When I Meet the Moon - Chapter 79

Chapter 79

By dinnertime, Fu Shize and Yun Li had finished today's research paper plan, so they drove to a shopping mall near Xikeda to have dinner.

"What do you want to eat?" Fu Shize asked.

The bustling roast meat restaurant was packed with people and overflowing with rich aromas. Yun Li stared at it for quite a while, swallowed hard, but said instead, "Porridge."

They found a well-known congee shop. Fu Shize pulled a number and saw there were still ten tables waiting ahead of them. Seeing that Yun Li was rubbing her tummy from hunger, he asked, "Should we change places?"

"No." With that, Yun Li pinched the flesh at his waist: "If you ever drink coffee on an empty stomach again, we're drinking porridge for a whole day."

Wanting her to get her dinner sooner, Fu Shize pointed out a loophole in her words: "I didn't drink any at noon."

Being stubborn, she retorted: "I meant from now on!"

He looped back to what he had said at the beginning: "Then we don't need to drink porridge tonight either."

Yun Li stared at him, feeling that he was being a bit argumentative tonight.

Unable to out-argue him, her expression softened and she acted spoiled, saying: "Then I just want to drink porridge."

Her tone carried a hint of coquetting, and Fu Shize chuckled, taking her by the hand to a nearby dessert shop intending to find a place to fill her stomach first.

Catching a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye, his footsteps halted. His gaze lingered on Zhou Tuo, who was several dozen meters away, rushing into a hotpot restaurant in a flurry with a few colleagues.

He paused for a moment, took a step in that direction, but withdrew his stride when he saw Zhou Tuo enter the hotpot restaurant.

Having arranged to meet Zhou Tuo tomorrow, Yun Li hadn't expected to run into him in the mall. Noticing Fu Shize's reaction, she directly pulled him into the hotpot restaurant.

Finding a seat and sitting down, Yun Li ordered a split-broth hotpot.

"Do you want to see him?" she asked.

"Mn." He paused for a moment before continuing: "But we haven't been in touch for a long time."

He raised his eyes to look at Yun Li. She was lost in thought, then suddenly stood up and uttered, "I'm going to get the dipping sauces."

Yun Li went to the condiment station to scoop up some sauce. Spotting Zhou Tuo's table, she saw it was surrounded by people, chatting away lively. With every step closer, she built up her mental strength, right until she locked eyes with Zhou Tuo.

Dropping a quick "Group leader, my boyfriend and I are eating here," she fled the scene.

After returning to her seat and sitting down for only a little while, Zhou Tuo tracked down their table.

Yun Li used the restroom as an excuse, leaving space for the two of them alone.

Zhou Tuo looked Fu Shize up and down from head to toe, covering his mouth as if finding it amusing: "You haven't changed at all over these past few years; you're still just as pale and skinny."

When Fu Shize first met them, he was still a teenager with straight, slender limbs. Coupled with playing badminton since childhood, his legs were fair, slender, and well-toned with balanced muscle lines.

The guys used to tease Fu Shize for looking like a girl.

Because he was teased so much about it, Fu Shize practically never wore shorts during his undergraduate years, right until his physique basically matured after reaching adulthood.

Fu Shize's gaze shifted to Zhou Tuo's potbelly, which had already gained weight. His limbs were still normal, but due to sitting in the office for long periods, his abdomen had developed a bit of occupational weight gain.

"How much do you weigh now?" The single remark struck right at his vital spot.

Zhou Tuo raised an eyebrow: "One hundred and sixty catties. How about you?"

Fu Shize calmly stated: "Not much difference."

"Cut it out." Zhou Tuo gave him a light shove. "With a frame like yours, you haven't managed to eat yourself sturdier after all these years. All that food went to waste."

"Fu Shize, you damn well ignored your former roommate for three years." Zhou Tuo gave a half-smile and sat down directly across from him. Fu Shize was silent for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry."

Zhou Tuo was startled for a second, then amused by his serious attitude. He waved his fingers and said dismissively, "Alright, stop acting all melodramatic like a sissy. We're even."

As if nothing had ever happened, their dynamic remained identical to the past. Zhou Tuo bit down on his electronic cigarette and asked him, "Someone told me last time that you started smoking."

"Quit. My girlfriend doesn't like it."

Fu Shize glanced toward the entrance; Yun Li wasn't back yet.

"Oh, the girl just now—she's coming to our team to work after graduating next year." Remembering Yun Li's resume, Zhou Tuo suddenly asked, "Is that girl four or five batches junior to us?"

"Mn," Fu Shize replied.

Zhou Tuo drew in a sharp breath: "A freshman junior?"

Fu Shize glanced at him: "Mn."

Zhou Tuo laughed: "Animal."

"..."

After chatting idly for a bit, Zhou Tuo asked, "Want a drink?"

Noticing Fu Shize's hesitation, Zhou Tuo playfully teased: "You're seriously henpecked. Didn't we say back then that your temper would definitely have you tightly managed by your wife in the future?"

"No," Fu Shize answered blandly.

Seeing him lower his head to operate his phone, Zhou Tuo asked: "Are you ordering? Order the clear liquor." Judging by that remark, he had no intention of returning to his own table.

"No," Fu Shize replied casually. "Asking my girlfriend if I can drink."

"..."

Yun Li had originally been strolling aimlessly inside the mall when she received three messages from Fu Shize.

[Zhou Tuo wants to drink.]

[Drinking clear liquor.]

Two minutes later, he sent another message to prove his innocence.

[It's not that I want to drink.]

Yun Li gripped her phone tightly and pressed her lips together. Drinking alcohol was bad for the stomach, and on top of that, it was strong white liquor; her instinct was to rush back and stop him. Standing frozen in place for a moment, her grip gradually relaxed.

Zhou Tuo was probably one of the few very close friends Fu Shize had. For Fu Shize, ending a friendship unilaterally due to his own reasons meant he carried guilt.

Returning to sit by Fu Shize's side, she saw that alcohol flush had already crept up Zhou Tuo's face, while the liquor in Fu Shize's cup remained untouched. Yun Li took the initiative to say, "You guys drink. I'm driving, so I won't have any."

Hearing this, Fu Shize finally picked up his cup and clinked it against Zhou Tuo's.

The two of them chatted with a somewhat cavalier attitude, and Fu Shize didn't look as taciturn and tight-lipped as he usually did in the laboratory. Yun Li consciously refrained from interrupting, and feeling something on her hand, she looked down.

Fu Shize was resting his chin on his hand while talking to Zhou Tuo, but his hand was gently rubbing her palm.

After drinking half a bottle, Zhou Tuo directly called for a massive plate of chili peppers and dumped them into one side of the split-broth hotpot.

Just as Yun Li was about to stop him, Zhou Tuo spoke with familiar ease: "Xiao Li, don't look at him like this; he has zero reaction to spicy food. Back then, every time the rest of us would eat until we were sweating profusely with red, swollen mouths, he would calmly keep eating by himself."

Holding his chopsticks, he spoke eloquently to Yun Li: "There was once when I was pursuing a girl. We were already starting to mutually like each other, and the two dorms went out to eat a spicy hotpot. At the time, my face was covered in snot and tears from the spice, and the key point was—this guy was sitting right next to me."

"And he kept handing me tissues from time to time." Zhou Tuo recalled another detail. "Usually, our appearances weren't that far apart, right?"

Yun Li glanced at Zhou Tuo, then at Fu Shize, silently deciding that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and said nothing.

"After that meal of spicy hotpot, that girl never talked to me again, saying I looked all ugly and messed up." Zhou Tuo laughed as he spoke. "Back then, Fu Shize actually told me—wasn't she just telling the truth?"

Fu Shize gave him a speechless sideways glance.

Yun Li found it hard to imagine the scene. Feeling a bit embarrassed to respond, she kept her head down and smiled faintly.

"Still, he has a conscience. The next day, he brought a few brothers to spam posts all over the school forum, saying I was the campus heartthrob of the department." Zhou Tuo took a sip of his drink and said lazily, "As a result, that girl brought her roommates over to spam posts beneath it, posting just one line—"

"'Zhou Tuo is the department heartthrob, but his roommate Fu Shize is the school heartthrob, the national heartthrob. Damn it, every single sentence was followed by six or seven exclamation points!'"

"..."

Fu Shize directly reached over and took his wine glass: "Drink less."

Seeing that Fu Shize only picked items from the clear soup side of the pot, Zhou Tuo said in disdain: "It's only been a few years, and you can't even eat spicy food anymore?"

"His stomach isn't very good," Yun Li explained on Fu Shize's behalf.

Zhou Tuo frowned, saying, "How old is he already and his stomach is already bad," but his hands turned the clear soup base toward Fu Shize's direction and stopped refilling Fu Shize's glass.

By the time they finished eating, Zhou Tuo had completely passed out. Yun Li stared at them; Fu Shize seemed to still be in a semi-sober state as he propped Zhou Tuo up and said, "Let's go."

"Do you know where he lives?" Yun Li asked.

Fu Shize was already a bit sluggish and slow-wittedly placed Zhou Tuo back into his original seat.

"..."

Opening Taobao on Zhou Tuo's phone, Fu Shize glanced at the delivery address. With his vision no longer quite focused, he handed the phone directly to Yun Li.

After sending Zhou Tuo safely home, Yun Li looked at Fu Shize. Perhaps because the liquor had a high alcohol content, the sides of his face were faintly flushed for a few centimeters, and his posture was a bit unsteady.

Yun Li supported his waist, helping him sit in the front passenger seat.

Just as she started the car, Fu Shize pressed down on her wrist, unbuckled her seatbelt, and pulled her straight into his arms. His kiss carried a hint of aggression, and his embrace felt as though it wanted to completely envelop her surroundings. Yun Li was kissed dizzy by him, and only when he finally released her did she hear his soft murmur—

"Lili."

"Thank you."

...

Walking up to the door of Fu Shize's dorm room, he felt around in his pockets for the keys, but failed to hook them out for the longest time.

Seeing this, Yun Li reached her hand into his pocket. His campus ID, phone, and keys were all in the same pocket, and she intended to tug the keys out, but Fu Shize pressed down on her hand, a smile in his voice: "Don't mess around."

Don't mess around...

Yun Li was left completely baffled, the thin fabric of the pocket transmitting his rising temperature.

Feeling that he had completely lost self-control, Yun Li chided in annoyance: "I'm just grabbing the keys."

Fu Shize let out a low chuckle: "It's too close."

Just as Yun Li inserted the keys into the door lock, a male voice suddenly echoed from the corridor: "Senior!"

Her body stiffened as she looked at Fu Shize. He straightened up slightly, his indifferent gaze shifting to the side.

Lin Jingran raised a hand to greet him, noticing Yun Li standing beside him. The two of them were preparing to enter the door, and Lin Jingran's expression was indescribably bizarre—carrying a hint of envy mixed with teasing: "I was just saying hi, hope I'm not interrupting anything you two are doing."

At this moment, Yun Li just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Once inside the door, she recalled what the other person had said earlier: What did he mean by—hope I'm not interrupting anything.

Did he think they were about to do something?

Fu Shize walked slowly over to the bedside and sat down.

"That junior of yours just now—did he think we were going to do something?"

Fu Shize glanced at her and gave an "Mn."

Yun Li felt deeply aggrieved, her face turning red as she said: "Why didn't you explain? Just tell him you had too much to drink and I brought you back. What if he says something to others, what if he thinks you're a very casual person?"

Fu Shize chuckled softly. Feeling stuffy, he tugged at his collar and replied: "It's not like I brought anyone else back."

"The point is we're at school, doing this isn't very good."

Fu Shize tilted his head to ponder for a moment, then said slowly: "But it looks like we didn't do anything."

Seeing that Yun Li was still staring stubbornly at him, Fu Shize met her gaze. With his brain barely functioning anymore, he surrendered: "I'll tell him tomorrow."

Yun Li's mind settled, and seeing this, Fu Shize chuckled softly and reminded her: "Though he won't believe it."

"..."

Thinking that his tone and laughter right now were utterly obnoxious, Yun Li stared at him.

Fu Shize placed a pillow against the wall and leaned back against it. His neck was also slightly flushed, and when he raised his gaze, it met hers with an unreadable emotion.

The narrow space held only two people.

There was a hint of alcohol on him, yet he hadn't lost his composure. Fu Shize's skin was exceptionally fair, and the blush on his cheeks inexplicably reminded Yun Li of a flower swaying proudly atop a snowy peak.

The alcohol made his eyes somewhat hazy, and he looked at her quietly with an indescribable allure.

Yun Li stared at his parted collar, where his collarbones were visible. Biting her lower lip, she said: "Since everyone else thinks we're going to do something, if we don't do anything at all, isn't that a bit of a loss?"

Fu Shize let out a laugh and said nothing.

Yun Li crawled onto the bed, inched closer to him, naturally cupped his face, and kissed the corner of his lips. Those dark eyes were sprinkled with a touch of emotion; he made no aggressive movements, resting his head against the wall and passively accepting her kiss.

She leaned in even closer, sitting directly on his lap out of comfort, her knees pressing against the bedsheets on either side of his body. Yun Li could clearly feel his reaction. With the taste of alcohol lingering between their lips and teeth, her body grew hotter and hotter.

Wearing a loose dress as she sat astride him, Yun Li was still deep in the kiss when she felt Fu Shize's hand slide up along her ankle, graze her smooth calf, push the skirt at her waist upward, and grip her waist.

Breathing heavily, Yun Li relied on her last shred of reason to grab his hand behind her waist and muttered softly: "No, we're at school."

Fu Shize lowered his gaze to look at her posture, only letting out a low laugh with a hint of hidden reprimand in his eyes. Having no intention of forcing her, he withdrew his hand.

Her face burning red, Yun Li had originally only wanted to kiss and cuddle, but it seemed things had gone too far.

"Uncomfortable," he said in a low, husky voice.

Yun Li startled: "Where is it uncomfortable?"

Fu Shize paused, then laughed with amusement: "Help me get a pair of pajama pants."

Yun Li immediately stood up, and only after walking over to the wardrobe did she realize what he meant by uncomfortable. Rummaging through his clothes, she discovered that the grey scarf she had knitted for him was neatly stored in a dust-proof bag, hanging inside the closet and carefully preserved.

Yun Li picked out a set of loose pajamas and handed them to him.

"Wait here, I'm going downstairs to buy a bottle of milk for you to sober up."

Without waiting for Fu Shize to refuse, Yun Li hurried out the door and ran downstairs. Remembering everything that had just happened, she felt her legs turn weak.

Just now! What! Just! Happened!

After buying a few cartons of milk and getting them heated up, she returned to the dorm. Fu Shize had already changed into his pajamas and was lying on the bed, looking ready to sleep.

Staying with him a little longer until his alcohol buzz had mostly worn off, Yun Li finally got up to leave.

As she was about to leave, smelling heavily of alcohol herself, Yun Li muttered to herself: "I wonder if I'll run into traffic police checking for breathalyzers today. Will I get charged with drunk driving for this?"

"..."

Fu Shize sat back up on the bed.

He hadn't consumed alcohol for a considerable period of time.

Zhou Tuo reminded him of Jiang Yuan; he was unwilling to have contact with that past, and as for Zhou Tuo's concerned messages, he had either left them unread or brushed them off perfunctorily.

The two had been teammates for seven years, and the other person viewed him as a close friend.

During that period of deep despondency, he had indeed hurt many people.

Reencountering Zhou Tuo didn't seem as hard to face as he had imagined in his subconscious.

He simply couldn't take that step forward in his heart.

Yun Li wasn't good at socializing, yet tonight she had 'awkwardly' created many opportunities for him to untie his emotional knot, helping him take that step forward.

He glanced at the carton of milk in his hand, opened a new one, and took a sip.

His phone rang; it was a video call from his father, Fu Dongsheng. He answered it. Chen Jinping's face also appeared within the frame. The two of them chatted with him about everyday family matters for a while before cutting straight to the point.

"Son, we heard you're in a relationship.”