238. Sorry for the Interruption 【42/170】
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Lin Nan was really feeling a headache over her parents volunteering to go out.
And the problem was, Chen Yao didn’t even hesitate; he just nodded in agreement!
With the son on board, she, as a guest, felt there was little she could say, except for being annoyed that this guy didn’t care one bit about his parents’ health.
After dinner, she stomped back to her room, fuming as she pondered whether there was any magic that could keep her dear old parents safe from potential infection.
Sure, there were only a couple of confirmed cases around, but with the tense atmosphere nationwide and Chen Yao constantly bombarding her with news updates, she was now scared to d*ath.
However, her parents seemed completely unconcerned. Even with their top-notch protective gear and alcohol disinfectant every time they came and went, Lin Nan still thought it was best not to leave the house during such times.
“What’s wrong? Angry?” Chen Yao pushed the door open, holding a small bowl of diced apples and placing it on the bedside table before pulling out a toothpick to skewer a piece. “Want some?”
“Full,” Lin Nan huffed, turning her back to him, too lazy to engage.
“You and your little temper…” Chen Yao was taken aback. Lin Nan used to be far too calm to get mad this easily, but now her personality wasn’t much different from the average girl’s!
He took a few bites of fruit before responding, “They’ve both signed up. After spending these last few days with them, do you think, given my status in this house, a few words would change anything?”
Plus, it was just an excuse… they were talking about ‘volunteering’ when all they really meant was to stay in another unit downstairs for a few days.
Lin Nan turned her head suspiciously and, with a heart-wrenching question, asked, “You weren’t adopted by them, were you?”
“I’ve thought that too, especially after you moved in,” Chen Yao jabbed a piece of apple towards Lin Nan. She automatically opened her mouth, ready for feeding, “In the past, not only would they never have cut and peeled fruit for me, they probably wouldn’t even have washed it before tossing it my way.”
He popped the apple into her mouth and quickly focused on his phone.
That cherry-like mouth…
An undeniably inappropriate image of her eating popsicles popped into his head.
After sharing a room with Lin Nan these past couple of days, he found his mind drifting toward all sorts of bizarre thoughts, especially with the unique milky scent she seemed to bring into the bedroom.
Aside from that milky scent, he’d caught whiffs of even more enticing floral fragrances…
“So you’re not going to talk to your parents again?” Lin Nan mumbled through a mouthful of apple, “You seem to have a decent relationship with them. Why not weigh in on this?”
“How do you see our relationship as decent?”
Lin Nan didn’t know how to respond but, every time she had seen Chen Yao playfully banter with his parents, she couldn’t help but wish she could have moments like that in her family.
Perhaps Chen Yao thought he had no place in the family and was always criticized, but Lin Nan found herself envious of him, a feeling that was rapidly morphing into jealousy.
“Anyway, it seems pretty good…” She turned her head, trying to suppress the jealousy and instead began recalling memories of Lilith, searching for magic that could protect her aunt and uncle.
In the alternate world, there was no understanding of germs or viruses, so Lin Nan wasn’t even sure if any magic could help with this pandemic.
Chen Yao watched Lin Nan sitting on the bed, tilting her head in thought, and found it hard to look away.
In his view, Lin Nan’s face resembled Saito Asuka’s, mainly because they both sported similarly petite faces, which could be described as ‘palm-sized.’ However, Lin Nan had a hint of masculine charm compared to the starlet—making her attractiveness feel more approachable to the opposite gender.
Lin Nan often wore a flicker of subtle sorrow between her brows, stirring an uncontrollable instinct to protect, yet that allure would quickly catapult protective instincts into unmentionable thoughts.
He was worried that if he wasn’t careful, he’d get sucked into that whirlwind; he quickly shifted his gaze. “You’ve been daydreaming a lot lately.”
“Really?”
“If you have something on your mind, just say it. Thinking alone is pointless.”
Lin Nan felt that made sense and shifted closer. “So what magic do you think could resist viruses?”
“???”
Seriously? You’re pondering over something so cringey?
But with that earnest expression on her face, Chen Yao stifled a laugh and replied solemnly, “Isn’t the cleaning spell from novels pretty good? You wouldn’t even need to shower; one spell and you’re sparkling clean!”
“But who knows if it kills viruses…”
Lin Nan sighed deeply, her worry palpable.
“Then just conjure a protective barrier, like a magic shield; the viruses won’t stand a chance, right?”
“That makes some sense…” Lin Nan recalled the idea of a magic barrier.
Chen Yao had no clue why he was discussing such nerdy topics with Lin Nan, but lucky for him, he’d read enough fantasy novels to quickly propose more ideas, which had Lin Nan nodding along enthusiastically.
My own thinking is clearly too limited.
Lin Nan felt a tinge of regret for not asking Chen Yao for help earlier, but back then, she was scared of being labeled a weirdo. Now? Chen Yao simply treated her like a middle-aged lady with a severe case of second-child syndrome.
If they were to deploy a magic shield, should it be a 360-degree egg-shell type, or a form-fitting armor-like defense?
If they went with a cleaning type of magic, Lin Nan already knew purification spells, but she wasn’t sure whether it would work against viruses, or if she needed one that packed a more powerful punch…
As she descended into another round of heavy contemplation, Chen Yao shook his head in exasperation, oddly finding her foolishness rather cute.
He casually pulled Lin Nan’s hood over her head, transforming her into a pondering cat girl.
His hands absentmindedly rubbed the little cat ears on her hood, then instinctively slid down to pinch her cheek.
Caught off guard, Chen Yao was met with a swift kick that sent him tumbling off the bed, landing with a thud on the floor.
“Hands to yourself!”
Rubbing her sore cheek, Lin Nan glared at him with clear displeasure, thinking Chen Yao had gotten too bold lately. “No face pinching!”
“Yeah, yeah, I promise to pick a different spot next time.”
“A different spot won’t cut it! Are you a pervert?”
Lin Nan shot him a fiercely annoyed look, but her eyes, like a fox’s, didn’t carry much intimidation.
She knew her glare didn’t exactly strike fear, but seeing Chen Yao’s indifferent face just made her angrier. So, without thinking, she leaped from the bed, ready to tackle him.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
“Are you two having barbecue skewers tonight?” Auntie popped her head in, holding some skewers, smiling brightly.
Lin Nan, who had barely leaped forward, froze in fear, her body stiffening and then, without warning, she fell to the ground.
Soft but still a bit painful.
She lifted her head to see Auntie’s expression also frozen in shock.
Then looking down, she saw Chen Yao grimacing in pain under her, her position quite scandalously close to him.
“Sorry for the interruption.”
Auntie cheerfully closed the door and left.
