Yun Li did some research on her phone and found that it was not uncommon for new employees to be exploited by senior staff.

She couldn’t be certain if Qin Haifeng was targeting her with malice.

The work she had was due to Fang Yuning the next day, and Qin Haifeng could tell Fang Yuning that he had already assigned the task to her.

Yun Li didn’t want to give anyone a reason to criticize her for not completing the work.

After taking some cold medicine and sucking on a menthol candy, Yun Li spent more than half an hour finishing the remaining part.

As she was packing up her things, Fu Shizhe came in. It was almost nine o’clock, and she hadn’t expected him to be working overtime as well.

Fu Shizhe asked, “Do you have a cold?”

Yun Li, not realizing her nasal voice was so heavy it was unrecognizable, replied, “Just a little bit, I’ll be fine with more hot water.”

Her voice hoarse, she asked him, “How did you know?”

“Xia Congsheng called.”

“Oh, then Xiaxia…”

“Your friend Deng Chuqi said you had a serious cold and were sleeping at home, and you haven’t been responding to messages,” Fu Shizhe gave her a meaningful look, “Maybe you passed out.”

“…”

Yun Li checked her phone and saw that she hadn’t replied for hours.

Deng Chuqi probably thought she was sleeping at first, but halfway through her overtime, she got worried when there was still no response.

Yun Li: “You didn’t tell her…that I came to the office, did you?”

Fu Shizhe: “No need for me to say.”

Yun Li: “?”

Fu Shizhe showed her his chat with Fu Zhengchu.

“Uncle!! My sister called me saying Li Li has a fever and hasn’t been responding to messages!”

“I’m already at Li Li’s doorstep, I’ve been knocking for ages with no answer.”

“Uncle, Li Li won’t be in trouble, right? [crying][crying]”

“I can’t find the property management here.”

“I’ve called a locksmith, they’ll be here soon!”

The last message was about two minutes ago.

“Li Li isn’t home, how could she have a fever and not be at home.”

“Uncle, does this count as breaking and entering? [crying]”

“I even lifted Li Li’s blanket, will she think I’m a pervert?”

“Don’t tell Li Li!”

Fu Shizhe replied with one word: “Okay.”

“…”

Yun Li didn’t expect that working overtime would result in her door lock being picked up.

During the brief moment she read the messages, Fu Zhengchu sent another one: “Uncle, could Li Li have fainted on the street, should we call the police?”

Worried that it would escalate to a city-wide police search, Yun Li exclaimed, “You tell him!”

The girl in front of him, her cheeks unusually pink from fever and her speech stammering with urgency, Fu Shizhe looked down and asked, “Tell him what?”

“Just, just say we’re together…”

Fu Shizhe: “?”

The content of her request was indeed odd.

Worried that Fu Shizhe might not agree to cover for her and that Deng Chuqi would be angry to learn she was at the office, Yun Li reached out to him.

Yun Li was a bit nervous: “Your, your phone, give it to me.”

Fu Shizhe looked at her, said nothing, and handed over his phone.

The phone’s default was the T9 keyboard, and with the fever plus being unaccustomed to it, Yun Li struggled to type.

It took her a minute or two before she handed the phone back.

Fu Shizhe glanced at it.

“I’m with her, I’ll take her home.”

“Got it, Uncle.”

“…”

Fu Shizhe took the initiative and said, “I’ll go get the car keys and drive you back.”

Science and Technology City was just across from Qilixiang Community. Yun Li hadn’t been outside for a walk since she caught a cold, so she shook her head and said to him, “I’d like to take a walk.”

There had been a lot happening recently, and she thought some fresh air might do her good.

Fu Shizhe didn’t insist. He went to get his coat and followed Yun Li.

Along the way, the lights were bright, the southern breeze rustled, and the square was bustling with people.

There happened to be a children’s market on the square today, with three rows of stalls under the warm glow of vintage bulbs.

Yun Li gazed at the dense lights of the market and said, “I’d like to go in and have a look.”

Fu Shizhe nodded.

There was a variety of goods for sale, including one stall selling light-up toys.

As Yun Li passed by, she stopped to look. The stall owner, who had had a quiet night, quickly stood up to greet them.

“Handsome guy and pretty lady, need anything?”

Yun Li shook her head; these lights were more suitable for children.

Perhaps sensing Yun Li’s disinterest, the stall owner called out “Wait a minute” and mysteriously pulled out a red cloth-wrapped bag from under the stall, unveiling it to show them.

Inside were boxes of pink “fairy sparklers.”

“Fifteen yuan a box,” the stall owner said, observing Yun Li’s slight change of expression and quickly addressing Fu Shizhe, “Handsome guy, want to buy a box for the lady? Our little stall’s fairy sparklers are made for fairies.”

After a round of flattery, Yun Li awkwardly gestured for him to stop.

The stall owner was about to put the bag away with a dejected look, but Yun Li stopped him: “I’ll take a box.”

Yun Li paid quickly.

It was supposed to be a favor, and Fu Shizhe was only giving her a ride back, so Yun Li felt embarrassed to trouble him further. She said dryly, “Do you want to play with these? They’re quite fun. Although I’m not feeling well, I can play with you for a while…”

“…”

Fu Shizhe took the lead, and Yun Li followed. After passing through the market, he stopped by the square’s fountain and found a clean spot to sit.

Yun Li asked, “Can we play with them here?”

Fu Shizhe replied, “Yeah.”

Opening the box, there were six neatly arranged sparklers, simple in structure with a fifteen-centimeter wire wrapped in light gray material.

Yun Li took one out.

She couldn’t remember the last time she played with fireworks.

As a child, most fireworks were loud ground spinners, but as city regulations tightened, small vendors were no longer allowed to sell fireworks openly, which is why the stall owner had hidden the sparklers.

“When I was a kid, one Mid-Autumn Festival, I spent most of my savings to buy a lot of fireworks and took my little brother to play,” Yun Li said, twirling the sparkler in her hand and smiling sheepishly.

“Then the city management officers confiscated them all, and my brother cried the whole time.”

They said they were carrying extremely dangerous toys.

Back then, Yun Ye was only six years old. He clung to the officers’ legs, crying that his sister had saved up for these, and she would be heartbroken if they took them away.

At the time, Yun Li thought they had committed a grave mistake, shakily pulling Yun Ye back home. Fortunately, the officers were kind and wished them a happy Mid-Autumn Festival with smiles.

Looking back, Yun Li mused, “I wonder what they did with them… It wasn’t safe to have so many fireworks.”

Fu Shizhe, who had initially taken out a cigarette, paused and then put it back, simply saying, “They probably played with them themselves.”

Yun Li: “…”

Yun Li asked, “Can I borrow your lighter?”

Fu Shizhe hummed in acknowledgment, gesturing for Yun Li to come closer.

Different from her impression, Fu Shizhe sat on the stone bricks by the fountain, his white shirt wrinkled, covered by a black trench coat. He looked a bit like a rebel.

Especially with that cold gaze of his.

Yun Li stepped half a pace closer to him.

Fu Shizhe said, “Closer.”

His words reminded Yun Li of the time Fu Shizhe had leaned in to whisper at the dinner table, making her face turn red as she hesitantly moved toward him.

“…”

Realizing Yun Li had misunderstood, Fu Shizhe clarified, “The sparkler.”

Yun Li, embarrassed, extended her hand closer.

Fu Shizhe took out his lighter from his pocket, and flicked the flame near the sparkler, the flickering light trembling in the wind.

After a few unsuccessful attempts, Fu Shizhe took the sparkler directly. The flame moved steadily, sending out a few strands of light, followed by a dense fluff of light, like the fibers of a cotton ball.

The orange glow illuminated part of his profile.

Yun Li watched Fu Shizhe, transfixed.

He made a soft noise through his nose and passed the bundle of light towards her, indicating she should catch it with her hand.

The light reflected in his eyes, along with her shadow.

Catching it, the light seemed to dance in her hands, constantly changing.

“It’s pretty,” Yun Li said, naively waving the sparkler, leaving traces in the night sky.

After sketching a few shapes, Yun Li was about to show Fu Shizhe a drawing in mid-air when the light suddenly vanished.

She probably didn’t expect the sparkler to burn out so quickly. Touching her nose in slight embarrassment, she said, “I was about to become a great artist.”

“Try again.” Fu Shizhe took another sparkler from the box, lit it, and handed it to her.

As she aimlessly drew patterns in the air, Yun Li’s focus was on Fu Shizhe’s distracted expression. Wondering if he was bored, she tried to make conversation: “Have you played with these before?”

Fu Shizhe seemed to snap back to reality: “Yeah, with my childhood friend.”

Yun Li asked, “Is it President Xu?”

Fu Shizhe replied, “No.”

The two fell into silence again. Fu Shizhe stood up and walked a few steps to lean against a tree trunk.

He didn’t do much else, just waited for Yun Li’s sparkler to go out before lighting another one and handing it to her, the rest of the time as silent as a shadow.

Yun Li mused, “My only childhood friend is my brother…” Remembering her unpredictable interactions with Yun Ye, she found herself amused.

Fu Shizhe didn’t say anything.

When Yun Li turned around, she noticed he was standing under a tree, half his face obscured by shadow.

Realizing his mood wasn’t great, Yun Li also chose to remain silent.

After escorting her downstairs, Fu Shizhe nodded at her and then turned to leave.

She watched his retreating figure for a long time.

If just a second ago, Yun Li felt like she was in warm spring waters, the next second was like returning to icy mountains.

She carefully thought about the day’s conversation but couldn’t find any clues.

After returning, Yun Li’s fever persisted, and this time she didn’t dare to be stubborn and took a few days off for sick leave. Deng Chuqi planned to visit her, and to keep her from boredom, he brought Xia Congsheng and a few others over to Yun Li’s place for hotpot.

The two left work and came straight from the company, while Fu Shizhe and Fu Zhengchu, who lived closer, went to the mall to buy ingredients and arrived at Qilixiang Community by six o’clock.

Fu Zhengchu, carrying a bunch of stuff, huffed into the apartment and took out a box of chocolates for Yun Li: “Li Li, the door-breaking last time was an accident, don’t take it to heart.”

Deng Chuqi couldn’t help but tease: “It seems college is tough, a few days away and you’re already up to illegal activities.”

Fu Zhengchu shamelessly retorted, “No, no, Uncle taught me.”

Fu Shizhe: “…”

“Good thing it was Fu Zhengchu who picked the lock, I don’t even have to change it,” Yun Li said with a lifted corner of her mouth, “But still, thank you for going to such lengths to help.”

Fu Zhengchu, not used to serious thanks from others, blushed and smiled shyly.

“But Li Li, this cold seems pretty severe, are you okay?”

Xia Congsheng chimed in: “Yeah, Li Li, but they say fools never catch colds. My brother hasn’t had a cold in almost ten years, whereas Uncle often gets sick, he had a bad cold half a month ago, right?”

The conversation shifted to Fu Shizhe, who nodded nonchalantly.

His health did seem fragile, his eyes heavy with fatigue, always giving the impression of chronic sleep deprivation.

For their first visit, everyone brought Yun Li gifts, and Fu Shizhe brought two bottles of exquisite sparkling wine, each with a dark red bow tied around the neck.

Fu Zhengchu clicked his tongue: “The older generation is different, liking to drink…” He paused, “It feels a bit decadent.”

The seemingly attacking words didn’t affect Fu Shizhe, who appeared to be in a much better mood than when he last said goodbye.

After a couple of anxious days, Yun Li finally relaxed.

Deng Chuqi checked the items: meat, vegetables, meatballs, tofu products, and hotpot condiments were all ready, and just needed washing.

With limited kitchen space, Deng Chuqi and Xia Congsheng washed the items inside. The other three sat in the living room picking vegetables.

The two men, inexperienced in cooking, hadn’t thought much when buying groceries and chose the most labor-intensive vegetables: water spinach and green beans.

After dividing the tasks, Fu Shizhe placed two baskets of greens on the table and looked at Yun Li: “Do you know how to pick these?”

Yun Li nodded.

Fu Shizhe pushed the basket towards her: “Teach me.”

“Oh…”

Since meeting him, Yun Li always felt that with Fu Shizhe’s intelligence, there couldn’t possibly be anything he didn’t know how to do.