First Frost

The voice was soft, brushing against his ear with a faint breath.

Sang Yan's expression stiffened slightly, as if he hadn't heard clearly, his eyelashes fluttering. He stared straight at her, his prominent Adam's apple bobbing slowly, his emotions unreadable. "Hmm?"

Their gazes met.

Observing Sang Yan's expression, Wen Yifan finally felt a sense of involvement. Though she couldn't quite decipher his reaction, it seemed much better than his attitude toward Duan Jiaxu. Satisfied, she didn't repeat herself and sat back contentedly.

But the next moment, Sang Yan grabbed her wrist, raising an eyebrow. "Say it again."

Hearing this, Sang Zhi turned around from the front seat and asked, "What?"

Duan Jiaxu took a moment to glance in Sang Zhi's direction.

Seeing that Sang Yan had no intention of responding to her, Sang Zhi's eyes darted around mischievously before she suddenly said to Duan Jiaxu, "Duan Jiaxu, my brother is talking to you."

The implication was clear.

You, say it again—brother.

"..." Duan Jiaxu looked at Sang Zhi again.

As if holding a grudge against Sang Yan for his earlier behavior, Sang Zhi was painstakingly trying to make him uncomfortable, pinning her hopes on Duan Jiaxu. Amused, Duan Jiaxu obediently conceded, "Brother, what's up?"

The moment's intimacy was instantly shattered by those words.

Sang Yan's brow twitched, and he stiffly lifted his gaze, momentarily tempted to just grab Wen Yifan and leave the car. He leaned back into his seat, tightening his grip on Wen Yifan. "Nothing."

His reaction this time wasn't as dramatic as before, making Sang Zhi unable to resist turning around again.

Sang Yan's voice was light. "Just thinking about how to kill someone without paying with my life."

"..."

Duan Jiaxu parked the car in the supermarket lot.

Even though they had been dating for a while, Sang Zhi still wasn't used to being affectionate with Duan Jiaxu in front of them. It always felt like flirting in front of elders.

Once inside the supermarket, she immediately dragged Duan Jiaxu to another section.

Wen Yifan pushed a shopping cart from the entrance, only for Sang Yan to pull it away. Thinking back to the conversation in the car, she wasn't sure what she was nitpicking about, but she couldn't help holding him accountable. "It feels like you're different in front of Duan Jiaxu—"

Sang Yan turned his head.

Wen Yifan remained calm, slowly picking up a nearby product as she spoke. "Quite different."

"..."

"But it's fine," Wen Yifan put the item back, a faint smile curling her lips, her voice gentle. "Thanks to him, I get to see another side of you."

Sang Yan rested his elbow on the cart, leaning slightly to look at her. "How so?"

Wen Yifan couldn't quite put it into words.

"Wen Shuangjiang, this behavior of yours is new. After being with me for so long, every time you get jealous," Sang Yan stood still, his expression lazy, "it's because of some uncouth guy."

"..."

"Picking a fight on purpose?"

Hearing this, Wen Yifan thought back and realized it was true. After all, in all this time, she hadn't seen any female friends around him. Not wanting to admit she was picking a fight, she said seriously, "Then next time Duan Jiaxu calls you 'brother,' can you accept it calmly?"

Sang Yan: "?"

Wen Yifan added, "Otherwise, it kinda looks like you two are flirting.""Do you know what flirting is?" Sang Yan leaned forward, raising his hand to rest against her head, and laughed. "Or are you complaining that I haven’t let you experience the taste of flirting?"

Wen Yifan looked up.

"That bastard calling me that was meant to disgust me. But when you call me that, it’s flirting." Sang Yan ruffled her hair roughly, steering the conversation back. "What did you call me in the car just now?"

Too embarrassed to repeat it, Wen Yifan changed her words: "Little brother."

"Oh." Sang Yan accepted it leisurely. "Does big sister like younger men?"

"..."

Hearing him call her that for the first time, Wen Yifan paused, inexplicably feeling her face grow warm. She pressed her lips together lightly and walked ahead on her own, no longer continuing the topic, pretending to be composed.

Sang Yan followed behind her, his demeanor lazy as he called out again, "Big sister."

Wen Yifan turned back. "Don’t call me that."

"Why?" Sang Yan raised an eyebrow, his voice carrying a hint of provocation. "Do I not look young enough?"

"..."

Meanwhile.

Sang Zhi dragged Duan Jiaxu around the supermarket aimlessly, muttering in frustration, "My brother is so annoying, always threatening to cut off my allowance. It’s not like I care about the money, but he’s just so childish..."

Duan Jiaxu chuckled. "I’ll cover his share for you in the future."

Sang Zhi immediately glanced at him, catching the key point. "Why would you cover for him?"

"..."

"Even though I was happy earlier seeing you annoy my brother," Sang Zhi hesitated for a few seconds before choosing to burn bridges, "the more I think about it, the more it feels wrong. Stop teasing him like that. Watching you two, it almost seems like you’re a couple."

"..."

As if finding it absurd, Duan Jiaxu was speechless before bursting into laughter. "What?"

Sang Zhi stared at his eyes, which always seemed to be flirting, and mumbled, "Just be more careful in the future. I’m going back to school tomorrow, so I won’t be around to see what happens. Or just meet up with my brother less."

Duan Jiaxu tilted his head to look at her.

"But that day when you were talking to Qian Fei and Hao An," Sang Zhi felt like every word and action from the man in front of her was designed to bewitch, unreasonably bringing up old grievances, "it all seemed pretty ambiguous too."

Duan Jiaxu, looking refined and unruffled, said leisurely, "Don’t worry, big brother only likes them young."

"..."

As he spoke, Duan Jiaxu curved his lips and pinched her cheek, his tone carrying a faint reproach.

"You little ingrate."

"..."

Pretending not to hear, Sang Zhi tugged him along and continued walking, changing the subject. "My brother said we’re having hot pot tonight, so let’s go look at the vegetables. Oh, and even if you’re working overtime later, remember to eat dinner. Don’t always order takeout. If you don’t feel like cooking, you can come to my place to eat."

Duan Jiaxu drew out his response with a lazy "Ah." "Wouldn’t that mean running into your brother?"

"...Then," Sang Zhi turned back, suddenly feeling guilty for no reason, "just don’t talk to him..."

Passing through this aisle and walking straight ahead, the two arrived at the fresh produce section.

Sang Zhi spotted Sang Yan and Wen Yifan standing there at a glance. Holding Duan Jiaxu’s hand, she instinctively headed in their direction. Just as she reached behind Sang Yan, a familiar voice suddenly called out to her from the other side.

"Sang Zhi."

She turned toward the voice and immediately met the face of her elementary, middle, and high school classmate, Fu Zhengchu.

The other three also turned to look.Fu Zhengchu looked cheerful and smiled. "What a coincidence, we meet again."

Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow slightly.

Noticing Duan Jiaxu behind Sang Zhi and their intertwined hands, Fu Zhengchu's expression froze for a moment before he blurted out, "So he really isn't your brother?"

When Sang Zhi was in her first year of middle school, she had secretly asked Duan Jiaxu to meet her teacher after angering them in class. Fu Zhengchu had been present then and had since believed Duan Jiaxu was her biological brother.

A few days ago, when Sang Zhi returned home for the National Day holiday, Duan Jiaxu had picked her up from Nanwu Airport.

That day, they coincidentally ran into Fu Zhengchu, who was also at the airport to pick someone up.

Upon seeing their intimate behavior, Fu Zhengchu had been utterly unable to accept it, as if his worldview had been overturned. Later, he even sent her a WeChat message, subtly trying to persuade her to "turn back from the brink."

Sang Zhi found it exasperating and pointed at Sang Yan. "This is my actual brother."

Sang Yan stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking down at them with an aloof expression.

"Oh, oh, hello, big brothers and sisters. Sang Zhi, just forget what I said earlier—I misunderstood." Fu Zhengchu scratched his head and added, "I should get going now. I came out with my uncle to buy—"

Before he could finish, someone tossed several bags of chocolate milk into the shopping cart in front of him.

The sound of the items hitting the cart drew everyone's attention.

The newcomer was a tall, slender man in a dark-colored shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His skin was unnaturally pale, and his slightly tousled bangs partially obscured his sharp, cold eyes, which had a faint upward curve at the corners.

His face was expressionless as his gaze swept over them, indifferent as if he were looking at inanimate objects.

His features were strikingly handsome, but his aura was entirely different from Sang Yan and Duan Jiaxu's.

Like an untouchable poppy on a high peak.

Both Wen Yifan and Sang Zhi couldn't help but steal a few more glances at him.

Fu Zhengchu stared at the items tossed into the cart and casually asked, "Uncle, since when do you drink chocolate milk?"

The man didn't respond, stepping away toward another aisle.

At that moment, Sang Yan lazily spoke up. "Fu Shize?"

Fu Shize paused mid-step, turning his head slightly to glance at Sang Yan with an indifferent look, still not uttering a word. Beside him, Fu Zhengchu, sensing the awkwardness, quickly tried to ease the tension. "Bro, you know my uncle?"

Sang Yan tilted his chin slightly but remained silent.

Noticing this, Fu Zhengchu looked at Fu Shize, silently urging him to say something.

Fu Shize gave Sang Yan a once-over, his expression unchanging. He gave an almost imperceptible nod before coldly averting his gaze and continuing forward, as if disdainful of such attempts at familiarity.

"..."

This was the first time Wen Yifan had ever seen someone treat Sang Yan with such disregard.

Intrigued, she kept her eyes on Fu Shize's retreating figure.

Fu Zhengchu, extremely embarrassed, forced out an explanation. "My uncle's throat hasn't been feeling well lately—don't take it personally, bro." Then, after bidding the others goodbye, he quickly pushed the cart after Fu Shize.

Sang Zhi pointed out the obvious. "Bro, it seems like he doesn't recognize you."

Sang Yan responded with a nonchalant "Huh."

Wen Yifan, still watching Fu Shize's back, also asked, "Do you know him?"

"Yeah." Sang Yan glanced at her and calmly explained, "He also went to No. 1 High School, a year below us."Wen Yifan nodded, her gaze still fixed ahead.

The surroundings instantly fell silent.

After a while, Wen Yifan suddenly noticed something amiss and turned to look at Sang Yan.

At the same time, Sang Yan spoke up, his expression blank. "Enjoying the view?"

"..."

His words clearly misunderstood her actions.

Wen Yifan was about to explain.

Sang Yan's dark eyes bore into her as he pinched her chin, enunciating each word deliberately. "Why don't you just grow eyes on him?"

"..."

In the car on the way back.

As the group chatted, the conversation somehow circled back to what had happened earlier. Speaking of which, Sang Zhi found it strange and couldn't help asking, "Bro, my classmate mistook Duan Jiaxu for my brother. Why didn't you think that was odd?"

"What's odd about it?" Sang Yan said lazily. "I used to think you treated him like a real brother too."

"..."

Since it had been years anyway, Sang Zhi decided to come clean, throwing caution to the wind. "Back in middle school, I had Duan Jiaxu pretend to be you to meet with my teacher."

Sang Yan lifted his eyelids. "I know."

Sang Zhi: "?"

"He only went after getting my permission. What, you didn't know?" Sang Yan's tone was deliberately provoking, as if enjoying the show. "Oh, so you still thought it was your little secret."

"..." Sang Zhi's face stiffened.

"Fine." Sang Yan said breezily. "Then pretend I never said anything."

Sang Zhi glanced at Duan Jiaxu, just in time to catch him suppressing a laugh, which only annoyed her further. "What are you laughing at?"

"Just thinking how bold you were back then. At such a young age, you threatened me—said if I didn't agree, you'd tell your mom that your brother and I—" Duan Jiaxu paused, his eyes crinkling in amusement. "Ganged up on you?"

"..."

This reminded Sang Zhi of her embarrassing past. Feeling stifled, she decided she'd had enough of these two old men and turned to Wen Yifan instead. "Yifan-jie."

Wen Yifan, who had been looking at her phone, glanced up. "Hmm? What is it?"

Sang Yan interrupted their exchange. "Don't you know to call her sister-in-law?"

Sang Zhi ignored him pointedly, repeating deliberately, "Yifan-jie, don't you think my classmate's uncle is really handsome?"

The car fell silent for a moment.

Duan Jiaxu shot her a look.

Sang Yan also turned to Wen Yifan, his gaze clearly warning her to choose her words carefully.

Sang Zhi added provocatively, "I feel like he could outshine every man in this car."

"Kid, you're mistaken. Comparing him to me is just asking for trouble." Sang Yan's eyes remained on Wen Yifan as he tapped her hand lightly, his tone arrogant. "Outshining the driver, though? That's more than doable."

"..." Sang Zhi's expression was indescribable as she waited for Wen Yifan's answer.

Remembering how she'd already slightly provoked Sang Yan earlier at the supermarket, but also acknowledging that Fu Shize was indeed good-looking, Wen Yifan thought carefully. Ignoring Sang Zhi's "outshine" comment, she answered diplomatically, "He is quite handsome."

But this response noticeably darkened Sang Yan's mood, and his grip on her hand tightened.

Just then, the car stopped at a red light.

Up front, Sang Zhi suddenly averted her gaze and looked toward Duan Jiaxu, asking briefly, "What?" before falling silent again. The two exchanged glances without making any further noise.Wen Yifan didn’t have the energy to pay attention to the front at the moment, staring at Sang Yan’s stiff expression. She pondered how to coax him, sighed, and lowered her voice to suggest, “Forget it, little brother is a bit immature.”

“?”

“Let’s not do this noona romance anymore.” Wen Yifan curved her lips, abruptly changing the subject. “Okay? Oppa.”

“...”

Meanwhile, up front.

Duan Jiaxu, sitting in the driver’s seat, turned his head and stared intently at Sang Zhi. His eyes gleamed, bright and clear, his lips moving soundlessly.

Sang Zhi didn’t quite understand and leaned closer. “What?”

Duan Jiaxu lowered his head, his lips brushing her ear as he drawled, “Oppa plans to compete for some favor.”

Sang Zhi was baffled. “Huh?”

After a few seconds of silence, she heard the man’s voice drop even lower, almost a whisper, teasing her flirtatiously.

“I’ll show you something even better when we get back.”

...

After driving the car back to the Sang residence, Wen Yifan was pulled along by Sang Zhi toward the front door.

Sang Yan and Duan Jiaxu walked to the trunk to retrieve the bags of groceries they had just bought. Both hands full, Sang Yan lifted his leg to kick the trunk shut. “Can you keep that little devil in check?”

Duan Jiaxu smiled. “What’s wrong?”

“Tell her to focus on giving you a hard time when that’s what she wants to do.” Sang Yan turned his head and said bluntly, “Don’t drag my wife into it.”

“You should talk to her directly.” Duan Jiaxu replied mildly. “I don’t really control her—usually, she controls me.”

“...”

Sang Yan couldn’t stand his behavior when he was in a relationship and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

The two walked into the building, chatting idly while waiting for the elevator. Wen Yifan and Sang Zhi had already gone upstairs.

“Su Haoan has called me several times recently about your marriage.” Duan Jiaxu chuckled softly. “Every time, he asks when I’m getting married, saying he wants to beat me to it.”

Sang Yan replied lazily, “Why does he have so much nonsense to deal with?”

Duan Jiaxu’s eyes curved slightly as he respectfully sought the opinion of the family member involved. “When do you think would be good?”

Sang Yan scoffed. “None of my damn business.”

Duan Jiaxu: “Can your sister get married in her sophomore year?”

“...”

The elevator arrived on the first floor with a ding .

The scene froze.

Sang Yan stared at him fixedly before suddenly tilting his neck and dropping the bags to the ground. Then, he reached out, gripped Duan Jiaxu’s neck, and pressed down, feeling like this bastard was constantly shattering his worldview.

“Impressive. You’ve even changed species since getting into a relationship.”

Due to the force, Duan Jiaxu leaned forward and coughed involuntarily. He raised his head with good humor, his expression calm and composed, as if he saw nothing wrong with his words. “What do you mean?”

“Can you show me what you were like when you were still human?” Sang Yan was done. “I can’t even remember anymore.”

“Watch yourself.” Sang Yan released him and picked up the bags from the ground. “My family doesn’t take in animalistic trash.”

“...”

The night before Wen Yifan’s birthday.

Unable to find the scissors Sang Yan had stashed away, Wen Yifan rummaged through the living room for a long time before discovering several of Sang Yan’s old phones in one of the cabinets.

One was an old-fashioned button phone.

Its edges were melted and deformed, clearly beyond repair. She had no idea why he still kept it.This mark immediately reminded Wen Yifan of what Sang Yan had said during Qian Weihua's interview on the day the house burned down.

—"Aside from the house and furniture, only a phone got burned. But it was already unusable anyway."

From the looks of it, this must be what got burned.

Wen Yifan stared blankly for a while.

Just then, the sound of the front door opening and closing came from the entrance. She turned her head and met Sang Yan's gaze as he stepped inside. While changing his shoes, he asked, "What are you doing?"

Wen Yifan made a small sound. "Looking for scissors."

Sang Yan: "I put them in the kitchen."

"Okay." Wen Yifan placed the phone back where it was and stood up to head to the kitchen. Her thoughts were still drifting, lingering on that phone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sang Yan follow her in, so she admitted, "I just saw your old phone."

Sang Yan responded casually, "Hmm. What do you need the scissors for?"

Wen Yifan: "I want to open a face mask, but I can't tear it open."

Noticing he had diverted the topic, she brought it back: "Was there something important on that phone? Why did you keep it? It's completely burned."

Sang Yan answered succinctly: "Our grades."

This was tantamount to saying:

That phone stored their text messages from sophomore year until after the college entrance exams.

Scattered conversations, occasional greetings, and the unwavering exchange of their exam results.

If she thought carefully, Wen Yifan could vaguely recall what they used to talk about every day back then. There was no hint of ambiguity—just normal conversations without any hidden meanings—yet they somehow carried a sweetness of their own.

……

Sang Yan: [It's your birthday tomorrow. Should I bring you a gift next time I come?]

Wen Yifan: [When's your birthday?]

Sang Yan: [The day after New Year's. Why?]

Wen Yifan: [To return the favor.]

……

Sang Yan: [I did poorly on the test. Comfort me a little, will you?]

Wen Yifan: [Can it wait? I did pretty well and want to enjoy it for a bit longer.]

……

Wen Yifan: [On my way home today, I saw a guy at the convenience store who looked a lot like you. I thought you'd come.]

Sang Yan: [Next Saturday, okay?]

Wen Yifan: [What?]

Sang Yan: [I'll show you the real thing.]

Wen Yifan's reminiscence was interrupted by the sound of Sang Yan turning on the faucet. She snapped out of it and stared at his profile. Remembering how he had pretended not to know her after they reunited, she asked, "Why did you act like you didn’t recognize me before?"

"It had been so long," Sang Yan said, pulling a tissue to dry his hands, his tone completely unserious. "I was afraid you'd ask to borrow money."

"……"

Noticing her expression, Sang Yan smirked, his demeanor playful. He chuckled and pinched her cheek out of habit. "What’s with that look? Can’t I save a little face for myself?"

Wen Yifan murmured, "Then you could’ve just let Yu Zhuo talk to me."

"I wanted to save face," Sang Yan said, unsure whether her logic or his was more flawed. "That doesn’t mean I didn’t want to talk to you. Understand?"

"……" Wen Yifan paused for a few seconds before suddenly laughing. "So you pretended not to know me just to talk to me."

Sang Yan didn’t seem to mind her knowing these things. He simply watched her laugh and smiled along. Straightening up, he reached for the scissors nearby. "Didn’t you need these?"

Before he could pick them up, Wen Yifan had already slipped into his arms and hugged him.

Sang Yan froze. "What’s wrong?""It's nothing," Wen Yifan murmured to herself, not caring whether he could understand. "Just hugging the genuine article."

The kitchen was bright and silent.

Hearing this, Sang Yan froze momentarily before the corners of his lips curled up, as if recalling something. After a long pause, he lowered his head to kiss her crown and called out: "Wen Shuangjiang."

Wen Yifan looked up to meet his gaze.

"Hmm?"

The man's short hair fell across his forehead, casting fragmented shadows on his face. His tall, broad frame enveloped her in an embrace that radiated an overwhelming sense of security. Gently brushing his nose against hers, he said naturally, "Let's get our marriage license tomorrow."

"..."

The words came out of nowhere.

It could have been a spontaneous decision in the heat of the moment, or perhaps something he'd carefully considered before speaking.

But regardless of which it was,

it was his way of telling her.

He'd already claimed her for a lifetime.

For some reason, Wen Yifan felt her eyes grow warm. She blinked hard and joked lightly, "Shouldn't we pick an auspicious date?"

Sang Yan raised his hand, gently touching the corner of her eye.

"Tomorrow is auspicious."

"Tomorrow?" Wen Yifan thought for a moment. "Isn't tomorrow my birthday?"

"Mhm."

In that instant, Wen Yifan understood the meaning behind his words.

The day you were born.

To me, that's the most auspicious day of the entire year.