The school uniform competition was scheduled for 2 PM.
There was plenty of time, but Lu Xi decided to go early. Mingli High School had a lot of activities today, and the entire campus was beautifully decorated, exuding a strong anniversary celebration atmosphere. It had been a long time since she had set foot in a high school campus, and this was a rare chance to relive school life. She was excited, so much so that she had trouble falling asleep last night—just like when she was a child, eagerly anticipating a spring outing the next day.
To match the youthful atmosphere, she dressed up: a short, thin sweater, a plaid suspender skirt, retro dad sneakers, and her hair tied up in a playful little ponytail. She looked just like a student.
When Xie Yizhao saw her coming downstairs with a small backpack on her shoulders, he was momentarily dazed.
For a second, he thought there was a college girl in his house.
Then he looked at Xie Heng, who had casually thrown on a white hoodie, black sweatpants, and basketball shoes, slinging his backpack loosely over one shoulder. As he walked over to Lu Xi, he couldn’t resist reaching out to tug at her small ponytail. Lu Xi immediately raised a hand and pinched his cheek.
Laughing, teasing…
And himself? Xie Yizhao had just returned from a business trip, still dressed formally. Walking beside them, he suddenly felt out of place.
He couldn’t help but recall his unfilial son’s words about a ‘stray young man’…
In the backseat, Lu Xi hummed a song, glancing at her phone, then out the window.
Xie Yizhao sat in silence, watching his wife’s beautiful profile.
He knew she had plenty of choices. As a man, he understood how attractive a woman like Lu Xi could be to others.
He suddenly became aware of the gap between them.
After she came back, she had deliberately sought him out to say she wanted to sleep in separate rooms.
Could it be that… she really found him too old?
No matter what thoughts swirled in his mind, his expression remained unreadable. Even though he had the day off today and was accompanying his wife and son to the school event, he was still busy with work. He occasionally answered calls and handled business on his phone.
Lu Xi didn’t notice anything unusual about him at all.
She was in an exceptionally good mood today.
It was rare. She hadn’t liked her high school years. Back then, studying had felt like a task to complete, and every minute of school, she had just wanted to graduate. But after growing up, she found herself envying the carefree students running around on campus, reminiscing about the simple, worry-free days of youth.
Thanks to her son, she had the chance to return to campus today and experience the high school atmosphere again.
The school anniversary event had drawn many parents, and by the time they arrived, the school was already packed.
Near the entrance, there was a large signature board where students and parents could leave their names as a memento and take photos with it.
Lu Xi had always disliked such activities, but today, she was eager to participate.
After getting out of the car, she headed straight for the signature board, grabbing Xie Yizhao’s hand with one hand and dragging her reluctant son with the other.
“What are you doing? I don’t want to sign or take pictures, this is so embarrassing!” Xie Heng’s face was full of resistance.
In the end, he was still dragged to the signature board by his hat, looking utterly defeated as they snapped a photo.
Lu Xi wasn’t satisfied yet. After all three of them had signed, she randomly picked a familiar-looking student and asked him to take a family photo for them.
That student happened to be Luo Xuan.
Pushing up his glasses, he grinned brightly. “Sure! Get into position!”
He even crouched down to find the best angle, looking quite professional.
Many students passing by stopped to watch. Everyone at school knew Xie Heng, and as more people gathered, it felt like a spectacle.
Xie Heng : “…”
He lowered his head, and even his striking blue hair seemed to lose some of its shine.
He got it now. Today, with Lu Xi around, his dignity was doomed.
His infamous ‘school tyrant’ reputation was probably finished.
Still, he couldn’t help but struggle one last time. Turning to Xie Yizhao, he protested to Lu Xi in dissatisfaction : “It’s not just me who thinks this is embarrassing. Ask my dad! He doesn’t want to take pictures either!”
His Dad was, after all, the CEO of a large corporation, and a renowned public figure. His Dad had even refused to be featured on the covers of business magazines, and now Lu Xi was making his Dad play along with this childish game, How could his Dad possibly agree?
Hearing this, Lu Xi narrowed her eyes at Xie Yizhao and softly asked, “Really? You don’t want to take a picture?”
Xie Yizhao had actually been cooperating quite well, but now that his son had thrown him under the bus, he simply recalled the morning’s experience, keeping his expression perfectly neutral as he replied in a warm voice, “Nonsense. I don’t take photos often, so I’m not very photogenic. But actually, this is quite fun.”
Xie Heng : “?”
His Dad was truly a ruthless businessman, telling such blatant lies without even blinking an eye.
Xie Heng admitted defeat.
With his Dad as an example, he had no choice but to cooperate obediently. He let Luo Xuan take dozens of photos and then watched as Lu Xi carefully selected her favorite nine to post on her social media.
Gazing at the campus scenery, Lu Xi grew more interested and said to Xie Heng, “Where are the prettiest spots in your school? Take me there for more photos.”
Xie Heng shuddered.
No way, more photos?
Sorry, but even if it were his own mother, he couldn’t handle this anymore.
He frowned, quickly scanning the area until his eyes landed on Luo Xuan standing nearby. Without hesitation, he strode over, threw an arm around Luo Xuan, and leaned heavily on him.
Luo Xuan, who was a full head shorter than Xie Heng, almost stumbled from the sudden weight.
Luo Xuan was taken aback. Xie Heng seeking him out to play? That was unexpected.
“Didn’t you say yesterday that there’s an event in class, Luo Xuan? Come on, let’s go!” Xie Heng said hurriedly. Then, flashing a bright, confident smile, he waved at Lu Xi. “Take your time wandering and taking pictures! See you at lunch!”
His scalp tingled with unease. Before Lu Xi could even react, he half-dragged Luo Xuan away.
Lu Xi watched his hasty retreat and blinked with amusement.
The little traitor was really going to great lengths to escape taking photos.
Still, seeing him getting along better with his classmates made her happy.
Now, Xie Heng was starting to seem like a normal high school student, joking around with his peers, and having them willingly include him. Unlike when she first met him, when he was all sharp edges, exuding an arrogant air as if he looked down on the whole world.
With Xie Heng gone, that left only Xie Yizhao to accompany her.
Lu Xi linked arms with him, strolling leisurely through the campus in the fresh morning breeze. Xie Yizhao also set aside his work for the time being, focusing on keeping her company. Time seemed to slow down.
Mingli High School wasn’t as vast as a university campus, and there weren’t too many places to explore. But it was beautiful in its own right, with plenty of picturesque spots if one paid attention.
Like the graffiti wall next to the convenience store, the golden ginkgo tree outside the art building, the swings by the lake, and the basketball court.
Lu Xi handed her phone to Xie Yizhao, guiding him on how to take pictures, teaching him about angles and timing his shots.
After many failed attempts, he finally managed to take some decent photos.
Lu Xi let out a deep sigh. That had been a struggle.
Seeing the bizarre angles he had captured, she felt like she had taken a thousand hits, but she forced herself to stay patient and keep coaching him. This was really testing her!
When they reached the basketball court, Lu Xi, feeling a bit tired, found a bench and sat down.
Xie Heng was playing on the court. When he noticed them arrive, his gaze flickered, but he quickly pretended not to see them.
Lu Xi glanced at Xie Yizhao, and they exchanged a knowing smile.
“Honestly, do you find it boring doing this with me?” Lu Xi tilted her head and asked Xie Yizhao.
The man pressed his lips together briefly, then shook his head.
In truth, he had been thinking the whole time about how to close the distance between them, how to make it seem like there wasn’t such a big gap between them. He was willing to do anything he could.
“It’s a refreshing experience. If you want, I can take more pictures for you in the future,” Xie Yizhao said, giving her fingers a light squeeze. His tone was relaxed. “Trust me, I’ll get better at it.”
Lu Xi smiled. “Alright.”
Just then, a car pulled up by the roadside, and a man stepped out, walking toward Xie Yizhao with a warm smile. He extended a hand for a handshake. “President Xie! What a coincidence! Are you here for the school anniversary too?”
“Yeah.” Xie Yizhao responded with a neutral tone.
The man greeted Lu Xi as well before lowering his voice to mention a certain business project. Seeing that they had started discussing work, Lu Xi wandered off to the basketball court to watch the high school students play.
Not long after, a basketball suddenly rolled toward her feet from the side.
Lu Xi paused for a moment, then looked up to see a boy jogging toward her. She picked up the ball and tossed it back to him.
“Thanks!” The boy caught the ball but didn’t leave right away. Instead, he walked up to Lu Xi with a bright, sunny grin.
“Hey, which class are you in? I’m a third-year. Want to add me on WeChat?”
Lu Xi : “…”
Another one trying to flirt?
Was it that she dressed too childishly today, or was it that boys these days all liked the older sister type?
She smiled and shook her head in refusal. “It’s not convenient. You should hurry back to your game.”
The boy was quite cute, but he should leave quickly, before her family’s little troublemaker saw him. She didn’t want the poor kid to get beaten up.
“Huh? I can’t?” The boy scratched his head, his clear eyes looking at Lu Xi. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
Lu Xi pressed her lips together.
Not just a man, she had a son too. If she told him that, he’d probably be scared to death.
Unfortunately, Xie Yizhao was not far away. He had seen everything, and suddenly, he lost all interest in his business discussion.
—Ha.
He was standing right here, and already, some young wild boy was eagerly trying to take his place?
He walked straight to Lu Xi’s side. When she tilted her little face up and gave him a sweet smile, his mood eased slightly. Then, as if declaring his ownership, he wrapped an arm around her waist.
The boy froze.
“She doesn’t have a boyfriend,” Xie Yizhao said, his gaze dark as he glanced at the rebellious son running toward them. He continued meaningfully, “But she does have a husband. Oh, and a son, Xie Heng. Do you know him?”
The boy was completely stunned.
He did know Xie Heng. They played basketball together all the time.
So he had just tried to hit on his junior’s Mom?
Right in front of her husband and son?!