After saying this, Yun Li realized it was inappropriate.
Originally, she had been mispronouncing the word all day and wasn’t sure if her pronunciation was accurate during practice, so she repeated it a few more times. The subsequent sentence construction was just following the same routine, going with the flow.
She hadn’t expected to say something like that.
Fans wouldn’t sense anything amiss, but guilt weighed on her like a thief, making her feel the implied meaning was glaringly obvious.
After all, whether Fu Shize agreed or refused was his choice, and no one could fault him for it.
Her behavior, however, seemed petty and spiteful.
Feeling ashamed, Yun Li tried to cover it up by adding, “There’s no hidden meaning in this. I was just constructing a sentence.”
After broadcasting for a few more minutes, she hurriedly went offline.
The room was quiet, with only the hum of the air conditioner.
After this little episode, Yun Li couldn’t help but feel uneasy about “badmouthing” someone behind their back, though the feeling was fleeting. Soon, she reasoned it out, and her anxious heart settled.
Because Yun Li was certain.
Someone who clearly had no interest in her was unlikely to have the spare time to watch her livestream.
……
Barely nursing a “heartbreak,” Yun Li had been listless for several days. It wasn’t until she received a message from He Jiameng that she realized today was EAW’s official opening.
During this time, the only productive thing Yun Li had done was fulfill her promise by posting the EAW club exploration video. Judging by He Jiameng’s reaction, the promotional video seemed to have garnered a good response.
Her mood improved considerably because of it.
As they chatted, He Jiameng also sent her a few photos from the opening ceremony.
A few days ago, He Jiameng had invited Yun Li, but she wasn’t keen on going and made an excuse to decline.
Scrolling through the photos, Yun Li noticed one of Fu Shize mixed in.
He was wearing EAW’s black shirt uniform, sitting at one of the desks, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. It looked like a sneaky shot, slightly blurry.
He Jiameng: [Oops, sent one by accident qvq.]
He Jiameng: [He’s so handsome though!]
He Jiameng: [But he seems so aloof, gloomy, and cold—I didn’t dare talk to him either.]
Mentioning him brought back memories of that day. Before depression could set in, Yun Li changed the subject: [So you must be super busy today, right?]
He Jiameng: [Yeah, there’s still a huge line of people waiting.]
He Jiameng: [I’m exhausted! I was just pulled downstairs to help!!]
After a few more words, He Jiameng went back to work.
Feeling idle and seeing others work so hard, Yun Li didn’t want to continue moping around. Remembering that she had to report to school in a couple of days, she decided to film next week’s video before then.
By chance, she came across a towel roll that looked absolutely mouthwatering. Without hesitation, Yun Li set the theme as a “Towel Roll Feast.” With all the kitchen ingredients ready, she didn’t procrastinate and got straight to work.
Following a tutorial but adjusting the recipe to her taste, she set up the camera and began cooking.
She loved the process of cooking and had made many food-related videos before. Though time-consuming and labor-intensive, the finished product always brought an unparalleled sense of accomplishment.
This endeavor took several hours.Only when she had achieved what she considered the perfect taste and appearance did Yun Li feel satisfied. Glancing out the window, she realized dawn was nearly breaking. After storing the finished product in the fridge, she hastily cleaned the kitchen and took a quick shower before collapsing into bed.
The next day, Yun Li had just woken up when she received a call from Deng Chuqi.
It was Friday, and Deng Chuqi had come to EAW Technology City with her roommate. Since they rarely visited the Tongxi District, she invited Yun Li to join them for dinner.
Yun Li wasn’t keen on going, especially with strangers present, but she couldn’t resist Deng Chuqi’s persistent coaxing.
Getting up, Yun Li freshened up and quickly applied some makeup. Remembering the towel rolls she had made the night before, she kept one of each flavor for herself and packed the rest into an insulated bag with dry ice, intending to share them with Deng Chuqi and her roommate.
Then she headed out.
The dinner was scheduled at a chain hotpot restaurant in Sea Sky Mall, which was exceptionally busy. By the time Yun Li arrived, a long line still stretched outside the entrance.
Yun Li: [I’m here. Which table are you at?]
Deng Chuqi: [That fast? We just got our number and came in. Wait, I’ll come out to get you.]
In less than half a minute, Deng Chuqi emerged from inside. "Girl!"
Yun Li chuckled. "It’s just a few steps. No need to come out."
"I came to give you a heads-up," Deng Chuqi said, clasping her hands together as if torn between guilt and excitement. "I knew if I told you over the phone, you’d never come."
"Huh?"
"My roommate has two relatives with her! And they’re both ridiculously hot!" Deng Chuqi gushed, brimming with enthusiasm and loyalty. "Yun Li, you’re my bestie! How could I forget you when something this good comes along?"
"..."
Yun Li’s hair stood on end. "There are a lot of people inside?"
"Not many! Including me, just four!"
Yun Li resisted. "No way. I’m leaving. Let’s meet next time."
"You’ll regret not seeing them—they’re seriously handsome!" Deng Chuqi dragged her inside. "If you don’t want to talk, just treat it like admiring flowers! Would I let you feel awkward? And what if one of them catches your interest?"
"As if!"
"Why not?!"
"..."
Unable to refuse, Yun Li reluctantly followed her in.
Whatever.
Only three people—far fewer than the EAW gathering last time.
Since she didn’t know them, she’d just keep her head down, eat, and leave.
The restaurant was filled with steam and rich aromas. Every seat was occupied without exception.
As they walked in, Deng Chuqi continued briefing her. "Today, I hung out with my roommate and her younger brother."
Yun Li wasn’t paying attention and nodded absently.
Deng Chuqi: "My roommate’s uncle works at EAW, something like an equipment engineer. They invited him later—"
Before she could finish, they reached the table.
The hotpot restaurant had seated them at a large U-shaped booth in a quieter corner. From this angle, Yun Li could only see a strikingly beautiful woman smiling as she spoke.
The other two were blocked by the seats.
Deng Chuqi stopped mid-sentence and pulled Yun Li to sit on the other side. "I brought my darling!"
The woman turned, her gaze settling on Yun Li as she smiled warmly. "You must be Lili? I’ve heard so much about you from Chuqi."Yun Li was feeling quite shy and was about to greet them when her gaze swept over the two people opposite her. She paused, looked again, and her smile froze on her face.
"..."
Could someone.
Tell her.
What was going on here?
Fu Shize aside for now.
Why was that guy she met at the airport also here?
Fu Zhengchu widened his eyes, equally stunned.
Deng Chuqi didn’t notice anything amiss, assuming Yun Li was just shy, and introduced them proactively: "Lili, this is my roommate and senior colleague, Xia Congsheng."
"No way!" Fu Zhengchu snapped back to reality, staring at Yun Li in disbelief. "You still recognize me, right? You do, don’t you?"
Yun Li forced out a stiff "Mm-hmm."
Xia Congsheng looked puzzled. "What’s going on? Do you know each other?"
Omitting the part about asking for WeChat, Fu Zhengchu briefly explained what had happened that day, emphasizing how he’d said EAW was his brother’s shop and Yun Li hadn’t believed him.
Deng Chuqi laughed. "What a coincidence!"
Yun Li also understood now. "So your brother is Xu Qingsong?"
"We’re sort of related," Xia Congsheng explained. "My grandmother is the godmother of Qingsong’s mother."
Fu Zhengchu nodded. "After I got back that day, I sent Qingsong a message asking if their shop had hired someone for promotion, since there was a person waiting at the airport for a long time. Later, he told me to ask my uncle to go pick her up."
The more Yun Li listened, the stranger it seemed. She couldn’t help asking, "If I may ask, who is your uncle?"
Fu Zhengchu pointed at Fu Shize beside him.
"..."
Yun Li nearly lost control of her expression.
Weren’t these people around the same age?
How were they uncle and nephew???
Fu Zhengchu suddenly realized. "So you two must have met already?"
"Huh?" Yun Li didn’t dare look at Fu Shize and tugged Deng Chuqi’s sleeve under the table. "Yeah."
Catching the hint, Deng Chuqi coughed lightly and quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of which, it really is quite a coincidence. I remember you’re also a student at South Science and Technology University, right?"
Fu Zhengchu: "Yeah, is someone else here too?"
Hearing this, Yun Li was surprised and instinctively glanced at Fu Zhengchu.
He also studied at South Science and Technology University?
Now that she thought about it, when she met Fu Zhengchu at the airport, he had mentioned EAW was near his school.
But she hadn’t made the connection then.
"Oh," Xia Congsheng recalled. "You told me last time that Lili got into South Science and Technology University for grad school, right?"
Yun Li nodded.
Fu Zhengchu was shocked, his eyes widening. "So we’re actually schoolmates?"
Xia Congsheng scolded him half-jokingly. "You should call her senior."
"Oh, right," Fu Zhengchu, ever adaptable, grew more enthusiastic because of this coincidence. "I’m heading back to school the day after tomorrow. Senior, aren’t you also registering then? I think our school has a unified date."
"Yeah," Yun Li replied.
"Wait, you’re registering the day after tomorrow?" Deng Chuqi was confused. "I was planning to go with you, but I thought it was next week… I just promised my colleague I’d go shopping with her that day."
"It’s fine," Yun Li said. "I’m just going to register."
"But didn’t you say you have a lot of luggage?"
"No worries. My uncle is driving my brother there the day after tomorrow," Xia Congsheng offered. "They’ll pass by here anyway. Lili, you can just ride with them and have them help with your luggage."
"..."
Having just been rejected, Yun Li could only wish for this meal to end quickly so they could go their separate ways and never meet again.
She had no courage left to trouble Fu Shize.She had no energy left to deal with the next meeting.
Before she could even refuse, Fu Zhengchu cheerfully said, "Sure, my uncle has nothing to do anyway. It’ll be good exercise for him."
After making the decision unilaterally, he pretended to show respect by turning to Fu Shize. "That’s fine, right, Uncle?"
Fu Shize slowly lifted his eyes and casually responded with an "Mhm."
Deng Chuqi sighed in relief. "That’s good then. Sorry for the trouble."
"..."
Without getting a single word in, Yun Li was neatly arranged by the other three.
The remaining person at the table received the same treatment but showed no emotional reaction whatsoever. He seemed indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with him.
...
Yun Li’s thoughts were entirely occupied by the impending tomorrow and the fact that she would soon become a burden.
The meal was agonizing for her, and she had no appetite at all.
Later in the dinner, Deng Chuqi’s phone buzzed a few times, and she smiled as she replied to a message.
Noticing this, Xia Congsheng teased, "Who are you messaging? You look so happy."
"A few days ago, I met a cute guy on the subway—totally my type—so I asked for his WeChat," Deng Chuqi shared excitedly. "We’ve been chatting for a few days, and he just asked me out to a movie next week."
"That’s great," Xia Congsheng remarked. "I’ve only asked for someone’s contact once, and it turned out to be a total jerk."
"Really? Tell us about it."
Xia Congsheng poked at her meat with her chopsticks. "Back in college, I went to my brother’s school once when he and a classmate got in trouble and had their parents called in. That classmate’s older brother came instead, and he was really handsome, so I couldn’t resist asking for his number."
Fu Zhengchu immediately guessed. "Sang Zhi’s brother?"
"Yeah. That guy was ridiculous. I still remember what he said." Xia Congsheng scoffed. "He told me he changed girlfriends every day and just happened to need one for that month. If I was willing, he’d take me."
"No way."
"Why would I lie?"
"That can’t be." Fu Zhengchu burst out laughing. "At a class reunion recently, I heard Sang Zhi say her brother had been single for over twenty years and finally got a girlfriend. He’s been bragging to everyone that she was the one who pursued him."
"..."
The conversation naturally shifted to the topic of "asking for someone’s WeChat."
Before they knew it, it became an unspoken rule that everyone had to share an experience.
When it was his turn, Fu Zhengchu glanced awkwardly at Yun Li, perhaps realizing he’d worn the wrong "disguise" that day. Seeing that she showed no intention of bringing it up, he relaxed and quickly glossed over his story.
Then it was Yun Li’s turn.
With the person involved right there, she couldn’t bring herself to lie and had to admit reluctantly, "I have."
Deng Chuqi had thought it impossible—after all, Yun Li could barely interact with strangers, let alone ask for someone’s WeChat. So she was genuinely surprised. "When?"
"Not long ago," Yun Li replied.
"How did it go?" Deng Chuqi pressed.
Yun Li mumbled vaguely, "He didn’t give it to me..."
Deng Chuqi thought she’d misheard and was stunned by the answer. "Huh?"
Yun Li had to repeat clearly, "Well, he didn’t give it to me."
Apart from Fu Shize, who remained silent, the others had either successfully gotten someone’s WeChat or treated it as a lighthearted joke. But Yun Li clearly still cared, and the atmosphere at the table grew heavy.
Sensing this, Yun Li quickly added, "It’s no big deal."
Her forced smile only made it more obvious.Xia Congsheng couldn't help but comfort her: "Maybe it's just that guy's first time seeing such a beautiful girl asking for his WeChat, so he wanted to show off in the moment. He probably went home crying with regret afterward."
After saying this, she glanced at Fu Zhengchu.
Fu Zhengchu played along: "Or maybe he already has a girlfriend."
But that wasn't all. Like a round-robin storytelling game, he nudged Fu Shize's shoulder and winked: "Uncle, your turn. Say something comforting too. As an elder, you should act like one!"
"..."
This unexpected turn of events left Yun Li feeling suffocated.
How could they be so considerate as to start dissecting the corpse right in front of the executioner?
Fu Shize remained expressionless: "What should I say."
Frustrated by his lack of initiative, Fu Zhengchu leaned in to whisper an example: "Just say—"
"?"
"Or maybe he's gay."
"..."
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