However, she sensed that he didn’t have a good attitude towards Jiang Ying.
He probably wouldn’t hold back.
Sang Zhi didn’t dare to inquire too much about Duan Jiaxu’s personal matters, fearing it might upset him. She stopped dwelling on this matter, took the subway, and based on her memory, arrived at the building where Duan Jiaxu’s company was located.
The time seemed about right.
Sang Zhi took out her phone and asked him: [Are you off work?]
Suitor: [Yeah, what’s up?]
Sang Zhi: [Oh.]
Sang Zhi: [Nothing.]
Sang Zhi waited outside the office building for a few minutes, and then she saw Duan Jiaxu walking out from inside. He was dressed casually, in a simple shirt and slacks, his tall and slender figure making him stand out. At the moment, he was absentmindedly looking at his phone.
He didn’t notice Sang Zhi and headed towards the parking lot.
Sang Zhi blinked and followed behind him. After a while, her phone vibrated again.
Suitor: [Seems like you don’t have class tonight.]
Sang Zhi: [But I have other things to do.]
Suitor: [What things?]
Sang Zhi thought for a moment: [Picking someone up.] 】
And she added: [Then taking him to celebrate a birthday.]
The next moment, Duan Jiaxu in front of Sang Zhi suddenly stopped in his tracks, as if recalling something.
Then, he looked up, turned around, and his gaze settled on her, a playful glint in his eyes.
”Did you come to pick me up?”
Sang Zhi walked up next to him and mumbled, “I’ve been following you for quite a while now.”
”How come you walk so silently?” Duan Jiaxu glanced at the cake box in her hand, took it from her, and chuckled. “I almost forgot about my birthday.”
Sang Zhi understood. “As you get older, you don’t really like celebrating birthdays.”
Duan Jiaxu replied nonchalantly, “That’s right, I’m getting older.”
It was the first time she had heard him agree so readily. Sang Zhi turned her head to look at him.
”I hope you’ll let me,” Duan Jiaxu pondered his age for a moment and said slowly, “get married before I turn twenty-seven.”
”…” Sang Zhi couldn’t help but retort, “By the time you’re twenty-seven, I won’t even have graduated from college yet.”
”Yeah.” Duan Jiaxu unlocked the car with his key, his tone calm. “You didn’t refuse.”
”I’ll take that as your agreement then.”
Sang Zhi got into the passenger seat, feeling frustrated. “Don’t you have any shame?”
”I’m wooing a younger lady,” Duan Jiaxu remained composed, started the car, and continued, “What’s more, a stubborn little girl at that. How could I have any shame?”
Sang Zhi couldn’t argue with him and decided not to bring up that topic anymore. She took out her phone and casually asked, “Did my brother and Qian Fei-ge wish you a happy birthday?”
”Do you really expect those guys, who can’t even remember their own birthdays, to remember others?” Duan Jiaxu chuckled. “Although a few of my colleagues did remember, I got so busy today that I forgot too.”
Sang Zhi responded with an “Oh” and messaged Sang Yan on WeChat: [Do you know what day it is today?]
Coincidentally, Liang Jun messaged her to discuss the short film again, and Sang Zhi replied to him as well. Noticing that her phone had been buzzing, Duan Jiaxu glanced over and his tone seemed somewhat disinterested, “Who are you chatting with?”
Sang Zhi: “A senior from my department.”
After a few seconds, Duan Jiaxu asked again, “What does he want from you?” Sang Zhi: “He’s talking about the competition.”
Duan Jiaxu casually uttered three words, “Is he handsome?”
His moral compass?
”Taller than me?”
Sang Zhi turned to look at him, “He has a girlfriend.”
Duan Jiaxu’s gaze remained unchanged, and his voice was calm without any ripples, “I was just asking.” Sang Zhi lowered her gaze and continued typing her response.
”I’ve told you before,” Duan Jiaxu’s tone was steady, sounding as if he were explaining a very serious matter, “Don’t get into relationships too early.”
”…” Sang Zhi was perplexed. “I’m already of legal age.”
”Just because you’re legally an adult doesn’t mean you should start dating. Where’s the logic in that?” Duan Jiaxu said, “By ‘early relationship,’ I mean that if the combined age of two people isn’t forty-five yet, it’s an early relationship.”
Duan Jiaxu let out a prolonged breath and then feigned surprise, “Our ages combined do make forty-five.”
Sang Zhi remained silent for a few seconds, and then replied, “Then I’ll wait a few more years.”
”Alright.”
”In another three and a half years, I can find someone my age,” Sang Zhi said matter-of-factly. “Why should I go for someone much older than me? I’m not in a rush to date.”
In the next moment, Duan Jiaxu’s phone began to ring.
Sang Zhi glanced at it and said, “It’s my brother calling.”
Duan Jiaxu responded with an “Hmm,” and instructed, “Help me answer it, put it on speaker.”
Sang Zhi complied.
“Hello?” Sang Yan’s voice echoed in the confined space of the car, “I just remembered, it’s your birthday today, right? Congratulations, Bro! Almost thirty and still no girlfriend. Let me tell you something…”
Sang Zhi: “…”
It was clearly she who reminded him, and yet he was claiming he just remembered.
Sang Zhi was so speechless that she almost pretended not to know this person, not even bothering to respond. Duan Jiaxu lazily commented, “Hang up.”
Sang Yan continued, “Let me ask you something. Did my sister give you a gift?” Duan Jiaxu: “Yes.”
Sang Yan: “That’s the one I gave.”
Sang Zhi: “…”
”I’ve no other business with you. I just wanted to greet you. I’m hanging up,” Sang Yan paused for a moment, then suddenly brought up another matter, “Oh, by the way, have you met my sister’s boyfriend?”
Sang Zhi’s gaze froze.
Catching her reaction from the corner of his eye, Duan Jiaxu curled his lips into a deliberate smile and asked, “Boyfriend?”
Sang Yan clicked his tongue, “Didn’t I tell you before? He seems to be a graduate student.”
Duan Jiaxu pretended as if he had just remembered and chuckled, “I think I’ve met him before.”
”How’s he?” Sang Yan replied coolly, “That Little Devil seems quite infatuated. She even tried to call me and argue today just because of this person. She insisted on staying in Yihe during the summer break.”
Seeing him about to blab every detail, Sang Zhi abruptly interrupted, “Gege!”
A two-second awkward silence ensued.
Both ends of the call suddenly fell silent.
Sang Zhi slowly turned to Duan Jiaxu, embarrassed to the point that she wanted to just get the phone from his hand and give Sang Yan a piece of her mind.
In the next moment.
”Did I hear my sister’s voice? Sang Yan paused, as if realizing something. His tone carried a hint of contemplation, “Are you two together?”
Peek-Aboo 
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