悲殇的秋千

Chapter 315


When Ning Chu returned home, she was greeted by her mother’s slightly surprised look.


“You’re back pretty early.”


Ning Chu knew exactly what kind of filthy thoughts were running through her succubus mom’s head. She let out a light snort through her nose, gave the living room a quick scan, and asked, “Where’s my brother?”


“He went to pick up Ning Xin from school. Should be back soon.”


Her mom was wearing glasses for once, which gave her a more refined look. She was lounging on the sofa, carefully embroidering a piece of white cloth.


Apparently, this kind of handmade embroidery was worth quite a bit, though it took a lot of effort.


“Mom~ Wen Yang’s coming over for dinner tomorrow. You need to cook more than usual! Don’t even think about pocketing that 500 yuan we gave you!”


“Yeah, yeah, I got it. He won’t starve.” Her mom grumbled half-heartedly. “You never used to care this much about me. You’ve barely been a girl for how long, and already your little boyfriend’s all you can think about...”


Jeez! Did she have to say something so embarrassing out loud like that?!

Ning Chu turned her head away, blushing furiously.

“My boyfriend should be arriving soon too.”


Ning Chu perked up instantly, excited. “Your boyfriend’s coming?! I need to check him out!”


“Mom! Is he staying the night?” Ning Chu leaned in close with a teasing grin. “Oh~ so that’s why you didn’t want me and Black Bean sleeping in your room. And why you made big bro sleep on the floor~”


“Got yourself a man and now you’ve forgotten your son, huh~”


Her mother raised her eyebrows and gave Ning Chu a sharp glare before stuffing an apple into her mouth. “Eat some fruit!”


“Mmph...”


Seeing her mom get annoyed, Ning Chu didn’t dare push it any further. She took a bite of the apple obediently. Winning one round was enough—if she went too far, she’d definitely get smacked.


While she scrolled on her phone for a bit on the couch, the front door unlocked, and a moment later, Black Bean rushed inside.


“Mom! It’s lunchtime!”


“Wait another half hour.”

Black Bean zipped straight to Ning Chu and plopped down between her legs, swaying back and forth. “So hungry~ I didn’t eat enough this morning~”


“All you do is eat, eat, eat. You’re gonna turn into a pig at this rate.”


Ning Chu couldn’t help thinking—aren’t black cats supposed to be elegant and agile predators? How did Black Bean end up with the gluttonous genes of an orange tabby?


She playfully fiddled with the cat ears on top of Black Bean’s head, then looked over at Ning Yuan, who was yawning constantly. “Brother, how many days off do you get for the New Year?”


“Seven. From New Year’s Eve to the sixth.”


“That’s rough~”


“I’m heading back tomorrow night. I have to work Monday.”


There were still a couple weeks before the New Year, and while Ning Chu was already on winter break, her brother still had to drag himself to work.


She was supposed to be in the same situation... but then she got pulled back in time to her freshman year during her job search.


Ning Yuan was always exhausted from work, and even when he had time off, he could barely summon the energy to do anything. He kept yawning as he headed toward his room, clearly planning to flop onto his bed again.


But after just a few steps, their mom called out to him: “You’re going back to work tomorrow night?”


“Yeah.”


She pulled out a stack of old newspapers and a cleaning rag from under the coffee table. “Then hurry up and clean the windows. New Year’s is coming.”


“……”


When he stayed silent, their mom turned to look at Ning Chu and Black Bean. “Should I make your two little sisters do it instead?”


“I’ll do it!” Black Bean quickly raised her right hand.


“I’ll do it.” Ning Yuan cut in.


Ever since they were kids, Ning Yuan had always been in charge of cleaning windows during the big New Year’s cleanup, so he was used to it by now. Back when he was a short 160cm kid, he couldn’t reach the high spots—and now that he’d become a big brother-turned-sister, it was even less likely he’d make Ning Chu do it.


As the oldest in the family and with no father around, it was always up to him to handle things like cleaning windows, replacing lightbulbs, or hauling heavy sacks of rice—all the dangerous or labor-intensive tasks.


“Ning Chu, help me carry a bucket of water.”


“Got it!”


“Ning Xin, grab the rags and newspaper.”


“Okay!”


Ning Yuan carefully climbed onto a chair and then the window ledge, one hand gripping the burglar bars outside, the other wiping the glass. His two sisters stood nearby, ready to assist him at a moment’s notice.


“Brother, it’s almost New Year’s. When are you bringing a sister-in-law home?”


Bored, Ning Chu started texting Wen Yang while casually throwing the question out.


“Forget asking that question for the next couple of years. I’m not in the mood for dating.”


“What, don’t tell me you like men?”


Ning Yuan shot her a glare. “My company’s full of men. Where am I supposed to find a woman?”


“I have two super pretty besties! Want me to introduce you to one?”


She pulled up a photo of Yan Xinya in her workout outfit and held her phone screen up to her brother. “Look! Doesn’t she have an amazing figure? Plus, she’s a wolf girl too!”


While wiping the windows, Ning Yuan took a quick glance back.


High ponytail, cropped top showing off her waist, tight sports shorts—even though Yan Xinya wasn’t wearing makeup, her outfit perfectly showed off her curves.


Yeah… she was definitely good-looking.


Ning Yuan felt a little tempted, but scoffed and looked away. “You should worry more about your own love life.”


“I’ve got a succubus bestie too! Wanna see her?”


“…I guess.”


He didn’t sound too enthusiastic, but Ning Chu could totally hear the suppressed excitement in his voice.


Typical man~


“I don’t have pics of her. So you don’t get to see,” she said, rolling her eyes. Then she took the rag from him, rinsed and wrung it out in the bucket before handing it back.


After about half an hour of cleaning, there was a gentle knock at the door.


Instantly, Ning Chu and Black Bean perked up, completely abandoning Ning Yuan, who was still perched on the windowsill. The two of them darted over to the entrance, crouching against the wall with their heads poking out, one above the other, sneakily peeking toward the front door like little spies.


Their mom finally got up slowly, giving an exasperated look to the overly excited Ning Chu. A faint blush rose on her cheeks.


She paused just slightly, and by the time she reached the door, her expression had softened unconsciously, her lips curling into a subtle smile.


As the door opened, Ning Chu’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.


It was a tall, sturdy uncle—almost 1.8 meters!


He was dressed sharply in a suit and tie, with a square-shaped, handsome face. His tall, broad frame and serious expression gave him a very commanding presence.


Among the middle-aged men in their 40s and 50s who usually looked bloated and greasy, this man was definitely a catch. His mature air and solid build made him the perfect eye candy for girls into the “uncle” type.


Ning Chu couldn’t help but imagine her mom’s private romantic life must be very satisfying.


“Come in,” her mom said as she opened the door. She kept her tone casual, giving just a slight nod, but the warmth in her smile was impossible to hide.


“Mm.”


The uncle’s gaze immediately landed on the three little heads peeking out from behind the wall. His expression stiffened slightly.


“Dad! What did you bring me to eat?”


Black Bean was the first to rush up to him, looking up with her chubby face and tail sticking straight up.


She hadn’t actually met this uncle that many times, but the promise of food was enough to make her instantly accept the role of “daughter.”


“Some steak and seafood,” the uncle said as he bent down and handed over the bags in his hands. His voice was low and gentle. “Take them to the kitchen. I’ll make you lunch in a bit.”


“Yay~”


He seemed a bit awkward, giving a stiff nod toward Ning Chu and Ning Yuan as a kind of greeting.


“He does look pretty reliable…” Ning Chu whispered as she pulled her head back from the wall and looked at Ning Yuan. “Weren’t you supposed to be wiping windows? Why’d you run over here?”


“Gotta check him out. He seems alright.”


Just as Ning Chu had guessed—while the man’s body shape and face were a bit different—this was definitely the same stranger who’d appeared at their mother’s hospital room right before she passed away in their previous life.


Well, well~ So how long had they been dating?


Their mom had kept this under wraps from the both of them the whole time!


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