Otis hadn't expected Mei to strike up a conversation with him. After thinking for a moment, he replied,
"It's been pretty relaxed so far, but I'm guessing it'll get tougher later on. What about you?"
"I'm fine too. My manager is a very kind woman. How about yours?"
"My boss is an experienced engineer in his thirties."
"Thirties isn't that old…"
"Well, he's already balding at thirty."
As Otis said this, he gestured a circle on his head, vividly mimicking his boss's balding head. Mei turned her head, caught sight of his motion, and couldn't help but laugh.
"So what? Haha, let me tell you, my manager is amazing."
"Really?"
"Really! She even shared snacks with me…"
At this moment, their dynamic felt just like old times, chatting about the little joys in life.
Otis added, "We had a raffle today."
Mei let out a surprised, "Oh? What did you win?"
She glanced at the bag on the table and immediately understood.
"Is this what you got in the raffle?"
What is this thing, anyway?
Otis nodded. "Yep, a premium skincare set. Impressive, right?"
He stood up, picked up the bag, and pulled out the box inside to show Mei. The black box looked high-end and well-made. Though Otis didn't know much about skincare, he had picked up a bit from listening to Mei talk about it back when they were dating.
Mei's eyes lit up as she clapped her hands together and held them by her face.
"Wow! High-end stuff!"
She glanced at the box again and exclaimed, "You're so lucky to win something like this!"
Otis, however, wanted to say that luck had nothing to do with it—what he really wanted was the frying pan! In fact, he had even asked the guy who won the pan if he was willing to trade. The guy had laughed and declined, saying he didn't have a girlfriend to give the skincare to and desperately needed the pan.
If Mei didn't want the set, Otis figured he could sell it online to recoup some cash. But then he remembered her mumbling about wanting this set in the past.
Scratching his cheek, Otis said, "It's no big deal. Take a look—do you like it? If you do, you can have it."
Mei froze, lifting her head to look at him.
It was only then that they realized the one-meter gap between them had disappeared. They were sitting so close now that their shoulders almost touched.
Through the thin fabric of his shirt, Otis could feel Mei's soft arm brushing against his. Her slender arms, which had once wrapped around his neck, felt just as gentle as he remembered.
She smelled faintly of something sweet and soothing, a fragrance that seemed to drift toward him on the evening breeze.
Mei's cheeks flushed slightly.
"You… you're giving it to me?"
Otis pretended to stay calm, though his heart was racing like a drumline in full force.
Thump thump thump thump…
Stop drumming already!
He spoke generously, "I don't need it. You can use it; otherwise, it'll just go to waste. Besides, we're roommates now."
Mei waved her hands in protest.
"No, no, no, I can't accept it."
So that's what he meant earlier! He'd been planning to give this to me.
Though the skincare set looked incredible, we've already broken up. No, even if we hadn't, I can't just accept such an expensive gift.
Otis raised an eyebrow. "Is it because you're broke?"
Mei's face turned bright red, and she looked up in shock.
"How… how did you know?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she covered it with her hands.
Otis turned away with a knowing look that practically screamed, "I knew it."
I know you too well.
Always broke but too proud to admit it.
Back in college, she had bought him an expensive Sony headset worth several thousand, only to spend weeks eating bread rolls in her dorm to make up for it.
It made him feel a mix of heartache and admiration for her.
Otis later learned that she had been avoiding going out because she couldn't afford it. And now, Mei was living in a shared apartment—likely for the same reason.
Yup, just like me.
Mei coughed softly, her face still flushed.
"I do have money! Don't go making assumptions."
Otis turned back, staring directly at her.
"How much?"
Mei's guilty expression grew as her eyes darted away.
"Enough…"
"Two thousand?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Got it. So you don't."
Otis sighed dramatically, while Mei, now embarrassed and annoyed, turned to glare at him.
It's all your fault!
Men are the worst!
Otis pushed the skincare set into her hands.
"Just use it for now. If you feel bad, jot it down in your imaginary ledger. When you get paid, treat me to a meal. Deal?"
Mei looked down, her voice soft and her cheeks still tinged with pink.
"Fine, but just so we're clear, even if you're helping me now, we're just regular roommates. Nothing more."
Mei, don't overthink this.
This is just something Otis got in a raffle. Yes, it's a favor, but the two of you broke up cleanly!
She looked up, pretending to be nonchalant.
"All right, I'll accept it for now. Thank… thank you. When I get paid, I'll treat you to a big meal to pay you back."
Otis stood up and waved her off.
Seriously, like I care about you paying me back…
Her shy but stubborn personality hadn't changed a bit. Then again, maybe that's what he liked about her.
Returning to his room, Otis closed the door, crouched down, and opened his suitcase.
He gently ran his hand over the box of the Sony headset she had once given him, recalling the image of Mei blushing as she handed it to him.
Think of it as me returning the favor…
Even after the breakup, Otis couldn't help but feel he owed her so much.
The next morning.
When Otis woke up, Mei was already gone. On the dining table in the living room was a small bag of snacks and a handwritten note.
In her neat, delicate handwriting, it read:
"Thank you! I don't have much to repay you with right now, so please enjoy these snacks. When I get paid, I'll treat you to a feast!!!"
At the bottom, she had drawn an adorable smiling face.
Otis smiled and tucked the note into his drawer.