Summer in Your Name - 77

The spotlight in the entryway cast a glow over Zhang Shu’s head, his lips glistening, his gaze deep and intense.  

He cupped Sheng Xia’s face, tilting it upward until the light illuminated her features.

Sheng Xia didn’t dare breathe, unconsciously holding it in, her eyes misty, gazing at him with a vulnerable, pleading look.

She looked utterly overwhelmed, as if she’d been thoroughly bullied.

Zhang Shu’s lips curved into a faint smile, his thumb brushing across her lips. “Breathe.”  

Sheng Xia let out a deep exhale, her tension easing, and she slumped against him, instinctively wrapping her arms around his waist.

Almost like throwing herself into his embrace. 

Zhang Shu turned his head, chuckling, burying his face in the crook of her neck, his hand gently kneading the back of her head.

He was so tall that he had to hunch slightly for this embrace, yet it still wasn’t close enough. He pulled her tighter, and she arched her back, as if melding into his body.

Sheng Xia’s body, still radiating heat, felt impossibly warm.  

Her breath was scorching.

He was just as hot.

They stood in silence, holding each other, neither uttering a word. The motion-activated light in the entryway flickered off, plunging the corner into darkness.  

“It’s… it’s getting late,” Sheng Xia mumbled.

"Mm."

"..."

"Even if I go back now, I won't be able to sleep. Let's hold each other a bit longer."

"Xiaohe needs to come back soon…."She pushed against him weakly, her strength faltering.

If he didn’t leave, how could Xiaohe dare return?

The room next door was all boys, not a suitable place for a girl to linger alone.

Zhang Shu caught her hand where it rested against his chest, straightening just enough to put a sliver of space between them. "Then kiss me.”

Sheng Xia lowered her gaze, not daring to meet his eyes. All Zhang Shu could see was the glossy black crown of her head.  

"Just once," he said, as if compromising.

Sheng Xia hesitated for a few seconds, then rose on her tiptoes, pressing a fleeting kiss to the corner of his mouth so brief it was barely a touch, then lowered her head again, avoiding his eyes.  

Zhang Shu leaned down, chasing her eyes, clearly unsatisfied.

Sheng Xia twisted her head side to side, unable to shake him off, and finally glared at him, shoving him with force.

Zhang Shu laughed helplessly, kissed the top of her head, and released her. “Sleep well.”

He pulled the door open, stepped out, then turned back, leaning against the frame. “I’ve never been this happy in my life. I might’ve gotten carried away. If I made you uncomfortable in any way— you have to tell me.”

He turned to leave, took two steps, then looked back again, waving with a grin.

Sheng Xia quickly shut the door.

--- 

Back next door, Xin Xiaohe opened the door for Zhang Shu, her eyes wide with shock. “Done that fast?”

Zhang Shu nearly choked on her words. Yang Linyu was going to have his hands full with this one, wasn’t he?  

Clearing his throat lightly, he said to Yang Linyu, “Send your girlfriend back.”  

Yang Linyu leapt off the couch. “On it!”

Xin Xiaohe’s eyes sparkled with mischief but allowed herself to be dragged away by Yang Linyu.

At the door, Zhang Shu called after her, his voice firm, "It's late. Everyone should go to bed early. No chatting."

Xin Xiaohe: "Got it~”

Was that his way of telling her to keep her mouth shut when she got back?

Tsk tsk.

Worried Sheng Xia would die of embarrassment?

And so, Sheng Xia, who had spent the last fifteen minutes nervously rehearsing countless explanations in her head, ended up not needing a single one. As soon as Xin Xiaohe returned, she went straight to shower and then collapsed into bed.

Sheng Xia clutched a corner of her blanket, the kiss replaying endlessly in her mind, her body restless with heat. She stuck her legs out to cool off, then pulled them back when they got cold, only to feel hot again and extend them once more, over and over.

After who-knows-how-long, a barely restrained voice came from beside her: "Sheng, Xia!"

Sheng Xia froze.

Xin Xiaohe: “If you don’t sleep, I’m going to start asking questions!”

Sheng Xia snapped her eyes shut, yanking her limbs back under the covers and curling into a ball, not daring to move a muscle.  

But the smile on her lips refused to fade.

Next door, Zhang Shu was far less restrained.

With Lu Youze gone, he had the room to himself. He lay on one bed, staring into space, then switched to another bed to stare some more, mentally projecting images of their kiss onto the ceiling…

Even in the shower, her shy expression filled the steamy mist.

How could something as wonderful as kissing exist in the world?

He hummed happily in the bathroom, his voice echoed through the entire building. Hou Junqi lay in bed, hands over his ears, rolling his eyes.  

Qi Xiulei was in a similar state, and Yang Linyu was already regretting showing Zhang Shu that video. He should have waited, so Zhang Shu can go crazy elsewhere, instead of subjecting them to this.

The three brothers shared a collective mask of suffering.

--- 

The next day, a plane carrying a group of drowsy youngsters embarked on a grueling ten-hour flight.

Late June at Nanli was as swelteringly unbearable as a tropical island.

The summer heat clung to the air, stifling even the faintest breeze.  

At the airport, they parted reluctantly.

"Let's meet again when we fill out our college applications!"

"Yeah!"  

"And we still have to visit Lianli together!"  

"Definitely!"  

"Summer is still long!"

Yes, summer was still long.

They would meet again.

Wang Lianhua was busy, so Sheng Mingfeng’s new assistant came to pick up Sheng Xia. She heard Li Xu was being transferred.  

A promotion, in other words.

Sheng Xia had an odd thought—this was a magical summer, wasn’t it? It felt like everyone was transforming.

The moment Sheng Xia got home, Wang Lianhua was packed and ready to leave for Dongzhou for Wu Qiuxuan’s high school entrance exam.

Sheng Xia, of course, was going too.

So, without a moment of rest, they were off, no time to even repack her suitcase. 

Wang Lianhua had booked a hotel near Wu Qiuxuan’s exam site well in advance. Wu Qiuxuan didn’t seem the least bit nervous, more relaxed than Sheng Xia had been during her college entrance exams. She even said leaned in, secretly probing about Sheng Xia's graduation trip.

"Sis, is your first kiss still there?"

Sheng Xia fumbled her phone, nearly dropping it.

How did A-Xuan know?

Was it that obvious?

Wu Qiuxuan caught her sister’s reaction and giggled. "You went on a whole trip together, if you came back with nothing, you’d have to question your own charm.”

"So, what’s kissing like? Like biting into cotton candy?"  

Cotton candy? Cotton candy wasn’t as soft as his lips.

Sheng Xia’s face flushed.

“You’ve got exams, Wu Qiuxuan! The high school entrance exam! It’s important!”

 

“Hee hee, I know, I know, no need to be shy!”   

In the rush, Sheng Xia hadn’t had a chance to tell Zhang Shu she was leaving. She assumed he’d crash and sleep the day away when he got home.    

But that evening, after dinner, she received a Q.Q message from him. 

Zhang Shu: "Got any trash to take downstairs?"

It was an odd, out-of-place question, but Sheng Xia understood immediately.

Sheng Xia: "Are you downstairs at my home?"

Zhang Shu: "Clever girl."

Sheng Xia: "I'm in Dongzhou. My sister has high school entrance exams."

Zhang Shu: "...When will you be back?"

Sheng Xia: "Day after tomorrow. Go home and rest!”  

Sheng Xia: "TigerPat.jpg"

A long pause followed. No reply. Sheng Xia busied herself checking Wu Qiuxuan's exam supplies and listening to Wang Lianhua's pre-exam pep talk for her sister, setting her phone aside. When she was done, half an hour had passed.  

Still no reply.

Was he upset he’d come all the way for nothing?

Should she comfort him?

Sheng Xia was scrolling through her emojis, searching for a cute one to send, when a new message came through.

"Sheng Xia, there's a banana tree in your neighborhood. The moon’s really crescent tonight.”

He’s still at her house? He hasn’t left?  

Sheng Xia was about to ask, then paused. Where was there a banana tree in her neighborhood?

You could hardly find banana trees anywhere in Nanli.

And the moon?

Dongzhou and Nanli were so close. If there was no moon in Dongzhou, how could there be a crescent moon in Nanli?

Suddenly, she remembered last semester’s break, when he’d walked her home, he’d racked his brain to keep her longer, asking about all sorts of poetic imagery, and she'd answered each one

A full moon represents longing for home; a crescent moon represents longing for someone.

A banana tree represents loneliness.

Why was he pulling such a poetic trick? So… Xia-like.

Pressing her lips to suppress a smile, she typed: "No moon, no banana tree in sight; Nanli is full of camphor trees."

—A-Shu’s being shameless everywhere.

His reply came instantly: "Fine. You got me. I miss you.”

Sheng Xia smiled, clutching her phone and rolling across the bed.  

When she sat up, Wang Lianhua was standing in the doorway, staring straight at her.  

And Sheng Xia’s smile, still lingering at the corners of her lips, hadn’t had time to fade.    

---

Every year, on the last day of the high school entrance exams, at 3:00 p.m., the college entrance exam results are released.  

2:45 p.m.

Whether on WeChat or QQ, class groups or private chats, Weibo or Xinfeng, were all flooded with forwarded koi fish for luck.  

Major media outlets hyped up the tension of checking scores to a fever pitch.  

Wang Wei dropped a hefty red envelope in the class group chat, and the chat exploded with excitement.

One classmate shared calligraphy that read: "Gracing the Golden List". Another flaunted homemade zongzi, symbolizing academic success.

Compared to everyone’s elaborate rituals, Sheng Xia, stuck out of town, felt the same nervous anticipation but had no ritual to speak of. 

After dropping Wu Qiuxuan off at her exam center, Sheng Xia and Wang Lianhua sat anxiously in front of a computer in the hotel’s business center.

In the graduation trip's group chat, Hou Junqi was spamming red envelopes.  

"I don't need a high score, take ‘em all!! Wish you all the best! May all your dreams come true!!”

“Brother Hou, send more!”

"Grab this red envelope, and you’re guaranteed 650+!”  

"So nervous, so nervous, so nervous."

“Ten minutes left, folks!”

“Here comes the turning point of our lives. Why does it feel so surreal?”

“Where’s Brother Shu? Brother Shu Brother Shu! Calling Brother Shu!”

Zhang Shu: "111111."

Message received, he's online.  

Xiao Mai: "Brother Shu, take it back! Big numbers only at a time like this, not small ones!”

Zhang Shu: "11111111."

Xiao Mai: "Brother Shu, so mighty and domineering. Your fate’s in your hands, not the heavens!”  

Xin Xiaohe: "Lick his boots all you want, will he share his score with you? Hahaha!"

Wang Lianhua frowned at the chat, half-understanding, and asked, “Is Zhang Shu pretty popular among your classmates?”

Sheng Xia nodded. “Yeah, everyone likes him a lot.”

The group chat kept buzzing.

"Three minutes left, everyone!"

“Get your fastest internet ready; a bright future is right in front of you!"

"TWO MINUTES!"  

"God of Literature, did you see my offerings? Please bless our group!”

“Scores, it’s been three years. You’re a grown-up now, time to show up big!”

"Where's Xiaxia? Xiaxia, Xiaxia, calling Xiaxia!"

Sheng Xia: "11111111."

Xiao Mai: "Whoa. May your scores be as harmonious as this couple!”

Sheng Xia’s heart skipped. She frantically closed the chat window, focusing on refreshing the exam board’s website, hoping her mother hadn’t seen that.

The screen’s glare reflected Wang Lianhua’s dark expression.  

Whether it was from nerves or something else, no one could tell.

The time in the lower right corner of the computer ticked to 3:00 p.m.

Sheng Xia clicked the mouse to refresh.

The page froze.

A blank page.

The little loading circle spun endlessly, the progress bar completely stuck.

Sheng Xia’s palms grew sweaty, feeling like she should do something to fill this short yet eternal wait.

Not daring to check the chat window on the big screen this time, she glanced down at her phone.

Both the class group chat and their private one had gone eerily silent.

Everyone was furiously refreshing.

Two minutes passed.

Then, the group chats exploded back to life.  

The screen was filled with "It's stuck," "Can't get in," "Good things take time"...

Sheng Xia saw a red ‘1’ next to ‘Song Jiang' chat.

The preview showed: [Image].

He had sent her a picture.

Sheng Xia’s palms grew damp, her whole body burning up.  

Even sitting, her legs felt weak.

She was really nervous.

What had he sent?

She didn't dare look.

In front of her, the webpage was still loading. Wang Lianhua, growing anxious, grabbed the mouse and clicked refresh again.  

At the same time, Sheng Xia opened the chat.  

Suddenly, she screamed, leapt up, and threw her arms around Wang Lianhua’s neck as she leaned toward the computer, nearly knocking her off balance. Wang Lianhua steadied her arm.

"Mom! Mom! First place! He's first! Zhang Shu! He's the top scorer! He's first! Mom! He did it! Mom!"

"He's the top scorer, Zhang Shu is the top scorer, Mom! First place, sob, he really did it..."

She repeated it excitedly, shaking Wang Lianhua’s arm, bouncing with joy, her voice breaking into sobs.

The picture Zhang Shu sent wasn't a screenshot of the webpage with his score, but a screenshot of a text message that he’d just received.

15:02

[XX Provincial Education Examination Bureau] Name: Zhang Shu, Exam ID: xxxxxxxx, Total Score: 715, Rank: Undergraduate 1.] 

Wang Lianhua stared for a moment, then smiled faintly, patting Sheng Xia’s back. “Mom knows, I know, alright, alright…”  

"Sobs sobs..."

Sheng Xia threw caution to the wind. She didn’t know why, but her tears wouldn’t stop.  

At this moment, she forgot her own scores hasn’t loaded.

Forgot her mom wasn’t fond of this relationship.

Forgot everything.  

All she knew was that he was first.

She was ecstatic, overwhelmed, her heart bursting with the urge to shout it to the world.  

She wanted everyone to know Zhang Shu was first, and he would always be first.

He stood at the peak.

He deserved to stand at the peak.

All the doubts, all the mockery, he’d trample them underfoot, forcing them to look up at his success.

She wanted to call him right away.

Wiping her tears, she tapped to start a voice call.

He picked up almost immediately.

Before she could speak, the tears she’d just suppressed surged up again. Without saying a word, her sobs reached Zhang Shu’s ears.

He paused, then his voice came through, urgent: “What’s wrong? Didn’t do well? Don't worry, tell me slowly. It’s okay if you didn’t do well. I told you, even studying abroad is fine. Don’t cry, don’t cry…”

Sheng Xia was thrown off by his words, "No, I haven’t checked yet… I’m, I’m just happy for you. Congratulations! You’re really amazing, A-Shu, sobs…”

Wang Lianhua sighed softly, her expression complex, she turned away, leaning down to refresh the page again.

Sheng Xia rambled on: "I knew you could do it, sobs, but I was really worried, sobs. They kept saying, saying those awful things. If it were me, I might not be able to handle it, sobs, you're really amazing, A-Shu, I'm so happy, so happy, A-Shu..."

Wang Lianhua had never seen Sheng Xia ramble like this.  

“It’s loaded,” she said, patting Sheng Xia. “Enter your ID.”  

Sheng Xia snapped back, took a deep breath, and set the phone aside on speaker.  

She pulled out her exam ID, typing each number carefully, one digit at a time.

On the other end, Zhang Shu was also checking his scores.

Over the phone, Zhang Shu said: "Mine’s still not loading…”

Sheng Xia replied while typing: "How did your text message come so fast? I haven't gotten mine.”

“Maybe because I’m first.”  

“Oh, yeah, that’s right. So cool.”

Sheng Xia's score appeared on the screen.  

Total Score: 589.

Chinese: 134.

Math: 129.

English: 130.

Science Comprehensive: 196.

Both Sheng Xia and Wang Lianhua were stunned.

Her highest score in second and third year of high school had been 568.

The simulated first-tier cutoff then was 529.  

“Mom…” Sheng Xia turned to Wang Lianhua. “Maybe double-check the ID…”  

Was this really hers?

Wang Lianhua stared at the screen without blinking, then suddenly wrapped her arms around Sheng Xia’s neck from behind. “Good girl, you’re amazing! Don’t doubt it, you’re incredible too!”

This time, both mother and daughter had tears in their eyes.

In the business center, they stood, teary-eyed.

The staff nearby watched, smiling softly, quietly sharing their joy.

From the phone came the sound of keyboard clicks. Sheng Xia, calming down, realized how awkward this situation might become.  

To her surprise, Wang Lianhua spoke first. “Zhang Shu, have you gotten into the website yet?”

On the other end, Zhang Shu seemed caught off guard by Wang Lianhua addressing him directly. After a half-second pause, as if suddenly remembering he could speak, he replied hesitantly, “Not yet… Auntie.”  

For some reason, that single word “Auntie” sent fresh sweat prickling across Sheng Xia’s palms.  

"Then let us check for you," Wang Lianhua suggested. "Send your exam ID to Sheng Xia."

"Okay, thank you," he said, his voice steadying as he sent the ID. "First, congratulations to Sheng Xia. Sounds like good news."

He was clearly talking to Wang Lianhua, but Sheng Xia jumped in, "Yes! If the first-tier cutoff isn’t crazy, I think I overperformed."

Zhang Shu: "You performed normally. Xiaxia is awesome, no, wait, nihai.”  

Their laughter tangled through the phone line, one picking up where the other trailed off.  

Wang Lianhua: ...

Sheng Xia smoothly checked Zhang Shu’s scores. Despite knowing the total, Wang Lianhua was still shocked.

Total Score: 715.

Chinese: 128.

Math: 147.

English: 145.

Science Comprehensive: 295.

"His science score is a hundred points higher than yours, Xiaxia?" Wang Lianhua exclaimed. "How can there be such a gap?”

Uh…

How to explain this?

Zhang Shu had only lost three points in science at his best.

"Mom, there are innate differences between people.”

How could she console her mother, make her accept that her daughter was ordinary, far from extraordinary?

Sheng Xia quickly took a screenshot and sent it to Zhang Shu.

His voice came through, reassuring: “Auntie, Xiaxia’s Chinese is great. Her score is higher there."

Wang Lianhua noticed, "Oh, right, higher than the top scorer?"

The top scorer himself confirmed, "That’s right."

Wang Lianhua: "Good, very good. You’re both amazing.”

---

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