595. Lily
“Lily!”
Seeing Lily again, Ning Chu was so excited that she almost lunged forward, but her legs betrayed her and she nearly fell flat on the floor—thankfully, Wen Yang was there to catch her just in time.
Lily was taking her sweet time pulling out a pair of spare slippers from the shoe cabinet. With her usual icy expression, she nodded at the couple who had just walked in, as if to say, “Hello, I acknowledge your existence.”
Despite still radiating that “do not approach” vibe, there was something more mature about her now; her figure seemed to have ripened like a fine fruit. That form-fitting long dress did nothing to hide her impressive curves and well-rounded backside.
Glancing at Ning Chu, who was waddling awkwardly, Lily smirked slightly and added a touch of elegance to her smile: “Full?”
“Stuffed!”
After knowing each other for over a decade and both being married, the duo had long since shed their former “embarrassment of succubi” status and chatted freely.
“Wen Yang is really something…” Ning Chu focused in and immediately hooked her arm around Wen Yang’s, prompting Lily to stifle a laugh.
Lily’s family background was way better than her husband’s, so she continued to live in this large flat after marriage instead of that little wedding house. Rumor had it that this apartment was entirely her dowry, courtesy of her generous parents.
Seriously, rich people, what’s it like up there?
Ning Chu, feeling a bit wobbly, leaned on Wen Yang’s arm, limping into the living room.
“Where’s your husband? Not home again?”
She made her way to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, with half the city unfolding before her eyes, an envy bubbling inside her.
Didn’t Wen Yang mention he’d get her a large flat like this too?
Though honestly, that seventy to eighty square meter place wasn’t too shabby.
“Not here, at work.” Lily fished out two bottles of drinks from the fridge.
“Still not home? Is he that busy?”
“Well, you have to work.”
With that shared experience, the two women settled down together, Ning Chu complaining while also kind of showing off: “Men are like that~ Wen Yang too, always leaving at eight or nine in the morning and getting back around six or seven in the evening—he might as well just sleep at the office~”
“He’s a boss now~ He told me he’d have it easier running his own company, but guess what? He seems to work more than before!”
Wen Yang scratched his nose awkwardly, trying to defend himself: “It’s different now. Back then, overtime was for buying cars and houses for the boss, but now I’m working for myself…”
“What if you go bankrupt? We won’t be able to pay back your grandfather’s money!”
When they first had a baby, he’d been contemplating starting a business. Until last year, when Grandpa found out and generously provided a startup fund.
Ning Chu shot Wen Yang a sideways glare, half-heartedly pouting, “Yes, yes~ Whatever you say is right.”
Lily, clearly relating to this, added melodramatically, “Yeah, he often doesn’t come home for the night…”
“Do you at least eat well?” Ning Chu leaned in teasingly, whispering mockingly, “You’re not just ordering takeout all the time, right?”
“No takeout, not interested.”
Lily had high standards for men, and anything less would simply be classified as a useless toy. Plus, her introverted nature meant she definitely wasn’t ordering takeout.
But while her boyfriend had quite the stamina, the nature of his job often left her home alone, relying on her trusty toys for company.
“Do you think he’s purposely avoiding you?”
Ning Chu suddenly had a lightbulb moment, a cheeky grin forming on her face.
What if Lily’s husband simply couldn’t handle the pressure of being a succubi’s partner and was always pulling late nights at work?
Hearing Ning Chu question her husband’s abilities made Lily anxious, “How could he avoid me! I’m not over the top like you!”
“Calm down~”
“Last time he even…”
Ning Chu nodded eagerly, waiting for Lily to spill the tea.
“Where’s Shuqin? Didn’t come?”
But just as Lily glanced at Wen Yang, her train of thought switched gears, leaving Ning Chu feeling a tad disappointed.
Yet, when it came to the topic of her daughter, Ning Chu’s face lit up with with pride as she dug out a photo of her daughter leaving for kindergarten that morning, backpack slung over her shoulder: “She started kindergarten~ Isn’t she adorable? I specially gave her a jellyfish haircut; it suits her perfectly!”
“Mm… adorable.”
“Soon Wen Yang and I must head back; it’s her first day at kindergarten. I wonder if she’s causing trouble.”
Ning Chu studied Lily’s expression but found no trace of envy on that cold, rigid face.
The joy of showing off had dimmed a bit, so she curiously asked, “You’ve been married for a year too, right? Not planning on having kids? Such a big place for just the two of you—what a waste!”
The moment Lily heard this, panic spread across her face: “No kids, I’m scared of the pain.”
“Aren’t your parents and in-laws pressuring you?”
She sighed, disenchanted, “Of course they are…”
“I told you so! Back when I swore I never wanted kids, my mom was relentless, brainwashing me every day about how wonderful children are…”
Ning Chu seemed to forget that she was the one who was all gung-ho about having kids and actively trying to conceive—her mother’s nudging was more like the cherry on top.
“Turns out, I ended up with a little brat who only follows her dad around when he’s home, just trying to steal my husband away!”
“Do you often scold her?”
“How could I? I’m such a gentle person~ After all this time, have you ever seen me angry?”
Wen Yang shrugged noncommittally.
Clearly, Ning Chu didn’t want to let her friend see her tiger mom persona; he was frightened when she snapped at their daughter, and afterwards, Ning Chu would always be crying rivers while he was stuck in the middle, caught between his wife and daughter—that was a tough spot to be in!
“Lily, how did your parents raise you back in the day?” Ning Chu curled up her legs on the sofa, “I want to turn Shuqin into a succubi’s embarrassment too.”
Lily grabbed a cushion ready to throw at her.
Here she was, the former “embarrassment of succubi”!
“I’m not joking; I’m serious!” Ning Chu quickly grabbed Lily’s hand, looking earnest. “I’m just afraid that when Shuqin grows up, she’ll end up like those other succubi… chasing after men everywhere.”
Seeing that she seemed genuine, Lily finally dropped the cushion: “How would I know…?”
“Why not give me your parents’ WeChat? I can consult them for advice.”
“No way.”
Lily couldn’t guarantee that Ning Chu wouldn’t dig up some embarrassing black history about her parents.
“Fine~ I guess I should be heading out.”
“Already? Have a meal first.”
“I need to pick up Shuqin. I was thinking of having a meal here, but…” Ning Chu pushed herself off the sofa, her legs still sore and weak, “Since you have all this free time, why can’t you just come over to my place? Why must I come running to you?”
“Would affect you two.”
Suddenly, Lily seemed to remember something, jumping off the sofa and dashing toward her bedroom. “Wait a sec.”
In just a few minutes, she emerged with a small bag.
“Don’t stuff me with more skincare products; I have too much already.”
“Not this time… it’s a toy.”
“!!!”
“For Shuqin, a kindergarten gift.”
“Oh…”
Ning Chu looked down and confirmed it was indeed a toy fit for kids, not one for adults.
“Wait, how do you have kids’ toys at your place?” She suddenly caught on and her mouth curved upwards, “Are you trying to conceive?”
Like back in the day when she started her own “trying to conceive” phase, she amassed a mountain of baby stuff.
“Being sneaky~ and you say you don’t want kids~”
Lily worriedly rubbed her belly: “My mom’s pushing.”
“Hey, don’t insult people!”
