It was as if she had returned to that year.

In the freezing cold of Yihe City, inside the bright and spacious airport filled with hurried travelers, there was a girl outside the T3 exit trying to hold back her tears and a young man with gentle eyes who had come to pick her up.

What she couldn’t obtain in the past had now turned into something she was afraid to lose.

In that same place, all the words she hadn’t dared to speak back then, all the hidden thoughts, the overwhelming shame she had felt at the time— everything was laid bare, exposed once more.

It all resurfaced.

One by one, all of it, offered up with trembling hands.

She only wished that he could accept her vulnerability, transform it into strength, and make it his armor.

Duan Jiaxu stared at the handwriting on the note for a long moment before he lifted his eyes to look at Sang Zhi. His voice was slightly hoarse as he asked, “What were you afraid I’d think?”

Sang Zhi, sniffling, said, “I was afraid you’d think I was very…… very strange……”

At such a young age, an age when one was supposed to understand nothing, she already had those thoughts about him. After meeting him again, she deliberately distanced herself, using one lie to cover another.

It must have seemed very strange, even inexplicable.

When she was little, all the actions she did to get close to him and even asking him not to get a girlfriend, were the reasons she gradually distanced herself from him.

All of those were signs he never noticed back then.

Now, at this moment, could they all finally be explained?

“It’s not strange.” Duan Jiaxu reached out to wipe away her tears and softly coaxed, “How do you fold this star? After I unfolded it, I couldn’t fold it back.”

Sang Zhi, her eyes red and swollen, took one from him and folded it back following the previous creases.

Duan Jiaxu followed her movements.

Soon, the long strip of star paper returned to its original shape.

Duan Jiaxu took the star from her hands, stared at it for a few more seconds, then put it in his pocket, muttering, “I’ll have to keep these safe.”

Sang Zhi kept her head down, staring at her toes without saying a word.

“So, if we count it up,” Duan Jiaxu’s gaze dimmed as he held her hand, gently squeezing her fingertips, “how many times have I made you cry?”

Hearing that, Sang Zhi sniffled and her tears threatened to fall again.

“And you still say you’re not a crybaby.” Duan Jiaxu stood up and added, “Get up. I want to hug you but it’s not easy to do while you’re sitting.”

Sang Zhi wiped her tears with the back of her hand once again and obediently stood up.

The next moment, Duan Jiaxu bent down and pulled her into his arms. He rested his hand on the back of her head, gently stroking it as if to comfort her. “Why did you suddenly decide to tell me this?”

Sang Zhi’s voice was nasal and muffled, “I just wanted to say it.”

“You came early,” Duan Jiaxu paused before realizing, “because you want to tell me this?”

Sang Zhi was silent for a few seconds before whispering, “I came to see you and just mentioned it along the way.”

Duan Jiaxu asked, “Then why did you start crying?”

“……”

“This time, I don’t have a girlfriend your brother made up,” Duan Jiaxu let go of her, chuckling, “but now, I do have a real one.”

Sang Zhi raised her head and stared at his face.

Duan Jiaxu lowered his eyes and patiently buttoned the coat that was on her, his voice unhurried, “Why do you look like a little pitiful thing, not even wearing something thicker?”

Sang Zhi remained standing without moving and just kept watching him.

Soon, Duan Jiaxu fastened the last button. The coat looked oversized on her as if a child had stolen an adult’s clothing.

His lips curled into a smile as he wiped away the tear still clinging to her eyelashes.

“Let’s go home.”

Once they were in the car, Sang Zhi took a wet wipe from her bag and wiped her face. Her emotions had calmed down a bit, and after seeing Duan Jiaxu, most of the unease in her heart had dissipated.

Duan Jiaxu helped her with the seatbelt and asked again, “Why did you suddenly come early?”

Sang Zhi replied honestly, “Because you’re ignoring me.”

“I wasn’t ignoring you.” Duan Jiaxu patiently explained, “I’ve just been really busy lately, and by the time I finish, it’s already very late. I didn’t want to disturb your sleep.”

“I thought you were avoiding me.”

“……” Duan Jiaxu was taken aback. “Avoiding you?”

“You said you needed to think about something, but I don’t know what it is.” Sang Zhi’s mood soured again as she mentioned this. “Then you stopped responding to me so I thought you were avoiding me. It felt like if I asked over the phone, you’d find it easier to say it.”

“……”

“But if I came to you in person and asked,” Sang Zhi expressed her thoughts dryly, “you probably wouldn’t feel comfortable to bring it up.”

Duan Jiaxu finally understood her meaning and laughed in exasperation, “Bring up what?”

Sang Zhi remained silent.

“What are you thinking?” Duan Jiaxu started the car, his tone light, “If it weren’t for your parents’ objection, I would’ve dragged you to get a marriage certificate by now.”

“……” Sang Zhi muttered, “Why are you using the word ‘drag’?”

“It’s because I’m afraid you’ll run away.”

Hearing that, the tension Sang Zhi had been holding onto finally relaxed and she glanced at him. “So what were you considering?”

“I was thinking about whether to stay here at Yihe with you for another two years and wait for you to graduate before heading back to Nanwu together,” Duan Jiaxu said casually, “or whether to go there now and get everything settled first.”

“……” Sang Zhi was stunned. “You don’t plan to stay in Yihe?”

“Mm.”

“If you want to stay in Yihe, we can discuss it.” Sang Zhi said earnestly, “You don’t have to accommodate me in everything.”

“I don’t want to stay here either.” Duan Jiaxu replied, “Besides, if I don’t accommodate you, who else should I accommodate?”

“……”

“I already told you not to worry, so why are you still crying about it?” Duan Jiaxu teased, “Just focus on studying well and spend more time with your boyfriend. Leave everything else to me.”

Sang Zhi frowned. “I definitely need to be involved.”

“I’ll visit your home again in a while.” Duan Jiaxu said seriously as he drove into the residential area. “I’ll explain everything to your parents, so don’t worry.”

Sang Zhi’s flight had arrived late so by the time they got back to Duan Jiaxu’s apartment, it was almost 2:00 in the morning.

Sang Zhi’s nerves finally relaxed as she settled into the familiar surroundings, and soon, sleepiness washed over her. Feeling utterly at ease, she said goodnight to Duan Jiaxu and then returned to her room.

Duan Jiaxu, however, wasn’t the least bit sleepy. He sat on the sofa, listening as Sang Zhi entered the master bedroom’s bathroom, followed by the faint sound of running water.

He pulled his thoughts back.

Thinking of Sang Zhi’s earlier words, Duan Jiaxu took out the two star-shaped objects from his pocket. His eyelashes fluttered slightly as he got up to find a box to store them in.

Afterward, he entered the bedroom and placed the box on the nightstand.

Duan Jiaxu returned to the living room, took a pack of cigarettes from under the coffee table, pulled one out, and bit it between his lips. He lit it with a lighter and leaned back against the chair, then he tilted his head up and exhaled a smoke ring, his expression unreadable.

Slowly, he began to reminisce about the past.

……

She had been drunk at that time with tears streaming down her face as she cried bitterly, “I have some I really like, but he doesn’t like me.”

Her consciousness seemed unclear, yet she stubbornly refused to say the person’s name.

Because she was afraid he would find out.

Thinking back further, there was that time she secretly ran to Yihe.

Duan Jiaxu didn’t have a clear memory of that event, but he still remembered her sitting on a chair, looking extremely frail while sobbing. “But I will grow up.”

He was completely unaware, merely offering comfort.

The girl seemed to feel embarrassed, holding back her tears, yet they wouldn’t stop flowing. “But he…… he will like someone else.”

Duan Jiaxu remembered that at the time, he probably said something like, once she grew up, she would definitely meet someone better.

Perhaps she really felt heartbroken then.

That’s why after returning to Nanwu, she gradually distanced herself from him and drew a line between them. Even after coming to Yihe for university, she never took the initiative to contact him.

It had been years, and she was still avoiding him.

Duan Jiaxu then recalled the time he was in the hospital.

The elderly man on the next bed had mistaken Sang Zhi for his girlfriend. At that time, he indeed found it amusing and played along with the joke.

He treated it as nothing more than a joke.

Those days, her mood wasn’t great, sometimes even on the verge of tears. In the end, she simply told him, “Brother, don’t joke like that anymore.”

Back then, he didn’t understand why she was so unhappy.

It felt like someone was stabbing Duan Jiaxu’s heart with a needle over and over again, only to then pour honey into it.

It hurt, yet it felt sweet.

The cigarette burned down to his fingertips, snapping Duan Jiaxu out of his thoughts. He extinguished the cigarette butt. The silence around him was overwhelming, and there was no sound coming from Sang Zhi’s room.

He exhaled and closed his eyes tightly.

Duan Jiaxu, you’re such a beast.

———pr


Because she was tired, Sang Zhi quickly finished her shower. While yawning, she dried her hair, then lay back in bed, covered herself with the blanket, and instantly fell asleep.

Half asleep, she heard the main door open and close. Not long after, it happened again.

Sang Zhi opened her eyes, stared blankly for a couple of seconds, then quickly fell back asleep.

When she woke up again, it seemed like not much time had passed as it was still dark outside. She sleepily got up to use the bathroom. As she was about to return to bed, she felt thirsty.

Sang Zhi rubbed her eyes and opened the bedroom door. As soon as she stepped out, a strong smell of alcohol filled the air.

She gradually became more awake and hesitantly walked toward the living room.

The lights were off, with only the lamp beside the sofa on, casting a dim light. Duan Jiaxu was leaning against the sofa, his face hidden in the shadows, making his expression unreadable.

On the table were several empty cans— all alcohol.

A few had even fallen to the floor.

Sang Zhi’s mind was still somewhat foggy and under the confusion of the night, she began to wonder if she was still dreaming. She walked over, picked up the cans, and hesitantly asked, “Why did you drink?”

Duan Jiaxu lifted his head slightly.

The light fell on his face, making it a bit clearer.

There was a hint of drunkenness in Duan Jiaxu’s brows, making him appear slightly mischievous. When he saw Sang Zhi, he smiled and reached out his hand toward her. “Kid.”

He looked like trouble.

It had been a long time since Sang Zhi had heard him call her that, so she didn’t immediately react. But soon, she guessed he was probably too drunk to think clearly, so she offered, “I’ll get you some water.”

Before she could walk towards the kitchen, Duan Jiaxu had already grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

Caught off guard, Sang Zhi fell into his embrace.

Then, she met his eyes, devoid of any drunkenness and completely clear.

His lips brushed against her ear, bringing with them a warm, tingling sensation. He bit her earlobe lightly, the faint scent of alcohol mixed with his own, strangely intoxicating.

Instinctively, Sang Zhi wrapped her arms around his neck, but the ticklish sensation made her try to pull away.

She was instantly pulled back, held in place.

His palm felt warm as it slid up from Sang Zhi’s tailbone to stop at her lower back. It felt as if a current had passed through, igniting the cold atmosphere around them.

It was a world with just the two of them.

Sang Zhi even forgot why she had come to the living room.

As if intoxicated by the scent of alcohol on him, she lifted her head and gently bit his Adam’s apple.

She felt his body stiffen slightly.

Duan Jiaxu lifted her chin and stared at her for a couple of seconds before kissing her hard on the lips. His grip was strong, his movements particularly rough as his tongue swept over her lips and teeth, refusing to let go.

Their emotions were chaotic, their desires intense.

Every sense of their bodies and every space in their hearts were all completely occupied by the other.

A long while later, Duan Jiaxu released her lips. In those eyes filled with desire, there was a hint of temptation and blatant seduction. He spoke, his voice low and hoarse, “Kid.”

Sang Zhi looked up at him, instinctively responding.

This call was different from before. It carried a strong, undeniable sense of seduction.

“Do you want to make love with Brother?”