Yun Li: "Don't you need to go back to the classroom?"
Fu Shize: "No need." He thought for a moment, then added, "Yun Ye had an incident during class. I'll stay with you."
Yun Li found a seat and sat down. Seeing Fu Shize still standing, she hesitated briefly before lightly patting the spot beside her. "Want to sit here?"
Almost the moment she spoke, Fu Shize moved, settling in next to her.
"..."
Neither had much to say. Yun Li leaned back against the chair, idly watching the people coming and going.
Just then, a few nurses rushed past, pushing a hospital bed. The patient clutched their stomach in agony, veins bulging on their forehead as they groaned, fingers twisting the sheets in pain. Moments later, the patient let out a piercing scream.
The sound sent a shiver down Yun Li’s spine.
Fu Shize raised his hand near her right ear, not touching her but effectively muffling the noise.
"Don’t listen."
Yun Li tensed slightly—his hand was barely a centimeter away. She stole a glance at him. His gaze was fixed ahead, his expression calm and reassuring.
Soon, the patient was wheeled into a distant hospital room. Fu Shize lowered his hand, and silence returned between them.
"So…" Yun Li recalled his frequent stomachaches and asked, "Is your stomach better now?"
"Yeah."
"Did you take medicine?"
"Had surgery."
His tone was indifferent, as if it were just a minor procedure.
"What kind of surgery?"
"Perforated gastric ulcer."
"..."
Yun Li wasn’t unfamiliar with the condition. When she’d learned about Fu Shize’s stomach issues, she’d researched gastrointestinal diseases. A perforated ulcer was a severe complication—sudden and excruciating.
After a pause, she asked, "Was it very painful?"
Fu Shize thought for a moment before answering casually, "A little. Don’t really remember."
His response made it sound manageable, so she pressed on, "Did you stay in the hospital?"
"About a month." He glanced at her. "It’s healed now."
A silent reassurance not to worry.
Yun Li’s chest tightened. After Yun Ye’s surgery, he’d only stayed in the hospital for less than ten days as a precaution.
The mood grew heavier.
Concerned, she asked, "How’s your recovery now? When did you have the surgery?"
"Not bad." He only answered the first question.
Yun Li fell silent, an odd feeling settling in her chest, though she couldn’t pinpoint why. Instinctively, she asked again, "When was the surgery?"
"..."
"Last year. Don’t remember the exact date."
Suddenly, Yun Li inexplicably recalled the two days he’d gone silent. Hesitating, she ventured, "March?"
"No." Not wanting her to feel guilty, he lied calmly, "Second half of the year."
Yun Li didn’t doubt him. After a while, she quietly advised, "Your stomach isn’t great. You should eat regularly—nothing too hot or too cold."
"Mm."
"Don’t drink so much coffee."
"Mm."
"And no smoking or drinking."
"Already quit."
"And also—" She wanted to say more but met his gaze, something unreadable in his eyes. Startled, she realized she’d been rambling and shut her mouth.Yun Ye had finished applying the medicine. Listening to the murmurs of the two outside the door, he hesitated for a long time about whether he should go out now.
If he went out, it might not be appropriate.
But if he didn’t…
The nurse, thinking he was being overly delicate for waiting for someone else to open the door, rolled her eyes and pulled it open for him.
Yun Ye lowered his head and saw Yun Li and Fu Shize sitting on chairs, talking with their heads tilted toward each other, unconsciously leaning close.
Noticing the door open, Yun Li abruptly stood up, as if caught in a secret, her expression awkward.
Fu Shize rose slowly and asked, "Feeling better?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." Yun Ye just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. He turned to Yun Li and said, "I'm okay now. I’m heading to the library. You two can keep talking."
"Don’t even think about it. Mom and Dad are waiting at home. Mom’s worried sick." Seeing Yun Ye about to bolt, Yun Li grabbed his sleeve and scolded, "Yun Ye, you’re eighteen years old. Can’t you even dodge a bug?"
"Damn it, I didn’t even see the bug itself!" Yun Ye was dragged to the entrance by Yun Li. Just as he was about to lose his temper, he met Yun Li’s subdued smile and shut his mouth.
Yun Ye’s hand was in a terrible state, and Yun Li was anxious to get home. She had already stepped out of the school clinic but turned back to thank Fu Shize: "Thanks for today. I’ll treat you to a meal later."
Fu Shize gave a quiet "Mm." Just as Yun Li was about to say goodbye, he suddenly asked, "When is 'later'?"
"..."
At that moment, Yun Li felt like she had run into an old classmate she hadn’t seen in years.
The kind where people politely say, "Let’s catch up sometime," and then one clueless person abruptly asks, "When is 'sometime'?"
Caught off guard, Yun Li brushed it off: "I’ll let you know?"
"Mm." As if oblivious to her evasion, he looked up at Yun Ye and said, "Rest well when you get back. If you don’t understand anything in this week’s classes, message me on WeChat."
Meeting his gaze, Yun Ye nodded.
Once in the car, Yun Ye shifted on the seat, settling into a comfortable position.
He recalled the conversation he’d had with Fu Shize on the way to the clinic earlier—
"Yun Ye?"
"Huh?"
"You okay?"
"I’m fine."
"Mm."
A pause.
"Yun Ye?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think… there’s still a chance for me and your sister?"
"..."
Yun Ye didn’t dare answer for a long time, afraid of offending either side.
In the past, when the three of them were together, he’d often notice Fu Shize stealing glances at Yun Li, the coldness in his brow softening, leaving only affection.
Even though he was the third wheel, seeing someone care for Yun Li so much made Yun Ye genuinely happy.
Yet Yun Li’s reason for breaking up was that Fu Shize didn’t like her enough.
He had wanted to tell her not to act impulsively, but that afternoon, Yun Li sat on the edge of the bed, struggling to stay composed while wiping away tears with the back of her hand.
Yun Ye thought, maybe it was better to separate. If it meant Yun Li could be happier.
But clearly, she wasn’t.
Over the past year, during their video calls, Yun Li would often space out. When he talked about his relationship with Yin Yunyi, she’d fall silent.
And just now, when he stepped out, the way Yun Li and Fu Shize had looked at each other on that bench, the unspoken tension when they were caught—it was even more innocent than him and Yin Yunyi.Lost in thought, Yun Ye turned to Yun Li: "Sis, you gotta thank that guy for me. If he hadn’t rushed your little brother to the hospital in time today, I might’ve died from poisoning right there in the classroom."
Yun Li gave him a sidelong glance, exasperated. "Isn’t he just a TA?"
The implication being that it was perfectly normal for a teaching assistant to look after a student who fell ill during class.
"TAs aren’t obligated to take me to the hospital," Yun Ye frowned in disagreement. "Just thank him for me, okay? Didn’t Mom and Dad teach us to be grateful since we were kids?"
During a pause in the drive, Yun Li pinched Yun Ye. "Why don’t you do it yourself? I was just being polite—you go."
"Stop, stop, stop—" Yun Ye’s scheme failed, but he wasn’t giving up. "People might think I’m sucking up to the TA for grades."
Without batting an eye, he added, "If someone reports me, both me and the TA could lose our degrees."
Was it really that serious?
Yun Li was momentarily stunned. Yun Ye waved his swollen hand in front of her face, looking incredulous. "Are you really my sister?"
"..."
Yun Li finally relented. "Fine."
When they got home, Yang Fang and Yun Yongchang were anxiously waiting. The moment they saw Yun Ye, Yang Fang hugged him and began sobbing.
Yun Li retreated to her room, rubbing her eyes.
Now she had to thank Fu Shize on Yun Ye’s behalf.
She browsed online for small gifts but felt Fu Shize wouldn’t need any of them. Getting up to grab an ice pop, she noticed Yun Ye was already full of energy, watching an NBA game.
"Oh, I got you a ticket earlier," Yun Ye said, eyes glued to the TV as he fished a ticket from the side of his backpack and tossed it onto the couch.
Yun Li picked it up. The event was a month away, held at West Science and Technology University’s gymnasium. She waved it. "Only one ticket? So I can’t go with Yin Yunyi?"
"I was just being nice to you," Yun Ye replied smoothly, unruffled by her teasing.
As Yun Li headed back to her room, Yun Ye called out, "Grab me an ice pop."
"..."
"I’m a patient."
"..."
After fetching him one from the fridge, Yun Li kept staring at the ticket. After some thought, she took a photo and sent it to Fu Shize.
He replied almost instantly.
F: Want to go together?
Yun Li explained: No, just thanking you for taking Yun Ye to the infirmary. He got this ticket—want it?
In short, Yun Ye had gotten it, and she wasn’t planning to invite him.
F: I’m more pragmatic.
F: Dinner would be better.
"..."
Guess the ticket wasn’t worth much.
Setting it aside, Yun Li dutifully scrolled through restaurant reviews. Any decent place had this tag:
#Must-visit for couples
Whenever these words appeared in the top comments, Yun Li skipped right past. She couldn’t pinpoint why—it just felt like choosing one would make her intentions seem suspicious.
After struggling to find a suitable spot, she tossed the problem back to Fu Shize: Sure. What do you want to eat?
Fu Shize: How about late-night snacks? There’s a place near West Science and Technology University.
A few seconds later, he added: I’m busy during the day.
He’d specifically explained why he suggested late-night.
Yun Li didn’t mind. She needed to drop Yun Ye back at school anyway.
They settled on 10 p.m. Sunday for the snack run.Over the weekend, Yun Li spent two days writing copy at home, but her mind kept wandering. The usual intense focus seemed to have been invaded by something.
Occasionally, that image would flash in her mind—the loose white shirt billowing slightly in the wind, clinging to his waist when the breeze died down. He stepped out of the car, handsome and fresh, removing his helmet and lifting his gaze to meet hers.
Her train of thought would snap, like a pen suddenly breaking mid-sentence, leaving her flustered as she scrambled to continue, trying to convince herself she’d never imagined it.
She refused to dwell on why that image appeared.
Nor would she admit it.
As the time to leave approached, Yun Li hesitated at her desk for a moment before silently sitting down at the vanity and carefully applying makeup.
Bracelet, earrings, necklace—she deliberately avoided anything too flashy. After styling her hair simply with a curling iron, she stood in front of her closet, picking and choosing.
Yun Ye had been waiting in the living room for an hour, pestering her every ten minutes. Growing impatient, he marched over and knocked on her door: "Yun Li, are you done yet?"
Yun Li yanked the door open and headed to the entryway to put on her shoes.
Yun Ye eyed her. "Oh, so you dressed up just to have dinner with your brother?"
"Of course not." She glared at him, a hint of unease at being exposed. "Don’t talk nonsense."
"You look nice." Hands in his pockets, Yun Ye headed downstairs first, leaving only those words behind.
Once in the car, Yun Li added unconvincingly, "Don’t I usually go out like this anyway?"
"Uh-huh."
Yun Li pressed on, "And since it’s been so long, I can’t let myself fall behind, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"Anyway, I didn’t dress up for him specifically, got it?"
"Uh-huh."
Yun Ye lazily humored her self-deception, then, without missing a beat, turned to her with a serious expression. "Yun Li, I believe you."
"..."
As they neared the school, Yun Li realized Yin Yunyi hadn’t visited Yun Ye during his injury. "Did you two fight? Why didn’t Yin Yunyi come see you when you were hurt?"
Yun Ye scoffed. "I just told her about it. We don’t fight."
Yun Li shot back, "Don’t you discuss everything?"
"That’s different. No need to make her worry for no reason—it wasn’t a big deal anyway." He lifted his arm, twisting it to check the fading bruise. "This way, she won’t be too upset when she sees it."
"..."
After dropping Yun Ye off at his dorm, Yun Li lingered nearby, watching as Yin Yunyi stood at the entrance, her eyes visibly swollen from crying.
Seeing her tears, Yun Ye waved his arms animatedly to show he was fine.
From the car, Yun Li watched for a while until Yin Yunyi finally cracked a smile at Yun Ye’s antics.
...
Yun Li reversed and drove toward the agreed-upon north gate. Fu Shize had mentioned parking inside the school—the late-night eatery was in a courtyard deep in an alley, inaccessible by car.
After parking, she saw the north gate a few dozen meters away, cars streaming past the railings under bright lights. Glancing to the side, she spotted Fu Shize standing by the roadside, leaning against Little Turtle, head bowed as he checked his phone.
He paused for a moment, as if sensing her presence, then looked up at her.
Yun Li barely avoided his gaze, slowly walking over to him.
"Are we taking Little Turtle?"
"Yeah. It’s just a few minutes away." Fu Shize lowered his eyes to meet hers.After meeting several times, Yun Li still couldn't maintain prolonged eye contact with him. She only occasionally gazed at him, her upturned eyes bright and charming. She had tied up her hair, revealing a fair and straight neck.
Those glances unsettled Fu Shize slightly. He unlocked Little Turtle, and Yun Li naturally took her seat behind him.
The breeze carried a fresh, sweet fragrance.
As they exited the gate, Fu Shize's attention wandered, and he failed to notice the speed bump. The bike jolted, causing Yun Li to lose her balance. Her soft hand instinctively braced against his waist.
Yun Li immediately withdrew her hand, flustered. "Sorry about that."
Fu Shize calmly replied, "It's fine," but where she had touched him burned like fire, the heat spreading from that spot throughout his entire body.
Upon arriving at the eatery, he let Yun Li dismount first while he took his time parking and locking the bike. He lingered in the shadows for a minute or two, waiting for his body temperature to return to normal before joining her.
The late-night diner was bustling with activity. Two simple blue canopies were set up in the courtyard, with several large woks steaming away. Half the seating was outdoors, completely packed—mostly with students from West Science and Technology University. The dim alleyway pulsed with youthful energy.
Yun Li felt as if she'd been transported back to her freshman and sophomore years, when she'd occasionally visit barbecue joints near campus with her roommates for skewers and fried noodles.
The two found a spot and sat down.
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