His fingertips bore small cuts from the shrimp shells, and for once, Yun Li didn’t find him shameless—only that no amount of compensation would be enough.
She glanced around and tugged at his sleeve. “Let’s go home first…”
Fu Shize didn’t move.
Yun Li was utterly helpless. Only after confirming no one else was around did she hesitantly take his hand.
Her soft, nimble tongue brushed over his fingertips. Fu Shize watched quietly as the person before him blushed furiously, occasionally lifting her gaze only to shyly avert it the moment their eyes met.
Nanwu didn’t seem so cold anymore.
His remaining fingers cupped her face, his damp fingertips sliding to the corner of her lips before his mouth pressed against hers with undeniable aggression, his palm supporting her waist to prevent her retreat.
Only when she was breathless did Fu Shize release her, pulling her along as they headed back.
The moment they entered, he lifted her clothes from behind, his fingers still carrying the chill from outside. Yun Li shuddered and grabbed his wrist. “We don’t have any left!”
Fu Shize paused, then rummaged through her suitcase. A few minutes later, he gave her a thoughtful look.
That gaze sent a shiver down Yun Li’s spine.
Without a word, he stood up. Yun Li was taken aback. “Are you going out?”
Fu Shize: “Yeah, to buy water from the convenience store.”
…
It was already past three in the morning. Yun Li was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. As Fu Shize sat up, the dim light outlined every contour of his body. Yun Li hugged him from behind, pressing a kiss to the small of his back.
“I’m going to sleep first.”
“Go wash up.” He turned his head slightly, gently ruffling her hair. Yun Li, aching all over, replied with a nasal whine, “No, I want to sleep.”
Logically, Yun Li knew she should clean up, but she had no energy left. She burrowed almost entirely under the covers, leaving only her half-lidded eyes to follow Fu Shize.
He walked to the wardrobe and took out a set of dark blue pajamas. Yun Li recalled the monotonous colors she’d seen when she’d rummaged through it earlier and mumbled, “Can I buy you clothes in the future?”
Fu Shize froze mid-motion and suddenly asked, “Like Xu Qingsong’s?”
Yun Li instantly woke up.
“You like his style?”
Yun Li was mortified. “You can’t possibly be jealous of him…”
“So you do like it?”
“…”
Yun Li was at a loss for words. She pecked him lightly. “Didn’t you wear his clothes before? Didn’t you like them?”
Fu Shize let out a cold laugh.
“That’s because you liked it.”
Yun Li paused. Someone like Fu Shize had indeed done many things for her—things that were entirely unnecessary.
Fu Shize slowly leaned closer. Seeing his stiff expression, Yun Li’s heart softened. She hooked her arms around his neck with a smile. “Then it’s perfect—I like you wearing them too.”
After circling around, she had finally answered his question indirectly.
Even with her words, Fu Shize’s expression remained indifferent. Yun Li coaxed, “Then whatever clothes you like, I’ll pick those for you.”
“Pick what you like.” Fu Shize’s tone softened as he played with her hair. “I like what you like.”
This time, Yun Li was smart enough to correctly interpret his words.
—I like what you like.
—But you can’t like what another man likes.Exhausted, the few minutes he spent in the shower felt like an eternity. Yun Li closed her eyes, drifting into a hazy sleep, vaguely sensing Fu Shize lifting the blanket.
A warm towel pressed against her thigh.
At first, she resisted slightly, blocking his hand, but he ignored it, gently wiping her clean.
Feeling comfortable, the slight furrow in Yun Li's brow relaxed.
Her sleeping face was sweet and peaceful. Fu Shize watched her for a long moment before leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead.
...
The next day, Yun Li slept until past one in the afternoon. A few strands of sunlight slipped into the room as she instinctively leaned back, only to find not an empty space behind her but another person's chest.
She turned her head to see Fu Shize holding her from behind, his chin lightly resting on her forehead, his arm wrapped around her waist. Fragmented light fell around his eyes, his skin so thin that faint veins were visible.
Looking further down, she remembered that after their last time the previous night, he had gone to take a shower.
He had definitely been wearing clothes when they fell asleep.
How were they gone now?
She turned her head back, staring blankly at the dust particles floating in the air, glinting in the sunlight. Fully awake now, she hesitated for a moment before slipping her fingers between his hand and her skin, trying to subtly move his hand away.
But his palm enveloped hers instead.
Fu Shize held her hand, placing it against her lower abdomen, and scattered kisses trailed down her neck.
Feeling his reaction, Yun Li pleaded, "No more..."
Fu Shize, still half-asleep, looked drowsy, his voice lazy. "I'll be gentle."
"..."
By the time Fu Shize finished preparing brunch, Yun Li still had her face buried in the pillow. He walked over and knocked lightly on the door.
Full of grievances, Yun Li deliberately turned her face toward the wall.
Fu Shize leaned against the doorframe, amused as he watched the figure on the bed. He deliberately tugged at Yun Li's blanket. Without clothes on, she clung to it for dear life.
But this successfully made her sit up.
Picking up her clothes from the corner, Fu Shize dutifully turned his back to her.
Yun Li no longer trusted his integrity at all. Holding the blanket with one hand, she cautiously slipped into her clothes beneath it, her eyes fixed firmly on Fu Shize's back.
"Hurry up," he said lazily. "If I keep hearing sounds, I might want to."
"..."
Yun Li quickly finished dressing. Hearing her get out of bed, he turned around, noticing her bare feet. Frowning, he fetched her slippers from under the bed.
She shuffled into them and slowly made her way to the bathroom. Fu Shize followed, running warm water for her to wash up.
Noticing he was still following her, Yun Li asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
A hint of amusement flickered in Fu Shize's eyes. "Afraid you might trip."
Teased again, Yun Li flushed with embarrassment. She flicked water from her fingers at him. Fu Shize glanced up, unfazed, brushing it off.
They had no other plans for the day. Since they were returning to West Fuling on Wednesday, Yun Li nibbled on the toast Fu Shize had torn into pieces for her and asked, "Do you usually visit Brother Jiang Yuan when you're back in Nanwu?"
Fu Shize took a sip of milk and replied casually, "Yeah."
"Then should we go see him later?" Noticing his gaze, she hesitated. "Because we have meetings on Monday and Tuesday, and we're leaving Wednesday."
Yun Li clarified her intention further. "From now on, I want to go with you every time."Fu Shize's hand paused. The glass bottle contained chocolate milk. Looking across, he met Yun Li's clear eyes.
She had already become a part of every aspect of his life.
Without thinking, he gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.
Jiang Yuan was buried in the public cemetery. Yun Li spent a long time studying the map, wanting to buy a bouquet of flowers along the way. As she busied herself packing things, Fu Shize sat on the sofa playing Sudoku.
By the time they were ready to leave, it was already past three in the afternoon.
They stopped briefly at a flower shop. Yun Li picked a bouquet of white lilies before slipping back into the car.
Fu Shize glanced at it and suddenly remarked, "You've never given me flowers."
"..."
His tone was neutral as he said this, immediately starting the car afterward. Yun Li muttered, "Wait a second," and got out again. Leaning against the window, Fu Shize watched through the rearview mirror as she returned with a bouquet of violets.
She shoved the violets into his arms. "Then my first bouquet goes to you. Jiang Yuan can have the second one."
Fu Shize chuckled. "No need."
Yet he still took the flowers, carefully adjusting the plastic wrap to ensure the petals wouldn’t be crushed before placing them on the back seat.
The cemetery was located in the suburbs of Nanwu. Yun Li had rarely visited graves before, and upon entering the grounds, she saw no one else around.
Fu Shize walked confidently to a specific spot. Yun Li looked down at the modest tombstone bearing Jiang Yuan’s photo—a faint smile on his lips as he gazed directly at the camera.
Suddenly, Yun Li realized the lighting, composition, and clarity of the photo felt familiar.
She remembered the ID photo on Fu Shize’s identification card.
It dawned on her that their photos might have been taken together.
And now, Fu Shize could only face a cold slab of stone.
An indescribable ache filled Yun Li’s heart.
Fu Shize picked up a few fallen leaves nearby, brushing the dust off the tomb.
Then he took Yun Li’s hand. "Brother, let me introduce you—this is my girlfriend."
His tone was light, as if speaking to an old friend. "The one I mentioned last time, Lili. I told you I didn’t want to break up."
Yun Li froze. Fu Shize lowered his gaze. "We’re back together."
"I read your diary. I know you wanted to live." He paused for a long moment, glancing at Jiang Yuan’s photo. The smile on those lips felt like a stab.
Fu Shize whispered, "Sorry I couldn’t save you."
The air grew heavy for a few seconds.
"I know you don’t blame me anymore. Uncle and Aunt Jiang don’t blame me either. I know you didn’t want my life to fall apart." He fell silent again before finally saying, "Don’t worry."
"I’ll live well."
"I won’t blame myself."
"But I won’t forget you either, brother."
After speaking, Fu Shize took the white lilies from Yun Li and neatly arranged them in front of the tomb. His tone was casual as he added, "Your sister-in-law brought these for you. Take care of yourself too."
The cemetery was desolate and silent, his words swallowed by the wind.
Once finished, Fu Shize stood up and led Yun Li away.
After a few steps, he stopped and turned to her, using his thumb to wipe the tears from the corner of her eye. With a helpless smile, he murmured, "Why are you crying?"
"I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life, I’ll always, always treat you well..." Yun Li sobbed incoherently, tears streaming uncontrollably. Eventually, she gave up trying to hold back and whimpered, "I don’t even know why I’m crying."
But deep down, she knew.Because her heart ached too much for all he had endured.
Because she knew the pain he bore beneath his reserved silence.
Because she wished his world could be free of such suffering.
Fu Shize tightened his grip on her hand and tucked it into his pocket.
They walked back in silence, and Yun Li recalled his earlier words, asking, "You said just now that you didn’t want to break up..."
But when Yun Li had brought up the breakup, Fu Shize had agreed quickly.
"At the time, I was afraid you’d think I was too much of a mess. When you mentioned breaking up, I wanted to become my old self again before coming back to you."
Yun Li tried to hold back her tears but couldn’t stop the sob that escaped. "Why didn’t you just say that back then?"
If he had, she would have stayed by his side all this year and a half.
Fu Shize lowered his gaze to the steps, walking like a child, placing his shoes only on the edges of the stairs. He didn’t need to stretch his body, hands tucked behind his back to keep his balance.
His voice drifted to her on the wind.
"I was afraid I wouldn’t make it."
"I’m fragile too."
I’m fragile too.
There are too many things I fear I can’t accomplish, and in the end, it would all be empty promises for you.
Fu Shize disliked making baseless promises, especially when it came to Yun Li.
He didn’t want to add another layer of guilt toward someone he loved, didn’t want to bring any harm to the person he cherished.
Yun Li had considered many reasons but never this one. Dazed, she stared at his figure, then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"From now on, all your fragility will have me behind it."
Then your fragility won’t exist anymore, because we’ll face it together.
...
Back in the car, Yun Li took Fu Shize’s phone, connected it to the car’s speakers, and played Eason Chan’s "Unconditional."
Noticing Fu Shize’s gaze, she said lightly, "I just feel like your love for me is unconditional."
No matter if they broke up, no matter what happened, Fu Shize would always find his way back to her.
The lyrics displayed on the central screen, and Yun Li listened quietly to the magnetic male voice, as if Fu Shize were telling her—
/Don’t be afraid/
/I’ll still listen calmly/
/Still stand by your side/
/Moving in sync with you/
...
/All I know is loving you every day/
...
/Because the greatest love in the world asks for nothing in return/
When they returned downstairs, Fu Shize and Yun Li stopped by a nearby market to buy fresh greens and fish. Back home, they naturally settled into the kitchen together.
Fu Shize washed the vegetables while Yun Li braised the fish. At one point, the sound of running water stopped, and she felt Fu Shize embrace her from behind.
"Love has conditions," he murmured in her ear.
Not unconditional.
And the only condition—
The one I love is you.
...
After nearly two years, stepping back into EAW felt like stepping into yesterday. The company’s layout and environment were just as she remembered. Yun Li followed Zhang Yanxin to the meeting room door, then turned and saw Fu Shize at the end of the hallway.
She recalled a long time ago, when he had worn a baseball cap, hands tucked into the pockets of his windbreaker, watching her with calm eyes.
The difference was, this time, the corners of his lips lifted slightly. He glanced at her before leisurely walking into Xu Qingsong’s office.
Looking at him, Yun Li couldn’t help but smile too. Noticing Zhang Yanxin turning back, she quickly composed herself before following into the office.Among the EAW liaison personnel, there were no former colleagues left. Yun Li and her team were responsible for game development, primarily communicating with EAW about the details in the game documentation.
This was a highly entertaining large-scale parent-child game. A dedicated venue would be set up at EAW for it. In each round of the game, children and parents would complete tasks in different scenarios. The game included ten mini-tasks, which could range from competing for prey in deserts or grasslands to reclaiming barren land in desolate wastelands.
Zhang Yanxin handled most of the communication with the other party. As Yun Li listened to their conversation, her gaze was drawn to a poster on the corner bookshelf—the VR game competition Xu Qingsong had mentioned the day before.
The virtual reality world allowed people to experience many things that would be impossible in the real world.
It might even make up for regrets in reality, or at least bring solace to a past filled with them.
Yun Li recalled Fu Shize’s words—how he truly wished Jiang Yuan had survived—and a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Zhang Yanxin still had matters to discuss with others and asked Yun Li to wait for them in the break room.
Someone was already inside when Yun Li opened the door. To her surprise, it was He Jiameng, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Ah—Teacher Xian Yun?!” He Jiameng exclaimed in delight. “It’s been ages since I last saw you!”
Noticing Yun Li’s employee badge, she quickly realized, “So it’s you handling the liaison work! Would you like to come in and sit?”
Pulling Yun Li onto the sofa, He Jiameng chatted with her about the events of the past year or so.
Girls’ conversations often veered toward personal matters.
Spotting the small diamond ring on He Jiameng’s left middle finger, Yun Li asked, “Jiameng, are you getting married?”
Remembering how often she used to hear “The boss is so handsome,” Yun Li widened her eyes slightly, covering her lips as she ventured, “Is it…?”
Before she could even utter the words “Director Xu,” He Jiameng already knew what she was going to say. With a crestfallen expression, she lamented, “Not the boss! A long time ago, he called me into his office and gently told me he was going to resign to take responsibility…”
Resign to take responsibility…?
Yun Li was utterly baffled. He Jiameng explained, “He said if an employee developed feelings for him, it was his fault, so he should just work somewhere else…”
“……”
Yun Li thought about it and decided it was very much in line with Xu Qingsong’s style.
He Jiameng put on a heartbroken act. “How could I bear to make the boss resign because of me? So I quickly let my mom set me up on blind dates. And after I started dating, the boss never mentioned leaving again.”
“Did the blind dates go well?”
He Jiameng’s face lit up with happiness again. “The second blind date was with my current boyfriend. He treats me really well, and we’re getting married next year.” Then, with concern, she asked, “Teacher Xian Yun, are you still single?”
When Yun Li had left her job, He Jiameng had probed a few times and learned about their breakup.
Yun Li shook her head. Before she could clarify her current relationship status, He Jiameng indignantly declared, “Fu Shize is all looks and no substance—so gloomy, barely even speaks. He must be terrible to date. Who could stand that kind of personality? Good thing you didn’t cling to a hopeless cause, Teacher Xian Yun.”
“……”"By the way, I just saw him go to the boss's office. Teacher Xian Yun, if you don't want to see his ugly face, you should stay in the break room!" He Jiameng considerately patted Yun Li's shoulder.
"......"
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