Chapter 2: Roommates

Chapter 2: Roommates

Following the directions from the original owner's memories, Chu Yi arrived at the university she attended, known as "N University." She didn't have time to explore what the university in this era looked like. Chu Yi went straight back to the dormitory. By this time, it was already daylight, and there were students walking around here and there.

The original owner's dormitory was on the sixth floor, Room 621. After a strenuous climb to the sixth floor, Chu Yi's face had turned pale. This body was truly weak.

Just as Chu Yi slowly approached the dormitory door, it opened from the inside, and three girls walked out one after another.

"Oh, Chu Yi, you're back," one of the girls with glasses said to Chu Yi, who was standing outside the door.

Chu Yi didn't have myopia, but she liked wearing a pair of large, plain black-framed glasses. She only took them off when sleeping, so her roommates naturally had seen her original appearance.

"Hmm." Chu Yi nodded lightly and knew that the three people in front of her were the roommates of the original owner throughout her three years of university. She stepped aside to let them pass.

The three of them were accustomed to Chu Yi's coldness, so they didn't say anything and simply left, except for the long-haired, beautiful girl who muttered softly with a "tsk" before following the other two and leaving.

Chu Yi entered the dormitory after the three had left, closing the door behind her. It was a four-person dorm room with bunk beds, desks, and wardrobes below, a small balcony in front, a washbasin to the right on the balcony, and a restroom to the left. Relying on her memories, Chu Yi found her own bed, retrieved some clean clothes from the wardrobe, and then headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

The hot water provided relief to Chu Yi's tired body after a long day, but her head still felt a bit dizzy. She thought it might be better not to go to class today, and instead, take a day to recuperate in the dorm. She knew from her memories that missing classes required obtaining leave, so Chu Yi reached into her pocket, found her cellphone, and dialed her class advisor's number. A few minutes later, she successfully secured a day off for herself.

Lying on the bed, Chu Yi began to sort out her thoughts. She had already received the memories from yesterday, but at that time, she hadn't had the chance to process them. Now, she could take a closer look.

After going through all the memories of the original owner, Chu Yi couldn't help but feel that the original owner was a contradictory individual. She yearned for both family and friendship but was afraid to open up, keeping herself closed off in her own world. She was both pitiable and sad.

Since death had brought her release, Chu Yi didn't know what else to say.

Fortunately, the original owner and her shared the same name, both called Chu Yi. Otherwise, carrying an unfamiliar name, she probably wouldn't have been able to respond when others called her.

Chu Yi absentmindedly touched her empty neck. She had thought she wouldn't find anything, but to her surprise, she felt something there. After careful examination, she realized it was her personal space button. The Chu Yi from the interstellar era had died in that missile, and her personal space button should have self-destructed. After all, things that had been bound to a master were not expected to follow her here.

Closing her eyes, she released her mental energy and probed inside the button. Her nutrient solution and repair potions were still there. Thinking about this, Chu Yi felt a bit reassured. Even in this era, having these more advanced items from her time was her safety net.

"Ah, both lives of Chu Yi were orphans, with no attachments and living alone. However, Chu Yi had long passed the stage of yearning for family. Sometimes, being able to eat her fill without worrying about anyone else wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Besides, for someone like Chu Yi, who had a second chance at life after dying once, even though the era had changed, the fact that she was without attachments was just fine."

As she continued to contemplate, Chu Yi fell asleep. She figured she would deal with everything when she woke up. Unbeknownst to the sleeping Chu Yi, her body emitted a faint glow, and her soul and body slowly melded together, undergoing gradual strengthening.

When the other three roommates returned after class, they saw Chu Yi still sleeping. Considering her pale complexion in the morning and her absence from class, they assumed she was unwell. As a result, they made their entrance into the room as quietly as possible.

Although the three of them didn't have a particularly close relationship with Chu Yi, they had lived together as roommates for three years. Despite Chu Yi's aloofness, which she had maintained by being reticent and reserved, they had grown accustomed to each other. Over time, their initial friendship had faded away.

After finishing their classes in the afternoon, the three of them returned to the dormitory and saw that Chu Yi was still in bed, fast asleep. They entered quietly, making less noise than usual.

Startled by the abrupt sound of "thud" as Gu Meimei entered the room, Chen Qin and Wang Xue were taken aback. Chen Qin gently pulled Gu Meimei's hand and whispered, "Meimei, keep your voice down. Chu Yi is still asleep."

Gu Meimei really wanted to speak loudly but ended up muttering quietly instead, "Why am I bringing her food? It's not like she can't move. Chu Yi never showed us a friendly face anyway."

Chen Qin and Wang Xue exchanged helpless glances, understanding that Gu Meimei was someone who spoke her mind but had a soft heart. Although their relationship with Chu Yi wasn't great, seeing that she was now unwell, they felt obligated to take care of her.

The three of them quietly placed their belongings down, tidied up briefly, and prepared to go to the cafeteria for dinner.

Lying on the bed, Chu Yi slowly opened her eyes. She thought to herself that her roommates weren't that bad after all. The original owner had been a closed-off, introverted person, which was why they hadn't grown closer. However, even if there was no family, there was now friendship.

Walking back to the dormitory, Gu Meimei looked at the dinner prepared for Chu Yi in Chen Qin's hands. She couldn't help but complain, "Why are we bringing her food? It's not like she's bedridden. Chu Yi has never shown us any kindness."

Chen Qin glanced helplessly at the packed food in her hand, recalling someone's comment that the patient might not have much of an appetite. That's why she packed several food options for Chu Yi to choose from. Now, all she could say was, "Chu Yi is an orphan with no relatives or friends around. When she gets sick, there's no one to take care of her. She has to endure it all alone. Look how thin she is. Can you really bear to leave her alone like this?"

Chu Yi's life used to be filled with classes and part-time jobs, leaving no time for rest. Her dorm mates didn't interact much with her and often didn't see her around. During her freshman and sophomore years, the school had strict curfews and room checks, so Chu Yi would return to the dorm late at night.

Since her junior year, with no more room checks, Chu Yi often worked until the early hours and sometimes didn't return to the dorm, reducing their interactions even more.

They had never seen Chu Yi look so weak before. Even when she was sick, she would tough it out, never taking a day off or missing work. A few times, they noticed her pale complexion and suggested she see a doctor, but Chu Yi dismissively said she was fine and left. This was the first time they saw her take a leave and rest in the dorm.

Wang Xue also persuaded, "Exactly, you know what Chu Yi is like. She always endures her illness without taking leave. She has been resting in the dorm for a whole day; she must be really sick. Her body can't take it anymore. Let's be considerate of her."

Seeing both friends speaking up for Chu Yi and recalling her frail appearance, Gu Meimei fell silent.

Meanwhile, Chu Yi in the dormitory had also gotten up, feeling much better after a day's rest. Strangely, the fatigue in her body seemed to have vanished. Looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, although she had seen this in the shower and knew she looked exactly like her original self, she still couldn't help but be amazed.

In the interstellar era, human physical constitutions are generally strong, and Chu Yi is among the best. She's a star mercenary, though affiliated with a nation, she enjoys relative freedom, not bound to constant duty, only taking on missions assigned by the state for a fee.

Chu Yi is also a gourmet enthusiast. She saves a portion of her earnings, spending most of it on eating natural foods on different planets. Unfortunately, with the hardening of interstellar soil, most planets can't cultivate crops, and traditional delicacies have been replaced by nutritional liquids. Only a few culinary families maintain the tradition, operating rare natural food restaurants with scarce dishes priced exorbitantly.

Through the original host's memories, Chu Yi knew this planet wasn't very developed, but it had the natural foods coveted by interstellar people. The land was still capable of large-scale cultivation. Foods that were so expensive in the interstellar realm that even Chu Yi had only tasted a few times were incredibly cheap and abundant here. This made her feel that starting anew on this planet might not be so bad.

A knock interrupted Chu Yi's thoughts. She looked over to see her three roommates returning. Chu Yi smiled warmly at them.

The three, treated kindly by Chu Yi, were startled. She had never smiled at them before. Was her illness so severe that it affected her mind?

"Are you... are you feeling better?" Gu Meimei stuttered, then inwardly chided herself for faltering in front of Chu Yi.

"Much better, thank you for your concern," Chu Yi replied with a faint smile.

"Who, who's concerned about you? I was just... I was just afraid you'd infect us with your illness," Gu Meimei immediately bristled defensively upon seeing Chu Yi smile again.

"Meimei," Chen Qin gave her a disapproving look, then raised the food she was carrying. "Chu Yi, we saw you sleeping all day, so we brought you some food. Most of it was chosen by Meimei." She then placed the packed food on the desk under Chu Yi's bed.

Gu Meimei, feeling silently accused by Chen Qin, huffed softly. Her cheeks flushed red when Chen Qin mentioned she had chosen the food for Chu Yi. She hurried to her own desk and pretended to read a book, using it to cover her blushing face.

Looking at the food on the desk, which was emitting a rich aroma even more enticing than the high-end food Chu Yi had eaten at interstellar restaurants, she felt even better. She quickly said, "Thanks, everyone. My illness is nothing serious, just exhaustion from recent overwork. Sleeping all day really helped. I haven't eaten anything all day and am really hungry. The food you brought is a lifesaver," Chu Yi joked.

Wang Xue exclaimed, "Ah, you haven't eaten all day? You should eat right away."

Even Gu Meimei, who pretended to read, put down her book. Not eating for a whole day? Looking at Chu Yi's frail figure, which appeared malnourished and younger than the rest of the roommates due to her thinness, she felt concerned.