"Even if I message him, he might not reply," Yun Li muttered, her voice trailing off. "And when I asked for his contact before, he didn’t give it to me..."
"That was before, it doesn’t mean anything for the future," Deng Chuqi encouraged her. "And, am I wrong, Lili? Have you liked him since the moment you asked for his contact?"
Yun Li didn’t answer, lowering her head to fiddle with the small football in her hands.
"Have you ever expressed it to him again?"
Yun Li shook her head.
"Do you think he knows?"
She shook her head again. "He seems to see me as a junior like Fu Zhengchu. He treats me normally." Remembering the hundred-some unread messages, she added gloomily, "If he knew, he might never talk to me again."
Understanding Yun Li’s personality, Deng Chuqi felt a pang of sympathy. "Have you been more proactive?"
Yun Li immediately said, "I have."
"How exactly? Tell me."
"I talked to him..."
"And then?"
"Just... talked..."
"..."
Probably thinking Yun Li’s personality left little hope, Deng Chuqi began to dissuade her. "Forget it. Maybe it’s better to give up early. Honestly, Xia Xia’s uncle isn’t that great—aside from his decent looks and good family background."
"Besides, his temper isn’t great either, right? Always cold-faced. You don’t even dare to speak around him. It’s like the two of you are performing a mime show."
As soon as she finished, she saw Yun Li staring at her, clearly displeased. "He just doesn’t talk much. You can’t say things like that about him. He’s a very good person."
Deng Chuqi was stunned, struggling to reconcile Fu Shize’s aloof, icy demeanor with that description.
"Lili, is it possible," Deng Chuqi chose her words carefully, not wanting to hurt her feelings, "that you’re just attracted to his looks? Looks fade over time. Compatibility is what matters most in a relationship."
Yun Li shook her head. "If it’s Fu Shize’s face, I could look at it for a lifetime."
Deng Chuqi countered, "If one day, this face could only be seen by another woman, could you accept that?"
Yun Li recalled that night when Fu Shize sat silently watching her play with fireworks.
Imagining a similar scene between him and another woman, she felt as if her breath had been cut off.
She looked at Deng Chuqi, pondered for a moment, and asked, "So, do you think I should pursue him?"
Deng Chuqi nodded firmly.
"Do you think my chances of success are high?"
Deng Chuqi nodded again. "Probably about 0.1%."
"..."
Yun Li had only ever been pursued. During her undergrad, some guys had shown interest—buying her small gifts, asking her out—but she had rejected them all.
She had no intention of pursuing anything and disliked spending time with people she wasn’t close to. Those experiences had left her with unpleasant memories.
Deng Chuqi, on the other hand, was a free spirit—she dated whoever loved her and moved on when they didn’t. She couldn’t offer Yun Li much advice.
The two searched online for guidance. Most suggestions advised playing hard to get—don’t be too direct, create more opportunities, and wait for the other person to develop feelings before making a move.
Yun Li could easily imagine what would happen if she confessed to Fu Shize now. His reaction would likely be an outright rejection, followed by minimal contact.It was almost nine o'clock, and Deng Chuqi was about to leave. Before going, she asked Yun Li if she wanted to call Xia Congsheng, as they might still be at Fu Shize's place.
Yun Li's first instinct was to refuse, but under Deng Chuqi's gaze, she reluctantly nodded.
Before making the call, Yun Li smoothed her hair. This time was different from before—it was her first attempt at mustering the courage to pursue Fu Shize. As the phone rang, her chest rose and fell rapidly, her mind already racing through countless possibilities of failure.
Just before she hung up, Fu Zhengchu answered.
It was clear from the background that Fu Zhengchu was still in a setting similar to the one in the photos, meaning he hadn’t gone home yet.
"Qiqi-jie, my sister’s phone is with me, but I don’t know where she went," Fu Zhengchu said, standing up to glance around before returning to the screen.
"Are you guys still eating? It looks pretty lively over there," Deng Chuqi replied perfunctorily.
Fu Zhengchu started telling them about the dinner gathering, but within two minutes, Deng Chuqi interrupted him and asked, "Who’s there?"
"Little Uncle and Qingsong-ge are here. Oh, do you guys want to say hi?" After saying this, Fu Zhengchu stood up without looking at the screen, seemingly heading upstairs.
Deng Chuqi nudged the phone, leaving most of the screen for Yun Li.
Fu Zhengchu went up to the second floor, walked down a hallway, and then flipped the camera toward a room.
From the video, Yun Li could see Fu Shize sitting by the bed, his tie already loosened and his shirt buttons undone.
Xu Qingsong stood beside him, and both of them looked toward the camera. Fu Shize took a drag of his cigarette, a wisp of gray smoke flickering across the screen.
He frowned slightly and said to Fu Zhengchu, "Turn off the recording."
"I’m video-calling Lili-jie and Qiqi-jie. Little Uncle, say hi."
From the moment he entered the room, Fu Zhengchu had been pointing the screen at himself, so Fu Shize only saw him holding up his phone and assumed he was recording.
Now, Fu Shize immediately stubbed out his cigarette, his expression slightly awkward.
As the camera drew closer, his expressionless face suddenly filled the screen.
His silence made Fu Zhengchu uncomfortable, so he turned the camera back toward himself. "Lili-jie, Qiqi-jie, don’t mind him. Little Uncle’s just a bit rude..."
Fu Shize said leisurely, "How can I greet someone I can’t see?"
"Oh, I forgot." After Fu Zhengchu said this, Yun Li saw the screen rotate 180 degrees, and Fu Shize’s face reappeared in the frame.
Yun Li noticed that the previously undone buttons were now fastened.
She waited a moment, but when he didn’t speak, she took the initiative and said, "Long time no see."
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it.
They had literally just seen each other a few days ago.
Fu Shize didn’t linger. He gave a noncommittal "Mm" before handing the phone back to Fu Zhengchu.
Yun Li was nearly crushed by his indifferent coldness.
A few seconds later, she heard Xu Qingsong say, "I heard Sang Yan opened a bar called 'Overtime.' Wanna check it out?"
Fu Zhengchu: "It’s kinda late. I have class tomorrow."
Xu Qingsong laughed. "Wasn’t planning to take you."
"No way, I’m going too." Fu Zhengchu turned back to the camera and said to Yun Li, "Lili-jie, we’re going out now. I’ll have my sister call you back later."
As the call was about to end, Yun Li blurted out, "Are you guys going to work overtime?"She paused for a moment before saying, "We'll be heading over there later. I heard business is really good there. Do you want us to save you a table? It's Sunday today, so it'll probably be crowded."
Initially, Fu Zhengchu had also wanted to invite them but thought it was too late at this hour. Hearing Yun Li's suggestion, he agreed to meet at the bar at ten o'clock.
Yun Li wasn't familiar with this bar called "Overtime." After hanging up, she looked it up online—it was located opposite Shang'an Plaza, about a thirty-minute drive away.
The bar was situated on Nanwu City's famous bar street. Its decor resembled a barbershop, with a black background signboard illuminated by pure white lettering.
The two of them reserved a large booth, and the others arrived about fifteen minutes later. Fu Zhengchu naturally took a seat next to Yun Li.
None of them had changed out of their work attire, only loosening their ties. Fu Zhengchu undid his collar a bit, took the drink menu, and let Yun Li and Deng Chuqi choose first.
Yun Li rarely went to bars and had no idea what the flashy names on the menu meant, so she randomly picked one.
Glancing at Fu Shize, she noticed he was sitting diagonally in front of her, leaning back in his seat, looking quite relaxed.
Deng Chuqi asked, "Was today a family gathering for you guys? Was it for your uncle's mother's birthday?"
Xia Congsheng chuckled. "Yes, my great-aunt loves hosting these family get-togethers. Plus, many of the close relatives are classmates from the same generation, so they've always been tight."
The term "great-aunt" always gave the impression of someone quite elderly.
Seeming to notice this, Xia Congsheng added, "My great-aunt and great-uncle are professors at West Science and Technology University. They were very career-focused and had children late, so my uncle is actually younger than me."
Just then, their drinks arrived. Everyone raised their glasses for a toast. Yun Li followed along and took a sip, only to be instantly overwhelmed by the burning sensation, tears welling up in her eyes.
This drink was way too strong.
No wonder hers only had about three centimeters at the bottom—was it straight liquor?
After composing herself and blinking back the tears, Yun Li sighed inwardly, relieved no one had noticed her embarrassing reaction.
A few more drinks arrived one after another, all ordered by Fu Zhengchu.
Remembering his alcohol tolerance, Yun Li couldn't help but say, "Fu Zhengchu, take it easy with the drinks."
"Lili-jie, since we're out, we should enjoy ourselves," Fu Zhengchu replied, sliding a few glasses toward her. "Want to try?"
Yun Li shook her head helplessly.
After finishing the first round, Xu Qingsong stood up, saying he wanted to greet the bar owner. Fu Shize didn't follow, instead heading to the bar counter alone.
Deng Chuqi nudged Yun Li in the side.
Understanding the hint, Yun Li excused herself, claiming her drink wasn't great and that she wanted to get a new one at the bar.
When she approached, she saw Fu Shize at the counter, idly playing with dice. His method was odd—he'd shake three, glance at them, then shake four, then five, increasing the number until he started over.
Just as she was about to walk over, a slender woman suddenly appeared beside him, leaning against the counter and staring intently at Fu Shize with her chin propped on her hand.
"Hey handsome, how about buying me a drink?"
Having mustered her courage only to be beaten to the punch, Yun Li froze in place.
Fu Shize continued shaking the dice without a word.
The woman repeated, "How about it?" Seeing his indifference, she reached out as if to touch his collar.
Thinking she was about to touch his face, Yun Li instinctively blurted out, "Auntie, hold on a second."
"..."Interrupted mid-sentence, the woman frowned at Yun Li with an unfriendly tone: "Little girl, there's an order to hitting on someone, understand?"
"And who are you calling 'auntie'?"
As the woman turned around, her anger about to reach its peak, Yun Li pressed her lips together and said, "He's my friend."
Pointing to the booth, Yun Li added, "There are a lot of us over there, and we're all students. Auntie, don't pressure my friend into buying you drinks. I'll call our advisor."
"..."
The woman seemed speechless, picked up her glass, and walked away.
This interruption threw off Yun Li's original plan. Just as she was debating whether to return to the booth, Fu Shize glanced at the empty seat beside him and said quietly, "Sit here."
OpenNovel