Chapter 481: Hot Springs
The obnoxious sound of mahjong clattering filled the air, mixed with Yan Xinya’s excited shrieks. Zhang Shaoqing sat in front of the projection screen, looking utterly despondent as he mechanically pushed buttons on the game controller.
God knows why everyone—from elderly folks aged seventy or eighty to this group of twenty-something girls—was so obsessed with mahjong.
They played for an entire afternoon, and the more they played, the more into it they became. Even the girl who never knew how to play, Qian Qian, had a face full of excitement, while the rest of the girls chattered loudly, drowning out the game’s background music.
He had no clue what the appeal of mahjong was.
Zhang Shaoqing glanced over at the coffee table where four girls were gathered, and only Lily maintained a calm demeanor. The others appeared as if they were possessed by frenzied spirits.
Just earlier, Qian Qian, who claimed she couldn’t play at all, had leaped with joy when she won a hand.
“A bunch of women are truly loud.”
He mumbled as he sank back into the sofa, helplessly rubbing his slightly sore ears.
Outside, the sky was starting to dim. Through the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows, he could see the sun slowly sinking into the ocean, painting the horizon with a crimson glow.
The sound of the elevator doors opening disrupted the mahjong game.
Yan Xinya lifted her eyes from the tiles and spotted Ning Chu, who had changed into slippers while clutching two oversized pillows as she walked in.
“Back so early?”
“Early?” Ning Chu paused, glancing at the wall clock. “It’s already past six! Didn’t we say we’d go to the hot springs tonight?”
“Ah? It’s six already?! No wonder I’m starving!”
Qian Qian finally caught on. “Feels like we hardly played a few rounds…”
“Hu!”
Lily’s calm voice mixed with the sound of mahjong tiles being pushed sent Ning Chu wailing, “How did you win again?!”
“Let’s calculate how much everyone lost.” Yan Xinya stood up, hands on her hips, looking smug. “I only lost seven bucks!”
“I lost over a hundred…”
Surprisingly, Qian Qian, the newbie, looked particularly smug. “I even won a few bucks! Luck is on my side!”
“That’s just the newbie protection period! After the hot springs, we’ll pick it back up!”
Seeing the girls back to discussing mahjong, Ning Chu turned to Zhang Shaoqing, confused. “They played all afternoon, huh?”
“d*mn it, it’s so noisy.”
“What’s so fun about mahjong anyway?”
“Exactly. It’s a game for old folks.”
After being bombarded with a bunch of women all afternoon, Zhang Shaoqing could clearly see Ning Chu was different.
Though she was a girl too, her slightly masculine aura and engaging conversation topics were nowhere near what the quacking gaggle of girls could offer.
Talking to Ning Chu felt more like hanging out with a bro.
After a brief chat, Ning Chu took her confiscated doll and went off to the spare room, while Zhang Shaoqing paused his game and wandered over to Wen Yang.
He nudged Wen Yang playfully on the shoulder, asking, “So what did you guys do all afternoon? Surely it wasn’t just shopping, since I didn’t see you buy much.”
Wen Yang was only holding a bag with a dress he had picked up for Ning Chu on the way back.
Seeing the weasely smile on Zhang Shaoqing’s face, Wen Yang rolled his eyes. “Yeah, we definitely didn’t shop much.”
“Ooh, nice one!”
“Went to an internet café to duo rank and lost three games in a row.” He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Ning Chu is truly terrible… can’t carry.”
“……”
Zhang Shaoqing swallowed back his sarcastic comment.
He had never seen a couple go to an internet café for a date… He wished he could, but Qian Qian, the Catgirl, would probably smack him upside the head.
“Please tell me you didn’t suggest going to the internet café?” He fought off the jealousy bubbling up inside and belittled Wen Yang. “That’s pretty straight-up of you.”
“Clearly Ning Chu suggested it.”
“……”
Wen Yang walked alongside Ning Chu into the guest room.
Although Lily’s house was spacious, the guest room only fit a nightstand and a bed, with a narrow hallway that barely allowed one person through.
Ning Chu placed the two dolls on the nightstand, her back to the door as she rummaged through her bag for her swimsuit, preparing for the evening at the hot springs.
She heard Wen Yang enter but hadn’t opened her mouth before he gently patted her on the backside.
“Want to try on the dress? If it doesn’t fit, we can still return it.”
“It’ll definitely fit! My mom says I’m a clothes hanger, alright?”
Back at Lily’s house, Ning Chu’s tail, which had been tightly wrapped around her thigh, relaxed and drooped down to her calf, forming a delightful curve.
She pulled out her swimsuit and turned to ask, “Did they say when we’d go to the hot springs?”
“No mention yet, still chatting about mahjong.”
Glancing at the wide-open door, she jogged over to shut it tightly, then sat down with Wen Yang, her face tightening slightly.
“What’s wrong?”
Ning Chu grabbed Wen Yang’s arm, reminding him, “We might run into the female antagonist at the hot springs. It was in the book.”
“Don’t really recall.”
“Just keep an eye out, okay? No getting ambushed by girls while we’re soaking!” She paused, her eyebrows knitting together in worry.
The best plan would be to act out the plot and steal the female antagonist’s spotlight.
But the hot springs are mostly outdoors, and even as a succubus, she didn’t have the courage to do something wild outdoors.
There was always a chance of being caught, and that was just too intense!
Seeing her deep in thought, Wen Yang’s eyes brightened with anticipation.
But Ning Chu smacked his thigh, interrupting his daydream. “Don’t think too much! That’s never happening!”
“Ning Chu! Wen Yang! Get ready to head out for the hot springs!”
Outside, Qian Qian called out, but was immediately shushed by Yan Xinya.
“Hey! Qian Qian, keep it down! Can’t you see they’ve got the door closed?”
Ning Chu froze for a moment, heat flooding her cheeks. She stuffed her swimsuit back into her bag and got up to open the door.
The sudden swing of the door startled Yan Xinya. “Did we disturb you?”
“What weird thoughts do you have in your head?”
“I don’t have any weird thoughts! I just didn’t want Qian Qian to be a third wheel!”
Ning Chu raised the bag she was holding helplessly. “I’m ready to go anytime.”
“You need to bring a towel too. You have to shower before getting in,” the Wolf Girl turned and dashed toward the bathroom. “I’ll grab you one! Lily has plenty of unused towels!”
Qian Qian watched Yan Xinya leave. When she turned back, she found Ning Chu staring at her with a peculiar expression, making her feel a bit shy. “I’m going to grab my swimsuit too… Ning Chu? Why are you staring at me?”
Seizing the rare opportunity for some privacy, Ning Chu pulled Qian Qian in for a side hug, leading her away.
“What’s up?”
“You’re not allowed to eavesdrop on me and Wen Yang tonight with magic! At your age, why not use magic for something worthwhile!”
“I’m… I’m doing something worthwhile! Ning Chu, you’re my top priority!”
Ning Chu had a look of sweet annoyance as she pinched Qian Qian’s chubby cheeks playfully. “Aren’t I just a little naughty?”
“Right now, you clearly are! Aaaah, that hurts!”
