Summer in Your Name - 67

Now that the study abroad prep classes are suspended, Sheng Xia could focus entirely on her review. Her problem-solving rhythm had returned, and both her math and chemistry mistake notebooks were now completely filled, prompting her to start new ones.  

It felt like just yesterday when she learned from Zhang Shu how to organize mistake books.

Time had flown by too quickly.

Used to weekly quizzes and biweekly major exams, when the second mock exam rolled around, the class had shed most of their test anxiety. Joint exams had that effect—while rankings within No. 2 High School still mattered, comparing themselves to other schools shifted their mindset. There was a touch of pride in being from a provincial key school, even a hint of thrill.  

The night before the exam, after the second evening self-study session, Sheng Xia went with Xin Xiaohe and the others to experience ‘North Gate’s culture’ again. This time, it was Sheng Xia’s turn to pay.

They'd even switched to a different milk tea shop.

"Is Zhang Shu not taking the second mock exam?" Xin Xiaohe's roommate asked.

Sheng Xia: "Probably not."

"Is he doing better?"

"A lot better, but he still can't sit for long."

"Ah...So, is he studying in the hospital?”

"Yeah."

"That's good."

Despite these words, the girl’s tone carried a trace of regret.

Everyone knew the truth: even without his injury, with the momentum after the Hundred Days Oath, it’d be hard for Zhang Shu to stay at the first place, even if he were perfectly healthy and studying diligently every day.

Learning is like rowing against the current: if you don’t move forward, you fall back.

A truth even kids understood.

Xin Xiaohe comforted: "No matter what, Brother Shu could still easily get into university in Heyan!"  

Heyan was a hub of top-tier universities, Heqing University and Haiyan University were the cream of the crop, but the rest weren’t bad either. For instance, Yang Linyu had secured a spot at Heyan Tech through early admission, a prestigious institution under the Ministry of Education.  

Her roommate smacked her lips at Xin Xiaohe’s comment. “What are you saying? Brother Shu will definitely get into Heqing or Haiyan, no need to consider other options. Right, Sheng Xia?"

Sheng Xia sipped her sweet milk tea, momentarily dazed, before answering, “Right.” 

Xin Xiaohe’s mouth moved faster than her brain; she hadn’t meant anything by it. Embarrassed now, she quickly changed the subject, throwing an arm around Sheng Xia. "You two will definitely make it to Heyan together. Damn, I’m so jealous of Zhang Shu.”

She then cupped Sheng Xia’s face, glancing down at the curves barely hidden under the loose school uniform.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Does Zhang Shu even know how stacked you are?"  

Sheng Xia's eyes widened as she yanked Xin Xiaohe's hand away, what is she saying!

Xin Xiaohe: "Look at her, getting angry from embarrassment!” 

"Xiaxia, what's your size?"

Xin Xiaohe: "At least a C-cup?"

Under several pairs of questioning eyes, Sheng Xia nodded.

“No way, so slim and a C? I'm jealous of Brother Shu too.” 

Once this topic started, it was like floodgates had opened, impossible to stop.

"Hey," another girl whispered, "have you heard that saying?"

"What?"

“That a guy’s middle finger length correlates with, you know, that length?”

"Seriously?!"

“And, like, the more prominent the Adam’s apple, the, uh, diameter…”

"Holy shit!"

"Brother Shu’s hands…Even I'm jealous as a girl."

The girls shared knowing looks, lips pursed to hide their grins, eyes glinting mischievously at Sheng Xia.

At first Sheng Xia was confused. But with their hushed whispers and suggestive looks, even she started to catch on. Her face burned, eyes hot, breath uneven.

Xin Xiaohe glanced at Sheng Xia and upped the ante, "Brother Shu’s throat has this big ol' egg..."

“Shh, don’t say it!”

“Oh, come on!"

“Don’t ‘shh’ me! Wasn't it you who said in the dorms that Zhang Shu just radiates, you know, that certain vibe?"

The girl waved her hands frantically. “What are you blabbing in front of his girlfriend? Shut up, I never said that!”

Xin Xiaohe, ever the instigator, pressed: “What kind of vibe?”

“You know, that desire, that special vibe!”

“What desire?”

"Xin Xiaohe! Stop stirring trouble. Your Yang Linyu's hands aren't exactly short either, you know?"

Xin Xiaohe: "..."

The girl smirked, thinking she’d finally one-upped Xin Xiaohe. But Xin Xiaohe raised an eyebrow, switching gears like a seasoned veteran unfazed by such tactics: "What do you mean ‘my’? Besides, long’s nice, but I hear it can hurt. Thick’s better. Of course, both is the best.”

Everyone: "..."

Sheng Xia: "..."

Sister Xin is still Sister Xin—untouchable, unbeatable. 

This was way beyond Sheng Xia’s realm of experience.

She’d heard from Tao Zhizhi that dorm late-night chats often veered into spicy topics, no matter how proper the dorm seemed on the surface.

To make a girl blush, you didn’t need to do much—just put her in a dorm.

There was always one bold soul who'd start, and the rest would follow.

If you hadn’t had that kind of talk by graduation, either you’d hit a statistical anomaly, or your friendships weren’t close enough.

Sheng Xia didn't live in a dorm. Without a middle ground to help her process things, her entire worldview was shattered.

High school girls.

Uh… 

Let’s just say Xin Xiaohe’s dorm had very close relationships.

As an outsider, she was completely numbed.

This numbness lingered through the next self-study session.

When Wang Lianhua came to pick her up and saw her dazed expression, she asked if she was feeling unwell.

It wasn't that she didn't feel well; it was just—

What exactly was it?

Even she didn't know.

Back in middle school, the girls in her class had passed around a garish romance novel, practically a class heirloom.

 

Sheng Xia had skimmed a few pages. The verbs were repetitive, the adjectives overblown and redundant, some words even seemed made-up.

She deemed it wasn't worth reading and stopped there.

But everyone else loved it.

One book was particularly odd. After passing it around, the girls got all secretive.

Her deskmate at the time was reading it during evening study, so engrossed she sat rigid, legs crossed, back straight, motionless.

No matter how many times Sheng Xia called to her, there was no response.

Curious, Sheng Xia leaned over to take a peek.

Those descriptions—

To this day, she could still remember them vividly. The phrasing wasn’t polished, but the imagery was striking.

Onomatopoeia took up half the pages.

Truly mind-blowing.

Her ears had burned. She'd looked away immediately.

That was her first and last time directly encountering such content.

Tonight was the second time.

Especially with the subject being her and Zhang Shu.

Don’t say it, don’t say it.

Don’t think about it, don’t think about it.

Yet that night, despite ‘mindful meditation’, her thoughts spiraled astray.

In a hazy dream, a boy’s broad chest loomed, his strong arm tightly around her waist, the other hand gripping the back of her head, his face lowering—

The dream had a cinematic quality. 

His long fingers, his striking Adam’s apple, all in slow-motion close-up.

No sound, no plot, no sight of herself—just these images, replaying endlessly.

Waking from the dream to a new morning, Sheng Xia was drenched in sweat, staring blankly at the ceiling.

What was she doing?

Was this the legendary spring dream?

She was done for. Sheng Xia, are you a naughty girl now?

She shook her head, splashed cold water on her face, and finally cleared her mind. While changing, she inexplicably found herself staring at her chest in the mirror.

Suddenly, the image of Xin Xiaohe burying her face in her chest flashed before her eyes.

Ahhhhhh!

Stop it!

Wang Lianhua called for her, and Sheng Xia hurriedly threw on her oversized school uniform, grabbed her backpack, and rushed out.

She shouldn't visit him for a while.

Something was off with her lately. 

In the classroom, diving into study mode finally calmed her mind.

When exam time came, the class monitor told everyone to start arranging their desks.

Hou Junqi came to help Sheng Xia move her desk and suddenly asked, “Little Sheng Xia, do you miss A-Shu?”

Sheng Xia’s head snapped up.

What was going on?

Was it that obvious?

Could people tell she was thinking those thoughts?

Seeing her ears turn red, Hou Junqi found it odd—she hadn’t blushed so easily in a while.

But he thought it was amusing and teased in a low voice, “Miss him or not?”

Sheng Xia: "No!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

Hou Junqi looked like he couldn’t wait to share a secret. 

He gestured his chin toward the corridor. "Look who's here?"

Sheng Xia instinctively followed his gaze.  

The boy from her dreams was approaching from the covered walkway, turning into the corridor. 

Except, unlike in her dreams, he was in a wheelchair.  

Zhang Sujin was pushing him.

Classmates noticed and swarmed over, bombarding him with questions.

Zhang Shu seemed to be in good spirits, and looked much better than before.

“Almost healed, don’t worry.”

“What, you guys tanked without me?”

“Then light some incense for me instead of praying to the God of Literature.”

“Actually praying? Please, it’s almost college entrance exam time—cut the superstition.”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Despite his ordeal, he carried no air of a martyr, nor any sign of frailty. Wheelchair aside, he was the same.

Still the same lazy, sharp-tongued boy who everyone liked.

Zhang Shu’s eyes cut through the crowd, landing squarely on Xia Sheng.  

Everyone tactfully scattered, clearing a path for their gaze to meet.

Sheng Xia shifted her gaze slightly, but by chance, it landed right on his Adam's apple.

Because he was seated, his line of sight was lower, he had to tilt his head slightly upward.  

That Adam’s apple was sharp as a blade.

It sliced right through Sheng Xia’s little secret thoughts.  

Her ears turned even redder.

"Sheng Xia's blushing."

“Haha, she totally is.”  

“They’re together, right? Still blushing like that? No way!”

Amid the whispers, the exam pre bell rang, everyone took their seats by student number.

Zhang Shu couldn’t enter the classroom easily, so he swapped seats with someone in the corridor.

By sheer coincidence, he was right in front of Sheng Xia, slightly to the right.

As she sat, Zhang Shu turned his head to face her. "No hello after seeing me?"

He couldn’t move his abdomen, so he just twisted his neck. Seeing him struggle, Sheng Xia urged, "Don't strain yourself."

“Oh. Then you come here.” Zhang Shu faced forward again.

Classmates nearby: …Domineering patient falls for me.

Considering his condition, Sheng Xia went to him. "Can you handle it? Can you sit for this long?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she saw Zhang Shu’s brows knit slightly, his eyes deepening.

"I can handle it," he said.

Sheng Xia: "Don’t push yourself. If it hurts, stop, don't continue.”  

Zhang Shu stared at her for a few seconds, a faint smile forming. "Don't worry. I’ll see it through to the end."

Somehow, his expression felt sticky, clingy.

Sheng Xia, already flustered, couldn’t look at him anymore. “Don’t overdo it.”

Zhang Shu: "..."

Xin Xiaohe, sitting by the window inside the classroom, overheard the whole thing: What kind of R-rated conversation is this?!

The proctor arrived. Sheng Xia returned to her seat, but her eyes kept drifting to Zhang Shu.

In a black T-shirt, when he leaned to write, the spine at the back of his neck protruded, like a beast poised to strike.

"Zhang Shu's...that desire..."

Stop!

After filling in the name, with no questions to answer yet, Zhang Shu started twirling his pen—a habit. Sheng Xia finished her student info, looked up, and saw his pen spinning.

The ballpoint danced nimbly between his slender knuckles, moving, returning, looping endlessly.

His knuckles rose and fell with the motion.

“Exam begins. Candidates, you may start answering."

The announcement was a lifeline. Sheng Xia buried her head in the paper, entering test mode.  

Her heart raced uncontrollably.

Outside the corridor, cicadas hummed, growing louder, buzzing in her ears.

Summer, vibrant and unrelenting, had truly arrived.

---

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