Hello, Mr. Major General

“Can you even get into the girl’s dorm?” Gu Nianzhi clutched the phone and whispered coyly. She felt hot and fanned herself as she leaned against the wall. Her heart was thudding. Quickly scanning the room, she sighed quietly. Thankfully, she hadn’t been lazy today and had tidied up the room without pause—Huo Shao wouldn’t be disappointed if he somehow did come to visit today. But epilepsy he be able to get in?

Gu Nianzhi remembered that during her undergraduate days at C University, the dorm advisor had always been stationed at the entrance to prevent any men from getting in. She worried that there would be a similar set-up here, and so walked around the room a few times before ending the call and turning around to to open the door. She was about to look for Miao Yunxiao when she found her reading in the living room. “Classmate Miao, do you know if our dorm has a dorm advisor?”

“Dorm advisor? We’re not undergraduates, so why would there be one?” Miao Xiaoyun didn’t even bother looking up as she answered. “Anyway, I’m reading right now. I don’t like people disturbing me when I’m studying.”

Gu Nianzhi fell silent. She suddenly felt a longing for her undergrad dorm room where she, Little Temptress, Green Tea Fang, and Lady Cao had gotten along so well.

Miao Yunxiao read for a bit more but could see Gu Nianzhi still standing in a daze in the middle of the living room. She slammed down her book and raised her chin arrogantly at Gu Nianzhi. “Is there anything else you want?” She snapped at her.

Gu Nianzhi stared at the girl, upset by her behavior. What is with her bossy attitude?! Does she feel superior just because she’s lived here alone? Gu Nianzhi didn’t want to bother with her anymore. Some people could act even more rudely no matter how polite the treatment.

“Go back to your room if there’s nothing else,; don’t just stand in the middle of the room like that.” Miao Yunxiao frowned. She thought Gu Nianzhi was being unreasonable.

It was Gu Nianzhi’s first day of school and Huo Shao was about to arrive right away, so she didn’t want him to see her bickering with her roommate. However, this Miao Yunxiao was too rude; Gu Nianzhi wasn’t about to let her get away with it. The relationship between two people is largely determined by their first meeting. If she started off by acquiescing to Miao Yunxiao’s demand, Gu Nianzhi though, she would either always be giving into the other person or fighting so the point they could never be friends. Gu Nianzhi’s expression darkened as she walked to the door.

Miao Yunxiao had a headache and rubbed her temples. She stood up and said sternly, “Classmate Gu, I don’t want to fight on your first day, but you’re really crossing the line.”

Gu Nianzhi suppressed her anger, her voice thin as she said, “I just want to go out, or is that not allowed either?”

“Classmate Gu, you have to know that the living room is a shared space between us. We both have to agree on how to use this space. It’s studying time right now but you insist on walking in circles and disturbing my studies.” Miao Yunxiao had lived in the large room alone for six months so she was unaccustomed to the habits of a roommate who had arrived so suddenly.

Gu Nianzhi pointed to Miao Yunxiao’s room. “Classmate Miao, I think you’re confused. The living room is a public space which means we can both use it, but it’s not necessary to obtain permission from anyone. What requires permission is the access to our own bedrooms. See, yours is just over there. If you don’t want your studies to be disturbed, that’s fine—go back to your room. Don’t force your personal preferences on others in a public space.”

Miao Yunxiao was stunned. She had never met such a sharp tongued classmate. She said, softening her tone, “Classmate Gu, I think you’ve misunderstood. I’m discussing with you, not arguing. Arguing won’t solve anything and will only deteriorate our relationship.”

Gu Nianzhi laughed. “We barely know each other; there is no relationship to deteriorate. I still have business and am not disturbing you. I will go to the faculty to request for a different room if you continue to restrict my freedom.”

Miao Yunxiao sighed. “You’d better get going then. This is what you’re asking for and has nothing to do with me.”

Gu Nianzhi kept quiet and grabbed her phone. Just as she was about to open the door, the doorbell rang. Gu Nianzhi’s mood improved right away and she opened the door with a smile but came face to face with a huge mattress.

“Are you Miss Gu Nianzhi?” The young delivery man smiled from behind the mattress.

Gu Nianzhi nodded. “How May I help you?”

“Someone bought a mattress for you and we’re delivering it. Please sign here.” The delivery man took out an electronic pad and handed it to Gu Nianzhi.

Gu Nianzhi’s heart trembled as she quickly took the digital pen to sign the pad. She watched the delivery men move the mattress to her room. She had just made her bed, but now, to replace the old mattress she would have to take all the things off her bed again. Gu Nianzhi waved her hand at the deliverymen. “Thank you; you can go now.”

The deliverymen smiled and thanked Gu Nianzhi. “Thank you for your purchase! You can call us directly if there’s anything wrong with this mattress in the future.” He handed a business card and a 10% discount card to Gu Nianzhi.

She read the terms on the card and asked with surprise, “This discount is only available for purchases over 10000 RMB?”

“This mattress qualifies!” One of the delivery men pat the mattress. “We’ll leave you with it now. Goodbye!”

Gu Nianzhi quickly got her wallet and took out 100 RMB to place in their hands. “Thanks for your hard work; please go get something to eat.”

The delivery men were delighted but refused. “No, no! Our company doesn’t allow tipping! We appreciate your kindness, but if you insist on thanking us, may we have some water?”

“Just wait.” Gu Nianzhi took out a few bottles of water from the mini fridge, “These are cold. Is that ok?”

“That’s fine.” The delivery men took the water from her and left cheerfully.

Gu Nianzhi smiled absently while looking at the mattress and then tried to call Huo Shaoheng when she remembered that he was supposed to be coming over soon. She turned around and saw Miao Yunxiao standing at the door, disapproval in her eyes. Gu Nianzhi asked her, “What is it?”

“What are you doing?” Miao Yunxiao look at her suspiciously. “Why did you buy a bed all of a sudden?”

Gu Nianzhi also wanted to know why, but had no intention of discussing it with Miao Yunxiao. Gu Nianzhi replied calmly, “Why should I tell you? Please get out of my way. I’m going out.”

Miao Yunxiao’s eyes widened when she was brushed aside by Gu Nianzhi and watched her head towards the door. “Classmate Gu, you’re being too petty. There’s always an order to things—who would be able to live with an unreasonable person like you?!”

Gu Nianzhi stopped mid-step and thought about how she’d assumed earlier that this Classmate Miao was a very quiet person. It had turned out that it was just an illusion: this girl was a total hairsplitter. Gu Nianzhi was about to shoot back a reply when her phone rang again. She answered immediately. “Huo Shao?”

Huo Shaoheng’s voice sounded from her phone. “Open the door.”

Breaking into a smile, Gu Nianzhi rushes to the door to open it and saw Huo Shaoheng. “Huo Shao, you’re here!” Gu Nianzhi looked at him and beamed. She’d felt that she shouldn’t be so obviously happy and instead act more graceful, but she couldn’t seem to control her expressions. Full of joy, she was so happy to see him it wiped away all the previous annoyances.

Huo Shaoheng also relaxed when he saw Gu Nianzhi. Reaching out to pat her head, he asked her, “Did you have lunch yet?”

“Not yet. Today’s been so tiring and I’m so worn out that I’ve ost my appetite.” Gu Nianzhi opened the door wider to let Huo Shaoheng in. “The mattress just arrived, by the way. Thank you, Huo Shao.”

Huo Shaoheng nodded and looked around the suite. His eyes landed on Miao Yunxiao who was still standing in front of Gu Nianzhi’s door.

Gu Nianzhi followed his gaze and her expression turned sour. “Classmate Miao, may I ask if you need anything else? You’re blocking my door.” Miao Yunxiao hastily moved aside and looked at Huo Shaoheng with a flushed face before darting back inside her own room. Gu Nianzhi sighed in relief and dragged Huo Shaoheng by the arm to her room. “Huo Shao, this way.”

Huo Shaoheng followed her inside the room and looked around. He saw the mattress propped up against the wall and asked, “Why isn’t this on the bed?”

“I haven’t cleaned up yet. It’s also too heavy. I’ll need to ask a few classmates to help move it onto the bed.”

Huo Shaoheng glanced at her before he bent over to wrap everything on her bed up in the comforter and place it on the two seater sofa by the wall, then moved the mattress. It had needed to be lifted by several deliverymen earlier, but Huo Shaoheng easily picked it up and placed on her bed. Huo Shaoheng carefully inspected the four corners of the mattress and pressed down firmly to ensure it was secure and finally said to Gu Nianzhi, “Come try it and see how the firmness feels? This is the brand you’re used to.”

Earlier in the day, Fan Jian had said Gu Nianzhi’s bed in her dorm was squeaky, so Huo Shaoheng thought it would be better to get her a new bed in case she couldn’t sleep properly.

Gu Nianzhi was overjoyed. “Thank you Huo Shao for the explanation. I just know how to sleep on beds.” She joked. “I had no idea all those mattresses were the same brand.”

Huo Shaoheng couldn’t hold back a smile and reached out to pull her into a hug.