Sheng Xia almost fled in panic. Once inside the office, she saw Fu Jie sitting at her desk, smiling as she called out, "Sheng Xia, come here."
That expression... probably meant nothing serious.
Fu Jie wanted to discuss the independent recruitment process with her, and Sheng Xia's tense nerves relaxed slightly.
The approval standards for publication were still pending, so she couldn’t let her guard down—she had to prepare for the worst.
"Use the New Year holiday to push ahead with your progress. If you need anything, you can contact me anytime, or send me your drafts to review," Fu Jie instructed.
Sheng Xia nodded. "Okay, thank you, Teacher."
Fu Jie added, "You’ve made significant progress in your grades this time. Keep it up, alright?"
"Mm, I’ll do my best."
"Balancing writing and revision must have been tough during finals, wasn’t it?"
Sheng Xia nodded, then shook her head. "It was manageable."
Fu Jie lowered her voice. "Seems like Zhang Shu really is quite responsible? I heard from Teacher Wang that when you injured your leg, Zhang Shu personally promised to help improve your grades—and he actually delivered."
Sheng Xia’s relaxed nerves tensed up again.
It was the truth. She nodded. "He helped me a lot."
"Zhang Shu really is an outstanding student," Fu Jie praised, carefully observing Sheng Xia’s reaction before smiling. "Your Teacher Wang said, 'Ah, Sheng Xia’s injured leg means she has to keep going back and forth to the hospital—that’s bound to affect her mindset. If this keeps up, it won’t do!' Do you know what Zhang Shu said?"
Sheng Xia looked up. Why did she feel like Teacher Fu was... acting a bit unusual?
Fu Jie lowered her voice further, mimicking Zhang Shu’s tone. "He said, 'I’ll make sure she does.'"
......
When Sheng Xia returned to the classroom, Wang Wei was standing outside, his expression grave.
She asked Xin Xiaohe, "Is it time for 'Big Brother Heart-to-Heart' again?"
"Seems like it," Xiaohe whispered. "What did Fu Jie want with you? Was it about Zhang Shu?"
Sheng Xia shook her head. "No, just something personal."
Her gaze shifted slightly, glancing at Zhang Shu, who sat one aisle away.
He was solving problems, his expression unreadable.
When the evening self-study bell rang, Sheng Xia was the first to be called out again.
For some reason, she felt a little guilty.
Fortunately, Wang Wei also brought up the independent recruitment. "I heard from Teacher Fu that you’ve decided to aim for He University’s independent recruitment?"
"Yes," Sheng Xia nodded. "Teacher, could you... keep it confidential for now?"
Wang Wei’s eyebrows shot up. "You mean from Zhang Shu?"
"Huh?" Sheng Xia’s head jerked up, both startled and confused.
Seeing her expression, Wang Wei realized he’d misunderstood. He clicked his tongue awkwardly. "Oh, you meant Secretary Sheng?"
Sheng Xia’s heart pounded.
What did Teacher Wang mean? Why did he mention Zhang Shu too...
"Mm, my mom doesn’t know yet either," she replied.
Wang Wei asked, "Why not?"
Sheng Xia said, "It’s too uncertain. There’s no point bringing it up now. My grades aren’t stable enough, and mentioning it would just add unnecessary pressure."
She stopped there, but Wang Wei understood.
Honestly, at such a critical time, pouring so much effort into writing and publishing—with no guarantee of success—was risky. Even he and Fu Jie thought it was too much of a gamble, let alone parents.
Especially since, at the moment, her parents’ plans seemed far more reliable. If she brought up independent recruitment, she’d likely face opposition.
Wang Wei said, "But... maybe your father could help?"
Sheng Xia shook her head. "No, that wouldn’t be right."Wang Wei reminded her, "It's not about breaking the rules, but in a society that values relationships, sometimes just one word within the framework can make things go much smoother."
Take publishing, for example.
Sheng Xia lowered her head and remained silent for a long time.
Wang Wei grew a bit nervous—had he accidentally touched on a sensitive topic for his student?
Then, in a very small voice, she said, "I'm the one pursuing knowledge. His power and privilege have nothing to do with my studies."
Wang Wei was taken aback, having momentarily forgotten the term "scholar's pride."
"Then if you ever need help, make sure to tell me or Teacher Fu. No matter whose daughter you are, you're our student first."
Sheng Xia pressed her lips together and nodded.
Looking at this almost excessively well-behaved student, Wang Wei suddenly felt emotional: Who would've thought Lao Wang could one day say something so profound? He was impressed with himself!
"You've made significant progress in this exam. Analyze the reasons and keep up the good work!" Wang Wei encouraged.
Sheng Xia continued nodding.
"Zhang Shu, he—" Wang Wei began.
At the mention of the name, the girl immediately looked up, her eyes sparkling.
Wang Wei was nearly speechless. These two—could they be any more obvious? If this continued, he'd really start worrying!
"Zhang Shu didn't perform well this time. As desk mates, you should encourage each other and make progress together, alright?"
Sheng Xia thought, why does Teacher Wang sound so unnatural too?
Apart from nodding, she didn't know how else to respond.
"Alright, you can go now. Keep it up!"
After Sheng Xia returned to the classroom, Wang Wei didn't call Zhang Shu out next as expected but chose someone else instead.
The classmates waiting for gossip were somewhat disappointed.
Perhaps because grades had just been released, the class was restless. Few were focused on reviewing, with hushed conversations everywhere.
Xin Xiaohe cornered Sheng Xia and asked, "What did Lao Wang talk to you about?"
Sheng Xia selectively answered, "He told me to analyze why I improved and keep working hard..."
"I guess it'll be my turn soon..." Xiaohe sighed. "I didn't meet the goal Lao Wang set for me last time. I feel like I've hit a plateau."
Xiaohe's exam results had been consistently similar—neither declining nor making breakthroughs.
Sheng Xia comforted her, "You're climbing toward the peak now. On steep slopes, no matter how hard you push, the speed seems the same because you're building momentum. The breakthrough will come suddenly when you reach the top. It should be soon—probably during the first mock exam!"
Xiaohe made a crying face and buried herself in Sheng Xia's arms. "Wuwu, you're the best..."
Suddenly, Xiaohe froze. She looked up at Sheng Xia with wide, shocked eyes. "Girl... you're so soft..."
Her gaze lingered on Sheng Xia's chest for two seconds before lifting again—making it abundantly clear what she meant.
Sheng Xia felt her face burn instantly...
At the same time, Xiaohe noticed that across the aisle, Zhang Shu—who had been focused on his exercises—suddenly looked up. His expression was... complicated.
From confusion to realization, then slightly evasive, followed by displeasure, and finally settling into something resembling a warning.
Even as carefree as Xiaohe was, she still had a girl's sensibilities. Now thoroughly embarrassed, she dramatically covered her mouth, leaving only her wide, Mr. Bean-like eyes visible.
Facing Xiaohe, Sheng Xia didn't notice what was happening behind her. She only felt her ears grow hot from Xiaohe's poorly concealed reaction.
The "heart-to-heart talks" with their advisor lasted until halfway through the second evening study session before finally concluding.Wang Wei walked up to the podium and said, "You've all received your final exam results. Some of you put in the effort and achieved remarkable scores, while others slacked off, which is clearly reflected in your grades. At this stage, you should understand the importance of every exam..."
After about fifteen minutes of the usual lecture, Wang Wei suddenly had someone turn off all the classroom lights and played a video.
"This is the first motivational video from the alumni association this year. Watch it carefully, think deeply about where your goals lie, where you still fall short, and how much further you have to go. I won’t say much more—I hope tonight brings you some insights and changes."
Soft music played as the alumni association's logo faded in and out.
The screen then showed the gates of Heqing University. The camera panned to reveal several senior students standing beneath the arch, saying to the camera, "This is Heqing University. I’m from Nanli University Affiliated High School."
The scene cut to the gates of Haiyan University, where a group of bright-faced students appeared, declaring, "This is Haiyan University. I’m from Nanli University Affiliated High School."
Then—
"This is Dongzhou University. I’m from Nanli University Affiliated High School..."
"This is Nanli University..."
Almost identical camera work, almost identical lines.
It covered all the nationally renowned top universities.
The screen flashed with the emblems of various universities, the rhythm growing faster until all the emblems formed a grid. The overlapping voices merged into one sentence: "I’m from Nanli University Affiliated High School. I’m here, waiting for you."
Next came scenic shots and campus life clips from each university. The seniors introduced their schools as if giving a tour, some praising while others joked, their laughter and energy radiating youth.
This was university life. This was what it meant to be a college student!
The classroom was dead silent, the video reflected in pairs of eyes and lenses.
Something intangible began to rise in Sheng Xia’s heart—something she couldn’t quite name.
When she heard the line—"This is Heqing University"—she inexplicably felt a sense of belonging.
Among all the seniors, she only remembered the faces of those from Heqing University.
They still looked simple and clean, yet distinctly different from those sitting in the classroom.
What brought about such a transformation in just a year?
Sheng Xia sensed warmth approaching her right side, but she was too engrossed to pay much attention.
Then, a breath brushed her ear, and a low voice murmured, "Have you decided which university you want to go to?"
A shiver ran down Sheng Xia’s ear.
The voice paused. She felt her hand, resting casually on her knee, being lifted as fingers intertwined with hers.
Instinctively, she looked down. In the darkness, a slender hand with distinct knuckles laced through hers, their fingers tightly clasped.
The same voice whispered in her ear, "How about... we go to Haiyan together?"
Sheng Xia’s heart skipped a beat. As if snapping out of a daze, she abruptly turned her head.
Zhang Shu’s face was inches away, the flickering screen light casting shadows across his features, his eyes unusually bright in the dark.
They...
They...
They locked eyes in the pitch-black room, whispering amidst the silent crowd.
To Sheng Xia, everything around them seemed to blur, leaving only the two of them in the darkened classroom.
Did he say... Haiyan?Can she do it?
Is she capable?
The video was still playing, but Sheng Xia could no longer hear it. All she could hear was the pounding of her own heart and those words—
"I'll make sure she can."
She hadn’t actually heard him say it aloud, yet at this moment, in her mind, it gradually took shape in his voice—slightly arrogant, yet utterly certain—
I'll make sure she can.
The nearly ten-minute video ended, the lights brightened, and the classroom fell into silence. Students exchanged glances, some smiling, some wistful, all lost in a shared sense of longing.
Sheng Xia stared at the boy who had already returned to his seat, feeling dazed—during those moments when the entire class had been engrossed in the video, had he really spoken to her?
The lingering warmth on her fingertips, not her own, gave her the answer.
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