On Monday during the extended break, Sheng Xia attended the flag-raising ceremony at the affiliated high school for the first time. A provincial key school truly lived up to its reputation—flush with funds, they even had large screens broadcasting the ceremony, one on each side. Usually hidden within the light fixtures, this was Sheng Xia's first time noticing them.
Today's speech under the national flag was delivered by a freshman representative, a sharp girl who nonetheless seemed a bit nervous.
With such massive screens and close-up shots, every blink was crystal clear.
Sheng Xia couldn't help but wonder—what would Zhang Shu’s face look like magnified like that? What expression would he wear while reciting such solemn content with that rebellious look of his? With thousands of students watching below, had he been nervous?
She suddenly felt a pang of regret for missing it last week.
"This is nothing compared to A-Shu’s speech last week!"
"No contest, honestly."
"Wasn’t it record-breaking last week? Should be included in the school’s documentary."
Even the students on duty in the classroom chimed in from afar, chatting about last week’s ceremony.
A boy sweeping the floor suddenly let out a "Tsk, tsk, tsk," standing by Zhang Shu’s desk as he examined a crumpled note in his hand. "Damn, is Zhang Shu dating Sheng Xia or something?"
"What?"
Zhou Xuanxuan turned her head. "No way. Zhang Shu was practically glued to Chen Mengyao’s side watching her rehearse over the weekend."
"Wanna see for yourself?" The boy waved the note, and a few others immediately crowded around.
Zhou Xuanxuan took it, and another girl leaned in to read aloud, pausing between each line:
"Anything you wanna ask?"
"Question mark."
"You can ask me."
"Nope."
"You already know everything?"
"Got a problem with that?"
"Nope, of course not. You’re the best."
"Eye-roll."
"If you don’t know, just ask me. Don’t embarrass yourself out there."
"Okay."
After finishing, the girl rubbed her arms as if shaking off goosebumps. "Ugh, so cringey, my god!"
The boy who found the note added, "This is totally their handwriting. So easy to recognize."
Sheng Xia’s writing was as neat as calligraphy—everyone had seen it on the model essay wall. Zhang Shu’s was messier, wild and free, but just as distinctive.
Zhou Xuanxuan frowned. "Looking closely, this conversation isn’t even that suspicious?"
Another girl reconsidered. "Yeah, school just started. How could they be dating? Sheng Xia seems so proper. You guys just love making up rumors and ruining reputations!"
"Hey… I didn’t even say anything?" The boy pouted.
Another boy chimed in, "Honestly, Sheng Xia’s replies seem normal. It’s Zhang Shu who’s spouting all that flirty nonsense."
"Hahahaha, you’re not wrong—total flirt!"
Zhou Xuanxuan shot him a glare. "Zhang Shu likes Chen Mengyao, okay?"
Everyone knew Zhou Xuanxuan was close with Chen Mengyao, who often visited their class. Plus, after Chen Mengyao had pursued Lu Youze before, most of Class Six knew her well. The boy shrugged, dropping the topic to switch to guy talk.
"Don’t you think Sheng Xia’s prettier?"
"Overall, she’s got this vibe, but I’ve never really looked at her face up close. Her figure… no idea. Feels like she’s always got her head down."
"She’s kinda low-key, not as flashy as Chen Mengyao. But one time I was filling my water bottle next to her, and she turned around—her face was like… translucent? Hard to describe."
"What kind of description is that? A ghost?"
"More like an angel?"
"You into her?"
"Nah, nah, don’t twist it. Just saying she’s good-looking, okay?"After the flag-raising ceremony, Sheng Xia went to fetch water. While waiting in line, she noticed that most of the students were from Class Six, including all of today's duty students. Sheng Xia found it odd—usually, duty students would take the chance to get water or use the restroom while everyone else was at the ceremony. Why were they all lined up behind her today?
And whether it was her imagination or not, they seemed to be glancing at her intentionally or unintentionally, making her feel uneasy. She nodded at Zhou Xuanxuan, whom she was somewhat familiar with, as a greeting.
Zhou Xuanxuan smiled back. "Morning, Xiaxia."
The girl next to Zhou Xuanxuan called out to her, "Sheng Xia, wait for us! Let’s walk back together."
The girl speaking was Zhou Xuanxuan’s deskmate, Li Shiyi, if Sheng Xia remembered correctly. They had barely spoken before, but Sheng Xia still nodded. "Sure."
She stood aside to wait and heard Zhou Xuanxuan wave to someone behind her. "Mengyao, over here!"
Sheng Xia saw a girl with chestnut-colored curls walk over, holding a water bottle, her face bright with a radiant smile. She wore the standard blue-and-white school uniform on top, paired with vanishingly short denim shorts that barely peeked out from beneath, and canvas shoes worn loosely like slippers.
The morning sun slanted into the hallway, making her long legs gleam.
Many people around them stole glances at her.
So this was Chen Mengyao—she really was dazzling. Sheng Xia’s gaze lingered briefly on her face before politely shifting away.
Chen Mengyao had been at the end of the line, and a few boys let her cut ahead. She thanked them politely before saying to Zhou Xuanxuan, "Wait for me, Xuanxuan."
"Of course," Zhou Xuanxuan replied.
And so, Sheng Xia had no choice but to wait along with them.
Once Chen Mengyao had filled her bottle, she linked arms with Zhou Xuanxuan. "Let’s go."
Then Li Shiyi hooked her arm through Sheng Xia’s, and the four of them walked side by side.
Sheng Xia grew increasingly uncomfortable—it felt strange, as if she had been abruptly pulled into an unfamiliar girls' gathering.
Zhou Xuanxuan asked, "Are your rehearsals all done?"
Chen Mengyao replied, "There’s still a dress rehearsal tonight."
Zhou Xuanxuan continued, "Is your training in Dongzhou over? Are you going back?"
Chen Mengyao said, "Definitely. I’ll be going back and forth until the arts exams."
"But what about your regular classes?" Zhou Xuanxuan asked with concern. "The schools you’re aiming for have pretty high academic requirements, don’t they?"
Chen Mengyao sighed. "I don’t know. I’ll probably have to get extra tutoring, but it’s all so expensive."
"Why not ask Zhang Shu? Aren’t you wasting such a great resource?"
Chen Mengyao pouted. "We’ll see. I don’t really feel like dealing with him right now."
Zhou Xuanxuan pulled her arm free and playfully smacked Chen Mengyao’s shoulder. "Hey! Is it really okay to just ignore our Class Six’s star student, top scholar, and resident heartthrob like that?"
Chen Mengyao just smiled without answering.
Chen Mengyao was in Class Four, so when they reached her classroom, she went inside. Before entering, she turned back and called out to Zhou Xuanxuan, "Wait for me at lunch, okay?"
Zhou Xuanxuan gave her a thumbs-up.
Chen Mengyao responded with a heart sign, winking playfully with one eye—full of energy and charm. Before turning away, her gaze subtly brushed past Sheng Xia’s calm profile.
Sheng Xia, walking with her head slightly lowered, didn’t notice. Nor did she hear the hushed whispers of the boys behind them.
"I think you’re right—Sheng Xia might actually be prettier."
"Told you, didn’t I?"
"She’s really beautiful, and she doesn’t even dress up much. When they stand together, it’s obvious. Chen Mengyao is just average, but Sheng Xia is like a blank canvas."“Yeah, I feel pretty much the same way, just can’t put it into words.”
“No wonder Zhang Shu’s so shameless.”
“Hahaha!”
…
On the evening of Teachers’ Day, the whole school gathered in the auditorium for a performance. The senior class, like caged beasts finally set free, was unusually excited—the entire senior building was buzzing with noise.
The gala once again overturned Sheng Xia’s perception of the “top students” group. The quality of the performances was leagues above what she’d seen at No. 2 High. Sometimes, she really couldn’t understand why God was so biased—how could some people excel in every aspect, from virtue and intelligence to physical and artistic talents?
Sheng Xia had learned the guzheng for many years and had once been a mainstay in school performances. But her guzheng had been smashed during one of Sheng Mingfeng and Wang Lianhua’s fights. After that, Sheng Mingfeng bought her a better one, but she never touched it again.
Watching the well-organized traditional orchestra on stage, Sheng Xia’s fingers twitched slightly on her knees.
The dance led by Chen Mengyao became the highlight of the gala, a tribute to High School Musical —singing, dancing, and even some acting, creating a lively atmosphere. When the performance ended, apart from Class Four, the loudest cheers came from Class Six’s seating area.
As Chen Mengyao took her bow, she waved in the direction of Class Six, prompting another round of teasing from the crowd—some glancing at Zhang Shu, others at Lu Youze.
The drama offstage was even more entertaining than the show itself.
“Will Zhang Shu go up to give her flowers later?”
“Probably. Isn’t he her number one fan?”
“And those expensive peonies, too. Tsk tsk, for Shu-ge to splurge like that—must be a big deal!”
“Hahahaha!”
“Love’s just so weird. Even with all that, the goddess still didn’t end up with him. Tragic, isn’t it?”
“If even Zhang Shu can’t win her over, who could?”
“Money can, obviously. Like Young Master Lu!”
“Hey, if it were you, would you pick the ‘Crown Prince’ or the school heartthrob?”
“I’m not the school belle—since when do I get to choose?”
“Fair point. But will their drama wrap up before graduation? I don’t want to be in college still gossiping about high school crushes and rich kids.”
“Hahaha, who knows?”
Sheng Xia sat toward the back, catching every whisper around her.
She stared at the back of that head in front of her—elbows propped on the armrests, chin resting on his hand as he watched the stage. What expression did he have? What did he look like when he gazed at someone he liked?
Probably the same way he had looked during rehearsals—focused and entranced.
Definitely not the way he looked at idiots.
Sheng Xia shook her head. What was she even thinking about?
At the end of the gala, all the performers gathered on stage for a final celebration. The background music was youthful and energetic, confetti swirling in the air as many audience members rushed up to present flowers. Chen Mengyao held several bouquets, nearly hidden behind them—but none were peonies.
As the audience filed out of the auditorium, Sheng Xia noticed that handsome head walking ahead, never having appeared on stage to give flowers.
She returned to the classroom for some extra study before packing up to go home, not realizing how late it had gotten. The night was quiet as she took a shortcut through Wenbo Garden. Riding her bike past the community garden, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
“Don’t you already have plenty of flowers?” Zhang Shu leaned against the stone table in the pavilion, his tone cool.
“A-Shu, are you jealous?” Chen Mengyao stood nearby, her stage makeup still on—arched brows, red lips, strikingly vivid in the night.
Zhang Shu sighed—deep and heavy.He stood up and walked over to Chen Mengyao, looking down at her from above. From Sheng Xia's perspective, he only needed to tilt his head slightly to kiss the girl opposite him—the atmosphere was ambiguous and tense.
As he moved, he seemed to notice the sound of the electric scooter on the driveway, his gaze sweeping toward the lane.
Sheng Xia hurriedly accelerated, keeping her eyes fixed ahead as she swiftly fled the melodramatic scene.
Under the cover of night, she wasn’t sure if he had spotted her. After all, running into him twice—both times in rather private situations—left her quite flustered.
Zhang Shu watched the white rear of the scooter disappear around the corner, his brow lifting slightly.
OpenNovel