Chapter 27: A Room for Two

About half an hour after Weiwei left, someone knocked on my door.
Outside stood a young woman with delicate features, short hair and a tracksuit. Beside her was the dark-skinned Team Leader Chen.
“This is Xiao Zhou—Zhou Guo. Your new roommate.”
Before I could respond, several workers came bustling in.
“What are you doing?”
They ignored me. In no time, they had assembled another bed beside mine.
“Wait. What’s going on?”
“What do you mean? You’re getting a roommate.”
“A roommate? You can’t just do that without asking me. This is trespassing!”
“Trespassing? Is this your house?” Team Leader Chen raised an eyebrow.
“This is my room!”
“All these rooms belong to the general manager.” Her finger swept around us, and she gave a sly smile. “This was his decision.”
“Where is Ji Feiyang? I’m going to speak to him.”
“On a business trip. He probably won’t be back until next week.”
Her eyes narrowed.
I’d always had a room of my own. Suddenly having to share with a stranger felt impossible.
I called Ji Feiyang at once.
His response was perfectly calm.
“Didn’t you tell me the other night that you were just an employee and wanted to be treated like everyone else? Some staff share three to a room. Would you prefer that?”
“No. Thank you.”
Furious, I hung up.
Now only Zhou Guo and I remained.
I sat on my bed and sulked while she made hers. Every so often, she looked up and smiled at me. There was something intelligent and quietly attractive about her smile.
“Hello. I’m Zhou Guo.”
She held out a hand.
“Hello.”
I shook it out of politeness.
“I hope you’ll help me settle in.”
I smiled awkwardly.
She looked capable, well-mannered and independent. If anything, I would probably be asking her for help.
“Miss Tang, you don’t seem very happy about me moving in. If I’ve caused any inconvenience, I’m sorry.”
“Well… it’s not your fault. I’m angry with Ji Feiyang.”
Kindness always worked better on me than force. Her courtesy made me feel embarrassed.
There was nothing to do but try to accept the arrangement.
Still, with someone sleeping beside me, I barely slept all night.
Zhou Guo worked exactly the same shifts as I did. Apart from the occasional outing with Weiwei after work, we were almost always together at the hotel.
She didn’t talk much. She followed the rules and kept regular hours—a good employee.
Compared with Weiwei, she was less soft and feminine, with a more boyish air. Yet she seemed easygoing, always greeting me with a smile and a nod.
“It’s strange,” Weiwei kept whispering to me. “I never heard anything about them hiring someone.”
Previously, the afternoon reception staff had been Weiwei, another girl and me. Now there was Zhou Guo as well.
According to Weiwei, there had always been three people at reception in our building.
Perhaps Ji Feiyang had decided I wasn’t much use and brought in someone who could cover for me.
“I think he’s sent you a maid,” Weiwei whispered. “Someone to look after you so you don’t tire yourself out. He really does treat you well.”
I disagreed.
Ji Feiyang wasn’t that nice to me.
And Zhou Guo certainly wasn’t a maid. She didn’t do my work for me; she simply did her own.
Since I spent so much time with Weiwei, Zhou Guo and I rarely talked. Even after several days of sharing a room, we still felt like strangers.
She seemed to like me, though. She was always smiling at me and appeared to want to make friends. But with Weiwei chatting to me constantly, even after work, she hardly had a chance to join in.
Weiwei finished the scarves in two evenings.
Her speed was astonishing. They were beautifully made too, each in a different style, every bit as good as anything in the shops.
On Saturday afternoon, I took half a day off and went home for the first time in what felt like ages.
“Mum, look. I knitted these… No, I mean, my colleague helped me make these scarves.”
In my excitement, I’d nearly said the wrong thing.
Mum ran her fingers over them and smiled.
“They’re all lovely.”
“Weiwei made them. She’s really good. Once I’ve learned, I’ll knit one for you myself.”
Mum nodded approvingly but said nothing more.
My excitement slowly faded.
Before, she would have praised me. If she was in a particularly good mood, she might even have kissed me.
“This one’s for Big Brother… and this one’s for Dad.”
“They’re both very nice.”
Another satisfied nod. No more than that.
Her reserve made her feel distant.
“Will you stay for dinner?”
I was about to say yes. Then I looked up and saw how unhappy she was.
The words caught in my throat.
Big Brother would probably be worse.
“I… I have something to do tonight. Next time. Mum, take care of yourself. Has Dad been all right?”
“We’re fine. You’re the one living away from home. Make sure you take care of yourself.”
She stroked my hair affectionately.
From the bag, I took the last scarf: a white one in a delicate openwork pattern.
Spreading it out, I asked, “Isn’t it pretty?”
“Yes.”
“It’s for my sister. I’ll take it to her in a little while.”
“Leave it here. She won’t be able to use it. And there’s no need to visit her again. She’s all right. Just look after yourself.”
“Has the doctor said when she might wake up?”
Mum shook her head sadly.
I wanted to talk to her longer, but the atmosphere was so heavy that I couldn’t find anything suitable to say.
A few scattered remarks, then silence. A few more, then silence again.
Eventually, with nothing left to say, I made an early escape.
From home, I went to the hospital.
I didn’t go inside. Instead, I lingered outside, looking up at the pale-blue window of my sister’s room.
I was afraid of running into Big Brother.
Snow lay on the ground, crunching beneath my feet. One careless step nearly sent me slipping.
People passed occasionally, most looking worried and hurrying on. Who wanted to spend any longer than necessary outdoors in this cold?
My face ached from it.
I’d gone home full of happiness. By the time I returned to the hotel, I looked thoroughly miserable.
As I walked with my head down, Weiwei appeared from somewhere.
“Yijun!”
I looked up. She was smiling at me.
“What’s wrong? You look so down. Has someone been bullying you?”
“No.”
I forced a smile.
“Here. Hot-and-sour noodles. I went out to eat with a friend and brought you some.”
“Thank you…”
That small kindness melted something in me.
Tears sprang to my eyes.
“Why are you crying?”
“I’m not…”
For a moment, no more words would come.
Then, in a hoarse voice, I managed, “I’m touched, that’s all.”
Back in our room, I ate the noodles while wiping away a steady stream of tears.
“Miss Tang… Miss Tang.”
Zhou Guo nudged me gently.
“Are you all right?”
I drew a breath.
“I’m fine.”
After a while, crying released some of the sadness I’d held in all afternoon.
“You can call me Yijun from now on.”
She nodded.
“All right. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes… These noodles are really good. Do you like them?”
“They’re all right.”
“What do you like, then? Cake? Sweet things?”
“I’m not interested in anything sweet.”
I glanced at her and teased, “You’re not much like a girl.”
She gave a helpless look and sat on the edge of her bed.
“Can’t help it. My dad didn’t bring me up like one.”
Zhou Guo had delicate features. Dressed up, she would have been a beauty.
There was a hint of sweetness in her face, especially when she smiled and two shallow dimples appeared. Without that pretty face, her usual clothes would have made her look quite the tomboy.
“He raised you like a boy?”
She nodded.
“How?”
“No dresses. No long hair. No pierced ears, jewellery, dyed hair or make-up. And no crying over every little thing.”
“He really did raise you like a boy. I was the opposite. Mum brought me up as a princess. Long hair, pretty clips, cute little full-skirted dresses. Earrings, necklaces, little red shoes…”
Then I thought of something.
“We do have one thing in common. I’ve never dyed my hair either.”
“I’ll tell you a secret. I’ve tried every single thing I just mentioned. Without telling Dad, of course. Look at my ears.”
She leaned towards me.
“This one has two piercings.”
“You really were a naughty child!”
“He was too strict. But…”
She paused, then added with a mischievous look, “He died more than three years ago. He can’t tell me what to do now.”
Suddenly, Zhou Guo felt much less like a stranger.
My resentment at her moving in began to fade.
“Who else is in your family?”
“My grandmother, my mum and a younger brother who’s still at school.”