Unexpected
On Monday, with over ten minutes left before class, a couple strolled up the stairs to the fourth floor of the teaching building at a leisurely pace.
As they reached the hallway, a loud cheer erupted from behind, startling Ning Chu.
“Ning Chu~”
The wolf-eared girl dashed in, wagging her tail excitedly, ready to pounce into Ning Chu’s arms—only to have her face firmly pressed down by a strong hand, halting her in her tracks.
“Only you have so much energy every day.”
“Not really~” Yan Xinya said, struggling to move the delicate hand from her face, her gaze suddenly frozen.
Ning Chu straightened up, proudly showing off her freshly manicured nails, the corners of her mouth quirking upward: “Pretty, right? Wen Yang took me for a manicure!”
“Isn’t his money technically your money?”
“Can’t argue with that~”
Yan Xinya was taken aback to see such a feminine touch on Ning Chu. Heck, in the past, she wouldn’t even carry a handbag, always hanging onto Wen Yang’s neck instead.
“So, how do I look? Isn’t it great!”
The Wolf Girl shook her big ears: “Uh, it’s okay?”
“Right? I think it’s pretty nice too!”
“Morning.”
Lily, expression blank, joined them, casually greeting then continuing toward the classroom.
“How did you know I got my nails done, Lily?”
“???”
“Wen Yang took me! Look!”
Lily stared at Ning Chu, head tilting slightly as if she couldn’t comprehend.
It’s just nail art—why flaunt it like a kid showing off a new toy?
“Isn’t it pretty?” Ning Chu persistently thrust her fingers toward Lily, her face radiating pride.
Lily grabbed her finger, scrutinizing it seriously, before finally spitting out two cold words: “Average.”
Ning Chu’s smile faltered, retracting her hand while mumbling to herself: “I think it’s alright, though…”
“And with dead skin…”
Realizing Lily was blunt enough, Yan Xinya leaned in and continued, “You still have dead skin left, and what’s with the hangnail on your index finger? The cuticle hasn’t even been tended to!” After a moment of judgment, she muttered, “How much did you pay? Not very professional~ Not as good as the nails Lily does.”
“……”
Ning Chu buried her head in the crook of her elbow, flopping against the railing with an air of existential dread. Beside her, Wen Yang chuckled while ruffling her hair.
“It’s normal to be tricked the first time; as long as you think they look good, that’s all that matters.”
“Oh~”
Lily was a bit too straightforward. Today, Ning Chu, our little succubus, started off in a great mood but ended up down in the dumps.
Wen Yang suspected these two succubi were secretly competing, but they always seemed to get along just fine.
Seeing Ning Chu sulking against the railing and saying nothing, Lily finally said with a stern expression: “Come to the dorm after school.”
“For what?”
“I’ll help you out.”
Ning Chu perked up, “Is there a fee!”
“Just go to class first.”
She hooked her arm around Lily’s, eagerly asking, “What color do you think I should get? What style would look good?”
“I think something sparkly would be nice! Just a bit too flashy for everyday wear.”
“Are you talking about those with nail tips?” Yan Xinya chimed in, keen to join the discussion. “I like those too!”
Seeing the girls chatting happily in the hallway, Wen Yang took the lead and headed into the classroom.
To his surprise, he spotted Zhang Shaoqing right away; this guy usually either skipped class or arrived just in the nick of time. Seeing him here early was a shocker.
“So early?” Wen Yang sat down next to Zhang Shaoqing, setting his textbook down and flipping it open as he asked.
“Yeah, where’s Ning Chu?”
Zhang Shaoqing hesitated.
“She’s chatting in the back.”
Wen Yang was taken aback to see a rare look on this shameless guy’s face. Curious, he asked, “What’s up? Did something happen at home?”
“Not at home… Remember on Saturday, I took Wang Jie to find his girlfriend?”
Zhang Shaoqing always liked to refer to his girlfriend as “wife,” which seemed a bit childish to Wen Yang.
“You said you wanted to sneak a photo for the group chat but didn’t snap one.”
He scratched his head, “Then Wang Jie’s girlfriend is pregnant…”
“!!”
Wen Yang’s expression froze in disbelief, mouth agape: “Pregnant? Isn’t his girlfriend only eighteen or nineteen?”
His lip twitched as he struggled to connect the dots between the honest Wang Jie and the guy who’d gotten his girlfriend pregnant before marriage.
“Yeah, I even spent half the day with them at the hospital.”
Zhang Shaoqing propped his chin on his hand, suddenly excited: “You wouldn’t believe it! Wang Jie’s girlfriend is a rabbit! I kid you not! Those ears are huge! She’s only about five foot five, but with those ears, she’s got to be about six feet tall!”
This guy quickly derailed the conversation: “No wonder Wang Jie is such a mess—he can hardly walk straight. Word is, it was his girlfriend who made the first move. Typical rabbit behavior.”
Wen Yang, baffled, asked: “I remember Wang Jie showing us a picture…”
“She was wearing a hat, and she really is a good girl—she looks a bit dowdy.”
“What are you talking about?”
Ning Chu came in leisurely with her best friend. Plopping down next to Wen Yang, she immediately leaned in, ears perked up: “What looks dowdy?”
“Oh, you’re just in time for a consultation.”
“Hmm?”
“Wang Jie’s girlfriend is pregnant. Should they keep it or terminate it?”
“???”
Ning Chu looked utterly confused, lifting her gaze to Zhang Shaoqing: “Huh?”
“Wang Jie is still with his girlfriend, stressing over whether to keep it.” Zhang Shaoqing crossed his legs, “I think he should just terminate it. If he doesn’t have the money, I can lend him some. Better than juggling a burden while he’s still in school.”
“……”
Ning Chu’s brain momentarily couldn’t process it.
She thought her little succubus had a high chance of getting pregnant unexpectedly, but it seemed Wang Jie’s girlfriend was the one in the hot seat.
Didn’t Wang Jie use protection or something?!
“Isn’t this something he needs to decide for himself?” Wen Yang rubbed his temples, already feeling a headache coming on. He couldn’t decide based on his perspective either.
Thankfully, he and Ning Chu were both careful about such things nowadays.
“He’s still hesitating—he doesn’t even dare tell his family.” Zhang Shaoqing said gleefully, “He hasn’t even met her parents, and he’s already gotten their daughter pregnant. If I were his dad, I’d break his legs.”
Wen Yang shivered, feeling a twitch in his calves: “Right?”
Meeting the parents could very well lead to a leg-breaking too, right?
“Maybe just terminate it secretly?”
“Wang Jie’s girlfriend won’t allow it.”
“Keep it then…”
“They aren’t even married and can’t afford to raise a kid.”
Wen Yang couldn’t help rolling his eyes: “So what does he want to do?”
“No idea, that’s why he asked you guys for advice~” Zhang Shaoqing grinned mischievously.
———
This reminded me of a middle school friend who begged for money to abort a child, pfft.
