097. Crossdressing Master? 【11/90】
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It might have been a welcome gift, or just Uncle Liu’s whimsical side, but Lin Nan delightedly accepted a 500 yuan red envelope via WeChat. Suddenly, the uncle, who had merely seemed somewhat likable before, became exceedingly charming in her eyes.
However, even though Uncle Liu had money, Lin Nan’s mother didn’t seem to have any intention of borrowing from him. Lin Nan was puzzled as to what she was thinking—perhaps this was family business?
After getting the red envelope, she glanced inside the tent and found it spacious enough; the two of them should have no problem sleeping in there. During summer, all they needed was a thin blanket.
“Looks pretty good.” She bent down and complimented as she stepped out of the tent.
Uncle Liu nodded, not saying much. He sprayed mosquito repellent inside the tent, the pungent smell filling the air and making it clear that it would be a while before they could go in.
As night deepened, the beach was mostly deserted except for the campers milling about. Lin Nan sat in front of the tent, idly scooping up some sand and letting it slip through her fingers.
When she was a child playing by the sea, it wasn’t this commercialized. Back then, Lin Nan thought the seaside was the most fun place ever.
Now, returning to the beach, she found it unbelievably boring.
According to their plan, they would stay until noon tomorrow, waiting for the sunrise in the morning, and once the temperature rose, they could go into the water for a bit. But Lin Nan had hoped her mother would pick a deserted stretch of beach, making it easier to wear a swimsuit without being seen. Now, it seemed that plan had to be scrapped.
“Hey, Nan Nan!” Her mother was rummaging through a backpack on the sand, calling out to her. “Do you want to try on your swimsuit? It should fit fine.”
Lin Nan’s face turned bright red. She looked around; while not crowded, there were still a good ten tourists nearby, and both her mother and Uncle Liu were right there.
“Um, can I just try it on in the changing room?” Lin Nan asked hesitantly, her voice weak.
“Where else would you try it?” Her mother finally unearthed Lin Nan’s swimsuit from the depths of the backpack.
Seeing the swimsuit, Lin Nan felt a wave of relief.
This swimsuit wasn’t a revealing bikini but more like a Japanese “sukā” one-piece.
Though it was snug and showed off her figure, it covered enough skin—mainly just her thighs and arms—and even had a delicate lace trim around the backside to shield most of her upper thigh.
It seemed her mother had been considerate and balanced Lin Nan’s comfort; if it had been a bikini, Lin Nan might have fainted on the spot from embarrassment.
Even so, no one on this beach was wearing something like that.
Besides, that blue swimsuit was just too feminine… Though part of her found it amusing deep down, Lin Nan couldn’t shake off her subjective aversion.
“Isn’t this a bit too girly…?” Lin Nan suddenly recalled Uncle Liu standing nearby, her face burning as she cautiously shot a glance at him still spraying repellent. She rushed up and shoved the swimsuit back into the backpack her mother held.
“I, uh… I’m not going in the water!” she whispered to her mother.
“Uncle Liu knows your situation.”
Her mother chuckled and reached out to ruffle Lin Nan’s hair, but this time Lin Nan swiftly dodged. “No way! It’s too crowded for that!”
“Why are you shy? Once you’re in the water, who’s gonna know what swimsuit you’re in?”
“But people will see me on the way to the water!”
Unable to argue, her mother switched perspectives and realized that Lin Nan might not have fully come to terms with her situation.
After all, though Lin Nan was a girl, she’d been raised as a boy for eighteen years due to her mother’s oversight, making her averse to such feminine clothing now.
With that thought, her mother sighed deeply.
Lin Nan panicked; she thought her mother was disappointed that she wouldn’t wear the swimsuit.
After all, it was her mother who had carefully prepared it…
“Well, um… maybe I’ll wear it and go play in the water for a bit?” Lin Nan mumbled, looking down.
“Anyway, it’s not high tide right now, and the waves aren’t too big…”
In reality, some people were on the beach hunting for shells and crabs while the tide was out. However, they were far enough away, and the spotlight only occasionally swept over, making it dark enough that as long as they didn’t shine a flashlight right on Lin Nan, they probably wouldn’t notice her in a swimsuit.
The problem was the distance from the changing room to the beach.
And the stares from her mother and Uncle Liu…
“Are you really gonna wear it?” Her mother was momentarily taken aback, unsure how Lin Nan changed her mind so quickly. She swiftly pulled out a towel. “I’ll go with you. Wearing a towel on the way will be easier; don’t catch a cold.”
Why didn’t you say earlier that there was a towel to cover up?! I wouldn’t have had to stress about it for so long!
Perhaps resigned to her fate, Lin Nan was thrilled when she heard about the towel that could cover her up, forgetting just moments ago her total reluctance to wear that swimsuit.
“Big Liu! I’m going to the changing room with him!” her mother shouted to Uncle Liu.
Lin Nan then realized that Uncle Liu’s nickname was “Big Liu,” probably from his surname or a name that had “Liu” in it.
Looks like she could call him Uncle Liu from now on.
Her mother emptied out all the unnecessary stuff in her backpack and stuffed Lin Nan’s and her own swimsuit and towel back in.
Her mother’s swimsuit was quite modest too—a simple tank top with shorts—but it revealed her waist and a lot of leg. Lin Nan thought that at least the sukā swimsuit showed less skin than that.
Uncle Liu acknowledged, and Lin Nan followed her mother to the changing room, planning to hurry up and get into the water to both cool off and unlock some magic.
The tides were currently receding, and they should face minimal risks going in, especially since it was late and the evening water was quite chilly.
But Lin Nan didn’t care about the cold; the sea was intimidating only in comparison to daytime. Under the distant spotlight, she could see things clearly enough.
Upon arriving at the changing room, Lin Nan hesitated again but saw her mother had already entered the women’s changing room with the swimsuit. Lin Nan, holding her backpack, looked up at the door label, utterly confused.
Which changing room should she go into?
Was there one for neutrals?
It was so late that surely not many people would be swimming at this hour, right?
With that thought, Lin Nan reluctantly convinced herself, turned, and walked into the men’s changing room. However, as soon as she opened the door, she was startled to find a man who had just changed and was about to step out.
This scene seemed oddly familiar?
The man was shocked when he saw Lin Nan, but then thought that at least he’d not be the one losing here.
He eyed Lin Nan with a look of disbelief, then sidestepped past her to leave, glancing back at the door’s sign.
No doubt, this was the men’s changing room? A crossdressing master?
