033. Addicted?
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Magic really is one of those things that gets more addictive the more you use it.
It’s like playing an online game: while everyone else is grinding monsters and leveling up, you’ve got your script running or you’ve splashed out some cash. That convenient sense of achievement and satisfaction isn’t something everyone can resist.
Lin Nan had experienced magic twice.
Once, he dressed up as a girl, turning himself into a female. Honestly, he didn’t feel much achievement from that.
The second time was when he sped up his reflexes for a competition. Reflexes aren’t something you think about every day, but after acquiring this magic, Lin Nan definitely found life a lot easier.
Even if we don’t mention the gaming benefits, in daily life, whether it’s the security of his phone or his own safety, Lin Nan felt infinitely better than before.
These days, he practically couldn’t run into people while playing on his phone, and he wouldn’t get a basketball to the face while passing by a court. Even if he accidentally twisted his ankle, he could react in time to steady himself.
This magic was incredibly convenient for his daily life. Sure, Lin Nan knew it would gradually feminize his body and eventually turn him into Lilith, but whenever trouble struck, he couldn’t help but think of this magical cheat.
Two thousand bucks to become slightly more feminine and no longer fear the cold or heat? It didn’t sound too terrible.
With his brain boiled from the heat, he pondered for a bit and decided that this condition was pretty acceptable, especially since he was solely focused on earning money to pay off his debts. Otherwise, facing his creditors every day made him feel uneasy all over.
After resting in the shade for a moment, Lin Nan sprang into action to find Chen Yao, passing out flyers to pedestrians along the way.
As he crossed a block, he quickly spotted Chen Yao, who was also dressed in a Kumamon costume, standing under a sunshade at the intersection.
Lin Nan felt the heat clouding his head; he hurried over to Kumamon, hoping to complete his errand with a clear mind.
“What are you doing here?” Chen Yao asked, casually standing under the shade with a supervisor nearby who didn’t seem to mind.
He removed his headpiece and fanned himself with a stack of flyers while he asked Lin Nan, “What’s up? Can’t take it anymore?”
Chen Yao trained often and was in basketball season, so he could withstand the heat much better than Lin Nan, who was practically drenched after working for two hours while Chen Yao just sweated a bit at his bangs.
“I feel a bit dizzy,” Lin Nan said, tapping his headpiece and feigning weakness, “Could I get some Huoxiang Zhengqi medicine?”
“Let’s move to some shade where the sun isn’t blazing.” Chen Yao had anticipated Lin Nan’s plight. “How about I buy you some milk tea or ice cream? Cool you off.”
Chen Yao knew Lin Nan preferred ice cream over popsicles.
“Sure.”
Lin Nan was somewhat distracted, scanning for a shady spot where there weren’t many passersby. He worried that if he feigned fainting, some meddlesome pedestrian might perform CPR or mouth-to-mouth—one could easily break ribs with the former, and lose his first kiss with the latter. Talk about a total loss for him!
Though, of course, that was a behavior he wholeheartedly supported in theory.
While the sauna-like heat had him a bit woozy, he realized he was just at the beginner stage of heatstroke; his brain was still working, and even though his body felt a bit tingly, he could still walk without too much trouble.
He led Chen Yao down a small alley, glancing around to ensure no one was passing through.
“Here, this is Huoxiang Zhengqi medicine. It tastes terrible, but it’s good for easing heatstroke,” Chen Yao said, having taken off the top of his costume, which was now hanging off his waist, as he awkwardly fished a bottle out of his pocket to hand to Lin Nan.
Lin Nan nodded and took the medicine, but before he could open it, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. He stumbled backward a few steps and crashed into the wall. Then, with his eyes closing, he slid down to sit on the ground.
Chen Yao was shocked.
Just a minute ago, Lin Nan looked fine—maybe a bit too red in the face, but he certainly didn’t seem to be the type to just pass out from heatstroke!
He hurried over to kneel beside Lin Nan, not daring to get too close for fear of affecting the airflow, stretching out his hand to gently shake Lin Nan’s shoulder. “Are you okay? Quick, take the medicine.”
Chen Yao’s expression was tense as Lin Nan didn’t respond. He took a couple of steps back, whipping out his phone to call for help.
In this situation, calling for help was definitely the best option.
But just after pressing two buttons, Lin Nan suddenly opened his eyes and stubbornly refused, “I’m fine… not going to the hospital.”
“Why are you still against hospitals at a time like this?” Chen Yao was at a loss for words.
“It’s not serious,” Lin Nan insisted, waving his hand, looking very pale.
It truly wasn’t serious. He was just a bit dizzy from the heat, and he had banged his backside on the ground when he sat down.
He feigned a stubborn look, maintaining a straight face and shaking his head, “I hate the smell of hospitals.”
“Heatstroke can k*ll you,” Chen Yao said with a grim face. “At least drink the Huoxiang Zhengqi.”
“Okay.”
Leaning against the wall, Lin Nan couldn’t fathom why Chen Yao wasn’t coming over to hold him. It was all so different from the teen idol dramas he’d seen!
He regretted his decision a little, suddenly realizing that whenever he made plans, something always seemed to go wrong. The first time he miscalculated his height, and now after overheating, Chen Yao was too chicken to get close, scared he’d hinder the airflow, let alone hug him.
He watched as Chen Yao pried open the bottle of Huoxiang Zhengqi, a strong, nauseating odor quickly wafting through the air.
“It smells and tastes awful, but it’s effective for mild heatstroke. Try it?”
Lin Nan shook his head vigorously, fear written all over his face as he scooted back a bit.
“If you won’t go to the hospital and refuse to drink the medicine, aren’t you just asking for trouble?” Chen Yao said, looking completely exasperated. “What do you want then? Don’t want to hand out flyers anymore?”
“I still have to!”
Lin Nan sensed something was off; it seemed like he was unintentionally making it look like he didn’t want to hand out flyers, hoping Chen Yao would help him instead.
He was silent for a moment, unable to articulate his thoughts directly. He simply lowered his head, continuing his act of being overheated.
“Good grief, you!” Chen Yao shook his head repeatedly, taking the flyers out of Lin Nan’s hand. “You rest here, and I’ll go help you distribute.”
Naturally, Chen Yao thought Lin Nan simply didn’t want to pass out flyers.
“No!” Lin Nan quickly called out to stop Chen Yao from standing up.
“What’s up?”
Taking a deep breath, Lin Nan decided that when it was time to lower his standards, he had to do just that.
So, with his face flushed, he spread his arms wide and shut his eyes in utter embarrassment.
Chen Yao looked confused but suddenly remembered what happened earlier. The image flashed in his mind again, causing him to jump back several steps in fright.
This Lin Nan, could it be he’s addicted to kissing?
