Secretly, But Unable to Hide It

Chapter 27

What was he saying?

She was only in her second year of middle school and there were still four and a half years until she graduated from high school. She plans to find a summer break and make up an excuse about going out with friends to visit him at Yihe.

But what he said made her lose the chance to even come up with an excuse.

Sang Zhi felt aggrieved. “Aren’t you just threatening me?”

“Threatening?” Duan Jiaxu tilted his head lazily. “You could say that.”

“……”

“Kid, wasn’t it you who said this?” He pushed the exercise book in front of her, tapped it with his finger, and repeated her earlier words, “It’s better to focus on your studies.”

“……”

———pr

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

The matter was far from over.

Although Sang Zhi confessed her ‘online romance’ very proactively and seriously sought her parents’ permission— asking if she could visit her ‘online crush’ during the winter break— it only made her parents angrier.

Sang Zhi’s boldness, though seemingly respectful, infuriated her parents even more than her past actions like fighting with classmates, not paying attention in class, and disrupting school discipline.

This idea of hers was a thousand times worse in their eyes and caused them tremendous shock.

Despite her promise not to contact her ‘online crush’ again, Sang Rong still changed the home computer’s password and confiscated Sang Zhi’s phone. He also asked Sang Yan to keep an eye on her to prevent her from going out.

So, before the New Year, Sang Zhi lived like she was in prison. Except for her family, the only person she could see was Duan Jiaxu, who came to ‘visit’ every two days.

Duan Jiaxu didn’t mention her online romance again. When he was doing serious work, he was always exceptionally focused and wouldn’t bring up other matters. Only during his free time would he occasionally tease her with a few words.

Afraid of revealing any more secrets, Sang Zhi no longer asked him about his affairs like she used to.

She only knew that Duan Jiaxu’s daily schedule seemed unstable, but he didn’t appear as busy as before. Sometimes, after tutoring her, he had no other plans and would stay in Sang Yan’s room.

Except for their tutoring sessions, Sang Zhi seldom disturbed them. Occasionally, Li Ping would send her in to deliver fruit or snacks, giving her glimpses of Duan Jiaxu in various states.

Occasionally, he would smoke, but the moment he saw her, he would stub out the cigarette, smile at her, and say, “Little Sang Zhi, cover your nose and get out quickly.”

Sometimes he was playing games or sleeping, but he would immediately notice the door opening, look up lazily, and tease her as she placed fruit on the table, “Kid, what’s the matter with you?”

Always with a mischievous smile, he would continue, “Blushing at the sight of Brother.”

He was a young man of many faces.

Mostly playful and without seriousness, but also extraordinarily attentive and gentle. He seemed flirtatious but maintained an unbridgeable distance from others.

He was someone she met at an age that was entirely inappropriate for such feelings.

Yet, she felt that she would fall in love with him at any age.

He was a treasure she discovered during her adolescence, one she didn’t want anyone else to find.

———pr

The day before New Year’s Eve, Sang Zhi finished her last tutoring session of the winter break. Knowing she wouldn’t see Duan Jiaxu for a while, she packed her things slowly, listening to his instructions.

“Pay attention in class. Ask your teacher or brother if you have questions, or you can also ask me. Take pictures of what you don’t understand and send them to me. I’ll reply when I see them.” Duan Jiaxu said.

Sang Zhi nodded.

“Do you have exams when school starts?” Duan Jiaxu asked.

“Yes.”

“Tell Brother your scores after the exams.” He continued, “Try to score higher to give Brother some sense of achievement.”

“Okay.”

“Alright, go play.”

Sang Zhi gathered her things and walked to the door. However, she couldn’t help but turn back and muster the courage to call him, “Brother.”

Duan Jiaxu looked up. “What’s up?”

Sang Zhi hesitated. “Do you want to have dinner at my house tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” Duan Jiaxu raised an eyebrow. “Probably not.”

Sang Zhi looked at him and slowly hummed.

“Brother’s staying at the campus for the school’s two-hundred-yuan red envelope.” Duan Jiaxu said with a smile. “If I come, won’t Brother’s efforts be in vain?”

After a few seconds of silence, Sang Zhi didn’t know what to say, so she nodded and went back to her room.

Sang Zhi put her things on her desk, opened a drawer, and found a red envelope from last year. The money inside had already been taken out, leaving it empty.

The New Year hadn’t arrived yet, so Sang Zhi had no money. She looked at her piggy bank on the bedside table. It only had a small opening on top, so she would have to break it to get the money out.

But she thought it would be weird to give him such a red envelope.

After much thought, she decided to put a piece of candy inside. Then she took a piece of star paper and carefully wrote seven characters.

「Happy New Year, Brother Jiaxu.」

She folded it into a star and put it in the envelope.

After completing these tasks, Sang Zhi quietly opened the door. She could hear Sang Yan and Duan Jiaxu talking in the living room. She blinked, tiptoed to Sang Yan’s room, and saw Duan Jiaxu’s backpack on the desk. She unzipped it, carefully slipped the envelope inside, and then zipped it back up.

Though it seemed a bit shabby, this way, he would receive two red envelopes this year.

———pr

On New Year’s Eve, after dinner, Sang Rong returned Sang Zhi’s phone to her. The family watched the Spring Festival Gala in the living room. However, Sang Zhi wasn’t interested and just checked her phone.

Among the mass messages she received, she found one from Duan Jiaxu.

【Wishing little Sang Zhi happiness every day and success in getting into your desired high school and university. Happy New Year. Also, thank you for the red envelope.】

Sang Zhi pondered for a long time, wanting to ask him if the school’s New Year Eve’s dinner was delicious, if there were many people, and if he felt lonely.

She wanted to ask if he wanted to come over for the Spring Festival.

But she asked nothing.

Sang Zhi sighed, deleted everything she wrote, and typed again.

【Thank you, Brother. Happy New Year.】

———pr

A few days after the Spring Festival, the winter break ended.

In the exam, after the school restarted, Sang Zhi ranked third in her grade and scored an incredible ninety in physics. She took a picture of her score sheet and sent it to Duan Jiaxu.

The next morning, Sang Zhi finally received a reply from him.

【Little Sang Zhi is amazing. Brother will reward you in a few days.】

Because of this message, Sang Zhi looked forward to the next few days. But when the reward arrived, she discovered it wasn’t personally delivered by Duan Jiaxu but was brought over by Sang Yan on his behalf.

There were three items in total.

One was a reward, one was a belated New Year’s gift, and one was an early birthday present.

It was a box of colored pencils, a pack of candy, and a pink stuffed bunny.

It seemed he really saw her as a younger sister.

For a long time afterward, Sang Zhi rarely saw him again.

Sang Zhi secretly found a photo studio. She didn’t even have the courage to let strangers discover her feelings, so she specifically told the owner to develop a dozen photos from her phone, but what she really wanted was just that photo she had secretly taken of Duan Jiaxu during the winter break.

She quietly put the photo in her treasure box.

Occasionally, Sang Zhi would hear news about Duan Jiaxu from Sang Yan. He had completed all his courses for the second semester of his third year early and returned to Yihe in April, seemingly finding a job there.

A distance of nearly two thousand kilometers separated them.

She had never been to such a faraway place in her life.

One day in May.

The language teacher assigned an essay in class with the topic being ‘My Dream’.

Sang Zhi thought for a moment, slowly wrote a few lines on the essay paper, quickly tore it up, and stuffed it into the drawer. In the messy drawer, the young girl’s handwriting was immature but clear—

「My dream:

1. Get into Yihe University.

2. Duan Jiaxu.」

Because of various formalities and the matter of his thesis, Duan Jiaxu returned to school a few times midway but came and went in a hurry. During that time, Sang Zhi saw him a few times, but it was always very rushed.

He didn’t seem to have changed much.

He was still the same unserious person who liked to speak in drawn-out tone and tease her, and his attitude toward her remained the same.

However, the two of them had very few interactions throughout the entire year.

On some major holidays, Sang Zhi would receive messages and gifts from Duan Jiaxu. In his free time, he would also text to ask about her studies, making her feel that she hadn’t been forgotten.

Their first non-hurried meeting since then was in June of the following year when he returned to school for his graduation photos.

Sang Zhi came with her parents.

As soon as she arrived, Sang Zhi saw Sang Yan in his graduation gown and the long-unseen Duan Jiaxu. He stood in the sunlight, tall and upright, listening to Chen Junwen with a faint smile on his face.

Except for his shorter hair, he seemed no different from before.

Seeing this, Sang Zhi felt inexplicably nervous.

She held a bouquet of flowers for Sang Yan in her hand as she quietly followed Sang Rong and Li Ping, but she did not take the initiative to talk to Duan Jiaxu.

There were quite a few people on site, and besides the current graduates, many relatives and friends had come to attend the graduation ceremony. The surroundings were noisy, with the voices of hundreds of people blending together.

Sang Zhi couldn’t hear what her parents were saying to Sang Yan and her head felt a bit dizzy from the heat. However, her attention kept drifting towards Duan Jiaxu, her heart beating fast and pounding loudly.

Soon, Sang Zhi noticed out of the corner of her eye that Duan Jiaxu was approaching. He greeted Sang Rong and Li Ping and they chatted for a while, but she didn’t catch much of it.

Before long, Duan Jiaxu turned his head to look at Sang Zhi, raising his eyebrows slightly. “Little Sang Zhi.”

Sang Zhi then raised her head. “Brother.”

“Where’s your conscience?” Duan Jiaxu smiled. “It’s been so long since we last saw each other and you didn’t even come over to greet Brother?”

Sang Zhi didn’t know what to say, muttering, “I thought you had forgotten about me.”

“Hmm? How could you say that?” Duan Jiaxu found it both amusing and unbelievable. “Didn’t I send you a gift for your birthday? Didn’t I send you a gift for Children’s Day? Do you think those fell from the sky?”

“……” Sang Zhi looked at him. “Weren’t those given to me by my brother?”

“I had your brother bring them to you.” Duan Jiaxu noticed her height. “Little Sang Zhi seems to have grown taller?”

Sang Zhi hummed.

Duan Jiaxu said, “So no gift next Children’s Day?”

Sang Zhi frowned. “I want one.”

“Okay, if Brother has money, I will get you one.” Duan Jiaxu thought for a moment. “Are you taking the high school entrance exam soon?”

“Yes.”

“Can you get into First High School?”

“Probably.”

A classmate approached to take a picture with Duan Jiaxu, so Sang Zhi sensibly stepped aside. The photo was taken quickly, and in a few seconds, Duan Jiaxu called her back.

Sang Zhi hesitated. “What?”

He pointed towards the camera. “Take a picture with Brother.”

Sang Zhi glanced at the distance and then silently walked over to stand beside him, stopping a meter away from him.

“……” Duan Jiaxu asked in confusion. “Did Brother provoke you again?”

Sang Zhi was baffled. “No.”

“Then why are you standing so far away?” Duan Jiaxu beckoned her closer. “Come here, don’t make it seem like we’re enemies.”

Sang Zhi reluctantly took two steps closer, looking a bit uncomfortable.

After taking the photo, Duan Jiaxu told the classmate who took it, “Send the photo to me later.”

Sang Zhi stood beside him. After a while, she hesitated and asked, “Brother, will you not be coming to Nanwu anymore?”

Duan Jiaxu looked at her and chuckled. “Hmm? Can’t bear to part with Brother?”

Sang Zhi pursed her lips and nodded.

Not expecting a positive answer from her, Duan Jiaxu was stunned for a moment. He then bent down slightly to meet her gaze, “If Brother has time, I’ll come back to play with little Sang Zhi, okay?”

Sang Zhi asked, “When will you have time?”

“I don’t know.” Duan Jiaxu pinched her cheek gently. “If I’m coming back, I’ll let you know in advance.”

Sang Zhi didn’t believe him, thinking it was probably just a lie adults tell children to comfort them.

But she didn’t mind.

If he didn’t come, she could just go to him.

As long as she wanted to meet, she could see him. That was what she thought.

But at that time, Sang Zhi had no idea.

The next time they met would be the last time she would see Duan Jiaxu before she became an adult.