Summer in Your Name - 35

On Friday night, the eatery at North Gate were closed, save for a few snack shops still open. Zhang Shu bought two braised meat rolls, handing one to Xin Xiaohe.

Xin Xiaohe sighed dramatically, “To eat a braised meat roll treated by Brother Shu, truly the fortune of my life!”

Zhang Shu chuckled, “Thanks for today.”

Was this supposed to be her labor fee? Didn’t she deserve a proper meal? A single braised meat roll to dismiss her?

Stingy Brother Shu, living up to his reputation.

Mid-grumble in her head, she heard Zhang Shu say in a low voice, “There’s not much to eat around here now. Tell me what you want another day, and I’ll get it for you.”

Xin Xiaohe was flattered, but before she could savor the moment, Zhang Shu added, “I’m off.”

Instead of returning to the classroom, Zhang Shu headed home straight from North Gate, hands in his pockets, head down, kicking a pebble along the way.

Xin Xiaohe felt a sense of loneliness in his retreating figure, like a down-and-out scholar pining for a wealthy maiden.

With his qualities, even Chen Mengyao didn’t fancy him, oh, wait, he clarified that Chen Mengyao wasn’t his old flame. But still, didn’t that mean he had even less of a chance with Sheng Xia?

Sheng Xia’s family situation was no small matter.

She couldn’t help but recall the scene she’d witnessed earlier: Sheng Xia sitting on a hospital bed, her face buried in Zhang Shu’s chest. The tall, sturdy boy, his large hand covering the back of her head, gently comforting her with care.

She had to admit, setting aside all the messy factors, they really did look perfect together.

Xin Xiaohe thought, among everyone she knew, no one could match Sheng Xia quite like Zhang Shu.

---

Zhou Xuanxuan, who had been anxious for half the day, finally saw Xin Xiaohe return. But before she could approach, a crowd had already swarmed around Xin Xiaohe, bombarding her with questions.

Guilt gnawed at Zhou Xuanxuan, but jealousy overshadowed it.

How long had Sheng Xia been in their class? She was usually so quiet, rarely speaking, yet why did so many people care about her condition?

When people talked about Sheng Xia behind her back, it was almost always praise, no one ever said they disliked her or had any complaints.

This kind of charm was inexplicable, perhaps innate.

Zhou Xuanxuan recalled the dress Sheng Xia had stored in their dorm. She’d examined it closely—it was genuine, as were the expensive shoes.

Xin Xiaohe had said it was probably bought, and it must’ve cost tens of thousands.

But why didn’t Sheng Xia take it home?

No one could figure it out. Sheng Xia was both simple and enigmatic, shrouded in mystery.

Zhou Xuanxuan hadn’t mentioned these things to Chen Mengyao again.

She couldn’t quite explain why, but she suddenly felt a bit foolish.

Last time, Sheng Xia had effortlessly turned the tables, making her feel like a clown. Every now and then, Zhou Xuanxuan still recalled that line: “Are you so curious about me?”

Today, as soon as she returned to the classroom, she saw a few classmates whispering in a huddle. The moment they noticed her, they scattered like startled birds, their looks unmistakable to Zhou Xuanxuan.

Disdainful, exasperated, avoidant.

Did they think she’d done it on purpose?

---

Sheng Mingfeng was busy and left before the IV drip finished, called away by a phone call. He instructed Sheng Xia to call Li Xu if anything came up.

Before leaving, he turned back at the door, quietly gesturing a phone call to Sheng Xia.

Wang Lianhua, facing away from the door, didn’t notice. Sheng Xia pursed her lips and blinked, signaling she understood, and Sheng Mingfeng left.

“What exactly happened? Tell Mom the truth,” Wang Lianhua said sternly, sitting by the bed as soon as he was gone.

Sheng Xia let out a confused ‘Hm?’, “What truth?”

Wang Lianhua said, “On my way back, I saw the post from your school’s official account.”

Sheng Xia still didn’t understand.

Wang Lianhua pulled up the article and handed her the phone. “See for yourself.”

Sheng Xia had a hunch of what it was but still took the phone.

[Showcasing Youthful Spirit and Grandeur—Nanli University Affiliated High School’s 36th Sports Festival Concludes Successfully]

The title…

It used content from her press release.

But that wasn’t the point.

The point was the photos. The first was a panorama of the sports field, the second showed leaders speaking at the podium, and the third featured Sheng Xia. Though it was a collage of several photos, she stood out instantly, centered in the largest frame.

She was wearing a strapless dress and high heels, holding the sign for Grade 3 Class 6 as she passed the main stage.

Caption: Student Formation at the Opening Ceremony.

Sheng Xia slowly looked up. Wang Lianhua took back the phone, zoomed in on the image, and studied it again. Her voice was light: “My daughter is truly beautiful, so beautiful it’s hard to look away.”

Sheng Xia’s fingers unconsciously twisted the bedsheet.

Wang Lianhua sighed. “You’ve grown up, have your own ideas, but I hope you can tell me things. Finding out about my daughter’s every move from a phone makes me feel like a failure as a mother.”

“No, Mom, it’s not like that,” Sheng Xia said.

She sensed something different about Wang Lianhua but couldn’t pinpoint it.

If this were the past, this probably would’ve led to a tearful outburst, followed by a mother-daughter embrace.

“This was…” Sheng Xia hesitated for a few seconds, deciding to sidestep the dress topic for now. “Senior 3 only participated in the opening ceremony and fun sports events. It didn’t take up much time.”

“You know that’s not what I mean,” Wang Lianhua said gravely.

Sheng Xia thought of their earlier argument, her mother must already know where the dress came from. Tentatively, she said, “The dress style was chosen by the class based on the theme. Zou… Dad just paid for it.”

She chose to lie, her heart tight and bitter.

It felt wrong, not being honest with her mother. She knew it wasn’t fair, but she was tired, leaning toward keeping the peace.

Keeping the peace.

When that phrase crossed her mind, Sheng Xia suddenly realized what had changed about Wang Lianhua.

Since she started senior year, her mother had rarely shown intense emotions. Everything was subdued, restrained.

No more outbursts, just keeping the peace.

Both of them were doing it.

Wang Lianhua’s tone betrayed no hint of whether she believed her. “I don’t know what your school was thinking. Being open-minded shouldn't mean this open.”

Sheng Xia stayed silent.

Wang Lianhua sighed again. “Alright. But you can’t ride your scooter now. I’ll drive you from now on. But I might not have time at noon or evening—tell your dad to arrange someone for you.”

“No need,” Sheng Xia had already thought ahead. “There’s a bed at the Afternoon Care. I’ll rest there at noon, and in the evening, it’s no trouble. I can use crutches to get to dinner, it’s close by.”

“Are you sure you can manage?” Wang Lianhua asked.

“I’ll be fine.”

The matter seemed settled, but Wang Lianhua still sighed.

Sheng Xia knew her mother was still worried, feeling this accident came at the worst time and would affect her studies.

On the way home, at the neighborhood entrance, they saw Li Xu waiting with several shopping bags. Wang Lianhua rolled down the car window. “Xiao Li, is something up?”

Though she was curt with Sheng Mingfeng, Wang Lianhua was always kind to Li Xu.

“The secretary asked me to bring some clothes. With Sheng Xia’s cast, school pants won’t be convenient…”

Affiliated High School’s uniform pants were tapered at the ankles.

Wang Lianhua paused, then opened the bags.

She accepted it.

Li Xu quietly exhaled in relief.

At home, Wang Lianhua helped Sheng Xia bathe. She could only sit, her injured leg propped on another chair. Washing her hair meant leaning back, with Wang Lianhua using the showerhead.

At first, Sheng Xia felt a bit shy. Wang Lianhua tickled her waist, and both mother and daughter giggled.

“Still shy? When you were little, you’d always knock on the bathroom door while I was showering. If it wasn’t locked, you’d peek in, shameless as anything,” Wang Lianhua teased, scrubbing her hair.

“No way!” Sheng Xia couldn’t recall ever doing that.

Wang Lianhua laughed. “Oh, yes way. You’d even ask, ‘Mommy, why can’t I have milk anymore when I’m big? You still have milk, why not give some to Xiaxia?’”

“Ugh, how old was I? Why bring that up!” Sheng Xia groaned.

“Ha, you were so cute back then. Why can’t I mention it?”

Sheng Xia covered her face.

Wang Lianhua chuckled, then sighed. “You got this from me, you know.”

“Hm?”

“Big chest!”

“Mom!!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Hold still…”

The two were laughing when the bathroom door creaked open. Zheng Dongning leaned against it, head tilted, her round eyes darting around before landing on Sheng Xia’s chest.

Then, dramatically, she raised a hand to cover her eyes, only to peek through her fingers with a mischievous glint.

Blinking playfully.

It was exactly like little Sheng Xia…

“Ningning, get out!”

“Hahaha…”

---

By the time they finished, it was past eleven. Sheng Xia insisted on doing a set of math multiple-choice questions and a cloze test before preparing for bed.

In the bathroom, she noticed the laundry room light on. Wang Lianhua was moving clothes from the washer to the dryer.

Sheng Xia looked closer—it was the new dress Sheng Mingfeng had bought her.

The dryer hummed, but Wang Lianhua didn’t leave. She stood there, staring at the spinning drum, lost in thought.

The lighthearted mood vanished.

Her mother still cared, still worried. To her, the dress wasn’t just clothing, it symbolized the stark contrast between her and Sheng Mingfeng’s approaches to life and parenting.

For the sake of surface peace, she’d reconciled with Sheng Mingfeng, with her daughter. But she couldn't reconcile with herself.

Sheng Xia’s heart tightened, but she made no sound and turned away.

Before bed, she checked her phone. There were quite a few messages.

Xin Xiaohe: [Look, Brother Shu’s braised meat roll! Impressive, right? I actually pried some wool off the iron rooster¹! I’ve eaten, don’t worry!]

(¹: Getting something valuable from a stingy person, as roosters don’t have wool, and an ‘iron rooster’ is notoriously unyielding.)

Xin Xiaohe: [Rest well!]

Lu Youze: [Xiaxia, I wasn’t at the sports field today and just heard the news. How are you?]

Lu Youze: [Can you still go to school tomorrow?]

Wang Wei and Li Xu sent messages too, mostly saying to reach out if she needed anything.

A few classmates had also sent their regards.

Sheng Xia replied to each one. Just as she was about to put her phone down, a new Q.Q message popped up. From: Song Jiang

Before she even opened it, her mind flooded with images of him.

Him pushing through the crowd to lift her into his arms…

His hand pulling her teary face into his chest…

His helpless smile as he ruffled her hair before leaving…

And countless fleeting moments, now vivid in her mind like movie posters.

The day had been chaotic—fear from the pain, tension from her parents’ argument, worry about missing studies had overwhelmed her, causing her to overlook some more subtle moments.

Like the way her heart raced when she overheard him say he’d ‘kept himself pure all these years’ at the bleachers.

Or how, despite worrying about others’ stares, she’d buried herself in his chest without hesitation.

Or the even stronger wave of tears that surged when he comforted her…

…

To like someone is to show your best side, but also your most vulnerable.

Never had she been so certain as now: she was, without a doubt, falling for him.  

Maybe even more than she’d imagined.

Sheng Xia opened the message.

Song Jiang: [Want some wontons for breakfast?]

Sheng Xia froze.

“Kept myself pure,” “no old flame.”

“Why should I?” “Impressive is impressive.”

“I don’t have a tissue, but you can cry if you need to…”

His words replayed in her mind, each one crystal clear, deeply etched.

Her heart was a mess, a little figure inside her jumping back and forth. Two minutes later, she replied: [Asleep.]

He replied instantly: [Then do you want some in your dreams?]

Sheng Xia’s fingers tightened. She typed [You’re so boring] but deleted it.

Testing the waters, she sent: [Maybe.]

The moment she sent it, she wanted to retract it, but it was too late—

Ding. A new message popped into the chat.

Song Jiang: [Good. Tomorrow, your dream comes true.]

She stared at the chat, her phone screen dimming. She tapped it to light up again, then it darkened once more.

The black screen reflected her face—a silly, uncontrollable grin stretching ear to ear. 

Startled, Sheng Xia tossed her phone aside, grabbed a stuffed toy, and hugged it tight, slowly closing her eyes.

In a barren, parched world.

Zhang Shu.

Will you be my timely rain?

---

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