### 489. The Support System
Father’s back?
Ning Chu blankly wandered back to the living room, plopping down on the sofa and staring off into space like she just had her brain scrambled.
She couldn’t quite figure out how to wrap her feelings into words. Panic, resentment, fear, anger? They all jumbled together, creating a mental chaos that made her head spin.
As far back as she could remember, there had never been a single image of her father in her mind.
Her brother seemed to have seen him once, but she doubted there was any real memory left.
Ning Chu curled up her legs and rested her chin on her knees, her eyes clouded with confusion and helplessness.
Before her cosmic detour, she hadn’t heard a peep about her father returning up until her college graduation. Yet here she was, in the middle of her freshman year, and poof! Daddy suddenly materializes.
It felt like her peaceful life was hit by a stone, sending ripples of chaos through her serene existence.
She instinctively wanted to run away, to hide in school. She grumbled about the father who disrupted her peaceful life, wishing to avoid home until he would hopefully vanish again.
But curiosity mixed with a dash of blind hope gnawed at her—she wanted to see what the man she’d never met was like.
Then, a phone call turned her mood all wacky, which sent everyone else in the room into a mix of worry.
Yan Xinya, straightforward and without a care in the world, plopped down beside her. “What’s up? Something happened?”
“Uh…family stuff?” Ning Chu shook her head, “It shouldn’t be too serious, right?”
She was uncertain about what her father’s return would mean for the family.
Yan Xinya tilted her head like a big dog. “So, are you going back now?”
“Let’s see?”
“Then don’t overthink it! Let’s enjoy camping first, and worry about the rest later!” Wolf Girl grinned, baring her teeth. “Why think about anything else while we’re having fun?”
“Okay.”
The lively atmosphere was slightly dampened, but then Wen Yang’s phone buzzed.
It was Zhang Shaoqing and Qian Qian back, asking them to swipe their elevator card to get to their floor.
With one unit per floor, this was a hassle—no corresponding card meant friends and relatives couldn’t visit without escalating their elevator adventures.
“The card’s by the shoe cabinet at the entrance.”
“Got it.” Wen Yang pocketed his phone and stood up, turning to Ning Chu before heading out, “Want to come? We can swing by the supermarket for some snacks?”
“Let me change first…”
Ning Chu was still in that comically short spaghetti strap nightgown that left little to the imagination, so she threw on Wen Yang’s oversized coat. The coat hung longer than the nightgown, and while it should have ensured she wouldn’t accidentally flash anyone, she still felt a twinge of embarrassment.
In just a few minutes, she emerged from the guest bedroom dressed in a white checkered shirt dress and thick stockings, nearly sprinting to keep up with Wen Yang while clutching her elevator access card.
As they entered the elevator, her brows furrowed, and she sighed heavily, leaning against the elevator wall.
In the enclosed, human-less space, she felt even more fragile and sensitive, her delicate face adorned with clouds of gloom, stirring sympathy within Wen Yang.
“Want to talk about it?”
Wen Yang faced her but kept his eyes on the numbers blinking downwards.
“My dad just popped back out of nowhere…”
This news hit him like a brick.
Once Ning Chu opened the floodgates, she didn’t hold back. She grumbled, “It’s been almost twenty years! He hasn’t even called to say whether he’s alive or dead. Why is he back now?”
“He’s never fulfilled the responsibilities of a father or husband… Back when we were poor, if it weren’t for Grandpa constantly giving us handouts, my mom working her fingers to the bone, my brother and I would have starved to d*ath.”
“People might think I grew up in a single-parent household.”
“Is he back because he’s out of money and wants to con my mom into giving him some? I bet he has a wife and kids somewhere else!”
“If he sees his son turned daughter… well, that’s bound to give him a heart attack! Conveniently, my mom can file for divorce without slogging through court!”
Wen Yang listened intently, not interrupting her rant.
“Please don’t turn out like him…”
“Me? No way!” Wen Yang shook his head with a laugh. “I mean, they said he was just sick with Aunt—do I look sickly to you?”
His teasing lightened her thunderous anger, making her shyly look away as her cheeks flushed. “You’re like a monster… not even a succubus could handle you…”
Lucky for her, being a succubus meant recovery was quicker. If she were a regular human, she’d probably be bedridden and bleeding in a hospital by now.
But now? Sure, it hurt like a thousand paper cuts, but a solid night’s sleep was all she needed to bounce right back.
“That’s what happens when you’re my beloved male protagonist, right? You reap what you sow.”
“Ugh.”
“Are you hoping for other women…?”
“Absolutely not!”
Ning Chu flat-out rejected that, then lifted her gaze to Wen Yang’s back. “Are you really not thinking along those lines? Huh?”
“Not at all! Just kidding.”
Wen Yang raised his hands in mock surrender, amused by the little succubus’s change in mood. He finally said earnestly, “If he’s back, he’s back. I’m here, right? Whatever happens, I’ve got your back.”
“You?”
“At least, if someone needs a good smack, I can step in.”
Ning Chu snorted dismissively, rolling her eyes as she muttered, “We’re in college! You can’t just solve everything with violence; that never works!”
“Not the person creating problems, at least.”
“Pfft~”
Ning Chu puffed out her cheeks and laughed. Complaining aside, it felt good to have a support system!
With Wen Yang backing her up, she felt more willing to face the father she had never met, knowing whatever trouble might arise, he could handle it.
He was, after all, her male protagonist! Invincible!
Ning Chu suddenly understood why she had fallen for this guy who had no money, no connections, and was pretty useless besides being handsome and… well, useful in bed.
Always facing everything alone, even when she was still a guy, she yearned for a pair of arms to support her, protect her, and give her the courage to tackle challenges head-on.
The elevator doors opened, and Zhang Shaoqing and Qian Qian had been waiting by the entrance for a while.
Zhang Shaoqing looked a bit pale, like he might topple over at any moment, nervous energy radiating off him.
Qian Qian, full of sunshine, greeted them, “Morning!”
“Morning~”
She bounced into the elevator with enthusiasm. “Today, I’m making sure to win back all the money I lost!”
Zhang Shaoqing followed behind with the air of someone who had lost the will to live, swaying like he might collapse any minute. Seeing his frail state reminded Ning Chu of her father before he left home.
But seriously, he couldn’t just bail on his wife and kids like that!
This poor guy couldn’t handle a small feisty kitty in heat!
“You guys go ahead; Ning Chu and I are popping to the supermarket for some snacks.”
“Get me a bottle of Red Bull.”
“Call me Daddy,” Ning Chu chimed in.
“Mommy and Daddy~ Pretty please~”
Wen Yang couldn’t help but laugh, clearly noticing that Ning Chu was perkier and more spirited than just a moment ago.
