Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“I threw them away myself, but why did I have to do it in the first place? That’s because she touched them. She sneaked into my room while I was out, who knows what she did to my stuff? I’m too scared to use them again.” Gu Nianzhi spread her palms and continued, “There was a criminal case with a severe sentencing three years ago, it happened at a certain university. Did you hear about it?”
“What criminal case? There are plenty of crimes occurring on campus, who knows which one you’re talking about?” Miao Yunxiao looked at Gui Suyao with dissatisfaction, “Miss Gui, don’t you think she’s being too much? Not only is she forcing me to move, but she said she’d sue me too!”
Gui Suyao’s blood chilled, but her expression became severe. She recalled a case that started with dispute between roommates, then turned into one angry roommate putting things into the other’s skincare to cause severe burns and disfigurement.
“Miss Gui must’ve remembered it?” Gu Nianzhi relaxed, “That case started with roommates arguing and ended with one sentenced to over ten years in jail, and the other disfigured and handicapped.”
Miao Yunxiao’s heart sank when she witnessed the change in Gui Suyao’s expression. Her blushing face turned pale as her eyes darted between Gu Nianzhi and Gui Suyao, “…Miss Gui, what case are you talking about?”
“You don’t remember? I almost forgot myself.” Gui Suyao grew even more grim, “Classmate Gu does have a point.” She looked at Miao Yunxiao, “Why would you have Classmate Gu’s key? Are you prepared to take all the responsibility if something happens to her?”
Miao Yunxiao was humiliated. Originally, she thought that she’d be living in this unit alone so she asked an instructor from the faculty to give her the key to the spare room. Since Gu Nianzhi moved in, Miao Yunxiao should’ve returned the key–but she still planned to live there alone and certainly wouldn’t return it easily.
“It’s great the Miss Gui remembers the case, then I don’t have to waste my breath.” Gu Nianzhi was indeed thirsty from all the talking, “Please wait, Miss Gui. I’ll be right back.” Gu Nianzhi returned to her room to get two bottles of water from the mini fridge and passed one to Gui Suyao, “Miss Gui, please have some water.”
Gui Suyao accepted the bottle but didn’t open it right away. After pondering for a while, she said to Miao Yunxiao, “Yunxiao, you really are in the wrong today.”
“But I already apologized!” Miao Yunxiao was nearly in tears and pointed at Gu Nianzhi, “Will I really have to move out for her to let it go?!”
Seeing Gu Nianzhi’s resolute expression, Gui Suyao knew that she couldn’t convince her otherwise. She finally said to Miao Yunxiao, “I think Classmate Gu is making a reasonable request. You’ll avoid a lawsuit just by moving out. Think about it, does that make sense logically?”
If she considered about it from that angle, moving out was not that unacceptable. However B University only had one dorm building for post-grad students with two person units and private baths. The other dorm building were four person units with shared baths. Although it was much more expensive to live here, everyone still fought to get in. If someone moved out, it would be very difficult to move back in. Gui Suyao shifted uncomfortably and finally suggested, “How about you go ask other classmates if they’d be willing to switch rooms with you?” She then asked Gu Nianzhi for her opinion, “What about you, Classmate Gu? Would you be willing if someone else comes to live with you?”
Gu Nianzhi considered it then nodded, “Ok, I’m fine as long as Classmate Miao moves out so she doesn’t live with me anymore. I don’t care about who she lives with.”
Gui Suyao sighed in relief and also improved her opinion of Gu Nianzhi. Although this girl was stubborn, she wasn’t unreasonable and inflexible. She could understand why He Zhichu chose her as his single masters post-grad student out of over a thousand applicants. “Good, go ask who would be willing to switch rooms with you now.” Gui Suyai said to Miao Yunxiao, “Hurry up and ask around so you can move tomorrow.”
“No, she must move out tonight.” Gu Nianzhi was unwilling to live even one night with Miao Yunxiao. Since this girl couldn’t bite her tongue or keep her hands to herself, then Gu Nianzhi would help teach her to not be so nosy and touchy with other people’s things.
This was a harsh lesson for Miao Yunxiao. Gui Suyao sighed to her, “You’ll move today, we can’t delay it. You have to move anyway, so the earlier the better.”
“But I don’t have any time, who would I ask to switch roomswith me?” Miao Yunxiao sniffled and really started to cry. The three women remained silent, with only the sound of Miao Yunxiao’s occasional sobbing.
Gui Suyao waited for a bit before testing Gu Nianzhi, “Classmate Gu…”
“No, she must move today.” Gu Nianzhi insisted firmly, “What she did today is enough for me to take her to court. All that I’m asking is for her to move out now, but if she’s going to refuse, what’s the point of me trying to compromise?”
The reply was so flawless that Gui Suyao couldn’t find a rebuttal.
Miao Yunxiao wiped her tears and was about to speak when someone knocked on the door. She looked back but Gu Nianzhi already answered, “Come in.”
The door opened and the other girl Gu Nianzhi saw in the elevator earlier poked her head in to ask, “Do you guys want to go for dinner?” She then noticed Gui Suyao was also there and stuck out her tongue playfully, “Oh, I didn’t see that Miss Gui is here too.”
“Qiqi, come in quickly.” Gui Suyao had an idea and called her inside, “Yunxiao is switching dorm rooms, would you be willing to switch with her?”
“Oh? It’s been fine all along, why do we need to switch all of a sudden?” Ma Qiqi looked at Miao Yunxiao, then Gu Nianzhi–she understood when she saw one crying and the other looking grim. Well, I don’t mind if you guys don’t mind.” Ma Qiqi grabbed Miao Yunxiao’s hand with a smile, then grabbed Gu Nianzhi’s. “Ok, ok, I can switch if you guys don’t want to live together. My room is just diagonal from here.” Ma Qiqi agreed to switching rooms right away, much to Miao Yunxiao and Gui Suyao’s delight.
Gu Nianzhi had a good impression of Ma Qiqi since her straightforward personality was exactly her cup of tea. She had no objections and merely gave one reminder, “You have to finish moving out by bedtime tonight.” She then asked Miao Yunxiao for the key to her room.
Miao Yunxiao’s expression hardened, “I have to return the key to the faculty.”
“You wouldn’t remember the key if I hadn’t reminded you. I don’t want to worry everyday about someone sneaking into my dorm.” Gu Nianzhi looked at Gui Suyao, “Miss Gui, I request for the locks to be changed. The faculty’s management is too lax and I’m very worried about my safety.”
This was completely Miao Yunxiao’s fault so no one could defend her. No longer able to protect her pride and humiliated in front of Ma Qiqi now too, Miao Yunxiao burst into tears and ran back to her room.
Gu Nianzhi called after her, “Remember to move out even if you’re crying.”
Ma Qiqi snickered at her words and said to Gu Nianzhi, “I didn’t think you’d be so interesting, I look forward to living with you.”
Gu Nianzhi grabbed her hand, “New Roommate, let’s get along well!”
Gui Suyao didn’t know if she should be shocked or relieved that the two girls were already happy with each other, “A formal procedure is required to switch dorms. Qiqi, you and Yunxiao can come to my office tomorrow to get the form and then go to the faculty to complete the process.”
“Ok, Miss Gui, I’ll go tomorrow.” Ma Qiqi said as she headed back to pack.
Gui Suyao replied, “Ok then, I’ll be going too.” She left the dorm room with Ma Qiqi.
Gu Nianzhi looked at Miao Yunxiao’s closed door before bendng over to pick up the garbage can and taking it back to her room.
Miao Yunxiao started packing when she returned to her room, and since the two rooms were so close, she and Ma Qiqi helped each other to move everything over by 6pm. Ma Qiqi lived in Miao Yunxiao’s previous room, and Miao Yunxiao in Ma Qiqi’s. When Gu Nianzhi came back after dinner, she saw that her previously grim roommate, Miao Yunxiao was now replaced by the cheerful Ma Qiqi. Ma Qiqi was about the same height of Gu Nianzhi at about 1.7 meters. She had strong brows, handsome eyes and wore a ponytail, to give off a strong aura.
“Oh? You’re done moving already?” Gu Nianzhi smiled at her and asked, “I have snacks, do you want some?”
“I still have to get dinner, so I won’t be eating snacks right now. You can leave some for me and we can have them together tonight.” Ma Qiqi plucked a small piece of sweet pea cake from Gu Nianzhi’s hand and savored it in her mouth. It nearly melted in her mouth and was incredibly tasty. She squinted happily to enjoy the flavor, just a tiny piece of sweet pea cake was enough to make her head over heels.
Gu Nianzhi was amused, “You also like sweet pea cakes?”
“I like everything that’s chewy and sweet.” Ma Qiqi informed her that not only did she like sweet pea cakes, but also fried rice cakes and a Northeastern Imperial speciality bean cake and sticky bean buns.
Gu Nianzhi was enthralled, “Sticky bean buns? The name sounds delicious.”
“You also like chewy things?”
Gu Nianzhi nodded, “I like them but can’t eat too much, I get stomach cramps after.”
“Pfft! Who cares if it causes stomach cramps, as long as it’s yummy! You’d only know after you try it!” Ma Qiqi’s eyes lit up as she sat across from Gu Nianzhi and had another piece of fried rice cake before standing up, “Where did you get these little desserts from? I’ve never had such good sweet pea cakes and fried rice cakes before, I’ve been missing out for over 20 years!”
Gu Nianzhi giggled from her words, “These were from… my friend. I’ll ask him where they’re from when I have the chance.”
“Ok, you have to remember to tell me.” Ma Qiqi said seriously, “In my lifetime, delicious food and beautiful people are the only things I’ll never wrong. Beauty, you must remember where the delicious food was bought!”
