Chapter 98: Bringing a New Roommate Home~
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 98: Bringing a New Roommate Home~
By the time I finished handling everything for Guan Qiuling, evening had already set in.
After treating her to a simple meal at a roadside stall, I prepared to lead her back to my villa.
Since she was now one of my roommates, it was only natural to bring her home. I imagined Dongli Yiren would be quite surprised. I wondered if she was still there; considering she usually had nothing to do, she was likely staying quietly in the dorm.
After all, to her, the world outside the villa was crawling with perverted senior sisters. The risk of going out for fun was simply too high, so she wouldn't leave unless she had to.
At the moment, Guan Qiuling was still neatly dressed in her Witch Four-Piece Set. The oversized brim of her hat almost completely obscured her figure, though the large magic wand in her hand was quite eye-catching.
I had helped her choose that wand. When she hadn't known which one to pick, she had turned to me for advice.
In the end, I suggested a long magic wand. I figured that having such a substantial object gripped in her hand might give her a sense of security—at least, that’s how Dongli Yiren had described it.
As for her student card, she could have chosen a new name to face her new life, but in the end, she didn't. She chose to stick with the name Guan Qiuling.
Her talent awakening... was of the Item Class. The moment she awakened, something fell into her hands: a jagged fragment of a weapon, looking like a piece of a blade shattered in the heat of battle.
I took a special look at it with my Spirit Vision. It was just an ordinary object, devoid of even a trace of transcendent energy. Guan Qiuling, however, treated it like a treasure. Even though she didn't know what it was for, it was the fruit of her talent awakening, making it deeply sentimental to her.
I had no objections. If I were in her shoes, I would have made the same choice. No matter how ordinary an object is, once you invest it with value, it gains a meaning unique to itself.
When we arrived back at the villa—or rather, the dormitory—the sight of the place made Guan Qiuling’s eyes widen. She clearly hadn't expected a school-assigned dorm to be a standalone villa!
She had probably assumed the place she stayed before was something the senior sisters had rented or bought themselves. She never imagined the academy provided such housing.
Opening the front door, I saw Dongli Yiren watching television. She was lounging lazily on the sofa, wearing clothes I hadn't seen before. It looked like she had gone out and bought some clothes for herself.
I didn't expect her to actually go out shopping.
That was a bit of a surprise. I’d thought she might try to find some men’s clothing; the academy was so vast that there had to be a shop selling them somewhere, though I hadn't come across one yet.
Looking at her outfit now, while it was somewhat gender-neutral, the patterns and the cut of the fabric made it clear that it was, in fact, women’s clothing.
"Oh? You're back?"
Dongli Yiren turned her head, her tone casual. However, the moment she spotted the stranger beside me, she instinctively jolted upright and hurriedly smoothed her clothes.
"Um, this is..."
"Oh, this is Guan Qiuling. She’s our new roommate, so I brought her back with me." I pulled Guan Qiuling forward, resting a hand on her shoulder as I explained to Dongli Yiren.
Then, I introduced Dongli Yiren to her.
"Guan Qiuling, this is the other roommate I told you about. Her name is Dongli Yiren."
"Hello..." Dongli Yiren muttered.
"H-hello..." Guan Qiuling stammered.
Dongli Yiren’s previous laziness had vanished, replaced by a stiff, formal greeting. Guan Qiuling wasn't doing much better.
For a moment, the atmosphere was so awkward I could hardly stand it.
"Alright, alright. Neither of you is the talkative type, but you'll get used to each other eventually. Guan Qiuling, come on, I'll take you upstairs to pick a bedroom. You can sleep there tonight; the rooms are fully stocked with bedding and everything you need."
I nudged Guan Qiuling toward the stairs. Since they had nothing to say to each other, there was no point in forcing it.
Honestly, they were roommates living under the same roof—why was it so stiff? Couldn't they be a bit more lively?
Were they still suspicious of each other?
I hadn't told Dongli Yiren anything about Guan Qiuling’s situation, as I had promised the latter I wouldn't say a word. And since Guan Qiuling herself hated talking, this was the result.
Sigh... Whatever, let it be for now.
It looked like all four people in this dorm—assuming the fourth eventually showed up—would likely be boys.
As for that fourth roommate who held a room card but had yet to appear, they were probably a boy too. After all, in this academy, there probably weren't many senior sisters interested in actual girls...
The one who got kidnapped was most likely a boy, and their current situation was probably just as miserable as Guan Qiuling’s had been.
But there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't find them; it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
I might as well let nature take its course.
After leading Guan Qiuling upstairs, I began to give her the tour.
"The second floor is mostly guest rooms. This first one is my bedroom; if you need anything, just knock. The one at the very end is Dongli Yiren’s. You can pick any of the others."
"I... I'll take this one." Guan Qiuling gave her answer after a brief moment of thought. I had expected her to hesitate and ask for my opinion, but she chose remarkably fast.
"Eh? This one? You've decided already?" I looked at the room; it was right next to mine.
"Um... it's right next to Sister Xiao Han... Is that... not okay?"
"It's fine, of course it's fine." Seeing her look as if she were afraid of inconveniencing me, I couldn't possibly say no. Besides, I didn't mind at all. I opened the door and led her inside.
The room was fresh and clean, with a layout very similar to mine. I was used to it by now, but Guan Qiuling looked stunned. It seemed she had never stayed in such a large bedroom before.
In truth, bigger isn't always better; a room that's too large can feel empty and oppressive. However, while the bedrooms in the villa were spacious, they felt just right once furnished. They were roomy yet cozy.
"This is your room now. Want to get settled in? You'll be living here for a long time, so try to think of it as home. Just relax. Like Dongli Yiren downstairs—she adapted really quickly, and she didn't arrive that much earlier than you."
I tried to reassure her. It would be miserable if she remained this tense even inside her own dorm.
"Mhm. Thank you, Sister Xiao Han."
"Just call me Xiao Han. Adding 'Sister' makes it sound too formal."
"Okay... Xiao Han..."
"That's better. You get settled first. Oh, right—remember to keep your door key safe. I'm going back downstairs."
After giving her that final reminder, I headed back down to the living room. There wasn't much to do just sitting in my own room.
It was a good time to talk to Dongli Yiren about the state of the dorm—things like energy consumption, recharging, and my theories about our missing fourth roommate.
Since Guan Qiuling didn't want her secrets revealed, I wouldn't say a word about her past. I’d just talk to Dongli Yiren about the fourth person. It might at least give her some peace of mind.