Lu Xi was momentarily stunned, her brows furrowing tightly.
She… was being hugged by a 1.8-meter-tall man wearing a girly pastel pink monster-themed pajama set?
And why did this ‘monster’ look like he was about to cry? So pitiful.
She couldn’t help but glance at Xie Yizhao.
His expression wasn’t great either, somewhat grave. While Xie Heng was still clinging to Lu Xi, he raised a hand to feel the boy’s forehead.
It was burning hot.
“He’s got a fever,” Xie Yizhao said before turning to fetch the medical kit. But before he could step away, Lu Xi let out an “ah” and grabbed his hand.
Xie Heng, half-conscious and feverish, was tall and broad. At first, the hug had been light, but gradually, his entire weight started leaning against her. Lu Xi was about to topple over.
“…”
Xie Yizhao quickly supported her and, in the same motion, took his troublesome son off her hands. He couldn’t help but frown and shake his head.
He could’ve just stayed in bed and made a sound if he needed help. Even if he didn’t say anything, they would have noticed something was wrong and checked on him.
Did he really come out just to hug Lu Xi?
With ease, Xie Yizhao helped Xie Heng back into bed and made sure he was lying down properly.
Lu Xi touched his back—no sweat. The blanket was still clean and dry. Only then did she feel reassured enough to let him rest.
Soon, the butler arrived with the medical kit.
Seeing Xie Heng lying there, face flushed with fever, the butler’s heart clenched. He immediately took his temperature.
“Master, Madam, it’s 38.6°C. Ah, I knew it! I told him he’d get sick trying to tough it out…” The butler muttered as he rummaged through the kit for fever medicine.
Lu Xi nodded. Once he was better, she would definitely give him a good scolding.
“Which fever medicine works best for him?” She glanced down at the various medications the butler had pulled out—plenty of options for colds, fevers, and inflammation.
Xie Yizhao spoke up. “He rarely gets sick. Last time, it was just a mild fever at 37.5°C from playing basketball in the cold. He slept it off without taking any medicine.”
The butler opened his mouth, about to say something, but then swallowed his words.
He hadn’t expected that the master of the house remembered better than he did.
Lu Xi glanced at Xie Yizhao, then at Xie Heng. After being settled back in bed, the boy had reopened his eyes and was now staring intently at his Dad.
His fevered gaze, framed by slightly downturned puppy-like eyes, was especially bright.
Xie Heng grumbled unhappily, “Why do you even remember such an embarrassing thing? And it wasn’t from playing basketball, I caught a cold from a classmate.”
Xie Yizhao looked down at him with a chilly gaze. “Then who did you catch it from this time?”
“…”
Xie Heng sighed. “I’m already sick. Can’t you go easy on me for once?”
Xie Yizhao remained silent.
If he still had the energy to argue, then he wasn’t too bad off. Xie Yizhao felt both helpless and a little relieved.
Lu Xi rolled her eyes at the father and son. She was annoyed with Xie Heng, but more than that, she felt sorry for him. She decided to let it slide for now and shot a glare at Xie Yizhao. “Just let him be. Can’t you hear him whining at you?”
Xie Heng : “I am not!”
His moment of weakness—leaving his room just to hug Ms. Lu—was already humiliating enough. Thinking about it made his toes curl in embarrassment.
Lu Xi ignored his prideful act and picked out a medicine she found effective. She pressed a pill into her palm and held out a glass of warm water from the nightstand. “Do you want to take it yourself, or should Mommy feed you?”
“…I’ll take it myself.”
Xie Heng’s face turned even redder.
Even Xie Yizhao gave Lu Xi an exasperated look.
For some reason, he felt both a little jealous and a little sorry for Xie Heng. Knowing Lu Xi’s playful nature, once he recovered, she would definitely tease him about this.
Even though Xie Yizhao was usually serious and composed, the image of his son—dressed as a pink monster with little horns, clinging to Lu Xi and acting soft—almost made him chuckle.
Xie Heng snatched the pill, tossed it in his mouth, and downed it with a gulp of water.
Lu Xi watched him. “Finish the whole glass. You need to drink more water right now.”
Xie Heng didn’t argue. He frowned slightly but obediently drank the rest. His head was muddled, and he felt awful. After taking the medicine, he lay back down.
Lu Xi turned to the butler. “Call Dr. Wei to come take a look. Let’s leave for now so he can rest.”
Xie Heng, who had closed his eyes, heard footsteps. He couldn’t help but peek through his lashes, anxiously watching the small figure standing beside his Dad.
Even though he knew she was just leaving his room and still inside the house, the lingering fear from his nightmare made him uneasy.
He pressed his lips together. When he thought she might turn around, he quickly shut his eyes tight.
Not long after, he heard the door close behind them.
Maybe it was the medicine working, but his headache eased, and his body gradually relaxed. The discomfort subsided, and he drifted into sleep.
It wasn’t a deep sleep, though.
He vaguely felt people entering and leaving his room, whispering softly. A cool, gentle hand occasionally touched his forehead and hair, bringing a sense of comfort and security.
When he finally woke up again, he glanced at the clock.
It was already six in the morning.
Xie Heng sat up and touched his forehead.
It seemed like the fever was gone?
He got up, moved his hands and feet a bit, then walked to the full-length mirror to check his complexion. It looked normal again.
Xie Heng couldn’t help but feel a little smug.
He’s young and has a strong body. Just one pill and a good sleep, and he was fine. The adults really made a big fuss about nothing, calling a doctor over yesterday?
Right now, he was just starving.
He felt like he’d burned a lot of energy. He needed to eat more today to make up for it.
Xie Heng was about to change and go downstairs when he suddenly caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and froze.
Wait a minute, had he been wearing these pajamas all night?
His expression changed drastically.
He carefully recalled last night.
His Dad and Ms. Lu knocked on his door. He had groggily gotten up and hugged Ms. Lu… while wearing this ridiculous outfit?!
The boy suddenly felt as if the world had ended. He collapsed back onto the bed in despair.
He didn’t want to go downstairs anymore.
Might as well keep having a fever.
Ms. Lu was definitely laughing her head off right now!
Lu Xi didn’t have time to laugh at Xie Heng.
She hadn’t slept well last night and woke up extra early. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes in the mirror gave her a headache.
She knew her own body well.
The upside was that she usually slept soundly. The downside? If she ever had insomnia, she’d get dark circles the next day and would have to make sure she got proper rest for the next few days to get rid of them.
Glancing at the reflection beside her—Xie Yizhao, brushing his teeth—she became even more frustrated.
Some people were just born with endless energy and good skin, huh?
He had gotten up with her in the middle of the night to check on Xie Heng, yet why didn’t he have dark circles too?
She couldn’t resist poking Xie Yizhao’s waist. Then, before he could react, she quickly slipped away.
“……”
The man paused for a moment. The corners of his lips twitched slightly in resignation.
He didn’t bother chasing after her. After finishing his morning routine, he stepped out, carrying the fresh scent of aftershave—only to see a fluffy blue teddy bear sitting cross-legged on the bed, playing on its phone.
Xie Yichao : “……”
So, was this supposed to be a mother-son matching outfit?
Lu Xi saw him come out and had already forgotten her little sneak attack from earlier. She smiled and said, “I’m not going to the studio today. Just giving my assistant some instructions.”
Xie Yizhao nodded.
He sat beside Lu Xi and thought for a moment before saying, “I can take the day off today too.”
Lu Xi’s eyes lit up.
She was just about to say that the three of them could go out together when she remembered that Xie Heng hadn’t fully recovered yet. So she changed her mind and nudged Xie Yizhao. “How about you take tomorrow off instead? Stay home with him, and I’ll go to work.”
Xie Yizhao raised an eyebrow slightly.
Honestly, he didn’t think Xie Heng catching a little cold warranted a parent staying home to watch over him. When he was sick as a kid, his parents never did that. There were always plenty of people around, and doctors on call.
And even if Xie Yizhao were home, he wouldn’t be much help.
But then again, maybe this was exactly why Xie Heng only acted spoiled with Lu Xi while he… just got attitude.
Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but smile slightly and agreed.
“But I think he’d rather have you stay home with him than me,” Xie Yizhao said casually.
Lu Xi actually thought the same.
But if she admitted it, wouldn’t that seem a little narcissistic? She blinked innocently and played dumb. “Really? Don’t be jealous. If you are, go be jealous in front of your son.”
Xie Yizhao was speechless.
If anyone in this household had the best way with words, it was definitely Lu Xi. Not only was she eloquent, but she was also incredibly persuasive.
Normally, Xie Yizhao wasn’t easily influenced by what others said. Yet lately, he found himself swayed by Lu Xi’s words more often than not.
Like right now. He hadn’t thought much of it, but after she pointed it out, he suddenly felt a little… sour.
Was he really jealous of that brat?
He cleared his throat lightly, then let out a quiet chuckle, taking Lu Xi’s hand and gently kneading her fingers.
Her hands were small and soft—very pretty, very delicate. But completely bare. Not a single ring.
Xie Yichao’s gaze flickered slightly.
He had noticed this a long time ago. From the night she was pulled out of the water, she hadn’t been wearing a ring.
“What are you looking at?” Lu Xi leaned in close, her eyes full of curiosity.
Seeing her teddy bear pajamas, the last bit of gloom in Xie Yizhao’s heart dissipated. He pinched the tip of her nose lightly. “Nothing.”
Lu Xi was skeptical.
She always felt that Xie Yizhao was deep and reserved. If he didn’t want people to know what he was thinking, he could keep a straight face indefinitely.
After all, he had been groomed as a future heir since childhood. A straight-A student, a powerhouse in the business world, dealing with all kinds of people. He was the definition of a cunning old fox. And now, with over a decade more life experience than her…
If she could guess what was on his mind, that would be the real miracle.
Lu Xi never wasted time on impossible problems. When something was unsolvable, she knew when to let it go.
Besides, right now, her mind was preoccupied with Xie Heng anyway.