540. The Gathering
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So, previously mentioned, Lin Nan was not a fan of gatherings.
If it’s a hangout with her roommates or cousins, that’s a different story—at worst, she might be a little quiet. But when it comes to mingling with a bunch of unfamiliar relatives? Lin Nan felt utterly awkward.
Not to mention most of these relatives treated her like a complete stranger. If she explained the situation, they’d probably think she was a neurotic creep!
Fortunately, her mother was considerate of her feelings and had seated her cousins right next to her.
Lin Nan shot a look of desperation at her mom, who responded with a reassuring smile.
“This is my daughter,” her mother declared seriously. “You just haven’t met her before.”
Suddenly, the entire private room fell into a moment of silence.
After a brief pause, the chatter resumed, but Lin Nan couldn’t help but notice her mom’s expression was a bit… off.
After all, her mom was only nearing forty. She had a son before, and now, out of the blue, there’s a daughter? If people started connecting the dots about her divorce…
Does that mean she had a love child before or shortly after the wedding and just kept her hidden all this time?
People began concocting odd scenarios, focusing their attention on her mother, leaving Lin Nan herself to fly under the radar.
Lin Nan was taken aback. What was she even supposed to say?
Her mother seemingly ignored the judgmental stares from distant relatives and continued laughing and chatting, though her face was a bit stiff with embarrassment.
If they cleared up Lin Nan’s situation, the stuffy relatives would probably spin wild tales about their own daughters behind her back.
And let’s face it, Lin Nan was already an introvert. If things went south, she’d never want to show up at a gathering like this again—she’d just pop in to see her grandparents when no one else was around.
But if her mom lied and said Lin Nan was her niece or something similar, Lin Nan would probably be upset—thinking her mom didn’t want to acknowledge her as her daughter!
Her mom had already felt guilty for ignoring Lin Nan for so long, so she quickly made up her mind.
After throwing Lin Nan another comforting look, she confidently continued weaving her web of lies among the relatives.
After all, they were all in their forties, and they had known each other for decades—this wouldn’t ruin their relationships. But for young folks like Lin Nan? Totally different ballgame.
As Lin Nan listened to the chatter around her, she thought, Why didn’t anyone ask me first?
Clearly, it would have been better to just spill the beans about my identity…
But then, she felt a presence behind her—her grandfather had arrived, offering her a handful of cherries. “Don’t worry, let her handle it herself.”
She turned to her skinny grandfather, lips moving as if to speak but nothing came out.
“Cheer up! It’s not every day we have this many relatives around,” he said, his grin a bit unsettling. “Besides, we can’t hide you away forever.”
Liu Xinyi leaned in closer. “Exactly! As long as we cousins know what’s up, we’re good!”
Lin Nan managed a reluctant smile.
“Where’s Lin Nan? Why haven’t I seen her?” A voice piped up, breaking through the chaos.
Lin Nan looked over, surprised. Who remembered her? She’d thought she was an invisible entity. Apart from her close relatives, there were others who still recognized her?
Her mom, clearly prepared, jumped in with a smile. “She’s busy working during the Dragon Boat Festival!”
“That Lin Nan kid is great! Knows how to work for her money. Meanwhile, my kid just asks me for cash every day! Even three thousand a month isn’t enough!”
Talk of working hard quickly spiraled into a mutual grumbling session among the other relatives near her mom’s age about their own children.
Out of nowhere, the topic shifted from her mom’s sudden daughter revelation to how expensive and worrisome kids can be.
Everyone, especially the parents, lost their minds over their parenting woes, listing complaints one after another.
The prenatal check-ups and nutrition costs racked up thousands before the baby even arrived.
Then there was the imported formula—one moment it was there, then gone!
“Oh, and the bullying at preschool!”
And someone even shared a jaw-dropping tale about a middle schooler who was getting cuddly with a boy!
Lin Nan nearly choked on her food; that last story felt a bit much—even the nosy relative was crossing a line.
“What?! You gave it away in middle school? I didn’t even know what that was!” Liu Xinyi whispered in shock, leaning closer to Lin Nan. “When I was that age, I was busy fighting boys! They’d yank my hair for fun!”
Lin Nan felt a pang of guilt and didn’t respond—she was guilty of tugging on girls’ hair back in her elementary and middle school days too…
She’d even once yanked a girl’s necklace off!
That kind of thing was normal for boys at that age—right?
After a prolonged ruckus, the hotel’s dishes finally made their grand entrance.
Grandpa and Grandma remained standing, one hand gripping chopsticks, the other clutching a wine glass, cheerfully weaving through the tables, clinking glasses, chatting, and occasionally teasing the little ones. They were delightful, clearly in a great mood.
Mom was at the same table as Lin Nan, and she’d go out of her way to pass her daughter dishes of luxurious goodies like lobster and abalone.
The feast was lively, but even as the food was served, some guests were already brainstorming what to do after dinner.
KTV, shopping, bar-hopping—it was a small town, but they had plenty of entertainment options.
“How about we hit the internet café tonight?” Liu Xinyi suggested, the internet addict coming back to life.
Wu Jiaming nodded in agreement, while Lin Nan hesitated and shook her head.
No way, not an internet café.
Before Liu Xinyi could inquire further, she asked, “Where are you sleeping tonight, Aunt?”
“At grandpa’s house! It’s going to be bustling over there tonight,” Liu Xinyi replied, happily snagging a piece of lobster meat for Lin Nan. “Lots of relatives from far away are coming, so many will probably be crashing at grandpa’s.”
Lin Nan nodded in agreement but quickly regretted her decision: “So, wanna go to the internet café all night?”
“Come on, a sleepover with everyone while watching TV can be fun too!”
“Not really feeling it…” Her gaze dropped as she munched on her food.
Liu Xinyi frowned at her cousin. “But I have to leave tomorrow noon! Pulling an all-nighter would be bad!”
Wu Jiaming chimed in: “Plus, grandpa won’t allow it. I can go on my own, but if I bring you two, I might get killed!”
True enough, her cousin had always been the designated scapegoat.
Lin Nan sighed, slightly wishing she could just go back to Chen Yao’s house tonight.
