Due to the incident before bedtime, Yun Li’s drowsy state dissipated in an instant. She managed a “Sorry, it was an accident,” but got no reply back.

She stared at her phone screen for a long time.

Harboring troubles in her heart, Yun Li couldn’t sleep well. Thus, she spent the night waking up intermittently, waiting for the dawn.

When she woke up, it was already the afternoon of the next day. As a reflex, she reached for her phone. Contrary to her expectations, the message hadn’t disappeared into the abyss; Yun Li saw a reply from the other party sent at 7 AM.

Fu Shizhe: “Hmm”

It seemed like a casual reply upon waking up.

Not even a period at the end.

She wasn’t sure if he believed her.

Yun Li didn’t feel any better. She got up and went to the living room. Deng Chuqi was lying on the couch, playing a game. Upon catching a glimpse of her, he glanced at the time and asked, “Did you go thieving last night? When did you go to bed?”

“I didn’t keep track, around 3 or 4 AM, I guess.” Sitting down next to her, Yun Li asked, “Has Xiaxia left the house?”

“Left early in the morning.” Knowing her erratic sleep schedule, Deng Chuqi hadn’t woken her up, “Why are you sitting down, go wash up and eat.”

Yun Li didn’t move, looking half-dead.

Having just finished a game, Deng Chuqi put down the phone, very puzzled, “What’s wrong with you?”

Yun Li sighed deeply.

Deng Chuqi asked, “Can’t sleep well?”

Yun Li shook her head.

Deng Chuqi: “Had a nightmare?”

She shook her head again.

Deng Chuqi: “Didn’t sleep well?”

Halfway through shaking her head, Yun Li paused and then nodded.

“So, what’s up?” asked Deng Chuqi, checking her forehead, “Do you feel unwell somewhere?”

“No.” Seeing her worried expression, Yun Li couldn’t hold it in anymore, “I have something to tell you.”

“Hmm?”

“Last night before I slept, I accidentally sent a meme to Xiaxia’s uncle.”

“What? What did you send?”

Yun Li handed her phone to her.

Seeing her serious demeanor, Deng Chuqi took it with both hands and stared with equal solemnity. When she saw the content, her expression froze.

“…”

After a few seconds, she burst out laughing.

The tense atmosphere shattered.

Yun Li frowned, “Don’t laugh!”

Deng Chuqi tried to hold back her laughter, but eventually, she burst out laughing again, “Ok, ok, give me a second.”

“…Don’t you think this is serious?” Yun Li was quite distressed, “Would he think I’m weird?”

“Or think I’m a freak?”

“Or even think I’m vulgar!”

“It’s not that serious,” Deng Chuqi said, “you did explain to him.”

“But, but,” Yun Li stumbled, “isn’t this like offending an elder?”

Deng Chuqi laughed again at the term, teasing, “Well, an elder is more forgiving and understanding towards the younger ones. Plus, the elder has already made his understanding clear.”

Yun Li looked at her hopelessly.

“It’s nothing. Don’t be so down,” Deng Chuqi remembered something, “when did you ask him for his WeChat? With so many people around yesterday, I didn’t have a chance to ask.”

“…”

“Why are you silent now?”

The matter of her heart’s weakness was mentioned again, and Yun Li once again went into a state where her mind was racing, “Just, that.”

Deng Chuqi dragged out her words, playing along, “That—?”

“Just,” Yun Li locked eyes with her, shoulders slumping, no longer wanting to hide, “Alright, I’ll say it. But you can’t tell Xiaxia.”

“What?”

“The WeChat I asked for,” Yun Li confessed quietly, “is her uncle’s.”

“…”

Deng Chuqi was stunned.

After Yun Li gave a brief account of the events, Deng Chuqi, over her shock and thinking it made sense, said, “No wonder I thought you were acting weird that day. So there was this little complication between you two.”

“This can hardly be called a complication,” Yun Li said dejectedly. “It was just a few exchanges.”

“Why the glum face? You still got the WeChat in the end,” Deng Chuqi patted her head, “And he doesn’t have a girlfriend, isn’t that perfect timing?”

Yun Li, lacking courage, said, “Forget it. He’s already rejected me.”

“Rejected you for a WeChat? So what? If he gave it to anyone who asked, wouldn’t that make him seem easy? Maybe he’s just the type to warm up slowly,” Deng Chuqi suggested, “Trust me, from my experience, someone like Xiaxia’s uncle starts cold but once you win him over, he’ll be utterly devoted to you.”

Yun Li sighed, wanting to say, “As if I dare to pursue him,” but she didn’t say it out loud.

Deng Chuqi looked again at the chat with only four messages and raised an eyebrow, then playfully covered the middle two messages and said with a smile, “Doesn’t it feel much better when you look at it like this?”

Following her lead, Yun Li looked again.

When covered, the meaning changed drastically:

Yun Li: “Be my wife.”

Fu Shizhe: “Hmm.”

“…”

Gazing at her, Deng Chuqi teased, “Yun Li, your face is turning red.”

Annoyed, Yun Li snatched her phone back, “Red my foot! I’m going to freshen up.”

• From what Deng Chuqi knew about Yun Li, it was difficult enough to get her to ask a stranger for directions, let alone ask for someone’s WeChat. This was the first time Deng Chuqi had heard Yun Li express a liking for a man.

Wanting to help her friend’s romantic prospects, Deng Chuqi occasionally egged Yun Li on to message Fu Shizhe.

Yun Li remained unswayed, the advice going in one ear and out the other.

Stubborn as a rock.

Since she had to report to school the next day, Yun Li ate something and then went home.

Arriving home, she spaced out for a while before getting up to pack her bags. She’d received many clothes from Yang Fang during this time, which she packed slowly into her suitcase, neatly folding and then spreading them out again to look.

Without realizing it, she ended up choosing what to wear for the next day.

After wasting a lot of time on this, Yun Li snapped back to reality and stopped dilly-dallying.

She felt something uncontrollable brewing.

Similar to the anxiety she’d feel before attending a gathering, but this time there was something else mixed in, subtle yet present.

Like finally getting a long-awaited mystery box.

It was a feeling of anticipation, afraid yet longing to know the outcome.

…

Yun Li didn’t sleep well that night, and woke up early the next morning, getting ready.

After packing her luggage, she spent most of her time on makeup. With everything in order, she took a cloth-wrapped roll from the fridge to eat, packing the rest.

At the same time, she received a message from Fu Zhengchu. They had arrived at the gate of her residential community, but the security wouldn’t let the unregistered car in. He asked which building she was in, offering to help her move.

They were earlier than the agreed time.

Yun Li’s luggage consisted of one suitcase and two big bags, containing quilts, pillows, and a mattress—all quite bulky. She had planned to take two trips to carry it out, but now there was no time.

Wanting to prevent any delay, Yun Li didn’t refuse and replied: “Building 11.”

Fu Zhengchu: “ok.”

Yun Li turned off the appliances and lights, locked the door, and struggled to move her luggage into the elevator.

Fu Zhengchu was already downstairs and took her luggage, greeting her.

Just like their first meeting, the young chatterbox’s enthusiasm meant there was never a break in conversation about anything and everything, such as how vast the community was with nice greenery.

Stepping out of the complex, Yun Li got into the car after some time.

Fu Zhengchu cheerfully announced, “Uncle, here we are!”

Sitting in the right rear seat, Yun Li felt she should also greet him.

But she found it challenging to settle on a form of address.

Calling him by name didn’t seem appropriate, while a simple “hello” felt too impersonal. Remembering Xiaxia’s words from that day, Yun Li bit the bullet and followed suit, saying, “Hello, Uncle…”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yun Li instantly felt something was amiss.

But the other two seemed to think otherwise.

Fu Shizhe glanced over, nodding politely, “Hello.”

“…”

Yun Li looked down, feeling a warmth in her cheeks.

She took a bottle of water from her bag and took a sip to feign composure.

The drive to Nanwu Institute of Technology University was just a few minutes away.

When they reached the entrance, Fu Shizhe found a spot to park, and all three got out.

Fu Zhengchu started to unload the luggage. He didn’t have much of his own—just one suitcase; the rest was Yun Li’s.

Fu Shizhe took a bag from Fu Zhengchu, placing it on one of the suitcases, “Is there more?”

Fu Zhengchu lifted another bag, “That’s it.”

She felt bad having them work like this, whispering thanks, and said, “Let me carry one.”

“It’s okay,” Fu Zhengchu said unconcernedly, “it’s not heavy on the suitcase.”

In the end, Yun Li was left carrying a small insulated bag, feeling somewhat superfluous walking beside the two.

Suddenly, she was taken back to the day she reported to university as a freshman. Then, Yun Chang and Yun Ye had been with her, and she had carried none of her heavy things.

The situation seemed like a replay of that day.

Yun Li glanced sideways.

Hmm…

Still one elder and one younger brother.

It wasn’t Yun Li’s first time entering South Polytechnic University. She had visited twice for exams and sometimes passed by when staying at Qilixiang. So, she wasn’t unfamiliar with the university.

The registration was set up at the east gate.

After they entered, tents had been erected on both sides of the campus for different departments. Fu Zhengchu remembered to ask, “Which department are you in, Senior?”

Yun Li: “Automation.”

Fu Zhengchu searched around and pointed, “Automation is over there.”

Near rest time, there weren’t many people in line.

As Yun Li was finishing up, the registration staff incidentally informed her that the volunteers were out helping people with luggage and to wait where she was.

Hearing this, Fu Zhengchu, as an experienced junior, immediately offered, “No need for that, I know the way. Senior, let me show you.”

The campus of Nanwu Institute of Technology University was large, and it was a twenty-minute walk from the entrance to the dormitory area. With luggage in tow, they decided to wait for a campus bus to take them to the dorms.

The bus could carry around ten people and looked like a tour bus. Fu Zhengchu seemed to know the driver, and they struck up a conversation near the driver’s seat once aboard.

Yun Li sat beside Fu Shizhe in the back.

She wanted to chat with him but couldn’t think of nothing to say. After a few failed attempts, she sighed and resolved to let it be.

After a while, Yun Li noticed Fu Shizhe took out his phone, opened WeChat, and scrolled down. The contacts were mostly noted with full names, including one of his nephews, Xu Qing Song.

Yun Li didn’t dare to peek any longer, turning her head to pretend to appreciate the campus scenery.

Amid the buzz of students, she heard Fu Shizhe speak, his tone lazy like a sunbathing cat, “What’s your name?”

Hearing this, Yun Li looked over and met Fu Shizhe’s gaze.

Unsure whether he was speaking to her, she hesitantly asked, “What?”

Fu Shizhe repeated, “Your name.”

Not understanding why he suddenly asked this, Yun Li felt a bit nervous, “Oh, my name is Yun Li…” She even accidentally bit her tongue, “…Li.”

Then, she added, “Li as in the ‘Li’ from ‘Li Mi.'”

Fu Shizhe nodded, saying nothing further.

Completely lost, Yun Li’s mind was still trying to process. The next moment, she saw Fu Shizhe opening her WeChat chat window, the awkward chat history displayed once again.

Feeling overwhelmed, Yun Li then noticed Fu Shizhe’s fingers move, opening the window to edit remarks.

She realized what he was doing.

So, he was going to change her contact name.

The two of them were sitting very close, allowing her to see the distinct lashes over Fu Shizhe’s slightly lifted eyes and his flawlessly smooth skin.

Setting aside the somberness in his eyes and eyebrows, Fu Shizhe was genuinely a strikingly handsome young man, almost ethereally beautiful.

His face carried a calm and indifferent expression, showing no concern for the messages she had sent.

Feeling somewhat reassured yet also a bit disappointed, Yun Li withdrew her gaze, trying to think of nothing as she looked outside at the scenery passing by.