”Hurry up.”
Sang Yan dismissed it, “In the small cabinet inside the wardrobe, go get it for him.”
Sang Zhi looked somewhat uncomfortable. “Why should it be me?”
Sang Yan closed his eyes again and ignored her.
Seeing Sang Yan’s discomfort, Sang Zhi didn’t say anything further either. She looked at the empty glass on the table and poured him a glass of warm water again. “Brother, drink some water.”
Sang Yan remained silent.
”Remember to drink.” She stood up and muttered, “Why drink so much alcohol when there’s nothing wrong?”
Sang Zhi went back to Sang Yan’s room, opened the small cabinet he mentioned, and took out a new pair of underwear. She scratched her head, walked to the bathroom door, and knocked.
The sound of water inside immediately stopped. “Is someone knocking?”
”Brother, I hung it on the door for you. You can take it yourself.”
After saying that, Sang Zhi quickly returned to her own room.
She didn’t go out again afterward and could hear the sounds from outside her room. For about an hour or so, amidst those muffled sounds, Sang Zhi gradually fell asleep once more.
When she woke up again, it was due to thirst.
The sky hadn’t brightened yet, and the room was pitch-black, with a serene silence enveloping the world. Sang Zhi got up, planning to go to the living room and pour herself a glass of water.
Afraid of disturbing her parents, she moved quietly, intending to return to her room after getting water. As she passed the living room, she suddenly noticed that there seemed to be someone on the balcony.
Sang Zhi’s footsteps halted.
In an instant, she recognized that person as Duan Jiaxu.
He was sitting on the balcony chair with the French window shut while he smoked. He hadn’t noticed Sang Zhi’s presence. He tilted his head back, his Adam’s apple moving slowly as he exhaled smoke that swirled in the moonlight.
Sang Zhi couldn’t clearly see his expression.
But for some reason, she felt that his mood wasn’t good.
After hesitating for a moment, Sang Zhi decided to approach.
Soon, Duan Jiaxu noticed her through his peripheral vision. He turned his head to look, raised his eyebrows, and immediately smiled. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
His voice was soft, separated by the French window.
Sang Zhi cautiously pushed the French window open and whispered, “Brother, can’t you sleep?”
Duan Jiaxu extinguished the cigarette and languidly replied, “Hmm, I have a bit of bed trouble.”
”You’ll fall asleep if you lie down.” Sang Zhi said, “Or you can sleep on the couch in my brother’s room. I remember you used to sleep there often.”
”Alright.” Duan Jiaxu’s expression was gentle. “It’s very late, go to sleep.”
Sang Zhi didn’t move and gently asked, “Brother, are you upset?”
Duan Jiaxu responded with a thoughtful, “A little.”
Sang Zhi remained silent for a few seconds, not asking for the reason. “Then let me pour you a glass of water.”
She had just taken a couple of steps when Duan Jiaxu suddenly spoke up from behind.
Perhaps it was the night that prompted him to share a secret.
”Little Sang Zhi, let me tell you a little secret.” Duan Jiaxu looked up at her, his peach blossom eyes forming a charming crescent shape. “Brother has many creditors.”
”…” Sang Zhi paused for a moment, turned back, and asked, “You owe a lot of money, then?”
Duan Jiaxu laughed. “You could say that too.”
He thought for a moment and added, “But you could say it’s about money too.”
”Is there a lot?” Sang Zhi didn’t know what to say, so she could only whisper, “Brother, don’t worry. When I grow up, I’ll earn money and help you repay them together.”
Duan Jiaxu was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter, emitting a shallow breath.
This time, Sang Zhi could clearly sense that his mood seemed to have improved somewhat.
After a while, he affectionately pinched Sang Zhi’s cheek. “Thank you, Little Sang Zhi. But these debts aren’t my responsibility. You don’t need to help me repay them.”
”…”
”Little Sang Zhi, the money you earn in the future,” Duan Jiaxu said, “should be spent on buying yourself beautiful dresses.”
The next day, Duan Jiaxu took the earliest flight back to Yihe.
Sang Zhi thought that this was probably his last time coming to Nanwu. He had no other reason to come here anymore, having completely left the campus and fully integrated into society.
Everyone continued to live their routine lives.
In early July, Sang Zhi’s high school entrance exam results were released, and she successfully got admitted to the No. 1 High School of the city. Before the school started, she received a new school bag as a gift from Duan Jiaxu.
It was a reward for her getting into the prestigious high school.
In reality, Duan Jiaxu was far away from her.
But sometimes, he made her feel like he was everywhere.
After starting her first year of high school, Sang Zhi discovered that Fu Zhengchu had also been admitted to the same school and was coincidentally in the same class as her. They hadn’t talked for a long time. She remembered Fu Zhengchu’s confession before, but she didn’t feel comfortable initiating a conversation with him.
However, Fu Zhengchu came over and greeted her, looking completely at ease and without any lingering awkwardness.
This made Sang Zhi feel relieved.
During the winter break of their first year of high school, Fu Zhengchu used the excuse of working on homework together to ask Sang Zhi out and confessed to her once again.
This time, the young teenager wasn’t as unsure as the last time, but he still felt nervous.
”Sang Zhi, I like you. If you’re willing to be my girlfriend now, that’s great. If not, I’ll ask again in three years.”
When Sang Zhi heard these words, she got somewhat lost in thought.
Her initial reaction was unexpectedly to recall the words that had been said to her by Duan Jiaxu when he suddenly appeared after Fu Zhengchu’s confession at the age of thirteen and gave her that piece of advice.
”It’s quite normal to have these feelings during puberty. But don’t hurt others either. You can thank the person for their affection and then decline.”
Silence reigned for a while.
”Thank you for liking me,” Sang Zhi said, staring into his eyes with a serious expression, “But I already have feelings for someone else, so I can’t accept your offer.”
”…”
”You’re a good person, thank you.”
Fu Zhengchu scratched his head, sighed, and said, “I knew I’d be rejected again.”
Sang Zhi felt a bit awkward.
”I wasn’t planning to keep liking you anyway,” Fu Zhengchu said, “But damn, I just can’t find a girl prettier than you. What am I supposed to do?”
”…”
”Forget it,” Fu Zhengchu thought for a moment and asked, “Can I ask who the person you like is?”
Sang Zhi remained silent and shook her head.
Fu Zhengchu teased, “Is he as handsome as me?”
The phrase “don’t hurt others” echoed in her mind again. Sang Zhi waved her hand dismissively and said vaguely, “Don’t ask.”
”…”
Sang Zhi thought it would continue like this.
Her unrequited love would persist.
And then, if she worked hard now, she should be able to get into Yihe University, and three years later, she would go to the city where Duan Jiaxu was.
But life was always full of variables.
Things don’t always go as planned.
In the second semester of her sophomore year in high school, during the Qingming Festival, Sang Zhi learned a piece of news from Sang Yan.
She was planning to go to the bathroom, and as she passed by Sang Yan’s room, she overheard him talking on the phone with a friend. He casually mentioned, “Damn, Duan Jiaxu has a girlfriend now?”
Sang Zhi’s steps immediately halted.
But afterward, she didn’t hear Sang Yan mention Duan Jiaxu’s name again.
Her mind went blank, and she stood there stunned for a long time.
Sang Zhi didn’t return to her room. She went to the living room and pretended to watch TV. Then, when Sang Yan came out, she casually asked, “Brother, is Jiaxu dating someone?”
”Huh?” Sang Yan took an apple from the fridge. “It seems like it.”
Sang Zhi’s eyes were fixed on the TV, and she nodded slowly without saying anything when Sang Yan returned to his room. Once he was gone, she turned off the TV and also went back to her room.
She picked up her phone from the table, opened WeChat, and found Duan Jiaxu. She pursed her lips and typed a line of text very slowly.
”Brother, I heard from my brother that you’re in a relationship.”
Sang Zhi stared at the message for a long time before finally deleting it. She lay down on the bed, glancing at the plush toys that Duan Jiaxu had given her on the side, her nose tingling.
It must be fake.
It had to be fake.
Sang Zhi looked at the photo of YiheUniversity that she had pinned to the wall, rubbed her eyes forcefully, and reluctantly pushed this matter aside from her mind. She got up to study.
She had talked to Duan Jiaxu.
If he found a girlfriend, he had to introduce her.
He had agreed.
He would tell her.
Despite what Sang Zhi thought, she couldn’t focus on her studies for the next few days. She would often recall Sang Yan’s words, and when she saw couples being affectionate, thoughts of Duan Jiaxu would also come to mind.
She wondered if he looked the same when he was in a relationship.
Such a gentle person would definitely treat his girlfriend well.
But Sang Zhi didn’t dare to ask.
She was afraid of receiving a positive answer.
As time dragged on, this state of mind accumulated.
By the end of April, Sang Zhi did something that was the most daring she had done in her sixteen years of life.
Peek-Aboo 
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