Chapter 529: Mother
Even though Black Bean was nearly five feet tall, Ning Chu still instinctively held Little Cat’s hand when they ventured out.
She was quite worried that this little furball might suddenly go wild, zipping around on the street—what if it bumped into someone or a car? The poor one who’d end up with bad luck would definitely be Black Bean.
They say cats only calm down after they reach adulthood, but for now, Black Bean was still a hyper bundle of curiosity.
Up ahead, Mother walked arm-in-arm with Uncle, smilingly chatting about who-knows-what while looking up at him, as if she were a giddy teenager in love. Despite being in her forties, she had the added bounce of youth in her high heels, and her cheeks radiated a youthful blush.
“I want to eat that!” Mother suddenly halted, eyeing a nearby cotton candy cart.
Uncle chuckled, “Too much sugar isn’t good for you.”
“Please~”
In front of Uncle, Mother shed all the authority she usually wielded in front of Ning Chu and Black Bean, even going so far as to act a bit cutesy, her voice turning sweet and syrupy.
It was amusing to see a woman in her forties act like a little girl, while Uncle showered her with affection, quickly agreeing, “Alright, I’ll go buy it for you.”
“Mom! I want some too!” Black Bean shouted, completely oblivious to the fact that it might not be the right moment to chime in.
“All of you get some.” Uncle walked to the cart and bought a cotton candy for all three of them.
“I always say those street stalls are dirty…” Ning Chu took a bite of her cotton candy and mumbled, “But when it’s time to eat, suddenly it’s all fine.”
With her mouth full of cotton candy, she was already daydreaming about being next to Wen Yang.
“Big Sis~ Isn’t it delicious?”
“Yep.”
Ning Chu glanced down at Black Bean and whispered, “What if Mom decides to have another baby? A younger sibling?”
Given Mother’s health and the unique body of a Succubus, having another child probably wouldn’t be a big deal.
“That’s okay!” Black Bean nodded eagerly without a second thought.
However, their little chat caught Mother’s ear, and she turned around with a mock glare, “If I have another one, I’ll be worn out! I’ve spent my whole life raising kids!”
Ning Chu tiptoed closer and softly asked, “Mom, where will you two live after you get married? Will Uncle move in with us? Or will you go to Uncle’s place?”
“There’s still Ning Xin to take care of.”
“If there wasn’t a Ning Xin, would you move in with Uncle?”
Mother rolled her eyes at Ning Chu, licking her cotton candy before snuggling back into Uncle’s side, chuckling softly with him.
Watching her mother play the role of a little girl with Uncle made Ning Chu’s lips curl into a smile. For so many years, Mother had raised them alone, strong and resilient, but now she finally had a place to belong, someone to lean on.
In her previous life, Mother had passed away from a serious illness, but now, she got to see this version of her mother stepping into happiness…
It warmed Ning Chu’s heart.
Their home was in the city center, not too far from the civil affairs bureau. The four of them strolled leisurely for half an hour before arriving at the bureau’s entrance.
Brother Ning Yuan had already been waiting there for quite a while.
“Bro! What are you doing here?” Ning Chu spotted him instantly and tugged Black Bean toward him.
“Mom’s getting married—how could I not come?” Ning Yuan yawned, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I drove here, so we won’t need a taxi to the hotel later.”
“Maybe I’ll skip the hotel?”
“Those relatives have probably heard all about you by now. It’s been a few years; you still don’t dare show your face?”
Ning Chu boldly replied, “I don’t dare!”
“Well then, I guess you’ll just have to walk home!”
She scoffed and leaned forward to peek into the civil affairs bureau, spotting the bustling activity inside. “So many people getting married?”
“Most of them are getting divorced,” Mother sauntered over, grumbling, “Last time I was here for a divorce, it took forever to get through the paperwork, and there’s even a cooling-off period for divorces!”
“What about weddings?”
“Heard it just takes half an hour. You guys wait for me outside.”
Mother was clearly eager to step inside the bureau and shot Uncle a glare, “Hurry up!”
Uncle, whose fierce-looking face usually intimidated others, suddenly turned compliant in front of Mother and quickly quickened his pace to follow her.
Left outside, Black Bean busied herself with snacks, Ning Chu fidgeted with Black Bean’s braids, while Ning Yuan stood to the side, looking half-asleep as he yawned again.
“Bro, why not get your certificate with Sis too while you’re at it?”
“Yeah, right! I can barely support myself. If I get married, Mom’s just going to pressure me into having kids right away.”
Ning Chu curiously asked, “If you and Sis have a daughter, will she be a Succubus too?”
“Isn’t it all about the probability?” Ning Yuan sighed, scratching his head. “Please, just a normal child—no Succubus, please.”
“True…”
Honestly, imagining a Succubus daughter going wild during puberty, holding nightly raves, made Ning Chu cringe.
If she had a Succubus daughter in the future, she would surely steer her toward being more like Lily—playing with toys was definitely better than getting into messy romantic escapades.
Wait a minute! She didn’t even want kids…
“Hey, I heard you’re leaving tomorrow?”
“Yep, got a ticket for noon.”
“Why the hurry? Going to find Wen Yang?”
Ning Chu casually threw out an excuse, “I’ve lined up a few interviews online. I’m going to check them out the day after tomorrow.”
“Big Sis just wants to find Wen Yang!”
She playfully pressed down on Black Bean’s bouncy head, shooting her a glare. “Stop talking nonsense! I’m just eager to make money!”
“Wen Yang isn’t bullying you, is he?”
“How could he?!” After putting Black Bean in her place, she proudly added, “If I tell Wen Yang to go west, he dares not go east! He wouldn’t dare bully me!”
Ning Yuan seemed a bit worried, “Why not just get a job here? Why go so far? What if something happens? It’s easier for the family to keep an eye on you.”
“I’ll be fine. Wen Yang will take care of me, and Mom doesn’t mind.”
“She doesn’t mind? Just yesterday, she called me, reminding me to talk some sense into you.”
“Oh really…”
Mother sure was tough!
Ning Chu winced slightly; clearly, just a while ago, Mother was thrilled at the thought of her running off to work far away with Wen Yang.
“Big Sis~ I’m bored~”
Black Bean finished her snacks and tugged at Ning Chu’s arm, swaying it. “Let’s go explore!”
“They’ll be out soon, don’t rush.”
Just as she was speaking, the sound of high heels clicking echoed from inside. Ning Chu turned to see her mother and Uncle walking out, each holding a marriage certificate, hands clasped together—looking oh-so-happy.
Watching her mother smile, Ning Chu felt a twinge of envy.
How she wished Wen Yang would hurry up and be able to marry her…
Even if he couldn’t afford it, at least just getting the certificate would be fine.
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Normal updates resume tomorrow.
