Perhaps because the indoor heating was too intense, Duan Jiaxu's body temperature gradually rose. His fingertips slid down her back, and everywhere they touched felt as if ignited by him, burning with heat.
Duan Jiaxu's hand pressed against the nape of her neck with just the right amount of force, yet it inexplicably carried an air of dominance.
Unconsciously, Sang Zhi shifted from sitting with her back to him to straddling his lap. Her hands instinctively moved upward, resting on his shoulders and clutching his clothes.
His scorching lips still lingered on her collarbone, biting down with increasing intensity.
Every sensation in Sang Zhi was consumed by him.
All she could see were his raven-feather-like eyelashes and his cold, pale skin. Her ears were filled only with the sound of his panting, so close it seemed to press against her ear—seductive and alluring, pulling her downward, drowning in it.
Duan Jiaxu's kisses moved upward from her collarbone, pressing against the exposed skin of her neck again and again, sucking on her earlobe, then continuing upward to nibble on the cartilage of her ear.
It brought an utterly unfamiliar and unbearable sensation, yet Sang Zhi felt no resistance at all.
She only wanted to draw closer, to crave more.
Her mind was devoid of any other thoughts, feeling at a loss, unsure how to react, knowing only to cling to him, her grip tightening gradually.
Everything became vivid and impossible to ignore in that moment.
The distance closed further.
Duan Jiaxu supported her back, pressing her toward himself as if wanting to merge her into his very being.
Then, Sang Zhi suddenly felt something hard and burning pressing against her from below. She sniffled, her thoughts still hazy, her gaze instinctively drifting downward.
The next moment, Duan Jiaxu's movements halted as well.
Their eyes met.
His brows were laden with intense affection, his eyes deep and dark as if stained with ink. His lips were vividly colored, glistening with a highly suggestive sheen. His Adam's apple, sharply defined, moved up and down in an exceptionally attractive line.
A few buttons of his pajamas had also come undone unnoticed, revealing a broad expanse of his chest.
It was like a blatant seduction.
Duan Jiaxu's lips curved into a smirk as he grasped her wrist, slowly guiding it downward. He let out a low chuckle, his voice hoarse and breathless, letting out a distinctly wanton "Hmm."
"How did you end up touching your brother here?"
Sang Zhi instantly realized where her hand had been placed, and her mind exploded in a flash.
Duan Jiaxu tilted his head slightly and kissed her chin again. His eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled, exuding an utterly bewitching aura—a true soul-snatching male demon.
"Do you like it?"
After that, Duan Jiaxu made no further moves, burying his face in the crook of her neck, his breath scorching hot. After a long moment, he suddenly stood up, lifting Sang Zhi in that same position, and carried her back to her room.
Duan Jiaxu laid her on the bed, leaning down to meet her gaze at eye level, then rubbed his thumb firmly against the corner of her lips. "A reminder."
"..."
"Remember to lock the door when you sleep tonight."
With that, he left the room.
Sang Zhi was still in a state of shock, her soul seemingly lost after having touched that particular part of him. She lifted her eyes, staring at the gently closed door, momentarily frozen.
After a short while, Sang Zhi got up from the bed and tiptoed into the bathroom in her room.She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed faint red marks scattered above her left collarbone. After a moment's thought, Sang Zhi lifted the hem of her pajamas—her stomach, where he had pinched her a few times, was also flushed red.
Staring at her reflection, Sang Zhi stood frozen for a long while. She pursed her lips, stepped out of the bathroom, and pressed her ear against the door to listen for any movement outside.
All she could hear was the faint sound of running water. Peeking through a crack in the door, she saw that Duan Jiaxu had gone back into the bathroom. Judging by the noise, he was probably taking a shower.
Was it because he had been sweating?
Closing the door, Sang Zhi returned to bed and lay down.
Habitually burying herself under the covers, she couldn't help but replay the events of earlier. Rolling over in agitation, she suddenly tumbled off the bed and onto the floor. Thankfully, wrapped in the blanket, it didn't hurt much.
She stood up, tossed the blanket back onto the bed, and picked up her phone from the desk.
Sang Zhi wanted to search for something online.
Before she could open the browser, she noticed that Sang Yan had already replied: 【?】
The worries that had been troubling her lately resurfaced, dampening her mood. She typed with a hint of desperation: 【Mom and Dad found out that I’m with Brother Jiaxu.】
Sang Yan responded indifferently: 【Oh.】
Sang Zhi: 【But they don’t really approve.】
Sang Yan: 【Because he’s old?】
Sang Zhi: 【Aren’t you the same age as him? How dare you call him old.】
Clearly too lazy to type, Sang Yan sent a voice message: "Your brother here is a 90s kid, thank you very much."
Sang Zhi wasn’t in the mood for jokes: 【Can you talk to them for me?】
Sang Yan replied slowly, "Talk about what? That you two are getting married?"
Sang Zhi almost typed, "You’re so annoying," but quickly deleted it and changed it to: 【No, just help me explain things about Brother Jiaxu. I feel like what you say would carry more weight. They still see me as a kid—my words don’t have much effect.】
Sang Yan: 【What’s the rush?】
Sang Yan: 【In twenty years, if you still can’t get married, they’ll naturally come around.】
"……"
Suppressing the urge to curse, Sang Zhi typed: 【I want to bring him home for the New Year.】
Sang Yan’s tone was lazy: "You take forever to get to the point. At least tell me why they don’t approve. If it’s because of his age, there’s nothing I can do. After all, your boyfriend is a bit…"
Staring at the screen, Sang Zhi muttered, "You’re the one who’s old."
Recalling Li Ping’s words, she figured Sang Yan probably knew about Duan Jiaxu’s family situation too. She sighed and hesitantly typed: 【It’s because of his family issues.】
Sang Yan: 【What issues?】
Sang Zhi was taken aback.
Why did he sound like he knew nothing about it?
Sang Yan grew impatient: "Can you just spit it out? Do I have to drag every word out of you?"
Suspicious, Sang Zhi asked: 【You don’t know about his family situation?】
Sang Yan: "What are you talking about? Why would I ask about his family?"
So he really didn’t know.
Sang Zhi had assumed Sang Yan found out and then told Sang Rong and Li Ping. Did that mean Duan Jiaxu had directly contacted Sang Rong when he borrowed those 30,000 yuan?
Sang Zhi wasn’t sure.
But if Sang Yan didn’t know…
After a moment’s thought, she typed: 【Alright.】
Sang Zhi: 【If you don’t know, then forget it.】
Sang Yan: 【?】
Sang Zhi: 【Bye.】
Sang Yan: 【?】Sang Zhi decided to rely on herself and wait until she returned home for the holidays to have a proper face-to-face talk with her parents. She lay back on the bed, opened her phone browser, and typed expressionlessly into the search bar: "Is there a problem with being a virgin at thirty?"
After a few seconds of silence, she changed the last four words to: "Does it affect your health?"
Staring at it for a long while, Sang Zhi didn’t press search. Even though no one would know she had looked this up, she inexplicably felt deeply ashamed and silently closed the browser.
Truthfully, Sang Zhi didn’t really mind this matter.
After all, they had been together for over half a year.
And at his age!
It felt kind of pitiful…
When the time actually came, Sang Zhi might feel nervous and unsure, but at this moment, thinking of the word "pitiful," she couldn’t help but feel a little amused. She rolled over, stopped thinking about it, and found an anime to watch.
A few minutes later, Sang Zhi suddenly noticed the time on the screen.
Then she shifted her attention to the bathroom outside her room.
The sound of water was still running.
He had been showering for almost half an hour.
Didn’t he usually finish in under ten minutes?
After staring blankly for a while,
Sang Zhi suddenly sat up, instantly understanding something. Curious, she stood up, walked to the door, and cracked it open to peek outside. Just then, the sound of water from the bathroom stopped.
Her breath hitched, and she immediately closed the door, turning off the light as she lay back on the bed. Soon after, she heard the bathroom door open, followed by the sound of slippers slapping against the floor.
It sounded like he had gone to the kitchen.
Sang Zhi turned on the small nightlight beside her, no longer watching the anime, her attention mostly focused on the man outside. She could hear Duan Jiaxu sit down on the sofa, and not long after, the TV in the living room was turned off.
Everything grew quiet.
In the tranquil atmosphere, Sang Zhi gradually closed her eyes.
Before sleep could fully envelop her, the sound of Duan Jiaxu’s footsteps echoed again, this time coming from the living room and stopping right outside her room. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked toward the door.
The next second, the doorknob twisted.
After a long pause, the door was pushed open from the outside.
Only then did Sang Zhi speak up: "What?"
Duan Jiaxu leaned lazily against the doorframe, his tone casual: "Didn’t I tell you to lock the door?"
Sang Zhi murmured softly, "I forgot."
Backlit, his figure appeared hazy and indistinct, ambiguous and unclear. But his voice, as always, carried a hint of laughter and mischief: "Then, can I sleep with you tonight?"
Sang Zhi froze.
The two stared at each other for a long moment.
Feeling somewhat awkward, Sang Zhi scratched her head and blurted out, "Then are you going to take another shower later?"
"..."
Duan Jiaxu also froze for a second, then burst out laughing, seemingly unembarrassed: "So you knew what I was doing?"
It was Sang Zhi who felt embarrassed now, and she fell silent.
Soon, Duan Jiaxu straightened up, walked to the bedside, and stopped in front of Sang Zhi. She could smell a faint scent of tobacco on him, mixed with mint, unusually pleasant.
Duan Jiaxu bent down and kissed her forehead: "Did I scare you?"
After a few seconds of silence, Sang Zhi answered honestly, "No."
"Is that so?" Duan Jiaxu chuckled softly, a teasing note in his voice. "Then next time, I can push my luck a little further."
"..."
"Go to sleep."After he left, Sang Zhi lay back down, pondering the meaning of "give an inch and take a mile." She reached out and touched her stomach, then suddenly tugged her collar forward and glanced down.
Her expression turned somewhat complicated.
Sigh.
It seemed a little...
Too flat.
But Duan Jiaxu had a pretty good figure.
And abs too.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs.
Didn't that make her...
Sigh.
"..."
Sang Zhi released her collar and burrowed under the covers in frustration.
As soon as the weekend ended, Sang Zhi returned to school.
Her name had been on the previously announced scholarship list, and the money arrived in her account by the end of the month. Additionally, her internship wages from summer had already been transferred to her card. When the bank notification came through, Sang Zhi stared at the amount, feeling inexplicably inflated.
In the following period, Sang Zhi resumed her routine of spending every day in the library until exam week concluded. Because she needed to study, the two of them met less frequently during this time. Instead of returning to Nanwu immediately, she booked a flight two days later.
She spent those two days at Duan Jiaxu's place.
On the evening before her return,
Sang Zhi remembered something and asked proactively, "How are you spending New Year's this year?"
"Watching the Spring Festival Gala at home?" Duan Jiaxu said. "Then waiting for you to chat with me."
Munching on potato chips, Sang Zhi cautiously asked, "Do you want to come to Nanwu? We can celebrate the New Year together. If you don't want to come to my house, I can sneak out later when it's late."
Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow and pinched her cheek. "I'll see when the time comes."
With half a month left until New Year's, Sang Zhi worried about tickets selling out and muttered, "Then you should decide quickly. If you don't feel like moving and want to stay in Yihe, that's fine too. I'll message you every day anyway."
"Alright," Duan Jiaxu laughed. "Remember to do it every day."
Sang Zhi had booked an early morning flight for the next day.
At six in the morning, Duan Jiaxu woke her up.
She moved slowly, but fortunately, she didn't need to pack. Her suitcase had been brought from the dorm and hadn't been opened. After washing up and having breakfast, Duan Jiaxu drove her to the airport.
Uncertain whether Duan Jiaxu would come to Nanwu for New Year's, she calculated that they would be apart for nearly a month.
Sang Zhi genuinely felt reluctant to leave. After arriving at the airport, she didn't go through security immediately but clung to him, talking for a long while. Like a little adult, she reminded him of many things.
Duan Jiaxu listened with great interest.
When it was almost time, Sang Zhi, like a clingy child, held onto him without moving. Finally, she sighed regretfully, stood on her toes to kiss him, and said, "I'm leaving now."
Duan Jiaxu leaned down to kiss her too. "Mm."
"Remember to decide soon," Sang Zhi said. "Otherwise, the tickets will be gone."
Duan Jiaxu: "I know."
Sang Zhi blinked and added, "I hope you'll come."
"Mm."
"But don't feel pressured because of what I said," Sang Zhi continued. "Even if you don't come, I can still video call you."
Duan Jiaxu chuckled. "Are you going or not?"
"I'm going right now," Sang Zhi said, slightly displeased. "You're already annoyed after just a few sentences."
"If you don't leave soon," Duan Jiaxu paused, staring into her round, bright eyes, suddenly wanting to devour her dimples. He sighed softly and murmured, "I really won't let you go back."
When she got off the plane, it was just past eleven.Sang Zhi wasn't sure if Sang Yan would come to pick her up, so she sent a message in the family group chat: [I've arrived at the airport.]
After that, she went to collect her checked luggage.
When she checked her phone again, Sang Yan had already replied in the group chat, telling her his location. Sang Zhi pulled her suitcase along as she walked out, scanning the area, and quickly spotted him.
Sang Zhi walked over and called out, "Brother."
Sang Yan glanced at her, took the suitcase from her hand, and grunted in a bad mood.
Sang Zhi followed him and casually asked, "Didn't you say yesterday that you wouldn't pick me up and that I should take a taxi myself?"
"Heh."
"...What's wrong?"
"Go ask Duan Jiaxu yourself if he's got a problem?" Sang Yan, still groggy from being woken up, suppressed his anger and said, "He started calling me at eight o'clock, ringing every ten minutes. I had my phone on silent—"
"..."
"He ordered food delivery for me."
Sang Zhi almost laughed and defended Duan Jiaxu, "He probably just wanted to treat you to breakfast."
"And he left a note," Sang Yan sneered, reciting the message smoothly, "My boyfriend has a fever and hasn't been reachable for three days. I'm out of town and can't get back. Please make sure to wake him up to eat. Thank you."
"..." Sang Zhi asked, "And then?"
"Your sister-in-law," Sang Yan looked at her coolly, "was the one who answered the door."
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