I Fell in Love With My Cold-Hearted, Flirtatious Roommate (GL) - Chapter 18

In late spring, many venues in Aosen Park were closed. They rented two bicycles to ride around inside.

Outside was a large, open field of grass with only a few patches of flower beds. Cleaners, having finished their work, sat by the grass, heartily eating noodles. Steam rose from the bowls, adding a touch of everyday life.

They rode a whole loop but didn’t find much to see, so they simply stopped by a long bench. Rong Ting saw a vending machine nearby and went to buy two bottles of mineral water, returning to hand one to Ran Jiu.

Ran Jiu was thirsty. Although she sweated little, physical activity still consumed water and energy, so she drank half a bottle in one go.

They rode for a while longer before finally finding something to look at—a simulated geothermal spring. Water streams attached to the hillside clashed with the spring water, creating a misty haze.

Rong Ting watched the stones of the spring gradually dim, hesitated for a moment, and took out her phone. “How about we take a picture together here!”

She felt nervous suggesting the photo. Ran Jiu seemed indifferent about everything, but it was clear she disliked group activities and was often uninterested in things. Rong Ting worried Ran Jiu might scoff at her suggestion.

Unexpectedly, Ran Jiu was silent for a moment, then simply nodded, “Sure.”

Rong Ting sighed in relief. They found a suitable spot for a photo. Ran Jiu waved her over.

Rong Ting set her phone to photo mode and waited for a long time before finally getting a passerby to help them take a picture.

The two were originally just standing next to each other, but the person made a gesture, “You two girls, stand closer.”

Before Rong Ting could react, a cool, pale, and slender hand pulled her arm, and the two pressed against each other for a few seconds.

When Rong Ting took back the phone, Ran Jiu also leaned over to look with her.

The photo had a great atmosphere. Because the geothermal spring provided ample heat, they looked as if they were hazy in the dense mist. Ran Jiu had an arm draped over her shoulder and secretly gave a V-sign.

Her windbreaker zipped up to her chin, covering her long neck, but her smile was beautiful, with the corners of her eyes upturned.

The park had areas designated for tourists to picnic. Closer to 11 o’clock, Rong Ting spread the picnic blanket she had prepared earlier on the lawn, and the two sat down on it.

Rong Ting suddenly remembered something and sent the picture they just took to Ran Jiu. Ran Jiu blinked her long eyelashes and began to recall, “It looks like the snow mountains near my hometown.”

Rong Ting made a sound of surprise. She remembered Ran Jiu saying her hometown was by a lake when she introduced herself. “Are there snow mountains there too?”

“Yes, but they’re not big, not comparable to the snow mountains in Xinjiang, but you can still see the foot of the mountains.”

Rong Ting was a little confused. “Then did you actually live in a yurt or a flat house?”

Ran Jiu smiled carelessly: “Lived in both.”

Rong Ting’s eyes instantly brightened. “Then have you ever herded cattle?”

Ran Jiu’s mouth twitched twice. “Yes, I have.”

Rong Ting didn’t notice she was leaning closer and closer to Ran Jiu: “What do you do when herding cattle?”

“Play on my phone.”

“Is there signal on the grassland? How do you charge it?”

Ran Jiu twisted open her bottle and drank a few more sips of water. “Of course there is. You put the WiFi on the cow’s horns.”

“What about when it runs out of battery?”

“Out of battery? Plug the socket into the cow’s butt. If it runs out of power, you whip the cow’s butt, and when it runs, it charges the phone.”

Rong Ting: “……” Listen to how vulgar that sounds. Is this something a beautiful girl should say?

She deeply suspected that Ran Jiu was just messing with her.

Ran Jiu suddenly tapped her head lightly. “You dare to ask but dare not believe? What’s rumored online is also true. Our streets are full of cattle and sheep. If you want meat, just grab one back casually. The kitchen at home has three pipes: one for tap water, one for purified water, and one exclusively for milk. However, the milk faucet requires a monthly fee of 200 yuan to use.”

Rong Ting was highly skeptical now: “Really?”

Ran Jiu: “Fake.”

Rong Ting was a little annoyed: Didn’t want to talk, wasted time, wasted feelings.

She moved aside, intending to give Ran Jiu some time to reflect on her bad behavior.

After a long time, Ran Jiu smiled and leaned over to coax her. “But the lamb shaomai (steamed dumplings) in our area are especially delicious. You might not like lamb and spring onions, but the meat chunks are really fresh and plentiful, the oil is very fragrant, and the shaomai wrappers are also super tasty.”

Rong Ting quietly swallowed.

Ran Jiu turned her face to the side again: “And beizi (a local baked flatbread). Do you have beizi there? You can stuff so many fillings inside. If you want, you can add over ten different things for a few extra yuan.”

Rong Ting: “What can you stuff inside?”

“For example, spicy tofu skin, fish balls, braised eggs, sliced sausage, roasted sausage, fried mushrooms…” Ran Jiu suddenly paused. “I went back once last year, and they even had potato swirl skewers! The pickles are especially delicious too. There are seven or eight kinds you can choose freely.”

Rong Ting felt that the meal she just ate might have been digested. She was hungry again.

When leaving the park, they passed that wide-open grassy field again. Rong Ting vaguely wondered if the actual grassland looked like that.

Someone was refueling nearby—it was a large tour bus. The chattering sounds of the tourists inside pulled her thoughts back to reality.

Ran Jiu had already scanned a bicycle and was waiting for her, thinking something was wrong on her end. She came over to find her. Instead, Rong Ting pointed at the small hill of the geothermal spring, which was now out of sight. “Does that look like the snow mountain where you are?”

Ran Jiu looked over. The mist was too thick to see the contours of the scenery, but it could indeed be imagined as an endless snow mountain. A clear smile spread in her eyes: “Mm, it does.”

At Rong Ting’s insistence, the two still took the subway back. Fortunately, the subway was less crowded, and they found a quiet corner to sit.

They were both originally playing on their phones, but Rong Ting gradually became sleepy. When she woke up, she found herself leaning on Ran Jiu’s shoulder.

It seemed Ran Jiu had deliberately slouched her right shoulder to accommodate her, while she sat upright, her thin eyelids slightly closed, hugging both their bags in her arms.

Just as the subway was nearing the station, Rong Ting received a notification in the class group. It said the evening English class was rescheduled to 3:30 PM due to the teacher’s reasons and urged students not at school to hurry back, as the teacher might take attendance.

The group was full of complaints. Some people were still outside the city, and some had just made plans with friends for the afternoon. Moreover, everyone was very unhappy that the teacher changed the class time for their own reasons and was still going to check attendance.

Rong Ting calmly checked the time. It was only 2:30 PM. If she went back to school now, she should make it in time.

Sensing her movement, Ran Jiu slowly opened her eyes and asked what was wrong.

“Nothing, the class group told everyone to hurry back to school. An afternoon class was rescheduled.”

Ran Jiu’s voice was a little husky: “Rescheduled earlier?”

“Yes, it was originally at 6 PM, but now it’s 3:30 PM.” Rong Ting frowned. She was actually a little unhappy too. She had planned to go home and cook a meal to eat with Ran Jiu, and maybe even nap for a bit afterward, but now she had to go straight to school.

As they approached the station, Ran Jiu said, “I’ll take you there.”

“Huh?” Rong Ting was stunned for a moment. After realizing what she meant, she said, “No need. I just need to take one more stop and walk a few steps down from there.”

Ran Jiu sat back without question, not getting off at the scheduled station. “It’s fine. There’s a snack street near your school. I can find food on the way back.”

Rong Ting roughly understood her meaning. Ran Jiu felt that Rong Ting spending time on the outing was an exchange of time, and correspondingly, she had to compensate her with some time. This strange logic made Rong Ting feel a bit bewildered and amused.

There were too many people when they exited the station, and they were bumped by someone. Rong Ting’s first reaction was to check if she had lost any money, and she quickly told Ran Jiu to check her wallet and phone.

However, when she called Ran Jiu’s name, she saw Ran Jiu’s eyes, cold as frost, staring at the person who had just bumped into them. That man was also frightened and ran out against the crowd, his steps even staggering slightly.

Rong Ting also became concerned and gently tugged her sleeve, softly asking, “What’s wrong?”

After what seemed like a long time, Ran Jiu’s expression finally softened. “Nothing, let’s go.”

After leaving the station, Ran Jiu subtly patted the clothes around her waist, as if she had been touched by something extremely disgusting.

After getting off the train, there was indeed a snack street. With half an hour left before class, they passed by and bought chestnut cake, fried fresh milk, and traditional chicken skewers from Daoxiangcun.

Rong Ting gave most of it to Ran Jiu. Ran Jiu obediently followed her, eating the skewers in her hand, finishing them just as they reached the school.

Passing by the print shop, Rong Ting remembered she hadn’t printed her assignment. Fortunately, it was saved on her phone. She asked Ran Jiu to wait outside and squeezed inside. When she came out, the print shop was even more crowded. It was difficult for her to squeeze out, and she was bumped unexpectedly.

She looked up. Chen Saiyu was looking back with the same startled expression. The other two people from her dorm room were also standing next to her, likely there to print assignments as well.

Chen Saiyu awkwardly called her name, thinking she was alone, and asked if she wanted to go to the classroom with them.

Rong Ting shook her head and said someone was waiting for her outside.

Wan Sang was the first to glance outside. Seeing no one from the class whom she recognized, she sneered: “What’s with the act.”

Rong Ting didn’t bother to fight back, treating it as if a dog had bitten her. When she went outside, Ran Jiu was still standing there. Perhaps to avoid being conspicuous, she had put on the hood of her windbreaker, perfectly concealing her prominent hair color.

Rong Ting took the items from her hand: “I have to go to class now. You should go home and rest. I’ll cook for you tonight when I get back.”

Ran Jiu nodded, about to leave, but then noticed Rong Ting’s face was a little pale, and her steps paused.

The few girls from the copy shop came out. The first one clearly carried hostility, her sharp gaze unreservedly directed towards the two of them.

Rong Ting definitely noticed but didn’t respond to the gaze. Ran Jiu, however, looked back indifferently and curiously.

The other girl’s face was sour. She must have been spoiled for a long time or overly protected and unfamiliar with the world’s malice, which was why she didn’t bother to hide her arrogant and disgusted expression.

What was she thinking? Ran Jiu was very curious.

Chen Saiyu pulled Wan Sang’s arm. “Alright, let’s go early so we can grab a good spot. Otherwise, we’ll have to fight with those people for the back row again.”

Only then did Wan Sang glare at them and walk away resentfully.

Ran Jiu then asked Rong Ting, “Who were those people just now?”

Rong Ting understood that Ran Jiu must have figured something out, and she deflated: “Roommates.”

“Oh.” Ran Jiu thoughtfully pinched her chin. “Did you move out to find a place because of this rubbish?”

Rong Ting hummed weakly, like a mosquito. “It’s not entirely their fault. We just didn’t see eye-to-eye.”

She did admit that because she was too passive about interpersonal relationships and neglected to manage other people’s emotions, things had turned out this way. To be brutally honest, a fly doesn’t land on an egg without a crack.

“Maybe it’s just because you weren’t in the same interest group.” Ran Jiu sighed and tugged at her braid. “Does the abuse of the minority by the majority make the majority’s actions reasonable? One act of bad behavior can never be legalized by another bad act.”

The wind whistled by, and the air was electrically quiet.

It’s falling apart. That was Rong Ting’s only thought at the moment. What Wan Sang was like, what the roommates were like, what they said or did—none of it mattered. The bubbles were rising rapidly in her heart, covering the surrounding clamor. The fortress she thought was solid was collapsing layer by layer.

For a long time, she had tried to find an excuse for her terrible interpersonal relationships, but the reality was right there. Everyone could see that she was the one who was stripped away. Even though she was full of grievances and complaints, she knew deep down that no one would truly empathize.

Too much explanation would only overdo it and even damage her public image. She preferred to refute herself to achieve psychological balance.

At this moment, Ran Jiu found an emotional outlet for her, finally allowing her to face her terrible past and make peace with the world.

“Let’s go.” Ran Jiu suddenly took her wrist, and a coolness spread up her skin in threads.

Rong Ting was slightly startled by the touch. It took her a moment to react. “Aren’t you going home?”

Ran Jiu replied carelessly: “I’m on holiday today. Besides, I’ve always wanted to see how top students attend class.”

Halfway there, Rong Ting quietly asked, “Why?”

Ran Jiu patted her head and sighed: “You don’t want to be with them, do you? I’ll attend class with you.”