350. Back to School【12/99】
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The lunch was quite decent.
Chen Jia Jun repeatedly rejected their suggestion to split the bill and generously paid for everyone.
Lin Nan’s affection for this guy went up by +1; she liked friends who spent money like it was confetti.
The five of them then headed to the internet café for a nostalgia trip of epic proportions. Using Lin Jin’s fake identity, Lin Nan was too scared to talk while gaming, and it felt thoroughly suffocating.
After hours of losing, they finally staggered out around three o’clock, still craving more.
Standing outside the internet café, Lin Nan and Chen Yao watched some of their old classmates leave and almost simultaneously sighed deeply.
Chen Yao was mentally exhausted; while he knew Lin Nan had a good temper and typically only got a little annoyed, he couldn’t handle how recklessly those old friends were acting.
Meanwhile, Lin Nan was simply lamenting her lost youth.
After all, it had been a full eighteen years of male life. Although she had managed to keep in touch with most, be it university classmates or her mother and relatives, it was a different story now. First, her cousin, then her high school classmates— even when they met, she couldn’t explain her situation.
If her skin were thick enough, it wouldn’t be a problem, but Lin Nan cared too much about what others thought.
“Let’s go back to the hospital; I bet your uncle is up now.” Chen Yao sneaked a glance at Lin Nan, who seemed a bit gloomy, “You almost exposed yourself, you know?”
“Just slipped out…” Lin Nan felt a shiver run down her spine but then suddenly knitted her brows and looked up at him, “Was I really that silly back then?”
“Depends on what you mean by ‘silly’.” Chen Yao flagged down a tricycle, haggled with the driver, and hopped in with Lin Nan before continuing, carefully choosing his words.
“You were probably… the gullible kind of silly?”
Though she was still pretty gullible now.
“Is that so?” Lin Nan pondered her past antics.
Chen Yao, fearing she might think too much, added a couple more lines: “You were pretty innocent, totally lacking schemes. A little kindness and you’d be over the moon, only to get duped…”
The more he said, the more he felt Lin Nan was just the same now.
“Like what?” Lin Nan asked, distressed.
“Like… that time you wore a maid outfit for the first time?”
Lin Nan froze, then turned crimson as she defended her past actions, “I did that for you! Not because I had a crush on KFC, okay?!”
“I get it, I get it.” Chen Yao chuckled, “I’m close to having twenty thousand fans now. You’ll have to help me out next time.”
Even though his video updates during school were slow, luckily, during the pandemic, he had all the free time in the world, so he started posting videos every three days after the New Year, just to reclaim his reputation and avoid the term ‘pigeon’.
“Understand my foot! No way!” Lin Nan humiliatedly turned her head away.
Though he couldn’t see her expression, Chen Yao distinctly noticed her ears turn a lovely shade of red—a sight to behold.
“This time just film a video in front of the computer. You’ve practically gone full-time in girl mode anyway!”
Upon hearing this, Lin Nan realized she had really crossed a line in embracing her new ‘normal’.
The first time she donned the maid outfit, she was ready to d*e; the first time in a short skirt, she was so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into; and the first time in women’s shoes, her feelings were a mix of confusion and dread.
But somehow, aside from short skirts, she had gotten used to it all.
If she hadn’t been reminded, she might’ve actually started to feel like she was born a girl.
She suddenly turned, cheeks still flushed, staring intently at Chen Yao.
Chen Yao touched his cheek, thinking he must have something dirty there: “What now?”
“It’s all your fault for making me dress up as a girl! And now I’m getting used to it!”
“Huh?” Chen Yao was baffled. What was wrong with a girl wearing girl clothes?
Otherwise, how else would she taste the magic and end up trapped in it, eventually morphing into a girl? Ultimately becoming Chen Yao’s girlfriend.
Lin Nan grumbled internally, feeling like Chen Yao was the puppet master behind it all.
Bottom line: after all this time, the one who gained the most was probably Chen Yao who casually got himself a girlfriend!
As they sat in the tricycle, the driver instinctively turned to look at them. He inadvertently overheard their entire conversation and could only shake his head helplessly.
What kind of world was this? Such a beautiful girl was actually a boy? Cry me a river!
Lin Nan finally noticed the driver’s gaze, quickly shut her mouth, and pretended to ignore it as she shifted her focus to the pedestrians on the street.
Her face had a slight flush; the secret had accidentally slipped out, causing a rush of embarrassment that she habitually suppressed.
This level of shame didn’t really hurt her anymore.
But she didn’t enjoy the awkward feeling.
When they arrived at the hospital entrance and got off to pay, they happened to see Wu Guodong emerging from a nearby alley.
“What a coincidence!” He spotted the two by the tricycle, “Let’s head in together. We’ll say hi and then take off.”
“Sure.”
In just about ten minutes, the three of them were back in Wu Guodong’s grandfather’s hospital room.
Just hours apart, the old man looked significantly healthier.
All thanks to my magic! If he really doesn’t relapse, it means grandpa can avoid the pain of surgery.
With the serious burdens lifted, grandpa seemed more spirited and lively, casually asking Wu Guodong about everyday life and work troubles, genuinely caring for his wellbeing.
Wu Guodong felt a lump in his throat; it was indeed a familial bond.
From daily life and cooking instead of ordering takeout every time, to work and not overworking himself, the old man rambled on, and Wu Guodong nodded continuously, a satisfied smile on his face.
“So when are you getting married?” Grandpa suddenly switched the topic to something else.
His smile instantly froze.
“At thirty, still single? No kids? Just look at your cousin’s son! He got married at twenty-three! And Lin Nan here, just eighteen and already has a boyfriend! And then look at you!”
So all that previous concern was just a setup for a marriage proposal?
“If you keep ordering takeout every day and staying up late! You’ll be buried before you even give me grandkids!”
Lin Nan struggled to hold back her laughter and chimed in, “Don’t worry, grandpa, Uncle will get you grandkids before he kicks the bucket.”
“That would be the best!” Grandpa glared, “Get lost! You’re thirty, and not giving me any peace of mind!”
Wu Guodong sighed and stood up, mumbling, “What’s the rush?”
“You’re not anxious?!” Grandpa promptly rose from bed, grabbed his slippers, ready to smack his own son. At this rate, he was clearly well on the mend, brimming with energy.
Slightly terrified, Wu Guodong quickly fled, while Lin Nan and Chen Yao, lacking proper training, burst out laughing.
“You’re still laughing? My great-grandchild will rely on both of you!”
Lin Nan was momentarily dumbfounded, then her face flushed bright red, dragging Chen Yao out of the room, “I’ll take Uncle’s ride back!”
