050. Shopping
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Wu Guodong, after all, is a lone wolf.
The cleanliness of his home is mostly skin-deep; it looks tidy enough, but in the corners and on the windows, there’s a treasure trove of dirt waiting to be discovered.
And due to his long-standing habit of smoking, the house is always enveloped in a lingering haze of smoke, especially in the bedroom. With the windows shut and the air conditioning on full blast, he lights one cigarette after another, transforming the entire space into a mystical realm—though Lin Nan couldn’t bear to stay in the room any longer after half an hour of choking on the smoke.
“I’m going outside to get some fresh air.” Lin Nan complained as he stood at the door, feeling his nose assaulted by the acrid smoke. “Uncle, can you not smoke? You’re turning this place into a smoked-meat factory!”
“Work stress is no joke; I’m used to it now.” Wu Guodong replied with a sigh. He was basically glued to his job in a soul-sucking 996 routine, and the occasional overtime only added to the stress that was hard to fathom. Smoking was his only stress relief.
“Even so, can’t you limit it to one every ten minutes? What pressure do you have at home?” Lin Nan was curious. “Is Grandpa matchmaking again?”
Mentioning matchmaking turned Wu Guodong’s expression as dark as charcoal, and he could only sigh, “They’ve been at it for years, but when do I have the time to find someone?”
Being a homebody with a busy work schedule, it’s no wonder he didn’t have a girlfriend. Besides, coding jobs aren’t exactly known for having a high female-to-male ratio.
Looking at his uncle’s forlorn face, Lin Nan couldn’t help but think about his own future.
He and Wu Guodong shared quite similar personalities—shying away from girls and preferring to stay home. If in the future he finds himself in a work environment devoid of females, he might end up being a victim of a matchmaking spree too!
But for now, he didn’t need to worry about that. What kept him awake at night was the potential future reality of becoming a girl and whether he could accept marrying a man.
The thought sent shivers down his spine.
Lin Nan’s mouth twitched. It’s only been a month, and while Lilith was causing chaos, he still couldn’t fully switch his mindset to that of a girl.
Moreover, even if his thinking changed, the chance of him becoming another Lilith was high.
Now he had a “Naruto” chasing after Lilith beside him. Compared to his predicament with Lilith, Li Na would rather see Lilith resurrected than have him return to normalcy.
Staring blankly at the door for a while, Lin Nan suddenly felt like his stress might actually be greater than Wu Guodong’s.
Wu Guodong’s stress stemmed from work and marriage—real issues many faced. But Lin Nan’s trouble was rooted in magical chaos, an issue that was utterly unreasonable.
“What’s up with you?” Wu Guodong noticed Lin Nan hadn’t spoken for a while and paused his game to ask.
“Too much pressure~”
“What pressure could a student like you have? Are your parents pushing you to find a girlfriend?”
“Broke…”
Lin Nan couldn’t possibly tell the truth, so he deflected with a casual remark, shutting the bedroom door to let the smoky haze linger while he made his way to the balcony for some fresh air.
After all, they were in the city center, surrounded by skyscrapers. The apartment Wu Guodong rented was already costly in Lin Nan’s eyes, but the surrounding environment didn’t offer much relief. The sun could barely squeeze through the gaps between buildings, and the balcony was a wind-free zone, completely trapped by towering walls.
One could only assume that if a sunny apartment was desired, it would face a noisy street.
Leaning against the washing machine on the balcony, Lin Nan pondered over his bleak future.
But he didn’t have time to brood for long before Wu Guodong showed up with Lin Nan’s freshly washed clothes: “Did you not think to take the clothes out of the washing machine?”
He had never planned to do laundry here in the first place—after all, who had the energy for it?
Lin Nan was momentarily taken aback, and before he could respond, Wu Guodong continued. “I’m going out tonight to buy you a couple of outfits. C’mon, what are you doing with just three t-shirts?”
Lin Nan had dumped his clothes on the sofa, and Wu Guodong clearly knew the situation wasn’t one of kleptomania.
It’s true he only had three shirts, but of course, he wasn’t about to admit that: “I’ve got two more shirts at the dorm! Why would I haul everything here for a two- or three-day stay?”
“Let’s buy two more sets so you don’t end up wasting money on cheap stuff online.”
Finally, Wu Guodong was showing some semblance of an uncle—shouldn’t uncles be spending money on their nephews? Not just holed up at home together like hermits?
Though he didn’t like shopping, that was just an excuse for being broke. Who wouldn’t be happy if someone else was paying for a shopping spree?
After gaming until evening, Lin Nan realized he hadn’t eaten. He tidied up his hair a bit before heading out with Wu Guodong.
As soon as they stepped outside, Lin Nan started fretting over his hair.
He hadn’t had a haircut in over two months! His bangs were covering his eyes, and the sides were hiding behind his ears. When it went unkempt; he looked like a bird’s nest, and when styled, it was like an awkward attempt at short girl’s hair.
But the issue was that haircuts here were way too pricey.
The cheapest barbershop near school charged thirty bucks—a day’s worth of meals for Lin Nan. Also, he always felt downright ugly after a haircut, needing at least a week to adjust to his new look.
“Let’s get a haircut first?” Lin Nan suggested to Wu Guodong.
“Your hair looks pretty good long.” While he said that, Wu Guodong thought that Lin Nan already looked a bit feminine; even longer wouldn’t suit him. He quickly added, “There’s a place not far from here that charges fifty bucks per person.”
“Would long hair really look good?” Lin Nan playfully tugged at his hair near his ears, feeling a bit cheerier. “Then I’ll keep it long!”
After all, he found his current hair rather tolerable, and the “feminine” problem wasn’t strictly tied to his hair; walking around with long hair might make him look like a girl, while cutting it may just make him look even more androgynous!
Wu Guodong couldn’t understand why his nephew suddenly perked up so much. Turning a corner, they arrived at the clothing street near his house.
Lin Nan’s curiosity piqued as he scanned the area, and once they stepped into a clothing store, his eyes were instantly drawn to the women’s section hanging on the wall.
He had never imagined that women’s clothing could pique his interest so much.
Just when he managed to shift his gaze back to the men’s clothes, his brain stubbornly whispered, “Men’s clothing is so ugly.”
Such a twist in his taste was expected.
Then his gaze darted towards a handsome guy in the store.
But was it really that serious?
“What do you think of this shirt?” Wu Guodong asked, holding up a short-sleeve shirt towards Lin Nan. He noticed Lin Nan staring at the guy nearby, and leaned in closer to whisper, “You’re not thinking of asking for his WeChat, are you?”
“Of course not!” Lin Nan protested with a red face. “I was just admiring that shirt he’s holding!”
“That’s women’s wear…”
