Having grown accustomed to early classes, Yun Ye habitually woke up at seven o'clock. Passing by the kitchen, he noticed a figure moving about inside.
Yun Ye: "Why are you up so early?"
Yun Li: "Preparing lunch."
The kitchen window faced the morning sun, its light blurring Yun Li's silhouette. Yun Ye yawned and scratched his head: "But it's still morning?"
"Making congee takes hours even if done quickly."
"Oh, right." Yun Ye walked into the kitchen while brushing his teeth. "I'm going to see brother-in-law today."
Yun Li: "?"
Yun Li: "You've changed how you address him pretty fast."
"..." Yun Ye felt too embarrassed to mention that Fu Shize was giving him a drone.
Yun Ye: "I asked brother-in-law myself yesterday. I'm going to pick up the drone from him today."
Yun Li frowned: "Wasn't it very late when you left my room?"
Yun Ye checked his phone: "It was past two. Brother-in-law wasn't asleep yet either."
"Go brush your teeth." Yun Li shooed him out of the kitchen, stirring the rice porridge in the clay pot. The circular motions disappeared within seconds as she stared blankly for a while.
Since they got together, Fu Shize had always appeared perfectly fine in front of her.
He was completely at ease with classmates and friends, and Yun Li didn't want to press him about his past.
During their previous relationship, she had asked a few times, but Fu Shize seemed reluctant to talk, just as she disliked others bringing up her breakup.
She believed that when the time was right, Fu Shize would tell her everything himself.
If he hadn't brought it up yet, perhaps he hadn't fully processed it himself.
Yun Yongchang and Yang Fang had also woken up. Seemingly accustomed to Yun Li's early morning activities, they didn't ask further.
Yun Ye quietly ate breakfast with his parents, their gazes repeatedly darting toward Yun Li.
After a long while, Yang Fang asked gently, "Lili, your father mentioned you have a boyfriend now. Why don't you invite him over for dinner..."
"I'll ask him." Yun Li responded absentmindedly.
Yun Ye changed clothes and was about to leave when he saw Yun Li carrying two insulated bags: "Going on a picnic later?"
"Yeah, for lunch." Yun Li replied casually.
Yun Ye said proudly, "Oh, I don't want any."
"Who said it's for you?" Yun Li shoved the bags into Yun Ye's hands. "I'll drive you over. After you get the drone, come home by yourself."
"..."
The car stopped at the Control Engineering building. Yun Ye followed Yun Li upstairs, where Fu Shize opened the door. The office curtains were wide open, his figure bathed in sunlight, his expression calm and gentle.
"Brother-in-law." Yun Ye called out.
Fu Shize opened a long cabinet beside his desk, revealing several drones: "Pick one."
Yun Ye's eyes lit up as he approached. Not one to take advantage, he said, "I'll just borrow it and return it later."
"It's fine." Fu Shize leaned against the desk. "They're just gathering dust here."
Hearing this, Yun Ye didn't hesitate further.
Not wanting to take a new one, he chose the oldest model, which looked well-used with a faded letter "U" printed on it.
Yun Ye: "Can I take this one?"
Fu Shize paused briefly. Yun Li noticed his momentary change in expression, but he soon nodded calmly.
"Let's go." Fu Shize picked up a baseball cap from the desk and placed it directly on Yun Li's head. The oversized cap blocked her vision.He stood behind her, his fingers occasionally brushing against her occipital bone as he silently adjusted the tightness for her.
Outside, the sun was bright and the breeze gentle, with students occasionally picnicking on the large lawn of West Science and Technology University. They found a shaded spot under a tree, where Fu Shize turned his head to explain to Yun Ye how to operate the drone.
The two tall figures stood side by side, Fu Shize dressed in a loose white shirt, looking just as youthful as Yun Ye.
Yun Ye’s plan was simple: use the drone to deliver a postcard to Yin Yunyi, who was in the teaching building. The postcard held special meaning for them—it was through exchanging postcards that they had first realized their feelings for each other.
This confession might not be earth-shattering.
But Yun Ye thought about it and figured Yin Yunyi would probably like it.
After teaching Yun Ye the basics of operating the drone, Fu Shize joined Yun Li under the tree to rest in the shade.
Seizing the chance to be alone, Yun Li asked, “Yun Ye told me you were still awake past two last night…”
During the day, he seemed perfectly fine.
So normal that no one would suspect anything was wrong.
But Yun Li had also heard from others that the final year of a Ph.D. could be incredibly stressful, with insomnia being a common issue.
Fu Shize replied, “I did have trouble sleeping.”
Yun Li didn’t press further, waiting for him to continue. Fu Shize fiddled with the controller and said casually, “Probably just the stress of writing my dissertation.”
“Oh… Do you want me to help edit it?” Yun Li couldn’t think of anything else she could do.
But then it occurred to her—she was just a master’s student from an ordinary university, trying to help a Ph.D. candidate from a top-tier school with his dissertation. It seemed a bit presumptuous.
After hesitating for a while, she added, “I could help with the diagrams.”
When he didn’t react, she continued, “Or check the data?”
“Or format it?”
“At the very least, I could proofread for typos.”
She even added a condition: “As long as your dissertation isn’t in English.”
After listening to her ramble, Fu Shize turned his head and asked, “Have you finished yours?”
“…”
Yun Li answered honestly, “Even though every time I open my thesis, I can barely squeeze out a few words and end up spacing out in front of my computer all day…”
“But at least I don’t lose sleep over it.” She emphasized her advantage.
Yun Li didn’t feel like she was overestimating herself. With her master’s thesis due in a few months, she was eating and sleeping well—far better than Fu Shize’s current state.
Fu Shize had a rough idea of her situation and countered, “Don’t you need my help?”
Yun Li said seriously, “Finish yours first.”
She calmly added, “Then you can focus on helping me.”
Leaning against the tree trunk, Fu Shize tilted his head back, his pupils shifting toward her. “Feels like I’ll have to write two theses.”
“No.” Yun Li rested her head on his shoulder. “We’ll write them together.”
Yun Ye didn’t test-fly the drone for long before deciding not to be a third wheel and packed up to go home. Yun Li handed him the car keys and, despite his strong objections, stuck a “Student Driver” sticker on the car.
……
Though she had visited the School of Control many times, this was Yun Li’s first interaction with Fu Shize’s labmates.
The guys were a bit shy around her. She awkwardly took a seat beside Fu Shize. The workstation was spacious enough that pulling up a chair easily accommodated both of them.
Fu Shize poured her a glass of water, tested the temperature, and placed it in front of her. Then he opened a document and began typing intently.Fu Shize had given her a laptop to use for her own work. She downloaded a few master's theses and skimmed through them, but just as she was starting to focus, her attention was diverted by the people coming and going around her.
Unconsciously, her gaze drifted toward Fu Shize beside her.
For the first time, Yun Li truly felt that she had indeed landed herself a top-student boyfriend.
Several times during the session, others got up to fetch water, and people from other labs came over to discuss problems. Whenever Yun Li made eye contact with them, she would smile awkwardly before lowering her head uncomfortably.
Fu Shize, however, seemed completely oblivious, his eyes fixed on the text reflected on his screen.
Influenced by him, Yun Li managed to concentrate for a full hour before her attention was inevitably drawn to the WeChat notifications that had been flashing for a while.
It was Fu Shize’s account.
She tapped on it and saw a small lab group chat, with new messages popping up intermittently.
[Holy crap! Senior brought his girlfriend!]
[Senior has a girlfriend—we’re finally saved!]
[Damn, take a picture! No photo, no proof.]
[No way, it’s too obvious. His girlfriend is sitting right next to him.]
[Sis-in-law is crazy pretty, sitting there like a celebrity.]
Reading this, Yun Li’s face flushed slightly.
[Stop just talking about it—take a photo!]
[Just come over and see for yourselves! Pretend you’re here to grab something or discuss a problem.]
"……"
Only then did she realize that all those people earlier had come specifically to see her.
After this realization, Yun Li felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Every time someone new entered, her body would tense up. Fu Shize suddenly turned his head and asked, "What’s wrong?"
"……"
Yun Li’s lips seemed sewn shut. She shook her phone at him and sent a message: [I feel like it’s a bit awkward here…]
Fu Shize replied: [A bit awkward]
Before she could finish typing her response, he sent another message— [For doing what?]
Reading the two messages together, Yun Li leaned back and shot him a pointed look.
[Then should we go to the empty room next door?]
Given the context, the entire exchange took on a suggestive undertone. Yun Li wrestled with herself for a moment.
Agreeing would make it seem like she wasn’t here to study seriously with him today.
Instead, it would come across like she had ulterior motives.
Fu Shize stood up directly, grabbing a lab laptop from the cabinet behind them. He lingered by his workstation, his gaze carrying a hint of teasing.
Yun Li slowly got up, hugging her laptop as she followed him.
Not wanting to draw attention, she deliberately kept a meter’s distance between them.
Fu Shize suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, then turned and took her hand. Yun Li tried to pull away, but he held on tightly.
He led her out without letting go.
Knowing the doors here weren’t soundproof, Yun Li stayed silent the entire way. Fu Shize took her to a small lab—inside was an operating table, a workstation, and a single sofa.
The room had no windows and carried a faint musty smell. Fu Shize turned on the exhaust fan, its aged blades rattling loudly.
The moment Yun Li set her laptop on the operating table, he suddenly pressed her against the door.
The back of her neck met the cold surface, while his warm body pressed against her front. He leaned close to her right ear and murmured, "Convenient enough now?"
His voice was nearly drowned out by the exhaust fan’s noise, yet it rang in her ears like thunder.
Yun Li had already found the room stuffy, but now it felt like heat was searing straight to the top of her head.She licked her lower lip, staring into his pitch-black eyes. His lips were barely half a centimeter from hers, but Yun Li ultimately turned her head away, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.
Blushing, she said, "Go write your thesis."
Fu Shize obediently released her and sat down to open his laptop. He glanced at Yun Li twice, urging her with a nasal hum to sit beside him.
Yun Li had been on edge the entire way. She pulled a chair over and sat next to him, gripping the seat as she parted her lips and asked softly, "If we walk out so openly like this, won’t your junior brother say you’re neglecting your work? Or that you’re blinded by lust?"
Fu Shize tilted his head slightly. "Maybe."
"Then what do we do?" Yun Li let out a long sigh, her eyes drooping.
"It’s fine," Fu Shize replied indifferently. "They’d be telling the truth."
"..."
At times like this, Yun Li found Fu Shize’s words startling—especially since he delivered them without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
She was far more proper than him and had plenty of concerns. "Then maybe I shouldn’t come anymore. I don’t want people saying bad things about you."
Yun Li knew how easily gossip could spread, and she didn’t want Fu Shize to face criticism because of her.
She knew he didn’t care about others’ opinions, but she cherished his reputation.
Seeing her cautious and earnest expression, Fu Shize asked, "So you won’t bring me porridge anymore?"
"I’ll still bring it. That way, I can at least see you in the mornings." Yun Li thought about work. "I’m planning to join a subsidiary of Yousheng. They might ask me to start earlier, which would leave us even less time together."
She made a quick plan. "Before that, I’ll come see you often."
"Before that, don’t worry about what others think." Fu Shize draped his arm over the sofa’s armrest, idly playing with her hair. "And after that, you still don’t have to."
Yun Li hesitated. "Does me being here distract you from your work?"
"Not earlier," Fu Shize said, turning to her. "When you’re not here, I keep checking if you’ve messaged me. That interrupts my work more."
With her around, Fu Shize found it easier to focus.
There were only a few months left before his doctoral thesis was due. He hadn’t considered it before, but now, knowing the person beside him would appreciate it, he wanted to aim for a national outstanding thesis award.
"Though," Fu Shize set his laptop aside and pulled her to the other end of the single-seater sofa, "right now, it’s a little distracting."
The atmosphere grew abruptly intimate.
Fu Shize nipped at her lips twice. "When it’s just the two of us, studying is impossible."
...
After sharing the porridge she’d brought for lunch, Fu Shize grew drowsy. Yun Li, who usually woke late, didn’t have a habit of napping.
Perhaps because he’d stayed up late the night before, Fu Shize fell asleep on the sofa within seconds.
By the time Yun Li looked up from her phone, he was already asleep.
She stood up, silently drawing the curtains.
The fabric wasn’t completely opaque, and the filtered light still illuminated his features clearly.
Yun Li sat on a small stool in front of him, studying his expression.
Fu Shize’s eyes were tightly shut, his brows slightly furrowed, and his lips pressed together as if trapped in an unpleasant dream.
She reached out to smooth the crease between his brows, and his pale face relaxed slightly.
Yun Li watched his sleeping face quietly. He seemed to have sunk into a deep slumber, leaning limply against the cushion.The phone on the desk lit up with a notification—a social media update. The lock screen still displayed their photo together.
Yun Li unlocked the phone and swiped to the WeChat interface. He had pinned her chat window at the top, and the nickname remained the same: "Yun Lili."
Opening the chat, Yun Li scrolled up and froze.
On the day they reunited, Fu Shize had sent her a message: ["Lili."]
Scrolling further up, she saw that every single day, Fu Shize had sent her a message—just those two words: "Lili."
Each one was met with a red exclamation mark and a system notification: "You are not friends with this user."
Almost unable to believe it, Yun Li kept scrolling. Her fingers swiped up countless times, yet there seemed to be no end.
The room was so quiet that only his breathing could be heard. Yun Li tirelessly continued scrolling until the chat logs reached the period when they had broken up.
She lowered her head and looked at the man sleeping beside her, her heart aching unbearably. Just then, his alarm went off, and Yun Li silenced it.
Fu Shize stretched slightly, pulling Yun Li onto him naturally.
Her voice was hoarse. "You... sent me a message every day before?"
Fu Shize lazily hummed in acknowledgment.
Yun Li clenched the hem of her clothes. "But... didn’t I delete you?"
Fu Shize ran a hand through his hair, offering a reasonable guess. "You might’ve secretly added me back."
His tone was light. "Like last time."
For that entire year and a half, he had held onto hope every single day.
Maybe next time, the response on the screen wouldn’t be that cold system notification. Maybe next time, it wouldn’t be that glaring red mark.
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