313. The Morning Mayhem
Like she was trying to make up for lost time, Ning Chu clung tightly to Wen Yang’s arm, pressing herself against his hand.
Although she had always known that Wen Yang’s past wasn’t easy, it was the first time she had heard about it directly from him.
His words were light, but they tugged at her heartstrings.
Why did she give the male protagonist such a tragic background of being orphaned?
Just for fun, she jotted it down, and somehow it reflected in reality, becoming the source of Wen Yang’s eighteen years of misery.
Yet, instead of succumbing to despair, Wen Yang persevered, studying hard enough to get into university, masking his pain with a bright facade that made it hard for anyone to link him to that abandoned child.
Life can be unfair, but it was Ning Chu who penned Wen Yang’s fate.
“I’m doing pretty well now,” Wen Yang said with a smile, noticing her downcast expression, teasing, “You look like you might just burst into tears.”
“I’m not!”
Ning Chu mumbled softly, “Sorry.”
“Huh? It’s fine, your family seems great. I’m just a little jealous.”
After a brief silence, she took a deep breath, lifted her head, and flashed a peppy smile. “All that’s in the past! We’ll create a perfect family in the future!”
For now, the only thing she could fix was a warm, happy home.
A family with Wen Yang~
“Do you want a daughter or a son?”
Her smile froze, and she awkwardly turned her head away. “Um… What if we don’t have kids?”
“Just one kid less makes it imperfect! How about a boy and a girl?”
“Uh, we’ll think about it later… later…” Ning Chu tried to brush it off, but her eyes lit up. She grabbed Wen Yang’s hand and dashed forward, exclaiming, “Let’s go eat breakfast first!”
Kids? Now that’s just terrifying!
Maybe that’s the ultimate form of female decay?
“I’ve been eating at this breakfast shop since I was little, it’s so good!” Ning Chu glanced at the counter and waved to a staff member. “Two crispy layered pancakes, five cups of soy milk, four meat buns… and let’s add a pack of soup dumplings to-go!”
Having ordered their breakfast, she turned to Wen Yang and said, “This layered pancake is amazing! I used to crave it every day when I was in college! You’ve got to try it!”
“Sure.”
Wen Yang was curious about the flavors of Ning Chu’s childhood.
He stared with intrigue at the busy staff in the breakfast shop, nose twitching as he detected the delicious aromas wafting through the air, his stomach couldn’t help but let out a loud “grumble.”
“Did you really eat that much yesterday? Already hungry so early?”
Wen Yang scratched his head, a bit shy. “I guess I have a big appetite…”
Ning Chu, unable to contain her excitement, tore open the packet of layered pancake, blew into it a couple of times, and took a big bite.
“Try this! It’s delicious!”
“Yeah, it’s pretty good.”
“Right?!”
Ning Chu cast a wistful glance inside the shop and muttered, “Back in the day, the aunt would give me extra. Now she barely recognizes me…”
“Well, you look so pretty now.”
“True~”
Carrying breakfast, they returned home at eight-thirty.
As soon as they opened the door, it felt like a warzone inside.
“Ning Xin! Hurry up and get dressed! You’re going to be late for your tutoring class!” her mother urged impatiently. “Quickly, quickly! Stop dawdling!”
“I’m hungry!”
“Eat on the way! Did you play with all the hair ties? I still need to do your hair!”
“How would I know? I’m not a cat! I don’t play with that stuff anymore!”
Ning Yuan, despite being woken up, sat cross-legged on the floor looking utterly defeated, yawning repeatedly.
“Mom, be quiet, I want to sleep a bit longer.”
“It’s already eight-thirty!”
“I’m tired from work during the week.”
Standing at the door and watching the chaos unfold, Ning Chu elbowed Wen Yang, grinning teasingly, “Still envious?”
“Uh…”
Wen Yang was not prepared for this fiery side of Ning Chu’s mom.
Just yesterday, she had seemed graceful and kind—though she didn’t particularly like him, she still served him extra food and made him two of his favorite dishes.
The contrast was shocking, leaving him momentarily dumbfounded.
“Isn’t it kinda nice?”
He scratched his head, realizing that while the scene wasn’t exactly harmonious, it felt rather cozy…
“It is nice~”
Ning Chu walked into the room, placing their breakfast on the coffee table. “Mom, take some for the road to give to Black Bean.”
“Okay, look after your sister! And here I am getting you breakfast while you just sleep!”
Poor Ning Yuan, caught in the line of fire, could only silently get up and eat, while Wen Yang had turned into a timid quail, properly trailing behind Ning Chu, afraid to utter a word for fear of being blasted.
“Wen Yang.”
“Here!” he straightened up instinctively.
But her tone softened immediately, as she smiled warmly, “When I get back, I’ll take you to see the rental apartments.”
Then she whipped her head around, voice sharp and commanding, “Did you grab your backpack? All you do is eat!”
“I’m hungry!”
“All you do is eat.”
The commotion continued for about ten minutes, with Black Bean being dragged out by her mother, holding a layered pancake in her mouth while waving a hand back at the house, “Waaah!”
“She’s probably saying, ‘Goodbye?’” Wen Yang guessed.
“Finally quiet.” Ning Yuan sighed, sprawling back onto the couch. “So tired, I’ll nap after I eat.”
“Why not sleep in the bedroom?”
“Sure, can you fold up my bedding?”
Watching her brother head into the second bedroom, Ning Chu mischievously raised an eyebrow at Wen Yang. “My mom’s usually fine; she’s pretty open-minded too. She probably just got upset because Black Bean was dragging her feet—just like me back in the day~”
“My mom had to be a bit tough on me and my brother to keep us in line.”
Wen Yang smiled faintly.
He’d once envied Ning Chu’s harmonious family vibe, but after witnessing the tiger mom in action, he felt a bit intimidated.
Ning Chu wouldn’t turn into a tiger mom someday too, would she?
“Time to eat~”
Ning Chu picked up a cup of soy milk, leaning back as she murmured, “Shall we go buy a house up north later? I’ve heard there’s a place where the prices are super low—just a few thousand for a whole house.”
“That’s too far; it only suits freelancers.”
“Isn’t that great?! I’m a bestselling author!” She shrugged off her coat and puffed out her chest, “I’ve earned two thousand in royalties this month!”
“Right~ Bestselling author~”
Wen Yang couldn’t help but chuckle.
“What’s so funny? What if it really happens?” Ning Chu grumbled as she sipped some soy milk, eagerly snatching a meat bun while asking, “What kind of job do you want when we rent a place?”
“Maybe a milk tea shop? A waiter? I’m good with anything.”
Her expression turned a bit tense. “Um… just don’t get fooled by any bad women out there!”
“Got it, in this whole wide world, you’re the only good woman.”
“Exactly! The rest are just vixens!”
——————
Tomorrow a new month begins, and with it, new rewards!
Today is the last day of this month—better use your remaining votes to slap my face!
