### Late Night Conversation
The night slowly deepened.
Inside Chen Yao’s room, an extra chair had appeared, and the two of them were sitting side by side in front of the computer screen, watching a sci-fi movie.
Lin Nan wasn’t particularly interested in the movie, but with nothing better to do, she had to resort to it to k*ll time—and it conveniently made her drowsy.
She had her feet resting on the chair, curling up and hugging her legs, with her chin resting on her knees. Her toes wiggled restlessly, and her body swayed slightly to the sci-fi film’s background music.
Chen Yao stole a sideways glance at Lin Nan’s current state, and he could tell she was in a pretty good mood.
Suddenly, there was a knock from the bedroom, followed by Chen Yao’s dad’s voice from outside, “Are you guys having a late-night snack? I made some sago pudding.”
With that, Uncle pushed the door open, carrying a small bowl as he entered. “It’s cold. Nan Nan, don’t eat too much.”
Being called “Nan Nan” by an elder didn’t bother her at all.
Lin Nan wasn’t a big fan of sweets, but she nodded and smiled politely, “Thank you, Uncle.”
“No problem, we’re all family here,” Chen Yao’s dad chuckled, wrinkles creasing across his face. “If you want anything else to eat tonight, just let me know. I used to be a chef at a five-star hotel. As long as I can buy the ingredients, I can make it!”
Previously, it was Aunt who cooked at Chen Yao’s house; who knew the hidden talent was Uncle standing right there?
Lin Nan’s eyes lit up, and she excitedly replied, “Steak! I want M12!”
“Wow, you sure aren’t shy!” Chen Yao immediately shoved Lin Nan’s head down, “Gonna go to heaven to buy you steak that expensive!”
“How can you talk like that?!” Chen Yao’s dad kicked him on the leg. “If Nan Nan wants something, we should get it! I have M7 in my restaurant’s freezer; I’ll get it tomorrow!”
Wait! I was trying to help you out! Am I not your biological son?!
Chen Yao sulkily pouted, ready to have some sago pudding, but then he got kicked again, “What are you eating at this hour? Don’t you think you’re fat enough already?”
Great, I’m the adopted child now.
In truth, Chen Yao wasn’t really fat; if you squinted hard enough, you could say he had a sturdy build. But in the winter, bundled up in thick clothes, he was quite the stylish little hunk.
Lin Nan envied his ability to look skinny in clothes but have some meat when undressed.
Chen Yao handed the bowl to Lin Nan, not really caring that he was now the “guest.” After all, with Lin Nan staying over, he figured he could get away with his parents being less double-standard for at least half a month… right?
He glanced at Lin Nan, happily drinking her sago pudding, secretly feeling better about the whole thing.
He rarely got to see Lin Nan with such a joyful expression, and it almost melted his heart.
“What else do you want to eat, Nan Nan?” Chen Yao’s dad, seeing her enjoying the food, was suddenly full of energy, “I’ll get you anything you want!”
“Umm, home-style dishes will do… I’m not picky about food,” Lin Nan realized her earlier request was a bit over the top; clearly, she got a little carried away after being spoiled.
“Then I’ll head to bed?”
“Goodnight, Uncle.”
“Such a good girl, you’re much more sensible than Chen Yao.”
“？？？”
Chen Yao had a full head of question marks. If he had brought up wanting M12 steak during the pandemic, he would’ve probably been brained!
The bedroom door closed, followed by the sound of another bedroom door shutting.
It seemed Uncle and Aunt really were planning to sleep.
It was already midnight. Lin Nan finished her sago pudding, let out a comfortable burp, and then dove into bed.
Lin Nan always felt drowsy after being properly fed.
The bed and pillows were freshly changed by Chen Yao’s mom, and though there was still a faint trace of Chen Yao’s scent lingering, it didn’t affect her much.
Chen Yao’s blanket was thrown onto the bamboo mat by the bed. Though he was supposed to sleep on the sofa, it was better to sleep in the room in this weather, to avoid catching a cold and causing unnecessary trouble.
Chen Yao switched the air conditioning to heating; this function was only used for a few days in the winter when temperatures dropped below ten degrees.
“Are you sleeping already?” he looked back at Lin Nan on the bed.
“Just trying to watch. Can you lower the screen a bit? I can’t see clearly.”
“Is this better?”
“Hmm.”
Chen Yao sat on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, looking at the girl beside him, who was lying on her side with one hand propping up her head.
She hadn’t brought any clothes, couldn’t take a shower tonight, and wasn’t even in pajamas; she was still in her outerwear.
She was already a bit sleepy, her head starting to droop before suddenly snapping awake as she fought to stay awake and watch the movie.
“If you’re sleepy, just go to sleep.”
Lin Nan nodded; she was worried Aunt and Uncle would scold her for getting up too late in the morning.
So she turned over, took off her outerwear, wrapped herself in the blanket, yawned, and half-opened her eyes to look at the ceiling.
Though this place felt a bit unfamiliar to Lin Nan, having Chen Yao beside her gave her a strange sense of comfort.
Chen Yao stared at Lin Nan’s face, and for some reason, he stretched out his hand to gently pinch her cheek.
“What are you doing?”
She glanced at Chen Yao, her voice weak; even getting mad seemed too exhausting right now.
“Your cheeks feel nice,” he chuckled, “Alright, get some sleep. I have to get up early for a class reunion tomorrow.”
Lin Nan clearly recalled him saying something about not going out during the pandemic; but when the reunion came, that thought had flown out the window.
“Shouldn’t we not go out?”
“Hmm.”
Chen Yao nodded in agreement, then pressed the switch on the bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness.
He got up and shut down the computer, and the room was now so dark that one couldn’t see a hand in front of their face.
He sat down on the floor, resting his chin on the bed, quietly gazing at Lin Nan’s figure in the dark. After a moment, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed Lin Nan’s gaze was also lingering on him.
“What’s up?”
“Just feels more reassuring watching you sleep…” Lin Nan replied softly.
Unable to see her expression clearly, Chen Yao didn’t think much of it; he just reached out to ruffle her hair, only to have it swatted away in protest.
Lin Nan then quietly asked, “Do you think I should really find someone to marry someday?”
Chen Yao paused for a moment before replying, “Probably not? In this day and age, it’s not like there aren’t people who stay single their whole lives. Plus, there’s retirement benefits…”
“If you’re worried about being lonely, you could always just move into a nursing home later; that could be pretty lively…” he continued along the lines of Lin Nan’s thoughts, even though he thought living single for a lifetime wasn’t really practical.
After answering, he didn’t hear Lin Nan say anything else. Looking closer, he saw she had already closed her eyes and seemed to have fallen asleep.
Sighing, he flipped onto the floor, covered himself with the blanket, but the damp bedding made him shiver a bit.
As Chen Yao’s consciousness gradually blurred and drifted into sleep, he faintly heard Lin Nan mumbling something.
“If… I really have to get married… you wouldn’t be so bad…”
