Just after 7 p.m., in a private room at the nearby seafood restaurant, seven people sat around the dining table.
Wen Yang had gone to work. Even on New Year’s Day, his service job didn’t allow him a day off, so he had to work as usual.
Hei Dou held a salt-and-pepper shrimp in her left hand and a piece of braised pork rib in her right, happily munching away with sauce all over her mouth. Her cat ears bobbed up and down like seaweed as she wiggled with joy.
Grandma sat beside her, smiling, occasionally wiping Hei Dou’s mouth with a napkin, though she hadn’t eaten much herself.
Grandpa, meanwhile, was drinking with Uncle, both men a bit tipsy, their voices so loud they could be heard even outside the room.
“I’m not bragging, but back in the day, our Xiao Juan was famously beautiful around these parts! Matchmakers would show up at our door at least three times a day!”
“There were enough men trying to woo her to fill this entire restaurant, but she insisted on marrying some penniless guy, and we couldn’t talk her out of it!”
“...”
Curious, Ning Chu leaned over and tugged on her mother’s sleeve. “Mom, do you have any pictures from when you were young? Let me see~”
She had seen photos of her mother in her previous life, but her mother didn’t have the added allure of a succubus back then.
“Go look in the storage room when we get back.” Her mother gave her a light glare. “Don’t listen to him; I wasn’t as pretty as you are.”
“Really? Well, that’s too bad~”
With a playful smile, Ning Chu got a gentle smack on the head from her mother, which made her sit up properly and pick up a piece of rib.
The adults didn’t eat much, leaving most of the food to Ning Chu, Ning Yuan, and Hei Dou to finish off.
“Hey, Ning Yuan~” Grandpa’s conversation, particularly jumpy with a few drinks in him, suddenly turned to Ning Yuan. “Why are you still single? Aren’t you twenty-six or twenty-seven? Time to think about marriage.”
Ning Yuan blinked, then laughed helplessly. “Actually, I just graduated a few months ago, and I’m only twenty-four.”
“Almost thirty! Bring someone home next year.” Grandpa shot him a disapproving look. “Look at your sister! Only a few months, and she already has a boyfriend! What about you?”
Could they stop bringing me up...
This wasn’t exactly something to be proud of!
She’d become a girl in October—barely four months ago—and in that time, she’d adapted to her new body, had her orientation switched, got a boyfriend, and even... given in to him...
Her transformation had progressed at a shocking pace, to the point that whenever anyone mentioned it, Ning Chu would blush and lower her head in shame.
When her brother cast a strange glance her way, her face flushed hot, and she quickly buried herself in her food, pretending not to hear.
“Well, I’m not a girl, so I don’t have the money to date or get married,” Ning Yuan said, using finances as an excuse.
Ning Chu found this annoying. She hadn’t spent much of Wen Yang’s money on their dates—in fact, she’d been the one supporting him quite a bit.
“I’ve got money! If you bring a girl home, I’ll give you two thousand a month, and when you get married, I’ll gift you a house!”
Ning Yuan hesitated, then responded with a work excuse. “I’m really busy with work, and there aren’t many women in the office...”
“Then switch jobs! I have a friend who’s hiring—high pay and low stress.”
“...”
He had no more excuses, so he simply gave up. “I don’t want to date yet...”
“Do you think Ning Yuan might be into men?” Grandma interjected.
“No! I just don’t want to date right now, okay? Can we not bring my orientation into this?”
Seeing her brother cornered, Ning Chu felt relieved that she’d found a boyfriend in advance; otherwise, she’d be the one under fire.
Poor guy~
Good thing I’m also part of the “attack team”~
She joined in, “My brother’s only interested in 2D girls. Real ones don’t interest him.”
Being internet-savvy since the early 2000s, Grandpa understood Ning Chu’s words immediately. “Ning Yuan, don’t get too wrapped up in the virtual world. You need to live in the real world~”
Ning Yuan shot her a fierce glare, but the little succubus was unfazed. “Grandma! Brother’s bullying me!”
“Why are you bullying your sister?! Isn’t she telling the truth?”
“...”
Guess I didn’t beat him enough when he was young. Only 2D girls understand sisterly love...
Once everyone had eaten their fill, they gradually left the restaurant.
Hei Dou, bursting with energy, darted back and forth along the sidewalk. Worried she might run into the street or bump into passersby, Ning Chu stayed close, eventually grabbing her to keep her still.
“We’re heading home now,” Grandpa called over his shoulder.
Ning Chu’s mother made a half-hearted attempt to keep them longer. “Leaving already? Why not stay the night and leave tomorrow...”
She didn’t get to finish before Grandpa cut in, “In your tiny apartment? There isn’t even an extra bed.”
“Off we go, off we go!”
Although Grandpa had been drinking, Grandma was the one driving, and she handled the electric car well, even better than Ning Yuan.
As the vehicle disappeared down the street, Ning Chu’s mother turned to her children. “Ning Chu, I have some business with Uncle. When we get back, take care of Ning Xin.”
“Oh~”
“And don’t go out causing trouble on New Year’s Day!”
I can guess what kind of “business” that is...
Since she’d been drunk the previous night and the house had been full of kids, it was likely nothing had happened, but today they couldn’t seem to wait.
Not much better than me!
Ning Chu answered casually, “Got it. When will you be back?”
“Around midnight?”
Her mother, cheeks slightly flushed with affection, took Uncle’s sturdy arm and led him to the curb, where they hailed a taxi.
Watching her mother leave, Ning Chu had her own plans in mind.
She handed Hei Dou over to her brother. “Brother~ I’m going to an internet café. I’ll be back later, so you look after Hei Dou.”
“???”
Ning Yuan looked baffled. “Isn’t there a computer at home?”
“I don’t want to hog it from you~ plus, it’s really outdated...”
“Then who are you going with? Wen Yang’s still at work, isn’t he?”
“A classmate, a friend.”
Without lingering, Ning Chu happily ordered a rideshare and left within minutes, leaving Ning Yuan and Hei Dou standing on the chilly street.
“Unbelievable,” Ning Yuan grumbled. “New Year’s Day, and it’s just us two at home, with everyone else off doing their own thing.”
“Big Sis is definitely going to see Brother-in-Law!” Hei Dou declared proudly. “I smell his scent on her every morning!”
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on freeweɓnøvel.com.
Wait! What scent? Is that something a kid should be able to detect?!
Ning Yuan’s eye twitched as an odd mix of worry and resignation washed over him.
“Alright, let’s go home.” He took Hei Dou’s hand, leading her back, muttering as he used to with his younger siblings. “Be careful outside, don’t run all over the place—you could get hit by a car.”
“Cut down on junk food, and stop just eating meat. Even cats need veggies sometimes.”
“Be quiet once we’re home, alright? I’ll play my game, you watch TV; it’s better for both of us...”
Hei Dou’s ears twitched as she caught a whiff of the delicious smell of barbecue. She turned her gaze to the grill across the street, clearly not listening to a word he said.
Drat! If I hadn’t eaten so much just now... hic!