### 361. Sneaky Surprise
As noon approached, Wen Yang walked out of the subway station, taking the stairs two at a time.
The area was an old town with buildings no taller than ten stories and a four-lane road. The street was almost completely shaded by the lush trees lining the sidewalks.
It was the first day of the new year, and festive banners and lights still hung across the street, but the usually bustling neighborhood felt oddly quiet this year.
This was the closest subway stop to Ning Chu’s house; it would still take about fifteen minutes on foot to reach there.
After purchasing some New Year goodies from a roadside vendor, Wen Yang perked up, glancing at his reflection in his mobile phone as he straightened his back and strutted toward the residential community.
When he reached the bottom of the complex, a certain electric car caught his eye.
It wasn’t the car itself that intrigued him but the two elderly folks standing next to it.
The old man had thinning hair and looked quite sprightly despite his bony wrists. He straightened up like a soldier, exuding more energy than most young people.
The old lady, a bit rounder and rosy-cheeked, looked remarkably youthful—she could easily pass for someone in her forties, suggesting she must have been a stunner in her younger days. And what a sight it was; she boasted some curly horns that looked like a coconut-loving sheep.
Horned people aren’t common; I wonder if they’re heavy…
Wen Yang couldn’t help but steal another glance or two, only to be caught by the old lady, who gave him a friendly tap on the head.
He flashed an awkward smile and nodded back before entering the building, waiting by the elevator.
Moments later, the two elderly folks joined him, stepping into the elevator together.
“That Ning Chu! She has to see me like it’s a matter of life or d*ath.”
“She’s shy; she must be worried about what others will say.”
“Xiao Juan is the same thing! Huge events happen, and she waits until there’s a crisis to spill the tea—spoiled since she was a child!”
Wen Yang listened to the conversation but was bummed that he didn’t understand a word of the local dialect; it sounded like a lively argument.
He glanced back and saw the old man fuming while the old lady was all smiles—not exactly a quarrel.
Maybe it’s just the dialect messing with my ears… Speaking of, I’ve never heard Ning Chu speak in dialect before; maybe she can’t at all.
The elevator arrived, and Wen Yang stepped in first, pushing the button for Ning Chu’s floor, then stepped aside, busying himself with his phone.
“Xiao Juan’s neighbor? Haven’t met them before.”
“Must be a young one coming to pay New Year’s visits?”
Even though he couldn’t comprehend what the elderly folks were saying, Wen Yang felt their keen gaze on him. Sneaking a peek at the elevator panel, he suspected these unfamiliar faces were the neighbors from across Ning Chu’s door.
The elevator dinged, and they all stepped out together, pausing in front of Ning Chu’s door.
“…”
The three exchanged puzzled glances, all a bit bewildered.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and Ning Chu burst out excitedly, “Wen Yang!”
But as soon as she registered the scene outside, she put on the brakes, practically doing the moonwalk back, gripping the doorframe while her feet slid a few inches on the tiled floor—coming perilously close to a faceplant.
Caught in the awkward gaze of everyone, Ning Chu’s face turned beet red as she shyly greeted, “Grandpa, Grandma… what are you doing here…”
Her mom didn’t mention anything about this!
“It’s been over ten days since the holiday started; if we didn’t come, you were hoping to hide until school started?”
“Not at all! We were planning to come tomorrow to visit…”
Her gaze couldn’t help but wander to Grandma’s quirky horns.
Wow! From this angle, those look kind of cute~ Like coconut sheep horns!
The appearance of her grandparents was pretty much the same as before her time travel, except Grandma looked slightly younger and sported those two charming curls.
“Oh my~ Ning Chu is so beautiful!” Upon seeing her granddaughter, Grandma’s face lit up, and she waltzed into the house without even taking her shoes off, grabbing Ning Chu’s delicate face in her hands, grinning so widely that her eyes turned into a sea of crow’s feet.
Ning Chu felt like her face was dough being kneaded, and then whoosh! A smooch landed, making her eyes water a little. Peeking over Grandma’s shoulder at Wen Yang, she looked utterly defeated but managed to muster a smile.
“Grandpa!” Black Bean, the little cat, noticed the bustle and rushed over, jumping into Grandpa’s embrace.
Though he wanted to sneak more glances at his granddaughter’s changes, Grandpa first rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a cheese stick to appease Black Bean.
“Ning Chu, who’s here?”
Mom, apron-clad, emerged from the kitchen at the commotion. She took one look at the door, and her smile froze instantly.
“What? Not welcome?”
“Of course not~”
As if hosting a guest of honor, Grandpa swaggered into the living room, plopping himself on the sofa and helping himself to some sunflower seeds.
Just like a father…
Mom’s expression turned frantic, her eyes darting toward the kitchen like a nervous squirrel.
Just over ten days ago, Ning Chu had brought Wen Yang home to meet her parents… Now it was the unprepared Uncle’s turn for a meeting?!
The scene was chaotic; Wen Yang stood outside bewildered, Ning Chu was being smothered by Grandma, Grandpa was entertaining Black Bean on the sofa, and Mom was frozen in place, unsure of what to do…
On the first day of the New Year, how did we end up in this mess?
With a troubled sigh, Mom forced a bright smile and called out to Wen Yang, “Don’t just stand there like a lost puppy, come in!”
“Okay, Aunty, I brought some snacks…”
“Just leave them there.”
Her smile sent chills down Wen Yang’s spine. As soon as he stepped inside, she cheerfully introduced him, “This is Ning Chu’s boyfriend, Wen Yang.”
Wen Yang instantly straightened up, unsure whether to bow or nod.
Do I call him Grandpa or… Uncle? Something else?
It should be the first one, but they’re not married yet…
“Oh?” Grandpa looked Wen Yang over with interest. “Nice young lad.”
“Right?” Mom grabbed Wen Yang’s hand, pushing him onto the sofa, “You two chat; I’ll go prepare lunch.”
“Really, you didn’t give me a heads-up about this, and now I’ve got nothing ready.”
Mom, after selling her daughter’s boyfriend for a breather, hurried into the kitchen, ready to strategize with Uncle about their visit to see Ning Chu’s parents.
Meanwhile, Wen Yang stood looking dumbfounded under Grandpa’s scrutiny, feeling the itch behind his head.
Ning Chu, on the other hand, was too occupied with Grandma, who had her arm linked with Ning Chu’s, rattling on like an old radio with endless chatter.
“You’re so pretty now, even more than your mom was at your age.”
“No horns? You took after your mom!”
“Just half a year ago, you looked like a kid! How did you become this stunning so quickly? Look at that figure!”
Can we not talk about half a year ago…
That mortifying feeling still haunted Ning Chu; even now, she could hardly bear it. She awkwardly chuckled, “Mhm.”
Standing in front of Grandma, she felt like a living doll, being squeezed and poked, basking in Grandma’s affection.
But after a short while, she couldn’t take it anymore and finally spoke up, “Grandma…”
She clearly saw Mom selling Wen Yang for space earlier! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
“What is it?”
“My mom has found a boyfriend, and he’s in the kitchen.”
Grandma paused, suddenly sprinting for the kitchen, “I’ll go check it out!”
