On Saturday noon, Zhang Shu appeared downstairs at the girls' dormitory building No. 23. He had initially chosen an inconspicuous spot to wait, but the bouquet of French tulips in his arms made him stand out regardless. People in the milk tea shop kept glancing his way, eagerly anticipating the appearance of his leading lady just as much as he was.
It was lunchtime, and the dormitory was bustling with activity. When Sheng Xia emerged, onlookers could immediately tell she was the one the young man was waiting for.
She happened to be wearing a white coat today, with a white beret perched on her head. Her lips were red, her teeth pearly white, and her features as delicate as a painting—just like the bouquet of French tulips.
Sheng Xia accepted the flowers, her joy evident. "They're beautiful!"
Zhang Shu nodded, studying her face. "Very beautiful."
"Didn't we agree that I'd make the arrangements?" Sheng Xia emphasized. He was spending money behind her back again.
Zhang Shu: "From here on out, I'll go wherever you say."
Sheng Xia carefully placed the flowers in the basket of her little e-scooter, which she had affectionately named "Xiao Mo." She had originally wanted to call it "Xiao Lü" (Little Green), but Zhang Shu had vetoed it, teasing that her naming sense as a "cultured person" was utterly lacking.
To this, the "cultured person" had retorted: Simple names are easier to keep alive.
And Xiao Mo had indeed been easy to maintain. Sheng Xia used it to get around campus, rarely needing to charge it more than once a week. But for today's outing, she had made sure it was fully charged.
"Riding out?" Zhang Shu asked.
"Mm," Sheng Xia replied, already straddling the scooter and inserting the key. "Hop on?"
Zhang Shu: "..."
"Should I drive instead?" This was his last shred of stubbornness.
Sheng Xia: "I'll take you."
Zhang Shu: "You sure you can handle it? I seem to recall someone in senior year saying they couldn't carry my weight?"
Of course, Sheng Xia hadn’t forgotten that incident. Back then, she had just been making excuses not to give him a ride—who knew he’d be so shameless about it?
Sheng Xia: "I give my roommates rides all the time now. I’m plenty skilled."
Zhang Shu: "When it gets warmer, you can take me. Get down—I’ll ride in front."
Unable to argue, Sheng Xia obediently moved to the back seat.
He started the scooter and warned, "It’s windy back there."
That familiar line...
Back when they went to Riverside Park, she hadn’t dared to hold onto him. But now, they were official. Sheng Xia wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his back.
When she felt him tug at her hand, she frowned. Had she misunderstood? Was he not inviting her to hold on?
"Don’t leave your hands out—it’s cold." With his left hand on the handlebars, he pulled her right hand into his coat pocket. "Left side too."
"Okay," Sheng Xia replied, obediently slipping her left hand into his other pocket. Inside, it was warm with his body heat.
For lunch, Sheng Xia had chosen a Southern Li cuisine restaurant that review apps claimed was authentic.
The restaurant was in a mall near campus. After parking, Sheng Xia pulled out her mirrorless camera from her bag, powered it on, and adjusted the settings while pointing it at Zhang Shu.
His handsome face filled the screen, magnified.
"Action," she directed theatrically.
Zhang Shu: "Another photography club assignment?"
Sheng Xia: "Mm. I have to make a daily vlog."
"Then make it good," Zhang Shu said, still playing along. He held her hand, letting her chatter about framing and angles from behind.
When they reached the dining floor, Sheng Xia handed the camera to Zhang Shu and pulled out her phone to check the map. "Hold this for me. I need to find the restaurant."
With that, she walked ahead, comparing the mall’s directory to orient herself.
Zhang Shu glanced at the massive sign overhead but said nothing, following her as she circled the entire dining level.
Back at their starting point, Sheng Xia was puzzled. "Why isn’t it here?"Zhang Shu held up the camera and finally couldn't resist speaking up, "Dumb tour guide, is there a possibility you're standing right in front of the door?"
Sheng Xia abruptly looked up, slightly embarrassed, letting out an "Uh—" before turning around to say something. Then she noticed the lens pointed straight at her. "Are you taking pictures of me? Stop it!"
She reached out to grab the camera, but Zhang Shu raised it higher, causing her to half-fall into his arms. Amused, he steadied her lightly but didn't relent, tilting the lens downward to capture her pouting face on the screen—her expression shifting from indignation to resignation before she finally gave up. "It's my camera anyway. I can just delete them."
"Oh really?" Zhang Shu raised it even higher. "Then why not let me take them?"
It was mealtime, and the place was packed. The staff at the door and the waiting customers were all watching them with amused smiles.
Flustered, Sheng Xia quickly straightened up and took two steps back, about to protest, but Zhang Shu, sensing he'd pushed enough, handed the camera back to her and preempted her anger. "Don't be mad. You can delete them anyway."
Sheng Xia: "..."
After getting their queue number and seeing nearly ten tables ahead of them, they waited for a while before Sheng Xia mentioned she was thirsty. Zhang Shu told her to stay put while he went to buy her bubble tea—there was a shop in the building she particularly liked.
Sheng Xia instinctively nodded, then shook her head and stood up. "No, let's go together. I need to pay."
Zhang Shu chuckled. Was she determined to pay for everything today?
Without arguing, he simply agreed. "Fine."
Sheng Xia couldn't tell if it was her imagination, but she felt the couple nearby giving them odd looks.
The bubble tea shop was swamped on the weekend, and it took forever to get their order. By the time they returned to the restaurant, they had missed their turn. Just as Sheng Xia was considering re-queuing or finding another place, Zhang Shu exchanged a few words with the staff, who then told them to wait a moment—they'd be seated soon.
"That works?" Sheng Xia asked curiously.
Zhang Shu replied, "As long as you're not too late, it's fine."
But then an aggressive male voice cut in from behind. "Shouldn't it be our turn now, staff?"
A woman's voice chimed in, "Yeah, why are you letting them cut in?"
It was that couple again. The woman was holding a bouquet—clearly on a date.
The staff explained that if the missed queue was within three tables, they could still be seated. But the man kept arguing, cursing and demanding to speak to the manager, his tone hostile.
The staff looked troubled, so Sheng Xia said, "Let them go first. We can wait a bit longer."
Zhang Shu nodded in agreement.
The staff gave her a grateful look.
When it was finally their turn, coincidentally, they were seated right next to that same couple.
While ordering, Zhang Shu pointed the camera at her again. "What are we getting?"
Sheng Xia listed a few dishes from the menu, then looked up to ask if he wanted to add anything—only to find herself staring straight into the lens. Deflated, she warned, "If you keep filming me, I won't let you eat."
Zhang Shu adopted an interviewer's tone. "Then what's the vlog theme? 'Not Letting Zhang Shu Eat'?"
Sheng Xia replied, "Just daily life, mostly for editing practice." She planned to film the mall, the streets, the food—even empty shots could be edited beautifully.
Of course, she also wanted to document this day.
When she first joined the photography club, it was partly because she felt everyone else had hobbies while she only had books—her extracurricular life was too monotonous. The other reason was that she had accidentally filmed him once, and afterward, she kept rewatching that clip. It made her realize how beautiful it was to capture certain moments.
Zhang Shu asked, "What else are we doing today?"Sheng Xia closed the menu. "Let's watch a movie after dinner."
Zhang Shu: "Which one?"
Sheng Xia: "That sci-fi blockbuster."
Zhang Shu: "And then?"
Sheng Xia: "Go to the arcade."
Zhang Shu: "Mhm, then?"
Sheng Xia: "Karaoke?"
Zhang Shu: "You singing?"
Sheng Xia: "Of course it's you. I want to listen."
Zhang Shu: "Then you’ll have to pay."
Sheng Xia thought briefly. "Fine, sixty an hour?" That was the price for an hour in a mini karaoke booth.
Zhang Shu: "And after that?"
Sheng Xia hesitated. "Uh... dinner?"
Zhang Shu: "Your vlog script is taking shape."
Sheng Xia: "..."
Zhang Shu smiled faintly. Her date itinerary was practically a copy-paste of Xin Xiaohe and Yang Linyu’s.
Those two had posted about it on social media.
Zhang Shu set the camera down and scanned the QR code to order, listing the dishes she’d just mentioned. "See? That wasn’t so hard. Being on camera isn’t difficult at all."
Sheng Xia thought: That’s only because I know I can delete it later.
Zhang Shu handed the camera back to her. "The photography club is a good fit for you."
Sheng Xia was also pleased with this accidental choice. "Yeah, I think so too."
As they chatted, the food arrived. Only then did Sheng Xia realize he’d already ordered and paid—she’d been waiting to call the server over.
Sheng Xia: "No more rule-breaking. Why do you keep forgetting?"
Zhang Shu raised his hands in surrender. "Last time, I promise."
A snicker came from the next table—the same guy from earlier. He asked his girlfriend, "Babe, wanna take pictures first?"
The girl replied, "What’s there to take pictures of? It’s not some fancy restaurant. Are we filming a documentary or something?"
The guy laughed. "True. You’re the one who wanted to come here. I said we could get Japanese, but you refused."
Their conversation was deliberately loud. If Sheng Xia didn’t pick up on it now, she’d be a fool.
She frowned at Zhang Shu, only to find him smiling faintly, as if he just found it amusing. She didn’t say anything either. They exchanged a look, everything they wanted to say conveyed in their eyes.
— I’ll do as I please, sing as I like.
After dinner, they headed to the cinema. Sheng Xia noticed the couple’s route eerily mirrored theirs.
She picked up the tickets and bought popcorn while Zhang Shu stood by, hands-off, his gaze fixed on the camera screen as he filmed her. Sheng Xia had given up resisting and let him do as he pleased. She cradled a large bucket of popcorn, paid via QR code, and asked the camera, "Is one bucket enough?"
Zhang Shu nodded silently.
The couple stood behind them in line, their eyes filled with odd mockery. Sheng Xia accidentally locked eyes with the girl and coldly looked away.
"Babe, I want Häagen-Dazs. Vanilla flavor. And a big bucket of popcorn—the creamy kind. Oh, and..." The girl clung to her boyfriend, her voice suddenly several pitches higher.
Sheng Xia shuddered at the saccharine "babe."
The guy, however, ate it up. He pulled her in for a deep kiss. "Whatever you want, babe. I’ll get it all."
Sheng Xia finished paying and walked off, only to glance back and see Zhang Shu still at the counter, telling the clerk, "Häagen-Dazs, please."
Clerk: "Which flavor? How many?"
Zhang Shu: "Vanilla. How many do you have?"
Clerk: "That one’s popular. Only three left."
Zhang Shu: "I’ll take them all."Sheng Xia was momentarily stunned as he finished paying and walked toward her. The girl behind him was furious but could only glare helplessly, while her boyfriend comforted her, "It's okay, it's okay. There are other flavors. How about strawberry?"
The girl stomped her foot. "No, no, no!"
Zhang Shu remained expressionless as he wrapped an arm around Sheng Xia's shoulder. She, however, couldn't hold back a soft laugh before fully turning around.
Once seated, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "So mean!"
Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Zhang Shu replied calmly, "What?"
"Haagen-Dazs!"
Zhang Shu said matter-of-factly, "Don’t you like vanilla?"
Well, that was true.
"Still mean. Absolutely rotten." Rotten in such a righteous, deadpan way.
Zhang Shu took the opportunity to kiss the tip of her nose and admitted plainly, "Hmm."
Less than two minutes later, that couple passed by their row and sat down to their right.
What twisted fate.
The movie was loud—an action-packed blockbuster with clanging sound effects. Amid the chaos, someone was kissing passionately, their movements so intense the entire row of seats shook.
Sheng Xia glanced sideways and gaped in shock.
That couple had removed the armrest between their seats, their coats draped over the backs. The girl wore a thin, wide-necked fitted sweater, practically throwing herself onto the boy, whose hands were roaming freely.
The tight-knit fabric made every movement painfully obvious.
From Sheng Xia’s angle, most of the girl’s... was practically spilling out.
What the—?
She’d seen similar displays under dorm buildings, but never this bold.
Suddenly, the armrest beside her lifted. Darkness fell over her as a large palm covered her 3D glasses, and then her head was pressed against a firm shoulder.
"Watch the movie," came his low voice from above.
Sheng Xia looked up. Zhang Shu was focused on the screen as if nothing had happened, though the arm around her shoulders tightened slightly.
The flickering light played across his face, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly as he swallowed popcorn.
She thought his profile looked a little different, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly how.
Zhang Shu suddenly turned his head. "Staring at me isn’t free. Watch the movie first."
Caught red-handed, Sheng Xia refused to admit it and complained instead, "You smudged my glasses."
Half-leaning against him, she tilted her head up playfully, her chest brushing against his arm. Zhang Shu cast a fleeting glance at the live show next to them before returning his gaze to her.
Did she really think he was some kind of saint?
Through the dark lenses, Sheng Xia couldn’t see the deepening intensity in his eyes. But then he suddenly removed his glasses, lifted her chin, and crushed his lips against hers, sucking deeply before lightly biting her lower lip in punishment. He pulled back just enough to stare at her.
Sheng Xia murmured, "My glasses are even more smudged now."
The next second, her glasses were gone too. His hand cradled the back of her head as he kissed her again, fingers slipping under her beret to trace the shell of her ear. Sheng Xia shivered, and his tongue seized the chance to invade, conquering with urgency.
The kiss was fierce and relentless, matching the rhythm of the on-screen fight.
Her tongue went numb.
How long had they kissed? She didn’t know. She could never resist his kisses—whether stormy or gentle, they always pulled her under.Until the sounds of fighting in the movie faded, the plot likely reached the sorrowful aftermath of the battle. The background music became smooth and melodious, and his kisses slowed down too—just lingering on her lips, teasing lightly as if playing.
It also felt like comfort.
He released her, forehead resting against hers, breathing heavily.
Then he put his clean glasses on her and wore her smudged ones himself. Adjusting his posture slightly, he turned his gaze back to the screen.
Acting as if nothing had happened.
Sheng Xia asked, "How can you see with your glasses all smudged?"
"The climax is already over..." he said.
Sheng Xia’s cheeks burned red.
What? Climax? Her eyes widened in flustered embarrassment.
Zhang Shu straightened up and pulled away, chuckling. "I meant the movie. There’s nothing interesting left to watch."
His expression was the epitome of innocence, as if saying, What are you even imagining?
Sheng Xia: "..." She shouldn’t have asked.
He simply took off the glasses and openly stared at her instead. Sheng Xia tried to mimic his earlier composure, focusing intently on the movie, but she couldn’t follow the plot at all anymore.
Five minutes later, Sheng Xia still couldn’t resist asking, "So… should we keep watching?"
Zhang Shu: "Up to you. I could watch for a whole day."
Sheng Xia didn’t press further, pulling him up to leave. Before going, she didn’t forget to take the unfinished ice cream with her.
There were still about fifteen minutes left in the movie, but since they left early, they headed to the arcade across the way. Unexpectedly, that couple from earlier had also come out.
Sheng Xia was baffled. "Are we really this fated?"
Zhang Shu: "Just pretend we don’t see them."
But after that, when they played racing games, that couple played racing games too. When they played whack-a-mole, that couple also played whack-a-mole—as if they were deliberately competing.
Zhang Shu led her to the basketball shooting machine. "Wanna try?"
Sheng Xia wasn’t particularly into basketball, but seeing that only one machine was left, she figured they couldn’t possibly follow them here too.
"Sure."
Zhang Shu inserted coins, selected two-player mode, and started the game.
He scored almost every shot. Even though Sheng Xia missed every time, they still cleared the level.
Sure enough, that couple showed up, murmuring behind them.
The guy said, "Don’t worry, someone will be done soon."
But the machines nearby seemed to be occupied by regulars who used them for arm workouts—they kept inserting coins, so the machines never freed up.
Meanwhile, with Zhang Shu guiding her hands, Sheng Xia’s shooting accuracy gradually improved. They kept advancing through levels until her arms started aching. When she called it quits, Zhang Shu stretched her arms to help her relax. As they turned to leave, they saw that couple still waiting.
Once they stepped out of the arcade, the couple finally didn’t follow. Sheng Xia frowned. "How can people be so weird?"
Zhang Shu replied calmly, "There really are a lot of boring people out there."
Copycats were essentially just bored and envious.
Sheng Xia: "Wouldn’t that lower the quality of their own date too?"
Too?
Did she feel like her own date quality had been affected?
Zhang Shu wanted to ruffle her hair, but she was wearing a hat, so he pinched her cheek instead. "Forget the plan. Let’s improvise."
Sheng Xia’s eyes lit up. "Huh?"
Zhang Shu led her downstairs, out of the mall, and away from this "cookie-cutter date" hotspot.
They rode their bikes aimlessly through the streets.
Whenever an interesting alley caught their eye, they’d turn into it. They took photos in the artsy district, bought a can of spray paint from a street artist, and doodled messily with it.Still getting membership cards at dilapidated old bookstores, queuing for half an hour at a nameless stall to buy one-yuan baked pancakes, petting grimy alley cats, and having staring contests with the guard dogs in the compound.
Then ducking into a park about to close, spinning themselves dizzy on an abandoned merry-go-round before sharing dizzy kisses until nearly breathless, gasping by the lakeside, then speeding out under the caretaker's curses after following the cleaning aunt's directions.
Finally cruising through the glittering business district at dusk, sharing a bowl of fragrant tofu from a roadside stall...
Wandering, eating, wandering, eating.
Memory cards full to bursting, emotions overflowing—joy so intense it was almost overwhelming.
"Where else do you want to go?" Zhang Shu's voice carried back through the wind.
Sheng Xia leaned against his back, hands in his pockets. "Anywhere's fine."
Zhang Shu chuckled softly and began singing: "I like following you like this, wherever you take me, your face slowly drawing near, tomorrow slowly coming into focus—"
Sheng Xia had heard the female version of this song before—sweet and lingering—but coming from him, it transformed into youthful exuberance, fitting perfectly.
"I haven't heard you sing today," Sheng Xia remembered their seventy-yuan agreement. "And I still want to see you play the drums!"
Perhaps because today had been so perfect, she made her requests without hesitation.
But where would they find drums?
Zhang Shu suddenly turned around. "Alright, let's try."
After winding through alleys, they returned to the arts district they'd visited during the day, now transformed into a bar street with neon lights.
At the central arts plaza stood a karaoke stage sponsored by a singing app, fully equipped for impromptu performances. A girl was singing—mediocre skills but radiant confidence, drawing applause from the growing crowd.
As she finished, Zhang Shu glanced around and, seeing no one else approaching, stepped onto the stage.
Was he going to sing here? Sheng Xia wondered. But there were no drums? Still, this would be good too.
Whether fast or slow, Zhang Shu's voice had this quality—captivating from the very first note. The crowd swelled, phones raised to record. Only then did Sheng Xia belatedly pull out her camera.
"I want to see you, only you, past or future I just want to see you—"
The audience began singing along. Zhang Shu effortlessly hit the high notes, but the rap section truly showcased his talent, his tone perfectly syncing with the music.
His performances carried this aura—like he wasn't performing at all, just casually singing in a private karaoke room. No exaggerated gestures, just natural body movements, his gaze consistently finding Sheng Xia rather than the audience.
The full song had two verses, but he only sang one. Though the crowd wanted more, he left without hesitation, walking straight to Sheng Xia.
As she lowered her camera to hug him, he lifted her hand holding the device instead. Smiling into the lens, he asked, "Did you like it, girlfriend?"
Drowning in his cocky expression on the screen, Sheng Xia barely registered the watching crowd until she pulled him away—only for a punk-styled middle-aged man to chase after them. "Hey hey, young man, wait up!"
Zhang Shu stopped, still holding Sheng Xia's hand. "See?" he said. "The fish took the bait."Sheng Xia hadn't quite figured out what was going on when the middle-aged man approached and introduced himself, "I'm a talent scout from the Bana bar up ahead. Handsome, would you be interested in doing a one-night guest performance?"
Zhang Shu put on a hesitant expression.
The middle-aged man glanced at Sheng Xia, "If you perform well, we could offer a long-term contract."
Zhang Shu: "Do you have drums?"
Middle-aged man: "Yes! We have a live band with all the equipment!"
"No need for anything long-term," Zhang Shu played hard to get, "Just prepare a good seat for my girlfriend."
The middle-aged man hadn't expected it to be this simple—the young man didn't even ask about payment. "Of course, of course! We'll make sure she's well taken care of!"
Just like that, the two followed the middle-aged man to a bar. The atmosphere wasn't too rowdy, somewhere between a nightclub and a quiet bar, with most patrons chatting or playing cards.
It was Sheng Xia's first time entering a nightclub, and her nervousness was obvious. Zhang Shu tightened his grip on her hand. "Don't worry, this kind of bar doesn’t have any shady stuff."
Sheng Xia asked, "How did you know talent scouts would be hanging around here?"
Zhang Shu replied, "A senior from Haiyan Music Society mentioned it. I originally planned to come here to earn some extra cash."
Unlike typical nightclubs, the bars in the arts district had regular patrons. Long-term resident performers often lost their novelty, so talent scouts frequently lingered around the square.
Sheng Xia asked, "Why didn’t you end up doing it then?"
Zhang Shu said, "Because I found a way that doesn’t require dealing with people’s attitudes."
Before Sheng Xia could ask more, a talent scout approached and led them to their seats—right beside the stage but with an excellent view of the entire band.
Then Zhang Shu was called away. Before leaving, he gave her many instructions. "Don’t wander off. If you need to use the restroom, ask a waitress to go with you."
Before Sheng Xia could respond, the talent scout clicked his tongue and assured him, "I’ll take good care of her! Don’t worry, my shop is right here."
Only then did Zhang Shu head backstage. After a brief preparation, he took the stage with two collaborators.
The bassist introduced Zhang Shu as the night’s guest performer, and sure enough, many in the audience applauded enthusiastically, showing great support.
Upbeat music began to play.
His first song was Mayday’s "Love-ing."
Sheng Xia: "..."
This guy really spared no effort in drowning her in affection.
"Love-ing, happy-ing."
"With you, my heart races uncontrollably."
Accompanying the fast-paced lyrics were even faster drumbeats. His arms waved, his shoulders swayed, his chin nodded lightly to the rhythm, and his smile never faded.
Just by listening to the song, she could tell how happy he was.
The bar’s atmosphere instantly ignited. Many people jumped up from their seats, playing games or cards while dancing and singing along.
The talent scout shouted to Sheng Xia, "Your boyfriend is perfect for being a singer! His drumming is so steady, his voice is strong—he must be in great shape!"
Sheng Xia wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but when the scout said "in great shape," he raised an eyebrow with a suggestive look.
Sheng Xia smiled faintly and nodded. "He excels at everything he does."
The scout didn’t quite catch her words, just chuckled cheerfully, clearly pleased.
After the song ended, guest performers usually said a few words. Zhang Shu steadied his breathing, about to speak, then suddenly lowered his head and laughed—as if unable to contain his sheer joy.
Then he looked up again, holding the microphone, tilted his head to glance at Sheng Xia, and addressed the crowd. "Not much to say. Have fun, happiness is what matters most. And also—love is truly joyful."
He exchanged glances with the bassist and keyboardist beside him. "Next song."
Succinct and commanding, his natural confidence made him seem like a seasoned resident performer.
Cheers erupted endlessly.
Sheng Xia’s heart raced uncontrollably.
Mmm, love really was joyful.
In their happiness, neither of them noticed the clock silently ticking to 11 p.m.—the curfew for Heqing University’s female dormitory.
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