Summer in Your Name - 51

Sheng Xia's grades delighted both Wang Lianhua and Sheng Mingfeng.

Wang Lianhua said, "If you can keep this up, getting into Nanli University shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Sheng Xia replied, “There’s still a long way to go.” Even if they gave preferences to local students, she'd need to score at least 40-50 points above the first-tier admission line to get into Nanli University.

“Keep a good mindset,” Wang Lianhua said, her confidence soaring. She added with concern, “How’s your deskmate doing?”

Xin Xiaohe?

"She's still in the top ten of our class, pretty stable."

"What about the other one?"

Sheng Xia was puzzled. "Hm?"

"Don’t you have two deskmates? How is the other one doing?"

"Uh..." Sheng Xia thought for a moment. " Eleventh in the grade."

Wang Lianhua was surprised. "That impressive?"

Uh, how should she explain that this was actually his worst performance ever?

Wang Lianhua was pleased. "The people around you all have such great grades!"

"Yes."

“During the New Year, bring some gifts to thank the lady at your Afternoon Care. She’s taken such good care of you and her sister has been helping you with your studies. You need to show gratitude.”

Sheng Xia felt her heart tighten.

Sister...

"Okay."

Sheng Mingfeng, on the other hand, didn’t ask as many questions. He had been very busy lately and wasn’t in Nanli much. He only gave brief instructions over the phone: “Focus on your language classes.”  

Then he asked, “Have you told your mom about studying abroad?”

Sheng Xia hesitated. “Not yet…”

Her household registration was under Sheng Mingfeng’s name, and family documents didn’t require Wang Lianhua’s involvement.

So, honestly, she wasn’t planning to mention it at all.  

If she could avoid going abroad, there was no point in bringing it up now—it would only disrupt the balance.  

Sheng Mingfeng seemed to sense her hesitation. "Your mom… does she not want you to go abroad?”  

 

"She just wants me to stay with her more…”

“You’ll have to tell her eventually. Talk to her properly. If it doesn’t work out, call me.”  

Sheng Xia didn’t respond. Someone on his end urged him to leave, and Sheng Mingfeng hung up the call.

It was already midnight, where was he going? It must not be easy for him either.

Sheng Xia put away her phone, unaware of the deep sigh she let out.

 "You've grown up with two conflicting education methods—two completely different sets of expectations…”

Zhang Shu’s words echoed in her mind.

He was right. Even an outsider who’d only met her parents once could see the situation she’d been in since childhood.

Sheng Mingfeng and Wang Lianhua always seemed to pull her in opposite directions.

They didn’t do it on purpose.

Like this time, Wang Lianhua didn’t know Sheng Mingfeng wanted her to study abroad, and Sheng Mingfeng didn’t know Wang Lianhua wanted her to stay in Nanli.

Their decisions came naturally, and were inherently opposed.  

As if they were destined to be at odds.  

She could never understand why Wang Lianhua and Sheng Mingfeng got married in the first place.

They were neither similar nor did they complement each other.

As far as Sheng Xia could remember, her parents were always arguing.

When Sheng Mingfeng's mother—the old lady Sheng Xia refused to call ‘Grandma’—was still alive, Sheng Xia had thought that her parents’ strained relationship stemmed from the old lady’s preference for boys over girls.  

But even after the old lady passed, the arguments continued unabated until they eventually parted ways.

During the divorce, they were, for once, in complete agreement.  

As Sheng Xia grew older, she gradually understood that relationships between people truly depended on the right timing, circumstances, and harmony.

Perhaps back when they got together, the timing, circumstances, and harmony were all aligned. But as some variables changed, that harmony was broken, and even if the variable reverted, things could never go back to how they were.

Yet they couldn't simply cut all ties either.

The three daughters were their unbreakable bond.

Sheng Mingfeng knew he couldn't raise three children alone; Wang Lianhua knew she couldn’t afford to raise them on her own.

Opposites though they might be, they maintained a strange balance.

Sheng Xia had understood her role from early on. She was different from her sisters.  

Qiuxuan and Ningning could be themselves if they wanted. After all, Sheng Mingfeng had failed them by providing for them but not raising them, they could resent or even abandon him.  

But Sheng Xia couldn't.

She was the eldest daughter, the big sister.  

Beyond the material support Sheng Mingfeng provided for her sisters, the bond of blood was undeniable. Like how Ningning always eagerly looked forward to Sheng Mingfeng’s rare monthly visits, becoming cheerful for a while afterward. Or how Qiuxuan, despite her verbal complaints, would calm down after family dinners and carefully keep every gift Sheng Mingfeng gave her. The effect of this strange bond was irreplaceable. Unable to sever it, they remained tangled like broken silk threads. 

Someone in this family had to be the bridge.

And only she could barely manage it.

What else could she do?  

She could only go on like this, like a lump of clay, constantly stretched and pulled.  

Maintaining that delicate balance while trying to shape herself was no easy task.  

Sheng Xia opened her laptop, ready to start writing.    

According to her outline, today she was to write an appreciation of “Partridge Sky: Seeing Off Kuangzhi to the Autumn Examinations.”

She recalled how, during the New Year, she’d posted this poem on her social media, and Zhang Shu had commented: Studying secretly? Who are you trying to blind with your brilliance?

She hadn’t meant that at all. She was just motivating herself, wishing for good luck.

By the time she saw his comment, two days had passed, so she didn’t reply.

At this thought, she opened QQ and replied: [Judging the mind of a virtuous one with the measure of a petty mind.] 

Barely a minute after putting down her phone, it vibrated with a notification.

Song Jiang: "Not asleep yet?”  

Sheng Xia: "Mm."

Song Jiang: "The virtuous one's secretly studying again?”

Sheng Xia: ……

After a moment's thought, she used his own words back at him: "What's wrong with that? I'll blind you with my brilliance."

Song Jiang: "Well, you’ve definitely blinded this petty person’s eyes.”  

Virtuous one, petty person… Ugh…

Xin Xiaohe was right—he was full of quick-witted comebacks.  

Sheng Xia paused. He didn't do so well on his exam, and her improved grades were largely thanks to him. Wasn’t it a bit unkind to talk like this?  

So what should she say then? 

Be more modest? Praise him!

Sheng Xia: “My little improvement is nothing compared to your brilliance~”

The chat showed “typing…” He seemed to type, delete, and type again. After about a minute, he sent a single sentence.

Song Jiang: "Striving to the utmost sparks wisdom. A step that might seem trivial to others can be a leap for you, and that’s precious enough.” 

Sheng Xia stared at his message, silently reading them once, then softly aloud.

–Striving to the utmost sparks wisdom.

He usually had a sharp tongue, always ready with witty remarks, but she noticed that when it really mattered, his words were always positive and comforting.

Before, he’d also said: “Someone as hardworking as you won’t end up with bad results."  

He was always affirming her.  

Always believed in her.  

Sheng Xia: “Thank you.”

Song Jiang: “...”

Why the ellipses? Isn't it right that she's thanking him?

Song Jiang: "How do you plan to thank me?" 

Sheng Xia thought, unconsciously biting her lip. How should she thank him?  

Before she could figure it out, he sent another message.

Song Jiang: "How about you comfort me too?"

‘Too’? 

Did he mean that since he’d comforted her, she should comfort him ‘too’?

Sheng Xia racked her brain and replied: “This exam was just a fluke. Your ability doesn’t need to be proven by one final!”

Song Jiang: "I don't think this result is bad at all. Aren't you my results?"

Sheng Xia: … Talking to him, she often found herself at a loss for words.  

She really shouldn't have chatted with him at this hour; now she wouldn't be able to write or sleep!

Sheng Xia: “Then, what kind of comfort do you want…”

She sent it, knowing it might invite a cheeky reply, but she did anyway.  

After surviving his confession, her mental resilience was pretty strong.  

But Sheng Xia soon realized she had underestimated Zhang Shu's level.

Song Jiang: "My treatment shouldn’t be worse than Xin Xiaohe’s, right?”  

For a moment, Sheng Xia was dumbfounded. Then she remembered how she had comforted Xin Xiaohe...

In the next instant, her cheeks burn!

He! He's shameless! 

And without remorse, he sent a dog-sitting-obediently emoji.  

“Obedient.jpg”

So annoying! Sheng Xia logged out of QQ, slammed the screen off, and tossed her phone aside.  

For some reason, she glanced down at her chest. Wearing only pajamas, without a bra, the curves were graceful, full…  

Ahhh! What was she doing? What was she thinking!

Sheng Xia fanned her face, feeling it wasn’t enough, she grabbed her phone again, switched it to airplane mode, and, still agitated, held the power button to shut it off completely.

That night, the sound of her keyboard didn’t stop. She wrote tirelessly, letting the words dispel that trace of heat. 

Fueled by her frustration, her fingers flew, and she finished before two a.m.

She lay back in bed, staring at her phone, and finally turned it back on.

Messages from Song Jiang flooded in:

"Where'd you go?"

"Sleeping?"

“No way, secretly studying?”

"Angry?"

"You're angry."

"Why are you angry?"

"I think I get it. That's not what I meant. Did you take it the wrong way?"

"No, it’s not that you took it the wrong way. I said it wrong. My Chinese is bad, I didn't phrase it clearly."

“Say something?”

“Little Sheng Xia?”

Ten minutes later, he sent another message:

"I was wrong."

Followed by several begging-for-forgiveness emojis, all adorable.

Sheng Xia: …

Where did he even find these things? They were so different from the memes he usually used, like the ugly panda head he’d sent during their first chat.

“Don't be angry anymore. I'll bring you milky buns tomorrow.”

The messages ended there.  

Milky buns. 

For some reason, Sheng Xia felt she couldn’t look at those words directly.  

She habitually clicked into her QQ space. 

He had posted again.

This time, it wasn’t directed at her. It was a call for submissions:

[Collecting apology emojis, the softer the better.]

Uh...

Pretty soft indeed.

The comments below were lively. He hadn’t restricted the comment section to mutual friends, so she could see everything. The likes spanned several rows, and the comments were long. A quick glance made her too embarrassed to keep looking.

"Zhang Shu, you're back from the dead? Something's going on!"

"This account actually alive?”

"God, just say you’re dating already. Stop beating around the bush, so gross!”

"You’re so shameless.jpg"

Then Sheng Xia saw replies from mutual friends—classmates. 

“Ohh, I’ll just watch and say nothing.”

"Who did you piss off? Hahaha, is it who I think it is?"

Xin Xiaohe: "Hehehe, Brother Shu, Brother Shu, I'll send you some~"

Hou Junqi: "Lights cigarettes.” 

Zhang Shu didn't reply to each comment individually, just left a single comment as a blanket response: Hurry up.

Sheng Xia: …

She checked the time, this was from an hour ago, when she stopped messaging him. 

She remembered what he'd said before: “What if you're asleep? You might get startled awake by my notifications"

After some hesitation, Sheng Xia drafted a post, setting visibility to: Song Jiang only.  

And sent.  

---

The next morning, as soon as Sheng Xia entered the classroom, several people looked at her with knowing smiles.

When Qi Xiulei and his dorm mates barged in, they teased her, "Sheng Xia, don't be angry at A-Shu anymore."

"Hahaha! Yeah, begging for emojis late at night was so embarrassing!"

"No, stay angry! Teach him a lesson!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Sheng Xia's face turned bright red, and she didn’t say a word.

Before 7 o'clock, Zhang Shu arrived.

He placed a food container on her desk, seeking credit: “Try it. I made it.”

Surprised, Sheng Xia opened the container. The familiar aroma of milky buns wafted out, the buns looked appetizing too.

No way. He even know how to knead dough?

"You made this?" she asked.

Zhang Shu looked smug. “Of course.”

Sheng Xia: "Then… didn’t you have to wake up really early?”  

Zhang Shu: “Not too bad. The steamer takes eight minutes."

Sheng Xia: ….

Well, how impressive. Taking them out of the fridge and putting them in the steamer, he really did do it all by himself.

She picked one up and took a bite.

From across the aisle, Zhang Shu leaned over to watch her, his eyes full of anticipation. "How is it?"

Sheng Xia: …uh, the brand probably hasn't changed. It still tastes the same.

"Delicious." she replied.

Zhang Shu smiled. "So are you still angry?” 

Remembering the reason for her “anger” wasn’t something to bring up, she simply shook her head. "I'm not angry. What are you talking about? I just fell asleep.”

"Oh really?"

"En."

“Then you still haven’t comforted me.” He switched to a righteous tone.  

Sheng Xia: …

He didn’t exactly look like he needed comforting.

Sheng Xia handed the container back to him. “You really don’t need to bring these anymore. I’ve already had breakfast at home and it's not good to eat in class. Besides, I'm all healed now..."

Zhang Shu looked like he was seriously considering her words.

She was getting good at making demands now. all calm and composed.

But maybe that was a good thing?

Seeing her make such a serious face, Zhang Shu really wanted to pinch her cheek. But before his hand could get close, she leaned back in her seat, eyes fixed on him, resolute. "You promised me..."

…you won't be like this.

Zhang Shu’s hand froze mid-air, then moved to scratch the back of his head as naturally as possible.

Yeah, the whole class definitely didn’t notice Brother Shu's awkward moment.

Nope, didn't see a thing.

"Just until the end of this semester," Zhang Shu said, switching to a compromising tone.

He’d seen how much she liked them and bought a bunch. If she didn’t eat them, those creamy things would just rot in his fridge—he wouldn’t touch them.

Sheng Xia hesitated for a long while, then nodded. “Then thank you.”

Zhang Shu couldn't take it anymore. "You keep saying thank you, but when are you actually going to thank me?”

Sheng Xia pulled out her English workbook to do listening practice, already putting in her earphones, and said softly, "Didn’t you check QQ this morning?”

He had been busy steaming the milky buns and then rushed over to school this morning, he really hadn’t checked.

Sheng Xia didn’t pay him any more attention. Zhang Shu sat back down, pulled out his phone, and saw she hadn’t sent him any messages.

On a hunch, he opened QQ space and scrolled down a few times. Sure enough, he found a post from her.

Sent at two in the morning.

No text, no pictures, so simple you’d miss it if you weren’t paying attention.

Just one emoji, a default one from the system: a little green figure, arms open, shaking up and down—a hug.  

 

The kind middle-aged netizens used to comfort people.

Zhang Shu froze, glanced at the girl buried in her listening practice, then back at his phone, still in disbelief.

What did she post?

A hug?

Because he’d said last night that his treatment shouldn’t be worse than Xin Xiaohe’s?  

So, a hug?  

Huh? Is that right?

He swears, hand on heart, that wasn’t his intention at all. He just wanted some of her classic ‘Sheng-style motivation’. 

Zhang Shu could barely contain his joy anymore. He couldn’t help staring at her profile for a while, until her earlobes started turning red.  

He felt like he couldn't get enough of looking at her.

God, she was so cute.

Not seeing her during the break—wouldn’t that just be deadly?

---

← Previous | Table of Contents | Next →

0