347. Lin Qi’s Confusion 【11/99】
==============================
Perhaps her three cousins were all lazy good-for-nothings, the kind of ruffians and hooligans most people would roll their eyes at, having barely graduated middle school before hitting the workforce.
But even though Lin Nan was not fond of those uncles, somehow she couldn’t muster any dislike for her cousins.
As a child, Lin Nan was rather introverted. Living at her grandfather’s house in the countryside without her parents around, those naughty kids loved to bully her.
Back then, without Chen Yao around, she could only rely on her few cousins.
Lin Nan once found great comfort in Lin Qi’s words: “If anyone bullies you, just tell me! I can call thirty or forty people. If we can’t handle it, I can call our eldest cousin; he was quite the troublemaker back in school, and with the three of us, we could rally at least a hundred people to help you fight!”
Although this sounded quite cheesy now, little Lin Nan back then puffed up with pride, feeling as safe as a bubble wrapped in cotton.
School was chaotic, with fights breaking out regularly, but she was never dragged into any of them.
Later, Lin Nan moved to the county to attend middle school, while her cousins headed out to work, leaving only Lin Qi behind in the countryside as a part-time waiter and net cafe manager, drowning in novels and internet shenanigans, constantly berated by the elders for being lazy. But back then, Lin Nan often returned on weekends, just to hang out with Lin Qi.
It’s worth mentioning that Lin Qi’s father, namely Lin Nan’s gambling loser uncle, had probably skipped town five or six years ago to dodge debts. Meanwhile, others in the village had already renovated their houses into two-story bungalows that looked like row houses, while Lin Qi’s place just sat there like an unfinished concrete shell with furniture that seemed to have been around for about twenty years.
Thinking back on these things only deepened Lin Nan’s gloom.
Chen Yao, unsure of what to say, sat on a chair, watching Lin Nan crouched in the corner, knowing she was in quite the internal turmoil.
“How about you tell him what’s going on?” Chen Yao whispered, afraid Lin Qi outside might overhear. “Get it all out in the open, just like you did with your grandfather.”
“Even if he doesn’t accept you, you won’t regret it later, right?”
Lin Nan, her face buried in her arms, softly acknowledged with a grunt.
Honestly, there was no reason to be scared. She had mustered all her courage when breaking the news to her mother, and with Chen Yao by her side now, it shouldn’t be that hard.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head and forced a smile that was barely there.
After squatting for too long, her calves trembled as Lin Nan leaned against the wall to stand up and swung open the door to the hospital room.
Outside, Lin Qi finally got a clear look at Lin Nan’s face.
It was a familiar yet strange face, one that bore little resemblance to his cousin he once knew.
Her features were notably delicate, with fair skin tinged with a healthy flush, the hint of youthful roundness in her cheeks adding a playful charm. However, her brows also carried a sultry allure that was oddly captivating.
The girl standing before him could easily be considered a beauty even in an art school, yet for some reason, she still gave off a strange sense of familiarity.
The two exchanged silent glances, sizing each other up.
It had been over a year since Lin Qi had last seen her. The slightly unorthodox young man he once knew now sported the same careless demeanor, with a black rubber band around his wrist, piercings in his ears, a silver chain around his neck, and hair that fell over one eye, making him look like just another street punk.
Lin Nan opened her mouth, ready to spill her secrets.
“Wrong person!” Lin Qi said with an awkward smile, stepping back two paces. “You just look familiar, plus you know my name… Guess we knew each other as kids or something?”
He had given himself a rationale, and his confusion finally subsided.
Lin Nan gawked, taken aback by Lin Qi’s response.
“Sorry for the interruption!” Lin Qi smiled slightly before turning on his heel and walking away.
He didn’t even give Lin Nan a chance for any explanation.
Chen Yao approached her from behind, explaining, “I think you might not have heard. He’s looking for his cousin who ran away from home.”
“Me?”
“Must be you, right?” Chen Yao chuckled wryly. “He’ll probably give up after a while. You two were pretty close once.”
Lin Nan fell silent.
“They say your dad didn’t let him report it, but he probably tried. But you’ve already changed genders…”
In the current ID records, the former male Lin Nan no longer existed.
Lin Qi’s figure quickly vanished, and Chen Yao glanced down at Lin Nan’s somber expression, speculating, “He might’ve picked up on something, considering your grandfather’s side knows the situation. He’s probably heard some whispers.”
“Maybe he saw that you weren’t too eager to connect, and that’s why he didn’t pry?”
“Could be,” Lin Nan mused, bewildered by why Lin Qi didn’t dig deeper.
Perhaps he really had pieced it together? After all, her father had claimed she ran away from home, and during the New Year, he hadn’t paid much attention.
Lin Qi must’ve figured some major change had occurred.
Lin Nan turned and sat on the chair beside the hospital bed, watching her grandfather peacefully slumber, letting out a soft sigh.
Before, she only felt this profound sense of loss when her father rejected her after she transitioned fully into a woman, but now she felt the once-close human connections fading into distant memories, leaving an uncomfortable feeling in its wake.
The hospital room fell into silence for a long stretch.
Finally, Chen Yao spoke up, “Maybe you should skip the class reunion?”
He realized that letting Lin Nan face old friends now treating her like a stranger would only poke at her sensitive heart.
Lin Nan shook her head. “It’s fine! I said I’d go, and you told them I was bringing a girlfriend, right? It’s just lunch!”
“Is that really a good idea?” Chen Yao stared deeply into Lin Nan’s eyes, causing her to anxiously look away.
“Feels like you’re pressuring yourself again,” he quipped with a grin. “If you don’t want to see them, don’t! They’re not that important, really. No need.”
But Lin Qi was pretty important.
She thought silently but didn’t voice it.
Just then, her grandfather woke up.
He still felt a bit off, but much more comfortable than before sleeping.
The magic within him was still doing the trick, leaving him feeling weak all over, but the pain in his lower abdomen had almost disappeared.
“What were you two talking about?”
“Did we wake you?” Lin Nan quickly put on a smile. “How are you feeling?”
“Not much strength, but pretty comfortable.” Her grandfather lay on the bed, and a faint smile crept onto his weary, aged face. “If you two have things to take care of, go on! It’s not like you purposely made the trip back just to sit around watching this old man watch TV!”
Noticing her grandfather’s mood seemed unusually bright today, Lin Nan hesitated for a moment. “Okay, well, I’ll come back to check on you before I leave.”
“Alright, off you go.”
