212. The Embarrassing Tales of Yesteryear
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Back in her elementary school days, Lin Nan lived in the countryside and had a pretty decent relationship with her cousin, Wu Jiaming. They were like two peas in a pod, as Wu Guodong’s sidekicks, and she was Wu Jiaming’s own little shadow. They shared the same school, and whether it was heading there in the morning or heading back in the evening, they always stuck together, causing a ruckus. It was even Wu Jiaming who inadvertently introduced Lin Nan to the world of movies when he found a DVD at a video store—oh, the things we stumble upon!
During that time, Lin Nan was living with her grandfather and practically shared a bed with Wu Jiaming. Their grandfather’s old CD player saw quite a lot of action as they spent many nights watching movies and anime together. There were even a few horror flicks that imprinted Lin Nan with a lifelong fear of the dark.
They’re just three years apart, but Wu Jiaming is already an intern at a polytechnic this year, though according to his dining table tales, he hasn’t really pulled off anything impressive yet.
After dinner, the night had already set in, and Wu Jiaming and Wu Guodong were plotting a trip to the internet café while their grandfather headed out to play Mahjong. Lin Nan’s mother had initially planned to take her shopping for some girl clothes, but Lin Nan flatly refused.
Then, her mother suggested a little bath-and-learn session about female hygiene, but Lin Nan reddened and shot that idea down too.
After giving the cat fresh water and food upstairs, Lin Nan returned to the hall on the first floor. She shot a glance at the two guys waiting for her to go online, feeling a strange discomfort wash over her. Especially her cousin, who seemed to be staring at her like she was some kind of rare bird.
Sure, finding out she was a girl might have piqued Wu Jiaming’s interest, but there was no need to gawk at her like that, was there?
They used to be close as kids, but that was before Lin Nan had gone to middle school in the county, and they lost touch. Their relationship had long since faded, and now meeting again felt awkward, especially since Wu Jiaming looked so different now.
But she definitely hadn’t changed as much as he had…
“Walking there? It’ll take us about half an hour,” Wu Guodong said as he fished out his wallet, flipping through the contents with a sigh. “No cash—this small town doesn’t even have rickshaws with QR codes to scan!”
“It’s not far anyway,” Wu Jiaming declared, already throwing on his coat.
He donned a hefty black puffer jacket that made him look like a fluffy bear rather than the handsome cousin she remembered—especially with a bit of extra weight added on.
Lin Nan and Wu Guodong also wore black coats, but thanks to height differences, Wu Guodong’s just covered his thighs, while Lin Nan’s draped over half of her shins.
Together, they set off down the country road.
Compared to the bustling streets filled with honking cars in the city, this remote rural road had hardly any traffic. The sides of the street were dotted with fields, and looking at the weeds on the ridges, it was clear those had been neglected for quite some time.
As night fell, the winter wind felt like daggers on her face. While Lin Nan didn’t mind the cold, she could still feel her skin prickling from the chill.
She wrapped her mother’s scarf around her face, leaving just her bright, wide eyes peeking out.
Lin Nan gazed towards the end of the street, then turned her head to the low buildings on either side, letting her gaze drift through the cracks between them and back to the fields, her thoughts wandering into her childhood.
Back then, she was a carefree bumpkin, her favorite pastime being roasting sweet potatoes in the fields with her cousins, occasionally setting traps for frogs or fishing for crayfish. No computers back then, and the TV hardly picked up any channels—her anime fix depended on rented CDs. The material conditions were far from what they are now, yet it filled her with nostalgia.
“Remember that time we roasted sweet potatoes in the fields and accidentally set Lin Nan’s clothes on fire?” Wu Guodong teased with a glint in his eye as his hands met the safety of his pockets. “And that time during the fireworks, Lin Nan blew up her hand and cried to me to take her to the hospital? Well, there wasn’t much to worry about, just a lot of bl**d that looked more dramatic than dangerous.”
Now, digging up these embarrassing moments was a surefire conversation starter. Naturally, Lin Nan didn’t hesitate to throw a cheeky retort right back: “How about that time you peeped on the neighbor girl showering and got chased down the street by grandpa?”
“That was Jiaming’s idea! You’ve been a little perv ever since you were a kid!”
Wu Jiaming rolled his eyes, “Well, at least I never got caught. Unlike you, I hear you were actually caught in class doing… things.”
Suddenly, silence enveloped them. Wu Jiaming sneaked a glance at Lin Nan, a bit awkwardly rubbing his nose, while Uncle took a couple of steps back as if to say he didn’t want to be associated with this weirdo.
Lin Nan mustered a couple of steps back too; everyone present was a bit of a creep.
Being the youngest, she couldn’t quite recall many details from back then, but who would’ve thought Wu Guodong was such a weirdo?
The conversation abruptly halted. Lin Nan couldn’t help but think that if she were still a boy, the discussion would definitely have taken a way more twisted turn—possibly to levels even she wouldn’t be able to handle!
After about ten minutes of walking, they finally emerged from the secluded lane.
Suddenly, streetlights appeared denser, and visibility expanded as the bustling crowds roamed the street. The smoky scent of food wafted from nearby stalls, drawing throngs of people, and Lin Nan instinctively began scanning the crowd for Chen Yao. But after a quick look around, she realized it might be better to just hide behind Wu Guodong.
Compared to her cousin whom she hadn’t seen in ages, being near Wu Guodong felt a little comforting.
Wu Guodong caught a glimpse of Lin Nan ducking behind him and scratched his head, feeling a sense of déjà vu wash over him. Wasn’t Lin Nan just like this when they first met that friend of hers?
Seeing her timid expression sent his protective instincts into overdrive. He straightened his hunch a little more, trying to project some semblance of safety with his skinny frame.
Lin Nan followed the two, walking silently beside them until they reached the side of a Walmart. They climbed a narrow staircase and found, hidden away, a lavishly decorated internet café!
This place charged a whopping ten bucks an hour, and after three hours you’d get a free cup of milk tea—those prices were downright criminal!
Inside, the café was packed, with nearly every computer occupied. The trio searched around and lucked out, finding an empty booth just for them.
The booth might be a bit pricey, but Lin Nan had never enjoyed noisy, crowded places. Now that she was a girl, there was an added layer of discomfort in bustling spots due to the anxiety of being scrutinized and having her secret discovered.
It was a two-person booth, snug and cozy, with a small couch. After a moment of hesitation, Wu Guodong decided to offer the spot to Lin Nan and Wu Jiaming.
Seeing as he had a smoking habit, staying in a confined booth with Lin Nan wouldn’t bode well for his health.
But Lin Nan wasn’t too keen on being alone with a cousin she barely knew anymore, nor was she keen on secondhand smoke.
Settling back in the booth, she took the innermost seat, eyeing Wu Guodong as he left, letting out a long sigh and trying to focus her thoughts on the game.
“Where’s that milky smell coming from?”
Thanks to the booth’s enclosed space, Wu Jiaming quickly picked up on the faint scent wafting from Lin Nan.
“Probably the milk tea?” Lin Nan shrugged, adjusting her scarf to cover half her face, and frivolously said, “Hey, what’s your rank in LOL these days? Haven’t seen you online lately.”
“Do I look like I have time for games after starting work? Back in school, all I did was dream of gaming; now it’s just work, work, work.”
Lin Nan’s innocent demeanor didn’t quite scream “capacity for deceit,” so Wu Jiaming went along with the conversation without a second thought.
