"……"
The auditorium fell silent for a moment, then Sang Zhi heard people laughing around her. She didn't know if anyone else had been taking photos, but she quietly put her phone away and turned off the screen.
At this moment, Sang Zhi inexplicably felt a sense of relief.
Fortunately, no one here knew about their relationship.
This little incident lasted less than five seconds in total. The next moment, Duan Jiaxu calmly and seriously finished his speech as if nothing had happened.
The smile on his face was faint, appearing both aloof and focused.
"……"
Sang Zhi genuinely thought he was incredible.
In all her life, she had never seen anyone so impressive.
Seeing him finish his speech and return the microphone to the host, Sang Zhi suddenly remembered something. She picked up her phone again and sent him a WeChat message: 【Just stay in your seat for now.】
Sang Zhi: 【Let's meet outside the school gate.】
She! Absolutely! Didn't! Want! To be embarrassed with him!
After sending the messages, Sang Zhi glanced around. She suddenly noticed that her classmate, who had been sitting with her earlier, was now looking in her direction from not far away.
When their eyes met, the classmate grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.
Sang Zhi: "..." -
Probably having seen Sang Zhi's message, after leaving the stage, Duan Jiaxu didn't come toward her. He just glanced at her, raised an eyebrow, and obediently returned to his original seat.
From where she sat, Sang Zhi could only see half of his profile.
She secretly glanced in his direction.
She noticed that Duan Jiaxu seemed to know the man sitting next to him. He was tilting his head listening to what the man was saying, then lowered his chin and gave a faint smile without speaking.
Sang Zhi withdrew her gaze.
No matter what, this time she absolutely had to scold him.
She! Would! Not! Soften! Her heart!
At that moment, her phone vibrated.
A message from Duan Jiaxu.
Duan Jiaxu: 【Angry?】
Sang Zhi typed "a little," thought about it, then deleted it and changed it to "yes." She stared at the screen for a long time, but ultimately didn't send it, deciding to let him feel anxious first and seriously reflect on his behavior.
As this segment ended, it was time for the awards ceremony. Sang Zhi went on stage with several other named recipients to accept the award certificates from the host.
The large screen behind them displayed each person's work for half a minute.
Sang Zhi turned to look and felt inexplicably embarrassed.
She hadn't expected Duan Jiaxu to come, and she had never shown him this character design when she was working on it. Whenever he passed by her, she would immediately and vigilantly switch screens.
The screen displayed the character's front, back, and side views.
The man stood in a lazy posture, revealing a white tail behind him, holding a fan in his hand. His eyes were curved, smiling gently. He wore a red robe that exposed a large portion of his chest.
Sang Zhi instinctively glanced toward Duan Jiaxu's direction and happened to meet his gaze. Pretending to be calm, she looked away, took a photo with the event organizers nearby, and quickly left the stage.
The final segment had arrived.
After the organizers spoke for a few more minutes, the ceremony officially concluded. The group gathered for a group photo, after which Sang Zhi was the first to leave the auditorium.
She found a spot to wait for Duan Jiaxu.
The temperature outside was very low. Sang Zhi dug a scarf out of her bag and wrapped it around herself.Before long, Duan Jiaxu also emerged. Compared to earlier, he now wore a long coat over his suit, standing tall and upright, appearing mature and steady, with a slightly subdued air of his usual nonchalance.
He walked over and stopped in front of Sang Zhi.
Sang Zhi’s dark eyes were fixed intently on him.
"I was wrong," Duan Jiaxu reached out to her, wisely admitting his mistake, suppressing a laugh as he said, "I just saw you struggling to get a good angle, so I moved to let you take a better shot."
"Then you could’ve just moved," Sang Zhi said stiffly. "Why did you have to say it out loud?"
"Isn’t this what they call ‘showing off affection in a high-profile way’?" Duan Jiaxu thought for a moment, musing, "I thought young girls these days liked this kind of thing."
"…"
"I came here once a couple of years ago and saw a student confessing right on stage," Duan Jiaxu said leisurely. "Now that I have a girlfriend, I thought I’d give it a try."
"…"
Sang Zhi suddenly remembered how Duan Jiaxu had once mentioned confessing to her inside a heart-shaped candle arrangement under her dormitory building.
Sure enough.
He was still that deeply ingrained, hopelessly old-fashioned man.
"It’s fine, no one knew it was you. Besides, I’ve been to this kind of awards ceremony several times," Duan Jiaxu pinched her cheek. "I know my limits."
"…"
Like hell you do.
But compared to a public confession, this was indeed a hundred times better.
Sang Zhi’s anger gradually faded, and she muttered, "If you do this again, I’ll really pretend I don’t know you. If anyone asks, I’ll say you just look like my boyfriend."
Duan Jiaxu laughed. "Didn’t you already pretend not to know me today?"
"That was before we left campus," Sang Zhi said matter-of-factly. "I was planning to talk to you only after we got off campus."
Duan Jiaxu didn’t seem to mind, taking her hand. "Shall we go home?"
As the topic shifted and he didn’t bring up her work—whether he hadn’t noticed or had forgotten—Sang Zhi breathed a small sigh of relief and squeezed his hand back.
"Yeah."
After arriving home, Sang Zhi went to her room to change clothes, then lay on the sofa and pulled up the video she had just taken. The progress bar quickly reached the end, playing back the two sentences Duan Jiaxu had spoken on stage.
She blinked, replaying it several times, a smile gradually lifting the corners of her lips.
Duan Jiaxu fetched a bottle of water from the kitchen and sat beside her. Noticing her expression, he also smiled and said teasingly, "You clearly like it."
Sang Zhi didn’t deny it, stretching her leg to kick him. "Just don’t do it again in the future."
Duan Jiaxu let her kick him, then grabbed her ankle, lifted it, and gently bit her calf.
His bite wasn’t hard, his teeth lightly grazing her skin, leaving a damp, ticklish sensation. Sang Zhi tried to pull her leg back, but he held on firmly. She sighed in exasperation, "Are you a dog? Why do you always bite people?"
"A fox spirit," Duan Jiaxu paused, lazily adding, "just loves to eat people."
"…"
"Come here," Duan Jiaxu loosened his tie and leaned in closer. Though he said this, he was the one who moved toward her, his words unusually straightforward. "It’s been a while since I’ve had a taste of you."
As soon as he finished speaking, his lips met hers.
His formal attire was still on, his tie hanging loosely over his chest, his eyes brimming with mischief—like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, dignified yet utterly untamed.His tongue slipped in, gliding over her teeth before gently sucking on her tongue. As if afraid of hurting her, his pressure was neither too light nor too heavy—tender and patient.
Sang Zhi reached out to tug at his tie.
Soon, Duan Jiaxu released her and met her gaze, making no further moves. He suddenly laughed and nipped her lips again. "You drew me like that?"
"..." Sang Zhi had nearly forgotten about it, but at his mention, guilt instantly surfaced. She retorted softly, "Who said it was you?"
After a pause, Sang Zhi added defiantly, "And what do you mean by 'like that'? It’s not like it wasn’t good—I even won third prize."
"You drew well, but letting your brother show skin to others," Duan Jiaxu began unbuttoning his shirt with one hand, his movements slow and deliberate, "isn’t quite appropriate, is it?"
"..."
It was just a small patch on his chest.
Anyone who didn’t know might think she’d drawn him nude.
Duan Jiaxu curled his lips and pulled his clothes open. "Did you use me as a reference?"
"..." Sang Zhi couldn’t handle it anymore. Like a virtuous gentleman unmoved by temptation, she pulled his clothes back into place and changed the subject. "Did you prepare a birthday gift for me?"
"Mm."
"What is it?"
Duan Jiaxu leaned back in his chair, his long, well-defined fingers lifting as he pulled his clothes open again, revealing his collarbone and firm chest.
Then, Sang Zhi heard him drawl seductively, uttering four words.
"Visual benefits."
"..." -
Duan Jiaxu had intended to go back to his room to change clothes, but Sang Zhi didn’t want him to. Instead, she very seriously buttoned his shirt back up and straightened his tie.
Making him dress like a high-ranking official even at home.
The outfit wasn’t particularly comfortable, but Duan Jiaxu didn’t complain, indulging her whims. Propping his chin on his hand, he watched her sip water from a cup and suddenly said, "Little one, you’re turning twenty tomorrow."
Sang Zhi glanced at him. "I know."
Duan Jiaxu: "What’s your birthday wish?"
"World peace, I guess."
"Oh." Duan Jiaxu looked nonchalant, his tone almost rehearsed. "Want to get a marriage certificate with your Duan gege?"
"..." Sang Zhi said, "I’m still so young."
"Then let’s get engaged first. We can register right after you graduate." Duan Jiaxu was utterly shameless, toying with her fingertips. "Setting it in stone will help your gege feel confident about getting married before thirty."
Sang Zhi blinked and giggled. "You’re so pitiful."
Duan Jiaxu: "How am I pitiful?"
"Getting married at thirty—when will you even have kids?"
"Don’t I have one already?" Duan Jiaxu kissed the back of her hand, his voice tender and warm. "I don’t have the energy to dote on another."
"Am I still a kid?" Sang Zhi couldn’t help speaking up, her tone slightly annoyed. "The other day, when I was tutoring, the little kid called me 'auntie.'"
"Tutoring again?" Duan Jiaxu said lightly. "Don’t go anymore. Focus on your studies at school, and if you have free time, hang out with your classmates."
It wasn’t that their circumstances were poor; Duan Jiaxu simply didn’t want her university life to resemble his own.
Sang Zhi fell silent at once.
"Whether you want to pursue graduate studies or start working right after graduation," Duan Jiaxu met her eyes, his tone growing more serious, "I’ll take care of you."
Sang Zhi didn’t know what to say, so she gave a small nod.Before long, Duan Jiaxu changed the subject: "Don't like being called 'auntie'?"
After two seconds of eye contact, he suddenly laughed softly, lowered his head, and kissed her again, murmuring, "Little one, remember? You used to annoy me like this too."
Once Sang Zhi's birthday passed, Duan Jiaxu returned to Nanwu. The words he spoke on stage were actually recorded by someone and posted on the university forum.
Fortunately, the video quality wasn't great, and the distance was far, making it hard to see his face clearly.
It was Ning Wei who told her about it.
She mentioned that the person in the video somewhat resembled Duan Jiaxu.
When she had time, Sang Zhi checked the forum and browsed through the comments.
【Even low resolution can't hide those looks.】
【Which company is he from? I'm going to send in my resume.】
【To the person above, it's no use even if you send it. Didn't you hear him say, "My girlfriend is filming me"?】
【With looks like that, his girlfriend must be a goddess too.】
【Honestly, I used to think this kind of behavior was stupid, but after seeing this video... I guess it really does come down to looks, huh? I'm so jealous, I'm crying with my girly heart right now...】
Halfway through reading, Ning Wei asked, "Is that your Duan gege?"
Sang Zhi coughed lightly and said ambiguously, "He does look a bit like him."
Ning Wei didn't expose her and sighed softly, "Sigh, if it were my boyfriend up there, he probably wouldn't even be able to find me in the crowd. The fact that he noticed what you were doing is seriously impressive."
"..." Sang Zhi suddenly remembered, "Now that you mention it, I actually switched seats."
Ning Wei fell silent for a few seconds: "Sigh."
Sang Zhi: "...What?"
"I want to change boyfriends."
"..."
On Qingming Festival, Duan Jiaxu flew from Nanwu to Yihe, booking a same-day round-trip ticket. Recently, his studio had taken on a project, and he had been busy, so he didn't have much time to stay in Yihe.
The two drove to the cemetery in the suburbs.
Duan Jiaxu held Sang Zhi's hand and silently led her to one of the graves.
Then, he crouched down, cleaned the tombstone, and placed the offerings he had brought. With a smile, he said, "Mom."
Sang Zhi crouched beside him and obediently greeted, "Auntie."
The photo of Xu Ruoshu showed a very young woman with striking features, looking like a gentle soul. She wore a bright smile; she had passed away in her forties.
Duan Jiaxu introduced her: "This is Sang Zhi."
After a pause, he added, "My wife, your daughter-in-law."
Many years had passed, and Duan Jiaxu felt calm, just like every other time he had visited. He slowly shared updates about his life.
Sang Zhi listened quietly beside him.
She listened to Duan Jiaxu's voice, filled with laughter and patience, as he told Xu Ruoshu everything that had happened over the past year. After some time, he stood up: "I should go now, I have a flight to catch soon."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Dad's condition isn't good. I don't know if he'll wake up." Duan Jiaxu paused and said calmly, "I'll be settling in Nanwu from now on, but I'll come see you when I have time."
Duan Jiaxu turned to Sang Zhi: "Let's go."
Sang Zhi pursed her lips and whispered to Xu Ruoshu, "Auntie, don't worry, I'll take good care of Brother Jiaxu." Then she added very seriously, "I'll treat him well."
"..." Duan Jiaxu laughed, "What are you doing?"As if dissatisfied with his laughter, Sang Zhi gave him a silent glance before continuing, "Auntie, we're leaving now. I'll come visit you when I have time."
The two exited the cemetery.
Duan Jiaxu found it particularly amusing: "Why do I feel like you're treating me as your wife?"
Sang Zhi felt wronged: "I didn't say anything wrong."
"Mm." Duan Jiaxu patted her head, coaxing gently, "You'll treat me well."
Sang Zhi pulled out her phone from her pocket, checked the time, and said, "Let's go, hurry up and get something to eat, then head to the airport. Otherwise, we might not make it in time."
Duan Jiaxu: "Mm."
They got in the car, drove back to the city, parked near a commercial area close to the airport, and randomly picked a restaurant to eat.
After the meal, it was just past five. Duan Jiaxu went to pay the bill, and the two left the restaurant, descending via the escalator.
When they reached the second floor, Sang Zhi heard the sound of people arguing. She instinctively glanced over and saw a middle-aged woman holding a child's hand arguing with a younger woman.
Her expression froze.
Because she noticed the younger woman was Jiang Ying.
The next moment, the middle-aged woman suddenly grabbed Jiang Ying's hair, her voice sharp and terrifying: "Your father is such a beast, and your family still wants to spend money to hire a lawyer to reduce his sentence? Are you even human?"
"What does that have to do with me?!" Jiang Ying's voice was hysterical as she pulled her hair back. "Get away! What does it have to do with me? Are you crazy?"
Soon, security guards arrived at the scene to break up the fight.
Sang Zhi glanced in Duan Jiaxu's direction.
His expression hadn't changed much, as if he hadn't heard the commotion.
Just as she was about to continue downward, Jiang Ying's gaze shifted over. Noticing Duan Jiaxu, she seemed stunned, her eyes red as if bloodshot, still filled with tears.
But this time, unlike any previous occasion, she didn't come to cause trouble for him. Instead, she lowered her head in an extremely wretched manner, her movements exaggerated and humble.
Sang Zhi didn't continue watching, pulling Duan Jiaxu downward as she hesitantly asked, "Didn't her father pass away?"
Duan Jiaxu thought for a moment: "Probably her stepfather."
"Oh." Sang Zhi said, "I heard from Shi Xiaoyu before that something seemed to have happened in Jiang Ying's family, but I didn't ask for details."
Duan Jiaxu softly acknowledged.
Seeing how Jiang Ying had just been treated, Sang Zhi could imagine what Duan Jiaxu's past situation must have been like.
But he wouldn't vent like Jiang Ying did, through voice or any other means. There was no way to escape this kind of unreasonable misplaced anger.
He also felt it had nothing to do with him.
Yet he felt powerless.
Sang Zhi remembered the time when Duan Jiaxu had appendicitis, in extreme pain, yet hadn't planned to go to the hospital. He didn't care about his physical condition - was it because he had once had thoughts of not wanting to live anymore?
Her nose tingled with emotion, and she suddenly stopped walking, hugging him comfortingly.
Duan Jiaxu was startled: "What's wrong?"
"What I said in front of your aunt earlier wasn't nonsense, I was serious," Sang Zhi buried her face in his chest, mumbling, "I will treat you well."
Duan Jiaxu found her earnest expression both silly and adorable, and couldn't help but laugh.
"Mm, I know."That paranoid and morbid Jiang Ying, due to her own shadows, blamed all the faults on Duan Jiaxu, who was also a victim. Only after experiencing similar things could she truly empathize.
The malice she sent out would also receive the same response.
Everything seemed like a cycle.
So, your suffering has already passed.
You, who are so gentle to the world,
will surely receive the same treatment in return, doubled.
OpenNovel