With a light click of the internal spring mechanism, the slightly worn burgundy wooden door swung open from inside.
The motion-sensor light flickered on, its dim yellow glow instantly flooding the narrow stairwell. Through the outer layer of that old-fashioned iron-barred security door, a young woman's figure came into Chen Yuanchu's view. She was still clutching a rag she hadn't had time to put down, the fine strands of hair at her forehead dampened by sweat, a few sticking to her smooth brow—clearly she had just finished a thorough cleaning.
Her face was bare, wearing not a trace of makeup, the jawline softly curved, her almond-shaped eyes carrying an air of haste. In her rush to open the door, she hadn't initially noticed that there was someone standing behind Principal Zhou, not until she opened the inner door and reached to unlatch the security door, her gaze sweeping over naturally.
"What a coincidence, didn't expect to meet again here."
Recognizing the woman's face, Chen Yuanchu smiled and greeted her first.
No wonder her voice had sounded so familiar earlier—this young woman in her early twenties was none other than the girl handing out flyers near the mall when he came to register at the school this morning.
Chen Yuanchu had an exceptional memory. For anyone he had even met once, he could recall their face and voice for a long time, let alone someone he had seen just this morning.
"Hm?"
Chen Yuanchu's words made the woman look up, her gaze passing over Principal Zhou to fall on him: "You're—that little Taoist priest from this morning?"
"That's me, surprised you still remember."
"It's really you!" The astonishment on the girl's face was unmistakable. "I handed out flyers all day today, and the only Taoist I ran into was you—didn't expect to meet again here, what a coincidence…"
After the initial shock wore off, it dawned on her: "So you're…"
"Mr. Zhou arranged for me to stay here temporarily. I hope I won't be too much trouble."
"Oh, you're the high school sophomore! But aren't you also a Taoist…"
"Right, I'm also a Taoist, enrolled just today."
"…"
The woman fell silent, her expression pensive—she clearly hadn't yet adjusted to the mental switch between "Taoist priest" and "student."
Listening to their exchange, Principal Zhou was also a bit puzzled: "Yuanchu, you know Xiao Li?"
"We don't really know each other. When I came to register this morning, I ran into this sister handing out flyers. We just crossed paths once."
"Oh! What a coincidence!"
As the saying goes, "Those destined will meet." Though Chen Yuanchu didn't believe in fate, he did believe in serendipity.
The bonds between people come down to a process of meeting, knowing, and understanding. And of all these stages, the meeting itself is the one beyond human control. Even with his level of cultivation, he still couldn't predict who he would encounter in the future or whose life would intertwine with his.
Running into each other by chance in the crowd, then walking the same stretch of road together—that alone is something rare.
It may seem like fate, but could it not also be something with its own hidden patterns?
With that thought, Chen Yuanchu remembered again the chatty girl he had met along the way. Judging by her school uniform, he had confirmed she was a student at Yunxi Number One High, though he had no idea when or where their next meeting would be.
Chen Yuanchu didn't force things, nor would he go searching. He savored this kind of unknown, delightful unpredictability in life.
"Since you're not quite familiar yet, let me make a brief introduction."
Principal Zhou laughed heartily. "This is Xiao Li, Su Wanyin. She just graduated and started working this year—Xiao Li is twenty-two now, isn't she? Yuanchu, you can just call her Sister."
"This is Chen Yuanchu, a sophomore at our school, and a bona fide Taoist priest. His character is excellent. I know sharing a place with a girl comes with its complications, but Xiao Li, rest assured—Yuanchu knows boundaries, he won't make things awkward for you."
"No worries at all, thank you, Uncle Zhou, for finding me a roommate. It would've been really tough renting alone…"
Su Wanyin knew that finding a place this affordable in this area was thanks to Zhou Ming's help. The same price elsewhere wouldn't necessarily get her anything better, and she was deeply grateful for it.
"It's always tough right after graduation. Just keep working hard, and you'll save up eventually."
"Mm. Uncle Zhou, Yuanchu, come on in—I'll pour you some water."
At Su Wanyin's invitation, Chen Yuanchu and the principal stepped inside.
"Xiao Li, getting off work early today?" the principal asked.
"Yeah, the part-time job is flexible. Knowing a new roommate was coming, I came home early to tidy up the place."
"Haven't found a proper job yet?"
"Well… since I only graduated from a vocational college and have no experience, I've interviewed at a few places but nothing's come of it… So for now I can only do part-time work to get by. And about the rent—Uncle Zhou, don't worry, I'll definitely have it together and pay you by the tenth!"
"Don't rush, take your time."
While Zhou Ming and Su Wanyin talked, Chen Yuanchu listened quietly nearby.
The girl brought over two cups and poured two glasses of cool boiled water from a thermos.
The weather was sweltering. Only now that people had arrived did she reach for the remote to turn on the air conditioning. When she'd been cleaning alone earlier, she'd worked up a sweat from the heat without ever daring to turn it on.
On the coffee table lay the flyers she hadn't finished distributing—honestly handed out one by one to passersby, never once considering secretly dumping the unsent ones in a trash bin when the boss wasn't looking…
Chen Yuanchu picked up one of the flyers and glanced at it. It was identical to the ones he had seen this morning, advertising a newly opened restaurant inside the mall.
"Will Sister Wanyin be handing out these flyers again tomorrow?" Chen Yuanchu asked.
The address "Sister Wanyin" made Su Wanyin pause for a moment, then she nodded: "Yes, the part-time job lasts a week—it's a promotional event for the restaurant's opening. The pay's decent, a hundred yuan per day, plus meals are provided. I've still got five more days to go."
"I thought the restaurant was inside the mall. Why did they have you handing them out on the street instead?" Chen Yuanchu was curious—he'd encountered her on the road outside the mall this morning.
"There are other part-timers handing them out inside the mall too, but that spot only pays eighty yuan a day…"
Chen Yuanchu nodded.
So it turned out that just a twenty-yuan difference was enough to make a freshly graduated young woman with tight finances give up the comfort of air conditioning inside the mall and choose to work outdoors under the blazing sun.
As they chatted, the little black cat crawled out of the bag, curiously eyeing this new home it would be living in.
"Sister Wanyin, I also brought a cat. I hope you don't mind?"
"I don't mind at all. I love cats too. We had one at home before—it was amazing at catching mice."
Seeing the little black coal ball, Su Wanyin's eyes lit up. She reached out and stroked it.
The black cat didn't scratch her, but nimbly slipped away, shot her a sideways glance, then bounded off to continue inspecting its new territory.
Chen Yuanchu and Principal Zhou also rose from the area near the coffee table and took a simple look around the apartment.
Like the exterior, the interior décor and furnishings were quite old and worn, but Su Wanyin was diligent—the apartment was spotlessly clean.
"The room on the east side—that's yours, right, Xiao Li?" The principal pointed to the closed door.
"Yes, I live in the east room. The one by the balcony was previously Xiao Yun's. After she moved out it was empty. I just cleaned it, so Yuanchu, you can take that one. The west room is also livable, but there's a lot of stuff there, hasn't been sorted out yet, and the afternoon sun makes it quite hot in summer…"
"Thank you for cleaning it for me, Sister Wanyin. I'll take the room by the balcony then."
Chen Yuanchu didn't particularly care which room he got. As Su Wanyin had said, the west room really was hotter, and the remaining two rooms were about the same size anyway.
That's how co-living works. Apart from each person's individual room, everything else is shared space. Each person manages their own room, while the shared areas depend entirely on everyone's sense of responsibility. If you end up with a messy roommate, shared living is mostly a headache.
Clearly, Su Wanyin was not that kind of person.
She had been living here for some time, and the apartment was even cleaner and tidier than when she first moved in. Even the stubborn stains left by the previous tenant in the kitchen and bathroom had been scrubbed spotless by her.
Now, seeing a new roommate moving in, she had even gone ahead and tidied up the room for him.
"Yuanchu, take a look—if there's anything missing or anything you want changed, let me know. I'll sort it out for you in the next couple of days." Principal Zhou asked.
"No need, Uncle Zhou. This is already more than good enough—far better than the conditions at our Taoist temple."
"Ha ha, alright then. If you need anything, just let me know. Don't be shy with your uncle."
To be honest, apart from the location and the rent being favorable, the apartment's fixtures were genuinely outdated. If it had been