078. Too Much Horseplay【2/23 Additional Update】
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Part-time job done! It was around 7 PM when Lin Nan finished his meal outside and returned to the dormitory.
He unlocked the drawer with his key and started sorting through his medical examination report.
Sure, his parents likely took him for a check-up right after he was born, but that was 18 years ago! Medical standards weren’t exactly top-notch back then, so mistakes were pretty common… right? After all, hospitals probably didn’t keep records from that long ago, so if his parents ended up blaming anyone, it would just be the hospital’s fault.
I mean, in those days, didn’t they even have cases of mismatched babies?
Thinking back over the years, Lin Nan realized he had never had anything like an ultrasound; most of his check-ups were organized by the school. You know, the usual height measurement, heartbeat check, and some basic eyesight screenings. He hadn’t been seriously ill either—mostly just the occasional cold or fever that a community clinic could handle.
He wasn’t even sure if this medical report could fool his parents.
Worryfully, Lin Nan folded the report again, ready to shove it back into the drawer when suddenly, a shadow swooped in, and his precious report vanished in an instant.
Heart racing, he looked up in horror to see Tu Junhui teasingly holding the report while asking, “What’s the secretive stuff? Oh? Is that a medical report?”
“Give it back!” Lin Nan scowled, attempting to snatch it away, but, alas, he was vertically challenged. Tu Junhui was merely on tiptoes, holding it high above his head. No matter how much Lin Nan jumped, he couldn’t reach that elusive report.
“Why are you so uptight? You got AIDS or something?” Tu Junhui kept ribbing him, not even bothering to glance at the report, just enjoying the sight of Lin Nan bouncing beside him.
Lin Nan was on the verge of tears, still determined to grab back his medical report. Meanwhile, Tu Junhui was completely oblivious, simply grinning and holding it aloft.
He suddenly felt like he was teasing a girl, and that sensation just made him more excited.
“How can you be this short? Are you sure you’re not a level three disabled person?”
“What’s in this report that’s so shameful? Hepatitis B? AIDS? Or maybe it says you’re definitely a girl?”
Awkwardly poking at the truth, Lin Nan instantly panicked, his mind going blank as he struggled for a solution. He could only keep jumping in vain, unable to touch the report.
Finally, from the bed where he had been absorbed in a novel, Xiong Da piped up, “Junhui, this is a bit extra.”
“Is it?” Tu Junhui paused, glancing back at Xiong Da. “I’m just teasing.”
Lin Nan, out of breath, stopped and angrily yelled at him, “Who’s joking around? You little brat!”
Now, Tu Junhui was officially befuddled. Usually, Lin Nan only dropped a few curse words when he was upset. But this was the first time Tu Junhui heard Lin Nan curse like a sailor.
That was a local dialect for cursing, and boy was it rough. You’d hardly ever hear that kind of talk in the dorm!
He glanced down at Lin Nan, who was shaking with anger, finally noticing Lin Nan’s eyes were red, tears on the verge of spilling over, still putting on a fierce expression that somehow looked really pitiful.
“Here, here!” He awkwardly handed the report back, which Lin Nan snatched without a word, climbed onto his bed, and pulled the covers over his head.
“Is it really that serious…” Tu Junhui scratched his head, feeling slightly guilty but too shy to outright apologize. Instead, he beat around the bush, asking Lin Nan, “How about I treat you to some takeout tonight?”
“Not eating!”
“What do you want to eat? I can afford anything!” Tu Junhui puffed up his chest, striking a boastful tone. “Money is no object!”
“Get lost!” Lin Nan seethed from within the blanket.
So, Tu Junhui rolled back to his own spot, still bewildered about why that medical report meant so much to Lin Nan.
Not long after, he couldn’t resist anymore and cautiously asked, “If I order takeout, you really won’t eat?”
“Go away!”
Tu Junhui turned to Xiong Da for help with pleading eyes, but Xiong Da just turned his head away, not wanting to look at him.
Was this guy really that dense?
Just then, Chen Yao walked into the dorm wearing his basketball jersey, wiping sweat off. As soon as he entered, he felt a wave of dread wash over him; he looked around but couldn’t sense anything out of place.
Lin Nan was on his bed from distributing flyers all afternoon, Xiong Da was reading, and Tu Junhui was at his computer. Everything seemed just as harmonious as ever… except it was eerily quiet, and the atmosphere was tense, like a world war was about to break out?
They hadn’t started fighting, had they?
But Xiong Da had a good temper, never got angry, and Lin Nan, while occasionally hotheaded, knew he was outmatched physically and had never been one to throw punches. Tu Junhui, on the other hand? He was just trouble all wrapped up in a nice little package, always stirring the pot.
Picking up on the weird vibe in the dorm, Chen Yao decided to be careful, sneaking as he closed the door quietly, casting quizzical glances at Tu Junhui.
Finally, seeing a glimmer of hope in Tu Junhui, he promptly dragged Chen Yao into the corridor before he could catch his breath.
After filling him in, Chen Yao gained a whole new level of respect (or maybe disgust) for Tu Junhui’s knack for getting into trouble.
“Seriously? Was that really necessary?”
He knew the full story and had seen the medical report, so he understood why Lin Nan was freaking out.
He looked at Tu Junhui, who was now craving forgiveness but had no clue how to achieve it, shook his head, and patted him on the shoulder, “You’re in hot water, man. Lin Nan will definitely remember this.”
“Lin Nan isn’t that kind of person, right?”
Chen Yao had no words. He simply shrugged and left Tu Junhui hanging in the hallway, heading back into the dorm.
Having known Lin Nan for a long time, he understood that it was best not to bother him too much when he was mad; his feelings usually settled down after a while… he just couldn’t tell if Lin Nan’s mood had shifted towards “girl anger.” If it had, things could get dicey.
Although Chen Yao had never been in a relationship, he’d gleaned enough from the internet about how hard it was to calm girls down when they were angry.
He looked at Lin Nan’s bed but could only see the mound of blankets.
“Lin Nan, want to go grab dinner in the cafeteria together?”
“Already ate.”
Looks like Lin Nan hadn’t reached the boiling point just yet.
Feeling somewhat relieved, Chen Yao asked, “What about a late-night snack? Junhui says he’ll treat you to crawfish barbecue.”
“Not eating.”
“Junhui said you don’t have to pay him back for the remaining hundred on that computer.”
Tu Junhui’s ears perked up as he walked back into the room from the hallway, looking dumbstruck. He didn’t remember saying that!
“Really?”
“Yep!” Tu Junhui confirmed without hesitation, “I mean, I’m not hurting for cash!”
“So, barbecue…”
Tu Junhui eagerly nodded, “I’ll treat! Eat as much as you want!”
Only then did Lin Nan poke his head out from under the covers, his hair a mess and his eyes red. He glanced at the two and huffed, “Just call me when it’s time.”
“Got it!”
