Extra 3: Jealousy, Banter, and Proposal

The whisper was soft as silk, brushing against his ear with breath that seemed to carry the warmth of her entire being.

Sang Yan's expression froze fractionally, as if the words hadn't quite penetrated through the layers of his consciousness. His eyelashes fluttered with delicate uncertainty. He looked directly at her, his prominent Adam's apple moving in a slow, deliberate swallow, his face an unreadable mask of carefully controlled reactions. "Hm?"

Their eyes met and held.

Staring at Sang Yan's expression, Wen Yifan finally felt a surge of satisfaction, a sense of genuine participation in whatever game they were playing. Although she couldn't quite decipher his exact reaction, it seemed monumentally better than his attitude towards Duan Jiaxu. She didn't repeat herself, settling back into her seat with visible contentment.

But in the next heartbeat, Sang Yan's hand shot out to grab her wrist, his eyebrow arching with unmistakable demand: "Say it again."

Hearing this exchange, Sang Zhi in the front seat pivoted her head around with curiosity: "What?"

Duan Jiaxu spared a brief glance in Sang Zhi's direction, his expression carefully neutral.

Seeing that Sang Yan had absolutely no intention of acknowledging her existence, Sang Zhi's eyes darted around with mischievous calculation. She suddenly addressed Duan Jiaxu with deliberate sweetness: "Duan Jiaxu, my brother is talking to you."

The implication landed with perfect clarity.

You, say it again, Brother.

"…" Duan Jiaxu looked at Sang Zhi once more, recognition dawning in his expression.

As if harboring a deep-seated grudge against Sang Yan's earlier behavior, Sang Zhi was investing maximum effort into making things difficult for him, pinning all her hopes on Duan Jiaxu's cooperation. Finding the entire situation genuinely amusing, Duan Jiaxu obligingly played along: "Brother, what's the matter?"

The brief romantic atmosphere shattered like glass hitting concrete.

Sang Yan's brow twitched with visible irritation, and he stiffly looked up, momentarily experiencing the overwhelming urge to physically extract Wen Yifan from the car and abandon this entire situation. He leaned back against the seat with studied casualness, his grip on Wen Yifan's wrist tightening possessively: "Nothing."

His reaction this time wasn't as explosive as before, which prompted Sang Zhi to turn her head again with renewed interest.

Sang Yan's voice emerged light and threatening: "Just thinking about how to murder without consequences."

"…"

Duan Jiaxu guided the car into the supermarket parking lot with practiced ease.

Although they had been dating for quite some time, Sang Zhi still felt profound discomfort displaying any affection with Duan Jiaxu in front of the other two. The dynamic always felt disturbingly similar to being lovey-dovey with her partner directly in front of disapproving elders.

After entering the supermarket's fluorescent-lit interior, she immediately seized Duan Jiaxu's hand and pulled him toward another section with purposeful determination.

Wen Yifan extracted a shopping cart from the entrance corral, which Sang Yan smoothly commandeered. Thinking about the conversation in the car earlier, she couldn't quite articulate what exactly was bothering her, but she couldn't help confronting him about it: "I feel like you're quite different in front of Duan Jiaxu—"

Sang Yan turned his head with deliberate slowness.

Wen Yifan's face remained perfectly calm as she picked up a product from a nearby shelf with studied casualness: "It's quite different."

"…"

"But it's good too," Wen Yifan replaced the product with careful precision, a faint smile beginning to curve her lips, her voice taking on a gentle quality, "Thanks to him, I can see different sides of you."

Sang Yan rested his elbow on the shopping cart's handle, his back slightly bent as he studied her with unnerving focus: "How is it different?"

Wen Yifan found herself struggling to articulate the distinction.

"Wen Shuangjiang, your behavior is also fresh. Being with me for such a long time, every time you get jealous," Sang Yan remained perfectly still, his expression radiating lazy amusement, "it's always because of some uncouth guy."

"…"

"Deliberately picking on me?"

As these words settled into the air between them, Wen Yifan reflected and realized the observation was distressingly accurate. After all, throughout their entire relationship, she hadn't observed any female friends orbiting him. She didn't want to admit that her behavior constituted picking on him, so she responded with utmost seriousness: "Then next time when Duan Jiaxu calls you 'Brother', can you accept it more naturally?"

Sang Yan's confusion was palpable: "?"

Wen Yifan added with deliberate emphasis: "Otherwise, you two look like you're flirting."

"Do you know what flirting means?" Sang Yan leaned forward with predatory intent, raising his hand to press against her forehead with gentle pressure, laughter threading through his words, "Or are you complaining that I haven't let you experience flirting?"

Wen Yifan looked up to meet his gaze directly.

"That beast calling me that way is to disgust me. When you call me, that's flirting." Sang Yan rubbed her head with affectionate roughness, deliberately steering the conversation back to his desired destination, "What did you call me in the car just now?"

Wen Yifan was far too embarrassed to repeat the exact words, so she substituted: "Little brother."

"Oh." Sang Yan accepted this revision with apparent ease, speaking with deliberate slowness, "Does big sister like younger ones?"

"…"

Hearing him address her this way for the first time in their relationship, Wen Yifan experienced an unexpected pause, feeling inexplicable heat rising in her cheeks. She lightly pressed her lips together, walking forward independently, refusing to continue this increasingly dangerous topic, pretending to be perfectly calm and composed.

Sang Yan followed behind her with lazy, unhurried steps, his demeanor relaxed as he called out again with deliberate provocation: "Big sister."

Wen Yifan turned back with visible exasperation: "Don't call me that."

"Why?" Sang Yan raised an eyebrow, his voice carrying an unmistakable hint of challenge, "Don't I look young enough?"

"…"

On the opposite side of the supermarket, Sang Zhi was wandering the aisles with Duan Jiaxu, her complaints flowing freely: "My brother is so annoying, always threatening me with living expenses. It's not that I care about the money, but he's being so childish…"

Duan Jiaxu smiled with gentle indulgence: "I'll give you his share in the future."

Sang Zhi immediately looked at him, grasping the crucial implication: "Why are you helping him give it?"

"…"

"Although I was quite happy to see you annoy my brother earlier." Sang Zhi held back for several seconds but ultimately chose to burn the bridge after crossing, "But the more I think about it, the more I feel it's not right. Don't always tease my brother like that. Even I feel like you two are a couple."

"…"

Finding the accusation utterly absurd, Duan Jiaxu laughed wordlessly: "What?"

Sang Zhi stared at his eyes which seemed to be perpetually emitting some form of dangerous electricity, muttering defensively: "Anyway, be more careful in the future. I'm going back to school tomorrow, so I won't be able to see the situation here. Otherwise, you should just meet my brother less."

Duan Jiaxu turned his head to observe her with careful attention.

"But I saw you talking to Brother Qian Fei the other day, and Brother Hao'an too." Sang Zhi felt that every word and action of the man in front of her seemed designed to bewitch people, and she unreasonably started excavating old grievances, "It all seemed quite ambiguous."

Duan Jiaxu's appearance remained refined and utterly calm as he spoke with deliberate slowness: "Don't worry, brother only likes young ones."

"…"

As he delivered this statement, Duan Jiaxu curved his lips and pinched her face with affectionate reproach, his words carrying gentle admonishment.

"Little white-eyed wolf."

Sang Zhi pretended complete deafness, pulling him to continue their journey forward while strategically changing the topic: "My brother said we're having hotpot tonight, so let's go look at the vegetables. By the way, even if you work overtime later, remember to eat dinner. Don't always eat takeout. If you don't want to cook, you can come to my house to eat."

Duan Jiaxu drawled out an elongated "Ah": "Wouldn't I see your brother then?"

"…Well." Sang Zhi turned back, feeling inexplicably guilty about the entire arrangement, "Then you just don't talk to him…"

Passing through this particular row of shelves and continuing straight ahead, the two made their way to the fresh produce area.

Sang Zhi immediately spotted Sang Yan and Wen Yifan standing there among the vegetables. She held Duan Jiaxu's hand and instinctively began walking toward them. Just as they reached the space directly behind Sang Yan, a familiar voice suddenly called out to her from the opposite end.

"Sang Zhi."

She pivoted toward the voice, instantly meeting the face of her junior high and high school classmate, Fu Zhengchu.

The other three also looked over with varying degrees of interest.

Fu Zhengchu's expression was bright with pleasant surprise as he smiled: "What a coincidence, we met again."

Duan Jiaxu's eyebrows raised with subtle curiosity.

Noticing Duan Jiaxu's presence behind Sang Zhi, and their clasped hands which suggested unmistakable intimacy, Fu Zhengchu's expression froze slightly. The words burst out before he could filter them: "This isn't your brother?"

When Sang Zhi had just started junior high, she had managed to anger a teacher in class, prompting her to secretly enlist Duan Jiaxu's help in meeting with the teacher. Fu Zhengchu had been present during that encounter, and because of this single interaction, he had always maintained the belief that Duan Jiaxu was her biological brother.

A few days ago, when Sang Zhi had returned for the National Day holiday, it was Duan Jiaxu who had picked her up at Nanwu Airport. The two had happened to encounter Fu Zhengchu, who was also at the airport collecting someone.

That day, noticing the intimate gestures passing between the two, Fu Zhengchu had found it extremely difficult to accept, as if his entire worldview had been violently overturned. He had later sent a WeChat message, tactfully attempting to advise her, trying valiantly to redirect her from what he perceived as a catastrophically wrong path.

Sang Zhi found the entire situation monumentally annoying and pointed decisively at Sang Yan: "This is my real brother."

Sang Yan stood with both hands buried in his pockets, his demeanor projecting complete aloofness and disinterest.

"Oh, oh, hello, brother and sister. Sang Zhi, don't take what I said before to heart, it was my misunderstanding." Fu Zhengchu scratched his head with visible embarrassment and hastened to explain, "Well, I'll go first. I came out with my uncle to buy…"

Before he could complete the sentence, someone suddenly threw several bags of chocolate milk into the shopping cart positioned in front of him.

The packages landed with several distinct plop sounds.

Following this abrupt action, everyone's attention shifted toward the newcomer.

The man was tall and lean, wearing a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows in a casual gesture. His skin possessed an almost sickly pallor, with bangs partially obscuring his brows and eyes. The corners of his eyes tilted upward slightly, creating a sharp, cold effect.

The man's face bore no discernible expression, his gaze sweeping over them with such profound indifference it was as if he was observing a collection of inanimate objects.

His features were extraordinarily good-looking, yet his aura was entirely different from both Sang Yan and Duan Jiaxu.

Like an untouchable highland poppy—beautiful but dangerous.

Wen Yifan and Sang Zhi couldn't help but stare for several extended moments.

Fu Zhengchu glanced at the items he had thrown in and asked with casual familiarity: "Uncle, since when did you start drinking chocolate milk?"

The man offered no response whatsoever, simply lifting his foot to walk toward another area.

At this precise moment, Sang Yan lazily spoke up: "Fu Shize?"

Fu Shize stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and glanced with studied indifference in Sang Yan's direction, still showing absolutely no intention of engaging verbally. Beside him, Fu Zhengchu felt the awkward atmosphere intensifying and immediately attempted to ease the mounting tension: "Brother, you know my uncle?"

Sang Yan slightly raised his chin in acknowledgment, not offering a single word.

Seeing this exchange, Fu Zhengchu looked at Fu Shize, using his eyes to desperately signal him to contribute a few words to the conversation.

Fu Shize examined Sang Yan from head to toe, his emotions remaining completely unchanged. He nodded with barely perceptible movement, coldly withdrew his gaze, and continued walking forward. The entire interaction suggested he fundamentally looked down on this particular variety of attempted familiarity.

"…"

This was the first time Wen Yifan had witnessed someone treat Sang Yan with such profound disdain.

She found it utterly fascinating and continued staring in Fu Shize's direction.

Fu Zhengchu felt the awkwardness crushing him and forced out an explanation: "My uncle's throat hasn't been feeling well recently, brother, please don't mind." Then, he hastily said goodbye to the others and immediately pushed the shopping cart to catch up with Fu Shize.

Sang Zhi pointed out this development again: "Brother, it seems like he doesn't know you."

Sang Yan indifferently let out an "Ah."

Wen Yifan's gaze remained fixed on Fu Shize's retreating back as she also asked: "Do you know him?"

"Mm." Sang Yan looked at her, calmly providing context, "He was also at No.1 High School before, a year below us."

Wen Yifan nodded, her gaze still refusing to move from that direction.

The surroundings suddenly fell into weighted silence.

After several long moments, Wen Yifan suddenly sensed something was off and turned to look at Sang Yan.

At precisely the same instant, Sang Yan spoke up, his face completely expressionless: "Good-looking?"

"…"

These words fundamentally misunderstood her behavior.

Wen Yifan was preparing to explain.

Sang Yan's eyes were pitch black as he gripped her chin with deliberate firmness, enunciating each word with crystal clarity: "Why don't you just let your eyes grow on his body?"

"…"

In the car on the journey back, as they chatted, the conversation inadvertently circled back to what had transpired earlier. Thinking about it, Sang Zhi felt something strange about the entire encounter and couldn't help but ask: "Brother, when my classmate mistook Duan Jiaxu for my brother, why didn't you find it odd?"

"What's odd about it?" Sang Yan spoke with leisurely indifference, "I used to think you treated him like a real brother too."

"…"

Since several years had passed since this incident, Sang Zhi no longer felt compelled to hide it. Like a pig utterly unafraid of boiling water, she confessed with remarkable casualness: "When I was in junior high, I asked Duan Jiaxu to pretend to be you to help me meet the teacher."

Sang Yan looked up with apparent lack of surprise: "I know."

Sang Zhi's confusion was immediate: "?"

"Your old boyfriend got my permission before he went. What, you didn't know?" Sang Yan spoke as if watching an entertaining show, his tone decidedly provocative, "Oh, so you still thought it was a little secret between you two."

"…" Sang Zhi's face stiffened with betrayal.

"Fine." Sang Yan said with ready agreement, "Then pretend I didn't just say that."

Sang Zhi looked toward Duan Jiaxu, truly noticing for the first time that he was actively suppressing laughter at this precise moment. Her mood deteriorated even further: "What are you laughing at?"

"I'm thinking about how forward you were back then. At such a young age, you were already threatening me, saying if I didn't agree, you'd tell Auntie that your brother and I were—" Duan Jiaxu recalled with obvious fondness, his brows and eyes relaxing, "Male-male mixed doubles?"

"…"

This remark immediately summoned Sang Zhi's embarrassing past into vivid relief. Feeling utterly stifled, she didn't want to engage with these two old fools anymore and turned to speak to Wen Yifan: "Sister Yifan."

Wen Yifan, who had been absorbed in her phone, looked up: "Hmm? What is it?"

Sang Yan interrupted their conversation with immediate authority: "Don't you know to call her Sister-in-law?"

Sang Zhi couldn't be bothered with him and, as if deliberately opposing his wishes, repeated: "Sister Yifan, don't you think my classmate's uncle is very handsome?"

This comment made the car fall into momentary, weighted silence.

Duan Jiaxu glanced at her with something approaching concern.

Sang Yan also looked at Wen Yifan, his gaze seeming to communicate a clear warning about being extremely careful with her answer.

Sang Zhi deliberately added fuel to the fire: "I feel like he could outshine all the men in this car."

"Kid, your feeling is wrong. Comparing him to me is like a scam," Sang Yan's gaze remained locked on Wen Yifan, his fingertips lightly tapping on the back of her hand, his tone dripping with arrogance, "Outshining the driver's seat, though, that's more than enough."

"…" Sang Zhi's expression became difficult to describe as she continued waiting for Wen Yifan's answer.

Thinking that she had already annoyed Sang Yan somewhat in the supermarket, but also acknowledging the objective truth that Fu Shize was indeed quite handsome, Wen Yifan thought carefully. Ignoring Sang Zhi's "outshine" comment, she answered in the most conventional way possible: "He is quite handsome."

But this answer visibly lowered Sang Yan's mood, and he gripped her hand noticeably tighter.

Just then, they hit a red light and the car came to a stop.

In the front seat, Sang Zhi suddenly withdrew her gaze and looked toward Duan Jiaxu, briefly asking "What?" before falling silent again. The two looked at each other without generating much audible noise.

Wen Yifan didn't have the energy to pay attention to the front seat at this moment, observing Sang Yan's stiff expression with growing concern. She contemplated how to appease him, sighed softly, and lowered her voice to suggest: "Forget it, little brother is a bit immature."

"?"

"Let's not have a sister-brother romance," Wen Yifan smiled, changing her tone deliberately, "Okay? Brother."

At this moment, in the front seat, Duan Jiaxu turned his head, staring directly at Sang Zhi. His eyes were bright and clear, his mouth opening and closing, but no sound emerged.

Sang Zhi didn't quite understand and moved her head closer: "What?"

Duan Jiaxu lowered his head, his lips positioned against her ear, saying with leisurely intent: "Brother plans to compete for some affection."

Sang Zhi was utterly confused: "Huh?"

After several seconds of silence, she heard the man's voice get even lower, almost becoming a whisper, as he flirted with her outrageously.

"I'll show you something nice when we get back."

…

They drove the car back to the Sang family home.

Wen Yifan was pulled by Sang Zhi to walk toward the main door first.

Sang Yan and Duan Jiaxu made their way to the trunk of the car to extract the bags they had just purchased. With both hands full of packages, Sang Yan lifted his long leg to kick the trunk lid down with casual efficiency: "Can you keep that kid in check?"

Duan Jiaxu smiled: "What's wrong?"

"Tell her to be careful. When she wants to give you a hard time, she should focus on just that," Sang Yan tilted his head, speaking with complete directness, "Don't drag my wife into it."

"You should talk to her directly," Duan Jiaxu said with studied politeness, "I don't control her, usually she controls me."

"…"

Sang Yan couldn't stand his lovey-dovey behavior and clicked his tongue with disgust.

The two men walked into the building to wait for the elevator, chatting with casual ease.

Wen Yifan and Sang Zhi had already ascended.

"Su Hao'an has called me several times recently about your wedding," Duan Jiaxu chuckled softly, "Each time he asks when I'm getting married, saying he wants to do it before me."

Sang Yan spoke with characteristic laziness: "He's got too much time on his hands."

Duan Jiaxu's eyes curved slightly, very respectfully requesting the opinion of the family member in question: "When do you think would be good?"

Sang Yan sneered: "What's it got to do with me?"

Duan Jiaxu's response was simple: "Can your sister get married in her sophomore year?"

The elevator just arrived at the first floor with a cheerful "ding."

The scene froze as if time itself had stopped.

Sang Yan stared at him steadily, suddenly turned his neck with dangerous deliberation, and threw the bags onto the ground. Then, he raised his hand to grip Duan Jiaxu's neck, pressing down, feeling like this beast was refreshing his worldview every single day.

"Impressive, dating has even changed your species."

Due to this applied force, Duan Jiaxu's body leaned forward, involuntarily coughing. He raised his head good-naturedly, his expression remaining calm and composed as if he didn't think there was anything remotely wrong with what he had said: "What do you mean?"

"Can you show me what you were like when you were human?" Sang Yan gave up on the entire endeavor, "I can't remember at all."

"Watch yourself," Sang Yan released his grip and picked up the scattered items from the ground again, "My family doesn't take in beasts."

"…"

3.

The night before Wen Yifan's birthday arrived with quiet anticipation.

Not knowing where Sang Yan had relocated the scissors, Wen Yifan searched the living room for an extended period. Suddenly, in one of the lower cabinets, she discovered several of Sang Yan's old phones.

One of them was an antiquated button phone.

The edges had been burned and deformed beyond recognition, looking completely unusable. She wondered why he was still preserving it.

This particular damage immediately reminded Wen Yifan of what Sang Yan had said when Qian Weihua interviewed him on the day this house had burned.

— "Apart from the house and furniture, only a phone was burned, but it was already unusable anyway."

Looking at it this way, it seemed this was the specific phone that had been burned.

Wen Yifan stared at it for several contemplative moments.

Just at this moment, there was the sound of the door opening and closing at the entrance. She turned her head and met Sang Yan's eyes as he had just entered. He was changing his shoes and asked: "What are you doing?"

Wen Yifan made a sound of realization: "Looking for scissors."

Sang Yan: "I put them in the kitchen."

"Okay." Wen Yifan put the phone back in its designated place and stood up to walk to the kitchen. Her thoughts were scattered, still dwelling on that phone. Seeing Sang Yan follow her in from the corner of her eye, she voluntarily admitted: "I just saw your old phone."

Sang Yan casually responded: "Mm, what do you need the scissors for?"

Wen Yifan: "I want to open a face mask, can't tear it open."

Realizing he had successfully diverted the topic, Wen Yifan deliberately brought it back: "Is there anything in that phone? Why are you still keeping it? It's burned like that."

Sang Yan was concise: "Our grades."

This was equivalent to saying everything.

That phone contained their text messages from the second year of high school until after the college entrance exam.

Scattered conversations, occasional greetings, and the unwavering exchange of grades.

Thinking carefully, Wen Yifan could vaguely recall what they were saying to each other every day back then. Without any obvious ambiguity, the conversations were normal and without hidden meanings, yet they seemed to carry an inherent sweetness.

…

Sang Yan: [It's your birthday tomorrow, should I bring you a gift next time I come over?]

Wen Yifan: [When is your birthday?]

Sang Yan: [The day after New Year's. Why?]

Wen Yifan: [Return gift.]

…

Sang Yan: [Did poorly on the test, comfort me a bit?]

Wen Yifan: [Can it wait? I did pretty well, I want to be happy for a while longer.]

…

Wen Yifan: [On my way home today, I saw a boy in the convenience store who looked quite like you. I thought you had come.]

Sang Yan: [Next Saturday, okay?]

Wen Yifan: [What?]

Sang Yan: [To show you the real deal.]

Wen Yifan's reminiscence was interrupted by the sound of Sang Yan turning on the faucet. She came back to her senses and stared at his profile. Recalling how he had pretended not to know her after their reunion, she asked: "Why did you pretend not to know me before?"

"It had been so long since we'd seen each other," Sang Yan grabbed a paper towel to dry his hands, speaking with studied casualness, "I was afraid you'd ask to borrow money."

"…"

Seeing her expression, Sang Yan's look was not particularly serious. He laughed and habitually pinched her face: "What's with that look? Can't I save some face for myself?"

Wen Yifan said softly: "Then you could have just let Yu Zhuo talk to me."

"I wanted to save some face for myself," Sang Yan didn't know if it was her thinking that was problematic or his logic, "It doesn't mean I didn't want to talk to you, understand?"

"…" Wen Yifan paused for several seconds, inexplicably smiling, "So you pretended not to know me to talk to me."

Sang Yan didn't seem to mind her knowing these things, just looking at her smile and smiling along. He straightened up, intending to pick up the scissors nearby: "Didn't you need the scissors?"

Before he could grasp them, Wen Yifan had already burrowed into his embrace, reaching out to hug him tightly.

Sang Yan stopped his movement: "What is it?"

"Nothing," Wen Yifan didn't care if he could understand, speaking softly to herself, "Just hugging the real deal."

The kitchen was bright and quiet, wrapped in domestic warmth.

Hearing this, Sang Yan's expression froze slightly, and then, as if some distant memory had surfaced, the corners of his lips turned upward. After a long while, he lowered his head to kiss her head, calling her: "Wen Shuangjiang."

Wen Yifan looked up, meeting his eyes directly.

"Hmm?"

The man's bangs fell across his forehead, casting delicate shadows on his face. His tall and broad figure embraced her, radiating an extremely powerful sense of security. He gently nuzzled her nose with his and said very naturally: "Let's go get our marriage license tomorrow."

"…"

This came completely out of nowhere.

It seemed like a spur-of-the-moment decision after the mood was set, yet also like words spoken after profound consideration.

But regardless of which emotion fueled it, it was telling her something fundamental.

He had already decided on her for the rest of his life.

Wen Yifan inexplicably felt her eyes getting slightly wet. She blinked hard, half-jokingly: "Aren't we going to pick an auspicious date?"

Sang Yan raised his hand, gently caressing the corner of her eye with tender precision.

"Tomorrow is the auspicious date."

"Tomorrow?" Wen Yifan thought for a moment, "I think tomorrow is my birthday."

"Mm."

In an instant, Wen Yifan understood the profound meaning behind his words.

The day you were born.

For me, it's the most auspicious day of the year.

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