Yun Li focused intently on the sounds outside the door. “My brother is out there…”

Fu Shize replied, “Then let’s send your brother home by plane.” He nuzzled her soft hair, his lips grazing her cheek and neck.

She could barely hold onto the things in her hands. Struggling against her feelings, she concentrated on cutting the apple.

Fu Shize’s lips brushed her right ear as he murmured, “Li Li…”

Ah! She was going mad.

Unable to bear it any longer, Yun Li stopped what she was doing, turned on the faucet to wash her hands, and deliberately left the water running.

Turning around, she met his gentle gaze. Her resolve weakened instantly. She wanted to kiss him roughly but lost her nerve at the last moment.

Her gaze moved from his eyes to his nose, finally resting on his lips.

Yun Li swallowed hard.

Aroused and restless, she unconsciously tilted her head up. He gently lifted her chin and covered her lips with his own. The sound from the projector in the living room drifted far away. Yun Li turned sideways, wrapping her arms around his neck, and unconsciously took two steps forward, pressing him against the wall.

With him cornered, her eyes were full of affection. His collar was disheveled by her touch. Both struggled to control their breathing. Fu Shize’s lips were tinged with color as he whispered in her ear, “You’re quite assertive now.”

Yun Li, now fully aware, recalled recent events and said without thinking, “I want to be this assertive with others too.”

She wanted to be less reserved and withdrawn in her interpersonal relationships.

Fu Shize kissed her forehead. “You will.” Stroking the corner of her eye, he continued, “You’re doing well already.”

Yun Li felt elated by his praise. Fu Shize chuckled softly, resigning himself as he leaned against the wall. “Shall we continue?”

“…”

…

Yu Ye sat brooding on the sofa. The scenes on the screen kept changing, but his gaze was fixed on the kitchen door.

He checked the time.

How long does it take to cut an apple?

A terrible thought crossed his mind. They wouldn’t be doing anything strange in there, would they? Surely not?

His brother-in-law didn’t seem like that kind of person.

Yu Ye repeatedly paused and played the show, trying to attract the attention of the two in the kitchen. Sitting on this sofa, he even felt as if he shouldn’t exist.

Fortunately, the kitchen door opened. Yu Ye fixed his gaze on the projected image as the two adults sat down beside him without a word.

Yu Ye stole a glance at Fu Shize, who was looking down at Yun Li. Noticing Yu Ye’s gaze, Fu Shize pushed the fruit plate toward him.

Then, he forked a piece for Yun Li and held it to her mouth. What devastated Yu Ye most was that Yun Li ate it directly.

It was too strange.

From childhood, the male creatures Yun Li had been closest to were, firstly, the family dog, and secondly, himself. Yu Ye felt a slight pang of sadness and asked, “Brother, how long have you been with my sister?”

Yun Li answered without waiting for Fu Shize, “About a month or so.”

Fu Shize corrected, “29 days.”

Yun Li: “…”

Yu Ye’s lips moved, and after a long while, he mumbled, “You’d better treat my sister well.”

“…”

Yun Li tapped his head. “Your sister doesn’t need you to worry about her.”

“…”

“I will treat her well,” Fu Shize said seriously, not dismissing Yu Ye’s words due to the age difference. Yun Li was taken aback and shoved a piece of apple into Yu Ye’s mouth. “Yu Ye, has Dad possessed you or something?”

Displeased with her rough action, Yu Ye complained, “Can’t you be gentler, like brother-in-law?”

Yun Li retorted confidently, “I can’t. Maybe you should let your brother-in-law feed you.”

Amused by their bickering, Fu Shize asked Yu Ye, “What did you call me just now?”

Yu Ye felt a bit embarrassed now and called out, “Brother-in-law…”

Fu Shize moved the fork towards him slightly. “Want me to feed you?”

Yun Li pulled the fork back. “No way!”

The three sat on the sofa watching the movie. Yu Ye was oblivious to his third-wheel status. When Fu Shize went to the bathroom, Yun Li said exasperatedly, “Why don’t you go to your room?”

“I haven’t finished watching the movie…” Yu Ye replied, engrossed in the film. Yun Li pushed him, her expression full of coercion.

Yu Ye angrily said, “Yun Li, can’t you learn from your brother-in-law and be a bit gentler with your brother?”

“You’ve gotten quite used to calling him that,” Yun Li said sharply. “You’ve switched sides so quickly.”

“Brother-in-law is tall, handsome, and has a good temper,” Yu Ye said, giving Yun Li a look of disdain, refusing to budge.

“But,” Yu Ye said seriously, “what if Dad finds out?”

“…”

Yun Li frowned. “I’m old enough now. Dating shouldn’t be…” She thought for a moment, then looked directly at Yu Ye. “Anyway, don’t tell him.”

Yun Yongchang was still angry about her going to South University of Science and Technology for her master’s degree without permission. If he found out she was dating a man from Nanwu, he might fly over to break her legs.

“Sis, how’s your income as a content creator now?” Yu Ye asked.

“Why?”

“Save up more money,” Yu Ye advised calmly. “Dad might kick you out if he finds out. You need to plan for yourself.”

“…”

After the movie, Yun Li walked Fu Shize to his car downstairs. Her mind was full of worries. Yun Yongchang had always been controlling of her in all aspects – from studies and daily life to social interactions.

Yun Li remembered how her father would criticize her every time she met new people or answered phone calls, saying her words or actions weren’t good enough. Combined with the bullying she faced at school due to her left ear’s hearing loss, her personality gradually became what it is today.

This, in turn, made Yun Yongchang believe she couldn’t survive on her own.

But she could support herself and had been living alone in a strange city for so long.

Yun Yongchang didn’t believe or accept this.

After careful consideration, she mustered the courage to tell Fu Shize, “I haven’t told my family about our relationship. My dad has a difficult temper, so you should be prepared.” Worried Fu Shize might mind, she added diplomatically, “My dad is fine in other aspects, he just doesn’t know how to love his children well.”

“I’m not dating him,” Fu Shize said nonchalantly. Then, with a calm expression, he asked, “Are we meeting your father soon?”

“…”

“I’m just telling you in advance. He’s quite controlling, and I can’t argue with him. Also, both my parents have college diplomas, and our family’s financial situation is average.” Yun Li found it hard to continue.

The process of dating had been so joyful that she rarely considered these practical matters.

“But I can support myself now, and it’ll be even better when I graduate and work full-time.”

Her demeanor showed an urgent desire to prove herself to him. Fu Shize felt uneasy, wondering when he had given her so little sense of security.

He pulled her closer and said earnestly, “Li Li, I only care about who you are. Everything else is irrelevant.”

As she went back upstairs, Yun Li realized that Fu Shize had never inquired about her family background, indirectly indicating that he didn’t care about such things.

In the adult world, he gave her a love story detached from reality. His adoration was solely about her.

Yin Yucheng felt that Yun Ye had tricked him. A few days ago, he had given his phone to Yin Yunyi to contact Yun Ye, who hadn’t booked his ticket yet. Yesterday, Yun Ye called to say he was taking an afternoon flight.

Yin Yucheng had let Yin Yunyi and Yun Ye chat privately. Later, Yunyi told him that Yun Ye said Yun Li was single.

Yunyi had mentioned how close the siblings were, just like him and his sister. He hadn’t doubted Yun Ye’s words.

He had thought it reasonable that Yun Li and Fu Shize might have broken up, given how unapproachable Fu seemed. Not wanting to miss another chance with the junior he liked at first sight, he acted rashly.

When replying to Yun Li’s message, Yunyi had warned him not to expose Yun Ye’s involvement.

After facing repeated setbacks in relationships, Yin Yucheng decided not to use Yunyi as a shield anymore. After dropping her off at the amusement park, he felt uncharacteristically awkward as he forced a smile to greet Yun Li.

Fu Shize even rolled down his car window to nod at him.

“…”

This was truly the most embarrassing moment of his life.

After leaving Yun Ye at the Nanwu Amusement Park, Yun Li and Fu Shize, not wanting to be third wheels, drove back to Jiangnan Garden.

There wasn’t anything particularly special about Nanwu Amusement Park. The young couple followed the navigation map, trying out each attraction. Many children were eating ice cream along the way.

Finally reaching a dessert stand, Yun Ye said, “Wait here.”

As he jogged over, he received a call from Yun Li while waiting for the desserts.

Yun Li asked, “So, how’s it going with your crush?”

Yun Ye replied confidently, “Don’t worry, everything’s fine. It’s all good.”

Yun Li’s tone was skeptical as she drawled, “Is that so?”

Yun Ye boasted, “Hah, maybe your brother is just naturally gifted in love. She’s waiting for me now. Bye-bye.”

He returned with two ice creams, handing one to Yin Yunyi. They had known each other for five years, having attended the same middle school.

Yun Ye chatted with her naturally, saving his shy moments for when he wrote postcards.

“The postcards I received from our class before seemed to be in the same handwriting. Do you know who wrote them?” Yunyi asked.

“…”

Yun Ye licked his ice cream, lying through his teeth, “I’ll ask around for you later.”

“…”

Though the young man didn’t admit it, an inexplicable tension grew between them.

Yunyi shyly rummaged through her bag. “I have a gift for you. I could only make something small since my parents are quite strict.”

She took out a tiny five-centimeter box from her purse, with ‘For Yun Ye’ written in neat handwriting.

It matched the style of writing on the gift he had prepared.

They had subtly revealed their feelings to each other.

Yun Ye’s heart suddenly raced. Some of his melting ice cream dripped onto his hand as he casually accepted the box.

“What was your rank in the final exams?” Yunyi asked, “I ranked tenth in our grade.”

“Oh, that’s pretty good,” Yun Ye said, his face expressionless but his feet fidgeting. “I was sixth. Which university are you aiming for?”

“I like Xifu. With my grades, I should be able to get into West University of Science and Technology.”

Yun Ye looked at the blue sky and white clouds, listening to the cheerful background music. He couldn’t help but smile, “I quite like West University of Science and Technology too.”

Around 5 PM, their outing ended. Yin Yucheng dropped Yun Ye off at a supermarket near Qilixiang Residence.

Yun Li and Fu Shize were shopping when they saw him. Yun Ye, grinning foolishly, eagerly offered to carry her bags.

“Yun Li, I have something to tell you,” Yun Ye said, his tail practically wagging. “Yin Yunyi knows that I wrote all those postcards.”

Yun Li: “?”

Yun Ye: “You know what that means? She’s giving her tacit approval.”

Yun Li: “Making the most of the last moments of daylight, eh? A nice dream you’re having.”

“…”

All the way home, Yun Ye was bouncing around, looking smug. Yun Li couldn’t stand it and snapped, “Behave normally. Don’t break my eggs.”

“Oh.” Yun Ye settled down a bit and asked, “Is it just the two of us tonight?”

“Your brother-in-law went out to buy fruit.” Yun Li dumped everything she was carrying into Yun Ye’s arms and called Fu Shize. When he answered, her voice softened considerably.

Yun Ye felt goosebumps rising and whispered, “Yun Li, can’t you talk normally?”

“…”

Back home, Yun Ye specifically requested several dishes. Yun Li cooked while Fu Shize assisted her.

Yun Ye thought they made a good couple. They didn’t talk much when together, but often shared knowing glances. Even while sorting vegetables, they could make each other smile.

“Brother-in-law, do you think my sister’s cooking is delicious?” Yun Ye asked Fu Shize. “My classmates all praise her dishes.”

Fu Shize pondered, “It should be quite good.”

His tone seemed uncertain. Yun Ye looked confused.

“He hasn’t eaten much of it,” Yun Li explained. “I fell and scraped my hand before, so your brother-in-law started cooking. He’s been doing it ever since.”

Yun Ye: “Oh… So brother-in-law does the housework?”

Yun Li tried to recall the past month: “Now that you mention it, I guess he does.”

“…”

Yun Ye hesitated, “So, in a relationship, the man does the housework?”

Yun Li couldn’t answer this question either. She nudged Fu Shize, who replied without hesitation, “Whatever your sister says goes.”

Yun Li smiled slightly, lowering her head to eat.

After two days in Nanwu, Yun Li and Yun Ye prepared to return to Xifu. The New Year was early this year, with Eve just two days away.

At the airport, they met Yin Yunyi, who had come to see Yun Ye off. She brought him a baseball cap as a parting gift, saying summer was coming soon.

The other three were observed from a distance. Yin Yucheng, no longer embarrassed, sincerely remarked, “Yunyi kept pestering me to come to the airport today. Your brother knows how to pursue a girl.”

Fu Shize reminded him, “There are three of us here.”

“…”

He wisely, though reluctantly, went to wait alone in a coffee shop.

After sending him away, Fu Shize asked Yun Li, “Have you booked your return flight yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Book it soon.” Fu Shize kissed her cheek and corrected himself, “Come back soon.”

His words held anticipation: “…Back to our home.”

…

New Year’s Eve arrived, with festive decorations everywhere.

Years ago, Chen Jingping had given birth to Fu Shize on New Year’s Eve, amidst the crackling of fireworks.

After dinner, instead of going upstairs as usual, Fu Shize helped clear the table.

“Last time, Li Li mentioned she’s from Xifu,” Fu Dongsheng brought up. “She’s a master’s student, right?”

Chen Jingping chimed in, “Son, isn’t your education level a bit low?”

Fu Dongsheng added, “You might not be a good match for the girl.”

“…”

The couple rambled on, never getting to the point. Chen Jingping carefully observed Fu Shize’s expression, which remained as impassive as ever.

She sighed and handed Fu Shize a cup of tea. “You’ve been on leave from your studies for almost two years now…”

He should have completed his Ph.D. this year, with a bright future ahead.

Her implication was clear.

Chen Jingping spoke gently, “If you don’t get your degree, your father and I won’t hold it against you, but others might. We don’t want to pressure you to face this, but we’re worried that one day—you might feel you can’t do it.”

“Li Li won’t care about these things,” Fu Shize responded briefly before retreating to his room.

He turned on the cold water, splashing his face. Looking at himself in the mirror, he recalled Yun Li leaning against him.

Smiling, pulling him out of the deep lake.

Only her presence could make him feel less suffocated.

Their next meeting would be after the New Year. Fu Shize felt a bit anxious; he wanted to be with her every day and night, not apart for even a second.

After waiting for over an hour, Yun Li finally made a video call after finishing her New Year’s Eve dinner. Her end was completely dark.

A few seconds later, lights sparkled behind her.

Facing the camera, her expression nervous, speaking extremely slowly, everything prepared yet still unable to avoid the impending disaster: “A-zhe.”

Yun Li forced herself to continue.

“Happy birthday.”