After the luggage was delivered to the dormitory entrance, Yun Li and Fu Zhengchu prepared to accompany Fu Shize to the school gate together.
The campus was beautifully landscaped, with lush trees lining both sides of the road. It was nearly noon, and the sunlight cast nearly vertical beams, creating a dappled pattern on the ground. The three of them walked side by side on the brick path, with a gentle breeze making the stroll comfortable and pleasant.
The road was filled with students newly arrived for the semester, many of whom were also carrying large bags and sweating profusely as they came alone to register.
Yun Li couldn’t help but feel grateful.
After hesitating for a while, Yun Li considered asking if they’d like to have a meal together.
But after much deliberation, she still didn’t voice the invitation.
Along the way, Fu Zhengchu chattered incessantly, introducing Yun Li to the campus surroundings. Before long, they reached the school gate.
Before leaving, Fu Shize briefly instructed Fu Zhengchu, “Take care of yourself.”
Then he glanced at Yun Li.
“You too.”
Yun Li began to regret not having invited them to eat together earlier—even if she might have been rejected.
If only she’d had the courage to ask.
—
Surprisingly, graduate life wasn’t as busy as she’d imagined. Once her class schedule was finalized, she had several free days each week. Yun Li wasn’t particularly hardworking, so on days without classes, she often found herself with nothing to do.
During her idle moments, Yun Li frequently thought of Fu Shize.
This was the first time in her life she had cared so much about someone so frequently and inexplicably.
It was like being under a spell.
Even though Fu Shize always seemed unapproachable, no matter what Yun Li said, he bluntly rejected her.
But then again, he was so good-looking—over the years, countless people must have asked for his contact details, and he was probably sick of it.
Before she knew it, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived.
Deng Chuqi called her, saying that both her and Xia Congsheng’s companies had given out mooncakes, and since they couldn’t possibly eat them all, they’d brought a box for Yun Li.
Yun Li wasn’t particularly fond of mooncakes, but she didn’t want to waste their kindness.
The two agreed to meet at a Hunan restaurant near the school.
Because of the holiday, most students who hadn’t gone home had also come out to eat. This restaurant was one of the more popular ones nearby, favored by students from South Science and Technology University. The place was bustling and noisy.
Deng Chuqi quickly ordered a few dishes before passing the menu to Yun Li and asking, “Are you going home for National Day?”
“No, it’s too early for that.” Remembering her last conversation with Yun Yongchang, Yun Li shook her head. “I’d like to keep my life intact.”
“Then what do you plan to do with this life of yours?” Deng Chuqi seemed unfazed. “If you’ve got nothing else going on, why not come stay with me? Xia Xia always goes back to her family during holidays, leaving me all alone.”
Since Yun Li had no other plans, she agreed.
As they talked, Deng Chuqi suddenly sighed heavily. “My deskmate from sophomore year sent me a wedding invitation the other day.
“When I told my mom about it, she actually asked if I had a boyfriend.
“I wish she’d learn from other moms and set me up on a few blind dates.
“Why doesn’t she know she should put in more effort?”
Yun Li nearly spat out the water she hadn’t even swallowed yet.
“So, how are things going with Xia Xia’s uncle?” Deng Chuqi knew Yun Li had never been in a relationship before, so she couldn’t predict how Yun Li would act when she liked someone.
“Pretty good,” Yun Li replied flatly.Deng Chuqi was shocked and immediately pressed for details: "How did you two progress?"
"Laozi said, 'Being is non-being, non-being is being.' When my 'non-being' reaches a certain level, isn't that pretty good?"
"..."
Due to their prior arrangement, on the morning of the 1st, Yun Li packed her change of clothes in the dorm and went straight to Deng Chuqi's place.
By the time she arrived, Xia Congsheng had already returned to her grandfather's home. The two had no plans to go out, so they each sprawled on a sofa, idling away most of the time.
Xia Congsheng returned the day before the National Day holiday ended, followed by Fu Zhengchu, who was carrying several full bags.
After greeting them, Fu Zhengchu said, "I’ll head down first. I’m afraid my uncle might leave directly."
"Oh, right." Xia Congsheng turned to Yun Li. "Lili, my uncle is taking my brother back to school now. Do you want to go with them? That way, you won’t have to take the bus later."
Originally, Yun Li had planned to order takeout with Deng Chuqi and leave after eating. She was about to stick to the plan, but before she could even utter half a word of refusal, Deng Chuqi agreed on her behalf.
"Great!"
Meeting Yun Li’s puzzled gaze, Deng Chuqi blinked and added unconvincingly, "I’d worry about you going back alone so late. If there’s a ride, of course you should take it!"
Yun Li couldn’t ignore the matchmaking glint in her eyes.
After a moment, Yun Li said tactfully, "But I need to pack my things, which will take some time."
Fu Zhengchu, however, didn’t seem bothered. He sat down and pulled out his phone. "Then I’ll let my uncle know to wait."
"..."
Deng Chuqi called her out: "What do you need to pack? And some things can just stay here—it’s not like you won’t come back."
Left with no choice, Yun Li went back to the room to gather her belongings.
Before heading out, Xia Congsheng suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Lili, I forgot to mention earlier—I just sent you a few job listings. See if any of them interest you."
Yun Li was taken aback. She had thought Xia Congsheng’s earlier remark was just casual and hadn’t expected her to follow through.
Xia Congsheng added, "One of them was mentioned verbally by Xu Qingsong. EAW is hiring a personnel and administrative specialist, and there might be other positions too. I’ll send you their HR’s contact later."
...
A few days later, Yun Li found herself back in the same car.
After the car started moving, Fu Zhengchu struck up a conversation to ease Yun Li’s awkwardness. "Lili, are you looking for an internship right now?"
"Yes."
"Are you planning to go to EAW?" Fu Zhengchu’s tone turned resentful. "I wanted to intern there this summer, but my mom made me work at the store every day."
"..."
Yun Li glanced at Fu Shize, unsure how to respond.
"I think EAW is a good choice. At least the benefits are decent—my brother is very generous with employees." Fu Zhengchu unwittingly touched a sore spot. "Plus, my uncle works there too, so you two can look out for each other."
Then, he sought confirmation from the person in question: "Right, Uncle?"
Fu Shize shot him a look.
Perhaps intimidated by the glare, Fu Zhengchu didn’t dare impose on Fu Shize under the guise of politeness. He quickly backtracked and offered a more reasonable justification: "Lili, your place is near Haitian City, so it’s convenient for you to commute."Though Yun Li didn’t say anything, she couldn’t help feeling guilty.
“Mm, I’ll think about it when I get back.”
Driving along this road, they passed by Nanwu University of Technology first, then arrived at Seven Mile Fragrant Capital.
Fu Zhengchu got out first, leaving the two of them in the car.
Silence settled in again.
Yun Li even felt like she had returned to the night they first met, except this time, she was sitting in the back.
She didn’t have the luxury to dwell on the awkwardness, preoccupied with the current situation.
From his perspective, a stranger had inexplicably acted strangely around him several times recently and was now suddenly going to work in his unit.
Any normal person would assume ill intentions.
Yun Li agonized over whether to explain. Before she could speak, Fu Shize suddenly called out from the front: “Yun Lili?”
Yun Li froze. The reduplicated nickname softened his tone.
It even sounded… kind of cute?
Before she could figure out where the nickname came from, she heard him ask, “Which shop did you get that cake from the other day?”
“Cake?” Realizing he meant the towel roll, she replied, “I made it myself.”
Fu Shize paused briefly before responding, “Mm.”
Yun Li ventured cautiously, “Why do you ask?”
Fu Shize: “The elders at home liked it.”
“Oh, I always make a lot—too much for one person to finish. It’s a waste to keep it in the fridge.” Yun Li said, “If your family likes it, I can bring some next time I make it.”
Just as they reached the neighborhood entrance, Fu Shize stopped the car. “Thanks, but no need to trouble yourself.”
Even though Yun Li was the one being rejected, she couldn’t help but marvel at how impenetrable this man was.
After so many rejections, Yun Li’s heart had grown somewhat numb. Her thoughts lingered on the nickname and what had just happened, so she nodded absentmindedly. “Then I’ll head back first.”
As she gripped the door handle, she hesitated.
Unable to hold back, Yun Li added, “I’ve been looking for an internship recently, so I asked Xia Xia to recommend a few options. I haven’t decided which one to apply to yet.” She paused, then tactfully continued, “Do you have any thoughts?”
She couldn’t outright say, I might interview at EAW—if you don’t like it, I won’t go.
If he had objections, she could simply cross EAW off her list.
Fu Shize turned to look at her.
Silence.
Judging by his expression—though she might have been overanalyzing—Yun Li could clearly read the words none of my business on his face.
Thinking about it, she was indeed being presumptuous. Where she worked had nothing to do with him. Her question made it seem like he cared whether she appeared in front of him or not.
Before she could figure out how to salvage the situation, Fu Shize suddenly asked, “What internships did Xia Congsheng recommend to you?”
“Huh?” Yun Li instinctively pulled out her phone and handed it to him. “These ones.”
Fu Shize took it and skimmed through.
Xia Congsheng’s materials included company profiles and job requirements. Fu Shize scanned them quickly, occasionally asking about her major and her expectations for the job.
The evening light fell on his profile, revealing a faint layer of fine hair. His light-colored clothes were dotted with tiny patterns.
It was as if clusters of fireworks burst into the sky with each heartbeat, layering and exploding until the world became a riot of color. The person before her suddenly felt closer than ever.After a few minutes, Fu Shize compared the strengths and weaknesses of several companies as if explaining a research topic. In the end, he gave her an objective answer.
"EAW would be more suitable for you."
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