It took her a full half hour to compose this message. After checking multiple times to ensure there were no mistakes, Sang Zhi finally pressed send with her heart pounding.
Perhaps caught off guard by this sudden lengthy message, Duan Jiaxu took a while before responding about Thanksgiving.
Sang Zhi: “Hmm.”
Sang Zhi: “Or else you can decide on the time.”
This time, Duan Jiaxu sent a voice message directly.
Sang Zhi’s earphones were not on the bed. She lifted the blanket, tiptoed off the bed, and went to the balcony to listen.
He seemed to have found this somewhat amusing, speaking with a soft voice, “Let’s go with Thanksgiving then. But that’s at the end of next month. Big Brother isn’t sure if I will be free that day.”
Sang Zhi hesitated and asked, “Do you have other plans?”
Duan Jiaxu: “Hmm, I might have to work overtime.”
Before she could reply, Duan Jiaxu sent another voice message, “Let’s leave it at that for now. It’s still early, so go back to sleep for a while longer. By that time, Big Brother will also take you to get your phone fixed.”
Sang Zhi was a bit puzzled, “My phone isn’t broken.”
Duan Jiaxu: “Oh, it’s not broken?”
Sang Zhi: “Yes.”
Duan Jiaxu: “I thought your phone couldn’t type ‘you(informal one)’ anymore.”
Sang Zhi: “…”
Duan Jiaxu: “Where did this ‘you(formal one)’ come from all of a sudden? How come I didn’t hear you being so respectful and addressing me properly like this before, using the informal address all the time?”
Sang Zhi looked at the chat history above and felt a bit foolish for her earlier messages. She pondered how to salvage the situation, her fingers frozen on the screen without moving.
The next moment, Duan Jiaxu drawled, “Ah,” and then said, “Does that mean, beloved Big Brother?”
His tone was lazy, with a slight upward inflection at the end. His words were accompanied by a clear laughter, like absentmindedly petting a passing cat while feeling utterly bored.
Sang Zhi had been playfully teased by him like this since childhood.
After numerous times, she found it irritating.
She clenched her cheeks, put on a stern face, and promptly sent a voice message, “My dad told me this recently. When talking to people over the age of 25, you have to use respectful terms.”
”…”
”Good morning, Brother Jiaxu. Your voice sounds very youthful,” Sang Zhi said. “I hope your appearance matches your voice’s youthful tone.”
”…”
This unexpected encounter slightly eased the relationship between the two.
Sang Zhi no longer avoided his calls like before, and when they both had free time, they would chat on WeChat, mostly with him giving her some instructions or advice, like an elder would.
She deliberately assumed the role of a “little sister,” suppressing any remnants of her previous sentiments.
Thanksgiving fell on a Thursday.
Duan Jiaxu had told her the day before that he wasn’t sure if he would have to work overtime. He asked her to wait at school, and he would call her when he was on his way.
Sang Zhi didn’t have many classes, so she spent the afternoon in the dorm working on her computer drawings.
Close to six o’clock, she got up, changed into a dress, applied light makeup, and even went so far as to apply eye makeup and false eyelashes, along with highlighter and blush.
But soon, she felt something wasn’t right and removed all the makeup.
Sang Zhi stared at her bare face in the mirror.
She struggled internally for a while.
It was better this way.
Otherwise, given his personality, he might say something like, “Little Sang Zhi came to see Big Brother, and she even dressed up so nicely.”
Dream on!
She’d rather not look that pretty and deny him the chance to be conceited.
Sang Zhi returned to her seat and looked at her computer once again.
Time passed by second by second, and before she knew it, it was already 8 o’clock in the evening. Sang Zhi’s stomach rumbled with hunger, so she sent a WeChat message asking if he was available.
But he didn’t reply for a while.
Sang Zhi hesitated and called him.
Still, there was no answer.
She thought he might be busy with work and hadn’t noticed, but then she also thought that if he was really going to work overtime, he would definitely have let her know in advance. Without further hesitation, she dialed his number again.
After seven or eight rings, he finally picked up.
Sang Zhi let out a sigh of relief, “Brother Jiaxu, are you working overtime?”
”Sorry, Sang Zhi, I just saw your missed calls.” To her surprise, his voice sounded hoarse, and his speech was slow, as if it was a bit difficult for him. “I won’t be able to make it today. Could you go have something to eat? Don’t go hungry.”
Hearing something off in his voice, Sang Zhi asked in a low voice, “Brother, are you feeling unwell?”
Duan Jiaxu: “I’m fine.”
It sounded the same as a default response.
But judging from his tone, it seemed more serious than that.
Sang Zhi immediately grabbed her bag and headed outside while inquiring, “Are you not feeling well somewhere?”
His voice paused, seemingly thinking. “It’s like a stomach ache. I probably ate something bad yesterday. Don’t worry, I will just take some medicine.”
Sang Zhi frowned. “Aren’t you planning to go to the hospital?”
Duan Jiaxu chuckled softly. “There’s no need to go. Thanks for caring about me, Little Sang Zhi.”
She hurriedly left the dormitory building and coincidentally caught the new campus shuttle bus. As she got on, she asked, “Brother Jiaxu, where is your company located?”
”Are you coming over?”
”Yeah.”
Duan Jiaxu didn’t say much more and calmly provided an address.
Sang Zhi took note and asked earnestly, “Brother, are you feeling very unwell?”
He responded gently, “It’s manageable.”
Sang Zhi pondered for a moment and then suggested, “Why don’t you wait at your location for a bit? I’ll come find you and take you to the hospital. If you’re really feeling very unwell, we can call an ambulance.”
Duan Jiaxu chuckled: “It’s not that serious.”
”If you’re not feeling well, you need to go to the hospital,” Sang Zhi inexplicably felt a bit angry, her tone becoming stern, “You can’t just endure it and expect it to get better. Otherwise, check if any of your colleagues are around and have them take you to the hospital.”
”Why are you getting angry?” Duan Jiaxu seemed to find it amusing, his words carrying a hint of indulgence, “Don’t be upset, Little Sang Zhi. Big Brother will be good, okay?”
”…”
”I’ll be here,” Duan Jiaxu said, “waiting for you to come pick him up.”
Duan Jiaxu’s company was located in Gangbei Building, a large office building. .
Sang Zhi could reach there directly by subway
Following the map on her phone, she found the location and entered the building. This office building didn’t restrict entry, and just as she was about to ask Duan Jiaxu which floor he was on, she spotted him sitting in the lobby on the first floor.
Across from the reception desk was a sofa, and he was seated on it.
His complexion was unusually pale, and his lips, which were normally a vibrant shade of red, had lost all color. Leaning back on the sofa, his eyes half-closed, his hand resting loosely on the lower right side of his abdomen, it was unclear if he was genuinely in discomfort.
Duan Jiaxu’s face lacked expression.
Sang Zhi walked over and called out, “Brother Jiaxu.”
Upon hearing her voice, Duan Jiaxu opened his eyes. When he saw her, his eyes formed into a beautiful crescent shape. He then extended his hand and nonchalantly said, “Help me up.”
”Let’s go to the hospital.” Sang Zhi grabbed his wrist and pulled him up forcefully. “Brother Jiaxu, do you have a fever?”
He stood up straight and slowly replied, “Seems like a bit.”
Sang Zhi moved her hand upwards, supporting his arm. “Is there a hospital nearby?”
Duan Jiaxu recalled, “There’s a community hospital.”
”Then let’s flag down a taxi to go there,” Sang Zhi suggested.
Duan Jiaxu said, “Alright.”
Worried that he might be feeling uncomfortable, Sang Zhi didn’t dare to walk too fast, taking small steps.
After walking several meters, Duan Jiaxu turned his head and asked, “Little Sang Zhi, are you supporting an elderly person?”
Sang Zhi glanced at him. “…”
”I don’t think you’re a child,” noticing her expression and recalling her earlier remarks, Duan Jiaxu continued in a teasing tone, “I just can’t adapt to it. Is it okay if I call you that?”
Didn’t think I’m a kid?
Who are you trying to fool?
Sang Zhi didn’t want to argue with him anymore. “Just call me that then.”
As they exited the building, aside from the subway station, there was also a bus stop nearby. There were quite a few people, and Sang Zhi didn’t want to get too close, fearing that he might get jostled. She looked ahead for a moment and then turned back, saying, “Brother Jiaxu, wait for me here. I’ll go to the front to catch a taxi. Once I flag one down, I’ll call you over.”
Why was she treating him like a little princess?
Duan Jiaxu followed her and casually said, “I’ll come with you.”
This area had a high pedestrian flow, surrounded by office buildings. Several groups of people had just finished their overtime and were coming out. Some headed towards the subway station, while others were waiting for the bus here.
Upon hearing his words, Sang Zhi turned back again, intending to assist him in crossing. Just at that moment, a bus arrived at the stop.
Those who were quite a distance away immediately started running to catch the bus. In their haste, one person accidentally bumped into Sang Zhi.
Caught off guard, her body instinctively leaned forward, trying to find something to steady herself. Her palm ended up resting against Duan Jiaxu’s abdomen in front of her.
In the next moment, Sang Zhi heard what seemed like a sharp intake of breath from him, almost imperceptible.
Her own body reflexively bent downward.
Sang Zhi’s breath hitched, and she quickly withdrew her hand, realizing that she might have touched a sensitive area. She looked up, her lips moving slightly, a hint of urgency in her expression as she wanted to inquire about his condition.
Before she could say anything, Sang Zhi felt a rush of warmth across her forehead.
A soft and gentle touch.
From this angle, all she could see was Duan Jiaxu’s Adam’s apple bobbing, forming an aesthetically pleasing line. Accompanied by the scorching heat of a man’s breath, it surged towards her in an overwhelming wave.
Peek-Aboo 
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