Chapter 28
Coming back to his senses, Qiao Linchuan was still talking to Ye Xiyao: “Honestly, I think this is a good thing. Don’t think that just because Xing Xu is always hanging around with you, you two have a great relationship. He’s unpredictable and has a domineering personality. I’ve always worried that his kindness to you has some hidden motive. Now that he’s keeping his distance, it’s the perfect chance for you to create some space between you two.”
Ye Xiyao responded, “Brother Qiao…”
Qiao Linchuan cut him off: “Listen to your brother. From now on, just ride your bike to work with me, and don’t bother with Xing Xu.”
Ye Xiyao said, “Shh.”
Qiao Linchuan retorted, “Why shush? I’d say the same thing to his face. Xing Xu, that scoundrel—”
“What about that scoundrel?” A voice interrupted.
“…” Qiao Linchuan didn’t even look up, but a cold sweat broke out, and he quickly changed his tune. Facing Ye Xiyao, he started spouting nonsense, “Xing Xu may be a bit overbearing, but he’s also reliable. With him taking care of you, I can relax.”
Xing Xu, who had somehow ended up behind him, simply said, “Get lost.”
Qiao Linchuan jumped up immediately, “Right away!”
Before leaving, he winked at Ye Xiyao and whispered, “Just be honest with him, and stop with the fake smiles.”
After Qiao Linchuan left, Ye Xiyao awkwardly glanced at Xing Xu, who had returned, and asked, “Why did you come back?”
“I don’t know.” Xing Xu seemed more confused than Ye Xiyao. Rubbing his forehead, he said, “When I left earlier, didn’t you have something to say?”
Ye Xiyao was taken aback by the question. “Did I?”
Xing Xu nodded, “You did.”
In truth, Xing Xu hadn’t realized it at the time and left in a hurry to contact Luo Yiji. Just as he suspected, Luo Yiji had continued pressuring him to extract demonic energy. But this time, Xing Xu didn’t give a definitive answer. He simply said, “Give me one more day.”
After hanging up, Xing Xu, upon reflection, realized that Ye Xiyao might have wanted to say something but had been interrupted by his departure.
Recalling how Ye Xiyao had been angry the last time he abruptly left on a ‘business trip’—a situation that had taken an entire evening to smooth over—Xing Xu decided he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. So, he promptly turned around to find Ye Xiyao, determined to hear him out.
Ye Xiyao sat on the sofa, silent for a long time, while Xing Xu crouched down in front of him, almost at eye level, and asked, “Why did Qiao Linchuan say you were faking smiles?”
Ye Xiyao pressed his lips together, just about to shake his head, when Xing Xu held his head in place.
Xing Xu said, “How come I didn’t notice?”
Ye Xiyao was amused by Xing Xu’s serious, scrutinizing expression and said with a smile, “I wasn’t faking smiles in front of you.”
Xing Xu, visibly more at ease, replied, “Oh, so the fake smiles were for him, but the real ones are for me.”
Ye Xiyao responded, “That’s not exactly what I meant.”
Xing Xu raised his eyebrows, pretending to glare. “So, you’re faking it with me too?!”
Ye Xiyao quickly covered Xing Xu’s mouth to stop his wild assumptions. “When Brother Qiao came in, I was lost in thought. I wasn’t faking it on purpose.”
“What were you thinking about?” Xing Xu immediately grabbed his hand, firing the question so quickly that Ye Xiyao didn’t even have time to think.
So, Ye Xiyao replied just as quickly, “I was thinking about why you’re so nice to me, even going out of your way to pick me up every day.”
Xing Xu’s expression subtly froze.
He vaguely sensed that Ye Xiyao was testing his intentions for getting close.
This was not a question he could answer carelessly; otherwise, it might lead Ye Xiyao to further suspicion. So Xing Xu gave a noncommittal reply, “What do you think?”
“I think…” Ye Xiyao seemed to have given this question some serious thought and, without much hesitation, said, “You probably aren’t doing it willingly.”
Xing Xu: “…”
No joke, at that moment, Xing Xu felt a little nervous.
He genuinely thought Ye Xiyao had discovered something.
Quickly reviewing everything he’d done over the past month, it wasn’t hard for Xing Xu to realize that while all his actions appeared reasonable, if Ye Xiyao thought carefully, he could certainly spot some inconsistencies.
Had Ye Xiyao already figured out that Xing Xu had a mission? Was that why he was using the phrase ‘not doing it willingly’ to coax Xing Xu into confessing?
Xing Xu certainly wasn’t going to be easily tricked into revealing anything. Although his emotions were roiling inside, he maintained a calm facade and asked Ye Xiyao, “Why do you say that?”
Ye Xiyao lowered his head, wearing an expression that Xing Xu couldn’t decipher.
As an incubus, Ye Xiyao’s body naturally emitted an aura that attracted others. In the past, he hadn’t drawn much attention because he worked hard to suppress that aura. But now, it seemed that everyone who could ‘see’ him treated him with kindness.
This simple fact led Ye Xiyao to an inevitable conclusion: because he was an incubus, he possessed an inherent ability to enchant others. The people who approached him might not genuinely care for or value him; they were simply unconsciously drawn to his aura.
Suddenly, he understood why Xing Xu had always been so kind to him. It was all due to his incubus nature.
Sensing something was off, Xing Xu lifted Ye Xiyao’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. “What did you mean by that earlier?”
“Nothing.” Ye Xiyao forced a smile, “I was just talking nonsense.”
Xing Xu suddenly pinched his lips, pushing down the corners of his forced smile. “This time, I can tell—you’re faking it.”
With his mouth squished, Ye Xiyao mumbled, “No, I’m not.”
“Has something happened? Is someone stalking you again?” Xing Xu asked, feeling somewhat guilty, as he was the last person to have stalked Ye Xiyao.
Ye Xiyao shook his head.
He couldn’t tell Xing Xu the truth, nor did he dare to think about it in detail. If he did, everything would start to feel unreal.
“Fine.” Xing Xu grabbed a stool, sat in front of Ye Xiyao, and said, “If you won’t say, we’ll just sit here and wait.”
This was what Ye Xiyao feared most about Xing Xu.
Xing Xu was different from most people. He wouldn’t accept vague excuses or unclear answers. There was no fooling him. Unless you were prepared from the start and didn’t leave any holes for Xing Xu to latch onto, he would sit and wait with you, indefinitely.
And Xing Xu wasn’t afraid of a battle of wills with Ye Xiyao, knowing full well that Ye Xiyao would be the one to back down first. Ye Xiyao’s thin skin meant that, after a while, he’d start to blush with embarrassment, and that’s when Xing Xu would have the upper hand.
Sure enough, after just a few minutes of silent staring, Ye Xiyao’s eyes began to dart around nervously.
Xing Xu leaned in closer, his eyes boring into Ye Xiyao’s. “Still not going to talk?”
Ye Xiyao responded, “I really don’t have anything to say.”
Xing Xu said, “Your face is red.”
Ye Xiyao quickly covered his face with his hands.
“And your ears are red too,” Xing Xu added.
Ye Xiyao moved his hands to cover his ears.
Seeing an opening, Xing Xu asked, “Why haven’t you let me pick you up these past few days?”
Ye Xiyao tensed up, blurting out, “Why do you even want to pick me up? Is that really what you want?”
Perhaps it was just the incubus’s charm.
After that question hung in the air, both of them fell into silence.
Ye Xiyao’s silence was understandable—he had said something he shouldn’t have, and he regretted it deeply. But at the same time, he couldn’t help wanting to break through the illusion.
Didn’t he enjoy Xing Xu picking him up every day, having meals together, and spending weekends going out with him? Didn’t he take comfort in knowing that he could call Xing Xu in the middle of the night and have him come over to keep him company?
But why should Xing Xu do all that?
Rather than accepting Xing Xu’s unexplained kindness, Ye Xiyao wanted a relationship that felt solid and real.
As for Xing Xu, his silence was something only he could fully understand.
No matter what Ye Xiyao had truly meant by that question, Xing Xu couldn’t help but start thinking about it.
Was everything he had done truly what he wanted?
Xing Xu had been honest with Luo Yiji the other day, admitting that he had grown soft toward Ye Xiyao. He was clear that even though he had softened, it wouldn’t stop him from one day fulfilling his mission and killing Ye Xiyao if needed.
Luo Yiji knew this too, which was why he wasn’t concerned that Xing Xu’s commitment to the mission would waver.
Over the past month, Xing Xu had taken meticulous care of Ye Xiyao, granting his every request and treating him with a kindness that exceeded the bounds of the mission. Sometimes, Xing Xu even forgot that Ye Xiyao was a demon, allowing himself to grow closer to him without thinking.
But despite all this, Xing Xu had never stopped observing Ye Xiyao, carefully looking for his weaknesses and flaws.
That wobbling doll with a camera hidden inside was still sitting on Ye Xiyao’s windowsill. If Xing Xu had truly softened, he wouldn’t be so at ease monitoring Ye Xiyao like this.
In the end, all that gentle and considerate behavior from Xing Xu was just an illusion.
Xing Xu knew exactly what his “true intentions” were. Ye Xiyao’s questions made Xing Xu feel a sense of urgency. He realized that dragging things out was only making the situation more complicated.
Xing Xu needed to quickly figure something out: Was Ye Xiyao a threat to humans, and why was he staying in human society? Only by answering these questions could he free himself from this false kindness.
He needed to obtain Ye Xiyao’s demonic energy. Whether it led to killing or sparing him, there had to be a conclusion.
Xing Xu let out a heavy sigh. He knew he probably wouldn’t be able to get Ye Xiyao’s demonic energy today. In his mind, he had already decided to agree with Luo Yiji and let the security bureau take action. But despite that, he still felt a deep, lingering frustration that wouldn’t go away.
Faced with Ye Xiyao’s unusual emotions, Xing Xu had no choice but to say things he didn’t even believe himself in order to dispel suspicion.
After thinking for a long time, Xing Xu finally came up with what he considered a reasonable explanation. “Ye Xiyao, are you overthinking things? I’m only being nice to you because I’m looking after a newcomer, and giving you rides is just convenient for me. Did you ask Qiao Linchuan about my address? Why do you think I only have one house? Anyway…”
At this point, Xing Xu suddenly couldn’t continue. The glimpse he caught of Ye Xiyao from the corner of his eye looked too pitiful, his head hung low as if one more word would shatter him.
But not saying anything wasn’t an option. Xing Xu couldn’t let Ye Xiyao start doubting his identity and intentions so soon. So he composed himself, looked at Ye Xiyao with a neutral expression, and continued, “Anyway, don’t misunderstand. I’m really not that good to you. What do you think of my relationship with Qiao Linchuan?”
Ye Xiyao opened his mouth but didn’t respond. However, deep down, he probably knew that Qiao Linchuan didn’t particularly like Xing Xu.
Qiao Linchuan always emphasized to him that Xing Xu had a bad temper. Their relationship was probably not very good.
But Xing Xu said, “The reason Qiao Linchuan works at Qiaoshou is because I recommended him to Xue Qiao. Back then, when Qiao Linchuan’s business failed and he was deep in debt, he had pretty much given up on himself and couldn’t find a decent job. I mentioned him to Xue Qiao, and she happened to remember who he was, so she brought him in. Over the years, Qiao Linchuan has done well at headquarters. Every time there’s a big meeting, all the project managers treat him with respect. Do you think it’s because he’s that imposing, or because they know he has a big boss backing him?”
Ye Xiyao was astonished. “Brother Qiao never mentioned that…”
“Because he doesn’t know.” Xing Xu wasn’t saying all this to take credit; today, he was saying it to deceive Ye Xiyao. “Anyway, that’s just how I am. When I’m in a good mood, I’m nice to everyone. It’s not just Qiao Linchuan; if I’m in a good mood, I might even treat a random homeless guy on the street to a fancy meal… So, Ye Xiyao, you’re not special.”
Out of sight, Ye Xiyao’s fingers tightened as he whispered, “So I just happened to catch you in a good mood.”
“Exactly.” After saying this, Xing Xu smiled at Ye Xiyao. “Is that the answer you were hoping for?”
Ye Xiyao smiled back. “Not really, but it’s better than the answer I had in mind.”
As if.
Ye Xiyao had thought that Xing Xu was being kind to him because of his incubus aura, unable to control his attraction.
But now, Xing Xu had outright told him: ‘You’re overthinking. I’m not being kind to you. I treat everyone this way.’
How strange.
Why did his heart feel so heavy?
“Anything else you want to say?” Xing Xu asked him.
Ye Xiyao replied, “No. Weren’t you heading out? You should go.”
Xing Xu didn’t explain that he had already finished his call. Instead, he nodded and said, “Alright.”
Although the two hadn’t known each other for long, ever since the day they met, they seemed to have become close quickly, as if they had always been familiar with each other. Yet, for the first time, both of them were forcing smiles, neither feeling entirely comfortable.
Xing Xu really did leave.
The moment he turned around, Ye Xiyao’s smile faded.
He clutched his chest, feeling an unfamiliar, overwhelming emptiness.
He hated this feeling.
