Chapter 189: Overly Eager Chen Yao
Lin Nan actually has a lot of experience living alone.
But whether it was during her elementary school days at her grandfather’s or maternal grandfather’s house, or later in middle school when she moved into the rental apartment all by herself, for the past eighteen years, she has mostly lived alone. Yet, never has she felt as restless as she did now.
Perhaps it’s because her parents were never around when she was little, making her somewhat insecure. After encountering Lilith, her body’s changes brought about anxiety about becoming a woman, and mixed with various pressures from money, life, and family, it all bore down on her shoulders, making it hard for her to breathe and amplifying her insecurity.
In the unfamiliar rental apartment, Lin Nan tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Some faint noises—coming from who knows where—filtered into her ears, and in her heightened state of nerves, those sounds seemed amplified, startling her awake every time she slipped into a doze.
Just when she was dozing off again, she suddenly heard footsteps in the hallway.
It was just a subtle noise, but in her head, it exploded like fireworks. It felt like someone was stomping heavily right next to her, and she jumped, grabbing onto her sidekick, Cola.
Cola, half asleep and startled awake, looked up at Lin Nan in confusion and then suddenly fluffed up her fur.
Please don’t tell me you’re a creepy yuri, too!
But Cola didn’t dare move, fearing being dragged off for a snip-snip procedure by Lin Nan. With a dramatic sigh, she resigned herself to stay obediently in Lin Nan’s arms.
Just wait until I shake off this body! Hehe~
Before long, Lilith noticed Lin Nan’s slight trembling. She wanted to see Lin Nan’s face, but since she was being hugged, all she could see was a delicate chin.
Moments later, there came a knock at the door.
Lin Nan shivered again and wobbled out of bed, scanning the room and, without hesitation, grabbed a broom before tiptoeing to the living room.
“Who’s there?!”
She demanded in a fierce tone.
“It’s me, Chen Yao.”
Hearing the familiar voice, Lin Nan’s heart finally eased. She let out a long breath, set the broom aside, and grumbled, “What brings you here at this hour?”
Peeking through the peephole first and confirming it was indeed Chen Yao, she unlocked the door.
Chen Yao still wore the same clothes as the day before, but his eyelids drooped slightly, making him appear a bit tired.
He stepped in, casually took off his jacket, and handed it to Lin Nan, who was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt that doubled as her sleepwear. His eyes twitched as he thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t have come.”
Had it only been a little while? She seemed to have grown? The already baggy t-shirt looked even more oversized on Lin Nan’s petite frame, covering her hips and nearly hiding her shorts. It was like a little girl sneaking into dad’s closet, or perhaps she was sporting a DIY mini-dress.
“What are you doing here?”
Lin Nan didn’t notice Chen Yao’s gaze and tossed the jacket onto the couch.
“I was worried you’d have a hard time adjusting your first night living alone.”
“I was about to fall asleep! You scared the life out of me,” Lin Nan complained, feeling a bit warm inside despite her scowl. “What does me adjusting have to do with you? You should go home!”
Chen Yao plopped down on the couch, grinning at Lin Nan’s pout. “I’ll sleep on the couch tonight. I jumped the wall to get here; do you expect me to jump back?”
“Fine by me,” Lin Nan replied, coming back to her senses and yawning as she headed to her bedroom. “I’m going to sleep.”
“Sure thing.”
Once back in her room, she shut the door behind her, and the moment she went from frowning to smiling, it was clear that Chen Yao was her source of comfort. In ten minutes, the anxiety that had gripped her earlier dissipated. Lying on the bed with Cola, the little noises—the barking of dogs outside and occasional footsteps in the hallway—barely fazed her.
A few minutes later, she was in a deep sleep, finally waking up to sunlight streaming through the window. Last night’s sleep was nothing short of lovely.
At least, in this new environment, there was no tossing and turning in the middle of the night.
Opening the bedroom door, she found Chen Yao already awake, sitting on the couch with milk and meat buns laid out on the coffee table.
“You eat first; I need to take a bathroom break.” As he saw Lin Nan emerge, he hurriedly dashed toward the bedroom, grumbling, “What kind of layout is this? The bathroom’s in your room! You even locked it last night and made me wait forever.”
Lin Nan yawned a few times, hazily rubbing her eyes as she stared at Chen Yao’s retreating figure.
Wait, why is Chen Yao here…? Oh right, he came last night.
Amid the morning grogginess mixed with memories of last night, she nearly forgot why Chen Yao was staying in her rental apartment.
But quickly shaking off her drowsiness, she grabbed a meat bun from the table and started munching while eyeing the bedroom door.
Not long after the sounds from the bathroom ceased, Chen Yao emerged, looking weary. It seemed he hadn’t slept well last night.
“Why did you insist on coming here last night?” Lin Nan questioned again.
“I was worried you wouldn’t adjust well, remember? Did you forget how sleepy you were?” Chen Yao had dark circles under his eyes as he settled next to her on the small couch. Even though neither of them was overweight, it felt a bit cramped.
He tried to shift away a bit uncomfortably, but as he moved, Lin Nan suddenly leaned in closer.
Looking up, he found her big, slightly sleepy eyes locked on him, with her hands resting on his thigh. She leaned slightly forward, her face a tad too close, and he could now catch a faint whiff of that familiar milky scent swirling around.
Chen Yao stiffened, and something in him began to react.
“You don’t like me, do you?” Lin Nan finally sat back, huffily stating after a moment. “I’ve never seen you care about me this much before.”
Perhaps because she had become a woman, Lin Nan’s psychology started to shift. She began noticing things she never picked up on before.
“Even if you’re concerned, you wouldn’t just show up at my place out of nowhere, right? You’d at least send a text asking how I’m doing.” She took a bite of her meat bun, a suspicious glare in her eyes. “I thought of you as a brother; you couldn’t possibly…”
This girl, has she lost her marbles?
Chen Yao vehemently denied it. “I’m just naturally caring for my best friend!”
He was genuinely worried about what would happen if Zheng Qian decided to drop by in the middle of the night…
If he hadn’t pitched a tent, it would’ve been more convincing.
Lin Nan glanced at his lap. Having once been a man, she understood the common morning reaction, but upon seeing Chen Yao hastily cover himself with his jacket, her suspicions grew.
While it was true that Chen Yao had always looked out for her, it never felt to this extent before.
For instance, right before the National Day holiday, when she discovered she had female organs and could never go back to being a guy, Chen Yao just offered a few comforting words before skipping off to a wedding. He didn’t return until after the festivities were over to check on her.
But last night? His behavior seemed a tad… overly eager?
