Extra Story 1
“Mom! Mom! Is lunch ready yet? I’m starving!”
It was noon, and Chen Cheng was loudly knocking on the door of the fourth-floor apartment.
A moment later, An Yuan's mother opened the door with a tired expression, rolling her eyes at the long-haired woman standing outside in a full-body rabbit pajama set.
Chen Cheng had come over in nothing but slippers and pajamas, her hair messy and uncombed, yawning like she had just woken up.
“You’re here again?”
“I’ll have dinner upstairs later.”
Chen Cheng shamelessly squeezed through the door, her eyes locked onto the kitchen. “What’s for lunch?”
“Sweet and sour ribs. Just finished frying them.”
Even though An Yuan's mother sounded annoyed, she had still made one of Chen Cheng’s favorite dishes.
“Yay~ Let me help!”
It had been several years since she graduated from university, and nine years since she crossed over.
Chen Cheng, who used to be a little girl with a boy's heart, had grown into a beautiful woman who knew how to dress up, but her eyes were still as clear as a college student's, and her personality had become more cheerful and lively.
She had decent cooking skills now but she's just too lazy to cook, so she rented an apartment in the next building and eats at her aunt's or mother's house every day.
“What time did you wake up today?”
An Yuan's mother followed her into the kitchen, a little worried.
“A little after eleven. I was up late writing last night.”
“You never let me read what you write.”
“You probably wouldn’t want to. It’s just romance… nothing that interesting.”
Chen Cheng skillfully mixed the sweet and sour sauce, poured it into the pan, and added the fried ribs, coating them evenly while casually asking, “Mom, do we have an extra induction cooker at home? Mine broke.”
“There’s no extra one.”
“Then can I take this one?”
An Yuan's mother smacked her on the head. “Are you here to rob me?”
“Of course not…” Chen Cheng’s eyes darted around before throwing someone else under the bus. “An Yuan said he wants to start a business.”
“Tell him to come see me after work. I swear I’ll beat him!”
An Yuan was working at a small local company. The pay wasn’t great, just around five or six thousand, but he had a steady 9-to-5 job with weekends off. His workplace was only a ten-minute walk away, making his life far more comfortable compared to his previous one.
He had saved up quite a bit over the years, thanks to his unique insights as a time traveler. When he finally earned enough for a down payment, housing prices had peaked, so he decided to just hold onto the money instead.
As for Chen Cheng… she was still a total homebody.
Though, thanks to An Yuan’s influence, she wasn’t as extreme as before. At least she left the house for more than just picking up packages and taking out the trash. She was a freelancer, but a slightly more active one now. She cooked for An Yuan occasionally, did some housework, and even went out shopping with friends from time to time.
Still, sometimes she felt like she was a disgrace to transmigrators everywhere!
But she really loved her current life.
“All done!”
Lost in thought, she had already finished making the sweet and sour ribs. She helped An Yuan's mother bring out the three dishes and a soup, happily enjoying another free meal.
“Chengcheng, when do you plan on having kids? You’re almost thirty.”
As soon as she sat down, An Yuan's mother couldn’t hold back her urge to push for grandkids.
“Ugh, Mom, if you keep bringing this up, I’ll stop coming over…” Chen Cheng groaned, rubbing her temples. “Also, I’m only twenty-six! How is that ‘almost thirty’?”
“You’re twenty-eight in traditional age!”
“But when it comes to this topic, you suddenly start using traditional age…”
Honestly, life was good, and her relationship with An Yuan was going well. Sometimes, she did feel the urge to have a child.
But the problem was, she doubted her own ability to raise a child properly.
"In a few more years, your mom and I will be too old to help you take care of a baby."
"Oh, no need! I can handle it myself."
The phone on the table suddenly rang. Chen Cheng picked it up and answered the video call.
On the screen, An Yuan’s tall and handsome figure appeared.
"Having lunch at my mom’s place again?"
"Yep! You better hurry, or I’ll eat everything."
Since his workplace was close to home, An Yuan usually came back for lunch during his two-hour break.
"Alright, I’m on my way."
After that brief exchange, he hung up. Chen Cheng turned to An Yuan's mother and asked, "Mom, did Dad have a problem with hair loss when he was younger?"
"Probably? I don’t really remember," An Yuan's mother replied uncertainly. "Before he turned thirty, he had a lot of hair, but after that, he just shaved it all off."
"Oh no, then An Yuan is doomed… he’s already starting to lose hair."
Chen Cheng covered her face. Lately, her biggest headaches were her elders pressuring her to have kids and An Yuan’s receding hairline.
Even though he wasn’t working crazy overtime like in his past life, his schedule was stable and he even worked out regularly, he still showed early signs of hair loss.
Before long, there was a knock at the door.
Excited, Chen Cheng ran over to open it. As soon as she saw An Yuan standing outside, she leaped onto him like a koala, wrapping herself around him.
"Whoa, slow down!"
An Yuan staggered back a step, quickly supporting her by the waist. "You’re getting bolder, huh? My mom’s watching, you know."
"I literally discussed pregnancy tips with her last time."
Thanks to all the middle-aged women she spent time around, Chen Cheng had gotten much bolder. Her face had a natural rosy glow, and her expression carried a mature, charming allure, like a seductive vixen. Every little smile or glance seemed capable of stirring a man’s desires.
An Yuan looked down and met her gaze, immediately realizing what was on her mind.
His legs suddenly felt weak… He had barely recovered from this morning. Could he even survive round two at noon?
"Alright, let’s eat first." An Yuan gave her a light pat on her firm, perky backside. "Get down."
"Okay~"
They walked together to the dining table. An Yuan glanced at the dishes, garlic chives with eggs, stir-fried pork, and the sweet and sour ribs from earlier. Besides the ribs, the other dishes were clearly meant for him.
"Mom," An Yuan greeted as he sat down, "do we have any more ribs? Chengcheng wants to take some home, make sure they’re the rib cuts."
"The premium rib cuts," Chen Cheng corrected. "I like those the best."
An Yuan’s mother rolled her eyes. "Go check the fridge yourself, you little thieves."
Whenever Chen Cheng needed something, she would just check An Yuan's mother’s or her mother’s house. Even if they didn’t have it right away, if she mentioned it, they’d have it ready in a couple of days.
As Chen Cheng went to rummage through the fridge, An Yuan's mother lowered her voice and told her son, "You need to talk to her. If she waits any longer, she’ll be a high-risk pregnancy. It’ll be dangerous to have a baby then."
"Honestly… I don’t even like kids that much," An Yuan admitted, scratching his head.
"That’s not an option! Whether it’s a boy or a girl, you need at least one!" His mom shot him a glare. "It’s been years, and she hasn’t shown any signs of pregnancy. Maybe you should go get checked at the hospital?"
An Yuan rubbed his ear, thinking he should start having lunch at Chen Cheng’s mother’s place instead, less nagging.
Chen Cheng pulled two racks of ribs from the fridge, packed them up, and casually chimed in, "Honestly, I think the problem is with An Yuan. It’s got nothing to do with me."
An Yuan’s eyes widened in shock. What do you mean, I’m the problem?!
Who on earth could keep up with you? Three times a day! Morning, noon, and night?!
Back when they first met, he suspected Chen Cheng might be some kind of succubus. After they got married, he confirmed it. This woman was sucking the life out of him like she was addicted!