Yun Li was fully focused on the movements outside the door. "My brother is out there..."
Fu Shize: "Then let's ship him back by plane." He nuzzled against her soft hair, his lips lightly brushing her cheek and neck.
She could barely hold onto the items in her hands. Struggling to resist, she concentrated on slicing the apple.
Fu Shize's lips grazed her right ear as he murmured, "Lili..."
Ahhhhhhh.
She was going insane.
Unable to take it anymore, Yun Li stopped what she was doing, turned on the faucet to wash her hands, and deliberately left the water running.
Turning around, she met his gentle gaze, and her bravado instantly faltered. Just as she thought about roughly kissing him, she chickened out again.
Her eyes drifted from his gaze to the bridge of his nose, finally settling on his lips.
Yun Li swallowed hard.
Her heart fluttered uncontrollably, and she unconsciously tilted her head up. He lightly lifted her chin, pressing his lips to hers. The sound from the projector in the living room seemed distant as Yun Li turned slightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. Without realizing it, she took two steps forward, pushing him against the wall.
Cornering him, her eyes brimmed with affection, his collar now disheveled by her hands. Both struggled to steady their breathing. Fu Shize's lips were tinged with color as he whispered in her ear, "You're quite assertive now."
Yun Li had snapped back to reality, recalling everything that had happened recently, and couldn't help but murmur, "I want to be this assertive with others too."
She wanted to stop being reserved and hesitant in her relationships.
Fu Shize kissed her forehead. "You'll get there." Gently stroking the corner of her eye, he added, "You're doing great already."
His praise made her head spin. Fu Shize chuckled softly, leaning resignedly against the wall. "Go on."
"..."
...
Yun Ye sat sulking on the sofa, the scenes on the screen constantly shifting, but his gaze remained fixed on the kitchen door.
He checked the time.
How long does it take to cut an apple?
A terrifying thought crossed his mind—were they doing something weird in there? No way...
His brother-in-law didn’t seem like that kind of guy.
Yun Ye repeatedly paused and played the show, trying to get the attention of the two in the kitchen. Sitting there, he even felt like he shouldn’t exist.
Fortunately, the kitchen door opened. Yun Ye kept his eyes glued to the screen as the two living, breathing humans sat beside him in silence.
Stealing a glance at Fu Shize, he noticed the man was gazing softly at Yun Li. Catching Yun Ye’s look, Fu Shize pushed the fruit plate toward him.
Then, he speared a piece for Yun Li and brought it to her lips. What shattered Yun Ye the most was that Yun Li ate it without hesitation.
This was too weird.
Growing up, the male creatures Yun Li had been closest to were, first, the family dog, and second, him. A faint sadness welled up in Yun Ye’s heart as he asked, "Brother, how long have you and my sister been together?"
Yun Li, ignoring that the question was directed at Fu Shize, answered first, "About a month."
Fu Shize: "29 days."
Yun Li: "..."
Yun Ye’s lips moved, but it took him a while to mumble, "You better treat my sister well."
"..."
Yun Li rapped his head lightly. "Since when does your sister need you to worry about her?"
"...""I'll treat her well," Fu Shize said earnestly, not dismissing his words due to their age difference. Yun Li was taken aback and immediately stuffed a piece of apple into Yun Ye's mouth. "Yun Ye, have you been possessed by Dad or something?"
Annoyed by her rough handling, Yun Ye complained, "Can't you be gentler, like Brother-in-law?"
Yun Li retorted without hesitation, "Well, I don't know how. Let your brother-in-law feed you then."
Amused by their bickering, Fu Shize didn't mind and asked Yun Ye, "What did you just call me?"
Yun Ye suddenly felt a bit shy and mumbled, "Brother-in-law..."
Fu Shize moved the fork slightly toward him. "Want me to feed you?"
Yun Li pulled the fork back. "No way!"
The three of them sat on the sofa watching a movie, with Yun Ye completely oblivious to being the third wheel. When Fu Shize went to the bathroom, Yun Li said helplessly, "Why don't you go to your room?"
"I haven't finished the movie yet..." Yun Ye, engrossed in the film, didn't catch on. Yun Li nudged him, her expression full of coercion.
Yun Ye grumbled, "Yun Li, can't you learn from Brother-in-law and be gentler to your little brother?"
"You switched titles pretty smoothly," Yun Li said bluntly. "Already siding with your brother-in-law so quickly."
"Brother-in-law is tall, handsome, and has a great temper," Yun Ye shot Yun Li a disdainful look and refused to budge.
"But," Yun Ye suddenly turned serious, "what if Dad finds out?"
"..."
Yun Li frowned. "I'm an adult now. Do I really need to..." She paused, then stared straight at Yun Ye. "Forget it, don't tell him."
Yun Yongchang was still upset about her going to South Science and Technology University for grad school without his permission. If he found out she was dating someone from Nanwu, he might fly over just to break her legs.
"Hey sis, how's your income as a content creator now?"
"Why?"
"Save up more money," Yun Ye calmly suggested. "If Dad finds out, he might kick you out. You'll need a backup plan."
"..."
After the movie, Yun Li walked Fu Shize downstairs to his car, her mind heavy with thoughts. Yun Yongchang had always exerted full control over her life—studies, daily routines, and social interactions.
She still remembered how he would criticize her every time she met strangers or answered phone calls, saying she spoke wrong or didn't do well enough. Combined with the bullying she endured at school due to her left ear hearing loss, her personality gradually became what it was today.
This, in turn, made Yun Yongchang believe she couldn't survive on her own.
But she—she could support herself, had lived alone in a strange city for so long.
Yun Yongchang didn't believe it, nor did he accept it.
After hesitating for a long time, she mustered the courage to tell Fu Shize, "I haven't told my family about us yet. My dad has a bit of a temper, so you might need to prepare yourself." Worried he might take it the wrong way, she added gently, "He's good in other aspects, just not very good at loving his children."
"I'm not dating him," Fu Shize replied nonchalantly, then asked with composure, "Time to meet the father-in-law?"
"...""I just wanted to mention this in advance—he tends to be quite controlling, and I can never win an argument with him. Also, both my parents only have associate degrees, and my family's financial situation is pretty average." Yun Li found it difficult to continue.
The process of dating had been joyful, and she rarely considered these practical realities.
"But I can support myself now, and it’ll get even better once I graduate and start working full-time."
Her expression showed how desperately she wanted to prove herself in front of him. Fu Shize felt a pang in his heart, unsure when he had given her so little sense of security.
He pulled her closer and said earnestly, "Lili, all I care about is who you are. Everything else is irrelevant."
Only when they were heading upstairs did Yun Li realize that Fu Shize had indeed never asked about her family background—an indirect way of showing he didn’t care about those things.
In the world of adults, he had given her a love untouched by reality.
His devotion was solely about her—
Yin Yucheng felt like Yun Ye had tricked him.
A few days ago, Yin Yucheng had handed his phone to Yin Yunyi to let her contact the other party—back then, Yun Ye hadn’t even booked his ticket yet. Yesterday, Yun Ye called to say he was taking an afternoon flight.
Yin Yucheng gave the phone to Yin Yunyi and let the two of them chat on their own. Later, Yin Yunyi told him that Yun Ye had said Yun Li was currently single.
Yun Yi had mentioned before how close the siblings were, just like him and his own sister. So he never doubted the truthfulness of Yun Ye’s words.
At first, he thought Fu Shize seemed hard to get along with, so their breakup made sense. He didn’t want to miss the junior he had fallen for at first sight, so he acted impulsively.
When replying to Yun Li’s message, Yin Yunyi even warned him not to expose Yun Ye.
Having suffered repeated setbacks in love, he decided not to use Yin Yunyi as a shield anymore. After dropping her off at the amusement park, even as a seasoned socializer, he couldn’t help but feel awkward for the first time, forcing a smile as he greeted Yun Li.
Fu Shize even deliberately rolled down the car window and gave him a nod.
"……"
This was truly the most embarrassing moment of his life.
After dropping Yun Ye off at South River Amusement Park, Yun Li and Fu Shize didn’t want to be third wheels, so they drove back to South River Garden.
There wasn’t anything particularly special at South River Amusement Park. The young pair followed the map and played through each attraction, passing by many kids holding ice cream along the way.
Finally reaching a dessert stand, Yun Ye said, "Wait here for a sec."
He jogged over and, while waiting for the treats, answered Yun Li’s call.
Yun Li: "So, how’s it going with your crush?"
Yun Ye: "Don’t worry, everything’s fine. All good."
Yun Li’s tone was skeptical, dragging out her words: "Oh really—?"
Yun Ye: "Hah, maybe your little brother is just naturally gifted at romance. She’s waiting for me, so bye."
He returned with two ice creams and handed one to Yin Yunyi. They had attended the same middle school, so by now, they’d known each other for about five years.
Talking to her felt completely natural to Yun Ye—all his shy moments had been reserved for writing those postcards.
"Those postcards sent to me from class before—they all seemed to have the same handwriting. Do you know who was responsible for writing them?"
"……"
Yun Ye licked his ice cream and lied through his teeth: "I’ll ask around for you later."
"……"
The boy didn’t admit to anything, yet an inexplicable tension grew between them.Yin Yunyi shyly rummaged through her bag: "I have a gift for you. I could only make something small since my parents are quite strict."
She pulled out a tiny five-centimeter box from her small bag, with neat handwriting on it that read, "—To Yun Ye."
The same style of inscription as on the gift he had prepared.
A subtle way to convey their mutual feelings.
Yun Ye's heartbeat suddenly quickened. The ice cream had melted slightly, sticking to his hand, but he nonchalantly took the box.
"How did you do on your final exams?" Yin Yunyi asked proactively. "I ranked tenth in my grade."
"Oh, that's pretty good." Yun Ye kept a straight face, though his feet began to tap repeatedly. "I was sixth. Which school do you want to go to?"
"I really like West Fuling. With my grades, I should be able to get into West Science and Technology University."
Yun Ye gazed at the blue sky and white clouds, listening to the cheerful background music, and couldn't help but smile. "I really like West Science and Technology University too."
Around five in the afternoon, their outing came to an end. Yin Yucheng dropped Yun Ye off near a supermarket in Seven Mile Fragrant Capital.
Yun Li and Fu Shize were shopping when they saw her. Yun Ye grinned foolishly and eagerly took the bags from her.
"Yun Li, I have something to tell you," Yun Ye said, practically floating with joy. "Yin Yunyi knows all those postcards were written by me."
Yun Li: "?"
Yun Ye: "You get it, right? She tacitly approved."
Yun Li: "Catching the last moment of daylight—what a nice dream you're having."
"..."
The whole way back, Yun Ye bounced around, beaming with delight. Yun Li couldn't take it anymore and snapped, "Act normal. Don’t break my eggs."
"Okay." Yun Ye straightened up a little and asked, "Just the two of us tonight?"
"Your brother-in-law went out to buy fruit." Yun Li shoved all the groceries into Yun Ye's arms and called Fu Shize. When he answered, her voice softened considerably.
Yun Ye got goosebumps and whispered, "Yun Li, can you talk normally?"
"..."
Back home, Yun Ye specifically requested a few dishes. Yun Li took charge of cooking while Fu Shize assisted.
Yun Ye thought the two of them were quite a match. They didn’t talk much when together, but they often exchanged tacit glances. Even while prepping vegetables, they’d look at each other and smile.
"Brother-in-law, do you think my sister’s cooking is good?" Yun Ye asked Fu Shize. "All my classmates rave about her dishes."
Fu Shize thought for a moment. "It should be pretty good."
The tone sounded somewhat uncertain. Yun Ye looked puzzled.
"He hasn’t eaten it much," Yun Li explained. "I fell and scraped my hand once, so your brother-in-law took over the cooking. Since then, he’s been the one doing it."
Yun Ye: "Oh... So he does the housework?"
Yun Li tried to recall the past month’s events. "Now that you mention it, yeah, pretty much."
"..."
Yun Ye hesitated for a long time before asking, "In a relationship, is it the guy’s job to do housework?"
Yun Li didn’t know how to answer either. She nudged Fu Shize, who replied without hesitation, "Your sister decides."
Yun Li curved her lips slightly and buried her head in her meal.
After two days in Nanwu, Yun Li and Yun Ye set off back to West Fuling. The New Year was early this year, and in just two more days, it would be New Year’s Eve.
At the airport, they met Yin Yunyi, who had come to see them off. She gave Yun Ye a baseball cap as a parting gift, saying summer was just around the corner.The other three stood watching from a distance. Yin Yucheng, no longer awkward as before, sighed sincerely, "Yun Yi kept pestering me, saying he wanted to come to the airport today. Your brother really knows how to chase girls."
Fu Shize reminded him, "There are three of us here."
"..."
Sensibly yet resentfully, he went off alone to find a café to stay in.
After sending him away, Fu Shize asked Yun Li, "Have you booked your return flight yet?"
"Not yet."
"Book it early." Fu Shize kissed her cheek and corrected himself, "—Come back early."
There was a hint of anticipation in his voice, "...Come back to our home."
...
In the blink of an eye, New Year's Eve arrived, with festive decorations everywhere.
Years ago, Chen Jinping had given birth to Fu Shize on New Year's Eve. She still remembered the crackling sound of fireworks in her ears.
After dinner, Fu Shize didn’t go upstairs as usual but helped them clear the dishes.
"Last time, Lili mentioned she’s from West Fuling," Fu Dongsheng brought up the topic. "She’s currently pursuing a master’s degree, right?"
Chen Jinping chimed in, "Son, isn’t your education level a bit too low?"
Fu Dongsheng added, "You’re not quite a match for her."
"..."
The two rambled on without getting to the point. Chen Jinping studied Fu Shize’s expression carefully—unchanged, as calm as still water.
She sighed and handed him a cup of tea. "It’s been almost two years since you took leave..."
He should have graduated with a Ph.D. this year, with a bright future ahead.
Her implication was clear.
Chen Jinping said gently, "If you don’t get the degree, your father and I won’t hold it against you, but others might. We don’t want to push you to face this, but we’re worried that if it drags on—you might start to feel like you can’t do it."
"Lili wouldn’t care about this," Fu Shize replied briefly before heading straight to his room.
He turned on the cold water, splashed some on his face, and looked at his reflection in the mirror, remembering how Yun Li leaned against him.
Her lips curved into a smile, pulling him out from the depths of the lake.
Only her presence made him feel less suffocated.
Their next meeting would be after the New Year. Fu Shize felt restless inside. He wanted to be with her day and night, not a single moment apart.
After waiting over an hour, Yun Li finally called on video after her New Year’s Eve dinner. Her side of the screen was pitch black.
A few seconds later, lights sparkled behind her.
Facing the camera, she looked nervous, speaking slowly. Despite all her preparations, the inevitable tragedy still unfolded: "—A-Zhe."
Yun Li forced herself to continue.
"Happy birthday."
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