Chapter 2
After staring at her for a while, the man seemed to have thought of something, and a hint of absurdity flashed in his eyes. Then, he suddenly became interested, lowering his voice intentionally, “Hmm.”
”… ” Sang Zhi couldn’t remain calm anymore, approaching the brink of collapse, “Did Mom and Dad agree?”
A few more seconds of silence followed.
The man licked his lips and spoke with a smile, “Isn’t it enough to look good after the transformation?”
With these words, Sang Zhi was once again taken aback.
Compared to Sang Yan’s voice, this one sounded more melodic, with a lingering end tone that sounded ambiguous and charming.
It was completely different from her elder brother’s always cold and rebellious voice and demeanor.
”Little one,” he chuckled softly, continuing, “Come over and see how good-looking your Gege has become?”
Sang Zhi instantly sensed something was off.
At that moment, there was a sound behind her. The noise of the door opening, followed by the tapping of shoes hitting the ground.
Sang Zhi instinctively turned her head.
In an instant, she saw Sang Yan’s face.
The man had broad shoulders and a narrower waist, looking a bit slimmer than a few months ago. His hair was damp, with a towel draped over his shoulder, as if he had just taken a bath. When he saw Sang Zhi, he smirked, picking up a fork from the fruit plate in her hand and poking a piece of watermelon before walking inside.
As if seeing a ghost, Sang Zhi trembled and called out, “Ge-Gege.”
”What’s wrong?” Sang Yan glanced at her, took a bite of watermelon, and teased, “Have I become too handsome again?”
”I…”
Before she could finish, the man behind them suddenly burst into laughter, interrupting Sang Zhi’s words.
Sang Zhi rarely felt flustered, but involuntarily turned her gaze towards him.
What she saw was a presence even more dazzling than the sunlight outside the window.
The man’s brows and eyes relaxed, and he appeared a bit less restrained. His eyes curved at the corners, and his light-colored pupils sparkled with a subtle charm, exuding a hint of allure like a captivating male fairy.
Sang Zhi’s heartbeat skipped a beat in an instant.
It was as if she had fallen under a spell, easily ensnared by his presence.
Thinking he was mocking her, Sang Yan looked at him and said, “Duan Jiaxu, you should laugh at…”
Because of Sang Zhi’s presence, Sang Yan didn’t finish the following vulgar words. He changed the subject, picked up his phone from the side, opened the message interface, and shook it towards Sang Zhi.
”Little devil, what kind of trouble have you caused now?”
Displayed on the screen was their recent conversation.
That brief moment of emotional void, disrupted by Sang Yan, disappeared without a trace in an instant. Sang Zhi immediately retorted, “I didn’t cause any trouble.”
Sang Yan stared at her, eyebrows raised, “Good, there better not be.”
”…” Sang Zhi had something to ask of him, so she could only muster the courage to say, “But, Gege, there’s something…”
There was a stranger present whom she had never seen before. Sang Zhi glanced at him, then looked back at Sang Yan, with a hint of implication in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something but was hesitant.
Sang Yan acted as if he didn’t notice.
Then, the stranger spoke up, his tone full of interest, “Sang Yan, is this your younger sister?”
Sang Yan sat down by the bed, saying succinctly, “Otherwise? Could she be my daughter?”
”…”
Sang Zhi asked out of courtesy, “Gege, who is this person?”
Sang Yan replied succinctly, “My friend, Du Jiaxu.”
”Don’t you recognize me?” Du Jiaxu said, “Didn’t you just call me Gege?”
This remark reminded Sang Zhi of her silly thoughts just now, and her tense expression collapsed in an instant, looking somewhat annoyed.
Sang Yan snorted lightly, “Quite familiar, aren’t you?”
While speaking, Du Jiaxu had already walked up to Sang Zhi and half-squatted in front of her. He looked at her seriously, his light-colored pupils seemingly gentle yet enchanting. “I’m Duan Jiaxu, your brother’s friend.”
Sang Zhi averted her eyes, looking somewhat uncomfortable. “Oh.”
After making a solemn self-introduction to a half-grown child, Duan Jiaxu turned his head back and resumed his usual nonchalant appearance. “Sang Yan.”
Sang Yan didn’t even look up, continuing to play with his phone.
Duan Jiaxu asked, “It seems we look quite alike, huh?”
What kind of question is that?
Sang Yan paused his actions and lifted his head. “Take a look in the mirror.”
”Then…” Duan Jiaxu took the fruit plate from Sang Zhi’s hand, “Why did this Kiddo ask me just now—”
”…”
A two-second pause.
Duan Jiaxu laughed again. “Did you get plastic surgery or something?”
”…”
Another momentary silence.
After the brief silence, Sang Yan said coolly, “What do you mean?”
”Gege!” Sang Zhi was afraid of upsetting Sang Yan. She didn’t ask him to meet the teacher on her behalf yet. Sang Zhi hurriedly changed the topic, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t come back?”
”You brat.” Recalling Sang Zhi’s expression just now, Sang Yan said expressionlessly, “Did you think he is me?”
”…N-No.”
”Did you still think he’s me after plastic surgery?”
”…”
”How did you come up with this idea?” With his usual overflowing self-confidence and a sarcastic tone, Sang Yan retorted, “Plastic surgery? And turning myself into him—”
Interrupting his never-ending talk, Sang Zhi’s temper flared up, “Isn’t it natural for you to want to look like him!”
”…”
”Mum didn’t even inform me you brought a friend home,” Sang Zhi said irritably, reverting to her usual rebellious attitude, “And there’s only this person in the room. Isn’t it normal for me to have such a thought!”
Sang Yan impatiently cleaned his ear. “Lower your voice.”
”Why should I lower my voice? I’m not disturbing anyone,” Sang Zhi retorted with a stern face.
The two siblings faced off.
Sang Yan showed no signs of yielding to his younger sister’s self-awareness, further fueling the fire, “You’re disturbing me.”
As the argument seemed to be escalating, Duan Jiaxu took the initiative to ease the tension, waving to Sang Zhi, “Hey, Kiddo, come over and have some fruit.”
With a friend present, Sang Yan had no interest in continuing to bully his sister, who always stood up to him. Glancing at his phone, he said to Duan Jiaxu, “Are you going to take a shower? We can go back to school after.”
”No need,” Duan Jiaxu poked a piece of watermelon and offered it to Sang Zhi, “Finish the fruit before you leave.”
Sang Zhi pursed her lips and subconsciously glanced at Duan Jiaxu.
In this moment, the immature and ugly squabble she just had with Sang Yan floated before her eyes. Moreover, this seemingly amiable brother had casually revealed the embarrassing incident from earlier.
A feeling of grievance and inexpressible emotion surged within her.
She felt abandoned by the whole world.
Her cheeks uncontrollably began to burn, tears stinging her eyes, and her throat felt constricted with a sour sensation.
She started feeling incredibly embarrassed
Silently, Sang Zhi took the fruit from Duan Jiaxu. It felt as if something was blocking her nose, and a rush of heat surged upwards. Trying her best to hold it in, she choked back tears for a long time, but her throat couldn’t control a sob that escaped.
Duan Jiaxu froze in his actions.
Sang Yan also heard it, and he raised his eyes, “Are you for real?”
It was as if those words held magic.
The moment they were spoken, the tears that Sang Zhi had been holding back were released, cascading uncontrollably. The suppressed cries suddenly amplified in the room, reverberating off the walls and reaching the living room.
”…”
Both grown men froze in place.
Hearing the sound, Li Ping immediately rushed in from the living room, asking, “What’s going on?”
Sang Yan’s reaction was quick and shameless. He said, “Duan Jiaxu, how could you bully my sister?”
Duan Jiaxu’s expression became stiff.
He had never encountered such a situation before and didn’t know how to react at the moment.
He wasn’t sure if he was the one who made the little girl cry
Before he could say anything to explain, in the next moment, Sang Zhi grabbed the hem of his clothes and hid behind him, looking particularly frightened.
She looked at Li Ping, still sobbing, and with her other hand pointed at Sang Yan, saying, “Mom… sob-sob… Gege…”
Li Ping’s gaze turned icy as she looked at Sang Yan.
Sang Zhi’s crying became even more heartrending: “Gege hit me…”
Sang Yan: “…”
-
The little girl cried with a pitiful look, tears as big as beans streaming down, as if aiming to pierce one’s heart. It was rare to see Sang Zhi cry like this, and Li Ping instantly softened her tone, comforting her gently. Then, her expression changed, and she took Sang Yan to the living room to scold him.
The door opened and closed with their movements, leaving the atmosphere cold and subdued.
Sang Zhi loosened her grip on Duan Jiaxu’s clothes, and her crying gradually subsided.
Duan Jiaxu turned to look at her.
The little girl was still very young and not as well developed as her peers. Her height was less than 1.5 meters, just reaching his chest. Her eyes were big, now red and sniffling, making her look like a little rabbit.
Then, she pitifully took a bite of watermelon.
Her crying completely stopped.
Duan Jiaxu smiled, not asking her why she cried, and took out two pieces of tissue from the table. “No more crying?”
As her emotions dissipated with the tears, Sang Zhi felt much better, but there was still a lingering sense of embarrassment.
She kept her head down and didn’t say anything.
There was a significant height difference between the two, so Duan Jiaxu simply bent down and used the tissues to wipe her tears. “Go wash your face in a bit.”
Sang Zhi was accustomed to being cared for in this way and didn’t shy away.
In silence, a sudden thought popped up in Sang Zhi’s mind. It was a thought that would surely seem abrupt to a stranger.
After pondering for a while, she hesitantly spoke.
Her voice hadn’t fully returned to normal due to crying, making it sound particularly adorable: “Gege, are you leaving?”
Duan Jiaxu lifted his eyelids slightly and replied, “Why?”
”Do you have time tomorrow?”
”Tomorrow?”
”Yes,” Sang Zhi replied softly, “tomorrow.”
Duan Jiaxu chuckled, “Why suddenly ask about my schedule?”
Without a clear confirmation of his availability, Sang Zhi couldn’t find the right words to say. “J-Just…” Finally, she circled back to her original question, this time trying to be more pleasing by using a term of address, “Gege, do you have time tomorrow?”
Duan Jiaxu lowered his eyes lazily and asked, “What if I’m busy tomorrow?”
Sang Zhi became anxious, “No way!”
Having just offended Sang Yan, he would definitely not help her anymore. The only hope in front of her now was this person.
She clenched her fists and dryly threatened, “You must be free. If you’re not free, I-I’ll tell my mom that you both ganged up on me, a mixed-gender doubles match…”
”…”
What mixed-gender doubles match?
Duan Jiaxu tugged at the corner of his mouth, “Kiddo, why aren’t you reasoning with me?”
Sang Zhi glanced at him and said with little confidence, “I’m still young.”
”Pardon?”
”I don’t know how to reason yet.”
”…”
Fair enough.
Duan Jiaxu seemingly smiled ambiguously, “First, tell me what you’re going to do tomorrow.”
Sang Zhi hesitated for a moment, then timidly said, “Can you pretend to be my Gege and come with me?”
Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow.
”Then tomorrow…” She found it difficult to say and lowered her voice, “I need you to meet with my teacher…”
Duan Jiaxu understood. “Did they call for a parent-teacher meeting?”
Sang Zhi fell silent, as if confirming it.
”What for?”
Thinking about the reason she had come up with in the bus, Sang Zhi didn’t know if he would believe it if she told him. She scratched her head and hesitated, “Can I not say?”
”Of course.”
Before Sang Zhi could breathe a sigh of relief, Duan Jiaxu added nonchalantly, “Then Gege is busy tomorrow.”
Author’s Note:
Sang Zhi’s thoughts: Wow, you’re so capable, “busy”!
Yeah!
Busy!
Hmph!
Bye!!!
Two seconds later: “Alright, I’ll tell you.”
Peek-Aboo 
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