"Mom! I'm leaving now!"
Dragging a small suitcase filled with girls' clothes, Ning Chu stood on the doormat by the door, slipping on the little leather shoes her mother had bought for her. She called out, "Mom! Aren't you going to see me off?"
"What's there to see you off for?"
Her mother lay lazily on the sofa watching TV, showing no intention of getting up. "Be careful on the way. If you meet a nice girl at school, remember to introduce her to your brother."
"Got it!"
"Mom, that’s not necessary…"
After putting on her shoes, Ning Chu stepped out the door and pressed the elevator button. She turned back to look at her brother, who was following behind her.
As the elevator doors closed, she asked curiously, "You never noticed?"
"Noticed what?"
"Mom's boyfriend~"Ning Yuan shook his head. "I've been away at school and work these past few years. How could I possibly know?"
"Fair enough…"
Their mother was actually quite trendy—meeting her boyfriend through online dating.
Hearing the words online dating, Ning Chu's first reaction was that it sounded unreliable. But considering that their mother had been in this relationship since she was in middle school—six or seven years ago—it was impossible that they hadn't met in person by now. Even the most dubious online romance would have become real after this long.
She stepped into the elevator, leaning against the wall, her gaze falling on the mirror inside. Her expression carried a hint of sadness.
It was during middle school that her mother in her past life had passed away…
She vaguely remembered that back then, there had indeed been an unfamiliar older man at the funeral, crying quite miserably.
She turned to look at her brother’s back and smiled.
In this world, her family would live well.
"Make sure to eat more vegetables and fruits, don’t just eat meat all the time," Ning Yuan nagged, slipping into a fatherly role as he spoke to Ning Chu with his back to her. "And cut back on milk tea and soft drinks. They’re not good for you."
"Though… I drink them too," he admitted. "But once or twice a week is enough. Don’t overdo it and make yourself sick."
"You used to be a guy, but now you're a girl. Keep some distance from your old friends. There’s no such thing as pure friendship between men and women—especially since you're a… succubus."
Ning Chu nodded absentmindedly, giving a perfunctory response. "Mm, I know."
She had already been making an effort to keep her distance from male classmates—except for Wen Yang…
Over half an hour later, the two arrived at the train station.
"Don't just focus on having fun at college."
"Mm, I'm going in now?"
"Go ahead."
Ning Yuan watched as his sister entered the waiting hall of the station. Staring at her slender, delicate figure, he let out a helpless sigh.
She’s changed so much…
It wasn't just about going from a younger brother to a succubus little sister.
She had matured. She cared more about their family now.
Through the glass, Ning Chu noticed that her brother hadn’t left yet.
She stood on tiptoe, stretching her arms to wave at him.
"What are you thinking about?"
But Ning Yuan didn’t react. He simply stood there, lost in thought.
Ning Chu pursed her lips, glanced down at the train ticket information on her phone, and without thinking too much, hurried off to find the boarding gate.
<+>
Autumn and winter temperatures were always unpredictable.
During the day, it was still over twenty degrees, bright and sunny, but by night, a light drizzle had started, and the temperature had dropped sharply to just above ten degrees. The wind howled, biting cold.
Wen Yang had already been waiting at the exit of the station for a long time.
His eyes frequently flickered to the big screen, checking Ning Chu's train number. He seemed restless, pacing back and forth.
Finally, the arrival announcement for her train echoed through the station.
Wen Yang tilted his head up, gazing in the direction of the station exit. Soon, a dense crowd of passengers appeared in his view.
No matter how hard he searched, he couldn't spot Ning Chu’s figure... She was most likely hidden behind all the taller people.
As passengers passed through the exit gates, the packed crowd gradually thinned out. Finally, he saw a petite figure dragging a suitcase, walking straight toward him.
Wen Yang hadn’t expected Ning Chu to be wearing a dress today.
Black thigh-high stockings, a high-waisted short skirt accentuating her slender waist, a snug-fitting crop top barely hinting at her small curves—with each step she took, a glimpse of her delicate navel could be seen.
But her face was pale from the cold.
"Wen Yang!"
Ning Chu didn’t hesitate to drop her suitcase and sprint toward him.
Wen Yang couldn't hold back his smile, opening his arms to welcome his little girlfriend’s hug—only for her to stop in front of him and start tugging at his jacket instead.
"Take off your jacket and give it to me! Damn it, I nearly froze to death when I got off the train!"
"......"
Ning Chu glanced up and caught Wen Yang staring at her, his gaze unwavering. Only after hurriedly wrapping herself in his jacket did she, with a faint blush, explain, "My mom bought these clothes for me."
She had to admit—her mother had impeccable taste. The only issue? The amount of fabric was a bit... lacking. She wasn't quite used to it yet.
But seeing Wen Yang’s stunned expression filled her with a sense of accomplishment.
"Oh right, my suitcase—" She suddenly remembered the abandoned suitcase and quickly turned back to retrieve it.
Wen Yang followed behind her, grabbing the suitcase for her as he spoke. "I checked out a few rental places for you."
"Hmm?"
"The cheap rentals near campus are mostly hotels offering monthly rates. They're affordable, but not very safe—too many random people coming and going."
"Let's not talk about that now."
Feeling a little self-conscious, Ning Chu instinctively glanced around to make sure no classmates were nearby before secretly hooking her pinky around Wen Yang’s.
She still carried a bit of that lingering masculinity from her past life, and whenever people glanced their way, she felt an odd sense of embarrassment, as if others might think they were two guys dating.
Wen Yang, however, didn’t care in the slightest. Lowering his head, he simply pulled her into his embrace, one arm wrapping around her waist.
"There are people watching—mmph!"
Ning Chu tried to protest, but her lips were already sealed by his. She let out a muffled sound, raising her hand to push him away, only to lose all her strength and melt into his arms.
That faint feeling of suffocation… uncomfortable, yet addicting.
A heat ignited in the pit of her stomach. If not for the fact that they were in public, she might have already started moving her hips to match his rhythm.
But that only made the embarrassment burn hotter—strangely, it made the whole situation even more exciting.
Wen Yang’s hand slipped to her waist, then daringly moved lower—only to suddenly freeze.
Just above her rear, his palm had pressed against something soft… and slightly raised.
He gave it a light squeeze.
The girl in his arms let out a soft, seductive whimper before her whole body went limp, collapsing against him. If he hadn’t been holding her tightly, she might have sunk straight to the floor.
"...What is this?"
"......"
Catching her breath and regaining a bit of strength, Ning Chu’s face burned with fury. She broke free from Wen Yang’s arms and kicked him. "Are you crazy?!"
She quickly glanced around, relieved to see that not many people were paying attention.
Most passersby only cast a brief, curious glance before hurrying away, too uninterested to take a second look. Only a few young women watched eagerly, looking as if they’d love to trade places with her.
Kissing in public was already quite restrained compared to… other activities.
"What was that?" Wen Yang was sure he'd felt something unusual—otherwise, Ning Chu wouldn’t have reacted so strongly.
"We'll talk about it later. I need to find a place to rent first." Ning Chu turned and walked toward the underground parking lot without looking back. "Call a car."
"Got it."</+>