“Fuck your mo—” Blue Hair was about to explode, but his anger deflated when he met Fu Shize’s gaze. “I—I’ll… I’ll apologize, alright? Bro, why’d you have to push me…”
Reluctant and resentful, he didn’t even glance at Yun Li as he muttered quickly, “Sorry.”
As if afraid anyone might actually hear him.
Fu Shize didn’t let him off that easily. “Say it again.”
Blue Hair had no choice but to enunciate each word. “I’m sorry.”
Fu Shize scoffed lightly. “What’s so embarrassing about apologizing?”
“……” Blue Hair’s lips pressed into a tight line as he glared at him. “I’m sorry.”
“Are your eyes glued to me?”
“I…” Blue Hair took a deep breath, not wanting to drag this out any longer, and turned to Yun Li. “I’m sorry. I’m not thinking straight right now, and I don’t know why I did that. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Still shaken, Yun Li gave a vague acknowledgment.
“Ze-ge, why aren’t you back yet?” Big Guy stepped in to mediate. “You shouldn’t be smoking—aren’t you still sick?”
“Yeah.”
Big Guy added, “This kid’s just drunk. He’ll realize he was wrong once he sobers up.”
Blue Hair grumbled, “Who’s drunk?”
Fu Shize ignored him. “Go back.”
Feeling like the whole world was against him, Blue Hair muttered resentfully, “It’s this chick’s fault anyway—she said if I told her to come over, she’d—”
Before he could finish, Big Guy clapped a hand over his mouth, muffling his protests. Effortlessly dragging him back into the alley, Big Guy called out, “We’ll head out first, bro. I’ll take him to sober up.”
With them gone, the already quiet spot felt even more desolate.
Yun Li wanted to ask what his relationship with them was but hesitated, fearing it might be too intrusive. After standing there awkwardly for a moment, she tightened her grip on her bag and spoke up. “Thank you.”
When no response came, she wavered, unsure whether to say goodbye.
Fu Shize suddenly asked, “What did you just call me?”
“Huh?” Confused but not daring to ignore him, Yun Li replied, “Fu Shizhe?”
“Ze.”
“What?”
“Fu Shize.”
“……” Still not getting it, she repeated, “Uh… Fu Shizhe.”
Fu Shize stubbed out his cigarette. “Straighten your tongue and say it again.”
It finally clicked, and Yun Li flushed red.
People from West Fuling often mixed up flat and retroflex sounds, a quirk fans frequently pointed out in her videos. She’d tried to correct it, but some words still tripped her up—sometimes she couldn’t even hear the difference.
Her lips moved soundlessly as she started, too embarrassed to continue.
But Fu Shize merely pointed out the mistake without pressing her further, unlike how he’d dealt with Blue Hair. Then, pensively, he asked, “How do you know my name?”
“……” The question jolted her. In those few seconds, she combed through her memories—absolutely certain he’d never introduced himself in their previous encounters.
There was no way she could admit she’d looked him up online.
That’d make her sound like a total creep.
Stammering, she explained, “I—I heard from the EAW people. They said you’re their new colleague.”
The excuse was plausible enough. Fu Shize nodded. Glancing at the time, he asked casually, “What are you doing here?”
Yun Li murmured, “I wanted to buy some fried rice noodles.”
Fu Shize didn’t pry further. “Mm.”"But never mind," Yun Li said, though nothing had happened earlier, she still felt uneasy. "This place seems a bit too remote. I think I'll just go back and order takeout."
After a brief silence, Fu Shize asked, "Where is it?"
Yun Li instinctively pointed in a direction.
Fu Shize said, "Let's go."
"..."
Without waiting for her response, he started walking ahead.
Watching his retreating figure, Yun Li's heartbeat inexplicably quickened. After a pause, she jogged to catch up.
The Fried rice noodles shop was tucked away in one of the narrow alleys.
Though the location was out of the way, the place was still crowded at this hour, mostly with what looked like university students from nearby. The bubble tea shop next door was still open, but its earlier popularity had waned, and business was no longer as brisk.
Neither of them spoke much, and there was no unnecessary conversation during the wait.
Ten minutes later, Yun Li took the takeout bag.
They walked out together.
Following the street, they continued until they reached the main road. Across the street was the square Yun Li had come from earlier, where people were still dancing in groups and skateboarding, the lively atmosphere showing no signs of fading.
Fu Shize stopped there and said, "Get home early."
"Huh?" Yun Li was slow to react. "...Oh, okay. I'll head back then."
After a few steps, Yun Li couldn't resist looking back.
He was still standing in the same spot.
The man had dark brows and eyes, his pale skin giving off a cold aura. Tall and lean, he wore a plain white T-shirt. His slender frame stood like a solitary pine tree, yet it didn't appear frail.
In that moment, something broke free from its cage.
A flower that had long refused to sprout finally pushed through the soil in a place no one noticed. Timid and small, yet lured by the moonlight, it chose to step into the world for a glimpse.
Yun Li forgot her fear of social interactions, forgot her usual instinct to avoid strangers at all costs. Right now, there was only one thought in her mind.
If she didn't take a step forward now,
this might be the last time they'd ever see each other.
But she hoped,
there could be another meeting.
Swallowing hard, Yun Li clenched her palms slightly. "Um, I—could I get your contact info?"
Fu Shize lifted his gaze.
Doing this for the first time, Yun Li stumbled over her words. "I heard you caught a cold. I know a brand of medicine that works really well, so I wanted to recommend it to you..."
He didn't answer immediately, as if waiting for her to finish.
After a pause, Fu Shize replied flatly, "Thanks, but no need." Then, after a brief hesitation, he added, "I forgot to mention earlier—I hope my friend's behavior didn't affect you."
A simple sentence, instantly shattering her illusions and misinterpretations.
She didn't need to think deeply to understand his implication.
His earlier actions weren't because he had any special interest in her.
It was simply because his friend had behaved inappropriately toward her tonight. Since an apology had been made, it should serve its purpose.
He didn't want it to disrupt her original plans.
In the endless night, on the bustling yet desolate street, the road split the world in two. The sounds around her seemed to disconnect, replaced by a sharp ringing, everything collapsing one after another.
Uncontrollable embarrassment surged in her chest.
Forcing a smile, Yun Li murmured, "It's fine, forget it then... Hope you get better soon."
With that, she forgot even to say goodbye, only wanting to leave this place as quickly as possible. As she turned away, her nose stung. Checking for oncoming traffic, she hurried across the street.
...Returning home, Yun Li kicked off her shoes and tossed the bag onto the dining table. In three quick strides, she reached the living room and collapsed onto the sofa, sinking deep into its cushions.
She wanted to pretend nothing had happened, but Fu Shize’s expression kept replaying in her mind.
From start to finish, there hadn’t been the slightest fluctuation in his demeanor.
As if the recklessness and retreat she’d experienced tonight because of him were solely her own doing. Even when rejecting her, he hadn’t shown a hint of remorse for potentially hurting her.
Because he simply didn’t care.
Pressing a cushion over her face, Yun Li bit her lip hard.
So embarrassing.
So pathetic.
Why had she done something like that?
Yun Li desperately needed someone to confide in, someone who could empathize with her, yet she didn’t want to bring it up with anyone. After a long while, she picked up her phone, opened a browser, and searched: "Got rejected after asking for someone’s WeChat."
Many people had similar experiences.
It seemed like a trivial, commonplace matter—nothing worth dwelling on.
But no matter what, most people would still wonder if they were truly that unappealing when the other person showed no interest in getting to know them further.
Only after reading countless stories from others did Yun Li finally begin to recover. No longer wallowing in self-pity, she listlessly moved to the dining table and opened the box of fried rice noodles she’d left untouched for so long.
She took a bite.
It had gone completely cold.
Swallowing, she muttered dejectedly, "Even my heart isn’t as cold as you."
After reheating the noodles in the microwave, Yun Li opened E-Station while waiting. She’d been too busy lately and had taken a break, not uploading any videos for weeks.
The comments below were filled with eager pleas for her return, with some even giving her nicknames.
A few comments made her chuckle, and after some thought, she typed out a post.
Xian Yun Tick Tock Sauce: Stop calling me Salted Fish Tick Tock Sauce, I beg you. Update coming Saturday night.
The moment she posted it, hundreds of comments flooded in.
Scrolling through, Yun Li noticed that aside from demands for updates, many reminded her about the overdue 500k-follower special. Previously, she’d asked for suggestions, receiving a dizzying array of video theme ideas.
But the most popular request was for her to livestream.
Yun Li rarely livestreamed. The first time had been out of curiosity, but she’d logged off after just a few minutes. Feeling her impromptu reactions were lackluster and the stream would be boring, she’d never been keen on the idea.
The few times she’d done it were only after being egged on by fans.
Yet for some reason, they seemed to love it.
Noticing how late it was—meaning fewer viewers—and feeling emotionally drained, Yun Li wanted to talk to someone. Hesitantly, she returned to the sofa, checked her outfit and camera angle in the viewfinder, and started the stream.
Instantly, users poured in.
Yun Li adjusted her demeanor and greeted them. Staring at the screen, she began reading and responding to comments: "Why the sudden livestream?—Oh, consider this a preview for the 1M-follower special. Just rehearsing early."
"Background changed?" Yun Li opened the food container, deciding to turn it into a mukbang as she ate the fried rice noodles. "I moved. Haven’t set up properly yet. I’ll make the background nicer later."
"What are you eating?—Fried rice noodles."
"This is so boring. Do a talent show or something, why even stream?" Yun Li replied indifferently, unfazed. "Nope. Find another streamer then.""Why does it feel like Salted Fish is being extra reclusive today?—You're mistaken."
As soon as these words were spoken, the barrage of comments flooded the screen with playful banter: ["It's reclusive, not exclusive."]
"..." Yun Li immediately recalled Fu Shize's earlier correction and took a deep breath, absolutely certain she hadn't mispronounced the word. "Don't twist the facts. I said it correctly."
Next, the audience bombarded her with words and tongue twisters, as if subjecting her to a brutal Mandarin training session.
Perhaps wanting to humor her fans or maybe to prove a point, Yun Li carefully pronounced each word. Some words even inspired her to improvise nonsensical sentences on the spot.
About ten minutes passed like this.
After finishing her fried rice noodles, Yun Li glanced at the screen and caught a particular word amidst the endless stream of comments.
—Shi Ze—
As Fu Shize stepped out of the dessert shop, his phone rang.
He pulled it out, glanced at the caller ID, and answered. Xu Qingsong's voice came through: "Where are you? I've already picked up the car."
Fu Shize: "Coming out now."
"Alright, meet me at the station."
"Mm."
Fu Shize hung up, carrying a bag as he walked back onto the street. Spotting Xu Qingsong's car, he got into the passenger seat and placed the bag beside him.
Xu Qingsong glanced at it while driving. "Who's that for?"
"My dad."
"Is the old man still awake at this hour?" Xu Qingsong remarked casually. "So, are you heading back to North Mountain Maple Forest now? Or coming with me somewhere?"
Fu Shize, looking utterly exhausted, replied: "Not going."
Xu Qingsong shook his head and sighed. "With this personality of yours, it's surprising how popular you are with girls. I've gotten several messages lately asking for your WeChat."
Fu Shize acted as if he hadn't heard.
Seeing his lethargy, Xu Qingsong didn't press further and turned off the phone's navigation. Just then, a notification from E-Station popped up at the top of the screen: The content creator you follow @LeisurelyCloudDrip has started a live stream 15 minutes ago.
Xu Qingsong accidentally tapped it.
He didn’t notice until the previously quiet car was suddenly filled with noise. Glancing at his phone, he saw a somewhat familiar face on the screen.
Earlier, He Jiameng had briefed Xu Qingsong on the candidates for EAW’s promotional campaign and provided him with an account following all the participating content creators.
To appear responsible, Xu Qingsong had logged into the account but barely used it, only skimming through occasionally. Yet the app kept sending notifications, and he’d accidentally clicked on them several times recently.
Just as Xu Qingsong was about to close it, he paused. "Hey, Shize, isn’t this the girl who sat next to you the other day?"
Hearing the noise, Fu Shize lifted his eyelids slightly.
On Xu Qingsong’s phone screen was the girl he’d just seen not long ago. She sat on a sofa, still wearing the same clothes, her small face and fair skin looking no different on camera than in person.
Her large, bright eyes stared directly into the lens, appearing far less restrained than when she’d been around him.
Then, the girl began inexplicably repeating a word: "Shi Ze, Shi Ze..."
Late at night, on Ghost Festival, the quiet empty streets, the accidental click into a live stream, and now the host eerily chanting a word homophonous with his companion’s name...
"..."
The scene was undeniably eerie.Xu Qingsong paused for a moment. "Why does it sound like she's calling your name?"
Before Fu Shize could respond, the girl ended her "parrot mode." Then, staring straight into the camera, she quickly said, "He appears to be a wolf."
After a pause, she slowly squeezed out a few more words: "—but in reality, he's a dog."
Silence fell in the car.
Three seconds later, Xu Qingsong caught on. Only hearing the latter half clearly, he turned his head and asked, "Did she just insult you?"
Fu Shize was confused. "What?"
"She called you a dog."
"..."
OpenNovel