Fu Shize said, "The car is parked at the apartment. You can use it during this time."
Having a father who owned a driving school, Yun Li was well aware of the unspoken rule that cars and women were not to be lent out. The fact that Fu Shize was willing to let her drive his car meant he either trusted her deeply or was prepared to bear any potential losses she might cause.
Flattered, Yun Li tucked the keys into her bag. Unable to think of a way to repay him, she proposed the most feasible idea: "Then when you come back, I can pick you up."
Fu Shize replied, "No need. Xu Qingsong will come get me."
As his lips parted slightly to form the word "no," Yun Li felt a chill run down her spine. She glanced at him—his refusal was as calm and matter-of-fact as it had been when she was pursuing him. His tone was as indifferent as ever.
Faced with Fu Shize, Yun Li didn’t dare show her frustration. She merely pursed her lips and said, "Okay."
Her expression—clearly sulking but not daring to voice it—made it seem as though he had bullied her like some tyrant. Fu Shize, somewhat puzzled, asked, "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing." Yun Li adjusted her backpack, standing on tiptoe to look around, pretending nonchalance. "I just remembered how you always said 'no need' when I was chasing you."
Caught off guard by this delayed reckoning, Fu Shize almost laughed inwardly. "Then what should I do?"
Yun Li hesitated. "It’s just..."
As the time for class approached, people began filing into the classroom. His striking looks and demeanor naturally drew attention, and by extension, so did she. Recalling the time she’d been secretly photographed at the café, Yun Li felt uneasy and couldn’t bring herself to continue.
Fu Shize glanced around and pulled her into the stairwell.
The classroom was on the first floor, and the stairwell leading to the basement relied solely on the natural light from above, making visibility dimmer. His hand was slightly cool at first but soon grew warm as it held hers.
Being newly in a relationship, the two were still quite reserved around each other. Even on the way here, they hadn’t walked too closely, only brushing the backs of their hands occasionally while crossing the street. Yun Li had never imagined that holding hands would feel like this—palms warm, slightly sticky from a thin layer of sweat.
As if to retaliate for his earlier rejection, Yun Li lightly scratched his palm with her thumb. She felt his grip tighten slightly before loosening again with restraint, and an inexplicable sense of satisfaction washed over her.
Once they reached the basement stairwell, Fu Shize stopped, unfazed by her little act of defiance, and asked softly, "Can you say it now?"
Yun Li’s first instinct was that she couldn’t. She was only slightly more open when speaking to her family or close friends, unafraid to voice her thoughts and opinions. With Fu Shize, she still felt instinctively timid.
Seeming to understand, Fu Shize gave her hand a gentle squeeze and patiently repeated, "Then what should I do?"
The repetition gave Yun Li courage. After a moment’s thought, she said, "After we started dating, you can’t reject me anymore." Having made her demand, she remembered to respect his opinion: "Do you think that’s okay?"
Fu Shize paused briefly before agreeing quickly, "Mm." Then, pensively, he asked, "What about the past? Should we settle those accounts too?"
Thinking it over, he really had rejected her quite a few times before.
Yun Li tilted her head. "If we don’t settle them, it feels like I’m at a bit of a disadvantage..." Unsure of his intent, she countered, "Do you have any suggestions?"
Fu Shize offered a moderate proposal: "Then you can reject me a few times too, to make yourself feel better." Mirroring her earlier approach, he consulted her opinion: "Do you think that’s okay?"
"..."How could she possibly agree? Yun Li was more than happy for him to make more requests, and she would agree to them all.
Knowing he was deliberately teasing her and that she couldn’t outplay him, Yun Li shook her head. “Then forget it.”
Fu Shize didn’t care if this was the expected answer and added, “If you don’t agree, you’ll just have to suffer a little loss.”
Yun Li admitted she liked him a bit more and didn’t resist. “Then so be it.”
Her expression showed she truly held no grudge.
Fu Shize stared at her for several seconds before saying meaningfully, “So, why don’t you agree?”
He pulled her a little closer.
Being teased by him at every opportunity, Yun Li was slightly displeased. “You know perfectly well.”
“I want to hear you say it.” Ignoring the other emotions in her words, Fu Shize lowered his voice.
The atmosphere now was similar to that of Christmas Eve. He naturally moved closer, and they could hear each other’s heartbeats. Yun Li knew she was completely at his mercy, yet she was willing. Her lips parted, and after a moment, she said, “Then I can’t bear to refuse you.”
Hearing this, Fu Shize chuckled softly. “Then come pick me up.” He brushed her cheek with his knuckle and added, “Just so I can see you as soon as possible.”
The dim hallway, with its square tiles symbolizing the solemnity of the academy, contrasted with the ambiguous tension between them, creating a sense of secretly tasting forbidden fruit.
“But maybe,” his thumb grazed her palm, drawing slow, unhurried circles as he spoke nonchalantly, “that’s exactly why you’re coming to pick me up.”
Listening to his words, Yun Li felt her face grow warmer.
“I’m just fulfilling my duties as a girlfriend.” His words sent her heart racing, while his expression remained calm and composed since they entered the hallway, his dark eyes concealing all thoughts.
Both of them were in their first relationship, but Fu Shize was clearly much more adept. Not wanting to be outdone, Yun Li remembered what she had been thinking about all night. “Then shouldn’t you also fulfill your duties as a boyfriend?”
“?”
Fu Shize continued tracing her palm. “What duties?”
Yun Li swallowed and met his gaze. “Hug your girlfriend.”
“…”
Leaning against the wall, Fu Shize looked at her for a few seconds without moving. The basement hallway had pearl-white tiles and gray walls, his face standing out like a painting abruptly etched onto the wallpaper, his mixed features carrying a medieval charm. He curved his lips slightly, his gaze deep. “You hug me.”
“…”
Yun Li wondered if he hadn’t understood her.
Or maybe he had and was teasing her on purpose.
Just then, the bell rang—the 7:55 warning bell. Collecting herself, she turned away, her face flushed. “I have to go to class—”
But his right hand gently caught her arm. His presence pressed against her from behind, his chest against her back, his other arm encircling her neck and resting on her right shoulder. Before she could react, his arm pulled her slightly back, drawing her closer into his embrace.
Yun Li took a few deep breaths.
His right hand slid down her arm and intertwined with her fingers.
“Turns out,” Fu Shize murmured against her right shoulder, tilting his head slightly, “being in a relationship is pretty nice.”
The moment lasted over a minute before Fu Shize released her, his gaze soft. “Go to class.” Just then, his phone vibrated incessantly, and Yun Li reminded him, “Your phone’s ringing.”He didn't mind answering the call in front of her. Pressing to connect, the other side spoke for quite a while, but Fu Shize remained silent throughout, uttering only three indifferent phrases:
"Got it."
"Mhm."
"Unnecessary."
Then he directly ended the call.
Having witnessed his entire phone conversation, Yun Li suddenly realized that even during his coldest moments toward her, Fu Shize had never spoken to her like that. She didn't understand the reason behind it, but this tiny discovery of special treatment—even if it was just her imagination—made her inexplicably happy.
Upon reaching the classroom door, Yun Li entered and found a seat.
Soon after, her roommate Tang Lin sat beside her with an excited greeting. They'd only met during winter semester classes. Flipping open her textbook, Tang Lin gushed: "Yun Li, did you see that super hot guy at the entrance just now? Goddamn handsome!"
Yun Li paused mid-motion, responding softly with a "Mhm."
"You know that cold, aloof type? Total ideal man material. I even tried making eye contact, but he actually..."
At the crucial point, Tang Lin paused dramatically. Yun Li couldn't help pressing: "Actually what?"
Tang Lin spread her hands incredulously: "Completely ignored me. Just walked around me." She checked her selfie camera: "My makeup's decent today too. So weird. Right?"
Unsure how to respond, Yun Li awkwardly agreed: "It looks nice."
"That type probably gets tons of confessions on the Wall. I'll check for his name later and tell you." Smiling, Tang Lin opened the school forum to show Yun Li the Confession Wall section.
Yun Li smiled back: "Okay, thanks."
Scrolling through, Yun Li noticed many posts confessing to Fu Zhengchu. Noticing her interest, Tang Lin explained: "This Fu Zhengchu is from our school's team—won some championship apparently." She grinned. "Rumor says he's pale, cold, and handsome. Also part of an outdoor club. I'm thinking of joining their activities. Wanna come?"
"Not for now..." Yun Li quickly declined, but Tang Lin had already forwarded the outdoor club's official account. Their upcoming event was a stargazing camping trip, with 'couples' listed under recommended participants.
Maybe... it wouldn't hurt to consider.
During class, Yun Li agonized over whether to message Fu Shize. Sending one—would make her seem inattentive. New relationships required careful image management. Not sending—would make them seem too distant.
When she finally decided, her biggest problem became not knowing what to say. They'd barely ever chatted.
After racking her brain, she sent: [Let me know when you reach Yihe.]
Fu Shize: [Mhm]
Fu Shize: [Any other girlfriend duties?]
She seriously considered before typing properly: [Care for your boyfriend, support, communication...]
Before finishing, another message arrived:
[Want to experience them.]
Yun Li suddenly felt her thoughts were too indecent—how could such normal words spark improper associations? Her mind filled with images of his cool face paired with dark, desirous eyes. Remembering what happened in the hallway earlier, she gulped water to calm herself.
...
Further down her messages was one from Yun Ye—a photo of a postcard.Below is the attached text: ["A reply letter for me. [Happy]"]
Yun Li hadn’t forgotten that Yun Ye had sent the postcard in the name of the entire class, so she replied: ["Is it for you, or for Class 15 of Grade 12?"]
Yun Ye: ["Mind your own business."]
Seems like it was addressed to Class 15 of Grade 12.
Yun Li opened the picture and examined it carefully. Only the patterned side of the photo was shown, and it looked like a Christmas card.
She hadn’t expected Yin Yunyi to reply to him. Could it be that she really hadn’t realized the letters were consistently from the same person?
After returning home, Yun Li first found Fu Shize’s car. The interior was spotless, with nothing placed in the storage compartments—it looked like a brand-new car. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something under the driver’s seat and reached to retrieve it.
It was his cardholder again.
Now his legitimate girlfriend, Yun Li didn’t dwell on it too much. She picked up the cardholder and flipped through it. Inside were mostly bank cards.
When she reached the last few cards, she paused. There was a student ID from West Science and Technology University, worn from his undergraduate days, but the photo was still clear—a somewhat brash young man grinning recklessly at the camera. The doctoral student ID was still new, resembling his current appearance, with a slight smile and spirited eyes.
At the very end of the cardholder was another undergraduate student ID, so faded that the photo and name were barely legible.
Jiang Zhou? Jiang Yuan? Jiang Huai?
Why was he holding onto someone else’s student ID?
Yun Li didn’t dwell on it, too absorbed in looking at the first two.
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