However, after the last two words were spoken, the receiver did not make a sound of disconnection. Duan Jiaxu did not speak again and scanned the shelves around him.

After a while, Sang Yan suddenly said, “Bro.”

Duan Jiaxu couldn’t be bothered to respond.

There was the sound of a chair being dragged, followed by Sang Yan exhaling and resignedly saying, “How about I go with you to buy it?”

“……”

“Alright.” Sang Yan’s tone was somewhat depressed. “Can you accompany me instead?”

They had never been to that particular section of the supermarket before.

Duan Jiaxu searched for a long time and finally found the target item on a shelf next to the laundry detergents. He was about to walk over when he noticed several women standing there, with a saleswoman recommending products to them.

He hesitated.

Thinking that Sang Zhi was still waiting, Duan Jiaxu’s eyelids twitched. He couldn’t afford to be cautious anymore. He had to muster up the courage to go over. So he bent down in front of the shelf on the far left, looking at the pink packaging.

He wanted to grab a random pack but felt unsure.

Soon, Sang Yan also found the spot and walked over to him.

At the same time, Duan Jiaxu picked up a blue packet and held it up to him. “How about this one?”

Sang Yan glanced at it. “What does ‘day use’ mean? Used during the day?”

“……”

“Isn’t it night now?” Sang Yan scratched his head irritably and pointed in another direction. “How about getting that black one, it says ‘night use’.”

Duan Jiaxu looked over and said calmly, “400 mm. Is it 40 cm long?”

“……”

“Isn’t that too big?”

Sang Yan stared at the four characters on the package, frowning. “What does ‘dry and breathable’ mean?”

Duan Jiaxu: “I don’t know.”

“And ‘cottony soft surface’—”

The women nearby had finished shopping and left. The saleswoman approached them and asked, “Are you here to buy for your girlfriends?”

Sang Yan’s words were interrupted and both of them looked at each other.

At this moment, the one who should answer was Sang Yan. After all, the person most directly related to Sang Zhi was him. Duan Jiaxu withdrew his gaze and didn’t speak.

“No.” Sang Yan didn’t follow the usual script. He glanced at Duan Jiaxu and suddenly said, “Don’t be fooled by his appearance.”

Pausing for a moment, he added with a straight face, “Actually, he’s a woman.”

“……”

Duan Jiaxu’s movements halted.

The saleswoman’s expression visibly stiffened. “Huh?”

“Don’t be like that. He just looks rough, but he really is a woman.”

After a few seconds, Duan Jiaxu looked up. His eyes, slightly narrowed, appeared deep and ambiguous. Then he showed a slightly playful smile and called out, “Honey?”

Sang Yan who instantly got goosebumps: “……”

“Why explain so much?” Duan Jiaxu chuckled lightly and pinched his cheeks. “You don’t need to say anything, I understand that in your eyes, I’m the most beautiful.”

“……”

Under the saleswoman’s strange gaze and somewhat perfunctory recommendation, Sang Yan barely maintained his composure and picked up two packs each for day and night use.

After leaving that section, Sang Yan sneered. “You’re disgusting.”

Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow. “Am I?”

“I almost threw up.”

“Aren’t you the one who said I was a woman?” Duan Jiaxu’s smile was gentle, like a male enchantress, as he spoke slowly, “If I were a woman, I think I’d be quite pretty, right?”

“……”

The two of them moved to the underwear section. Sang Yan casually picked up a box, intending to go check out.

Duan Jiaxu reminded him, “You should buy a set of clothes too.”

Sang Yan realized. “It got to her clothes too?”

Duan Jiaxu hummed.

Sang Yan nodded, not asking more questions.

They turned to the clothing section and Sang Yan casually scanned the area, then picked out a set of clothes that seemed about the right size. But before he could pick it up, Duan Jiaxu pointed to a dress and said, “Buy this one.”

Sang Yan looked over.

The size was also about right.

The color was almost identical to the one Sang Zhi was wearing today, with little difference.

Sang Yan didn’t ask why, nor did he care about these details, and directly took down the dress.

They left the supermarket and returned to the restroom on the first floor.

Sang Yan stopped a woman about to enter and politely asked, “Excuse me, can you give this to the little girl named Sang Zhi inside?”

The woman was taken aback but said, “Sure.”

“Thank you.”

As the woman was about to enter, Duan Jiaxu added, “By the way, could you please help her with it? She might be too shy to ask.”

“Huh?”

Duan Jiaxu rubbed the back of his neck and after a few seconds added, “She’s young and might not understand how to use it.”

The woman understood and smiled. “No problem.”

This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

———pr


Sang Zhi waited in the restroom for a long time.

The mall’s design was quite user-friendly, with a sitting area in the restroom for waiting. But she didn’t dare to sit, fearing that the stains on her dress would mark the chair.

She didn’t dare call Duan Jiaxu to hurry him up, so she just stood there waiting.

After more than ten minutes had passed, a tall, thin stranger walked in. The other party looked around the restroom before her eyes settled on Sang Zhi. Then the other party approached. “Little Sister, are you Sang Zhi?”

Sang Zhi quickly nodded.

“Your brother asked me to bring you this.” The woman handed her the bag and added, “Do you know how to use one?”

Sang Zhi took the bag and nodded again. “Yes, thank you, Sister.”

Seeing her red eyes, the woman offered some comfort, “It’s okay, everyone goes through this. Don’t cry, go change.”

Sang Zhi thanked the other party again and then took the bag into a stall. Seeing that it contained everything she needed, she finally felt relieved.

After carefully cleaning herself and awkwardly putting on a sanitary pad, she quickly left the stall. She wasn’t sure how to face Duan Jiaxu, so she lingered at the sink for a while.

In the end, she decided to just face whatever happened.

To her surprise, Duan Jiaxu was not outside. Instead, she saw Sang Yan, whom she hadn’t seen since getting out of the car. Her embarrassment and awkwardness eased slightly.

Noticing her, Sang Yan waved.

Sang Zhi walked over to him in silence.

Seeing her red eyes, Sang Yan bent down a bit and asked, “Little Brat, why are you crying?”

At his words, tears welled up in Sang Zhi’s eyes again. She choked, “It’s embarrassing.”

“Who said it’s embarrassing?”

“It just is.” Sang Zhi wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “Wuuwuu…… You even put it in a transparent bag…… Everyone can see……”

“That was the bag the cashier gave.” Sang Yan found it funny. “Why blame me? Blame the cashier.”

“I don’t care…… Wuuwuuwuu……” Sang Zhi sobbed and stubbornly said, “You need to find me an opaque bag……”

“Where am I supposed to get one?” Sang Yan, annoyed by her crying, stood up and stretched out his hand. “Fine, I’ll carry it for you. That way, I’ll be the one being embarrassed. Okay?”

Hearing that, Sang Zhi looked at him. Seemingly agreeing with the idea, her crying subsided and she handed him the bag.

Sang Yan took it and used his other hand to grab her wrist, mocking her, “You still say you’re not a child, crying over such a trivial thing.”

Without a word, Sang Zhi wiped her tears on his clothes.

Surprisingly, Sang Yan didn’t get angry this time and simply asked, “Are your hands dirty?”

Sang Zhi sniffed and said, “I didn’t wipe my snot on it.”

Sang Yan gave her a cool glance. “You better not.”

As soon as he said that, Sang Zhi grabbed the hem of his shirt and, as if determined to defy him, wiped her nose vigorously on it.

Sang Yan: “……”

The two of them stood there in a standoff for a moment.

Eventually, Sang Yan gave in, suppressing his temper. He took her to the third-floor restroom to wash her face and clean up his own messy shirt.

By the time they returned to the barbecue place, it was almost 7:00 PM.

Sang Zhi followed closely behind Sang Yan. She looked ahead secretly and noticed Duan Jiaxu and Qian Fei sitting side by side at a four-person table.

Duan Jiaxu sat in the inner seat, leaning back against the chair with a casual smile on his face, listening to Qian Fei and occasionally responding.

His posture was relaxed and lazy, like a carefree young master, yet somehow, he had an inexplicable allure that made it hard to look away.

Sang Zhi couldn’t figure out why it ended up being Sang Yan who came to find her. She guessed that Duan Jiaxu must have called Sang Yan. However, she felt less embarrassed knowing it wasn’t Duan Jiaxu who went to buy those things for her.

Sang Yan had her sit in the inner seat.

When the two of them returned, Qian Fei asked puzzled, “Where have you guys been? I’m almost full.”

Sang Zhi opened her mouth but didn’t know how to explain.

Sang Yan placed the bag beside the chair, glanced at Sang Zhi, and lied effortlessly, “This little brat went to play the claw machine and wouldn’t come back.”

Qian Fei didn’t think much of it. He didn’t even notice Sang Zhi had changed her dress, just curiously asked, “You didn’t catch any dolls?”

“Nope.” Sang Yan replied slowly, “She couldn’t catch any and started crying.”

“Ah?” Qian Fei looked at Sang Zhi and comforted, “Little Sister, it’s okay. After dinner, Brother will catch one for you.”

Sang Zhi pretended not to hear and accidentally made eye contact with Duan Jiaxu across the table.

She quickly looked away.

Qian Fei didn’t pursue the topic further and pointed to the menu. “Shall we order more food?”

“Sure.” Sang Yan handed the menu to Sang Zhi. “Order what you want.”

Qian Fei, chewing on a skewer, asked, “Sang Yan, are you drinking? Let’s get a pitcher, it’s no fun drinking alone.”

Sang Yan straightforwardly said, “No, I have to drive later.”

Qian Fei rolled his eyes. “Come on, you’re not drinking and neither is Duan Jiaxu. Have you seen anyone come to a barbecue place and doesn’t drink?”

Sang Yan replied, “Well, now you’ve seen two.”

Sang Zhi glanced forward secretly again.

This time, she didn’t coincidentally meet his gaze. Duan Jiaxu had his head lowered, rinsing a glass with hot water, then filling it halfway. When he looked up, Sang Zhi quickly averted her gaze.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the glass being placed in front of her.

Sang Zhi looked up and obediently said, “Thank you.”

She quickly ordered her food and handed the menu back to Sang Yan.

Sang Yan glanced at it and was about to call the waiter when he noticed two of the skewers she ordered. He turned his head and asked, “Did you order these?”

Sang Zhi replied, “Yes.”

“Be sensible.” Sang Yan crossed them off with a pen. “Don’t make me remind you.”

Sang Zhi was unhappy but didn’t want to argue in front of others, so she muttered, “Eating a little won’t hurt. I only ordered one of each.”

Sang Yan, impatient, said, “Not even a little. I don’t have time to take care of you, you little brat.”

Qian Fei, from across the table, scolded, “Sang Yan, your sister wants to eat something and you won’t let her? It’s okay, Little Sister, Brother will treat you.”

“Shut it.” Sang Yan snapped. “She’s allergic to beef and mutton.”

“Oh.” Qian Fei quickly changed his tone, “Then, Little Sister, eat something else. Being sick is no fun.”

It was only a mild allergy and eating a little wouldn’t hurt.

But Sang Zhi had no choice but to comply. She picked up the water glass and sipped it slowly, listening to the three young men talk about things she wasn’t interested in.

After a while, Sang Zhi couldn’t help but poke Sang Yan’s arm. “Brother.”

Sang Yan turned his head. “What?”

“I’m hungry.”

The speed at which food was served at this barbecue place was incredibly slow.

Sang Yan scanned the table and placed a barely touched plate of beef chow fun in front of her. “Eat this to fill your stomach for now.”

Sang Zhi responded with an “Oh” and picked up her chopsticks.

She was about to serve herself a small bowl when she noticed there were still several pieces of beef in the dish. Feeling like she had found a treasure, her first reaction was to look at Sang Yan, then at Duan Jiaxu and Qian Fei.

None of the three young men were looking her way.

Feeling like a thief, Sang Zhi hid one piece of beef under the chow fun, intending to pick it up together.

That way, no one would notice the beef in her bowl, and no one would know she secretly ate beef tonight.

——A flawless operation.

Just as she picked up the chow fun with the beef, Duan Jiaxu suddenly called out to her.

“Kid.”

Sang Zhi’s chopsticks loosened and she looked up. “Huh?”

Duan Jiaxu propped his right cheek with one hand. His eyebrows were slightly raised and a faint smile was on his lips as he dragged his words, “Let Brother serve himself first, okay?”

Sang Zhi’s actions halted and she silently withdrew her chopsticks. “Oh.”

Then she pushed the plate in front of him.

The other two young men were engrossed in their conversation and didn’t notice the interaction between them.

Duan Jiaxu picked up a new pair of chopsticks and slowly sifted through the beef chow fun. Throughout this time, Sang Zhi watched his every move.

She saw him not pick up any rice noodles but instead put piece after piece of beef into his bowl, not even sparing a single beef shred.

Once he had cleaned the plate of beef, he pushed it back to her. “Done.”

“……”

“Eat.”

“……”