Chapter 16
”…”
Silently, Sang Zhi stared at him for a while, seeming to feel aggrieved. After struggling to find the words, she finally managed to say, “No wonder your shop has no business.”
Duan Jiaxu responded with a puzzled tone, “Huh?”
Sang Zhi pushed the money towards him, clearly reluctant to give any more. Her little face was extremely serious as she declared firmly, “It’s a shady business.”
Duan Jiaxu found it amusing and asked, “Just because I charged you one extra yuan?”
Sang Zhi kept a stern expression: “I didn’t peek at you or anything.”
”Alright.” Duan Jiaxu picked up the money on the table. “This brother was just talking nonsense.”
Sang Zhi glanced at him but didn’t say much, wanting to return to her seat.
Before she had taken two steps, Duan Jiaxu called out to her again, “Wait.”
Sang Zhi hesitated for a moment but turned around, asking, “What?”
Duan Jiaxu: “Come here.”
Sang Zhi looked skeptical and didn’t really want to go over. But he stood there quietly, as if he was certain she would come, treating her as one does with a dog that comes when called and leaves when shooed away.
After a while, Sang Zhi reluctantly walked over and asked again, “What?”
”Do you really think I can accept your money?” The height of the counter was about one meter, and Duan Jiaxu bent down, reaching across the table to grab her wrist and put the money back into her hand. “Keep it to buy some candy for yourself.”
Sang Zhi was taken aback.
He had already let go of her hand.
Behind the cash register was a large worktable with various ingredients placed on it. After saying that, Duan Jiaxu turned around, took out two clean bowls, and started making desserts.
Sang Zhi quietly put the money back into her pocket.
Why do things always turn out like this?
He slaps me and gives me candy.
And yet, every time, she couldn’t resist him.
Stubbornly, she argued with him about the “slap” and then, feeling embarrassed, accepted the “candy.”
-
Back at her seat, Yin Zhenru approached her, lowered her voice and whispered, “Sang Zhi, is your brother’s friend going to treat both of us?”
Sang Zhi nodded: “Yes.”
”Hey, that’s great.” Yin Zhenru was elated. “After buying gifts, I don’t have much pocket money left. I wanted to top up some game currency for Adventure Island. There’s a new hat that looks really good.”
”How much money did you already top up?”
”It’s worth it for the cool hat.”
Knowing that Sang Zhi wasn’t interested in this topic, Yin Zhenru changed the subject, “By the way, just now Fu Zhengchu messaged me on QQ and asked where we were. I told him.”
”Oh.”
”He seems to have arrived too. He said he’ll come over to find us, and Liu Weiqi is also here.”
Sang Zhi asked, “Why don’t they go and book a karaoke room first?”
Yin Zhenru: “It’s only twelve o’clock now, and that KTV doesn’t start booking rooms until one in the afternoon. They said they’ve already made a reservation over the phone and will come to meet us first, then we’ll go together for lunch.”
”Who else will be coming?”
”Seems like a few other classmates from their class,” Yin Zhenru replied, “But they will all directly go to the KTV after one o’clock to join us.”
At that moment, Duan Jiaxu brought two bowls of dessert to the table. Upon hearing the conversation, he slightly raised an eyebrow, his peach blossom eyes scanning over them as he casually asked, “Are you going to sing at the KTV?”
Yin Zhenru immediately fell silent.
Sang Zhi nodded.
Duan Jiaxu didn’t say much, just advised, “Go to a proper place. Remember to go home before it gets dark and don’t stay out too late.”
His tone sounded like he was doing so on Sang Yan’s behalf, but in reality, Sang Yan didn’t really pay much attention to her.
Sang Zhi responded with an “Oh.”
After he left, Yin Zhenru leaned in again and said, “Your brother’s friend talks just like my dad. He said the same thing to me before I left home.”
Sang Zhi agreed, “My dad said the same thing to me too.”
”…”
While they were still eating, Fu Zhengchu and Liu Weiqi arrived.
Sang Zhi didn’t often see these two. Now, taking a closer look, she realized they seemed to have grown taller. Wearing casual clothes, they looked like young adults.
Yin Zhenru put down her spoon and greeted cheerfully, “The birthday boy is here.”
Fu Zhengchu rubbed his nose.
Liu Weiqi, sweating a little, sat down next to Yin Zhenru and said, “Hurry up, I’m starving. Should we go to the KFC next door?”
Yin Zhenru replied, “I don’t have money to eat at KFC.”
With the addition of two more people in the small shop, it suddenly became lively.
Yin Zhenru ate quickly and had already finished her dessert. The other three were waiting for Sang Zhi to finish eating. She listened to Yin Zhenru and Liu Weiqi bantering and quickened her pace.
Seeing that Sang Zhi had finished eating, Yin Zhenru handed her a tissue and said, “Let’s go.”
Sang Zhi nodded.
The other two boys stood up first and walked out. Yin Zhenru held Sang Zhi’s hand, wanting to leave together.
As they passed the cash register, Sang Zhi seemed to think of something and stopped, pulling her hand out of Yin Zhenru’s grasp. “Wait for me outside.”
Upon hearing this, Yin Zhenru glanced at Duan Jiaxu and understood. “Sure, hurry up.”
Then she walked out.
Duan Jiaxu was sitting on a chair, playing with his phone. One of his legs was resting on the side of the chair, in a relaxed posture. Seeing her, he put his hand down and asked with interest, “Little One, is there something you want to tell me?”
Sang Zhi hesitated for a few seconds but eventually asked directly, “Brother, do you need money?”
He didn’t expect her to ask this question and chuckled, “Hmm? What’s up?”
”Last time when we went for a barbecue, Brother Fei said you were tutoring nearby,” Sang Zhi whispered, “And today I saw you working here.”
Duan Jiaxu stared at her without saying anything, just quiet.
His gaze was somewhat inscrutable, and his emotions were hard to discern.
Sang Zhi inexplicably started feeling nervous and swallowed her saliva. “Aren’t you going back home?”
”Um, not yet.”
It seemed like he was answering her previous question.
However, Sang Zhi didn’t quite catch on and responded with a slow “Ah.”
”Go have fun.” Duan Jiaxu’s expression was casual, as if he didn’t care much about the matter. “Your friends are still waiting for you.”
After saying that, he turned around and opened the tap to wash something.
Peek-Aboo 
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