Zhang Shu could already walk on his own and didn’t really need support.
It was only when lying down that the movement tugged at his abdomen, causing pain. He frowned, and Sheng Xia frowned along with him.
Sheng Xia asked, “Did the wound hurt while you were doing the exams?”
Sitting for half a day at a time—how could he bear it?
Zhang Shu caught her expression and seemed to understand. Her sudden visit was because of his grades.
“No,” he answered honestly. “I forgot about it while working on the problems.”
She knew that once he decided to go, he would give it his all. “Chinese was just because you wrote too slowly. I did the math—if your Chinese score had reached 120 this time, the situation would’ve been much better. Don’t worry too much…”
Zhang Shu instinctively asked, “How much is ‘much better’?”
No matter how much better, compared to his past performance, it would still be lacking.
Before Sheng Xia could think of how to comfort him, Zhang Shu spoke up. “Every stage has its own goals. Just being able to finish the exams is already a victory for this stage. Rankings are just a reference—they help clarify your position, but obsessing over them won’t help you improve.”
Sheng Xia was moved by the determination in his eyes and nodded.
Zhang Shu glanced at her. “What about you? How were your grades?”
Sheng Xia had done quite well this time, scoring over twenty points above the first-tier cutoff and maintaining her previous highest level. Strangely enough, despite being so drowsy during the math exam, her results were unexpectedly good.
“Pretty good,” was all she could say.
“Looks like now I’m the one worried about not making it to Heyan,” he joked.
It was just an offhand remark, but he hadn’t expected her to take it so seriously. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she looked at him with guilt.
He quickly changed the subject. “It’s fine. I’ll be discharged in half a month. I know my limits.”
Sheng Xia’s brow relaxed slightly, and she said earnestly, “Then if there’s anything you need help with, just let me know.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized how they sounded—as if she thought she was so capable. Even in his weakened state, wasn’t he still academically stronger than her?
Zhang Shu stroked his chin, pretending to think carefully. “Actually, there is something you could help me with.”
Sheng Xia: “Hmm?”
“Shaving.”
Sheng Xia: “…”
Shaving?
“Help me shave. It’s been three or four days.”
“I—I don’t know how?” she stammered.
“I’ll teach you.”
“…”
A few minutes later, Sheng Xia stood by the bed holding a small basin of water, completely at a loss.
“Put the water on the nightstand. First, wipe my face with a towel, then apply shaving foam. After that, just go for it,” Zhang Shu instructed succinctly.
Sheng Xia set the basin down and stared blankly at the razor in her hand—she had clearly seen an electric shaver in the bathroom. Wouldn’t that be much simpler? It could be operated one-handed, barely requiring any bending.
“Um, the electric one…” she voiced her doubt.
Zhang Shu didn’t bat an eye. “That’s not mine.”
Ridiculous. That thing buzzed like crazy—so annoying.
Sheng Xia: “Oh.”
She wrung the towel until it was half-dry, then hesitated over the next step. Should she just drape it over his face and wipe? Or focus on the details first—eyes, mouth? Or maybe let him do it himself?
After all, one of his arms was still perfectly functional.
As she hesitated, Zhang Shu said, “How are you going to wipe if you don’t come closer? Are your arms that long?”
The implication was that he didn’t want to do it himself.
Sheng Xia leaned in. “Then… close your eyes,” she requested.Zhang Shu gazed at the face so close to his, astonished once more. How could someone have skin this flawless, so fair and smooth it seemed poreless.
Perhaps it was his mind playing tricks, but he always felt she carried a unique fragrance—something indescribable, unlike anything he’d ever smelled on anyone else. Back when they used to sit together, he’d catch faint traces of it, but never as strong as now.
“No,” he answered.
How often did she take the initiative to get this close? Why wouldn’t he look?
Sheng Xia watched as his eyelids lifted slowly, his gaze drifting from her jaw, past her lips, over the tip of her nose, before finally settling into her eyes.
Their eyes met, inexplicably locked in place.
Flustered, Sheng Xia quickly shifted her focus to the towel and, without further argument, began carefully wiping his face.
Her movements were so gentle that Zhang Shu felt only the faintest tickle.
When she reached his lips, she meticulously avoided the soft flesh, her fingertips wrapped in the towel tracing the outline of his mouth.
Suddenly, the corner of Zhang Shu’s mouth quirked up in a smile.
Startled by the abrupt gesture, Sheng Xia instinctively paused, shooting him a glance before resuming her task…
Yet that brief hesitation seemed to thicken the air, as if the temperature had risen.
Observing the faint stubble on his face, Sheng Xia’s thoughts wandered.
Why were men and women so different? They grew beards and had Adam’s apples, while women had neither. Women had other—
Stop.
She set the towel aside and picked up the canister that resembled a spray. “Just squeeze this out, right?”
“Mm. Apply it wherever there’s stubble.”
She dispensed a small amount onto her hand, the hissing sound jarring in the silence—or perhaps it was her nerves amplifying every little noise.
Slowly, she reached out and spread the foam over his face.
The moment their skin touched, both of their expressions shifted.
Zhang Shu’s body tensed instantly, his widened eyes burning with intensity.
To Sheng Xia, he felt like an electrode—contact sent a jolting current through her, leaving her entire arm numb.
Her hand trembled slightly, and a dollop of foam landed on Zhang Shu’s chest. Flustered, she grabbed the towel to wipe it off, then hurried to the bathroom to fetch a dry one, wrapping it snugly around his neck.
He looked like he was wearing a bib.
“Sorry, I—” Sheng Xia began apologetically.
“You’re doing fine. Don’t rush.”
“…”
What she’d meant to say was: Sorry, I can’t do this—please finish it yourself.
“It’s fine. Just apply more.” He tilted his chin up slightly, making it easier for her.
The gesture felt like an invitation.
Steeling herself, Sheng Xia squeezed out more foam and started spreading it from his cheeks. On closer inspection, the distribution of a guy’s stubble was surprisingly extensive—denser around the mouth, sparser toward the edges, with a faint trace even below the jawline.
She’d thought beards only grew around the lips.
This time, she imagined his face as a cake base, and the foam as frosting she just needed to smooth out. The mental trick made her movements much more natural.
Zhang Shu lowered his gaze, studying her features over and over.
Under the light, her long lashes fluttered, casting delicate shadows beneath her eyes.
She looked serene, soft.
And so focused—so earnestly touching his face.
The thought sent a surge of heat pooling in his abdomen. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he averted his eyes uncomfortably.
Shaving felt like waging a battle.
The preparation had been grueling, but once the actual shaving began, the tension faded, replaced by a desire to just get it over with.
The razor in her hand became a weapon of victory.
With each stroke, the shaving foam was swept away, revealing clean skin beneath. Strangely, she found the process satisfying.
“Does it hurt?”
“Did I nick you?”
She kept asking.
“No.”
“Nope.”He was fully cooperative, pursing his lips, lifting his chin, and turning his face sideways—utterly obedient.
She smoothly finished shaving him and even instinctively rolled the foam into the towel...
Then she gently cupped his face with both hands, examining it from side to side. So clean. Such a sense of accomplishment.
An effortless smile naturally surfaced on her lips.
Rosy lips, flawless skin, a pure smile—everything was within reach. To Zhang Shu, the light seemed to flicker as if an angel had descended.
A very clichéd description, but it was Zhang Shu’s first thought.
He wanted to get closer.
The thought flashed through his mind before he could process it, and his body had already taken the lead. Taking advantage of her leaning posture, he effortlessly wrapped an arm around her waist.
Sheng Xia froze, her eyes snapping up in shock.
He was only holding her lightly, neither pulling her closer nor making any further moves.
Yet it was precisely this cautious gesture that made the atmosphere all the more ambiguous...
And here she was, cradling his face, noticing the faint traces of disbelief and flustered panic in his expression.
Logically, they had shared a far more intimate embrace on the field that night, yet it paled in comparison to the startling effect of this casual touch.
If that night had been an emotional outburst, this touch was a sober test.
One lying down, the other leaning over.
The posture was far too suggestive.
Sheng Xia felt as though her waist had gone numb.
Completely devoid of sensation.
She wanted to straighten up, but her body had stiffened, as if her mind could no longer command her limbs—everything was out of sync.
Who was she? Where was she? What was she doing?
Two light knocks sounded at the door before it was pushed open without waiting for a response.
Perhaps Sheng Xia had been standing too close to the head of the bed, completely out of view from the small window.
The visitor hadn’t expected anyone else inside and abruptly halted in their tracks.
Sheng Xia jerked upright, her eyes colliding with the bewildered gaze of the caregiver.
Recalling the scene just now—her posture, her actions—it must have looked like she was about to kiss him!
No!
That wasn’t it at all!
Sheng Xia practically fled the hospital like a fugitive. The taxi had even been called by Zhang Shu, and throughout the process, the suppressed amusement in his eyes became increasingly evident.
The entire ride home, she felt as though she were burning up with fever, so she didn’t return to class. Instead, she called Wang Lianhua to pick her up from school early.
Back home, Sheng Xia began analyzing Zhang Shu’s exam papers—she had made copies.
Chinese was self-explanatory; the reasons for lost points were obvious: messy handwriting, overly brief answers in the reading section—the main culprits for deductions.
English, aside from the essay, was all multiple-choice, which he had handled smoothly.
Math, however, was a chaotic mess. It was clear he hadn’t used scratch paper, likely finding it too troublesome when his hands were already full. Even the answer sheet wasn’t neat—mistakes weren’t corrected with white tape but slashed out in large strokes. With limited space, the final answers were crammed together, nearly illegible.
The science section was the same.
Just looking at the papers, it was obvious he had struggled.
She compiled all his incorrect answers, planning to record explanatory videos for him later.
At his current score level, there wasn’t much she could do for him. She just hoped to make his studying a little easier.
By the time she finished organizing everything, it was already past midnight. Sheng Xia couldn’t help but recall how he had once compiled past exam papers from the affiliated high school for her—so many sets, who knew how much effort it had cost him.
She silently cheered herself on, for his sake and her own: I’ll make sure you succeed, A-Shu.
Sheng Xia couldn’t keep running to the hospital, so Hou Junqi became the errand boy, delivering recent exam papers to Zhang Shu every few days.During the exam paper review sessions, Sheng Xia listened with exceptional focus, meticulously noting down not only the teacher's problem-solving approaches but also any additional insightful comments. She would then compile these notes along with the corresponding video materials and send them to Zhang Shu.
If he still had any unclear points, he would call via video or voice chat to ask.
At first, Sheng Xia couldn't always explain things clearly either. To better assist him, she would first clarify the concepts with the teacher, mentally rehearse the explanations herself, and only then relay them to Zhang Shu.
Lai Yilin praised her, "The questions you're asking are so targeted. Keep this up, and you might not even need the independent enrollment to get into a top-tier university."
Sheng Xia admitted honestly that she was merely acting as Zhang Shu's mouthpiece, noting that top students always approached questions from unique angles.
Lai Yilin expressed surprise, "He doesn't know these things?"
Sheng Xia replied, "Some he doesn't, and for others, he says he understands but isn't entirely clear yet."
Lai Yilin seemed thoughtful before smiling, "I see. Well, keep being a good messenger then."
On April 20th, Heqing University announced its Strong Foundation Program, publishing the list of candidates who had advanced to the assessment stage.
For the Classical Chinese Literature major, the program planned to admit 3 students, with only 1 candidate making it to the assessment stage nationwide.
Sheng Xia was the sole candidate in the entire country who had advanced.
As long as she scored above the first-tier cutoff in the college entrance exam and published a book before the admissions deadline, her acceptance was virtually guaranteed.
Busy and losing track of time, Sheng Xia hadn't checked the announcement promptly and instead learned the news from Sheng Mingfeng.
Sheng Mingfeng said, "Being the only candidate nationwide means you truly excel in this field. But it also indicates how niche this major is. After careful research, I found this is a newly established program with uncertain career prospects. Even compared to standard Chinese Language and Literature majors, the outlook isn't particularly optimistic."
Sheng Xia responded, "If it's about textual research, I think I could devote my whole life to it."
Sheng Mingfeng neither agreed nor disagreed, simply stating, "Your overseas study options remain open. You can make the final decision after the college entrance exam."
Though he maintained his stance, his words effectively placed the final choice entirely in Sheng Xia's hands.
Wang Lianhua was both delighted and somewhat melancholic, murmuring, "It already feels like you're about to leave me."
She ultimately advised Sheng Xia not to get distracted, to focus on preparing for the college entrance exam as if this opportunity didn't exist, and to achieve her best possible results.
Sheng Xia agreed.
She sensed changes in both her parents.
Wang Lianhua had become less domineering; Sheng Mingfeng seemed to have shifted from firmness wrapped in gentleness to gentleness wrapped in firmness.
Had time gradually smoothed over their intense conflicts?
Apparently not.
They still clashed frequently.
But now they were both listening to her.
Really listening to her words and considering her opinions.
She was no longer just a lump of clay they pulled between them.
Was it because she had grown up?
...
The weather grew increasingly hot, sunsets arrived later, and even the wind carried a restless edge.
The summer-limited cucumber juice hit the market, and after dinner, Sheng Xia bought a cup, returning to the classroom contentedly.
Typically, half an hour before evening self-study, the atmosphere in the senior high school building starkly contrasted with that of the junior grades.
While the seniors worked in silent concentration, the underclassmen filled the air with boisterous chatter and laughter.
But today, Class Six was different, with students gathered in small groups discussing something animatedly.
As Sheng Xia entered the classroom, all eyes turned to her.
Li Shiyi pulled Sheng Xia to sit down and handed her a phone, saying, "Look! Zhang Shu is roasting idiots online!"
The screen showed screenshots posted by a blogger—nine images in total.Blogger's caption: ["LMAO, I saw this account constantly commenting on Xinfeng, never thought it was the real deal @SHU_abcdef. Dare to answer if I call you the 'Nanjing Tech Roast King'?"]
"Xinfeng" is a social mini-program developed by an alumnus of the affiliated high school, more popular than forums and Weibo among students.
Posts can be anonymous, but comments display usernames. Many use it for confessions, hence it's also called the "confession wall."
The screenshot in this Weibo post shows a compilation of recent comments from the user "SHU_xxrmm."
Anonymous post: ["Seriously, is Zhang Shu really done for? Isn't this outcome like picking up sesame seeds but losing the watermelon?"]
——SHU_xxrmm: Zhang San, is Xinfeng really done for? Isn't this post like worrying over nothing?
[With a bit more hype, he’ll debut. Who cares about a top scorer? When’s he getting discharged? Bet he’ll make headlines again.]
——SHU_xxrmm: He’s getting discharged next week. Since you care so much about your dad, are you going to kneel and greet him morning and night?
[It’s tough. No matter how talented, going from 300th to top scorer in over a month is impossible.]
[I think he can do it. Zhang Shu YYDS!]
[The commenter above must be a brainless fan crushing on Zhang Shu. How can you still hype him in this state?]
——SHU_xxrmm: The commenter above must be an idiot jealous of Zhang Shu. How can you still bark in this state?
Anonymous post: ["Did Zhang Shu really get stabbed saving that girl from his class? How can she even show her face there? I’d be too guilty to stay."]
——SHU_xxrmm: Zhang Shu really got stabbed because of the rumor-monger above. How can this person even show their face posting this? I’d be too guilty to stay.
[Yeah, last week his girlfriend even fought two outraged girls over this, like some idol drama.]
——SHU_xxrmm: Yeah, last week his girlfriend even reasoned with two rumor-spreading girls over this, like casting pearls before swine.
[No, they mistook the girl at the bookstore for his girlfriend.]
——SHU_xxrmm: My girlfriend’s drop-dead gorgeous—how could there be so many lookalikes? I’d never mistake anyone for her, thanks.
[His girlfriend’s quite pretty, but does she have some bad luck in her fate?]
——SHU_xxrmm: His girlfriend’s very pretty, and her fate even brings her man good fortune.
Anonymous post: ["Wow, is Zhang Shu replying to those old posts?"]
——SHU_xxrmm: Yep, Zhang Shu’s replying to those trashy old posts.
……
……
Sheng Xia flipped through page after page, utterly amazed.
He hadn’t replied to some confession posts about himself, but he’d responded to almost every post mentioning his "girlfriend."
From him, she finally learned the meaning of: tit for tat.
But wasn’t his "tat" a bit too smooth?
And wasn’t this "girlfriend" thing a bit too casually claimed?
Also, what kind of username is that?
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