In the hallway of the chain hotel, Bai Yao held the room card and led Lin Zhicheng to their door.
He swiped the card and pushed the door open, straining his arms to lift the suitcase slightly so it would clear the threshold.
The suitcase was half as tall as he was and quite thick, stuffed to the point of bulging.
Standing next to the massive piece of luggage, the already thin and small Bai Yao looked like a child in comparison.
Bai Yao pulled the suitcase into the room first and set it in a corner before scanning the space.
It was a twin room.
Because of the National Day price hike, it cost over 500 yuan.
When he was booking it online, Bai Yao’s heart had bled at the price.
‘One adventure out in women’s clothes is only worth 500 yuan…’
Fortunately, the room’s decor and environment were quite nice.
There were large floor-to-ceiling windows with a coffee table and a small sofa set nearby, soft carpets underfoot, and a spacious three-compartment bathroom with a comfortable bathtub.
It was miles better than the conditions in his dormitory.
He checked the bedding and pillows; they were clean enough.
Bai Yao turned back to his cousin, his apricot-shaped eyes full of inquiry.
“Should we rest for a bit and then go grab some BBQ?”
“Yeah.”
He flopped onto the soft bed.
The inner-spring mattress bounced a few times, and his bottom sank slightly into the thick comforter.
It was so comfortable he wanted to just crawl under the covers and sleep.
‘This is way better than the hard wooden beds in the dorm!’
Bai Yao lay spread-eagle on the comforter, enjoying the cozy feeling.
He picked up his phone and sent a message to his mother to let her know he had finished the task.
He heard Lin Zhicheng’s footsteps and looked over to see his cousin entering the bathroom to freshen up.
Even though they hadn’t seen each other in a long time, it seemed his cousin’s personality hadn’t changed much.
Moreover, the honesty they shared during the car ride made him feel closer to his cousin, almost like the way they had gotten along when they were kids…
“Ready?”
Lin Zhicheng washed his face, used the restroom, and called out to Bai Yao.
“Yeah!”
Bai Yao rolled over, got up, and jogged to catch up with Lin Zhicheng.
Neither of them was familiar with the streets near the hotel, so they had to rely on navigation.
Fortunately, there was a pedestrian street not far away.
The street was brightly lit and bustling with tourists.
All sorts of shops lined both sides of the road, crowded and lively.
Bai Yao didn’t think he was too socially anxious; he was just a bit cold and didn’t like getting involved with people.
He had a strong sense of boundaries, though he could passively chat about anything with a driver when taking a ride-share.
In the dorms, he acted like he wasn’t close to anyone, but that was just because he couldn’t fake a cold personality when living with others day and night.
However, ever since his chest started developing, he had become even more insecure.
He really was becoming socially anxious, especially in crowded places.
He was always worried someone would notice the curves on his chest and realize his body was becoming feminized, fearing it would cause some kind of scandal.
Bai Yao kept his head slightly lowered as he followed behind Lin Zhicheng, his shoulders slightly hunched and his eyes nervously darting around.
“Maotai ice cream?”
Lin Zhicheng’s gaze was drawn to an ice cream truck on the street.
“Want some?”
“Clearly, you’re the one who wants it.”
“I heard about it online a few years ago. I think it was really popular for a while?”
“I haven’t tried it either.”
Having just returned to the country, Lin Zhicheng wanted to try anything new.
He walked up to the truck and ordered two Maotai ice creams.
“70 yuan, please.”
“That’s so expensive!”
Bai Yao blurted out.
“Just get one.”
Lin Zhicheng handed one of the cups to Bai Yao.
“Give it a taste. If it’s good, it’s worth it.”
Bai Yao was actually curious.
He took a small spoonful, and immediately his brow furrowed, his lips flattened into a line, and his face filled with disgust.
‘This tastes so damn bad! What is this weird flavor?!’
It was even a bit nauseating.
Lin Zhicheng saw his small face crumpled up.
“Is it that bad?”
“I want to throw it away…”
“It was 35 yuan a cup.”
Bai Yao could only endure the nausea and take another spoonful, feeling like his whole world was falling apart.
He didn’t know if it actually contained high-proof liquor or if he was just frustrated by the high price and bad taste, but his face was slightly flushed.
“I think it’s okay? It’s not that bad.”
Lin Zhicheng took a bite as well; it was acceptable to him.
The cousins wandered as they ate.
Lin Zhicheng glanced at his cousin from time to time.
Seeing those cute expressions and subtle movements, he kept thinking that this was actually a younger female cousin.
‘Did he really change this much in just a few years?’
Before meeting, he had expected his cousin might have grown uglier or more handsome, but he never imagined his little brother would look like a little sister.
“Did you not grow at all these past few years?”
“Uh…”
‘Isn’t that a bit too blunt?’
Bai Yao was hit in a sore spot and nodded sadly.
“Yeah, I haven’t grown since middle school.”
Back in middle school, his height had been okay for his class, but now he was a shorty — a total height-stunted case.
“How about this place? Do you drink?”
They stopped in front of the busiest BBQ joint on the street.
There were only a few empty seats left.
Bai Yao instinctively wanted to refuse, but thinking about the system, he nodded.
“Maybe one bottle?”
“Yeah, drinking too much isn’t good anyway.”
He followed Lin Zhicheng into the shop like a little sidekick.
“Waiter! Table for two!”
Lin Zhicheng called out, waving a hand.
Bai Yao only needed to follow behind.
He didn’t have to communicate with anyone.
Ordering BBQ, ordering drinks, and paying — everything was handled by his cousin.
Since they were kids, whenever they went out, his cousin would take care of everything, and it was still the same now.
But Bai Yao still felt a bit awkward and added, “Should I treat?”
After all, he was an 18-year-old now.
“No need.”
“Oh.”
Bai Yao lowered his head to play on his phone.
Although he enjoyed being taken care of by his cousin, it felt a bit uncomfortable.
He was being treated like a child, yet he couldn’t actually act like one by acting spoiled or fooling around…
With his head down, his hair covered his eyes, revealing only the soft curve of his jawline and his slightly pointed chin.
His forearms rested on the table, slender and white.
They were so delicate there wasn’t a trace of muscle, just soft skin.
As he rested his chin on his hand, the prominent bones of his wrist were visible — so thin it made one worry they might snap.
“You should cut your hair,” Lin Zhicheng suggested.
“Yeah, in a few days.”
“You also need to eat more and build some muscle. You’re too thin. A typhoon would blow you away.”
“I don’t go out during typhoons.”
Perhaps it was the rebelliousness of an adult, but he didn’t like his cousin giving him suggestions, so he gave a perfunctory reply.
The BBQ and beer were soon served.
Bai Yao didn’t drink much, but he didn’t mind it.
He just hated drunk people.
One bottle was no challenge for him.
Lin Zhicheng looked at the open kitchen of the BBQ shop and chatted while eating.
“I was helping out in the kitchen while I was abroad.”
“At Auntie’s restaurant?”
The relatives who had gone abroad in the early years all seemed to be in the catering and service industry.
“Yeah, it was exhausting. Do you see how much I’ve been worn down these past few years?”
Lin Zhicheng complained.
“We hired a helper from Southeast Asia once, the most hardworking type, and even he ran away after a few days.”
Indeed, his cousin was noticeably darker, his skin was in poor condition, and he had bulked up.
The intensity of his work was clear to see.
“How much was your salary?”
Bai Yao asked curiously.
“400 or 500 pounds a week. It’s all weekly pay over there.”
‘So 2,000 a month… that’s 20,000 yuan a month?’
He silently did the math.
“That’s so much…”
‘I’d have to do 200 tasks to earn 20,000!’
“Earn abroad, spend at home.”
Lin Zhicheng pushed the menu over.
“I didn’t dare spend money over there. I saved it all up to act like a big shot back home. Order whatever else you want; don’t worry about the cost.”
“This is enough. I already had dinner earlier.”
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