For the first time, Sheng Xia felt a gathering was too short-lived. Their group had lasted until the very end. After leaving the KTV, everyone planned to grab some late-night snacks. Seeing how late it was and with Wang Lianhua having urged her multiple times already, Sheng Xia decided not to join them.
They waited with Sheng Xia for Wang Lianhua to pick her up.
Sheng Xia let go of Zhang Shu's hand and gave him a wink.
Zhang Shu understood.
She then stood beside Xin Xiaohe.
When Wang Lianhua arrived to pick up Sheng Xia, the group waved and said, "Goodbye, Auntie!" Any scolding words she had about coming home late were left unspoken.
Wang Lianhua knew her daughter well. Gentle-natured but not particularly outgoing, Sheng Xia had only a handful of close friends growing up. Who would have thought she'd make such a tight-knit group of friends in her final year of high school?
Perhaps Affiliated High School had been the better environment for her after all.
"How did your classmates do on the exams?" Wang Lianhua asked.
Sheng Xia: "They all seemed to do well."
Today, everyone had silently avoided mentioning scores, but judging by their moods, no one seemed to have done poorly.
Wang Lianhua continued, "What about Zhang Shu? How did he do?"
Sheng Xia tried to catch her mother's expression in the rearview mirror, but the angle was wrong.
After some thought, she answered, "Probably did well too."
Heaven knew how overjoyed she'd been after a day of worry when she heard him say, "See you at Heyan."
If he said it would work out, then it would.
Wang Lianhua: "If he could still perform well under those circumstances, that young man is truly remarkable."
Sheng Xia was surprised. Hearing her mother praise someone was rare enough—but praising Zhang Shu? That was even more extraordinary.
Back home, Sheng Xia noticed Hou Junqi had created a group chat with everyone from earlier—except Lanlan and Yang Linyu's roommates. Surprisingly, Lu Youze was added.
Lu Youze had gone abroad with his father for business right after the college entrance exams, missing both score estimations and the graduation banquet. Since he'd barely been at school during the final sprint, it had been ages since anyone had seen him—some had nearly forgotten he existed. During dinner, someone had jokingly mentioned him, teasing that the "young master" was getting a head start on learning the family business.
Why had this group been created all of a sudden?
Just as she was about to message someone privately, Hou Junqi tagged her in the group.
Hou Junqi: @Sheng Xia Everyone here is confirmed for Fiji! Little Sheng Xia, you're coming too, right? Right? Right?
Xiaomai: @Sheng Xia Come on! Come on! Come on!
Xin Xiaohe: @Sheng Xia Come on! Come on! Come on!
Sheng Xia was baffled. Since when were they going to Fiji? What had they discussed during their late-night snack?
Hou Junqi: @Lu Youze This guy's loaded uncle, plus @Zhang Shu's sister—private jet included!
Just as she read the message, Zhang Shu called to explain. Finally, it all made sense.
During their snack, they'd discussed whether to take a graduation trip together. Zhang Shu mentioned it was unlikely for him since he was going to Fiji for his sister's wedding.
Everyone had clamored about how envious they were and how much they wanted a tropical getaway.
It had started as just talk—until Zhang Shu actually called to confirm.
Lu Zheng was incredibly generous, saying that since they were classmates of both Zhang Shu and Lu Youze, more young faces would make things livelier. He immediately decided: anyone who could go should go. The private jet had plenty of seats, and hotels would be arranged.
With such a windfall, who would say no?
But since they were attending a wedding and getting free flights and accommodations, no one would actually freeload—the costs would be covered through wedding gifts.
So, expenses were still involved—it was just a lucky coincidence, and they'd get to share in the celebration.Lanlan was short on cash and didn’t have a passport, so she couldn’t join.
Yang Linyu and Xin Xiaohe both planned to apply for expedited passports the next day.
Sheng Xia already had a passport—Wang Lianhua had taken her on a trip after she graduated from middle school.
A trip with so many people sounded like it would be a lot of fun, didn’t it?
Of course, Sheng Xia wanted to go, but she figured Wang Lianhua would probably refuse.
“If you want to travel, go on your own. Why take advantage of someone else’s hospitality?” Wang Lianhua, as expected, had reservations.
Sheng Xia explained, “We’re not taking advantage. We’ll convert the cost of flights and hotels into red packets as wedding gifts.”
“And with so many of you going together, the couple will be busy with the wedding. Who’s going to keep an eye on you? You’ll probably run wild with no one to rein you in!”
“Mom, we’re about to start college. We can take care of ourselves.”
Wang Lianhua was momentarily speechless. After half a minute of silence, she finally said, “If you want to relax, wait until A’Xuan finishes her exams. I’ll take you both somewhere.”
Sheng Xia did the math. “By the time A’Xuan finishes her exams, I’ll have to start driving school. Dad already signed me up.”
Wang Lianhua knew about that and actually supported it—better to learn skills sooner rather than later.
“Then ask your dad for the money!”
Sheng Xia: “Huh?”
Wang Lianhua huffed, “If you want to go, ask your dad for the funds!”
Was that… approval?
Seeing Sheng Xia’s stunned expression, Wang Lianhua still sounded exasperated. “Don’t cause any trouble for them. Check in with a video call every day.”
“Got it, Mom!”
……
Over the next few days, Sheng Xia attended several gatherings—big and small.
There was one with Tao Zhizhi, another with her high school classmates from No. 2 High, and yet another with Xin Xiaohe and the others.
After meals, Sheng Xia went shopping with Xin Xiaohe and Xiaomai to prepare for the trip.
Under their sweet-talking persuasion, Sheng Xia bought dresses she’d never worn before, along with a swimsuit, before nervously setting off on the journey.
After a dozen hours on a plane and another half-hour speedboat ride, they finally arrived at the island where the wedding would take place.
It was nighttime when they landed, so the full view of the island wasn’t visible, but the warm, humid sea breeze was already making everyone restless.
Lu Zheng and Zhang Sujin came out to greet them, with Lu Youze trailing behind—they had arrived earlier.
“Long time no see,” Lu Youze greeted, seemingly addressing everyone, though his gaze lingered on Sheng Xia.
“Long time no see,” Sheng Xia waved back.
Qi Xiulei, who was more familiar with Lu Youze, tried to break the ice. “Youze, have you gotten your offer yet?”
“Not yet, but it should be soon,” Lu Youze replied.
“Well, congrats in advance, haha!”
That awkward “haha” made the atmosphere unbearably tense.
Fortunately, the concierge arrived to escort everyone to their rooms.
Zhang Shu had been pushing Sheng Xia’s luggage the whole time. He stepped forward, unfazed by the awkwardness, handed her suitcase to the concierge, and reminded her, “You were under the air vent the whole flight. Don’t set the AC too low tonight.”
Sheng Xia: “Oh, okay.”
Zhang Shu: “Text me the villa number later.”
“Mm.”
Everyone followed the concierge to their respective rooms.
Sheng Xia was rooming with Xin Xiaohe and Xiaomai. It wasn’t until they reached their accommodation that she understood why Zhang Shu had said “villa number” instead of “room number.”
The entire place was made up of standalone villas, each separated by gardens. The ride from the lobby to their villa on a golf cart took nearly eight minutes.
The villa had two floors—bedrooms upstairs, a living area downstairs. Opening the door led straight to a private pool, and beyond that, a beach glowing white under the night sky.
The ocean stretched endlessly into the distance.Xiaomai connected to the WiFi and searched for the hotel price using the logo on the welcome card, then froze.
“I can’t find this hotel on Ctrip, Fliggy, or BOOKING?”
“Holy shit, it’s a private island—not open to the public, only for regular guests. Room rates start at $5,000…”
Xin Xiaohe gasped, “Per day?”
“Yeah, per day.”
“Damn, guys, how much wedding gift money would even cover this?”
Sheng Xia was also stunned. It seemed this was a deal she couldn’t pass up, whether she wanted to or not.
She had just sent the building number to Zhang Shu when he sent her a voice call request.
As soon as she answered, she heard him say, “Come outside, by the pool.”
Sheng Xia hesitated, then opened the glass door and stepped out. The pool glowed faintly in the night.
“Here.” His voice reached her both through the phone and in reality.
She turned her head. Through the swaying shadows of the trees, the glow from the neighboring pool seeped through—along with his silhouette.
He was staying right next door.
Only a row of lush greenery separated them.
Beyond that was the same stretch of beach.
“Want to take a walk?” he asked.
Sheng Xia glanced back at the messy room. “I still need to unpack.”
Zhang Shu conceded. “Then get some rest early. Don’t catch a cold.”
“Mm.”
“Go back inside.”
Both of them retreated indoors. Just as Zhang Shu pulled his door shut, he added casually, “You’re right next to me. Thinking about it, I might not be able to sleep.”
Before she could react, a chorus of jeers and exaggerated retching sounds erupted from his side.
Hou Junqi yelled, “Go! Just go already! Don’t come back—it’s too crowded here!”
Yang Linyu: “Ooooh, why am I getting goosebumps in the tropics?!”
Qi Xiulei: “We’re exhausted from the flight. Have some decency, man.”
There were so many of them.
Sheng Xia scrambled for small talk. “Are you all staying together?”
“Yeah, Lu Youze is here too.”
Sheng Xia: “…”
“Oh. Your place seems bigger.”
Zhang Shu: “Seems wider than yours. We got a family suite—three rooms.”
Sheng Xia: “We only have two.”
Zhang Shu: “Then you take one for yourself. Let the other two share.”
Sheng Xia: “Xiao He wants to sleep with me, though?”
Zhang Shu: “No!”
His “No!” was loud enough for Xin Xiaohe to hear.
“LMAO, Zhang Shu, who do you think you are? Try saying no again—see if I don’t take a shower with Sheng Xia tonight!”
Sheng Xia: “…”
Zhang Shu: “…”
Everyone on both ends of the call: “…”
Sheng Xia hung up first, cutting off the brewing conflict.
In the end, that night, not only did Xin Xiaohe share the bed with Sheng Xia, but Xiaomai also squeezed under the covers with them.
Despite the sweltering heat, none of them wanted to sleep alone, so all three crammed onto one bed.
Luckily, the bed was big enough, and the AC was cranked low.
Suddenly, Xin Xiaohe let out a loud “Holy shit!”—at the same time, Sheng Xia yelped in shock.
Xiaomai, who was sleeping on the edge, bolted upright and turned on the light, panicked. “What? What happened?”
Xin Xiaohe looked both apologetic and stunned. “Sorry, my hand slipped.”
Sheng Xia’s face burned red.
Slipped?! Since when did “slipping” involve a squeeze?!
“Xiao He!!” she fumed.
Xin Xiaohe grinned sheepishly. “It really was an accident, hahaha! I just—I’m used to hugging something when I sleep, so I instinctively, you know, grabbed. I repent!”
Xiaomai finally caught on, and Sheng Xia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.The three of them exchanged glances until a sudden "pfft" broke the tension, and inexplicably, they burst into laughter, rolling around on their beds.
"HAHAHAHA! You did what Lanlan and I both wanted to do! Look how scared Sheng Xia was—HAHAHAHA!"
"I'm sorry, I was wrong! HAHAHA! If I had another chance, I'd grab twice—no, three times! HAHAHA!"
After finally settling down a bit, they turned off the lights and tried to sleep again.
In the darkness, Xiaomai suddenly spoke up, "Are you guys asleep? I can't sleep... I really want to know, what does C feel like...?"
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
"No way!"
"I was just saying... Fine, forget it..."
Silence fell once more.
After who knows how long, Xin Xiaohe suddenly piped up again, "Are you guys asleep? I can't sleep... I really envy Shu-ge. I wonder if he knows what C feels like..."
"HAHAHAHA!"
Sheng Xia felt a wave of heat rise in her and kicked off the covers.
Damn it, was there any hope of sleeping tonight?!
The next day, Sheng Xia caught a cold—in this sweltering tropical climate.
So while everyone else changed into swimsuits and frolicked in the sea, she was left wrapped in a bathrobe on the shore, listlessly sipping coconut water. She video-called Wang Lianhua, of course not mentioning her cold, just showing the scenery around her to report her safe travels.
As she hung up, she noticed someone sitting on the lounge chair beside her.
Zhang Shu was wearing swim trunks and, perhaps not one for exhibitionism, had dried off and thrown on a thin T-shirt as soon as he got out of the water. But since his body was still damp, the white T-shirt clung loosely in places, creating a visual effect that was, if anything, even more striking than being bare-chested.
Sheng Xia averted her gaze, set her phone aside, and picked up the enormous coconut to continue sipping.
Zhang Shu watched her intently until the straw made a gurgling sound from emptiness. Then he stepped in front of her, took the coconut away, and asked, "Drinking a whole coconut in one go—aren't you stuffed?"
"It's delicious. I could have another one."
"Stubborn. Don't let your cold turn into a stomachache. Didn't you cover yourself properly last night?"
"I did."
"Then why is it getting worse? While everyone else is here to vacation, you're here to recuperate?"
Sheng Xia fell silent, realizing this guy always had a way of saying things that rubbed her the wrong way, and he was a bit of a nag.
By evening, Sheng Xia was feeling groggy. Not daring to use the air conditioning, she slept alone in her room, but the heat left her sticky and restless, unable to sleep.
Tossing and turning, she picked up her phone again.
Only then did she notice Zhang Shu had messaged her two hours earlier.
Song Jiang: "Asleep?"
When she didn't reply, he probably assumed she was already asleep.
Sheng Xia replied: "Not yet."
It was already 2 a.m. local time, but to her surprise, Zhang Shu responded instantly: "Feeling unwell?"
"A little hot."
Song Jiang: "Come out for a bit. The beach behind."
Sheng Xia tiptoed downstairs and outside, not bothering to change, just throwing on the bathrobe she'd worn earlier.
Zhang Shu was also in a bathrobe, waiting for her by her villa's gate.
As soon as she got close, he reached out to feel her forehead, muttering, "Probably no fever, but better check properly."
He led her by the hand toward their villa. The night breeze was cool but not cold, just enough to dispel some of the stifling heat.
On the table by the lounge chairs in the yard were a water pitcher, cups, and a box of medicine—with labels in Chinese, no less.
Zhang Shu handed her a thermometer and then prepared a packet of cold medicine for her.
Sheng Xia blinked in confusion. "Where did you get these?"
Zhang Shu: "Went looking for them during dinner."“Do they sell Chinese medicine here?”
“No, I got it from someone else,” he said casually.
In reality, the hotel did stock common medications, but he was worried that something might not suit her delicate constitution. So he had asked Zhang Sujin for the guest list and practically went down it one by one, asking if anyone had brought medicine from China. Fortunately, there was indeed an aunt who had brought some cold relief granules.
“Oh…”
She watched quietly as he prepared the medicine, shaking the cup until the granules dissolved completely, then adding cool water. He took a sip himself before handing it to her: “Drink it.”
She obediently took the cup. The temperature was just right. Tilting her head back, she drank slowly. The medicine wasn’t bitter—it even had a slightly sweet taste.
She sat while he stood, his gaze never leaving her, as if he’d lose his temper if she didn’t finish every last drop.
Sheng Xia had never seen this side of Zhang Shu before.
She couldn’t quite describe it.
Even though they were in a foreign land, even though she was still sick, she inexplicably felt a fleeting sense of tranquil happiness.
After she finished the medicine, he took her hand and walked her back.
“No more phone. Go straight to sleep when you get back. You can turn on the AC, but don’t set it too cold. Keep the blankets wrapped tight—even if you sweat, don’t kick them off. Bear with it, and you’ll feel better tomorrow…”
She listened to his endless stream of instructions.
At the courtyard gate, he let go of her hand. “Did you hear everything I just said? If you—”
Before he could finish, Zhang Shu felt arms wrap around his waist as someone threw themselves into his embrace.
Sheng Xia didn’t know what came over her. Staring at his broad chest, she just wanted to lean against it. Maybe she was still a bit lightheaded, or maybe she felt unusually bold, but she hugged him without thinking.
This was the first time she had initiated physical contact.
Zhang Shu froze completely. By the time he recovered enough to return the embrace, she had already slipped away, darting into the house in the blink of an eye.
As she closed the glass door, their eyes met briefly before she quickly looked away, too flustered to hold his gaze any longer.
Only after she was gone did Zhang Shu realize he’d been shortchanged.
He chuckled helplessly and walked slowly back to his room.
When would she stop being so shy? This question had plagued him for a long time.
What Zhang Shu didn’t see was Lu Youze standing on the balcony upstairs, his gaze despondent.
After another day of medicine, Sheng Xia’s cold finally improved, just in time for the wedding.
The wedding planner had been brought over from China, and the ceremony blended Eastern and Western traditions.
The bride’s send-off and groom’s procession followed Chinese customs, followed by a Western-style beach banquet at noon. The evening concluded with a lively party—there was no shortage of activities.
Sheng Xia and the others were assigned to the bride’s entourage. They woke up before dawn to get made up, wanting to look their best even though they weren’t bridesmaids.
The boys were all part of the groom’s procession. After enduring countless deliberate obstacles, they barged in right on schedule amidst a flurry of red envelopes.
This was when Sheng Xia finally got a good look at Zhang Shu that day.
He wore a well-tailored suit, his bow tie perfectly straight, his hair styled with care. His youthful face carried a new maturity.
He looked completely different.
“Sheng Xia’s eyes are glued to him…” Xiaomai muttered.
Xin Xiaohe teased, “Looks more like Zhang Shu’s the one here to fetch the bride.”
The bride’s room was packed and bustling as everyone put the groom and his groomsmen through their paces. No one noticed the well-dressed young man and girl whispering in the corner.
“What kind of wedding do you want in the future?”
Sheng Xia was distracted, watching the groom and groomsmen search for the bridal shoes. “It doesn’t matter,” she answered absentmindedly.
The person was what mattered.
Zhang Shu: “Think about it properly. Take your time—you’ve got four years to decide.”
Sheng Xia: …
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