"Do you want to meet my parents first?" Yun Li repeated hesitantly.
Thinking of Yun Yongchang's temperament, Yun Li always felt he would nitpick Fu Shize relentlessly.
Whether it was out of concern for her or other motives, his behavior made her extremely uncomfortable.
In her eyes, Fu Shize was beyond reproach by anyone.
Yun Li hesitated, "You can meet them later. My parents are quite conservative—they might start pressuring us to get married right away." She bit her lip. "And they’d think the girl is at a disadvantage if the relationship drags on."
Fu Shize neither agreed nor disagreed, simply nodding obediently.
It was as if the progress of their relationship had come to an abrupt halt before the issue of her parents. Yun Li suddenly felt a pang of disappointment.
Noticing her expression, Fu Shize remarked casually, "I’m also quite conservative."
"..."
"And I might also start pressuring you to get married right away." Still typing his document, he didn’t even glance over, his tone lightly teasing. "Hope you don’t mind."
Hearing this, Yun Li laughed too. "Then go ahead and try."
Fu Shize smirked, countering, "Would you agree?"
Seeing his attention still fixed on his paper, Yun Li stared at him for a few seconds before deliberately putting on a reserved act. "No."
The answer was expected, but Fu Shize still paused his work. Meeting her gaze for two seconds, he mused, "You must be quite conservative too?"
Yun Li: "Mhm."
"Then you pressure me to marry you." Leaning back in his ergonomic chair, his eyes rested directly on her face. He smiled. "I’d agree."
That evening, after Fu Shize walked Yun Li to her building, she lingered downstairs, unwilling to go up. Indulging her, he held her hand as they wandered around the neighborhood.
Remembering Chen Jinping’s birthday, he suddenly thought of something. Lowering his gaze to Yun Li, he said, "I’ll make up for two birthdays."
He had missed both of her birthdays over the past two years.
Fu Shize: "Make two wishes."
Yun Li was stunned for a moment before obediently closing her eyes, clasping her hands under her chin, and saying earnestly, "Then I wish that next year, A-Ze will celebrate my birthday with me again."
"..." Fu Shize chuckled. "What a waste of a wish. I’ll already be here."
"Then I’ll amend my wish—I hope every year, A-Ze will celebrate my birthday with me." She looked at him expectantly. Fu Shize met her gaze and murmured, "I’ll always be here."
"And the second one?"
Yun Li resumed her pose and answered honestly, "I hope every year, A-Ze will celebrate my birthday with me."
"..." Fu Shize laughed softly. "These two wishes are word-for-word the same."
Yun Li opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Because I want it to come true so badly."
So even if all her wishes were the same, it didn’t matter.
As long as this one came true, nothing else was important.
Before Fu Shize could respond, a thunderous voice suddenly rang out.
"Yun Li."
Yun Li froze, unsure how to react.
Normally, Yun Yongchang wouldn’t be out at this hour, which was why she’d dared to stroll around the neighborhood with Fu Shize.
Yun Yongchang emerged from the shadows. After getting a clear look at Fu Shize’s face, his expression turned icy. Ignoring Fu Shize completely, he turned to Yun Li. "So this ‘breakup’ was a lie, wasn’t it? And you even teamed up with Yun Ye to trick me into thinking he was your teaching assistant?"The second time they met, Yun Yongchang's attitude toward Fu Shize was still just as hostile. Yun Li abruptly raised her head, her anger flaring as she prepared to retort.
But Fu Shize gently pressed her shoulder and replied naturally, "Hello, Uncle. After returning to school, I took on the role of teaching assistant for several courses."
Hearing his response, Yun Yongchang grasped the underlying meaning, and his attitude softened slightly. Not forgetting Fu Shize's leave of absence, he asked, "So you've gone back to school?"
Fu Shize nodded.
"When will you graduate?"
"Next year, together with Lili."
"Have you found a job yet?"
"Nothing's confirmed yet, but I’ll likely stay at West Science and Technology University as a lecturer."
"Oh? What made you suddenly decide to return to school?" Yun Yongchang didn’t let up just because the other had academic achievements; he still wanted to understand Fu Shize’s situation.
Fu Shize glanced at Yun Li. "I want to take responsibility for Lili and give her a better life."
He spoke candidly, "Last time, I left a bad impression on you. Originally, I planned to invite you to my graduation ceremony after earning my Ph.D."
The man before him responded without arrogance or subservience, sincere and composed, his demeanor gentle and clear. Yun Yongchang had already lost most of his temper, but he still maintained an elder’s tone. "My daughter is an excellent girl. These are things you should do—as a man, you should take responsibility for your family." He paused. "But there’s no need to wait until the graduation ceremony, is there?"
Yun Li: "..."
Fu Shize: "If you don’t mind, I’d like to visit in a couple of days."
Yun Yongchang: "Oh, you’re still living on campus, right? Come on Friday. Lili can pick you up then and bring Yun Ye home too. We’ll have dinner together."
Yun Li: "..."
Without saying much more to Fu Shize, Yun Yongchang took Yun Li home. Once inside, Yun Li couldn’t hold back. "Dad, can’t you be nicer to people?"
Seeing her ready for an argument, Yun Yongchang raised his voice slightly. "Where was I not nice?"
Completely intimidated, Yun Li snapped, "Last time, you were perfectly polite to that Yin Yucheng. Do I really have to spend my life with someone I don’t even like?"
Yun Yongchang fell silent.
Yun Li kicked off her shoes and went straight to the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of cold water to calm down.
Hearing the father and daughter bickering again, Yang Fang hurried to the kitchen door. But this time, Yun Yongchang had no intention of arguing. With a stern face, he walked in and said, "Pour me a glass of water."
Yun Li stubbornly refused. "I won’t."
Seeing her as stubborn as an ox, Yun Yongchang, feeling his age, silently poured himself a glass and asked Yun Li, "Why did he take a leave of absence?"
Yun Li didn’t want to talk about it and stayed silent. Yun Yongchang glared. "Do you want me to ask him directly when he comes over?"
"..."
Yun Li spoke rapidly, "He had a childhood friend who was sick. Fu Shize used to make sure he took his medicine every day, but the friend secretly spat it out. Later, when the illness flared up, the friend jumped off a building. Fu Shize blamed himself for not checking carefully whether he’d swallowed the pills and carried that guilt for a long time. The friend jumped at West Science and Technology University, so going back to campus brought back those memories."
After she finished, both Yun Yongchang and Yang Fang fell silent for a moment. Yang Fang sighed softly. "Poor children, both of them."It seemed her parents could understand Fu Shize.
Yun Li's mood instantly improved. She stared at Yun Yongchang, whose icy expression had softened slightly, and asked, "So why did he go back? Was what he said tonight true?"
"Right. He thought you were against us being together, and he also wanted to give your daughter a better life." Over the past two years, Yun Li had picked up some conversational skills. Her words carried a hint of guidance: "Dad, you're a reasonable person. You should be able to see that this matter isn't his fault, right?"
"Just think—if it were Yun Ye, and it was because of me..." Seeing Yun Yongchang glare at her, Yun Li quickly shut her mouth. "Well, he's my only brother in this lifetime. I might wallow in misery for eight or ten years."
"He does seem like a loyal and righteous kid." Yun Yongchang didn't elaborate further and left the kitchen.
Over the next two days, Yun Yongchang didn't bring up Fu Shize again. Instead, Yang Fang asked several times about Fu Shize's food preferences. Early Friday morning, she went to the market and bought plenty of fresh ingredients.
Both of them returned home by noon that day, meticulously cleaning the house until it was spotless.
When they picked up Fu Shize at West Science and Technology University, Yun Li was taken aback. He was dressed very formally—a crisp white shirt, dress pants, and leather shoes—and carried paired gifts of cigarettes, alcohol, and tea.
Yun Li had genuinely thought it would just be a simple meal.
She said dryly, "Why did you prepare so much today?"
"I gave the gifts to my mom. She asked me to convey her gratitude." Fu Shize leaned in habitually to kiss her. "Since you're putting in so much effort, I can't afford to lag behind."
Yun Ye felt like he'd just suffered another 10,000 points of damage.
Yun Li reminded him, "Don't kiss. Yun Ye's in the back."
Yun Ye: "..."
Only then did Fu Shize notice Yun Ye's presence. Calmly, he handed the gifts to him. "Little brother, put these away."
Yun Ye took them and casually placed them on the back seat. Fu Shize glanced over. "The blue bag is for you."
The previously listless Yun Ye immediately perked up, eyes shining. "Can I open it now?"
Yun Li: "Yun Ye, can't you be a little more reserved?"
Yun Ye: "What does a grown man like me need with reserve?"
With that, he swiftly unwrapped the gift box and let out a cheer upon seeing its contents.
Just as they hit a red light, Yun Li's gaze met Fu Shize's. She smiled and asked, "Do I get a gift too?"
Fu Shize hummed in affirmation, pushing away the hand she'd extended. "But not right now."
"..."
Yun Li had no idea what mysterious gift he'd prepared. Smiling, she asked, "Then when will you give it to me?"
Fu Shize didn't answer directly.
"When the time comes."
Among the gifts Fu Shize brought were some from his parents to Yun Yongchang and Yang Fang.
There was also a letter explaining that they were away on business and thus couldn't visit this time, hoping Yun Yongchang and Yang Fang would understand.
Given the other party's thorough courtesy, Yun Yongchang didn't utter a single harsh word the entire time.
But just as Yun Li had expected, Yun Yongchang kept urging Fu Shize to drink, one cup after another.
She tried to intervene, but Yun Yongchang, already tipsy, completely ignored her. Yun Ye, sitting beside her, tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to sit still and eat properly.
Yun Ye secretly texted her: [You have to let Dad and brother-in-law drink like this. That's just how Dad is.]
Yun Li: [Your brother-in-law has stomach problems.]Yun Ye: "Alright then... I'll help my brother-in-law take a couple of drinks."
The whole process went smoother than Yun Li had imagined. Yun Yongchang kept patting Fu Shize on the shoulder, repeatedly praising Yun Li's excellence and urging him to treat her well.
Yun Li sat across from them, enduring the entire ordeal in agony. Yun Ye, who couldn't hold his liquor well, had taken a few drinks for Fu Shize before excusing himself to sleep.
As the dinner concluded, Yun Yongchang sat before the tea table and spoke earnestly, "Our Lili isn't getting any younger. You're about to graduate—what are your plans for the future?"
To Yun Li, this was as good as directly saying, "You two should get married."
She glanced at Fu Shize beside her, who was already slightly unsteady but still forcing himself to sit upright, his neck flushed red.
Yun Yongchang enunciated each word deliberately: "Our generation thinks differently from yours. Love isn't child's play. As parents, we take our children's marriages much more seriously than you might."
"Dad," Yun Li called out, her tone slightly reproachful.
Yun Yongchang ignored her and continued speaking to Fu Shize, "Shize, my daughter is very stubborn. I can't win arguments with her. But as a man, you need to seriously consider your future together."
Yun Li disliked how Yun Yongchang always tried to make decisions for her. She also hated his attitude that she should rely on others and that everything should be shouldered by the man.
Just as she was about to voice her complaints, Fu Shize suddenly took her hand, as if understanding her thoughts, and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
His speech was slower than usual from the alcohol, but every word was clear: "Lili and I will consider and take responsibility for our future together."
A relationship between two people should never be decided by a third party, nor should it be decided by either one alone. This was a love that belonged solely to the two of them.
After they went downstairs, Yun Li kept thinking about what Fu Shize had said earlier. In this family, she deeply resented her father's underestimation of her abilities and his overwhelming need to control every aspect of her life.
Before coming, she had actually worried that Fu Shize might try to please Yun Yongchang by agreeing with everything he said—that, as Yun Yongchang put it, being the man, he should be the one to consider their future and make the decisions.
She despised this mindset.
She had always been independent. No matter how much Yun Yongchang criticized her introversion and poor social skills, Yun Li had accomplished many things entirely on her own. From refusing her living and tuition expenses during her freshman summer, studying alone in Nanwu and the UK, to eventually finding a decent job and a boyfriend she deeply loved.
She didn't want anyone else making decisions about her life.
What Fu Shize had said earlier didn't treat her as an appendage but as an irreplaceable equal in their relationship.
Holding onto his arm, she noticed his steps were less steady than usual. Standing on her tiptoes, she lightly kissed his cheek.
Fu Shize curved his lips: "What was that for?"
"Just a kiss," Yun Li said, quickly stepping in front of him and looking up at him. Behind him, a crescent moon had just risen.
"What do you think?" Fu Shize's warm breath brushed against her neck. "About our future—when should we settle it?"
"You go first. I'll take your opinion into consideration," Yun Li replied, giggling as she pushed his chin away, tickled by his exhale.She used quite a bit of force. Fu Shize touched the spot where she had pushed him away and chuckled softly. "Graduation?"
It wasn't long until graduation.
Hearing him say these things now inevitably made Yun Li feel it was due to the pressure Yun Yongchang had exerted earlier that evening.
Frowning, she said, "You don’t have to worry about what my dad said today. My parents think a relationship should last two or three years. I think that’s a reasonable timeframe."
Fu Shize remained unmoved, repeating his earlier thought. "Once you graduate, we can settle things."
His eyes carried the haze of alcohol, but his dark gaze was clear and serious.
Yun Li looked at his face and suddenly felt a little nervous. Thinking carefully, there were less than six months left until graduation.
She tentatively asked, "What do you mean by 'settle things'?"
Fu Shize replied, "If you think it’s too fast, we can get engaged first."
Yun Li kept a straight face. "Then how long is the usual gap between engagement and marriage?"
The man beside her tilted his head in thought. To Yun Li, it seemed like he was fabricating an answer on the spot. "Not sure. Maybe a month or two?"
"..."
He even had the audacity to add, "If you think that’s too long, it could be a day or two."
What difference was there between that and getting married outright?!
"I’m also afraid that if we wait too long, you’ll worry I’m not serious." Fu Shize recalled the excuse she had given him last time and hooked an arm around her neck, pulling her back into his embrace.
Yun Li felt like she couldn’t even breathe. She could hear the rapid beating of his heart, matching her own.
The time they had actually spent together was too short, so she stubbornly insisted, "No, I need to think about it."
Fu Shize smiled. "Then think about it."
As he spoke, he nuzzled her left ear with his chin.
Yun Li could clearly sense his low voice dispersing around her, hidden in the air.
But the sound was faint, and he was speaking into her deaf left ear.
She didn’t catch a single word.
He was still talking, as if trying to persuade her.
Yun Li thought he was completely drunk and patiently said, "I can’t hear you."
Fu Shize’s drunkenness had fully set in. A few seconds later, he lowered his gaze to the left ear he had been nuzzling and realized, "Wrong ear."
OpenNovel