”Oh, do you live around here?”
”No.”
Sang Zhi thought for a moment and guessed, “Then are you going back home for summer vacation after your courses end?”
”No, why are you suddenly so curious about my affairs?” Duan Jiaxu pointed to her homework with his fingertips and said casually, “Finish it quickly and go to school.”
”…Alright.”
It was past 7:15 PM when Sang Zhi finished her journal.
She tidied up her things, slung her backpack over her shoulders, and left the convenience store with Duan Jiaxu.
Since they still had some time before school, Duan Jiaxu decided to accompany her to the school gate.
Feeling inexplicably reluctant to leave, Sang Zhi was doing everything in a slow and deliberate manner. She bid him farewell with indifference and then slowly turned around, heading towards the school.
Soon, Duan Jiaxu suddenly called out to her, as if he remembered something, and handed her a folded piece of paper from his pocket. “Oh, I forgot to tell you,” he said.
Sang Zhi hesitantly took it. “Huh?”
”I peeked at your journal.” His tone seemed to carry a hint of apology, but Sang Zhi couldn’t find any trace of remorse. Then, Duan Jiaxu pointed to the small crumpled paper in her hand and spoke in a teasing manner, “So, Gege wrote a new one as compensation for you.”
-
It was still early, and most of the classrooms were empty.
Sang Zhi sat down at her place and emptied her backpack, spreading out all the contents. Only when the entire backpack was empty did she stop and reached into her pocket.
She took out the small crumpled paper that Duan Jiaxu had given her.
She unfolded it and laid it flat.
Sure enough, it was a journal entry, seemingly imitating her handwriting.
Delicate, elegant, every stroke carefully drawn.
The title was “Helping Gege Move Dormitories.” The content was serious and earnest, meticulously recounting the events of the day in a detailed manner. She turned it over, and on the back, he had written in large characters, “Not needed anymore.”
Sang Zhi couldn’t help but imagine the scene.
Perhaps at that time, the sky had darkened, and the surrounding lights had dimmed. He sat at the desk, facing a rare challenge, struggling to write this piece.
Maybe it was a scene like that.
A scene that made her breathing and heartbeat quicken.
Then, it was like tasting the sweetness in the air.
Sang Zhi’s mind went blank for a moment. She carefully read it again, and a smile uncontrollably curved up on her lips. She then folded the paper and tucked it carefully into her sketchbook.
Right at this moment, Yin Zhenru also arrived in the classroom. She entered through the back door and greeted Sang Zhi.
After a few steps, she turned back and asked, “Hey, why are you so happy today?”
Hearing this, Sang Zhi was taken aback for a moment and tried to hide the uncontrolled smile on her face.
”It’s nothing. I just remembered a joke,” she replied.
Yin Zhenru didn’t inquire further. Her gaze swept across and noticed the milk on Sang Zhi’s desk. She wondered, “Aren’t you allergic to milk? Why did you buy milk?”
Sang Zhi remained silent for a few seconds and then placed the milk inside a drawer. “I accidentally grabbed the wrong one,” she said.
-
After returning home, Sang Zhi put the bottle of milk into the refrigerator, in fear that Li Ping would see it.
For fear that Li Ping would see it, she hesitated before finally hiding it in her treasure box. Whenever she remembered it, she could open the box and stare at it.
Days passed one after another
Even though the person she wanted to see was so close, just a five-minute walk from her school, she couldn’t muster the courage to do so. She could even pretend to be looking for Sang Yan to meet the person that occupied her thoughts.
However, she lacked the courage to do so.
She always felt that everything she did was wrong.
She worried that she couldn’t hide anything, especially those little thoughts that only she cared about.
那個只有自己在意著的小心思。
Half a month went by like this.
On the first day of summer vacation, when Sang Zhi took out the bottle of milk, Li Ping happened to see it. Thinking that Sang Zhi wanted to drink the milk, Li Ping gently spoke to her at length.
After saying all that, she still worried that Sang Zhi might consume it, so she wanted to take it away.
Sang Zhi could only pour out the milk from the bottle, wash it clean, and let it dry. Occasionally, she would use the bottle to store the folded paper stars she made, one by one, day by day.
Later, she also put in the journal entry written by Duan Jiaxu.
The tiny seed gradually took shape and grew into a towering tree reaching for the sky.
She began to have a tiny hope.
A hope that she looked forward to every day.
Wishing for time to pass faster.
Wishing to grow up a bit quicker.
-
In early August, because Sang Rong and Li Ping were going to another city to attend a friend’s wedding, only Sang Yan and Sang Zhi were left at home. Before their departure, Li Ping gave Sang Yan a bunch of instructions, asking him to take good care of his younger sister.
Combined with a few threats from Sang Rong, Sang Yan could only reluctantly agree.
On the first day of living together, things were still relatively harmonious. Sang Yan spent most of his time lying on the bed playing with his phone, and when Sang Zhi bothered him occasionally, he just casually dealt with it.
During meal times, they ordered takeout separately.
The day went by like this.
But on the second day, a friend invited Sang Yan to go out and play games.
Sang Yan didn’t want to refuse, so he quickly changed clothes and left the room.
At that moment, Sang Zhi was sitting on the sofa in the living room watching cartoons. Hearing the movement, she looked over, her face expressionless, calm and quiet.
Sang Yan walked to the entrance to put on his shoes: “I’m going out for a bit, you stay home and focus on doing your homework.”
Sang Zhi understood, “You’re going out to play?”
Sang Yan evaded the question, “Call me if you need anything.”
Sang Zhi replied, “No.”
Sang Yan stopped and said with a half-smile, “You still think you can control me?”
Sang Zhi turned her attention back to the TV, picked up the bag of potato chips on the coffee table, and opened it. “What if a thief comes later? I can’t beat them.”
”Lock the door properly, and no one will come.”
”What if I get hungry? I have nothing to eat.”
Sang Yan grew impatient and stared at the bag of chips in her hand, “How much snacks are there in the cabinet? Isn’t it enough for you?”
Sang Zhi bit the potato chip, “I don’t want to eat snacks.”
Sang Yan stared at her, “Then what do you want to eat?”
Sang Zhi replied, “I just don’t want snacks.”
Suppressing his anger, Sang Yan took off his shoes, “Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll go get it for you.”
Sang Zhi glanced at him and said matter-of-factly, “I haven’t decided yet.”
”…”
”You little brat.” Sang Yan squatted down and firmly held her face, “When I was your age, our parents weren’t home, and I not only had to prepare food for myself but also for you.”
Sang Zhi’s face was distorted by his grip, and her words were muffled, “It’s different.”
”What’s different?”
”When you were my age, you didn’t have an older brother.” Sang Zhi blinked her eyes playfully, smiling like a little fox, and spoke slowly and deliberately, “But I do.”
”…”
The friend called again to rush him. Sang Yan didn’t feel like arguing with her anymore, “Now you have two choices. Either tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll go out and buy it for you, or stay at home and starve.”
Sang Zhi continued munching on the potato chips, “I choose the second one.”
”…”
After saying that, Sang Zhi pulled out her phone from under her bottom and looked up Sang Rong’s number. She stared at the screen and muttered, “Fine, I’m going to tell Dad–“
Sang Yan snorted, “Do whatever you want, tattletale.”
He couldn’t be bothered with her anymore and walked back to the entrance.
After a two-second pause, Sang Yan heard Sang Zhi’s voice from behind talking on the phone, “Dad.”
Sang Yan put on the first shoe.
Before he could put on the second shoe, he heard Sang Zhi’s very sincere tone saying, “Gege told me to go die.”
Sang Yan: “…”
Author’s note: And then, Sang Yan called Duan Jiaxu, “Brother, it’s your turn to mind the kid.”
Peek-Aboo 
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