Summer in Your Name - 26

Zhang Shu was still slaving away for Wang Wei even on the weekend.

With the deadline for ordering class uniforms looming next week, Wang Wei was practically breathing down his neck, just short of ‘morning and evening check-ins’ like a filial son. Zhang Shu’s home computer didn’t have professional graphic design software, those things cost money, and buying it for a one-time use wasn’t worth it. Hand-drawn drafts couldn’t be printed either. He casually mentioned this in the group chat, and Zhou Yingxiang eagerly volunteered, saying his relative ran a small advertising shop nearby and could take Zhang Shu there.

So, on a scorching hot day, Zhang Shu headed to the shop to get to work.

After slaving away all afternoon he finally finished the design and sent it to Wang Wei. Zhang Shu stretched lazily, listening to Zhou Yingxiang spouting flattery beside him: “Brother Shu, you also know how to do this stuff? Awesome, man, awesome!”

Hou Junqi, playing a game nearby, chuckled. So this was what it felt like to watch someone grovel. 

Zhang Shu: “Only ‘cause I was forced into it.”

Wang Wei, that cheapskate, wouldn’t even hire one of the countless designers on Taobao and insisted on enslaving him.

“If it were me, no amount of forcing would get this out of my brain,” Zhou Yingxiang said as the three walked out of the shop. “Brother Shu, how about we grab some food?”

“Too hot. Pass,” Zhang Shu shot down the idea but then reconsidered. The guy had just helped him out; it’d be rude to brush him off completely. “Fine, let’s get some ice cream. My treat.”

“I’ll pay, I’ll pay!” Zhou Yingxiang insisted.

“Then I’m not going.”

“Alright, alright, you treat!”

Hou Junqi chimed in, “A-Shu, didn’t you say you were getting that necklace for your sister? Make Old Wang reimburse you for this.”

“Him?” Zhang Shu snorted. “Might as well ask him to fork out a few extra bucks for the girls’ dresses.”

“Hahaha, what a cheapskate!”

Zhou Yingxiang, confused, asked, “What necklace? What dresses?”

Zhang Shu didn’t answer. He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Zhou Yingxiang nearly crashed into his back.

“What’s up, Brother Shu?”

Hou Junqi stopped too, just as puzzled, and followed Zhang Shu’s gaze.

Across the street from the advertising shop, a white electric scooter was parked under the shade of a tree. A girl in Affiliated High School uniform was hunched over it, her shoulders trembling slightly.

From this distance, they couldn’t hear anything, but her posture alone made it clear—she was crying.

Zhang Shu frowned, rolled up the sample poster in his hand, shoved it into Hou Junqi’s arms, and strode toward the roadside.

“Hey, Brother Shu?” Zhou Yingxiang started to follow, but Hou Junqi yanked him back. “Hold up!”

Zhou Yingxiang looked at him suspiciously. “What about ice cream?”

“Shut up, idiot,” Dumb people were infuriating.

“Who’s that?”

“Your Brother Shu’s goddess.”

“Huh? Not Chen Mengyao?”

“Dumbass.”

“…”

---

Sheng Xia was hunched over, tears dripping onto the scooter’s footboard. Crying was exhausting, demanding lung capacity she didn’t have. Struggling to catch her breath, she slowly straightened up, forgetting she was leaning on the handlebars. As her grip loosened, the scooter wobbled.

A flash of panic hit her, but before she could react, someone grabbed her arm, and the handlebars were steadied.

She looked up, Through her teary, blurred vision, a familiar yet unfamiliar face appeared.

Familiar because it was a face she’d seen daily for the past two months.

Unfamiliar because of his expression.

Gone was his usual cocky, laid-back demeanor. His brows were furrowed, his eyes holding an emotion she couldn’t quite name.

“You…” she started, but her breath hitched from crying for so long. Her shoulders shuddered, and a fresh string of tears rolled down her cheeks, glistening like crystals.

Sheng Xia felt embarrassed by her hiccuping sob.

But to Zhang Shu, those tears were just… an eyesore.

Without thinking, he raised his hand, the back of his fingers brushing across her cheek, wiping away the dampness.

Sheng Xia froze, too stunned to dodge or react. She stared at him, slowly coming back to herself.

How long had she been crying? This wasn’t school, why was he here? When did he show up? And why was he touching her without permission?

“Just passing by,” Zhang Shu said.

Sheng Xia’s panicked eyes darted to him, then around. No one else was nearby. Her gaze returned to his face.

How did he know what she was thinking?

Her reaction made Zhang Shu chuckle. “I don’t have tissues, please don't cry.”

Sheng Xia sniffled, pulling a tissue from her bag and carefully wiping her tears. When she looked up, her face was clean, but her red-rimmed eyes still shimmered with unshed tears.

They were painfully red.

Zhang Shu shifted his gaze slightly. “Are you heading to school?”

Sheng Xia nodded, her breathing still rapid from crying, her nose twitching pitifully.

“What’re you going there so early for?”

“Studying.”

Zhang Shu glanced at his watch. “It’s almost five. You’re studying without eating?”

She’d planned to grab something at the north gate or maybe just buy a bread roll at the convenience store. But she didn’t feel like explaining, so she just mumbled, “Not hungry.”

“It’s so hot. I didn’t bring my bike. Wanna grab food together?” He fanned his face with his hand, as if to emphasize the heat.

Sheng Xia’s eyes widened. “Together?”

“Is that a problem?”

“No, I’m good. I’ve got snacks.” She scrambled for an excuse.

Zhang Shu let out a short laugh. “What snacks? Lollipops or gummy candies? Orange soda or Wangzai milk?”

Sheng Xia was mid-grumbling in her head about his annoying laugh when her thoughts froze.

She stared at him, bewildered and shocked.

What did he mean?

He knew?

So what should she say now?

“You stuffed a law book in my gift and thought those snacks could brush me off?”

He really knows!

The air stilled for half a minute.

Sheng Xia’s mind went blank, unable to think. She could only manage, “Sorry.”

Zhang Shu: “Not accepted. Unless…”

“Hm?”

“You treat me to dinner.”

---

Zhou Yingxiang and Hou Junqi, lurking by the shop’s entrance, exchanged stunned looks.

Seeing the usually arrogant Zhang Shu gently wipe a girl’s tears was shocking enough.

Then they watched as the two talked about something, then the girl got off her scooter. Zhang Shu hopped on, she climbed onto the back, and the electric scooter zoomed off.

Just like that, they were ditched.

Just like that, the ice cream plan was abandoned.

Zhou Yingxiang was fuming.

If he knew the guy who’d said it was too hot to eat had schemed to get a girl to eat with him, he’d probably lose it.

---

Sheng Xia sat behind Zhang Shu again. This time, he was visibly more skilled—smooth start, smooth acceleration.

She didn’t dare speak while riding behind him.

Zhang Shu felt the breeze at his back, sensing she was keeping her distance, might as well be a mile away. He gave a helpless smile, recalling how she’d added, after agreeing to the meal, “Not near the school, okay?”

Was she that afraid of being seen with him?

Zhang Shu rode into the east gate of Nanli University.

Sheng Xia asked from behind, “We’re eating here?”

Zhang Shu nodded. “There’s a great tonkotsu ramen place inside.”

“Oh, okay.”

Japanese food—she liked that.

---

The shop was in the sunken plaza of Nanli University’s student activity center. They parked the scooter above and walked down.

Zhang Shu was wearing a black T-shirt, jeans, and white sneakers, blending in with the college crowd. Sheng Xia, still in her school uniform, her bare face youthful and a few stray hairs sticking up from her ponytail, looked unmistakably like a high schooler. Together, they looked suspiciously like a college guy luring a high school girl astray.

It was a bustling weekend at the university, especially at dinnertime. Every shop in the plaza was packed, with lines everywhere. Their eye-catching appearance drew eyes as they entered.

“Find a seat. I’ll order. What do you want?” Zhang Shu tilted his head toward her.

With the crowd pressing in, they were practically inches apart. Sheng Xia’s heart skipped a beat, and she stepped aside. “Anything’s fine.”

“Spicy okay?” he asked, unfazed.

“A little.”

“Got it. Wait for me.”

“Okay.”

Sheng Xia went to find a seat. Zhang Shu watched her obediently weave through the crowd and smiled to himself. What would happen if he suddenly pinched her cheek?

Would she cry from shock?

Sheng Xia found a seat to sit down, then realized this wasn’t a table-ordering place. He’d have to pay at the counter, it was supposed to be her treat, but she couldn’t leave her seat or risk losing it. So she just waited.

Zhang Shu returned a few minutes later and sat across from her.

Sheng Xia: “I was supposed to pay.”

“Time's long. Next time,” Zhang Shu said.

Next time…

Sheng Xia looked down, hoping there wouldn’t be a next time.

She stayed quiet, nervous he’d ask why she was crying. To steer the conversation, she said, “Sorry about before. I misunderstood you.”

She figured it was a good chance to formally apologize.

“No big deal.” Zhang Shu’s expression was indifferent, like he didn’t care to dwell on it.

If it was no big deal, why insist she treat him to dinner? And then not let her pay, talking about ‘next time’? What was he even doing?

“When did you find out?” she asked, her voice trailing off.

Zhang Shu’s lips curved. “When I opened the gift.”

What?

Sheng Xia’s peach-blossom eyes widened, stunned.

Zhang Shu let out a soft snort, his smile tinged with helplessness. Fearing she’d lose her appetite if they kept going, he changed the subject. “So, you looked at my mistake notebook. Any takeaways?”

How did he know she’d looked at his mistake notebook?

How did he know everything?

Sheng Xia hesitated, then answered quietly, “It’s very systematic.

His mistake notebook was meticulous—lines drawn on the right and bottom, dividing each page into three parts. The main section had clipped-and-pasted mistakes with correct answers, the right side noted common errors, and the bottom summarized key concepts with some divergent thinking

“But I have a question,” Sheng Xia said.

Zhang Shu raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair, ready to listen.

“Why do you include questions you didn’t get wrong in your mistake notebook?”

She’d looked closely.

Zhang Shu: “Because they’re typical. Some questions you get right by fluke or guesswork, which means you don’t really get it. Others seem simple but are easy to mess up.” 

“Right,” Sheng Xia said, he hit the nail on her head. She kept making mistakes on seemingly easy questions. “Some questions, I’m just careless.”

“No, that's not careless,” Zhang Shu said. “It’s not knowing.”

“Huh?” She was confused. She really knew the material.

“Carelessness comes from your hand moving faster than your brain or skipping steps you think are minor. When those steps become the final answer, you screw up. It all boils down to not being familiar enough with the material. Carelessness is just not knowing.”

Sheng Xia froze for a few seconds, unable to describe the feeling.

So this was what an epiphany felt like, clear and refreshing, like wiping years of dust off her glasses.

 

Zhang Shu said it so casually, without a hint of preaching. Just stating facts.

Sheng Xia stared at him, realizing some people’s excellence was never accidental. 

“What, dazzled by my brilliance?” He leaned forward, waving a hand in front of her.

Sheng Xia snapped back, looking away. “Narcissist,” she muttered.

Zhang Shu grinned.

The tonkotsu ramen was genuinely good, as tasty as any she’d had at Japanese restaurants, but her appetite was small. She drank most of the broth but left half the noodles.

Zhang Shu glanced at her bowl. “Eat some more.”

“I’m full.” Her shoulders slumped, looking exhausted from eating.

Her posture was a little cute, almost coy, though she didn’t seem to notice.

Zhang Shu cleared his throat. “Are you sure you’re done?”

“Yeah.”

“Give it here.” His chopsticks reached over, taking the rest of her noodles.

Sheng Xia: …

Those were her noodles!

Her ears burned uncontrollably.

Zhang Shu ate, then looked up. “If you’ve got questions, just ask me. Wouldn’t this problem have been solved way earlier if you had?”

Sheng Xia thought about it and nodded.

“Problems need solving, not crying,” he said, then paused as if realizing his words were too harsh. He added, “Of course, crying a little is fine too. Get it all out, then figure things out. Next time, you won’t be at the bottom of the rankings.”

He thought she was crying over grades? This misunderstanding…is fine. 

“Just do my best. As for the results, I'll do what I can and leave the rest to fate.” She didn’t sound confident.

“What ‘fate’? With the dream you have—how could you lose?" Zhang Shu met her gaze as she looked up, his tone firm. "You have no idea of your potential."

Sheng Xia never imagined she’d have such a conversation with Zhang Shu.

Back in the classroom, she was still mulling it over. Had she misjudged him too harshly? He was actually… a pretty decent classmate.

And the thing she’d been terrified about didn’t seem to be a big deal to him. Guys and girls really cared about things differently.

All evening, Hou Junqi was acting weird, sneaking glances at her with a cryptic look. Finally, Sheng Xia couldn’t take it. “Brother Hou, can I help you with something?”

Her helpless tone carried a hint of teasing. Everyone called him Brother Hou or ‘Monkey King’ and he was used to it, nor paid it mind. But now he understood why Zhang Shu asked Sheng Xia to stop calling his name.

That voice was deadly.

“Hey,” Hou Junqi perked up, “Try calling Brother Shu? Let me hear it."

Sheng Xia: …What kind of weird request was that?

She glared at him.

“Whoa!” Hou Junqi found it amusing and suddenly stood, shouting across the classroom to Zhang Shu at the far end. “A-Shu, Sheng Xia glared at me!”

Even during break time, with the classroom buzzing, his voice was loud enough to turn heads, drawing curious stares.

Sheng Xia didn’t know what expression to make. Why did his words sound like a complaint? What would others think?

Zhang Shu, explaining a problem to someone, looked up at Hou Junqi standing triumphantly and Sheng Xia buried in her book. He glared at Hou Junqi too. “Bullshit!”

Then he went back to explaining.

Hou Junqi, undeterred by the cold water, shuffled over to Zhang Shu’s desk after the other student left. Grinning, he said, “No, really, Little Sheng Xia did glare at me!”

The classmates around Zhang Shu were shocked: Was Hou Junqi into Sheng Xia? Calling her ‘Little Sheng Xia’ so affectionately and getting excited about her glaring at him?

 

Zhang Shu asked, “What’d you do?”

Hou Junqi leaned in and said in a low voice, “I told her to call Brother Shu.”

Zhang Shu’s face didn’t change, but his eyes flicked up. “Oh? Keep it up.”

Hou Junqi walked away with a grin.

The surrounding classmates were baffled: What was going on here?

Hou Junqi reached the front podium, then smacked his forehead and doubled back to Zhang Shu, suddenly serious. “A-Shu, last week I heard Sheng Xia and Lu Youze planning to go home together…”

Before he could finish, Zhang Shu’s expression shifted. Hou Junqi quickly clarified, “Not together together, they’re neighbors. Sheng Xia is scared of the dark, so she always skips third evening study. After knowing they’re neighbors, Lu Youze suggested they stay for the third period and go home together. Little Sheng Xia… agreed.”

She’d agreed happily. But he didn’t say that part.

Zhang Shu shot him a look. “Switch seats,” he said, gathering his math, physics, and chemistry papers. “You take mine.”

Hou Junqi: …

“Alright, got it.”

Sheng Xia watched the figure suddenly appear in front of her and lowered her head.

After that meal, she and Zhang Shu seemed to have grown a bit closer, but this closeness felt… strange. She couldn’t pinpoint what or why, just that talking to him now made her feel strange.

“Sheng Xia,” he called, turning around.

She looked up. “Yeah?”

“Let me see your mistake notebook.”

“Huh?”

“What ‘huh’? Your Brother Shu’s tutoring time is precious. Hurry up.” Zhang Shu swung his leg over the chair, straddling it backward, arms resting on the backrest, staring at her.

Your Brother Shu…

Sheng Xia nearly dropped her pen.

Had Hou Junqi’s craziness rubbed off on him?

The bell for class rang. Not wanting to make a scene, she asked, “Which subject?”

Zhang Shu gave her a look that says, This is the attitude I get for gracing you with my help? “All of them.”

“Huh?”

Sheng Xia pulled out her math, physics, chemistry, biology, and English mistake notebooks.

“Skip English. Start with math.”

“But class has started.” How was she supposed to go over it now? Plus, she still had a ton of assignments to finish.

Zhang Shu flipped through her notebooks, noting she’d handwritten all the problems. “Let me see how you’ve been organizing them. Got the original test papers?”

Sheng Xia’s materials were neatly organized, ready to pull out in need.

But Zhang Shu didn’t turn back around. He stayed perched against Hou Junqi’s desk, flipping through her papers on the edge of her desk, careful not to take up her space.

Still, Sheng Xia felt cramped, self-conscious.

Evening study wasn’t strict, but classmates were watching. Sitting by the window, she could see their math teacher, Lai Yilin, glancing her way from outside…

“Zhang Shu…” she whispered.

“Mm?”

“Turn around.”

“What?” He didn’t catch it.

Sheng Xia sighed, tore off a sticky note, and wrote: [Turn around.]

She stuck it on the test paper he was looking at.

His lips curved, glancing at her, but he didn’t comply. Instead, he pulled a pen from her holder and wrote: [Why?]

Sheng Xia wrote back: [The teacher’s looking.]

Zhang Shu glanced out the window. Lai Yilin was now helping another student. He raised an eyebrow and wrote:

[No one’s looking at you.]

He was about to pass it back, but then pulled it back again, adding:

[Except me.]

What was he saying?!

Zhang Shu didn't seem to find anything was wrong, focusing on her mistake notebook, leaving Sheng Xia staring at the note in disarray.

She crumpled the sticky note and tossed it into her trash bag.

---

Zhang Shu sat backward like that for the entire period, occasionally asking:

“Where’s the pencil?”

“Red pen?”

“Eraser.”

Xin Xiaohe, across the aisle, shot Sheng Xia a gossipy look, raising her eyebrows and mouthing to Zhang Shu: You, sly, man! 

Zhang Shu’s mouth quirked on one side—no response, no comment. His eyes focused on the paper, pencil scribbling like he was doodling, studying casually.

 

When the bell rang for break. Day students packed up to leave, and the classroom grew noisy. A few passing boys teased Zhang Shu, one patting his shoulder with a grin. “A-Shu, so helpful these days?”

“When’s my turn?”

“I’m in line, Brother Shu!”

Zhang Shu’s response was a withering glare every time.

Hou Junqi returned to his seat, letting out an exaggerated “Yo!” as he marveled “So my chair can be used like this? News to me, A-Shu!”

“Opening the gates to a new world!”

“666¹!”

(¹: 666 is Chinese internet slang for awesome or impressive.)

Sheng Xia was starting to feel like running away. 

She turned to Lu Youze. “What time do you usually head out?”

Lu Youze said, “Around eleven, but we can go earlier if you want.”

Eleven would get her home around 11:20, enough time to wash up and review vocabulary. Perfect.

Sheng Xia thought it over. “Eleven’s good.”

---

As they talked, Zhang Shu and Hou Junqi watched. To onlookers, it looked like a love triangle brewing.

Xin Xiaohe whispered to Yang Linyu, “Is Zhang Shu chasing Sheng Xia?”

“No clue, but he’s not acting normal.”

“I heard some rumors.”

“Are Zhang Shu and Lu Youze sworn enemies in their past life, destined to be love rivals in this one?”

“Does Sheng Xia like Lu Youze?”

“Who knows? They’re neighbors. Apparently, their dads are tight—fancy term, ‘close family friends.’”

“Oh, and middle school classmates too.”

“Know each other well.”

“Perfect match on paper.”

“Chasing Sheng Xia’s gotta be way harder than Chen Mengyao.”

“Zhang Shu’s got an iron head².”

(²: Refers to someone with a one-track mind who is not afraid of hardship and always gets his own way.)

 

“Alright, let’s go over this.” Zhang Shu said, tapping the notebook on Sheng Xia’s desk.

Sheng Xia turned around. “Okay, thank you.”

Polite, distant, drawing a clear line.

Zhang Shu walked Sheng Xia through her problem-copying efficiency, how to categorize questions, summarize key points, and mark common mistakes. By the time the third evening study period bell rang, they hadn’t even finished one subject.

“Come with me,” Zhang Shu said, standing up, grabbing her notebook, and heading out.

Sheng Xia, already under scrutiny for a whole period, figured hesitating would only make it seem like there was something going on. So she grabbed her notes and followed him confidently.

Teacher Lai was outside, so it wasn’t like they were alone.

Despite his usual cockiness, Zhang Shu was surprisingly patient when explaining problems and methods. Even Lai Yilin joined in, occasionally praising Zhang Shu and urging Sheng Xia to soak it all in.

Honestly, it was a lot to take in. She wished she’d recorded it.

At one point, she glanced at his focused profile as he explained, and for a moment, she lost in thought. It was like a halo surrounded him, his figure hazy yet striking.

 

They went on like that for half the period. Zhang Shu said, “Before the next monthly exam, reorganize your math mistake notebook the way I showed you. Go through every problem again before the test. Take your time with the other subjects, math’s the foundation.”

Lai Yilin nodded solemnly. “Well said. Math is the key. Mastering your mistakes is way more useful than grinding new problems.”

Sheng Xia nodded earnestly. “Got it. I’ll do it.”

“If you don’t understand something, ask me,” Zhang Shu said, then added, “Or ask Teacher Lai.”

Lai Yilin grinned. “Ask him, ask him. So convenient, ask him more.”

“Okay.”

Back in the classroom, Zhang Shu swapped seats with Hou Junqi again.

Sheng Xia buried herself in digesting what Zhang Shu had explained. After class, the boarding students trickled out, and the corridor bustled. Sheng Xia pulled the window shut and kept working.

At eleven, Lu Youze said, “Sheng Xia, ready to go?”

She snapped out of it, amazed at how fast time flew. Studying in the classroom really kept her focused.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

They walked out one after the other. Sheng Xia couldn’t help but feel a pang, class was still half-full this late. If she didn’t fall behind, who would?

Zhang Shu hadn’t left yet, apparently still working on assignments. She’d taken up a lot of his time earlier.

Even Hou Junqi was still there, grinding through an English test paper.

But barely two minutes after Sheng Xia left, Zhang Shu finished his homework, slung his bag over his shoulder, and called to Hou Junqi, “Let’s go.”

“Finally!” Hou Junqi followed.

“Little Sheng Xia just left with Lu Youze.”

Zhang Shu tossed his bag. “I’m not blind.”

He’d seen it. She kept a mile away from him but trailed Lu Youze like a happy puppy.

Hou Junqi didn’t get it. “Then what was the seat swap about?” He thought Zhang Shu moved to mess with their going-home-together thing. And this was the result?

Zhang Shu said, “Separate issues.”

“Huh?”

“Can’t I just be helpful?”

Hou Junqi rolled his eyes. “Bullshit.”

---

Sheng Xia rode her scooter alongside Lu Youze out the school gate. On the bike lane, they rode side by side. Even slowing down, she noticed Lu Youze struggling to keep up. He laughed, “Guess electric scooters are the way to go. Maybe I’ll get one. What brand’s yours?”

“No idea,” Sheng Xia said, never caring to check. “I’ll look later, there’s a logo on the back.”

“How’s studying going?” Lu Youze asked casually.

“It’s okay,” Sheng Xia replied just as casually, but thinking of her grades, she sighed. “Actually, I don’t know.”

“I see that Zhang Shu’s been tutoring you?”

Why was he bringing up Zhang Shu? Sheng Xia paused, choosing her words, “Teacher Wang told me to ask him about organizing mistake notebooks, but a top student’s methods aren’t easy to pick up. It’s tough.”

The topic circled back to studying. Lu Youze nodded, “Yeah, you’ve gotta find what works for you.”

“Mm.”

Silence fell. Riding side by side, it wasn’t too awkward.

After a bit, Lu Youze broke the silence. “How’s the dress search going? My dad’s always got events needing formal wear, so he knows people. Want me to hook you up?”

Sheng Xia realized she’d completely forgotten about it after Wu Qiuxuan’s drama.

“Nothing too fancy. I’ll just find something.”

“No way, you can’t just wing it,” Lu Youze smiled. “I heard the boarding students are already betting in the dorms on who will have more votes between you or Chen Mengyao.”

This…

Sheng Xia didn’t want to sound like a buzzkill. These were things beyond her control, she simply said, “I’ll check with my family.”

“Let me know if you need help.”

“Thanks.”

“Too polite.”

Their awkward chat carried them to Feicui Court. Sheng Xia arrived first; Lu Youze had to head to Area A.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, tomorrow.”

---

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