Chapter 37

Was it just her imagination?

Yun Li couldn’t tell.

…

Yun Li received a call from Yang Fang.

“Your brother has been coming home lately and not really playing on his phone, just sitting at his desk. Has something upset him?”

Yun Li immediately thought of Yun Ye’s puppy love and dryly said, “I don’t think so. Mom, don’t worry about it.”

Yang Fang expressed her concern, “Can you ask your brother how he’s been? I’m worried he can’t handle the stress if he’s studying too much.”

Yun Li: “…”

It probably had nothing to do with studying.

Not daring to explain, Yun Li agreed: “Okay, I’ll ask him.”

Yun Li also felt it was time to talk to Yun Ye about this, so she made a video call to him.

When the call connected, the handsome young face appeared on the screen, his lips unwillingly turned down, “You don’t even read the messages I send you.”

Yun Li: “Oh, really?”

She scrolled through the chat history. After her last message to Yun Ye saying “Yun Ye, I admire you so much!!!”, he indeed replied several times over the next few days.

Yun Ye: “?”

A day later.

Yun Ye: “??”

Two days later.

Yun Ye: “???”

…

Previously, Yun Li had been so preoccupied with her emotional problems that she hadn’t paid much attention to Yun Ye’s uninformative responses.

Remembering that Yin Yucheng had made a special trip that day, Yun Li pursed her lips, “Oh, I got busy and forgot about this. When I messaged you, Yin’s brother came to me, saying you send Yin two postcards every week—” Yun Li said sarcastically, “You must be too busy to need your sister to reply, right?”

Yun Ye: “…”

Yun Ye: “How did he know I sent them?”

Yun Li felt speechless: “Yun Ye, can’t you be a bit more tactful in pursuing someone? Over twenty postcards, and they all have the same handwriting at a glance. The brother even came to me!”

After a long silence, Yun Ye burst out, “Damn, her brother snooped through my letters.”

“…”

Yun Li: “Well, I also think he might have snooped.”

Yun Ye angrily said: “Damn, that’s so shameless.”

Thinking it over, Yun Li agreed, “Damn, it is a bit.”

Yun Ye quickly accepted the reality, discontentedly saying: “How come you’re only telling me about this now?”

“I’m telling you I forgot,” Yun Li didn’t feel sorry at all, instead she earnestly advised, “What you’re doing could affect the girl’s grades, Yun Ye, we still need to, you know, tone it down a bit.”

Yun Ye: “No, Yun Li! Someone snooped through my letters! Aren’t you going to stand up for me?”

“Oh.” Yun Li didn’t pick up on his cue, switching the subject, “Also, originally you said it was from the whole class. I thought you were so bold, I misunderstood you.”

Yun Ye turned his head away, refusing to look at the camera, his voice slightly annoyed, “Mind your own business.”

Unintimidated by his tone, Yun Li considered the return on Yun Ye’s investment in this behavior, reminding him, “What if she thinks the postcards are from someone else after you’ve sent so many?”

He appeared indifferent, “As long as she receives them, it’s fine.”

Seeing his impervious demeanor, Yun Li felt a pang of empathy, “Yun Ye, blindly giving will only hurt yourself in the end, you know that, right? You need to love yourself more.”

Yun Ye: “…”

Yun Ye: “Why are you suddenly saying this?”

Yun Li: “…”

Yun Li: “I’m just offering advice as someone who’s been there…”

Yun Ye: “Does that brother not like you?”

After a pause, Yun Li ignored the question, “Let’s continue with your situation. It seems their family isn’t planning to interfere, as long as it doesn’t affect your studies, they just came to me to confirm this.”

Relieved that his biggest concern was addressed, Yun Ye relaxed and showed a smile unique to youth, “So, can I still send her postcards in the future?”

Yun Li immediately distanced herself, “I don’t support puppy love, and I won’t give you money for postage.”

She suddenly remembered the reason for the call, “Oh right, Mom just called me, saying you don’t play on your phone anymore and sit at your desk as soon as you get home.”

Yun Ye grumbled, “Not playing on the phone is a good thing, what is she thinking?”

“Just a heads-up for you, be aware of it yourself.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Yun Li saw that Yang Fang had sent her two more messages.

One was a photo of Yun Ye’s report card.

The other read: “What should you do if your brother gets sick? [cry]”

Yun Li opened the report card.

It really hadn’t been affected at all.

Yun Li then opened Yun Ye’s chat and sent him a red packet worth two hundred. After a moment’s thought, she added a note below: “For food.”

As the day to go to the guesthouse approached, Yun Li couldn’t help but feel increasingly anxious.

She had arranged with Fu Zhengchu in advance that after finishing work at EAW on Friday, Xu QingSong would pick her up from the apartment to shop at the nearby supermarket before driving to the guesthouse.

No one had told her whether Fu Shizhe would be going.

After work, Yun Li returned to her apartment to grab her luggage.

Fu Shizhe’s baseball cap was still on the desk. These past few days, she occasionally bumped into Fu Shizhe in the break room and didn’t feel like going out of her way to find him again just to return it. After dragging it out for so long, she still hadn’t given it back.

Maybe he would be there too.

Yun Li packed the cap in her bag, and when she went downstairs, Xu QingSong’s car was already parked outside. The window rolled down to reveal Xu QingSong in the driver’s seat and Fu Zhengchu in the passenger seat.

Yun Li breathed a sigh of relief and was about to open the car door when it opened from the inside. Looking down, she saw Fu Shizhe’s figure; he had only a black bag placed on the side of the door.

Fu Shizhe moved over a bit to give her space to sit.

“…”

Yun Li feigned composure as she bent down and slid into the car. The seat was still warm from him, and she placed her bag in the empty space between them.

Xu QingSong turned to greet Yun Li. Today, he wore a cotton-linen floral shirt in beige and brick red, layered with a solid-colored blazer.

Noticing Yun Li’s lingering gaze, he didn’t shy away, asking, “What’s up?”

Yun Li averted her eyes, “I just noticed your shirts are always so bright, not many people wear them.” She wasn’t very good at giving compliments, so she vaguely added, “They all look pretty good.”

Hearing this, Xu QingSong laughed, “Really? I thought Shizhe’s clothes were too monotonous and wanted to give him a few sets, but he refused.”

The conversation turned to Fu Shizhe, and Yun Li’s inquiring tone became a bit unnatural, “Oh, why…”

Xu QingSong glanced at Fu Shizhe in the rearview mirror, teasing, “I don’t know, maybe he thought they were ugly.”

As the subject of discussion, Fu Shizhe himself didn’t comment, only lifting his eyelids when mentioned.

Taking this chance, Yun Li looked at him. He was dressed in a white shirt and light gray slacks, topped with a black wool coat.

After driving a few kilometers, they arrived at a large supermarket nearby.

Just as they got on the elevator, Yun Li quickly said, “Fu Zhengchu, I’ll go with you,” and left the other two behind, grabbing a shopping cart for Fu Zhengchu and heading straight for the snack aisle.

Looking at the array of snacks, Fu Zhengchu tossed several bags of large potato chips into the cart. Seeing Xu QingSong and Fu Shizhe at a distance, he leaned closer to Yun Li, “Li Li, today I specifically sat in the passenger seat!”

“…”

No wonder Fu Shizhe was sitting in the back today; normally, he would be in the passenger seat helping Xu QingSong watch the road.

Fu Zhengchu never forgot his mission to assist, “Li Li, I saw your latest video with a drone. Was it for Uncle?”

The person in front of her had clear eyes, showing pure concern for a friend. Yun Li didn’t want to lie, so she straightforwardly said, “Yes…” She paused, “But I’m not planning to give it anymore.”

Fu Zhengchu wasn’t surprised, speaking casually, “Why, Li Li, did you guys have a fight? You seem to be ignoring Uncle lately.”

“No… I just decided not to give it.” Yun Li immediately denied it, her gaze heavy on the chocolate bar in her hand.

Fu Zhengchu appeared to be picking snacks but was anxious.

He had made several group invitations, both of which had been declined. After getting in the car, neither of them greeted each other, and at the supermarket, Yun Li refused to go with Fu Shizhe.

Even if Fu Zhengchu was somewhat slow, he knew something was off between them.

Yun Li wasn’t a child and didn’t want to make a big deal out of this, so she cautiously asked, “Do I seem like I’m ignoring him?”

Fu Zhengchu earnestly replied, “Yes.” He emphasized, “And it’s quite obvious.”

“…”

Fu Zhengchu, “Did Uncle do something to upset you?”

Yun Li struggled for a long time, unable to voice her thoughts of giving up on Fu Zhengchu. She asked quietly, “Does your Uncle have a girl he’s known for a long time, someone he’s close to?”

Fu Zhengchu exclaimed in shock, “Li Li, are you worried Uncle might have someone else?”

“…”

It sounded like she was catching a mistress.

“That’s impossible.” Fu Zhengchu racked his brain but couldn’t think of anyone, concluding, “All the women Uncle has known for a long time are relatives, all blood-related. Uncle was raised well; it’s just not possible.”

Fu Zhengchu was adamant, and Yun Li, feeling puzzled, muttered, “Really?”

“…”

Back in the car, Yun Li’s thoughts lingered on her conversation with Fu Zhengchu.

So, was the talk about Fu Shizhe asking someone out a misunderstanding? Yun Li stole a glance at Fu Shizhe, who was looking down at his phone, chatting with someone on WeChat.

Approaching the highway entrance, Xu QingSong reminded, “We’re about to get on the highway, fasten your seatbelt.”

Yun Li’s train of thought was interrupted. She fumbled for the strap on her right, pulling it towards the buckle at her side, but Fu Shizhe watched as she failed to click it in several times.

Fu Shizhe said, “Let me do it.”

Seeing they were about to enter the highway, Yun Li didn’t refuse, “Oh, okay…”

Fu Shizhe unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned close to Yun Li, and as his breath neared, Yun Li repeated a calming mantra in her mind.

However, when he took the strap, the touch on her skin felt like an electric current zipping through.

Yun Li’s body stiffened, Fu Shizhe, head bowed, his fluffy hair swaying with the car’s bumps, his fingers clearly defined as they pinched the buckle, inches away from her legs clad in tight jeans, leaving just enough space.

He easily clicked it in place.

Slowly moving back to his seat, Fu Shizhe buckled up and closed his eyes to rest.

The rest of the journey was uneventful. Yun Li opened E-site, noticing a significant increase in recent comments. She tapped on the notification and scrolled down. Among dozens of comments, except for a few in the middle, they were all from the same person. The profile was blank, the name was efe, and the comments were all “Looks good.”

This person also sent her many gifts, likely a wealthy new fan. Yun Li sent a private message saying, “Thank you ^ ^.”

By the time Yun Li and the others arrived, Xia Congsheng and her group had been there for an hour, including two male colleagues they both knew, named Chen Renran and Lu Yu.

Xia Congsheng’s family had arranged a private villa party house for them, with four rooms including an outdoor hot spring. The three girls stayed in the family room, and the other two shared another room.

The villa had no elevator, and Fu Zhengchu helped carry the luggage upstairs. Fu Shizhe directly picked up Yun Li’s handbag, waiting for her at the stairwell.

The others were chatting animatedly, but Yun Li and Fu Shizhe, like outsiders, remained silent.

After going upstairs, everyone greeted each other, and Fu Shizhe handed Yun Li her handbag.

“Thank you… Oh, and here’s your hat back.” Yun Li unzipped it, searching inside for the black baseball cap.

“No need.” Fu Shizhe didn’t take it, loosening his backpack on his right shoulder to show her the inside, where another blue cap was, “I have my own.”

Yun Li was puzzled, “I have one too…”

Fu Shizhe didn’t respond and turned back to his room. Their rooms were adjacent, both at the end of the hallway. Xu QingSong had already settled on the sofa, leisurely browsing on a tablet.

“Why didn’t you say you brought colleagues?” Yun Li complained to Deng Chuqi.

She hadn’t forgotten Deng Chuqi’s mention of bringing two single colleagues last time on the phone, feeling their gazes were a bit too eager.

“I didn’t expect Xiaxia’s Uncle to come either! Xiaxia initially said he wouldn’t!” Deng Chuqi whispered back, not hiding her intentions, “Originally, I thought these two colleagues were okay, but compared to those three, it’s a bit embarrassing. But good looks depend on birth, and character depends on effort.”

Yun Li scratched her, “You didn’t say anything to them, did you?”

“Uh…” Deng Chuqi tried to appease with a grin, “Just mentioned you’re single.”

Yun Li: “…”

Seeing her expression grow serious, Deng Chuqi raised her hands in surrender, “We can’t just hang on one tree, right? Meeting other men, you might not care so much about the thing with Xiaxia’s Uncle. And don’t dismiss them just because they’re plain-looking.”

Knowing she meant well, Yun Li sighed.

She didn’t want to admit that her heart could only accommodate one person for now.

A quarter of an hour later, the group reconvened in the living room.

The living room of the small villa was designed for entertainment, with an oval transparent lamp in the center surrounded by a marble tabletop, perfect for playing board games. The rest of the space was filled with a pool table, video game consoles, and a small KTV setup.

With the heating on, everyone was dressed in light clothing. Chen Renran and Lu Yu sat on one side of the circle, followed by Deng Chuqi, Xia Congsheng, and Fu Zhengchu, with a few seats separating Fu Zhengchu and Chen Renran.

Upon seeing Yun Li, Chen Renran eagerly pulled out a chair next to him, but she ignored it and sat down next to Fu Zhengchu instead.

Fu Zhengchu was engrossed in his phone, and Yun Li caught a glimpse of Fu Shizhe’s familiar profile picture, noting that the conversation was mostly Fu Zhengchu speaking with Fu Shizhe replying sporadically.

After sitting down, she didn’t inquire further. Instead, Fu Zhengchu hurriedly put away his phone, his actions somewhat frantic. He glanced towards the staircase, “I was just asking when Uncle would come down.”

For some reason, both Xu QingSong and Fu Shizhe had yet to come downstairs.

The group started with a game of Uno, with Lu Yu dealing the cards. Chen Renran poured a glass of orange juice for Yun Li and skillfully placed a plate of sliced fruit in front of her, his intentions of making a good impression quite obvious.

His smile only made Yun Li’s skin crawl, and without making eye contact, she thanked him and pushed the fruit plate toward Deng Chuqi.

Yun Li had never played this board game before, and Fu Zhengchu briefly explained the rules to her.

Just as they were about to start a game, Yun Li, not very confident in her skills, leaned back a bit nervously. Then, she looked up to see Fu Shizhe coming down the stairs.

He was wearing a loose turquoise printed shirt, his porcelain-white skin contrasting with his dark, ink-like eyebrows and eyes. The shirt made his indifferent and weary face appear all the more enchanting.

Yun Li had only one thought in her mind.

Damn.