Later, the sky had turned pitch black. Ning Chu curled up with her knees drawn up, hugging her legs as she stared blankly at the sea, which was as black as ink.
Her shoulder-length hair was blown about by the wind, and her cheeks were damp and cold.
Behind her, there was the noisy chatter of girls, with shrill screams and clamor, but she sat alone on the beach, her half-hidden face buried in her arms.
Her mind repeatedly played out different scenarios of what her encounter with her father might be like—what would happen, how she should react...
Maybe her father had made a lot of money outside, hadn’t remarried or had children, and was just bringing money back to reconcile with her mother?
Or maybe he couldn’t make it on his own and was now coming back to seek help?
Maybe he had his own reasons and couldn’t contact them for nearly twenty years?
Her mother had already found a man, so if her father found out, would it upset him and lead to some unexpected consequences?
How would he react to the fact that her son had become a succubus daughter?
What did her father look like? Back then, her mother had chosen him despite everyone’s objections—he must have been quite handsome, right?
Her thoughts were in chaos. Ning Chu shook her head and threw all those tangled thoughts aside.
Maybe it would be best to just let her mother divorce him directly!
What relationship did that man have with her other than providing sperm?
Ning Chu had never considered the possibility of her father returning, but now that it was happening, she couldn’t just let her mother handle it alone.
Besides, there was also her cat-girl little sister at home. She could already imagine how Black Bean would look—dazed, frightened, and in a panic.
As for her older brother... who knew what he would think.
“Ning Chu~ Barbecue!”
Yan Xinya, holding disposable cutlery, came over, smiling brightly as she sat down beside her. “What are you thinking about? You’ve been off all day. Camping is so much fun, and here you are, sitting alone in the wind.”
“I’m just a little sleepy.”
Lily was grilling the meat, and the three were playing poker, while Wen Yang had gone to the shopping street to buy milk tea for them.
“Should we go to the street too?”
Ning Chu shook her head, refusing Yan Xinya’s offer. She lowered her head, took the disposable cutlery, and picked up a slice of grilled beef tongue, popping it into her mouth.
The semi-cooked barbecue didn’t taste too bad; the heat was just right—not overcooked and easy to chew. It was pretty good.
“Too bad we can’t have a bonfire, or the atmosphere would be better. We could have skewers and do some grilling ourselves,” Yan Xinya muttered as she built a small sand mound. This girl didn’t seem to know what it meant to have troubles—she always acted like a hyperactive, slightly neurotic version of herself.
She really was like a husky, wasn’t she?
“Sis Lily, is it done?” The first round of poker had ended, and Qianqian quickly came to Lily’s side, asking about the grilled meat that had changed color.
“Almost.”
“Too slow~”
She suddenly lowered her voice and whispered, “Use magic~ secretly use magic to cook it faster~”
“......”
Once the first batch of grilled meat was ready, the grill heated up to the right temperature, so the next rounds of grilling wouldn’t take much longer.
But even so, Lily’s grilling speed couldn’t match the group’s eating speed.
They stared at the grill with hungry, eager eyes, glancing at it from time to time. Their gazes toward Lily were almost like they were looking at their own mother.
“Ning Chu,” Lily picked up a skewer, wrapped it in a napkin, and handed it to Ning Chu.
“Mm, thank you.”
Yan Xinya immediately jumped up. “Lily really doesn’t love me anymore~ She didn’t give me the first skewer!”
Ignoring the wolf-girl, Ning Chu took a bite of the skewer and nodded to Lily. “It’s good.”
Lily gave her a gentle smile, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and continued her task.
She didn’t look like a succubus at all; she seemed more like the shy, introverted older sister next door.
“Let me have a bite too!”
And Yan Xinya was probably just the husky raised by the older sister...
Why is it so different even though they are all girls?
With a helpless sigh, Ning Chu handed over the half-eaten skewer to the wolf-girl. “Why are you in such a hurry? Lily’s still grilling, isn’t she?”
“I’m starving~ I’m dying of hunger!”
Just then, Wen Yang, who had gone to buy milk tea, came back carrying several bags.
“Milk tea’s here!”
Yan Xinya’s ears immediately perked up. She dropped Ning Chu and rushed over, snatching a cup of milk tea and running off with it.
“I also got some snacks.”
Wen Yang stood by the picnic blanket, handing out milk tea and snacks, then walked over to Ning Chu and sat down beside her.
“The jasmine milk tea you wanted, with coconut pearls.”
“Okay.”
“I also saw grilled sausages and egg burgers, so I bought those for you.” He unzipped his jacket and took out the snacks from his inner pocket, looking around suspiciously, “Hurry up and eat, don’t let Xinya steal it.”
His behavior, as though he were hiding treasure, made Ning Chu chuckle. Her eyes turned into crescent moons. “She’s not a bandit.”
“Not that much of a difference, try it and see if it tastes good. If it doesn’t, give it to her.”
Ning Chu bit into the grilled sausage, but immediately frowned. “Ugh~ it’s awful... so spicy!”
She quickly drank two sips of milk tea to suppress the taste of the chili powder, but she kept sticking out her tongue and blowing air, her eyes watering from the spice.
“I said I wanted it mildly spicy... Did the boss not hear me?” Wen Yang mumbled in confusion, “Let me try.”
“Xinya!” He quickly changed his expression, trying to keep a straight face, and called out, “Are you going to eat the sausage? I just bought it!”
“Coming, coming!”
Yan Xinya came like a gust of wind, snatched the sausage, and ran off noisily.
Before long, the two of them heard the wolf-girl’s exaggerated voice, “Ah! Water! Water! This is killing me! You dog couple tricked me!”
Ning Chu and Wen Yang exchanged glances and both burst out laughing.
“You’re so mean~”
“Isn’t it okay?”
Lily raised a hand, offering a skewer to Ning Chu, but when she saw the couple laughing and talking, she opened her mouth but didn’t call out. Instead, she handed the skewer to Qianqian, muttering sourly, “Dog couple...”
As the night grew darker, the shops on the shopping street started closing one by one.
Qianqian had lost at poker all night and dragged a ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) few girls to a well-lit spot to play Mahjong, truly both bad at the game and loving to play.
A small night light was on in the tent. Ning Chu, who had skipped breakfast, was already feeling sleepy, wrapped in her sleeping bag, her eyes struggling to stay open.
The wind made the tent rustle, and in the distance, they could hear Yan Xinya’s excited “I win!” Wen Yang sat in the tent, his figure casting a shadow over Ning Chu beneath the small night light.
“I’m outside. Call me directly if you need anything.”
After adjusting the night light, Wen Yang turned and reminded her.
“What are you doing?”
Seeing that bright gaze staring directly at her, he paused. The butt that had been lifted to leave sat back down.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay here with you. Go to sleep.”
“Do you want me to tell you a little story or sing you a lullaby?”
“No! Go away!”
