Social Outcast

Edited by: Planetes

Andrew was pretty strange.

His replies were always slow, and was always unwilling to leave Fang Zhaomu voice messages or calls, and there was no need to even mention meeting up. Fang Zhaomu could not understand why such a person who did not seem to even want to make friends would install a dating app.

However, after chatting with Andrew a few times, Fang Zhaomu believed he now understood a little of what the other person was like. Andrew was a person who took very long to warm up to another person. He was especially reserved, and always needed Fang Zhaomu to send a few messages before he would respond. Though his replies were only a few words long, he was not a completely cold person.

With Fang Zhaomu’s efforts, Andrew’s response rate had increased a little compared to the beginning. Recently, Fang Zhaomu had asked Andrew if he was chatting with other people on the app, and instead of answering him directly, Andrew surprisingly threw Fang Zhaomu’s question back to him, “Are you?”

“You tell me first.”

Actually, Fang Zhaomu did match with a few other people, but they were too direct, immediately wanting to start video-chatting in nude or meeting up straight away. It made Fang Zhaomu feel that Andrew’s coldness was a little more reliable instead, and so, deleted the rest of them, chatting only with Andrew.

“I’m not.” Andrew replied.

Fang Zhaomu answered Andrew a little guiltily, “I’m not as well, I’m only talking to you.”

Andrew seem to not really believe him. “Is it?”

“I’m really only chatting with you.” Fang Zhaomu took a screenshot of the app’s contact list and sent it to Andrew, self-righteously saying, “You see, there’s only you.”

Andrew did not say a word. Fang Zhaomu thickened his skin and asked Andrew for a screenshot of his contact list, but Andrew did not want to send it. Fang Zhaomu maligned Andrew for pretending to be pure and innocent, he definitely must have two hundred people in his contacts.

Andrew was unable to argue against Fang Zhaomu. After a few minutes, he really sent a screenshot, and it was the same as Fang Zhaomu’s, very empty, and only showing a Mu in there.

“It took so long for you to send it, were you deleting people off the list?” Fang Zhaomu continued teasing Andrew mercilessly.

“I didn’t delete anyone.” Andrew responded seriously.

“Then, are you interested in adding other people?” After asking this question, Fang Zhaomu wanted to revoke it, as this question seemed a little too serious.

Unexpectedly, Andrew did reply. “Not interested.”

Fang Zhaomu looked at Andrew’s non-mainstream profile picture of his muscles, and thought that Andrew was in fact a very gentle person, and would use his unique awkward ways to express his likes. Sometimes, when Fang Zhaomu impulsively sent Andrew a few photos, and Andrew seemed like he was unconcerned whether Fang Zhaomu sent him any, but from his fast replies, Fang Zhaomu could feel that Andrew did really want to see those photos.

On this Wednesday, Fang Zhaomu stayed in the library from morning till late. When he returned home, he did not feel like doing anything, and so went to browse through online shops, checking out what was available. He could not make a decision between two pairs of ear studs, and so sent a photo of them to Andrew, asking him to help decide.

Andrew was still working overtime late at night, and replied Fang Zhaomu twenty minutes later. “Is there a difference?”

“One pair is bigger and the other is smaller. The smaller one is a little more expensive.”

“The smaller one.” Andrew casually made a decision for Fang Zhaomu.

Fang Zhaomu actually also preferred the smaller pair, and so he bought it.

The ear studs arrived on Friday. After putting them on, Fang Zhaomu took a photo for Andrew, telling him that his eye was good. Seeing that Andrew did not reply, and he still had a bunch of data analysis to complete, he packed his things and went to the lab.

Fang Zhaomu was standing by the apparatus and waiting for the results. A female Indian classmate with whom he was quite friendly with came over to chat with him, and complimented his ear stud.

The ear stud was black, and had an inconspicuous marbling through it. On Fang Zhaomu’s ear, it made his ear lobe look round and exquisite, and not feminine at all.

Fang Zhaomu liked discussing such topics with people, and the two of them immediately starting chatting about the pros and cons of online shops as well as their available discounts.

“I was actually looking at another pair that was slightly bigger, “ Fang Zhaomu touched his earlobe, speaking happily to the female classmate. “My friend helped me select this pair.”

“— Fang Zhaomu, have you finished using this?” The two person’s conversation was interrupted by Zhang Ranyu and Song Yuanxun coming over from another side of the lab.

Zhang Ranyu poked at the apparatus next to Fang Zhaomu, asking rudely, “If you’re done, can we take over?”

With Song Yuanxun behind him, Zhang Ranyu acted as though he had a strong support behind him, and he was like a dog counting on his master’s backing.

Fang Zhaomu looked at the analysis progress, then told Zhang Ranyu, “There’s still 10 more minutes, can you wait awhile?”

The female classmate saw that there seemed to be some unhappiness between them, and found an excuse to leave. Fang Zhaomu lowered his head and looked at his laboratory notebook, not bothering to speak with the two people standing next to him.

With nothing to do, and feeling awkward, Zhang Ranyu wanted to think a way to squeeze Fang Zhaomu out.

He was short and fat, and his presence could be strongly felt. Each time he went closer to Fang Zhaomu, Fang Zhaomu would retreat a little. However, the apparatus was located next to the wall, and after retreating a few steps, Fang Zhaomu had nowhere left to go. Not wanting to give Zhang Ranyu the advantage, he picked up a book and blocked Zhang Ranyu, asking him impatiently, “Why do you keep coming closer?”

“I want to look at the progress of the apparatus.” Zhang Ranyu swatted Fang Zhaomu’s book away, about to lean over to take a look.

Zhang Ranyu was about to lean onto Fang Zhaomu, and Fang Zhaomu was naturally extremely unhappy about it. Just before he could tell Zhang Ranyu to stay away from him, a hand blocked Zhang Ranyu away from him.

Song Yuanxun silently pulled at Zhang Ranyu’s shoulder, and looking down and glancing at him. Zhang Ranyu did not know why Song Yuanxun would suddenly do this, but he still took a step back.

The person closest to Fang Zhaomu was now Song Yuanxun.

Song Yuanxun was tall, and his aura was completely different from Zhang Ranyu. The way he looked down on people would give them a solid oppressive feeling.

Fang Zhaomu only took one look at Song Yuanxun before he looked down. With a quiet, weary voice, he said, “I know you’re in a hurry, I’ll let you guys use it immediately once I’m done, ok? Do you have to do this?”

Song Yuanxun remained silent, standing next to Fang Zhaomu for a few seconds, he then retreated, but did not go far. In the past, Song Yuanxun would never bother to take even a glance at Fang Zhaomu, making it very clear that he looked down on him. Today, he seemed to have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, his eyes were glued to Fang Zhaomu, causing Fang Zhaomu’s skin to prickle in discomfort.

Fortunately, the apparatus soon announced that the analysis was completed. Fang Zhaomu copied down the data, reset the apparatus, and walked off in a hurry. When he looked up, his eyes swept past Song Yuanxun, and he felt that Song Yuanxun seemed to be looking at his ear studs.

Walking out of the doors of the lab, Fang Zhaomu sighed in relief. His phone in his pocket vibrated, and he took it out to look at it. It was Andrew’s reply.

“Your face can’t be seen clearly.”

Fang Zhaomu was walking, and panted slightly as he replied Andrew. “I was taking a photo of the ear stud, I wasn’t aiming at my face in the first place.”

He suddenly understood what Andrew meant, and asked, “You want to see my face? But you don’t even want to meet up with me, what’s the point of seeing my face?”

Reaching the school gate, Andrew sent him a reply. “I’m busy with work.”

“Oh?” Fang Zhaomu teased him, “But I’m also busy with school, how would I have the time to take a photo for you?”

When he finished, he shivered, feeling the chill of the wind. Putting his phone back in his pocket, he gathered his clothes tightly around him.