She could smell the fresh lime fruit from his body that is mixed with a cigarette scent. The sunlight makes his body somehow looks golden, it helps him to look gentle.
It"s been two months since their last meeting. Duan Jia Xu"s hair is cut short. Sang Zhi feels he is taller than before, though she doesn"t know whether it"s her mere illusion or not.
He is still looked undisciplined and dazzling.
Sang Zhi"s heart beats so quick.
Because of his words, she is lacking in self-confidence like she is doing deeds that troubles her conscience. She is anxious that she doesn"t know where to put her hands.
After quite a time, she pa.s.ses the doll back to his hands. She says: “I didn"t know it"s yours.”
Sang Zhi lowers her head and shifts her body because she is embarra.s.sed.
She doesn"t get his reply, she just points at the box in the rear of the vehicle. She explains seriously. “I come to help Ge Ge to move in. I see that there"re things inside this so I want to help him to bring it up.”
She waits for several seconds but he still says nothing.
Sang Zhi hesitates for a while and adds: “If I know that the doll is yours, I will not help to take it.”
“….” Duan Jia Xu"s brows move. He straightens his back and repeats her words once more. “If you know it"s me, you will not help to bring it up?”
Sang Zhi immediately nods: “Of course I"ll not.”
“You said that ‘of course I"ll not"?” Duan Jia Xu says lazily, his tone sounds like he is criticizing her. “Xiao Hai (little kid), do you have any kindness in you?”
“…….”
When she takes it, he says that she is a thief. But when she doesn"t take it, he says that she has no kindness.
This man is too apt to change.
Duan Jia Xu says again: “Do you forget about the time Ge Ge helping you big time?”
Sang Zhi feels unhappy and hums: “I remember.”
“Then shouldn"t you treat me better?”
Sang Zhi looks at him and says nothing.
Duan Jia Xu laughs lightly and doesn"t tease her anymore. He pa.s.ses the doll back to her. “If you like it, just take and play it.”
Sang Zhi moves her right hand to take it but suddenly she remembers that he said “do you like me?” . She cancels her intention to take it. She doesn"t dare to take it.
“You don"t want it? Then I"ll throw it away?”
Sang Zhi finally takes it.
Duan Jia Xu finds this is hilarious. “If you want it just take it. Xiao Hai shouldn"t be so difficult.”
Sang Zhi is unhappy to hear it. “You said before that I am a little thief.”
“Ge Ge is joking with you.” Duan Jia Xu takes the books on the trunks and closes the door. “Let"s go, let"s go up.”
Sang Zhi follows him and says nothing else.
Duan Jia Xu glances at his phone for a while and asks her. “You are unhappy?”
Sang Zhi keeps on being quiet.
Sang Zhi says honestly: “This doll is very ugly.”
“Ugly?” Duan Jia Xu raises his eyebrows and looks at it: “I think it"s look okay.”
“Why did you buy this?”
“I didn"t buy it.” Duan Jia Xu thinks about it, he says without care. “I forget where I got it.”
Sang Zhi suddenly understands something, she asks: “Ge Ge, was this from someone?”
Duan Jia Xu: “Em, I think so.”
Sang Zhi has no interest anymore: “Then let me return it to you.”
“You don"t like it? Then give it to me, I"ll take it.”
Sang Zhi returns it back.
Duan Jia Xu asks again: “Are your backpack feel heavy?”
Sang Zhi: “It"s okay.”
Duan Jia Xu asks again. “Later on we will climb five floors, could you do it?”
“Of course. I am thirteen years old, not three years old.” Sang Zhi frowns and feels unsatisfied that he is taking care of her like taking care of three years old kid. “Moreover if I cannot do it, perhaps you want to carry me on your back to go up?”
Duan Jia Xu looks at her and says: “It"s possible.”
Sang Zhi: “Dream on.”
Duan Jia Xu pauses for a while and suddenly laughs: “I dream on?”
Sang Zhi pursues her lips: “Of course you are.”
“Okay.” Duan Jia Xu just admits it. “I dream on.”
He places the doll on top of the books. It"s quite heavy.
The staircase is not wide, but a lot of people are coming up and down.
Duan Jia Xu is afraid that she will be squeezed so he takes the lead to walk in front and let her follows him behind.
They both just go upstair quietly.
Sang Zhi"s physical strength is not really good, this time she is panting and her face blushes. Her forehead is all sweaty. When they reach the last staircase, she holds the wall and kneels down. She says: “I cannot do this. I need to rest for a while.”
Duan Jia Xu looks at her for two seconds. “Okay, I will pick you up in an hour.”
Sang Zhi immediately holds his right leg and says shamelessly: “I just need a short rest, how could I need an hour.”
Duan Jia Xu mocks her: “Xiao Hai, your physical strength is too lacking.”
Sang Zhi refutes: “It"s clearly because your school is petty. This school has no elevator.”
“This building consists of six floors, why should it has elevator?”
Sang Zhu grumbles. “Then you guys should be unlucky, this building has six floors and you guys live on the fifth floor.”
“Okay, stand up now.” Duan Jia Xu looks at his phone, “Later on your legs will be numb.”
He seems to rush things up.
They both finally reach the fifth floor.
Sang Zhi follows him to take the right direction, she looks around curiously.
Very quickly, they reach the room 525.
The door is opened, Duan Jia Xu jut gets inside and places the books on the nearest table.
Sang Zhi also gets inside and looks at Sang Yan.
Sang Yan is sleeping on the opposite bed of Duan JIa Xu. This time Sang Yan is sitting down his chair and places his long legs on the table. He drinks the water relaxedly: “Good brother, this should be hard for you.”
He acts like he needs a spanking.
Sang Zhi is unhappy: “You said that you have no time to pick me up.”
Sang Yan is calm and says: “Yes, I just finished tidying up. I just sit down and have a rest.”
Then there"s another person in the room. A chubby man shows out his head. “Yi, this is Sang Yan"s Mei Mei (Younger little sister)?”
Sang Zhi nods. “Ni Hao (Hi).”
Another man comes out from the balcony: “c.r.a.p, Xiao Mei Mei is very cute.”
Sang Yan twists the bottle of water and throws the bottle toward that man: “Don"t say any bad words.”
That man is quick and catches the bottle. “Who are you to teach me about this, you usually are—” He suddenly realizes something and laughs. “Oh, I just have a loose tongue. Xiao Mei Mei, don"t learn this from me.”
Sang Zhi nods silently.
She then shifts her gaze toward Duan Jia Xu and quickly hangs her head low.
Duan Jia Xu tidies up the things on his table. He then pulls out his own chair toward Sang Yan"s side and says to her casually: “Xiao Mei Mei, sit down here.”
Sang Zhi just says “Oh”.
Then Duan Jia Xu goes to the bathroom.
The small narrow dorm room turns noisy. Sang Zhi starts to understand roughly about the condition in the dorm room. That chubby man is called Qian Fei. The man that is about to say bad words is called Chen Jun Wen. Everyone is getting along well, they are noisy.
Sang Yan is playing with phone while chatting with them.
The time they are chatting, suddenly the door is knocked. Everyone in the dorm has agreed to have barbecue outside the school.
They agree to bring Sang Zhi along with them.
After a while, Duan Jia Xu comes out of the bathroom. He is wearing a different clothes. He just goes to his table and doesn"t join the conversation. He opens up his drawer and takes out his wallet.
Chen Jun Wen looks at her and smiles: “Lao Xu, we just moved in today. Later on let"s eat hotpot.”
“Tonight?” Duan Jia Xu shakes his head. “You guys can go, I have things to do tonight.”
Sang Zhi immediately looks at him.
Qian Fei says: “Why are you going tonight! Is it because you have a girlfriend? You cannot do this! We are a group! If you have a girlfriend, you should help me first to find one!”
Chen Jun Wen starts to fight with Qian Fe: “No, you should find me first.”
Qian Fei: “I have no high requirement, I just want a girlfriend with a good temper.”
Chen Jun Wen: “I am okay as long it is a she.”
Qian Fei: “I"m okay with a man too.”
“…..”
Sang Zhi watches them and suddenly speaks up: “Don"t you guys pursuing my Ge Ge?”
Sang Yan: “…..”
Chen Jun Wen looks at her with terrifying eyes: “Xiao Mei Mei, you cannot eat any food carelessly, you shouldn"t be careless with your words too ah!”
Qian Fei sits up and looks at Sang Yan. He strokes his chin. “From what I see, Sang Yan indeed is quite handsome.”
Sang Yan says: “Go away you two.”
Duan Jia Xu just laughs soundlessly and holds up his black backpack: “I"ll leave first. You guys should chat.” He then starts to walk out of the room. Before he disappears, he turns his body and walks toward Sang Zhi. He strokes Sang Zhi"s head and says: “That doll if you want it, just take it.”
Then he just leaves.
Chen Jun Wen sighs: “Then let"s go.”
Qian Fei: “Okay, I"m also hungry.”
Sang Yan looks at Sang Zhi: “Xiao Gui (Little ghost), do you want to eat hotpot.”
Sang Zhi turns silent and shakes her head: “I am going home.”
“You don"t want to eat anything?” Sang Yan frowns: “after eating, I"ll send you home.”
Sang Zhi shakes her head.
Sang Yan is impatient, he stands up and says: “Think about it, I"ll go to the bathroom.”
Sang Zhi stands up silently and pushes back Duan Jia Xu"s chair back to its previous place. Then she looks at the doll on his table. She hesitates for a while and takes it. Her mood is a bit depressed.
Qian Fei wears his shoes and just in time he sees what Sang Zhi does. He asks: “Duan Jia Xu hasn"t thrown that away?”
Hearing Qian Fei"s words, Chen Jun Wen immediately says: “He seems to put that as the ornament on his bed.”
Qian Fei: “Isn"t it too scary to put something on the bed?”
Sang Zhi takes it and tries to be curious. She asks: “Isn"t this given by Jia Xu Ge Ge"s girlfriend?”
Chen Jun Wen immediately says: “What girlfriend, how could he have time to have girlfriend?”
Qian Fei: “Right ah, he is as busy as a dog.”
Chen Jun Wen: “Why I am not busy but I cannot have a girlfriend.”
“What else is the reason? It"s because you are ugly.” Qian Fei takes the doll from Sang Zhi and thinks about it. “This doll seems to be the reward when Duan Jia Xu won a compet.i.tion. I remember it.”
Chen Jun Wen: “Right ah, it"s from the last semester.”
Sang Zhi sighs relievedly.
In the dorm room, there"re two bathroom. Because of Sang Zhi, both men don"t dare to change their clothes in the room. They just go into the other bathroom and change their clothes.
Sang Zhi watches the doll on her hold. She opens up her backpack and puts the doll inside.
Because it"s too big, she takes out the doll again. She also takes out everything out and puts it on Duan Jia Xu"s table. She tries hard to fit all in inside. After a while, finally everything is inside.
Sang Zhi smiles and closes her backpack.
The next moment, Sang Yan and two other men come out of the bathroom.
Sang Zhi just puts on her backpack and pretends to be calm. She walks toward Sang yan.
Sang Yan takes a tissue to wipe his hand and asks: “Are you done considering?”
Sang Zhi: “I will go home and eat.”
Sang Yan nods: “okay, I"ll send you over to the bus station.”
—
At night 11:00 p.m.
The time Duan Jia Xu returns to the dorm.
Chen Jun Wen and Qian Fei are sitting and playing games on their computers. They are so noisy. Sang Yan is laying down on his bed and doesn"t move. He hears a movement and raises up his head lazily. “Hi, Duan JiaXu.”
Duan Jia Xu puts down his backpack on the table. “What?”
“My Mei called me before.” Sang Yan pa.s.ses the phone to him. “She said that you have things that left at her place. I asked her abut it, but she doesn"t want to tell me. You should call her and ask her.”
Duan Jia Xu opens up his wardrobe and doesn"t find his clothes. “Call her and give it to me when it"s connected.”
Sang Yan is too tired. He finds Sang Zhi"s number and calls it. Then he pa.s.ses his phone to Duan Jia Xu. Duan Jia Xu takes it and holds it near his ear. He then goes to the balcony to take his clothes.
The call is answered.
“Ge Ge?”
Duan Jia Xu says lazily. “Xiao Hai, what did I leave at your place.”
“…….” Sang Zhi turns quiet and very quickly she says again with guilty feeling. “Ge Ge, it"s not you who leave something at my place, but my thing is at your place.”
“What thing?”
Sang Zhi says honestly: “My homework.”
Duan Jia Xu just “em” casually. “I"ll let your Ge to send it over to you tomorrow morning?”
“But I haven"t done it….”
“……..”
Duan Jia Xu stops collecting his clothes and turns silent for a few seconds. Suddenly he understands why she is looking for him.
“You want me to help you to do it?”
Sang Zhi seems to realize that her request is somewhat troublesome, she explains lamely: “At the beginning I also can do it by myself. But, but it"s about making 500 words diary entry. I cannot finish it tomorrow morning.”
“…….”
Duan Jia Xu"s smiles preposterously: “Then why didn"t you try to find your Ge.”
Sang Zhi: “He will not help me.”
Duan Jia Xu: “Then you think that I"ll help you?”
Then both of them turn silent.
After a while, Sang Zhi speaks up with sobbing tone, she is depressed: “Just help me to do it….. that teacher is very scary. I dare to not do any homework, except that literature homework…..”
“………”
“Why are you crying now/” Duan Jia Xu is speechless but happy. “Xiao Hai, okay, tomorrow wake up earlier. Go to the school and do it. I will bring it over earlier too for you, okay?”
Sang Zhi starts to sob. “I cannot.”
Duan Jia Xu asks: “Why?”
“I, I cannot wake up earlier…. huhuhu…..”
“………”
—
Intermezzo:
Duan Jia Xu says: “How could you be so bold and a.s.sured that you cannot wake up tomorrow?”
Sang Zhi: “…..Huhuhu……..”
Duan Jia Xu: “Okay, I"ll do it.”