When Lu Xi returned home, the butler greeted her with a smile. “Madam, Young Master seems to have given Master a gift. Master looked quite happy and specially placed it in the study.”
Lu Xi was a little surprised.
No way. Xie Heng actually knew how to give his Dad a gift? That didn’t fit his character at all.
Curious, she wondered what he had given Xie Yizhao that could make Xie Yizhao so happy.
Lu Xi had a gut feeling. If Xie Heng was giving out gifts, he wouldn’t just give one to Xie Yizhao.
Without hesitation, she planned to go straight to Xie Heng and demand her share. But as she passed by her study, a sudden thought crossed her mind, and she turned to open the door.
The moment she switched on the light, she saw the green plant on her desk, and her eyes lit up.
She walked in, carefully touched the leaves of the plant, and couldn’t help but chuckle. Then her gaze shifted to the windowsill.
There were two new pots of succulents. She couldn’t name them, but they looked adorable and chubby.
Lu Xi walked over, admiring them for a while before taking some photos, planning to think of a caption and post them on her social media before bed.
After exercising, she returned to her room to shower, just in time to see Xie Yizhao coming out of the bathroom, still carrying the cool scent of fresh water.
“You’re back?” He smiled at her.
Lu Xi nodded and was about to tell him that she had also received a gift when she saw him approaching, seemingly wanting to hug her. She immediately took a few steps back. “Wait, I just finished playing badminton and I’m all sweaty. Let me shower first, then you can hug me.”
No way was she going to let him waste his shower.
He smiled, unconcerned. He was a bit of a clean freak, but when it came to Lu Xi, he never thought too much about it. For some reason, he was in an exceptionally good mood today. Seeing Lu Xi, his first instinct was to embrace her.
But more than his own desires, he respected hers. So he simply stopped in front of her without making another move.
Lu Xi grinned and sidestepped him, heading to the walk-in closet to grab her clothes.
As she came out, she heard Xie Yizhao ask, “By the way, did you receive the gift Xiao Heng sent you? I placed it in the study.”
Lu Xi replied, “I did. I even took pictures. It’s beautiful, though I don’t know what it’s called.”
“I took pictures too.” Xie Yizhao pulled out his phone and showed her a few photos—shot from rigid angles, the typical ‘straight-man’ style of photography. He then calmly explained, “This is called the ‘Green Apple Calathea.’ It prefers shade and needs watering two or three times a week. Also… it symbolizes family unity and happiness.”
Lu Xi was momentarily stunned.
How did he manage to research all that in such a short time? Was he just waiting for her to come home so he could show off?
She smirked knowingly. “Oh? Any other photos?”
Xie Yizhao shook his head, putting away his phone. “Just those few.”
Lu Xi let out a meaningful “Oh.”
She understood now.
Xie Heng had only given him one plant, and he was already this thrilled. If she told him she had received three… would he feel a little unbalanced?
Haha!
Just the thought of it was enough to make Lu Xi smug for a long time. But she decided not to say anything to provoke Xie Yizhao. After all, it was rare for him to seriously accept a gift from his son and feel proud about it. If she rubbed it in, wouldn’t that just damage their father-son bond?
For the sake of their budding relationship, she even decided not to post the pictures on social media.
See? She had sacrificed so much for this family.
Xie Yizhao didn’t notice her little scheme. With a smile, he asked, “So, what did you receive?”
Lu Xi casually replied, “Same as yours.”
She wasn’t lying. The plant was the same. She just had two extra pots.
After showering, Lu Xi got into bed, ready to binge-watch a drama. Meanwhile, Xie Yizhao sat on the sofa, reading a book. He walked over and gently ran his fingers through her hair.
Lu Xi thought he was about to hug her, so she turned around, ready to cooperate.
Unexpectedly, Xie Yizhao brought up Xie Heng again. “I’ve noticed that after just one day of working at your place, he’s actually made some progress. How did he perform?”
Lu Xi suddenly wanted to roll her eyes…
Why was this brat still the main topic?
Hadn’t she already told him all about it earlier?
Thinking about his fragile ‘fatherly heart,’ she patiently recounted the highlights of the day again.
They were all minor incidents, but Xie Yizhao listened attentively, clearly interested. When she finished, a faint smile appeared on his handsome face. “Since he wants to train himself, let him come to my company next summer. Consider it my return gift to him.”
Lu Xi playfully glared at him and turned away.
His intentions were way too obvious.
This old man was just being petty. Clearly, he was jealous of how well-behaved his son was at her place and felt unbalanced. Now, he wanted to snatch him over under the guise of a ‘return gift’…
Return gift, my foot!
A real return gift would be something tangible—like how Lu Xi actually bought things to give to him.
That night, Lu Xi impulsively placed an online order.
She bought two sets of loungewear—technically, pajamas—perfect for wearing after a shower and before bed.
One was a light blue teddy bear design for herself.
The other? A pastel pink and Morandi green monster-themed set—for Xie Heng, the little brat.
The delivery was fast, arriving the next morning. By 9:30 AM, Xie Yizhao had already left for work, while Lu Xi and Xie Heng were still leisurely having breakfast when the delivery guy rang the doorbell.
The servant brought in the package, but Xie Heng, busy eating his beef noodles, only glanced at it without much interest.
Ms. Lu was an avid online shopper, receiving at least five packages a day, so he was long used to it.
Without even looking, he could guess they were clothes or cosmetics.
But this time, Lu Xi smiled at him and said, “Go open it. One of them is for you.”
Hearing that, Xie Heng’s eyes lit up.
A gift for himself—that was different. He immediately put down his noodles, wiped his mouth, and happily went over to open the package, even asking the servant for scissors.
Once unwrapped, he took out a neatly packaged set of pajamas, and his smile vanished.
What the hell was this?
Fluffy, soft, and worst of all—pink?
Lu Xi said, “These are pajamas I bought for you. They’re really comfortable.”
Xie Heng was skeptical. He had plenty of complaints but swallowed them down. After some hesitation, he picked out the blue one with a bear on it, reluctantly accepting it.
But Lu Xi stopped him. “Hey, put that down. That one’s mine. Yours is the other one.”
Xie Heng stared at the one he had left behind—the overwhelmingly pink one.
His expression became indescribable.
Seeing his disdain, Lu Xi was displeased. She thought her son’s fair complexion would look great in pink. Besides, they were just pajamas—who cared about color at home? Boys could wear pink too.
She frowned. “If you don’t want it, give it back. I’ll let your Dad wear it.”
Xie Heng spoke honestly, “I don’t think my Dad will wear it.”
Lu Xi snorted. “He will. That’s why he has a wife while you don’t even have a girlfriend.”
“…” A vein twitched on Xie Heng’s forehead. Huffing, he grabbed the pink monster-themed pajamas. “Fine, Master, stop nagging. I’ll wear it, okay?”
That’s what he said.
But for the next few days, he never wore them outside his room.
He only put them on in private.
Because when he grudgingly tried them on once, he had to admit—ignoring how they looked—they were actually really comfortable.
He wasn’t too picky. Sometimes, after finishing his homework, he would fall straight into bed, and wake up still wearing them.
Lately, Xie Heng’s sleep quality had been excellent.
He would fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
His winter break had been especially fulfilling these days.
After a conversation with Lu Xi in the car, he realized how tough adulthood was. He thought about it for a long time and decided to reorganize his daily schedule.
Mornings were spent following Lu Xi to her company, afternoons were for studying, and evenings were for playing basketball before doing more assignments.
His schedule was packed.
At the office, he had gotten used to the workflow. Simple tasks like making photocopies no longer challenged him. Occasionally, he handled interviewee receptions, played receptionist, or helped order lunch when everyone was busy.
He even found an old coffee machine in the storage room.
Wei Ning said it was a gift from a client, but since no one in the office knew how to use it, it had been gathering dust.
Following online tutorials, Xie Heng quickly figured it out. The first cup he brewed, he proudly delivered to Lu Xi’s office.
After drinking it, Lu Xi was pleasantly surprised and praised him. She even invited him to come back for summer break, warning him not to let another company steal him away.
Xie Heng wasn’t sure who ‘another company’ referred to, but he was quite happy.
He liked working at Lu Xi’s office. It was small but had a relaxed atmosphere, and he was getting proficient at all sorts of office skills.
A few days later, Lu Xi suddenly called him into her office, telling him to accompany her on a field assignment.
“Me?” Xie Heng pointed at himself. “What about your assistant?”
Lu Xi usually only brought Wei Ning when handling business matters. She never let Xie Heng tag along.
Lu Xi said, “Wei Ning took a leave. Are you coming or not? If not, I’ll bring someone else.”
“I’m coming!” Xie Heng grinned.
Lu Xi glanced at him, amused. She swiftly packed up her things and was about to leave when she suddenly paused. She checked her bag, then her pockets, and then searched all over her desk.
Watching her frantic rummaging, Xie Heng asked in confusion, “What are you looking for?”
“My phone. Have you seen it?” Lu Xi looked bewildered.
Xie Heng was speechless. “Isn’t it in your hand?”
Lu Xi looked down. Oh. It was.
She awkwardly cleared her throat, pretending nothing had happened, and walked straight out of the office.
Xie Heng lengthened his strides to keep up while giving her a puzzled look.
Looking for a phone while holding it—he had done that before, but only when his mind was elsewhere.
Could it be that she had something on her mind today?
Was it a work problem?
If it was, he probably wouldn’t be of much help. He’d only make things worse.
Over the past few days at the office, he had learned one important workplace survival rule: observe more, talk less, and don’t overstep when you don’t understand something.
But he was her son.
He couldn’t just ignore it.
So, he decided to follow along and see if she really had something troubling her.
After getting into the car, Lu Xi told the driver their destination. “Wendong Wharf.”
Xie Heng was momentarily stunned and quickly asked, “Why are we going to the wharf?”
Lu Xi replied, “A celebrity is filming there. I need to help with their styling. We’ll be on a boat, the scenery should be nice.”
Xie Heng pursed his lips in silence.
What nice scenery? It was just a river. He felt like Lu Xi was coaxing a child, trying to make it sound more interesting so he wouldn’t find it boring.
On a normal day, he wouldn’t mind her treating him like a kid and humoring him. But right now, he wasn’t in the mood.
A river…
A boat…
Wendong Wharf led to Yuejiang—it wasn’t the place where she had her accident. But just thinking about how she had disappeared into the water and then mysteriously reappeared made his heart feel uneasy.
A little panicked. A little scared.
Lu Xi, on some level, also had lingering fears. She would never set foot in the waters where the accident happened. But today’s shoot was in a different location, and she didn’t think anything would go wrong.
It might sound superstitious, but since she had been back for so long without any incidents, her instincts told her that her fate had already changed. She couldn’t just let PTSD control her life.
Before they set out, she had felt a little uneasy. But now that she was in the car, she had calmed down.
When they arrived at the boat, the crew welcomed her. Xie Heng followed her the entire time, even standing guard outside the dressing room.
Everything went smoothly.
Just as Lu Xi had felt, nothing happened.
Xie Heng, apart from being quieter than usual and sticking close to her, didn’t show any unusual behavior.
After they got off the boat, Lu Xi dropped Xie Heng home before heading to work.
Before leaving, she suddenly thought of something. Rolling down the car window, she looked at Xie Heng, who was still standing obediently outside. “You accompanied me on this assignment today. I’ll give you a 100-yuan bonus, it’ll be added to your next paycheck.”
Xie Heng’s eyes lit up. “Really?! Then you have to bring me along next time too!”
“You little money-grubber.” Lu Xi gave him a playful glare.
Xie Heng felt like he’d sunk pretty low. He was actually happy over a mere 100 yuan? In the past, if someone threw 100 yuan at his feet, he wouldn’t even bother picking it up.
Now that nothing had happened on the boat, he was relieved. When he got home, he called Xu Jiaming over to do some schoolwork together.
But for some reason, an unexplained restlessness gnawed at him.
He couldn’t focus.
Even Xu Jiaming noticed. “What’s up with you?”
Xie Heng frowned, feeling his palms slightly sweaty. “Maybe I had too much coffee this morning.”
He had drunk three cups just to test the flavors!
Xu Jiaming looked at him speechlessly.
Xie Heng took a deep breath, then suddenly put down his pen and stretched. “Forget it. Let’s go play basketball. Call Old Song too.”
And so, their afternoon study session turned into a basketball match.
Xie Heng played for three whole hours, sweating profusely. At some point, he took off his fleece-lined hoodie, leaving only a long-sleeved T-shirt. He didn’t feel cold while playing. Actually, it felt great.
It wasn’t until evening, on his way home, that a sudden gust of cold wind made him shiver.
Xie Heng frowned.
Only then did he realize he had left his hoodie on a bench by the court.
With just a few hundred meters left to home, there was no way he was turning back for it. He had always relied on his good health—he rarely caught colds—so he simply powered through.
As soon as he stepped into the warm house, he let out a sigh of relief.
He didn’t think much of it, but the butler was startled to see him come home in just a thin shirt. The man quickly ordered someone to prepare ginger tea.
“Young master, you can’t dress like this while playing ball! What if you get sick?”
Xie Heng shrugged nonchalantly. “I won’t. I haven’t had a cold in years.”
The butler was speechless. That was exactly the kind of statement that jinxed things.
Xie Heng, however, didn’t care. To prove his point, he ate as much as usual at dinner and felt completely fine. But when he returned to his room afterward, his head felt a little heavy. He couldn’t focus on his books and was unusually sleepy.
At that moment, his bed was incredibly tempting.
He changed into his pink monster-themed pajamas and collapsed onto his bed.
Not long after, a chill crept through his body. He curled up under the blanket, but he was still cold.
Then, he had a nightmare.
He saw a bridge.
He saw Lu Xi in a car, and suddenly, the steering wheel went out of control. The vehicle sped forward like it had lost its mind—straight into the water…
His brows furrowed tightly, his face clouded with distress.
Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao arrived home at the same time.
“Where’s Xiao Heng? In his room doing homework?” she asked out of habit.
The butler nodded. Seeing Lu Xi, he couldn’t help but tell her about what had happened that afternoon, hoping she could rein Xie Heng in. In this house, she was the only one he truly listened to.
Lu Xi frowned. “Got it. I’ll go check on him. He’s not allowed to be this reckless again.”
“I’ll come with you.” Xie Yizhao’s expression was also serious as he followed.
Lu Xi nodded.
No mixed doubles today, but a tag-team scolding would do.
When they reached the second floor, Lu Xi knocked on Xie Heng’s door. “Xiao Heng? Come out for a bit, we need to talk.”
Inside, the boy’s eyelids fluttered, and he struggled to wake up.
He felt awful, but he could still move. He sat up, rubbed his face, and—without realizing he was burning up—went to open the door.
Lu Xi froze when she saw him.
Wasn’t he refusing to wear it earlier? So why had he secretly put it on?
She was about to laugh, but then she noticed his face.
Her smile faded.
Xie Heng’s face was flushed red, but his eyes were unusually bright.
She exchanged a glance with Xie Yizhao, suspecting he had a fever.
On instinct, she reached out to check his forehead. But just as she lifted her hand, Xie Heng suddenly lowered his head and obediently wrapped his arms around her.
His voice was hoarse as he whispered, “Can you hug me? I feel really bad…”