The surrounding lights had gradually dimmed. Fu Shize boiled some water in a small hot pot and poured it into the Hand Warmer Ball. Yun Li's sleeping bag was still chilly, but after placing the Hand Warmer Ball inside, she finally felt warmth around her legs.
Both of them had their lower bodies wrapped in their sleeping bags. Yun Li sat beside Fu Shize, accompanying him as they played on their phones.
"Your life seems pretty monotonous," Yun Li remarked, glancing at his apps. Aside from Sudoku and 2048, there were no other games. Usually, he just used his phone to read news or look up information.
Fu Shize looked at her phone charging nearby. Yun Li unlocked it—her screen was a riot of colors, filled with all sorts of apps. As a Content Creator, she regularly picked up new skills, like knotting ropes or origami.
She folded a paper lantern ball for him on the spot. Seeing his interest, she took out two fresh sheets of paper and began teaching him step by step.
Fu Shize said, "Your movements are off."
Yun Li gave him a puzzled look, staring down at the half-folded paper in her hands. "No, they're correct."
Without waiting for her to explain further, Fu Shize slipped out of his sleeping bag, moved behind her, and pulled her into his embrace.
He settled her between his legs, wrapping his arms around her from behind, his chin resting on her right shoulder.
This way, he could see the folding process from her perspective.
And also hold her close.
Originally, she had just intended to teach him how to fold the paper, but now his breath kept brushing against the tip of her nose.
Origami required intense focus, yet at this moment, Yun Li's thoughts were entirely consumed by him.
Unconsciously, she recalled the moments from when they first met until now. The warmth of his body against hers seemed to whisper—
They had already become inseparable.
Remembering Tang Lin's words, Yun Li spaced out for a moment. She stopped folding, only snapping back to reality when Fu Shize asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"About Yun Ye coming to Nanwu," Yun Li lied, lowering her head to fiddle with the paper ball in her hands.
Fu Shize studied her from the side, sensing her unease. "Lili," he halted her paper-folding motions, which she was using as a distraction. "Tell me the truth."
Yun Li stayed silent for a while, toying with the paper ball repeatedly before speaking with a hint of uncertainty, "Did you just get together with me on a whim?"
"..."
Fu Shize wondered if he had misheard. Suppressing a laugh, he said, "Haven’t I shown you enough how much I like you?"
"And you’re laughing." His chuckle swept her melancholy away to the ends of the earth. She grumbled, "But it could also be interpreted as you being very experienced."
"?"
"You don’t seem like someone who’s never been in a relationship before."
"..."
After she calmly dropped these two lines, Fu Shize remained unfazed, merely stroking her earlobe. "Then you might think later that I’m not a first-timer."
"..."
Driving the conversation in that direction late at night, in the confined space of the tent, made the atmosphere even more charged. Yun Li blushed and said, "You can’t always make jokes like that."
Fu Shize didn’t bother hiding his words, lazily replying, "Old habits die hard."
"..."
Jokes aside, Fu Shize didn’t forget Yun Li’s concerns.
The two of them finished folding the paper ball together. Fu Shize tapped it lightly against Yun Li’s nose.
She giggled and dodged. Holding her close, Fu Shize leaned in and whispered word by word into her ear, "Lili, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt as happy as I am today. Not because of camping, and not because of the stars."
He kissed her right ear. "It’s because of you."
...It was already one in the morning when they fell asleep. Yun Li lay on her side, facing Fu Shize's direction. Though she couldn’t see him in the darkness, she knew he was there.
Sensing she was still awake, a hand reached over to gently stroke her face. Yun Li, half-asleep, nuzzled against his palm and drifted off.
When the sound of the wind woke her, Yun Li instinctively felt Fu Shize was no longer beside her. She turned on her phone’s flashlight—the space next to her was empty.
Four in the morning.
She was momentarily disoriented. His phone was still in the tent. After waiting a while, Yun Li changed her clothes.
The wind carried a chill. Hugging her coat tighter, she walked toward the grassy area where they had spent time together earlier that night. The path was silent except for the crunch of twigs underfoot. From a distance, she spotted his familiar silhouette.
He sat on a stone ledge by the lake, bundled in layers, yet his frame still looked lean. A cigarette dangled between his fingers.
As he exhaled, gray smoke curled into the air.
He seemed lost in thought. Yun Li made plenty of noise as she approached, but he didn’t notice.
Only when she stood beside him did she see his cardholder placed on the ledge, flipped open to reveal a certain campus ID.
All this time, Yun Li had never asked about his past—what had happened to make Fu Shize so withdrawn, what had led him to take a leave from school. She assumed it must have been something unbearably painful, something he couldn’t bring himself to speak of.
She didn’t know what he had endured.
But it couldn’t have been trivial.
Fu Shize finally registered her presence. He stubbed out the cigarette and pulled her hand, guiding her to sit beside him.
The heavy scent of smoke clung to him. Yun Li glanced at the open cigarette box—only a few left.
Fu Shize unzipped his coat and tucked her into his embrace.
The mountaintop was below freezing at this hour. Yun Li had no idea how long he’d been out here. The lake shimmered faintly, its ripples moving in slow, obtuse angles.
She looked again at the cardholder. This time, she could clearly see the half-used campus ID. "I saw your cardholder last time. There was someone else’s campus card in it."
Fu Shize was silent for a moment before giving a quiet "Mm."
Yun Li waited for him to elaborate, but only stillness followed. The silence loomed between them like an iceberg in the sea, making her acutely aware of the distance separating them.
She counted his heartbeats in her mind. After a long pause, he pinched her cheek lightly and asked, "Can’t sleep?"
Not Did I wake you? but Can’t sleep?
He had been out here for a while.
"No, the wind woke me. I didn’t see you." She masked the disappointment in her voice. "Has your insomnia gotten worse lately?"
Fu Shize: "It’s fine."
"If you can’t sleep, maybe you could tell me why?" she offered. "Talking about it might make you feel better."
Fu Shize didn’t quite remember what had happened earlier. He’d had a dream—standing in front of the Control Engineering building, the road damp and dark under relentless rain. He was drenched in Unique’s team uniform, while Yun Li, untouched by the downpour, handed him an umbrella.
But it had only the frame and handle, no canopy. When he opened it, the rain suddenly lashed at them with invasive force, soaking her too.
The dream ended there. He woke to find Yun Li sound asleep.
Since then, he’d been sitting by this desolate lake, lost in thought. The cold wind bit at him, but he didn’t want to move.From their first meeting until now, Yun Li's hair had grown down to her shoulder blades, and the dye had faded. He lowered his head, twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers, feeling his numb heart gradually regain warmth.
After a long while, he finally said, "My stomach's a bit upset."
"Ah." Yun Li believed him, pressing her hand against his stomach through his clothes. "Here?" She frowned. "I remember the cream wasn't expired, and the cake was freshly made. Could it be that glass of wine?"
Yun Li recalled the drink Gu Kaiming had given them. Her deductive expression resembled a hamster running on a wheel. Fu Shize found it amusing, his thoughts focusing entirely on her as he said, "Not that spot."
"Then here?" Yun Li moved her hand slightly lower.
"Nope."
"Here?"
"No." He replied indifferently, "Can't tell properly through the clothes."
"..."
Anxious and impatient, Yun Li didn't care whether he was doing this on purpose. She lifted the hem of his undershirt slightly and slipped her hand inside.
Her fingers brushed against his scorching-hot abs.
She moved her hand upward, stopping at his stomach. "Here?"
Her delicate fingertips pressed against his skin, igniting sparks wherever they touched. Despite the winter chill, his entire body grew feverish. Gazing at her collarbone, he nodded.
Unconsciously, he kept playing with her hair. Suddenly, Yun Li said, "How about we move in together?"
"..."
Her tone held no ulterior meaning: "When the next semester starts, I can rent a two-bedroom place. That way, you can have regular meals and take better care of your stomach."
Fu Shize joked in a deadpan tone, "Then my sleep schedule might become even more irregular."
Yun Li: "..."
Staring at his clean, composed face, the cold sharpness in his eyes softened slightly when he smiled, making him irresistibly tempting. Yun Li tried to ease his concerns: "Don’t worry, I won’t have any improper thoughts."
Fu Shize chuckled. "I might."
Yun Li: "..."
At daybreak, they packed their belongings and prepared to head back. Fu Shize hadn’t slept all night and looked utterly exhausted, remaining mostly silent during the drive.
As they neared Seven Mile Fragrant Capital, his father called. The conversation was brief. After hanging up, Fu Shize seemed distracted while driving. Yun Li, being a driver herself, noticed he was pressing the accelerator and brakes more abruptly than before.
"My grandmother’s hospitalized. I’ll stay with her for a few days." Fu Shize didn’t show much emotion.
Normally, he would walk her upstairs, but Yun Li could sense his urgency. She moved closer, opened the driver’s door, bent down, and hugged his neck.
"You can talk to me if anything comes up." She kissed his cheek before letting go.
Fu Shize nodded.
After returning home, Yun Li took a nap and woke up at ten. Fu Shize had texted her, saying he’d arrived at the hospital and that his grandmother’s condition was stable.
After exchanging a few quick messages, Yun Li recalled the camping trip and felt uneasy. She called Deng Chuqi.
Deng Chuqi had been waiting all day: "Fu Zhengchu said you guys went camping together?"
"Yeah."
"Overnight?"
"Yeah..." Yun Li explained, "We slept in separate tents. Besides, what could possibly happen in the pitch dark?"
Deng Chuqi burst out laughing, excited. "That’s exactly when things can happen!"
Her tone was full of anticipation. Yun Li absentmindedly doodled circles on a piece of paper and sighed. "No, Qiqi, it’s not like that."
"What’s wrong then? Did you guys fight?""No, it's just..." Yun Li struggled to articulate the sense of distance she felt. "We've been really happy every day this past month."
Her voice softened. "But... he just doesn’t share things with me. His personality is great, so we get along really well."
"His personality is great? Doesn’t seem like it," Deng Chuqi focused on the latter half of her sentence.
"..."
"Have you asked him about it?" Knowing Yun Li’s tendency to avoid direct confrontation, Deng Chuqi doubted she had pressed the issue.
"I did... He didn’t want to answer, and I didn’t want to push..."
After discussing it for a while, they reached no solution. Deng Chuqi comforted her, "Just enjoy the relationship while it lasts. Isn’t it all about eating, drinking, and having fun? Save the unhappy thoughts for when you break up. Don’t overthink it." She then launched into a long spiel about dating experiences, most of which didn’t apply to Yun Li.
By the time they finished talking, it was already 10:30 p.m. Yun Li felt slightly better. Since there was no bottled water at home, she went downstairs to a nearby supermarket and bought two bottles. As she walked back, her phone buzzed.
Yun Ye: [Yun Li, I ranked sixth in my grade for finals.]
Yun Li: [Oh.]
Yun Ye: [??]
If she bought Yun Ye a plane ticket now, Fu Shize wouldn’t be around, and hanging out with them later might be awkward.
Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a lewd chuckle from the side.
"Hey, little girl."
Yun Li turned her head. Between two trees stood a man, his figure indistinct, as if wrapped in something. She tensed up, wary. The man took a step forward, and under the streetlight, he suddenly flung open whatever was covering him.
Her expression froze in shock, which seemed to please him. He lunged at her.
Instinctively, Yun Li hurled the water bottles at him and sprinted toward Seven Mile Fragrant Capital.
Her legs nearly gave out before she finally stopped. When a leaf brushed her shoulder, she flinched in terror, thinking the man had caught up.
But there was nothing behind her.
Beyond the fear, she felt nauseous—the sight of that bloated, greasy flesh and the man’s shameless, mocking laughter.
Was this the pervert He Jiameng had mentioned a long time ago?
Back in her apartment, she locked the door, hands trembling as she pulled out her phone to call Fu Shize.
The moment the call connected, she forced herself to steady her voice.
He sounded exhausted, his voice hoarse, likely from staying up all night after arriving wherever he was. But he still spoke softly.
"Lili."
Hearing his voice nearly brought tears to her eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat and whispered, "When can we see each other again?"
"In a few days." He paused. "Miss me?"
"Yeah..."
She fell silent.
Fu Shize moved to a quieter spot, sensing something off. "What’s wrong?"
He had his own things to deal with. Yun Li didn’t want to worry him, so she forced a light tone. "Nothing, really. I’m just not used to you being gone."
The words struck her—she really wasn’t used to it.
After the incident with Blue Hair, she had avoided going out late at night. But this past month, with Fu Shize always by her side, she had grown complacent, convinced everything was safe. That was why she had ventured out alone at 10 p.m.
It was like a lingering side effect of his absence.
She had started to believe he would always be there.
Her gaze fell on the origami he had left on the table. Her nose stung. She wished he were here now. She wished he could stay with her.She had always believed that her education had prepared her well enough to speak openly about such matters. Yet, at this moment, the words stuck in her throat.
Only now did she realize how ashamed and humiliated she felt. She blamed herself for not having the courage to resist that pervert at the time, and for having seen something so vile.
The next day, Yun Li went to the police station to file a report. Since no physical harm had been done and the incident occurred in a blind spot of surveillance, the officers could only advise her not to walk alone at night and to call the police immediately if anything similar happened again.
The New Year came early this year, and most students had already left campus. Fu Shize wouldn’t be back for a while, and Yun Li, feeling uneasy, booked a flight for Yun Ye to arrive two days later.
The following day, after finishing her internship at EAW, she packed her things and ran into Lin Wanyin waiting outside Xu Qingsong’s office.
As soon as she stepped out, Yun Li averted her gaze and quickened her pace toward the exit.
Behind her, someone held the door open before it could close. She glanced back—Lin Wanyin had also left EAW. Yun Li stood still, waiting for Lin Wanyin to walk ahead before finally exhaling in relief.
Passing by the same spot as last time, even in broad daylight, Yun Li’s heart pounded, and she hurried her steps.
Only after safely passing did she fully relax.
Then, a man approached her, dressed neatly in sportswear and wearing gold-rimmed sunglasses. His gaze fixed on her, and Yun Li froze mid-step.
Before she could react, he swiftly undid his pants.
Her phone was already dialing emergency services, but the man tried to move closer. Yun Li shifted her feet, ready to bolt, when someone brushed past her.
Lin Wanyin, carrying a violin case, looked delicate with her Japanese-style outfit and gentle features.
She stormed forward, sneering, "What exactly are you trying to show us? That pathetic little thing?"
The suddenness of it left both the man and Yun Li stunned.
Lin Wanyin’s movements were bold—she swung her violin case downward as if ready to fight for her life. Unprepared for such defiance, the man’s face paled as he yanked up his pants and scrambled backward.
Hobbled by his pants, he couldn’t move fast. Lin Wanyin didn’t let up, kicking off her shoes to chase after him. Once he freed his legs and sprinted away, she hurled her shoe in his direction.
"Don’t let me catch you again, you creep! Next time, I’ll rip it right off!" Her clear, sharp voice carried for hundreds of meters.
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