RGL – Chapter 82

While the person was walking over, Su Min quickly turned things over in her mind and finally remembered that this was Xue Mian’s cousin, Zhao Xue. They had met once before, but she hadn’t really remembered him clearly.

Seeing how enthusiastic he was, she smiled and said, “My classmate and I came over to have a look around.”

“Do you know someone in this neighborhood?” Zhao Xue looked at Su Min curiously. He was thinking this young girl probably didn’t know any other boys here, right? Otherwise, he’d have to find a way to help that kid Xue Mian keep an eye on things.

Su Min smiled and replied, “Zhaodi and I came out to look for a place to rent. The dorm is a bit inconvenient, so we thought we’d find a place to live on our own.”

Hearing that, Zhao Xue’s slightly tanned face showed some surprise. “Just the two of you girls?”

Su Min nodded. “But we haven’t found anything yet. Looks like we’ll still have to stay at the school dorm for now.”

Zhao Xue thought for a moment and said, “If you’re really looking for a place to rent, come back tomorrow morning. I’ll go ask around when I get back today.”

“You mean there are places available here?” Su Min looked at Zhao Xue with a face full of surprise and joy. She was starting to feel like Xue Mian was her lucky star—his relatives were even helpful!

Zhao Xue was a cautious person and didn’t want to promise too much, so he only said, “There are some places, but I’ll have to check before I can give you a definite answer.”

Hearing that, Su Min already felt hopeful. She looked at him earnestly and said, “Thank you so much, then. Zhaodi and I will come to the gate of the neighborhood at nine tomorrow morning, okay?”

“Sure, no problem.” Zhao Xue felt that talking to this girl felt like talking to an adult—she really took things seriously.

Now that there was some progress with the housing situation, Su Min’s gloomy mood from earlier suddenly brightened.

On the way back, she and Zhaodi had a bowl of noodle soup from a street stall, then happily returned to the dorm.

When they arrived, the other three girls—Tang Man and the others—were already back. A pile of clothes and shoes were stacked on one of the beds, and the table was scattered with hair clips and other accessories.

When she saw Su Min and Zhaodi come in, Yin Jing greeted them with a smile, but seeing Tang Man looking unhappy, she didn’t say anything more. Su Min wasn’t affected at all and went straight to pack up her things, planning to get hot water for a bath.

Tang Man glanced at Su Min’s side of the room, then took a piece of clothing from the bed and handed it to Zhang Panpan, who was reading a book. “Alright, stop reading. This outfit is for you. From now on, we’ll wear the same clothes when we go out. It’ll look so nice!”

She then picked up a handful of hair clips from the table. “These are for the three of us too—one each. They’re all the same. When we go out together, people will know we’re from the same dorm.”

Zhang Panpan’s eyes lit up as she took the items. “These are all for me?”

“Of course! You can wear them first.”

Zhang Panpan looked at the new clothes and hair clips in her hands with delight—her eyes sparkled in a way they never had before.

Yin Jing pursed her lips as she watched Zhang Panpan with the gifts, feeling unhappy inside. She had always been good to Tang Man, always listened to her. Tang Man had dragged her along to shop for clothes, but she had to pay for them herself. And now Zhang Panpan got all these clothes and accessories for free.

Thinking about how she had spent all her monthly living expenses just to buy matching outfits with Tang Man, and how she’d have to call home tomorrow to ask for more money, she felt even more stifled.

Just as she was feeling that Tang Man was being unfair, she heard Tang Man say, “I paid for these for you first. You can pay me back when you have money.”

Hearing that, the smile on Zhang Panpan’s face froze, and the light in her eyes vanished, replaced by anxiety. “Can I not take them, then?”

“How could you not? I’ve already bought them for you. If you don’t want them now, I can’t return them. Besides, we’re from the same dorm. If we dress alike, others will know we’re a group. Some people don’t fit in—I’m not going to worry about them.”

Su Min stood to the side, listening and knowing they were talking about her. But she pretended not to hear, instead pulling out her pajamas from the suitcase, preparing to go to the school’s public bathroom to take a shower.

Just as she finished packing up and was about to leave, Zhang Panpan suddenly lay on the bed and started crying.

Su Min glanced over but had no intention of getting involved. If Zhang Panpan had a bit more backbone, she wouldn’t have had to suffer like this. When the items were bought, it wasn’t like Tang Man forced them on her—Tang Man had bought them first and only told Zhang Panpan afterward. No matter how you looked at it, Tang Man was in the wrong, so Zhang Panpan totally could have refused the things.

She was just about to ask Zhaodi if she wanted to go take a shower too, when she saw Zhaodi go over to help Zhang Panpan. Seeing Zhang Panpan wipe away tears with her rough fingers, Zhaodi said gently, “If you don’t want it, then don’t take it. No one can force you. You don’t owe anyone anything—why make yourself suffer for someone else?”

Those were the exact words Su Min had once said to her, and she had remembered them well.

Su Min hadn’t planned to get involved in something like this, but after hearing Liao Zhaodi try to comfort Zhang Panpan, she knew the night wouldn’t stay peaceful.

Sure enough, Tang Man threw the items she had bought onto the bed and pointed at Liao Zhaodi, snapping, “What do you mean by that? ‘Don’t suffer for someone else’? When did I make her suffer? I’m doing this for her own good. Just because you two don’t get along with others doesn’t mean you can come here and stir up trouble.”

Yin Jing, seeing how furious Tang Man was, got a bit scared and tugged on her sleeve. “Forget it, it’s late—don’t argue anymore.”

“I’m not arguing. I’m just explaining things.” Tang Man pointed at Zhang Panpan. “I saw she didn’t have money, so I bought the things for her. How exactly did I make her suffer? What, giving her these things for free somehow doesn’t count as kindness?”

“Tang Man, I didn’t even say anything about you—why are you yelling?” Liao Zhaodi wasn’t someone to be pushed around. Her temper flared too. Back home, she’d tolerated Zhu Xiaobing only out of respect for her mother and Uncle Zhu, but outside, she wasn’t the type to let others bully her.

She stood up and said, “Did Zhang Panpan ask you to buy the clothes? She didn’t! You bought them on your own and then demanded money from her. Isn’t that just forced selling?”

“How is that forced selling?” Tang Man stepped forward, looming over Liao Zhaodi with an aggressive air.

Worried that she might get physical, Su Min frowned and walked over. “Enough. It’s late. Stop yelling. If the dorm supervisor hears this, we’ll all be in trouble.”

Hearing Su Min say that took a bit of the fight out of Tang Man.

She looked at Zhang Panpan and said, “Zhang Panpan, are you saying I haven’t been good to you? You’ve never been to the city before, and I took you out to have fun, even bought you cold drinks. I helped buy these things for you. I don’t do that for everyone—only because we’re in the same dorm. I’ve been more than generous. A lot of people wouldn’t even bother. Like Su Min—she’s the type who never blends in, so cold and aloof.”

Zhang Panpan listened to Tang Man’s words and took a deep breath, but didn’t dare say a word.

Tang Man walked over and grabbed her arm. “Tell me, have I not been good to you? Look at Liao Zhaodi comforting you—has she ever taken you out?”

Still, Zhang Panpan didn’t say a word. She just stared at the clothes and hair accessories on the bed, her eyes full of worry.

Her family had sold their pigs and scraped together every cent to afford her tuition and living expenses for the next three years. The clothes were so expensive—if she accepted them, how would her family afford to repay the debt? She didn’t want to burden them.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying I’ve treated you badly?” Seeing Zhang Panpan stay silent, Tang Man yanked her arm forcefully, causing her to stumble.

Liao Zhaodi rushed to pull her hand away. “Why are you getting physical?”

Su Min saw things were getting out of control and also stepped in to pull them apart. “Tang Man, you’ll hurt Zhang Panpan.”

Tang Man looked agitated. After letting go, her eyes reddened with anger. She pointed at Zhang Panpan and cried, “I must’ve misjudged you. I thought your family was poor and wanted to look out for you, but you’re just an ungrateful wretch! A total ingrate!”

Crying, she snatched the clothes and hair accessories off the bed. “If you don’t want them, fine! And from now on, don’t go telling anyone we’re in the same dorm!”

Seeing Tang Man cry, Zhang Panpan felt guilty too. It wasn’t really Tang Man’s fault—this all happened because she herself had no money. If not for that, things wouldn’t have escalated like this.

She stood up and said, “Tang Man, I’m sorry, but… I really don’t have money to give you.”

After she said it, she bowed her head deeply.

Liao Zhaodi’s eyes went wide when she saw Zhang Panpan actually apologizing to Tang Man. She was just about to say something when Su Min pulled her aside. “Hurry up and grab your clothes. Let’s go shower before the hot water runs out.”

Only then did Liao Zhaodi remember the shower, and seeing that the argument had died down, she picked up her clothes and basin and followed Su Min out to wash up.

“You don’t think they’re arguing again, do you?” Liao Zhaodi said worriedly. She really felt sorry for Zhang Panpan—after all, they were classmates. Why did Tang Man treat her like a maid, ordering her around like that? She knew Zhang Panpan’s family didn’t have money, yet still insisted on dragging her out shopping and making her buy matching things.

Su Min said, “Didn’t you see Zhang Panpan apologizing? With her personality, she won’t argue with Tang Man.” Someone like Zhang Panpan had a soft personality—at her core, she wasn’t someone who would fight with others. In front of Tang Man, let alone arguing, she was more likely to just swallow the grievance.

Speaking of which, Zhaodi also found it strange. “Sigh, I really don’t get what Zhang Panpan is thinking. But I’m not going to speak up for her anymore. I ended up arguing with Tang Man for nothing, and in the end, she still went and apologized to Tang Man.”

“Anyway, we’re moving out soon, so it’s better not to get involved. These kinds of things—only the person going through them truly understands. It’s not our place to fight on someone else’s behalf. When you argued with Tang Man earlier, I was actually afraid you’d start fighting for real.”

Zhaodi knew Su Min had been worried about her earlier. She also knew Su Min wasn’t the type to meddle in others’ business—she barely talked in class, let alone interfered in quarrels. She said, “I won’t be impulsive again. Seeing Zhang Panpan like that reminded me of myself in the past—I just couldn’t hold it in.”

Su Min smiled and said, “Alright, stop thinking about it. Let’s go shower and get some rest. We have to go house-hunting tomorrow.”

At the mention of house-hunting, Liao Zhaodi perked up, grabbed her basin, and hurried off to the bathroom.

It was getting late, so the two of them just took a quick rinse in the bathroom, planning to do laundry the next day. When they got back to the dorm, Zhang Panpan was already lying in bed asleep. She used to stay up reading and doing homework, but after Tang Man scolded her once, she started going to bed early.

Tang Man, on the other hand, was still leaning against her bed reading. When she heard them come in, she lifted her eyes and gave them a cold look.

Liao Zhaodi’s bed was next to Zhang Panpan’s. When she climbed into bed, she saw a stack of clothes on Zhang Panpan’s nightstand. Looks like she ended up taking those clothes after all—but whether she had to pay for them or not, that wasn’t clear.

The next morning, Su Min and Liao Zhaodi got up early to go look at apartments. Tang Man and Yin Jing were still asleep. Hearing them moving around, Tang Man turned over impatiently, clearly annoyed.

Su Min didn’t pay her any attention. It was already 8 a.m.—if she wanted to sleep in, fine, but she couldn’t expect everyone else to lie in bed with her.

Once Su Min and Zhaodi left, Tang Man suddenly sat up in bed and glared at the door. “How can people be like this? It’s one thing to be antisocial, but they even disturb others’ rest. One sells vegetables, the other runs a corner store—what’s so great about that?”

Zhang Panpan stayed curled under her blanket, silent, but her eyes were red. Compared to Su Min and Liao Zhaodi, she truly felt like she had nothing worth mentioning.

Zhao Xue was a pretty reliable person. After Su Min and Zhaodi had breakfast outside, they arrived at the community gate to find Zhao Xue already waiting there. When he saw them, he smiled and said, “You girls are pretty punctual.”

“Zhaodi and I don’t like being late,” Su Min said with a smile. “Zhao Xue, did you have breakfast? If not, you should grab something to eat before we go. Don’t go hungry just because of our house-hunting.”

When Zhao Xue heard her calling him by name, he looked a little embarrassed. “Zhao Xue? I’m older than both of you—you should at least call me ‘big brother.’”

Su Min thought to herself, If we went strictly by age, you’d be calling me auntie.

But she didn’t want Zhao Xue to think she was crazy, so she obediently called him “Brother Zhao.”

Liao Zhaodi followed suit.

Zhao Xue looked quite pleased. He didn’t have any siblings—just his cousin Xue Mian. But this feeling of being called “brother” by younger girls was really nice. He even thought, If only Xue Mian were a girl, then I’d have a little sister.

He grinned. “That’s more like it. I’ve already eaten. Since I have to head out soon, let me take you to see the apartment first. It’s on the ground floor. The owners used to live there themselves, but now that there are new apartments for sale in the city, they decided the old one was too damp and moved. They weren’t planning to rent it out at first, but I got my aunt to help ask for a favor.”

He added, “Oh, and I live in this community too. If you ever need anything, feel free to come find me.”

Hearing that, Su Min quickly thanked him.

Since it was a city electricity bureau housing complex, the environment was decent. The only downside was that the apartment was on the ground floor. But Su Min wasn’t too picky—nothing in life is perfect. Finding a place with both good location and surroundings was really rare.

The living room was small—just enough space for a tiny square table. But the bedrooms were surprisingly spacious. After looking it over, both Su Min and Zhaodi thought it was pretty good. After a brief discussion, they decided to take it.

Zhao Xue handed them the key directly. “Alright, go ahead and move your stuff in. You can pay the rent after you move. But… your families know you’re moving out, right?”

Su Min nodded quickly. “Yes, they know. I told them it would be more convenient for studying, and they even gave me the rent money.”

Zhao Xue nodded, thinking that must be the case. Otherwise, these girls wouldn’t have had the guts to move out. “Since you’re moving in, just take care of the place. But I don’t think you girls will be any trouble.”

Su Min immediately promised, “I’ll definitely clean every day and take good care of it.”

Zhaodi also nodded firmly.

Zhao Xue laughed. “I was just saying—you don’t need to be so nervous. Alright, I’ll leave you to it. I have to go meet someone. If anything comes up, just tell the old man at the gate. He knows where I live.”

“Got it, thanks, Brother Zhao,” Su Min said sweetly—so sweet, she almost gave herself a cavity. Pretending to be a cute little girl really wasn’t easy.

Zhao Xue looked quite pleased and waved before heading off.

Once he was gone, Zhaodi finally relaxed. She happily looked around the place. “Su Min, we’re really going to live here now?”

“For the time being, yeah.” Su Min also walked around to take a better look at the place.