022. Uncle in Charge of the Dormitory
==============================
Fortunately, the pain suddenly vanished by evening.
After a sleepless night of agony, Lin Nan collapsed into bed and didn’t wake up until bright and refreshed the next morning.
This mysterious abdominal pain gave him a strong sense of crisis. One thing was certain: using magic definitely sped up his femininity on the outside, but who knows what weird changes were happening on the inside?
At least it didn’t seem to be Aunt Flo knocking at the door; after all, Aunt Flo isn’t known for just sticking around for a day.
“Never using magic again,” he muttered to himself.
With no one else awake in the dormitory, Lin Nan strolled out onto the balcony, grumbling, “This bellyache could be a side effect of magic. If every time I use magic I end up with a day-and-night bellyache, I might as well just avoid it.”
Anyway, whatever the problem was, blame it all on Lilith.
He glanced anxiously at the sky beyond the balcony. It was just past six, barely light out, yet his stomach was already protesting with hunger.
“I wonder if the cafeteria is open this early.”
After a quick wash-up, he changed into his usual casual clothes and stood in front of the mirror, surveying himself. Although there weren’t any visible changes, he could definitely tell he appeared more feminine from an overall standpoint.
Looks like “pretty boy” will be the new nickname hanging over his head.
He slipped on some flat shoes, attempted to tame his bird’s nest of hair with a comb, only to realize his bangs had grown past his eyebrows, and the hair on the sides was practically covering his ears. If he remembered correctly, he had just checked his hair growth last week.
His hair growth rate has increased too?
He pondered this but didn’t dwell on it too long. He swept his bangs to the left and headed out the door.
Normally, the dormitory wouldn’t get lively until around eight in the morning, but today, the hallway felt like a haunted house—silent and devoid of any life.
Fortunately, the summer sun rises quickly. After dawdling for a moment in the dorm, it was already brilliantly bright outside when he stepped out.
On the first floor, the uncle in charge of the dormitory was brushing his teeth outside in the flowerbed. Seeing Lin Nan, he looked surprised and asked, “Up this early?”
“I was sick yesterday and went to bed early, and now I’m starving,” Lin Nan explained with an awkward smile.
Maybe it was his relatively charming looks, but ever since the uncle had greeted him the first time, they had inexplicably become rather familiar.
“The cafeteria isn’t open this early,” the uncle said after spitting out the foam. Then he stood upright and invited, “How about having something with me?”
“Is that okay?” Lin Nan hesitated a bit.
“The cafeteria’s still closed for another hour.” The uncle pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Lin Nan.
Lin Nan didn’t hesitate to decline; he never had a good impression of cigarettes.
“Not smoking is good! Nowadays, every college student smokes—no one looks like a student anymore,” the uncle entered through the dormitory door with a chuckle, patting Lin Nan on the shoulder, “Just salted duck eggs and thin porridge to eat. If you don’t mind that…”
“I don’t mind, I don’t mind!”
The uncle’s room was a small one right next to the entrance. It was about the same size as a dorm room, furnished with a wooden plank bed, a simple table and chairs, and a makeshift stove cooking the porridge in the back.
It was Lin Nan’s first time in here. Curious, he glanced around before casually taking a seat on a bench at the uncle’s enthusiastic invitation.
The uncle checked the pot first. Seeing the porridge wasn’t finished cooking yet, he turned and grabbed a chair to sit across from Lin Nan.
Suddenly, Lin Nan felt like he was being interrogated.
“Hey,” the uncle sighed heavily, shaking his head, “Look at you—young and how can you do this?”
“Uh?” Lin Nan was confused.
“How can a nice girl like you come to stay overnight in the boys’ dormitory? Aren’t you ashamed?”
“???” Lin Nan was even more confused, staring blankly at the uncle, unable to spit out a single word.
So, you didn’t invite me in just because you recognize me?
Seeing Lin Nan not saying anything, the uncle shook his head again, “I didn’t want to scold you outside to save you from embarrassment. Name, class, student ID—there’s paper and a pen over there, write it down clearly.”
“Look at you! Not scared of me at all; you must be a habitual offender, huh? A girl like you, running to boys’ dorms every day to sleep—it must hurt your parents’ hearts to know!”
“You’re quite pretty, but dressing like a boy…”
The uncle’s barrage of comments left Lin Nan dazed. He quickly interrupted, urgently explaining, “I’m a guy!”
“Quit your nonsense! I’ve lived for over sixty years, eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice, crossed more bridges than you’ve walked roads; I can tell the difference between boys and girls!”
“I really am a guy! Lin Nan from 432. We’ve met a few times and said hello,” Lin Nan said, both amused and exasperated. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d be intercepted by the dorm uncle mistaking him for a girl.
Sure, he appeared a bit softer, but come on, he still looked like a man!
He pulled out his student ID and handed it to the uncle, “Look, that’s me!”
“Huh, sure looks like you—your brother?”
“…..” Lin Nan was speechless for a moment, pointing to his own face as he seriously asked, “Look again? That’s a man’s face, and I sound like a guy too, don’t I?”
The uncle took the hint and scrutinized Lin Nan’s face closely, then rubbed his chin, “I don’t judge by faces. Nowadays, so many girls look so similar you can’t tell them apart. If that’s the case, I’d have to let them all in!”
“What do you look for then?”
“The way you girls walk, talk, and express yourselves. I can tell in a heartbeat!” the dorm uncle said proudly, “I’ve been in this job long enough; I’ve never mistook anyone! You’re still a bit green around the edges!”
So it’s not just because he looks feminine; it’s all about body language?
Lin Nan was utterly helpless, reaching for his student ID back. But the uncle shoved it deep into his coat pockets, “Using someone else’s student ID? Confiscated!”
“I really didn’t!” he cried, helplessly trying to raise his voice, hoping to intimidate the uncle, “If you don’t believe me, just call my roommate! I’m a guy—so what if I’m a bit soft? Do I need to drop my pants to prove it to you?”
The uncle still eyed Lin Nan skeptically, his brows knitted tightly, likely encountering a particularly tricky student for the first time.
But letting Lin Nan drop his pants was out of the question—for fear that the school’s higher-ups would think he was taking advantage of a girl under the guise of authority.
“Okay, how about I call a classmate to bring my ID for you to see? That works, right?” Lin Nan rubbed his temples, feeling totally exasperated, “Aren’t you just a bit too responsible?”
Finally, the uncle’s expression gradually lost its doubt under Lin Nan’s relentless explanations, but he still seemed unwilling to believe it.
“Here’s the deal: how about you check the surveillance? Last week I entered and exited with my roommate every day. If I really were a girl, I wouldn’t be staying in the boys’ dorm every day, right?”
“That makes sense.”
