606. Social d*ath
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Zhu Yong Wen! I’ve never seen his emotional intelligence so low before!
This drunk Zhu Yong Wen is way too annoying!
It’s over, it’s over! Tomorrow, when I cross-dress and hit the street, the news will spread like wildfire in our high school group, and everyone will know I’m a creepy cross-dresser! Plus, Pan Hui now knows I’m Chen Yao’s girlfriend!
I’m completely socially dead in this high school scene!
I shouldn’t have been curious and come here to spy on them. I shouldn’t have accepted Li Ya’s suggestion.
I had already made up my mind to cut ties with my old friends when I came back. How did this even happen?
When Lin Nan got back home, she collapsed onto her bed, utterly exhausted, hiding her despair in her pillow.
So now that I’m leaving, Pan Hui can do whatever she wants to Chen Yao?
Meanwhile, Zhu Yong Wen is still confused while Pan Hui’s face lights up with excitement, and Chen Yao’s eyelids keep twitching.
I need to come up with a reason to explain this to Lin Nan.
Otherwise, Lin Nan is really going to socially d*e.
“Why did Lin Nan run away?” Zhu Yong Wen turned to Chen Yao. “Why is she dressed as a girl?”
Pan Hui chuckled, “It’s not just any girl’s outfit!”
She even had a cute uniform on. Wait, so Li Ya’s crush is this weird?
Chen Yao had no idea how to respond, but thankfully, Pan Hui shot him a glare. “You might not like me, but did you really have to let Lin Nan cross-dress and pretend to be your girlfriend?”
“Right, right, that’s exactly what I was thinking!” Chen Yao exclaimed, nodding enthusiastically.
Zhu Yong Wen suddenly realized, “You’re setting Lin Nan up! Luckily it’s only me and Pan Hui who know about this, or her reputation would be ruined!”
“So, is your girlfriend thing also a lie?”
Chen Yao was taken aback for a moment but declared firmly, “No way!”
“Really? Then why did you let Lin Nan cross-dress as your girlfriend?” Pan Hui didn’t believe him at all.
Now she was stuck in a dilemma—happy that Chen Yao indeed didn’t have a girlfriend and she still had a chance, but sad that this once-unnoteworthy guy can look better in a dress without makeup than she does.
What on earth is Lin Nan? A monster? So scary!
With a hint of worry, Pan Hui still wrapped her arm around Chen Yao’s and said cheerfully, “Take me home!”
“Aren’t you staying at an inn?”
Well, you don’t have a girlfriend, and summer vacation is still long enough—plenty of time to flirt around.
“Taking you home is fine, but you can’t tell anyone about Lin Nan!” Chen Yao had to concede.
“Sure! My lips are sealed!”
Pan Hui suddenly lost her anxiousness and dragged Chen Yao toward her home. But after just a couple of steps, she noticed Zhu Yong Wen trailing behind them.
She shot him a sharp glare, but before she could say anything, Zhu Yong Wen chimed in, “My house is that way too.”
Great, just what I needed—another light bulb!
Chen Yao felt like he was stuck in a bitter comedy, being held by a girl, feeling all this softness, yet he couldn’t relax, his mind racing over how to handle Lin Nan when he got home.
Life is tough.
Pan Hui lived on the outskirts of the county. They walked slowly, Chen Yao silent, while Pan Hui rambled on happily.
Finally, at nine in the evening, Chen Yao returned home, completely drained.
He opened the door to a dark, eerily silent house, resembling a ghost haunt.
He flicked on the living room light, his heart pounding as he pushed open his bedroom door.
As soon as he entered, he saw Lin Nan lying on the bed, completely still.
“Did you fall asleep? This early?” He relaxed a little, plopping down at his computer and grumbling about Pan Hui.
He was certain he had told Pan Hui that he already had a girlfriend and wouldn’t fall for her.
But Pan Hui didn’t buy it; if he really had a girlfriend, he wouldn’t have let Lin Nan dress up as her.
Besides, everyone knows girls chase boys across a thin veil.
Chen Yao sighed, taking a swig of the lukewarm water left on the table, then turned to look at Lin Nan, who he noticed was wide awake, staring at him with big eyes.
“You weren’t sleeping?”
“Nope.”
Lin Nan lay softly on the bed, unmoving, just murmuring with a pout, “Now I’m a full-on weirdo in the eyes of all my high school classmates…”
She lifted her head but then buried her face in the pillow again.
“I swear, I’ll explain everything.” Chen Yao tried to calm her down. “I’ll say you only dressed as my girlfriend because I tempted you with some perks.”
“…”
“It’s fine. I made sure Pan Hui and Zhu Yong Wen understand that they shouldn’t leak this.”
Lin Nan was silent for a long time, making Chen Yao’s heart race with anxiety.
“How much longer do we have to keep this up?”
Chen Yao continued to reassure her, “It’s fine. We might run into old friends during vacays, but once we’re back to studying, it’ll be okay.”
“It just feels like we’re dating like mice—sneaking around.” Lin Nan whined, wearing a frown, “And now Pan Hui will definitely think you don’t have a girlfriend, so she’ll chase you boldly.”
“This is all Zhu Yong Wen’s fault! If it weren’t for him, Pan Hui would’ve given up ages ago…”
“You’re secretly enjoying being chased by a girl, aren’t you?”
Chen Yao suddenly stiffened, giving it his all to deny, “No! Absolutely not! I have zero interest in Pan Hui! I find her super annoying!”
“If it weren’t for her, I’d be out with classmates at KTV right now! After KTV, we’d head to the internet cafe for an all-nighter! That woman is driving me crazy!”
Lin Nan rolled over, gazing at him blankly, “So, does that mean you really went to book a room with Pan Hui since you haven’t been home all this time?”
“How would I even find a room in that time?”
“No way! I just walked her home!” Chen Yao raised his hands in surrender. “Do I look like that kind of guy?”
Honestly, he didn’t.
Even though Chen Yao was notorious for fibbing his way through minor stuff, he was trustworthy when it came to serious matters.
Mainly because Lin Nan could tell from his eyes that his interest in Pan Hui wasn’t the kind any guy would typically have.
Suddenly she slammed her pillow, sitting up with a determined look, “We absolutely must burst Pan Hui’s bubble of illusions!”
“I already told her very clearly that I’m not into her…” Chen Yao groaned, looking helpless, “I don’t even know what to do anymore.”
“If she asks you out, come up with a good excuse to dodge her!”
“If you keep avoiding her, she should lose interest eventually.” Lin Nan frowned. “If she sends you photos or voice messages, just put her down hard and crush her confidence!”
Chen Yao sighed helplessly, “Looks like that’s all I can do.”
