Chapter 92: Finding Dongli Yiren at the Shop
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92: Finding Dongli Yiren at the Shop
"Morning, Senior Sister."
After entering the shop, I hurried off to clock in and change. Although I thought I’d arrived quite early, it was clear that Senior Sister had beaten me to it.
"Morning, Xiao Han. You look like you're in a great mood. Did you pass yesterday's theory assessment?" Ying Shiqian asked with a smile.
"Something like that is a piece of cake! Still, I’m nowhere near Tan Han’s level. I’ve finally realized how terrifying an Academic God can be," I sighed with a hint of regret.
"I told you already, don't compare yourself to people like that. It’s just self-inflicted torture."
"Yeah, you're right. Let's not talk about it." Once I’d skillfully changed into my uniform, I came back out and continued, "I got a new roommate yesterday. I’ve been at the academy for so many days now; if a roommate hadn't shown up soon, I would’ve died of boredom."
"You got a new roommate already? It seems the 'recruitment' this year is even more intense than usual."
"Eh? You’re so sure they were scouted, Senior Sister? Couldn't they have just come early voluntarily?" I asked, resting my chin on my hand.
"Those who come early voluntarily usually show up right around the time the admission letters are sent out. Anyone being assigned housing this late was definitely scouted." Ying Shiqian’s lips curled into a smirk as a possibility occurred to her. "Xiao Han, your new roommate wouldn't happen to be a guy too, would they?"
"Huh? What a lucky guess!"
"Really? It was just a hunch. After all, not many boys come to this academy every year—and even fewer like you, of course." Ying Shiqian looked genuinely surprised. It seemed there were even fewer boys in the academy than I had imagined.
If that was the case, I’d actually be under a lot of pressure if a natural-born girl moved into the villa.
Just as I thought today would be another ordinary day, I spotted a figure acting suspiciously outside the bakery.
The moment she poked her head out, I recognized her immediately.
"Dongli Yiren... Wait, what are you doing here?"
I bypassed the counter and went straight to the door. I hadn't expected her to follow me, and even if she did, wasn't it awkward to be carrying that massive magic wand around?
"Um... I, I just came out to see if there was anything to eat around here." Dongli Yiren’s eyes darted around at first, but seeing as I’d already walked over, she had no choice but to speak up. Since it was morning, looking for food was a perfectly reasonable excuse.
"I see. Well, come on in. We give out free cookies here; you get them whether you buy anything or not." I didn't press her further after hearing her explanation. After all, if she hadn't followed me, there was no way she could have navigated from the villa to this place in such a short time.
Seeing as she hadn't eaten yet, I had no choice but to pull her inside. A bakery is naturally welcoming to customers, even those who just come for the freebies.
Besides, those freebies were mostly stock that was about to go off-shelf. Better to give them away than let them end up in a trash can on the street.
Quite a few of those treats were my own handiwork; I wondered if Dongli Yiren would be lucky enough to taste one.
"Eh? Really?"
Clearly, Dongli Yiren had instantly locked onto the keyword "free." Her expression became restless, though she was trying her best to stay restrained and not make it too obvious.
"Of course." I gave her a "trust me, I wouldn't lie to you" look and smiled.
"Xiao Han, is this someone you know?" Ying Shiqian’s voice came from behind me. I didn't usually head to the door to greet someone hesitating outside.
That was the kind of thing the Senior Sisters did when they were bored. Wasn't that exactly how it went when I was looking for a part-time job?
"Yeah, she's my roommate," I turned and replied. I hadn't expected her to show up right after I’d mentioned her. I turned back to the slightly awkward Dongli Yiren. "It's fine, come in. Just think of it as coming to play for a bit."
"Play... Play? No, I'm not playing!"
"Huh?"
Looking at Dongli Yiren’s reaction, it was as if I’d accidentally poked a sore spot again. If I hadn't grabbed her quickly, she probably would have turned tail and bolted.
"Wait, what's wrong now?"
"I... I, sorry. I overreacted."
Being caught by me, Dongli Yiren quickly snapped out of it. After an apology, she calmed down.
"Don't get worked up. Since you haven't eaten breakfast, consider it my treat—but only for things in the shop," I said soothingly.
"Hello there. You're Xiao Han's roommate, right? I just heard Xiao Han mention you this morning. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Ying Shiqian. If you ever run into trouble, feel free to come to our Baking House," Ying Shiqian said as she walked over, her tone very polite.
"I... I'm Don... Dongli Yiren," she stammered. It was clear from her posture that she was still a bit wary of Ying Shiqian.
"Dongli Yiren, Senior Sister Ying Shiqian is a very good person. If you're bored lately, you should come by and hang out with us often," I whispered to her, though I didn't go out of my way to hide it from Ying Shiqian.
"I... Um, okay."
In the end, under Senior Sister’s enthusiastic hospitality, Dongli Yiren finally entered the shop. It was obvious that Ying Shiqian was very interested in her.
Her joy was written all over her face, as if she’d discovered a new toy to tease.
As expected... the Senior Sisters really do love their "new" things. Then again, teasing a shy, tsundere gender-swapped boy is fun. I suppose I’m the boring one since I just accepted my fate so readily.
"Xiao Han, it's not very busy this morning. Why don't you come back here and give me a hand?" Tang Yihan emerged from the back. Seeing someone slacking off to chat and tease a customer, she immediately spoke up. "Wait... Ying Shiqian, what are you doing?"
"Oh, this is Xiao Han's new roommate. I'm just chatting with her."
"Xiao Han's new roommate?" Tang Yihan raised an eyebrow, then shifted her gaze to me.
"Yes, that's right," I nodded immediately.
"I see. Hello, I'm Tang Yihan. Care to get acquainted?" Once she understood the situation, Tang Yihan dropped her stern expression. She pulled off her gloves and walked toward Dongli Yiren.
"Dongli Yiren..." After a moment's hesitation, she chose to give her name.
"Dongli Yiren... That's a lovely name. However, I need to borrow your roommate for a bit, so I'll have to leave you to chat with this Senior Sister. Don't worry, if she tries to get handsy, just call for me and I'll teach her a lesson." Tang Yihan didn't linger or push for more conversation. She was observant enough to read the room.
For instance, she could tell Dongli Yiren was a boy at a glance, and a very nervous one at that. In this state, only a person like Ying Shiqian would keep pestering her. If Tang Yihan joined the conversation, it would only put more pressure on the girl. It was better to call Xiao Han inside to help and get the full story.
She just hoped Ying Shiqian wouldn't go too far. The girl usually had some sense of boundaries, at least.