Summer in Your Name - 65

What did she think of it?  

What kind of question was that…?  

Remembering his sly probing on her birthday, Sheng Xia fought to regain her composure this time, determined not to be led in circles by him again.

[From now on, I’ll only listen to your confessions…]  

But… was this a confession? She couldn’t ask that outright—what if he demanded one right here and then?  

[I’ll only give flowers and necklaces to you…]  

Flowers were fine.  

"No need for necklaces," Sheng Xia murmured. “Too expensive.”  

Zhang Shu hadn't expected this response. His heart softened, but then he caught something off. “Give her a necklace? Who?”

Sheng Xia studied his reaction. Had she misunderstood again?  

“The only person I’ve ever given a necklace to is my sister. Are you jealous of that too?” Zhang Shu sounded half-amused. After a brief pause, he added, “Alright. She has a man to buy her jewelry, I’ll get her something else. No more necklaces. Okay?”  

Oh. So that’s how it was…  

Sheng Xia flushed with embarrassment. Was this what they called irrational jealousy?  

She quickly tried to change the subject. "And there's no need for the whole meter thing either… People will still need to ask you questions…”  

After all, you can't exactly shout across a meter to explain problems.

Zhang Shu: “No girls will come asking me questions from now on, except Xin Xiaohe. Trust me.”  

Sheng Xia blinked. “Why?”  

Zhang Shu raised an eyebrow, his tone casual. “Who’d be dense enough not to see that this famous grass already has an owner?"

Famous, grass, has, owner.  

The words hit like a spark, sending a shiver through Sheng Xia’s fingertips, she instinctively withdrew her hand from his grasp.

Seeing her flustered expression, Zhang Shu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  

Was that line too much?

Was that level of flirting too far for her?

Sheng Xia also felt she was overreacting. Withdrawing her hand away might seem like rejection—had she unintentionally hurt him again? Awkwardly, she glanced up, grasping for something to say. “Then why would Xin Xiaohe still ask?”

Zhang Shu looked at the ceiling and chuckled.  

How should he explain?  

She’s your family, of course she’s got the confidence, you dummy.

But he couldn't say that, she’d probably bolt if he did.

Zhang Shu lowered his head and looked into her eyes, like clear springs. He asked instead: “Sheng Xia, all those poetry and prose are so romantic… don't they teach you how to fall in love?”  

Sheng Xia: “……”  

A knock at the door saved her. A nurse entered with a medication cart.  

Sheng Xia stood to make room, murmuring absently: “Time for your medicine.”  

After she finished speaking, she noticed Zhang Shu’s face froze. Only then did she realize—her words, coming right after his question, sounded like a retort, telling him: You need help.  

Zhang Shu gave a short laugh, shooting her a look that seemed to say: Just you wait.  

“You’re in high spirits today, Zhang Shu,” the nurse teased.  

Zhang Shu: “Not bad.”  

“Still need to take your medicine and get your shot though.”  

The nurse handed him pills in a bottle cap. With the caregiver absent, Sheng Xia stepped in to help. She filled a disposable cup with hot water, then added some room temperature purified water. After checking the temperature, she handed it to him.

From the side, the nurse watched with a smile. "Your classmate sure is thoughtful, Zhang Shu?"

Her tone carried a hint of teasing.  

Sheng Xia ducked her head. Zhang Shu grinned, taking the water. "Just a classmate? Sister Ting, look closer."

He tossed back the handful of pills, gulping the water, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

The nurse's eyes flicked between the two, pretending to ponder for a moment before saying, “Hmm… Little sister? You do look alike!”  

Cough—!  

Zhang Shu choked, the pills catching in his throat, his face and neck flushing red from coughing.

Sheng Xia hurried over, patting his back to help him breathe.

When he finally recovered, Zhang Shu shot the nurse a glare: “Shut up.”  

The nurse snickered, tidying the medicine bottles and pushing the cart out, saying over her shoulder: “Aiya, no need to get all worked up. I meant you look like husband and wife!”  

Sheng Xia: “……”  

Zhang Shujin returned then, actually carrying the promised sliced fruit and yogurt. She offered some to Sheng Xia.  

Sheng Xia: “No need, I’m leaving soon.”

Zhang Sujin: “Have some. It’s already bought.”  

Sheng Xia quietly ate the fruit.

Her phone buzzed. It was Wang Lianhua, saying she was downstairs to pick her up for class.

Sheng Xia stood. “My mom is here; I have to go to class..."

She felt a bit awkward mentioning this

But this time, Zhang Shu didn't seem upset. He simply said, "Sis, could you see her out?"

Zhang Sujin: “Sure.”  

Sheng Xia: "I can go by myself—”

Zhang Shu: “You’ll get lost.”  

Sheng Xia: “……”  

It’s not that exaggerated, right? She’d been here twice—she remembered the way. Though admittedly, the corridors did twist like a maze.  

At the door, she heard Zhang Shu call from behind, "When will you visit again?"

Sheng Xia turned. She didn’t know when Wang Lianhua would let her visit again. “As soon as I can. Rest well.”  

“That's a promise.”  

---  

On the way, she received a message from ‘Song Jiang’. 

It was long—longer than anything he’d ever sent on Q.Q.

“I didn’t get to say this earlier. You've worked hard. Thank you for enduring so much and working so hard. I’m sorry I didn’t see your efforts or cheer you on when you needed it. I even said some thoughtless things, sorry. I told you before, with all your hard work, there’s no way you’ll get a bad result. But even if the worst happens, even if you end up studying abroad, I’m okay with it. I’ll earn money in college, visit you during breaks, or apply for an exchange. If that doesn’t work, I’ll take the grad school entrance exam and follow you to the States. If you need me, I’ll be there. I take back that ‘let's end this here’ nonsense. I hope you have a bright future, and I don’t want to just watch from the sidelines. I want to be the one holding flowers, cheering for you—if you need me.”  

"Do you need me, Sheng Xia?"  

Sheng Xia stared, rereading it several times.

His words were simple, nothing fancy, even a bit repetitive and redundant in places.  

Yet each word twisted her heart.  

This bright, proud young man had put himself in a position to beg, saying again and again: If you need me... 

Sheng Xia could imagine how he looked right now.

Probably half-reclining on the hospital bed, typing earnestly on his phone, anxiously awaiting her reply? Did he, like her, also stare at the screen, eyes glued to our chat window as the screen dimmed and lit up again?

Did he frown when no reply came?

Did he bite his lip while choosing his words?

God.  

She'd just left, and she already missed him terribly.

Wang Lianhua called her to get out of the car, snapping her back to reality.

“Oh,” she mumbled, stepping out and entering the building for class.  

The teacher started the lecture, but Sheng Xia's mind was still wandering.  

How should she reply?

For the first time, Sheng Xia—who always had a treasury of words at her disposal—found herself came up empty.  

What words could match the depth of his sincerity?  

By the time class ended and she got home, the other side seemed to have finally run out of patience and sent a question mark.  

That single punctuation made her feel a little relaxed.  

Zhang Shu was still Zhang Shu—the bold, domineering Zhang Shu.

Since it was a confession, he naturally needed an answer.  

She remembered his teasing words: Did all those romantic poetry and prose not teach you how to fall in love?

Rummaging through her mental library, she picked a fitting line and sent it back.

"Fortunately, your heart mirrors mine, I’ll never betray this longing."

---

Senior year was still a whirlwind, especially for those who hadn’t performed well in the first mock exams. Wang Wei had basically turned into a part-time counselor, holding heart-to-heart talks every week.    

How he managed to counsel a dozen people in one night, repeating the same words over and over, was beyond her.  

But she did feel the mounting pressure from those talks.  

Many subjects had added weekly tests. 

It felt like she was living in a never-ending cycle of exams.  

People said that after a while, you’d grow numb to it.  

At night, Sheng Xia reviewed her mistakes. Zhang Shu would call via voice chat, ready to answer any questions she had.

But she worried this might affect his rest and refused his calls.

"Then I won’t be able to sleep unless you come see me." He'd repeated again, asking almost every day when she’d visit.  

She wanted to go, but with Wang Lianhua chauffeuring her everywhere, she had no chance—unless she skipped class.

Which he wouldn’t allow.

No way around it.

Zhang Shu had resumed his study in the hospital, though he couldn’t sit for too long, so his efficiency was naturally low. Hou Junqi frequently brought him recent tests and materials.

Sheng Xia had overheard gossip more than once—in the water room, corridors, or tutoring class. 

They said Zhang Shu was unlucky, struck by misfortune at such a critical time. Forget being the top scorer—even getting into Heqing University or Haiyan University would be a struggle for him.  

Someone from the experimental class had been particularly harsh, "Zhang Shu had ruined his winning hand. Why worry about him? He’s not the only one who can be a top scorer in our school."  

This was a hearsay. Sheng Xia didn’t know who exactly had said it or where.  

All she knew was that Hou Junqi and Wu Pengcheng had stormed into their class and started a fight.

Both received disciplinary actions.  

Truthfully, she was worried too.  

The college entrance exam was a long battle. Even if you had the knowledge, taking too long a break made it hard to regain momentum.

She often blamed herself at night—if she hadn’t kept going to Yifang Bookstore, he wouldn’t have gone either. And if he hadn’t gone, none of this would’ve happened.  

Even now, as the incident’s buzz faded, people still left daily blessings on Zhang Shu’s Weibo, wishing him success in the exams.  

Many were from other schools.

Tao Zhizhi said that students from No. 1 High School and No. 2 High School were talking about this unlucky former potential top scorer.

Former potential top scorer.  

Now, hardly anyone had high hopes for him.  

They just didn’t dare say it outright—not when he’d been a hero for his brave act.  

But Zhang Shu himself didn’t seem too anxious.  

Once, Sheng Xia cautiously asked, "How are you doing with the practice tests lately?"  

“I can do them, but I’m not timing myself, so I don’t know about efficiency,” he replied.

Sheng Xia: “Your health comes first.”  

Sensing her concern, he teased, "What if I fail the college entrance exam?”

"Ugh—knock on wood!" She made an exaggerated sound. "It won’t happen.”

Zhang Shu turned serious. "Alright, you don’t want it to happen, so it won’t.

After a pause, he added, "I can’t promise I’ll be the top scorer, but I can promise my score will be enough. Is that okay?"  

He must’ve seen those online comments doubting his chances for top scorer spot.  

‘Enough’ meant qualifying for Heqing or Haiyan University.

Enough to go to Heyan.  

Besides, he really seemed to really like asking her ‘Okay?’.  

She’d never said no. "If you say it’s okay, then it’s okay.”

Their conversations often felt like nesting dolls. There was one thing that completely turned Sheng Xia's understanding of Zhang Shu upside down: He had a very low threshold for laughter. In the middle of conversation, he would start laughing uncontrollably at times.

He wasn’t like this before!  

His laughter would tug at his stitches, and Sheng Xia would scold, "Stop laughing, or I’m hanging up."  

He’d immediately straighten up. "Okay, no laughing."  

Another ten days passed. Sheng Xia brought up going to the hospital to Wang Lianhua once more.

Wang Lianhua brushed it off. “He’s in stable recovery now. No need for visits, don’t bother."  

So she had to drop it.  

During their next video call, Sheng Xia felt a bit guilty.  

Last time, when she left, promised to come soon, but it had dragged on for almost half a month.

If it came to it… an idea struck her. On the weekend, she could tell her mom she was going to Tao Zhizhi’s, then sneak to the hospital.

She’d just need to coordinate with Tao Zhizhi first.  

Zhang Shu’s listless face appeared on the video call.

He didn't say a word.

Clearly, he was upset.

Sheng Xia: "You know my mom drives me every day."  

Of course Zhang Shu knew this; there was nothing he could do about it. But his unhappiness was something even he couldn’t control.  

She was right there on the screen, the resolution crisp, not much different from how she looked in person—yet it just wasn’t the same.  

"I’ll do some work, then…" Unable to cheer him up, Sheng Xia set her phone aside and started on her practice tests.

Zhang Shu perked up, sitting straighter, he noticed she wasn’t in a high spirits today.  

"What’s wrong? Upset?"  

Sheng Xia looked up from the paper. "Mn. My last two weekly exams were shaky."  

Though the weekly tests weren’t the most reliable indicators, she knew how well she'd done. Her performance had indeed slipped.

"With everything going on… What if I end up with nothing?" she murmured, almost to herself.

Their worries mirrored each other. Both were in precarious spots.

Zhang Shu didn’t offer hollow comfort like ‘That won’t happen’, that was pointless.  

"Things have been chaotic lately. It's hard to focus and get back in form,” Zhang Shu analyzed. "You study. I’ll hang up first. Call me if you have questions.”

Sheng Xia cut in, "It’s not because of you."  

She wasn’t just comforting him—it really wasn’t because of him.  

In fact, when he watched her study at night, she felt easier to concentrate, afraid he’d catch her slacking.  

Zhang Shu: "You’re under too much pressure. Try to relax a little."  

"How am I supposed to relax at a time like this?”  

Zhang Shu: "Do your papers first. I’ll send you a video later."  

"Okay."  

She expected some silly “cheer-up” clip. But it was a self-recorded video. 

She clicked play.  

It wasn’t his hospital room—just a bed, maybe an on-call room?

He was half-reclining, still in his patient gown, holding a guitar, directing someone off-screen. “Alright, start recording.”

"Already on," replied the voice that seemed to be his caregiver.  

Why wasn’t he in his room? Could he walk now?  

Probably moved to avoid disturbing others in the ward.

Zhang Shu couldn’t bend much, and his injured arm limited his movement. The guitar sat stiffly in his lap.

Every once in a while, he furrowed his brow slightly, probably from pain.  

A nurse's voice came from beside him, "If the director finds out I let you do this, he’ll have my head tomorrow—"

Zhang Shu straightened, signaling he was fine, and strummed a few chords to test the sound.

"When two hearts…" He cleared his throat. "When two hearts start to tremble, when eyes learn to shy away…  

The melody flowed from his lips—soft, magnetic, nothing like the rock song she’d heard before.  

That one was bold, unrestrained, claiming the world in every shout.  

This one was tender, like it was soothing the world.

Sheng Xia knows this song.  

She knew the chorus lyrics.

When he reached it, she found herself humming along—  

"Those daring dreams of yours, I’ll join you in the madness. Paper planes in the rain will fall someday…"  

At the high notes, he tilted his head back slightly. His profile was different from that old video she’d seen.  

He was thinner, his jawline sharper, cheeks hollowed.  

“When every second of life revolves around you…”  

He glanced at the camera.

Thump. Thump-thump.  

Sheng Xia’s heart pounded uncontrollably.  

She felt it.  

Through the screen, she caught the longing in his gaze.

Felt the ‘revolves around you’.  

"Those daring dreams of yours…"  

"You really don’t know, my love has landed."  

Those daring dreams.  

I’ll join you in the madness.  

A-Shu… This wasn’t relaxing.  

He clearly wanted to keep her up all night, thinking about him. 

---

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