[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-trapped-in-paradise":3,"chapter-trapped-in-paradise-trapped-in-paradise-chapter-308":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Trapped in Paradise",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1875633,2483,"Chapter 309","trapped-in-paradise-chapter-308",308,"\u003Cp>Her mother’s cooking couldn’t compete with restaurant food loaded with oil and salt. The flavors were much lighter and simpler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it had been so long since she’d had a home-cooked meal that Ning Chu couldn’t stop eating. Even after finishing a whole bowl of rice, she kept picking at the meat and vegetables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Propping her chin up with one hand, she watched Black Bean bury her face into her bowl like a hungry kitten. Then she glanced at Wen Yang—who, in stark contrast, was eating slowly and carefully, visibly restraining himself from overindulging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not often you come home. Eat more while you can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once your brother gets back, I’ll head to the market and buy you both some crabs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mother, speaking gently, picked up some food with her chopsticks and added it to Ning Chu’s bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At school, when you wear girls' clothes, do your classmates talk behind your back? Don’t let that get to you—just live your life howyouwant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mhm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much Ning Chu ate, her bowl never seemed to empty. She chatted with her mom about amusing things that had happened at school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mom perked up, curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That classmate always acts so cold and aloof, but she didn’t hesitate—just dumped a bucket of water on the guy and turned him into a drowned rat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! And guess what? One of my classmates has a crush on a teacher!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?” Her mom looked even more intrigued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were lots of funny stories from the semester, but only a few were suitable to share with her mom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu couldn’t stop talking at the table. She kept eating and chatting while her mom nodded along with a warm smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Yang quietly ate his food, occasionally glancing up to study their expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rarely saw this side of Ning Chu—talkative, animated, brimming with joy. Compared to her usual calm smile, she looked even cuter and more vibrant like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warm, familial atmosphere at the dinner table was foreign to him, but also something he deeply yearned for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his mouth a few times, wanting to join the conversation, but reminded himself of his “future-son-in-law” status. He stayed quiet and just focused on his meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Literallyjustfocused—he didn’t even dare eat too many vegetables from his bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did he eat with utmost care, he also held back from eating too much, afraid of seeming greedy or rude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You still hungry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nope, I’m full.” Ning Chu waved her hand and rubbed her belly with a little burp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So stuffed~ Feels like my stomach’s gotten huge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? Let me feel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ew, no way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mom chuckled, then looked toward Wen Yang, who was still sitting rather stiffly. She picked up a few pieces of meat and placed them in his bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That enough for you? There’s more rice in the pot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s enough, really.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You're a big guy—how are you eating less than Ning Chu used to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced suspiciously at the small ceramic bowl in Wen Yang’s hands, then looked over at her daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharing a look with Ning Chu, she finally sighed, stood up, and pulled a big soup bowl from the cabinet. She filled it to the brim with rice and set it in front of Wen Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eat more. You’re a guest—no need to be so reserved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She placed a few extra dishes in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You and Black Bean can finish these. Ning Chu and I are already full.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And eat itall— Ning Xin! Eat less! You’re a girl—if you eat more than everyone else, how are you not going to turn into a little chubby dumpling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black Bean blinked innocently, then let out a burp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, her mom was trying to control Black Bean’s diet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that might not be possible anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu looked worriedly at the bulging little belly under Black Bean’s shirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s practically a pig already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’tyouused to tell me I should eat more and that being chubby was cute?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, well, that was when you were acat, okay? Chubby cats are cute.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m still cute now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah yeah, you’re adorable~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Black Bean had gradually shed her feline habits and was far more well-behaved and sensible than your average ten-year-old troublemaker… this cat was definitely on her way to evolving into a chubby orange pig.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Black Bean, remember to wash the dishes later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their mom stood up, rubbing her sore shoulders and neck as she walked toward the bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh… I’m getting old. Just cooking a meal has my whole back aching.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom! I’ll give you a massage!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu eagerly chased after her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, can Wen Yang stay over tonight? Just on the living room floor—he hasn’t found a place to stay yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s really not going home for the New Year?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not. Going back just means spending it with some uncle or cousin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mom gave a sideways glance toward the dining table, where Wen Yang had immediately let himself go once she stepped out—eating with barely more manners than Black Bean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She did feel bad for his background, but that didn’t mean she was thrilled about her daughter possibly struggling alongside him in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom, once my brother gets home, how about the three of us squeeze into one room?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the master bedroom, Ning Chu attentively massaged her mother’s shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If your boyfriend can sleep on the living room floor, then so can your brother. He’s a grown man too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes lit up. She redoubled her effort on the massage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll share a room with Black Bean~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Mom, you’re giving Wen Yang a hard time—what about your own boyfriend? Didn’t you say he’d visit during the break?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is he tall, handsome, a rich older guy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mom turned and pinched her daughter’s smooth, plush cheek hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re really gonna joke about your own mom now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ow—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tomorrow. He’ll come over tomorrow, and your brother should be back too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint blush rose to her mom’s cheeks. Then she added, “Oh, and about the apartment—don’t worry too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your grandpa owns two buildings in the urban village. He converted them into shared rentals.” She lowered her head and sent him a message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll ask him to give your boyfriend a discount. Let him stay for a month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu was stunned. In both this life and the last, she never knew her grandfather was that wealthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two buildings?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, she knew he used to run a business and made decent money, but she never had a real concept of just how much. When she pictured her grandpa—flip-flops, tank top, always lazing around playing mahjong—it was impossible to reconcile that image with a local landlord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t know?” Her mom was a little surprised, and maybe even a little smug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten years ago when the area was redeveloped, your grandpa ended up with a dozen apartments in the new city district.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So we’re secretly a real estate tycoon?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s it got to do withyou?” Her mom rolled her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I moved my household registration out years ago. The property wasn’t registered to our family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu deflated instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So much for suddenly being rich.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even her hand lost strength as she continued the massage, muttering dejectedly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So really, the whole family just relies on big brother to earn money? That’s barely better than Wen Yang’s situation, and you still look down on him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My boyfriend sends me some money every month. And at least wehavea house.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu figured her mom’s financial situation was decent now. Certainly better than when she was a kid—just look at how round Black Bean’s cheeks had gotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom, why are you staring at me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She noticed her mom turning back and giving her a long, scrutinizing look, and scratched her head awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t look anything like your old self anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mother sighed as she watched Ning Chu kneeling on the bed, tail perked into a heart shape, diligently massaging her shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a gentle, mature charm in her daughter’s eyes now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My son’s really become a proper little succubus, huh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just back in September, she was still a round-cheeked little boy…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“………”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stop! Don’t say it!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu couldn’t even lift her head from embarrassment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I haven’t even fully fallen yet—how am I already ‘proper’?!\u003C\u002Fp>",1401,"2026-06-10T06:04:15.011Z",1,"novelbin.me","3cc6b0a6d1e583f69f4ebea1887ea7015aa7b39a5e03ddfdeb9612d4b784840e","trapped-in-paradise-chapter-309","trapped-in-paradise-chapter-307",471,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ftrapped-in-paradise-cover.jpg"]