”
“Yes, just the two of us.”
Lu Xi blinked, holding the phone. Suddenly, from the man’s deep tone, she sensed a hint of something ambiguous.
Was he trying to take her out on a date?
- The phrase “pluck hairs from one’s mouth” (在老父亲嘴边拔毛) is a Chinese idiom-like expression. It means taking advantage of someone close to you, especially someone powerful, without consequences—like boldly extracting benefits from someone who could easily refuse or retaliate. In this context, Lu Xi dares to act spoiled and push boundaries with the powerful Xie Yizhao, yet he indulges her instead of reprimanding her. ↩︎
- As in the support role in games ↩︎
Oho~ Our Dad got rizz 😎🫦