Xie Heng was caught off guard when Xie Yizhao suddenly slapped him. He froze, staring blankly at the man across from him.
Why hit him? His Dad had always been a gentleman—one to argue with words, not fists.
Wait… whose surname is he using?
The slap sobered him up a bit, and Xie Heng finally realized what he had spoken.
“…”
Forget it.
He totally deserved that slap.
With a pout, he silently pushed the remaining bottle of beer further away. This craft beer was definitely stronger than regular ones, but he didn’t think he was drunk, just a little dizzy.
Still, he stood his ground. “I have an exam tomorrow. That’s it for me, I’m done drinking.”
Lu Xi’s eyes brightened slightly. She smoothly took his bottle of beer.
Before she could even warm it up in her hands, Xie Yizhao took it away with a calm expression. “Neither of you should be drinking.”
Both mother and son couldn’t hold their liquor.
Lu Xi was already a lightweight. After just one drink, she was starting to feel a little floaty. She puffed up her cheeks, clearly unhappy, but couldn’t find a reason to argue with Xie Yizhao. Her almond-shaped eyes darted toward Xie Heng.
With a mischievous tone, she teased, “Xiao Heng, you don’t want to take your Dad’s surname anymore? How about taking mine instead?”
Xie Heng choked on nothing. Good thing he wasn’t drinking, or he definitely would’ve spat it out.
He knew Lu Xi was just messing with him. Not wanting to back down, he shrugged indifferently. “Okay, I don’t mind. I just don’t know if Dad would agree.”
Time to use the classic blame-shifting technique.
Xie Yizhao swirled the wine in his glass elegantly and said coolly, “I don’t mind, as long as your Mom is happy.” He paused, then looked at Xie Heng with deep meaning. “Besides, you’re not even using my surname right now.”
Xie Heng : “…”
Annoyed, he curled his lips. “Fine. I’ll go change my surname tomorrow. From now on, call me Lu Heng.”
Hearing this, Lu Xi frowned slightly, muttering “Lu Heng,” under her breath a few times. Her eyes carried a hint of disdain.
“Actually, never mind. Lu Heng doesn’t sound good. Let’s not have him take my surname, he should just stick with yours.”
Xie Heng was speechless.
Was he really that unwanted? Neither of his parents wanted to share their surname with him?
Feeling sour and unconvinced, he suddenly thought. So many surnames existed in the world. When he turned 18, he could change his name to whatever he wanted. Li Heng, Zhou Heng, Yang Heng… He had plenty of options.
Xie Heng rubbed his head, wincing.
Damn, Old Xie’s slap was brutal. It really hurt. How could he hit his own son so hard?
Noticing him massaging his head, Lu Xi’s smile faded slightly. She looked at him with concern. “Does your head hurt?”
Xie Heng froze for a second, then pressed his lips together, unable to suppress a small grin.
At least Lu Xi cared about him.
“Yeah, it hurts. Dad hit me too hard—he didn’t even worry about breaking me.” He immediately started complaining, his usually cool voice carrying a trace of grievance.
Lu Xi frowned slightly.
She knew Xie Heng well. He used to get into fights all the time. He had a bad temper and a stubborn streak. That one time he got into a brawl with students from another school, he had a bleeding head wound but didn’t even say a word about the pain.
So, was he really hurt this time? Hard to say. But sulking and acting spoiled? Definitely.
“Let me see.” Lu Xi reached out, intending to check his head.
But since they were both sitting, her arm wasn’t long enough to reach. Without thinking, Xie Heng stood up a little, leaning forward obediently toward Lu Xi.
“It really hurts. Dad hit me too hard,” he continued, adding fuel to the fire.
Lu Xi gently ran her fingers through his soft blue hair, her touch feather-light. She shot Xie Yichao a disapproving look. “Don’t hit your kid on the head. What if you mess it up?”
Exactly! What if it damages his brain?
Xie Heng nodded in strong agreement.
But then Lu Xi’s tone shifted. “His brain’s not that great to begin with. He has an exam tomorrow. Don’t forget, he said he wants to move up fifty ranks.”
Xie Heng’s smile instantly froze.
He quickly pulled his head back, sat up straight, and angrily ruffled his hair in the opposite direction. He clenched his teeth in silent protest.
Xie Yizhao chuckled under his breath. His expression was both helpless and strangely pleased. He gently squeezed Lu Xi’s hand. The force he had used to slap Xie Heng earlier was now replaced with the lightest touch. “Got it. I’ll be gentler next time.”
Xie Heng: ?
—Next time?!
He glanced at the two of them, who were looking at each other with affectionate gazes. He felt like he had eaten a mouthful of dog food. He didn’t want to talk with them anymore.
Resigned, he stuffed his mouth with grilled meat and pulled out his phone.
Song Siyang had sent a message inviting him to play a game online.
Xie Heng : [I’m out eating. I’m treating my Dad and Ms. Lu to barbecue.]
Song Siyang replied instantly : [Your Dad’s there? No way he’ll let you pay. Just watch, he’s definitely gonna grab the bill first. My parents do that all the time.]
Xie Heng blinked.
He instinctively glanced at Xie Yizhao.
Would his Dad really sneak off to pay first?
Just then, Xie Yizhao got up to head toward the restroom. Xie Heng immediately tensed up and stood as well. “I’ll go too.”
Xie Yizhao said nothing.
Walking a few steps behind his Dad, Xie Heng saw his Dad take a turn—not toward the men’s restroom on the right, but toward the front counter on the left.
His heart clenched.
Frowning, he strode over and blocked his Dad’s path.
“Do you have any mint candy?”
“Dad, don’t steal the bill! I said I’m treating, I have money!”
Both of them spoke at the same time.
Xie Heng froze, belatedly realizing what had just happened.
Oh.
His Dad wasn’t paying.
His Dad was just getting mints.
The secondhand embarrassment hit him so hard his toes curled.
Xie Yizhao cast a deep, meaningful glance over, as if he found it amusing as well. He sized up his reckless son from head to toe, then shook his head. “Too late, I already paid the bill.”
“……” Xie Heng looked anxious.
Before he could speak, Xie Yizhao interrupted him in a steady voice. “It’s good that you have this thought, but for now, when you eat with us, you don’t need to pay. When you grow up, you’ll have plenty of chances.”
At that moment, the waiter brought out a bag of mint candies. Xie Yichao gave their table number, instructing them to send it over directly. Without looking at Xie Heng, he turned and walked into the restroom.
Xie Heng stopped the waiter. “Give it to me, I’ll take it over.”
On the way back, he held the mints in his hand and unwrapped one for himself.
The coolness spread through his mouth.
His heart had felt a little cold too, but somehow, when he recalled the way his Dad had spoken to him with that faint smile just now, a sudden warmth filled his chest.
In the past, Xie Yizhao always said he was just a child, that he hadn’t grown up yet. Xie Heng used to hate hearing that.
Back then, his Dad was distant and towering, as if his Dad barely acknowledged his presence.
Whenever he faced his Dad, he always felt powerless. He had grown up chasing after Xie Yizhao’s shadow, but it always seemed unreachable. It felt like he could never match up to his Dad’s height.
But just now, something felt different.
Xie Yizhao didn’t look down at him with cold indifference.
Instead, his Dad treated him like a fledgling whose wings had yet to fully grow, something that still needed care and protection.
It was just that his Dad had a naturally stern face. If one wasn’t observant, they wouldn’t notice the warmth hidden beneath his seriousness.
Xie Heng carried the mints back, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips as he placed the candies in front of Lu Xi.
She looked up at him.
The boy leaned back into his seat with an easygoing manner. His eyes were clear, holding a hint of unwillingness, but his tone was light. “My Dad paid the bill. Consider it as me owing you a meal. I’ll make it up to you in the future with a feast worth tens of thousands.”
Lu Xi smiled brightly, unwrapping a mint candy and putting it in her mouth. Her brows arched slightly. “Alright, I’ll be waiting for that grand meal.”
The next day, the exams went smoothly.
One subject in the morning, two in the afternoon. The exam rooms were assigned based on grades. Given Xie Heng’s results from the last monthly test, he was placed in the third-to-last exam room.
Meanwhile, Song Siyang was in the very last one. He was quite annoyed. He felt as if a gap had been created between him and Xie Heng.
Weren’t they all academic slackers? Since when did slackers have rankings too?
After the morning exam, the three boys met up outside the first exam room. Naturally, it was the room Xu Jiaming was in. Then, with their arms slung over each other’s shoulders, they headed off-campus to eat.
Song Siyang was visibly disgruntled. “Brother Heng, why did you sneak into the exam room ahead of mine without saying a word? That’s not very team-spirited of you!”
Xie Heng snorted, laughing as he swore at him. “Old Xu is in the first room, you’re in the last one—who exactly are you expecting to be in your ‘team’?”
Xu Jiaming chimed in with a chuckle, teasing Song Siyang. “Exactly, who’s on your team?”
“……” Song Siyang choked on his words, feeling hurt. Silently, he withdrew the arm he had draped over Xie Heng’s shoulder.
Xie Heng smirked carelessly and added, “If I move up fifty ranks this time, I’ll be three exam rooms ahead of you in the next test.”
Song Siyang: ?
This was pure exclusion, wasn’t it? It had to be!
Once they sat down in the restaurant, Xie Heng skillfully placed their order. Then, he started discussing answers with Xu Jiaming. Song Siyang had nothing to contribute—he had basically guessed all his multiple-choice answers randomly, left the written questions blank, and couldn’t recall any answers even if he tried.
Xu Jiaming glanced over Xie Heng’s answers, did some quick mental math, and relaxed a little. “Your chemistry should pass. Adding in your other scores… as long as you don’t completely bomb biology tomorrow, moving up fifty ranks should be doable.”
Xie Heng raised an eyebrow, looking pleased.
Biology was his weak point. He still remembered how he had made a fool of himself over a paternity test report back then…
But things were different now. Lately, he had done plenty of practice exams, and he actually paid attention in class. Maybe he wouldn’t pass, but at least he wouldn’t finish the test in just twenty minutes like last time.
Hearing Xu Jiaming’s assessment, he felt much more at ease. His appetite grew, and he couldn’t help but order more food.
—…This was so boring.
Listening to these two discuss academics, Song Siyang was completely left out.
He felt like Xie Heng had changed a lot recently, so much that he barely recognized him anymore.
Inviting him to play basketball? He was busy with practice tests.
Calling him to game? He had just finished a test and needed to sleep early to avoid being late the next morning.
At first, when Xie Heng started studying with Xu Jiaming, Song Siyang thought it was just a temporary whim and wouldn’t last long. But to his surprise, Xie Heng was actually taking it seriously.
Was Xie Heng really planning to jump fifty ranks this time and shock everyone?
Song Siyang didn’t know what to say.
Before, he had never even considered studying, but now he was starting to feel out of place. His heart, firmly set on being a slacker, wavered a little.
After a moment of silence, Song Siyang suddenly asked, “By the way, what are you guys planning to do in the future?”
Both of them were caught off guard.
“Why do you ask?” Xie Heng frowned.
Song Siyang laughed. “No need to ask about ‘academic genius’ Xu. He’ll definitely get into the best university, maybe go abroad, start his own business, or work at a Wall Street investment firm and make a fortune. What about you, Brother Heng? What’s your plan?”
Xu Jiaming’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and he said in a calm voice, “I’m not going into finance. I’ll be attending the best medical university and becoming a neurosurgeon.”
“……” Song Siyang was stunned. He put down his chopsticks and couldn’t help but give Xu Jiaming a round of applause.
Is this what being a top student is like? Thinking so clearly, even planning which type of doctor to become in the future?
A neurosurgeon. It even sounds prestigious.
Xie Heng was also surprised as he looked at Xu Jiaming. He frowned, opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, put down his chopsticks, feeling a little uncomfortable.
Song Siyang asked, “Why aren’t you eating?”
Xie Heng glared at him, annoyed. He wanted to snap back, but he didn’t have the energy.
His chest felt heavy.
They were just about to eat—why bring up such deep life questions all of a sudden? He was only a first-year high school student; how was he supposed to know what he wanted to do in the future?
Wasn’t it just about getting into college, then finding a job?
Xie Heng had never thought about this before. He was only sixteen, still in his first year of high school. He hadn’t even had his fill of fun yet. The future was so far away—who could predict it?
But Xu Jiaming had thought about it.
And he had thought about it so clearly.
Xu Jiaming’s profile was calm, as if he had just made an offhand remark, but his tone was firm, full of confidence and certainty.
Deep down, Xie Heng actually admired him.
Compared to the rest of their peers, Xu Jiaming always saw further and thought deeper. His goals were clear, and he planned everything meticulously.
If he said he was going to be a neurosurgeon, then he definitely would be. And not just any neurosurgeon—he’d be a highly successful, renowned one.
Xie Heng lost his appetite.
He had no idea what he wanted to do in the future. A wave of uncertainty washed over him.
Even if he had improved in this exam, it didn’t mean he would be able to get into a good university.
Maybe in other people’s eyes, having a father like Xie Yizhao meant he never had to worry about his future.
But he didn’t want to rely solely on his father.
Otherwise, he would always be trapped in Xie Yizhao’s shadow.
He wanted to have his own goals, just like Xu Jiaming.
But what should he do in the future?
His grip on his chopsticks stiffened slightly.
With his current abilities, what could he even do?
During the three days of monthly exams, the school didn’t hold evening self-study sessions. It wasn’t even 5 PM yet.
Lu Xi sat in the sunroom, strumming her guitar for a while. When she got tired, she curled up with her tablet to binge-watch a drama. Beside her were freshly washed cherries and neatly sliced oranges, the perfect setup for a relaxing afternoon.
Her studio had taken in several new orders today, all from parents at the school.
One of them was from Zheng Suxin, who wanted a custom evening gown for her birthday at the end of next month—something unique and extravagant.
Lu Xi hadn’t expected business to be this good right from the start, so she became even more cautious.
After carefully evaluating the requests, she only accepted five orders for now, using the excuse that her schedule was full for the month to turn down the rest.
After all, designing clothes required inspiration. It wasn’t something she could just force out by sitting down and sketching all day.
She couldn’t help but slack off a little—she hadn’t even stepped into her study all day.
Hearing the sound of a car approaching, she lifted her gaze and saw their family’s car pulling into the driveway.
Xie Heng quickly stepped out.
Lu Xi remembered he had exams today and briefly considered whether she should play the role of a concerned mother and ask how he did.
But before she could act, she noticed that the usually cocky teenager had his head down, looking listless as he walked toward the house.
She couldn’t help but laugh.
Did he bomb the test?
But then she thought again—no, that didn’t seem right. Xie Heng didn’t seem like the type to get upset over a bad grade.
When Xie Heng entered the house, he wandered around the living room but didn’t see Lu Xi. He instinctively glanced outside and happened to meet her gaze through the sunroom’s glass walls.
She waved at him, beckoning him over.
He paused for a second, then muttered, “Why does this feel like calling a dog over?”
Despite his grumbling, he strode toward the sunroom with his long legs, his gloomy mood already lifting.
He walked in and plopped down onto the couch, grabbing a handful of cherries without hesitation.
At this point, he had long since abandoned any sense of politeness around Lu Xi.
Lu Xi could tell he had something on his mind.
But kids at this age—whether boys or girls—always had a lot on their minds. And they liked to keep things to themselves. The more you pried, the more annoyed they got.
She had been through that phase herself, so she didn’t bother asking.
If he wanted to talk, he would. If not, he could deal with it on his own.
Watching dramas was always an enjoyable pastime. Lu Xi munched on fruit while Xie Heng sat quietly nearby. She quickly forgot about his presence, completely absorbed in the storyline.
Xie Heng’s silent act lasted less than ten minutes.
He cleared his throat. “Can I ask you a question?”
Lu Xi glanced at him. “Go ahead.”
His tone was part serious, part lost.
“Do you have any goals?”
Lu Xi blinked in surprise. “What kind of goals?”
“So… career planning? Like, making a hundred million in the first year, going public in two years, expanding internationally in three, and turning the studio into a global brand?” Xie Heng looked at Lu Xi.
Lu Xi was completely stunned by his question.
Her first reaction was—why was this kid suddenly talking nonsense? Was he running a fever? Or had he been possessed by something strange outside? She couldn’t help but reach out to check his forehead temperature, but the boy dodged her hand.
Xie Heng clenched his fingers and said helplessly, “I’m not sick. I’m seriously asking you.”
Since he couldn’t explain it well, he simply told Lu Xi what had happened at the snack shop that afternoon.
Her shoulders relaxed. So that was what it was…
A carefree boy suddenly worrying about his future. This was indeed something teenagers went through.
But…
Lu Xi shook her head and replied straightforwardly, “Sorry, I don’t have any goals, nor do I have a career plan.”
As for what Xie Heng mentioned, it was too ambitious and way too exhausting. She had never even thought about it.
Xie Heng looked at her. “Then what do I do? I was hoping to ask you for advice.”
“…”
That might be a bit difficult.
How could a lost mother save a lost child?
Wuwuwu.
The worst part was that Lu Xi had been happily watching her drama, but now, forced to contemplate life, she felt gloomy too.
When Xie Yizhao got home from work, he had just stepped out of the car when he saw his wife and son in the sunroom. So, he walked over.
The moment he lifted the curtain and stepped inside, he was hit by an intense low-pressure atmosphere.
He stopped in his tracks, his gaze puzzled.
“What’s wrong with you two?” Why did they both look so depressed?
Lu Xi rubbed her face to perk herself up, then patted Xie Heng’s arm. “Your Dad’s back. He can definitely help you. Why don’t you ask him?”
Xie Yizhao looked like the kind of person who had everything planned out.
He probably had so many plans that he could sell a few and still have plenty left for himself.
Xie Heng glanced at his Dad.
He pressed his lips together, hesitated for a moment, then decisively shook his head.
His exam results weren’t out yet. Talking to his Dad about the future and career plans now would be nothing but empty talk. He didn’t even have the confidence to bring it up.
He’d better figure it out himself first.
Maybe he thought about it too much that day, because he ended up having trouble sleeping. The next morning, he overslept.
When the butler came to wake him up, Xie Heng groggily responded, so the butler assumed he was getting up. But half an hour later, when he still hadn’t come downstairs, the butler went up to check, only to find that he had fallen back asleep.
By the time Xie Heng rushed to school, there were only ten minutes left before the exam started.
His exam hall was closer to the west gate, but the west gate was only opened at dismissal time. He didn’t care, though. He planned to just climb over the wall.
He was way too familiar with scaling the school wall. He even knew exactly how many blades of grass grew on top of it.
He threw his bag over first, then took a few steps back, ready to jump.
But just as he was about to take off, he suddenly heard faint crying from not too far away.
Xie Heng froze for a moment and turned toward the sound.
Someone was still crying. It sounded like a child’s voice, coming from deep inside an alley.
He frowned slightly.
If he remembered correctly, there weren’t any kindergartens or elementary schools nearby.
However, he used to hang around the internet cafes in this area a lot, so he knew that alley wasn’t very safe. Lots of sketchy young punks liked to hang out there, smoking and getting into fights… Definitely not a good place.
“You bullies! You’re bad people! I’m going to call the police and have you arrested!”
The voice was choked with sobs, full of grievance.
Hearing that, Xie Heng was speechless. What the heck? Who was shameless enough to bully a little kid?
His expression darkened, and without thinking further, he walked straight into the alley.
As soon as he reached the corner, a tiny figure stumbled out, tears streaming down her face.
Seeing Xie Heng, the kid froze for a second, then immediately latched onto his leg and wailed.
“Police Uncle! There are bad guys! Hurry and catch them!”