Chapter 7 — Midnight Confessions and Misplaced Farewells
Night wrapped Sang Zhi's home in quiet stillness, yet sleep eluded her. Her worry wouldn't let her rest—what if Duan Jiaxu was still unsettled in that unfamiliar bed? She padded downstairs, soft steps carrying more thought than noise.
She found him awake at the kitchen table, gazing into empty air. He shook his head when she offered hangover soup, his tone gentle yet firm: "I don't drink." Sang Zhi exhaled—relieved, yet touched that she had cared enough to try. Then, noticing the dark circles under his eyes, she broke the silence:
"Why aren't you asleep?"
He sighed, voice quiet. "I'm not used to this bed."
An ache bloomed inside her. Without thinking, she pressed, "You seem upset… you can tell me. I won't say a word, not even to Sang Yan."
He met her gaze in the low lamplight and let words tumble out: "I have… plenty of debtors."
Sang Zhi's breath hitched. Were these financial debts—or emotional? She promised, fiercely: "When I grow up, I'll earn money and help you pay them." His expression softened, and he corrected gently: "They're not my debts. Promise me you'll use your own money… to buy beautiful dresses for yourself."
He left before dawn, and Sang Zhi watched from her balcony as he disappeared into the dim morning haze. His departing wave felt like both a farewell—and a benediction.
Later, a text lit up her phone:
"Caught an early flight to Yihe. Study hard—and don't forget our promise."
A whisper of warmth spread through her. She folded that text into her memory.
Winter gave way to Sang Zhi's final year of high school, and her dream focused clear: Yihe University. Every grade bettered was met with a gift from Jiaxu—his encouragement tangible and sweet. And then, one day, a sharp pang of heartbreak: Sang Yan was on the phone, murmuring that Jiaxu had a girlfriend.
She blinked back tears as memories of Jiaxu promising to introduce his future partner to her first flooded her mind. Rejection, confusion—they tangled inside her. She thought: He lied… or forgot me.
Driven by heartbreak, she impulsively booked a flight to Yihe under a desperate pretense of meeting an "online boyfriend." Sang Yan nearly exploded—not at the "boyfriend", but at her dangerous independence. He called Jiaxu, who rushed to pick her up at the airport—his expression cloudy with concern and exasperation.
She stared in dismay at the woman standing beside him. Was this her new someone better? Shame and jealousy coiled in her chest.
Jiaxu's voice softened. "You shouldn't have come alone. That story… I got scared." The woman to his side offered a quiet smile, cautioning him gently—not to be so harsh.
Sang Zhi's heart quivered at the pretense. She whispered through tears, "My… online boyfriend… didn't want me."
He knelt beside her, brushing her hair back. "You're young. Someday you'll meet someone better."
But as she looked at that woman, her gaze blurred between relief and sorrow. When they reached the gate, she handed him a bear plush—the one he'd won for her years ago—and whispered, "You don't need to tell me about your girlfriend. I wish you happiness… every day."
He clutched the bear with a gentle smile. No words passed, but in his eyes she saw something—nostalgia? and regret?
Back at home, Sang Yan enveloped her in a hug, offering comfort through tears, stolen comics, or even defending her outrageously reckless flight. Her father's scolding arrived too, about lying, danger, and letting one's heart get lost. In silence, Sang Zhi had already made a vow: she would grow, not just in grades, but in emotional strength.
Emotional resonance from r/CDrama captured it beautifully:
"They literally seem like brother-sister … but are always there for one another."
End of Chapter 7