453. The Scheming Mind Games【9/60】
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Before you know it, it was already Tuesday afternoon of the next week.
The four roommates gathered once again, and hopped onto the bus heading to the island.
The school was in such a remote location that the only way out was either by ride-hailing or the dreaded public bus. Luckily, they chose to leave at two in the afternoon, when the sun was blazing hot and most people were hiding indoors, so there were plenty of seats available.
If they had taken the bus an hour earlier, it would have most definitely been a sardine can.
“Once we get to the island, we’ll take the subway. It’s faster,” Tu Junhui declared, lounging in the back row and crossing his hefty little legs like a king.
After all, they were in for an adventure! “We’ll have to walk about a kilometer after getting off the subway, at least that’s what the map says.”
“Subway?” Lin Nan leaned against Chen Yao, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “How do you buy a subway ticket?”
Her hometown was so small that the concept of a subway was practically fiction. And in this city, the subway line hadn’t even made its way to the school area. Though she had seen subway entrances at the train station, she had never actually stopped to take a ride.
“I’ll buy the tickets for all of you when we get there.” Tu Junhui looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Everyone got their ID cards, right?”
“You need an ID to buy a ticket? Isn’t that just like the train?” Lin Nan frowned.
“Staying in an inn tonight, you really think you can get by without an ID?” Tu Junhui shot her a judging look.
Lin Nan patted her pocket nervously, only to realize her ID was safely in Chen Yao’s possession.
She sighed in relief, but then Chen Yao chimed in, “Is the inn booked? How many rooms did you get?”
“I booked two double rooms. Once we get there, we’ll check into the inn first.” Tu Junhui laid out the plan like a seasoned tour guide. “You two will share a room, and I’ll share with my adorable bear, Xiong Da.”
Xiong Da, who had been quietly glued to his phone, suddenly raised his head and shot back, “Son, I’m your father. Don’t get the names mixed up!”
For Lin Nan, this trip was quite a novel experience, and her excitement was palpable. She sat in her seat, chirping like a sparrow with a thousand questions.
“After we’re done exploring Zhongshan Street tonight, let’s find a fancy internet cafe, okay? I want the fanciest one!”
“Why not just book an e-sports hotel?”
“Wait, isn’t it just me and Chen Yao who brought any clean clothes? You two aren’t bringing anything? No showers for you?”
Tu Junhui reclining back in his seat was just too chill for his own good. The bus seats were a tad small for him, but he shrugged it off and answered Lin Nan nonchalantly, “Shower? It’s just a day without changing clothes.”
Xiong Da, squished in next to him, was feeling uncomfortable but, as the man of few words that he was, he didn’t bother to complain—it wasn’t like there were many empty seats left, and he definitely didn’t want to sit next to anyone else.
The bus air conditioning always had that weird smell. Lin Nan wasn’t a fan; the more she inhaled, the more nauseous she felt. And with the jolting of the bus, she surprisingly found herself carsick.
Gone was her earlier enthusiasm; now she leaned against Chen Yao, desperately sniffing his shoulder to keep herself from losing her lunch.
“Let’s just take a ride-hailing service back?” Chen Yao said, feeling sorry for Lin Nan as he held her hand. He even tried to tease her, “Aren’t you the magic girl? How can you be carsick?”
“……” Lin Nan was too preoccupied to respond, staving off nausea and swallowing hard, trying her best to feel a bit better.
Her face was pale, and she rested her nose against Chen Yao’s shoulder, frowning deeply.
Chen Yao didn’t have much to offer in terms of a solution, so he just tried to comfort Lin Nan while turning to Tu Junhui, “Got any plastic bags? Lin Nan might puke.”
“What’s up? Pregnant or something?” Tu Junhui quipped.
Just hearing that made Lin Nan shiver, her face turning an even whiter shade as she looked at Chen Yao with wide, doe-like eyes.
Could she really be pregnant?
Wait, they had barely done anything! Didn’t Chen Yao use protection? Could it have been faulty?
Not likely, right?
Chen Yao shot Tu Junhui a glare and turned back to reassure Lin Nan, “No way, you’re just carsick.”
“But what if?” Tu Junhui continued to stir the pot.
He seemed to have realized he had unknowingly unveiled a shocking revelation: it felt like his roommate might have been taken advantage of! This scene felt strangely surreal!
Just as Lin Nan, who had been comforted moments ago, widened her eyes in horror.
What if? Right now everything seemed okay, but who knew what might happen later if they went all in? Even with precautions, there could always be a chance something could go wrong!
“Where’s this ‘what if’ coming from?” Chen Yao asked, looking concerned at Lin Nan’s panic-stricken face. “You’re way too easy to mess with!”
What if she was still in school…
Wouldn’t that be embarrassing beyond belief?!
Couldn’t they just run off for an abortion?
Lost in her thoughts, Lin Nan suddenly contemplated whether Purification Magic could make her impervious to pregnancy.
Oh gosh, terrifying!
Just imagining herself waddling to class with a baby bump sent shivers down her spine.
“I’ve made a decision!” Lin Nan whispered to Chen Yao, “We’ll sleep in separate beds until graduation!”
Chen Yao’s expression darkened as he turned to glare at Tu Junhui, who was distractedly scrolling on his phone. If it weren’t for this blabbermouth, how could Lin Nan have come up with such an idea?
The angrier he got, the more he kicked Tu Junhui, but that guy just looked up with an innocent face.
“Don’t worry, there’s no such thing as so many what-ifs.” Chen Yao kicked Tu Junhui as a pitiful attempt to relieve his frustration and continued to console Lin Nan, “We used protection; you can relax. I bought high-quality ones.”
Lin Nan didn’t even register his words and shook her head rapidly, turning her head away to lean against the bus window, staring blankly at the scenery outside.
She let out a heavy sigh, but her lips couldn’t help but curve upwards.
Now Chen Yao wouldn’t be pestering her about… you know, the ‘intimate activities’ any time soon.
Like a bull in a china shop, he never seemed to know when to dial it back, always wanting to provoke her, driving her up the wall.
Plus, Chen Yao could clearly be tired, but he remained as energetic as ever—it was as if he needed to keep her on her toes. Otherwise, if he was totally satisfied now, who knew if he would still be interested later?
Why was she suddenly so scheming?
Chen Yao, frowning, almost wanted to kick Tu Junhui again, but before he could, the bus screeched to a halt, and Tu Junhui stood up, calling out to the others, “We’ve arrived! Let’s get off and switch to the subway.”
“Dang it!” Chen Yao grumbled as he stood up, grabbing Lin Nan’s hand, worried the airhead might forget to get off in her daze.
Once they alighted, Lin Nan realized everything around her looked strangely unfamiliar.
An hour’s bus ride felt like it had transported her straight from the countryside to the bustling city.
Beside her rose colossal overpasses and a constant flood of cars; the roads looked so expansive that Lin Nan had never seen anything like it in her life.
On the other side, there appeared to be a mall, densely packed with bicycles and electric scooters, while hordes of people flitted about in and out of the lively shopping center.
But the sidewalk beneath her feet was disappointingly plain and a bit narrow.
“The subway station should be up ahead,” Tu Junhui announced confidently as he glanced at the map. “Follow me!”
Xiong Da already fell in step behind Tu Junhui, while Chen Yao lagged behind, whispering to Lin Nan about the safety of condoms.
However, after walking for about ten minutes, Tu Junhui suddenly realized he had taken them the wrong way.
