When I Meet the Moon - Chapter 85

Chapter 85

After the tender intimacy had passed, Fu Shize got up to pour a glass of warm water in the kitchen. Yun Li was sitting on the bed, wrapped in the quilt like a rice dumpling, asking in a raspy voice, "What should we do?"

Following her gaze toward the sheets, Fu Shize casually said, "Go sleep in my room."

Handing her the glass, Yun Li took a few sips. With her throat feeling a bit more comfortable, she asked in a low voice, "Are we sleeping together?"

Fu Shize lowered his gaze. "Do you want to sleep alone?"

Yun Li was still aching all over. Worried that he might pull something else in the middle of the night, she hesitated and nodded.

Fu Shize replied, "I don't."

"..."

Not only that, but Fu Shize completely ignored her opinion, lifting her up along with the quilt and carrying her straight to his bedroom. His bed only had a fitted sheet spread over it, with no duvet in sight.

"..."

Yun Li finally realized that he had never intended for the two of them to sleep in separate beds from the very beginning.

A lump of frustration caught in her throat, and she sulked in the corner, not understanding why he even bothered pretending to ask for her opinion. Finding her reaction amusing, Fu Shize walked over and stroked her cheek, but she turned her face away.

Meeting with a rebuff, he wasn't discouraged at all, simply leaning in closer to plant a kiss on her face.

"..."

"You..." Yun Li couldn't think of a snappy retort right away. After struggling in silence for a long moment, she squeezed out a few words: "You are so thick-skinned."

The corners of Fu Shize's lips curved upward, making him look as though he were actually enjoying her weak, powerless complaint. He moved the pillows on the bed further inward. "We're missing one."

He turned around. Thinking he was going to fetch the pillow from her room, Yun Li forgot all about her lingering anger. Shielding half her face with the quilt, she muttered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, "Um, that one's dirty."

Fu Shize pondered for a second and replied, "We have plenty of other pillows at home."

"..."

Seeing his figure disappear through the doorway, Yun Li thought back to everything that had happened tonight—how completely her senses had been consumed by him, the delicate and vivid kisses and caresses—and her face flushed so red it felt like it would bleed. She wrapped herself in the quilt, got out of bed, walked over to his wardrobe, and randomly grabbed a shirt to slip on.

Before she could find a comfortable pair of pants, Fu Shize opened the door. In a panic, Yun Li scrambled back onto the bed, her knees pressing against the mattress as she instinctively tugged the hem of the oversized shirt further down.

With the loose shirt, her messy hair, and her panicked eyes, Fu Shize's gaze darkened as he slowly closed in on her like a predator.

Yun Li had the mistaken impression that she was a lamb waiting for slaughter. Without a word, Fu Shize tossed the pillow onto the bed and handed her the glass of water and her phone.

"I don't want any." Worried that any sudden movement would cause her shirt to ride up, Yun Li hesitated, but Fu Shize insisted on placing the cup in her hand. A second later, his fingers brushed against her shirt first, and with a slightly rough motion, he grabbed the fabric and tugged it a bit toward himself.

Yun Li lost her grip on the cup, spilling water all over the front of the shirt.

"Drink some," Fu Shize coaxed in a persuasive tone, "otherwise your throat will hurt later."

"..."

...

Listening to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, Yun Li massaged her legs while still catching her breath. Glancing at the shirt tossed into the corner, she sluggishly walked back toward the wardrobe.

This time, she intentionally picked out a pair of pajamas with a high neckline, covering herself from head to toe in long sleeves and trousers.

Her phone suddenly rang—it was a call from Yun Ye.

It startled her so much she hung up immediately.

Yun Li: [?]

Yun Ye: [?? Why didn't you pick up?]

Yun Li: [Oh, I don't want to look at your face.]

Yun Ye: [...]

Having finally found the right moment, Yun Li remembered to warn Yun Ye: [Don't use that drone for now. It's really important to your brother-in-law.]

Yun Ye: [I accidentally bumped it when I was confessing.]

Yun Li: [Then leave it there, I'll take a look when I get back.]

Lost in thought, Yun Li pondered the matter of the drone. When Fu Shize had given it to Yun Ye, he surely must have considered the possibility that it might eventually get broken, yet he still chose to give it to him.

Yun Li clearly understood the underlying intention behind that action.

To him, she was already the most special person in the world.

He loved her, and by extension, he loved her family just as much.

After finishing his shower with a towel still draped over his head, Fu Shize walked over to Yun Li enveloped in residual warmth, leaning down to lightly press his lips against hers. A lingering, direct intensity still sparkled in the corners of his eyes, and Yun Li recalled what he had said earlier that night—

"Lili, you're the person closest to me now."

Yun Li raised her soft hands upward, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I've got a hold of you."

She curved her eyes into a smile.

"And I'm never letting go again."

Fu Shize lowered his gaze, hearing the solemn and weighty promise woven into her words.

A droplet of water slid down his hair and landed on Yun Li's face. She wiped it away with the back of her hand and asked in astonishment, "Are you crying?"

Fu Shize casually dried his hair with the towel until it covered the bridge of his nose. Yun Li could only see him lower his chin and smile. Smiling back, she cupped his face and said earnestly, "I'm going to live longer than you."

"—That way, every single moment of your world will be filled with my love."

In this exact moment, Fu Shize felt it with overwhelming certainty—the most grueling, bitter periods of his life had finally come to an end.

Not for any grand reason, but simply because as long as the future held her, no matter what happened, it would never be too difficult to endure.

With the time nearing midnight, Fu Shize checked his phone. A few hours earlier, Xu Qingsong had sent him a message asking: [Late-night snack?]

He handed the phone to Yun Li, his intent clear: he wanted her to decide whether they should go or not.

After tossing and turning all evening, Yun Li's stomach was a bit empty. However, when she had last seen Xu Qingsong, she and Fu Shize hadn't gotten back together yet, leaving her feeling somewhat awkward. After wrestling with her hesitation for a moment, she looked up at Fu Shize and asked, "Should we go?"

Fu Shize thought about it. "We haven't seen each other in a while."

Back when they were at EAW, Xu Qingsong and Fu Shize had been practically inseparable. Yun Li retrieved a pair of small leather shoes from the shoe cabinet and tugged at his sleeve. "Is President Xu a good friend of yours?"

"Mn." Fu Shize turned his head to look at her. "Why?"

"Nothing." Yun Li slipped her heels into her shoes. "I just feel really happy whenever you make a new friend."

Hearing this, the corners of Fu Shize's lips curved upward. He pulled her up by the hand as she finished putting on her shoes, caught her in his arms, and gently reminded her, "Just call him by his name directly. In terms of family hierarchy, he's technically your nephew."

"..."

Stepping outside, Yun Li felt as though she were floating on air. Her former boss had suddenly turned into her nephew, sitting a whole generation below her in terms of family standing.

It felt completely surreal.

The meetup was set at an open-air seafood food stall near Jiangnan Garden. Yun Li and Fu Shize arrived on foot, and just as they found a table and sat down, she looked up and saw Xu Qingsong crossing the street from the opposite side.

Although winter had arrived in Nanwu, he was dressed lightly in a suit-style jacket over a light blue shirt with the top two buttons left unfastened.

Quickly catching sight of them, Xu Qingsong offered a faint, easy smile and gave Fu Shize a light pat on the shoulder. "You're looking good."

"Yeah." Fu Shize's voice was naturally relaxed as he cast a meaningful glance at Yun Li. "Lili's been taking care of me."

Hearing those words made Yun Li's face heat up.

How had she taken care of him...

Xu Qingsong arched an eyebrow with a smile and gave her a slight nod. Exuding an aura of aristocratic elegance, he pulled out a chair and sat down, carefully smoothing out the wrinkles on his jacket.

Yun Li glanced at him a few extra times.

When she pulled her gaze back, she ran straight into Fu Shize's eyes. Seeing him staring right at her, Yun Li felt inexplicably guilty and feigned composure by looking at the menu.

Instead, Fu Shize asked Xu Qingsong directly, "Where did you buy that shirt?"

"..."

"You like it?" Xu Qingsong looked down at his clothes with a half-joking smile. "I can just have one sent to you. It should suit you pretty well."

Without answering, Fu Shize turned his head back to Yun Li and asked, "Do you like it?"

"..."

Assuming he was simply asking for Yun Li's opinion, Xu Qingsong smiled in silence and poured himself a glass of water.

Yun Li felt like she was sitting on pins and needles under Fu Shize's intense stare, mentally kicking herself for not controlling her wandering gaze. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to throw caution to the wind and answered honestly, "It looks really nice. Qingsong has a great sense of style."

Her voice was soft, and using his given name made it sound quite intimate.

"Flattery will get you everywhere." Not noticing the way she addressed him, Xu Qingsong accepted the compliment with grace and asked Fu Shize, "Should I just have it shipped directly to your university?"

Fu Shize paused for a second before suddenly saying, "Thanks, President Xu."

"..."

After that little interlude, Yun Li obediently went back to addressing Xu Qingsong by his proper title, while feeling entirely speechless toward Fu Shize. The man was definitely jealous.

And yet he was the one who had told her to call Xu Qingsong by his first name when they left the house, only to turn right around and pretend otherwise.

The food stall specialized in seafood. Yun Li slid the menu over to Fu Shize first; he glanced down at it and said gently, "You order. Get whatever you like."

Yun Li then slid the menu over to Xu Qingsong.

The other man merely offered a bright, charming smile, lightly tapped the menu with his finger, and pushed it back to her. "You order."

As the only person at the table who was genuinely there for a late-night snack, Yun Li ordered some mantis shrimp and shellfish according to her preferences. Keeping Fu Shize's stomach in mind, she consulted Xu Qingsong and requested that everything be prepared either steamed or boiled in plain water.

Once the dishes were served, Fu Shize picked out a large mantis shrimp and placed it on Yun Li's plate. He didn't particularly care for seafood that required a lot of work to eat, so he just casually picked up a few morsels into his own bowl without actually eating them.

Xu Qingsong wasn't very hungry either. He picked up a mantis shrimp and leisurely began shelling it in front of his own plate, occasionally looking up to exchange a few words with Fu Shize.

Most of their conversation revolved around recent events. Unable to fully join in their discussion, Yun Li focused single-mindedly on shelling her own mantis shrimp.

"Where are you planning to go after graduation?" Xu Qingsong teased. "Care to join EAW?"

Hearing Xu Qingsong's question, Yun Li drifted off in thought for a moment.

"Let's consider staying in Xifu first," Fu Shize answered.

Not paying attention for a split second, the sharp shell of a shrimp pricked her finger. Yun Li pulled her hand back slightly; it wasn't a big deal, but feeling a bit clumsy, she self-consciously lowered her head and went back to peeling.

Noticing her movement, Fu Shize handed her a tissue. "Did you prick yourself?"

Yun Li shook her head. "No."

It had just poked her; it hadn't even broken the skin.

Fu Shize casually took her mantis shrimp. While still talking to Xu Qingsong, he skillfully and mechanically peeled the shrimp, removing the shell piece by piece before placing the meat back onto her plate.

"Yousheng is hosting a competition at universities for VR game development," Xu Qingsong brought up casually, letting out a light chuckle. "Remember how Fu Zhenchu said he wanted to enter last time, only to turn around and say he had to spend time with his girlfriend instead?"

Fu Shize had heard about Fu Zhenchu being in a relationship, but since it wasn't his first time, he wasn't particularly interested.

At the moment, his entire focus was fixed on the mantis shrimp in his hands, pondering how to remove the shell without getting his fingers dirty. Curious, Xu Qingsong glanced over. "Is it hard to peel?"

"It's fine," Fu Shize answered absentmindedly, successfully peeling another shrimp and placing it in Yun Li's bowl.

"I can just do it myself..." Yun Li declined.

With outsiders present, Yun Li didn't particularly want to act like a helpless baby. Fu Shize let out an indifferent hum, turned back to discuss business matters with Xu Qingsong, and continued unhurriedly picking up another mantis shrimp.

He looked down and saw a neat little pile of shelled shrimp sitting in Yun Li's bowl.

Xu Qingsong looked at his own fingers, which were visibly delicate and smooth. Frowning, Fu Shize asked, "What?"

Without looking the least bit embarrassed, Xu Qingsong intentionally remarked, "I pricked my finger."

"..."

Yun Li couldn't help but laugh out loud, quickly taking a sip of water to cover it up. Fu Shize glanced at her, picked up a shrimp from his own plate, and tossed it into Xu Qingsong's bowl. "Do it yourself."

Xu Qingsong let out a slow "Ah," then lowered his head with a smile to peel his shrimp.

By the time they finished the midnight snack, it was already past one in the morning. The two of them walked Xu Qingsong to his car; he gave a brief nod to Fu Shize, cast a parting glance toward Yun Li, and then looked away.

The blue sports car dissolved into a single point of light in the distance.

Fu Shize tucked Yun Li's hand into his coat pocket as she leaned against his side, their figures stretched long by the streetlights.

Recalling the harmonious atmosphere back at the dinner table, Yun Li couldn't help remarking, "It feels like this time, President Xu was treating me just like a friend."

In the past, even though he was always polite and courteous to her, there had always been a certain sense of distance.

Fu Shize let out a soft murmur of agreement. "Mn."

Slowly, each other's friends would become mutual friends. Their lives would intersect more and more, growing ever more synchronized, until they truly couldn't bear to be apart.

Once they walked back inside the residential compound, Fu Shize stopped and asked her, "Does the spot where you got pricked hurt?"

Realizing he meant the place where the shrimp shell had poked her, Yun Li held out her thumb and rubbed it. "It hurts just a little bit."

The moment the words left her mouth, Fu Shize pulled that finger over and took it into his mouth. Underneath his dark, midnight eyes, he gazed down at her. Yun Li's heart raced; the pads of his fingers felt soft, and the spot he touched tingled with numbness.

His gaze remained fixed entirely on her until he slowly released her finger. Under the lamplight, Yun Li noticed that the skin on both of Fu Shize's thumbs had actually been pricked raw by the shrimp shells. A wave of heartache washed over her as she reached out to take his hands.

Yet Fu Shize simply stood there with a detached expression, looking at her.

As if he were waiting for something.