Chapter 21

“I could send it, but he might not reply to me.” Yun Li said softly, her voice getting quieter, “I asked for his contact information before, and he didn’t give it to me…”

“That was before, it doesn’t mean it’ll be the same in the future,” Deng Chuqi consoled her. “Besides, Li Li, am I right to guess that you’ve liked him since the moment you asked for his contact information?”

Yun Li didn’t respond, just lowered her head and fiddled with a small soccer ball in her hands.

“Have you ever expressed your feelings to him?”

Yun Li shook her head.

“Do you think he knows?”

Yun Li shook her head again, “He seems to see me as a junior, just like Fu Zhengchu, treating me quite normally.” Remembering the over a hundred unanswered messages, Yun Li said gloomily, “If he knew, he might never talk to me again.”

Knowing Yun Li’s personality, Deng Chuqi felt a bit sorry for her: “Have you been proactive at all?”

Yun Li immediately said, “I have.”

“How have you been proactive? Tell me.”

“I talked to him…”

“And then?”

“Just, talked…”

“…”

Probably feeling that Yun Li didn’t stand a chance with her personality, Deng Chuqi began to suggest giving up: “Let’s just give up early. Xiaxia’s Uncle isn’t all that great, aside from having a decent face and a good family background.

“Moreover, he doesn’t exactly have a good temper, does he? Always cold-faced, you can’t even talk to him properly, making it look like a silent movie between you two.”

As soon as she finished, she saw Yun Li staring at her, looking unhappy, “He’s just not talkative. You can’t speak of him like that. He’s a good person.”

Deng Chuqi was stunned, taking a while to figure out how Fu Shizhe’s ascetic, icy demeanor matched that description.

“Li Li, is it possible,” choosing her words carefully to avoid hurting her feelings, “that you’re just attracted to his looks? You’ll get tired of a face after a while; compatibility is what truly matters in a relationship.”

Yun Li shook her head, saying, “If it’s Fu Shizhe’s face, I could look at it for a lifetime.”

Deng Chuqi: “What if, in the future, that face can only be looked at by another woman, could you accept that?”

Yun Li remembered the night Fu Shizhe silently watched her play with fireworks.

Thinking of such scenes happening with him and another woman, Yun Li felt like her breath was being cut off.

She looked at Deng Chuqi, pondered for a moment, and asked, “So, do you think I should pursue him?”

Deng Chuqi nodded affirmatively.

“Do you think I have a high chance of success?”

Deng Chuqi nodded, “You might have a 0.1% chance.”

“…”

Yun Li only had experiences of being pursued. During her undergraduate years, some boys expressed their interest, buying her small gifts and asking her out, all of which she declined.

Yun Li had no intention of developing anything and didn’t like spending time with people she wasn’t close to, leaving her with unpleasant memories from those pursuits.

Deng Chuqi, who was more carefree in relationships, couldn’t offer Yun Li any advice.

They searched online for a lot of advice, most of which suggested playing hard to get – not being too direct, creating opportunities, and waiting for the other person to develop feelings before making a move.

Yun Li could imagine if she confessed to Fu Shizhe now, his reaction would likely be an outright rejection, followed by less contact in the future.

As it was nearing 9 p.m., and Deng Chuqi was about to leave, she asked Yun Li if she wanted to video call Xia Congsheng, who might still be at Fu Shizhe’s house.

Yun Li’s initial reaction was to refuse, but under Deng Chuqi’s gaze, she reluctantly agreed.

Before calling, Yun Li fixed her hair. This time was different; it was like she had resolved to pursue Fu Shizhe. As the phone rang, Yun Li’s heart fluttered, her mind racing through countless possibilities of failure.

Before she could hang up, Fu Zhengchu answered.

It was obvious from the background and style of the photo that Fu Zhengchu hadn’t gone back yet.

“Li Li, my sister’s phone is with me. I don’t know where she went.” Fu Zhengchu stood up, looked around, and then returned to the camera.

“Are you still eating? It looks lively over there.” Deng Chuqi said a few words noncommittally.

Fu Zhengchu started telling them about the dinner party, but within two minutes, Deng Chuqi interrupted him, asking, “Who’s there?”

“Uncle and Xu Qingsong are here. Oh, do you want to say hi to them?” After saying this, Fu Zhengchu stood up, not looking at the camera, apparently walking upstairs.

Deng Chuqi nudged the phone, leaving most of the screen to Yun Li.

Fu Zhengchu went up to the second floor, walked down a corridor, and then the camera flipped to a room.

In the video, Fu Shizhe could be seen sitting on the bed, his tie loosened and some buttons undone.

Xu QingSong stood by, both looking towards the camera. Fu Shizhe took a puff of his cigarette, a wisp of grey smoke flickering in the frame.

He frowned slightly and said to Fu Zhengchu, “Turn off the recording.”

“I’m video calling Li Li and Chuqi. Uncle, say hi.”

Since Fu Zhengchu had been holding the screen towards himself since entering the room, Fu Shizhe thought he was recording.

He immediately put out his cigarette, looking slightly uneasy.

As the camera got closer, his expressionless face suddenly filled the screen.

He didn’t say a word, making Fu Zhengchu a bit awkward. Fu Zhengchu turned the camera back: “Li Li, don’t mind him. Uncle is just not very polite…”

“I haven’t seen anyone. How am I supposed to say hi?”

“I forgot,” Fu Zhengchu said. Then Yun Li saw the screen rotate 180 degrees, and Fu Shizhe’s face appeared again.

Yun Li noticed that the previously undone buttons were now fastened.

Yun Li waited a moment and, seeing he didn’t speak, took the initiative to say, “Long time no see.”

The moment she said it, Yun Li regretted it.

After all… they had just seen each other a few days ago.

Fu Shizhe didn’t linger, hummed in acknowledgment, and handed the phone back to Fu Zhengchu.

Yun Li was almost broken by his indifferent coldness.

A few seconds later, Yun Li heard Xu QingSong say, “I heard Sang Yan opened a bar, called Work Overtime Bar. Want to check it out?”

Fu Zhengchu responded, “It’s a bit late, I have class tomorrow.”

Xu QingSong laughed, “I wasn’t inviting you.”

“No way, I’m going too.” Fu Zhengchu looked back at the camera, telling Yun Li, “Li Li, we’re going out. I’ll have my sister call you back later.”

As the call was about to end, Yun Li blurted out, “Are you going to Work Overtime Bar?”

She paused, then said, “We’re heading there in a bit. Heard it’s doing well, want us to save you a table? It’s Sunday today, so it’ll probably be packed.”

Initially, Fu Zhengchu also wanted to invite them but thought it was too late. After hearing Yun Li’s offer, they agreed to meet at Work Overtime Bar at ten.

Yun Li didn’t know about Work Overtime Bar. After hanging up, she looked it up online. It was across from Shang’an Square, a 30-minute drive away.

The bar was famous on Nanwu City’s bar street, its decor more akin to a barber shop, with a black background sign and the shop name in bright white.

They reserved a large booth, and the others arrived a quarter of an hour later. Fu Zhengchu naturally sat next to Yun Li.

Everyone was still in their day clothes, just with ties removed. Fu Zhengchu loosened his collar and passed the drink menu to Yun Li and Deng Chuqi to look at first.

Yun Li rarely went to bars and had no idea about the fancy names on the menu, so she randomly picked a drink.

Looking at Fu Shizhe, he was sitting diagonally in front of Yun Li, leaning back in his seat, appearing quite relaxed.

Deng Chuqi asked, “Was it a family dinner today? Was it Uncle’s mother’s birthday?”

Xia Congsheng laughed, “Yes, my great-aunt likes organizing these family gatherings. Plus, many close relatives are classmates from way back and have always been close.”

The term “great-aunt” always gave the impression of someone quite elderly.

Noticing her confusion, Xia Congsheng offered a brief explanation: “My great-aunt and great-uncle are professors at XiFu Sci-Tech University. They’re quite career-oriented and had children late, so my Uncle is younger than me.”

Just then, the drinks arrived, and everyone picked up their glasses to toast. Yun Li followed suit and took a sip, only to feel a burning sensation that brought tears to her eyes instantly.

The liquor was too spicy.

No wonder her glass had only three centimeters at the bottom. Was it pure alcohol?

After composing herself and holding back the tears, Yun Li breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that no one had noticed her embarrassing reaction.

Several more rounds of drinks were served, all ordered by Fu Zhengchu.

Yun Li, mindful of his alcohol tolerance, couldn’t help but say, “Fu Zhengchu, drink less.”

“Li Li, since we’re out having fun, we should enjoy ourselves to the fullest,” Fu Zhengchu pushed a few glasses toward Yun Li. “Want to give it a try?”

Yun Li helplessly shook her head.

After the first round, Xu QingSong stood up, saying he was going to greet the owner of the bar. Fu Shizhe didn’t follow and instead sat down at the bar by himself.

Deng Chuqi nudged Yun Li’s waist.

Taking the hint, Yun Li excused herself, saying her drink wasn’t very good, and went to the bar to get another one.

When Yun Li got there, she found Fu Shizhe playing dice at the bar. His way of playing was odd; he’d shake three dice, take a look, then four, then five, shaking more each time until he reached a certain number before starting over.

Just as she was about to approach him, a slender woman suddenly appeared next to him, leaning on the bar and staring intently at Fu Shizhe.

“Handsome, can I get you to buy me a drink?”

Yun Li had mustered the courage to approach, but someone else had beaten her to it, leaving her standing there, stunned.

Fu Shizhe continued to shake the dice, not saying a word.

The woman repeated her request, “Can I?” Seeing his cold response, she reached out to touch Fu Shizhe’s collar.

Thinking she was going to touch his face, Yun Li blurted out instinctively, “Auntie, wait a second.”

“…”

Interrupted, the woman frowned and turned to Yun Li with an unfriendly tone: “Little girl, there’s a thing called first-come, first-served in flirting, you know?”

“And who are you calling auntie?”

The woman turned around, her anger about to peak when Yun Li pursed her lips and said, “He’s my friend.”

Yun Li pointed to their booth and said, “We have a lot of people over there, and they’re all students. Auntie, please don’t pressure my friend into buying you a drink, or I’ll call our counselor.”

“…”

The woman seemed speechless and walked away with her drink in hand.

This interruption disrupted Yun Li’s original plan. As she was debating whether to return to the booth, Fu Shizhe glanced at the empty seat next to him and spoke softly, “Sit here.”