Trapped In Paradise
Volume 3 Chapter 29 / Chapter 534: A Day Out Shopping
Walking through the lively, bustling streets, Ning Chu took in the sights of the international metropolis for the very first time.
Amid the dense crowds and unfamiliar surroundings, she had never been the type to feel secure.
In the past, she would keep her head down, hands in her pockets, and hurry through whatever she needed to do. But now, she clung tightly to Wen Yang's arm, drawing comfort from the firm muscles beneath his sleeve as her timid gaze wandered over the people and scenery lining the streets.
Wen Yang knew her personality well. She was like a cat—whenever she entered a new environment, she would become anxious at first. But before long, the little succubus would perk up again.
"Want some milk tea?"
A little food usually helped her settle in even faster.
"It's expensive, isn't it...? They're always twenty or thirty yuan. The milk tea near my school only cost around ten."
"If you want it, then we'll buy it. We're only out having fun once in a while. Why worry so much about the cost?"
Wen Yang noticed that Ning Chu's attention had suddenly been caught by something. Looking up, he saw several blond, blue-eyed foreigners not far away.
"What is it?"
"I've barely ever seen any foreigners in my life~" Ning Chu stared at them as though they were some rare species of animal. "I think I've only run into a few since I was little."
"I remember Xi Xi is mixed-race, isn't she?"
"Really? That explains why she has red hair..."
After waiting in line for a few minutes, they bought a cup of milk tea. After only a few sips, the sweetness noticeably eased Ning Chu's nervousness.
She still held tightly onto Wen Yang's arm, though.
This time, it wasn't because she needed the reassurance—it was her way of silently announcing to every other girl on the street that this man was already taken.
"When does the tournament start?"
"Five o'clock. Let's grab something to eat first."
"Okay~ What should we have..."
Her attention shifted to the shops lining the street as she searched for a restaurant that caught her interest.
She wasn't someone who enjoyed shopping. Yet every time she wandered the streets with Wen Yang, a faint sweetness welled up in her heart. As they strolled side by side, her mood gradually became calmer and more relaxed.
At the same time, however, her heartbeat quickened the longer they spent together, and an unconscious blush crept onto her cheeks.
The exhaustion from spending the past several days riding subway lines and rushing between job interviews gradually melted away during their aimless walk. Before she knew it, her steps had grown much lighter as she looked around curiously at everything.
"Oh! An ice-boiled hotpot restaurant!"
She had finally found something she wanted.
"I heard their ice-boiled lamb is really delicious!"
"Sounds like a gimmick. How could cooking with ice make any difference? Thermal expansion and contraction?" Wen Yang joked.
"That's what everyone online says."
It wasn't even dinner time yet, but there was already a line outside the restaurant.
After taking a queue number, Ning Chu pulled Wen Yang over to sit on the benches outside while accepting the complimentary tea from a server.
Listening to the music drifting out from inside the restaurant, her upper body gently swayed to the rhythm, a sweet smile curling at her lips.
"Wen Yang, that girl's legs are so long~"
Leaning against his shoulder, she lowered her voice.
"The girls here are all so gorgeous~"
"You're a girl too. Why are you staring at another girl's legs?"
"I'm appreciating beauty, okay?"
"Why don't you just look in the mirror instead?"
"That's different~"
Wen Yang looked down at Ning Chu and clicked his tongue regretfully.
Today, the little succubus was wearing a long dress that completely hid her beautiful legs, revealing only her slender ankles.
Normally, he liked walking half a step behind her so he could admire his girlfriend's legs while they shopped together.
Today, that wasn't possible.
"Whoa~ That girl's waist is almost as good as Xinya's!"
Wen Yang instinctively looked up, immediately spotting the young woman in a crop top.
Her waist was indeed impressive.
Still, it wasn't quite as toned as Yan Xinya's defined abs, nor did it have the same graceful slenderness as Ning Chu's.
"Pervert! You're actually looking?"
Innocently, he looked away.
"Not as slim as yours. It's just okay."
"Well, obviously~"
Ning Chu lifted her chin proudly.
"You're so full of yourself..."
"So what?"
Another group of customers left their table, and Wen Yang heard the server call their number.
"Come on, it's our turn."
He quickly pulled Ning Chu to her feet.
"It's not even dinner time, and we still had to wait in line..."
Ning Chu grumbled as she followed him inside. Under the server's guidance, they were seated at a four-person table in the corner.
She glanced at the menu and immediately grew restless.
Embarrassed, she looked up at the server waiting to take their order, then leaned close to Wen Yang and whispered,
"Maybe we should forget it? It's so expensive... How about we eat somewhere else?"
But after waiting in line and already sitting down, she simply couldn't bring herself to get up and leave.
Wen Yang ordered a hotpot set for two before turning to the little succubus, whose face was full of heartache over the price.
Helplessly, he reassured her, "We're out having fun today. We can just spend a little less next week."
"And look how many people are lining up to eat here. I'm guessing the food's really good. Don't you want to try it?"
"...Alright."
Ning Chu was easily persuaded.
Suppressing her reluctance over the cost, she eagerly looked around at the dishes on everyone else's tables.
As her eyes wandered, they eventually settled on the family of three at the next table.
She stared absentmindedly for quite a while.
"I've noticed that ever since you came back from visiting home, you've suddenly become a lot more interested in kids."
Wen Yang's voice pulled her back to reality.
She looked away and muttered, "I don't know either... For some reason… I don't dislike kids as much anymore."
"They're actually kind of cute..."
Resting her chin on one hand, she frowned thoughtfully.
"Do you think I've reached that age where my maternal instincts are kicking in?"
In the past, just hearing children made her annoyed. Their voices had always sounded unbearably shrill, enough to make her head ache.
Wen Yang nodded with exaggerated seriousness.
"You just want to have my baby."
"As if we could afford one," Ning Chu rolled her eyes. "Besides, you'd really want me to go through all that pain? I'm already terrified of pain."
"That's true..."
He nodded.
"Maybe it's better not to have kids after all."
Normally, if Ning Chu so much as bumped into the corner of a table, she'd spend ages whining about how much it hurt. She was so delicate she seemed almost made of porcelain, making him afraid she'd break if he wasn't careful.
Then again...
Things in bed were a completely different story. Once she got carried away, pain became part of the excitement instead of something unpleasant. If anything, it only made her more excited, and she even seemed to enjoy things being rough.
Soon, the hotpot was brought to their table.
Inside the pot really was a huge pile of ice cubes.
The server carefully spread slices of lamb over the ice, poured in bottled mineral water, and then put the lid on the pot.
Watching the entire process, Ning Chu suddenly realized something.
"Wait a minute... This first batch of lamb is cooked with ice, but once the pot starts boiling, won't any meat we add afterward just be the same as normal hotpot?"
"I told you it was just a gimmick."
She immediately tried to comfort herself.
"It's okay. As long as this first batch tastes good, it's worth it, right?"
The food had already arrived.
Regretting it now wouldn't change anything.
So she could only stare eagerly at the pot, waiting for the lamb to finish cooking, hoping this bite would give her a brand-new experience.
"I'll go mix some dipping sauce for you."
"I want sesame sauce!"
"I know."
At long last, the lamb was ready.
Ning Chu eagerly picked up a slice and took a bite.
Immediately, she let out a sigh of relief.
The meat was rich with flavor, incredibly tender and silky. It really did taste different from the hotpot she usually ate.
"I'm back. Why didn't you wait for me?"
"It's delicious! It's not just a gimmick! Hurry and try it!"
Wen Yang had only just set down his dipping bowl and sat back down when Ning Chu was already holding a piece of lamb up to his mouth with her chopsticks.
Smiling helplessly, he opened his mouth and ate it.
Before he even had time to properly taste it, he quickly gave her a thumbs-up.
"Yep. It's delicious."
"See? Totally worth it!"
<+>
Link for character illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IxOucqi87ss3bmqfO9zI2gYiM1Gy8Hz2
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
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]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/HannibalNotBarca/posts/trapped-in-164939812?collection=234094[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/HannibalNotBarca/posts/trapped-in-164939812?collection=234094
[2] https://www.patreon.com/HannibalNotBarca/posts/trapped-in-164939812?collection=234094