Chapter 1: This Is Your New Roommate

“Fourth, I’ve got a 7 a.m. ticket tomorrow. I won’t wake you when I leave. Take care of yourself from now on.”

At a late-night barbecue stall, Zhang Chuan patted Li Huangxuan on the shoulder and let out a long sigh.

He looked up at the night sky, lit by the glow of neon lights, his eyes filled with a final trace of attachment to Jiangcheng.

Zhang Chuan and Li Huangxuan had been roommates since their freshman year, ranking third and fourth respectively among their dorm mates.

In their junior year, Li Huangxuan had to take a year off from school due to an accident, which made him fall behind and become the “junior.”

By the time he graduated this year, Zhang Chuan had already spent a year struggling in the workforce, getting battered by the real world.

Eventually, Zhang gave up on the idea of settling down in Jiangcheng. He quit his job and decided to return to his hometown to find a simpler life.

Li Huangxuan respected and understood Zhang’s decision.

He casually asked, “What will you do when you get back home?”

Zhang Chuan gave a bitter smile. “Find a job with benefits and social insurance, go on a few blind dates, marry someone with a similar background, and just live a steady life.”

Blind dating—it’s an unavoidable reality for many young people.

Li Huangxuan was lucky that his parents hadn’t brought it up yet, but he figured it was only a matter of time.

“Third, I feel like our college years were a waste. We didn’t even date anyone,” Li said with some regret.

“You never dated?” Zhang Chuan asked, his tone a little surprised.

“You know me better than anyone. Why would I pretend with you? I’ve been single since birth—23 years now.” Li Huangxuan sounded truly miserable.

Zhang gave him a sympathetic look and patted his shoulder again.

The two of them picked up their glasses and downed the rest of their beer.

Under the dim streetlights, they supported each other as they made their way home.

Their apartment was a modest two-bedroom rental. The conditions were basic, but the rent was cheap—perfect for a newly graduated student like Li Huangxuan.

“I already told Grandpa Zhang I’m moving out tomorrow. This place will be rented out soon. Try to get along with your new roommate,” Zhang Chuan said as he turned and walked into his room.

Staring at the empty living room, Li Huangxuan suddenly felt a wave of loneliness.

If the new roommate turned out to be difficult, life could get really troublesome.

But with his current financial situation, he couldn’t afford to rent the whole place on his own.

After showering, Li returned to his room, his hair still damp.

He picked up his phone and opened a game without much thought.

“TiMi!”

During the year he was on medical leave, Li had been stuck at home recovering. Out of boredom, gaming became his only escape.

Compared to his high school days, his gaming skills had improved dramatically.

On the character selection screen, he banned Zhuang Zhou and picked Miyamoto Musashi.

Within ten minutes, he completely crushed the enemy team.

Final score: 7-0-5.

Miyamoto Musashi—Peerless under Heaven!

But even with such dazzling stats, Li felt no joy at all.

The game remained, but the people he used to play with were long gone.

He set down his phone and opened his laptop, logging into the authors’ section of a web novel platform.

Last week, he had registered as a writer and started his first novel.

The story was inspired by his best friend from high school.

But because of work, his writing had been slow.

There still weren’t enough words for the site to recommend his novel, so very few readers had found it.

But this time, Li Huangxuan was pleasantly surprised to see that a reader named “Leo Meteor Shower” had sent him a free virtual gift and even left a comment:

“Great story! Keep it up, author!”

Every new web novelist knows: even a single line of encouragement from a stranger can ignite the drive to write.

Li Huangxuan felt a surge of energy. His fingers flew across the keyboard as he focused entirely on writing.

Since tomorrow was Saturday and he didn’t have to work, he kept writing until 1 a.m.

Only when drowsiness hit did he shut down his computer and fall into bed.

The next day, he slept in until almost 11 a.m., then slowly got up from bed with a messy bird’s-nest hairstyle and shuffled to the door in his flip-flops.

Zhang Chuan, his former roommate, had already left quietly.

A wave of emotion stirred in his heart. So many people who once shared the same path had now gone their separate ways.

While brushing his teeth in the bathroom, Li Huangxuan heard some noise outside.

He stepped out in his flip-flops and saw Grandpa Zhang, the landlord, followed by a girl.

No—based on his standards, she wasn’t just a girl—she was a goddess.

Her forehead was delicate, her brows like moth wings, her skin smooth like porcelain, and she wore no makeup.

Her long, straight black hair fell over her fragrant shoulders.

Her eyes were as clear as autumn water, shimmering with a touch of liveliness.

It was already mid-October, and the weather had turned cool. Her clothes were a bit thin, making her graceful figure even more noticeable.

“Grandpa Zhang, who is she?” Li Huangxuan asked, confused.

“Xiao Li, this is your new roommate. We just signed the rental contract,” the landlord replied with a cheerful smile.

“You rented Zhang Chuan’s room… to a girl?” Li Huangxuan was stunned.

Just the thought of living with a goddess-like beauty made his heart race uncontrollably. His cheeks grew warm, and his toes, exposed in flip-flops, twitched nervously.

Grandpa Zhang rolled his eyes. “What, the world’s made up of either men or women. Why such a big reaction? Besides, she’s only staying for a month.”

Li Huangxuan muttered in disbelief, “Old man, are you that desperate for money? Even for just one month, you rented it out?”

“She paid three months’ rent up front. How could I refuse?” Grandpa Zhang shrugged helplessly.

Then he turned to the girl and said, “You young folks will get along fine. I’ll stop getting in the way. The old guys downstairs are still waiting for me to play chess.”

With that, he turned and left, leaving the two strangers awkwardly standing in the living room.

A faint, pleasant scent from the girl lingered in the air.

“Uh… I’m Li Huangxuan. How should I address you?” he asked, forcing himself to speak up.

“Lin Ximeng,” she replied.

“Beautiful name. Mind if I call you Mengmeng?”

Lin Ximeng gave him a quick glance but didn’t reply. Instead, she began surveying the small rental apartment.

Previously, it had been just Li Huangxuan and Zhang Chuan living there. Two guys sharing a place naturally made it rough around the edges.

The living room was cluttered and chaotic, giving off a kind of wild, unkempt vibe.

Frowning slightly, Lin Ximeng walked a couple of rounds, then headed downstairs to bring up her luggage.

Though his attempt at a joke had been ignored, Li Huangxuan, trying to maintain his gentlemanly image, quickly followed her downstairs to help.

There were two suitcases—one large and one small.

As a grown man, of course he had to carry the larger suitcase—but the moment he lifted it, he nearly stumbled.

The weight of the suitcase was far beyond what he expected.

Did she pack it full of dumbbells or what?

Li Huangxuan grumbled inwardly, then mustered all his strength to lift the suitcase, struggling step by step up the stairs.

At that moment, he deeply regretted living on the fourth floor.

“Is it too heavy for you? Do you want me to help carry it?” Lin Ximeng asked from behind.

“Too heavy? Are you kidding me?” Li Huangxuan squeezed the words out through clenched teeth.

“But your face is completely red,” she replied.

“That’s from the sun,” he shot back.

Lin Ximeng just smiled and shook her head.

Are all men this stubborn about saving face?

After the suitcase was finally brought upstairs, Lin Ximeng went into the bedroom and began tidying up—cleaning out a large pile of junk Zhang Chuan had left behind.

Meanwhile, Li Huangxuan stayed in his own room, ears perked, listening to the sounds from next door.

Am I really about to start living with such a gorgeous goddess?