Chapter 23 (2/2)

With the cold wind and rain blowing at him, Fang Zhaomu felt an intense pain.

Since young, Fang Zhaomu had never cried often. Fang Zhaomu was very optimistic and smart. The people he met were all kind, his family harmonious, and there was no disturbances to be found. When his mother talked about his childhood, she would always mention the incident about him falling down when he was two or three years old. She said that Fang Zhaomu had fell down from the stairs, his knee scraped and bleeding. Even an adult would cry, but Fang Zhaomu remained sitting there, waiting dazedly for his mother to pick him up.

Fang Zhaomu did not remember it himself. Now, when he thought about it, he felt that the reason he did not cry was he was younger was probably because it was not painful enough.

Now that it really hurt, he would naturally cry too.

Fang Zhaomu’s vision turned blurry, an astringent feeling in his nose. He listened to Fang Zhaoling speaking like an adult, “It’s very late for you already, isn’t it? Be careful on your way home.”

Although Fang Zhaoling was in a quiet area, but Fang Zhaomu knew that it was very lively over there. There must be many people around her, and everyone were all very happy.

“Ge?” Fang Zhaoling did not hear any reply, and called out to him sharply.

“I know.” Fang Zhaomu was afraid that if he said anymore, Fang Zhaoling would realise that something was wrong with him, and he quickly said goodbye.

Fang Zhaomu hung up and wanted to continue reserving a room. However, his hand might have been too wet, and his phone slipped out of his hand and dropped to the ground.

Fang Zhaomu had been using this phone for quite sometimes, and there were occasional issues with it. He had been too lazy to replace it, and this time, after a drop, the screen turned dark. He picked it up, pressing on the switch continuously, but the phone did not turn on. Fang Zhaomu stared at the screen, his mind empty, and did not know what he should do now.

After a while, he realised someone was holding on to his arm. Fang Zhaomu’s eyelashes were thick with rain and tears, blocking his vision. He could not see anything clearly, and only heard that very familiar voice speaking humbly to him. “Mumu, let’s go in first. The rain and wind is too heavy outside. If you continue standing here, you’ll catch a cold.”

Fang Zhaomu did not want Song Yuanxun to touch him. He moved his arm lightly, “Don’t touch me.”

Song Yuanxun reduced the strength of his grip, but he did not let go. “Let’s go in first.”

Fang Zhaomu’s phone could not longer be used, and he was in an unfamiliar surrounding. With no other choices, he walked back into the hotel and queued at the front desk, wanting to book a room himself.

“I’ve booked two rooms,” Song Yuanxun told him. “I’ll go take the key to the other room.”

Fang Zhaomu did not say anything, only continued standing there.

He understood that when he was faced with troubles, persisting in rejection was something very meaningless. It was very petty, very narrow-minded, very insensible, but he did not want to care about all these. When a person was struggling in pain, why would they consider if they were being dignified?

While queueing, Fang Zhaomu heard a girl in front complaining to her boyfriend about the heavy storm, destroying all their travelling plans.

The boyfriend consoled the girl, saying that resting in a hotel could also be considered as a vacation, and to take it as one of life’s experiences.

Last night, after Fang Zhaomu was done packing, he even did a little research on Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Fang Zhaomu loved going to places like this, and liked to buy random wares from such places, and he had immediately screenshot it and sent it to Andrew.

Now that he thought about it, for all he knew, Song Yuanxun might still have been in C City, yet he had replied Fang Zhaomu with a “Sure.”

He told Fang Zhaomu, “We’ll go there.”

It was very decisive, like a solemn vow, as though after seeing each other, they would really go there together.

Song Yuanxun had found someone to give him the key. He returned to Fang Zhaomu, and stood there waiting with him.

In the end, Fang Zhaomu still ended up staying in Song Yuanxun’s extra room, as the hotel no longer had any rooms available.

Before he entered, he asked Song Yuanxun for his bank account number. Song Yuanxun did not say anything else, and gave him the details. Song Yuanxun was very thankful that Fang Zhaomu was willing to stay there safely. Outside, half the city had no electricity, the traffic was insane. With Fang Zhaomu’s slight figure, if Song Yuanxun was not holding onto him just now when they were standing outside, he was afraid he might have been blown away by the wind.

As his door was about to close, Song Yuanxun called out to him. Fang Zhaomu lifted his head, and Song Yuanxun spoke up after a pause. “You go ahead and take a rest first, I’ll order some food for you.”

Fang Zhaomu shook his head and closed his door.