Secretly, But Unable to Hide It

Chapter 61

“……”

How should she explain this?

If he posted frequently on his Moments, Sang Zhi could have used ‘spamming’ as an excuse for why she didn’t see it. But he hadn’t posted a single thing before.

The scene froze for a few seconds.

Sang Zhi racked her brain for an explanation, silently looked away, and tried to appear clueless. She opened the settings and glanced at it, saying, “Oh, I clicked the wrong thing.”

Duan Jiaxu kept his eyes on her, his expression carrying a deeper meaning.

“I originally intended to click on the option to stop you from seeing my Moments,” Sang Zhi explained awkwardly, “but I didn’t pay attention and ended up blocking myself from seeing yours instead.”

Duan Jiaxu: “……”

What kind of excuse was that?

“Like, you understand, right?” Sang Zhi continued, “Some content on Moments isn’t suitable for elders to see…… and I’m too lazy to create a separate group every time, so I just……”

“I’m not going to say anything else.” Duan Jiaxu interrupted her, picking out one keyword, “Elders?”

“……”

Sang Zhi struggled to come up with more reasons. “If you see it, it’s like my brother seeing it, and if he sees it, he’ll tell my parents right away. I had to cut it off at the source. Besides, I blocked you a long time ago……”

“But you didn’t block me and I didn’t see anything that’s not suitable for ‘elders’ to see……” Duan Jiaxu’s fingertip lightly tapped her phone screen.

“……” Sang Zhi quickly unblocked him. “I’ve deleted everything.”

“Now that you mention it,” Duan Jiaxu said playfully, “Young Lady, why is there nothing in your Moments?”

“Huh?”

“And no boyfriend either.”

“……”

That was definitely a loaded hint.

Sang Zhi didn’t have the habit of posting on Moments. On the rare occasion she did, she would delete it soon after, so her page was completely blank. She hadn’t realized this and had only mentioned it offhandedly.

Now that she thought about it, it did seem like she was hiding something.

Sang Zhi cautiously asked, “Should I post something now?”

Hearing her tone, Duan Jiaxu realized she wasn’t in the best mood today. She didn’t care much about these things, so he said casually, “No need, I was just teasing you.”

Sang Zhi stopped flipping through her photo album and silently nodded.

After a long while, Sang Zhi couldn’t help but ask, “You don’t mind?”

“Hmm?”

“That I’ve never mentioned you in my social media.”

“Did you do it on purpose?”

“……No.”

“Even if you did it on purpose, it doesn’t matter.” Duan Jiaxu said, leading her into a store, his tone relaxed, “Even if you don’t say anything and think I’m too shameful to be seen and want to hide me from everyone—”

Sang Zhi interrupted, “When did I ever say you were shameful?”

As if he didn’t hear her, Duan Jiaxu turned his head to look at her, his eyes bright as he finished his sentence with a smile, “You’re still mine.”

———pr

After just one day of work, Sang Zhi felt her back aching. When she returned to her dorm, she washed up, soaked her feet in a basin, and then collapsed onto her bed, not wanting to do anything else.

It wasn’t even her bedtime yet, but drowsiness had already taken over.

Sang Zhi struggled to keep her eyes open as she replied to Duan Jiaxu’s WeChat messages. Afterward, she noticed that there were new messages in the family group chat. Both Sang Rong and Li Ping had sent red envelopes to celebrate her finding an internship.

Seeing this, Sang Zhi’s mood lifted a bit. She first sent a ‘hug’ emoji, then clicked on the red envelopes one by one, only to find that Sang Yan had already claimed them.

Sang Zhi’s drooping eyelids immediately lifted. Assuming he had taken them by mistake, she sent a reminder with a question mark, 【?】

Sang Yan didn’t respond.

Sang Zhi waited for a while, but before she knew it, she fell asleep.

The next day, when she woke up, she found that Sang Yan still hadn’t replied.

Instead, Sang Rong, trying to cheer her up, sent two more red envelopes last night. A few minutes later, he added, 【Stinky Kid, all you know is to bully your sister.】

Sang Yan still hadn’t said a word.

Sang Zhi, still groggy with sleep, had a bad feeling. She clicked on the envelopes and saw that Sang Yan had claimed the additional two as well.

In total, he had taken eight hundred yuan.

“……”

Fine.

Fine!!!!!

Forget a cold war.

Sang Zhi now wanted to sever ties with him entirely and never speak with him again.

In the following days, Shi Xiaoyu’s attitude towards Sang Zhi remained the same.

No matter what Sang Zhi did, she would be scolded.

For instance, when Shi Xiaoyu asked Sang Zhi to get her a glass of water.

The first time, Sang Zhi brought it at room temperature and got scolded. The second time, she asked if the other party wanted it hot or cold, only to be scolded again for asking. Then, when Sang Zhi brought it warm, as per her previous request, she still got scolded.

Another example was when Shi Xiaoyu asked her to find some materials and draw a draft. No matter how hard Sang Zhi worked, Shi Xiaoyu always found something to criticize.

After multiple revisions and scoldings, Shi Xiaoyu finally said, in an extremely reluctant tone, “Fine, just leave it as is.”

But the other party still looked unsatisfied.

Occasionally, when chatting with Ning Wei, Sang Zhi would hear a few complaints about how the internship wasn’t quite up to expectations, but she still insisted on continuing.

Sang Zhi didn’t want to give up halfway either.

Her life had become even more routine than when she was attending classes.

Every day was just work, overtime, and then going back to the dorm to sleep. She didn’t want to do anything else.

Sometimes, when she was in a bad mood, Sang Zhi considered that since she hadn’t signed the contract yet, she could just quit. But then she thought about how she’d endured so much mistreatment, and if she quit now, she wouldn’t get paid a single cent, which would be a huge loss.

Time flew by, and soon it was Friday.

Sang Zhi ordered takeout with her colleagues at noon. After eating, she cleaned up and took the boxes out to throw away. When she reached the stairwell, she saw Shi Xiaoyu leaning against the window, talking on the phone.

Her voice was soft and she spoke slowly, completely different from how she acted in front of Sang Zhi. “Why do I feel like this girl isn’t quite like what you said? She’s pretty obedient and even when I make things difficult for her, she doesn’t complain. I haven’t seen her talk to any of our male colleagues either…… Honestly, I’m starting to feel bad for treating her that way.”

Sang Zhi paused before silently throwing away the trash.

Shi Xiaoyu didn’t notice her and continued chatting with the person on the other end of the phone, “You’re right, but if it’s as you say, then that guy must be a jerk too. You should just find someone else.”

Sang Zhi didn’t listen any further and turned back to the office.

She went to the restroom to wash her hands, reflecting on Shi Xiaoyu’s words.

It seemed that the recent targeting and insults Sang Zhi had faced were driven by personal emotions.

But she really didn’t know Shi Xiaoyu.

Could it be that she had offended a schoolmate, and Shi Xiaoyu was that schoolmate’s older sister or something?

Regardless, if it was a work-related issue, Sang Zhi felt she could still endure it. But now that it was clear the other party was deliberately targeting her, she no longer wanted to tolerate it at all.

Sang Zhi returned to her seat, intending to take a nap.

Shi Xiaoyu had also returned. She picked up the blanket from her seat, intending to go to the sofa to sleep for a while. There was only one sofa in the office and it had always been used by her.

Seeing Sang Zhi lying on the desk, Shi Xiaoyu paused in her steps. “Who said you could sleep?”

Sang Zhi turned her head. “It’s not work time yet.”

Shi Xiaoyu asked, “Have you found the materials I asked you to find?”

“No.” Sang Zhi stared at her calmly. “But it’s not work time now.”

Hearing Sang Zhi’s retort for the first time, Shi Xiaoyu was slightly taken aback. She frowned and slammed her palm heavily on the desk, angrily saying, “You need to finish it first, I’m in a hurry to use it.”

“Oh.”

Shi Xiaoyu’s expression softened a bit. “Hurry up, then.”

Sang Zhi added, “I’m not going to do it.”

“……What did you say?” Shi Xiaoyu asked in disbelief.

“If you’re really in a hurry, you can skip your nap and go find it yourself now.” Sang Zhi, who had always had a bad temper, restrained her anger as she spoke, “Otherwise, are you going to pay me overtime?”

Due to Sang Zhi’s attitude, Shi Xiaoyu’s behavior towards her became noticeably worse afterward.

If it seemed reasonable, Sang Zhi would still put up with it. But if she felt Shi Xiaoyu was just making trouble for no reason, she would respond with a few emotionless but polite remarks. When Shi Xiaoyu went to the restroom halfway through, Wan Zhe and He Pengxing couldn’t resist coming over to talk to Sang Zhi.

Wan Zhe asked, “Did you eat explosives today?”

He Pengxing added, “That was impressive! But aren’t you afraid she’ll target you even more later?”

Sang Zhi flipped through the documents, her tone calm and unperturbed, “I get scolded whether I endure it or not, so I might as well make things difficult for her.”

He Pengxing said, “Good for you.”

Wan Zhe echoed, “Well done.”

He Pengxing confessed, “But I wouldn’t dare.”

Wan Zhe agreed, “Me neither.”

“……”

For the three new employees, the boss, Zhang Hui, decided to organize a dinner as a welcome party. So today, everyone left work right on time. Even though Shi Xiaoyu wanted to find something for Sang Zhi to do, she couldn’t find a reason.

The dinner was held at a nearby buffet restaurant.

In front of Zhang Hui, and since it was after work, Shi Xiaoyu didn’t act too arrogantly and didn’t give Sang Zhi a hard time.

After dinner, the group decided to go to a nearby KTV to relax.

Sang Zhi didn’t really want to go, but seeing that everyone else was going, she felt embarrassed to leave. She thought she’d stay for an hour, then find some excuse like a dorm curfew to leave early.

On the way, Sang Zhi overheard Shi Xiaoyu talking to Zhang Hui, “Brother Hui, my friend plans to meet up with me. Can I bring her along?”

Zhang Hui laughed. “Sure, the more, the merrier.”

Sang Zhi didn’t pay much attention to it, walking behind them and silently letting Duan Jiaxu know where she was going next.

Not long after, Sang Zhi saw the friend Shi Xiaoyu was talking about.

It was Jiang Ying, whom Sang Zhi hadn’t seen in a long time.

At that moment, Sang Zhi suddenly remembered why she had found Shi Xiaoyu familiar. Her face gradually overlapped with the woman who had stopped Jiang Ying’s frantic behavior at the hotpot restaurant.

Sang Zhi sat in a corner of the KTV room, her emotions calm, watching Jiang Ying greet everyone with a smile.

When their gazes met, Jiang Ying’s expression didn’t change at all.

Sang Zhi also forced a smile.

While the others sang, played dice, and drank, Sang Zhi only participated for a short while before returning to the corner to sit down. Before she knew it, Jiang Ying had already taken a seat next to her.

The other party looked perfectly normal, with a friendly smile on her face. She spoke gently to Sang Zhi, “I heard you’re only a freshman?”

Sang Zhi pretended not to hear her and remained silent.

Jiang Ying continued, “So young and already working?”

“……”

“Being with a man who has nothing, does it make you happy?”

“Auntie.” Sang Zhi said while nibbling on the peanuts placed in front of her, “If I really needed money, I’d get a tutoring job or work a summer job outside. That would earn me more money than interning at this company.”

“……”

“No offense, but if this is all you want to talk about, I’ll give you a heads-up.” Sang Zhi looked up, her eyes curving into a smile. “Otherwise, you’ll get tired of talking, and I’ll get annoyed listening.”

Jiang Ying’s smile stiffened. She stared at Sang Zhi for a moment, then suddenly gulped down several sips of alcohol. Perhaps because of the people around them, she didn’t make any extreme moves.

Sang Zhi glanced at the time.

Jiang Ying asked, “Do your parents agree with you being with him?”

Sang Zhi didn’t respond.

“Do you think he truly loves you? Let me tell you something, Little Girl, that man, he’s extremely needy.” Jiang Ying whispered, “Are you nice to him?”

“……”

“Anyone who shows him a little kindness, he’ll mistake it for love.” Jiang Ying continued, “I can tell you love him deeply, but do you know how he’d react if you broke up with him?”

Sang Zhi continued playing on her phone, remaining silent.

Jiang Ying lightly poked Sang Zhi’s arm with her finger. “He’ll think it’s okay, as long as you can find someone better.”

It felt as if a thorn had pierced Sang Zhi’s heart and she pursed her lips.

“And then,” Jiang Ying slowly added, “someone like you, he can find a thousand.”

Sang Zhi finally spoke, her voice soft, “What’s the point of saying all this to me?”

“Did I hit a nerve? Sorry.” Jiang Ying’s breath reeked of alcohol, making it somewhat unpleasant. “I just can’t stand him and thought I’d give you a heads-up. Why would I target him for no reason? Because his father, while driving, killed my father.”

“I know.”

Jiang Ying was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, her whole body shaking. “He told you about it? He still have the nerve to say it? He sure has some thick skin.”

“It’s the year 5012 now.” Sang Zhi’s tone was calm and unruffled, “The practice of collective punishment was abolished a thousand years ago, Auntie.”

There was a long silence.

Jiang Ying forced a stiff smile and said coldly, “Then who am I supposed to blame? If it were your family, would you not turn out like me?”

Sang Zhi said, “Duan Jiaxu’s father committed a crime, so the court sentenced him. He will be punished for the crime he—”

Jiang Ying suddenly interrupted her with a cold laugh. “Punished?”

“……”

“My dad could have lived, but that beast Duan Zhicheng hit someone with his car and then fled the scene.” Jiang Ying gritted her teeth, speaking each word slowly, “Afraid of going to jail and of people pointing fingers at him, he jumped off a building and committed suicide.”

“……”

“So tell me, what kind of punishment did he get?”

“……”

This was the first time Sang Zhi had heard about this.

Previously, when Duan Jiaxu mentioned his father was in a coma, she had assumed it was because of the car accident and the impact on both sides.

After a long silence, Sang Zhi lifted her eyes to meet Jiang Ying’s gaze, her voice soft, “But isn’t Duan Jiaxu also a victim?”

Sang Zhi found an excuse to leave and Jiang Ying didn’t follow her out. Feeling stifled, Sang Zhi didn’t want to go back to school right away, so she bought some takoyaki nearby to eat.

Before long, she received a WeChat message from Duan Jiaxu, 【Where are you? I’ll come to pick you up.】

Sang Zhi sent him her location.

It was a small square, still relatively lively.

A group of people were playing roller skates and skateboards not far away. Sang Zhi sat on a nearby stone step and finished her takoyaki. She placed the box aside and let out a quiet burp.

Jiang Ying’s words lingered in her mind, leaving her a bit absent-minded.

She began to recall the time she had spent with Duan Jiaxu.

He had always been very good to her.

He indulged her in everything.

Whatever she wanted to do, he accompanied her.

He never forced her to do anything she didn’t want to do.

He treated her very well.

Wasn’t that enough to show that he liked her?

But from the very first day they were together, Sang Zhi had been very clear.

Their feelings for each other were not equal.

Whether it was a momentary impulse or feelings that grew over time, as long as he liked her even a little bit, it seemed to be enough.

Suddenly, Sang Zhi stood up, watching as others laughed and played on their skateboards.

She noticed a boy in the distance holding a girl’s hand, carefully supporting her as if afraid she would fall, and then suddenly, the girl kissed him. The boy’s expression froze, his face flushed red, and he let go of her hand in embarrassment.

In the end, they both fell, but they laughed together.

Sang Zhi couldn’t help but laugh as well.

She watched for a while longer until Duan Jiaxu sent her another message, telling her he had arrived. Sang Zhi replied, asking for his exact location, and soon spotted him.

Sang Zhi threw away the box she was holding and walked up to him.

Duan Jiaxu looked her over. “Did you drink?”

Sang Zhi shook her head, raised her eyes to look at him, and suddenly said, “Can I ask you a question?”

Duan Jiaxu’s eyebrow rose. “Ask.”

“Why do you like me?”

Hearing that, Duan Jiaxu was stunned for a moment, then chuckled. “Do I need reason for that?”

Sang Zhi paused, then softly responded, “Right.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Sang Zhi lowered her eyes, suddenly let go of his hand, and rummaged through her bag. She took out a bank card from her wallet. “This is for you.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s a card I got earlier and there’s over a thousand yuan in it.” Sang Zhi said slowly, “Last semester, I participated in a competition. Our team won, and we sold the prize and split the money. I also did a few tutoring jobs, but it wasn’t much. Altogether, it’s not a lot of money.”

“……”

“I don’t know if I’ll get the scholarship, but if I do, I’ll transfer it in. If I can keep this job, there should be another two thousand yuan.” Sang Zhi said, “I’ll transfer that in as well.”

Duan Jiaxu was a bit slow to react, his Adam’s apple moving up and down. “Why are you giving me this?”

“I just wanted to tell you,” Sang Zhi’s nose tingled and she said softly, “I will be good to you for the rest of my life.”

So you don’t need to find anyone else to be good to you.

Duan Jiaxu tilted his head, looking down at her. “Are you trying to keep me?”

“……”

“But why do you sound so aggrieved?”

Duan Jiaxu took out his wallet from his pocket and placed it in her hand. “Use this money to buy yourself a pretty dress.”

Then, Duan Jiaxu took the card from her hand. “This, you can use to support me.”

Sang Zhi looked up at him.

“That’s a lot of money, so,” Duan Jiaxu seemed to be in a good mood as he pinched her earlobe and blew a breath into her ear, “Boss, you can do whatever you want.”