After all these years, there was no longer any trace of masculinity left in Ning Chu.
Although her face still retained a youthful, slightly innocent look, clearly marking her as a young girl inexperienced with the world, her presence was undeniably enchanting, like that of a fox. Her every gesture seemed to draw the attention of men.
The corners of her eyes were always tinged with a soft, affectionate hue, and her slightly upturned peach blossom eyes always looked as though they carried a smile, as if capable of capturing one's soul.
Ning Chu had become quite restrained, and she didn’t want her presence to be filled with overt seduction, but after all, she was a succubus.
The two laps of warm-up jogging for PE class had ended.
She and Lily found a shady corner under a tree to sit, propping their faces up with their hands, watching Wen Yang on the basketball court, sweating as he played.
“Not feeling good?” Lily’s gaze, however, was fixed on Yan Xinya, who was still running on the track.
“Mm, I don’t know what I’ll be doing in the future...” Ning Chu sighed.
“Become a streamer,” Lily said seriously. “Stream yoga, and that ‘edge play’ can make good money.”
“I don’t want to...” Ning Chu replied, shaking her head.
“But you’re a succubus.”
Ning Chu rolled her eyes, annoyed, and shifted to put some distance between herself and Lily.
The two succubi shared the same long black hair, and though one had a seductive, fox-like charm while the other exuded a cold, ice mountain aura, and their faces were completely different, sitting together still often led people to mistake them for sisters.
“Want to join me for the graduate exam?” Lily asked, her voice unexpectedly chatty.
“Do you know how hard it was for me to pass the CET-4? And you want me to take the graduate exam?” Ning Chu sighed, her headache intensifying. “I want to write novels, but it's too unstable.”
“You always talk about writing novels but never ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) let me see them.”
“It’s fantasy novels, filled with fighting and killing, you wouldn’t like it.”
“I could support you with tips.”
Ning Chu quickly shook her head. “I don’t need your support!”
Although her current writing wasn’t entirely the autobiographical mess it used to be, it still carried a lot of personal elements. Friends around her, like Lily, had made their way into her stories.
For instance, Lily was portrayed as an old pervert in the book. Even though it was true, it could still cause a rift in their friendship.
It was way too embarrassing to show those things to her friends.
“How much can you make from writing novels?” Lily asked, curious.
“About one or two thousand... but when I look at job listings online, most of the salaries are around three or four thousand,” Ning Chu complained. “It’s better to stay home and write more. Maybe, after rent, I’ll make more than working.”
“What about Wen Yang?”
Ning Chu’s mood darkened, and she sighed even more heavily. “Him? He just casually found a few companies, and the salaries are nearly ten thousand.”
“You’re pathetic.”
“......”
He's the male lead! How can I compare!?
She justified herself internally, muttering defensively, “At least I’ve written three novels... even though the quality has dropped, now I just earn full attendance rewards.”
Unfortunately, writing novels couldn’t support her financially.
And she didn’t want Wen Yang to support her either.
Ning Chu’s gaze shifted to Wang Jie, who was still running on the basketball court.
Wang Jie had bulked up significantly compared to his freshman year, no longer looking like the sickly, introverted guy he once was, likely to avoid being drained by his rabbit girlfriend.
But not long ago, Wang Jie had had a huge argument with her, threatening to break up.
Ning Chu didn’t inquire too deeply into the details, but she felt a bit regretful for their sweet but troubled relationship, which had started back in high school.
Fortunately, her relationship with Wen Yang had remained strong. Although they occasionally fought, it had never escalated to breaking up.
“Aren’t you planning to get a boyfriend?” Ning Chu asked, without looking back.
“......”
She then turned to look at Lily. “You keep saying you want one, but you never take the initiative. You don’t even give a good look when someone chases after you. Do you really want to be the embarrassment of succubi forever?”
Lily gave her a disdainful glance.
“Does that little octopus...” Ning Chu began to tease.
A small shoe kicked at her calf, making her jump in surprise as she dodged Lily’s attack.
“Pervert!”
She opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to retaliate.
After all, Lily only played with toys in private, and there were many kinds. Ning Chu had long since surpassed her in that regard...
Not only had she found a boyfriend before Lily, but she had also given herself away sooner. She might even have surpassed Lily in the variety of toys.
“Ning Chu.”
Turning around, Ning Chu saw Wen Yang walking off the basketball court, waving at her.
“I’m going to hang out with Wen Yang now.”
She waved at Lily and immediately ran toward Wen Yang.
When she reached him, she looked up at his face, which was damp with sweat. She instantly smelled a powerful, high-quality masculine scent.
“Not going to keep playing?”
Ning Chu awkwardly took a step back, pulling some distance between them, to avoid making a scene in front of everyone.
“I’m done. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Noticing his rare serious tone, she started to guess.
Could it be... getting the marriage certificate?
But Wen Yang still had to wait until next year to be of legal marriage age, didn’t he?
The two walked side by side, with about half a meter between them, slowly exiting the field and entering a small garden beside it.
Since it was still class time, the garden was quiet except for the sounds of birds and insects, and there was no risk of encountering any couples fooling around.
“So, what is it?”
With no one else around, Ning Chu felt safe enough to slip her arm around Wen Yang’s, breathing in the faintly enticing scent of his cologne. Her face quickly turned crimson, her eyes glimmering with allure, and she couldn’t help but feel hungry with desire.
Wen Yang hesitated in his expression.
“What’s the matter? Have you fallen for another girl?”
“How could that be?” He quickly shook his head, denying it.
Ning Chu scoffed. She figured no woman could be more attractive than her and endure Wen Yang’s intensity. “Then just say it, what’s the hesitation?”
“It’s... I want to work in Shanghai.” Wen Yang looked at her face nervously, “What if we go together?”
“So far away...”
He knew Ning Chu preferred to stay close to home, so she could spend more time with her family and help take care of Black Bean.
To Ning Chu, her mother was a crucial figure in her life.
But Wen Yang didn’t want to give up such a high-paying and promising job... Even though he had been working part-time, the money he had saved was barely enough to buy a small apartment in the provincial capital.
Ning Chu’s expression quickly turned downcast. “Can’t you stay?”
“After we get married, we’ll need money, and we’ll have to buy a house...” Wen Yang sighed, smiling bitterly. “Auntie wouldn’t let you marry me just to live in a rented place.”
“I don’t want to talk about this...”
Ning Chu looked away, her face no longer flushed. Instead, it was filled with deep disappointment.
On one hand, there was the mother who had been lost and returned, and on the other, there was her boyfriend of several years.
She had always hoped that after graduation, she could go back home and spend more time with her mother, making up for the years she had lost without her.
Although she could avoid the situation for now, one day, she would have to make a choice.
“My place is in the provincial capital too, the salary wouldn’t be low.” She twisted her fingers together, staring at her shoes. “I don’t really care about the house, renting is fine. If we get tired of it, we can change at any time. It’s that simple...”
“......”
She knew deep down that these words were only meant to comfort herself.
