Her father has returned?
Ning Chu wandered back into the living room, sitting on the couch, staring vacantly ahead.
She couldn’t even begin to describe the turmoil of emotions swirling inside her. Panic, resentment, fear, anger? They seemed to blend together, leaving her mind in chaos.
Since she could remember, she had never had any image of her father in her mind.
Her brother seemed to have seen him, but probably didn’t have any lasting impression.
Ning Chu curled up, resting her chin on her knees, her eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.
Before she crossed over, she hadn’t heard anything about her father coming back, not even a phone call through all the years. But here, in the second semester of her first year of college, her father suddenly reappeared.
Her previously calm, steadily progressing life had been disturbed, like a stone dropped into still water, sending ripples through everything.
Her instinct was to avoid it, to hide back at school. She blamed her father for disturbing her peaceful life and considered not going home for a while, waiting until he left to deal with it...
But at the same time, she was curious, even with a bit of blind hope, wanting to know what kind of person her father was, the one she had never met.
One phone call, and Ning Chu’s mood suddenly shifted, becoming unpredictable. This worried the others around her.
Yan Xinya, always straightforward, sat down next to Ning Chu without hesitation. "What’s wrong? Something happened?"
"Uh... family matters," Ning Chu shook her head, "I don’t think it’s a big deal?"
She wasn’t sure what her father’s return would bring to the family.
Yan Xinya, like a big dog, tilted her head, "So, are you going back now?"
"Let’s see?"
"Then don’t overthink it! Let’s just finish our fun camping trip first and think about the rest later!" The wolf girl grinned, "Why think about other things while having fun?"
"Mm."
Among the group, only Yan Xinya had an outgoing personality. The other girls could only look at her worriedly, while Wen Yang, understanding her nature, didn’t ask any further questions.
The pleasant atmosphere from before had been disrupted, but Wen Yang’s phone rang.
It was Zhang Shaoqing and Qianqian, back from their errands, asking them to swipe their cards to press the floor button for the elevator.
The one-apartment-per-floor setup was the most troublesome. Without the corresponding keycard, friends or relatives couldn’t go upstairs on their own.
"Cards are on the shoe rack by the entryway."
"Okay." Wen Yang pocketed his phone and stood up. Before leaving, he turned to Ning Chu and asked, "Want to come? We can grab some snacks from the supermarket on the way."
"I’ll go change clothes..."
Ning Chu was still wearing the short slip dress that barely covered her, which would show her butt if she bent over. She threw on Wen Yang’s oversized jacket, the hem of the jacket longer than her skirt. Though there shouldn’t be any risk of revealing anything, she still felt a bit self-conscious.
A few minutes later, she changed into a white shirt with a plaid skirt and put on thick stockings. She jogged out of the guest room, catching up with Wen Yang. They grabbed the keycard needed for the elevator and entered together.
Ning Chu lowered her brows, letting out a sigh as she leaned against the elevator wall.
In the closed, private space, she felt even more fragile and sensitive than before. Her face was clouded with anxiety, and Wen Yang couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
"Want to talk about it?"
Wen Yang turned his back to her, his eyes focused on the slowly descending elevator numbers.
"My dad suddenly came back..."
This news shocked him too.
Once Ning Chu started talking, she couldn’t stop, grumbling and complaining, "It’s been nearly twenty years. Not a single phone call in all these years. I don’t even know if he’s alive or dead. So why is he coming back now?"
"He’s never fulfilled his responsibility as a father, or as a husband... When we were so poor, if it weren’t for grandpa always sending us money, and mom working outside, my brother and I would have starved."
"Anyone who didn’t know might think we were a single-parent family."
"Maybe he’s broke and came back to try to swindle money from my mom? He probably has another family somewhere."
"And if # Nоvеlight # he sees that his son turned into a daughter... that’d probably drive him crazy. Then maybe mom can get a divorce without needing to go to court."
Wen Yang listened quietly to Ning Chu’s venting, not interrupting her outpouring of frustration.
"What if you end up being like him..."
"Me? How could I be?" Wen Yang chuckled, shaking his head. "Didn’t you say that was because his health was bad and Auntie... Do I look like I’m unhealthy?"
His teasing broke through Ning Chu’s anger, making her shy and flustered as she avoided his gaze, her face turning red as she muttered, "You’re like a monster. Even a succubus can’t handle you..."
If she weren’t a succubus, she probably wouldn’t even be able to eat, let alone end up in the hospital.
But now, even though it hurt, she could just sleep it off and be fine the next day.
"Who told you I’m the main character in your love story? I’ll take whatever punishment I deserve for my actions."
"Tch~"
"Do you want other women...?"
"Absolutely not!"
Ning Chu immediately rejected the idea, then looked up at Wen Yang’s back, "Do you really have that thought? Hmm?"
"No, I was just joking."
Wen Yang raised his hands in surrender, seeing that her mood had lightened a lot. He then became serious, "He’s back, so he’s back. But aren’t I here? Whatever happens, I’ve got your back."
"You?"
"At least, if you need to fight, I can take down anyone you want."
Ning Chu snorted dismissively, "You’re in college now, and all you think about is violence. Violence doesn’t solve anything."
"It can solve the person causing the problem."
"Ha~"
Ning Chu puffed out her cheeks and laughed, though she still pretended to disdain the idea. But having someone to rely on felt pretty nice.
With Wen Yang’s support, she felt more willing to face her father, the one she had never met. No matter what happened, Wen Yang would take care of it.
He was her main character! He could do anything!
Ning Chu understood even more why she had fallen for this guy—who had no money, no power, and was practically useless except for looking good and being skilled.
She had always faced everything alone, and even when she was still a man, she had always wished for someone to be there, to support her, protect her, and give her the courage and confidence to face difficult situations.
The elevator doors opened, and Zhang Shaoqing and Qianqian were waiting by the entrance.
Zhang Shaoqing looked a bit pale, his face white, barely able to stand as if he might collapse at any moment.
Qianqian, on the other hand, seemed full of energy, with a rosy complexion as she cheerfully greeted them, "Good morning~"
"Good morning~"
She eagerly stepped into the elevator, "Today, I’m going to win back all the money I lost!"
Zhang Shaoqing followed behind, looking like he’d just come back from the brink of death, his posture shaky, almost like he was about to collapse. Ning Chu couldn’t help but think it resembled her father’s state before he left.
But he couldn’t just abandon his wife and kids!
This guy was tough enough to survive a little qing period from a little kitten!
"You guys go ahead, I’ll go with Ning Chu to the supermarket and grab some food."
"Buy me a Red Bull."
"Call me Dad," Ning Chu interrupted with a playful grin.
"Mom and Dad~ Pretty please~"
Wen Yang smiled helplessly and nodded, clearly noticing that Ning Chu was much more lively and cheerful than she had been earlier.
