Chapter 28: Off the Beaten Path

Who was the man who answered your wife’s phone just now? What’s his relationship to her? Should I tell Mr. Xie about this?

“You still haven’t gone to get food,” Xie Chengyu said, stepping out to grab something. He spotted Zhou Wen—whom he’d sent five minutes earlier to pick up lunch—still standing at the office doorway.

Zhou Wen snapped his head up, his mind in turmoil.

The call was already made. And who knows—maybe Mr. Xie would find out on his own someday. Might as well tell him now.

“Mr. Xie… I remember Mrs. Xie’s crucian carp and tofu soup is really good. I—well, I took the liberty of calling her to ask if she could bring some over, but… a man grabbed the phone from her and said no.”

By the time Zhou Wen reached the end of that sentence, his throat had tightened. He swallowed hard, eyes darting nervously toward Xie Chengyu, terrified he might be thrown out on the spot.

Half of Xie Chengyu’s face was shadowed. Zhou Wen couldn’t read his expression. All he heard was a quiet, “It’s fine. Go get the food.”

Then he watched, frozen, as Xie Chengyu turned and walked away.

Back in the office, Xie Chengyu replayed Zhou Wen’s words in his head. A tiny thorn pricked at his chest—nothing sharp, nothing unbearable, but undeniably awkward.

What had Nan Xiao been doing just now? Was she with another man? Who was he?

Beyond the unease, there was something else—a strange sense of insult, though he couldn’t quite explain why it came over him.

His eyes were dark as midnight, fixed on the phone on his desk. He felt an urge to call Nan Xiao, just to ask what had happened. But what exactly would he say? And what would she say back?

Meanwhile, across town, after more than an hour of cooking together, the two finally finished their meal. As Xiao Zekai scooped rice into bowls, he asked casually, “Nan Xiao… why did you and Xie Chengyu split?”

From the tone of his voice, it was clear he still carried that old frustration—like he’d wanted to shake her and scream, *How could you let this happen?*

Nan Xiao hesitated. She didn’t know how to answer. This wasn’t even the first time he’d asked.

Xiao Zekai sighed, dropped the subject, then said softly, “Xiaoxiao… I actually miss you.”

They’d grown up together—best friends since childhood. Over the years, he’d thought about calling her more than once. But each time, he’d stopped himself.

Nan Xiao looked up. Her heart softened a little. “Really?”

“Of course.”

“Hmm… then maybe we should get back together?”

“Haha… I’ll have to think about that *very* carefully.”

Ungrateful jerk… Nan Xiao rolled her eyes and carried the dishes into the living room.

Together, they’d cooked four dishes and a soup, plus steamed rice. The table was full, fragrant, and delicious.

For years, Nan Xiao had worn a mask everywhere—except around two people: Lin Yan, and Xiao Zekai.

So now, without hesitation, she pulled off the mask, picked up her chopsticks, and popped a piece of green pepper into her mouth. Chewing slowly, she nodded. “Mmm. Tastes great. Your cooking hasn’t lost a bit of its magic.”

“…”

Xiao Zekai stared at her face, stunned.

A second later—*clack*—his chopsticks fell to the floor.

His mouth hung open. His eyes widened. He just… stared. Like someone had hit him with a brick.

Nan Xiao shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “Hey! Can you stop staring and eat your food?”

He remained frozen for half a minute before snapping back to life.

Then—like a monkey on fire—he leapt up, startling her.

“The scar’s gone?! How’d you fix it? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”

He bounced around her, pinching her cheeks to make sure it was real, then gasped.

“I got it treated by a doctor,” Nan Xiao said with a smile. “And you’ve blocked me on WeChat. You really expect me to tell you stuff like that?”

“I didn’t block you—I just turned off my Moments! Now everyone’s asking me, ‘Why’s Xiao Zekai hiding Nan Xiao?’”

Even as he spoke, his eyes stayed locked on her face.

She was breathtaking. After years in the entertainment world, he could swear she was more beautiful than any actress he’d ever seen. He never imagined that after healing, Nan Xiao would become this stunning.

From then on, their conversation revolved entirely around her face.

Xiao Zekai bombarded her with questions—how she healed, when she’d finally be able to take off the mask permanently…

They talked late into the night. Only when Nan Xiao yawned did he reluctantly pack up and leave.

The next morning, Nan Xiao arrived at the set. She’d just put her things down in the lounge when Old Man Xie showed up again.

“Xiaoxiao,” he said, pulling a chair over himself and taking her hand. He gave a dramatic sniffle—half real, half theatrical. “These past few days, you’ve moved out. Grandpa’s all alone at home. I’ve missed you so much.”

Nan Xiao: “….”

She’d known exactly why he was here. Sure enough, after wiping two imaginary tears, he said:

“Xiaoxiao, come back home. Stay with me for a while. After the divorce, I won’t see you anymore anyway.”

Nan Xiao shook her head immediately. “No way. I’ll still visit you after the divorce. I truly consider you family.”

Old Man Xie opened his mouth, about to protest—but she cut in fast.

“Grandpa, the main house is too far from the set. It’s inconvenient for me to commute. Living out here is easier.”

She wasn’t going back to the ancestral home—not after what happened last time. If he tried drugging her and Xie Chengyu again, what would they do?

Seeing her resolve, Old Man Xie didn’t give up. He was still trying to think of a way to convince her when Zhang Sao burst in, frowning.

“Sir, the young master’s here. He just entered Xu Ruoxin’s dressing room.”

At those words, Old Man Xie’s face darkened instantly.

“Go get him.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Zhang Sao turned to leave, Nan Xiao reached out to stop her—but Old Man Xie gripped her wrist.

“Don’t interfere, Xiaoxiao. He’s off chasing that actress again. I have to teach him a lesson.”

Nan Xiao frowned. Old Man Xie was impossible. This stubbornness would only make things harder when Xu Ruoxin and Xie Chengyu eventually married.

Soon, the door creaked open. Xie Chengyu walked in behind Zhang Sao.

He wore a deep gray suit, a blue tie—fresh, sharp, a stark contrast to his usual black clothes. For a second, Nan Xiao glanced at him. Then quickly looked away.

Xie Chengyu’s expression was grim. He stepped forward, but before he could speak, Old Man Xie pointed at him and snapped:

“What are you doing during the day, not at work? Going to see that… that actress? When did you start slacking off?”