Summer in Your Name

Sheng Xia swallowed hard, meeting his slightly surprised gaze. After hesitating for a long moment, she said, "I... I want my composition back."

Zhang Shu chuckled, looking at her fair cheeks tinged with pink, suddenly feeling the urge to pinch them.

Classmates around them: ...Tch, thought it was something serious.

Zhang Shu pulled out her composition paper and handed it over. "Why apologize for wanting your own work back?"

Sheng Xia avoided his questioning gaze. She didn’t want to be like this either, but she really wanted to apologize for her impulsiveness and pettiness.

This was the only way she could comfort herself. She had said it, and he had received it.

"Teacher Wang said we should help each other. If you still need it, I’ll give it back to you after I finish organizing it," she replied softly as she took the paper.

"Teacher Wang?" Zhang Shu rolled the title over in his mouth and laughed again. "Almost didn’t realize who you meant."

In Class Six, no one addressed Wang Wei so formally in private.

Sheng Xia stayed silent and began sorting her composition notes.

Could he not laugh like that? Each chuckle carried a hint of recklessness, the sound escaping through his nose, his throat humming lightly—short, fleeting, brushing against the listener’s heart, making it tremble.

After evening self-study, Sheng Xia bought a copy of Zhang Shu’s mistake notebook from the stationery store by the north gate. Fifteen yuan per book. Wang Wei had said almost every sophomore had one. By that calculation, the few hundred yuan the shop owner had given Zhang Shu was too little.

When she got home, Wang Lianhua was waiting in the living room as usual and had prepared a bowl of steamed egg custard for her as a late-night snack.

"Mom, our midterm results are out," Sheng Xia said, holding the bowl.

Wang Lianhua nodded. "I saw them on the school app."

Sheng Xia couldn’t read any expression on her mother’s face and simply replied, "Mhm."

After finishing her snack, Sheng Xia said, "I’m going to study."

"Xia Xia," Wang Lianhua called her back.

Sheng Xia sat back down, waiting for her mother’s response.

Wang Lianhua sighed. "I can’t help much with high school material. Do you think you need extra tutoring?"

In the past, Wang Lianhua wouldn’t have asked—she would’ve just decided. Maybe lately, she had noticed Sheng Xia’s efforts and realized it wasn’t an attitude problem. The ability just wasn’t there, and no amount of scolding would change that.

Sheng Xia winced at her mother’s helpless look and sniffled. "Mom, I feel like I don’t have enough time. If I take extra classes, won’t it—"

"Then what’s your plan? What measures are you taking?" Wang Lianhua said. "If you don’t act now, you’ll fall even further behind."

Sheng Xia’s throat tightened. "I asked the top student in class for his mistake notebook. I’ll study from it."

"Will it work?" Wang Lianhua pressed urgently.

"I don’t know," Sheng Xia admitted, feeling powerless. She couldn’t guarantee anything about the unknown.

Wang Lianhua looked worried but didn’t push further. "Let’s see how the next exam goes. If it doesn’t work, we’ll arrange tutoring early. Time is running out."

"Okay."

"Good girl."

"I’m going to study now, Mom."

"Alright, don’t stay up too late."

"Mhm."

That night, Sheng Xia stayed up until 2 a.m., poring over Zhang Shu’s mistake notebook again and again.

...

After the midterms came the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays. The high school’s arrangement remained the same: organized group "self-study," attendance optional.Sheng Xia naturally came every day. Even when Sheng Mingfeng wanted to take her out for meals, she declined.

Wang Lianhua said her time was running out.

The bright red numbers on the countdown board reminded her of the same.

During the holiday lunch break, the after-school program added extra food and handed out mooncakes. Not many people ate at the shop, so everyone thanked the proprietress together, the atmosphere almost like a family reunion.

Sheng Xia sat silently between Zhang Shu and Hou Junqi, eating her meal.

She had grown accustomed to this arrangement and no longer deliberately ate as quickly as before. Hou Junqi, knowing she preferred not to talk during meals, hardly ever deliberately included her in conversations anymore.

Most of the time, she just listened to them chat.

"Shu, wanna hit the convenience store later?" Hou Junqi asked.

Zhang Shu replied, "No."

Hou Junqi said, "I wanna grab a soda. These mooncakes are too dry."

Zhang Shu said, "Oh, can't you just drink soup?"

"Seriously, Shu? You really meant it when you said you were quitting soda and snacks? I don’t buy it—with your sugar addiction..."

"Yeah, really," Zhang Shu answered flatly.

Hou Junqi thought it was unnecessary. "You’re not saving much this way, are you?"

Zhang Shu said, "Every bit counts."

Hou Junqi glanced at Zhang Sujin, and seeing she wasn’t nearby, leaned closer to Zhang Shu and lowered his voice. "You’re really buying that necklace? Damn, it’s crazy expensive!"

Zhang Shu shot him a look and didn’t answer, focusing on his meal.

Hou Junqi then glanced at Sheng Xia, as if only now realizing there was someone else present, and mimed zipping his lips shut before falling silent.

Sheng Xia felt a little awkward.

Why couldn’t they just pretend she didn’t exist? Realizing halfway through their hushed conversation that they needed to guard against her—was that really the way to go?

Still, she recalled how Zhang Shu always had a lollipop dangling from his mouth during self-study sessions. He really did seem to have a sweet tooth. And soda—his desk was always littered with soda cans, almost one a day. He hardly ever drank water.

But lately, it seemed he had been sticking to water.

Was he really giving up snacks and drinks to save money for a necklace for some girl he liked? That couldn’t be easy.

Remembering her past misunderstandings, Sheng Xia came up with a way to make up for it.

...

For several days in a row, lollipops and soda appeared in Zhang Shu’s desk drawer.

The lollipops were the premium "Peko" brand he usually couldn’t afford to splurge on, and the sodas were all his usual favorites—a different variety each time. Every day, there was a bag of lollipops and a can of soda.

At first, Zhang Shu assumed Hou Junqi had bought them and didn’t think much of it. But after a while, he started feeling something was off and asked Hou Junqi, "You pitying me or something?"

Hou Junqi was baffled. "Huh?"

Zhang Shu pulled out the lollipops and soda from his desk. "Today’s offering?"

Hou Junqi was even more confused. "What are you talking about?"

If Hou Junqi was lying, Zhang Shu could tell instantly—and this time, it really wasn’t him.

"Someone’s been leaving these here for days. I’ve been eating them," Zhang Shu said.

Hou Junqi grinned excitedly. "Damn, a secret admirer, bro!"

Zhang Shu thought about it and figured that was the only explanation. He nodded. "Annoying."

Sheng Xia didn’t hear this conversation—she had gone to refill her water bottle. When she returned, Xin Xiaohe linked arms with her and whispered conspiratorially, "Hey, Zhang Shu’s got another admirer."

Sheng Xia wasn’t particularly interested, but she humored her. "Oh?"

"Yeah! And she’s kind of silly—she buys him snacks every day, but Zhang Shu has no idea who she is. He even thought it was Hou Junqi at first, hahahaha!"

Sheng Xia: "..."

Well, that’s... awkward.Every day, she would buy the snacks in advance, tuck them into her bag, and then slip them into his desk drawer while everyone was out for lunch. It wasn't easy for her either, okay?

And yet she still got called foolish.

But maybe this was for the best. Would it make him feel a little better? Being liked is a happy thing, after all. At least it meant her apology was accepted.

However, over the next two days, she noticed that Zhang Shu hadn’t eaten the snacks she left. They were piled up on the windowsill, and she had no idea what he planned to do with them.

Had he gotten tired of them?

But Sheng Xia couldn’t recall what he liked to eat—she hadn’t paid close enough attention before. Maybe she should try sending things she liked instead?

She wouldn’t keep doing this forever, just until the end of the month. By then, it would add up to a few hundred yuan—enough to compensate for his emotional distress, right?

...

The summers in Nanli were sweltering and endless. Even in October, there wasn’t a hint of cool breeze—it felt like the height of summer.

The high school’s sports festival was approaching. Held annually in late October or early November, it lasted three days. Seniors no longer participated in traditional competitive events but still had to attend the opening ceremony and a half-day fun sports meet on the final day.

“The fun sports meet is really interesting! There’s a three-legged race, crawling through tires—you’ll see when it happens!” Xin Xiaohe excitedly explained.

This was the first Sheng Xia had heard of such an event.

Their school wasn’t just about academics—they knew how to have fun too.

“Hey, Xiaxia,” Xin Xiaohe whispered conspiratorially, “I heard the teachers want you to be our class’s Banner Goddess for the opening ceremony!”

Banner Goddess. Though Sheng Xia had never heard the term before, it was self-explanatory—the person who carried the class placard during the opening parade.

“Huh?” She was surprised. Was it really appropriate for a transfer student like her to take on that role?

“Zhou Xuanxuan said so,” Xin Xiaohe leaned in closer, lowering her voice. “Last year, she was the one who carried it since she’s the class’s arts committee member. Our class didn’t have any standout candidates, so she was the default choice. Yesterday, our dorm asked her what kind of dress she’d wear for the banner this year, and she got really upset. She said it won’t be her this time—Lao Wang has his eye on you.”

So that’s how it was.

Sheng Xia had carried the banner at her old school too, but this somehow felt different. “We have to wear a dress?”

“Of course! Otherwise, why call it ‘Goddess’? It’s not just about individual beauty—it’s about class pride! One beauty in the class lifts everyone’s spirits! You should’ve seen how smug Class Four was last year.” Xin Xiaohe was practically vibrating with excitement. “Our class is finally going to shine this year!”

Class Four—Chen Mengyao’s class.

After spending so much time with Xin Xiaohe, Sheng Xia had learned to pick up on many things from her tone.

For example, she probably didn’t like her roommate Zhou Xuanxuan very much.

And another thing—she was really looking forward to Sheng Xia carrying the banner.

So Sheng Xia swallowed back her question: “Can I refuse?”

At any rate, it was just speculation for now. No teacher had actually asked her yet.

Before the sports festival, each class had to design and produce their class uniforms. Most opted for T-shirts—pick a color, design a pattern, and order them from an online store. Sheng Xia hadn’t expected that Class Six’s uniform would be designed by Zhang Shu.

“He designed last year’s too. He’s really good at drawing,” Xin Xiaohe said.

Sheng Xia sighed and wondered if the heavens had forgotten to close any windows for him. Was there anything he wasn’t good at?

...

After lunch, Zhang Shu headed back to the classroom to work on the design.

Hou Junqi asked, “Not taking a nap?”

“No time. Lao Wang keeps nagging—it’s annoying.”

Just as they entered the north gate, they saw Sheng Xia riding her bike out of the school.Hou Junqi said, "No wonder I haven't run into little Sheng Xia during lunch breaks lately. Turns out she's still studying in the classroom at this hour? That's some dedication. But she didn't do too well on the last exam, huh?"

Zhang Shu chuckled, "You've got time to worry about others? Don't you know your own rank at the bottom of the class?"

Hou Junqi waved his hand dismissively, "Ah, this is just how I am. You know me—I'm going abroad anyway. Just English alone is killing me. The only reason I'm not dead last in the school is because I didn't want to embarrass you, so I put in some effort."

Zhang Shu replied, "None of my business. Study or don't study—just don't disgrace Chinese people when you're out there."

"Wow, such patriotic spirit and global vision," Hou Junqi quipped.

When they reached the classroom, Hou Junqi sat at Sheng Xia's seat playing games while waiting for Zhang Shu to finish drawing. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he casually remarked, "Hey, Shu, I heard Sheng Xia's the flag bearer for our class this year. Her holding the flag, you doing the drawing—what a perfect pair, huh? Makes the work easier, right?"

Zhang Shu kicked his chair. "Cut the nonsense when she's around. Haven't you seen how easily she gets embarrassed?"

Hou Junqi straightened up. "No, no, definitely not." After a pause, as if realizing something, he stood up abruptly, ignoring his game. "Shu, don't tell me you like Sheng Xia?"

When he'd teased Chen Mengyao before, Zhang Shu hadn't been this defensive. Thinking about it, Zhang Shu might seem indifferent, but he was actually sharp. Chen Mengyao liked spreading rumors about them, so he just let it slide.

Hou Junqi's sudden movement jostled Sheng Xia's desk, causing a few notebooks to fall out from under it.

As Hou Junqi bent down to pick them up, Zhang Shu suddenly yanked his arm aside and stared at the notebook on the floor before finally picking it up.

Flipping through the familiar photocopied pages, Zhang Shu's mind flashed with scenes:

Hou Junqi mentioning he'd quit snacks during meals;

Her always skipping lunch breaks lately, staying in the classroom until late;

Snacks and sodas mysteriously appearing in his drawer every afternoon;

That night after Lao Wang's talk, her face full of shock and gloom;

Then Lao Wang calling him out to ask how he'd corrected his mistakes;

Returning only to hear her abrupt "I'm sorry"...

Connecting the dots, he understood. So she'd found out from Lao Wang that what he was selling wasn't pornography , and went out of her way to buy a copy to verify? Hah, thorough. Feeling guilty now?

He suddenly laughed.

Glancing at the snacks and soda he'd left on the windowsill—originally thinking they were from someone in another class, left untouched to signal the secret admirer he wasn't interested—he realized they were from this little saint.

Figures. Sneaky—just like her style.

Hou Junqi was baffled. "What's up, Shu?"

Zhang Shu returned Sheng Xia's notebook to its place and went back to his seat. He bent down to check his own drawer and, sure enough, pulled out snacks and drinks.

This time, it wasn't just lollipops and soda.

It was a whole pack of White Rabbit candies and a row of Wangzai milk .

Hou Junqi burst out laughing. "Hahaha, is this girl trying to sweeten you to death?"

Zhang Shu smirked too, tearing open a pack of White Rabbit and tossing one into his mouth. "Not a bad way to go."

Sweetened to death would do.

...

By Monday, when it was time to rotate seats again, Zhang Shu was due to move to the first row. Sheng Xia watched as he carefully gathered the snacks and soda from the windowsill, tucked them into his drawer, and carried the whole desk away with him.She thought he was going to toss it onto the windowsill.

If she moved near the window, she’d spend all day staring at the snacks she gave him, suffocating from awkwardness.

But then she saw him eating the lollipops and Wangzai milk she’d given him.

Seems like he really had just gotten tired of the lollipops before. He actually liked the things she liked.

Well, that was good. At least it wasn’t a waste.

All day, everyone was talking about the Banner Goddess for the sports festival. Sheng Xia listened absently, wondering how she should turn Wang Wei down when he inevitably came to ask her.

But during the afternoon class meeting, Wang Wei announced right away: “As you all know, the school sports festival is coming up. Participation is what matters most. Hou Junqi, organize the fun sports events and arrange the participants in advance. Also, this year’s Banner Goddess for our class will be Sheng Xia. Any objections?”

“None!”

“Great!”

“Perfect choice!”

“Hands and feet in support!”

Applause and cheers rose in waves.

Sheng Xia: …?

Had… no one ever refused before? Why was the step of asking the person in question completely skipped?

It wasn’t that Sheng Xia was being fussy. She’d done it before. Overcoming the psychological pressure of being stared at was the easy part. The real hassle was that holding the banner, though it seemed simple, required coordination with the formation during rehearsals. Holding it up for long periods left her arms sore for days afterward.

And right after the sports festival would be the second monthly exam.

This slow learner already didn’t want to expend energy on anything outside of studying.

She was busy enough as it was.

But given the current momentum, she no longer had the right to refuse.

She could only accept.

“Sheng Xia,” Wang Wei called from the podium, instructing, “When you have time, go look at dresses. If you don’t know where to go, ask Teacher Fu. The budget is five hundred, and you can come to me for reimbursement later.”

“Five hundred is way too stingy!”

“Yeah, the other classes’ dresses are super nice—you can tell they’re expensive!”

Someone, eager to stir the pot, shouted.

Wang Wei chucked a piece of chalk at them. “The whole school’s budget is five hundred! Anything over that has to come out of your own pocket. It’s not me being stingy—stop talking nonsense!”

Everyone laughed. It was true—what girl wouldn’t want to shine at the event? In previous years, there’d been plenty of competition to outdo each other, with many paying extra out of pocket.

Under the watchful eyes of the class, Sheng Xia nodded.

It was just two days of practice anyway. She’d treat it as a break. Her grades wouldn’t magically improve just because she skipped the event. If it really affected her, then she just wasn’t strong enough to begin with. What was coming would come regardless. Sheng Xia reminded herself not to borrow trouble.

Before evening self-study, a group of girls crowded around Sheng Xia’s desk, chattering away.

“What can you even get for five hundred? You can’t even rent anything decent with that.”

“Right! Authentic dresses are so expensive these days!”

“How much did Zhou Xuanxuan’s dress cost last year?”

“She paid an extra thousand to rent it.”

“I think a tulle mini dress would totally suit Xiaxia.”

“A qipao would be amazing too—hardly anyone wears those.”

“Crush Chen Mengyao! Go for it!”

“Keep it down. Zhou Xuanxuan was in a bad mood for days after.”

“Ugh, who cares? Last year, I just wanted to take a few photos with her, but she kept acting all coy. Finally, she ‘graciously’ took one, but she never posted any group photos with our class—just the one with Chen Mengyao, looking all smug. I never got it. Just because she hangs out with Chen Mengyao, she acts like she’s above everyone else. I’ve been sick of her for ages.”

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll hear you?”"What's there to be afraid of? I think Chen Mengyao is just so-so this year anyway. Let Sheng Xia dazzle her blind."

"Speaking of which, who actually crowned Chen Mengyao as the school belle?"

"No idea, everyone just says so."

"She's an art student, always showing her face around. Naturally gets more attention?"

"And gossiping with Zhang Shu and Lu Youze is her traffic password, right?"

"Who knows."

Sheng Xia felt suffocated, as if caught in the whirlpool of gossip.

Speaking up felt wrong, staying silent felt wrong too. Listening to everyone praise her while putting others down made her deeply uncomfortable.

Finally, the class bell saved her. As the crowd dispersed, Sheng Xia looked exhausted. She still didn't know how to bring this up with Wang Lianhua - her mother would definitely complain about it taking away from study time.

Quite the dilemma.

Just as she was about to focus on studying, she heard Lu Youze call from diagonally behind her, "Sheng Xia."

She turned: "Hmm?"

Lu Youze asked, "Do you live in Emerald Bay?"

Sheng Xia: "Yes."

"I think I saw you at noon," Lu Youze said. "You were riding a white electric bike?"

Sheng Xia nodded, "Mhm."

"Then it was you. Didn't expect we're neighbors. Do you live in Zone B?"

Sheng Xia: "Yes, what a coincidence?"

Lu Youze smiled, "I'm in Zone A. Saw you when passing the Zone B intersection. You wouldn't have lived there since middle school, would you?"

"I have."

"Me too. Strange we never ran into each other."

It made sense - Emerald Bay was within No.8 High School's district. Though Zone B had townhouses while Zone A had villas, separated only by a wall with different street entrances for lobbies and garages. Going years without meeting wasn't unusual.

"Magical," Sheng Xia remarked.

Lu Youze nodded too, "Since you live so close, why do you use the lunch program at school?"

Sheng Xia explained, "No one cooks at home."

"I see."

The small talk ended there.

Unexpectedly, the conversation continued the next day when Lu Youze asked, "Sheng Xia, is your father Sheng Mingfeng?"

Sheng Xia froze, momentarily speechless.

Looking slightly embarrassed, Lu Youze continued, "Thought it was quite a coincidence. Mentioned it to my dad last night, and he actually knows you. Your name is quite distinctive - our fathers have some connection. He said my dad gave yours some discounts when your family bought the property."

"Is that so?" Sheng Xia wasn't comfortable with such topics. She never involved herself in family matters and didn't know the details.

Did this mean Lu Youze's father was Emerald Bay's developer?

Since his family gave hers discounts, should she say thank you?

The topic felt awkward. Sheng Xia chose silence.

"Why do you leave after only two evening study sessions when you live so close?" Lu Youze changed the subject.

Honestly, Sheng Xia replied, "Afraid of the dark." Truthfully, there were streetlights - it wasn't dark, just too quiet with few people or cars at night.

"I always stay until the third session. If you're afraid, we could go back together."

"Really?" Sheng Xia brightened - she'd always wanted to stay for the extra session.

Lu Youze nodded, "I find the ride back alone boring anyway. Though I ride a bicycle, not as fast as your e-bike."

Sheng Xia said, "I don't ride fast either."

"Great, then we'll go back together from now on."

"Okay!" Sheng Xia agreed. "I'll tell my mom tonight."

Maybe this would make it easier to bring up the banner matter too?

...That evening when Sheng Xia returned home, she overheard Wang Lianhua on the phone with Wu Qiuxuan's homeroom teacher. Not wanting to interrupt, she decided to let it be.

This delay dragged on until the weekend.

At noon on Sunday, Sheng Xia came home for lunch and saw Qiu Xuan was also there. The atmosphere at the table wasn't great, so Sheng Xia didn't ask too many questions. After hesitating for a long time, she finally brought up to Wang Lianhua the matter of attending all three evening study sessions.

Wang Lianhua naturally agreed but still had some reservations. She probed indirectly, "That boy who came back with you, is he just a classmate?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Really?"

Sheng Xia looked up. "Yes, his name is Lu Youze. Not sure if you remember him—he was my classmate in middle school."

Wang Lianhua let out an "Ah." "I remember. He always gave speeches during parent-teacher meetings. A very polite boy with excellent grades. His father is a director at Junlan Group and has some connections with your dad."

Sheng Xia nodded. "Yes, that's him."

She knew Wang Lianhua had a natural bias toward high-achieving students.

"Their family really does live next door," Wang Lianhua cautioned. "But don't get too close. It's your senior year—studies should come first."

"I know, Mom."

"You've always been the one who gives me the least trouble. If you say you know, then I trust you understand." Wang Lianhua sighed. "Unlike some people who drive me mad."

Wu Qiuxuan slammed her bowl down. "If you want to scold me, just say it outright! No need to beat around the bush!"

"You think you're in the right? Look at yourself—where do you resemble a proper young lady? What kind of example are you setting, picking fights at your age? And look at your hair, those blue contact lenses—are you American? And what’s with all those piercings? Count the holes in your ears yourself!" Wang Lianhua's anger, which had never fully subsided, flared up again.

Due to Sheng Mingfeng's status, they couldn't exceed the birth quota, so neither Wu Qiuxuan nor Zheng Dongning were registered under the Sheng family's household registration.

Wu Qiuxuan's household registration was under the name of one of Sheng Mingfeng's friends, a man surnamed Wu, whose registered residence was in Dongzhou City. Legally, Wu Qiuxuan was considered his child, so she had to attend junior high in Dongzhou and take the high school entrance exams there.

Before the semester started, the girl had been full of anticipation, thinking how wonderful it would be to escape her nagging family. But after just a week, she started acting up—clashing with her roommates, getting into fights, and recently dyeing her hair and getting piercings. Wang Lianhua had been called to the school on Friday, and while there, she brought Qiuxuan home. She’d have to take her back in the afternoon.

Wu Qiuxuan shot up from her seat. "I don’t want to go back to Dongzhou! We’re all Dad’s kids, so why do I have to study in Dongzhou while Sister gets to go to Nanda High? Don’t think I don’t know—was her grades that good? She only got into Second High! It was Dad who pulled strings to get her into Nanda! Why is it different for me? Why?!"

"Don’t talk nonsense," Wang Lianhua rapped the edge of her bowl. "Your sister had a setback during her entrance exams and went to Second High. She transferred to Nanda later because her grades improved. You’d better swallow those words—who knows what trouble they’d cause if they got out!"

Wu Qiuxuan scoffed. "Whatever. Only Sheng Xia gets to carry the Sheng name. Ning Ning and I are nothing!"

With that, she stormed off, slamming her bedroom door so hard the walls shook.

Sheng Xia sat with a mouthful of rice, chewing mechanically, the food tasteless.

Wang Lianhua shouted toward the room, "Go ahead, slam it harder! Maybe if you bring the house down, your father might actually come take a look!"

"I don’t want him to! What’s the point of a father like him? He should’ve smothered me at birth!" Wu Qiuxuan’s voice tore through the door, cracking with tears.

Wang Lianhua didn’t respond. Instead, she lowered her head and shoveled rice into her mouth, not touching any of the dishes on the table. She swallowed the plain rice in large, hurried gulps.

Sheng Xia saw tears roll down the wrinkles at the corners of her mother’s eyes, disappearing into the white rice before being swallowed down together.Dongning was terrified, clutching her bowl and staring wide-eyed at Sheng Xia.

Sheng Xia felt as if an invisible wall of pressure was lodged in her throat—weightless yet suffocating. She swallowed hard, then ruffled Zheng Dongning’s hair gently. “Be good, Ning Ning. Finish your meal.”

“Jiejie.” Zheng Dongning suddenly spoke.

Sheng Xia’s carefully restrained emotions nearly crumbled in that instant. Zheng Dongning had autism, and Sheng Xia hadn’t heard her call her “jiejie” in so long. Maybe the current situation had unsettled the child—she must have been scared.

Sheng Xia stroked her little sister’s cheek. “What’s wrong?”

Zheng Dongning only blinked up at her.

After dinner, Wang Lianhua sat on the sofa watching TV, though the screen played a dull infomercial—clearly, she wasn’t paying attention.

Zheng Dongning sat by the coffee table, drawing what looked like a dolphin.

The room was quiet, seemingly peaceful and harmonious. But beneath the surface, everything was tangled and chaotic.

Once Sheng Xia finished washing the dishes, she knocked on Wu Qiuxuan’s door. There was no response. She pressed the handle—it was loose. The door wasn’t locked.

Wu Qiuxuan was always like this, just waiting for someone to coax her.

Sheng Xia pushed the door open, closing it softly behind her. Sure enough, the figure under the blanket shifted slightly.

The air conditioning wasn’t on. Sheng Xia found the remote by the bedside and turned on the cool breeze before sitting on the edge of the bed. She tugged lightly at the blanket’s corner, but the grip from inside held firm.

“Qiu Xuan, it’s me,” Sheng Xia said gently.

Still no movement.

“Aren’t you hot?”

The blanket loosened slightly. Sheng Xia pulled it back, revealing a pair of red-rimmed eyes.

“Jie… I’m sorry…” Wu Qiuxuan’s voice trembled as she started to sob again.

Sheng Xia’s throat tightened, making it hard to speak. She shook her head, taking a moment to steady herself. “Qiu Xuan, Mom had no choice. She’s hurting too.”

In this family, no one suffered more than Wang Lianhua.

She had married far from home, married beneath her station, endured a mother-in-law who favored sons over daughters, risked her political standing to bear three children—all girls. Her husband soared in his career while her own family declined, leaving her with nothing to fight back with.

A husband’s family she could never belong to, a natal home she could never return to, a broken marriage, three underage daughters…

The woman who had once shone so brightly now couldn’t even afford to cry. How unbearable her days were—perhaps only she truly knew. Others, even Sheng Xia, couldn’t fully understand.

One big reason Wang Lianhua struggled with Wu Qiuxuan was that Wu Qiuxuan’s temperament mirrored her own in her youth—willful, bold, relentless. She often scolded Wu Qiuxuan, yet often saw and mourned her younger self in her.

Wu Qiuxuan nodded through her tears. “I know, I know… but I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry, Jie, I didn’t mean to…”

“Then rest for a bit, and later, go apologize to Mom, okay?” Sensing her sister’s hesitation, Sheng Xia changed the subject. “Your earrings are really pretty.”

Wu Qiuxuan touched her earlobe, sniffling. “Really?”

“Really.” Sheng Xia took her sister’s hand. “Qiu Xuan, you know what? I envy you sometimes. I envy that you have your own thoughts, your own plans. You belong to yourself. You have your own shape, and one day, you’ll have your own life… because you don’t carry the surname Sheng.”

“Jie, I don’t understand…”"You'll understand," Sheng Xia forced a smile. "I heard Dongzhou is very prosperous and fashionable. Actually, Ah Xuan would fit right in there. Going to high school there, then university, even working there would be great, right? It's not too far anyway—you could come back on weekends."

"But I don't know anyone there..."

"People always have to meet new people," Sheng Xia said. "Being able to meet so many different kinds of people is a kind of luck. You're only 14, and you'll have seen more than just one city's scenery, experienced more than just one place's customs. How cool is that?"

"I guess you're right."

"Why were you fighting? Did they bully you?"

"No, there was this girl who was really arrogant. She's a fan of my idol's rival, and she cursed my idol to have a scandal."

"That's so infuriating?" Sheng Xia shared her indignation. "Then you should curse her idol for tax evasion, sleeping with fans, and ending up in jail!"

"Wow, that's way worse."

"Exactly. No need to fight—just make her furious."

"Make her furious!"

The two sisters lay on the same bed chatting until they slowly fell asleep.

Sheng Xia's internal clock was precise. As soon as naptime was over, she woke up. Tiptoeing out of the room, she found Wang Lianhua no longer in the living room—she must have taken Ning Ning to the psychologist.

Sheng Xia returned to her room to work on test papers but couldn't focus no matter how hard she tried. After some thought, she packed her bag and headed to school.

Before leaving, she called Wang Lianhua to let her know Ah Xuan was fine and that she could take her to Dongzhou in the evening.

Wang Lianhua sighed. "Good child, you've had it hard."

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

"What will you do for dinner?" Wang Lianhua asked. "The round trip to Dongzhou will take three or four hours. I won't make it back in time."

Sunday afternoon care didn't include meals.

"It's fine. There are plenty of restaurants near the school."

"Then pick a clean one."

"Okay."

The sun at three in the afternoon was blindingly white, scorching her back as she rode her bike. But Sheng Xia didn't go straight to school—instead, she aimlessly circled the neighborhood.

The hot wind burned her face, scattering her thoughts and evaporating her tears.

But the tears only grew more overwhelming. When her vision began to blur, Sheng Xia slammed on the brakes under the shade of a tree and suddenly buried her face in the handlebars, sobbing aloud.

The kingdom of tears is too mysterious.

It's just a drop of water, yet the emotions hidden within can drown a person in an instant.

So she always hid her tears, releasing them only in delayed solitude where no one could see.

Because she couldn't let everyone drown at once.

And so, she always cried alone.