I raised my nemesis into my husband

Chapter 61.1 (patreon post)

Editor: Princess

On the second day after the university entrance examination results were released, two hashtags became trending topics online: “The Academic Elites of Qing’an Town Have Such Peculiar Styles” and “What Happened to The Former Child Star?”

Ning Sheng, who had appeared on several programs with his aunt Ning Lan before age five and had made numerous on-screen appearances, was unexpectedly dug up by netizens and thrust into the spotlight. The hashtag threads were filled with his childhood photos.

Comments poured in:

“Ahhh, I remember him! I absolutely loved him back then. He was so well-behaved and adorable. I wonder how he’s doing now.”

“He probably grew up ugly. After all these years with no news, maybe he became too hideous to show his face in public?”

“Don’t you remember that news story from back then? There was an accident on a film set where a prop fell and injured a little boy who was sitting nearby. This was supposedly Ning Lan’s nephew. After that child got hurt, he never appeared again. I heard his leg was injured and he couldn’t walk, so the production company paid out a huge settlement.”

“Oh my god, such a small child, how pitiful! I wonder how he’s doing now. I remember his name was Ning Sheng.”

“Ning Sheng? Look at that hashtag about the academic elites of Qing’an Town. In that video, isn’t there a kid named Ning Sheng? Could it be him?”

“I went to check, and it really is him! Wow, he didn’t grow up ugly at all, what a beautiful young man.”

In the video circulating online, Ning Sheng was holding a bamboo basket while standing under a lychee tree, looking up expectantly for the fruit to fall. The teenager’s lips curved in an anticipatory smile, showing no trace of the gloom that his childhood injury might have brought.

More comments followed:

“Wuwuwu, the child I used to love has grown up and looks so healthy. He seems to be living a good life.”

“He’s even more beautiful now, and his grades are excellent too. His smile is so gentle, he hasn’t disappointed us.”

“However, our little young master ended up in such a remote town? Are those three dark-skinned guys his buddies? They’re quite handsome actually, and their smiles look so genuine.”

When Ning Sheng learned he had gone viral, he was sitting at the entrance of the car wash shop, watching Xu Ling repair a car. Only Xu Ling’s two long legs were visible from under the vehicle.

The reporters were quite conscientious. They hadn’t included the footage of him kicking over the bamboo basket or Dog Xu’s brave battle with the praying mantis.

“Ning Ning, hand me a wrench.” Xu Ling’s oil-stained hand emerged from under the car, with a band-aid on his finger from when the angry mantis had pinched him that day.

Ning Sheng pulled out ten sheets of paper, searched for a while, wrapped the wrench in them, and handed it over with obvious disgust.

“Not this one, the big one. You can’t do anything right.” Xu Ling threw the wrench out with a clang. “Useless princess, more hindrance than help.”

Ning Sheng immediately lifted his foot to stomp on him. With his vision blocked, Xu Ling couldn’t dodge in time and got stepped on between his legs. He howled and rolled around under the car.

“That’s your punishment.” Ning Sheng said angrily. “I’ll stomp you to death.”

“Don’t mind him, he asks for help then complains about people.” Aunt Xu waved at Ning Sheng. “Ning Ning, come here. I’ll teach you how to make sugar cakes. In a few days when you all go to S City for university, you won’t be able to eat them often.”

Ning Sheng studied seriously, thinking that after learning this, he could make them for Xu Ling to eat.

After Xu Ling finished repairing the car, he cleaned the motor oil from his hands and strolled over to the kitchen.

Ning Sheng was helping his mother knead dough, with flour smudged on his cheeks, looking adorable. Xu Ling raised his hand and wiped forcefully.

“Ah… it hurts!” Ning Sheng dodged to the side, turned the flour-dusted bowl upside down on Xu Ling’s head, then walked away.

Xu Ling: “….”

When Xu Ling’s mother returned from buying sugar, she found Xu Ling kneading dough in the kitchen.

“Did you knead this dough with your head?” His mother asked.

Xu Ling: “Did I knead it well?”

“Where’s princess?” Xu Ling’s mother asked. “Did you upset him again?”

“I didn’t.” Xu Ling protested. “He had flour on his face, so I just wiped it off for him. He’s delicate and said it hurt.”

“Don’t you know how strong you are?” His mother laughed in exasperation. “You guys catch pigs and climb trees every day, chase around the mountains, and roll around in the wild. You do everything roughly. Ning Ning is different from you all.”

Xu Ling’s mother continued, “If you want people to treat you well, don’t be so rough yourself. Think about it, even the dogs in town don’t want you to pet them.”

“That’s because they have no taste.” Xu Ling said.

“Stop crushing the sugar cakes Ning Ning made. They’re all becoming pancakes now!”

Xu Ling’s mother: “Get out of here!”

After washing the flour off his face, Ning Sheng skateboarded over to Lu Peng’s house.

Lu Peng had performed exceptionally well this time, scoring amazingly high marks. The neighbor aunties were so envious that their eyes turned red, and they all went home to beat their own children.

Ning Sheng, who had tutored Lu Peng in English, became one of the great benefactors of the Lu’s Meat Shop. Every time he visited, there were pig ears to eat.

Lu Peng was at home lifting weights. “Why is your face red in one spot?”

“Xu Dashan rubbed it.” Ning Sheng said. “He’s annoying.”

Lu Peng: “Then slap him.”

Ning Sheng: “Are you trying to tell me what to do?”

Lu Peng’s neck shrank back.

“Princess, do you want to eat this pig skin?” Lu Peng asked.

“No.” Ning Sheng refused. “This young master doesn’t like it.”

Lu Peng threw the barbell on the ground. “Then I’ll go mix some pig ears for you.”

Ning Sheng looked at the crater the barbell had made in the cement floor, looking thoughtful.

Xu Ling searched all the way to the orchard and only found Li Haoyue.

“He’s not here.” Li Haoyue said while selling peaches. “He probably went to Lu Peng’s place.”

Li Haoyue pocketed the largest peach. “Well then, let’s go. I’ll come with you.”

Xu Ling picked up a peach himself. “Alright.”

“What did you do to him this time?” Li Haoyue asked.

“You can tell just from looking?” Xu Ling asked.

“What else?” The math nerd asked back. “Haven’t you noticed? Whenever princess is unhappy, he always goes to find Lu Peng.”

Xu Ling: “Lu Peng is rough too.”

“Lu Peng isn’t aggressive.” Li Haoyue glanced at him.

“Then why doesn’t he come looking for you?” Xu Ling asked curiously. “Does he dislike you?”

Li Haoyue: “Oh, he purely dislikes math.”

In Lu Peng’s courtyard, Lu Peng had prepared mixed pig ears and pig tail for Ning Sheng, and had also brought him a bowl of pork rib soup.

Lu Peng was shirtless at home, lifting weights, his muscles growing larger with each workout.

Xu Ling vaulted over the wall into the courtyard and tackled Lu Peng to the ground, while the math nerd entered civilized through the gate.

“Wow, pork rib soup.” Xu Ling grabbed the bowl and gulped down a mouthful.

Ning Sheng: “…..”

Ning Sheng: “That’s mine!”

“Princess, share a sip with me.” Xu Ling handed over a peeled peach. “Being a dog is all about getting a bite of meat.”

The math nerd laughed coldly, “You…”

Xu Ling: “….”

“Do your math books really only contain math?” Xu Ling asked. “Next time I absolutely must inspect them.”

Ning Sheng: ?

“Dog Xu, what’s wrong with you? The words the Math nerd can say are becoming fewer and fewer.”

Xu Ling brought the peach to Ning Sheng’s mouth.

Ning Sheng instinctively tried to dodge, but the peach gently touched his lips, and this time it was unexpectedly tender.

“Mm?” He turned his head in confusion.