554. Got Bitten by a Bug
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Leaving Chen Yao’s front door, Lin Nan looked as serious as if she were headed to a grand banquet.
“Wait for my news.” She took a deep breath and glanced back at Chen Yao standing inside.
“Are you sure about wearing sandals?”
Chen Yao looked down at Lin Nan’s feet, and those crystal sandals screamed “girl shoes” from a mile away.
Lin Nan fell silent for a moment, then decisively kicked off the shoes and slipped into the slippers waiting outside Chen Yao’s house.
Chen Yao’s aunt’s slippers were red, but hey, when it comes to slippers, shouldn’t size be the only issue distinguishing boys from girls?
“Off I go.”
“Come back early, don’t miss the bus.”
“Got it.”
Lin Nan pressed the button for the downward elevator without hesitation, but her hand betrayed her; she fished out her phone and, after some screen reflection, checked her looks.
Still looked like a girl…
At this rate, even if she shaved her head, she’d still come off as a pretty nun—not a monk.
If only she had run off to find her cousin Lin Jin last night! A little makeup magic might have added a hint of masculinity!
The rendezvous with Li Ya was at People’s Square, a short stroll away. Since she hadn’t eaten breakfast, she casually bought a meat bun and soybean milk from a roadside vendor, munching her way to the destination.
Better to deal with Li Ya now than let her roam around school.
But surely it was just a regular classmate gathering, right?
After about ten minutes of walking, she finished munching her breakfast and tossed the wrapper in a nearby trash can before lifting her head to see People’s Square not too far away.
The square was a bustling hub at night and even filled with morning joggers at dawn, but with the sun up now, the streets were as empty as a vacuum, let alone the square!
There was Li Ya on that same bench from last night, looking all dolled up in a short black skirt.
Lin Nan vaguely recalled that during high school, Li Ya had never dressed this cool.
Back then, Li Ya was pretty much like Lin Nan today, favoring long pants and skirts. Even if she wore shorts, they barely scraped her thighs—definitely a very conservative dresser!
Lin Nan hesitated, peeking at Li Ya, who seemed a little anxious, glancing around and fiddling nervously with her bag.
Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and walked over.
At that moment, Li Ya looked up at her.
But next second, Li Ya turned her head and resumed her bewildered scanning of the surroundings.
Totally didn’t recognize me!
Lin Nan’s expression froze. She stepped closer and stood right next to Li Ya.
“Is there something?” Li Ya blinked, curiously cocking her head.
Only now noticing the makeup glistening on her face, Lin Nan realized Li Ya looked even prettier than last night, with her skin’s blemishes hidden, radiating a glow.
“I… I’m Lin Nan,” she forced a smile, trying to keep her voice low, “Didn’t recognize me?”
Li Ya stared blankly at her, blinking rapidly before bursting into laughter. “Girl, you’ve gotta be kidding! Are you Lin Nan’s sister? Cousin?”
“She definitely looks a lot like Lin Nan.”
Li Ya stood up to scrutinize Lin Nan’s face. She said it looked alike, but somehow it was morphing into the face she once knew.
She was stunned.
“Is it really you, Lin Nan?” She stared at Lin Nan’s face, her mouth agape in shock. “How come…”
The transformation was unreal.
Back in high school, Lin Nan had acne scars, bangs that covered her eyebrows, and while her features were decent, she looked like an utterly forgettable boy.
Just a few years had passed, and Lin Nan seemed like she’d burst out of her shell—her features were more harmonious, her skin as tender as tofu, and her expression now had a hint of charm.
On a hot summer day, Lin Nan’s getup was quite odd, with a baggy t-shirt layered under a jacket, covering herself tightly, while the jacket hung down to hide her backside.
Her slender figure ended up looking excessively bulky. Underneath the jacket were army green shorts that revealed her calves—somehow still hard to make it look good.
Adding a cap that hid half her face? Total fugitive vibes!
Lin Nan averted her gaze, mumbling an explanation: “I had a stomach ache and a cold, so I layered up.”
It wasn’t about being thick or thin; it looked nothing like her clothing!
“Wow, you look… much better than before.” Li Ya struggled to find words to describe Lin Nan’s looks—”handsome” didn’t quite fit. “You’re like a whole different person!”
“Started using skincare and got rid of my acne and spots. My skin got better, and so I became ‘handsome.’”
Totally delusional; what skincare could turn her high school skin into something resembling a baby’s?
Had she undergone cosmetic surgery, she might almost buy it.
Li Ya continued to stare open-mouthed at Lin Nan, suddenly realizing she had great taste back in high school—definitely recognized potential in the shy nerds!
Lin Nan knew she couldn’t sit back and let the conversation drift any longer, so she proactively said, “Haven’t you changed a ton too? You look much better.”
Li Ya’s eyes sparkled at the compliment, forming crescent moons: “I just lost some weight! Oh, and started wearing makeup.”
“Yeah, looking more put together now! You must have a boyfriend by now, right?” Lin Nan nodded, trying to steer the conversation back to her control to avoid Li Ya’s relentless questioning.
“Not yet,” Li Ya added as she walked alongside Lin Nan, “Wanna wander around?”
“Sure!”
They walked side by side, Lin Nan carefully maintaining about a step’s distance, worried that getting too close would reveal too many secrets.
If the girl who once had a crush on her figured out she blossomed into a girl, that would be too embarrassing!
Lin Nan pursed her lips, pondering what topic to dive into next: “Aren’t you looking for a boyfriend? They say not dating in college is a waste of youth.”
“Of course! Just haven’t seen anyone worth it.” Li Ya kept her cheerful stride, turning the question around, “What about you? Got a girlfriend?”
“Already have one.”
She sneaked a glance at Li Ya’s reaction, seeing no signs of disappointment or sadness. Bingo! Seems like Li Ya was only interested in catching up, not eyeing her up!
“You look like a girl now.” Li Ya walked beside Lin Nan and, while chatting, discreetly studied her.
From the front, it was fine, but when viewed from the side, there was a slight curve at Lin Nan’s chest.
She hadn’t thought much of it—her oversized jacket made the bulges look normal.
But her gaze drifted up to where Lin Nan’s collarbone was.
“How’s your study going?”
Lin Nan turned to her but was startled by Li Ya’s concerned expression. “Your neck, why does it look swollen?”
Lin Nan quickly glanced down and yanked up the zipper on her jacket to the top, shielding her collarbone with panic: “Got bit by a bug!”
