What kind of nonsense is this?
She was only in eighth grade now. There were still four and a half years until she graduated from high school. She had originally planned to find an excuse during one of the summer breaks, like going out with friends, to visit him there.
But with him saying this, didn’t it mean she wouldn’t even have the chance to come up with an excuse?
Sang Zhi felt stifled: “Isn’t this just intimidation?”
“Intimidation?” Duan Jiaxu tilted his head lazily, “You could say that.”
“...”
“Little kid, didn’t you say it yourself?” He pushed the exercise book in front of her, lightly tapping his finger on it and repeating her earlier words verbatim, “It’s better to focus on studying.”
“...”
The matter didn’t end there.
Although Sang Zhi had voluntarily confessed about her “online romance” and very seriously asked her parents for their opinion—whether she could go to that city during winter break to meet her “online crush”—it seemed like she was showing them great respect.
Yet, because of her unapologetic attitude, it made Sang’s parents even angrier.
To them, Sang Zhi’s idea was hundreds of times more outrageous than her previous behaviors like “fighting with classmates,” “not paying attention in class,” or “disrupting classroom discipline.”
It also came as a huge shock to them.
Even though Sang Zhi had promised them she wouldn’t contact this “online crush” anymore, Sang Rong still made Sang Yan change the password for the home computer and confiscated Sang Zhi’s phone.
He also told Sang Yan to keep a close eye on her and not let her go out randomly.
So, before the New Year arrived, Sang Zhi’s life felt like she was living in prison. Every day, aside from her family, the only person she could see was Duan Jiaxu, who came to “visit” every couple of days.
Duan Jiaxu didn’t bring up her online romance again. When it came to serious matters, he was always extremely focused and wouldn’t mention anything else to her. It was only during breaks that he’d occasionally say a few words to tease her.
Afraid of giving herself away again, Sang Zhi didn’t ask him about his life as openly as she used to.
All she knew was that Duan Jiaxu’s daily schedule seemed unstable, but he didn’t seem as busy as before. Sometimes, after tutoring her, he had nothing else to do.
He’d still stay in Sang Yan’s room.
And aside from tutoring sessions, Sang Zhi rarely went in to disturb them. Sometimes, Li Ping would ask her to bring in some fruit or snacks, and that’s when Sang Zhi would catch glimpses of Duan Jiaxu in many different moods.
Occasionally, he’d be smoking, but the moment he saw her, he’d stub out the cigarette, smile at her, and say, “Little Sang Zhi. Cover your nose and get out quickly.”
Other times, he’d be playing a game or sleeping, yet he’d instantly notice the door opening and lazily lift his eyes. Seeing her place a plate of fruit on the table, he’d look drowsy but still find a way to tease her: “Hey kid, what’s going on with you?”
And he’d never forget to flash that devilishly charming smile.
“Blushing as soon as you see me.”
A man of many faces.
Most of the time, he was frivolous and carefree, yet he could also be incredibly attentive and gentle. He seemed to flirt everywhere, but in reality, he kept an unbridgeable distance from others.
He was the man she met at an entirely unsuitable age—
The one she felt she would’ve fallen for, no matter what age she was.
He was the man of her youth—A treasure encountered, one that she didn't want anyone else to discover—
On the day before New Year's Eve, Sang Zhi finished her last tutoring session of the winter break. Thinking that she wouldn't see him for some time afterward, she packed her things slowly while listening to his instructions.
"Pay attention in class from now on. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask your teacher, or your brother, or you can ask me too." Duan Jiaxu thought for a moment, "If there's something you don't get, you can take a picture and send it to me. I'll reply when I see it."
Sang Zhi nodded.
Duan Jiaxu: "Is there an exam when school starts?"
Sang Zhi: "Yes."
"Tell me your results after the exam," Duan Jiaxu said. "Try to score high, so I can feel a sense of accomplishment."
"Okay."
"Alright, go play on your own now."
Sang Zhi picked up her things and walked to the door. Unable to resist, she turned back, mustering the courage to call out, "Brother."
Duan Jiaxu looked up: "What is it?"
Hesitantly, Sang Zhi said, "Do you want to have dinner at our house tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?" Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow. "Probably not."
Sang Zhi stared at him and slowly hummed in acknowledgment.
"I stayed at school just for the 200-yuan red packet the school gives for the New Year," Duan Jiaxu said with a light laugh. "If I take you up on your offer, wouldn't all my persistence be for nothing?"
After a few seconds of silence, Sang Zhi didn't know what else to say. She could only nod, turn the doorknob, and return to her room.
Sang Zhi placed her things on the desk, opened a drawer, and rummaged through it until she found a red packet she had received last year. The money inside had already been taken out, leaving it empty.
The New Year hadn't arrived yet, and Sang Zhi didn't have much money.
Thinking of this, she glanced back at the piggy bank she had placed on her bedside table. The piggy bank only had a small slot on top; if she wanted to take money out, she would have to break it entirely.
But Sang Zhi also felt that giving him a red packet like this would be a bit strange.
After thinking it over for a long time, she finally just stuffed a piece of candy inside.
Then, she took out a star-shaped paper and carefully wrote seven characters on it:
—Brother Jiaxu, Happy New Year.
She folded it into a star and tucked it into the red packet as well.
After completing this series of actions, Sang Zhi quietly opened her door. She could hear Sang Yan and Duan Jiaxu talking in the living room. She blinked, tiptoed into Sang Yan's room, and spotted Duan Jiaxu's backpack on the desk. She unzipped it, didn't look inside, and carefully slipped the red packet in.
Although it did seem a bit shabby.
But this way,
if he stayed here this year, he would receive two red packets.
On New Year's Eve, after the family reunion dinner, Sang Rong returned Sang Zhi's phone to her. The whole family sat in the living room watching the Spring Festival Gala, but Sang Zhi wasn't very interested. She opened her phone and took a look.
Amid a pile of group messages, she found one from Duan Jiaxu.
—Wishing little Sang Zhi happiness every day, and success in getting into her ideal high school and university. Happy New Year. Also, thank you for the red packet, little Sang Zhi.
Sang Zhi pondered for a long time. She wanted to ask if the New Year's Eve dinner at school was good, if there were many people at school, if he felt even a little lonely.
She wanted to ask if he would like to come over and celebrate the New Year together after all.
But she didn't ask any of it.
Sang Zhi let out a sigh, deleted all the words, and typed again.
—Thank you, Brother. Happy New Year, Brother.
A few days after the Spring Festival, the winter break came to an end.At the start-of-term exam, Sang Zhi ranked third in her grade, and incredibly, scored ninety in physics. She took a photo of her results slip and sent it to Duan Jiaxu via MMS.
The next morning, Sang Zhi finally received Duan Jiaxu’s reply.
—Little Sang Zhi is amazing. Your brother will give you a reward in a couple of days.
Because of this message, Sang Zhi looked forward to it for two days. But when the reward arrived, she realized it wasn’t delivered by Duan Jiaxu himself—instead, he had asked Sang Yan to bring it to her.
There were three items in total.
One was the reward, one was a belated New Year’s gift, and one was an early birthday present.
A box of colored pencils, a bag of candy, and a pink rabbit plush toy.
It seemed he really did treat her like a little sister.
For a long time after that, Sang Zhi rarely saw him again.
Sang Zhi secretly found a photo studio. Too timid to let strangers discover her feelings, she specifically told the owner she wanted to develop over a dozen photos from her phone, but the only one she truly wanted was the photo she had secretly taken of Duan Jiaxu during winter break.
She quietly placed the photo into her treasure box.
Occasionally, Sang Zhi would learn from Sang Yan that Duan Jiaxu had completed his courses for the second semester of his junior year ahead of schedule and returned to Yihe in April, having apparently found a job there.
Nearly two thousand kilometers away from her.
She had never been to such a faraway place in her life.
One day in May.
During Chinese class, the teacher assigned an essay with the topic—My Dream.
Sang Zhi thought for a moment, slowly wrote a few lines on the essay paper, then quickly tore it up and stuffed it into her desk drawer. Amid the messy contents, the young girl’s handwriting was immature yet clear and distinct—
My Dream:
Get into Yihe University.
Duan Jiaxu-
Due to various procedures and his graduation thesis, Duan Jiaxu returned to the university a few times in between, but each visit was rushed. During those times, Sang Zhi saw him a few times, but each encounter was brief and hurried.
He didn’t seem to have changed much.
Still as casual as ever, his speech drawn out and teasing, he would still joke with her, his attitude unchanged.
Their interactions throughout the entire year were pitifully few.
On major holidays, Sang Zhi would receive messages and gifts from Duan Jiaxu. In his free time, he would also text to ask about her studies. This made her feel she hadn’t been forgotten.
The next time she had an unhurried meeting with Duan Jiaxu wasn’t until the following June, when he returned to the university for graduation photos.
Sang Zhi was brought along by her parents.
As soon as they arrived, Sang Zhi spotted Sang Yan in his academic gown and Duan Jiaxu, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time. He stood tall and straight under the sunlight, tilting his head as he listened to Chen Junwen speak, a faint smile on his face.
Apart from his hair being shorter, he seemed no different from before.
Seeing this, Sang Zhi felt inexplicably nervous.
Holding a bouquet of flowers meant for Sang Yan, she quietly followed behind Sang Rong and Li Ping, not taking the initiative to speak to him.
The scene was crowded—besides the graduating students, there were many relatives and friends attending the ceremony. The surroundings were noisy, with hundreds of voices overlapping.
Sang Zhi couldn’t make out what her parents were saying to Sang Yan; the heat made her head feel dizzy. But her attention kept drifting toward Duan Jiaxu, her heart beating fast, thumping loudly in her chest.Soon, Sang Zhi noticed from the corner of her eye that Duan Jiaxu had approached and greeted Sang Rong and Li Ping. They chatted for quite a while, but she didn’t catch much of what was said.
Not long after, Duan Jiaxu turned his head toward Sang Zhi, raising his brows slightly. "Little Sang Zhi."
Only then did Sang Zhi look up. "Brother."
"Do you have any conscience?" Duan Jiaxu chuckled. "It’s been so long since you last saw me, and you didn’t even come over to say hello?"
Sang Zhi didn’t know how to respond and muttered, "I thought you’d forgotten about me."
"Huh? How could you say that?" Duan Jiaxu found it both amusing and unbelievable. "Didn’t I send you gifts for your birthday? And for Children’s Day? Did you think those just fell from the sky?"
"..." Sang Zhi glanced at him. "But my brother was the one who gave them to me."
"I asked your brother to pass them to you." Duan Jiaxu was about to say more when he suddenly noticed her height. "Little Sang Zhi, you seem to have grown taller again?"
Sang Zhi hummed in acknowledgment.
Duan Jiaxu teased, "Does that mean I don’t need to send you gifts for Children’s Day next year?"
Sang Zhi frowned. "You still have to."
"Alright, if your brother has the money, he’ll send you something." Duan Jiaxu thought for a moment and then asked, "Are you about to take the high school entrance exam?"
"Yes."
"Can you get into No. 1 High School?"
"Probably."
Just then, a classmate came over to take a photo with Duan Jiaxu, and Sang Zhi tactfully stepped aside. The photo was taken quickly, and within seconds, Duan Jiaxu called her back over.
Sang Zhi hesitated. "What is it?"
He pointed toward the camera. "Want to take a photo with your brother?"
Sang Zhi followed his gaze and silently walked over to stand beside him. After checking the distance, she stopped about a meter away from him.
"..." Duan Jiaxu asked, puzzled, "Did I do something to upset you again?"
Sang Zhi looked confused. "No."
"Then why are you standing so far away?" Duan Jiaxu waved her over. "Come closer. Why does it seem like I’m your enemy?"
Reluctantly, Sang Zhi took two steps closer, her expression slightly uncomfortable.
After the photo was taken, Duan Jiaxu said to the classmate who had helped, "Send me the photo later."
Sang Zhi stood beside him. After a while, she hesitantly asked, "Brother, are you not coming back to Nanwu anymore?"
Duan Jiaxu looked up and chuckled softly. "Hmm? Will you miss me?"
Sang Zhi pressed her lips together and nodded.
Seemingly surprised by her affirmative answer, Duan Jiaxu was taken aback. He lowered his head, noticing Sang Zhi’s expression. Then, he curved his lips into a smile and bent down slightly to meet her eyes. "If I have time, I’ll come back to play with you, alright?"
Sang Zhi asked, "When will you have time?"
"I’m not sure," Duan Jiaxu said gently, pinching her cheek. "But if I do come back, I’ll let you know in advance."
Sang Zhi didn’t entirely believe him, suspecting it was just something adults said to placate children.
But she didn’t think it mattered much.
If he couldn’t come to her, she could always go to him.
As long as they wanted to meet, they would find a way—or so she thought.
But back then, Sang Zhi never imagined that their next meeting would be the last time she would see Duan Jiaxu before she came of age.
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