I Fell in Love With My Cold-Hearted, Flirtatious Roommate (GL) - Chapter 6

After a moment of silence, a chorus of shouts came from the group on the other side.

“What? Someone’s home?”

“Man or woman?”

“Who is it?”

Xiao Zhi’s voice squeezed in, “Stop talking nonsense. I remember Xiao Jiu is renting, so it must be her roommate.”

“No, I remember her roommate can’t cook. Could it be her mother?”

Wei Feng’s voice interjected, “She seems to have a new roommate. The new one?”

“Don’t even mention it. I remember none of her roommates could cook.”

Ran Jiu let them guess wildly and didn’t explain.

The noisy sounds on the other side gradually subsided. Ran Jiu had just put down her phone and looked around for Rong Ting, only to realize that Rong Ting had already gone to the vegetable section.

When she walked over, the shopping cart already held potatoes, sweet potatoes, wide glass noodles, baby cabbages, enoki mushrooms, and mini cucumbers. She guessed these were things Rong Ting liked to eat.

Seeing her approach, Rong Ting quickly pointed at the vegetables: “Take whatever you want to eat.” Only after speaking did she realize her tone sounded a bit domineering.

Ran Jiu glanced at her, then put a box of youmaicai (Chinese lettuce) into the cart. When she reached the refrigerated section, she also grabbed a can of luncheon meat.

When checking out, Rong Ting rushed to pay. Ever since she learned that Ran Jiu was working part-time, she couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. She herself earned a few thousand from tutoring each month, so she felt she should take better care of her.

Ran Jiu silently put the phone she had half-pulled out back into her pocket. She took two bags and packed the items. When leaving, she carried everything herself. Rong Ting only realized Ran Jiu had taken everything after scanning the code, and couldn’t snatch the bags back on the way out.

Ran Jiu, however, was easygoing, saying after they got home: “You pay the money, I do the work. You cook the meal, I wash the pot.”

Yes, she wasn’t being humble. There were currently several insurmountable gaps in her life: she couldn’t get along with people she didn’t want to; she couldn’t learn things she didn’t want to; she easily misplaced things she had put away neatly; and finally, she didn’t like to cook.

She carried the items into the kitchen for Rong Ting. Unusually, she didn’t go back to her room but helped wash all the vegetables. Rong Ting wouldn’t let her do the rest, and she didn’t insist, instead sitting on the sofa outside playing with her phone.

Yu Lai sent a video request. She glanced toward the kitchen, hearing only the sound of the spatula frying and the range hood, then accepted the call.

On the screen, many heads looked over simultaneously. Wei Feng was the first to shout: “Damn, you really are at home!”

Ran Jiu was speechless: “Where else would I be?” She seemed puzzled by their curiosity.

The screen on their end turned. Ran Jiu saw they were eating Chongqing hot pot. The dishes served were quite abundant, including the side dishes she used to love ordering.

Wei Feng deliberately held up a piece of spicy little duck gizzard that had been dipped in the hot pot, took a bite, and provoked her: “It’s all your favorite food. Regret it?”

Ran Jiu’s expression was indifferent, “What exactly is your misunderstanding about me?”

Xiao Zhi managed to interject, “By the way, Xiao Jiu, we recruited a few new members online two days ago. We need to assess their vocal performance first. Please take some time to select a few suitable scripts for the assessment.”

Ran Jiu agreed. After that, there were no more serious matters. The group joked for a few minutes, and the video call ended.

The sliding door of the kitchen rang. Rong Ting was carrying a large pot and using her foot to hook the door. Ran Jiu quickly went over to help.

Rong Ting struggled to steady the pot, the tendons standing out on her slender wrist. She turned her face to Ran Jiu and said, “There’s also a heat-resistant rubber mat.”

Ran Jiu immediately understood. She had initially wanted to take the pot, but seeing her hands shaking while holding it, she stepped aside first.

She quickly retrieved the plastic mat and spread it on the table. Rong Ting then placed the pot on top and shook her hands, which were sore and weak.

Seeing this, Ran Jiu went back to get bowls and chopsticks. When she came out, she saw Rong Ting lifting the lid, and a spicy aroma diffused throughout the house. Rong Ting took off her apron and was still wearing a mask, revealing only her small nose, her cheeks flushed red from the steam.

Ran Jiu couldn’t help but feel a little apologetic, “The pot is a bit heavy. We bought it a while ago but never used it.”

Rong Ting was scooping rice and handed her a full bowl, “I noticed that long ago.”

“Ah?”

“I just scrubbed it clean with a steel wool pad. Eat without worry.”

Ran Jiu then noticed the rubber pot mat, “What about this?”

“Oh, I bought it when I was at the supermarket.”

The two then ate in silence. Ran Jiu hadn’t eaten anything this spicy in a long time, yet it was full of flavor, perfectly hitting her taste preference. She used her chopsticks more frequently, eating a lot of both meat and vegetables. A light pink color actually bloomed on her cool, fair face.

Rong Ting had a small appetite and was full after one bowl. She was worried about what to do with the leftovers, but then watched with her own eyes as the person opposite her finished everything, one chopstick-full at a time.

After the meal, Ran Jiu went to wash the pot. Ran Jiu, who hadn’t been in the kitchen for a long time, automatically put on the purple floral apron. Rong Ting also stood by the doorway, watching her wash, and digesting her food at the same time.

Ran Jiu asked casually, afraid she was bored, “It’s delicious. How did you make it?”

Rong Ting’s eyes lit up and she immediately started talking enthusiastically: “First, of course, stir-fry the scallions, ginger, and garlic to bring out the fragrance. Oh, the essence is dried chili peppers. Not too many, not too few. Three at most. You can cut them into small pieces with a knife, because you’ll add hot pot base later. The hot pot base should be chosen…”

The girl’s voice patiently talked about the cutting quantity of the hot pot base. Her voice was clear and gentle, meticulous, sometimes with the indistinct front and back nasal sounds typical of a southerner, sounding somewhat tender.

Ran Jiu, rarely, did not let her occupational habits take over, and didn’t correct her. She listened to her slow, rambling chatter while washing the pot.

She suddenly felt that this kind of meal might be something she could continue to eat in the future.

Anyway, she didn’t have to cook it herself.

In the evening, Yu Lai initiated a Zoom meeting, pulling a few people in to start discussing the script selection issue.

Yu Lai suggested selecting some professional scripts for the new recruits’ assessment. Wei Feng, however, disagreed. Some voice actors indeed had professional training, but another portion started as amateurs. If the scripts were too difficult, it would block this type of person at the threshold. The group then argued and chatted for a long time but didn’t hear the main person speak.

Wei Feng directly @ Ran Jiu, “Jiu, do you think we should choose challenging scripts like Blackbird, or just ordinary scene plays?”

Ran Jiu tapped her index finger on the mouse, cupped her chin, and her eyes playfully lifted at the corners: “How about we try cooking recipes?”

Wei Feng clapped his hands in praise: “Brilliant! Recipes don’t have any fixed emotional constraints, which makes it easy for contestants to improvise. Furthermore, the contestants’ own background settings can also determine their future voice acting direction.”

Yu Lai also mused, “Are you saying our studio has too few people for commercial voiceovers? This certainly helps to filter out some potential candidates.”

Xiao Zhi finally concluded, “Alright, let’s go with recipes then!”