115. Uncle’s Confusion
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Lilith was a child destined for a tough life.
Lin Nan had never really delved into Lilith’s memories, or perhaps he just couldn’t feel the emotions buried in someone else’s recollections. Those memories were colossal! Sure, he could skim through them like a novel at lightning speed, but recounting every little detail of three centuries’ worth of memories? That was a bit much for Lin Nan.
He hadn’t slept well at night and still felt drowsy in the early morning, yawning all the way to the bathroom. Today was supposedly a weekend, a perfect reason to sleep in until noon—but oh no, Wu Guodong called him to hang out! Lin Nan knew it was likely going to be another lecture, but he had already signed up for the misery when he accepted the bribe.
His roommates were still snoozing, so Lin Nan decided to unleash his inner pop star, humming while brushing his teeth and then enjoying a leisurely shower before slipping into fresh clothes.
Glancing at the weather forecast, he noted it was sunny for several days. So, Lin Nan happily took his comforter up to the rooftop of the dormitory to dry it out and shot a message to Chen Yao on QQ, asking him to bring it back later.
Just as he finished sunbathing the comforter and turned to head back, he literally ran into Wu Guodong right in the hallway.
“Uncle!”
For a moment, Wu Guodong almost didn’t recognize Lin Nan. Last time they met, Lin Nan was just mildly feminine; this time, though—wow! The guy looked like a pretty ordinary girl. The manly traits were practically non-existent, and his voice had transformed into a sweet melody, so crystal clear it couldn’t possibly belong to a dude.
“You…” Wu Guodong rubbed his temples, “It’s only been a month! How did you change so much?”
Last time he saw Lin Nan, he had just been a bit girly and had a little beautification layer on his face, and now? Wu Guodong noted Lin Nan’s eyebrows possessed a rather enchanting allure, and what he previously thought was just weight gain now looked like a swell of confidence in Lin Nan’s chest.
“Maybe I was just always this pretty?”
Spotting a familiar face made Lin Nan a bit awkward about his transformation. He lowered his head, pushing the dorm’s big door open, “Wait outside for two minutes; I’ll grab some clothes.”
“Sure.”
He packed a bag with a fresh outfit, slipped into his shoes, and threw on a sun-protective jacket. Peering into the mirror, he felt a bit more at ease. With the jacket hiding his curves, he finally dared to step outside; otherwise, his noticeable assets would have him blushing like a schoolgirl.
After all, society still expected him to be a man…
Settled into Wu Guodong’s car once again, Lin Nan spotted some scratches on the car door before hopping in. He fastened his seatbelt and casually asked, “You had an accident?”
“You just left for two days, and a bike scratched it. Not exactly a car crash, is it?” Wu Guodong sighed dramatically, “Can you please not focus on car accidents every time you get in a car? So unlucky!”
“What? Am I supposed to not care if you’re driving like a grandma?”
“It’s not that easy to crash, okay?”
Since it was the weekend, even though it was rush hour, they avoided the usual city gridlock—a potential headache that kept Wu Guodong living close to work, despite the rent being a thousand bucks more than anywhere else.
Arriving at Wu Guodong’s home, Lin Nan quickly raced to his bedroom. Sure enough, those decorative pillows had already been neatly tidied away, and the bathroom was prepped with new toiletries. The hairdryer he ordered online was also sitting next to the sink, even though Uncle didn’t need it with that short hair.
On the couch, a neatly folded light blanket lay with a little pillow on top, showing Uncle’s efforts to prepare.
Wu Guodong plopped down on the couch, watching Lin Nan dart around, his head spinning.
As expected, Uncle was sent by their mother to persuade Lin Nan. The details were fuzzy; all he knew was that Lin Nan was sick and needed surgery, yet Lin Nan vehemently opposed the idea. It didn’t help that Lin Nan seemed to harbor a serious grudge against his dad after a recent confrontation.
Wu Guodong had his own disagreements with Lin Nan’s father. The man was constantly out cheating and borrowed money without ever returning it, so he didn’t care much about their relationship.
“Don’t you work overtime every day?” Lin Nan asked, poking around the place as he squatted down to switch on the game console.
“Just wrapped up a small project and got a couple of days off,” Wu Guodong said, his complexion looking a tad pale, and he had dark circles under his eyes from late-night grind sessions.
Sitting next to him with the controller in hand, Lin Nan grumbled, “Guess I’ll avoid being a programmer then.”
“Try video editing or graphic design; they work late too,” Wu Guodong chuckled, shaking his head. “In this day and age, if you want to make money, forget about a job that doesn’t involve overtime. You gotta work those late nights to keep up with the mortgage, car loans, and the potential wife and kids.”
“What about being a big boss?”
“Then there are bigger responsibilities. Can’t run away when things go wrong.”
Lin Nan had zero interest in being a boss. He felt he lacked the responsibility genes. As a kid, he always found a way to pass the buck on anything that went wrong. These days? Well, he could easily shift any blame onto Lilith!
After a long time without gaming, Lin Nan realized playing action games with a controller was leagues more comfortable than with a mouse and keyboard. But before he could truly get into it, Wu Guodong pried into his business.
“Your mom suggested you take a semester off. What do you think?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Lin Nan glanced at the screen. A light bulb went off in his head, and he poked back with a question, “Why did she suggest a break?”
Wu Guodong scratched his head, sounding unsure. “I’m not really sure. She mentioned something about surgery? A benign tumor? Or was it something about bad eating habits ruining your stomach?”
“Good! Let’s keep it that way,” Lin Nan sighed in relief. At least his mother wasn’t a gossip queen, or else he’d have to face all the relatives.
“I think you should really look into why you’ve become… so pretty in just one or two months.”
Wu Guodong couldn’t shake the feeling that Lin Nan had changed too quickly, almost unhealthily so. If it were over a year or so, it could be explained by skincare and styling—this transformation, though, had happened in less than a month…
“Am I that different?”
“Sure are!” Lin Nan felt a patch of guilt wash over him. “I mean, I’ve barely changed! Just my skin’s a smidge clearer?”
“Changed too much! Like… your voice.” Wu Guodong intended to comment on his chest but felt it sounded a bit pervy.
He scrutinized Lin Nan, who squirmed under the gaze, grabbing the blanket and pulling it over his lap.
And had Lin Nan’s frame actually gotten smaller?
