Although Zhang Deyi wasn’t planning to date in college anymore, he was still incredibly curious about this kind of thing—especially since it involved the roommate he’d lived with for half a year.
After all, they’d been holed up in the dorm every day playing games and slacking off on studying, and now suddenly the guy had scored a rich, beautiful girlfriend and was riding high in life.
Who wouldn’t feel a little sour? If the other roommates found out, they probably wouldn’t sleep tonight and would all be calling Su Yun non-stop.
“Zhang Deyi, what’s wrong? You're making such a racket on your bed—did a rat climb up there or something?”
Liu Fei walked over under Zhang Deyi’s bed after hearing the strange noise. He had just been thinking about how to snag a good seat next Tuesday, but that shout completely derailed his train of thought.
“Nothing, nothing.”
Zhang Deyi had no intention of telling anyone else about this—after all, he’d only seen it by accident. If Su Yun didn’t want to say anything, then there was no need for him to.
(Bro, did you really sleep the whole day?)
He swallowed hard and couldn’t help but send another message to Su Yun.
This time, there was a long pause before a reply came.
(Su Yun: Why do you wanna know? I didn’t really sleep the whole day, I went out for a bit in the afternoon.)
Went out sweetly with his girlfriend to watch a movie, do some shopping, then came back to nap or do other things in bed.
Zhang Deyi got the message.
Thinking back, whenever he went out with Chen Tingting, it was always a big group of guys and girls she invited. He was just the guy who carried the bags. After half a year, the only thing he’d managed was holding her hand once.
(Big bro, goodnight.)
Zhang Deyi figured he should probably start asking Su Yun for some tips—might come in handy after graduation.
......
......
“Goodnight, Sister Xue~”
“Mm-hmm, goodnight, Xiaoyun.” A satisfied female voice came from the phone.
Late at night, Qin Xue had suddenly called. Su Yun was trying to study but had no choice but to pick up.
And just like that, she asked Su Yun to sing for her.
So Su Yun gritted her teeth and sang that song she’d already practiced dozens of times one more time—just turned the volume down a bit. Surprisingly, Qin Xue even praised her singing.
And then the conversation just kept going, from 11:30 to 12:30—an entire hour.
“What were you doing earlier?”
“What color are your pajamas? Are you wearing underwear?”
“Did you shower?”
“Is your hair messy?”
“Did you bite anyone?”
These were just some of the strange questions Qin Xue asked.
Since Su Yun’s side was very quiet, Qin Xue also figured out that she was living away from home. She even said she wanted to visit soon.
There were still men’s clothes at Su Yun’s place, and her assignments had her name, “Su Yun,” written on them. Who knew if that’d give her away?
She should’ve just refused the call and typed instead.
Still, because of the call, Su Yun casually calling her “sister” earned her a day off tomorrow.
Her parents were coming, so she wouldn’t be able to work in the afternoon.
“Ding-ling.” Just after hanging up, a message popped up on her phone.
It was from Qin Xue on WeChat.
(Qin Xue: Baby, goodnight.)
“...” Su Yun’s face darkened. She fumed silently.
She felt like biting someone.
She didn’t even bother replying. They’d already said goodnight during the call. If asked later, she’d just say she had already put down her phone and gone to sleep.
Also, while they were on the call, Zhang Deyi had sent her a few messages too, asking her some weird questions just like Qin Xue.
Is this what young people are into these days?
Su Yun was a bit speechless—everyone seemed like an idiot.
“Getting kinda sleepy. Bedtime.” Su Yun reached over and pressed the lamp’s switch.
From 11:30 on, she realized she couldn’t study while chatting, so she just laid down and focused on the conversation.
Closing her eyes, her heart was filled with the tension of seeing her parents tomorrow afternoon.
......
......
Sunday morning was peaceful. Su Yun practiced her song for two and a half hours and spent the rest of the time studying.
She’d already scored high with this sweet song in the app, so she felt she’d done her best. That 1000 yuan was well-earned.
At noon, when she got hungry, she took a sip from her thermos and thought about seeing her parents in the afternoon.
“12:35. Mom and Dad’s train arrives at Summer’s End Station at 2:00…”
Which meant they’d get near the school around 2:40. That’s when she’d go pick them up.
In two hours, she was going to “explode.”
“Doomed.”
And she couldn’t reveal her identity the moment they met at the bus stop either—it might attract public attention.
But if she didn’t reveal it, how would she get them back to her place?
Su Yun had already thought of a plan this morning.
I tell them… I'm was Su Yun’s girlfriend.
Ha.
After getting home, though? Who knows.
“The son we raised for over ten years turned into a girl?!”
Su Yun felt a heavy pressure build up inside her. Sitting or lying down didn’t help, so she got up and paced the room.
Actually, she wasn’t even walking anymore. Overwhelmed with tension and anxiety, she was practically flying in circles around the room.
She wanted to calm down, but it only made her focus on it more.
“Meow… meow… meow.” Just as her nerves were about to snap, a cat’s cry came from the window. But unlike its usual gentle meow, it now sounded sharp and miserable.
She didn’t react at first—stood frozen for a while before walking over.
“Orange cat… it’s the same one as before, right?” Su Yun had grown fond of this cat. After all, it had helped her avoid a break-in once.
But the moment she reached out, the cat swiped at her with its paw.
“!?” Caught off guard, Su Yun didn’t dodge and got scratched. She was a little stunned.
For a moment, she thought she had the wrong cat. The one before had been very gentle.
After swiping her, the orange cat jumped down and bit onto her pant leg tightly.
“?” Seeing that familiar behavior, Su Yun followed it in a daze.
The cat deftly leaped onto the doorknob, opened her bedroom door, and then the front door.
Su Yun stared wide-eyed. She hadn’t expected this cat could open doors so easily.
But it also confirmed that it really was the same orange cat.
Eventually, the cat stopped in front of unit 1102—the one Su Yun thought was unoccupied.
It meowed pitifully toward the inside several times.
If cats could feel sorrow, then Su Yun was sure this was what a cat’s cry of grief sounded like.
“What does this mean?” she muttered, staring at the orange cat in front of 1102, unsure of what to do.
Surely it couldn’t be that someone had broken into 1102 and she was supposed to kick them out?
She leaned closer and listened—there was no sound inside. The doorknob was also intact, showing no signs of tampering.
“Meow…” The orange cat clawed at the door and looked back at Su Yun with each scratch.
“Hey, is anyone in there?” Su Yun felt like she was starting to get it and gently knocked on the door.
“Anyone?” She raised her voice.
But even after waiting a while, there was still no response from inside.
Su Yun turned to check on the cat, and what she saw next made her eyes widen.
The orange cat… was crying.
“Eh?” Su Yun felt her body tremble slightly in disbelief.
“Thump.” The cat used the last of its strength to thump the door.
That’s when Su Yun truly understood.
There was something wrong inside. Not a thief.
“Little Orange… I’ll trust you with this once!”
She grabbed the doorknob tightly, eyes firm. The next second, a loud, warped metallic screech came from inside the door.
It was deafening, echoing throughout the stairwell—it was metal. Su Yun had twisted and snapped through the inner metal lock.
“Click.”
The door opened, and Su Yun looked at the scene inside.
It was laid out just like her own place—a main hall upon entry, with a bedroom at the end.
She carefully examined every object in sight.
The kitchen windows were lined with lush green plants.
A rabbit plushie, as big as herself, lay on the living room sofa.
On the table sat a photo frame. In it were four people—two older individuals who looked like parents, and two younger ones, likely siblings.
The girl wore a pretty dress and smiled sweetly. It looked like a happy family—only the girl’s complexion was eerily pale.
Just like Su Yun’s.
Nothing seemed suspicious—until she reached the bedroom door.
It wouldn’t turn. It was locked from the inside.
So Su Yun did the same thing as before and forced it open.
But even after unlocking it, she still felt something blocking it.
“?” She didn’t understand and opened the door just a crack to peek inside.
What she saw were strands of hair scattered all over the floor.
“!” Su Yun jumped back in shock, trembling.
D-dead… someone dead…?
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
She’d never seen anything like this—she couldn’t even bear to look.
But then the orange cat jumped in, letting out a mournful cry.
This…
Su Yun pinched her face, forcing herself to calm down.
If it was just someone fainted, time was of the essence—but she couldn’t just push the door open. That might make things worse.
Earlier, she’d twisted the doorknob to save on damages, but now wasn’t the time for that.
She wedged her small hand into the crack between the door and the frame.
“Bang.” With one forceful push, the door collapsed outward.
Only then did Su Yun finally see the girl lying on the floor.
Her face was ghostly pale, her lips either black or purple—she couldn’t even tell.
It was the same girl from the photo frame.
(End of Chapter)