After Becoming Roommates with My Flirty Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 30

As the weather forecast predicted, the temperature in Yuncheng soared, climbing from the low thirties in late July to nearly forty degrees Celsius. Daily high-temperature alerts became the norm, with clouds hanging like a lid over the city, intensifying the sweltering heat.

After Yu Xia’s heatstroke during a recent evening outing, Zheng Yun issued strict orders forbidding her from going out during the day. Despite Yu Xia’s repeated assurances that it was an isolated incident, likely triggered by anger from a phone call, Zheng Yun remained firm.

Under Zheng Yun’s watchful eye, Yu Xia was forced into an early retirement-style lifestyle. Even iced water was forbidden; she spent her days sipping Zheng Yun’s daily brew of goji berry tea.

The consequence? The two of them started waking up later and later.

With nothing else to do, they would lie in bed, watching movies, reading novels, browsing comics, and chatting about everything and nothing.

After Zheng Yun finally learned the full story of what had happened that day, she stroked Yu Xia’s hair, pondered for a long moment, and finally managed to squeeze out, “They’re truly scum.”

Zheng Yun rarely cursed; this was the harshest insult she could muster.

Yu Xia lay beside her, the air conditioner set to 16 degrees Celsius. The room was cold, but the blanket was warm, and Zheng Yun’s leg draped across her body, a comforting weight.

“She’s more likable than me,” Yu Xia said, staring at the ceiling, her voice flat and emotionless. “Ever since we were little, everyone around us has always preferred her.”

Sometimes Yu Xia wondered: if Yu Nian had met Zheng Yun first instead of her, would their story have unfolded completely differently?

“Didn’t I tell you last time that I only like you?” Zheng Yun rolled over, propped herself up on Yu Xia, and looked down at her.

Confessing her insecurities felt like she didn’t trust Zheng Yun, but her lifelong experiences had left her with a lingering chill in her heart, making it hard to truly relax.

“Or do you think that if the three of us had met at the same time, I might not have chosen you?” Zheng Yun stroked Yu Xia’s hair, her fingers tracing the curve of her cheek.

“Maybe,” Yu Xia said, avoiding Zheng Yun’s gaze.

“I think it’s not that people don’t like you, but that they’re afraid to talk to you,” Zheng Yun said, her chest rising and falling against Yu Xia’s body. Yu Xia could feel the rhythm of her breath as they shared their deepest thoughts, their faces inches apart.

“And I just happened to be lucky enough to catch your eye,” Zheng Yun continued.

“Liking you is the only normal thing to do,” Yu Xia said, meeting Zheng Yun’s gaze. Zheng Yun’s thick, long lashes nearly brushed her skin. Her usually flirtatious peach-blossom eyes held only a gentle warmth, like a spring breeze.

Zheng Yun was universally beloved; she couldn’t imagine anyone disliking her.

“Xiao Qi’s still around, isn’t she? Back home, she had plenty of friends. Their families were all in business, so the kids naturally knew how to charm everyone. They could chat with anyone without being annoying—just like you said, ‘likable.'”

“Xiao Jiu doesn’t like making friends either. Haven’t you noticed how distant she is when she talks to the other tenants?”

“And what about your good friend, Chen Zhu?” Zheng Yun asked.

“Mm-hmm,” Yu Xia replied.

“Even though you don’t try to please everyone, people still want to be your friend. That means you’re wonderful just as you are. Being yourself is your charm,” Zheng Yun said, coaxing Yu Xia like a child.

Yu Xia stared at Zheng Yun in stunned silence.

Zheng Yun sat up, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. “I’m different.”

It was a sweltering summer afternoon. Few pedestrians braved the heat, and even the cicadas had fallen silent. A sprinkler truck passed by, its cold water splashing onto the asphalt, creating a misty haze.

The sun couldn’t penetrate the room; the curtains were drawn tight, blocking out every ray of light.

Zheng Yun had paid the price for being “different.”

Today, Yu Xia was wearing the sandalwood bracelet Zheng Yun had given her. At first, only the icy touch of the beads grazed Zheng Yun’s calf, causing her to instinctively flinch. But Yu Xia knew her too well. Before Zheng Yun could struggle, Yu Xia had pinned her down.

A faint sandalwood fragrance mingled with a sweet, cloying scent. Yu Xia’s hand dripped with water, the droplets tracing the curve of her arm as they soaked into the beaded bracelet.

Zheng Yun clung to Yu Xia like a drowning person grasping at driftwood, while Yu Xia was the overwhelming wave, leaving her no escape, trembling helplessly.

The waves crashed harder and harder, one after another. Zheng Yun lost her grip on even the last piece of driftwood, struggling violently. Yu Xia withdrew her hand.

Just as Zheng Yun thought she had finally escaped, a torrential downpour descended. Yu Xia gripped her chin and kissed her, forcing her to endure a fresh onslaught of tempestuous passion before she could even catch her breath.

Yu Xia wasn’t gentle in this moment, bordering on rough, yet Zheng Yun found herself surrendering to it.

Drifting helplessly, Zheng Yun vaguely opened her eyes and saw the possessiveness overflowing in Yu Xia’s gaze—a possessiveness that couldn’t be expressed in words, only through physical action.

Yu Xia’s lips pressed against Zheng Yun’s shoulder, sending her one final wave forward. Beyond lay golden brilliance and a clear path ahead. Zheng Yun clung to Yu Xia, nearly unconscious, and dimly heard a low, husky voice whisper in her ear, “I love you.”

Then, she drifted into sleep.

When Zheng Yun opened her eyes again, it was already dusk.

Yu Xia wasn’t in the room. The lights were off, but a corner of the curtains had been pulled back, letting sunlight stream in and fall on the bracelet resting on the coffee table. Zheng Yun stretched comfortably, got up, and prepared to look for Yu Xia.

Just then, Yu Xia pushed the door open and entered.

Sweat glistened on her forehead, and a wave of heat radiated from her body.

“Xiaxia,” Zheng Yun said, squinting with displeasure.

“Hmm?” A flicker of panic crossed Yu Xia’s face.

“Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t go out during the day?” Zheng Yun grumbled, but her hands moved to hand Yu Xia a freshly poured glass of water and wipe the sweat from her brow.

“I was just practicing riding the electric scooter by the river,” Yu Xia explained obediently. “It’s shady there, not hot at all.”

In her nearly twenty years of life, Yu Xia had only ever feigned obedience and softness in front of Zheng Yun. Zheng Yun was particularly susceptible to this act; whenever Yu Xia adopted her docile demeanor, Zheng Yun’s heart immediately softened.

This time was no exception.

“Why learn to ride the scooter? Do you think my driving skills are lacking?” Zheng Yun didn’t press the matter further. After wiping Yu Xia’s sweat, she watched her drink the entire glass of water before continuing.

“I wanted to give you a ride too,” Yu Xia replied obediently.

The story began after Zheng Yun fell asleep. Yu Xia took the soiled bedsheets downstairs to wash them. Xiao Jiu, unusually awake during her afternoon nap time, sat in the lobby watching a movie while crunching loudly on potato chips.

Seeing Yu Xia come down, Xiao Jiu asked, “Are you going to visit the cats today?”

Yu Xia nodded.

The mother cat’s condition fluctuated wildly. On the third day after she was admitted, she was declared critically ill again. The two women rushed over in the middle of the night to sign the emergency treatment consent forms and stayed by her side until dawn before finally returning home.

Because of this scare, Zheng Yun and Yu Xia started riding their electric scooter to visit the cats every evening as soon as it got dark.

“Does Zheng Yun give you a ride?” Xiao Jiu turned to look at Yu Xia, though her peripheral vision remained fixed on the movie screen.

Yu Xia had never ridden an electric scooter before, only bicycles and cars. She would have been confident enough to ride alone, but carrying Zheng Yun made her less brave.

“Mm-hmm,” Yu Xia replied.

“Did you know?” Xiao Jiu beckoned her closer with a mysterious air. “Zheng Yun couldn’t ride an electric scooter before either. When she moved out to rent her own place with all her luggage, her first time riding on the road was terrifying!”

“We offered to drive her, but she insisted on coming herself. She learned to ride in just two hours,” Xiao Jiu recalled, still a little shaken by Zheng Yun’s near-fanatical determination to master the electric scooter.

Yu Xia also thought back to that day.

If Zheng Yun hadn’t learned to ride the scooter, they would have had to wait for another taxi, and if they’d encountered another driver unwilling to take them, they might not have been able to save the two cats.

With this realization, she made up her mind.

“I want to learn,” she declared.

Xiao Jiu, who was drinking water, nearly choked. After coughing twice to swallow, she looked at Yu Xia in disbelief. “Isn’t it enough if one of us knows how?”

Yu Xia didn’t want to feel helpless again. Without explaining further, she grabbed the keys from the front desk and resolved to learn on her own.

Remembering Zheng Yun’s advice, she pushed the scooter to a shady spot to practice.

Xiao Jiu, wearing a sun hat, sunglasses, and a sun-protective shirt, settled down on a small stool with a cup of iced fruit juice, ready to watch Yu Xia’s heroic attempts to learn.

Before Yu Xia had even finished her juice, she was already skillfully maneuvering the scooter around corners.

Xiao Jiu, bored, picked up her stool to leave. But seeing Yu Xia riding with such enthusiasm, she suggested Yu Xia give her a ride to test her skills.

Yu Xia hesitated.

She had originally wanted Zheng Yun to be the first person to ride on the back of her scooter. But remembering she was still a beginner and not yet fully comfortable, she agreed.

As soon as Xiao Jiu got on and heard the whole story, she was speechless. “So I’m the guinea pig now?”

Yu Xia replied innocently, “You suggested it.”

Xiao Jiu had no comeback. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her; she had volunteered.

Though still a novice, Yu Xia rode steadily for over ten minutes, making a wide loop to Cainiao Station to pick up a package before returning to Chuntianli. They happened to run into Xiao Qi, who was returning from grocery shopping.

“You two must be bored out of your minds, going for a ride in this heat,” Xiao Qi said, handing Xiao Jiu a small cake she had just bought. She urged them to come inside.

The blast of air conditioning made Xiao Jiu shiver. Xiao Qi turned to Yu Xia, who was bringing up the rear. “If Zheng Yun finds out you went out this afternoon, you’re going to get another lecture.”

“If you don’t tell, I won’t either. I’ll just go take a shower,” Yu Xia said calmly, having conspired with Xiao Qi and Xiao Jiu to keep her secret.

Yu Xia figured she hadn’t been gone long. Zheng Yun usually slept until nightfall, and today should be no different.

“Won’t Zheng Yun ask why you suddenly wanted to shower this afternoon?” Xiao Qi asked.

Xiao Jiu, having removed her sun-protective clothing, teased, “We just washed the bedsheets this afternoon too.”

Xiao Qi gave a knowing look. “Ah, so that’s why.”

Yu Xia’s plan was meticulously calculated, every detail accounted for. However, she hadn’t anticipated that her recent nutritional supplements would give her so much energy, causing Zheng Yun to wake up early.

Skipping over the part about her collusion with Xiao Qi and Xiao Jiu, Yu Xia explained to Zheng Yun what she had done that afternoon. Zheng Yun touched her forehead and carefully examined her eyes. Only after confirming she was fine did she let her go shower.

After dinner that evening, it was time for their routine cat-watching session.

Normally, Zheng Yun would drive Yu Xia, but today, having just learned a new skill, Zheng Yun let Yu Xia take the wheel.

Yu Xia hesitated slightly.

“You rode Xiao Jiu this afternoon, so giving me a ride shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Zheng Yun asked.

“It’s different,” Yu Xia replied, her gaze clear and unwavering.

“How is it different?” Zheng Yun didn’t understand.

Xiao Jiu, who was taking out the trash and happened to overhear, burst into laughter, “Is she afraid of crashing if she rides with you? So proud!”

She tossed the trash and turned away with a flourish, leaving Yu Xia with reddening ears and Zheng Yun struggling to suppress her amusement.

“Is that true, Xiaxia?” Zheng Yun teased, and Yu Xia nearly covered her ears and fled.

“Then I’ll drive. I know this road better,” Zheng Yun finally relented, seeing Yu Xia was about to burrow into the ground.

“I think I can do it,” Yu Xia said with newfound determination.

Zheng Yun naturally agreed. She hopped onto the back seat, wrapped her arms around Yu Xia’s waist, and leaned against her back, the vibrant rhythm of her young heart vibrating through Yu Xia’s chest.

“Let’s go, Xiaxia!” Zheng Yun tightened her grip, and the electric scooter shot forward.

The evening breeze still carried the day’s warmth. Through the green canopy of trees, a faint white line lingered on the distant horizon, gradually fading into the night.

Yu Xia had no time to think about anything else. She focused entirely on the road, terrified that a moment’s lapse in concentration would send her and the scooter crashing.

It wasn’t until she stopped at a red light and felt Zheng Yun press tightly against her back that she realized she was drenched in sweat.

“Relax, Xiaxia. You’re doing great,” Zheng Yun said, pulling a tissue from her bag. During the minute the light was red, she wiped the sweat from Yu Xia’s forehead.

Yu Xia was indeed nervous. If she crashed alone, that was one thing, but she had a passenger to worry about.

Fortunately, the sweltering heat had kept the roads and sidewalks mostly deserted. Under the flickering red light, only a few scattered cars and pedestrians remained.

“Aren’t you scared?” Yu Xia couldn’t help but ask, turning her head slightly.

“Are you scared riding on the back?” Zheng Yun’s eyes, bright beneath her helmet, gazed at her with a teasing smile.

“…I didn’t know you weren’t familiar with this route.” The green light flashed, and Yu Xia accelerated before Zheng Yun could reply.

“Liar,” Zheng Yun said cheerfully, her voice crisp and lively. “You were gripping my arm so tightly when I sped up.”

Yu Xia pretended not to hear, attributing the sound to the wind.

“If you’re not scared, why should I be? At worst…” Her voice trailed off, the last words swallowed by the wind.

Yu Xia likely knew what Zheng Yun wanted to say, and why she wouldn’t say it.

It was strange. They had only known each other for a little over a month, yet they could already easily guess each other’s thoughts.

It was nothing more than this: if worse came to worst, they would commit suicide together.

But just as Yu Xia didn’t want Zheng Yun to come to any harm, Zheng Yun didn’t want her to either. When they were on the road, some things couldn’t be spoken aloud.

Chen Zhu called this “avoiding omens.”

As the car pulled up to the Pet Hospital, Yu Xia removed her helmet and happened to see the nurse returning from walking the dog. The nurse greeted them warmly.

“Here to see the kitten?” the nurse asked, pushing open the door. The little dog bounded inside, only to be abruptly snagged by its leash, forcing it to hop in place.

“Thank you for taking care of her,” Zheng Yun replied politely.

“It’s our job,” the nurse said with a smile. “She’s doing much better today. The kitten will be ready to be discharged soon. Will you be caring for her yourselves, or are you looking for an adopter?”

The nurse had a very good impression of the two girls. Two beautiful, refined young women had rushed in, cradling two cats, completely disregarding their appearances. At first, she had assumed they were the family’s pets, but later she learned they were abandoned cats.

Having worked in this field for so long, she’d met many people involved in stray cat rescue—mostly good-hearted, but with a fair share of bad apples. She recalled a male internet celebrity, handsome and well-groomed, who had brought in a filthy, bone-fractured kitten for treatment. He’d acted deeply concerned in front of his phone camera, but the moment the lens was off, he’d impatiently asked how many followers he needed to waive the bill.

When the video failed to gain traction, the kitten was ultimately abandoned at the Pet Hospital. The vet suspected the injury was deliberate, and she couldn’t help but wonder if someone had staged it for clout.

But when Zheng Yun and Yu Xia arrived, one dressed in an exquisitely tailored qipao, the other’s white t-shirt stained with bl00d, they urgently inquired about the kitten’s condition. After hearing the details, they swiftly paid the bill and took the kitten’s remains with them.

They visited the kitten daily afterward, even rushing in promptly during late-night emergencies.

They were truly the epitome of beauty and kindness.

“Wouldn’t it be difficult to find an adopter for such a young kitten?” Zheng Yun hesitated.

Yu Xia was crouched down, peering into the cage at the palm-sized kitten. Its fur was just beginning to grow in, inheriting its mother’s striking beauty. Its tiny meows made it even more endearing, ensuring it would be easily adopted.

The kitten had regained its vitality, chirping and scrambling around energetically. Yu Xia extended a finger into the cage, and the kitten eagerly crawled over to grasp it.

“It’s not very convenient,” the nurse explained, tucking the dog into its crate. “It’s too small and needs to be fed regularly. But this kitten and its mother should find homes easily. There are many parents in the adoption group looking for long-haired tabby cats, and several have experience caring for young kittens.”

If they were still at school, Yu Xia could have rented an apartment to keep them. But Yuncheng was too far away, and she wouldn’t be able to care for them after classes resumed. Zheng Yun was in the same situation. Xiao Qi and Xiao Jiu had lived together for years without pets, suggesting they weren’t fond of keeping them. Adoption was the only option.

“Money isn’t an issue,” Zheng Yun said softly. “We’ll cover the costs of deworming, vaccinations, and spaying/neutering, as long as they find good homes.”

The little tabby, wearing its white “socks,” was crawling across the pee pad like a champion, constantly chasing Yu Xia’s finger.

“Then I’ll post adoption notices and do a preliminary screening,” the nurse suggested. “If I find suitable candidates, would you like to meet them?”

“Yes, please.”

After seeing the nurse off, Zheng Yun crouched down to gaze up at the clever kitten.

The kitten’s fist-sized brain was free of worries. The hospital provided milk, food, and even a surrogate mother to groom its fur—a life of pure contentment.

Zheng Yun and Yu Xia then visited Mama Cat in the adjacent room.

The doctor said she’d be discharged in a week, after undergoing a spaying surgery.

Mama Cat still had an IV drip attached, but she looked much more alert than when she had first been brought in. Her temperament was gentle; when Zheng Yun reached out to pet her, she simply rubbed against her hand.

Zheng Yun couldn’t help but sigh. “It’s heartless to abandon such an adorable cat.”

Yu Xia remained noncommittal.

“If it weren’t so far—even the high-speed train takes six hours—I’d take her home with me,” Zheng Yun said, gazing at Mama Cat with affection.

“Leaving her in foster care wouldn’t give me the peace of mind I’d have if I were looking after her myself,” Zheng Yun sighed again. “I already feel like she’s my own daughter.”

Yu Xia felt the same way, but she knew they were powerless to change the situation. The ideal solution would be for Xiao Qi and Xiao Jiu to raise the cat. Once Mama Cat recovered and the kitten grew a bit older, they could come to Yuncheng to take them home.

But caring for a kitten was exhausting and stressful. Precisely because they were friends, Yu Xia and Zheng Yun hesitated to ask Xiao Qi and Xiao Jiu, not wanting to put them in an awkward position.

“You’re practically her adoptive mother,” Yu Xia blurted out.

“You carried her all the way here—you deserve the credit.”

Mama Cat lay on her cushion, flicking open her eyes to glance at the two beautiful women before closing them again.

After leaving the hospital, the nurse gave them a few more instructions. Mama Cat was young, and her kittens were adorable. Someone from the adoption group had already messaged them privately, planning to visit the cats together on the weekend. Since they had rescued the cats and covered the medical expenses, they had the right to decide the fate of the two cats, meaning the adoptive family.

Yu Xia and Zheng Yun had no objections to this.

After leaving the hospital, the two didn’t rush to hop on their electric scooter and head back to Chuntianli.

“Maybe we should find a family willing to adopt both of them together,” Zheng Yun mused. “If they’re already caring for a kitten, they probably have other pets. Adding two more might be too much.”

“But separating them would be so cruel,” Zheng Yun said, gazing at the sky.

In the small town, a few stars were faintly visible. Zheng Yun continued wistfully, “She finally gave birth to these babies. If we can keep them together, we should.”

“We still have a few days to screen for good adoptive families,” Yu Xia said, her mind already calculating something else.

If we foster the cats out, it’ll be about time for us to go back to school.

Once classes start, we won’t be able to walk to and from work together every day.

Yu Xia felt a pang of regret for not meeting Zheng Yun sooner. Perhaps her college application choices would have been different.

“Never mind, I’ll stop thinking about it for now. Let’s go home!” Zheng Yun hopped off the steps and grabbed her helmet.

The walk home felt much lighter for Yu Xia.

When they arrived at Chuntianli, Xiao Qi and Xiao Jiu were out for a stroll, leaving a small lamp glowing softly in the living room.

As the two women walked past, the lamp cast their intertwined shadows on the white wall, creating a single, inseparable silhouette.

Just inside the bedroom, the streetlight filtering through the window cast a decorative glow on the wall. In the close, breathless space, Yu Xia could barely make out Zheng Yun’s face.

Soft lips, a delicate nose, and long lashes that tickled her eyes during their kiss.

When the kiss ended, Zheng Yun gripped Yu Xia’s wrist, her voice tinged with displeasure. “Why aren’t you wearing the bracelet I gave you?”

Yu Xia’s mind flashed back to Zheng Yun’s flushed face that afternoon, her refusal of Yu Xia’s touch, and the way she had curled up, panting softly.

Thankfully, the darkness hid her expression. Zheng Yun could only see her silhouette.

“It got wet this afternoon,” Yu Xia said. “I left it outside to dry.”

“Didn’t you take it off when you showered?”

“No.”

“Then how did it get wet…” Zheng Yun finally remembered.

“Tell me,” Yu Xia murmured, leaning close to Zheng Yun’s ear, her voice slow and deliberate, “will the Buddha punish us?”

A consecrated bracelet, steeped in the scent of desire, a sacred object now tainted by the mortal world, stained by worldly affairs.

“You once told me that if it became entangled with your karmic fate, it would guide me to you,” Yu Xia repeated Zheng Yun’s earlier words.

“Now? It’s entangled with the consequences of my actions, deepening our bond,” Yu Xia murmured, burying her face in Zheng Yun’s shoulder.

Zheng Yun remained silent.

Only after Yu Xia finished speaking did she finally speak, “Xiaxia.”

“Hmm?”

Zheng Yun raised her arm and flicked on the overhead light behind them.

Caught off guard by the sudden brightness, Yu Xia blinked, her eyes still adjusting.

Zheng Yun pinched Yu Xia’s earlobe. “Xiaxia, your ears are completely red.”

She pressed Yu Xia against the door, her voice teasing, “You’ve been thinking about those words for a long time, haven’t you?”

Like a vampire exposed to sunlight, Yu Xia’s bl00d rushed to her head, her ears burning hot enough to fry an egg. She couldn’t muster a single word in response.

Zheng Yun smiled radiantly. “Shall we deepen our karmic entanglement further?”

Deep enough that we’ll never be apart.