My 26-year-old female tenant

Chapter 15: Making fun of Rice

Sinking back into the sofa, I inhaled the last of the cigarette in my hand and extinguished it in the ashtray. I glanced at the guitar beside me but had no mood to sing another song.

I lay back on the sofa, once again succumbing to the unbearable tedium. I looked towards Mi Cai's room with a hint of discontent. If it weren't for the constraints she imposed on me, I would be drinking beer with Luo Ben and the others, watching a fashion show teeming with beautiful women. So, to a great extent, the boredom I was experiencing was a gift from her.

If she hadn't suddenly bought this house, I wouldn't have to compromise to continue living here, nor would I have to change my lifestyle. On a night like this, I wouldn't be dying from the torment of boredom.

I felt she had a responsibility to help me eliminate this endless boredom. Regardless of how unreasonable this logic might seem to others, I found it justified. Boredom was a terrifying concept in my world, stemming entirely from loneliness. Who wouldn't fear loneliness while living?

I approached Mi Cai's door, determined to break free from the prison of solitude on this not-so-late night. I knocked and said to her, who was doing who knows what inside, "Hey, are you free? Come out and chat."

"We don't have anything to talk about," Mi Cai's voice came from inside the room.

"We all speak Chinese; how can we have nothing to talk about?... Besides, I'm the landlord, and you're the tenant. Living under the same roof, it's essential for us to communicate frequently to ensure a harmonious coexistence in the long term."

Mi Cai ignored me, and the room only echoed with an awkward silence.

I immediately changed my strategy and adopted a gentle approach, knocking on her door again and saying, "Have you had dinner? How about I cook some late-night snacks..."

Mi Cai was not moved and interrupted me with annoyance, "Please do something meaningful."

"Damn it, I'm offering to make you a snack, and you're mocking my meaningless existence? Well, I'm not going to bother you anymore. Big deal! I'll go play with a spoon..."

I sulked back to the sofa, but I was not willing to accept her dismissive attitude. I might be poor and not very successful, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to stoop to servility to satisfy her arrogance. I still care about my self-respect while living.

I actually found a spoon from the kitchen and placed it on the coffee table, twirling the handle with my finger until it spun like a top.

...

Half an hour later, Mi Cai's door opened. She had changed her clothes and was wearing a white coral fleece pajama set as she walked towards the bathroom, seemingly preparing to wash up and rest.

I stared at her, but she didn't even glance my way. It was only when she reached the coffee table and noticed the still-spinning spoon that she stopped and looked at me. I returned her gaze expressionlessly and, in a burst of petulance, spun the spoon handle even faster.

My pointless action finally brought a hint of a smile to Mi Cai's face, but I couldn't discern whether it was from genuine amusement or mockery.

"What are you laughing at! Didn't I just tell you I was going to play with the spoon handle?" I said, spinning the spoon even faster.

Mi Cai nodded and said, "You really are a man of your word, that's progress." With that, she went silent and headed towards the bathroom.

I watched her leave with a sidelong glance and slapped the spinning spoon handle to a stop.

...

A moment later, Mi Cai emerged from the bathroom. Her hair was now loose, with a few drops of water accidentally clinging to the ends. Despite being completely free of makeup, her skin was still fair and delicate, highlighting her natural beauty. Among the countless women I've known, none have remained so beautiful after removing their makeup.

She continued to ignore my existence and walked towards her room.

I called out to her again, my face thick with audacity, "…You stop."

"What for?" Mi Cai looked at me with a cold expression and tone.

Feeling a bit guilty, I mustered the courage to say, "I... I'm really bored. Keep me company for a chat!"

"Find someone as bored as you are; I'm about to rest."

I felt as if I had received a special pardon, my voice rising in pitch: "So you're telling me, I'm going out to have some fun now."

"You can go out, but you must take your luggage with you, and there's no need to come back."

"I knew you'd use my weakness to tease me... Honestly, I've been renting for over three years, met all kinds of people, but I've never seen a tenant as arrogant as you. Can't you be a bit more polite to your landlord?" I once again forcibly labeled her as a tenant, expressing my dissatisfaction.

Mi Cai retorted, "I've never seen anyone as shameless as you either!"

"If I weren't so shameless, I would have been homeless long ago, and it's all because of you," I glared at Mi Cai, recalling the recent encounters and feeling a wave of annoyance.

"You're not the landlord? Who dares to force you!" Mi Cai looked at me with a mocking smile, her words dripping with sarcasm.

I pointed at her, my anger causing me physical pain, and after a while, I said, "You venomous woman, I claim to be the landlord just to cover my own shame. Can you leave me some dignity?" Then I sighed deeply, "The life of the poor is bitter... Ah! There's no happiness in living... Ah!"

"You would be considered a hooligan in ancient times, and now you're just a scoundrel!" Mi Cai glared at me, then turned towards her room, unwilling to continue the argument.

Looking at the door that was slammed shut, I spat out in anger, "So what if you're from the bourgeoisie? Comrade Xiaoping said that the Chinese people will eventually achieve common prosperity. Let you guys who got rich early show off for a few years, and in a few years, you'll see how I... "

After a while of fussing around in the living room, I returned to my room, closed the door, lay on the bed, and habitually lit a cigarette. My mind was still replaying the quarrel with Mi Cai. Although I didn't gain any advantage, thinking of her pretty face strained with anger, calling me a scoundrel and a rogue, I felt a secret satisfaction, and my mood seemed less irritable. After a while, I actually fell asleep in a daze, finally not dying from the torment of boredom!

...

Perhaps because I went to bed early last night, I woke up at six in the morning, and no matter what, I couldn't fall asleep again. I just stared at the ceiling, lost in thought, and unconsciously thought about the upcoming wedding of Yuan Fang and Yan Yan. My mood became anxious, and I knew this anxiety did not arise out of thin air. It was related to my impending meeting with Jian Wei, which was very alarming! No matter how I comforted myself, I couldn't remain calm...

Moreover, I was also very curious. Both Jian Wei and I had dedicated many years of our youth to each other. I was anxious about meeting her, but what about her? Is she the same as me?

I had no answers. I couldn't use myself as a measure of Jian Wei because sometimes women are different from men, and sometimes Jian Wei is not equal to me. Perhaps after three years, when she faces me again, she might just consider me an ordinary friend, or even a stranger!

As dawn was just breaking, I didn't plan to sleep anymore due to the continuous anxiety. After getting up and doing a simple wash, I prepared to make myself breakfast. I opened the refrigerator and saw there were still a few salted eggs brought by my father a few days ago. I cooked a pot of porridge, bought a few fried dough sticks, and it was still a good breakfast combination.

I went downstairs to the breakfast shop to buy some fried dough sticks, and then went to the convenience store to buy a few bags of pickled vegetables. When I came back, the water in the pot was boiling, and I poured in the rice, then found a mop to clean the house.

A gust of cold wind suddenly blew in from the window on the balcony, and I realized that Mi Cai and I had forgotten to close the window last night. No wonder this morning was colder than usual.

At this time, autumn had already passed halfway, and the morning temperature was very low. I tucked my clothes and went to the balcony to close the window, and the first ray of morning sun also refracted through the glass, lazily swinging on the colorful grass under the balcony, as if to tell me: This is a good morning.

In order to integrate myself into this good morning, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and gradually, my anxious mood also stabilized a bit.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Mi Cai coming out of the room, still wearing her pajamas, and her expression was still in the daze of just waking up.

I propped up the mop, with a frivolous smile and greeted Mi Cai: "Good morning, my female tenant!"

Mi Cai seemed to have been unwilling to entangle in the tenant identity I imposed on her, and put the messy hair behind her ear and asked me: "Do you usually get up so early?"

"Of course not, I got up early today on purpose to make breakfast for you." I calmly told a lie.

"Is that so? But I still plan to sleep for a while."

"What are you getting up for now?" I looked at Mi Cai and asked on purpose. It was obviously to go to the bathroom to urinate when I got up at this time, but I was very curious about what the situation would be when the two indecent words "urinate" came out of Mi Cai's mouth, or she might not be embarrassed to say it at all! ... No matter whether she is embarrassed or not, as long as she can find fun for herself at the beginning of the day.

Mi Cai frowned and looked at me, but did not speak. Such a temperamentual beauty is indeed difficult to say the word "urinate". I was complacent in my heart, and I took the opportunity to move the steps and blocked the door of the bathroom.

After a while, Mi Cai said to me: "Get out of the way."

"No! ... Do you understand etiquette? I asked you a question and you haven't answered it yet. You made me very angry early in the morning!" I said in a raised voice.

Mi Cai stood in place, her face slightly red, which might be angry with me, or it might be held back... This has been stored all night, can it not be held back!

I was so happy in my heart that it seemed that Mi Cai had occupied this house with money, and the big enemy had been avenged. I said in a small person's pride: "Say it, since you still plan to sleep, what are you getting up for now?"

"I'm getting up now because I need to use the bathroom. Please get out of the way." Mi Cai said, her expression was very unhappy.

I was afraid that I had made a joke too much, and I was even more afraid that Mi Cai would turn her face and let me move out. I hurriedly slanted my body and made room for Mi Cai to enter, and suddenly realized that it is not necessary to say urinate, saying use the bathroom can also express it implicitly, and this is the difference between a rough man and a beauty!

After Mi Cai came out of the bathroom, I sincerely invited her to have breakfast again, but she seemed to be very disgusted with my teasing behavior just now, and ignored me and went directly into her own room to continue sleeping. As a result, I had a boring breakfast alone on this seemingly good morning, and then started the day that had been set like a machine.

Wait, I want to correct my statement. Strictly speaking, I don't look like a machine, because recently I always carry human emotions to be anxious; every time I think: Yuan Fang and Yan Yan's wedding is approaching, and I will inevitably meet Jian Wei, I will be instinctively anxious... At this time, I would rather be a machine without emotions, because another day has passed, and I still don't know what mentality to face my meeting with Jian Wei after three years!

At this time, the morning sun just right changed an angle and fell into the room, illuminating the black coat in the wardrobe, and extinguishing my emotions, while Jian Wei's face became clearer and clearer...