208. Grandpa’s House
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Lin Nan’s hometown is situated in a little town called Jinfeng, just below the county seat.
They say this is the richest town in the county, but Lin Nan has never encountered any mythical millionaires among friends and family throughout her life.
Although it’s touted as the most prosperous town around, to Lin Nan, it looks like it hasn’t changed an ounce in years—definitely older than a dinosaur! At least a decade ago, it looked just as stale, with no shiny new skyscrapers sprouting up.
You’d be hard-pressed to find any tall buildings here, with the tallest reaching maybe seven or eight stories. Judging by the amount of broken tiles on the façade, they’ve probably been around longer than Lin Nan herself.
At the heart of the town lies a bustling commercial street. It’s just before the New Year, and a tidal wave of returning residents has turned this street into a vehicular circus. After half an hour of starting and stopping in her uncle’s car, they finally rolled up to the door of Grandma and Grandpa’s place.
Feeling a bit nervous, Lin Nan stepped out of the car, casting a guilty glance at the four-story villa that belonged to her grandparents.
The little villa sits at the foot of a tiny hill and doesn’t take up much space. The first floor houses just two rooms—a living room and a kitchen, while the upper floors are all bedrooms, with the fourth floor still untouched, which once served as Lin Nan’s secret hideout.
Out back, there’s a small, fenced-off garden that might have once been quite charming.
From what she heard, her grandpa was reasonably well-off back in the day, building this little house early on. During her elementary and middle school years, Lin Nan spent a third of her time here, while the other two-thirds were at her grandpa’s similar-style courtyard that had been invaded by uncles and aunts after he passed away—rented out to outsiders, no less. Her dad was too much of a softie to insist otherwise.
Chen Yao hopped out of the passenger seat and glanced at Lin Nan, cracking a smile. “What’re you so tense about? Your mom and I are right here.”
“Mm.” Lin Nan instinctively ducked behind Chen Yao; the comfort he gave her was something her mom could never compete with.
At least over the years, her mother only protected her for two months, while Chen Yao had been there for over six or seven years!
Mom and Wu Guodong exited the vehicle too, eyeing Lin Nan, who was still hiding behind Chen Yao. They shared a look that screamed, “Well, looks like our kid’s been abducted!”
Lin Nan felt a wave of guilt as she peered at the familiar door, starting to worry about running into her grandparents. What if they turned out to be as stiff as her dad and didn’t like her?
“Why don’t you just say you’re some distant relative?” Chen Yao suggested.
Dreading the thought, Lin Nan nodded eagerly. She knew backing away wouldn’t help, but at least it meant she didn’t have to face all of that right now.
Her mother walked over, looping her arm with Lin Nan’s and dismissing Chen Yao’s idea. “It’s fine; Grandpa and Grandma will accept you.”
Lin Nan turned to her mother’s slightly bittersweet smile, suddenly realizing that her grandparents likely already knew about her situation.
How could they not? Turning from grandson to granddaughter was a pretty big deal!
If you counted from when she returned to school two months ago, her grandparents must have been aware of everything for about two months as well. Even if they couldn’t accept it right away, they probably wouldn’t throw out any nasty comments, thanks to some coaxing from her mom.
Her uncle had already unlocked the door and walked inside, followed by Lin Nan and her mom with Chen Yao trailing behind.
The house was empty; Grandma and Grandpa were probably off playing mahjong. Her uncle yawned loudly, ushering them to take their shoes off and head upstairs.
“Lin Nan and Chen Yao can sleep on the third floor,” he said as he led them to the second floor, pulling out some blankets that looked like they’d been hidden away for ages and lugging them upstairs.
The third floor had just two bedrooms with practically no furniture or decor—only a simple bed and a TV stand. It was all way too shabby compared to the villa’s exterior glamour.
After making the beds on the third floor, Lin Nan’s mom shot Chen Yao a glance, grinning. “I’m stepping out with Chen Yao for a bit; we’ll be back before dinner.”
“Okay.” Lin Nan plopped down at the edge of the bed, watching her mom and Chen Yao head out, a hint of worry creeping in about leaving Chen Yao alone.
Then she looked at Wu Guodong and asked, “Isn’t my mom staying here?”
“She’s at the factory dormitory. She took a day off today but will head back to work tomorrow,” Wu Guodong said with a big yawn, dark circles under his eyes. “I just got back yesterday, and I’ll rest for about half a month. After the New Year, I’ll be going back.”
“Uh-huh.”
With the two people who made her feel secure gone, Lin Nan began to fidget. It reminded her of the cat still trapped in the cat carrier, so she hurried to let it out.
The cat had slept all day, and now, upon being freed, it looked around with wide eyes before finally locking its gaze on Wu Guodong, letting out a few meows.
“Hey there, cute boy, ready to play?”
“Uncle, keep an eye on that cat and don’t let it escape!” Lin Nan rushed to close the bedroom door tight, fearing it would sneak away.
Especially since this cat had a thing for attempting to commit s*icide, so it had to be watched closely.
After filling the cat’s water and food bowls, Lin Nan looked up at Wu Guodong, only to find him gazing at her with some heat in his eyes.
Feeling a little unsettled, she quickly kicked off her shoes and dove under the covers.
Wu Guodong realized he had been staring and chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his nose. “You’ve changed so much; I’m just not used to it.”
He’d seen Lin Nan a couple of times before: first, she seemed slightly feminine in her demeanor, and the second time, noticed her more girl-like face. Now, he could hardly find a trace of the old masculine aura left!
Plus, she was looking better than ever.
Even though Lin Nan was bundled in a big coat, he could still tell that the curves beneath it were significantly more pronounced than when he last saw her. Those legs sticking out from underneath the coat were downright eye-catching, and that face? Even more exquisite than before.
“By the way, the Wi-Fi is on the second floor. I’ll send you the password shortly.”
As he realized he was left alone with Lin Nan, Wu Guodong’s face flushed slightly. He rushed out of the room, hoping to avoid lingering too long in a confined space with his niece.
So, if Lin Nan hasn’t had the surgery yet, what’s the proper term? Nephew or niece?
Once he exited, Lin Nan’s anxiety dissipated considerably. She flopped back onto the oddly scented mattress and hastily got up to air out the covers on the balcony.
Grandpa’s bedding always had this strange smell; not sure if it was due to age or just the unique aroma of old folks. Not unpleasant, but still a bit off-putting!
