### 334. The Gift
5/15
They said it was time for a nap, but in reality, Ning Chu was way too hyper to sleep.
Maybe tonight would come with a side of insomnia.
She definitely overindulged yesterday…
Lying at the head of her bed, Ning Chu clicked on her brother’s chat avatar but hesitated. Ultimately, she decided not to spill the beans about adding Lily as a friend.
After all, when that girl was online, she turned into a total diva with strangers. If her brother got to know Lily, that girl would probably be so tongue-tied, she’d forget how to speak entirely!
Convinced that getting Lily to join her in a little mischief would mean her brother could score a cute and charming succubus wife, while Lily could trade in her miserable toy collection—
It was a triple win!
Wait, scratch that: Lily was loaded! If they got her brother to marry into her family, they’d score some serious dowry— quadruple win!
Ning Chu beamed at her fantasy of this four-way victory. Lily had bigger… assets than her, and just a call of “Sister-in-law” would make it all worthwhile— all in good spirits!
The only snag was that her brother might not survive the succubus’… antics.
Sure, Lily had made some rookie mistakes last night, but hey, first time jitters are a thing! And it was totally normal to crumble under the pressure of the male protagonist, Wen Yang, when he was in a rampaging mood.
But Lily? Oh, she had mastered her craft! Her brother was definitely in for a wild ride!
Suddenly, an idea to write a steamy little story about her brother and Lily popped into her head! With hands-on experience from last night, the stories she could craft would be pure gold!
However, this thought barely settled in before a frown began to form on her face.
“Ugh…” Ning Chu anxiously squeezed her thighs, and was alarmed to discover that after just one little experience, she was now feeling an insatiable hunger for more.
Just the slightest hint of anything remotely risqué made her body go into overdrive!
Doing a little shimmy, she took a deep breath, trying to suppress those nagging impulses.
Come on! She used to be a guy! She couldn’t start acting like she was a total wreck at the mere thought of not encountering a man for a day!
Fortunately, she was home, so no amount of impulses would lead to actions.
“Big sis~ help me with my homework!”
Black Bean suddenly burst through the door, clutching two workbooks like they were holy relics.
She paused mid-run, her nose twitching as she caught a familiar scent that made her turn to Ning Chu, her face a mix of curiosity and confusion.
Ning Chu’s cheeks flared up in a bright blush as she threw the quilt over herself and shot Black Bean a glare, “Get outta here!”
“Why not?!”
“Last night I told you to eat your roast chicken and go to bed, and what did you do? You ratted me out!” Ning Chu turned away, feigning anger. “I don’t like disobedient little cats. You’re off my list!”
Black Bean scratched her head, “Sis, you’re so childish.”
“…”
Talking to kids was like this, huh?
Even if they were old enough to do their taxes, they still resorted to baby talk, which was infinitely more juvenile than what she’d just said!
Ning Chu rolled her eyes at Black Bean, too lazy to engage further.
“Big sis~ I promise not to do it again~” Black Bean immediately sidled up, hugging her arm and rubbing her face against Ning Chu’s, “C’mon~ help me with my homework! I promise I’ll be super obedient and sleep like a baby next time!”
“Next time, you know you will.”
Ning Chu let out a huff like she was dealing with a pouty toddler. Black Bean’s sincerity was flat-out lacking, only adjusting her behavior to get her way.
But who could resist that adorable cat?
Ning Chu finally relented, pulling herself up to sit at the desk next to Black Bean. “If you don’t understand anything, ask me. Try to make your handwriting look nice.”
“Okay!”
Black Bean sat up straight, diving into the homework with the seriousness of a tiny student preparing for a test.
That posture had definitely come from their mother’s training; Ning Chu remembered it well, having been smacked on the bottom for slouching as a kid.
Thanks to that, Ning Chu, now a young lady, avoided hunchback and slouched shoulders, things that were a significant no-no for girls. No matter how pretty you were, the moment some slouch creeps in, it’s all over for your charm!
Gotta admit, Black Bean’s serious and quiet demeanor was just the cutest thing, heartwarming to the max!
Stealing a glance at Black Bean’s work before checking the innocent tail swaying behind her, Ning Chu made sure this little cat wasn’t slacking off. Then, she propped her chin on one hand and opened up her phone browser.
She was searching “Are succubi easy to get pregnant?” Clicking through websites, she began scanning for answers.
To her recollection, succubi were known for their fertile nature and were not supposed to have reproductive barriers with humanoid beings. Yet, in all the literary works she’d seen, a pregnant succubus was as rare as a unicorn.
Perhaps once they got knocked up, they just didn’t feel like working anymore?
Her own book didn’t really cover this topic at all, but…
After just a quick peek, Ning Chu felt her face getting a little pale.
In this world, succubi were indeed known to be fertile… but the male protagonist wasn’t necessarily fertile! In the book, he never used protection with any girl, just like what happened last night.
Yet the novel never mentioned babies or pregnancy at all. Since it was never brought up, it must mean it just didn’t exist.
Perhaps it was just a numbers game—lots of attempts but not much success?
Whatever the outcome, if she could dodge that b*llet this time, she’d better take precautions in the future…
She sighed, feeling a headache come on. Even though she had already taken her medication, she couldn’t shake off the nagging worry of something going wrong.
“Big sister, how do I solve this?”
“Let me see… Such an easy question—didn’t you pay attention in class?”
“Maybe I was sneaking snacks while they were explaining this?”
Ning Chu gave Black Bean a light flick on the forehead in response. The tiny cat rubbed her head, ears and tail perked up.
“I’ll explain it to you. Pay close attention.”
“Okay!”
Even though Ning Chu’s peak intellectual prowess came during high school exams, she had managed to return most of that knowledge back to her teachers by now. Still, elementary-level questions were a walk in the park for her.
“I got it!” Black Bean nodded vigorously, but her thoughts quickly drifted away from homework, her curiosity leading her to Ning Chu, “Sis, you smell funny.”
“…”
“Like…”
“Don’t describe! I’m going to take a shower!”
Ning Chu blushed, hastily covering her face as she slipped away.
God knows if it was Wen Yang’s lingering scent or something way more personal, but taking a shower was definitely the right call.
Today, she had already showered three times—her skin might just turn as red as a tomato…
“Knock knock knock.”
“I’m coming!”
While Ning Chu was halfway through washing, her mother heard the knocking and stood up to open the door, coming face-to-face with Wen Yang, who was sporting a grin that could melt glaciers.
“Auntie, I… I came to check on you.”
In the past, Wen Yang had been just a little jittery around his future mother-in-law, but today he was so tight-lipped, it was almost comedic.
“Auntie, I brought a little gift!”
Her mother frowned a bit, looking clearly annoyed, “You could’ve just come over without bringing a gift, you know? What’s with all the present stuff?”
“For Black Bean, a couple of workbooks—math, language arts, and English—also a children’s version of ‘Journey to the West’ and ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’…”
Her expression shifted from annoyance to a faint smile as she considered his offerings, “Well, that’s quite nice. You can just put them over there.”
“Okay!”
Wen Yang’s anxious heart finally found some peace. This time, he finally brought the right gift!
“Black Bean! Hurry and see what your brother-in-law brought you!”
“Is the brother-in-law here? Is it beef jerky? Pork rinds? I love braised pig tongue!” Black Bean came charging out from her room, her eyes spotting a sizable bag atop the TV cabinet, and they lit up.
She darted over, hugging the bag tightly and sweetly beaming at Wen Yang, “Thank you, brother-in-law~”
“Mhm, good girl.”
Afraid the tasty goodies might be snatched away from her, she scampered to a corner and began opening the bag right there.
Pages of colorful workbooks greeted her, and her face turned… a vibrant shade of green.
