089. Gossip Behind the Dormitory【Bonus Update 7/60】
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The typhoon left a significant mess for the school.
At least on her way to the cafeteria, Lin Nan noticed that many of the taller trees on campus had been completely knocked down. Debris and leaves were everywhere, and the janitors were overwhelmed, now calling for students to help clean up.
The whole school looked as if it was preparing for the apocalypse; the clouds were so thick they turned day into night, and puddles formed everywhere, making the campus feel creepily deserted.
Lin Nan left her dorm feeling a bit uneasy today. She wasn’t worried about being misidentified as a male or female; instead, she was concerned about being called something like a “ladyboy” because of the mix-up.
“Do I really look like I’m in girl clothes?” Lin Nan asked again, clearly anxious about it.
“You’ve asked that several times,” Chen Yao said with a wry smile, ultimately nodding, “A little bit.”
“So you were just messing with me? Blabbing nonsense…”
Lin Nan huffed, “Why don’t you learn something good from Tu Tu?”
Chen Yao glanced back at Tu Junhui, who was deep in conversation with Xiong Da about how to milk their mobile game for cash, and scoffed, “He doesn’t exactly have the best of examples, does he?”
Fair point…
Once they reached the second floor of the cafeteria, Lin Nan discovered that many students had heard about the fast food place that had opened here. Now, twenty or more people were queuing for food.
The cafeteria had no lights, and thanks to the menacing clouds outside, it felt dim and gloomy inside. Lin Nan could barely see, her eyes straining to make out the blurry shapes moving about.
Thankfully the fast food place had lit a few candles, allowing her to somewhat keep pace with Chen Yao.
After getting her food and a coupon for a discount, Lin Nan felt ecstatic, thinking she snagged an incredible deal.
She followed Chen Yao and found a spot to sit. Looking up at the guy across from her, she asked, “What did you order?”
“Chicken leg, beef strips, and a fried egg,” he replied absently while raising his head and looking at Lin Nan with a bewildered expression, “Uh, who are you?”
“???”
Lin Nan finally realized her mistake. She turned on her phone’s flashlight and directed it at him, discovering it was just a random guy who looked somewhat like Chen Yao.
Quickly, she started scanning the area with the light for Chen Yao but found he was already nowhere to be seen.
This means… I’m lost?
Meanwhile, Chen Yao and the others carried their packed lunches out of the cafeteria, planning to hit the supermarket, when Tu Junhui suddenly asked from behind, “Where’s Nan Nan?”
“Wasn’t she right behind me?” Chen Yao turned back, baffled as he looked at the two behind him, “Where’s Lin Nan?”
“If you ask me, ask who?” Tu Junhui rolled his eyes, “Seriously, if you get a wife and kids, you’ll probably still lose them.”
Chen Yao scratched his head. After waiting at the entrance for a moment without seeing Lin Nan, he decided they should just head back to the dorm. After all, Lin Nan wasn’t a child anymore; besides, if he went back to look for her, she’d probably already be sitting down and feasting.
But what was she thinking? It was pitch black inside the cafeteria. Doesn’t she worry about accidentally stuffing food up her nose?
Chen Yao figured Lin Nan would be fine since this was a school—not some bar or something.
The three of them strolled back to the dorm. After dinner, they discovered the dorm computer had no internet, and they were scared their phones would d*e, leaving them staring blankly at each other.
With nothing to do and Lin Nan absent, Tu Junhui finally had a chance to vent some buildup feelings to his roommates.
“Don’t you guys think Lin Nan is getting more… delicate?” he asked them with a serious face, “What if he’s actually gay?”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions; let’s be civilized here.” Xiong Da chimed in.
Chen Yao wasn’t interested in this topic; he was practically a half-informer, booting up the computer and eavesdropping on their conversation.
“Xiong Da, you really don’t feel anything different?”
“A little, yeah.” Xiong Da often got lost in his own world; originally, it had been a shock to see Lin Nan after a summer apart. But now that they were in close quarters daily, the change didn’t seem as drastic to him.
After contemplating for a moment, he said, “He does seem a bit more feminine.”
“Exactly! I feel uncomfortable hanging out with him! It’s like having a girl in the dorm, and it makes you rethink everything.” Tu Junhui slammed the table, “I can’t even wear shorts in this heat!”
“Plus, it seems like he’s grown br*asts, and he keeps saying he’s gained weight. I haven’t seen him get any fatter except for his chest and b*tt.”
Xiong Da mumbled confusedly, “What if Lin Nan is taking some drugs for transformation?”
“What’s that?” Tu Junhui asked, intrigued.
Chen Yao leaned in, eager to hear Xiong Da’s explanation.
“Just Google it yourself; I can’t explain it properly.” Xiong Da scratched his head, “It’s kind of like the Thai ladyboys…”
“Lin Nan isn’t that gross,” Chen Yao shot back without hesitation.
“No, I just meant… I don’t really understand it either; I just read about it in some novel.” Xiong Da admitted, knowing the concept.
Tu Junhui raised his eyebrows in interest, “What kind of novels have you been reading?”
The two turned to search, finally understanding what ‘drugs’ meant in this context.
But the problem was, they’d never seen Lin Nan take any kind of medication. Moreover, he seemed to be around them all the time, and it was as if he hadn’t even been to the bathroom recently—yet he inexplicably grew prettier and more girl-like.
And knowing Lin Nan’s background, Chen Yao realized this guy could barely scrape together a few hundred bucks a month for necessities, let alone some transformation pills.
The three of them stared wide-eyed at each other in perplexity, their theories hitting a snag.
“Maybe he’s just naturally becoming prettier?” Chen Yao tried to redirect the conversation, “I saw some Japanese pictures recently. Those shameless ‘girl-like’ boys were also really cute.”
“With makeup and filters, anyone can look good. Even that Jo Bilo girl could.” Tu Junhui snorted, unfazed, “Not like our Lin Nan who’s naturally stunning.”
“Junhui seems to like short-haired girls. Chen Yao, you better make it clear to Lin Nan to stay away from Junhui,” Xiong Da suddenly interjected.
Chen Yao had an epiphany, and Tu Junhui shot Xiong Da the finger, cursing, “What the heck! Do you think I’m that kind of guy?!”
“Just worried you might only like pretty faces, without caring about gender.”
At this, Chen Yao awkwardly rubbed his nose, feeling like Xiong Da was throwing shade.
As the dorm buzzed with chatter, Lin Nan walked in looking disheveled, “I got lost… followed the wrong person.”
“Are you blind or something?”
“That guy looked too much like Chen Yao! I don’t know when he ended up in front of me.”
Lin Nan sighed, realizing how silly he felt. He walked silently to the corner of the dorm and pulled out a dusty suitcase.
“Chen Yao and I are heading back tomorrow night. Tu Tu, don’t go scattering sunflower seeds everywhere in the dorm.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit soon to rush back to see your parents?”
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