Lu Xi thought for a moment. She felt a little sorry that the brat had been deceived by a mere rumor, yet she was also somewhat displeased. Since he had found out, why hadn’t he told her? Even asking her about it would have been better.
That evening, when Xie Yizhao returned home, Lu Xi didn’t bother covering for their silly son and told him everything directly.
Xie Yizhao had an appointment tonight and didn’t return until nearly nine o’clock. Lu Xi was in her study, working on a design draft.
When he knocked and entered, she immediately put down her work, got up, and eagerly shared this ‘funny incident’ with him.
“…” Xie Yizhao rarely looked so speechless.
The only person capable of rendering him at a loss for words was his own son.
Resting her face on her hand, Lu Xi happily admired her husband’s stunned expression for quite a while.
Frowning, Xie Yizhao spoke in a measured tone, “So… all this time, he’s been… protecting your stomach?”
Lu Xi nodded. “Yes. And that nonexistent little sister.”
Hearing this, the man’s expression turned subtle. His gaze lowered, landing on her flat abdomen. Sitting down in her spot, he pulled her onto his lap, wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and asked in a low voice, “Are you sure she doesn’t exist?”
Lu Xi widened her eyes and couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. “Our son is foolish, and now you are too? Don’t you know better?”
They had been careful, taken all the necessary precautions. Surely he was well aware of that.
Xie Yizhao chuckled, his large hand resting on her stomach as he gave it a light, teasing press. “I know. I was just joking.”
What an annoying joke with no boundaries!
Lu Xi pushed his face away, and Xie Yizhao didn’t resist, letting her guide his head aside. But out of nowhere, he planted a soft kiss on her fingers.
“…”
A strange sensation, like a tiny spark, flickered through her fingertips. She quickly withdrew her hand and shot him a glare.
She had learned a valuable lesson over the past few days. When it came to men with rekindled passion, it was best not to provoke them. She had no intention of letting rumors turn into reality.
Xie Yizhao let out a soft laugh but didn’t push further. They simply sat together, quietly embracing. Lu Xi had long since grown accustomed to using his lap as a sofa, entirely at ease with the arrangement.
His hand idly played with strands of her hair, as if finding amusement in the small action.
Lu Xi found it rather funny.
Before, after dinner, he would shut himself in his study. But now, he went straight to hers.
Old Xie had become unusually clingy lately.
But she was adapting to the change well. Perhaps it was because their relationship had evolved gradually, step by step. It felt natural to her, not awkward at all. Besides, Xie Yizhao wasn’t some lovesick fool, and neither was she. After indulging in a bit of affection, she would send him back to his own study, and they would each get back to work without disruption.
But tonight, she wasn’t planning to let him go.
In at most an hour, Xie Heng would be home. Lu Xi had already made up her mind, She was going to talk things through with him.
“You’re his Dad, so you need to be there too,” she told Xie Yizhao.
Xie Yizhao nodded. “Of course. We brought him into this world, so we’ll handle him together.”
Lu Xi was speechless.
Why did he make their son sound like some kind of natural disaster? Sure, the kid could be destructive and exasperating at times…
Thinking back to the time she caught him sneaking her perfume, she couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a mix of amusement, affection, and a strange tenderness.
Perhaps this was what people meant when they said someone was so adorably foolish it made them lovable.
Others might not understand, but as his Mom, she certainly did. She was fiercely protective of him and didn’t like hearing anyone speak badly about him.
Even if that person was his own Dad.
She couldn’t help but defend Xie Heng. “He’s not foolish, he just cares too much and got confused. Have you forgotten how he found my lost ornament last time? And how much his test scores improved?”
Xie Yizhao nodded. “I know. My son—our son—could never be foolish.”
Lu Xi : “…”
Was he praising their son or just looking for an excuse to compliment himself?
His ego was definitely getting thicker.
She couldn’t be bothered to argue with him, though. Since he had included her in the compliment, she gladly accepted it.
“But,” she suddenly thought of something and hesitated before asking, “do you… like daughters more than sons?”
Xie Yizhao was briefly stunned, as if surprised by her question.
But he quickly regained his composure. “I never really thought about it. If I had to say… Xie Heng is already the best.”
Lu Xi glanced at him. “That’s a nice thing to say. Why don’t you ever say it to him?”
For some reason, both father and son had no trouble talking to her, but whenever they were face to face, they acted like they had no mouths.
Xie Yizhao gave a small smile.
He didn’t know either. Somehow, whenever he was with Lu Xi, it was easy to say what was in his heart.
But with Xie Heng, the gap between them had always been too deep. They were too alike, both stubborn in their own ways. In a whole week, they probably exchanged fewer than a hundred words. Heart-to-heart conversations were out of the question.
Still, he had noticed their relationship improving lately.
At the very least, when they met in the morning, his son would acknowledge him with a curt “Dad,” even if his son’s expression was still as smug and aloof as ever.
But Xie Yizhao could tell, things were changing for the better.
And it was all because she had come back to this home…
Xie Yizhao had only recently come to deeply realize that he was an unqualified father. If he wanted to do a good job, there was still a long way to go. For now, just being a good father to his rebellious son, Xie Heng, was enough of a challenge. Like Lu Xi, he didn’t think their family needed another new addition at the moment.
Xie Heng arrived home under the moonlight.
He took off his earphones, still humming a tune.
Recently, the school had distributed the latest uniforms, but just like before, wearing them wasn’t mandatory.
However, this time the design was stylish, and with both the school tyrant and the top student publicly endorsing it, the uniform had unexpectedly become the latest fashion trend on campus. Unlike previous uniforms, which almost no one wanted to wear, this time, the entire field during Monday’s flag-raising ceremony was packed with students in matching outfits. Even many teachers were wearing the down jackets designed by Lu Xi.
Even Xie Heng, who had never worn a down jacket before, was wearing one this year.
In previous winters, he never felt cold. There was heating at home and in the classroom, and he usually traveled by car. If he was outside, he could just tough it out.
But this year, after putting on a down jacket, he suddenly found he couldn’t go without it. If he didn’t wear it outside, the cold wind felt like it was drilling straight into his bones.
Xie Heng felt that Lu Xi was spoiling him.
He never used to be this delicate.
He took off his down jacket, and the butler accepted it with a smile. “Go to the living room, Master and Madam are waiting for you.”
Xie Heng paused slightly.
His first thought was : Did he get into trouble recently?
It didn’t seem like it… The boy was confused, but seeing the butler’s smiling, unchanged expression, he was reassured. “Don’t worry, Master and Madam seem to be in a good mood.”
So, it wasn’t to scold him this time.
Relieved, Xie Heng ruffled his hair and walked into the living room with a relaxed stride.
“What do you need me for?” Xie Heng didn’t sit down, instead leaning against the sofa. His gaze swept over Xie Yizhao briefly before landing on Lu Xi.
Lu Xi looked at him, patted her stomach, and asked with a bright smile, “Oh, nothing much, just wanted to ask, do you prefer a little brother or a little sister?”
Xie Heng was stunned.
Wait… Were they finally coming clean with him?
That was fine, but how come there was no lead-up at all? They were just outright asking whether he wanted a little brother or sister? Was this even his choice to make?!
Seeing Xie Heng’s blank face, Lu Xi couldn’t hold back a chuckle and winked at Xie Yizhao.
Xie Yizhao actually felt a little sorry for his son this time, but ultimately, he firmly stood by Lu Xi’s side. He wasn’t going to help his son out.
Lu Xi was very pleased with herself. She raised an eyebrow, watching Xie Heng with interest, waiting for his answer.
The boy scratched his ear and hesitated. “How would I know? What does this have to do with me?”
Lu Xi chuckled. “If it has nothing to do with you, then why have you been sneaking around lately, paying so much attention to my belly?”
Xie Heng froze and blurted out, “You knew I knew?”
“Hmph,” Lu Xi crossed her arms and sneered. “Not only do I know that you know, I also know that after you found out, you deliberately didn’t want me to know that you knew!”
“…” Xie Heng stared at his Mom’s queen-like posture, his mind spinning from her words. His head felt like it was going to explode.
What even was this conversation?
He sat down on the sofa, facing his parents, wide-eyed and confused.
Although he still didn’t quite understand Lu Xi’s question, he could sense that something was off.
Frowning, he asked, “So, is it a little brother or a little sister?”
Lu Xi glared at him. “Neither! Those are just rumors!”
“…” Xie Heng pressed his lips together, staring at Lu Xi with doubt. “Really? Are you guys still trying to keep it from me?”
Xie Yizhao finally spoke. “You didn’t even ask us, yet you just decided on your own that your Mom was pregnant?”
—This kid had no critical thinking skills at all.
He swallowed down that thought. His relationship with his son was improving, and he didn’t want to ruin it.
Xie Heng spoke as if it was obvious. “I observed her. She really looked like it!”
Lu Xi wasn’t pleased. “So, you’re saying I look pregnant? Are you saying I’ve gained weight?”
Sitting beside her, Xie Yizhao was the first to sense the chill in the air.
He glanced at his still-clueless son and cleared his throat, giving him a warning look.
Luckily, in front of his Mom, Xie Heng still had some survival instincts.
The moment he realized he had said something wrong, he knew he couldn’t take it back, but he could try to fix it. Shrinking his neck slightly, he quickly explained in a somewhat sheepish tone, “No, of course not! You’re not fat at all. I just thought, since you’ve been sleeping more and eating more lately, maybe…”
Lu Xi narrowed her eyes. “…I’ve been eating a lot?”
Xie Heng swallowed hard.
Crap. He said something wrong again.
His brain short-circuited, and instinctively, he looked at his Dad for help.
This unconscious act delighted Xie Yizhao.
The last time Xie Heng had looked at him with such innocent eyes was when he was still a little boy.
So, after thinking for a moment, Xie Yizhao took Lu Xi’s hand and gently patted it, saying in a low voice, “What he means is, you used to eat too little.”
Lu Xi pressed her lips together, immediately pacified.
Little Xie was infuriating, but Old Xie was still the most thoughtful.
But while Lu Xi was satisfied, Xie Heng was now annoyed.
So it was just a rumor?
And yet Song Siyang had sounded so certain?!
He remembered that after going home that day, Song Siyang’s Dad had kicked Song Siyang a few times, and Song Siyang had been complaining about it while gaming.
At the time, Xie Heng had felt bad for Song Siyang.
Now he just thought—good, Song Siyang deserved it! Uncle had gone too easy on Song Siyang!
But he was still a little annoyed at Lu Xi.
However, when he faced her, his annoyance melted into grievance. He lowered his head, fidgeting with his fingers, and muttered, “Why would you trick me like that?”
What kind of Mom played pranks like this on her son? Too much.
Lu Xi had a good temper. As long as she was coaxed, she wouldn’t hold onto her frustration. She smiled and apologized, “Alright, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have teased you like that.”
Xie Heng coughed lightly, trying to maintain his dignity. “Fine, I forgive you.”
And so, a family drama caused by a rumor was perfectly resolved.
Lu Xi was ready to let him go back to his room.
Xie Heng also knew the conversation was wrapping up. He had learned his lesson. He wouldn’t be a third wheel anymore, especially since he didn’t want to witness their affection. He picked up his book and prepared to head upstairs.