Volume 2 Chapter 1 / Chapter 281: January
"My mom's coming."
The sun had just set. As they left the classroom and walked with the crowd toward the cafeteria, Ning Chu suddenly dropped that line on Wen Yang.
"Huh?" Wen Yang blinked in surprise, clearly caught off guard.
"It's already early January. I got my new ID ages ago, and all my mom's paperwork is ready… If it weren't for the trouble with registering Black Bean's household status, she would've already come to help me change my student record."
It was early January—three weeks left before finals.
As she spoke, Ning Chu tugged her scarf higher until it covered half her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her nose red from the cold. She looked like a puffy little penguin wrapped in her thick cotton jacket. Below the waist, though, she wore only a pair of warm fleece-lined leggings under a mid-calf skirt.
With the temperature hovering around ten degrees Celsius, she would've preferred wearing pants—definitely warmer—but she needed to hide her tail.
Thankfully, the thermal leggings were thick enough that her legs didn't feel cold.
Wen Yang looked a bit tense. The last time they'd met, it was pretty obvious Ning Chu's future mother-in-law wasn't exactly fond of him.
"When's she coming?"
"Tomorrow afternoon," Ning Chu replied after a pause. "Oh, and Black Bean's called Ning Xin now. 'Black Bean' is just her nickname from now on."
"She's coming too?"
"Nope~ She's stuck in cram school. She's starting fourth grade next semester, after all."
Her voice was laced with mockery and schadenfreude. A perfectly good little black cat just had to go become a cat girl. And now look—forced to go to school like a real kid.
Apparently, the first day of cram school had Black Bean bawling and throwing a tantrum the second she got home—rolling around on the floor, screaming about never going back.
But then the next morning, her mom served her a bowl of poached shrimp, and Black Bean happily skipped right back to class.
"Poor thing," Wen Yang couldn't help laughing. "With her personality, you think she'll actually study well?"
"My mom's expectations are super low, as long as she eats, drinks, and doesn't turn into a delinquent, she's happy."
"She's nine now, right? At least on paper."
As they chatted, the two entered the cafeteria.
The warm, noisy atmosphere hit them immediately, replacing the cold air outside with a blanket of humid heat. Ning Chu hugged her textbooks to her chest and found a seat in a quiet corner. The light tone she had when teasing about Black Bean faded quickly, replaced by a somber, brooding expression.
Final exams were looming.
And she had zero confidence.
Sure, she had technically gone to university in her last life—but not for this major!
She sighed and flipped open her textbook and Wen Yang's notebook, trying to cram some last-minute knowledge while they waited for food.
"Told you—if there's anything you don't understand, just ask me."
Wen Yang appeared with a cafeteria tray and set down a bowl of rice and disposable chopsticks in front of her.
"Aren't you super busy?"
Ning Chu grumbled, poking at her food. So far, she'd been able to keep up with most of her core classes, but now that it was time to review English and advanced calculus, things were falling apart fast.
It all looked like ancient alien script.
She took a bite, then turned toward Wen Yang, her tone suddenly pitiful as she leaned in and whined, "Wen Yang~ I'm broke~"
"Hmm?"
"I only made two thousand this month~ Ahhh~"
Wen Yang rolled his eyes. "You're humble-bragging."
"Look at my novel subs! Down to fifty bucks a day now!" she said while pulling out her phone and showing him her author dashboard. Her tone was full of complaints, but her upper body swayed with glee and a smug smile kept creeping up her face.
Her novel's performance had far exceeded expectations!
She'd originally thought she'd barely qualify for full attendance bonuses—maybe make a thousand a month tops. But after just one month on the shelves, she'd earned 2,300 yuan in royalties! A new personal record!
Though she wouldn't get the payout until the 15th…
"Be grateful, would you?" Wen Yang sighed. "I've been running around doing part-time jobs like crazy, and I still didn't earn as much as you, sitting at home and typing."
Ning Chu lifted her chin proudly.
"Exactly~ If I start making more, I'll go full-time as a novelist!"
"Honestly? That wouldn't be a bad thing. Less stress."
After dinner, stepping out of the cafeteria once again, Ning Chu was hit by the biting cold. She shivered violently, clapped her hands together, and breathed into them. A long trail of white mist drifted from her lips, momentarily warming her palms.
"So cold~"
She grumbled, blaming the damn weather.
"The school's on a mountain, and we're at a higher latitude. Of course it's cold," Wen Yang said, completely unfazed by the sub-ten-degree temperature. His body ran warm, like a human furnace. "I heard it even snows a little in winter."
"I've never seen snow before..."
Ning Chu instinctively leaned closer to Wen Yang, trying to soak up some of his furnace-like warmth. She slipped behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, then cheekily lifted the hem of his coat to stuff her freezing hands underneath.
"Mmm~ warm~"
She squinted in bliss, resting her flushed cheek against his back.
Everyone on campus already knew the two of them were dating. Though gossip still flew all over the place, Ning Chu no longer cared.
"You know I can't walk like this," Wen Yang said with a laugh, glancing back at her red-tipped nose and cheeks. "How about getting a pair of gloves? You'll get frostbite at this rate."
"I don't like gloves..."
"After we get back I have to write and study~ So busy~"
Still hugging Wen Yang from behind, Ning Chu used him both as a windbreak and hand warmer. Slowly, step by step, they ambled their way out of campus.
It was only 6:30 PM, but the sky had already darkened. A bright crescent moon hung in the distance, and the streetlights lining the road had long since flickered on.
They took the bus back to their rental apartment.
As soon as they stepped inside, Ning Chu peeled off her scarf and jacket, then dove straight under the covers. The bedding was damp and icy, but it was still better than being outside.
"Wen Yang! Come teach me calculus!"
She sat against the headboard, holding her textbook, and called out to him.
"I need to use the bathroom first."
"Okay~"
Ning Chu lowered her head to look at her book, though her thoughts were far from academic.
Over the past month or two, she realized she'd need to buy new underwear again. She wasn't sure if she was still growing naturally or if Wen Yang's "care" had accelerated things.
Her daily life had become more and more aligned with that of a regular girl. So much so that sometimes it felt like she had been born female all along.
She absentmindedly picked up her lip balm and dabbed it on her dry, peeling lips.
Wen Yang climbed onto the bed, sitting beside her.
"What part don't you get?"
"This one..."
"Just a reminder—we agreed I charge tuition."
Wen Yang raised an eyebrow meaningfully.
Ning Chu groaned. "Why is your brain always filled with those thoughts?"
She pursed her lips, then mumbled softly,
"Then… how about… I use my mouth tonight?"
Wen Yang didn't answer—he just shook his head. His hand had already slipped under the blanket and found her fleece-covered thigh.
Ning Chu's brows furrowed. "Then what do you want, huh?"
Over the past few weeks, her hands-on skills—and oral technique—had grown increasingly proficient. But Wen Yang's resistance also seemed to grow stronger.
The guy was probably cooking up some new "techniques."
Was he planning to go all the way tonight?
A mix of anxiety and reluctance surged in her heart—alongside something that felt suspiciously like anticipation.
Face taut, she worked to suppress that little sliver of expectation.
"You say it."
"I'll tutor you first," Wen Yang said calmly, "then we'll talk before bed."
"We agreed to do that only after marriage—"
She stopped mid-sentence, a terrifying thought suddenly crossing her mind.
Wait—does he mean to do anal?!
WTF?! That's a total no-go!
<+>
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