Became a National Couple with My Ex Chapter 52: Take Responsibility for Me First

Noticing that Liang Yixuan was struggling to stand on her toes, Bian Xu bent down and shifted one hand from her face to the small of her back, gently lifting her up.

Liang Yixuan followed his lead, wrapping her arms around his neck and climbing up onto his shoulders.

In the still darkness, their uneven breaths tangled and rose together.

Liang Yixuan had never felt such urgency in a kiss. Even if it left her breathless, she didn’t want to break away for even a second. It felt like only through this closeness could she be sure they truly belonged to each other.

That same urgency made Bian Xu abandon all finesse—his kiss was raw and intense, like an instinctive bite.

Her cold body slowly began to warm up, and the air thickened with heat.

Bian Xu freed one hand, reaching around to unfasten her coat.

Suddenly, a sharp "click" echoed from just outside the door.

Bian Xu froze.

Liang Yixuan snapped back to her senses, startled.

That sound… it was the sliding panel of the keypad on the front door.

Then came the beeping of digits being entered—"beep, beep, beep."

In a split second, Liang Yixuan grabbed Bian Xu and, fumbling through the dark, pushed him from the entryway into the bedroom. She was just about to head back out when her hand brushed her flushed cheek. Imagining what she must look like right now, she turned back and slipped into the room with him.

Just as she shut the bedroom door tightly, the front door of the apartment swung open.

"Again—" Bian Xu had just started to speak when Liang Yixuan covered his mouth with her hand.

At the same time, the apartment door shut with a thud, and a loud male voice rang out: "Come on, was that it?"

Liang Yixuan froze, then slowly let go of Bian Xu’s mouth.

Only a sheer curtain covered the bedroom window, and in the faint moonlight, Bian Xu could see Liang Yixuan blinking at him in confusion.

He shook his head and whispered, finishing his interrupted sentence: "It’s not like we’re having an affair—why are you hiding?"

Turned out both roommates had brought a man home that night.

Honestly, six of one, half a dozen of the other—no need to be embarrassed.

Liang Yixuan had acted on instinct earlier, but now that she thought about it, it was too late to go out again. She bit her lip awkwardly.

Bian Xu noticed the sheen of moisture still on her lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he leaned in, resting his forehead on hers.

"If you do want to sneak around," he whispered, "should we keep going?"

Liang Yixuan shot him a glare and pulled away, putting her ear to the door to listen.

Bian Xu turned her face back toward him.

"Why are you eavesdropping on someone else’s make-out session?"

She shook her head and pointed at the door, whispering, "No—listen carefully. Doesn’t that voice sound like Zhou Zirui?"

Bian Xu tilted his head too, listening closely.

The man outside was still rambling on while Xiao Jie sounded increasingly impatient, trying to get him to leave.

Finally, the man asked, "...You sure you're okay? Alright, I’m heading out then."

Bian Xu raised an eyebrow with interest, gave a small nod to himself, and reached for the door handle.

Liang Yixuan quickly yanked his hand back.

What—if it really was Zhou Zirui, was Bian Xu planning to go out and introduce himself?

As long as he wasn’t embarrassed, the rest of them definitely would be.

While they were locked in this silent tug-of-war, the apartment door opened and shut again—likely Zhou Zirui leaving. Xiao Jie shuffled into her room in slippers and closed the door behind her.

Peace returned to the apartment.

Liang Yixuan listened for a while, then looked up at Bian Xu.

"It’s okay now. You should head back, or—"

Bian Xu looked at her and asked, "Can I not go back?"

The scene felt oddly familiar to Liang Yixuan. She thought for a moment before realizing it reminded her of that night last December—after Bian Xu had finished composing the ballet piece and she visited Lanchentian Mansion again.

That night, rain had soaked her clothes. She’d borrowed his bathroom, worn his shirt while drying her sweater, and then he’d come into the bedroom to ask if she wanted his driver to take her home.

And she had asked then too: "Can I not go back?"

Tonight, Bian Xu had stood in the same cold wind she once did. He came to her on his own—and gave her the choice.

Liang Yixuan stared at him for a while, then mumbled, "Xiao Jie’s still here…"

"I’ll just stay in your room and won’t come out, okay?" Bian Xu said, lightly pinching her ear.

"…Alright," Liang Yixuan gave in, heart softening. "Then stay here a bit. I’ll go check if Xiao Jie’s okay."

She turned on the bedroom light for him, then left the room, slipping on the slippers she hadn’t had time to change earlier. She crossed the apartment to the door across from hers and knocked.

A weak voice from inside said, "Come in."

Liang Yixuan pushed open the door and stepped inside.

"You’re back?" Xiao Jie assumed she had just gotten home.

Liang Yixuan nodded without explaining further. Seeing Xiao Jie curled up in bed, she asked, "Period cramps again?"

"Mm-hmm… I was in so much pain at the café I was seeing stars, so I came home early…"

Xiao Jie had always had bad cramps—first day of her period was like a mini life crisis every month.

In contrast, Liang Yixuan, who looked more delicate, actually handled hers much better. She could even perform during her cycle.

"Did you take painkillers?"

"Yeah, took some at the café. Probably just need a bit more time to kick in…"

"I’ll get you a cup of hot water," Liang Yixuan said. She went to the kitchen, poured some hot water, found an electric heating pad, charged it up, and handed it to Xiao Jie. Seeing she was too weak to talk much, Liang Yixuan told her to rest and quietly closed the door behind her as she left.

Back in her own bedroom, the first thing Liang Yixuan saw was Bian Xu standing by her desk, holding a bag of fruit cereal from her snack box and examining the packaging.

When he saw her walk in, Bian Xu casually set the cereal down like some CEO on an inspection tour trying to look nonchalant.

"You…" Liang Yixuan looked at him. "Don’t tell me you’re hungry."

"Mm, didn’t you just whet my appetite?"

"…"

Liang Yixuan was briefly stunned, then realized he was messing around with that usual unserious tone of his. She put on a stern face and said, "If you’ve got the energy to joke, then you can go ahead and stay hungry."

Bian Xu glanced at her, then back at the cereal. "Can you even eat this stuff?"

So… he really was hungry.

Liang Yixuan couldn’t help but smile, but thinking about how he’d ended up like this—clearly not eating properly all day—her heart softened. She went to the fridge, took out a bottle of fresh milk, and made him a bowl of cereal.

"I’ve been away for over a month, and Xiao Jie doesn’t cook, so there’s really no other food in the house. Just eat this for now to fill your stomach, I’ll order takeout for you," she said, handing him the bowl.

"No need, that’s a waste of time. I’ll just have this," Bian Xu said, accepting the pastel-pink bowl. He eyed the matching pink spoon, nodded with amused curiosity, then began to eat.

"Is it good?"

"You want the truth?" Bian Xu raised an eyebrow at her.

Liang Yixuan shook her head. "Forget it. Maybe don’t talk."

Bian Xu hadn’t eaten anything since the night before. Not out of self-pity or punishment—it was just that he really didn’t have any appetite. It wasn’t until he finally relaxed a little that he started to feel hungry.

Even though fruit cereal wasn’t fit for his "royal palate," at least it settled his stomach.

Once he finished eating, Liang Yixuan took the bowl and spoon, then led him to the en suite bathroom.

Luckily, Bian Xu had showered before coming over, washing off the smell of smoke and alcohol, so she didn’t need to worry about that. But seeing the red veins in his eyes from lack of sleep, she grabbed him a new toothbrush and a disposable face towel and urged him to wash up and get to bed.

Bian Xu had no choice but to obey under her roof. After a quick wash, she shooed him straight into bed.

Liang Yixuan turned off the overhead light, leaving only a small nightlight glowing in the corner, then went back into the bathroom to get ready for bed herself.

She washed up thoroughly, changed into her pajamas, and did her skincare routine. When she came out, Bian Xu was lying quietly on his back.

She walked carefully to the edge of the bed and lifted the covers.

Just as she sat down, an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist and pulled her straight into his chest.

Something metallic clattered to the floor with a loud clang.

From the sound of it, it seemed to be Bian Xu’s belt.

Panic rose in Liang Yixuan’s chest.

She had fed him and warmed him up—not to spark those kinds of thoughts.

She turned around and pushed him lightly. "Don’t… I let you stay the night, but that doesn’t mean—"

"Don’t what? Doesn’t mean what?" Bian Xu rolled onto his side and pulled her in close. "What exactly do you think I’m trying to do?"

"You…" Liang Yixuan looked at him. "Weren’t you planning to…?"

Bian Xu chuckled and brushed aside the loose strands of hair near her temple. "Do you have protection?"

When it came to being blunt, Liang Yixuan knew she was no match for Bian Xu.

She steadied herself and answered, "Of course not. How would I have known you’d show up…" Halfway through, she stopped. "And even if I had known, I wouldn’t have prepared for that."

"Then what are you so nervous about? Just because I don’t have a condom, you think I’m going to eat you or something?"

Liang Yixuan was about to snap back, but suddenly remembered something. "Wait a second… why did you even have those back then?"

"You mean the first time?"

"Yeah…" Back during that truth-or-dare game, Bian Xu had said she was his first love. She’d been puzzled ever since, thinking it might end up being one of life’s unsolved mysteries. "Didn’t you say I was your first love? Then who were the condoms for?"

Bian Xu raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want to know?"

"I’ve told you everything," Liang Yixuan said with a slight frown, sounding a bit indignant.

Bian Xu sighed. "I didn’t have them, obviously."

Liang Yixuan blinked, confused.

Bian Xu lightly flicked her forehead. "Silly. You were in the shower, and I had someone go out and buy them."

"…"

Liang Yixuan shook her head in disbelief. "But at that point, I hadn’t even said I was staying the night."

"Liang Yixuan, the excuse you made downstairs was so lame, and you came upstairs soaking wet. You really think I couldn’t tell what was going on?"

Liang Yixuan wriggled out of his arms. "I didn’t mean to get drenched! It was windy and raining like crazy—an umbrella didn’t help at all."

"Okay, okay—blame the weather, blame the rain, blame the umbrella," Bian Xu said soothingly, patting her back and pulling her back into his arms.

"Then why did you still ask me if I wanted the driver to take me home?"

"I had to give you one last chance to think it over, didn’t I?"

Liang Yixuan frowned at him. "So you were planning on sleeping with me that night."

Bian Xu nodded. "I’d already made up my mind."

"But what if I hadn’t come over on my own?"

"Then I would’ve just let it go," Bian Xu said honestly.

For the first 23 years of his life, he was completely absorbed in music. All his emotional and mental fulfillment came from it. He’d never thought of sex or love as necessities.

And because things between them had started on the wrong foot, for a long time afterward, he couldn’t even tell whether what he felt for Liang Yixuan was driven by physical desire or genuine affection.

So even before the big misunderstanding, he’d already been torn between desire and uncertainty, unable to find balance. But to Liang Yixuan, that indecision just looked like cold detachment.

As Bian Xu reflected on all of this, Liang Yixuan let out a quiet sigh of understanding.

It made sense. Back then, their connection was brief and fleeting. How could she have expected someone so wrapped up in his music to willingly step out of his world? The fact that he was even passively receptive was already a miracle.

As the conversation trailed off, silence settled between them—until a sudden buzz broke it.

Liang Yixuan reached for her phone on the nightstand and saw a message from Liu Peng: "Sorry to bother you so late, Miss Liang. I couldn't reach Mr. Bian, and I had no choice but to contact you. The show aired tonight—have you seen the public reaction? The production team can’t hold the pressure anymore. May I ask what your current status is with Mr. Bian?"

"What do we do?" Liang Yixuan turned the screen toward Bian Xu. "Is the internet going crazy right now?"

Bian Xu glanced at the message and replied calmly, "Just tell them I’m in your bed."

Liang Yixuan gave him a shove. "Come on, give me a real suggestion."

Bian Xu snatched her phone and tossed it on his nightstand. "Just ignore it."

"That’s way too irresponsible," Liang Yixuan muttered and reached over him to grab the phone back.

Bian Xu caught her by the waist and pulled her back. "Liang Yixuan, before you worry about the internet, how about you worry about me first?"

She looked at him, confused.

Bian Xu rolled onto his side, tightened his grip on her waist, and pulled her close. "After all this talking about whether or not we’re sleeping together… do you think I can sleep now?"