Apartment n.o 9 Prequel

Chapter Twelve

"You Zhangjing!" A loud splash could be heard and drops of water scattered around the ground. "He doesn't know how to swim!" Yanjun shouted warningly like an alarm and ran towards the pool to dive in. But unexpectedly his foot slides on the slippery floor and he falls back with a loud slam, causing Xiao gui to flinch and feel pity for his bro (that's why, kids you shall never ever run around the pools).

Lucky for them Zhangjing was rescued by Zhengting and was immediately carried onto a towel laid on top of the grassy ground. While Yanjun on the other side was crying from the floor "You Zhangjing! Are you alright? Open your eyes!". This caused Xiao gui to come over and smack his head "Stop being over dramatic bro" he said. Ziyi the gentleman offered a hand and helped Yanjun up from the slippery floor. "Bro he's right. Zhangjing is fine, you can go see for yourself" Ziyi added and straight away Lin Yanjun limped his way to where Zhangjing was sitting, looking completely confused.

"Zhu Zhengting what are you doing? Why did you pull me out of the pool?" Zhangjing questioned the breathless man next to him. "Huh?" Zhengting responded mirroring Zhangjing's puzzled expression. "Y-Yanjun said you were drowning s-so I..." confused Zhengting paused and scratched his soaked hair. Then he felt a soft towel land on top of his head. He lifts up the towel and notices Xukun taking a seat next to him as he also hands over another towel to You Zhangjing. "You suddenly fell into the pool, and Yanjun said that you couldn't swim" Xukun in his buttoned summer shirt explained to Zhangjing.

And speaking of he man, here he arrives. "Wah~ Zhangjing you scared me! Don't do that, if you want to swim, tell me first!" Yanjun blabbered after embracing Zhangjing in his arms and chest. His actions was so sudden that it gave Zhangjing a small fright. You Zhangjing tries to escape the embrace as he really couldn't breath was his face red and blocked from Yanjun's bare chest.

"Zhangjing is fine, you're being really over dramatic. How many times do we have to say this" Chengcheng said sighing. "Also the pool isn't that deep. I was teaching Zhangjing to swim at the shallow area" Justin added. Lin Yanjun releases Zhangjing and placed his attention on Justin, then to Zhangjing. "You were teaching him to swim?" He asked unbelieving.

Xiao gui was standing next to Justin, and as he observed Yanjun's expression he knew Justin has accidentally dropped coal into a burning fire. He has known Yanjun for years and knew that Zhangjing was a special figure to him.

~~~

Years ago when Yanjun was starting up his own business he went to Malaysia to find some resources. Yanjun went to Malaysia alone, and depended on his phone as a translating device. On the first day he didn't notice he got pickpocket and lost his wallet and phone! He couldn't sleep at the hotel without his id card and money. And since he couldn't speak Malay/Malaysian he was basically a hopeless man with nothing! Luckily for him You Zhangjing appears, let him stay at his place and reported to the police. Within three days they caught the thief and Lin Yanjun's belongings were returned. During three days together the two noticed how they were very compatible. They became friends and exchanged numbers. Two days later they bid farewell at the airport. "If you do plan to come to China, Beijing. Then you must come find me and I'll welcome you with local food and a warm place to stay in, just like you did to me." Yanjun promised before departing.

A year later after Yanjun's return from Malaysia, the door bell rings at Apartment 9. "Mr Cai Xukun!! Someone's pressing the door bell! Go open it!!!" Xiao gui reported loudly. "I'm busy! You go open it" Xukun responded from one of the rooms. "Noo~ I'm not allowed to open the door for strangers!" Xiao gui yelled back but got no response. A 'huff' leaves Xiao gui's lips as he drops his comic book and takes out the strawberry-milk flavored lollipop in his mouth. He decided to open the door to see who was so dedicated to visit, for the ringing sound was distracting him from reading his comics.

He unlocked and pulled the door open. A young man with wavey brunette hair and big doe eyes met his. The man was shorter than Xiao gui by a few centimeters and the thing that caught his attention was the luggage in his hand.

You Zhangjing was a bit surprised to see a young teenager open the door. Xiao gui's eyebrows meet and his dreads hang on his face. Somehow Zhangjing felt scared of him maybe it was his appearance or maybe it was his attitude.

"Hello?" Said Xiao gui, who decided to talk first. "Uh hello, is this Apartment 9?" Zhangjing asked making sure he didn't knock on the wrong door. Scratching his head, Xiao gui thinks for a moment "Yeah it is, our landlord is Zhang Yixing... Oh! Are you our new roommate?!". Xiao gui's loud realization caused Zhangjing to flinch.

He then introduced himself "Nice to meet you, I'm You Zhangjing". Xiao gui shook Zhangjing's extended hand and complimented Zhangjing as well as introducing himself too, "Oh that's a cool name! I'm Wang Linkai, just call me Xiao gui aka Happy Virus, Lil ghost!". "That's a very long and confusing name" Zhangjing thought as he wondered if he should just call him Wang Linkai.

Xiao gui stepped aside to allow Zhangjing in. The energetic teen helped carry the luggage and brought Zhangjing to the kitchen. The new roommate sat at the dining table as Xiao gui poured a glass of water.

At the same moment Xukun comes down with a laptop and headphones hanging on his neck. "Wow seeing Xiao gui being polite and taking care of a guest is like knowing that Yanjun only spent less than 20 minutes of showering" Xukun remarked with his eyes wide and surprised. "Yanjun?" The familer name strikes into Zhangjing's mind.

Speak of the devil and an angel appears. A man comes down, followed by steam flowing off his bare arms and legs. His face covered by the towel that was catching the drips of water dropping off his hair. "Hey Yanjun we have a new roommate!" Xiao gui shouted revealing his tiger/pointy tooth. Yanjun pulled down his towel and looked at Xiao gui then at Xukun, then Zhangjing. "... it's you!?" "You live here too?!".