HomeSummer In Your NameChapter 91: Classmate Zhang Shu

Chapter 91: Classmate Zhang Shu

As the new semester approached, Xin Xiaohe made plans to return to school with Sheng Xia. Only then did Sheng Xia dare to appear in the group chat. As soon as she showed up, the conversation somehow took an unexpected turn. The flood of questions made Sheng Xia’s heart race, and she could only grumble internally rather than respond.

“Does it happen instantly?”

—Not really.

“How much was consumed?”

Sheng Xia didn’t understand at first until Xin Xiaohe explained: “How many boxes were used?”

—Two boxes. The first box was wasted either because it wasn’t worn properly or because of her nervousness. The second box left a deep impression because his hands were so sweaty he couldn’t tear it open and had to use his teeth. That look in his eyes… just thinking about it made her shudder.

Heaven knows how red her face was lying there.

“How did it feel?”

—Painful, hot, nervous.

“How many times?”

—She wasn’t sure how to count.

At first, it hurt too much. Though he kept trying to comfort her, she still shook her head, biting her lower lip until it turned pale. He was covered in sweat but still gave up, holding her hand tightly while consoling her.

After the chaos, he held her from behind as they slept on their sides. She had finally fallen asleep when, in the middle of the night, she got too hot and kicked off the blankets in her drowsy state. She hadn’t expected to wake him up, but he did, and he turned her head for a deep kiss, determined to make up for earlier without end.

In the morning, just as Sheng Xia was finally sleeping comfortably, he awoke to the sound of ocean waves, his body as punctual as the tides. Once he was awake, she couldn’t sleep either, though he tried to coax her, saying, “Just keep sleeping.”

How could she possibly sleep?

Who could sleep like that?

So annoying!

“Men who’ve just had their first taste are like cats in spring—unusually passionate and annoying,” Xin Xiaohe declared when Sheng Xia didn’t respond to the group messages.

Sheng Xia was stunned: Did Xin Xiaohe have mind-reading abilities?

Xiaomai: “For Shu-ge, he’s not really like a cat…”

Tao Zhizhi: “Then… a dog?”

Lanlan: “A lion?”

Xin Xiaohe: “Have you ever seen a lion in spring?”

College girls were too frightening; their conversations were much more explicit than in high school. The group was impossible to stay in. Sheng Xia first muted the notifications, but she still couldn’t help peeking at the messages. Finally, she chose to leave the group chat altogether.

After a while, she received a private message from Xin Xiaohe: “Don’t you know that when the person in question isn’t present, the topic only gets more detailed?”

Tao Zhizhi sent her a screenshot—the group name had been changed to: [Shy Girl Runs Away from Home]

Compared to them, her college roommates were much more reserved and didn’t tease her so openly. They would only joke around when Zhang Shu came to Heqing and waited for Sheng Xia at the dormitory building.

After Liao Jing’s failed forced group date, the girls in Room 219 lost interest in similar activities. However, being forced to watch couples being lovey-dovey in front of their dormitory every day made them all cry out about wanting to date.

So Sheng Xia was pushed to arrange something, but unfortunately, among Zhang Shu’s four roommates, only one was single—quite rare in the Computer Science department where male students far outnumbered females, as the others had been dating since high school.

Zhang Shu had to invite his project groupmates to make up a 4v4 gathering.

Before leaving, Zhong Lujie nervously asked, “Guess how many of the four will be wearing plaid shirts?”

Sheng Xia admitted, “Zhang Shu doesn’t own any plaid shirts, and I don’t think I’ve seen any of his classmates wearing them either?”

The plaid shirt stereotype for programmers seemed deeply ingrained.

They arranged to meet at the amusement park. Sheng Xia’s group arrived late, but they spotted Zhang Shu’s group before even getting off the bus.

“Uh…” Sheng Xia was speechless.

One person was wearing a plaid shirt.

“See? One out of four is wearing a plaid shirt—that’s not a low probability!” said Liao Jing.

The boy in the plaid shirt was fair-skinned, with black-rimmed glasses covering half his face. The plaid shirt didn’t look bad on him.

Sheng Xia recognized him—a quiet super genius whose parents both worked in computer science. He was an informatics competition gold medalist with perfect grades. Like many geniuses, he had quite a temperament and couldn’t team up with anyone. In the end, the teacher assigned him to Zhang Shu’s group. At school, Zhang Shu was his only contact outside of academics. Whenever she visited Haiyan unannounced, she would always see him following Zhang Shu around.

Zhang Shu introduced the people he brought, including the plaid shirt-wearing student named Cheng Zhuoyang.

Sheng Xia hadn’t expected such an academic genius to participate in this kind of “blind date” activity.

The next second, Liao Jing excitedly stuttered “you-you-you” for a while before finally exclaiming, “Cheng Zhuoyang? Our province’s top scorer!”

The Room 219 crowd was incredibly surprised.

Even for their prestigious department with many top scorers, this was too much—it was like they were being mass-produced!

“Yes, hello Liao Jing.” Cheng Zhuoyang responded flatly, stunning everyone again.

“Are you from the same hometown?”

“Yes, but…” Liao Jing was confused. She had only seen the top scorer’s photo and name in the congratulatory announcement; they weren’t from the same high school.

Cheng Zhuoyang explained: “We were in neighboring classes in middle school.”

The genius’s brows were tightly knitted as if speaking even one more word was unbearable, but he felt compelled to explain.

“Wow, what a coincidence!” someone exclaimed.

Zhang Shu raised his eyebrows nearby, took Sheng Xia’s hand, and pulled her to his side, distributing tickets to everyone, “Let’s go in, it’s very sunny.”

Behind them, Liao Jing bombarded Cheng Zhuoyang with questions.

Liao Jing: “Middle school? How come I don’t remember? I remember everyone who threatened my first place!”

Cheng Zhuoyang: “My grades weren’t good in middle school.”

Liao Jing: “No way? Why?”

Cheng Zhuoyang: “Games were more interesting.”

Liao Jing: “Then how do you remember me?”

Cheng Zhuoyang: “You were first in the class.”

Liao Jing: “Oh, right. By the way, since you’re in computer science, can you make game cheats?”

“…”

“Do you still play? Take me with you, take me!”

Sheng Xia wiped her sweat and whispered in Zhang Shu’s ear: “Your classmate is so honest, won’t he be scared by my roommate?”

Zhang Shu looked at her, suddenly leaned down to kiss her, and said: “Silly birds flock together.”

Sheng Xia: …

Zhang Shu: “Who scares who isn’t certain.”

Back at the dormitory that evening, Liao Jing immediately logged into the game, eagerly waiting for the genius to carry her.

Zhong Lujie asked slyly: “You didn’t fall for him, did you?”

Liao Jing waved her hand: “No way, he’s too quiet. Besides, if he hadn’t worn that plaid shirt today, there might have been a chance.”

“Hahahahaha!”

Halfway through the semester, the busiest time for the Computer Science department arrived.

Assignments were “bestowed” like imperial gifts, midterm exams followed closely, and the laboratory was especially busy due to an upcoming inspection tour.

Weekend afternoons next semester will be occupied by various experiments. Zhang Shu could only squeeze time to meet with Sheng Xia, and as long as he didn’t have evening classes, he would unfailingly go to Heqing to have dinner with her, then take a walk before returning to school.

“Shu-ge.”

Early Saturday morning, just as Zhang Shu got up, Cheng Zhuoyang was already waiting at the dormitory door. Today, people were coming to inspect the laboratory, and they needed to help out.

Actually, Cheng Zhuoyang was a few months older than Zhang Shu, but he liked calling him that, and Zhang Shu just went along with it.

Both Zhang Shu and Cheng Zhuoyang had just joined Haiyan University’s Computer Vision Center this semester. The entire laboratory had fewer than 10 undergraduate students, with only two from sophomore year. Although they were currently just learning, it was a rare opportunity that everyone in the department and even the whole college envied, naturally leading to some discontent.

Cheng Zhuoyang was one thing, being first in their year in professional courses, but Zhang Shu’s professional grades weren’t top-tier, and many couldn’t understand why the department had chosen him.

Cheng Zhuoyang knew why, but he was too lazy to explain, and he knew Zhang Shu didn’t care.

The laboratory never lacked professional experts; what it lacked were coordinators.

Last year, the laboratory made important breakthroughs in image diagnostics, developing applicable results. Many companies had extended olive branches, so company representatives often came to observe and investigate, but the laboratory had never shown such attention before.

“Who’s coming today?”

Even the senior students were discussing this question, and even the assistant supervisor wasn’t clear.

Zhang Shu helped organize materials and debug equipment, not paying much attention to everyone’s discussions.

Outside the laboratory, the guide’s voice came through the amplifier. Hearing “Leaders, this way please,” everyone could guess they were government officials.

Seeing Sheng Mingfeng at the front, Zhang Shu was surprised for a moment. But only for a moment. He suddenly remembered Sheng Mingfeng’s resume that he had read long ago, with outstanding political achievements. Now many local governments emphasize technology empowerment, hoping artificial intelligence would improve primary healthcare, so Sheng Mingfeng’s appearance here wasn’t strange.

It was Sheng Mingfeng who, seeing him through a glass door, smiled and greeted him: “Isn’t this Zhang Shu?”

The laboratory director asked in surprise: “Secretary Sheng knows him?”

“Zhang Shu, our Nanli’s top scorer, one of the Top Ten Outstanding Youth for his heroic deed, I presented him with the award!” Sheng Mingfeng was very pleased.

Hearing this, the director cast an approving look at Zhang Shu, following with praise: “Nanli produces talents indeed, Student Zhang is very outstanding.”

Zhang Shu stood in place, his gaze neither humble nor proud, very polite.

But everyone around knew that the director might not even know all his doctoral students, how could he know an undergraduate student’s name? The director probably didn’t even know Zhang Shu was an undergraduate.

“He is indeed outstanding,” Sheng Mingfeng praised generously, “How could there be anyone not outstanding in Director Fan’s laboratory?”

Zhang Shu’s office wasn’t a key area for the inspection, and soon the inspection group left grandly, but this small episode caught many people’s attention. Zhang Shu’s assistant supervisor, full of curiosity, came to inquire, “I had heard before that you received some social honor, so it was Top Ten Outstanding Youth! Even the top leader remembers you, not simple at all, little brother!”

After the assistant supervisor left, Cheng Zhuoyang leisurely said: “There are so many Top Ten Outstanding Youth each year, how could he remember? I think your girlfriend looks too similar to Secretary Sheng.”

Zhang Shu nodded, saying nothing, and continued working.

“Shu-ge, go for it.”

Zhang Shu: …

Shortly after, someone who had been following Sheng Mingfeng came to find Zhang Shu, who put down the materials in his hands and followed.

In front of the laboratory, the cameras had stopped recording, and Sheng Mingfeng was shaking hands with the laboratory director, saying goodbye.

“You must come visit our Nanli, we can provide very rich training data at Nanli, and the application scenarios are very broad. We all very much hope that…”

“Certainly, certainly, we are all very moved by Secretary Sheng’s sincerity…”

Zhang Shu followed that person around, exiting through the back door of the laboratory, and waiting by the school road. Soon, Sheng Mingfeng’s car stopped in front.

“Student Zhang Shu, would you join me for a meal?”

Zhang Shu nodded, “All right, Uncle Sheng.”

The car drove away smoothly. The secretary in the front seat reported the upcoming schedule, and Sheng Mingfeng apologetically said: “I forgot I had other arrangements, so the meal will have to wait until next time.”

Zhang Shu remained unperturbed: “I’m available anytime. Uncle Sheng, if it’s not an official visit, I should be the one hosting you.”

The secretary and driver in the front seats kept their eyes straight ahead, both secretly giving Zhang Shu points in their minds.

Sheng Mingfeng’s lips curved slightly upward, maintaining his usual affable attitude, but still with authority, getting straight to the point: “I heard from Sheng Xia that you two are dating.”

Zhang Shu smiled slightly, looking at Sheng Mingfeng, “What she probably said was that we’re making friends, right?”

Sheng Mingfeng’s eyebrows raised slightly, and then he laughed heartily, “You do understand her.”

Zhang Shu accepted this, not wanting to be modest on this point.

“Then is what she said true?”

Zhang Shu immediately answered: “That depends on her.”

Sheng Mingfeng paused for two seconds, “Not on me?”

When Sheng Mingfeng said this, both people in the front seat became tense: Young man, this is a life-or-death question.

At this, Zhang Shu also had a brief moment of thought, then calmly said: “If she thinks we’re just friends, I’ll wait longer. If you think we’re just friends, I’ll push harder.”

The car fell silent, and even the secretary stopped flipping through documents.

The car had already left Haiyan University, with tall buildings lining the streets, presenting a prosperous scene.

Zhang Shu felt a weight on his shoulder and heard Sheng Mingfeng speak with some emotion: “Then push hard, Student Zhang Shu.”

Zhang Shu nodded solemnly, understanding: that he had been pushing and had never stopped.

“Do you know what’s more important than pushing yourself?” Sheng Mingfeng asked.

Zhang Shu had his answer in his heart, but he understood that at this moment, his role was not to speak, but to listen.

“Without Sun Quan’s family background and resources, be Cao Cao; without Zhuge Liang’s wisdom and strategies, be Liu Bei. Just make sure you don’t end up being Yuan Shao or Liu Biao in the end.”

“Student Zhang Shu, you’re not the type to work for others, and you can’t be. Do you understand?”

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