Upgrading the seat cost five hundred yuan, which was within Yun Li's budget.
Splurging just to spend two extra hours with Fu Shize made her feel like her soul had been drained.
Her heart bleeding as she walked out, Yun Li spotted Fu Shize standing amidst the bustling crowd, his striking presence impossible to miss, waiting for her.
She realized it was actually worth it.
Once inside the boarding area, they bought coffee and found seats near the gate.
Fu Shize pulled the hood of his coat over his head, leaned back in the chair, and lowered his gaze.
Assuming he was sleeping, Yun Li didn’t disturb him.
She quietly played with her phone.
A few minutes later, she turned off the screen.
Placing the phone on her lap, she stealthily adjusted the angle, trying to catch a glimpse of Fu Shize through the reflection.
Suddenly, the person on the screen looked up.
Yun Li froze, quickly retracting her phone and pretending nothing had happened.
Fu Shize: "If you can see me, I can see you too." His voice was slightly hoarse.
Why had she ever thought he wouldn’t call her out?
Yun Li defended herself, "I just wanted to check if you were asleep."
"No." His reply was curt.
Since Fu Shize wasn’t planning to sleep anymore, Yun Li opened E-Station and played a few videos for him. He responded half-heartedly. Sitting close, she remembered the little surprise she had prepared for him a few days ago. Biting her lower lip, she asked, "Did you see the thing I slipped in for you?"
Noticing his blank expression, she felt a pang of foreboding: "The one with the moon and a sticky note?"
"What did it say?" Fu Shize sipped his coffee, his eyes downcast, unreadable. When Yun Li remained silent, he lifted his gaze. "Tell me."
"..."
Yun Li was so flustered she wanted to stomp her feet. "Did you throw away the brochure?"
Fu Shize: "I did."
"Forget it..." Frustrated, Yun Li scrolled through her phone, tapping her heel lightly against the floor.
Once on the plane, Yun Li got her wish and sat beside Fu Shize.
The aircraft hit turbulence, jolting repeatedly. The flight attendant made several announcements, but Yun Li couldn’t hear clearly due to the pressure in her right ear.
Outside the window, thick, dark clouds loomed, lightning flashing as if striking the plane directly, making her flinch and close her eyes.
Her first thought was that she hadn’t bought travel insurance this time.
Restless and unable to hear the announcements, she glanced outside before hesitantly poking Fu Shize’s arm.
Fu Shize stirred, lifting his eye mask slightly.
Yun Li: "Is something wrong with the plane?"
Fu Shize turned toward her and spoke a few words, but Yun Li could only see his lips move without hearing anything.
He repeated himself a few times, but seeing her confusion, he leaned in close to her ear.
Though she still couldn’t make out his words, she felt the warmth of his breath against her skin.
Heat rushed from her neck up to her face.
The cabin lights dimmed, the seat trembling with each jolt, the roar of the engines filling her ears. With all her senses overwhelmed, the sensation of his warm breath brushing her right ear repeatedly stood out.
Thump, thump.
Her heartbeat raced to its limit. Unable to bear it, Yun Li turned her face away and whispered, "I still can’t hear you."
Fu Shize: "..."
Flustered, she turned her back to him, taking a long moment to compose herself before facing him again. She touched her right ear—it didn’t feel as hot anymore.Sitting up straight, Yun Li turned her head to see Fu Shize had already removed his eye mask. Leaning against the cabin, he gazed listlessly out the window, his eyes reflecting the sudden flashes of lightning, unaffected by the turbulence.
Yun Li: "Aren't you scared at all?"
Fu Shize shook his head.
Yun Li: "I'm a little scared. Could you talk to me? It would help calm me down."
Fu Shize opened their WeChat chat interface, typed out [You can't hear me.], sent it, and showed it to her.
His phone was in airplane mode with no signal, and a red exclamation mark indicated the message failed to send.
Yun Li: "Then let's chat using our phones."
Speaking alone felt awkward, so Yun Li took Fu Shize's phone and typed in the same chat window: [The plane is shaking so much. It feels like we might crash.]
Looking up, she noticed Fu Shize had saved her contact as 'Yun Lili.'
The three characters strung together made it seem like he was being cutesy.
Yun Li: [My name is Yun Li. Have you been remembering it wrong all this time?]
Fu Shize took the phone back: [Mhm.]
But he made no move to change the nickname.
Yun Li: [Then let's keep it like this. It sounds nice anyway.]
Fu Shize: [Mhm.]
Yun Li: [Can we go back together later? I want to share a ride. It's late, and taxis are expensive.]
After taking the phone, Fu Shize didn't reply immediately.
Yun Li stared at him. A few seconds later, he picked up the phone again, typed something, and handed it back.
Fu Shize: [Xu Qingsong is picking us up. He'll drop you off.]
They passed the phone back and forth dozens of times. Perhaps out of boredom, Fu Shize didn't seem tired of it.
Yun Li accidentally hit the back button, revealing the WeChat main interface. The second chat window was the one with Lin Wanyin she had seen before. Just like last time, it showed 99+ unread messages, with the latest one visible: [I'll come see you next month.]
By the time the plane landed, Xu Qingsong was already waiting in the parking lot. Dressed in a sky-blue shirt, he greeted them with his usual carefree smile, the epitome of a refined gentleman, and leisurely opened the car door for Yun Li.
As soon as they got in, Xu Qingsong asked, "How was the trip?"
When Fu Shize didn't respond, his tone lifted slightly: "What's wrong?"
Fu Shize's voice was drowsy: "It was fine."
Seeing how exhausted he was, Xu Qingsong didn't press further and drove Yun Li back to Seven Mile Fragrant Capital first.
As the car door closed, Yun Li looked at the solitary figure inside, appearing frail and alone.
Their days of close interaction came to an abrupt halt.
After returning to Nanwu, during her internship, Yun Li didn't have many opportunities to interact with Fu Shize at work. The HR department handled most of the company's miscellaneous tasks, so apart from seeking him out during daily tea breaks, Yun Li focused most of her energy on her job.
Her interactions with Fu Shize gradually returned to their usual routine.
Yun Li: [Want to have dinner together tonight?]
Fu Shize: [No.]
Or—
Yun Li: [I brought you a small cake. I'll bring it over now.]
Fu Shize: [No.]
Or even—
Yun Li: [Want to grab coffee at Xiao Zhu together?]
Fu Shize: [No.]
Every rejection was the same two-word response: "No." Yun Li even wondered if it was an auto-reply.
To test this, she changed her approach: [Should we have dinner separately tonight?]
Fu Shize: [Mhm.]
"..."
Yun Li paid no mind to Fu Shize's various overt and subtle rejections. Inviting him had become a daily habit.After knocking on Fu Shize's office door one too many times, he found it bothersome to answer. Finally, during one of Yun Li's coffee deliveries, Fu Shize opened the door and pulled her inside, unexpectedly saying, "Just come in directly from now on. No need to knock."
...
On Saturday morning, a message from Deng Chuqi popped up: ["Can I come over to your place today?"]
Deng Chuqi: ["Xia Xia went back home."]
Yun Li replied directly: ["Sure, just come over whenever."]
Around mealtime, Yun Li timed it perfectly—by the time Deng Chuqi arrived, two bowls of wonton noodles were ready.
"You're the best, Lili. Why don’t you just marry me?" Deng Chuqi washed her hands first before sitting down at the dining table.
Yun Li feigned indifference: "My heart belongs to another. Please find someone else."
"Cruel woman." Deng Chuqi pouted.
They chatted for a while, mostly about Yun Li’s pursuit of Fu Shize. Unable to keep it hidden any longer, Yun Li confessed about being rejected earlier.
Feeling like she was on the gallows, Yun Li recounted the entire incident that day.
Deng Chuqi’s expression froze for several seconds before she exclaimed, "Holy shit!" Her face was full of shock. "Lili, so you basically admitted to him that you like him?"
Yun Li nodded.
Deng Chuqi: "And he rejected you?"
Yun Li nodded again.
"Holy shit, he actually rejected you? Is he really gay like Fu Zhengchu said?" Deng Chuqi was indignant, but seeing Yun Li’s displeasure, she reined in her emotions and continued, "I never imagined you could be so bold."
Yun Li didn’t take it as a compliment: "Bold to the point of recklessness, really."
Deng Chuqi silently ate a few bites of noodles before hesitantly adding, "Lili, actually, Xia Xia told me some things about her uncle."
Yun Li was confused: "What about it?"
"Well... it seems something bad happened to him in college, and he ended up dropping out."
Yun Li corrected, "He took a leave of absence, not dropped out. I know about it, but not the reason."
"From what Xia Xia said, Fu Shize wasn’t like this before. But after that incident, he kind of... spiraled. His current job is just a nominal position arranged by his parents."
Yun Li nodded, smiling sheepishly. "A cushy, well-paid job like that is kind of enviable."
Deng Chuqi clicked her tongue in disdain. Seeing Yun Li unfazed, she earnestly advised, "Who knows how long this phase of his will last? Lili, your first love shouldn’t be this much of a struggle."
Yun Li retorted, "It’s not like we’re actually together yet."
Knowing Deng Chuqi meant well, Yun Li sincerely explained, "It’s fine. From a lot of little things, I can tell he’s a good person."
Amused by Yun Li’s unwavering stance, Deng Chuqi chuckled. "Back then, I urged you to take the initiative, and you ignored me. Now I’m telling you to give up, and you’re ignoring me again."
Yun Li teased, "That just means you’re bad at reading the room."
Realizing Yun Li’s stubbornness, Deng Chuqi didn’t push further. After chatting for a while, she suddenly brought up changing jobs: "I’m planning to quit."Deng Chuqi looked thoroughly displeased. "The management at my company is a bunch of idiots. One of the married bosses with kids kept hitting on me in the office—it was disgusting. After I called him out, he started making things difficult for me at work. Xia Xia said her supervisor could transfer me over, but I ended up flipping that old pervert’s desk that day. We’ll see. My dad wants me to go back to West Fuling and find a job there, but I’m considering applying for a master’s program abroad."
Yun Li hadn’t expected the situation to be so serious. She squeezed Deng Chuqi’s palm reassuringly. "Are you okay?"
Deng Chuqi shook her head and continued venting about work. After seeing her off, Yun Li took a moment to reflect on what she had said.
Yun Li had been at EAW for a while now, but Xu Qingsong’s leadership style was rather laid-back and casual, which set the tone for the entire company. The atmosphere was relaxed and free, and her role in HR mostly involved miscellaneous tasks.
Truthfully, Yun Li still didn’t know what the real world was like.
...
Before heading home, Yun Li asked her dormmate Tang Lin to pick up her winter semester textbooks for her. Both Yun Li and Tang Lin rarely stayed on campus, and their interactions had mostly been limited to WeChat messages about utility bills and package pickups.
After retrieving the textbooks, Tang Lin left them in her lab, telling Yun Li to come get them whenever she had time.
For the first two weeks of classes, Yun Li hadn’t brought her books and was completely lost during lectures. After working on assignments until 10:30 p.m. on Friday, staring at formulas she couldn’t make sense of, she realized she couldn’t keep winging it. She notified Tang Lin that she was coming to pick up the books and prepared to leave.
Before winter set in, South Science and Technology University had endured a week of rain. The night air was damp and bitingly cold. Yun Li slung an empty backpack over her shoulder and wore a thick wool coat, but the chilly wind still stung her cheeks. She went back upstairs to add a cashmere scarf.
The road from Seven Mile Fragrant Capital to South Science and Technology University was brightly lit, the warm glow of streetlights piercing through the misty haze.
It was past 11 p.m., and only a handful of people passed by the lab building. Even the security guard was nowhere to be seen in the first-floor lobby, leaving only the cold, sterile lighting.
The elevator sat silently on the first floor. Yun Li stepped inside and pressed the button for the third floor.
Taking advantage of the moment, she pulled out her phone to check it.
Clang—
Yun Li: "..."
She had heard other students mention that the elevator in Building E of their college occasionally malfunctioned. Since Yun Li rarely came here, she hadn’t paid much attention to the warnings.
Now, forced into an unexpected social interaction, she sighed and pressed the emergency alarm inside the elevator.
Anxiously, she searched on her phone: What to do if trapped in an elevator? The related searches showed numerous elevator accident reports.
Ten minutes passed before Yun Li realized no one had responded to the alarm.
She lowered her head and opened her chat with Fu Shize, sending two abrupt messages:
[B City: A man trapped in an elevator died on the spot when the elevator suddenly surged upward during rescue.]
[C City: A resident trapped in an elevator fell to their death after rescue efforts went wrong.]
Fu Shize replied with just three words:
"What’s wrong?"
Yun Li:
[I’m stuck in an elevator qaq.]
Fu Shize:
[Press the alarm.]
Yun Li:
[I already did. No one came.]
Fu Shize:
[There’s a sign in the elevator with an emergency contact number.]
Yun Li looked up, found the number, and dialed.No one answered.
Yun Li tried calling a few more times with the same result.
Yun Li: [No one's picking up.]
Fu Shize: [Where are you?]
Without much thought, Yun Li sent him her location: [Elevator on the first floor of Building E, Control Engineering College at South Science and Technology University.]
After waiting several minutes without a reply from Fu Shize, she began to feel belated worry, unsure how long she'd be stuck there.
Yun Li pressed the emergency button again and continued calling the emergency contact number.
After several futile attempts, she hesitated whether to call the police.
Switching back to WeChat, she noticed a new message from Fu Shize: [I'm on my way now.]
Knowing Fu Shize was coming, Yun Li's anxiety immediately eased. She put away her phone and leaned quietly in the elevator corner to wait.
At this moment, it didn't feel like being trapped in an elevator—more like waiting for someone to arrive for a meal together.
Except she was the one who arrived early.
Another fifteen minutes passed.
Finally, the elevator intercom crackled to life: "Anyone there?"
Yun Li quickly responded, "Yes, I'm stuck in the elevator."
"Don't panic, try not to move. We've already sent maintenance personnel."
Yun Li: "Okay."
When the elevator doors opened again, maintenance workers and the security guard on duty were waiting outside. The guard kept apologizing, explaining he'd been in the restroom and hadn't heard the alarm, hoping Yun Li wouldn't report him to management.
Yun Li hadn't planned to, but being trapped for half an hour before help arrived was indeed negligence. She said, "It's fine, just don't let it happen again."
Passing the guard, Yun Li spotted Fu Shize standing further back. He looked like he'd rushed over—his hair windblown, his trench coat unzipped, leaning casually against the wall.
Yun Li walked over sheepishly.
She hadn't actually expected Fu Shize to come. When she first realized she was trapped, she hadn't felt in any real danger. Understanding elevator mechanics, she knew the accident probability was lower than a car crash.
She'd messaged Fu Shize simply to share this novel experience with him.
Embarrassed, she said, "Sorry... for making you come out so late."
Fu Shize glanced at her. "I came on my own."
Not because you asked. I decided to come myself.
"..."
As if afraid someone would steal his credit.
Yun Li: "Regardless, thank you for coming tonight." Remembering her original purpose, she added, "I need to get books from the third floor. Could you come with me?"
Without a word, Fu Shize headed for the stairs. Yun Li hurried ahead to lead the way.
The stairwell and hallway lights were off. Since the elevator had stopped at the second floor, they only needed to climb one flight.
At Tang Lin's lab, Yun Li retrieved the access card hidden above the fire extinguisher as instructed, swiped it open, and found the second cabinet on the right. She took several new books from the top shelf and sent Tang Lin a photo: [Got them.]
Tang Lin replied: [ok.]
Yun Li packed the books into her backpack.
Fu Shize waited by the door. When Yun Li exited the office, she turned off the lights, plunging the entire floor back into darkness.
Silence magnified in the dark. With the hum of electricity gone, only the faint rustle of their footsteps remained.Realizing they were alone together, Yun Li's breathing became irregular again.
It felt like a sudden impulse, yet also a long-held desire.
She really, really wanted to get closer to this source of warmth beside her.
This urge for closeness surpassed even the reluctance to leave a warm bed on winter mornings.
Walking alongside Fu Shize, Yun Li inched closer.
Little by little.
Her courage flickered like a flame, rising and fading.
Until she finally brushed against the sleeve of Fu Shize's coat.
Feeling him stiffen slightly beside her, Yun Li hurriedly explained: "It's too dark here, I can't see the path clearly. And there are stairs ahead."
"Mhm."
Fu Shize didn't say more, and Yun Li made no move to distance herself.
The lights in the first-floor lobby were still on. Seeing the illumination ahead, Yun Li—who couldn't bear being exposed—quickly sidestepped to maintain a conspicuously deliberate distance from Fu Shize.
Yun Li: "Is your car parked at the school gate?"
Fu Shize: "Mhm."
Yun Li: "Then I'll walk you to your car."
Once outside, Yun Li looked at Fu Shize again and realized he appeared genuinely cold. His trench coat was unbuttoned, letting the chilly wind rush in, leaving his slender neck completely exposed.
"Wait a moment," Yun Li called out to him.
Fu Shize stopped walking.
Yun Li removed her own scarf: "Here, take this."
When Fu Shize didn't react, she took a step closer, stood on her tiptoes, and reached up to wrap the scarf around his neck.
Fu Shize didn't move but frowned: "No need."
"You came out in the cold because of me. If you don't accept this, I'll feel guilty. Besides, I'm wearing much more than you." Yun Li said earnestly: "If you refuse again, I'll take off my coat too."
After a pause, she added: "And drape it over you as well."
Fu Shize didn't respond but casually buttoned two buttons of his coat.
As they walked along the campus path, Yun Li suddenly found the situation rather surreal. Tentatively, she asked: "Why did you come?"
Fu Shize glanced at her sideways: "You sent me a distress message."
Yun Li realized he meant the elevator accident news articles she'd forwarded. Embarrassed, she said: "That wasn't a distress call. I was trapped and wanted comfort from you—not for you to come all this way. Besides, security showed up eventually."
Fu Shize: "..."
Fu Shize: "I went to the main building to get them."
His words implied that if he hadn't come, security wouldn't have either. She would have remained trapped inside—so Fu Shize had indeed helped her.
Pushing further would seem ungrateful. Yun Li looked at him: "Then to show my gratitude, let me treat you to a late-night snack."
Fu Shize glanced at her: "No, it's cold outside."
Yun Li pressed: "Then somewhere with heating?"
"Too stuffy."
Unwilling to give up, Yun Li suggested: "How about takeout then?"
Fu Shize: "Too messy."
Yun Li persisted: "Then maybe I could clean up for you?"
Fu Shize looked at her but didn't respond.
Approaching the car, Fu Shize opened the passenger door and asked: "Dorm or Seven Mile Fragrant Capital?"
Yun Li got in: "Seven Mile Fragrant Capital."
After Fu Shize entered the car, Yun Li leaned toward him, lips curving into a smile: "You're giving me a ride back?"
Fu Shize: "..."
Fu Shize: "Problem?"
"None at all." Yun Li settled back into her seat.
Yun Li: "This is nice."
...After dropping Yun Li off at Seven Mile Fragrant Capital, Fu Shize's phone chimed twice on his way back to North Mountain Maple Forest. He unlocked it at a red light and saw Yun Li's message:
[Are you home yet?]
Without thinking, he replied: [Not yet]
The car moved slowly along the road as Fu Shize recalled the scene from earlier—her blushing face as she tied the scarf around him, her fingers brushing lightly against his cheek.
He nearly ran a red light.
Restless, Fu Shize pulled the car over to the side of the road. The soft scarf draped around his neck, and he reached up to touch it, feeling its fuzzy texture. A faint floral and fruity scent lingered in the air.
He opened his wallet and took out the paper moon Yun Li had given him back in West Fuling.
—Seeing you is like seeing the moon.
Running his thumb over it, warmth surged in his chest, but the lingering heat faded quickly, leaving behind an emptiness that couldn’t be filled.
He opened E-Station, and before he could type anything, the search bar’s history suggested XianYun Didajiang .
Rolling down the window, Fu Shize lit a cigarette and scrolled to Yun Li’s earliest post—dated back to 2012, when she had just started university. Her youthful smile carried a hint of nervousness, her words slow and deliberate, occasionally glancing down at her script.
The last few leaves from the withered trees drifted down as the early winter wind whistled past.
His family had called several times, but Fu Shize brushed them off, simply saying he had returned to South River Garden.
Three hours passed. When the last video played, he paused it, his gaze lingering on the face on the screen.
Until the screen went dark.
Putting out his cigarette, Fu Shize let out a helpless laugh.
“You’ve really lost it.”
With the deadline for EAW’s promotional video approaching, Yun Li planned to spend the entire weekend holed up in her apartment editing. Early Saturday morning, Yun Ye called, his voice hushed. “Yun Li, did you send the gift?”
Pausing her work, Yun Li remembered the task. “First, I need to ask—is this mutual?”
“We’re just… just good friends,” Yun Ye replied weakly.
“Oh, so it’s unrequited love,” Yun Li teased. “Her name also has the character ‘Yun.’ If you marry into her family, you can add her surname before yours.”
Yun Ye: “…”
Too preoccupied to argue, Yun Ye softened his tone. “Sis, can you send it tomorrow? I’ll text you her number and address again.”
“Fine.” Though Yun Li understood his budding feelings, she wanted to avoid their father Yun Yongchang’s wrath if this ever came to light. “Yun Ye, I don’t support teenage romance. It affects your studies.”
Yun Ye grumbled, “I can do what you did—wait until university to date.”
Yun Li felt a sting. “Don’t drag me into this. Just don’t let it affect your grades.”
After a pause, Yun Ye said quietly, “Yin Yunyi’s grades are really good. She’ll probably get into West Science and Technology University.”
Yun Li brushed off his words, switching to gossip mode. “Photo.” Knowing he’d refuse, she threatened, “No photo, no gift.”
Yun Ye: “You’re going back on your word.”
Yun Li replied breezily, “That’s just how I am. Is this your first day knowing me?”
Yun Ye: “…”
Defeated, Yun Ye sent her a photo. Taken from the side of a hallway, the girl was tall with a high ponytail and an oval face, smiling back at someone behind her. Yun Li hadn’t expected Yun Ye to like this type and studied the image. “This looks like a stalker shot.”
Yun Ye: “…”
Yun Li: “Didn’t realize my little brother was a creep too.”Yun Ye said with a hostile tone, "As if you’ve never taken sneaky photos before."
Yun Li chuckled, not denying it. "That’s why I said ‘also.’"
Unwilling to visit a stranger’s home or talk on the phone with one, Yun Li drafted a text message and sent it to Yin Yunyi, who replied instantly.
Yin Yunyi told Yun Li that she would be attending a tutoring class near Tianqi Plaza the next day. She sent several messages insisting that her brother drive her close to Yun Li’s location to avoid making Yun Li go out of her way.
Tianqi Plaza was one of the largest commercial centers in Nanwu, about a half-hour drive from Sea Sky Mall.
They agreed to meet at the café on the first floor of Sea Sky Mall at six on Sunday. Yun Li applied light makeup, took Yun Ye’s gift, and headed out.
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