"Spring is here~ It’s mating season for the animals again~"
Ning Chu stepped off the bus through the back door, holding an umbrella and mumbling to herself with a mix of teasing and amusement.
The thought of so many people experiencing their own "succubus season" alongside her inexplicably brightened her mood.
"Hm?"
Wen Yang turned his head, puzzled by the little succubus behind him.
"Lily’s dorm is probably going to turn into one big orgy over the next two months!"
"That bad?"
"Of course! The whole dorm is full of beast-girls! Plus, fox spirits and Xinya are both in heat during spring, and Lily, well... she’s ready any time, anywhere."
Imagining the scene, Ning Chu clicked her tongue in mock amazement. "Terrifying~"
Three girls playing with toys together in the dormitory... That was a scene she didn’t want to picture!
Not that she had any room to talk—she herself had a rather indulgent nightly routine...
The two of them got off the bus and arrived at a market an hour’s ride from the school.
Lily had told her about this place. The prices were cheaper than the supermarket, and the selection was decent. Although it couldn’t compare to the central city markets, it was more than enough for Ning Chu’s needs.
After all, she didn’t know how to cook much.
They’d already had lunch and were here to buy ingredients for dinner.
"Do you still have to work later?"
"Yeah, I’ll head back this evening, and if it doesn’t rain tonight, I’ll set up my stall again."
"Why are you always so busy~?"
"Starting next week, I’ll also have basketball practice three times a week."
Noticing her puffed cheeks, Wen Yang couldn’t help but reach out and ruffle Ning Chu’s hair. "We still spend every day together, don’t we?"
To avoid seeming clingy, Ning Chu turned her head and batted his hand away.
"What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll follow a recipe and cook it for you."
"Whatever you want. I’m not picky."
If I knew, I wouldn’t have asked...
They walked into the narrow alley leading to the market. It was already afternoon, and the rain hadn’t stopped. Only about 30% of the stalls were still open.
The ground was muddy with dirty puddles, and piles of rotten vegetable leaves were scattered around. The faint smell of fish lingered in the air.
The hygiene at this suburban market was less than ideal, but to Ning Chu and Wen Yang, it felt more like a sightseeing trip. They glanced curiously at every stall, taking in the sights.
Yesterday, Lily had brought Ning Chu here, and all she wanted then was to buy her groceries and leave as quickly as possible.
This time, however, she clung to Wen Yang’s arm, tiptoeing to whisper about her experiences.
"The butcher at that stall is so shady! Yesterday, I bought a ton of meat from him, and when I got home, it was way less than I paid for!"
"And that crab vendor is just as bad! They promised full meat and roe, but when I steamed the crabs at home, they were practically empty!"
Wen Yang looked confused. "Crabs? I didn’t eat any crabs last night, though."
"Of course, I wouldn’t let you eat the empty ones~ I ate them myself!" Ning Chu said proudly, tilting her nose up.
Compared to the supermarket, the market offered fresher and cheaper options, but it also came with more pitfalls. Many stalls didn’t display prices, and customers had to haggle. Some vendors cut corners, shortchanging customers on weight. It all depended on the vendor’s honesty.
Without much inclination to bargain, Ning Chu simply accepted the stated prices, buying her ingredients decisively and hanging the bags onto Wen Yang’s arms before moving on to the next stall.
"I feel like I overpaid..." she muttered under her breath. "Do you think we {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} got scammed?"
"As long as it’s cheaper than the supermarket, it’s fine, right?" Wen Yang reassured her from behind. "Besides, the vendor was really helpful—they even cleaned the veggies for us."
Indeed, the vendor had cleaned the vegetables, filleted the fish, and cut the meat into strips as requested. All Ning Chu would need to do was wash everything, season it, and start cooking. She probably wouldn’t even need a knife.
"That’s true... Wen Yang! Do you want some scallion pancakes?!"
Ning Chu’s eyes lit up as she spotted a stall selling freshly made scallion pancakes. She leaned forward eagerly.
"If you want it, buy it."
"But we just ate... I’ll get fat." She hesitated briefly before pulling Wen Yang along. "Never mind, never mind. I already had fried chicken and milk tea earlier. If I keep eating, I’ll get so fat."
Even though Wen Yang didn’t mind her figure, she still wanted to slim down—especially her thighs.
"If you can’t finish it, I’ll eat the rest."
That was all it took for Ning Chu to stop in her tracks. With renewed excitement, she dragged Wen Yang over to the pancake stall.
"One for five yuan, please!"
Although she was from the south, she had a particular love for all kinds of bread and pastries.
Taking the freshly made scallion pancake from the vendor, she took a big bite, only for her face to scrunch up immediately. Without hesitation, she handed it to Wen Yang.
"What’s wrong?"
"It’s delicious... You have it."
Wen Yang took one look at her and knew the pancake tasted terrible.
Though he’d spoiled her to some extent, she usually wasn’t the type to buy food and toss it after one bite.
"My hands are full."
"I’ll help you. It’s really delicious!" Ning Chu turned back and shoved a large chunk of the pancake into Wen Yang’s mouth.
With his cheeks puffed like a hamster, Wen Yang chewed laboriously before finally swallowing. He gave her a pointed look. "Are you trying to choke me?"
"Is it good?"
"It’s okay."
"Okay? It has no flavor at all! It’s like plain bread! They didn’t even bother to add enough sauce! It’s terrible!"
Ning Chu’s face was full of indignation. This was the worst scallion pancake she’d ever eaten—not even the school cafeteria was this bad!
After circling the market twice, Wen Yang’s arms were laden with bags of ingredients, yet Ning Chu kept looking around as if she wanted to buy more.
"That’s enough. Any more and cooking will just be a hassle."
"It’s fine. I have nothing else to do this afternoon, so I might as well make you something good."
Ning Chu was already planning their dinner in her head: stir-fried pork with green peppers, fish fillets in sour soup, garlic sautéed water spinach, and a pot of oyster tofu soup...
None of the dishes seemed too difficult; she was confident she could figure it out from online tutorials. Tilting her head up proudly, she declared, "Just wait for tonight! It’ll be way better than anything from the cafeteria."
Wen Yang did a quick calculation of their expenses. "Problem is, cooking costs more than eating at the cafeteria."
"..."
Ning Chu froze for a moment before waving dismissively. "It’s healthier to cook at home! Just last week, someone found a piece of wire in their cafeteria food!"
He wasn’t wrong. Cooking at home was more expensive, and it would take up her entire afternoon.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt like she’d been ripped off. But then an image of Wen Yang happily devouring her homemade food popped into her mind.
Seeing him finish every last bite of her carefully prepared meal... That sense of accomplishment and happiness was something few things could compare to.
Maybe it wasn’t such a waste after all.
