I Fell in Love With My Cold-Hearted, Flirtatious Roommate (GL) - Chapter 24

The two just stared at each other. Rong Ting couldn’t even tell if Ran Jiu had hummed that sound, only feeling the slippery texture of the skin under her fingertip and the pulsing of the bl00d vessel.

She was only a finger’s length away from Ran Jiu’s Achilles’ heel (life gate).

And Ran Jiu was hers.

The dim light floated in the room. The crystal lamp above silently turned due to the sudden gust of wind that came in. An atmosphere of tenderness and ambiguity enveloped Rong Ting.

Rong Ting thought that if Ran Jiu didn’t withdraw, she might not be able to resist hugging her in the next second.

Ran Jiu didn’t move, so Rong Ting had to break free from the atmosphere first and pulled her hand away.

“It’s too difficult. Let’s forget it for today.”

Ran Jiu was a little displeased, still whining softly, “Do you have no patience for me at all?”

Rong Ting didn’t want her to misunderstand, so she could only deliberately use another excuse to cover up. “Well, German is too difficult, and its usage isn’t very wide. If you really want to learn… I’ll teach you slowly later.”

“Oh.”

Ran Jiu returned to the bedroom. On the desk was a thick, collector’s edition of a classic novel, which she had bought from the Sisyphe bookstore in the commercial building after work, intending to read when she was bored.

However, the book was still very new after all this time, showing she had barely looked at it.

She opened it directly from the middle, and the corner of the chocolate foil paper was exposed.

Unfolded, it was the complete gold foil brand label. She tried scanning it with a shopping app, but as expected, no results came up.

She smiled helplessly.

Her mother had called her again during the day, asking her to consider returning to school. She said she could pull strings and find connections, and a non-full-time program could also earn her dual degrees. Moreover, everyone believed that the exams for a non-full-time program were simply not an issue for her.

Ran Jiu felt numb listening to this. In the past, she would simply refuse such suggestions with an understatement.

No grievance, no explanation. She would hang up after receiving the other party’s angry rant.

This time, however, she paused and asked the person: “Do you think I’m incomplete because I don’t have a degree?”

The female voice on the other end stalled for a moment, then muttered, “How can you think that, child? Everything I do is for your own good, isn’t it? Why did you study so hard and get into university back then? Just to drop out halfway? Xiao Jiu, do you know what the people around you are saying about you? The awful things… all sorts of guesses. Tsk tsk, why aren’t you worried at all, child?”

“Your conditions are so good, and you’re smart. Is it all just to be gossiped about?”

Ran Jiu took a deep breath, trying to keep her tone flat: “When you remarried back then, did you consider whether I would be scared? Did you consider whether I would have a hard time adjusting?”

The tone on the other end paused, seemingly feeling guilty: “You… aren’t you adjusting quite well?”

“Mom, you know best whether I’m adjusting well or not.” Ran Jiu clicked end call, looking at the white ceiling and letting out a sigh.

Alipay chimed. Ran Jiu picked up her phone. Her mother had transferred 10,000 yuan to her via Alipay again, but this time she had blocked her, preventing her from transferring it back.

Ran Jiu laughed exasperatedly, deciding to let the money sit there for now and find an opportunity to return it later.

After the call, she was in a terrible mood, caught in a cycle of overthinking.

Clang! A loud crash.

A call of annoyance came from the next room, followed by the dull sound of a cup falling to the floor, and the frantic rustling of tissues being pulled out.

Ran Jiu’s actions froze for a moment. She heard the girl’s broken, whispered voice coming from the opposite room.

“Serves you right for being clumsy! Why did you have to put the cup next to the computer?”

“Ah ah ah ah ah, a whole night’s literature review, all gone to waste!”

“Wuwu, how am I going to tell the teaching assistant sister?”

Ran Jiu suddenly smiled. The earlier irritation seemed to instantly dissipate, and she only thought of the times she teased Rong Ting.

Rong Ting always reminded her of the grey wild rabbits that often appeared near the yurts—normally, their small, black-bean eyes were tiny, and their ears were cautiously drooped. They would move only when poked, until they got angry and raised their fluffy white tail.

For some reason, she always felt that Rong Ting looked at her with a deep meaning.

When she occasionally wanted to explore further, Rong Ting would always hide her fluffy rabbit tail at the last moment and flee with a kick of her legs.

Like a rolling wave washing over a deep abyss, becoming untraceable.

A calculating rabbit.

As summer approached, the semester was half over.

Rong Ting, considering her future job resume, kept only the Sino-German tutoring job and reduced its frequency. Additionally, she applied for more work-study internships to get internship certificates.

Today, according to the work-study schedule arranged by the college, it was Rong Ting’s turn to go to the nearby Affiliated Middle School No. 3 to teach a career planning lesson.

Rong Ting’s rhinitis hadn’t passed yet. It had been caused by willow catkins and unknown fuzz, and it only got better intermittently after more than a month. These past two days, it showed signs of relapse, so she wore a thick mask every time she went out.

Therefore, when she went to the employment management center to ask for leave, the senior student working there looked up and barely recognized her.

Rong Ting slid down her mask to reveal her face. Her red nose tip was very noticeable, and the surrounding skin was almost all red—a clear sign of severe allergies.

“Oh my gosh, what happened to your face!” The senior was shocked, leaning closer to look. “Allergies? Is it this bad?”

Rong Ting nodded, her voice slightly hoarse: “Sorry, Senior. I wanted to ask if there’s any other student who can cover the class for me. I’ve already prepared the course PPT.” As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly moved aside and sneezed several times.

The senior sat back, still looking surprised: “It’s really hard for you to teach like this. Let me see if I can find someone to cover for you.”

The message was sent to the part-time job group, and within a few seconds, someone took the job.

It wasn’t hard to find a substitute, especially since the most difficult part was preparing the lesson. Now that there was a ready-made PPT, all they had to do was teach, and they would get paid for the class time. People were naturally willing to take the job.

The senior sighed in relief: “It’s all sorted now. You are quite responsible. Some irresponsible ones just quit and walk away.”

Rong Ting nodded repeatedly: “Thank you, Senior. Please give the substitute all the pay for this job. I’ll continue when I recover.”

“Hey, okay. But you must take care of yourself.” The senior’s eyes showed concern. She then secretly told her: “The teacher at Affiliated Middle School No. 3 gave feedback that you teach quite diligently. If possible, we’d like to ask you again next semester. We can issue more internship certificates.”

The corner of Rong Ting’s mouth curled into a slight arc, but it was hidden behind her mask. “Mm, thank you, Senior.”

She walked out of the Career Guidance Center building. Outside, the green willows and soft willows created a beautiful scene, but her sensitive nose really couldn’t enjoy it.

Speaking of which, she and Ran Jiu had a minor argument yesterday, and it was also related to this.

The temperature in the Imperial Capital had been rising lately. Her room’s window was usually open. Last night, it suddenly rained. She was reading when she heard the rain, and like waking from a dream, she went to close the window.

As soon as she smelled the damp rain-wind, she immediately sneezed. Her body was unstable and hit the window heavily, somehow triggering the alarm.

Their residential area was already small, and the houses were close together. The alarm rang louder and louder, quickly echoing repeatedly throughout the community.

Before Rong Ting could figure out what to do, a gust of wind flashed past. Ran Jiu was very quick. She fumbled a few times at the wall crack, and the alarm instantly quieted down.

Rong Ting sniffled: “…I, I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Ran Jiu didn’t say anything else at the time, only pointed to a small white remote control and said, “That is the reset button on the main unit. Just press that if it gets triggered again.”

“Mm, okay.” Rong Ting, feeling at fault, nodded like a chicken pecking rice.

She saw that the person in front of her didn’t seem angry, maintaining her lazy, calm demeanor. She just skeptically weighed the controller in her hand and asked her, “Why do you keep wanting to touch this?”

“Huh?” Rong Ting’s astonishment was evident this time. “Well, I accidentally touched it.”

“No. The last time I came to find you, you also wanted to touch it,” Ran Jiu seemed very puzzled. “Why are you interested in this?”

Rong Ting was speechless this time. If the last time was an attempted crime with some hidden intentions, this time was simply an undeserved disaster.

“No, it’s been hot these days, so I kept the window open. I only remembered to close it when it started raining, and then… then I sneezed and hit it.” Rong Ting explained with gestures, afraid she wouldn’t believe her.

Ran Jiu’s light-colored pupils were like a deep pool. She just looked at her, seemingly judging whether it was true. “Then you’re really strong. A sneeze can trigger the alarm.”

The more Rong Ting explained, the more frustrated she became. Finally, she just gave up: “How can I make you believe me?”

“I’m not blaming you,” Ran Jiu said in a flat tone. “In philosophy, once a person has a certain psychological suggestion, they will try every means to achieve their goal. Even if they encounter obstacles, the idea won’t be dismissed. Instead, it will become stronger, leading them to use every possible means to achieve it.”

She even provided a thoughtful analogy: “In layman’s terms, everyone has some form of obsession, whether obvious or not. For example, a high school student’s psychological suggestion is that if they walk up a flight of stairs in three seconds, they will do well on the exam. If they are interrupted by their parents halfway, they will find time to return to the stairs later to complete the self-imposed task.”

“The more self-disciplined a person is usually, the more obsessive they become once a thought, big or small, takes hold. It’s difficult to give up even if they try to persuade themselves to stop.”

Finally, her voice softened, but it still carried a suggestive undertone: “So, when I guess your motive for touching the alarm, is it just curiosity?”

Under this loaded, leading language, Rong Ting felt as though she was being stripped bare, her carefully constructed cocoon on the verge of collapsing.

She frowned, looking a little annoyed: “I’ve told you what I have to say. Otherwise, I’ll put the controller in your room. What if I accidentally trigger it again next time I open the window?”

Raindrops tapped on the window, slowly dripping down along the water lines, blurring into circle after circle of marks.

Rong Ting’s voice got softer and softer until it completely faded away.

Noticing her low mood, Ran Jiu uttered an “Mm” and quietly withdrew from her line of sight.

When Rong Ting returned that evening, she found that the anti-theft device controller, along with its wiring, was missing from her room. The empty spot was whiter than the rest of the wall, looking conspicuously bare.

It was an empty space.

Rong Ting sighed in frustration, angry at herself for not saying something nicer then.

She used to rush to coax Ran Jiu; why was she always hurting her lately?

Now, she sat in the classroom. The rain outside had started again sometime earlier. She rested her chin on her hand and looked out at the creeping fig outside, washed into a vibrant, dripping green.

The air inside the room was clean. The sound of typing keyboards could be heard in the study room. Rong Ting took out her notebook to organize her notes for the day, but couldn’t help but look at the powerful greenery outside.

Distracted, her hand drew a slanted line on the loose-leaf paper.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. Ran Jiu had come back very late last night, and she hadn’t seen her when she left today. What was she doing?

The Little Freesia Studio’s business had been picking up recently. Xiao Zhi was trying to persuade Ran Jiu to take on commercial voice work with larger companies, where the resources would be better and the development prospects wider.

“Luo Shun is backed by Tianhai Group, the entertainment company with the best momentum right now. He’s in charge of their subsidiary professional voice studio. Their financial resources and network are impeccable. Xiao Jiu, are you really not considering it?”

Ran Jiu thought about it, then slowly and firmly shook her head.

Xiao Zhi was nearly sweating from trying to convince her: “You even did voiceovers for low-quality commercials initially. You didn’t even pass on those ad lines. Why?”

Ran Jiu didn’t want to elaborate. Luo Shun’s lecherous aura disgusted her, but she knew their studio couldn’t afford to offend him.

However, having to suppress her nausea and deal with him was something Ran Jiu couldn’t fake.

Besides, Xiao Zhi wouldn’t harm her. The studio’s resources over the years were hard-won by Xiao Zhi, and Ran Jiu didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

As they reached an impasse, Wei Feng poked his head in from outside. “What’s going on with you guys? The backer is here for an inspection.”

Xiao Zhi frowned: “I didn’t schedule anyone today.”

“Tsk, aren’t you negotiating a partnership with Tianhai Entertainment?” Wei Feng walked in completely, pointing outside. “He’s here. I’ve brewed some tea, and he’s waiting outside.”

Hearing this, Xiao Zhi’s expression wasn’t natural. “Xiao Jiu, I didn’t schedule them.”

Ran Jiu calmly nodded: “Sister Xiao Zhi, I believe you.” She sighed. “Let’s go out now.”

Luo Shun’s voice could be heard from outside—that arrogant, loud voice that made Ran Jiu want to hit someone.

“Your green radish here is really not good. Cheap things don’t last long. Not like the orchids at our company. I’ll send you a pot sometime.”

“Ah, is this the only reception area? It’s too small.”

“Where is the recording studio? I feel like your CVs’ skill levels can’t be fully utilized. Is the equipment not up to par?”

Yu Lai, who was accompanying him, was inwardly fuming, wanting to strike him. Remembering that this person might be a future backer, his anger slightly subsided, and he still toured around with a forced smile. He visibly relaxed when he saw Wei Feng and the others coming out.

Luo Shun, who had been complaining for half the time, finally quieted down. His gaze turned toward them, brazenly landing on Ran Jiu.

Ran Jiu’s eyes were indifferent, but she felt a chill in her heart.

Luo Shun’s goal this time was simple: he wanted a long-term collaboration with Ran Jiu. He stated frankly that if she agreed, they could secure at least three major drama roles for voiceovers, and resources for movies, animation, games, and other work would be provided occasionally.

For their studio, this was undoubtedly very tempting.

Not hearing Ran Jiu’s reply, Xiao Zhi and the others, who had initially looked expectant, gradually fell silent.

Wei Feng knew a thing or two about the friction between the two, but the others were confused. Yu Lai even secretly messaged Ran Jiu: 【What are you doing? This is a great opportunity.】

【Once you sign the contract, it’s locked in. Besides, Tianhai is a big company; they don’t play dirty tricks.】

Ran Jiu lowered her head to look at her phone, then quietly turned off the screen.

Luo Shun, however, seemed very generous. “Well, Xiao Jiu is cooperating with us for the first time, so she needs to consider it carefully. How about this? It’s not convenient with so many people. Why don’t the rest of you step out, and I’ll talk to her alone?”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhi immediately objected, though she spoke subtly: “Mr. Luo, I’m in charge of business negotiations. Xiao Jiu is only responsible for voice acting. How about I talk to you?”

Luo Shun’s tone instantly turned cold: “Miss Xiao, what kind of person do you take me for? My assistant is right here.”

His female assistant beside him smiled awkwardly, trying to smooth things over: “Yes, I will be here the whole time. Mr. Luo is being kind. He has been responsible for the psychological preparation of many artists before.”

Even with this, Xiao Zhi was still uneasy. Ran Jiu held her wrist, glanced at the security camera, signaling that she would be fine: “I’ll talk to him.”

After everyone left the room, the assistant poured tea and quietly retreated to the side.

Luo Shun cleared his throat, his voice heavy: “Well, I don’t understand what you’re hesitating about. Our company is currently heavily supporting voice studios. Besides, you know the people under me, right? Not to mention Ting, there are also Jade Rabbit Lord, Lie Xing Chen, Zui Mian…”

He proudly introduced the artists under him and their representative works. It must be said that these people were indeed important figures in the current voice acting industry, and their works were all commendable, with unquestionable professional ability.

But there was one thing Ran Jiu couldn’t figure out: these voice actors’ names were so pleasant, so why did they sound so unpleasant when spoken by Luo Shun?

And why were all these excellent voice actors coming from under his command?

Seeing that Ran Jiu was listening patiently, Luo Shun became even more proud. “And, we are heavily promoting new talent now. If you join, you won’t be short on resources. We also really lack female voice actors here. Would you consider it?”

He began to use his usual manipulative tactic of tearing others down, tsk-ing: “Your small studio won’t last long. I just saw your recording studio; you’re still using old equipment. What future can you have without upgrading? It’s probably quite difficult for Xiao Zhi’s resources to sustain you, right?”

Ran Jiu couldn’t listen anymore and finally interrupted, saying bluntly that she had no intention of changing places at the moment.

“Our studio has just started and has been making slow progress over the years. Also, Sister Xiao Zhi treats me very well. I plan to stay here for now and have no intention of changing jobs. Thank you for your kind offer.”

A look of weariness appeared on her face: “Besides, you came here to discuss a partnership, not to poach people, right?”

Luo Shun smiled meaninglessly: “Fine. I already sent the contract and script overview to you this morning. See if you’re interested? Will you take the job?”

Ran Jiu frowned slightly: “I’ve never doubted your company’s professional abilities, but…”

“But what?”

Ran Jiu’s tone was cold: “For such minor matters, if you call your assistant to liaise with me, or switch to another female manager, I think it wouldn’t be a problem.”

Luo Shun’s face instantly darkened like the bottom of a pot. “What do you mean?”

“I think I made myself clear. I don’t like interacting with the opposite s3x.” Ran Jiu felt that since it had come to this, there was no need to hide anything.

She could be worn down by society, and she could bear the consequences of stumbling, but she really didn’t want to deal with people like him.

“Interacting with the opposite s3x makes me suffocate.”

The remark sounded so perfunctory it made Luo Shun laugh in anger. Given his current state, not swearing was already an achievement, but his tone was still very aggressive: “What did you say? Are there no men in your studio? You even collaborated with a man from your studio as a couple in your first few dramas, constantly hyping up the CP on Weibo. And now you’re telling me interacting with men makes you suffocate?”

Ran Jiu’s indifferent amber eyes were already looking elsewhere, seemingly unwilling to answer these boring questions.

Luo Shun remained relentless: “Are you kidding me? Half the world is male. Are you telling me you don’t dislike the opposite s3x, or are you inherently gay?”

This time, Ran Jiu didn’t hold back. Her icy gaze fell on Luo Shun, as if looking at an ignorant dead person.

Luo Shun was startled. He coughed violently while drinking water.

His voice was so loud it startled the people outside. Seeing things weren’t right, Wei Feng immediately turned the doorknob and poked his head in. “Are you done talking? We’re about to close, and we’re the only ones left on this floor.”

Luo Shun left resentfully, not even greeting the people waiting outside.

Xiao Zhi rushed over. Seeing Ran Jiu’s poor complexion, she asked worriedly what was wrong and if she had been bullied.

Ran Jiu slowly shook her head. “Sister Xiao Zhi, I probably can’t take these collaborations.”

She briefly explained the situation to Xiao Zhi. If the liaison person was Luo Shun, she was unwilling to deal with him long-term.

The others had also heard that Luo Shun’s methods were unethical. It was rumored that to force a certain artist to agree to unfair terms, Luo Shun continuously blocked the artist’s work from being approved. Later, the artist was misunderstood by the industry as unprofessional for a long time and was nearly blacklisted.

Ran Jiu was very sensitive to people’s auras. If a social interaction made her feel danger, she would rather retreat cautiously than be fooled by profit and get herself into trouble.

Xiao Zhi was even a little afraid: “Forget it, forget it. If you don’t take it, you don’t take it. Our studio has a lot of orders recently, and we might not even be able to finish them all.”

Ran Jiu knew she was comforting her and smiled lightly: “Sorry.”

Xiao Zhi patted her head helplessly: “There’s nothing we can do about meeting rude people. I just wanted you to have more opportunities for growth.”

On the other side.

The rain hadn’t stopped.

Rong Ting initially thought the rain wasn’t heavy and would stop soon.

But then, the sound of the rain outside suddenly became rapid. There was a loud tapping sound on the window, particularly jarring amidst the fine, dense rain.

Rong Ting was startled by the sound and walked over to look out the window.

Pedestrians below hurried past with umbrellas. The ground was soaked, and cars splashed up water as they drove by.

She started to worry. At this rate, it definitely wouldn’t stop anytime soon.

Did Ran Jiu bring an umbrella? If not, would that sister from last time bring her back? Would she take a taxi?

She wouldn’t just walk back without an umbrella, would she…

The more she thought about it, the more she felt this was exactly Ran Jiu’s style.

She was about to take out her phone to ask if she needed an umbrella when she saw the “typing…” indicator appear on the WeChat interface.

Rong Ting’s heart nearly stopped, then she took a breath and slowly waited to see what the other person would send.

After a long time, the “typing…” indicator disappeared.

Rong Ting: “……” Feeling a little frustrated, she sent her original message.

【Did you bring an umbrella? Do you need me to bring one to you?】

At the same time, without missing a millisecond, the other person also sent a message.

Jiu: 【I’m unhappy.】

The two messages were sent almost simultaneously. Rong Ting’s was on top, Ran Jiu’s was below, making it impossible to tell which came first.

Looking at the two stacked messages, Rong Ting was dumbfounded.

The other person’s reaction was clearly faster, immediately sending another message: 【Why do we have zero chemistry?】

The other person followed up: 【Bring an umbrella and come find me. I want to go out for dinner tonight.】

Rong Ting carefully analyzed the literal meaning.

Did she mean for Rong Ting to bring an umbrella and go find her, and then the two of them would go out to eat together? Was that the meaning?

The other person quickly sent another message: 【Why aren’t you replying again? /Angry/】

Rong Ting couldn’t help but imagine the expression of the person sending this message—a little angry, a little arrogant, with an aggressive tone.

She smiled, revealing her dimples: 【Are you saying we two are going out to eat together later?】

Jiu: 【Otherwise?】

Jiu: 【Was there any ambiguity in what I just said? /Arms akimbo, emphatic tone/】

Rong Ting sighed and typed: 【Then what do you want to eat?】

Ran Jiu furiously typed on her phone. Her mood was indeed quite bad at the moment. Besides encountering a disgusting person, she was now arguing with the rabbit from her home.

She clearly said she was unhappy, so why didn’t the rabbit ask her why she was unhappy?

And shouldn’t she hurry over to pick her up after getting the message? Why was she taking her sweet time asking what to eat?

She fiercely tapped the phone screen with her fingers, her fingernails clicking against the screen with a crisp sound.

【Spicy rabbit head!!!】