265. Back to Hometown 【4/122】
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Wu Guodong stood outside the car, yanked off his mask, lit a cigarette, and while puffing out smoke, observed the few pedestrians wandering around.
Though the small town’s roads were open again, the streets were still mostly deserted, with people deliberately keeping their distance from strangers. It was like an anti-social convention.
“I wonder how Lin Nan and that kid are faring together these days?”
He hadn’t ever been in love himself, but nearly thirty years of life experience was enough to see that there was something vaguely romantic brewing between his niece and Chen Yao.
He sighed heavily. Lin Nan had the exact type of looks he liked, but not only did they share bl**d, there was also the little issue of her former male identity. He couldn’t quite shake the unease that gave him, especially since he had literally watched her grow up.
Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly noticed a white stray cat snuggling up to his feet, meowing and making big eyes at him. When Wu Guodong ignored it, the cat took the next step of desperation and rubbed against his shoe as if trying to claim it as its own.
Wu Guodong stood there dumbfounded. He was never one to attract small animals— he was basically a walking chimney full of smoke.
“Shoo, shoo, there’s nothing for you here!”
He lightly nudged his foot, but the cat defiantly clung to his shoe, wrapping its paws around his pant leg as if saying, “Not going anywhere, buddy!”
“Fine, whatever.” He sighed again.
Lin Nan already had a black cat; one more white cat wouldn’t hurt. In fact, a dynamic duo of black and white could be quite the charming pair.
He picked the white cat up by the scruff, examining it for a moment and nodding in satisfaction. It was a male, and judging by its size, it was about the same age as his beloved cola. Perfect match!
Just as he was about to toss the cat into the trunk, he noticed a couple coming out of the community entrance, holding hands.
His attention was caught like a moth to a flame.
The couple was being stopped by the security guard, probably to check their travel permits.
On the left was a young man with unusually long hair—clearly, he hadn’t had a haircut in over a month. He scratched his head absentmindedly while fumbling to present his permit.
To the right was a girl sporting shoulder-length hair that looked like it had never seen a hairbrush or any styling products. She was shyly refusing to make eye contact, wearing a white hoodie and light jeans. Though her figure wasn’t jaw-dropping, you could definitely say she had curves in all the right places.
Especially that pair of long, slender legs, perfectly showcased by her tight jeans—absolutely drool-worthy!
Unfortunately, since she was looking down, Wu Guodong couldn’t catch a glimpse of her face. But hey, the body was definitely in his “not-a-complete-dud” category.
He turned to toss the white cat into the trunk, only to be startled when a hand suddenly stopped him.
Looking up, he was baffled to see the young man was none other than Chen Yao!
Woo-wee! After a month of his parents fussing over Lin Nan and leaving him in the dust, he’d lost at least five pounds. Plus, that unkempt hair made Wu Guodong struggle to recognize him at first glance!
Glancing towards the girl beside Chen Yao, he nearly fell over. “No way, that’s my niece!”
Lin Nan was visibly shy, lowering her head in embarrassment as she let go of Chen Yao’s hand. She shoved her backpack, full of cola, into the trunk, only to be surprised by the sight of the white cat inside.
She looked up at Wu Guodong with wide eyes. “Uncle, what’s with this cat?”
“Oh, it just decided to latch onto my shoe,” Wu Guodong explained, noticing how much more feminine Lin Nan had become in just a month.
Or rather, she was completely transformed into a stunning girl. There was no trace of her former self in her demeanor or behavior at all.
His eyes roamed over Lin Nan, taking in her shyness. This cute, bashful side was something he’d never witnessed before.
“So, you and Chen Yao? Are you two an item?”
“Um-hum.” Lin Nan nodded slightly, her cheeks flushing.
No way! Chen Yao hit the jackpot! Wu Guodong was positively dumbfounded.
Chen Yao had already stowed Lin Nan’s luggage in the trunk and was stretching, wanting to exchange a few words with Wu Guodong. But then it hit him—what do you even call your girlfriend’s uncle?
After a moment of pondering, he decided to go with, “Bro, please take care of Nan Nan while I’m away.”
With that, he pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered it to Wu Guodong.
Chen Yao rarely smoked, and since Lin Nan had arrived, never touched a single cigarette. This pack had been knocking around for a month and was practically growing mold. Perfect for a little favor!
“You didn’t need to say anything; I would’ve figured it out.” Wu Guodong took the pack without hesitation, shoving it into his pocket.
Thanks to the pandemic, convenience stores had practically doubled the time it took to get fresh smoke in stock, and Oh Boy, was he trying to conserve!
“Uncle, if you keep smoking like this, you’ll be looking at lung cancer in a few years!” Lin Nan piped up, dissatisfied with the cigarette exchange. “And you too, Chen Yao! You light up for no reason; you don’t even have a nicotine addiction.”
“When have I ever smoked while you were around?”
After a few minutes of casual banter, Lin Nan sat in the passenger seat, her head down, unable to face Chen Yao outside the car.
Chen Yao had his hands buried deep in his pockets, grinning at her as if he was already planning their wedding. “Once we’re back, I’ll need to ask your mom how much of a dowry you’re bringing!”
“Probably something in the range of zero,” Wu Guodong joked, adding, “Wasn’t your family…”
Lin Nan immediately cut him off. “Let’s just go! We shouldn’t linger outside for too long!”
Caught almost spilling the beans! Though this lie would eventually unravel, buying a little time was better than revealing everything right now. Once a few years passed, even if they found out, Lin Nan could always play dumb.
As the car rolled out, Lin Nan caught a glimpse of Chen Yao in the rearview mirror and felt a pang of reluctance at parting.
“You’ve only been staying at his place for less than a month, and you’re already missing him?” Wu Guodong, focused on driving, teased, “With how you’re acting, you’ll probably forget about me once you’re married!”
“No way!”
Lin Nan shot him a furious look. “You don’t even have a girlfriend; how dare you judge me?”
“No problem, I’ve got one now!” Wu Guodong proudly proclaimed, “I’ve snagged Liu Xuefei!”
“Huh?”
“I was stuck at home during the pandemic, so I chatted with her online for half a month. Valentine’s Day just passed, and I casually confessed—she actually agreed!”
Wait, seriously? Same day?
Lin Nan was happy for Wu Guodong but couldn’t help but roast him, “I’m betting fifty cents you break up in a month!”
“Come on, I’m nearly thirty. Do I really need to hear it from a kid wishing for my downfall?”
“Yeah, and you’re thirty and just now having your first love… that’s something to be proud of! Said nobody ever.”
“Oh, and you’re living at Chen Yao’s place before even confirming your relationship?!”
What the actual—talk about super-helper points for Chen Yao!
