396. Zhu Yong Wen’s Confusion
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Meeting Zhu Yong Wen again made Lin Nan feel like she had time-traveled back to her high school days.
Ah, those carefree times! She missed them dearly, especially since she used to be a complete male back then.
They had eaten early, but by six in the evening, the trio had settled into an Internet cafe.
“Weren’t you supposed to go on a date with your girlfriend?” Zhu Yong Wen turned to Chen Yao, who was sitting next to him.
Chen Yao had strategically positioned himself between them, afraid this guy might get a little too friendly with Lin Nan.
“Forget it! Old classmates reunion is WAY more important than a date!” Chen Yao said, sporting a serious expression.
“Lin Nan, you should be free tonight, right?”
Lin Nan wanted to say she had plans, but now that they were at the computer, it didn’t really matter what she said, so she just shook her head and sighed deeply.
She noticed that Zhu Yong Wen’s gaze kept flickering; he was full of curiosity and had clearly picked up on something, but seemed too shy to ask.
This Internet cafe wasn’t half bad; they each ordered a milk tea and started gaming together.
However, that gaming session sparked Zhu Yong Wen’s curiosity.
“Why does your account have the same name as your cousin?”
“I borrowed hers; she’s not in this area,” Lin Nan responded coolly.
While waiting for their ranks, she couldn’t resist her curiosity any longer and turned to Zhu Yong Wen, asking, “Where are you staying tonight?”
“Hotel, unless you want to pull an all-nighter?” Zhu Yong Wen peeked over Chen Yao to get a better look at Lin Nan, but Chen Yao was swaying back and forth for no reason, blocking his view.
After spending a few hours together, he started to think Lin Nan was way too feminine.
“Forget the all-nighter; I have a part-time job tomorrow,” Lin Nan shook her head in refusal.
Zhu Yong Wen’s face turned into a sour expression: “Wait, I came all the way to hang out with you, and you only plan to play with me for one afternoon? Isn’t there a five-day holiday for Labor Day?”
“Where did you get the idea that I traveled a long way? I still need to earn money to support myself,” Lin Nan insisted, shaking her head. “Besides, if I take off yesterday and today, and skip tomorrow too, I’m getting fired, okay?”
“What time do you finish work? I can come find you after, it’s not a problem to stay a little later. We can share a hotel room then.”
Chen Yao shot a suspicious look at Zhu Yong Wen, wondering if this guy had a crush on Lin Nan. Why was he suggesting sharing a room?
Even if Lin Nan was currently presenting as male, you’d never know—Zhu Yong Wen could be just like some other weirdos who only care about looks, regardless of gender.
Knowing she couldn’t dodge this, Lin Nan gritted her teeth and said, “Alright, how about tomorrow evening at seven?”
Since she was already dressed as a guy to meet Zhu Yong Wen, doing it again wasn’t a big deal. Plus, being too rigid might result in losing a precious high school friend.
“Let’s grab some street food then, or go to KTV?”
“Whatever you want,” Lin Nan sighed. “But I definitely won’t sing; I can’t carry a tune.”
“We’ll see about that! Chen Yao, what about you?”
Chen Yao obviously didn’t want Zhu Yong Wen and Lin Nan alone together and nodded without hesitation, “I’m in.”
He was relaxed about Lin Nan, but who knew what Zhu Yong Wen was thinking?
The game started just then, and Lin Nan quickly got absorbed in it. Zhu Yong Wen temporarily set aside all his confusion, shouting and cheering, and soon, the three of them were lost in the Internet cafe atmosphere.
Finally, by eight o’clock, Lin Nan stood up, her back sore from sitting, stretching her arms over her head—only to realize Zhu Yong Wen’s gaze was fixated on her chest!
She quickly dropped her arms and, keeping a straight face, said, “I’m going to the restroom.”
As soon as Lin Nan left, Zhu Yong Wen scooted his chair closer to Chen Yao, asking conspiratorially, “Don’t you think there’s something off about Lin Nan?”
“Is there?” Chen Yao pretended not to know.
“Maybe you just can’t tell since you live in the same dorm,” Zhu Yong Wen’s expression grew serious. “Lin Nan has changed so much in these two years—she’s practically a woman now, and she even has… br*asts.”
Chen Yao grinned and tried to defuse the situation, “She just has clearer skin now.”
But she was a girl to start with—what kind of comment was that?
“No, this is important!” Zhu Yong Wen leaned in even closer. “Do you ever see Lin Nan taking any medication?”
“Medication?”
He slapped his thigh, exasperated, “You live with her every day! Aren’t you best friends? How can I be the one worrying about Lin Nan? It’s gotta be hormone therapy or something!”
Chen Yao nodded in realization; back when Tu Junhui and the others had no clue Lin Nan was actually a girl, they had the same suspicion.
Where did these guys get all their strange ideas from?
“I’ve never seen anything like that; Lin Nan just had some acne and marks on her face,” he shook his head innocently.
Zhu Yong Wen frowned, “No way! Look at her hair now—it’s almost like your girlfriend’s!”
Well, technically she WAS my girlfriend.
“Look at her now! If I didn’t know she was a guy, I’d definitely think she’s a girl,” Zhu Yong Wen said worriedly, “Has Lin Nan picked up any weird habits in these two years? Like wearing women’s clothing or something?”
“None at all! She’s not a weirdo,” Chen Yao chuckled.
The more Zhu Yong Wen cared about Lin Nan, the more uneasy Chen Yao felt. After all, it had been years since he saw Lin Nan. Why the sudden concern? Was he her rival?
Or maybe Zhu Yong Wen had been secretly in love with Lin Nan during high school?
Seeing that Chen Yao genuinely seemed clueless, Zhu Yong Wen sighed in exasperation, “Didn’t you notice that Lin Nan has curves now? She’s practically got the same figure as any girl, and her voice sounds like a girl’s sometimes…”
“And she even acts all feminine!” Zhu Yong Wen lamented, “How did my old friend change so much in just two years?”
Zhu Yong Wen felt a wave of nostalgia for his lost youth; his former friend seemed more and more like a stranger, only recognizable when getting hit in a playful scuffle.
“That’s not true. She’s always been like this.”
“Sure, she was a bit feminine before, but not like this—she didn’t even have br*asts back then…” Zhu Yong Wen suggested, “As her best friends, we need to help her be more manly. If she keeps going like this, she might just end up heading to Thailand for surgery!”
Chen Yao put on a strange expression, probing, “You don’t like her, do you? Why do you care so much?”
“Of course not!” He shook his head violently. “Would you be happy seeing your best buddy turning into a woman?”
“Well, they’re still a buddy, right? Even though I’ve only talked to Lin Nan online these past two years, I wouldn’t want a good friend to go astray like this.”
Chen Yao almost instinctively agreed.
If his best friend was becoming a woman, then he still didn’t have a girlfriend, okay?
