Chapter 13 — New Year Gifts and the Weight of Age
The morning light was soft through her bedroom curtains when Sang Zhi giggled at herself—she'd nearly made Duan Jiaxu believe she fancied that "muscular man" who'd handed her a hamburger the night before. She denied it with a blush, explaining that her "manly" type was attentive and gentle—"manly, yet had no muscles, and sweet to everyone." To her surprise, Jiaxu teased that it sounded like a jerk. Sang Zhi insisted he was not.
Laughter led them to a rare moment of boldness when she flipped the question—"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" Jiaxu replied in kind, asking her to introduce someone of her age, teasing that he'd be fine with it. Sang Zhi's pulse fluttered, uncertain whether to read it as flirtation or brotherly teasing.
Home was warm with New Year joy. Her parents fussed over her—Father gave her steamed fish and white strawberries; Sang Yan grumbled over carrying her luggage like a donkey. She gifted her family small treasures: skincare for her mother, hand cream for her dad, and a quirky pair of asymmetrical sunglasses for Sang Yan—embarrassing yet accepted with a begrudging smile.
During dinner, Sang Zhi updated everyone about Jiaxu's recovery—and his success with a new game she'd mentioned. Her parents showered praise; Sang Yan was admonished for skipping a blind date, prompting Sang Zhi to suggest bringing Jiaxu along—half-joking that he "might otherwise end up pathetically alone." Such odd logic, yet heartfelt.
Later, she came across a teddy bear-blanket from Jiaxu—the one that had rekindled her recollection of his comment about dating someone her age. She messaged him: "Sang Yan has a young girlfriend." His reply came instantly: "Are you an adult?" She affirmed she was. He brushed it off calmly—reassuring, but charged with unspoken weight.
Over in Yihe, Jiaxu had dinner with Qian Fei, who asked about the girl he liked. Jiaxu described her as "a little girl"—and Qian Fei pointed out that his description matched Jiaxu perfectly: "flirtatious, attentive, shameless—in a good way." Jiaxu laughed it off—but something shifted. The jigsaw pieces began to align: perhaps the girl he liked… was the one before him all along.
At Qian Fei's wedding banquet in Nanwu, Sang Zhi sat close but silent—too tangled in emotion to speak. Jiaxu gently prompted her to say hello; when she hesitated, he asked the question that changed everything: "How old is the guy you like?" Her flustered attempt to switch seats only confirmed his suspicion. It wasn't her type. It was him.
Afterward, he walked her out and returned her red envelope—calling her "Zhizhi," her childhood nickname reserved for those closest to her. The intimacy of the word struck her deeply.
She prepared to return to school. At the airport, he revealed they were on the same flight; he unusually insisted he'd pick her up—an unspoken closeness drawing tighter. He handed her a New Year's gift: a delicate bracelet engraved with her name. Her pulse skipped—what did it mean?
In the car, he waved a white strawberry at her—playfully asking if he should feed it to her, warning her not to "take advantage" of him. Her confusion and warmth quivered together, weaving a fragile hope that perhaps she wasn't just his friend's kid anymore.
End of Chapter 13