The rental apartment door clicked shut behind her.
Mu Yan tossed the shopping bags onto the bed, sat down and stared blankly at the white wall opposite.
The AC outdoor unit hummed, the clatter clatter of tile-shuffling from the mahjong parlor downstairs drifting up, mixed with cicada cries, noisy and bustling, which instead made the room feel even quieter.
Idle enough to panic.
No need to eat, no need to sleep, all twenty-four hours of the day empty, instead she didn’t know what to do.
If this whole mess hadn’t happened, right now she would probably be so busy at the milk tea shop her feet barely touched the ground, either getting scolded by the boss for whipping the cream topping too thick, or getting a headache from customers rushing orders.
Back then she shouted tired every day; looking back now, at least being tired counted as a real sense of being alive.
She opened the mobile banking app and glanced at the balance.
Thirty-two thousand four hundred something.
University part-time savings, leftover scholarship, New Year red envelope savings, put together it could last a while, but sitting and eating until the mountain is empty definitely wouldn’t work.
Go out tomorrow to look for work, convenience store, bookstore, milk tea shop, whatever she could do.
The phone buzzed once.
It was Mu Siyi.
“Jiejie, back yet～”
Only separated for such a short while and already checking in.
She typed: “Back.”
“Is the rental apartment hot?”
“It’s fine. I’m not afraid of heat.”
“True, your body is cold like an AC. Then what about winter? Will it get even colder?”
“Don’t know.”
“Then talk about it when the time comes. By the way Jiejie, what are you doing tomorrow?”
Mu Yan hesitated for two seconds.
“Looking for work.”
The other side went quiet for ten seconds, then three messages popped out in a row.
“Looking for work?!”
“What kind of work are you looking for?”
“You grew this good-looking going out to work is such a waste, why not come to my house as a full-time body pillow. Room and board included, salary is my hugs, how about it?”
Mu Yan stared at the screen expressionlessly.
Full-time body pillow, salary is hugs… at last night’s frequency, I’d already be a millionaire.
“Not how about it.”
“You’re so heartless. Then what kind of work do you want to look for?”
“Convenience store. Bookstore. Either is fine.”
“Your hands are so small, you can’t even twist a bottle cap smoothly, can you even pull open those drink cabinet doors at the convenience store?”
Although this body’s strength isn’t much, it hasn’t reached that ridiculous level, right.
“Can learn.”
“Okay okay, then you got this. Tell me when you find one, I’ll go cheer you on～ (little bear spinning.jpg)”
The two words “cheer you on” made her eyelid twitch.
If this girl comes to cheer, she’ll definitely take a bottle of mineral water and swagger to the cashier, smiling as she says Jiejie checkout.
After getting change she’ll deliberately say the service attitude is bad and she wants to complain, then the store manager will talk to her, she won’t last two days before getting fired.
Then Mu Siyi will bounce over to pick her up: It’s okay Jiejie, I’ll support you.
The mental image was too strong.
“No need to come.”
“I will definitely go～”
Mu Yan tossed the phone aside and closed her eyes for a moment.
Outside the window the cicada cries suddenly became especially clear.
Ding-dong.
Another one.
“By the way Jiejie, remember to take a photo for me tonight. I have to confirm you didn’t sneak back to squat downstairs at my house.”
She opened her eyes.
I’m her raised cat huh, even have to clock in at set times to report safety.
“No need to confirm.”
“No no, what if you get abducted by aliens? What if a talent scout digs you up on the street to be a model? So many what-ifs, I can’t rest easy.”
“When taking the photo remember to make a yeah sign, your current face making a yeah will definitely be super cute.”
Mu Yan didn’t reply, held up the phone facing this face of hers with almost no expression, clicked a photo, and sent it straight over.
Instant reply.
“So cute!!!”
“But why didn’t you make a yeah? I clearly said you have to make a yeah!”
“Will making a yeah kill you… forget it, you seem to have already died.”
“Doesn’t matter, anyway cute. Saved saved.”
Childish.
Mu Yan typed two words: “Good night.”
“Good night Jiejie～ first thing tomorrow when you find work tell me! I’ll go send you a flower basket～”
“Convenience store doesn’t need flower baskets.”
“Then send mineral water. You sell for three yuan, I buy one bottle and give you a hundred, let you make change. That way you can say ‘Hello welcome’ to me.”
“…Good night.”
“Good night～ (little bear covering with blanket.jpg)”