Chapter 29: Three Rules
Standing at An Ran'er's front door again, Li Nuo felt completely different from the previous times he had come here.
Because starting today, he would be living here.
Not only that, he would be spending every day with a beautiful girl.
Looking at the girl's back as she unlocked the door, his heart beat wildly, and his face turned slightly red.
To stop himself from looking too pathetic, he straightened his back, clenched his fists, and kept encouraging himself in his mind.
"You can do it, Li Nuo. This is such a good chance. I'll definitely make An Ran'er like me..."
While he was still lost in his thoughts, An Ran'er had already opened the door and gone inside.
Looking at the dazed boy still standing outside with his fists clenched against his chest, she said helplessly,
"Come in already. Why are you standing there daydreaming?"
"Ah? Sorry... sorry..."
Only after hearing her voice did Li Nuo come back to his senses. He quickly pulled his luggage inside.
Following An Ran'er upstairs to the guest room, she opened the door and said,
"Here. This will be your room from now on."
"Oh... okay."
Although he had visited her house several times before, he had never gone upstairs.
Looking into the room, he saw a space that was neither too big nor too small.
Besides a bookshelf full of books, there was a bed, a desk, and a piano. There were also a few old guitars and some miscellaneous items.
It was obvious that An Ran'er had been using this room as a study.
After moving all his belongings inside, he finally sat down to rest.
However, just as he sat down, An Ran'er, who had been leaning against the door, walked over and cleared her throat.
"Since we're going to live together, there are some important things I need to tell you first."
"What important things?"
Seeing how serious she looked, Li Nuo became curious.
"They're the rules you have to follow after moving in."
She took out a small notebook from her pocket and started reading.
"First, you are not allowed to enter my room without my permission."
"Second, no bad habits like smoking or drinking. And you're absolutely not allowed to bring anyone home."
"Third, whether it's a big matter or a small one, you must follow my arrangements unconditionally while living in this house."
"That's all for now. If I think of more later, I'll add them. So, do you have any objections?"
After hearing her rules, Li Nuo was completely stunned.
The first two were reasonable enough.
But what was that third rule supposed to mean?
Follow her arrangements unconditionally?
Wouldn't that make him her servant?
To protect what little freedom he had left, he spoke softly.
"Yes... I do. Can I not have to follow all your arrangements?"
"Absolutely—not!"
"Huh? But—"
"No buts. If you're living in my house, you listen to me. Or are you planning to rebel, Xiao Li?"
With her hands on her waist, she bent forward and stared directly at him. Being stared at like that made Li Nuo nervous.
"I wouldn't dare..."
"Hmph. Good."
She turned around and started walking away, but halfway there she suddenly turned back and smiled.
"Oh, right. The bathroom here has both a shower and a bathtub. You don't need that bucket you brought for bathing. Of course, if you insist on using a bucket, that's up to you."
"Uh..."
Li Nuo's face instantly turned red with embarrassment. The room he had rented before was cheap, so it didn't have those things.
He usually boiled water, poured it into a bucket, mixed it with cold water, and then used it to bathe.
Of course, he had already known that An Ran'er's place wouldn't be like his old rental room.
He had simply been too rushed that morning to think about it.
After neatly arranging all his belongings in the room, he finally went downstairs feeling satisfied.
At that moment, An Ran'er was lying comfortably on the living room sofa, playing with her phone.
When she noticed him coming downstairs, she lazily said,
"Xiao Li, I'm thirsty. Go get me a glass of water from the kitchen."
"Oh..."
Since it was only a small request, Li Nuo didn't think much of it and obediently brought her a glass of water.
However, as soon as he set it down, An Ran'er's eyes rolled mischievously.
"Hmm... actually, I don't feel like drinking water anymore. Why don't you peel an orange for me?"
"Uh..."
"What? Do you have a problem with that?"
She sat up and pretended to be angry.
"No... no. I'll peel it."
He picked up an orange and started peeling it. Just as he was about to finish, she changed her mind again.
"Forget it. I don't want an orange anymore. Go peel an apple instead. Apples sound better."
"You..."
"Fine! I got it."
Li Nuo gritted his teeth.
He had already known that An Ran'er's real personality was different from the cold image she showed others.
But he never expected her true personality to be this troublesome.
She acted exactly like a spoiled young lady.
While peeling the apple, he complained in his heart.
"Damn you, An Ran'er. One day, I'll make you kneel in front of me and admit defeat word by word."
"I'll make you serve me tea every day, bring me water, massage my shoulders, massage my legs, and..."
As he imagined his revenge, he fiercely peeled the apple.
By the time the peel was completely removed, most of his anger had disappeared.
Handing the apple to An Ran'er, he said in an exaggeratedly respectful tone,
"Miss An, your apple is ready. Is there anything else you would like me to do?"
Looking at Li Nuo's puffed-up cheeks and hearing his overly polite voice, An Ran'er suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! You're too funny. You look so cute right now. You can eat the apple yourself. I'll just eat the orange."
As she spoke, she picked up the already peeled orange and started eating it.
Li Nuo immediately realized he had been tricked.
All he could do was pretend to be angry, turn his head away, and take huge bites out of the apple to vent his frustration.
That night, the leaves outside rustled in the wind.
Lying on an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room, Li Nuo tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
He lay on his side, looking at the moonlight outside the window, his thoughts running wild.
Too many things had happened recently, and he still had not fully adjusted.
First, he somehow joined the girl band [The Girls].
Then he was told he had to dress as a girl to perform on stage.
And now, because of various circumstances, he had ended up living together with An Ran'er.
Although he liked her very much, her unpredictable personality confused him.
Sometimes she was playful like the girl next door.
Sometimes she was cold and distant like an ice queen.
Even now, he could not tell which side was the real her. Maybe he would find out after spending more time with her.
With all kinds of thoughts filling his mind, he slowly drifted off to sleep.