My Roommate is a Gloomy, Sensitive Guy Who Cries Over Everything - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Are You Being a Good Boy?

Lin Zhiyu did not keep those transfers; he sent the money back.

If this were an interaction with some old-money capitalist, Lin Zhiyu would have pocketed every cent as “mental distress compensation,” “preventative health maintenance fees,” and “overworked brain indemnity.” Added together, those wouldn’t be settled for just a few thousand yuan.

But the other party was a student—only one year older than him—who earned his keep by selling paintings.

Lin Zhiyu felt a bit guilty. He hesitated before typing.

[Xiao Yu: You can give me a reasonable raise, but don’t make it too exaggerated. As long as it covers what I’d make at the milk tea shop, I can give you all my time.]

Lin Zhiyu weighed his words; he felt he hadn’t said anything wrong, but since it sounded a bit too serious, he intended to send a sticker of a rabbit biting a carrot to lighten the mood. Instead, his finger slipped to the sticker next to it—an animated gif of a rabbit projectile-pooping. It was a total social death.

[Senior: The original monthly base pay was 1,500; I’ll raise it to 3,000. You can still go to the milk tea shop at your usual frequency; I’m not trying to control your freedom.]

[Senior: If it’s not enough, you can ask.]

[Senior: Just don’t leave me behind.]

[Senior: Don’t replace me.]

His insecurity almost spilled out of the screen. Lin Zhiyu went from being flattered at the start to being used to it now, accepting it with a calm, almost placid demeanor. He felt like he was coaxing a “little lover.”

Lin Zhiyu didn’t have any romantic thoughts about it, though; after all, this was work.

[Xiao Yu: How could I replace such a good boss?]

[Xiao Yu: It seems your source of inspiration is… very unique.]

[Xiao Yu: If I may ask, how did you get your inspiration?]

The Senior’s side lagged for a moment. The “Typing…” notification flashed repeatedly.

[Senior: I have two or three walls covered in photos. Every single one contains my essence jīngxuè.]

[Xiao Yu: ?]

[Senior: Effort/Heart’s blood (心血 – xīnxuè).]

[Senior: Typo.]

[Xiao Yu: Ohhh, understood.]

Scared me to death. I thought you were actually that perverted.

…

After coaxing Lin Zhiyu to sleep, Lin Rangchuan locked the recorded audio file. He went out to the balcony and lit a cigarette but didn’t smoke it. His gaze, like the faint red glow of the cherry, flickered as he looked out at the rolling silhouettes of the nearby village.

The limitations of the environment meant he was still earning too little in this place.

After a long pause, Lin Rangchuan made a call. The other party picked up within seconds.

Lou Chen’s eyes widened after hearing what Lin Rangchuan said: “You want to accept the invitation from EG Studio? That’s a bit ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“I used to be part of that team.”

“I know.”

The original EG Studio team consisted of seven people—a group of H University students whose innovative game design won first place in a competition, making them famous. That was how their initial funding came about.

Lin Rangchuan was one of the lead creators. Later, some new people joined, and he found it too crowded. Coupled with the need to handle his transfer to the Law major, he took the initiative to quit.

Last month, the head of EG Studio contacted Lou Chen, wanting to invite Lin Rangchuan back. Lou Chen had mentioned it to Lin Rangchuan, who rejected it immediately.

Setting aside the fact that EG was located at the main campus, the internal staff had long since changed. All the veterans were gone; there was really no point.

Lou Chen would rather he just focus on painting. During the first few days of the National Day holiday, Lin Rangchuan had locked himself in the studio for days and nights. That painting sold to the gallery brought in over 100,000 yuan.

“Don’t do it. If you go back there…” Lou Chen thought for a moment. “What if you bully them? I’m your agent; I have to be responsible.”

Lin Rangchuan: “They pay well.”

No more nonsense: “Contact them for me. If you won’t do it, I’ll find someone else.”

“OK, OK, O… K.” Lou Chen lost his temper.

“Open up my commission channels. Filter the ones you think are okay; I’ll take them all.” Lin Rangchuan toyed with his lighter. In his peripheral vision, he glanced at the closed bedroom door where a “little fish” was sound asleep. He put the lighter back in his pocket.

Lou Chen was suddenly very busy. “Is your inspiration overflowing again?”

“So much I could shoot it out.”

“…………”

…

Lin Zhiyu only recently realized how wide the scope of the Student Union was. They had to manage everything big and small at the school. Especially in this underdeveloped mountainous area, “community warmth” activities were very frequent.

On Saturday, due to a lack of hands, Lin Zhiyu was pulled in to do community service. Afterward, he went to the milk tea shop for his shift. Just as he put on his apron, he heard a few thump-thump sounds from the ceiling.

He went out and asked, “Does someone live upstairs?”

Qin Rui was on leave today, so Jiang Xinran answered while bobbing her head: “The upstairs is a private art studio.”

Lin Zhiyu didn’t know what to associate it with, but he felt a sense of familiarity he couldn’t quite place. “Whose studio?”

Jiang Xinran shook her head: “No idea. A friend of the shop owner uses it. I’m not sure specifically who; we’ve never met them.”

Lin Zhiyu remained calm on the surface, his fingers tightening around an empty cup, but his heart was racing. The owner’s friend… an art studio… isn’t that the Senior?!

So he was this close, yet he refused to meet?

Or maybe they had already met. It was all speculation. Lin Zhiyu suppressed his curiosity and went back to work.

…

Since the night roads were hard to walk and she was a girl, Lin Zhiyu let Jiang Xinran leave early. He stayed behind to finish the cleaning.

The streetlights in the alleys weren’t bright; one could only see vague outlines. Lin Zhiyu wasn’t particularly afraid of the dark. He lived honestly and uprightly—even if a ghost appeared, he’d just pick a fight with it; winning or losing was TBD.

Lin Zhiyu had invited Yu Hechang over for food, so on the way home, he couldn’t help but put on his headphones to call the Senior.

Working every possible moment—finish one job, start the next, everyone line up.

As soon as it connected, Lin Zhiyu’s tone was cheerful: “How about that? Am I early today?”

“Baby is so good,” the Senior asked. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet, I’ll eat in a bit.” Lin Zhiyu’s heart skipped a beat as he suddenly remembered the studio above the milk tea shop. “Where is your art studio located?”

“You want to find me?”

The end of the Senior’s sentence had an enticing lilt to it.

Lin Zhiyu paused, feeling uncharacteristically shy. “Will you let me find you?”

“I’m very ugly,” the Senior said gloomily.

“I’m not shallow. Come out and meet, let’s grab a drink.”

“No.”

“…”

After a few seconds, the Senior added: “I’m not on campus.”

The answer was ambiguous. Lin Zhiyu asked: “Where are you?”

“Out of town. I can’t make it back today.”

Lin Zhiyu let out an “Oh.” He wanted to say more, but he had reached the entrance of the rental house. Yu Hechang was waiting outside and rushed up to complain, “Are you serious? I’ve been waiting for ages.”

“Calm down, calm down, my brother.”

Only then did Yu Hechang notice the headphones: “On a call?”

“Yeah.”

Since it was work, Yu Hechang didn’t say much.

…

With an outsider present, the Senior was usually silent, like a decorative object. The phone was placed on the table.

Yu Hechang knew how to cook, but it wasn’t right to mess with someone else’s kitchen, so they ordered various takeouts to treat themselves.

While Xiao Yu went to the kitchen to pour drinks, Yu Hechang glanced at the call screen. Feeling a chill down his spine, he snuck over to Lin Zhiyu.

“Do we have to stay on the call like this while we eat later?”

Lin Zhiyu was confused: “Why, what’s wrong?”

“There are only the two of us in this house, but three people are ‘chatting.’ Don’t you think it’s creepy?” As Yu Hechang spoke, he rubbed his arms; his senses made the whole house feel eerie.

“I’ll transfer you a hundred yuan.”

“For what?” Yu Hechang accepted it without hesitation.

“The Senior gave me a raise. Just bear with it, because today is Saturday. Usually, I wouldn’t be like this.”

Yu Hechang thought for a moment: “Give me another hundred.”

Lin Zhiyu silently rolled his eyes.

…

Because the phone was very quiet, its presence gradually faded. Yu Hechang almost forgot the Senior was there.

“About what you said last time about finding a shop space—does Auntie Rong want to start a business?” Yu Hechang said. “My mom asked around; shop rent in town is quite expensive now.”

Lin Zhiyu was also worried about this: “She wants to do it, and I support her. But since I still have to study…”

Yu Hechang’s eyes sparkled: “I can lend you money! And I’ll have my mom keep looking for a shop…”

Lin Zhiyu thought, This friend is truly loyal. Just as his lips began to curve up, a voice suddenly came from the phone.

“Baby, there’s leftover cheesecake in the fridge.”

His voice wasn’t very loud, but it definitely cut right into the conversation between Yu Hechang and Lin Zhiyu.

Lin Zhiyu was reminded: “I’ll go get it.”

Yu Hechang felt uneasy, looking at the phone as if it were a ghost. Just as he was about to stand up and follow, the Senior suddenly spoke: “I am Xiao Yu’s friend. Hello.”

Yu Hechang became wary. He always felt this Senior had ulterior motives toward Xiao Yu, but he had no proof. “Hello.”

“He told me last time he was short on money. So it was to rent a shop for his mother? He’s very filial; I like that very much.”

Hearing his tone, Yu Hechang said, “Ah, so Xiao Yu told you.”

“Yes, he did. But he didn’t mention the specific amount. Is it very expensive? How much is missing?”

“It’s quite a bit. The town is expensive—monthly rent and utilities would be over two thousand. And that’s for a bad location. How much can Auntie Rong earn selling those winter melons?”

“What about a good location?”

“That would be over five thousand.”

“That’s okay, not too much…”

Yu Hechang was shocked and blurted out: “You aren’t a ‘rich second generation,’ are you?”

“What rich second generation?” Lin Zhiyu walked over and set the phone aside. “What are you guys talking about?”

Yu Hechang: “Talking about the rent.”

Lin Zhiyu felt a pang in his chest: “Why do you tell him everything?”

Yu Hechang said a bit sourly: “Aren’t you and your Senior ‘best bros’? Your Senior said he could even give you money.”

The Senior laughed softly: “Want it, Baby?”

Yu Hechang’s worldview was shattered: “??? What did he just call you?”

Lin Zhiyu’s face turned beet red. He abruptly hung up the call—a first.

[Xiao Yu: This is a matter for us part-timers; Bosses shouldn’t pry!]

He calmed down a little.

[Xiao Yu: I’ll call you back later.]

[Senior: No.]

[Xiao Yu: Are you being a good boy? 

Lin Zhiyu regretted it as soon as he hit send. He used to be a leader among kids; he lectured both older and younger kids like this out of habit.

Before he could withdraw it, the other party replied.

[Senior: I am good.]

…

The living room was deathly silent, like the deep sea. It took Yu Hechang a long time to find his voice. He gritted his teeth, looking like he’d just found out his dad was getting remarried: “He calls you Baby? What straight guy calls another guy Ba-by?!”

“That’s a custom in their family,” Lin Zhiyu comforted him. “You’ll get used to it if you hear it enough. Besides, this is where his inspiration comes from. It’s like… I won’t call him Senior. We just ‘cosplay’ with each other.”

Yu Hechang didn’t understand. “For example?”

Lin Zhiyu felt inexplicably ashamed, but seeing how truly baffled and indignant Yu Hechang looked, he felt he had to explain. He took a deep breath: “Brother.”

Yu Hechang was silent.

“Master.”

Lin Zhiyu blinked guiltily: “…and stuff like that.”

Yu Hechang: “…………”

It was he who didn’t understand. Has the world gone this crazy now?