Daily Life of Cohabitation

"Why do you hate me?"

Lan Ruoxi mustered her courage and whispered the question softly in his ear.

An Yi sighed helplessly. "You're overthinking it. I don't hate you."

"You're lying. You clearly do."

Lan Ruoxi's voice was quiet, tinged with a hint of grievance.

She couldn’t understand—out of all the girls, why was An Yi the only one who seemed to dislike her? His words were undeniably hurtful.

An Yi replied indifferently, "We're just not from the same world. There’s no way we’ll ever cross paths in the future."

"How are we not from the same world? We’re both right here, walking down this very street together."

Lan Ruoxi pressed, her usually gentle demeanor giving way to rare stubbornness.

An Yi gave a bitter smile. What could he say?

Should he tell her that he was from another world, that he had important matters to attend to and couldn’t stay here forever—that he would eventually have to leave?

It sounded absurd. Even if he told her the truth, Lan Ruoxi wouldn’t believe him.

"Anyway, we just can’t be together!" An Yi said firmly.

Dragging this out would only make things worse for both of them.

Lan Ruoxi huffed. "Did I ever confess to you? You narcissist."

An Yi was momentarily speechless.

True, she had never actually confessed. His long-winded rejection just made him look like a self-absorbed fool.

"The stars are so beautiful tonight."

Lan Ruoxi gazed up at the shimmering night sky, her voice soft.

An Yi glanced upward as well.

Indeed, the Milky Way stretched like a sheer veil, cradling countless glittering stars—radiant and breathtaking.

He nodded lightly. "Yeah."

Lan Ruoxi rested her head gently against An Yi’s shoulder, wrapping her arms around him. In a whisper so quiet only she could hear, she murmured, "I won’t give up."

......

Another morning where he didn’t feel like going to school.

It was nearly July, and the early sun scorched the earth like a furnace.

An Yi lay motionless on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The blazing sunlight poured through the window, turning the air inside the room stiflingly hot, as if it were boiling.

He regretted it—deeply.

Why had he given up the master bedroom?!

This secondary bedroom was unbearably stuffy and sweltering!

Knock, knock!

The sound of someone rapping on the door.

"Come in!"

An Yi’s voice was weak, drained of energy by the oppressive heat.

He didn’t even need to think about who was knocking. Who else would it be in this tiny rented apartment?

"Are… are you dressed?"

Shen Muxuan’s voice from outside carried a hint of accusation.

An Yi lazily pulled a T-shirt over his bare torso. "Yeah!"

"Good."

Shen Muxuan exhaled in relief and slowly pushed the door open.

An Yi’s drowsy gaze swept over her—and instantly, a nosebleed spurted out.

"Why are you only wearing a bellyband?! Where are your clothes?!"

This girl! She made him dress properly, yet she herself was dressed so provocatively!

A bellyband and undergarments clung to her curvaceous figure, accentuating her slender waist like a water snake, her arms as delicate as tender lotus roots, and those long, smooth legs—pale as jade—were downright lethal!

He was still a virgin, damn it! What kind of innocent guy could withstand this kind of temptation?!

"My clothes are in the wash, and it’s too hot to wear anything else. It’s like a sauna in here."

Shen Muxuan pouted, her big, watery eyes wide with innocence. "An Yi, can you lend me some money? I… I want to buy a new outfit."

"Money? Aren’t you working and earning your own? And you’re asking me, an unemployed bum?!" An Yi couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the airheaded girl.

Ever since Shengda Supermarket had been shut down, the nearby residents had nowhere else to shop. Aunt Zhou’s little supermarket, Chuanfang Supermarket, had become wildly popular overnight.

Shen Muxuan had learned how to handle the cash register and had quickly risen to become the store’s second-in-command.

And with daily wages, An Yi couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

Shen Muxuan mumbled meekly, "I spent it all on food."

"I’ve got some old T-shirts you can borrow."

"But those are men’s clothes. If I wear them outside, people will laugh at me."

An Yi turned over and flopped back onto the bed. "Then eat less. Tighten your belt, and you’ll save enough for a new outfit."

"But… but lately, you’ve been mooching off my meals!" Shen Muxuan’s voice grew even more aggrieved.

An Yi immediately sat bolt upright, defending himself. "Mooching?! You eat enough for three people! The scraps you leave behind are enough for a whole meal for me—that doesn’t count as mooching!"

"But… but I’ve been covering the water and electricity bills too!"

Shen Muxuan pouted, staring at him with wounded eyes.

An Yi adopted a wise, world-weary expression and placed a hand on Shen Muxuan’s smooth, fair shoulder.

"Have you ever considered that I’ve been paying the water and electricity bills for two whole years without a single complaint?"

Seemingly cowed by his solemn demeanor, Shen Muxuan shook her head timidly.

"I paid for two years without saying a word. You’ve only covered one month—do you really have the right to complain?" An Yi pressed, his tone righteous.

Shen Muxuan lowered her head in shame. "N-no… I don’t."

"Then that settles it."

An Yi sighed in relief.

Thank goodness this girl was easy to fool.

Several days had passed since he quit Shengda Supermarket. He had planned to find another part-time job elsewhere.

But to his shock—he had become famous!

Breaking Brother Long’s legs in the streets had only made him slightly notorious.

But wrecking Shengda Supermarket and beating up the young master of Hongtu Real Estate had catapulted An Yi into full-blown infamy.

Even local short videos were milking his notoriety for clicks and followers.

Now that his reputation was in tatters, finding work was impossible. He might as well give up on ever holding a job again.

Fortunately, thanks to his stellar performance in taking down the shady Shengda Supermarket, Aunt Zhou was so pleased that she waived all his back rent.

Of course, the promised 1,000-yuan monthly subsidy was also revoked.

Now, his pockets were nearly empty again. If it weren’t for mooching meals off Shen Muxuan, he’d probably be starving.

Shen Muxuan stared at him with puppy-dog eyes, her gaze shimmering like stars. "An Yi~ please~"

Her voice was already soft and sweet, but when she turned on the charm, it melted An Yi’s bones.

"I really don’t have any money. I can’t even afford a fan right now."

An Yi slumped back, utterly defeated.

When other people said they were broke, they might be lying or just stingy. But him? He was genuinely penniless!

Then again, it was partly this girl’s fault for ruining his golden opportunity.

If he had managed to cozy up to that rich woman Qin Yao at the hospital, he’d probably be sipping champagne by a private pool right now!

"Then… then let’s work hard and save up for a fan! I’ve tried one at Aunt Zhou’s supermarket—it feels amazing!"

Shen Muxuan beamed with pride, as if she had just shared a groundbreaking discovery.

An Yi scoffed. "A fan? Big deal. Kid, have you ever heard of air conditioning? Me, An Yi—I’ve experienced it at Shengda Supermarket!"

Shen Muxuan’s eyes sparkled with awe. "You’ve actually used air conditioning?! You’re incredible!"

Watching her starstruck expression, An Yi sighed.

"Fine, fine. If it’s air conditioning you want, we’ll just buy one!"

Shen Muxuan blinked. "But you can’t even afford the water bill."

An Yi: "…"