Trapped in Paradise (In a Hentai World, as a Trap)-Chapter 364
A little past seven in the evening, at a seafood restaurant near home, seven people sat around the big round table in a private room.
Wen Yang had gone to work. Even though it was the first day of the Lunar New Year, his line of work in the service industry didn’t allow breaks—he still had to show up on time.
Black Bean was having the time of her life. A salt-and-pepper mantis shrimp in her left hand, a braised pork rib in her right, her mouth smeared with sauce as she happily shook her head from side to side. The cat ears on her head swayed along like strands of seaweed.
Ning Chu's Grandma sat beside her, smiling and doting, occasionally wiping her mouth with a tissue. She herself hadn’t eaten much.
Ning Chu's Grandpa and Ning Juan's boyfriend were drinking together, their voices so loud and tipsy that you could probably hear them from outside the room.
“Not to brag, but when Xiao Juan was young, she was famous for her looks all around! Matchmakers came knocking at our door at least three times a day!”
“There were enough men chasing after her to fill this whole restaurant, but no, she had to pick a poor boy. No matter how we tried to talk her out of it, she wouldn’t listen!”
“...”
Curious, Ning Chu tugged on her mother’s sleeve.
“Mom, do you still have any old photos of yourself? Show me~”
She had seen them in her previous life, but back then her mother didn’t have this whole succubus-like charm bonus.
“You can dig through the storage room when we get home,” Ning Juan said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t listen to his nonsense. You’re prettier than I ever was.”
“Really? Then excuse me for being the better one~”
Grinning like an imp, Ning Chu got a light knock on the head from her mother and quickly straightened up, obediently picking up a rib to eat.
Most of her older relatives weren’t eating much, so the bulk of the food was being demolished by Ning Chu, Ning Yuan, and Black Bean.
“Hey, Ning Yuan~” Her Grandpa, a little drunk, suddenly jumped topics again. “Why aren’t you dating anyone yet? You’re already twenty-six, twenty-seven, right? About time to think about marriage.”
Ning Yuan froze for a second, then gave a helpless laugh.
“No, no. I only graduated half a year ago. I’m twenty-four if you count by birthdays.”
“You’re basically thirty already! Bring someone home next year.” Their Grandpa glared at him. “Look at your sister! In just a few months she’s already brought home a boyfriend. And you?”
Can we
not
bring me up every time...
This isn’t even something to be proud of!
She had only turned into a girl back in October. Barely four months had passed, and in that time she had not only adapted to a female body, but also had her orientation flipped, found a boyfriend, and—well—completely given herself away...
The speed of her downfall into womanhood was terrifying. Just thinking about it made Ning Chu so embarrassed she couldn’t lift her head. When her brother glanced at her strangely, her face went hot and red. She buried herself in eating, pretending not to hear.
“I’m not a girl, and I don’t have money for dating or marriage anyway,” Ning Yuan said, pulling out the “money excuse.”
Ning Chu was a little annoyed.
Excuse me?
Her dating life hadn’t cost Wen Yang much at all—if anything, she had been the one spending money on him.
Their Grandpa smacked the table. “I’ve got money! You bring home a girlfriend, I’ll give you two thousand yuan a month! When you get married, I’ll buy you a house!”
Ning Yuan fell silent for a moment, then tried another excuse.
“My work keeps me busy. And honestly, there aren’t even many women in the whole company—”
“Then change jobs! My buddy’s company is hiring. Good pay and the work’s not that tiring.”
“...”
Running out of options, he gave up.
“I just don’t want to date so early...”
“Don’t tell me you like men?” Their Grandma suddenly cut in.
“No! I just don’t feel like dating, can you not drag this into sexuality?”
Watching her brother get cornered like that, Ning Chu suddenly felt lucky she had secured a boyfriend early. Otherwise, she’d be the one under fire now.
Poor guy...
But also—
better him than me.
So she decided to pile on.
“My brother just likes anime waifus. He has no interest in real girls.”
Ning Chu's Grandpa, ever the “modern” type, actually understood what Ning Chu meant. He’d been online since the early 2000s and was quite the old netizen himself.
“Ning Yuan, don’t get too obsessed with the virtual world. You need to come back to reality~”
Ning Yuan shot Ning Chu a murderous glare, but the little succubus wasn’t afraid at all.
“Grandma! Brother’s being mean to me!”
“Why are you being mean to your sister?! Wasn’t what she said the truth?”
Ning Yuan: “...”
Clearly, he hadn’t beaten her enough when they were kids. No wonder only in anime do big brothers turn into sis-cons.
. . .
After a good meal and plenty of drinks, the group slowly filed out of the restaurant.
Black Bean, still bursting with energy, dashed back and forth along the sidewalk. Ning Chu worried she might suddenly dart into the street or crash into someone, so she chased after her and pinned her in place.
“We’ll head back first,” Ning Chu's Grandpa called out as he waved goodbye.
Ning Juan gave a half-hearted attempt to keep them:
“Leaving so early? Stay the night, tomorrow we can—”
Before she could finish, Ning Chu's Grandpa cut her off.
“What, at your tiny place? There’s not even a proper bed to sleep on.”
“Alright, we’re off!”
Even though Ning Chu's Grandpa had been drinking, Ning Chu's Grandma was the one driving. And she was skilled—better than Ning Yuan, even.
As their electric scooter disappeared at the far end of the street, Ning Juan turned back to her kids.
“Ning Chu, your Uncle and I still have something to do. When we get home, take care of Ning Xin.”
“Okay~”
“And don’t you dare sneak out to mess around on New Year’s Day!”
Ning Chu didn’t need to guess what “something” meant...
Her Mom had been drunk last night, with all the kids at home, so nothing could’ve happened. But clearly she couldn’t wait any longer tonight.
Hmph, she’s not any better than me!
Out loud, Ning Chu only said lazily, “Got it. What time will you be back?”
“Probably after midnight.”
Ning Juan's cheeks flushed faintly as she held onto her boyfriend’s thick arm, then the two of them headed off toward the curb to hail a taxi.
Watching her mother leave, Ning Chu started plotting a little herself.
She passed Black Bean’s hand to her brother.
“Bro~ I’m going to the internet café for a bit. I’ll be back later. I’m leaving Black Bean with you.”
“???”
Ning Yuan was dumbfounded.
“Isn’t there a computer at home?”
“How could I hog it from you~? Besides, the specs are way too trashy...”
“Then who are you going with? Wen Yang’s still at work, isn’t he?”
“Classmates. Friends.”
She didn’t linger for more questions. With excitement written all over her face, she called a ride-hailing car and was gone within minutes—leaving Ning Yuan and Black Bean standing in the cold wind on the roadside.
“Unbelievable,” Ning Yuan muttered. “It’s New Year’s Day, and the house is just the two of us now. Everyone else ran off to play.”
“Sis is definitely going to see brother-in-law!” Black Bean lifted her chin proudly. “Every morning I can smell brother-in-law’s scent on her!”
—Wait. What scent? And how can a little kid even
tell
that?!
The corner of Ning Yuan’s mouth twitched. A strange mix of loss and worry welled up in his chest.
“Come on, let’s go home.” He took Black Bean’s hand and started walking. He couldn’t help but nag, the same way he used to with his little brother.
“Be more careful outside, don’t run all over the place. What if you get hit by a car?”
“Don’t eat so much junk food out there. And don’t just stare at meat all the time—cats need to eat veggies sometimes too.”
“When we get back, don’t make a fuss. Be quiet. I’ll play games, you watch TV. Works out better for both of us—”
Black Bean tilted her ears, but her nose had already caught a whiff of grilled meat. She was staring straight at the barbecue shop across the street, not listening to a single word.
:
Volume 2 Chapter 112 / Chapter 393: P.E. Class
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Chapter 364
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