Chapter 157 : Don't Lick It!
"It's New Year's Eve today~"
Ling Ning was curled up inside a kotatsu, aimlessly chatting with her friends on her phone. She had bought this kotatsu a while ago after seeing how people in anime and movies, especially the Japanese, would always huddle beneath them in the winter. She had always wanted to experience what it felt like.
When she found a shop on Taobao having a sale, she bit the bullet and bought one. It had just arrived yesterday, and after using it, Ling Ning realized—this thing was dangerously addictive!
Especially with the recent cold snap, once she got inside, she never wanted to come out. It wasn't just her; Ling Ye was the same, huddling with her laptop under the kotatsu all day. Xia You would often come over and join them, and once she was in, she usually stayed the entire day.
Xia You had a habit of curling up completely inside the kotatsu, and for some reason, it made Ling Ning think of an old forum post she'd seen in her previous life, where someone claimed you could see high school girls' panties inside a kotatsu. She wasn’t sure if it was true, but it was dark in there, and she was wearing tights, so probably nothing would be visible.
Besides, Xia You usually just hugged her legs while napping. Anyway, Xia You wasn't that kind of pervert... right?
"Mom~ Isn’t it tradition to hang spring couplets for New Year’s Eve?" Ling Ye paused her furious typing and turned to Ling Ning with a puzzled expression.
"Mm~ They're already up." Ling Ning responded lazily.
"Eh!? When did that happen?" Ling Ye blinked in confusion. Since waking up, she'd been in the kotatsu. Except for when Ling Ning made breakfast, she hadn’t seen her mom leave the room.
"I put them up before you woke up… Oh, right! I forgot to buy groceries! I wonder if the market’s still open—this is bad, really bad!"
Suddenly realizing her oversight, Ling Ning let out a small scream. She had been so focused on getting cozy under the kotatsu that she completely forgot to buy ingredients for the New Year's Eve dinner. She checked the time and figured that if she left right now, she might still make it.
"I-I'll go with you."
Xia You poked her head out from under the kotatsu. Since Ling Ning was heading out, there wasn’t much point in staying in there alone. After all, without being able to catch glimpses of Ling Ning's panties, the kotatsu held little appeal for her. Honestly speaking, with the tights that Ling Ning was wearing today, Xia You could vaguely make out the little bear pattern on her panties. Cold weather? It didn't bother her one bit.
"Alright, change your clothes, and wear something warm—it's really cold outside." Ling Ning instinctively shrank her neck as she exited the kotatsu. The outside world was simply too hostile; she intended to get groceries and hurry back to her warm sanctuary as quickly as possible.
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"Ugh, it's so cold."
Probably because she’d stayed in the warm kotatsu for too long, Ling Ning felt the chill cut right through her as soon as she stepped outside. Although snow was rare in S City, for someone as sensitive to the cold as Ling Ning, this weather was torture.
Determined to buy her groceries quickly and get back to her kotatsu, Ling Ning led Xia You straight to the nearest market.
Since it was New Year’s Eve, many stalls in the market had already closed. Fortunately, some vendors were still open, so they weren’t completely out of options.
"By the way, Xia You, what kind of food do you like?" Ling Ning turned her head to ask Xia You. Although she had known Xia You for quite some time, she still didn’t know her favorite food. It wasn't that Ling Ning hadn’t paid attention—Xia You simply had never shown any strong preferences or aversions to specific foods, which was why Ling Ning asked.
"I like anything you make, Ling Ning!" Without a moment’s hesitation, Xia You blurted out her response.
At that moment, Ling Ning's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she felt her cheeks heat up. Seeing Xia You’s earnest eyes, she found herself momentarily at a loss for words.
"Um... l-let's go see what kind of meat they have..."
Not knowing how to respond, Ling Ning hurriedly changed the subject, turning to check out the meat section. However, she seemed somewhat absent-minded. Was that just now a confession? Or was it merely a casual compliment?
For some reason, she suddenly recalled what had happened on her birthday night, and her cheeks flushed even more.
They finished buying groceries quickly. After all, it was just the three of them for New Year's Eve dinner—making too much would be wasteful. Besides, Ling Ning didn't have the habit of making dumplings for New Year’s, and it seemed like far too much trouble compared to staying cozy in the kotatsu.
After returning home, she put the groceries in the kitchen, took off her coat, and immediately snuggled back under the kotatsu. They had all woken up pretty late, and by the time they had breakfast, it was already almost noon. Seeing that neither her daughter nor Xia You seemed particularly hungry, she decided to forgo making lunch altogether.
Just as she was enjoying watching the "Bi♂li♂Bili New Year's Festival," she suddenly felt her leg being nudged. Looking up, she realized it was Xia You who had also joined her under the kotatsu.
Given how small the kotatsu was, accidental contact was inevitable, so Ling Ning didn't think much of it. In fact, she playfully rubbed her foot against Xia You's leg.
As she did so, Ling Ning realized Xia You's leg was surprisingly comfortable to rub against. It gave her a strange, almost irresistible sensation of not wanting to stop.
Xia You had now completely submerged herself under the kotatsu, and Ling Ning ceased her playful kicking. She didn’t want to accidentally kick Xia You’s face.
She pulled out her phone, refreshing her friends’ feeds to see what they were up to, while also checking on her novel’s progress. To celebrate the New Year, she had started updating chapters from midnight—one chapter every hour. This holiday had wiped out half of her saved-up chapters.
Ling Ning felt that spending the New Year like this was quite enjoyable. She wasn’t a fan of big gatherings, and this quiet setting suited her perfectly. In her previous life, she had always dreaded New Year's—it meant dealing with relatives she barely knew and a mountain of chores, far more exhausting than writing novels.
Time slipped by in this lazy atmosphere, and Ling Ning checked the time on her phone. It was about time to get up and start preparing the New Year's Eve dinner, but she really didn’t want to leave the comfort of the kotatsu.
Stretching luxuriously, she suddenly felt her foot kick something soft. Out of curiosity, she gave it a few pokes with her toes, only for her toes to be caught in something warm and wet.
"Ah~"
Ling Ning let out an instinctive yelp at the sensation.
Ling Ye turned around, giving her mother a curious look, completely oblivious to what had just happened.
"N-Nothing. Mom just accidentally hit her hand," Ling Ning said, her face flushing as she stammered.
"Xia You, don't lick it!"
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Author's Note:
Initially, I had planned to release this chapter on New Year's Day, but since things didn't go as expected, I'm putting it out now. As for the hourly updates, let’s see how it goes over the New Year. With the chapters I’ve saved up, it should be doable~