Fang Mo's toughest day

Fang Mo felt it was unbelievable.
The second season of "Monogatari" has a total of twelve episodes and just concluded recently. Xu Xiran watched every episode, and every time he watched, he would criticize it. The website where the two first met had quite a few discussions related to it, and Fang Mo followed Xu Xiran's account, seeing that he had written many passionate little essays. The central idea was still the same: the production team completely does not understand "Monogatari," and they are merely consuming the value of this work. The overall creative approach is inadequately described as pandering to otaku; it is simply vulgar and unacceptable, with the characters being utterly destroyed. By the end of the criticism, it felt almost like nitpicking.
Fang Mo remembered that in one article, Xu Xiran passionately raised her arm and declared that it's not that there can't be sex. The implication is that there shouldn't be only sex. If personified, the first season would be a sexy and elegant intellectual beauty, while the second season would be a heavily made-up and crude hair salon assistant. He would rather engage in an all-night conversation with the former than go to bed with the latter. There was also a note in parentheses indicating that this does not mean that he thinks there's anything wrong with the hair salon assistants in general.
Has received hundreds of likes and gained recognition from many otaku.
Although this sentence has its awkward moments, it overall shapes an image for the author that is detached from lowbrow tastes. Fang Mo felt quite positive after reading it and thought that Xu Xiran, as a die-hard otaku, also had a serious and lovable side.
To my surprise, Xi Ranh, who criticized the overly explicit second season of "Monogatari Series," had this kind of manga hidden under his bed. Fang Mo quickly flipped through a few pages, and this thin booklet had almost every page filled with indecent and vulgar images, featuring real knives and guns, with only one complete character, Xiao Yao, appearing in the frame. The few lines of dialogue were in Japanese, but Fang Mo couldn't understand them, and it didn't affect his comprehension at all.
“Is there really such a plot in the 'Naruto' series?” He stared in shock.
“How is that possible? It's just a fan fiction,” Xu Xiran said with a flushed face as she explained in detail for Fang Mo, “The term 'fan fiction' generally refers to… unofficial works created by fans themselves.”
Fang Mo looked at the “fanbook” in his hand and then shifted his gaze to the box. There were at least a dozen more stacked inside.
“Why did you buy so many?” he asked.
“What's the big deal...?” Xu Xiran felt awkward, “I bought it, so what? It's normal.”
Fang Mo couldn't process it: “No, isn't 'Monogatari Series: Second Season' much more sophisticated than this? You criticized it so harshly, yet you still watch it in private?”
"This is different, how can official works and fan works be based on the same standard?" Xu Xiran said.
Only common folks are allowed to set fires, while officials can't even light a lamp. The world of the second dimension is too profound for Fang Mo to understand, and he finds it incredibly baffling.
“This kind of delusion cannot be fulfilled through the original work,” Xu Xiran began to speak in a way that was difficult to understand, “the delusion itself is part of its value.”
It seems that he wants to have an all-night conversation with an intellectually stimulating yet sensual and elegant woman, and then fantasize about sleeping with her afterwards.
“你放在床底下，是不是方便晚上拿出来看？”方默皱着眉头问。
“才不是，”许熙然赶紧解释，“去年我爸他们三口子过来这里，我怕小孩子看到了不好，才藏起来。后来忘记拿出来了。”
Fang Mo sighed. It's not surprising that a normal young man enjoys watching things with a bit of color. Unfortunately, the two of them ultimately have a bit of a taste gap in this regard, making it impossible for them to appreciate it together.
“This one is too much,” Xu Xiran rummaged through the box for a moment and found another notebook, “It has a more plot-driven story, do you want to take a look?”
Fang Mo glanced at the cover. It depicted Xiao Yao kissing another female character, Ming Mei.
```htmlHe hesitated for a moment and shook his head: "Not really."
Xu Xiran looked regretful: "You seem to be quite obsessed with BL comics."
Fang Mo inwardly exclaimed that it wasn't good. Not being honest and straightforward always tends to lead to digging pits for oneself over trivial matters.```
“I started watching because I like you.” He emphasized to Xu Xiran.
This is the truth; mainly because he didn't have the opportunity to get in touch before.
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiran immediately smiled. Just as he was about to speak, Fang Mo interjected, asking, “Since you like these, won't you feel a bit unsatisfied being with me now?”
Xu Xiran immediately shook his head and said, "No, this is not the case."
After he finished speaking and saw Fang Mo's still conflicted expression, he said again, "Do you not like me looking at these? Then I'll stop doing it in the future..."
“That's not what I meant.” Fang Mo hurriedly waved his hand.
Watching comics isn't cheating. Which contemporary young person hasn't looked at some naughty stuff? He didn't want to take advantage of Xu Xiran's indulgence and overly interfere, treating their relationship as a disposable commodity.
“What I want to say is,” Fang Mo licked his lips, “... hey, did I look good as Xiao Yao last time?”
Xu Xiran was stunned.
Fang Mo smiled at him: “Hehe.”
As the saying goes, 'it's better to guide than to block.' Knowing he likes it, rather than forcibly stopping it, why not utilize it?
Xu Xiran's eyes wandered around, and he smiled.
"Looks good," he nodded, "I kind of want to watch it again."
Fang Mo raised his hand and made an OK gesture towards him.
“Ahem,” Xu Xiran lowered his head and cleared his throat, leaning close to his ear to whisper, “But don’t wear that kind of fake chest; I prefer the real thing.”
Both of them were stirred up by each other’s words. Unfortunately, even though the room was cleaned, there was no place to lie down. The only bed had just a bare mattress on it, and the dusty, dirty bedding had all been tidied up by the old lady, who also reminded them to remember to wash and sun them on a clear day. With no hardware conditions, there were also difficulties with the software. They had promised before leaving that they would return for dinner. Fang Mo's parents prepared a whole table of dishes for Xu Xiran every day, and Xu Xiran didn’t want to let them down.
The project turned out to be more difficult than imagined, and it was already quite late when the cleaning was finally completed. Fortunately, the traffic was smooth due to the approaching Lunar New Year, so it wouldn't take long to take a taxi back home.
As he reached the door, Xu Xiran reached into his pocket and felt a sense of unease. He couldn't find his phone. Throughout the journey, he was too engrossed in chatting with Fang Mo and didn't touch his phone at all, so the probability of losing it was low. He must have forgotten to bring it and left it at home.
Just as he was lowering his head to recall the last time he saw his phone, Fang Mo beside him whispered softly, "Do we have guests at home?"
There were two pairs of unfamiliar shoes at the entrance; judging by the style and size, they were clearly women's shoes.
A clear and unfamiliar female voice came from inside the room: “There’s a sound at the door, is it Fang Mo coming back?”
Xu Xiran followed Fang Mo into the room and saw two young women, both in their late twenties, sitting on the sofa in the living room.
“Sister, what brings you here?” Fang Mo looked a bit surprised.
“Exactly, you didn’t give us a heads-up,” Teacher Su smiled and said, “Fortunately, we have some preparations at home today, so we can keep you for dinner.”
One of the girls with short hair smiled and said, "I just didn't want to trouble you guys, that's why I didn't say anything."
It turned out to be Fang Mo's sister. Looking at the various gift boxes piled up by the sofa, it seemed she had come to wish them a Happy New Year in advance. Xu Xiran didn't know how to address them, so she just smiled and nodded along.
“Who is she?” The short-haired girl looked at Xu Xiran with a curious expression, “Aren't you going to introduce her to us?”
Fang Mo seemed unusually nervous for some reason: “This is, my classmate.”
"Oh~" The girl responded with a twist and turns, implying deep meaning. "Hmm, not bad."
From her expression, it's obvious that she had something in mind. Perplexed, Xu Xiran greeted, "Hello, everyone."
Fang Mo's smile was awkward and forced. He didn't wait for Xu Xiran to chat more with the two girls, pulling Xu Xiran towards the room: "You guys chat first, we have something to take care of, just a moment."
Xu Xiran, who was confused and puzzled, asked, "What's the matter?"
"Nothing, " Fang Mo replied, "Is it considered a serious matter if I want to be alone with you?"
Xu Xiran smiled for a while and asked, "Are those two your cousins? Don't you like them very much?"
"No, they're my dad and mom's goddaughters," Fang Mo frowned and said, "I... uh, not really familiar with them either."
Xu Xiran understood that this was definitely jealousy. He didn't like his parents sharing their love for their children with others. He was actually willing to stay in the room with Fang Mo for a while longer, but unfortunately, it was dinner time at the moment.
A young girl's voice soon came from outside: "Hey handsome guys, it's time to come out for dinner!"
Fang Mo sluggishly came out of the room, his expression still very stiff.
Xu Xiran wanted to comfort him a bit, to hold his hand or give him a kiss on the cheek. Unfortunately, the two girls were still in the living room, making it inconvenient. Xu Xiran could kiss Fang Mo without hesitation in front of a crowd, but she knew the limits and wouldn't act recklessly in front of Fang Mo's acquaintances.
As the two of them walked over to the table, Xu Xiran was surprised to find that the hands of the two girls hanging under the table were actually holding each other.
In contrast to Fang Mo's indifferent attitude, his two older sisters were very warm and seemed to be full of curiosity about Xu Xiran.
“Are you classmates?” the long-haired girl asked him.
“Mm,” Xu Xiran nodded, “We’re from different classes, but we’re in the same school.”
The girl smiled and said, “My godmother mentioned a few weeks ago that Fang Mo is quite picky and probably won’t have a partner even after graduating from college. I didn’t expect him to bring someone back so soon for the New Year.”
Xu Xiran was taken aback, unsure how to respond for a moment.
Seeing this, the other party seemed to have developed a bit of a misunderstanding and explained, "Has Fang Mo not introduced us to you yet? Don't worry, we're all on the same side."
“......What is it?” Xu Xiran asked in a daze.
The other person smiled and raised her hand to show the ring on her ring finger.
“This is my lover.” She pointed to the short-haired girl beside her.
The short-haired girl smiled cheerfully and raised her hand to show him, then added, "We are also college classmates, and we are in the same university but different classes as you."
At that moment, Xu Xiran's brain felt a bit confused. He turned to look at Fang Mo, and then he was stunned once again.
“What's wrong with you?” he leaned over and asked, “Why are you suddenly lying on the table? Are you feeling unwell?”
Fang Mo, who buried his head like an ostrich, shook his head, refusing to lift it or say a word.
“You’re not shy, are you?” the short-haired girl joked.
“We’re not going to make fun of you,” the long-haired girl said, giving him a pat, “Dating is a good thing, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It's not like you at all.”
“Forget it, just let him go,” her boyfriend said, “he's kind of cute.”
When Fang Mo's parents came out of the kitchen with the dishes, Xu Xiran was somewhat dazed, listening to those two girls introduce what a rainbow mom is.
Fang Mo lay there throughout the whole time as if he were asleep, motionless and looking like he had given up on himself.
After the two elders were seated, they took the initiative to open up a conversation, chatting about everyday matters.
Fang Mo finally sat up, his face blushing furiously, with a dejected expression. Xu Xiran turned her head to look at him, but he avoided her gaze.
Soon, the others also noticed that something was off between the two of them.
“What were you two talking about just now?” Teacher Su asked tentatively.
“Oh, it was nothing,” the two girls, unaware of the situation, misunderstood and thought the couple in front of them were having a spat, feeling a bit awkward, “we just talked about how we got to know each other.”
“Mo, are you feeling unwell?” Teacher Su looked at Fang Mo again, “If you can't eat, just go back to your room and rest early.”
Fang Mo nodded, stood up, and walked away without saying a word.
When Xu Xiran saw this, he hurriedly stood up: "I'll go keep him company!"
The two sat in the room, closed the door, and looked at each other in silence.
Xu Xiran's mind was in a tangle, unable to sort out what was going on. Fang Mome clearly approached him for the same reason of being troubled by too many same-sex admirers. Is it because, although he likes boys, he cannot stand being pursued by those he doesn't like and is worried that being honest won't win his approval, so he only reveals half of himself?
It must be like this. Fang Mo has his difficulties, which is understandable.
Just as he was about to speak, Fang Mo, who had been keeping his head down and silent, suddenly looked up at him.
“I’m sorry.” He looked at Xu Xiran, appearing as if he was about to cry, “I just wanted to trick you into giving me your photo back then.”
Xu Xiran had just managed to organize his thoughts a little, but they got tangled up again.
“You want a photo, and then what?” he asked hesitantly.
“After looking at the photo, then... then...” Fang Mo's voice grew softer, “... I just want to be friends with you.”
Xu Xiran was puzzled for quite a while before he finally reacted. Fang Mo was just like those people he had encountered in the past, attracted to his appearance, and thus deliberately approached him.
The biggest difference may be that Fang Mo is able to remain composed.
During their first conversation, Fang Mo was just talking nonsense, and afterward, he definitely told quite a few lies to maintain the deception. Thinking about it this way, when they first got to know each other, wasn't he just playing her for a fool?
“I'm sorry.” Fang Mo repeated once again.
Xu Xiran was at a loss for how to respond. Seeing Fang Mo looking so pitiful made his heart ache, and he found it hard to not feel reluctant. But he also couldn't easily say "It's okay."
He feels it's related; he has a tightness in his chest. Since he cares, it's impossible to force himself to act as if nothing happened.
“Why didn't you tell me earlier?” he asked Fang Mo.
"If I told you, would you still pay attention to me?" Fang Mo asked.
Xu Xi Ran couldn't answer. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to ignore Fang Mo, yet he also felt that if Fang Mo had shown his affection for him from the beginning, he would probably find it hard to accept. But no one likes to be kept in the dark; regardless of the intention behind it, the feeling of being fooled is just too bad.
他大脑一片混乱，急需好好整理思绪。可面前的方默完全干扰他的思路。方默如今的表情，他每看一眼，理智部分就被情感压着退缩一寸。那让他越发糊涂。他觉得自己有必要单独冷静一下。
“I'll head back to my room first,” he stood up and said, “Let me think about it for a while, and we can talk later.”
Fang Mo also stood up: “Should I come find you later?”
After he finished speaking, he noticed Xu Xiran furrowing his brows and not responding, so he changed his tone: “Well... can I call you before going to sleep tonight?”
Ever since they got together, they had been chatting for a few minutes almost every night, and these past few days were no exception. Xu Xiran originally felt reluctant to refuse him. Just as he was about to nod, he suddenly came to his senses. The impact of what had just happened was too strong, and he had forgotten about an important matter. His phone was missing.
After careful recollection, the last time he saw his phone was probably on the edge of the sink in the bathroom at home. He casually placed it there while washing his hands.
“I need to go home once,” he said to Fang Mo.
Fang Muwen heard this and immediately widened his eyes, followed by his eyes turning red.
Xu Xiran realized he misunderstood and quickly explained, "I left my phone at home, I need to go back and get it."
Fang Mo, however, was somewhat skeptical, wanting to say something but hesitating.
“... I’m not lying,” Xu Xiran said.
This remark, though unintentional, oddly seemed to carry a deeper meaning at that moment.
Upon hearing this, Fang Mo bit his lip and lowered his head, falling silent.
“Then I’ll head back first.” Xu Xiran turned around and had just placed her hand on the doorknob when Fang Mo quickly followed her.
“I’ll accompany you back.”
Xu Xiran shook her head: “I want to be alone…”
He was halfway through speaking when he choked up. Fang Mo's eyes were watery, and tears were almost falling.
“I’ll go back with you,” Fang Mo said to him, “You don't have a phone, and you don't have any cash on you. How are you going to take a taxi?”
He is afraid that once he leaves, he won't come back.
Xu Xiran doesn't have a mobile phone now, so if she goes out, she can't be contacted. If she doesn't agree, Fang Mo will probably be restless until he comes back.
"Is it okay?" Fang Mo asked again.
Xu Xiran sighed and nodded.
Xu Xiran: Overwhelming pressure makes you forget to even appreciate the lilies right in front of you.
【Manual Separator】
Happy New Year!