Song Fu looked at the still gray sky in the distance. She remembered that the weather forecast had said this rain would last a long time. However, she didn’t say that since Lu Yan Zhi hated the rain, he should stay home and not come pick her up from work, because she knew she would absolutely be rejected.
Song Fu was aware of Lu Yan Zhi’s desire to take care of her and indulged it. After all, wasn’t being together about relying on each other? “I’ve already been shielded pretty well. Don’t get yourself soaked.”
Lu Yan Zhi let out an “Mm,” but showed no intention of adjusting the umbrella to cover her better.
It wasn’t until they sat in the back seat of the car that Song Fu took out a tissue and wiped his shoulders a couple of times. Lu Yan Zhi first buried his head into Song Fu’s shoulder, then suddenly lifted it as if remembering something. He adjusted his position and pulled her into his arms. He muttered softly, “I think I’ve been a bit too idle lately.”
There were plenty of ways to kill time, but he couldn’t stand staying put for even ten or twenty minutes without getting bored.
Earlier, when he saw Song Fu smiling at that male colleague, he felt very jealous and couldn’t even manage his expression. Rationally, he knew it was nothing, but he still couldn’t respond with composure. The more he tried to act mature, the more he realized how childish he was.
He thought it was because what Song Fu did had nothing to do with him.
Suddenly pulled into his arms, Song Fu suggested, “…Then how about we play around outside for a bit before heading home?”
“Really?”
Lu Yan Zhi’s eyes lit up, then quickly dimmed again. “You’ve worked all day and would have to keep me company playing. That’s too tiring. Let’s just go straight home.”
Song Fu had one very important point to correct about that statement. “It’s not keeping you company. It’s together. I want to relax too.” She huffed and talked about the trivial matters at work. After all, as an intern who hadn’t even finished university, she was just doing assistant work—running errands and learning some practical skills on the side. It wasn’t exhausting, but it did wear on her mentally. “And today was payday, so it should make people a little happy at least.”
Lu Yan Zhi listened patiently, using his fingers to smooth the stray hairs by Song Fu’s cheek from time to time, nodding occasionally.
In the end, their entertainment was settled on watching a movie—something they could do while sitting. Afterward, they went to the reserved restaurant for dinner.
Luck was on their side this time; the movie was quite interesting. It told the story of a high school student breaking free from worldly constraints, truly finding the future they desired, and maturing psychologically.
From there, the conversation inevitably turned to college major choices. The school was a no-brainer—Lu Yan Zhi had long said he wanted to attend the same university as Song Fu. The only thing worth considering was the major.
Lu Yan Zhi pushed the cut steak in front of Song Fu before starting on his own.
“Game design.”
It was a major outside Song Fu’s expectations. Before, when she heard Lu Yan Zhi had inherited his father’s estate and company shares, she thought he would study something like financial management. “Do you already have a game you want to design?”
“Not really.” Lu Yan Zhi said it in a casual tone. “I just think it’s interesting—creating your own framework and rules.”
Song Fu let out an “Mm.” “Now that you say it, it does sound good.”
In the previous world, she had studied architecture and worked in a related field, but the female supporting character in this world had studied photography, and she hadn’t found joy in her work yet. Work was inherently something that weighed people down anyway…
The restaurant’s location was thoughtfully chosen, by the window, with the night view of the bustling city laid out below.
The table setup was nice too, fresh flowers clustered around the candlelight.
The atmosphere was great—it seemed perfect for giving a gift.
Song Fu realized this a bit late, but fortunately, it wasn’t too late to take it out now.
“Lu Yan Zhi.” Song Fu cleared her throat lightly and called his name with uncharacteristic seriousness.
Most of their time together had been just the two of them, so they didn’t need extra titles. Before they got together, Lu Yan Zhi used to call her “sister,” but now he didn’t. Thinking about it, she felt a little regretful.
“I have a gift for you.”
She took the box out from the paper bag under the table. “I just got my salary this month, so I thought I should buy you something. But I couldn’t think of anything you lack…” That was the most headache-inducing part of gift-giving—Lu Yan Zhi had everything.
Song Fu could have given him something he already had, but considering her budget, it definitely wouldn’t be as good as what he already owned. And with Lu Yan Zhi’s personality, he would absolutely use the inferior one she bought… That would downgrade his quality of life. It just wasn’t right.
So she definitely couldn’t give him everyday necessities.
Song Fu steeled herself and pushed the small box forward. “I just bought a ring. If you’re willing, you can wear it normally…”
“I’m willing.” Lu Yan Zhi didn’t even think before saying, “I’m willing to marry you.”
The waiter who heard the commotion joined in the fun, offering a brief blessing, then skillfully rallying the other customers to clap as atmosphere group. Finally, he even had the in-house pianist play a piece.
It was clear this restaurant was a proposal hotspot.
Song Fu: ?!
The routine was so practiced that she didn’t even know how to react.
The rest—“just wear it as a decorative accessory, no need to match outfits like a necklace”—had to be swallowed back down.
No, whose normal train of thought would propose marriage to an adult who had just entered freshman year? Song Fu laughed helplessly, but seeing Lu Yan Zhi happily putting the ring on himself, she could only nod stiffly. “Thank you for being willing.”
Lu Yan Zhi admired the ring on his ring finger; no matter how he looked, it suited him perfectly. “Where’s your ring?” They should be a matching pair.
Song Fu gave a dry laugh. “My money was only enough for one.”
Lu Yan Zhi didn’t hesitate. “Then I’ll go buy yours now.”
Song Fu stopped him. “I want to buy the rings for both of us.” This wasn’t a stalling tactic; it was her genuine thought. “This ring isn’t good enough right now.” Even though it had cost her entire salary. “Consider it a deposit first.”
Lu Yan Zhi agreed. “As an engagement ring.”
Song Fu: “…” Were those the same thing?
Whatever. She didn’t want to be a mood-killer.
Seeing that Lu Yan Zhi no longer looked depressed like he had that afternoon, she also breathed a sigh of relief. She said something fitting the atmosphere and sincere: “I like you. I want you to be happy with me.”
Then she noticed Lu Yan Zhi freeze for a moment.
“Is today my lucky day?” Lu Yan Zhi felt it wasn’t quite real. “This is the first time you’ve said you like me.”
Now it was Song Fu’s turn to be surprised. She narrowed her eyes in recollection. “Didn’t I say it when I agreed to be with you?” Apparently not, but, “I wouldn’t be with someone I don’t like.”
She saw him holding his phone. “What are you doing?”
“Recording.” Lu Yan Zhi’s lips curved in a pleased arc, and he requested, “Say you like me again.”
“I like you.” Song Fu obliged. “I like you the most.”
She wasn’t an optimist, but she was full of anticipation for a future with Lu Yan Zhi.
They would walk a very, very long road together, until one of them reached the end.
They officially started living together shortly after school began. That day, a heavy storm poured down like water from a bucket; holding an umbrella was about as useful as nothing.
Lu Yan Zhi cracked the window open a sliver, got rain blown in his face, and quickly shut it. “Are you sure you still want to go back to the dorm?”
Song Fu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window and saw a pitiful pedestrian whose umbrella had been blown away by the wind. “Actually, I don’t really want to that much.”
So she stayed.
Song Fu remembered Lu Yan Zhi saying he had prepared a room for her, so no extra prep was needed.
She followed her usual routine, ate dinner, and took a shower.
Lu Yan Zhi helped blow-dry her hair and asked, “Want to watch a movie?”
“Sure.”
Song Fu thought it was still early before bedtime, so a movie was perfect. But Lu Yan Zhi somehow dug up a bunch of old horror films, and they watched until the early hours of the morning. Song Fu’s head was spinning.
After the first one, Lu Yan Zhi asked if she found it scary.
Song Fu answered honestly that it was so-so.
During the second, she gave another honest reply and even pointed out plot holes.
Later, as Song Fu yawned, she finally noticed the anticipation in Lu Yan Zhi’s phoenix eyes. Realizing that saying she wasn’t scared meant they’d keep going, she nodded vigorously.
Naturally, they ended up sleeping in the same room.
As Lu Yan Zhi put it later, they got off to a good start on the first day. Unlike during summer vacation, when they weren’t prepared and slept in separate rooms—a total failure.
Getting the marriage certificate and the wedding weren’t on the same day.
The day they got the certificate was the third year after Song Fu graduated from university and started working full-time. Lu Yan Zhi was about to graduate too; it was his twenty-third birthday.
Song Fu had prepared in advance. More than a month earlier, she had assembled a computer by hand as his birthday gift, and she even made the cake herself.
During the wish-making, she casually asked what he had wished for.
Lu Yan Zhi said he wanted to get married, then his dark eyes sparkled as he pulled out a ring from behind.
Song Fu was briefly stunned by the answer. In her view, their current relationship was no different from being married, and her original plan was to wait until Lu Yan Zhi graduated too.
She didn’t agree right away. Instead, she went to the bedroom and took out a ring box from the corner, then showed it to Lu Yan Zhi. “Great minds think alike?”
They exchanged rings.
A birthday wish had to be fulfilled, so after eating the cake, they went to get the certificate.
The wedding came later, that summer after Lu Yan Zhi graduated.
Before the formal wedding, Lu Yan Zhi went to tell his mother.
At the time, Song Fu and Cheng Yuan were chatting idly in the study about this and that, with the kid saying his grades were good.
Lu Yan Zhi talked with his mom in the study for a long time. When they came out, neither showed much emotion. Song Fu asked for details, and Lu Yan Zhi said:
“She said as long as you like each other, that’s the most important thing.” On the way out of the Cheng Family, Lu Yan Zhi spoke for the first time about his parents’ story.
A cold business marriage of mutual disdain, until one of them—his father—had an accident, allowing the other to escape and find true love. Lu Yan Zhi’s evaluation: “If you really like someone, you shouldn’t agree in the first place.”
“I don’t like it, so I absolutely won’t agree to any arranged marriage.”
Holding onto the flimsy hope that it might turn out happy.
Not being with Song Fu meant no happiness. Lu Yan Zhi didn’t say this out loud; he only vowed eternal love during the wedding.
A vow that seemed to wait to be overturned, but remained unchanged until the moment death arrived.
This time, Song Fu’s lifespan was shorter.
On an ordinary day, she sat in a rattan chair sunbathing when the System notified her that she had to go this time.
Song Fu took a deep look at Lu Yan Zhi, who was brewing tea, and softly, in a volume only she could hear, said her last words in this Small World: “I really don’t want to forget.”