The host was making preparations on stage as music suddenly filled the banquet hall.
The entire venue instantly fell silent.
This also interrupted the conversation between Duan Jiaxu and Sang Yan.
Sang Yan shot him a cold glance before pulling out his phone from his pocket.
Duan Jiaxu lowered his gaze, took a sip of water, and chuckled softly.
After a few dozen seconds.
Sang Zhi felt the matter should be considered closed. Seizing this moment, she glanced in Duan Jiaxu’s direction. At that moment, he was looking toward the stage, seemingly attentively listening to the host’s introduction, without turning his gaze their way.
Sang Zhi withdrew her gaze, leaned close to Sang Yan’s ear, and whispered, “Gege—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Sang Yan abruptly cut her off: “Little brat, don’t call me that. Hearing those two words makes me want to throw up right now.”
“…” Sang Zhi continued, “What’s Brother Jiaxu doing?”
Sang Yan was looking at his phone. Hearing this, he lifted his eyes and directly showed her the screen.
Sang Zhi glanced at it.
The screen displayed a webpage, with the search bar showing—Yihe City Mental Hospital.
“…”
Sang Yan clicked his tongue: “That’s all the help I can offer him.”
The next second, Sang Zhi saw Sang Yan pass the phone to Duan Jiaxu, accompanied by an extremely concerned remark: “You can apply for admission directly when you get back.”
Duan Jiaxu glanced at it and replied gently, “Really, there’s no need. Thank you, ge—”
Before he could finish, Sang Yan reached out, wrapped an arm around his neck, and pressed down forcefully, as if having reached his limit: “In over twenty years of living, I’ve never been called that by a grown man like you.”
Duan Jiaxu was momentarily stunned but didn’t resist. Instead, he laughed at the treatment, his shoulders trembling slightly with soft, fragmented breaths: “What’s wrong?”
Sang Yan stared at him for a few seconds. Just as Sang Zhi thought he was about to drag Duan Jiaxu outside for a beating, he suddenly released his grip, turned to Sang Zhi, and said, “Switch seats.”
Sang Zhi, who had been watching the scene unfold, was slow to react and let out a confused “Huh?”: “Switch with me?”
“If I keep sitting next to him,” Sang Yan said lightly, “Qian Fei will probably think I’m about to cause trouble.”
“…”-
After taking Sang Yan’s seat, Sang Zhi quietly moved her tableware over.
Without looking in Duan Jiaxu’s direction, she was about to refill her teacup when her phone, placed nearby, vibrated.
Sang Zhi withdrew her hand and casually glanced at it.
Sang Rong had sent a voice message in the family group chat.
She tapped to play it directly.
Sang Rong: “Zhizhi, Dad bought a chocolate cake and put it in the fridge. You can have some if you’d like. Your mom and I have a business dinner tonight and will be back late.”
Sang Zhi replied with an “Okay.”
Then, she exited the chat window and scrolled down.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Duan Jiaxu also looking in her direction. Sang Zhi instinctively looked up and immediately turned off her phone screen: “What are you doing?”
Duan Jiaxu lifted his gaze slightly and suddenly asked, “Who is Zhizhi?”
Sang Zhi found it strange: “It’s not like you don’t know.”
Duan Jiaxu smiled: “Is it your brother?”
“What do you mean, my brother?” Sang Zhi was baffled. “It’s me, my nickname.”
“Oh.” Duan Jiaxu picked up the teapot and poured water into her cup as he asked, “Why haven’t I heard your brother call you that?”
“He does occasionally,” Sang Zhi said, “just not often.”
“Who else calls you that?”"My parents," Sang Zhi thought for a moment, "and my uncles and aunts... basically all close relatives."
Duan Jiaxu hummed thoughtfully.
After a while.
"By the way," Duan Jiaxu said casually, "what's this 'Brother No. 2' about?"
"..." Sang Zhi's expression remained unchanged as she pointed at Sang Yan, "No. 1."
Then pointed at Duan Jiaxu: "No. 2."
"How did I become your Brother No. 2?" Duan Jiaxu leaned back in his chair, tilting his head to look at her, speaking leisurely, "Did your brother just acknowledge me as his younger brother?"
Sang Zhi glanced at him, reminding: "My brother is younger than you."
"The age on my ID card is fake." Duan Jiaxu chuckled, speaking without seriousness, "It's reported higher. Actually, I'm somewhat younger."
"Then what's your actual age?"
"Hmm?" Duan Jiaxu said, "Born in '96."
"..." Sang Zhi was stunned by his shamelessness, widening her eyes to look at him for a while before murmuring, "You could've said '90 and I might've believed it, but '96?"
"What's wrong?"
"You look like you were born in '69."
Who are you trying to fool?
At your age, still trying to act eighteen.
Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean by that?"
Considering what he was saying now, along with his earlier eagerness to call Sang Yan "brother," Sang Zhi asked hesitantly: "Brother, why are you acting so strange today? Have many people been saying you're old recently?"
"Sang Zhi, your brother is here too," Duan Jiaxu picked up his cup, taking a slow sip, "When you call me 'brother,' are you referring to me or your brother?"
Sang Zhi paused: "You never said that before."
Duan Jiaxu: "That's because your brother wasn't here then."
"Oh, Brother Jiaxu." Sang Zhi didn't mind the address much and continued asking, "Did someone say you're too old during a blind date and rejected you?"
"Blind date?" Mentioning this, Duan Jiaxu asked, "I heard you suggested that I team up with your brother for blind dates?"
"I was just giving you two a suggestion," Sang Zhi said seriously, "Isn't it just like social networking? Having company gives you some confidence."
Duan Jiaxu smiled faintly: "But your brother isn't willing."
Before Sang Zhi could respond, Duan Jiaxu's eyes curved slightly as he leaned closer to her, asking in a hushed tone: "How about you team up with me instead?"
It took Sang Zhi several seconds to process his meaning: "You want me to accompany you on blind dates?"
Duan Jiaxu's expression froze: "..."
Sang Zhi felt somewhat displeased: "How can I accompany you on blind dates? People would have opinions."
"Hmm?" Duan Jiaxu asked, "What opinions?"
"They'd say," Sang Zhi said slowly, "that you brought your daughter along to a blind date."
"..."
After the wedding banquet, there was still the "wedding chamber teasing" tradition.
Sang Zhi couldn't possibly join. Seeing it was about time, she told Sang Yan and went to offer Qian Fei some blessings.
It was nearly 9 PM.
Sang Yan had been drinking, so Sang Zhi didn't plan to have him take her home. She knew the area and intended to take a bus home from nearby.
Just after leaving the banquet hall.
Not long after, Duan Jiaxu's voice came from behind: "Why are you walking so fast?"
Sang Zhi turned back, casually asking: "Are you leaving too?"
"No." Duan Jiaxu played with his car keys, eyes lowered as he said calmly, "It's late, I'll take you home first."Sang Zhi glanced at it—it was Sang Yan's car keys. "You didn't drink?"
Duan Jiaxu: "No."
"Better not." Just then, the elevator arrived. Sang Zhi stepped inside. "I'll just take a bus nearby. Brother Ji Xu, don't trouble yourself with a round trip. It's too much hassle."
"It's fine," Duan Jiaxu lifted his eyelids, a faint curve forming at the corner of his lips. "I might find it troublesome for others."
"..."
Sang Zhi pressed her lips together and remained silent.
Duan Jiaxu changed the subject. "When are you planning to go back to school?"
"Tomorrow, so I need to go pack," Sang Zhi said. "Classes start the day after."
"Mm, I'm going back tomorrow too." Duan Jiaxu asked, "What time is your flight?"
"My brother booked it." At this, Sang Zhi pulled out her phone from her pocket and said softly, "I forgot the time too. Let me check."
The elevator descended to the underground parking garage.
The two walked out.
"I see." Duan Jiaxu lowered his chin, letting out a soft, inexplicable laugh. "So, what did you find?"
Sang Zhi glanced at her phone. "The flight's at 8:20 tomorrow morning."
"My ticket—" Duan Jiaxu symbolically took out his phone to check, his tone natural. "Is also at 8:20. Shall we go together tomorrow?"
Sang Zhi looked at him and nodded.
They found the spot where Sang Yan had parked earlier and got into the car.
As Duan Jiaxu was about to fasten his seatbelt, he felt something in his pocket. He pulled it out and realized it was the Red Packet from earlier. "Your Red Packet?"
Sang Zhi glanced over but didn't move. "Are you giving it back to me?"
"Mm." Duan Jiaxu smiled. "For our Zhizhi."
Apart from that time when she was drunk, this was the first time Sang Zhi had heard him call her that. Her breath hitched, and her fingers unconsciously fiddled with the zipper on her clothes. "Why are you calling me that?"
Duan Jiaxu's tone was lazy and casual. "Didn't you say that those close to you call you that?"
Sang Zhi let out an awkward "oh" but didn't take the Red Packet. "You should keep it. You just called my brother that earlier. If you give it back to me now, wouldn't you be at a loss?"
"For our Zhizhi," Duan Jiaxu stared at her without moving, then looked away after a couple of seconds, a faint smile in his voice. "How would I be at a loss?"
"..."
Sang Zhi didn't say anything more and took the Red Packet. She fastened her seatbelt and leaned against the window, looking outside.
The car started, and silence filled the interior for a while. After some time, Sang Zhi spoke up. "Brother Ji Xu."
"Hmm?"
"Look at Brother Qian Fei. When he got drunk before, he said he couldn't find a partner." Sang Zhi said. "But now he's married, and he seems to really like that sister."
"Mm."
"When you see that," Sang Zhi carefully chose her words, speaking slowly, "don't you ever feel like you want to find a partner too?"
"Lately, you're either talking about blind dates or telling me to find a girlfriend." Duan Jiaxu found it amusing. "If you think about it, I'm only twenty-five. What's the rush?"
Sang Zhi: "Then how long will you wait? Even my brother has someone pursuing him now."
She didn't want to keep pushing him.
But she was afraid he might simply decide not to look, and no one else would urge him either.
Then he'd spend another New Year alone.
He wouldn't see a doctor when he was sick, handling everything by himself.The car was playing a soft love song, light and lingering, as if adding a touch of romance to the atmosphere.
Duan Jiaxu's features were sharp and distinct, but the warm yellow glow from the streetlights outside made his expression appear much softer. His gaze was fixed ahead, seemingly indifferent.
Seeing him remain silent, Sang Zhi thought she had annoyed him. After a long pause, she said quietly, "Don't be upset. I often see my mom scold my brother, and he gets unhappy too. I just don’t want... well."
She didn’t want to bring up his family matters and didn’t know how to phrase it, so she murmured, "I won’t mention it again."
Duan Jiaxu suddenly asked, "How old are you again?"
Unsure why he was asking, Sang Zhi paused for a moment before replying, "I’ll be nineteen after my birthday."
After answering, he didn’t respond.
Sang Zhi was puzzled. "What’s wrong?"
Then, she heard Duan Jiaxu chuckle, his tone seemingly implying something.
"Then let’s wait another year."
Author's Note:
Duan Jiaxu: Seeing how eager you are, once you’re of age next year, let’s get our marriage certificate.
Sang Zhi: ?????
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