When Ning Chu’s mother left to play mahjong, Black Bean’s behavior felt all too familiar to her.
It was just like when she and her brother were kids. Back then, whenever their mother announced she’d be out all night playing mahjong, they would act all dutiful and pretend to be sad, but deep down, they were ecstatic.
It was exactly the same!
Even though Ning Chu could understand Black Bean’s excitement, her eyelid twitched, and her blood pressure soared.
She grabbed Black Bean’s cat ears, “You think I don’t exist or something?”
Feeling the sharp pain in her ears, Black Bean looked up at Ning Chu in confusion, “Sis...”
Her usually cheerful face turned blank with fear as she saw Ning Chu’s stern expression, her brows slightly furrowed, and anger simmering in her eyes.
Her excitement froze in place, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to react.
Ning Chu pulled Black Bean off the couch and gave her a swift kick on the butt, “Go do your homework!”
It finally dawned on Black Bean—yes, mom had gone to play mahjong, but there was still another “mom” in the house.
She scrambled to turn off the TV, hurriedly sitting back at the table to resume her homework, casting guilty glances at Ning Chu. Noticing her sister’s darkened expression as she stood over her, Black Bean hastened her writing, fearing further punishment.
Why do I have two moms?
Ning Chu stood by with her arms crossed, keeping a close watch on Black Bean for a couple of minutes to make sure she wasn’t slacking off. Only after confirming that her little sister was taking it seriously did she finally relax and sit back down on the sofa.
At least Black Bean wasn’t as rebellious as she had been at that age—back then, even if forced to do homework, she had always found a way to distract herself, and a single page could take an hour.
Otherwise, Ning Chu might have been driven mad tonight.
“What do you want for a late-night snack?” Ning Chu crossed her legs, reclining against the armrest of the sofa, resting her chin in one hand while she gazed at Black Bean, who was scribbling away.
At the mention of a snack, Black Bean’s ears perked up again, “Roast chicken?”
“If you write neatly, I’ll buy you some grilled meat tonight.”
“Deal!”
Black Bean immediately slowed down her writing, carefully shaping each character. Her usual scrawls gradually transformed into something legible.
Seeing that it was working, Ning Chu finally relaxed and focused on her phone.
Fortunately, Black Bean’s gluttony made her easy to control—not too troublesome to handle.
As the night wore on, it soon approached 10 PM.
Black Bean had finished her homework and was now lounging in front of the TV, nibbling on chicken bones. A box of roast chicken sat in front of her, and her tail swayed contentedly.
Meanwhile, Ning Chu curled up on the sofa, messaging Wen Yang and learning the exact time and location of his work gathering.
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“I’m heading to the dinner now. We’ll talk later.”
Her expression stiffened slightly as she replied, “Alright.”
It was probably time for her to head out too.
Taking the metro from here would take at least half an hour, more than enough time for Wen Yang to be drugged.
Hopefully, by the time she arrived, he wouldn’t have been snatched up by some random girl.
Ning Chu rose, her face serious. She had already prepared to go out—her socks and scarf were on, and she wrapped herself in a thick, fur-lined coat before heading toward the door.
“Sis? Where are you going?” Black Bean called out.
“I have something to do. I’ll be back around 11 or 12.”
Still worried about Black Bean, Ning Chu turned back and said, “After you finish the chicken, go to bed. You’ve got school tomorrow.”
“And don’t open the door if a stranger knocks—just pretend you’re asleep.”
“If Mom asks tomorrow, just tell her we both went to bed around 10.”
Black Bean tilted her head, her ears twitching slightly, “Are you going to see Brother-in-Law? I wanna go too!”
“Eat your grilled meat!”
“Oh~”
Ning Chu pushed open the door and stepped into the hallway to put on her shoes.
“Sis!” Black Bean dashed to the door.
Ning Chu sighed and looked back to see her little sister’s face full of reluctance and concern. Smiling softly, she ruffled Black Bean’s hair, “Be good. Finish eating and go to bed.”
“Buy me some more barbecue, or I’ll tell Mom tomorrow.”
“...”
Ning Chu’s face went blank as she shut the door.
Even through the door, she could faintly hear Black Bean’s excited cheering.
She imagined that by the time she returned, the house would likely be a mess, with Black Bean still glued to the TV and tablet.
Her blood pressure spiked.
But there were more pressing matters to handle. Pushing thoughts of Black Bean aside, she hailed a ride-share and headed to the restaurant where Wen Yang’s dinner was being held.
Half an hour later, Ning Chu arrived at the restaurant.
She glanced inside through the clear glass door and quickly spotted Wen Yang, sitting and eating with his colleagues.
Thankfully, Wen Yang was surrounded by men. No suspicious “seductress” in sight.
Ning Chu let out a sigh of relief, then looked around before settling down at a nearby bubble tea shop.
Everything seems fine. No issues.
She held the warm cocoa milk tea in her hands, occasionally sipping it while keeping an eye on the restaurant door.
It wasn’t long before Wen Yang and his colleagues began trickling out of the restaurant.
“Wen Yang, your face is so red! Let me take you home?”
“I didn’t even drink. No need to take me anywhere.”
Despite the cold winter night, Wen Yang felt no chill. After the meal, he was even sweating, his breath visible in the cold air.
The girl beside him tried to insist, but Wen Yang took a step back, saying firmly, “I have a girlfriend. It’s not appropriate for us to be pulling and tugging like this.”
“Wen Yang!”
He froze and turned to see Ning Chu standing a short distance away, dressed in pure white and exuding an innocent, pure aura. “There, my girlfriend’s here.”
“Whoa, she’s gorgeous!”
“Nice going, man~ How’d you land someone like her?”
The post-dinner camaraderie had clearly strengthened the bond between Wen Yang and his colleagues, and the compliments made him feel quite proud. Grinning, he walked over to Ning Chu and took her hand.
“What are you doing here? It’s late.”
“I was worried... Who’s that girl?” Ning Chu shot a suspicious glance at the woman who had been talking to Wen Yang.
She didn’t look like much—certainly not the “seductress” type. Definitely not a supporting character.
“Should we take a cab home?” she asked, turning her gaze back to him.
“It’s just a short walk. Not too far.”
Ning Chu studied Wen Yang’s expression, noticing that aside from his flushed cheeks, he seemed fine.
She sniffed the air, picking up faint traces of alcohol and cigarettes.
“I just had a little to drink. They really pushed me to,” Wen Yang said with a wry smile. “Can’t keep up with those old-timers.”
“Tch~”
Ning Chu hated drinking culture, but there was nothing she could do about it. It wasn’t her call to make.
She tugged on Wen Yang’s arm, “Let’s go.”
“I’m heading out!” Wen Yang called back to his colleagues.
At 11 PM, the city was already starting to quiet down.
This wasn’t a nightlife district—no KTVs or bars nearby—so the area was relatively peaceful.
A chilly wind blew through the empty streets, and under the streetlights, their shadows stretched and twisted as they walked arm in arm.
“I’ll walk you home. It’s too late to be out—it’s not safe,” Wen Yang said, though his next words betrayed his true intentions, “Why don’t you stay over at my place instead?”
“No way. If I don’t come home, Mom will have a fit.”
Ning Chu kept an eye on Wen Yang’s expression, her concern growing, “Do you feel anything strange?”
“Not really.”
So... the plot hasn’t triggered?
“Just... really hot.” Wen Yang tugged at his collar, frowning slightly.
Ning Chu jumped back like a startled rabbit, instinctively putting some distance between them.
Oh my god! Why didn’t you say so earlier?!
And here I was, strolling around like it’s no big deal!