After the lunch break, Yun Li ran into He Jiameng in the hallway.
"Teacher Xian Yun, are you joining the Halloween event tonight? Want to go together?"
Yun Li answered truthfully, "I was thinking of buying some coffee beans tonight. I noticed Fu Shize ran out in the break room earlier, so I asked him to come along."
He Jiameng giggled. "Really just for coffee beans?"
"Really," Yun Li tried to sound more confident. "Why don't you come with us?"
"No, no. I can already see myself being the third wheel."
"..."
After walking a few steps, He Jiameng called out to her again. "Oh, Teacher Xian Yun."
Yun Li turned. "What is it?"
"The marketing department asked me to check if you could post a promotional update on E-Station. The ad fee will be the same as last time."
"Any specific requirements?"
He Jiameng thought for a moment. "Just try to record some of the equipment in the experience center to make it look fun."
Unsure if filming was allowed, Yun Li didn’t agree immediately. "I'll think about it."
In the afternoon, Fang Yuning mentioned that the experience center was short-staffed and asked Yun Li to help with decorations. Yun Li carried a large box of decorative materials to the center.
Exiting the fire escape, Yun Li reached the entrance of the experience center and saw quite a few people already there.
"Lili-jie!" Yun Li looked around.
Fu Zhengchu walked over from the entrance. "I heard there’s an event tonight, so I came early to check it out. I was hoping to grab some afternoon tea, but got dragged here as free labor instead."
Yun Li replied, "That’s rough."
Fu Zhengchu grumbled, "Yeah, so I brought my uncle along, but he’s just sitting there watching me work."
Yun Li followed his gaze and saw Fu Shize sitting on a lounge chair inside, leaning on the armrest with one hand, his chin propped up as he looked their way.
"Lili-jie?" Fu Zhengchu called again when Yun Li didn’t respond.
Snapping out of it, Yun Li said, "You’re grown up now. You should help your elders."
Fu Zhengchu sighed. "I’ll get back to work."
"Wait!" Yun Li quickly stopped him.
Fu Zhengchu paused. "What’s up?"
Covering half her face, Yun Li said, "Fu Zhengchu, I’m sorry."
Fu Zhengchu was even more confused. "What for?"
"Well—when we were drinking yesterday," Yun Li wished she could dig a hole and bury herself, forcing the words out, "I told your uncle that you might have a crush on me..."
Fu Zhengchu: "..."
After explaining the whole situation and repeatedly apologizing, Yun Li realized Fu Zhengchu wasn’t focused on her initial confession. Instead, he gasped. "Lili-jie, do you like my uncle?"
Yun Li: "..."
"No wonder you took his side just now."
Yun Li: "..."
Yun Li: "Can you keep this a secret?"
Fu Zhengchu: "Yeah."
Both fell silent.
Suddenly serious, Fu Zhengchu said, "Lili-jie, my uncle’s health isn’t great, especially his stomach."
"But he’s really a good person. I won’t say more—good luck, Lili-jie!"
Touched, Yun Li smiled. "Thank you."
Decorating the experience center was mostly physical work—attaching streamers, light strips, and holiday decorations to the higher parts of the walls. Yun Li surveyed the area, grabbed a ladder, and got ready to start.Just as she climbed up the ladder, Fu Zhengchu brought Fu Shize over: "Sis Li, come down quick. I called Uncle over."
Yun Li: "..."
Climbing down the ladder, Yun Li said slowly, "Why did you call him over..."
Fu Zhengchu: "Can't just let Uncle sit around while you're climbing up and down as a girl. I'll go work somewhere else first."
Realizing Fu Zhengchu was playing matchmaker, even though Fu Shize had every reason to be here, Yun Li still felt a bit embarrassed. She pointed to a nearby chair and blurted out, "Do you want to sit here?"
Fu Shize glanced at her: "Sit here and watch you?"
Yun Li imagined the scene and felt like she could barely breathe: "That's not what I meant."
"Give it to me." Fu Shize took the streamers from her hands.
Yun Li: "Huh?"
Fu Shize paused, speaking sparingly: "Help."
Standing around doing nothing didn't feel right, so Yun Li stood by Fu Shize's ladder with the streamers and ornaments, handing him one each time he finished hanging another.
Yun Li thought—this was actually quite nice?
Lost in the small joy of passing things to Fu Shize, the box gradually emptied.
"Can you wait here for a bit?" Yun Li looked up at Fu Shize.
"Mm."
Yun Li hugged the box and jogged off, swapping it for a fuller one in another area.
When she returned to the ladder, Fu Shize was staring at her expressionlessly.
Yun Li immediately felt guilty and silently handed him another ornament.
After work, Yun Li went home first to redo her makeup and changed into a white dress.
She met Fu Shize at the entrance of the tech plaza. He was wearing a black trench coat, hands in his pockets, leaning against the red brick wall at the edge of the plaza with his head lowered. The distant square was dotted with starlight.
When he saw Yun Li, he lifted his gaze, lingering on her face for a moment before looking away.
That brief glance made Yun Li's breath hitch.
"I wanted to film some footage tonight for a Halloween special. I haven't updated in a while."
Fu Shize was sober now. Yun Li took a deep breath and asked nervously, "Do you think it looks nice?"
Seemingly caught off guard by the question, Fu Shize didn't respond.
Yun Li, who had put her all into her makeup today, was incredulous: "It doesn't look good...?"
After a pause.
Yun Li muttered to herself, "It should be a little better than usual...?"
Fu Shize: "..."
Similar to the previous children's market, the entire square was lined with stalls of all sizes, and the trees and walls were adorned with Halloween decorations.
Even from a distance, Yun Li could smell the rich aroma of coffee beans near the stall. A crowd had gathered around, and dozens of reddish-brown clay jars were neatly arranged on the table, with stacks of burlap coffee bean bags piled behind.
The vendor asked Fu Shize about his preferred flavor, then scooped a few beans into his hand for him to smell.
Yun Li: "How is it?"
Fu Shize: "Pretty good."
Yun Li: "Can I smell it too?"
Fu Shize nodded.
When he didn't hand her the beans, Yun Li hesitated before leaning closer to his hand. Beyond the roasted bean scent, there was a hint of chocolate.
"It smells amazing," Yun Li marveled, then looked up to find Fu Shize staring at her, his expression unreadable.
After a moment of thought, Yun Li's face warmed again: "I meant the beans..."
"..."Yun Li didn’t have much experience with coffee, so she asked the shop owner to recommend one: “I picked a flavor I like. Maybe you’d like to try it too.”
Fu Shize took some beans and smelled them: “Not bad.”
Yun Li: “Then I’ll give you a bag.”
Fu Shize: “No need.”
Being rejected was expected. Yun Li thought for a moment and continued, “I want to give you a bag.”
“…”
Yun Li toned it down a little: “You’ve paid for me many times before. I feel like I owe you.”
“If that’s the reason,” Fu Shize said, his eyes fixed on the vendor packing the beans and not on her, “then just keep owing me.”
Yun Li glanced at the other stalls. In the corner was a slightly shabby sugar-figure stall, the kind she occasionally saw near her school when she was a child.
Yun Li: “Can I buy that?”
Fu Shize: “Mm.”
Yun Li: “Then wait for me. I’ll go buy it.”
After saying that, Yun Li ran over.
The elderly man set up a small copper pot, scooped some syrup with a copper spoon, and dripped it onto a steel plate to outline a pattern.
While waiting for the sugar figure to set, Yun Li remembered how Fu Shize’s palm had been just two centimeters away from her when he smelled the beans. She touched her burning cheek with the back of her hand.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like this.
Her heart pounded, and the image of another person lingered in her mind. Even the scents she smelled, the sounds she heard, and the things she saw carried traces of him.
He probably… didn’t dislike her either.
This thought emboldened Yun Li. She wasn’t usually the proactive type, always passively interacting with others, forced into conversations.
The moon in the human world always seemed so far away.
But now, the moon had come to her.
Yun Li curled her lips.
Yes, how lucky she was—the moon was right in front of her.
Once the sugar figure had set, it was stuck onto a bamboo skewer and handed to Yun Li.
It was shaped like a pumpkin, with a wide grin.
Quite cute.
She handed one to Fu Shize.
“For me?”
Fu Shize stared at the sugar figure in his hand, its surface gleaming with a brownish luster. It was hard to imagine such an intricate shape could be made in just two or three minutes.
But… how was he supposed to eat this?
He glanced at Yun Li. The pumpkin-shaped sugar figure was larger than her petite face. Having just run back, her porcelain-like cheeks were tinged with pink. She admired the sugar figure in her hand for a moment before slowly bringing it to her lips.
Then, she licked it.
…
He couldn’t possibly lick it too, could he?
Yun Li licked her lips again and took a small bite, noticing Fu Shize’s gaze. A little surprised, she asked, “Were you… peeking at me?”
Fu Shize averted his eyes, lying for once: “No.”
The night was chilly, but he suddenly felt a wave of heat.
The neon lights seemed even more glaring. By the time he snapped out of it, the pumpkin-shaped sugar figure in his hand had already been bitten into pieces.
“…”-
“Hey—Yun Li?”
While the two were still wandering around the stalls, someone suddenly tapped Yun Li’s shoulder, and she instinctively flinched.
Looking up, she saw someone she thought she’d never cross paths with again in this lifetime.
Qu Mingxin stepped forward and greeted her warmly, “How many years has it been? I never thought I’d run into you here.”
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Do you still remember me? I was from high school—”
Yun Li cut her off: “I remember.”"Is this your boyfriend? He's quite handsome." Qu Mingxin didn't notice Yun Li's aloofness and continued chatting casually.
Yun Li replied, "No, he's my colleague."
"You're already working? I heard from other classmates that you didn't get into grad school through recommendation and were preparing for the entrance exam—" Qu Mingxin remained her usual carefree self. "I came to Nanwu for work after graduating. My friend is doing her master's at South Science and Technology University, so I came to visit her today."
"..."
Seeing how enthusiastic Qu Mingxin was, Yun Li couldn't help but feel a bit lost and responded blankly, "I'm also doing my master's here."
"Let's go."
Fu Shize, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke up. Without waiting for a response, he strode off ahead.
Yun Li quickly caught up and said to Qu Mingxin, "We have to go now."
Qu Mingxin smiled and waved. "Alright! Let's catch up over a meal sometime! It's been so long since we last met." With that, she turned to rejoin her friend.
As Yun Li followed Fu Shize, her thoughts drifted back to Qu Mingxin.
Why did she act like they were still close?
Didn't she say it herself?
That she hated people like me.
Back in her first year of high school, Yun Li had been more outgoing. She quickly bonded with her dormmates, especially Deng Chuqi.
Deng Chuqi was cheerful, and the two often played off each other like a comedy duo, making them well-liked in class.
After the arts and sciences split in their second year, Yun Li joined the science class, where she knew almost no one.
That was when she met Qu Mingxin.
Qu Mingxin was warm and friendly to everyone, including Yun Li.
She would greet Yun Li whenever they crossed paths, her eyes crinkling into cheerful slits.
A natural at livening up the class atmosphere, Qu Mingxin was the school's star host, always standing in the spotlight. Everyone adored her energy—Yun Li included.
At first, Yun Li quite liked her new class. Even though her close friends weren't there, she was eager to forge new connections, shyly reaching out to her classmates.
But strangely, no matter how hard she tried, her classmates kept her at arm's length.
Lunch break lasted two hours. Most students returned to their dorms to nap, but some stayed in the classroom to study, chat, or play games.
One day, Yun Li wasn't feeling sleepy either. Knowing Qu Mingxin and a few others usually spent lunch breaks in the classroom, she decided to join them.
Before she even stepped inside, she overheard their conversation.
"Should we invite Yun Li to play Three Kingdoms Kill this weekend? She mentioned during the break that she knows how to play." Yun Li recognized the voice—it belonged to the girl who had stood behind her during morning exercises.
Another girl chimed in, "She plays too? She seems so quiet and sweet—I didn't expect that."
Qu Mingxin hesitated before saying, "I don’t really want to invite her. I don’t like her much."
The first girl asked, "Why? She seems nice."
Qu Mingxin replied, "She just puts on this goody-two-shoes act. Her old roommate told me she was really close with all the guys in her last class. Total green tea vibes."
"No way..."
"I can’t stand that kind of girl. If you invite her, don’t count me in."
Yun Li suddenly felt like she didn’t understand people at all.
She knew the world was full of all kinds—tattooed barbecue uncles with warm smiles, beautiful but cold-blooded executioners.But she had always thought these things were far removed from her. In her understanding, the only duplicity she knew was when Yun Ye would secretly ask if their parents were looking for him after each time he ran away from home, or when Deng Chuqi would copy homework every morning but immediately put on a serious face and start morning reading whenever the class informant announced the teacher was coming...
Just moments ago at the snack shop, when Qu Mingxin saw the orange juice in her hand, she had even smiled and said she wanted to buy the same one.
Yun Li really wanted to rush into the classroom and tell them she wasn’t the person Qu Mingxin had described.
She longed for lively atmospheres and loved the harmony of everyone being together.
But she found her feet wouldn’t move.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t take a step forward.
If only she could be a little braver.
Maybe she should just go back to the dorm.
Yun Li didn’t really understand why she had been so easily affected back then. It wasn’t as if she had never encountered people who gossiped behind others’ backs.
Suddenly, she thought—maybe it was because she had genuinely liked Qu Mingxin before.
Perhaps she just couldn’t handle the stark contrast—
Lost in thoughts about high school, Yun Li didn’t notice the two pumpkin-headed mascots walking toward her until their round, plump costumes bumped into her.
By the time she snapped back to reality, the mascot—twice her size—had spread its arms wide, as if to hug her. ???
Yun Li froze, unsure how to react.
A cold hand gripped her wrist and pulled her back. She only felt a gust of wind brush past before she found herself standing behind Fu Shize.
Dazed, Yun Li followed the warmth on her wrist—his hand was still holding hers.
Fu Shize himself hadn’t fully processed it either. The moment he saw Yun Li about to be "swallowed" by the mascot, he had instinctively pulled her behind him.
The mascot seemed just as stunned, pausing for two seconds before resuming its original motion—hugging him.
"......"
It then plucked a rabbit-shaped balloon from its tail and handed it to him.
"......"
When he didn’t take it, the mascot insistently pushed it toward him again.
Fu Shize had no choice but to stiffly accept it.
The balloon was fully inflated, its rabbit ears perked up. Holding this thing made Fu Shize deeply uncomfortable. He turned and held it out to Yun Li.
"For you."
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