526. Uncle
As Ning Chu wearily stepped out of the bathroom, she caught sight of Black Bean darting off like a shadow, zooming towards the bedroom.
She frowned in suspicion, already picturing Black Bean eavesdropping by the bathroom door.
With the memory still fresh and her cheeks flushed, she shamefully covered her face, feeling like her reputation would surely crumble in Black Bean’s eyes.
But wait, Black Bean had already seen her getting cozy with Wen Yang before, even if back then, Black Bean was just a cat.
“Seriously, how sudden…”
Thank goodness it wasn’t at school; otherwise, she would have bolted out of class with Wen Yang, dragging him along under the puzzled gazes of their classmates and the teacher.
Ning Chu hesitated, not daring to go into the bedroom to face Black Bean, yet that recently retrieved mysterious black box now had nowhere to go.
If she shoved it under the bed, Black Bean’s curiosity would definitely lure it out for inspection.
With a sigh, she trudged into the living room and flopped down on the couch, burying her hot face in the sofa cushion.
It had to be Wen Yang’s fault for not stuffing her full before he left a few days ago; how else could something go wrong in less than three days?
So, everything was Wen Yang’s fault!
She felt utterly off…
Toys just couldn’t compare to Wen Yang.
After lying on the couch for just a few minutes, Ning Chu propped herself up and called out to the bedroom, “Black Bean!”
“……”
“Black Bean? Come watch TV!”
She planned to use the TV to distract Black Bean from the bedroom, making it easier to hide the box.
“Sis! I’m doing homework!”
But Black Bean was unusually obedient today, to the point of being a little strange.
Under normal circumstances, Black Bean loathed homework with a passion, always thinking about playtime—whether it was watching TV or going out, anything but homework would get immediate attention.
Ning Chu looked puzzled, realizing she had been pressing the remote control under her own body, and it was a bit painful.
It should have been on the coffee table.
“Black Bean! Are you secretly watching TV?!”
Suddenly, she felt a wave of relief wash over her.
So it wasn’t eavesdropping, but rather, Black Bean was watching TV while she took a bath.
How else could this cat look so guilty!
Moments later, Black Bean’s small head peeked out from the bedroom, and sure enough, its face was written all over with guilty expressions; those beautiful cat eyes couldn’t even meet Ning Chu’s gaze.
But still, it insisted, “No… I’ve been doing homework.”
What a true cat raised by a mother—everyone in the family is stubborn.
“Come here! Watch TV!”
“Really?” Black Bean hesitated, almost afraid it was a trap. “What if Mom sees me…”
“She just left, she won’t be back until six or seven. How could you still be doing homework?”
With that, Black Bean’s eyes lit up and it sped over, jumping onto the couch.
Ning Chu couldn’t help but think this couch might not hold up for long.
In no time, Black Bean was completely engrossed in the TV, and it started off sitting nicely, but before she knew it, it had scampered right in front of the screen, as if it wanted nothing more than to dive straight into the TV.
That was her cue. She tiptoed to the bathroom to properly stash away the box full of toys, while Black Bean remained blissfully unaware.
Once everything was tidied up, she called out to Black Bean in the living room.
“Black Bean, I’m taking a nap. Keep the volume down and don’t disturb me.”
“Sis, how can you sleep more than I do?!”
“Go watch your TV, less chit-chat.” Ning Chu casually closed the door. “Wake me at four, don’t forget!”
“Okay~”
She didn’t usually take naps, of course, since she usually felt energetic after eating and drinking well every day. But staying home these days had left her with nothing to do but nap.
Besides, she was downright exhausted.
In the past, she just had to lie there while Wen Yang pampered her…
With her head against the pillow, as soon as she closed her eyes, her mind began to replay moments with Wen Yang until she slowly drifted into a dreamy haze.
……
The bustle outside stirred Ning Chu awake.
She yawned, rolled over, and blinked her bleary eyes.
Was that a delightful dream involving Wen Yang?
She couldn’t quite recall.
Rubbing her eyes, she focused on the sounds outside, and faintly picked up a deep voice.
Was her mom and Uncle back already? So early.
Picking up her phone, she squinted at the time—just past five, and Black Bean hadn’t come to wake her up. Surely it was too busy getting lost in the TV.
Looks like she would be staying up late tonight.
Lying in bed, she waited for that lingering dizziness from waking up to fade when suddenly her mom knocked on the door, giving her quite the scare.
“Time to get up! Are you going to crash for the night too?”
“Awake!”
“Uncle bought prawns! Hurry up before they get cold!”
“Oh~”
Ning Chu stiffened, her hands stretching out as she arched her back like a bridge before finally waking up.
She quickly prepared to leave the bedroom when she suddenly remembered she wasn’t wearing proper clothes—just a tank top and the tail behind her.
At home, there was no bra involved, and her slightly loose tank top made it easy for her to flash the side. It wouldn’t matter if her mom or Black Bean saw, but Uncle was another issue.
Locking the door, she changed into some conservative, loose-fitting pajamas, tucked her tail into the roomy pant legs, and threw on a bra to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions before leaving the bedroom.
Her mom was on the couch, playing with her phone, while Black Bean was nibbling on a prawn head next to her. In the kitchen, that rugged-looking man was busy cooking.
Having known Uncle for a few years but not seen him that often still made Ning Chu a bit shy.
A few years ago, Uncle was quite fit, but now he had a bit of a belly. He had lost his hair and just shaved it all off, giving him a look that combined a fierce, rugged face and a shine on his bald head. If he wore a suit, he’d fit right in as a typical tough-guy character from some gang.
But this “thug” was currently dancing around with knives in the kitchen, busy at work.
“Mom, why are you cooking right after coming back from a business trip? You should be resting!”
“I can’t cook,” her mom shot Ning Chu a glare. “Go eat the prawns, stop talking nonsense.”
After teasing her mom, Ning Chu practically bounced over to the dining table and laid her eyes on the massive lobster tail.
The lobster was split in half, revealing the juicy, tender meat, garnished with scallions, wafting a savory aroma that had her drooling.
“Aren’t you having any, Black Bean?”
“I’m on it! Don’t eat my half!” Black Bean responded while gnawing at that long antenna, not even looking up.
“Mom, I’m saving some for you and Uncle?”
Just then, Uncle emerged from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of freshly cut raw lamb: “You just eat it, no need to save any.”
His voice was exceptionally loud, making Ning Chu rub her ears.
“I bought you some shoes! Let me know if you like them.”
After putting down the lamb, Uncle pulled out a shoebox from somewhere and handed it to Ning Chu. Before she could even get a thank you out, he cheerfully strolled back into the kitchen.
Every time they met, Uncle would bring her something. It made her wonder if he was trying to bribe her, hoping to win her over regarding his marriage to her mother.
Ning Chu couldn’t wait to open the box, and upon seeing the sparkling crystal sandals inside, she happily accepted them.
If this was bribery, then let it be! After all, she had quite the soft spot for Uncle.
——————
The lobster was a bit bland and lacked freshness—seriously suspicious it was frozen shrimp!
