328. Triggering the Plot
When Mom left to play Mahjong, Black Bean’s antics gave off a familiar vibe that felt like déjà vu.
Too familiar! Wasn’t this exactly how it was with me and my older brother back in the day?
When the two of us found out Mom was going to play Mahjong all night, we were just as eager, pretending to be sad while secretly grinning from ear to ear.
It was uncanny!
Even though she understood Black Bean’s behavior perfectly, her eyelids jumped, and her bl**d pressure soared.
She yanked Black Bean by her cat ears: “Do you think I’m invisible?”
Feeling the pain in her ears, Black Bean looked up at Ning Chu with confusion: “Sister…”
Her handsome face had gone expressionless, brows slightly knitted, and the anger in her eyes made Ning Chu feel an involuntary twinge of fear.
The excited expression was frozen on her face, and for a moment, she was taken aback.
Ning Chu pulled Black Bean off the sofa and gave her a kick on the rear: “Go do your homework!”
Suddenly realizing that Mom was indeed off playing Mahjong, but there was still another “mom” at home, Black Bean frantically turned off the TV, quickly returned to her homework, and picked up her pen, looking all pitiful. She peeked at Ning Chu, saw her standing there with a dark expression, and began to write even faster.
Why do I have two moms?!
Ning Chu stood with her hands on her hips next to Black Bean, keeping a watchful eye for two whole minutes. After confirming that this little cat didn’t have any plans to slack off, she finally relaxed and plopped down on the sofa.
Thankfully, Black Bean was reasonably well-behaved. Unlike when she was a child, obsessed with playing even when forced to do homework, taking an hour to write just one page of practice. If that were the case, she’d be dead from frustration tonight.
“What do you want for a late-night snack?” Ning Chu asked, crossing her left leg over the right and leaning against the sofa’s armrest, resting her chin in one hand while eyeing Black Bean.
Upon hearing “late-night snack,” Black Bean’s droopy ears perked up: “Roast chicken?”
“If you write neatly, I’ll get you barbecue tonight.”
“Deal!”
Black Bean immediately slowed down, taking her time to turn her illegible scribbles into actual words.
Seeing her efforts bear fruit, Ning Chu looked down at her phone, relieved.
Good thing this cat had a ravenous appetite, making it easy to manage her with a soft spot as her motivation. She was no troublemaker.
Gradually, the clock ticked to ten at night.
Black Bean had finished her homework and was engrossed in the TV, chewing away on chicken bones, with a box of roast chicken in front of her, lazily swaying her tail.
Meanwhile, Ning Chu curled up on the sofa chatting with Wen Yang, finding out the location and exact time of tonight’s gathering.
“I’m heading out for dinner; I’ll talk to you later.”
She paused for a moment, then replied, “Okay.”
It was about time to leave.
It would take at least half an hour to get there by subway, and that was long enough for Wen Yang to get drugged.
Hope he doesn’t get picked up by some girl before I get there.
Ning Chu’s expression turned serious. She’d already prepared to go out, with her socks and scarf on, wrapped in a thick, fur-collared coat, she arrived at the front door.
“Sister? Where are you going?”
“I have something to do, might be back around eleven or twelve.”
She felt uneasy leaving Black Bean alone, so she turned back to give her a reminder: “Finish your roast chicken and go to bed; you have classes tomorrow.”
“If someone knocks on the door, don’t open it. Just pretend you’re asleep.”
“If Mom asks tomorrow, just say we both went to bed around ten.”
Black Bean tilted her head, her ears twitching: “Are you going to see brother-in-law? I want to go too!”
“Just eat your roast chicken!”
“Oh~”
Ning Chu opened the door, bent down to put on her shoes, and stepped into the hallway.
“Sister!” Black Bean hurried to the door.
With a sigh, she turned back to see Black Bean’s face filled with reluctance and pleading. She smiled gently and ruffled Black Bean’s head: “Good girl, finish eating and go to bed.”
“Get me some barbecue too, or I’ll tell Mom.”
“……”
With a straight face, she shut the door.
From behind the door, she could vaguely hear cheers and laughter from inside the house.
Ning Chu estimated that by the time she returned, the place would be a mess, and Black Bean would be glued to her tablet and the TV.
Her bl**d pressure was already rising!
The situation was urgent, so she had to temporarily brush Black Bean aside, called for a ride, and headed to Wen Yang’s gathering spot.
Half an hour later, Ning Chu arrived at the restaurant where the gathering was happening.
She glanced up at the restaurant’s transparent glass door and immediately spotted Wen Yang dining with his colleagues.
At least this time, thankfully, Wen Yang was surrounded by men and hadn’t encountered any “ladies” situation.
This eased Ning Chu’s mind. She looked around, found a nearby milk tea shop, and sat down.
Things should be just fine.
She warmed her hands around a cup of hot mocha milk tea, occasionally taking sips while keeping her eyes glued on the restaurant’s entrance.
After not waiting long, Wen Yang and his colleagues started pouring out of the restaurant.
“Wen Yang, your face is so red! Let me walk you home?”
“I didn’t even drink, what’s there to walk home for?”
On this winter night, Wen Yang felt no chill at all. After the meal, he was practically sweating, and even his breaths created little puffs of white mist.
The girl hurried up to insist again, but Wen Yang took a step back, seriously proclaiming, “I have a girlfriend now, and it’s not proper to be all touchy.”
“Wen Yang!”
He paused, turned around, and saw Ning Chu wearing all white, radiating an innocent and pure vibe: “Oh, my girlfriend is here.”
“Whoa! She’s so beautiful!”
“Nice! How did you manage to score her?”
After a meal, Wen Yang’s camaraderie with his colleagues had clearly grown, and their praises filled him with satisfaction as he proudly walked over, taking Ning Chu’s hand.
“What are you doing here? It’s so late.”
“I was a bit worried… Who was that girl?” Ning Chu eyed the woman who had just spoken to Wen Yang with suspicion.
She looked pretty average, nothing like a “mature girl” or “stunning beauty,” so definitely not a side character.
“Taking a taxi back?” she asked, returning her gaze to Wen Yang.
“Just a short walk, not far.”
Ning Chu studied Wen Yang’s face and could tell he looked fine except for a slight blush.
She wrinkled her nose, catching a faint scent of alcohol and smoke.
“I just had a little to drink; I really couldn’t turn it down,” he chuckled wryly, “Just a bunch of old wolves, not a match for me.”
“Ugh~”
Ning Chu loathed drinking culture but felt helpless; it wasn’t her call.
She held onto Wen Yang’s arm: “Let’s go.”
“I’ll head out first!” Wen Yang called back to his colleagues.
At eleven o’clock, the city had grown a bit quiet.
This was no night market; there weren’t any KTVs or bars nearby, so the lively nightlife didn’t affect this area.
The chilly wind blew on the streets as Ning Chu linked her arm with Wen Yang’s, their contrasting heights creating distorted shadows under the streetlight.
“I’ll walk you home; it’s already eleven, and it’s not safe being out this late.” Wen Yang seemed to worry about Ning Chu, but his next words revealed his true thoughts, “Why not just crash at my rental apartment?”
“Absolutely not! If I stay out, my mom will have a fit.”
Ning Chu scrutinized Wen Yang’s expression, anxiously asking, “You’re not feeling unwell, are you?”
“Not at all.”
Looks like the plot hasn’t been triggered?
“I’m just feeling a bit hot.” Wen Yang tugged at his collar, grimacing.
Ning Chu reacted like a startled rabbit, swiftly pulling away from him.
What the heck! Why didn’t you say so earlier?!
And here she was just strolling around all relaxed!
