Completely calmed down, Yun Li reflected on her earlier words and realized she had acted impulsively. She stammered, "I didn’t mean to sound harsh."
"Mm."
Fu Shize didn’t seem to mind.
Yun Li secretly sighed in relief. Remembering how decisively he had thrown away the beer earlier, she bit her lip and tentatively asked, "Did you throw the beer away because I... got angry?"
She watched his expression carefully as he set the spoon down in the bowl. He didn’t deny it: "Maybe I was startled."
His demeanor was indifferent, devoid of any extra emotion. Even when he glanced up at her, his eyes were clear and unreadable.
It didn’t seem to be what she had imagined—he hadn’t meant anything else by it.
After sitting for a while, Yun Li recalled how he had suffered from stomach pain at noon and couldn’t help but say softly, "I don’t want to interfere too much in your life, but your stomach isn’t in good shape. Drinking alcohol is really bad for it."
"If you’re feeling down, you can talk to your friends. If you don’t have any, I can reluctantly be your friend..."
Fu Shize: "You don’t seem very reluctant."
Yun Li was straightforward: "Then what I want isn’t to be just friends."
"......"
For some reason, after being so decisively and coldly rejected by Fu Shize, Yun Li found herself speaking more freely.
When she talked like this, Fu Shize didn’t get angry.
Having spent so much time together, she no longer needed to tread as carefully as she had when they first met.
Yun Li: "Why did you get in the car?"
Fu Shize: "To discuss tomorrow’s arrangements."
Hearing it was work-related, Yun Li set aside her other thoughts: "Go ahead."
Fu Shize tidied up his things and then sat aside playing 2048, casually outlining the next day’s schedule.
Yun Li stared at his profile as he calmly tapped and swiped on his phone. After playing for a while, he said politely, "I’ll sit for a bit. Can’t quit mid-game."
"Oh, no rush. I’m not busy right now."
Fu Shize didn’t ask why she was parked in front of his hotel. He wasn’t stupid, and Yun Li wasn’t hiding her motives or intentions at all.
After playing 2048 in the car for over an hour and chatting briefly, Fu Shize got out.
Once home, Yun Li sent Fu Shize a WeChat message to let him know she’d arrived safely. He replied within minutes—just a simple "Mm" on the screen, but it was enough to make her secretly happy.
The next day, Yun Li arrived forty minutes early, driving to the print shop opposite West Science and Technology University to pick up the brochures. She parked her car inside the College of Control and carried the brochures to the corner café on the first floor.
After ordering at the counter, Yun Li chose a seat near the entrance.
The conference room was next to the café. With fifteen minutes left before the event, teachers and students began trickling in. Yun Li eagerly watched the door and spotted Fu Shize entering behind the crowd. She waved at him.
Fu Shize walked over.
Yun Li pulled out the chair beside her slightly: "Do you want to sit here later?"
Fu Shize didn’t answer directly: "I’ll go order."
Yun Li’s gaze followed Fu Shize as he stopped at the counter. After standing there for a while, four or five older individuals approached and chatted with him, as if they had known each other for years.
"Hi, we meet again."A familiar voice made Yun Li look up, and she saw the bespectacled man she had met the day before yesterday. With an air of familiarity, he hung his bag on the back of the chair, pulled it out, and sat down.
Yun Li: "...This seat is taken."
"Well, it's not taken right now, is it?" The bespectacled man seemed to think Yun Li's words were just an excuse, appearing rather flippant. "How about reconsidering adding me on WeChat?"
Yun Li shook her head. "No, thanks."
Rejected, the man didn’t seem bothered. "Even though you say you're Fu Shize's girlfriend, everyone in the department knows he's gay. You're a pretty girl—don’t get fooled."
Yun Li: "..."
"I've been at West Science and Technology University for eight years and know a lot about Fu Shize. If you're curious, I can tell you. We could meet up often."
This guy clearly had ulterior motives, and Yun Li hadn’t planned to engage further. But his words struck a chord—she had almost no way of learning about Fu Shize’s past.
Seeing her hesitation, the man took out his phone. "Scan me."
While Yun Li was still deliberating, Fu Shize approached with a tray, standing beside the bespectacled man and stating expressionlessly, "This is my seat."
The man didn’t argue further, quickly standing up to vacate the seat. He nodded politely at Fu Shize. "Hello, Senior Fu. I’m Chen Lirong, a Jointly Trained Doctor under Teacher Shi and Teacher Xiang."
"..."
This guy... switched attitudes way too fast.
Chen Lirong acted slick, offering a few flattering remarks before eyeing the last remaining seat at the table. "There’s still a spot here, Senior Fu. Mind if I—"
Fu Shize pulled the extra chair out and pushed it straight to the neighboring table.
He sat down indifferently, unwrapping his toast as if the other man didn’t exist.
After arriving at the classroom, Fu Shize pointed Yun Li to a box of water bottles by the entrance, instructing her to place one at each seat along with printed materials.
Once the room was set up, Yun Li finally had a moment to herself.
After wrestling with her thoughts, she approached Fu Shize. "It’s ending tomorrow. What day did you book your return ticket for?"
"Wednesday," Fu Shize answered without hesitation.
"I’ve booked mine too—Thursday." Yun Li opened a water bottle, feigning casualness. "What time’s yours?"
Fu Shize glanced down, recalling the details. "6:15."
"Oh. The airport’s pretty far from here. Want me to give you a ride?"
"..." Fu Shize’s gaze conveyed refusal.
Once Fu Shize took the stage to present, Yun Li sat in the back row and secretly searched for flights to Nanwu on Wednesday at 18:15. Luckily, there was only one flight at that time, so she wouldn’t have to worry about booking the wrong one.
Seeing only one economy seat left, she immediately placed the order.
With the ticket secured, Yun Li guiltily looked up—Fu Shize was still explaining the tracking precision of the VR devices to the audience in front.
She opened her camera and, while he wasn’t looking, snapped a quick photo.
"To achieve precise tracking, this Virtual Reality Product utilizes Real-Time Differential GPS Technology..."Yun Li didn’t quite understand the content Fu Shize was presenting, but she still listened with full concentration. Throughout the entire introduction, he was relaxed and at ease, speaking fluently. Even when it came to obscure academic terms, he maintained his composure effortlessly.
This was how he should be.
The chair beside her creaked. Yun Li turned her head and saw that bespectacled man again. Startled, she shifted one seat over.
On stage, Fu Shize suddenly paused mid-sentence.
He continued, “Indoor and outdoor somatosensory positioning…”
Chen Lirong, completely oblivious, moved another seat closer to Yun Li.
Fu Shize’s gaze shifted to the last row of the classroom. For several seconds, he couldn’t speak.
At that moment, Chen Lirong showed Yun Li a photo. It was taken from across the hallway, capturing Fu Shize and another boy leaning against the railing, each holding a cup of milk tea, seemingly in conversation.
Yun Li wanted to take a closer look, but Chen Lirong switched to displaying his WeChat QR code instead. Caught in a dilemma, she reluctantly added him.
“Apologies, I can’t quite recall the product details. Let me fetch the materials.”
Fu Shize stepped off the stage as if nothing had happened, walking straight to the last row. When his eyes met Chen Lirong’s, they lingered for several seconds.
He reached over and took the brochure from Yun Li’s desk, his hand brushing against her, causing her to shift another seat away.
The brochure bumped into Chen Lirong. Fu Shize lowered his gaze slightly, waited a moment, then said indifferently, “Excuse me.”
By the time Fu Shize returned to the stage, for some reason, Chen Lirong no longer insisted on sitting next to Yun Li and instead got up to change seats.
After the meeting ended, a few professors and students remained in the classroom. An elderly professor with half-gray hair approached Fu Shize, speaking at length into his ear before finally patting him on the shoulder.
Fu Shize showed no impatience, listening quietly the entire time.
After packing up the extra brochures, Yun Li followed Fu Shize out the door. He walked with his hands in his pockets, his pace steady.
“Was that your advisor just now? Shi… Shi Xiangzhe?”
“Mm.”
“And that guy with glasses… is he your junior?”
Yun Li wasn’t sure how much of Chen Lirong’s words could be trusted. If he really was Fu Shize’s junior, then his claims might not be entirely baseless.
She didn’t want the next rejection to come in the form of Fu Shize saying, “I like men.”
Hearing her question, Fu Shize stopped in his tracks, his face cold as he pulled out his phone to hail a ride. “I’m leaving.”
This time, someone accepted the ride immediately. The car was already within West Science and Technology University and soon arrived at the entrance of the Control Sciences building. Yun Li watched as he opened the car door without even glancing back.
“Wait a second.”
Her brief moment of dejection didn’t last long. She stuffed another brochure into Fu Shize’s hand, her face flushing as she took a step back, waiting for him to get into the car.
In a sour mood, Fu Shize buckled his seatbelt immediately after getting in and tossed the brochure into his bag with a cold expression.
After a while.
He took the brochure out again and opened it. Inside was a folded paper moon, its surface smoothed flat, with a sticky note attached—
“Seeing you is like seeing the moon.”
…
On Tuesday evening, Yun Li packed her luggage for the trip back to Nanwu. Sitting on the carpet in her fluffy robe, she checked the items in her suitcase against her phone’s memo. A sudden gust of wind made her pause and look up.The window had opened again.
A light knock sounded at the door.
Three seconds of silence passed. The handle turned, and the door cracked open. Yun Li glanced over, unsurprised to see the only creature in the house who bothered knocking before entering her room.
The boy’s features were clear and bright, a mischievous grin revealing a set of tiger teeth identical to hers. It was obvious he had an agenda.
But before he could even speak, an icy gust of wind slapped him in the face. Yun Ye’s handsome features twisted momentarily as he shivered violently, his youthful voice cracking in protest: "Holy crap, Yun Li, why is your room so damn cold?!"
Yun Li continued packing. "Close the window for me."
Yun Ye obediently scrambled over and tried to shut the window. After two failed attempts, he frowned. "Yun Li, is your window broken?"
"Seems like it," Yun Li replied. "It won’t stay shut. The wind keeps blowing it open."
Yun Ye nodded, not too concerned. He sat on her bed, hesitating, then stood up again, pacing a few steps before sitting back down.
Then standing up again.
Sitting.
Standing, taking two more steps.
Like he had a thorn in his backside.
Distracted by his antics, Yun Li asked sympathetically, "Hemorrhoids?"
Yun Ye bristled. "No!"
"Good." Yun Li considered for a moment before offering soothing advice. "At your age, sitting all day studying, it wouldn’t be surprising if you developed that issue. Make sure to get up and move around more, drink plenty of water, and avoid too much greasy food—"
Yun Ye cut her off. "I don’t have hemorrhoids!!"
"I know," Yun Li said with a smile, completely unfazed. "Just make sure you go to the bathroom normally these days. If it gets really bad, don’t force yourself."
"..."
"Monitor the situation first. If it doesn’t improve, we’ll go to the hospital."
Soon after, Yun Ye locked the door, adopting the air of a top-secret negotiation.
Yun Li paused briefly, discreetly tucking her wallet beneath a pile of clothes before preemptively declaring, "Don’t even think about it. I’m broke."
"..." Yun Ye, who had just mustered his courage, choked on his words. "What kind of person do you take me for?!"
"Oh, my mistake. Your sister underestimated you," Yun Li reminded him. "You still owe me 302 yuan and 50 cents, remember?"
"I just sent you 252..." Yun Ye took a deep breath, swallowing his pride since he needed a favor. Even though he usually acted like the king of debt, he pulled out his phone and sent her a red packet.
"Here, payback."
Suspicious, Yun Li tapped to open it. The moment she saw the amount—2.50 yuan—her lips twitched, and irritation flared. "You call this paying me back?"
"Well, I’m broke too, so I can only pay in installments," Yun Ye said shamelessly. "Starting now, I’ll send you 2.50 on the first of every month. Eventually, it’ll all add up."
Yun Li did the math. "Three hundred yuan will take you fifty years?"
Yun Ye was about to agree but thought better of angering her further. Reluctantly, he amended, "Not necessarily. Once my financial situation improves, I could pay it all off in one go."
"Fine," Yun Li said, eager to finish packing. "What do you want?"
Yun Ye resumed his pacing.
Yun Li snapped, "Hurry up."
Finally, Yun Ye stammered out, "I want you to deliver something for me."
"To who? I’m going back to Nanwu tomorrow."Yun Ye explained awkwardly, "My classmate, her older brother stayed in Nanwu to work after graduating from South Science and Technology University, so their whole family moved there together."
Yun Li found it troublesome and refused outright, "Oh, just mail it then."
"I glued it together myself—it might fall apart if mailed." Yun Ye adopted a pleading tone, even changing how he addressed her. "Sis, please?"
Yun Li didn't push back further and instead asked, "Male or female?"
"..."
Yun Ye answered quietly, "A girl."
Yun Li eyed him suspiciously. "Are you puppy-loving?"
Yun Ye was at a loss for words this time. After struggling for a moment, he managed to say, "No, we're just really good friends. But don't tell Mom and Dad, or Dad will kill me."
Yun Li thought for a bit but still refused. "Do I have to meet her? I don't want to."
"Please, Yun Li," Yun Ye pleaded anxiously. "I stayed up several nights to make this. Her birthday's coming up, and I promised to give her a gift."
Yun Ye's naive persistence reminded Yun Li of herself when she was chasing Fu Shize. Reluctantly, she nodded. "Fine, give it to me."
Yun Ye's eyes lit up with surprise. "Really?" He immediately dashed back to his room and returned just as quickly, handing Yun Li a neatly wrapped small box. "Keep this side up, and don't shake it—it might break."
Yun Li tapped the table. "Put it here."
Yun Ye still seemed uneasy. "You have to hand it to her personally."
"..."
Yun Li rarely found Yun Ye this nagging. "Fine."
After seeing Yun Ye off, Yun Li curiously examined the box.
Wrapped tightly in pink frosted paper, the contents were impossible to guess. After Yun Ye's endless warnings, she didn't dare shake it.
Turning it around, she saw four elegantly written characters on the back:
"To Yin Yunyi."
The next afternoon, Yun Yongchang offered to drive Yun Li to the airport. Wanting to arrive early, the two left ahead of time.
The father and daughter remained silent for most of the ride. Only as they neared the airport did Yun Yongchang start lecturing, "Take care of yourself in Nanwu. Don't go to dangerous places."
"Got it."
Yun Li's emotions were mixed. After getting out of the car, she muttered a quick "I'm leaving" and hurried into the terminal.
The airline's check-in counters were at Row F. Yun Li found a seat and waited—there were still two hours until departure. After about forty minutes, she spotted Fu Shize pulling his luggage through the door. He scanned the area briefly before heading to the first counter in Row F.
Yun Li sprang up and quickly walked over, stopping just outside the yellow line. After Fu Shize checked in, he turned and saw Yun Li smiling somewhat awkwardly.
Yun Li recited the excuse she had prepared: "My original flight got canceled, so I switched to today's. Can you wait for me? I need to check in too."
He didn't seem surprised and simply wheeled his luggage aside to wait.
Pointing at him, Yun Li told the check-in staff, "That gentleman over there, Fu Shize, is my friend. Can I sit next to him?"
The agent looked skeptical but didn't argue. "That passenger is in business class. You're booked in economy."
"..."
Yun Li's lips twitched. She distinctly remembered the company only reimbursed economy fares.
Her heart bleeding, she asked, "What about upgrading...?"
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