Exiting the hospital room.
Duan Jiaxu turned his head to look at her. Today he had changed back into his own clothes—an army green short jacket, casually layered over a white hoodie, paired with slim-fit black trousers.
With his beard shaved clean, he looked much younger, almost like a college student.
He leaned down slightly, meeting Sang Zhi at eye level. As if finding her words rather novel, he curved his lips into a teasing smile. "Get married as soon as possible?"
Sang Zhi stared back at him without blinking. "Didn't you start it first?"
Noticing her unusually low spirits, Duan Jiaxu raised his brows and straightened up. "Are you angry?"
A few seconds of silence passed.
"I'm not angry. It's just... Brother," Sang Zhi stopped walking and said very seriously, "please don't joke like that anymore."
Even though she knew it was just a joke.
Because she was all too aware—he would never genuinely like her.
So, she didn't find it funny at all.
He could openly treat it as a jest, speaking those words without the slightest hint of unease. It was as if, unknowingly, he was treating her little insecurities, her cautious concealment, as nothing more than a joke.
Sang Zhi lowered her gaze, wanting to say more but ultimately holding back. Suddenly deflated, she continued walking forward. "Let's go. I have something to do later."
Duan Jiaxu suppressed his smile and slowed his pace, following behind her. "Really angry?"
"No."
"Brother has just been hospitalized for too long, feeling a bit bored," Duan Jiaxu rubbed the back of his neck with his palm and added, "Should I apologize?"
"No need," Sang Zhi said softly. "Just don't do it again in the future."
Seeing how much it bothered her, Duan Jiaxu's brow twitched, his feelings indescribable. After a long pause, as if both annoyed and amused, he suddenly blurted out, "Brother isn't that bad, is he?"
"..."
"Enough to make little Sang Zhi so unhappy?"
Hearing this, Sang Zhi turned to look at him, her expression blank. The corners of his eyes lifted slightly, his peach blossom eyes deep and captivating, his tone half-teasing.
Seeing this, she inexplicably wanted to annoy him too.
Sang Zhi said earnestly, "Yes, you are."
"..."
"Brother, I don't mean anything else, I'm just being honest." Sang Zhi's tone was slow. "After hearing it, I went back and cried all night."
"..."
Due to his illness, Duan Jiaxu's company had granted him a half-month leave. After being discharged, he could still rest at home for another week to recuperate.
Leaving the hospital, the two hailed a taxi to Duan Jiaxu's apartment.
There was only one pair of slippers in Duan Jiaxu's home.
He glanced at them, then went barefoot himself, placing the slippers in front of Sang Zhi for her to wear.
Sang Zhi didn't hesitate and slipped them on directly. She asked Duan Jiaxu to sit on the sofa for a while, then tossed all the brought-back clothes into the washing machine and put his other belongings back in their original places.
The slippers were too big on her feet, making her walk a step slower than usual.
Afterward, Sang Zhi sat beside Duan Jiaxu and took a stack of sticky notes out of her bag.
Duan Jiaxu was curled up on the sofa, lazily playing a game.
Sang Zhi opened her phone, searched online for precautions, and combined them with the doctor's instructions. She compared the two, then leaned over the coffee table, copying them down sentence by sentence.
Noticing her movements, Duan Jiaxu looked over and asked, "What are you writing?""Just some precautions after being discharged from the hospital." Sang Zhi lowered her gaze and explained, "I'll stick these on the refrigerator after I finish writing. You need to pay attention to them when eating."
Having grown up this way, Sang Zhi had never taken care of anyone before. So she wasn't very good at it and couldn't remember many things clearly, having looked everything up online.
Duan Jiaxu paused his movements and gave a faint "Mm" in response.
"By the way, don't just sit around all the time. Move around more." Sang Zhi spoke while thinking, "And don't lift heavy things or do strenuous exercise."
"Alright."
"Also, if you need anything, you can let me know. I'll find time to buy it for you." Sang Zhi said calmly, "As for usual days, I probably won't be coming over much."
"..."
"Take good care of yourself and focus on recovering."
"Mm."
"I've fallen behind on a lot of homework recently, and it's almost the end of the semester. I need to prepare for exams." Sang Zhi looked up at him, "About that meal I promised to treat you to, let's wait until you've recovered."
"No need for little Sang Zhi to treat me." Duan Jiaxu chuckled lightly, "I'll treat you instead."
Sang Zhi blinked, "We'll talk about it then."
She put down the pen, stood up, and stuck the completed sticky notes on the refrigerator. Then Sang Zhi returned to the living room and put on her coat, "Well then, brother, I'll be going now."
Duan Jiaxu stood up, "I'll walk you to the bus stop."
Sang Zhi shook her head, "You should rest instead. You just got back from the hospital."
"..."
"The subway station is just a short walk away. I know the way." Sang Zhi went to the entrance to put on her shoes and waved at him, "Goodbye, brother."
Without waiting for his response, Sang Zhi went out the door.
With a bang, the door closed.
The room suddenly became quiet.
Duan Jiaxu hadn't quite processed what happened. He directly quit the game, grabbed his coat from nearby and put it on, then opened the door and went out. But Sang Zhi was already nowhere to be seen.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth and returned inside.
Duan Jiaxu walked to the refrigerator and glanced at what she had written.
After all these years, her handwriting had clearly become much neater and more fluid. Unlike before when she wrote stroke by stroke, taking over an hour to complete a 500-word weekly journal.
With a somewhat absent-minded expression, Duan Jiaxu reached out and gently rubbed the writing with his fingertip.
He inexplicably remembered the time in the hospital.
The hard-of-hearing elderly man in the next bed kept praising Sang Zhi in front of him, stubbornly insisting she was his wife.
—"Your partner is so pretty and knows how to take care of people too."
After a long while.
Duan Jiaxu walked back to the living room and let out an inexplicable laugh.
—
By December, the temperature in Yihe City had already dropped below zero.
Due to the weather and the approaching exam week, club activities had been suspended. Sang Zhi was so cold she didn't want to move. Every day besides attending classes, she stayed in her dorm room drawing and making videos.
Duan Jiaxu didn't ask for her help with anything either.
When he occasionally contacted her, it was only to tell her the weather was cold and that she should take good care of herself.
Sang Zhi changed Duan Jiaxu's WeChat nickname to "Brother No. 2," and her way of addressing him reverted to how it was during childhood—simply calling him "brother."
Forcibly making his identity in her heart the same as Sang Yan's.
Sang Zhi suddenly felt this was actually quite good.
Making an effort to cut off her feelings, ending this impossible, fruitless crush. No longer obsessing over it, no longer believing that she could only love one person in this lifetime.Sang Zhi even began to look forward to it.
Someday in the future, when she had completely let go of these feelings.
If he brought a woman before her and told her that this was his girlfriend, she would no longer feel upset. The only thought she might have was that he was finally no longer alone.
She might even be able to call that woman "sister-in-law" without any hesitation.
On the last night of 2015.
The other three girls in her dorm had all gone out to celebrate the New Year with others. Sang Zhi had little interest in such formalities and had turned down several invitations.
She planned to order takeout, take a shower, watch a movie, and then go to sleep.
That would be her night.
Before she could put her plan into action, Duan Jiaxu called her.
Sang Zhi answered while munching on potato chips.
Duan Jiaxu’s lazy voice came through the phone, always carrying a faint hint of laughter, drawn out and teasing: "What’s little Sang Zhi up to?"
Sang Zhi glanced at the time and replied casually, "About to order some takeout."
"What kind of takeout?" Duan Jiaxu chuckled. "Come celebrate the holiday with your brother."
Sang Zhi paused mid-chew, then quickly said, "I don’t want to go out."
Duan Jiaxu said offhandedly, "Then come keep your brother company for a meal."
"..."
"Hmm? Why so quiet?" Duan Jiaxu spoke slowly. "Didn’t you say you’d treat me to a meal? Trying to back out now?"
Sang Zhi tossed the potato chips back into the bag. "I’m not backing out. You never mentioned it before."
Duan Jiaxu: "Then come out now. I’m outside your school."
Sang Zhi couldn’t help saying, "You said before that I didn’t have to treat you."
Duan Jiaxu drew out an "ah" as if trying to recall: "Did I say that?"
"..."
This guy was strange.
He always sought her out during holidays.
It was as if he thought that since she was alone here, it would be pitiful if she spent the holidays by herself. On Christmas, he had also contacted her, but when he heard she was with her roommates, he didn’t say much else.
Sang Zhi hung up the phone, got up, and quickly changed her clothes. She put on a scarf and checked herself in the mirror. Feeling that her complexion looked a bit off, she hesitated for a moment before applying a light layer of lipstick.
Once outside the school, Sang Zhi was about to call Duan Jiaxu.
But as she looked up, she spotted his car and saw him in the driver’s seat.
Sang Zhi walked over, got into the passenger seat, obediently called out "Brother," and then fastened her seatbelt on her own.
Duan Jiaxu looked at her. "Why aren’t you out having fun?"
"It’s cold," Sang Zhi answered truthfully. "I didn’t want to go out."
"How come someone your age acts like an old person?" Duan Jiaxu laughed softly and started the car. "What do you want to eat?"
Sang Zhi didn’t have any particular cravings. "You decide."
Duan Jiaxu: "How about hot pot?"
Sang Zhi nodded. "Sure."
"I’ll pick the place then?"
"Mm."
Duan Jiaxu drove to a commercial area a few kilometers away, near the neighborhood where he lived. But this location was closer to the city library.
It wasn’t far from Yihe University either.
This hot pot restaurant was part of a chain, with only four or five branches in Yihe, and it was extremely popular. Quite a few people were sitting on chairs outside, waiting in line.
Sang Zhi had never eaten at this one before, but the aroma piqued her interest, so she went to get a number.
The two waited for quite a while before getting a table.
Duan Jiaxu handed her the menu and let her order.Remembering that Duan Jiaxu hadn't fully recovered from his illness, Sang Zhi ordered a clear broth, then selected a mix of meat and vegetable dishes according to normal tastes. When she saw the fatty beef slices, she hesitated for a long while before finally adding it to the order.
Soon after, Sang Zhi handed the menu back to him. "Brother, see if you want anything else."
Duan Jiaxu glanced at it casually, picked up a pen, crossed out the fatty beef slices she had struggled to decide on, and changed it to cuttlefish balls. "That's all."
"..."
Sang Zhi glanced at him, swallowed her anger, and lowered her head to play on her phone.
Duan Jiaxu poured some tea into her cup and asked, "When are your exams?"
"Starting on the 11th of next month."
"And when are you going home?"
"After the exams." Sang Zhi thought for a moment. "Probably the 20th."
Duan Jiaxu said, "Remember to book your tickets early. Tickets before the New Year are hard to get."
Sang Zhi nodded. "I know."
The two of them chatted intermittently.
Soon, the people at the next table finished their meal. After the server cleared the table, two young women were seated there. The hotpot broth also arrived just then.
Sang Zhi put down her phone and looked up.
She noticed that one of the women looked familiar, but she couldn't recall where she had seen her before.
The woman seemed to know Duan Jiaxu. When she saw him, her gaze paused, the smile on her face instantly vanished, and she let go of her friend's arm. She walked over, her tone particularly arrogant. "Duan Jiaxu."
Duan Jiaxu had been talking to Sang Zhi.
Hearing the voice, his expression froze, and he looked up.
Sang Zhi also turned to look.
The woman wasn't particularly good-looking—at best, she could be described as plain with delicate makeup. Her expression was extremely gloomy, and her features seemed somewhat harsh. "If I hadn't run into you here, I would have thought you were dead."
As she approached, Sang Zhi caught a whiff of her perfume.
Suddenly, it triggered a memory.
It seemed like the woman she had seen in the elevator when she visited Duan Jiaxu's home last time.
Sang Zhi averted her gaze and instinctively glanced at Duan Jiaxu.
He had already looked away, not paying any attention to the woman. As if he hadn't heard her, he casually picked up the teapot and poured tea into his cup.
The woman spoke again, "Didn't you see me calling you?"
Sang Zhi pursed her lips, suddenly feeling awkward sitting there. She tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible and pulled out her phone to play with again.
"You called me?" Duan Jiaxu picked up his phone from the side, glanced at it, then slowly looked up and smiled gently. "Ah, I blocked you."
"You blocked me?" The woman exploded instantly. "What right do you have to block me?! Fuck your mother! You should be my slave for life!"
Her voice rose sharply, shrill and piercing.
Sang Zhi immediately looked at her again, a bit frightened.
The woman's friend grabbed her arm, seemingly confused and bewildered. "Xiao Ying, what's wrong? Who is this?"
The next moment, Sang Zhi saw the woman shake off her friend's hand, suddenly grab the cup of water from the table, and as if enraged, splash it forcefully onto Duan Jiaxu's face.
He was caught off guard, unable to dodge in time.
He only had time to close his eyes.
The scalding water drenched him, dripping from his hair, sliding down his forehead, nose, and lips, gathering at his chin.
Drop by drop.
Utterly disheveled.Sang Zhi froze, staring blankly at his current state.
Her mind seemed to flood with blood in that instant, a surge of heat rushing upward, all reason vanishing. Sang Zhi clenched her fists, abruptly stood up, and grabbed the water from the table, lifting it above the woman’s head and pouring it down over her.
The woman’s attention had been entirely on Duan Jiaxu, and she hadn’t reacted at all. She let out a sharp scream and yelled, “Who are you? Are you out of your mind?”
Hearing the commotion, Duan Jiaxu opened his eyes.
He seemed not to have expected Sang Zhi to act this way, his gaze fixed on her back, slightly dazed.
Like a mother protecting her young.
Sang Zhi stood in front of him, retorting, “Are you out of your mind?”
“What’s it to you?” Facing someone else, the woman clearly wasn’t as aggressive as she had been with Duan Jiaxu. “Do you know why I splashed him…”
“I don’t care what your reason is,” Sang Zhi cut her off, enunciating each word clearly. “Auntie, if you resort to violence, who’s going to bother reasoning with you? And not just splashing water—if you dare lay a hand on him, I’ll definitely hit back—”
“…”
Her tone was icy cold: “I won’t hesitate to dirty my hands.”
The woman, flushed with anger and humiliation, raised her hand abruptly.
Noticing her movement, Duan Jiaxu immediately stood up, pulling Sang Zhi behind him. He stared at the woman, his eyes cold but still smiling. “That won’t do.”
“…”
“I’m quite particular about keeping my hands clean.”
“…”
The hot pot restaurant manager arrived at that moment, trying to mediate in a placating tone.
The woman was dragged away by her friend. Seemingly embarrassed as well, she didn’t insist on staying, but her eyes remained fixed on Duan Jiaxu.
Like a vengeful ghost.
The tension instantly eased.
But the people around them continued to glance over from time to time.
Sang Zhi’s fierce demeanor vanished in an instant. She had completely lost her appetite, went to the front desk to pay the bill, and then pulled Duan Jiaxu out of the hot pot restaurant. Digging tissues out of her bag, she handed them to him.
Duan Jiaxu took them but made no further move. His gaze lingered on Sang Zhi, his eyes deep and unreadable.
His stillness made Sang Zhi anxious. She simply took a few tissues herself, stood on her toes, and wiped the water from his hair.
It was the first time Sang Zhi had encountered such a situation. Her eyes reddened with anger, and her voice was muffled. “Who was that person?”
“Someone irrelevant,” Duan Jiaxu snapped out of his daze, bent down slightly, and thought for a moment. “Strictly speaking, she’s my dad’s former creditor, I suppose?”
It was the second time she had heard the word “creditor” from him.
Sang Zhi instinctively glanced at him but didn’t press for details. “When I went to your place last time, I think I saw her too.”
After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Does she always act like this when she sees you?”
Duan Jiaxu fell silent for a few seconds. “Pretty much.”
“That’s terrifying,” Sang Zhi said, pulling out another tissue to wipe the water from his forehead, muttering, “Does she have issues regulating her emotions? A few words and she suddenly resorts to violence…”
Duan Jiaxu laughed, feigning nonchalance. “Maybe I really did something terribly wrong to her?”
Sang Zhi glanced at him. “Didn’t you say she’s your dad’s former creditor?”
“Hmm?” Duan Jiaxu’s tone was indifferent. “Hard to say if it’s really ‘former.’”"Your father's creditor," Sang Zhi paused her movements, carefully organizing her thoughts before speaking seriously, "whether it's from the past or present, they're still your father's creditor. It has nothing to do with you."
—"It has nothing to do with you."
Duan Jiaxu's heart gave a heavy thump, his expression finally shifting. He suddenly lifted his gaze, staring intently at her.
Sang Zhi's expression remained earnest as she held a tissue, wiping downward from his temple. Fortunately, the tea had been sitting for a while—though his skin showed some redness, it didn't appear to be scalded.
She continued speaking: "Anyway, I only saw her inexplicably throwing water at you. My brother says when someone bullies you right at your doorstep, you shouldn't tolerate it—"
Before she could finish, Sang Zhi's gaze naturally drifted downward.
Her words abruptly halted.
Duan Jiaxu's gaze hadn't moved at all.
Their eyes met directly.
In that instant.
It felt like returning to that time at the hospital when she helped wipe his face.
That time, faced with such intimate gestures and close eye contact, he had inexplicably been the one to look away first.
As if admitting defeat.
This time, the distance between them was even closer than before.
Her eyes were exceptionally beautiful—clear and bright, shimmering with a luminous glow.
Completely non-threatening before him.
Entirely different from how she'd stood protectively in front of him, facing that woman.
Actually, compared to before, she had changed quite a bit. The baby fat had faded from her face, her features now delicate and elegant—truly no longer fitting the description of "child."
He hadn't paid much attention, simply ignoring those changes.
But now, it seemed, things were indeed different.
Duan Jiaxu could see the fine hairs on her face, her skin so pale it appeared translucent, her lips rosy and full. And her breath—soft, rhythmic—brushing against his face.
Somewhat ticklish.
They maintained eye contact for a long moment.
It might have been just seconds, yet felt like an eternity.
Duan Jiaxu's Adam's apple slowly bobbed.
Sang Zhi suddenly snapped back to reality, withdrawing her hand awkwardly: "Brother, you should wipe yourself."
Duan Jiaxu remained quiet for a moment before responding softly: "Mm."
Worried he might find her reaction abrupt, Sang Zhi hesitantly explained: "You're too tall. If I wipe for you, you have to bend down."
After speaking, she handed him the tissue: "Here."
But he didn't take it for the longest time.
Sang Zhi looked up again, meeting his gaze once more.
Duan Jiaxu's deep eyes were slightly narrowed, a small droplet of water still clinging to his eyelashes as he stared at her unabashedly, as if deliberately trying to charm her. He straightened up, his gaze fixed on her without any intention of looking away.
He appeared thoughtful, as if pondering something.
Though somewhat unsettled by his stare, Sang Zhi didn't feel she had revealed anything. Growing flustered and annoyed, her tone sharpened: "What?"
"Nothing." Duan Jiaxu paused for a few seconds, cleared his throat lightly, his eyes carrying a hint of spring warmth. "Forgot to say—thank you, little Sang Zhi, for protecting your brother."
Sang Zhi managed a reluctant "Oh": "No need."
She glanced around before suggesting: "Should we go buy some new clothes nearby?"
When she received no response, Sang Zhi turned back, once again meeting his gaze. Frowning, wondering if something was on her face, she asked in confusion: "Why do you keep staring at me?""Is that so." Only then did Duan Jiaxu withdraw his gaze, his lips curving as he said, "Then I won't look anymore."
Sang Zhi gave him a strange look and pointed, "Shall we go to that one then?"
Duan Jiaxu smiled, "Alright."
"Why are you grinning like that?" Sang Zhi couldn't help asking. "Did getting splashed with water make you stupid?"
"Yeah, seems like it."
"..."
Perhaps it was the illness that had clouded his mind; perhaps it was the nonstop brainwashing from the elderly man in the neighboring bed throughout that week; or perhaps it really was this cup of water that had washed away his senses.
At this moment.
Duan Jiaxu suddenly, desperately wanted to be a scoundrel.
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