256. February 14th【48/170】
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When Lin Nan woke up, her room was empty.
Cola was curled up on a pillow beside her, but with a tiny body that emitted snores loud enough to rival thunder, it left Lin Nan’s ears ringing.
She raised her hand and gave the cat a swat, waking it up with a start. It blinked back at her, eyes wide with confusion.
“Why’d you wake me up if you’re just going to keep sleeping?”
Cola protested with a series of desperate meows, and Lin Nan scooped the furry creature into her arms, rubbed her face against it, and buried her nose in its fur, taking a deep sniff.
“Holy cow! You really are as much of a weirdo as Lina!”
Cola wriggled free from Lin Nan’s embrace and leaped off the bed, sprinting away like a fluffball on the run.
Chen Yao had started working as a delivery person for his uncle and aunt a few days ago, coming and going at odd hours, which left Lin Nan to occupy the house alone. Her daily routine had been reduced to playing on the computer or sleeping, and boy, was it boring!
On the dining table lay today’s breakfast, and there were leftovers from the New Year’s Eve dinner in the fridge. Lin Nan’s meals only required her to cook some rice and heat up dishes each day.
While Chen Yao was home, she often complained about him being annoying, about how he loved leaving things all over the place, and how he never wrung out the towels, leaving water splattered all over the bathroom floor. Not to mention, he played games with the sound blaring.
But after just a few days of his absence, Lin Nan found herself strangely missing him.
Sure, he could be an annoyance, but at least there was someone around to chat and bicker with; it made the place feel alive instead of the lonely silence that now surrounded her.
Sitting at the dining table, she rested her chin on her hand, finding Auntie’s special sandwich unappetizing, staring gloomily at the pattern on the tablecloth.
With a sigh, she lost her appetite, placed the untouched sandwich back on the plate, took a few sips of milk, and then retreated to the living room couch.
Cola sprang onto the dining table, noticed that Lin Nan hadn’t touched her breakfast, and decided it was time to claim the food as her own, munching away messily, leaving crumbs everywhere.
Lin Nan curled her legs on the couch and turned on the TV, expressionless as she watched the morning news, while her thoughts drifted farther away.
If I hadn’t met Chen Yao back in middle school, I’d probably have dropped out early, learned a trade, or become a factory worker on an assembly line, right?
Her parents had never worried about her studies, believing that if she couldn’t get into a top university, then school was just a waste of money.
Even now, her mother didn’t care about her academics.
She recalled the time when Chen Yao stood up for her against the bullies in class, brawling with them to defend her. Back then, she thought Chen Yao was a legendary hero, the kind that sparkled.
Unfortunately, the more time she spent with the “hero,” the more she realized he was just an ordinary guy.
Suddenly, there was a noise at the front door, pulling Lin Nan out of her thoughts.
She tensed up instantly, frowning toward the entrance.
No one should be back at this hour.
Could it be a thief?
The noises outside grew louder, and Lin Nan tiptoed to her feet, grabbing a broom from the corner of the living room, her eyes wide with anticipation as she crept up to the door.
Peering through the peephole, she saw a figure standing just out of sight, their face hidden from view.
The door swung open, and Lin Nan pushed it wide, peeking out to see Chen Yao standing there, looking startled.
“What were you messing with out there for so long?”
Chen Yao jumped, clearly flustered.
“What’s up? Doing something shady?” Lin Nan immediately picked up on his unease, giving him a dubious glance and noticing his bulging pockets that seemed to hide something.
“Nothing, I just can’t find my keys.” Chen Yao hurriedly explained.
Lin Nan sighed, too lazy to press further, grabbed a pair of slippers from the shoe rack, and mumbled, “Why are you so nervous coming to your own house?”
As she watched Chen Yao walk inside, she stepped forward to help him take off his bulky outer jacket, hanging it on a hook, but when she turned back around, he was staring at her in a daze.
“What’s up?”
Chen Yao quickly shook his head. “Nothing, it’s just… you kind of remind me of an old married couple from a TV show.”
“Just being helpful.” Lin Nan brushed it off, but seeing him daydream like that, she suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out whatever he had there. Without even glancing at what it was, she turned and dashed away.
She bolted to the dining room, but when she looked back, there was no sign of Chen Yao chasing after her. Feeling a bit disappointed, she glanced at the object in her hand and found it was a beautifully wrapped chocolate.
“Ooh, who’s this gift for? Some pretty lady?” Lin Nan teased, waving the chocolate at Chen Yao who had just stepped through the door, “Come on, let me meet her, don’t hide!”
“Is it for an online romance?” she gloated, lifting the chocolate high, “Why didn’t you just send it directly to her house? Did you even include a card or something?”
“Only regular mail is available now, right?” she mused, playing with the chocolate and suddenly noticing a little note stuck on the packaging.
Chen Yao didn’t deny it, closing the door behind him. Still a bit flustered, he relaxed and said nonchalantly, “It’s for you. I’m not doing that online romance thing, it’s only been two months since that Bear incident, right?”
The memory of Bear getting scammed in an online romance scheme was fresh in her mind.
“Why are you giving me a gift? I don’t even like sweets.” Lin Nan dropped the playful banter, walking toward him to hand back the chocolate. “So who are you giving it to? Your mom?”
However, Chen Yao took a step back and said seriously, “It was meant for you from the start.”
“Really?”
Lin Nan froze, looking down at the chocolate again.
She muttered, “If you want to give me a gift, you might as well just give me cash. I don’t eat chocolate.”
She pulled off the note from the outer wrapping, peering closely.
“Lin Nan… It really has my name?” she exclaimed in surprise, “You’d usually just give me a skin upgrade; when did you start gifting me things?”
“February 14th.”
“What’s that?”
“Valentine’s Day.”
Lin Nan looked at him with a puzzled expression: “What’s that got to do with me?”
Chen Yao sat on the couch, hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets, nervously shaking his leg.
The front of the note had her name written on it, and flipping it over, Lin Nan spotted a line of tiny text. Frowning, she read it aloud, “Lin Nan, be my girlfriend…”
She couldn’t finish.
Lin Nan stared blankly at the note, then glanced up at the awkward Chen Yao. Her cheeks flushed suddenly, feeling completely flustered, and for a moment, she stood there, unsure of what to do.
After a moment of silence, when she didn’t respond, Chen Yao looked up at her, heart racing, and—bolstered by an impulsive burst of bravery—repeated the note’s contents.
“Lin Nan! Be my girlfriend!”
“Eh?!”
She jolted back to reality.
