An Introvert and An Extrovert

This, Huang Li, is an introvert.

This guy has his favorite novel author.

This, Weng Zhu, is an extrovert.

This guy has his favorite reader-supporter, who supports him to death!

—ahem, I mean, the reader, Huang Li, supports the author a lot!

This story is basically, Extrovert x Introvert

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Huang Li was sitting by his window and reading his novel, as usual.

Suddenly, his cat ran over his book, and the pages, unfortunately, got ripped off.

Sad Huang Li, kicked the cat out of his house. But alas, the novel still got destroyed.

“Great punishment you got!”

His mother, holding a bucket wrapping freshly baked bread, yelled back at him.

He was insulted, just now.

Huang Li cursed everything and went to his room.

He was already too sad that his favorite novel got destroyed, and

now his other favorite novel got disappeared?!

What nonsense.

“No, no, no!” He yelled out loudly and crashed his novel bookshelf.

Then he jumbled in the books pile with his hands, to find the novel.

Still no avail.

A bad luck.

He didn’t have any other way but to go to a bookstore and buy a new novel… but Huang Li is an introvert! How could he just leave the house?

As he was going to leave the house, an idea lit up inside his head!

‘Why don’t I just buy a new Web novel? That’d be awesome! I won’t have to go home and can even read it comfortably!’

That was… as usually, an introvert’s thinking…

Huang Li hurried up to his bed and laid down quickly. He pulled out his phone and opened the Online Bookstore.

He kept scrolling and scrolling, but there wasn’t a single novel by his favorite author!

“What nonsense! Where’re Lao Jun’s works???”

As expected, our introvert’s super annoyed. He thought, by using the web novel advantage, he would not have to leave the house and can even read comfortably!

Where did that go?

“Okay, forget it.”

Huang Li got up immediately. Tossed his phone backward, and pulled his coat over.

Next, he inhaled and exhaled strongly. He kept his lucky charm in his chest and opened the door.

“How are you leaving the house after 3 years?”

Said his mother with an unconcerned face.

Huang Li shuddered. “This…. This… mother can’t understand this introvert’s feeling!”

“Oh, yeah? Let’s see if you come back home safely.”

Okay, she said it.

Now, our introvert has a DARK history.

When he was a middle school student, he got bullied every day. He would come back home with getting purple circle marks around his eyes, and red big bumps on his face. His face would be overly swollen...

Fortunately, there was his very close friend; he would kick those bullies away, punch them, and successfully save Huang Li.

When his mother would see it, she would cry that the poor guy has no father to protect him against bullies…

That was sad.

But he knew; that there was indeed, someone who loved him secretly. That person even enrolled his way in the same high school as Huang Li.

Now, when Huang Li went to high school, his lunch would be stolen, his face would be swollen, and his uniform would be torn… as usual. Even though that best friend used to keep on saving him, he still couldn’t hide those wounds.

At last, when university came, they could no longer be at each other's side. Huang Li never met or saw his best friend again.

His mother decided, then, at last.

Her son can be an introvert = no bullying, no getting hurt.

Great!

After that decision, everything did get settled a bit. Huang Li did eventually, turned out to be an introvert. But sadly, every contact, physical and virtual, with his best friend, finished and they both completely forgot each other. Oh well, perhaps the other side still remembered?

He would not get out of the house completely. Only in the garden, if talking about opening the door. If he would need anything; food, books, his mother would buy him, or mostly, he would buy them from online stores.

That was his life from past to current.

Now, he kind of fell for an author? He wanted to meet his favorite author so bad!

Every day, a chapter from Lao Jun’s work was a must! Every week, a novel from Lao Jun was a must. Every month… okay let’s stop here.

Huang Li walked secretly as if he was robbing something. He walked in the shades to not get caught or seen.

The moment he saw a bookstore, he immediately went over, running.

Before entering in a hurry, he stopped to see the poster, stuck on the glass door of the bookstore.

“Jing Ling Book store… exhibits a signing session from the author, LAO JUN?!!!” 

His narrowed eyes widened in a big shock. His mouth opened so big

that it almost looked like a black hole…

The bookstore keeper came out and said, “Welcome, welcome, what- ah! You’re a fan of Mr. Lao Jun?”

“Yes! Yes! YESSS!!!” a crazy supporter/fan, showing his damn, crazy excitement.

“Oh… I see, well, I am too. Okay, come in.”

He was hopping like a rabbit, “When? When? WHEN IS THE EXHIBITION STARTING?!”

The bookstore keeper twitched his eyes, “I-it’s opening… this afternoon. The author said so,”

“Oh Yeah!”

Huang Li was so happy in years. This happiness was the biggest in his lifetime.

After he got invited in, Huang Li sat on the bench, swinging his legs in excitement. He kept murmuring Lao Jun’s name…

A while passed on, the doors of the bookstore slid opened!

A tall, slender, young man with beautiful hair and dark cool purple eyes, flashed in like a celebrity, or closely, a deity!

He came in. Lao Jun arrived!!!

The party poppers suddenly, popped upon him. The rainbow-colored confetti flowed around him.

Great author, Lao Jun brushed his hair and gave off a cool action.

Huang Li’s eyes struck opened wide. He was in deep shock. A lifetime greatest shock. He just couldn’t believe that his favorite, dream author was standing right in front of him. How cool.

Lao Jun furrowed lightly saying out loud, “Who’s the fan with the fawn-colored cat display image?”

All the fans and the bookstore keeper stood with blank faces.

“What?”

What nonsense did he just say?

Fawn-colored cat display image fan……………. who?

A sudden hitch felt to Huang Li. He immediately realized: it was him!

Huang Li, no, wait, as a username, HuLiLovesHisCatty, is the one!

Huang Li quickly got up and held his hand in excitement, saying, “I! I’m the one with the fawn cat display image!”

He continued saying, “Me! It’s me, ‘HuLiLovesHisCatty’ named.”

Lao Jun’s eyes opened so wide that he could not believe he found his favorite and greatest supporter in one go!

“HuLi?!! Thank god, I found you!”

Both fan-author hugged each other tightly, leaving the blank-faced, unnoticed fans, who were standing in excitement and honor to get the great author’s sign.

Oh well, that was that.

In that atmosphere, Huang Li was able to get an autograph on his favorite book, which he had just bought, and also personally on a framed sign board.

This guy was truly happy right then.

Other people were obviously jealous, but they knew their favorite author loved his ‘only one' supporter.

When Huang Li went home, his mother surprisingly asked, “Why, what happened? Didn’t you have a hard time?”

Huang Li grinned selfishly, “Of course not! How could you think like that? I got two signs from my favorite author!!”

“I’m as happy as wanting to fly up high~” he said while dancing lightly, right and left, as he went back to his room.

He jumped on his bed and opened the book. The back cover was signed by, Lao Jun.

He kissed the sign thrice.

Then when he opened the first page to start reading, a note fell on his face.

“Err,”

Huang Li, annoyed, opened the note and saw something mysterious and… strange.

‘Hey, dear supporter! Come meet me at the local park, tomorrow!’

Huang Li’s eyes, as if dropped out on the note, widened in huge shock! He was already so happy, but now he felt his heart would blast.

This happiness, he wished no longer ended.

The next day, Huang Li woke up earlier than usual. He packed up a few gifts for Lao Jun and pulled over his coat.

He ran outside, leaving his blank thought mother behind.

“What happened to him…?”

Huang Li expected to have arrived a bit early. But Lao Jun was already waiting.

He waved up high and said loudly, “Great author, Lao Jun!”

Lao Jun fixed his expression and quickly turned over towards Huang Li, smiling.

“Oh, hello there. Big supporter.”

Huang Li excitingly pulled out a chocolate box from his bag and offered it to Lao Jun.

“For me? Thanks… you’ve already supported me a lot back then, this is too much.”

Huang Li shook thrice and said softly, “No, no, this is just a small gift from your favorite fan. I…” Huang Li looked to another side and scratched his head lightly. He finally decided to say something, but just then, the other side had also mustered up his courage to talk.

They both accidentally said it together in a row.

“Let’s become friends, please!”

Both of them started to stare at each other. They both blushed and looked down, scratched their heads in embarrassment…

“Sorry… I, uh, this is so embarrassing…”

They chuckled.

Lao Jun secretly gasped lightly and said, “Do you… remember me?”

There was a strange atmosphere created between them.

“What?...” Huang Li’s expression blanked up.

What was that? ‘do I remember him?’ how can I? or am I supposed to….?

Huang Li saddened, “What do you mean? Am I supposed to know you?”

He smiled pitifully, “Yes, but no… you’re right if you forgot me. Since we got separated long ago.”

He continued while holding his hands, softly. “So you’ve become a successful introvert, eh? That’s great. Even if our personalities and fields differ, we can still continue to be friends… at least, right?”

Personalities and fields… even if they differ, why can we still be friends?!

He thought and finally answered, “Young man, who do you think you are, exactly?”

Lao Jun was dumbfounded.

“No, you’re mistaking me! I… I… urgh,” he didn’t have the right words to explain to him. So he took his hand and dragged Huang Li to the bench.

They sat and Lao Jun asked, “I forgot your name, because of 6 years’ separation. But I was still able to recognize you, thankfully.” He smiled gratefully.

Huang Li couldn’t believe; are my ears malfunctioning?

He said in a baffling tone, “So, you mean, you’re the old friend who used to save me from those bullies?”

Lao Jun finally thanked God for remembering his best friend. “Yes,” he smiled endlessly.

“Thank you for remembering me,” Lao Jun kissed on his forehead. “What’s your name?”

Huang Li believed everything he just said, alright. But how could a person not know his best friend’s name?

“How come you don’t know my name? Am I not your best friend?!” he frowned and spoke with a little loudness.

Lao Jun scratched his head in embarrassment. “Sorry…”

“Well, nothing left to think over. I’m Huang Li. An introvert, in this current life.”

Introvert?! Okay, he knew it already, so nothing to be surprised about.

“Introvert… then, I be an extrovert, right?”

Lao Jun was a genius!

“You made it through here… what can I say…” he rolled his eyes.

“So, finally… Lao Jun, the great author, ends up being my old friend.”

Lao Jun came forward to him and said in a fluffy way, “Not an old friend only, a best friend too.” He, shamefully, kissed on his cheek this time!

“I’m not Lao Jun; that’s just a pen name.” he giggled and said, “I’m your and only yours, Weng Zhu, Huang Li.”

Huang Li just realized that he had blushed the first time so hard.

“You can’t start here!” he blushed strongly. Weng Zhu and Huang Li strangled around each other and finally, the last, cute scene appeared…

The Extrovert: great, awesome author, Weng Zhu, domaining The Introvert: sweet-hearted, Huang Li!

Oh, yeah!!

In the end, the great author was an extrovert, who was actually a best friend of the soft introvert. That was a great, yet, opposite match. But… a perfect match!