Reverse Approach

The National Day was a seven-day long holiday but the third year students only got three days.

Instead of staying at home and studying, Liao Nanqing found a part-time job washing dishes around the town. Xu Yanyan’s birthday was just around the corner. Although the gift would be bought with Ge Yun, it was still very expensive. Besides, Su Beimo’s birthday was at the end of November and Liao Nanqing wanted to buy a gift for him.

For the intention to be in place, the money must be sufficient.

However, the living expenses his mother gave him were far from enough to cover these expenses. Liao Nanqing would habitually find some small restaurants far away from his own life and go to the back of the kitchen to help wash the dishes. This was the case when he used to live with my stepfather. As long as it was a holiday, in order to avoid staying at home, Liao Nanqing would go out to work.

Many places didn’t want students, so he was not picky. Sweeping the streets, handing out flyers, brushing plates, serving food. He would do what he could do, Liao Nanqing was not afraid to lose face, he had little face in that place.

At that time, even when he occasionally bumped into the same classmates, he just buried his head in the hard work. In their eyes, Liao Nanqing was a poor foreigner, living in his mother’s remarried home. Most of his classmates looked down on him and a few did their best to avoid him. Isolation was a special atmosphere, it would gradually expand its circle, until it wrapped Liao Nanqing.

For a long period of time, dullness was his only label.

But now, even if he was washing the dishes, Liao Nanqing would find some time to send messages to Su Beimo, although Su Beimo was really busy; he rarely responded to him.

[Su Beimo, I had a very delicious steamed bun today. ]

Did not reply.

[Xu Yanyan quarreled with Ge Gyun again, and they do their homework together during the holiday.]

Did not reply.

Liao Nanqing rushed to clean the dishes in the sink and then took advantage of the time to go to the bathroom to persistently send: [Remember to eat when you are busy at work. It is especially uncomfortable to have a bad stomach. ]

Still didn’t reply.

Liao Nanqing put the phone away in frustration and the sink was filled with greasy dishes again. The phone was in his pants pocket, and for a whole day, except for Xu Yanyan who looked for him once, his phone didn’t vibrate at all. He didn’t even receive advertisement messages, Liao Nanqing thought the phone was broken.

As a result, when he got off work at night, he checked his phone carefully and there was no problem, he charged 20 yuan of phone bills into it, showing a balance of 39 yuan, and there was no downtime.

He waited until twelve o’clock at night, studying his book while waiting.

Su Beimo finally replied, as usual, as a supervisor: [I am too busy today, do you study hard? ]

[Yes! ]

Liao Nanqing lay on the bed, staring at the screen without blinking and unconsciously dialed Su Beimo’s phone. It was just that Su Beimo on the other end had a hoarse voice and sounded very tired. Liao Nanqing couldn’t help feeling a little distressed and he continued to talk with a lot of concern in a row. Su Beimo was tired but his attitude was very good, he answered patiently every sentence.

At the end, Su Beimo yawned.

Liao Nanqing said good night hurriedly.

This was probably the first time that Su Beimo ignored him all day. Liao Nanqing hung up the phone, lay on the bed with his mobile phone in his hand and rubbed his eyes with a slumped mouth, like a puppy that was left behind.

He really hoped that Su Beimo could be less busy at work and pay more attention to him. Because when Liao Nanqing was not studying, he was thinking of Su Beimo in his mind.

In the early morning, Liao Nanqing still couldn’t sleep, so he simply got up and cooked instant noodles. But after thinking about it, Su Beimo wouldn’t let him eat the noodles, saying they were not nutritious. So Liao Nanqing got up and fried an egg and put it in the noodles to eat together.

It was a habit of Liao Nanqing to send messages to Su Beimo. Liao Nanqing would send it regardless of whether Su Beimo replied it or not

But Su Beimo replied less and less frequently. Every time Liao Nanqing noticed a little alienation, Su Beimo would act like an older brother and take the initiative to call Liao Nanqing back. Most of the time, asking about his studies, because for the other things in life, Liao Nanqing would tell Su Beimo one by one through messages.

In front of others, Liao Nanqing had very few words, but in front of Su Beimo, he always had something to say. When he met face to face, he felt shy, but there was an impulse to confide in his heart through his mobile phone.

Of course, Liao Nanqing concealed his part-time job.

After the holiday, October’s monthly exam was approaching. In addition to the monthly exam, the mid-term exam in November was also around the corner. Liao Nanqing was deprived of sleep because of studying, and he either studied or lay down on the table every day to make up for sleep. Naturally, he sent fewer messages to Su Beimo.

But as soon as he got the chance, he would send messages and call him.

October was breezy, sweet-scented osmanthus was faintly fragrant, and the whole City B was immersed in the atmosphere of early autumn.

Sitting in the office, Su Beimo looked at the bright-screen mobile phone in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking. Xu Yuanming paced over, patting him on the shoulder and handing him a bottle of iced coffee: “It’s rare to have a break; other interns are resting, why are you still coming to work?”

“Xu ge, you didn’t transfer your holiday either?” Su Beimo asked rhetorically, lifting the coffee in his hand, “Thanks.”

As a senior, Xu Yuanming had no pretensions and talked a lot, and unexpectedly he got along with Su Beimo.

“A 2:1 break is not as good as overtime pay. Didn’t I feel so overwhelmed by the mortgage? I wish I could work overtime every day. ” Overtime pay during holidays was not a joke, so Xu Yuanming was naturally unwilling to give up.

They both worked in Manager Wang’s department. Xu Yuanming had always wanted to be transferred to the project team of the company’s General Manager Li, so from time to time he would complain to Su Beimo.

There were only two of them in the office today. They were just chatting and doing some easy work. Even the usually stern-faced manager Wang could not stand it and went home to rest.

Xu Yuanming teased Su Beimo: “I see you’re not hiding in the pantry to make calls these days, and don’t even take a look at the phone when the screen is lit up. Why? Have you quarreled with the little target?”

“Brother Xu, I said I have no one.”

“No one, but you are holding your mobile phone every day.”

“That’s not quite the right verb you’re using.”

Xu Yuanming justified: “I am a science student.”

Su Beimo noticed that his phone vibrated, picked it up and glanced at it before putting it down. Xu Yuanming asked him: “Really quarreling? You can reply to the message if you want, instead of staring at the phone every day. ”

Su Beimo retorted: “I don’t stare every day, ba? I’m so busy.”

“Come on, your eyes are almost growing on the phone.” Xu Yuanming thought it was good to be young, could say one thing and mean another thing. Holding coffee and clinking glasses with Su Beimo, he said: “We probably won’t have to work overtime for a while. Let’s go drinking together after getting off work.”

“Okay.”

After a while, Su Beimo asked himself: “Do I really stare at my phone every day?”

“Yes, ah.”

“…”

“Your eyes are just living in your mobile phone.” Xu Yuanming was a veteran and asked him again, “Your younger brother, is the target, ba? Hey, our company is not an artist company, stopping you from falling in love. What are you doing, hiding?”

In Xu Yuanming’s mind, Liao Nanqing, who had been in constant contact with Su Beimo, was guessed to be a girl and also ‘disguised’ as a younger brother.

“Really a younger brother.” Su Beimo sighed and explained, “He relies on me too much, I want him to be independent.”

“…”

“You were right last time. After entering society, I can’t be by his side all the time.”

They would be separated sooner or later.

Su Beimo didn’t want to admit this, but it was true there was also a degree to a friendship, even if they met by chance, had no relatives, and even if they were a friend for life. If you couldn’t get close, the only thing that he could help was always that. If he was just such a role, then his excessive infiltration into Liao Nanqing’s life and building a closed wall for him were equivalent to establishing a new cell for Liao Nanqing.

Gentle and suffocating, followed by a derailment.

And Liao Nanqing at this moment was lying on the table, hanging his head in a manner that Ge Yun could not help but take the initiative to talk to him. Xu Yanyan was even more, moving to poke Liao Nanqing’s arm.

“Little Nannan~”

“Well”

“Are you heart broken?”

Ge Yun had a headache: “Do you only have these in your head?” She tweeted, and asked Liao Nanqing solemnly, “Did you regress in your grades, or did the class teacher talk to you?”

Liao Nanqing shook his head, his eyes were red. The hair hadn’t been cut for a long time and it covered his ears. He probably didn’t sleep well last night, even Xu Yanyan on the upper bunk heard the movement of him turning over. But he didn’t say anything, so they didn’t ask much. Xu Yanyan and Ge Yun, who couldn’t ask him anything, handed him snacks instead.

The interaction between students was like this, using food to build a bridge of friendship.

Liao Nanqing didn’t forget to say thank you. Looking at the chocolates, he didn’t have any thoughts to eat, still clutching his small broken phone in his hand.

For two days, Su Bei Mo had only replied to him once.

It was: [I’m a little busy, talk later.]

The next day, Liao Nanqing couldn’t hold it any longer. Taking advantage of the lunch break, he hid on the rooftop and called Su Beimo. Su Beimo quickly answered it.

The wind on the rooftop was cool and clear, and the fragrance of osmanthus flowers in the school was strong, so when Liao Nanqing heard his voice, his mood was relieved. The phone was held foolishly, close to the side of the ear, for fear of missing a word.

His tone, which had been depressed for a few days, finally brightened up when he called Su Beimo’s name.

“Su Beimo!”

“En?”

“…” Liao Nanqing opened his mouth, excited, not knowing what to say.

“The results are out?” It was Su Beimo who asked first, still in a warm and gentle tone, not a trace of deliberate and unusual cold could be heard.

He had always been a redeemer to Liao Nanqing.

Liao Nanqing gently shook his head, but once he thought about it, Su Beimo couldn’t see it so he said, “No, there is no exam yet. You…you rarely talk to me recently..”

“The company is too busy, but if you send me a question, I will still take the time to answer it for you.”

“En! I know, but I really miss you today, so I couldn’t help but call you.” Liao Nanqing said anxiously, “If you are busy, I will hang up.”

Anyway, I just want to hear your voice.

“It’s okay now.” Listening to his fearful tone, Su Beimo couldn’t bear to hang up and chatted casually. When the female colleague asked him if he would go to dinner after work, Su Beimo frowned and covered the handset. He went to the pantry and said slowly, “I’m not busy today. You say, I’ll listen.”

“After the monthly exam, I’m going to Xu Yanyan’s house for his birthday party.” Liao Nanqing always felt that something had changed. He opened his mouth sluggishly, his consciousness was slow. He was afraid to ask what he wanted, and he was afraid of losing it.

Su Beimo was as usual: “Is the gift ready?”

“It’s already bought.”

“If you don’t have enough money for living expenses, you can ask me for it.” Su Beimo was still worried that Liao Nanqing’s unreliable mother would deduct his living expenses.

However, Liao Nanqing almost subconsciously refused. “No, you still lent me my tuition! If I don’t have enough money to spend, I will go to work. You must not give me any more money…”

“Working?” Su Beimo frowned.

“I will go to work again during the winter vacation. I now have to study hard.” Liao Nanqing consciously lied.

The part-time job was to save money for Su Beimo’s birthday present. Liao Nanqing would not let Su Beimo know first, he wanted to surprise Su Beimo when the time came.

“Anyway, don’t carry anything by yourself, I will help you.”

Liao Nanqing did not answer.

Obviously such a warm sentence, but in the indifference of nearly a week, Liao Nanqing tasted a different taste.

After a moment of silence, Liao Nanqing suddenly asked, “Su Beimo, I often find you. do you find it annoying?”

Su Beimo took a deep breath, knowing that Liao Nanqing was aware of it. He paused and suddenly his voice was hoarse: “Not annoying.”

“But……”

“I’m a little busy, I’ll call you back later in the evening.” Su Beimo found an excuse to hung up.