Chapter 3: Is My Roommate a Decent Person?

Gao Jingdong was still reeling from the dizzying sensation brought on by the mirror when the bedroom door creaked open.

"Hey, wanna go play cards tonight..."

His roommate Li Xiang's voice cut off abruptly.

He stood in the doorway, his eyes fixed on her, his Adam's apple bobbing violently. His entire face flushed crimson in an instant. The air seemed to freeze for half a second before he hastily took a step back, fumbling for the doorknob. "S-sorry!"

Before his words even finished, the door slammed shut with a bang, leaving only the sound of hurried footsteps echoing in the living room.

Gao Jingdong stood frozen in place. Looking down, he realized he was only wearing a T-shirt and underwear.

The hem of the shirt barely reached his thighs, leaving his plump, fair legs exposed to the air, a chill creeping up from his ankles.

He found it amusing, an odd sense of glee rising in his heart. Well, well, so this guy can be this flustered too. Back when they used to play video games shirtless in the living room, he had never been this panicked.

But taking a step back, if his old self had seen such a beautiful girl standing before him with bare legs, he'd probably have been just as pathetic.

Ultimately, he trusted Li Xiang's character. This guy had a girlfriend, didn't mess around, and wouldn't even ogle or comment on girls outside. So, he probably, probably wouldn't jump to conclusions or start any weird rumors.

...Forget it. It wasn't that he didn't trust him. The situation was sudden, and no matter what, he owed Li Xiang an explanation.

Steeling his heart, Gao Jingdong quickly grabbed a pair of shorts from the chair.

The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridgehead. He had never been one to overthink things. As for an excuse... he'd figure something out.

The feeling of the fabric tightening around his waist was strangely unfamiliar, yet it also sparked a fresh, peculiar excitement.

Taking a deep breath, Gao Jingdong pushed the door open and stepped out.

In the living room, Li Xiang was pacing restlessly, his fingers unconsciously picking at the side seam of his sweatpants, the blush on his face not yet faded.

Seeing him come out, Li Xiang straightened up abruptly, like a student called on by the teacher.

"Uh, um, you are...?"

Gao Jingdong tried to keep his voice steady, but when he opened his mouth, it came out as a soft, sweet, girlish voice, the tail end carrying a natural tremor.

"I... I'm Gao Jingdong's cousin. I came to see how he's doing... He just broke up recently, you know..."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he himself was stunned. This voice... he really wasn't putting it on. He subconsciously bit his lip, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

Li Xiang's eyes lit up. He scratched the back of his head, grinning somewhat foolishly. "Oh, oh, you're his cousin, huh? Haha, how come I never heard he had such a pretty cousin... I mean, not that I'm being disrespectful! Hahaha, so you and Gao Jingdong are close, right? You really care about him. Where is he anyway?"

Yeah, where is he? He mentally cursed himself.

Once a lie starts, you have to keep building on it. Gao Jingdong looked around awkwardly, his left hand unconsciously forming a small fist, knuckles lightly pressing against his lips. His almond-shaped eyes looked up at Xiao Li mistily, while his other hand twisted the hem of his T-shirt.

She swore she wasn't deliberately putting on this coquettish act.

Li Xiang's ears, however, turned bright red again. His gaze flitted away nervously, his words becoming disjointed.

"You, don't worry. He probably went out to buy something? Geez, how could he be like this, leaving a young girl all alone in an unfamiliar place..."

As if to cover his fluster, he quickly busied himself. "Sit down first, I'll get you some water!" As he spoke, he rushed to the sink in two or three steps, shoving various cups and bowls into the basin, turning on the faucet with a whoosh. His movements were brisk, as if he were a different person.

Gao Jingdong sat on the living room chair, watching this scene, the corner of his mouth twitching involuntarily. This guy... usually gets nagged by his girlfriend like a dead fish, and now he's this diligent?

With a beauty present, men really do put on a show. A complex mix of emotions welled up in his heart—novelty, amusement, and an indescribable sense of superiority.

Soon, Li Xiang placed a polished glass in front of him, even opening a bottle of mineral water just taken from the fridge. Just as he was about to pour it, he hesitated again.

"Ah, can you drink cold water? Won't it be too chilly?"

Gao Jingdong shook his head, picked up the glass, and took a small sip. The coolness slid down his throat, and he suddenly realized he was terribly thirsty. He gulped down several large mouthfuls until the water was gone.

He set the cup down. Li Xiang's gaze, however, was gentle and smiling, as if looking at a small animal in need of protection.

"Wait here, I'll give that jerk Gao Jingdong a call. I want to see what he's up to, leaving a young girl alone." Saying this, Xiao Li reached for the phone in his pants pocket.

Gao Jingdong's heart skipped a beat—the phone was still on the bed in his room. Sending a message would be useless. He sighed inwardly but said nothing, just looked down at his intertwined fingers, the tips tinged a faint pink.

Li Xiang fiddled with his phone for a moment, then looked up and asked, "So, what should I call you? Do you need anything else?"

His mind went blank, and the words tumbled out. "Ah, I, I'm Gao Ji... Gao Qinghe!"

As soon as the name left her mouth, she wanted to slap herself. What kind of crappy name is that? Thrown together randomly, it's way too slapdash!

But Li Xiang actually didn't seem suspicious, just nodded. "Gao Qinghe... that's a nice name."

Well, guess that's her name now, Gao Qinghe.

As for needs...

"Um, that... do you have any clothes for girls? Ah, on my way here, my, my suitcase was stolen!"

Gao Qinghe almost shouted it, her voice echoing a bit too loudly in the living room, startling even herself. Having lived twenty years as Gao Jingdong, she had always presented herself as honest. This was the first time in her life she had spun so many lies in one breath. She stole a glance at Li Xiang, afraid he'd see through the act.

Li Xiang, however, just froze for a moment before showing a pained expression. "Oh no, what should we do? How about... I get a couple of my girlfriend's clothes for you first? Her size should be about right. You can make do for now?"

He turned and headed straight for his room, his retreating back carrying an eager, almost zealous haste.

Well, well? Anything she says just gets a pass?

Gao Qinghe looked down at her body in surprise. Hmm, the things on her chest were too big; she really wasn't used to it.

Could it be that now that she's become a woman... she, Gao Qinghe, can do whatever she wants?