Hidden Love

"Clearly it was you..." Sang Zhi was speechless and also stood up, "I was just sitting here perfectly fine, why did you bring your face so close?"

Duan Jiaxu lowered his gaze, took her hand, and said with a laugh, "On purpose."

His palm was scorching hot, holding her hand with just the right amount of pressure, occasionally unconsciously squeezing her fingertips.

Sang Zhi looked at him.

Duan Jiaxu led her out of the café: "I wanted to take the chance to make you kiss me."

Sang Zhi pursed her lips and softly said, "Oh."

"How long were you waiting?" Duan Jiaxu lowered his head, glancing in her direction, casually asking, "You even finished that huge cup of coffee."

"Not long, I was playing a game and didn't notice the time," Sang Zhi said. "How did you know I was there?"

Duan Jiaxu pointed at the café's glass window: "Saw you. Next time if you come over, just come straight up to the company. Or call me to come down and get you."

Sang Zhi nodded.

The two entered a nearby barbecue restaurant, found a seat, and sat down.

Duan Jiaxu wiped his hands with a hot towel, then poured water into her cup: "One exam left, when is it?"

Sang Zhi: "Thursday."

"Still three days?"

"Mm," Sang Zhi raised her hand and rubbed her eyes, "So I plan to go back to the dorm this afternoon to sleep. I've been staying up late these past few days, I'm exhausted."

Duan Jiaxu laughed: "Then why did you drink coffee just now?"

Sang Zhi said seriously, "It's because I need to sleep that I drank coffee. Coffee makes me sleepy."

"What kind of constitution is that," Duan Jiaxu said amusedly, "Are you going to stay up late again after this?"

"No," Sang Zhi said, "There are three days to review for this exam, that's enough."

"How was the interview just now?"

"Not bad, I feel like I should pass. That company seems pretty short-staffed." Sang Zhi scratched her head and suddenly asked, "Brother Ji Xu, has my brother contacted you?"

Hearing this, Duan Jiaxu glanced at his phone: "No, why?"

"..."

Seems like it's really serious this time.

But thinking about how he'd even ruthlessly blocked her, Sang Zhi didn't want to make up with him at all. She took a sip of water and said expressionlessly, "We had a fight."

"What about?"

"He doesn't agree with me not going home for summer vacation, and then he said..." Sang Zhi didn't finish her sentence, hesitating slightly, "By the way, have you told my brother about our relationship?"

"Not yet," Duan Jiaxu said lightly, "Originally I planned to wait until you went back to Nanwu for summer vacation, then I'd take some time off to visit you and tell your brother about this in person."

"And now?"

"Then we'll have to wait until your National Day break, and we'll go together. Sincere enough, right?" Duan Jiaxu laughed, "Personally showing up to let him beat me up."

"..." Sang Zhi said without much confidence, "He probably wouldn't do that."

"It's fine," Duan Jiaxu didn't seem to mind, his peach blossom eyes slightly narrowed, looking quite pleased, "I'm quite willing to take that beating."

After lunch, the two walked around the area to digest their food. Afterwards, Sang Zhi took the subway back to school. When she reached the dorm, it was just past two o'clock.

Only Ning Wei was left in the dorm.

Sang Zhi glanced at Wang Ruolan and Yu Xin's neatly tidied spots and asked, "They left already?"

"Mm," Ning Wei was also packing her things, "They don't have any more exams. They just came back, packed their things, and left. Yu Xin went home, and Ruolan seems to be going somewhere with her boyfriend for a few days."Everyone else in the dorm had finished their exams, leaving only Sang Zhi with one elective exam remaining.

Sang Zhi asked, "Where are you going?"

"My boyfriend rented a place outside," Ning Wei said. "I'm planning to move in with him, so I won't be staying in the dorm this summer."

Sang Zhi let out an "ah" sound, feeling a bit reluctant. "I thought we could keep each other company."

"You can go find your Duan Gege," Ning Wei looked up at her with a grin. "Speaking of which, how does it feel to be in a relationship? Wait, no—how does it feel to be with someone you've had a crush on for so many years?"

"It's alright," Sang Zhi thought for a moment and said hesitantly, "I don't feel much of a difference."

"Huh?"

"It's pretty much the same as before we got together... except for that day," Sang Zhi suddenly raised her left hand, pressed her fingertips together, and lightly touched her lips. "We did this, but other than that, there's really no difference."

"Holy crap," Ning Wei was shocked and extremely surprised. "You two have already kissed?"

"..."

"You kissed on the day you got together?" Ning Wei grew excited. "It must have been your Duan Gege who initiated it, right? Not bad, being older really makes a difference."

"But I think my reaction wasn't quite right," Sang Zhi whispered. "Let me ask you, when you and your boyfriend get physically intimate, do you get nervous?"

"A little at first," Ning Wei said. "But I think he was way more nervous than me. My boyfriend is super shy—he didn't even dare hold my hand for a whole month after we got together. I was going crazy with impatience."

"..."

"Oh, now that I think about it, I think my nervousness was completely because I caught it from him," Ning Wei rolled her eyes. "But he's much bolder now. He even farts in front of me and then blames it on me."

Sang Zhi burst out laughing. "What is that?"

Ning Wei brought the topic back. "So you do get nervous?"

"Yeah," Sang Zhi said somewhat gloomily. "And then it looks like I'm unhappy... I'm afraid he might misunderstand, so I specifically told him that I really like him."

"Ah? He probably wouldn't misunderstand though."

"But I've never said it to him before," Sang Zhi said. "I feel like I need to say it out loud. If I don't, he probably wouldn't know."

"Is that so?" Ning Wei blinked. "You should just act normally. Don't be too careful and explain everything you do—that would get exhausting over time."

"..."

"Are you just habitually nervous because you used to be afraid he'd find out you liked him? But now that you're together, it's completely natural for you to show how much you like him," Ning Wei said. "I can say this mainly because I don't think you're the thin-skinned type anyway."

Sang Zhi couldn't help saying, "Are you complimenting me or making fun of me?"

"I'm just telling you to enjoy this relationship, especially since it's with someone you like so much. If it were me, I'd be clinging to him every day for kisses, hugs, and being carried around," Ning Wei zipped up her suitcase and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "When it comes to liking someone, just saying it isn't enough. You can't have him kiss you, act unhappy about it, and then later say you actually like him—that's like slapping him first and then giving him candy."

Sang Zhi was silent for a few seconds before nodding."Besides, didn't they say he originally treated you like a little sister or something? And there's such a big age gap between you two. Try putting yourself in his shoes—he probably accommodates you in everything. If you feel things are moving too fast or you don't like something, he likely wouldn't force you either." Ning Wei said, "This is completely my honest opinion. My boyfriend was so shy at first that it made me want to tease him while also feeling like some kind of predator."

"..."

"Don't overthink it. Every couple goes through an adjustment period." Ning Wei walked over and patted her head, "Or, you could think of it this way—this person is probably the one who'll stay with you for life."

Sang Zhi froze for a moment: "And then?"

"And then?" Ning Wei laughed, "Just do whatever you want. If he can tolerate it, fine; if not, he can leave. You can't possibly spend your whole life being this cautious, right?"

After Ning Wei left, Sang Zhi changed clothes and returned to bed. In the cramped dorm room, the sound of the air conditioner operating was particularly loud, standing out sharply in the quiet.

Hugging her pillow, she seriously considered Ning Wei's words.

It did seem reasonable.

Under Sang Yan's influence, she had never been particularly thin-skinned before. So why did her face instantly become as fragile as paper whenever she was around Duan Jiaxu?

This really needed comparison.

She considered herself thicker-skinned than Sang Yan, but couldn't match Duan Jiaxu.

Even Sang Yan's shamelessness seemed inferior to Duan Jiaxu's.

As she pondered, an imaginary ranking of face thickness inexplicably surfaced in Sang Zhi's mind—Duan Jiaxu >> Sang Zhi > Sang Yan.

"..."

There was no comparison at all.

And indeed, there didn't seem to be any reason to feel uncomfortable.

When she accidentally kissed his cheek earlier, she had felt somewhat flustered. But thinking about it now, she could have just boldly declared: "So I kissed you, what about it?"

That would have sounded much more impressive.

Good.

This would be her approach from now on.

It's just dating.

Just! Some! Dating!

What's there to be nervous about?

She had grown up fighting with boys, never crying even when she lost a tooth, fearless of heaven and earth. Even Sang Yan had to show her some respect, earning her the nickname "Little Tyrant Sang Zhi."

It's just dating, just kissing.

What did she have to fear?

The more Sang Zhi thought about it, the more awake she became, all sleepiness completely gone. She sat up, opened her chat interface with Duan Jiaxu, and typed: 【Duan Jiaxu.】

A few minutes later, he replied: 【What's up?】

Sang Zhi: 【Do you want to play an escape room?】

Duan Jiaxu: 【Sure.】

Duan Jiaxu: 【Do you have a theme in mind?】

Sang Zhi: 【There's a new place near our school with a class reunion theme. It's not horror and has lots of good reviews.】

Duan Jiaxu: 【Okay.】

Duan Jiaxu: 【Weren't you going to catch up on sleep? Rest for a while. I'll call you when I reach your dorm building.】

After making the decision, Sang Zhi continued planning on her own, gradually relaxing until she unknowingly fell asleep.

She slept like the dead.

Sang Zhi was awakened by Duan Jiaxu's call. The noise gave her a headache as she groggily answered, hearing him say from the other end: "Still sleeping?"

Still disoriented, she responded sluggishly: "You called to wake me up just to ask if I'm still sleeping?""……" Duan Jiaxu chuckled. "What are you talking about."

Three seconds of silence.

Sang Zhi gradually regained her senses. "Oh."

"Remember now?"

"Are you downstairs at my dorm?"

"Mm."

Another few seconds of silence.

Sang Zhi sat up and couldn't help but complain, "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"No rush," Duan Jiaxu said lazily. "Just get out of bed, wash up, change clothes, put on your shoes, and you'll be ready to go."

"……" Sang Zhi lifted the mosquito net and climbed down from the bed. "Wait a moment then, I'm hanging up."

She quickly brushed her teeth in the bathroom, rinsed her face with water, then returned to her spot to change clothes.

Sang Zhi applied minimal makeup and tied all her hair up. She casually grabbed a bag, hooked it over her arm, picked up her phone and keys, and headed out.

Even with this rushed process, it still took nearly twenty minutes.

Afraid Duan Jiaxu would grow impatient waiting, Sang Zhi jogged downstairs. As soon as she exited the dorm building, she could see him standing under a tree outside. She quickened her pace and bounced over to him.

Hearing the movement, Duan Jiaxu also looked up.

As if unable to stop her momentum, Sang Zhi bumped right into his embrace.

He instinctively took a step back, worried she might fall, immediately reaching out to support her back. Duan Jiaxu looked somewhat stunned, then couldn't help but smile. "So happy today?"

Sang Zhi looked up at him, not stepping back either, her eyes curving into crescents. "Mm."

Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow.

Sang Zhi stared at him for several seconds before taking two steps back, fishing her phone out of her bag, and blinking as she said, "I thought you were going to scold me for taking so long."

"Wasn't long," Duan Jiaxu reminded her. "Next time don't run down, you might fall."

Sang Zhi nodded. "I booked tickets before I slept, reserved with the owner for eight o'clock. About an hour, until nine, okay? We can go right after dinner."

Duan Jiaxu took her free hand, tilting his head slightly. "Okay."

After a while.

Sang Zhi suddenly called him: "Duan Jiaxu."

"What?"

"Nothing." Sang Zhi negotiated, "Can I call you that from now on?"

"Mm, call me whatever you want," Duan Jiaxu habitually played with her fingertips as if molding clay, his voice carrying laughter. "I was wondering when you'd change how you address me."

"Feels like I should change it," Sang Zhi thought about it. "Otherwise, always adding 'ge' makes it feel a bit like... dating a parent."

"……"

"And you're always managing me too," Sang Zhi said. "That makes the feeling even stronger."

Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow. "I'm always managing you?"

Sang Zhi: "Don't you think so? I've always wanted to ask you, why do you like taking care of kids so much? Why not just have one yourself to raise."

Duan Jiaxu actually laughed at this. "Fine, we'll talk after you graduate from university."

"……" Only after he said it did Sang Zhi realize this matter somewhat involved her. "By the time I graduate from university, you'll be thirty."

Expecting her to be annoyed again, Duan Jiaxu was somewhat surprised by her calm tone.

"Hm?"

Sang Zhi seriously added four words: "Having children in old age."

"Who told you that?" Duan Jiaxu was both annoyed and amused. "Fifty counts as old age."-

The two casually ate set meals nearby.

Afterward, Sang Zhi brought him to the escape room shop.The two went to the front desk to find the owner, handed over their phones, and listened as the owner explained the background of the theme. Afterwards, the owner gave them each a student ID card to wear around their necks.

Sang Zhi looked at the name on her ID card, then flipped over to check Duan Jiaxu's.

Sang Zhi laughed out loud: "Your name is Xiaohong, a second-grade student in Class One. An elementary school student."

Duan Jiaxu chuckled along and hummed in agreement.

Sang Zhi called out: "Xiaohong."

Duan Jiaxu responded good-naturedly: "Here."

The owner: "..."

Love really is sickeningly sweet.

The owner led them into one of the rooms and said, "You have one hour. The timer is right here. If you need hints or want to extend the time, just use this walkie-talkie to let me know."

Sang Zhi nodded.

Then the room door closed and was locked from the outside by the owner.

Sang Zhi hadn't played many escape rooms before and felt a bit at a loss, so she just started rummaging around. Inside was a small classroom—the blackboard had several strings of numbers written on it, and there were items on the teacher's desk as well.

On a nearby table were some materials, including graduation photos of students from previous years.

Sang Zhi found a box in one of the desk drawers with a three-digit combination lock. She glanced at the blackboard, which also had three math problems, and guessed, "If we solve the calculations on the blackboard, will that be the code for this box?"

Duan Jiaxu scanned it briefly, took the box, and fiddled with the combination dial.

Soon, the box opened.

Inside were two flashlights.

Sang Zhi couldn't figure it out: "What are these for?"

Duan Jiaxu played along with her and softly hinted, "We probably need to turn off the lights. Something might be painted with invisible ink that only shows up under this light."

"Oh." Sang Zhi felt like she had no brains and followed his instructions, going to switch off the lights. "Where should I shine it?"

Duan Jiaxu handed her one of the flashlights: "Try shining it everywhere."

The room was sealed, and with the lights off, it was almost completely dark. Sang Zhi turned on the flashlight, which emitted a purplish light, and casually shone it on the floor, walls, and ceiling.

After a while without finding any clues, Sang Zhi simply crouched on the floor. Under the flashlight's beam, she happened to notice a number appear beside one of the desks against the wall. Doubting her eyes, she stared at it for a few seconds before exclaiming happily, "There's a number here."

Duan Jiaxu had been near the teacher's desk. Hearing this, he came over to look and crouched down as well: "I just saw a piece of paper—it probably requires four numbers."

Both of them were crouched on the floor, extremely close to each other.

The darkness and confined space made the atmosphere even more intimate. His ordinary words somehow felt as if they were whispered right by her ear.

Sang Zhi instinctively looked at him, and the flashlight followed, illuminating the lower half of his face. In the faint light, she could clearly see his nose bridge and his slightly curved lips.

She thought of Ning Wei's words, "do whatever you want," and suddenly lowered the flashlight and stood up.

Duan Jiaxu stood up as well: "Should we look for others?"

After a few seconds of silence, Sang Zhi answered irrelevantly: "I'm afraid you might get nervous, so let me remind you of something."

Duan Jiaxu responded casually: "Hmm?"

The scene seemed to freeze.

Soon, Sang Zhi abruptly blurted out: "I plan to kiss you today."

Duan Jiaxu's expression froze, and he immediately looked in her direction.

"Prepare yourself in advance."

"..."Author's Note: Duan Jiaxu: No need to prepare!!!!!!!!!!!! Zhizhi go go go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (?