“Sheng Xia!”

As she stood frozen in place, someone called out to her.

It was Xin Xiaohe, walking down the corridor carrying the pole for the “windmill.” Several girls accompanied her, all drenched in sweat.

“Why are you standing here?” Xin Xiaohe asked as she approached.

“Calling home,” Sheng Xia said.

Xin Xiaohe handed the pole to a classmate, and after everyone left, asked: “What’s wrong, are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

Was it that obvious?

Sheng Xia gripped her phone tighter, then had a sudden inspiration and asked: “Xiaohe, could I temporarily… keep the dress and things in your dorm?”

Xin Xiaohe looked slightly surprised but didn’t ask questions, nodding: “Of course! Want to take it there now?”

Sheng Xia checked the time—already past eleven. “Yes, thank you.”

“Always so formal?” Xin Xiaohe made to put an arm around Sheng Xia’s shoulders, then noticed her sweat and grinned sheepishly. “Let’s go!”

They returned to the classroom to get the dress box but found people crowded around Sheng Xia’s seat.

More accurately, around Zhang Shu’s seat.

A group of boys were discussing the upcoming NBA regular season—who they were betting on, which team changed coaches, which team was running out of steam, new stars emerging, how Chinese players might perform…

Xin Xiaohe boldly joined the discussion, while Sheng Xia stood bewildered at the edge of the crowd. Sisters before brothers, indeed?

Hou Junqi was the first to notice Sheng Xia, tapping the boy occupying her seat. “Move it, goddess is here.”

Everyone turned around.

Zhang Shu turned too, met the girl’s flickering eyes, then looked away.

When would she remove that makeup?

Her eyes were so big and watery like you could swim in them.

“Yeah, dare to sit in the goddess’s seat? Tired of living? Hahaha!”

“My bad, my bad!”

“Instead of betting on teams, why not bet on which goddess is winning on the confession wall?”

After every major event, the campus confession wall mini-program would become extremely lively. It wasn’t anonymous anymore, just for fun. Campus “top celebrities” were often born there.

“I’ve already seen lots of posts about Sheng Xia!”

“What about Chen Mengyao?”

“Uh, lots too…”

“Open it and count!”

The crowd was rowdy but cleared a path. Sheng Xia couldn’t move forward or back—should she just sit down and endure their teasing?

Besides, only she and Zhang Shu would be sitting in the middle with everyone standing around—how awkward would that look…

Sheng Xia tapped Xin Xiaohe: “Xiaohe, shall we go now?”

Xin Xiaohe saw that Sheng Xia wasn’t adapting well to the situation.

“Ah, okay, let’s go!”

Hou Junqi asked: “Where are you going?”

Xin Xiaohe replied irritably: “Girls’ dorm, want to come?”

Hou Junqi: “…Please proceed.”

Sheng Xia bent down to pick up the dress box from the book container between the seats when an arm reached over. “Don’t you need help?”

Sheng Xia’s movements froze.

After realizing her feelings, his voice seemed to carry a certain magnetism that disturbed her heart.

Being so close, that scent of sun-baked grass filled her nose again.

Sheng Xia’s heartbeat lost its rhythm.

She picked up the box before answering: “No need, thanks.”

Zhang Shu frowned slightly. These two sentences sounded no different from usual, but something felt off.

For instance, she hadn’t even looked at him.

As if possessed, he spoke: “Then should I wait for you for lunch?”

Silence fell.

The previously noisy crowd all looked at each other.

Though everyone knew Sheng Xia had afternoon tutoring at Zhang Shu’s relative’s place and often ate with Zhang Shu and Hou Junqi.

But what was with the “bzz bzz bzz” electricity in the air?

Thump, thump, thump.

Sheng Xia heard her heartbeat, dominating a corner in the silence, like boiling alcohol.

She had only one thought: leave quickly, don’t let anyone hear it.

Why did he suddenly make an “invitation” in front of everyone? Hadn’t he heard those rumors?

Maybe he had, but he was just—

Just flirting.

She heard her heart’s faint voice.

“No need, I’m eating in the cafeteria with Xiaohe,” she answered, then turned and left first.

Xin Xiaohe hurried after her, mind full of questions: …? We hadn’t discussed that?

After the two girls left the classroom, everyone’s gossip urges exploded, but no one dared start. They just giggled and exchanged meaningful looks and teases.

“Break it up, time to eat,” Zhang Shu stood up, dispersing the crowd.

“Hey, A-Shu, who do you choose?”

Someone finally couldn’t hold back and asked.

Zhang Shu lowered his head to pack his bag. Just when Hou Junqi thought he would answer “childish” again, Zhang Shu spoke, his voice calm: “Need to ask? Yi Jianlian.”

“Who’s asking about Yi Jianlian!”

Zhang Shu slung his bag over his shoulder, and laughed, “I’m off.”

“No fun!”

“Bah! How boring!”

Hou Junqi’s eyes rolled around, seeming to realize something. He suddenly slapped the desk and stood up, telling the disappointed crowd: “Isn’t it obvious? He’s choosing his people, idiots!”

Then he smugly followed Zhang Shu.

…

After the opening ceremony, the third year had nothing more to do with it. They attended regular classes but could always hear screams from the sports field, and groups of first and second-years would pass by the teaching building, shouting and making noise.

Most outrageous were the junior boys who came specifically to see Sheng Xia in Class 6.

Several young boys brazenly leaned against Class 6’s doorway looking in, with an “if I’m not embarrassed, you’re the one who should be” expression.

Seeing Sheng Xia, one of them called out: “Senior sister, can I add your QQ?”

Sheng Xia kept her head down, not saying a word.

This situation hadn’t happened at Er Zhong. Were all these top students so… lively (shameless)?

Hou Junqi stood up, blocking the way with hands on his hips: “Didn’t I say senior sister belongs to a senior brother? You still dare to call out?”

The junior boys grinned, unafraid, and asked back: “Is senior sister yours, senior brother?”

Hou Junqi was stumped. “Well, well obviously not.”

“Then what’s it to you? You’re not that ‘Wrestling Pikachu,’ are you?”

“You little brats!” Hou Junqi rolled up a book and threw it at them. The boys dodged cheerfully but wouldn’t leave.

The class burst into laughter.

“Sheng Xia, the teacher’s calling you.”

A pleasant male voice suddenly came from the back door, and everyone looked over.

It was Zhang Shu.

He’d just come down from Wang Wei’s office, his expression not particularly friendly.

Mysteriously, those junior boys quieted down.

Even Hou Junqi was startled—since when did A-Shu call Old Wang “teacher”?

“Hm? Oh.” Sheng Xia hesitated, wondering why the teacher wanted to see her. Had the rumors reached the teacher’s ears?

She sighed, getting up anxiously.

As she passed Zhang Shu, she heard him lean in and whisper: “Teacher didn’t call you, wait for me in the water room.”

Sheng Xia’s steps briefly paused.

What… what was he saying?

What was he doing now?

Those junior boys had just caused a scene, so nearly the whole class was watching her, and he was whispering in her ear in front of everyone.

So close…

Sheng Xia’s ears burned. She didn’t have the heart to observe her classmates’ expressions and quickly left the classroom, almost running upstairs.

In the classroom, knowing looks were exchanged.

Zhang Shu’s face remained expressionless as he picked up his water bottle, then took Sheng Xia’s cup from her desk and walked out toward the water room.

Throughout, he never acknowledged those junior boys with their curious and challenging gazes.

What did this mean?

Was he getting water for Sheng Xia?

Those junior boys understood now—so senior sister did belong to senior brother?

Sheng Xia circled the second floor before returning to the first-floor water room.

The water room was empty at this time. She stood awkwardly to one side, lost in thought.

Long fingers waved in front of her, and the youth’s teasing voice came: “Can’t handle overnight fame?”

Sheng Xia looked up. Zhang Shu stood before her, head tilted, eyebrows raised, his eyes bright.

His eyes weren’t particularly large, rather narrow in shape, looking fierce when viewed alone, but because he had attractive eye bags, it balanced out the sharpness, adding some youthful charm. When he smiled, his right corner lifted more, looking a bit roguish yet casual.

Sheng Xia had never seen two contradictory qualities complement each other so well on one face.

Suited for both action and stillness, capable of both dignity and youth.

He was Nu Wa’s favorite creation.

“Not as used to it as you.” She answered.

This tone, carrying anger, was unprecedented.

Zhang Shu’s eyebrows lifted as he tilted his head to observe her, his gaze both teasing and assessing.

Only this close did he notice her eyelashes were long and dense, just not black but brownish, appearing soft, and straight rather than curled, covering her entire eyes.

No wonder when she wore makeup, with those lashes lifted, her eyes brightened by several hundred watts.

Though, they say people with straight eyelashes have bad tempers—why wasn’t she like that? Or was she hiding it?

Zhang Shu lowered his head to ask: “Are you… angry?”

Sheng Xia didn’t answer, brows drawn together, only now noticing the cup in his hand.

She looked up again. “Why did you take my cup?”

Zhang Shu turned around on his own, opened the water tap, and filled it in two or three gurgles. He lifted it to look, laughing: “This cup of yours, looks better than it works, huh? Looks big but holds so little?”

No wonder she had to run out every class break.

His topic jumped so abruptly that Sheng Xia unconsciously followed: “Because it’s double-walled, for insulation.”

“Oh—” he drew out the sound with an expression of sudden understanding, a smile playing at his lips.

As if saying “How could I not know?”

Sheng Xia only then realized she’d been teased. She didn’t want to “show a shy expression” to satisfy his wicked amusement, but he had just helped her out of an awkward situation, so she couldn’t show any attitude.

She sighed through her nose and said no more, feeling her thoughts were in chaos. Before she could sort them out, people entered the water room, talking and laughing.

Several girls saw Zhang Shu and Sheng Xia and unanimously stopped, their gazes moving between the two, hesitating whether to enter.

Though they were just standing facing each other, why did the atmosphere feel so unusual?

Sheng Xia snatched her cup from Zhang Shu’s hand, lowered her head, and quickly left the water room.

Like she was fleeing in panic.

Zhang Shu froze, looked at his empty hand, and laughed softly.

The girls exchanged glances, their eyes full of interest.

Sheng Xia returned to the classroom. Those junior boys had left, and when her classmates saw the water cup in her hand, they shared knowing smiles.

Sheng Xia kept her eyes straight ahead, sat down, stared at the blackboard for a few seconds, then took out a notebook and quietly read.

If you ignored her slightly reddened ears, her state could almost be called otherworldly—immersed in her world, as if all the gazes had nothing to do with her.

Hou Junqi sensed something wasn’t quite normal with the little girl, but couldn’t say exactly what. When Zhang Shu returned, Hou Junqi stared at him with “What’s going on?” written all over his face.

Zhang Shu ignored him, propping his chin up to brazenly observe Sheng Xia.

She was reading her study notes, densely copied with good words and phrases, and poetry.

What had she said before?

—Reading poetry can relieve summer heat.

Was she… hot?

Nanli had no autumn, almost entering winter overnight. Though it was now autumn by the calendar, there wasn’t a hint of fall colors. Even in November, it still looked like summer.

But the temperature wasn’t as high as in August and September. Occasional cool breezes made it quite pleasant.

So her heat naturally wasn’t the weather’s fault.

Then it must be his fault.

Had he gone too far joking about her overnight fame earlier?

Just then, she turned a page, wrote something in a blank space, then closed her notebook and took out her textbook to prepare for class.

The bell rang. As Zhang Shu reached into his desk for his book, his body tilted slightly toward Sheng Xia’s side. The girl suddenly shrank away like a startled bird, moving far from him.

Her elbow’s sudden withdrawal knocked her reading notebook to the floor.

Zhang Shu’s movement stopped, a bit dazed…

What was it, did he have the plague?

Seeing the girl’s whole body screaming “rejection,” Zhang Shu’s face darkened. From his position, he picked up her notebook.

The notebook fell open to the folded page, and Zhang Shu saw what she had just written.

Two large lines of text occupied the center of the page.

Unlike notes, more like self-admonishment—

Let idle talk and rumors fly, what harm are sharp tongues and blades?

How can dust and mud stain a heart of ice? I’ll roam free and sing my way.