235. The Morning Shenanigans
Chen Yao suddenly woke up with a start.
He sat up, dazedly staring at the sunlight spilling into the room, his brain still in a fog. A voice as tiny as a mosquito buzzed through his mind again.
“If… I have to get married… you’re not too bad…”
This line looped in his head like a broken record all night, and he could still recall it clearly the next day.
He hesitantly looked over at Lin Nan, who was facing him, her breathing steady and deep, her brows slightly knit, clearly still in dreamland.
Was it just a dream?
Furrowing his brow, he wondered if his extensive interaction with Lin Nan yesterday had triggered this weird dream.
After all, Lin Nan didn’t seem like the type to say such things. Even though she looked like she had a soft spot for him, it was hard to believe it was anything more than a passing fancy.
Or maybe she just couldn’t accept any male attention at all.
Chen Yao was puzzled. Propping himself up on the bed, his movements startled Lin Nan awake.
“Ah!”
With a yelp, she jolted, her body twitching as she opened her eyes wide, panic stricken, clutching the blanket and looking at Chen Yao.
They stared at each other for a moment before Lin Nan awkwardly explained, “I had another nightmare…”
“Another one?”
“Yeah.” She nodded her little head, lifelessly sinking back into her covers, mumbling, “I watched a horror movie a while back and now I keep having these nightmares…”
“Why on earth would you watch that stuff?”
Chen Yao, now sitting at the computer, rubbed his slightly hungry belly. “What was last night’s nightmare about?”
“I can’t remember clearly… something about being locked up by my grandpa for being a weirdo… maybe?” she answered glumly.
Chen Yao was taken aback. He thought her nightmares were the usual ghostly affairs, not this…
“Once, I dreamed I got kicked out by my dad, chased by my mom at school…”
“Nightmares are usually the opposite of reality.” Chen Yao couldn’t help but interrupt.
“True, my grandpa treats me well once he knows what’s going on.” Lin Nan nodded, her spirits lifting a bit.
He felt a pang of sympathy for Lin Nan, once a good friend, now dealing with such trouble, but he felt powerless to help.
After all, this was a matter of the heart, needing her family’s support, while all Chen Yao could do was create the best possible environment. Maybe it would help ease her sensitivity.
“Are you hungry? I’ll see what breakfast we have.”
He got up and opened the bedroom door, while Lin Nan stared blankly at his retreating back, curling up in bed, flashes of last night’s dream playing in her mind.
Fortunately, she was starting to get used to such dreams; unlike before when she’d cry her eyes out, now she just felt an uncomfortable tightness in her chest.
There was a soft knock, and then Auntie walked in.
“I heard you had a nightmare?” She placed a bowl of thin porridge on the bedside table and sat down next to Lin Nan, who curled up like a little ball, looking unusually delicate.
“Yeah…”
“About your family?”
“Yeah…”
Auntie chuckled sadly and reached out to gently rub Lin Nan’s head. Lin Nan didn’t actually like it, but who could resist the elderly? Eventually, it felt strangely comforting, and she even let out a soft hum.
Auntie wrapped her arms around Lin Nan’s upper body, squeezing her gently. “Don’t worry. If you don’t mind, you can think of this place as your second home, okay?”
“Is that really okay?”
Lin Nan squirmed a bit, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
“No problem! Auntie and Uncle like you a lot. Even if you and Chen Yao don’t work out, it’d be great to have you as our daughter.” Auntie smiled brightly. “You have no idea how troublesome Chen Yao is. I’ve always wanted a daughter. Daughters are obedient and worry-free!”
“Eh…” Lin Nan felt guilty, “All his troubles in middle school were basically my idea…”
Like sneaking off to the internet cafe to play games, skipping school for fun, convincing Chen Yao to buy her skins… back then, Lin Nan was in a ‘let them be free’ mindset and mistakenly thought Chen Yao was too. Their middle school days were basically one big non-stop party.
Little did they know that every time Chen Yao returned home after their antics, he was greeted with a mixed double whammy.
But Auntie didn’t mind: “That’s his fault for being naive. He listens to you way too easily!”
Chen Yao, hiding by the door, rolled his eyes.
“By the way… he got five hundred bucks for New Year’s after finishing the second year of junior high… but I spent it all,” Lin Nan continued awkwardly, “I made him buy game stuff. Fair’s fair!”
“No wonder that kid won’t admit how he spends five hundred a day!” Auntie was suddenly furious.
Outside, they could hear Chen Yao’s dramatic cries, probably because his dad kicked him.
“I was just a kid back then! Why kick me for things I did ages ago?!”
“Still want to talk back?”
A ruckus erupted outside.
Auntie quickly regained her composure: “It’s fine, that’s in the past.”
“He won’t get crippled, will he…” Lin Nan felt a twinge of regret for her candor, but with her concerns for him, she couldn’t help it and just blurted everything out.
“He’ll be fine! We don’t hit hard, and besides, he’s an adult now; we can’t beat him too much!”
Auntie smiled like a devil, “Just withhold his New Year money and reduce his living expenses!”
Lin Nan observed Auntie leave the room and then picked up the porridge, blowing on it before taking a sip.
Sea cucumber and shrimp porridge, with a marinated egg in it—delicious and nutritious!
No wonder Chen Yao was so tall; good nutrition!
Chen Yao’s parents weren’t exactly giants, but compared to other forty-somethings, they were “head and shoulders” above the rest; genetics must play a role.
After finishing half the bowl, Chen Yao dramatically stomped into the room, clearly still grumbling about his recent experience.
“You okay?”
“No worries! Thick skinned—just a symbolic kick, so I let out a symbolic yelp,” he said, sitting down at the computer, picking up the bowl to eat breakfast, and complaining, “Why do you spill the beans when my mom treats you a bit better? You’re way too easily fooled!”
Lin Nan lowered her head, acting as if she didn’t hear.
To be fair, she may have been a tad indiscreet.
This was the first time she faced such a situation, and in her fluster, she had blurted out everything.
Feeling a bit guilty, she quickly gulped down the rest of her porridge, stood up, and headed to the kitchen sink to wash her bowl.
But the moment she stepped out of the bedroom, Auntie appeared right in front of her.
“Having steak for lunch? Your uncle is making Wellington steak—delicious!” Auntie cheerfully handed Lin Nan a bag full of clothes. “Try these on later! A friend sent them over; there’s a little bit of everything. If you don’t like any styles, let me know, and I’ll send them back!”
“Okay.”
Lin Nan opened the bag, only to find a few sets of underwear staring back at her.
Her face turned beet red instantly.
