Summer in Your Name - 92

Sheng Xia noticed that Zhang Shu had become obsessed with the Three Kingdoms.

While she edited photos and cut videos, he binged the TV drama. While she memorized texts, he read the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Sheng Xia was puzzled. “Didn’t you read it in middle school?”

"I did. Just not in depth."  

"Why the sudden need to go in depth?”

Zhang Shu lifted his gaze from the book, staring at her for a long moment. Then he reached across the desk, pulled her close by the neck, and kissed her hard before settling back into his reading without another word.

Sheng Xia: …

He finished the novel and moved on to historical texts, flipping through Book of the Later Han and Records of the Three Kingdoms. The dry prose of historical records was tough going, and now Sheng Xia became his living Classical Chinese dictionary, offering real-time annotations.

Each time she explained something, he’d praise her: “Impressive.”

Sheng Xia: “Flattery.”

As finals approached, Zhang Shu started bringing Cheng Zhuoyang to Heqing. So Sheng Xia also brought Liao Jing along. 

They studied separately, exchanged thoughts now and then.  

During breaks, Sheng Xia and Zhang Shu discussed Three Kingdoms generals. They spent half an hour on why Guan Yu couldn't defeat Pang De. Then another half hour debating whether Guan Yu could beat Ma Chao.

Yet from start to finish, it was nothing more than a calm exchange of ideas

Even when their opinions clashed, their voices never rose. Occasionally, Sheng Xia’s thoughts couldn’t keep up, and her tone grew flustered when she couldn’t counter his points.  

Zhang Shu remained calm throughout, delivering “You’re right” and “You’re wrong” in the same composed tone.

Liao Jing and Cheng Zhuoyang were a whole different story.

When they played games, they argued loud enough to draw stares from the entire café.

Well. Liao Jing argued. Cheng Zhuoyang was a mute lump. Which only made Liao Jing angrier.

Sheng Xia was confused. “Are they playing against each other?”

Zhang Shu: “No, one’s jungle, one’s support.”

“So they’re on the same team?”

“Mm.”

"Same side and they fight?"

"Same side is when you fight."

“Oh, I see.” 

The words barely left her mouth when Zhang Shu grabbed her chin and turned her face toward him. He stared at her for two seconds. Then just pinched her cheek.

It stung a little.

Sheng Xia read something restrained in his gaze. She knew. If there hadn't been people sitting across from them, he would’ve kissed her.

---

That evening back at the dorm, Liao Jing remarked, “I’ve noticed you two never fight. Have you ever argued?”

Sheng Xia had never considered this. The question caught her off guard.

It seemed they hadn’t.

She'd get mildly annoyed sometimes. Tiny flickers of dissatisfaction. Zhang Shu always noticed immediately and extinguished them.

They'd never fought. Never raised voices. Never given each other the silent treatment.

“People say little fights keep the romance alive. If you don’t fight, how do you deepen your relationship?”

Sheng Xia thought for a moment and answered seriously, “Does kissing count?”

Liao Jing: “...Sure. And while you’re at it, tally up all those nights you didn't come back to the dorm.”

Sheng Xia didn't know about other couples, but she felt they kissed far too often. People said the honeymoon phase lasted three months, after that, if you hadn’t grown sick of each other, things would settle into something steadier. Steady also meant cooling off.

But they didn’t seem to follow that pattern.

Whenever they were together, their hands never separated. On walks, Zhang Shu kept staring at her, and if she met his gaze, he’d kiss her. Sometimes she got annoyed and bit him. Instead of getting mad, he’d just laugh, peppering her with light, appeasing kisses, his hand stroking the back of her head in slow, soothing motions. Once she’d calmed down, he’d deepen the kiss again.

His favorite kissing position was one hand on her waist, one on the back of her head. Or both hands cupping her face. Always positions that claimed territory. 

When he finally let go, it was always she who seemed unable to pull away, dazed and disoriented, rendering all her earlier ‘resistance’ nothing more than a coy pretense.  

Sheng Xia had her own favorite kissing position too.

She liked standing on steps. Or curbs. Kissing him while he held her waist. When it ended, he’d look up at her slightly, his gaze drifting from her lips to her eyes. That moment of eye contact always makes Sheng Xia’s heart flutter.

It was heart-fluttering.

With him, every day brought a new flutter.

Why would she fight with someone like that?

Sheng Xia turned the question back on Liao Jing: “You and Cheng Zhuoyang fight every day, in person and over calls. Does that keep the romance alive for you?”

“Hahahaha!” Zhong Lujie, who'd been silently spectating, burst out laughing.

Liao Jing’s face stiffened and turned away.

Sheng Xia thought her question was perfectly reasonable. She genuinely wanted to know.

Zhong Lujie was still laughing. “Xiaxia, stop teasing her. She’s already agonizing whether to admit she’s fallen for that plaid-shirt guy.”

Sheng Xia: “Should I tell Cheng Zhuoyang to stop wearing plaid shirts?”

Liao Jing: “Sheng! Xia!”

Zhong Lujie clutched her stomach, something about Sheng Xia always tickled her. 

When they first met, Zhong Lujie simply thought Sheng Xia was just pretty and sweet-tempered. As she got to know her, she noticed her gentleness veiled a world of depth, keeping a wall between herself and the outside world, approachable but hard to truly know. Yet after spending more time together, she realized Sheng Xia was surprisingly down-to-earth, with a touch of lovable ditziness.

Her humor and what made her laugh never quite aligned with everyone else’s, often giving her an endearing, detached charm.

And beneath it all, she had a warm heart and was very attentive to everyone around her.

A girl like that, if she didn’t already have a boyfriend, the Literature Department would’ve been stormed by suitors.  

Some clueless underclassmen had tried their luck, only to slink away in defeat after learning about Sheng Xia's boyfriend.

Some people were just like that. They didn’t even need to show their face to fend off rivals. 

---

On the subject of being upperclassmen, Room 219 took it seriously. Zhong Lujie rose to become a director in the college student union; Fan Jingshu now led her own team in the debate club; and Liao Jing was already leading planning meetings for the drama club…

Only Sheng Xia held no "official" position. In the photography club, she had no title and rarely attended outdoor shoots. The first time she went, they made her model. She didn't like it. After that, she worked alone. Occasionally attended club lectures to learn.

She only took casual snapshots of her daily life, posting weekly photo collections on Weibo and uploading a vlog every month. At first, it was just for practice, but looking back, she realized most of her vlogs featured Zhang Shu. How could he have no bad angles? How did he look good in every shot? It fueled her desire to document more. She’d occasionally film herself, and her videos got more polished over time.

She never used hashtags or topics. Only a handful of people like Teacher Sprite and Xin Xiaohe commented and liked. When exam weeks came and she stopped updating, Teacher Sprite would leave comments urging her to update.

Summer passed into autumn. Winter came, then spring. Endless scenery recorded in her small corner of the world.

Sheng Xia's days moved slowly. Zhang Shu's life raced forward, his map constantly changing. He didn't even have normal vacations.

During winter break, he stayed in the lab and accompanied his advisor on fieldwork across the country, including a visit to Nanli. But the schedule was so tight, he passed by his own home three times without stopping in.

The following semester, he applied for a summer research program and spent his break at Stanford.

Sheng Xia hadn’t been idle either. Inspired by her Three Kingdoms discussions with Zhang Shu, she wrote a collection of biographical sketches, looking at historical figures across different periods through a gentler lens. After over half a year, she finally submitted the manuscript.

Zhang Shu claimed credit: “Don’t I deserve a cut of the royalties?”

Sheng Xia was generous, even though the royalties were still a distant prospect. "Well, what do you want?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she knew she’d walked into trouble. Sure enough, Zhang Shu’s face suddenly drew near, his gaze tracing a path she knew all too well.

Her eyelids fluttered shut on instinct, warm breath brushing her skin, but the expected kiss didn't come. When she slowly opened her eyes again, she was met with his amused gaze.    

Toyed with. Sheng Xia glared at him. Just as she turned away, he cupped her face, his warm, soft lips sealing over hers.

"I want first reading rights.”

That simple?

Sheng Xia blinked. “Just that?”

“I want to read it now.”

Suspecting nothing, she sent him the digital file.  

And so, he read from morning to night, even after dinner, he still reads. He’d pause to discuss bits with her, and before they knew it, the conversation had stretched past curfew. 

Zhang Shu was still questioning: "Song Jiang is the top hero of Liangshan, but he’s so far back in your book? Dead last?”

Sheng Xia stifled a yawn. "Second to last. Penultimate."

"Who's last?"

“Haven’t written it yet.”

“You really like Song Jiang?”

“You could say that.”

Sheng Xia was too drowsy, answering whatever he asked without much thought. But catching his surprised look, she snapped awake a little and asked back, “You don’t like him?”

“Not really a fan,” Zhang Shu said, as honest as ever. On topics like this, he never pretended to like something just because she did.

“He’s definitely controversial.”

So the two continued their ‘debate’ until a café employee reminded them that it's all-nighter study time.

Sheng Xia was startled. Midnight already?

Several cafés lined the street between Heqing University and Haiyan University. By day, they operated like any other, but transformed into study hubs for local students at night. Past midnight was all-nighter time. During exam weeks or thesis defense periods, seats were impossible to find.

Sheng Xia frowned. “I’m past curfew again.”

Zhang Shu stated matter-of-factly, "I brought my ID."  

Translation: Don't even think about sending me away.

Though staying at a hotel after curfew had become standard procedure, Sheng Xia still flushed with shame every time. She only looked up during facial recognition.

This time, when she heard the front desk say Zhang Shu's account had reached platinum membership, her ears burned crimson in an instant.

What the—  

Why did hotels have loyalty programs!

Sheng Xia just wanted to get upstairs. Didn't want to hear about some membership benefits.

"When I traveled with my professors and seniors before, I handled the bookings. That's why my account leveled up fast." Zhang Shu explained, trying to cool her ears. "Nothing to do with you."    

The front desk girl glanced at them meaningfully, and Sheng Xia could've sworn she saw her smirk as she looked down!    

Ugh, annoying! Why’d he have to make it sound more suspicious by explaining it?

The second they entered the room, Sheng Xia threw herself onto the bed, grabbed a pillow, and buried her face in it, letting out a muffled scream into the fabric while rolling side to side.  

Zhang Shu stood quietly by the bed, waiting for her to calm down. Then, with one knee resting on the mattress, he tugged the pillow away from her grasp. "Still shy? When will you stop being shy?”

It was a question that had plagued him for a long time.

With her shield gone, Sheng Xia covered her eyes with her hands and improvised randomly: “When it's legal, of course. Then I'll stop being shy."    

The words escaped before she could stop them and she instantly regretted it. Sure enough, she heard his chuckle. The next second, his full weight settled over her, he pinned her wrists above her head. “Great writer's way with words sure is something. So authoritative?”

Before she could utter a word, he pressed a kiss to her lips. “Oh no, that's illegal.”

Another kiss, this time accompanied by a teasing grin. “What’s the punishment?”

He caught her lower lip between his, nipping lightly. “What statute covers this?”

Then he chucked sharply and asked seriously: “Hm?”

Sheng Xia was thrown by his final hum, no coherent answer rose to her lips.  

A flurry of kisses rained down as he released her pinned hands.

Sheng Xia felt her armpits tighten from the stretch, her body suddenly tensing as she stared wide-eyed at him.

His hands were busy, his lips even busier, only pausing between kisses to ask, "Then is this a crime?”

“Mm—” Sheng Xia winced, nine parts numbness, one part pain.

“And this?”

Her eyes were red with shame and anger. Nearly in tears from his questioning.

Zhang Shu propped himself up to study her, his gaze lingering. After a long pause, he leaned down, peppering her with soft, meticulous kisses.

“I want to commit a crime,” His voice vibrated so close it seemed to resonate in her eardrum. His soft, thick hair brushed against her neck, sending shivers through her. 

Sheng Xia whispered, “A-Shu, I need to shower first…”

"We'll need another one later anyway."

“Shower first…”

“Can’t wait.”

“Then… turn off the lights…” Her voice had dwindled to a mosquito’s hum.  

Zhang Shu pressed his forehead against hers, murmuring roughly, “Can we leave them on?”  

“You’re pushing your luck!” 

“Wrongly accused. Where am I pushing? I haven’t even taken an inch…”

It took her a second to catch the innuendo, her face burning. “Pervert, shameless!”

“If you keep getting shy, I’m going to start feeling like some irredeemable villain.” Zhang Shu teased, straddling her as he crossed his arms, grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and tugged it upward. His narrow waist, broad chest, and defined shoulders emerged inch by inch. His muscles tensed, carving valleys across his skin, glistening like slabs of white chocolate.  

Sheng Xia instinctively looked away. At the same moment, his discarded T-shirt landed beside her head, right in her line of sight.  

The next second, he turned her face back, pressing forehead against hers, negotiating, “What if we settle all my crimes in one go? I’ll gladly serve a life sentence.”

It was phrased as a question, yet he didn’t wait for her response, already steadily proving himself guilty to the accusation of pushing his luck.

---

Sheng Xia always showered first, emerging dry and refreshed, but as soon as Zhang Shu came out, still damp, he'd pull her straight into his arms. He clung to her like an octopus, planted an eager kiss on her cheek before commandeering her pillow and settling into his favorite position, then going still.

As Sheng Xia was drifting off, she heard him whisper in her ear, “When do you want to make it legal? I'll cooperate.”

Her sleepiness evaporated instantly. She turned in his arms, hands pushing against his chest to create some distance. “You’re not even of legal age yet?”

Zhang Shu opened his eyes, brows dancing with excitement. “So you’re saying once I am, it’s a yes?”  

Of course not! 

“Not too early. Who gets married while still in school?”

Zhang Shu's voice lifted in disbelief, “So, you’re saying you plan on being shy for another five, six, seven, eight years?”

Sheng Xia was set to study under Professor Tan, pursuing a combined master’s and PhD in Classical Chinese literature. By the time she finished her doctorate, it’d be at least six years.

"No matter what, undergrad is definitely out of the question! Even during my master’s… that wouldn’t be ideal either.”

Forget about herself. Wang Lianhua would probably be the first to object.

Zhang Shu’s brows furrowed tighter, as if he were already agonizing over the next five, six, seven, eight years.

Sheng Xia kissed his chin, her hand sliding beneath the covers to trace the contours of his abs. In this relaxed state, they were soft on the surface yet still defined—ridged, firm, smooth, exactly like chocolate. 

“Baby. “

“Hmm?” She wandered lower, her touch deliberate.

Zhang Shu’s body tensed, he asked in a deep voice. “You don’t want to sleep anymore, do you?”

Sheng Xia wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m learning how to stop being shy… wait for me a bit longer.”

Zhang Shu glanced down. The tips of her ears peeked out from her hair, flushed pink, and her eyes still sparkled like stars in the dim room.  

She gazed up at him, focused, obedient, earnest.

Wait a bit longer. The words weighted with double meaning.  

Zhang Shu folded his arms behind his head, his posture relaxed, almost inviting. “If you pass tonight’s test, I’ll think about it.”

Sheng Xia hesitated for a few seconds before leaning down to kiss him. She tried to recall how he’d done it, trying to mimic his movements. But halfway through the thought, her whole body started heating up, his temperature under her palms was hotter, pulsed wildly. She didn’t dare move anymore, collapsing onto him with a whimper. In frustration, she nipped at his Adam’s apple, then buried her face in the hollow of his neck to admit defeat: “I can’t…”

Her body swayed with the motion of nuzzling into his neck, making Zhang Shu, her human cushion, grow increasingly rigid beneath her.

His throat bobbed, his hand stroking her hair gently, head tilted back to stare at the ceiling with a helpless smile. “You can. No one does it better than you.”

He flipped her beneath him, cradled her face, and kissed her deeply.

…

Sheng Xia said to wait for her, but Zhang Shu knew it was she who was waiting for him.

She wasn’t in a hurry, but his pace never slowed.

Zhang Shu's GPA climbed point by point each semester. For his baseline, this was no small feat. He'd once said his major courses couldn't compare with competition students. That junior year would expose the gap.

But it never came.  

In junior year, when major courses peaked, he earned top marks. Draft after draft of business proposals left his desk, though most sank like stones into the sea, no reply.  

When everyone else started worrying about graduation theses, Sheng Xia seemed especially relaxed. Over three years, she’d published two books and countless papers, she had an abundance of original material at her disposal, plagiarism checks were no concern at all, truly the envy of her peers.  

She still found time to edit videos and post on Weibo, her life’s rhythm unchanged.

If there was any change, it was probably that Professor Tan had already claimed her under his wing, assigning her tasks without the slightest hesitation. Yet he also had her back, when online criticism cropped up about Sheng Xia’s books, the old scholar would occasionally fire off a sharp retort or two.  

The professor who'd once proclaimed, "Linguistics is linguistics, literature is literature. Put them together? What for? Negative plus negative makes positive? Cold rubbing against cold creates friction?” had, over three years, either experienced an epiphany or simply surrendered. Nowadays, he occasionally conceded that "integration has its subtle wonders." His students thought Professor Tan had mellowed with age, but Sheng Xia alone sensed the vague undercurrent. This was the foreboding wind before the storm.

With Professor Tan’s permission, Sheng Xia began featuring him in her vlogs. Gradually encroaching on Zhang Shu's "screen time.” The professor’s candid quips became a recurring highlight, each more quotable than the last.  

"Xia Xia. I feel like among us, you're the only ones who really feels like a literature major, no, scratch that. You’re what people imagine a literature major should be like.” Liao Jing sighed during their last junior-year dorm talk.

Liao Jing was preparing for the cross-major postgraduate exam, going to study Law.

“Yeah, your pen breathes fragrance, your words carry songs. A life to admire but not attain." Fan Jingshu sighed too. She'd found a TV station internship and planned to work after graduation.

As for Zhong Lujie, she was still torn between pursuing further studies or following her parents’ advice to take the civil service exam.

People said senior year was life's second great turning point, after the college entrance exam. Sheng Xia felt the year was arriving early. Some people started preparing in junior year. Some had mapped their paths from the moment they stepped on campus.  

When she really thought about it, she’d never had much of a plan. She’d always gone with the flow, accepting whatever outcomes came her way.

“Hey, Xiaxia,” Liao Jing asked, “Zhang Shu’s grinding so hard for his GPA, is he planning to study abroad?”

Sheng Xia shook her head. “Haven’t heard him mention it.”

The topic was sensitive because Cheng Zhuoyang was set on studying abroad, He and Liao Jing had been circling each other for over a year, and still haven't officially defined their relationship. They were like a couple in every way except physical intimacy.

The reason was simple: Cheng Zhuoyang had planned to study abroad since freshman year. Every activity in his undergraduate years was a stepping stone to MIT.

Liao Jing: “But they've been in the lab together for so long. They both want to work in AI, right? Then going abroad is pretty much the only path forward..."

“He probably can’t bear to,” Fan Jingshu said. "Who could bear to go abroad and leave Sheng Xia behind?”

“Yeah, if it were me, I wouldn’t either,” Liao Jing responded, her tone tinged with faint melancholy.

Is that so?

Sheng Xia stared at the ceiling, wide awake the entire night.  

---

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