569. Pregnant Sister
“Hey, sis! I’m here!”
On the weekend, Black Bean zipped into the house, barefoot after kicking off her slippers.
Despite being a vocational school student now, her personality was still as lively as ever. With a face and figure that looked like a middle school girl, the only thing not embarrassing was her height.
“Sis?”
Black Bean noticed the atmosphere in the house was off; the previously omnipresent romantic vibes had faded significantly.
She turned to see Ning Chu curled up on the sofa, looking utterly exhausted, clutching a book. She then peered curiously at Wen Yang, who was busy in the kitchen.
After a quick dash to put on her slippers, she cautiously probed, “Sis, did you guys… have a fight?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“It just seems like you’re not very happy. Did you argue with Mom?”
Ning Chu merely shook her head, her gaze still glued to the book on her lap.
She was reading about parenting and early childhood education—everything from care tips to interest cultivation to mental health. A dozen books in, and she was starting to doze off.
“What are you reading?” Black Bean leaned over the armrest, peeking. “Baby care books, right~?”
It was obvious that Ning Chu’s mental state was a bit off; her usually bright complexion had dulled, and Black Bean even spotted a few pimples on her usually clear skin.
“Sis, you have pimples.”
“I know.”
Only then did Ning Chu raise her eyebrows and glance at Black Bean. “I heard from Mom that you’re dating now?”
“Absolutely not!” Black Bean shook her head so vigorously it looked like a bobblehead, adamantly denying it. “I don’t like anyone!”
“Then why are you so nervous?”
“Don’t want you to get the wrong idea~!”
Ning Chu sized up Black Bean. This cat was terrible at hiding her feelings; her face was an open book of nervousness and guilt. They made eye contact for barely two seconds before Black Bean’s face turned red, and she hurriedly looked away.
“So there really is someone, huh?”
To be honest, with Black Bean’s good looks, she wouldn’t be surprised if she had a boyfriend back in middle school.
“No… well, sort of, just a little bit of flirting, I guess?”
“You’re not a kid anymore. Just don’t give it away like a gift.”
Despite saying that, Ning Chu still felt uneasy. If someone were to take advantage of Black Bean’s innocence, they’d probably just need a couple of dinners to woo her.
Black Bean flopped back on the sofa, leaning against her sister’s shoulder, and curiously asked, “So how long did you know Wen Yang before you gave in?”
“Uh… a few months, I suppose?”
“You’re so easy~.”
“……”
Ning Chu pushed Black Bean’s head away from her shoulder in annoyance. “How old was I when I started dating? Did I have good judgment?”
She had barely become a girl herself. If Wen Yang hadn’t swooped in, she’d never have given in that quickly!
“Dinner’s ready!”
Wen Yang’s voice echoed from the restaurant, and Black Bean instantly abandoned Ning Chu, wagging her tail happily as she dashed over.
“I’m not hungry~.”
Hearing Ning Chu’s complaint, Wen Yang hurried out from the restaurant.
“Feeling unwell? What’s bothering you?”
“Just tired.”
She rolled her eyes at Wen Yang, slowly rising from the sofa. Wen Yang rushed to support her arm.
It wasn’t like she was about to pop; her belly was still flat with no signs of pregnancy at all. But Wen Yang was still looking like a worried hen.
As he helped Little Succubus, Wen Yang teased, “You didn’t want to eat last night, did you?”
“Don’t let Black Bean hear that.”
Ning Chu gently kicked Wen Yang’s leg.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to; it’s just that if Wen Yang felt too good, she couldn’t help herself!
For these three months, she just wanted to be a desire-free, cold person, so she downloaded a bunch of games to keep her from overthinking.
“Maybe you should sleep in the guest room from now on?”
Wen Yang nodded with a wry smile. “Alright.”
As the couple strolled into the restaurant, Black Bean was wide-eyed, munching on a fried chicken leg while watching them.
Though she didn’t catch the details of their earlier conversation, the way Wen Yang was doting on Ning Chu, like she was some fragile porcelain doll, made her cat ears perk up.
“Sis, you’re not… pregnant, are you?”
“Go eat your chicken leg!”
Ning Chu shot Black Bean a glare and reached for the chicken leg, but Wen Yang was quick to swat her hand away.
“You’ll just have to let Black Bean eat it. Don’t eat it yourself, okay?”
“……”
She paused, staring at Wen Yang in silence.
“How about I take the skin off for you first?”
“That’s better…”
With the breading removed, the chicken leg was tender and juicy. Sure, it lacked the crunch, but it didn’t taste half bad.
Ning Chu nibbled on the chicken leg and warned Black Bean, “Don’t tell Mom about my situation.”
“Why not? Are you really pregnant?” Black Bean’s eyes lit up, and she immediately glanced down at Ning Chu’s flat stomach. “But you don’t even have a belly!”
“A four- or five-month pregnancy only shows bump, so by next year, you’ll be an aunt! Just make sure not to freak out, and set a good example for your nephew.”
“Mhm!” Black Bean nodded seriously, her face stern.
So Ning Chu seized the moment to continue her persuasion, “Black Bean, next year let’s get into a spring exam prep class, and aim for a good vocational school.”
Black Bean anxiously looked away and couldn’t keep a straight face.
“You wouldn’t want your nephew to look down on your education, right? Aunt didn’t even graduate high school!”
She shot Ning Chu a glare. “Sis, I’ve made a pact with my friends to attend the spring exam prep class. Don’t worry.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Absolutely not!” Black Bean’s fair cheeks flushed a shade of pink as she mumbled, “I told you, it’s just a flirty relationship.”
Look at her shy demeanor! They were probably only one thin layer of paper away from becoming a couple.
Ning Chu glanced worriedly at Wen Yang.
Both she and Wen Yang knew exactly what guys were thinking during a flirty phase.
“So what’s the status of your relationship?” Wen Yang asked.
“Just holding hands and stuff…” Black Bean paused and embarrassedly looked up. “I’m not a child anymore, right? Why are you all asking so many questions!”
Ning Chu immediately shoved a chicken leg into Black Bean’s mouth to silence her complaints.
“Black Bean, how about we talk in the bedroom for a bit?”
“No way, it’s obvious you’ll just lecture me… Mom’s told me a million times already! I’m not some clueless cat.”
She let out a resigned sigh. “Honestly, having a son would be better.”
Wen Yang had no objections, serving Ning Chu a bowl of soup before worryingly saying, “I specially looked up 3D childbirth demonstrations… You might not handle the pain very well.”
“Don’t say that!”
Ning Chu covered her ears, shaking her head to refuse to listen. “What if I really freak out?”
She had deliberately stifled her curiosity about childbirth, fearing getting scared off.
“My mom gave birth to two kids with far less advanced techniques than today! I’m not worse than her!”
“Sister-in-law said that getting a pain-free epidural helps a lot. When she had her baby last year, the next day my brother was still howling.”
