191. Jealous Chen Yao【26/170】
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On her second night in the rental apartment, Lin Nan indeed didn’t sleep well.
Despite her best efforts to feel secure—hugging a bottle of cola, with a broom at her side and doors and windows locked tight—she still felt anxious lying on a strange bed in a completely new environment.
Without Chen Yao’s “house-sitting” presence, her unease was magnified several times.
Last night, she probably managed to sleep for only about four hours in fits and starts, and when exhaustion finally hit her hard, making her eyelids feel like they were waging war against each other, she fell asleep. Of course, she was jolted awake several times by barking dogs outside.
Clutching a book and some paper, Lin Nan left the rental apartment with a slightly flushed face, making her way from the alley in the urban village to the outside street.
She cautiously glanced around; it was still early, but there were a few pedestrians out and about, locals starting their day.
Looks like no one’s noticed me.
Lin Nan relaxed a little, though her heart was still racing. Keeping her head down while clutching her textbooks, she dashed across the almost empty road.
Ugh, this is so uncomfortable… I feel constricted.
And my chest hurts.
Is my bra digging in?
I… this is quite thrilling…
She hurried along, not daring to look up, just glancing down at the pavement tiles as she headed toward the back gate of the school.
How embarrassing!
Why did I buy a bra with a push-up effect? It’s so perky… I hope no one can tell under my jacket. It’s just a B cup, after all.
When will the weather get a bit cooler? Then I could confidently wear a coat and no one would notice.
Lin Nan had actually put on her woolen coat before leaving her apartment that morning, but thinking about how everyone else was only in thin jackets, she ultimately abandoned it to avoid drawing attention.
She had snoozed a bit too long that morning, and by the time she arrived at school, students were rushing out of the dormitory, flocking towards the teaching building.
Suddenly surrounded by hundreds of people, Lin Nan’s blushing face turned an even deeper shade, but she just pressed her lips together, and lowered her head, wishing to reach the classroom as quickly as possible.
But things weren’t going her way.
As she passed by the girls’ dormitory, Liu Xuefei and Li Na happened to walk out of the building just in time and strutted toward her.
“Lin Nan, what are you doing here?” After last night’s medical examination, Liu Xuefei had figured out that Lin Nan was actually a girl, and had become much bolder.
Lin Nan froze, rooted on the spot, forcing herself to meet Liu Xuefei’s gaze, who suddenly opened her arms and pulled her in for a hug.
“???”
With her head buried in Lin Nan’s neck, Liu Xuefei took a deep breath, brimming with excitement, and chirped, “Nan Nan, you smell amazing~”
“Um, could you please not hug me…” Lin Nan could barely muster any sort of smile.
Is this girl a weirdo like Li Na?
Even Li Na never did something this weird!
“What shower gel are you using? Or did you put on some body lotion? You gotta tell me!” Liu Xuefei linked her arm with Lin Nan, her body pressed tightly against her.
Though now a woman, Lin Nan had never experienced much intimacy with other women, and her face flushed a deep red.
Li Na skipped over, linking her other arm with Lin Nan’s, but wore a rather glum expression.
“I still can’t find Lilith…”
Is it really appropriate to say that in front of your roommate?
But Liu Xuefei just thought Li Na was a bit odd, as she often spouted strange things in the dorm, but since her grades were good and she needed Lilith for finals, she quickly piped up to comfort her, “Don’t worry, you’ll find her sooner or later.”
She assumed Lilith was a pet.
Lin Nan had no clue about magic stuff and certainly couldn’t help.
“Is it really that hard to find?” Lin Nan thought Li Na had already tracked Lilith down.
But Li Na shook her head, a bittersweet smile spread across her face. “It’s probably some weird sort of magic. But normally, she shouldn’t have any magic left; a pure soul can’t wander too far, yet I haven’t found a trace of her.”
Liu Xuefei suddenly had a lightbulb moment: “Are you guys talking about a game?”
“Yeah, a game.” Lin Nan nodded eagerly.
“Too bad I don’t get games…”
Even though Liu Xuefei and Li Na’s linking arms made Lin Nan a bit uncomfortable, she felt less exposed, and the embarrassment of wearing women’s underwear faded a smidge.
“Hey, Lin Nan, are you wearing a bra today?”
As they neared the study abroad building, Liu Xuefei suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
“!!” Lin Nan shook her head like a bobblehead.
“I thought you were like me and too lazy to wear one since I never saw you in one before!” Liu Xuefei chuckled.
For Lin Nan, wearing a bra was a supremely embarrassing affair, but for most girls, it seemed the shame lay in not wearing one.
Only Liu Xuefei could proudly state her “status,” since her flat chest really didn’t indicate any noticeable curves.
Lin Nan even wondered if Liu Xuefei might have some sort of mixed-gender condition, an outwardly female appearance and male internal organs, because a flatness like hers was quite rare.
Then again, how did she even notice… Lin Nan glanced down and discovered Liu Xuefei’s hand resting against her chest.
No wonder…
“Let’s split here; we have class in another building.” Li Na, still worried about Lilith, looked a bit lifeless today.
“Okay.” Lin Nan quickly wriggled free from their grips and headed for her classroom.
As she walked, she noticed more classmates she recognized—whether it was all in her head or not, Lin Nan felt like they were all watching her.
This only heightened her shame, and with her head down, she dashed into the classroom, spotting Chen Yao and his gang and plopping down in her seat.
“You’re late today,” Chen Yao commented, glancing at Lin Nan, who was sporting a particularly rosy complexion, curious. “Why is your face so red?”
“Nothing.” Lin Nan lay her head on the desk with a heavy sigh.
“Did the counselor come looking for you again?”
“Ah?”
Lin Nan bewilderedly looked up at Chen Yao, paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. “Are you jealous?”
“Jealous? What are you talking about?” Tu Junhui chimed in while gaming nearby, but was promptly pushed back by Chen Yao.
Chen Yao glared at Lin Nan’s suddenly bright smile, looking annoyed. “That guy is no good!”
“Aren’t you friends with Director Zheng?”
“Pfft! I’m just succumbing to his intimidating presence!” Chen Yao had initially had a good impression of Zheng Qian, thinking the counselor was approachable, but now he felt boiling mad just thinking about him.
