Her mother’s cooking couldn’t compete with restaurant food loaded with oil and salt. The flavors were much lighter and simpler.
But it had been so long since she’d had a home-cooked meal that Ning Chu couldn’t stop eating. Even after finishing a whole bowl of rice, she kept picking at the meat and vegetables.
Propping her chin up with one hand, she watched Black Bean bury her face into her bowl like a hungry kitten. Then she glanced at Wen Yang—who, in stark contrast, was eating slowly and carefully, visibly restraining himself from overindulging.
“It’s not often you come home. Eat more while you can.”
“Once your brother gets back, I’ll head to the market and buy you both some crabs.”
Her mother, speaking gently, picked up some food with her chopsticks and added it to Ning Chu’s bowl.
“At school, when you wear girls' clothes, do your classmates talk behind your back? Don’t let that get to you—just live your life how you want.”
“Mhm.”
No matter how much Ning Chu ate, her bowl never seemed to empty. She chatted with her mom about amusing things that had happened at school.
“Mom, the other day when I was studying in the self-study room, one of my classmates got confessed to. The guy even set up LED lights and yelled with a megaphone from below.”Her mom perked up, curious.
“And then?”
“That classmate always acts so cold and aloof, but she didn’t hesitate—just dumped a bucket of water on the guy and turned him into a drowned rat.”
“Oh! And guess what? One of my classmates has a crush on a teacher!”
“Really?” Her mom looked even more intrigued.
There were lots of funny stories from the semester, but only a few were suitable to share with her mom.
Ning Chu couldn’t stop talking at the table. She kept eating and chatting while her mom nodded along with a warm smile.
Wen Yang quietly ate his food, occasionally glancing up to study their expressions.
He rarely saw this side of Ning Chu—talkative, animated, brimming with joy. Compared to her usual calm smile, she looked even cuter and more vibrant like this.
The warm, familial atmosphere at the dinner table was foreign to him, but also something he deeply yearned for.
He opened his mouth a few times, wanting to join the conversation, but reminded himself of his “future-son-in-law” status. He stayed quiet and just focused on his meal.
Literally just focused—he didn’t even dare eat too many vegetables from his bowl.
Not only did he eat with utmost care, he also held back from eating too much, afraid of seeming greedy or rude.
“You still hungry?”
“Nope, I’m full.” Ning Chu waved her hand and rubbed her belly with a little burp.
“So stuffed~ Feels like my stomach’s gotten huge.”
“Really? Let me feel.”
“Ew, no way.”
Her mom chuckled, then looked toward Wen Yang, who was still sitting rather stiffly. She picked up a few pieces of meat and placed them in his bowl.
“That enough for you? There’s more rice in the pot.”
“It’s enough, really.”
“You're a big guy—how are you eating less than Ning Chu used to?”
She glanced suspiciously at the small ceramic bowl in Wen Yang’s hands, then looked over at her daughter.
Sharing a look with Ning Chu, she finally sighed, stood up, and pulled a big soup bowl from the cabinet. She filled it to the brim with rice and set it in front of Wen Yang.
“Eat more. You’re a guest—no need to be so reserved.”
She placed a few extra dishes in front of him.
“You and Black Bean can finish these. Ning Chu and I are already full.”
“Okay.”
“And eat it all— Ning Xin! Eat less! You’re a girl—if you eat more than everyone else, how are you not going to turn into a little chubby dumpling?”
Black Bean blinked innocently, then let out a burp.
“Oh~”
Clearly, her mom was trying to control Black Bean’s diet.
But that might not be possible anymore.
Ning Chu looked worriedly at the bulging little belly under Black Bean’s shirt.
“She’s practically a pig already.”
“Yeah yeah, you’re adorable~”
Although Black Bean had gradually shed her feline habits and was far more well-behaved and sensible than your average ten-year-old troublemaker… this cat was definitely on her way to evolving into a chubby orange pig.
“Black Bean, remember to wash the dishes later.”
“Got it~”
Their mom stood up, rubbing her sore shoulders and neck as she walked toward the bedroom.
“Ugh… I’m getting old. Just cooking a meal has my whole back aching.”
“Mom! I’ll give you a massage!”
Ning Chu eagerly chased after her.
“Also, can Wen Yang stay over tonight? Just on the living room floor—he hasn’t found a place to stay yet.”
“He’s really not going home for the New Year?”
“Of course not. Going back just means spending it with some uncle or cousin.”
Her mom gave a sideways glance toward the dining table, where Wen Yang had immediately let himself go once she stepped out—eating with barely more manners than Black Bean.
She did feel bad for his background, but that didn’t mean she was thrilled about her daughter possibly struggling alongside him in the future.
“Mom, once my brother gets home, how about the three of us squeeze into one room?”
In the master bedroom, Ning Chu attentively massaged her mother’s shoulders.
“If your boyfriend can sleep on the living room floor, then so can your brother. He’s a grown man too.”
Her eyes lit up. She redoubled her effort on the massage.
“Then I’ll share a room with Black Bean~”
“By the way, Mom, you’re giving Wen Yang a hard time—what about your own boyfriend? Didn’t you say he’d visit during the break?”
“Is he tall, handsome, a rich older guy?”
Her mom turned and pinched her daughter’s smooth, plush cheek hard.
“You’re really gonna joke about your own mom now?”
“Ow—!”
“Tomorrow. He’ll come over tomorrow, and your brother should be back too.”
A faint blush rose to her mom’s cheeks. Then she added, “Oh, and about the apartment—don’t worry too much.”
“Huh?”
“Your grandpa owns two buildings in the urban village. He converted them into shared rentals.” She lowered her head and sent him a message.
“I’ll ask him to give your boyfriend a discount. Let him stay for a month.”
Ning Chu was stunned. In both this life and the last, she never knew her grandfather was that wealthy.
“Two buildings?!”
Sure, she knew he used to run a business and made decent money, but she never had a real concept of just how much. When she pictured her grandpa—flip-flops, tank top, always lazing around playing mahjong—it was impossible to reconcile that image with a local landlord.
“You didn’t know?” Her mom was a little surprised, and maybe even a little smug.
“Ten years ago when the area was redeveloped, your grandpa ended up with a dozen apartments in the new city district.”
“So we’re secretly a real estate tycoon?!”
“What’s it got to do with you?” Her mom rolled her eyes.
“I moved my household registration out years ago. The property wasn’t registered to our family.”
“What…?”
Ning Chu deflated instantly.
So much for suddenly being rich.
Even her hand lost strength as she continued the massage, muttering dejectedly:
“So really, the whole family just relies on big brother to earn money? That’s barely better than Wen Yang’s situation, and you still look down on him.”
“My boyfriend sends me some money every month. And at least we have a house.”
“Oh~”
Ning Chu figured her mom’s financial situation was decent now. Certainly better than when she was a kid—just look at how round Black Bean’s cheeks had gotten.
“Mom, why are you staring at me?”
She noticed her mom turning back and giving her a long, scrutinizing look, and scratched her head awkwardly.
“You don’t look anything like your old self anymore.”
Her mother sighed as she watched Ning Chu kneeling on the bed, tail perked into a heart shape, diligently massaging her shoulders.
There was a gentle, mature charm in her daughter’s eyes now.
“My son’s really become a proper little succubus, huh~”
Just back in September, she was still a round-cheeked little boy…
“………”
Stop! Don’t say it!!
Ning Chu couldn’t even lift her head from embarrassment.
I haven’t even fully fallen yet—how am I already ‘proper’?!
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