312. You Are My Male Protagonist
Waking up felt just like any other morning — a casual 7:30 AM.
She was so used to waking up early for classes that she couldn’t seem to reset her biological clock even during this break.
Yawning, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, tiptoeing carefully as if trying not to wake up Black Bean, who was sleeping soundly on the other side.
That little furball snores! It kept her up all night!
For such a small cat, it had the snoring prowess of Wang Jie!
Fortunately, she was used to the snores from her dorm, or last night she might have been up all night worrying about what the cat was dreaming about.
Pushing the door open, Ning Chu instinctively glanced toward the living room, where Wen Yang was sitting on the sofa, staring blankly out at the morning light.
Her brother was still sprawled out on the floor, snoring like a chainsaw.
Wen Yang was deep in thought, apparently unaware of her presence.
“Wen Yang~”
Ning Chu called softly, “Can’t sleep? Want to come take a nap in my room later?”
Her voice snapped Wen Yang out of his daydream: “Nope, just woke up.”
“Well, you should be like me and get used to getting up at seven,” she said, stretching her arms while her tail perked up straight behind her.
Even though her pajamas were baggy, they did little to hide her figure, especially that charming little bump on her chest — a product of Wen Yang’s own handiwork.
But Wen Yang’s gaze was glued solely to her face.
Ning Chu immediately sensed his moodiness.
Even though she thought her thoughts hadn’t changed much since becoming a girl, she couldn’t deny that her feelings were now as sensitive as her body.
“What’s wrong?”
Calling from several feet away, she asked, “Is it uncomfortable here? I can take you to go rent an apartment this morning.”
“My grandfather has a few rental apartments in the village, and I can get you a discount! But it’s a bit far — about half an hour by bus.”
“No,” Wen Yang shook his head.
“And yet you look so withdrawn…”
Normally, Wen Yang was warm and gentle when he saw her, always sporting a tender smile that hinted at some possessiveness.
But today, it appeared he was all out of warm fuzzies.
Frowning slightly, she headed toward the bathroom: “I’m going to freshen up and change. Let’s head out to clear our minds later?”
“Sure.”
After washing up and changing into her winter outfit in about ten minutes, she was all set.
She cautiously stepped over Ning Yuan’s sprawled body on the floor, tiptoeing to the entrance.
“Scarf.”
Wen Yang draped a scarf over her shoulders.
“Thanks.” She opened the door, squatted down to put on her shoes, and inquired, “Feeling down today? What’s on your mind?”
“…”
“Come on, spill it?”
Wen Yang sighed, “It’s nothing, just not used to this.”
“I told you it’s about being unaccustomed! Stop being stubborn.”
As soon as they stepped outside, the chilly morning air made Ning Chu shiver. She quickly wrapped the scarf around her neck, covering most of her face.
Pressing the elevator button, she looked up at Wen Yang: “It’s fine! I also feel a bit uneasy visiting other people’s homes.”
“Not exactly that—”
Wen Yang paused; gazing into those bright, sparkling eyes of hers, he let out a bitter smile: “It’s just the atmosphere in your family… I’m kind of envious.”
“Huh? What’s there to envy about all this noise?”
“I’ve never had parents around, nor siblings…”
“…”
Ning Chu fell silent, her gaze dropping as she linked her arm with Wen Yang’s: “Yeah… I used to envy kids who had their dads picking them up after school.”
“When I got bullied at school, other kids had their dads coming to back them up. My mom just told me to avoid trouble and that suffering was a blessing…”
She mumbled quietly, “Thankfully, my brother always had my back. Whenever I got picked on, he’d jump in to fight for me. But even he’s not that much older, so when people went to tell the grown-ups, it was always us who ended up getting into trouble.”
She missed having a father and the protection of her brother and mother, while Wen Yang had nothing at all.
Wen Yang gently ruffled her hair: “But you have me now.”
“Yeah… you didn’t really have it easy either, did you?”
They stepped into the elevator and made their way to the lower level of the community.
The banyan trees by the roadside rustled softly with the breeze, their branches swaying gently under the soft morning sunlight as the two walked along the creek path outside the community.
Wen Yang had always been reserved, and after a long silence, he finally opened up: “It wasn’t too bad, you know. My uncle’s family took care of me, always letting me come over for meals. My other uncle sometimes even brought me snacks…”
“Still, they have their own families. Just getting fed is already great.”
“I was kind of that kid in every class — the big goofy one that everyone could pick on. I just sat in the corner, silent and invisible…”
Ning Chu listened quietly, holding onto Wen Yang’s arm, gradually painting the picture of a lonely child in her mind based on his words.
Wen Yang had this deep-seated insecurity.
Even if he rarely showed it, that lack of confidence in his background, abilities, and relationships… Ning Chu could sense it all too clearly while they were together.
“Aren’t you pretty good-looking?” Ning Chu asked softly, “You should have been popular in school, right?”
“After all, I was a wild child.”
“…” She paused for a moment, then corrected him, “You’re my male protagonist, my boyfriend.”
Wen Yang broke into a warm smile, gripping her hand tightly as he explained, “Back then in the countryside, nobody paid much attention to me. I was a complete mess until I moved to town for high school, which was when I started cleaning up my act a little.”
“And then I grew up in college, and ‘girls chased me every day~’”
He sheepishly avoided Ning Chu’s jealous gaze: “I really don’t know what they saw in me…”
“Let’s not dwell on that.” Ning Chu tugged lightly at his arm, “That’s all in the past now.”
“Uh-huh.”
“You had no family before, but now you have me, right?” she said softly, “And Black Bean even called you Dad once.”
“Plus, my mom is really nice. She just thinks you’re too poor for her liking… Once she approves of you, she’ll treat you like her own kid — just like Black Bean.”
“Whether poor or rich, I don’t care; she’s more worried than I am! I mean, how could following you starve me?”
“Of course not.”
“Well, that’s a relief~”
Wen Yang’s gaze toward Ning Chu softened, and as he reflected on their two months of living together, it felt like the happiest days of his life.
It was the feeling of having a family.
Sure, they might argue over little things, be busy from dawn till dusk, or worry about the future…
But he was no longer alone; he had a girl who wanted to walk through the winding path of life with him.
