When I Meet the Moon - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Yun Li waved her hands and awkwardly explained, "Weren't you unable to catch a cab? I was just helping you hail one..."

Seeing that he didn't utter a word, Yun Li said with annoyance, "Don't think I have any other ulterior motives."

Hearing her words, Fu Shize finally noticed that it was already half past eight in the evening.

Looking at Yun Li, he saw that she was wearing light makeup. Her tall figure and the cold-induced blush on her cheeks softened the sharp, bold lines of her brows and eyes, making her look much like an undergraduate student who hadn't graduated yet. Remembering that he had seen a man hitting on her in the building earlier, it all seemed perfectly reasonable.

Her phone vibrated. Fu Shize lowered his head and saw the app showing that a driver had already accepted the order, located two kilometers away from him and expected to arrive in five minutes.

He glanced at Yun Li's phone screen, which still displayed "Summoning driver...".

Noticing his gaze, Yun Li raised her screen toward him: "There might be fewer cars right now, so I haven't managed to hail one yet. Did you get one on your end?"

"..."

Fu Shize stared at his phone screen and tapped it a few times casually.

He looked up and shoved his phone back into his pocket: "Couldn't get a cab."

Yun Li lowered her head to check the time: "Why don't... you still let me drive you? I drove here, and taking you back will only take a dozen minutes or so."

"It's very late now. Both professionally and personally, I hope you go back early." Yun Li's voice wasn't loud; afraid of being rejected again, she didn't look directly at Fu Shize while saying this.

Fu Shize gave her a quiet look and didn't refuse this time: "Mn."

Having mentally prepared herself to be turned down, she was met with his consent instead, and Yun Li's mood instantly improved significantly. She walked on ahead: "The car is over here."

Yun Li drove. The hotel was a twenty-minute drive from West Science and Technology University; after getting on the highway and exiting the ramp, they only had to drive another three thousand meters to arrive.

Remembering the purpose of his trip, Yun Li asked, "Did you bring any VR equipment with you this time?"

Fu Shize responded with a faint hum from his nose.

Speaking with business-like professionalism, Yun Li said, "For the promotional short film I'm making for EAW, I want to have my younger brother make an appearance since his popularity is quite high. Can I borrow that equipment tomorrow?"

She added in a relaxed tone, "Just hand it to me when you drop me off later, and I'll bring it to West Science and Technology University the day after tomorrow. You won't have to come over tomorrow."

Fu Shize: "I only brought the full-body tracking equipment. You wouldn't know how to operate it."

Just as they reached the vicinity of the hotel, Yun Li focused her attention on the parking spaces on both sides of the road and hastily replied, "Forget it then. See you Monday."

"..."

Unlocking the car doors, she turned to look at Fu Shize. He was resting quietly against the seat, the shadow of a roadside lamppost falling across his face.

"What time tomorrow?"

"Huh?" Yun Li was momentarily caught off guard, then quickly corrected herself: "Is ten o'clock okay? At Xinhua Residential Area, I can come pick you up, or you can let me know when you arrive."

Fu Shize tilted his head without much thought: "I'll make my own way over."

The moment she stepped through the front door, Yun Li heard Duidui scratching frantically at the door inside Yun Ye's room. She knocked on the door, but Yun Ye didn't answer, and the door was locked.

Yun Li slumped onto her bed, replaying the events of the day in her mind.

It seemed that if she invited him out privately, he would never agree; but if it was related to work, he probably wouldn't object to seeing her.

And what that bespectacled guy had said about Fu Shize being on a leave of absence.

That term felt terribly distant to Yun Li, always seeming to belong to those who were failing academically or in poor health and needed to rest at home, yet Fu Shize had also managed to find a job at EAW.

She had no idea what had happened to him in the past to make him turn out so aloof and taciturn.

Yun Li's thoughts weren't occupied by this matter for long; she took it for granted that as long as he was willing, he could reclaim all of his former glory.

Hearing the sound of the television, Yun Li went to the living room to pour some water. Yun Ye was lying on the sofa, propping up his chin and staring intently at the TV: "I've been stuck at home the entire day."

Yun Li: "Oh."

Yun Ye didn't say anything else.

Yun Li retreated to her room on her own. After a moment, she walked back out, as if remembering something, and said in sheer disbelief: "You wouldn't be complaining that I didn't keep you company, would you?"

Yun Ye: "..."

Wearing a sour expression, Yun Ye muttered: "No."

"Oh, good then."

"..."

Yun Li walked over to the sofa and sat down: "Today I borrowed a VR headset from a colleague. He's bringing it over tomorrow for you to play with."

"What kind?" Yun Ye's expression improved slightly. "Did you borrow it specifically for me?"

Too lazy to explain it to him, Yun Li replied, "Anyway, it's a lot of fun."

The next day, neither Yang Fang nor Yun Yongchang was at home. Yun Li got up at seven to tidy up the house and took the opportunity to buy some fresh strawberries outside.

On Sundays, Yun Ye usually slept in rather late. Yun Li knocked on his bedroom door: "Yun Ye, Yun Ye."

Thump, thump, thump.

No response.

Thump, thump, thump.

Yun Li continued knocking: "Yun Ye, Yun Ye."

Hearing a muffled grunt from inside, she pushed the door open and walked in.

Yun Ye was lying on his side with his eyes half-closed, the blanket wedged between his legs, his silky hair fluffed up from static electricity. Looking completely dazed, he stared at Yun Li: "What are you doing?"

Yun Li picked up a broom and started sweeping the floor, replying: "You're up pretty early. It's only just past seven."

"..."

Yun Ye frowned: "Who was just knocking on my door?"

Yun Li answered with absolute self-assurance: "Me!" She frowned as well, "Why'd you ask that?"

"..."

Yun Ye dropped his head back down to continue sleeping and groaned, "I'm begging you."

"Next time, just come right in and murder me."

The corners of Yun Li's lips curved upward as she tugged at Yun Ye's blanket: "My colleague is coming over later, so get up and tidy yourself up. Remember to be polite when the time comes."

Covering his head with a pillow, Yun Ye complained dejectedly: "Yun Li, is your colleague a guy or a girl?"

Yun Li paused her sweeping motion: "Why'd you ask that?"

"If it's a guy, I beg him to hurry up and take you off my hands." Woken up against his will, Yun Ye was in a volatile mood. "Honestly, a girl would fine too if that's all we've got."

After finishing breakfast, Yun Li slipped on a thick outer jacket and headed downstairs to take out the trash. Tossing the garbage into the bin, she washed her hands at the adjacent sink and caught sight of someone sitting inside the pavilion in the distance.

Recognizing him at a glance, Yun Li dragged her feet as she walked over. Shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket, she called out: "Fu Shize."

Fu Shize lifted his gaze to look at her.

"Why didn't you go upstairs? It's so cold out here." Yun Li started: "Besides, didn't you just recover from a cold?"

Fu Shize: "It's not ten o'clock yet."

"..."

"I can smoke for a bit."

"..."

Yun Li: "Come on upstairs with me first, it's fine."

Once inside, Yun Li fetched a pair of slippers for Fu Shize to change into and discussed with him where they would set up the gaming session later.

Hearing the commotion, Yun Ye opened his bedroom door, and Duidui came barreling straight toward Fu Shize with a wagging tail, circling around his feet. Originally busy unpacking the equipment, Fu Shize paused to give Duidui's head a gentle pat.

Looking at the extra person and dog that had suddenly appeared in the living room, Yun Li looked at Duidui, then at Yun Ye, and remarked: "You guys have remarkably consistent reactions."

Yun Ye: "..."

Dressed in a loungewear knit long-sleeve shirt and casual trousers, Yun Ye looked a bit embarrassed: "Hello, Big Brother. I'm Yun Ye."

Fu Shize stood up to acknowledge him: "Hello, I'm Fu Shize."

"Sis—" Yun Ye suddenly froze, standing stock-still with one hand raised in the air as he blurted out: "Isn't this the guy whose photo you had plastered all over your bedroom wall back in high school?"

"Why did you chase after him all this—"

Simultaneously, Yun Li's voice spiked dramatically: "YUN YE!!!"

Realizing he had spoken without thinking, Yun Ye scratched the back of his head, walked over to sit down by the sofa, and watched as Duidui abandoned Fu Shize's ankles to relocate right beside him.

The atmosphere turned momentarily heavy.

"You've mistaken me for someone else." Fu Shize broke the silence first. "She and I have only known each other for three months."

Noticing the hostile glare coming from Yun Li, Yun Ye shrunk his shoulders. To make up for his blunder, he held his breath and took the initiative to explain: "Sorry, I must have gotten the wrong person. Looking closer, you two look completely different."

Yun Li's gaze swept over him like a razor blade.

"And my sister has never chased after anyone either," Yun Ye swore with absolute conviction.

"..."

Seeing that Yun Li remained displeased, Yun Ye didn't dare linger. Sitting on the couch for a moment longer, he stood back up and said, "I'll go pour you a glass of water."

Convinced that Yun Ye was a complete disaster, Yun Li followed him into the kitchen, intending to chase him out.

Yun Li: "Give it here. Hurry back to your room, this has nothing to do with you."

Lowering his voice, Yun Ye asked: "Is this my future brother-in-law?"

Seething with rage, Yun Li gave Yun Ye a whack: "What nonsense are you spouting? Get lost right now."

With no other choice, Yun Ye slunk out of the kitchen and scurried back to his room with his tail between his legs.

Passing through the living room, he waved at Fu Shize: "Big Brother, I'm going back to my room to study."

Fu Shize gave a slight nod.

After Yun Ye retreated to his room, Fu Shize took out the infrared recorder and set it up on its stand, followed by the two VR headsets. Just as he was about to ask Yun Li for the Wi-Fi name and password, the second suggested network popping up on the list was labeled 'YUNYE_DO_NOT_CONNECT'.

"..."

"What's the Wi-Fi password?"

Yun Li: "The password is the pinyin of the Wi-Fi name, all lowercase."

Noticing him occasionally pressing a hand to his abdomen, Yun Li hesitated and asked: "Have you eaten breakfast?"

Fu Shize gave a perfunctory hum in response.

Ten minutes or so later, Fu Shize finished setting up the equipment and sat back down on the sofa. Noticing a framed photo on the TV console, he walked over to take a look; it appeared to be Yun Li during her high school years, smiling with youthful shyness as she hugged Yun Ye.

He only snapped out of his trance when Yun Li called out to him, returning to take a seat on the couch.

A plate of toast and a cup of coffee had materialized on the coffee table. Without standing on ceremony, he slowly took a few bites.

Seeing that he hadn't refused it, Yun Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He lifted his gaze to look at her, his expression casual as he asked: "Whose photo is that?"

"..."

At that moment, Yun Li desperately wanted to pin Yun Ye down and beat him up.

"You don't need to know." Yun Li muttered under her breath, hastily rushing to the fridge to pull out a plate of strawberries, her mind a chaotic mess of tangled thoughts.

Feeling utterly depressed, Yun Li plucked the green stems off the strawberries one by one, pretending she was throwing them into the trash bin one by one. After washing them, she arranged them on a plate and placed it right in front of Fu Shize.

"I just washed these, have some."

Fu Shize pushed the plate away: "Not eating."

"..."

His expression was no different from usual, yet his calm, unripple-filled eyes carried a hint of coldness.

Only moments ago, he had been willing to eat the breakfast she prepared.

Seeing this, Yun Li grabbed a small stool and sat down opposite him. Dropping her gaze, she picked one up and ate it herself. When reaching for a second one, she rummaged through the plate until she found the specific shape she had carefully picked out at the market stall that morning.

Sneaking a piece of tissue underneath it, she non-chalantly slid this particular strawberry closer to Fu Shize.

It was heart-shaped.

Yun Li picked up another one from the plate for herself and began eating it slowly, acting as if nothing unusual had happened.

"..."

Fu Shize's gaze landed on the strawberry. Its color was a deep, rich red, exuding an enticing luster.

Even though the indoor heating wasn't turned on, he felt the room was much stuffier than outside. Leaning back against the couch, he unbuttoned his outer jacket.

The air seemed to freeze in place.

Hearing the frantic beating of her own heart, Yun Li let her thoughts stew for a long while before finally murmuring in a low voice: "Actually, that was your photo. I saw it when I was a freshman in high school."

"If you hadn't shown up again, I would have already forgotten about you."

"Why'd you have to show up again, then."

She looked away as she spoke, the tips of her ears burning red, as though she found the whole thing terribly embarrassing.

Fu Shize, who had been in the middle of taking off his jacket, froze mid-motion at her words.

Yun Li was about to say something else when she suddenly heard Yun Ye opening his door. Like a petty thief caught in the act, she sprung up almost instinctively and spoke unnaturally, "Yun Ye, you can play now. This big brother has already set up the equipment."

She hurried over with her head down to switch on the recording software.

Perhaps due to sheer nervousness, Yun Li spoke at breakneck speed: "You and I will link up and play together for a bit first, and then I'll play by myself for a while afterwards."

Yun Ye didn't catch up: "Sis, speak slower."

Taking a deep breath, Yun Li slowed her pace and repeated herself.

Fu Shize remained seated on the couch for a moment longer before standing up. He strapped the equipment onto the two of them, launching the horror game he and Yun Li had agreed upon beforehand; the gameplay feed of both players would be mirrored onto Yun Li's laptop.

Leaning against the wall, he watched the two of them enter the game with tense postures. At first, they stayed a meter or two apart, but it wasn't long before Yun Ye drifted right up against Yun Li's side.

Yun Ye: "Crap, Yun Li, this is kind of scary."

Yun Li: "Yun Ye, you go to the front."

Yun Ye: "No way. You're the older sister, you go to the front."

Yun Li: "I'm begging you, Yun Ye."

Yun Ye: "I'm begging you, Yun Li."

"..."

Fu Shize sat back down on the couch, his gaze once again drawn to that heart-shaped strawberry, calling out to him like some forbidden artifact.

He turned his head to glance at Yun Li and Yun Ye; both of them remained thoroughly absorbed in the game.

A baffling, perplexing craving sprouted within his heart, tempting him to shatter the fragile balance of the present moment.

He picked up the strawberry and slowly took a bite.

Only ten minutes had passed by the time the two of them cleared the first stage. Fu Shize removed the equipment from Yun Ye first, verbally guiding Yun Li to launch the second game so they could record a short segment of today's task and call it a day.

Once Yun Li was engrossed in the game, Fu Shize beckoned to Yun Ye, signaling him to come over.

"Have some strawberries.”