Trapped In Paradise
Volume 3 Chapter 23 / Chapter 528: Before Registering Their Marriage
"Wake up, Sis!"
"It's already eleven in the morning!"
Feeling a heavy weight suddenly land on her, Ning Chu struggled to breathe. Her brain, which had been in a deep sleep, instantly snapped awake.
She opened her sore eyes and blankly stared at the energetic Black Bean lying on top of her.
"So sleepy..."
"That's because you stayed up chatting with Brother-in-law last night!"
Ning Chu yawned as she rubbed the corners of her eyes.
"We only talked until a little after twelve."
"Then you must've stayed up playing games afterward!"
Looks like this little cat slept like a log last night. Mom and Uncle's noise didn't bother her at all...
She had to admit that although Uncle had put on a little weight over the years, his stamina was still remarkably good. The noise had kept her awake to the point she felt mentally exhausted.
With a look of utter resignation, she turned her head and pressed her cheek against the pillow.
"You were snoring last night. You kept me awake."
"Huh? Me?"
"Mm."
Embarrassed, Black Bean rubbed her tiny nose and quickly tried to change the subject.
"Sis, Mom told you to come eat lunch."
"Okay... Has Uncle left yet?"
"Not yet! They said they're going out again this afternoon, and tonight they're taking us to a hotel for a big dinner!"
The moment Ning Chu heard that, she instinctively pulled the blanket higher over her shoulders.
Although she had a good impression of Uncle, she was now an exceptionally attractive succubus. Even though the stories she'd written had never included any "stepfather" scenarios, she still couldn't help feeling a little cautious around him.
Calling Wen Yang "Daddy" didn't count.
"Close the door. I'm changing."
"Okay~"
Black Bean hopped off the bed and happily ran over to shut the door.
When she turned back around, Ning Chu had already taken off her pajama shirt and was putting on a bra she'd taken from the drawer.
"Wooow... They're huge."
Black Bean stared at Ning Chu breasts in amazement, her mouth forming a perfect "O."
"Don't they feel heavy?"
Even though Ning Chu had long grown accustomed to having a woman's body, and she'd even been completely open around Black Bean before, she still couldn't help blushing at Black Bean's awestruck expression.
Instinctively, she covered her chest and rolled her eyes.
"Stop staring. It's not like you don't have any."
"But mine aren't that big~"
Black Bean held up her hands to demonstrate the difference.
Suppressing her embarrassment, Ning Chu replied smugly,
"Jealous?"
"Not at all~ They're way too sexy..."
For a succubus, being called "sexy" was probably something to be proud of.
She tried to use that thought to cool her burning face.
Still feeling guilty for some reason, she lowered her head, hurriedly put on her bra and conservative pajamas, and muttered,
"You'll be jealous one day."
"No way!"
Just then, someone knocked on the bedroom door.
Mom's impatient voice came from outside.
"Why aren't you up yet? Lunch is ready!"
"Coming, coming!"
Ning Chu opened the door and saw her mother standing outside with her arms crossed, glaring at her in dissatisfaction while continuing her lecture.
"You didn't even get up for breakfast. I tried waking you, but you slept like a dead pig. Didn't you ever get up for morning classes when you were in school?"
"Mom..."
"How are you supposed to hold down a job if you sleep this late every day?"
Her mother continued nagging without pause.
Finally, Ning Chu couldn't take it anymore.
Lowering her voice, she muttered,
"Maybe because you were way too loud last night! You didn't stop until three or four in the morning!"
"..."
The nonstop lecture came to an abrupt halt.
Ning Juan awkwardly looked away as a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
She'd deliberately waited until the middle of the night.
Who would've guessed Ning Chu was still awake at that hour?
As for Black Bean...
That little cat could sleep through practically anything once she was out.
Fortunately, Ning Chu was also a succubus, and an exceptionally qualified one at that.
Seeing that her daughter looked ready to continue, Ning Juan became embarrassed and irritated.
She smacked Ning Chu on the back and gave her a shove, asserting her parental authority.
"Go eat!"
"Okay~"
Ning Chu had only taken a couple of steps when Mom hurried after her and quietly asked,
"What about Ning Xin? She was already asleep by then, right?"
"Yeah. She slept like a pig. After you finished keeping me awake, she started snoring."
Ning Chu answered with another yawn.
"Next time, try to keep it down. Don't be a bad influence on Black Bean..."
Whenever Ning Chu and Wen Yang were at home together, they always made every effort to stay quiet so they wouldn't disturb anyone else in the house.
Unlike her mother, who was so... uninhibited.
Before she could tease her any further, Ning Juan gave her daughter another light smack on the head.
Ning Chu swallowed the rest of her teasing and obediently fell silent.
She sat down at the dining table.
Ning Juan shot her boyfriend a fierce glare before picking up her bowl and eating with obvious annoyance.
Looking completely bewildered, Uncle rubbed his bald head, then warmly placed a piece of braised pork rib into Ning Chu's bowl.
"Come on, eat while it's hot."
"Mm."
The dishes on the table were obviously different from their usual meals.
Judging by the spread, Uncle had probably cooked everything himself, while Mom had spent the entire morning watching TV.
Only then did Black Bean finally come running over and plop down in her seat.
"Dad! What are we having tonight?!"
Her face was full of anticipation, and even her tail stood up excitedly.
"We're going to a restaurant for seafood," Uncle replied with a cheerful smile. "You have to dress up nicely tonight. Some relatives will be coming too."
"Relatives?!"
The food in Ning Chu's mouth suddenly lost all its flavor.
The corner of her mouth twitched as she looked toward her mother.
"Who's coming?"
"Your grandparents, your aunt and uncle, your cousins... A few people from Uncle's side too. Around a dozen people in total."
"..."
Ning Chu immediately began to panic.
Ever since becoming a girl, the only relatives she'd willingly met were her grandparents.
She avoided everyone else whenever possible.
Even during Lunar New Year family visits, she'd usually stay home rather than go with her mother.
This time, her first instinct was the same—to avoid it.
"Then I'm not going."
"Your cousin's been asking about you for ages," Mom said. "He keeps saying he hasn't seen you in years."
"I'm not going, I'm not going. Just tell them I went overseas and haven't come back."
Mom sighed helplessly, resting her chin on one hand as she looked sideways at her visibly anxious daughter.
"They're family. You can't avoid them for the rest of your life. If anything ever happens, it's good to have relatives who can help each other."
"I don't want to..."
"They already know at least some of what happened to you."
Ning Chu lowered her head without saying anything.
"You're not even going to come to your mother's wedding banquet?"
She hesitated for a moment before firmly shaking her head.
"We can just have another meal together at home tonight..."
Ning Juan had no real way to persuade her daughter.
She could only smile bitterly at her boyfriend.
Aside from her grandparents, Ning Chu had no fondness for any of her other relatives.
She could never forget the way they had behaved after her mother died in her previous life—their expressions had been like a pack of wolves and hyenas descending on carrion.
She silently continued eating.
The atmosphere at the table became noticeably stiff because of her.
Today was the day Mom and Uncle were officially registering their marriage...
"Mom... congratulations on your marriage."
Pushing those unpleasant memories aside, Ning Chu looked up with a sweet smile.
"So... you're not going to move into Uncle's place after this, are you?"
Ning Juan rolled her eyes and lightly tapped Ning Chu on the head with the end of her chopsticks.
"If you're not coming to the banquet, then at least come with us to the Civil Affairs Bureau later."
"Okay~"
Perfect.
She could familiarize herself with the place and see how the marriage registration process worked.
That way, when she and Wen Yang got married, she wouldn't even have to wonder where the Civil Affairs Bureau was.
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Link for character illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IxOucqi87ss3bmqfO9zI2gYiM1Gy8Hz2
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Tn: I updated the story once a day, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Volume 3 Chapter 41 / Chapter 546: Lin Li[1]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/HannibalNotBarca/posts/trapped-in-164939812?collection=234094
[2] https://www.patreon.com/HannibalNotBarca/posts/trapped-in-164939812?collection=234094