Sang Zhi didn't react immediately, nearly letting the answer slip out following his words. Her breath hitched as she looked up, silently watching him.
According to her understanding, his words could be interpreted in two ways.
Either: Am I the person you're referring to?
Or: Can I become the person you're referring to?
Whichever meaning it was, if she admitted it, wouldn't it be equivalent to revealing her feelings first? But if she didn't admit it, what if he retreated upon realizing the difficulty?
Sang Zhi was torn internally.
Duan Jiaxu waited patiently for her answer, not urging her at all.
After a long moment, Sang Zhi made up her mind and decisively uttered two words: "Not similar."
Duan Jiaxu let out an "ah," drawing out the tone as if somewhat disappointed.
Before he could say anything, Sang Zhi lowered her eyes and added seriously, "Don't mention this term anymore. I don't like this person now."
Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow: "Is that so?"
Sang Zhi nodded calmly. Afraid he wouldn't believe her, she thought for a moment and braced herself to fabricate a lie: "Didn't you say he's a scumbag? I haven't contacted him since."
"..." Duan Jiaxu's smile faded slightly.
Sang Zhi distanced herself clearly, stating earnestly, "I don't like anyone right now."
Duan Jiaxu fell silent for three seconds, his expression indescribable, as if he had dug a pit and jumped into it himself. He averted his gaze and asked nonchalantly, "This person—a central air conditioner?"
Sang Zhi hesitated: "A little."
Only now remembering she had used this term before, Duan Jiaxu felt both annoyed and amused, enunciating each word: "Do you know what this term means?"
Hearing this, Sang Zhi looked at him strangely: "Don't you know?"
"..."
"How come you don't know anything? Don't you go online?" Sang Zhi didn't mock him but slowly explained, "A central air conditioner refers to a man who has many female friends, treats all girls well, but doesn't have a girlfriend."
Duan Jiaxu lowered his gaze, scanning her up and down, and responded indifferently, "So if someone meets one of these three points, they're considered a central air conditioner?"
"..." Sang Zhi said matter-of-factly, "Of course, all three points must be met."
The conversation ended there.
The two walked side by side toward the school gate.
Passing by a group of rowdy college students, Sang Zhi faintly heard Duan Jiaxu say something in an indescribable tone, carrying a hint of coldness.
"Quite good at framing people." -
Most cinemas had already stopped showing Big Hero 6, which Sang Zhi had wanted to see earlier, leaving only one theater with the last screening.
It was located in a commercial district downtown.
Duan Jiaxu had booked tickets in advance.
They boarded the subway. Because it was the weekend, it was particularly crowded. Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu happened to squeeze in and stood by the door.
Afraid she might get jostled by others, Duan Jiaxu pulled her in front of him.
Surrounded by people with nothing to hold onto, Sang Zhi couldn't help but say, "If I stand here, I won't have anything to hold onto."
Duan Jiaxu lowered his gaze, released his grip, and pointed to the overhead strap he had been holding: "Then hold this."
Sang Zhi reached out and obediently grabbed it, turning back to look at him: "What about you?"Duan Jiaxu effortlessly grabbed the overhead handrail. A few seconds later, as if noticing something, he suddenly chuckled softly and said lazily, "It's a bit high, hard to hold onto."
"..." Sang Zhi was about to say something.
The next moment, his hand moved down and grasped her wrist instead. "This is easier."
Sang Zhi remained in her original position, her eyes widening slightly as she stared at him with obvious disapproval of his behavior. "How is holding onto that rail difficult for you?"
"Really is difficult," Duan Jiaxu's smile remained unchanged as he said leisurely, "Why don't you try holding it yourself?"
"..." Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Sang Zhi reached out with her other hand to grab the rail, but released it shortly after, muttering, "How can you compare your height with mine."
Yet she didn't pull her hand away from his.
Her gaze unconsciously drifted upward.
Sang Zhi looked at his slender fingers wrapped around her wrist. The warm sensation felt extremely real and impossible to ignore.
Duan Jiaxu rarely initiated physical contact with her.
Even when she was younger, at most he would ruffle her hair or gently pinch her cheek—affectionate gestures that still maintained a certain distance.
She lowered her head and began touching the corner of her mouth again.
Duan Jiaxu looked ahead, watching her reflection in the window, then lowered his gaze and slightly turned his head, discreetly observing her current expression.
Both were occupied with their own thoughts.
One was trying hard to appear nonchalant,
The other was silently watching her, noticing how the corners of her mouth would occasionally curl up unintentionally.
Then, for some reason, he also began to smile.
When they arrived at the shopping mall, there was still half an hour until the movie started.
Not in a hurry to get their tickets, Sang Zhi glanced around and couldn't help but point at a milk tea shop nearby. "I want to buy a drink. Do you want one?"
Duan Jiaxu: "No."
Sang Zhi: "Won't you get thirsty during the movie?"
Duan Jiaxu: "I'll buy..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly felt like this conversation was repeating history. Duan Jiaxu's brow twitched slightly as he changed his response: "This time before you drink, make sure to check if it's actually what you ordered."
"Oh." There was no line at the milk tea shop. Sang Zhi walked to the counter, glanced at the menu, and quickly decided, "Iced lemon water with pearls."
"..." Duan Jiaxu had never heard of this combination before. "You can drink it like that?"
Sang Zhi glanced at him: "Of course."
Duan Jiaxu frowned: "And what's the temperature today? You're still drinking cold beverages."
Sang Zhi: "It's not cold indoors."
Duan Jiaxu: "Don't drink too much."
Sang Zhi expressed some dissatisfaction, mumbling, "Why are you always controlling me."
Hearing this, Duan Jiaxu turned to look at her, observing her somewhat frustrated expression. His features relaxed as his tone lifted playfully, "Finding me annoying?"
Just then, the staff finished preparing her drink.
Sang Zhi took it, inserted the straw, and took a sip. Not wanting to be too direct, she vaguely responded, "I didn't say that."
Duan Jiaxu laughed: "That's exactly what you meant."
Sang Zhi pretended not to hear, focusing on chewing the pearls.
After a few seconds, Duan Jiaxu curled his lips and meaningfully, slowly uttered four words: "Get used to it early."
Sang Zhi paused for a moment, silently swallowing the pearls in her mouth.
The two went to collect their movie tickets.There were still a few minutes before boarding began, so they found seats to wait. Though she hadn’t noticed while drinking it, after holding it for a while, Sang Zhi realized the drink was actually quite cold.
Noticing her frequently switching hands to hold the beverage, Duan Jiaxu reached over and took it from her.
Sang Zhi glanced at him but said nothing. Just before they were about to board, she couldn’t resist pointing at the drink and saying, “I want a sip.”
Duan Jiaxu handed her the drink, but not with the intention of returning it to her. Instead, he brought the straw to her lips, his eyelashes lifting slightly as he looked at her with a straight face.
Sang Zhi didn’t have the nerve to drink from his hand and tried to take the cup from him.
Before she could touch it, Duan Jiaxu spoke lazily, “If you want a drink, just drink. Why take the chance to touch my hand?”
“...” Sang Zhi held back, her expression stern. “Who wants to touch your hand? I’ll drink it myself.”
Duan Jiaxu: “Aren’t you afraid of the cold?”
Sang Zhi: “It’s not cold.”
Duan Jiaxu handed it back to her. “If you don’t want to drink it, I’ll hold it for you again.”
“No need.” Sang Zhi glanced at his hand and said quietly, “You’ll get cold too.”
Hearing this, Duan Jiaxu curled his lips and stretched his hand out in front of her, teasing without restraint, “Then warm it up for me?”
Sang Zhi didn’t react, simply sipping her drink.
He didn’t seem embarrassed either, withdrawing his hand calmly. “Let’s go, it’s time to board.”
The two stood up.
A few seconds later, Sang Zhi suddenly pulled a hand warmer out of her bag and handed it to him. “I only brought one. You can use it.”
Duan Jiaxu was taken aback.
Sang Zhi explained softly, “My hands are cold, so I can’t warm yours.” After a pause, she added with feigned composure, “And, well... holding hands isn’t really appropriate anyway.”
Duan Jiaxu turned to look at her, pausing for a few seconds before agreeing, “It really isn’t appropriate.”
“...”
They found their seats and sat down.
Duan Jiaxu placed the bag he had been carrying for Sang Zhi on his lap, tore open the packaging of the hand warmer, and said in a gentle, refined tone, “And without any official status either.”
“...” Sang Zhi’s mind went blank, and she set down the drink in her hand.
At the same time, Duan Jiaxu placed the hand warmer into her palm.
The movie began to play, the background music starting up and cutting off anything else she might have said.
By the time the movie ended, it was already mealtime.
Although Sang Zhi had spent most of the movie thinking about his earlier remark, after over an hour had passed, she felt it was too late to bring it up again.
They found a restaurant outside to eat.
Afterward, they returned to the area near Duan Jiaxu’s apartment and picked up a cake from a bakery.
Back at Duan Jiaxu’s home.
Sang Zhi took off her shoes and noticed a new pair of women’s slippers on the shoe rack, exactly her size. She glanced in Duan Jiaxu’s direction but didn’t reach for them.
Instead, Duan Jiaxu placed the slippers in front of her and said calmly, “I bought them for you.”
He set the cake on the dining table and then went into the kitchen.
Sang Zhi dawdled as she put on the slippers, then walked over and began unwrapping the cake box.
Just as she took the cake out, Duan Jiaxu emerged from the kitchen holding another cake.
Sang Zhi froze. “Why are there two?”
“I made this one,” Duan Jiaxu said. “I was afraid it might not taste good, so I ordered another one just in case.”
Sang Zhi blinked. “You know how to make cakes?”"I picked up a bit while working at a cafe before." Duan Jiaxu casually prepared to insert candles into the cake while asking, "Which one do you want as your birthday cake?"
Sang Zhi pointed at the one he made: "This one."
"How many candles?"
"Just one is fine."
Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying refusal: "Nineteen."
Sang Zhi was speechless: "How am I supposed to blow out so many?"
"Little girl," Duan Jiaxu said playfully, "you need to face your actual age."
The cake shop had provided two packs of candles, each containing twelve, so there were enough. Sang Zhi couldn't resist complaining: "Then on your birthday, you'll have to ask for an extra pack of candles."
"For my birthday," Duan Jiaxu showed clear double standards, "just one candle is enough."
"..." Sang Zhi was displeased and said very pointedly, "When the time comes, I'll definitely fill yours with all twenty-six candles."
Duan Jiaxu just laughed. After inserting the candles, he went to the coffee table to get a lighter and a pink bag. With downcast eyes, he slowly lit all the candles.
Sang Zhi ran to the entrance to turn off the lights.
When she returned, Duan Jiaxu had already finished lighting them. His face was tinted warm by the candlelight, flickering between light and shadow. Though his expression wasn't clearly visible, he appeared particularly tender and soft.
Thinking about it, this was Sang Zhi's first birthday celebrated with him.
Duan Jiaxu began singing "Happy Birthday" to her, his low, husky voice echoing gently through the living room. After the final note faded, Sang Zhi made a wish and blew hard to extinguish the candles.
She only managed to blow out most of them.
The corner of her mouth twitched, and she blew several more times before they were all out.
Watching her actions, Duan Jiaxu laughed heartily, his chest shaking with mirth that traveled to his shoulders. Then, he stood up to turn on the lights and handed the pink bag to Sang Zhi: "Birthday gift."
Sang Zhi took it—it wasn't light. She said thank you, suppressing her curiosity, and picked up the cake knife to start cutting the cake.
After just one cut, Duan Jiaxu took the cake knife from her and cut out a small piece for her. He glanced at the bag placed to the side and suddenly asked: "Don't you want to see what gifts others gave you?"
Sang Zhi looked at it and shook her head: "I'll look when I get back."
Duan Jiaxu didn't press further and asked instead: "Is that guy pursuing you?"
Sang Zhi thought for a moment: "Probably."
Duan Jiaxu chuckled lightly and drawled: "Got many pursuers?"
Remembering the boast she made earlier at the hospital, Sang Zhi didn't know how to answer and could only say vaguely: "It's alright."
Soon, Duan Jiaxu asked again: "Any requirements for someone to pursue you?"
Sang Zhi was baffled: "What requirements could there be? It's not like I'm choosing a partner."
"Then tell me," as if just making casual conversation, Duan Jiaxu's tone was light, "what conditions would someone need to possibly catch your eye."
Sang Zhi looked up and said hesitantly: "Good-looking."
Duan Jiaxu: "Mm."
"Good-tempered."
"Mm."
"Has to be a head taller than me."
"Mm."
"Good morals."
"Mm, what else?"
Sang Zhi took a fork, ate a bite of cake: "That's it."
"All the conditions you mentioned, I meet them." Duan Jiaxu wiped some chocolate frosting with his finger and lightly smeared it on her cheek, "So, let me ask you something."
"..."
It felt like something long anticipated was finally about to happen, carrying an intensely strong sense of foreshadowing.Sang Zhi met his gaze, almost able to predict his next words, yet her heart still skipped a beat. She grew so tense she could barely breathe. Licking the cake crumbs from the corner of her lips, she stared at him blankly. "What?"
Duan Jiaxu chuckled, his gaze ambiguous yet earnest.
This time, he didn't veil his intentions as before, nor did he speak in vague terms.
He laid his cards on the table directly.
"Can I pursue you now?"
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