Chapter 23 — The Confession That Shook the Heart
The winter night outside was soft and quiet, but Sang Zhi's heart was anything but calm. She could still hear Duan Jiaxu's voice from earlier in the day echoing in her mind—gentle, teasing, yet carrying something deeper she couldn't name.
She sat in her room, the glow from her desk lamp painting warm pools of light across the floor. The textbooks in front of her were wide open, but the words blurred together, unread. Her fingers toyed absentmindedly with the edge of the notebook as she replayed every little thing he had said and done since returning to Yihe.
Every glance. Every pause. Every soft laugh.
Was it just her imagination? Or was there truly something different now?
Meanwhile, Duan Jiaxu leaned back against the cold railing outside his apartment. The night breeze carried the distant hum of traffic and the faint smell of roasted chestnuts from a vendor downstairs. He had tried to bury his feelings for so long, convincing himself that Sang Zhi was still a child in his eyes. But tonight, after seeing her standing under the streetlamp with that stubborn glint in her eyes, he realized she had grown up—and he could no longer lie to himself.
He exhaled sharply, lips curving into a helpless smile.
"Zhi Zhi… what am I going to do with you?" he murmured to no one.
The next evening, they met by chance—or perhaps not entirely by chance. Sang Zhi had gone out to buy milk tea, heart secretly hoping to run into him. And there he was, standing outside the shop, hands in his pockets, like he had been waiting.
"Hey," he greeted, eyes softening.
She nodded quickly, her cheeks warming despite the chill in the air. "You're… here too."
They fell into step together, walking down the quiet street. Neither spoke much at first. Their breath turned to mist in the cold, drifting upward and vanishing like unspoken words.
Finally, Duan Jiaxu broke the silence. His voice was lower than usual, steady but weighted with something unspoken.
"Sang Zhi… are you still going to pretend you don't know how I feel?"
Her heart skipped a beat. She looked up at him in shock, but he was already watching her closely, his eyes deep and unwavering.
"I…" Her throat felt dry. "What… what are you saying?"
He stopped walking, turning to face her fully. "I've been holding this in for too long," he said softly. "I told myself it was wrong, that I should stay away. But every time I see you… I can't."
The world around them seemed to fall silent. Only the faint rustle of the winter wind remained.
Sang Zhi's lips parted, but no words came out. Her fingers tightened around the warm cup of milk tea.
Duan Jiaxu took a step closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "Zhi Zhi… I like you."
Her breath caught. The confession was so direct, so clear, that for a moment she wondered if she'd imagined it.
Her heart raced wildly, but mixed with the rush of happiness was a wave of fear. What would her family say? What would others think? And yet—looking at him now, she couldn't deny her own feelings any longer.
"Gege…" Her voice trembled. "I… I like you too."
A soft laugh escaped his lips, equal parts relief and disbelief. The tension in his shoulders melted as he reached out, brushing a stray hair from her cheek. His fingers lingered there, warm against her cold skin.
The night air was freezing, but Sang Zhi felt as though her whole world had caught fire.
They didn't say anything more after that. Words felt unnecessary. They just walked side by side, closer than before, until they reached the corner where they had to part.
As Duan Jiaxu watched her disappear down the street, a faint smile tugged at his lips. For the first time in years, the carefully built walls around his heart had cracked—and he wasn't afraid anymore.
And Sang Zhi? She walked home in a daze, heart pounding so hard she thought it might leap right out of her chest. The night around her glittered with the promise of something beautiful and terrifying—love, real and undeniable.
End of Chapter 23