The 500 yuan upgrade fee was within Yun Li’s budget.
Spending a small fortune for two extra hours with Fu Shize left Yun Li feeling drained. As she walked out, her heart bleeding, she saw Fu Shize standing among the bustling crowd, his demeanor drawing attention as he waited for her.
Yun Li realized it was worth it after all.
Entering the waiting area, they bought coffee and found seats near the boarding gate. Fu Shize pulled up his coat hood, leaned back in his chair, and lowered his head.
Thinking he was sleeping, Yun Li didn’t disturb him. She occupied herself with her phone.
After a few minutes, Yun Li turned off her phone screen. Placing it on her lap, she carefully adjusted the angle to steal glances at Fu Shize through the reflection.
Suddenly, the person on the screen looked over.
Yun Li’s breath caught. She quickly put her phone away, pretending nothing happened.
Fu Shize said in a slightly hoarse voice, “If you can see me, I can see you too.”
Why did she ever think Fu Shize wouldn’t call her out?
Yun Li defended herself, “I was just checking if you were asleep.”
“I’m not,” he replied bluntly.
Since Fu Shize wasn’t planning to sleep, Yun Li opened the E-station and played a few videos for him. He responded half-heartedly. Sitting close, Yun Li remembered the surprise she had prepared for him a few days ago. Biting her lip, she asked, “Did you see the thing I slipped in for you?”
Seeing Fu Shize’s expressionless face, she had a bad feeling. “There was a moon, and I put in a sticky note too.”
“What did it say?” Fu Shize asked, sipping his coffee with lowered eyes, his thoughts unreadable. Seeing Yun Li’s hesitation, he looked up. “Tell me.”
“…”
Yun Li anxiously wanted to stamp her feet. She asked, “Did you throw away the brochure?”
Fu Shize: “Yes.”
“Never mind…” Yun Li scrolled through her phone frustratedly, her heel tapping the ground repeatedly.
After boarding, Yun Li got her wish to sit next to Fu Shize.
The plane encountered turbulence and shook continuously. The flight attendant made several announcements, but due to the air pressure, Yun Li’s right ear couldn’t hear the broadcast.
Yun Li saw the thick, dark gray clouds outside the cabin. Lightning and thunder seemed to strike directly on the plane, startling her into closing her eyes when it flashed.
Her first thought was that she hadn’t bought flight insurance this time.
Feeling restless and unable to hear the announcements clearly, Yun Li glanced out the window once more before hesitantly poking Fu Shize’s arm.
Fu Shize stirred, pushing his eye mask up slightly.
Yun Li asked, “Is something wrong with the plane?”
Fu Shize turned towards her and said a few words, but Yun Li could only see his lips move without hearing clearly.
Fu Shize repeated himself several times. Seeing Yun Li’s confused expression, he had to lean in close to her ear.
Yun Li couldn’t make out the words, but she felt the moist warmth in her ear.
Her neck and face began to heat up.
The cabin lights dimmed, and the seats shook and swayed. The roaring noise enveloped her ears. With all her senses dulled Yun Li felt the warm, moist breath repeatedly hitting her right ear.
Thump, thump.
Her heart raced to its limit, and Yun Li couldn’t help but turn away, whispering, “I still can’t hear what you’re saying.”
Fu Shize: “…”
She turned away flustered, taking a long time to calm down before facing him again. She touched her right ear, which seemed less hot now.
Sitting up straight, Yun Li turned her head to see Fu Shize had removed his eye mask. He leaned against the cabin wall, looking out the window with a bored expression. His eyes reflected the sudden lightning, unaffected.
Yun Li: “Aren’t you scared at all?”
Fu Shize shook his head.
Yun Li: “I’m a bit scared. Can you talk to me? If you do, I won’t be afraid.”
Fu Shize opened their WeChat conversation and typed, “You can’t hear.” He sent it and showed her the screen.
With airplane mode on and no signal, an exclamation mark indicated the message failed to send.
Yun Li: “Then let’s chat on the phone.”
It felt odd for one person to speak, so Yun Li took Fu Shize’s phone and typed in the same interface: “The plane is shaking so badly, I feel like we’re going to fall.”
Looking up, she noticed Fu Shize had saved her contact as ‘Yun Lili’.
The three characters strung together seemed cute.
Yun Li: “My name is Yun Li. Have you been remembering my name wrong?”
Fu Shize took the phone back: “Mm.”
But he showed no intention of changing the contact name.
Yun Li: “Keep that name then. It sounds nice too.”
Fu Shize: “Mm.”
Yun Li: “Can we go back together later? I’d like to share a ride. It’s a bit late, and taxis are expensive.”
After taking the phone, Fu Shize didn’t answer immediately.
Yun Li stared at him. After a few seconds, he picked up the phone again, typed for a bit, and handed it back to her.
Fu Shize: “Xu Qingsong is coming to pick me up. We can drop you off.”
They passed the phone back and forth dozens of times. Perhaps out of boredom, Fu Shize didn’t seem to tire of it.
Yun Li accidentally hit the back button, and the WeChat main interface showed Lin Wanyin as the second chat window, just like before. It still displayed 99+ unread messages, with the most recent one visible: “I’ll come see you next month.”
When the plane landed, Xu Qingsong was already in the parking lot. Wearing a sky-blue shirt, he smiled casually when he saw them, maintaining his gentlemanly demeanor as he languidly opened the car door for Yun Li.
As soon as they got in the car, Xu Qingsong asked, “How was the trip?”
Seeing Fu Shize’s silence, he pressed, “What’s wrong?”
Fu Shize replied sleepily, “It was fine.”
Seeing how tired he was, Xu Qingsong didn’t ask further and drove Yun Li back to Qili Xiangdu first.
As the car door closed, Yun Li looked at the person sitting inside, his figure lone and thin.
The few days of close contact came to an abrupt end.
After returning to Nanwu, during her internship, Yun Li had few opportunities to meet Fu Shize for work. The HR department handled almost all of the company’s miscellaneous tasks. Apart from seeking out Fu Shize during daily tea breaks, Yun Li focused most of her energy on work.
Her interactions with Fu Shize gradually returned to normal.
Yun Li: “Want to have dinner together tonight?”
Fu Shize: “No.”
Or:
Yun Li: “I brought you a small cake. I’ll bring it over now.”
Fu Shize: “No.”
Or even:
Yun Li: “Want to get coffee at Xiaozhu together?”
Fu Shize: “No.”
Each refusal was a simple “No,” making Yun Li wonder if he was using an auto-reply.
So, she tried a different approach: “Shall we have dinner separately?”
Fu Shize: “Mm.”
“…”
Yun Li didn’t mind Fu Shize’s various explicit and implicit rejections. Inviting him seemed to have become a daily habit.
After Yun Li knocked on Fu Shize’s office door many times, he found answering tiresome. Finally, when Yun Li came to deliver coffee, Fu Shize opened the door to let her in and said, unprecedentedly, “Just come in directly next time. No need to knock.”
…
On Saturday morning, Deng Chuqi messaged: “Can I come over to your place today?”
Deng Chuqi: “Xia Xia went home.”
Yun Li replied directly: “Sure, just come over.”
Close to mealtime, Yun Li timed it perfectly, having two bowls of wonton noodles ready when Deng Chuqi arrived.
“Lili, you’re so good to me. Why don’t you just marry me?” Deng Chuqi washed her hands as soon as she arrived and sat down at the dining table.
Yun Li feigned indifference: “My heart belongs to another. Please seek happiness elsewhere.”
“Heartless woman,” Deng Chuqi pouted.
They chatted for a while, focusing on Yun Li’s pursuit of Fu Shize. Unable to keep it secret, Yun Li frankly admitted to being rejected before.
As if on the gallows, Yun Li described the entire process of that day.
Deng Chuqi’s expression froze for several seconds before she shouted, “Holy crap!” Her face was full of shock: “Lili, it’s like you admitted to liking him right in front of him?”
Yun Li nodded.
Deng Chuqi: “And he rejected you?”
Yun Li nodded again.
“Damn, he rejected you? Could he be gay like Fu Zhengchu said?” Deng Chuqi was indignant. Seeing Yun Li’s dissatisfaction, she controlled her emotions and continued, “I never thought you could be so bold.”
Yun Li didn’t feel like she was being praised: “Indeed, it was reckless.”
Deng Chuqi ate a few bites of noodles in silence, then spoke hesitantly: “Lili Xia Xia told me some things about her uncle.”
Yun Li was confused: “What’s wrong?”
“Well… it seems he experienced some unpleasant things in college, and then dropped out.”
Yun Li said, “He took a leave of absence, not dropped out. I know about this, but I don’t know the reason.”
“From what Xia Xia said, Fu Shize’s personality wasn’t like this before. But after that, he fell into a slump. His current job is just a nominal position arranged by his parents.”
Yun Li nodded, smiling a bit embarrassedly: “That kind of leisurely, well-paid job is quite enviable.”
Deng Chuqi clicked her tongue in disapproval. Seeing Yun Li unaffected, she sincerely advised, “Who knows how long he’ll stay in this state? Lili, for our first love, we shouldn’t suffer so much.”
Yun Li retorted, “We’re not even dating yet.”
Knowing Deng Chuqi was concerned for her, Yun Li explained earnestly: “It’s okay. From many small details, I can feel that he’s a good person.”
Seeing Yun Li unmoved, Deng Chuqi found it amusing: “When I urged you to take initiative, you ignored me. Now when I advise you to give up, you ignore me too.”
Yun Li quipped, “This proves you don’t know how to read the room.”
Knowing Yun Li’s stubbornness, Deng Chuqi didn’t press further. After chatting for a while, she suddenly mentioned changing jobs: “I’m planning to quit.”
Deng Chuqi looked annoyed: “The company leader is a bit of an idiot. He has a wife and kids but still tries to flirt with me in the office. It’s disgusting. I cursed him out a couple of times, and now he’s causing trouble for me at work. Xia Xia said her boss could transfer me over, but I ended up flipping that old pervert’s desk. We’ll see. My dad wants me to find a job back in Xifu, but I’m considering applying for a master’s degree abroad.”
Yun Li hadn’t realized the situation was so serious. She squeezed Deng Chuqi’s palm reassuringly: “Are you okay?”
Deng Chuqi shook her head and continued venting about work. After seeing her off, Yun Li carefully reflected on what she had said.
Yun Li had been at EAW for a while now, but Xu Qingsong’s style was rather casual and easygoing, and the entire EAW atmosphere was relaxed and free. She was doing odd jobs in the HR department.
Yun Li still didn’t know what the real world was like.
…
Before going home, Yun Li asked her roommate Tang Lin to pick up her textbooks for the winter semester. Both Yun Li and Tang Lin rarely stayed in the dorm, and they had only communicated a few times on WeChat about paying utilities and collecting packages.
After getting the textbooks for her, Tang Lin left them in her lab and told Yun Li to pick them up when she had time.
For the first two weeks of classes, Yun Li didn’t bring any books and was completely lost. On Friday, after working until 10:30 PM on homework, facing a bunch of incomprehensible formulas, Yun Li strongly realized she couldn’t continue like this. She notified Tang Lin that she was coming to get the books and prepared to leave.
Before winter, it had rained in Nanwu for a week straight. The night air was humid and increasingly bone-chilling. Yun Li carried an empty backpack and wore a thick woolen coat. After stepping out, the cold wind made her cheeks feel icy, so she went back upstairs to add a cashmere scarf.
The road from Qili Xiangdu to Nanjing University of Science and Technology was brightly lit. Warm lights pierced through the misty air, bringing brightness.
At past 11 PM, there were very few people passing by the lab building. Even the first-floor lobby was devoid of security guards, with only cold white lights illuminating the space.
The elevator stood quietly on the first floor. Yun Li walked in and pressed the button for the third floor.
During this brief moment, Yun Li took out her phone to take a quick look.
Clang—
Yun Li: “…”
She had heard other students mention that the elevator in Building E of the college occasionally malfunctioned. Yun Li rarely came here and hadn’t paid much attention to such things.
Unexpectedly needing to interact with others, Yun Li sighed and pressed the alarm button inside the elevator.
Then she anxiously searched on her phone for “what to do when stuck in an elevator,” finding many related searches about elevator accidents.
After ten minutes, Yun Li realized that no one had contacted her after she pressed the alarm.
Yun Li looked down and opened her chat with Fu Shize: “A man in City B was trapped in an elevator. While waiting for rescue, the elevator suddenly shot up, killing him on the spot.”
Yun Li: “A resident in City C was trapped in an elevator and fell to their death in the elevator shaft during the rescue attempt.”
After sending these two abrupt messages, Fu Shize only replied with three words: “What’s going on?”
Yun Li: “I’m stuck in an elevator qaq.”
Fu Shize: “Press the alarm button”
Yun Li: “I just did, but no one came.”
Fu Shize: “There should be a plaque in the elevator with an emergency contact number”
Yun Li looked up, found it, and dialed.
No one answered.
Yun Li tried several more times with the same result.
Yun Li: “No one’s answering.”
Fu Shize: “Where are you?”
Without much thought, Yun Li sent him her location: “The elevator on the first floor of Building E, Control Engineering School, Nanjing University of Science and Technology.”
After waiting a few minutes without a reply from Fu Shize, she belatedly began to worry, unsure when help would arrive.
Yun Li pressed the alarm button again and continued dialing the emergency number.
After several fruitless attempts, she was debating whether to call the police.
Switching back to WeChat, she saw Fu Shize’s new message: “I’m on my way.”
Knowing Fu Shize was coming, Yun Li’s anxiety eased considerably. She put away her phone and leaned against the elevator corner, waiting quietly.
At that moment, it felt less like being trapped in an elevator and more like waiting for someone to have dinner together.
Except she was the one who arrived early.
Another quarter of an hour passed.
Finally, the intercom in the elevator crackled to life: “Is anyone there?”
Yun Li quickly responded, “Yes, I’m stuck in the elevator.”
“Don’t panic. Try not to move. We’ve sent maintenance personnel.”
Yun Li: “Okay.”
When the elevator doors opened again, maintenance staff and the on-duty security guard were outside. The guard apologized profusely to Yun Li, explaining he had gone to the bathroom and hadn’t heard the alarm. He hoped Yun Li wouldn’t report him to the management.
Yun Li hadn’t planned to, but being trapped for half an hour before anyone came was indeed negligent. She said, “It’s alright, just don’t let it happen again.”
Passing by the security guard, Yun Li saw Fu Shize standing behind, looking as if he had rushed over. His hair was windswept, his coat zipper undone, leaning casually against the wall.
Yun Li approached him, feeling a bit guilty.
She hadn’t expected Fu Shize to come. When she first realized she was trapped in the elevator, she didn’t think she was in danger. After understanding the elevator’s structure and operating principles, she felt the chances of an accident were even lower than getting into a car crash.
She had messaged Fu Shize simply to share her unusual experience with him.
Yun Li spoke awkwardly, “I’m sorry… for troubling you to come so late.”
Fu Shize glanced at her. “I came on my own.”
As if to say, you didn’t ask me to, I decided to come myself.
“…”
It was as if he was afraid someone would steal his credit.
Yun Li: “Anyway, thank you for coming tonight.” Suddenly remembering her purpose here, she added, “I need to get some books from the third floor. Can you come with me?”
Without a word, Fu Shize headed for the stairs. Yun Li quickly moved ahead to lead the way.
The lights in the stairwell and hallway were off. The elevator had stopped on the second floor, so they only had to climb one more flight.
Reaching Tang Lin’s lab, Yun Li retrieved the hidden key card from the fire hydrant as instructed. She swiped it, entered, and found the second cabinet on the right. She took out the new books from the top shelf and sent a photo to Tang Lin: “I’ve taken them.”
Tang Lin replied: “OK.”
Yun Li then put the books in her backpack.
Fu Shize waited at the door. As Yun Li left the office, she turned off the lights, plunging the entire floor into darkness.
The silence amplified in the dark. With the electrical hum gone, only the soft sounds of their footsteps could be heard.
Realizing they were alone together, Yun Li’s breathing became irregular again.
Whether on a whim or long-desired, she desperately wanted to move closer to the warm presence beside her.
This urge to be near was stronger than the longing for a warm bed on a cold winter morning.
Yun Li walked beside Fu Shize, inching closer bit by bit.
Little by little.
Her courage flared and faded repeatedly.
Until she brushed against Fu Shize’s sleeve.
Feeling him tense beside her, Yun Li hurriedly explained, “It’s too dark here. I can’t see clearly, and we still have to go down the stairs.”
“Mm.”
Fu Shize said nothing more, and Yun Li didn’t move away.
The lights were still on in the first-floor lobby. Seeing the light ahead, Yun Li, unable to bear exposure, quickly moved a step to the side, deliberately maintaining a distance from Fu Shize to cover her previous actions.
Yun Li: “Is your car parked at the school entrance?”
Fu Shize: “Mm.”
Yun Li: “Then I’ll walk you to your car.”
Outside, when Yun Li looked at Fu Shize again, she realized he looked very cold. His coat buttons were undone, allowing the chilly wind to rush in, and his long neck was completely exposed.
“Wait a moment,” Yun Li called out to him.
Fu Shize stopped.
Yun Li took off her scarf. “Here, take this.”
Seeing Fu Shize’s lack of response, she stepped closer, stood on her tiptoes, and reached up to wrap the scarf around his neck.
Fu Shize didn’t move but frowned, saying, “No need.”
“You came out in the cold because of me. I’ll feel guilty if you don’t accept it. Besides, I’m wearing much more than you.” Yun Li said seriously, “If you refuse again, I’ll take off my coat…”
She paused, then added, “And put it on you too.”
Fu Shize said nothing but casually buttoned up two buttons of his coat.
As they walked along the campus road, Yun Li suddenly found the scene peculiar. She cautiously probed, “Why did you come?”
Fu Shize turned his head, glancing at her. “You sent me distress messages.”
Yun Li realized he was referring to the elevator accident news she had sent. Embarrassed, she said, “That wasn’t a cry for help. I was trapped and wanted comfort from you, not for you to come all the way here. Besides, the security guard came in the end.”
Fu Shize: “…”
Fu Shize: “I went to the main building to find him.”
This implied that if he hadn’t come, the security guard wouldn’t have either. She would have remained trapped inside, so Fu Shize had indeed helped her.
Feeling like she was being ungrateful, Yun Li looked at him. “Then to show my gratitude, let me treat you to a late-night snack.”
Fu Shize glanced at her. “No, it’s cold outside.”
Yun Li persisted, “How about a place with heating?”
“Too stuffy.”
Yun Li didn’t give up. “Then how about we buy something to take away?”
Fu Shize: “Too messy to clean up.”
Yun Li continued to push: “What if I clean up for you?”
Fu Shize looked at her but said nothing.
Approaching the car, Fu Shize opened the passenger door and asked, “Back to the dorm or Qili Xiangdu?”
Yun Li got in. “Qili Xiangdu.”
After Fu Shize got in, Yun Li leaned over, smiling with pursed lips. “You’re going to drive me home?”
Fu Shize: “…”
Fu Shize: “What about it?”
“Nothing.” Yun Li leaned back in her seat.
Yun Li: “It’s nice.”
…
After dropping Yun Li off at Qili Xiangdu, Fu Shize’s phone chimed twice on his way back to Beishan Fenglin. He unlocked it at a red light to see messages from Yun Li.
“Are you home yet?”
He unconsciously replied: “Not yet”
As the car slowly drove along, Fu Shize recalled the earlier scene – her blushing face as she wrapped the scarf around his neck, her fingers seemingly brushing his face.
He almost ran a red light.
Feeling unsettled, Fu Shize pulled over to the side of the road. The soft scarf hung around his neck. He touched it, feeling its fluffy texture and catching a faint floral scent.
He opened his wallet and took out the paper Moon Yun Li had given him in Xifu from the card slot.
“Seeing you is like seeing the moon.”
As he rubbed it with his fingertip, a warmth surged in his chest, but it faded quickly, leaving only an unfillable emptiness.
He opened the E-station. Before he could type, the search history suggested “Xian Yun Di Da Sauce.”
Rolling down the window, Fu Shize lit a cigarette and scrolled to Yun Li’s earliest posts from 2012 when she had just started university. Her smile still held a childish innocence with a hint of nervousness. She spoke slowly, occasionally glancing down at her script.
The last few leaves fell from bare trees as the early winter wind whistled.
He received several calls from home but brushed them off, eventually saying he had returned to Jiangnan Garden.
Three hours passed. As he paused the final video, his gaze lingered on the face on the screen.
Until the screen went dark.
Fu Shize extinguished his cigarette and laughed ruefully.
“You’ve lost it.”
…
As the deadline for EAW’s promotional video approached, Yun Li planned to spend the weekend editing in her apartment. Early Saturday morning, Yun Ye called, speaking in a hushed voice: “Yun Li, did you deliver the gift?”
Remembering this, Yun Li paused her work. “I want to ask you something first. Is this mutual?”
“We’re… we’re just good friends,” Yun Ye said, lacking conviction.
“Oh, so it’s one-sided love,” Yun Li continued. “Her name also has a ‘Yun’ in it. If you marry into her family, you could add her surname before yours.”
Yun Ye: “…”
Not in the mood to argue, Yun Ye adopted a docile tone: “Sis, can you deliver it tomorrow? I’ll send you her phone number and address again.”
“Mm.” Yun Li understood Yun Ye’s budding feelings but wanted to distance herself to avoid their father’s anger if it came to light. “Yun Ye, I don’t support dating at your age. It affects your studies.”
Yun Ye protested, “I could be like you and wait until university to date.”
Yun Li felt a pang in her heart. “Don’t bring me into this. Just don’t let it affect your studies.”
Yun Ye was quiet for a moment. “Yin Yunyi has excellent grades. She should be able to get into Xi’an University of Science and Technology.”
Yun Li didn’t take his words seriously and asked curiously, “Photo.” Expecting Yun Ye to refuse, she threatened, “No photo, no gift delivery.”
Yun Ye: “How can you go back on your word?”
Yun Li replied nonchalantly, “I’ve always been like this. Is this your first day knowing me?”
Yun Ye: “…”
With no choice, Yun Ye sent Yun Li a photo. It was taken from the side in a hallway, showing a tall girl with a high ponytail and oval face, turning back to smile at someone. Yun Li hadn’t expected this to be Yun Ye’s type and looked closer. “This angle looks like it was taken secretly.”
Yun Ye: “…”
Yun Li: “I didn’t expect my brother to be a pervert too.”
Yun Ye spoke harshly, “As if you’ve never taken secret photos.”
Yun Li laughed, not denying it. “That’s why I said ‘too.'”
Not wanting to go to a stranger’s home or call them, Yun Li drafted a text to Yin Yunyi, who replied immediately.
Yin Yunyi told Yun Li she would be at a tutoring class near Tianqi Plaza the next day. She sent several messages insisting her brother would drive to meet Yun Li nearby to save her the trouble of coming all the way.
Tianqi Plaza was one of Nanwu’s largest commercial centers, about half an hour from Haitian Mall.
They agreed to meet at 6 PM on Sunday at the coffee shop on the first floor of Haitian Mall. Yun Li applied light makeup and left with Yun Ye’s gift.