Chapter 11 (2/2)

Song Yuanxun kept his phone, then took it out again. He replied Fang Zhaomu, “Ok.”

Today, Song Yuanxun kept himself updated with news on the flights. At 4.50pm, he opened the chat window of the dating app.

He was just done with class, and a few classmates had invited him to a restaurant near the school for a meal. As he walked out, he told Fang Zhaomu, “I’ve arrived.”

Fang Zhaomu did not reply immediately. When Song Yuanxun and his classmates got into his car, Fang Zhaomu suddenly sent a text asking Song Yuanxun, “Can I call you?”

Song Yuanxun had already started his car. He looked down at the words on his phone, and his hand paused. Turning to the two classmates in his car, he said, “I’ll make a call first.”

Seeing his classmates nod in response, Song Yuanxun left the car with his phone and closed the door. Walking a distance away, he called Fang Zhaomu.

Fang Zhaomu answered very quickly, “Andrew.”

Fang Zhaomu’s voice was not loud, and so naturally had an intimacy and softness to it that was not so excessive it would turn people off.

“What happened?” Song Yuanxun asked lowly.

Despite having heard the countless voice messages Fang Zhaomu had left for him, Song Yuanxun was still not very used to speaking to Fang Zhaomu directly.

Calling Fang Zhaomu on the phone was like carving up his reality into two. Song Yuanxun had to create Fang Zhaomu’s Andrew out of nowhere, and reluctantly play this role.

“Have you got off the plane?” Fang Zhaomu asked.

Fang Zhaomu seemed to be very happy to be speaking with Andrew. Song Yuanxun replied, “I’m off the plane already.”

“Is it raining in Seattle?”

Song Yuanxun had been prepared for this, and told Fang Zhaomu, “It’s cloudy, but not raining.”

“I’ve seen the weather forecast. It says that it’ll start raining tomorrow. Remember to bring along an umbrella.”

“Ok.”

Fang Zhaomu was silent for a short while. Song Yuanxun asked him, “Is there anything else?”

“No, nothing,” Fang Zhaomu was honest. “Bye-bye.”

Song Yuanxun hung up the phone and returned to his car, driving his classmates to the restaurant they agreed on. After he parked the car, he saw that Fang Zhaomu had sent him a message, and opened it. Fang Zhaomu said that he was eating alone in a restaurant, and wished that he could speak to Andrew.

He added that this restaurant was pretty good, and when Andrew returned to C City, he must bring him there to eat. Like this, he would be able to order the lovers’ set, and eat the dessert that was not available for ala carte.

“Lovers’ set?” Song Yuanxun sent his reply.

“It’s also called a set meal for two,” Fang Zhaomu explained. “You just eat it, why do you have to care what it’s called.”

Song Yuanxun headed into the restaurant with his classmate, and immediately saw Fang Zhaomu sitting next to the window facing the door. His chin was on his hand, and he was glancing about, a bowl of soup in front of him. Song Yuanxun was no further than five metres away from Fang Zhaomu, and his eyes fell upon his face.

When Fang Zhaomu looked up to see Song Yuanxun standing there, his smooth forehead knitted. He then cast his eyes downwards, stirring his soup with his spoon.