After passing Xifu University of Technology, it took another ten minutes to reach home.
It had been three months since her last visit home, which was during the EAW store visit in late August. Yang Fang had cleaned her room in advance, leaving it spotless.
Upon entering the house, Yun Li tossed her luggage aside and went straight to her room, flopping heavily onto the bed.
The family dog, catching a whiff of the familiar scent, came pattering over and jumped onto Yun Li’s bed.
Yun Li rubbed the dog’s head, calling out, “Duidui.”
Duidui was a not-so-fat Shiba Inu. After Yun Ye finished his middle school exams, Yun Yongchang asked if he wanted anything, and he said he wanted a dog. Coincidentally, Yun Li also loved dogs.
Yun Yongchang had always refused, but one day he unexpectedly brought home a small Shiba Inu puppy.
From outside came Yun Yongchang’s scolding voice: “As soon as you get home, all you do is lie in bed. What kind of behavior is that?”
Yang Fang pulled him back: “You start scolding Lili as soon as she gets home? How long was her flight? Can’t you let her rest a bit?”
Yun Li released the dog and raised her arm to cover her eyes. Once freed, Duidui, assuming the reunion was over, flipped over and jumped off the bed.
It’s so noisy.
Since being rejected, Yun Li has been suffering from insomnia. Suddenly relaxing now, waves of drowsiness washed over her.
When she woke up, it was already 11 PM.
Yun Li rubbed her eyes and walked sleepily to the living room.
Glancing at the sofa, she saw her brother lying there playing with his phone, chin resting on a pillow, showing no reaction to her appearance.
Yun Li: “Want a late-night snack?”
Yun Ye, without looking up: “Sure.”
Yun Li was a bit exasperated. When she wasn’t home, Yun Ye would always ask when she was coming back during their phone calls. Now that she was here, he acted as if it didn’t concern him at all.
Walking to the kitchen, Yun Li took out two hand-pulled flatbreads from the fridge, poured some oil into a frying pan, and put one in. While waiting, she took out her phone to check WeChat.
He Jiameng: [Yun Li~ Where in Xifu is your home?]
Yun Li saw the message and replied directly: [Near Xinguang Street. Why?]
He Jiameng: [Is it close to the Xifu University of Technology? The company has arranged for someone to go on a business trip to Xifu Tech next week, and the boss asked me to arrange an assistant to accompany them.]
He Jiameng: [I just remembered you’re in Xifu now. Want to consider it? It counts as work attendance! Even if it’s less than three days, it’ll count as three!]
Yun Li thought for a moment. Next week on workdays, Yun Ye wouldn’t be around, and her parents would be at work. Being alone wouldn’t be much fun, so she agreed.
[I love you so much!!!!!]
[I asked several people, but as soon as they heard about the person in charge, they all refused to go.]
[But you probably won’t mind!]
[You’ll probably really like it!!!!!]
[Super handsome!!!]
“…”
She felt a bit deceived.
Seeing the words “super handsome,” Yun Li could already guess who was coming.
It had been several days since she was rejected. Yun Li lowered her gaze, lost in thought.
The oil in the pan suddenly sizzled loudly, reminding her of the unfinished food.
She hurriedly flipped the flatbread, revealing that the first side had turned a coffee color.
As expected of the non-stick pan she chose, even the burnt parts were evenly distributed.
Yun Li poked it with the spatula, muttering to herself, “This should still be edible for Yun Ye.”
Yun Ye, who had just come out to get water: “…”
“Yun Li,” Yun Ye said ominously.
Yun Li was startled, feeling guilty: “We can’t waste food, you know.”
Yun Ye remained expressionless.
She had to give in, saying slowly, “I guess this isn’t edible after all. It’s unavoidable food waste, the heavens will understand.”
After making two new portions, Yun Li carried two plates to Yun Ye’s room, kicking the door lightly, “Yun Ye, open up.”
Placing Yun Ye’s portion on his desk, Yun Li sat on the edge of the bed, eating her own: “Someone from my internship company is coming on a business trip. They want me to help out.”
Yun Ye turned his head: “When?”
“Monday to Tuesday next week,” Yun Li said, her mouth full.
“Do you know the person coming? Do you know where to go?”
“It’s at Xifu Tech—”
Yun Ye called her name a few times: “Why did you stop mid-sentence?”
Yun Li hesitated, barely managing to say, “I probably know the person coming.”
Seeing her unusual reaction, Yun Ye suddenly asked, “Your boyfriend?”
Yun Li shook her head.
“Someone you like?”
Yun Li shook her head again, pushing Yun Ye: “Stop guessing. You don’t understand adult matters.”
He Jiameng quickly sent over the relevant information. Xifu Tech had recently established a new research center and was considering ordering some virtual reality products for research. If the deal went through, it would be a significant order.
The research center was established by the Control Engineering Department where Fu Shize worked. Xu Qingsong had sent him over, booking a flight for Saturday afternoon. The presentation was scheduled for Monday and Tuesday of the following week.
He Jiameng sent her several files, asking her to print 100 copies before going to Xifu Tech. The promotional brochures needed to be printed on high-quality coated paper, which wasn’t available at nearby print shops.
On Saturday afternoon, Yun Li changed her clothes, grabbed the car keys, and headed out.
Yun Yongchang ran a small driving school and usually drove instructor cars. Yang Fang’s company was close to home, so she typically rode an electric bike to work. With Yun Li back, they decided to leave the car at home for her to use, making it convenient for her to go out.
Yun Li drove to the print shop opposite Xifu Tech. The brochures wouldn’t be ready until the next day. Back in the car, she remembered what He Jiameng had said.
Fu Shize’s flight was this afternoon.
She wondered what time he would arrive.
Opening a flight booking app, Yun Li found five or six flights from Nanwu to Xifu in the afternoon. After spacing out in the car for a while, she directly opened the navigation to Xifu Airport.
The navigation voice announced: “Now heading to Xifu Airport, total distance 30 kilometers, estimated time 59 minutes.”
Yun Li had acted on impulse, driving there without much thought.
She hadn’t told Fu Shize about this, after all, she was just trying her luck.
Along the way, she felt nervous and uneasy, nearly violating traffic rules several times.
Xifu Airport had only one arrival gate, with many people waiting at the exit to pick up passengers. Afraid of missing Fu Shize, Yun Li found a spot directly facing the exit.
Whenever the display showed a flight arriving from Nanwu, Yun Li would be on high alert, searching for that familiar figure.
Fortunately, after waiting for two to three hours, she saw Fu Shize walking out with his suitcase. He seemed to have lost some weight in the few days they hadn’t seen each other. His deep-set eyes were full of fatigue, exuding a sense of detachment that set him apart from the crowd.
Fu Shize paused when he saw her, then walked up to her.
Yun Li tried to act natural, giving the excuse she had prepared: “Did Jiameng tell you? I’m going to be your assistant for the presentation. I came to pick you up today.”
Fu Shize responded with a simple “Mm.”
“Let’s go.”
He followed her, pulling his suitcase.
This meeting wasn’t as awkward as Yun Li had imagined.
Fu Shize was as aloof as ever, walking beside her without saying a word. It wasn’t until they reached the parking lot entrance that he suddenly said, “I didn’t tell Assistant He my flight number.”
Yun Li: “…”
Having been caught in a lie, Yun Li’s face flushed.
Fortunately, Fu Shize didn’t seem inclined to pursue the matter further. After putting away the luggage, he opened the passenger door.
He opened the door but didn’t get in, instead walking around to the driver’s side: “You sit in the passenger seat, I’ll drive.”
After they got in the car, Yun Li noticed his hand was wrapped in gauze.
“What happened to your hand?”
Fu Shize glanced down at the center console, turning on the air conditioning, “Just a scratch, it’s nothing.”
He directly navigated to Xifu Tech.
Yun Li: “Aren’t we going to the hotel?”
Fu Shize’s hand on the steering wheel paused.
“No.”
Yun Li wanted to talk to him more, but after the car started, they entered a long tunnel. The repetitive lights and road sections had a hypnotic effect, and by the time she opened her eyes, the car had already stopped.
The car was parked in a quiet corner, and it was dark outside.
With the engine off, the air conditioning automatically shut down, and the temperature in the car dropped noticeably. They had probably been parked for a while. Yun Li turned her head to see Fu Shize leaning against the driver’s seat, playing with his phone. The screen brightness was set very low, and given the dim lighting in the parking area, she had fallen asleep for quite some time in this environment.
“Awake?”
Fu Shize suddenly spoke while she was still sneaking glances at him.
His gaze was still fixed on his phone screen. Yun Li didn’t have time to guess how he noticed she was awake. She sat up straight and asked, “Are we at Xifu Tech?”
“Mm.”
Yun Li looked at her phone and saw that more than two hours had passed since they left the airport. She blinked, thinking she had misread the time: “Did I sleep for over an hour next to you after we arrived at Xifu Tech? Why didn’t you wake me?”
Fu Shize glanced at her: “There was traffic on the way.”
After speaking, he started the car. They drove out of the corner, and after about two or three hundred meters, they reached the main road. After driving for a few minutes on campus, the car stopped in front of the Control Engineering Department.
“You can go home now.”
Fu Shize unbuckled his seatbelt, took his luggage from the trunk, and walked straight towards the Control Engineering building.
Hearing this, Yun Li, who had been following him, stopped in her tracks and returned to the car. She found a card holder on the driver’s seat, with Fu Shize’s ID card as the first item inside.
Yun Li looked at the ID card, where a young Fu Shize smiled freely at the camera. She hesitated for a moment before touching the face on the card.
Feeling a bit creepy, yet somewhat satisfied.
19940209
He was only a month older than her. Yun Li opened the calendar on her phone and discovered that Fu Shize’s birth date was on Chinese New Year’s Eve that year.
He was born amidst fireworks.
He should have a life as brilliant as fireworks.
Without looking through the other cards, she found a parking spot, parked the car, and took the cardholder with her as she headed in the direction Fu Shize had disappeared.
She called Fu Shize several times and sent WeChat messages, but he didn’t respond.
Unfamiliar with the building’s layout, Yun Li walked along the lobby and corridors.
After walking for a while, she realized that Fu Shize had left a deep impression there.
Whether it was the posters at the entrance or the promotional videos playing in the main lobby, his presence was evident everywhere.
Yun Li circled the first floor a few times, then stood at the department’s entrance waiting for him. Coincidentally, there was a poster of Fu Shize right in front of her, which she could stare at to pass the time.
Xifu had significant temperature differences between day and night. Yun Li had only worn a thin jacket when she left home. The entrance to the department was drafty, so she buttoned up her coat completely and walked in place with her arms crossed to keep warm.
“Excuse me, which school are you from?” Suddenly addressed by someone, Yun Li paused.
Looking towards the voice, she saw a young man approaching. He wore glasses and looked refined.
Yun Li didn’t answer directly: “How do you know I’m from another school?”
The bespectacled man chuckled and said, “I’ve been studying here for eight years, from freshman year to my fifth year of Ph.D. There isn’t a single pretty girl I don’t know.” His tone was full of confidence.
“…”
He aggressively displayed his QR code to Yun Li: “Can I have your WeChat? It would be nice to keep in touch.”
Yun Li felt awkward and stepped back, saying, “No, thanks. I have a boyfriend.” Seeing the young man’s disbelieving expression, she pointed at a photo of a model student on the bulletin board and said, “This person.”
“Fu Shize?” The bespectacled man’s expression was doubtful.
Surprised that he knew Fu Shize, Yun Li suddenly felt nervous: “Is something wrong?”
She regretted her impulsive lie.
“I don’t believe it,” the bespectacled man said bluntly.
“…”
“Besides, he’s been on academic leave for over a year now. If you’re going to refuse, at least come up with a better excuse.”
“…”
Yun Li was stunned, not processing what he said about Fu Shize’s academic leave.
Uncomfortable with the man’s gaze, she remained silent and turned to leave. Just then, she saw Fu Shize coming down from upstairs. Like seeing a savior, she quickly ran over to him.
The bespectacled man, initially unwilling to give up, was about to call out to Yun Li again. But seeing the indifferent person on the stairs staring at him, he stopped, muttering in disbelief: “Damn, it’s true.”
Fu Shize looked somewhat dazed, his eyes unfocused. He stood there for a while before shifting his gaze to Yun Li.
Just like when they parted earlier, Yun Li was wearing a long camel-colored coat, now fully buttoned up. Her slightly curled hair fell over her shoulders. She wore leggings, her two straight legs slender.
Her hair had grown longer.
Yun Li looked up at Fu Shize, her eyes blinking brightly as if filled with starlight. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold wind, and the tips of her ears were red from the chill.
“You left your card holder in the car. I was worried you couldn’t check into the hotel, so I waited for you here.”
Yun Li waved her phone, “I called you several times, but you might not have noticed…”
The cold wind crept in through the collar. Fu Shize looked at her and asked, “Have you been waiting here the whole time?”
Yun Li felt a bit embarrassed under his gaze. She rubbed her earlobe with her finger and said, “Yeah because I didn’t know where you were… But I didn’t wait for long, you came out pretty quickly.”
She took out the cardholder from her bag, “Here you go.”
Fu Shize silently took the cardholder and put it in his pocket. He picked up his luggage and walked to the roadside.
“It’s so late now, and the weather is so cold. If you don’t have plans—” Yun Li followed behind him, and only when he stopped did she say softly, “Why don’t we have dinner together?”
“…”
Fu Shize turned his head to look at her, his bangs fluttering in the wind. He wore a dark trench coat over a white shirt, looking strikingly cold yet blending with the blue-tinted streetlights as if he had always belonged to the night.
Yun Li waited anxiously.
Fu Shize’s thin lips parted, uttering only two words: “No, thanks.”
“Oh, okay…” Directly rejected, Yun Li stood awkwardly in place. “Then let me drive you to the hotel. It’s not convenient for you with your luggage.”
“Thank you. No need.” His tone remained distant as he took out his phone to call a taxi.
Yun Li stared at his downcast eyes, the ink-black pupils cold and aloof, his whole being exuding a sense of isolation. If before she had mistakenly felt a thawing of his coldness, now she only felt that her existence was completely superfluous.
She had been rejected too many times.
It wasn’t unexpected, but it was enough to leave her at a loss.
Fu Shize glanced at her and suddenly said, “Come over here. There’s a car behind you.”
“Oh…”
His words interrupted Yun Li’s thoughts.
Yun Li stood beside him. The streetlight was dim, but she could see a corner of his face illuminated by the light from his phone screen, his expression impassive.
He kept staring at the countdown on the screen, waiting for a driver to accept the ride. Yun Li felt awkward standing beside him, so she also took out her phone. Glancing at his screen and seeing the address, she called a car to the hotel where he was staying.
Fu Shize: “…”
Fu Shize: “Are you following me?”