Secretly, But Unable to Hide It
Secretly, But Unable to Hide It Chapter 64

The car didn’t reach the gate of Duan Jiaxu’s neighborhood but stopped by the roadside instead.

The two of them got out of the car.

Duan Jiaxu stretched his body, gently turning his neck and rubbing his shoulders. He walked into a nearby pharmacy and casually picked up some medicine for treating bruises from the shelf.

Sang Yan followed slowly behind, leaning against the door while waiting. His face usually didn’t show much expression, but now, due to his foul mood, his gaze became even colder. Combined with his all-black outfit, he looked rather intimidating.

The clerk at the counter couldn’t help but glance at him a couple of times.

Soon, Duan Jiaxu brought the medicine to the counter to pay.

The clerk scanned the barcode and looked up at Duan Jiaxu’s bruised lips and the purple marks on his face. She frowned and lowered her voice to ask, “Do you need me to call the police for you?”

Sang Yan clearly heard it and immediately shot a glance over, his eyes carrying a hint of menace.

Duan Jiaxu was stunned for a moment, feeling a bit amused but also wary of aggravating his injuries. He paid with his phone and replied gently, “No, thank you.”

Sang Yan left the store first. He glanced back at Duan Jiaxu’s face and sneered. “With such minor injuries, it’ll probably heal before we even reach the police station.”

“……” Duan Jiaxu didn’t argue with him and pointed towards the neighborhood nearby. “Over there.”

The two of them returned to Duan Jiaxu’s place.

He lived alone, and besides Sang Zhi, no one else had come inside. The shoe rack had only a few pairs of his shoes and two pairs of indoor slippers.

Most of the colors were dark, so Sang Zhi’s pink slippers stood out among them.

Sang Yan glanced at them and sneered.

“……”

Duan Jiaxu didn’t bother accommodating him and lazily said, “You can just go barefoot.”

Making himself at home, Sang Yan headed straight for the fridge as soon as he walked in, grabbing a bottle of cola from inside. His gaze swept over the snacks in the fridge, then quickly closed it.

Sang Yan returned to the living room.

Duan Jiaxu had already come out of the bedroom, holding a change of clothes. Noticing what Sang Yan was holding, he raised an eyebrow and casually reminded him, “It’s like this.”

Sang Yan looked puzzled. “?”

“The snacks and drinks in the fridge, as well as the items in this cabinet,” Duan Jiaxu’s tone was polite and calm as he said slowly, “I’d prefer if you don’t touch them.”

Sang Yan didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids and casually remarked, “Are the colas laced with gold?”

“Not quite.” Duan Jiaxu smiled. “But they belong to my girlfriend.”

“……”

This shift in status made Sang Yan feel particularly uncomfortable and awkward.

He shot Duan Jiaxu a chilly glance and couldn’t be bothered to respond.

Duan Jiaxu headed into the bathroom. He undressed and took a look at himself in the mirror. His lips were cut, the corner of his left eye was slightly swollen, and the bruises on his cheeks were tinged with blood.

There were a few other areas on his body turning purple, and he was sore all over.

He wondered if the swelling would go down by tomorrow.

He thought back to how Sang Zhi had been so angry she almost cried when Jiang Ying splashed water on him. This time, he looked even more battered than before, and he couldn’t help but wonder how she would react tomorrow.

Duan Jiaxu sighed, turned on the shower, and adjusted the water temperature a bit higher, hoping to ease the aches in his body. He usually showered quickly, but since he was injured, it took him a little longer this time.

When he came out of the bathroom, Sang Yan had already finished a round of his game and was now flipping through TV channels with the remote.

A few opened snack bags were scattered on the coffee table.

Sang Yan leaned forward, grabbed a bag, and tossed a chip into his mouth.

Duan Jiaxu glanced at him briefly but didn’t say much. He took out the medicine he just bought and began applying it to his wounds, casually asking, “When are you heading back to Nanwu?”

Sang Yan replied, “Not anytime soon.”

Noticing Duan Jiaxu’s actions, he added, “Is that really necessary for such minor injuries?”

“……” Duan Jiaxu chuckled. “It actually hurts.”

“Other than the first hit,” Sang Yan leaned back against the sofa, his tone irritatingly dismissive, “I didn’t use any force. It was more like I was giving you a massage.”

Duan Jiaxu didn’t respond, lifting his shirt to spray medicine on his abdomen.

“Tomorrow, when that little brat sees you, she’ll probably say I bullied you.” Sang Yan yawned, his tone sleepy. “Come on, I’m a fair person. I’ll let you hit me once.”

Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow and said calmly, “Forget it. I’ve never hit anyone before, I wouldn’t know how.”

“Just hit me already. Why are you hesitating?”

After a moment of silence, Duan Jiaxu put down the medicine in his hand, tilted his head, and cooperatively said, “Then stand up. It’s hard to hit you while you’re sitting.”

“……”

They had just called a truce.

But the conflict inexplicably flared up again, though this time it was Sang Yan who was asking for it. However, he didn’t seem to take it seriously, his voice full of disdain as he said, “Let’s get this over with.”

Duan Jiaxu smiled. “I really don’t know how to.”

Sang Yan’s temper had flared earlier, so he hadn’t held back. In hindsight, it seemed a bit excessive. Sang Yan, impatient, pointed to his face, “Make a fist and hit me right here—”

Before he could finish, Duan Jiaxu had already thrown a punch at the spot he indicated.

“……”

Sang Yan’s head tilted and he took a step back, crashing into the shoe cabinet. Half of his face went numb and his teeth scraped against his lips, causing a sharp pain. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, laughing angrily, but didn’t say a word. Instead, he just gave Duan Jiaxu a thumbs-up.

The situation inexplicably escalated.

The two of them sat together on the sofa, applying medication.

“I’m kind of regretting it now.” Duan Jiaxu said slowly as he sprayed medicine on the back of his hand. “My hand also hurts after hitting you.”

Sang Yan, pressing a warm towel against his face, replied expressionlessly, “You really hit hard.”

Duan Jiaxu chuckled softly. “I don’t know my own strength.”

“Get lost.”

Duan Jiaxu’s phone kept dinging.

He could guess it was Sang Zhi messaging him. Duan Jiaxu sped up applying medicine, then grabbed a tissue to wipe his hands before picking up his phone to reply.

Annoyed by the noise, Sang Yan said, “Can you turn off the sound?”

Duan Jiaxu glanced up and lazily replied, “Nope.”

“……”

“Now that I think about it,” Duan Jiaxu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he mused, “your phone is pretty quiet.”

“……”

“Alright.” Duan Jiaxu said, noticing the time and deciding not to tease him further. He stood up and said, “I have work tomorrow. You figure it out yourself. I’m going to bed.”

“Wait,” Sang Yan called out, “lend me a pair of underwear.”

“……”

“What’s the problem? I’ll return them after a few days. And,” Sang Yan, lying sprawled on the sofa without any regard for proper posture, continued, “where am I sleeping tonight? You can’t possibly make your guest sleep on the sofa, right?”

There was a moment of silence.

Before long, Duan Jiaxu bent down, lightly tapping Sang Yan’s chest with his fingertips. His peach blossom eyes were filled with mischief and he dragged out his voice in an overly suggestive tone, “Sorry, but I don’t sleep with men.”

“……” Sang Yan said, “Can you stop being disgusting?”

Duan Jiaxu opened a cabinet and pulled out a new set of toiletries. He also went to his room to grab some clothes, tossing them in front of Sang Yan. “I’m going to bed. The living room is yours.”

“……”

He took a couple of steps toward his room but then turned back. “It’s not that I don’t respect you, Bro. You beat me up pretty bad today, so I need some rest.”

“Just get lost.”

After pondering for a moment, Duan Jiaxu added casually, “I’m locking my door.”

“……”

———pr


After finishing a video call with Li Ping, Sang Zhi took a shower and got into bed, continuously sending messages to Duan Jiaxu. She tried sending one to Sang Yan as well, only to find that he hadn’t removed her from his blacklist yet. She quickly gave up on that.

Duan Jiaxu was slow in replying.

Guessing that the two men might have something to talk about, Sang Zhi didn’t keep pestering him.

After playing with her phone for a while, Sang Zhi thought about it and sent Duan Jiaxu a video call request.

He didn’t answer.

Shortly after, he sent a message, 【I have no clothes on.】

Sang Zhi: “……”

Duan Jiaxu: 【Is it alright?】

Before Sang Zhi could reply, he initiated another video call.

Sang Zhi’s breath caught and she instinctively hung up, opting to call him back with a voice call instead. When he answered, she frowned and said, “Can’t you put on some clothes? Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”

Duan Jiaxu’s voice, always laced with a smile, came through, “Too lazy to wear any.”

“……”

“You really don’t want to see?” Duan Jiaxu lowered his voice as if whispering in her ear, “It’s quite sexy.”

“……” Sang Zhi was speechless. “Did you and my brother drink?”

“No.”

Sang Zhi decided to get to the point, avoiding his teasing. “So, is everything fine?”

Duan Jiaxu chuckled. “He just scolded me a bit, it’s alright.”

Sang Zhi felt relieved and muttered, “Let him scold you for now. I’ll find a chance to scold him back for you.”

Duan Jiaxu responded with a soft hum.

“Why did my brother suddenly come over?”

“It seems like he wanted to check up on things.” Duan Jiaxu said. “Are you staying in the dorms now, or are you living with your graduate student boyfriend?”

“I’m not that casual.” Sang Zhi rubbed her eyes and mumbled, “Well, as long as everything’s fine. I’m going to sleep now.”

“Mm, good night.”

“By the way, what’s my brother doing tomorrow?” Sang Zhi suddenly remembered something. “Did he mention when he’s going back?”

“He said he’d stay for a while. Go to sleep, don’t worry about him.”

———pr


The next morning, Sang Zhi arrived at the office right on time.

Because she hadn’t organized the reports, Sang Zhi was scolded by Shi Xiaoyu. Perhaps due to lack of sleep, she was more irritable than usual today. “Are you trying to get fired? Is there anything I’ve asked you to do that you can do right?”

Sang Zhi thought for a moment. “I think I’ve done everything pretty well.”

“Sang Zhi!” Shi Xiaoyu’s face turned red with anger as she shouted, “Do you think this is your home? Do you think the company pays you to play around? If you’re incompetent, then just get out of here!”

Sang Zhi couldn’t understand why Shi Xiaoyu’s emotions were so intense, so she responded earnestly, “When have I played around? Besides, I’m here for an internship because I lack skills and want to learn something.”

Shi Xiaoyu sneered. “If you’re incompetent, then you’d better listen to me. Do whatever I tell you and stop going against me all the time.”

“Oh.” Sang Zhi said, “I’ll listen if it’s reasonable.”

“You were quite obedient at the start, weren’t you? What happened? Can’t stand it anymore?” Shi Xiaoyu added, “Honestly, you look pretty and you’re well-educated, so why did you have to steal someone else’s boyfriend? Don’t you find it disgusting?”

“……”

Their argument drew the attention of nearby colleagues.

Sang Zhi looked up. “Whose boyfriend did I steal? Jiang Ying’s?”

“You know it yourself.”

“Sorry, but my boyfriend hadn’t even touched another woman’s hand before he met me.” Sang Zhi stared at Shi Xiaoyu, her tone gradually becoming cold, “And by the way, you should tell your friend to see a doctor. Haven’t you seen her go crazy before? What’s she fantasizing about every day? Does she have a mental problem?”

Shi Xiaoyu was taken aback. “But she told me—”

Their argument was loud enough to draw Zhang Hui out of the conference room. He called out sternly, “What are you two doing?! Get in here!”

Both of them received a scolding from Zhang Hui.

Recently, some of Shi Xiaoyu’s behavior towards Sang Zhi had reached Zhang Hui’s ears. Zhang Hui, being a straightforward person, didn’t like such conduct, so he gave Shi Xiaoyu a warning.

Shi Xiaoyu became much more restrained after that.

Though their quarrel dropped their relationship to an all-time low, Sang Zhi actually felt more at ease.

The rest of the day passed without another incident.

After finishing her work, Sang Zhi didn’t even bother with appearances. She treated Shi Xiaoyu like she didn’t exist, said goodbye to the nearby colleagues, and left.

Both Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu had to work today, so no one had time to deal with Sang Yan. The two had originally planned to have dinner at a seafood restaurant near her place, and now they decided to bring Sang Yan along.

As soon as she left the office, Sang Zhi spotted Duan Jiaxu in his usual spot. She ran over, just about to ask where Sang Yan was when she suddenly noticed the injuries on his face.

“……” Sang Zhi swallowed the words she was about to say.

Duan Jiaxu took her hand and said, “Your brother went ahead to grab a table. Let’s go over now.”

Sang Zhi pressed her lips together, quickly guessing what had happened. Trying to keep her anger in check, she asked, “What happened to your face?”

The corner of Duan Jiaxu’s mouth had already scabbed over, and the bruising on his face had faded a bit, making him look a lot better than the day before. He scratched the skin under his eye and said, “I accidentally bumped into something.”

Sang Zhi made a sound, then added, “Bumped into Sang Yan’s fist, I suppose?”

“……”

She stared at his face for a moment, then turned and walked in the direction of the seafood restaurant. After a few steps, she looked back at him. “Don’t tell me you just stood there and let him hit you?”

Duan Jiaxu cleared his throat. “Not exactly.”

Sang Zhi asked, “Where else did he hit you?”

“Nowhere.” Duan Jiaxu replied calmly, “Just on my face.”

As if evaluating the truth of his words, Sang Zhi paused and stood still. After a moment, she suddenly lifted her hand and unexpectedly poked him in the stomach.

The sharp pain from the sudden touch caused Duan Jiaxu to reflexively take a step back, his expression shifting slightly.

His reaction was more than obvious.

Sang Zhi was furious. “I’m going to kill him.”

“……”

The restaurant was busy, with most of the tables occupied. Sang Yan was sitting at a window seat inside, flipping through the menu in boredom. He noticed someone approaching out of the corner of his eye, but before he could look up, someone grabbed the back of his collar, nearly choking him.

Sang Yan coughed hard and instinctively cursed, “Damn it.”

Sang Zhi’s voice filled with barely suppressed anger followed, “You’re dead.”

Seeing Duan Jiaxu standing nearby, Sang Yan instantly understood what was going on. He spoke slowly, “Let go of me before I get mad.”

“Starting from today— no, from right now,” Sang Zhi ignored his words and pinched his face as well as tugged at his hair, “I’m going to call Mom every day and badmouth your girlfriend. Don’t even think about bringing her home. You can dream on! What did I tell you yesterday—”

Sang Yan pried her hands off. “You dare?”

“You’re the unreasonable one! Who told you to hit people? And not just hit, but hit so hard!” Sang Zhi’s voice grew more agitated, her eyes reddening as she grabbed Sang Yan again, her grip tightening with her rising anger. “If I’d been there yesterday, I would’ve called the cops on you! I’m telling you! I’m going to fight with you from now on!”

Sang Yan took a deep breath. “Talk properly.”

After her last sentence, Sang Zhi finally let go. Her voice wavered with a hint of tears, “Sang Yan! You bullied my boyfriend! I’m cutting ties with you!”

“……”

After venting her anger, Sang Zhi stared at him for a long time before storming off to the restroom.

Duan Jiaxu cleared his throat, patting Sang Yan on the shoulder before following her. He returned to the table alone after a short while.

Noticing Sang Yan’s gaze, Duan Jiaxu explained, “She’s in the restroom.”

Sang Yan rubbed his face, laughing out of sheer frustration. “Damn it, don’t stop me later. I’m really going to kill that little brat.”

“I’ll definitely stop you.”

“……”

“What’s the point of arguing with a little girl?” Duan Jiaxu said, defending Sang Zhi. “She couldn’t have really hurt you.”

Sang Yan was still fuming. “Get lost.”

“Bro, look at it this way.” Duan Jiaxu seemed to enjoy the situation, chuckling as he said, “When will you ever have a chance to beat me up again?”

pocketrobbin[Translator]

Chapter Schedule ─ 〚Mon & Thurs: SFCIGI and TMPS〛, 〚Tue & Fri: SFCIGI and RND〛, 〚Wed & Sat: MFTV and LC〛

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