Hidden Love

After icing her ankle and having the wounds on her hands and knees treated, the pain had eased considerably. Sang Zhi's mood improved as a result.

Having been cared for like this since childhood, she didn't find anything particularly unusual about the situation, aside from feeling that they were standing a bit too close.

She glanced at him and muttered, "It's not like I asked you to do anything special."

Just applying some medicine and wiping her face.

It wasn't like she'd asked him to do anything difficult.

How could it be considered "serving an ancestor"?

If that were the case, then this "ancestor" of his was way too easy to please.

"Suddenly gaining a little sister, and your own brother ran off," Duan Jiaxu lifted his eyelids and straightened up. "Kid, do the math—how many times has your brother helped you out?"

Sang Zhi paused, then couldn't resist saying, "Well, if you ever need anything, I can help too."

As if finding her words amusing, Duan Jiaxu sat down beside her with interest, tilting his head and smiling. "Oh? What are you going to help me with?"

"Just..." She stopped after one word, completely unable to think of anything she could do for him. Scratching her head in defeat, she clumsily changed the subject, "Where did my brother go..."

Duan Jiaxu lazily replied, "Probably abandoned you."

Sang Zhi snorted, "I don't want him anyway."

Then, remembering what had just happened, she began to worry, "Will my brother think it's weird that I called him 'Dad' in front of the teacher? And he also heard the teacher call you 'Sang Zhi's brother.'"

"Yeah," Duan Jiaxu said, "He probably figured out that I impersonated him to meet your teacher."

"..."

Sang Zhi felt her scalp tingle, "What do we do now?"

"What can we do?" Duan Jiaxu sighed, "We're both doomed."

"..." His words made her nervous too, and she mumbled, "It won't be that bad, right? I'll talk to him later. He won't tell our parents..."

Duan Jiaxu asked, "Didn't you say you weren't talking to him?"

"It's not that I don't want to talk to him—he's always criticizing me," Sang Zhi's mood dipped at the thought. "Usually it's fine, but he even scolded me when I fell."

"You think he doesn't care about you?"

Sang Zhi pursed her lips, neither nodding nor shaking her head.

"Weren't the things you said in front of the teacher pretty interesting?" Duan Jiaxu remarked. "Your brother heard them—isn't it natural for him to ask more questions? Isn't that also a form of caring?"

Sang Zhi grumbled, "But couldn't he ask more gently?"

Duan Jiaxu found it amusing, "Asking your brother to be gentle? Isn't that asking for the impossible?"

"..."

That did make some sense.

Sang Zhi didn't know what else to say. She glanced at him again, then quickly lowered her head.

In the quiet atmosphere, Sang Yan—who had said he was going to get her a glass of water but had been gone for ages—finally returned. He held two bottles of water and handed one at room temperature to Sang Zhi, saying, "Drink this, then we're going to the hospital."

Sang Zhi didn't move.

Sang Yan simply crouched in front of her and raised his hand again, "Are you drinking or not?"

Only then did Sang Zhi reluctantly take it.

Then, Sang Yan turned to Duan Jiaxu and asked, "Are the wounds taken care of?"

Duan Jiaxu hummed in affirmation.

Sang Yan tossed the remaining bottle of water to him, "Thanks, bro."

Leaning back in his chair, Duan Jiaxu gave a casual smile. A few seconds later, Sang Yan turned his back to Sang Zhi and said, "Get on."

Sang Zhi, still feeling like they were in the middle of a cold war, pretended not to hear.Sang Yan turned his head and stared at her for a long moment before saying, "Your 'dear brother' has classes this afternoon and doesn't have time to take you to the hospital. You'll have to let your 'dear dad' take you instead."

"..."

"Hurry up."

Hearing this, Sang Zhi instinctively turned to look at Duan Jiaxu.

Duan Jiaxu also stood up, pulled out his phone from his pocket to check the time, and casually remarked, "Don't you have classes too?"

His words clearly indicated he had no intention of going.

"You remembered wrong." Sang Yan didn't even look up, speaking again to Sang Zhi, "Hurry up and get on my back."

His tone always carried a hint of impatience.

Without Duan Jiaxu as her support, Sang Zhi didn't dare to drag out her mood for too long, afraid that Sang Yan would really abandon her. She could only, rather spinelessly, climb onto his back.

Duan Jiaxu then placed the cap from his head onto hers.

"Be good and listen to your brother."

Sang Yan carried Sang Zhi on his back as he walked toward the exit of the sports field.

Both of them were quiet.

After walking about ten meters, Sang Zhi suddenly turned her head again, looking back toward the tent.

Not far from the tent, a little boy had tripped while running. Sang Zhi saw Duan Jiaxu quickly walk over and help him up.

The distance wasn't close, and the sunlight was harsh.

She couldn't make out the expression on his face.

All she could see was him bending down to pat the dust off the boy's pants, his demeanor gentle and clear, as if he were smiling. He seemed like someone whose kindness radiated from the very core of his being.

Sang Zhi's mood suddenly felt a bit stifled.

There were still some things she had wanted to say to him.

She wanted to ask if he could stop calling her "kid." At the very least, she felt that now, she no longer seemed like a little child.

But it also seemed unnecessary.

Because there weren't that many opportunities to see him again.

And besides, it seemed like he wasn't just especially kind to her.

It seemed like he was like this with everyone.

Gentle, yet distant—

Sang Yan carried Sang Zhi out of the sports field and walked silently toward the school gate.

Because of their earlier argument, Sang Zhi's emotions were complicated. She felt a little regretful but wasn't quite willing to swallow her pride and make up with him.

Since Sang Yan wasn't speaking now, she didn't initiate conversation either.

Sang Zhi had one arm hooked around his neck, the other holding a water bottle, and before she knew it, her mind began to wander. She remembered how, when they were younger, he would often carry her home like this.

It felt like such a long time ago.

Sang Zhi also recalled the words she had blurted out in anger earlier.

Sang Yan suddenly spoke up, interrupting her thoughts: "I won't tell Mom and Dad for now. They're at work right now, and it'd be a hassle for them to rush back."

Sang Zhi: "Oh."

Sang Yan said calmly, "Later, I'll have Mom call your teacher to ask for leave."

Sang Zhi was silent for a few seconds before uttering another "Oh."

Once they were outside the school gate, Sang Yan hailed a taxi and helped Sang Zhi into the car. He told the driver, "To the nearest hospital," then turned to Sang Zhi and said, "Fasten your seatbelt."

Noticing the injury on Sang Zhi's palm, he leaned over and fastened it for her.

Sang Zhi couldn't help saying, "Why aren't you fastening yours?"

Sang Yan curled his lips slightly: "I find it too constricting."

Sang Zhi: "Well, I find it constricting too."

Sang Yan had already settled back into his seat and said indifferently, "Then you can just feel constricted."

"..."

Silence fell in the car again.

After a while, Sang Yan suddenly tossed a piece of soft candy over to her: "Have some candy."

It landed right on Sang Zhi's thigh.Sang Zhi instinctively lowered her gaze, silently staring at the gummy candy before picking it up. Her taste was somewhat similar to Sang Yan's—they both loved this brand of gummy candy.

There were nine pieces inside.

Usually, she would take five, and Sang Yan would take four.

Sang Zhi glanced at Sang Yan again.

He wasn't looking in her direction, his eyes fixed on the window, seeming somewhat tired. This sudden offering of candy felt like a concession, an unspoken apology.

The kind of apology that's hard to voice between family members.

After a while, Sang Zhi suddenly asked, "Brother, did you just go buy candy?"

"What are you thinking?" Sang Yan's eyelids drooped, not even glancing at her. "I just grabbed it on a whim."

Sang Zhi didn't respond, lowering her head to tear open the wrapper and pour out the nine gummy candies. Then, she picked up four pieces, leaned over toward Sang Yan, and placed them in his palm.

Sang Yan's fingers twitched slightly, but he acted as if he hadn't noticed, maintaining his original posture.

A few seconds later, Sang Zhi took two more pieces from her own five and gave them to him.

Using the same method he had.

Conveying her message through these two candies.

One saying thank you;

The other saying, I'm sorry—

Arguments between siblings come and go quickly.

Once Sang Zhi's anger subsided, she broke her silence, pouring out all the words she had held back for so long: "You were in the wrong to begin with. As soon as I arrived, you called me short, mocked my clothes, and said I was bad at the long jump."

Sang Yan sneered, "You call me ugly every day—what do I say about that?"

"That's different."

"How is it different?"

"What I said isn't untrue."

"..."

Sang Yan couldn't be bothered to argue with her anymore.

Sang Zhi leaned against the window, looking outside for a while before growing bored and calling out, "Brother."

Sang Yan didn't respond.

Sang Zhi: "Why did you volunteer today?"

"..."

"Is it because you want to participate in more activities?" Sang Zhi thought for a moment. "So you can meet more girls and increase your chances of getting a girlfriend."

Sang Yan's temple twitched.

"Well, brother, I think you're just wasting your time."

"Shut up."

"You should focus on studying and earning more money."

Seeing her relentless chatter, Sang Yan grew increasingly annoyed and frowned, "I just volunteered for an event. Why do you have so much to say?"

Sang Zhi pulled her neck back, muttering, "I was just asking."

"You don't usually care about me this much."

"Well, I don't usually see you," Sang Zhi said matter-of-factly. "Now that I do, since it's rare, I'm just showing a little concern."

Once this kid got going, there was no stopping her.

Sang Yan sighed and replied dismissively, "They were short on people. Chen Junwen is the head of the sports department, so he signed up the three other guys from our dorm."

Finally getting an answer, Sang Zhi quieted down. Her lips moved slightly as if she wanted to ask about Duan Jiaxu, but after hesitating for a long time, she didn't utter a word.

A moment later.

Sang Yan suddenly spoke, "Daughter?"

Sang Zhi: "?"

But he didn't seem to be talking to her, half-closing his eyes as he muttered, "Duan Jiaxu, your brother?"

Sang Zhi gave him a strange look, "What are you doing?"

Sang Yan rubbed his chin and continued talking to himself, "Not bad either."

"..."

Weirdo—After the hospital check-up, it was confirmed that there was nothing seriously wrong. Once her wound was redressed, Sang Yan took Sang Zhi home and returned to school after Li Ping got back.

Following the school sports day, the weekend arrived.

Sang Zhi rested at home for two days, but her walking was still not very smooth. Since both Sang Rong and Li Ping had to work, they thought of Sang Yan, who was in his third year of university and had plenty of free time in every aspect.

They had Sang Yan resume the duties he used to perform before Sang Zhi entered third grade.

Picking her up from school every day.

At first, Sang Zhi wasn’t very willing.

But later, when she noticed that Sang Yan seemed even more unwilling than her—showing up each time with a face as dark as thunder—she started to feel willing again.

On Thursday after school.

Since Sang Yan wasn’t free until after five, Sang Zhi stayed in the classroom doing homework as usual. A small number of classmates remained, cleaning up.

Not long after, someone suddenly called out to her, "Sang Zhi, someone’s here to see you."

Sang Zhi immediately looked up from her pile of homework and was surprised to see Yin Zhenru standing at the door, whom she hadn’t seen in a while. She blinked and stood up to walk over, "What brings you here?"

Only then did Yin Zhenru notice her foot, "What happened to your foot?"

"Sprained it."

"You should be more careful," Yin Zhenru frowned. "Does it hurt?"

Sang Zhi shook her head, "Not really anymore."

Having not spoken for quite some time, the two of them felt a bit distant now.

Yin Zhenru scratched her head and, after a moment of silence, hesitantly said, "Sang Zhi, could you come with me somewhere?"

Sang Zhi was taken aback, "Huh?"

"It’s just, I have something..." Yin Zhenru shook her arm playfully, acting coquettish like before. "Just come with me, it’s not good for me to go alone."

"Where to?" Sang Zhi said, "I’m waiting for my brother."

"Why is your brother coming?"

"To pick me up," Sang Zhi replied honestly. "Because of my injured foot."

Yin Zhenru said, "But you seem to be walking just fine."

Sang Zhi didn’t respond.

"Come on," Yin Zhenru shook her hand again. "I’m not taking you anywhere weird, I’m just bored. Let’s go grab something to eat nearby."

Sang Zhi stared at her for a long moment before slowly nodding.

"Let me tell my brother first."

Sang Zhi returned to her seat, rummaged through her backpack for her phone, and just as she was about to call Sang Yan, he happened to call her. She answered, "Brother."

Sang Yan said, "Are you out yet?"

"Not yet."

"Come out a bit later," Sang Yan said. "I have something to do today. I asked Duan Jiaxu to pick you up; he doesn’t finish class until 5:30, so wait a little longer."

Author’s note: On the left is a friend, on the right is your crush—which one do you choose?

Sang Zhi: Huh? I’m right-handed, so I don’t use my left hand.

Sang Zhi: Just chop it off (in a domineering CEO tone).