Now she couldn't very well insist on keeping the tote bag. Knowing he meant well, Yun Li could only endure the pain and cast a few longing glances at the bag before silently tucking the commemorative pen into her own bag.
After arranging the VR and AR equipment from the box onto the table, Fu Shize pressed the power button on the VR glasses. From Yun Li's angle, she saw a brief flash of light from the lenses.
Afraid he might think she was meddling, Yun Li waited a few dozen seconds before speaking up: "Do you need my help?"
Fu Shize casually pointed to a spot about a meter away: "Stand there while I adjust the positioning."
He then had Fu Zhengchu stand opposite Yun Li while he positioned himself between them, effortlessly putting on the VR glasses.
Perhaps adjusting the boundaries of the virtual world, he held the controller with its front end pointing downward and slowly approached Yun Li.
The two seemed to form an isolated, enclosed space, standing on the same narrow path. The man, like a wandering monk, instantly engulfed her surroundings with his shadowy aura.
It made her want to retreat and escape, yet at the same time, she longed for him to come closer.
Fu Shize stopped just a step away from her and used the controller to trace a virtual circle around her.
"Done." After finishing, Fu Shize removed the glasses with one hand, his hair slightly tousled. He looked at Yun Li and politely said, "Thank you."
Then he proceeded to check if the other devices were functioning properly.
Fu Shize had also brought a small box filled with two thick stacks of brochures. According to EAW's sponsorship terms, the "Climb High" club needed to distribute all of them.
Noticing this, Fu Zhengchu widened his eyes in disbelief: "Do we have to hand all of these out today?"
His expression was like a child seeing a strange monster for the first time. Yun Li couldn't help but smile slightly: "Wasn't it you who secured this sponsorship?"
"Well, yes, but this is ridiculous. I'm just one person." Fu Zhengchu grimaced. "This is too much. EAW only gave us a tiny bit of sponsorship."
He had already forgotten that just two minutes ago, he had been boasting to Yun Li about EAW's generous funding.
Seeing Fu Shize didn't chime in, he added, "Uncle, don't you think so?"
"No."
"Why not?!"
Fu Shize glanced at him: "I'm not the one handing them out."
Despite his complaints, Fu Zhengchu didn't dare slack off and carried half the brochures as he walked away. Yun Li, having nothing else to do, followed: "I'll help you distribute some."
Without waiting for his reply, she picked up the remaining half.
Fu Zhengchu couldn't help but stare at Fu Shize as if he were a strange creature: "Uncle, look. This is the difference between you and Sister Lili."
Fu Shize couldn't be bothered to respond and lazily said, "Wait a minute."
He took half from Yun Li's stack and placed it on the table.
Fu Zhengchu stammered, "Uncle, why didn't you take mine?"
"Because..." Fu Shize said indifferently, "this is the difference between you two."
"..."
Carrying the brochures as she followed Fu Zhengchu, Yun Li suddenly felt her right ear burning again.
That earlier remark...
Although it seemed like a retort aimed at Fu Zhengchu, it also subtly implied that she was special in some way.
"Sister Lili, I'll go distribute on the other side. You can stay here—no need to go far. If it gets too hot, just take shelter under the tent." After saying this, Fu Zhengchu headed toward the opposite side of the square.There were quite a few people now, and Yun Li had already distributed a good number of brochures in no time. She was fortunate that from her current position, she could see the entire panorama of the display area.
EAW’s decision to send Fu Shize to promote at the school was undoubtedly the right choice—his striking appearance quickly became an advantage.
Most of those in line were girls, many of them in groups.
This was the first time Yun Li observed Fu Shize at work as an onlooker.
He stood to the side, guiding students on how to use the VR equipment while setting up a temporary safety zone with cardboard to prevent collisions.
He seemed indifferent, showing no smile, and none of his movements carried enthusiasm or initiative—yet there was no sign of impatience or negligence either.
Yun Li, her mind wandering, occasionally glanced in Fu Shize’s direction before hurriedly looking away, deliberately handing out flyers to people coming from the opposite side.
Like a thief trying to cover her tracks, she was deceiving herself.
She felt a little frustrated. Though she was the owner of these eyes, she had no control over where they wandered.
By a quarter past four, the crowd had thinned considerably, and all the brochures had been distributed.
Yun Li returned to the tent, where several members manning the booth were already exhausted, slumped over the table, some even covering their eyes with tissues as they tilted their heads back to nap.
Fu Zhengchu brought over a crate of water and, seeing that Fu Shize still had a long line, shoved two bottles into Yun Li’s hands. "Why are there still so many people over at Uncle’s side? Lilijie, take a bottle of water to him. I still have to hand out flyers."
Holding the two bottles, Yun Li walked over to Fu Shize.
He was still working, and the student currently trying the equipment happened to ask, "Is it the button on the right?"
Fu Shize replied, "The button at the lower right. Hold it down to grab objects."
Unsure whether she should interrupt, Yun Li stood quietly to the side and waited.
Within seconds, Fu Shize reached a hand in her direction, palm up.
Yun Li froze for a moment before wordlessly passing him the water.
His gaze remained level, fixed on the student in the demo area, his eyes weary. Using his peripheral vision, Fu Shize took the bottle, twisted the cap slightly open before tightening it again, and handed it back to her.
Then he took the other bottle, opened it, took a sip, and set it down by the table leg.
It all seemed like an almost unconscious action.
Yun Li was slow to react, only realizing what had just happened moments later.
She stared intently at the tamper-proof ring on the cap, as if she could still see Fu Shize’s hand covering it.
When she returned to the booth, she was still a little dazed. It wasn’t anything particularly remarkable, yet it left her heart itching inexplicably.
Yun Li had always been the type to retreat into a corner and avoid others after facing setbacks in relationships.
Fu Shize’s impenetrability had made her resolve several times to stay away from this frozen artifact—perhaps the kind that came with no thawing instructions, left in deep freeze year after year.
Yet many small details smoothed away her urge to flee.
Unconsciously, her gaze lingered on that aloof figure, and like a child who had stolen candy, a smile escaped the corners of her lips, beyond her control.
Only a few people remained in line. Fu Shize glanced around—the sky was darkening, and many booths were already packing up.
After removing the headset for the last girl, he bent down to adjust its straps when she asked, "Can I take this prize?"
Fu Shize turned to look.
The girl was holding a tote bag, while only some commemorative stationery remained on the table.
When he didn’t respond, she inexplicably felt a shadow of gloom and asked uneasily, "Is it okay?"
Silence stretched for a long moment.Fu Shize continued fitting the device onto the next person, his tone calm.
"Sorry, this one was just taken. Pick another one."
……
Yun Li helped Fu Zhengchu close up the tent, rolled up the banner, and neatly stacked the application forms into a box. Fu Zhengchu said goodbye to the others, asking them to return the tables and tent to the office later.
"Uncle, are you done packing yet?" Fu Zhengchu casually slung an arm over Fu Shize's shoulder. "Hurry up, let's go eat."
There were still some leftover prizes on the table. Spotting a tote bag, Yun Li hesitated. She stole a glance at Fu Shize's expression, then at Fu Zhengchu.
After wrestling with herself for a while, once everything was nearly packed, she finally mustered the courage to ask, "Can I give it a try?"
"Lili-jie, haven’t you played at EAW before?" Fu Zhengchu asked.
Feeling like she’d been exposed, Yun Li, who couldn’t lie, replied softly, "Not this exact one..."
Perhaps it was her guilt, but time seemed to slow to a crawl.
Fu Shize idly flicked at the remaining plastic wrappers on the table, the corners of his lazy eyes lifting slightly. "Only the tote bag is left as a prize."
What he meant was, if she wanted to participate now, there were no other prizes to choose from.
Yun Li: "I just want to try it out."
She tried her best to sound sincere. "The prize doesn’t matter. It’s fine."
In the crisp air, she thought she heard a faint, low chuckle from Fu Shize, barely audible.
Just as Yun Li was about to confirm, she looked up to find Fu Shize silent as usual.
"Lili-jie, you want this tote bag, right? Just take it. It’s not like we need it anyway." Before Yun Li could dwell on it, Fu Zhengchu finally caught on and promptly shoved the tote bag into her arms.
"Consider it—" He came up with a perfect excuse. "A reward for a loyal player!"
Fu Shize packed the equipment back into its foam case, secured the safety lock, and carried it to the car to load into the trunk, as if none of this concerned him.
The three of them went to eat at the trendy canteen on the second floor.
The trendy canteen had already gained fame, and South Science and Technology University had even been jokingly called a breeding ground for internet celebrities. But that didn’t stop locals and tourists from flocking there to check it out.
This was Yun Li’s first time at this trendy canteen. She joined the line at the West Fuling Noodle Shop, while Fu Shize and Fu Zhengchu went to the Korean food counter.
After getting her noodles, Yun Li met Fu Zhengchu at the exit.
Fu Shize had already found a table and was standing there waiting for them.
Both of them had ordered seaweed rice balls, neatly arranged on black-glazed trays. The only difference was that Fu Zhengchu’s portion was twice as large as Fu Shize’s, and he’d also gotten a cup of Coke.
"Uncle, you only got chopsticks for yourself?" Fu Zhengchu sounded incredulous.
Fu Shize gave him a deadpan stare at the chopsticks on his tray.
"It’s fine, I forgot to grab some myself." Yun Li set her tray down and quickly smoothed things over.
The noodles on her tray looked plain and bland—just a few strands in clear broth, without a drop of oil.
Unlike Fu Zhengchu’s indignant expression, Fu Shize didn’t seem bothered. He told her to wait, then got up to fetch her a pair of chopsticks and a spoon. He even brought back two side dishes, placing them on Yun Li’s tray.Having just failed to grab chopsticks because the plate was too heavy, Yun Li glanced at Fu Shize sheepishly and murmured a quiet "Thank you."
As soon as Fu Zhengchu sat down, he asked, "Lili-jie, are you from West Fuling?"
West Fuling locals are famously fond of rice noodles, and Yun Li hadn't had them in a while. Spotting them at the trendy cafeteria, she couldn't resist ordering a bowl.
She stirred the noodles in her bowl—still too hot to eat right away.
Yun Li nodded. "Yeah, I lived in West Fuling until grad school."
Fu Zhengchu asked, "A top student from West Science and Technology University?"
At the mention of West Science and Technology University, Fu Shize's chopsticks paused mid-air, and he looked up at them.
"I went to an ordinary first-tier university in West Fuling," Yun Li replied modestly, shaking her head. "West Science and Technology University is practically the best—normal people can't get in."
"Exactly. Sitting right next to you is one such abnormal person," Fu Zhengchu agreed emphatically.
"Oh..." Yun Li feigned ignorance, turning awkwardly to Fu Shize. "You went to West Science and Technology University?"
Fu Zhengchu looked shocked. "Lili-jie, you didn’t know? Xiao Jiu was the top scorer in Nanwu City that year—the celebration banners nearly reached our doorstep!"
"That’s really impressive." Her subdued reaction caught Fu Zhengchu’s attention, so Yun Li quickly exaggerated her expression. "That’s amazingly impressive!"
Fu Shize: "..."
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