Summer in Your Name - 83

Who wants to manage his money?  

Sheng Xia: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"  

Zhang Shu: "Mm, a bit noisy."  

How could anyone sleep in this situation?  

People say three women make a drama, but in Zhang Shu’s opinion, three men can build quite the stage too.  

His phone was lit up with a group video call.  

Hou Junqi was live-streaming himself grilling skewers, determined to go full self-sufficient in Canada; Han Xiao, back home for the holiday, was devouring spicy crayfish from Lianli; Qi Xiulei was curled up in bed reading a novel, letting out the occasional "Holy shit!”; Liu Hui’an was gaming at an internet cafe, the sounds of keyboards and curses rising and falling; Wu Pengcheng was shirtless lying in bed, the pure white pillow clearly indicating a hotel, was very much not alone, the girl beside him kept leaning into frame to plant kisses on him.  

“Ugh, unbearable,” Yang Linyu cursed.  

Wu Pengcheng’s girlfriend complained coyly, “Your friend is insulting me!”  

“No, no,” Wu Pengcheng was a smooth talker with girls, his voice so sickeningly sweet that Hou Junqi jabbed his skewer at the screen. Wu Pengcheng only laughed more boldly, raising his volume, “He’s just jealous. Some losers go on trips with their girlfriends but still end up sharing a bed with their bros."  

His girlfriend giggled in response.    

Han Xiao, his mouth slick with grease, burst out laughing. “Hahaha, insulting two people at once, impressive!”  

Yang Linyu: …  

Zhang Shu: …  

Wu Pengcheng and his girlfriend were suddenly locked in another kiss, the phone screen going dark but the noisy smacking sounds growing even more obnoxious.  

Liu Hui’an was busy directing his teammates in-game: “Charge! Charge! Why are you hesitating? Go for it! First blood! First blood! First blood! Nice!”  

“…”  

“I can’t listen to this, should we kick them out of the group chat?”  

“Alright, alright, we’ll stop teasing you…” Wu Pengcheng reappeared on screen. “Bunch of virgins.”  

“The hell did you just say?”

“Enough already!”  

Zhang Shu exited the group video and left the room.  

Behind him, Yang Linyu’s phone transmitted Hou Junqi’s voice: “Where’d A-Shu go? Why did he leave? My lamb skewers are ready, quick, come take a whiff!”  

Qi Xiulei snapped out of his novel: “He’s triggered. He’s going to find his girlfriend for some kisses. Who wants your lamb skewers?”  

Wu Pengcheng yelled, “Then why can’t we watch? Turn it back on, quick!”  

With a bang, Zhang Shu slammed the door shut.  

Hah, as if these shallow people deserved to see the night-blooming Jasmine flower?  

Originally, he’d only planned to use the bathroom and head to sleep. Now, though, his mind is restless.

Sheng Xia replied: “Go to sleep! If you can’t get up tomorrow, Xiaohe will be furious.”  

Zhang Shu leaned against the doorframe, a slight smile curling his lips as he typed: “Can’t sleep. Help me drift off?”  

Sheng Xia: “Shared link: #Meditation Space 01#”  

Zhang Shu: “…”  

Zhang Shu: “This doesn’t work for me.”  

Sheng Xia: “?”  

Zhang Shu: “If you’re still awake, come downstairs.”  

Sheng Xia glanced around, then climbed out of bed and left the room. 

Peering down over the railing, she saw Zhang Shu standing tall in the living room—so tall he seemed able to touch the second-floor ceiling with a mere stretch of his arm. He tilted his head slightly, gesturing her to come down.  

She hesitated for a moment.

She was in her pajamas, with nothing underneath.  

He wore a loose, soft black T-shirt and knee-length gray shorts.  

Both looked very much at home.  

Going back to change might wake her friends, so she glanced down at herself, if she hunched slightly, nothing would be noticeable.  

The room was lit only by a floor lamp; he probably couldn’t see clearly anyway.  

So she tiptoed down the stairs. The duplex staircase was steep, focusing on her steps, she didn't notice that Zhang Shu was waiting at the bottom. When she was two steps from the bottom, she felt an arm wrap around her waist, lifting her into the air. She was spun around and then trapped between the wall and his chest as a flurry of kisses descended upon her.  

The wall behind her was cold, the body in front of her burning hot. Suspended between them, Sheng Xia felt like a restless trapped animal, her hands pushing weakly against his chest. A whimper nearly escaped her throat, but she swallowed it just in time.

Upstairs and downstairs, people were asleep, yet here they were, kissing in this hidden corner.  

His hand stayed firm around her waist, his lips never leaving hers. As his tongue probed, his other hand caught her restless one, gently stroking it before interlacing their fingers and pressing them firmly against his chest.  

Beneath her palm, his heart beat powerfully. The rhythm calmed Sheng Xia’s nerves, and she gradually lost herself in the deep kiss.  

Slowly, he grew unsatisfied with just lips and teeth. His warmth shifted left, scorching breath grazing the shell of her ear. When his lips closed around her earlobe, Sheng Xia shivered.  

Her movement made his one-armed hold unsteady, and she suddenly slipped downward. A surge of insecurity overtook her, and without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hooked her legs around his waist, and clung to him like a koala.  

The kissing stopped.  

Both froze for an instant.  

Sheng Xia’s eyes widened in the dark.  

What, what was she doing?!  

And that... that thing pressing against her thigh, what was that?!    

That half-smiling look on his face, what was that supposed to mean?!  

Embarrassment, shock, panic…  

All these emotions churned together, painting her face with a vivid mix of expressions. She desperately wished the wall would swallow her whole, sparing her from his ambiguous gaze.  

Zhang Shu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Scared?” he asked hoarsely.  

Mindful of the people sleeping in the room, he spoke close to her ear. The magnetic whisper sent another shiver down Sheng Xia’s spine, her body instinctively arching upward.  

Sheng Xia: …  

God, now she looks overly eager. Help! 

Zhang Shu let out a short laugh. “Or are you out of strength?”  

As he spoke, he hooked his arms under her legs and pulled her firmly against him. In a few strides, he reached the sofa and sat down with her in his lap.  

Thankfully, he didn’t cup her bottom, otherwise, she might have died of embarrassment.  

She was still dazed when she realized she was now straddling his lap.  

This?  

Wasn’t this worse than leaning against the wall? How could she dare sit upright now?  

She clung tightly to his neck, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder like an ostrich hiding in sand.  

Zhang Shu tilted his head back, eyes tracing the ceiling as he exhaled sharply. “Be good, baby, sit up a bit. If you keep pressing like this, something big’s going to happen.”  

The moment he’d pulled her into his arms, regret had already flickered through him. The sensation of her against him was too comfortable, and his body’s response had been too swift to control. He could only distract her with fervent kisses.  

He hadn’t expected her to cling to him like a bear.  

It was downright lethal.  

Who knew someone so innocent could be so naturally good at this?    

Sheng Xia’s entire body felt feverish, especially the ear he’d spoken into, it scorched to the point of numbness.  

She slowly loosened her grip and straightened up, putting a little distance between them.  

But as her upper body moved away, her thighs inadvertently shifted inward, brushing against something. She instinctively looked down—  

Even through his loose pants, she could make out a distinct outline.  

Sheng Xia immediately sprang away from him, nearly tripping over the coffee table.

Zhang Shu quickly steadied her, helplessness dripping from his voice. “Slow down. I’m not gonna eat you.”

If anything, her reaction only intensified. Barefoot, she bolted, fumbling with her shoes at the staircase before simply grabbing them and dashing upstairs.  

Watching her series of actions, Zhang Shu leaned back on the sofa, hand on his forehead, caught between amusement and defeat.  

Well, there went all his progress.  

Upstairs, passing the railing, Sheng Xia couldn’t help glancing down—and met his helpless yet amused gaze. She quickly averted her eyes and fled into the room.  

The room was pitch dark. She leaned against the door, panting heavily.  

Her mind replayed his earlier image: long legs casually splayed, his whole body draped lazily against the couch, one hand resting on his forehead, smiling faintly as he watched her from below.  

Sexy. A decadent kind of sexy.  

For the first time, Sheng Xia felt the word take tangible form.  

What had he said earlier?  

Eat her?  

What kind of outrageous talk was that!  

And how could he… how could that thing of his just—  

Foul!  

Sheng Xia carefully grabbed two tissues to wipe her feet, put her shoes down properly, and fanned her face with her hands. Only after calming down did she sneak back under the covers, her entire body burning up.  

Beside her, Xin Xiaohe turned over. Sheng Xia glanced, did Xiaohe just smile?  

  

Weird.  

Huff—  

Sleep! Just go to sleep! Who cares if he sleeps or not!  

---  

Throughout the rest of the trip, everyone noticed Sheng Xia sticking close to Tao Zhizhi and Xin Xiaohe. She rode the cable car with Tao Zhizhi, went boating with Xin Xiaohe, all while barely acknowledging Zhang Shu.

It wasn’t outright coldness, just a conspicuous lack of their previous clinginess. Unlike the first day, when their hands always intertwined.  

Yang Linyu even worried they’d had a fight, but Xin Xiaohe only smiled cryptically.  

Even Tao Zhizhi seemed to understand. Yang Linyu felt like he was the one being left out.  

Still, no one skimped on the fun, hitting all the local spots and savoring every specialty. The several days in Heyan passed joyfully for hosts and guests alike.  

On the final night, the group decided to cook a farewell dinner at the homestay, each contributing a dish.  

While shopping for ingredients at the supermarket, Sheng Xia initially clung tightly to Xin Xiaohe and Tao Zhizhi, the three girls picking and choosing at the front while the two guys followed behind with a shopping cart.  

But that’s how grocery trips go, before you know it, the group scatters.

Sheng Xia crouched in the beverage aisle, pondering choices: Pepsi or Coca-Cola?  

Suddenly, a tall shadow fell over her, and someone crouched beside her.  

Zhang Shu looked at the shelves, his slender fingers tapping between the two rows of cola: “Pick a soldier, pick a knight, ride to battle, pick one right. Whoever’s chosen, follow me. Whoever stays is a little puppy…"

On the word ‘puppy’ his finger landed Pepsi. He raised an eyebrow at her, seeking credit: “This one.”  

Then he lifted a bottle of Pepsi into the cart.  

Sheng Xia was still caught up in his nonsensical rhyme, frozen in place.

Zhang Shu crouched again, his fingers now pointing between her and the cola. "Pick a soldier, pick a knight, go home and cook a meal just right. Whoever’s chosen, follow me, whoever comes is my little…"

Only one word left, but his pointing reached Sheng Xia. The next point would return to the cola. He suddenly drew out the syllable, changing the word: “Baby.”  

“Ba” pointed to the cola, and “by” landed on the tip of her nose. The corners of his mouth curved, his dark, bright eyes reflecting her stunned expression.  

Sheng Xia’s heart raced, nearly boiling over.  

Even after all this time, he could still unravel her with just a few words.  

Sheng Xia twisted her fingers, thinking of something to say to save face, when her chin was lifted by the finger that had tapped her nose. He leaned in and planted a light kiss, then naturally took her hand and stood. “Come with me? You’ve been chosen.”  

Whoever comes with me is my little baby.    

Little. Baby. 

Sheng Xia short-circuited.  

…Did he plan this from the start?    

Thus, when the two who had been ‘estranged in appearance but connected in spirit’ for days reappeared hand-in-hand at the checkout, everyone was momentarily speechless.  

What happened? A supermarket trip fixed everything?    

Yang Linyu: “That’s my Brother Shu.”  

Xin Xiaohe: “Tch. You really think he’d let his in-laws leave without patching things up with his girl? How embarrassing would that be?”  

The entire shopping cart was packed full, filling two massive shopping bags.  

The bill came to nearly six hundred.    

This wasn’t really cheaper than eating out?  

Zhang Shu instinctively reached for his phone, already opening the payment app. Noticing the frown on the person beside him, he understood and handed her his phone. “Then you pay.”  

Sheng Xia was speechless.  

Wasn’t this still him paying?  

She was about to find her own phone when Xin Xiaohe extended hers.  

Xin Xiaohe was a guest, Sheng Xia couldn’t let her pay. She quickly used Zhang Shu’s phone to complete the payment. With a ‘beep’, payment succeeded, and the screen returned to the homepage. Sheng Xia glimpsed the balance.  

She stared, then looked again to confirm she hadn’t misread the decimal point.  

Six figures?  

While Sheng Xia was still processing her surprise, Xin Xiaohe politely said, “Aiya, we can’t keep making Brother Shu spend money. Brother Shu, you’d better accept the red packet we send you later, okay?"  

Zhang Shu pocketed his phone, picked up the shopping bags, and instinctively reached back with his other hand to find Sheng Xia’s, grasping it accurately. His eyes were on Xin Xiaohe. “No need.”  

Xin Xiaohe: “No, no, we insist.”  

Zhang Shu: “Next time we visit you in the countryside, you can treat.”  

Xin Xiaohe immediately shifted focus: “Our university town is quite trendy, okay? What ‘countryside’? Say that again?”  

Yang Linyu nodded: “Deal. We’re getting the better end. Countryside prices are great!”  

Xin Xiaohe: “No way. We can’t take advantage of Brother Shu like this.”

Yang Linyu: “Hey, your Brother Shu is rich! You think he needs you to worry about him?"  

“Huh? How rich?”  

“Let’s just say… richer than you. Oh, and richer than me. Richer than both of us combined.”

“Whoa!”  

Back at the rental, while stewing chicken wings, Sheng Xia pondered this matter.  

When he’d topped the college entrance exams, various companies had wanted to give him money, but he’d refused. In the end, he'd only accepted the government’s 100,000 yuan reward and 50,000 from the school. He’d donated part of it to charity; she didn’t know how much, but it must have been a significant sum, since the charity had sent him a commendatory banner.  

Moreover, there had been many expenses at the start of the semester, and he’d also bought an expensive bicycle. How could he still have so much left? And he didn’t seem like the type to put all his eggs in one basket, he probably had money saved elsewhere too.  

Was he wealthier than her?  

The consequence of her distraction was that her cola chicken wings ended up burned.  

Apart from Zhang Shu, who kept eating them, no one else took a second bite.  

The others’ dishes weren’t much better.  

Xin Xiaohe’s sweet and sour pork ribs had no trace of sourness, only cloying sweetness; Yang Linyu’s scrambled tomatoes and eggs had been reduced to a soggy tomato slurry; Tao Zhizhi fared slightly better, her pot of luosifen was hard to ruin even with clumsy hands.  

Only Zhang Shu’s stir-fried chicken with green peppercorns turned out perfect, fragrant, flavorful, and tender, putting even the street-side braised chicken to shame.    

Yang Linyu was baffled: “A-Shu, when did you learn to cook?”  

Zhang Shu: “Watched Hou Junqi’s live streams and learned.”  

“HAHAHAHA!!”  

Hou Junqi, in Canada, hadn’t mastered anything academic yet, spending all his time experimenting with cooking. Whenever he attempted a fancy dish, he’d video call some poor friend to show off.  

If failure seemed imminent, he’d cut the call.  

But if it turned out even slightly decent? He’d flaunt it on Weibo, QQ Space, and WeChat Moments. 

Tao Zhizhi loved spicy food and devoured most of the chicken plate. Munching on a drumstick, she mumbled, “Brother Shu, do you have any single brothers who can cook like you?”  

Zhang Shu: “Hou Junqi. Tall, rich, handsome.”  

“HAHAHAHA! I agree!” Yang Linyu seconded.  

Sheng Xia facepalmed. Tall, rich, handsome?  

Well, Hou Junqi wasn’t bad-looking.  

Could he cook, though? Really?  

Xin Xiaohe muttered: “Old Hou is 195 cm. How tall is Taozi? 165?”  

Tao Zhizhi mumbled: “163.”  

Yang Linyu: “Isn’t ‘cute height difference’ all the rage now?”

Zhang Shu: “It’s fine, doesn’t affect…”  

Then, as if remembering something, he stopped mid-sentences. His gaze flicked to Sheng Xia.  

Sheng Xia abruptly lowered her head, focusing on her food.  

Feeling inexplicably guilty.  

Her mind suddenly flashed to the image of him lifting her entirely.  

She had a feeling he was about to say….kissing!  

---

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