At the floor’s nursing station, Wang Lianhua and Zhang Sujin sat side by side, the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

Just as Zhang Sujin was pondering how to explain away the “little sister” matter, Wang Lianhua broke the silence first: “What did the doctor say?”

She didn’t mention anything about the “little sister” situation.

Zhang Sujin, who usually had a strong presence among peers, found herself subdued by the aura of age and experience when facing Wang Lianhua.

It seemed that little Sheng Xia had quite strong resilience to pressure.

Zhang Sujin: “The surgery went very well, and his physical foundation is also very good. He’s always loved sports since he was little, excellent at basketball, football, volleyball, badminton, takes cold showers year-round, tough and resilient with strong immunity, these injuries won’t be a problem…”

Wang Lianhua: …

This answer – some of the middle content seemed a bit superfluous.

“At this stage, will it affect his studies?” Wang Lianhua asked, ignoring that self-promoting segment.

Zhang Sujin was also worried: “It’s impossible to say there won’t be any impact, he’ll need to be hospitalized for over a month at least…”

Seeing Wang Lianhua’s deep frown, she quickly changed tack: “However, Zhang Shu is very self-disciplined and hardworking, he won’t stop studying because of illness. His foundation is good, so it shouldn’t affect him too much…”

By the end, even she sounded uncertain.

Wang Lianhua: “What does this child want to do in the future?”

This… was a deadly question.

Zhang Sujin deliberated for a few seconds before saying: “He’s always been very decisive since childhood, he should have his ideas. My brother-in-law and I will respect his choices, we won’t force him to do anything he doesn’t like…”

She observed Wang Lianhua’s every subtle expression and added: “Of course, if he wants to come back to Nanli, that would be great. My brother-in-law can help out a bit, though I suspect he probably wouldn’t care for our help…”

Sure enough, Wang Lianhua asked casually: “Where does his brother-in-law work?”

“Junlan.”

Wang Lianhua nodded: “We’re quite familiar with Junlan. His brother-in-law is?”

“Lu Zheng.”

Wang Lianhua raised her eyebrows, showing a surprised and appreciative expression, “Young Mr. Lu is very capable, he’s achieved remarkable results in just a few years since returning to China.”

Wang Lianhua worked at the Natural Resources Bureau, and Junlan was practically their office’s talking point, she couldn’t be more familiar with it.

This was the first time Zhang Sujin found Lu Zheng so useful, she smiled: “The overall environment is good.”

“When Sheng Xia injured her leg before, thank you for taking such good care of her. I said we should visit during New Year, but Sheng Xia wouldn’t let us…” Wang Lianhua changed the topic, “Never thought we’d meet again at the hospital. Thanking you here might not be proper etiquette, but I am grateful.”

Zhang Sujin: “It’s what I should do.”

Wang Lianhua felt this phrase had some ambiguity – where did this “should” come from?

The two sat talking about casual matters. Wang Lianhua checked her watch and stood up: “It’s so late, the patient needs rest too. I’ll go get Sheng Xia and we’ll head back. If you need any help, just let us know, don’t be shy…”

Zhang Sujin quickly stood up too, “You’ve already helped so much, you’re too kind.”

The two came to the hospital room door and peered through the small window. Wang Lianhua’s hand, about to knock, froze.

Inside, her daughter – who had blushed since childhood at merely glancing at strange men – was buttoning up the shirt of a boy lying in bed?

Zhang Sujin’s eyelids also twitched in shock.

Good little brother, what exactly did you do?

The two adults exchanged glances, both awkwardly averting their eyes.

After a while, the people inside seemed to notice movement and looked over.

Wang Lianhua simply opened the door a crack and said softly: “Time to go.”

Sheng Xia’s back stiffened, “Oh okay.”

Then she said to Zhang Shu: “I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

Zhang Shu: “Then come early.”

Sheng Xia: “Mm!”

Wang Lianhua: …

Zhang Sujin: Uh…

After Wang Lianhua left with Sheng Xia, Lu Zheng’s call came quickly.

“How did it go, did it go well?”

Zhang Sujin: “Not sure.”

Lu Zheng: “Why’s that?”

Zhang Sujin: “Her attitude seemed quite good, but she didn’t come in to see Xiao Shu, which means…”

Lu Zheng: “She was just bringing her daughter.”

Zhang Sujin: “Mm.”

Just bringing Sheng Xia – Wang Lianhua herself was an outsider. She understood this clearly. Both polite and distant, truly just accompanying her child to visit a classmate.

Lu Zheng: “There’s plenty of time ahead, mother-in-laws only grow fonder of their sons-in-law over time.”

Zhang Sujin: … thinking quite far ahead.

…

On the way back.

Sheng Xia knew, what needed to be said would be said.

“Sheng Xia…”

“Mom…”

As expected of mother and daughter, they were fatally in sync even at this moment.

Sheng Xia: “Mom, you go first.”

Wang Lianhua didn’t defer, asking: “Do you know what time it is now?”

Her tone wasn’t gentle from the start.

Sheng Xia lowered her head, making an “mm” sound.

Wang Lianhua sighed softly: “Some of what Mom has to say might be cliché, you might be tired of hearing it, but I still need to remind you – you’re not studying for the present, you’re studying for whether you can have an independent personality and upright soul in the future, fighting for the right to make your own choices.”

Sheng Xia: “I haven’t fallen behind in my studies…”

“Then what about your first mock exam? Do you know how important this exam was? Ups and downs are not a good sign.” Wang Lianhua interrupted her.

Sheng Xia’s heart sank. Since starting senior year, her mother had rarely used this tone.

“Mom, I’m preparing for Heqing University’s independent recruitment. I fell behind earlier because I was preparing the materials for that.”

At a red light, Wang Lianhua hit the brakes and turned to look at Sheng Xia: “Heqing University?”

Sheng Xia saw the disbelief in her mother’s eyes.

Yes, who would associate her grades with Heqing University?

“Mm,” she answered firmly, “It’s their newly established Classical Chinese Literature major. I had some writing experience before, so I tried. It’s not certain yet, but there’s some hope…”

Wang Lianhua turned back: “We’ll talk at home.”

She probably never imagined Sheng Xia would be so decisive.

Thinking back to some days ago when Sheng Xia asked her if she would still stay at Nanli if she could get into a better university.

Wang Lianhua frequently observed her daughter through the rearview mirror, suddenly feeling somewhat unfamiliar.

At home in the dining room, two cups of water, sitting opposite each other.

The standard setup for serious talks.

Wang Lianhua carefully read through Heqing University’s strengthening basic disciplines program recruitment guide on the computer, still very surprised: “What do your teachers say, is it feasible?”

Getting into Heqing University just by passing the first-tier university line?

It sounded like a dream.

Wang Lianhua knew many science majors had competition bonuses, but Sheng Xia struggled with basic knowledge, let alone competitions. So she had never inquired about such information.

Sheng Xia still nodded: “Teacher Wang and Teacher Fu both consulted for me, it’s possible. Now it just depends on publication. I’ve finished writing and submitted it, passed the first selection. As long as it passes review within the materials verification deadline and we sign the contract, it will be fine. It just needs to be published before enrollment, that is when filling out preferences for the first batch of undergraduate programs.”

Wang Lianhua was quite confused by all this, “When did you write it?”

Sheng Xia omitted the twists and turns in between, answering simply: “Just during spare time, and… I took a few days off recently…” She lowered her head, afraid to see her mother’s reproachful gaze, her voice also very low, “Finished writing during the leave…”

“I was wondering why your keyboard was clicking away so much for a while,” Wang Lianhua was still puzzled, not even having processed the fact that she had taken leave, “So how confident are you?”

Sheng Xia shook her head: “Don’t know. If the review is quick, the contract process will be fast, but getting the book number is uncertain, no one can guarantee…”

She spoke honestly, after all, she was underage, and later Wang Lianhua would need to sign the contract as her guardian anyway, so everything would be known then, no point in being vague.

Wang Lianhua seemed to have sorted it out: “So you’re saying, if by the time the college entrance exam is over and it’s time to fill out preferences the book still isn’t published, everything before was just wasted effort?”

“You could say that…”

Wang Lianhua’s palms suddenly went cold.

Sheng Xia had kept quiet and made such a big decision without telling her, and now only told her when it had reached the stage of waiting for results and leaving it to fate. It was too late for her to criticize about wasting time and such.

Wang Lianhua didn’t know how to react anymore.

Should she be happy or worried, angry or comforting?

She didn’t know anymore.

In her heart, there was only one thought – her eldest daughter had grown up.

Not everything needed to go through her any more.

Sheng Xia watched her long-silent mother, growing increasingly anxious.

She knew what consequences this act-first-report-later approach would bring.

But this time, she wanted to be her general.

“Mom…” Sheng Xia called out.

Wang Lianhua came back to herself, pressed her lips together, and after a few seconds carefully chose her words: “You want to go to Heqing University so badly, is it because that boy – he’s going to Heyan?”

Sheng Xia’s heart tightened.

She lifted her eyes slightly, “No.”

Even without him, she would still go.

Wang Lianhua knew Sheng Xia wasn’t being evasive or lying about this. And not lying meant she originally hadn’t wanted to stay at Nanli.

This suddenly made Wang Lianhua’s heartache, and holding her forehead, she felt slightly dizzy.

She still emphasized: “If you can go to Heqing University, of course, Mom will be happy, but I hope you can think clearly about who you’re studying for, who you’re progressing for, who you’re growing for. I hope the answer will always be – yourself. You must do it for yourself!”

Sheng Xia remained silent. Actually, later it was partly because of him, but obviously, saying this now wouldn’t be wise, nor would it mean anything, so she chose to keep it to herself.

Wang Lianhua continued: “These past few days, your state hasn’t been good, so I haven’t intervened much. I’ve learned a bit about that child online, he’s a good kid, but Mom still advises you, don’t limit your life so early.”

Sheng Xia waited for her mother to finish, then answered gently: “Mom, his name is Zhang Shu.”

Wang Lianhua was stunned.

Sheng Xia didn’t know why, but when her mother referred to Zhang Shu as “that boy,” “that child,” she felt slightly uncomfortable inside, just like that day walking through the Top Scholar Gate, hearing people nearby say “that one from Class 12.”

What an impersonal way of addressing someone!

Zhang Shu – he deserved to be called by his name.

“Sorry, Mom’s used to it,” Wang Lianhua compromised, “Zhang Shu is excellent, at your age, liking such a boy isn’t shameful.”

“However.”

Sheng Xia listened. She knew there would be a “but.”

“However, you’re both still too young, everything needs careful consideration. What you think you see clearly might all be viewed through filters in the future; what you think is the most sincere emotion might not withstand the test of time; what you think is a surmountable gap between family backgrounds might make your life a tangled mess and leave you covered in wounds!”

Wang Lianhua stopped, realizing she was talking about herself.

“Mom’s not trying to be the villain, just wants to tell you, life is still long,” Wang Lianhua contained some of her emotion and said earnestly: “How old are you, how many people have you met? You’ll meet all kinds of people in the future, you’ll meet more excellent, more handsome people who better meet requirements in every way…”

“But Mom,” Sheng Xia rarely interrupted her mother, “each time the heart stirs is unique.”

Wang Lianhua was stunned.

Sheng Xia murmured: “The Little Prince later met thousands and thousands of roses, they all met his requirements, both docile and passionate, even coquettish, not like the one he raised, both delicate and temperamental, but only that rose was his rose, right?”

“I might not understand many emotions yet, but I believe good emotions make people better. Even now I feel…” she was reluctant to speak, feeling the topic was too private, deep, and sentimental, “I like who I am when I like him.”

“After getting to know him, I learned how someone could live like this – able to empathize with all beings as equals, yet understand people are born different; able to stand on mountaintops looking down at the grass, yet bend down to trek and cultivate; able to face the worst ending, yet create the best ending.”

“I just learned that a person of high value never tries to prove how excellent they are, but regardless of life’s ups and downs, regardless of good or bad evaluations, only walks toward their own goal…”

“I’ve never met someone like this before, and believe I never will again in the future. Even if there were someone, they wouldn’t be my rose.”

“I want to become like him – this is my most objective evaluation of him.”

After these words, both mother and daughter were stunned.

Sheng Xia hadn’t expected to blurt out so much all at once.

Wang Lianhua hadn’t expected… there was too much she hadn’t expected, to the point she didn’t know how to categorize it, much less know what to say next.

She, in middle age, was dumbfounded by her daughter’s youthful self.

The room fell silent.

“Go to sleep first…” Wang Lianhua said.

Sheng Xia lifted her eyelids to glance at her mother, unable to guess her thoughts.

“Mm, goodnight Mom…”

“Mm, goodnight.”

Sheng Xia lay stiffly in bed, staring at the ceiling, her heart still pounding.

She had said it.

Had she just said all that?

The process was so quick she hadn’t had time to react or think, those words hadn’t had time to be organized before they all spilled out.

So.

She wanted to become like him.

She was struck by her own words.

These feelings hidden in her heart had never been brought to light, had never been laid out to air even in private.

Perhaps her surface self thought it too outrageous.

A warm current rippled through Sheng Xia’s heart, and inexplicably, in the dark bedroom at night, she smiled.

So that’s how it was?

She reached for her phone on the bedside table again, opening Weibo.

Her Weibo was also just for checking the news, she rarely posted anything.

Finding Zhang Shu’s Weibo from her birthday, she clicked to comment, but thinking about it, didn’t dare celebrate in front of so many netizens, so secretly hit repost instead.

Thinking it still wasn’t sincere enough, she changed her username. Finally looking at that neatly formatted Weibo, she was satisfied and turned off her phone to sleep.

The next morning, the atmosphere in the dining room was inevitably a bit awkward. Sheng Xia drank her milk in one go and got up to leave, but was called back by Wang Lianhua.

Her mother looked unwell and probably hadn’t slept well.

“What you said last night, Mom thought about it carefully for a long time, and still feels it’s too early.”

Sheng Xia’s hand gripping her schoolbag tightened.

After a while, Wang Lianhua added: “Study hard, the first-tier university line is just your safety net, not your goal. As for Heqing… we’ll talk after you get in, that’s the prerequisite for everything else. We’ll take it one step at a time later, listen to Mom, no matter what, you’re a girl, you can’t rush.”

Sheng Xia didn’t hesitate: “Mm.”

She understood.

She wasn’t rushing either.

Wang Lianhua added: “Go see him… Zhang Shu today when you have time, you can’t break a promise, but in the future, just… go less often.”

Sheng Xia didn’t answer, leaving with her head down, looking a bit dejected.

Arriving at the classroom, Sheng Xia’s first thought was to message Zhang Shu, telling him she could visit him tonight.

As soon as she opened her phone, she saw Weibo notifications on the homepage.

She felt a bit nervous – had he seen it so quickly? She was a bit nervous.

She opened it.

Under the Weibo she reposted last night was a comment, just posted this morning.

But it wasn’t from Zhang Shu.

No way? How would netizens find their way here?

[XIA_abcdef: First wish for peace and prosperity, second wish for parents’ health, third wish for both our wishes to come true, see you again in September. //@SHU_abcdef: What wish did she make? If it’s three wishes, I should get one of them, right?]

[Super Strict Teacher Sprite: Your wishes are so sincere, the evening breeze will remember, the moonlight will remember too.]

Sheng Xia:?

Who was that?