The end of the year was packed with holidays. Winter Solstice, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s—marketers turned them all into Valentine’s Day equivalents, but Sheng Xia and Zhang Shu didn’t go on any more dates.
With finals approaching, library seats during review week were nearly impossible to secure. Once you were lucky enough to get one, you had to maximize the resource, studying until closing time. Everyone was leaving early and returning late—none of Sheng Xia’s roommates were slacking off.
Zhang Shu was even busier—still having major assignments during finals, writing various lab reports on top of reviewing. Even visiting River Qing was a luxury.
Being busy was one thing, but Sheng Xia was also still haunted by their last date—her chest had hurt the next day, yet the culprit thought he’d been a perfect gentleman!
Just seeing him was irritating.
The busier people got, the less sense of time they had. It wasn’t until the Youth League secretary announced group train ticket purchases that Sheng Xia realized it was time to go home for break.
Sheng Xia had initially wanted to experience crossing the country from north to south by train—it would surely be a wonderful journey. But Wang Lianhua wanted to take Wu Qiuxuan traveling during the break, mainly to visit several universities and instill college aspirations in the young high school student.
Sheng Xia would wait for them in River Yan, and then return to South Li together after their trip.
Zhang Shu’s break started later—he had a mini-semester, with only ten days for winter break and just over twenty days for summer break.
Mini-semester—the name sounded fresh, but it was just make-up classes.
The fact that universities still had collective make-up classes showed how intense academic competition had become among top students.
Sheng Xia booked the same guesthouse as before. Surrounded by prestigious schools with convenient transportation, Wang Lianhua was quite satisfied.
Wang Lianhua had planned the entire itinerary—visiting universities in the mornings and tourist spots in the afternoons. Strangely, she’d scheduled Hai Yan University for the last day.
If not the first day, shouldn’t it at least be the second?
To this, Wu Qiuxuan explained: “Maybe she’s nervous about meeting her future son-in-law?”
Sheng Xia was speechless. That wasn’t it at all—words like “nervous” didn’t exist in Wang Lianhua’s dictionary. Besides, son-in-law?
Not happening.
Sheng Xia hadn’t even told Wang Lianhua about this yet. To Wang Lianhua, dating now was probably still considered puppy love.
As soon as they entered Hai Yan University, Wang Lianhua asked, “Why are there still so many students on campus?”
Sheng Xia explained: “They have a mini-semester.” Then she explained what that meant.
“Oh, I see,” Wang Lianhua seemed to suddenly understand. “So Zhang Shu hasn’t returned to South Li yet?”
Sheng Xia: “Not yet.”
She answered too quickly, clearly showing the kind of relationship where one always knew the other’s whereabouts.
Wang Lianhua gave her a sidelong glance.
Sheng Xia realized then—her mother wasn’t nervous about meeting her potential son-in-law; she simply didn’t want to meet him at all.
Wu Qiuxuan mumbled beside them: “Sis, can you ask Brother Zhang Shu to show us around? Hai Yan University is so big and has such a long history. I heard it takes three or four hours to tour, and you need a proper guide to get the full experience. Are you familiar with it?”
If she said yes, that wouldn’t be right—why would she be familiar with it? Only because she visited often?
If she said no, then she’d have to call Zhang Shu.
Sheng Xia was caught in a dilemma and tactfully refused: “Their department is probably very busy, they’re famous for it at River Qing.”
Wu Qiuxuan pouted, “No way, can’t you control him?”
Wang Lianhua had been about to interrupt her second daughter’s suggestion but swallowed her words at this comment.
Seeing her mother not object but merely watch with a neutral expression, as if waiting for news, Sheng Xia was both surprised and more nervous.
She had no choice but to call Zhang Shu.
In the laboratory, Zhang Shu felt his phone vibrate, glanced at it, and answered, “What’s wrong?”
Though there was no greeting, his classmates recognized the familiar opening line and knew it was his girlfriend on the other end—that talented writer from River Qing’s Literature Department, whose book occupied the prime spot on Zhang Shu’s dorm room bookshelf.
When answering calls from others, he’d just say “hello,” or for closer friends like roommates, just “speak.”
But with his girlfriend, it was different. Those three simple words carried a deep tone but light manner, with hints of smiles and inexplicable indulgence.
After listening for less than half a minute, Zhang Shu hung up and told his group members: “I need to step out for a bit.”
“When will you be back?”
“Let’s call it a day,” Zhang Shu negotiated, “I’ll finish the report tonight.”
“What’s so urgent?”
“Very urgent,” Zhang Shu smiled, “it affects whether I can get married in the future.”
The lab, with no female students present, erupted in teasing.
“Then hurry up, go quickly! A marriage certificate is way more important than reports!”
“Thanks!” Zhang Shu grabbed his coat and left without hesitation.
In the lab, members from other groups joined the gossip.
“Isn’t this test setup Zhang Shu’s baby? Is he abandoning it halfway? Even his baby?”
“Who needs a baby if you can’t get married!”
“As if Zhang Shu would have trouble getting married, what a joke!”
“He only wants to marry this one though?”
“High school sweethearts, how precious is that?”
“High school sweethearts who ended up at River Qing and Hai Yan—that’s one in a million.”
“True that, abandoning the baby makes sense now. Zhang Shu’s baby, come hang with uncle instead?”
…
…
Sheng Xia first led her mother and Wu Qiuxuan along the main road. Soon they saw Zhang Shu cycling over.
“Is that Brother Zhang Shu? It must be!” When still a hundred meters away, Wu Qiuxuan started cheering excitedly, “It has to be—otherwise, Hai Yan University would have too many handsome guys!”
Sheng Xia: …
Wang Lianhua: …
How to put it? With his long arms and legs, Zhang Shu on a bicycle was indeed pleasing to the eye.
Even the winter wind ruthlessly tousling his hair couldn’t affect his good looks.
Zhang Shu stopped his bike by the road, first calling out “Auntie,” and seeing Wang Lianhua’s slight nod, he parked his bike properly and walked over.
“Brother Zhang Shu! You’re getting more handsome! Are you sure you won’t become a celebrity?” Wu Qiuxuan was completely uninhibited.
Zhang Shu smiled, “Qiuxuan is getting prettier too.”
Wang Lianhua glanced at Wu Qiuxuan, then turned to Zhang Shu: “You must be very busy?”
“It was quite busy earlier, preparing for an important experiment, but we’re in the final stages now, going smoothly.” Zhang Shu answered neither humbly nor proudly, sincere yet casual.
This answer must have pleased Wang Lianhua, Sheng Xia thought.
She’d once heard Sheng Mingfeng ask Li Xu the same question, and Li Xu’s answer was similar: very busy before, with important work—showing ambition, not idle; going smoothly—work going well; in final stages—not busy now, ready to serve!
Li Xu had been navigating bureaucratic waters since graduation, handling social situations impeccably.
But Zhang Shu hadn’t, had he?
Some people showed completely different faces to peers versus elders.
Wang Lianhua nodded, a slight smile on her lips, “We’re just looking around, shouldn’t have troubled you. Sheng Xia is thoughtless.”
Zhang Shu maintained his smile: “When my classmates and I visited River Qing before, Sheng Xia was our guide, explaining everything and treating us to meals. I still owe her one, this is a good chance to return the favor.”
Sheng Xia was confused: When did he visit River Qing with his classmates?
Wang Lianhua raised an eyebrow.
How could she not know her daughter? One look at that expression told her it never happened, let alone that Sheng Xia couldn’t give much of a tour of River Qing.
Zhang Shu’s response was quite something, conveying several layers in just a few words: going with classmates meant they weren’t alone; owing Sheng Xia meant she wasn’t thoughtless; returning the favor was even cleverer, instantly arranging their lunch plans.
“Then we’ll trouble you to show us around?” Wang Lianhua’s expression remained calm, her mood unreadable, her tone flat.
Zhang Shu: “I haven’t had a proper walk-in day, this is perfect. But Auntie, you’ve come from South Li and might not be used to this—it could get very cold if we walk too long. Should we try a route that’s half indoors, half outdoors?”
Wang Lianhua: “Good, you arrange it. Mainly show Qiuxuan around, let her see what makes a good university different.”
Wu Qiuxuan: “Just seeing Brother Zhang Shu shows how different good universities are, okay?”
“Shall we go then?”
Sheng Xia: … Their world was so complicated.
Just as she was thinking this, in an angle hidden from Wang Lianhua, Zhang Shu squeezed her finger.
Sheng Xia hurriedly pulled away, only to be caught by Wu Qiuxuan’s teasing gaze.
Zhang Shu’s hospitality could be described as perfect. Sheng Xia hadn’t known he could be such a good conversationalist, or that he knew Hai Yan so well. He could answer any of Wang Lianhua’s questions, and even when encountering unfamiliar topics, he could skillfully redirect her attention.
Especially when he introduced certain subjects, Wang Lianhua showed great interest and started making plans for Wu Qiuxuan.
Wang Lianhua was particularly concerned about his career prospects, asking detailed and direct questions about average graduate salaries, achievements of notable alumni, plans for graduate school, entrepreneurial intentions…
Not just Sheng Xia, even Wu Qiuxuan couldn’t bear listening anymore—it was like interviewing a potential son-in-law. Couldn’t she be a bit more subtle?
Zhang Shu answered everything smoothly, clearly having planned his life, or at least his four university years, very thoroughly.
Sheng Xia felt embarrassed again—they were both freshmen, so why did she know nothing about her future?
Moreover, he was considerate without seeming deliberate.
For instance, after touring half the campus, he changed routes, seemingly casually passing by a supermarket to buy hand warmers for them.
Because their feet were indeed getting colder, as Wang Lianhua had mentioned.
For instance, he arranged lunch in the cafeteria’s top-floor private room, where they could order separately, similar to outside restaurants but with slightly lower service and food quality.
Wang Lianhua was very satisfied with this arrangement too.
They were here to visit the university, so eating in the cafeteria let them experience the atmosphere and see the food quality, but the self-service downstairs wouldn’t have been appropriate. This was just right.
Going to an outside restaurant would have been more formal, but for a student treating elders, it would have seemed too extravagant and eager.
Wang Lianhua ordered neither too much nor too little—n+1 portions, not wasteful but not appearing stingy towards their host.
Respect was mutual.
After lunch, they were ready to leave. Zhang Shu only escorted them to the gate, making no extra arrangements—knowing when to advance and retreat, with a perfect grasp of propriety.
After all, he wasn’t in the position yet to help call cars and such.
While waiting for the car, Wang Lianhua chatted casually with Zhang Shu: “Zhang Shu, when are you returning to South Li?”
“After the mini-semester ends.”
“Going back for New Year’s?”
“Yes.”
“Staying in Lian Li or the city?”
Zhang Shu considered this question for a few seconds, “Definitely spending New Year’s Eve in Lian Li, other times depend on what plans come up.”
Wang Lianhua: “It’s rare to have a break, you should relax properly and catch up with old friends. The same goes for Sheng Xia.”
Sheng Xia was startled at being suddenly mentioned.
Zhang Shu’s smile deepened as he nodded, “Alright.”
After getting in the taxi, Wu Qiuxuan leaned close to Sheng Xia’s ear, whispering: “Sis, I think Mom was encouraging you two to date during New Year’s!”
Sheng Xia: … How could that be possible?