343. Before Sleep
I am definitely not my mother’s biological child.
Chen Yao walked into the house with a heavy heart, glancing back at his enthusiastic mother welcoming Lin Nan. He felt a shiver run down his spine.
If Lin Nan pulled off some bizarre prank, wouldn’t that be the end for him?
Maybe it was because Lin Nan had become so beautiful and sweet; even his own girlfriend seemed to be aging into a middle-aged friend. At the cafeteria, or at the food stalls on the street behind school, no matter the occasion, Lin Nan’s portion always seemed to dwarf his.
Must be that old people’s aesthetic really aligned with her looks or something?
His gaze briefly hovered over Lin Nan’s generously proportioned backside, which was definitely more ample than the average girl’s.
Well, well, good for breeding, uh-huh.
Lin Nan was still busy handling Auntie’s enthusiasm, completely oblivious to Chen Yao’s lingering gaze.
When Auntie offered to help her take off her coat, Lin Nan quickly waved her off, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the warmth: “Auntie, I can do it myself.”
“What do you mean ‘Auntie’? I’ve already talked it over with your mom!” Auntie giggled heartily, more and more fond of Lin Nan. “You haven’t even stepped in the door, and you’re already saving me money?”
“???”
Lin Nan was momentarily dumbfounded but quickly gathered that Auntie was talking about the betrothal gifts.
How exactly had her mom and Auntie communicated? There seemed to be some sort of bizarre misunderstanding brewing?
Not brave enough to explain, fearing it would turn the weird confusion into a much scarier situation, she could only keep smiling and pretending to understand.
Slipping her feet into the slippers Auntie had set out, Lin Nan walked into the room she had been living in for over half a month.
Uncle was already asleep; as soon as she opened the door, the sound of snoring from the master bedroom hit her.
She pondered how Auntie managed to sleep like that every night.
“I made you a late-night snack, let me heat it up for you,” Auntie chirped with her usual warmth.
Lin Nan was getting used to this, feeling as if she had returned home, but she didn’t dare get too comfortable. She took off her coat and hung it on the hook by the shoe cabinet. With nothing to do, she scanned the living room and decided to be industrious, grabbing the broom and dustpan to start sweeping.
Chen Yao had truly returned home. With his coat off, he tossed it onto the sofa and flopped down on it, crossing his legs like a lazy king, sipping joyfully from a bottle of yogurt drink that was a staple at home.
Auntie brought two plates of late-night snacks to the dining table, and when she looked up, she saw Lin Nan sweeping. She hurried over, snatching the broom from Lin Nan’s hands, a mix of reprimand and fondness in her voice: “You don’t need to sweep! Go eat your late-night snack, and then hit the hay. It’s late!”
“Alright…” Lin Nan reluctantly put down the broom. She had hoped to reciprocate Auntie’s kindness.
As she approached the coffee table, she noticed tonight’s snack was homemade fried chicken legs, accompanied by a bottle of cold cola—clearly, Auntie had made some concessions to cater to young people’s tastes.
Compared to Chen Yao’s meal, a vegetable salad and a cup of plain water… Auntie was clearly trying to help Chen Yao slim down too.
Just as she picked up a chicken leg, Auntie’s voice rang out from the living room, scolding: “You come home and lie on the sofa like a lord! At your age, you don’t even lift a finger to help! Look at Lin Nan! Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Chen Yao felt utterly defeated.
“If Lin Nan kicks you to the curb, I’ll break your legs!”
“Mom, if I’m a dog’s leg, then you’re…”
Before he could finish, chaos erupted—Chen Yao dove into the dining room, clutching his head as if dodging a meteor, while Auntie’s fierce expression instantly transformed into a sweet smile.
“Go on and eat! After that, sleep well. If you want something for breakfast, just tell Auntie!”
Lin Nan pondered for a moment and cautiously asked, “Could I have spicy soup? I’ve never had it before.”
“Auntie will look it up online tonight.”
“Thanks, Auntie!” Lin Nan nodded with a grin. Turning around, she noticed Chen Yao, looking utterly devoid of hope, picking up a fried chicken leg with his chopsticks.
She sighed, affectionately ruffling Chen Yao’s hair: “It’s alright, other people’s children are always better.”
“I just suspect I was picked up off the street,” Chen Yao shrugged. He had gotten used to being scolded all his life; it was just that no comparisons meant no hurt.
Munching on his chicken leg, he said, “My mom used to tell me not to eat after nine, but as soon as you come around, there’s a late-night feast every night, loaded with goodies.”
“Maybe Auntie thinks I’m too skinny?”
Lin Nan previously thought weighing a bit over 100 pounds was pretty slim, but her views shifted, and now thought being around 90 would be just right.
However, she couldn’t commit to diet and exercise, so she decided to maintain her weight around 100 pounds.
After finishing one chicken leg, Lin Nan felt full after drinking the cola. Wiping her greasy hands and lips with a tissue, she got up and ran to the bathroom to wash her hands again with soap.
It seemed her grandfather’s condition had improved. Treating chronic appendicitis didn’t seem terribly difficult, but without removing the appendix, relapse was likely.
She was unclear about the reasons, so she didn’t think her magic could ensure her grandfather would never relapse. After washing her hands, she sent a message to Li Na to check in.
It was already late at night, eleven o’clock to be precise, and when Li Na took too long to reply, Lin Nan stuffed her phone back into her pocket, preparing to spread out bedding on the floor.
Though sharing a bed with Chen Yao had become routine, she still felt the need to maintain some decorum at Auntie’s house.
When Chen Yao entered the room, Lin Nan had already laid out the bedding on the floor and was sitting cross-legged, engrossed in her phone.
“Not going to sleep together? Should I sleep on the floor then?”
“No, no, I’m fine on the floor. The bedding is thick enough; it doesn’t make much difference.” Lin Nan shook her head, glued to her phone, not lifting her head as she said, “I need to get to the hospital before seven.”
Chen Yao sat on the edge of the bed, plugging in his phone to charge, and asked, “What’s so early for?”
“Relieving Uncle from duty. He’s been there all night; I have to go early. If I weren’t worried about you oversleeping, I planned to leave at six.”
“Sounds like you’re worried you might oversleep,” he said with a satisfied burp. He had polished off the rest of Lin Nan’s chicken leg, his lips glistening with grease.
Leaning against the head of the bed with a full belly, he felt unusually comfortable in the familiar room.
Although he had gotten used to the rental apartment near school, he still wasn’t fully adjusted to sleeping without blankets; that sofa was way too small—he woke up every morning with sore muscles.
Finally, he could get a good night’s rest.
As he settled comfortably on the bed, the door suddenly swung open, and his mom tossed a small blue box at him.
“Mom! Knock first! You’re getting worse!” Chen Yao shouted unhappily at the door, picking up the box that landed beside his pillow and fell silent.
Curious, Lin Nan climbed up from the floor and peered from the side of the bed, her face lighting up with curiosity: “What did Auntie throw you?”
“I’m pretty sure you won’t want to know.”
“Hmm?”
Embarrassed, Chen Yao shoving the box under his pillow, flicked off the lights in the room, awkwardly changing the subject: “Time to sleep. Gotta get up early tomorrow.”
“You always act like you’re hiding something from me…” Lin Nan grumbled, helplessly lying back down on the floor.
