374. Family
15/29
The night gradually deepened.
The family of four had finished dinner and taken their baths, now cozily dressed in matching plush pajamas featuring cute cat heads, sitting neatly on the sofa. A quilt was tossed over their laps as the TV across from them played the latest hot drama.
Ning Chu lifted her calves, curled her legs close to the quilt, and wrapped her arms around it, tucking herself in.
“Is it really that cold?” her mother glanced down at her daughter leaning against her, a smile playing on her lips. “Are you heading out tonight?”
“Nope, not going.”
No way!
Ning Chu shook her head firmly.
Besides, the hotel rate was over two hundred! Even though she’d managed to trick her brother out of three hundred, she just couldn’t bring herself to spend it.
Yawning, she nuzzled closer to her mother, muttering, “Feels way colder this year than last.”
“Last year it dropped to four or five degrees, now it’s just one or two!” Her mother stared at the TV, teasing, “With weather like this, you’re still running around outside at night? You’re bound to get frostbite!”
“I already have frostbite at school… What’s that got to do with it?”
Her mother had a knack for linking completely unrelated topics.
“Sis~ order a late-night snack~”
“Take my phone and keep an eye on it.”
“Okay!”
She had promised Black Bean that if she completed a couple of extra workbook pages, she’d earn a meal, but now she was in debt for dozens of meals.
Who knew this cat could be so lousy with homework?
But with Black Bean’s occasional late-night snacking habits, she’d likely still have leftovers by the end of winter break.
Ning Chu leaned against her mother’s shoulder, wrapping her arm around her, blissfully watching TV, yawning from time to time.
Warm, cozy, emotionally relaxed.
Her mood was like a gentle breeze rippling across calm waters, quietly laced with a flicker of happiness, which made her feel utterly at ease.
She found herself enamored with this family atmosphere, something she hadn’t experienced in a long while…
Thinking back to this time last year, she had turned down her grandfather’s invitation and sat alone on a lonely sofa, listening to the noise from downstairs while surrounded by furniture and clutter, feeling achingly empty inside.
Back then, she had no one; her mother had passed away years ago, her brother was off gallivanting who knows where, and she was facing the panic of her final year in college, standing on the precipice of adulthood faced with an uncertain future.
She dreaded the New Year, despised the cheerful laughter wafting in from the neighboring window, hated seeing kids playing with sparklers under their parents’ watch, loathed watching the festive Spring Festival Gala…
She had cried many times, but every New Year’s her eyes still turned red.
Now, her long-lost mother was back with her, her brother, who had dropped out of high school to become a hoodlum, was now steadied in a job, and they had an energetic little cat buzzing around… If only this life could last a bit longer, even to the point of being tiresome, it would be welcomed.
Arriving in this parallel world, though she turned into a girl and transformed into a succubus, constantly being seen as a cream bun, was still worth it.
“Mom! Sister’s crying!”
Black Bean jumped up, pointing dramatically at Ning Chu’s eyes.
“I’m not! Stop talking nonsense!”
She hurriedly looked down, covering her reddened eyes to prevent her family from noticing.
Ning Yuan glanced at her, inquiring, “Who upset you this time? Why are you crying during the New Year?”
“I’m not crying!”
Ning Chu took a deep breath, trying to dispel the burning sensation in her sinuses.
She had always been an emotional person, but after becoming a girl, her feelings had intensified even more.
“Definitely Mom’s fault~ Mom loves to talk about her sister!”
Her mother stretched out her arm, playfully tapping Black Bean on the head over Ning Chu, “I was just joking with your sister. Honestly, you can’t take a joke.”
“Ow~”
Black Bean turned back to the daughter curled up in the quilt, only her head peeking out, “What’s wrong?”
Ning Chu stifled her tears, teasingly replied, “Just got older by a year, it’s so tough~”
“Such a brat!”
“Mom’s so beautiful, always eighteen!” She hurriedly flattered her mother, “Isn’t that right, Black Bean?”
“Right!”
“Mom, bro isn’t saying anything; he must think you’re old.”
Ning Yuan, survival instincts kicking in, quickly disputed, “I never said such a thing!”
Their mother, astutely noticing Ning Chu’s still reddened eyes, gently wrapped her arm around her daughter’s shoulders, pulling her in closer.
As the drama wrapped up its episode, a boring commercial made Black Bean yawn, and she flopped sideways onto Ning Chu’s lap, curling up with her tail swaying gently.
Ning Chu had composed herself and looked down, “Didn’t you just order takeout?”
“I’ll shout when it arrives~”
Even though she had now become a catgirl, Black Bean’s sleeping habits mirrored those of regular cats—she could nap anywhere and anytime and wake up just as easily.
Ning Chu ruffled the little head resting on her thigh, running her fingers through the fuzzy, silky cat ears, then curiously leaned down, peeking into her ears.
Since she cleaned Black Bean’s ears with solution every morning, they were actually quite clean.
As time went on, Ning Chu’s anxiety became visibly apparent.
She started bouncing her calves lightly and glanced at her phone every so often.
Just past nine—if she set out now, she’d connect with Wen Yang right as he finished work.
That thought popped up in her mind uninvited, but she quickly forced it back down.
Nope! Gotta resist!
Tonight, no going out!
Her gaze kept drifting toward her wallet on the shoe rack, where her mother’s membership card was—discounts on everything at the hotel, plus free breakfast.
She shook her head vigorously.
Resist!
“Delivery’s here!”
As soon as the elevator door outside opened, Black Bean, who had been in a deep sleep just a moment ago, shot up and dashed toward the door.
Ning Chu swallowed, feeling a bit greedy for a late-night snack.
Her mother caught onto her restlessness, an amused glint in her eyes as she watched her daughter squirm, eager to see how long Ning Chu could hold out.
“Do you want some?”
Black Bean sprinted back to the sofa, violently tearing open the packaging, revealing a box of chicken cutlet and milk tea.
“Sis?”
“Not eating.”
Ning Chu took a deep breath, suddenly standing up and heading straight for the bathroom. “Mom, I’m going to wash my face and sleep.”
“Not going out anymore?”
“Why would I go out? It’s freezing!”
Better to sleep it off and not dwell on messy thoughts!
Besides, if Wen Yang didn’t return to the rental tonight, Zhang Shaoqing would have all the reasons in the world to pester her tomorrow.
That annoying face, ugh~
After a quick wash, Ning Chu dashed into her bedroom, diving into bed, turning off the light, and closing her eyes to summon sleep.
She tossed and turned, struggling to drift off.
Opening her eyes again, she glanced at the time, and her unease flared up even more.
“Oh no, tonight’s going to be one of those sleepless nights…”
