Hello - new to plant forums and hoping to get some advice!

I've had a small pilea since September and it seems to be healthy and happy other than this week I noticed 3 or 4 of its leaves have begun to pucker or curl upwards. I've done some reading online and the internet suggests it may be over-watering? I'm doubtful since I usually wait until it shows me visual cues that it's thirsty (leaves slightly relaxing and getting softer)... wondering if a dense root ball could also cause this reaction in the plant?

Anytime I poke the soil to check for moisture I notice the soil immediately surrounding the stalk/trunk of my little plant is super dense that I can't break it down... but the soil a bit further out is easily crumbled (as normal).

Thoughts?