❝ ──chapter fifteen,
a happy new year. ❞
"𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑" the girls chorused before leaving. sang yue chuckled as she watched them leave, a uncomfortable pit forming in her stomach. she sat back down on her bed to continue watching the stranger things episode. around late evening she heard a knock. sang yue opened the door to see sang zhi and her dorm mates. "happy new year jiêjiê!" the younger girls repeated. "happy new year" she greeted them. "oh wang ruolan you look good" she added upon noticing the girl. the younger smiled.
"jiêjiê my red packet" sang zhi asked extending her hand out. and then it dwaned upon sang yue. she forgot to prepare a res packet. "i'll transfer you" she muttered, her stomach churning. "fine" the younger grumbled. "are you guys going somewhere?" sang yue asked. "to this new restaurant that opened in downtown" the girls responded. "ahh" sang yue muttered. "be safe" she said as the girls left.
sang yue closed the door holding her stomach that was not paining. she was not on her periods so she didn't knew why it was paining. she felt her lunch coming up. she ran to the bathroom. huncing over the toilet she threw up. after throwing up sang yue washed her face and layed in her bed. it wasn't unnatural for her to feel homesick around this time of the year. she was so used to spending new year's with her family that she felt homesick around the new years.
last year around new year's she got sick so bad she had to come back half way from the restaurant they went to. sang yue then went down to get the food the ordered. sighing she entered her dorm. sang could've spent the new year's with her sister but sang zhi already had plans with her friends so sang yue did not wanted to weigh down her sister because of her. considering it was her first year too, she wanted sang zhi to enjoy.
sang yue picked up her ringing phone. the caller id flashed as 'brother no. 2.' she contemplated before answering, she did nevertheless. "hello jiaxu gē" she said while turning on the netflix. "what are you doing?" he asked. sang yue without thinking answered, "nothing." immediately regretting the answer. she knew he will end up roping her into a hang out with him.
"there's a company dinner tonight and i can bring my family. i can you there as my family right?" he asked. "shouldn't you take your girlfriend?" sang yue asked, subtly trying to confirm if he actually has a girlfriend or not. "but i don't have one" he answered making sang yue relived. "i can take you there right?" he asked again.
"jiaxu gē you didn't asked me if i am free" sang yue sighed opening her take out food. "but you said you were doing nothing?" jiaxu asked puzzled. "oh my god this why you don't have a girlfriend" sang yue let out another sigh. "jiaxu gē when you ask a girl to hang out with you. you have to ask if she's free or not even if she said that she's free. you have to ask that" she explained, wearing her glasses.
sang yue hated wearing glasses. she thought it made her look like a nerd. which is why she only wore them when needed or needed to use her computers or laptops to not destroy her eye sight further. "okay let's do this again" jiaxu said. "don't. i'll pass. i having the takeout i ordered" she replied, picking on the piece of fried chicken that was in her noodles. "take out on new year? if you don't like crowds then just say so. the two of us can have dinner" he replied. sang yue pursed her lips to stop the growing smile on her face, her heart fluttering. she shook her head. she needed to get over him. "i don't feel like going out" she answered. "you still owe me a meal. are you trying to back out?" he asked. when he didn't heard her answer he added, "i'll book a reservation."
sang yue wanted to say she took care of him so it evened out but the words melted on her tongue. "you better get ready to come out" he ordered. she opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off. "i'm almost at your university." "fine" she complied. "good. i'll call you when i reach there" duan jiaxu said hanging up on her. sang yue sat there for a moment smiling at her phone. butterflies dancing in her stomach. god that was fucking attractive, she thought smiling. "why are you smiling?" she asked herself before she immediately got up and hurried to get ready. shoving the take out in the fridge. she immediately changed.
𝐉𝐈𝐀𝐗𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 admit sang yue looked good. effortlessly chic in a pair of blue jeans and a pastel purple cardigan top. "here" he said passing a piece of meat on her plate. "thank you" sang yue whispered, feeling awkward around him. "why didn't you went out with your friends?" he asked. "they were going to central plaza" she whispered fiddling slightly with her necklace. "so i was right" the boy raised a brow. sang yue looked at him for an explanation which he gladly gave. "you do not like crowds" he said. his signature arrogant and cocky duan jiaxu smile plastered over his face.
"wipe that arrogant smile off of your face gēgē" sang yue rolled her eyes. "why should i? i am rightfully cocky" he smirked. "either ways yihe is too cold for me to go out" sang yue replied eating her food. "but you said yes the minute i asked" he said so nonchalantly, sang yue almost chocked on her food. "one jiaxu gē, it's because i owe you and second because you were almost at my university" she replied avoiding his gaze. "but i lied. i was still in office" he smirked. sang yue shot him an unimpressed look. "a liar. that's what i am adding to my list of insult for you" she pouted.
"eat more. it's my treat' he chuckled. sang yue's head shot up. "didn't we agreed this was my treat? what are you even treating me for?" she asked. "hmm let me think" he tilted his head as if he was in deep thinking. "for taking care of me at the hospital" he smiled at her. "jiaxu gē i did that because i wanted to you shouldn't treat me for it. i owe you a meal anyway" sang yue said. "what do you mean? are you saying you won't meet me after this meal?" he teased.
sang yue went quite. it wasn't that she meant to agree to him but she couldn't find an excuse. he sighed. "have some sympathy for this old man. you won't even have a meal with your gēgē" jiaxu exaggerated making sang yue smile slightly. "jiaxu gē you should start eating. you're very talkative today" she snickered. "it's not everyday i get to have a meal with you so what if i want to talk more" his said before eating. sang yue shook her head at his words.
"let's talk about you" he said as sang yue's eyes widened slightly. "how are your classes. do you like them?" he asked. "i do actually. i really do. do you know my professors always praise about me to everyone" she boasted. "is that so?" he asked smiling at the younger who nodded. "are you also popular?" he asked again. "yes, infact very much. lots of people confessed to me and sent me love letters" she said nonchalantly. duan jiaxu's stomach churned and he had no idea why. it was probably because of his surgery right? because why would he be bothered that sang yue is very likeable.
infact he would've been surprised if it was the opposite. the girl was pretty, kind, smart and compassionate. it was only natural for her to be popular and liked. duan jiaxu shook away the weird feeling.
sang yue chuckled at a comment he passed. when she noticed that one of that two young women looks familiar but for time being she couldn't remember where she met her. that young woman seemed to recognize duan jiaxu. looking at him, her smile just disappears. she just lets go of her friend's elbow and comes over. She says arrogantly "duan jiaxu." when he hears that young woman's voice, he pauses and looks over. sang yue also looks over. that woman doesn't really look pretty, she just looks delicate. she is wearing a fine makeup. she looks gloomy and a bit unkind.
she then approaches sang yue, sang yue could smell her perfume. the she remembers that she had met this young woman in the elevator of duan jiaxu's apartment. sang yue then looks at jiaxu. he doesn't look at that woman and pretends like he didn't saw her. he just takes the teapot to pour himself a tea. that woman says "you didn't answered my calls?" sang yue pursues her lips and suddenly feels awkward to sit down here. "it's because i've told you we don't need to stay in touch anymore." then the woman starts to explode. "what is your right to do so! damn it! you should work like an ox for me this lifetime!" she yells. her voice is loud and too provoking
sang yue looks at her again and seems a bit surprised by it. that woman's friend holds her and seems to be confused too. "jiang ying, what happened? who is he?" that woman's friend ask. sang yue watches that woman struggles free from her friend's hold and suddenly takes a glass full of water on the table and she just splashes it powerfully toward duan jiaxu's face. he is unprepared so he couldn't dodge it off. he just has time to close his eyes. the luke warm water drenches his body. from his hair, the water slides into his forehead, bridge of nose, lips, and chin. it drops one by one. sang yue was startled and looks at his current appearance.
the sang girl sat processing what happened for a moment. it felt like muscle memory but sang yue stood up and threw her water on the girl. "who are you? what are you doing?" the unknown girl shrieked. "and what are you doing?" sang yue asked rather calmly. "it's none of your business! do you even know why i did that!" the latter yelled. "no i don't. and i do not care why. lady you assaulted him and i just returned the favour" she replied in a monotonous tone, though she sounded sadistic. the girl who yelled and her friend who was holding her back looked at sang yue for a moment before the girl leaned to grab the utensils containing chopsticks and spoons.
"jiang ying. jiang ying" the lady tried to hold her friend. jiaxu meddled in. standing between sang yue and the other two girls, he snatched the utensils from the girl's hand, who sang yue assumed to be jiang ying, and slammed it on the ground. he held sang yue behind him. sang yue flinched slightly at the sound of metal being slammed into the ground. "what do you want jiang ying?" he asked, holding sang yue's wrist firmly behind him. "who is she?" the woman howls again. "miss you'll have to leave" the restaurant's staff step in. sang yue watched as the two girls were escorted out of the restaurant.
sang yue walked infront of him, wiping few droplets of water with the back of her hand. "are you okay?" he whispered. "jiaxu gē let's leave" she whispered back. sang yue went to grab their coats as she went to cashier to pay. when the payments were done she grabbed jiaxu's wrist and dragged him out of there. the guy allowed himself to be dragged by her.
she stopped when they were abit far out of the restaurant. "it's cold put your coat on" she said as she handed him his brown coat. sang yue looked at him for moment before she grabbed her scarf and patted his face dry with her scarf. after she was done she carefully wrapped the scarf around his neck to keep him warm. "so jiaxu gē who is that woman" she asked, putting her own coat on. "someone unimportant" he said solemnly. duan jiaxu looked at her before saying "to be precise she's my father's former creditor."
"i ran into her once" sang yue said as she threw the staps of her sling bag over her shoulders. "did she said something to you?" he asked, ignoring his ringing phone in his coat's pockets. in that moment he was more concerned about sang yue's safety. "we just walked past each other. it was when you were hospitalized and i went to get your things." jiaxu nodded at her words. he nodded again when she figured "so i guess she was there to see you."
"does this happen everytime when you see her?" sang yue asked in an interrogating tone. "no" he waved off. "you paid off the debts. the debts which weren't yours to begain with. she's your father's creditor not your so you shouldn't let her bully you" sang yue said. the guy just simply nodded smiling at the younger infront of him. "what's the matter?" he asked feeling conscious when sang yue looked at him with knitted brows. wordlessly the girl took out an ointment from her bag and applied on his face, where it hurted him. jiaxu didn't even realized he had a slight injury until she applied the ointment. "i forgot to say this earlier but thank you sang yue" he smiled when she was done.
sang yue smiled at him. the two looked up when they felt snow falling on them. sang yue turned her back to jiaxu, looking at the sky. the snow was falling and the moon shone brightly. duan jiaxu look at her back. his heart beating rapidly. he raised a hand to wipe off snow from her hairs but before he could do so sang yue turned around and looked at him. jiaxu stared back at her. it felt like loosing a battle. he looks at her. her beautiful warm brown eyes. he looks at her face carefully and in detailed. her skin is smooth, her lips are full and rosy. he could even feel her light breath. he smiles at her as his hand drops.
he watches her walk ahead. sang yue clasps her hands and closes her eyes as she makes a wish. 'i wish all the bad things that trouble jiaxu gē will stay away from him. i wish he has someone that could be with him', sang yue couldn't help but selfishly wish 'i hope that person is me.' she then turns around to see jiaxu smiling at her. despite the cold her face heats up abit. "aren't you going to make a wish?" she asked. "it's the year's first snow fall."
"yihe doesn't snow often. the last time it snowed, i was in tenth grade" jiaxu said. "then i guess i am lucky" sang yue chuckled. "i am lucky too, i get to see the snow with you" he smiled at her, dusting off few snowflakes that fell onto her hairs. "a wish at first snowfall is said to come true" he explained. "then i am happy i made a wish carefully" sang yue smiled, the nature lifting up her mood. "really? what did you wished for?" he asked teasingly. "if i tell you my wish won't come true" the girl whined. sang yue watched as the older male made a wish. the two stood there watching the ethereal snow fall, with wide smiles plastered over their faces. the restaurant incident long forgotten.
𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐔𝐄 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃 watching the fireworks go off. she texted jiaxu, "i am watching fireworks what about you?" jiaxu felt himself smile at her text. he snapped a photo of the fireworks and sent it to her. "me too, they're beautiful" he texted her. duan jiaxu had a horrible memory attached to snow. afterall his father ran over someone else that when it last snowed in yihe. however now, owing to sang yue, he had one of his best memories attached to snow.
he opened his phone, changing the contact name from sang yue to yùtù. he had seen her mother call her that few times he was around. all of his memories with sang yue where the girl called him old flashed in his mind. he debated upon it yet he ended up saving her contact as yùtù. jiaxu thought about it for a moment. he was going crazy because he's been single for too long right? there's no way sang yue would end up liking him. she just saw him as her older brother's bestfriend. he was too old for her either way.
jiaxu picked up his ringing phone without looking at the caller id. it was a call from jiang yang. to say jiaxu was surprised would be an understatement. he was far more than that. he was ready to hear some insults and degrading remarks from the younger male but he was astonished to hear not a single one of them.
"jiaxu gē, i want to apologize" the younger started. "huh?" jiaxu asked not believing his ears. "gēgē, i've been thinking and i think i was wrong to hate you. i mean sure what happened between our fathers shouldn't have happened but then it was not your fault nor did you wanted it. you paid off the debts that were forced onto you and i was still mean to you. i don't know if you'll forgive me for my immature mistakes but i still want to apologize to you" he explained. jiang yang's anxiety sky rocketed when he didn't hear the older male reply. "gēgē?" he asked again. "i am sorry i was bit surprised" he said earning a scoff from the younger.
"i can be kind you know" the younger grumbled. "is that how you talk to someone asking for forgiveness?" he teased. "i am sorry" the younger whispered. "it's okay. i forgive you. you were young and did what the olders told you. i am glad you got your conscience" jiaxu chuckled making thr younger chuckle too. "let's grab a meal some time soon and enter the new year with a new start" jiang yang said. "sure" jiaxu agreed. "did sang yue asked you to apologize?" jiaxu asked after a beat of silence.
"why would you think that? i have the ability to get my conscience on my own!" the younger exclaimed. "does sang yue knows?" jiaxu asked as the younger hummed. "but but, she didn't asked i told her. like i thought you weren't a nice person so i explained what happened and told her to stay away from you but she gave me a speech about how nice of person you are. so i gave some thought and apologized to you" he explained. "what did she said?" jiaxu asked out of curiosity.
butterflies erupting in his stomach, she defended him even his absence. just the mere thought of it made him giggle like a teenage girl. jiang yang shook his head, "she gave a long speech and i don't even remember it!" he exclaimed. the two males shared a laugh as they talked for a bit more before hanging up.
𝐉𝐈𝐀𝐗𝐔 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 up the call from qian fei. who was too happy at an unsual hour. jiaxu was already in his home, showered and changed, fiddling with the blue sticky notes sang yue left at his apartment when qian fei announced his marriage in the group chat and called him. "what?" he asked, trying to stotic. "you're still up right? did you missed me?" the latrer asked cheerfully. "i am hanging up" he replied. "don't don't don't. if you're still up chat with me. do you know i proposed today!" the latter exclaimed. qian fei went on to describe how he proposed as jiaxu listened.
"i am sad that you're getting married. didn't you said that you will be single with forever" jiaxu teased. "i only said that make you feel better. did you too that seriously?" the latter asked. jiaxu chuckled, "congratulations buddy" he said, meaning every the words genuinely. "enough about me! what about you? did you found someone? you must have feelings for someone!" jiaxu thought about qian fei's words for a moment. whatever he felt today with sang yue was not somthing he felt with everyone. it was. . . . different. qian fei's words bought him to reality. "jiaxu from your silence i think i found a trace of someone" said the latter.
"what do you mean?" jiaxu tried to wave it off. "tell me what's going on!" the latter whined. "have you not calmed down yet? hurry up and go to sleep. you're about to be a married man" he said. "no tell me who is it" the latter kept on whining so jiaxu hung up. he kept his phone on his table. jiaxu pondered about it for a moment. it was because he's been single for too long right? his eyes fell onto the blue sitcky notes now stuck on his drawer. "kiddo" he whispered.
•˚. *࿐ 𝑲𝑶𝑲𝑶𝑺𝑩𝑳𝑨𝑺𝑯𝑴𝑬𝒀'𝑺 𝑵𝑶𝑻𝑬 ▬▬▬ a double update my loves!! sang yue's fit is attached up