Upgrading the seat cost 500 yuan, which was within Yun Li’s budget.

Spending a small fortune to spend two more hours with Fu Shizhe left Yun Li feeling like her soul had been drained.

As she walked out, heart aching, she saw Fu Shizhe standing amidst the crowd, his presence striking, waiting for her.

Yun Li realized it was actually worth it.

Entering the departure area, they bought coffee and found a spot near the boarding gate to sit down.

Fu Shizhe pulled the hood of his coat over his head, leaning back against the chair, head lowered.

Thinking he was asleep, Yun Li didn’t disturb him.

She played on her phone by herself.

After a few minutes, Yun Li turned off her phone screen.

She placed her phone on her lap, stealthily adjusted the angle, and used the reflection to sneak a peek at Fu Shizhe.

The person on the screen suddenly looked over.

Yun Li’s breath hitched, and she put her phone away, pretending nothing had happened.

Fu Shizhe said in a low, husky voice, “If you can see me, I can see you too.”

Why did she ever think Fu Shizhe wouldn’t call her out?

Yun Li defended herself, “I just wanted to see if you were asleep.”

“I’m not.” The reply was straightforward.

Fu Shizhe didn’t plan to continue sleeping, so Yun Li opened E Station and played a few videos for him. He responded half-heartedly. Sitting close together, Yun Li remembered the little surprise she had prepared for him a few days ago. Biting her lower lip, she asked, “Did you see the thing I slipped in for you?”

Seeing Fu Shizhe’s lack of expression, she had a bad feeling, “It had a moon on it, and I also slipped in a sticky note.”

“What did it say?” Fu Shizhe sipped his coffee, his eyes downcast, giving nothing away. Seeing Yun Li’s silence, he looked up, “Tell me.”

“…”

Yun Li was anxious enough to stomp her feet. She asked, “Did you throw away the brochure?”

Fu Shizhe replied, “I did.”

“Forget it…” Yun Li grumbled as she scrolled through her phone, tapping her heel on the ground.

After boarding, Yun Li was delighted to find herself seated next to Fu Shizhe.

The plane encountered turbulence, with the flight attendants making several announcements. Due to the pressure, Yun Li’s right ear couldn’t hear the announcements clearly.

Yun Li saw the dark, heavy clouds outside the cabin, the lightning and thunder seemingly striking the plane, making her close her eyes in fright.

Her first thought was that she hadn’t bought flight insurance this time.

Feeling uneasy and unable to hear the announcements, Yun Li glanced out the window, hesitated, and then poked Fu Shizhe’s arm.

Fu Shizhe moved slightly, pulling his eye mask up a bit.

Yun Li asked, “Is the plane in trouble?”

Fu Shizhe turned and said a few words, but Yun Li could only see his lips move, unable to hear him.

Fu Shizhe repeated several times. Seeing Yun Li’s confused expression, he leaned in close to her ear.

Yun Li couldn’t hear his words but felt the warmth and moisture in her ear.

Her neck and face heated up.

The cabin lights dimmed, the seats shook, and the roaring sound echoed in her ears. With all senses focused, Yun Li felt the warm, moist breath repeatedly on her right ear.

Thump, thump.

Her heart raced to its limit. Yun Li couldn’t help but turn her face away, whispering, “I still can’t hear you.”

Fu Shizhe sighed.

She turned her back in a fluster, taking a long time to calm down before turning back. She touched her right ear; it didn’t feel as hot anymore.

Sitting upright, Yun Li turned to see Fu Shizhe had removed his eye mask. He leaned against the cabin, looking out the window with disinterest, the lightning reflecting in his eyes, unaffected.

Yun Li asked, “Aren’t you scared at all?”

Fu Shizhe shook his head.

Yun Li said, “I’m a bit scared. Can you talk to me? If you talk, I won’t be scared.”

Fu Shizhe opened their WeChat chat, typed, “You can’t hear me,” and handed it to her to see.

With the phone in airplane mode and no signal, an exclamation mark on the screen indicated the message failed to send.

Yun Li, “Then let’s chat through text messages.”

Talking to oneself felt a bit odd. Yun Li took Fu Shizhe’s phone and typed on the same screen, “The plane is shaking so badly, it feels like it’s going to fall.”

She looked up and saw Fu Shizhe had saved her contact as ‘Yun Li Li.’

The three characters strung together seemed almost cutesy.

Yun Li, “My name is Yun Li. Have you been getting my name wrong all this time?”

Fu Shizhe took the phone back, “Yeah.”

But he showed no intention of changing the contact name.

Yun Li, “Then let’s keep this name. It sounds pretty good.”

Fu Shizhe, “Yeah.”

Yun Li, “Can we go back together later? I was thinking of carpooling, it’s a bit expensive to take a cab this late.”

Fu Shizhe didn’t reply immediately after taking the phone.

Yun Li watched him, and after a few seconds, he typed something and handed the phone back to her.

Fu Shizhe, “Xu QingSong will pick us up and drop you off.”

The two passed the phone back and forth dozens of times, perhaps out of boredom, and Fu Shizhe didn’t seem to tire of it.

Yun Li accidentally hit the back button, and the second chat window on the WeChat main screen was the same Lin WanYin she had seen before, still showing 99+ unread messages, with the most recent message visible: “I’ll come to see you next month.”

When the plane landed, Xu QingSong was already in the parking lot, wearing a sky-blue shirt. He greeted them with a leisurely smile, still looking every bit the graceful gentleman, and slowly opened the car door for Yun Li.

As soon as she got in the car, Xu QingSong asked, “How was the trip?”

Seeing Fu Shizhe didn’t speak, he raised his tone, “Well?”

Fu Shizhe, sounding sleepy, “It was okay.”

Seeing he was very tired, Xu QingSong didn’t ask further and first dropped Yun Li off at Qilixiang Community.

As the car door closed, Yun Li looked at the person inside, solitary and thin.

The close contact of the past few days came to an abrupt end.

Back in Nanwu after the internship, Yun Li and Fu Shizhe didn’t cross paths much at work. The HR department took care of nearly all the company’s miscellaneous tasks. Aside from seeking Fu Shizhe out during tea breaks, Yun Li spent most of her energy on work.

Her interactions with Fu Shizhe gradually returned to routine.

Yun Li, “Want to have dinner together tonight?”

Fu Shizhe, “No.”

Or—

Yun Li, “I brought you a small cake. I’ll bring it over now.”

Fu Shizhe, “No.”

Or—

Yun Li, “Want to go get a coffee together?”

Fu Shizhe, “No.”

Every refusal was a succinct “No.” Yun Li even wondered if he was using an auto-reply.

Because of this, Yun Li changed her approach, “Are we eating separately for dinner?”

Fu Shizhe, “Yeah.”

“…”

Yun Li didn’t mind Fu Shizhe’s various explicit and implicit rejections, inviting him seemed to become a daily habit.

After knocking on Fu Shizhe’s office door many times, Fu Shizhe found answering the door tiresome. Finally, one time when Yun Li came to deliver coffee, Fu Shizhe opened the door for her and unprecedentedly said, “Just come in next time, no need to knock.”

…

On a Saturday morning, Deng Chuqi sent a message, “Can I come over to your place today?”

Deng Chuqi, “Xiaxia went back home.”

Yun Li replied directly, “Sure, just come over.”

Just around mealtime, Yun Li timed it perfectly, and as soon as Deng Chuqi arrived, two bowls of wonton noodles were ready.

“Li Li is so nice, you might as well marry me.” Deng Chuqi washed his hands upon entering and then sat down at the dining table.

Yun Li feigned indifference, “My heart belongs to another, please find someone else.”

“Such a heartless woman.” Deng Chuqi pouted.

The two chatted for quite a while, with the conversation largely revolving around Yun Li’s pursuit of Fu Shizhe. Unable to keep it a secret any longer, Yun Li frankly admitted the previous rejections she had faced.

It was like being on the gallows as Yun Li recounted the whole ordeal of that day.

Deng Chuqi’s expression was blank for several seconds before she exclaimed, “Damn,” her face a picture of shock: “Li Li, so you confessed your feelings to him?”

Yun Li nodded.

Deng Chuqi: “And he rejected you?”

Yun Li nodded again.

“Damn, he rejected you? He can’t be gay like Fu Zhengchu said!” Deng Chuqi was indignant, but seeing Yun Li’s displeasure, she toned down her emotions and continued, “I never imagined you could be so bold.”

Yun Li didn’t feel complimented: “Indeed, it was a bold move.”

Deng Chuqi silently ate a few bites of her noodles, then hesitantly spoke up, “Li Li, actually Xiaxia told me some things about her Uncle.”

Yun Li was puzzled: “What about him?”

“Well… it seems like he had some trouble in college and then he dropped out.”

Yun Li clarified, “He took a leave of absence, not dropped out. I know about it, but not the reasons.”

“From what Xiaxia implied, Fu Shizhe wasn’t always like this, but he went downhill after that incident, and now his job is just a cushy position arranged by his parents.”

Yun Li nodded, smiling awkwardly, “Such a leisurely and well-paid job is quite enviable.”

Deng Chuqi clicked her tongue in disdain, but seeing Yun Li unaffected, she earnestly advised, “Who knows how long he’ll be in this state. Li Li, we shouldn’t suffer so much in our first love.”

Yun Li countered, “It’s not like we’re in a relationship yet.”

Knowing Deng Chuqi meant well, Yun Li sincerely explained, “It’s okay, I can tell from many details that he’s a good person.”

Seeing Yun Li unmoved, Deng Chuqi found it amusing, “When I urged you to take the initiative, you ignored me. Now when I suggest you give up, you still ignore me.”

Yun Li quipped, “That just shows you’re not good at reading the room.”

Deng Chuqi knew Yun Li was stubborn and didn’t push further. After chatting for a while, she suddenly brought up changing jobs, “I’m planning to quit.”

Deng Chuqi was visibly upset, “The company’s leadership is a bit idiotic. The boss, who has a wife and kids, was hitting on me in the office, which disgusted me. I cussed him out and he started sabotaging my work. Xiaxia suggested her boss could transfer me, but I went ahead and flipped that old lecher’s desk. We’ll see how it goes. My dad wants me to find a job back in XiFu, but I’m considering applying for a master’s abroad.”

Yun Li hadn’t realized it was such a serious matter and squeezed her palm to comfort her, “Are you okay?”

Deng Chuqi shook her head, continued to vent about work, and after seeing her off, Yun Li reflected on what she had said.

Yun Li had been at EAW for a while now, but Xu QingSong’s personal style was rather lax, creating an easygoing atmosphere at EAW. Her role in the HR department was basically running errands.

In truth, Yun Li still didn’t know what the real world was like.

…

Before going home, Yun Li asked her dormmate Tang Lin to pick up the winter semester’s textbooks. Tang Lin and Yun Li rarely stayed on campus and had only communicated a few times via WeChat, mostly about paying utility bills and picking up parcels.

After retrieving the textbooks, Tang Lin left them in her lab, telling Yun Li to pick them up when she had a chance.

For the first two weeks of classes, Yun Li hadn’t brought her books and was completely lost. After working on homework until 10:30 PM on Friday, staring at a bunch of incomprehensible formulas, Yun Li realized she couldn’t keep fumbling through and informed Tang Lin she would come to get the books.

Before winter, Nanwu had a week of continuous rain. The night air was damp and piercingly cold. Yun Li carried an empty backpack and wore a thick wool coat. Once outside, the cold wind chilled her cheeks, so she went back upstairs to add a cashmere scarf.

The road from Qilixiang Community to Nanwu Institute of Technology University was brightly lit, the warm lights piercing through the dense mist, bringing clarity.

It was past eleven, and there were hardly any people near the lab building. Not even a security guard could be seen in the deserted lobby, only the cold white light remained.

The elevator was quietly waiting on the first floor. Yun Li entered and pressed the button for the third floor.

While waiting, Yun Li took out her phone to check it.

Clang—

Yun Li: “…”

She had heard from other students that the elevator in Building E of the academy would malfunction from time to time. Yun Li, who rarely visited, hadn’t taken these stories to heart.

Now forced into an unexpected encounter, Yun Li sighed and pressed the elevator’s alarm bell.

She anxiously searched on her phone for “what to do if trapped in an elevator,” and even came across several elevator accidents in the search results.

Ten minutes passed before Yun Li realized that no one had responded to the alarm.

Yun Li looked down and opened the chat with Fu Shizhe: “A man in City B was trapped in an elevator and died on the spot when the elevator suddenly shot upward while waiting for rescue.”

Yun Li: “A resident in City C fell to their death in the elevator shaft during a rescue attempt.”

After sending these two messages out of context, Fu Shizhe replied with three words: “What’s wrong?”

Yun Li: “I’m trapped in an elevator qaq.”

Fu Shizhe: “Press the alarm bell.”

Yun Li: “I did, but nobody came.”

Fu Shizhe: “There should be a sign in the elevator with an emergency contact number.”

Yun Li looked up, found it, and dialed.

No answer.

Yun Li tried a few more times, with the same result.

Yun Li: “No one’s answering.”

Fu Shizhe: “Where are you?”

Without much thought, Yun Li sent her location: “In the elevator on the first floor of Building E, Control College, Nanwu Institute of Technology University.”

After waiting a few minutes without a reply from Fu Shizhe, she began to worry, wondering when someone would come.

Yun Li pressed the alarm bell again and continued to dial the emergency contact number.

After several futile attempts and hesitation about whether to call the police, she switched back to WeChat and discovered a new message from Fu Shizhe: “I’m on my way now.”

Knowing that Fu Shizhe was coming, Yun Li’s anxiety eased significantly. She put away her phone and leaned quietly in the corner of the elevator, waiting.

The feeling now was less like being trapped in an elevator and more like waiting for someone to join her for a meal.

Except, she was the one who had arrived early.

Another quarter of an hour passed.

Finally, the intercom in the elevator spoke up, “Is anyone there?”

Yun Li quickly responded, “Yes, I’m stuck in the elevator.”

“Don’t panic, try not to move. We’ve already sent maintenance personnel,” came the reply.

“Okay,” Yun Li acknowledged.

When the elevator doors opened again, both the maintenance staff and the duty guard were outside. The guard kept apologizing to Yun Li, explaining that he had gone to the restroom and hadn’t heard the alarm bell, and he hoped Yun Li wouldn’t report him to the management.

Yun Li hadn’t planned to do so, but being trapped for half an hour before anyone arrived was indeed a lapse on their part. She said, “It’s fine, just make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Passing by the guard, Yun Li saw Fu Shizhe standing behind him, looking as if he had rushed over, his hair tousled by the wind, his trench coat zipper undone, leaning against the wall behind him.

Yun Li approached somewhat guiltily.

She hadn’t actually expected Fu Shizhe to come. When she first realized she was trapped, she didn’t feel in danger. After understanding the construction and operation of elevators, she thought the chances of an accident were even smaller than that of a car crash.

Her message to Fu Shizhe was simply to share her little adventure.

Embarrassed, Yun Li spoke up, “I’m sorry for troubling you to come out this late.”

Fu Shizhe glanced at her, “I came on my own.”

It wasn’t at your request, that I decided to come on my own.

“…”

As if afraid someone else would take the credit.

“Anyway, thank you for coming tonight,” Yun Li said. Then, remembering the purpose of her visit, she added, “I need to go to the third floor to get some books, can you come with me?”

Without a word, Fu Shizhe headed towards the stairs. Yun Li quickly went ahead to lead the way.

The lights in both the stairwell and the corridors were off. Since the elevator had stopped on the second floor, they just needed to go up one more level.

Reaching Tang Lin’s lab, Yun Li took the hidden access card from beside the fire hydrant as instructed, swiped it to open the door, and found the second cabinet on the right. She took out a few new books from the top shelf and snapped a photo to send to Tang Lin: “I’ve taken them.”

Tang Lin replied with a simple: “ok.”

Only then did Yun Li put the books into her backpack.

Fu Shizhe waited at the door, and when Yun Li came out of the office, she turned off the lights there too. The entire floor was plunged back into darkness.

The silence was amplified in the dark, and after the sound of electricity disappeared, all that could be heard was the echo of their footsteps.

Realizing they were alone together, Yun Li’s breathing became irregular again.

It felt spontaneous, yet also like a long-held desire.

She really wanted to get even closer to this source of warmth beside her.

This desire to draw near was even greater than the longing for the warmth of a bed on a cold winter morning.

Yun Li walked beside Fu Shizhe, inching closer and closer.

Bit by bit.

Her courage flickered on and off.

Until she touched the sleeve of Fu Shizhe’s coat.

Feeling him pause, Yun Li quickly explained, “It’s too dark here, I can’t see the path, and we still have to go down the stairs later.”

“Mmm.”