Accustomed to early morning classes, Yun Ye habitually woke up at seven o’clock. As he passed by the kitchen, he noticed a figure moving about inside.
Yun Ye asked, “Why are you up so early?”
“Preparing lunch,” Yun Li replied.
The kitchen window faced east, and the sunlight blurred Yun Li’s silhouette. Yun Ye yawned and scratched his head, “Isn’t it just morning?”
“Cooking porridge takes several hours, even if you’re quick about it.”
“Oh, right.” Yun Ye walked to the kitchen while brushing his teeth. “I’m going to see my brother-in-law today.”
Yun Li raised an eyebrow. “You’ve adapted to calling him that rather quickly.”
“…” Yun Ye felt embarrassed to mention that Fu Shize was going to give him a drone.
Yun Ye explained, “I asked my brother-in-law yesterday. I’m going to get the drone from him today.”
Yun Li frowned, “Wasn’t it quite late when you left my room?”
Yun Ye glanced at his phone, “It was past 2 AM, but his brother-in-law was still awake.”
“Go brush your teeth,” Yun Li shooed him out of the kitchen. She stirred the rice porridge in the clay pot with a spoon, watching the circular ripples disappear within a second. She stared at it for a moment, lost in thought.
Throughout their relationship, Fu Shize had always appeared composed in front of her. He was at ease when interacting with classmates and friends, and Yun Li didn’t want to pry too much into his past.
In their previous relationship, she had asked a few times, but Fu Shize seemed reluctant to talk about it, just as she was unwilling to discuss her breakup.
She believed that when the time was right, Fu Shize would tell her everything. If he hadn’t brought it up voluntarily, perhaps he hadn’t fully processed it himself.
Yun Yongchang and Yang Fang had also woken up, seemingly accustomed to Yun Li’s early morning activities. They didn’t ask many questions.
Yun Ye ate breakfast quietly with his parents, their gazes occasionally darting towards Yun Li.
After a while, Yang Fang gently asked, “Lili, your father says you have a boyfriend. Why don’t you invite him over for a meal?”
“I’ll ask him,” Yun Li responded absent-mindedly.
Yun Ye changed his clothes and was about to leave when he saw Yun Li carrying two insulated bags. “Are we going on a picnic later?” he asked.
“Mm, lunch,” Yun Li replied casually.
Yun Ye said haughtily, “Oh, I don’t want any.”
“Who said it was for you?” Yun Li handed the insulated bags to Yun Ye. “I’ll drop you off. After you get the drone, head home by yourself.”
“…”
They parked at the Control Engineering Department. Yun Ye followed Yun Li upstairs. Fu Shize opened the door, his office bathed in sunlight from the wide-open curtains. His expression was calm with a hint of gentleness.
“Brother-in-law,” Yun Ye called out.
Fu Shize opened a tall cabinet next to his desk, revealing several drones inside. “Take your pick,” he said.
Yun Ye’s eyes lit up as he approached. Not wanting to take advantage, he said, “I’ll just borrow one and return it later.”
“It’s fine,” Fu Shize leaned against the wall. “They’re just gathering dust here anyway.”
Hearing this, Yun Ye didn’t hesitate any longer.
Not wanting to take a new one, he chose the oldest drone. It looked well-used, with a partially faded letter ‘U’ printed on it.
Yun Ye asked, “Can I take this one?”
Fu Shize paused for a moment. Yun Li noticed his expression change briefly, but he quickly regained his composure and nodded.
“Let’s go,” Fu Shize said, picking up a baseball cap from his desk. He placed it on Yun Li’s head instead of his own. The cap was slightly too big, obscuring her vision.
Standing behind her, his fingers occasionally brushed against the base of her skull as he silently adjusted the cap’s fit.
Outside, the day was bright and breezy. Students were scattered across Western Science University’s large lawn, some having picnics. They found a shady spot under a tree, where Fu Shize turned to Yun Ye to explain how to operate the drone.
The two tall figures stood side by side, Fu Shize in a loose white shirt, looking as youthful as Yun Ye.
Yun Ye’s plan was simple: use the drone to deliver a postcard to Yin Yunyi in the teaching building. Postcards held significant meaning for them, as they had realized their feelings for each other through the process of exchanging them.
While not an earth-shattering confession, Yun Ye thought Yin Yunyi would appreciate the gesture.
After teaching Yun Ye the basic operations, Fu Shize joined Yun Li under the tree to enjoy the shade.
Finding a moment of privacy, Yun Li asked, “Yun Ye told me you were still awake at 2 AM yesterday…”
He appeared to be in good spirits during the day, looking so normal that no one would suspect any issues.
However, Yun Li had heard that the final year of a Ph.D. could be extremely stressful, and insomnia was common.
Fu Shize admitted, “I did have some trouble sleeping.”
Yun Li waited for him to continue. Fu Shize fiddled with a controller and casually said, “Maybe it’s the pressure of writing my doctoral thesis.”
“Oh… Would you like me to help you revise your thesis?” Yun Li felt there wasn’t much else she could do.
But then she realized that as a master’s student from an ordinary top-tier university, offering to help a Ph.D. candidate from a TOP institution with their thesis might seem presumptuous.
After a moment’s hesitation, Yun Li suggested, “I could help with the illustrations.”
Seeing no reaction from him, she continued, “Or I could check your data?”
“Maybe I could help with formatting?”
“At the very least, I could proofread for typos,” she added, with a condition, “As long as your thesis isn’t in English.”
After listening to her suggestions, Fu Shize turned to her and asked, “Have you finished your thesis?”
“…”
Yun Li answered honestly, “Well, every time I open my thesis, I can barely write a few words. I can spend an entire day staring blankly at the computer screen.”
“But I don’t lose sleep over it,” she pointed out her advantage.
Yun Li didn’t feel like she was putting on airs. Her master’s thesis wasn’t due for several months, and she was eating and sleeping well, and in much better shape than Fu Shize.
Aware of her current situation, Fu Shize asked, “Don’t you need my help?”
Yun Li replied seriously, “Finish yours first.”
She added calmly, “Then you can focus on helping me.”
Fu Shize leaned against the tree trunk, tilting his head towards her, “It feels like I’ll end up writing two theses.”
“No, that’s not right,” Yun Li leaned on his shoulder, “We’ll write them together.”
Yun Ye, after test-flying the drone for a while, decided not to be a third wheel. He packed up his things to go home. Yun Li gave him the car keys, and despite his strong objections, she stuck a learner driver sign on the car.
…
Having visited the Control Engineering Department many times, this was Yun Li’s first interaction with the people in Fu Shize’s lab.
The male students seemed shy when they saw her. She sat down awkwardly next to Fu Shize; the workstation was spacious enough to accommodate two chairs.
Fu Shize poured a glass of water, tested the temperature, and placed it in front of Yun Li. He then opened a document and began writing intently.
Fu Shize gave her a laptop for her work. She downloaded a few master’s theses and glanced at them, but her concentration was soon broken by the people coming and going around her.
Unconsciously, she found herself looking at Fu Shize beside her.
It was the first time Yun Li truly felt that she was dating an academic genius.
Several times, others got up to get water or came from other labs to discuss issues. Yun Li met their gazes, smiled, and then lowered her head uncomfortably.
Fu Shize, however, seemed oblivious, his eyes reflecting the text on the screen.
Influenced by him, Yun Li focused on studying for an hour. Then she couldn’t resist checking the flashing WeChat notifications.
It was Fu Shize’s account.
She opened it to find a small lab group chat with new messages popping up intermittently.
[Holy crap! Senior brought his girlfriend!]
[Senior has a partner now, we finally have a chance!]
[Damn, take a picture! No pic, no proof.]
[Can’t, it’s too obvious. His girlfriend is sitting right next to him.]
[The sister-in-law is super pretty, she looks like a celebrity just sitting there.]
Reading this, Yun Li’s face turned slightly red.
[Don’t just keep talking, take a photo!]
[Come see for yourselves! Just pretend to come get something or discuss work.]
“…”
She suddenly realized that all those people who had come in earlier were there to see her.
After learning this, Yun Li felt on edge, tensing up every time someone new entered. Fu Shize suddenly turned to look at her and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“…”
Yun Li’s mouth felt sewn shut. She waved her phone at Fu Shize and sent a message: [I feel a bit uncomfortable here…]
Fu Shize: [Uncomfortable]
Before Yun Li could finish typing her reply, he sent another message — [Doing what?]
Reading the two messages together, Yun Li leaned back and gave Fu Shize a meaningful look.
[Should we go to the empty room next door?]
Given the context, the whole story took on an ambiguous meaning. Yun Li wrestled with her thoughts for a moment.
Agreeing would be like actively saying: I didn’t come here today just to study with you.
It seemed as if she had other intentions.
Fu Shize stood up directly, retrieving a lab notebook from the cabinet behind him. He stood by the workstation, his gaze slightly teasing.
Yun Li slowly got up, hugging the notebook and following behind him.
Not wanting to draw attention, she deliberately maintained a one-meter distance between them.
Fu Shize stopped as if remembering something. He turned and took her hand. Yun Li tried to pull away, but he held on tightly.
He continued walking, leading her by the hand.
Knowing the poor soundproofing of the doors here, Yun Li remained silent the entire way. Fu Shize led her to a small lab with an operating table at the entrance, an office desk, and a single-person sofa.
The room had no windows and smelled slightly damp. Fu Shize turned on the ventilation fan, its old blades creaking loudly.
Just as Yun Li placed the notebook on the operating table, she was suddenly pinned against the door by Fu Shize.
Her neck pressed against the cold door, with his warm body in front of her. He leaned close to her right ear and asked, “Is it convenient now?”
His voice, muffled by the noisy fan, still thundered in her ears like a storm.
Yun Li, already feeling stuffy in the room, now felt heat rising to her head.
She licked her lower lip, staring into his dark eyes. His lips were less than half a centimeter from hers. Yun Li finally turned her head away, covering her lips with the back of her hand.
Blushing, she said, “Go write your thesis.”
Fu Shize obediently released her and opened the notebook as he sat down. He glanced at Yun Li twice, urging her with a nasal sound to sit in front of him.
Yun Li, who had been on edge the entire way, pulled up a chair next to him. Gripping the seat, she moved her lips and asked softly, “Won’t your juniors think you’re neglecting your work if we leave so openly? Won’t they say you’re blinded by lust?”
Fu Shize tilted his head, “Maybe they will.”
“What should we do then?” Yun Li let out a long sigh, her eyes downcast.
“It doesn’t matter,” Fu Shize said nonchalantly. “They’re telling the truth.”
“…”
At times like this, Yun Li found Fu Shize’s words shocking, especially since he said them without blushing or showing any sign of embarrassment.
She was more proper than him and had many concerns: “Then maybe I shouldn’t come in the future. I don’t want people to speak ill of you.”
Yun Li felt that such things could easily spread, potentially leading to criticism of Fu Shize.
She knew Fu Shize didn’t care about others’ opinions, but she wanted to protect his reputation.
Seeing her cautious and serious expression, Fu Shize asked, “So you won’t bring porridge anymore?”
“I’ll still bring it. That way I can see you in the morning,” Yun Li said, remembering her work situation. “I’m planning to join Yousheng’s subsidiary company. They might ask me to start early, which means we’ll have even fewer chances to meet.”
Yun Li planned, “Before that happens, I’ll come to see you often.”
“Before that, don’t worry about what others think,” Fu Shize rested his upper arm on the sofa armrest, playing with her hair casually. “And after that, there’s no need to worry either.”
Yun Li hesitated, “Won’t I distract you from your work when I’m around?”
“You didn’t just now,” Fu Shize turned to her and said, “When you’re not here, I keep checking if you’ve sent me messages, which interrupts my work.”
With her present, Fu Shize found it easier to concentrate.
With only a few months left before submitting his doctoral thesis, he hadn’t considered it before.
But thinking that the person beside him would appreciate it, he now wanted to aim for a national outstanding graduation thesis award.
“However,” Fu Shize put the notebook aside and pulled her to the other corner of the single-person sofa, “right now, a little bit.”
The atmosphere suddenly turned intimate.
Fu Shize bit her lip twice, “When it’s just the two of us, it’s impossible to study.”
…
After sharing the porridge she brought for lunch, Fu Shize felt drowsy. Yun Li, used to waking up late, didn’t have a habit of napping.
Possibly due to the late night, Fu Shize fell asleep on the sofa within seconds.
When Yun Li looked up from her phone, he was already asleep.
She stood up and quietly drew the curtains.
The curtains weren’t very opaque, and the filtered light still allowed her to see his features.
Yun Li sat on the small chair in front of him, observing his expression.
Fu Shize’s eyes were tightly shut, his brows furrowed, and his slightly pursed lips suggested he might be in an unpleasant dream.
She reached out to smooth the wrinkles between his eyebrows, and his pale face finally relaxed a bit.
Yun Li quietly gazed at his sleeping face. He seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, relaxing against the cushion.
The phone on the table lit up with a notification, the lock screen still showing their photo together.
Yun Li unlocked the phone and swiped to the WeChat interface. Her chat window was pinned at the top, still saved as “Yun Lili.”
Opening the window, Yun Li scrolled up and paused.
On the day they reunited, Fu Shize had sent her a message: [Lili]
Scrolling further up, she saw that every day, Fu Shize had sent her a message, always just the two characters ‘Lili.’
All the responses were red circles in front of the messages, along with system notifications saying she wasn’t his friend.
Almost unable to believe it, Yun Li continued scrolling up. Her finger moved many times, but she couldn’t reach the end.
The room was quiet except for his breathing. Yun Li tirelessly scrolled upward until the chat history returned to the time of their breakup.
She lowered her head, looking at the sleeping person beside her, feeling extremely distressed. When his alarm went off, Yun Li turned it off.
Fu Shize stretched a bit and naturally pulled Yun Li onto himself.
Yun Li’s voice was hoarse, “You used to send me a message every day before?”
Fu Shize lazily hummed in agreement.
Yun Li clutched the hem of her garment tightly. “But didn’t I delete you?” she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
Fu Shize, running his fingers through his hair, made a reasonable guess. “You might have secretly added me back,” he said.
His tone remained light as he added, “Just like last time.”
Throughout those eighteen months, he had clung to hope every day.
Perhaps next time, he thought, the interface wouldn’t greet him with that cold, impersonal prompt or that glaring red message.