Summer in Your Name - 87

The end of the year was packed with holidays. Winter Solstice, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day—each one marketed as ‘another’ Valentine’s Day. But Sheng Xia and Zhang Shu did not go on another date.

Finals were approaching, and during exam week, library seats were notoriously hard to come by. If you were lucky enough to snag one, you had to make the most of it—staying until closing time was the norm. Everyone was burning the midnight oil, leaving at dawn and returning late. At the very least, none of Sheng Xia’s roommates were slacking off.

As for Zhang Shu, he was even busier. Despite it being finals season, he still had major assignments due. On top of reviewing, he was writing various lab reports. Making a trip to Heqing University was a luxury.

Being busy was one thing, but more than that, Sheng Xia was still feeling uneasy. The day after their date, her chest had still been sore—and the culprit had thought he’d been a gentleman about it! 

Just the sight of him annoyed her.

The busier people are, the less aware they are of time passing. It wasn’t until the class monitor posted in the group chat about organizing train tickets that Sheng Xia realized winter break was approaching and it was time to go home.

Sheng Xia had originally thought of taking the train to experience crossing the country from south to north, surely it would be a wonderful journey. But Wang Lianhua wanted to take advantage of the break to bring Wu Qiuxuan along for a trip, with the main goal of touring prestigious universities to instill a prestigious-university ambition in Wu Qiuxuan, who had just started high school.

Sheng Xia would wait for them in Heyan; after the trip, they would all return to Nanli together.

Zhang Shu’s break was already starting late, and he still had a ‘mini-semester' to get through. His winter break lasted a mere ten days, and summer break barely stretched past twenty.

Mini-semester—the name made it sound refreshing, but in reality, it really was just glorified extra classes.

Even in university, they still organized mandatory cram sessions. The sheer dedication of these overachievers was truly something to behold.  

Sheng Xia booked the same homestay as before, surrounded by prestigious universities and with convenient transportation. Wang Lianhua was very satisfied.

The itinerary was entirely planned by Wang Lianhua: touring universities in the morning and sightseeing in the afternoon. Strangely, Haiyan University was scheduled for the last day.

Shouldn’t it have been first, or at least second?

Wu Qiuxuan offered an explanation: "Nervous, maybe? Like a mother-in-law meeting her future son-in-law?”

Sheng Xia was speechless. No way. The word ‘nervous’ didn’t even exist in Wang Lianhua’s dictionary, let alone ‘son-in-law’.

No such thing.

Sheng Xia hadn’t even brought this up with Wang Lianhua yet. To Wang Lianhua, dating at this age would probably still count as ‘puppy love’. 

As soon as they entered Haiyan University, Wang Lianhua asked, "Why are there still so many students on campus?"

Sheng Xia explained, "They have a mini-semester," and then went on to explain what that meant.

"Oh, I see," Wang Lianhua said, feigning sudden understanding. "So Zhang Shu hasn’t returned to Nanli yet?"

Sheng Xia: "Not yet."

She answered too quickly—clearly the kind of response that came from someone who kept constant tabs on the other person.

Wang Lianhua shot her a glance.

Sheng Xia understood then: Her mother wasn’t nervous about meeting a prospective son-in-law; she simply didn’t want to meet him at all.

Wu Qiuxuan chattered beside them: "Sis, can you ask Brother Zhang Shu to show me around then? Haiyan University is so big and has such a long history. I heard it takes three or four hours to visit properly, and you need a good guide to make it worthwhile. Are you familiar with the campus?"

If she said yes, that'd be awkward—why would she be familiar with the campus? Because she came here often?

If she said no, then they’d have to call Zhang Shu.

Caught in a dilemma, Sheng Xia tactfully declined: "His department is famously busy, even at Heqing, everyone knows about it."

Wu Qiuxuan pouted. "Oh please, don’t tell me you can’t even get him to do this much?”  

Wang Lianhua had originally intended to dismiss her younger daughter’s suggestion, but at this remark, she swallowed her words.  

Seeing that her mother didn’t refute it but instead watched her calmly, waiting for a response, Sheng Xia felt both surprised and increasingly uneasy.

She had no choice but to call Zhang Shu.

In the lab, Zhang Shu felt his phone vibrate. He glanced at it and answered. "What’s the matter?”

Though there was no form of address, that familiar greeting was enough for his classmates to know exactly who was on the other end—his girlfriend, the literary prodigy from Heqing University, whose book held pride of place on the center shelf of Zhang Shu’s dorm bookcase.

With everyone else, his greeting was a simple "Hello?" For closer acquaintances, like his roommates, it was even shorter: "Speak."

But with his girlfriend, it was different. Those three short words—"What’s the matter?"—were spoken in a deep tone, yet with a light cadence, carrying a hint of smile and a tenderness that needed no explanation.

After listening for less than half a minute, Zhang Shu hung up and said to his group members, "I need to step out for a bit."

"When will you be back?"

"Let’s call it a day for now," Zhang Shu suggested. "I’ll finish the report tonight."

"So urgent? What’s going on?"

"Pretty urgent," Zhang Shu said with a laugh. "It’s about whether I’ll be able to get married in the future."

There were no girls in the lab, so everyone started teasing him.

"In that case, hurry along! Go, go! What’s a report compared to a marriage certificate?”

"Thanks!" Zhang Shu grabbed his jacket and left without a moment’s hesitation.

In the lab, members from other groups came over to join the buzz.

“Isn’t this setup Zhang Shu’s ‘beloved son’? He’s leaving in the middle of testing? Abandoning his own son?"

"Who needs a son if you can’t get a wife?"

"Zhang Shu not being able to find a wife? You’ve got to be joking."

"He only wants to marry this one, though?"

"They’ve been together since high school, how rare is that?"

“Together since high school, one at Heqing, one at Haiyan? That’s one in a million, I tell you.”  

 

“No wonder he’s ditching his ‘son.’ Hey, Zhang Shu’s son, you’re stuck with Uncle now!"

……

……

Sheng Xia first led her mother and Wu Qiuxuan along the main path inward. Before long, they saw Zhang Shu biking toward them.

“Is that Brother Zhang Shu? It’s him, right!” Wu Qiuxuan began bouncing with excitement even though he was still a hundred meters away. "It must be! If it’s not him, then Haiyan University has way too many handsome guys!"

Sheng Xia: …

Wang Lianhua: …

Well… There was no denying it. With his long limbs, Zhang Shu did look good riding that bike.

Even the winter wind ruthlessly tousling his hair couldn’t diminish his looks.

Zhang Shu pulled over to the roadside. First, he greeted Wang Lianhua with a polite, “Auntie.” Only after receiving her slight nod did he properly park his bike and walk over.

"Brother Zhang Shu! You’ve gotten even handsomer. Really, why haven’t you debuted yet?" Wu Qiuxuan blurted without restraint.

Zhang Shu laughed. "Qiuxuan, you’ve grown more beautiful too."

Wang Lianhua shot a look at Wu Qiuxuan, then turned to Zhang Shu. "You must be very busy?"

"I was quite busy recently, preparing for an important experiment. But now we’re in the final stages, and it’s going smoothly," Zhang Shu replied, neither humble nor pushy, his answer sincere yet casual.

That response, Sheng Xia thought, would definitely satisfy Wang Lianhua.

She had once heard Sheng Mingfeng ask Li Xu a similar question, and Li Xu’s answer was much the same: He had been busy with very important work—meaning he’d been diligent and productive, not slacking off; it was going smoothly—indicating he was doing excellent work; final stages—meaning he wasn’t busy anymore, ready to serve at any time!  

Li Xu had been navigating bureaucratic circles since graduation, handling interpersonal relations flawlessly.

But Zhang Shu? He had no such experience.

Some people showed one face to their peers and another to elders.

Wang Lianhua nodded, a slight smile at her lips. "We’re just here to look around. We shouldn’t have troubled you. Sheng Xia’s being thoughtless.”

Zhang Shu still wore a faint smile. "When my classmates and I visited Heqing before, Sheng Xia showed us around, gave us a tour and even treated us to a meal. If anything, I owe her one. This is the perfect chance to return the favor.”

Sheng Xia was baffled: When did he ever visit Heqing with classmates?

Wang Lianhua raised an eyebrow.

Didn’t she know her own daughter? One look at Sheng Xia’s expression told her there was no such visit. Besides, during their trip to Heqing, Sheng Xia barely managed two coherent sentences to explain the campus. 

Zhang Shu’s response was quite something, in just a few words, he conveyed multiple layers of meaning: He went with classmates, so it wasn’t just the two of them; he owed Sheng Xia a favor, so it wasn’t that Sheng Xia was thoughtless; and having a chance to return the favor was even better, it seamlessly arranged their lunch plans.

"Then we’ll trouble you to show us around?” Wang Lianhua’s expression remained calm, her mood unreadable, her tone neutral.

Zhang Shu: "I haven’t had a good stroll in days, so this works out. But Auntie, coming from Nanli, you might not be used to the cold. If we walk too long, it’ll be freezing. How about we follow a route that’s half outdoors, half indoors?"

Wang Lianhua: "Sure, you decide. Mainly, I want Qiuxuan to see more of what makes a top university different."

Wu Qiuxuan: "Just looking at Brother Zhang Shu already shows me what makes a top university different, okay?"

"Shall we go, then?"

Sheng Xia: …Ah, their world was so complicated.

Just as she was thinking this, from an angle hidden from Wang Lianhua’s view, Zhang Shu gently squeezed her fingers.

Sheng Xia flinched away nervously, only to be caught by Wu Qiuxuan’s teasing gaze.

Zhang Shu’s hospitality could be described as ensuring both host and guests were pleased. Sheng Xia had no idea he was such a smooth talker or that he knew so much about Haiyan. No matter what Wang Lianhua asked, he could provide some insight, and even when faced with topics he wasn’t familiar with, he deftly redirected her attention in just a few words.

Especially when he discussed certain academic disciplines, Wang Lianhua showed great interest and had already started making plans for Wu Qiuxuan.

Wang Lianhua also paid extra attention to his major’s prospects, asking detailed and direct questions: What was the average salary for graduates? What achievements have famous alumni made? Did he plan to pursue graduate studies? Any intention to start a business?…

Not only Sheng Xia, but even Wu Qiuxuan found it hard to listen. Wasn’t this practically like interviewing a prospective son-in-law? Couldn’t she at least pretend to be subtle?

Zhang Shu answered fluently, clearly having already mapped out his life, at least his four years of university, very clearly.

Sheng Xia was once again flushed with embarrassment. They were both freshmen. How was it that she remained utterly clueless about her own future?  

Moreover, he was thoroughly considerate without seeming deliberate.

For instance, after touring half the campus, he casually changed the route, seemingly passing by the convenience store as if by chance, where he bought a pack of heating pads for them to use.

Wang Lianhua had indeed mentioned that her feet were getting colder the longer they walked.

Another example: Lunch was arranged in the cafeteria. The top floor had private rooms where they could order à la carte, much like an off-campus restaurant though the service and dishes were a touch simpler.

Wang Lianhua was very satisfied with this arrangement.

Since they were here to tour the school, eating at the cafeteria gave them a feel of the atmosphere and food quality. The self-service area downstairs would’ve been too casual, but this arrangement was just right.  

Going to an outside restaurant might’ve been more formal, but for a student hosting their elders, it would’ve come off as excessive or overly eager.

Wang Lianhua ordered neither too much nor too little, just enough for n+1 portions, avoiding waste while not seeming stingy or dismissive of the host.

Respect goes both ways.

After lunch, they were ready to leave. Zhang Shu only saw them to the school gate, without any additional arrangements, striking the right balance, measured and appropriate.  

After all, he wasn't in position to help them hail a cab. Not yet.  

While waiting for the car, Wang Lianhua made small talk with Zhang Shu: "Zhang Shu, when are you returning to Nanli?"

"I’ll go back after the mini-semester ends."

"Going back for New Year’s?"

"Yes."

"Staying in Lianli or in the city?"

Zhang Shu pondered this question for a few seconds. "I’ll definitely spend New Year’s Eve in Lianli. Other times, it depends on whether there are any plans."

Wang Lianhua: "Take advantage of the break to relax properly and reconnect with old friends. Sheng Xia, you too.”

Suddenly named, Sheng Xia stiffened.

Zhang Shu’s smile deepened. He nodded and said, "Okay."

Once in the taxi, Wu Qiuxuan leaned in close to Sheng Xia’s ear, grinning. "Sis, it sounds like Mom is encouraging you two to date during the break!"

Sheng Xia: …No way, right?

---

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