The night grew darker.
By the time Ning Chu returned to the rented apartment after her afternoon classes, it was close to 7 p.m.
She sat at her desk, yawning and aimlessly clicking her mouse while staring blankly at the computer screen. Her mood had been sour ever since the events at noon.
It wasn’t that she was still angry with Wen Yang; she genuinely wanted to appear cheerful and lively. Yet, a heavy feeling weighed down her chest and mind, trapping her in a haze of low spirits.
It hadn’t always been like this.
Ever since she became a woman, she found herself increasingly emotional, and today was especially bad.
“Still mad?” Wen Yang asked, slipping off his jacket and shoes as he walked over with a sheepish smile.
“I’m not mad,” Ning Chu replied with a grumble, covering her nose. “Go wash your feet! You reek!”
“Right away.”
The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Ning Chu fanned her nose with her hand, got up, and opened the windows to disperse the lingering stench of Wen Yang’s sweaty feet.
Lately, Wen Yang had been practicing basketball frequently, and the extra exercise meant his shoes emitted a rather... potent aroma every evening. At least he was hygienic enough to wash up without being told.
“I wonder if Wang Jie managed to sort things out...” Wen Yang muttered as he sat at the foot of the bed in his slippers, seemingly concerned.
“He won’t. His girlfriend is way harder to handle than me.”
“You don’t even know her.”
“She’s pregnant, okay? Wang Jie running off to class instead of staying with her must’ve driven her up the wall.”
“True enough...” Wen Yang chuckled, clearly amused at Wang Jie’s predicament. “That guy’s already a socially awkward shut-in. These next few days will be rough for him.”
Ning Chu scoffed. “That’s what he [N O V E L I G H T] gets for not using protection.”
Though, from what Zhang Shaoqing had mentioned before they left, it sounded like Wang Jie’s bunny girlfriend had insisted on skipping the protection...
What a bold woman~ Even as a succubus, Ning Chu wouldn’t dare to be so reckless.
Though she had to admit... it was more comfortable without it...
Dropping the topic, Wen Yang asked, “What do you feel like eating tonight?”
“No appetite.”
“You’ve seemed out of sorts all afternoon.”
“Bad mood...”
Slumped over her desk, Ning Chu sighed. This was usually her time to eat dinner or write her novel, but she didn’t feel like doing anything—not even something as basic as sipping water. Her motivation was completely sapped.
“How about I feed you instead? Get you nice and full?”
She shot him a glare over her shoulder. “You’ve been taking Yan Xinya’s dirty jokes way too seriously, haven’t you?”
“Not really...” Wen Yang murmured, scratching his head. But with a succubus for a girlfriend who constantly complained about being “hungry,” it wasn’t an unreasonable thought.
Since he couldn’t figure out what was going through Ning Chu’s mind, Wen Yang stood up. “I’ll go buy dinner. Make sure you eat something; skipping meals isn’t good for you.”
“Mm.”
Her response was noncommittal, her head still resting on the desk as she listened to Wen Yang’s footsteps fade down the hallway.
She thought about washing her face to perk herself up, but her phone buzzed on the desk before she could move.
Glancing at the screen, she answered the call.
“Hello? Big Brother?”
It was rare for her older brother, Ning Yuan, to call.
Though the siblings had a decent relationship, they only spoke about five times last semester, far less frequently than their mother, who called nearly every week. And her younger cousin, Hei Dou, was even more excessive, video calling every night to “collect debts.”
“Will you be coming home for Labor Day?” Ning Yuan’s voice came through.
Ning Chu forced herself to sound more upbeat, not wanting him to pick up on her low mood. “Probably not. I’ve made plans with some classmates to go out.”
“Oh~ Good. If you’re not coming back, I can finally sleep in your room.”
His tone shifted suddenly. “By the way, why has Mom been dropping by my place every other day lately? She’s not even nagging me about finding a girlfriend anymore.”
“Uh?”
“Did you tell her something?”
Ning Chu froze, momentarily blank. But the memory quickly came back, and her voice turned sheepish. “I might’ve accidentally let it slip... Anyway, what’s the big deal? Sister-in-law is pretty and nice. Mom’s not going to disapprove.”
“She doesn’t disapprove, no, but now she’s over every other day! I can’t take it!”
“She just cares about you~ She probably even helps tidy up and do chores for you.”
“Please, no...” Ning Yuan sighed deeply. “I might have to move.”
Ning Chu stayed quiet, feeling guilty. Eventually, Ning Yuan asked, “How are you doing lately? That Wen Yang isn’t giving you trouble, is he?”
“Well...”
“He is! I’m going to break his legs tonight!”
“You wouldn’t win,” Ning Chu retorted.
Her brother calmed down and asked, “What happened? Did you two fight?”
“Brother, you’re so biased!” Ning Chu teased before complaining, “He loaned my classmate 2,500 yuan without asking me. It’s not a big deal, but still.”
“It’s his money...”
“His money is my money! Beat him up! He spent my money!”
Her brother was stunned into silence.
They weren’t even married yet, and she was already treating his money like communal property?
The conversation only lasted about ten more minutes before Wen Yang returned, opening the door with dinner in hand.
From the hallway, he could hear Ning Chu grumbling to her brother about the day’s events.
Still mad, huh...
She was so stubborn, trying to act indifferent despite being upset, just to avoid coming across as petty.
“I’m hanging up. Dinner’s here,” she said into the phone just as Wen Yang placed a cold bottle of cola on the desk in front of her.
“Here, your soda.”
“Judging by the timing, my period must be close...” she mumbled, though she eagerly took the cola and drank deeply. “What’d you get? Just let me try a bite.”
“Fast food and some braised pork bones.”
As he opened the food containers, the aroma of the braised pork bones immediately caught Ning Chu’s attention.
Her stomach, which hadn’t felt hungry before, now growled loudly at the scent.
“I’ll just try a bit...” she said, putting on disposable gloves and picking up one of the pork bones.
She nibbled off the easier-to-eat meat, leaving behind the tougher bits before stretching contentedly and heading off to wash her face.
Meanwhile, Wen Yang, unbothered by the leftovers, sat eating the rest of the bones while asking, “What were you talking to your brother about?”
“Just whether I’ll be going home for Labor Day.”
Yawning, Ning Chu lay on the bed, pulling a blanket over her stomach to keep from getting cold.
She played with her phone, swiping aimlessly through short videos, none of which held her attention for more than a few seconds.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her from the bedside.
“What are you doing?”
Ning Chu glanced at Wen Yang, who towered over her, blocking the light and casting most of her in shadow.
“Giving you a proper apology,” he said.
“I already told you, I’m not mad anymore...” she muttered, though her gaze flickered downwards, unable to hide her wandering thoughts. “And it’s still early—I haven’t even showered.”
“Don’t touch me; I’m annoyed—hey!”
It only took a few minutes before the succubus who had been protesting now clung tightly to Wen Yang’s arm with her legs. Her earlier irritation had melted into a blush as her face flushed a bright pink, tears brimming in her eyes as her breaths grew more hurried.
“Hurry up~”
Turns out, nothing lifts a bad mood quite like indulging in some steamy fun. The earlier gloom was nowhere to be found!
