Xie Heng saw the message from Song Siyang and was speechless.
In the end, he had to call Song Siyang on a video call, let Song Siyang see his face, and then bring up the matter of borrowing money again. He even had to promise that he wasn’t kidnapped before Song Siyang finally believed him.
Song Siyang : [Haha, sorry, I’ve been harassed by too many scam calls.]
Xie Heng : [Do you have money? You and Xu Jiaming can each lend me half, and I’ll pay it back within three months.]
Song Siyang : [Brother Heng, since you asked, of course, I’ll lend you some. But I can only afford five thousand.]
“……”
If Song Siyang were in front of him, Xie Heng would have smacked Song Siyang on the head.
Only five thousand, and yet Song Siyang made such a big deal out of it?
But five thousand was still money. At least it eased some of the pressure.
Then, Song Siyang said Xie Heng didn’t need to pay it back. As long as Xie Heng gave him a pair of limited-edition basketball shoes, they’d call it even.
Xie Heng was speechless. “Didn’t you buy that pair too?”
Just mentioning it made Song Siyang angry. “Don’t bring it up. Last time, a brat from my relatives’ family came over and cut off the tags. My Mom even stopped me from beating him up. If it were you, wouldn’t you have hit him?”
Ha, Xie Heng had no such worries.
He never let the housekeepers into his room. He cleaned it himself, and there were never any kids running around his house.
Compared to his room, Ms. Lu’s walk-in closet was probably more at risk.
Xie Heng imagined what would happen if someone ruined the clothes, shoes, and bags Lu Xi loved. He’d probably be the one who have to stop her from beating people up.
Back to the matter at hand. “Okay, I’ll trade with you, but not at that price.”
He wasn’t stupid.
That pair of shoes could easily sell for eight thousand online. Five thousand was too cheap for Song Siyang.
After five minutes of bargaining, they finally settled on seven thousand.
So now, not only did Song Siyang have to give Xie Heng five thousand, he also owed Xie Heng another two thousand.
Song Siyang complained bitterly : “You’re not the same Brother Heng who used to treat money like dirt.”
Xie Heng : “I’m very satisfied with who I am now.”
Of course, he was different now. His real mother was back, and he’d have plenty of occasions to spend money on gifts in the future.
How could he not be careful with his finances?
The remaining forty-five thousand was lent to him by Xu Jiaming.
Right after Xie Heng ended the video call, he suddenly saw a transfer in the group chat, for exactly forty-five thousand.
He was stunned for a moment.
Even Song Siyang was shocked : [No way, Lao Xu, you’re this rich? How much does your Mom give you a month?]
Xu Jiaming : [Five thousand. I have a habit of saving.]
[…]
Xie Heng was silent for a long time.
He had always admired Xu Jiaming’s intelligence and academic ability. As for basketball and gaming, those were things he could handle too. But now, his admiration for Xu Jiaming had reached another level.
They were the same age, but Xie Heng had always spent whatever money he received, never thinking about saving.
Because he never thought he’d ever run out of money.
But Xu Jiaming did…
Xie Heng thanked Xu Jiaming and promised to repay him within two months. He also quietly started planning to save money himself.
He wasn’t too worried about repaying the debt. In two months, he could get ten thousand in allowance from his Dad.
He might even find a way to earn some money.
Worst case scenario, he could sell some of his new signed jerseys and limited-edition basketball shoes. That alone would be enough to pay off the debt in no time.
With the money in hand, the next day after school, Xie Heng went straight to the mall and bought the gift.
Two hundred and ten thousand.
He used to think that was just a number.
Even though his dad wouldn’t give him that much in one go and he’d never bought anything this expensive before, he was sure that if he asked, Xie Yizhao wouldn’t refuse him.
But this time, spending that money really hurt.
For the first time, he felt what it was like to actually spend money and owe money.
Two hundred and ten thousand was a huge amount.
Probably two or three years’ salary for a lot of people.
Because he truly felt the weight of this money, he also felt that it was worth it.
After buying the necklace, Xie Heng passed by a perfume counter.
He had about a thousand left in his hand, so he picked one with a fresh, sweet scent.
After paying, he took the shopping bags and, catching sight of the sample cards at the counter, asked the sales associate for some.
Loaded with gifts, he headed home, feeling both satisfied and a little nervous.
Would Ms. Lu like it?
She had so much jewelry already. Would she even think his choice was good enough?
Under the same roof, the same dilemma.
Christmas was approaching.
Lu Xi had reacted much faster than Xie Heng. Not just because she used to love celebrating holidays, but also because this year, her studio was launching special holiday events.
For the customers who had already placed orders with her, she asked her assistant to prepare small gifts for each of them.
Expressing such thoughtful gesture is a way to maintain good client relationships.
There are also some promotional offers for new customers.
She provided a general direction for these, leaving the rest to the planning and marketing teams.
As for the holiday dress she had promised to prepare for Yang Yihan at Xu Jiaming’s request, she had it ready and sent to the house next door by the servants.
Xu Jiaming specifically messaged her to say thank you.
It seemed that, at the very least, he was quite satisfied with the outfit.
Right now, what troubled Lu Xi the most was the two men at home.
What should she get them as gifts?
However, Lu Xi had a different mindset from Xie Heng. She didn’t like to stress over such things.
With her extensive experience in receiving gifts, she knew that the key to gift-giving was to cater to the recipient’s preferences.
Instead of wasting time guessing what someone might like, carefully selecting something, only for the recipient to possibly be indifferent about it, she believed in simply asking them directly. That way, she could get them exactly what they wanted. This was a win-win, making everyone happy.
As for surprises, while they sounded nice, they were completely unnecessary. One wrong move, and a surprise could turn into a shock.
So that morning, Lu Xi, for once, was awake when Xie Yizhao returned from his run.
Although she only stayed awake for a brief moment.
She merely opened her eyes slightly, looking at Xie Yizhao—fresh from a shower and dressed in a suit—and asked in a drowsy voice, “What do you want for a Christmas gift? I’ll get it for you.”
Xie Yizhao was momentarily stunned—not only because it was the first time someone had asked him this so straightforwardly, but also because he was surprised that Lu Xi had managed to wake up at this hour.
Just as he was about to respond, he saw that she had already closed her eyes again, seemingly having run out of energy and fallen back asleep.
Xie Yizhao couldn’t help but chuckle, his handsome face softening with a trace of amusement.
He picked up the watch on the nightstand, fastening the strap slowly, as if prolonging the moment just to look at the sleeping woman a little longer.
Once he was ready, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.
After work that evening, Xie Yizhao handed Lu Xi a sticky note.
Another note?
Lu Xi glanced at him, puzzled. Seeing his composed expression, she unfolded the paper—and after just one look, she understood. But her brows furrowed slightly.
A gift list?
She still remembered asking him that morning what he wanted.
But the note was filled with items, neatly numbered, sixteen in total.
Lu Xi blinked, tilting her head slightly before looking at him with curiosity. “Are you saying I need to make up for all the Christmas gifts I’ve missed over the years?”
Xie Yizhao chuckled. “That does sound good, but no. Just start from this year.”
Looking at his expression, Lu Xi suddenly realized something.
This gift list was valid indefinitely. Meaning, for at least the next sixteen occasions, she wouldn’t have to think too hard about what to get him?
Interesting. And… wasn’t this incredibly considerate?
Lu Xi squinted her eyes happily.
She suddenly felt as if she had already received a Christmas gift—Xie Yizhao’s thoughtful surprise.
She had only intended for him to help her solve one problem, but he had efficiently solved sixteen for her instead.
Scanning the list again, her eyes curved slightly with amusement.
A record player, a pair of comfortable running shoes, a scarf, a wristwatch…
None of them were difficult to pick out.
Lu Xi smiled as she read on, but then her gaze landed on something in the third row on the right.
[A date—just the two of us.]
This entry seemed different from the rest. The handwriting was darker, as if he had intentionally emphasized it.
“Oh, by the way,” Xie Yizhao said, his tone lighthearted and relaxed, “gifts can be repeated. I mean, I wouldn’t mind receiving the same one multiple times.”
Lu Xi pursed her lips.
He wasn’t even trying to be subtle.
“So you wrote down all these items just as a way to plant the idea?” she asked.
Xie Yizhao : “You could say that.”
Lu Xi chuckled, unfolding the sticky note and, right in front of him, began carefully folding it into a heart shape.
Back in school, she had learned to fold little stars and hearts out of paper when she was bored.
She hadn’t expected her hands to still remember the skill so well. She managed to fold it successfully on the first try.
Xie Yizhao watched as she transformed the note into a paper heart like a magician performing a trick. He couldn’t help but pause for a moment, slightly taken aback.
Seated beside him on the sofa, Lu Xi tilted her head and smiled at him. She took his hand, placed the paper heart in his palm, and gently closed his fingers around it.
With a sweet smile and a glimmer in her eyes, she said, “Then, I’ll leave Christmas Eve planning to you.”
Xie Yizhao could clearly see the mischief in her gaze.
It was impossible to miss.
He chuckled softly, feeling a pleasant warmth in his chest—an indescribable sensation.
He liked that she never held back in front of him.
He reached out, leaning toward Lu Xi, his hand slightly clenched into a fist, enclosing the peach heart in his palm. He placed it beside Lu Xi in a gesture of an embrace. From another angle, one might even mistake it for a kiss.
“It’s my honor.” Xie Yizhao’s breath landed near her neck—warm, slightly ticklish.
Lu Xi felt a tingling sensation at the nape of her neck. She paused for a moment, suddenly thinking of something, and reminded Xie Yizhao, “Be careful this time, don’t let the kid interrupt again.”
Xie Yizhao let out a low chuckle from his chest. “Mhm, everything will be arranged.”
At this moment, Lu Xi was still unaware of what Xie Yizhao had planned.
The next morning, Xie Heng came downstairs for breakfast and received a gift from Xie Yizhao.
He held an envelope, sealed with a decorative sticker. The design looked quite vintage, clearly not a letter.
He gave it a shake and heard something inside. Probably cards or something similar.
Raising an eyebrow, Xie Heng asked, “A gift?”
Xie Yizhao didn’t head out for his morning run immediately. Instead, he pulled out a chair and sat down. “Open it and see if you like it.”
“Oh.” Xie Heng pressed his lips together, trying to keep his expression neutral.
It was the first time his Dad had given him a gift since he’d grown up.
He opened the envelope right away and poured out the contents.
Picking up one of the items, he took a closer look—it was a ticket to a basketball game.
And it just so happened to be for his favorite team!
Xie Heng couldn’t suppress his smile. His eyes lit up, and just as he was about to say thanks, he noticed that there wasn’t just one ticket. There were three.
Along with them, there were round-trip plane tickets to another city.
It was only then that he realized the game was scheduled for Christmas Eve and wasn’t in their city.
Xie Heng frowned slightly, sensing that something was off, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Xie Yizhao, calm and composed, said, “I’ve booked a hotel for you. You can bring two friends along—fly out on Saturday night and return Sunday night.”
Xie Heng nodded, quickly dismissing his doubts. Instead, he found his Dad’s arrangements thoughtful and meticulous.
The other two tickets were perfect for his friends, Song Siyang and Xu Jiaming. They could all go together.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Xie Heng happily put the tickets away.
“Uh… thanks, Dad.” It had been a long time since he last said those words. It felt awkward, but once he did, he actually felt good inside.
“Mhm, as long as you like it,” Xie Yizhao replied with a faint smile as he stood up. “I’ll get you another one if there’s a chance in the future.”
Xie Heng blinked.
His Dad had been way too nice lately.
Unaware of Xie Yizhao’s plan, Lu Xi took a direct approach and simply asked Xie Heng what gift he wanted.
Xie Heng, straightforward as ever, immediately sent her a link to the limited-edition basketball shoes he had traded with Song Siyang.
“I’ll take these.”
Lu Xi didn’t hesitate either. She paid for them on the spot. Seeing Xie Heng’s delighted expression, the way the corners of his lips lifted and his steps grew lighter, she watched as he walked to the stairs and, out of nowhere, mimicked a jump shot.
Lu Xi : “…”
—Silly goose.
Back in school, she never understood why boys always did that move—it looked so dumb.
Never in a million years would she have imagined that her own son would be just as silly.
But with that, the problem of finding gifts for the two men in her life was perfectly solved. Lu Xi let out a breath, feeling utterly satisfied.
She realized she had a bit of a double standard.
She found it exhausting to pick out gifts for others but didn’t like being asked what she wanted, and it ruined the element of surprise.
Of course, if they asked, she would still answer. But neither of those two men had figured out her trick yet.
The night before Christmas Eve.
It was supposed to be an ordinary evening. Lu Xi was lying in bed watching a drama while, in the bathroom, Xie Yizhao—having just returned from his study—was taking a shower.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the bedroom door.
A distinct rhythm—*knock, knock, knock, knock, knock-knock-knock*.
Lu Xi immediately knew it was Xie Heng. She drawled lazily, “Come in.”
A few seconds passed before Xie Heng’s voice came from outside the door. “No, you come out.”
Lu Xi : “?”
Was this rebellious brat looking for a fight this late at night?
Amused and exasperated, she set down her tablet, put on her slippers, and strode to the door with a commanding presence.
When she opened it, he was nowhere to be seen.
Her gaze dropped to the floor, and her expression gradually turned surprised.
Several gift boxes were stacked there.
A large one at the bottom, a slightly smaller one on top of it, and an even smaller one above that—like a little tower.
At the very top, resting on the tiniest box, was a small folded card.
It was bent into an inverted “V,” resembling a rooftop.
Raising an eyebrow, Lu Xi glanced around. The hallway was empty. She bent down and picked up the card.
The handwriting was Xie Heng’s—slightly messy, free-spirited, but not bad-looking.
[For Ms. Lu—your Christmas gift. Originally, I planned to give it to you tomorrow night, but something came up, so I had to do it early. Please make sure to open it tomorrow night, okay? Pinky swear?]
[By the way, tell Mr. Xie that I already know about his little scheme. I’ll play along, consider it my gift to him. No need to thank me!]