Yun Li realized she had been fretting needlessly – Fu Shize already knew Yun Ye’s name.
She rolled down the window, hoping to cool off, but the warm air reminded her it was summer.
They had broken up in early spring when temperatures were still below freezing.
Their last meeting had been extremely unpleasant. One phone call, and they had ended things completely.
Yun Li’s first instinct was to make excuses. She stared at the screen for a while, typing and retyping refusals:
[Sorry, my car broke down.]
[Sorry, I forgot the book. Yun Ye said he’ll get it from home next time.]
As she repeatedly typed out rejections, Yun Li recalled how until she left Nan Wu last year, she had secretly hoped that one day…
Fu Shize would reappear.
He would embrace her as always and softly say, “Li Li, don’t be upset.”
Back then, she had wanted to see him again.
But fantasies remain fantasies.
Her phone vibrated.
F: [I’m at the Control Engineering building entrance.]
Yun Li deleted her refusals, pushing aside her jumbled thoughts.
They were adults now.
Those things – they were just entanglements between two people in this world, existing only briefly.
She didn’t need to care so much.
She took a deep breath, telling herself she no longer cared.
Yun Li drove towards the Control Engineering building, stopping at the last corner.
She checked her outfit, straightening it and smoothing out wrinkles.
Pulling down the overhead mirror, she carefully fixed her hair and applied a layer of everyday milk tea-colored lipstick.
The car approached the building steadily. In the distance, a dark figure stood by the road. As she drew closer, the light gradually illuminated him.
Fu Shize leaned against a lamppost, wearing a short-sleeved white shirt and navy casual suit shorts.
She slowed down a bit more.
He noticed the car’s approach and turned his head.
After a year and a half, the person before her seemed like a stranger.
Fu Shize gave a faint smile, hands in his pockets, and slowly walked to the driver’s side. From inside the car, she could see his relaxed posture.
Yun Li rolled down the window, momentarily blinded by an oncoming car’s headlights. She blinked, then met his gaze.
His eyes curved slightly downward, with a hint of amusement and confidence. His gaze held the clarity of a young man. He looked down and called, “Li Li.”
The gentleness in his voice was similar to before, yet somehow entirely different.
Yun Li paused, handing him the book from the passenger seat. “Thank you for your trouble.”
“Mm.” Fu Shize casually took it and asked, “How have you been?”
Yun Li hesitated, unsure what he meant. She pressed her lips together, “I’m doing well, working as an intern.”
“Mm.” His gaze shifted to a nearby coffee shop. “Want to get a drink?”
Yun Li sensed he wanted to talk.
From the moment she had deleted him and pushed all their connections out of her mind, she had decided he would be a stranger in her mind.
Yun Li didn’t want any further contact.
She politely declined, “No, thank you. I have things to do.”
Fu Shize’s hand holding the book paused, but he showed no displeasure at being refused. He quietly nodded.
He had already taken a step back but spoke again, “The teaching building is a bit far. Could you give me a ride?”
He waved the book, “So I can give this to Yun Ye during the first break.”
“…”
Looking into his clear eyes, Yun Li couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
They had indeed troubled him.
Hearing the car unlock, Fu Shize calmly got into the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt, and said politely, “Thank you.”
Yun Li started the car, driving aimlessly through the campus for a few hundred meters. The person beside her leaned back in his seat, looking ahead with a relaxed expression.
Acting as if he didn’t care how she drove.
“…”
Originally not wanting to speak, Yun Li didn’t know the way and had to ask, “Can you give me directions?”
“Turn right at the end.”
“First intersection, turn left.”
“At the end, turn left.”
“Second intersection, turn right.”
…
Yun Li hadn’t realized Xi Fu Tech was so large.
Following Fu Shize’s guidance, she drove for quite a long stretch.
Fu Shize calmly told her where to go every so often, his tone lazy, with no trace of lying.
Ten minutes passed, and they still hadn’t reached the teaching building.
Yun Li couldn’t help but ask, “How much longer?”
He glanced at her, “We’re here.”
Outside was a long corridor lined with buildings.
Yun Li stopped the car and waited for a while, but he didn’t get out.
Unsure why he was still in the car, she reminded him, “We’ve arrived.”
Fu Shize, like a rebellious teenager, seemed not to understand her hint.
“It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other,” he said, playing with the book in his hands and looking up at her. “Don’t you want to chat?”
“…”
Seeing her silent, he smiled, “If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”
Yun Li paused, hesitating before asking, “What should we talk about…”
The question bounced back to Fu Shize. His fingers tapped on the book as he seemed to seriously consider the question.
Time ticked by.
The campus speakers played the end-of-class bell.
Hearing the bell, Fu Shize casually said, “I haven’t thought of anything either. Let’s meet up another time. I’ll go give this book to Yun Ye now.”
With that, Fu Shize opened the car door, glanced back at her, and walked into the teaching building.
Watching his retreating figure, Yun Li’s tense back relaxed, and she leaned against the seat as if given new life.
After a moment, she bent over. Fu Shize had acted completely natural, treating her like an old friend he hadn’t seen in a while.
He had truly moved on.
Lost in thought for a long time in the car, Yun Li finally remembered it was Friday and texted Yun Ye: [Gave the book to your TA. Are you coming home today?]
Yun Ye: [Yeah, I’ll come back.]
Yun Ye: [I still have 40 minutes of class. Will you wait for me to go back together? If not, I’ll take the bus home tomorrow.]
Yun Li: [Alright.]
With nothing else to do at the school, Yun Li glanced in the direction Fu Shize had disappeared, then navigated back to the Control Engineering building.
She parked and walked towards the building, following the path she remembered.
She paused.
As she expected, the screens and posters at the entrance bore traces of Fu Shize. Unlike last time, these were all about recent events.
The poster showcased Unique Team’s first-place win in the drone design competition, along with Fu Shize’s recent significant research achievements and patents. As she gazed at his image on the poster and recalled their recent encounter, an overwhelming sense of unreality washed over her.
“Damn, Fu Shize from the lab next door published in another top journal,” someone remarked.
“I heard he was the top scorer in the college entrance exam and received national scholarships every year from undergrad to doctorate. Seems he’s from a highly educated family. We can’t compare,” another voice chimed in.
“Still, it’s hard to envy him. His junior says he’s a workaholic. He arrives at the lab punctually at 6:30 AM, leaves at midnight, and even comes in on weekends. If I had that kind of self-discipline, I’d have won national scholarships too.”
“He’s single. One of the girls in our lab wants to pursue him.”
“Oh, one of the guys in my lab is interested in him too…”
The conversation at the stairway continued, but Yun Li had already turned away, leaving the academy building.
Everything she saw and heard acted as a catalyst, triggering memories of their time together – the intimate moments filled with affection and sweet nothings.
A heaviness settled in Yun Li’s chest.
Finding a secluded corner outside the teaching building, she called Deng Chuqi and hurriedly recounted her recent encounters with Fu Shize.
“It just feels so unreal, like he’s a completely different person,” Yun Li murmured. “Rather than saying the current he isn’t real, it’s more like those six months when we met were the illusion.”
She felt as if she had merely stolen a fragment of his time.
Deng Chuqi, who was having lunch overseas, replied with an upbeat tone, “You make it sound like he’s been possessed. He seems to be doing well now. Have you considered getting back together?”
“…” Yun Li replied directly, “No, I don’t have feelings for him anymore.”
Deng Chuqi let out a long “Oh.”
“…”
Detecting doubt in her friend’s voice, Yun Li explained, “We’re not compatible anyway. Besides, if I suggested reconciling now, he might think I’m trying to take advantage of his success.”
As Yun Li was about to continue, she spotted Fu Shize coming down from upstairs.
She quickly wrapped up her conversation with Deng Chuqi and hung up.
Her car was hidden by bushes, but from her position, she could see both sides of the teaching building’s corner – one side facing the campus lake, the other leading to the campus road.
Fu Shize reached the ground floor, glancing indifferently to the side before walking to the end of the corridor. He leaned against a stone pillar, arms crossed, silently gazing at the lake.
Yun Li immediately noticed the paleness of his elbow.
Her gaze shifted to his profile – sharp, cold eyes, slightly reddish lips pressed together, and a slender frame beneath the white shirt.
He exuded an aura of detachment from the world.
Fu Shize remained there for over twenty minutes.
When the bell rang, students noisily filed out through another corridor. No one noticed him standing alone around the corner.
Seemingly deaf to the outside world, he lowered his eyelids and took a few pebbles from his pocket, tossing them into the lake.
Yun Li could still recall his casual smile when he got out of the car earlier, a stark contrast to the current scene.
Yun Ye called to hurry her, and Yun Li, without further thought, started the car and drove onto the road.
Yun Ye stood out in the crowd. After sophomore year, he had suddenly shot up to 182 cm. Like Yun Li, his eyes had a touch of sharpness, giving him a rebellious look when not smiling. He tossed his backpack into the backseat and sat in the passenger seat.
A few girls in the crowd were still staring at their car.
“You seem pretty popular,” Yun Li commented casually.
“Yeah, I’ve received quite a few love letters,” Yun Ye looked at Yun Li and said dramatically, “Can you believe some are from your old fans?”
“…”
“They say they’ve watched me grow up over the past five years.” Yun Ye cringed at the thought and nudged Yun Li, “Can’t you delete the videos with me in them?”
“Why should I delete them?” Yun Li didn’t understand.
“I don’t want to get beaten up.”
“…”
After a while, Yun Li finally realized Yun Ye was referring to Yin Yunyi. She asked for what felt like the hundredth time, “Are you two together now?”
“Not yet. I want to give her a proper confession. We both have a lot of classes right now and don’t want to fall behind in our studies, so we agreed to postpone it.”
“…”
No wonder these two got into Xi Ke University.
“Do you discuss everything with each other?” Yun Li suddenly asked.
“Yeah, why?” Yun Ye drooped his eyelids and yawned.
“Nothing.”
The car had left Xi Ke University, and Yun Ye closed his eyes to sleep. Throughout the journey, her mind kept drifting back to the figure she had seen earlier, leaving her distracted. As they neared home, Yun Ye woke up and took a waffle from the compartment.
Yun Li asked him, “Do you know who your teaching assistant is?”
Yun Ye looked confused, “Who?”
Yun Li: “My ex-boyfriend.”
Yun Ye: “Which one?”
“…”
Yun Li felt exasperated and pressed her lips together, not speaking.
Yun Ye thought carefully, then froze, continuing to eat his waffle. He turned and said, “Is it that brother?”
“…”
“The group chat only mentioned ‘TA.’ I didn’t see him today. He left my books at the back of the classroom. If I had known it was him, I definitely wouldn’t have…” Yun Ye turned to explain, but halfway through, he felt it unnecessary and changed the subject, “Sis, you’ve been apart for so long. How do you feel seeing him again?”
“Nothing,” Yun Li instinctively replied.
“Oh, that’s good then.” Yun Ye breathed a sigh of relief, glad he hadn’t angered Yun Li.
The car fell into complete silence. Yun Ye was right; it had been a long time since their breakup.
Yun Li tried not to think about Fu Shize anymore.
After returning home, she browsed E-station for a while and wrote some copy.
Until bedtime, she forced herself not to think, not to think.
The white bear effect – tell someone not to think of a white bear, and they’ll find it impossible not to imagine one.
The next morning, Yun Li rushed to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Looking at her flushed cheeks in the mirror, she felt ridiculous.
The sensation of their lips and tongues intertwining in the dream had felt incredibly real.
She consoled herself.
It was just a dream.
It didn’t mean anything.
Grabbing two slices of toast from the fridge, Yun Li noticed a message from Fu Shize sent just after 6 AM.
F: [I’m sorry.]
F: [I think I left my key in your car. It’s a blue round fob. Could you check for me?]
Yun Li tossed the toast onto a plate and grabbed a jacket before heading downstairs.
She searched the passenger side for a while but found nothing.
After reclining the seat, she finally spotted the small, 2cm round key fob underneath. It must have slipped out of his pocket.
Yun Li: [It’s in the car. Want Yun Ye to bring it to you on Monday?]
F: [There’s an experiment running in the lab. If it’s convenient, could I pick it up from you?]
Without overthinking, Yun Li replied directly: [I’ll bring it to you. Where are you?]
After washing up and eating a quick breakfast, Yun Li grabbed her car keys and left.
Fu Shize was at the same spot where they had met yesterday. He had changed his style – a light blue shirt, white casual pants, and leather flats.
The sun was bright, and Fu Shize shielded his eyes with his hand. Even so, the glaring sunlight made him squint.
Yun Li handed him the key.
“Thank you,” Fu Shize pocketed the key and asked casually, “Do you have work today?”
Yun Li shook her head, “It’s the weekend.”
“Then what are your plans?” he asked, slightly raising his eyebrows.
Yun Li answered honestly, “I haven’t decided yet.”
Hearing her response, Fu Shize continued, “Since you brought me the key, let me treat you to a drink.”
“No, I have things to do,” Yun Li reflexively declined, completely forgetting Fu Shize’s two preceding questions.
Fu Shize smiled indifferently, “Didn’t you just say you hadn’t decided what to do?”
“…”
Caught in her lie, Yun Li felt embarrassed. Fu Shize’s emotions were entirely different from hers; his expression carried a hint of amusement and teasing. He made a soft nasal sound as if urging her to answer.
Yun Li maintained her composure, rolling up the car window and parking properly. As she got out, she asked nonchalantly, “Where to?”
As her leg emerged from the car door, Fu Shize had already noticed her silver-gold short skirt, denim suspenders, and canvas shoes – a look both sexy and youthful.
Fu Shize only glanced briefly before walking ahead.
Yun Li walked beside him but consciously maintained a distance. Though outwardly calm, her mind was in turmoil, following the light blue figure in her peripheral vision.
Suddenly, she felt a cool touch on her wrist as he pulled her to his side.
They were extremely close; she could smell the faint citrus scent on him.
A few small electric scooters, common in Xifu, passed through where she had been standing moments ago.
Fu Shize released her after a couple of seconds.
He looked down as Yun Li looked up at him, and she said in a daze, “Thanks.”
Fu Shize tilted his head slightly to acknowledge her, then continued walking to the right.