Yun Li's thoughts were still lingering on the fact that Fu Shize had grabbed her wrist, and she absentmindedly took the balloon.
In her memory, this seemed to be their first physical contact.
He didn’t seem to react at all?
Did he not care about it, or…
Did he not mind holding her hand?
Yun Li looked up at the balloon floating in mid-air. The rabbit’s exaggerated grin stretched wide, just like the crescent moon in his profile picture. The displeasure from her memories dissipated instantly.
Even though she was already twenty-three, holding onto this balloon felt childish, but Yun Li didn’t want to let go.
After walking around for a while, the two returned near the bean stall. There was a special Halloween shadow puppet show, with the curtain hung low and a dense crowd already gathered in front.
They joined in the excitement. Yun Li, standing at just over 1.6 meters tall, couldn’t see anything in the sea of people. Fu Shize stood behind her.
Yun Li could only rely on Fu Shize’s narration: “What’s happening inside?”
Fu Shize: “Four pumpkin men.”
Yun Li: “What are they doing?”
Fu Shize: “Walking a pumpkin dog.”
Yun Li: “…”
It didn’t sound particularly interesting, but the crowd around them kept cheering. Yun Li had already stepped back, ready to leave, when the couple in front of her suddenly moved—the guy lifted his girlfriend onto his shoulders.
Seeing this, several other couples followed suit, while those without partners awkwardly stood their ground. The girl in front of Yun Li noticed the situation and slapped her male friend’s arm: “Let me ride on your shoulders?”
“No way, I don’t even have a girlfriend yet…”
“This is the perfect chance! If you’re a real man, let me ride!”
Witnessing this scene, Yun Li felt inexplicably embarrassed. She turned to look at Fu Shize and found him staring back at her.
Fu Shize: “Do you really want to watch?”
Yun Li couldn’t decipher his question. After some thought, she answered honestly, “Not really. But,” curious about how he’d respond, she added, “What if I did?”
Fu Shize: “Then keep thinking about it in your heart.”
Yun Li: “…”
On the way back, Yun Li remembered Fu Zhengchu: “By the way, I talked to Fu Zhengchu today. I misunderstood him before.”
“Hmm.”
Yun Li didn’t have many friends. When she first met Fu Zhengchu, she might not have spoken more than a few sentences the entire day, but he never made her feel like an outsider. She sighed sincerely, “He’s actually quite nice.”
Fu Shize: “Are you considering being with him?”
His question was so direct that, from Yun Li’s perspective, it bordered on absurdity. She was stunned for a moment, unsure where he’d gotten such an idea. Speechless, she replied, “Fu Zhengchu is so much younger than me, and he’s already had four or five girlfriends…” She cut herself off, stating firmly, “Anyway, impossible.”
…
Back home, Yun Li hung the balloon by her bed. When she opened her computer to check the schedule, she realized next week was the autumn semester’s exam week.
“You got back too late yesterday, and today was rushed. How’s it going?” Deng Chuqi, concerned about her progress, called Yun Li right after work.
“Don’t use the word ‘chase.’ It’s ‘pursuit,’” Yun Li corrected seriously. “I invited him to the Halloween market tonight. We just got back, and he gave me a balloon.”
“Xia Xia’s uncle agreed to go out with you alone? And gave you a balloon?”"It wasn't a gift," Yun Li couldn't hide the smile in her voice, "but he gave it to me."
After tapping it in one direction, the balloon spun twice before reversing course, coming to a stop right in front of her.
The next morning, Yun Li got up early, packed her schoolbag, grabbed some bread and chocolate milk, then headed to campus.
It was early winter. The slanting sunlight pierced through the morning mist, illuminating floating dust particles. Though the temperature wasn't too low—Yun Li wore a knit sweater—the occasional breeze still carried a chill.
After solving practice problems in the classroom, Yun Li felt transported back to her undergraduate days when heavy course loads meant pulling all-nighters before finals, cramming one subject every two days. Back then, she'd at least had roommates to discuss problems with.
After class, Yun Li instinctively took out her phone: [Fu Zhengchu, if I paid your uncle for tutoring, would he agree?]
Fu Zhengchu: [Uncle's pretty wealthy—probably not.]
Yun Li: [Oh, do you have any exams coming up?]
Fu Zhengchu: [Yeah, two next week. What's up, Lili?]
Yun Li: [How's your studying going?]
Fu Zhengchu: [I feel like it's... going okay?]
"..."
Seeming to realize something, Fu Zhengchu quickly sent follow-up messages.
Fu Zhengchu: [No no no, not going well at all! Let's study together, Lili!]
Fu Zhengchu: [I'll ask Uncle to tutor us.]
Fu Zhengchu: [Family should help each other out.]
Yun Li marveled at Fu Zhengchu's quick thinking as he promptly scheduled their session for Saturday morning at a café near South Science and Technology University.
When Saturday arrived, Yun Li prepared early, arriving right as the café opened. The industrial-style space featured gray concrete floors and exposed crisscrossing pipes beneath high ceilings.
Choosing a corner table large enough for their group, Yun Li set out her laptop and textbooks, reviewing material while waiting for Fu Shize.
Fu Shize arrived five minutes early. After scanning the café, he walked directly to Yun Li's table and took the seat to her right.
Only then did Yun Li look up with a smile. "You're not wearing a shirt—you look like a young student."
Fu Shize: "...Or maybe I actually am a student."
Yun Li paused, realizing he had a point.
As he sat down, Yun Li reached for the water pitcher to pour him a glass. Fu Shize naturally pressed down on the lid. "I'll do it," he said quietly.
Yun Li didn't insist, instead pressing the service bell. The waitress—a young woman with a high ponytail—glanced at them while setting down menus, her gaze lingering on Fu Shize.
Dressed in a black hoodie by the window, he was bathed in sunlight.
Yun Li flipped casually through the menu. "I'll have a mocha and chocolate pancakes," she said, passing it to Fu Shize.
He didn't take it. "Black coffee."
After waiting a moment without hearing a food order, Yun Li reminded him, "Skipping breakfast hurts your stomach."
Yun Li: "How about some matcha waffles? I'd like some too."
Fu Shize: "Mm."
"That'll be all, thank you." Yun Li collected the menus and handed them back.
With their order placed, Yun Li reopened her textbook to make the most of their valedictorian tutor's time.
Fu Shize: "Do you have past exams?""There's an electronic version." Yun Li took out her laptop again, operated it for a while, and opened a document.
"Alright." Fu Shize stood up and sat on the chair next to Yun Li. "Pen and paper."
A faint scent of mint and lemon drifted from Fu Shize, and the sudden closeness made Yun Li's head spin.
Yun Li obediently took them out.
Fu Shize: "Have you done this before?"
Yun Li shook her head.
Fu Shize: "Then let's start now, one question at a time."
Yun Li looked at the questions alone for a while, her expression awkward.
"Am I supposed to do it myself now?" After a pause, she said hesitantly, "It's not that I don’t want to, I’m just worried about wasting your time."
Fu Shize: "..."
"Give me the pen."
Then, Fu Shize meticulously wrote out the steps on the paper, explaining each line as he went. Watching his profile, Yun Li found herself lost in thought. From the very beginning, he had never been someone merely praised within a small circle—almost everyone who knew him willingly placed him on an altar. And now, this person was sitting right beside her. It felt surreal.
By the time their food arrived, Fu Shize had already explained two problems to Yun Li. While working on the questions, Yun Li’s mind wandered: "I feel like I don’t retain much even after attending lectures. Did you go to every class when you were doing your Ph.D.?"
"Unless I had competitions outside, I attended every lecture. After all, they all knew me," Fu Shize replied. "If I didn’t show up, they’d ask if it was because their teaching wasn’t good enough."
"..."
Yun Li suddenly pictured a scene.
The professor lecturing at the podium, Fu Shize sitting in the front row, scrutinizing.
After finishing a section, the professor smiled and asked, "Fu, do you have any questions?"
Fu Shize nodded slightly. "No issues."
Or perhaps the professor noticed Fu Shize wasn’t there that day and grew despondent.
After class, he’d ask other professors if Fu Shize had attended their lectures. Upon hearing he had, they’d tell him to reflect on why Fu Shize skipped his class.
Suddenly, Fu Shize tapped the table with his fingers and asked, "Thinking?"
Yun Li hurriedly shook her head, admitting she had spaced out.
"Could tell." Fu Shize took out his phone and started playing 2048 again.
"Let’s eat something first." Yun Li moved her laptop aside and carefully placed the A4 paper Fu Shize had used into an L-shaped folder.
Fu Shize took the matcha waffle in front of him, picked up a knife and fork, cut it into bite-sized squares, then pushed the plate back toward Yun Li.
Yun Li poked a piece with her fork and slid the plate back. "I’ll just try a bite."
Fu Shize speared a piece of waffle. He ate slowly, chewing each bite for over half a minute, which made Yun Li unconsciously slow down too.
"Hello." It was the girl from earlier—she must have touched up her makeup, looking more polished now. "Are you Xian Yun Di Da Jiang?"
Since posting the robot video last time, not only had Yun Li gained a significant number of followers, but the views on her older videos had also skyrocketed. Now, she occasionally got recognized in public as "Xian Yun Di Da Jiang."When fans asked to take photos with her, Yun Li would still feel a bit flustered, unsure of how to interact with them. She had even consulted other content creators for advice on handling such situations. However, she still wasn’t quite used to taking photos with fans.
“Yes, that’s right.” But what puzzled Yun Li was that the girl had been staring at Fu Shize the whole time—yet she had actually come to talk to her. “Is there something you need?”
The girl suddenly became bashful again. “Well—” Her gaze shifted back to Fu Shize, and her words came out a little incoherent. “I watched your last video on E-Station. It doesn’t really have anything to do with your friend—but, um, can I take a photo with him?”
Yun Li: “…”
Yun Li: “Maybe… you should ask him yourself?” Not wanting to get involved in a stranger’s business, she added, “I’m not that close with him either.”
Fu Shize: “…”
Fu Shize didn’t seem to be listening to their conversation, his attention elsewhere as he continued eating slowly.
“Excuse me, sir, can I add you on WeChat?”
Fu Shize replied coldly, “I don’t have WeChat.”
As if anticipating his refusal, the girl pressed on, “Can I take a photo with you, then?”
Fu Shize didn’t answer immediately. He gave her a detached look for a moment, and the girl’s face flushed instantly before he distantly responded, “Not today.”
Yun Li had expected Fu Shize’s rejection—after all, she had been turned down plenty of times herself. She was somewhat confident in predicting his reactions. That confidence gradually morphed into a sense of camaraderie with the girl in front of her.
Yun Li: “Don’t take it too hard.”
The girl looked at Yun Li, who was slowly eating a waffle, sincerely comforting her. “I asked him before too, and he didn’t give it to me either.”
Fu Shize: “…”
Yun Li: “But now we’re sitting at the same table, sharing the same waffle.”
Fu Shize: “…”
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