### Chapter 243: Zhang Shaoqing Visits
“Feels like the beginning is a bit off…”
Ning Chu propped her chin on one hand, mumbling as she stared at her novel document.
Ever since Black Bean had come along, her writing skills had skyrocketed. In just one day, she churned out the first ten-thousand words of her novel.
So this is the kind of life pressure a child brings!
Furrowing her brows, she contemplated for a moment before deciding to delete the beginning of chapter one. Time to start fresh.
After all, the website’s editor wouldn’t be in until the weekend. It needed some serious polishing.
Black Bean, surprisingly, wasn’t causing any mischief. Ever since turning into a catgirl, she seemed to have matured quite a bit—she hadn’t caused any ruckus for at least an hour.
With that thought, Ning Chu turned around and instantly felt her bl**d pressure rising.
“Black Bean!”
“Ah?”
“You went through the trash again!”
Black Bean froze for a second, quickly yanking her hands from the trash bin, hiding them behind her back, and sheepishly turning her head away.
“…”
Ning Chu was torn between feeling sorry for her or being angry.
This cat had been a stray since she was little; rummaging through trash must be second nature by now.
Fuming, she stormed over. As soon as Black Bean heard her approaching, her cat ears fluffed up, and she quickly darted under the bed, attempting to hide in the corner to avoid the confrontation.
Then, she ended up wedged under the bed frame…
Ning Chu couldn’t help but laugh and pulled Black Bean by the arm toward the bathroom. “Wash your hands; how many times do I have to tell you not to rummage through the trash?”
“I know~”
“Knowing that doesn’t mean you can escape! Does it hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt!”
She patted Black Bean’s forehead, feeling a bit sorry for her, then pressed the struggling catgirl’s paws into the sink, scrubbing them with soap.
Ning Chu muttered softly, “Tonight, you’ll have to take a bath too…”
Black Bean’s eyes went wide, and her struggling intensified. “I don’t want to!”
“Be good~”
“I don’t want to!”
“Geez~” Ning Chu suddenly realized that this catgirl was even more troublesome than a hyperactive kid.
If she had to care for Black Bean for a month like this, it wouldn’t be long before she was the one carted off to the hospital for high bl**d pressure.
Just then, someone started banging on the front door.
Ning Chu paused, releasing Black Bean from her grip and peeking out of the bathroom toward the door.
It wasn’t Wen Yang; he had a spare key and never needed to knock. Besides, he always tapped lightly, not thumped.
So who was it?
Her heart raced with anxiety.
In response to the noise, Black Bean perked up her ears and stood rigid, her own tail twitching nervously as she peeked out from the bathroom. Together, their heads poking out looked like something straight out of an anime.
“Bang bang bang!”
The door was knocked again. Ning Chu frowned and shouted, “Who is it?!”
“It’s me! Zhang Shaoqing!”
What on earth was he doing here?!
Ning Chu glanced down at her long nightgown, then at Black Bean, who was only clad in an oversized t-shirt and underwear.
Mother and daughter were in a disheveled state—no way they could let anyone see them.
Especially not Zhang Shaoqing.
“Wen Yang isn’t home! He went out for takeout,” she called back hurriedly, trying to change into something more presentable.
Then it hit her—Zhang Shaoqing knew Wen Yang’s girlfriend lived here, Wen Wen.
But did he realize she was Wen Wen now?
Stuck in front of the wardrobe, she pondered for a moment before deciding to test the waters.
“When will he be back?”
“Probably around eight or nine? How about you come back tomorrow?”
She deliberately pitched her voice higher, cringing at the sound of it herself.
“Mom~ it’s the uncle~”
Black Bean tugged at Ning Chu’s arm, whispering.
“That’s sister, not mom.”
Ning Chu patiently corrected Black Bean before continuing to the door, “I really can’t let you in right now.”
“Alright, alright~”
Zhang Shaoqing sighed in disappointment from outside, turning to leave when he suddenly spotted Wen Yang coming up the stairs, and they bumped right into each other.
“Shaoqing?”
“I can’t believe you’re back!”
Zhang Shaoqing rushed over, an eager grin on his face. “I got bored in my dorm, so I came to find you!”
“???”
“Let’s go~ Let’s have some barbecue!” His thick skin showed no signs of embarrassment. “Last time you and your girlfriend said you’d treat me to barbecue when you had time! How about tonight?”
“Er… it’s still raining outside.”
“Don’t worry, I wandered around and found a barbecue place just 200 meters into the village; they’re open.”
Wen Yang was at a loss for words.
He arrived at the door, hesitating, unsure if he should open it when the door swung open.
Ning Chu had changed into a cute outfit, wearing a white mask, her eyes filled with a mix of resignation and disbelief. “You’re back?”
“Yep.”
Zhang Shaoqing quickly approached her, looking her up and down. “Why is your sister wearing a mask inside?”
“…”
Ning Chu could hear the familiar teasing tone in his voice.
It seems she’d been discovered.
“Come on, let’s go eat barbecue. You’re paying, right?”
“Hello, uncle~”
Suddenly, Black Bean peeked out from the doorframe, grinning and calling out to Zhang Shaoqing, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Back in the dorm, he used to love buying Black Bean treats like cat food and snacks.
“Wow! Whose kid is this?”
“My relative’s, my cousin.”
Ning Chu hurriedly explained, pressing down on Black Bean’s head, fearing the catgirl would accidentally call her “Mom.”
“Oh~ then let’s go have barbecue together?”
“Yay!” Black Bean cheered.
Zhang Shaoqing shot Ning Chu a teasing glance. “You can’t wear a mask while eating barbecue!”
“I’ll pay for you; she’s not eating barbecue.” Just then, Wen Yang stepped in to ease the awkwardness, wrapping his arm around Zhang Shaoqing’s neck. “Let’s go, I made a decent chunk today doing deliveries.”
“Fine then…”
Ning Chu realized she was already outed.
Perhaps the moment Zhang Shaoqing found out she was a woman, he also figured out her relationship with Wen Yang.
Sighing, she pulled off her mask and rolled her eyes at Zhang Shaoqing. “Eat my foot, just leave!”
“Whoa~ Can’t keep up the act, huh?” Zhang Shaoqing nudged Wen Yang with his elbow, grinning. “Even rabbits don’t eat grass near their burrows—how could you move so quickly?”
“I was just not letting the good stuff go to waste,” Wen Yang coolly retorted.
“When did you two get together? I never even noticed before!”
Ning Chu silently turned and made her way back inside.
This guy had come all the way to her place just to mess with her!
Her face flushed from embarrassment as she walked to the wardrobe, ready to change back into her usual boyish clothes for the bathroom.
“Don’t bother changing; the girl look suits you.” Zhang Shaoqing called from outside. “Let’s go already, I’m treating you guys to barbecue.”
“Did you come into some money?”
“Hey~ Don’t you know who I am?” He straightened up proudly, “I made up with my mom! She just transferred two grand to my card; that’s enough to last me until the break.”
Looks like even a rich kid bows down for his five pecks of millet!
“When I told her I wasn’t going home tomorrow, she said I was dreaming! No way am I going back!”
Not just bowing, he’s also a shameless liar!
What are you even so proud about?
Ning Chu looked at him, utterly confused.
