Chapter 17: The First Meal as Roommates

Li Wanyin had always kept the house meticulously tidy, and with the help of Chen Shian, the two quickly finished cleaning up. Once the common areas were in order, Chen Shian carried his luggage to his room to unpack. He didn’t have much—just some tools and ritual implements typical of a Taoist priest, two sweatshirts, and two Taoist robes. In addition, there were a few books he’d brought back from school and four sets of newly issued school uniforms.

He took the books out of his bag and placed them on the desk, while the uniforms needed washing since he’d have to wear them for class the next day. Since tidying up his room was a private matter, Li Wanyin didn’t offer to help. Seeing that Chen Shian hadn’t closed his door, she stood at the entrance out of curiosity.

“You traveled light,” she remarked.

“Yes, just the essentials. The journey was long, so bringing too much would have been inconvenient. Anything I’m missing, I’ll buy later,” Chen Shian replied, then turned to ask, “Do you know where I can buy bedding, pillows, and toiletries nearby?”

“There’s a department store just outside the community to the left—they sell everything you need,” Li Wanyin answered warmly. “If you don’t have laundry detergent or shampoo yet, you can use mine for now.” She instinctively extended kindness toward her soon-to-be housemate.

“Thank you, Wanyin,” Chen Shian said with a smile.

She pronounced his name softly, “Chen, Shian... Is it ‘shi’ as in numbers, or ‘shi’ as in time?”

“It’s the ‘shi’ from ‘honesty,’” he explained.

After answering, he asked her, “And your name, Wanyin—is it ‘wan’ as in gentle, and ‘yin’ as in sound, like melodious music?”

“That’s right! You really are a Taoist? You look so young...” Perhaps because Chen Shian was much younger than she was, even though he was a man, Li Wanyin felt little awkwardness. Mostly, it was because when they first met that morning, the young priest had made a very good impression. Having worked all day and seen countless strangers, she’d already forgotten the others, but Chen Shian stood out, even without his Taoist robe. His politeness and composure left a lasting impression.

Of course, her ideal roommate would still be another girl—it would be more convenient. But right now, she couldn’t afford to be picky; next month’s rent was looming, and she could barely pay it.

“Yes, truly a Taoist,” Chen Shian replied calmly, not minding that she’d asked again. He was used to skepticism, especially when he was even younger.

“That’s impressive!” Admiration brightened Li Wanyin’s face, and she smiled, “You’re actually the first Taoist I’ve ever met. I always thought people on the path of cultivation were distant, and no one around me was ever interested. When did you start practicing?”

“I’ve been learning the Tao from my master in the mountains since I was old enough to remember.”

“So young! Did your parents agree?”

“I was an abandoned infant, picked up by my master.”

“...” The words caught in her throat, and Li Wanyin fell silent. After a while, she spoke quietly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know—I brought up something sad for you.”

“No need to feel guilty, Wanyin. I have no real concept of sadness about it. My master raised and taught me; to me, he’s no different from parents or family.”

Only then did Li Wanyin notice the ever-present smile on his face—not only did it make him seem approachable, but it truly radiated optimism. Emotions are contagious, and she found herself relaxing in his presence.

“How old are you now?” she asked.

“Eighteen. And you?”

“Hehe, I’m quite a bit older—twenty-two this year.”

“You make it sound like you’re ten years older, but it’s only four,” Chen Shian replied naturally, then curiously asked, “You must have siblings, right?”

“How did you know? I do have a younger sister, fifteen this year, a bit younger than you.” His guess surprised her.

“People who’ve been an older brother or sister always have a certain quality about them, and you do.”

—

“Haha, I’ve never noticed that myself, but you’re very perceptive...” After saying this, Chen Shian joked, “Is your sister’s name Wanyue by any chance?”

“How did you know!!”

“So it really is? That was just a wild guess,” Chen Shian was surprised himself.

“You guessed the character wrong though—it’s ‘Yue’ as in ‘delightful,’ not ‘music.’”

“Oh, I really thought it was ‘music.’”

After a bit more chatting, they felt much more at ease with each other. Just then, Li Wanyin’s phone rang. She answered.

A voice spoke on the other end, “Your delivery is here—I left it at the drop-off point at your community entrance. Please come down to get it.”

“Can’t you bring it up?” she asked.

“The security won’t let me in.”

“They shouldn’t stop you...”

“Just pick it up yourself. There’s no elevator, and no one’s going to bring a shared meal worth a few bucks up to the ninth floor...” The tone was indifferent, as if to say, “I’m just a gig worker—leave a bad review if you want.” The call ended abruptly.

Li Wanyin had no choice but to go downstairs herself.

“Shian, have you eaten? If not, I can order something for you—I still have a coupon.”

“No need, I brought food from the cafeteria.”

“Alright then, I’ll go get my delivery.”

She changed her shoes and grabbed the trash, heading downstairs to pick up her meal. Normally, Li Wanyin rarely ordered takeout—she’d either cook simply for herself or eat meals provided during her part-time jobs. But with a new roommate moving in, she’d come home early to clean, missing the provided meal at work and having no time to cook. The coupon was the perfect excuse for a quick meal.

Meanwhile, Chen Shian had finished unpacking and took his new school uniform to wash in the bathroom. There was a washing machine, which he recognized but had never used and didn’t know how to operate. He fiddled with it out of curiosity, finding it not too complicated—even a five-year-old could figure it out; his master, however, might struggle.

Still, he washed his uniform by hand. It wasn’t dirty, so a simple rinse in a bucket of clean water sufficed. In these little ways, the eighteen-year-old was almost “middle-aged.”

—

By the time he finished washing, Li Wanyin hadn’t returned from picking up her delivery. Chen Shian wondered about her whereabouts, but she finally came back, empty-handed and with a crestfallen expression. “It’s gone—someone stole my meal...”

Chen Shian: “...”

Seeing her looking so pitiful, as if the sky was falling, the young priest didn’t know what to say.

“Wasn’t it at the drop-off point? How could someone steal it?”

“No idea, maybe someone took it by mistake...” Li Wanyin sighed, feeling like misfortune followed her everywhere. She had little money left, and her salary wouldn’t arrive for days. Using a coupon for a cheap meal, only to have it stolen—it was just bad luck.

Nothing to be done, she thought. She wasn’t one to complain; she preferred to solve the problem. “So, Wanyin, what will you do for dinner?” Chen Shian asked.

“There’s some instant noodles in the fridge. I’m not very hungry; I’ll just make some to get by.”

—

Not very hungry? He thought he’d just heard her stomach rumbling!

But fate was kind. Just as Li Wanyin was about to settle for instant noodles, Chen Shian handed her a boxed meal. “This is from the school cafeteria—braised pork, shredded meat with tofu, potato strips, and greens. If you don’t mind, please take it.”

Li Wanyin couldn’t possibly mind! Through the semi-transparent container, she could already see the generous servings of meat and vegetables atop the rice. Her stomach was growling, but she made no move to accept it.

She waved her hands, “No, no! If I eat this, what will you have?”

“Don’t worry, I have another one. I packed extra for Uncle Lin, but he has dinner plans, so there’s a spare.”

Following his gesture, she noticed another boxed meal on the coffee table. Still hesitant, Chen Shian simply placed the meal in her hands.

“Don’t be shy, Wanyin. Better to eat it than let it go to waste.”

“Well, alright... Thank you, Shian! How much was it? I’ll transfer the money to you.”

“No need. Just treat me to a boxed meal sometime. By the way, do you have any hangers? I washed my uniform but haven’t bought hangers yet. Could I borrow a few?”

“Of course! They’re on the balcony rack—I’ll get them for you.”

Finally, Li Wanyin accepted the hearty meal, but she didn’t start eating right away. Since Chen Shian was still hanging up his clothes, she waited beside him.

“Did you wash your uniform by hand? It’s still very wet; it might not dry by tomorrow,” she commented.

“Yes, it wasn’t dirty, so I just rinsed it. It’ll be dry by morning,” Chen Shian replied confidently.

Li Wanyin was skeptical. She wasn’t inexperienced, and with the sun already setting, she doubted the clothes would dry overnight.

“The sun’s almost gone,” she reminded gently.

“It is,” Chen Shian replied, watching the sunset.

The old buildings in the neighborhood were all low, and the ninth floor was the highest. As dusk fell, the western sky was bathed in a warm orange glow, painting the city in shades of amber. One by one, lights flickered on in homes across the way; through the windows, one could see families cooking and eating dinner. Birds returned to their nests, flying back and settling on the large banyan tree in the community, chattering away.

After hanging his clothes, Chen Shian stood on the balcony for a while, taking in the lively twilight. When he turned back, his own home was lit.

Li Wanyin took two bottles of cola from the fridge—small plastic bottles that had accompanied her previous takeout orders—and handed one to Chen Shian.

“Here, you treated me to dinner, so I’ll treat you to a drink!”

“Thank you, Wanyin. Let’s eat together.”

“Meow.”

The cat, drawn by the aroma, jumped onto a chair.

And so, two people and a cat shared their very first meal together as roommates.