Chapter 2
Edward Quan ·
Song Kehan had indeed started laying the groundwork.
“Yeah. It's not far from campus, and it's quieter.”
I said it casually on purpose.
Zhou Jia's eyes lit up.
“So you live alone? Don't you get lonely?”
“It's fine. I'm used to it.”
I looked at her.
“Why do you ask?”
Zhou Jia scratched her head.
“Actually, I've been thinking about renting a place too. The dorm is so noisy. Those two girls in the other beds play games until dawn every night. I can never get a decent night's sleep.”
Didn't that sound familiar?
It was exactly what Song Kehan had told me.
I smiled.
“If you want to rent a place, I'd recommend living alone.”
Zhou Jia blinked.
“Why? Wouldn't sharing a place cut down on the rent?”
“It would. But you might end up sharing the headaches, too.”
I set down my chopsticks.
“Zhou Jia, think about it. You want to rent because you need somewhere quiet to study, right?”
“If you get a roommate, how can you be sure she'll have the same habits as you?”
“What if she's a night owl too? Then you'd have moved out for nothing.”
Zhou Jia considered that.
“You have a point.”
“And another thing.”
I went on.
“Money is where roommates get into the most trouble.”
“Rent and utilities are easy enough. But what if your roommate asks to borrow money? Do you lend it or not?”
“What if she doesn't pay you back? Ask for it, and you risk damaging the friendship. Let it go, and you're the one left feeling cheated.”
Zhou Jia laughed.
“Wanning, you're overthinking it. We're classmates. How complicated could it be?”
I looked at her.
That sweet, slightly chubby girl had no idea how ugly people could be.
“Zhou Jia, I'm not overthinking it. I've seen it happen.”
I lowered my voice.
“I had a friend in high school who got into a mess because she shared a place with someone.”
“Her roommate borrowed thirty thousand yuan, saying something had happened at home. My friend felt sorry for her and lent it to her.”
“And what happened? The girl took the money gambling, lost every penny, and then blamed my friend for not lending her more.”
“They ended up suing each other. The friendship was over, and neither of them could focus on school.”
I made up the story.
But every detail came from what I'd lived through in my previous life.
Zhou Jia's face changed as she listened.
“That really happens?”
“Of course. More often than you'd think.”
I sighed.
“So I'd rather pay a little more to live alone than invite trouble into my life.”
“Especially when someone seems nice on the surface, then turns on you when it matters.”
“Sweet as sisters to your face, a knife in your back before you know it. You can never be too careful.”
Zhou Jia fell silent.
I could tell she was thinking it over.
After a while, she asked, “Wanning, what do you think of Song Kehan?”
At last, she'd gotten to the point.
I made myself sound casual. “Song Kehan? We're not that close. Why?”
“She asked me today if I'd share a place with her.”
Zhou Jia hesitated.
“She said the dorm is too noisy and she wants somewhere quiet to study.”
“At first, I thought it sounded nice. It'd be livelier with another person around.”
“But after what you just said, I'm not so sure.”
I smiled inwardly.
Song Kehan's routine never changed.
“That's hard for me to judge.”
I answered carefully.
“But you can take some time to observe her.”
“For example, how does she usually do in class? What are her habits like?”
“Has she borrowed money from anyone before? Does she keep her promises?”
“You can find out from different people.”
“Sharing a rental isn't a small decision. Be careful.”
Zhou Jia nodded repeatedly.
“You're right. I'll think it over.”
After dinner, we went our separate ways.
On my way back, I got a message from Zhou Jia.
“Wanning, thanks for telling me all that today. I'll be careful.”
I replied with an OK emoji.
Then I opened Moments.
Song Kehan had just posted a new update.
It was a photo of her and Zhou Jia together on the sports field.
The caption read: “Best sisters for life.”
I stared at those words.
A mocking smile tugged at my lips.
Best sisters?
That's how she'd treated me in my previous life, too.
She called me her sister to my face.
When it came to reaching into my pocket for money, though, no one was quicker.
I liked her post.
Then I turned off my phone.
Now—
I just had to sit back and enjoy the show.
**Chapter 4**
A week later, Song Kehan moved in with Zhou Jia after all.
When I happened to run into Zhou Jia in the cafeteria, she looked a little embarrassed.
“Wanning, I know you warned me last time, but… Kehan said she really needs somewhere quiet to study. I felt bad for her, so I agreed.”
“But don't worry. I'll be careful.”
I said nothing.
I just nodded.
I'd already warned her as much as I could.
What happened next was her choice.
For the first two weeks after Song Kehan moved in, she was on her best behavior.
She came home on time every day.
She proactively transferred her share of the rent and utilities.
She even went grocery shopping and cooked.
She took wonderful care of Zhou Jia.
In the group chat, Zhou Jia said she'd found the perfect roommate.
“Kehan is so nice. She takes better care of me than my mom does.”
“She even warms up milk for me every morning.”