Fu Shize nodded, “Mm.”
Yun Li observed his expression. Seeing he had nothing more to say, she lowered her head in frustration. “Let’s just buy a house.”
She consoled herself that they could buy a house without getting married.
After a day of house hunting, Yun Li clutched her milk tea, wanting to sprawl motionless in the car. The real estate agent in the back seat was still enthusiastically promoting properties. Yun Li, particularly invested in her first home purchase, listened attentively.
Fu Shize’s phone vibrated, notifying him of a post he’d missed on E-station hours ago.
XianYunDiDaJiang: [Today, this lazy fish tried to find a nest]
The comments below were filled with “Wife, I love you”, “Wife, come to my nest”, “I’ve already warmed the nest for you, wife”, and “Wife, wife”.
He looked at Yun Li, who was still dutifully listening to the agent’s pitch.
Fu Shize silently turned off his phone.
After the review comments returned, unsurprisingly, all of Fu Shize’s were excellent. Yun Li’s final comment came back later. When she received it, she sighed in relief – all excellent.
Looking at Fu Shize, his eyes held a hint of expectation, as if this outcome was natural.
The thesis defense was at the South University of Technology. Fu Shize accompanied Yun Li back to Nanwu. When he asked her opinion, Yun Li chose to stay at North Mountain Maple Forest without hesitation, preferring its softer bed.
On the first night, Fu Shize accompanied Yun Li in defense practice, turning in early.
The formal defense was the next day. After her presentation, the on-site reviewers posed numerous questions, which she would need to answer after everyone’s reports.
Yun Li received nearly ten questions, nervous sweat beading on her forehead.
Fu Shize went outside first and messaged her: [Come outside.]
Yun Li’s limbs were stiff with tension.
“Relax,” he said, smiling at the corners of his eyes as he ruffled her hair.
In two minutes, Fu Shize helped her categorize the ten questions into two types and outlined their logic. Listening to his unhurried pace and seeing his calm expression, Yun Li felt the task suddenly seemed less daunting.
Yun Li calmed down and answered according to his outline. Meeting his gaze, she found it as gentle and resolute as ever.
She glanced around, then couldn’t resist leaning in to kiss his cheek.
Relaxing, Yun Li smiled, “How are you so good?”
Fu Shize caressed her face, “My Lili is very good too.”
When it ended, the professors unanimously gave excellent scores.
Yun Li’s advisor had never revised her master’s thesis. On many nights, after Yun Li returned home from Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Fu Shize was still in the office, burning the midnight oil to revise her thesis.
When the review professor announced the scores, her first reaction was to look at Fu Shize. He sat quietly in a corner, yet in a spot visible to her whether she was in her seat or at the podium.
He was always in her line of sight.
So she could always receive the most direct support.
Fu Shize handed her flowers, “Lili, you’ve graduated.”
Yun Li smiled uncontrollably, nodding vigorously.
Back at North Mountain Maple Forest, as if all pressure had been lifted, Fu Shize no longer restrained himself. He pushed her into the room. Yun Li half-heartedly protested, “I need to shower!”
Fu Shize replied, “Mm.”
He pushed her into the bathroom and started filling the bathtub.
Sensing his intentions, Yun Li blushed and walked back to the door. Fu Shize chuckled, and hearing the threat in his tone, Yun Li said softly, “I’ll go get the flowers, add some petals…”
…
Waking the next day, Yun Li felt like her body was falling apart. Fu Shize had woken early and brought breakfast to the bedside table.
Yun Li checked the time.
“…”
It was only nine o’clock.
Fu Shize sat beside her, pulling the blanket up to cover her exposed skin. “We’re going somewhere today.”
“My whole body aches, I can’t walk,” Yun Li said with a touch of morning grumpiness, turning away to stare at the white wall. Fu Shize said nothing. After struggling for a moment, she asked casually, “Where are we going?”
Fu Shize chuckled.
His laugh seemed to tell Yun Li she was utterly spineless.
“There’s a bridal shop in Nanwu.”
“…”
A flood of confused thoughts was instantly banished from her mind. Yun Li pinched her palm and asked dryly, “What for?”
“To take a look.”
She was still facing away from him. Fu Shize knelt on the bed, moving closer to sit casually beside her. “Don’t you want to go?”
“…”
Fu Shize: “If it hurts, we can go next time.”
Yun Li didn’t know when their next trip to Nanwu would be.
She moved, sitting up and stretching. Meeting Fu Shize’s triumphant gaze, she calmly crawled out from under the covers.
On the way, Fu Shize didn’t mention today’s plans again.
Yun Li, curious, probed, “What are we doing at the bridal shop?”
Fu Shize: “We could make a store exploration video for E-station. It’s quite popular now, isn’t it?”
His tone was serious. Yun Li’s fantasy instantly shattered.
Feeling deflated, she immediately lost interest in today’s plans. Her voice carried clear rejection: “But my videos are more focused on technology and science now…”
Fu Shize asked, “Is that not possible?”
Yun Li met his gaze, not understanding why he was so insistent. After parking, she remained silent. He said nothing, pulling her forward.
Near the store entrance, a thought crossed Yun Li’s mind. She asked incredulously, “Do you want me to make our relationship public?”
After a moment, Fu Shize nodded.
Fu Shize: “Everyone online calls you…” He paused, lowering his voice suggestively, “Wife.”
Yun Li blushed, pushing him away from her right ear.
He glanced at her. “I’ve never called you that.”
Just then, Yun Ye messaged asking about her defense. Yun Li interrupted their conversation, hurriedly saying, “Wait a moment.”
Fu Shize stood patiently beside her. After she replied to Yun Ye, she switched back to the WeChat main interface. Scanning his nickname, Fu Shize calmly said, “I was wrong. Our identities seem to be reversed.”
“…”
He continued, “Shall we swap identities tonight too?”
“…”
“Let’s go in,” Yun Li said urgently, wanting to change the subject. She pulled Fu Shize into the bridal shop. A vintage, heavily embroidered wedding dress hung in the center, spotlit to highlight its intricate details and cutouts.
Yun Li stared at it for a while, forgetting her earlier resistance. She told the sales assistant, “I’d like to try this one.”
The assistant smiled apologetically, “I’m sorry, ma’am, but this is a custom piece. It can’t be tried on.”
Yun Li’s gaze lowered to a small nameplate that read ‘Mr. Fu & Ms. Yun’.
“…”
She looked at Fu Shize. He casually said, “The first time I went to your house, I mentioned I had prepared a gift for you.”
The wedding dress had been in custom production for nearly half a year, only recently completed. Several assistants helped Yun Li change in the fitting room. Still processing, she let them guide her.
The curtain slowly parted, revealing her reflection in the full-length mirror.
Yun Li stared at herself, stunned.
She turned her head. Fu Shize looked at her, his gaze unwavering.
Not knowing how to react, she just met his eyes, seeing herself reflected in them. Nervously, she asked, “Does it look good?”
Fu Shize: “Mm.”
After the initial shock, Yun Li’s heart filled with joy. Wearing a wedding dress was a childhood dream for many girls, especially one custom-made by Fu Shize for her.
Yun Li gazed at herself in the mirror for a long time, glancing at Fu Shize.
Feeling awkward, she said slowly, “But this thing seems useless if we’re not getting married.”
Fu Shize sat on a nearby white cube, legs apart, his tall figure straight. He didn’t answer immediately, pondering before looking up to ask, “Do you want to get married?”
“…”
Unconsciously, only the two of them remained in the fitting room.
Yun Li noticed he had changed into a custom suit and shoes, sitting casually, black eyes reflecting the spotlight. She stood over a meter away, trying to slow her heartbeat.
Under the lights, Yun Li’s skin was fair and translucent. The strapless wedding dress revealed her smooth shoulders, its crystal-adorned skirt trailing two meters behind her. She was the unique centerpiece.
A faint tapping sound could be heard.
Fu Shize held a small white box, gently rotating it on the cube’s surface as if toying with it.
He leaned back casually, supporting himself with his right hand. Yun Li stared at him, transfixed until he looked up at her. She held her breath.
It seemed she already knew what would happen.
The man before her had chiseled features, a clear jawline, and a slightly aloof expression that deterred approach. He calmly looked at her, the box still rotating in his hand.
Yun Li couldn’t stand it anymore and said softly, “Don’t knock it…”
Fu Shize chuckled, his cool demeanor instantly melting away. Yun Li saw the smile in his eyes, reminiscent of the gentle smile of the young man in the videos.
He opened the box one-handed, glanced at it, then looked at her. “Let’s get married after graduation, okay?”
“…” Yun Li resisted the urge to nod, urging, “This isn’t formal enough.”
After all, he had changed into a suit.
Yun Li watched him rise unhurriedly, approaching her step by step, his gentle gaze never leaving her. He stopped in front of her, slowly kneeling on one knee, his posture still straight.
Willingly and completely submitting to her.
At this moment, they were both in the spotlight.
The world seemed to condense into a tiny space, just big enough for the two of them.
Breath seemed to stop.
His expression was relaxed, eyes filled with emotion: “Lili, will you marry me?”
Yun Li’s vision blurred. She laughed and wiped tears with the back of her hand.
“If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as a yes,” he said, taking her hand. “And you can’t go back on a tacit agreement.”
…
Back in Xifu, Yun Li and Fu Shize picked out several satisfactory houses. Initially, Yun Li wanted to choose the one between her company and Xi’an University of Science and Technology, so Fu Shize wouldn’t have to wake up too early.
In the end, Fu Shize chose one closer to her company, less than a ten-minute walk for her.
One afternoon, Fu Shize reminded her it was time to get their marriage certificate. Yun Li came to her senses and made an appointment at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Yun Ye, their specially hired photographer, waited with Fu Shize in the living room for three hours.
When Yun Li emerged, Yun Ye was about to complain impatiently but froze when he saw her.
She wore a simple white ceremonial dress, her curled hair pinned back with white clips, looking gentle and serene.
Seeing his sister’s solemn face, she eyed him, “Any objections?”
Yun Ye was silent for a moment before saying, “No.”
Her gaze met Fu Shize’s, instantly softening.
Rain pattered against the window. Yun Li went back to her room to fetch a black long-handled umbrella, starkly contrasting with her current style.
Yun Ye frowned and asked, “Why are you using such a rugged umbrella?”
“…”
She had acquired this umbrella by chance while in England.
It was near Christmas, and she was going through a rough patch. Due to language barriers, she hadn’t performed well in several exams. After cutting her hand, she immediately caught a severe cold. Unable to attend the alumni gathering, she also cut short her chat with fans due to her poor condition.
The entire city was brimming with Christmas spirit. She buried her face in her scarf, feeling the bone-chilling cold of winter amidst her sense of not belonging.
Everyone else in the lab had already left early for Christmas.
That day, she left the lab alone. On her way back to her apartment, she passed a vintage red bookstore.
Yun Li usually didn’t linger in shops along her route.
However, seeing the Christmas animal collection poster at the entrance reminded her of the Christmas she spent with Fu Shize at the zoo. Her nose tingled, and she slowly walked in.
If they hadn’t broken up, it would have been their first anniversary.
The bookstore’s layout was unusual, with several neatly arranged rows of bookshelves. Yun Li flipped through some books, but her poor English and lack of interest made it a dull experience.
The bell at the store’s entrance rang, and a tall, thin man entered. He wore a black coat with a wide-brimmed hat, his head bowed.
The man walked directly to the bookshelf opposite Yun Li. Through the gap between shelves, she could only see his pale wrists.
Suddenly, she remembered the night she first met Fu Shize in Nanwu, his skin sickly pale under his hat.
During the hour she spent inside, she caught glimpses of his black coat several times. He maintained a certain distance from her but never left.
Absentmindedly flipping through books, she lost track of time. When she reached the entrance, the sky had opened up into a torrential downpour.
She waited for a while, but the rain showed no signs of stopping.
Alone in that city, she had no one to bring her an umbrella, and there were no other shops nearby.
Yun Li stood at the door with a worried expression, staring blankly at the rain outside. In the glass door covered with Christmas stickers, she caught sight of the man’s reflection.
Throughout her time there, the man had worn a loose hat and kept his head down, yet he gave her a familiar feeling.
Yun Li dismissed the thought as ridiculous. In a foreign country, in an unknown bookstore, whether by coincidence or intention, it seemed far-fetched.
Perhaps it was just longing that made her think any random person resembled him.
Maybe to dispel this notion, Yun Li hesitated for a while before turning her head and asking in English, “Excuse me, do we know each other?”
Before she could fully turn, she saw the man in the glass door move forward, suddenly approaching her. Yun Li tensed up, about to cry out when the man merely bumped her arm and thrust a black long-handled umbrella into her arms.
The wind chimes at the door tinkled softly. She froze as the man walked away quickly, his figure soon disappearing into the curtain of rain.
She stared at the long-handled umbrella in her hands for a long time, then smiled, taking it as a kind gesture from a stranger.
In that rainy, damp weather, with her nose congested and her body cold from the moisture, she felt a rare warmth.
Yun Li snapped back to the present and casually replied, “A stranger gave it to me when I was going through a difficult time.”
“When I carry this umbrella on my good days, I hope that person is as happy as I am…” Yun Li recalled the man’s lonely figure as he left, her gaze meeting Fu Shize’s. She smiled, her eyes crinkling, “I hope he, like me, can be cherished by someone for a lifetime.”
Noticing Fu Shize’s momentary stunned expression, Yun Li remembered Yun Ye’s earlier comment and said sheepishly, “Is a black umbrella not good? Should I change it?”
Fu Shize came back to his senses and said softly, “Let’s take this one.” He took the umbrella and added almost imperceptibly, “Who knows, it might come true.”
Just as they stepped out, Yun Li huddled close to him under the umbrella. Her memory drifted to long ago, in the restroom, where the man curled up on the sofa opened his eyes, and looked at her.
Yun Li squeezed his inner elbow. “I have a long-handled umbrella now.”
Fu Shize: “?”
Realizing what she meant, he pulled her closer.
The curtain of rain blocked others’ view, but Yun Li still felt uncomfortable with intimate behavior in public. She tried to gently push him away with both hands, but he held her firmly in place.
Fu Shize chuckled softly, his voice husky, “Still not strong enough.”
Yun Ye, having gathered everything, squeezed into the back seat of the car with a camera around his neck, carefully wiping off the water that had gotten on it.
In the short distance from the entrance to the car, half of Fu Shize’s suit had gotten wet. Yun Ye complained, “Sis, couldn’t you have picked a better day? At least one without rain?”
Yun Li looked at Fu Shize and smiled. “Rainy days can be good days too.”
The windshield wipers cleared away the water, revealing a world that went from hazy to clear. Fu Shize saw Yun Li’s smile reflected in the glass as he slowly started the car, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.
From now on, his rainy days could be sunny too, because of her.
…
Yun Li and Fu Shize eventually chose a ready-made new house, moving in by September.
While unpacking in their new home, Fu Shize noticed Yun Li had packed the drone separately in its box. He picked it up and looked at it.
Fu Shize wiped some dust off her cheek with his fingertip and asked, “Didn’t you give this to your brother?”
Yun Li touched the spot where he had just touched and said casually, “Oh… Wasn’t that Brother Jiang Yuan’s? I brought it back for you.”
“Did you repair it?”
“…”
Yun Li didn’t know how he could tell. She had only fixed a small damaged corner. She hesitated, “Yun Ye said it hit something, and I was afraid you’d be angry, so…”
Fu Shize smiled. “We bumped it during a test flight.”
“…”
Yun Li looked embarrassed, realizing she had worried for nothing, and spent so much time carefully fixing the drone to hide the damage. But after a few seconds, she reasoned, “Well, now that we’re married, it’s only right that I fix things for you.”
Fu Shize put the drone back on the table. Seeing Yun Li bend over to take things out of his box, her waist slender, he embraced her from behind.
“Li Li,” he murmured, “You’ve mended all the broken corners.”
Yun Li understood his meaning and placed her hand on top of his. “From now on, your world will be complete.”
While arranging electronic devices on the bookshelf, Yun Li came across Fu Shize’s VR glasses, which he seemed to have set aside for some time.
For the VR game competition she had participated in with Fu Zhengchu, Yun Li had developed a simple game.
The game allowed players to build their scenes and characters, and set character voices using imported audio.
With the competition as a backdrop, Yun Li gained considerable resources, leading to the successful launch of the game. Xu Qingsong, as the only judge who nominated them, helped them secure the excellence award.
She named the game “IT’S BEEN LONG TIME / 好久不见”.
Yun Li gave this game to Fu Shize as a birthday gift.
Since giving it to Fu Shize, Yun Li hadn’t paid much attention to it. While writing her master’s thesis, she often saw Fu Shize playing this game. She naturally assumed that Fu Shize would create a world for Jiang Yuan in, allowing him to live in another way.
Fu Shize looked up from the pile of boxes: “Want to play?”
She hadn’t played in a long time either.
After a day of unpacking, Yun Li was exhausted, but now with a chance to relax, she was eager to try. She asked Fu Shize to help her put on the VR glasses.
He stood behind her, placing the VR glasses on her and adjusting the size.
Yun Li instantly entered another world.
Fu Shize’s voice came from nearby: “Can you see clearly?”
Yun Li: “Mm-hmm.”
Fu Shize: “There aren’t many games.”
On the desktop, apart from “IT’S BEEN a LONG TIME”, there were only two small games.
Fu Shize: “You can open the game you made.”
Yun Li hesitated for a moment: “No, I’d rather not look.”
Fu Shize didn’t insist: “Okay, you can look whenever you want.”
Yun Li played the other two games for a while but seemed distracted.
Hearing the sound of washing from the kitchen, she swallowed and secretly opened “IT’S BEEN a LONG TIME”.
The original intention of designing this game was to hope that Fu Shize could make up for past regrets in virtual reality.
After opening the game, there was only one perspective to choose from.
Upon entering, there were a few seconds of darkness, followed by the sensation of eyes opening groggily. The first scene was an intensely blue sky, with a slight breeze in the background.
Yun Li was crouching on the ground. Looking down, she saw an ugly, clumsy robot on a red track, and a controller in her hand.
She turned her gaze to the side, and a pair of white sneakers came into view.
Yun Li had a vague guess about what was happening.
Her heart began to race as she looked up. In the interplay of light and shadow, she saw a sixteen-year-old boy, his hair moving slightly in the breeze, wearing a loose team uniform with a shining crescent-shaped badge on his chest.
She had always wanted to feel his regrets, but she didn’t know that the red track she had missed was Fu Shize’s greatest regret.
The young man crouched beside her, lightly tapping the robot with his finger before looking up at her silently. Yun Li’s eyes unconsciously welled up with tears. She grabbed the VR glasses and pulled them off, returning to the real world.
It was their home.
She turned around, and Fu Shize stood in the interplay of light and shadow as if hearing the wind from that red track, looking up at her.
(End of main text)