"Huh? In another year you'll be 27..." His abrupt comment left Sang Zhi momentarily confused before she quickly sensed something amiss. "Wait, why are you suddenly asking about my age?"
"You kept bringing it up tonight."
"...So what?"
"I didn't catch it earlier," Duan Jiaxu chuckled, "but now I do."
"Catch what?"
"What you really mean," his tone relaxed and teasing, "is that seeing Qian Fei get married made you want to get married too?"
Sang Zhi: "..."
"What's a kid like you thinking about marriage for?"
"..."
"Big brother did the math for you and realized you're not even at the legal marriage age yet," Duan Jiaxu said. "In one more year, our Zhizhi will be old enough to marry. No need to rush."
"..." Sang Zhi suppressed her irritation and turned away. "I can't be bothered talking to you."
"Also, in another year I'll only be 26, not 27," Duan Jiaxu added. "I won't accept that extra year you tried to add."
Sang Zhi couldn't help retorting, "You're 26 this year, not 25!"
"My birthday hasn't passed yet, so I'm still 25," Duan Jiaxu turned the steering wheel as he drove into Sang Zhi's residential compound. "We older folks are very sensitive about age. Cut us some slack?"
After a few seconds of silence, Sang Zhi found it strange and began speculating again: "Has someone really been calling you old recently?"
Duan Jiaxu lazily replied, "Besides a little kid like you, who else would call me old?"
Sang Zhi paused, feeling slightly guilty. "I haven't said it that many times, right?"
"Hmm, you've been saying it since I was 20," Duan Jiaxu's voice trailed off briefly before continuing lightly, "Making me feel like I've never been young in my entire life."
"..."
Just then, the car arrived at Sang Zhi's building.
She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, pretending not to hear his last remark. "I'm heading home then. Thanks, Brother Jiaxu. Remember to rest early since you have such an early flight tomorrow."
"Wait a moment."
Sang Zhi turned her head. "What is it?"
Duan Jiaxu loosened his tie with one hand while suddenly pulling a small square box from another pocket. Curving his lips into a smile, he said, "New Year's gift for Zhizhi."
"..."
She had thought he'd forgotten.
Sang Zhi blinked slowly before reaching out to accept it. "Thank you."
Returning home, Sang Zhi glanced toward the living room. As expected, Sang Rong and Li Ping hadn't returned yet. She went straight to her room and sat on the carpet beside her bed, pulling out the box Duan Jiaxu had given her from her bag.
It was a simple solid-colored box with a logo printed in the center.
She opened it carefully.
Inside lay a silver bracelet designed in the shape of a fox. The head and tail formed the two ends, connected by a chain adorned with small diamonds that wrapped around the wrist.
The initials "SZ" were engraved inside.
Sang Zhi put it on her wrist and stared at it for a long while.
Then, she took out her phone and hesitantly searched online for "the meaning behind giving a bracelet as a gift." The first result popped up: "The meaning varies depending on who gives it."
Sang Zhi tapped to open it.
—When a man gives a bracelet, it signifies affection and a promise to stay by your side forever.
Reading this line made her heartbeat skip. She licked her lips and continued scrolling.
—Elders often give bracelets as gifts to younger generations to express eternal care and blessings.
"..."
Alright then.
Sang Zhi's mood inexplicably felt hollow and disappointed.After a long moment, she let out a sigh and placed the bracelet back into its box. Setting the matter aside, she stood up and pulled over her suitcase, beginning to pack for her return to school the next day.
In addition to the items she had brought home earlier, Sang Zhi looked around and decided to bring along the cosmetics set Duan Jiaxu had given her. She took a shower, then went to the living room to cut herself a slice of cake.
Afterward, she returned to her room and lay down on the bed.
Sang Zhi took out her phone, set an alarm, and then sent a WeChat message to Duan Jiaxu: ["Shall we set off at six tomorrow? We can take a taxi there."]
Brother No. 2: ["Sure."]
Sang Zhi remembered something and asked: ["Brother Jiaxu, how come you never drink alcohol?"]
At Qian Fei’s wedding, even she had taken a small glass, yet he hadn’t touched a drop. She had initially thought he would be forced to drink quite a bit.
Thinking about it, she realized she had never seen him drink alcohol.
After a while.
Brother No. 2: ["Alcohol allergy."]
Sang Zhi: ["Oh, that’s not so bad."]
Sang Zhi: ["It doesn’t taste good anyway. It’s much better than my inability to drink milk or eat beef."]
As the night wore on, Sang Zhi hugged her phone and began to feel drowsy. Her eyes closed, and she drifted into a hazy sleep. Just before losing consciousness completely, she suddenly recalled the words Duan Jiaxu had said earlier that day.
—"For our Zhizhi, how could it be a loss?"
The next day, at five in the morning, Sang Zhi got up.
The sky was still dark, and there was no sign of movement from Li Ping or Sang Rong outside. Afraid of disturbing them, Sang Zhi moved quietly, quickly washing up in the bathroom.
When she came out, Li Ping, wrapped in a coat, emerged from her room as well.
"Zhizhi," Li Ping said, looking weary, "Your dad and I both drank yesterday, so we can’t drive you to the airport. Should I call your brother to take you?"
"No need," Sang Zhi replied softly, feeling guilty for waking her. "I’m going with Brother Jiaxu. He came back for Qian Fei’s wedding yesterday and is also returning to Yihe today."
"Really?"
"Yes, go back to sleep," Sang Zhi urged. "Brother drank too, so don’t bother him."
Sang Zhi returned to her room and sent a WeChat message to Duan Jiaxu: ["Brother Jiaxu, are you awake?"]
Duan Jiaxu replied instantly: ["Awake."]
Relieved, she sat down at the dressing table and quickly applied light makeup. After changing her clothes, Sang Zhi pulled her suitcase and headed out.
At this hour, the temperature outside was even lower than expected. A biting chill, carrying a hint of dampness, seeped through her pores and into her bones.
Sang Zhi sniffled, pulled out her phone, and called Duan Jiaxu.
He answered quickly. His voice, clear and bright through the receiver, didn’t sound like he had stayed up late: ["On your way out?"]
Sang Zhi hummed in agreement: ["I’m about to leave the residential area now. Where are you?"]
["Right outside your neighborhood, at this bakery,"] Duan Jiaxu said. ["Buying breakfast. Have you eaten?"]
["Not yet."]
["What would you like to eat?"]
["A sandwich should be fine,"] Sang Zhi thought for a moment. ["And I’d like an egg tart too."]
["Alright."]
Sang Zhi hung up, her hands stiff from the cold. Hunching her shoulders, she pulled a pair of gloves from her bag, put them on, and continued slowly dragging her suitcase.
As she stepped out of the residential area, she immediately spotted Duan Jiaxu not far away, holding a black travel bag.Duan Jiaxu walked over, handed her the plastic bag he was holding, and casually pulled her suitcase over to place his own duffel bag on top.
Sang Zhi glanced at it: "Have you eaten?"
"No, I'll eat on the bus later," Duan Jiaxu said. "Have some soy milk to tide you over first."
"Oh." Sang Zhi hooked the plastic bag on her wrist, took off her gloves, pierced one bottle with a straw, and handed it to him. "Here, you drink it."
Duan Jiaxu took it and smiled: "Thank you, Zhizhi."
The two waited by the roadside for a while before hailing a taxi. Sang Zhi got in and passed him a sandwich from the bag, then started unwrapping another one for herself.
Just as Sang Zhi was about to take a bite, she suddenly noticed Duan Jiaxu hadn't moved at all—he was just tilting his head, watching the sandwich in her hand.
"..." Being stared at like that made Sang Zhi feel awkward. Hesitantly, she offered him the sandwich in her hand. "Do you want it?"
Duan Jiaxu took it, his tone so gentle it bordered on ambiguous: "Thank you, Zhizhi."
Sang Zhi: "..."
How bizarre.
Only a box of egg tarts remained in the bag. Sang Zhi could only take one out to nibble on while staring discontentedly at the sandwich in his hand. "Are you going to eat two?"
Duan Jiaxu: "Mm."
Since he paid for it, Sang Zhi couldn't really complain. But remembering she'd just told him she wanted a sandwich, she hinted gently, "Then why didn't you buy three?""
"What would I do with three?" Duan Jiaxu acted as if he didn't understand, his tone teasing. "I can't eat three."
"..."
Sang Zhi suppressed her irritation and continued nibbling on the egg tart.
Soon, Duan Jiaxu finished one and unwrapped the other. He paused, raised an eyebrow, and offered it to Sang Zhi. "Want it?"
Sang Zhi held her ground, not even lifting her eyelids. "No."
Duan Jiaxu: "Can you get full from just an egg tart?"
Sang Zhi: "No."
"Then why aren't you eating?"
"I don't accept food offered out of pity."
"..." Duan Jiaxu was momentarily stunned, then suddenly chuckled lowly, as if amused. "How is this 'food offered out of pity'?"
Sang Zhi continued drinking her soy milk on her own: "You're only giving it to me because you can't finish it."
"Can't finish it? Such a small sandwich," Duan Jiaxu said. "I could eat three of these."
Sang Zhi turned her head: "Then why didn't you give it to me earlier?"
"Just teasing you." Duan Jiaxu's eyes were deep and bright, staring directly at her as he said calmly, "If you'd acted cute for your big brother, wouldn't I have given it to you?"
"..."
This man really grows more shameless with age.
Sang Zhi resisted the urge to retort: "In your dreams."
"Need to prepare yourself?" Duan Jiaxu placed the sandwich in her hand. "Then go ahead and prepare. Your big brother will wait."
Sang Zhi, being particularly earnest, repeated seriously: "I said, in your dreams."
"Mm." Duan Jiaxu laughed. "Our Zhizhi is so adorable when she acts cute."
"..."-
Sang Zhi suddenly understood how Sang Yan felt yesterday.
It was truly infuriating how his shamelessness could make one's chest tighten with frustration, yet she couldn't think of any way to counter it.
Sang Zhi stopped engaging with him. After finishing the sandwich, she pulled up her hood and leaned against the seat, closing her eyes. She had woken up early today and soon fell asleep.
By the time she woke up, they had already arrived at the airport.
The two went to get their boarding passes and selected two adjacent seats. Sang Zhi still felt sleepy, so she found a spot in the departure lounge and closed her eyes to continue sleeping.It was Duan Jiaxu who woke her up when boarding began.
Their seats were in a row of three, with the two of them sitting on the inside. Duan Jiaxu had Sang Zhi take the innermost seat and reminded her to fasten her seatbelt.
Sang Zhi fished a bottle out of her bag—the water inside had been filled by Duan Jiaxu for her in the waiting lounge earlier. She unscrewed the cap and took small sips.
Duan Jiaxu spoke to her, "Are you cold?"
Sang Zhi shook her head, "Not cold."
Soon, the person next to Duan Jiaxu also took their seat.
The man placed his bag in the overhead compartment. Then, he sat down, glanced at Duan Jiaxu beside him, and quickly averted his gaze.
A moment later, as if sensing something off, he looked over again, staring at Duan Jiaxu for a while.
"Hey, aren't you Duan Jiaxu?"
Hearing this, Duan Jiaxu turned his head.
Sang Zhi also followed the voice and looked over.
It was a man around Duan Jiaxu's age. He wore a pair of black-framed glasses, had a fair and clean face, and was dressed in a simple sporty jacket.
"It really is you." The man said excitedly, "I'm Yuan Lang, remember? We were in the same middle school."
Duan Jiaxu looked at him quietly without saying a word.
"Long time no see, it's been so many years... I think we were even desk mates back then." Yuan Lang continued, "I heard they had another class reunion recently—why didn't you go? I missed it this time because my mom was sick."
Duan Jiaxu looked away and said lightly with a smile, "Didn't have time."
"Right, right." Sensing his indifference, Yuan Lang laughed awkwardly, "I heard from Jiang Ying that you're really busy with work now—must be making a lot, huh?"
Then, noticing Sang Zhi beside him, Yuan Lang asked curiously, "Is this your girlfriend? Wait, no—I thought I heard you and Jiang Ying were getting married?"
Sang Zhi froze.
"..." Duan Jiaxu clearly found it unbelievable too, turning his head away. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly let out a laugh, his tone utterly absurd, "What did you say?"
"No? I can't remember who told me..." Yuan Lang felt awkward and said to Sang Zhi, "Don't mind me—I talk without thinking, just blurted it out."
Sang Zhi leaned close to Duan Jiaxu's ear and whispered, "Who is Jiang Ying?"
Duan Jiaxu replied calmly, "That woman we ran into at the hot pot place before."
"..."
Sang Zhi thought back, feeling a bit confused about the connection.
Yuan Lang beside them asked again, "So, is this your girlfriend?"
Duan Jiaxu turned his head and said something quietly—Sang Zhi didn't quite catch it.
Soon, Duan Jiaxu turned back to look at her.
Sang Zhi hesitated, "Then..."
Noticing her expression, Duan Jiaxu explained seriously, "There's no such relationship, and she's not an ex-girlfriend either." He looked at Sang Zhi, his expression softening slightly, "Besides, didn't I promise you something?"
Sang Zhi didn't follow, "What?"
"If I were to get a girlfriend," Duan Jiaxu lifted his eyelids and said slowly, "I'd let our Zhizhi take a look first."
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