Hidden Love

The October weather was still warm, with a slight chill in the evening air that couldn't quite dispel the lingering stuffiness.

The moment he confirmed it was indeed Sang Zhi, Duan Jiaxu's gaze narrowed slightly. He instinctively crushed his cigarette butt and was about to throw it away when he suddenly noticed the pack of women's cigarettes in his other hand.

His movements halted.

Duan Jiaxu lifted his eyes again, lightly shaking the cigarette pack in her direction: "Who taught you to smoke?"

Two years apart, the girl had clearly grown much taller.

Last time they met, she only reached his shoulders, but now she could reach his chin. Her facial features remained largely unchanged, just slightly more mature, carrying more of a youthful charm compared to her previous childish appearance.

She wore a pink spaghetti strap top with light blue denim shorts, revealing a slender waist, well-shaped collarbones, and two long, straight legs.

Her naturally light-colored hair was tied up in a small bun, looking both pretty and refreshing.

Truly, a girl changes eighteen times before reaching womanhood.

Sang Zhi was completely stunned, staring at him blankly. After a long moment, she withdrew her hand and muttered quietly: "They're not mine."

"Brother saw it with his own eyes," Duan Jiaxu's tone was lazy, "they fell from your pocket."

"..."

"Little Sang Zhi isn't being good?"

Hearing the word "brother" from his mouth gave Sang Zhi a sense of distant déjà vu. She didn't explain further, just pointed at the cigarettes in his hand: "You smoke too."

"When has brother ever smoked in front of you?" Duan Jiaxu threw away the cigarette butt, casually putting the pack in his pocket. "This, confiscated."

"..." Not expecting this turn of events, Sang Zhi quickly said, "They're really not mine, they're my roommate's."

"Oh?" Duan Jiaxu looked at her, suddenly noticing something, his tone lifting slightly at the end, "Little one, let's set that aside for now. After not seeing brother for so long, don't you know how to greet someone?"

Sang Zhi paused, pursed her lips, and called out very stiffly: "Brother Ji Xu."

"Here to have fun?"

"Mm."

"When did military training end?"

Feeling like a child being interrogated by parents for coming home late, Sang Zhi rubbed her head and answered honestly: "Mid last month. The training lasted half a month."

"Then during the seven-day National Day holiday," Duan Jiaxu smiled, "how come I didn't see you come find brother to play?"

Originally, Sang Zhi thought that after such a long time apart, with their limited communication happening through social media, speaking face-to-face would probably be awkward for both sides.

But it wasn't.

Only she felt somewhat awkward.

Sang Zhi glanced at him and mumbled: "I had other things to do."

Duan Jiaxu: "What things?"

"Classes."

"You have classes during holidays?"

"..." Sang Zhi immediately realized her mistake and changed her answer, "Part-time job."

"Mm, brother used to work part-time too." Noticing she was just making excuses, Duan Jiaxu looked relaxed, a slight curve forming at the corner of his lips, "And still found time to meet with your teachers for you, watch you do homework, and take you home."

"..."

"Little ungrateful one."

"..."

After a moment of silence.

He straightened up, his features appearing faint and distant under the lighting. He took the cigarette pack from his pocket and held it out to her, coolly uttering two words: "Very good."

Sang Zhi didn't dare take it.

"A young girl without any conscience," Duan Jiaxu smiled gently, "is also very good.""……" Sang Zhi was somewhat annoyed by his words, barely managing to retort, "But you were already a sophomore or junior back then, and I'm only a freshman now."

"Mm." Duan Jiaxu said lightly, "Now you're attacking my age."

"……"

"Kid, think about it yourself." Duan Jiaxu rested his elbow on the railing beside him, lightly tapping his fingers on it. "Where has your brother ever treated you badly?"

"……I never said that." Sang Zhi couldn't help saying, "And I've grown up so much, yet you still call me 'kid.' Doesn't that feel awkward?"

"How grown up can you be?" Duan Jiaxu said. "You still look like a kid."

Sang Zhi endured her anger and snatched the cigarette from his hand, finally unable to hold back: "Well, brother, after not seeing you for years, you really have aged quite a bit."

Duan Jiaxu didn't get angry either, responding casually: "Oh? Calling me 'brother' still sounds better."

"……"

"Sang Zhi, go back and check your phone yourself, count them." Duan Jiaxu said. "How many calls did your brother make that you didn't answer?"

Sang Zhi said without much conviction, "Didn't I tell you I needed to study?"

"Studying requires complete isolation from the world? What kind of studying is that? I'll settle this with you slowly later." He glanced at the time, the corners of his eyes lifting slightly. "It's eleven o'clock already, aren't you going back?"

"I don't know when they plan to leave." Sang Zhi also checked her phone. "Then I'll head back first."

"……"

"Brother Ji Xu," afraid he would accuse her of being ungrateful again, Sang Zhi asked very formally, "I didn't get to ask earlier, what are you doing here? Aren't you leaving?"

"The company has new colleagues, we're having a party." Duan Jiaxu said casually. "Go back and get your things, your brother will take you back to school."

Sang Zhi shook her head: "I'll go back with them."

"Fine." He didn't insist.

Duan Jiaxu remained leaning in the same spot, looking down at her with a thoughtful gaze.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Sang Zhi unconsciously averted her eyes, noticing the faint scent of alcohol carried by the wind. Wearing these clothes, she hadn't thought much of it before.

But now, she inexplicably felt like she had gone to school without her uniform and been caught by the principal.

Sang Zhi asked again: "Did you drink?"

"Didn't drink." Duan Jiaxu found it amusing. "Wasn't it you who drank? Trying to pin it on your brother now?"

Only then did Sang Zhi remember: "Oh."

He suddenly said: "Come stand closer."

Sang Zhi didn't move: "Why?"

"After not seeing you for so long," Duan Jiaxu stood in place, his peach blossom eyes bright and sparkling, as if finding it somewhat miraculous, his voice carrying laughter: "Let your brother take a good look at how little Sang Zhi has grown up—"

"……"

"—to see if she's become beautiful."

Sang Zhi returned to the private room.

Several people had already collapsed in their seats, and one person, overcome by alcohol, was howling into the microphone like a wolf. The smell of alcohol was strong, and the noise was loud enough to burst eardrums.

She wanted to leave as soon as she entered.

Noticing her figure, her roommate Wang Ruolan asked: "Hey, Sang Zhi, why did you take so long in the bathroom? Come play cards with us."

Sang Zhi sat down beside her: "When are we leaving?"

Wang Ruolan: "They said around one o'clock."

"……" Sang Zhi said, "The subway will have stopped running by then."

"We can take a taxi back." Wang Ruolan said. "Or take the bus? Hey, but I don't know when the last bus for route 888 is."Sang Zhi couldn't stand the smell in the private room any longer, perhaps also because she had drunk a few glasses of alcohol, she felt somewhat nauseous: "I'm heading back first, I can't stay up late."

The birthday girl Ning Wei came over, smiling brightly: "Sang Sang, are you leaving already?"

Sang Zhi: "Mm."

"How are you getting back alone? It's so late," Ning Wei said. "Should I ask Jiang Ming to walk you home?"

Sang Zhi paused: "Who's Jiang Ming?"

"That one over there." Ning Wei linked arms with her, subtly pointing him out, then leaned close to her ear and whispered, "He's from my department. Isn't he quite handsome? I think he likes you."

"Don't make wild guesses. I haven't even spoken a single sentence to him." Sang Zhi stood up, rubbing her tired eyes. "It's fine, the subway station is right outside. I'm leaving—I'm exhausted."

"Alright then."

"Don't stay out too late either, it's not safe."

"With so many people here, what's there to be afraid of!"

"Do you have your keys?"

"Yes, yes."

Only then did Sang Zhi feel reassured enough to leave the private room. The KTV at night was always particularly lively, and the staff she passed were exceptionally enthusiastic, their greetings as loud as if they were carrying megaphones.

The first time, she was startled, but she quickly got used to it.

Sang Zhi walked out of the KTV and headed down the stairs.

She covered her face with her hands, finally having the mind and time to recall Duan Jiaxu's appearance and the last words he had said.

Perhaps it was the alcohol kicking in, but Sang Zhi felt inexplicably irritated.

That dog of a man.

That old, dog of a man.

What did her being pretty have to do with him?

Besides, she had been pretty since she was little, so of course she'd be pretty when she grew up.

Did he need to look closely to see that?

Sang Zhi stopped walking and slowly let out a breath.

This reunion had come too suddenly, leaving her completely unprepared. Though there was some happiness mixed in, it was mostly flustered chaos, followed by a lingering sense of frustration.

She thought again of Duan Jiaxu's words.

—"How old can she be? Still looks like a kid."

Sang Zhi laughed inexplicably.

Just as she had thought.

Even though she was an adult, to him, she was still a child. Maybe even when she was seventy or eighty years old, he would still stubbornly cling to the word "kid."

As if being seven years older than her was some kind of superior achievement!

Sang Zhi couldn't quite swallow her anger but couldn't think of how to vent it. She had never cursed before and couldn't bring herself to do so now. After stewing for a long time, she only managed to squeeze out three words: "Old thing."

As soon as the words left her mouth.

A familiar male voice suddenly came from behind: "Hm?"

"..." Sang Zhi turned her head stiffly.

"Calling me?" Duan Jiaxu stood two steps above her on the stairs, as if he had been standing there for as long as she had paused. He seemed to think for a moment, then let out a laugh that sounded almost exasperated. "Makes sense."

"..."

"Seems like tonight, I'm the only—" Duan Jiaxu stared at her, pausing for a few seconds before enunciating each word clearly, "old... thing... you've met?"

Author's note: From Old Dog Duan's perspective: This kid suddenly started ignoring me and kept attacking me about my age (sigh).