All these reasons were reasonable, but with both parties present and fully aware of the situation, the attempts at comfort only amplified her embarrassment, making it impossible for her to sit still.
In that moment, it wasn’t just limited to their table. Yun Li felt as if the entire hotpot restaurant, the entire Sea Sky Mall, and even the whole of Nanwu had fallen into silence.
She closed her eyes in torment.
Not daring to throw this dilemma to Fu Shize, Yun Li mustered her courage to interrupt them: “Thank you, but I’m really fine.” To make it sound more convincing, she even lied: “Besides, it’s not the first time I’ve asked someone for their WeChat.”
Sensing her discomfort, Deng Chuqi chimed in cheerfully: “Yeah, you even asked me for mine.”
“Why don’t you ask for mine now too?” Xia Congsheng joked along. “I promise I won’t refuse.”
The topic was smoothly diverted.
Yun Li secretly sighed in relief and smiled. “Sure.”
Everyone at the table took out their phones to exchange WeChat contacts—except Fu Shize. Seeing this, Fu Zhengchu frowned disapprovingly. “Uncle, why aren’t you joining in?”
Xia Congsheng joined in too: “Yeah, for a moment there, I thought you were just sharing our table.”
Fu Zhengchu added, “Hey, mister, why don’t you find another table? We don’t accept table-sharing here.”
“…”
Not expecting him to agree, Yun Li quietly put her phone away.
To her surprise, Fu Shize seemed indifferent to their teasing and handed his phone to Fu Zhengchu.
“That’s more like it,” Fu Zhengchu said, smoothly unlocking the phone since it had no password. “You shouldn’t be so aloof all the time. Wouldn’t it be nice to make more friends?”
Fu Shize couldn’t be bothered to respond.
Fu Zhengchu held out the WeChat QR code to the girls and said politely, “My uncle works at EAW. If you ever go there to hang out, you can let him know in advance.”
Yun Li was utterly stunned by this turn of events. Recalling how Fu Shize had refused earlier, she hesitated, holding her phone, feeling as if she wasn’t included in the “you” he might have meant. She didn’t make a move.
However, Deng Chuqi, thinking she couldn’t reach, took her phone and scanned the code for her.
“…”
A few seconds later, a red dot appeared in her contacts list.
No one found this inappropriate, and Fu Shize himself didn’t even bat an eyelid, showing no intention of stopping it. Not wanting to seem too affected, Yun Li turned off her screen and distractedly lowered her head to eat, trying to calm her nerves.
She actually…
She actually got his WeChat…-
Originally, Yun Li had planned to go straight home, but Deng Chuqi said they wouldn’t see each other as often after the semester started and didn’t want her to leave, so she convinced Yun Li to stay the night.
Yun Li figured she had plenty of time to pack tomorrow since classes didn’t start until the day after, so she agreed readily.
After the meal, the group took the elevator down to the parking lot.
Fu Shize drove, with Fu Zhengchu in the passenger seat, while the three girls sat in the back.
On the way back, they passed a large supermarket. Xia Congsheng remembered that her household supplies were running low and impulsively suggested they stop to shop.
The others agreed.
Fu Shize, like a machine, neither objected nor agreed but went along with it all. Sitting in the back, Yun Li occasionally caught glimpses of his profile in the rearview mirror and found it oddly fitting—even contradictory—to describe him as “obedient.”
Inside the supermarket, Fu Zhengchu, being the youngest, pushed the shopping cart. Impatient by nature, he dashed off to the sections that interested him and soon disappeared from sight.
In contrast, Fu Shize followed behind them languidly, looking weary.Yun Li didn’t feel particularly involved since the shopping trip was mainly for Deng Chuqi and the others. However, since she’d be staying for a few days, she still picked up her usual necessities, like chocolate milk. Not finding her usual brand, she compared a few options before settling on three different brands, buying three cartons of each.
Seeing her arms full of items, Xia Congsheng frowned. “Where did Fu Zhengchu run off to? Little Uncle, this is pretty heavy—could you help her put it in the cart?”
“…”
Holding the milk cartons while looking down at her phone, Yun Li felt a bit awkward.
For the first time ever, she considered quitting milk.
Fu Shize, however, showed no reaction. He simply reached out and said softly, “Give them to me.”
“Ah… okay.” Yun Li handed them over. “Sorry for the trouble.”
Once he walked away, Deng Chuqi couldn’t help but whisper, “Damn, your uncle looks like some untouchable ice prince, but he’s actually… how do I put it? Weirdly obedient? And how do you keep bossing around an elder like that?”
“I just call him that casually,” Xia Congsheng said. “He’s a few years younger than me—there’s no way I’d treat him as an elder.”
“Huh? I thought he just had a baby face.”
Deng Chuqi didn’t seem to connect the dots that Fu Shize was the genius from West Fuling University.
Yun Li chimed in absentmindedly, “He’s the same age as us—”
Noticing their puzzled looks, as if wondering how she knew, she quickly caught herself and added, “…right?”
“…”
Xia Congsheng nodded, thinking it over. “Yeah, probably.”
…
The shopping trip was quick, wrapping up in just over half an hour.
Back in the car, Fu Zhengchu fumbled with his seatbelt while grumbling, “Little Uncle, why’d you ignore them earlier? Luckily, I covered for you.”
Xia Congsheng leaned over from the backseat. “What happened? Did you run into someone?”
“Yeah, Sang Zhi! She lives around here. Turns out that guy who pretended to be her brother for that parent meeting wasn’t her real brother. But get this—her actual brother knows our Little Uncle.”
Xia Congsheng grew curious. “Little Uncle, were you classmates?”
Fu Shize answered indifferently, “Seems like it.”
“Then he’s your senior, right? Why not even say hi?” Fu Zhengchu scolded. “You can’t just stick to your cold, aloof persona in every situation, got it, Little Uncle?”
Then, Fu Zhengchu decided to hold an impromptu interrogation in the car. “Lili-jie, when my uncle picked you up last time, did he give you attitude? Tell us—we’ll stand up for you.”
Yun Li waved her hands hastily. “Not at all.”
Fu Zhengchu, determined to find fault, pressed on. “Then did he smile at you?”
“…No.”
“See, Little Uncle? This isn’t acceptable.” Fu Zhengchu shook his head, lecturing him. “If you keep this up, you’ll get your ass kicked out there. You need to learn to be warm, friendly, and kind.”
Fu Shize hummed in acknowledgment.
Watching from the back, Yun Li was amused that he actually seemed to take it seriously.
Not long after they started driving, Fu Shize suddenly pulled over. Unbuckling Fu Zhengchu’s seatbelt, he rested an arm on the steering wheel and glanced at him. “Get out.”
“…Huh?” Staring at the deserted roadside, Fu Zhengchu’s bravado instantly deflated. “What’s wrong? Little Uncle, don’t you remember? I—I’m supposed to stay at Grandpa’s with you today.”
“Can’t learn it,” Fu Shize said flatly. “Don’t want you getting dragged into a fight.”
“…”The rest of the journey passed quietly as Fu Zhengchu didn’t dare utter another word.
Upon reaching their destination, they bid each other goodbye.
The three of them returned to their residence, took turns washing up, and then gathered in the living room to watch a movie while chatting most of the time.
Before long, Xia Congsheng glanced at her phone and asked, “Hey, Li Li. That bag you brought today—you left it in my uncle’s car. My grandpa’s place is pretty close by. Should I ask my brother to bring it over for you?”
“Huh? No need,” Yun Li replied. “That bag had towel rolls inside, which I originally brought for you guys to eat. If they don’t mind, they can try them.”
Xia Congsheng nodded. “Alright, thanks then. I’ll let them know.”
“By the way,” Deng Chuqi tore open a bag of chips, “does your uncle or your brother have girlfriends?”
“My uncle doesn’t.”
Hearing this, Yun Li instinctively glanced at her, then quickly pretended to focus on the TV screen to mask her emotions.
How strange…
Even though it had nothing to do with her.
But hearing that answer still made her feel… a little happy.
Xia Congsheng shared the intel honestly: “As for my brother, I’m not too sure. I think he’s single too—he broke up a while ago. Why, interested in one of them?”
Deng Chuqi sighed. “Forget it. One’s too cold, the other’s too dumb.”
Xia Congsheng burst into laughter before adding, “What about you, Li Li? If either of you takes a liking to them, just let me know. I’ll play matchmaker.”
“…”
Yun Li, harboring her own thoughts, felt like she was walking a tightrope—teetering on the edge. She didn’t dare admit anything, nor did she want to lie to them, so she simply stayed silent and laughed along.
The other two were just joking around anyway.
Deng Chuqi munched on her chips and changed the subject. “Li Li, didn’t you say you were looking for a job before? Have you started sending out resumes?”
“Not yet. I always hesitate whenever I’m about to.” Mentioning this dampened Yun Li’s mood. “I haven’t really decided whether to be a full-time content creator or find a regular job.”
Truthfully, Yun Li was lost.
During her senior year, she had poured all her energy into preparing for grad school entrance exams, never considering the possibility of failing. She missed the spring recruitment season on campus, and the few resumes she sent out afterward through social recruitment led nowhere.
Later, she thought about retaking the exams, but that was just a goal she set for herself because she didn’t know what else to do.
She wanted to try working, but kept procrastinating.
She just wanted to stay in her comfort zone.
She was drowning, hiding, and yet unable to extricate herself.
Many sides of her could only be revealed online or in front of familiar faces. She also lacked common topics with others, making conversations difficult and relationships distant over time.
She didn’t know if there were others like her—
Yearning for liveliness, yet fearing social interactions.
“Do whatever you feel like doing,” Deng Chuqi said. “Actually, finding a laid-back job probably wouldn’t interfere with your video-making.”
“Yeah, you can try whatever you want. If it doesn’t work out, you can always reconsider,” Xia Congsheng added gently. “By the way, what did you major in?”
Yun Li: “Automation.”
“I think I saw a friend of mine posting a job listing before. I’ll send it to you later, okay?” Xia Congsheng offered. “If it seems like a good fit, you can try sending in your resume.”
…
By the time the movie ended, it was almost 1 a.m. The other two were working professionals, and this was usually the latest they stayed up. Now, they were so exhausted they could barely keep their eyes open.Back in the room, Deng Chuqi bid Yun Li goodnight and quickly fell asleep.
Hearing her breathing become steady, Yun Li fumbled for her phone on the bedside table and burrowed under the covers like a thief. She opened WeChat and found Fu Shize’s profile, which she had added earlier that day.
With others around, she hadn’t dared to check it earlier.
Only now, in the dead of night, with no prying eyes around, did she finally give in to her curiosity.
Fu Shize’s nickname was a single uppercase "F."
His profile picture was a pure black background with a white crescent shape near the bottom. It looked like a moon—or perhaps a tiny heart. Overall, it resembled a smiley face missing its upper half.
There was a whimsical, ironic cuteness to it.
And when she thought of Fu Shize’s perpetually expressionless face, the contrast felt jarring yet oddly fitting.
She stared at it for a long time before the reality of the situation finally sank in.
She truly couldn’t believe it.
This kind of "moon falling from the sky" scenario actually existed in the world.
Once she started, her actions became bolder and more natural.
Yun Li tapped into his Moments. The background was still the default image. He rarely posted about his daily life—the few updates he had were all academic paper shares.
A few scrolls later, she reached the bottom.
It was sparse, but about what she had expected.
She returned to the chat window.
Absentmindedly, she tapped the message box. Just as she was about to exit, Deng Chuqi, sleeping beside her, shifted slightly. Yun Li’s heart clenched, and she reflexively flipped her phone face-down, locking the screen.
A few seconds later, the movement stopped.
Peeking out cautiously, Yun Li saw by the moonlight that Deng Chuqi was still fast asleep.
She must have just turned over in her sleep.
Relieved, Yun Li felt a wave of drowsiness. She placed her phone back on the bedside table and adjusted her position, ready to drift off—when suddenly, a vibration broke the silence of the room.
Right by her ear, nearly deafening.
Startled, Yun Li glanced at Deng Chuqi again, afraid she had woken her. Assuming it was just a notification, she quietly picked up her phone to turn off mobile data.
But when she unlocked it—
The screen was still on Fu Shize’s chat window.
Five minutes ago, she had accidentally sent him a simple doodle sticker—one she had just stolen from Deng Chuqi. It was a cartoon fist with a single index finger pointing outward, captioned below: "Be my wife."
Yun Li’s expression froze.
And just now, he had replied.
Fu Shize: 【？】
"......"
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