501. The Legacy of Stubbornness
As Grandma led Ning Chu and Wen Yang out of the wine-stashing room, Grandpa just happened to be coming down the stairs with Mother.
Grandpa was still as lean and wiry, with wisps of gray in his hair. Seeing Ning Chu and Wen Yang juggling a bunch of stuff, he puffed up like a rooster, “What, did a bandit break into my house? What did you steal from me?!”
Ning Chu took a look at Grandpa, who had more energy than some young people, and then glanced at the wine bottle in her hands, contemplating.
Seems like it’s working quite well—maybe I should make Wen Yang drink a bit more…
“You don’t need it anyway; you might as well let the younger generation have some,” Grandma said with a kind smile, ruffling Ning Chu’s hair and whispering, “Let Wen Yang drink less, or he’ll end up with a nosebleed.”
“Mm…”
No need for a reminder; Ning Chu wouldn’t dare let Wen Yang drink more.
Even though the first time I gave him a freebie, he was in a drugged-up state, back then he was still a little innocent guy; no matter how good his hardware was, it couldn’t shine.
And now, I’ve become even more sensitive; just being around normal Wen Yang can make me feel like I’m on the brink of d*ath! A little surprise here and there can send me spiraling so hard that my brain might go into overload!
If he drinks some of this medicinal wine, will I even be able to get out of bed tomorrow?
As the group entered the hall on the first floor, Grandpa’s feigned anger dissipated quickly, replaced with a beaming smile, “What brings you two to see this old man today? Didn’t dare come during the New Year!”
“When are you planning to leave? You’re not thinking of not staying for lunch, are you?”
“In the afternoon, we’ll leave after lunch,” Mother replied from the side as she turned on the TV.
Upon hearing this, Grandma immediately made a beeline for her electric bicycle, “Then I’ll go buy groceries! I’ll cook you all a delicious meal today!”
“Ning Chu likes hamburgers; remember to get her two.”
Grandpa suddenly called out and then asked, “Where’s Ning Xin? Why didn’t she come?”
“She has classes—not until Monday,” Mother explained, “Ning Xin’s got tutoring classes and will be starting school in September.”
Listening to Mother’s response, Ning Chu noticed Grandpa seemed particularly fond of Black Bean. Last time they visited, he was constantly teasing the poor thing.
“Oh right, why are those two coming back on Monday? Aren’t they supposed to be in class?”
“Well, that’s because someone’s coming home. Ning Chu’s worried about me,” Mother said helplessly, pursing her lips. “So they’re both heading back to school this afternoon.”
Grandpa grunted in response and bent down to pull out a bottle of white liquor from under the coffee table, looking up at Wen Yang.
Mother frowned, “Dad, they’re headed back by bus this afternoon…”
“I know.”
“Then why are you insisting on drinking with Wen Yang?”
Grandpa had already poured two little shot glasses full of liquor and looked up in surprise, “Since when did I ask Wen Yang to drink with me?”
He sighed and shook his head, “This old man, you all never come to see me. I can’t even find someone to drink with…”
Hearing this, Wen Yang, being the considerate one, lifted his glass. “Grandpa, I’ll drink with you.”
“Look at him being so considerate! You’re home all this time and you can’t even bring Ning Xin to see me; it’s not far at all! All you do is hang out with your little boyfriend!”
“…”
Speaking of Uncle, Ning Chu shifted closer to Mother and whispered, “Mom, when are you marrying Uncle?”
“Adults’ issues are none of your business.”
She got a light slap on the head from her mother that made her wince.
Grandpa suddenly pulled out some pickled shrimp, peanuts, and boneless chicken claws as snacks to go with the drinks, and started pouring shot after shot for Wen Yang.
Ning Chu was worried they’d drink too much and suddenly want to swear brotherhood, which would mean she’d have to lower her status to Wen Yang!
That would only make things more exciting!
Plenty of times, she had called him ‘Dad’…
“Just drinking away.” Mother shook her head in exasperation. “Getting all drunk in the middle of the day—what a disgrace!”
“Just a little drink to cheer up; what do you know, kid?” Grandpa shot her a glance, happily clinking glasses with Wen Yang, “Come, drink up!”
“……”
Seeing Mother addressed as a “kid” by Grandpa, Ning Chu couldn’t hold in her amusement and burst into laughter. Mother shot her a glare at the sight of the bottles of alcohol and the packed tonics nearby, lowering her voice.
“By the way, how much did you bring from your grandpa’s?”
“Oh, I just grabbed a bottle of all that random liquor…”
“Just take half.”
Ning Chu was stunned, her mind racing with question marks as she looked at Mother.
“Wen Yang is young and healthy; what do you need all this for?”
Wow, so you were just waiting for me, huh?
That Uncle of hers, built like a bear, can’t handle it either, huh?
Truly worthy of being in your forties—a tiger, plus the added bonus of being a succubus!
She quickly realized the dilemma her mother was currently facing, a teasing smirk creeping onto her lips as she leaned in closer, “Mom~ Is Uncle…”
“Are you asking to get slapped?”
Mother’s hand shot up in a threatening motion, and Ning Chu ducked away quickly, scrambling over to sit beside Wen Yang.
This is SO unfair! Mother gets to throw around teasing remarks at will, but as soon as I say a couple of things, I get threatened?!
Aren’t we both succubi? What’s there to be shy about?!
Ning Chu huffed internally, glancing at Wen Yang’s already flushed cheeks.
“Drink less.”
Wen Yang had a normal tolerance, and with the white liquor, she was starting to worry.
“I want to…” Wen Yang’s face was all scrunched up like a bitter melon, “I can’t handle white liquor.”
The only person who could manage Grandpa was off to buy groceries, and everyone else was just “kids” in his eyes.
Ning Chu had no choice but to come up with a strategy, “Don’t be so honest. Isn’t it just shot after shot? Just pour out a little when he’s not looking…”
“Sounds good.”
He agreed verbally, but Wen Yang didn’t dare play tricks in front of Grandpa, worried it would diminish Grandpa’s impression of him.
In less than an hour, while Grandma was still out shopping, Wen Yang had become almost completely inebriated.
“Not too good,” Grandpa remarked before he was done, “You’re such a big guy, and you’ve only drunk this little?”
“Grandpa…”
“Mom will definitely say something to you when she gets back.”
“She dares?!” Grandpa raised his voice, questioning fiercely, but then waved Ning Chu off with a friendly gesture. “You hurry and help him up to the third-floor bedroom for a lie-down. Just tell your Grandma he didn’t sleep well last night.”
Ning Chu could finally see the family resemblance—the stubbornness was clearly hereditary, originating somewhere.
From Grandpa to Mother to herself, everyone had a tongue as tough as nails; that ancestor she’d never met was probably the same.
She leaned over to Wen Yang, concern etched on her face. “Can you still walk?”
“Can, just a bit dizzy.”
As long as he could walk, it was fine; there was no way she could carry this unresponsive hulk up to the third-floor bedroom.
Ning Chu struggled to support Wen Yang, and together they wobbled to their feet, carefully making their way up the stairs.
She despised the smell of alcohol lingering around, but there was a unique hormonal scent mixed in with Wen Yang that surprisingly didn’t gross her out at all.
Finally making it to the third-floor bedroom, just as they reached the edge of the bed, Wen Yang’s legs suddenly lost their strength, and he collapsed face-first onto the bed.
Caught off guard, Ning Chu couldn’t dodge and was pinned beneath him, letting out a yelp of pain.
“Are you crazy?!”
“Hey! Don’t touch that!”
“Are you using your drunkenness to be a perv?!”
——————
Happy New Year’s Eve!
