After Becoming Roommates with My Flirty Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 8

Zheng Yun’s rented apartment was in a nearby residential complex that looked like a staff housing compound built in the 1980s or 1990s, now particularly desolate.

Faded red banners hung along the weathered perimeter wall, likely having been there for a long time. The banners warned against telecom fraud, urging residents to be wary of anyone asking for money under various pretexts.

Yu Xia lowered her gaze. Everyone was warned about telecom fraud, but no one had ever taught her that even beautiful women in real life had their own tricks.

Though these tricks only worked on those who willingly took the bait.

Lush green trees lined the sidewalk, telephone poles and streetlights standing distantly across from each other. The security booth by the complex gate looked particularly old and dated. The half-gray-haired guard, clutching a thermos, squinted and dozed off, barely opening his eyes when he saw the two women approaching under a single umbrella in the misty rain.

“Little Zheng?”

“Good morning, Uncle Zhang,” Zheng Yun greeted him warmly.

“Bringing a friend home? Did you sort out the apartment issue?”

“Not yet. Uncle Li and I agreed he’ll refund my rent and deposit, so I’m moving out,” Zheng Yun sighed regretfully. “It’s a shame I won’t be neighbors with everyone anymore.”

Zheng Yun possessed a gentle, all-encompassing quality that seemed to instinctively soften the tone of even the most hot-tempered individuals when they spoke to her.

This was a skill Yu Xia completely lacked.

Rather than engaging in warm, personal interactions, she preferred conversations focused solely on exchanging information. When there was no practical reason to connect, she resented anyone intruding on her personal time.

Zheng Yun was her polar opposite, able to strike up a conversation with anyone.

A gentle nudge on her arm drew Yu Xia’s attention. Zheng Yun’s slightly puzzled gaze met hers. “What’s wrong?”

Yu Xia shook her head. She had little interest in such idle chatter and was growing bored.

This scenario had played out countless times in Yu Xia’s life. Ke Qian would often talk for half an hour straight, refusing to leave until she’d recounted every detail of the past two weeks. Yu Xia would stand there, just as she was now, silent and unresponsive, her eyes glazed over in a detached daze.

During these moments, Yu Nian would usually chime in with a few remarks, while Yu Xia remained wordlessly beside the group, as disconnected from human interaction as the shrubs in the nearby flowerbed, existing on a different plane of communication.

Just as Yu Xia braced herself for more small talk, Zheng Yun took her hand and led her into the residential complex, waving goodbye to Uncle Zhang as they walked. “We’re heading in now. Bye, Uncle Zhang!”

Uncle Zhang smiled warmly as he watched the two women enter the residential complex.

Zheng Yun skillfully led Yu Xia through the winding paths, occasionally pulling her back on course when she wandered off.

The old residential area was teeming with elderly residents and young children. Many seniors were already up, practicing morning exercises in the community pavilions or returning from their grocery shopping.

Zheng Yun was well-known here. If Yu Xia hadn’t known she was a tourist, she would have easily mistaken her for a native of the area.

Without lingering, Zheng Yun hurried Yu Xia toward their rented apartment.

They reached the building just as their neighbor, Auntie, emerged from her apartment across the hall.

The neighbor clutched a cloth bag, her brow furrowed as she pushed open the building’s entrance. She immediately encountered Zheng Yun and Yu Xia.

The moment she recognized Zheng Yun, her frown vanished, replaced by a warm smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. She stepped aside to let them enter, asking with genuine concern, “Xiao Zheng, when are you moving back in?”

Zheng Yun repeated the explanation she had given the security guard earlier.

Auntie’s eyebrow arched in disbelief. “So you’re not coming back? Where are you moving to?”

“I’m moving back to my old place,” Zheng Yun replied politely. “Thank you for your hospitality during this time.”

“Ah,” the aunt frowned again. “Living outside must be so expensive. Why don’t you stay with me for a while? My son is about your age, you could chat…”

Yu Xia noticed Zheng Yun shift slightly beside her and let out an almost imperceptible sigh.

“No need, Auntie. I’ll be going home soon.”

The aunt was about to say something more, but Zheng Yun quickly continued, “I have some errands to run. Let’s talk again another time.”

With that, she pulled Yu Xia toward the stairs.

The aunt tried to grab Zheng Yun’s wrist, but Yu Xia subtly shifted, blocking the aunt’s hand and leaving her clutching only the corner of Zheng Yun’s sleeve.

Realizing she couldn’t keep Zheng Yun, the aunt called out urgently, “Leave your contact info, Xiao Zheng! We should have dinner together sometime!”

Even Yu Xia, who usually felt like a small advertisement plastered on a wall, was starting to get annoyed. Even someone as socially inept as her could understand the aunt’s unspoken intentions: I think you’re great. I want to introduce you to my son.

If it were about her own affairs or Chen Zhu’s, she might have offered a sarcastic remark. But Zheng Yun was different. Their relationship was like hers with the owner of the art supply store outside school—a few polite exchanges, nothing more.

In such a distant relationship, it was hardly her place to meddle.

“No need, Auntie,” Zheng Yun said, shaking her head helplessly from the steps. “My phone got soaked.” She took Yu Xia’s wrist and walked away without looking back.

As they climbed the stairs, Zheng Yun didn’t release Yu Xia’s hand. From Yu Xia’s upward gaze, she could see Zheng Yun’s smooth jawline and tightly pressed lips. Yu Xia had rarely seen her with such a cold expression—it was actually quite novel.

Only when they reached the fifth floor did Zheng Yun let go of Yu Xia’s hand. The moment she turned, her face transformed into a radiant smile, her brows arching like distant mountains, her eyes sparkling like autumn pools—more captivating than the lingering drizzle.

“I’m sorry,” she said with an apologetic smile. “For keeping you so long.”

This apology was so unexpected that Yu Xia was momentarily speechless.

Zheng Yun rummaged through her bag for the keys and unlocked the door.

A damp, musty odor greeted them. Having already been soaked, and with the rainy season in full swing, even though the water on the floor had long dried, the lingering scent of water damage still permeated the air.

“It’s fine,” Yu Xia replied.

She had come to Yuncheng simply to pass the summer break. There was no question of being kept waiting.

“There’s no need to apologize,” Yu Xia added.

She was annoyed by the earlier incident, but even more irritated by her neighbor’s aunt’s inappropriate advances. By that logic, Zheng Yun was also a victim.

Zheng Yun opened the door and let Yu Xia enter first, leaving it ajar to continue airing out the waterlogged apartment.

“I didn’t expect to run into her,” Zheng Yun sighed softly. “I even changed my return time specifically to avoid her.”

“Has she said things like that before?” Yu Xia asked, glancing around the room as she spoke.

“She’s hinted at it,” Zheng Yun replied, heading to the kitchen to retrieve two glasses and a bottle of mineral water. She gestured for Yu Xia to sit down and poured her a glass of water. “I just pretended not to understand.”

Yu Xia wanted to ask why Zheng Yun couldn’t just be direct, but then she remembered that Zheng Yun never said “no” to anyone, her temperament so mild it seemed she was incapable of anger.

Yu Xia had known classmates like this in middle school. Rumor had it their families were in business, and they’d been taken along on business trips since childhood. Immersed in the world of commerce, they’d developed a smooth, adaptable personality, able to chat with anyone without ever losing their composure. Yu Xia had rarely seen her get angry.

Then again, I didn’t pay much attention to that classmate. All my information came from overheard conversations between the front and back rows during breaks.

Zheng Yun reminded Yu Xia of that classmate.

“Are you wondering why I didn’t just tell her directly?” Zheng Yun asked, carrying a stack of clothes from the balcony and placing them on the sofa.

“Mm-hmm,” Yu Xia admitted.

Even though she had her suspicions, she still wanted to hear Zheng Yun’s explanation.

“Because I can’t bring myself to say no,” Zheng Yun said, slumping down beside the clothes. “I’m always afraid she’ll be upset if I reject her.”

She admitted her weakness so candidly that Yu Xia’s brow twitched.

“I thought you didn’t want to reject her,” Yu Xia said, uttering words she regretted the moment they left her lips.

Unfortunately, face-to-face conversations aren’t like online chats—once the words are out, there’s no taking them back.

“She’s been trying to introduce me to her son, constantly showing me his photos. I looked at them once out of politeness, and the next day she was telling everyone I was interested in him,” Zheng Yun said, her voice a mix of frustration and helplessness. “Now all the aunts and uncles are subtly warning me he’s not a good person.”

“This morning, I took a little girl to school. Her dad was still at work from the night shift, and her mom was away on a business trip, so they asked me to help,” Zheng Yun said, a smile creeping onto her face as she remembered something. “You know what? The girl’s not even ten, but she told me with such seriousness, ‘Teacher Zheng, that man has broken the hearts of so many women. You absolutely must not fall for him!'”

As Zheng Yun spoke, Yu Xia couldn’t help but imagine the scene.

The little girl held Zheng Yun’s hand, her delicate face furrowed in concentration as she earnestly repeated words her mother had told her or she had overheard from classmates, terrified that Zheng Yun might fall for a scam and stumble into a trap.

The scene was so endearing that Yu Xia couldn’t help but smile.

Zheng Yun continued, “I told her, ‘I’ll never let a man play with my feelings.'”

Two hours earlier, the little girl had been wading through puddles, asking curiously, “Why not?”

Now, Yu Xia’s eyes widened slightly, her calm gaze meeting Zheng Yun’s. Only her expression hinted at her curiosity.

“Because I’m too smart for that,” Zheng Yun replied, holding the umbrella and gently shaking the girl’s arm, unable to pat her head.

The little girl sighed in relief, patting her chest reassuringly. “I trust you, Teacher.”

But Zheng Yun gave Yu Xia a completely different answer.

Outside, the rain continued to fall steadily. The upstairs neighbor was already awake; the poor soundproofing of the old apartment building allowed the loud voice of the elderly woman to penetrate the floor and reach Yu Xia’s ears as she asked her grandchildren what they wanted for lunch.

Zheng Yun’s eyes sparkled with amusement. She crossed her legs, rested her arm on her thigh, and propped her chin in her hand, her pearly white fingernails tapping against her cheek as she gazed intently at the woman before her. Her voice softened as she whispered, “Because I like women.”

Yu Xia’s head swam, her mind racing with a single thought:

Beware of beautiful women. Watch out for pig butchering scams.