Read Novel Full Chapter 53
Chapter 53
Sang Yan’s blunt words and his unreserved tone made it clear that this path wasn’t going to work.
Sang Zhi felt somewhat displeased by his comments. She initially wanted to ignore him, but couldn’t resist the urge to argue. Feeling that text and voice messages lacked impact, she pulled up her contacts and directly called him.
It rang once.
Sang Zhi felt a bit stifled. She had just prepared a long internal monologue filled with angry words and was about to speak when the call was abruptly disconnected.
Sang Zhi: “……”
The next moment, Sang Yan sent another voice message, “Don’t call me unless it’s important.”
Sang Zhi held back her annoyance and responded with a voice message, “I was talking about an internship, not dating. And even if I were dating someone older than you, so what? It’s not like I’m dating someone as old as Dad.”
She had just sent the message when Sang Yan immediately replied, “If there’s anything, just text me.”
“……”
It was obvious that he hadn’t even bothered to listen to her voice message.
Feeling irritated, Sang Zhi continued to send voice messages over, “Aren’t you sending voice messages too?”
After waiting a while without any response from Sang Yan, Sang Zhi added, “You can’t just be jealous of me because you didn’t date in college, and now you don’t even have a girlfriend.”
Still, there was no reply.
Sang Zhi fumed silently but didn’t want to end the conversation without making her point. She bit her lip and reluctantly switched to texting.
This time, Sang Yan replied quickly, “I’m taking time out of my busy schedule to reply to you and you expect me to type? Keep dreaming.”
“……”
Sang Yan’s tone was cocky, “And by the way, your brother here has a girlfriend.”
【Sang Zhi:?】
Sang Yan said, “What can I say? The girl has been chasing me for so long. If I didn’t agree, she would have—”
Sang Zhi didn’t want to hear any more of his self-absorbed nonsense. She quickly interrupted his voice message. 【Bye-bye.】
Sang Yan sent another message.
It was very short, just one second long.
Sang Zhi stared at it for a couple of seconds before hesitantly playing it.
Sang Yan snickered. “Little brat.”
Sang Zhi exploded.
Before she could reply, Sang Yan added, “Let me tell you one last time. Don’t act brainless just because you’re dating someone. That time you went to Yihe to meet that online crush during high school, I chalked it up to you being young and rebellious.”
Sang Zhi knew she was in the wrong about that and immediately withdrew her anger.
Sang Yan’s tone was light, “This time, I’m not going to say much. If you want to date, go ahead. But if you don’t come home during summer break, just try it. I’ll fly straight to Yihe and break your legs.”
“……”
Sang Zhi decided not to pursue this route with Sang Yan any further.
Thinking about it, Sang Yan had been the one who supervised her the most since she was young. Sang Zhi couldn’t recall a single time when he had spoken up for her in front of their parents.
He was either bullying her or lecturing her.
She realized that her approach from the beginning had been wrong.
With two months left until summer break, Sang Zhi wasn’t in a hurry.
———pr
Shortly after the May 1st holiday, it was Duan Jiaxu’s 26th birthday.
Their birthdays were close, only half a month apart. So, after her own birthday passed, Sang Zhi had already prepared a gift for Duan Jiaxu.
After class, Sang Zhi didn’t return to the dormitory. She calculated the time. Duan Jiaxu was probably still at work. However, she needed to pick up the cake, and factoring in the travel time, it would work out.
Just as Sang Zhi was about to leave campus, she suddenly received a message from Liang Jun, asking her to meet up to discuss their entry.
Although Liang Jun was the team leader for this competition, Sang Zhi was more attentive and had experience in such events. So whenever there were issues within the team, people usually came to Sang Zhi privately to discuss them.
Glancing at the time, Sang Zhi replied, 【I’m busy today. If you have any questions, just talk to me on WeChat.】
【Sang Zhi: Or we can discuss it tomorrow?】
【Liang Jun: No problem, let’s talk on WeChat.】
As Sang Zhi continued chatting with him, she boarded the subway.
The cake shop she had chosen was highly recommended online, but it wasn’t near Yihe University, nor was it close to Duan Jiaxu’s home or office. Sang Zhi had made an online reservation earlier, so she now had to make a special trip.
The cake shop was located inside a large mall.
Sang Zhi wasn’t very familiar with the area and spent quite a while following the signs before finally finding the place and walking in. The shop assistant brought out the cake she had ordered and showed it to her.
On the cake was a line of words she had specifically asked the staff to write.
「Happy 26th Birthday, Duan Jiaxu.」
The corners of Sang Zhi’s mouth curled up, her eyes forming a mischievous smile. Holding the cake box, she left the shop, considering whether to buy something else.
Or maybe she could go shopping with Duan Jiaxu later.
The last time she went to his place, she noticed his fridge was empty. It only has drinks inside and nothing else.
But it wouldn’t be convenient to carry so many things.
Sang Zhi didn’t dwell on it for long and quickly decided against it. Seeing that it was still early, she wandered around a nearby boutique. Just as she was about to leave, she vaguely heard an argument outside.
A few customers in the shop, curious, went out to take a look.
Sang Zhi wasn’t very interested in the commotion and carried her newly purchased items out of the shop. The argument outside grew louder, and from what she could hear, it seemed to be a mother and daughter fighting. The younger voice sounded somewhat familiar.
One was shouting while the other was crying softly.
The older woman’s voice was sharp and harsh, full of anger, “Say that again?! Are you out of your mind, acting crazy all day long?! If you want to ask that bastard’s son for money, go ahead. But you want to marry him? Are you trying to drive me mad? How could you do this to your father?”
“I just want to torment him for the rest of his life!” The younger woman’s voice was choked with sobs, “What’s wrong with that?!”
Both were yelling fiercely. Sang Zhi found it a bit scary and kept walking toward the escalator without looking in their direction.
The older woman continued to scold, “Are you trying to disgust me? Are there no other men in the world? If you really want to marry that Duan whatever, fine, but from now on, consider yourself dead to me!”
The younger woman screamed hysterically, “So you’re just going to let Duan Jiaxu pretend like nothing happened?! He wants to live happily ever after with someone else! Over my dead body!”
As she heard that, Sang Zhi had just stepped onto the escalator. Her breath caught and she instinctively turned toward the voices. She immediately saw who the younger woman was. It was Jiang Ying, whom she had previously seen at the hotpot restaurant.
At that moment, perhaps sensing Sang Zhi’s gaze, Jiang Ying suddenly looked over.
Their eyes met.
Jiang Ying’s eyes were red with tears, and as the grievance faded from her expression, her gaze slowly shifted down, landing on the cake box in Sang Zhi’s hands.
The escalator moved downward.
Sang Zhi didn’t have a good impression of the other woman and quickly looked away. She reached the second floor and continued walking down. The sharp sounds of the argument faded until they disappeared completely.
Sang Zhi’s good mood quickly dissipated.
She recalled Jiang Ying’s mother’s words.
——”Bastard’s son.”
Then, she remembered what Duan Jiaxu had mentioned about Jiang Ying’s identity.
——”My dad’s creditor.”
Sang Zhi vaguely guessed something.
It was probably that Duan Jiaxu’s father did something that harmed Jiang Ying’s father, and then they took out their anger on Duan Jiaxu.
But what did that have to do with him?
Sang Zhi couldn’t help but mutter, “Ridiculous”, feeling a sudden surge of frustration.
A father’s debt should not be repaid by his child. There wasn’t even such a law.
Thinking back to the time when Jiang Ying splashed water on Duan Jiaxu at the hotpot restaurant, Sang Zhi pursed her lips and let out a quiet breath.
Forget it.
After all, she had splashed the other party back.
But she still wondered if Jiang Ying had gone to bother Duan Jiaxu again.
She had asked him once before, and he said no.
So that should be the case.
However, Sang Zhi felt that with Duan Jiaxu’s personality, even if Jiang Ying had gone to trouble him, he probably wouldn’t mention it to her. He would just handle the issue on his own.
She wondered if he would just endure it.
Though, it seemed his attitude towards Jiang Ying wasn’t exactly good either.
So, he probably wouldn’t endure, right?
Sang Zhi didn’t dare to ask Duan Jiaxu about such private matters, fearing it might upset him. She decided not to think about it anymore and took the subway to Duan Jiaxu’s company, relying on her memory.
She checked the time, which seemed just about right.
Sang Zhi pulled out her phone and messaged him, 【Have you finished work yet?】
【Suitor: Almost done. What’s up?】
【Sang Zhi: Oh.】
【Sang Zhi: Nothing.】
Sang Zhi waited outside the office building for a few minutes before she saw Duan Jiaxu walking out. He was dressed casually, wearing a simple shirt and suit pants, looking tall and noticeable, his attention seemingly focused on his phone.
He didn’t notice Sang Zhi and headed towards the parking lot.
Sang Zhi blinked and followed behind him. After a while, her phone vibrated again.
【Suitor: You don’t seem to have classes tonight.】
【Sang Zhi: But I have other things to do.】
【Suitor: What kind of things?】
Sang Zhi thought for a moment, 【Picking someone up.】
Then she added, 【And taking him to celebrate his birthday.】
The next second, Duan Jiaxu, who was walking ahead of her, suddenly stopped as if he recalled something. Then, he lifted his eyes, turned around, and his gaze settled on her, the corners of his eyes slightly raised.
“Here to pick me up?”
Sang Zhi walked up to him, muttering, “I’ve been following you for a while now.”
“Why do you walk so quietly?” Duan Jiaxu glanced at the cake box in her hand, took it from her, and chuckled softly. “I almost forgot it was my birthday.”
Sang Zhi understood. “People tend to dislike celebrating their birthdays as they get older.”
Duan Jiaxu casually agreed, “Indeed, I’m not that young anymore.”
It was the first time Sang Zhi heard him admit it directly, so she tilted her head and looked at him.
“Hopefully, you can let me get married before I turn 27.” Duan Jiaxu said slowly after thinking about his age.
“……” Sang Zhi couldn’t help but say, “But I won’t even have graduated from college by the time you’re 27.”
“Okay.” Duan Jiaxu unlocked the car with his keys and said, “You didn’t refuse.”
“……”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Sang Zhi got into the passenger seat, feeling frustrated. “Have you no shame?”
“Chasing a girl,” Duan Jiaxu responded calmly as he started the car, “especially a stubborn one, requires abandoning shame.”
Sang Zhi couldn’t out-talk him, so she stopped discussing the topic. She pulled out her phone and casually asked, “Did my brother and the others wish you a happy birthday?”
“Those guys don’t even remember their own birthdays, let alone someone else’s.” Duan Jiaxu said with a laugh, “But a few of my colleagues did. I just got so busy today that I forgot too.”
Sang Zhi made a sound of acknowledgment and then opened WeChat to message Sang Yan, 【Do you know what today is?】
Just then, Liang Jun reached out to discuss the entry with her, so Sang Zhi quickly replied to him.
Noticing that her phone was constantly buzzing, Duan Jiaxu glanced over and casually asked, “Who are you chatting with?”
Sang Zhi replied honestly, “A senior from my department.”
“……”
After a few seconds, Duan Jiaxu asked again, “What does he want?”
Sang Zhi answered, “He’s talking about the competition.”
Duan Jiaxu lazily asked, “Is he handsome?”
“……”
“Does he have good morals?”
“……”
“Is he a head taller than you?”
Sang Zhi turned to look at him. “He has a girlfriend.”
Duan Jiaxu’s gaze remained unchanged, his voice steady, “I’m just asking.”
Sang Zhi lowered her eyes and continued replying to the messages.
“I’ve told you before,” Duan Jiaxu’s tone was calm as if he was stating a serious fact, “not to date too early.”
“……” Sang Zhi was puzzled. “I’m already an adult.”
“Being an adult means you can date? Since when was that a rule?” Duan Jiaxu said, “When I say ‘dating too early’, I mean that if the combined age of the two people doesn’t add up to 45, then it’s too early.”
“……”
Duan Jiaxu exaggeratedly let out a breath and pretended to be surprised, “Our ages add up to exactly 45.”
Sang Zhi was silent for a few seconds. “Then I’ll wait a few more years.”
“Hmm?”
“In three and a half years, I can find someone my own age.” Sang Zhi stated matter-of-factly, “Why should I settle for someone much older than me? I’m not in a hurry to start dating.”
“……”
At that moment, Duan Jiaxu’s phone rang.
Sang Zhi glanced at it and said, “It’s a call from my brother.”
Duan Jiaxu responded with a hum. “Please answer it for me and put it on speaker.”
Sang Zhi did as requested. “Okay.”
Sang Yan’s voice came through the car, “I suddenly remembered it’s your birthday today. Congratulations, man. You’re almost thirty yet you still don’t have a girlfriend. By the way, I have—”
Sang Zhi: “……”
She was the one who reminded him, yet he claimed to have suddenly remembered it himself.
Sang Zhi was so exasperated that she wanted to pretend she didn’t know this person and refused to make a sound.
Duan Jiaxu lazily said, “I’m hanging up.”
But Sang Yan continued, “Let me ask you something. Did my sister give you a gift?”
Duan Jiaxu replied, “Mm.”
Sang Yan said, “That gift is from me.”
Sang Zhi: “……”
“There’s nothing else, I just wanted to greet you. I’ll hang up now.” Sang Yan paused for a moment, then suddenly brought up something else, “Oh, by the way, have you met my sister’s boyfriend?”
Sang Zhi froze.
Duan Jiaxu, noticing Sang Zhi’s subtle movements from the corner of his eye, smiled slightly and deliberately asked, “Boyfriend?”
Sang Yan clicked his tongue. “I told you about him before, didn’t I? It seems he’s a graduate student from her school.”
Duan Jiaxu pretended to remember, still smiling. “Oh, I think I’ve seen him.”
“How is he?” Sang Yan asked coolly, “That little brat is quite infatuated. She even wanted to call me today to argue, insisting on staying in Yihe for the summer because of him—”
Seeing that he was about to spill everything, Sang Zhi suddenly interrupted, “Brother!”
The conversation abruptly fell silent.
Neither side spoke a word for a few moments.
Sang Zhi slowly turned to look at Duan Jiaxu, embarrassed enough to want to reach through the phone screen and punch Sang Yan.
The next moment.
“Did I just hear my sister’s voice?” Sang Yan paused, as if realizing something, and his tone became thoughtful, “Are you two together?”