314. The Reason
In a different district, far from Ning Chu’s home, there was a village within the city.
But all it took was a more-than-200 meter walk from Ning Chu’s residential community to hop on the subway straight to the village, which took over forty minutes.
Ning Chu’s grandfather owned three small buildings in the village, each divided into little studio apartments. The rental prices ranged from 1,200 to 1,800 yuan, but when he heard that Ning Chu’s classmates were interested in renting, he waved his hand over the phone and generously declared it would be free.
“I’ve given you a discount—just 500 yuan a month.”
Ning Chu’s mother opened the door at the end of the narrow hallway, revealing a 20-square-meter little room, complete with a bed, a desk, and air conditioning.
“Isn’t that a bit too cheap?”
“A studio isn’t that expensive to begin with,” she replied while eyeing the small space. “And, considering it’s for Ning Chu…”
“Maa~ this room is way too tiny! I can barely walk around! Not to mention the window faces the wrong way—no sunshine at all!”
Her complaints were abruptly interrupted by her own daughter, who darkened her expression and turned to Ning Chu, whose elbow jutted out awkwardly. “Oh, you’ve got complaints now?”
“Not really~ Just happy to have a place!” Ning Chu immediately recoiled, “Wen Yang, it’s pretty good, right?”
“Yeah, it’s nice,” Wen Yang quickly chimed in, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling something wasn’t quite right.
Did this discount go a little overboard?
This was the provincial capital; even if it was a village in the city, charging only 500 yuan for rent seemed fishy. The studio apartments near the school were already around that price!
“This tiny room is a steal at 500!” Ning Chu muttered, lowering her head as she transferred the 500 yuan to her mother via WeChat.
Her mother’s expression darkened even further.
So it was her daughter footing the bill? What kind of left-hand-to-right-hand nonsense was this? And Wen Yang wasn’t paying a single dime?
“Wen Yang’s money will all go to me!” Ning Chu stood tall triumphantly. “Mom, does the uncle’s money always get served up to you?”
“Ha~” Her mother rolled her eyes dismissively. “A man can’t be without money in his pocket!”
“I’m going to go make dinner,” she announced, glancing at the time. “Ning Xin should be getting out of school soon, so get your brother to pick her up… And you should return early too; this rental’s sound insulation isn’t great.”
“……”
Once her mother left and conveniently closed the door behind her, Ning Chu flopped down onto the bed, continuing to pick at the little studio with a face full of disdain.
Wen Yang, however, was a bit shocked. “Isn’t this too cheap? Just 500? What kind of discount is this?”
“This crummy place is only worth 500, okay? Look at the walls—peeling everywhere!”
Ning Chu stretched, lying back on the bed, muttering, “The bed’s so hard too, definite loss here.”
Wen Yang shook his head with a wry smile. He wasn’t naïve; he could tell the discount on this place was significant. Ning Chu’s complaints were probably just to make him feel more at ease about staying here.
“My mom said if you have time, you can come to my place for dinner; I won’t charge you for that.”
“Really?” His eyes lit up.
“Yup~”
That earlier 500 yuan was more like Wen Yang’s food expenses to her mother, letting his pride breathe easy rather than letting him know the rental wouldn’t take a penny from him.
“Does it seem like Auntie isn’t that annoyed with me anymore?”
Wen Yang mused that no matter how busy he got in the future, he’d better show up at the dinner table daily to make an impression on his future mother-in-law.
“My mom’s really nice!”
Ning Chu sat up again, helping to organize Wen Yang’s luggage and set up his little abode for the next month.
She grabbed a set of bed linens, a new toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel from home for him, so he wouldn’t have to buy anything.
Wen Yang had only brought a few sets of clothes, and after a short flurry of activity, the cramped little apartment was already tidied up.
Ning Chu sat at the desk, one foot on the wooden chair, hugging her knees while glancing at Wen Yang. “Wen Yang.”
“Mm?”
She paused, her bright eyes reflecting newfound curiosity. “I’ve been keeping tabs on you, making sure you don’t date any girls. Haven’t you ever found it annoying?”
Wen Yang froze, shoving the empty suitcase under the bed before replying, “You are my girlfriend; it’s only natural you don’t want me hanging out with girls.”
“No, I’m talking about before, back when we first met in September. I tried so hard to stop you from going out with your ex-girlfriend!”
“Back then…” He took longer to respond, sitting at the edge of the bed and looking at Ning Chu, curled up in her chair. His gaze softened. “Maybe it’s just that no one cared about me like that before? I actually liked it.”
“……”
“I know those were just casual flings, but being in a big city for the first time, I was kind of timid… Honestly, sometimes I was really tempted. I can’t even imagine what I’d be like now if it weren’t for you.”
You’d probably be out there partying every night, swapping girls like trading cards.
Yet here you are, still a virgin, a rather inexperienced one at that…
Ning Chu was momentarily at a loss for words. Back then, her goal was simply to stop Wen Yang from triggering his romantic plots, preventing the drama from spiraling out of control… but in hindsight, this somewhat pathological possessiveness had made Wen Yang feel cared for in a way he’d never experienced before.
“Speaking of which, why have you been so fixated on me?” Wen Yang queried, curious. “You weren’t always a girl; there’s no way you liked me from the start. You stopping me from dating must’ve been out of jealousy, right?”
“Uh… How about you go find a job first?”
Ning Chu dreaded these unexplainable questions, scrambling to her feet. “I should head back; my mom’s boyfriend is coming over today, and I need to keep an eye on things.”
“Alright.”
Seeing that Wen Yang wasn’t adamant about getting an answer, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll transfer you 50 for food. Today’s not good; remember to come over for dinner tomorrow.”
“Are you just going to run off without answering any questions?” Wen Yang teased, blocking her path.
That shy, timid guy was slowly fading away—he was getting more and more bold!
“Then…” A blush crept across Ning Chu’s face. After a hesitant moment, she looked up at his tall figure, rose on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Kiss kiss~”
Their lips brushed for a brief moment, and she already stepped back, blushing.
“Still so shy? And in bed you…”
“Do you want me to get my brother to beat you up?!”
Ning Chu angrily clenched her tiny fists, causing Wen Yang to instantly change his tune. “Let’s go; I’m also heading downstairs to check out any winter jobs available. Might as well buy a broom.”
“Try to find a day job so we can go out together in the evenings.”
“Mm.”
Wen Yang struggled to suppress his rising curiosity. He hadn’t gotten an answer to that earlier question, and Ning Chu’s effort to dodge the topic was painfully obvious.
He felt that the somewhat nonsensical story she was working on seemed less like fiction and more like reality.
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Currently one chapter overdue, will finish it within a day!
