"......"
Sang Zhi suddenly recalls that summer holiday of the 2nd year in her junior high school.
She was taking an escalator down from the third floor, Fu Zheng Chu confessed his feeling toward her then Duan Jia Xu just appeared behind them.
Saying those words "Lao Dong Xi (Old thing)", at first it made her feeling well. But because he listens to it, it makes her feel guilty by hundreds and thousands time.
She immediately denies: "I am not cursing you."
Duan Jia Xu: "Em."
Sang Zhi is just turns relieved as she thinks that he listens to her.
Duan Jia Xu asks again: "Then who are you cursing?"
"....." Sang Zhi starts to feel numb. Because she is drunk and couldn't think clearly, she stammers. "You doesn't know him."
Duan Jia Xu just says "Ah".
Sang Zhi nods quickly.
"Then Ge Ge wants to know him, what kind of person can let Xiao Sang Zhi cursing." Duan Jia Xu laughs: "Xiao Sang Zhi, how about you tell Ge Ge?"
"......."
She already asks that he doesn't know that person, but he still asks.
Now who should she talk about.
Who!!!
She said that he doesn't know that person, it seems to be too late to say that person is Sang Yan. If she says it is another person, she feels unsafe.
Sang Zhi changes the subject purposely: "How could you be so gossipy now?"
"Em?" Duan Jia Xu takes two steps down to stand by her side, then he stands there. "Maybe because Lao Dong Xi is terribly idle."
"....."
"Let's go, Nian Qing (young) — Xiao Peng You (Little friend)?" Duan Jia Xu's tone stresses on the words "Nian Qing", he slowly says: "Lao Dong Xi sends you back to the University."
"....."
He said it and goes downstair.
Sang Zhi's palm unconsciously sweats a lot, she just follows behind him anxiously. She hesitates then explains. "These words, I feel it's quite civil."
"....."
"It's just, I feel." Sang Zhi holds her bag tightly. "I think it is not dirty words."
The time they go out, it's the parking area.
Duan Jia Xu takes out his car key and presses it. He seems to not listen to her words. He just says: "Get on."
Sang Zhi doesn't move: "Jia Xu Ge, where is your house?"
"Wen Ting Yuan. (Wen Ting Park)."
Sang Zhi just comes over the city for a month, she doesn't clearly know where is that place. "Oh."
Duan Jia Xu explains for a while. "Near the City Library."
"It's in the opposite direction with my University." Sang Zhi points to the metro station nearby. "It's late. Let me take the metro and go back. Let's not trouble you."
"Nian Qing De Xiao Peng You (Young little friend)." Duan Jia Xu plays with his car key, he smiles: "Ge Ge wants to settle the account with you, then in passing send you home."
".........."
"I'm not specially sending you home." He purposely paused for a while, looks at her and says indolently: "Do you understand?'
"....." Sang Zhi is in the wrong, she doesn't anything else. She just be silent and anxious, she goes to the front passenger seat door. She opens it with her energy but outside her expectation, the door is still locked.
She looks back at Duan Jia Xu.
She watches him come over and stands beside her. They are not so close with each other, yet it gives her oppressed feeling. Duan Jia Xu stops for two seconds and presses his car key again and opens the door for her.
Sang Zhi just gets inside the car.
Very quickly Duan Jia Xu gets on the driver seat and looks at her. "Buckle up."
Sang Zhi: "Oh" and follows him.
He immediately drives his car and knocks his fingers on his steering wheel. Then he suddenly stops and starts to question her; "How many bottles did you drink?"
Sang Zhi thinks about it. "Add up all it should be two bottles."
Duan Jia Xu: "You should take care of yourself outside, don't drink with strangers."
"I know most of them, my roommates are there too."
"Em, Ge Ge just reminds you a bit."
"I know."
Sang Zhi thinks that he would talk more.
But after that, he just drives and doesn't say anything else. He even doesn't mention about his so-what "settle the debt".
Instead it makes Sang Zhi feels very scared and on edge.
She doesn't take initiative to talk to him as she is afraid to influence him, she just takes out her phone and plays it.
Just in time there's a notification from her WeChat. She opens it up and notices a new friend invitation "Jiang Ming".
This name makes Sang Zhi remembers Ni Wei's words.
She doesn't know where does he get her WeChat ID.
Sang zhi usually doesn't like to add friends that she doesn't know, she uses to pretends like she doesn't see it and just logs out. But now she just accepts his request.
"......."
Just let it be.
Duan Jia Xu starts to speak up: "Xiao Hai, let's communicate for a while?"
Sang Zhi immediately lifts up her head: "Ah?"
Duan Jia Xu: "Why are you cursing Ge Ge?"
Sang Zhi peeks at him silently, she doesn't know how to explain to him. At last she just says honestly. "I don't like to be regarded as Xiao Hai."
"..... just because of that?"
"Em."
Her "em" sounds serious.
Duan Jia Xu feels it's funny and indescribable: "Why do you not like it? It's like when you are married in the future, your Pa Ma will still think of you as their kids. It's like that."
"....."
Sang Zhi's mood is bad.
This person seems to want to be her Ge, now he wants to be her Pa.
She doesn't want to argue anymore with him so she looks at the window.
On the way, they pass a convenience store, Duan Jia Xu gets off the car and goes to buy things. Very quickly he returns with a plastic bag. Sang Zhi doesn't ask what he is buying.
Without knowing, the car has arrived in front of University gate.
The car couldn't enter the University so Duan Jia Xu finds a place to stop the car. "Let me send you inside."
Sang Zhi nods and unfastens her seatbelt.
Her dormitory isn't too far from the front gate of the University. It's around ten minutes.
Sang Zhi wants to say more things but she doesn't know how should she speak. After half day, she says: "Jia Xu Ge, tomorrow do you need to go to work?"
Duan Jia Xu laughs lightly: "Tomorrow will be Saturday."
"Ao."
They chat for a while. Basically Sang Zhi racks her brain to throws out questions to make the atmosphere not be too awkward. After all, he has good intention to send her.
The time they arrive in front of the dorm, Sang Zhi just turns relieved, she waves her hand. "Jia Xu Ge, it's late. Drive safely. Take care."
Before she reaches the door, Duan Jia Xu suddenly calls afte rher. "Sang Zhi."
Sang Zhi looks back.
The next second, he lifts up the plastic on his grip. "Go back and boil water and honey. So you will not have headache tomorrow."
Sang Zhi pauses and takes it. "Thank you."
'You also are alone and far away from your home. If you need any help, you could find me." Duan Jia Xu strokes her head and smiles: "Ge Ge is joking with you. I know when someone in your age has something that you want to do. So I don't really think Xiao Sang Zhi has no conscience."
"......"
"As for the words 'Lao Dong Xi'." Duan Jia Xu couldn't help but to laugh. He says: "How could you say that isn't bad word? Xiao Gu Niang should say more civilized words."
Sang Zhi doesn't dare to look at him. "In the future I'll not say anything else."
Duan Jia Xu: " It's good that you know you are wrong. You could go now."
He considers about something for a while and adds: "If you have time, you could come and find Ge Ge to have a meal."
Sang Zhi nods: "Okay."
"Ge Ge is alone right here so the time your Ge said that you are coming here to attend the university here." Duan Jia Xu looks at her gently: "Ge Ge feels very happy."
—–
Sang Zhi returns to her dorm.
Her dorm room is still empty, the light is off. Sang Zhi turns on the light and goes to the balcony. She stands there for a while and looks at the night scenery. It's dark and she couldn't see Duan Jia Xu's figure.
She returns to her own chair and puts down the plastic on the table.
Sang Zhi opens up the jar of honey, she uses her spoon and takes a bit of honey. She puts it on the glass and she pours a warm water inside. She feels her stomach is unwell. She drinks it to calm her stomach down.
She thinks of what Duan Jia Xu's last sentence, Sang Zhi turns straight, she feels something is blocking her heart.
It's a strange thing.
Why she feels in a bad mood?
He said that he is alone.
Isn't he coming from here? Why is he saying that he is alone right here?
It shouldn't be like what she thinks right?
If he is really alone right here, then she is here, not contacting him, and she even isn't answering his call. That makes her actions aren't good.
This man never does anything wrong toward her.
He always treats her well.
Her actions should make her a thankless wretch right?
But Sang Zhi clearly understands. If she acts like she used to do, being together with him, chatting frequently with him, accepting his good action toward hr.
She definitely will, she will change to her previous self that likes him.
—
After the shower, Sang Zhi calls her parents like she usually does. Then she lays down for short while. She feels so tired but she couldn't fall asleep.
Because she drinks beer, she couldn't sleep very well.
In the early morning 02:00 a.m., Sang Zhi hears a noise from her roommates.
They are coming home, but because they are afraid to disturb her, they only turn on the small lamp. They also move lightly to avoid making any noises.
After being awake, Sang Zhi couldn't sleep again. She lifts up her head and says lowly: "You guys could turn on the light. It's okay."
Hearing her voice, Ning Wei immediately looks at her and says guiltily: "I'm sorry, do we disturb you?"
"No." Sang Zhi says: "I just slept for a while and now I couldn't sleep again."
"Then don't sleep now!" Wang Ruo Lan suddenly be so excited: "Sang Zhi, let me tell you new gossip!"
Sang Zhi: "Ah?"
Wang Ruo Lan: "Ning Wei finds herself a partner!"
Ning Wei's face is blushing red and says annoyedly: "Lower your voice."
Sang Zhi's response is too late. "Who is it?"
"He is from our department, he kept on sitting beside her." Ning Wei's mood is good, she sounds embarrassed: " I don't expect that he suddenly..."
Wang Ruo Lan: "Sang Zhi, you should stay few minutes longer before."
A good mood could influence people easily, Sang Zhi smiles: "The one that you said that you are interested with, is it him?"
Ning Wei nods: "Yes ah."
Another roommate, Yu Xin, this time is coming out of the shower. She says curiously: "What are you guys talking about?"
Wang Ruo Lan: "We are talking about Ning Wei."
"Ay, Ning Wei, you are too rushing it." Yu Xin says. "You just find yourself a boyfriend, I haven't even seen anyone that I interested in."
"He said that he falls in love with me at the first sight!" Ning Wei takes all her toiletries and laughs happily. She gets into the bathroom. "I'll not talk anymore, I want to take a shower."
The time she is inside, Wang Ruo Lan says again: "Oh right, Sang Zhi. Before I heard Jiang Ming asked our class monitor for your WeChat ID, have you accepted his request?"
Basically the ones that came to the party are the ones that close to Ning Wei. Except the roommates, most of them are men.
Sang Zhi: "Em."
Wang Ruo Lan: "Are you interested too with him?"
Sang Zhi mumbles: "My hand accepts it."
Mentioning this, Sang Zhi remembers to look at her phone. She takes out her phone and opens up her WeChat. She notices that Jiang Ming is sending few messages to her.
There's also a message from Duan Jia Xu.
Sang Zhi doesn't give him any remark, his ID just is "Duan". She pauses and opens up Duan Jia Xu's chat.
His message:
— In the future if you come home this late to the school, find someone to accompany you together to go back.
Sang Zhi looks at it for few seconds and types; "I get it." She notices the time and plans to just send it tomorrow.
Wang Ruo Lan is still talking: "He seems to notice that you are gone, he just wanted to ask your location and sent you home. He is a good person."
"Em." Sang Zhi opens up the chat with Jiang Ming and replies politely several sentences.
Yu Xin: "Sang Zhi, are you also finding yourself a boyfriend?"
"No." Sang Zhi feels that her mood isn't improving, she suddenly sits up. Her movement is too sudden that it surprised both Yu Xin and Wang Ruo Lan.
Yu Xin: "....... What is it?"
Sang Zhi looks at both of them, then she says slowly: "Let me ask you guys a question?"
Wang Ruo Lan: "What?"
Sang Zhi says seriously: "It's my friend."
Yu Xin: "Okay, I know it's not you."
"....." Sang Zhi pretends not to listen. "My friend, previously she liked her Ge Ge's friend. Then her Ge Ge's friend just thinks of her as his Mei Mei. Then she notices that he seems to have a girlfriend then she gives up. At last she meets him again, what do you think she should do?"
Wang Ruo Lan is curious: "how old he is?"
Sang Zhi: "Undergraduate, he has graduated three years ago."
"Then, " Yu Xin counts: "he should be around twenty five or six years old."
Wang Ruo Lan: "Then it's okay. Now does he have any girlfriend?"
"I don't know." Sang Zhi shakes her head. "He shouldn't have."
If not he will not say that he is alone.
Yu Xin: "You, oh okay, then your friend still likes him?"
"I don't know." Sang Zhi says depressingly: "Not like, but that person just thinks my friend as his Mei Mei."
Yu Xin: "Then you should see whether your friend like him or not. If she likes it then she should pursue him. If she doesn't like him, then just be a friend and contact each other often."
Sang Zhi says nothing.
Wang Ruo Lan: "If not why should your friend be so confused?"
"She feels unhappy." Sang Zhi says: "Every time she thinks that he is dating another woman, she feels very unhappy."
Yu Xin: "How old is your friend when she starts to like him?"
Sang Zhi: "Since she was in Grade 8."
Yu Xin is startled. Then she counts the age. "It's very common. But if he likes you since that time, that man should be a pervert!"
"......."
Wang Ruo Lan: "Moreover that man should be around twenty fiver years old right? If he never dates, then there's a chance that he has no sexual experience. A twenty five years old man without any sexual experience, will be a pervert!"
Sang Zhi is stupefied: "Ah?"
Yu Xin: "It might not be a pervert, but maybe he has a problem?"
Sang Zhi is startled for few seconds and blushes. Her sullen feeling is going away. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Wang Ruo Lan: "Sang Zhi, describe this man a bit."
"He is very handsome, his achievement is very great, then." Sang Zhi scratches her head: "he is ..."
Yu Xin feels impatient: "What?"
Sang Zhi doesn't know how to describe Duan Jia Xu's nature precisely. She thinks for a while: "He is quite flirty? He acts a bit like a playboy...."
"You could say that he is handsome and flirty, how could that kind of man have no girlfriend?" Wang Ruo Lan says: "Oh right, how do you know that man?"
Sang Zhi says lowly: "He is my Ge Ge's friend, he frequently comes to my house."
It's a silence.
"Sang Zhi, I feel that you don't need to mind it." Yu Xin considers for a while. Then she says seriously: "You shouldn't mind about his previous relationship before he knows you. But if in these years he never dates, then there's only a possibility."
Sang Zhi looks at her nervously. "What?"
"He possibly likes your Ge."
"........."