Sharing the Dorm with the Enemy from Previous Life

You Paint, I Write Poetry (2)

Inside the classroom, the cold-faced and handsome youth sat motionlessly. Beside him, Ruan Qingmu held the paintbrush and looked down at him from time to time; his gaze was open, frank, and wanton.

After a long time, he finally put down his paintbrush and let out a long sigh.

“It’s done. Thank you, Qin-shaoxia.” With a smile on his face, he scrutinized the painting in satisfaction for a while. He then looked at Qin Yuan and couldn’t help but raise his brows triumphantly.

Qin Yuan’s phoenix eyes were slightly raised as he silently looked at the blackboard; he didn’t say anything after a long time.

He didn’t know why, but a feeling of déjà vu suddenly surged up in his chest. It caused him heartache and slight frustration.

Ruan Qingmu dropped the painting brush. “How is it? My painting can be considered pretty good, right?”

Qin Yuan stared at the two high-spirited youths with fluttering robes in the painting and didn’t comment. “It’s only a painting and no words?”

Ruan Qingmu looked at him with a smile. “Your calligraphy is good. Then, can I please trouble you?”

Qin Yuan gave him a deep look. “You also knew about this about me?”

Ruan Qingmu froze and nonchalantly avoided his gaze. “I guessed that. Was I wrong?”

Qin Yuan didn’t say anything anymore. He calmly picked out a brush among the pile of brushes and tried it out on a scrap paper at the side.

Ruan Qingmu immediately understood his thought. He delivered the paint palette over and pointed at the lump of bright red color.

Qin Yuan held the soft-bristled brush, dipped it in some paint, and stood beside the back blackboard of Class 9.

After that, he lifted the brush and speedily wrote a few lines. The strokes flowed smoothly like the dance of the dragon and snake.

Ruan Qingmu dumbfoundedly looked at the several lines of words and suddenly laughed out loud.

After a long time, he straightened his waist and sighed. “Great class monitor, how did you get a high score in Chinese? There’s nothing great about your limerick.”

Qin Yuan slowly put down the brush and scrutinized it himself. There seemed to be a momentary smile on his iceberg-cold face.

“Not only is it vulgar, but it also deserves a hit.” Ruan Qingmu clicked his tongue several times. He suddenly picked up a thin brush and added a tiny word to the scroll in the painting.

Qin Yuan froze and unbearably scolded him. “Are you crazy? Quickly erase that.”

Ruan Qingmu squinted at him. “I’m the one looking at the book. Why are you controlling me?”

Qin Yuan reached out to take the cleaning rag. “Don’t make trouble. You’re the one who deserves to be hit.”

Ruan Qingmu pretended to be angry and suddenly snatched the cleaning rag in his hand. “You’re not allowed to touch my work.”

***

Outside Class 9, the two girls saw that Ruan Qingmu and Qin Yuan had left already and quietly went in.

“Quick, they’ve gone!” Tang Tiantian pulled Niu Xiaoqing and dashed to the back. “Look at the finished product!”

The two people stood in front of the blackboard. They were dumbfounded as they looked at the hearty painting and the limerick in calligraphy.

Niu Xiaoqing rubbed her eyes. “This, this…”

She suddenly grabbed Tang Tiantian’s arm firmly. “Pinch me, faster!”

Tang Tiantian blankly stared at the blackboard and finally whispered after a long time. “Xiaoqing, do you think we can get first place in Monday’s blackboard bulletin evaluation?”

Niu Xiaoqing suddenly widened her eyes and moved closer to the blackboard. “What is written in the scroll on this picture?”

Tang Tiantian hurriedly moved closer too. After giving it a look, the two girls’ faces turned red.

Niu Xiaoqing firmly picked up the cleaning rag and wanted to wipe off the scripts that were as small as a fly. “I don’t know if we could get the first place or not, but we surely couldn’t get it if these few words were still left on there!”

Tang Tiantian hurriedly pulled her back. “Will it be good to wipe it directly? How about this –”

She pondered for a while and took out her phone to shoot several pictures. She even especially stood backward and took a panoramic view before she could sigh. “Let’s wipe it off now! After erasing it, we will rewrite a new one.”

***

When Ruan Qingmu arrived home, it was dinner time.

Mu Wanli made a table full of dishes and happily beckoned everyone. “Here, here. Let’s eat together!”

“Beautiful Blind Massage” had a total of three staff members. The blind lady, Xiao-Yun, and the male technician, Xiao-Zheng all lived there. They would usually have meals with just the three of them when Ruan Qingmu lived on campus.

Today was the first day her son went home after living at the school. Mu Wanli made twice as many dishes as usual and reminded the two young people. “Things are the same. There are two plates of meat dishes in the former place and the vegetable dish is also at the usual place. The soup is placed in the middle – don’t serve the soup yourself, I will do it.”

After briefing the two staff, she eagerly added food to Ruan Qingmu’s bowl. “Here, here, the food in the cafeteria isn’t good. Hurry to make up for it. You can only make up once for a whole week.”

Ruan Qingmu obediently ate a mouthful of food. “Mm, mm, delicious. The food in the cafeteria isn’t good. There are nutrients, but there’s no taste.”

He indeed suffered this week. He had wasted the living expenses Mu Wanli gave him in sending out red packets, making him unable to make ends meet for three meals a day.

Oh, right. He actually spent 28 yuan just by treating Qin Yuan to eat steamed dumplings!

He checked it on the internet and it really turned out to be a fraud. This steamed dumpling shop hidden in the back alley of Experimental No. 3 turned out to be a local internet celebrity shop. Several food gourmet bloggers had placed it into “The top ten places with gourmet delicacies in XX City that must be checked out.” No wonder the boss dared to set such a price and business was so good there.

Although he never worried about money in his previous life, he honestly couldn’t bear to ask for money from this mom now.

Should he think of a way to make a little money in the future? He stuffed the braised pork ribs into his mouth while absent-mindedly mulling it over in his head.

He looked at the vacant massage room and casually asked, “Oh, right, were there no customers today?”

It was Saturday and many regular customers from the neighborhood would come. Xiao-Yun and Xiao-Zheng would usually take turns having dinner. It was rare for them to have a group meal together like today.

Xiao-Yun smiled and didn’t say anything.