His face showed little emotion, yet Yun Li felt an unusual sense of security, smiling softly as she returned to his side.
From last night until now, she had felt as though she were living in a dream, but now she found reality in the details of his actions.
After breakfast, Fu Shize borrowed Xu Qingsong’s car and drove to the zoo.
“Aren’t you using GPS?” Yun Li was surprised when he started the car without hesitation. Fu Shize gave a quiet “Mm” and said, “I came here often as a child.”
Yun Li: “Have you been to that zoo before?”
Fu Shize: “Mm.”
Yun Li: “Would it be boring to go again?”
Fu Shize kept his eyes on the road, pausing for a few seconds before answering, “Not if I’m with you.”
…
The zoo was about half an hour’s drive from the homestay, its entrance adorned with colorful Christmas decorations. After parking, Yun Li and Fu Shize scanned their e-tickets at the entrance. Staff handed them a map of the park, which was quite large, with detailed markings.
Both of them already knew how the other felt.
This was a real date.
Since it was the weekend, the park was crowded, mostly with parents and children or couples. Yun Li studied the map intently.
“Wait a moment,” Fu Shize suddenly said before heading to a convenience store near the entrance. Yun Li didn’t think much of it, focusing instead on identifying a few attractions they could visit.
When she looked up again, a shadow fell over her. She raised her head to see Fu Shize holding a new parasol, its price tag still attached to the handle.
His fair complexion and dark brows stood out against his black jacket, and now, standing under the black umbrella, he seemed almost like someone avoiding the sunlight.
Yun Li: “I brought sunscreen. Do you need some?”
Fu Shize: “…”
Fu Shize: “Where to first?”
Yun Li randomly pointed to a spot on the map. Fu Shize glanced at it and immediately started walking in that direction.
Under the umbrella, they maintained a slight distance to avoid brushing against each other.
As they walked, Yun Li noticed several couples nearby, many with the man holding an umbrella for the woman.
He must have noticed too—that’s why he’d gone to buy one.
After about three hours, they had explored most of the park. Yun Li received a message from Deng Chuqi:
[Out with Xia Xia’s uncle?]
Yun Li:
[We’re at the zoo.]
Deng Chuqi:
[Don’t just look at animals—remember the main mission.]
Yun Li:
[?]
Deng Chuqi:
[Pluck that unattainable flower!!!]
Yun Li:
[He’s sober today. He’ll probably talk to me about it?]
After Fu Shize’s initiative last night, Yun Li had expected they would have a more formal conversation about their feelings today.
As the one who had been repeatedly rejected before, she had to admit she didn’t want to be the one to bring it up.
Fu Shize didn’t seem particularly interested in the park’s attractions, only joining in when Yun Li wanted to try something.
Near the exit, they passed a goldfish scooping stall.
Yun Li lingered, watching as a young man carefully scooped up a goldfish and placed it in a water-filled plastic bag for the girl waiting beside him.
Both looked to be in their early twenties.
Yun Li hinted subtly, “Don’t they look like they’re in a campus romance?”
Fu Shize: “…”
Without a word, he bought ten scooping nets and handed five to Yun Li, ready to try catching the tiny goldfish in the pool.Yun Li had never played this game before and had underestimated its difficulty. After repeatedly having her net broken by the water or punctured by the fish, she updated her understanding and turned to look at Fu Shize beside her.
He was in the same boat.
He stared at the fish in the pool, unmoving.
Yun Li tried to console him: "Seems a bit tricky..."
Fu Shize, as if not hearing her, stood up expressionlessly: "Boss, give me 30 more nets."
The stall owner quickly turned to count the nets and handed them to Fu Shize, then pointed to the QR code on the wall: "Just scan this to pay."
Fu Shize passed half of them to Yun Li.
Yun Li took them in confusion: "Do you really want these fish?"
Fu Shize held the net, eyes fixed intently on the pool. Hearing her question, he replied: "No."
After a pause.
He added: "Just hard to believe."
He hadn’t caught a single one.
Understanding his thoughts, Yun Li found it somewhat amusing.
Holding her net, she had no intention of continuing and instead squatted beside Fu Shize to watch him. Unlike usual, his expression remained neutral, but his eyes betrayed some emotion.
Fu Shize glanced up, tilting his chin toward the net in her hand: "Not playing?"
Yun Li nodded.
Fu Shize: "Then give it to me."
Yun Li: "..."
Yun Li: "I never knew you were so competitive."
Fu Shize kept his gaze on the pool. After a long moment, he asked: "Don’t you like that?"
"..."
"I... actually do like it a bit..."
Hearing her reply, Fu Shize’s hand paused, and another net tore. He set it aside indifferently and continued as if nothing had happened.
After using all thirty nets, there were a few goldfish in the small bucket. He bought a small glass tank, poured the fish in, and added some fish food.
Before leaving the zoo, Yun Li hesitated before saying to Fu Shize: "Let’s take a photo together."
Fu Shize didn’t refuse: "No one to take it for us."
Yun Li didn’t mind: "We can just use the phone’s selfie mode. You’re taller—can you hold the phone?"
He complied without resistance, following her instructions to lift the phone and press the button.
After wandering around other Christmas markets near the zoo, as dinnertime approached, Fu Shize asked her: "Heading back together tonight?"
Yun Li thought about it. The HR department’s year-end trip was scheduled for the next two days at the same homestay. If she were to join, there’d be no need to return.
But she had classes on Monday.
Yun Li nodded.
Back at the homestay, the others had already packed their luggage. Xia Congsheng drove off with the first carload of people.
Fu Shize first went upstairs with Yun Li to retrieve their luggage. By the time they came back down, Xu Qingsong and Fu Zhengchu were already in the car. Fu Shize placed the luggage in the trunk, and the two of them took the back seat.
As soon as the car started, Fu Shize leaned over to fasten her seatbelt.
Fu Zhengchu, who had been watching their every move through the rearview mirror with a silly grin, finally sat back. Once Fu Shize returned to his seat, Yun Li looked up and met Fu Zhengchu’s gaze in the mirror, instantly flustered.
Fu Zhengchu sent her a screenshot of their chat interface—he had directly changed her contact name to "Little Auntie."
"..."
Xu Qingsong glanced at the rearview mirror: "What’s that in your hands?"
Fu Shize didn’t elaborate: "Fish."Xu Qingsong didn't ask them anything and drove straight to the entrance of Seven Mile Fragrant Capital. Only after getting out of the car did Yun Li notice Fu Shize had followed her.
Yun Li: "Are you still going to EAW?"
Fu Shize: "I'll walk you back."
She hadn't expected this reason, especially since the car had already reached the residential gate.
Yun Li glanced at the time—just past eight o'clock.
Yun Li: "It's still early... Should we go buy some fried rice noodles?"
Fu Shize didn't refuse.
The last time they'd walked this path together was when they'd first met. Unconsciously, four months had already passed.
Fu Shize still remembered the way and walked beside her.
Yun Li frequented the shop often enough that the owner recognized her. Seeing her with a young man this time, the owner remarked, "Young lady, is this your boyfriend?"
The owner usually chatted with Yun Li when she bought fried rice noodles, so they were somewhat familiar. Yun Li naturally denied it: "No."
Fu Shize: "..."
Yun Li muttered to herself: "Not yet."
The owner didn't catch it clearly and let out a puzzled "Huh?" Yun Li waved her hand with a smile, indicating it was nothing.
Fu Shize remained silent beside her.
"All done." The owner handed the takeout bag to Yun Li, but before she could reach for it, Fu Shize took it directly. "Thank you."
After walking a few steps, Fu Shize stopped: "There's a box in my pocket."
Yun Li froze—was he asking her to retrieve something for him?
Standing on his left, she reached into the left pocket of his coat and felt a cool, smooth box. She pulled it out.
It was a small mother-of-pearl box, its surface inlaid with shell fragments forming the shape of a cloud. Yun Li guessed what it was but still suppressed the excitement in her voice as she asked, "Is this for me?"
Fu Shize looked at the girl standing before him, her long, thick lashes trembling slightly, her eyes brimming with joy. He couldn't help but smile. "Mm. A Christmas gift."
Once their mutual feelings were acknowledged, there was no stopping the growth of this budding affection.
Yun Li carefully placed the mother-of-pearl box into her bag.
Still basking in the excitement of receiving her first gift, the person beside her suddenly asked, "Where's mine?"
Yun Li: "..."
Her smile stiffened.
This—she hadn't prepared a gift.
How could she have predicted that a single trip would completely flip their relationship upside down?
"Can I make it up to you later?" The guilt in her heart amplified by the gift box in her bag, she shrank back. "I didn't prepare anything..."
Fu Shize reminded her: "The drone."
Only then did Yun Li recall the drone she'd worked on overnight. "It's in the apartment. I'll get it for you."
"Mm."
Upon reaching Seven Mile Fragrant Capital, Fu Shize instinctively stopped a few meters from the door. Yun Li had already swiped her card to enter but hesitated before saying, "Do you want to come up with me?"
During Yun Li's one-sided pursuit, this sentence would have carried only its literal meaning. But now, their current state imbued the ordinary words with other, more ambiguous implications.
Fu Shize didn't refuse and followed her upstairs.
Yun Li turned on the lights—thankfully, the place was still tidy from before she left. Fu Shize set the bag on the sofa and glanced around before placing the fishbowl in the center of the coffee table.
This wasn't the first time he'd asked about the drone, and Yun Li still didn't understand why he wanted it so badly. That night, pressed for time, she'd assembled it overnight and painted it, leaving many flaws in the final product.Back then, when Chen Lirong had "warned" her not to give it to Fu Shize, Yun Li worried she might be stepping into sensitive territory and thus dismissed the idea of gifting it. A few days later, when He Jiameng told her about Fu Shize planning to ask a girl out, it became even more impossible to give it to him.
"I put the drone on the shelf. It's actually kind of ugly," Yun Li said, lowering his expectations in advance, afraid he might have high hopes for her creation.
Fu Shize responded with a casual "Hmm," then reached out with both hands to carefully lift the Cardboard Drone and place it on the table.
He lowered his gaze to examine it.
Made from simple cardboard pieces glued together and painted on the surface, it didn’t look very sturdy. He touched the wings—the color was uneven.
"Maybe I should get you another gift," Yun Li said, worried he might think she was being too careless, especially since his gift to her seemed like an expensive custom piece.
"No need," Fu Shize replied. "This is good."
"Do you want to eat some with me?" Yun Li pointed at the Fried rice noodles at the corner of the table. Fu Shize didn’t refuse. She went to the kitchen to fetch chopsticks and a small bowl, along with two bottles of drinks.
Fu Shize didn’t let her do the work—he unscrewed the bottle caps himself and portioned some noodles into her bowl.
He didn’t seem to have much of an appetite, setting down his chopsticks after just a few bites. Propping his phone up with a tissue on the table, he opened E-Station and started playing the video she had previously uploaded about the Cardboard Drone.
The editing was rushed, and the scenes weren’t particularly smooth or coherent. Fu Shize didn’t seem to notice any of these flaws, watching silently until the progress bar reached the end.
On screen, she spoke to the camera, word by word—"This handmade drone, I plan to give it to someone very important."
"……"
Fu Shize dragged the progress bar back a few seconds and played that line again.
"……"
Yun Li lowered her head in embarrassment, muttering as she ate, "Stop teasing me…"
Seeing her flushed cheeks, Fu Shize only became bolder: "Wasn’t that meant for me?"
"……"
When Fu Shize had been clear about rejecting her, Yun Li had been braver. Now that the two had grown closer, she found herself unable to handle their current dynamic.
She had quickly learned how to invite him out and how to accept his rejections, but she didn’t know how two people who liked each other were supposed to act.
By the time they finished eating, it was almost ten. Yun Li walked Fu Shize to the door. Remembering the question the shop owner had asked earlier, she couldn’t help but ask him, "Today… does this count as a date?"
He seemed surprised by the question. After a moment of thought, he avoided a direct answer: "What do you think?"
Since he didn’t give a clear response, Yun Li hesitated. "It should be… right?"
Fu Shize: "……"
He nodded.
With his confirmation, Yun Li, valuing the ceremonial aspect of a first date, said earnestly, "It’s my first one."
Fu Shize looked down at her. "Mine too."
Yun Li: "How was it for you?"
After a pause, Fu Shize answered slowly, "Pretty good."
"So… when’s our next date?" Yun Li tried to suppress her smile, attempting not to make her eagerness too obvious. "Can it be soon?"
"I have a business trip to Yihe tomorrow," Fu Shize said, leaning against the door. After a brief silence, he met her eyes. "Wait until I get back?"
Warmth spread through Yun Li’s chest. "Okay."As it drew to a close, he leaned there, not leaving immediately but continuing to watch her for a while longer. The two of them remained silent, and only when the hallway light went out did she snap out of her daze.
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