Xian’s growing displeasure gradually eroded his mood. Fu Shize glanced at Lin Jingren and asked, “Have you ever been in a relationship?”
“Ah? Yes, I have,” Lin Jingren easily deduced that Fu Shize was facing relationship troubles. “Senior, what would you like to know?”
“Do you communicate frequently on WeChat?”
“Yes, when we’re bored, we just send each other emojis. Especially when we first started dating, we couldn’t bear to be apart,” Lin Jingren reminisced but didn’t forget to remind Fu Shize, “However, every couple interacts differently. Senior, you should find a way that’s most comfortable for you two.”
Most comfortable?
Fu Shize looked at his chat history with Yun Li again. They hadn’t sent each other many messages.
He turned to Lin Jingren, “Send me some emojis.”
…
“Senior, these emojis are commonly used between couples. This sticker pack is quite lovey-dovey. Don’t use it at first; you might scare someone off. You can start with these milder ones. Also, sending the same emoji multiple times can express stronger emotions.”
In the lab, Fu Shize usually guided his junior colleagues in experiments and paper writing. Eager to help Fu Shize for once, Lin Jingren put all his effort into searching for a variety of emojis.
Fu Shize saved them all and looked up, saying, “Thank you.”
His fingers scrolled up and down, following Lin Jingren’s advice. He first sent a sticker of a cat peeking out from under a table to make his presence known.
Shortly after.
Yun Li: [Confused]
Fu Shize sent this emoji three times.
Yun Li: [Confused]
Yun Li seemed completely unaware that he was just trying to make his presence known. Feeling that Lin Jingren’s advice wasn’t working, Fu Shize pondered for a moment and chose another emoji.
Fu Shize: [Miss you]
Fu Shize: [Miss you]
Fu Shize: [Miss you]
After a while, Yun Li replied.
[Miss you]
Putting his phone aside, Fu Shize moved the mouse to unlock his computer screen. After typing a few words, he recalled Yun Li’s response. Resting his face on his hand, he couldn’t help but smile.
…
Before leaving to pick up Fu Zhengchu, Yun Li and Fu Shize had dinner at the cafeteria.
It was already late October, but Xifu was still uncomfortably hot. Groups of students still wore light clothing, walking around campus with ice cream in hand.
Sweat beaded on Yun Li’s forehead as she watched a girl approaching with ice cream. She licked her lips.
“Want some?” Fu Shize asked, turning to her. Yun Li nodded.
“Wait a moment.”
There was a convenience store nearby. Yun Li stood outside the glass door. She saw him pay and exchange a few words with the girl at the counter, who handed him the ice cream cone with a bright smile.
Fu Shize came out and gave the ice cream to Yun Li. The cone was piled high, and she silently accepted it.
Noticing her somewhat gloomy mood, Fu Shize took her hand and asked, “Did I get the wrong flavor?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Yun Li didn’t want to say anything at first, thinking the feeling would pass.
But remembering that their last big argument was mainly due to communication issues, she thought for a moment and mumbled, “You were talking quite a bit with that girl just now.”
Usually, Fu Shize wouldn’t engage in unnecessary conversation with other women.
The cashier had fair skin and bright eyes. The more Yun Li thought about it, the more upset she became, losing interest in the ice cream in her hand.
Fu Shize chuckled beside her and asked, “Do you know what I said?”
Yun Li remained silent.
Fu Shize’s arm wrapped around her neck, pulling her towards him. Yun Li’s head lightly bumped against his collarbone.
On the busy street, their intimate gesture made Yun Li feel a bit embarrassed.
Fu Shize leaned close to her ear and said, “I asked her to make my girlfriend’s ice cream cone extra tall.”
Realizing she had misunderstood him, and because of his words in her ear, Yun Li lowered her head and began eating the ice cream faster.
Fu Shize chuckled and lazily said, “Jealous little thing.”
The sunlight nearly melted her. Yun Li’s face felt unbearably hot, and she wanted to hurry to the car, but Fu Shize was content to stroll with his arm around her neck.
Yun Li had to lean forward, forcing Fu Shize to quicken his pace.
Once in the car, she immediately turned on the air conditioning, gradually cooling the stuffy air.
“We’ll pick up Fu Zhengchu first. Tang Lin is with him,” Yun Li had called Tang Lin earlier; her workplace was near Xifu Institute of Technology.
Fu Shize had no particular impression of Tang Lin and simply hummed in response. He suddenly said to Yun Li, “My junior said today that couples should find a comfortable way to interact.”
Yun Li, who had been eating her ice cream, paused and asked uncertainly, “Do you feel uncomfortable with how we are now?”
“Mm,” Fu Shize affirmed.
Yun Li absently took a couple more bites of her ice cream, pondering for a moment.
She looked up and asked softly, “Why?”
Was it because she had lost her temper earlier?
Fu Shize looked at her, noticing her tense expression. He leaned forward, gently pushing away her hand holding the ice cream, and pressed his lips to hers.
As his tongue deepened the kiss, the sweetness faded from intense to mild. He cradled the back of Yun Li’s head. For a moment, she felt dazzled by the sunlight. The pressure on her lips increased, accompanied by a slight tingling sensation. Her breath was almost completely taken away.
When Fu Shize finally released her, Yun Li gazed at him, breathing heavily. He wiped away the ice cream at the corner of her mouth with his finger and said slowly, “We spend too little time together.”
So he always felt unsatisfied and uncomfortable.
He wanted to spend more time with her.
Yun Li came to her senses and looked out the car window. The car was parked on the main road, with many students passing by. They had been kissing passionately, and she hadn’t even noticed.
At that moment, Yun Li just wanted to find a mask to cover her face.
She stared at Fu Shize for a while. He seemed completely unbothered and reminded her, “It’s melting.”
The melted ice cream had flowed to the bottom of the cone and was about to drip onto the car.
Yun Li quickly opened the car door, holding the cone outside, and said softly, “You can’t do this next time. We should finish eating before kissing; it might dirty the car.”
“Mm, I understand,” Fu Shize responded lazily.
Yun Li glanced at him and noticed Fu Shize staring at her. Confused, she asked, “What is it?”
He urged her gently, “Hurry up and eat.”
“…”
“Why did Fu Zhengchu invite us along?” Fu Shize finally asked Yun Li about their trip to the dog cafe as they approached Xifu Institute of Technology.
“Oh, Tang Lin is my roommate. She’s pursuing Fu Zhengchu, so we’re all going out together,” Yun Li explained. “Maybe Fu Zhengchu feels awkward being alone with Tang Lin.”
She thought for a moment and added, “Or maybe he wants to play matchmaker for us.”
Yun Li still remembered the night they had a barbecue when Fu Zhengchu had added Fu Shize back to the group chat.
Fu Shize’s gaze shifted to the center of the road where Fu Zhengchu stood with a tall, slender girl. Yun Li parked the car, and the girl quickly climbed into the back seat.
“Yun Li, I haven’t seen you in over a year, and it’s because of Fu Zhengchu that we’re meeting again…” Tang Lin leaned over the seat back as soon as she got in. Glancing to the side, she saw Fu Shize, who shared some facial features with Fu Zhengchu. Surprised, she exclaimed, “You and your boyfriend are both in Xifu now?”
Yun Li nodded. Tang Lin sat back in her seat, dejected, and poked Fu Zhengchu without hesitation. “Look at my roommate. She’s been dating your uncle for two years already. Can’t you let our romance start sooner?”
Fu Zhengchu remained silent, moving slightly to the side. Tang Lin pretended not to notice and scooted closer to him.
The dog cafe was run by friends of Tang Lin’s parents and was only a fifteen-minute drive from Xifu Institute of Technology. The owner knew of their arrival and had reserved seats for them.
A quarter of the cafe’s space was occupied by the bar counter. After they sat down, a waiter handed them menus.
After everyone ordered, Fu Shize pointed to the black tea on the menu.
Fu Zhengchu quickly intervened, “He doesn’t need that. Just give him water.” His interrupted gesture and words were very natural as if this scene had occurred many times before.
Fu Shize: “…”
Fu Zhengchu turned to explain to Yun Li, “After Uncle’s surgery, Grandpa and Grandma said he shouldn’t drink tea, coffee, or other stimulating beverages.”
“Oh…” Yun Li responded.
Despite being his girlfriend, it was Fu Zhengchu who reminded her of these things.
Yun Li felt an indescribable emotion. She picked up a Corgi cushion from the side and played with it for a while.
Fu Shize sensed her subtle melancholy and gently hooked his finger with hers.
This gesture caught Fu Zhengchu off guard. He stammered, “Hey, Sister Yun Li, Uncle, you two…”
Fu Shize ignored him and said to Yun Li, “Let’s go play with the dogs.”
The cafe had several Corgis in the coffee area. Fu Shize crouched down and patted one’s head. The Corgi tilted its head back in enjoyment, inviting him to scratch its neck.
Yun Li recalled their first visit to the Overtime Bar when Fu Shize had poked at fish balls while playing with a stray dog across from the late-night eatery.
Compared to then, his demeanor was now more gentle, but his slender back inexplicably reminded her of that scene.
Yun Li hesitated before walking over to Fu Zhengchu. Tang Lin had been pulled away by the owner to catch up.
Unsure where to start, Fu Zhengchu quickly accepted the news of their reconciliation. He rocked his chair, swinging his legs, and sighed, “Sister Yun Li, people who are meant to be together will always find their way back.”
“What about you and Tang Lin?” Yun Li asked with a slight smile. Fu Zhengchu’s face immediately flushed, and he stammered without giving a clear answer.
After chatting briefly, Yun Li asked him, “Fu Zhengchu, was your uncle’s gastric perforation surgery very serious? He didn’t tell me the details.”
“At that time, Uncle’s grandmother had passed away. Uncle was probably too upset and had a fever for several days without eating, so it was quite serious then.”
Seeing Yun Li stunned for a moment, Fu Zhengchu comforted her, “Sister Yun Li, don’t worry too much. He should be mostly recovered now, just can’t eat spicy or irritating foods.”
“Mm.” Yun Li smiled, her gaze lingering on Fu Shize.
Yun Li felt as if several heavy stones had been placed in her heart. She moved next to him, and Fu Shize, seeing her approach, nudged the Corgi towards her, encouraging her to pet it.
As she stroked Corgi’s neck, her hand gradually moved to the side, holding one of Fu Shize’s fingers, then covering the back of his hand.
“Are you happy now?” Yun Li asked him.
Fu Shize grasped her hand in return, gently scratching her palm. “Mm.”
Yun Li’s tense nerves relaxed considerably.
She couldn’t change the past, but at least in the days to come, Yun Li could always be by his side.
Before leaving, Yun Li noticed a wish wall in the cafe. She lingered in front of the various notes for a long time, then took a piece of paper and neatly wrote down her wish.
“You write a wish too,” she said, handing paper and pen to the person still playing with the dog beside her.
Fu Shize wasn’t interested but stood up, intending to see what Yun Li had written. She quickly stopped him, her tone slightly warning, “No peeking.”
“Alright,” Fu Shize glanced at her. “Then you won’t look at mine either?”
“I won’t,” Yun Li stepped away from him, indicating she absolutely wouldn’t peek. She tilted her head and said, “When both our wishes come true, we’ll come back together.”
Fu Shize lowered his gaze and offered her his note. “You can look at mine.”
“I won’t,” Yun Li knew he wanted to see hers. She walked to the door first, watching Fu Shize, her eyes full of warning.
In short, she was telling him not to peek at hers.
Fu Shize felt somewhat helpless. He found a high spot and stuck his note there.
After dropping off Fu Zhengchu and Tang Lin, Yun Li noticed that as they got out of the car, Tang Lin was still pulling Fu Zhengchu forward. Fu Zhengchu looked reluctant but still followed obediently.
They would likely end up together.
…
The next day was Friday. As usual, Yun Li went to school to pick up Yun Ye and take him home. After entering the house, they both headed straight for their rooms but were called back by Yun Yongchang.
Yun Li turned around and saw that besides Yun Yongchang and Yang Fang, Yin Yucheng was also sitting on the sofa. He smiled warmly at her.
She was stunned for a moment, thinking something had happened between Yin Yunyi and Yun Ye again. She put down her bag and hurried to sit in the living room.
Yun Yongchang: “Young Yin, although I’m not very educated, I’m quite satisfied with how I’ve raised my children.”
Yin Yucheng: “Uncle, you’re being too modest.”
Yun Li listened, completely confused, and made faces at the silent Yun Ye beside her.
Yun Yongchang: “Lili, go wash some fruit.”
Taking this opportunity, Yun Li pulled Yun Ye into the kitchen. She took some fruit from the refrigerator and asked quietly, “Didn’t you say you haven’t confessed yet? Are you and Yin Yunyi getting engaged already?”
Yun Ye replied, bewildered, “No…”
“Looks like your future in-laws are quite strict. Yun Ye, be prepared. Dating her might be almost the same as getting married,” Yun Li nudged Yun Ye with her elbow. “Who knows, when you confess, Dad might throw a big banquet for you.”
“…”
Yun Ye, without much internal struggle, resigned himself and nodded, “That’s not impossible.”
Yun Li laughed, “Lucky you. You’ve been chasing her for so long, who knew Yin Yunyi’s parents would be your biggest help.”
Yun Ye took out his phone and texted Yin Yunyi: [Waiwa, is your brother in Xifu?]
Yin Yunyi: [Yes, he said he came to Xifu for a blind date. My parents set it up.]
Yun Ye blinked, looked at Yun Li who was humming a tune beside him, and was momentarily speechless.
He wasn’t prepared to break this bad news to Yun Li.
Yun Li had just finished cutting the fruit and noticed his constipated expression. She glanced at him sideways, “What’s wrong with you?”
“Uh…”
Yun Li idly came over to look at his screen.
Seeing Yin Yunyi’s reply, her expression instantly froze.
The siblings cooperatively cleaned up the fruit peels into the trash can.
After a moment of calm before the storm, Yun Li grabbed Yun Ye’s collar and lowered her voice, “Tell me the truth, did you know about this?”
This was truly ridiculous.
Yun Li had considered a thousand possibilities but never imagined this.
Yun Ye: “Damn, how could I possibly know?”
Yun Li looked at him suspiciously, already viewing him as an accomplice: “Was your fight with Yin Yunyi last time about this?”
Yun Ye: “Your issues couldn’t possibly shake my relationship with her, okay? You’d better think about how to deal with Waiwa’s brother.”
“Lili, is the fruit ready?” Yun Yongchang called from the living room.
Yun Li gripped the edge of the fruit plate, feeling a surge of anger. She had emphasized to Yun Yongchang more than once, and previously he had been more restrained, but this time he directly brought someone from Nanwu to Xifu.
Others were one thing, but this time it was Yin Yunyi’s brother, which also put Yun Ye in a difficult position.
Yun Li carried the fruit plate out. Yun Yongchang gave up his seat, gesturing for her to sit next to Yin Yucheng.
With an outsider present, Yun Li could only suppress her displeasure. She politely declined, “I haven’t finished my work yet. I need to get back to it urgently. Please, continue your chat.”
Without waiting for Yun Yongchang to respond, she turned and went back to her room.
After sulking in her room for a while, Yun Li heard the front door open and close, guessing that Yin Yucheng had left.
Yun Yongchang called from the living room, “Yun Li.”
Yun Li didn’t respond.
Then she heard footsteps in the hallway, and Yun Yongchang opened her door. “Is this how I taught you to behave? How can you be so impolite?”
“He even brought gifts. What kind of attitude is this?” Yun Yongchang said with a stern face. Yun Li then noticed the fruit and tea on the living room table.
“Dad, next time you find someone, why don’t you go live with them?” Yun Li said, barely containing her anger. “I’ve told you more than once, that I don’t want to go on blind dates, and I don’t need to.”
“With your personality, how can you not need it? Do you know he’s highly educated, has a good job, is from Xifu, and doesn’t even mind that you can’t hear in one ear.”
“Dad!” Yun Ye couldn’t help but shout when he heard this. Yun Yongchang froze, realizing he had misspoken, and awkwardly said, “His conditions…”
Yun Li cut him off, her face expressionless, “His conditions are good, and your daughter is deaf in one ear, not good enough for him.”
She held back her tears and said calmly, “Don’t arrange any more. I won’t make it difficult for you this time. I’ll explain things to him myself.”
As she reached the door, her steps slowed, and her voice choked up a bit, “Dad, can you consider my feelings next time, please?”