053. Late Night
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A patch of dark red and crimson chunks was all too obvious in the water.
Lin Nan stared pale-faced at the contents of the toilet, struggling to believe what she saw.
“What happened? Did you fall, or is there a cockroach in there?!”
Outside the door, Wu Guodong tried to turn the handle, but it was locked—his anxiety made him knock incessantly on the bathroom door.
“It’s fine.” Lin Nan took a deep breath, wiped a bit with some paper, and then flushed all the bl**d down the drain.
Exhausted, she opened the door, and upon looking up, saw Wu Guodong armed with insect spray, advancing like a knight in shining armor, gritting his teeth while mumbling, “Where? Where are the bugs?!”
“They ran out the window.”
Lin Nan pointed at the vent, then smoothly sidestepped Wu Guodong’s invasion, leaning against the wall as she returned to the couch.
She was mentally prepared for this, but what was happening now was messing with the laws of science.
First off, her external organs still looked like those of a male; although the inner workings were a mystery, if she could pee, it naturally meant her urinary system was involved… But here’s the kicker: Aunt Flo had nothing to do with the urinary system.
So, if it really was Aunt Flo, the bl**d should stay inside, and over time, it could lead to various ailments. It’s like leaving a bucket of dirty water on the floor—after a few days, it would definitely stink.
But if it wasn’t Aunt Flo, then her urinary system must be kaput… Yet, she had check-ups every couple of years. Sure, maybe not every nook and cranny was examined, but at least this part was fine!
Could this be magic?
When it came down to the unexplainable, Lin Nan could only chalk it up to magic. Of course, there was also the chance that her urinary system was indeed malfunctioning, leading to the bl**d flow.
The pain kept on coming but stayed within the realms of tolerable. A bit more hot water and some cuddles with her plush toy made it somehow feel somewhat better.
At least it wasn’t so bad that she was convulsing on the floor.
After wiping the sweat off her brow and glancing at the wall clock, she was shocked to find it was already 2 a.m.
Having battled through pain without caring about others, Lin Nan turned her head slightly and saw Wu Guodong still engrossed in his game, occasionally glancing her way.
“Awake now?”
“Uh?”
Lin Nan blinked, looking down to realize she was wrapped snugly in a blanket, and the towel she thought was wiping her sweat was actually the blanket on her.
Had she just fallen asleep?
Her mind had been racing with thoughts, yet she didn’t even notice when she dozed off.
“You seem to be looking a bit better than before.” Wu Guodong set his gaming controller down, pulling the blanket back up over Lin Nan’s chin. “Seems like being covered has made your pain less intense.”
“Hmm.”
Lin Nan nodded, still feeling a tad out of sorts.
“Why don’t you just go sleep?” she suggested, shifting on the couch. “You need to drive me home tomorrow, and you’ve got work the day after. Staying up late isn’t good.”
“It’s fine, I’m used to it.” Wu Guodong glanced at the overflowing ashtray on the coffee table, then lit up another cigarette. Taking a deep drag, he exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.
Lin Nan felt like she was being smoked into a piece of jerky, choking on the fumes, and she grimaced, “Can’t you smoke somewhere else? I’m sick here, you know!”
“Okay, okay.” Wu Guodong stubbed out the cigarette and picked up his controller again, glaring at the screen with his bloodshot eyes.
Lin Nan sighed. She sat up from the couch, clutching the blanket, her legs kicked out sideways.
She glanced at the screen, trying to lose herself in the game to escape the pain in her stomach.
If this really was Aunt Flo visiting, then she had truly dug her own grave. Not long ago, she was careful to avoid cold water and ice drinks, but once she got to her uncle’s house, it was all self-indulgence—especially that glorious cup of frappuccino while out shopping at night.
Although Lin Nan wasn’t particularly savvy about women’s issues, given her body’s state and those ice cream antics, it was honestly surprising she wasn’t in excruciating pain.
The night had deepened. Looking out the window, she saw barely any lights shining in the whole neighborhood. The summer breeze blew in, and despite having no fear of the cold due to magic, Lin Nan now found herself burrowing deeper into her blanket.
While she still couldn’t confirm whether it was Aunt Flo, she decided to treat it as such.
“Uncle, do we have a heating pad at home?”
“Let me check. I bought one last year but can’t remember where I put it.” Wu Guodong dropped the controller and headed to the bedroom.
Lin Nan started browsing the internet for tips on what to do when Aunt Flo pays a visit.
So, this must be what they call the legendary first arrival, huh?
Her insides had probably matured to the level of twelve or thirteen years old—not fully developed, but hey, Aunt Flo showing up wasn’t a problem yet.
She had no clue how girls felt during their first visit, but to her, it was pure torture.
Before long, Wu Guodong returned with the heating pad, charging it with a power bank as he stuffed it into Lin Nan’s arms. He sighed and shook his head, “You should take better care of yourself when you’re studying. Once you start working, it’s gonna be much harder to keep track of your health.”
“You’re only a sophomore, and you’re dealing with this? You should really get checked out.”
“Not gonna happen.” Lin Nan immediately shook her head.
There was no way she wanted her uncle to find out—who knew when her parents would catch wind of what was happening… For now, her plan was to take it one step at a time and keep this under wraps for as long as possible.
After all, if her parents found out that she was already “half a woman,” they’d probably question everything about the world.
“Forget it then.” Wu Guodong glanced at Lin Nan, relieved to see she was feeling a bit better. But as a programmer and a homebody, he didn’t know how to express his concern, so he changed the subject instead. “What do you want to eat before you go home tomorrow? Anything’s fine, no matter how expensive.”
“Well then, how about seafood?” Lin Nan forced a smile through the pain. “When we were out shopping, I saw a Hema Fresh nearby. Can you grab me a whole lobster or something to try?”
Actually, Lin Nan’s hometown was coastal, and she usually saw lobsters at banquets. But they were mostly small ones, served one per table, so when it comes down to personal portions, it about equates to just a couple of bites of meat.
“Sure!”
Hearing his enthusiastic reply, Lin Nan suddenly felt worried she might still be in pain and not have an appetite tomorrow.
“By the way, why don’t you stay at my place for a couple more days?” Wu Guodong said with concern. “Even if I have to work, it’s just a ten-minute drive. If anything comes up, just call, and I’ll be right back. But in the dorm, there’s no one to look after you.”
“My roommate should be back in a day or two.”
