Sang Zhi had been sleeping poorly for some time, and with staying up late yesterday, she slept exceptionally soundly this time, waking up without knowing what time it was. Having slept for so long, her head felt heavy, and her mind was slow to process.
For a moment, she felt disoriented, unsure of where she was.
Lying in bed, Sang Zhi stared blankly for a while. Gradually coming to her senses, she turned over to look at the alarm clock on the bedside table and noticed it was just past noon.
Her gaze drifted and happened to fall on the photo frame that had been turned face down beside it.
Sang Zhi sniffled and instinctively straightened it.
At the same time, she saw the photo inside—her younger self, still very childish. She paused, then reached out and gently traced her finger over Duan Jiaxu's smiling face in the picture, suddenly recalling his actions from the previous day.
He had inexplicably turned the photo frame face down.
At the time, she hadn't paid much attention to his behavior, but now, thinking back, it seemed like a clumsy attempt to conceal something.
After staring at it for a few more seconds, Sang Zhi muttered under her breath, "Couldn't you have picked a different photo?"
She didn't dwell on it any longer and sat up. The blanket slid down with her movement.
She glanced down and noticed the oversized T-shirt she was wearing, as well as the faint red marks scattered across her skin. Only then did Sang Zhi realize she was wearing Duan Jiaxu's clothes—and nothing else.
The pain from yesterday had also subsided considerably.
Sang Zhi got out of bed without feeling much discomfort, only a slight lingering unease. The T-shirt felt as if she were wearing nothing at all, making her self-conscious. She just wanted to return to her room to change, and put on her undergarments as well.
Before she could reach the door, it was pushed open from the outside.
Duan Jiaxu's hand was still on the doorknob. Noticing Sang Zhi's appearance, his brow lifted slightly, and his gaze slowly swept over her from head to toe, taking in every detail. Finally, his eyes met hers again.
Seeing him, Sang Zhi was reminded of the events from the previous night.
She felt her face grow warm inexplicably.
At that moment, she didn't even know what expression to wear in front of him.
Sang Zhi averted her eyes and asked proactively, "Don't you have to go to work?"
Duan Jiaxu: "I took the day off."
Sang Zhi rubbed her head and nodded. "I'm going to wash up."
He hummed softly in response, his gaze still fixed on her. Standing in the doorway, he showed no intention of moving aside, then lowered his head as if to kiss her again.
Sang Zhi immediately covered her mouth. "I haven't brushed my teeth yet."
Duan Jiaxu chuckled softly and kissed the back of her hand instead. His eyes lowered, taking in the marks visible on her skin. He reached out and gently touched them, his tone gentle as he said, "They look like they hurt."
Sang Zhi was caught off guard. "Huh?"
His words sounded comforting but carried no trace of remorse.
"I'll be gentler next time." -
Sang Zhi returned to her room to change and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Thinking about Duan Jiaxu's earlier words, she paused mid-action, spat out the foam in her mouth, and cupped some water to rinse.
"I'll be gentler next time."
Next time.
She couldn't even recall now what state of mind she had been in yesterday when she uttered those five words: "I didn't say no." A belated sense of shame washed over her in an instant.
Countless images flooded her mind.
Sang Yan's expressionless face as he asked her, "Could you be a little more reserved?"
So, was that how she had appeared in front of others too?
Sang Zhi pursed her lips and bent down to wash her face.
Whatever.
He already knew anyway.For no apparent reason, Sang Zhi recalled Duan Jiaxu's utterly brazen demeanor when he performed that extremely erotic gesture while her consciousness was hazy. And her roommate's words: "A twenty-five-year-old man with no sexual experience would become perverted!"
"......"
Well, maybe a little.
But not to the point of being perverted—
Sang Zhi left the room.
Duan Jiaxu was standing by the dining table, casually scooping congee into bowls. He was still in his pajamas, not looking like he had gone out. The collar of his clothes was loose, revealing the marks she had left on him.
She silently averted her eyes.
"Come eat something," Duan Jiaxu glanced up. "Don't starve yourself sick."
Sang Zhi sat down on a chair and casually asked, "When did you wake up?"
Duan Jiaxu placed one bowl in front of her. "A little earlier than you."
Sang Zhi: "Oh."
Duan Jiaxu also sat down and asked, "Does it still hurt?"
"..." Sang Zhi lowered her head to drink the congee, her voice barely audible. "No."
"I'm still in pain, though."
Hearing this, Sang Zhi immediately looked at him.
Duan Jiaxu pulled his collar aside, revealing the red marks where she had bitten him, as if seeking comfort. "Look, you bit me this hard."
His tone was frivolous and teasing.
Like the villain filing the complaint first.
Sang Zhi couldn't hold back and tugged at her own clothes, frowning as she said, "Didn't you bite me too?"
"..."
"Here, here, and here." Since he brought it up, Sang Zhi didn't spare his feelings, pointing out each spot one by one. "Do you have a habit of eating people?"
Duan Jiaxu was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing. His gaze drifted from her face downward, pausing at a certain spot. The corners of his lips curled up with interest as he said, "And where else?"
"..."
"Didn't I also bite—"
Sang Zhi snapped back to reality and abruptly cut him off. "Duan Jiaxu!"
Duan Jiaxu didn't continue. He lightly licked the corner of his lips, his tone playful. "My Zhizhi is so small everywhere."
"..." Though he was stating a fact, Sang Zhi still felt insulted. She was a bit annoyed and, after holding it in for a long time, finally managed to retort, "You're the small one."
Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow. "I'm small?"
Sang Zhi stubbornly insisted, "Small."
The next moment, Duan Jiaxu grabbed her hand and brought it to a certain place. "Small or not?"
Sang Zhi: "..."
He let out a soft pant, then lifted slightly upward, nudging against her.
"Hmm?"—
It was only then that Sang Zhi began to feel a twinge of regret. She thought this older man seemed to have unleashed some kind of seal because of last night's events, at least in certain aspects.
No longer restrained, no longer hiding.
Blunt and audacious.
But undeniably, this man was both patient and wild in bed, and exceptionally... sexy. The usual seductive aura he carried was no longer concealed in the slightest, pouring out entirely.
Sang Zhi had lost count of how many times he had seduced her.
She rubbed her sore hand and sat back at the table to finish her congee.
Not long after, Duan Jiaxu came out of the bathroom. He had taken another shower and changed his clothes. He sat down beside her, his demeanor as gentle as jade, his face utterly deceptive. "What do you want to do today?"
Sang Zhi ignored him.
Just as Duan Jiaxu was about to say something else, his phone on the table suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID, his expression pausing for a moment before he quickly answered. "Hello."
Hearing this, Sang Zhi looked up at him.The person on the other end of the line said something, but Duan Jiaxu's expression didn't change much. He only responded occasionally, and at the end, he finally said, "Alright, I'll head over now."
After he hung up, Sang Zhi asked, "Who was that?"
Duan Jiaxu: "My dad's doctor."
"..." Sang Zhi was taken aback. "What's wrong?"
Duan Jiaxu's mood had clearly worsened. He said flatly, "He said there's a lung infection, and the situation isn't good. They want to transfer him to the city hospital and asked me to go over to handle the paperwork."
Sang Zhi swallowed the congee in her mouth and asked cautiously, "Do you want me to go with you?"
Duan Jiaxu lifted his gaze and stared at Sang Zhi for a long while, his emotions unreadable. After a long pause, he tugged at the corner of his lips and slowly replied, "Alright."
Sang Zhi had been to the hospital many times, but this was her first time visiting a nursing center.
The atmosphere here was even worse than in a hospital—unnervingly quiet. The people lying in bed seemed to be in poor health, some so still they showed no signs of life.
It was also the first time Sang Zhi had seen Duan Jiaxu's father.
The man was past middle age, his features somewhat distorted, making it hard to discern his original appearance. He was so thin he seemed like nothing but bones, his muscles atrophied, frail and weak.
In him, Sang Zhi couldn't find any resemblance to Duan Jiaxu.
The doctor was explaining the recent situation nearby.
Having been bedridden for nearly twelve years, Duan Zhicheng's immune system had weakened significantly. Coupled with a chronic lung infection and various complications, his condition was poor. The physical therapy equipment here was inadequate, so the doctor recommended transferring him to the city hospital for treatment.
Though phrased tactfully, the underlying message was clear: Duan Zhicheng likely didn't have much time left.
Duan Jiaxu just listened without saying much.
As someone completely unfamiliar with Duan Zhicheng, seeing him lying in bed made Sang Zhi uncomfortable. She couldn't help but glance at Duan Jiaxu, wondering how he was feeling.
Noticing her gaze, Duan Jiaxu looked back at her.
Sang Zhi reached out and held his hand, as if to comfort him.
Seemingly indifferent, Duan Jiaxu squeezed her hand back and smiled. "Go buy me a bottle of water. Did you see a convenience store nearby when we came?"
Sang Zhi nodded. "Yeah."
"Come back after you buy it. Don't wander off."
Sang Zhi could guess that he probably wanted to send her away so he could say something to Duan Zhicheng. She leaned in to hug him and whispered, "Then wait for me here. I'll be back soon."
"Mm."
Only after Sang Zhi had left did Duan Jiaxu sit down in the chair beside Duan Zhicheng's bed. He pressed his lips together and spoke softly, "The doctor says you can probably hear, right?"
"..."
"But over the years, I haven't spoken to you much," Duan Jiaxu said, his tone calm and detached. "I was afraid you wouldn't recognize my voice. Let me start by saying—I'm Duan Jiaxu."
"Your son."
"Counting the years, it's been almost twelve years since it happened," Duan Jiaxu continued. "If you hadn't jumped back then, you'd probably have been out by now."
"I don't know if Mom ever told you about any of this."
His words received no response.
The man in the bed didn't even twitch an eyelid.
It was as if he were talking to himself."The house was sold, and after paying the compensation, the remaining money—along with all the family savings—was mostly spent on you." Duan Jiaxu couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "Because of the debts, none of our relatives kept in touch with us anymore."
"Then, your wife, Xu Ruoshu, passed away almost eight years ago. She was sick—she had cancer."
"I got into a university in Nanwu and only came home during winter and summer breaks. She had actually noticed something was wrong with her health, but because we had no money, she kept putting it off and didn't dare tell me." Duan Jiaxu said, "When she finally went to the hospital, they said it was already incurable."
"I didn't quite believe it and wanted to take her to a bigger hospital for another check-up. I borrowed thirty thousand yuan from a classmate. When she found out, she completely broke down, crying and begging me to return the money."
"Because of your medical expenses that could crush our entire family, because of my tuition fees, because of everything we needed to live." Duan Jiaxu's voice grew softer. "Because we had no money."
"Because of you."
"After Mom passed away, I originally had no intention of coming back." Duan Jiaxu let out a low, mocking laugh. "I wanted to work and settle down there, to stay there forever. But for some reason, I still hoped you would wake up."
I thought, even if you've done so many wrong things.
You're still my only remaining family in this world.
"I wanted you to see everything now."
"I wanted to see you filled with guilt and extreme suffering."
"I wanted you to understand how different our lives could have been if you hadn't run away back then, but instead accepted your punishment." Duan Jiaxu's eyes reddened, his voice growing hoarse. "Xu Ruoshu would still be alive."
"You would already be out."
"All your sins would have been atoned for."
"We might still struggle to hold our heads high because of it."
"But we would be living a life that, while maybe not particularly great, would certainly be better than now."
"Not like this."
"With me alone bearing this boundless, endless prison."
OpenNovel