Summer in Your Name - 9
Precious Pavillion
Zhang Shu was talking to Han Xiao, who was standing outside the window.
Han Xiao was Zhang Shu's middle school classmate. Of the entire No. 35 Middle cohort, only three students had gotten into Affiliated High: Zhang Shu, Han Xiao, and Chen Mengyao. That was already the best year the school had ever had. Most years, even one acceptance was something to thank the heavens for.
Chen Mengyao was an arts student. Zhang Shu was the dark horse. Both their acceptances had been unexpected.
Only Han Xiao had been expected to get in. He'd been first in his grade since seventh grade. Everyone knew he'd get into Affiliated High. Then this dark horse, Zhang Shu, not only got in, he even outranked him. Han Xiao was bitter about it. But once he actually arrived at Affiliated High and saw how painfully ordinary his scores were here, the gap hit him hard, and he spiraled.
For some reason, he'd reached out to his old classmate Zhang Shu. They'd talked, and talked. Somewhere along the way, the bitterness turned into admiration. He became his fanboy. Between classes and during evening study, he'd show up in Zhang Shu's classroom, staying for half a period at a time. Almost every teacher at Class 6 had shooed him away at least once, and by now, the whole class knew him. Later, when the school moved the humanities classes to a different floor, his visits became less frequent.
Now that he was back, no one in Class 6 even batted an eye.
Affiliated High classrooms had hallways on both sides, the north and south. The north one was narrow, barely a meter wide, normally used to store cleaning supplies. Han Xiao was now crouched by the window there, using a mop as cover.
"Shu-ge, what's the plan for your birthday?" Han Xiao asked.
Zhang Shu: "No plan."
Han Xiao pressed, "That won't work! This is your seventeenth. You’re stepping into adulthood!"
Zhang Shu never liked birthdays. Who didn't know his mom died giving birth to him?
"No money. No mood." Zhang Shu brushed him off.
"Hou-ge told us you're tight on cash lately. No way we’d let you treat." Han Xiao said earnestly. "Zhou Yingxiang said they'd set something up at Milk."
Zhou Yingxiang was new money. His family had gotten a massive relocation payout. Back at No. 35 Middle, he'd always sucked up to Zhang Shu, no one knew why. Word was, this semester he'd bought his way into Affiliated High's Elite Department. Looked like he'd linked up with Han Xiao somehow. And now he wanted to throw a party at Milk? A night there could easily run a few thousand. If people started drinking, ten thousand wasn't unheard of. Most students couldn't afford it, the best they could do was crash someone else's party.
Not to sound full of himself, but Zhang Shu was starting to wonder if he attracted everyone, men and women alike.
Zhang Shu swallowed the ‘Wujibayu’ back and replied politely, "Set up what? A funeral banquet? We’re a bit young for that."
Han Xiao: ... If only Shu-ge didn’t have that mouth.
"Let's just chill, hang out together." Han Xiao then played his trump card. "Zhou Yingxiang said he'll definitely get Chen Mengyao there. She can celebrate with you."
---
Sheng Xia, sent back by Wang Wei, walked into the classroom just in time to see Zhang Shu talking to a mop handle by the window. But she couldn't make out what he was saying.
As she got closer, she heard him say to the mop, "Get lost."
Then the mop wobbled and fell over.
Outside the window, the night breeze stirred. Nothing else in sight.
Sheng Xia: ...
Zhang Shu slid the window shut. He turned around and found the girl standing a meter away, staring at him like she'd seen a ghost.
He tilted his head, looking back at her: ...?
Can I help you?
"Zhang Shu. Teacher wants you." Sheng Xia read the expression on his face, dropped the words, and turned without waiting for a response.
Zhang. Shu.
Both characters had sharp, blunt sounds. Who knew someone could make them sound so soft?
The guy behind him rubbed his arms and mimicked her in a singsong voice, "Zhang... Shu... Ugh. The new kid is so..."
Soft.
That was the word that came to Zhang Shu's mind.
As he walked out, he glanced at the desk by the door. The girl had her head down, like she was working on problems. But her scratch paper was covered in meaningless scribbles. Her mind was clearly elsewhere.
What's going on in that head of hers? What is she always trembling about?
---
Wang Wei's talks with him were always the same old. He already knew them by heart.
"Aim for the top." "Keep your head straight." "Focus." "Don't get cocky." Words repeated so often Zhang Shu could recite them backward.
"What's that face? Don't you dare think I'm being naggy. Principles are principles. They have to be repeated to sink in. At this critical stage, you can't relax for a second. You think I'd waste my breath on just anyone? Would I—"
"—bother to nag those people on the street? You don't know how good you have it." Zhang Shu cut in, flawlessly finishing Wang Wei’s sentence.
Wang Wei: ...
SMACK. A chemistry workbook touched Zhang Shu's back. The sound echoed into the classroom.
"You little brat!"
Class 6 barely looked up. This was a standard procedure. After a glance, they went back to do their own thing. Not worth the attention.
"If there's nothing else, I've got studying to do." Zhang Shu was already turning away.
"Hold it!"
Zhang Shu looked back. "Lots of homework, Old Wang."
Wang Wei didn't mind the nickname. He beckoned. "Come back!"
Zhang Shu looked at him with barely concealed impatience. Wang Wei stepped forward, slung an arm around his shoulder, turning them both away from the classroom. He leaned in, speaking with such passion that the few strands of hair on his head quivered, the picture of earnest advice.
"I'm not worried about your other subjects. Just Chinese, it's always been your weak spot. If your other subjects weren't carrying you, your Chinese would be dragging you down. You need to stabilize at 125 or above. If you can push it to 130, maybe even 135, first place is yours. You understand?"
Zhang Shu: "Why do I have to be the first? It's just a score. Isn't 'good enough' good enough?"
Wang Wei looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Just scores? Do you have any idea how many people are counting on you? This isn't just your business!"
"Isn’t it?"
Wang Wei was about to explode. He took a deep breath. "Can you guarantee you won’t make any mistakes in your other subjects during the exam? You've got limited room to grow in math and science. What more can you do? Score 151? Chinese is about accumulation, sure. It's not an overnight fix. But Teacher Fu says your essays have potential, you just don't take it seriously."
Zhang Shu: "Isn't this stuff a talent thing?"
"Of course not! It's a subject. It's science. There are ways to improve. With your learning ability, it’s absolutely possible!" Finally getting some response, Wang Wei spoke more passionately. "Our new student, Sheng Xia. Her essays are excellent. Teacher Fu says she won first place in the Wutong Tree Essay Competition back in ninth grade. In the old days, that would've guaranteed her admission to university in Heyan. The policy's gone now, but her skill is there. You should take advantage of being near the waterside pavilion. Got it?"
Zhang Shu snorted. "Old Wang, you might as well start a matchmaking service."
Goddamn, waterside pavilion.
Once again, Class 6 saw Zhang Shu being chased into the classroom by Wang Wei, leaving the latter fuming in the corridor, hands on his hips.
---
On the weekend, Sheng Xia finally managed to meet up with her best friend Tao Zhizhi at Yifang Bookstore.
Before senior year, Sheng Xia and Tao Zhizhi went to the bookstore almost every week. Sheng Xia read books. Tao Zhizhi read comics. They even had annual memberships. They'd eat a simple lunch there, order coffee, and stay all day.
"Taozi," Sheng Xia said, sipping her coffee, "I don't think we'll have days this relaxed anymore. The homework at Affiliated High is absolutely soul crushing."
Tao Zhizhi pouted. "Ugh, same. Why do high school seniors even exist? We’re the most miserable creatures on earth."
Sheng Xia nodded in agreement. The two best friends wore matching expressions of despair.
Naturally, Tao Zhizhi wanted to hear about the new school. "How's Affiliated High?"
Sheng Xia told her everything. From he weird classroom layout to the bizarre seating system.
"Wait, what? First place? You're sitting next to first place? That Zhang Shu? He's in your class? Your class is insane!" Tao Zhizhi's eyes went wide when she heard about next week's seat change.
Sheng Xia was confused. "You know him?" Tao Zhizhi had been in the same elementary and middle school classes as her, then went to No. 1 High. How would she know Zhang Shu?
Tao Zhizhi shook her head, then nodded. "I know of him. Everyone does. His joint exam score are terrifying."
Sheng Xia didn't know him until recently. To her, first place was just a first place. She didn't bother remembering details about people who had nothing to do with her.
"Is he good looking?" Tao Zhizhi leaned over the table, lowering her voice, eyes glinting. "I heard he looks like a troublemaker. Aloof. Cool. A total hottie?"
"Huh?" Sheng Xia was thrown by the sudden turn. "Is he?"
"He's not?" Tao Zhizhi looked disappointed. "Maybe it's just that stereotype. Good students are supposed to be ugly, so anyone half decent looking gets called good looking. Oh well. I've been wanting to visit Affiliated High just to see. Hahaha."
Was Zhang Shu good looking?
Sheng Xia looked down.
No one could honestly say no.
It wasn't a topic worth discussing, though. The conversation moved on, and she let it drop.
---
Monday morning reading. Another seat change time.
Sheng Xia's row was the most troublesome. First, they had to move their desks into the hallway to make room for the rows shifting right. Then, once the left side was empty, they finally move theirs into the far left.
This required crossing the podium, which had a step. The guys simply hoisted their desks and carried them over. While the girls had to help each other.
Sheng Xia was stuck. Xin Xiaohe was the only one she knew that she could ask for help. But Xin Xiaohe looked listless today, a hot water bottle pressed to her lower abdomen. As a girl, Sheng Xia naturally knew well what it meant.
Yang Linyu had already moved Xin Xiaohe's desk for her.
Sheng Xia bit her lip, thinking.
If she emptied her desk first, it would be lighter. She could probably lift it herself. If she went slowly, it might work.
She immediately got to work. Her desk was packed. Notebook after notebook, water bottle, tape, all kinds of odds and ends.
She crouched on the floor, pulling things out, when she heard two sharp raps on her desktop, and looked up.
The boy stood over her desk, tall, backlit, gazing down at her. His expression was a little impatient. A little helpless.
It was the same "are you an idiot" look from before.
"Stop emptying it. Put it back. I'll move it." His voice was flat.
"What...?" Sheng Xia was confused. They weren't that familiar with each other, were they?
Zhang Shu urged, "Hurry up."
"Oh..." She instinctively obeyed, stuffing the notebooks back in.
She wasn't even standing yet when he grabbed the desk and hoisted it, crossing the podium in two strides, heading for the far left. The effort tightened the muscles in his forearms, showing clean lines of strength. His long, elegant fingers gripped the desk edge, the pressure whitening his fingertips, his knuckles sharp and defined.
Sheng Xia quickly looked away. She bent down to push her book crate. It had wheels, moving it to the step was easy. She was about to lift it up when a shadow fell over her again. That sun baked grass scent invaded her senses. The next second, the crate was lifted easily by those long fingered hands.
Zhang Shu carried her crate to their new seats. Then stopped. There was nowhere to put it.
Her old seat had aisles around it. Now, she was against the window on the left, and on the right was him.
"Where?" Zhang Shu turned to ask.
Sheng Xia stood by the podium, looking around. She hadn't thought of that either.
Where?
Zhang Shu took one look at her blank expression and felt a headache coming on. He decided for her. "In the middle."
He set the crate down between their two chairs.
Sheng Xia was embarrassed. "I'm taking up your space."
Zhang Shu laughed. "Well, yeah."
Sheng Xia: "Sorr—"
"Disney princess." He interrupted her. "Having a lot of stuff is understandable."
Sheng Xia: ...
Soft laughter rippled around her. She suddenly noticed that the chaotic classroom had gone quiet. Except for her row, everyone else had finished moving. Some had even taken out their English books, ready for listening practice. Almost the entire class was watching them by the podium.
The attention burned her ears red.
Xin Xiaohe had just finished arranging her own seat and was about to grab Yang Linyu to help Sheng Xia, but then she noticed Sheng Xia was no longer in the hallway. When she turned, this scene was what she saw: The girl stood gracefully by the podium, face flushed with shyness and apology. The boy stood by the seats, one leg slightly bent. With the height of the podium step, they were almost the same height. He looked at her, eye to eye, his expression resigned. Both profiles were flawless.
Behind them, sunlight streamed through spotless windows, camphor trees flourishing.
Just like a promotional poster for a summer youth movie.
Yang Linyu, in front of her, grinned and whispered, "Hey, don't you think they look good together?"
Xin Xiaohe glared at him. Thinking that wasn't enough, she stood up and smacked him on the head. "Zhang Shu? He wishes! She's a fairy. She flies alone."
Yang Linyu rubbed his sore head. "Stop hitting me! If I fail my college exams, you're paying for it!"
"You want me to hit your face instead?"
"..."
Hou Junqi, who'd shuffled in late, had moved from the last desk in the back row to the one directly in front of Sheng Xia. He'd watched his son's chivalrous performance with great interest, grinning. "A-Shu, quite the gentleman, aren't you?"
Sheng Xia, desperate to escape the attention, retreated to her seat and busied herself with organizing.
Then, the chair next to her scraped backward. The boy sat down, lazy and unhurried. "Precious pavilion. I should serve well."
Hou Junqi didn't get it. "Huh?"
Zhang Shu ignored him.
Sheng Xia didn't get it either, and she wasn't sure she wanted to.
Those two had always been strange.
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