SSB – Chapter 50.1

The time when he fell down the stairs wasn’t actually very serious.

There were no warning signs, and Duan Jiaxu didn’t even know Jiang Ying was near him. Because she had come from behind and suddenly pushed him. He was unprepared, and his body tilted forward, falling down. Fortunately, only his forehead was hit.

It was during the break between classes when they went outside for exercise.

Around him were classmates, some stepping back a bit, some whispering to each other in place, and a few coming forward to advise Jiang Ying not to go too far.

Yuan Lang, who was nearby, helped him up.

Noticing the commotion, a class leader immediately went upstairs to find the homeroom teacher.

That year, Duan Jiaxu was not yet fifteen years old.

At such a young age, it was difficult to easily adjust or disguise emotions. Even if he felt some remorse for the sins his father had committed, it all vanished in an instant because of this sudden outburst of displaced anger.

He wiped away the blood from his forehead with the back of his hand and looked at Jiang Ying. Suppressing his anger, he said, “Aren’t you supposed to apologize to me?”

Jiang Ying stood there with her arms crossed, her eyes red. Her words, however, were incredibly venomous: “If you haven’t died, why should I apologize to you? Every day, I pray that you and your mother die soon.”

Hearing these words, Duan Jiaxu slowly freed himself from Yuan Lang’s grip. His jaw clenched gradually, the muscles on his face twitched uncontrollably, and his gaze turned chilling to the extreme.

Duan Jiaxu silently continued walking upwards.

When he reached Jiang Ying, he repeated his words, intentionally emphasizing them: “Aren’t you supposed to apologize to me and my mother?”

Jiang Ying stared at him, her voice becoming sharp, “What did I say wrong! You shouldn’t have died!” 

Duan Jiaxu’s anger surged, and he lost all reason. Furious and with a twisted smile, he reached out and grabbed her arm, using excessive force, attempting to repay in kind.

The homeroom teacher arrived just in time.

At that moment, Duan Jiaxu also heard a whisper from one of the classmates nearby: “How dare he ask Jiang Ying to apologize to him…”

Duan Jiaxu’s movement stopped abruptly, intercepted by the homeroom teacher in an instant.

Then, he saw Jiang Ying, who should have been the wrongdoer, suddenly burst into tears upon seeing the teacher. Her shoulders shook as she cried, evoking extreme pity: “My dad is dead… sob, my dad…”

The homeroom teacher started consoling her.

Due to Duan Jiaxu’s recent behavior, the teacher began to reprimand loudly: “Duan Jiaxu! What were you thinking?! Do you feel no shame at all?!” Duan Jiaxu, do you feel no shame at all?”

In that instant, in the eyes of the people around them, he became the perpetrator.

The homeroom teacher forced Duan Jiaxu to apologize to Jiang Ying, but he remained silent.

He didn’t stand there to receive the reprimand, but turned and left directly, heading to the restroom to rinse his wound with water. After the class bell rang, he returned to the classroom.

Coincidentally, it was the homeroom teacher’s class.

Seeing Duan Jiaxu enter the classroom, the teacher paused the lecture and sneered, “You don’t even show respect to your teachers. Let’s see what kind of person you’ll become in the future.”

Duan Jiaxu took his seat.

Yuan Lang whispered, “Has this old lady been taking the wrong medication lately?”

He took out a book from his drawer, remaining silent.

“Just bear with it,” Yuan Lang couldn’t help but say, “After all, your dad really caused her dad’s death. You owe her… But maybe she just hasn’t come to terms with it yet. Things will get better.”

Duan Jiaxu opened the book, water from his undried face slid down his chin and dripped onto the textbook.

At the words, his eyelids twitched. He calmly glanced at Yuan Lang, and after a while, he chuckled with a self-deprecating tone.

Suddenly, Duan Jiaxu understood.

He couldn’t show even a hint of anger, nor could he express any dissatisfaction with the harm he had endured. Otherwise, everyone would think that he and his father were the same kind of people.

He had to be gentle with everyone.

He had to always smile.

He had to be a person who appeared completely non-threatening.

In that year, the term “moral blackmail” had not yet emerged.

But Duan Jiaxu was already acutely aware of it.

After ending the call, Sang Zhi entered the nearby convenience store and took a stroll around before finally picking up a piece of soft candy. The store was empty, with no one else except the cashier.

Sang Zhi found a seat, took out her phone, and messaged Duan Jiaxu her exact location on WeChat. She didn’t want to distract him while he was driving, so she didn’t say much more. She started reading a manga she was currently following. The indoor temperature was a bit higher than outside, and after sitting for a while, it felt a bit stuffy.

After finishing the latest chapter, Sang Zhi lifted her eyes and looked out through the glass window, feeling quite bored. She suddenly noticed a small booth outside.

Business wasn’t particularly good, with hardly any customers around. Just then, two girls had left, each holding a big, fluffy mass of white that looked like clouds.

It was a middle-aged man selling cotton candy.

Sang Zhi became intrigued. She left the convenience store and approached the booth, ordering one for herself as well. It had been a long time since she had last eaten cotton candy. As she watched the man prepare it, she couldn’t help but ask a few questions now and then.

As she observed the white cotton candy growing larger, Sang Zhi glanced at the colorful candies in a nearby jar and couldn’t resist making a request, “Could you add a layer on the outside and sprinkle some pink candy?”

The man chuckled, “Sure.”

The next moment, Duan Jiaxu’s voice suddenly came from behind, “Why sprinkle pink?”

Sang Zhi was caught off guard and subconsciously turned her head.

At some point, she didn’t know when Duan Jiaxu had stood behind her. His body slightly leaned forward, head tilted to the side. Their eyes met, and the distance between them instantly narrowed.

Only about twenty centimeters apart.

Then, Duan Jiaxu’s lips curved into a playful smile as he said, “Is it that seeing Gege turns your mood all pink?”

“…”

The middle-aged man interjected, “Alright, here you go.”

Sang Zhi retracted her gaze and took the cotton candy: “Thank you.”

She held the little stick and twirled it in her hand. She thought it looked nice and couldn’t bear to eat it. She turned to him and teased, “Why do you talk so corny?”

Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow, “Corny?”

“Corny.”

“It’s not that bad,” Duan Jiaxu chuckled. “I feel like, in a way, it sounds pretty romantic.”

“…” Sang Zhi couldn’t tell if he was serious or joking. After a moment’s thought, she didn’t want to deflate him and changed the subject, “Did you drive here?”

“Yeah.”

Sang Zhi: “Where did you park your car?”

Duan Jiaxu pointed: “Over there.”

“Oh.” Thinking about his overtime, Sang Zhi casually asked, “What did you have for dinner?” ”

“Takeout.”

“So, what do you feel like eating now?” Sang Zhi reached out, trying to maintain the original shape as much as possible. She carefully tore a piece of cotton candy and then breathed a sigh of relief. “I ate not too long ago, I’m not hungry.”