123. Uncle’s First Blind Date
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Thanks to his class schedule, Lin Nan woke up right on time at 8 AM, stretching and yawning as he threw on his trusty sun-protection jacket that made him feel safe and sound. With still bleary eyes, he pushed open his bedroom door.
He’d temporarily forgotten about last night’s events—or at least, pretended to.
On his way to the bathroom, Lin Nan glanced at the living room sofa, only to spot Uncle Wu Guodong sleeping like a burrito in the summer heat, wrapped up snugly despite the lack of air conditioning. Not a single part of him was poking out!
But hey, for Uncle, who often worked late, 8 AM on his rare day off was precious! He’d probably sleep for a few more hours, so Lin Nan decided to tiptoe into the bathroom without waking him.
And then he saw Uncle standing in front of the toilet, back turned to him.
“…..”
What the heck is this drama?!
Wu Guodong spun around, his face turning a shade of red that could rival a ripe tomato.
Lin Nan had no idea why Uncle blushed seeing a guy’s back in the bathroom. Did this dude never use a public restroom?
But out of respect, he stepped quietly back out of the bathroom.
After a moment, Wu Guodong emerged, his face blank as he plopped down on the sofa, pretending nothing had happened.
Finally getting into the bathroom, Lin Nan was brushing his teeth when Wu Guodong suddenly called out.
“How about you join me for a blind date at noon?”
“Why would you want me there?” Lin Nan asked, puzzled. “That Liu Xuefei isn’t bad-looking, and she’s pretty easy-going. If you like her, just go for it.”
Except for the possibility of getting stuck wearing a dress…
Lin Nan was oddly curious about what Uncle would look like in women’s clothing! Sure, Uncle’s face had a few battle scars from years of staring at screens, but he had faith in Liu Xuefei’s makeup skills.
It’s normal for programmers to dabble in cross-dressing, right?
While stifling a snicker, Lin Nan replied with utmost seriousness, “If I go, you’ll just have to spend more money!”
“Are you really this polite with me?” Wu Guodong shot him a look, heading off towards the bedroom. “I’ll change clothes. The lunch spot is near your school, so we’ll grab a bite, then I’ll drop you off.”
Lin Nan thought, “Well, that doesn’t sound like a problem,” and followed Uncle into the bedroom. “Let me give you fashion advice!”
Before he could finish, Wu Guodong slammed the door shut, followed by the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking.
Seriously, we’re almost thirty! What’s there to be shy about when changing clothes?
Moments later, Uncle emerged wearing a plaid shirt and loose light blue jeans. Lin Nan felt a revelation hit him: the rumors online were true—programmers really do have nothing but plaid in their closets!
“Can’t you wear something else?” Lin Nan sighed, exasperated. “That black t-shirt was good, wasn’t it?”
“This one is nice, too!” Wu Guodong mumbled, adjusting his shirt slightly. “Nothing wrong here.”
“Come on, Liu Xuefei is only 18 or 19! You look too mature! Can’t you wear something a bit younger? Let’s not just flaunt the age gap, alright?”
“And hey, get something that fits better. You’ll look more spirited.”
“Good point,” Wu Guodong conceded, turning back into the room.
Honestly, Lin Nan suspected his uncle was just a simple homebody whose social skills had taken a hit from too much time spent indoors.
But, if Uncle actually gets with Liu Xuefei, that means he’d have an aunt at school? Plus, his usual playful money requests would probably flop like a fish out of water!
But seriously, why was Liu Xuefei going on blind dates before even hitting twenty? And with a man nearing thirty?
Wu Guodong reemerged, this time sporting black casual pants that made him look more alive, paired with a plain white tee. The combo screamed “average guy”—so fine, nothing wrong with that.
After a quick shave and a tidy-up of his messy hair, the dreaded no-life hermit Wu Guodong was now, just barely, passing as a decent-looking guy.
Lin Nan couldn’t help but think their family genetics weren’t so bad. His mom, though she’d seen better days, had been a stunner in her youth. Uncle, though a homebody, could scrub up quite well, making him look younger and kind of handsome. Even his cousins had their charming looks, but Lin Nan? He was handsome by a whole league.
Soon enough, Wu Guodong was dressed and ready, looking like a university student finishing their studies rather than a guy pushing thirty! Grinning from ear to ear, he grabbed the car keys and motioned for Lin Nan to hop in.
“Hey, you’re turning eighteen soon! You could get your driver’s license, right?” Uncle asked as they drove.
Lin Nan immediately shook his head. “Forget it! What if I hit someone? Can’t afford that! Plus, licenses are expensive; I’m broke.”
Mostly because Lin Nan thought he couldn’t possibly buy a car in the short term.
To get from downtown to his school, they needed to go through a tunnel. It’s fine now, but during rush hour? People could get stuck there for an hour or two! Uncle had learned the hard way when he just started working, and now even though downtown rents were ridiculous, he bit the b*llet and rented an apartment anyway.
Before long, Lin Nan saw they had pulled up to the college student street where he handed out flyers part-time.
“I’ll meet you at the bus stop,” Wu Guodong said, as he got out of the car, shaking like a leaf. Was he nervous or just terrified?
Lin Nan thought crashing a blind date was a bit rude, and being in this spot felt off…
“Uncle, my job’s close by. How about you don’t drop me off? I could make a bit of cash handing out flyers,” he offered, his mind racing. It was only noon after all, prime flyer time—he just worried the supermarket had already filled up their weekend part-time spots.
“No way!” Wu Guodong hurriedly transferred two hundred yuan to Lin Nan, panic written all over his face. “You’ve got to come—I’m a total coward alone!”
You’re twenty-eight years old! Why so scared about a blind date?
Lin Nan grumbled to himself, but when he saw the transfer notification, his mood brightened. “Uncle, with those looks, you’ll ace the date for sure!”
Just then, another car pulled up, and out stepped a balding man in his thirties and Liu Xuefei, looking lovely in a light, flowing white dress.
Lin Nan poked Wu Guodong and whispered, “You sure they’re siblings, not father and daughter?”
