002. A Friend’s Request
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So, I’m really a man!
Lin Nan stared at his reflection in the mirror, yet again striking a distressed feminine pose. He was so fed up that he swung a fist right at that mirror.
The punch hurt so much it brought tears to his eyes, which nearly rolled down his cheeks.
The guy in the mirror looked somewhat decent with a standard oval face, but his features weren’t particularly exquisite. Thanks to the relentless assault of acne, he had the face of a pretty unremarkable passerby.
Standing close to 1.7 meters tall, in a time when even elementary school kids hit that height, you could say his height was practically a disability.
It had already been two days since he was hospitalized, and yet not a shred of progress had been made.
That three-hundred-year-old witch’s soul was deeply embedded in him, influencing him at every moment.
Not only were his usual habits getting a bit weird, but Lin Nan also found that his temper was becoming increasingly volatile and more feminine, even starting to lean towards a mother tiger personality.
Rubbing his sore fist, he bared his teeth at his reflection. No matter what he did, he could still see hints of feminine grace peeking through.
What on earth was going wrong?
At this rate, would he end up becoming another Lilith? According to his memories floating in his mind, that girl could be considered a female version of the Demon King from another world—malevolent and hell-bent on world domination, living it up every night.
If he turned into that kind of character too, wouldn’t that mean he was Lilith reincarnated?
“d*mn it!” He cursed and turned to march back into his bedroom, planning to take an online swing at his frustration.
Thirty minutes later, he was nearly brought to tears by his gaming disaster.
As his stats dwindled to 0-13, his body began to tremble slightly, his hands irresistibly shaking, making it hard to even hold the mouse.
Lin Nan gazed wordlessly at the results page, forcing a bitter smile.
Just two days, and his life was completely thrown into chaos.
He begrudgingly returned to his bed, laying flat on his back and staring at the ceiling, momentarily unsure of what to do next.
It wasn’t like he could complain to his friends; they’d think he was losing his mind. He didn’t want to tell his father either; after all, they barely even talked.
With the school year starting in just a few days, he saw no way to revert back to his old self. If his dorm mates saw him like this, they’d probably laugh him to d*ath.
Just as he was staring blankly, he suddenly heard a commotion at the front door.
Before he could even speak, Chen Yao burst in, throwing an arm around Lin Nan’s neck, grinning like a cheshire cat. “Have you eaten lunch? No? I brought you KFC!”
“Are you sure your uncle and aunt gave you enough money to eat KFC? Don’t come here mooching off me later.”
“No worries, they’ll give me pocket money when school starts in a couple of days.”
Chen Yao’s parents ran a small shop, so he was responsible for his own meals, but he spent money like water—most of it on games—leaving him perpetually broke and awkwardly mooching off Lin Nan’s meals.
They had met in middle school, bonding over their similar home situations of absent parents, and their friendship grew stronger. Now they lived and studied together in the same dorm at university, brothers from different mothers.
He shut the door behind him, squeezed inside, and shoved the KFC box into Lin Nan’s arms.
Lin Nan blankly accepted the box, lifted his gaze, and was instantly hit by that unmistakably scheming grin. He felt a shiver run down his spine and quickly turned away, putting on a cold face. “What exactly do you want? I’m not getting into a fight, staying up all night is negotiable, borrowing money is okay too…”
“Nan Nan~” Chen Yao pouted like a big baby, “You have to help me with this!”
“What request have I ever turned you down for, aside from fights?” Lin Nan plopped down on the little couch, crossed his legs, took a bite of chicken, and grimaced, “Back then, when you asked me for favors, I didn’t hear anything about gifts.”
“Just promise me!”
Usually, Lin Nan wouldn’t agree to something that needed approval before knowing the details. Who knows if this was about borrowing money or some ridiculous hardship?
But considering Chen Yao had just helped him a couple of days ago and had always had his back since they met, he thought better of it and nodded in agreement. “Okay, okay! What is it?”
“It’s super important! You’re probably the only one who can help me!”
Chen Yao placed his hands on Lin Nan’s shoulders, looking serious.
“Help me dress as a girl to sh**t a video!”
“What kind of cheesy plot twist is this?!”
Lin Nan erupted in anger, losing all appetite for the chicken leg, tossing it aside as he started to back away towards his bedroom. “I’m not that kind of person!”
“No, no! Just help me out, okay? You know I make videos on Bilibili sometimes.”
Chen Yao seized Lin Nan’s arm before he could escape, pleading fervently, “Last time I said I’d dress as a girl for a video if I hit 100k followers… but you know my chiseled face is totally unsuitable for girl’s attire! You, on the other hand, are so handsome! Just wear a wig and add some filters… even if you’re not perfect, online there are so many tank girls looking gorgeous; you could totally pull it off!”
Lin Nan felt trapped, and the sweat started trickling down his forehead. This was the first time he’d ever heard Chen Yao say he was handsome, and he wanted to slap the back of his own head for nodding just now.
“Even if we’re close, I don’t think we’re close enough for this.” Lin Nan straightened up, looking distinctly unimpressed. “From this day forth, we are no longer friends!”
“When I stayed with you in the hospital for a whole night without sleeping, you think I did that for fun?” Chen Yao sighed dramatically, shaking his head as if it were the most tragic thing ever. “Last time you got bullied, I even found someone to teach them a lesson. And the time before that, when someone insulted you in class, who stood up for you?”
“Look, we’ve been friends since middle school; who haven’t I helped you with?”
Lin Nan’s expression started to stiffen.
Truthfully, if it weren’t for meeting Chen Yao in middle school, the bullying he experienced could’ve pushed him into a deep depression. Because of this, he was reluctant to turn down any of Chen Yao’s requests.
But dressing as a girl was…
“I’ve got girl clothes all set up at my place; my parents aren’t home, so you’ll only need to sh**t alone, just pretending to play a game. It’s not that hard! Why can’t you just help me with this?”
