A sudden breeze whispered by her ears.
It carried a faint scent of green lemon, mingled with the subtle aroma of tobacco. Sunlight fell upon him, casting a golden halo around his silhouette and adding a touch of softness.
It had been two months since they last met. Duan Jiaxu's hair was cut shorter. Whether it was Sang Zhi's imagination or not, he seemed to have grown taller again. But aside from that, nothing else seemed to have changed much.
He was still as unrestrained and dazzling as ever.
Sang Zhi's heart skipped a beat.
Surprisingly, his words made her feel a pang of guilt, as if she had truly done something wrong. She grew so uneasy that she didn't know where to put her hands and feet, her spine involuntarily straightening.
After a moment, she stuffed the plush toy into his hand and said softly, "I didn't know it was yours."
Sang Zhi lowered her head and awkwardly took a step back.
Hearing no response from him, she pointed to the books in the trunk and explained seriously, "I came to help my brother move out of his dorm. When I saw something in the car, I thought I'd help him carry it up."
A few more seconds passed, and he still didn't speak.
Hesitating, Sang Zhi added, "If I had known that doll was yours, I wouldn't have offered to carry it."
"..." Duan Jiaxu's eyebrows twitched slightly as he straightened up and repeated questioningly, "You wouldn't have helped if you knew it was mine?"
Sang Zhi immediately nodded. "Absolutely not."
"Absolutely not?" Duan Jiaxu's voice was lazy, tinged with a hint of accusation. "Kid, do you have no conscience?"
"..."
If she took it, he called her a thief; if she didn't, he said she had no conscience.
This man was more fickle than the weather.
Duan Jiaxu continued, "Have you forgotten how much I've helped you?"
At these words, most of Sang Zhi's dissatisfaction dissipated, and she mumbled, "I remember."
"Then why not be a little nicer to me?"
Sang Zhi glanced at him and fell silent.
Duan Jiaxu chuckled softly and didn't tease her further. He handed the plush toy back to her. "If you like it, take it and play with it."
Sang Zhi's right hand twitched. Suddenly remembering his earlier remark about "having your eye on me," she quickly withdrew her hand, too afraid to take it.
"You don't want it?" Duan Jiaxu pulled his hand back. "Should I throw it away then?"
Sang Zhi paused for a moment before finally taking it.
Duan Jiaxu found it amusing. "If you want it, just take it. Why are you so awkward, kid?"
Hearing this, Sang Zhi felt somewhat displeased. "You just called me a thief."
"I was just joking with you," Duan Jiaxu said as he lifted the stack of books from the car, using his other hand to close the trunk. "Let's go upstairs."
Sang Zhi followed him without a word.
Duan Jiaxu glanced at his phone and asked, "Are you upset?"
Sang Zhi remained silent.
Duan Jiaxu: "How about I give you this doll to make it up to you?"
Sang Zhi replied bluntly, "This doll is ugly."
"Ugly?" Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow and glanced at it. "It's not that bad."
"Why did you buy this?"
"I didn't buy it," Duan Jiaxu thought for a moment and said indifferently. "I forgot where it came from."
Sang Zhi suddenly understood something and asked, "Brother, was this given to you by someone else?"
Duan Jiaxu: "Huh? Seems like it."
Sang Zhi lost interest. "Then I'll give it back to you."
"You don't like it?" Duan Jiaxu reached out his hand. "Then hand it over. I'll take it."
Sang Zhi silently returned it.
Duan Jiaxu asked, "Is your backpack heavy?"Sang Zhi: "I'm fine."
Duan Jiaxu asked again: "We'll have to climb five floors soon, can you manage it?"
"Of course I can. I'm thirteen, not three." Sang Zhi frowned, quite displeased that he was treating her like a baby, "And if I couldn't climb, would you actually carry me up?"
Duan Jiaxu looked her up and down, curling his lips: "That could be arranged."
Sang Zhi: "In your dreams."
Duan Jiaxu paused, then suddenly laughed: "In my dreams?"
Sang Zhi pursed her lips: "Exactly."
"Alright." Duan Jiaxu conceded, "In my dreams."
The stuffed toy he had placed on the book was quite large, with a somewhat distorted shape, making it particularly eye-catching. Sang Zhi glanced at it a few more times before quickly lowering her gaze and looking away.
The staircase was wide, but there were many people going up and down.
Afraid she might get bumped, Duan Jiaxu walked in front, letting her follow behind him.
The two of them quietly climbed to the fifth floor.
Sang Zhi wasn't in good physical shape and was now panting heavily, her face slightly flushed and sweat beading on her forehead. After reaching the final step, she leaned against the wall, squatting on the ground with a look of refusing to move any further, and said: "I can't go on, I need to rest for a while."
Duan Jiaxu looked at her for two seconds: "Alright, I'll come back to get you in an hour."
"..."
Sang Zhi immediately grabbed his right leg, acting spoiled: "I just need a short break, not an hour."
Duan Jiaxu teased: "Kid, your stamina is really poor."
Sang Zhi retorted: "It's clearly your school being stingy, not even installing an elevator."
"It's only six floors total, why would they install an elevator?"
Sang Zhi muttered: "Then you're really unlucky, living on the fifth floor out of only six."
"Alright, get up." Duan Jiaxu checked his phone again and said, "Your legs will go numb if you squat too long."
He seemed to be in a bit of a hurry.
This time, Sang Zhi obediently stood up.
The two of them walked down the hallway.
Sang Zhi followed slightly behind and to his right, curiously looking around.
They soon reached the door of room 525.
The door was open, so Duan Jiaxu pushed it open and placed the book on the desk closest to the door.
Sang Zhi slowly walked in, turned her head, and met Sang Yan's gaze.
Sang Yan and Duan Jiaxu had beds opposite each other. At the moment, he was sitting in a chair, his long legs propped up on the table, leisurely drinking water: "Good bro, thanks for the hard work."
His posture was particularly irritating.
Sang Zhi complained: "You said you didn't have time to come down and get me."
Sang Yan said without changing his expression: "Yeah, I just finished tidying up. I just sat down to rest."
Hearing another voice, a chubby boy popped his head out from a bed: "Hey, is this Sang Yan's little sister?"
Sang Zhi nodded: "Hello."
Another boy came out from the balcony: "Whoa, the little sister is pretty cute."
Sang Yan screwed the cap back on his water bottle and threw it at him: "Watch your language."
The boy deftly caught the bottle and threw it back: "Who are you to lecture me? You usually say—" Before he could finish, he suddenly realized and chuckled, "Oh, I just spoke without thinking. Little sister, don't learn from me, okay?"
Sang Zhi nodded silently.
Her gaze shifted to Duan Jiaxu, then quickly dropped again.Duan Jiaxu tidied up the items on the table, then pulled his own chair next to Sang Yan’s. The corners of his lips curved slightly as he imitated the boys’ casual tone and called out to her in a teasing manner, "Little sister, sit here."
Sang Zhi responded with a soft "Oh."
Shortly after, Duan Jiaxu went into the bathroom.
The cramped dormitory suddenly became lively. Sang Zhi roughly figured out that the chubby boy was named Qian Fei, while the one who had cursed earlier was Chen Junwen. They were both easygoing and talkative.
Sang Yan seemed to get along well with them. He chatted with them while playing on his phone, occasionally chiming in.
As the two chatted, they suddenly decided that the dormitory would have dinner outside the campus, eating barbecue.
They would bring Sang Zhi along.
Not long after, Duan Jiaxu came out of the bathroom. He had changed his shirt and returned to his spot. Without joining their conversation, he pulled open a drawer and took out his wallet.
Chen Junwen glanced at him and said with a grin, "Old Xu, you just moved in. Let’s go eat hot pot together later."
"Tonight?" Duan Jiaxu shook his head. "You guys go ahead, I have something to do."
Sang Zhi immediately looked at him.
Qian Fei exclaimed, "What are you up to! Don’t tell me you have a girlfriend now! Absolutely not! Our dorm is a team! If you want a girlfriend, you have to help me find one first!"
Chen Junwen argued with him, "No, help me first."
Qian Fei said, "I’m not picky, just don’t want someone with a bad temper."
Chen Junwen added, "As long as it’s a girl."
Qian Fei joked, "A guy would work too."
"…"
Sang Zhi stared at them and suddenly blurted out, "Aren’t you guys trying to chase my brother?"
Sang Yan: "…"
Chen Junwen looked at her in horror, "Little sister, you can’t just say whatever comes to mind!"
Qian Fei sat up on the bed, thoughtfully eyeing Sang Yan as he stroked his chin and said, "Now that you mention it, Sang Yan does look quite handsome."
Sang Yan’s temple twitched, "Both of you, get lost."
Duan Jiaxu chuckled silently nearby, slung a plain black backpack over his shoulder, and headed out, saying, "I’m off, you guys chat." Halfway out, he seemed to remember something, stopped, and ruffled Sang Zhi’s hair, "If you want that doll, just take it."
With that, he left the dorm.
Chen Junwen sighed, "Well, let’s head out too."
Qian Fei agreed, "Yeah, I’m hungry."
Sang Yan turned to Sang Zhi, "Hey kid, do you want to eat hot pot?"
Sang Zhi stayed silent for a few seconds, then shook her head, "I’m going home."
"Then how about something else?" Sang Yan frowned, "I’ll take you back after we eat."
Sang Zhi shook her head again.
Sang Yan lost his patience, stood up, and said, "Think about it yourself, I’m going to the bathroom."
Sang Zhi quietly stood up as well, moving Duan Jiaxu’s chair back to his spot. Then, she noticed the cloth doll on his desk, hesitated for a moment before picking it up, her mood slightly down.
Qian Fei, putting on his shoes, happened to see Sang Zhi’s action and remarked without thinking, "Duan Jiaxu still hasn’t thrown this thing away? Is he crazy?"
Hearing this, Chen Junwen also glanced over, "I think he keeps it on his bed as decoration."
Qian Fei said, "Isn’t it creepy to sleep with something like that next to you?"
Sang Zhi tightened her grip on the doll, mustered her courage, and pretended to be curious as she asked, "Did Brother Ji Xu’s girlfriend give this to him?"
Chen Junwen immediately replied, "What girlfriend? When does he have time to get a girlfriend?"Qian Fei: "Yeah, busy as a dog."
Chen Junwen: "Why don't I have a girlfriend even though I'm not busy?"
"Is there even a question? Because you're ugly." Qian Fei glanced at the doll in Sang Zhi's hand and thought for a moment. "I think this doll was a prize from some competition Duan Jiaxu participated in, if I remember correctly."
Chen Junwen: "Yeah, last semester."
Hearing this, Sang Zhi loosened her grip on the doll and let out a soft sigh.
There were two bathrooms in the dorm. Perhaps because Sang Zhi was present, Chen Junwen and Qian Fei didn't change clothes in the room, instead squeezing into the other bathroom together with their clothes.
Sang Zhi stared at the plush toy in her hand, quietly unzipped her backpack, and stuffed it inside.
But it was too bulky. She took the doll back out, removed everything from her backpack, and placed the items on Duan Jiaxu's desk. After freeing up half the space, she managed to squeeze the doll inside this time.
Sang Zhi curved her lips into a smile as she zipped the bag shut.
The next moment, Sang Yan and the other two emerged from the bathroom simultaneously.
This time, Sang Zhi genuinely felt like a thief. She immediately turned her back, pretending to be calm as she walked back to Sang Yan's spot.
Sang Yan pulled a tissue to wipe his hands and asked, "Made up your mind yet?"
Sang Zhi: "I'll eat at home."
Sang Yan nodded: "Alright, I'll walk you to the bus station."
10:00 PM.
When Duan Jiaxu returned to the dorm,
Chen Junwen and Qian Fei were sitting in front of their computers playing games, shouting violent threats at the screen. Sang Yan lay motionless on his bed. Hearing Duan Jiaxu return, he lifted his drowsy head: "Hey, Duan Jiaxu."
Duan Jiaxu set his backpack on the desk: "What's up?"
"My sister just called me." Sang Yan handed him his phone. "Said you left something at her place. She wouldn't tell me what when I asked. Call her yourself to find out."
Duan Jiaxu checked his wardrobe but found no clothes: "Dial the number first, then hand it to me."
Too exhausted to argue, Sang Yan lit up the screen, found Sang Zhi's number, dialed, and passed the phone back to Duan Jiaxu. Duan Jiaxu took it, pressed the phone to his ear, and stepped out onto the balcony to collect his laundry.
The call connected with a tentative: "Brother?"
Duan Jiaxu replied lazily: "Kid, what did I leave at your place?"
"..." Sang Zhi fell silent, then quickly confessed with guilt: "Brother, it's not that you left something at my place... It's that I left something at yours."
"What thing?"
Sang Zhi admitted honestly: "Homework."
Duan Jiaxu responded indifferently: "Should I have your brother bring it to you tomorrow morning?"
"But I haven't written it yet..."
"..."
Duan Jiaxu paused in gathering his clothes. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly understood why she had contacted him.
"You want me to do it for you?"
Seeming to recognize how unreasonable her request was, Sang Zhi stammered an explanation: "I could have done it myself originally. B-but there's a 500-word weekly journal entry included. I won't have time to finish it at school tomorrow morning."
"..."
Duan Jiaxu's laugh carried a hint of absurdity: "Why not ask your brother?"
Sang Zhi: "He won't do it for me."
Duan Jiaxu: "And you think I will?"
Silence fell between them after these words.
After a long pause, Sang Zhi's voice took on a tearful quality as she mumbled: "Couldn't you just help me this once... That teacher is so strict. I'd dare to skip any other assignment, but I never dare to miss Chinese homework..."
"...""Why are you still crying?" Duan Jiaxu was so amused he couldn't help but laugh. "Kid, how about this. You wake up early tomorrow and go to school to write it. I'll also bring it to you earlier, alright?"
She sobbed with intermittent cries: "No."
Duan Jiaxu asked: "Why not?"
"I... I can't wake up... Wuwuwu..."
"..."
Author's note: Duan Jiaxu's inner thoughts: Why can you say you can't wake up with such righteous indignation??????????
Sang Zhi: Wuwuwuwuwuwu
Duan Jiaxu: "Fine, I'll write it."
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