482. Chatting with Lin Jin
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Lin Nan had a cozy sleep last night.
Chen Yao’s voice in her ears brought a comforting sense of security, but as for the stories he told to soothe her, she didn’t catch a single word.
When she woke up early in the morning, her phone had automatically shut down due to lack of charge.
She lazily stretched and sat up at the edge of her bed.
In her dazed state, she instinctively turned her head only to find that Chen Yao was nowhere in sight.
A wave of disappointment washed over her, sending her mood spiraling downward.
After staring blankly at the wall for a while, Lin Nan gradually started to feel more awake.
Her phone was still charging despite being off, and she got out of bed, walked over to the window, and peeked through the curtains. She spotted a bunch of middle school students in uniforms heading off to school.
There was a middle school nearby; according to her life path, she would have attended that school for middle school too. However, her mother worried that Lin Nan’s soft personality would lead to trouble at a rural school. Plus, there were issues with educational resources, so she moved her to the county to study.
Of course, the county’s middle school wasn’t much better.
It was probably around seven o’clock now, right?
Lin Nan continued to watch the rambunctious students outside, unsure of what she should be doing at this moment. She drifted further into contemplation about whether she should make a trip to her grandfather’s house.
Her grandpa lived nearby; taking a tricycle would only take about an hour round trip. She hadn’t showered last night, and her skin felt a bit off.
But it would be inconsiderate to disturb her grandpa at this hour.
The little inn didn’t even have a TV, and her phone was off and charging. She had no cash on her, so even if she wanted to run downstairs for breakfast, she couldn’t.
She really should’ve carried some cash with her.
Letting out a sigh, she leaned against the window sill, watching the students below or the elderly folks heading to the market.
After idling inside for about an hour, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
Lin Nan nearly toppled off her chair in surprise. She warily looked at the door and called out, “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Lin Jin.”
“Huh?” Hearing that familiar voice, Lin Nan quickly ran to open the door.
Sure enough, standing outside was her cousin with a light touch of makeup on. Even when she went out for a late-night snack last night, she was made up, no matter the hour. Makeup can greatly boost a girl’s appearance, after all; it enhances not just looks but also her aura.
Otherwise, Lin Nan wouldn’t think this girl was significantly prettier than her.
But mostly it was just because Lin Jin had a great foundation; even heavy makeup wouldn’t have helped her look any better.
“How did you know I was here?”
“Lin Qi told me.” Lin Jin smiled warmly, radiating that big-sisterly vibe that made it hard for Lin Nan to remain suspicious. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”
“Ah! Sorry!” Flustered, Lin Nan moved aside, allowing Lin Jin to enter before hastily shutting the door again while curiously sizing up her cousin, whom she hadn’t seen in over a decade.
Or should we say cousin-brother?
Lin Jin definitely seemed more suited to get possessed by Lilith. She had always wanted to become a girl, but poor Lilith clearly had some issues and ended up choosing Lin Nan instead.
Lin Jin took a moment to inspect Lin Nan too. She was a good four to five years older, having watched Lin Nan’s mother through pregnancy and childbirth, even being present when grandpa named Lin Nan.
However, she never imagined that the diaper-clad baby would turn out to be a girl.
The two former boys-turned-girls eyed each other for a moment, and Lin Nan finally couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you want to be a girl?”
Even at the last second before her transformation, Lin Nan still wanted to be male. Now, she found herself having no choice but to accept her new identity. If she were given the chance to do it all over again, she wouldn’t choose to use Lilith’s magic.
After all, the pain from Aunt Flo is excruciating, not to mention the kind of pain that comes with childbirth… just thinking about it sends chills down her spine.
Yet, now as a woman, she had new ties that kept her from retreating, and the relentless pressure of her irreversible choices forced her to start adapting to her brand-new body. The female hormones coursing through her were making her thoughts and actions even more feminine.
Lin Jin leaned against the wall, arms crossed, slightly furrowing her brow. “You just woke up one day and decided, huh?”
It was obviously a lie, but Lin Nan couldn’t counter it.
Lin Nan was curious about her determination to become female, while Lin Jin was equally intrigued by Lin Nan’s experiences.
“What did it feel like when you realized you were actually a girl?”
Lin Nan felt the ambiance was a bit odd, two newly-minted girls discussing such topics…
After considering for a moment, she sighed, “Well, it wasn’t exactly pleasant.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard some things.” Lin Jin’s transition to womanhood had been smooth sailing—or at least she had moved past it years ago. But she had heard from Lin Qi about Lin Nan’s situation, and her gaze toward her cousin grew more sympathetic.
“Have you had breakfast? It’s on me.” Lin Jin cut in, shifting the not-so-pleasant topic, standing up straight with a smile. “Being a girl means you’ve got to learn makeup; just look at you, bare-faced like that. When you start working, in some places, if you don’t wear makeup, people will think you don’t care…”
“Well, I don’t look bad like this…”
“Why don’t I teach you how to do your makeup?” Lin Jin stepped closer and linked her arm with Lin Nan’s, acting like a caring older sister. “I don’t have much going on these days. How about you come stay at my place for a few days?”
Having found someone like her, Lin Jin obviously felt quite fond of her.
“Huh? I’m going to my grandpa’s after an evening wedding.”
“Why the rush? We haven’t seen each other in ages!”
But honestly, her memories from the last time they met were mostly faded… If it weren’t for seeing Lin Jin, she would have completely forgotten about that branch of relatives.
Grabbing her bag and leaving the inn, Lin Nan gradually got used to the sensation of having her arm linked.
In fact, ever since her appearance had become more feminine, she had experienced holding arms or being held by others more often, gradually losing her aversion to such close contact with girls.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Lin Jin tilted her head and asked as they walked down the street.
Lin Nan immediately went on high alert. “Do you?”
“I already have kids.”
Wait, didn’t you turn into a girl after surgery? How can you have kids? And from the looks of you, you totally don’t seem like a married woman!
“My fiancé just got engaged not long ago…” Lin Nan didn’t finish her sentence.
Noticing Lin Nan’s half-open mouth, Lin Jin smiled slyly and said, “Just ask; there’s nothing to hide.”
“What are you planning to do about that bunch of relatives?”
“Whatever. They probably won’t be able to accept me anyway.” Lin Jin shrugged it off; she had left her old hometown a long time ago and had no real connection with the relatives here.
But Lin Nan was different; just last year, she returned and had an all-nighter with her cousins, snuck food and drinks from the neighbor Auntie, shared a bed with her cousin, and rode on a tricycle with her enthusiastic aunt to attend a festival.
Seeing Lin Nan fall silent, Lin Jin maintained her peppy tone, “Let’s live our lives our way. Why should we care about what others think?”
Lin Nan shot her a glance, “What if your parents hadn’t accepted you back then…?”
“I’ll just serve them some braised pork.”
What kind of reasoning is that?
Lin Nan was speechless, was her cousin’s family really made up of foodies? A meal could solve such a huge issue?
