A soft chuckle came from outside the door, causing Yun Li to freeze. Her mind raced, debating whether to pretend she hadn’t heard Xu Qingsong’s voice and defend herself in front of He Jiameng—just so Fu Shize, who was most likely outside the door, could hear her explanation...
“Told you to smile more,” Xu Qingsong teased, his voice not particularly loud. However, the break room’s poor soundproofing ensured every word reached the two inside.
The two women exchanged glances.
Xu Qingsong pushed the door open, revealing Fu Shize standing beside him.
“Xiao He, you can head off first,” Xu Qingsong offered He Jiameng an easy out. She exhaled in relief, grabbed her bag, and started to leave. Remembering Yun Li, she turned and frantically signaled with her eyes: “Teacher Xian Yun, are you coming with me?”
Yun Li replied slowly, “I’m going with my boyfriend…”
He Jiameng wanted to remind Yun Li that they had just been gossiping about someone, and now that very person was blocking the exit. If she wanted to wait for her boyfriend, she should do so outside—lest Fu Shize lose his temper and do something rash.
She waggled her eyebrows at Yun Li, but when the latter didn’t seem to understand, He Jiameng asked brightly, “Why don’t you come with me first? Where’s your boyfriend?”
Yun Li answered stiffly, “Right in front of you…”
“……”
He Jiameng’s smile froze. Her eyes widened as she stared at Xu Qingsong in disbelief. He shook his head, chuckling. “Not me.”
“……”
Watching He Jiameng flee in embarrassment, Yun Li rubbed the tip of her nose awkwardly.
Xu Qingsong had changed his outfit today, but before Yun Li could take a closer look, Fu Shize stepped in front of him like a statue, as if declaring—
If you’re going to look, look only at me.
Trying to lighten the mood, Yun Li said, “Jiameng still loves joking around…” Under Fu Shize’s gaze, she forced an awkward smile.
Xu Qingsong suggested, “Let’s go eat.”
Fu Shize responded with a disinterested “Mm,” then held out his hand to Yun Li.
Relieved, she trotted over and slipped her hand into his.
After having Western food with Xu Qingsong at the garden restaurant, Yun Li and Fu Shize drove home.
Finally alone, Yun Li whispered, “Don’t be upset about what Jiameng said earlier.”
Worried Fu Shize might think she hadn’t defended him, she quickly added, “I just didn’t get a chance to explain to her.”
“Oh.” Fu Shize’s tone was flat. “Thought you just didn’t dare to scold me yourself.”
Yun Li choked, blurting out, “Who says I don’t dare…”
Realizing her knee-jerk reaction wasn’t ideal, she corrected herself, “Wait—no, I wasn’t planning to scold you.”
Fu Shize glanced at her but said nothing more.
Once home, Fu Shize didn’t bring up the incident again. In fact, he seemed in good spirits as he tended to the violets.
Yun Li took a moment to review materials for tomorrow’s meeting. Meanwhile, Fu Shize sat quietly beside her, reading a book, the occasional rustle of pages the only sound.
The scene felt rather cozy.
Yun Li couldn’t help but smile, convinced that Fu Shize had completely forgotten about the day’s events.
By eleven, drowsiness weighed heavily on Yun Li as she turned on the hot water. With an early meeting the next day, she just wanted to wash up quickly and sleep.
When she returned to the room after her shower, she heard only the sound of water being poured in the kitchen and the shower running.Yun Li had just finished drying her hair and was about to take out the hairdryer when she felt his damp chest press against her back. She could feel water droplets from his hair trickling down her neck and slipping into her clothes. Resisting, she protested, "No... I have work tomorrow..."
"Mmm..." he murmured softly, planting kisses along her neck.
Yun Li's legs instantly went weak. She tried to pry his fingers away, but Fu Shize effortlessly seized both her wrists with one hand, pressing against her from behind as he whispered in her ear, "Am I just good-looking but useless?"
Flustered and annoyed, she cried out urgently, "Fu Shizhe!"
Yun Li attempted to stop him, emphasizing, "When I call you by your full name, it means I'm—angry—with—you!"
She enunciated the last few words deliberately, but her voice was soft and lacked any real threat.
Fu Shize's dark eyes fixed on her as his thin lips parted slightly. "Fu Shize," he corrected.
Yun Li: "..."
Yun Li: "Fu Shizhe."
"Fu Shize."
"...Fu Shizhe."
Yun Li couldn't distinguish between the flat and curled tongue sounds, but she wasn't stupid—she could see the amusement in the corners of his eyes. She covered her face with the towel, ignoring him.
Fu Shize took the towel from her hands. "Don't be mad."
Cradling the back of her head through the towel, he said casually, "First, let's straighten out your tongue."
Memories of that night resurfaced—on their way to buy fried rice noodles, the man had stubbed out his cigarette and said coolly, "Straighten your tongue and say it again."
Still dazed by the recollection, Yun Li found Fu Shize's face merging with that moment. He pressed her onto the bed, his tongue tangling with hers before she could react.
His hand slid downward. Yun Li continued to resist, but his cold touch traced every inch of her skin.
Fu Shize lifted her chin, his voice hoarse as he demanded, "Say it again."
Yun Li's voice caught in her throat. Meeting his gaze, she finally gave up resisting and obediently murmured, "...Fu Shizhe."
"Still wrong." Fu Shize tilted his head, his nose brushing lightly against hers. Feeling her legs gradually tense, he casually stroked her lower lip with his other hand. "Relax."
"I'm just teaching you to say my name right."
...
The bed was damp from her hair. Yun Li crouched beside it, pulling off the sheets. As she recalled what had just happened, she touched her burning earlobes.
Glancing at her phone, she wondered if she'd even be able to get up tomorrow.
Early the next morning, Yun Li lay in bed for a while in agony before forcing herself up to wash up and put on makeup.
Beside her, Fu Shize looked far more refreshed.
At breakfast, Yun Li snatched a piece of toast from his plate as petty revenge.
After sitting in the meeting room for a while, she noticed no one else had arrived yet. Just as the meeting time approached, the door opened, and both of them were surprised to see each other.
Yun Li had heard Xu Qingsong mention her, but running into her was unexpected.
Compared to two years ago, Lin Wanyin's appearance hadn't changed much. When she saw Yun Li, she froze briefly before striding over with an imposing air. "What are you doing here?"
When Yun Li didn't respond, she sneered, "Oh, I get it. You couldn't accept being dumped by A-Ze back then, and now that you've heard he's staying on as a professor, you're crawling back?"
"..."
Yun Li stared at her wordlessly.Lin Wanyin felt she had hit a nerve and said smugly, "Don't waste your effort. It was understandable before when A-Ze took a liking to you, but now, don’t humiliate yourself."
Two years ago, Lin Wanyin had been bested by Yun Li. She harbored no other thoughts—she simply wanted to vent her frustration.
Yun Li asked, "Do you know who his current girlfriend is?"
Lin Wanyin shrugged indifferently. "No idea."
After a pause, Yun Li said, "It's me."
Hearing this, Lin Wanyin stiffened before scoffing coldly, "Oh, so you’ve shamelessly clung to A-Ze."
Over the years, Lin Wanyin had received no response to her advances toward Fu Shize. Unwilling to be looked down upon, she retorted haughtily, "I don’t need to bring up A-Ze to gain followers now. I couldn’t care less about your relationship."
The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became, and her words grew increasingly spiteful: "You’re not as young as me, not as pretty, not as well-educated, and you’re so timid—you wouldn’t even chase after a creep... A-Ze must’ve only agreed because you pestered him relentlessly..." She listed a series of grievances, as if trying to console herself.
In the past, Yun Li would have been deeply hurt by Lin Wanyin’s words, possibly even crushed and withdrawn.
But now, she felt nothing.
She wasn’t shaken by the other’s attacks. She knew she wasn’t the person Lin Wanyin described, and she knew Fu Shize wouldn’t love someone like that either.
Yun Li had no interest in arguing. She said flatly, "No matter how great you think you are, your uncle’s girlfriend is me."
"Also, your uncle and I most likely won’t see you again." Yun Li emphasized, "In fact, cutting ties sounds good."
Lin Wanyin snapped, "How can you say that? No one will like you if you act this way."
Yun Li had thought that after two years, even the most immature child would have grown up a little—especially since Lin Wanyin should be around twenty now. Yun Li looked up and asked, "Do you have an account on E-Station? How many followers?"
Lin Wanyin scoffed, a hint of pride in her voice. "Over ten thousand."
Yun Li tilted her head. "I have over a million."
"..."
"So, more people probably like me than like you." Yun Li added, as if unable to resist, "Don’t you think?"
As meeting attendees began arriving, Lin Wanyin angrily grabbed a few flyers from the rack and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
Yun Li didn’t dwell on the matter. She opened her folder and reviewed the day’s materials once more.
After the EAW meeting ended that day, Yun Li bid farewell to Zhang Yanxin. She had booked a flight back to West Fuling that night, while Yun Li and Fu Shize would return the next day.
Once in the car, Fu Shize suddenly said, "Let’s go to North Mountain Maple Forest."
Yun Li vaguely recalled that North Mountain Maple Forest was a well-known affluent neighborhood in Nanwu City.
She had never actively inquired about Fu Shize’s family background. Hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Do professors make that much money?"
Fu Shize briefly explained, "They invested in U Saint Technology when it was founded and hold shares."
U Saint Technology was the parent company of both EAW and Yun Li’s firm. Xu Qingsong’s parents were its founders.
Yun Li began mentally calculating the contents of her stash. Noticing her silence, Fu Shize asked, "What’s wrong?""I want to buy a house with you." Yun Li said seriously, scrolling through her phone like an accountant, her eyes brimming with joy. "I just calculated—the money I've saved should be enough for the down payment."
"No need."
"Yes, there is." Yun Li insisted firmly, muttering to herself, "I can't hold us back."
"..."
...
Fu Shize parked the car in the yard. The house was empty when they entered. He turned on the lights and led Yun Li straight upstairs.
His room was on the third floor.
It was spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows and an ensuite bathroom, the curtains wide open.
Fu Shize took off his coat and hung it on the rack, glancing at Yun Li, who stood motionless nearby.
"Stay the night here."
"...But I didn't bring any clothes or my makeup bag."
Fu Shize: "Wear mine. There’s makeup remover in the bathroom."
To the right of the entrance were books and models. Yun Li wandered over to look. There were quite a few original English editions and books in another language. She pulled one out and flipped through it, asking Fu Shize, "What language is this?"
Fu Shize glanced at her. "Spanish. My grandmother taught Spanish."
"Can you speak it?"
Fu Shize hummed in affirmation. "She never spoke Mandarin with me."
"..."
Yun Li had heard that some families had each member speak a different language to the child, immersing them in a multilingual environment from a young age.
Curious, she asked, "Can you say something?"
Fu Shize lowered his gaze to her and parted his lips.
Yun Li only felt his voice was deep and magnetic. Even though the syllables sounded utterly unfamiliar to her, she found it pleasant. She smiled. "What does it mean?"
"Love you."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned intimate.
Yun Li put the book back, then took it out again. "Can you read this book to me?"
"Mm."
They settled on the sofa. Fu Shize reclined against the edge, wrapping his arms around Yun Li from behind as she sat in his lap, responsible for turning the pages.
He read the first paragraph unhurriedly, then explained it to her in Chinese.
Yun Li noticed a word in the book—
efe.
Surprised, she said, "One of my fans has this name. When I was in the UK, I often talked to this fan..."
After returning to China, she had been too busy to check her private messages much. Guilt crept in as she murmured, "This fan was really nice—they even sent me a lot of postcards. I haven’t checked my messages much since coming back. They might’ve tried reaching out again."
Recalling something, she added softly, "This person is also from West Fuling."
"What does this word mean?"
Yun Li had quite a few die-hard fans. She had always assumed "efe" was just a random username.
Fu Shize glanced at her and said casually, "The letter F."
"Oh..." Yun Li reacted belatedly and moved on to the next line.
A few seconds later, it dawned on her. She turned to Fu Shize, who remained composed, his expression unreadable.
A suspicion she had long harbored but never dared believe surfaced in her mind. She poked the back of his hand. "Give me your phone."
There was only one person around her whose nickname was "F."
Fu Shize lazily handed it over. Yun Li unlocked it, scanned the home screen, and tapped open E-Station.
E-Station personalized recommendations based on frequently watched videos. Yun Li froze—her homepage was almost entirely filled with her old content.She clicked on the user interface, greeted by a familiar profile picture and username.
Opening the playback history, she found it filled entirely with her videos.
Even if there were others, they were only collaborations where Yun Li occasionally made appearances with other Content Creators.
During all those times she thought they were apart, he had actually been by her side all along.
"I only realized it now…" Yun Li murmured, her nose tingling with emotion. Fu Shize kissed her hair lightly and said nonchalantly, "It's fine."
He continued holding her fingers, guiding her through the second passage word by word. Yun Li repeated his pronunciation—Spanish had the characteristic of being readable just by looking at the words.
After teaching her for over an hour, Yun Li grasped the underlying rules.
Though she couldn’t understand, she could now pronounce the words.
As time passed, Fu Shize grew slightly weary and rested his chin on her right shoulder, his cheek pressed against hers. He pointed at one of the sentences, and Yun Li stumbled through the pronunciation before asking, "What does it mean?"
"Want to do it with you."
"..."
Fu Shize had only meant to tease her before moving on to the next sentence.
But Yun Li turned the tables, gripping his fingers instead. She stared at the sentence in the book and haltingly repeated it once more.
Then again, this time more fluently than the first.
Emphasizing each syllable, she turned her head and locked eyes with him as she repeated it once more.
Every sound carried an overwhelming intensity of emotion. She tossed the book aside and pivoted to straddle him fully.
As if trying desperately to compensate for that year and a half of his one-sided, lonely companionship, Yun Li moved with more initiative and fervor than ever before. She kissed his Adam’s apple before moving up to capture his lips, their pressed bodies growing increasingly feverish.
In their previous encounters, Fu Shize had always taken the lead. Now, his darkened gaze remained steady, but he made no further moves, simply leaning back against the couch—his fair skin and indifferent expression giving off an untouchable aura.
Yun Li’s eyes were hazy as she murmured, "The way you read just now…" She paused. "Was kind of sexy…"
Even now, his brows and eyes were tinged with restrained desire, his collar disheveled from her tugging. The allure of this disorder made Yun Li unconsciously grip his chin, staring straight into his eyes.
He seemed completely at her mercy.
Seeing this, Fu Shize smiled, waiting for her next move.
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