Chapter 399 - 412: Reunion
An Ning’s words made Luo Li blink. She asked, confused, "What do you mean? You mean you like the same things I do?"
In Luo Li’s eyes, An Ning saw a frantic gaze, desperate for affirmation.
But she shook her head.
"The things I like are different from you, but I won’t look at you any differently for it. Everyone has the right to like whatever they want."
"As for what I was talking about, this is what I mean."
An Ning placed a hand on the metal rail of the single bed. Before Luo Li’s eyes, An Ning bent the rail with her bare hands, then straightened it back out again.
"Your hands... are so beautiful."
The "beautiful" that came from Luo Li’s lips didn’t mean the same thing it would from anyone else. An Ning had already figured that out, despite how little time they’d spent together.
She held up her own hand and nodded in agreement. "They certainly are beautiful."
Luo Li didn’t bother hiding her interest in An Ning—a desire that felt unnervingly like wanting to dissect someone.
"You’re really not afraid of me?"
"I’m not. Because I have the absolute strength to crush you. And besides... you won’t."
Those two words, spoken with such certainty, made the crazed look on Luo Li’s face gradually fade. The detached calm that replaced it was a perfect mirror of An Ning’s own.
She moved closer, her manner suddenly familiar. "How did you know I wouldn’t?"
"A secret."
An Ning didn’t answer, and Luo Li didn’t press her. She was thrilled with her new roommate.
After that, their conversation got back on a more normal track.
Luo Li came from a local family of esteemed doctors. Having grown up around dissection rooms, she developed a powerful fascination with "cutting," and studying medicine became the most legitimate way to pursue it.
The gender ratio in the medical program was heavily skewed, leaving her as the odd one out. And so, by a stroke of luck, she ended up becoming An Ning’s roommate.
"I’m so glad we’re roommates."
Luo Li winked mischievously. "You have no idea. My whole family made bets that I’d scare my roommate away on the first day. But I refuse to pretend to be someone I’m not. This is just who I am. If someone gets scared, well, I can’t help that."
"Hello, An Ning. I’m very glad to be your roommate."
In the room, which was smaller than twenty square meters, the two of them shook hands, finalizing a relatively friendly introduction.
The two continued unpacking their bags and arranging their books. On Luo Li’s enthusiastic recommendation, An Ning bought a piece of cloth to put up on the wall behind her bed, which made the space look much cleaner.
"You know, if you had some foam padding, you could stick it here. That way you could lean against the wall and it wouldn’t be so cold."
Aside from her slightly terrifying little quirks, Luo Li was also a huge chatterbox.
For the entire hour they spent unpacking, Luo Li talked and talked, non-stop.
When An Ning finished unpacking, Luo Li sat down too. "Do I talk too much?" she asked. "I don’t mean to. It’s just that if I’m not talking, all sorts of... unsuitable thoughts pop into my head. Talking keeps my mind occupied."
"It’s fine. I can tune you out automatically."
"Really? Does that mean your ears are beautiful, too? Is that a unique ability for smart people? Oh, I can’t take it. Your brain is just too tempting."
An Ning paid Luo Li’s comments no mind, asking instead, "Do you want to go get some food?"
"Food? Yes! I’ve heard the food at Beijing University is cheap and delicious."
"Come on, let’s go! If we go now, we can get the good stuff."
"Remember your key! Hey, why don’t we bring our thermoses down too? We can fill them up in the hot water room for washing up tonight."
"Don’t forget your food container!"
Luo Li’s incessant chatter reminded An Ning of Lin Cuihua, making her feel as if Lin Cuihua had come along to school with her. She found herself adapting to her new roommate with surprising speed.
The two of them headed downstairs, thermoses, meal cards, and food containers in hand.
An Ning and Luo Li made for a very eye-catching pair.
An Ning was better-than-average looking, but it was her striking aura that made her stand out in a crowd. As for Luo Li beside her, that went without saying.
Though she was petite, her vibrant dress, cute curly hair, and impressive figure absolutely captured the attention of all the guys around.
All the way there, Luo Li kept up a running monologue, with An Ning chiming in every now and then. Their communication flowed smoothly as they made their way to one of Beijing University’s many dining halls.
An Ning got a serving of rice, two steamed buns, pork ribs with green beans, crispy fried pork, and a dish of shredded potatoes.
And she wasn’t the only one with a big appetite. Luo Li, beside her, had gotten almost the exact same amount, just with one less steamed bun.
"As expected, smart people eat a lot."
As Luo Li spoke, the two of them found an empty table and sat down to eat.
For someone so talkative, Luo Li was silent while she ate. Even when she had something to say, she waited until she had completely finished chewing her food before speaking.
It was clear she had excellent manners.
After dinner, they went to fill up their thermoses with hot water before heading back to the dorm together.
That first night, An Ning slept soundly. Luo Li’s presence next to her had no effect on her whatsoever.
「The next morning.」
An Ning was an early riser.
"Hey, Beautiful. Good morning."
Hearing the familiar greeting, An Ning finished getting dressed and looked at Luo Li, who was also up early. "Going for a morning workout?"
"Yep. A good surgeon might have to operate for ten, or even more than twenty, hours straight. You can’t do that if you’re not in good shape."
Luo Li changed into her running shoes and workout clothes, then looked at An Ning, who was similarly dressed. "What are you up to?"
"Running."
An Ning grabbed her key and meal card, drank some water, and headed out.
A delighted Luo Li followed right behind her, chattering away about how it must be fate that they had such similar routines.
An Ning didn’t say a word. She just found the athletic field, her eyes scanning the area until they locked onto a group of people. She waved.
"Teacher An!"
"Sis—"
"An Ning—"
"Boss An!"
Zhou Xiaoshan, An Guoping, Yin Xuemei, and Yang Jianguo—the four of them rushed toward An Ning from a short distance away, each shouting a different name for her.
They ran with such desperation, you’d think they were scrambling to pick up money off the ground.
Luo Li peeked out curiously from behind An Ning, looking at the four approaching people. "Your friends?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Oh..."
Just as Luo Li said her "oh," the four of them reached An Ning, all trying to talk over each other in their excitement, creating a chaotic jumble of words.
"Stop!"
An Ning cut through the chaos and introduced Luo Li, who was standing behind her.
The other three gave Luo Li a normal, casual greeting. Only An Guoping’s eyes were filled with worry, mistrust, and defensiveness as he shot An Ning a look, as if wanting to say something but holding himself back.
"Relax. You know your sister, don’t you?"
"I know, but... Alright."
An Guoping forced himself to accept it, but he thought to himself, ’I definitely have to keep an eye on this weirdo, Luo Li.’
An Ning turned her attention to Zhou Xiaoshan. "How’s your father?"
"Don’t worry, Teacher An. He can already get out of bed and walk around."
"That’s good."
An Ning then looked at Yin Xuemei. "Is everything going well?"
"Mhm, everything’s great."
An Ning nodded again and turned to Yang Jianguo. Without waiting for her to ask, he answered, "I’m doing great, Boss An."
"That’s good."
An Ning smiled, her gaze sweeping across the athletic field. ’Where’s Jiang Xia?’ she wondered.