Is a Succubus Considered a Demon? – CH10

Chapter 10

Ye Xiyao had never spent more than 10 yuan on a haircut. 

It’s not that he couldn’t afford more, but to him, being seen by others was already a rare event, so having a meticulously groomed hairstyle seemed pointless. 

In the past, he always went to a street barber near his apartment, the kind where someone sets up a pole, hangs a sign, and places a stool to start their business. Generally, it cost 5 yuan for a haircut, and the most expensive was 10 yuan. 

Ye Xiyao’s request was always the same six words: “Cut it short, don’t block my eyes.” 

It was simple for him, and the old barber found it easy too. In just a few minutes, his hair would be trimmed clean and neat. 

One could say that Ye Xiyao either didn’t care about appearance or that he was confident his natural looks were so flawless that any hairstyle would suit him. Either way, he’d lived simply like this for years. 

But today, Xing Xu brought him to a fancy, eye-opening salon. 

When Ye Xiyao saw the sign that said “Special Stylist – 3000 per hour,” he felt a little out of breath. 

Ye Xiyao: “Boss Xing, I want to…” 

Xing Xu: “Want to change salons?” 

Ye Xiyao: “I want to die.” 

“You really don’t want a haircut that much? Is your hair your weakness?” Xing Xu smirked, his tone unclear whether he was mocking or teasing. 

Ye Xiyao shook his head and said, “It’s not my hair.” 

Pointing to the price list, he whispered to Xing Xu, “But they’re trying to rob me. Money is my weakness, my fatal weakness.” 

Xing Xu gave him a long look, then turned to the receptionist and said, “Give him the most expensive one.” 

Ye Xiyao: “?” 

Ye Xiyao: “Boss Xing, no, no!” 

Help! My boss really seems to want to kill me! 

Ye Xiyao’s resistance was futile, and he was practically dragged to the “execution” of his hair, almost crying. But soon, the hair treatment and massage were so comfortable that he dozed off. 

When he was woken up, he found that Xing Xu had already left. 

Well, it made sense. Getting his hair done here would take at least an hour, and it was already surprising that Xing Xu personally brought him over, so of course, he wouldn’t stay and wait. 

But… 

Why did you even bring me here?! 

Ye Xiyao looked at the time with a tragic expression, confirming that he had now, without a doubt, wasted 3000 yuan. 

He was in a state of “I want to die” but also “I want to kill my boss first.” 

The stylist, still holding a large tablet, began discussing what hairstyle Ye Xiyao wanted, asking about his preferences, the style he liked, and the final effect he desired, talking on and on. 

Ye Xiyao stared pitifully at the seconds ticking away, and said, “I want something quick.” 

Stylist Julius chuckled, “Are you worried about the styling fee?” 

Ye Xiyao nodded frantically, “Yes, yes, yes.” 

Because even just talking for a couple of minutes meant another 50 yuan was gone! 

“Didn’t the guy just now tell you? He used CEO Xue’s VIP card for you.” 

Ye Xiyao didn’t quite understand. Did that mean Xing Xu had paid the bill for him? 

Julius explained, “It seems you really don’t know. The owner of this salon is CEO Xue! Though it’s not officially linked to Qiaoshou Technology, it’s still CEO Xue’s business. You must be new at Qiaoshou, right? Our internal staff get a 3000-yuan annual styling discount, and you’re using CEO Xue’s card. Forget about paying, if you wanted to walk out with something from the store, we’d happily let you!” 

Ye Xiyao was utterly shocked. 

After the shock, it suddenly made sense. No wonder Xing Xu personally brought him here today, probably just to tell him that he could get free haircuts from now on. 

Wow, Boss Xing is such a good person! 

Ye Xiyao completely forgot that just a moment ago he was plotting to kill Xing Xu. 

With the financial burden lifted, Ye Xiyao no longer felt the pressure of watching the time. However, he still had no idea what kind of hairstyle he wanted. 

In the end, Ye Xiyao handed the decision over to the stylist: “Just fix it up however you want, as long as it looks decent.” 

Julius showed a disapproving expression after hearing Ye Xiyao’s words, saying, “There’s no such thing as ‘casual’ in a professional stylist’s dictionary.”

Ye Xiyao blinked and lightly threw out a question: “Then, what style do you think suits me?”

“Well, for you, of course, it would be—”

The stylist fell silent for a full three minutes, unable to finish the sentence. “Suits….”

Ye Xiyao had already anticipated this reaction.

People seemed to be blocked off from Ye Xiyao’s hidden aura. They could see him, but his true appearance always felt vague and unclear to them. 

To describe it, it’s like a word you know well but, after writing it too many times, you suddenly feel as if you no longer recognize it. 

That’s how Ye Xiyao appeared to most people—clear in every stroke, yet still somehow blurry.

His simple question nearly shattered the professional composure of the stylist. Julius stared at him for a long time, unable to offer any constructive opinion.

Ye Xiyao gave him an out with a smile, saying, “I just have a common face, no distinct style, so you can cut it however you like.”

Unexpectedly, Julius was not one to give up easily.

Not only did he refuse to do it “casually,” but he also gathered all the available stylists in the salon, each showcasing their expertise. They were determined not to stop until Ye Xiyao was perfectly served.

However, the result was obvious: it was of no use.

Seven or eight stylists surrounded Ye Xiyao, yet none could figure out what style suited him.

This stubborn group of stylists seemed deeply troubled by the sudden failure of their aesthetic sense, each wearing a distressed expression, staring at Ye Xiyao in anguish.

A small drop of cold sweat appeared on Ye Xiyao’s forehead. He felt like this wasn’t a haircut anymore but some mysterious ritual being performed on him.

Awkwardly, he said, “Excuse me, could you please stop circling around me?”

Julius replied, “Don’t worry, we’re professionals.”

Ye Xiyao said, “I’m not worried, but you’re making me a little dizzy.”

Julius immediately instructed everyone to stand still. “Alright, we’ll stop moving.”

But it only became more unsettling. They stood there surrounding Ye Xiyao, staring at him intently.

Ye Xiyao had never experienced this kind of treatment. He was really uncomfortable and uneasy.

This kind of gaze was different from when Xing Xu looked at him. 

When Xing Xu looked at him while talking, it felt natural. But these people were clearly “struggling to see,” so they were staring intently.

After holding on for a few minutes, Ye Xiyao finally gave in.

He had a feeling that if he didn’t cooperate, no one would let him leave today.

Finally, Ye Xiyao spoke up and offered a solution: “Why don’t you take a picture of me? Maybe I’ll look clearer in the photo.”

“A photo? What good would that do in your case—”

Julius clearly didn’t think a photo would help, but not wanting to say something too harsh, he hesitated before agreeing.

Somewhat dismissively, he took out his phone to snap a picture. “Alright, alright, let’s give it a try.”

In his mind, though, he had already dismissed the idea.

After all, if they couldn’t see any distinct features with their eyes, then a photo, which captures only one angle, would likely make an already ordinary person seem even more…

Wait…

What is this?

“Ah!”

Julius stared at the phone screen, suddenly shouting, “Ahhh!”

Startled, the others asked what was wrong. Julius couldn’t even speak, frantically motioning for them to come look at his phone.

Moments later, everyone began screaming in turn:

“Ah!”

“Ahhhh!”

“Wait, Julius, did you accidentally turn on a beauty filter? … What? It’s the original camera? Ahhh!”

Ye Xiyao silently rubbed his ears. “…”

Even though he had braced himself, the noise still got to him.

He knew why everyone was so surprised, and he also knew what they had seen through the camera screen. 

Whether it was his inhumanly beautiful face, his clear yet unfathomable eyes, his flawless skin that looked like it had been airbrushed, or the hair that looked like it had been chewed by a dog, all of it was captured by the camera.

But this wasn’t something that should be surprising.

After Ye Xiyao suppressed his aura, people could no longer sense his presence. He had become like a physical ghost.

However, the camera lens, which captures light and color, wasn’t affected by his weak energy field. 

The lens neither exaggerates nor minimizes—it simply captures the real Ye Xiyao exactly as he is.

And the reason Ye Xiyao allowed others to take his picture was because he was sure that even if they managed to “see” him clearly through video or photos, they would soon forget his appearance once they left.

Because as soon as the phone or any other medium was set aside, he would go back to being the same.

People would at most be surprised for a moment, thinking, “Huh? That person looked so good in photos, but why do they seem so plain in person?” Soon, they wouldn’t be able to match his real self to the image on the screen.

But today was a little different.

Ye Xiyao noticed that after Julius took his picture and screamed a few times, he and the others didn’t pick up the phone again. Instead, they were all excitedly working on designing his hairstyle, rushing around busily.

They didn’t take out their phones again.

He was a bit puzzled.

Normally, after putting down the phone, wouldn’t they start commenting, “Wow, you’re so photogenic”?

Why was Julius looking at him in person with an expression that seemed… even more amazed?

Strange.

This had never happened before. Could it be that one photo today somehow broke his “seal”?

Haha.

Ye Xiyao found his own thoughts amusing.

Julius had to spend quite a bit of effort, verbally wrestling with the other stylists who were competing to style Ye Xiyao, to finally drive them away. He rubbed his hands together, his face full of excitement.

Ye Xiyao was a bit uncomfortable with the way Julius was looking at him. There was a borderline obsessive admiration in his gaze, full of amazement, to the point where he couldn’t help but reach out, wanting to touch him. “Ah! What a perfect head!”

Ye Xiyao dodged slightly. “…Thank you.”

Julius continued to praise him, “You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my entire career—”

Ye Xiyao interrupted, “My head?”

Julius nearly choked and emphasized, “No, the most beautiful client! Everything about you, all of you, is perfect! I can’t believe it. Why am I only realizing this now? Ah, it must be because your beauty exceeds my understanding. I needed time to grasp the overwhelming impact of it.”

Ye Xiyao was amused by his description. “So, do you understand now?”

Julius replied, “Yes, I understand perfectly now. Let’s get started!”

Ye Xiyao’s hair was soft and fluffy. After some layering, it naturally gained a light, airy curve that complemented his face shape. It had a lively, dynamic look that would appear different depending on how the wind blew.

Since he didn’t need any perming or coloring, the cut didn’t take long.

But during that short half-hour, Ye Xiyao was sweating cold bullets.

That’s because Julius kept making unnerving comments.

Julius: “You’re not human, are you…?”

Ye Xiyao: “!!!”

Julius: “You’re so beautiful, like a finely crafted work of art, a miracle!”

Ye Xiyao: “…Haha.”

Julius: “If only you hadn’t used black dye on your hair. The fading is really damaging the texture. Once your hair grows out, come back, and I’ll dye it a color that suits you perfectly.”

Ye Xiyao casually asked, “What color?”

Julius replied, “Silver, like moonlight.”

Ye Xiyao: “!!!”

Julius laughed, “Haha, just kidding. That kind of sheen can’t be dyed. I just think you suit more mysterious colors.”

Ye Xiyao forced a smile, but he was almost scared out of his wits. For a moment, he thought his hair had already grown out, but fortunately, Julius was just speaking off the cuff.

The lunch break ended at 2 PM, and Ye Xiyao finally wrapped up this chaotic haircut at 1:50.

Before he left, Julius almost begged to record a short video of him, but Ye Xiyao politely declined, claiming he was shy.

Of course, it wasn’t shyness—he simply wasn’t used to leaving behind photos and videos, nor was he comfortable showing his true self to others.

Hiding behind an unnoticed, invisible aura made him feel safe.

But it also took away his chance to be open about himself.

Ye Xiyao feared that Julius, with his sharp eye, might notice something unusual about him, so after a hasty goodbye, he quickly bolted out, moving so fast that no one could catch up.

As soon as he opened the door, a hot breeze greeted him. He stepped into the sunlight, letting the wind mess up his bangs.

The carefully styled hair Julius had perfected instantly became disheveled.

But really, what was the point of looking so polished if there was no one outside to admire it?

Let it be messy, then.

Luckily, Julius was skilled—his haircut remained lively and charming, even with the wind.

Ye Xiyao suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He noticed that Xing Xu was standing not far from the door, fiddling with his phone, as if he had just finished a call.

The moment Xing Xu saw Ye Xiyao come out, he put his phone away and looked over. “Why did it take so…” long?

Before finishing his sentence, Xing Xu stopped mid-thought.

Ye Xiyao hadn’t expected him to wait and quickly approached. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were outside. Have you been waiting long? Let’s head back now.”

“No rush.” Xing Xu’s gaze fell on Ye Xiyao’s face. After a moment, he added, in a lukewarm tone, “The haircut looks good. Let’s get some food.”

He said the last part so quickly that Ye Xiyao only caught the second half. Glancing at the time, Ye Xiyao replied, “I’m not hungry. How about I head back to the office, and you, Mr. Xing—”

“I’m hungry.” Xing Xu’s words left no room for refusal, but his tone was surprisingly gentle. “Join me.”

Ye Xiyao hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed. However, he couldn’t help but ask, “If we’re late, how much will be deducted from our pay?”

“…” Xing Xu rubbed his temples, then made something up, “Having lunch with the boss counts as overtime, so no deductions.”

Unexpectedly, Ye Xiyao pressed further, asking, “And how is the overtime pay calculated?”

Xing Xu: “?”

Ye Xiyao laughed, “I’m just messing with you.”

“You’ve got some nerve.”

Xing Xu looked down at him. He had intended to tell Ye Xiyao that, for the past 28 years, anyone who dared to tease him was doomed. But as soon as he caught sight of those smiling eyes, he forgot what he was about to say.

In the end, he simply reached out, gently brushing a small lock of hair off Ye Xiyao’s curled lashes, and asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Ye Xiyao froze in place, opening his mouth but staying silent for a long time.

Xing Xu: “?”

He teased again, “Are you planning on eating air?”

Ye Xiyao snapped out of it and suddenly remarked, “Mr. Xing, you’re a really gentle person.”

After saying that, he probably realized how cheesy it sounded, so with his ears turning red, he dashed towards the mall upstairs, calling back, “I’ll scout out a spot for the boss first!”

Xing Xu, left standing there, was also a bit stunned.

He slowly pulled out his phone and, somewhat inexplicably, scrolled to the most frequent contact in his list—Luo Yiji—and sent a message: [Got a question for you.]

Luo Yiji responded quickly, probably thinking it was about work, replying with urgency: [What is it? Is there a problem?]

Xing Xu didn’t explain and simply sent a few words: [Am I gentle?]

This time, Luo Yiji didn’t reply right away.

It wasn’t until later, after Xing Xu and Ye Xiyao found a restaurant and sat down, that Xing Xu received a message from Luo Yiji.

At that moment, Ye Xiyao was ordering food, so Xing Xu discreetly took out his phone and glanced at it.

Luo Yiji: [Xing Xu, after all these years, I’d say we’re close, right? There shouldn’t be any misunderstandings between us, correct? If you’re unhappy with something, just say it directly—no need to beat around the bush. Yes, it’s true, recently many people in the alliance have complained about your rough behavior, domineering style, and tyrannical attitude, but I’ve dismissed all of them. You’ve done so much for the alliance, so what if your personality’s a bit rough around the edges?!]

Xing Xu: [?]

–

They were seated by the window, and from Ye Xiyao’s vantage point, he could see the arcade across the street.

At the entrance was a claw machine designed to attract young people.

Ye Xiyao felt a bit tempted.

It had been a long time since he’d bought any stuffed toys.

For Ye Xiyao, plush toys weren’t just playthings; they were his “friends.” He used to love collecting them, filling his home with all sizes of stuffed animals, making it feel like he had lots of companions.

But after moving a few times, he lost many of them, and as life got busier, he didn’t have much time to “talk” to his plush toys. Now, he only kept the largest one—a dinosaur named Ye Laoshi—as his companion.

But now that he had found a new job, and his life was becoming more stable, he felt the urge to start collecting plush toys again.

The little bunny in that claw machine was so cute.

And the size was perfect to sit on his nightstand!

Sitting across from him, Xing Xu noticed where his gaze had landed and followed it. Suddenly, he said, “After we eat, I’ll take you to play.”

Ye Xiyao snapped his head back, wide-eyed: “!!!”

How did Xing Xu always know what he was thinking? It didn’t matter if he said it out loud or not—Xing Xu always seemed to guess and then make it happen.

His heart began to race wildly.

Ye Xiyao quickly finished his meal, trying to suppress the smile creeping at the corners of his mouth, eagerly waiting for Xing Xu to take him to the claw machine.

And then…

Xing Xu led him to a boxing machine.

Ye Xiyao: “?”

Xing Xu: “Give it a punch.”

He wanted to see how strong the demon was without using his powers in this human body.

Ye Xiyao glanced longingly back at the claw machine he had been eyeing, then turned to look at Xing Xu. His once racing heart suddenly felt deflated.

Alright.

He had overthought it.

Filled with melancholy, Ye Xiyao threw a punch at the machine.

The numbers on the machine flickered erratically for a moment, then reset to zero with no reaction.

Xing Xu thought he was just testing the machine and raised an eyebrow at him, saying, “Now, go ahead.”

Ye Xiyao: “I’m done.”

Xing Xu: “?”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Ye Xiyao mumbled, “The machine is broken. It’s not counting.”

Xing Xu didn’t believe him at all. “Is that so.”

He suspected Ye Xiyao was making an excuse, unwilling to show his strength in front of him.

He wasn’t expecting to truly gauge the demon’s power with the boxing machine, but rather to observe how well Ye Xiyao controlled this body.

Since Ye Xiyao was reluctant, he didn’t push it.

But Ye Xiyao stubbornly insisted, “It’s broken.”

Xing Xu thought for a moment, then suddenly, without giving Ye Xiyao any time to react, raised his arm and threw a fierce punch at the machine.

Boom.

Beep beep beep.

Ding—

The numbers on the machine shot up from zero, quickly maxing out. 

A few seconds later, the machine blared a warning and then powered down. 

Xing Xu withdrew his fist and calmly said, “Looks like it’s really broken.”

Ye Xiyao: “…”

‘You’ broke it, didn’t you?!  

You literally just smashed it!

“You’re amazing,” Ye Xiyao said, almost unconsciously grabbing Xing Xu’s hand.

Wow, both of his hands couldn’t even fully wrap around Xing Xu’s fist. No wonder he could break the machine.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Ye Xiyao unknowingly rubbed the sharp ridges of Xing Xu’s knuckles.

Little did Ye Xiyao know, Xing Xu had thrown that punch to give the demon a bit of a warning.

But now, that intended warning was enveloped in Ye Xiyao’s small, soft palm. The slightly higher-than-normal body temperature of the demon quickly transferred to Xing Xu’s skin, coursing into his blood.

It felt as if he was melting into a cloud.

His thoughts wandered.

“But, Manager Xing, aren’t you going to have to pay for breaking the machine?” Ye Xiyao smiled, revealing dimples in his cheeks. His fair skin had a hint of pink, like a strawberry-flavored marshmallow.

Suddenly, Xing Xu’s hand itched. He couldn’t resist reaching out to pinch Ye Xiyao’s cheek. His thumb pressed into the soft flesh, which felt incredible, though he was careful not to use too much force, worried he might leave a mark.

A bit displeased, Ye Xiyao lightly slapped Xing Xu’s hand away. “If you break me, you’ll have to compensate for that too.”

Xing Xu looked at him for a moment and asked, “How would I compensate?”

Ye Xiyao stared back in surprise. “… Are you really going to hit me?”

“I won’t.” Xing Xu pinched his soft cheek one more time before finally letting go. “Wait outside for me.”

Ye Xiyao quickly nodded, cupping his own face.

Xing Xu went to negotiate with the arcade staff. The worker was clearly intimidated by Xing Xu’s aura and treated him exceptionally well, even asking if Xing Xu had hurt himself while smashing the machine.

Ye Xiyao figured Xing Xu would settle things quickly, so he stood outside the arcade, idly watching the crowds on the first floor. His head tilted from side to side as he observed.

Suddenly, Ye Xiyao felt a strange sense of unreality.

Having lived as a “person” in this world for so long, it seemed this was the first time he had ever waited for someone else.

It felt novel.

And, surprisingly, Ye Xiyao didn’t mind it.

Two minutes later, a large hand descended from above and ruffled his hair.

It was Xing Xu.

Xing Xu had wanted to do this from the very beginning.

As expected, it felt as good as he had imagined.

Ye Xiyao turned around to greet him but was distracted when his gaze fell on something in Xing Xu’s other hand. He blinked rapidly and asked, “Manager Xing, what’s this?”

Xing Xu shoved a plush toy into his arms, saying, “An ugly rabbit.”

Ye Xiyao wasn’t asking that.

He wanted to ask why Xing Xu, who had gone in to discuss compensation, had suddenly come back with a plush toy.

And why it was the same rabbit from the claw machine Ye Xiyao had been eyeing earlier.

But since Xing Xu didn’t explain, Ye Xiyao didn’t press further.

“I don’t think it’s ugly at all,” Ye Xiyao murmured as he played with the plush toy. He quickly discovered something special about it: when he pinched the bunny’s butt, its ears would pop up.

Delighted, Ye Xiyao lifted the bunny next to his face, tilted his head up, and smiled brightly at Xing Xu. “Look, does this make it a little cuter?”

The bunny’s ears twitched.

Ye Xiyao’s eyelashes fluttered.

Xing Xu felt like his heart had already spoken before his brain could catch up, and he blurted out almost instantly:

“…Cute.”

——————–

**Ye Xiyao:** This guy’s fists are so strong, he could probably make more money than anyone else by hauling bricks.

**Xing Xu (internally):** Cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute…