Xie Heng finished speaking before realizing that what he had just said seemed a bit absurd.
He averted his gaze uncomfortably.
But since the words were already out, there was no taking them back. He meant no harm. He just wanted Ye Sisheng to back off.
Bringing up the collection room out of nowhere… Sure, Xie Heng was interested, but if Ye Sisheng thought this could buy Xie Heng over, he’d better save the effort.
Even though Xie Heng wasn’t particularly close to Old Xie, he still knew how to differentiate between family and outsiders.
Xie Heng raised an eyebrow nonchalantly. “Yeah, my Dad has a wide range of hobbies, and he and Ms. Lu have a lot in common. They get along really well.”
When he said this, the boy actually felt a little guilty.
At home, he rarely saw them chatting. Usually, after dinner, his Dad would go straight to the study.
Old Xie liked reading business magazines, which Ms. Lu never touched.
Ms. Lu loved watching dramatic soap operas and variety shows, laughing out loud while watching them. Even he wasn’t interested in those, let alone his Dad.
But whether they had common interests or not, they at least had one thing in common—him.
Wasn’t his existence more convincing than any shared hobbies?
Thinking of this, Xie Heng lifted his chin. His face remained expressionless, but there was an undeniable trace of arrogance in his demeanor.
To Ye Sisheng, Xie Heng was just a kid, still at an immature age.
His thoughts were as transparent as a blank sheet of paper, everything he was thinking laid bare.
Ye Sisheng chuckled silently but said nothing.
After that office encounter, his initial suspicions, which were at a three-point, had jumped straight to an eight-point. These past few days, he couldn’t stop thinking about it, yet he hadn’t found the opportunity to confirm his thoughts.
If he really wanted to, he could always find a way.
But even if there was just one or two points of doubt, it felt like something was holding him back, making him feel powerless. He instinctively avoided facing it, unwilling to truly seek confirmation.
Ye Sisheng didn’t consider himself a love-struck fool—he was rational.
Right now, this Lu Xi, even if she really was who he thought she was, from beginning to end, she still had another identity—Mrs. Xie.
Over the years, he had never given up searching for her. Rather than love, it was more like an obsession.
Deep down, he knew he had no place standing by her side.
And he certainly had no right to question her identity.
After thinking it over, he still came today.
As for why he was here, he wasn’t sure himself. Perhaps just to congratulate Lu Xi on her grand opening.
Ye Sisheng stopped speaking, and Xie Heng had no interest in starting a conversation. Thankfully, the elevator soon arrived.
Lu Xi’s studio was on the ninth floor, in a prime location. It was a short distance from the elevator, not too far inside, and it had the highest rent on the floor.
The entrance was already filled with various flower baskets.
Some were from parents at the school, others from Xie Yizhao’s business partners who, upon hearing about his wife’s studio opening, sent gifts as a gesture of goodwill.
Among them was the flower basket Ye Sisheng had sent in advance, placed alongside the others.
At the entrance, Wei Ning was instructing the receptionist, “There’s no more room for flower baskets here, so move some to the hallway, but make sure they don’t block the walkway.”
She looked up and immediately spotted a strikingly handsome young man. She beamed and greeted him in a crisp voice, “Xiao Xie, you’re here! Mr. Xie just arrived, you can go in!”
She blinked and then noticed the man beside Xie Heng, her eyes lighting up again.
Oh my god, all the men visiting Lu Xi’s studio today were ridiculously handsome.
Mr. Xie was beyond question—handsome, mature, and composed, with an elegant yet stern demeanor. But since he was the boss’s man, she didn’t dare stare too long.
Xiao Xie, on the other hand, had the perfect face of a school hunk who is also a school tyrant. Every time she saw him, her heart couldn’t help but flutter wildly.
This man next to Xie Heng, though—she hadn’t seen him before. He had a refined and striking appearance, with a pair of deep, alluring eyes that made him look like a noble prince straight out of a manga.
Wei Ning had just watched a drama full of unattractive men the night before and was so annoyed she had nightmares. Now, her eyes had been thoroughly cleansed!
She couldn’t help but steal a few more glances, delighted, but trying her best to act normal.
Xie Heng, meanwhile, had no recollection of who she was. He only frowned and asked in surprise, “My Dad’s here? Where?”
At this hour, his Dad shouldn’t even be off work yet.
How did his Dad get here before him?
Wei Ning replied, “He just arrived not long ago. He should be in Ms. Lu’s office.”
Hearing this, Xie Heng stepped inside without a second thought, not bothering with Ye Sisheng beside him.
Upon entering the studio, he glanced around. The place wasn’t big, just about 150 square meters, but it was well-organized. He quickly spotted the largest office, where he could see Xie Yizhao and Lu Xi inside, sitting across from each other.
Xie Heng smirked and was about to walk in—
Only to be stopped at the door by Li Xiao.
“Young Master, wait a moment. You shouldn’t go in right now.” Li Xiao gave him a meaningful look.
Xie Heng frowned. Inside were his Dad and his Mom.
Why couldn’t he go in?
Li Xiao couldn’t explain things clearly in front of a kid. Inside, President Xie was busy playing romantic with his wife, giving her a gift. The present hadn’t even been taken out yet. If the Young Master walked in now, wouldn’t he be an 800-watt lightbulb, illuminating the entire office?
“Just wait a few minutes,” he said vaguely.
Although Xie Heng was unwilling, he had matured a lot recently and learned to restrain himself. He knew Assistant Li must have his reasons for saying this.
He didn’t dare to barge in recklessly anymore, so he had no choice but to hold back and wait outside.
However, while he could control his legs, he couldn’t control his eyes.
The three people outside almost simultaneously glanced into the office.
Inside, Xie Yizhao had just taken out a red envelope and handed it to Lu Xi, speaking calmly, “Open it and take a look.”
Lu Xi was momentarily stunned. Thinking it contained money, she gave the man a playful glance, then opened it and curiously pulled out the contents.
A thin piece of paper lay flat inside.
A check?
When she saw the amount written on it, she froze, inhaling sharply. Her almond-shaped eyes widened as she stared at Xie Yizhao, her expression filled with both surprise and doubt. “This much money… Are you serious? Just giving it to me?”
Xie Yizhao sighed helplessly, but his gaze carried a sense of ease and pleasure. “Not giving it for free. I pay you, and in return, you owe me thirty sets of personally designed menswear.”
As he spoke, he paused, looking at his wife somewhat uncertainly.
Would she like this arrangement? If she found it troublesome, she didn’t actually have to make the clothes. He just thought it would add a sense of ceremony and match her interests.
Lu Xi held the weightless check, smiling as she carefully placed it back into the red envelope.
She did a quick calculation. This meant each outfit was worth 1.5 million!
That was an astronomical design fee!
With just this one order, she could afford to take years off and still support her entire studio without taking on any other work.
“CEO Xie, I accept this order. Is there a deadline?” Lu Xi asked.
Xie Yizhao lowered his gaze and replied lightly, “No, quality takes time. Just remember you owe me the clothes.”
“Any specific requirements?”
His eyes flickered slightly as they met her bright, shining gaze. With refined elegance, he said, “I don’t understand fashion, but you do. I’ll leave it to you, CEO Lu.”
Lu Xi’s eyes sparkled, her smile nearly overflowing from her face.
A client who paid generously, made no demands, and when asked for requirements, simply said, ‘Do whatever you like’… If only all clients were like this! She wouldn’t mind having a dozen more of them!
But deep down, she knew such deals could only be made with family.
If it were an outsider, even if they offered the same terms, she would refuse. Because hidden behind it would be a mountain of favors to return.
Xie Yizhao’s real purpose in doing this was simple.
He just wanted to make her happy.
Lu Xi felt a warm flutter in her chest, as if a little deer had jumped in and started dancing. Feeling ecstatic, she leaped up and threw herself into Xie Yizhao’s arms, kissing his cold, chiseled cheek.
“CEO Xie, you’re the best!”
Xie Heng stood there, completely dumbfounded, staring blankly for several seconds.
Wait… Was this even appropriate for a high schooler to witness?
He frowned, too shocked to even feel embarrassed, when he suddenly caught a glimpse of Ye Sisheng from the corner of his eye.
The man’s expression was unreadable, but his face seemed paler than before.
Adults often concealed their emotions without making a scene.
Ye Sisheng showed no signs of losing composure. Instead, he gave Xie Heng a slight smile and said, “Please tell Mrs. Xie I stopped by. Congratulations on her successful business opening.”
With that, he turned and left, his face indifferent.
Li Xiao was still reeling from the shock of what had just happened in the office when he suddenly realized something and asked Xie Heng, “Wasn’t that Mr. Ye?”
Xie Heng ignored Li Xiao. He frowned as a thought surfaced in his mind, then took long strides to catch up.
Ye Sisheng had just stepped out, walking slowly with a slight hesitation in his steps. His whole demeanor seemed subdued.
It didn’t take long for Xie Heng to catch up.
“Mr. Ye!”
The boy’s voice pulled Ye Sisheng from his daze. He turned his head to look at the boy.
“Do you need something?”
Xie Heng keenly noticed a flicker of avoidance in Ye Sisheng’s eyes, as if he was trying to hide some deep emotions.
For a moment, Xie Heng felt a little sympathy.
After all, Ye Sisheng hadn’t actually done anything wrong. He hadn’t tried to break up his family.
“Um…” Xie Heng wasn’t great with words. After thinking for a moment, he said vaguely, “Don’t look for her anymore. She’s doing well. You don’t have to worry.”
A faint light flickered in Ye Sisheng’s eyes. “Does that mean…”
Xie Heng interrupted him. “Don’t ask. It’s none of your business. Actually, you’re a good person.”
He hesitated, feeling that giving someone a ‘good person card’ like this might be rude. So he added, “You’ll find a great girlfriend someday.”
At the same time, he kept one thought to himself.
Ye Sisheng might find someone great, but no one would ever be as good as Lu Xi.
Because there was only one Lu Xi.
Ye Sisheng stared at Xie Heng in silence.
Suddenly, he felt that the boy before him—whom he had last seen as a reckless, inexperienced youth—had matured significantly in just a few days. He seemed more responsible now, and in his features, there was a faint resemblance to Xie Yizhao.
This was her and Xie Yizhao’s child…
What an outstanding boy.
A wave of indescribable bitterness surged in Ye Sisheng’s heart, yet at that moment, he also felt a sense of relief.
After a brief pause, Ye Sisheng sighed with emotion. His gaze at Xie Heng shifted—no longer seeing him as just a child, but as a maturing young man, someone capable of having conversations on equal footing with adults.
“Thank you, I understand now,” he said solemnly.
He should have understood long ago—whether she was who she used to be or not, they were people from two different worlds.
Meanwhile, Lu Xi had no idea what had just transpired.
She was still floating on cloud nine from her unexpected financial windfall. Even knowing that someone had seen her kiss Xie Yizhao, she didn’t really care.
She had kissed her own man in her own office—neither illegal nor inappropriate. Entirely justified.
It was only when Li Xiao mentioned it that Lu Xi realized Xie Heng had also been there but had somehow left.
However, he soon returned, his expression slightly off. Without paying much attention to Xie Yizhao’s presence, he told Lu Xi that Ye Sisheng had stopped by to wish her a successful opening.
“That’s it?” Lu Xi glanced outside suspiciously. “Did you argue with him?”
“Of course not. I was very polite and saw him off respectfully,” Xie Heng replied, rubbing his nose.
In truth, he had said a few things to make Ye Sisheng give up, but he figured it was best not to mention that.
Xie Yizhao, hearing that Ye Sisheng had visited, showed no reaction. In fact, he had seen everything through the glass window earlier.
Xie Yizhao saw Ye Sisheng arrive, saw him leave, and most importantly, saw that Lu Xi hadn’t even noticed him from start to finish.
That alone was the answer.
As for whatever Xie Heng had said to Ye Sisheng outside, he wasn’t interested, nor did he intend to ask.
Xie Heng was growing up. As Lu Xi had said, he needed to learn how to handle things independently.
The studio opening was mostly a formality, and at six o’clock—the usual end of the workday—Lu Xi sent a large 5,000 yuan red envelope in the group chat and told everyone to leave early.
She wasn’t an exploitative boss who found joy in making employees work overtime.
Besides, Xie Heng had said earlier that he was taking her out to dinner, using money he had earned recently as his opening gift for her.
Lu Xi was eager to accept her son’s treat. Without waiting for anyone else, she was the first to leave.
Half an hour later, the three of them arrived at a barbecue restaurant.
It was the same one Xie Yizhao had taken Lu Xi to a few days ago.
That night, Lu Xi had posted a location-tagged photo on her social media. Xie Heng had seen it and felt a little bitter about it, so tonight, he deliberately chose the same place to make it up to himself.
No one knew about his little grievance.
Lu Xi didn’t hold back, ordering a table full of her favorite dishes.
“…” Xie Heng stared at the total on the tablet. Even with his mediocre math skills, he could tell it was close to 2,000 yuan. His heart bled, but he forced himself to remain calm.
He couldn’t show weakness.
What kind of host would stop a guest from ordering?
Once Lu Xi was done ordering, Xie Heng handed the tablet to Xie Yizhao and said nonchalantly, “Your turn.”
But Xie Yizhao simply shook his head. “That’s enough. This should do.”
Xie Heng : !
He looked at Xie Yizhao, nearly moved to tears. His Dad was truly considerate—his Dad knew how hard he had worked for this money!
But just as he was feeling relieved, he heard Xie Yizhao say, “It’s a special occasion. Let’s have some drinks.”
Xie Heng froze and immediately opened the drink menu.
For a moment, his eyes went blank.
The cheapest craft beer in this place was 81 yuan a bottle?!
Would it send him straight to heaven or what? This was daylight robbery!
But what could he say?
Xie Heng could only shrug and act indifferent. “Sure, order whatever you want. But I’m drinking too.”
Otherwise, wouldn’t he be at a huge loss?
Xie Yizhao glanced at his son. Xie Heng had long since grown into an adult’s frame, just slightly leaner than him. He used to frequent bars back when he was rebellious, so pretending to forbid him from drinking now would be pointless.
“As long as you don’t overdo it, drink as you like.”
Then, as if remembering something, Xie Yizhao added flatly, “You have an exam tomorrow. Keep that in mind.”
Xie Heng was momentarily stunned, and even Lu Xi, who had been absorbed in her phone, looked up at him.
The boy’s hand, resting on his lap, clenched slightly.
He hadn’t expected his Dad to know about his midterms.
A sudden, invisible pressure settled on him. At the same time, an unexplainable sense of competitiveness flared up inside him.
Now, he wanted even more to do well—to bring home his report card and show Xie Yizhao that he was making progress.
Maybe he wasn’t as outstanding as his Dad, but he wasn’t just some useless, spoiled rich brat either.
One advantage of barbecue is that the food comes out fast. The waitstaff helps with the grilling, so you can eat in no time.
The drinks arrived as well. Given her poor alcohol tolerance, Lu Xi only got a pitiful glass of beer, while the remaining four bottles were left for the father and son to handle.
Xie Heng was in a good mood today. Enjoying the food, he unknowingly finished an entire bottle.
He opened another, poured himself a drink, and under the warm yellow light, his youthful features softened. “Ms. Lu, a toast to you, wishing your business prosperity and great wealth in the future.”
“Thank you!” Lu Xi beamed and directly reached for Xie Yizhao’s drink to pour herself a glass.
But before she could, a hand pressed down on hers.
Xie Yizhao looked at Lu Xi.
Her gaze was misty, the first signs of intoxication showing. A faint flush had crept onto her cheeks.
“I’ll drink this for you.” Ignoring her puffed-up, dissatisfied expression, Xie Yizhao resolutely took her glass, clinked it lightly with Xie Heng’s, and said, “I also wish you progress in your midterms this time.”
Xie Heng pursed his lips.
Why did his Dad’s words sound like a veiled warning?
With a cold snort, he downed the entire glass in one go, slamming it onto the table with a resounding thud.
His eyes burned with determination as he stared at his Dad and declared, “Just wait and see—don’t underestimate a young man’s potential! I’ll improve by fifty ranks in this exam, or I’ll take your surname!”
Xie Yizhao : “…”
Now he understood. His rebellious son wasn’t much better at holding his liquor than Lu Xi. No wonder they were mother and son.
His temple throbbed as he struggled to contain his frustration. Unable to hold back, he smacked the kid on the head, then asked with gritted teeth, “So whose surname are you using now?”