93. Family
1
“Why do you keep running outside every few hours?”
Later that evening, when Ning Chu returned to the dormitory, she was met with Zhang Shaoqing’s question.
“What’s wrong with grabbing some snacks?”
She remembered the advice to change her tampon every three to four hours, so she was currently holding a bag of snacks as a cover-up.
Tampons were fine everywhere, but the shame of changing them made the slight pain of removal turn into an odd pleasure that always left her blushing and needing a moment to recover.
Ning Chu planned to switch to overnight sanitary napkins later to avoid the dreaded swelling that came from wearing a tampon all night, which made removal significantly more painful.
She tossed a bag of chips onto Wen Yang’s desk, sat down at her computer, propped her legs up on the bar beneath the desk, and opened a snack, preparing to spend the night watching anime.
And then, her phone rang.
Even before looking at the screen, her heart fluttered a bit.
Usually, the only callers were her mother, scammers, and salespeople…
Not exactly a delightful trio.
She glanced down, and sure enough, the name “Mom” was glaring at her.
Ning Chu couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. After a moment’s hesitation, she picked up the phone and walked to the balcony.
It was still early in the month—she wondered what her mother needed.
Leaning against the balcony railing, she lowered her head and answered the call.
“Ning Chu~ Why did it take you so long to pick up?”
That familiar voice sounded almost identical to her deceased mother’s.
She felt a bit dazed, stunned for a moment before softly replying, “I was busy…”
“Oh~ Your birthday is coming up soon! Is there anything you want?”
“Birthday…”
“Yup, it’s the weekend! You can come home to celebrate.”
“Home…”
Her mother laughed gently, her tone sweet and tender: “Right! Your older brother is free this weekend too. How about we go out to eat at a restaurant?”
“Brother…”
Every single word made Ning Chu’s nose feel a bit congested. Her head hung lower, struggling to keep her voice steady as she replied softly, “Okay, I’ll come home this weekend.”
Though she had initially been too scared to confront her mother in this world, now she desperately wanted to return.
Suddenly, she felt that all the experiences—being transported, becoming a girl, going through everything—might just be worth it…
“How is your brother doing now?”
“Him? He’s doing great!” Her mother’s tone noticeably swelled with pride. “Just working too hard, so he doesn’t come home often. This time, he specifically took leave to celebrate your birthday!”
“Oh, I see…”
“Hey, Ning Yuan! Come over here and take your little brother’s call.”
Hearing that name, Ning Chu froze.
Ning Yuan… was her brother’s name.
The newfound information flooded her mind; it made her increasingly certain that this world’s mother and brother were the same as before her crossing over.
Not only was this the Little Emperor Wen’s world, but it was also a parallel world where her mother was alive and her brother was successful… and suddenly, she imagined a Succubus-version of her mother with heart-shaped horns and a cute tail.
And that brother who might turn into a Succubus sister down the line…
Yikes~
All the feelings of nostalgia just burst!
If that’s the case, it would be too outlandish!
“Hey! Make sure to come back to celebrate your birthday this weekend.”
Fortunately, though Ning Yuan’s voice wasn’t deep and husky, it was unmistakably male.
“Okay!”
Ning Chu replied with enthusiasm, “Did you get me a gift, bro?”
“Gift? Ha! Just me taking time off to celebrate with you is already a big deal!”
“Ugh~”
Ning Yuan’s voice dropped significantly as he whispered, “I’ll transfer you five hundred. Buy yourself some snacks or something—don’t tell Mom, okay?”
“If you give me money, don’t spend it recklessly. We’ll both get scolded by Mom for half a day.”
“Fine~”
“Why does your voice sound more and more whiny? You sound like a girl backpedaling!”
“……”
Oh no!
Ning Chu cleared her throat and hurriedly changed the subject: “Have you guys eaten dinner yet?”
“It’s already seven-thirty, what do you think?”
She wanted to test if her mother was truly a Succubus, but worried too many questions would expose her. So, she decided to prepare her family a little preemptive warning: “Bro… I might be a bit different these last two months.”
“Different? Gained weight? It’s normal; my college roommate gained fifty pounds in three years.”
Her brother’s also in college now?
Ning Chu marveled at the wonders of this parallel world’s charm: “Not exactly weight gain… Just, uh, don’t be too shocked when you see me.”
“Did you grow your hair long? Get a girlfriend?”
“Let’s not ask too many questions now…”
“Still keeping secrets from me? You never hid anything from me when we were kids!” Ning Yuan’s voice sounded a bit dissatisfied but shifted to concern quickly, “So how’s college? You getting used to it?”
“Um, it’s okay.”
This time, Ning Chu’s conversation with her family was surprisingly not rushed. Leaning against the railing, she chatted casually about home, responding to her mother’s and brother’s queries, her eyes bright and smiling like a crescent moon, the emotional effects of her period overshadowed by glee.
Becoming a girl, she should feel apprehensive about her family’s attitude towards her. But now, she couldn’t wait for her birthday to come home, even wanting to take a cab right then to see her long-missed mother and her successful brother.
Wen Yang stepped out of the dormitory and turned to see Ning Chu crouched down, softly talking on the phone.
It was rare to see Ning Chu on a single call for an hour.
He stood still, gazing at the girl’s radiant sunny smile and listening to her excitement… an involuntary pang of jealousy shot through him.
She rarely looked so happy when they were together!
Who was she talking to?
As he moved a little closer, he caught onto the affectionate terms she used: “Mom” and “Brother.”
Well, that’s that—future mother-in-law and brother-in-law, huh~
Noticing Wen Yang’s approach, Ning Chu looked up, raised her finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.
As she lifted her head, tears escaped the corners of her eyes, gathering and dripping from her chin. Now and then, she pulled the phone away to stifle back sobs, but when she heard her mother’s voice, she hurried back to a light-hearted tone.
Wen Yang felt his heart twist and didn’t hesitate to return to the dorm and grab a box of tissues for Ning Chu.
“Well, let’s leave it at that.”
“Get to bed early~”
Having ended the call, Ning Chu took a deep breath, wiped her tears with the tissues, and finally lifted her gaze to Wen Yang.
“What’s up? Crying and laughing at the same time?”
“Nothing… Just feeling really happy,” she wanted to share her joy with Wen Yang but feared revealing her secret. She stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest. “I’m so happy! I haven’t felt this happy in ages!”
“Why are you crying again?” Wen Yang flailed his arms in panic, not daring to make any moves at this moment, “Wipe your tears! If Shao Qing sees you, he’ll laugh at you.”
“Yeah! I’m just too happy…”
