After throwing out the trash, Gu Xing hurried back.
He was carrying bags large and small, leaving both hands occupied.
A new mop and broom, towels for wiping the cabinets.
Three basins of varying sizes, two buckets.
And a thick pink bath towel.
Ruan Xingmian was somewhat surprised.
Few boys were this meticulous.
“You can use this to cover yourself for now when you take your nap.”
He glanced at his watch and grabbed his backpack from the sofa.
It was almost two o’clock—time for class.
“Be careful on your way out. My class ends at 5:15, and I’ll call you then.”
After giving his instructions, he headed toward the door.
“Gu Xing, wait.”
Ruan Xingmian caught up to him at the doorway. She picked up a tissue and was about to stand on tiptoe when Gu Xing bent down first.
Ruan Xingmian pursed her lips and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Focus on your studies and don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
“Mm.”
Two faces blessed by Nüwa’s favor were both tinged with pink.
He glanced at Ruan Xingmian, then turned and went downstairs. At the turn, his steps paused, and he couldn’t help but look back up.
“Watch your step!”
Ruan Xingmian urged anxiously, leaning against the railing as she watched him descend.
He nodded, waved, hoisted his backpack, and dashed out of the stairwell.
From here to the school, a brisk jog would take about ten minutes.
She hoped he wouldn’t be late—what if the teacher scolded him?
…
“University classrooms are big, and teachers don’t really care if students are late.”
Her roommate Wen Zhu dispelled her worries.
Wen Zhu was 22 this year, two years older than the current Ruan Xingmian.
She had just graduated from the neighboring polytechnic university, majoring in a niche field that had been assigned to her through program adjustment—graduation meant unemployment.
With 32,000 yuan in student loans hanging over her head, graduation also meant debt.
Her family had been farmers for three generations, unable to offer any financial support. Whether she could afford to add ham to her instant noodles after entering society was entirely up to her.
She didn’t dare pursue graduate studies or take the civil service exam.
Currently, she worked full-time as a salesperson at a fast-fashion brand store in a shopping mall.
She worked 40 hours a week, had five social insurances, and took home 4,300 yuan in salary.
Wen Zhu was similarly frugal with herself, spending 1,300 yuan and gritting her teeth to save 3,000.
By December, she could repay 10,000 yuan of her savings.
On her second day after crossing over, Ruan Xingmian had wanted to find a part-time job.
Her enthusiastic roommate Wen Zhu recommended the store where she worked.
The part-time hourly wage was 20 yuan, with flexible scheduling.
Occasionally, when their shifts aligned, they would take the light rail to and from work together. Over time, they became companions.
“Xingmian, are you really moving out?”
Wen Zhu was quite reluctant to lose Ruan Xingmian as her meal buddy.
The other roommate had a boyfriend and wasn’t often at the rental.
If Ruan Xingmian moved out, Wen Zhu would feel quite lonely.
“To be honest, I didn’t really like you at first.”
Wen Zhu said with a smile. “You’re very pretty, but you were too fierce. You seemed to look down on everyone, arrogant and aloof, with a fiery temper that ignited at the slightest provocation—really hard to get along with. Who would’ve thought that after getting a boyfriend, you’d be like a different person? So cute that I can’t bear to let you go.”
The original host had indeed been fierce.
Last night, Ruan Xingmian had even dreamed of mischievous village children coming to her small yard to pick fruit, trampling watermelons everywhere.
The original host had grabbed a broom, beaten them up, and dragged the troublemakers by their ears from house to house, demanding an explanation.
A neighbor aunt had scolded her, saying she was shameless for staying at home, that she’d never marry when she got older, and so on.
Unable to bear the insult, the original host had rolled up her sleeves and scratched the aunt’s face.
That battle had made her famous.
When Ruan Xingmian woke up in the morning and recalled the scenes from her dream, she felt a sense of satisfaction.
“I was immature back then.”
Ruan Xingmian replied with a faint smile.
“No, no, a beauty should be proud and aloof,” Wen Zhu laughed heartily.
Ruan Xingmian really liked this about her—no matter what happened, she would always laugh heartily first.
The store manager always praised her excellent service attitude and smile.
Being around such an optimistic person, one couldn’t help but smile unconsciously.
Ruan Xingmian used to be someone burdened with bitterness, burying herself in hard work, pessimistic about everything, always wearing a worried frown.
After Transmigrating into a Book, she found herself smiling more often.
They browsed from home goods to women’s clothing.
At the store where Wen Zhu worked, they tried on clothes for an hour.
When the manager saw Ruan Xingmian, she asked if she wanted to work shifts on weekends, hoping she would come back for part-time work.
She smiled and politely declined, saying that eight hours of activity a day was too intense. Since she was in early pregnancy, it was better to control her exercise.
She didn’t lack clothes for the time being and wanted to save money, so she didn’t buy anything.
Wen Zhu used her membership discount to buy a discounted long-sleeved shirt, which cost only twenty yuan after additional discounts.
Both girls felt they had scored a great deal.
“Xingmian, let’s go get something to drink! My treat!”
Having suddenly become the youngest after transmigrating, Ruan Xingmian still wasn’t quite used to it, but being pampered felt sweet in her heart.
Her gaze lingered on a male clothing mannequin—tall with long legs, strikingly similar to that familiar figure.
Wen Zhu finished ordering her drink and handed her phone to Ruan Xingmian.
Not wanting her to spend too much, Ruan Xingmian ordered a two-yuan ice cream.
“You’re not getting a drink?”
Ruan Xingmian smiled faintly, “He bought me a mango pomelo sago at noon, and I’m so full I can’t fit anything else.”
“Wow, you’re repaying kindness with betrayal, feeding me dog food!”
After paying, Wen Zhu noted the order number. “Go ahead and browse inside. I’ll grab the drinks and join you.”
“Okay.”
She hadn’t really intended to browse.
But the clothes on the mannequin caught her eye.
She wondered if Gu Xing would like it if she bought it for him.
Afraid of making things worse by trying to be clever.
After hesitating for a long time, Ruan Xingmian stopped in her tracks.
Better wait until they were more familiar.
When they left the mall, it was still early.
Ruan Xingmian hailed a taxi, and they went to browse a secondhand market together.
Next to it was a flower and bird market.
Wen Zhu wanted to adopt a cat.
But she could barely support herself, so she frowned and said goodbye to the little cuties.
“Xingmian, what were you filming earlier?”
“For my social media.”
Ruan Xingmian only answered half the question.
Since her account hadn’t gained traction yet, there was no point in saying more.
“Oh~ reporting to your boyfriend, huh?”
Boyfriend… Ruan Xingmian’s heart stirred. She pointed to a photo spot in front of the flower and bird market, with a cluster of fiery red bougainvillea as the background.
It looked like a waterfall of purple-red.
“Sister Wen, could you take a photo of me?”
“Of course, of course! My photography skills are great! I’ll take a nine-grid set for you.”
Taking Ruan Xingmian’s phone, she immediately assessed the distance, crouched down, and found a good angle.
“Xingmian, turn slightly to the side, face your left, good. Look to your left, at a forty-five-degree angle upward.”
“Okay, let’s change the pose. Take two steps forward, relax your back, walk naturally, and slow down your movements.”
…
Her instructions were easy to understand.
Ruan Xingmian followed them perfectly.
Seeing herself in the shot.
Ruan Xingmian’s heart stirred.
The original host looked almost identical to her.
But there were subtle differences.
Like their fingers.
Her real hands were covered in scars and calluses, with chilblains in winter.
The original host had delicate, fair, and soft hands—clearly untouched by hardship.
Ruan Xingmian had never known that her twenty-year-old self could look this beautiful.
In reality, the time she least wanted to recall was that period of utter destitution.
Subconsciously, she didn’t want to remember herself at her most youthful yet most down-and-out.
“Xingmian, how is it?”
Tears glistened in Ruan Xingmian’s eyes. “Beautiful, Sister Wen. You’ve photographed me so well that I’m starting to fall in love with myself.”
Wen Zhu shrugged with a smile. “Quick, post it on your social media! Let everyone know this is my skill!”
Ruan Xingmian thought for three seconds.
Then posted a nine-photo grid.
Caption: The flowers are blooming.
Within a minute, she received one like and one comment.
Both from her troublesome older sister, Ruan Xingyue: Ruan Xingmian, are you skipping class again?!
Ruan Xingmian was so startled that she immediately blocked her aunt and cousin.
On the way back, Wen Zhu kept asking repeatedly, “Did your boyfriend like it? What did he say?”
Ruan Xingmian was quite hopeful for a response, even just a like, and kept refreshing her social media feed.
She gave Wen Zhu a faint, bitter smile.
Wen Zhu clenched her fists. Hey, even asking for relationship updates didn’t work.
Ruan Xingmian waited a while longer but still didn’t receive any message.
She decided not to wait any longer. She picked out the photo she thought was the best and privately sent it to Gu Xing.
Her phone suddenly felt like a hot potato. Ruan Xingmian didn’t dare look at it again, stuffing it into her bag as her breath caught halfway, her heart in turmoil.
Afraid he had seen it.
And afraid he hadn’t.
Being in love is truly annoying…