After Becoming Roommates with My Flirty Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 6

Yu Xia had already seen the film, its oppressive color palette mirroring the dark, heavy sky outside the window.

Whether it was the rising humidity making the air feel damp, or Zheng Yun’s habit of not drying her hair before bed, the room carried a fresh, dewy scent. Zheng Yun’s long legs barely fit on the sofa, forcing her to curl them up awkwardly. She didn’t seem to mind, her gaze fixed intently on the projection on the wall, completely absorbed in the film.

Yu Xia leaned back on the other end of the sofa, staring blankly at the wall.

On the screen, two young women sat chatting on a grassy field, the wind gently stirring the clouds. The setting sun painted the white marble floor of the guesthouse in warm hues.

Yu Xia tilted her head slightly, as if adjusting her posture, using the subtle movement to discreetly observe Zheng Yun.

There were things she couldn’t quite understand.

Like how an early morning train had been delayed by a sudden rainstorm, stranding her in Yuncheng.

Or how Zheng Yun, who had her own apartment, had suddenly appeared at Chuntianli in the middle of the night, just to watch a movie with her.

Just like this sudden, inexplicable downpour, it made no sense at all.

She refused to give Yu Xia her contact information, yet she kept showing up again and again.

Yu Xia couldn’t figure out why.

Out of the corner of her eye, Yu Xia saw Zheng Yun sitting relaxed, completely oblivious to her thoughts.

“Did they manage to escape in the end?” Zheng Yun suddenly turned to ask.

The abruptness of her question caught Yu Xia off guard, their eyes meeting unexpectedly. Zheng Yun’s eyes, usually bright with laughter, now held a distant, almost detached quality, her focus entirely absorbed by the film.

“Yes, they escaped,” Yu Xia nodded.

Zheng Yun hummed in acknowledgment and turned back to studying the screen.

It was only then that Yu Xia realized Zheng Yun had assumed she’d already seen the film.

“Zheng Yun.”

“Hmm?” Zheng Yun was engrossed in the movie, her nails scratching against the sofa. She tilted her head in confusion when called.

“How did you know I’d seen it?”

This feeling of being completely controlled and passive, like someone standing on a bridge being observed through a window without ever seeing the observer’s face, stirred a rare flicker of annoyance in Yu Xia.

“I didn’t know, I just wanted to ask,” Zheng Yun replied, her eyes curving into a smile. “If you hadn’t seen it, we could have waited for the ending together.”

Yu Xia turned her head, pretending to focus intently on the movie. “I’ve mostly forgotten it. I only remember they escaped. Let’s keep watching.”

Zheng Yun turned back to the screen.

The hypnotic rhythm of the rain, drumming against the leaves like a lullaby, lulled Yu Xia into a drowsy state. She propped her head up with one hand and yawned, her eyes growing heavy with sleep.

When she regained consciousness, the sky was already half-lit.

Summer mornings arrive exceptionally early, and even during a torrential downpour, the sky began to lighten around six o’clock. Yu Xia blinked groggily awake to find a thin blanket draped over her, warmed by her body heat.

The movie was nearing its end, now showing the protagonist starting a new life. Zheng Yun was deeply moved, dabbing her tears with a tissue in one hand while wiping her eyes with the other.

Yu Xia then realized they were sharing the same blanket. Zheng Yun had only covered her legs, while Yu Xia, who had been sleeping with her knees bent, could easily bump into Zheng Yun if she stretched out even slightly.

Despite the distance between them, Yu Xia curled her legs up a little tighter.

Since there had been no blanket when she fell asleep, she didn’t need to wonder where it had come from.

Yu Xia rubbed her eyes and sat up.

“You’re awake,” Zheng Yun said, her eyelashes still damp. She glanced at Yu Xia.

“What time is it?” Yu Xia asked, still groggy.

“It’s half past six.”

According to her original plan, she was supposed to catch the 8:00 AM train this morning. But the rain hadn’t stopped, so the train was inevitably delayed.

She yawned, pulled her phone from under her, and decided to check train tickets for the next few days.

“Are you taking the train today or tomorrow?” Zheng Yun asked, her eyes still glued to the movie.

“I was supposed to leave at 8:00 AM this morning.”

“Looks like you’re stuck here,” Zheng Yun said, her eyes never leaving the screen.

Yu Xia detected a hint of schadenfreude in her tone.

“I’ll check tickets for the next few days,” Yu Xia said, scrolling through the available options. There were still a few tickets to the neighboring city. She clicked on them, thinking she should buy a few extra just in case.

“Why not stay a few more days?” Zheng Yun stretched lazily, glancing at her sideways, her beautiful eyes filled with anticipation.

Yu Xia didn’t answer.

She had no reason to stay.

“Xiao Qi told me yesterday you’ve only been here for two days. Are you bored of Yuncheng already?” Zheng Yun cupped her face, her dark hair framing her ears as she tilted her head to look up at Yu Xia, who was a head taller.

Yu Xia found it hard to meet her gaze directly. Zheng Yun’s eyes were like those of a peach blossom spirit who had cultivated into human form in spring—a single glance could steal your soul.

“Mm-hmm,” Yu Xia nodded.

“Even the weather seems to want you to stay a few more days,” Zheng Yun said, her voice always laced with a smile. Yu Xia found it impossible to refuse her when faced with those eyes.

“Are you referring to yourself?” Xiao Qi yawned as she emerged, red marks still visible on her neck.

Based on Yu Xia’s limited knowledge of such matters, these were likely the result of Xiao Jiu’s enthusiastic kisses.

“Why are you up so early?” Zheng Yun turned, a hint of displeasure in her voice.

“If I didn’t get up, you’d be stealing my tenant,” Xiao Qi mumbled, rubbing the back of her head sleepily. “Just a reminder, she just turned nineteen.”

“I’m keeping her here for you. She was supposed to leave this morning,” Zheng Yun gestured toward the rain outside. “If it weren’t for this downpour, she would have checked out already.”

Xiao Qi stared at Zheng Yun for three seconds, then yawned again and shuffled toward the back rooms. “Carry on then. I’m going back to sleep.”

The room fell silent, the only sounds the movie playing on the screen and the rain drumming against the window.

After two minutes, Zheng Yun finally spoke, her voice subdued. “You’re nineteen, and I’m only twenty-two.”

Yu Xia had never dealt with a situation like this before. If it were anyone else, she would have simply retorted, “What’s it to you how old I am?”

But she didn’t want to say that to Zheng Yun.

“You’re quite young,” she finally managed to stammer out after racking her brains.

Zheng Yun laughed so hard she leaned back against the sofa.

The film rolled to its final scene: the two female leads finally reunited. Everything had changed, yet it seemed they had a thousand words left unsaid.

Zheng Yun sighed wistfully, “Can things ever be the same after a reunion?”

The question was far too complex for Yu Xia. After pondering for a long moment, she hesitantly replied, “They’ve both grown more mature. It’s impossible for things to be the same.”

Zheng Yun nodded in agreement. “Yes, they’ve both matured.”

Amused by her own words, she stood up and asked, “Want to go out for breakfast?”

The rain was heavy, but going out for a meal was still manageable. Yu Xia hadn’t eaten dinner the night before and was now hungry. She nodded. “I’ll go wash up first.”

In the end, Yu Xia never asked whether it was the rain in Yuncheng or Zheng Yun herself that had made her want to stay.

After washing up, Yu Xia came downstairs to find Zheng Yun had already tidied the living room and was leaning against the front desk, waiting for her.

Yu Xia realized Zheng Yun genuinely didn’t have the habit of using her phone. Even in this short time, she was just staring blankly out the window.

“Let’s go,” Yu Xia said, walking over to her.

Zheng Yun grabbed an umbrella from the front desk, and Yu Xia stood to her right as they slowly made their way to the morning market, stepping carefully through the puddles.

The streets were nearly deserted at dawn, with only a few hurried figures holding up umbrellas. The rain blurred the road, and water had already accumulated in low-lying areas.

Yu Xia, worried about getting her shoes wet, had come out in slippers and shorts. Zheng Yun was even more casual, still wearing her loose nightgown and the same white slippers she’d had on when they first met yesterday.

Unfamiliar with Yuncheng and not usually eating breakfast, Yu Xia simply followed Zheng Yun.

Just outside the eaves of the building, where a child could have squeezed between them, the rain began to pelt the umbrella with a pitter-patter sound. Droplets slid off the edge and splashed onto Yu Xia’s shoulder, instantly soaking her short sleeve.

The clammy feeling of the wet fabric was uncomfortable, but Yu Xia didn’t want to move closer to Zheng Yun.

They were already close enough—closer than they’d been under the blanket on the sofa. She could clearly smell Zheng Yun’s fragrance, and the umbrella created a small, enclosed space beneath the sky, leaving Yu Xia’s left shoulder exposed to the relentless rain.

As they rounded the corner, Zheng Yun suddenly pulled Yu Xia back. Caught off guard, Yu Xia bumped into her, and Zheng Yun naturally looped her arm through Yu Xia’s.

“Don’t step in that puddle,” Zheng Yun said.

Yu Xia instinctively glanced down and saw a large puddle where they had just walked.

They were standing too close. She could smell the lemon toothpaste Zheng Yun used, and under the cramped umbrella, her racing heart had nowhere to hide.

Fortunately, Zheng Yun didn’t notice. After turning the corner and walking a few more steps, they saw a steamed bun shop ahead with a long line of people, many still half-asleep.

These were all neighbors who knew each other, and buying breakfast was a chance to chat about everything from climate patterns and ocean currents to whose dog barked all night.

“Xiao Zheng, how’s your apartment?” An auntie two spots ahead of them asked Zheng Yun with concern.

“The water’s drained, but the pipe isn’t fixed yet. We have to wait for the landlord to return,” Zheng Yun sighed. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“Nonsense! The burst pipe wasn’t your fault. I told Old Man Li he should replace those pipes years ago, but he never listens.”

Yu Xia felt like she had shrunk back at least ten years, back to when Ke Qian used to bring her and Yu Nian to the neighborhood entrance and get stuck chatting with neighbors for half an hour.

As expected, the conversation would soon turn to her.

The next moment, Auntie spoke up, “I haven’t seen this young lady before. Is she a friend of yours?”

Friend? Yu Xia thought. We’re just casual acquaintances, bonded by a single movie. Like online movie buddies.

“Yes, she’s a new friend of mine. Isn’t she adorable?” Zheng Yun wrapped her arm around Yu Xia’s and leaned against her shoulder, her hair brushing Yu Xia’s ear and cheek, tickling her.

“She is cute, but she doesn’t smile much. Has someone been bullying her?” Auntie leaned in with genuine concern, her brow furrowed as she earnestly speculated whether Yu Xia had encountered something upsetting.

“No,” Yu Xia shook her head.

She didn’t feel like explaining. Ever since childhood, whenever she and Ke Qian met people, Yu Nian would flash her sweetest smile, making Yu Xia seem even less like a likable child.

So every time they returned home, Ke Qian would scold her for being impolite.

“She was being bullied,” Zheng Yun teased. “She was supposed to leave early this morning, but the rain trapped her here.”

Yu Xia: “……”

That explanation wasn’t entirely wrong.

“This rain is really inconvenient. Do you have urgent plans? If you need to leave, Auntie can ask around for someone heading your way who could give you a ride,” Auntie offered warmly, repeatedly turning back even as her turn approached. Annoyed by the distance, she even swapped places with the person behind her to get closer.

Yu Xia gently shook her head. “No urgent matters. There’s no rush.”

After getting their breakfast, the two stood under the eaves, eating as the rain drizzled down.

Zheng Yun asked, “When are you leaving?”

Yu Xia took a sip of soy milk, her gaze fixed on Auntie’s retreating figure. Instead of answering, she asked, “Was your rented apartment flooded?”

“Yeah, a pipe burst. When I woke up, the water was up to my legs. Most of the furniture was soaked. Except for the clothes at the dry cleaner’s, all my belongings were ruined,” Zheng Yun said without a hint of complaint.

Yu Xia tried to imagine herself in that situation. If it were her, she’d be miserable for at least two weeks.

“My phone’s soaked too,” Zheng Yun added, pressing a hand to her forehead.

That explained why Zheng Yun hadn’t given her any contact information earlier—she simply had no way to be reached directly.

The corners of Yu Xia’s lips curled slightly as she chewed on her straw.

“I think I’ll stay another week,” Yu Xia said, making up an excuse. “With the recent rain, there might be landslides.”

Zheng Yun was right. The weather seemed to be urging her to stay, suggesting Yuncheng still held undiscovered beauty.

Whether she was staying for the scenery or for Zheng Yun, she decided not to dwell on it for now.