The Person You Called Is Unavailable

Chapter 6 Meeting again

"Achoo!" The cool breeze blew as Li Ren walked down a familiar yet strange street, causing him to sneeze. He gently covered his mouth and nose, sniffing. He passed many familiar sights: the old streetlights, the dumpling shop finally taken over by an unfilial son, the aquatic pet shop with a continuous sound of flowing water at its entrance, and so on... The passersby chatted lightly as they walked by, accompanied by the tempting aromas of various foods. As he walked, he unconsciously found himself in front of the breakfast shop he used to frequent. This was a place that catered primarily to children, offering food that was very much to their liking, but most importantly, it was cheap. Back when he was on his way to school, he often bought a steamed bun there for breakfast.

Li Ren stared at the breakfast shop for a long time, lost in memories. Just then, the shop owner lifted her head and their eyes met. He panicked and turned to run. The owner raised her hand, seemingly unable to call him back in time, and he had already disappeared. He ran into a nearby alley and thought, 'She probably didn't see me clearly...' Then he looked at his outfit and reassured himself, 'She shouldn't recognize me, right? After all, I've changed so much...' He continued to self-comfort, 'I'll just find a place near the meeting point to eat, and wait for the time to gather...' He pulled up the hood of his jacket to cover his head and left that place.

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"So you can't find him now?" the old man asked, sipping his rich black coffee. In front of Terry was a plate piled high with bread and pastries, and he was currently channelling his frustration into appetite. "Yeah! He actually blocked me! I'm so mad..." His cheeks were stuffed full of bread, making his speech muffled, looking like a little hamster. The old man laughed heartily and then sighed, "Many people you meet in life are just passing by; that's perfectly normal—"

"But I don't want him to be just a passerby..." Before the old man could finish his sentence, Terry said lightly, lowering his gaze and slightly furrowing his brow. He swallowed the bread in his mouth and continued, "I mean, I don't want to become his passerby; I want to help him."

"What does he need your help with? What can you do to help?" Looking at Terry, who seemed to carry many worries and troubles in his eyes, the old man was quite puzzled. 'That boy looks like he can take care of himself just fine, and he seems pretty healthy.'

Terry put down his bread and gingerly picked up the coffee cup with his left pinky and the side of his right palm, avoiding getting oil on it. He took a sip and said, "He seems to need money, but I'm not sure why. I heard from his coworkers that he works really hard, even when he's sick, just for a decent salary."

"Does he have a car?" the old man asked.

"Probably not...?" Terry answered cautiously.

"Does he have a house?" the old man asked again.

"He's not renting a place. His life is so tough, and he cares so much about money; he probably hasn't bought one." Terry frowned slightly, his eyes unconsciously rolling as he tried to find the answers in his mind.

"Does he have a girlfriend?" the old man asked once more.

"Probably not? It seems like he only gets calls about work," Terry said, looking puzzled at the old man.

"He has no car, no house, no partner, and he works so hard for money. After sending money home, living here should be more than enough for him. Why does he need so much money? Unless someone in his family is sick, otherwise he must be involved in something like gambling or drugs," The old man's eyes were firm, his fingers pointing in the air as usual.