213. Internet Cafe Chit-Chat
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Wu Jiaming never thought his cousin would eventually show up in front of him dressed like a cousin-sister.
It’s not that he had any designs on Lin Nan, but he couldn’t help but steal glances at her pretty face.
She was way prettier than the girlfriend he had been desperately trying to find.
She had a hint of their aunt in her features, but it wasn’t too obvious. Her cheeks were slightly puffed, giving her a youthful vibe, yet her brows held a charming allure that made her quite captivating to the boys.
Her hair was just a bit longer than a typical guy’s, and she was dressed in a male outfit, a tad shabby, but honestly, she was already much more attractive than most girls.
Maybe it was Lin Nan’s undeniable beauty that made him accept this new reality pretty quickly.
“Cousin, I invite you to join me in the room for some voice chat.”
“Sure.”
Though they had played League of Legends together in the past, Wu Jiaming and Lin Nan’s relationship had grown distant over the years. Their conversation felt a bit stiff. Lin Nan wanted to rekindle their old relationship, but neither of them was the same carefree kids anymore.
Once, Wu Jiaming and she had been about the same height, but it seemed like he shot up nearly ten centimeters in a year during high school, and Lin Nan? She had stopped growing altogether.
In fact, thanks to Lilith, she seemed to have shrunk a bit.
As the game kicked off, Lin Nan removed her scarf and placed it on her thighs, sipping on bubble tea while pondering what to do next. However, her quick reflex magic made up for her lack of focus.
Mom has been free these past few days; she must take me shopping for girl’s clothes…
Even if she didn’t, Grandfather wouldn’t like my look either.
Lin Nan sighed deeply, always struggling to accept her overly feminine self.
“Are you in your second year now?”
While gaming, Wu Jiaming tried to bridge the gap.
“Yeah, second year.”
“Aren’t you in the same city as Uncle? Do you see him often?”
“Occasionally. I went to his place a couple of times last semester.” Suddenly, Lin Nan turned to her cousin with excitement, smiling, “You don’t know, Uncle has…”
“Cough! Am I still here?” Wu Guodong quickly interrupted Lin Nan on the voice chat, “Don’t say nonsense, or you won’t get any red envelopes this year.”
As if he had ever given her red envelopes.
But he had almost run her dry already; considering that Wu Guodong had given her some cash before, Lin Nan decided not to spill any more embarrassing history.
After all, both Uncle and Cousin had graduated from school and were busy with work, gradually losing interest in gaming. After a couple of hours of playing, they all felt a bit bored.
At just the right moment, Lin Nan felt tired too. She finished her bubble tea, resting her chin on one hand while yawning and browsing the web.
The game had indeed brought Lin Nan and Wu Jiaming closer; the previous awkwardness evaporated, and the somewhat reserved Lin Nan was now more lively.
“Cousin, how long have you and your girlfriend been together?”
“More than a year, we met at school.” Wu Jiaming pulled out a cigarette but just held it between his lips, asking back, “What about you? Not looking for a boyfriend?”
“I think I’ll pass on that…”
“Sounds like Auntie is going to have a headache then?” Although Wu Jiaming voiced his understanding, curiosity seeped through his tone, “So you still like girls like before?”
Lin Nan froze, pondering for a moment. In truth, she had long lost interest in women and shook her head with some gloom.
“So you’re just gonna stay single?”
“Being single isn’t that great…” Lin Nan sighed again, “But I’m not really into girls, and guys… well, they just feel kinda gross—like, ew, you know?”
Wu Guodong wandered over from his spot to the room’s entrance, sharing the cola he had in his arms with Lin Nan and Wu Jiaming, before asking with a laugh, “What’s the topic? Spill the tea!”
Seeing the blue packaging on her cola, Lin Nan pushed it away in disdain, “I want Coke, Pepsi is too sweet, it makes my throat uncomfortable.”
“You’re so picky! Jiaming, go swap her drink; I’m too lazy to run.”
Wu Jiaming had no problem with that, grabbing Lin Nan’s cola and heading to the counter, while Wu Guodong plopped down happily.
He looked at Lin Nan and hesitated for a moment before asking, “There’s a question I don’t know if I should ask…”
“What is it?”
Lin Nan propped her feet on the desk’s crossbar, cradling her chin in her hands as she turned to look back.
“That Chen Yao… he’s really not your boyfriend?”
“I told you he’s not.” Lin Nan replied a bit irritably, throwing the question back at him, “Why is everyone so concerned about my love life? Why don’t you start thinking about getting married—you’re already thirty!”
Wu Guodong’s face darkened, nearly choking, but quickly found an excuse: “Hey, I’m just asking for your mom!”
“Like Mom has a boyfriend or something! Why not take care of yourself instead? I’m only eighteen, why the rush?”
“…”
Completely at a loss for words, Wu Guodong leaned back into the sofa, exasperated, “If I could find a girlfriend, do you think I wouldn’t?”
“What about that Liu Xuefei? Wasn’t she great?”
It suddenly hit Lin Nan that she remembered Liu Xuefei from the blind date with Uncle. They seemed to have gotten along well.
“The relationship isn’t set in stone yet.” Wu Guodong rubbed his temples, “That girl is too practical, and she spends money like water. After a few months, I’ve blown nearly ten thousand on her, surviving on instant noodles.”
“That much?” Lin Nan’s eyes sparkled, puffing her chest out defiantly, “How about I take one for the team? Consider me instead?”
He’d think about her, but was scared he might get his legs broken.
Knowing Lin Nan was just kidding, Wu Guodong brushed it off but then took a glance at Lin Nan’s perky figure and compared it to Liu Xuefei’s, which was flat enough to not even tell the front from the back. Suddenly, he felt his niece wasn’t so bad after all.
Though a bit smaller, at least she had some perks. As for Liu Xuefei, after two months with her, he was increasingly feeling like they were more like buddies than potential partners.
Wu Jiaming returned with the swapped cola, and the two stopped the back-and-forth teasing, shifting the topic directly to him.
Questions flew about when he’d get married, how he was with his girlfriend, and what was up with his job.
Fresh out of college, Wu Jiaming could barely support himself, let alone think about marriage.
“Marriage? Maybe with the next girlfriend. This one said if I go abroad, she’ll break up with me,” Wu Jiaming said, worried. “Long-distance relationships are just bad news; you think you’re being faithful, and then boom, you’re blindsided.”
Wu Guodong gave him a knowing look and patted his shoulder. The two men sighed in unison, lamenting how hard it was to be a guy in today’s society, unlike Lin Nan, who was already free from the struggles of manhood.
Lin Nan, however, didn’t catch the joke Wu Jiaming made, staring blankly at the two of them sighing.
