Summer in Your Name - 17
Date
The class watched Zhang Shu walk back in. Then Wang Wei called Sheng Xia out.
This sequence...
Wasn't this exactly like last time?
Something's up with these two.
When Sheng Xia returned to the classroom, her face was a little stiff. Xin Xiaohe asked, "What's wrong?"
"The teacher wants me to help Zhang Shu revise his speech draft."
"Huh?" Xin Xiaohe caught on. "Oh, the speech under the flag. Zhang Shu's first in the grade, so he has to give it. Old Wang's probably worried his draft will embarrass the whole class."
Sheng Xia nodded. "That's what he said."
Xin Xiaohe: "It's just revising. Not hard for you."
Revising a draft wasn't hard, but...
Seeing her hesitate, Xin Xiaohe lowered her voice. "Why do you seem so afraid of Zhang Shu?"
Sheng Xia looked up.
It wasn't exactly fear. It was the still unresolved criminal law book hanging over her head like a blade.
Xin Xiaohe patted her hand. "Don't worry. Just wait for him to beg you. If his speech sucks, he's the one who'll look stupid."
Beg her?
He didn't exactly have a face built for begging.
Sheng Xia didn't know what to say, so she just nodded.
---
Before the semester officially started, Senior years have three days off. Boarders could go home, relax, and get ready before throwing themselves into studies.
But really, no one actually relaxed. Not with the blackboard covered in "suggested" homework.
Sheng Xia was packing her bag, checking the list on the blackboard while pulling the right workbooks to take home.
Someone tapped the crossbar of her chair. She turned.
Zhang Shu's long legs were arrogantly stretched across the aisle. His chin propped on his hand, watching her. "Got time during the break?”
Confused, Sheng Xia replied, "I have practice tests to do."
"Anything you don't understand?" His tone was almost magnanimous. "I can explain."
A few nearby classmates glanced over curiously. Sheng Xia's expression stiffened. "No need. I'll ask you when we get back."
Not that she actually would, she'd rather ask the teacher during evening study. She just wasn't good at saying no.
Zhang Shu gave a knowing look. “Didn’t Old Wang ask you to revise my speech? Reciprocity. I explain problems, you revise my draft. Sure you don't need it?"
At that, the onlookers lost interest and looked away.
Sheng Xia had heard he was good at explaining problems. From a student's perspective, sometimes he made things easier to understand than the teachers.
"Have you written it yet?" she asked.
Zhang Shu: "Just the opening. Should finish tonight. Free tomorrow?"
Sheng Xia hesitated. "Can we do it when we get back?"
Zhang Shu's tone sharpened. "What do you think? When we get back, I have to show Fu Jie. The flag ceremony's the next day. When would we have time to revise?"
Fair point.
Sheng Xia sighed inwardly. "I'm going to study with a friend tomorrow. If you have time, you can find me at Yifang Bookstore."
With Tao Zhizhi there, at least it wouldn't be just the two of them.
"Fine. Add me on QQ. Easier to coordinate."
"...Okay."
---
That night, right before bed, Sheng Xia received a message from Zhang Shu.
“What time tomorrow?”
His profile picture was just a blob of ink, like a black hole. It looked like he was always offline. Seeing it suddenly pop up startled her.
She replied: “We usually get there around ten, leave around five. Come whenever works for you.”
He sent a sticker, then quickly retracted it, leaving just an “OK.”
But she'd seen it. He'd sent an ugly panda head, its pinky finger extended, with the letters ‘OjbK’ stamped on its forehead.
OK was OK. What were the two letters in the middle?
She thought about it and decided to warn Tao Zhizhi first.
As expected, she was met with a string of exclamation marks: “!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me? Am I going to crash your date?”
What date?
Sheng Xia explained the whole speech-revising situation. Tao Zhizhi sent back an "OjbK" and added: “I get it. I totally get it.”
Tao Zhizhi got it. It was Sheng Xia who didn't get it.
Sheng Xia: “What's OjbK?”
Tao Zhizhi: "Uh... don't worry about it. It just means OK."
Sheng Xia remembered something else: "What about wujibayu? I think that's what I heard."
Tao Zhizhi: “LMAOOOO who told you that?”
Sheng Xia: “Zhang Shu.”
Tao Zhizhi: “Uhhhh... it's a good word. But not for you. Just don't use it.”
Sheng Xia: ... Were they all so trendy?
She went back to her interface. Zhang Shu's display name was just a single letter: S.
She tapped his profile, went to edit his contact name, and started typing "Zhang Shu.” Then remembering the ‘Shu’ he'd annoyingly carved into her arm, she deleted it again. After some thought, she typed two characters instead: Song Jiang.
This legendary outlaw's name was too good for him.
Still unsatisfied but out of better ideas, Sheng Xia decided not to waste brainpower on it. She turned off the light and went to bed.
---
The next day, Tao Zhizhi arrived even earlier than Sheng Xia, who usually had to wait over an hour for her.
Though Tao Zhizhi had given up on Zhang Shu being "hot" after Sheng Xia's description, she still wanted to see what the academic god looked like in person.
But noon came and went. They'd already eaten lunch at the bookstore, and Zhang Shu still hadn't shown up. Tao Zhizhi, ever considerate, even saved him a slice of pizza.
After eating, Tao Zhizhi abandoned her practice problems. Read comics for a while. Then face-planted onto the table and fell asleep.
Sheng Xia was working through a math practice exam, one her mother had just bought her.
She'd just finished the multiple-choice section when a shadow fell across the table. She looked up.
The boy stood there, backpack slung over one shoulder. He looked at the two-chair table and raised an eyebrow. "Where do I sit?"
At the sound, Tao Zhizhi stirred from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes and looked up…
A face emerged from the glare. Sharp and refined. His expression was cool, one brow slightly raised.
Just standing there, he radiates an air of aloof ease.
Nonchalant arrogance.
Tao Zhizhi froze, rubbed her eyes again. She tilted her head back, and stared up at the boy, still handsome even from this unforgiving angle, then she glanced at her best friend…
Sheng Xia made introductions. "This is my classmate, Zhang Shu. This is my friend, Tao Zhizhi."
Zhang Shu nodded. "Hey."
Tao Zhizhi: ...
Holy shit. When did Sheng Xia go blind?
← Previous | Table of Contents | Next →
Comments
Post a Comment