This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m
Sang Yan held back his anger and abruptly turned off the faucet. He spun around, splashing the water left on his hands onto Sang Zhi’s face. “I’ll give you two options. Go back and continue watching your stupid cartoons, or stay here and get a beating.”
“Why are you so mad?” Sang Zhi wiped the water off her face, frowning. “I’m the one getting insulted, not you.”
Sang Yan placed the inner pot into the rice cooker without looking up. “The door’s over there.”
Sang Zhi didn’t move and said seriously, “Don’t tell anyone that we look alike.”
He snorted and turned his head. “Who wants to?”
With that, Sang Yan pinched her cheek hard, snatched the bowl of strawberries from her hands, and walked out of the kitchen.
Instinctively, Sang Zhi rubbed her face. Noticing her hands were empty, her eyes widened in disbelief. “How could you take my stuff?”
“How is it yours?” Sang Yan took a strawberry and bit into it. “Did you buy it with your money?”
Sang Zhi reached out to grab it back. “I took it out of the fridge.”
Sang Yan easily raised his hand higher. “Well, then it’s the fridge’s.”
She struggled, standing on tiptoe and hopping. “But once I take it out, it’s mine.”
“By your logic, now that I’ve taken it, it’s mine.”
“……”
The two of them stood there, locked in a standoff for quite a while.
As Sang Yan was about to eat his fifth strawberry, his phone rang. He glanced at Sang Zhi, subtly lowered his hand holding the strawberries and freed his other hand to check his phone.
Seizing the opportunity, Sang Zhi jumped up and snatched the bowl back.
Sang Yan snorted lightly and answered the call. “What is it?”
Someone on the other end said something.
“I returned home. Our dormitory’s power is out for a day because of some banned electrical appliances. I’m here to avoid that.” He paused, then added meaningfully, “And honestly, I quite regret it.”
Sang Zhi returned to the TV to watch the animated show, ignoring Sang Yan.
Casually, Sang Yan said, “It’s nothing, just bad luck stepping on crap.”
Holding the remote, Sang Zhi turned up the TV volume.
Sang Yan, unfazed, lazily continued talking to the person on the phone. “Qian Fei went home too. You should ask Duan Jiaxu if he’s going back. Though he might not be at campus.”
Hearing the name she hadn���t heard for a long time, Sang Zhi’s gaze involuntarily shifted. She fidgeted with the remote and worried about being caught, she quickly looked down.
She silently turned down the volume a bit.
An odd nervousness washed over Sang Zhi. Her chest felt tight, her mind blank, and her breathing grew rapid. Her attention uncontrollably focused on Sang Yan.
“How many times have you forgotten your keys?” Sang Yan cruelly added, “Auntie definitely won’t give them to you, but if you want to get scolded, go ahead.”
He didn’t mention Duan Jiaxu again.
Reflecting on Sang Yan’s words, Sang Zhi had a sudden uneasy thought.
——Duan Jiaxu hadn’t gone home and might not be at campus.
If that were true, he probably had a girlfriend.
At his age, it made sense.
Even visiting a teacher could turn into a social event. He definitely had one.
Not that it mattered to her.
If he had one, he had one.
It wasn’t a big deal.
But the more she thought about it, the more suffocated she felt. Suddenly, she threw the plastic bowl in her hand onto the coffee table.
It made a loud thud.
Sitting at the dining table, Sang Yan had just hung up the phone. Noticing her inexplicable anger, he looked at her thoughtfully and asked, “You got this mad watching a cartoon?”
Sang Zhi turned off the TV.
Sang Yan sighed, “Did Pleasant Goat get caught by Big Big Wolf[1]《Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf》 is a Chinese animated anime-influenced television series again?”
Sang Zhi finally retorted, “That’s not what I was watching.”
Sang Yan wasn’t interested. He drank the last sip of water and reminded her, “If you’re still going to watch, keep the volume down. I’m going to take a nap.”
“Brother.” Sang Zhi suddenly called out to him.
“?”
Sang Zhi scratched her head and hesitantly asked, “Are you the only one in your dorm without a girlfriend?”
“……” Sang Yan stared at her for two seconds before suddenly laughing. “Little Brat, why are you so concerned about my business lately?”
Sang Zhi felt a bit guilty. “Just curious.”
“Did Mom and Dad make you ask?”
“I’m just worried about you.” Sang Zhi mumbled. “I heard Mom say that Grandma Chen wants to set up her youngest daughter on a blind date. If you don’t have anyone, maybe you could go.”
“……” Sang Yan paused for a moment. “Grandma Chen’s youngest daughter?”
“Yeah.”
“Isn’t she 40?”
Sang Zhi blinked. “So what? Given your situation, you can’t be that picky.”
“……” Sang Yan wanted to curse.
But he was afraid this little brat would learn it and use it against him later.
“That’s none of your concern.” Sang Yan walked over, annoyed, and tapped her head with an empty bottle. “Do you know why none of my roommates have girlfriends?”
Sang Zhi didn’t respond.
“Because they’re all lining up to date me.” Sang Yan said. “I’m home to take refuge, understand?”
Sang Zhi looked at him, not arguing this time, and nodded silently.
She watched as Sang Yan irritably threw the bottle into the trash, got up to head to his room, and then turned back to add, “Because I’m straight.”
Sang Zhi nodded again.
But she didn’t hear anything else.
She only clearly heard two words.
——No girlfriends.
———pr
At dinner, Sang Yan was eating when he suddenly brought up something, “By the way, Dad, I’ll be moving to the main campus after the exams. Can I borrow the car then?”
Sang Rong nodded. “Do you have a lot of stuff? Need to hire movers?”
Sang Yan replied, “No need, I just don’t want to squeeze into the school bus.”
Li Ping asked, “Main campus? Isn’t that near Zhizhi’s school?”
Sang Yan grunted in agreement.
Sang Rong said, “Then you can pick your sister up after school when you have time.”
“……” Sang Yan’s mouth twitched. “I’m going to university, not babysitting.”
Sang Zhi was also unwilling. “I don’t need him to pick me up.”
“That’s best.” Sang Yan scoffed, then turned to Sang Rong, saying, “It should be early next month. You can lend me the Toyota, the bigger one. I’ll also move some stuff for a roommate.”
Sang Rong said, “As long as you don’t bully your sister, everything’s fine.”
Sang Zhi echoed, “Don’t bully me, and everything’s fine.”
“……” Sang Yan held back his frustration. “Got it.”
Remembering his mention of ‘roommate’, Sang Zhi felt a bit hopeful and hesitantly asked, “Brother, which roommate are you helping move?”
Sang Yan didn’t even lift his eyelids. “Why are you asking?”
Sang Zhi kept a straight face. “I want to help you move.”
“……” Sang Yan paused his action of eating. Thinking he must have misheard, he started to doubt himself. “You want to help me move dorms?”
Sang Zhi said, “Yeah.”
Sang Yan, not sure what Sang Zhi was planning, reminded her, “You have classes.”
“Isn’t there the weekend? Besides, I get out of school at 4:20.” Sang Zhi replied, “I can help you after school. Anyway, you probably won’t be done by then.”
Sang Yan responded, “It’s just a coincidence, but I’ll definitely be done by 4:20.”
It was a clear refusal.
Sang Zhi glanced at him, pursed her lips, and said nothing.
Suddenly, Sang Rong spoke up, “What’s wrong with your sister wanting to help you? It’s not a bad thing and it doesn’t affect you.”
Sang Yan said in exasperation, “No, the stuff is heavy as hell. How could she move it? I’d have to watch out for her getting hurt while I’m busy packing. How can I have the energy to take care of her?”
Sang Rong said, “Then just let your sister watch you pack.”
Sang Yan: “……”
He sighed, looked at Sang Zhi, and said slowly, “Fine, do whatever you want.”
Receiving a positive answer, Sang Zhi immediately brightened up. Her round eyes curved into crescents as she smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll watch you pack carefully.”
“……”
Even Sang Zhi herself didn’t quite understand her series of actions.
She didn’t know why she wanted to find out if Duan Jiaxu had a girlfriend, nor did she know why she offered to help Sang Yan move dorms.
Many signs pointed to one thing.
But Sang Zhi was reluctant to admit it.
It was simply missing someone.
Or perhaps, at the age when love first awakens, a strong and uncontrollable emotion grew from deep within her heart, one she had never felt before.
She wanted to release this emotion.
But she only dared to secretly suppress it in the depths of her heart.
Hidden in a place where no one knew.
———pr
Sang Yan was moving dorms on a Wednesday.
As soon as the school bell rang, Sang Zhi immediately grabbed her backpack and ran out. She didn’t even say goodbye, leaving Yin Zhenru puzzled.
Maybe it was because of the campus relocation, but there were more people than usual along the way.
Sang Zhi knew that Nanwu University’s main campus was there, and she often passed by on her way home. Additionally, because Xuri Middle School was too small, their school sports meets were held on Nanwu University’s track.
Any of their school events or performances were also held at Nanwu University’s venues.
So Xuri Middle School was jokingly called the ‘affiliated middle school‘ of Nanwu University.
Sang Zhi stopped at the entrance of Nanwu University and called Sang Yan.
But Sang Yan had completely forgotten about her coming to help. When he answered the call, he was a bit stunned, “Seriously? You’re actually coming?”
Sang Zhi innocently said, “I’m already at the gate.”
“……” Sang Yan asked, “Are you at the main entrance?”
“Hmm.”
“I don’t have time to come out and get you right now. Just go in, turn right, and keep walking straight until you see a staircase. Come up and you’ll find it. Building 9, fifth floor, room 525.” Sang Yan added, “If you’re unsure, just ask someone where the male dormitory building 9 is. Got it?”
Sang Zhi obediently answered, “Got it.”
She hung up the phone and followed Sang Yan’s directions.
Nanwu University had many local students.
Today, a lot of them had family members helping, so along the way, Sang Zhi saw many people who didn’t look like students and others dressed in middle school uniforms like hers.
After about 10 minutes of walking, Sang Zhi saw a wide staircase. The area below was spacious, with several buses and a row of cars parked, leaving a three-meter-wide path.
She looked around, intending to call Sang Yan again, when she noticed Sang Rong’s car parked not far away.
Sang Zhi put down her phone and walked over.
No one was in the car but the trunk was open, perhaps forgotten or for some other reason.
Inside were just a stack of books and an ugly stuffed toy.
Thinking she was going up anyway, she decided to carry both up. Sang Zhi hesitated as she picked up the stuffed toy, intending to place it on top of the stack of books to make it easier to carry.
She hadn’t finished the action and hadn’t let go of the stuffed toy yet when a shadow suddenly fell over her, as if someone was standing behind her, blocking her light.
Sang Zhi instinctively turned her head.
What met her eyes was a plain black shirt.
Her gaze moved up, past the young man’s Adam’s apple, jaw, and lips, and finally met his eyes, which held a faint smile.
Duan Jiaxu’s eyelashes lowered, his gaze fixing on the stuffed toy in Sang Zhi’s hand for a few seconds. Then he suddenly bent down and met her eyes. The corners of his lips pulled up as he said, “Where did this little thief come from?”
The distance between them was a bit close and Sang Zhi’s expression stiffened, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Then, Duan Jiaxu pointed at her hand, raising an eyebrow. “Why are you only stealing Brother’s stuff?”
After a few seconds, he asked leisurely, “Are you targeting me?”
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