Chapter Text
Sang Yan took his role as a big brother seriously. He’d never admit it, but he adored his little sister. He had to be snappish in self-defense. She could never know how she had him wrapped around her little finger.
Growing up, he was usually the only ge ge in class. That added prestige to his role, and when he realized his little sister was actually something of a rarity, he started to feel all the more fiercely protective.
Of course, Zhizhi couldn’t ever know that so it was his job to keep her feet firmly on the ground, wasn’t it. Couldn’t give her lofty ideas that she was some precious thing. She got enough of that from their parents.
If there was one thing he hated about being ge ge, it was the interrogation.
“Is your sister happy at school?”
“Did she really eat her lunch and snacks or did she give them away?”
“Are her friends nice?”
It stopped a bit in his first years in middle school and high school when their year levels meant they were in two separate schools. But they were together again when she joined him in his integrated middle and high school. And stopped when he went to college.
He should have expected it would restart any time. Like now.
"Your sister is dating Duan Jiaxu?"
"She said you found out when you went to Yihe?”
“Why didn't you tell us?"
"What else are you two keeping from us?"
“That’s your little sister. You should protect her better.”
He nodded vaguely. He was buzzed. He just wanted to sleep. He looked at his bed longingly. His parents were perched on it and it was hard not to just collapse backward on his chair. The clock said it was almost two a.m. He’d thought he’d be left alone when he sent Zhizhi home ahead. Right. Did those two get all mushy and were seen? Idiots.
“Sang Yan. Answer our question.”
“Which one?”
Her mother slapped his thigh hard enough to be felt through his jeans. “How long has it been going on?”
“Just a couple of months back in summer when I went there. So it's several months now.”
“Are they living together?”
“No. Xiao gui stays in her dorm. I made sure of that. I checked his house.”
“Where does he live?”
“Near the city library. But he's moving to a better building, bigger apartment. I've seen it.” He almost added it was within walking distance from Zhizhi’s campus. But no matter how buzzed he was at the moment, he wasn’t an idiot.
“What? Why?”
Sang Yan blinked. “Why what?”
“Why is he moving to a bigger place?”
He made a face. “Because he can afford it?”
“Don’t play dumb. Is he planning to live there with Zhizhi?”
Sang Yan scowled at the thought. “Not if he wants to keep his face.”
“They're really dating?”
“Yeah. Ma, they’re both adults.”
"She really likes him?"
Sang Yan rolled his eyes, remembering how lovestruck his sister looked earlier when they picked up Duan Jiaxu. “I've seen the way she looks at him.”
“And what about him? How does he treat your sister? Were you just fine that he got together with your sister?”
“Oh I beat him up.” His mom’s face twitched into reaction: indignation that he beat up someone, and then a frowning nod like he did exactly the right thing. Sang Yan chuckled. She glared at him. “But he's fine, Ma. You know him. He treats her well. I've seen what they're like together. Zhizhi's always been transparent, too. She's happy. I'd know if she wasn't. She's completely blissed out with him. It's disgusting."
His mom and dad exchanged a look. It was true. Zhizhi could never hide her real feelings. Xiao gui could be a scheming little terror but she was honest.
Again, all her little random threads of conversation from his senior year in college swirled in his head. The dots just kept connecting. Seems the little demon got her crush.
He chuckled again.
"What are you laughing about?"
"Nothing, Ba. Please let me sleep. Look, they seem fine to me. That’s why I didn’t say anything. They were gonna tell you themselves.”
“What do you mean they seem fine to you?”
“Oh yeah. Too fine, if you ask me. They seem too serious about each other. You have to tell Zhizhi she should graduate first before marrying him.”
Another exchanged look between his parents. Then his father sighed, got up, and pulled him up and pushed him into his bed. His mom pushed his legs aside none too gently to free his duvet, then covered him up. Sang Yan smiled. That was more like it.
“Xie xie.”
He felt a cool cloth on his forehead. It jolted him awake. “Ma, I don't need that. Let’s all go to sleep, please.”
“Ge.”
He blinked his eyes open. By the readout on his watch, it was an hour since his parents had let him sleep.
Zhizhi was sitting on his bed this time. These people were forever invading his space. He removed the cloth from his forehead and gave it back to her.
“What do you want?”
She started picking at the face towel. “Mama knows about Duan Jiaxu and me.”
“Yeah, so? You were gonna tell them anyway, weren't you?”
“You know she knows about Duan Jiaxu and me?”
“They asked me about it! What do you think?”
“Baba, too? When?”
“Just now when I came home." He closed his eyes and turned away from her. "Will you guys quit interrogating m–”
“What did they say?”
“I’m not telling you anything if you don’t let me sleep.”
She didn't answer. Sang Yan opened his eyes and turned back around to see her. In the dim light from the lamp she had turned on, he could just make her out, in poofy pajamas, looking a little nervous, like when she broke something in the house. She never did assume their parents would let her off without much of a punishment even though they always did.
And like he did when they were little, he sat up and rubbed her head. And said the same thing he always did.
“It's not a big deal.”
It really wasn’t. Sang Yan knew their parent’s concerns were legit, and Duan Jiaxu and Zhizhi both had good heads on their shoulders to face anything. This was nothing.
She looked at him with those big eyes. How old was she again? Nineteen? Twenty? But he saw her as his five-year-old tag along. The one he missed so badly when she was sick in bed and couldn't tail after him. Pain in his butt but also his favorite person in the world.
“Go to bed. It's gonna be fine.”
The pout was replaced with a small smile. Still nervous but it was that smile that had a bit of smugness at having him back her up.
She tucked his duvet high up under his chin, the way she knew he hated. He threw it off his neck as she exaggeratedly tiptoed out of his room as if she hadn't already woken him up. Then she did that asshole move with the light switch just to wind him up and giggled like a little shit when he threw a pillow at her as she closed the door.
Finally, finally, he had peace for the night.
He thought wrong.
His phone buzzed him awake what felt like seconds later.
He saw the caller ID and swore mentally. Contemplated not answering but after the stunt Duan Jiaxu pulled with the delivery, Sang Yan was now wary of not answering this bastard’s calls. And what if something was up?
“What do you want?”
“I’m sorry, buddy. Were you asleep?”
“What do you think?”
“This is late notice but I didn’t want you to feel left out again. Join me tomorrow. Qian Fei’s got an agent to show me houses. I could do with your feedback, buddy.”
“What– what? What houses? What for?”
“I’m thinking of settling down here. You know I always liked Nanwu.”
“Did you knock up my sister?”
“Bro, do I even need to answer that?”
“Well, I’m sorry. Why are you suddenly house shopping?”
“What’s wrong with house shopping? I don’t have a house. I want to buy one.”
Sang Yan rolled his eyes. At least he could be there and make sure the guy didn't make idiotic decisions. “Fine. What time tomorrow?”
“Nine.”
“Oh fuck me sideways.”
“No, thanks.”
“Just let me sleep. Don’t wake me up. I’ll be there.”
Diaxu chuckled. “Text me by eight-forty or the consequences will be dire, boyfriend.”
Sang Yan swore at him again as he ended the call. Then he got up and locked his door. He looked at his phone as he got in bed. Seriously considered turning it off but instead scowled and set alarms for 7, 7:10, 7:30, 7:40, 8, 8:20, then added another alarm to "Text the bastard" at 8:40 in case he forgot after he showered and got dressed.
Then his brain whirled. What was this agent Qian Fei found gonna show them? What neighborhoods? What buildings?
He opened his browser.