315. The Uncle
When Ning Chu returned home, she was greeted by her mother’s slightly surprised gaze.
“Wow, you’re home pretty early.”
She knew what kind of dirty thoughts were running through her succubus mother’s mind, and with a little huff through her nose, she looked around the living room and asked, “Where’s your brother?”
“He’s picking Ning Xin up from school. He should be back soon.”
Rarely did her mother wear glasses, giving her an elegant aura as she leaned on the sofa, working on some hand-embroidered flowers.
It’s said that this kind of handmade embroidery is worth quite a bit, but it’s also draining.
“Mom~ Wen Yang is coming for dinner tomorrow. You need to cook a lot; you can’t just pocket that five hundred yuan!”
“I know, I know. He won’t starve,” her mother mumbled dismissively. “I’ve never seen you care about me this much. How long have you been a girl? And all you can think about is your little boyfriend…”
No! You don’t have to put it so bluntly!
Ning Chu turned her head away, her face turning redder by the second.
“I bet the uncle will be here soon.”
Her spirits lifted, she instantly got excited. “Your boyfriend is coming?! I’ll help you keep an eye on him!”
“Mom! Is he staying over tonight?!” She quickly chose to fight back, leaning closer to her mother with a teasing look. “Oh, I was wondering why you wouldn’t let me and Black Bean sleep in the same room as you, and instead let my brother sleep on the floor~”
“Having a man means forgetting about your son~”
Her mother raised an eyebrow and shot her a glare, then shoved an apple into her mouth. “Eat some fruit!”
“Okay…”
Seeing her mother was annoyed, Ning Chu didn’t dare say much more and obediently took a bite of her apple. Just getting a point in was enough; pushing further would surely lead to trouble.
After fiddling with her mobile phone on the sofa for a while, the sound of keys jingling could be heard at the door. Moments later, Black Bean rushed in like a whirlwind.
“Mom! It’s time for lunch!”
“Just wait a bit, we’ll eat in half an hour.”
Black Bean quickly darted over to Ning Chu, sitting between her legs and shaking her head in complaint. “I’m so hungry~ I didn’t eat enough this morning~”
“All you know is to eat, eat, eat; you’ll be a pig at this rate.”
Ning Chu pondered why Black Cats were supposed to be graceful hunters, but somehow Black Bean inherited the food-loving genes of an orange tabby.
She played with Black Bean’s cat ears and glanced at Ning Yuan, who was yawning nonstop. “Brother, how many days off do you get for the New Year?”
“Seven days, from New Year’s Eve to the sixth day of the New Year.”
“Poor thing~”
“I’m going back tomorrow night. I have to work on Monday,” he replied.
With a little over half a month until the New Year, Ning Chu was already on winter break while her brother still had the unfortunate task of working.
That was supposed to be her fate too, but unexpectedly she ended up time-traveling back to her freshman year during her job search.
Ning Yuan was usually so tired from work that he barely had the energy to relax, and was now trudging toward the bedroom to lay back down.
However, not two steps later, their mother called out to him, “You’re going back to work tomorrow night?”
“Yeah.”
Their mother pulled out a pile of old newspapers and a cloth from underneath the coffee table. “Then hurry up and clean the windows, the New Year is coming soon.”
“…”
Seeing his silence, she turned to Ning Chu and Black Bean, “Then I’ll have you two girls help.”
“I’ll do it!” Black Bean instantly raised her hand.
“Let me handle it,” Ning Yuan said.
Ever since they were little, he had always been responsible for cleaning the windows during the New Year’s cleanup, so he was quite used to it.
Once, his little brother was only 1.6 meters tall and couldn’t reach the high places, and now that his brother had become a sister, there was no way they’d let Ning Chu handle the windows.
As the eldest brother, without a father around, he had to handle the riskier and heavier tasks, like cleaning windows, changing light bulbs, and carrying rice.
“Ning Chu, help me bring a bucket of water.”
“Got it!”
“Ning Xin, help me grab the cloth and newspapers.”
“Okay!”
Ning Yuan stepped onto a chair, carefully balancing on the windowsill, one hand gripping the security bars outside while the other wiped the window. His two sisters were standing by, ready to assist at a moment’s notice.
“Brother, the New Year is coming soon. When are you going to bring a sister-in-law home?”
With nothing else to do, Ning Chu typed and chatted with Wen Yang while asking.
“Don’t think about that for the next couple of years; I’m not in the mood for dating.”
“You don’t like men, do you?”
Ning Yuan turned around and shot her a glare. “My company is full of men; where am I supposed to find someone?”
“I have two super pretty besties! Want me to introduce them to you?!” She quickly pulled up a photo of Yan Xinya from her phone, raising it so her brother could see. “Look! Isn’t her figure amazing? She’s also a Beast Ear Girl!”
As he wiped the window, Ning Yuan took a quick glance.
With a high ponytail and a crop top, paired with snug sports shorts, even though Yan Xinya didn’t have any makeup on in the photo, her outfit highlighted her figure incredibly well.
She really was quite pretty.
Ning Yuan felt a little intrigued, but still puffed out his lips dismissively. “You should focus on yourself instead.”
“I have a succubus friend too! Want to see?”
“Sure.”
Although he sounded somewhat reluctant, Ning Chu could clearly hear the suppressed excitement in his voice.
So this is how men are~
“No photos, no looking.” She rolled her eyes at him, casually taking the cloth, rinsing it, wringing it out, and handing it back.
After half an hour of window cleaning, a soft knock echoed from the front door.
Ning Chu and Black Bean instantly perked up, abandoning their brother still standing on the windowsill, darting over excitedly to peek at the door.
Their mother finally rose, casting a sly glance at a overly-excited Ning Chu, her cheeks sporting a hint of pink embarrassment.
As her steps hesitated for a moment, heading toward the front door, her expression brilliantly softened, an involuntary gentle smile appearing on her face.
When the door opened, Ning Chu’s eyes lit up even more.
It was a nearly 1.8-meter tall, robust uncle!
Dressed in a formal suit, with sharp features and a square face, his tall stature paired with a stern expression made him look rather imposing.
In a sea of middle-aged men typically becoming portly and greasy, this uncle was striking and stylish, exuding a mature charm and a sturdy build—truly the kind of uncle that young girls swoon over. It was no wonder he was in the Little Emperor Wen universe…
One could only imagine her mother’s private love life!
“Come in,” her mother said, merely nodding, but her lips couldn’t suppress a warm smile.
“Okay.”
The uncle’s gaze quickly fell on the three heads peeking from the wall, making his expression stiffen a little more.
“Dad! What delicious food did you bring for me?”
Black Bean was the first to spring up, looking up with her little face, her tail held high.
Although she hadn’t seen the uncle many times, she had no hesitation in introducing him as “Dad” when food was involved.
“Steak, seafood,” the uncle leaned down, handing the bags in both hands to Black Bean, his voice low and gentle. “Take it to the kitchen; I’ll cook lunch for you soon.”
“Okay~”
He seemed a bit flustered, glancing at the two siblings peeping at him awkwardly and gave a stiff nod as a greeting.
“Looks pretty reliable, huh~” Ning Chu pulled her head back, glancing at Ning Yuan. “Aren’t you supposed to be cleaning windows? How did you end up here?”
“Just keeping an eye on things; he seems alright.”
As expected, despite the slight difference in appearance and build, the uncle before them was the same unfamiliar man who had appeared in the hospital when their mother left.
Goodness~ How long have they been dating to keep this from the siblings all this time!
