Chapter 13

As soon as she finished speaking, a uniformed man stepped out of the shop, calling Fu Shizhe over to assist. He acknowledged with a nod and after a brief nod to the two women, turned and headed inside.

Du GeFei realized then that Yun Li and Fu Shizhe were acquainted; her face turned a shade paler.

Yun Li murmured, “I should get going too.”

“Oh,” Du GeFei masked her emotions and linked arms with Yun Li, “I’m leaving as well. Let’s go together.”

Yun Li resisted slightly but didn’t pull away, just headed toward the escalator on her own.

Keeping pace, Du GeFei made small talk, “So, you two know each other?”

Yun Li simply replied, “Somewhat.”

“Is that so?” Du GeFei sighed with a tinge of reproach, “You could’ve told me sooner; I wouldn’t have done that. It made me quite embarrassed.”

Yun Li glanced at her, finding Du GeFei still smiling, “But it’s fine, I believe you didn’t mean to.”

Yun Li had never met someone so shameless, someone who could twist the situation to this extent.

Her bad mood from the argument with Yun YongChang hadn’t lifted, and now, in front of Fu Shizhe, this stranger had summoned her to act as a pawn. She kept a straight face, feeling holding back her anger was already being gracious enough.

Yun Li spoke slowly, “If I’m not mistaken, today is the first time we’ve spoken.”

“Right, and since we haven’t spoken, how do you remember me?” Du GeFei blinked, feigning surprise.

Yun Li retorted without much interest, “What about you?”

Du GeFei proudly claimed, “I have a good memory.”

Yun Li responded dryly, “I see.”

After a pause, Du GeFei angled towards her true intent, “You know, you remind me of a good friend of mine. She would always end up buying the same things as me, intentionally.” With the groundwork laid, Du GeFei got to the point, “Right, I never saw you interested in that handsome guy before, was it because you heard me asking Xu for his WeChat?”

Yun Li was momentarily speechless.

Du GeFei’s absurd statement left her unsure where to even begin her retort.

Taking her silence as agreement, Du GeFei chuckled, “But you misunderstood, I’m not interested in a broke—” She paused, then chose a softer word, “—an unambitious repairman.”

Yun Li frowned, “What did you say?”

“Didn’t you see just now? His hands were all dusty, filthy.” Du GeFei explained, “I thought he was a friend of Xu’s, maybe a store manager or something, but it seems they’re not that close.”

…

There was a time in Yun Li’s early life when her family was struggling.

Around the time Yang Fang had nearly died during a complicated birth, resting at home to recuperate, Yun YongChang’s factory closed, leaving them with no income and barely able to make ends meet. Without work, Yun YongChang took up laboring on construction sites to support his family.

At family gatherings, there were always a few who, feeling superior due to their marginally better circumstances, would mock and gloat.

Someone would often offer ‘sympathetic’ taunts about Yun YongChang’s lack of education condemning him to such work, saying the dust had settled into his skin and bones, unable to be washed away.

Back then, Yun Li was young and not as reserved as now. Unlike Yun YongChang, she couldn’t just silently endure; she would indignantly defend her father with sharp retorts.

Even today, she shows no warmth towards these relatives.

That’s why she detests those who, flush with their polished lives, think themselves better than others.

Du GeFei’s words reminded Yun Li of her father’s past treatment. Suppressing her anger, she replied, “Looks like you’re in good shape.”

Du GeFei responded casually, “It’s okay.”

Before she could finish, Yun Li added, “So, you asked for Fu Shizhe’s WeChat before. I’m not too clear on that. After all, I saw you asking several people that day, and I can’t remember them all.”

Thinking Yun Li was a pushover and now taken aback by her sharp comeback, Du GeFei’s face froze.

Unable to put on a facade like her, with a blank expression, Yun Li said, “Oh, so with your good status, how come he didn’t give you his WeChat?”

Du GeFei started to explain, “That’s because—”

“Oh, seems he wasn’t interested in you either.” Yun Li didn’t plan on hearing her out and cut her off, “So what’s his job and how much he earns are none of your business, right?”

…

It wasn’t until Yun Li got home that her anger began to fade.

She was surprised to realize that she had been more confrontational than usual. The feeling was incredible and left her light-headed, mysteriously improving her mood.

Yun Li opened WeChat and found messages from Yang Fang and Yun Ye.

Yang Fang offered her usual consoling words, trying to reconcile the situation. Yun Ye, somehow always well-informed, messaged: [Did you have another fight with Dad?]

Yun Li: [Shouldn’t you be in class?]

Yun Ye: [Mom asked me to comfort you.]

Yun Li couldn’t resist sharing: [I just argued with someone and won.]

Yun Ye: [Oh.]

Yun Li: [Don’t you find that incredible?]

Yun Ye: [Not really.]

Yun Li: [?]

Yun Ye: [You never lose an argument with me, you always leave me speechless.]

Yun Li: [?]

Yun Ye: [Maybe you don’t realize, but although you may be tongue-tied in normal encounters, you become very strong when you’re angry.]

Yun Ye: [But that’s good.]

Yun Ye: [Being socially anxious doesn’t mean being weak.]

After the conversation ended, Yun Li pondered his words and unexpectedly thought her brother might have some use. She got up and went to the kitchen to grab an ice cream bar.

Reviewing the “fight,” she recalled Du GeFei’s claim that Fu Shizhe was a repairman.

Despite knowing this wasn’t true, she felt uncomfortable hearing others say it about him.

By now, Fu Shizhe should have finished his research studies. Given his impressive resume, he should be working at a big company or in scientific research.

It could also be because the store was run by relatives.

Remembering how familiar they appeared at the last meal they had together, Yun Li guessed this was more probable.

Yun Li then spent some time browsing E-station before noticing several messages pressing her for updates, which she guiltily pretended not to see.

Ever since she started preparing for her postgraduate studies, Yun Li had been buried in that tiny four-square-meter study room, where even a few minutes to edit videos was a luxury. Every day she longed to be free from that cage, but when freedom finally came, she learned a new way of living.

Lazy, yet comfortable.

As Yun Li enjoyed her ice cream, her phone lit up with a video call, startling her with the recognizable name of Fu Shizhe.

She was caught off guard, the cold treat sliding painfully down her throat, her first instinct was that it was a misdial.

Hesitating for a moment, the call ended.

Missing the call, Yun Li felt a bit annoyed yet also involuntarily relieved.

But before she could catch her breath, Fu Shizhe’s video call flashed on her screen again.

Yun Li muted her computer. Every vibration and ringtone from her phone seemed amplified, making the desk subtly tremble.

Gathering courage, Yun Li switched the call to voice mode and, pretending nothing had happened, answered, “Hello.”

There was no response from the other end.

Yun Li usually enjoyed quiet, but at that moment, the silence felt like a cluster of grenades waiting to explode.

Suddenly, the noise of a bustling crowd came from the other end.

“Li Li, are you at school?” Yun Li recognized it was Fu Zhengchu by the way he addressed her.

Instantly, she felt her previous anxiety was just her overthinking.

Fu Zhengchu asked, “There’s a club fair at school today, Li Li, do you want to come and check out our booth?”

Seldom invited by acquaintances, Yun Li hesitated to refuse, “Sure.” She paused, then added, “My first thought was that it was your uncle who called.”

But it seemed Fu Zhengchu didn’t catch that, raising his voice, “I have to get back to work, come and support us—”

He hung up in a hurry.

Yun Li had wanted to probe if Fu Shizhe was also there but felt ashamed of her intentions after a while. Fu Zhengchu’s invitation was probably just out of enthusiasm, but her hidden agenda was blatantly obvious.

Perhaps Fu Zhengchu wasn’t at the school, and Fu Shizhe just happened to be nearby.

Moreover, she shouldn’t overthink it.

Would she not support Fu Zhengchu if Fu Shizhe wasn’t there?

Yun Li felt even more embarrassed realizing—

That was precisely what she thought.

The club fair was an event where all school clubs promoted themselves, with leaders setting up tents along the sides of the school square, forming a lively midday market.

Yun Li had last encountered such an event when she first entered university.

However, a less-than-smooth interview meant she hadn’t participated in any clubs during her undergraduate years.

With nothing else planned for the afternoon, Yun Li grabbed an ice cream bar and her bag and headed out.

The school wasn’t far from her rented place. She walked to the school gate and took the shuttle bus inside.

Even from a distance, Yun Li could hear the dense buzz of voices and speakers, seeing a throng of people at the entrance and a small stage set up in the center.

After alighting, Yun Li moved with the crowd. People handing out flyers mistook her for a freshman and kept giving her promotional materials.

After making a round, she finally found Fu Zhengchu at the edge of the square.

“Li Li!” Fu Zhengchu, dressed in a college shirt with the Nanwu Institute of Technology University emblem on his cap, was earnestly talking to a freshman before spotting Yun Li and briskly handing a flyer to send the new student away.

Noticing Yun Li’s stack of flyers.

“These aren’t good, Li Li, just take a look at our club’s,” Fu Zhengchu said, assertively taking the stack of ads from her and fetching a fresh one from his neck pouch.

It was for a club named “Aim High,” an outdoor sports group.

Putting on a serious tone, Fu Zhengchu cleared his throat, “We are the only outdoor club in the school, and also the largest. I’m the vice president.”

To emphasize his club’s appeal, Fu Zhengchu boasted, “And I’ve recently pulled off a great sponsorship deal, loads of money!”

As soon as he finished, Yun Li noticed a line at the bottom—“Sponsored by EAW Virtual Reality Experience Hall.”

There were details about EAW’s location and a brief introduction, and the flyer offered a 20% discount for in-store purchases.

Yun Li: “…”

“Aim High”’s booth was modest, made of two 1.5-meter-long tables arranged in an L shape, with several students sitting under a tent guiding newcomers to fill out forms.

As a sponsor, EAW had its logo and main activities printed prominently on its tent.

The retractable banner was set a bit away, with a tabletop in front and several unopened EAW boxes on the ground.

Standing in front of the booth, Yun Li noticed a figure occasionally peeking from behind the banner.

It was Fu Shizhe.

He was kneeling on one leg, his dress pants accentuating his tall, lean figure. As he cut open the tape with a utility knife and stepped back, his sharply defined jawline was revealed.

The harsh sunlight made his complexion appear even paler, eyes flickering in the crowd, silent yet speaking volumes.

Realizing something, Fu Shizhe looked up in her direction.

Feeling like an intruder, Yun Li quickly averted her gaze, but Fu Zhengchu’s loud greeting spared her the awkwardness of her voyeuristic moment.

“Uncle!” Fu Zhengchu, carrying a cardboard box and panting, ran towards Fu Shizhe.

Yun Li cautiously followed, meeting Fu Shizhe’s gaze with a somewhat awkward nod.

Fu Shizhe gave her a brief, indifferent look before continuing to sort the box that Fu Zhengchu brought over.

Inside were neatly stacked souvenir pens, canvas bags, and folders, all custom-made and emblazoned with EAW’s letters and address.

Fu Zhengchu busied himself laying out the prizes on the table, arranging them slightly, “These are for attracting people. Play a game, and get a prize. Just let them pick what they want.”

They were pretty standard giveaways, but Yun Li caught sight of a sky-blue canvas tote with a crescent moon printed low on it—a day moon. She looked away but found her gaze drawn back to it.

Meanwhile, Fu Shizhe half-listened to Fu Zhengchu explaining the rules for prize distribution, responding sporadically, seemingly disinterested.

Yun Li didn’t know what she had been expecting. She had initially thought there was a one-in-ten-thousand chance that they had both agreed to have her come over.

Fu Shizhe’s indifference shattered that fanciful idea completely.

Feeling awkward standing there, Yun Li fiddled with the prizes on the table.

“These prizes are pretty good, aren’t they?” Fu Zhengchu suddenly asked her, sounding quite pleased with himself.

“They’re all nice,” Yun Li replied, somewhat embarrassed. Perhaps to ease her discomfort, she brought up a new topic, “It’s quite a coincidence, I had an interview with EAW this morning.”

“That’s perfect, Li Li. Now you’ll be working at the same company,” Fu Zhengchu bubbled with excitement upon hearing this, then turned to Fu Shizhe feigning sternness, “Uncle.”

“Don’t cause any trouble for Li Li.”

Expecting Fu Shizhe to remain unresponsive, she was surprised when he suddenly spoke up, “Then I’m leaving.”

“You can’t go, Uncle!” protested Fu Zhengchu.

“I won’t be a bother,” Fu Shizhe replied.

Fu Zhengchu quickly backpedaled, “My mistake.”

Shifting the topic hastily, Fu Zhengchu suggested, “Since Li Li and EAW are such a great match, why don’t you be our first tester? All these gifts have the EAW logo on them, see?”

His tone seemed to be searching for an affirmative answer, and Yun Li hesitated before saying, “Well, I could try it out later…”

“Which one do you want? I’ll have Uncle save it for you!” Fu Zhengchu offered.

Yun Li, concealing her desire for the canvas tote, reservedly responded, “They’re all quite nice.”

“Is that right?” Fu Zhengchu, always straightforward, appeared unconcerned. “Never mind, just take a gift, Li Li, it’s fine. They were all purchased by EAW anyway.”

Before she could decline, Yun Li was handed a box of souvenir pens.

Fu Zhengchu thought he was doing her a huge favor.

Yun Li: “…”