Being caught following someone, in that instant, all kinds of thoughts flashed through Xie Wenxing’s mind.
Everything he had ever seen in movies came rushing back.
People who tailed others were either murderers or creeps, basically, never normal.
There was something different about Xu Huai’an’s gaze today, something Xie Wenxing couldn’t quite identify.
He doesn’t think I’m some kind of pervert, does he?!?
I’m doomed. QAQ
Panic set in.
He desperately wanted to explain, but the moment he opened his mouth, his mind went blank.
He wanted to say he wasn’t following him, but he had been following Xu Huai’an.
It was scorching hot. Xie Wenxing’s forehead was slick with sweat, and even the back of his shirt felt damp.
“I…”
Xie Wenxing stammered, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. The more he tried to explain himself, the harder the words came.
Xu Huai’an, on the other hand, seemed in no hurry. His gaze swept over Xie Wenxing’s forehead, as light as a cloud and as swift as the wind.
Unlike Xu Huai’an, Xie Wenxing’s eyelashes were long, thick, and curled upward. When he was nervous, they fluttered rapidly, like a dancing butterfly.
Tiny beads of sweat dotted his straight, elegant nose, and his cheeks were flushed a deeper red than ever before, whether from the sun or something else, it was hard to tell.
Seeing Xie Wenxing grow increasingly anxious, biting his lip again until it turned from the pale pink of a peach to the deep red of a tomato, Xu Huai’an seemed to find it amusing. As if he thought Xie Wenxing wasn’t flustered enough, he leisurely said, “You can take your time.”
Out of instinct, Xie Wenxing shoved his hand into his pocket and repeatedly touched the pencil inside, its surface nearly coated with a thin film from his nervous fidgeting, desperately searching for an excuse.
But it was as if his brain cells had gone on strike. His mind was completely blank. In his panic, tears began to well up in his eyes without him even realizing it, leaving them glistening.
Xie Wenxing thought, M-maybe I should just come out and say it—I want to be friends with him!
Unable to come up with a decent excuse, he stammered, “I-I was just… casually walking around and ended up here…”
Xu Huai’an nodded casually, but his gaze drifted downward, landing on his pants pocket.
Xie Wenxing’s entire arm went numb, and he flinched like a startled bird.
“Wh-what?”
Xu Huai’an found it amusing. He hadn’t even said a word, yet this little rabbit was already so scared he was practically confessing on his own.
It made him feel like a big bad wolf, why else would Xie Wenxing act so frightened every time he saw him?
Since the prey was already so close, letting it go wasn’t Xu Huai’an’s style.
He slowly reached out, and Xie Wenxing’s whole body went taut like a drawn bowstring, his eyes fixed on Xu Huai’an’s fingers. Just as they were about to touch his school pants, Xu Huai’an stopped, keeping a teasing distance. “What’s in there?”
Sweat trickled down his cheeks. Xie Wenxing jolted, like a terrified rabbit, afraid Xu Huai’an would call him a pervert. Without a second thought, he turned to run.
Xu Huai’an blocked his path. If Xie Wenxing wanted to get away, he would have to go around him.
But Xu Huai’an was quick. The moment Xie Wenxing took a step, Xu Huai’an caught his arm.
“This is…?”
Hearing Xu Huai’an’s puzzled voice, Xie Wenxing turned his head and saw the pencil clutched in his own hand.
Xu Huai’an opened his mouth as if to say something.
“AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!”
Afraid of being confronted with questions, a scream tore from his throat. Flustered and embarrassed, Xie Wenxing seized the moment when Xu Huai’an was startled by the sudden outburst and flung his arm forward. “Here! Take it back!”
Xu Huai’an watched the pencil hit his chest and fall to the ground. By the time he looked up, barely two or three seconds had passed, and Xie Wenxing was already far away.
He hadn’t realized Xie Wenxing could run that fast.
Xu Huai’an didn’t expect to actually provoke him like that. His nerves were really that thin, huh?
He bent down and picked up the pencil, nearly polished smooth from constant handling.
Daring to do it but not daring to admit it, coward.
Xu Huai’an shook his head, yet somehow, the breeze today felt softer. Even the irritation that had been gnawing at him since the accident seemed to have been carried away, just a little, by Xie Wenxing.
Oh well. Maybe next time, he shouldn’t tease him so hard.
At most, he’d tease him just a tiny bit.
Meanwhile, after running off, Xie Wenxing didn’t immediately return to the classroom.
He found a secluded spot, wrapped his arms around a tree trunk, and began lightly thumping his forehead against it.
Ahhh!!! He had messed things up again!
Why was it that every time he saw Xu Huai’an, he could never speak properly!
Even now, his heart was still pounding wildly, like a rabbit about to leap out of his chest.
Young, unrequited love was always so awkward, it made it impossible for Xie Wenxing to act naturally around Xu Huai’an.
His forehead was red from bumping against the tree. Still hugging the trunk, Xie Wenxing peeked out from behind it, his cheeks flushed like the rosy glow of a sunset. His eyes glistened, unable to hide the deep feelings he could no longer suppress.
A moment later, Xie Wenxing belatedly looked around.
Fortunately, no one was nearby, so no one had witnessed his humiliating behavior.
He patted his cheeks until they cooled down before finally running back to the classroom.
Before entering, Xie Wenxing cautiously peeked inside. Seeing that Xu Huai’an hadn’t returned, he finally felt safe enough to go in.
After making such a fool of himself, he didn’t want to face Xu Huai’an so soon.
But when Xu Huai’an didn’t show up for the entire evening self-study session, Xie Wenxing’s mood soured.
He sat gloomily, pressing his pen against his paper so hard it was almost tearing through.
Meanwhile, the very person Xie Wenxing was thinking about had already taken a car back to the Xu residence.
The butler had long been waiting at the entrance. “Young master, you’re back.”
Xu Huai’an acknowledged him with a sound. “Is everything ready?”
The old butler looked at Xu Huai’an with kind, concerned eyes. “Yes, we’ve already made contact with them.”
Xu Huai’an nodded and headed upstairs.
The old butler stood in the hall, looking up at the young master’s retreating figure.
The Xu family villa was extraordinarily luxurious, magnificent and opulent, with floors so polished they could mirror one’s reflection. The European-style crystal chandeliers were exquisite. The decor was impeccable, yet the space felt empty.
On the spiral staircase, Xu Huai’an’s silhouette already bore the outlines of an adult, yet still retained the rawness of youth.
The old butler suddenly spoke. “Young master, are you happy?”
Light cascaded from above, casting shadows beneath his deep-set brow, making his expression unreadable.
Xu Huai’an stood there for a long while without speaking. Then, indifferently, he murmured, “Happy? I suppose so.”
With that, he continued upstairs.
The next morning, the butler knocked on his door at exactly eight o’clock. After just one knock, the door opened. Inside the bedroom, Xu Huai’an was already fully dressed.
Faint dark circles lined his eyes, yet his gaze was clear, devoid of any trace of sleepiness. “Let’s go.”
With that, he strode briskly downstairs. The butler hurried after him. “Young master, breakfast is ready. Perhaps you should eat a little before leaving.”
“No need.”
Xu Huai’an moved swiftly, his pace stirring the air around him. The butler had no choice but to rush to keep up.
At a heavily guarded prison on the west side of Yancheng, by the time Xu Huai’an arrived, a car was already parked beside the towering prison gate.
The butler frowned deeply. “Young master, it seems they’ve come again.”
“They” referred to Xu Huai’an’s paternal relatives.
Xu Huai’an’s expression remained unchanged. He stepped out of the car without a word.
As expected, when he appeared, the occupants of the other car emerged, a man and a woman. By relation, Xu Huai’an should address them as uncle and aunt.
But despite being relatives, there was no trace of warmth between them.
His uncle, Xu Zhao, put on a fawning smile. “Huai’an came to see his father, huh? After all, they’re father and son, blood is thicker than water.”
His aunt, Xu Zhaodi, had never been pleasant toward Xu Huai’an. She sneered sarcastically, “What nonsense are you spouting? Why don’t you ask your dear nephew if he even acknowledges that father-son relationship anymore? In all my life, I’ve never seen such an ungrateful wretch. Xu Huai’an, you’re nothing but a monster!”
Xu Zhao cut her off. “Don’t talk nonsense. We’re all family, we should be helping each other.”
“Helping him? Ha! Pigs will fly before that happens!”
Xu Huai’an paid no attention to their words. Having already made an appointment beforehand, he followed the officer leading him into the prison.
Locked outside the iron gates, the two siblings began arguing.
Xu Zhaodi’s voice was sharp and harsh. “What exactly are you thinking?”
Xu Zhao sounded impatient. “What do you know, with your woman’s mind? The Xu family’s business is huge, he’s just a kid who knows nothing. Of course, he needs our help.”
Xu Zhaodi scoffed. “Are you insane? You think he’s a sheep? He’s nothing but an ungrateful wolf! What kind of person do you have to be to send your own father to prison?”
Xu Zhao brushed her off. “What Dad did was indeed out of line. The kid’s just blinded by hatred. Give it some time—I’ll talk some sense into him, and maybe things will work out.”
His company hadn’t been doing well in recent years. With the Xu family’s backing, why would he ever have to worry about securing a place in Yancheng?
Xu Zhaodi, for once, was clear-headed. “Keep your schemes to yourself. Don’t drag me into them. I’d like to live a few more years!”
Inside the prison.
Xu Huai’an sat across from a man behind a thick glass partition, studying him with a cold, almost detached expression, as if the man before him was nothing more than a stranger, not his—
“Father.”