Married the Second Generation Fox Demon with a Baby in a Flash Marriage (GL) - Chapter 3
“I will become beautiful, yes, I will become beautiful, I need to lose weight, no midnight snacks tonight!” Hu Mengmeng declared, her round face serious, making her look somewhat comical.
Su Mingli shook her head and went to shower and change. Not long after, the door to Hu Mengmeng’s house was knocked. Hu Mengmeng looked through the peephole and opened the door.
Standing at the door was a long-haired girl leaning on a crutch. She had delicate features, long straight hair styled in two ponytails, sparse bangs, and a simple, clean look. She wore a long floral dress, appearing pure, reserved, and not good at expressing herself. This girl was Tao Tao, Hu Mengmeng’s good friend who lived in the same building.
Tao Tao had a bad leg due to poor development and needed a crutch to walk. To hide her leg shape, she often wore long dresses.
Tao Tao and Hu Mengmeng had been friends for over five years. Hu Mengmeng had moved here when she started middle school, and every day she went to and from school with Tao Tao, walking alongside her. Sometimes when they were late, Hu Mengmeng would carry Tao Tao on her back and run. Once she learned to ride a bike, she would carry her as well.
The entire neighborhood knew they were the best of friends.
“Tao Tao, why are you here?” Hu Mengmeng asked, helping Tao Tao into the house.
The two standing together formed a clear contrast. Tao Tao was slender, weighing less than half of Hu Mengmeng’s weight, and not very tall, appearing petite.
“I was curious. You came back from the birthday party, how was it?” Tao Tao asked, looking at Hu Mengmeng with a gentle and amiable expression.
Tao Tao had difficulty walking and was also a bit socially awkward. She avoided crowded places and only talked more around Hu Mengmeng.
Tao Tao had helped Hu Mengmeng choose the “slimming” clothes she wore to the birthday party and had done her makeup. Of course, she also knew Hu Mengmeng’s little secret, so she came to check on her when she saw the light on upstairs.
“Don’t even mention it!” Hu Mengmeng helped Tao Tao sit down and told her what happened, and as she spoke, sadness welled up again.
As for the fox spirit matter Su Mingli had mentioned, Hu Mengmeng felt it would be embarrassing for Su Mingli to talk about it, so it was better to keep it a secret.
After Tao Tao sat down, her dress clung to her legs, making one leg appear thick and the other thin – the thin one being the underdeveloped leg.
“You helped her with chores for a year and brought her breakfast so many times. Even if she doesn’t like you, not even being friends is too hurtful! Mengmeng, don’t be sad. I brought you your favorite fried lotus root slices and crispy chicken,” Tao Tao said, pulling at Hu Mengmeng, who looked like she was about to cry again.
Tao Tao always brought food for Hu Mengmeng whenever she came over.
As Hu Mengmeng’s best friend, Tao Tao knew that as long as Hu Mengmeng had something to eat, she would quickly forget her sadness. The best comfort was to let her eat, so she pushed the lunch box she had brought towards Hu Mengmeng.
“Tao Tao, you’re so good to me!” Hearing Tao Tao’s words, Hu Mengmeng cheered up, forgetting her promise not to eat midnight snacks. She opened the lunch box to look, swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva, her eyes shining, but hesitated as she was about to eat.
“What’s wrong?” Tao Tao asked.
“I don’t eat lotus root!” Hu Mengmeng said with a serious face.
“Why not?” Tao Tao asked.
“I don’t eat lotus root, I’m not ugly, if I eat lotus root I’m ugly. From now on, I want to become beautiful, starting with not eating lotus root!” Hu Mengmeng said, clenching her fist, before grabbing a piece of crispy chicken and taking a big bite.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Su Mingli said, wiping her hair as she came out of the bathroom, having heard what Hu Mengmeng said. She was both amused and exasperated, walking over and flicking her forehead.
“Auntie, what Mengmeng said is so funny, like a rhyme,” Tao Tao reacted, understanding, and laughed as well.
“From now on, lose some weight and don’t eat midnight snacks. School starts in September, you’ll both be college students. Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t eat midnight snacks?” Su Mingli said.
“I ate a little after five in the afternoon, and didn’t eat anything at the birthday party. I’m hungry, can’t I eat? Tao Tao said you absolutely can’t go hungry, it’ll make you sick,” Hu Mengmeng said with grievance.
“Tao Tao is good to you and doesn’t mind that you’re fat, but others do. Remember what they said about you. Tomorrow, get up early and work at the shop with me, otherwise you can earn your own living expenses for university!” Su Mingli said.
“Mom, no way!” Hu Mengmeng cried out.
“Auntie, I think Mengmeng is quite cute being a little chubby. Being able to eat is a blessing. My appetite isn’t good, I’m too thin and unhealthy,” Tao Tao said softly, her tone gentle.
“Tao Tao, where is she cute being this fat? Don’t comfort her. In the future, if you have something delicious, eat it yourself. Look how thin you are. Hasn’t your father come back yet? It’s raining so heavily, are you scared? Stay here a little longer, it’s only a little after eight, play with Mengmeng,” Su Mingli said, pressing her hand on Hu Mengmeng’s face, telling her to move aside, then turning to Tao Tao with a smile, her voice softening.
In Su Mingli’s eyes, Hu Mengmeng was just a silly tomboy, while Tao Tao was the gentle girl, so she naturally treated her more tenderly.
“Auntie, my dad has overtime work today. I’m used to it, it’s okay,” Tao Tao said softly.
“Mom, I suspect Tao Tao is your biological daughter, and I’m adopted!” Hu Mengmeng said resentfully.
“Let me get you two some juice. You guys play here, I’ll go to the shop for a bit and be back in a little while. Tao Tao, you keep Mengmeng company,” Su Mingli ignored Hu Mengmeng, squeezed a glass of juice for each of them, and went to the snack shop to knead dough and prepare for the next day.
Hu Mengmeng turned on the TV and chatted with Tao Tao while watching.
“Tao Tao, do you think if I lose weight, I’ll really become beautiful?” After chatting for a while, Hu Mengmeng, still bothered by her looks, said to Tao Tao.
“You’re good-looking whether you’re fat or thin. You look fine now. I wish I had your appetite. You don’t need to worry about being fat or thin. People who like you won’t change their feelings because of your weight,” Tao Tao said softly, though her implication was that she didn’t really agree with Hu Mengmeng losing weight.
“But, Xiao Ya doesn’t like me the way I am now. Do you think if I become thinner and prettier, Xiao Ya won’t dislike me anymore? My university and Xiao Ya’s are in the same school. If I become prettier during the summer vacation, I’ll go find her again when school starts,” Hu Mengmeng said, still thinking about becoming prettier, while fiddling with her fingers.
Hu Mengmeng had gotten into a third-tier college that was affiliated with the prestigious university Lin Yunya had gotten into. Both their school names had “Fengcheng University” in them, but Fengcheng University was a top ten national university, while Hu Mengmeng had gotten into Fengcheng University’s Tancheng College, which was a different college with a huge difference in level, making it directly a third-tier college.
“Lin Yunya treated you like that, and you’re still going to look for her?” Tao Tao’s eyes widened.
“She’s actually very nice, it’s all because I’m too ugly…” Hu Mengmeng blinked and said.
“Mengmeng, wake up! She doesn’t even treat you like a friend, and she dislikes your appearance. That’s already very damaging to your self-esteem. Even if you become thinner and prettier and she starts being nice to you, it won’t be genuine,” Tao Tao said.
“Becoming better and being liked, isn’t that the way it is? Don’t people all like good things?” Hu Mengmeng said.
“You’re hopeless! Just because she’s good-looking doesn’t mean you have to forgive everything,” Tao Tao said, speechless.
“Tao Tao, Xiao Ya was really good to me when we were little, she liked me so much, hugging and pinching me, saying I was so cute. At that time, I got lost and was crying while looking for my mom when a man with a big black dog bullied me, wanting to take me away. She helped me fight off the bad guy, and her arm was bitten by the big black dog. She even took me back to her house, fed me, gave me a bath, changed me into pretty clothes, and hung a small bell around my neck. But later, she hid me outside, saying her grandpa was back and would be angry if he saw me, telling me to stay in that bush and not go anywhere, and she even left me a bag of food. But as soon as she left, I was found by a police uncle and sent back to my mom. Tao Tao, do you think it’s because I got fat and ugly that she dislikes me? Once I become pretty, she will definitely like me again,” Hu Mengmeng said, propping her chin up with her hand, touching a small silver bell hanging around her neck.
The bell was hung around Hu Mengmeng’s neck by the girl who saved her. She was too young when she got lost, so Hu Mengmeng couldn’t remember many things clearly, only a rough outline. When senior year started, Hu Mengmeng saw Lin Yunya, who had returned from abroad and transferred into their class. Her home was also in the Fuxiang Mountain villa district where Hu Mengmeng was found back then. They had bought a high-end villa more than ten years ago, and no one was allowed in without permission. Moreover, when she smiled, she had dimples on both cheeks, just as sweet and cute as the older sister in her memory.
Hu Mengmeng was a natural admirer of beauty and liked pretty girls. She was convinced that Lin Yunya was the older sister she had always cherished in her mind, and she was so good-looking. Therefore, Hu Mengmeng treasured Lin Yunya very much and was willing to do anything for her.
“Mengmeng, that was when you were little, maybe four or five years old. Who knows if it’s true or not. Lin Yunya doesn’t even remember you, only you remember. You should wake up and stop obsessing over it,” Tao Tao said, shaking her head. Hu Mengmeng had told Tao Tao about this many times, and Tao Tao knew. The first time she heard it, she thought Lin Yunya was really nice, but this time she still felt Lin Yunya had gone too far.
“Do you think liking someone is something you can just stop so easily? Sigh, you’re still too young,” Hu Mengmeng said, taking a sip of juice and sighing, looking melancholic.
“Hu Mengmeng, your birthday is July 29th, and my birthday is March 3rd. I’m half a year older than you!” Tao Tao hit Hu Mengmeng with a pillow, and the two laughed and played for a while.
The white silk cloth that Su Mingli had given Hu Mengmeng earlier fell to the ground and drifted to Tao Tao’s feet. Her skirt swept over it, and the white silk cloth disappeared.
Hu Mengmeng didn’t notice. Because of Tao Tao’s arrival, her mood wasn’t as bad as before. She chatted with Tao Tao about the plot of the recent TV series they were watching, put the clothes she had changed out of into the washing machine, cleaned up a bit, and at 9:30, when Su Mingli returned, Hu Mengmeng walked Tao Tao back to her house.
Tao Tao’s father was a policeman who often worked overtime. Her mother had divorced and remarried, leaving. If it wasn’t bedtime yet, sometimes Hu Mengmeng would go to Tao Tao’s house to keep her company, and sometimes she would invite Tao Tao to her house to play for a while before going back to sleep.
Hu Mengmeng helped Tao Tao downstairs. When Tao Tao walked, her skirt clung to her legs, revealing the obvious difference in the thickness of her two legs.
As Hu Mengmeng supported Tao Tao, in the dim light, a faint black mist seemed to swirl around Tao Tao’s thin leg.
“You go back, you don’t need to keep me company, I’ll be fine,” Tao Tao said to Hu Mengmeng when they reached her house.
“Then be careful, call me if anything happens,” Hu Mengmeng said.
The two parted ways, and Hu Mengmeng went upstairs.
Tao Tao stood at the door, watching Hu Mengmeng move her plump body upstairs, a hint of gloom in her eyes, different from her previous clear gaze.
“Hungry, hungry, hungry…” A muffled sound seemed to come from her throat, hoarse and low, mixed with the wind and rain, making it unclear. Tao Tao shrank her shoulders, a look of terror in her eyes. She quickly closed the door and went into her room, leaning on her crutch, staggering to the refrigerator. She opened it and took out a large box of food, placing it beside her thin leg under her skirt. The leg under the skirt seemed to be wriggling with something, making a rustling sound. The box of food trembled, followed by the sound of bones being crushed and chewed, echoing in the empty room mixed with the wind and rain. Tao Tao, pale-faced, hugged her shoulders and shivered, her eyes filled with overflowing tears and fear.
At the same time, in the wind and rain-swept darkness near Hu Mengmeng’s neighborhood, inside the black minivan, the long box beside Ye Xinyu opened. In her hand was a bronze longsword, over a meter long, with the seal script characters “斩邪” (Demon Slayer) engraved near the hilt, its dark light contained within.
Ye Xinyu’s lowered eyelashes lifted, and she looked in one direction, her eyes carrying a bright gold color, sharp and deep.