309. You’re a qualified succubus now
……
Mom’s cooking isn’t quite as rich or salty as those greasy restaurants outside, and the seasoning leans toward the light and simple side.
But after a long time away, Ning Chu’s appetite was wide open as she enjoyed the home-cooked meal. Even though she had already stuffed herself with a bowl of rice, she still occasionally reached for more meat or vegetables.
Propping her chin on her hand, she watched Black Bean bury his head in the rice bowl and then glanced at Wen Yang, who was trying hard to resist the urge to eat, taking his sweet time.
“You finally came home, so eat more!”
“When your older brother comes back, I’ll go to the market and buy you both some hairy crabs.”
Mom kept talking as she served Ning Chu more vegetables. “Do your classmates make comments about you wearing girls’ clothes at school? Just don’t let their words bother you. Just focus on living well ourselves.”
“Uh-huh.” Ning Chu kept pushing food around her bowl, sharing funny stories she encountered at school. “Mom, the other day while I was studying in the classroom, a classmate got confessed to.”
“They even set up a bunch of LED lights and shouted from downstairs with a speaker!”
Mom asked with great interest, “And then what happened?”
“My classmate usually acts all cool and aloof, but without saying a word, he grabbed a bucket of water and dumped it all over that guy. He ended up looking like a drowned rat.”
“And also~ I have a classmate who has a crush on a teacher!”
“Oh?” Mom’s interest piqued even more.
There were plenty of amusing happenings throughout the semester, but she could only share a few.
Ning Chu chatted non-stop at the dining table, munching away, while Mom occasionally chimed in, nodding and chuckling.
Wen Yang stole glances at the scene, taking in the lively banter. It was rare to see Ning Chu so talkative, her animated expressions made her seem cuter and more obedient than her usual smile.
The harmonious family atmosphere at the table felt both strange and yearned for him.
He opened his mouth a few times, wanting to contribute to the conversation, but with the fear of being judged by his future mother-in-law, he opted to keep eating instead.
Just eating, mind you—he didn’t even dare touch the bok choy in front of him too much…
Not only did he have to eat elegantly, but he also had to be careful not to overdo it, scared he might invoke Mom’s disdain.
“Are you done eating?”
“I’m full, I can’t eat anymore.” Ning Chu waved her hand and burped, “So stuffed~ I feel like my belly is getting bigger.”
“Really? Can I feel?”
“Eh~ No way.”
Mom chuckled, turned to the bashful Wen Yang, and plopped some meat into his bowl. “Is this enough? There’s more rice in the pot.”
“That’s plenty.”
“Such a big guy eating so little? Ning Chu used to eat more than you.”
She skeptically glanced at the small ceramic bowl in Wen Yang’s hands and then back at Ning Chu.
After locking eyes with her daughter, she resignedly stood up and fetched an iron basin for soup, serving Wen Yang an entire bowl of rice.
“Eat more, you’re here anyway. Treat this place like home, don’t be too reserved.”
Mom placed several bowls of meat dishes in front of Wen Yang. “You and Black Bean finish this up. Ning Chu and I are good.”
“Okay.”
“Make sure you eat it all… Ning Xin! You eat a bit less! Girls shouldn’t eat as much as you do, or you’ll end up a little chubby!”
Black Bean looked up innocently, burped, “Oh~”
Looks like Mom was really on a diet control mission for Black Bean.
Only, it probably wasn’t going to work.
Ning Chu sighed as she looked at Black Bean’s round little belly, “You’re getting more pig-like by the day.”
“Didn’t you used to tell me to eat more? That being a little chubby is cute?”
“Back then you were a cat, alright? Chubby was adorable.”
“I’m still very cute now!”
“Ah, right, right, right~”
Although Black Bean had lost much of the cat-like behavior, she was still way more sensible than most ten-year-olds, but there was no avoiding the evolution into an orange piglet.
“Black Bean, remember to wash the dishes later.”
“I know~”
Mom stood up, stretching her neck and shoulders as she walked toward the bedroom. “Aiyoh~ I’m getting old; cooking is exhausting my back.”
“Mom! Let me give you a massage!”
Ning Chu eagerly chased after her, “Mom~ Wen Yang should stay the night, right? He can sleep on the floor; he hasn’t found a place yet.”
“Is he really planning on not going back for the New Year?”
“Absolutely! If he goes back, it’s just to hang out with relatives.”
Mom shot a glance at Wen Yang and chose not to reply. The moment she left, Wen Yang let loose, his eating style slightly better than Black Bean’s.
She felt a bit sorry for Wen Yang’s circumstances, but that didn’t mean she wanted her daughter to accompany him in hardship.
“Mom, when older brother comes back, should we all squeeze into one room at night?”
The mother and daughter entered the master bedroom, and Ning Chu eagerly helped with Mom’s shoulder rub.
“Your little boyfriend can sleep on the living room floor, your brother’s a dude too. He can sleep on the floor.”
Her eyes lit up as she applied more effort, “Then I’ll sleep in one room with Black Bean~”
“Oh right, Mom, what about Wen Yang? Your little boyfriend? Remember we said he’d come meet us over the winter break?”
“Is he tall and handsome, a rich uncle?”
Mom turned back and squeezed Ning Chu’s chubby cheek playfully, saying mockingly, “You dare joke about me, huh?”
“Ow~”
“How about tomorrow? Your brother is coming too.”
A blush adorned her cheeks before she continued, “You don’t need to worry too much about the rental situation.”
“Huh?”
“Your grandfather has two buildings in the village that he turned into dorms.” Mom looked down and texted Grandfather, “I’ll ask him for a discount to let your boyfriend stay for a month.”
Ning Chu was utterly shocked; she had no idea Grandfather was so wealthy. “Two buildings?!”
Even though she was aware that he used to be in business and was doing quite well, she still didn’t have a clear picture of it. Thinking back on her grandfather lounging in flip-flops and a tank top while playing Mahjong all day, it was hard to associate that image with a rich person.
“You didn’t know?” Mom blinked in surprise and continued with a hint of pride, “He sold a few properties over a decade ago when they redeveloped. He probably has over a dozen houses in the new district too.”
“I’m a rich person myself!”
“What’s that got to do with you?” Mom rolled her eyes at Ning Chu. “I moved my household registration ages ago, so the redevelopment has nothing to do with us.”
“This…”
And here she was thinking her family was super wealthy.
What a joyful letdown.
Ning Chu’s arms went limp as she stopped massaging her mother, letting out a sulky pout, “So our family really relies on older brother to support us? We’re not doing much better than Wen Yang~ and you still look down on him.”
“The uncle gives me some pocket money each month, and we at least have a house.”
“Oh~”
Ning Chu gauged her mother’s finances and thought they were considerably better than before. The chub on Black Bean’s face was proof of that.
“Mom, why are you staring at me?”
Seeing her mother had turned around, examining her top to bottom, Ning Chu awkwardly scratched her head.
“You’re nothing like you used to be.”
Mom watched Ning Chu, who was kneeling on the bed, her love-heart tail wiggling as she tried to give a shoulder rub. Looking at her daughter gradually cultivating a mature charm, she sighed, “My child has become quite the qualified succubus~”
Just last September, she was still a round-faced little boy.
“……”
Enough already! Stop saying it!
Ning Chu couldn’t lift her head, feeling utterly embarrassed.
I haven’t even completely transitioned into motherhood yet!
How am I already ‘qualified’?!
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It’s the end of the month! We’re taking a little break from the recent double updates. We’ll start an extra chapter reward system at the beginning of next month. Still one hundred monthly votes, ten thousand in tips for an extra update!
