460. Prank
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Leaving the inn at half-past six, I strolled around Zhongshan Street, and by the time I returned, it was already past ten at night.
Although the food on Zhongshan Street disappointed Lin Nan a bit, she couldn’t help but keep her excitement alive with all the eating and wandering that had gone on.
Xiong Da, the local, admitted he hadn’t visited Zhongshan Street much either. It was a tourist trap meant for squeezing money out of unsuspecting visitors. However, he mentioned that there were still plenty of good, fun shops tucked away in the nearby alleys, but everyone was kind of worn out by now.
Lin Nan stretched and walked into the inn room. After an afternoon nap, she felt completely alert. She switched on the TV, sat at the end of the bed, swinging her legs back and forth while blissfully searching for something interesting to watch.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Chen Yao announced, walking in after coming from Tu Junhui’s room. He casually tossed his shirt onto the round glass table and turned to Lin Nan, asking, “You wanna wash too?”
“Of course I’m going to wash!” Lin Nan raised her head, immediately becoming alert. “Why?”
“Shall we wash together? There’s a bathtub…”
“Get lost!” Lin Nan’s beautiful big eyes narrowed in a fierce glare, and she shot daggers at him. “Wash by yourself!”
Chen Yao was unbothered, tossing off his shorts and strutting around in his boxers, digging through his bag for some fresh clothes.
Lin Nan was used to guys only wearing boxers; she sneaked a glance, then angrily turned her attention back to the TV, muttering, “What a perv.”
“Isn’t it partly your fault?” Chen Yao chuckled. “Who led me to the internet café in middle school to watch those kinds of videos?”
Ah, that black internet café, with all those questionable anime kept right there in folders on the desktop. Lin Nan had stumbled upon it and, excited, brought Chen Yao to share the ‘wonders’ with him.
It was rather embarrassing to think about now.
Lin Nan’s face flushed as she retorted, “Like you weren’t curious about it if I hadn’t taken you there!”
“Actually, that opened a whole new world for me. You were the one who pushed that door open,” Chen Yao explained, standing up with a grin. “Before that, I didn’t even have a computer at home. I snuck into the café only to game; I didn’t even know how to download games, let alone watch that stuff.”
Whoa, so did I just dig my own grave?
Lin Nan fell into deep thought.
If she hadn’t led Chen Yao to those videos, would he be a pure, innocent boy today?
No! A perv like that is born in every man’s genes!
“I’m off to shower,” Chen Yao said and waltzed into the bathroom without locking the door.
Lin Nan eyed the bathroom direction and kept flicking through TV channels, but after going through them all, she realized she had lost interest and patience with shows, having not watched TV for so long.
Feeling restless, she jumped off the bed, tiptoed to the bathroom door, and listened intently for the sound of running water. When she heard none, she suddenly flung the door open.
“RUA!” She glared at the stunned Chen Yao inside the bathroom, triumphantly declaring, “Did I scare you? I totally scared you, right?”
In the midst of undressing for his shower, Chen Yao looked up and shot her a bewildered glare. “What the heck?! Are you trying to take a shower with me or something?”
“Not a chance! I’m off to play with Tu Tu!”
With a grin, Lin Nan slammed the bathroom door and strutted out of the room.
The doors to Tu Junhui and Xiong Da’s room were ajar, igniting her mischievous spirit once more.
Narrowing her eyes, she slightly bent down and stealthily pushed open their door to sneak a peek inside, straining to hear any commotion.
Just the sound of a commercial on TV?
Had they fallen asleep?
But the light was still on!
Cautiously, she opened the door, kicked off the inn’s provided slippers, and tiptoed inside, wide-eyed as she searched for Tu Junhui, who might be hard at work.
But to her surprise, there was no one in sight.
“Did Tu Junhui and Xiong Da go out?” She curiously glanced at the phone lying on the bed. “Is that Xiong Da’s phone? He usually doesn’t let go of it!”
And their shoes were haphazardly tossed by the bedside.
They must’ve left.
After pondering for a moment, Lin Nan walked outside, slipped on her slippers, and after analyzing the room a few more times, she determined that hiding by the bed wouldn’t let Tu Junhui spot her immediately when he walked in. So she plopped down on the floor.
Besides, she’d be changing out of these clothes for a shower later, so whether the floor was dirty or not was no biggie.
Tu Junhui was timid; he’d definitely freak out if I scared him.
And Xiong Da always had that icy poker face. This time, I might just make him jump out of his skin!
Now all I had to do was lie here, play on my phone, and wait for them to come back.
Gotta put my phone on silent—can’t have it vibrating or dinging. Otherwise, any incoming message or call might scare Tu Junhui right back to his childhood.
So, laying there, playing on her phone, Lin Nan kept her ears perked for any sounds at the door, waiting for Tu Junhui. But as she lay there, she suddenly jolted awake with a realization.
When did I become so childish?
She froze for a second and was about to get up when she heard some movement at the door, immediately holding her breath and preparing to spring into action.
The ajar door moved slightly, but she heard no footsteps.
Maybe it was just a staff member passing by and closing the door?
Confused, she lifted her head and was met with a big face just inches away from hers.
“Holy cr*p!”
Her heart raced, and she jumped to her feet, startled.
“What the hell?!” Tu Junhui was caught off guard and plopped down on the floor, utterly confused. “What are you doing lying in my room playing on your phone?!”
Heart pounding as if it could leap out of her chest, Lin Nan was startled into a pale face, trembling all over.
Then, without warning, two tears streamed down her cheeks.
“What are you crying for?!” Tu Junhui panicked even more.
“I’m not! I was just… shocked…” Lin Nan wiped the tears induced by fright from her face, took a deep breath to calm herself, and then shot back at him, “How did you come in without making a sound?!”
“I’m wearing cotton slippers, why would I make noise?!”
She glanced down at his sturdy calves, spotting thin, disposable hotel slippers, nearly identical to the ones she had on.
She turned her gaze to the bed, where Xiong Da sat cross-legged, absorbed in his phone, a McDonald’s takeout bag resting on his lap.
“You guys went to get McDonald’s?” As her emotions settled, Lin Nan’s expression returned to normal, and she mumbled, “You gave me quite the scare…”
“You scared me too, you know?” Tu Junhui complained. “My heart almost jumped out of my chest because of you!”
Just then, the door swung open, and Chen Yao, freshly showered and dressed in nothing but beach shorts, walked in, yawning. “Lin Nan, what brings you here?”
“Why are you…?” He suddenly noticed the aggrieved look on Lin Nan’s face. “Did Junhui bully you?!”
“Yes!”
I was planning to scare them for a solid ten minutes, and then I ended up getting scared instead! How unfair!
“And how is that my problem!”
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One more chapter tonight!
