"I was looking for you." Yun Li didn't deny it, murmuring, "You've had too much to drink. I came to take you back."
Fu Shize: "Did you come alone?"
Yun Li nodded, then added, "The others drank quite a bit too, so they're not in any condition to move around."
Fu Shize: "I'm smoking right now."
He hadn't had enough yet.
Understanding his implication, Yun Li didn't move. "Then shall we wait until you're done smoking before heading back?"
When Fu Shize didn't respond, she glanced around and spotted a place. "Alright, you smoke. I'll wait for you over there."
After walking over, Yun Li played with her phone for a while. Deng Chuqi messaged her: Damn, the owner of this bar is way too fucking hot. Where'd you go? See him, and you'll forget all about Xia Xia's uncle.
Yun Li: I'm loyal. Only old flames, no new crushes.
Drowning sorrows in alcohol, drowning sorrows in smoke—Fu Shize had tried both tonight. Yun Li was also feeling troubled. Before leaving the bar, she hadn't managed to get any information from Xia Congsheng, and they weren't close enough for her to ask directly.
Speaking of closeness—had he called her Yun Lili again?
Yun Li zoned out for a moment. Was it because everyone else called her Lili? Then why did he add the "Yun" in front?
Fu Shize walked back into the shadows, took out a cigarette, and had just pulled out his lighter when he caught sight of Yun Li standing by the bridge in his peripheral vision, tightening her light blue jacket around herself.
He glanced back in the direction she'd come from. When he'd arrived earlier, he hadn't paid much attention, but now he noticed the early-built resettlement houses on either side, their low-wattage lights crawling with the remains of insects. In the darkness, a few completely drunk figures lay slumped.
With her sheep-like temperament, it was hard to imagine her walking alone through this dim alley.
Putting the cigarette away, he walked over to Yun Li. "Let's go back."
Unclear why Fu Shize had changed his mind so abruptly, Yun Li hesitated before saying, "I heard sweet soup can help sober you up. I just looked it up, and there's a place nearby."
Back when Yun Yongchang drank too much, he always had something sweet afterward, saying his stomach felt uncomfortable otherwise. Yun Li had quickly searched on her phone and found an old shop just four hundred meters away.
Fu Shize wasn't having it. "No need. I didn't drink that much."
Undeterred by his refusal, Yun Li said, "Actually, I had a bit to drink too, and I won't be able to order delivery when I get back. Could you come with me?"
She turned toward the darker area. "It's not far, just a few minutes' walk."
Following her gaze, the path on either side was pitch black.
Fu Shize: "Let me see the map."
Yun Li zoomed in on the map and handed it to him. He only glanced at it before returning her phone.
The two of them were the only ones on the road. Yun Li kept some distance from Fu Shize, having assumed he'd drunk a lot, but his steps were steady as he walked.
Yun Li had never been to this area before. The path was full of potholes, with hidden corners everywhere. Upon closer look, couples were embracing and kissing in them.
Just then, a few unsteady figures stumbled into one of the hidden spots, fumbling clumsily with metal clasps, failing to undo them.
Suddenly, Fu Shize stopped and turned to her. "Walk closer to me."
"Oh..." Yun Li hurried to his side.
The sweet soup shop was located in a small alley opposite 'Overtime,' a modest store with six or seven small round tables. Only the owner was there, working in the open kitchen.
The menu was written on a small blackboard.
"Take a look and see what you'd like."Fu Shize had already found a seat and sat down. Under the clear lighting, Yun Li noticed his eyes were slightly misty. Without even glancing at the menu, he simply said, "Cola."
"..."
Well, calling it a sweet drink wasn’t entirely wrong.
Yun Li ordered a skewer of glutinous rice dumplings and a cup of mung bean ice before sitting beside him.
The food arrived quickly, served on a small plate. Yun Li picked up a glutinous rice dumpling but paused for a moment before placing it in front of Fu Shize.
"Do you want to try this? I can share half with you."
Fu Shize didn’t refuse and used his chopsticks to slide one into his own bowl.
"This drink..."
Yun Li sipped the mung bean ice, which was so diluted it tasted like plain water, with only a hint of sweetness from the added brown sugar. The odd flavor left her momentarily at a loss for words.
Meanwhile, Fu Shize waited for her to continue. When she didn’t, he slowly asked, "Are you going to share half of that too?"
"..."
After an internal struggle, Yun Li directly pushed the half-drunk mung bean ice toward him, turning the straw in his direction.
This was her first time being so bold. Though her expression remained calm, her heart was racing.
What if he noticed?
What if he didn’t?
The two thoughts battled in her mind as she carefully observed Fu Shize’s reaction. He didn’t seem to notice and simply pushed the drink back toward her. "Never mind."
"Want to order more?" Yun Li was a bit hungry since she hadn’t eaten dinner. Noticing a stall selling fried rice noodles outside the dessert shop, she asked Fu Shize to wait while she went to buy a portion.
When she returned with the noodles, she saw two stray dogs wagging their tails by the shop entrance. Fu Shize was sitting on a roadside bench with a bowl of fish balls, skewering them one by one.
Each time he pierced a new one, the dogs would climb onto his lap. Fu Shize would tease them by waving the skewer a couple of times before finally handing over the fish ball.
It was rare to see such a warm side of him.
When he noticed Yun Li’s return, Fu Shize set the bowl on the ground and headed back inside. "Let’s finish eating before leaving."
Yun Li said, "Qiqi just texted me that she and Xia Xia went back first. I can just take this home to eat."
Fu Shize looked at her and replied, "I want to eat something."
After they sat down again, Yun Li realized Fu Shize’s words held no ulterior motive. He scooped some noodles into his own bowl, broke apart a new pair of chopsticks, and mixed in some braised side dishes she had bought.
Fu Shize seemed half-awake and half-dazed—his movements steady, but his gaze was off, as calm as stagnant water.
Or perhaps as gentle as a spring river.
Yun Li found it hard to eat under that gaze, so she scooted her chair closer to his side, avoiding direct eye contact.
He broke apart another new pair of chopsticks.
"..."
Yun Li realized this oddness wasn’t just her imagination. "Uh, it seems like you’ve had a bit too much to drink. Maybe you should head back early to rest."
Fu Shize stared at the noodles. "...I’d rather stay out a little longer."
Yun Li: "?"
Fu Shize: "Trouble sleeping."
After that, he remained silent for the rest of the meal, quietly eating his noodles. Yun Li sat beside him, doing her best to keep the conversation going, but Fu Shize barely reacted.
By the time Xu Qingsong arrived to pick them up, they had already finished eating. The family had sent a car, and Xu Qingsong instructed the driver to take Yun Li and Fu Zhengchu home.
Fu Shize got into the car by himself, and Xu Qingsong sat beside him, handing him a wet wipe.
"Still awake?"
"Yeah."
"Where to? North Mountain Maple Forest?"
"No. South River Garden."Xu Qingsong fell silent for a moment before teasing, "How did you manage to get that young girl to take care of you, you old drunk?"
Fu Shize pressed his forehead. "Is that so?" His head throbbed painfully. Rolling down the window, the cold wind rushed in, accompanied by the roaring engine noise, sobering him up halfway.
Suddenly, he recalled the words Yun Li had said before parting.
"If there's ever anything on your mind that you want someone to hear but don't want others to know..."
"...You can whisper it to my left ear."
After arriving home, Fu Shize turned on the lights in the dark. The spacious house was eerily silent, furnished only with basic furniture, showing no signs of human habitation. He took a bottle of ice water from the fridge and pressed it against his forehead, trying to ease his tense nerves.
Glancing at his phone, he saw one or two missed calls from his parents. Fu Shize ignored them, tossing the phone aside. He splashed cold water on his face, dispersing some of the alcohol accumulated from the night.
Taking a black box from his bag, he unwrapped it and placed the drone inside on the coffee table.
After a long while.
In the empty house, his soft voice echoed, "Happy birthday."
The next day was Monday, and Yun Li arrived at EAW early.
The office was still mostly empty. After clocking in, Yun Li skimmed through the group chat messages to confirm there were no pending tasks. She then took the bread and milk she bought on the way and headed to the break room for breakfast.
The break room was empty. A stack of flyers was scattered across the long table. She picked one up casually and saw it advertised EAW Technology City's Halloween event that evening, featuring a plaza market.
Uninterested, she put it back and settled into a beanbag chair.
Scrolling through her phone, fragments of last night's dream surfaced in her mind, playing in slow motion. Several scenes had made her heart race, but it all ended in the dessert shop, where he sat silently.
Like a fragile, despondent porcelain doll.
Not long after, the break room door opened. Yun Li looked up to see Fu Shize walking in with a cup. He had changed clothes and shed the drunkenness from the night before, his eyes clear, sharp, and cold.
Yun Li hadn't expected him to arrive so early. "Good morning."
Fu Shize nodded politely and turned toward the coffee machine.
"..."
"?"
Although Yun Li hadn't expected much of a response from Fu Shize, this stranger-like dynamic wasn't what she'd anticipated either.
Fu Shize took a bag of coffee beans from the upper cabinet, weighed it in his hand, and frowned slightly.
Opening it, he confirmed there were only a few beans left. He poured the meager remains into the grinder, folded the empty bag into a small wad, and tossed it into the trash.
Noticing his actions, Yun Li asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Fu Shize: "No more coffee beans."
Yun Li leaned over to look. There really weren't many left. "Is that enough for a cup?"
"Barely one."
Seeing Yun Li lingering, Fu Shize looked at her. "Do you want it?"
It made her seem like a bully, eyeing the last few beans to snatch the final cup.
Yun Li shook her head. "No."
Suddenly remembering the well-known coffee roaster stall mentioned on the flyer for tonight's market, she handed it to him. "There's a Halloween event at Sea Sky Mall tonight with lots of stalls. One of them sells coffee beans."
"Mm."
Yun Li: "..."Yun Li was more direct this time: "I'd like to buy some coffee beans too, but I'm not very good at choosing them."
"Could you come with me?"
Fu Shize watched the extracted coffee liquid as he asked, "What time tonight?"
Yun Li paused for a moment: "Eight o'clock."
"Mhm."
Unable to suppress her curling lips, Yun Li quickly added before Fu Shize could notice, "I should get back to work now."
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