Chapter 21 (1/2)

Chapter 21

Edited by: Planetes

Fang Zhaomu landed in Seattle at three in the afternoon.

Seattle was raining again. To keep his luggage light, Fang Zhaomu did not bring an umbrella.

Before he had boarded the plane, Andrew had sent him the address of the hotel. Fang Zhaomu had searched it online. That hotel was a little far from the airport, but as he was afraid of getting lost on the public transport, pondering over it, he still decided to take a taxi.

In the taxi, Fang Zhaomu told Andrew, “I’m here.”

Andrew sent him a reply very quickly. “You’re on the way already?”

The taxi moved off, and the scenery outside the window sped past. Andrew’s voice was placid, and Fang Zhaomu could not identify Andrew’s location, nor could he distinguish how Andrew was feeling about it. So he only replied, “Mn”, then yawned.

“If I take a taxi, how long would it take before I arrive?”

Andrew paused before saying, “If there’s no jam, it’ll be about 40 minutes.”

He had sat for too long on the plane. No matter how Fang Zhaomu adjusted his position, he still felt stifled. Cracking the window just a little open for some fresh air, he asked, “What time will you reach the hotel? How would I go up?”

“I’m also on the way back to the hotel,” Andrew said. “I’ve left a keycard with the front desk. You just have to let them know my room number, and they’ll give the card to you.”

Fang Zhaomu obediently agreed, then asked Andrew again, “How long do you need before you’ll reach?”

“I’m not sure. You should take the card and head up directly.”

Fang Zhaomu told him he understood, and after hanging up, he stared unseeingly at the scenery outside.

When he reached the hotel, following Andrew’s instructions, Fang Zhaomu went to the front desk. The staff immediately understood when Fang Zhaomu told her the room number, and without asking any further, she gave him a keycard.

As Fang Zhaomu headed to the lifts, he looked around at his surroundings. He thought that Andrew must be very competent at work, if not his company would not have provided him with such a luxurious hotel for him to stay at.

In the lift, he sent Andrew a message, saying that he was on the way up. Andrew was staying on the 28th floor, and the lift was so fast that he reached very quickly. Yet to receive Andrew’s reply, Fang Zhaomu cautiously pulled his luggage along and found the room. Unlocking the door, he opened it.

Beyond the door was darkness. Fang Zhaomu stepped inside, and the door closed behind him. He could not see anything.

Fang Zhaomu was afraid of the dark, and he also did not know if Andrew was there. Nervousness crept up upon him, and he did not dare to take a step further, even wanting to open the door and run away instead.

Towards the complete darkness, he called out softly. “Andrew?”

After a while, no one responded. Fang Zhaomu gave a small sigh of relief, thinking that Andrew must not be back yet. He stretched his hand up, about to fumble for the light switch, and suddenly heard a voice he was very familiar with near him. “Xiaomu.”

This was the first time Fang Zhaomu had directly heard Andrew’s voice, and his heart instantly sped up.

Andrew’s voice was a lot more solid than listening to it through the phone. Just by hearing “Xiaomu”, Fang Zhaomu could imagine how Andrew was standing there. He did not know how much taller than him Andrew was, as it could not be seen from the photos.

“Why didn’t you switch on the lights?” Fang Zhaomu hesitantly released his luggage and walked in with his hand against the wall.

“I don’t want to scare you.” Andrew’s voice was a little closer. From what Fang Zhaomu saw of the room just now with the door open, Andrew should be standing at the end of the doorway.

“Why would I be scared?” Andrew sounded very earnest, and Fang Zhaomu laughed hearing him. He comforted Andrew, “You’re exaggerating. I’m very daring, I won’t be so easily scared off.”

He took another step, groping his way through the dark. When he suddenly caught a person’s arm, he then realised that Andrew had actually been so close.

Fang Zhaomu let go, but his hand was now instead caught by Andrew.

“You’re very daring?” Andrew asked him.

Fang Zhaomu could hear the amusement in Andrew’s question, and so blustered, “What do you mean? Say it clearly.”

Andrew did not speak, and only laughed.