After Becoming Roommates with My Flirty Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 10

Zheng Yun moved back to Chuntianli, living across the hall from Yu Xia.

The rain continued to fall, the sky perpetually overcast. Steaming humidity permeated every corner, and the city was shrouded in an unyielding mist. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, and even the market had few vendors setting up stalls.

Yu Xia had been at a loss for words after Zheng Yun’s rather explicit confession that day. Fortunately, Zheng Yun didn’t press her for an answer. After speaking, she simply stood naturally beside Yu Xia, took her arm, and continued walking forward.

That afternoon, Xiao Qi and Xiao Jiu, bored and restless, dragged the two of them into preparing a celebratory feast. They busied themselves all afternoon and evening, leaving Yu Xia no time to ponder until just before bed.

She found herself wondering: What exactly did Zheng Yun mean?

She lacked the courage to knock on Zheng Yun’s door and ask directly. Lying awake until the middle of the night, she finally came to a realization after much deliberation.

Zheng Yun might not actually like her. Perhaps she treated everyone this way, and Yu Xia was merely one fish in her pond, accidentally encountering the bait Zheng Yun casually cast. Yet Yu Xia’s emotions had been undeniably stirred. It was already two in the morning, and she was still mulling over Zheng Yun’s motives.

After much deliberation, she decided she needed to leave Yuncheng as soon as possible.

Since they had no way to contact each other, simply leaving this place would prevent her from being emotionally affected by him again.

The ticket-booking app wouldn’t allow purchases in the early hours, so she planned to buy a ticket after waking up. With her decision made, she finally drifted off to sleep, feeling at peace.

She slept soundly until past eight in the morning. A message on her phone from Xiao Jiu, sent half an hour earlier, said breakfast was ready in the kitchen and she could come down to eat whenever she woke up.

After a quick wash and brushing her sleep-tangled hair, she noticed the chill in the air. Sniffling, she decided against wearing Zheng Yun’s clothes and headed downstairs in her short-sleeved shirt.

The projector was playing an American drama, and Xiao Jiu lay sound asleep on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket. Yu Xia slowed her steps, moving quietly toward the kitchen to avoid waking her.

As she approached the kitchen, she heard hushed voices inside. Clearly, the speakers were also trying not to disturb the sleeping person, keeping their voices low and soft.

“What are you thinking?” Xiao Qi asked. “Are you falling in love at first sight?”

“Do you think Yu Xia is pretty?” Zheng Yun countered, evading the question.

Standing at the doorway, Yu Xia’s eyelids twitched at the mention of her name, a mix of guilt and curiosity rising within her.

If two people were talking about her, was she also the object of “love at first sight”?

“Of course she’s beautiful,” Xiao Qi replied matter-of-factly.

“Then that settles it,” Zheng Yun said, lowering her voice and chuckling softly. “Isn’t it natural to be drawn to beauty?”

Xiao Qi laughed along. “I just never imagined you’d be the type to fall in love at first sight. You always seemed more like the one who’d be fallen for.”

Yu Xia found this remark resonated with her. The moment she first saw Zheng Yun, it felt like withered wood had sprung back to life, like being dazzled by a riot of blossoms. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only Zheng Yun as the sole solid presence.

“I think so too,” Zheng Yun admitted without denial. “In all my twenty-odd years, I’ve never met someone who resonated with me so deeply.”

After a few more exchanges, the conversation shifted to how long the rain might continue.

A few minutes later, Xiao Qi left the kitchen to carry the soundly sleeping Xiao Jiu back to her room to prevent her from kicking off the blankets and catching a cold. Zheng Yun followed her out and encountered Yu Xia coming down the stairs.

“Morning,” Yu Xia greeted with a nod.

“Morning,” Xiao Qi replied, carrying Xiao Jiu into the room. She glanced back at Zheng Yun as she walked.

“Why aren’t you wearing a coat?” Zheng Yun frowned slightly at Yu Xia’s appearance. “Aren’t you cold?”

Yu Xia shook her head. “I’m not cold.”

She went to the kitchen to get the meal Xiao Jiu had left for her. The bowl was scalding hot, likely freshly warmed. She set it on the table to cool naturally, then sat down as Zheng Yun took a seat across from her.

“Don’t you like my clothes?” Zheng Yun asked, propping her arm on the table, her raven hair clinging to her pale arm. Her slender fingers cradled her chin as she looked at Yu Xia with concern.

“…No,” Yu Xia shook her head again. “I’m just not used to them.”

“How about we go shopping for clothes together this afternoon?” Zheng Yun suggested.

Yu Xia stirred her spoon in the bowl, only looking up at Zheng Yun after hearing the suggestion.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Yu Xia’s words came out stiffly, and she quickly added, “If you’re busy, don’t worry about me.”

“Spending time with you is important work,” Zheng Yun said, pushing the side dishes closer to Yu Xia with a smile. “I know Yuncheng better than you do. Eat up—this rain is supposed to last almost a week. Don’t catch a cold.”

Yu Xia ate absentmindedly. Her phone beeped, and she glanced at the notification.

Calendar Reminder: Buy Tickets

She silently deleted the reminder, pretending nothing had happened.

As if the restless night she’d spent tossing and turning, unable to sleep, had never occurred.

After lunch, the two set off for the city center.

The small-town mall exuded a sense of nostalgia, having been built in the early 2000s and remaining unchanged for decades, accompanying an entire generation as they grew up.

The rain kept the crowds thin. The air conditioning was on full blast, and Yu Xia nearly shivered from the chill as she entered. Zheng Yun carefully wrapped her dripping umbrella in a plastic bag and looped her other arm through Yu Xia’s.

Even though it wasn’t their first time, Yu Xia still felt awkward at such close proximity. She wanted to ask Zheng Yun to let go, but Zheng Yun’s attention was entirely focused on the mall’s signage. After a few seconds of hesitation, Yu Xia decided against it.

If Zheng Yun likes holding on, then let her hold on.

Because of the rain, Zheng Yun wasn’t wearing a skirt today. She had on tight jeans and a gray hoodie. With her arm linked through Yu Xia’s, her warmth flowed steadily through their arms, warming Yu Xia’s seemingly cold-resistant body, though the tips of her fingers were actually flushed red from the cold.

Yu Xia planned to buy a hoodie. Following the signs, she found the floor where her usual brand was located. Without much browsing, she went straight in, recited the item number and size, scanned the QR code to pay, and completed the purchase in one smooth motion.

Zheng Yun watched Yu Xia’s smooth, practiced movements and chuckled. “Do you always buy clothes like this?”

Yu Xia shook her head. “I usually don’t shop in physical stores.”

She disliked shopping malls. When she was younger, Ke Qian would take Yu Nian and her shopping, and there were always unexpected incidents. Either Yu Nian would suddenly clutch her chest, claiming to feel unwell and wanting to go home, or Yu Xia would be halfway through trying on clothes when Yu Nian insisted on using the restroom. Ke Qian, worried about leaving her alone, would have to accompany Yu Nian, leaving Yu Xia to wait bewildered in the store for ten minutes.

During her freshman year, Yu Xia reluctantly accompanied Chen Zhu on a shopping trip. Chen Zhu jokingly called her a “traditional girlfriend”—the kind who just carries bags, pays the bill, offers a perfunctory compliment after trying on clothes, and then goes back to scrolling on her phone.

Yu Xia pursed her lips and recounted the “traditional girlfriend” incident to Zheng Yun without a trace of emotion. Zheng Yun bit back laughter so hard that tears welled in her eyes, the corners of her eyes crinkling upward. She tilted her head to look at Yu Xia, resembling a bewitching peach blossom spirit.

“Can you shop with me today?” Zheng Yun finally managed to catch her breath, her voice still tinged with amusement. She asked with a soft smile.

“…Okay,” Yu Xia nodded.

What else was she going to do? She was already here. Besides… since Zheng Yun had invited her, it would be rude to refuse.

She immediately put on the newly purchased jacket. Zheng Yun adjusted the hood for her, zipped it up, and patted the nonexistent dust off the hem with obvious satisfaction.

“It looks like matching couple outfits,” Zheng Yun remarked.

Yu Xia glanced at their reflections in the mirror, standing side-by-side in coordinating outfits. The tips of her ears flushed slightly beneath her long hair as she said, trying to downplay the moment, “I have a black jacket at home that’s the same style.”

Zheng Yun, seemingly oblivious to her hidden meaning, asked in surprise, “Oh, you’re quite sentimental, then?”

Yu Xia hummed in agreement as Zheng Yun led her toward the women’s clothing section.

For the next hour, Yu Xia fully demonstrated her expertise as a “traditional partner”: offering absolutely no opinions.

When Zheng Yun asked, “Does this look good?” Yu Xia frowned in thought for a few seconds, then, under the saleswoman’s expectant gaze, managed to squeeze out, “You’d look good in anything.”

The saleswoman smiled, Zheng Yun smiled, but Yu Xia remained with her deep-set frown, looking as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Zheng Yun carefully browsed through the racks, and Yu Xia noticed her preference for the simplest styles. Occasionally, Zheng Yun would ask Yu Xia’s opinion, and Yu Xia would always say it looked good. And she genuinely meant it—with Zheng Yun’s figure and looks, even if she wore a burlap sack, people would assume it was some avant-garde new design from a major brand.

After nearly finishing one floor, they entered a store that, at first glance, seemed completely out of sync with Zheng Yun’s aesthetic.

Yu Xia followed Zheng Yun as she picked out a short red slip dress with a bow on the back.

“You’d look absolutely stunning in this,” the saleswoman praised sincerely.

“What do you think?” Zheng Yun asked Yu Xia, tilting her head and whispering.

The mall’s overhead lights reflected in Zheng Yun’s pale irises, as if they were filled with starlight. With the slightest movement, her eyes shimmered like the moon’s reflection rippling in water, momentarily mesmerizing Yu Xia.

“Do you think it looks good?” Zheng Yun repeated.

“Good,” Yu Xia replied, feeling like a robot programmed with an automatic response function. Zheng Yun’s questions triggered the reply, and her vocabulary seemed limited to just one word: “Good.”

“I’ll go try it on,” Zheng Yun said, clutching the dress. “Could you wait for me outside the fitting room?”

Yu Xia nodded.

She sat outside the fitting room, waiting for Zheng Yun to come out.

Yu Xia couldn’t quite understand why Zheng Yun had chosen a dress that completely clashed with her usual style, but as she waited, she reasoned that it must look good.

Two minutes later, a head poked out from the fitting room. Zheng Yun, her hair loose, called out, “Yu Xia, could you come in for a moment?”

Yu Xia didn’t hesitate.

Once inside, she realized Zheng Yun had already changed into the dress. The zipper at the back was undone, revealing a large expanse of smooth, pale skin. The mall’s air conditioning was frigid; Zheng Yun shivered, her slender shoulders hunched inward, her voice trembling slightly from the cold.

“I can’t reach the zipper. Could you help me pull it up?” Zheng Yun asked.

Having already entered the room, Yu Xia saw no reason to refuse such a simple request.

She lowered her fingertips, her thumb and forefinger gripping the icy zipper. With a gentle tug, the zipper slid smoothly upward, stopping just below the butterfly bones. As she withdrew her hand, perhaps due to the cold, she couldn’t tell if her hand trembled or if Zheng Yun flinched. Her fingertips brushed against the raised skin of the butterfly bones, like the delicate flutter of a real butterfly’s wings—a sensation shared between them in that moment.

Yu Xia lowered her head, close enough to catch the richer scent of Zheng Yun’s perfume—a clean, citrusy fragrance that was sweet but not cloying.

Though she had been feeling cold just moments ago, Yu Xia now felt as if a furnace had materialized beneath her feet, roasting her from below. Her back was on the verge of breaking into a sweat.

“I’ll go out first,” Yu Xia said, her eyes downcast as she withdrew her hand.

“Wait,” Zheng Yun quickly grasped her wrist. “Help me see if this looks good?”

Yu Xia looked up and realized there was a mirror in the fitting room.

In the mirror, Zheng Yun wore a strapless mini-dress with delicate spaghetti straps that framed her elegant collarbones. Her long hair cascaded down her back, and the short skirt barely concealed her figure, accentuating her slender legs. It was a bold, striking beauty, completely different from her usual understated elegance.

“Does it look good?” Zheng Yun asked earnestly, turning to face Yu Xia after noticing her silence in the mirror.

“…It looks good,” Yu Xia replied.

She had been right all along—Zheng Yun truly could pull off any outfit.

“It should look good,” Zheng Yun said.

“Yu Xia.”

“Hmm?”

Under Yu Xia’s slightly puzzled gaze, Zheng Yun smiled, her rosy cheeks flushed with spring-like warmth, her eyes curving into crescents. She continued, “Your face is turning red.”