Summer in Your Name - 63

During class, Wang Wei announced that Zhang Shu had safely woken up, and the classroom atmosphere instantly lightened.  

In the back row, Hou Junqi pretended to cry dramatically. “But why hasn’t this guy replied to my messages?!”  

Someone shouted, “Probably because he’s received social death on Weibo he’s sworn off his phone for life.”

The class broke into quiet chuckles.

Everyone sneaked glances at Sheng Xia.  

Sheng Xia, too, recalled his ‘tree hole¹’ posts—things like “How is she so cute?”—and felt her face burn with embarrassment.  

(¹: Chinese internet slang for a platform, like Weibo, where users anonymously share personal thoughts, akin to confiding in a “tree” that holds secrets.) 

“Can we go see him?” Qi Xiulei called out.  

Wang Wei replied, “Give it a few days. He can’t eat normally yet, just getting nutrient drips. He barely has the strength to talk, so don’t bother him now. When the time comes, just send three or four representatives, not a crowd.”

Still can’t eat…  

Not eating yet… Sheng Xia silently scolded herself for being so thoughtless.

His abdomen is injured! How could she not have asked about that?

And he’d talked so much with her that day.  

Tonight, she’d make sure he talked less—better yet, not at all. 

As soon as school ended in the afternoon, Sheng Xia packed her bag to leave but was intercepted by Chen Mengyao, who rushed over in a flurry.  

The hallway was bustling with students, all stealing curious glances at them.

Chen Mengyao pulled Sheng Xia to a quiet corner of the covered walkway and got straight to the point. “Do you know which hospital he's in? You definitely know."  

Sheng Xia blinked, caught off guard. “Why would I definitely know?”  

“Isn’t your dad, like, the most important figure in Nanli?”  

Well, this is one way to put it.  

“Can you tell me?” Chen Mengyao pressed, urgency in her voice, “I was in Dongzhou for a closed training recently, and only now saw the news. How did this happen? Is he okay?”  

Sheng Xia replied, “He’s out of danger, so don’t worry. He’s recovering, but it’s not a good time for visits.”

Chen Mengyao suddenly stared straight into Sheng Xia's eyes. “You’re lying to me.”  

Sheng Xia: “?”  

Chen Mengyao continued, "You said you two weren’t together. I told you before—if you did get together, you should tell me."    

“We’re really not together…”  

Chen Mengyao: “Really? Swear it.”  

Sheng Xia: “Mm.”  

Chen Mengyao: “But everyone’s saying he rushed to save that girl in the bookstore because he thought it was you.”  

“No,” Sheng Xia shook her head firmly. “He… was there because of me, but he’d have rushed in no matter who was inside.”

Chen Mengyao paused, her gaze dimming slightly. “I saw his Weibo.”  

Sheng Xia pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

“But aren’t you going abroad?” Chen Mengyao said. “As long as you’re not together, my stance hasn’t changed. If there's any updates, can you let me know?”  

Sheng Xia: “I can do that.”  

They both cared about him—she understood.  

Chen Mengyao: “Let’s add each other on WeChat then?”  

“Sure…” Sheng Xia pulled out her phone, scanning Chen Mengyao’s QR code. As the “ding” sounded, she remembered the letters for Zhang Shu in her bag, written by other girls and said hesitantly. “It might be tough for you.”  

“Added. Accept it,” Chen Mengyao pointed at Sheng Xia’s phone, then registered her words. “Huh?”  

“He… might like me more right now. It’ll be tough for you…” Sheng Xia murmured, repeating herself.

Chen Mengyao glanced at her WeChat friend list, then met Sheng Xia’s painfully sincere eyes. She froze—  

How could someone be this naive?

This rival was too dull to compete with.  

Chen Mengyao smiled. “That’s my problem.”

Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving without even saying goodbye, which is a bit impolite. 

Sheng Xia, used to it, glanced at her new contact. Chen Mengyao’s profile picture was herself, her Moments cover too—confident, radiant, undeniably pretty.  

---  

At the hospital, a duty officer escorted Sheng Xia to Zhang Shu’s room.

She’d heard reporters were lurking downstairs, but she hadn’t spotted any.

The girl he’d saved was deaf, a detail that had drawn media attention. Since the incident happened just two kilometers from a police station, some unscrupulous outlets were spinning conspiracies, stirring up sensational reports. If mishandled, it could spark public outrage, so everything was being handled with utmost caution.  

Sheng Mingfeng said the city would give him a commendation² once the dust settled.  

(²: A formal civic award, common in China for acts of bravery.)

It was dinnertime, and the smell of food wafted from other rooms. Zhang Shu’s room, though, was cold and sterile, with faint groans of pain seeping through.

  

Sheng Xia’s entire body went numb. Peering through the small window, she saw the bed curtains drawn shut—nothing was visible inside.

His low, suppressed groans came in fits and starts. Sheng Xia’s brow furrowed as she asked the officer beside her, “What’s going on in there?”

  

“Probably changing bandages or doing a checkup..."

Sheng Xia’s grip tightened on the doorframe.

  

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally pulled back the curtain, gave a few instructions, and left.    

On the bed, Zhang Shu’s forehead was dotted with cold sweat.  

He panted heavily, slowly steadying himself.

Once the doctors left, Sheng Xia entered. A nurse was setting up Zhang Shu’s IV, when she spotted Sheng Xia and teased, "Hey, heartthrob, your ‘niubility³’ is here?”  

(³: Internet slang blending ‘niubi’ (slang for ‘awesome’ or ‘badass') with a playful mock-English ‘-lity’ suffix, roughly meaning super awesome.) 

Niubility.  

Sheng Xia recalled her classmates joking that Zhang Shu had received ‘social death’. It seemed… kind of true.    

She remembered his post vividly: “I want you to have all your wishes come true, for everything to go your way, niubility forever."  

She’d read it several times, still amazed that ‘lity’ could be used like that.  

He was indeed ‘different’.  

Zhang Shu shot the nurse a weak but sharp look. “Enough…”  

The nurse chuckled, stopped teasing, adjusted his hand, and left.

As she passed Sheng Xia, she added, "Someone’s been asking since noon if a ‘super pretty girl’ showed up."   

Sheng Xia ducked her gaze, embarrassed.

  

Heartthrob.  

Looks like he'd gotten along well with the nurses these past few days.  

That was just him—keeping the vibe lively wherever he was, even if he wasn't overly warm. That effortless charm was probably just innate.

“Sit…” he called, seeing her standing there awkwardly.  

Sheng Xia took the same stool as last night, suddenly found herself at a loss for words.  

She’d wanted to see him, yet now that she was here, she didn’t know what to say.  

“Does it hurt?” she asked, falling back on the obvious.

Zhang Shu guessed she’d heard him earlier and honestly nodded this time.  

“What do we do then?” Sheng Xia thought of when she was injured—how attentive he’d been, even fetching the doctor. “Can you get painkillers?”

“Already got them,”he murmured, voice barely audible.

Sheng Xia glanced at the bags of IV fluid. “Are those all nutrient drips?” she asked, then lowered her voice. “Don’t talk—just nod or shake your head.”

Zhang Shu suddenly grinned.  

A full, toothy smile.

Despite his pale, sickly look, Sheng Xia felt like sunlight was spilling everywhere.

  

He shook his head.  

Sheng Xia almost asked, ‘Then what are they?’ but swallowed the words. He shouldn’t talk too much, so she shouldn’t ask too much either.

They sat quietly, gazing at each other.

“Where's Sister Sujin? Did she go home?”  

Zhang Shu nodded. “Come at night.”  

“Oh. Who’s taking care of you? A caregiver?”

Zhang Shu nodded again.

More silence followed.

Zhang Shu watched her, amused by how she fidgeted, clearly racking her brain for topics.

She was stumped. Usually, he was the one who did most of the talking. And when he wasn’t, Hou Junqi was there with his endless chatter.

“Does it still hurt even with the painkillers?” She circled back to her first question, clearly the one weighing her the most.  

Zhang Shu thought for a moment, then grimaced. “Hurts a lot.”  

Sheng Xia instinctively asked, “What can we do?”

He closed his eyes, as if pondering seriously, “Praise me a few times. That’ll help…”

He opened his eyes again, brimming with expectation.  

Sheng Xia blinked, confused, “Praise… you?”

  

“Ten,” he whispered, voice faint.

 

She leaned closer, not catching it, her ear near his face. His warm breath brushed her earlobe and neck, sending a shiver down her spine.  

“Ten good points… about me,” he clarified.  

Sheng Xia sat up, bewildered but helpless, her ears reddening… How could someone so shamelessly ask for compliments?  

“You… study well.”

  

Zhang Shu’s lips twitched, nodding to accept it.

“Mm…”  

She faltered. Praising someone to their face felt so awkward.

  

But her brief hesitation made Zhang Shu’s expression darken—  

Was he that hard to compliment?  

Did he have that few good points?

  

Sheng Xia: “You’re smart!”  

Zhang Shu’s face soured further.  

“What’s the difference?” he rasped, louder now. “So perfunctory!”  

“No, no,” Sheng Xia waved her hands earnestly. “Being good at studying is just an outward result. Smart is all-encompassing, like…big-picture wisdom⁴.”

(⁴: A Chinese phrase for someone with broad perspective or strategic thinking.) 

Zhang Shu could hardly control the smile on his face.  

“Mm, what else?”

Sheng Xia: “That's two now. Do you feel better?"  

Zhang Shu nodded. Like hell. His abdomen felt like it was ripping apart.

Sheng Xia continued: “Thoughtful.”  

“Mm.”  

“You see the bigger picture.”  

“Mm.” Isn't this just smart? Whatever, she’s the cultured one with all the fancy reasoning.

“Kind.”  

Zhang Shu: “Mm.” Why are they all personality traits? Can't we talk about something more superficial?

“Brave.”  

Zhang Shu didn’t even bother with ‘mm’ this time.  

Sheng Xia counted on her fingers. “Six now…”

A little embarrassed to continue, she glanced at his impatient face before quickly listing off while looking down: “Tall, handsome, strong, sings well, and plays drums!"

Wait—that’s eleven.  

She actually still wanted to add great at basketball and volleyball too.

Stop it.  

Her ears burned.  

The girl kept her head down, wishing she could burrow into the blankets in front of her.  

Handsome, strong—she sounded like a smitten fangirl…

Zhang Shu was stunned, pure joy dulling his pain.

  

Sings well? Play drums?  

For a long time, she didn't lift her head.

Zhang Shu tugged lightly on the sheet in front of her, “Where did you hear me sing?”  

“Weibo…” she mumbled, peeking up.

 

Zhang Shu’s smile froze, feeling embarrassed. 

The whole internet saw his Weibo. How could she not?

  

Zhang Shu: “You like my singing?”  

Sheng Xia nodded. “Mm… everyone does…”  

Zhang Shu: “Handsome or not?”

  

Sheng Xia: “…”  

“Handsome.” She looked down again, burying her head like an ostrich. 

After a while, she suddenly realized– how did he become the one asking her questions? He’s not supposed to talk this much.

She looked up, steering the conversation back: “I brought your mock exam papers and answer keys. You can’t look at them lying down, so I’ll leave them here for when you can sit up.”  

She neatly tucked the folded papers into a folder, then pulled out a stack of envelopes from her bag.  

Zhang Shu eyed her, puzzled.

  

Sheng Xia: “These are… from classmates, for you.”  

“Classmates?”  

Zhang Shu glanced at the colorful letter and could guess what kind of ‘classmates’ they were from.  

They were almost certainly love letters.

How could she so calmly collect other people’s love letters for him—and even deliver them to him? 

What is going on in her head?  

Zhang Shu: “Do you know what’s written inside?”  

She hadn’t looked—how would she know? Though she could guess.

Zhang Shu: “You don’t know, and you’re still giving them to me?”

His mood instantly plummeted to rock bottom.

Was she just humoring him because he’d nearly died?  

Oblivious to his change in mood, Sheng Xia continued digging through her bag and asked, "Read now or later? I’ll leave them here.”

Zhang Shu: “…”  

When she glanced up again, she was met with his utterly exasperated gaze.  

Clearly unhappy.  

She had a feeling it was about the letters, so she stacked them on the bedside table and dropped the subject.

She had to go—she shouldn't keep him up too long, and she still had class at Hengxin Building.  

“Um…” She felt like a failure. Visiting a patient and upsetting them? “I have to go. I have class tonight.”  

What class? He didn’t need to ask.

He’d tailed her for days—how could he not know?

Seeing the light fade from his eyes, Sheng Xia knew studying abroad was the one topic they couldn’t touch.

But her final review wasn’t done. She couldn’t give him uncertain hope. If she failed, she’d still have to go abroad—and they’d relive the same pain all over again.  

At least pass the final review first.  

Facing his dejected gaze, she couldn’t muster a single word of comfort.  

Sheng Xia stood. “I might not be able to visit you these next few days. I’ll come back when you’re better.”

“Sheng Xia.”  

She halted at the door. His voice was faint:  

“Are you just pitying me?"  

“What?” She thought she'd misheard.  

 “Nothing,” he said, turning his head slightly. Flat on his back, his usual spark dimmed, he whispered, “Goodbye.”  

Sheng Xia left hesitantly.  

Glancing back every few steps.  

---  

To prevent Sheng Xia from running to the hospital every day, Wang Lianhua went back to chauffeuring her.

And naturally, there was no way to hide her evening classes at the agency.

Wang Lianhua stewed in silence for half an hour before finally exploding: “So I, your mother, don’t get a say in your future, huh? You and your dad pull off such a big plan without telling me a thing. Don't think I didn't see through all your lies! That dress under your bed, where’s it from? Didn’t you say the school rented it? Why’s it still there? That style, that price, I don’t need to look to know it’s Zou Weiping’s doing!”  

“And about Zhang Shu—did they both give you permission to start dating? Ha! I raised you, but they get to play the good guys! You’re probably so grateful to them! I’m the one always nagging you, the wicked witch breaking up the lovebirds, right?”

“Every single thing, you hide from me! You three are the real family, teaming up to keep me, the outsider, in the dark! All this time, I held back because I saw how hard you were studying, how tough it was. But now, your path’s all set—present and future—and you don’t need your mom anymore, do you?”  

Sheng Xia stood by the couch, trembling as she rose.

  

Both mother and daughter were in tears.  

"Mom, it’s not like that…” Sheng Xia pleaded, “I wanted to wait until I was sure I could stay at a good university here before telling you.”

  

Wang Lianhua: “And if you don’t get in?!”  

Sheng Xia fell silent.

She had no answer.

If she couldn’t get into Heqing University, Sheng Mingfeng and Wang Lianhua would have a massive fight.

  

She was so lost. She didn’t know.

Why was balancing everything so hard?

All she wanted was for everyone to be a little happier. Why did everyone end up hurting?

Had she overestimated herself?  

She couldn’t fix anything.  

Like with Zhang Shu, she couldn’t make him truly happy.

  

How had she ended up here?

Where had it all gone wrong?  

She felt like non-Newtonian fluid—no core, impossible to define, a tangled mess under pressure, a shapeless puddle when released.  

“Mom, I also don’t know what to Mom…” she finally burst out, her voice tinged with complaint.

Why did no one remember she was only seventeen?

  

Wang Lianhua’s anger softened slightly at her daughter’s sobs.  

How could she not see? Sheng Xia was the most sensible kid, and this mess was her best effort.

   

Wang Lianhua finally faced it: the selfish one was her.

  

Her own suffering shouldn’t have become her child’s burden.  

Defeated, Wang Lianhua collapsed onto the sofa. “Sheng Xia, do you want to go with your dad? Mom isn't saying this out of anger; I just think he can give you more."  

“No!” Sheng Xia threw herself into her mother’s lap, burying herself in her arms. “No, Mom, I want to stay with you. I want to graduate, get a good job, and take care of you. I didn’t mean to hide things from you, I’ll tell Dad right now, I won’t go abroad, please don’t push me away…"   

“No, good girl,” Wang Lianhua lifted her daughter. “Mom was wrong. I shouldn’t have said those things. Going abroad is the best choice for you, but Mom was being selfish. Your dad always opposes me, and in my frustration, I couldn't think straight. Let’s all calm down and think clearly. We shouldn't act rashly.”  

Other than faint sobbing, there were no other sounds in the house.

That night, lying in bed, Sheng Xia heard muffled shouting from her mother’s room.

They were arguing again.  

She couldn’t make out the words, but every pause and syllable struck her fragile heart.  

When will all of this end? 

The shouting stopped after two minutes, and Sheng Xia’s phone lit up with Sheng Mingfeng’s call.

“Dad…”  

“I told you already, you should’ve talked to your mother earlier.” Sheng Mingfeng sighed. “Don’t blame her. She’s just stubborn. She’ll figure out what’s best for you once she calms down.”  

“En.”  

Sheng Mingfeng: “Why don’t you want to go abroad?”  

“I want to study Chinese.” She was too drained for long explanations.  

Sheng Mingfeng sighed again. “Have you thought about the future? Study Chinese, and then what?”  

Then what?  

"Dad’s a man, but I won’t make excuses for men. We mature late, maybe even later than we think.” Another sigh. “Just like me and your mom, we met in college, convinced no one could’ve been more perfect for each other. But you’ve seen how it ended…”

“On this matter, I agree with your mother: you’re too young. Don’t let emotions cloud your judgment. Every decision you make should be only for yourself.”  

“I owe your mom a lot. She wants you by her side, and I get that. But education is life’s most important decision, it comes even before marriage. I hope you’ll choose carefully. Picking a university, a major—it’s not just about prestige or money, but you can’t ignore those either…”

“Studying Chinese isn't bad, you want to study Classical Chinese, right? I don’t know much about it, can you tell me more about it?”

“Classical Chinese…” Sheng Xia sat up slowly. “It’s the most beautiful language in the world. I don’t know what it’ll do for my future, but if I can do something for it, that'll be my success. If my writing, my research can help people discover and love it, that’s the greatest thing I could achieve.”  

Silence stretched on the other end, as if Sheng Mingfeng were weighing her words.  

Finally, he said gently, "Dad will look into it more. Don’t rush your decision. For now, keep preparing for the exams in May—”  

Sheng Xia slumped back, staring at the ceiling dejectedly.  

Compared to Wang Lianhua’s raw outbursts, Sheng Mingfeng’s gentle insistence cut deeper, leaving her nowhere to turn.  

Gentle, yet absolute.

“Rest early.”  

“Dad.” She called him.  

“Anything else?”  

Sheng Xia: “Dad, can I… make my own decision, just once?”  

A long silence followed.

Sheng Mingfeng’s voice remained calm, patient: “No rush. Let’s all think it over carefully.”  

So that’s a no.  

“Goodnight.”  

---  

The battle settled, but the smoke lingered.  

Wang Lianhua kept a close eye on Sheng Xia, forbidding her from visiting the hospital often.  

It had been almost a week since her last visit.  

She’d messaged Zhang Shu on QQ, asking about his condition, but got no reply.  

Was he really so ‘socially dead’ that he’d sworn off his phone forever?

Still, she understood. After such an ordeal, his phone must be flooded with messages. With only one hand usable, replying to everyone would be exhausting, and playing favorites on who to answer would be tricky. Better to treat all equally and stay silent.

Everyone understood.  

However, several more days passed. Even Zhang Sujin was back at work in the shop, yet there were still no words from him.

Sheng Xia thought, Maybe I’ll skip PE this afternoon and visit him? Sneak there and back—Mom won’t know.

With that plan, her appetite improved at lunch.  

Across the table, Hou Junqi was looking at his phone when he suddenly yelled, "Holy shit!"  

Sheng Xia looked up, puzzled.  

Hou Junqi's face lit up. “Brother Shu says I can visit him now!”  

Sheng Xia brightened too. “Really? How is he doing? Can he sit up now?"

“Didn’t say, don’t know. Listen to this—”

Hou Junqi played the voice message aloud. Zhang Shu’s voice came through:  

“Not coming to see your Dad? How unfilial. Where’s Han Xiao and the rest? Don’t care if Grandpa lives or dies?”

Sheng Xia was speechless. The way guys ranked each other’s ‘seniority’ was so weird.

But she was glad he his voice wasn’t frail anymore. Not loud, but stronger.

Hou Junqi: “I’ll call the guys. Are you coming?”  

“Of course…” Sheng Xia’s words caught in her throat. She glanced at her silent phone, the chat window with no response. The light in her eyes dimmed. "You guys go ahead.”

Last time she visited, he seemed upset afterward. 

He’d replied to Hou Junqi but not her.

 He probably didn’t want her there.

Hou Junqi, assuming she was worried about her mom, comforted her. “We’ll record a video for you.”

Sheng Xia: … “Okay.”

---

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