Summer in Your Name - 89

The time spent together is always fleeting. The next day, everyone had a breakfast of local specialties at Lianli, and then the driver took them back to the city one by one. Just like that, they said their hasty goodbyes.

Most farewells happen this way; too rushed to feel ceremonial.

A wave of the hand, and each person embarked on their own new journey.

Zhang Shu had matters to attend to and needed to return to Heyan first. Sheng Xia had originally planned to leave a couple of days early too, but Wang Lianhua wanted her to stay home for her birthday.

Her birthday always fell just a day or two before the spring semester began.

No choice. When Mother decrees, she can only obey. 

The morning of her birthday was no different from any other. Waking up, Sheng Xia checked her phone out of habit and saw the blessings in her close friends' group chat. Only then did she remember her birthday had arrived.

Everyone had made sure to send their greetings at midnight, but she had already been fast asleep and missed them.

After replying to all the messages, she got up to wash her face, when suddenly, something felt off.

Zhang Shu hadn't sent his wishes. Not even by morning.

Had he forgotten?

Surely not?

Usually, he was the one who cared more about rituals. She was the scatterbrain, always relying on him to remember anniversaries.

But there really was no message?

Sheng Xia opened his Moments again. Empty.

Had he really forgotten?

Lately, he'd been busy with a program test, which was why he returned to school early. And her birthday followed the lunar calendar, shifting dates every year, hard to keep track of. An oversight was understandable.

That’s what logic told her. Yet her mood still dipped uncontrollably. She must have worn it on her face, because at breakfast, Wang Lianhua asked, “Not tasty?”

Sheng Xia hurriedly stuffed the longevity noodles into her mouth. "No, it's delicious."

"Mom will celebrate your birthday at lunch and… introduce you to someone." 

Sheng Xia didn't think much of it, assuming it was one of Wang Lianhua's colleagues or friends. "Okay."

Wang Lianhua's eyes shifted somewhat evasively, unusually hesitant. "He's... Ningning's psychologist. You've met him before."

Something in her mother’s tone and expression told Sheng Xia this wasn’t a casual introduction. This ‘meeting’ was significant. "Mom…"

"You're an adult today. A-Xuan will be taking her college entrance exams in a couple of years. You’re both growing up. Soon, you’ll each have your own lives. It’s about time I considered my own future. Nothing too complicated, just finding someone to share life with. Of course, I wanted your opinion first. After you've met him, if you think it's okay, then I'll talk to A-Xuan."

Sheng Xia was stunned, temporarily unable to process this news.

It was too sudden! There had been no signs!

From her memories, that psychologist was a professor at Nanli Medical University, a renowned expert in autism spectrum disorders. He carried himself with a scholarly air, and even his name, Xu Yuanshan (Distant Mountains), evoked quiet elegance. 

"This is a good thing, Mom. Why would I object? A-Xuan will be even happier than I am. Ningning…"

In a flash of insight, Sheng Xia suddenly remembered—back when Zhang Shu was hospitalized after his injury, she'd once pretended to go to Tao Zhizhi’s house but actually went to see him. When she took A-Xuan and Ningning out, Ningning had said to their mother, “Mom, you should go on a date too,” or something similar.

"Did Ningning know already?"

Wang Lianhua nodded, then shook her head. "What does a child know? She’s always treated Yuanshan as her second father.”

"Ningning is eleven. She knows," Sheng Xia said.

Children were often far more perceptive than those stuck in that awkward in-between, not quite grown, not quite young.

Wang Lianhua said, "I've known him for six years now. We've been seeing each other for over a year. We've both thought it through clearly. I'm not doing this just to find a father for Ningning. But if the other person couldn't accept being a father to Ningning, then he’s not someone I’d consider. These words… Mom can only really say them to you."

Sheng Xia felt a slight tremor in her heart.

For all these years, her mother had raised the three sisters alone. She had already weathered the most difficult days by herself. Now, having completely emerged from the shadows, she wanted to find someone to welcome the next stage of life with, not to find a helper to lessen the burden. But no matter what, her three daughters were a part of her life, a part she would never compromise. So if the other person couldn't accept that, she would rather remain alone.

Fortunately, such a person had appeared.

Sheng Xia understood. "Then I'll dress up nicely, put on a good show for you, Mom."

A faint smile touched Wang Lianhua's lips. "Eat your noodles."

After breakfast, Sheng Xia started packing. She was returning to school tomorrow, and wouldn't be back until the May holiday. She needed to bring clothes for both winter and spring.

Ding. A WeChat notification sound. She quickly pushed aside the pile of clothes and found her phone.

She had muted notifications for almost every chat, except for Wang Lianhua and Zhang Shu.

Wang Lianhua was at home, so it wouldn’t be her. That left only Zhang Shu.

Had he remembered?

Elated, Sheng Xia opened the chat, only to see: “Lazybones, it’s 9:30. Are you up yet?”

The smile on her lips faded. She tossed her phone aside, disappointment pooling in her chest. But then she thought, ignorance is no crime. She retrieved it again and replied, “I’ve been up for ages, even finished breakfast. You?”

Zhang Shu: “Then got time to help me convert a file on the computer? I’m out and can't do it myself.”

He really was busy. Sheng Xia sighed and replied, "Sure, how do I do it?"

Zhang Shu: "The file's too big. I sent it to you on QQ."

He seemed to be in a hurry. Sheng Xia quickly turned on her computer, logged into QQ, and found his chat window. There was a file in a strange format and a single line: “Click receive.”

She hurriedly clicked to receive the file and opened it.

Bzzzt— The computer screen suddenly went black.

What just happened?

Sheng Xia froze. Had it crashed from disuse? Frantically clicking the mouse and pounding the keyboard yielded no response. Peering at the CPU was pointless, like she’d know what to look for. Resigned, she prepared to call Zhang Shu.  

Suddenly, glowing letters began cascading down her computer screen like streams of code from a sci-fi movie.

It took her several seconds to make out the letters: 

happybirthday 

mysweetheart  

shengxia  

Even the densest person would’ve understood by now.

Just when she thought it was over, the glowing letters dimmed into the background, and a new prompt popped up at the center of the screen:

[Is Auntie home?]

[Y or N]

Sheng Xia had no idea what he was up to, but she truthfully selected Y.

A second prompt appeared:

[Put on headphones or close the door]

[Confirm]

Sheng Xia glanced at her already-shut door and clicked Confirm.

A brief black screen sent her anticipation soaring.

Then, accompanied by the sound of keyboard clicks, a line of text appeared on the screen, character by character:

[Meeting you was, how should I put it… like a jasmine flower turning a chaotic world pure white.]

The sentence lingered for half a second before fading.

A photo appeared at the bottom of the screen: the small path by the south gate of Wenboyuan, the very spot where she had her ‘moon landing scam’. 

Beside the image, lines of text gradually appeared:

[July 28, Sunny]

[If you had just crashed into me that day and demanded I take responsibility. Would the start of our story have been simpler?]

Sheng Xia frowned slightly. This overly sentimental tone didn’t sound like him at all.  

And, why did these words feel so familiar?

The scene faded, replaced by another photo:

The high school bike sheds, a row of camphor trees stained crimson by the sunset.

[August 1, Sunny]

[I’ve been blessed with this breathtaking view, and the story seems to be unfolding smoothly.]

Looking at these two dates, Sheng Xia began to understand. He was clearly responding to her love letter.

Sure enough, the third photo on the screen was of Classroom Six, its windows bright and spotless, the morning sun shimmering. From that angle, he and she had once stood side by side.

[August 15, Sunny]

[You said your eyes held no scenery. I know, because I was gazing into them.]

Next, there were photos of a birthday cake, the sports meet, Yifang Bookstore…

The captions mostly adopted her tone and format, though some felt awkwardly forced. Clearly, this style of expression didn’t come naturally to him.

As the photos flipped page by page on the screen, a smile gradually deepened on Sheng Xia's face without her realizing it.

[February 27, Sunny]

[The sunlight at Yifang Bookstore has always been great. Zhang Shu won’t make Sheng Xia wait again.]

He remembered everything.

He remembered what had happened on every date mentioned in her love letters. Even the events from her one-sided perspective, he remembered them too. Every emotion she’d poured onto the page, he knew the reason behind.

And now, at the end:  

[Today, Nanli’s sunny. Heyan, I don’t care, probably a bit cloudy.]  

[Happy Birthday.]

[Click to play]

The still image transformed into a video. Sheng Xia tapped lightly with her mouse, and the strum of a guitar filled the air as the scene slowly sharpened into focus.

Zhang Shu sat at his dorm desk, guitar in arms. Judging by the shaky camera work, it was probably filmed by his roommate.

A "Happy Birthday" song.

Nothing extraordinary, yet the most extraordinary of all.

The video didn’t end after the song. He paused, as if struck by a sudden thought, then chuckled, "Sheng Xia, how come I realize every time I sing 'Happy Birthday,' it turns into a confession to you? All these years in the future, where am I supposed to find so many confession lines?"

His roommates’ teasing echoed in the background. He laughed, seeming to remember they were filming, said “Wrap it up,” and the video ended abruptly.

The screen returned to the QQ interface.

Only then did she noticed the file was sent at midnight.

He hadn’t forgotten, she just hadn’t checked.

Sheng Xia picked up her phone, about to send him a WeChat message, when a call came in. Seeing it was a local Nanli number, she answered.

"Your same-day delivery has arrived. I'm at your door."

Puzzled, Sheng Xia hurried to open the door. The delivery person handed her a gift box without even asking for a verification code.

The box also looked familiar.

Today was just too strange.

Wang Lianhua, sitting in the living room, saw her staring blankly at the package. "What is it?" 

Sheng Xia shook her head and, playing it safe, went back to her room to open it.

The moment she opened it, she instantly knew why the box looked familiar.

It was unmistakably the one she had given Zhang Shu before, the one containing the Criminal Law book!

He had actually kept it all this time, and in such pristine condition.

She was sure it was the one she gave him. The scratches on the corners were ones she’d accidentally made herself.

Inside now lay a limited-edition art appraisal book she'd searched for for a long time.

Out of print for years, and because it was so niche, no one was trading it even on the secondhand market.

How did he manage to get it?

Sheng Xia immediately called him, but he didn't answer. After a while, he sent a message: "At my advisor's. I'll call later. Don't get too excited, just a small thing.”

Sheng Xia: …

Show-off.

Sheng Xia couldn't put the book down and immediately sat at her desk to start reading, unaware as the morning slipped into noon.  

When Wang Lianhua came to get her, she found Sheng Xia sitting quietly amidst a room piled with clothes waiting to be packed, absorbed in the book.

“Time to get ready for lunch,” Wang Lianhua reminded her.

Sheng Xia snapped the book shut. “Oh, right.” She hurriedly picked out clothes and got ready.

They didn't go far, lunck was at a nearby hotel—a nice, small private room, nothing extravagant.

On their side, mother and three daughters. Xu Yuanshan only brought a boy, about Sheng Xia's age, but he seemed…

Xu Yuanshan took the initiative to explain: "This is my nephew. He's lived with me since he was young. His intellectual level is around that of an 8-year-old. Quite childlike."

Sheng Xia was slightly surprised but warmed by Xu Yuanshan’s candid introduction.

Compared to the quiet Ningning, his nephew was much more lively. Though his adult face paired with childish speech took some getting used to, Sheng Xia could tell he had been raised well, polite and sincere. In the end, it was he who kept pestering Ningning, insisting they sing "Happy Birthday" and blow out the candles together.

Ningning seemed a bit annoyed, yet also resigned, and to everyone’s surprise, opened her mouth and started singing along with him.

It was truly unexpected chemistry.

All in all, the meal was harmonious and pleasant. Sheng Xia felt Wang Lianhua was gentler than ever before.

After lunch, the mother and two daughters went shopping to walk off the meal. Wang Lianhua brought up Xu Yuanshan's nephew. His parents had passed early, and Xu Yuanshan took him in. This had drawn qualms from potential partners, stalling his marriage prospects during the years when others settled down. He refused to compromise and remained single. As his social standing and personal charisma bloomed with age, plenty of suitors came, but by then his mindset had changed. Even when he met someone willing to treat his nephew like their own, Xu Yuanshan still refused. He was no longer willing to have children of his own, viewing his nephew as his own son.

Sheng Xia thought of Zhang Sujin.

It was hard to imagine that Zhang Sujin, at her age, had already been raising a child alone and was prepared to devote her life to him. What kind of courage and resilience did that take? Though Zhang Shu hadn’t let her sacrifices down, in the eyes of the world, it seemed she had lost her own life in the process.  

But then again, just like Xu Yuanshan, who’s to say this wasn’t her life too?

People always thought everyone should max out all their skills, minimize sunk costs, and strive for the best possible life. Those who ‘could’ve been more’ but weren’t are labeled as regrets. But good or not, who's outsiders to judge?

They made their own choices. The path ahead, only they themselves could pass judgment.

You are not a fish; how do you know what brings joy to fish?

...

Near bedtime, Zhang Shu finally called back.

Sheng Xia was still lost in her reflections, her voice dragging with a weight, making her sound listless.

“What’s wrong?” He’d sensed it within seconds. "Are you unhappy I called back so late? My fault. I should have asked my advisor to talk faster, avoid repeating himself ten times, and politely decline his request to run ‘just one more test’, and then…"

"A-Shu…" She almost laughed, stopping him.

"You definitely have something on your mind. Hang up, let's do a video call."

Before she could respond, he'd already hung up the call and started a video chat.

Sheng Xia was half-lying on the bed, covers pulled up to her neck, only her small face peeking out.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. I'm just happy."

"This is what happy looks like?" His expression was pure ‘you think I’m that easy to fool’ skepticism. 

"Really," Sheng Xia smiled. "I received special gifts today. From you, and from Mom."

Zhang Shu's expression relaxed slightly.

He seemed genuinely busy on his end. While chatting with her, he was also click-clacking on the keyboard, muttering, "Just a few more lines. Almost done."

Sheng Xia waited quietly, watching his focused profile on the screen.

"A-Shu…" she couldn't help calling him again.

"Hmm?"

"A-Shu."

"Hmm."

"A-Shu, A-Shu!"

Zhang Shu hit the enter key and finally turned fully toward the camera, fixing her with his full attention, “If you keep calling me like that, don’t even think about hanging up tonight. If I can't sleep, neither can you.”

"I can't sleep either," Sheng Xia said.

Zhang Shu propped his chin on his hand, studying her, his gaze questioning.

"A-Shu, the moon in Nanli tonight is crescent…"

Zhang Shu was taken aback for a second, then broke into a smile. He made a show of glancing outside the window before turning back. "Mm. Though miles apart, we share the same moon. The moon in Heyan is crescent too. Bright. Very bright."  

Sheng Xia rolled onto her side, cradling her phone as she video-called him, her posture relaxed.

Zhang Shu asked, "What did your mom give you?"

He was as sharp as ever, always knew where the cracks were.  

Sheng Xia said, "My mom is in a relationship. She might get married soon."

Zhang Shu clearly hadn’t expected this. “Is the guy great?”

"Mm."

"Auntie deserves it."

"Mm."

They fell silent, just looking at each other.

Sheng Xia suddenly remembered his code. "Your first question today, why did you ask if my mom was home?"

"If she wasn't, the delivery person would also bring a bouquet. If she was, better lay low, don't push our luck."

Sheng Xia pondered his word choice. Why did he made it sound like some secret affair? Almost pitiful.

"Weren't you busy? Will you even see my answer in real-time?”

Zhang Shu: "It’s all automated. Different inputs send different messages to the delivery guy, set up and arranged in advance."

"Oh. That sounds complicated.” Sheng Xia didn’t press further. "But I think... my mom’s different now. Maybe sending flowers will be fine.”

Zhang Shu nodded. "Noted."

"I'm not hinting for you to send me any, I'm just saying…"

"I know," Zhang Shu's gaze softened, sincere. "I know."

Sheng Xia stopped talking too, resting her head on her arm, quietly gazing back at him.

Who knows how much time passed before Sheng Xia suddenly sighed again. "A-Shu, they say if this life is good, the next will be bad bad. And if this life is bad, the next will be good. So in our next lives... Will we both have whole, happy families?"  

In this life, they had been denied the warmth of a complete families, that much was misfortune. And yet, they were fortunate all the same, for they still had family who loved them unconditionally.

Just that this love came weighted with too much sorrow.

If next life, they could both have complete, happy families, where every member loved each other without strain, how wonderful would that be?

Zhang Shu gazed at her through the screen, his expression deep and unreadable. Then he made a head-patting gesture, “No need.”

"Huh?"

Zhang Shu: "No need for the next life. We can have a complete, happy family in this one."

Sheng Xia’s mind circled the words for a moment, then understanding dawned. Her whole heart felt washed by a huge, warm current, burning and overwhelming, instantly washing away all the gloom.

Sheng Xia spoke, her voice soft and slow: "A-Shu, the moon seems even more crescent now…"

I miss you. I miss you so much.

Zhang Shu brought his phone closer, lips almost brushing the mic as he murmured, “Got it. I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll pick up adult Sheng Xia.”

---

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