Chapter 23

Fang Xu replied quickly and simply.

You glanced at it, then didn't reply. You sat silently in the swivel chair by the window, your gaze stretching out to the setting sun. The garden in the neighborhood and the cold afterglow of the sunset both had an overly quiet feel to them.

There was no sound in the room; the music from the stereo had long since stopped.

You sat for a while when your phone beeped. Fang Xu sent you a picture of a plump, red mushroom growing on a nutrient tree, its cap open carefree, the white patterns on it resembling a smiling face.

you:[? ]

Fang Xu: [I grew it myself. I saw it when I went to Yunnan last time, so I asked someone to get some mycelium for me.]

You typed a few words, then deleted them: [Hmm]

Fang Xu: [Ah, thank you for the clothes last time, I'll give you a potted plant as a gift.]

mushroom?

You can't reconcile that slow, chubby creature with a man like Fang Xu.

You were wary, but after thinking it over, you couldn't figure out what he could do to a normal, morally sound adult male. If it was just for casual sex, then starting with mushrooms seemed rather ridiculous.

Besides, it doesn't really matter, does it?

Even though I don't mingle in any circles and have no contact with those people, normal interpersonal interactions won't have any impact. If I were to fall into depravity because of this, it would be a complete lack of trust in my own character.

you can]

Fang Xu replied quickly: [However, I'm currently out of town. I'll arrive by tomorrow at the latest. Tomorrow night, my friend's private cinema is showing a very niche mushroom documentary. It's from an independent studio in China, and they've been filming it for over three years. Let's meet there.]

You walk back to the bedroom, click on Fang Xu's profile picture, and find that the background of the person wearing the Kui dragon pattern bracelet is a blurred small garden, where you can vaguely see mushroom-growing nutrient trees.

Flowers and plants?

It seems like a very safe hobby, without the many troubles of traveling, the health hazards of smoking and drinking, and it's also very environmentally friendly.

You should try to shift your focus.

You return to the chat interface, think for a moment, and type a reply: [I'm currently looking for some work, Mushroom. I'd like to pay you, but if we meet, you need to give me a specific time.]

On Fang Xu's end, it showed that he was typing, and after a while, it changed to a single word: [OK]

You close your phone, sprawl out on the bed, and stare at the ceiling with your eyes open. In the crystal chandelier, there is another shadow of you, wearing light gray pajamas, tall and thin, aloof and indifferent.

You stared at the shadow for a moment, and then suddenly said...

"It's because of her face, isn't it?"

"Otherwise, why would I have agreed to meet?"

After a moment's pause, you covered your face with one hand.

"But it's okay, isn't it?"

Time flew by and it was already evening of the second day. Compared to the relaxed mood at the beginning, you realized your true purpose and were eagerly looking forward to ending the meeting quickly to avoid anything else that you would regret.

The private cinema is located in a somewhat remote area in the suburbs. After you finally find the place, park your car, and walk through a dilapidated dirt road, you'll find a graffiti-covered building nestled among pine trees.

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and a light drizzle began to fall.

You hesitated for a moment between going home immediately and going inside to take a look, but ultimately the thought of not wanting to go home won out.

You push open the door, walk up the stairs in the corridor. The second floor is relatively clean. Following the music, you find a similarly strange and dilapidated private cinema with a sign made of discarded parts.

Upon entering, you first encounter a small bar with both men and women inside. No one seems to notice your arrival; the soft music and the atmosphere of the heavy rain outside complement each other perfectly.

You see Fang Xu's back view; he's wearing a loose shirt, standing on a chair fixing a lamp, surrounded by several people who are laughing and talking to him.

You walk over, and he stands on a chair, glances at you quickly, and takes off his gloves: "The people I've been waiting for have arrived. You can do whatever you want now."

"Damn it, Fang Xu, you only care about faces, not people? You can't be like this!"

The group of people were quite familiar with Fang Xu, and they started chattering amongst themselves, grabbing Fang Xu's clothes and trying to stop him from leaving. Fang Xu reached out to shoo them away, his expression casual and relaxed, and he laughed and scolded, "What's the use of calling me if you don't even hire an electrician? Get out of my way."

He glanced at you, winked, and put his arm around your shoulder, leading you inside: "Come on, it's all inside. The atmosphere is really nice today, perfect for watching documentaries."

A short girl laughed in the back, leaning on a broom: "I was wondering why they were messing around with that lousy screening room for the first half of the day. I thought it was some kind of charitable act by a great master, but it turns out they were just benefiting from it."

"Fix your light bulb."

Fang Xu turned around and said something, and you raised an eyebrow, vaguely sensing something.

He led you down a dark corridor. You didn't speak. The windows on both sides of the corridor had no glass, and a cold wind rushed in, wetting the floor.

At the end of the door was a door covered in terrifying graffiti. Fang Xu stood in the doorway. The graffiti wasn't as pretty as him. He leaned against the door, his hair falling from his shoulders, just a little longer than his collarbone, and it was all fluffy.

"I need to explain something before we go in."

You calmly watched him, and as the mystery on his face gradually disappeared, you felt a little uneasy.

What are you trying to say?

He only showed you his profile, his eyes looking out the window, his chin raised. He seemed unable to be completely at ease in front of you, just like the composed, gentle, and romantic image you first saw, which was perfect, but then shattered by the sudden vomiting of the trendy guy.

Fang Xu touched his nose: "It's nothing."

He turned and opened the door, then turned back again, seemingly unwilling to give up: "This place is private."

You thought for a moment and said, "Are you trying to say that this is your place, but you let me in, so I'm special?"

Fang Xu choked for a moment.

You brush the rain off your shoulders, look around, and tell him, "This is my private time. I came for you. You are special."

"Therefore, the two cancel each other out, and the special becomes ordinary."