Social Outcast

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Edited by: Planetes

There were so many people in the supermarket that Fang Zhaomu thought the apocalypse was coming.

Many of the shelves had already been emptied out, and everyone’s cart was nearly spilling over. Every cashier had a very long queue behind them.

As Fang Zhaomu pushed a shopping cart, he felt a little apprehensive when he saw how crowded the supermarket was. Then Song Yuanxun took over the cart, “Follow me.”

At first, there was a distance of a few feet between Fang Zhaomu and Song Yuanxun. However, as there were really too many people, Fang Zhaomu was squeezed to the point where his personal space was invaded, and so had no choice but to be right next to Song Yuanxun.

It was a last minute decision to come to the supermarket. Fang Zhaomu had not prepared a shopping list, and he did not have a stove at home. After standing at the cereal aisle for five minutes, buying about ten different types of cereal, then he went to buy a pile of snacks and drinks.

It was different for Song Yuanxun. He bought many things that needed to be cooked, and some of them were even things that Fang Zhaomu had been eyeing for very long but never bought them.

Fang Zhaomu was feeling very envious, but pretended to not care.

“You’re just buying these things?” Song Yuanxun asked him.

Fang Zhaomu nodded. Song Yuanxun looked a little like he did not approve of it, but he did not say anything, and Fang Zhaomu sighed in relief.

When they were done making their selections, they did not continue browsing around. Queueing at the cashier, it took them about twenty minutes before they could pay for their purchases. Song Yuanxun did not let Fang Zhaomu carry any of the bags, just asking him to help him open the trunk of his car, and he placed all the bags there.

The snow was falling heavier than when they went into the supermarket. It fell thickly, and as Fang Zhaomu was not wearing a windbreaker, the snow fell into his collar.

In the car, Song Yuanxun’s phone rang. He took a look and told Fang Zhaomu, “The notice for class cancellation is out.”

“Oh.” Fang Zhaomu leaned over to look. Classes on Monday and Tuesday were cancelled.

“I wonder what will happen for Wednesday.” Fang Zhaomu thought about something, then asked. “When will they make up for the cancelled classes?”

“They won’t.”

Fang Zhao thought over it, and said, conflicted. “Then it’s better to cancel less classes.”

Fang Zhaomu seemed to see Song Yuanxun laugh at that from the corner of his eye.

Song Yuanxun did not drive in the direction of T University, but to another part of the city. Looking at the surroundings, Fang Zhaomu recognised that it was not towards T Univsersity, and so asked, “You still have things you need to buy?”

“Mn.” But Song Yuanxun did not say what they were.

Sitting in another’s person car, Fang Zhaomu had no right to speak, so he remained quiet. Then, Fang Zhaomu realised that Song Yuanxun had drove to somewhere he was very familiar with, and stopped outside a shop.

It was that dessert shop Fang Zhaomu had queued at during his birthday.

Maybe because a blizzard was coming, or maybe because the shop had been opened for awhile already, these showy desserts were no longer as popular as the last time Fang Zhaomu was here. Looking through the clear windows, there were only about three to five people in the shop.

“Please wait a moment,” Song Yuanxun said. “I’ll go and buy something.”

He was about to get out of the car, and Fang Zhaomu called out to him.

Song Yuanxun looked at Fang Zhaomu, closing the door that he had opened. “What’s wrong?”

“You…” Fang Zhaomu did not know how to ask the question. He faltered and beat around the bush, “You’re buying it for yourself?”

Song Yuanxun looked at Fang Zhaomu earnestly. Fang Zhaomu pretty much did not dare to look him in the eyes, his mind rapidly going through a few things Song Yuanxun might say, and also came up with a rejection.

“It’s for you.” Song Yuanxun chose the simplest statement.

“No need, I don’t eat them.”

Song Yuanxun’s eyes immediately dimmed. Fang Zhaomu was suddenly a little panicky, wondering if he had been too direct, and so he added, “I only eat them on my birthday, I don’t normally eat them.”

“Is that so?”

Fang Zhaomu was going to reply “yes”, but Song Yuanxun continued, “I thought we had agreed previously that when I’m back, I’ll bring you here to have some cake because you wanted it.”

Song Yuanxun’s voice was very low, together with the hoarseness from his cold.

Fang Zhaomu looked at him, and for no reason, a sense of guilt welled up in him.

“I said, you’ll wait in the car while I’ll queue,” Song Yuanxun spoke. “You said sure.”

It was as though Fang Zhaomu’s throat was stuffed with a wet towel, his heart aching in pain. They did agree to come here, the only difference being that Fang Zhaomu wanted to let it go, but Song Yuanxun did not.

Song Yuanxun kept reminding Fang Zhaomu of a truth, the lights were already on.

He barbarically showed Andrew to him repeatedly, barbarically wanted Fang Zhaomu to accept it, that everything Andrew said was Song Yuanxun’s words, that every promise made was done by Song Yuanxun.

Even if Fang Zhaomu did not want it, Song Yuanxun wanted Fang Zhaomu to go through everything once again before rejecting it.

Fang Zhaomu gazed at Song Yuanxun, unable to say a word.

A moment later, Fang Zhaomu spoke lightly, “I agreed to it?”

“You did.” Song Yuanxun insisted.

Fang Zhaomu had no choice, “Then you go and buy it.”

Song Yuanxun got off the car and walked into the shop through the snow. Fang Zhaomu watched him through both the windows of the car and the shop.

The way he was selecting the cake at the counter was just like he was checking the microbalance, solemn and steady, focused and engrossed. Fang Zhaomu wanted to laugh when he saw that, but he also wanted to cry.

Fang Zhaomu did not bring his phone, and could not see the time. However, he felt that the amount of time Song Yuanxun spent picking the cake was longer than when he was checking the microbalance.

Finally, Song Yuanxun made his purchase. Walking out of the shop with a pretty box, he opened the car door.

Cold air rushed in, melding with the warm interior.

“This shop,” Song Yuanxun passed the box to Fang Zhaomu. “Has too many flavours.”

“I didn’t know what flavour you prefer,” Song Yuanxun said. “The salesperson said that this is the shop’s speciality, and it’s also limited in stock, so I bought it.”

Fang Zhaomu opened the box. The cake was gorgeous, on it was a circle of berries, red and purple. It looked very festive. He closed the box, placed it in his lap, and thanked him.

Song Yuanxun did not go anywhere else, and sent Fang Zhaomu to his place. Fang Zhaomu wanted to carry his things by himself, but Song Yuanxun did not allow him to do so. Telling him to just hold on to the cake and open the door, the two of them went upstairs. Song Yuanxun passed the bags over to Fang Zhaomu at his door. He turned to leave, never requesting if he could go in.

Fang Zhaomu watched Song Yuanxun walk away, and could not help but call out, “Song Yuanxun.”

His voice was very small, but Song Yuanxun heard him. He stopped and turned to Fang Zhaomu, asking him what was wrong.

“You’re not going to eat the cake?”

“You can have it, I won’t be going in.”

Song Yuanxun was not being polite with Fang Zhaomu, he really headed downstairs. Fang Zhaomu opened the box and placed the cake on his table, then cracked his window open slightly, wanting to see when Song Yuanxun would leave.

He waited for ten minutes, but Song Yuanxun’s car still remained there. The snow continued falling heavily, and the car was covered with a layer of slow. He did not understand, if Song Yuanxun did not come in, then what was he doing downstairs?

Fang Zhaomu felt like he was an old calculator that was about to become obsolete, working on a very complicated calculation.

How to deal with Song Yuanxun, he had been working on it for very long. Twisting and turning, thinking about it repeatedly, his results should not be too wrong.

Fang Zhaomu closed the window, and cautiously made his way downstairs. He smelt the smoke of a cigarette, and took a few steps forward. Song Yuanxun’s back was facing him, he was smoking, and he was even coughing as he smoked.

The sky had darkened, and there was not much light in the passageway. Even if it was Song Yuanxun, it was quite undignified to be hiding in the passageway and smoking.

“Song Yuanxun.”

Hearing Fang Zhaomu’s voice, Song Yuanxun immediately threw the cigarette to the floor and ground it out before turning to look at him.

Fang Zhaomu had wanted to ask if he was any idiot, but in the end, kept his patience. “What are you doing?”

“I still don’t want to go yet.” Song Yuanxun was very self-righteous.

Fang Zhaomu felt that he really could not let Song Yuanxun stay downstairs. “You’re sick and yet you’re smoking. You might as well come and have some cake.”

Song Yuanxun followed Fang Zhaomu upstairs, and again walked to his door. Song Yuanxun might have a cursed relationship with Fang Zhaomu’s place, or maybe it was Song Yuanxun’s relationship with Fang Zhaomu that was cursed. Just as he closed the door behind him, the lights in Fang Zhaomu’s place went out.