"Old Four, my train leaves at seven tomorrow morning. I won't wake you when I leave. Take care of yourself from now on."
At a late-night barbecue stall, Zhang Chuan clapped Li Huangxuan on the shoulder and let out a long sigh. Beneath the neon-lit sky, he took one last, reluctant look at Jiangcheng—the city that had been their home.
Zhang Chuan and Li Huangxuan had been roommates since their freshman year, nicknamed Old Three and Old Four.
During their junior year, Li Huangxuan had to take a year off after an accident, which set him back a grade. By the time he finally graduated, Zhang Chuan had already spent a year struggling in the working world—his battle scars all too evident.
In the end, Zhang Chuan gave up on his dream of settling in Jiangcheng. He quit his job and decided to return to his hometown, hoping for a quieter, simpler life.
Li Huangxuan understood and respected his choice.
"So, what's your plan once you're back home?" he asked casually.
Zhang Chuan gave a bitter smile. "Find a steady job with social security, go on a few blind dates, settle down with a decent girl, and then just live a plain, stable life."
Blind dates—an unavoidable checkpoint in the lives of many young people. Li Huangxuan hadn't reached that stage yet; his parents hadn't brought it up, but he knew that conversation was probably just around the corner.
"Old Three, sometimes I feel like our college years were a waste. We didn't even get to fall in love," Li Huangxuan sighed.
"You never had a girlfriend?" Zhang Chuan asked, surprised.
"You and I both know each other inside out—no point pretending. I've been single since birth. Twenty-three years and counting," Li Huangxuan admitted with frustration in his voice.
Zhang Chuan gave him a sympathetic look and patted his shoulder again.
They raised their glasses, clinked them gently, and downed the last of their beers.
Under the dim glow of the streetlights, they leaned on each other for support as they made their way home.
Their place was a small, two-bedroom apartment—old and a little shabby, but the rent was cheap enough to make do.
That kind of life suited someone like Li Huangxuan—a fresh graduate, still figuring things out.
"I've already told Old Zhang. I'm moving out tomorrow. The landlord's going to rent the place out again soon. When the new roommate moves in, try to get along, okay?" Zhang Chuan said, then turned and walked back to his room.
Staring at the now half-empty living room, a quiet loneliness crept over Li Huangxuan. The thought crossed his mind: If the next person who moved in turned out to be difficult, life could get messy fast.
But with his current financial situation, he had no right to dream about renting the place alone.
After a quick shower, still toweling his damp hair, Li Huangxuan returned to his room. He picked up his phone and absently tapped into a game.
"TiMi!"
During the year he took off from school to recover at home, gaming had been his only escape from the endless boredom. Compared to his high school days, his skills had improved by leaps and bounds.
He entered the character selection screen, banned Zhuang Zhou without a second thought, and locked in Miyamoto Musashi.
Less than ten minutes later, the match was over. Total domination.
Final score: 7 kills, 0 deaths, 5 assists.
Miyamoto Musashi, peerless on the battlefield.
But even with stats that flashy, Li Huangxuan didn't feel the slightest hint of joy.
The game was still there. But the people he used to play with… were long gone.
He set his phone aside and opened his laptop, logging into the author portal of an online novel platform.
Just last week, he'd created a writer's account and started drafting his very first story—inspired by his best friend from high school.
But with work keeping him so busy, Li Huangxuan's writing pace had been slow. His word count hadn't yet reached the minimum threshold for the site's recommendation list, so there weren't many readers at all.
But tonight, to his surprise, he spotted a small notification— A reader named Leonid Meteor Shower had sent him a free virtual gift along with a short comment:
"Really love your story! Keep going, author!"
For any new web novelist, even a single word of encouragement from a stranger could spark a burst of motivation. Li Huangxuan felt a sudden rush of excitement, his fingers dancing across the keyboard, fully immersed in his writing.
Tomorrow was Saturday—no need to wake up early for work. So he wrote straight through the night, until the clock struck 1 AM.
Only when sleep finally caught up with him did he close his laptop and collapse onto the bed.
The next morning, he slept in until almost 11, dragging himself out of bed with a head full of messy, bird's-nest hair. When he opened the bedroom door, the apartment was quiet. Zhang Chuan, his roommate, had already left without a sound.
A hollow feeling settled in his chest. One by one, the people who had once shared the same path were now scattering, going their separate ways.
While brushing his teeth in the bathroom, he suddenly heard voices coming from outside.
Curious, he shuffled out in his slippers—and there, standing in the living room, was the landlord, Old Zhang.
And beside him… was a girl.
No, not just any girl— By Li Huangxuan's standards, she was nothing short of a goddess.
Silky, jet-black hair draped casually over her delicate shoulders. Her fair, unblemished skin glowed, untouched by makeup. Her eyes were as clear and bright as an autumn lake, carrying a hint of playful charm.
Though it was already mid-October, and the air had turned a little chilly, she wore only a light outfit—subtly accentuating her graceful figure.
Li Huangxuan blinked, momentarily forgetting to breathe.
"Uncle Zhang… this is?" he asked, puzzled.
Old Zhang grinned, his eyes crinkling with warmth. "Xiao Li, this is your new roommate. We just signed the lease."
"You rented Zhang Chuan's room… to a girl?" Li Huangxuan's voice wavered with surprise.
The thought of living under the same roof as a goddess like her made Li Huangxuan's heart pound wildly, his cheeks flushed with heat. His toes, still snug in his old flip-flops, fidgeted nervously against the floor.
Old Zhang glanced at him with a smirk. "Boy, the world's only got two kinds of people—men and women. Why are you making such a fuss? Besides, she's only staying for a month."
Li Huangxuan shot him a look of disbelief. "Seriously, old man? You've really lost your mind over money, huh? Renting out a room for just one month?"
Old Zhang shrugged helplessly. "She paid me three months' rent upfront. Hard to say no to that, you know."
Then turning toward the girl, he added, "You young folks will get along fine. I'll leave you to it. The old fellas downstairs are still waiting for me to finish our chess match."
With that, he slipped out, leaving the two strangers standing awkwardly in the cramped little living room.
The air was filled with a faint, pleasant scent—a subtle trace of her perfume, or perhaps just the natural fragrance of her skin.
Feeling the tension tighten in his chest, Li Huangxuan mustered up his courage and broke the silence.
"Uh… I'm Li Huangxuan. And you are?"
The girl's voice was soft but clear: "Lin Ximeng."
"Beautiful name! Can I call you Mengmeng from now on?" he asked, half-joking, trying to sound casual.
But Lin Ximeng only cast him a cool sideways glance, her lips staying sealed, before turning her attention to the small, slightly cluttered rental apartment.
The place, once shared by two bachelor guys, still reeked of masculine chaos—the kind that only happens when two dudes live together without caring about appearances. Messy furniture, scattered belongings, an unmistakable wild vibe.
Lin Ximeng frowned slightly, circling the room once before heading downstairs to fetch her luggage.
The joke had fallen flat, leaving Li Huangxuan standing there, feeling the sting of awkwardness. But being the gentleman he aspired to be, he quickly chased after her to help.
Her luggage turned out to be two suitcases: one large, one small.
Naturally, he reached for the larger one—only to nearly stumble backward the moment he lifted it.
The suitcase was far heavier than he'd expected.
"Are you packing a box full of dumbbells or something?" Li Huangxuan grumbled to himself, mustering every ounce of strength he had to move the heavy suitcase up the stairs, step by painful step. He was really regretting the fact that their apartment was on the fourth floor.
"Can't you lift it? Do you want me to help?" Lin Ximeng called out from behind.
"Lift it? Are you kidding?" Li Huangxuan snapped, his words coming out in a strained hiss between clenched teeth.
"But your face is turning red from the effort."
"That's just the sun," he retorted quickly.
Lin Ximeng chuckled and shook her head. "Is it always like this with men? Always so proud?"
Finally, he managed to haul the suitcase upstairs. Lin Ximeng immediately started fussing around in the bedroom, cleaning up a mountain of junk left behind by Zhang Chuan.
Meanwhile, Li Huangxuan, hiding in his own room, pressed his ear to the wall, listening to the sounds from next door. Am I really about to live with this stunning goddess? Is this really happening?