The Unreturnable Refrigerator - Chapter 21.1
Chapter 21.1: The Kiss (Past)
Lu Yin saw the corner of Sheng Xiali’s lips turn up slightly in a smile, and her heart felt sweet.
The atmosphere was so good, maybe her plan to share a bed tonight would have a major breakthrough.
However, it failed.
Not only that, but the next day, Sheng Xiali actually brought back a bamboo mat.
It was hard for her to do so, as single bamboo mats like the ones used in dorms couldn’t be bought at a small supermarket.
She had endured for so long, and bought so many things without buying bedding, using the excuse that the stores around didn’t have any. Sheng Xiali buying a mat was like a slap in her face…
Also, wasn’t this person someone who absolutely would not buy an extra of anything she already had?
Was she abandoning her “principles” just so she didn’t have to squeeze in with her?
Not only that, but Sheng Xiali didn’t even put the mat on the bed next to Lu Yin, the one she had been sleeping on for the past few days.
She cleaned the bed diagonally across from Lu Yin’s and put the mat on it.
This was probably the furthest distance in a straight line in the entire dorm.
Lu Yin narrowed her eyes. What was going on? The relationship had just taken a step forward yesterday, but today, it felt like there was a huge chasm between them.
Lu Yin asked Sheng Xiali why she had suddenly bought a mat and was sleeping so far away.
Sheng Xiali’s expression didn’t show any emotion. She just said that she happened to see it on her way back and that sleeping on the blanket was a little hot. She also said that the diagonal bed was closer to the fan.
They were all excuses. Lu Yin gritted her teeth in frustration. Sheng Xiali didn’t feel hot sleeping on the blanket before, so why was she suddenly so afraid of the heat that she had to be close to the fan?
Lu Yin narrowed her eyes. She was avoiding her.
But why?
Sheng Xiali actually didn’t know why either.
Last night, she had a rare night of insomnia. When she closed her eyes, all she could see was Lu Yin’s smiling face, her crescent-shaped eyes, and her sharp canine tooth.
And that pear, so sweet.
A sticky feeling instantly rose in her throat. Sheng Xiali sat up and, with the help of a sliver of moonlight, looked at the rising and falling figure on the bed next to her, who was covered by a corner of the blanket. A sense of heat rose in her heart.
She got out of bed slowly and quietly, took a cup, and gulped down some water. But when she looked up, she saw the smiling face on the bed, with her lips pressed together, even in her sleep.
She almost choked on the water. Sheng Xiali swallowed hard, trying to suppress any sound. Her face turned red from holding her breath, and it took a while for her to recover.
Seeing that the person on the bed showed no signs of waking up, Sheng Xiali breathed a sigh of relief. She held the cup and continued to watch her quietly.
The only light source in the dorm was a little bit of moonlight that came through the gap in the curtains. In the hazy light, Lu Yin’s loose hair, moved by her shallow breaths, and her occasionally fluttering eyelashes gradually became clearer under her gaze.
It wasn’t until Lu Yin mumbled and turned over that Sheng Xiali came to her senses. She looked at the time and found that over an hour had passed.
Sheng Xiali’s legs were sore. After she got back on the bed, she was completely sleepless. What was wrong with her…?
Sheng Xiali didn’t dare to delve into the reason, but she knew she couldn’t continue like this. Her time was very limited and she couldn’t waste a single moment.
Lu Yin was disappointed and regretful, but she also knew that things were what they were. The mat had already been bought. Not only could they not share a bed, but now they were “parted ways” and “worlds apart.”
This was Lu Yin’s first time pursuing someone, so she had no experience. Fortunately, she had patience and a determination that she wouldn’t give up until she achieved her goal.
Life went on. She continued to follow Sheng Xiali to work during the day and returned to the dorm to wait for Sheng Xiali in the evening.
One day, when Sheng Xiali returned to the dorm in the evening, she saw a thin, narrow vase on the table, with a single red rose in it. The bud was about to bloom, and there were some glistening water droplets on it.
It looked very out of place on Sheng Xiali’s simple desk, especially with the chipped desk lamp. But maybe it was because of this contrast, its presence on the desk was extremely noticeable.
It was as if with the addition of this beautiful and vibrant rose, the chipped desk lamp also gained a bit of a rustic beauty.
Lu Yin saw that Sheng Xiali was looking at the flower without reacting for a long time, and she was a little worried: “I don’t know if you like roses? If you don’t, then—”
“I like them.”
Lu Yin was surprised. Sheng Xiali was unusually direct this time. She even interrupted the words she had prepared.
She had originally planned to say that if Sheng Xiali didn’t like them, she would ask what she did like, so she could learn more about Sheng Xiali’s preferences and buy them for her in the future. She hadn’t expected this person to like roses just like her.
She had thought that someone with a personality like hers would like some niche, fresh, or artistic flowers. She thought she wouldn’t care for a common flower like a rose, which was even considered a little vulgar by the public.
But the old lady she met today was only selling roses.
Sheng Xiali quietly looked at the rose on the table. She didn’t actually like roses. She just felt Lu Yin’s desire to understand her, but she didn’t want her to go to all this trouble.
Any flower was the same to her. She was just a little surprised by the one on the table…
Sheng Xiali lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes covering most of her eyes. Lu Yin couldn’t see her expression, but seeing her looking at the flower so seriously, Lu Yin pressed her lips together. She liked them more than she had expected.
Lu Yin’s heart stirred. She took Sheng Xiali’s hand and, without waiting for a reaction or a refusal, pulled her toward the balcony.
Click, the light turned on.
Under the bright white light, a whole balcony full of roses was exposed to Sheng Xiali’s view!
Some were in full bloom, some were still budding. There was even a flower stand in the corner that was covered in roses.
The summer night breeze was gentle, and the air was filled with the fragrance of roses.
Sheng Xiali suddenly remembered an oil painting she had seen before. The entire canvas was filled with roses, as if they were glistening with oil paint. They were all in full bloom on this balcony that should have been quiet.
Fantasy and reality intertwined, and light and shadows flickered. She looked at the person who was smiling happily.
Lu Yin’s eyes were filled with undisguised joy. She was happy that the flower-selling old lady she met today had a car full of roses.
And Sheng Xiali just happened to like them.
Sheng Xiali’s breathing hitched. She understood her joy. Was her liking so important…?
Lu Yin shook Sheng Xiali’s hand that she was holding: “They’re all for you.”
Sheng Xiali let out a laugh. The feeling of strangeness she had earlier, which she hadn’t quite understood, was now clear.
When Lu Yin gave flowers, why would it just be one rose?
This balcony full of flowers was her style. Sheng Xiali turned her head and chuckled softly, her shoulders trembling.
Her hand also trembled slightly, causing Lu Yin’s hand to shake.
Lu Yin was dazed by Sheng Xiali’s smile. For a moment, she felt like all the flowers on the balcony had bloomed, blooming with passion.
How could someone’s smile be so beautiful, so heart-stirring, so, so what? Lu Yin couldn’t find the words to describe it. She reached out and pressed her hand against her wildly beating heart. She wanted to have this smile forever.
Sheng Xiali’s laughter gradually subsided. She looked at the transparent glass container on the flower stand where the flowers were being kept: “What is this?”
Lu Yin hadn’t recovered from Sheng Xiali’s smile yet. She looked at what she was pointing to blankly: “A fish tank.”
There were too many flowers, so she simply gave up on vases and bought three extra-large rectangular fish tanks.
Sometimes, changing the original use of something can work surprisingly well.
Sheng Xiali looked at the fish tank, and the smile in her eyes gradually faded. When these flowers withered, what would the fish tank be used for? She looked down at Lu Yin, and after a moment of hesitation, she gave up.
Everyone has their own habits. She never used her own habits to demand things of others. Lu Yin and she were just temporary roommates for the summer.
But when she returned to the dorm the next day and found another “large item”—a floor-standing fan that was half her height—the already cramped walkway became even more so, forcing them to turn sideways to pass.
Not only that, but there was also a small square fan on her bed, at the foot of the bed.
Seeing that Sheng Xiali had noticed her new purchases, Lu Yin smiled and explained to Sheng Xiali: “Aren’t you hot? You can put that fan on the other bed so it doesn’t bother you while you sleep. And this big floor-standing fan is in a good spot so the air can reach everyone’s seats.”
Sheng Xiali put down her bag, turned to Lu Yin, and her eyes, unlike their usual lack of focus, were now a little serious.
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do with these things when the semester starts?”
Lu Yin was surprised that Sheng Xiali would suddenly ask such a question. What was wrong with the start of the semester…?
Sheng Xiali saw her confusion and asked in more detail: “Are you going to move them back to your dorm?”
Their dorm was just a temporary one for the summer. After the semester started, they would both have to go back to their original dorms.
Lu Yin realized what Sheng Xiali was talking about. She also just remembered this issue. It was a little troublesome. Lu Yin looked around. She had a lot of things.
“I’ll move them. It’s not that far.”
Her dorm was in the building right behind this one, so it wasn’t far.
Seeing that Lu Yin was completely unaware of the core issue, Sheng Xiali sighed: “Is there even room in your dorm?”
Lu Yin was sometimes slow to react, but sometimes she was incredibly sharp, especially when it came to emotions.
The word “even” seemed to be an emotional word to her. For example, the emotions in “Why are you here?” and “Why are you still here?” were different.
Lu Yin narrowed her eyes and looked at Sheng Xiali. Her expression clearly showed that she knew about the situation in Lu Yin’s dorm. She knew her dorm was full? Who told her? Song Xinlei?
Did they talk about her? Song Xinlei couldn’t have been saying good things about her behind her back, could she?
“Then I’ll just give them all to you. If you don’t want them, just throw them away,” Lu Yin said, hinting at something. “You should know what my dorm is like.”
Sheng Xiali frowned. She had been to Lu Yin’s dorm a few times, but that was at the beginning of the semester. Their dorm looked normal then. Later, Song Xinlei had complained that someone in the dorm had more and more things, taking up most of the space. She didn’t say who it was, but after spending time with Lu Yin, she thought it could only be her.
And if there were two people like her, their dorm probably wouldn’t have any room left.
“You actually don’t need so many things.” Sheng Xiali pointed to the desk behind Lu Yin. “These skincare products, you haven’t even opened several sets. Why don’t you wait until you’re done with one before buying a new one?”
“And these cups, you only use this one. The others are a waste. They’re taking up space. Right now, this desk isn’t being used, so you can use it as a display case, but you have books in your dorm. Where are you going to put all these cups?”
Sheng Xiali sighed. Not only were these purely unnecessary things taking up space, but some useful things were also taking up a lot of space because there were too many of them.
For example, the box at her feet. Sheng Xiali opened the lid and gestured for Lu Yin to look: “And things like tissues. Yes, the unit price is cheaper if you buy them by the box, but you have to consider how fast you use them. A box of tissues like this is enough for a whole semester, but you’re only staying here for less than two months.”
Lu Yin had bought more than one box. She had bought three. This box was the only one that was opened and being used. If she used them sparingly, she probably wouldn’t even finish them by the time she graduated from college.
Sheng Xiali sighed. She looked at Lu Yin. Since she had started talking, this person had been silently looking down.
“Hmm?” Sheng Xiali also had a moment of regret. Did she speak too directly?
Seeing her look up with her eyes a little red, the regret grew.
Lu Yin hadn’t expected Sheng Xiali to have so many complaints: “Do you also think, like Song Xinlei, that I’m taking up other people’s space, that it’s all my fault?”
Yes, she liked to hoard things and fill up space, but she hadn’t taken anyone else’s place. She had also made up for it. The things she bought were in a public area and were also for public use.
While she was making the dorm a more secure nest, she was also treating the people in the nest as her own people.
Didn’t Song Xinlei also use the tissues she bought? All the body wash, shampoo, and laundry detergent in the washroom weren’t they all things she had hoarded? You couldn’t use her things and also blame her for buying too many, could you?
Sheng Xiali also thought it was her fault. At this moment, Lu Yin felt incredibly wronged. It was more painful than any time Lu Huiying or Wang Xingteng had called her heartless.
Lu Yin sniffled, and her eyes felt hot. She actually wanted to cry.
After Lu Yin finished speaking, Sheng Xiali knew she had misunderstood. Hearing her sniffle, her heart tightened. Just as she was about to explain, Lu Yin had already put on her headphones, grabbed her laptop, and gotten onto her bed.
She looked like she was refusing to talk anymore.
She even ended the habit they had since they met the next day. She didn’t get up until Sheng Xiali left.
In the past month, Sheng Xiali had almost gotten used to having someone squeeze onto the bus with her and eat breakfast with her. Now that it had suddenly changed, she felt a little unaccustomed to it.
When she got to the movie theater and made the popcorn, she habitually grabbed an extra-large bucket and filled it, waiting for Lu Yin to come and get it with a smile.
Looking at the popcorn that was ready but had no owner, Sheng Xiali was a little dazed.
In the beginning, Sheng Xiali had suspected that Lu Yin was probably wasting the two extra-large buckets of popcorn she ate every day. She didn’t really believe that she could eat so much by herself.
But once, she was asked to help out in the theater and was assigned to clean up after the movie ended.
She saw with her own eyes that Lu Yin’s popcorn bucket was empty. When Lu Yin saw that she was the one cleaning, she even stayed behind to help throw away all the popcorn buckets left in the seats and happily showed the empty ones to Sheng Xiali.
“See? The popcorn you made is so delicious. Everyone finished it.”
Sheng Xiali smiled: “It’s made by a machine.”
Lu Yin: “But it’s the machine you used. It’s delicious because of you.”
Thinking of her matter-of-fact expression at the time, Sheng Xiali pressed her lips together and let out a soft laugh.
A colleague next to her, after getting a drink for a customer, turned around and looked at Sheng Xiali’s smile with some confusion: “What’s so funny?”
Sheng Xiali put away her smile: “Nothing.”
“By the way, I didn’t see your friend today.”
After all this time, the employees at the movie theater all knew that Sheng Xiali had a friend who came to accompany her to work every day, watching one movie in the morning and one in the evening, and getting a bucket of popcorn.
The movie theater manager was quite happy when he found out. He said that he should hire more summer interns in the future to attract their friends to spend money.
But he also knew that people like Sheng Xiali’s friend, who came every day, were very rare.