My Roommate is a Gloomy, Sensitive Guy Who Cries Over Everything - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: As Long as You Want It, I Have It

Ever since Lin Zhiyu agreed to maintain an uninterrupted voice call, he was required to send over his entire class schedule.

Which classes were okay to slack off in with a voice call, and which were not.

Lin Zhiyu was stunned: “You’re corrupting a minor.”

“So, have I corrupted you yet?”

Lin Zhiyu curled his lip: “Not yet.”

Ultimately, voice calling during class was too bold; Lin Zhiyu refused, and the Senior had to give up with regret.

Voice calling while eating was normal, though it felt a bit unfair to Yu Hechang. Usually, Lin Zhiyu would just keep the call open without engaging in much conversation with the Senior.

As for showering, it wasn’t as over-the-top as Lin Zhiyu had imagined. It wasn’t video, after all—having someone to talk to actually felt quite nice.

When Yu Hechang found out about this, he was utterly shocked.

Yu Hechang first facepalmed, then crouched down clutching his head. After a moment, he stood up so fast his vision went black, and Lin Zhiyu had to steady him.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re asking me what’s wrong? Wait, is it you who’s not right, or that Senior of yours? This has exceeded the boundaries of a normal person. Even online dating isn’t this ridiculous.”

Yu Hechang was so agitated that spit was flying: “Calling while eating, sleeping, and showering—what’s the difference between this and surveillance?”

Lin Zhiyu frowned slightly: “There is a difference. He paid for it.”

“…”

Lin Zhiyu didn’t think much of it; once he got used to it, it was fine. It was like raising an online pet—of course, he didn’t mean his boss was a pet. “He even sent me power banks. Two of them, to use in rotation so I don’t run out of battery. And generally, when I’m outside, he doesn’t require us to stay on the call.”

“So? You think this is normal?”

“It’s pretty normal.” It wasn’t that Lin Zhiyu was taking his side, but calling the Senior had its perks, like tutoring.

The freshman curriculum was packed. There weren’t many specialized courses; it was mostly basic theory. Advanced Mathematics was Lin Zhiyu’s weak point. It wasn’t that he couldn’t learn it, but it was exceptionally difficult for him. Although the Senior was a Law major, his mathematical intuition was incredibly high.

Perhaps Math was his wife in a past life.

…

After three consecutive periods of Advanced Math on Friday afternoon, Lin Zhiyu’s head was spinning. His appetite had been poor lately, and he didn’t want to eat anything too greasy. However, he rarely voiced opinions on the menu—joking aside, Brother Lin bought the groceries and cooked for only 100 yuan a month. What more could he ask for? Besides, the cooking was truly excellent.

He planned to tackle some Math papers tonight, so he needed to eat well.

Between attending classes, going to Publicity Department meetings, and working at the milk tea shop in the evenings, his time had suddenly vanished, leading to a loss of appetite.

He wanted something light, but then he saw a kitchen full of crawfish.

Ugh—

Lin Zhiyu took a shower first. When he came out, Lin Rangchuan had already finished dinner: a sweet, rich fish fillet congee. There were plenty of fish slices, and it smelled wonderful.

“There’s more in the pot,” Lin Rangchuan reminded him calmly, noticing his dazed expression. “If your stomach isn’t well, try to eat smaller, more frequent meals.”

Lin Zhiyu moved his lips: “Thank you.”

Brother Lin was still as aloof as ever, like a cold, emotionless robot, but every single thing he did hit the mark of what Lin Zhiyu needed.

The ultimate roommate.

…

After finishing the congee, his spirits lifted. Just as Lin Zhiyu opened his test paper and was about to start the voice call with the Senior, he was interrupted by a phone call. It was Xue Rong.

Lin Zhiyu thought, Oh boy. Xue Rong rarely took the initiative to call. When he first moved in, he called her every day, but she found it annoying. It became once a week, and then once a month.

After a few opening pleasantries—asking if he was eating well and if he had enough money—Xue Rong got to the point. She mentioned that Auntie San next door had opened an alteration shop in the village and was making a lot of money. She said people these days were reluctant to throw away old clothes and would rather have them altered, calling it a highly profitable business with many repeat customers.

Lin Zhiyu knew exactly what she was thinking: “Then how about I set up a shop for you to run?”

Xue Rong huffed: “I’m just talking. You just listen; don’t go doing anything reckless.”

“I’m serious. If you want to open it, why not make the money? And if you don’t have enough, just ask me.”

Xue Rong got anxious: “Don’t you go doing those part-time jobs like others. Just focus on your studies and don’t worry about anything else.”

“No, no. There are plenty of ways to make money at school. I can join competitions; the prize money is quite a bit. I’ve been participating in various small contests lately. I haven’t even used the money you gave me; I’ve saved it all.”

“You’re bragging.”

“What is bragging? Don’t you know how excellent your son is?” Lin Zhiyu smiled. He knew Xue Rong had called to consult him, likely having prepared herself for the possibility that it might not happen.

Lin Zhiyu definitely supported her.

Xue Rong: “I’ll think about it.”

“Okay, ask me if you need money.”

Before hanging up, Xue Rong muttered something about him being a “little brat.”

…

Lin Zhiyu was beaming before hanging up, but his expression turned solemn immediately after. His mind was filled with thoughts of how to earn more money.

He had looked into scholarships before. National scholarships were basically out of reach; freshmen couldn’t apply, and they required high comprehensive scores—GPA, evaluation points, school positions, competition honors, etc. The difficulty was immense.

Since Lin Zhiyu had to work, he couldn’t balance too much and had to give up on those. However, he could take a shot at the Principal’s Scholarship.

Fine, he’d try. Even if he didn’t get it, he still had the milk tea shop and his gig with the Senior.

After the call, he switched back to the Senior’s voice chat. As soon as it connected, he explained: “My mom just called; it took a bit of time.”

“It’s fine.”

It was still that “AI-like young man” voice, but with the Senior’s unique huskiness. It sounded quite nice after listening for a while.

Lin Zhiyu: “Okay, I’m going to start on the test paper then.”

His mind was full of Xue Rong, money, and the shop. At first, he couldn’t get into the flow, and his work was chaotic. But under the Senior’s guidance, he slowly found his rhythm.

After getting several problems right in a row, he felt a sense of accomplishment that nothing else could replace.

“They’re all correct! I’m so amazing.” Lin Zhiyu’s palm holding the pen felt warm. As soon as he said it, he felt embarrassed for boasting in front of a master.

“You learn fast and you’re smart. Getting them all right is normal,” the Senior said with genuine emotion. “Good job, baby.”

Riding the momentum, Lin Zhiyu finished the entire paper. When he checked the answers, he grinned with excitement.

“I almost want to do another set,” Lin Zhiyu rubbed his hands together, then laughed. “Just kidding.”

“It’s okay. I can stay with you all night while you do them,” the Senior said with a hint of a smile, sounding even more excited than he was.

Lin Zhiyu then remembered and felt a bit sheepish: “I’m supposed to be the one accompanying you tonight. Okay, it’s your time now. Senior, do you want to get on the game?”

Senior: “Don’t call me Senior.”

The boss is always right, so Lin Zhiyu smoothly changed his tone: “Brother, want to play the game?”

“That sounds nice.”

Lin Zhiyu didn’t quite catch that: “What?”

“Hearing you call me ‘Brother’ is a very enjoyable thing.”

Lin Zhiyu blinked rapidly. “Not really… My voice is pretty average. I’m not using a voice changer.”

“That’s not true. The baby’s voice is soft. It makes me feel like you’re soft all over—you must be very nice to hold.”

Lin Zhiyu’s silence was deafening. His ears were burning from the headphones.

He quickly opened his computer and played the song “Brother, Give Me a Hug, Tell Me What’s on Your Mind.”

That racing heart—that roller-coaster feeling in his chest—finally calmed down a bit.

…

On Saturday, Lin Zhiyu went to a Publicity Department meeting to prepare for upcoming volunteer activities, lectures, and the school sports meet.

After the meeting, everyone else was drained, but Lin Zhiyu was energized. After a quick meal, he went to work at the milk tea shop.

Lin Zhiyu was running out of time. Academics were his top priority, followed by his part-time jobs. But he couldn’t handle two. Accompanying the Senior was the easiest; all he needed was a phone.

The milk tea shop paid well, but he felt overextended. He hadn’t been going often lately. The manager hadn’t said anything, but Lin Zhiyu calculated that if he worked overtime at the shop, he could make 500 a day, which was a lot.

He worked from the afternoon until 10:00 PM. Brother Lin had left him a late-night snack as usual: rock sugar pear water and taro paste milk cakes—his favorites.

Grateful, he finished eating and walked to Brother Lin’s door. He hesitated for a long time, then leaned his ear against the door. Hearing movement inside, he quickly backed away.

Lin Rangchuan opened the door. Lin Zhiyu was startled nearly out of his skin and scurried off to clean his dishes.

…

The voice call time had been cut drastically short. The voice finally came through.

Lin Zhiyu logged into the game to check in and do dailies, chatting non-stop. He glanced at the time—it was getting late—and gave a reminder.

“Brother, I’ll be out all day tomorrow. Don’t wait for me.”

The person on the other end was silent for a moment before speaking: “Will next week be like this too? And next month?”

“Yes.”

“Is Baby short on money?”

Lin Zhiyu was fairly honest with him: “A little bit lately.”

“Okay, I understand.”

After the call ended, Lin Zhiyu lay on the bed, stretched his limbs flexibly, and closed his eyes. His mind was quiet until he suddenly snapped his eyes open.

Xiao Yu: Senior, I wanted to discuss something. I might need to work longer hours at the milk tea shop lately and won’t be able to voice chat for long periods. You can deduct from my pay, it’s okay.

There was no reply. He didn’t know what the Senior was thinking.

It’s hard to go from luxury to frugality. Lin Zhiyu’s words could be interpreted as: their time together would gradually decrease, and eventually, if Lin Zhiyu found an even better part-time job, he could replace the Senior entirely.

The Senior wasn’t the only option.

Lin Zhiyu waited for a long time without a response. Just as he was about to plug in his phone and sleep, it vibrated incessantly.

The senior transferred 2,000 to you. Senior transferred 2,000 to you. … Alipay arrival: 2,000.

Xiao Yu: ???

Senior: I can give you a raise. As much as you’re satisfied with. You just need to spend more time with me.

A true “wealth-dispensing child.”

Lin Zhiyu was caught off guard by that one sentence. He started to get the creeping feeling that he was being… “kept.”

Or maybe the Senior’s drawing inspiration had run that dry.

Xiao Yu: Did you win the lottery?

Xiao Yu: You don’t need to give me this much.

Senior: Is it enough? The work at the milk tea shop is too tiring. Don’t go anymore, okay? At most, go once in a while, but not every day. Can we just voice chat? We’re happy together, and you can make money. Isn’t that better?

Lin Zhiyu was stunned. His brain stalled for a long time before restarting.

The lights were off. Lin Zhiyu squinted at his phone to reply, his face slightly scrunched.

Xiao Yu: I guess so, but you’re giving too much.

It far exceeded the daily wage at the milk tea shop.

Senior: It’s not much at all.

It was his own lack of ability that he couldn’t give more.

Xiao Yu: You’re just a student too.

Senior: I understand what you mean.

Xiao Yu: ?

What do you mean? I don’t even know what I mean.

Senior: I will work hard to make money.

Senior: As long as you want it, I have it.