Summer in Your Name - 70

The night before Zhang Shu returned to school, Wang Wei secretly organized a welcome ceremony.

True to his rustic yet enthusiastic style, the ceremony involved handing out two small red flags to each student, ready to line the corridor in a grand welcome.

A banner was strung up in the classroom: [Welcome Back, Hero].  

Sheng Xia and Xin Xiaohe stood beneath the banner, imaginary crows cawing over their heads.

Xin Xiaohe: “Does he really think Zhang Shu will like this stuff? Isn't it just what he himself likes?"

Sheng Xia: "But Teacher Wang used his private money for this…” 

Xin Xiaohe: "True, that is shocking. Zhang Shu must’ve made him insanely proud. Leading a regular class and stumbling upon a gem like that—I bet every future class will hear him ramble on about ‘this one student I had, blah blah blah…’”

The mental image was too vivid. Sheng Xia couldn’t hold back a laugh.

Wang Wei also tasked Sheng Xia with gathering intel in advance: What time Zhang Shu arrives tomorrow.  

Back home, Sheng Xia messaged Zhang Shu: "What time are you getting to school tomorrow?"

Song Jiang: "Why? Got a surprise planned for me?”  

Sheng Xia: "..."

Ugh, he’s too sharp. Hopefully it's not a fright instead.

"Yeah, a small gift," she replied evasively.

Song Jiang: "What is it this time?"

Sheng Xia: "Not telling."

Song Jiang: "A surprise?"

Song Jiang: “Rubbing hands eagerly.jpg”

Song Jiang: “Though it’s hard to top the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China.”

Sheng Xia: "..."

Sheng Xia: "So, what time will you be at school?”

Song Jiang: “During the long break, probably.”

Sheng Xia: "That late?"

Song Jiang: "Yeah. Got stuff to do.”

The next day, during the long break, the students who’d gone out for morning exercises had returned to class, but Zhang Shu was still nowhere to be seen.

Class 6 had skipped morning exercises entirely, lingering in the corridor, waiting.

Wang Wei showed up clutching a flower—well, one flower, to be exact.

A giant sunflower, its center already sprouting edible seeds, wrapped in layers of delicate packaging. 

Someone grumbled: "Teacher, just one? Aren't you being too stingy?"

Wang Wei shot the student a look: "What do you know? This is called 'a solitary bloom in its glory.' Sunflowers are great, bright and full of positivity! I picked this on purpose."

"Not because it was cheap?"

Wang Wei: "Nonsense."

“He’s here, he’s here!” A lookout student finally rushed back with news just before class started. “Zhang Shu’s here, but, uh… he brought people..."

Brought people?

Everyone peered down the connecting corridor. There was Zhang Shu in his neat school uniform, looking refreshed and spirited. He strode over, followed by two figures: one shouldering a camera, the other holding a microphone.  

Reporters?

The inconspicuous logo on the microphone read: Nanli Broadcasting Station.

“Whoa, this is a big deal!”

"Didn't Brother Shu always refuse interviews?"

"He also never replied on Xinfeng before, did he not?”

“Guess Sheng Xia crying that day changed things…”

“Running himself ragged to clear things up.”

As whispers buzzed, Zhang Shu and his entourage reached the corridor entrance, where students lined both sides, waving their little flags and appeared to have been waiting for some time.

Both sides were startled by the other’s spectacle.

The reporter reacted fastest, immediately instructing the cameraman: "Quick! Start filming!"

Zhang Shu walked up the steps, "What's all this, Old Wang?"

Wang Wei snapped out of his daze, shoved the flower into Sheng Xia’s arms, muttering, “I don’t wanna be on TV…”

Then he ducked behind the crowd, nudging Hou Junqi’s arm. “Start chanting!”

Hou Junqi: "Welcome! Welcome! Warm welcome!"

The whole Class 6 froze for two seconds—seriously, couldn’t they have come up with a better chant? What is this rustic nonsense?   

But everyone played along anyway, shouting, "Welcome! Welcome! Warm welcome!"

The chanting grew louder, mixed with laughter. The more they laughed, the louder they shouted, fully embracing the ‘if I’m not embarrassed, you’re the embarrassed one’ attitude.

The little flags waved with increasing fervor, students crowding forward, the scene spiraling into chaotic hilarity.

Students from neighboring classes who came out to watch: "..."

Zhang Shu’s expression was a perfect blend of shock and amusement.

He turned to the reporter with a wry smile, "Maybe we shouldn't film this part?"

The reporter grinned. "No way! Why not film it? Such lovely classmates, such great material!"

The main interview had already been filmed at the school gate. They just needed some footage of Zhang Shu studying in class, maybe a second or two for the final cut.

But this scene? Pure gold.

Zhang Shu, surrounded by the crowd, was a tad embarrassed.

Someone nudged Sheng Xia forward. "Brother Shu, we’ve got flowers for you!”

Instantly, the crowd erupted in cheers, leaving Sheng Xia more than a tad embarrassed.

Zhang Shu’s expression shifted to one of intrigued amusement.

He stood there, smiling faintly, waiting.

Sheng Xia, steeling herself, held out the flower. “Welcome back to class. This is from Teacher Wang.”

Zhang Shu stepped closer, taking the sunflower in a motion that, in the crowded corridor, felt like he was pulling her into an embrace.

And his hand, under the flower, covered hers…

Sheng Xia froze, her eyes meeting his tender gaze.

This was in public, everyone was watching, and the camera was rolling. How could he grab her hand while taking the flowers?

She yanked her hand back, shoving the flower fully into his arms, and ducked into the crowd, head lowered, as the cheers grew even louder.

The bell rang, ending the commotion and everyone settled. This period was Lai Yilin's math class, after filming some footage, the TV crew left without disrupting the lesson.

Lai Yilin, who’d watched the whole welcome fiasco, teased, "Zhang Shu, did you see the banner Teacher Wang specially prepared for you?"

The class roared with laughter.

Zhang Shu had noticed it earlier but turned to ‘admire’ it again: "Old Wang is truly a talent."

Zhang Shu’s return kept the class buzzing all morning.

Though he’d come back briefly for exams before, but he was rushed and exhausted then, so no one bothered him.

 

Now it was different. Every break, his seat was surrounded by a group of boys.

The topics were all over the place.

Sheng Xia walked past them, giving up any thought of approaching him.  

During the last break, as she passed by again to get water, someone called out to her. 

"Sheng Xia."

It was Zhang Shu.

The boys around him shot teasing glances.

She turned, her eyes asking: What?

“The gift,” Zhang Shu said casually. “Didn’t you say you had a gift for me?”

"Ohhh~"

"A gift? What is it?"

"Wow..."

The group of boys started teasing.

So childish!

Sheng Xia wasn’t about to be their spectacle. “There's no gift. I lied to get you to school.”

Zhang Shu: "..."

Then she linked arms with Xin Xiaohe and went to get water together.

Laughter rose behind her.

"Hahaha!"

"Brother Shu, don't lose heart, Old Wang got you a gift!"

"Hahahaha!"

Xin Xiaohe, suppressing laughter, looked meaningfully at Sheng Xia, "Having a class couple is so fun, huh?"

No need to waste data on shipping CP.

"Stop talking nonsense!" Sheng Xia protested.

Xin Xiaohe knew she was shy but didn't plan to stop there. She pressed on. "Hey, you saw Zhang Shu clap back at the confession wall posts, right?”

Sheng Xia nodded.

Xin Xiaohe: "Know what his username means?”  

Sheng Xia shook her head.

Xin Xiaohe leaned close to her ear, enunciating each word: "XXRMM. Xia. Xia. Ruan. Mian. Mian." (Xia. Xia. Soft. Fluffy)

Then, as she hoped, she saw Sheng Xia's ears turn pinkish-red, her eyelashes fluttering in stunned silence. 

“He’s shameless, stealing my idea. But how does he know? Has he also..." feel it?

Sheng Xia, embarrassed and indignant, Sheng Xia raised her hand to hit her friend: "Xiaohe! Xin Xiaohe!"

Xin Xiaohe ran off. "Hahaha. Having a class couple is so fun!”  

"..."

"Don't worry, I didn't tell anyone! Well, except when I accidentally blurted it out in front of Lanlan and Xiaomai—”  

Lanlan and Xiaomai were Xin Xiaohe's two roommates.

They were also crew members at their North Gate gatherings.

Sheng Xia: "..."

Xin Xiaohe: "Seriously, don’t worry. They're not ordinary people, they're hardcore shippers. They’ll guard this intel like treasure.”

Sheng Xia: "..."

Words had failed her.

---

At lunch, they finally ‘reunited’ again, but the mood at the table was tense. Only Hou Junqi was grinning.

Zhang Shu and Sheng Xia ate in silence, ignoring each other.  

Hou Junqi, confused, flashed through countless 8 p.m. melodrama synopses in his mind: Two people, bound by trials and undying love, why do they act like strangers despite their feelings?

The stalemate broke when the meal ended.

As Zhang Shu stood, he somehow tugged at his abdomen, letting out a sharp “hiss,” clutching the table with one hand and his stomach with the other, his face contorted in pain.  

Sheng Xia shot up, grabbing his arm in a panic. “What’s wrong?”

“Is your wound not fully healed? I thought it was fine—what happened? Does it hurt?”  

Zhang Shu's arm naturally went around her shoulders.

Sheng Xia froze, her eyes questioning. Zhang Shu feigned weakness again, sagging onto her shoulder, brows knit, looking utterly pained.  

Left with no choice, Sheng Xia supported him.

Hou Junqi: "..."

Bro, the fake-injury act? Really? Even eight o'clock dramas don’t use that cliché anymore! 

Sheng Xia supported him all the way to the Wenboyuan neighborhood entrance, only then realizing Hou Junqi, who’d been trailing them, had vanished.  

Does he really not care about his good friend’s injury?

"St-still hurts?" Sheng Xia asked.

Zhang Shu: "A little."

"Should we go back to the hospital? Did they give you any medicine?"

"I have some."

“Then take them on time when you get home.”

"Oh," Zhang Shu suddenly straightened up. "So there really is no gift."

Sheng Xia, seeing his miraculously recovered posture, immediately understood. She was both annoyed and amused.  

Was this really necessary?

"Don't use this to trick me again," she said firmly.  

Zhang Shu caught the seriousness in her expression and dropped the act. "Okay."

When it came to this matter, she was really worried.

Sheng Xia gave him a sidelong glance, then pulled a box from her bag. Zhang Shu's brows relaxed, a smile tugging at his lips.  

He took it, thinking the box looked familiar but didn't dwell on it, and opened it.

Then he realized why it looked familiar.

Inside was a pair of knee pads.  

The same brand as the pair she'd given him before, even the box was identical.

He looked at her, his eyes asking: ?  

Sheng Xia smiled softly, "I hope you recover soon and can use them.”

Actually, there was another reason, during the last PE class, she'd noticed his old knee pads had worn out.

Last time, the Criminal Law book hidden beneath the knee pads had cast a shadow over Zhang Shu, but seeing her smiling at him like this now, he couldn’t help but think—even if there was a Civil Law book underneath this time, he’d still be thrilled.  

But of course, he couldn’t resist teasing her. "There's something else underneath, right? What is it, 'Marriage Law'?"

Sheng Xia's smile froze: "..."

He chuckled, lifting the knee pads to reveal—not a book, not a law text, but an envelope.  

A pink envelope.

Zhang Shu had seen plenty of these, right after he woke up, she’d brought him a stack.  

He suddenly wanted to laugh, glancing at the sky,"Sheng Xia, how are you so bold? Try giving me someone else's love letters again and see what happens.”

Sheng Xia blinked, watching his expression shift from joy to exasperation, feeling a bit wronged.  

She grew even more embarrassed, her head dipping, her voice barely audible. “This… this one’s from me.”  

---

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