The ankle was iced for a while, the wounds on her hands and knees were treated, and the pain had eased considerably. As a result, Sang Zhi’s mood wasn’t as bad anymore.
She had been taken care of like this since she was young, so besides feeling that the distance between them was a bit close, she didn’t find anything inappropriate.
Sang Zhi glanced at him and muttered, “I didn’t ask you to do anything.”
It was just applying some medicine, wiping her face.
It wasn’t like he was doing something extremely difficult.
How did it turn into serving an ancestor?
And this ancestor of his was quite easy to serve.
”Out of nowhere, I got myself a little sister, and your own brother ran away,” Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow, stood up straight, and said, “Little One, you do the math. How many favors have I done for you?”
Sang Zhi hesitated for a moment, unable to hold back, “If you need something, I could help too.”
Finding her retort amusing, Duan Jiaxu sat down next to her with interest. He turned his head and smiled, “Oh? What could you help me with?”
”Just…” She only managed to say a word before stopping, completely unable to come up with something she could help with. She scratched her head, gave in, and could only change the topic in a silly manner, “Where did my brother go…”
Duan Jiaxu replied lazily, “You don’t need him anymore.”
Sang Zhi snorted, “I’m still disdainful of him.”
After saying that, she thought of what had happened earlier and started to worry, “Would my brother find it strange that I called him ‘Dad’ in front of the teacher, and he also heard the teacher call you ‘Sang Zhi’ Brother?”
”Hmm,” Duan Jiaxu said, “I guess he figured out that I pretended to be him and met your teacher.”
”…”
Sang Zhi’s scalp tingled: “What should we do then?”
”What can we do?” Duan Jiaxu sighed. “Both of us are in trouble.”
”…” With him putting it that way, Sang Zhi became a bit nervous too, and hesitated as she said, “It’s not that bad, I’ll talk to him later. He won’t tell our parents…”
Duan Jiaxu: “But you’ve been ignoring him, haven’t you?”
”It’s not that I don’t want to talk to him, it’s just that he always scolds me.” Speaking of this, Sang Zhi’s mood started to turn gloomy, “Even when I’ve fallen, he still scolds me.”
”Do you think he doesn’t care about you?”
Sang Zhi pursed her lips, neither nodding nor shaking her head.
”Your words in front of the teacher just now were quite interesting, weren’t they?” Duan Jiaxu said, “Your brother heard it, and if he asks a few more questions, isn’t that showing concern too?”
Sang Zhi grumbled, “Well, can’t he ask more gently?”
Duan Jiaxu found it amusing, “Make your brother gentle? Isn’t that a bit of a tall order?”
”…”
That made some sense.
Sang Zhi didn’t know what to say, glanced at him, and quickly lowered her head.
In this quiet atmosphere, after saying he would go get some water for her and disappearing for a while, Sang Yan finally returned. He was holding two bottles of water and handed a room-temperature one to Sang Zhi. “Drink it all and then we’ll go to the hospital.”
Sang Zhi didn’t respond.
Sang Yan simply squatted in front of her, raising his hand towards her again, “Are you going to drink or not?”
Sang Zhi hesitated before finally taking the bottle.
After that, Sang Yan turned his head to look at Duan Jiaxu and asked, “Are the wounds treated?”
Duan Jiaxu nodded in response.
Sang Yan tossed the remaining bottle of water to him and said, “Thanks, Bro.”
Duan Jiaxu leaned back in his chair, nonchalantly chuckling. After a few seconds, Sang Yan turned his back to Sang Zhi and said, “Hop on.”
Sang Zhi felt like she was still in a bit of a cold war with him, so she acted like she hadn’t heard him.
Sang Yan turned back, staring at her for a while before saying, “Your ‘brother’ has classes this afternoon and doesn’t have time to take you to the hospital. Only your ‘Dad’ can take you.”
”…”
”Hurry up.”
Hearing this, Sang Zhi instinctively turned her head to look at Duan Jiaxu.
Duan Jiaxu also stood up, took out his phone from his pocket, checked the time, and casually remarked, “Don’t you have classes too?”
It was a clear indication that he wasn’t planning on going.
”You remembered wrong,” Sang Yan said without lifting his eyes, and then to Sang Zhi, “Get on quickly.”
His tone carried a hint of impatience.
Without Duan Jiaxu as her backer, Sang Zhi didn’t dare to hold onto her mood for too long. She was afraid that Sang Yan would actually leave her behind, so she reluctantly and ungracefully climbed onto his back.
Duan Jiaxu put the cap back on her head. “Listen to your brother.”
Sang Yan carried Sang Zhi and walked towards the exit of the playground.
Both of them remained quiet.
After walking for about ten meters, Sang Zhi suddenly turned her head again, looking back towards the direction of the tent.
Not far from the tent, a young boy tripped and fell while running. Sang Zhi saw Duan Jiaxu walking quickly over and helping the boy to his feet.
The distance wasn’t close, and the sunlight was still intense.
She couldn’t clearly see the expression on his face.
She could only see him bending over to pat the dust off the boy’s pants, his demeanor gentle and clear, as if he was smiling. He appeared to be someone whose kindness emanated from the depths of his being.
Sang Zhi’s mood suddenly became a bit heavy.
She had originally wanted to say something to him.
She wanted to ask him if he could stop calling her “Kiddo.” At least now, she didn’t feel like a child anymore.
But it seemed unnecessary.
There wouldn’t be so many opportunities for them to meet again.
And, it seemed like he wasn’t just kind to her.
He treated everyone that way, it seemed.
Gentle, yet distant.
-
Sang Yan carried Sang Zhi out of the playground, walking silently towards the school gate.
Because of their earlier argument, Sang Zhi’s mood was somewhat complex. There was a slight trace of regret, yet she wasn’t quite willing to swallow her pride and make amends.
At this moment, with Sang Yan remaining quiet, she didn’t initiate a conversation either.
Sang Zhi hooked one hand around his neck and held the water bottle in the other, unknowingly lost in thought. She recalled their childhood when he used to carry her like this on his back often.
It seemed like such a long time ago.
Sang Zhi also remembered the words she had blurted out in the heat of the moment just now.
Sang Yan suddenly spoke at this moment, interrupting her thoughts, “I won’t tell Mom and Dad right now. They’re at work, and it would be quite troublesome for them to come back.”
”Oh,” Sang Zhi replied.
Sang Yan said casually, “Later, I’ll have Mom call your teacher to ask for leave.”
Sang Zhi remained silent for a few seconds, then responded with another “Oh.”
Once they were outside the school gate, Sang Yan hailed a taxi and helped Sang Zhi get into the car. He told the driver, “Go to a nearby hospital,” then turned to Sang Zhi and said, “Buckle your seatbelt.”
Seeing the injury on the palm of Sang Zhi’s hand, he leaned over and fastened it for her.
Sang Zhi couldn’t help but ask, “Why aren’t you buckling yours?”
Sang Yan tugged at the corner of his lips. “I find it uncomfortable.”
Sang Zhi: “Well, I find it uncomfortable too.”
Sang Yan had already settled back into his seat and replied nonchalantly, “Then just be uncomfortable.”
”…”
Silence once again filled the car.
Peek-Aboo 
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