Summer in Your Name - 95

After returning to China, Zhang Shu was busy with his projects. His first venture, AI medical imaging, had him diving headfirst into hospitals with his engineers. So, even though he was back in the country, Sheng Xia rarely had a chance to see him.  

The second semester of her second year in grad school was supposed to be the most intense with master’s thesis preparations looming. However, as a student in a combined master’s-doctoral program, Sheng Xia was spared that pressure. Professor Tan, however, made sure she wasn’t idle, tasking her with grading undergraduate theses.

So, when Zhang Shu called suggesting they return to Nanli together for the Dragon Boat Festival, Sheng Xia was caught off guard. “You… have a holiday?”

He was juggling his thesis and projects like a spinning top. Did he even have time for a break?

“Mm, a holiday. We’re going back to get married.”

His voice carried its usual calm, but Sheng Xia was anything but calm.

She was used to his calm attitude whether toward big or small matters, but marriage? Marriage?

“But my parents…”

“They already know.”

“But…”

“They agree.”

“How?” She hadn’t even graduated yet. How could Wang Lianhua possibly agree to her getting married? And with nothing prepared, how could they get married?

Zhang Shu: “We’ll get the certificate first. We'll have the wedding after graduation.”

“Why the sudden rush?”

“Because ‘Da Sheng’ just received regulatory approval and is about to enter clinical use in hospitals. It’s my first product, the first one you witnessed. I want it to be part of our shared marital property.”

‘Da Sheng’ was Yixia Technology’s first robotic project, designed to assist in diagnosing CT scans.

Sheng Xia’s heart trembled, words escaping her. At that moment, all she wanted was to pack her bags and head to Nanli immediately.

He didn't wait for her answer, just kept talking. "Sheng Xia, I'm at the hospital right now, monitoring the data training. You know, it’s called a robot, but it’s really just a system. It has no body, no tangible form. You can’t see or touch it. But it has sharper eyes than ours, its mind more specialized… It can do things even the most skilled radiologist couldn’t. You know, maybe someday, it can reach the most remote clinics, the most grassroots medical centers, standing guard like an expert in every ordinary hospital…”  

“Before, I just thought I needed to do something to secure my place in the world. But, baby, you know what? Now I feel like I can do more than just that. Today, I’m so happy, so, so happy. You know?”

Zhang Shu was rambling, a little incoherent.

Sheng Xia had never seen him like this. He had such a high emotional intelligence, rarely ever losing his composure. Even facing people older, more powerful, more established than him, he was always calm, always knew what to say. She often wondered if he’d received some kind of professional training.

Yet now, he kept repeating, "You know…?" like he desperately craved for shared understanding, abandoning all his communication skills, wanting to pour out his happiness into her.

“I know. I’ve always known…” Sheng Xia replied softly, earnestly.

“So I couldn’t help myself and ended up hastily proposing over the phone like this. Will you marry me? Let’s create more shared property like ‘Da Sheng.’”

Tears streamed down Sheng Xia’s face, she managed between shaky breaths, "Then I’ll book a ticket to Nanli right now.”

“I already bought it. I’ll pick you up at school tomorrow at seven.”

---

On June 1st, Sheng Xia held the small red marriage certificate in her hands.

“It’s so light?” she said, weighing it in her palm.

The officer at the marriage registration office chuckled. “Young lady, the certificate may be light, but the weight of marriage is anything but light.”

Sheng Xia nodded earnestly. "You’re absolutely right.”

Zhang Shu held her hand, gazing at the diamond ring on her finger. “If you think it’s too thin, we can frame it.”

“Then I need to buy a frame.”

Zhang Shu: "Alright. Let’s go get one."  

“Let’s buy it at the stationery store near Affiliated High School’s north gate!”

Zhang Shu paused. “In that case, why not swing by Yifang Bookstore for a copy of Marriage Law, buy knee pads at the sports store, then head to the stationery shop for the frame?”

Sheng Xia gasped. “How did you know my route?!”

Zhang Shu: “Only a dummy would think they’re pulling off a perfect plan.”

“…”

Sheng Xia: “Wrong, A-Shu. There's no such thing as 'Marriage Law' anymore. It's all in the Civil Code now, under 'Marriage and Family.'"

“…”

Zhang Shu: “Wrong, dummy. There’s no such thing as ‘A-Shu’ anymore. Call me husband.”

“…”

How was she supposed to say that out loud? So embarrassing! Sheng Xia turned to flee but suddenly paused. Wait. He just called her ‘dummy’ again!

Zhang Shu strolled leisurely behind her, waiting for her to glare back. “Wrong, there's no such thing as dummy anymore. You should call me…”

“Wife,” he cut in, saying it with effortless ease.

Sheng Xia was speechless, defeated. Under his unrelenting gaze, she mumbled, barely a whisper, “Husband…”

In broad daylight, right outside the marriage registration office, Zhang Shu cupped Sheng Xia’s chin and kissed her passionately.

They're legal now, who cares about propriety?

The registration office wasn't far from the Affiliated High School. Sheng Xia wanted to stroll, and Zhang Shu, of course, obliged. Hand in hand, they walked along the riverside park path, playing their silly word-chain game, just like their countless impromptu dates.

“This is our first time strolling in Nanli, isn’t it?” Sheng Xia said.

“Mm.”

“Our first stroll as a married couple?” she added.

“Mm.”

“Why won’t you say anything?! she huffed, annoyed.

Zhang Shu stopped and gazed at her. “I was thinking, now that we’re legal, will you not be so shy anymore?”

Sheng Xia’s ears flushed crimson in an instant.

They were just walking, how could his mind be full of those thoughts?!

"Guess not," Zhang Shu pinched her earlobe. “Looks like you’ll be shy for life.”

Sheng Xia: "Is that not allowed?"  

Zhang Shu nodded. “It’s allowed. You keep being shy, and I’ll keep pushing my luck. No conflict there.”

Sheng Xia grumbled softly. “Hurry up! The sun’s about to set!”

It was the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, and most of the first and second year students had gone home to celebrate. The campus was quiet.

Sheng Xia bought her frame and two cups of cucumber juice. Zhang Shu sweet-talked the security guard and the two strolled onto the school.

Sheng Xia pulled her hand from his grip, putting on a serious face, “No holding hands on school grounds, what if the dean catches us for puppy love?”

Zhang Shu played along. “You’re absolutely right, wife.”

With the college entrance exams nearing, Taoli Square was adorned with prayer ribbons fluttering in the breeze.

Sheng Xia asked, “What did you write for your prayer back then?”

“Don’t remember. Never believed in that stuff.”

An expected answer. Sheng Xia raised an eyebrow. “Guess what I wrote?”

“First, may the rivers be clear and the seas calm. Second, may my parents be healthy. Third, may you and I both get our wishes, and meet again in September?”

Sheng Xia was stunned. “How did you know?”

Zhang Shu wore an expression that said, Was it really that hard to guess? With a laugh, he replied, “Making a wish is like setting a password, same old combo everywhere. Like stacking blocks.”

“You’re so boring.”

"Let's go." Zhang Shu tugged her away, clearly not interested in such superstitious nonsense.

Sheng Xia held him back. "Wait, I still need to make a wish!"  

Zhang Shu sighed but waited.

Clasping her hands together, Sheng Xia silently prayed: “May you all perform beyond your best. May you have a joyful graduation trip. May you meet the one you'll grow old with this September…”

An unconscious smile tugged at the corner of Zhang Shu's mouth. He watched her quietly, this person who held such kindness for the world, using her gentlest love to wish for others. 

The softest, the strongest, the kindest, the most beautiful. Those were the words Zhang Shu thought of to describe Sheng Xia—his love.

"I’m the living koi. My wishes always come true. Good luck, juniors!” 

Zhang Shu: …

---

At the bike shed, Sheng Xia asked curiously. “Where did you guys get all those magazines and DVDs back then? There were so many!”

At the time, it had genuinely frightened her, she’d thought she'd run into some kind of perverts.  

Zhang Shu: “Hou Junqi’s friend got them from abroad. Liu Huian and the others wanted some too, so they brought back a bunch.”

“Did you watch them?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

A sour feeling bubbled up in Sheng Xia’s chest. He’s watched those kinds of videos before? Sure, it was probably normal for teenage boys, but the women in those movies must've been experienced, right?

Then it hit her: when he called her shy, had that been his polite way of saying she was boring?

The more she thought about it, the more upset she became. She turned around, striding ahead without a word.

Zhang Shu noticed her drooping head and cursed inwardly. He leaned down. “You’re upset because I said I watched them?”

“Yeah!” she admitted.

Zhang Shu: “I never watched it again after that.”

“After what?”

Zhang Shu thought of those youthful longings and suddenly let out a low laugh. “After I dreamed of you.”

“Dreamed of me doing wha—” Sheng Xia stopped herself, realizing the answer. Asking would only invite embarrassment.

But Zhang Shu wasn’t about to let her off. Lowering his voice, he said. “I dreamed of you in Yifang Bookstore…”

“Stop!” Sheng Xia stood on her tiptoes, covering his mouth. “This is a sacred place of books and knowledge, you're not allowed to say bad things!”

Zhang Shu’s laugh was muffled under her hand. Only when he couldn't hold it in anymore did he finally pull her hand away, eyes crinkling as he explained, “I just dreamed you kept calling my name, A-Shu, A-Shu, over and over…”

Sheng Xia: …

Liar. That was definitely not how it went!

As they reached the teaching building, Sheng Xia spoke again, “Remember when I was injured, and you carried me down from the fifth floor?”

“Mm.”

“Do you know what I was thinking back then?”

Zhang Shu stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

Sheng Xia: “I was thinking, my crush was pretty lucky. At least I got to see the view from five floors with you.”

Zhang Shu’s gaze deepened. He suddenly took her hand and led her upstairs.

Sheng Xia asked, “Aren’t we going to Class 6?”

“Let’s chase the sunset first.”

Now they stood on the first floor, trees obstructing the sun completely. By the second floor, the farthest they could see was the school's artificial lake. Reaching the third, the road outside and the riverside park came into view. On the fourth floor, the horizon opened up, sunset glimmered on the river’s surface, the sun itself hidden behind distant high-rises, leaving only a vast semi circle of light. And at the fifth floor, the bustling city in the distance and the quiet campus below stretched out before them, bathed in radiant twilight, awash in golden splendor.  

They leaned against the railing and watched the sunset. Occasionally, passing students would glance back at them with curious, puzzled stares.  

No one understood their romance.

As the last group of students disappeared, Sheng Xia seized the moment to rise on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Zhang Shu’s cheek. “A kiss for you to celebrate my dream coming true.”

Zhang Shu paused, looking down at her smiling face, bathed in the golden sunset light.

The sun sank below the horizon. They walked back hand in hand. Suddenly, Zhang Shu crouched in front of her. "Get on."

Sheng Xia hesitated. “I’m heavier now.”  

“Hurry up.” Even his tone was the same as back then. 

Sheng Xia bit back a smile and climbed onto his back. This time, he didn't need to be hesitant, he supported her thighs confidently, his steps steadier than before.  

Near the first floor, Zhang Shu asked, “Then do you know what I was thinking back then?”

“Hm?”

"I was thinking, why wouldn't you let me be responsible for you forever? If only you'd let me be responsible for you forever."

He carried her all the way to the back door of Class 6 before setting her down and turning to face her, “So, I’m the one whose dream came true, dummy.”  

Sheng Xia stared at him, spellbound, everything before her was like a picture frame. 

The evening glow spilled behind Zhang Shu, the wind at his back, light in his eyes. He was still that boy from all those years ago.

Inside the classroom, fans whirred, exam papers fluttered.

Outside, camphor trees rustled, cicadas sang loudly.

As if it was that summer all over again.

---  

The following year, still on June 1st, Sheng Xia and Zhang Shu held their wedding at Nanli.

Wang Lianhua and Sheng Mingfeng couldn’t agree on the arrangements, so they settled on traditional customs.

Sheng Xia's bridesmaids were a formidable bunch. Xin Xiaohe and Liao Jing, especially, gave the groomsmen outside the door a real headache. In the end, Zhang Shu had to improvise a cuizhuang¹ poem on the spot before they’d let him through.

(¹: A traditional Chinese wedding custom where the groom composes or recites a poem to "urge" the bride to come out.) 

“A-Shu, when did you get so talented? You can even write poetry now?” Hou Junqi exclaimed in awe.

Zhang Shu started dishing out rainbow flattery: “My wife taught me well.”

Xin Xiaohe cut in: “Flattering your wife won’t help now! No red envelopes, no entry!”

Yang Linyu jumped in, shoving some over. “Plenty to go around, plenty!”

"You back off," Xin Xiaohe wasn't buying it. "Today, I have to see Brother Shu embarrass himself, or I’ll die with my eyes open!”

“Pah, pah, pah, don’t say that word, or I’ll be the one sleeping with my eyes open!” 

Zhang Shu wore the expression of a man resigned to his fate, yet his mouth didn't let up. “Sleeping with eyes open? Sounds like Brother Yu’s service isn’t up to par?”

“Hahahahaha!”

“Why are you dragging us into your battlefield?! Hurry up and find the shoe already!”

“Fine, no dragging. At least give us a hint.”

Zhang Shu had plenty of ways to handle Xin Xiaohe. He cleared every hurdle with ease and smoothly carried off his bride.

The wedding was a Western-style lawn ceremony. With so many young guests, the planners organized garden games. Robots sent by Zhang Shu’s business partners were to guide the games; VR equipment was set up. It was very tech-forward. Guests could play before the ceremony and earn points to exchange for robot figurines. The wedding was lively and fresh, satisfying both Wang Lianhua and Sheng Mingfeng's contradictory demands, and ensuring everyone had a great time.

When the officiant took the stage, Sheng Xia and Zhang Shu’s college friends were stunned.

That’s someone straight out of the national news broadcast! 

“Sheng Xia’s really got hidden depths!”

“Isn’t Brother Shu just as impressive?”

“Damn. Just… damn.”

The moment Sheng Mingfeng handed Sheng Xia’s hand to Zhang Shu, his own hands trembled uncontrollably. “I’m entrusting you with my most precious daughter, Classmate Zhang Shu. Don’t let me down.”

That "Classmate Zhang Shu" made many guests laugh, but it reduced Xin Xiaohe, Hou Junqi, and their high school friends to tears.

It had cost Zhang Shu nearly his life to enter Sheng Mingfeng’s sight as “Classmate Zhang Shu’. How far he had come to stand here as Sheng Xia’s husband.

Zhang Shu tightened his grip on Sheng Xia’s hand. His response was a silent, solemn nod.  

When Wang Lianhua took the stage, she was followed by an attendant carrying a large gift box that piqued everyone’s curiosity. As the box was opened, the crowd erupted in murmurs of surprise.

Inside were two halves of a sawed-off leg cast.

“Today, with all of Xiaxia’s classmates here, I present Zhang Shu with these casts I’ve treasured for seven years. It has many of your signatures on it. Look, here's one: 'Dongzhou University, here I come!' written by Xin Xiaohe..."

In the audience, Xin Xiaohe was already a tearful mess, bursting into laughter through her tears. "Wahhh, I never made it there, but I’m doing just fine!"  

"And over here, ‘Xiaomai’s going to lose weight and find a man in college!’...”

“Hahahahaha!”

Xiaomai shrank in embarrassment. “Friends, I've achieved social death at my bestie's wedding.”

Wang Lianhua read several more. The high school section was practically doubled over with laughter.

“‘Life is mine to command, I walk alone freely.’ This was written by Classmate Zhang Shu,” Wang Lianhua used the same address, and another wave of warm laughter rippled through the audience.

“Zhang Shu, from now on, there’ll be two of you, then three, then four… Life won’t be yours to command so freely anymore.”

“‘Blessed to meet your peach-blossom face, from now on, every path blooms with spring.’ Such beautiful handwriting. This, of course, was written by my precious daughter, Sheng Xia. Back then, she told me it was for her classmates. Today, I want to ask Sheng Xia's classmates: Who in your class was named Song Jiang?”

Zhang Shu’s always calm face froze in a stunned expression.

Wang Lianhua’s voice grew solemn. “Zhang Shu, I hope you can be Sheng Xia’s timely rain.”  

The stage and audience all fell silent.

Sheng Xia’s carefully applied makeup was streaked with tears. Through her blurred vision, Zhang Shu’s handsome face drew closer and closer. Amidst the warm, thunderous applause and blessings, he kissed her.

He kissed her for a long time. 

In this jubilant summer named after each other.  

—

After the wedding, life was still busy. Neither Sheng Xia nor Zhang Shu wanted children right away.

On one hand, she was still pursuing her PhD. On the other, Zhang Shu was swamped with work.  

In the two years since its founding, Yixia Technology it had consistently led its peers in both innovation and practical implementation, building an AI matrix with over ten products. Some in the industry insinuated online about the founders' political connections. Others questioned the legitimacy of their certifications. But undeniable was the company's astonishing growth rate and industry-leading revenue. They had successfully entered Series C funding.

 

No matter how busy he was, every year during Sheng Xia's summer break, Zhang Shu would take ten days of annual leave to travel with her.

She still filmed and edited her own vlogs, her follower count growing steadily, a fact that pleased her. Whenever her traffic hit a new high, she would post a cultural promotion video, the true labor of love.    

Whenever he wasn't working late, Zhang Shu would still stroll the streets with her, watch movies, browse bookstores, or just stay home and read.

The only problem was, Sheng Xia had too many books. Once the shelves overflowed, they piled onto the coffee table. When the table could hold no more, they spread across the floor. Zhang Shu could never find his own books.  

And it wasn’t just books, Sheng Xia had an abundance of everything. Whether it was clothes, shoes, bags, or jewelry, her collection was dazzling. Just the shampoo alone came in several varieties, different ones for different seasons. Skin care products went without saying. Every night, she would sit in front of the mirror, patiently patting seven or eight different products onto her face.  

This somewhat shattered Zhang Shu’s understanding: So being a fairy is this exhausting? Just watching her made his own face ache.

Zhang Shu knew Sheng Xia wasn’t materialistic, she was simply meticulous. Marrying a Disney princess, apparently, meant even a 200-square-meter home wasn't enough.    

Coming out of the shower one day, looking at the increasingly crowded walk-in closet, that's what Zhang Shu thought.

Another fact that overturned Zhang Shu’s understanding was: Sheng Xia couldn’t cook and was terrible at cleaning.   

So at home, he did all the cooking. If he had to attend a business dinner, he’d order her delivery from the restaurant beforehand, this way, she’d also know where he was.  

On weekends, if Zhang Shu had time, he'd clean. Sheng Xia would occasionally help, but watching her wash her hands repeatedly, apply hand cream, and finally wipe the broom handle with disinfectant wipes after sweeping, he abandoned any notion of ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ or vain hope of strengthening their marital bond through housework.

With that kind of effort, better to push his luck elsewhere.    

Easier to just leave it to the housekeeper.    

Despite all this, Sheng Xia had zero self-awareness about being ‘incapable of taking care of herself’. She still went ahead and adopted a cat.  

She said it would keep her company while she read when he wasn’t home.  

How could anyone say no to that? Zhang Shu’s stern face lasted maybe three seconds before her repeated "husband" won him over.

Normally, she called him ‘A-Shu’. When angry, it was ‘Zhang Shu’. But when she wanted something, it was always ‘Husband’. 

Zhang Shu had long since figured her out.

So now the housekeeper, besides cleaning, laundry, and cooking, also had to take care of her cat.

Living together meant exposing each other's flaws, but Zhang Shu never felt Sheng Xia had changed.

She existed in the bustle of life, yet somehow untouched by its dust.

No matter how late he returned from overtime, the moment he stepped through the door, Zhang Shu would find peace. Holding her, kissing her—the weariness from the chaotic world outside would wash away.  

Even if she was just sitting in a pile of messy books, looking up to mumble, "The food you ordered tonight wasn't very good," his heart, so unshakeable outside, would instantly soften.

To live with a virtuous person is like entering a room of orchids.  

She just had to be there, and everything around her was exactly as it should be.

In their little world, she lived quietly, embodying true romance.  

—

Sheng Xia was invited to be on a "Word Weavers" variety show. She didn't expect to run into someone she knew.

“Sheng Xia.”  

“Chen Mengyao.”  

“Oh, it’s been a while since anyone called me that.”  

Chen Mengyao had taken on a stage name, but her career had been lukewarm over the years. Someone like Sheng Xia, who paid zero attention to celebrity gossip, would have no idea.  

“I watch your videos often,” Chen Mengyao said. “I even bought your book.”  

Sheng Xia was surprised. “Oh no, my cover’s blown.”  

Chen Mengyao lowered her voice. “Just pretending. I haven’t watched much.”  

They looked at each other and laughed.

"I see news about your husband all the time," Chen Mengyao said with a sigh. “I never thought he'd actually become that successful. I mean, I always knew he’d be successful, but this amazing? It's just... surreal."

Sheng Xia pressed her lips together and nodded faintly. She understood what Chen Mengyao meant.  

The topic died. The atmosphere fell silent. As former "rivals," there wasn't really much to say. Only a sense of release laced with subtle awkwardness.    

“But Sheng Xia, you’ve written so many books, so many stories about so many people. Why haven't you thought to write about him?” Chen Mengyao suddenly asked.  

From the moment their conversation began, Chen Mengyao had avoided saying Zhang Shu's name, as if saying it out loud would scrape at the cinnabar mark on her heart.  

“To be misunderstood is the fate of those who express,” Sheng Xia said slowly, looking up. "I can't write about him."

Writing about others, she could do it calmly, without reservation. Historical figures wouldn’t be altered by her fleeting words.  

But not him.  

Her shallow words couldn’t bear the weight of Zhang Shu.  

Chen Mengyao didn't fully understand, but she nodded. Then she sighed. "Ah, it's a shame, really. How do I put it... He's that regret in a lot of people's youth. Including mine."    

The recording ran late that day. Zhang Shu drove to the TV station to pick up Sheng Xia. As they left, they passed a van from Chen Mengyao's agency.

“Zhang Shu!” Chen Mengyao called, rolling down her window.  

Zhang Shu instinctively glanced over. Her van slowed but didn’t stop, she waved with a smile.  

It wasn’t until the van disappeared around the corner that Zhang Shu registered who it was. He chuckled softly to himself.  

Sheng Xia leaned over and studied him closely.  

Zhang Shu, the businessman, had shed his boyishness. His sharp eyebrows, his slicked-back hair, he was the epitome of ‘elite.’

Yet his eyes remained as clear as ever, still occasionally glinting with that familiar mischief. At least when he looked at her, there was nothing but pure sincerity.

"How many people's youthful regrets are tied to you?" Sheng Xia murmured to herself.  

Zhang Shu pecked her lower lip. “Getting sentimental after seeing an old classmate? What did you talk about?”  

“About you.” Sheng Xia deliberately needling him, her expression feigning melancholy. "You could still recognize her after all these years. Did you miss her?”    

"How can I miss someone I never thought about?"  

Sheng Xia leaned back into her seat with a huff. "Heartless."  

Zhang Shu laughed and started the car.  

The glittering nightscape of the city flew past the windows. Music played in the car. Zhang Shu hummed along from time to time. 

Sheng Xia suddenly felt that it was no different from sitting behind him on that little electric scooter, all those years ago.

They were still... them.    

“Husband,” she called softly.  

“Hm?”  

“Husband.”  

“Hm.”  

“Husband, husband, husband.”  

“Stop calling, I can’t speed up on this road.”  

“…”  

Back home, Sheng Xia paid the price for her moment of sentimentality.  

The thoroughly satisfied man rose to cook, his humming drifting from the kitchen.    

Sheng Xia got up and walked through the living room to the study.

The TV was on, screen frozen on his paused game. The cat lounged on the couch, quietly observing the room.  

Sheng Xia sat at her desk and typed the opening of her new work—

[July was drawing to a close. The long stretch of rain had ceased, the sun blazed high, the world stood clear and bright.] 

[The school lay deserted during summer break, cicadas hiding in the camphor trees chirped tirelessly.]

[Welcome back to the summer named after you.] 

---

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