Social Outcast

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Edited by: Planetes

After he had dealt with the wound, Fang Zhaomu turned to put the first aid kit away. Song Yuanxun’s phone started vibrating, and it was a call from Zhao Han.

Song Yuanxun simply rejected the call, and texted Zhao Han. “Make your own way to my place.”

“You’re repairing your car? I’ll come to the workshop.”

“Don’t come.” Song Yuanxun only sent those two words, as Fang Zhaomu was back again.

What he gave Fang Zhaomu to tell the insurance agent was not completely false, but it was not completely true as well.

Two days ago, Zhao Han had contacted Zhao Yuanxun and said that he wanted to crash at his place for a few days. At that time, Song Yuanxun’s right eyelid had started twitching.

Yesterday morning, after driving over a pothole, Song Yuanxun’s car had started warning his that the pressure in his tyres were not balanced.

In the afternoon, he visited an elder. Not long after he left the elder’s home, a tyre became punctured. The elder’s house was in the suburbs, and so Song Yuanxun decided to change the tyre himself. Opening his boot, he realised that his spare tire was not a full-sized tyre, and could only be used temporarily, and he would need to go to the workshop to replace it. When he was done, he headed to the nearest workshop. About to reach, he again drove over another pothole, and his tyre pressure warning was activated again.

Song Yuanxun stopped to take a look. Another tyre was now punctured. He was about to call for a tow, but at that moment, he received a message from Fang Zhaomu.

He spoke to Fang Zhaomu over the phone, then looked at his car. With a sudden flash of inspiration, he got onto his car and continued driving past the workshop. About to reach Fang Zhaomu’s place, the punctured tyre was driven right till the rim, and the car’s warning sounded continuously.

Song Yuanxun got off the car and took a look, feeling that it did look like a plausible excuse, and so sent Fang Zhaomu a message.

Misfortune could sometimes be a blessing in disguise. Adversity could be a step towards his good luck.

Just by puncturing two tyres, Song Yuanxun was able to rightfully enter Fang Zhaomu’s place.

Fang Zhaomu washed his hands and came back to see Song Yuanxun sitting quite stiffly on his carpet. Fang Zhaomu sat across him, and Song Yuanxun was sitting still. He secretly thought, a young master was truly a young master, and had to be served. Picking up the cake he took away just now, Fang Zhaomu pushed it towards Song Yuanxun. “You don’t want it?”

Song Yuanxun glanced at Fang Zhaomu, then looked down and took a few bites before writing out for him, “What birthday wish did you make?”

Fang Zhaomu was not very sure why Song Yuanxun would ask him this. The wish he made had nothing to do with Song Yuanxun at all, and he shook his head. “It’s nothing much.”

Song Yuanxun no longer forced him. He put down the pen, and continued eating.

The two of them ate the cake in silence. Song Yuanxun’s phone rang, and he looked at it before passing it over to Fang Zhaomu. Fang Zhaomu saw that it was the insurance agent he was just talking to, and so answered the call. The agent said that he was with the car already, and would like to ask Fang Zhaomu and Song Yuanxun to come down.

Fang Zhaomu hung up, and Song Yuanxun’s phone rang again. With a tap of his finger, Fang Zhaomu answered the call, and the other person spoke. “Are you not at home now?”

“Ah… Uhh…” Fang Zhaomu paused, and pulled the phone away. He saw the name “Zhao Han” on the screen, then looked at Song Yuanxun, asking him hesitantly, “Should I answer it for you?”

Song Yuanxun had also saw Zhao Han’s name. His expression froze for a moment, and he extended his right hand to Fang Zhaomu.

Fang Zhaomu did not understand what he meant, and the other person on the phone paused, feeling strange, before asking, “Who are you?”

Song Yuanxun waited for a few seconds and saw that Fang Zhaomu had yet to react. He then reached out and pulled Fang Zhaomu’s wrist to take his phone back. He hung up on the call, sent the other person a text, and stood up.

Fang Zhaomu headed downstairs with Song Yuanxun and met the insurance agent. Song Yuanxun signed the bill, and the agent had his car towed away.

“It’s done.” Fang Zhaomu was standing by the road. “Are you taking a taxi back now?”

Song Yuanxun typed a sentence out for him. “Let’s go have something to eat.”

Fang Zhaomu did not want to hang out alone with Song Yuanxun for too long, and shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I want to go back and rest.”

“Take it as I’m thanking you.” Song Yuanxun did not want to let him leave, and continued typing.

Fang Zhaomu looked up into Song Yuanxun’s eyes and rejected him directly. “I’m not going, I didn’t help much anyway. There’s no need to thank me, and I’m a little tired as well.”

Song Yuanxun looked at Fang Zhaomu and nodded. It just happened that an empty taxi drove past them, and so he waved at Fang Zhaomu and got onto it.

Fang Zhaomu returned home. Without Song Yuanxun, his room had a little more space, and he even felt that his place had expanded.

He poured himself a glass of water, and cut another small slice of cake, eating it slowly. It was at this time when he received a text from Andrew. “Did you light the candle?”

Fang Zhaomu pondered over it, but still replied him. “I did.”

“What wish did you make?”

Fang Zhaomu felt that he had been asked this question many times today. However, so what if he knew? Even if his wish had to do with Andrew, Andrew might not be able help him fulfil it.

So he told Andrew, “I made many wishes, but I don’t think they’ll come true.”

“Tell me about them.” Andrew was persistent.

Fang Zhaomu was slightly stunned by Andrew’s message, and slowly typed, “I hope that out of all the things I had an agreement with someone to do, I’ll be able to at least do one or two of them.”

It was not long before Andrew called him.

Fang Zhaomu picked it up.

“Are you talking about me?” Andrew was very direct.

Fang Zhaomu had only spoken to Andrew just before he had helped Song Yuanxun out, but he felt as though it had been ages since he spoke to Andrew.

Just by hearing his voice, Fang Zhaomu felt a lot of sorrow and reluctance that he could not say out.

It sounded like Andrew was outside. There was the sound of wind, the rustling of leaves, as well as vehicles driving by. Those might be the background noises that belonged to Seattle, and it made Fang Zhaomu want to go there.

He also wanted to be like the passersby walking past Andrew, able to see Andrew call him, and catch a glimpse of how Andrew actually felt about him.

“If that’s the case?” Fang Zhaomu asked Andrew in return.

“If it is,” Andrew said. “I will do them with you.”

“What will we do?” Fang Zhaomu asked depressedly.

“Didn’t you want to watch that movie released in March? We’ll also go to that biology exhibition in the city.” Andrew stated them one by one for Fang Zhaomu. “We’ll have to feed the fish when we got to the aquarium. We’ll go to the street market, a chinese restaurant, and you want to bring me for a stroll in T University in the evening, and we’ll do it again in the day.”

This was the first time Fang Zhaomu had heard him talk so much ever since they got to know each other.

Fang Zhaomu listened to him quietly. Because Andrew had remembered them all, his heartbeat started getting erratic, and his bad mood for the entire week vanished instantly.

He had never expected that Andrew, being so quiet, would actually remember everything they talked about. He did not know if it was because his memory was good, or if he was really paying attention.

Fang Zhaomu discovered that he really was someone who was easily pleased. Because of his sudden joy, he felt that this birthday was not too bad.

After Andrew listed every item, Fang Zhaomu asked him lightly, “So what do you think we should do first?”

“Let’s meet up first.”

Andrew’s answer was perfect, and Fang Zhaomu laughed. He told Andrew in anticipation, “Sure, we’ll meet up first.”

He then asked Andrew, “Are you on the streets now? You’re done with work?”

“Mn.” Andrew gave a brief answer.

“Is it cold where you are?”

“It’s not cold,” Andrew said. “It’s cold over there?”

“It’s very cold. I was queueing outdoors for half an hour to buy the cake,” Fang Zhaomu grumbled. “I also just went downstairs, and the wind’s even stronger than in the afternoon. However, the cake is very yummy.”

Fang Zhaomu mentioned the name of the bakery, and asked Andrew if he had tried anything from there before.

Andrew seemed to have been enlightened today. He told Fang Zhaomu that he had never eaten anything from there before, and added, “When we meet, I’ll bring you there.”

“Then who’s going to queue?” Fang Zhaomu lowered his head and poked the cake with his fork. He bit his lip, unable to control his smile.

“I’ll queue,” Andrew said. “You’ll wait in the car, I’ll go and queue.”