Social Outcast

Chapter 18

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Edited by: Planetes

 

Fang Zhaomu regretted his decision when he was downstairs. The weather in C City had again turned colder, and his sweater could not withstand the wind.

Song Yuanxun had sent him another text, telling him that he was at the junction.

Fang Zhaomu walked into the wind and immediately saw the car that he had taken before by the road side. He drew closer, and smelled a thick stench of burnt rubber.

And Song Yuanxun who had just texted him for help was standing by sternly.

Seeing Fang Zhaomu, Song Yuanxun turned towards him and watched him quietly, pointing at his tires.

Fang Zhaomu had a driving license back home, but did not drive much, and so he did not know much about cars. Walking over to Song Yuanxun, he took a look and speculated, “You have a flat tire?”

Song Yuanxun nodded at Fang Zhaomu, and signalled “2” with his hand.

“Two?” Fang Zhaomu was a little surprised as well as sympathetic. A gust of wind blew past them, and Fang Zhaomu recoiled. “What should we do now?”

Song Yuanxun was a lot taller than Fang Zhaomu. Standing on the path, he looked down at Fang Zhaomu with the light from the street lamps, and did not say a word. Being stared at, Fang Zhaomu felt goosebumps creeping up his flesh, and so looked away. He continued looking at one of the tires that had been damaged obviously, and crossed his arms. “Should we call for help or something…”

Fang Zhaomu did not have any experience handling such matters, and did not know what help he could provide.

Song Yuanxun suddenly moved. Fang Zhaomu turned to look at him, and saw him remove his jacket and lean towards himself.

Before Fang Zhaomu could react, he was wrapped up in Song Yuanxun’s clothes.

Song Yuanxun was very strong. He was close to him, and Fang Zhaomu also did not have a sure footing. Having the jacket wrapped around him, Fang Zhaomu was pulled forward, and it looked like he was throwing himself in Song Yuanxun’s arms.

Song Yuanxun was left in just a shirt. Fang Zhaomu was not close to him, and felt very awkward wearing his clothes. “You should just wear it yourself.”

He then tried to remove Song Yuanxun’s coat, only for his hand to be caught by Song Yuanxun.

Song Yuanxun waved his phone at Fang Zhaomu. He opened his reminder app, and typed a few words for him. “We have to call my insurance company.”

Fang Zhaomu, “Oh.”

Song Yuanxun typed, “Please help me explain the situation to them.”

Fang Zhaomu gave another “oh”, and asked, “I just have to tell them that two tires are punctured?”

Song Yuanxun typed “yes”, then continued typing out the situation of the punctured tyres.

Although Song Yuanxun’s trench coat was not very thick, but it could block the wind. Fang Zhaomu was no longer as cold as before, and he stood by the side as he watched Song Yuanxun typed.

The wind was really strong. Fang Zhaomu looked at Song Yuanxun’s thin shirt, and he reached out without thinking to touch the back of Song Yuanxun’s hand. Song Yuanxun stopped typing, and he turned to look at Fang Zhaomu.

Fang Zhaomu immediately pulled his hand back. Song Yuanxun’s hand was really quite cold, and he could not help but suggest, “Why don’t we just go to my place first. It’s too cold out here.”

Song Yuanxun immediately locked his phone and turned towards Fang Zhaomu, looking as though he was urging him to lead the way.

Seeing that, Fang Zhaomu was a little dazed. He had never seen someone who did not treat himself as an outsider before. However, he had not yet manage to eat his birthday cake, and had to stand in the cold wind to help a classmate with whom he was not close to and had also lost his voice, this could also be considered one of life’s little encounters.

“But my place is very small, and it’s a little messy.” Fang Zhaomu led the way and warned Song Yuanxun.

Song Yuanxun was walking along next to Fang Zhaomu, and on the other of him was the road. He turned his head slightly to look at Fang Zhaomu, nodding to signal that he understood.

Fang Zhaomu looked a little clumsy wearing Song Yuanxun’s coat as he walked, and turned his head to talk to Song Yuanxun.

His voice when talking to Song Yuanxun was completely different from when he talked to Andrew.

Talking to Song Yuanxun, Fang Zhaomu spoke very distantly, his mood placid. Half an hour ago, when he said that Andrew “haven’t been responding”, he was unable to hide his upset and complaints. Now, in front of Song Yuanxun, he had packed up his emotions, and there was no ambiguous feelings detected at all.

Fang Zhaomu removed Song Yuanxun’s coat and hung it on a rack by the side. He then removed his own sweater and hung it up next to Song Yuanxun’s coat.

He probably had never expected people to visit him, and so only had a pair of slippers. He let Song Yuanxun wear them while he stood there in socks.

Song Yuanxun was unwilling to wear his slippers, and Fang Zhaomu took it that he was feeling bad about it. He then said courteously, “It’s fine, you should wear them.”

Fang Zhaomu liked wearing soft, thin and loose sweaters. In a warm place, wherever he was, that place would feel like it had an air that made people reluctant to leave.

His words made people unable to reject him, and Song Yuanxun involuntarily wore those slippers.

Fang Zhaomu’s place could be entirely seen with a glance.

Song Yuanxun recognised this place. Fang Zhaomu had been sitting on this very bed in his pyjamas and video-chatting with him.

Fang Zhaomu even made Song Yuanxun compliment his ear studs — the ear studs he liked were personally selected by Song Yuanxun, and the food delivery happened because Song Yuanxun had given a large tip to the restaurant, and his little secret messages in the lab were all sent to Song Yuanxun’s phone.

The only thing was that Fang Zhaomu did not know anything about this, and Fang Zhaomu had got it wrong.

Fang Zhaomu’s bedsheets had changed, and on his little table was a cake. Song Yuanxun patted Fang Zhaomu’s shoulder and typed for him, “It’s your birthday today?”

Fang Zhaomu was a little taken aback, and admitted it. He then casually asked Song Yuanxun, “You want some cake?”

“Happy birthday.”

Fang Zhaomu politely and carefully thanked him.

Song Yuanxun typed some more. “Is there anything you wished for?”

Fang Zhaomu looked at the words and looked away. “I’ll help you call the insurance company now. What should I say?”

His tone made Song Yuanxun feel that Fang Zhaomu wished to quickly send him away.

Fang Zhaomu found a pen and paper for Song Yuanxun, and let him write it out.

Song Yuanxun found the number of his insurance, and Fang Zhaomu dialed it, explaining Song Yuanxun’s situation to the company.

At first, only one tire was punctured. After Song Yuanxun replaced it with the spare tire, another one was punctured. He had thought it was a system fault, and so continued driving. He only stopped when the car’s warning signs all lit up, and smelled the burning smell when he opened the door.

The company said that they would send a tow truck over, it would take about thirty minutes.

After the call, Fang Zhaomu cut a slice of cake for Song Yuanxun and poured him a glass of water. He saw that Song Yuanxun’s left hand had an abrasion on it, and it seemed fresh. Pointing at it, he asked him, “Did you injure yourself just now?”

Song Yuanxun wrote, “I scraped it on the rusty part of the jack when I was replacing the tire.”

“The jack was even rusty?” Fang Zhaomu looked helplessly at Song Yuanxun. He had a bit more emotions than when Song Yuanxun had asked him about his birthday wishes, and educated Song Yuanxun. “Don’t you know that you have to disinfect it and get an injection?”

Fang Zhaomu took a small first aid kit from a cabinet, and removed the cake from the table before he opened up the kit. He then asked Song Yuanxun to hold his hand out for him.

Fang Zhaomu’s cheeks were a little pink, and his lips were redder than most people. Even with his eyes lowered, his eyes and lips were still shiny.

Song Yuanxun thought, at least he definitely was not the only person whose breathing would turn irregular after looking at Fang Zhaomu for a long time.

Fang Zhaomu was not talkative with Song Yuanxun, and Song Yuanxun held his left hand out towards him. Fang Zhaomu grasped Song Yuanxun’s palm, and helped him disinfect his wound with a piece of alcohol-soaked cotton.

Fang Zhaomu’s hand was also very soft. Thinking about this, Song Yuanxun’s fingers curled up, and grabbed Fang Zhaomu’s left fingers.

Fang Zhaomu was startled and moved away the cotton. “Is it that painful?”

Song Yuanxun released Fang Zhaomu and slowly nodded his head.

“I’ll be gentler,” Fang Zhaomu smiled at Song Yuanxun. “You’re actually so afraid of pain.”

Song Yuanxun looked at Fang Zhaomu’s smile. Thinking for a few seconds, he then braced himself and wrote, “Keep it a secret.”

Fang Zhaomu laughed. His distance from Song Yuanxun was less than twenty centimetres. His eyes were curved, and gave a carefree assurance. “Alright, I won’t tell anyone.”

He then looked down and wiped his wound with the piece of cotton, and placed a plaster over it. “You still need to get a tetanus shot.”

Song Yuanxun wrote, “Sure.”