After taking her seat, Yun Li glanced back at Xu Qingsong. He didn’t seem to have changed much, dressed in a well-fitted navy blue printed shirt, leisurely watching the performance on stage.
Her gaze shifted to Fu Shize.
They had met again.
She straightened her posture, waiting for the show to begin.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Xu Qingsong leaving his seat. Yun Li took the initiative to ask Fu Shize, "Will you ever go back to EAW?"
"Haven’t been back," Fu Shize replied, resting his hands on his knees and tilting his head slightly. "Why?"
"Seeing Director Xu reminded me—it’s been a long time since I played a VR game."
As she said this, Yun Li suddenly realized that every VR game she had ever played had been with Fu Shize by her side.
Her heart skipped a beat. Fu Shize was silent for a moment before lifting his eyes to look at her. "Do you want to go?"
Yun Li seemed to detect an invitation in his words. She clenched her palms lightly and let out a soft, drawn-out "Mmm."
After speaking, she stared straight ahead. As the musicians took their positions and the melodious music filled the venue, she heard him respond.
"Then I’ll go with you."
Yun Li curved her lips into a smile but quickly suppressed it, feeling she was being too obvious. She thought to herself that rewarding herself after the interview results came out had been the right decision.
Though she had no musical talent and couldn’t fully appreciate the beautiful or grand compositions, even feeling drowsy at times.
But coming here meant Fu Shize would occasionally lean closer to her, telling her about the creators and stories behind each piece.
For her, what should have been a proper performance seemed to turn into Fu Shize’s solo show.
His voice was lazy yet distinct against the background music, though occasionally a few syllables were swallowed by the melodies.
Unconsciously, Yun Li closed the distance between them, wanting to hear him more clearly.
She didn’t notice how close they were until she felt a warm touch against her ear.
"……"
What had she touched?
Like an electric shock, Yun Li covered her right ear and scooted away, turning her head awkwardly.
Fu Shize also seemed momentarily stunned.
"Did I touch something?" Yun Li wasn’t sure if it was her imagination—they still seemed quite far apart. Maybe she was overreacting.
"……"
She felt like she had taken advantage of him.
Eager to explain, she swallowed hard. "I couldn’t hear what you said clearly earlier."
Given their current relationship, Yun Li felt she should address this somehow, or it might seem like she was harassing him. After wrestling with herself, she turned back and said, "So I moved closer."
"It’s fine. Seems like I kissed you."
"……"
Yun Li had no idea how he could say something like that so seriously. After uttering those words, Fu Shize even added properly, "Sorry."
"……"
After this little incident, Yun Li consciously maintained some distance from Fu Shize. But he acted as if nothing had happened, leaning close to her right ear again. "It’s fine."
Given what had just transpired, the gesture now felt much more intimate.
Fu Shize made no move to pull back, simply saying, "I also want you to hear me clearly."
In the dim light, Yun Li’s right ear was already burning red. Fu Shize chuckled softly. "Don’t worry. I’ll keep my distance."
His words were meant to reassure her that the earlier accident wouldn’t happen again.
But it had been her ear brushing against his lips—she was the one who should have kept her distance.Yun Li recalled the sensation and stole a glance at Fu Shize. He was looking at the stage, his lips thin and soft, slightly pale in color, exuding an irresistible allure under the shifting lights.
Her face grew even hotter, as if engulfed by a wave of warmth.
Unable to bear the fluttering in her heart any longer, Yun Li excused herself to the restroom.
Once inside, she stared at her reflection in the mirror, noticing her lipstick had faded at the corners.
Lowering her gaze, she washed her hands and took out her lipstick from her bag.
She paused.
It felt like she was on a date.
No matter what she had thought before, seeing him again, she couldn’t help but be drawn to Fu Shize.
Only after her wildly pounding heart had calmed did she leave the restroom.
Unable to find her way back, she wandered along the corridor. The hallway stood out with its minimalist and elegant design, devoid of people, its outer walls made of transparent glass.
Gazing at the dark sky, she took out her phone.
Yun Li: [Qiqi, I ran into Fu Shize at a performance.]
Deng Chuqi: [‘Ran into’?]
Yun Li: [Literally ran into him. Xu Qingsong was there too. It’s just like you said.]
Yun Li: [Feels like fate.]
Just as she turned to head back, Xu Qingsong appeared around the corner.
Lost in thought, he only noticed Yun Li when he was close.
Earlier, Xu Qingsong had excused himself to the restroom, but the direction he came from was the opposite of it.
It seemed more like he was idly wandering around the venue.
Yun Li had wondered why he hadn’t returned, but now she realized he was giving her and Fu Shize space.
Running into Yun Li didn’t faze Xu Qingsong. He greeted her casually, “Getting some air?”
“Yeah.”
Even when she was with Fu Shize, Yun Li and Xu Qingsong weren’t particularly close.
Standing awkwardly for a moment, Yun Li wanted to return to Fu Shize’s side.
“Heard you just came back from abroad?” Xu Qingsong asked. “Job hunting?”
Yun Li: “Yeah, pretty much settled.”
“How long has it been since you two broke up?” His question took an abrupt turn, but his tone held no pressure.
Yun Li was momentarily stunned before replying slowly, “A year and a half.”
In truth, Xu Qingsong should have known the timeline.
Xu Qingsong wasn’t the type to gossip. There were things Fu Shize hadn’t told Yun Li, and he had no intention of overstepping.
He said offhandedly, “We’ve been here since after four, waiting for someone.”
Yun Li was taken aback. “Did that person come?”
Aside from the three of them, there was no one else she knew in the venue.
Xu Qingsong looked at her.
It was as if she suddenly understood his hint.
She recalled the last time she’d seen Xu Qingsong—when she had returned to Nanwu from West Fuling. She had already resigned and was at EAW collecting her personal belongings.
Back then, she ran into Xu Qingsong in EAW’s break room. He had asked her, “Made up your mind?”
Assuming he meant her resignation, she gave a plausible reason: “Yeah. Need to go back to school for experiments.”
Xu Qingsong took a sip of coffee and added, “About breaking up with Ah Ze.”
His deep eyes seemed to hold unspoken meaning.
At the time, she was still trapped in the aftermath of the breakup, and Fu Shize hadn’t reached out to her.
She had only murmured an acknowledgment.
Xu Qingsong studied her thoughtfully but didn’t press further.For a moment, she felt as if the whole world knew about their breakup. She didn’t want to be reminded of it anymore and just wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
As she opened the door, Xu Qingsong said, "Shize is someone who values emotions deeply."
After returning to Fu Shize’s side, Yun Li didn’t mention running into Xu Qingsong. Gazing at Fu Shize’s profile, she recalled the past year and more of their life together.
On the day she first arrived in England, a drizzling rain fell, the dampness clinging to her face. The architectural style along the way was vastly different from West Fuling and Nanwu.
Coming to this unfamiliar city, Yun Li moved into a single room she had arranged in advance.
Someone added her to the local Nanwu alumni group. The president had helped her a lot when she first moved there and later invited her to gatherings, which she felt too awkward to refuse.
There were over a dozen people at the time. Unskilled in socializing, Yun Li sat quietly in a corner. The president tried to integrate her into the group and repeatedly encouraged her to attend future meetups.
Yun Li struggled to quickly form friendships and was reluctant to go.
Less than a month after moving in, problems arose with the rental. The landlord insisted that the bathroom in her single room had been damaged by Yun Li and demanded £2,000 in compensation. Frustrated and overwhelmed, Yun Li dealt with the issue, but when money was involved, the once-warm landlord became a completely different person—harsh and unyielding.
Reality had poured cold water on her.
She didn’t tell her family about it. Later, after reporting it to the police, the landlord softened and only asked for a small portion of the compensation.
Alone in a city where she didn’t speak the language, feeling wronged, she didn’t want to endure Yun Yongchang’s sarcastic remarks. Deng Chuqi, too busy with her new lab work, was hardly someone she could confide in.
Occasionally, she chatted with her fans, who could make her laugh, but in truth, she didn’t share most of her struggles with them either.
One day, while packing her things, she stumbled upon a photo of her and Fu Shize. It had been tucked into her notebook and brought along unintentionally.
Distracted, she cut fruit and accidentally made a deep gash on her hand.
Hurriedly fetching the first-aid kit and seeing the blood, Yun Li lowered her gaze, disinfecting the wound with iodine, applying medicine, and bandaging it herself.
For the next few days, cooking, washing, and showering became inconvenient.
As she rinsed fruit with her right hand, Yun Li stared at the water in the sink.
For the first time in a long while, she remembered the time she had fallen and scraped her hand. Fu Shize, someone who had never lifted a finger for household chores, had followed recipes step by step to cook for her.
Back then, she had only felt happiness, never delving into what his actions truly meant.
Here, no one spoke to her right ear the way he always did. No one paid attention to or cared for her daily needs the way he had. No one stayed by her side when something happened.
Countless details of their time together surfaced in her mind.
Yun Li realized that Fu Shize might have truly loved her.
She couldn’t deny the loneliness in her heart, especially whenever she thought of Fu Shize afterward.
Perhaps to ease this loneliness, she began attending gatherings—not frequently, but gradually, she became friends with a few international students.
During a casual conversation, someone asked her, "Yun Li, have you ever been in a relationship?"
Yun Li answered truthfully, "Once."
The others were instantly intrigued and pressed her to share the whole story.
At the time, Yun Li hadn’t yet moved on from the relationship and didn’t want to talk about it. But the others wouldn’t let it go, so she gave them a rough outline of the romance.In truth, she didn’t want to bring it up—it felt like reopening a wound in her heart over and over again.
But at that moment, she remembered the times she had tried to ask Fu Shize about his past. Her questions had been vague, yet because he hadn’t confided in her as she had hoped, she saw it as a barrier between them.
Now, faced with a similar situation, she too was reluctant to mention painful things. Only later did she realize that even between lovers, some words remained difficult to say.
If only she had been a little more patient back then.
Her breakup became a hot topic among them, with several people eagerly sharing their views on relationships—most of them siding with her.
It wasn’t until the end, when a recently dumped guy, drunk and slurring, said, “I think your ex had it rough. After all, he never brought up breaking up, and wasn’t he just staying by your side? The cold war was all in your head…”
“Girls are so hard to understand. After the breakup, your ex asked for a reason, and you still blamed him for ending it too cleanly, then gave up on him because of it.” The guy started tearing up as he spoke. “I just don’t get it. I gave so much, so why does she insist I didn’t love her enough? She just broke up with me like that—was our relationship really that easy to throw away?”
The others quickly restrained him, explaining to Yun Li that he had just gone through a breakup and was drunk, telling her not to take it to heart. Yun Li pressed her lips together and stayed silent.
The next day, sobered up, the guy kept apologizing to her over WeChat: I was really, really drunk last night. I was talking nonsense—please don’t take it to heart. I’m so sorry.
It’s fine.
But in that brief moment, Yun Li had clearly seen the thought she had been avoiding for so long.
You were telling the truth.
She had been part of the problem in that relationship.
At the time of the breakup, overwhelmed by pent-up emotions, Yun Li had felt hopeless and suggested they part ways.
She had acted impulsively, never expecting him to agree.
Like a detective, she had constantly searched for evidence that Fu Shize didn’t love her, interpreting his agreement as proof that he didn’t care enough.
And then, she had given up on their relationship.
Her sensitive nature led her to overanalyze Fu Shize’s actions.
For a long time afterward, Yun Li forced herself to change the most negative aspects of her personality. She focused more on her own actions rather than others’ opinions. She actively communicated with those around her instead of overthinking their words and behavior.
She thought that if she did this, then perhaps, if she ever had the chance to see Fu Shize again, she wouldn’t hurt him because of her sensitivity.
Another gathering.
The same guy who had tearfully complained about his ex-girlfriend now mentioned they had gotten back together—she had reached out first and reflected on her own mistakes.
“Yun Li, have you ever thought about talking to your ex?”
After the gathering, the guy asked her privately.
Yun Li just smiled. “If we ever meet again, then maybe.”
It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about it. She wanted to find him, to have an honest conversation—if he still loved her, they could be together again.
But the reality was, they had already dated once and broken up.
She realized her overly sensitive nature made her feel insecure, making it hard to maintain stability in a relationship. Fu Shize, reserved by nature, couldn’t break the deadlock either.She didn’t want to break up for the same reason again, hurting both sides in the process.
Moreover, after so much time had passed, it was highly likely that Fu Shize no longer liked her. She also didn’t believe she could make him continue to like her.
The two of them had never contacted each other, as if they were complete strangers.
Getting back together was just a matter of two sentences.
Just like when they first started dating.
But maintaining the relationship was difficult.
Seeing Fu Shize again, Yun Li felt that he was doing well and hoped he would continue to do so.
Both of them were just grains of sand in this world, brushing against each other among countless others before returning to the dust—a common occurrence.
However, Xu Qingsong had clearly told her that Fu Shize was someone who valued emotions deeply.
So even after a year and a half, he had never forgotten her.
If that was the case, Yun Li didn’t want to deny her own feelings either.
She had never let go of him either.
The performance ended, and the audience filed out. Yun Li and Fu Shize reached the entrance, where Xu Qingsong had already excused himself to rush to another gathering.
Outside the stadium, cars were stuck in a long line, horns blaring incessantly.
Yun Li opened a ride-hailing app.
Fu Shize glanced at it and asked, “Want me to take you out? You won’t get a ride here.”
Yun Li looked outside—the cars on the road were barely moving. She nodded.
“Wait here,” Fu Shize said before heading off to get his bike.
For some reason, Yun Li followed him. “I’ll go with you.”
Little Turtle was parked at the back of the stadium. Riding with him now felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Fu Shize unlocked Little Turtle, picked up the helmet, and fiddled with it for a moment before looking up at her. “It’s still early. Want to go for a ride?”
Unlike her usual hesitation, Yun Li answered softly, “Okay.”
Fu Shize took her to the newly expanded part of West Science and Technology University, where most of the buildings had been renovated.
The entire expansion area was deserted.
Because she trusted Fu Shize, Yun Li didn’t feel afraid—it was more like stepping into a secret place he often visited.
Little Turtle sped along, the wind rushing into her clothes and making it hard to keep her eyes open. A few minutes later, they stopped in front of an orange building.
“I’ll take you somewhere.”
Fu Shize walked inside. The building was mostly finished but not yet in use.
After taking the elevator to the fourteenth floor, they were surrounded by pitch darkness. Yun Li followed closely behind him.
They reached an empty classroom, the air still thick with the smell of renovation. The classroom led to a spacious rooftop, but the door was locked.
Fu Shize opened the window and placed a chair for Yun Li. “I’ll go first. Climb onto the chair later, and I’ll catch you on the other side.”
He climbed over effortlessly, landing steadily on the ground.
Yun Li met his gaze, hesitated for a moment, then stepped onto the chair and slowly stood on the windowsill.
The windowsill was over a meter high. She wavered.
As if sensing her hesitation, Fu Shize reached out his hand.
Yun Li took it, and as she jumped down, he steadied her with his other hand on her arm.
She landed safely.
His chest was right in front of her, and she nearly leaned into it. She took a small step back and slowly withdrew her hand.
The rooftop was much brighter than the hallway.
They leaned against the railing for a while, letting the wind carry their thoughts. The distant sky was vast, the city below bustling.
The evening breeze brushed through the strands of hair on his forehead. Resting his face on his hand, he said, “I like coming here alone sometimes.”
His eyes were clear, softening even more in the quiet of the night."Now it's two people," Yun Li replied, gazing at the distant scenery.
A moment passed, and he didn't respond.
Yun Li turned her head to find Fu Shize looking at her. The instant their eyes met, she shyly averted her gaze.
It was two people now.
Fu Shize watched as Yun Li buried her delicate face in her arms, her eyes reflecting the distant lights.
The two stayed quietly on the rooftop until the bustling city in the distance grew silent.
Yun Li didn't know why, but every time, she could spend so long with Fu Shize doing nothing, like two stones.
When they returned downstairs, Yun Li took out her phone.
"I'll just take a cab back," she said. "You should head back to your dorm and rest too."
It was nearly ten o'clock, and she didn't want to take up too much of Fu Shize's time.
Fu Shize also took out his phone and asked, "Still living at the same place as before?"
Yun Li hummed in agreement. Before she could place the order, Fu Shize had already called a cab. Within minutes, a driver arrived in front of them.
Yun Li didn't refuse or question why.
Now that she was less resistant to her true feelings, everything seemed a little easier to bear.
Fu Shize opened the car door, and Yun Li slipped inside, turning to say goodbye.
But as she settled into her seat, she realized Fu Shize had also gotten in.
"?"
"Taking you home," he said quietly, glancing at her.
They rode in silence.
It was a route Yun Li knew well. The signs, shops, and lights along the way were all familiar. She could even recall how, two years ago, everything had been the same when she drove Fu Shize from the airport to West Science and Technology University.
Countless times, she had taken this road to see Fu Shize.
Only now, observing the route, did she realize how much she actually liked this road.
Because every time she traveled it, she could see Fu Shize.
She stole a glance at the person beside her. He sat quietly, just as he always had when they were together, silently keeping her company.
The car soon arrived at the entrance of her neighborhood. Fu Shize got out with her, and they walked quietly to her building.
West Fuling was mostly lined with evergreen trees, lush and dense. Even in autumn, the faint chirping of cicadas at night signaled the changing seasons.
The incessant sound of cicadas in Yun Li's ears unsettled her. She looked up at Fu Shize, who was also watching her.
"I'm going up now," she said softly.
Fu Shize nodded.
As Yun Li reached the door, she heard his voice behind her: "Lili."
She paused and turned. He stood in the shadows, his features indistinct, but his voice was crystal clear.
"Sweet dreams, Lili."
At home, Yang Fang and Yun Yongchang were watching TV, a melodramatic urban romance. Yun Li had heard Yang Fang summarize it: the male and female leads missed each other in their youth due to various reasons, and after living separate lives, they became the very people they once despised.
Yun Li couldn't help but draw parallels to herself.
But since parting ways with Fu Shize, Yun Li knew she had never hated him.
If anything, she might have hated herself a little.
She opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of milk. As she lost herself in thoughts of Fu Shize, the exaggerated dialogue from the TV faded into the background.
Carrying the milk to her room, Yun Li turned off the lights and switched on the Paper Light Ball. As the star-shaped lights flickered, she recalled Fu Shize's words from earlier.
"Sweet dreams, Lili."She recalled her own dilemmas—worrying about this and that.
Worrying whether his actions meant he didn't like her enough, worrying why he hadn't come looking for her after the breakup, worrying if they would repeat the same mistakes because of her personality.
But at this moment, or perhaps even earlier, as she walked through the campus with him, as the fragrance of osmanthus reminded her of their first meeting in Nanwu, she had a strong urge—to forget all the past conflicts and troubles between them.
To be with him again.
This thought, even after the shock of their breakup, even as she tried to deceive herself, had never truly disappeared from the depths of her heart.
And now, she knew—he still had feelings for her.
The changes she had worked so hard to make over the past year, teaching herself to be brave, confident, and strong, weren’t meant to make her shrink back or avoid love.
Yun Li pulled out the notebook buried at the bottom of her drawer, inside which was a photo of the two of them. She ran her fingers over it, remembering how long ago, on the basketball court, Fu Shize had sat to her right.
Just like tonight, side by side.
Yun Li suddenly sat up, opened the chat window with Fu Shize, and bit her lip as she typed.
But he sent a message first.
F: "I want to see you."
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