633. Rice, Oil, and Salt
“Why are you back so late? The food’s gone cold.”
“I told you not to wait for me.”
Ning Chu, draped in a sunscreen coat, exhaustedly pushed the door open. Spotting Wen Yang walking towards her, her legs gave out, and she fell right into his arms.
“Wen Yang~”
She called out with a pout, causing him to gently stroke her little head and the tip of her tail.
“What’s wrong?”
Leaning against his solid chest, she quickly morphed from a delicate damsel to a foul-mouthed warrior. “d*mn it! I ran three interviews this afternoon and got ghosted once! It’s scorching hot, and I’m completely wiped out!”
“I told you not to rush; take your time.”
“Well, doing nothing at home is boring. Might as well go out for an interview.”
Ning Chu got up from Wen Yang’s embrace, peeled off her sunscreen coat, tossed her bag onto the bed, and crashed on it with her legs spread wide, not caring about appearances.
Her tail, which had been wrapped around her thigh, relaxed and poked out from beneath her skirt, snagging her slippers by the door and dragging them over to her.
She yanked the hair tie from her ponytail, and her hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Kicking off her sandals, she flopped back onto the bed and complained, “Ahhh~ I’m losing it! You won’t believe it! I ran into a 985 University master’s graduate during my interview! How ridiculous! Anyone who’s not an idiot wouldn’t choose me! Why are these high achievers scrambling for my job?”
“But I saw a yoga instructor job posting at a gym while passing by. I’ve practiced yoga for a few years—why not give it a try? Plus, I get to see pretty girls every day!”
“My yoga teacher used to praise me all the time back in school! She said I was super diligent. You could totally see I was stretching daily!”
Wen Yang pondered, realizing he hadn’t seen Ning Chu do any stretching exercises, but then remembered he was probably the one helping her stretch every day.
It had been two or three times at most, and once at least—wasn’t that considered diligent?
After patiently listening to Ning Chu’s rants for a few minutes, he smiled and said, “I have a day off tomorrow.”
Her annoyed expression froze for a moment before it transformed into surprise, and Ning Chu jumped up from the bed, “Then let’s go out! HR won’t be working on the weekend anyway, right?”
“Ever since I got here, I’ve either been job hunting or cooped up at home. I’ve never really gone out to have fun!”
Wen Yang’s eyes softened, beckoning the little succubus, “Come eat, and let’s chat while we’re at it.”
“Coming!”
Ning Chu eagerly shuffled her chair over, nudging against Wen Yang as she impatiently opened the now-cold fast food box.
The single desk was a bit cramped, making them feel squished together, but she paid no mind as she comfortably leaned against Wen Yang’s shoulder, happily wagging her tail.
While munching, she continued to chat about their plans for tomorrow, “How about we go watch a match? An esports competition! I’ve only seen it live-streamed before; watching it in person is bound to be lively!”
Wen Yang didn’t care where they went as long as he was with her, nodding along, “Sure, you set a time, and I’ll buy the tickets online.”
“Hmm! Let’s watch the afternoon match, then have a stroll along the Bund at night? I’ve heard the Huangpu River has fantastic scenery! A must-see for tourists!”
“Aren’t the restaurants over there pretty pricey?”
“Yeah! We can just grab some snacks from somewhere else beforehand.”
“I can treat you to a nice meal when we have the money!”
Ning Chu shook her head vigorously, “No way! Only fools eat at those places. I feel sorry just watching those food vloggers online!”
After a few bites, she suddenly realized, “How much did dinner cost today?”
“Forty-three.”
“That’s pretty expensive… You bought too much meat; next time, let’s get more vegetables to bring the cost down.”
She reached over to grab her bag from the bed, pulled out her phone, and noted her expenses in a notebook, furrowing her brow. Then she opened the calculator.
Wen Yang, feeling resigned, interrupted her, “Forget it, just eat.”
“I can’t! Just for dinner, I’ve almost spent a hundred, and this month’s groceries will come to three thousand. Plus two thousand-five for rent,” Ning Chu whined, her frown deepening. “I haven’t even added water, electricity, phone bills, transportation costs, or daily necessities—it’s going to be seven or eight thousand this month.”
“Your salary isn’t even that high right now; you’ll have leftovers once you get confirmation.”
In just a few days, she had transformed from a prodigal college student who spent her family’s money to a frugal accountant scrutinizing every penny.
Wen Yang explained with a wry smile, “Eating out costs at least twenty bucks these days, and that’s without much meat.”
“Doesn’t your big company have a cafeteria? …Or should we skip the match tomorrow? Not much to see anyway.”
He couldn’t help but give her a disdainful look. “We aren’t broke, you know? I’ve saved up a few thousand; you should have some saved too.”
“You need to think ahead! It’s not sustainable to be outspending my income,” Ning Chu sighed. “I really don’t want to keep counting, it’s such a hassle.”
But clearly, Wen Yang came from humble beginnings, spending money like water. If she didn’t help him tighten the purse strings, they’d still be in debt come New Year’s.
Today he talked about taking her out to a fancy restaurant, yesterday he asked if she wanted a new purse, and the day before that he brought her a twenty-dollar milk tea… although that milk tea did make her really happy.
“I’m full now; I’m going to type some words and get my attendance.”
Ning Chu patted her not-so-flat belly, stretched, and stood up.
“Are we still checking out the match tomorrow?”
“Umm…” She picked up her laptop, her expression wavering.
Wen Yang realized this was decision-making time for him, so he confirmed, “I’ll buy tickets then; let’s just get the cheapest ones to experience the atmosphere.”
“How much?”
“One hundred fifty.”
“That’s still a bit pricey…”
“You’ll only watch this once; don’t fuss over it. I’ll treat you.”
Her weak resolve crumbled, and she muttered, “Your money is basically my money…”
“Enough, go type.”
He gave her a playful swat, making her glare at him in mock annoyance before scampering back onto the bed, propping her laptop on her thighs.
The rental apartment was cramped with only one desk, so typing had to happen on the bed.
But after getting used to it, she found it way more comfortable than typing at a desk. At least without a mouse and keyboard, she wouldn’t be tempted to play games every few minutes.
“Wen Yang, do you like boys or girls?”
After only writing two lines, Ning Chu got distracted, setting her laptop aside and sitting cross-legged to stare at Wen Yang, who was still eating.
Without hesitation, Wen Yang replied, “I only like you, regardless of whether you’re a boy or a girl.”
God knows why this little succubus was always hung up on past genders.
“I meant what kind of kid do you like…?”
He froze awkwardly, turning to look at Ning Chu on the bed only to find that the seductive glimmer in her eyes had been replaced with longing and maternal warmth. “Aren’t you afraid of childbirth? You hate kids.”
“I was just asking!”
“Boys, I guess? Girls are more likely to be little succubi—just thinking about it gives me a headache.”
“Yeah! I totally agree! But boys are super rowdy and a handful! It’d drive me nuts!” Ning Chu huffed, “My brother and I were a nightmare as kids, always getting into trouble—if I had a kid, I might just break their legs!”
Wen Yang watched her fuss over this and teased, “How about we make one tonight?”
Ning Chu’s cheeks flushed a bright red, and her head shook like a shaken maraca.
“Absolutely not! Plus, it’s the safe period right now!”
“Isn’t that even better?”
“Ugh~ My stomach feels so bloated…”
