Summer's Rose

Chapter 6: Can We Meet?

Shannon looked up and immediately saw Zhou Nan in the cafeteria. The tall boy wore his summer school uniform, revealing strong arm muscles. His gaze was always cold when he looked at others.

She still remembered the first time she met Zhou Nan.

He was wearing a red basketball jersey, standing out on the basketball court. During halftime, he casually lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead. She couldn’t remember what the person next to him had said, but when he smiled, Shannon immediately felt herself drawn to him.

After that, her long journey of pursuing him began.

Although Zhou Nan never acknowledged her, it didn’t stop her from liking him.

“Nan, Shannon is over there,” Yong Ming pointed out.

Zhou Nan glanced in her direction and then walked over, holding his tray of food.

Shannon looked at him, but before she could speak, Zhou Nan said, “You looking for my seatmate?”

“Yeah, the new girl?” Shannon replied.

Zhou Nan looked at her, his voice flat. “Don’t bother her.”

Shannon flicked her hair back. “Alright, but can I get your contact info, Zhou Nan?”

Yong Ming knew Zhou Nan well enough to know that if Shannon were a guy, Zhou Nan would have likely told her to get lost.

“Dream on.”

Yong Ming glanced at Shannon, thinking that it would have been nicer if Zhou Nan had just told her to leave.

Shannon asked the girl beside her, “Do you think he looks especially handsome when he says ‘dream on’? Oh no, I’m falling for him even more.”

The girl smiled. “Yeah, he’s really handsome.”

“Hey, Zhou Nan! Wanna play some basketball?” another voice called.

Zhou Nan didn’t even look up. “No, not today.” His long fingers swiped across his phone screen, erasing the matching color blocks in the game.

A new message popped up on his phone, and as he was about to close it, he saw the words I’m your mom.

He opened the message. It was from an unknown number: I’m your mom. Can we meet? Ah Nan.

Zhou Nan looked at the message for a moment before blocking the number. His frustration rose, and he turned off his phone. Leaning back in his chair, he let out a deep breath.

It was almost laughable.

Back then, Zhou Heng had built up a fortune from scratch. Their family, though not wealthy, had been happy. Even when his monthly income was only a few thousand ringgit, he would still buy his wife luxury bags worth tens of thousands. Zhou Heng worked hard for many years, and gradually, his business started to show some progress.

But then he was betrayed by a business partner, and his money was swindled away. They were left with millions of debts. Even though the family was deep in debt, Zhou Heng had never treated his wife poorly.

One day, however, his mother suddenly started packing her things and told him, "I’m leaving."

Zhou Nan was only seven years old at the time. He clung to her legs, crying and begging her not to leave.

But his mother just turned back and looked at him coldly. “I can’t live this way anymore.”

"Don’t you want me anymore?"

She looked at him with eyes that made him feel like a burden, every word like a knife to his heart. "I don’t want to raise a burden."

Zhou Heng didn’t blame her for leaving; he blamed himself for not being capable enough to give her a better life.

Since then, he focused all his energy on his career. His face rarely showed a smile, and he became increasingly cold towards Zhou Nan.

Zhou Heng’s business grew bigger, and they made more money, but he was still unhappy. No matter what Zhou Nan did, he never received a word of praise or even a smile.

He had never remarried, and the first picture in his phone was still one with her. Even in his wallet, there was a picture of the two of them.

That year, in the second year of middle school.

When Zhou Nan entered the living room, he immediately smelled the strong odor of cigarettes and alcohol. He saw cigarette butts and alcohol bottles scattered all over the table. His father, Zhou Heng, was drunk, lying on the sofa with a photo in his hand. He was clutching it tightly, the woman in the photo smiling shyly in a white dress.

This was the first time Zhou Nan had ever seen his father in such a disheveled state.

He helped Zhou Heng to the bedroom, but as he did, a red invitation card slipped from his father’s chest.

It had gold embossed lettering on the cover. Inside was an obvious name and a photo of a woman in a red dress smiling happily beside a stranger.

Zhou Nan quietly placed the invitation back into his father’s pocket and left the room.

Rachel, his mother, had remarried.

His mother, who had once left him without hesitation, and whom he had spent so many years trying to move on from, was now living a new life. He thought that when he heard about her again, he would scream at her, demanding to know why she had left him, why she left Zhou Heng, why she didn’t want him.

But when he saw this news, he didn’t know how to feel. He didn’t feel relieved, but suddenly, everything felt less important.

Zhou Heng seemed to have aged ten years overnight. For all these years, he had kept hoping that she would return, waiting for her.

Sometimes, Zhou Nan felt it was funny on how his father was still waiting for someone who didn’t love him.

Zhou Nan lowered his gaze, pressing the phone off and back on. He clenched his fingers so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his chest suddenly feeling tight, as if it was blocked.

Even after all these years, he realized that he still couldn’t let go.

When he opened his phone again, he couldn’t bring himself to play his usual games. He lightly swiped the screen a few times before shutting it off again.

He lay his head on the desk, throwing his jacket over his head, closing his eyes.

Wen glanced at him before turning her head back to focus on her assignment.

“Zhou Nan…”

Yong Ming turned around, ready to talk to Zhou Nan, but seeing that he was asleep with his head on the desk, he quickly turned back.

Zhou Nan seemed to have returned to his childhood, where his mother, Rachel, would hold him in her arms, smiling brightly.

Suddenly, the image shifted. Rachel was dragging a suitcase and looking at him, saying, “I don’t want to raise a burden.”

“Wakey wakey… it’s after school, Zhou Nan” came a soft and sweet voice.

Zhou Nan opened his eyes. His dark irises were bloodshot, startling Wen.

He took off the jacket from his head and, his voice still hoarse, said to Wen, “Thank you,” before walking out.

Yong Ming hurried after him. “Hey, Nan wait for me!”

Zhou Nan walked quickly, showing no intention of stopping.

Wen was packing up her books when Alicia approached her. “Let’s go home together.”

Wen looked up at her and softly said, “Okay.”

Alicia affectionately linked arms with her, walking on her right side. “Wen, don’t you stay in the dorm?”

Wen shook her head. “No, I don’t stay in the dorms.” It wasn’t convenient for her to live there, and soon, she might not be at school for a long time.

Alicia smiled. “I don’t stay in the dorms either. We can go home together from now on.”

“Okay.”

At the school gate, Alicia saw her parents waiting for her and waved at Wen. “I’m leaving. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”