After checking on her phone, Yun Li found that many new employees had experienced being exploited by senior colleagues.
She couldn’t be sure if Qin Haifeng was deliberately targeting her.
The task at hand was due to be submitted to Fang Yuning the next day, and Qin Haifeng could easily tell Fang Yuning that he had already assigned the work to her.
Yun Li didn’t want to give anyone a reason to criticize her for failing to complete it.
After brewing a packet of cold medicine and popping a mint candy into her mouth, she spent over half an hour finishing the remaining work.
As she was packing up, Fu Shize walked in. It was almost nine o’clock—she hadn’t expected him to still be working overtime.
Fu Shize asked, “You caught a cold?”
Yun Li hadn’t realized her voice had become so nasal that it barely sounded like her own. “Just a little. I’ll be fine if I drink more hot water.”
Her voice hoarse, she asked, “How did you know?”
“Xia Congsheng called.”
“Oh, then Xia Xia…”
“Your friend Deng Chuqi said you had a bad fever and were sleeping at home, not replying to messages,” Fu Shize gave her a meaningful look, “and might have gone into shock.”
“…”
Yun Li checked her phone—she hadn’t replied for hours.
Deng Chuqi must have initially thought she was asleep, but when there was still no response halfway through, she panicked.
Yun Li: “You didn’t tell her… that I’m at the company, right?”
Fu Shize: “Didn’t need to.”
Yun Li: “?”
Fu Shize directly showed her his chat history with Fu Zhengchu.
[UNCLE!! Sis called me saying that Li Li-jie has a fever and hasn’t replied to any messages!]
[I’m already at Li Li-jie’s door—knocked for ages but no answer.]
[Uncle, Li Li-jie won’t be in trouble, right? [cry][cry]]
[Don’t know how Li Li-jie is doing now—can’t find the property management here.]
[I’ve called a locksmith—they’re coming soon!]
The last message was about two minutes ago.
[Li Li-jie isn’t home. How can she be out with a fever?]
[Uncle, does this count as breaking and entering? [cry]]
[I even lifted Li Li-jie’s blanket—will she think I’m a pervert?]
[Don’t tell Li Li-jie!]
Fu Shize had replied with one word: [Okay.]
“…”
Yun Li hadn’t expected that working overtime would result in her door being pried open.
While she was reading the messages, Fu Zhengchu sent another one:
[Uncle, could Li Li-jie have fainted on the way? Should we call the police?]
Afraid this might escalate into a city-wide police search, Yun Li blurted, “You tell him!”
The girl before him had flushed cheeks from the fever, stammering anxiously. Fu Shize lowered his gaze and asked, “Tell him what?”
“J-Just say we’re together…”
Fu Shize: “?”
The phrasing was odd.
Worried that Fu Shize might refuse to cover for her—since Deng Chuqi would definitely be furious if she found out Yun Li was at the office—she reached out for his phone.
Nervous, Yun Li said, “Y-Your phone, give it to me.”
Fu Shize watched her silently before handing it over.
The phone had the default nine-key input. Between the fever and unfamiliarity with the layout, Yun Li struggled to type.
After a minute or two, she finally returned the phone.
Fu Shize glanced at the screen.
[She’s with me. I’ll take her home.]
[Got it, Uncle.]
“…”
Fu Shize spoke first. “I’ll get the car keys and take you back.”The technology city was right across from Seven Mile Fragrant Capital. Since Yun Li hadn’t been outside since catching a cold, she shook her head and said to him, “I’d like to take a walk.”
With so much happening recently, she thought some fresh air might do her good.
Fu Shize didn’t insist otherwise. He went to the room to grab a jacket and followed behind Yun Li.
Along the way, the lights were dazzling, the southern wind rustled, and the square was bustling with people.
Coincidentally, there was a children’s market on the square today, with three rows of stalls set up. Vintage warm-toned bulbs were wrapped around the stall frames.
Yun Li stared at the dense lights of the market and said, “I’d like to go in and take a look.”
Fu Shize nodded.
There were quite a variety of stalls inside, one of which sold light-up toys.
As Yun Li passed by, she stopped to look. The stall owner, who had been idle all evening, quickly stood up to greet them when he saw potential customers.
“Handsome guy, pretty lady, anything you’re looking for?”
Yun Li shook her head—these lights were more suited for children.
Perhaps sensing Yun Li’s disinterest, the owner called out, “Wait a sec,” and mysteriously pulled out a red cloth-wrapped bag from under the stall, opening it to show them.
Inside were boxes of pink “fairy sparklers.”
“Fifteen per box.” The owner, observing Yun Li’s slight change in expression, immediately turned to Fu Shize. “Handsome guy, why not buy a box for the pretty lady? Our fairy sparklers are made to match fairies.”
He even laid on the flattery thick. Embarrassed, Yun Li waved her hand to stop him.
The owner, deflated, was about to put the bag back when Yun Li stopped him. “Boss, I’ll take one box.”
Yun Li quickly paid.
Since Fu Shize was only escorting her back as a favor, she felt too awkward to trouble him further and said stiffly, “Do you want to play? These are quite fun. Though I’m not feeling well, I can play with you for a bit…”
“…”
Fu Shize took the lead, and Yun Li followed. After leaving the market, he stopped by the square’s fountain and sat on a clean patch of ground.
Yun Li: “Can we play here?”
Fu Shize: “Mm.”
Opening the box, they found six neatly arranged sparklers inside. The structure was simple—a dozen-centimeter-long iron wire wrapped in light-gray material.
Yun Li took one out.
She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d played with fireworks.
As a child, most fireworks were loud ground firecrackers. Later, with stricter urban regulations, street vendors weren’t allowed to openly sell fireworks, which was why the stall owner had hidden the sparklers earlier.
“When I was little, one Mid-Autumn Festival, I spent most of my savings to buy a lot of fireworks and took my brother out to play.” Yun Li twirled the sparkler in her hand and smiled sheepishly.
“They were all confiscated by the city officers later, and my brother cried nonstop.”
The officers had said they were carrying extremely dangerous toys.
Back then, Yun Ye was only six. He clung to an officer’s leg, sobbing loudly, saying it was all his sister’s savings and that she’d be heartbroken if they took them away.
At the time, Yun Li thought they’d committed some grave offense and tremblingly pulled Yun Ye back. Fortunately, the officers were kind, cheerfully wishing them a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.
Looking back, Yun Li sighed. “I wonder how they handled it… So many fireworks couldn’t have been very safe.”Fu Shize had initially taken out a cigarette but hesitated before putting it back, simply stating indifferently, "They took them to play with themselves."
Yun Li: "..."
Yun Li: "Can I borrow your lighter?"
Fu Shize gave a faint hum and motioned for Yun Li to come over.
Contrary to her expectations, Fu Shize was now sitting on the brick edge of the fountain, his white shirt wrinkled and covered by a black overcoat. He gave off the vibe of a somewhat rebellious youth.
Combined with his face, which always seemed cold when he looked at people.
Yun Li stopped half a step away from him.
Fu Shize: "Come closer."
This reminded Yun Li of how Fu Shize had leaned in to whisper in her ear during dinner, making her blush slightly as she slowly inched toward him.
"..."
Seeing her misunderstanding, Fu Shize clarified, "The sparkler."
Realizing her mistake, Yun Li awkwardly extended her hand.
Fu Shize took out his lighter, flicked it twice with his thumb, and brought the flame close to the sparkler. The trembling firelight wavered in the wind.
After a few failed attempts, Fu Shize simply took the sparkler from her. The flame steadily moved closer, and soon, tiny sparks burst outward, followed by dense, fur-like strands of light.
The orange glow illuminated part of his profile.
Yun Li stared at Fu Shize in a daze.
He let out a soft hum and handed the glowing sparkler toward her, signaling for her to take it.
The sparks reflected in his eyes, along with her silhouette.
As she held it, the light seemed to dance in her palm, constantly shifting.
"It's quite pretty," Yun Li murmured, waving the sparkler foolishly, its afterglow tracing shapes in the night sky.
After sketching a few patterns, she was about to show Fu Shize a half-drawn figure when the light suddenly died out.
Apparently unaware that sparklers burned out so quickly, she awkwardly rubbed her nose and joked, "I was just about to become a great artist."
"Try again." Fu Shize took another from the box, lit it, and handed it to her.
Though her hand moved aimlessly through the air, Yun Li's attention was fixed on Fu Shize's distracted expression. Wondering if he was bored, she tried to make conversation, "Have you played with these before?"
Fu Shize seemed to snap back to reality. "Yeah, with my childhood friend."
Yun Li: "Director Xu?"
Fu Shize: "No."
Silence fell between them again. Fu Shize stood up and walked a few steps away, leaning against a tree trunk.
He didn’t do much else—just lit another sparkler for her whenever hers burned out, otherwise standing there like a silent shadow.
Yun Li: "My only childhood friend is my brother..." Remembering her chaotic relationship with Yun Ye, she chuckled to herself.
Fu Shize didn’t respond.
When Yun Li glanced back, she noticed him standing under the tree, half his face obscured by shadows.
Sensing his low spirits, she instinctively stayed quiet.
After seeing her to her building, Fu Shize nodded at her before turning to leave.
She watched his retreating figure for a long time.
If a moment ago, Yun Li had felt like she was soaking in warm spring water, now it was as if she had been plunged back into icy wilderness.
She carefully replayed their conversations from the day but couldn’t pinpoint any clues.After returning, Yun Li's fever kept coming and going. This time, she didn't dare to tough it out and took a few days of sick leave. Deng Chuqi planned to visit her and, worried she might be bored alone, invited Xia Congsheng and the others to Yun Li's place for hot pot.
The two came straight from work, while Fu Shize and Fu Zhengchu, who lived closer, went to the mall to buy ingredients. By the time they arrived at Seven Mile Fragrant Capital, it was already six o'clock.
Fu Zhengchu rushed in carrying a pile of bags and, upon seeing Yun Li, pulled out a box of chocolates from one of them: "Sister Lili, the lock-picking last time was an accident, don't take it to heart."
Deng Chuqi couldn't help but tease: "Looks like university life is tough. Haven't seen you in a few days, and you're already dabbling in illegal activities."
Fu Zhengchu shamelessly replied, "No, no, Uncle taught me."
Fu Shize: "..."
"Lucky it was Fu Zhengchu who picked the lock—I didn't even have to change it," Yun Li said with a slight smile, in good spirits. "But still, thank you for going through all that trouble to help."
Fu Zhengchu wasn't used to serious gratitude from others and, for once, smiled shyly.
"But Sister Lili, how did you catch such a bad cold this time? Are you okay?"
Xia Congsheng chimed in, "Yeah, Lili, but they say fools never catch colds. My brother hasn't had one in almost ten years, while Uncle here gets sick often—he had a bad cold just half a month ago, right?"
The topic shifted to Fu Shize, who nodded indifferently.
He did seem to be in poor health, his eyes perpetually tired, giving the impression of chronic sleep deprivation.
Since it was their first visit, everyone had brought gifts for Yun Li. Fu Shize had brought two bottles of exquisite sparkling wine, each with a small dark red bow tied around the neck.
Fu Zhengchu clicked his tongue: "The older generation is different, always into drinking..." He paused. "Feels a bit debauched."
"..."
The seemingly pointed remark didn't faze Fu Shize. Compared to their last farewell, he seemed to be in a much better mood today.
After days of anxiety, Yun Li finally felt at ease.
Deng Chuqi took stock—they had all the ingredients for hot pot: meat, vegetables, meatballs, tofu products, and the broth base. All that was left was to wash the ingredients.
With limited space in the kitchen, Deng Chuqi and Xia Congsheng handled the washing inside. The other three sat in the living room prepping the vegetables.
The two men, having never cooked before, hadn't thought much while shopping and ended up picking the most labor-intensive vegetables—water spinach and green beans.
After dividing the tasks, Fu Shize placed two baskets of greens on the table and looked at Yun Li: "Do you know how to prep these?"
Yun Li nodded.
Fu Shize pushed the baskets toward her: "Show me."
"Oh..."
Having known him this long, Yun Li always thought there was nothing Fu Shize couldn't do, given his intelligence.
Under his gaze now, even her demonstration felt less confident: "Snap off the ends, then break them into pieces of the right length."
Fu Shize repeated her actions and asked, "Like this?"
Seeing Yun Li nod, he settled into the sofa, placing the basket on his lap and slowly prepping the vegetables one by one.
The heating was on, and after a while, he seemed to feel too warm. Straightening up, he took off his jacket and looked around for a place to put it.
Noticing this, Yun Li stood up: "Let me find a place for that."
Fu Shize gave a quiet "Mm" and continued prepping the vegetables with his head down.The living room didn't have extra space, so Yun Li took the coat to her room and found a hanger to hang it up.
It was the same trench coat from last time. Yun Li moved a bit closer, catching a faint scent of tobacco and citrus—likely from the laundry detergent.
Just as she was about to hang it by the door, she reconsidered and draped her own coat over Fu Shize's.
As if, from the very beginning, they had always been together.
The hot pot broth had come to a boil, and everyone gathered around the table.
Fu Zhengchu used a bottle opener to pop the sparkling wine, pouring a glass each for Deng Chuqi and himself. Fu Shize and Xia Congsheng had to drive, and Yun Li had a cold, so none of them could drink.
Fu Zhengchu teased, "Uncle, look at the gift you gave us."
Yun Li smiled. "Consider it my way of hosting you all."
"Lili, I just saw your kitchen—it seems like you have every cooking utensil imaginable," Xia Congsheng remarked between bites. "A wok, an egg frying pan, even a tamagoyaki pan."
Yun Li replied, "A food content creator has to have everything. Though some of it was bought earlier—I had my mom send them over."
Fu Zhengchu asked curiously, "So why did you decide to become a food content creator? You're so pretty—you could've been a beauty content creator too."
Yun Li thought for a moment. "Actually, I'm a bit slow, so I always repeat things until I feel they're perfect." She added sheepishly, "Later, my younger brother said my dishes looked so good that I should just record videos and post them online."
She glanced at Fu Shize. "If you guys want to learn how to prep vegetables, I made a video about that too."
"..."
Considering Yun Li was still recovering, the others didn’t let her clean up after dinner. Deng Chuqi and Xia Congsheng cleared the table, leaving the dishes in the sink for the uncle-nephew duo to wash.
Fu Shize headed to the kitchen, with Fu Zhengchu following closely behind, slinging an arm over his uncle's shoulder. "Uncle, they’re making us wash dishes together."
"This makes it seem, seem—" Fu Zhengchu paused, swaying slightly. "Seem like we’re a loving couple."
Fu Shize: "..."
The three in the living room: "???"
Deng Chuqi sighed. "Xia Xia, your brother seems drunk." She picked up the empty sparkling wine bottle and checked the label. "This is 14% alcohol? I didn’t even taste it."
Xia Congsheng: "..."
Worried Fu Zhengchu might hurt himself, Yun Li went to the kitchen to call him out. "Fu Zhengchu, come sit in the living room for a bit."
Fu Zhengchu refused without hesitation. "No, I have to wash dishes with Uncle."
Yun Li said helplessly, "Uncle isn’t washing anymore. You should come out with him."
Fu Zhengchu stubbornly stayed put. "If Uncle isn’t washing, then I’ll be left alone in the end. Even Uncle can’t be relied on."
"..."
Xia Congsheng couldn’t take it anymore. "Uncle, help me drag him out."
Fu Zhengchu protested, "Why are you forcing me?" Though tipsy, he didn’t resist much and was half-pulled, half-led out of the kitchen.
Deng Chuqi offered, "You guys watch him. I’ll handle the dishes."
Yun Li quickly declined. "No need, just leave them there."
Deng Chuqi pouted. "What are you saying? We can’t let you do it."
While they were talking, no one noticed Fu Zhengchu slipping back into the kitchen, where he started rambling to Fu Shize. "Uncle, two of my ex-girlfriends broke up with me after they met you."Fu Shize: "..."
After drinking all night, things finally took a dramatic turn. Deng Chuqi, who had also had a few drinks, momentarily forgot about Yun Li and went straight to the kitchen door: "Did your uncle steal your girlfriend?"
"Not exactly. They said," Fu Zhengchu sounded melancholic, "they were afraid they wouldn't be steadfast enough and might give in to temptation later."
"..."
"They lack self-awareness. Uncle would never like them anyway."
"..."
Noticing Yun Li's gaze, Fu Zhengchu continued, "Don't you believe me? You can ask Uncle. Uncle, tell them, do you like—" Fu Zhengchu's thoughts were muddled, "men?"
Fu Shize seemed accustomed to this, replying flatly, "Go find somewhere to lie down."
Fu Zhengchu pressed on: "Just tell me first, do you like women or men?"
Fu Shize kept washing the dishes, ignoring him.
The alcohol had taken its toll, and Fu Shize had no intention of indulging him. Until everyone left, Fu Zhengchu kept circling around, counting the number of girls who had secret crushes on Fu Shize in elementary school, then started tallying up Fu Shize's certificates.
Before leaving, Yun Li brought out Fu Shize's jacket, which he casually slipped on.
"Lili-jie, I'm telling you, you're beautiful." Before the jacket was even on, Fu Shize grabbed Fu Zhengchu as he lunged toward Yun Li and dragged him outside.
After shoving Fu Zhengchu out the door, he still tried to talk to Yun Li through the crack. Fu Shize blocked him, revealing only half of his profile through the gap, his hair disheveled from Fu Zhengchu's tugging.
His eyelids lowered slightly as he murmured softly, "Get well soon."
Then he shut the door.
After everyone left, the house grew much quieter. While brushing her teeth, Yun Li took out her phone and opened the chat window with Fu Shize, typing: [Did you all get home safely?]
After a moment's thought, she deleted the message.
Never mind.
The next day, the package from Yang Fang arrived. The parcel was tightly sealed, and Yun Li spent some time carefully cutting it open with a utility knife. Both the robot and the envelope were wrapped in layers of old newspaper.
It had been nearly two months since she'd been home.
Thinking of her mother, Yang Fang, who had probably packed everything meticulously to avoid damaging anything that might upset her, Yun Li felt she shouldn’t have stayed away this long out of stubbornness.
She spent a considerable amount of time making a video about repairing and modifying the robot. For some reason, the video got recommended and hit a million views on the first day.
Fixing the robot wasn’t particularly difficult—just replacing a part. But she still felt incredibly proud. In her room, she tried making it crawl for a bit, though she was a bit rusty after so long.
She took it downstairs to the grassy field, set up the camera, and started controlling it.
The robot wobbled unsteadily, moving like a clumsy hippo, tilting left and right.
Less than three seconds later.
A white figure dashed over.
In the blink of an eye, it snatched the soccer ball right in front of the robot.
The robot toppled over.
The video ended with Yun Li chasing the dog to retrieve the ball, while the robot flailed its limbs on camera, seemingly trying to get back up.
She got the ball back, but not without looking quite disheveled.
Although Yun Li had labeled the video as a tech and DIY project, everyone unanimously agreed it was a comedy video.
When Deng Chuqi visited her over the weekend and saw the video, her first reaction was: "Lili, this robot kinda looks like you, huh."Like owner, like possession—there might be some truth to that saying. After spending so much time with the Robot, Yun Li had developed some unusual feelings toward it.
"Hey, did you see Xia Congsheng’s WeChat Moments? They had a family gathering today," Deng Chuqi called out from the balcony. "Their family is seriously..."
Yun Li waited for the next words.
"Fucking huge."
"..."
Yun Li opened WeChat Moments and saw Xia Congsheng’s recent post—a large group photo.
The photo featured over twenty people against a plain frosted wall backdrop, all dressed in formal attire. Fu Shize stood in the center, wearing a tie with perfectly fitted shoulders, gazing steadily at the camera. Seated in front of him were two middle-aged individuals—a man and a woman—whose facial features bore some resemblance to his.
Xia Congsheng had captioned the WeChat Moments post: "This year, Auntie insisted on celebrating her birthday in a more Western style."
Judging by the arrangement, it was likely Fu Shize's mother's birthday dinner that evening.
Yun Li remarked, "This dinner looks so formal."
Deng Chuqi chimed in, "Xia Xia mentioned it to me before. She said Fu Shize's parents are both professors at West Science and Technology University. Apparently, the two elders love to have fun and seem more like they're in their twenties than Fu Shize does."
"..."
Noticing Yun Li still staring at the photo, Deng Chuqi grinned mischievously. "A family of scholars—reasonable in-laws after marriage. You should seriously consider it."
"Stop talking nonsense." Yun Li shot her a glance, hesitating for a long moment before zooming in on the photo.
"Look at this girl next to him. Isn't she standing a bit too close to Xia Xia's uncle?"
In the photo, Xu Qingsong stood to Fu Shize's left, while a long-haired girl with delicate features stood to his right. Her arm was visibly pressed against his.
After scrutinizing it for a while, Deng Chuqi recognized the girl. "Xia Xia has posted about her several times before. They practice piano together—she's also Fu Shize's niece. Don't overthink it. Xia Xia said her uncle is very reserved and usually only hangs out with guys."
"Hangs out with guys?"
Yun Li repeated the phrase, feeling this wasn't exactly reassuring either.
"I've met this Lin Wanyin before. Tall and thin, talks like she hasn't eaten in days." Deng Chuqi's tone made it clear she didn't think highly of the girl and didn't want to dwell on the topic.
But the name instantly struck a nerve with Yun Li.
She had always remembered that name—and the hundred-plus unread messages.
Unable to hold back, she blurted, "Last time, I accidentally saw Xia Xia's uncle's phone. She sent him over a hundred messages."
Deng Chuqi was confused. "Who sent whom?"
"This Lin Wanyin sent them to Xia Xia's uncle, but they were all unread..."
"Then you should feel even more at ease. See? Xia Xia's uncle isn't even interested in reading her messages."
"..."
Deng Chuqi raised an eyebrow, losing patience with Yun Li's hesitation. She cut straight to the point: "Lili, last weekend when I came to take care of you, you told me you wanted to have Fu Shize's baby."
Yun Li: "..."
Her face flushed crimson with shock. "How is that possible?!"
"You don't like Xia Xia's uncle? If you don't, maybe he'll end up having a baby with Lin Wanyin instead."
The words barely left Deng Chuqi's mouth before Yun Li nearly jumped to her feet. "That can't happen! That would be incest!"
Deng Chuqi rolled her eyes. "Well, this Lin Wanyin sent him over a hundred messages. Who knows, maybe she's sent tens of thousands before. Why don't you open your phone and count how many you've sent him?"
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