After Becoming Roommates with My Flirty Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 47

Days of overcast skies and rain were immediately followed by scorching heat, ushering in the hottest month of the year. The most obvious consequence was the skyrocketing electricity bill.

Summer vacation was a time of constant activity. Throughout August, Yu Xia and Zheng Yun left early and returned late every day. Yu Xia was too exhausted to even resent it anymore. Together with Cen Xue, the three of them had become a familiar sight waiting for the last bus home at 11 PM.

If Yu Xia were still in college, she would have preferred waiting longer rather than having any unnecessary contact with Zheng Yun. But work had worn down her edges. By the time she clocked out each night, her mind was blank, and she couldn’t stand there for even a second longer.

When she complained to Chen Zhu, Chen Zhu said, “That’s just work. Even the most energetic person turns into a walking corpse once they start working.”

Yu Xia felt she was getting closer to becoming a walking corpse herself.

But as the days passed, on the eve of her birthday, the Team Lead announced that the summer project was coming to an end and proposed a joint dinner with the Writing Team next door.

Yu Xia slumped in her chair, ready to decline, when Ms. Ke Qian called.

Since their last parting, Ms. Ke Qian hadn’t called Yu Xia once. At first, Yu Xia was annoyed by this, but after being buried under work pressure, she completely forgot about it until Ms. Ke Qian’s call.

“Hello, Xiaxia,” Ms. Ke Qian said gently. “Can you pick me and Niannian up after work?”

Yu Xia tilted her head back and gazed at the ceiling, physically and mentally exhausted after a stretch of overtime. She replied bluntly, “No, I’m working late.”

“Can’t you take a day off?” Ms. Ke Qian asked.

“Do you own this company?” Yu Xia retorted coolly.

Ms. Ke Qian paused. “Then what time will you be off?”

Yu Xia glanced at her recent timecard records, which showed she’d been leaving after 11 PM every night. She casually replied, “Eleven.”

“That late?” Before Ms. Ke Qian could finish, Yu Nian interjected impatiently, “Why don’t we just have Zheng Yun pick us up?”

“Zheng Yun is working late too,” Xiao Zhou chimed in, returning from the restroom. Not wanting to interrupt Yu Xia’s call, she patted her shoulder. Yu Xia stood up, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Come with me.”

With that, she hung up.

She had no intention of listening to Yu Nian’s screams and curses.

She hadn’t originally planned to attend the dinner, but now she’d changed her mind.

Zheng Yun and Cen Xue quickly arrived to join them. The four of them took a taxi to the restaurant. Cen Xue, who was giving directions, sat in the front passenger seat. Xiao Zhou got in first, leaving Yu Xia to sit next to Zheng Yun in the back.

During the ride, Zheng Yun’s phone rang.

Before answering, she instinctively glanced at Yu Xia. Yu Xia’s eyelid twitched, understanding her meaning—this call must be from Ms. Ke Qian or Yu Nian.

She nodded slightly, and Zheng Yun pressed the answer button.

“Hello, Auntie,” Zheng Yun said politely. “What can I do for you?”

Everyone was tired from work, so the car remained quiet except for the whooshing of the air conditioning. Xiao Zhou had already fallen asleep. Zheng Yun kept her voice low, but Yu Xia, sitting beside her, could hear her clearly.

“I’m sorry, Auntie,” Zheng Yun said, glancing sideways at Yu Xia. “I really can’t pick you up today. How about I book a nearby hotel for you both? We can meet again tomorrow?”

“…It’ll be very late,” Zheng Yun sighed softly. “After eleven, probably.”

Yu Xia stared out the window, her lips pressed into a thin line.

She was starting to regret agreeing to Ke Qian’s request.

“Niannian, is that you? Hello,” a different voice answered the phone. Zheng Yun put on her signature fake smile. “Tonight’s event is very important, so I can’t take time off. I’ve been swamped with work lately. I’m so sorry.”

Yu Xia shifted her position, leaning against the car window.

Yu Nian protested loudly on the other end of the line. Zheng Yun’s smile faded slightly as she offered a few polite words of comfort. “We can see each other tomorrow. Let’s have dinner together then.”

“But I want to see Zheng Yun-jie now!” Yu Nian shouted.

Yu Xia, sitting nearby, heard every word. She instinctively turned her head and met Zheng Yun’s gaze. The other woman smiled faintly. “But I have to work overtime with your sister tonight. Neither of us is free.”

Yu Xia brushed a strand of hair off the back of her neck. Her hair was coarse, like her personality; the ends, when pressed against her skin, pricked painfully.

Yu Nian grumbled a few more times before Zheng Yun made up an excuse and hung up.

After getting out of the car, Cen Xue announced they needed to stop by the milk tea shop to pick up their drinks. Yu Xia and Zheng Yun agreed without objection. Xiao Zhou skipped ahead to catch up with Cen Xue, leaving Yu Xia and Zheng Yun trailing far behind.

For an entire month, they hadn’t had a proper rest, working until dawn every day. It had been a long time since they’d strolled leisurely under the evening glow like this.

The sun, still scorching at past six o’clock, forced Zheng Yun to hold up an umbrella, naturally leaning closer to Yu Xia.

The sunset cast their intertwined shadows across the crosswalk, their figures blending into the crowd as they walked side by side toward the opposite side of the road.

“You’re quite the liar,” Yu Xia remarked, her gaze fixed on the countdown flashing beneath the traffic light. “No wonder you’re so good at deceiving people.”

Zheng Yun’s expression hadn’t wavered even once while lying to her face. If she couldn’t detect any deception when he was right in front of her, how could Yu Nian possibly see through his lies over the phone?

“What lies?” Zheng Yun tilted her head, feigning confusion. “Wasn’t everything I said true?”

“Is a work dinner really that important?” Yu Xia paused, then countered.

“Having dinner with you is very important,” Zheng Yun said earnestly. “If it were just work, then no, it wouldn’t be…”

Zheng Yun trailed off, frowning as she pondered carefully. With a dramatic sigh, she added, “But I can’t really take time off yet. I haven’t even been officially hired.”

As the traffic light turned yellow, with only a few steps remaining, Zheng Yun’s dry palm gripped Yu Xia’s wrist, pulling her into a quick jog. The wind caught Yu Xia’s hair, scattering the lingering gloom in her heart.

“Eating with you is important, I couldn’t take time off. Work’s been so busy lately,” Zheng Yun said as they walked into the shade of a tree. She closed her umbrella and continued, “I’m telling you the truth, I’m not lying.”

A few steps away, Cen Xue was verifying her order with the milk tea shop staff on her phone, while Xiao Zhou waved at them from the entrance.

Whether it was the sudden transition from air-conditioned comfort to the sweltering heat, or something else entirely, Yu Xia felt disoriented, as if a dream she’d once experienced had suddenly materialized into reality. A wave of confusion washed over her.

“Xiaxia?” Zheng Yun waved a pale hand in front of her eyes, her concerned face appearing as her hand lowered. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Yu Xia replied, shaking her head.

Zheng Yun glanced at her worriedly before turning to Cen Xue, who was waiting for the staff to bag their drinks. Half a minute later, Zheng Yun returned with two cups of milk tea, handing one to Yu Xia. “Thirty percent sugar, light ice.”

It was Yu Xia’s favorite flavor.

Yu Xia didn’t refuse. If she kept resisting, she’d probably get heatstroke.

Xiao Zhou and Cen Xue, already sweating profusely, didn’t wait for the others. The restaurant was just around the corner, so they hurried ahead, clutching their cardboard boxes. Xiao Zhou’s voice floated back through the air: “We’re going ahead! Hurry up and catch up!”

Xiao Zhou’s figure disappeared into the bustling crowd as Yu Xia and Zheng Yun strolled slowly behind.

A series of images seemed to flash through Yu Xia’s mind.

By the end of the meal, Xiao Zhou, having had a bit to drink, insisted on dragging everyone to another venue for a second round of drinks.

With tomorrow being a holiday—no work or overtime—everyone except those being urged home by family followed Xiao Zhou to karaoke.

Yu Xia and Zheng Yun, as Xiao Zhou’s newly minted best friends, were naturally unable to escape. They stayed until around eleven o’clock when Yu Xia, utterly exhausted, decided to leave.

Xiao Zhou was drunk, the karaoke room’s music blaring deafeningly. A group of people were rolling dice and drinking around the table, while Xiao Zhou lay snoring soundly on Cen Xue’s lap.

“I’ll take Xiao Zhou home after we leave,” Cen Xue said with a frown. “I’m worried about you going home alone. Why don’t you ask Zheng Yun to go with you?”

Yu Xia didn’t answer her question directly, only promising to text her when she got home.

Cen Xue had never pried into their relationship. When Yu Xia politely declined, Cen Xue nodded, respecting her boundaries.

Stepping outside, the sweltering night air hit them. The area was teeming with nightlife, a mixed crowd of men and women mingling freely. Snack stalls lined the streets, and the road was barely quieter than the karaoke room.

When Yu Xia stepped outside, there were no taxis in sight. She checked her phone and saw several groups of people waiting for rides nearby. She opened her ride-hailing app and requested a car.

While waiting, Yu Xia took the opportunity to catch up on the messages she’d missed throughout the night. Her WeChat was flooded with dozens of messages from Ms. Ke Qian, and there were also seven or eight text messages.

Yu Xia expressionlessly closed her phone, showing no intention of opening or reading any of them.

“Xiaxia,” Zheng Yun’s voice suddenly called out from behind her. “Can I come home with you?”

Zheng Yun had drunk considerably more than Yu Xia tonight. Yu Xia’s perpetually cold demeanor and reluctance to engage in conversation had deterred many colleagues who might have wanted to spend time with her.

But Zheng Yun was different. She had always been popular, no matter where she went. Tonight, she had been dragged into endless games and drinking by two groups of colleagues, leaving her reeking of alcohol.

Zheng Yun leaned closer to Yu Xia, her citrus-scented perfume mingling with the alcohol, creating a scent like fruity soda. Her gentle eyes sparkled, her cheeks flushed crimson, and the neon lights shifted through vibrant colors, casting a kaleidoscopic glow on her profile. She tilted her head, her gaze fixed intently on Yu Xia.

She didn’t blame Yu Xia for not calling her, only asking if they could leave together later.

Yu Xia ignored her.

When the alcohol kicked in, her heart raced, her thoughts became muddled, and a courage she rarely felt in her daily life surged within her.

Yu Xia remained silent, and Zheng Yun didn’t press the matter further. She stood beside Yu Xia, quietly waiting for the car.

A few minutes later, the car arrived.

Yu Xia got in first, leaving the door open.

Zheng Yun stood at the open door, showing no intention of getting in.

Yu Xia looked up at her. Zheng Yun asked softly, “Can I… come in?”

Yu Xia shifted further into the seat.

The driver sent a message to his sports car group. Hearing the door close, he checked the last four digits of the phone number on his screen, stepped on the gas, and sped off.

The driver’s incessant chatter left no room for awkwardness. The alcohol had worn off just enough, leaving only the warmth of Zheng Yun’s body beside her.

“Thank you, Xiaxia,” Zheng Yun said. “It’s hard to get a taxi on this road.”

Indeed, it was difficult to hail a cab here. The area was crowded and noisy. Zheng Yun had been working late recently, wearing only a shirt and wide-legged pants. Even so, while waiting for the car, she had caught unfriendly glances from passersby.

What if she wasn’t there?

Yu Xia closed her eyes, unable to resist asking, “What if I had already gotten into the car when you came out?”

“That wouldn’t have happened,” Zheng Yun said with a sly smile. “I followed you out as soon as you left.”

Yu Xia fell silent.

She distinctly remembered Zheng Yun shaking dice with someone when she left.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you the whole time,” Zheng Yun continued, her childishness amplified by the alcohol. She pointed to her eyes, then to Yu Xia. “As soon as you stood up, I told them I needed to use the restroom.”

“When I passed Cen Xue, I mentioned I was heading straight home and asked her to cover for me.”

Zheng Yun’s eyes curved into crescents, sharing her escape plan like a princess boasting about her successful getaway.

Yu Xia was genuinely impressed.

She shifted her gaze to the window.

Her silent phone lit up and went dark in her pocket, the persistent missed calls like a doorbell that wouldn’t ring.

Oblivious, Yu Xia rode home in the taxi, the late-night streets stretching like a monster’s long tongue, leading to places unfathomable.

By the time they reached the apartment building entrance, it was already midnight. As they stepped into the elevator, Zheng Yun yawned and said sleepily, “It’s been ages since I stayed out this late. Work is killing me.”

Yu Xia replied coldly, “You could always choose a less demanding job.”

Zheng Yun froze mid-yawn, her hand still raised in mid-air. Turning her head to Yu Xia, she retorted, “That’s impossible. No other place has you.”

“We’re already roommates,” Yu Xia pointed out.

The elevator chimed, signaling their floor, and the doors slid open. Both women glanced down at their feet as they stepped out.

“With this work schedule, even living together feels like a long-distance relationship,” Zheng Yun grumbled as they walked down the hallway.

Her clear voice echoed loudly in the empty corridor, making it perfectly audible to the four people standing by the door.

The moment the elevator doors closed, the four exchanged bewildered glances. Yu Nian opened her mouth to shout, but Ms. Ke Qian quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, presumably having already received a round of warnings from the neighbors.

Yu Xia frowned and asked icily, “Are all the hotels in Nanqiao City fully booked?”

“Rent in this complex averages less than 200 yuan per day—not even enough for a decent dinner at a hotel. Are you two downgrading your lifestyle?”