Sang Zhi's appetite suddenly improved. She hugged the bowl and gulped down the porridge in one go. She declined Sang Rong's offer to drive her to school, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and took the bus to school as usual.
As she approached the bus stop, Sang Zhi lowered her head and rummaged through her backpack with difficulty to retrieve her student bus card.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a convenience store nearby. Hesitating for a moment, she walked in.
The convenience store was small, with a beverage fridge placed near the entrance. Sang Zhi stared fixedly at the row of milk cartons, her eyes unblinking, lost in thought.
Seeing her stand there for a while, the cashier couldn't help but ask, "Little one, are you buying milk?"
Normally, Sang Zhi would have ignored the remark. But this time, for some reason, she turned around and pointed to her school uniform. "I'm in middle school. Don't call me that."
Without waiting for the cashier's response, she continued, "I'm not buying anything. I'm just looking."
After saying this, she bid farewell and left the store, just in time to catch a crowded bus. Sang Zhi quickly squeezed her way on, following the flow of passengers, and found an empty spot to stand.
The bus swayed violently.
Due to the inertia, Sang Zhi struggled to keep her balance. Gripping the overhead strap, she had to stand on tiptoe, making it even more strenuous. When the bus suddenly braked, she lost her balance and stumbled forward, her heart leaping into her throat. The next moment, someone grabbed her backpack and pulled her back.
A chorus of complaints erupted around her.
Sang Zhi stretched out her arm and barely managed to grab a distant handrail.
Amid the chaos, she seized a moment to glance back and happened to meet Fu Zhengchu's eyes.
The boy stood about 1.7 meters tall, a head taller than her. His features hadn't fully matured yet, giving him a soft and youthful appearance, though he wore an intentionally cultivated air of maturity. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Sang Zhi nodded but didn't respond.
Fu Zhengchu offered her his spot. "Stand here."
He was tall enough to reach the overhead strap, so Sang Zhi didn't hesitate and simply said, "Thanks."
Silence fell between them.
After a while, Fu Zhengchu blurted out, "I heard from Yin Zhenru that your parents were called to school. Is that true?"
Sang Zhi looked at him, slightly annoyed. "Why does she tell you everything?"
"You didn't go to the bookstore with us yesterday, so I asked," Fu Zhengchu replied, seeming a bit nervous. "No other reason. I just wanted to tell you that my parents were called in too."
Sang Zhi paused. "Your parents were called in too?"
"Yeah."
"What for?"
Struggling to come up with an answer, Fu Zhengchu mumbled vaguely, "Just... not paying attention in class."
Sang Zhi nodded. "Same here."
"Why weren't you paying attention?"
"It's too easy," Sang Zhi said. "Didn't feel like listening."
"..." Fu Zhengchu scratched his head and said nonchalantly, "Same."
Sang Zhi eyed him suspiciously. "But didn't you rank last in the grade in the last exam?"
Sweat trickled down Fu Zhengchu's forehead. He averted his gaze, tightened his grip on the overhead strap, and replied with a calm expression, "Yeah. The questions were too easy. I couldn't be bothered to write."
Seemingly finding his explanation reasonable, Sang Zhi let out a calm "Oh" and said nothing more.
The atmosphere grew quiet.
So quiet it became awkward.
Fu Zhengchu cleared his throat lightly and broke the silence. "What was your rank in the last exam again?"
Sang Zhi replied, "First."
"..." Fu Zhengchu gritted his teeth but quickly relaxed, forcing a casual grin. "Alright. Next time, I'll get first place for fun too."Sang Zhi looked him up and down. "You're aiming for first place next time?"
Fu Zhengchu nodded, his confidence waning. "...What about it?"
"Nothing, just reminding you." Sang Zhi dismissed his words casually, stating matter-of-factly, "With me around, it's impossible."
"..."
Just like that, their relationship seemed to have inexplicably turned adversarial.
After that, Fu Zhengchu didn't know what else to say. He had no experience in this area and felt too embarrassed to keep forcing awkward conversations, so he fell silent as well.
When they reached the stop.
Sang Zhi got off the bus first and hurried toward the school.
Fu Zhengchu followed behind her, racking his brains on how to salvage the situation. Before he could come up with any ideas, he happened to run into a male classmate he knew. The boy greeted him and naturally slung an arm around his neck, pulling him forward.
The teenage boy's strides were long and quick, soon overtaking Sang Zhi.
Fu Zhengchu glanced back and called out, "Sang Zhi, I'm going ahead!"
Sang Zhi gave him a perfunctory wave.
The other boy also glanced at Sang Zhi, let out a meaningful "Oh," and then chuckled slyly.
Fu Zhengchu kicked him, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward Sang Zhi.
"You're insane."
Sang Zhi paid no attention to what they were saying.
She hadn't caught a single word and couldn't care less. Her mind was completely occupied with the upcoming parent-teacher meeting and the man she had seen yesterday.
It had been so rushed yesterday—with Sang Yan present and Duan Jiaxu only agreeing at the last minute to come—that nothing had been properly explained. Sang Zhi didn't have his contact information and didn't know how to tell him to come at 4:30 p.m.
She had no idea when he would arrive.
Preoccupied with this, Sang Zhi didn't pay attention in class all day, frequently glancing out the window toward the school gate. After being scolded by several teachers, she finally reined herself in.
The clock on the wall ticked steadily.
At exactly 4:20 p.m., the bell for the end of the last class rang.
Assuming Sang Zhi was probably going home with her brother, Yin Zhenru didn't wait for her. After saying goodbye, she left the classroom.
With nothing else to do, Sang Zhi pulled a sketchbook from her desk and continued drawing. Time slipped by minute by minute, and when she looked up at the clock again, it was almost 5 p.m.
The spacious classroom was now empty except for her.
She froze.
Duan Jiaxu still hadn't come.
Sang Zhi didn't know whether he was unaware that middle school let out early or if he had simply forgotten. She tried to steady her nerves and focus on drawing, but this time, she couldn't concentrate at all—her mind was a tangled mess.
After waiting another fifteen minutes.
Sang Zhi heard the sound of another classroom door slamming shut outside. Perhaps it was her imagination, but the silence now felt even heavier than before.
Every tiny noise she made seemed amplified in the stillness.
His words from the previous day now felt like a joke.
Sang Zhi couldn't wait any longer. She abruptly stood up.
Her chair scraped backward with a screech that grated on the ears. She stood frozen in place, her eyes slowly reddening. Forcing a stoic expression, she suppressed the wave of grievance swelling inside her.
"Forget it."
Sang Zhi randomly stuffed a few books into her backpack, slung it over her shoulder, and headed out.
The first-year middle schoolers finished early, with classes ending shortly after 4 p.m. By now, just past 5 p.m., the hallways were already deserted, with only a few scattered students in sight.Sang Zhi kept her head down as she hurried downstairs.
Her steps were quick, and she didn't watch where she was going, like a headless fly. Suddenly, she bumped into a human wall and stumbled back a few steps, mumbling an apology.
Without even looking up, she continued walking forward.
At the same time, the person she had bumped into spoke up: "Classmate, do you know how to get to Class 1, Grade 7?"
The man's tone was slightly lifted, his words naturally drawn out at the end, always carrying an indescribable laziness when he spoke, as if whispered close to the ear, with a breathy quality that tickled the heart.
It sounded somewhat familiar.
Sang Zhi turned around.
Duan Jiaxu stood by the railing, wearing a white shirt and dress pants. His bangs were slightly long, covering his eyebrows, and his features were strikingly beautiful, almost too gorgeous. He lowered his eyelids, and when his gaze fell on her face, the corner of his mouth relaxed: "Sang Zhi?"
Sang Zhi stared at him for a few seconds, then quickly lowered her head again without saying a word.
She didn't know whether to call this meeting expected or unexpected.
Noticing her red-rimmed eyes, Duan Jiaxu crouched down to look at her: "Crying again?"
"..."
He found it amusing: "Scared like this?"
Sang Zhi pressed her lips together and remained silent.
Duan Jiaxu: "Don't cry, I'll go take the scolding for you."
Sang Zhi looked at him.
Duan Jiaxu ruffled her hair and asked, "Should we go to the classroom or the office now?"
Sang Zhi didn't answer his question, instead accusing him: "No one comes as late as you."
Hearing this, Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow and said good-naturedly, "Then what time should I have come?"
Sang Zhi replied stiffly, "I get out of school at 4:20."
"That early? I didn't know. Can I apologize?" Duan Jiaxu's tone was playful, as if teasing a small pet, "Let me admit my mistake."
Because of his arrival, Sang Zhi's mood improved slightly, and she managed to squeeze out a reply: "No need."
It had been some time since school ended.
Afraid of keeping the teacher waiting too long, Sang Zhi stopped sulking: "Let's go."
"Where to?"
"The office."
After reaching the first floor, turning left would lead them to the teachers' office.
The two stopped about five meters from the door.
Sang Zhi thought for a moment and gave some instructions: "I have some experience with this. In a moment, the teacher will keep complaining to you, and you just need to agree with him."
Duan Jiaxu casually hummed in agreement.
What they were about to do next was, for Sang Zhi, the most outrageous and serious thing she had ever done.
Collaborating with someone else to deceive a teacher.
Sang Zhi's expression was grave: "Also, try to speak as little as possible. If we get exposed and caught, we're both finished."
Duan Jiaxu licked his lips and smiled: "That sounds pretty scary."
Sang Zhi was very nervous and bluffed, looking at him: "Be braver."
"Okay." Duan Jiaxu laughed, "I'll be brave."
At this time, only two teachers remained in the office.
One was Chen Mingxu. The other was the homeroom teacher of Class 6, who was also the English teacher for Class 1, surnamed Zhang. Their desks were side by side, and Chen Mingxu was grading assignments while chatting idly with Teacher Zhang.
Sang Zhi walked over: "Teacher."
Chen Mingxu looked up: "You're here?"
Sang Zhi kept her head down and said, "Yes, my brother is here."
Duan Jiaxu stood by her side. Unlike her, he wasn't as guilty; his words were straightforward and calm: "Hello, teacher. My name is Sang Yan, I'm Sang Zhi's brother."Sang Zhi had initially feared he might be too frightened to speak, but unexpectedly heard the name "Sang Yan." Moreover, his lie was delivered with calm composure, his tone steady and brimming with confidence.
She couldn't help but glance at him.
Chen Mingxu stood up and quickly said, "I'm Sang Zhi's homeroom teacher, surnamed Chen. Sorry to trouble you to come all this way. Please have a seat."
Teacher Zhang teased from the side, "How many times is this now?"
Chen Mingxu lowered his voice, annoyed. "Aren't you the same?"
Hearing this, Sang Zhi finally noticed there was a fifth person in the office. Fu Zhengchu stood silently in the corner behind the two teachers, inconspicuous as if invisible.
Their eyes met.
Fu Zhengchu shifted his feet slightly, as if struggling with something. Soon, he walked over and stopped about two meters away from Sang Zhi, right in front of Teacher Zhang.
The two stood close together.
They were around the same age and both good-looking.
It was easy for people to jump to conclusions.
Duan Jiaxu, sitting in a chair beside Chen Mingxu, observed them with a meaningful glint in his eyes before beckoning to her. "Come here."
Sang Zhi obediently went over. "What is it?"
Chen Mingxu was busy searching for documents and didn't notice their interaction.
Duan Jiaxu propped his chin on one hand and crooked his finger at her again.
After a brief hesitation, Sang Zhi relented and leaned closer.
"Kid," he lowered his head and whispered in a hushed tone, "Are you puppy dating?"
When the first word left his mouth, Sang Zhi felt a flicker of irritation. But the follow-up question left her mind blank for a moment. "What?"
As the meaning sank in, her face flushed crimson, red as a tiny tomato, though it was unclear whether from anger or fluster. Afraid the teachers might hear, she suppressed her voice and retorted furiously, "You're the one puppy dating!"
"Hmm? I wish I could."
"..."
Duan Jiaxu leaned back in his chair and drawled lazily, "It's just that my age doesn't allow it anymore."
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