“You, you have to let me explain, I’m not that kind of person…”
Lin Luan covered his face, truly wanting to explain to Shen Yu that dressing up like this wasn’t his own idea, but…
Telling her he was a rental boyfriend sounded even more absurd.
Calling it ‘rental boyfriend’ was putting it nicely, but if you put it bluntly… isn’t that just pure selling out?!
Forget it.
“Alright, it’s just like you think, I won’t explain anymore.”
With a sweeping gesture, Lin Luan’s eyes were filled with resignation.
Go ahead and despise me for being a pervert!
His eyes brimmed with tears.
Xiao Wan, your brother is really going all out for this family…
The two of them sat in silence for about a minute.
“Actually… everyone has secrets they can’t share with others.” Shen Yu’s face was tinged with a faint blush as she slowly turned away. “It’s alright, I understand you.”
She really doesn’t want to look at me anymore, does she?! ‘Understand’ is just a comforting phrase, right?!
Lin Luan was inwardly screaming.
But!
At this moment, Shen Yu’s mind was racing.
After seeing Lin Luan dressed as a maid, she had an odd feeling.
One thought filled her heart.
So lewd.
It was as if everything she’d ever secretly fantasized about Lin Luan was happening right here, in real life.
Her fantasy had come true.
Right now, Lin Luan was just too lewd… lewd to the point of being a work of art, like the Monna Lisa in the Louvre, the Venus de Milo, Van Gogh’s Starry Night…
To keep Lin Luan from seeing the corners of her mouth turning up, Shen Yu could only turn her back to him.
To be honest, she’d imagined what Lin Luan would look like in a maid outfit for a long time.
She just never dared say it out loud, since she was a rather introverted girl, only daring to secretly fantasize about it under the covers at night.
And now, Lin Luan in a maid outfit had actually appeared right in front of her. It all felt like a dream.
Shen Yu reached out and covered her face, but beneath the rosy blush, she couldn’t hide her smile.
Lin Luan thought he’d be spat on and treated as a pervert, but the truth was, cross-dressing actually scored extra points with Shen Yu.
“Shen, Shen Yu?” Lin Luan’s voice came from behind her.
“I’m here!” Shen Yu was startled when he called her, quickly turning around.
Her hand was still covering her face, only a pair of eyes peeking out through her fingers.
“Um…” Lin Lu scratched his head and coughed.
“Since you’ve already found out about my… ahem, uh, hobby, could you lend me some clothes to wear? Lin Wan will be home soon, and I don’t want her to find out.”
That was definitely a way to solve the problem. Shen Yu’s home was just next door to his, with only one building in between, so going back and forth was convenient.
Hearing Lin Luan’s request, Shen Yu blinked the eyes peeking out from her fingers and nodded quickly. “O-okay! You… come with me!”
“This is my house.”
Shen Yu led Lin Luan to her doorstep and opened the door.
Shen Yu’s home was just in the neighboring building, similar in layout to Lin Luan’s, but tidier and cozier, with a faint fragrance lingering in the air.
“You… just sit in the living room for now. I’ll go get you some clothes.” Shen Yu ushered him inside, then quickly darted into her bedroom.
Like a little rabbit…
Lin Luan stared at Shen Yu’s back in a daze.
Shen Yu’s height only reached his shoulders or so. Petite, when she ran, she looked like a gentle little herbivore.
Now, here he was, standing at the entrance to this little bunny’s burrow.
After hesitating at the entryway for a moment, Lin Luan took the initiative to walk into Shen Yu’s home.
He instinctively glanced around the somewhat unfamiliar space. They lived close, but he had never actually visited Shen Yu’s house before.
They had indeed grown up as childhood friends, but now that both were adults with jobs, things were no longer as casual as in their youth, when you could just visit anytime.
As people grow up, an invisible barrier forms between them. Maybe it’s because they have more to care about; before doing anything, they always have to think it over.
So even the closest playmates, as they get older, gradually drift apart.
A piano.
A glass of water.
“Lu’an! Hold on a sec! It’s hard for me to find gender-neutral clothes…” Shen Yu’s voice came from the bedroom.
“It’s fine, take your time!” Lin Luan replied, sitting down on the sofa in the living room.
There, in the center of the living room, sat something Lin Luan was very familiar with.
It was a black upright piano, standing quietly by the window, its body spotless.
Lin Luan was momentarily lost in thought.
He recognized that piano.
When she was young, Shen Yu’s biggest dream was to become a pianist. Back when Lin Luan would come looking for her to play spinning top, she was always practicing.
He wondered how Shen Yu’s piano skills were now?
“I found them!” Shen Yu’s voice from the bedroom snapped him out of his reverie.
She emerged carrying a few pieces of clothing.
A loose-fitting plain white hoodie, and a pair of light blue straight-cut jeans—they both looked pretty gender-neutral.
“These… you should be able to wear them.” Shen Yu handed him the clothes, avoiding his gaze. “You can change in my room. I’ll go to the kitchen and get you some water.”
“No need for the water.” Lin Luan took the clothes and said, “Xiao Wan will be home soon. I still have to make dinner for her.”
“Oh, I see.” Shen Yu stopped just as she was about to head to the kitchen, a flash of disappointment crossing her face. “Mm, Xiao Wan’s business comes first.”
Lin Luan didn’t notice Shen Yu’s strange expression. Holding the clothes, which still carried a fresh scent, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the silent piano.
He really wanted to ask if Shen Yu was still chasing her dream. But he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
After all, she was already working at a convenience store. The whole piano thing probably wasn’t realistic anymore.
To bring it up now would be like reopening an old wound. He didn’t want to make things more awkward.
So he simply nodded and said softly, “Thanks for the clothes. I’ll come out once I’m changed.”
He carried the clothes into Shen Yu’s bedroom.
Shen Yu’s room was just like her—tidy and cozy. Pale curtains, a single bed with a floral sheet, bookshelves packed with books and a few cute plushies, and green plants flourishing on the windowsill.
So this is what a girl’s room is like?
Lin Luan felt a bit sentimental.
He’d cleaned up Lin Wan’s room before, but Lin Wan was still a high schooler; her room had a more scholarly feel, not quite like Shen Yu’s, which had an artistic touch with a hint of cuteness.
Like a head.
The only thing that felt a bit out of place was the computer by the window.
It wasn’t strange for a girl’s room to have a computer, but Lin Luan could tell at a glance that it was quite high-end, and there was even an external webcam on the desk.
If it was just for gaming, there’d be no need for a webcam, right?
Lin Luan was a bit puzzled, but didn’t dwell on it—his top priority was to get out of these perverted clothes.
With a few quick motions, he stripped off the maid outfit. The moment the cold air hit his skin, he finally felt alive again.
This is freedom!
Lin Luan quickly pulled on the white hoodie and jeans. As expected, they were a bit tight, but he couldn’t care less.
Right now, being able to wear normal clothes already felt like a luxury.
He hastily bundled up the maid outfit and stuffed it into a bag, then walked out of Shen Yu’s room.
“I’ll head back now. Xiao Wan will be home any minute,” Lin Luan said.
“Alright.”
“Oh, and one more thing…” Lin Luan scratched his head a bit sheepishly. “Can I leave this maid outfit at your place? There’s really nowhere to hide it at home, and I’m afraid Xiao Wan will find it.”
“Huh? Leave it here?” Shen Yu was surprised.
“Yeah, because I don’t know when I might need it again.”
“It’s fine to leave it here…” Shen Yu’s face turned bright red as she took the maid outfit from Lin Luan. “But… if you ‘use’ it, you should take care of your health, Lu’an.”
Lin Luan realized what Shen Yu was misunderstanding.
Forget it.
“…I will.”
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