Summer in Your Name - 22

Giving Flowers

---

During Monday's long break, Sheng Xia attended her first flag-raising ceremony at Affiliated High. A provincial key school really was something else, rich and generous. They even had massive screens on either side live broadcasting the ceremony, usually hidden in the light fixtures. Sheng Xia was seeing them for the first time.

Today's speech was given by a freshman representative, a sharp-looking girl who seemed a little nervous.

With such large screens and close-up shots, you could see every single blink.

It made Sheng Xia wonder: what would Zhang Shu's face look like magnified on that screen? What expression would that unrestrained face make while reading something so straight-laced? With hundreds of students buzzing below, would he be nervous?

She suddenly felt a small pang of regret at having missed it last week.

"This is nowhere near A-Shu’s speech last week!” 

"No contest!"

"Was that a record last week? They should include it in the Affiliated High documentary.”

The students on duty, who'd stayed behind in the classroom, were also weighing in from a distance, chatting about last week's ceremony.

The boy sweeping the floor suddenly let out a low whistle. He was standing by Zhang Shu's desk, staring at a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. "Damn. Is Zhang Shu dating Sheng Xia or something?"

"What?"

Zhou Xuanxuan whipped her head around. "No way. Zhang Shu spent the weekend watching Chen Mengyao rehearse."

"Here, see for yourself?" The boy waved the note, and a few others gathered around.

Zhou Xuanxuan took it. Another girl leaned in to read over her shoulder, sounding it out word for word:

"Need any help?"

"Question mark"

"You can ask me."

"No."

"You understand it all?"

"Is that not allowed?"

"Allowed. Of course it's allowed. You're the best.”

"Speechless emoji."

"If you don't understand, ask me. Don't go embarrassing yourself out there."

"Oh."

After reading, the girl rubbed the goosebumps on her arm. “Ugh, so cheesy, my God!”

 

The guy who found the note said, "This is totally their handwriting, right? Too recognizable.”

Sheng Xia’s handwriting was beautiful, like something out of a calligraphy book, everyone had seen it on the model essay wall. Zhang Shu’s was a bit messier, bold and free, just as distinctive.

Zhou Xuanxuan frowned. "If you actually look at the conversation, it's not that big a deal, though?"

Another girl thought it over, then changed her mind. "Yeah, it's only been, like, a few weeks since school started. How could they be together? Sheng Xia seems so well-behaved. You guys are always starting rumors. Don't ruin her reputation!"

"Hey… I didn't say anything, did I?" The boy pouted.

Another boy chimed in, "Sheng Xia’s responses seem pretty normal. Zhang Shu's the only one talking mad game."

"Ha! True, that dude's playing it up."

Zhou Xuanxuan glared at him. "Zhang Shu likes Chen Mengyao, okay?"

Everyone knew Zhou Xuanxuan was close with Chen Mengyao. Chen Mengyao often came to class to find her, and since she'd had a thing for Lu Youze before, Class 6 was pretty familiar with her. The boy just shrugged, not wanting to dwell on it, and wandered off to talk with his friends.

"Don’t you think Sheng Xia’s prettier?”

"She's got a good overall vibe. Never really looked closely at her face. Her figure… I dunno, feels like she has her head down all the time."

"Yeah, she kind of keeps to herself. Not as flashy as Chen Mengyao. But once, I was getting water next to her, and when she turned, her face was like… like, translucent. Can't explain it."

"Translucent? What, like a ghost?"

"More like an angel, maybe?"

"You like her?"

"No, no! Don't start. I'm just saying she's pretty, okay?"

After the ceremony, Sheng Xia went to get water. Waiting in line, she noticed almost everyone was from Class 6, including today’s duty students. That was odd, usually, students on duty would get water or use the restroom while everyone else was at the ceremony. Why were they all lining up behind her today?

And maybe it was her imagination, but it felt like they were all sneaking glances at her, one way or another. It made her awkward. She nodded at Zhou Xuanxuan, who she was relatively familiar with, as a greeting.

Zhou Xuanxuan smiled back. "Morning, Xia Xia."

The girl next to Zhou Xuanxuan called out, "Sheng Xia, wait for us! Let's walk back to class together."

It was Zhou Xuanxuan's deskmate, Li Shiyi, if Sheng Xia remembered correctly. They’d barely spoken before, but Sheng Xia nodded. “Okay.”

As she stood there waiting, she heard Zhou Xuanxuan waving at someone behind her. "Mengyao! Over here!"

Sheng Xia saw a girl with chestnut curls walking over, water bottle in hand, a bright, sunny smile on her face. She was wearing the blue and white school uniform top, paired with ultra-short denim shorts that barely showed, and she had her canvas shoes stepped on at the heel like slippers.

The morning sun slanted into the hallway. Her long legs were dazzlingly pale.

A lot of people around were sneaking glances at her.

So that's Chen Mengyao. She really is striking. Sheng Xia’s gaze lingered briefly on her face before politely shifting away.

Chen Mengyao went to the back of the line. A few boys let her go ahead. She thanked them politely, then said to Zhou Xuanxuan, "Xuanxuan, wait for me."

"Of course," Zhou Xuanxuan replied.

So Sheng Xia had to wait, too.

Chen Mengyao filled her bottle, then linked her arm with Zhou Xuanxuan. "Let's go."

Li Shiyi looped her arm through Sheng Xia’s, and the four of them walked side by side.

Sheng Xia grew more and more awkward. It felt strange. Like she'd been pulled into a random friend gathering with people she didn't know.

Zhou Xuanxuan asked, "All done with rehearsal?"

Chen Mengyao replied, "Still have a dress rehearsal tonight."

Zhou Xuanxuan continued, "Is your training in Dongzhou done? Are you going back?"

Chen Mengyao said, "Definitely have to go back. I'll be running back and forth until the art exams."

"What about your regular classes, then?" Zhou Xuanxuan asked, concerned. "I remember the schools you're aiming for have a pretty high academic score requirement."

Chen Mengyao sighed. "I don't know. Probably have to find a tutor outside. But it's so expensive."

"What about Zhang Shu? You've got that resource right there, why not use it?"

Chen Mengyao pouted. "We'll see. I don’t feel like dealing with him.”

Zhou Xuanxuan pulled her arm free and patted Chen Mengyao's shoulder. "Hey! You're really gonna leave our Class 6 celebrity, top student, heartthrob just hanging like that?” 

Chen Mengyao just smiled and said nothing.

Chen Mengyao was in Class 4. When they reached her classroom, she stopped before going in and called back to Zhou Xuanxuan, "Xuanxuan, meet for me at lunch?"

Zhou Xuanxuan gave her an OK sign.

Chen Mengyao flashed a heart back and winked, charming and lively. Before turning away, her gaze flickered, almost imperceptibly, over Sheng Xia's calm, quiet profile.

Sheng Xia, walking with her head slightly bowed, naturally didn't notice. Nor did she notice the boys whispering behind them.

"I think you're right. Sheng Xia is prettier."

"See?"

"She's really pretty, and she's not even trying. Standing next to each other, it's obvious. Chen Mengyao is what she is. Sheng Xia is more of a blank canvas."

"Yeah, that's what I meant. Just couldn't put it into words."

"No wonder Zhang Shu's been acting all desperate."

"Haha!"

---

On Teacher's Day night, the whole school watched the performance in the auditorium. The seniors were like animals let out of a cage, buzzing with excitement, the entire building alive with energy.

The show completely shattered Sheng Xia's perception of what it meant to be a "top student." The quality of the acts was leagues above anything she'd seen at No. 2 High. Sometimes she really wondered why God was so unfair. How could some people excel in academics, sports, and arts all at once?

She'd studied guzheng for many years and had been a star performer at her old school. But her guzheng had been smashed during one of Sheng Mingfeng and Wang Lianhua's fights. Afterwards, Sheng Mingfeng bought her a better one, but she never touched it again.

Watching the fully-formed traditional instrument orchestra on stage, her fingers tapped slightly on her knees.

Chen Mengyao's dance act brought the whole gala to its peak. A tribute to High School Musical, with singing, dancing, and skits. The atmosphere was electric. When it ended, the loudest cheers came from Class 4's section, followed closely by Class 6.

As Chen Mengyao took her final bow, she waved towards Class 6, sparking another round of cheers. Everyone's heads swiveled, looking at Zhang Shu, then at Lu Youze.

The drama off-stage was better than the performance.

"Is Zhang Shu gonna give her flowers?"

"Probably, isn't he her number one fan?"

"Those are expensive ranunculus, man. That's like iron rooster plucking its feathers for Shu-ge!"

"Haha!"

"So weird, love. Even after all that, the goddess still isn't with him. Rough, huh."

"If Zhang Shu can't get her, who can?"

"Money can. Young Master Lu, for example!"

"Hey, if it were you, who would you choose? The crown prince, or the school heartthrob?"

"I'm not the school beauty. Do I have a choice?"

"True. But I wonder if their love triangle will be resolved before graduation. I don't wanna be in college still gossiping about the school beauty, the heartthrob, and the rich kid."

"Haha, who knows?"

Sheng Xia, sitting near the back, caught every word of the whispered conversations around her.

She stared at the back of the head in the front row. He had his elbow on the armrest, chin propped on his hand, watching the stage. What expression did he have? What did he look like when he looked at someone he liked?

Probably the same as that day at rehearsal. Focused. Absorbed.

Definitely not the way he looked at idiots.

Sheng Xia shook her head. What am I even thinking?

At the end of the gala, all the performers came on stage for a finale. The background music was youthful and stirring, confetti filled the air. Many people in the audience rushed up to give flowers. Chen Mengyao was holding several bouquets; she was almost buried in them. But in her arms, there were no ranunculus.

As the audience filed out, Sheng Xia saw that familiar, striking head walking ahead of her. He hadn't appeared on stage to give flowers.

Back in the classroom, Sheng Xia studied for a while before packing up to go home. She didn't notice how late it had gotten. The night was quiet. She took the shortcut through Wenboyuan. As she passed the residential garden, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Don't you already have a ton of flowers?" Zhang Shu was leaning against the edge of the stone pavilion, his voice cool.

"A-Shu…are you jealous?" Chen Mengyao stood nearby, still in her stage makeup. Her eyebrows arch sharply, her lips a vivid red, strikingly beautiful in the night.

Zhang Shu let out a long, heavy sigh.

He stood up and walked over to her, looking down at her from his full height. They were very close. From Sheng Xia's angle, it looked like if he lowered his head just a little, he could kiss her. The atmosphere was thick, charged with tension.

And because he'd moved, he seemed to notice the sound of an electric scooter on the path. His gaze swept toward the road.

Sheng Xia sped up in a panic, eyes fixed ahead, fleeing the youth drama scene behind.

Shielded by the darkness, she wasn't sure if he'd seen her. But running into him twice now, both times during such private moments, had her flustered.

Zhang Shu watched the little white scooter disappear around the corner, one eyebrow lifting slightly.

---

← Previous | Table of Contents | Next →

0