The day Su Nian was laid off, she rented a spare bedroom for just 800 yuan a month. Her landlady, Song Wantang, was so warm and welcoming it was like she was doing charity, and even arranged for her younger brother, Song Shiyu, to "come back and stay for a few days on weekends." Three years younger than Su Nian, this graduate student was quiet, cold-faced, and so taciturn he seemed mute. Yet he remembered how much water her pothos needed, slipped notes under her door, and even bought a glow-in-the-dark door lock.
Su Nian sensed something was off. Then Song Wantang let it slip: "He's been looking for a roommate who fits the requirements for almost a year. You're the first."
It turned out that hidden in the 800-yuan rent was the clumsiest, longest confession from someone who didn't know how to say sweet things.
