Zhang Shu’s interview was broadcast that evening. During the break before evening self-study, almost every classroom’s screen was showing South Li News.
The headline read: “Young Hero Zhang Shu Returns to School to Prepare for College Entrance Exam, Warmly Welcomed by Classmates.”
As soon as the anchor finished saying “Now for the detailed report,” the screen cut to the Class 6 hallway showing waving flags and students shouting “Warm welcome!” The scene of Sheng Xia giving flowers only flashed briefly, and her face wasn’t shown.
Sheng Xia, watching from below, let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully it was a more serious media outlet.
Then came Zhang Shu’s interview at the school gate.
Reporter: “It’s been a while since you’ve been back to school. Are you excited?”
Zhang Shu: “What’s there to be excited about school? School is hard… but I’m looking forward to seeing teachers and classmates.”
The class burst into laughter.
“Shu-ge accidentally told the truth hahaha!”
“Can’t believe they didn’t cut that part!”
Reporter: “With less than 50 days until the college entrance exam, are you confident?”
Zhang Shu: “I’ll try my best, as long as I have no regrets.”
Reporter: “What are your expectations for yourself regarding the exam?”
Zhang Shu: “Still just no regrets.”
Reporter: “Your heroic act has moved many people. This year you’ve been nominated for South Li’s Top Ten Youth. What are your thoughts?”
Zhang Shu: “I’m grateful for the care from the government and society, but it wasn’t an act of heroism. That day was just an accident for me – I was passing by and encountered the situation. I only rushed in because I thought I could make it out alive. It was calculated.”
Reporter: “Many people passed by, but you were the only one who went against the flow.”
Zhang Shu: “Maybe it’s just because I’m physically fit and reacted quickly. I believe any South Da Affiliated student who could protect themselves would have done the same because our school motto includes integrity and universal love.”
The footage then cuts to scenes of Zhang Shu attending class and studying, with a voiceover wishing him luck in the exam.
After the news segment ended, everyone turned off the TV. The class erupted in discussion.
“Shu-ge is awesome, even managed to praise our school. The admissions office should pay you!”
“Top Ten Youth – what’s that good for?”
“It’s like a merit book, it’s glorious!”
“The mayor gives out the award!”
“Wow.”
Xin Xiaohe whispered to Sheng Xia: “When he said he was just passing by, was he trying to dispel those online rumors about having a date with you and getting injured trying to save you?”
Sheng Xia’s gaze traveled past the crowd to the back of Zhang Shu’s head.
He must have heard about her fight that day from Hou Junqi.
He hadn’t told her he knew, nor had he offered direct but ineffective comfort.
He seemed to always be like this – taking action and solving problems.
“Mm.” Sheng Xia nodded.
He wasn’t someone who liked being discussed, though he wasn’t afraid of it either. But actively causing discussion was impossible – of course, it was because of her.
Sheng Xia felt warmth in her heart and wanted to take back that letter to add a few more words.
…
The third mock exam came unexpectedly.
When the exam schedule was announced, everyone felt dazed – how was it time for the third mock already?
Hadn’t they just finished reviewing the second mock exam papers?
Had they digested everything well enough for the third mock?
Everyone was saying the third mock would be simple, grading would be lenient, to give everyone good spirits before the college entrance exam.
But during the actual exam, people everywhere were scratching their heads in frustration.
What happened to it being simple?
The Education Bureau must have gone crazy.
This was everyone’s feeling after finishing the math exam.
Sheng Xia also felt the questions seemed a bit skewed, wondering why they would do this for the third mock.
But the next day’s English and Science comprehensive were much better, quite standard, with Science noticeably easier.
Everyone speculated that this time math would be the subject to differentiate scores.
The third mock was still a city-wide joint exam with unified grading.
The days waiting for scores were undoubtedly torturous. Xinfeng was full of anxious posts waiting for results, of course, mixed with several posts speculating about Zhang Shu’s scores.
The topic remained highly popular, with more pessimistic views than supportive ones.
At lunch, Hou Junqi asked: “Shu, how do you think you did?”
Zhang Shu looked up, and thought for a moment, “Probably ranked fifty or sixty within the school.”
“Huh?” Hou Junqi didn’t believe it. “You’re being modest, right?”
Sheng Xia also felt he was being modest.
Everyone could see how hard Zhang Shu had been working lately. Sheng Xia slept at 1 AM, but he was just starting to review the day’s wrong questions then, probably staying up until 2 or 3 AM.
He arrived at the classroom at 6 AM, earlier than ever before.
And because of his medication making him drowsy, he would apply cooling oil to his nose tip, behind his ears, and under his eyelids to stay alert.
Just last week’s weekly test, he had done very well. Perfect scores in math and English, and his science comprehensive had returned to his previous level.
Only Chinese was still slightly lacking.
Zhang Shu raised an eyebrow: “Well, you’ll see. This time scores won’t have big gaps. The high scores won’t be very high, the low scores won’t be very low, so the top ranks might be bunched together, maybe even several tied for first.”
On the day scores came out, Sheng Xia and Hou Junqi exchanged shocked looks across the room.
The situation matched Zhang Shu’s prediction too perfectly.
Had he hacked the Education Bureau’s system?
Zhang Shu ranked 43rd, while there were four people tied for first. Second place started at rank five, also with several tied scores, and after that, the score differences between each rank were extremely small.
So although Zhang Shu was 42 ranks behind first place, the score difference was less than 20 points.
On Xinfeng, those who had been pessimistic about Zhang Shu came out to “prove their point” –
“See? Ranked 43rd with such simple questions, what’s the point?”
“Yeah, Affiliated usually has about 40 students get into Heqing and Haiyan, his chances are slim now, right?”
“Zhang Shu’s not doing well anymore.”
“Let’s bet on someone else, talk about others, tired of seeing this.”
“He’ll still easily get into a top 985 university regardless, do you even qualify for 211 to be worried about others?”
“Still the same – what a shame, what a pity.”
“If it’s like this, Zhang Shu should get tutoring? Too bad.”
“Are you not allowed to discuss one mock exam result? Are you controlling too much?”
“Can’t we have a reasonable discussion? Someone who should have been valedictorian, we can’t even talk about it?”
So noisy, arguing endlessly every day.
There were also many new accounts mixed in. Just from the tone and format of their posts, you could tell they weren’t “natives” – most likely students from other schools joining the commotion.
Sheng Xia originally didn’t want to look, but every time Li Shiyi saw a post, she would mutter about it, sometimes even cursing.
Class 6 students would sometimes reply to posts too, and when they couldn’t win the arguments, they would just silently fume in class.
Sheng Xia remembered Zhang Shu often saying that studying was a personal matter.
But after these events, the situation he wanted seemed increasingly impossible.
This time, the grade director didn’t call Zhang Shu for a talk.
The vice principal even less so.
The situation seemed just as the posts said: Affiliated had given up on Zhang Shu too.
Given up.
These words were too painful.
Sheng Xia felt blocked up inside, and couldn’t eat or sleep well for several days.
She had done quite well, especially in math, scoring higher than Xin Xiaohe and Yang Linyu with 130 points.
This score was already Sheng Xia’s peak in mathematics.
Moreover, this time math was the differentiation subject, being relatively difficult.
Very miraculous.
Sheng Xia hadn’t felt it was that hard.
She knew it was challenging, but she didn’t feel it was difficult.
That was the miraculous part.
It felt like she had done it all before, though these were new questions, and many classmates said they were very skewed and bizarre.
When organizing her wrong questions notebook, Sheng Xia realized that many questions were about knowledge points Zhang Shu had previously asked her about, along with techniques she had then asked teachers about and explained back to him, making them particularly memorable.
Although the techniques seemed peculiar, the core knowledge points hadn’t changed.
Zhang Shu ranked first in the grade in math with 143 points.
Previously, grade first in math was always perfect or near-perfect scores.
Chinese was still where he lost the most points.
During the evening self-study, both Wang Wei and Fu Jie talked with him.
Sheng Xia took his Chinese exam paper to look at.
The reading comprehension answers were messy, he also lost points on classical poetry recitation, losing very basic points.
His essay seemed to have returned to pre-liberation times.
During this period, he spent a lot of energy recovering his problem-solving touch, neglecting Chinese.
Chinese appeared to be an extremely low-value subject, and it was very difficult to improve once reaching a certain level.
But now, Chinese was Zhang Shu’s lifeline.
Sheng Xia drafted a “Chinese Score Improvement Plan” and called Zhang Shu out.
This time they sat properly in the corridor seats discussing studies, but the class still had many craning necks.
Because this time Sheng Xia had actively called for Zhang Shu!
Sheng Xia felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Zhang Shu glanced at her nervous expression, grabbed her hand awkwardly placed on her knee, and squeezed it under the table.
Sheng Xia suddenly looked up to see him slightly curving his lips, his gaze soft and sweet.
“Can’t bear to watch…”
Qi Xiulei passed by, clicking his tongue twice before entering the classroom.
Sheng Xia quickly withdrew her hand, slapped the “Improvement Plan” against his chest, and said angrily: “Quick, look at it!”
Zhang Shu still wore that slight smile, pressed down the notebook, and complied readily: “Alright, I’ll look.”
He quickly scanned it, but from the corner of his eye caught her anxious expression as she glanced around.
After a while, he couldn’t help himself and reached out to ruffle her hair: “Great writer, do you know there’s a phrase called ‘drawing attention by trying to hide it’?”
With that righteous expression of hers, did she think others would believe they were just studying?
Sheng Xia said seriously: “Do you know there’s a phrase called ‘eyebrows on fire’?”
Zhang Shu held back his laughter and nodded: “I know, I know, eyebrows on fire, burning, so hot, quick, blow on it…”
Sheng Xia: …
Just let him burn to death.
“You… don’t force yourself to smile, at least not in front of me,” Sheng Xia added.
Zhang Shu froze.
Forcing a smile?
Maybe a little. No one can truly ignore the gazes of those around them.
No one can remain calm when “falling from a height.”
It’s just a matter of degree.
Zhang Shu also lowered his voice: “I can adjust. Don’t worry about me, otherwise, I’ll worry more about your worrying.”
Sheng Xia gazed at him.
“The underdog’s rise, the star’s fall – these are scripts people love to watch. People admire the former and sigh at the latter. Essentially, they’re all benchmarking against themselves, seeking balance.”
Zhang Shu spoke deeply, putting down her notebook and recapturing her hand under the table, playing with it in his palm.
Sheng Xia instinctively wanted to pull away, but seeing his solemn expression, she obediently stayed still.
Zhang Shu continued: “Watching an underdog rise is like drinking chicken soup, hoping they could do the same; watching a star fall is lamenting fate’s unpredictability, giving themselves a psychological hint that ‘fortune’s wheel keeps turning.'”
“That’s how talking points are born. People talk about you but care about themselves. They don’t want to understand you.”
He looked back at her, “So don’t be troubled by these words. Live for yourself.”
Live for yourself.
Sheng Xia looked at the young face before her, finding it hard to believe they were the same age.
Zhang Shu was truly a remarkable person.
Sometimes childish enough to make you want to punch him, sometimes surprisingly profound.
Sheng Xia asked: “Then don’t you ever feel sad?”
Zhang Shu raised his eyebrows slightly. If he said he was sad, she probably wouldn’t sleep tonight.
If he said he wasn’t, she probably wouldn’t believe it and still wouldn’t sleep.
She always worried too much.
Zhang Shu said: “How about this – let me read the love letter, and then I won’t be sad, okay?”
Heaven knows, she gave him a letter but wouldn’t let him read it, saying it was for after the college entrance exam.
Zhang Shu had never been so speechless – if it was for after the exam, why not just give it to him then?
When it came to suffocating him, Sheng Xia truly had countless methods.
“No.” Sheng Xia refused.
Zhang Shu: “Why?”
Sheng Xia: “Just no.”
Zhang Shu: “Are you trying to suffocate me?”
Sheng Xia: “Then give it back.”
Zhang Shu: “Fine, I won’t look.”
Sheng Xia checked the time – 11 o’clock.
“I’m going home.”
Wang Lianhua always came to pick her up punctually.
Zhang Shu walked her to the corridor entrance and then returned to the classroom to continue studying hard.
Class 6 students were already used to it – staying in the classroom at night didn’t require snacks, there was always dog food to eat.
Zhang Shu went home at midnight. Zhang Sujin was busy preparing for her wedding recently and often wasn’t home.
No one monitored him studying until 3 AM.
He took out the “Chinese Score Improvement Plan” to read carefully.
That beautiful handwriting made him increasingly distracted.
Such beautiful handwriting, writing a love letter…
Who gets this kind of treatment?
It’s him, Zhang Shu?
What did she say that day? “If you peek, I’ll be angry?”
Let her be angry then, he could coax her.
Zhang Shu took out the envelope he had looked at countless times but never opened from the box.
He pulled out the letter paper inside.
The seemingly simple pink fan letter paper, under the light, had subtle patterns and gold powder, extraordinarily exquisite.
Disney princess letter paper was truly unique.
Zhang Shu opened the first page, there was only one line:
[Meeting you, how should I put it, was like a brilliant star illuminating a desolate little universe.]
He had never seen such beautiful words and handwriting.
Second page.
Line by line, like a diary.
…
July 28th, Sunny
[White clothes in fierce sun under dense camphor, laughing voices fade with hidden fragrance.]¹
If I hadn’t panicked then, would the beginning of the story have been more beautiful?
August 1st, Sunny
[The enchanting beauty haunts unforgettably, better not to have met such city-toppling beauty.]²
Sunset glow stretches thousands of miles, the city full of splendor.
If I hadn’t panicked then, would the story’s development have been more beautiful?
August 15th, Sunny
[Admiring his strength to move mountains and spirit to cover the world.]
Clear windows and clean tables, morning sun rippling.
Yet there’s no scenery in my eyes.
August 20th, Sunny
[Year after year, surrounded by distinguished guests, year after year, may you not forget me.]
Happy birthday, I want to be part of every year from now on.
September 4th, Sunny
[Summer games, whose young one on the court has such grace?]³
Basketball, youth, and sunshine.
PE class has such flavor too.
The scenery in my eyes, I wouldn’t trade for anything in this life.
October 6th, Sunny
[Know thousands upon thousands of people, none compare to that one family.]
The river surges like me, for whom?
November 8th, Sunny
[Mountains have trees and trees have branches, heart delights in you but you don’t know.]
So liking has a taste, I’m tasting it for the first time.
November 15th, Sunny
[After drinking, not knowing the sky is in water, bed full of clear dreams pressing down on the Milky Way.]
You look at me, just looking, and I think, romance until death do us part.
December 25th, Sunny
[Walking shyly, leaning on the door looking back, smelling the green plums.]
If this is a misunderstanding, it’s intoxicatingly beautiful.
January 1st, Sunny
[Morning watching sky’s color, evening watching clouds, walking thinking of you, sitting thinking of you.]
A shorter holiday wouldn’t be bad, would it?
February 1st, Sunny
[Wish I were stars and you the moon, night after night flowing light together pure and bright.]
Happy birthday to me, very happy very happy.
February 27th, Sunny
[Lowering crystal curtains, delicately gazing at the autumn moon.]
The sunlight in One Square Bookstore was always good.
I’m waiting for the wind, and waiting for you.
March 11th, Sunny
[Life between heaven and earth, suddenly like a distant traveler.]
Power outage, pitch dark.
Even a path walked by two can have desolate lonely moments.
…
[When will thinking of you and seeing you align? This time this night, feelings hard to bear.]
…
…
Zhang Shu half-understood, but it didn’t prevent his heart from turning completely to mush.
Third page.
…
Shu, timely rain.
But after meeting him, every memorable day has been sunny.
Isn’t that magical?
Lately, I often watch the sunset 44 times a day.
I’m waiting for my rose.
Lucky me, he came from the wind, sleeves full of sunshine.
He is my rose, and also my little prince.
Lucky him, to have an entire Sheng Xia (Summer).
If he wants it.
…
Zhang Shu stared at the letter paper, somewhat understanding why she wouldn’t let him read it.
It’s now 1 AM, and he just wants to drag her off to get married.