The following week, Sang Zhi discovered something about herself.
She had started making excuses.
Little ones.
Harmless ones.
If Sang Yan and Duan Jiaxu were watching TV in the living room, Sang Zhi would suddenly remember she needed a snack.
If they were studying, she would walk out pretending to look for a book.
Each time, she would sit nearby quietly, pretending not to pay attention.
But in reality, she noticed everything.
The way Duan Jiaxu laughed.
The way he leaned back casually when talking.
The way he patiently explained things when Sang Yan didn't understand something.
One evening, Sang Yan left the room to answer a phone call.
For the first time, Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu were alone.
The room suddenly felt too quiet.
Duan Jiaxu looked at her math book.
"Still stuck on homework?" he asked.
Sang Zhi hesitated.
Actually, she had already solved everything.
But this was the chance he had offered before.
So she slowly slid the notebook toward him.
"This one… I don't understand."
Duan Jiaxu glanced at the page.
Then he smiled.
"This is easy."
He pulled the notebook closer and began explaining the problem step by step.
Sang Zhi tried to focus on the numbers.
But her attention kept drifting to his voice.
It was calm and warm.
After finishing, Duan Jiaxu tapped the notebook lightly.
"See? Not so hard."
Sang Zhi nodded quickly.
"Thank you."
He smiled again.
And in that moment, Sang Zhi realized something that made her cheeks warm.
She wasn't finding excuses anymore.
She was looking forward to seeing him.
Without realizing it, her secret crush had already begun to grow.