Sheng Xia received her score notification via text message while picking up Wu Qiuxuan from the exam hall.
At the same time, the cutoff score announcement also came through.
【XX Provincial Education Examination Authority】High-priority admission line: Liberal Arts 536, Science 524; Undergraduate: Liberal Arts 430, Science 410.
Sheng Xia scored 65 points above the first-tier cutoff, while Zhang Shu scored 191 points above it.
Wu Qiuxuan clung to Sheng Xia’s arm the entire way, exclaiming, "Why repost koi fish for luck when I can just hold onto this living, breathing koi right here? A golden, shimmering koi!"
Wang Lianhua chimed in, "Look at your sister—always improving, always breaking through. You should study hard too."
Wu Qiuxuan grinned but didn’t respond to Wang Lianhua. Instead, she leaned in and whispered to Sheng Xia, "If I study hard, can I meet someone like Zhang Shu too?"
Sheng Xia answered firmly under her breath, "No."
How could it be so easy to meet someone like Zhang Shu?
He was the surprise of youth.
He was the miracle of summer.
...
At 8 p.m., the high school’s official website, Weibo, and WeChat account simultaneously posted celebratory announcements.
The words 【Top Scorer】dominated the header—bright and dazzling in gold.
The announcement was concise, devoid of flowery language.
【Nanjing University Affiliated High School’s Zhang Shu achieves highest science subject score and total score in the college entrance examination: 715 points】
The layout was bold and red, straightforward to the point of bragging.
Below, other glorious achievements were listed: the first-tier admission rate ranked first in the province for consecutive years, and the number of high-scoring students far surpassed others.
Wherever Sheng Xia looked on her phone—whether Weibo, Xinfeng, QQ, or WeChat—the announcement was everywhere.
Messages in the Class Six group chat exploded like fireworks, scrolling too fast to keep up.
Red envelopes and firecracker emojis flooded the screen.
"Being in the same class as the top scorer is something I’ll brag about for years!"
"Too godly, Shu-ge!"
"Crying my eyes out—gonna go post on Xinfeng right now."
"Calling Shu-ge! Calling Shu-ge!"
"His phone must be blowing up—no way he has time for you!"
Zhang Shu: "1111111"
Zhang Shu sent a red envelope: Thanks.
"Grabbing the top scorer’s red envelope!"
"Eating the top scorer’s celebratory candy!"
"Where’s the candy? Where?"
"Calling Sheng Xia! Calling Sheng Xia!"
"Where’s Xiaxia? Xiaxia?"
"Sheng Xia got into Heqing’s Strong Foundation Program—am I the last to know?"
"Holy crap!"
"Holy crap, holy crap! If you’re the last, then I’m even later—is this real? Calling Sheng Xia! Calling Sheng Xia!"
Zhang Shu: "11111111111."
Zhang Shu: "It’s real."
"I’m tired of saying I’m jealous."
"My god, my god—envy is distorting my face."
"My ship is real!"
"I’m tired of saying they’re perfect for each other."
"Get married, get married—I’m the Civil Affairs Bureau, I’ll officiate myself."
"This is insane—are we sure our class isn’t some elite class?"
"Off to Xinfeng to brag, everyone!"
On Xinfeng, five out of ten posts were about Zhang Shu.
【Wow, this senior’s gonna be in the school’s hall of fame, right?】
—[Let’s be real, among the school’s top scorers, this score isn’t the highest—there was once a 730!]
—[Hey, upstairs, what did you score?]
—[It’s different—he was featured in government reports for bravery!]
—[This year’s model of positive energy—show some respect.]
【Your dad is still your dad—even after 42 days in the hospital, he comes back and still aces the exam!】
—[Correction: 42 days, thank you.]——[Looks like the mock exam really determines everything. Zhang Shu was already first in the mock exam, huh?]
——[Wonder how those forum posters who dissed Zhang Shu are feeling now?]
——[Most of the people who criticized him before are now the ones praising him. The internet has no memory—fickle as always!]
[With a top scholar looking like this, this year’s Top Ten Youth vote is going to be lit. Hot search incoming.]
——[Some people exist just to show you how ordinary you are.]
——[Top Ten Youth? What’s that?]
——[It’s on the homepage of the Nanli Public Network’s official account. There’s a voting link, and he’s already way ahead!]
——[Is this like an official certification of a good youth?]
——[This guy’s life is legendary.]
[Zhang Shu’s girlfriend got into Heqing University!]
——[The scores just came out, and you’re already claiming she got in?]
——[Wasn’t his girlfriend a transfer student from No. 2 High? She’s that good?]
——[Look up the Strong Foundation Program—it’s not easier than the gaokao, folks.]
——[A godly couple.]
——[Damn, really? Their senior year vs. my upcoming senior year!]
[Don’t get sidetracked. Winning the top scholar for the affiliated high school is amazing! Congrats, Zhang Shu!]
——[Let’s build this thread! Congrats, Zhang Shu!]
——[Congrats, Zhang Shu!]
——[Congrats, Zhang Shu!]
The thread reached a thousand posts, hitting the forum’s limit, and was locked.
There was also a minor stir on Weibo. Some local official accounts in Nanli reposted the good news, but the congratulations were mostly directed at the school, rarely at individuals.
Self-media was different. Zhang Shu’s past interviews were dug up, and some of his quotes were turned into memes.
Like this one—"Why would I be excited about school? School is hard."
It was captioned: "Certified by the top scholar."
The top scholar says school is hard!
Even the top scholar doesn’t like school—what’s wrong with me not liking it?
Witnessing this spectacle, Sheng Xia felt both proud and wistful.
Just two months ago, the prevailing mood had been one of gloom and skepticism.
Feeling dizzy from scrolling through her phone in the car, she turned off the screen and closed her eyes to rest. The messages were all variations of the same thing.
At 9:30 p.m., the car arrived at the entrance of their neighborhood. The gate barrier rose and fell, rose and fell, but Wang Lianhua didn’t drive in.
Sheng Xia, puzzled, followed her mother’s gaze to the right.
Wu Qiuxuan exclaimed, "Sis, is that Zhang Shu over there?!"
On the side of the road by the neighborhood entrance, a lanky teenager straddled his bike, stopped to check his phone.
The streetlight cast his slender silhouette.
Wang Lianhua glanced back at Sheng Xia. "Getting off here or coming home first?"
Sheng Xia reached for the door handle. "Here."
"Don’t wander off. Be home by ten," Wang Lianhua reminded.
"Got it, Mom."
Hearing the car door shut, Zhang Shu instinctively looked up. Seeing Sheng Xia, he was visibly surprised.
Since the results were announced, his phone hadn’t stopped buzzing. Media and admissions calls were one thing, but even random companies wanted to hand him money.
Nothing in life comes free, and he didn’t want to deal with any of it, so he went out and got a new SIM card.
After leaving the service center, he aimlessly rode his bike and found himself outside her neighborhood—unexpected even to himself.
No idea how he ended up here.
Since he was here, he texted her to ask if she was back. After waiting half an hour with no reply, her sudden appearance felt almost miraculous.
Is this how fairies operate?The car pulled into the underground garage when Sheng Xia finally hurried over, her smiling eyes curved like crescents. "What brings you here?"
Zhang Shu put down his phone. "What do you think?"
Sheng Xia pointed at the sky. "There’s no crescent moon tonight either."
Zhang Shu glanced upward too, then gestured toward the trees. "But there’s the camphor trees of Nanli tonight."
Sheng Xia: "Who describes themselves like that?"
Wasn’t this just shamelessly inserting himself into the conversation?
He was still straddling his bike, while she stood at a distance. Zhang Shu didn’t like the gap between them, so he grabbed her hand and pulled. She stumbled forward into his arms, and he casually wrapped an arm around her waist.
In this position, she was at his eye level.
Zhang Shu asked lightly, "Didn’t check your phone?"
Sheng Xia glanced around, looking guilty. "I fell asleep in the car."
Zhang Shu turned her face back toward him. "No one’s watching you."
The line sounded familiar. Sheng Xia muttered, "The top scorer is watching me."
Zhang Shu froze for a second, then burst into laughter. After a while, his smile faded, his gaze lingering on her lips before slowly lifting to meet her bright, dark eyes.
The surroundings were silent.
He raised an eyebrow slightly and gave her hand a gentle squeeze—like encouragement.
Sheng Xia’s tightly pressed lips relaxed, and she quickly pecked his lips, her face flushing with shyness.
He wasn’t satisfied. "You didn’t miss me."
"I did..."
"No sincerity."
His gaze remained fixed on her lips, the implication obvious.
Sheng Xia leaned in again, pressing her lips to his like a seal.
The sensation was soft, sending tremors through her heart.
Before she could pull away, his hand cradled the back of her head. He tilted his head, capturing her lips, sucking gently, kissing lightly, then pressing firmly before soothing with a tender lick. His tongue teased past her lips, tangling with hers in a slow, deliberate dance.
Unlike the domineering urgency of their first kiss, this time he savored her with patience, as if tasting a dessert.
Sheng Xia was hypersensitive—even the touch of his high nose bridge against her cheek felt vividly clear.
And his hands—they moved from the back of her head to her ears, pinching and stroking her earlobes.
Her breathing grew uneven, but he was far from done. Cupping her face, he shifted angles and chased her lips again.
Sheng Xia’s lips tingled, and she pushed against his chest.
Finally, he withdrew, but not before dotting a few feather-light kisses. He ended with one on her forehead before letting her go.
"That’s how much I missed you."
"..."
"Shouldn’t you be super busy?" Sheng Xia changed the subject. "I heard your phone would be bombarded with messages and calls."
Zhang Shu: "Not that bad. Check your phone and save my new number."
Sheng Xia pulled out her phone and realized he had texted her half an hour ago.
She could guess why he changed his number—his efficiency was truly unmatched.
"Is this the price of overnight fame?" she teased while saving the number.
Zhang Shu pinched her cheek. "You sound way too happy about this. Want me to show you how many confession DMs are in my Weibo inbox? Shouldn’t you feel a little threatened?"
Sheng Xia actually tensed up. "I thought you weren’t checking Weibo anymore?"
Pleased with her reaction, he stopped teasing. "Just a guess."
Sheng Xia shot him a look. "Narcissist."
...
Later, when she reluctantly returned home and checked Weibo before bed, she realized he wasn’t exaggerating—even if he hadn’t seen it himself.
His Weibo comments were flooded with confessions from juniors and even students from other schools, all arriving with admiration and leaving satisfied.
His follower count had skyrocketed to nearly fifty thousand.
Some comments even rallied votes for him in a "Top Ten Outstanding Youths" poll.Sheng Xia opened the public account voting page and saw that the number of votes had doubled since she last checked, far surpassing the other candidates by an order of magnitude.
She messaged him on Q.Q: “I didn’t expect you to run as a candidate.”
Zhang Shu replied quickly: “Because the mayor is presenting the award.”
“Wow,” she marveled. “That’s amazing!”
Zhang Shu: “…”
Zhang Shu: “He’s your dad’s colleague.”
Was this his way of making an impression in front of her father’s coworkers?
Hmm… quite roundabout, thinking way ahead, huh.
……
A few days later, when they returned to school to fill out their college applications, the squad gathered again.
Sheng Xia didn’t have much to deliberate over—her first choice was the Ancient Chinese Literature program at Heqing University, under the College of Liberal Arts. Following Wang Wei’s advice, she also listed Chinese programs at a few 211 universities as backups.
Xin Xiaohe’s score wasn’t high enough for Dongzhou University, so her first choice was Yang Linyu’s school: Heyan University of Science and Technology.
But her score was borderline, and the majors she wanted were all highly competitive. She hesitated over whether to check the box for accepting major reassignment.
Yang Linyu urged her, “Study what you love. If Heyan UST doesn’t work out, pick another school in Heyan.”
Xin Xiaohe wavered. “But UST is in the city center, while the others are all in the suburbs—so far away.”
Heyan was so big—wouldn’t it be just like a long-distance relationship?
Yang Linyu: “I promise, I’ll come see you every week.”
Xin Xiaohe: “Actually, I don’t even know what I like studying?”
In the end, how these two decided, Sheng Xia didn’t know. But the fact that Xiao He was also going to Heyan already made her happy.
Zhang Shu filled out his application under the watchful eyes of the school leadership, the grade director, and teachers from every subject.
Of course, it was just observation—no one could influence him.
He only needed to consider his first choice, since there was no chance of rejection.
What he ultimately chose remained temporarily confidential to avoid media hype.
During dinner that evening, Xin Xiaohe asked curiously, “Xiaxia, what major did Shu-ge apply for?”
Sheng Xia shook her head. “No idea.”
Xin Xiaohe: “You don’t know either? He didn’t tell you? And you didn’t ask?”
Sheng Xia: “Whatever he chooses—as long as it’s what he thinks suits him and what he likes—is fine.”
Xin Xiaohe gave a thumbs-up. “Why does it feel like you’ve already got that ‘supportive partner’ vibe? I feel like, even at a talent-packed place like Heqing University, you two will absolutely be legendary!”
Sheng Xia didn’t refute it. After a moment’s thought, she said, “He probably wouldn’t apply to Heqing, right? Haiyan is more likely?”
Xin Xiaohe: “Huh? Not the same school as you?”
Sheng Xia: “Not sure. Haiyan seems more suited to him?”
Xin Xiaohe: “I really don’t get you two. Even though the schools are just a street apart, it’s not that far.”
Xin Xiaohe paused, growing more puzzled the more she thought about it. “But back then, you worked so hard for the Strong Foundation Program to get into Heqing because of him, right?”
By that logic, shouldn’t Zhang Shu honor that effort?
Sheng Xia looked at her, slightly confused. “Is that what you thought?”
“Isn’t it?” Everyone thought so.
Sheng Xia smiled. “No. I love Chinese, especially ancient Chinese. If I couldn’t get into Heqing, I’d have had to study abroad. That was the root of my hard work. It’s just that, because of him, the outcome feels even luckier.”
Xin Xiaohe: “Then what does Zhang Shu like?”Sheng Xia said, "I hope that what he studies, the achievements he makes, what he wants to do in the future, and the accomplishments he attains—all of these will always remain his own choices."
She could accompany him, but the decisions had to be his own.
And she knew he understood her hopes.
He felt the same way about her.
Xin Xiaohe was struck by this novel perspective.
She couldn’t quite articulate it, but she sensed something extraordinary about it.
This new way of thinking embodied a higher form of emotion.
—I love you, so I draw near to you, yet you remain free.
If such emotions were one-sided, they could be devastating for the one who gave them.
But if they flowed both ways, they became life itself.
"You two are so well-matched," Xin Xiaohe said.
She didn’t know how else to describe it, but she felt this harmony was rare and precious.
After dinner, Zhang Shu walked Sheng Xia home.
Hand in hand, they strolled along the wide road, their shadows stretching and shrinking under the streetlights.
"I applied to Haiyan University," Zhang Shu said casually, swinging her hand lightly.
Sheng Xia nodded. "I thought so."
Zhang Shu continued, "The School of Information Science and Technology. For graduate studies, I’m leaning toward information and communication, control science, or intelligent systems. I’ll figure out the specifics as I go."
Sheng Xia replied, "You’ve thought it through so clearly! I can’t change my major, so if I pursue graduate studies, it’ll still be in this field. Do you think I’ll turn into some kind of academic bore?"
Zhang Shu chuckled. "What’s wrong with being an academic bore?"
Sheng Xia teased, "The kind that seems really dull?"
"Not a chance," Zhang Shu said, ruffling her hair. "Your mind is so rich I could spend my whole life trying to grasp it all. And the way you think—I’ll never quite keep up. You’ll have to guide me, okay?"
Hmm.
So good at compliments.
Mentioning "a whole life" like that—he really knew how to make her blush.
Sheng Xia returned the praise: "A-Shu will grow into a dazzling adult! I’ll always be watching you shine."
Zhang Shu nodded, accepting her blessing. Cupping her face, he said earnestly, "But even better than becoming a shining adult is becoming the kind of adult you truly admire. Xia Xia, I know you’ll do it."
Always sincere, always passionate, always pure.
Always doing only what you love.
His Sheng Xia was—and should always remain—this kind of person. And he would protect her, ensuring she stayed that way.
...
August, midsummer.
The broadcast hall of Nanli Television and Radio Tower erupted in applause.
The host, radiant and poised, announced with enthusiasm, "Today, we have the privilege of hearing the stories of ten outstanding young individuals and feeling the power of youth. History and practice have fully demonstrated that the hope of a nation lies in its youth, and the future of a people rests with its young generation. The youth of today are born into a time of opportunity, shouldering great responsibilities. They must rally their spirits and ride the tide of the era to make even greater contributions. Now, let’s warmly welcome the Ten Outstanding Youths of Nanli to the stage to receive their awards. We invite Comrade Sheng Mingfeng, Party Secretary of Nanli, to present the awards."
Whispers spread through the audience.
"Why is Secretary Sheng here?"
"Wasn’t Mayor Chen supposed to present the awards?"
"This year’s ceremony is getting special treatment."
Sheng Xia sat in the family-and-friends section, holding a bouquet. Beside her, Zhang Sujin looked equally surprised and glanced at Sheng Xia with a questioning gaze.
Sheng Xia shook her head—she had no idea either.
On stage, Sheng Mingfeng presented the awards one by one to the Ten Outstanding Youths. Zhang Shu, whose surname placed him last alphabetically, stood at the end of the line.Sheng Mingfeng presented the certificates and trophies one by one to Zhang Shu, shaking hands with the young man. He looked up and met his gaze, saying earnestly, "Keep up the good work, Zhang Shu."
Earlier, when addressing other youths, he had used phrases like "Congratulations" or "Thank you for your contributions to Nanli's development." But with Zhang Shu, he called him by name and spoke in such an encouraging tone.
Everyone turned to look, understanding immediately—this was the top scorer who had bravely intervened in a dangerous situation.
He was the youngest among them, with impeccable intellect and character.
Who wouldn’t hold him in high regard?
Zhang Shu held the trophy steadily, nodding slowly and solemnly. "I will. You can count on me."
During the group photo session at the end, Sheng Mingfeng waved Zhang Shu over to stand beside him.
The camera flashes illuminated the young man’s face, lighting up the entire studio.
The program aired that evening on Nanli TV’s news channel.
Before 8 p.m., the old hashtag "#HeroicRescuerIsTopScorer" resurfaced on the trending list.
It climbed fairly high, landing in the teens.
The music blogger who had previously reposted Zhang Shu’s video on Weibo now shared Nanli Daily’s post about the award ceremony.
[He really did become the top scorer. Amazing!]
It was practically real-time coverage.
Netizens compiled the police report from the assault incident, the celebratory announcement from Nanli University Affiliated High School, and photos from the "Top Ten Youths of Nanli" awards into one post.
[This book is called Someone Else’s Eighteenth Year .]
—[ My Years Here Just Making Up the Numbers ]
—[ A Top Scorer Who Doesn’t Do Heroic Deeds Isn’t a True Top Ten Youth ]
—[ A Top Ten Youth Who Can’t Sing Isn’t a Real Top Scorer ]
The glory of being the college entrance exam’s top scorer hadn’t even faded before the "Top Ten Youth" title was added to his accolades. Yet this exemplary figure had barely given any interviews.
The hype soon died down, but the internet had already left its mark on Zhang Shu.
Searching his name now directly linked to his Weibo account.
Even though he hadn’t logged in since.
He avoided the noise, growing quietly on his own.
OpenNovel