556. The Simple Wedding Feast
“Wait, you guys are already getting your marriage certificate? Isn’t that a bit sudden?”
When Ning Yuan got the news, he was still in a daze, almost convinced it was just a prank by their mother.
But when he arrived at the restaurant and saw Ning Chu and Wen Yang inseparable, he realized that his little brother really had become someone else’s wife.
“Bro! Why didn’t you bring your sister-in-law?”
As soon as he stepped out of the car, Ning Chu spotted him and dragged Wen Yang over.
“Short notice and she had something come up,” Ning Yuan replied, scratching his head as he assessed the affectionate duo. “You really got married?”
The last time he was this shocked was when he learned his brother became his sister and that the whole family were succubi.
He still clearly remembered Ning Chu’s youthful face when she was a boy; that face seemed completely unrecognizable from the Ning Chu standing in front of him now.
“Yup!”
“Wow, that was fast…” He struggled to wrap his head around the reality.
Ning Chu rolled her eyes at her brother, “Maybe you’re just too slow? When are you marrying your girlfriend? Isn’t she getting impatient?”
“Well, it’s not like it’s super urgent, right?”
Ning Yuan turned to Wen Yang, who stood by.
They sometimes played games together, along with their troublesome little sister.
Honestly, he had a good impression of his new brother-in-law. Wen Yang was easy-going, rarely got angry, and treated Ning Chu well.
Ning Chu’s gaming skills were the stuff of legends (for all the wrong reasons) and honestly made him want to punch her sometimes, yet Wen Yang had the patience of a saint.
But wasn’t Wen Yang only twenty-two? Could he really handle the responsibilities of a husband?
Wen Yang enthusiastically draped an arm around Ning Yuan’s shoulder and beckoned, “Brother-in-law, don’t stand outside freezing. Let’s go into the private room!”
“Hold on, if you two are getting hitched, shouldn’t I give some red envelope money?”
“Aren’t you coming to our wedding?”
“When’s the wedding planned for, then? I need to take time off.”
Wen Yang’s smile faltered a bit, “Uh, maybe in a few years?”
“A few years?”
Ning Chu quickly tried to defend, “Bro, we’re in a boom period with our careers! Who has time for a wedding?”
“Sounds reasonable, but isn’t a few years a bit long?”
“We’ll definitely give you a heads up, okay?”
On their way to the private room, Ning Yuan couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “So when do you guys plan to have kids?”
“That’s even less urgent, right? How old are we?”
“Fair enough.”
He was finally convinced this wasn’t a prank; his sister, whom he had watched grow up, had really become someone else’s wife.
His complicated feelings about the brother-sister dynamic made him feel a tight knot in his chest—like he was holding in so much unexpressed emotion.
If Ning Chu were still his brother, he’d be thrilled about the wedding. But now that his brother was his sister, marrying Wen Yang seemed to give him a strong sense of loss.
It felt like something he valued most was being taken away…
Ning Yuan couldn’t help but think: what if Wen Yang turned out to be a j*rk and ended up abusing her?
What if her marriage was unhappy, and she cried every day?
What if…
This once chatty gasbag had turned silent, with thousands of words stuck in his throat. He could only pat Wen Yang’s shoulder and say, “Take good care of her.”
Wen Yang paused, then looked up at Ning Chu leading the way, eyes brimming with warmth and possessiveness. “Don’t worry; I’ll take responsibility.”
“Let’s hope so. I don’t want to hear anything bad.”
“I’ll do my best to protect her and not let her suffer.”
Ning Yuan sighed, halted, and couldn’t help but add, “Ning Chu can be kind of clueless sometimes. Keep an eye on her so she doesn’t get taken advantage of.”
“She’s just like Mom—tough on the outside but soft inside. When you argue, give in a little. She’s really stubborn and has a roundabout way of admitting wrongs.”
Wen Yang hesitated, pondering how quickly the little succubus admitted her mistakes in bed.
“She can get really withdrawn. When she’s angry, she likes to hide in her room alone. Don’t let her cheerful demeanor fool you; she has a lot on her mind. Just spoil her a bit.”
“Try to limit her soda intake. She has a sweet tooth and is lazy; you’ll have to remind her to brush her teeth. She even got a cavity at five…”
“Bro, what are you doing? Wen Yang, why are you just standing there?”
Ning Chu stopped at the door to the private room. In front of others, she couldn’t bring herself to publicly call out “hubby.”
“It’s nothing, just chatting,” Ning Yuan quickly plastered on a cheerful smile, teasing, “You two are all ‘hubby’ this and ‘hubby’ that, it’s a bit nauseating~”
“Is that a problem?!”
Her ears flushed red as she shot her brother an annoyed glare and pushed the door open. “Come on in, the food’s already half served.”
The door swung open to reveal a round table where a few familiar faces sat: their mother, uncle, Black Bean, and even Lily, who’d rushed over in a rideshare when she heard the news.
Heaven knows how much courage it took for this socially anxious succubus to face a crowd of strangers.
Aside from the uncle, it was a small gathering of Ning Chu’s closest people. Though it was a post-ceremony feast, it felt less lively than a reunion of classmates.
“Lily~”
Worried that Lily might feel left out, she quickly sat beside her. But upon sitting, she realized her mother was sneakily gossiping with Lily.
Maybe it was because Lily was beautiful, or maybe because both of them were succubi, but they seemed to hit it off like old friends, whispering about who knows what. Their mother even covered her mouth while laughing, and Lily had a familiar grin on her face.
Surely it wasn’t anything inappropriate, right?
“Congratulations on your marriage!”
Lily, a beat slow to respond, blessed Ning Chu once she took her seat.
“You better hurry and find yourself a boyfriend; look at me! I’ve already registered with Wen Yang!”
“Are you getting a bit too smug?” Their mother raised an eyebrow.
“Not really…”
Ning Yuan, standing behind Ning Chu, whispered, “Who’s this?”
She turned back and waved him closer. “This is the succubus I chatted with online, my best friend.”
“Wow~ So pretty?”
“Regretting it now? Should I tell my sister-in-law?”
“Don’t! I’ll get killed.”
Ning Yuan rushed back to his seat, though his eyes kept darting over to Lily.
Years ago, he had added Lily as a friend under the guiding hand of his sister.
On the internet, this succubus was so raunchy he couldn’t take it, thinking she’d be a typical succubus in real life, flirting with men and even attending wild parties. But now seeing her, he realized she was more of a cold lotus flower, a shy girl who seemed far removed from her online persona.
“Hey, sis! Sis! Cheers to you and your new hubby for a lifetime of happiness! I’ll go first!”
Black Bean’s little paw stealthily reached for the white liquor, only to have it slapped away by their uncle, “Drink your coconut juice.”
“But it’s a big happy day!”
“Black Bean, thanks!” Ning Chu smiled as she raised a beer and lightly clinked it against Black Bean’s cup of coconut juice. “Little cats get dumb when they drink, so no alcohol for you.”
“Meow~”
