From Trashy A to the Heiress’s Little Son-in-Law After the Idol Competition (GL, ABO) - Chapter 81

He Rou was in a foul mood tonight.

This house only had one bathroom, and she kept wondering if Shi Zhengyi would peek at her while she showered. Although that woman seemed unreliable and actually was unreliable.

He Rou shook her hand dismissively. Why was she even thinking about this? And what was worse, she wasn’t even angry at the thought. It was as if, even if she knew Shi Zhengyi had peeked, she wouldn’t do anything about it.

Tch!

He Rou grabbed her pajamas and underwear. She had taken a nap in the afternoon, and her mind was still foggy. She didn’t notice the bathroom light was still on until she opened the door and was hit by the floral scent of shower gel.

He Rou froze.

Shi Zhengyi was biting down on her toothbrush, a bit of foam at the corner of her mouth. “Need to use the toilet?”

He Rou pressed her lips together, her gaze sweeping over Shi Zhengyi’s pajamas, a dark blue long-sleeved set that made her already tall frame appear even more slender. Her medium-length hair was tied up, revealing a smooth forehead, with a few stray strands sticking damply to her skin.

Only one thought crossed He Rou’s mind: Isn’t she hot wearing that?

He Rou: “I’ll go later.” Then she hurried back to her room.

Truthfully, she knew that after the group disbanded, Shi Zhengyi had looked for her.

Shen Ya told her. Lan Yuanning told her. Jiang Nan told her.

Even Ji Yunuo, who usually couldn’t care less about such things, had mentioned it to her.

They said Shi Zhengyi had something urgent to discuss.

But what urgent matter could there possibly be between them? It was just an excuse.

So she had chosen to delete all means of contact, making sure Shi Zhengyi could never find her, she didn’t even know why she was doing this to Shi Zhengyi. Maybe it was because she had a feeling this alpha would fall for her.

And yet, now that she was out of work, she had to share a room with Shi Zhengyi.

He Rou hugged her knees to her chest. This is so hard.

A knock sounded at the door.

When she opened it, Shi Zhengyi was standing stiffly a meter away.

Clearly, she was deliberately keeping her distance.

“I’m done. You can shower now. Oh, and I made you a bowl of noodles. You skipped dinner because you were napping, so I thought you might be hungry.” With that, Shi Zhengyi walked into her own room.

He Rou blinked in surprise before making her way to the table. Sure enough, there was a steaming bowl of noodles with shredded pork and greens, topped with a golden fried egg.

He Rou went to the fridge to grab a packet of chili sauce, only to find a concert photo of Shi Zhengyi stuck to the door, along with a group photo of their team. The other members were all in group shots, but one picture stood out: it was just He Rou alone, in her second-stage performance outfit, a long white feathered dress, a crown on her head, the feathers swaying with the wind machine, her long hair flowing like a celestial being. Fans had called it a “princess descending to earth,” and the striking look had won her many new followers.

Did Shi Zhengyi feel her heart skip a beat watching her backstage too?

The thought made He Rou quickly scratch her head and grab the chili sauce before returning to eat her noodles.

The noodles were still hot, steam curling lazily from the bowl.

It had been so long since someone had cooked for her.

She thought of her father’s gambling debts that she had to repay, her mother’s heartbreak before finally divorcing him, the cold indifference and mocking whispers from relatives.

He Rou ate, and as she did, tears fell.

Damn it, why are these noodles so salty?!

When she went to bed, the cicadas outside chirped incessantly. The moonlight was dim, and even with the curtains tightly drawn, He Rou could still see the shadows of the trees swaying in the wind, their silhouettes stretching and twisting.

He Rou let out a long sigh. When would this ever end?

She was nearly asleep when a sudden noise from outside startled her awake.

Who’s out there?

Shi Zhengyi?

What does she want?

Countless thoughts flashed through He Rou’s mind.

But one persistent thought wouldn’t leave could she be coming to see me?

At this thought, He Rou’s body trembled involuntarily, and her temperature actually rose.

After catching her breath, He Rou focused on listening to the sounds from the living room.

The noise continued, turning into footsteps now.

Damn, there really is someone outside.

Could it be a burglar?

Though He Rou secretly hoped it was Shi Zhengyi, and even wished she would knock on her door… Why would she hope for that!

He Rou quickly pulled the blanket over her head until she could barely breathe, her mind a complete mess, so annoying, so annoying, so annoying!

After a while, she emerged for air. The noise outside had stopped, and she suddenly needed to use the bathroom.

He Rou: “……”

But she wasn’t sure who had been moving around earlier. If it was a burglar lying in wait, what if she ran into them and got hurt?

The more she thought about it, the more panicked she became, but she couldn’t hold it any longer.

Reaching out into the air, she fumbled for her phone on the bedside table.

She wanted to call Shi Zhengyi, only to realize she’d already deleted all her contact information.

Damn it, damn it, damn it.

Wrapped in a fluffy blanket, He Rou cautiously opened the door and peeked out. It was pitch black, save for a few beams of moonlight by the window.

Nothing else was clearly visible.

The corners were still dark, who knew if someone was hiding there?

Biting her red lips, He Rou closed her eyes and shakily made her way to the bathroom.

She accidentally bumped into a table, the pain sharp.

He Rou let out a muffled whimper of frustration.

Just then, the lights suddenly turned on.

He Rou screamed involuntarily.

“What’s wrong?” Shi Zhengyi’s voice came through.

Like a drowning person grasping at a lifeline, He Rou immediately threw herself into Shi Zhengyi’s arms, trembling like a fragile rose, whimpering, “Why did you only come out now? I thought it was a burglar! You scared me to death!”

Shi Zhengyi didn’t respond, she was stunned.

He Rou’s natural fragrance wafted up, swirling around her nose.

Only then did she realize the perfume He Rou often wore was lavender-scented.

“Don’t be scared. Earlier? That was just me getting water,” Shi Zhengyi reassured, only to feel the warmth in her arms disappear. She regretfully touched her clothes, where the lingering scent of He Rou remained.

He Rou loosened her long hair, revealing tired eyes.

“Oh, so it was you.”

Noticing the other’s flushed face, He Rou quickly looked away. “If there’s nothing else, you should go back to sleep.”

“There is something.”

“Hmm?”

Shi Zhengyi glanced down. “You hurt your knee.”

He Rou looked at her fair calf, where a large purple bruise had formed from the earlier collision.

Pursing her lips, He Rou thought, Seriously? Just one bump and it’s this bad.

Shi Zhengyi had already fetched a first aid kit from the storage room.

“Let’s treat it.”

He Rou murmured, “I’ll do it.”

But Shi Zhengyi ignored her, opening the kit and pulling out iodine.

“You can’t even take care of yourself. Let me handle it,” she said, already getting to work.

Dazed, He Rou sat on the chair, letting the person in front of her tend to her knee.

The cool iodine swab touched the wound, neither painful nor stinging.

He Rou’s weary heart instantly relaxed.

Shi Zhengyi still had her hair in a small braid, with loose strands stubbornly escaping here and there. Her eyelashes, delicate as butterfly wings, didn’t flutter even once, clear evidence of how intently focused she was, refusing to even blink.

Truth be told, Shi Zhengyi was quite good-looking.

He Rou thought to herself.

“All done.” Shi Zhengyi looked up with a satisfied smile.

He Rou hummed in response, only for Shi Zhengyi to ask, “Judging by how you look, didn’t sleep well? Trouble adjusting to a new bed?”

“Not at all…” He Rou lowered her head, avoiding eye contact. “It’s just a little…” She definitely wouldn’t admit she was scared.

This neighborhood had no elevators, was quiet and sparsely populated, and the building was old, of course she felt uneasy. Even back in her old place, she had been extra cautious, sleeping with the lights on. But now, with money tight, she didn’t dare keep them on.

Shi Zhengyi noticed her tension and reassured her, “Then just leave the lights on. I’ll cover the electricity bill.”

He Rou looked up just as Shi Zhengyi finished washing her hands and was about to head into her room.

“Shi Zhengyi.”

He Rou called out.

Shi Zhengyi turned back, puzzled.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

He Rou hesitated, torn between speaking and staying silent.

Finally, she said,

“Thank you.”

Shi Zhengyi smiled, revealing two small canine teeth, a stark contrast to her usual roguish charm, making her look unexpectedly cute. It was the first time He Rou had noticed this side of her.

Though the day had been frustrating, suddenly, it didn’t seem so bad anymore. Her previously terrible mood lifted in an instant, and she found herself starting to like living here.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yanjin was still recording audio at Hu Tingting’s studio late into the night.

Her phone buzzed repeatedly with messages from Ji Yunuo, each reply careful and attentive.

It was her first time staying out this late, and even Wei Qin joked that their delicate Alpha must be sneaking around outside.

Though it was just teasing, Ji Yunuo decided to go check on her.

The studio staff had long since left, leaving only Xiao Yanjin stubbornly pushing through.

Hearing the door open, Xiao Yanjin turned abruptly and grinned. “Sister, you came to see me so late? Should’ve told me.”

Ji Yunuo had brought some midnight snacks grilled skewers, crayfish, and steaming fried squid, all Xiao Yanjin’s favorites.

“Yeah, didn’t want you to feel lonely in the studio,” Ji Yunuo replied with a smile.

Xiao Yanjin kissed Ji Yunuo’s red lips. “Thanks for worrying about me, Sister.”

Opening the insulated bag, the aroma of grilled meat, chili, and cumin filled the air, making Xiao Yanjin’s heart swell with delight.

“Want some?” Xiao Yanjin picked up a lamb skewer.

“No.”

“How about the crayfish?” Xiao Yanjin had already peeled one and held it out to her.

Ji Yunuo obliged and ate one.

The moment she finished, another peeled shrimp appeared in front of her.

“You have it.”

Somehow, perhaps from being around Xiao Yanjin so much, Ji Yunuo had grown accustomed to having shrimp peeled for her at home. Unlike Wei Qin, who would occasionally peel some for Xiao Yanjin but disliked getting her hands wet, Ji Yunuo had gradually let Xiao Yanjin take over.

At first, she thought Xiao Yanjin was just used to serving her first, but it turned out she simply wanted her to enjoy the taste.

“Come on, shrimp is low-calorie. A few won’t hurt,” Xiao Yanjin insisted, expertly sucking the meat from the shell. With practiced ease, she held the tailless shrimp and slurped the exposed flesh straight into her mouth.

Ji Yunuo had no choice but to politely take a bite and asked, “I heard you, Shi Zhengyi, and Jiang Nan often go to the barbecue shop downstairs from the dormitory to eat?”

As members of a girl group who needed to maintain their figures, Ji Yunuo often reminded them not to overindulge.

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