He propped himself up with what little reason he had left. To avoid embarrassing Ms. Lu, he held back his temper and threw out a curt “I’m not in a relationship, I don’t do puppy love,” before storming back to his room with a dark expression.
He was furious.
What was wrong with those people? Weren’t parents supposed to be obsessed with asking about grades? Why weren’t they following the script?
Xie Heng recognized one of them—it was the mother of a friend from his school’s sports team.
And that friend of his was a top-tier underachiever, always ranking at the bottom of the class.
Suddenly, it all made sense.
He got it now.
The parents who came tonight must all have children who were academic disasters. Feeling inferior, they deliberately avoided asking about his grades to spare themselves the embarrassment when the conversation inevitably turned to their own kids’ performance.
With that realization, he felt marginally comforted.
But also even more annoyed.
Why should other people’s lousy grades get in the way of him showing off in front of Ms. Lu?
And her choice of friends—seriously? Why hang out with parents of failing students? Wouldn’t it be better to spend more time with Xu Jiaming’s Mom instead?
*Sigh*.
Lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, Xie Heng let out a long sigh.
Ms. Lu’s poor choice in friends was really holding him back.
Just then, his phone buzzed.
Xu Jiaming and Song Siyang had finally finished class and seen his message.
[SOS! How can I subtly show off my grades to my parents? It has to be natural, nothing obvious. Ideally, they should ask me about it themselves. I want them to feel like, ‘This is nothing special, you guys just haven’t seen the world.’]
The two boys exchanged glances before responding at the same time.
Xu Jiaming : [Do you even hear yourself?]
Song Siyang : [I’ve got an idea! Get into a fight at school—big enough to get the principal involved. When they call your parents in, your grades will definitely come up in the conversation.]
“……”
Xie Heng read the replies and immediately tossed his phone aside.
Exhausting.
Clearly, Ms. Lu wasn’t the only one with questionable friends.
With no other options, his last hope was his Dad. Of all the family members, his dad was the most reliable.
So, by the time Xie Yizhao got home for dinner, he found Xie Heng already seated at the dining table, looking at him with an oddly intense gaze.
Xie Yizhao glanced at him in silence.
That expectant, obedient expression…
Was he out of money and about to ask for more?
At the beginning of each month, Xie Yizhao gave Xie Heng a fixed allowance of 5,000 yuan. The kid had never asked for extra before, and lately, he had even been making money on his own, so he shouldn’t be short on cash.
Xie Heng didn’t say anything, and Xie Yizhao pretended not to notice. He sat down and waited until Lu Xi came downstairs at her usual unhurried pace, then the family of three began their meal.
Lu Xi casually mentioned having some ladies over in the afternoon. Xie Yizhao listened quietly, offering the occasional response.
Meanwhile, Xie Heng remained completely silent.
So silent that his parents exchanged a glance, both sensing something was off with him today.
Xie Yizhao was patient, but Lu Xi disliked people keeping things bottled up. She shot Xie Heng a look, just about to ask what was on his mind at such a young age—
When the boy suddenly picked up his phone, scrolled for a few seconds, and frowned slightly.
“Fifty-seven ranks? No way. I barely studied, and I improved this much? Did the teacher make a grading mistake?”
His tone was utterly indifferent.
After saying that, he set his phone aside and focused on his meal.
But his eyes were secretly observing the two people across from him.
He had deliberately kept his words vague to pique their interest.
Surely, they would ask now, right?
Lu Xi, oblivious to his careful scheming, was simply reminded of something by his words. She smiled and said, “Oh, that’s right! Xiao Heng improved by 57 ranks this time. Except for biology and English, everything else was passing.”
She raised an eyebrow proudly. “How about that? Our little guy is impressive, huh?”
Xie Yizhao chuckled, giving him some face. “Mm, better than before.”
Unexpectedly praised, Xie Heng couldn’t help but feel a little smug.
Of course, he was impressive—
Wait a minute.
Just as the corners of his lips started to curl up, something clicked in his mind. His expression shifted as he stared at his parents in confusion.
Why weren’t they surprised?
How did they already know which subjects he didn’t pass?
“You guys… knew already?” Xie Heng asked, his head full of question marks.
Lu Xi : “Yeah, the parents’ group chat mentioned it. You’re only finding out now? That’s pretty delayed.”
Xie Heng was even more confused. He put down his chopsticks. “What parents’ group chat?”
Seeing his clueless expression, it was clear he had no idea.
Lu Xi took out her phone, opened the chat, and showed it to him.
The first thing he saw was her profile picture.
Her display name : Xie Heng’s Mom.
Xie Heng’s Mom : [Xie Heng will keep working hard. Thank you for your efforts, teacher.]
Below her message was one from ‘Xie Heng’s Dad,’ whose reply was much shorter.
[Thank you for your efforts, teacher.]
Xie Heng twitched at the corner of his mouth.
So they had known all along? And here he was, thinking he had planned everything so carefully.
His face suddenly felt a little hot.
Damn, so there was actually a parent group chat? That meant the teacher could report on him anytime. What if they logged every little thing—chatting in class, reading novels—into the group?
And those usernames… they were just plain embarrassing.
‘Xie Heng’s Mom,’ ‘Xie Heng’s Dad’… What was this, kindergarten?
He rubbed his ears, stretched out his long legs, and decided to drop the act altogether. Raising an eyebrow at his parents, he pressed his lips together, his eyes sparkling with undisguised smugness.
“Well? I said I’d get 50 ranks higher, and I did. Any rewards?”
Xie Yizhao replied matter-of-factly, “Hmm, as you wish. Your reward is… you can take my surname.”
Xie Heng froze for a second before reacting.
“… “
Damn, his Dad really knew how to hold a grudge.
He puffed out his cheeks unhappily. “I meant something real. A gift.”
At that moment, the butler arrived with the maids, carrying three bowls of freshly made bamboo fungus and red date chicken soup. Just in time to hear Xie Heng’s words.
The butler couldn’t help but smile.
How rare. Young Master was actually asking Mr. Xie for a gift?
To think—there was a time when even sitting at the same table for a peaceful meal was a luxury. Let alone exchanging words without tension.
Now, he was even acting cute?
Lu Xi’s eyes also lit up. She leaned forward, clearly enjoying the show. “Exactly! Something practical. So? Any gifts?”
The moment she spoke, Xie Yizhao’s cold expression seemed to soften instantly. He lowered his eyes with a small smile and asked Xie Heng, “Go on, what do you want?”
Lu Xi, seizing the moment, added, “Last time, you promised him a 50,000 yuan reward. Why not double it this time?”
She winked at Xie Heng.
Xie Heng cleared his throat and gave her a firm nod.
Now that’s a professional. Reliable.
Xie Yizhao didn’t say a word, just nodded.
That was a yes!
Xie Heng immediately thought of his Christmas gift plan. Since his relationship with his Dad had improved recently, if he was going to get Lu Xi a present, he might as well include his Dad too.
Couldn’t make it look too biased.
Which meant… he needed more money.
In Xie Heng’s mind, as long as it wasn’t his monthly allowance from his Dad, any money he got through his own abilities counted as earned.
Feeling pleased, he sat up straight, eyes gleaming as he looked at his Dad. “No need to overcomplicate things. Just transfer me the cash.”
Xie Yizhao : “…”
Amusement flickered in his eyes.
This kid. So straightforward.
He glanced at Lu Xi. She gave him a small nod. He chuckled, picked up his phone, and, without hesitation, transferred 100,000 yuan to Xie Heng.
The notification sound rang out.
Xie Heng immediately checked his phone, his balance updated before his eyes.
His mood soared. Clutching his phone, he could barely put it down.
Lu Xi watched him, looking like a cat that just got a fresh fish. She laughed, cleared her throat, and deliberately glanced at Xie Yizhao, sighing, “Ah, getting a red envelope feels so nice. I wish I could get one too.”
She made no attempt to be subtle, her puppy eyes locked onto him.
A clear and obvious hint.
Xie Yizhao remained composed, but there was unmistakable indulgence in his gaze. Without a word, he picked up his phone again, swiped a few times, and tapped his screen.
Lu Xi bit her lip, eyes twinkling.
Wow.
He’s really getting the hang of this.
Meanwhile, Xie Heng, while internally roasting his Dad for his over-the-top survival instincts, couldn’t help but be curious.
Just how much would his Dad transfer to Lu Xi?
He pricked up his ears.
A few seconds later, Lu Xi’s phone chimed once.
She smiled at Xie Yizhao and reached for her phone. But before she could even unlock it, the chime sounded again.
Then again.
And again.
Eight times in total.
Lu Xi paused.
She looked up at Xie Yizhao. He had already put his phone down and was watching her calmly, utterly at ease.
Lu Xi bit her lip, suddenly feeling an itch in her heart.
With a growing smile, she began tapping open the red envelopes.
And oh, it was fun—like unwrapping presents.
Sure enough, each red envelope contained 100,000 yuan.
Lu Xi’s smile deepened, her eyes shining like a clear stream. She turned to Xie Yizhao with a sweet, satisfied grin. “Thank you, Hubby.”
Xie Heng couldn’t take it anymore.
He blurted out, “How much was it?!”
Xie Yizhao chuckled lightly, casually stirring his soup with a spoon. His expression was unreadable, but for some reason, he looked in a really good mood.
He glanced at Xie Heng, knowing the kid would feel robbed if he didn’t get an answer.
So, in an even tone, he said, “Same as yours.”
Lu Xi only smiled.
Yes, the same.
Just multiplied by ten.
Xie Heng sullenly shut his mouth, feeling both exasperated and amused.
His Dad had clearly sent ten red envelopes. Did they take him for a fool? He was someone who had improved by 57 ranks in just one exam.
But he couldn’t be bothered to expose them. No matter how much his Dad gave to Ms. Lu, it was only natural.
Regardless, an unexpected windfall of 100,000 yuan still made him quite happy.
It meant he now had a bigger budget for Ms. Lu’s gift and could choose something even better.
This happiness lasted until a few days later, on the morning their family went to the suburban cemetery to visit the graves of Lu Xi’s parents.
Before setting out, Xie Heng glanced at the sky. The clouds were oppressively dark, and a light rain was falling.
Whether it was coincidence or not, the weather was always like this on the anniversary of his maternal grandparents’ passing, as well as during the Qingming Festival.
Sitting in the car, Xie Heng occasionally stole glances at Lu Xi. After a while, seeing that her expression remained calm, he finally felt somewhat relieved.
A few times, his gaze met that of Xie Yizhao.
Father and son realized something at the same moment. After briefly locking eyes, they silently looked away.
When they arrived, all three were dressed in black. Xie Yizhao held an umbrella for Lu Xi, while Xie Heng carried his own as they walked into the cemetery.
Coming to a place like this, one’s mood could never be good.
Even though Xie Heng had never met his maternal grandparents and knew nothing about them—his only impression coming from the cold, black-and-white photos on their tombstones—he still felt heavy-hearted every time he visited, his steps weighed down.
If even he felt this way, how much harder must it be for Ms. Lu?
So, along the way, he kept a close eye on Lu Xi’s expression.
He had tissues ready in his pocket.
Lu Xi’s father’s grave was near the entrance, in the first section, right next to her mother’s.
When they arrived, they saw Lu Yuehua and Cen Yun there, along with Lu Xi’s two younger cousins.
Lu Xi had already expected to run into them. After all, her father was Lu Yuehua’s elder brother, and it was only natural for him to bring the younger generation to pay respects.
When they saw the three from the Xie family, Lu Yuehua gave a slight nod without saying anything. But Cen Yun, beside him, looked visibly anxious upon seeing Lu Xi and immediately stepped forward.
Lu Yuehua grabbed her arm. “Pay your respects first. Don’t meddle.”
But this time, Cen Yun refused to listen. She shook him off and walked up to Lu Xi with an overly enthusiastic, almost forced smile.
“Xixi, I knew you’d come.”
Lu Xi merely curled her lips into a polite but distant smile. “Aunt.”
Cen Yun hesitated, as if wanting to say something, but then she noticed the two men beside Lu Xi. Xie Yizhao’s expression was cold, and the young Xie looked particularly sullen. The two of them stood there like gods of wrath, making her suddenly uneasy.
“Well, Xixi, I have something to discuss with you. How about we talk privately over there?” Cen Yun suggested.
Lu Xi frowned slightly.
She wasn’t sure how Cen Yun had figured out her identity, but there was nothing she wanted to say to her. And anything that needed to be said in private couldn’t possibly be good.
Just as she was about to refuse, Xie Yizhao spoke first in a detached, non-negotiable tone.
“She’s not available.”
Almost at the same time, Xie Heng could no longer stand it. He stepped forward and positioned himself between Lu Xi and Cen Yun, blocking them apart.
The boy lowered his gaze, staring at Cen Yun with open hostility.
He had inherited his Dad’s grudge-holding nature. Cen Yun had spoken ill of Lu Xi before, and he had no intention of letting her get close to Lu Xi.
Normally, he only fought guys, but this time was an exception.
Whoever dared to bully Ms. Lu, even if it was his own Dad, he wouldn’t hesitate to fight them.