237. Volunteers?
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Even though roads were blocked, buses were suspended, and everyone was urged to stay home as much as possible, there were still a few random pedestrians and vehicles on the street.
They said the lockdown had reached the point of sealing entire neighborhoods in the epidemic area, but here, people just obediently stayed at home. There were no checks at the entrances of communities or any notion of passes to get in and out.
Chen Yao was gaming with Zhu Yong Wen while Lin Nan was nearby, chiming in with quips that rekindled the vibe of their internet cafe shenanigans back in the glory days.
Zhu Yong Wen had a decent relationship with Lin Nan. They were desk buddies for three years in high school, which probably explains why this short and stout guy could take a beating online. In reality, he was more of a gentle pushover that anyone could tease a little.
Mostly, Lin Nan just loved to pick on him; it’s not every day you come across someone more soft-spoken than yourself.
Because his last name was Zhu and he was short, Lin Nan had affectionately given him the nickname “Peppa,” but Zhu Yong Wen was big-hearted and never minded Lin Nan’s playful jabs.
“Peppa, have you lost weight recently? Send a pic so I can see!” She curled up in her chair, hugging the microphone as she asked.
Chen Yao piped in, “I saw you during lunch on video—it looks like you’ve grown a bit taller and you’re no longer that chubby.”
“Oh?” Lin Nan perked up, urging him to send the photo.
The picture arrived, and the once-chubby kid now looked merely plump and appeared to have spruced himself up with a trendy hairstyle. Not half bad!
Then Zhu Yong Wen turned the tables and demanded Lin Nan send her pic. In an instant, she yanked out the microphone cable, pretending nothing happened, and flopped back onto her bed.
“Speaking of which, what did your mom say about crying yesterday…” Lin Nan lay sideways, propping her chin up with one hand, gazing curiously at Chen Yao’s back.
Chen Yao shrugged, knowing his mom had a flair for the dramatic.
“Women, right? They cry first and then throw a fit. But my mom typically just pretends to cry; otherwise, why would my dad buy her diamond earrings?”
Lin Nan nodded thoughtfully, feeling like she could learn a thing or two from that auntie’s tactics.
It’s easy to act cute like a child, but it’s much simpler to get what you want by crying and throwing a tantrum, unlike Uncle, who has developed immunity to that approach.
Suddenly, as Chen Yao played, he felt a chill run down his spine, sensing that his upcoming days might not be so smooth.
In the afternoon, Chen Yao mostly gamed while Lin Nan watched some must-see anime on her laptop—despite claiming she had no interest, she was simply too lazy to keep up with weekly episodes.
At her grandpa’s house, she usually found herself glued to her phone or computer watching videos. But there, everything seemed excruciatingly boring. Yet, next to Chen Yao, her spirits inexplicably soared, and boredom took a backseat.
Once the game ended, Chen Yao stretched after sitting all afternoon, feeling sore, and flopped lazily onto the bed.
Lin Nan quickly rolled away, nearly getting squashed.
She suspected he did it on purpose.
“By the way, when the pandemic eases up, we should plan a reunion dinner for our high school gang, right?” Chen Yao lay flat on the bed but couldn’t sit still, pulling out his phone to check the latest news.
“Let’s talk about that later.”
Lin Nan wasn’t thrilled about confronting old friends and classmates in such modified circumstances. It was almost New Year’s Eve, and this would be her first time spending it at someone else’s home without her parents or any relatives… Sure, in the past, it was all about watching the Spring Festival Gala and having a regular meal, but now, she felt an unexpected sense of nostalgia.
“Some places have actually locked down communities.” Chen Yao informed Lin Nan about the recent news, “But we’re okay here; the restrictions aren’t so tight. Still, all the stores are closed, so if we go out, we can only visit the supermarket.”
“Yeah.”
Lin Nan rolled away a bit from Chen Yao and activated her “calm mood” magic.
Some lingering New Year’s blues and the uncomfortable proximity to Chen Yao were instantly suppressed, leaving her feeling much better.
If only that magic worked for nightmares too!
After a brief wait, her aunt called out for Lin Nan and Chen Yao to come for dinner.
As they sat side by side at the dining table, Lin Nan noticed a red envelope right in front of her.
She looked up, puzzled, toward her uncle and aunt. Before she could speak, they explained, “It’s almost New Year; Auntie prepared your red envelope.”
“Uh… isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”
That’s what she said, but Lin Nan didn’t hesitate to shove the envelope into her pocket.
Mainly because pushing back wouldn’t stand a chance against her seasoned aunt.
“What about mine?” Chen Yao searched his side for a second red envelope but found nothing. He incredulously looked up and asked, “Your son didn’t get any red envelope?”
“Someone who’s an adult still wants a red envelope? How embarrassing!”
“But Lin Nan’s an adult too!”
Trying to argue his case, he suddenly noticed something shifting in the pocket of his coat. Looking down, he saw Lin Nan’s hand swiftly retreating from his pocket.
After checking, he realized it was the red envelope from just earlier.
Confused, he glanced over at Lin Nan, who was busy munching away at her food. He had no idea why this greedy girl suddenly became so proactive today. Did she plan to hand the money over for him to manage?
“Eat up! What are you staring at Lin Nan for?” Auntie smacked Chen Yao’s hand lightly with her chopsticks. “Aren’t you already tired of looking at her?”
Feeling embarrassed from the teasing, Chen Yao replied stubbornly, “If she were as pretty as you, I’d look at her all day!”
Just as he finished speaking, Lin Nan stepped on his foot again. Having just let out a sigh of relief, he felt Lin Nan poke him hard in the waist.
His face lost all color from the pain, but he stifled his cries, contemplating if he should just change his seating position in future meals…
“By the way, the community property said they’re looking for volunteers to take shifts at the entrance to check temperatures, and we’re considering helping out.” Auntie suddenly said.
Lin Nan, still munching her food, frowned and asked, “Isn’t it better to stay home? It’s dangerous out there!”
“Staying cooped up at home, we’d start to mold! We’re older now and can’t just sit around.” Her uncle replied helplessly. “Being a volunteer lets us get out a bit, and as long as we wear masks, we’ll be fine.”
It had only been two days of lockdown, and yet you two had either gone grocery shopping or over to the neighbors’ place to play Mahjong during this time!
Chen Yao nodded in agreement with Lin Nan: “It’s better to be cautious. What’s with this volunteer work? What if something happens to you two? You’d drag me and Lin Nan down with you!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, his mom shot him a look that screamed disappointment.
This kid is such a fool! They’re setting you up for a cozy scenario, and you just don’t appreciate it!
Realization hit him; he swiftly pressed Lin Nan’s head down, cutting off her protest: “No worries, it’s better for the elderly to get some fresh air than stay at home!”
“But it’s really dangerous…”
When she first arrived, Lin Nan didn’t have a clue, but after a few days of Chen Yao flooding her with warnings about how dangerous it was outside and all the germs lurking around, she was now too scared to even step out for a bottle of Cola.
