Lin Jiahui’s departure from City B wasn’t something that could happen at a moment’s notice. She had studied and lived in this city for over ten years, leaving almost the most important decade of her life here. Beyond love and career, there were other miscellaneous matters to handle in all aspects of life.

One of them was the house she shared with Ruan Mian. This two-bedroom apartment had originally been rented by Ruan Mian. The two living together was partly to share the rent, but more importantly so they could look out for each other. Now that she was suddenly saying she had to leave, she inevitably felt somewhat guilty.

However, Ruan Mian didn’t think it was a problem. All good things must come to an end. Over these years she had experienced too many partings and separations. Instead, she turned around to comfort Lin Jiahui not to feel burdened.

Still, while the annual rent for this two-bedroom apartment was manageable split between two people, it would be somewhat stressful for one person alone. Plus, the lease would soon be expiring anyway. Ruan Mian decided to rent a smaller studio apartment nearby. During that period, besides going to work, she spent her free time looking at apartments with real estate agents.

On Mid-Autumn Festival, Ruan Mian took a day off. In the morning she received a call from Fang Ruqing, and mother and daughter chatted for a while.

Strangely enough, Fang Ruqing hadn’t been too satisfied with Chen Yi before, but she didn’t know what Ruan Mingke had said to her. After learning about this matter, she never mentioned anything in opposition to Ruan Mian again. Now she even asked about Chen Yi’s situation. “Doesn’t Chen Yi have the day off today?”

Ruan Mian paused before answering, “No, he probably won’t get time off until National Day.”

“I see.” Fang Ruqing didn’t ask more. “I saw on your social media that you’re looking to rent a place. What happened to that girl you were sharing with?”

“She transferred back to a hospital in her hometown.”

“Alright, then be more careful when you’re renting alone.” Fang Ruqing gave a few more of her usual warnings before hanging up.

Sleeping in was no longer possible. Ruan Mian simply made another appointment with the agent to look at apartments. Lin Jiahui happened to be home too, so the two went out together.

While looking at apartments, Lin Jiahui asked, “Why don’t you move in with Chen Yi?”

“The place he lives is too far from the hospital. It’s not convenient for work.” Ruan Mian answered instinctively, then felt something was off after speaking.

Was her reaction to living together with Chen Yi a bit too natural? As if, if the distance were suitable, she really would move in together with him.

“Then you two could consider renting a place together around here, or you could have Chen Yi just move into our current place. After all, with you alone, I really am a bit worried.” Lin Jiahui turned to look at her. “I think Chen Yi would very much agree with what I’m saying.”

Ruan Mian pressed her lips together, now starting to be reserved. “Even if we really lived together, he’s usually not home much anyway. In the end, wouldn’t it still be just me alone?”

Lin Jiahui smiled. “That’s true too.”

The topic of cohabitation was temporarily shelved. After looking at apartments that day and returning home, Ruan Mian and Lin Jiahui discussed in the living room which one was more suitable.

They were just getting into it when Lin Jiahui received a call from her mother and got up to return to the bedroom. Ruan Mian hugged her laptop sitting on the sofa, communicating online with the agent.

She had just asked two questions when her phone rang too.

Caller ID: Chen Yi.

Ruan Mian put it on speakerphone and placed it on the sofa armrest, listening to him talk while replying to the agent’s messages. After Chen Yi said a couple of sentences and heard the sound of keyboard typing, he stopped all conversation and asked, “Are you busy?”

“No, I’m chatting with the agent.” Ruan Mian picked up the phone and turned off speakerphone, holding it to her ear to explain. “Senior Sister will be going to S City for the exchange program soon, and she doesn’t plan to return to City B afterward. The lease for the place she and I are sharing expires in October. I’m planning to rent again. Today I went out with the agent to look at a few places, but I haven’t decided which one to choose yet. How about you help me decide?”

Chen Yi made a sound of acknowledgment. “Okay, tell me about them.”

“Wait a second.” Ruan Mian found her scratch paper and went through the pros and cons of the three apartments she and Lin Jiahui had listed, telling him about each one. “Actually, I’m most interested in the third one, but it’s just a bit far—a forty-minute drive. If there’s traffic, it would probably take even longer. The second one is also okay with me, but Senior Sister says the property management is poor and there’s no security guarantee. The first one is mediocre—I can’t find anything bad about it, and I can’t find anything to like about it either.”

She rambled on with a long string of words. Chen Yi listened quietly to the end, was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly spoke. “Why aren’t you planning to renew the lease on your current place?”

Ruan Mian lowered her eyes to look at the computer and answered carelessly, “I think living alone in a two-bedroom is a bit wasteful, and with my current salary, supporting this apartment would be a bit stressful. Otherwise, I wouldn’t want to move.”

Chen Yi asked in a low voice, “Then why don’t you find a new roommate?”

She was still distracted communicating with the agent, her voice sometimes near and sometimes far. “Senior Sister and I are acquaintances, so getting along isn’t a problem. If I found a stranger, living together would feel a bit awkward.”

He set his trap step by step. “Then find an acquaintance?”

“I can’t find a suitable acquaintance right now, and I don’t want to live with colleagues either.” The interpersonal relations at the hospital were already complicated enough. Ruan Mian didn’t want to mix these into her private life.

“Then—” Chen Yi drawled, his voice smiling, “Would you consider your boyfriend?”

“Hm? Consider what—” By the time Ruan Mian realized what she was supposed to consider, she froze completely in place.

This was clearly something she had just been discussing with Lin Jiahui, but when it was actually brought out into the open, she was still caught off guard.

“The place I’m living now is too far from where I work. Your place is quite suitable. Moreover, my girlfriend also lives there.” Chen Yi was reasonable and well-founded, his voice steady and low. “So, please give it good consideration, Doctor Ruan.”

Doctor Ruan.

Ruan Mian’s ears were inexplicably burned by this form of address. She moved the phone a bit farther away as if trying to hide something, suppressing her heartbeat and forcing herself to stay calm. “You really want to move over?”

“If you think it’s not suitable, I’ll just pay rent but not move in.” Chen Yi said in a low voice, “Haven’t you been living there for a long time? If you don’t want to move, we won’t move.”

Hearing this, Ruan Mian’s heart was like a shattered honey jar—soft and sweet. She said softly, “There’s no need to go through so much trouble.”

Chen Yi thought this was a refusal. Unexpectedly, the next second she added, “When are you off? Come look at the place. If you think it’s suitable, you can move in.”

The volume of the last few words was obviously much quieter. Even through the screen, Chen Yi could imagine what she looked like at this moment. Suppressing the smile in his voice, he said, “Okay, then I’ll come over this weekend.”

“Which day? What time?” Right now, Ruan Mian seemed to truly regard him as a prospective tenant coming to view the apartment. “I only get one day off this week, just Sunday.”

This was just going through the motions anyway. Chen Yi didn’t pay much attention. “Then Sunday it is.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Ruan Mian looked at the agent’s reply messages on the computer, then glanced at the pile of text on the scratch paper, and inexplicably smiled.

After a while, Lin Jiahui finished her call and came out of the room, sitting back in her previous position. “Alright, let’s continue our discussion.”

Ruan Mian finished replying to the agent’s messages and closed her laptop. “Senior Sister, I’m not planning to rent a place anymore. I’m going to continue living here.”

“What happened?” Lin Jiahui turned her head, her expression surprised. “Didn’t you say living alone in a two-bedroom was a bit wasteful?”

She raised her hand to scratch her face. “I found a roommate.”

“Who?”

Ruan Mian looked at her and blinked. “Chen Yi.”

“…” Lin Jiahui laughed twice. “Your roommate is quite distinctive.”

Ruan Mian: “…”

Soon it was Sunday. Lin Jiahui went out early to meet friends. Before leaving, she even specially tidied up the room.

At that time, Ruan Mian was eating breakfast in the dining room. She had left the door open to air out the place. Lin Jiahui teased, “I wish you both a smooth apartment viewing today.”

“…”

After finishing breakfast, Ruan Mian really did have the feeling of waiting for someone to come view the apartment. Looking at the messy living room, she started busying herself again.

When Chen Yi arrived, she had just finished hanging up the washed clothes to dry. Hearing the knock on the door, she pressed stop on the running washing machine and walked over to open the door.

Then she froze in place.

Today Chen Yi wasn’t in his usual all-black outfit, but rather in his regular uniform—a neatly pressed shirt and military pants that made his figure look tall and well-proportioned.

His skin tone was good to begin with, and this olive green uniform made him look even more refined and handsome. His usually dark and cool features now contained a hint of a smile, adding some warmth instead.

Chen Yi’s lips relaxed. He raised his hand and scraped her nose lightly, neither too hard nor too soft. “What’s wrong?”

Ruan Mian suddenly snapped back to her senses and shifted her gaze away as if covering something up. “Nothing, I was just wondering how you got in. Didn’t you need an access card last time?”

“Probably seeing me wearing this uniform, they figured I probably didn’t look like a bad person.”

Ruan Mian looked at his fair and handsome face and couldn’t help but retort, “Even if you weren’t wearing this uniform, you wouldn’t look like a bad person.”

“Then why didn’t they let me in last time?” Chen Yi unbuttoned his cuff buttons and slowly approached her, pressing her against the shoe cabinet. He said lazily, “How about Doctor Ruan goes and seeks justice for me?”

There it was again.

Ruan Mian’s ears heated up uncontrollably. She turned to leave, perfunctorily saying, “Next time.”

But Chen Yi intercepted her wrist and pulled her back, his hands braced on either side of her, head slightly lowered. “What are you avoiding?”

“I’m not avoiding anything.” Even though Ruan Mian repeatedly avoided it, she still couldn’t help but let her gaze fall on his face, then move down bit by bit.

From his temples, eyebrows and eyes, nose bridge down to thin lips, then to his prominently arched Adam’s apple. Further down, his shirt buttons were fastened neatly, stopping just below the Adam’s apple, so nothing else could be seen. At his waist was a black leather belt outlining his lean waist.

Ruan Mian looked back up at him, raised her hand to grip his arm, her voice warm and soft. “Why are you wearing this uniform today?”

“I went out with my uncle this morning to handle some business. Couldn’t wear casual clothes.” Chen Yi’s fingertips brushed aside the stray hair by her face. He lowered his head and kissed her intermittently, his breath warm. “Why, don’t you like it?”

Her breathing and heartbeat were both tense. “No.”

“So you do like it?” Chen Yi bit her lower lip and looked up to meet her shy yet astringent eyes. His Adam’s apple rolled lightly, and he lowered his head to kiss her again.

Between the friction of lips and teeth, he lowered his voice, as if bewitching her. “Then from now on, every time I come to see you, I’ll wear this uniform, okay?”

“…That’s not necessary every time.” Beauty was truly misleading. In a moment of carelessness, Ruan Mian spoke her true thoughts. “If you see it too much, it’s easy to develop aesthetic fatigue.”