Summer in Your Name - 96

This winter was particularly cold. Heyan saw heavy snow every other day. At first, Sheng Xia found it novel, insisting on going out to admire the snow despite the freezing weather. Once, she even ended up in an embarrassing situation.

To show her southern fans the snowy scenery, she started a livestream and ventured outside. 

The earth was blanketed in pure white, soft and fluffy snow piling into gentle curves. The world had shed all its sharp edges, leaving nothing but quiet charm.

She let out a “whoa” in awe, capturing the scenery from all angles. But the barrage of comments flooding her screen was all about Zhang Shu.

He hadn’t appeared in her vlogs for a while, though he had been popping up frequently in tech forums and news outlets.

For the sake of his corporate image, Sheng Xia rarely included him in her videos, even when filming at home. 

But in this freezing weather, suddenly, she wanted to see him.  

Noticing it was almost lunchtime, she hailed a taxi and headed to Yixia Technology. 

“With you bundled up like that, who could recognize you?” someone commented in the bullet chat. 

“If he can’t recognize his own wife, divorce and marry me!”

“Agreed!”

“Bet five cents!”

Sheng Xia saw the comments, stifling a laugh but choosing not to engage.  

When she reached the office building’s entrance, the glass door reflected her tightly wrapped figure: wool hat, cold-proof mask, knee-length puffy coat, snow boots, leaving only her eyes exposed.  

The receptionist didn’t recognize her.

Zhang Shu’s assistant didn’t recognize her.

Even Cheng Zhuoyang, rushing past with a stack of documents, didn’t recognize her.

Now, she was starting to worry that Zhang Shu might not recognize her either. 

Maybe her eyes betrayed her unease, because the bullet chat erupted in a flood of "HAHAHAHA" laughter.  

Seeing her holding up her phone, the receptionist grew alert and approached proactively. “Hello, are you here to see someone or for business?”

Sheng Xia flustered. Before she could answer, the receptionist ushered her aside. “Let’s talk over here. Our company has…” Her words were cut off as a group of people emerged from inside, dressed in suits, chatting and laughing, likely having just sealed a deal. At the forefront were Zhang Shu and a middle-aged man.   

Sheng Xia’s back was turned to them, but her phone’s selfie-angle camera captured them. So, through the screen, she saw Zhang Shu appear, laughing and exchanging pleasantries with those around him, then passing behind her before vanishing from the frame.  

The group only briefly appeared in her livestream but left a strong impression.

The barrage kept spamming “Zhang Shu,” with a few “President Zhang” thrown in.

“He didn’t recognize her.”

“Divorce!”

“Hahaha, he really didn’t recognize her.”

“Our President Zhang didn’t even glance her way.”

“President Zhang in a suit is so damn handsome!”

“What’s the use of being handsome if he can’t recognize his wife?”

Sheng Xia was embarrassed. The receptionist, now closer, seemed to recognize her and tentatively called out, “Xia Xia?” Sheng Xia pulled down her mask, flashing an awkward smile, transferring the embarrassment to the receptionist. 

Just then, the automatic doors slid open, Zhang Shu returned from escorting the client outside. Sheng Xia turned her head, her gaze colliding with his as he looked up.

She was in a great mood today and didn’t dwell on him not recognizing her. Beaming, she dashed over to him, forgetting her boots still damp from the snow. The glossy tiles turned into an ice rink beneath her; she stumbled forward and crashed straight into his chest. 

Caught off guard, Zhang Shu staggered back two steps before catching her.

This stumble took them back outside.

Shame burned through her. It looks like she was throwing herself at him! Glaring up at him, she huffed, “You didn’t recognize me!”

Zhang Shu steadied her, pulling her upright. His eyes swept over her face, and slowly, laughter crinkled the corners of his eyes, tugging at his lips. 

"What! Don’t laugh!" Sheng Xia thrust her phone in front of him. "Look, you didn’t recognize me, and now everyone’s telling me to divorce you…”

The receptionist giggled, and even the assistant, long accustomed to the boss and his wife’s public displays of affection, couldn’t suppress a smile.

Zhang Shu didn’t respond. Instead, he turned slightly and addressed someone, “My apologies. My wife is here, so I’m afraid today’s—"   

Sheng Xia’s cheeks flushed. Following his gaze, she realized the group he’d just ‘escorted out’ was still standing in the elevator lobby.

The tips of her ears burned crimson. Old habits die hard, even with all her time under the camera eye, embarrassment still painted her ears red.   

Straightening slowly, she lowered her lashes and smiled, maintaining perfect composure. Then she shot Zhang Shu a questioning glance.  

 “Haha, no worries, no worries. Young couples are always so affectionate,” the middle-aged man at the front said, a woman beside him, likely his secretary, also smiled. “Let’s arrange another time to gather with President Zhang and your wife, then.”

“Sorry. I’m afraid she’s too embarrassed to have a meal with everyone right now,” Zhang Shu said smoothly, pulling her closer with an arm around her shoulders as he addressed the group waiting by the elevators. Then he instructed his assistant, “Call Cheng Zhuoyang over.”

Cheng Zhuoyang ended up accompanying the clients to lunch. As Sheng Xia trailed behind Zhang Shu to see them out, everyone looked at her with knowing amusement. 

The moment the elevator doors closed, Sheng Xia buried her face in her hands. "How am I supposed to live with myself now?!”

Zhang Shu led her to his office, his grin unwavering the entire way.

“I was coming back to take you for lunch together,” He poured her a cup of hot water, then leaned against the counter, studying her flushed face with interest. 

“Huh?” No wonder he returned so quickly. Sheng Xia, still embarrassed thinking about the scene, asked, “You recognized me?” 

Zhang Shu brushed the pom-pom on her hat. “Otherwise?”

“How? I’ve never worn this outfit before.”

He arched an eyebrow, thinking. "Dunno. Just did.”

Zhang Shu smiled again, standing up and leaning down to hold her chin for a quick kiss. “Come on, let’s get lunch.”

A flicker of guilt crossed her face. “Sorry, I should’ve told you I was coming beforehand. Is it okay that you’re not joining the clients for lunch?”

“If every deal needed a meal to keep it going, I’d have gone bankrupt years ago,” He plucked the cup from her hands, set it on the coffee table, and pulled her to her feet. “What do you want to eat?”

“Hotpot!”

“Alright.”

“Let’s go.”

“Kiss first.”

"You already kissed me just now.”

"That was me kissing you. Now you kiss me, and I’ll take you for hot pot.”

“Oh… mwah!”

“No more saying ‘divorce’ from now on.”

“It’s just netizens joking—”

"Not allowed.”

“Okay.”

---

After the snow stopped, Sheng Xia returned to Nanli ahead of schedule. She only had her doctoral thesis to work on, which she could write anywhere. With the New Year approaching, she had plenty to do, visiting relatives from the Sheng, Wang, Zou, Zhang, and Lu families.

On February 1st, a blizzard paralyzed Beiyan, halting all trains and flights. Early that morning, Sheng Xia called Zhang Shu, urging him to stay put. What’s the rush for an old married couple like them? A day apart won’t matter.

Meanwhile, Zhang Sujin picked her up and took her to her family’s estate, where she’d hosted a gathering with her bandmates for a party.

The lights were off inside, only a few candles lit, the side table was covered with drinks. Guitar chords hummed to life, hand drums tapped out a rhythm, and voices rose in song. Sheng Xia clapped and got lost in the atmosphere, while Zhang Sujin and her husband danced as the music shifted to a lively, elegant beat.

In the dim light, Sheng Xia noticed snowflakes falling outside.

It's snowing!

The music came to an abrupt halt as everyone turned to look out the window. 

Nanli hadn’t seen snowfall in nearly a decade.

Amid the fluttering snowflakes, Sheng Xia caught sight of Zhang Shu, dusted with the weariness of travel

He had just stepped out of the car, retrieving a bouquet of flowers, a cake, and a gift bag from the trunk. As he crossed the garden toward the villa, he paused mid-step, tilting his head up as if only just noticing the snowfall.

In the deep winter, the vibrant French Tulip in his arms stood out strikingly, his long dark coat making him look tall and refined. The white French lattice window framed the scene like a painting. Sheng Xia hurried to her feet and ran to open the door.

Zhang Shu had just reached the doorstep when it swung open, evidently not expecting her to be the one to greet him. He paused in surprise.

“They said it was a blizzard, why didn’t you stay put?” 

Zhang Shu spread his arms wide, ignoring the weight of the flowers in one hand and the cake in the other, smiling at her, waiting for a hug. “Happy birthday, wife.”

Sheng Xia threw herself into his arms.

Inside, the band played a soft rendition of Happy Birthday.  

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, may you be happy, may you be healthy, may all your brightest dreams come true~

---

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