When Xie Heng returned empty-handed, Xu Meng’s eyes lit up. “Did you give the bag back to her? Did she say anything?”
Xie Heng glanced at her, his gaze somewhat evasive. He nodded first, then shook his head.
At the time, he had just shoved the bag into that woman’s hands and turned away without even looking at her reaction.
Seeing Xie Heng’s serious yet slightly dazed expression, Xu Meng thought he must have been scolded by the woman. She felt a little guilty.
Despite his tall stature, he was still just a high school freshman.
Technically, as the receptionist, it was her responsibility to handle this. But Xie Heng, being a loyal kid, had stepped in to help her out.
Xu Meng quickly took out her phone. “Thanks a lot for earlier. Let me buy you a bubble tea. What do you want?”
Normally, Xie Heng would refuse.
He always felt embarrassed letting a girl treat him.
But today, he had too much on his mind and didn’t overthink it. He simply nodded. “Anything’s fine. I’m not picky.”
Ah, she loved guys like this—cute, loyal, and not fussy!
Since she already felt guilty, and Xie Heng had been a great help at the front desk these past few days, making her job easier without her salary decreasing at all, she decided to be extra generous today and ordered two of the more expensive drinks.
When the bubble tea arrived, Xu Meng went to the restroom, so Xie Heng picked it up at the door.
He glanced at the receipt on the paper bag and froze.
Over 100 yuan for two drinks? Even pricier than what Ms. Lu usually ordered.
Cherry Strawberry Boba Supreme?
He unwrapped it and took a sip. It tasted okay—not worth over 50 yuan, in his opinion. He wouldn’t spend that much himself.
He’d have to work almost two hours to earn that back.
When Xu Meng returned and saw him already drinking, she took a sip of her own and smiled. “How is it? Good?”
Since she was treating, Xie Heng nodded against his better judgment.
But he couldn’t help asking, “How much do you make a month? Is it a lot?”
Xu Meng was startled and instinctively glanced toward Lu Xi’s office.
Employees weren’t allowed to discuss salaries, that was the rule. But… Xie Heng wasn’t really an employee. He was the boss’s son. Even if she didn’t tell him, he could find out.
So she lowered her voice and said, “Four thousand five.”
Xie Heng was stunned. He looked at Xu Meng, then at the bubble tea in his hand. Suddenly, the 50-yuan drink felt unbearably heavy.
She earned so little—less than his allowance—and yet she was willing to buy such expensive drinks for him.
She really was a kind and generous person.
Xu Meng noticed Xie Heng’s odd expression. “What? Is there something wrong with that salary?”
“No, no, just asking,” Xie Heng quickly took another sip to calm himself. Then he asked, “By the way, do you have a boyfriend?”
Xu Meng chuckled. “Nope. Why? You want to introduce me to someone?”
Xie Heng replied seriously, “Not really. I just wanted to say—when you do find one, never go for a broke guy. Or one who’s rich but stingy. And definitely not one who makes you sign a prenup. Absolutely not.”
Xu Meng: ?
Why did he sound so serious, like he was mad at someone? Should she just nod?
Meanwhile, Lu Xi was completely unaware of this little drama.
Not long after Mrs. Xia left, Lu Xi sat in her office, still thinking about it.
Had she offended that woman somehow?
Though she doubted Mrs. Xia, with her family background and limited intelligence, could actually harm her, the whole thing left a bad taste in her mouth. She hated the feeling of being targeted.
Like a mosquito buzzing in her ear. Not a serious threat, just really annoying.
Thinking back, she couldn’t figure out what she had done to upset Mrs. Xia.
Maybe just failing to entertain her pointless lecture, making her lose face?
Either way, she had no interest in taking that woman’s money. It doesn’t worth the potential trouble afterward.
Lu Xi couldn’t figure out Mrs. Xia’s problem, but at lunchtime, she did notice something off about her son.
Since Xie Heng was going home that afternoon, she took him out for lunch before having the driver take him back.
The restaurant was in the mall next to her office building, a busy area. Normally, her employees either ordered takeout or ate at the food court in the basement, where the meals were cheap but hit-or-miss in taste.
But Lu Xi, worried that her son was still recovering from an illness, took him to a nicer place on the sixth floor.
“My treat. Order whatever you want, just make sure you eat well before heading home,” she said generously.
Xie Heng took the tablet to place his order, his expression indifferent, as if he wasn’t very interested. He casually selected a few items and handed it back.
Lu Xi glanced at the order.
Just two dishes and a soup.
She frowned. That was way less than his usual appetite.
So she added three more dishes. The waiter hesitated and kindly reminded her, “Ma’am, it’s just the two of you, this might be too much food.”
Lu Xi didn’t even consider that possibility. Did they underestimate Xie Heng’s appetite?
With full confidence, she refused to cancel anything. “Serve them all.”
She ate little, but Xie Heng could eat a lot.
However, unexpectedly, Xie Heng was acting strangely today. He seemed to have little appetite. Even his favorite braised pork was left half-uneaten, while the fish and vegetables, which he didn’t like much, were barely touched.
Lu Xi had always had poor battle power, and besides, she had to maintain her figure.
A lot of food was left on the table.
Worried that he might not be feeling well, Lu Xi looked at him with concern. “What’s wrong? Why are you eating so little?”
Xie Heng was speechless.
He felt like he had already eaten two big bowls of rice and quite a lot of food. Why did she still think he wasn’t eating enough?
The boy muttered, “It’s plenty. I’m not a pig.”
Lu Xi frowned. “Don’t talk about yourself like that.”
Xie Heng : “…”
He couldn’t help glancing at Lu Xi’s bowl. There was still half a bowl of rice left, and given her cat-like appetite, he really didn’t understand how she had the nerve to comment on his eating.
Pressing his lips together, he said, “I can’t eat anymore. Let’s pack it up. I’ll eat it later tonight.”
After all, this meal wasn’t cheap. It was paid for with Ms. Lu’s money.
Besides, wasting food wasn’t good.
But today, his appetite was just off, and his mood felt gloomy.
Even though he knew that Xie Yizhao was his Dad, who had raised him and provided for him, and that he should treat both parents fairly, he still couldn’t help but feel that Ms. Lu had been treated unfairly. He felt like she got the short end of the stick.
Lu Xi nodded. Naturally, she wouldn’t force him.
Ten minutes later, Xie Heng was carrying the packed food as he and Lu Xi walked back to the office building entrance. Only after seeing him get into his family’s car did she turn around and go inside.
Midway, Xie Heng received a message from a few school team friends who were out playing a script murder game. They invited him to join.
He changed his mind on the spot.
He asked the driver to take the packed food home and drop him off at the game venue.
Xie Heng didn’t play script murder games often. His usual entertainment was either gaming or playing basketball. He had only tried it once before with his classmates, but the experience was enjoyable. He liked playing detective-themed scripts, enjoying the process of following the clues, peeling back layers, and uncovering the truth.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t in high spirits today.
When one’s mind is preoccupied, the game experience suffers.
But no one really noticed his silence. After all, Xie Heng wasn’t a talkative person to begin with. Besides, someone else was even quieter than him today.
Halfway through the game, a girl suddenly burst into tears.
Xie Heng had just been speaking when he was interrupted by the sound of crying. He looked over and saw that it was someone he didn’t know—a girl who seemed to be the girlfriend of a third-year senior.
The senior immediately stopped playing and hurried to console her, handing her tissues and leading her outside.
The remaining players were left confused, unsure of what had just happened.
It was a full half-hour before the senior finally returned, looking exhausted.
He had taken his girlfriend home, but no matter how much he tried to comfort her, she wouldn’t stop crying.
He felt distressed but helpless because the problem she was facing wasn’t something someone their age could solve.
Someone couldn’t hold back anymore. “What’s the issue? Maybe we can help if you tell us.”
Xie Heng wasn’t keen on getting involved in other people’s personal matters. He also wasn’t as curious as the others. Right now, he was just listening quietly, not planning to comment. He just found it a bit boring.
However, when the senior sighed and said that his girlfriend was crying because her parents were getting a divorce, Xie Heng couldn’t help but lift his eyes and glance at him.
Everyone else fell silent.
This was something none of them could really help with.
One person chuckled. “My parents got divorced a few years ago, but I didn’t cry. They were always fighting anyway, so it was for the best.”
A few others casually chimed in, saying their parents had also divorced long ago.
“Same here. They haven’t officially split yet, but my stepdad and stepmom are already lined up,” said a boy sitting next to Xie Heng, his face cold.
The others looked at him sympathetically.
Even Xie Heng glanced at him.
That was a lot of information to process. He took two seconds to digest it, then suddenly felt that the guy was quite pitiful.
He usually just played basketball with the school team, occasionally eating or drinking with them. Their interactions were never that deep. This was the first time he realized that half of them had divorced parents.
The few whose parents were still together didn’t look too happy either, as if their family situations weren’t great.
The atmosphere turned somber in an instant.
These teenagers, usually carefree and full of youthful energy, might have seemed dazzling in school and among their peers, but when it came to their parents, they were powerless children.
Some had learned to endure in silence, using rebellion as a shield, pretending they didn’t care at all.
One of the boys who was closest to Xie Heng noticed his silence and smiled. “What about you? What’s your family situation like?”
Everyone knew that Xie Heng’s Dad had recently remarried, and his new stepmother was exceptionally young and beautiful.
At least for now, he didn’t seem to be facing the issue of divorce.
Caught off guard, Xie Heng paused for a moment. After thinking for a while, he gave a vague reply: “It’s okay, I don’t really know.”
For some reason, the other boy suddenly looked at him with a hint of envy.
“My parents’ divorce was like a war. They completely tore into each other—almost started fighting in court over dividing the assets, even though neither of them lacked money.” He let out a bitter laugh. “I really don’t get these adults. Back when my Dad was courting my Mom, he was so generous—buying houses, buying cars. But now that they’re divorcing, they treat each other like enemies.”
Xie Heng didn’t know what to say.
He wasn’t good at comforting people, so he just patted the other person’s shoulder in silence.
There wasn’t much else to do.
He imagined the scene for a moment. It must have been ugly. He hoped nothing like that would ever happen in his own family.
But to be honest, he didn’t really understand adults either. Especially his Dad.
Whenever he was in front of Xie Yizhao, Xie Heng always felt a little inferior—not as capable, not as smart, never able to figure out what his Dad was thinking.
From what he could see, his Dad treated Ms. Lu really well. Sometimes, he would accidentally catch them whispering to each other, being all affectionate and lovey-dovey. It was honestly too much for him.
Besides, his Dad had never remarried all these years and was still looking for her. If that wasn’t love, then what was?
Xie Heng had always thought his parents had a great relationship.
As long as Ms. Lu didn’t get snatched away by some younger guy outside, he wouldn’t end up being a child of divorce.
That’s why, when he heard today that his Dad had actually signed a prenuptial agreement with Ms. Lu, he was so shocked.
To the point of feeling completely at a loss.
If his dad loved Ms. Lu, why would he sign something like that?
Ms. Lu wasn’t short of suitors. She had amazing qualities, and she was a proud person. Why did she agree back then? Why didn’t she just tear up the agreement and throw the pen in his Dad’s face?
Xie Heng couldn’t help but feel wronged on her behalf.
If things really happened this way, then as far as he was concerned, his Dad was in the wrong.
But you couldn’t convict someone without evidence.
Xie Heng wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t as impulsive as before. He wasn’t about to label his Dad as a scumbag just because of a few gossipy words from some woman.
Until he found out the truth, Xie Yizhao was just a suspect.