Shen Jingbai didn't say much. "It's okay. I'll handle this client."
Zeng Keqin pressed her lips together, feeling even worse.
On the bus back to school, she stared at the layers of high-rises outside the window. Suddenly, an idea hit her.
For the past month, she'd been waking up at six and going to bed around one. Not only was she exhausted, but she also disturbed her roommates' sleep. To accommodate her, Liu Ying, who already had trouble sleeping, was nearly awake until dawn, with dark circles almost as bad as hers.
With senior year approaching, her roommates would be looking for jobs too. Instead of compromising with each other, it would be better for her to move out and find a place near the firm.
She opened the group chat.
Not long ago, Wang Chunyue had posted a picture of the canteen food, complaining it was bad. She scrolled up, looking at the chat history, and felt a pang in her nose. She couldn't bring herself to say it.
When she returned to the dorm, everyone was still awake.
"Qinqin, you're back so early today!"
"Yeah, no overtime for once."
Zeng Keqin put down her bag, tidied her desk, stood up to pour a glass of water, and looked at them with inner turmoil.
Perceptive Fang Yu noticed something was off. "What's wrong? Trouble at work?"
Zeng Keqin hesitated, then finally said, "I have something to tell you guys."
They looked up at her.
"I want to... move out."
A few seconds of silence.
"Great! We've been worried seeing you come back late every night and go to bed in the wee hours."
Wang Chunyue peeled off her face mask, her expression not the surprise or sadness Zeng Keqin had imagined.
Liu Ying agreed. "Yeah, you've lost so much weight these days, like paper. Your chin's so sharp it could poke someone!"
Fang Yu said softly, "We've been meaning to tell you, but we were afraid you'd think we were kicking you out."
Zeng Keqin's eyes instantly reddened. "I'm sorry..."
"What's there to be sorry about? Moving out doesn't mean we won't see each other. Besides, when you lived here, you came back when we were asleep and left before we woke up. We barely saw you anyway."
"Exactly. Find a place near the firm, get more sleep. Don't run yourself down."
Zeng Keqin lowered her head, trying hard not to let the tears spill. She choked out, "Thank you."
"You're welcome. But you owe us a treat! Once you find a place, remember to take us out for a good meal!"
Zeng Keqin smiled and nodded. "Okay."
During work breaks, she scrolled through rental apps, checking out over a dozen listings. Some were too expensive, too far, too run-down, or just partitioned rooms.
Finally, she found one: a three-bedroom shared apartment only two bus stops from the firm, exclusively for women.
The photos showed a clean, bright room at a reasonable price.
She contacted the landlord, a man in his thirties who spoke politely.
She viewed the apartment and it matched the photos exactly.
"Let me tell you, renting this room is totally worth it. Great location, safe neighborhood, and all the roommates are young."
"Can you lower the price a bit?"
"Two thousand is already the bottom line. Two more people are coming to see it this afternoon."
"Alright, deal."
She paid the deposit and they agreed she would move in next weekend.
On Friday, after meeting a client, Zeng Keqin happened to pass by the neighborhood. She wanted to see the apartment again to confirm the room size and decide how much stuff to bring.
'Knock, knock, knock—'
"Coming."
The door opened to a strange man.
"Who are you looking for?"
He wore loungewear, had a big belly, and a face full of flesh. He looked Zeng Keqin up and down.
Zeng Keqin instinctively checked the room number. It was correct.
"I, I... I rented this room."
"Oh, you're the tenant for that room!"
The man stepped aside to let her in. "I'm the landlord's friend. Staying here temporarily."
Zeng Keqin stood at the door, not entering. She peered inside. It was a world of difference from when she'd viewed it.
The living room was piled with clutter, cigarette butts everywhere, and a strange, foul smell permeated the air. Two men sat on the sofa playing games, cursing occasionally.
"Wasn't it supposed to be all female roommates?"
Zeng Keqin took a few steps back in shock.