196. Early Morning
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As the day barely broke, Chen Yao was already up from his bed that smelled of milk.
Who even knew how he fell asleep last night?
With a long sigh, he tossed a handful of tissues into the toilet and sent them down the drain like they were his dreams of sleep.
Chen Yao had a sneaky suspicion that Lin Nan had deliberately spilled milk everywhere, filling the whole place with that sweet scent. Normally, it didn’t bother him much when she was around.
But sleeping on Lin Nan’s bed was a different story; the smell teased him, tossing and turning until he barely managed to doze off in the deep hours of the night.
Glancing at a sanitary pad resting on the toilet, he muttered to himself, “When did Lin Nan start using these?”
It was still early, but he had lost any desire to snooze further. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he pulled out his phone and, as per usual, started stressing about what Lin Nan was about to face in the day ahead.
Was it a habit formed from taking care of her since middle school, or was it just pure infatuation with Lin Nan’s body? Either way, he realized he was spending way too much mental energy on her lately, which had caused him to neglect his basketball practice. Now, his body felt like a deflated balloon.
Feeling fidgety, Chen Yao pushed open the bedroom door, and his eyes were instantly drawn to Lin Nan curled up on the sofa.
That sofa was already a tight squeeze for two people, and he himself had once tried sleeping on it—half his leg dangling off like an awkward flamingo, almost toppling over.
Lin Nan, being petite, was nestled sideways on the couch, just barely fitting.
While she was bundled up like a burrito, Chen Yao’s gaze still lingered on her exquisite face.
Her skin was smooth and fair, and the soft morning light made it shimmer with a hint of rosy glow—it looked almost like jelly, perfectly flawless, as if she had coated it in some high-end beauty filter.
Her cheeks were gently plump, giving her a youthful vibe; her face was small, and Chen Yao could almost fit her entire face in his palm.
She didn’t wear makeup, yet her eyebrows were perfectly in place, and her long lashes curled outwards. At first glance, she looked like a pure, innocent girl next door, but somehow she carried an inexplicable allure that oozed from her very bones.
She wasn’t so stunning that she’d make the earth stop spinning, but in the gentle morning light, she was unexpectedly beautiful, almost angelic—like a character stepped right out of a painting.
Chen Yao was entranced for a moment, and then he snapped back to reality and stepped forward to drape the thin blanket that had fallen to the floor back over Lin Nan.
But at that moment, her lashes fluttered open, revealing her big, confused eyes.
Looking at her slightly raised eyebrows, Chen Yao suddenly understood where Lin Nan’s charm came from.
“What time is it?” Lin Nan mumbled, turning over and—bam!—face-planted onto the floor. But she didn’t seem to care. She flipped over again, sitting up and continued, “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Her sleepy voice was raspy yet somehow sultry, like a cat stretching lazily in the sun.
Chen Yao extended a hand, helping Lin Nan up from the ground. “It’s seven. If you’re not sleepy, I can go grab you some breakfast. If you are, sleep a little longer.”
“Then I’ll just keep sleeping.”
Lin Nan plopped back onto the sofa, curling up like a cat again.
“Go sleep in the bedroom.”
Chen Yao chuckled as he approached, grasping Lin Nan’s soft, boneless hand to pull her up, but she was as heavy as a sack of potatoes. He tugged and almost yanked her onto the floor again.
“So, is the bedroom too uncomfortable for you?”
“I can’t get up…”
Lin Nan whimpered like a spoiled puppy, “Let’s just stay here. I’m too lazy to move…”
As she struggled on the small sofa to find a comfy position, Chen Yao could only sit down on a nearby stool, resting his chin on one hand, half-heartedly playing with his phone. Once in a while, he’d peek up to check on Lin Nan, worried she might roll off the sofa again.
Thinking back, it had been seven or eight years since he met Lin Nan in seventh grade, right?
He constantly watched her change from the little girl who was always bullied to a… stunner.
But Lin Nan’s transformation felt unnatural, almost dreamlike. Pulling up old photos of their outings revealed that, while her features had refined nicely, she hadn’t altered so much that he wouldn’t recognize her.
At least her looks hadn’t changed drastically; the younger Lin Nan always had a multitude of blemishes, while now, her complexion was as smooth as that of a child.
Her face shape was softer, her features seemed more exquisite, but beyond that, she hadn’t changed all that much.
It was just her gaze; when outside, there was always a hint of wariness, as if she was suspicious of the entire universe, which made her a little hard to approach.
Fortunately, when with Chen Yao, that underlying vigilance seemed to melt away.
Letting out another sigh, he suddenly heard Lin Nan speak up, “What are you sighing about?”
After lying awkwardly on the sofa for so long without getting any sleep, Lin Nan was starting to regret not listening to Chen Yao earlier.
“Nothing much, just go sleep in the bedroom. I happen to be playing games on the sofa.”
Lin Nan sprung awake, stretching lazily as she yawned and arched her back, her eyes still drooping with sleep. She completely ignored Chen Yao’s cryptic sigh and strolled straight towards the bedroom.
Without bothering to close the door, she flopped onto the bed, tugged the blanket over her, and mumbled, “Chen Yao, don’t forget to get some cat food for Cola.”
“Got it, just hurry up and sleep!”
It seemed that having been too kind to Lin Nan had made her bold enough to issue commands to him now.
But while that crossed his mind, his mouth and body zipped to obey, “I’ll run out to grab you breakfast; is it cool if I wake you around ten?”
“I suspect that after a month living with you, I’ll turn into a little princess.” Lin Nan grumbled as she turned over, “Whatever.”
What little princess? More like a pampered queen!
Too bad Lin Nan still wouldn’t wear girl clothes. If she donned a princess dress… well…
He’d definitely prefer a sailor suit or a nurse outfit.
Imagining that scene, images of uniform photos he’d seen online popped into his head, and he quickly shook it out of his mind like a bad dream, rushing to fill Cola’s bowl with food.
“Cola, breakfast time!” After filling a bowl, he looked up to find the cat perched on the coffee table, staring at him with pure disdain as if questioning his very existence.
When did Cola’s eyes become so human-like?
“Meow!” Cola leaped off the table, bouncing over to Chen Yao, confidently stating, “Man, I’ve got my eye on you! Once I switch bodies, you can worship me! That woman Lin Nan isn’t worth it! I, Lilith, am simply the best!”
Chen Yao stared at it chattering away, unsure of how to respond when suddenly he remembered Lin Nan’s antics with it last night. An epiphany hit him, and he swiftly grabbed Cola, shoving its head into the cat food.
Is this what it takes to get it to eat?
The little oddball antics between Lin Nan and Cola truly left him puzzled.
