442. Wen Yang
Due to his birthday, Wen Yang finished his part-time job a bit earlier today.
Stepping out from the back door of the bus, he rubbed his sore shoulders, then wiped his face to swap out the heavy fatigue for a gentle smile.
He didn’t want to carry any negative vibes back to Ning Chu.
Although his coworkers had been pretty nice to him, work was still work, and dealing with those overly affectionate girls left him mentally and physically drained.
The good news? He’d made quite a bit of money today.
Thinking about the little succubus waiting for him at the rental apartment made his spirits lift significantly.
I wonder what kind of gift Ning Chu has in store for his birthday~
It’s bound to be something with a succubus flair… perhaps when he opens the door, he’ll be greeted by a freshly scrubbed little succubus wearing that infamous emotionally disastrous maid outfit, swaying her heart-shaped tail invitingly.
Passing by a street vendor, Wen Yang casually bought some grilled squid. Lately, Ning Chu had developed quite the obsession with tentacle monsters, craving squid and octopus for every meal.
Oh, and a little bottle of 200 ml cola for Ning Chu, plus the mop he had promised to bring her.
Carrying a bunch of items, Wen Yang eagerly walked into the apartment building, his mind racing with visions of the little succubus blushing and striking a pose just for him.
Wearing a warm, gentle smile already, his steps unconsciously quickened.
He felt that one of the happiest things in the world might just be coming home after a long day at work, knowing there’s a cute little wife eagerly waiting for him.
If only it were a real home, not just a rental.
That day will come…
Arriving at the front door of the apartment, Wen Yang paused his steps and listened for any sounds inside.
There was a loud clattering, as if a battle was going on.
He blinked in slight confusion and knocked on the door.
“Coming, coming!”
Hearing that energetic voice made his smile even warmer. When the door opened, he found that Ning Chu wasn’t wearing the flimsy outfit he had imagined. Instead, she was wearing an apron around her waist and holding a huge kitchen kn*fe high, creating a rather shocking scene.
“You’re back so early?”
Ning Chu casually set the kn*fe aside, leaned in to take the stuff out of Wen Yang’s hands, and even helped him out of his heavy coat while chattering nonstop.
“I’m trying to cook! I set up a folding table by the window, and even put up some wallpaper so I don’t splatter grease everywhere.”
“Luckily, Lily and Xinya helped me out, or I’d still be at it this afternoon!”
“They even went grocery shopping with me and taught me how to pick the good stuff.”
“Today is just a test run, but if I have time on the weekends, I can cook for you!”
Wen Yang stood there, a bit dazed as Ning Chu pulled him by the hand, leading him further into the apartment.
A strange feeling started to blossom in his chest…
He was brought to the coffee table, where he lowered his head to see three dishes that looked less than appealing.
Ning Chu appeared a little embarrassed, fiddling with her nails in a shy manner: “I followed the recipe exactly, but it didn’t turn out very pretty. I thought for your birthday, I could make something that looked really impressive… but the taste should be fine! Give it a try?”
She shoved a pair of chopsticks into Wen Yang’s hands, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“This fried fish piece…”
“It’s Sweet and Sour Carp! Not just any fried fish!” she corrected him seriously, “This is a big dish from Shandong cuisine! A must-have at weddings!”
“…”
To be honest, it didn’t look remotely like Sweet and Sour Carp; it was more like Sweet and Sour Fish Nuggets.
Wen Yang picked up a piece of fish and dipped it in the tomato sauce before popping it into his mouth. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he gave a thumbs up: “Surprisingly delicious!”
“Are you serious? Is it really that exaggerated?”
“Really!”
“I think it’s pretty average… it’s not even as good as what my mom makes.”
Given how it looked, he’d been expecting it to be barely edible, but the taste was pleasantly homey. Wasn’t that unexpected? It could even compete with cafeteria food.
“Well, you’re not allowed to eat it yet! There are still two dishes that aren’t ready!”
Ning Chu, over the moon, rushed back to the induction stove by the window and scampered back with a kn*fe in hand.
“Be careful, or I’ll…”
“Just sit there! Today, you’re the birthday star! I made you Longevity Noodles!”
“Longevity Noodles?”
“It’s a tradition from my side where we boil Dragon Beard Noodles with an egg for birthdays, symbolizing long life. Don’t you have that custom?” She sat at the table with the induction stove, her eyes sparkling with excitement, “I also made some Pork Bone Soup, and once the Longevity Noodles are done, I’ll pour the soup over them. It’s going to taste amazing!”
She dropped the noodles into the pot, then watched the time on her phone anxiously, carefully adding seasonings to the bone soup, tasting it bit by bit, worried that it would be too bland or too strong.
No wonder the taste wasn’t bad.
She was just worried she’d eat all the food before it was ready.
Wen Yang watched the clumsy yet adorable sight of Ning Chu, and that strange feeling in his chest just kept growing, softening his gaze even more.
He suddenly realized he already had a home, as long as Ning Chu was there.
The doorbell rang.
“Wen Yang, could you get that? I think the cake I ordered has arrived.”
“Cake?”
“Yeah! There are several cake shops near the school! I picked it out personally!”
Wen Yang stood up and opened the door, greeted by a cake delivery employee standing outside.
Taking the cake, he politely replied, “Thank you.”
The delivery girl blushed and quickly turned away.
Wen Yang couldn’t help but chuckle, closing the door while holding the cake box.
Ning Chu leaned in curiously: “I got a small cake! You must be born in the year of the sheep, right? I had the baker add a pair of horns on top—just like mine!”
“Should we open it and see?”
She asked with a cheerful grin.
Wen Yang nodded, carefully untied the ribbon on the cake box, and dramatically opened it.
But the sight that greeted them made both of them fall silent.
All that remained was a round cake base, while the outer layer of cream and fruit had been a complete disaster inside the box, leaving only a shadow of its original form.
“What happened to it?!” Ning Chu’s voice turned sharp as she frantically searched for her phone, “I need to call the baker! Where’s my phone?!”
“Maybe it got jostled around a bit on the way? It’s been raining a lot lately.”
She huffed, wanting to demand some explanation: “At the very least, the baker should refund me! How are we supposed to eat this?! Where’s my phone?!”
Wen Yang looked at her, holding a phone tightly in her hand, as she dashed around the room like a headless chicken, unable to stifle a chuckle.
Is the little succubus’s brain overloaded?
“What are you laughing at? Where’s my phone?!”
“Check the time; the noodles won’t cook themselves, right?”
“Noodles!”
Ning Chu suddenly jolted, glancing at her phone timer, and rushed to the induction stove. Carefully, she used her chopsticks to fish out the noodles, muttering in frustration, “Where did my phone go…”
Casually placing her phone on the table, her noodle-fishing motion froze as she belatedly looked down at her phone.
Turns out she had been holding it the whole time!
Checking back to see Wen Yang unable to hold back his laughter, her cheeks flushed bright red, and she huffed at him angrily, eyes narrowed.
Wen Yang just laughed even louder.
——————
A little shout-out for a newbie author’s book, “I Became the Catgirl Wife of the Demon King.”
The first book did this well, so envious!
