Trapped in Paradise (In a Hentai World, as a Trap)

“Ning Chu, come here!”

“This outfit looks great on you!”

“How about this dress? Isn’t it pretty?”

Now that she had a daughter to dress up however she pleased, their mother’s shopping enthusiasm had skyrocketed over the past two days.

Ning Chu wore a miserable expression, her calves aching from all the walking. She didn’t want to lug a heavy suitcase full of clothes back to school, nor did she want to waste time shopping.

She’d rather grab some street food and spend a couple of hours at an internet café instead.

But the one suffering even more was undoubtedly Ning Yuan.

Glancing back, she saw her brother trailing behind, loaded down with shopping bags, his face etched with a look of utter despair.

She almost burst out laughing.

Ever since becoming a girl, she could sense a slight distance growing between her and her brother.

Ning Yuan didn’t outwardly show it much, but the shift was there.

They had, after all, grown up together.

But the real problem was that closing that gap would require long periods of close interaction. If she wasn’t careful, things might spiral into a Yosuga no Sora-style situation, and that would be a disaster.

“Ning Chu!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming~”

Hearing her mother call again, Ning Chu reluctantly jogged forward, only to see her mother standing in front of a small eatery.

She wasn’t sure how long this place had been around, but every time they visited their grandparents in the countryside, her mother would stop here first to grab a meal.

That way, they could avoid her grandmother’s overly enthusiastic hospitality—because once they stepped into that house, there’d be no escaping a meal. And not even their mother could handle Grandma’s cooking.

“Ning Yuan, put the bags down for now.”

It had been a long time since their last visit, so Ning Chu curiously scanned her surroundings.

She quickly noticed something different—specifically, the prices.

The prices had definitely changed.

They’d more than doubled.

The peanut sauce noodles that used to cost three yuan were now seven.

“So expensive…” she muttered.

“Everything is expensive nowadays,” their mother sighed, propping her chin up with one hand. “You can’t even make a quick supermarket trip without spending at least a hundred yuan.”

As she spoke, she suddenly lifted her head and looked at Ning Yuan, who was sitting across from her.

“When are you getting a girlfriend? If you don’t find one soon, I’ll set you up on blind dates during the New Year.”

Ning Yuan immediately shook his head. “Please don’t. I’ve only been working for a little over a year. I don’t have the money to date.”

“There’s no one you like at work?”

“Nope. There aren’t even any women in my company.”

He paused before adding, in an exaggeratedly anxious tone, “Besides, we don’t have a house, a car, or money for a bride price. It’s not happening anytime soon.”

“What do you mean we don’t have a house? This place is in a good location.”

Their family’s apartment, while old and a bit rundown, was in the heart of the city, making it incredibly convenient. Supposedly, it had been left to them by that scumbag of a father.

“It’s too old. Any girl would want a better place.”

Ning Chu loved watching these matchmaking conversations unfold. She grinned as she watched her brother twist his words in every possible way to dodge their mother’s nagging.

But soon, the battlefront shifted to her.

“And you’re laughing? If you don’t find a boyfriend soon, let’s see what you do.”

“……”

Ning Chu and Ning Yuan exchanged glances, quickly reaching an unspoken agreement.

Her brother struck first. “Mom, you keep pressuring us, but neither of us is ever home. Shouldn’t you consider finding a boyfriend?”

“Exactly, exactly!” Ning Chu chimed in, nodding her little head enthusiastically in support.

Their mother froze for a moment before rolling her eyes at her two children. “At my age, why would I need a boyfriend?”

“But Mom, you’re still so beautiful~ You look just like you’re eighteen! There must be tons of people lining up to chase after you!”

“Like I’m eighteen, huh~?”

She chuckled and ruffled Ning Chu’s hair before counterattacking, “Ning Yuan, learn from your younger sibling. If your words were this sweet, you wouldn’t have trouble finding a girlfriend!”

It had only been two days, and their mother was still adjusting to calling Ning Chu differently.

As their food arrived, she took a few bites, her expression flickering with hesitation. After a moment, she finally spoke. “You don’t need to worry about me. When the New Year comes, I’ll introduce him to you two…”

Both siblings froze, staring at their mother in disbelief.

Holy crap! Mom really does have a secret boyfriend!

Though Ning Chu had vaguely suspected it, she was still shocked to see her mother’s cheeks flush like a teenage girl’s.

“Mom! How old is he?” she asked, mouth slightly agape.

“Early forties.”

That’s… quite old. Wait, no—so he’s a forty-something-year-old uncle?

Immediately, an image of a strong, energetic, and very physically capable man appeared in Ning Chu’s mind. There was no way an average man could handle a succubus like her mother.

And since their mother had great taste—and people in this world generally had high appearances—he definitely wasn’t some greasy, overweight uncle.

Most likely, he was a handsome older man!

Ning Yuan also chimed in, “Mom, when did this start?”

“Around when Ning Chu was in middle school.”

“How did you two get together?”

“It started as an online relationship…”

“Whoa~”

The two siblings grew more and more curious, bombarding their mother with questions. But after answering a few, she suddenly got flustered and snapped, “Just eat your food! What’s with all the gossiping?! You two sound like nosy aunties!”

“Oh…”

Ning Chu lowered her head but couldn’t help sneaking another glance at her mother’s completely flushed neck.

She’s embarrassed!

Though her mother was actually in her forties, as a succubus with a well-maintained figure and makeup skills, she looked more like a stunning woman in her early twenties. Seeing her act all shy and bashful was both adorable and charming.

It made Ning Chu want to pinch her cheeks~

—But she only thought about it—otherwise, she might get smacked.

After lunch, their mother had returned to her usual gentle and graceful demeanor. “Are you sure you don’t want to visit your grandparents?”

“I’d rather not… I’m afraid Grandpa might have a heart attack.”

“It’s not that bad,” their mother said as she picked up her small purse and waved at the waiter. She continued, “So, are we heading home now? You’ll still have a couple of hours to rest when we get back.”

“Yep! Let’s go home!”

Then, she turned to Ning Yuan. “When are you leaving?”

“I’ll leave a bit later—around seven or eight. Heading back to my rental place.”

“You know, you really don’t need to rent a place—”

Ning Yuan sighed. “Mom, if I stay at home, my commute will take over an hour. That means I’d have to leave by seven in the morning just to get to work on time. And with all the overtime and 996 schedules, there’s no way I can handle that.”

“Then why don’t you find a job closer to home?”

“The economy isn’t great right now. Having any job is already a blessing, let alone being picky.”

The truth was, after spending the first twenty years of his life under his mother’s strict supervision, now that he was financially independent, he naturally preferred living on his own. It gave him more freedom.

The three of them boarded the bus back to the provincial capital. As soon as she had some free time, Ning Chu immediately pulled out her phone and started chatting with Wen Yang.

“Oh right, I’ll transfer you two thousand yuan later. Make sure you rent a place when you get back.”

“That’s too much, isn’t it?”

“It’s not. Once your ID gets updated next month, we can decide whether you’ll stay in a girls’ dorm or continue renting.”

As she spoke, their mother leaned over to peek at Ning Chu’s phone screen—only for Ning Chu’s thumb to swiftly swipe, closing the chat app in an instant.

“Which handsome guy were you chatting with?”

Ning Chu shook her head. “No one. Just arranging for someone to help me check out apartments this afternoon.”

She had already asked Wen Yang to scout out apartments and negotiate prices. If everything went smoothly, she’d be able to move in as soon as she got back to school.