Lu Xi held the card, which still carried a hint of perfume. She was at a loss for words.
Xie Heng was truly such a good boy.
She realized that, for Xie Yizhao, he had lost his wife for sixteen years. And for Xie Heng, he had spent those sixteen years without a mother by his side.
To Xie Heng, she was indeed someone lost and found again.
She had always thought that while Xie Heng appeared carefree, deep down, he was actually very sensitive—afraid of loneliness yet caught in the confusion of adolescence. He used to be covered in thorns, eager to push people away. But as long as even a sliver of light shone into his world, he would retract his spikes and reveal his softer side, treating you with unreserved sincerity.
Sincere, brave, pure-hearted—those words described Xie Heng perfectly.
Lu Xi’s eyes grew misty.
She picked up the card and couldn’t help but study it for a long, long time. On a second look, she noticed even more than before.
Xie Heng’s handwriting was usually careless, wild and untamed. It wasn’t illegible, but his teacher had mentioned before that his messy handwriting would cost him points on his exams, especially in Chinese. Still, Xie Heng never cared.
Changing one’s handwriting was difficult, and writing neatly required patience.
And patience was precisely what Xie Heng lacked the most.
But the handwriting on this card was much neater than usual. She could tell it was written with effort—each stroke stiff and deliberate, yet without a single mistake.
Lu Xi bit her lip, trying hard to hold back her tears.
Oh no.
She could tell how much effort he had put into this. Given his usual standard, he must have rewritten it countless times, wasting many cards before getting it right!
Lu Xi carefully put away both the gift and the card, unable to resist touching the beautiful gift box. Then, as if remembering something, she picked up her phone and called Xie Heng.
It was only a little past nine, he was definitely still awake.
Xie Heng answered quickly, his voice lazy. “What’s up? What do you need from me?”
Lu Xi pursed her lips and smiled. “Nothing, just calling to hear your voice.”
To hear his voice? Xie Heng’s lips curled up. Ha, she missed him, didn’t she? Why not just say it outright?
He cleared his throat, setting down the skewer he was holding. “Is the house really boring and empty without me?”
Lu Xi : “Not really.”
Xie Heng continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “Alright, alright, stop rushing me. I’ll be back tomorrow.” This family just couldn’t do without him.
Lu Xi’s motherly smile slowly disappeared. She gritted her teeth.
Brat. He was so well-behaved when silent, but as soon as he spoke, he could infuriate her to death!
His emotional intelligence… really had a long way to go.
Lu Xi sighed, already feeling a headache coming on.
Then Xie Heng suddenly asked, “By the way, aren’t you out on a date with my Dad? Where is he?” Why was she calling him at this hour?
Lu Xi blinked. Oh, right. Where was Xie Yizhao?
She turned her head, realizing she hadn’t noticed his whereabouts. She’d been too focused on unwrapping her gifts.
“He’s probably in the study working,” she replied casually.
Xie Heng was speechless.
What the hell?
His Dad was slacking off? He had cooperated perfectly, getting himself sent away to another city just so they could have space for a romantic date. And now his Dad was… working?
Then what was the point of kicking him out?
Besides, given Lu Xi’s current situation, shouldn’t his Dad be staying with her, acting like a considerate husband?
Xie Heng was so frustrated he could barely breathe.
Across the table, Song Siyang and Xu Jiaming looked at him in confusion. A moment ago, he had been smug and pleased with himself. Now he looked as if something had completely ruined his mood.
Lu Xi, oblivious to her son’s inner turmoil, didn’t pay much attention to Xie Yizhao’s absence. Instead, she suddenly chuckled. “Oh, right, I opened the gifts. I really like them. The pearls are beautiful, and the perfume smells lovely. But my favorite gift is still your card.”
Xie Heng : “…”
His gaze lowered, his face growing slightly warm. He awkwardly touched his ear.
After a long pause, he muttered, “Oh… as long as you like it.” She didn’t need to call just to tell him that, so embarrassing.
But as long as she liked it, that meant he had chosen well. The money hadn’t been wasted.
“Anyway, if there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now. I’m eating barbecue with them,” Xie Heng quickly changed the topic.
But Lu Xi wasn’t ready to let him go just yet. Smiling, she said, “I’ll be here every year from now on. I expect a gift from my son every year, understand?”
Xie Heng’s lips pressed together. His expression, previously tense, softened like the arrival of spring. “Got it.”
“Okay then! Tomorrow, I’ll wear my pearl necklace and perfume and go out looking beautiful.” Lu Xi’s tone was full of joy.
Xie Heng’s face changed slightly.
He swallowed and said nervously, “Uh… don’t use the perfume yet. Wait until I get back.”
Lu Xi was stunned.
After a moment’s thought, she agreed.
It was a strange request, but sometimes her blue-haired son just had his little quirks. She didn’t overthink it. Perhaps he just valued the sentiment and wanted to be there when she wore the gifts.
After finishing her call with Xie Heng, Lu Xi was in an exceptionally good mood.
She immediately picked up the necklace and went to the dressing room to try it on.
That’s right, she had promised not to wear perfume for now, but her little one never said she couldn’t wear the necklace first, did he?
This brand specialized in pearl jewelry, with luxury pricing and multiple tiers—some more affordable pieces cost a few thousand yuan each, mid-range ones were tens of thousands, and the more expensive ones could have a single pearl priced in the six-figure range.
Lu Xi didn’t have many pearl accessories in her jewelry box. She had always preferred diamonds and gemstones, believing that pearls required a certain grace that only came with age—at least thirty—to truly bring out their elegance.
But this one was simply stunning.
The pearl was round and luminous, exuding a sophisticated glow. Even though it was paired with diamonds, its radiance wasn’t overshadowed. Instead, it appeared warm and beautiful, carrying a sense of timeless serenity.
Lu Xi adored it.
With her keen eye, she didn’t need to check the price. Given the pearl and diamonds, it was certainly worth six figures or more.
Her little one really went all out.
And it wasn’t just this, he even gave her a free model card. At a rate of five thousand yuan per appearance, this little money-grubber must have taken quite a loss.
Yet all he asked for in return was a pair of basketball shoes.
Lu Xi felt a pang of heartache but couldn’t help laughing.
Why did Xie Heng remind her so much of a little squirrel?
Diligently storing up food, only to give it all away the moment she patted his head—pouring out everything he had saved for winter, just for her.
Adorable, but a little pitiful.
Lu Xi wondered quietly whether such a personality was good for him. He was honest and generous, which was undoubtedly a virtue, but her motherly instincts couldn’t shake the feeling that he was just too easy to fool, maybe not all that sharp…
As she mused, she carefully took off the necklace and placed it back in her jewelry box.
Just then, the room suddenly went dark. The lights in the dressing room all went out.
Lu Xi froze.
The dressing room was connected to the bedroom, and she saw that the bedroom was pitch black too. Her brows furrowed.
Could the power have gone out?
She had lived here for so long without ever encountering a power outage—not even a tripped circuit.
Today, Xie Yizhao had given all the household staff a day off, even the butler had gone home. If it really was a tripped circuit, she’d have to find Xie Yizhao to fix it.
She wasn’t sure if he even knew how…
Lu Xi wasn’t particularly worried. This was her own home, and she knew Xie Yizhao was in his study. His power must have gone out too, so he would come looking for her soon enough.
Even though she wasn’t anxious, she still turned on her phone’s flashlight and prepared to call Xie Yizhao.
As the flashlight lit up, she heard Xie Yizhao’s phone ringing at the same time.
It seemed to be coming from the bedroom.
Lu Xi frowned. Did he go to the study without taking his phone?