507. Real-Life Problems
After several years, there was no trace of any male influence left on Ning Chu.
Sure, her face still looked a bit too innocent, immediately giving off the vibe of a naive girl, but her aura was like a seductively cunning fox, effortlessly drawing the attention of all the boys around.
The corners of her eyes always had a hint of red, and her slightly upturned peach blossom eyes had a perpetually teasing look, as if they could snatch away one’s soul.
Ning Chu had kept her allure in check, not wanting to be too enchanting, but after all, she was a succubus.
The warm-up running for PE class had come to an end.
She and Lily found a nice shady corner beneath a tree to sit, propping their chins in their hands, gazing longingly at Wen Yang, who was sweating it out on the basketball court.
“Feeling down?”
Lily’s gaze, however, remained fixated on Yan Xinya, who was still jogging around the track.
“Yeah… I just don’t know what I’ll do in the future~”
“Be a streamer,” Lily said seriously. “You could live-stream yoga—it’s pretty profitable on the side.”
“Absolutely not…”
“But you’re a succubus.”
Ning Chu rolled her eyes silently, shifting her b*tt slightly to distance herself from Lily.
Both succubi had the same long black hair, but while one was as charming as a fox, the other gave off an icy vibe, with no resemblance in their faces at all; yet when they sat together, people always mistook them for sisters.
“Want to take the grad school entrance exam with me?”
Having known each other for several years, Lily had surprisingly a lot to say in private.
“I barely scraped through my English Level 4 exam, okay? Graduate school? No way…” Ning Chu sighed, rubbing her temples. “I’d love to write novels, but it’s too unstable.”
“You always talk about writing novels, but you never let me see any.”
“Fantasy novels? You wouldn’t enjoy the fighting and killing!”
“I could send you gifts to support you.”
Ning Chu shook her head vigorously. “I do not need your support!”
Although the novel she was currently writing was no longer the completely autobiographical mess from a few years ago, it still had autobiographical elements, and her friends all made appearances.
For instance, Lily was portrayed in the book as an old pervert, which, regardless of its truth, could easily sink their friendship.
Showing her friends that stuff was far too embarrassing.
“How much can you earn from writing?” Lily asked curiously.
“A couple thousand… but I saw job listings online; the salaries are all about three to four thousand.” Ning Chu complained, “I might as well stay home and write more, after rent, I might earn more than working.”
“What about Wen Yang?”
Ning Chu’s worry deepened, and her sigh turned heavier. “Oh, him? He casually found a few jobs with salaries nearing ten thousand already.”
“You’re so pathetic.”
“…”
He’s a male protagonist! How can I compare?
She justified herself internally, mumbling, “At least I’ve written three novels… though the quality keeps declining, and now I can only get full attendance.”
Too bad writing novels couldn’t pay the bills.
She also didn’t want Wen Yang to support her.
Her gaze drifted to Wang Jie, who was also running on the basketball court.
Wang Jie had bulked up quite a bit since his freshman year to avoid being drained by his bunny girlfriend, leaving behind his past sickly shut-in image.
However, not long ago, Wang Jie had a massive fight with his bunny girlfriend, declaring he wanted to break up.
Ning Chu didn’t delve into the details but felt a tinge of regret for their sweet, awkward high school romance.
Fortunately, her relationship with Wen Yang was going strong~ Although there were occasional arguments, they had never reached the breakup stage.
“Aren’t you planning to get a boyfriend?” Ning Chu casually asked without looking.
“…”
Then she turned her attention to Lily. “You keep saying you want one, but you never make a move. When others pursue you, you don’t even give them a good face. You’re not planning to be a lifelong embarrassment for succubi, right?”
Lily shot her an eye roll.
“What about that little octopus…”
A small shoe kicked at Ning Chu’s leg, startling her into jumping up and dodging Lily’s attack.
“Pervert!”
She opened her mouth but couldn’t quite bring herself to retort.
After all, Lily was just a playful succubus at most, with a myriad of toy options; whereas Ning Chu had long surpassed Lily…
Not only had she gotten a boyfriend before Lily, but she also had the potential to exceed her in the toy department.
“Ning Chu.”
Turning around, Ning Chu saw Wen Yang coming off the basketball court, waving at her.
“I’m going to hang out with Wen Yang.”
After exchanging a quick hello with Lily, she ran towards Wen Yang.
Standing in front of him, she tilted her head to stare up at his sweaty face, quickly catching a whiff of a strong, quality masculine scent.
“Why aren’t you continuing to play ball?”
Ning Chu awkwardly took two steps back, creating a bit of space between them to avoid drawing attention in public.
“I’m done for now; there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Seeing his rare serious demeanor, her mind began to race with guesses.
Could it be… him wanting to get married?
But he’d have to wait until next year after his birthday to reach the legal marriage age, right?
They walked leisurely side by side, just half a meter apart, out of the sports field and into a small garden next to it.
It was still class time, so the garden was quiet, only filled with the sounds of chirping birds and buzzing insects, and no concern of bumping into couples sneaking around.
“What’s the matter?”
With no one else around, Ning Chu confidently wrapped her arm around Wen Yang’s, inhaling that mildly enticing scent. Her cheeks quickly flushed a bright shade, and her eyes glimmered with allure, practically drooling in desire.
Wen Yang seemed hesitant.
“What? Have you fallen for another girl?”
“Of course not!” He quickly shook his head in denial.
Ning Chu let out a teasing sound, figuring no one could be more beautiful or endure Wen Yang’s punches like she could. “Then spill it, why the hesitation?”
“It’s… I want to work in Shanghai.” Wen Yang nervously glanced at Ning Chu’s expression. “What if we went together?”
“So far…”
He knew Ning Chu preferred to find a job close to home, allowing her to spend more time with family and help take care of Black Bean.
To Ning Chu, her mother was an immensely important figure.
But he didn’t want to give up the lucrative and promising job… Even though he had been working part-time these years, the money saved barely equated to buying an apartment in the provincial city.
Ning Chu’s expression quickly turned somber. “Can’t you stay?”
“Getting married in the future will need money, and we have to buy a house…” Wen Yang said with a bitter laugh. “Auntie wouldn’t agree to us getting married if we’re just renting an apartment.”
“I don’t want to talk about this…”
Ning Chu turned her head away, her previous blush now gone, replaced with a deep sense of loss.
On one hand, was her long-lost mother who had returned, and on the other, was her boyfriend of several years.
She had always thought after graduation, she could return home to spend quality time with her mother, making up for those years without her.
Even though she could avoid it now, the day would come when she had to make a choice.
“My hometown is also a provincial city; the salary won’t be low.” She intertwined her fingers, staring at her shoe tips. “I don’t mind about the house; renting is pretty good; if I don’t like it, I can switch anytime—sounds great, right?”
“…”
She knew that kind of talk was merely self-deception.
