Chapter 15 (1/2)

Chapter 15

Edited by: Planetes

As their classmate’s mistake had affected the progress of their project, everyone had to recalculate their results.

The portion Fang Zhaomu was in charge of was not difficult, but needed a lot of time, and he could not leave the lab as the experiment was ongoing. He started it in the afternoon, but by 5pm, the progress was less than half.

Everyone had left the lab one after the other. When it was 7pm, Fang Zhaomu was the only one left. With nothing to do, he dozed off next to the analyser. Bolstering his spirits, he took a look at the time, then walked to the window and looked at the weather outside.

The winter sun set early in C City, and it was again dark outside.

It was not that Fang Zhaomu had never gone home alone before. It was only because he had just received a fright from the car last night, and now, seeing the darkness outside, an uncontrollable apprehension welled up from within.

There was a lounge in the lab, but Fang Zhaomu did not like sleeping in public areas, and so never used it before. Time ticked on, and Fang Zhaomu was very hesitant. After examining the progress of the experiment, Andrew happened to ask him if he had eaten yet. Fang Zhaomu then told Andrew about his current situation, and seeked his opinion, “Should I just sleep in the lounge?”

Andrew might have been busy, and did not immediately reply Fang Zhaomu. Fang Zhaomu then turned on his computer and browsed through some online sites casually.

When it was nearly 8pm, the door to the lab suddenly opened. Fang Zhaomu looked up to see Song Yuanxun entering with a few books. Taken aback, he shifted his eyes back to his computer.

Just as he expected, Song Yuanxun did not acknowledge him. He first went upstairs, then came down twenty minutes later and walked to a position near Fang Zhaomu, picking up a record book and reading it.

Song Yuanxun was really very tall, and his posture was very straight. In the lab, he was set apart from the rest of the classmates, very outstanding. Even though he was very distant and moody, he was still the type where people wanted to get closer to him.

Before knowing Andrew, Fang Zhaomu was very bored, and often spoke to himself in his room or let his mind wander about. He wondered about when he could end this suffering of loneliness, and what exactly about him did Song Yuanxun not like.

At that time, Fang Zhaomu often thought, if Song Yuanxun could be a little nicer, and not so stern, and stop silently approving of how Zhang Ranyu and Zhou Meng outcast him, how nice would it be.

Fang Zhaomu had no expectations of being his friend.

Although there were two people in the lab, but no one made a sound. It was silent.

Fang Zhaomu thought and thought, and his eyes drifted in the direction of Song Yuanxun. About to look away, the alarm he set on his phone rang, and Song Yuanxun too looked in his direction. Their eyes met, and Fang Zhaomu’s heart jolted when Song Yuanxun looked at him.

The alarm was still ringing. Lowering his head, Fang Zhaomu picked up his phone in a flurry and switched the alarm off. He then gave a tick on his lab book, it was time for the second-last addition of the reagent.

The reagent to be added was in the cabinet in front of Song Yuanxun. Fang Zhaomu had no choice but to walk over and stop a few steps away from Song Yuanxun. Without looking at his eyes, Fang Zhaomu looked down, “Excuse me… I want to get a reagent.”

Song Yuanxun took a step back, giving him the space in front of the cabinet. However, he did not go far. As Fang Zhaomu stood in front of the cabinet, he kept feeling that Song Yuanxun was too close to him, and he was extremely nervous.

Fang Zhaomu opened the cabinet, wanting to quickly get it over with. He took out the reagent, but as his action was too big, the bottom of the reagent bottle bumped into another glass bottle. He saw that the bottle was about to fall, and his body tensed up. When he wanted to grab it with his left hand, Song Yuanxun suddenly reached out and caught the glass bottle in time.

Fang Zhaomu sighed in relief. Turning his head to thank Song Yuanxun, he discovered that their current positions were somewhat abnormal. Song Yuanxun’s left hand that caught the bottle circled around Fang Zhaomu to replace it in the cabinet, and the cabinet was against the wall. It seemed like Fang Zhaomu was being embraced by Song Yuanxun.

Fortunately, after Song Yuanxun had replaced the bottle and helped Fang Zhaomu closed the cabinet door, he retreated. Fang Zhaomu again thanked Song Yuanxun. Song Yuanxun nodded at him, and suddenly seemed to think of something. He pointed at his own throat, and waved his hand.

Fang Zhaomu understood, and asked Song Yuanxun tentatively, “You have a sore throat?”

Song Yuanxun nodded his head.

“Oh.” Fang Zhaomu slowly answered, and suddenly felt that Song Yuanxun really did not seem to be ostracising him that much.

“Then…” Fang Zhaomu paused. “I’m going up to have some water. Do you want some? I’ll get you a cup.”

Song Yuanxun nodded again.

Fang Zhaomu added the reagent and headed upstairs. He first drank some water, then poured Song Yuanxun a cup of warm water and brought it down for him.

Watching Song Yuanxun drink it, Fang Zhaomu spoke up. “With a sore throat, you shouldn’t drink water that’s too hot.”