475. Family Matters【15/60】
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Lin Qi used to play basketball back in school.
But ever since he dropped out and became a homebound internet admin, he gradually lost his touch with basketball. And with a height that could be politely described as “not towering,” he became an easy target for humiliation on the court.
Half an hour later, he was panting tiredly next to Lin Nan.
The bench they were on comfortably fit the two of them, even more spacious than the couch at Lin Nan’s house.
“Your boyfriend plays pretty well,” Lin Qi boasted, blissfully unaware that Chen Yao was his name. “He’s at least school team level, right?”
“Just barely missed the school team,” Lin Nan said with a smirk, her eyes sparkling with pride about her boyfriend.
Clearly, her taste was impeccable.
Lin Qi took a heavy breath, resting his arms on his thighs as he glanced at the college students still running around on the court.
“There’s something I’m not sure if I should bring up.”
The tone suddenly shifted, and Lin Nan looked at her cousin with a puzzled expression, as if he’d just told her aliens were coming to invade. “Just say it!”
He hesitated for a moment, scratching his head awkwardly. “Your dad wants you to go back for the eldest cousin’s wedding.”
“Eldest cousin?” Lin Nan froze, her heart racing uncontrollably. “My dad wants me to go back?”
“Yep.”
“……”
Lin Qi noticed the sudden drop in noise, then turned to see Lin Nan looking down, her long hair shading her face, making it hard to read her expression.
He sighed softly, not knowing the full story but based on guesses alone, he could piece together that something had gone down between Lin Nan and her dad.
“It’s no big deal if you don’t want to go; just thought I’d mention it.”
“Why bring it up then…?” Lin Nan asked, sounding a bit moody.
Didn’t you just say if I had something to say, just say it?
He promptly zipped his lips, taking in her drooping head, unsure how to comfort her, regretting having brought it up.
Even though the surroundings were buzzing with laughter and shouts as students played ball, the atmosphere between the two was thickening into a silence that felt like a lead weight.
After a long while, Lin Nan finally asked, “How’s the eldest cousin doing these days? I haven’t seen him in forever.”
“He’s been working at a factory out of town. I heard he scored a pretty hot factory girl, and now he’s planning a wedding,” Lin Qi tried to lighten her mood, adding a teasing tone about the eldest cousin. “Rumor has it his bride is only seventeen, younger than you! How much of a beast do you have to be to pull that off?”
“Yeah, sounds about right,” Lin Nan replied, her hair still hiding her face, playing along with Lin Qi’s teasing. “Isn’t it said that men never forget their roots and only like girls in their teens?”
Lin Qi was left momentarily stunned. “You probably shouldn’t be saying that right now…”
After all, Lin Nan was a lady herself.
Not getting a response, he continued, “They were planning to come back for a wedding during the New Year, but then the pandemic happened. So, here we are, still waiting…”
“I heard the eldest cousin’s doing pretty well now. He wasn’t up to much at the factory, but then he got close with a senior worker, learned how to fix machines, and now he’s pulling in almost ten thousand a month, living the easy life.”
“I think he’s working in Dongguan? That senior worker is supposed to retire soon, and then he’ll be getting a pay raise.”
Lin Nan suddenly looked up, her brows furrowed.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was just wondering… what’s the eldest cousin’s name? How old is he?”
“……”
Seeing his cousin’s resigned expression, Lin Nan quickly explained, “Don’t we call you all ‘cousin’ when we’re little? And uncles and dads always address you by your nicknames! You never told me!”
“Also, he started working really early, and I haven’t seen him in ages!”
Even Lin Qi, who only knew his name during middle school.
“His name’s Lin Yong,” Lin Qi sighed in resignation. “He’s about twenty-seven or twenty-eight now.”
Oh, really?
Lin Nan nodded thoughtfully. The name Lin Yong sounded foreign and bore no connection to the image of the eldest cousin in her mind.
“Speaking of which, didn’t we have an uncle who loved to gamble? I heard he’s quit gambling for the past two years and is planning on showing up for the wedding.”
“Isn’t that the one who ran off years ago after gambling debts piled up?”
Lin Nan had little fondness for that uncle. They’d moved away to the county when she was in elementary school, and all she knew was that he got divorced and then fell off the radar, only occasionally hearing from her parents’ arguments that her dad sometimes sent money to help him out.
“What’s it to me…” After rummaging through her memories, Lin Nan couldn’t help but recall two cousins from that side of the family.
One of them used to be exceptionally pretty as a child and had a personality more feminine than a flower.
Lin Qi shrugged. “Anyway, I’ve got to head back to help with the wedding after today. I heard that uncle’s family also lives in this city now.”
“They’re rich enough to live here? I thought they lived in the county.”
“Dunno, it’s been ages since we were in touch.” After gossiping about others, Lin Qi redirected the topic back to Lin Nan. “So, are you going back? The wedding’s next Thursday.”
“Probably not…” Lin Nan shook her head gently. “My dad told me not to return…”
“He’s inviting you back now, isn’t he?”
Lin Qi hoped Lin Nan and her dad could patch things up.
Still shaking her head, Lin Nan rejected the notion. She felt a bit resentful towards her father; even if her dad seemed a bit more relaxed via Lin Qi, she held no interest in seeing him.
Last time she tried to make amends, there wasn’t much improvement in his attitude.
If he really wanted to make it up, he’d come personally to apologize! At the very least, he could call her directly, right?
At that moment, after finishing his game, Chen Yao approached, dripping with sweat. Noticing the vibe between them seemed awkward, he scratched his head and asked, “What’s up?”
“Nothing,” Lin Nan looked up, forcing a smile.
“Let’s go home, wash up, and then head out for a nice meal. We need to treat your cousin well,” Chen Yao grinned at Lin Qi, winking. “Cousin, you have a girlfriend now, right?”
He casually joined in calling Lin Qi “cousin.”
“A delivery guy like me has no chance!” Lin Qi retorted with self-deprecation.
“Well, then just consider him a boyfriend. You’d look pretty good in a dress and some makeup.”
A traumatizing memory of that unfortunate experience hit Lin Qi, and his face drained of color as he awkwardly shifted the subject. “So, where are we eating?”
“If you can handle spice, let’s hit up a Sichuan place. If not, we can always go for Cantonese. There’s a ton of places behind the school.”
Chen Yao turned back, giving Lin Nan a gentle pat on the shoulder.
Though unsure what they had discussed, seeing Lin Nan’s forced smile tugged at the heartstrings.
The three stood up and headed toward the back gate of the school, with Chen Yao intentionally lagging a few steps, standing next to Lin Nan and whispering comforting words, “What did you two talk about? No worries, I’m here for whatever happens.”
“It’s not a big deal…” Lin Nan initially hesitated to share, but suddenly remembered Chen Yao was her future partner. She paused and casually relayed the conversation she had with Lin Qi.
“Your dad, huh?”
Chen Yao’s eyes flickered. “Want me to go back and give him a piece of my mind?”
“Still an adult, and you’re thinking about fighting…” Lin Nan shook her head in amused disbelief.
