Secretly, Secretly; But Unable to Hide it (偷偷藏不住) by Zhu Yi (竹已)~ Chapter 47

Sang Zhi couldn’t respond for a moment, she almost answers it. She stops breathing and pretends to not see him.

According to her thinking, his words have double meaning.

Either, am I the one that you said?

Or could I be that person?

No matter what is the meaning, if she admits it, then isn’t she showing up her feeling? But if she doesn’t admit it, how about if he retreat because of this?

Sang Zhi is at war.

Duan Jia Xu waits for her answer patiently, he doesn’t force her.

After a while, Sang Zhi decides that to say: “No.”

Duan Jia Xu just says “Ah”, like he feels sorrow.

Without waiting for his words, Sang Zhi lowers her head and says seriously: “Don’t say that words again, I don’t like that man again.”

Duan Jia Xu raises his eyebrows: “Oh.”

Sang Zhi nods seriously, she is afraid that he will not trust him. She thinks about it and lies: “Didn’t you say that he is not a good man? So I never contact him again.”

“…….” Duan Jia Xu’s disappears.

Sang Zhi says seriously: “Now I have no one that I like.”

Duan Jia Xu turns silent for few seconds, he feels it’s hard to describe his mood. He feels like he digs a hole and buries himself.

He withdraws his gaze then says: “This person is also Zhong Yang Kong Tiao (Central air conditioning: A man that always treats every woman well?”

Sang Zhi hesitates: “Just a bit.”

Now she just remembers about that words. Duan Jia Xu is a bit happy: “Do you know what that words mean?”

Sang Zhi feels it is strange: “Don’t you know?”

“…….”

“How could you not know? You could search in the internet?” Sang Zhi also doesn’t care too much, she just explains it to him.

“The Zhong Yang Kong Tiao (Central air conditioner) is a man who has lots of girl friends, he treats every woman well but he has no real girlfriend.”

Duan Jia Xu hangs low his head and looks at her. He jut says: “Em, these explain what so-called Zhong Yang Kong Tiao.”

“…..” Sang Zhi says it reasonably: “Of course.”

The question ends now.

They both keep on walking and pass a group of college students. Sang Zhi hears faintly that Duan Jia Xu says: “She is really good at denounce on false charges.”

—–

Previously Sang Zhi wanted to watch Big Hero 6, most of the cinemas has stopped airing that. There’s only one left.

That cinema is located at the SCBD area.

Duan Jia Xu has bought the ticket in advance.

They both take the metro. Because this is weekend, it’s so crowded. Luckily, Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu could get in and just stand near the window.

Duan Jia Xu is worried that she would be squeezed so Duan Jia Xu just pulls her to stand in front of him.

Around them are people, she couldn’t find a support. Sang Zhi couldn’t help but to say: “I have nothing to hold to support me.”

Duan Jia Xu looks at her and just gives her the hold, that used to be his. “Just hold this.”

Sang Zhi extends her hand and holds it. She looks at him. “What about you?”

Duan Jia Xu laughs and says lazily: “It’s a bit tall, I feel it’s too tired to hold it.”

“……..” Sang Zhi wants to say something.

In a next moment, he shifts his body and holds her wrist. “It is easier to hold this.”

Sang Zhi stands still and glares at him. She rolls her eyes at him. It’s obvious that his action is exceptionally shameless: “How could it take so much energy to hold that?”

“It’s really strenuous.” Duan Jia Xu smiles and says: “If not you could hold it and try?”

“……..” Sang Zhi feels unnatural, she extends her hand to hold the crossbar. She mumbles: “You have the face to compare your height with me?”

Yet she doesn’t let his hand go.

She couldn’t help to peek at his hand.

She examines his long fingers, it holds her wrist. It’s a warm contact, it feels real. She couldn’t ignore it.

It’s a rare thing for Duan Jia Xu to do bodily contact with her.

Including when she was little, at most he would only stroke her head and pinches her cheeks.

She hangs her head low and starts to touch her lips.

Duan Jia Xu is looking forward, yet actually he is watching her from the corner of his eyes.

They both do their own things.

Sang Zhi tries hard to pretends to be indifferent.

Duan Jia Xu just watches her silently, and smiles from time to time.

—–

The time they arrive at the SCBD area, there’re thirty minutes left before the movie starts.

They both are relaxed and goes to take the tickets. Sang Zhi looks around and points at a nearby milk tea store. “I want to buy drink, do you want to drink?”

Duan Jia Xu: “No.”

Sang Zhi: “Then wouldn’t you be thirsty later on?”

Duan Jia Xu: “I will go buy…….”

He suddenly feels that he is reenacting what happened before. Duan Jia Xu’s eyebrows move and he says: “This time before you drink it, you should take a look what is inside first whether the order is correct.”

“Oh.” There’s no queue for the milk tea store, Sang Zhi goes to the cashier to take a look at menu. Without taking too long time, she just orders: “Cold lemonade and pearl.”

“…….” It’s the first time for Duan Jia Xu to hear that kind of drink. “You could drink it?”

Sang Zhi looks at him. “Of course.”

Duan Jia Xu: “Moreover what’s the temperature today? How could you drink a cold drink?”

Sang Zhi: “The cinema room will not be cold.”

Duan Jia Xu: “Don’t drink too much.”

Sang Zhi is dissatisfied, she mumbles: “Why are you keeping on minding me?’

Duan Jia Xu looks at her and watches her bored expression. He jokes: “You feel that I’m too annoying?”

This time the shop assistant has done preparing her drink.

Sang Zhi takes it and pokes the straw to the lid. “I also don’t say it.”

Duan Jia Xu smiles: “You mean it right.”

Sang Zhi pretends to not hear it, she just keeps on chewing her pearl drink.

After several seconds, Duan Jia Xu says: “You should get used to it.”

Sang Zhi stops and swallows the pearl silently.

They go to find the seats as there are several minutes left before the movie starts.

Though when she drinks the drink she doesn’t feel it’s too cold, but after a while, she feels it’s a bit cold.

Noticing that she keeps on changing her hand to hold the drink, Duan Jia Xu extends his hand and helps her to hold it.

Sang Zhi looks at him and says nothing. The time they are about to enter the cinema, she couldn’t help but to point at the drink. “I want to drink.”

Duan Jia Xu passes the drink to her yet he doesn’t have intention to return it to her. He just moves the straw closer to her lips and looks at her.

Sang Zhi has no courage to drink it like that so she wants to take it.

Before Sang Zhi touches the cup, Duan Jia Xu just says slowly: “If you want to drink it, just drink it. Why are you seizing the chance to touch Ge Ge’s hand.”

“…..” Sang Zhi couldn’t hold her emotion, she shows her flat face: “Who wants to touch your hand, I want to drink it by myself.”

Duan Jia Xu: “You don’t think it’s too cold.”

Sang Zhi: “No.”

Duan Jia Xu returns it to her: “If you don’t drink it anymore, just give it back to me, I’ll help you to hold it.”

“No need.” Sang Zhi looks at his hand and says: “Couldn’t you be cold too?”

Duan Jia Xu smiles and extends his hands to her front. He says: “Then warm it up for me?”

Sang Zhi doesn’t move and drinks her drink.

He doesn’t feel awkward, he just withdraws his hand and says: “Let’s go and take our seats.”

They both stand up.

After several seconds, Sang Zhi suddenly takes out a ‘warm baby’ (heat pack) out and passes it to him. “I just bring one, I’ll give it for you to use it.”

Duan Jia Xu is startled.

Sang Zhi explains: “My hands are cold too so they couldn’t give you warm.” She says: “Moreover, it seems to be inappropriate to hold hand.”

Duan Jia Xu looks at her and cooperates with her. “Indeed it’s inappropriate.”

“………”

They both sit down.

Duan Jia Xu puts the paper bag, which he helps Sang Zhi to bring it. Then he tears open the wrapper of the ‘warm baby’ (heat pack). He says gently: “Also there’s no status.”

“…..” Sang Zhi’s mind goes blank and puts down her drink on its place.

This time Duan Jia Xu places the heat pack on her hand.

The movie starts, the music in background stops all her words.

—–

After the movie ends, it’s already dinner time.

Though during the film, most of time Sang Zhi thinks about his words. But she doesn’t feel okay to mention it.

They both find a restaurant to eat.

Before they return to Duan Jia Xu’s apartment, they go to the bakery to take the birthday cake.

They return back to Duan Jia Xu’s apartment.

Sang Zhi takes off her shoes and notices a new pair of female slippers. It’s in her size. She looks at Duan Jia Xu and doesn’t take initiative to wear it.

Duan Jia Xu places the slippers in front of her and says calmly: “I bought it for you.”

He places the birthday cake on the dining table then goes to the kitchen.

Sang Zhi wears it slowly and walks over. She opens the cake’s box.

When she just takes out the cake out of the box, Duan Jia Xu comes out of the kitchen. He is holding another birthday cake.

Sang Zhi stops: “Why are there two of them?”

“I baked this one.” Duan Jia Xu says: “But I’m afraid that it’ll not be tasty so I ordered another one.”

Sang Zhi blinks: “You can bake cake?”

“In the past I used to work at the bakery so I learnt a bit of it.” Duan Jia Xu prepares to stick in candles and says casually: “Which one do you want to use?”

Sang Zhi chooses the birthday cake that he made for her: “This one.”

“How many should I put?”

“Just one, it’s okay.”

Duan Jia Xu raises his eyebrow and refuses: “Nineteen candles.”

Sang Zhi is speechless: “How should I blow the candles if there are so many?”

“Xiao Gu Niang (Little girl),” Duan Jia Xu says: “You should admit your age.”

The bakery gives two packs of candles. There are twelve candles in each pack so it’s enough. Sang Zhi ridicules: “Then when it’s your birthday, you should ask for one more candle packs.”

“For my birthday, we could only use one candle.”

“…..” Sang Zhi is unhappy, she bickers: “That time I definitely would stick in twenty six candles.”

Duan Jia Xu just laughs and sticks in all the candles. Then he goes to take a lighter and a pink paper bag. He lights all the candles.

Sang Zhi goes to turn off the light.

The time she is back, the candles are light up.

This is the first time Sang Zhi spends her birthday with him.

Duan Jia Xu sings happy birthday to her. His voice is hoarse and gentle.

He asks her to make a wish and blows all the candles.

She could only blows half of it.

She blows several times to die out all the candles.

Looking at her action, Duan Jia Xu laughs. He goes to turn on the light and passes the pink paper bag to her. “Birthday present.”

Sang Zhi takes it. She thanks him and feels curious. She takes the knife and cuts the cake.

She cuts off a bit, Duan Jia Xu takes the knife and helps her to cut a small slice. He suddenly asks: “Do you want to see what other person give you?”

Sang Zhi looks at him and shakes her head: “I just open it later on.”

Duan Jia Xu doesn’t force her and asks: “That man is pursuing you?”

Sang Zhi thinks about it: “Should be.”

Duan Jia Xu laughs lightly and says: “A lot of people are pursuing you?”

“It’s okay.”

Duan Jia Xu asks: “Then what are the requirements for those who want to pursue you?”

Sang Zhi feels baffled: “What do you mean by requirements, I’m not even looking for boyfriend.”

“Then tell me.” Duan Jia Xu says calmly: “What are the requirements for the man that you will like?”

Sang Zhi looks at him and hesitates for a while. “He should be handsome.”

Duan Jia Xu: “Em.”

“Has a good temper.”

“Em.”

“Taller than me.”

“Em, what else?”

Sang Zhi takes her spoon and bites her cake: “Nothing else.”

“For all of that requirements, I seem to be conformed to it.” Duan Jia Xu wipes the chocolate sauce on his fingers then strokes her cheek. “So let me ask you a question.”

“…..”

The expectant thing seems to be happened, it gives her an intense feeling.

Sang Zhi looks at his eyes, her eyes are beating so fast. “What?”

Duan Jia Xu laughs yet he looks serious.

This time he doesn’t cover up. He just shows her ‘card’.

“Could I pursue you?”

---

88 Tang’s Note:

Due to Co-vid 19, I spend my whole days at home so I have a lot of time to translate. I’ll try to update as much as I could because I know reading can somehow reduce our level of our boredom. :). I hope that you all are safe and healthy. Take care & stay strong, friends! Thank you for your support. God bless! Happy Easter!

Love,

88 Tang