The night before Zhang Shu returned to school, Wang Wei secretly prepared a welcome ceremony.
The ceremony continued his signature style—corny but lively. Everyone was given two small red flags to wave as they lined the path to welcome him.
A banner was also hung in the classroom: [Welcome Home, Hero].
Sheng Xia and Xin Xiaohe stood beneath the banner, feeling as if crows were cawing overhead.
Xin Xiaohe: "Does he really think Zhang Shu would like this kind of thing? Isn’t this just what he likes?"
Sheng Xia: "But Teacher Wang used his own savings for this?"
Xin Xiaohe: "Hmm, that is shocking. Zhang Shu must’ve made him insanely proud—scoring such a gem while teaching a parallel class. I bet he’ll brag about it to every future batch of students: 'Back in my day, I had this one student, blah blah blah…'"
The mental image was too vivid. Sheng Xia couldn’t help but chuckle.
Wang Wei had even asked Sheng Xia to gather intel in advance: What time is Zhang Shu arriving?
Back home, Sheng Xia messaged Zhang Shu: "What time are you getting to school tomorrow?"
Song Jiang: "Why? Got a surprise planned for me?"
Sheng Xia: "…"
Ugh, he’s sharp. Hopefully, it wouldn’t turn into a horror instead.
"Yeah, just a little something," she replied vaguely.
Song Jiang: "What is it this time?"
Sheng Xia: "Not telling."
Song Jiang: "A surprise?"
Song Jiang: " Rubbing hands in anticipation.jpg "
Song Jiang: "Though, it’s hard to top The Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China ."
Sheng Xia: "…"
Sheng Xia: "So, what time are you coming?"
Song Jiang: "Probably during the long break."
Sheng Xia: "That late?"
Song Jiang: "Yeah, got some stuff to take care of."
…
The next day, during the long break, students had already returned from morning exercises, but there was still no sign of Zhang Shu.
Class Six had skipped the exercises and had been waiting in the hallway for ages.
Wang Wei even brought a bouquet—or rather, a single flower.
One enormous sunflower, already bearing edible seeds in the middle. The packaging, though, was elaborate and neatly layered.
Someone teased, "Teacher, just one ? That’s kinda stingy, no?"
Wang Wei shot them a look. "What do you know? This is called 'standing out from the crowd.' Sunflowers are great—bright, positive energy! I picked this one on purpose ."
"Wasn’t it just because it was cheap?"
Wang Wei: "Nonsense."
"He’s here, he’s here!" Just before class was about to start, the lookout came running back with the update: "Zhang Shu’s here! But… he brought people with him."
Brought people?
Everyone turned toward the connecting corridor. Zhang Shu, dressed in his neat school uniform, looked refreshed and full of energy as he strode forward. Behind him were two people—one carrying a camera, the other holding a microphone.
Reporters?
The bright station logo on the mic read: Nanli Broadcasting TV .
"Whoa, going all out?"
"Didn’t Shu-ge refuse all interviews before?"
"Didn’t he also ignore Xinfeng ?"
"Probably because Sheng Xia cried that day…"
"Debunking rumors is exhausting."
Amid the murmurs, Zhang Shu and his entourage reached the hallway entrance, only to find their classmates waving little flags on either side, clearly having waited for a while.
Both sides were equally stunned by the other’s setup.
The reporter reacted fastest, immediately instructing the cameraman: "Quick, film this!"
Zhang Shu climbed the steps. "What’s all this, Lao Wang?"
Wang Wei snapped out of it and shoved the flower into Sheng Xia’s arms, muttering, "I do not want to be on TV…"
Then he ducked into the crowd, nudging Hou Junqi. "Start cheering!"Hou Junqi: "Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome!"
The Class Six students were stunned for two seconds—they should have come up with a slogan earlier. What kind of cringy nonsense was this?
But everyone still chimed in, shouting, "Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome!"
As they kept shouting, they couldn't help but laugh, and the louder they laughed, the louder they shouted. It was a full-on "if I'm not embarrassed, then the embarrassment belongs to someone else" situation.
The little flags waved with increasing enthusiasm, and everyone crowded forward, creating a scene that was chaotic and out of control.
The neighboring class students who came out to watch: ...
Zhang Shu's expression could only be described as pleasantly surprised—a mix of shock and amusement.
He turned to the reporter with a helpless smile. "Maybe we shouldn’t film this part."
The reporter grinned. "Film it, of course! Such adorable classmates, such great material!"
The main interviews had already been recorded at the school gate. They just needed a few more clips of Zhang Shu studying in class, and the final footage would probably only be a second or two.
But this scene? Absolutely rich and entertaining!
Zhang Shu, surrounded in the middle, was more than a little awkward.
Someone pushed Sheng Xia forward. "Shu-ge, we even have flowers for you!"
The crowd erupted into loud cheers, and Sheng Xia was more than just a little embarrassed.
Zhang Shu’s expression turned intrigued.
He stood there, smiling faintly, waiting.
Sheng Xia steeled herself and handed over the flowers. "Welcome back to class. These are from Teacher Wang."
Zhang Shu stepped closer to take the bouquet. In the crowded space, the motion almost looked like he was about to hug her.
And his hand, beneath the flowers, covered hers...
Sheng Xia startled, looking up to meet his affectionate gaze.
This—in front of everyone, under all these eyes, with cameras rolling. How could he just grab her hand while taking the flowers?
She yanked her hand back abruptly, shoving the bouquet fully into his arms before retreating into the crowd. Head bowed, she heard the cheering grow even louder.
The bell rang, and the commotion died down. The next period was Lai Yilin’s math class. The TV crew filmed a few more clips before leaving without disrupting the lesson.
Lai Yilin, who had watched the entire welcome ceremony, teased, "Zhang Shu, did you see the banner Teacher Wang specially prepared for you?"
The class burst into laughter.
Zhang Shu had already noticed it earlier but glanced back anyway, "praising," "Lao Wang is truly a genius."
...
Zhang Shu’s return kept the class lively all morning.
Though he had come back briefly for exams not long ago, he had been in a hurry and exhausted, so no one had bothered him then.
Now? Every break, his seat was surrounded by a circle of boys.
The topics of conversation were all over the place.
Sheng Xia passed by but gave up on joining the crowd.
During the last break, she walked by again to refill her water bottle and was called out.
"Sheng Xia."
It was Zhang Shu.
The boys around him immediately looked on with teasing eyes.
She turned, her gaze questioning: What?
"Where’s my gift? Didn’t you say you had one for me?" Zhang Shu asked, completely casual.
"Ooooh~"
"A gift? What is it?"
"Wow..."
The boys erupted into cheers.
So childish!
Not wanting to be part of the spectacle, Sheng Xia replied, "There is no gift. I lied to get you to come to school."
Zhang Shu: ...
Then she linked arms with Xin Xiaohe, and the two went off to refill their water bottles.
Behind them, waves of laughter followed.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Shu-ge, don’t lose heart. Lao Wang has a gift for you."
"Hahahaha!"Xin Xiaohe suppressed a laugh and looked at Sheng Xia with emotion. "Having a class couple is so nice, huh?"
No need to waste data shipping them.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Sheng Xia insisted.
Knowing she was shy, Xin Xiaohe had no intention of stopping. She suddenly asked, "Hey, did you see Zhang Shu clapping back at that confession wall post?"
Sheng Xia nodded.
Xin Xiaohe: "Do you know what his username means?"
Sheng Xia shook her head.
Xin Xiaohe leaned close to her ear and enunciated each word: "XXRMM—Xia, Xia, Ruan, Mian, Mian." (Summer, Summer, Soft, Fluffy)
She was rewarded with the sight of Sheng Xia's ears turning pink against her fair skin, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly as she froze in place.
"He's shameless! Copying me. But... how does he know too? Has he also... experienced it?" Sheng Xia was both embarrassed and indignant, raising her hand to hit Xiaohe. "Xiaohe! Xin Xiaohe!"
Xin Xiaohe ran away laughing. "Hahahaha having a class couple is so nice!"
"..."
"Don't worry, I didn't tell anyone! I just accidentally slipped up when I was shocked, and only Lanlan and Xiaomai were around—"
Lanlan and Xiaomai, Xin Xiaohe's two roommates.
Also the main members of their North Gate dining squad.
Sheng Xia: "..."
Xin Xiaohe: "Seriously, relax. They're not ordinary people—they're fangirl addicts. They'll definitely keep this material exclusive."
Sheng Xia: "..."
Her speechless expression said it all.
...
At noon, when they finally "reunited" again, Hou Junqi was the only one at the table wearing a smile.
Zhang Shu and Sheng Xia ate in silence, ignoring each other.
Hou Junqi didn't understand. Countless melodramatic soap opera plots flashed through his mind: Why would two people who'd gone through so much together and remained devoted now act like strangers when they clearly loved each other?
The stalemate broke when the meal ended.
The reason: As Zhang Shu stood up, he somehow pulled at his abdomen, suddenly hissing in pain. One hand braced against the table while the other clutched his stomach, his features twisted in discomfort.
Sheng Xia immediately stood to support his arm, alarmed. "What's wrong?"
"Is your wound not fully healed yet? I thought it was better already. What happened? Does it hurt?"
Zhang Shu naturally draped one arm over her shoulders.
Sheng Xia startled, shooting him a questioning look. Zhang Shu instantly turned frail again, collapsing against her shoulder with a pained grimace.
Left with no choice, Sheng Xia supported him.
Hou Junqi: "..."
Bro, the "injured to win sympathy" act? So cliché. Even soap operas don't use that plotline anymore.
Sheng Xia supported him all the way to the gate of Wenboyuan residential area before realizing Hou Junqi, who'd been following behind them, had already left.
How could he be so indifferent to his good friend's injury?
"D-does it still hurt?" Sheng Xia asked.
Zhang Shu: "A little."
"Should we go back to the hospital? Or did you bring any medicine when you returned?"
"I brought some."
"Then take it on time when you get back."
"Oh." Zhang Shu suddenly straightened up. "So there really was no gift."
Seeing him instantly recover, Sheng Xia understood everything. She was both annoyed and amused.
Was this really necessary?
"Don't use this trick to fool me again," she emphasized.
Noticing her serious expression, Zhang Shu schooled his features. "Okay."
This was something she took very seriously.
Sheng Xia shot him a sidelong glance before pulling a box from her backpack. Zhang Shu's brows smoothed as the corners of his lips lifted.
He took it, finding the box somewhat familiar but not dwelling on it as he casually opened it.
Then he understood why it looked familiar.
Inside lay a pair of knee pads.It was the same brand as the pair she had given him before, even the box was identical.
He looked at her, his eyes questioning: ?
Sheng Xia smiled faintly, "I hope you recover soon so you can use it."
There was another reason, actually. During PE class, she had noticed his knee pads were frayed.
Although last time, the Criminal Law book hidden beneath the knee pads had become Zhang Shu's shadow, seeing her smiling at him like this, he felt that even if there was a Civil Law book underneath this time, he'd still be happy.
But he couldn't resist teasing her, "There's something else underneath, right? What is it, the Marriage Law?"
Sheng Xia's smile froze: ...
He chuckled, already lifting the knee pads to see what was beneath.
Not a book, nor any legal code—it was an envelope.
A pink envelope.
Zhang Shu had seen plenty of these envelopes. Right after he woke up, she had brought a stack to visit him.
Zhang Shu suddenly felt like laughing. He glanced up at the sky, "Sheng Xia, how bold can you be? Try giving love letters to someone else again, see what happens?"
Sheng Xia was stunned. Watching his expression shift from delight to exasperation, she felt a bit wronged.
She grew even more embarrassed, lowering her head until her voice was almost inaudible, "This, this is... something I wrote."
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