The first time Yun Li met Fu Dongsheng and Chen Jinping after marriage, her lips trembled for a long moment before she softly uttered, "Dad, Mom."
Fu Shize had never used such a tender voice to address them, and Chen Jinping and Fu Dongsheng's hearts instantly melted halfway.
Yun Li was sweet, adorable, and affectionate toward them, almost perfectly fulfilling the emotional needs the elderly couple had for their children.
Chen Jinping frequently bought things for them, sending them directly to their home, but almost all were for Yun Li—items like skincare products, cosmetics, and necklaces.
Even when Fu Shize came home for meals, he showed no inclination to be close to his parents. In the eyes of Fu Dongsheng and his wife, he was the epitome of a rebellious teenager.
On top of that, Fu Shize was caught up in applying for a grant, so whenever Fu Dongsheng asked him to go out, his son would tersely refuse.
In the office, Fu Shize had just finished writing a document. He opened his phone to find dozens of unread messages in the family group chat. Frowning slightly, he wondered if something had happened at home.
Dad: [Son, look—Lili is flying a kite with your mom and dad.]
Dad: [Son, look—we took our first group photo today.]
Dad: [Son, Lili says this dish is her original creation, and we’re the first to taste it.]
Dad: [Son, Lili says she’ll personally make a birthday cake for me.]
...
Fu Shize tapped the screen: [Dad, which birthday is this?]
Dad: [?]
Dad: [? Your wife remembers your dad is 62. What kind of son are you?]
Mom: [Exactly, exactly.]
Fu Shize: [Oh, if you hadn’t said so, I’d have thought it was your sixth.]
On the other end, after being lightly mocked by Fu Shize, Fu Dongsheng widened his eyes—which bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to his son’s—and sighed at Yun Li. "My son’s temper is really too bad. I hope you don’t mind."
Yun Li: "..."
When Fu Dongsheng’s birthday arrived, he was in Nanwu. Yun Li and Fu Shize specially flew back to celebrate with him.
About to meet Fu Shize’s large extended family for the first time, Yun Li was restless with anxiety. After arriving at North Mountain Maple Forest, she spent most of the day making a cake for Fu Dongsheng before retreating to her room to pace back and forth.
Fu Shize lay on the bed, lazily remarking, "No need to be nervous."
"But..." Yun Li was miserable. "Didn’t you say there’d be over thirty people?"
This was Yun Li’s first time attending such a large family gathering. The closer it got to dinnertime, the more tense she became, wishing she could sprout wings and fly back to West Fuling.
Seeing her so nervous, Fu Shize’s expression softened slightly. "Stay with me later."
She stopped pacing and stared at him for a few seconds.
Fu Shize set his phone aside, as if remembering something, then slowly uttered two words: "Not later."
He propped himself up slightly, kneeling halfway on the bed as he leaned forward and pulled Yun Li to his side. "You can stay with me now."
Not long after they went downstairs, Fu Shize was surrounded by a crowd of children. Though he rarely smiled, he was extremely popular at home because he often played with the younger ones using robots.
Children, pure-hearted and unlike adults who could keenly sense his aloofness, clung to him relentlessly. With his brows relaxing, Fu Shize shot Yun Li a helpless look.
Spotting Xia Congsheng and the others nearby, Yun Li decided to go greet them, leaving Fu Shize to be herded upstairs by the swarm of kids.On the way over, a woman nearing fifty warmly grabbed her arm: "You must be Zeze's wife, your name is Lili, right?"
Yun Li hesitated for a moment before responding, "Hello, Auntie."
The woman squinted with laughter, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes not diminishing her cheerful tone: "Don't call me that. Shize is my younger cousin. Just call me sister—it makes me sound younger."
"..."
Yun Li felt dizzy. Whenever she met someone older, her instinct was to address them as uncle or auntie.
But she soon realized—these people were all her peers.
And those around her age were almost all her juniors.
The most devastating moment came during a conversation with Xia Congsheng.
Xia Congsheng had gotten married the previous year and was now holding her child in her arms.
She blinked at Yun Li and joked, "Auntie."
Being more familiar with her, Yun Li smiled. "Don't tease me."
The little baby raised its fingers, babbling incoherently. Xia Congsheng said gently, "This is Great-Auntie."
Then, she affectionately nudged the child toward Yun Li. "She seems to like you. Want to hold her?"
Yun Li nodded, nervously taking the swaddled infant into her arms. Xia Congsheng continued cooing, "Great-Auntie is holding you now. Do you like Great-Auntie?"
It took Yun Li a while to process... Great-Auntie?
At just twenty-four years old, she was already a great-aunt?
After the evening banquet, Yun Li returned to her room and mentioned the incident to Fu Shize. Listening to her lament about being part of the great-aunt generation, Fu Shize chuckled and bent down to remove her jewelry for her.
Seeing his lack of reaction, Yun Li sighed, cupped his chin, and stared at his flawless face before murmuring, "At least you look like you're twenty-four."
Suddenly, Fu Shize scooped her up in his arms. Yun Li, startled, wrapped her arms around his neck. "What are you doing?"
He lowered his gaze, feigning understanding. "Letting you check if my body is also twenty-four."
During the banquet, when Fu Zhengchu excitedly invited Yun Li and the others to play badminton at school—a long-overdue promise—Yun Li readily agreed.
As the day approached, E-Station recommended a video to Yun Li: a compilation of hilarious badminton blunders by beginners. At first, she laughed until her stomach hurt, but soon her expression darkened.
She could already picture herself making the same mistakes.
The thought of Fu Shize and Fu Zhengchu watching her play filled her with intense survival instincts.
Since Fu Shize was working late at school and had left his rackets there, Yun Li practiced swinging motions in front of her computer screen. With nothing in her hands, she wandered around the house looking for a makeshift racket.
After evening study sessions, Yun Ye packed his bag to pick up Yin Yunyi when his phone buzzed. He unlocked it to find several messages.
Sis: [Video]
Sis: "Tell me if my form looks okay."
Yun Ye opened the video to see Yun Li wielding a wooden spatula, swinging it at him repeatedly.
Yun Ye: "..."
After a morning of swinging the spatula, Yun Li felt her form had improved slightly—at least enough to avoid complete embarrassment.
On the day of the match, Yun Li drove to the school to pick up Fu Shize. He had already changed into a white badminton uniform with blue prints, along with sneakers and long socks, carrying a badminton bag on his back.
"Fu Zhengchu just said..."When Fu Shize slid into the passenger seat, Yun Li's voice abruptly cut off.
The man looked extremely youthful, like a fresh college graduate, his dark eyes lifting with a hint of sharpness. She stared blankly for a long moment before finally starting the car.
Fu Shize buckled his seatbelt and lazily asked her, "What were you saying?"
Yun Li took a while to react, having completely forgotten what she had just been talking about. Almost instinctively, she replied, "You're really good-looking."
"?"
Yun Li curved her eyes into crescents as she looked at him. "You're really good-looking."
Under the weight of her infatuated gaze, Fu Shize quirked his lips and flicked his fingers forward. "Stop looking at me. Watch the road."
By the time they arrived at the badminton court, Fu Zhengchu was already waiting. After warming up, they played a few rounds.
Yun Li and Fu Shize were on one side, while Fu Zhengchu was on the other. She played each shot with extreme caution, but her movements blatantly exposed her as a complete beginner.
Fu Zhengchu didn’t mind, mostly feeding her shots at a moderate height and slow speed.
After successfully hitting a few dozen shots, Yun Li developed a bit of an illusion and tugged at Fu Shize’s sleeve smugly. "Don’t you think your wife is pretty talented?"
Fu Shize hooked his fingers with hers and gave a soft "Mhm."
"I counted—I returned over thirty shots." Her eyes sparkled, clearly in high spirits. Fu Shize set down his racket, tilting his head as he patiently listened to her self-praise.
From the opposite side, Fu Zhengchu watched for a while before clearing his throat lightly.
"Uh…" Sensing their gazes, Fu Zhengchu smiled sheepishly. "We came here to play badminton today, right?"
If he had to watch them flirt any longer, he might die from the sweetness overload.
Yun Li froze for a second before letting go of Fu Shize’s sleeve. After a brief silence, he drawled, "Probably."
Fu Zhengchu: "..."
They hadn’t been playing long when a lone teacher nearby wanted to join their court to make it doubles. Since the school courts didn’t charge fees, it was common not to refuse when other teachers or students wanted to share.
Fu Zhengchu hesitated, glancing at Fu Shize. "Should we let him join?"
Fu Shize replied bluntly, "My wife is a beginner. If you don’t mind, then sure."
The implication was clear—they were all just playing for fun, so no smashes, especially not aimed at her.
The teacher who had joined grinned. "Let’s play together. I usually play competitive matches with other teachers, so a casual game sounds good."
There was a hint of arrogance in his tone, but Fu Shize ignored it.
After warming up with a few shots, they started a friendly match.
Fu Shize went easy, but the other side still lost points due to the teacher’s mistakes. Growing impatient, the teacher began targeting shots near Yun Li.
Yun Li tried to return them but mostly missed, and soon the score was tied.
Listening to the teacher loudly announcing the score—most of the lost points being her fault—Yun Li instantly deflated, her earlier confidence vanishing completely.
Noticing her downcast expression, Fu Shize pulled her wrist to the front of the court. "It’s fine. Stand here."
Leaning close, he murmured, "If you can’t reach the shot, just crouch down."Even amidst the clamor of swinging rackets and the thuds of shuttlecocks, mixed with the noisy shouts of people, Yun Li could still distinctly hear his gentle voice: "Don't worry, and don't look back. I'm right behind you—I'll catch them all."
The teacher who had joined their game realized that dropping the shuttlecock near the frontcourt wasn't working, so he changed tactics. Whenever Yun Li hit the shuttlecock high, he would smash it directly near her. One such smash struck Yun Li's body.
Fu Shize walked over to her and checked. The hit wasn't too hard, but it had happened right under his watch.
Yun Li brushed it off. "I'm fine."
She looked at him with a hint of frustration. "I'm holding you back."
The teacher was an experienced amateur player, while both Fu Shize and Fu Zhengchu had received professional badminton training since childhood. Though Fu Zhengchu had later switched to other sports, Fu Shize wasn't under much pressure playing one against two.
Fu Shize didn't care about winning or losing. At first, he played politely, rarely smashing hard. But after what had just happened, whenever he got the chance, he aimed his smashes straight at the teacher.
Fu Zhengchu also frequently "accidentally" lifted the shuttlecock extra high, creating plenty of opportunities for Fu Shize to jump smash.
As the game went on, the teacher began to feel as if he was facing three opponents instead of one.
When the game ended, the teacher noticed the aggression in Fu Shize's demeanor. His dark eyes were devoid of emotion, his tone indifferent, as if he saw the teacher as nothing more than an object. "Still want to play?"
The teacher felt a chill and didn't dare overstay his welcome.
Yun Li, meanwhile, seemed to exist in another dimension on the court. She vaguely sensed that Fu Shize was acting unusually. When he went to buy her water, she asked Fu Zhengchu, "Were you deliberately hitting the shuttlecock so high earlier?"
Fu Zhengchu wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded twice.
"Isn't that a bit unfair?"
Noticing Fu Shize's gaze, Fu Zhengchu swallowed hard. After all, he had been the one to invite the teacher to join. He quickly declared his loyalty: "He deserved it for bullying my aunt."
Yun Li was still preoccupied with what had happened on the court. She wasn't competitive by nature, but... she didn't want Fu Shize to lose face.
After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Fu Zhengchu, can I ask you something? How do you make your movements look so elegant?"
His swings were smooth and natural, yet packed explosive power.
Flattered by the praise, Fu Zhengchu immediately picked up his racket to show Yun Li how to position, rotate, and draw it back. She tilted her head, listening intently, when suddenly another racket slid between them.
Following the racket's handle, she saw Fu Shize drinking water, his Adam's apple bobbing. He handed her the half-finished bottle as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I'll teach her myself."
His wife—he would teach her himself.
After returning home, Yun Li took a shower first. She remembered the dog kennel they had visited earlier with Fu Zhengchu and the others. Before leaving, she and Fu Shize had each written down a wish.
Hers had already come true.
But Fu Shize's seemed to have made no progress.
After drying her hair, she sat on the bed. Fu Shize, fresh from his shower, leaned against her while reading a book. Yun Li studied his serene, almost detached expression and felt a flicker of doubt.
She had assumed his wish would be something like—marrying her.
Had his wish not come true yet?
After wrestling with the thought, she finally brought it up casually before bed. "Do you remember that dog kennel we visited before?"Fu Shize flipped through the book, tilting his head slightly as he waited for her to continue.
"Back then, we wrote down our wishes and promised to return together once they came true," Yun Li said calmly. "Has your wish not been fulfilled yet?"
Instead of answering directly, Fu Shize twirled a strand of her hair around his finger and asked, "What about yours?"
Yun Li replied, "Mine has."
"What was your wish?" Fu Shize leaned in closer, lifting his gaze. His delicate eyelashes brushed against her cheek as he murmured, "Was it about me?"
"Mm..."
"Then let's go tomorrow," Fu Shize said, following her lead. Yun Li paused briefly as he closed the book, checked the time, and dimmed the bedside lamp to its lowest setting.
The sudden dimness of the light made Yun Li drowsy.
Fu Shize pulled the blanket up a little higher for her. In her half-asleep state, she felt his lips press gently against her forehead, followed by his soft whisper.
"Sweet dreams, Lili."
The next morning, Yun Li woke up before Fu Shize. He had her wrapped securely in his arms. She wriggled slightly, hearing him mumble sleepily, and then eased her movements, carefully shifting his hand away.
After spending some time in the living room, Yun Li noticed the first-aid kit still lying open on the table—she hadn’t put it back after taking the spray the previous day. Inside were several boxes of sleeping pills the doctor had prescribed for Fu Shize.
He hadn’t taken them in a long while.
After a moment’s thought, Yun Li quietly slipped back into the bedroom and nestled into his embrace again.
After lunch, Fu Shize drove Yun Li to the area near the dog kennel. The shop’s interior hadn’t changed much. The wish wall was densely covered with sticky notes, layers upon layers of them.
Yun Li couldn’t remember exactly where she had placed hers. She stood in front of the wall, hesitating.
Just as she was about to tell Fu Shize she’d forgotten, his hand reached past her right ear, brushing aside a few notes to reveal her unmistakably cute handwriting.
He remembered the exact spot.
Standing behind her, Yun Li could feel the warmth radiating through his shirt. Following his finger, she read the words she had written—
[Fu Shize, be my wife!!!!!]
"......"
Yun Li had thought she’d written about marrying Fu Shize. Now, she felt a little awkward.
A low, husky chuckle sounded behind her. Teasingly, he whispered in her ear, "Such big ambitions, huh?"
"Then the wish hasn’t come true yet," Yun Li said, unable to recall what mindset she’d been in when she wrote it. She asked Fu Shize, "Where’s yours?"
Fu Shize took her hand and guided it to another note, where his elegant script flowed across the paper—
[Fulfill Lili’s wish.]
So, only when her wish came true would his be fulfilled.
Yun Li froze for a few seconds before grabbing a pen from nearby and decisively making changes to her own note. Fu Shize asked lazily, "Why the edit?"
Yun Li replied slowly, "I want to fulfill your wish too." She sighed dramatically, feigning resignation. "What can I do? My ‘wife’ is now my husband."
Fu Shize glanced at the revised note.
Just then, a corgi nuzzled against Yun Li’s legs. She crouched down, rubbing its neck. When she looked up at him, his heart lurched violently, the memory flashing back—late autumn, early winter, her cheeks flushed from the cold, her eyes sparkling like stars as she gazed at him.
He was fortunate to be the husband of the girl who had waited for him.After petting the dog to their heart's content, Fu Shize picked up Yun Li's coat and held it open for her. Yun Li slipped into it deftly and murmured, "There are too many people here."
Fu Shize tilted his head. "Then I'll help you put it on when we get back."
"..."
They had already reached the entrance when Yun Li, still reluctant to leave, turned back to ask him, "Can I write one more wish? When it comes true, we'll come back again."
Fu Shize nodded. She trotted back, picked up a pen and paper earnestly, wrote her wish, and stuck it in a small hidden corner.
Satisfied with the concealed note, Yun Li turned around to find Fu Shize still standing where she'd left him, his dark eyes fixed on her. She waved the pen and asked, "Aren't you going to write one?"
"No need." Fu Shize took her hand. "Let's go home."
Yun Li frowned. "Why not?"
Squeezing her palm gently, Fu Shize smiled faintly. "My only wish is—"
That in the days to come, every wish of the girl who once waited in the cold wind would come true.
And if he could be a little greedy—
Then he only hoped that he would be the one to make those wishes come true.
Because that would mean he was the one who got to stay by her side for the rest of their lives.
—Extra Story End—
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