“Yes, I was looking for you,” Yun Li didn’t deny it. She added, “You’ve had too much to drink. I came to take you back.”
Fu Shi asked, “You came by yourself?”
Yun Li nodded, then added, “The others drank quite a bit. It’s not convenient for them to move around.”
Fu Shi replied, “I’m smoking now.”
He hadn’t had enough yet.
Understanding his implication, Yun Li didn’t move. “Then shall we go back after you finish smoking?”
Seeing Fu Shi didn’t respond, she looked around and spotted a place. “You smoke then. I’ll wait for you over there.”
After walking over, Yun Li played with her phone for a while. Deng Chuqi messaged her: [Damn, the bar owner is so handsome. Where did you go? If you see him, you’ll forget all about Xia Xia’s uncle.]
Yun Li replied: [I’m very loyal. Only old loves, no new ones.]
Drowning sorrows in alcohol, drowning sorrows in cigarettes—Fu Shi had tried it all tonight. Yun Li was also worried now, not having gotten any information from Xia Congsheng before leaving the bar. They weren’t close enough to speak frankly either.
Speaking of closeness—had he called her Yun Li Li again?
Yun Li was lost in thought for a while. Was it because others called her Li Li? Then why did he add the ‘Yun’?
Fu Shi walked back into the shadows and took out a cigarette. Just as he pulled out his lighter, he noticed Yun Li standing by the bridge in his peripheral vision, wrapped tightly in her light blue jacket.
He looked back towards the direction she had come from. He hadn’t paid much attention when he came himself, but both sides were early resettlement houses with low-powered lights covered in dead insects. In the darkness, several figures lay sprawled out, dead drunk.
With her sheep-like personality, it was hard to imagine her walking alone through that dark alley.
Putting the cigarette away, he walked to Yun Li’s side: “Let’s go back.”
Unclear why Fu Shi had suddenly changed his mind about going back, Yun Li gathered her thoughts and said, “I heard drinking sweet water can help sober up. I just found a dessert soup shop nearby.”
In the past, when Yun Yongchang drank too much, he always wanted to eat something sweet, saying it helped with stomach discomfort from excessive drinking. Yun Li quickly searched on her phone and found an old shop just 400 meters away.
Fu Shi didn’t appreciate the gesture: “No need. I didn’t drink that much.”
Undeterred by his refusal, Yun Li said, “Actually, it’s because I had a bit to drink too. I won’t be able to order takeout when I get back late. Could you accompany me?”
She turned towards the darkness, “It’s not far, just a few minutes’ walk.”
Following her gaze, the road on both sides was pitch black.
Fu Shi said, “Let me see the map.”
Yun Li zoomed in on the map and handed it to him. He only glanced at it briefly before returning the phone.
They were the only two on the road. Yun Li kept some distance from Fu Shi. She had thought he’d drunk quite a bit, but looking over, his steps were steady.
Yun Li had never been to this place before. The road was full of potholes, with hidden corners everywhere. Looking closely, couples were embracing and kissing in these secluded spots.
Just then, a few unsteady figures wandered into a hidden area, their speech slurred as they fumbled unsuccessfully with metal buckles.
Suddenly, Fu Shi stopped and turned to look at her: “Walk close to me.”
“Oh…” Yun Li trotted to his side.
The dessert soup shop was in a small alley opposite “Overtime.” The storefront wasn’t large, with six or seven small round tables. The entire shop had only one person working in the open kitchen.
The menu items were written on a small blackboard.
“See what you’d like to eat.”
Fu Shi had already found a seat. In the clear light, Yun Li noticed his eyes were glazed over. Without looking at the menu, he said, “Cola.”
“…”
Well, it was sweet water, in a way.
Yun Li ordered a string of glutinous rice balls and a cup of iced mung bean soup and then sat beside him.
The food came quickly, placed on small plates. Yun Li had just picked up a rice ball when she paused and placed it in front of Fu Shi.
“Do you want to try this? I’ll share half with you.”
Fu Shi didn’t refuse, using chopsticks to slide one into his bowl.
“This drink…”
Yun Li sipped the iced mung bean soup. It was as thin as plain water, with added brown sugar for sweetness. The strange taste left her momentarily unable to find words to describe it.
On the other side, Fu Shi waited for a while as she didn’t continue, then slowly asked, “Do you want to share half of that too?”
“…”
After an internal struggle, Yun Li directly placed the mung bean soup she had drunk in front of him, turning the straw towards him.
It was her first time directly flirting, and while Yun Li’s expression remained unchanged, her heart was racing.
What if he noticed?
What if he didn’t notice?
The two thoughts alternated back and forth as she carefully observed Fu Shi’s expression. He didn’t seem to have noticed, pushing the iced mung bean soup back towards Yun Li, “Never mind.”
“Shall we order more?” Not having eaten dinner, Yun Li was a bit hungry too. Seeing a small stall selling fried rice noodles outside the dessert shop, she told Fu Shi to wait while she went to buy some.
Returning with the fried noodles, she saw two small stray dogs wagging their tails sitting by the shop door. Fu Shi was sitting on a stool by the roadside, holding a bowl of fish balls, poking them with a skewer.
Each time he poked a new one, the little dogs would climb onto his legs. Fu Shi would tease them by waving it around a bit before giving them the fish ball.
It was rare to see such a warm side of him.
Seeing her return, Fu Shi put the bowl on the ground and went back into the shop: “Let’s finish eating before we go.”
Yun Li said, “Qiqi just told me she and Xia Xia went back first. I can take this home to eat.”
Fu Shi looked at her and said, “I want to eat a bit.”
After they sat down again, Yun Li realized Fu Shi had no other motive for saying this. He scooped some noodles into his bowl, took a new pair of chopsticks, and mixed in some of the braised meats she had bought on the side.
Fu Shi seemed half-awake and half-confused. His movements were steady, but his eyes weren’t quite right as calm as still water.
Or perhaps as gentle as a spring river.
Yun Li couldn’t eat while facing those eyes, so she moved her chair closer to his side, so they wouldn’t have to face each other.
He broke another pair of new chopsticks.
“…”
Yun Li realized this strangeness wasn’t just her imagination. “Um, you seem to have drunk quite a bit. Do you want to go back and rest early?”
Fu Shi stared at the noodles: “…Let’s stay out a bit longer.”
Yun Li: “?”
Fu Shi: “Difficulty sleeping.”
After saying this, he didn’t speak again until the meal was over, quietly eating his noodles. Yun Li sat beside him, talking as much as she could, one sentence after another, but Fu Shi had little reaction.
When Xu Qingsong came to pick them up, they had finished eating. A car had been sent from home, and he had the driver take Yun Li and Fu Zhengchu back.
Fu Shi got into the car himself, with Xu Qingsong sitting beside him, handing him a wet wipe.
“Still awake?”
“Mm.”
“Where to? North Mountain Maple Forest?”
“No, go to Jiangnan Garden.”
Xu Qingsong was silent for a moment, then teased, “How could you let a young girl take care of you, you old drunkard?”
Fu Shi pressed his forehead: “Is that so?” His head was throbbing. He rolled down the car window, letting the cold wind rush in. The driving noise rumbled, sobering him up halfway.
He suddenly remembered what Yun Li had said before they parted.
“If you have something you want someone to hear, but don’t want others to know…”
“…you can tell it to my left ear.”
After getting home, Fu Shi turned on the lights in the dark. The huge house was silent, with only basic furniture, showing no signs of someone living there. He took a bottle of ice water from the refrigerator and pressed it to his forehead, trying to relax his tense nerves.
Glancing at his phone, he saw his parents had called once or twice. Fu Shi ignored it, tossing it aside. He splashed cold water on his face, dispersing some of the accumulated effects of alcohol.
Taking out a black-packaged box from his bag, he opened it and took out the drone inside, placing it on the coffee table.
After a long while.
In the empty house, his soft voice sounded, “Happy birthday.”
The next day, Monday, Yun Li arrived early at EAW.
There weren’t many people at the company yet. After clocking in, Yun Li first checked the group chat records. Confirming there was nothing to do, she took the bread and milk she bought on the way and went to the break room for breakfast.
The break room was empty. A stack of flyers was scattered on the long table. She picked one up randomly and looked at it. It advertised EAW Tech City’s Halloween event tonight, which would have a plaza market.
Yun Li wasn’t very interested. She put it back and found a bean bag chair to sit in.
After scrolling on her phone for a while, the dream she had last night floated into her mind, replaying frame by frame in slow motion. Several scenes made her heart race, but it eventually stopped at the dessert soup shop, where he sat silently.
Like a dejected, fragile porcelain doll.
Not long after, the break room door opened. Yun Li looked up to see Fu Shi walk in with a cup. He had changed clothes and was no longer in last night’s drunken state. His eyes were clear, sharp, and cold.
Yun Li hadn’t expected him to come so early: “Good morning.”
Fu Shi politely nodded and turned towards the coffee machine.
“…”
“?”
Although Yun Li didn’t have high expectations for Fu Shi’s response, this stranger-like state between them was not within her expectations either.
Fu Shi took coffee beans from the cabinet above, weighed them, and frowned slightly.
Opening it, he found there were indeed only a few beans left. He poured the remaining beans into the grinder, folded the packaging into a small ball, and threw it in the trash.
Seeing his series of actions, Yun Li asked softly, “What’s wrong?”
Fu Shi: “Out of coffee beans.”
Yun Li leaned over to look. There didn’t seem to be much left: “Can you still brew with this?”
“About enough for one cup.”
Seeing Yun Li standing there motionless, Fu Shi looked at her: “Do you want it?”
It made her seem like a bully, seeing there were only a few beans left and coming to snatch away the last remaining cup.
Yun Li shook her head: “No, that’s not it.”
Suddenly remembering the famous coffee roastery she had seen on the flyer for the market, Yun Li handed the flyer to him: “There’s a Halloween event at Haitian Mall tonight with many small stalls. One of them sells coffee beans.”
“Mm.”
Yun Li: “…”
Yun Li was more direct: “I want to buy some coffee beans too, but I’m not good at choosing.”
“Could you accompany me?”
Fu Shi watched the coffee extract and asked, “What time tonight?”
Yun Li paused: “Eight o’clock.”
“Mm.”
Unable to suppress her rising smile, Yun Li quickly said, “I’ll go work now,” afraid Fu Shi would notice.