Chapter 92 : Chapter 92

Chapter 92: Finding Dongli Yiren at the Shop

"Good morning, Senior."

After entering the shop, I hurriedly went to clock in and change clothes.

Though I thought I arrived pretty early, it was clear that Senior had gotten there even earlier.

"Morning, Little Han. You seem quite happy today. Did you pass the theory exam yesterday?"

Senior Ying Shiqian asked with a smile.

"That kind of thing is a piece of cake! But still, I can't compare to Tan Han. I finally understand the terror of a true academic genius," I sighed with a hint of regret.

"I told you before, don't compare yourself to someone like that. It's just asking for trouble."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's not talk about that."

I said as I skillfully changed and came out, continuing, "Yesterday, I got a new roommate. I've been at the academy for quite a few days now, and if no roommates showed up soon, I was going to die of boredom."

"You got a new roommate already? Looks like this year's recruitment is fiercer than past years."

"Huh? Senior, you're so sure they were recruited? Couldn't they have come early on their own?"

I asked, propping my chin with my hand.

"Those who come early voluntarily usually show up around the time the admission notices are sent out. Anyone getting housing arranged now is definitely recruited," Ying Shiqian said with a smirk, then thought of a possibility.

"Little Han, your new roommate isn't a guy, is it?"

"Huh? You guessed it right!"

"Really? I was just guessing. After all, there aren't many guys in each batch, and someone like you is even rarer," Ying Shiqian said, showing a surprised expression.

It seemed the number of guys at the academy was even lower than I had imagined.

If that was the case, having an originally female freshman move into the villa would actually put a lot of pressure on me.

Just when I thought today would be another uneventful day, I spotted a sneaky figure outside the bakery.

When they poked their head out, I immediately recognized them.

"Dongli Yiren… wait, why are you here?"

I took a detour to the entrance.

I hadn't expected her to follow me, and even if she did, wasn't it awkward to be carrying such a large magic wand?

"Uh… I came to check if there was anything to eat around here," Dongli Yiren said, her eyes darting away at first.

But since I had come over, she had no choice but to explain.

It was morning, after all, so looking for food wasn't an issue.

"I see. Well, come in then. We have free cookies here, given out whether you buy something or not," I said after hearing her explanation.

I didn't press further.

If she hadn't followed me, it would've taken her much longer to find her way here from the villa.

Seeing that she hadn't eaten yet, I pulled her inside.

The bakery was open for business and naturally welcomed customers, even those just coming for a freebie.

Those were mostly items about to go unsold anyway.

Better to give them away than let them end up in the street's trash bins.

A lot of the stuff here was made by me, too.

I wondered if Dongli Yiren would be lucky enough to try some.

"Huh? Really?"

Clearly, Dongli Yiren quickly picked up on the keyword "free," and her expression became eager, though she was still restraining herself, not making it too obvious.

"Of course," I said with a look that screamed, "Trust me, I won't trick you," and smiled.

"Little Han, someone you know?"

Ying Shiqian's voice came from behind.

After all, I usually wouldn't go to the entrance to greet someone hesitating at the door.

That was something only the seniors would do when they had nothing better to do.

Wasn't that how I got this part-time job in the first place?

"Yeah, she's my roommate," I turned and replied.

I hadn't expected to mention her to Senior this morning and then have her show up herself.

I turned back to the slightly embarrassed Dongli Yiren.

"It's fine, come in. Just think of it as having some fun."

"Fun… fun? No, I'm not here to play!"

"Huh?"

Seeing Dongli Yiren's reaction, it was like I had hit a sore spot again.

If I hadn't quickly grabbed her, she might've turned and run off.

"Hey, what's wrong now?"

"I… I'm sorry, I got worked up."

Dongli Yiren, caught by my sudden grab, quickly calmed down and apologized.

"Don't get so worked up. You haven't eaten this morning, right? Just think of it as my treat, but it’s limited to stuff from the shop," I said soothingly.

"Hi, you're Little Han's roommate, right? I just heard about you from her this morning. Nice to meet you. I'm Ying Shiqian. If you run into any trouble, feel free to come to our bakery," Ying Shiqian said as she walked over, speaking in a very polite tone.

"I… I'm Dong… Dongli Yiren," Dongli Yiren stammered, clearly still a bit wary of Ying Shiqian.

"Dongli Yiren, Senior Ying Shiqian is really nice. If you feel bored during this time, you can come hang out here often," I whispered to Dongli Yiren, though I didn't deliberately avoid Ying Shiqian.

"I… okay, got it."

In the end, under Senior's warm hospitality, Dongli Yiren entered the shop.

It was clear that Senior was quite interested in her.

Her joy was practically spilling over, as if she had found a new toy to tease.

As expected, the seniors were quick to tire of the old and love the new.

Teasing a shy yet prideful gender-swapped boy like this was indeed fun.

The only boring ones were people like me who just accepted it, right?

"Little Han, it's surprisingly not busy this morning. Want to come help me out?"

At that moment, Senior Tang Yihan came out from the back.

Seeing someone slacking off and chatting while teasing a customer, she immediately spoke up.

"Hm… Ying Shiqian, what are you doing?"

"Oh, this is Little Han's new roommate. I'm just chatting with her."

"Little Han's new roommate?"

Tang Yihan raised an eyebrow, her gaze shifting to me.

"Yeah, that's right," I nodded quickly.

"I see. Hi, I'm Tang Yihan. Want to get acquainted?"

After understanding the situation, Tang Yihan dropped her earlier seriousness, took off her gloves, and walked toward Dongli Yiren.

"Dongli Yiren…"

After a moment's hesitation, she still gave her name.

"Dongli Yiren… nice name. But I'll have to borrow your roommate for a bit, so you'll have to make do with chatting with this senior. Don't worry, if she gets too handsy, just call me, and I'll deal with her," Tang Yihan said without lingering too long.

She could tell a lot from the situation.

For example, it was obvious Dongli Yiren was originally a boy and was currently very nervous.

In this state, only someone like Ying Shiqian would keep pestering her.

If Tang Yihan joined in, it might put even more pressure on her.

Better to call Little Han to help out and get the details later.

She just hoped Ying Shiqian wouldn't go too far.

At least she had some sense of boundaries.