Chapter 179: Is that all the love you have for me?

The morning passed quickly; as noon approached, a nanny came to the villa and asked Xu Yanfeng what he wanted for lunch.

Xia Xi was showering in the bathroom of a first‑floor room; when she came out wearing the clothes she had just put on, she overheard Xu Yanfeng reporting the menu to the nanny—all dishes she liked.

Seeing Xia Xi walking over, Xu Yanfeng noticed she had both hands raised behind her head, fixing her hair, the loose sleeves of her striped top sliding down to her elbows; he paused, then, to be safe, asked: "What else would you like to eat?"

Xia Xi had tied her hair into a bun, with a few strands falling at her cheeks, which she tucked behind her ears. Hearing him, she shook her head—nothing she wanted to eat—paused for two seconds, then nodded and said, "I'd like some porridge."

Xu Yanfeng blinked slightly: "Porridge?"

Xia Xi looked at him and said firmly, "Yes, porridge."

After too many kisses in the pool, her mouth was tired; she didn't want any chewing motion, just wanted to drink porridge.

She had suggested racing Xu Yanfeng, swimming two hundred meters; seeing she was about to lose, she quickly pretended her leg cramped. Xu Yanfeng stopped, anxiously came over to check on her, she gave a sly smile and lunged to hug him.

Outside the floor‑to‑ceiling glass window lay a bright spring day, sunlight spilling over blooming flowers and green plants, a scene of vibrant prosperity. The spacious indoor pool echoed with the slightest movement; the two kissed intermittently, tirelessly.

Of course, it was Xia Xi who took the initiative.

She was always so passionate and bold, like the sunshine outside the window.

Perhaps she had been in the water too long; Xia Xi's off‑hand remark came true—her leg really cramped, and she winced in pain. Xu Yanfeng thought she was acting again; she wanted to cry but had no tears, and complained to him that the 'boy who cried wolf' fable was actually true.

Xu Yanfeng finally believed her, carried her to the shore, wrapped a towel around her, knelt down, and gently held her calf, massaging it with moderate pressure, asking if it felt any better…

Recalling the scene, Xia Xi touched her earlobe, wondering if it was heating up.

The nanny went to the kitchen to make lunch, saw live shrimp and crabs in a white foam box, and decided to prepare a seafood vegetable porridge.

In the main hall, Xu Yanfeng took a cup to the water dispenser, got a drink, and asked Xia Xi, "Why do you want porridge at noon?"

Xia Xi walked over, snatched the cup of warm water he had just filled, drank half of it in one gulp, lifted her face and pursed her lips: "You tell me? My mouth hurts."

Xu Yanfeng coughed; fortunately he hadn't drunk the water, or he would have choked. He turned his gaze away, looking at a painting on the wall, and whispered, "Who's to blame?"

Xia Xi chuckled softly: "Blame me, okay?"

At lunchtime, Xia Xi didn't touch any other dishes, focusing solely on the bowl of porridge in front of her.

The nanny's cooking was excellent; the seafood porridge was fragrant and delicious, even better than what noodle shops sold. Xia Xi finished one bowl, then had another, holding a white porcelain spoon and sipping slowly, mouthful by mouthful, with no need to chew.

Xu Yanfeng pushed the plate of reduced‑spice diced chicken toward her: "Want some?"

The fried chicken thigh pieces, stir‑fried again until dry and fragrant with a hint of spice, used to be her favorite mix‑in for rice, but now they seemed hard to chew—just glancing at her cheek made it hurt—so she shook her head: "No." A second later she regretted it, changed her mind, and said, "Unless you feed me."

I thought Xu Yanfeng would ignore her, but he merely paused, then picked up a piece of chicken, brought it to her lips, and asked again, "Want some?"

Xia Xi smiled, pressed her lips together, opened her mouth to eat, and chewed slowly while covering half of her cheek.

She actually quite liked seeing Xu Yanfeng's stern face as he compromised with her; his visage was clearly cold and stern, yet his actions were gentle and indulgent.

Truly deadly.

Xia Xi kicked off her slippers, her toes brushing his calf; the stark contrast of her fair skin against his pure black trousers caught the eye, though she didn't notice, she lifted her chin and said, "Feed me another."

Xu Yanfeng's expression didn't change; only his eyes darkened slightly as he gave her a warning glance.

Knowing his stern‑outside‑soft‑inside temperament, she wasn't afraid and grew even more brazen, kicking him: "One feeding is fine, but two and you're unwilling? Is that all the love you have for me?"

Xu Yanfeng gazed deeply at her; she would then shift the topic, clearly aware he wasn't unwilling to feed her— that look was a reminder to restrain her actions, to stop constantly provoking him.

Seeing his restrained composure, Xia Xi stopped teasing him, pulled her foot back into her slipper; at that moment another piece of chicken was offered to her lips, the hand holding the chopsticks as smooth as jade. She paused, then, suppressing a smile, opened her mouth to take it.

No one is more awkward than him.

But who made her love this type?

She began to worry: what would she do during the break? The summer vacation was so long she'd miss him to death.

She wondered if she could find a part‑time job in Nancheng, so she'd have enough time to see him whenever she wanted.

Before the summer break, Xia Xi called home to mention looking for a part‑time job, but Su Jinru rejected the idea.

Su Jinru already knew about her relationship, having heard it from her directly.

Hearing her say she wanted to stay in Nancheng for the vacation, Su Jinru immediately linked the two matters, without exposing her, and said, "If you want to make money, you can work at our family restaurant; I'll pay you a salary with a thirty percent bonus—why stay alone in an unfamiliar place?"

"Dear Mom, I've been studying in Nancheng for three years—what's not familiar?"

"I said no, and that's final."

"Mom, I'm going to be a great architect someday—what's the point of helping out in a restaurant?"

Su Jinru cut to the chase: "Then the part‑time job you're looking for in Nancheng must be related to architecture."

"…… "

Xia Xi usually doesn't defy her elders; realizing that staying in Nancheng for the break was wishful thinking, she honestly bought tickets back to Qianlin with Zhou Du and Liang Yuan.

On the day of returning home, Xu Yanfeng offered to see her off.

Xia Xi was checking her luggage, tilting her head, phone clamped between ear and shoulder: "No need, I'm going with friends. They're taking a taxi and will pass by Nan Da Xue Men Kou, so they can pick me up."

Xu Yanfeng stayed silent for three or four seconds before saying, "Fine, keep in touch when you arrive."

Xia Xi snapped the suitcase lid shut, zipped it up, lifted the handle and stood upright: "I'm not telling you anymore—I have to go downstairs."

After bidding farewell to her roommates, Xia Xi carried her suitcase and backpack down five floors; the wheels rolled silently on the tile floor, then, exiting the dorm's green‑painted door, they rasped over the blue‑stone bricks, producing a gurgling sound.

Xia Xi lifted her gaze; beneath a tall, lush camphor tree stood a slender figure, tree shadows swaying, dappled light dancing across him. Her breath caught for a second, and the noise from the wheels faded away.

She released the suitcase handle, rushed over and hugged him: "You said you wouldn't come—so why are you here?"

When he called her, he had already been waiting downstairs; he slipped an arm around her shoulders, his usual calm composure intact: "I was afraid you couldn't manage the luggage."

Xia Xi: "Then you should come upstairs to help me—I've already hauled the case down five floors; the rest just needs pulling."

Xu Yanfeng: "You're right; I didn't think it through."

Girls coming and going stared at them, unfazed. Xu Yanfeng and Xia Xi, this handsome couple, had been dating for a while. Once lofty and unattainable, Xu Yanfeng, now that he had a girlfriend, was constantly seen descending from his pedestal. People had thought he'd show no favoritism, but it turned out he just hadn't met the right person.

Some say that someone as aloof as Xu Yanfeng, once he falls into the mortal world and loves a girl, is like a volcanic eruption—unstoppable. Looking back, there's some truth to that.

Xu Yanfeng turned back, grasped the handle of the suitcase Xia Xi had dropped, and walked side by side with her toward the school gate.

Xia Xi linked arms with him, her face bright with a smile, yet thinking of the upcoming two‑month summer break she felt a little gloomy; then realizing that after the semester he'd be a senior and hardly ever come to campus, she felt even more downcast.

Her lips pouted high; Xu Yanfeng glanced at her and asked, "Why aren't you happy?"

Xia Xi pressed down the corner of her mouth; the words in her heart sounded too sentimental when spoken, she didn't want to say them, so she only said the simplest thing to him: "On vacation I won't see you— isn't that enough to make me unhappy?"

Xu Yanfeng smiled; his mood, which had been affected earlier, improved because of her words: "I'll call you every day."

"What you said." Xia Xi narrowed her eyes to scrutinize him.

"Mm, I said it." Xu Yanfeng rubbed the top of her head.

Walking out from under the tree shade, with nothing blocking ahead, their shadows fell on the ground, tightly intertwined. Xu Yanfeng stared at the paired shadow, and suddenly felt that the hot summer sun wasn't so hateful.