### Conversation
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It was past nine in the evening when Chen Yao, thoroughly exhausted, knocked on the door of the rental apartment.
A moment later, accompanied by a chorus of hurried footsteps, the door creaked open just enough for a pretty face to peek through the crack.
“You forgot your key?” Upon seeing a familiar face, Lin Nan let out a sigh of relief and turned back toward the couch, calmly asking, “So you didn’t hang out with Xiong Da today?”
Chen Yao could definitely sense the heavy complaints behind her calm tone.
He quickly plastered on a flattering smile, clutching a takeout bag as he stepped inside. “I brought you three pounds of crawfish. How about I peel them for you?”
“Not interested.” Lin Nan leaned against the couch, lifted her gaze, and asked again, “Why didn’t you hang out with Xiong Da?”
“He’s been sleep-deprived for the past few days and couldn’t hold out. He crashed at seven.” Chen Yao closed the door with a flick of his wrist and plopped down by the coffee table, opening up the takeout box with a flourish. “Look! I got the biggest crawfish! Three pounds for one hundred and forty bucks!”
His attempt at flattery, however, met Lin Nan’s icy glare.
With arms crossed and legs propped up, she huffed, “After this meal, aren’t you worried you won’t come back tomorrow?”
Caught with his intentions laid bare, Chen Yao felt a bit awkward and tried to convince her, “It’s just that Xiong Da’s got issues right now. I’ll come back when he’s got it sorted out.”
“You don’t know,” Lin Nan said with a concerned frown. “I saw some fresh cuts on Xiong Da’s hand today. He’s been cutting himself at night to cope…”
Chen Yao’s face turned grim.
Lin Nan looked up, surprised. “Cutting? That’s so childish!”
To her, such behavior was something only middle schoolers would resort to.
Older teens usually understood to take care of themselves and wouldn’t think cutting was a valid way to relieve stress or look cool.
“d*mn it, he’s got scars all over his palms! What kind of adult does this stuff? If he hadn’t had his hand out while sleeping, we’d still be in the dark about it!”
Chen Yao was genuinely worried. But that night, he and Tu Junhui had assignments to finish, sleep to catch, and energies to replenish for the next day, leaving them with no capability to babysit Xiong Da.
No wonder he always noticed Xiong Da making a fist when they played on their phones, determined to appear different from how he usually did.
Lin Nan was reasonable, despite her earlier annoyance at Chen Yao for not coming home. Now, she asked anxiously, “Shouldn’t we get him to see a therapist? Isn’t there a counseling room at school?”
“He refuses to go.”
“Isn’t this going to get worse? He didn’t act like this right after the breakup…”
Exhausted, Chen Yao sat next to Lin Nan and nodded sadly. “That’s why I said I wouldn’t come back for a while. I plan to take turns with Tu Junhui watching him at night.”
“Then I should—”
“You’re a girl, it won’t be appropriate for you to stay in the boys’ dorm.” Chen Yao interrupted. “Last time you spent a night there, the next day everyone knew about it. Zheng Qian was nearly furious.”
He knew Lin Nan’s greatest fear was gossip; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so opposed to any feminized appearance or cross-dressing.
After hearing that, Lin Nan shrank back, switching up her thinking. “How about I go to the dorm during lunchtime to help keep an eye on him, and you and Tu Junhui catch up on some sleep then?”
“Sounds good! Tu Junhui is pretty big, so it should be easy to hide you from the dorm supervisor. But you better wear something more masculine.” Chen Yao advised.
But here’s the kicker: Xiong Da was already an adult! While they could keep an eye on him temporarily, it was still just a stopgap measure.
Was magic still the answer?
Lin Nan wrestled with her thoughts, much like someone taking antibiotics for a cold, which only drags their immune system down further. Using magic to help Xiong Da cope would only weaken his mental resilience.
That shut-in had been spoiled since childhood; judging by how his family treated his figurines, they clearly cherished them like treasures. After all, normal parents wouldn’t understand spending money on those thousand-dollar toys, especially some with elements of 18+.
His mental fortitude simply couldn’t compare to Chen Yao’s, who faced parental scrutiny daily, or to Lin Nan, who went through middle school with no one caring what she did.
Headache incoming.
Without wanting to think much further, Lin Nan nudged Chen Yao in the calf with her toe. “Peel the crawfish for me!”
“Hey, your Majesty!” Chen Yao still had the presence of mind to tease Lin Nan.
“Psycho.”
Lin Nan fished out a cola from under the coffee table and took a couple of big gulps before letting out a satisfied sigh.
Her aunt flo had just left town yesterday; she was back to eating and drinking like a champ again. Otherwise, Chen Yao wouldn’t have brought her crawfish.
“Speaking of which, I ran into Pan Maoxin’s stepmother at lunch today.” Lin Nan began, but first gestured for Chen Yao to pop a piece of crawfish meat into her mouth before continuing, “After teaching Pan Maoxin for two classes next week, I’m done being a tutor.”
“What does that have to do with his stepmother?”
“That woman just graduated from college! She’s in the same school as us.” Lin Nan pouted, “I can’t help but think bad thoughts, but his dad clearly wants to marry a college girl. It’s obvious he’s a creep.”
Chen Yao pondered for a moment, then a look of envy crept onto his face. “He’s in his forties! Marrying a college girl—man, that’s impressive.”
You still envy him? Are you serious?!
Lin Nan practically raised an invisible hand, but instead, Chen Yao hurried to add, “But I… wait what! Lin Nan! Nan Nan!”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying other people like pretty faces! I only like you!” Chen Yao chattered quickly, his formerly cheesy lines now a desperate attempt to declare his affection, terrified he wouldn’t get it all out before Lin Nan smacked him into next week.
“Ha.” Lin Nan wasn’t buying it.
After all, Chen Yao initially liked her precisely because he was one of those who appreciated beauty without regard for gender.
“Really! We’ve known each other for eight years, alright? I didn’t mind you being all skinny and awkward back in middle school!”
“Who was awkward?!” Lin Nan used an accusing tone.
“Me!” Chen Yao hurriedly peeled another crawfish to stuff in Lin Nan’s mouth.
Lin Nan wasn’t truly angry. As she chewed on the crawfish, she suddenly lowered her head and mumbled, “If you ever like someone younger and prettier, just say it. If you stop liking me, just say so directly. I won’t cling to you like my parents do—after all, fighting like that is so embarrassing…”
Chen Yao froze, watching Lin Nan’s eyes welling up with tears he hadn’t noticed before.
“It’s not like I think I can compare to other girls…”
His heart ached as he took her small hand in his.
Although they’d known each other for eight years and had been officially dating for half of that, he had never realized how insecure Lin Nan felt about love and marriage.
Especially coming from her background as a former boy, she often believed she was abnormal and insecure about measuring up to those around her.
Chen Yao gently pinched Lin Nan’s cheeks, “Are you nuts? I was just kidding! How could I possibly not like you?”
He drew in a little closer, wrapping his arms around Lin Nan’s waist with a gentle tone, “We’re going to get married, work hard together, and have a chubby little kid….”
He’d barely gotten those words out when Lin Nan suddenly pried his hands away from her waist.
He sat there, bewildered, wondering where he had messed up, only to see Lin Nan making a disgusted face.
“You’ve got oil all over your hands and you’re rubbing on my clothes!”
