290. Hotpot
Right now, the pandemic is pretty much over, but no matter where you go, you still have to take your temperature.
I got off at the bus stop and took my temperature at the pedestrian street entrance, then again at Wanda, and now I’m stepping into a hotpot restaurant, where another staff member is aiming a temperature g*n at me. Seriously, do I look like a fried chicken ready to be cooked?
Lin Nan really hoped that Tu Junhui or any of them would show a slightly high temperature today so she could skip treating everyone to dinner. Unfortunately, all their temperatures were perfectly normal.
This dinner was supposed to celebrate Lin Nan and Chen Yao becoming a couple, but in reality, it was just a pre-school gathering.
They found a corner table to sit down, but Lin Nan didn’t know what to eat. She pulled out her phone and, while yawning, started browsing videos on Bilibili.
Tu Junhui’s gaze kept wandering to Lin Nan, recalling how confused he was about their interactions last year.
Sure, he could accept that Lin Nan had turned into a girl.
But seriously, her transformation was too dramatic, right?
During their freshman year, Lin Nan could barely be called pretty; she had an utterly average face. But somehow, starting from last semester, she gradually became more feminine right under his nose and finally transformed completely into a girl!
He dug out an old photo from their military training in freshman year, searching carefully for Lin Nan’s figure.
Back then, Lin Nan was basically invisible in class, and in the group military training photos, you could only spot half of her face or catch her in the corner. Even in the dorm group photo, she was hiding at the back like a professional ninja.
If Lin Nan suddenly vanished one day, only their few roommates and some classmates who had interacted with her would probably notice.
So, it’s understandable that Lin Nan felt timid walking down the street; after all, nobody really paid attention to her in the past.
“Lin Nan, did you sneak in some cosmetic surgery during your transition?” Tu Junhui blurted out.
Lin Nan looked up and pouted, “Do I look like someone who could afford to go under the kn*fe?”
“And by the way, Lin Nan was already pretty d*mn gorgeous by the end of last semester!” Chen Yao chimed in, suddenly realizing that might have been a bad idea. He hurriedly added, “I mean, she was pretty before, just a little… let’s say… pockmarked.”
He nervously glanced at Lin Nan’s feet under the table, feeling a sudden urge to escape.
“Well, that’s true…” Tu Junhui scrutinized Lin Nan’s face, scratched his head, and suddenly got all confident, “If I had clear skin and didn’t have my acne, I’d totally be a handsome guy too!”
“Yeah, you’d still have to lose a hundred pounds for that to even be possible,” Xiong Da threw shade, “Even if you slimmed down to a hundred pounds and got a flawless complexion, you’d still be a warped pumpkin.”
“Uh, you’re just purely ugly, it has nothing to do with your skin or weight,” Chen Yao reassured him, “Don’t overthink it, just embrace your roly-poly self.”
“d*mn it, be careful or I might just turn into a vengeful spirit tonight!” Tu Junhui clutched his heart, dramatically, “I was pretty handsome in middle school, okay?!”
Lin Nan immediately nodded furiously; she’d seen Tu Junhui’s middle school pictures: “Right, right! Like a cute little ball!”
He was left speechless by their collective teasing, cursing under his breath as he grabbed a bowl and walked off to mix the hotpot dipping sauce.
Lin Nan rarely ate hotpot, so she always threw random stuff in her dipping sauce. She just handed her bowl to Chen Yao.
While all three darted off to prepare sauces, Lin Nan was left twiddling her thumbs and glancing around. Suddenly, she spotted a stunning beauty at the adjacent table, dressed in a fitted blazer, ponytail swaying, exuding sophistication and intellect.
She was utterly captivated, staring at the gorgeous girl while imagining how she’d look in a blazer and ponytail herself.
Lin Nan had a blazer, but when she wore it, it did NOT look as sharp as the girl next to her. The baby fat on her face made her look even younger and less serious, which was why Chen Yao’s mom had said Lin Nan shouldn’t bother with that type of clothing.
So jealous…
Realizing she couldn’t compare to an actual girl, she lowered her head to avoid looking but found her eyes wandering back to that beauty every now and then.
Wow, what a chest…
Lin Nan glanced at her own figure. Sure, she had some curves, but they didn’t come close to that girl’s.
“What’s up?” Tu Junhui returned first, chomping on an apple, “I think that girl at the next table looks pretty good. Totally my type.”
“Really?”
Hearing that, Lin Nan instantly lost interest in the blazer idea.
Chen Yao and Xiong Da came back too, bringing Lin Nan an apple. Chen Yao clearly noticed the pretty girl next door as well, sneaking glances her way. Then he turned and caught sight of Lin Nan glaring at him.
“I think that girl over there isn’t as good-looking as you,” he said without missing a beat, “I still prefer your type.”
“Chen Yao, being a simp will get you nowhere,” Tu Junhui remarked, tasting something sour from his apple.
Xiong Da, initially planning to play games, suddenly remembered something important.
“Doesn’t that mean Lin Nan will have to move into the girls’ dorm?” He suddenly shot up, asking Lin Nan, “Isn’t that kinda weird when you’re going to be in the same class as us?”
Even though Lin Nan’s mom had already arranged that with Zheng Qian, Lin Nan and the others were totally clueless.
“I think so too,” Tu Junhui nodded, “Who knows how others will react when they find out?”
Lin Nan paused, she was already worried about how to get along with her classmates before school started, and now this topic was out in the open.
“I’d rather stay in my class…” She mumbled, poking around her dipping sauce with chopsticks, “I don’t know anyone else from other classes. What’s the point of going?”
Chen Yao, as carefree as ever, casually threw an arm around Lin Nan’s shoulders, “It’s fine, whether you’re in our class or another, it’s all good. I’m here.”
“Your bed will still be saved for you,” Xiong Da said with a serious face, nodding, “No matter where we go, we’re all 432.”
“Right, right, no matter where we end up, you’re still my kid,” Tu Junhui kept nodding, trying to score some brownie points.
Lin Nan was initially touched, but that last comment made her expression drop. Chen Yao threw a wadded tissue at Tu Junhui, hitting him right on the forehead.
Finally, the hotpot arrived at the table, and the various ingredients they had ordered were being placed down one by one. Today, they decided against drinking alcohol and just ordered a bottle of coconut juice.
“Hey, how about we go stroll around Zhongshan Street sometime? Lin Nan won’t be in the dorm anymore, so we’ll have to go out more on weekends.”
“I’m fine with it, just find it a hassle,” Lin Nan grumbled.
Xiong Da suddenly perked up, “I got my driver’s license right after graduating high school! How about I drive a shared car to take you all out!”
Clearly, this guy hadn’t touched a car since getting his license.
“Let’s just go get personal insurance first,” Lin Nan immediately shrank back.
