Xie Heng really wanted to rush out and stand between Lu Xi and this guy to stop Ye Sisheng from constantly ‘sending signals’ to Ms. Lu. What if, after all that sparking, an actual fire ignited?
But his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know what was going on.
His entire face scrunched up in frustration.
Lu Xi : “…What do you mean?” She frowned in confusion and glanced at Ye Sisheng. “Mr. Ye, how old are you this year?”
Could it be that he just looked young but was actually nearing forty?
Otherwise, this didn’t make any sense at all.
Ye Sisheng was momentarily stunned, then he reacted and couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m thirty. I’ll be thirty-one on December 5th.”
Young Master Xie Heng, hiding behind the door and eavesdropping, bared his teeth.
This guy was such a schemer! Answering a question while slipping in extra information. Did she ask about his birthday? So manipulative!
Perfect looks, plus such a calculating mind, this guy successfully made Xie Heng feel an intense sense of crisis.
Lu Xi, however, didn’t notice the small detail. She did some quick mental math, and her expression turned incredulous. “So… sixteen years ago, you were only fourteen, a middle schooler… Mr. Ye, are you joking?”
She knew that middle schoolers could have crushes. Back when she was in middle school, plenty of boys and girls secretly dated, and many boys would stubbornly confess to her, insisting on walking her home.
But that was always between kids of the same age. She had never heard of anyone having a crush on someone much older. That just sounded absurd.
Besides, she truly didn’t remember him at all.
Ye Sisheng looked at Lu Xi.
She seemed to know quite a lot about ‘her’ past.
After a brief moment of hesitation, he said in a low voice, “I met you when I was twelve, at your house. I was Lu Ziyan’s classmate.”
He paused, and his tone became somewhat subtle. “Do you remember?”
The confusion in Lu Xi’s eyes lasted no more than three seconds before she recalled it.
Then, she fell silent.
She didn’t respond right away. Instead, she looked at Ye Sisheng, trying to connect him to the polite, adorable little boy in her memory.
It really did seem like him.
But the memory was too distant. If he hadn’t mentioned it, she would never have remembered.
Who would recall a little kid they had only spoken to once?
If she remembered correctly, she had been in college at the time, either in her sophomore or junior year. Back then, she rented an apartment off-campus and only returned to her Uncle’s house during holidays.
That particular day must have been the Mid-Autumn Festival. She had gone home for dinner, and her younger cousin happened to bring a friend over.
Lu Xi had been in her room working on a design draft. Once she finished, she gathered her things to head back to school, but on her way downstairs, she accidentally bumped into a boy holding a basketball, sending her design sketches scattering.
The boy was very polite. He immediately dropped his ball to help her pick them up and even said, “Sorry, Sister.”
At the time, Lu Xi didn’t like kids, especially her younger cousin’s friends. They were always noisy, running around and getting into trouble. But since it wasn’t her house, she had no choice but to tolerate it and avoid going back whenever possible.
Yet this boy was different. He was delicate-looking, well-mannered, and even called her ‘Sister’. Her impatience vanished instantly, and she couldn’t resist patting his head.
After he gathered all the papers and handed them back to her, he curiously pointed at the topmost sketch and asked, “Sister, did you draw this?”
Lu Xi glanced at the wedding dress design and nodded with a smile. “I’m going to wear this when I get married in the future.”
The boy stared at her with deep concentration.
If a boy her own age had looked at her so directly, she would have been uncomfortable and probably snapped at him. But this was just a little kid, a handsome and well-behaved one at that, so she simply saw him as a child and didn’t feel offended at all.
Then, she noticed a scrape on his knee, a fresh red wound.
Under her gaze, the boy looked a little shy and mumbled that he had gotten hurt playing basketball.
Seeing how pitiful he looked, Lu Xi’s heart softened. She pulled him into the living room, asked the housekeeper to bring the first-aid kit, and cleaned up his wound.
That was all.
After that, she rarely went home and never saw the boy again.
Now that she thought about it, all the details lined up. No wonder he had seen the wedding dress sketch before.
Lu Xi suddenly felt conflicted.
Could it be that he had really fallen for her after just that one encounter? That, despite her being nearly ten years older, he had harbored a crush all these years and even worked hard to track her down?
She couldn’t comprehend that kind of emotion.
From childhood to adulthood, she had received too much admiration and too many confessions from men. Emotionally and materially, she had never lacked love.
Perhaps that was exactly why she had been able to enter a loveless marriage so calmly. Because she was always surrounded by affection but had never truly experienced love herself.
As Lu Xi remained silent, Ye Sisheng seemed to realize something. He took a step forward, his gaze carrying a hint of anticipation and hesitation. He asked softly, “Do you remember me now?”
Lu Xi’s expression froze for a second.
How was she supposed to answer that?
Originally, when she reached out to Ye Sisheng today to ask him to be a witness, she had already prepared to reveal her identity.
Although Ye Sisheng seemed like an idle rich playboy, he gave her the impression of being steady and reliable. She didn’t think he would cause her any trouble.
But just moments ago, he had confessed his deep feelings to her. And now, if she admitted that she was the one he had secretly loved and pursued for over a decade… how awkward.
Ye Sisheng’s probing now indicated that he had already figured it out, and he just needed her confirmation.
“…”
As she hesitated, Xie Heng suddenly burst in. He was like a fiercely loyal guard dog, standing protectively in front of Lu Xi with an air of dominance.
He glared at Ye Sisheng, his gaze stubborn and tinged with hostility.
“Whether she does or doesn’t has nothing to do with you, outsider. Because she already has Old Xie—and me!” After saying that, he let out a cold snort, grabbed Lu Xi’s hand, and even remembered to pick up her little purse before dragging her straight out of Ye Sisheng’s office.
The employees at the entrance were stunned by his display.
It wasn’t until they entered the elevator that Lu Xi snapped out of her daze. She yanked her hand away from Xie Heng’s grip.
She stared at him, displeased, and demanded coldly, “What do you think you’re doing?”
Xie Heng was momentarily taken aback.
Then, he recalled her instructions before they set out: not to speak recklessly, not to act on his own, just to follow her quietly…
He had broken every single rule.
But given the situation, what else could he have done? That guy was about to figure out Lu Xi’s identity! If he didn’t intervene, Ye Sisheng would definitely latch onto her and never let go.
Even though his language skills weren’t great, he understood the meaning.
Ye Sisheng had liked Lu Xi for over ten years… from when he was twelve to now, at thirty-one.
Damn. Nineteen years. Xie Heng himself had only been alive for sixteen!
Nineteen years, that was a terrifying number.
“W-what did I do?” The teenager stiffened his neck, putting on an unbothered front. “I took my Dad’s money, so I have to get things done for him.”
Lu Xi furrowed her brows tightly, remaining silent as she gave Xie Heng an icy stare.
Even when they got to the basement parking lot and got into the car, the tense atmosphere didn’t ease one bit.
It was only then that Lu Xi asked in a calm yet skeptical tone, “Did your Dad really tell you to do this? I don’t believe it.”
Xie Heng hesitated for a few seconds but remained stubborn. “Of course he did.”
Technically, Xie Yizhao hadn’t given him explicit instructions, but he had taken the money, so he had to act accordingly. Given the situation just now, what other choice did he have?
Lu Xi took a slow breath before asking again, “Did your Dad tell you that, while I was discussing something important with someone, you should start shouting at them, drag me away without my consent, is that what he told you to do?”
Xie Heng : “…”
Ah.
He realized where he had messed up.
Sure, he had been a little impulsive, but what else could he have done? He couldn’t just stand by and watch, right?
Frustrated, he ruffled his hair and avoided Lu Xi’s gaze, his face set in stubborn defiance. “But you’re already married. Why was he saying all that nonsense? I was right there, and he still dared to confess to you?”
Lu Xi shot a glance at the rebellious blue-haired boy.
She let out a deep sigh. “You still don’t understand what you did wrong.”
“That’s because I didn’t do anything wrong!”
The tension in the car was palpable, completely different from the cheerful conversation they had on the way there.
Even the driver was extra cautious, afraid that one wrong move might trigger an explosion.
Hadn’t people been saying that Young Master and Madam had been getting along well lately? That he had been behaving himself?
Why did they leave in harmony but return at odds?
Lu Xi didn’t feel like talking to Xie Heng right now. This brat, after behaving well for a while, today he decided to act up again, giving her a headache.
She pulled out her phone, scrolling mindlessly. When her eyes grew tired, she gazed out the window, anything but looking at him.
Xie Heng also pretended to be indifferent, fiddling with his own phone. But his eyes kept darting toward Lu Xi.
He was frustrated, full of grievances.
He had done this for their family…
Yet she didn’t even say a single word of praise. Instead, she was mad at him.
Xie Heng couldn’t wrap his head around it.
He sulked silently for a long time, and when he finally noticed that Lu Xi’s expression had turned ice-cold, he began to feel the chill himself.
…So cold.
The teenager instinctively pulled up his collar, feeling a shiver in his heart.
His expression darkened, his fingers clenching tightly. He wanted to say something, but seeing how frosty she looked, it was as if something was stuck in his throat. He couldn’t get a single word out.
Should he apologize…?
But he hadn’t done anything wrong. How could he say something insincere just to make her happy? He wasn’t some mama’s boy.
He held it in, his knuckles nearly turning white from gripping his hands so hard. Just before they reached home, Xie Heng couldn’t help but quietly grumble, “I didn’t do anything wrong. Are you this mad because you actually have feelings for that guy?”
Lu Xi : “…”
This brat.
She had almost let it slide. The whole ride, Xie Heng had kept quiet, and she had been calming herself down, even planning to treat herself to a nice dinner to cheer up.
But now?
He was practically dancing on her landmines.
Even if he were her biological son, she couldn’t let this slide!