On Friday night, most restaurants near the north gate were closed, with only a few snack stalls still open. Zhang Shu bought two braised meat wraps and handed one to Xin Xiaohe.
Xin Xiaohe exclaimed, "Getting a braised meat wrap treated by Shu Ge is the highlight of my life!"
Zhang Shu chuckled, "Thanks for today."
So this was payment for her efforts? Did she not deserve a proper meal? Was a single braised meat wrap all she was worth?
Stingy Shu Ge, reinforcing his reputation in real time.
Just as she was silently grumbling, she heard Zhang Shu say in a low voice, "There’s nothing decent to eat around here now. Next time you’re craving something, let me know, and I’ll bring it for you."
Xin Xiaohe was pleasantly surprised, but before she could fully process it, Zhang Shu added, "I’m heading out."
Instead of returning to the classroom, Zhang Shu went straight home through the north gate. Hands in his pockets, he walked with his head down, occasionally kicking a small pebble on the roadside.
Xin Xiaohe couldn’t help but notice the loneliness in his silhouette—like a down-and-out scholar pining after a wealthy young lady.
With Zhang Shu’s circumstances, even Chen Mengyao hadn’t been interested in him. Oh, right—he’d denied the rumor that she was his ex. But that didn’t change the fact that he stood even less of a chance with Sheng Xia.
Sheng Xia’s family background was no joke.
She couldn’t help but recall the scene she’d witnessed earlier: Sheng Xia sitting on the hospital bed, her face buried against Zhang Shu’s torso. The tall, upright boy had cupped the back of her head with his large hand, comforting her with utmost care.
Setting aside all the messy factors, they really did look perfect together.
In Xin Xiaohe’s opinion, among all the people she knew, no one was worthy of Sheng Xia—except Zhang Shu.
……
Zhou Xuanxuan had been anxiously waiting for Xin Xiaohe to return, but before she could approach her, a crowd had already gathered around Xin Xiaohe, bombarding her with questions.
Guilt? Zhou Xuanxuan felt it. But it was overshadowed by jealousy.
How long had Sheng Xia even been in this class? She barely spoke most of the time, so why did so many people care about her?
Even when people talked about her behind her back, there was hardly any criticism—no one ever said they disliked her or had any issues with her.
This kind of magnetism was inexplicable—perhaps innate.
She thought again about the formal dress Sheng Xia had left in their dorm. She’d examined it carefully—it was genuine. And those shoes? Also worth a small fortune.
Xin Xiaohe had guessed it was probably bought. That would’ve cost tens of thousands.
But why hadn’t she taken it home?
No one could figure it out. Sheng Xia seemed simple yet not simple at all—mysterious, in a way.
She hadn’t brought any of this up with Chen Mengyao again.
She couldn’t quite explain why—she just suddenly felt like she was being petty.
Last time, Sheng Xia had effortlessly turned the tables, making her look like a fool. She still remembered those words from time to time: Are you curious about me?
When she returned to the classroom today, she’d seen a group of classmates huddled together, whispering. The moment they noticed her, they scattered like startled birds. The looks they gave her were impossible to ignore.
Disgust. Annoyance. Avoidance.
Did they think she’d done it on purpose?
……
Sheng Mingfeng was busy. He hadn’t even finished his IV drip before a phone call summoned him away. Before leaving, he instructed them to call Li Xu if anything came up.
At the door, he turned back and subtly gestured to Sheng Xia, mimicking a phone call.
Wang Lianhua, facing away from the door, didn’t see it. Sheng Xia pressed her lips together and blinked in acknowledgment. Only then did Sheng Mingfeng leave.
"Tell me the truth—what really happened?"
The moment he was gone, Wang Lianhua sat by the bed and asked sternly.
Sheng Xia blinked in confusion. "Huh? What truth?"Wang Lianhua said, "I saw the post from your school's official account on my way back."
Sheng Xia still didn't understand.
Wang Lianhua pulled up the article and handed her phone to Sheng Xia. "See for yourself."
Sheng Xia already had an inkling of what it might be but took it anyway.
[Showcasing the Vitality and Spirit of Youth—The 36th Sports Meet of Nali University Affiliated High School Concludes Successfully]
This headline...
It used content from her press release.
But that wasn't the main point.
The main point was the accompanying images. The first was a panoramic view of the sports field, the second showed leaders speaking at the podium, and the third featured Sheng Xia. Though it was a collage of several photos, she was unmistakably visible—placed prominently in the center, occupying the largest space.
She was wearing a strapless dress and high heels, holding the placard for Class 6, Grade 3 as she walked past the podium.
Caption: Student formations during the opening ceremony.
Sheng Xia slowly looked up. Wang Lianhua took back her phone, zoomed in on the image, and examined it before remarking calmly, "My daughter really is beautiful—so beautiful it's hard to look away."
Sheng Xia's fingers unconsciously twisted the bedsheet.
Wang Lianhua sighed. "You're grown now, with your own thoughts, but as your mother, I hope you'll share them with me. Having to learn about my daughter's every move from a phone makes me feel like I'm failing as a parent."
"That's not true, Mom."
Sheng Xia sensed something different about Wang Lianhua but couldn't quite put her finger on it.
In the past, this would have likely led to tears and a tearful embrace between mother and daughter.
"This is..." Sheng Xia hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to temporarily skip the topic of the dress. "Seniors only participate in the opening ceremony and fun sports events. It didn't take up much time."
"You know that's not what I'm talking about," Wang Lianhua said gravely.
Sheng Xia thought of their earlier argument. Her mother must already know where the dress came from. Tentatively, she replied, "The dress style was decided by the class based on the theme. Zou... Dad just paid for it."
She chose to lie, her chest tight and bitter.
It hurt—not being honest with her mother. She knew it wasn't fair, but she was just so tired, wanting to smooth things over.
Smooth things over.
As the phrase crossed her mind, Sheng Xia suddenly realized what had changed about Wang Lianhua.
Since she started her senior year, her mother had rarely shown extreme emotions. Everything was subdued, muted.
No longer intense, just smoothing things over.
Both of them were doing it.
Wang Lianhua's tone gave no indication of whether she believed her or not. "I don’t know what your school was thinking. Being open-minded is one thing, but this is too much."
Sheng Xia stayed silent.
Wang Lianhua sighed. "Well, since you can't ride your bike anymore, I'll take you to and from school. But at noon and in the evening, I won’t have time. Tell your father to arrange someone for you, okay?"
"That’s not necessary," Sheng Xia had already thought ahead. "The lunch program has beds. I’ll rest there at noon from now on. Evenings aren’t a problem either—I can use crutches to get to dinner. It’s not far."
"Are you sure you can manage?"
"I’ll be fine."
The matter seemed resolved, but Wang Lianhua still sighed.
Sheng Xia knew her mother was still worried, feeling this accident had come at the worst possible time, affecting her studies.
When the mother and daughter returned home, they saw Li Xu waiting at the entrance of their neighborhood.He was carrying a few shopping bags when Wang Lianhua rolled down the car window and asked, "Xiao Li, is there something going on?"
Though she was curt with Sheng Mingfeng, Wang Lianhua remained as warm as ever toward Li Xu.
"The secretary asked me to deliver some clothes. Sheng Xia has a cast now, so her school uniform isn't convenient to wear..."
The high school's uniform pants had tight cuffs.
Wang Lianhua paused briefly before finally opening the trunk.
This meant she accepted it.
Li Xu secretly sighed in relief.
Back home, Wang Lianhua helped Sheng Xia take a bath. Sheng Xia could only sit while washing, with her injured leg propped on another chair. This meant she had to tilt her head back for shampooing, and Wang Lianhua used the showerhead to rinse her hair.
At first, Sheng Xia felt a little embarrassed, but Wang Lianhua tickled her waist, and both mother and daughter burst into giggles.
"Still shy now? When you were little, you always knocked on the door while I was showering. If it wasn’t locked, you’d push it open and just stand there watching—no shame at all," Wang Lianhua reminisced while scrubbing her scalp.
"No way!" Sheng Xia couldn’t recall ever doing something like that. How could she have been like that?
Wang Lianhua said, "Oh yes, you did. You even asked, 'Mommy, why can’t I drink milk when I grow up? Mommy still has milk, why won’t you let Xia Xia drink it?'"
"Ugh, how old was I then? Mom, why are you bringing this up now?!"
"Hah, you were so adorable back then. Why can’t I mention it?"
Sheng Xia covered her face.
Wang Lianhua laughed but then sighed wistfully. "In this way, you really take after me."
"Huh?"
"Big chest!"
"Mom!!"
"Alright, alright, I’ll stop. Don’t move around..."
As the two laughed and joked, the bathroom door suddenly creaked open. Zheng Dongning peeked in, tilting her head as she watched them, her round eyes darting around before finally settling on Sheng Xia’s chest.
Then, with exaggerated seriousness, she raised her hands to cover her eyes—only to part her fingers slightly, revealing a pair of mischievous peeking eyes.
Blink, blink.
This scene was exactly like Sheng Xia in her childhood...
"Ning Ning, get out!"
"Hahahaha..."
...
By the time they finished, it was already past eleven. Sheng Xia insisted on completing a set of math multiple-choice questions and a cloze test before finally preparing for bed.
Before sleeping, she went to the bathroom and noticed the laundry room light was on. Wang Lianhua was transferring clothes from the washing machine to the dryer.
Sheng Xia looked closely—those were the new dresses Sheng Mingfeng had bought for her.
The dryer started running, but Wang Lianhua didn’t leave. Instead, she stood there, staring blankly at the tumbling clothes.
The lighthearted atmosphere vanished instantly.
Her mother was still bothered, still worried. To her, these dresses might no longer just be clothes—they were a symbol. A symbol of the stark contrast between her and Sheng Mingfeng’s lifestyles and parenting philosophies.
For the sake of superficial harmony, she had reconciled with Sheng Mingfeng and with her daughter. But in the end, she had yet to reconcile with herself.
Sheng Xia’s heart tightened slightly, but she made no sound and quietly turned away.
Before bed, she checked her phone—there were quite a few messages.
Xin Xiaohe: [Look! Brother Shu’s homemade braised meat wraps! Impressive, right? I actually managed to get something out of that stingy guy! I’ve eaten, don’t worry!]
Xin Xiaohe: [Rest well!]
Lu Youze: [Xia Xia, I wasn’t at the sports field today and just heard the news. How are you?]
Lu Youze: [Will you be able to go to school tomorrow?]
Wang Wei and Li Xu had also sent messages, mostly saying things like "let us know if you need anything."
There were also messages from several classmates, all sending their regards.
Sheng Xia replied to each one and was about to put her phone down when a new Q.Q notification popped up—from: Song Jiang.Sheng Xia hadn’t even opened the message yet, but her mind was already flooded with images of him.
He had pushed through the crowd to scoop her up in his arms…
He had pulled her close, pressing her tear-streaked face against his chest…
He had ruffled her hair with a helpless smile before leaving…
Even the smallest fragments of those moments had crystallized in her mind like freeze-frames from a movie poster.
Scenes she had never fully witnessed from her own perspective now played out before her as if she were watching from above—like a god observing the reel of her own memories.
The day had been too chaotic, too overwhelming. Fear from the pain, the suffocating tension of her parents’ argument, the anxiety over missing school due to illness—all of it had swallowed her whole, burying the subtler details beneath the weight of it all.
Like the way her heart had hammered in her chest when she heard him say, “I’ve kept myself clean all these years.”
Like how, despite worrying about the eyes around them, she had still buried her face in his chest without hesitation.
And the way fresh tears had surged even harder the moment he comforted her…
…
To like someone was to reveal your best self—but it was also to reveal your fragility.
Never before had she felt so certain: she liked him.
Maybe even more than she had expected.
Sheng Xia tapped open the message.
Song Jiang: [Feel like having wontons for breakfast?]
She froze.
“Kept myself clean.” “No old flames.”
“Doesn’t matter why.” “Talent is talent.”
“I don’t have tissues, but go ahead and cry.”
His words cycled through her mind, and only now did she realize—each one was etched into her memory, vivid and unshakable.
The little voice in her heart bounced back and forth, leaving her thoughts in disarray.
Two minutes later, Sheng Xia replied: [Going to sleep.]
An instant response: [Then how about in your dreams?]
Her fingers tensed. She typed, [You’re so annoying], then deleted it.
Testing the waters, she sent: [Maybe.]
The second it went through, she wanted to take it back—but it was too late.
A ding —a new message popped up.
Song Jiang: [Good. Tomorrow, sweet dreams come true.]
She stared blankly at the chat. Her phone screen went dark; she tapped it awake, only for it to dim again moments later.
The blackened screen reflected her face—an unconscious smile.
Her lips were practically curving up to her cheekbones.
Startled, Sheng Xia tossed her phone aside, grabbed a plush toy, and hugged it tight, slowly closing her eyes.
The barren world around her felt parched.
Zhang Shu.
Would you be… a long-awaited rain?
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