Because it was his birthday, Wen Yang finished his part-time job early today.
Exiting through the back door of the bus, he rubbed his slightly sore shoulders, then used both hands to pat his cheeks, replacing the exhaustion on his face with a gentle smile.
He didn’t want to bring any negativity from the outside world back to Ning Chu.
Although his part-time coworkers were generally considerate, work was still work. On top of that, dealing with girls trying to flirt with him left him mentally and physically drained.
The good news was that he ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) made quite a bit of money today.
Thinking about the little succubus waiting for him back at their rental apartment, his spirits lifted considerably.
What would Ning Chu prepare for his birthday this year? He couldn’t help but speculate.
It would definitely be something very “succubus-like”... Maybe as soon as he opened the door, he’d see her freshly showered, wearing that mortifyingly risqué maid outfit, wagging her heart-shaped tail and inviting him in.
Passing by a street food stall near the village entrance, Wen Yang casually bought a serving of grilled squid. Recently, Ning Chu had been obsessed with tentacle monsters, craving squid or octopus for every meal.
He also grabbed a small 200ml bottle of Coke for her and the mop she had asked him to pick up earlier.
Loaded with items, Wen Yang eagerly entered the hallway of their rental building, his mind imagining the little succubus, her face shyly flushed, posing just for him.
A soft, kind smile already spread across his face as his steps quickened.
He thought, perhaps the happiest thing in the world was finishing a day of work knowing that a sweet wife was waiting at home, anticipating your return.
Although it wasn’t a real home—just a rented apartment.
But someday, it would be...
Reaching the door, Wen Yang paused for a moment, tilting his ear to listen inside.
The sound of clanging and banging, like a chaotic battlefield, reached his ears.
His expression froze slightly. He raised his hand and knocked on the door.
“Coming! Coming!”
Hearing the bright, energetic voice inside, his smile grew even warmer. As the door opened, the scene that greeted him was far from what he’d imagined. Ning Chu wasn’t wearing the skimpy outfit he’d pictured but instead had an apron tied around her waist and a large kitchen knife raised in her hand. The sight was... a bit terrifying.
“You’re back early!”
Ning Chu casually set the knife aside and rushed forward to take the items from Wen Yang’s hands. She even helped him remove his thick overcoat, all the while mumbling nonstop.
“I was trying to cook! I put a folding table by the window and stuck wallpaper on the wall to keep the oil from splashing everywhere.”
“Thankfully, Lily and Xinya helped me; otherwise, I wouldn’t have finished it all afternoon~”
“They even came with me to buy groceries and taught me how to pick the fresh ones.”
“This is just a trial run, but if it works out, I’ll cook for you every weekend...”
Wen Yang listened in a daze, allowing Ning Chu to pull him inside by the hand.
A strange emotion bubbled up in his chest...
She guided him to the coffee table. Lowering his gaze, he saw three dishes that... had no aesthetic appeal at all.
Ning Chu, a bit embarrassed, nervously played with her fingers. “I followed the recipe exactly, but they didn’t turn out very pretty. I wanted to make a table full of impressive dishes for your birthday... But they should taste okay! Try them?”
She shoved a pair of chopsticks into his hand, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“This fried fish...”
“It’s sweet and sour carp! Not just fried fish!” She corrected him with a serious tone. “This is a signature dish of Lu cuisine! A wedding banquet essential!”
“...”
To be honest, it didn’t resemble sweet and sour carp at all. At best, it looked like sweet and sour fish chunks.
Wen Yang picked up a piece of fish coated in tomato sauce with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he gave her a thumbs-up. “Surprisingly delicious!”
“Really? That good?”
“Really!”
“I think it’s just okay... Not as good as my mom’s.”
Judging by the presentation, he hadn’t expected it to even be edible. But the flavor turned out to be a pleasant surprise—simple, like a homestyle dish, even comparable to something from the school cafeteria.
“Well, you can’t eat it then! I still have two more dishes to finish!”
Overjoyed, Ning Chu dashed to the induction cooker by the window, took a few quick steps back to grab the kitchen knife, and returned.
“Be careful. Let me...”
“Just sit there! It’s your birthday today! I made longevity noodles for you!”
“Longevity noodles?”
“It’s a tradition where I’m from. On birthdays, we cook dragon beard noodles with eggs to symbolize a long life. Don’t you have something like that?”
Sitting at the folding table with the induction cooker on top and a small rice cooker underneath, Ning Chu enthusiastically explained. “I also made pork bone broth. Once the noodles are done, I’ll pour the broth over them—it’s going to taste amazing!”
She dropped the noodles into the pot, staring intently at her phone for the timer. Following the online tutorial meticulously, she carefully added seasonings to the broth, tasting it after every addition to ensure it wasn’t too bland or too salty.
No wonder the flavor turned out decent.
Wen Yang worried that she might fill up from tasting before the meal was even ready.
Watching Ning Chu’s clumsy yet earnest efforts, the strange emotion in his chest grew stronger, softening his gaze even more.
He realized that he already had a home—any place where Ning Chu was.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Wen Yang, can you grab that? It should be the cake I ordered.”
“A cake?”
“Yeah! I went to pick it out myself at one of the bakeries near school!”
Wen Yang stood up, opened the door, and found a delivery worker holding a cake.
Accepting the box, he politely said, “Thank you.”
The female worker blushed and quickly covered her face as she left.
Wen Yang chuckled to himself as he closed the door.
Ning Chu peeked over, curious. “It’s a small cake. You’re probably a sheep in the zodiac, right? I had the baker add a pair of horns to match mine.”
“Let’s take a look?”
She beamed with anticipation.
Wen Yang nodded, carefully untying the ribbon on the box and opening it with great formality.
But the sight inside rendered both of them speechless.
All that remained was a round cake base, with the cream and fruit smeared all over the inside of the box, barely resembling its original form.
“What happened to it!” Ning Chu’s voice grew shrill as she panicked, frantically looking for her phone. “I’m calling the bakery! Where’s my phone?!”
“Probably got jostled during delivery. It’s been raining a lot lately.”
“No way! At least they should give a refund! How can we eat this? Where’s my phone?!”
Wen Yang glanced at the phone in her hand as she darted around like a headless chicken. He couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
Was her little succubus brain overloading?
“What are you laughing at?! Where’s my phone?!”
“Check the timer. Aren’t your noodles about to overcook?”
“My noodles!”
Ning Chu jolted, quickly checking the timer on her phone. She rushed to the induction cooker, carefully scooping the noodles out while still grumbling, “Where’s my phone...”
Placing the phone on the table, she froze mid-action and looked down at it.
It had been in her hand the whole time.
She glanced at Wen Yang, who had finally burst out laughing. Her face turned bright red as she glared at him in frustration and embarrassment.
Which only made Wen Yang laugh even harder.
