"Wen Yang! When I was a kid, my brother and I used to sneak our family’s spare change to this milk tea shop! Their fried skewers were really good!"
"And then we’d get a good beating! My brother got bruised all over, and the next day the teacher thought he was being abused at home!"
“That convenience store over there had a hidden internet café behind it. My brother and I used to go there a lot. I’m sure it’s long gone by now.”
On Wen Yang’s last day before starting work, Ning Chu took him around the city, wandering aimlessly.
She held his hand as she shared stories from her childhood, a touch of nostalgia in her eyes.
Those years in kindergarten and elementary school were probably the most carefree times of her life.
Things changed dramatically in middle school, when academic pressure intensified, and problems began at home. Since then, she had lived in a constant daze. Looking back now, she could barely remember what her teachers and classmates even looked like.
Everything changed when she crossed over into this parallel world. Now, she had a loving partner, a healthy mother, and a brother who had become a working adult. Life had finally regained some color.
“Want to get some fried skewers again?”
Wen Yang looked down at Ning Chu’s lively and excited expression, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
He really preferred this playful version of the little succubus.
Not that she wasn’t great in bed, either.
But the closed-off, troubled Ning Chu from before had always made his heart ache.
“No, I don’t really like fried skewers anymore.”
Ning Chu shook her head and, after passing the milk tea shop, they walked down a narrow alley for about a hundred meters. She stopped and looked at the large banyan tree shading the entrance to an elementary school.
“This is the elementary school I used to attend. Right after I graduated, they renovated it, and even changed the name.”
Since it was winter break, the area around the school was deserted. Peeking through the gates, she saw that the courtyard was empty—there wasn’t even a staff member in sight.
“Damn, I remember a classmate who used to love bullying me! We fought a few times, but I never managed to win!”
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on freeweɓnøvel.com.
Ning Chu cursed under her breath.
“If you ever run into him again, I’ll beat him up for you.”
“Yeah, let’s beat him up!”
Wen Yang chuckled softly, his voice low and warm. “I won’t let anyone bully you ever again.”
But Ning Chu brushed off his sentiment, responding lightly, “Yeah, right. You’re the one bullying me.”
“How is that bullying?”
She rolled her eyes at him and tugged him along to continue their aimless wandering.
Ning Chu wasn’t usually fond of shopping, but it depended on who she was with.
Being with Wen Yang, even just sitting idly on the side of the street watching passersby, seemed to have its own unique charm.
Before she knew it, she was holding a cup of milk tea in one hand and a roujiamo (a Chinese meat sandwich) in the other. She took a few bites of the sandwich, but quickly shoved it into Wen Yang’s hand with a look of disdain.
“This is terrible. The meat’s gotten so sparse. I remember when the sandwich used to be so stuffed with meat you could barely hold it together.”
Wen Yang, with his hearty appetite, took the roujiamo and devoured it in just a few bites.
“By the way, any progress on Shaoqing's side these past few days?”
Hearing her question, Wen Yang thought for a moment, organizing the information he knew before answering, “Not looking too good.”
“What happened?”
“Qianqian seems to have gotten herself a boyfriend.”
“!!!”
What the hell! Got snatched up again?!
First, it was his childhood crush of over ten years, and now his love-at-first-sight, Qianqian. Doesn’t Zhang Shaoqing care about his pride as a second-generation rich kid?
She didn’t remember writing this kind of plot in the book! He’s supposed to be the villain stealing other people’s girlfriends, not the other way around.
“Is he okay?” Ning Chu hurriedly asked.
Wen Yang’s expression turned a bit strange. “Actually, he seems pretty happy about it this time. Says he’s planning to steal her away.”
“Happy?”
“Maybe he’s just numb to it by now?”
Ning Chu paused for a moment before realizing Zhang Shaoqing’s strategy.
She had already hinted to him that Qianqian’s boyfriend was a scumbag. Now, all he needed to do was find evidence, let Qianqian suffer a heartbreak, and he’d have the perfect opportunity to swoop in.
After all, girls are most vulnerable when they’re hurt. Even Wen Yang had used that tactic to win her over.
When she had transformed into a girl and felt her most helpless and scared, Wen Yang had provided her with the comfort and security she desperately needed.
“This guy’s love life is such a rollercoaster,” Ning Chu muttered under her breath, quickly pulling out her phone to send a message to Yan Xinya, asking for details.
Yan Xinya had already infiltrated the group, becoming Qianqian’s close friend, and knew a lot of insider information.
Wen Yang, hands in his coat pockets, asked casually, “Why are we talking about him so much when we’re out shopping?”
“I’m just concerned about my son’s love life~”
Ning Chu grinned, hooking her arm around Wen Yang’s. “What’s the matter? You jealous?”
“No.”
Feeling jealous over a bro made Wen Yang feel like a petty person, so he immediately denied it.
“You’re really getting good at being stubborn,” Ning Chu teased, poking Wen Yang in the side. “Let’s go pick Hei Dou up from class. Do you want to come over for lunch at my place?”
Wen Yang nodded eagerly. “Of course. How could I say no?”
After picking Hei Dou up from school, the three of them took a ride back to Ning Chu’s house.
When they walked in, there was no sign of the uncle. Looking around, Ning Chu only saw her mother sitting alone on the couch, engrossed in her embroidery.
“Mom, Wen Yang’s here too.”
“Where’s Uncle?”
Her mother didn’t even look up as she replied, “He left not long ago.”
When the uncle came over, her mother would greet him with a smile at the door. But when Ning Chu, Hei Dou, and Wen Yang returned, she didn’t even bother to glance their way.
Feeling a bit awkward, Wen Yang followed them into the house, carrying a box of milk. He greeted politely, “Hello, Auntie.”
Only then did her mother look up, furrowing her brow slightly. “If you’re coming, just come. Why bring things?”
“It’s for Hei Dou. She likes milk.”
“Right! I love milk!” Hei Dou replied without hesitation.
“And it always gives you a stomachache.”
“This one’s lactose-free! I can drink it!”
It was clear that the younger daughter had already been won over—or perhaps Hei Dou had been a staunch supporter of Wen Yang from the start.
Reluctantly, her mother accepted the gift. “Fine, just put it by the TV stand.”
She stood up from the couch, took off her glasses, and headed to the kitchen. “Lunch will be ready in half an hour.”
“Mom, where’s my brother?”
As soon as she asked, Ning Chu noticed Ning Yuan stepping out of the bathroom.
The moment he saw Wen Yang, his expression froze slightly before he nodded, casually acknowledging his presence.
But Ning Chu had sharp instincts and caught the subtle change in her brother’s expression, making her feel uneasy.
It was just like how she didn’t want to see Hei Dou getting stolen by some guy—her brother probably had similar feelings toward her, though he wasn’t as obvious about it.
“I’m leaving right after lunch,” Ning Yuan said as he sat down on the couch, falling back into his usual routine of giving advice. “Once I’m gone, don’t forget to help Ning Xin with her homework. If you go out, make sure you come back early. It’s not safe for a girl to be out late...”
Ugh, how annoying!
Ning Chu’s smile stiffened as she turned her head away, rubbing her frostbitten ear while she half-listened to Ning Yuan’s nagging.
Her brother had always been chatty, but that didn’t mean she was used to it.