When I Meet the Moon - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

After the lunch break ended, Yun Li bumped into He Jiameng in the hallway.

“Teacher Xianyun, are you going to participate in tonight’s Halloween event? How about we go together?”

Yun Li spoke the truth: “I want to go buy some coffee beans tonight. I saw in the break room earlier that Fu Shize was out of beans, so I asked him to go along.”

He Jiameng chuckled slyly: “Are you really just going to buy beans?”

“Really.” Yun Li tried to sound as confident as possible: “Why don’t you come with us too?”

“No, no, I can already foresee a huge, blazing lightbulb hovering over my head.”

“...”

Hardly had she walked two steps when He Jiameng called out to her again: “Oh right, Teacher Xianyun.”

Yun Li: “What is it?”

“The marketing department asked me to check with you: could you help post a promotional update on the ACG website? The ad fee will be the same as last time.”

“Are there any specific requirements?”

He Jiameng thought for a moment and said, “Just try to record some of the equipment inside the experience hall so that people think it looks fun.”

Unsure whether filming was permitted, Yun Li didn't agree right away: “Let me think about it.”

In the afternoon, Fang Yuning mentioned that the experience hall was short-handed and instructed Yun Li to go over and help with the decorations. Yun Li then grabbed a large box of decorative materials and headed to the experience hall.

Coming out of the fire exit, Yun Li walked toward the entrance of the experience hall and found that there were already quite a few people gathered there.

“Sister Lili!” Yun Li looked around.

Fu Zhengchu walked over from the entrance and said, “I heard there was an event tonight, so I came over to check it out early. I originally wanted to cadge some afternoon tea, but I ended up getting roped in to do hard labor.”

Yun Li replied: “You really have it rough.”

Fu Zhengchu muttered: “Yeah, and then I dragged Little Uncle along, only for Little Uncle to just sit there and watch me work.”

Yun Li looked toward the direction he was pointing. Fu Shize was sitting on a rest chair inside the hall, one hand leaning against the armrest, supporting his chin as he looked over toward them.

“Sister Lili?” Seeing that Yun Li didn't reply, Fu Zhengchu called out to her again.

Yun Li snapped out of her reverie: “You’re growing up too; it’s about time you helped out your elders.”

Fu Zhengchu: “I’m heading back to work.”

“Hey, wait!” Yun Li hurriedly called out to stop him.

Fu Zhengchu paused: “What’s up?”

Yun Li covered half of her face with her hand: “Fu Zhengchu, I'm sorry.”

Fu Zhengchu was even more baffled: “What on earth is wrong?”

“It’s just—when we were drinking yesterday,” Yun Li desperately wished she could dig a hole and bury herself, but she pressed on with a stiff scalp, “I told your little uncle that you seem to like me...”

Fu Zhengchu: “...”

Yun Li explained the ins and outs of the matter to Fu Zhengchu. Knowing full well that what she had done was wrong, she apologized repeatedly. However, Fu Zhengchu’s focus wasn't on what Yun Li had mentioned at first; instead, he drew in a sharp breath: “Sister Lili, do you like Little Uncle?”

Yun Li: “...”

“No wonder you spoke up for Little Uncle just now.”

Yun Li: “...”

Yun Li: “Can you help me keep it a secret?”

Fu Zhengchu: “Mhm.”

The two of them fell into a tacit silence.

Suddenly turning serious, Fu Zhengchu said, “Sister Lili, Little Uncle’s health isn't very good, and his stomach isn't either.”

“But Little Uncle is really great. I won't say much more—go for it, Sister Lili!”

A warmth blossomed in Yun Li’s chest: “Thank you.”

The work of decorating the experience hall was primarily physical labor: sticking colorful ribbons, light strips, and various holiday ornaments onto the higher sections of the walls. Yun Li surveyed her surroundings, fetched a ladder, and prepared to get to work.

The moment she climbed onto the ladder, Fu Zhengchu brought Fu Shize over: “Sister Lili, hurry down. I brought Little Uncle here.”

Yun Li: “...”

Yun Li climbed down the ladder and said in a mild, drawling tone, “Why did you bring him over...”

Fu Zhengchu: “We can’t just have Little Uncle, a grown man, sitting on the sidelines while you, a young lady, are up and down a ladder. I’m going off to work somewhere else first.”

Realizing that Fu Zhengchu was playing wingman, Yun Li felt a bit embarrassed even though Fu Shize had come over quite legitimately. She pointed to the chair nearby and let out: “Why don’t you sit here?”

Fu Shize glanced at her: “Sit here and watch you?”

Yun Li imagined the scene and felt she could hardly breathe: “That’s not what I meant.”

“Give it to me.” Fu Shize took the colorful ribbon from her hand.

Yun Li: “Huh?”

Fu Shize paused, his words as precious as gold: “Help.”

Standing around doing nothing didn't feel right either, so Yun Li held the ribbons and pendants and stood beside Fu Shize’s ladder, handing him a new one every time he hung up an ornament.

Yun Li thought to herself that this—was actually quite nice?

Immersed in the small joy of handing things to Fu Shize, the box gradually emptied out to the bottom.

“Can you wait here for a moment?” Yun Li looked up at Fu Shize.

“Mhm.”

Yun Li hugged the box and trotted away, heading to another area to swap it for a fuller one.

When she returned to the ladder, Fu Shize was looking at her expressionlessly.

A wave of guilt instantly washed over Yun Li, and without a word, she handed Fu Shize a pendant.

After getting off work, Yun Li first went home to reapply her makeup and changed into a white dress.

She met up with Fu Shize at the entrance of the tech city. He was wearing a black long trench coat with his hands tucked into his pockets, leaning his back against the red brick wall at the edge of the tech city as starry lights lit up the distant plaza.

Seeing Yun Li, he raised his gaze, let it linger on her face for a split second, and then looked away.

Yet that single gaze caused Yun Li’s breathing to slow by half a beat.

“I want to shoot some footage tonight to put together a Halloween special; I haven't updated in a long time either.”

With Fu Shize fully sober at the moment, Yun Li took a deep breath and asked with a trace of nervousness, “Do you think I look nice?”

Seeming entirely unprepared for her to ask this question, Fu Shize remained silent.

Yun Li, who had poured every ounce of effort into her makeup today, couldn't believe it: “Doesn't it look good...”

After a moment.

Yun Li muttered to herself: “It should look a bit better than usual, right?”

Fu Shize: “...”

Similar to the children's market from last time, booths of all sizes packed the entire plaza, and the trees and walls were draped with Halloween-themed decorations.

While still some distance away from the coffee bean stall, Yun Li could already smell the rich, aromatic scent of beans. The area nearby was crowded with people. Dozens of reddish-brown pottery jars were neatly aligned across the tabletop, with several large stacks of kraft paper bags filled with coffee beans piled up behind them.

The vendor asked Fu Shize what flavor profile he preferred and then scooped a few beans into Fu Shize’s hand for him to smell.

Yun Li: “How is it?”

Fu Shize: “Pretty good.”

Yun Li: “Can I smell it too?”

Fu Shize nodded.

Seeing that he didn't hand the beans over to her, Yun Li hesitated for a moment before leaning in close to his hand; alongside the roasted bean aroma, there was a faint hint of chocolate.

“Why does it smell so good?” Yun Li exclaimed in wonder, looking up only to find Fu Shize staring right at her with an inscrutable expression.

Thinking it over carefully, Yun Li’s face grew hot again: “I meant the beans...”

“...”

Yun Li didn't have much experience drinking coffee, so she had the vendor recommend one to her: “I picked a flavor I like. Why don’t you try it too?”

Fu Shize scooped out some beans to smell them: “Pretty good.”

Yun Li: “Then let me buy you a bag.”

Fu Shize: “No need.”

Being rejected was well within her expectations. Yun Li thought for a moment and continued, “I want to buy you a bag.”

“...”

Yun Li dialed back her persistence slightly: “You’ve paid for me many times before, and I kind of feel like I owe you money.”

“If that’s the reason,” Fu Shize stared at the vendor packing the beans without looking her way, “then just stay in debt.”

Yun Li raised her eyes to scan the other stalls, spotting a slightly crude-looking sugar-figurine stall tucked away in a corner—the kind of small stand you would occasionally run into near schools back in childhood.

Yun Li: “Can I buy that?”

Fu Shize: “Mhm.”

Yun Li: “Then wait for me a second, I’m going to go buy one.”

With that, Yun Li turned and ran over.

An elderly man was tending to a small bronze pot, using a copper spoon to ladle out molten sugar and drip it onto a steel plate to trace out shapes.

While waiting for the sugar figurine to set, Yun Li recalled how, just moments ago when smelling the beans, Fu Shize’s palm had been barely two centimeters away from her. She used the back of her hand to touch her burning cheeks.

She couldn't even remember when the last time was that she had felt like this.

Her heart pounded wildly, and another person's figure refused to leave her mind. Even the scents she smelled, the sounds she heard, and the things she saw all carried his presence.

He should... not feel averse to her either.

Such a thought gave Yun Li a surge of courage. Ordinarily not an assertive person, she was always passive when interacting with others, forced into starting conversations.

The moon in the mortal world is always remote and out of reach.

Yet right now, the moon had come right before her eyes.

Yun Li curved the corners of her lips upward.

That's right, how lucky she was—the moon was right in front of her.

Once the sugar figurine hardened and was attached to a bamboo skewer, it was handed over to Yun Li.

It was shaped like a pumpkin, grinning with a big mouth.

Quite cute, actually.

She held one out toward Fu Shize.

“For me?”

Fu Shize stared at the sugar figurine in his hand. Its surface gleamed with a brownish-amber luster; it was hard to imagine that such an exquisite shape could be crafted in just two or three minutes.

Besides, how was one even supposed to eat this thing?

He looked at Yun Li. The pumpkin-shaped sugar figurine was larger than her delicate face, and having just jogged back, her flawless cheeks were dyed a rosy blush. She admired the figurine in her hands for a moment before slowly moving it toward her lips.

Then, she took a lick.

...

Surely he couldn't just lick it too, right?

Yun Li licked her lips again and took a small bite, noticing Fu Shize’s gaze upon her with a hint of surprise: “Are you... secretly watching me?”

Fu Shize looked away and, in a rare instance, told a white lie: “No.”

Though the night air carried a heavy chill, he suddenly felt his whole body growing somewhat warm.

Even the neon light displays seemed a bit blinding. Before he knew it, the pumpkin-shaped sugar figurine in his hand had been crushed to pieces by his own bite.

“...”

“Hey, Yun Li?”

While the two of them were still wandering among the various stalls, Yun Li’s shoulder was suddenly tapped, causing her to flinch instinctively.

She raised her eyes, only to see someone she had assumed she would never cross paths with again in this lifetime.

Qu Mingxin stepped forward and greeted her familiarly: “How many years has it been since we last saw each other? I never expected to run into you here.”

“Why aren't you saying anything? Do you still remember me? I’m the one from high school—”

Yun Li cut her off: “I remember.”

“Is this your boyfriend? He looks quite handsome, too.” Qu Mingxin failed to notice Yun Li’s aloofness and chattered on by herself.

Yun Li: “No, he’s my colleague.”

“Oh, you’re already working? I heard from some of our other classmates that you didn't get recommended for grad school and were preparing for the entrance exams—” Qu Mingxin still retained her boisterous personality. “I came to Nanwu to work after graduating college, and my friend is doing her master’s at Nanjing University of Science and Technology. I’m here to hang out with her today.”

“...”

Seeing the other person's intense enthusiasm while she herself felt somewhat bewildered, Yun Li could only respond blankly: “I’m doing my master’s over here too.”

“Let’s go.”

Fu Shize, who had been standing to the side, abruptly spoke up. With that, he began walking straight ahead.

Coming back to her senses, Yun Li hurriedly told Qu Mingxin, “We've got to go.”

Qu Mingxin smiled brightly: “Alrighty! Let’s set a date to grab a meal together another day! It’s been so long since we last saw each other.” She then waved her hand and turned back to rejoin her friends.

Yun Li caught up with Fu Shize, her thoughts drifting back to Qu Mingxin.

Why did she still act like they were so close?

Didn't you say it yourself?

I hate people like you.

Back in her freshman year of high school, Yun Li’s personality was still quite outgoing. Shortly after the semester started, she had grown close with her dorm mates, especially Deng Chuqi, with whom she had the closest bond.

Deng Chuqi had an upbeat personality, and the two of them often put on matching acts, making them quite popular in the class.

After the arts and science division in the second year of high school, Yun Li transferred to a science class where she knew almost no one.

That was when she met Qu Mingxin.

Qu Mingxin was warm and enthusiastic toward everyone, including Yun Li.

She would greet Yun Li whenever she ran into her on the road, her smiling eyes crinkling into crescents.

She was adept at livening up the classroom atmosphere, served as the school's star emcee, and always stood in the most prominent spots. All her classmates loved Qu Mingxin's vibrancy, and Yun Li was no exception.

At first, Yun Li rather liked this new class. Although her close friends weren't here, she was more than willing to cultivate new bonds with others and shyly make new acquaintances.

Yet strangely enough, no matter how hard she tried, her classmates would always maintain a certain distance from her.

The lunch break lasted two hours. While most students returned to the dorms to nap, some would go back to the classroom to study, chat, or play games.

Yun Li wasn't particularly tired this noon. Knowing that Qu Mingxin and a few classmates usually hung out in the classroom during lunch breaks, she decided to join in on the fun.

Before she even stepped into the classroom, the sound of chatting drifted out.

“Should we invite Yun Li to play Three Kingdoms Kill this weekend? She said during calisthenics that she knows how to play.” Yun Li recognized the voice as belonging to the girl who always stood behind her during exercises.

Another female voice piped up: “She knows how to play too? I thought she wouldn't, seeing how quiet and cute she is.”

Qu Mingxin said with slight hesitation, “I don’t really want to call her. I don't care much for her.”

The previous girl asked, “Why? Isn’t she pretty cute?”

Qu Mingxin remarked, “She just looks like she's putting on a good-girl act. Her former roommate told me that back in her old class, she was overly chummy with all the guys. Gives me major green tea vibes.”

“No way...”

“I really hate those green-tea types. If you guys invite her, don't count me in.”

Yun Li suddenly felt like she couldn't understand other people at all.

She knew there were many kinds of people in this world: barbecue uncles covered in tattoos who smiled warmly, as well as pretty executioners with cold and ruthless hearts.

Yet she had always thought those things were worlds away from her. The only version of hypocrisy she understood was Yun Ye secretly asking his parents if they were looking for him every time he ran away from home, or Deng Chuqi looking entirely solemn with her book during early morning self-study right after the lookout announced a teacher was coming while borrowing homework to copy...

Just moments ago at the snack stand buying drinks, Qu Mingxin had seen the orange juice in her hand and smiled, saying she wanted to buy the exact same one.

Yun Li desperately wanted to storm into the classroom and tell them she wasn't the kind of person Qu Mingxin made her out to be.

She longed for a lively atmosphere and loved the harmonious feeling of everyone being together.

Yet she found that her feet wouldn't move.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't take a single step forward.

If only she could be a little braver.

She should just go back to the dorm.

Yun Li didn't actually understand why she had been struck down so easily back then. It wasn't as if she had never seen people badmouthing others behind their backs.

She suddenly realized it was probably because she had genuinely liked her to begin with.

Perhaps she simply couldn't stomach such a stark contrast.

Lost in her trance-like memories of high school, Yun Li failed to notice two human-sized pumpkin-head mascots walking toward her until the round, chubby belly of one mascot bumped right into her.

By the time she snapped out of it, a mascot twice her size had opened its arms wide to hug her. ???

Yun Li froze in place, clueless about how to react.

A cold hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her backward. Yun Li felt a gust of wind sweep past, and the next second, she found herself standing behind Fu Shize.

In a daze, Yun Li followed the warmth of the touch and looked down: his hand was still firmly clasping her wrist.

Fu Shize himself hadn't quite recovered his wits yet; seeing that Yun Li was about to be swallowed up by the mascot, his instinctive reaction had been to pull her behind his back.

The mascot seemed equally stunned, pausing in place for two whole seconds.

Before continuing its previous action, it gave him a quick hug.

“...”

And casually plucked a rabbit balloon from its tail to hand to him.

“...”

Seeing that he didn't take it, the mascot persistently pushed it toward him.

Fu Shize had no choice but to take it with a stiff motion.

The balloon was fully inflated, its two rabbit ears puffed up. Holding such a thing made Fu Shize deeply uncomfortable. He turned around and placed it right in front of Yun Li.

“For you.”