It was impossible for Lu Xi to make a choice.
All she could do was blink innocently at the two men, trying to get away with playing cute.
Xie Heng looked completely unimpressed, while Lu Xi immediately furrowed her brows and took the offensive. “Why are you still standing here? Shouldn’t you be packing up and heading to work? Do you still want your salary or not?”
Xie Heng begrudgingly shut his mouth. “Fine, CEO Lu, you win.”
As he stormed out of the walk-in closet, Lu Xi swiftly turned around and planted a quick peck on a certain man’s lips. “Alright, alright, you’re the most handsome. The kid won’t be able to compete with you for at least another ten years.”
Xie Yizhao remained silent.
He couldn’t shake the suspicion. If Xie Heng asked again next time, would Lu Xi just brush him off like this too?
Lu Xi smiled at him meaningfully. “But honestly, I’d rather not eat burnt tomato and egg stir-fry or exploding fish-fragrant shredded pork. CEO Xie, let’s leave the New Year’s Eve dinner to the professionals, shall we?”
With that, she quickly made her escape.
There was no helping it, someone had to tell the hard truths. The kitchen and the chefs at home had already been through enough; no need to torment them further.
It was just a mess this time, but next time, the kitchen might actually explode.
Xie Yizhao : “…” He felt completely wronged.
Most of the pre-New Year’s workload had wrapped up, at least at Lu Xi’s small studio. With only a few days left before the holiday, the office atmosphere had noticeably slackened.
Lu Xi didn’t mind.
As long as everyone got their work done, she didn’t care if they slacked off a little. Besides, she wasn’t immune to the temptation of slacking off herself.
That evening, after dinner, the housekeeper approached Lu Xi.
“Madam, we’re planning a big cleaning before the New Year. We’d like to sort through the storage room. Would you be available tomorrow to help decide what to keep and what to throw away?”
Although the house was spacious enough, the butler was a little superstitious. According to his hometown’s customs, getting rid of old and unused items before the New Year could bring good fortune in the coming year.
Lu Xi nodded. “Tomorrow night works. But what exactly is in the storage room?”
She knew there shouldn’t be much of her stuff in there. Most of her belongings were either in the walk-in closet or still in her bedroom. Ever since she arrived here, she had already thrown out a lot of things herself.
If any of her things were in the storage room, Xie Yizhao would have told her.
The housekeeper replied, “There are some of Master’s and Young Master’s thingsm mostly Young Master’s… Oh, Madam, could you ask him to join us? Just in case we throw out something he still needs.”
That was no problem.
The next day was the last working day before the holiday. Knowing that some colleagues had flights or trains to catch home, Lu Xi let everyone leave work two hours early. Xie Heng also stayed at the studio instead of heading home early, waiting to leave together with Lu Xi.
On the way back, Lu Xi mentioned what the butler had asked her the night before.
Xie Heng was completely indifferent. “Do I need to be there? I don’t think so. Just let them throw things out.”
He didn’t think there was anything important in the storage room.
Lu Xi glanced at him. “Are you sure? I heard a lot of your old stuff is in there. There might even be some embarrassing memories.”
A sudden chill ran down Xie Heng’s spine.
He just remembered. His old textbooks and exam papers had been stored away by the butler. Those things were definitely blackmail material!
Now he deeply regretted not throwing them out earlier…
“Never mind, I’d better check for myself. I’m free tonight anyway.” Xie Heng immediately changed his tune.
Lu Xi smirked. “So there is something embarrassing in there, huh?”
“…Of course not. I just don’t want you guys to throw away something important,” Xie Heng said stiffly. Truthfully, now that his grades had improved, he felt nothing but secondhand embarrassment about his past self. The last thing he wanted was for Lu Xi to see any of it. He just needed to find a way to discreetly destroy everything.
Lu Xi just smiled without calling him out.
The kid was growing up and getting more self-conscious. She had to be mindful of his pride.
Even if she wanted to laugh, she would do it in secret.
The storage room was on the right side of the first floor, near the servants’ quarters, so Lu Xi rarely came to this part of the house.
The butler unlocked the door. The room was tidy, though it carried the scent of old belongings.
The windows were shut tight, so he hurried over to open them for ventilation.
Lu Xi didn’t mind the smell. It reminded her of old books, evoking a feeling of time passing. She curiously looked around the room.
Shelves lined both sides of the space, stacked with discarded household items. On the floor, over a dozen neatly arranged storage bins sat waiting.
The housekeeper pointed at them with a smile. “These are all Young Master’s. We’ve already sorted through Master’s belongings.”
He looked over at Xie Heng.
Lu Xi also smiled at him. “Well, it’s all yours. Go ahead and sort through it. Keep what you need, toss what you don’t.”
Xie Heng pressed his lips together. “Got it. I’ll do it myself. You can leave if you don’t have anything else to do.”
Lu Xi found that a little odd.
Were all these really embarrassing memories? Otherwise, why was he reacting so strongly?
She considered it for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.” She turned to leave.
“…Forget it. If you want to stay, go ahead.” Xie Heng crouched down, fiddling with the latch on the nearest storage bin. He couldn’t help glancing at Lu Xi. “You’re not mad, are you?”
Lu Xi : ?
Did she seem like someone who got mad over nothing?
She walked over to him, reached out, and gave his buzzed head a little pat, humming lightly. “Just hurry up and clean up already. You talk too much.”
Xie Heng had long since grown accustomed to her habit of ruffling his hair. His hair used to get messy when she did it, but now, with its short, bristly texture, even he found it uncomfortable to touch. Yet she didn’t seem to mind at all.
He opened the storage box.
Seeing that it was filled with textbooks, Xie Heng secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Lu Xi casually pointed at it. “Can I take a look?”
Xie Heng said, “Go ahead, but there’s nothing interesting, just textbooks.”
Knowing himself well, he was sure the books were still practically new, with no notes inside.
Lu Xi randomly pulled one out. It was a third-grade Chinese textbook.
She opened the cover. In the middle of the first page, written in blue ink, were the two characters : [Xie Heng].
The spacing between them was unusually wide, as if they weren’t quite familiar with each other.
Lu Xi’s lips curled up.
Oh, wow. She would never complain about his current messy handwriting again. It was miles better than what it used to be!
At that moment, she made up her mind. This year, she was definitely getting Xie Heng a calligraphy practice book.
Flipping a few more pages, her lips twitched.
…What the heck?
The illustration of a famous poet on the page had been given a creative makeover. Xie Heng had defaced it with huge black glasses, bright red blush on the cheeks, exaggerated lipstick, and even a string of popsicles in his hand.
Lu Xi : “…”
That wasn’t all. She had done her fair share of doodling in textbooks back then, but Xie Heng had taken it to another level. Not only had he drawn over the images, but he had also blacked out every single character that had holes.
Lu Xi felt the urge to sigh.
Seriously, if he wasn’t an academic underachiever, who was?
Noticing her prolonged silence and strange expression, Xie Heng grew uneasy and quickly leaned over to check.
The moment he saw the page, he froze for a second, then felt his scalp tingle. Without hesitation, he reached out to snatch the book away.
Lu Xi simply let go, allowing him to take it.
But just as he lifted the textbook, a loose sheet of paper fluttered down. Lu Xi reached out and caught it effortlessly.
It was a lined composition sheet.
Lu Xi read the title aloud : “My Dream…”
She immediately realized it was an old essay written by Xie Heng. She paused, glanced at the boy, then smiled and handed it back to him. “Here, I won’t read your embarrassing past.”
Xie Heng took it, feigning indifference, but his eyes skimmed over the words at lightning speed. Thankfully, it was just a short elementary school essay, only two or three hundred characters, so he finished it in an instant.
Catching sight of a certain phrase, his ears turned slightly red. He swiftly crumpled the paper into a ball and stuffed it into his pocket, mumbling, “It wasn’t anything interesting anyway.”
Lu Xi raised an eyebrow.
Her gaze flickered playfully as she grinned at him. “But I think I saw the word ‘Mom’ in there. Were you talking bad about me?”
“No… I mean, I wasn’t saying anything bad!”
Xie Heng was telling the truth.
Lu Xi wasn’t upset; she simply nodded lightly and continued flipping through the other textbooks, her expression calm.
Yet Xie Heng couldn’t help but steal glances at her, feeling a bit anxious. How much had she actually seen? Did she really think he was badmouthing her?
A few minutes later, he gave up.
Lu Xi wasn’t even paying attention to him. She was too engrossed in reading a passage from the textbook. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed him approaching.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out the crumpled paper, and carefully smoothed it out.
Frowning slightly, he examined it.
It was still wrinkled, but at least it was readable now.
Xie Heng held it out to Lu Xi, lowering his gaze and speaking awkwardly. “Fine, just read it. But no laughing.”
Lu Xi arched a brow.
She hadn’t wanted to invade his privacy, but since he was offering, why not?
Earlier, she had been dying to know what he had written about her. Now that she had the chance, she immediately took the paper and read it seriously, word by word.
Watching her, Xie Heng grew even more embarrassed.
She was reading it like it was some kind of literary masterpiece, which only made him more self-conscious.
His fingers curled involuntarily.
At first, Lu Xi had expected it to be hilarious. After all, it was a third-grader’s composition. But as she read on, her heart grew quiet, and a soft place deep inside her was touched.
It was as if she could hear a young, innocent voice murmuring sadly beside her.
The essay began with Xie Heng recounting a scene from a TV show he had watched at home.
In the show, a police officer captured a criminal and rescued a kidnapped child, reuniting the child with their parents.
Of course, his writing was clumsy, riddled with spelling errors and even some pinyin1.
In the second paragraph, he wrote about his dream.
[My dream is to be a police officer because they are amazing! They can find lost kids! When I become a police officer, I’ll definitely be able to find my Mom. Also, also, they know kung fu and are really good at fighting! Once I find my Mom, I can protect her too!]
Lu Xi finished reading and fell into a long silence.
She held the wrinkled paper in her hand, unmoving.
Xie Heng stood beside her, suddenly feeling nervous.
“W-What’s wrong?” the boy asked, his voice uncertain. “I really wasn’t badmouthing you.”
Then, he heard the faint sound of her sniffing.
A taut string in Xie Heng’s mind was suddenly tugged.
His entire back stiffened, his thoughts in chaos. He had no idea what to do.
What do you do when a girl cries?
No, what do you do when your Mom cries?!
Not far away, the butler and a few servants were busy, their backs turned, oblivious to the scene. Xie Heng’s brain went blank for a few seconds before he snapped back to reality, growing anxious.
He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a pack of tissues.
Then, hesitantly, he reached out and gently tapped Lu Xi’s shoulder with it.
She glanced at the tissue, then looked up at the boy again. Her eyes were red, her nose was red too, and her voice carried the restrained tremor of someone holding back tears.
“What?” she said, trying to sound unaffected. “I’m not crying.”
With that, she snatched the tissue and wiped her eyes with deliberate composure.
Xie Heng : “…”
Alright, if she said she wasn’t crying, then she wasn’t crying.
Even as he thought that, he couldn’t help but keep watching Lu Xi, wanting to make sure she was really okay.
Soon, Lu Xi pulled herself together. She stood up, returned the tissue to Xie Heng, and though her eyes were still faintly red, a smile had already returned to her face.
When she first read those innocent yet earnest childhood words, her heart ached. She wanted to reach through time and hug that young version of Xie Heng—so pitiful yet so endearing! It really tugged at her motherly instincts.
But then, when she looked at him now, she saw a tall, upright young man.
She realized that his dream had begun all the way back in third grade.
Maybe even he hadn’t realized it yet—this wasn’t just a fleeting impulse.
Though he was still a high school student now, he had already grown into someone warm, driven, sincere, and righteous. Someone who could fight to protect her, who knew to offer a tissue when she was upset, and then quietly stand by without intruding.
How wonderful.
Lu Xi had the urge to reach out and ruffle his hair. But when she saw the way he was watching her so nervously, something stirred in her heart, and she thought of something even more important.
She handed the composition paper back to him and smiled gently.
“Show it to your Dad,” she said. “He’ll understand. He’ll support you.”
Xie Heng was momentarily stunned.
For a brief second, he was caught off guard, but then his gaze cleared. He looked at Lu Xi, uncertain.
Would his Dad really support him just because of an old essay?
Xie Heng took in Lu Xi’s words, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to talk to his Dad about it—let alone when or how. The idea of showing his childhood essay, filled with genuine emotions, to his Dad was embarrassing.
Besides, he had no idea how to answer his Dad’s questions.
Why did he have this ambition? The reasons in the essay might have moved Lu Xi, but they might not be enough to convince Xie Yizhao.
He figured he’d wait until after the New Year to bring it up.
Xie Heng didn’t want to risk an argument before the holiday. This New Year was important—to him, and to his whole family.
Besides, New Year’s Eve was almost here.
On the night of Lunar New Year’s Eve, the kitchen was busy preparing a grand feast according to the pre-planned menu.
When Lu Xi walked into the dining room, the first thing she noticed was a large, succulent fish placed prominently in the center of the table.
That day, Xie Yizhao didn’t go to the company at all, staying home from morning till night. As for Xie Heng, he had slept in until the afternoon. And Lu Xi? She had already decided. Until work resumed, she wouldn’t think about anything work-related. The holiday was for indulgence.
As they sat down to eat, Lu Xi made a bold declaration:
“Tonight, I’m eating to my heart’s content. No one better stop me.”
Xie Heng was speechless. He responded in the most straightforward way possible:
“It’s not like anyone ever stops you. I even bring you snacks all the time.”
Lu Xi ignored him, instead looking at Xie Yizhao. Then, she glanced at the bottle of red wine on the table, blinking expectantly.
The wine had been a gift from Yang Yihan when she moved in.
Lu Xi had stored it away and forgotten about it, until she happened to pass by the wine cabinet today and decided it was the perfect occasion to open it.
Xie Yizhao pressed his lips together briefly before saying in a calm tone, “Eat as much as you want, but forget about the wine.”
Lu Xi wasn’t going to listen to him. She grabbed the bottle and the corkscrew beside it.
“I’m just having one glass,” she declared confidently. “You two can handle the rest.”
Her words carried a forceful determination, almost like a threat.
But soon, she was met with an awkward dilemma.
She couldn’t open the bottle.
The cork was nearly shredded from her efforts, leaving her hands covered in bits of wood, but the wine remained sealed.
Lu Xi frowned. Was this a sign from the universe that she wasn’t meant to drink tonight?
Xie Yizhao never really intended to stop her in the first place. It was just wine, and they were at home. He wasn’t that controlling.
Watching her struggle, he let out a quiet chuckle and patted her hand lightly.
“I’ll do it.”
Lu Xi, exhausted, gladly handed him the bottle and sat back, leaving the task to him.
Xie Heng, who had been about to step in, paused mid-movement. He leaned back against his chair, took a sip of water, and pretended nothing had happened.
He had realized something.
His Dad loved showing off in front of Lu Xi.
Hmph. It was just opening a bottle of wine, who couldn’t do that? And yet, his Dad had deliberately waited until she struggled before stepping in to help.
So calculating.
Still, Xie Heng decided to let his Dad have this moment. He could let the old man show off in front of his wife.
After opening the bottle and letting the wine breathe for a bit, Xie Yizhao poured Lu Xi half a glass. Ignoring her pointed look, he then poured himself the same amount.
Finally, he glanced at Xie Heng, who was eyeing the wine longingly. With a small smile, he poured him half a glass as well.
Lu Xi, though tempted, knew her limits. Red wine had a strong aftereffect, and she was well aware of her own drinking capacity. Half a glass was enough.
At this moment, the house was quiet, occupied only by the three of them.
The butler and other servants had all gone home for the holiday, leaving the three to enjoy their New Year’s Eve dinner as a family.
The feast was lavish. Besides the exquisite dishes, there was even a bubbling hotpot, adding warmth and festivity to the meal.
Outside, the courtyard had been decorated with small red lanterns chosen by the butler, creating a truly festive atmosphere.
The streets were nearly empty. By now, most people were at home, gathered around dinner tables, celebrating the New Year with their loved ones.
It’s the end of one year and the beginning of another.
Lu Xi raised her glass with a smile. “Happy New Year! Next year on New Year’s Eve, we have to sit at this table again—eating, drinking, chatting, and staying up together!”
Xie Heng lifted his glass in sync, smiling easily.
Xie Yizhao glanced at Lu Xi, then at Xie Heng.
Maybe it was the alcohol, but he felt a strange sense of illusion, as if this scene were a dream—so perfect it felt unreal.
He had only spent one New Year with her. He had thought he would never get another chance.
But this was real. Because even in a dream, he wouldn’t dare to wish for this.
A faint smile touched Xie Yizhao’s lips as he clinked his glass against theirs. “Not just next year. Every year from now on, we’ll be together.”
Lu Xi downed the last sip of her drink in one go, then shook her head. “That’s impossible. At best, we have another ten years.”
Xie Yizhao and Xie Heng both froze.
They had misunderstood what she meant.
Xie Heng, who now knew Lu Xi’s true identity, grew anxious. “Why not? Where will you go in ten years?”
Xie Yizhao didn’t react as strongly.
His expression turned serious, a bitterness rising in his throat. He instinctively reached for his glass, only to find it empty. His gaze darkened.
Lu Xi was exasperated by the buzz-cut kid’s overreaction. She laughed in frustration. “What are you even thinking? Where else would I go? I meant you. Once you’re married, are you still going to spend New Year’s with us instead of your wife?”
Xie Heng was speechless.
Only now did he relax, though he still frowned. “I’ll only be twenty-six in ten years. Who gets married that early?”
And what was with her phrasing, acting like he was freeloading off them? He was still a kid!
Lu Xi thought for a moment, then nodded seriously. “That’s true. Who knows when you’ll even find a girlfriend? Sigh.”
Xie Heng : ? Was that sigh necessary? Was that any way to act?
Noticing the man beside her also letting out a quiet breath of relief, Lu Xi grinned sweetly. She hooked her pinky around his and swayed it slightly, her voice laced with tipsy playfulness. “Ah, I’m suddenly worried… What if Xiao Heng never finds a girlfriend and never gets married?”
Xie Yizhao’s voice was impossibly gentle. “Then there’s no choice. We’ll just have to keep him.”
- Pinyin is a system that uses the Roman alphabet to represent the sounds of Mandarin Chinese. It helps people read and pronounce Chinese characters. Each character has a pinyin spelling and a tone mark. For example, the character for “hello” is 你好, and its pinyin is nǐ hǎo. ↩︎